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Frenzy (Transformers)
Encyclopedia
Frenzy is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes
. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time.
, along with other cassette Decepticons Ravage
, Laserbeak
and Buzzsaw. Because of his coloration on the original cartoon, he is sometimes misidentified as Rumble
. The toy is colored blue and indigo, but his cartoon model is red, black, and gold. His toy-accurate color scheme in the Marvel Comics series remained intact, and following media such as Dreamwave and IDW's comics followed the toy's colors as well.
According to the Marvel Transformers comics Rumble and Frenzy are brothers. Unlike the cartoon version, Marvel Frenzy had powers based on sonics rather than piledriver arms.
In the comics Frenzy was one of the Decepticons that originally attacked the Ark and subsequently fell to Earth. Reconfigured into the Earth mode of a microcassette he participated in many of the early battles against the Autobots. Until, that is, he was one of those who went with Megatron in his raid against the Autobot base, summarily getting deactivated by Omega Supreme
along with Starscream
, Skywarp
, Thundercracker
, Rumble
and Buzzsaw. That would be all the US comics heard from Frenzy for a while but the UK comics had him returning much sooner in the Target: 2006 storyline, where, after escaping from the Ark with Thundercracker they and Shockwave
would be displaced into a limbo dimension to make way for time-travellers Hot Rod, Kup
and Blurr
, where they battled against Optimus Prime
, Prowl
and Ratchet
, as well as parasitic aliens feeding off their emotions. Working together to find a way out they returned to reality when Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge time-jumped back to the future. In the UK comics he seemingly rejoined the ranks of the Decepticons, while he was freed from the Autobot base in U.S. issue 41.
' second generation Cybertronians near the moon of Tykos. The Decepticons were defeated and Megatron left injured, presumed dead, but swearing revenge.
Frenzy would meet his end in the final issue of the Generation 2 series. After battling against Jhiaxus
' Generation 2 Transformers the combined Autobot/Decepticon alliance were attacked by The Swarm
. In an attempt to slow it Frenzy had Wheeljack
patch him into a massive source of sonic energy. Although he succeeded in temporarily halting the swarm, the sonics proved too much for his system and he was literally shaken apart.
"Oh. Oh, man! I'm gone! Solid gone..." - Frenzy's last words
In the animated series, Frenzy was not as prominent a character as Rumble, first appearing in the episode "Countdown To Extinction" and made few appearances after that, usually appearing alongside Rumble. He did appear in the movie being punched out the city but strangely appeared on astrotrain.
, along with Astrotrain
, Blitzwing
, Bludgeon
, Brawl
, Chopshop
, Dirge
, Octane, Onslaught
, Ramjet
, Tantrum, Venom
and Vortex
. In the third series, he and Rumble inadvertently wrecked Shockwave's attempts to study the Seeker
clones that Megatron had used to conquer Cybertron.
When the Ark fell to Earth in 1984, Frenzy was among the Decepticons on board. Battling the Autobots repeatedly, they were eventually defeated by a combined human-Autobot alliance. They were to be taken back to Cybertron, but were sabotaged by rogue elements of the U.S. military, who wanted to build weapons using Transformers technology (unaware they were being indirectly manipulated by Shockwave). Unable to do this, they began to control the Transformers themselves.
Frenzy was among the Transformers who briefly fell under the control of the terrorist, Lazarus. Bumblebee
, Frenzy, Grimlock
, Laserbeak
, Prowl
, Ravage
, Soundwave
and Starscream
were forced to attack the Smitco oil refinery in the Arctic to display their power for sale to the highest bidder.
Frenzy would not appear again until the following year, when both sides were lured to the wilderness in Alaska
by a mysterious beacon. Both sides battled until the arrival of a force led by Shockwave and Ultra Magnus
, who defeated Megatron and arrested all present as war criminals. Desperate to save their own necks, Frenzy and Rumble both joined up with Shockwave and were assigned by him to guard the badly damaged Megatron. They failed as Starscream was able to dump Megatron's body in space (reminiscent of his fate in the movie). They were then sent by Shockwave on a critical mission - reviving the Stunticons. They were then co-opted by Starscream and head to Earth with him,Soundwave, Skywarp
, Thundercracker
and the Combaticons
. They defeated most of the Autobots still on Earth, but are themselves attacked by Sunstorm
. After Starscream defeated him(with aid from the Autobots) he returned to his base to find Soundwave, Rumble and Frenzy acting oddly. The reason why would soon become clear - Megatron had returned, backed by the Predacons, and Soundwave had been taking orders from him all along.Any further tales of Frenzy would never be told, as Dreamwave would go into receivership from there.
, Frenzy was one of the Decepticons discovered by Cobra in the Ark
, although they were reactivated later than the others. Frenzy was reprogrammed by Cobra Commander
to follow his orders, although he retained his original Cassette and robot alternate modes. Destro
used a newly purchased Soundwave, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Laserbeak
and Ratbat
along with stolen Cybertronian technology to attack a military base - only to be attacked by the newly formed G.I. Joe.
There is an art error here. Rumble appears to get shot in the head and killed while under Destro's command, yet Rumble is among the Decepticons who break free next issue (and is clearly identified as Rumble by Soundwave). The TPB of the comic series corrected the error and showed that it was Frenzy who was killed.
, Frenzy appeared as one of the Decepticons under Starscream
's command in the alternate reality
Evolutions
tale "Hearts of Steel". He was seen warning the unscrupulous businessman Bonaventure to turn back, but relented when the human talked of an alliance, and took him to see Starscream. He did not appear after this, but he was most likely destroyed when John Henry
and Bumblebee
diverted the Decepticon train convoy into a chasm.
Frenzy made his first appearance in the main IDW continuity in issue 1 of The Transformers: Megatron Origin
miniseries. Captured by the guard of the Senator after Megatron's riot at the energon mine, Rumble and Frenzy convinced the unwilling Megatron to help them escape. Breaking free and incapacitating the guards, the three fugitives took the ship underground, unaware they had attracted the attention of Sentinel Prime
. After getting involved in underground bloodsports in Kaon, Rumble and Frenzy have become awed by Megatron's violence and charisma, and have been shown as loyal acolytes staying by his side. After Soundwave
offered Megatron the use of advanced weaponry, Frenzy and Rumble were modified to be able to work with him.
Frenzy makes his first modern appearance in the second issue of IDW's All Hail Megatron series, set one year in the future of their Transformers continuity. In this Frenzy is portrayed as his traditional role as a minion of Soundwave with his traditional blue color scheme and as such is a microcassette tape unleashed on Megatron's orders against an entire battalion of human military ground forces that had gathered in Central Park as part of a counter offensive against Megatron's assault on New York. This Frenzy is also possessed of sonic powers but they induce delusional nightmares and horrific hallucinations in those that hear it. It appears to affect everyone including Frenzy himself, who's been reduced to a maniacal figure who attacks his prey with what look like drills instead of forearms (probably a nod to the piledrivers Rumble uses) in an almost berzerker fury. Only Soundwave, it seems, is immune to this frequency. Its reported later in the issue that Frenzy succeeds in wiping out the entire ground force by himself.
s called Scrapmetal by Hasbro were called Ramble by Takara, the Japanese name for Frenzy's brother Rumble. This had led to some fans calling the red Scrapmetal Rumble and the blue one Frenzy. The blue redeco of Scrapmetal was never released by Hasbro, only the red and yellow variants.
's. The movie's creators have stated that the character design had evolved too far from being Soundwave. Also, during production he was preliminarily named Boombot and Soundbyte.
In the film, Frenzy is small, and very thin, standing at 1.2 m (around 4 feet) tall. It is implied that he is also lightweight, given the ease with which a stewardess on Air Force One is able to pick him up while in his alternate mode. His alternate mode is shown as a silver GPX boombox, with round speakers and blue diode-lights. At one point, he is decapitated and survives as just his head, scanning a mobile phone belonging to Mikaela to continue his task. His weapons include a small automatic weapon on each hand and CD-like shuriken
s that fire out of his chest. His character is manic (living up to his name), sometimes comedic, and he is the only Decepticon with blue colored optics, rather than the usual red.
. Here, he was portrayed as being smaller than the other Decepticons, but still able to engage in combat with the likes of Jazz
. He participated in Blackout
's attack on the Autobots, double-teaming Optimus Prime
, although they failed. Later, in the final assault he was taken out by Jazz.
to hack into the U.S. military's mainframe to find out Megatron's location. The military officials disrupt the downloads and send three secret service agents after the infiltrator, but Frenzy kills them and escapes. He then aids Barricade in locating Sam Witwicky. When let loose on Sam and Mikaela Banes
, Frenzy attacks Sam but is decapitated by Mikaela using a reciprocating saw
(a circular saw in the comic adaptation). He survives the injury and leaving his inert body behind, his head sprouts spider-like legs for movement, reformats into Mikaela's mobile phone and hides in her bag.
Later, he infiltrates the Hoover Dam
and uses the power of the All Spark to regenerate his lost body. In the original script as well as the comic adaptation, he reattaches his original body, which is brought to him by the other Decepticons. He then proceeds to shut down the cooling systems, resulting in Megatron's reawakening, and alerts the Decepticons to the All Spark's presence. While attacking a group of humans in the control rooms, Frenzy accidentally kills himself when one of his own shurikens goes full circle and slices his head in two.
He speaks mostly in Cybertronian, with occasional English words thrown in between, for example, when he frees Megatron from the hangar he speaks in Cybertronian with the English word 'Melting' used meaningfully "Megatron, Megatron.. MEGATRON!..ooh!...Megatron melting!" He also mutters constantly in Cybertronian and makes noises that sound like English words (even swear words at one point) He also makes a obscene hand gesture at the humans who were standing near Barricade. He also makes groaning and creaking sounds even when he is just walking, these sounds are cartoonish in nature, For example, before hacking the computer in Air force One he 'cracks' his knuckles, as if in preparation.
In Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
, Frenzy's reconstructed head is seen in the basement of Seymour Simmons' mother's deli. When Leo approaches the head in a jar, Simmons warns him, "Don't touch that; it's still radioactive."
Frenzy appears in the story Eye in the Sky. Cliffjumper, Crasher, Frenzy, Heatwave, Ravage and Soundwave are sent on a mission to Burpleson Air Force Base to stop the Autobots from controlling the GODS defense system. Heatwave uses his powers to convince the GODS transmitter to fire the weapon on itself and stop the Autobots from taking control.
, Frenzy appears in the Autobot campaign, where Optimus Prime and his team must defeat Soundwave to save Zeta Prime. Frenzy is one of Soundwave's minions alongside Laserbeak and Rumble.
Transformers universes
is an entertainment franchise. It began with the Hasbro Transformers toy line, centered on two factions of warring alien robots which are called the Autobots and the Decepticons...
. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time.
Transformers: Generation 1
Frenzy often works with SoundwaveSoundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, along with other cassette Decepticons Ravage
Ravage (Transformers)
Ravage is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. Due to the inability to trademark the common word "ravage", he is sometimes called Battle Ravage, Command Ravage or Tripredacus Agent...
, Laserbeak
Laserbeak
Laserbeak is the name given to several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. He is almost always a mechanical bird, and is partnered with Soundwave.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and Buzzsaw. Because of his coloration on the original cartoon, he is sometimes misidentified as Rumble
Rumble (Transformers)
Rumble is a fictional character in the Transformers universes. In order to trademark the name, Hasbro referred to the Alternators character as Decepticon Rumble.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. The toy is colored blue and indigo, but his cartoon model is red, black, and gold. His toy-accurate color scheme in the Marvel Comics series remained intact, and following media such as Dreamwave and IDW's comics followed the toy's colors as well.
Reception
According to X-Entertainment Frenzy didn't speak as much as Rumble in the Transformers cartoon and his toy was often confused with Rumble.Marvel Comics
In the comics Frenzy was one of the Decepticons that originally attacked the Ark and subsequently fell to Earth. Reconfigured into the Earth mode of a microcassette he participated in many of the early battles against the Autobots. Until, that is, he was one of those who went with Megatron in his raid against the Autobot base, summarily getting deactivated by Omega Supreme
Omega Supreme
Omega Supreme is the name of a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. He is always an Autobot and is often depicted as a gigantic transformer with vast strength and/or overwhelming firepower.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
along with Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
, Skywarp
Skywarp
Skywarp is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers toy line. He is usually depicted as a black or purple Decepticon jet with teleportation powers.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Thundercracker
Thundercracker
Thundercracker is the name given to multiple fictional characters in the Transformers universes. Thundercracker is almost always depicted as a blue color Decepticon who turns into a jet fighter.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Rumble
Rumble (Transformers)
Rumble is a fictional character in the Transformers universes. In order to trademark the name, Hasbro referred to the Alternators character as Decepticon Rumble.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and Buzzsaw. That would be all the US comics heard from Frenzy for a while but the UK comics had him returning much sooner in the Target: 2006 storyline, where, after escaping from the Ark with Thundercracker they and Shockwave
Shockwave (Transformers)
Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...
would be displaced into a limbo dimension to make way for time-travellers Hot Rod, Kup
Kup
Kup is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universe. All are older Autobots who are members of the Elite Guard. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time...
and Blurr
Blurr
Blurr is the name given to five different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He frequently appears as a blue Autobot who transforms into a swift car...
, where they battled against Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
, Prowl
Prowl (Transformers)
Prowl is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers series. "Prowl" is one of the most re-used American names in the assorted Transformers series, and its use has become almost synonymous with Autobots who possess a police car alternate mode...
and Ratchet
Ratchet (Transformers)
Ratchet is the name of several characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ratchet was named after the character of Nurse Ratched from the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The name Ratchet is almost always portrayed as...
, as well as parasitic aliens feeding off their emotions. Working together to find a way out they returned to reality when Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge time-jumped back to the future. In the UK comics he seemingly rejoined the ranks of the Decepticons, while he was freed from the Autobot base in U.S. issue 41.
Transformers: Generation 2
Frenzy made an appearance in the Decepticon forces under the command of Megatron in issue #7 of the Marvel Generation 2 comic series, in a story called "New Dawn." Megatron lead his Decepticons against JhiaxusJhiaxus
Jhiaxus is a fictional character in the Transformers universes. He is an evil Decepticon jet.-Transformers: Generation 2:Unlike most of the notable characters in the Transformers comics, Jhiaxus is not based on a toy...
' second generation Cybertronians near the moon of Tykos. The Decepticons were defeated and Megatron left injured, presumed dead, but swearing revenge.
Frenzy would meet his end in the final issue of the Generation 2 series. After battling against Jhiaxus
Jhiaxus
Jhiaxus is a fictional character in the Transformers universes. He is an evil Decepticon jet.-Transformers: Generation 2:Unlike most of the notable characters in the Transformers comics, Jhiaxus is not based on a toy...
' Generation 2 Transformers the combined Autobot/Decepticon alliance were attacked by The Swarm
Swarm (Transformers)
The Swarm is a creature in the fictional world of the Transformers: Generation 2 comic by Marvel Comics.The Swarm is a large, amorphous, black mass of particulate sized, corrosive organisms that travel from planet to planet, seeking out cybernetic life forms. Upon contact with other life forms, the...
. In an attempt to slow it Frenzy had Wheeljack
Wheeljack
Wheeljack is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Wheeljack is the mechanical engineer and scientist of the Autobots in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara and Hasbro. His...
patch him into a massive source of sonic energy. Although he succeeded in temporarily halting the swarm, the sonics proved too much for his system and he was literally shaken apart.
"Oh. Oh, man! I'm gone! Solid gone..." - Frenzy's last words
Animated series
The animated series accidentally swapped the color schemes for Rumble and Frenzy - Rumble was now colored as Frenzy and vice-versa.In the animated series, Frenzy was not as prominent a character as Rumble, first appearing in the episode "Countdown To Extinction" and made few appearances after that, usually appearing alongside Rumble. He did appear in the movie being punched out the city but strangely appeared on astrotrain.
Books
Frenzy was featured in the 1985 Find Your Fate Junior books Dinobots Strike Back by Casey Todd and Battle Drive by Barbara Siegel and Scott Siegel.Dreamwave Productions
Frenzy would first be seen in The War Within prequel series, as part of the massive Decepticon assault on Iacon city led by ShockwaveShockwave (Transformers)
Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...
, along with Astrotrain
Astrotrain
Astrotrain is the name of three fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons who can assume the form of a space shuttle.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Blitzwing
Blitzwing
Blitzwing is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. He is always depicted as a Decepticon with two alternate forms, that of a jet and that of a tank...
, Bludgeon
Bludgeon (Transformers)
Bludgeon is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. For trademark reasons, he is now marketed by Hasbro as Decepticon Bludgeon. They are all Decepticon warriors who turn into tanks.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Brawl
Combaticons
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon military vehicles in the assorted fictional universes of the Transformers.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, Chopshop
Insecticons
Insecticons is the name given to a sub-group of fictional characters in the Transformers Universes, referred to as Insectrons in the Japanese version. The name was also used for several fictional characters in the Transformers Universes...
, Dirge
Dirge (Transformers)
Dirge is the name of several different fictional characters from the Transformers series. He was first introduced in 1985 as a villain in the Transformers series, appearing in the comic book by Marvel Comics and voiced by Bud Davis in the animated television series. Since then the name Dirge was...
, Octane, Onslaught
Combaticons
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon military vehicles in the assorted fictional universes of the Transformers.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, Ramjet
Ramjet (Transformers)
Ramjet is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All have been Decepticon aligned characters who turn into jets, usually white.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Tantrum, Venom
Insecticons
Insecticons is the name given to a sub-group of fictional characters in the Transformers Universes, referred to as Insectrons in the Japanese version. The name was also used for several fictional characters in the Transformers Universes...
and Vortex
Combaticons
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon military vehicles in the assorted fictional universes of the Transformers.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
. In the third series, he and Rumble inadvertently wrecked Shockwave's attempts to study the Seeker
Seekers (Transformers)
Seekers is a term in the Transformers universe usually used to describe certain Decepticon warriors with jet transformations. For the character named Seeker see Seeker .-Origin of the term:...
clones that Megatron had used to conquer Cybertron.
When the Ark fell to Earth in 1984, Frenzy was among the Decepticons on board. Battling the Autobots repeatedly, they were eventually defeated by a combined human-Autobot alliance. They were to be taken back to Cybertron, but were sabotaged by rogue elements of the U.S. military, who wanted to build weapons using Transformers technology (unaware they were being indirectly manipulated by Shockwave). Unable to do this, they began to control the Transformers themselves.
Frenzy was among the Transformers who briefly fell under the control of the terrorist, Lazarus. Bumblebee
Bumblebee (Transformers)
Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, Frenzy, Grimlock
Grimlock
Grimlock is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a tough leader who turns into a mechanical dinosaur...
, Laserbeak
Laserbeak
Laserbeak is the name given to several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. He is almost always a mechanical bird, and is partnered with Soundwave.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Prowl
Prowl (Transformers)
Prowl is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers series. "Prowl" is one of the most re-used American names in the assorted Transformers series, and its use has become almost synonymous with Autobots who possess a police car alternate mode...
, Ravage
Ravage (Transformers)
Ravage is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. Due to the inability to trademark the common word "ravage", he is sometimes called Battle Ravage, Command Ravage or Tripredacus Agent...
, Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
were forced to attack the Smitco oil refinery in the Arctic to display their power for sale to the highest bidder.
Frenzy would not appear again until the following year, when both sides were lured to the wilderness in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
by a mysterious beacon. Both sides battled until the arrival of a force led by Shockwave and Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers storylines.-Transformers: Generation 1:The greatest Transformer of them all. A commander could want no finer a soldier than Ultra Magnus...
, who defeated Megatron and arrested all present as war criminals. Desperate to save their own necks, Frenzy and Rumble both joined up with Shockwave and were assigned by him to guard the badly damaged Megatron. They failed as Starscream was able to dump Megatron's body in space (reminiscent of his fate in the movie). They were then sent by Shockwave on a critical mission - reviving the Stunticons. They were then co-opted by Starscream and head to Earth with him,Soundwave, Skywarp
Skywarp
Skywarp is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers toy line. He is usually depicted as a black or purple Decepticon jet with teleportation powers.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Thundercracker
Thundercracker
Thundercracker is the name given to multiple fictional characters in the Transformers universes. Thundercracker is almost always depicted as a blue color Decepticon who turns into a jet fighter.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and the Combaticons
Combaticons
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon military vehicles in the assorted fictional universes of the Transformers.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
. They defeated most of the Autobots still on Earth, but are themselves attacked by Sunstorm
Sunstorm (Transformers)
Sunstorm is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. Sunstorm is always a Decepticon allied jet who is yellow or orange in color.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. After Starscream defeated him(with aid from the Autobots) he returned to his base to find Soundwave, Rumble and Frenzy acting oddly. The reason why would soon become clear - Megatron had returned, backed by the Predacons, and Soundwave had been taking orders from him all along.Any further tales of Frenzy would never be told, as Dreamwave would go into receivership from there.
Transformers/G.I. Joe
Frenzy also appeared in Dreamwave's Transformers/G.I. Joe series, as one of the Decepticons allied with Cobra. Reconfigured with the alternate mode of a hand grenade, Frenzy battled the G.I. Joe member Beach Head, but was killed when Beach Head managed to signal the rest of G.I. Joe to open fire on a fully loaded bomber next to Frenzy, badly damaging him. He was subsequently destroyed by a sustained barrage. Not only does Frenzy have an intense hatred of humans, calling them "meat", but he and Rumble are described as brothers in this continuity as well.Devil's Due Publishing
In the G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers comics printed by Devil's Due PublishingDevil's Due Publishing
Devil's Due Publishing is an independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic novels.Though...
, Frenzy was one of the Decepticons discovered by Cobra in the Ark
Ark (Transformers)
The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the Transformers Universe. It has appeared as a central fixture of the Transformers storyline ever since its creation, as the Autobots main method of transport to Earth and as a base once they arrive....
, although they were reactivated later than the others. Frenzy was reprogrammed by Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...
to follow his orders, although he retained his original Cassette and robot alternate modes. Destro
Destro
Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV, usually referred to simply as Destro, is a fictional villain from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys from Hasbro. He is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston in the 2009 live-action film, G.I...
used a newly purchased Soundwave, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Laserbeak
Laserbeak
Laserbeak is the name given to several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. He is almost always a mechanical bird, and is partnered with Soundwave.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and Ratbat
Ratbat
Ratbat is the name of several fictional characters who appeared in various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:As is the case with many Transformers characters, the various continuities in which Ratbat has appeared have portrayed him widely differently in terms of size, personality,...
along with stolen Cybertronian technology to attack a military base - only to be attacked by the newly formed G.I. Joe.
There is an art error here. Rumble appears to get shot in the head and killed while under Destro's command, yet Rumble is among the Decepticons who break free next issue (and is clearly identified as Rumble by Soundwave). The TPB of the comic series corrected the error and showed that it was Frenzy who was killed.
IDW Publishing
After the Transformers license passed to IDW PublishingIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
, Frenzy appeared as one of the Decepticons under Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
's command in the alternate reality
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
Evolutions
The Transformers: Evolutions
The Transformers: Evolutions is the title of what was intended to be several comic book miniseries published by IDW Publishing, following the same idea of DC Comics' Elseworlds series. Each series was to create an alternative reality: a continuity in a different time era during which the...
tale "Hearts of Steel". He was seen warning the unscrupulous businessman Bonaventure to turn back, but relented when the human talked of an alliance, and took him to see Starscream. He did not appear after this, but he was most likely destroyed when John Henry
John Henry (folklore)
John Henry is an American folk hero and tall tale. Henry worked as a "steel-driver"—a man tasked with hammering and chiseling rock in the construction of tunnels for railroad tracks. In the legend, John Henry's prowess as a steel-driver was measured in a race against a steam powered hammer,...
and Bumblebee
Bumblebee (Transformers)
Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
diverted the Decepticon train convoy into a chasm.
Frenzy made his first appearance in the main IDW continuity in issue 1 of The Transformers: Megatron Origin
The Transformers: Megatron Origin
The Transformers: Megatron Origin is a comic book limited series by IDW Publishing exploring the origin of Megatron in its rebooted G1 universe...
miniseries. Captured by the guard of the Senator after Megatron's riot at the energon mine, Rumble and Frenzy convinced the unwilling Megatron to help them escape. Breaking free and incapacitating the guards, the three fugitives took the ship underground, unaware they had attracted the attention of Sentinel Prime
Sentinel Prime
Sentinel Prime is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. First mention of Sentinel Prime was in issue #65 of the US Marvel Comics Transformers series, where he was mentioned to hold the Autobot Matrix of Leadership before Optimus Prime. Sentinel Prime has since...
. After getting involved in underground bloodsports in Kaon, Rumble and Frenzy have become awed by Megatron's violence and charisma, and have been shown as loyal acolytes staying by his side. After Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
offered Megatron the use of advanced weaponry, Frenzy and Rumble were modified to be able to work with him.
Frenzy makes his first modern appearance in the second issue of IDW's All Hail Megatron series, set one year in the future of their Transformers continuity. In this Frenzy is portrayed as his traditional role as a minion of Soundwave with his traditional blue color scheme and as such is a microcassette tape unleashed on Megatron's orders against an entire battalion of human military ground forces that had gathered in Central Park as part of a counter offensive against Megatron's assault on New York. This Frenzy is also possessed of sonic powers but they induce delusional nightmares and horrific hallucinations in those that hear it. It appears to affect everyone including Frenzy himself, who's been reduced to a maniacal figure who attacks his prey with what look like drills instead of forearms (probably a nod to the piledrivers Rumble uses) in an almost berzerker fury. Only Soundwave, it seems, is immune to this frequency. Its reported later in the issue that Frenzy succeeds in wiping out the entire ground force by himself.
Manga
Frenzy appears in the Generations 2011 issue #2 "The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos" where he is among the Decepticon forces who ambush the Autobots on Nebulos.Toys
- Generation 1 Frenzy (1984)
- Based on a Microman mold. Shares a mold with his brother Rumble.One of the earliest Transformers toys. Frenzy also holds the distinction of being the only one of the original Transformers toys produced by Hasbro for four concurrent years (he was available with Ratbat as late as 1987).
- Generation 2 Gobot Frenzy
- Frenzy was released in Generation 2 as a Go-Bot, sharing the same mold as the Autobot Blowout and Go-Bot Megatron. His alternate mode was a Porsche 959.
- The accompanying biography indicated he still loved to fight, considering it his reason for living. Causing chaos, despite his physical weakness, he has earned the respect of his fellow Decepticons.
- Music Label Rumble & Frenzy (2008)
- Rumble and Frenzy transform into functional headphones that work with Music Label Soundwave or any portable media device.
- Perfect Effect PE-01 Shadow Warrior (2010)
- A third-party figure that closely resembles the Generation 1 Rumble and Frenzy toys, but transforms into a gun like a TargetmasterTargetmasterTargetmaster is a subline of the Transformers toyline that include Nebulan sidekicks who can transform into the Transformers' weapons.-1987 Targetmasters:...
. Despite being smaller than Rumble and Frenzy, this figure is more poseable and comes with a pair of piledriver attachments. - A second variant labeled PE-02R Warrior Type-R is a red redeco that uses the same color scheme as the original Rumble toy.
- CrazyDevy's Most Wanted CDMW-07 Upgrade Kit (2010)
- A third-party upgrade kit for the Generation 1 Rumble and Frenzy toys. The kit contains a poseable head attached to a clip that forms the robot mode's neck and crotch, plus a pair of cartoon-accurate guns and piledrivers.
- Reveal the Shield Scout Frenzy (not yet released)
- An all-new mold of Frenzy, which transforms into a tank.
- United UN-20 Scout Rumble & Frenzy (Takara Tomy) (2011)
- The Japanese version of the Reveal the Shield Rumble & Frenzy figures by Takara TomyTakara Tomyis a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
bundled in one package.
Transformers: Cybertron
The TerrorconTerrorcon
The name Terrorcons refers to several different groups in the Transformers toyline. They are referred to as Terrortrons in Japan.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
s called Scrapmetal by Hasbro were called Ramble by Takara, the Japanese name for Frenzy's brother Rumble. This had led to some fans calling the red Scrapmetal Rumble and the blue one Frenzy. The blue redeco of Scrapmetal was never released by Hasbro, only the red and yellow variants.
Transformers
Frenzy appears in the 2007 live-action Transformers movie. He takes on the stealth spy role that was originally SoundwaveSoundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
's. The movie's creators have stated that the character design had evolved too far from being Soundwave. Also, during production he was preliminarily named Boombot and Soundbyte.
In the film, Frenzy is small, and very thin, standing at 1.2 m (around 4 feet) tall. It is implied that he is also lightweight, given the ease with which a stewardess on Air Force One is able to pick him up while in his alternate mode. His alternate mode is shown as a silver GPX boombox, with round speakers and blue diode-lights. At one point, he is decapitated and survives as just his head, scanning a mobile phone belonging to Mikaela to continue his task. His weapons include a small automatic weapon on each hand and CD-like shuriken
Shuriken
A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
s that fire out of his chest. His character is manic (living up to his name), sometimes comedic, and he is the only Decepticon with blue colored optics, rather than the usual red.
Reception
IGN described Frenzy's sneaking on Airforce-1 as one of the worst moments of the Transformers movie.Books
Frenzy first appeared in the prequel novel Transformers: Ghosts of YesterdayTransformers: Ghosts of Yesterday
Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday, is a prequel novel to the Michael Bay Transformers film. It was written by Alan Dean Foster, based on a story by David Cian.-Plot summary:...
. Here, he was portrayed as being smaller than the other Decepticons, but still able to engage in combat with the likes of Jazz
Jazz (Transformers)
Jazz is the name of a fictional character from the various Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a music loving robot and talks with a slang accent. He is also a good friend of Optimus Prime's...
. He participated in Blackout
Blackout (Transformers)
Blackout is the name of several different fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Blackout was one of a team of two Micromaster Combiners. They came with a Gepard air defense vehicle that could transform to a base...
's attack on the Autobots, double-teaming Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
, although they failed. Later, in the final assault he was taken out by Jazz.
Movie plot
Frenzy first appears when he infiltrates Air Force OneAir Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
to hack into the U.S. military's mainframe to find out Megatron's location. The military officials disrupt the downloads and send three secret service agents after the infiltrator, but Frenzy kills them and escapes. He then aids Barricade in locating Sam Witwicky. When let loose on Sam and Mikaela Banes
Mikaela Banes
Mikaela Banes is a fictional character from the Transformers universe. She is differentiated from "typical" women in her age group, having inherited mechanical skills from her father, Cal, a grease monkey and paroled car thief...
, Frenzy attacks Sam but is decapitated by Mikaela using a reciprocating saw
Reciprocating saw
A reciprocating saw is a type of saw in which the cutting action is achieved through a push and pull reciprocating motion of the blade.The term reciprocating saw is commonly assigned to a type of saw used in construction and demolition work...
(a circular saw in the comic adaptation). He survives the injury and leaving his inert body behind, his head sprouts spider-like legs for movement, reformats into Mikaela's mobile phone and hides in her bag.
Later, he infiltrates the Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
and uses the power of the All Spark to regenerate his lost body. In the original script as well as the comic adaptation, he reattaches his original body, which is brought to him by the other Decepticons. He then proceeds to shut down the cooling systems, resulting in Megatron's reawakening, and alerts the Decepticons to the All Spark's presence. While attacking a group of humans in the control rooms, Frenzy accidentally kills himself when one of his own shurikens goes full circle and slices his head in two.
He speaks mostly in Cybertronian, with occasional English words thrown in between, for example, when he frees Megatron from the hangar he speaks in Cybertronian with the English word 'Melting' used meaningfully "Megatron, Megatron.. MEGATRON!..ooh!...Megatron melting!" He also mutters constantly in Cybertronian and makes noises that sound like English words (even swear words at one point) He also makes a obscene hand gesture at the humans who were standing near Barricade. He also makes groaning and creaking sounds even when he is just walking, these sounds are cartoonish in nature, For example, before hacking the computer in Air force One he 'cracks' his knuckles, as if in preparation.
In Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
, Frenzy's reconstructed head is seen in the basement of Seymour Simmons' mother's deli. When Leo approaches the head in a jar, Simmons warns him, "Don't touch that; it's still radioactive."
IDW Publishing
Frenzy appeared in issue #2 of "Transformers: Alliance" where Soundwave arrived at the crash site of the Nemesis on Mars. There he found the body of Frenzy, then contacted Starscream rally to his signal. Soundwave deployed a number of his forces on Earth, leaving others on his ship.Titan Magazines
In "Twilight's Last Gleaming" part 3 Bumblebee attempted to take on Megatron in the Sector 7 base as Mikaela attempted to free Optimus Prime, but she was attacked by Frenzy. In part 4 Mikaela frees Optimus Prime and freezes Frenzy just as Bumblebee gets some unexpected help fighting Megatron by the arrival of Elita One, Skyblast and Strongarm.Transformers: Meet the Decepticons
According to the book Transformers - Meet The Decepticons by Jennifer Frantz, Frenzy can emit a scream which shuts down computers, and can also turn into a car stereo which plugs into Barricade. This book had all six Decepticons leaving Earth together after being defeated by the Autobots, instead of having most of their numbers die.Video Game
Frenzy is a non-playable character in the video game, but is mentioned in several missions. In the Decepticon campaign the player has to save Frenzy from Sector 7 when playing as Barricade. He also is the one providing instructions when Starscream is the playable characters. Unlike in the movie, he is depicted as having red eyes.Toys
- Transformers Deluxe Barricade with Frenzy (2007)
- Frenzy comes with the Barricade figure. He folds and stores inside Barricade's chest (front end in car mode).
- Transformers Deluxe First Encounter Barricade with Frenzy (vs. Bumblebee) (2007)
- Frenzy once again comes with Barricade as he is packaged in a box with the classic CamaroChevrolet CamaroThe Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang...
form of Bumblebee.- Transformers Fast Action Battlers Disc Blast Decepticon Frenzy (2007)
- A Deluxe sized toy with simplified transformation for younger children. Transforms into a boombox.
- Transformers Deluxe Recon Barricade with Frenzy (2007)
- Frenzy once again comes with Barricade in the repaint of Barricade. Frenzy's colors are blue, which is more reminiscent to the original toy and Dreamwave comics version as opposed to the cartoon series version.
- Transformers Deluxe Screen Battles: First Encounter Barricade with Frenzy (2008)
- Frenzy once again comes with Barricade, this time in a diarama box with figurines of Sam, Mikaela, and a non-transforming, but more film-accurate robot mode Frenzy. The Frenzy included with Barricade is molded in black with no paint applications. To prevent the redundancy of having 2 Frenzys in the same box, the black version is permantly fixed inside Barricade (although he can be removed by disassembling a portion of the Barricade toy).
- Transformers Target Exclusive All-Spark Power Barricade with Frenzy (2008)
- Barricade gets yet another repaint. Light blue "energon" paint apps have been applied in different locations on Barricade. This figure includes a red version of the Frenzy figure, which more closely matches his Generation 1 cartoon colors.
- Revenge of the Fallen Human Alliance Barricade with Frenzy (2010)
- Announced at Botcon 2009.
Non-transforming merchandise
- Transformers Robot Replicas Decepticon Frenzy (2007)
- A poseable, non-transforming action figure that is the most accurate-looking in comparison to his film counterpart. Comes equipped with chest shuriken and an attack claw that can be attached on either arm.
Shattered Glass
This Frenzy is an alternate good version of the Generation 1 character from the BotCon exclusive "Shattered Glass" comic, in which the Decepticons are on the side of good and the Autobots on the side of evil.Fun Publications
Frenzy appeared as a member of Megatron's forces in the "Shattered Glass" story.Frenzy appears in the story Eye in the Sky. Cliffjumper, Crasher, Frenzy, Heatwave, Ravage and Soundwave are sent on a mission to Burpleson Air Force Base to stop the Autobots from controlling the GODS defense system. Heatwave uses his powers to convince the GODS transmitter to fire the weapon on itself and stop the Autobots from taking control.
Transformers: Prime
Video games
In the 2010 video game Transformers: War for CybertronTransformers: War for Cybertron
Transformers: War for Cybertron is a third-person shooter video game developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision. It was released in North America on June 22, 2010 and in PAL regions on June 25, 2010 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Two portable versions were released for the...
, Frenzy appears in the Autobot campaign, where Optimus Prime and his team must defeat Soundwave to save Zeta Prime. Frenzy is one of Soundwave's minions alongside Laserbeak and Rumble.