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Predacon (Transformers)
Encyclopedia
The Predacons usually refer to the name of several fiction
al Decepticon
-like teams led by Megatron, however Transformers: Armada
, Predacon is the name of a single character.
hunters, able to transform into wild beasts and combine their bodies and minds into the giant robot, Predaking. The team includes:
Although most of the combiners
are little more than lumbering brutes who use sheer force to obliterate their enemies, Predaking is different. Where some of the other combiners have trouble thinking due to the mismatched minds of their components, all the Predacons are focused on the thrill of the hunt. Because of this, Predaking moves with increased speed and grace rare for a being his size, merely reacting to threats rather than actually thinking about it, no matter how small. He seems to act almost on pure instinct, which often manifests as sheer overpowering brutality. As a warrior, he has no equal. As a weapon, there is no defense against him.
However, despite this, he suffers many defeats in the animated series (often called on to defeat very large and powerful enemies) as well as in the Marvel comics.
Released in 1986, the Predacons became a popular seller, and came in two variants - entirely plastic, and with die-cast metal parts, the latter version being the most sought after. Unlike the other combiners released that year, Predaking was substantially larger and did not follow the same basic so-called "Scramble City
" design which allowed his component limbs to be swapped freely; each arm and leg could be interchanged with each other, but an arm could not form a leg, and vice versa. Illustrating this point are the various depictions of Predaking's limb arrangement - his instructions and toy box art depict Divebomb as the left arm, Rampage the right arm, Headstrong the left leg and Tantrum the right, while his cartoon and comic book appearances perform a straight swap of this.
-to-be Swoop
went by the name "Divebomb," but when he was defeated in battle by an aerial Decepticon ace, the villainous victor claimed the name for his own - now, this Decepticon was Divebomb, and he eventually became a member of the Predacons. This particular piece of back story, however, would not be revealed until after the Predacons made their Marvel Comics
debut, in the United Kingdom
's exclusive Transformers comic, which interspliced its own unique material between reprints of the U.S.
title. Here, the Predacons were summoned to Earth in 1987 and fitted with animal modes by Megatron in order to hunt Optimus Prime. Prime went against the Predacons alone (separated from the Autobots as part of a plan of his own to test their ability to function without him), using all his skill and ingenuity to survive, but as Megatron watched, the Predacons attacked him, having been ordered to do so by Megatron's rival for power, Shockwave
. The Predacons then absconded, leaving Prime and Megatron to finish each other, but when Megatron transported them both to Cybertron, Shockwave dispatched the Predacons to find them. The team arrived back on Cybertron a little too late, as Megatron and Prime had returned to Earth, but an encounter with the Cybertron local Decepticon commander, Lord Straxus
, had left Megatron with amnesia, unable to remember the Predacons' treachery.
The stage was set for the Predacons' appearance in the U.S. title, and appear they did, shortly after Optimus Prime perished in a virtual duel with Megatron. Megatron himself had begun to descend into paranoid insanity, and Shockwave summoned the Predacons back to Earth and had them pose as Autobots, planning to have them hunt Megatron as part of a scheme to once again seize command of the Decepticons from Megatron (the UK comic rewrote some of the dialogue in its reprint of this issue to make it appear to be the Predacons' second trip to Earth). The plan did not go smoothly, however, as Megatron defeated them all, even in their combined form of Predaking. Realizing that Shockwave was to blame, Megatron was about to kill him when he revealed that he had duplicated his mind to disc to guide the Predacons in their mission. Believing (accurately as it turned out) that this was how Optimus Prime had survived, Megatron apparently killed himself by blowing up the interdimensional spacebridge while standing on it. Shockwave was left as Decepticon commander, and the Predacons were absorbed into his Earth-based Decepticon army.
The U.K. title shone the spotlight on the Predacons again when they attacked a circus, and the news report covering it revealed to Swoop that his old foe Divebomb was now on Earth. Divebomb himself was growing disenchanted with the lack of challenges on Earth, so when Swoop ambushed him, he relished the chance to have a battle that tested him. Neither he nor Swoop, however, were particularly pleased when the other Predacons and Dinobots intruded on their private conflict, but when Grimlock almost killed Divebomb, Swoop stopped him and allowed the Predacons to go, so that when they next met, it would be on his terms.
The Predacons and Constructicons
were soon dispatched to collect rocket fuel and raw materials with which the Constructicons converted the Decepticons' island base into a spaceship. Not long after, the government organization the Intelligence and Information Institute (I.I.I.) captured a group of Autobots called the Throttlebot
s. In response to intensive Predacons raids ordered by Shockwave, I.I.I. publicly threatened to destroy the Throttlebots as a perceived ultimatum. Not realizing that their captives were in fact enemies of the attacking robots, the I.I.I. were forced to destroy their bodies as planned. Decepticon co-commander and fuel auditor Ratbat
led the Predacons on a mission to inspect the corpses. Discovering that the Throttlebots brain modules had been placed in toy cars by Triple I's sympathetic operate, Walter Barnett, the Predacons pursued them, demolishing a mall in the process.
Later, when the treacherous Decepticon Starscream
manipulated Ratbat's Decepticons in fighting the forces of Scorponok
, the Predacons were at the forefront of battle, with Rampage taking on Apeface while Tantrum was scrapped by Scorponok himself. But when Starscream's scheming resulted in his acquiring the cosmic power of the interstellar databank, the Underbase, the Predacons aided in the defense of Tokyo
, but were among the legions of Transformers deactivated by the villain.
The Predacons remained deactivated for the remainder of the U.S. series, until it was rejuvenated as Transformers: Generation 2
a short time later. Although the Predacon toys were not re-released for the Generation 2 toyline, the characters were functional again for the comic book series - although that did not last long for some of them. Tantrum was destroyed in a head-on collision with Optimus Prime, while Razorclaw - attempting to kill Decepticon-turned-Autobot Manta Ray - was destroyed by his fellow defector, Leadfoot.
alliance began its attack on the Autobots on both Earth and Cybertron
. The Autobots Blurr
and Wheelie
and the human Marissa Faireborn
are stranded on Io
, one of Jupiter
's moon
s while attempting to deliver the transformation cog that would allow the Autobot battle station, Metroplex
, to fight and transform as needed. Communications officer Blaster
attempts to contact Cybertron for reinforcements, revealing his allies' plight. The transmission is intercepted by the Quintessons, however, and upon learning the location of the cog, they dispatch the Predacons to Io to ensure it will not reach Earth. After an initially poor showing in their individual robot and animal modes, the team merges to form Predaking. They are confronted by the massive Autobot Sky Lynx
and bested, leading to an enmity between the two.
The Predacons are in their element for their first mission in 2006, operating in the wilds of the planet Dredd, where they again battle Sky Lynx and several other Autobots. They are defeated when they are buried in an avalanche created by the planet's native Chaos monster. Later, they participate in the invasion of Paradron, with Divebomb pursuing escapee Sandstorm
and Razorclaw co-ordinating the shooting down of the Autobot reinforcement vessel he returns with.
Later the Quintessons strike at the Transformers by animating the dreams of Daniel Witwicky. Having penetrated Cybertron's defenses for an unspecified mission, the Predacons attack Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus
and Springer
. Soon the whole group are attacked by monsters conjured from Daniel's subconscious. All on scene are forced to work together to survive. Razorclaw and Springer are captured by a dragon and are forced to team up to defeat the creature and escape, while the others face the threat of a giant Galvatron who injures Headstrong. With Daniel rescued, the damage sustained by Headstrong prevents the team from combining into Predaking, forcing them to flee.
While en route to Chaar at a later date, Predaking intercepts an unusual Quintesson signal and tracks it to a jungle planet, where the team comes upon a group of Autobots who have done the same and discovered an electronic journal recording Quintesson military transactions. The team merges into Predaking, who immediately targets Sky Lynx among the group, seeking revenge for his past defeats; Sky Lynx out-maneuvers the Decepticon, but, rather than best him in combat, has to get his fellow Autobots to safety. When the Decepticons then acquire the journal, Predaking is reluctant to retreat until having finished off Sky Lynx, but stands down in the face of Galvatron
's wrath.
When the ancient genius Primacron unleashes his energy-absorbing creation, Tornedron, on the universe, Primacron's assistant seeks to foil his former mentor by amassing a team of "Primitives" - Transformers with animal instincts that can hopefully thwart Primacron's complexities. The Predacons are among the Transformers summoned from a battle on Earth's moon to a dead world at the center of the universe, where Tornedron confronts them. Refusing to run from him, the Predacons form Predaking and battle Tornedron, who takes the shape of a giant warrior, absorbing all energy Predaking throws at them until he has been drained of life. Of all the Primitives, only Grimlock
survives, and is subsequently able to stop Tornedron and Primacron, restoring the Predacons and the others to life.
After participating in the Decepticon attack on Japan, the Predacons are among the Transformers infected when the madness-inducing Hate Plague sweeps the universe. The animosity bred by the plague does not prevent the Predacons from combining into Predaking and pursuing the uncontaminated Galvatron, however, only to be forced to retreat by a squad of uninfected Autobots led by Optimus Prime
. When Prime subsequently releases the power of the Matrix
, the plague is cured.
In English releases, the Predacons were voiced by Joe Leahy
(Razorclaw), Laurie Faso
(Divebomb, Rampage), Ron Feinberg
(Headstrong), Phillip Clarke (Tantrum) and Bud Davis
(Predaking).
' 21st century re-imagining of the Generation 1 universe had little time to focus on the Predacons before the company's closure.
With the exception of Tantrum, who made a brief appearance as part of Shockwave
's attack on Iacon, the Predacons would not make an appearance in Dreamwave's Generation One Universe until late in the series. The five team members were once warlords on Cybertron who were cast into exile in space. Settling on Planet Beest, home of the Battle Beasts
, the Predacons sank into a feral state and lived as inhabitants of that world for untold years, until Megatron arrived. Having been jettisoned into space by Starscream and restored from the brink of death by Wreck-Gar
, Megatron now had his sights set on reclaiming the Decepticon leadership, and required the Predacons to bolster his army. Abandoning his personal weaponry, Megatron pursued Razorclaw through the jungle and soundly defeated him. Subsequently, he re-engineered the Predacons to give them the ability to combine into Predaking.
Taking the Predacons to Cybertron, Megatron put Shockwave in his service again while the Predacons dealt with his Triple Changer minions; Razorclaw was forced to destroy the resistant Blitzwing
. The group then headed to Earth to deal with Starscream, where Predaking defeated Bruticus
. The players were now all assembled... but Dreamwave's bankruptcy and cessation of publication left future stories of the Predacons untold.
Additionally, the Dreamwave universe visited the notion of "Predacons" being more than simply a sub-group, but an entire faction unto itself. After Megatron and Optimus Prime vanished in a spacebridge test 7.4 million years ago, the Autobots and Decepticons splintered into several smaller factions; Starscream established a faction named the Predacons. Whether or not Starscream intended any connection with the Predacon warlords, or whether or not that group predated his faction, is unknown. They first appeared when Grimlock
's Lightning Strike Coalition stole a substantial amount of Energon from them. Later, they attacked a peace conference between the Autobots, Decepticons and Ultracons
, hoping to eliminate the Autobot leadership. They succeeded in eliminating most of the Autobot High Council and gravely wounded Grimlock, but were stopped when the other three factions united to stop them. After Megatron's return with an army of Seeker clones the Predacons were reabsorbed into the Decepticons.
crossover between G.I. Joe and the Transformers. Without Megatron or Shockwave's steadying influence, the Decepticons had fallen apart in a series of internecine conflicts. One such was the Predacons taking on the Seacons
. Hunting Nautilator, the Predacons were unable to prevent him calling for backup - Piranacon
. The Predacons merged into Predaking and defeated their foe. Preparing to finish him off, Predaking was interrupted by a strange, tiny figure: Serpentor
, a human military cyborg
built with Megatron's memories. Using these memories to convince both combiners to join him, they then participated (along with the Stunticons) in the ambush that killed Bumblebee
. They were then Serpentor's principal weapon, along with Piranacon and Menasor, in the attack on Capital City, where the three of them defeated Omega Supreme
. They were among the Decepticon reinforcements that countered the G.I. Joe/Autobot jailbreak. Rampage was taken out by Grimlock. Razorclaw and Motormaster were the ones who stopped Prime's attack on Serpentor, beating him to near death. They were then slain by the Cobra Commander
-controlled Serpentor.
, where all five were seen as part of Megatron's group of gladiators and insurgents that would eventually become the Decepticons. A conversation between Razorclaw and Grimlock
would reveal a rivalry between the future Predacons and the Dinobots.
They would receive a brief namecheck in The Transformers: Spotlight issue on Shockwave
. When attacked by the Dynobots
, Shockwave was surprised that it was they, and not Megatron or the Predacons, that had come. Shockwave listed them as one of Megatron's "tactical assault units."
The Predacons themselves appeared in The Transformers: Stormbringer
, alerting Megatron on Earth to the reemergence of Thunderwing
. Ordered by him to destroy Cybertron (and Thunderwing with it) if all else failed, the Predacons observed a futile effort by the Wreckers to hold Thunderwing back. Impressed by their bravery, Razorclaw sent two Decepticon teams to assist the beleaguered Wreckers. After Thunderwing was finally stopped by Optimus Prime, Razorclaw aborted the firing procedure to destroy Cybertron. Here, Divebomb was shown to transform into a Cybertronian jet, while Headstrong transformed into a treaded assault vehicle.
mini-series. In Razorbeast's flashback to Magmatron
's briefing in a Predacon chamber, symbols seeming to represent the beast modes of the original Predacons are displayed prominently, as well as a statue of what appears to be Divebomb, indicating a link between the original Predacons and their Beast Wars namesakes
.
tale would expand on the reference in the Gathering, indicating that not only did the Predacons have something to do with the founding of the faction, but that they had been working behind the scenes in order to advance their own cause. Divebomb is revealed to have been responsible for reformatting Laserbeak
, Buzzsaw and Ravage
into Predacons. He also ensures the success of Megatron
's history-altering plan to steal the Golden Disc. Later, after Megatron's death at the end of Beast Machines
, Razorclaw announces his intentions to actively lead the Predacons to victory once again. It is interesting to note that the Predacons' robot modes here resemble more organic versions of their original robot modes.
Predacons are a faction in the fictional Transformers universe
created by Hasbro
. Previously the name Predacon had been associated with the Transformer group which combined to form Predaking. The faction made their first appearance in the Beast Wars
toyline and animated series, and have been represented in various Transformers animated series, comic books and toylines since. A Predacon is most commonly represented as a Decepticon
descendant with a new smaller, more energy-efficient body. Though the Decepticons and Predacons share many similarities, several important differences exist, such as leadership and ideals (for example, choosing a pretense of peace with the Maximals rather than maintain a war at all costs). It is not completely known as to how the faction gained predominance over all the other various Decepticon factions, although the comic book miniseries Beast Wars: The Gathering
has provided hints that their heritage may be found in the original combiner team Predacons, hints confirmed by the subsequent Timelines: Dawn of Futures Past, which confirmed that Razorclaw, Divebomb and the other Predacons had been working behind the scenes.
Due to the similarity in circumstances between Megatron, Ravage and the Tripredacus Council and Kurtz, Willard and the American's presence in Vietnam in the film Apocalypse Now
the writers of Beast Wars used the classic line, "Terminate, with extreme prejudice" in the similar context.
in a transwarp equipped ship known as the Darksyde. Megatron (named after the original Decepticon
Megatron who became Galvatron
), the leader of a small group of Predacons, stole the Golden Disk
from Cybertron
in an attempt to travel back in time and locate pre-historic Earth
so that he might acquire a large amount of energon and destroy the Autobot
s before the Great War began, leading to history being re-written with the Decepticons as conquerors.
Megatron reveals as early as the second episode that though the Maximal
s and Predacons have been at peace for some time, the Predacons have merely been biding their time, waiting for right moment to begin a new war and reclaim Cybertron as their own. During a story arc called The Agenda a conversation between the members of the Tripredacus Council reveals Megatron is acting as a renegade, and though he plans ultimately what the Council intends to carry out itself, he is acting without their authority.
At first all Predacons had beast modes (usually reptiles, insects or arachnids) which made the link to the original Predacons simply that of name and appearance (that is, both had animal alternate modes). However, as time has passed it has been seen that Predacons are actually another faction, meaning they may have vehicle, or any other number of possible modes and the link to the original Predacons may be more than simply a name but in fact that these Cybertronians are the direct descendants of this Decepticon faction, later confirmed in the comics by IDW Publishing
and Fun Publications. It is implied that not all Predacons are descended from the Decepticons, as Tarantulas
claims that he and the Tripredacus Council have different origins.
In this series the Predacons used the activation code "Terrorize" to transform.
Ravage
made an appearance during the series and though reformatted into a Predacon body still maintained a loyalty to the Decepticons as well as Starscream's Spark inhabiting Waspinators body.
tale Alignment, written by Simon Furman
and following on from Transformers: Generation 2
, would reveal the origins of the group as a splinter faction that had arisen after the death of Galvatron
in battle with Optimus Prime
. Seemingly even in the absence of an outright defeat this faction argued that a peace with the Autobots, then destroying them from within was the only way to win the war. Although the group was regarded as an annoyance, events beyond their control proved their way was the only way. The Liege Maximo and his second generation Transformers attacked the Decepticon homeworld, forcing a resurrected Megatron to destroy the world itself. The subsequent battle to destroy the Maximo cost them so many resources, as well as Megatron himself, that the Predacon solution became the only way that the Decepticons and their descendants could win. obtaining peace through the Pax Cybertronia, downsizing into smaller, more energy-efficient bodies and biding their time. However, this tale may not be canonical with the overall Transformers universes.
's Beast Wars: The Gathering
miniseries it was revealed that many Predacons other than Megatron were dissatisfied with the slow wait for victory plotted by the council. One of these, the Predacon general Magmatron
, managed to recruit a group of followers supporting his ideals. He led them to prehistoric earth, ostensibly to apprehend Megatron, but mainly to reprogram Maximal protoforms as Predacons to create an army.
It is revealed in the series that the Tripredacus Council have minimal influence on Cybertron, with the Maximal Council of Elders the leading body on the Transformer's home planet. Though Predacon representatives exist in a joint council the Predacons have little political power and Predacons are treated as second-class citizens, many not choosing to live on Cybertron. It is also hinted, through symbols seen in Magmatron's time-travel chamber, that the original Predacons were involved in the formation of the Beast Wars era Predacons.
after Galvatron's death. Again it is unclear whether Magmatron had gone rogue at this time, although if the events of The Gathering are set in continuity with Beast Wars Neo it is likely. Magmatron had a rivalry with Big Convoy and engaged in open warfare with his Maximals. However after Unicron was reborn Magmatron joined with the Maximals. After the Chaos-Bringer's defeat the Predacons and Maximals joined together to rebuild Cybertron.
, Cheetor
, Rattrap and Blackarachnia functioning. While the Maximals were reformatted and so took on a new insignia, Megatron, disgusted with both Maximal and Predacon alike, created a new solely technological faction known as the Vehicon
s. Most Vehicon transformers are actually drones rather than sentient beings. Consequently, the Predacons did not make an appearance in Beast Machines (except for Waspinator
and Megatron himself), though the Tripredacus Council and Predacons not on Cybertron may have existed elsewhere. However it is most likely that they were destroyed (or captured) as well (as indicated by Beast Machines editor Bob Skir on his FAQ page).
comic would confirm what The Gathering had implied - that the original Predacons had a hand in the creation of the new faction. Apparently unhappy with the direction the Council was taking, Divebomb was responsible for reformatting Ravage
, Laserbeak
and Buzzsaw into new Predacon forms, although Ravage later left. Seeing an opportunity to rewrite history when Megatron's plans became apparent, Divebomb dispatched the two former cassettes to covertly assist him, ensuring they departed to Earth, Later, seemingly after the conclusion of Beast Machines, Divebomb reported to his true master - Razorclaw, who announced that it was time to take back Cybertron from the Maximals, seemingly indicating that Maximal and Predacon will clash again in the post-Beast Machines future.
, only to meet opposition in the form of a team of Autobots led by this universe's incarnation of Optimus Prime. Like his Beast Wars predecessor, this Megatron also kept his true goal hidden from his followers, dispatching them to acquire energy from Earth's natural resources while he used the mind and research of Doctor Kenneth Onishi to search for Fortress Maximus and the keys to his rebirth.
The Predacon forces were later bolstered by the addition of the six Decepticons (corrupted and converted Autobot protoforms) who fought side by side with the Predacons and Megatron himself was upgraded into Galvatron, reclassifying himself a Decepticon. After Galvatron was eventually defeated by Omega Prime
, the Decepticons and Predacons were captured and returned to Cybertron for trial and imprisonment, save for Sky-Byte
, who renounced his Predacon values and, as such, he was allowed to stay behind on Earth, to live in the planet's oceans.
Although Megatron/Galvatron often appears to be the ultimate Predacon authority, it is revealed late in the Robots in Disguise show that he had been sent to Earth by a Predacon Council. The Predacon leadership hierarchy is unknown beyond this.
introduced a first for the Predacon name—it was used not for a group, but for a single character.
When Predacon and his Mini-Cons were released their characters were somewhat of a mystery. No tech spec or biography was given in the box or on the official Transformers web site.
The characters only appearance in fiction was in a flashback in Dreamwave's Armada sequel comic, Transformers: Energon
, where Predacon was among the troops led into battle against the Autobots by Scorponok
. He was seen working with Armada Terrorsaur
, who also had a beast mode, so it's possible Terrorsaur was one of Predacon's followers.
Any possible other appearances were cancelled due to Dreamwave's bankruptcy and Hasbro's Transformers print license being transferred to IDW Publishing
.
, who become Blackarachnia and "Waspinator".
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
-like teams led by Megatron, however Transformers: Armada
Transformers: Armada
Transformers: Armada, known in Japan as , is a Transformers animated series, comic series and toy line which ran from 2002–2003. It was originally scheduled for 2001, however was delayed until early-2002...
, Predacon is the name of a single character.
Transformers: Generation 1
The Predacons (the Animatrons in Japan) are a team of five fearsome DecepticonDecepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
hunters, able to transform into wild beasts and combine their bodies and minds into the giant robot, Predaking. The team includes:
- Razorclaw
He transforms into a lionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
.
He forms the massive torso of Predaking.
The leader of the team, who despises the unnecessary expenditure of energy and resources.
He is preternaturally patient, always waiting for the best moment to strike. - RampageRampage (Transformers)Rampage is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Rampage is a fictional character of the Transformers Predacons, with his alternative form being a mechanical tiger....
He transforms into a tigerTigerThe tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
.
He forms the right arm of Predaking.
He is a little more than a raging psychopath, in a constant state of anger that leaves even the other Predacons afraid of him.
Thankfully, there is one way of keeping Rampage under control; he is easily distracted by mindless television entertainment. - Divebomb
He transforms into an eagleEagleEagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
.
He forms the left arm of Predaking and his wings also become Predaking's wings.
He is a loner by nature.
He only combines with his teammates when he has no other option.
On his own, he amuses himself by destroying objects from the air for the sheer joy of it. - Tantrum
He transforms into a bullBullBull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
.
He forms the left leg of Predaking.
The fueler of the Predacons, always using brute force to see things through, even when it is not called for.
In reality, he has severe anger problems and releases his anger by destroying anything unlucky enough to get in his way. - Headstrong
He transforms into a rhinocerosRhinocerosRhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
.
He forms the right leg of Predaking.
He is unbelievably stubborn and does not take advice from anyone.
However, he is probably the weakest of the team, and extremely insecure about it.
Although most of the combiners
Transformers technology
The Transformers have several technology beyond the ability to transform between two or three forms, the Transformers series have introduced additional forms of technology.-Combiner Technology:...
are little more than lumbering brutes who use sheer force to obliterate their enemies, Predaking is different. Where some of the other combiners have trouble thinking due to the mismatched minds of their components, all the Predacons are focused on the thrill of the hunt. Because of this, Predaking moves with increased speed and grace rare for a being his size, merely reacting to threats rather than actually thinking about it, no matter how small. He seems to act almost on pure instinct, which often manifests as sheer overpowering brutality. As a warrior, he has no equal. As a weapon, there is no defense against him.
However, despite this, he suffers many defeats in the animated series (often called on to defeat very large and powerful enemies) as well as in the Marvel comics.
Released in 1986, the Predacons became a popular seller, and came in two variants - entirely plastic, and with die-cast metal parts, the latter version being the most sought after. Unlike the other combiners released that year, Predaking was substantially larger and did not follow the same basic so-called "Scramble City
Transformers: Scramble City
Scramble City is the name of a Transformers OVA created and released in Japan in April 1986. It was created as a promotional video for the new line of 'Scramble City' toys released only in Japan...
" design which allowed his component limbs to be swapped freely; each arm and leg could be interchanged with each other, but an arm could not form a leg, and vice versa. Illustrating this point are the various depictions of Predaking's limb arrangement - his instructions and toy box art depict Divebomb as the left arm, Rampage the right arm, Headstrong the left leg and Tantrum the right, while his cartoon and comic book appearances perform a straight swap of this.
Marvel Comics
On the planet Cybertron, some time before the departure of Optimus Prime and Megatron's crews and their subsequent four-million-year exile on Earth, the DinobotDinobots
Dinobots is the name of several teams of characters in the fictional Transformers Universe. The groups are made up of several robots, each of whose transformed mode is that of a dinosaur or similar prehistoric animal. They are called Dinotrons in the Japanese version; and ' in the Japanese dub of...
-to-be Swoop
Swoop (Transformers)
Swoop is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers fictional series and toy line. He was first introduced in 1985 and was voiced by Michael Bell in the animated The Transformers series.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
went by the name "Divebomb," but when he was defeated in battle by an aerial Decepticon ace, the villainous victor claimed the name for his own - now, this Decepticon was Divebomb, and he eventually became a member of the Predacons. This particular piece of back story, however, would not be revealed until after the Predacons made their Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
debut, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's exclusive Transformers comic, which interspliced its own unique material between reprints of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
title. Here, the Predacons were summoned to Earth in 1987 and fitted with animal modes by Megatron in order to hunt Optimus Prime. Prime went against the Predacons alone (separated from the Autobots as part of a plan of his own to test their ability to function without him), using all his skill and ingenuity to survive, but as Megatron watched, the Predacons attacked him, having been ordered to do so by Megatron's rival for power, 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...
. The Predacons then absconded, leaving Prime and Megatron to finish each other, but when Megatron transported them both to Cybertron, Shockwave dispatched the Predacons to find them. The team arrived back on Cybertron a little too late, as Megatron and Prime had returned to Earth, but an encounter with the Cybertron local Decepticon commander, Lord Straxus
Straxus
Lord Straxus is a fictional character from the Transformers series. A toy based on his Marvel comic appearance was released in 2010 under the name Darkmount.-Marvel Comics:Straxus was the Decepticon governor of a province of Cybertron known as Polyhex...
, had left Megatron with amnesia, unable to remember the Predacons' treachery.
The stage was set for the Predacons' appearance in the U.S. title, and appear they did, shortly after Optimus Prime perished in a virtual duel with Megatron. Megatron himself had begun to descend into paranoid insanity, and Shockwave summoned the Predacons back to Earth and had them pose as Autobots, planning to have them hunt Megatron as part of a scheme to once again seize command of the Decepticons from Megatron (the UK comic rewrote some of the dialogue in its reprint of this issue to make it appear to be the Predacons' second trip to Earth). The plan did not go smoothly, however, as Megatron defeated them all, even in their combined form of Predaking. Realizing that Shockwave was to blame, Megatron was about to kill him when he revealed that he had duplicated his mind to disc to guide the Predacons in their mission. Believing (accurately as it turned out) that this was how Optimus Prime had survived, Megatron apparently killed himself by blowing up the interdimensional spacebridge while standing on it. Shockwave was left as Decepticon commander, and the Predacons were absorbed into his Earth-based Decepticon army.
The U.K. title shone the spotlight on the Predacons again when they attacked a circus, and the news report covering it revealed to Swoop that his old foe Divebomb was now on Earth. Divebomb himself was growing disenchanted with the lack of challenges on Earth, so when Swoop ambushed him, he relished the chance to have a battle that tested him. Neither he nor Swoop, however, were particularly pleased when the other Predacons and Dinobots intruded on their private conflict, but when Grimlock almost killed Divebomb, Swoop stopped him and allowed the Predacons to go, so that when they next met, it would be on his terms.
The Predacons and Constructicons
Constructicons
right|thumb|Scavenger, Bonecrusher, Longhaul, Scrapper & Mixmaster - five of the original six Constructicons The Constructicons are a group of fictional characters from the various Transformers continuities...
were soon dispatched to collect rocket fuel and raw materials with which the Constructicons converted the Decepticons' island base into a spaceship. Not long after, the government organization the Intelligence and Information Institute (I.I.I.) captured a group of Autobots called the Throttlebot
Throttlebot
-Transformers: Generation 1:The Throttlebots, a sub-group of the Autobots, consist of six toys that could transform between a car and a robot. As a special gimmick, they feature a pullback motor.right|thumb|Throttlebot Chase toy...
s. In response to intensive Predacons raids ordered by Shockwave, I.I.I. publicly threatened to destroy the Throttlebots as a perceived ultimatum. Not realizing that their captives were in fact enemies of the attacking robots, the I.I.I. were forced to destroy their bodies as planned. Decepticon co-commander and fuel auditor 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,...
led the Predacons on a mission to inspect the corpses. Discovering that the Throttlebots brain modules had been placed in toy cars by Triple I's sympathetic operate, Walter Barnett, the Predacons pursued them, demolishing a mall in the process.
Later, when the treacherous Decepticon 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...
manipulated Ratbat's Decepticons in fighting the forces of Scorponok
Scorponok
Scorponok is the name shared by several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons that turn into Scorpoins.- Transformers: Generation 1:...
, the Predacons were at the forefront of battle, with Rampage taking on Apeface while Tantrum was scrapped by Scorponok himself. But when Starscream's scheming resulted in his acquiring the cosmic power of the interstellar databank, the Underbase, the Predacons aided in the defense of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, but were among the legions of Transformers deactivated by the villain.
The Predacons remained deactivated for the remainder of the U.S. series, until it was rejuvenated as Transformers: Generation 2
Transformers: Generation 2
Transformers: Generation 2 is the name used to refer to a Transformers toy line, television series and comic book series which ran from 1993-1995...
a short time later. Although the Predacon toys were not re-released for the Generation 2 toyline, the characters were functional again for the comic book series - although that did not last long for some of them. Tantrum was destroyed in a head-on collision with Optimus Prime, while Razorclaw - attempting to kill Decepticon-turned-Autobot Manta Ray - was destroyed by his fellow defector, Leadfoot.
Animated series
The Predacons made their debut in the year 2005, as the Decepticon/QuintessonQuintesson
Quintessons are fictional aliens from the Transformers universe. Within the TV series, they are the creators of the Transformers, although in most other fictional universes featuring the Transformers, they have no such status...
alliance began its attack on the Autobots on both Earth and Cybertron
Cybertron
Cybertron is a fictional planet, the homeworld of the Transformers in the various fictional incarnations of the metaseries and toyline by Hasbro. In the Japanese series, the planet is referred to as "Cybertron" pronounced as セイバートロン Seibātoron...
. The Autobots 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...
and Wheelie
Wheelie (Transformers)
Wheelie is the name of two different fictional characters in the Transformers series.-Generation 1:The first Wheelie is a young Autobot who turns into a car. He has a distinctive style of speech, in which he rhymes his sentences while speaking in a high pitched voice, making him sound like a child....
and the human Marissa Faireborn
Marissa Faireborn
Marissa Faireborn is a fictional character from the Transformers series. A human female, she holds the rank of captain in the Earth Defense Command, a military organization helping the Autobots fight against the evil Decepticons. In some interpretations, she is depicted as an unlikely love...
are stranded on Io
Io (moon)
Io ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of , the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus....
, one of Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
's moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
s while attempting to deliver the transformation cog that would allow the Autobot battle station, Metroplex
Metroplex (Transformers)
Metroplex is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series.-Transformers: Generation 1:Metroplex is capable of transforming into a battle station or a giant robot...
, to fight and transform as needed. Communications officer Blaster
Blaster (Transformers)
Blaster is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara Tomy and Hasbro. Due to trademark reasons, he is sometimes called Autobot Blaster...
attempts to contact Cybertron for reinforcements, revealing his allies' plight. The transmission is intercepted by the Quintessons, however, and upon learning the location of the cog, they dispatch the Predacons to Io to ensure it will not reach Earth. After an initially poor showing in their individual robot and animal modes, the team merges to form Predaking. They are confronted by the massive Autobot Sky Lynx
Sky Lynx
Sky Lynx is the name of several different characters in the fictional Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Sky Lynx consists of two separate components: a space shuttle that can transform into a bird-like creature , and a ground transport vehicle,...
and bested, leading to an enmity between the two.
The Predacons are in their element for their first mission in 2006, operating in the wilds of the planet Dredd, where they again battle Sky Lynx and several other Autobots. They are defeated when they are buried in an avalanche created by the planet's native Chaos monster. Later, they participate in the invasion of Paradron, with Divebomb pursuing escapee Sandstorm
Sandstorm (Transformers)
Sandstorm refers to several different characters in the various Transformers universes. The original Sandstorm was an Autobot Triple Changer who appeared in the Transformers animated series, voiced by Jerry Houser in 1986...
and Razorclaw co-ordinating the shooting down of the Autobot reinforcement vessel he returns with.
Later the Quintessons strike at the Transformers by animating the dreams of Daniel Witwicky. Having penetrated Cybertron's defenses for an unspecified mission, the Predacons attack Rodimus Prime, 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...
and Springer
Springer (Transformers)
Springer is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. For trademark reasons, many toys of the character are named Autobot Springer.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. Soon the whole group are attacked by monsters conjured from Daniel's subconscious. All on scene are forced to work together to survive. Razorclaw and Springer are captured by a dragon and are forced to team up to defeat the creature and escape, while the others face the threat of a giant Galvatron who injures Headstrong. With Daniel rescued, the damage sustained by Headstrong prevents the team from combining into Predaking, forcing them to flee.
While en route to Chaar at a later date, Predaking intercepts an unusual Quintesson signal and tracks it to a jungle planet, where the team comes upon a group of Autobots who have done the same and discovered an electronic journal recording Quintesson military transactions. The team merges into Predaking, who immediately targets Sky Lynx among the group, seeking revenge for his past defeats; Sky Lynx out-maneuvers the Decepticon, but, rather than best him in combat, has to get his fellow Autobots to safety. When the Decepticons then acquire the journal, Predaking is reluctant to retreat until having finished off Sky Lynx, but stands down in the face of Galvatron
Galvatron
Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...
's wrath.
When the ancient genius Primacron unleashes his energy-absorbing creation, Tornedron, on the universe, Primacron's assistant seeks to foil his former mentor by amassing a team of "Primitives" - Transformers with animal instincts that can hopefully thwart Primacron's complexities. The Predacons are among the Transformers summoned from a battle on Earth's moon to a dead world at the center of the universe, where Tornedron confronts them. Refusing to run from him, the Predacons form Predaking and battle Tornedron, who takes the shape of a giant warrior, absorbing all energy Predaking throws at them until he has been drained of life. Of all the Primitives, only 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...
survives, and is subsequently able to stop Tornedron and Primacron, restoring the Predacons and the others to life.
After participating in the Decepticon attack on Japan, the Predacons are among the Transformers infected when the madness-inducing Hate Plague sweeps the universe. The animosity bred by the plague does not prevent the Predacons from combining into Predaking and pursuing the uncontaminated Galvatron, however, only to be forced to retreat by a squad of uninfected Autobots led by 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...
. When Prime subsequently releases the power of the Matrix
Autobot Matrix of Leadership
The Matrix of Leadership or Creation Matrix in the fictional Transformers universes is the Autobot talisman of legend, passed down from leader to leader. It consisted of an oval-shaped container, holding a glowing crystal. To open the Matrix is to release an unpredictable wave of power from the...
, the plague is cured.
In English releases, the Predacons were voiced by Joe Leahy
Joe Leahy
Bandleader, arranger, conductor, record producer and trumpeter Joseph J. Leahy was a native of Boston, Massachusetts. He joined the Les Brown Band of Renown at twenty, then the Charlie Barnet band and later the Artie Shaw band, eventually forming his own orchestra for cross-country tours of...
(Razorclaw), Laurie Faso
Laurie Faso
Laurie Faso is an American television actor and occasional voice actor. In his career, he has held several bit parts on various shows, in addition to doing voices for several animated series and films, such as The Snorks, Monchichis, Darkwing Duck, Transformers and The Little Troll Prince...
(Divebomb, Rampage), Ron Feinberg
Ron Feinberg
Ronald A. Feinberg was an American character actor and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. He can be seen playing the character Fellini opposite Don Johnson in the postapocalyptic film A Boy and His Dog. Ron made a number of appearance on Mission: Impossible...
(Headstrong), Phillip Clarke (Tantrum) and Bud Davis
Bud Davis
Bud Davis is a stuntman, actor and assistant director. Most famous for his stuntwork, Davis is an inductee into the Stuntman Hall of Fame. Davis was the stunt co-ordinator for such films Forrest Gump , Contact and Cast Away .Davis is also known as a voice actor for the Transformers animated series...
(Predaking).
Transformers: Headmasters
The Predacons continued to put in short appearances in 1987's Japanese-exclusive spinoff series, Transformers: Headmasters, usually fighting alongside and against the other combiner teams in various battles.Transformers: Zone
In 1990's Transformers: Zone, Predaking was one of the nine Decepticon generals in the service of the mysterious insectoid Violenjiger, and met his end when Autobot leader Dai Atlas cleaved his body in two (somewhat bizarrely revealing what appeared to be an organic brain within him).Manga
In the Transformers Manga #5 Galvatron and his Decepticons attacked the Prime Energy Tower. Galvatron ordered the Decepticons to form Menasor, Devastator and Bruticus and attack. Rodimus Prime counted this move by ordering in Superion, Omega Supreme and Defensor. Galvatron then ordered in Predaking, knowing that Sky Lynx was elsewhere and couldn't counter them. Rodimus ordered the Omnibots to attack Predaking's legs. Tripping up the giant he fell into the other Decepticon giants, winning the day for the Autobots.Dreamwave Productions
Dreamwave ProductionsDreamwave Productions
Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996 and is best known for their multiple Transformers comic book series...
' 21st century re-imagining of the Generation 1 universe had little time to focus on the Predacons before the company's closure.
With the exception of Tantrum, who made a brief appearance as part of 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...
's attack on Iacon, the Predacons would not make an appearance in Dreamwave's Generation One Universe until late in the series. The five team members were once warlords on Cybertron who were cast into exile in space. Settling on Planet Beest, home of the Battle Beasts
Battle Beasts
is a line of small 2" tall action figure toys, in the form of an anthropomorphised animal with body armor and a unique weapon. Several figures have their left hand replaced by a weapon of some kind...
, the Predacons sank into a feral state and lived as inhabitants of that world for untold years, until Megatron arrived. Having been jettisoned into space by Starscream and restored from the brink of death by Wreck-Gar
Wreck-Gar
Wreck-Gar is the name of two characters from the Transformers universes. Both are unpredictable good-aligned characters who provide comic relief in their series.-Transformers: Generation 1:Wreck-gar is the idiosyncratic leader of the Junkions....
, Megatron now had his sights set on reclaiming the Decepticon leadership, and required the Predacons to bolster his army. Abandoning his personal weaponry, Megatron pursued Razorclaw through the jungle and soundly defeated him. Subsequently, he re-engineered the Predacons to give them the ability to combine into Predaking.
Taking the Predacons to Cybertron, Megatron put Shockwave in his service again while the Predacons dealt with his Triple Changer minions; Razorclaw was forced to destroy the resistant 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...
. The group then headed to Earth to deal with Starscream, where Predaking defeated Bruticus
Combaticons
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon military vehicles in the assorted fictional universes of the Transformers.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
. The players were now all assembled... but Dreamwave's bankruptcy and cessation of publication left future stories of the Predacons untold.
Additionally, the Dreamwave universe visited the notion of "Predacons" being more than simply a sub-group, but an entire faction unto itself. After Megatron and Optimus Prime vanished in a spacebridge test 7.4 million years ago, the Autobots and Decepticons splintered into several smaller factions; Starscream established a faction named the Predacons. Whether or not Starscream intended any connection with the Predacon warlords, or whether or not that group predated his faction, is unknown. They first appeared when 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...
's Lightning Strike Coalition stole a substantial amount of Energon from them. Later, they attacked a peace conference between the Autobots, Decepticons and Ultracons
Ultracons
right|thumb|Ratbat and his Ultracons Ransack and Venom.The Ultracons are a fictional subfaction of Decepticon Transformers commanded by Ratbat in the Dreamwave comics.-History:...
, hoping to eliminate the Autobot leadership. They succeeded in eliminating most of the Autobot High Council and gravely wounded Grimlock, but were stopped when the other three factions united to stop them. After Megatron's return with an army of Seeker clones the Predacons were reabsorbed into the Decepticons.
Devil's Due Publishing
The Predacons would return in the third 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...
crossover between G.I. Joe and the Transformers. Without Megatron or Shockwave's steadying influence, the Decepticons had fallen apart in a series of internecine conflicts. One such was the Predacons taking on the Seacons
Seacons
This article is about the Transformers characters the Seacons. For the shopping mall, see Seacon Square. For the 1961 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, Seacon, see 19th World Science Fiction Convention...
. Hunting Nautilator, the Predacons were unable to prevent him calling for backup - Piranacon
Seacons
This article is about the Transformers characters the Seacons. For the shopping mall, see Seacon Square. For the 1961 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, Seacon, see 19th World Science Fiction Convention...
. The Predacons merged into Predaking and defeated their foe. Preparing to finish him off, Predaking was interrupted by a strange, tiny figure: Serpentor
Serpentor
Serpentor is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. The character was introduced in 1986 as a toy with an air chariot and included in the animated series that same year.-Toys:...
, a human military cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
built with Megatron's memories. Using these memories to convince both combiners to join him, they then participated (along with the Stunticons) in the ambush that killed 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 :...
. They were then Serpentor's principal weapon, along with Piranacon and Menasor, in the attack on Capital City, where the three of them defeated 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:...
. They were among the Decepticon reinforcements that countered the G.I. Joe/Autobot jailbreak. Rampage was taken out by Grimlock. Razorclaw and Motormaster were the ones who stopped Prime's attack on Serpentor, beating him to near death. They were then slain by the 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...
-controlled Serpentor.
IDW Publishing
The Predacons made their first chronological appearance in issue #3 of The Transformers: Megatron OriginThe 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...
, where all five were seen as part of Megatron's group of gladiators and insurgents that would eventually become the Decepticons. A conversation between Razorclaw and 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...
would reveal a rivalry between the future Predacons and the Dinobots.
They would receive a brief namecheck in The Transformers: Spotlight issue on 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...
. When attacked by the Dynobots
Dinobots
Dinobots is the name of several teams of characters in the fictional Transformers Universe. The groups are made up of several robots, each of whose transformed mode is that of a dinosaur or similar prehistoric animal. They are called Dinotrons in the Japanese version; and ' in the Japanese dub of...
, Shockwave was surprised that it was they, and not Megatron or the Predacons, that had come. Shockwave listed them as one of Megatron's "tactical assault units."
The Predacons themselves appeared in The Transformers: Stormbringer
The Transformers: Stormbringer
The Transformers: Stormbringer is a comic book mini-series, published by IDW Publishing.The series debuted in July, 2006 and is set during the same time frame as The Transformers: Infiltration...
, alerting Megatron on Earth to the reemergence of Thunderwing
Thunderwing
Thunderwing is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. Introduced in 1989, he was a major villain in the Marvel Comics Transformers series. Although Thunderwing was created after the US Transformers television series ended, the character of Black Shadow did appear in...
. Ordered by him to destroy Cybertron (and Thunderwing with it) if all else failed, the Predacons observed a futile effort by the Wreckers to hold Thunderwing back. Impressed by their bravery, Razorclaw sent two Decepticon teams to assist the beleaguered Wreckers. After Thunderwing was finally stopped by Optimus Prime, Razorclaw aborted the firing procedure to destroy Cybertron. Here, Divebomb was shown to transform into a Cybertronian jet, while Headstrong transformed into a treaded assault vehicle.
Beast Wars
The Predacons would also receive an unusual reference in IDW's Beast Wars: The GatheringBeast Wars: The Gathering
Beast Wars: The Gathering is a four-issue comic book mini-series, published by IDW Publishing. The series was launched with #1 in February 2006 and ended with #4 in May. It has since been republished as a trade paperback....
mini-series. In Razorbeast's flashback to Magmatron
Magmatron
Magmatron is a Transformers character who first appeared in the Japanese Beast Wars Neo series, was later released in the American Beast Machines Dinobots toy line, and most recently in official Beast Wars comic continuity.-Beast Wars Neo:...
's briefing in a Predacon chamber, symbols seeming to represent the beast modes of the original Predacons are displayed prominently, as well as a statue of what appears to be Divebomb, indicating a link between the original Predacons and their Beast Wars namesakes
Predacon (Transformers)
The Predacons usually refer to the name of several fictional Decepticon-like teams led by Megatron, however Transformers: Armada, Predacon is the name of a single character.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
.
Transformers: Titanium
A 3-inch-tall non-transforming Predaking toy was released in the Transformers: Titanium line.Transformers: Timelines
The 2006 BotConBotCon
BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" , is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994...
tale would expand on the reference in the Gathering, indicating that not only did the Predacons have something to do with the founding of the faction, but that they had been working behind the scenes in order to advance their own cause. Divebomb is revealed to have been responsible for reformatting 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:...
, Buzzsaw and 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...
into Predacons. He also ensures the success of Megatron
Megatron (Beast Wars and Beast Machines)
The Beast Wars and Beast Machines version of Megatron is the main antagonist from the aforementioned parts of the Transformers animated series, toy lines, and multiverse...
's history-altering plan to steal the Golden Disc. Later, after Megatron's death at the end of Beast Machines
Beast Machines
Beast Machines is an animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. Hasbro has the full distribution rights to the show as of 2011. It was a direct sequel to Beast Wars taking place within the continuity of the original Transformers series...
, Razorclaw announces his intentions to actively lead the Predacons to victory once again. It is interesting to note that the Predacons' robot modes here resemble more organic versions of their original robot modes.
Toys
- Generation 1 Predaking
- A new mold.
- Generation 1 Predaking Reissue
- A reissue of the original G1 Predacons gift set 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...
to commemorate the Transformers 2010 series (season 3 of the original series) in Japan. The set was released in late november 2010.
Beast Wars
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...
created by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
. Previously the name Predacon had been associated with the Transformer group which combined to form Predaking. The faction made their first appearance in the Beast Wars
Beast Wars
Transformers: Beast Wars is a Transformers toyline released by Hasbro between 1995 and 2000, and a Daytime Emmy Award winning full-CG animated television series spawned by it that debuted in 1996...
toyline and animated series, and have been represented in various Transformers animated series, comic books and toylines since. A Predacon is most commonly represented as a Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
descendant with a new smaller, more energy-efficient body. Though the Decepticons and Predacons share many similarities, several important differences exist, such as leadership and ideals (for example, choosing a pretense of peace with the Maximals rather than maintain a war at all costs). It is not completely known as to how the faction gained predominance over all the other various Decepticon factions, although the comic book miniseries Beast Wars: The Gathering
Beast Wars: The Gathering
Beast Wars: The Gathering is a four-issue comic book mini-series, published by IDW Publishing. The series was launched with #1 in February 2006 and ended with #4 in May. It has since been republished as a trade paperback....
has provided hints that their heritage may be found in the original combiner team Predacons, hints confirmed by the subsequent Timelines: Dawn of Futures Past, which confirmed that Razorclaw, Divebomb and the other Predacons had been working behind the scenes.
Due to the similarity in circumstances between Megatron, Ravage and the Tripredacus Council and Kurtz, Willard and the American's presence in Vietnam in the film Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
the writers of Beast Wars used the classic line, "Terminate, with extreme prejudice" in the similar context.
Animated series
The Predacons first appeared in the animated series Beast WarsBeast Wars
Transformers: Beast Wars is a Transformers toyline released by Hasbro between 1995 and 2000, and a Daytime Emmy Award winning full-CG animated television series spawned by it that debuted in 1996...
in a transwarp equipped ship known as the Darksyde. Megatron (named after the original Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
Megatron who became Galvatron
Galvatron
Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...
), the leader of a small group of Predacons, stole the Golden Disk
Golden Disk
-Beast Wars:The Golden Disk is a relic from the Beast Wars Transformers timeline, and a key plot device for the events of the show. Considered a revered artifact, it is actually the Voyager Golden Record, which includes information on Earth and humanity, and is presumably the only source of...
from Cybertron
Cybertron
Cybertron is a fictional planet, the homeworld of the Transformers in the various fictional incarnations of the metaseries and toyline by Hasbro. In the Japanese series, the planet is referred to as "Cybertron" pronounced as セイバートロン Seibātoron...
in an attempt to travel back in time and locate pre-historic Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
so that he might acquire a large amount of energon and destroy the Autobot
Autobot
Autobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
s before the Great War began, leading to history being re-written with the Decepticons as conquerors.
Megatron reveals as early as the second episode that though the Maximal
Maximal (Transformers)
Maximals are a faction in the Transformers series by Hasbro. They are generally depicted as respecting all life and following a path of peace before war. They follow the tenets of the Pax Cybertronia. The Maximals are opposed by the Predacons...
s and Predacons have been at peace for some time, the Predacons have merely been biding their time, waiting for right moment to begin a new war and reclaim Cybertron as their own. During a story arc called The Agenda a conversation between the members of the Tripredacus Council reveals Megatron is acting as a renegade, and though he plans ultimately what the Council intends to carry out itself, he is acting without their authority.
At first all Predacons had beast modes (usually reptiles, insects or arachnids) which made the link to the original Predacons simply that of name and appearance (that is, both had animal alternate modes). However, as time has passed it has been seen that Predacons are actually another faction, meaning they may have vehicle, or any other number of possible modes and the link to the original Predacons may be more than simply a name but in fact that these Cybertronians are the direct descendants of this Decepticon faction, later confirmed in the comics by IDW Publishing
IDW 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...
and Fun Publications. It is implied that not all Predacons are descended from the Decepticons, as Tarantulas
Tarantulas (Transformers)
Tarantulas is a Predacon in theBeast Wars series who turns into a tarantula. Due to problems in trade-marking the name, later releases of the character were called Predacon Tarantulus by Hasbro.-Beast Wars:...
claims that he and the Tripredacus Council have different origins.
In this series the Predacons used the activation code "Terrorize" to transform.
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...
made an appearance during the series and though reformatted into a Predacon body still maintained a loyalty to the Decepticons as well as Starscream's Spark inhabiting Waspinators body.
Alignment
The BotConBotCon
BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" , is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994...
tale Alignment, written by Simon Furman
Simon Furman
Simon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...
and following on from Transformers: Generation 2
Transformers: Generation 2
Transformers: Generation 2 is the name used to refer to a Transformers toy line, television series and comic book series which ran from 1993-1995...
, would reveal the origins of the group as a splinter faction that had arisen after the death of Galvatron
Galvatron
Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...
in battle with 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...
. Seemingly even in the absence of an outright defeat this faction argued that a peace with the Autobots, then destroying them from within was the only way to win the war. Although the group was regarded as an annoyance, events beyond their control proved their way was the only way. The Liege Maximo and his second generation Transformers attacked the Decepticon homeworld, forcing a resurrected Megatron to destroy the world itself. The subsequent battle to destroy the Maximo cost them so many resources, as well as Megatron himself, that the Predacon solution became the only way that the Decepticons and their descendants could win. obtaining peace through the Pax Cybertronia, downsizing into smaller, more energy-efficient bodies and biding their time. However, this tale may not be canonical with the overall Transformers universes.
IDW Publishing
In 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...
's Beast Wars: The Gathering
Beast Wars: The Gathering
Beast Wars: The Gathering is a four-issue comic book mini-series, published by IDW Publishing. The series was launched with #1 in February 2006 and ended with #4 in May. It has since been republished as a trade paperback....
miniseries it was revealed that many Predacons other than Megatron were dissatisfied with the slow wait for victory plotted by the council. One of these, the Predacon general Magmatron
Magmatron
Magmatron is a Transformers character who first appeared in the Japanese Beast Wars Neo series, was later released in the American Beast Machines Dinobots toy line, and most recently in official Beast Wars comic continuity.-Beast Wars Neo:...
, managed to recruit a group of followers supporting his ideals. He led them to prehistoric earth, ostensibly to apprehend Megatron, but mainly to reprogram Maximal protoforms as Predacons to create an army.
It is revealed in the series that the Tripredacus Council have minimal influence on Cybertron, with the Maximal Council of Elders the leading body on the Transformer's home planet. Though Predacon representatives exist in a joint council the Predacons have little political power and Predacons are treated as second-class citizens, many not choosing to live on Cybertron. It is also hinted, through symbols seen in Magmatron's time-travel chamber, that the original Predacons were involved in the formation of the Beast Wars era Predacons.
Beast Wars II
The Predacons were led by Galvatron. As this show is not exactly canon with the first Beast Wars show, it is unclear whether Galvatron was a renegade like Megatron, or whether he was operating with the Council's tacit approval, but Galvatron also recruited his own army of followers, including his brother Megastorm. Unlike Megatron, Galvatron waged open warfare on the Maximals, clashing with Maximal commander Lio Convoy.Beast Wars Neo
The Predacons were led by MagmatronMagmatron
Magmatron is a Transformers character who first appeared in the Japanese Beast Wars Neo series, was later released in the American Beast Machines Dinobots toy line, and most recently in official Beast Wars comic continuity.-Beast Wars Neo:...
after Galvatron's death. Again it is unclear whether Magmatron had gone rogue at this time, although if the events of The Gathering are set in continuity with Beast Wars Neo it is likely. Magmatron had a rivalry with Big Convoy and engaged in open warfare with his Maximals. However after Unicron was reborn Magmatron joined with the Maximals. After the Chaos-Bringer's defeat the Predacons and Maximals joined together to rebuild Cybertron.
Beast Machines
After the survivors of the Beast Wars returned to Cybertron, Megatron unleashed a plague on Cybertron, leaving only Optimus PrimalOptimus Primal
Optimus Primal is a fictional character from the Transformers toyline, and the leader of the Maximal forces and the main protagonist in the Beast Wars television series. He is sometimes called Optimal Optimus...
, Cheetor
Cheetor
Cheetor is several fictional characters from various Transformers universes.- Beast Wars :Cheetor's original tech spec indicated he was a seasoned and confident warrior always in search of battle with the Predacons, seemingly in contrast to his youthful and impulsive portrayal in the original show...
, Rattrap and Blackarachnia functioning. While the Maximals were reformatted and so took on a new insignia, Megatron, disgusted with both Maximal and Predacon alike, created a new solely technological faction known as the Vehicon
Vehicon
Vehicons are a faction in the fictional Transformers, appearing in the animated cartoon series Beast Machines. However, most Vehicons are non-sentient drones, controlled entirely by the will of Megatron or their respective general.-History:...
s. Most Vehicon transformers are actually drones rather than sentient beings. Consequently, the Predacons did not make an appearance in Beast Machines (except for Waspinator
Waspinator
Waspinator is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes called Wasp. The original Waspinator was voiced by Scott McNeil in the Beast Wars animated series.-Beast Wars:...
and Megatron himself), though the Tripredacus Council and Predacons not on Cybertron may have existed elsewhere. However it is most likely that they were destroyed (or captured) as well (as indicated by Beast Machines editor Bob Skir on his FAQ page).
Transformers:Timelines
The 2006 BotConBotCon
BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" , is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994...
comic would confirm what The Gathering had implied - that the original Predacons had a hand in the creation of the new faction. Apparently unhappy with the direction the Council was taking, Divebomb was responsible for reformatting 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 into new Predacon forms, although Ravage later left. Seeing an opportunity to rewrite history when Megatron's plans became apparent, Divebomb dispatched the two former cassettes to covertly assist him, ensuring they departed to Earth, Later, seemingly after the conclusion of Beast Machines, Divebomb reported to his true master - Razorclaw, who announced that it was time to take back Cybertron from the Maximals, seemingly indicating that Maximal and Predacon will clash again in the post-Beast Machines future.
Transformers: Robots in Disguise
Set in a Transformers universe unique to this series the Predacons were organiform (but not necessarily technorganic) transformers led by yet another incarnation of Megatron and used "terrorize" as their activation code. They were led to Earth by their universe's version of Megatron in a quest for power; in this case, they were in search of the Autobot battle station, Fortress MaximusFortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus is the name of several fictional characters from several of the various Transformers universes. Fortress Maximus appeared in the season 4 finale of the US Transformers animated series voiced by Stephen Keener. He was one of the stars of the Japanese Transformers: Headmasters...
, only to meet opposition in the form of a team of Autobots led by this universe's incarnation of Optimus Prime. Like his Beast Wars predecessor, this Megatron also kept his true goal hidden from his followers, dispatching them to acquire energy from Earth's natural resources while he used the mind and research of Doctor Kenneth Onishi to search for Fortress Maximus and the keys to his rebirth.
The Predacon forces were later bolstered by the addition of the six Decepticons (corrupted and converted Autobot protoforms) who fought side by side with the Predacons and Megatron himself was upgraded into Galvatron, reclassifying himself a Decepticon. After Galvatron was eventually defeated by Omega Prime
Omega Prime
Omega Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers toyline. He is the combined form of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus.-Transformers: Robots in Disguise:...
, the Decepticons and Predacons were captured and returned to Cybertron for trial and imprisonment, save for Sky-Byte
Sky-Byte
Sky-Byte is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. He is usually a Predacon who turns in a mechanical shark.-Transformers: Robots in Disguise:...
, who renounced his Predacon values and, as such, he was allowed to stay behind on Earth, to live in the planet's oceans.
Although Megatron/Galvatron often appears to be the ultimate Predacon authority, it is revealed late in the Robots in Disguise show that he had been sent to Earth by a Predacon Council. The Predacon leadership hierarchy is unknown beyond this.
Transformers: Armada
2003’s Transformers: ArmadaTransformers: Armada
Transformers: Armada, known in Japan as , is a Transformers animated series, comic series and toy line which ran from 2002–2003. It was originally scheduled for 2001, however was delayed until early-2002...
introduced a first for the Predacon name—it was used not for a group, but for a single character.
When Predacon and his Mini-Cons were released their characters were somewhat of a mystery. No tech spec or biography was given in the box or on the official Transformers web site.
Dreamwave Productions
With no biography offered for the character on his packaging or on the company website, it was not until Dreamwave Productions created one that Predacon had any characterisation. Dreamwave’s profile for the character presented him as an unpopular member of the Decepticons due to his unnatural philosophy of blending synthetic organic tissue with Transformer bodies - with himself as a living example. Most Autobots and Decepticons view him as either a fanatic or a lunatic. Despite this he has some followers due to his charismatic oratory and leadership in battle, and attempts to convince more to join him through his rhetoric. The Dreamwave bio would attempt to give him a hint of mystery by noting that not even his most devoted followers knew his true motives and nature, but the comics would never touch on this.The characters only appearance in fiction was in a flashback in Dreamwave's Armada sequel comic, Transformers: Energon
Transformers: Energon
Transformers: Energon, known in Japan as , is the 2004–2005 Transformers toyline, animated series and comic book series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara and a direct sequel to Transformers: Armada...
, where Predacon was among the troops led into battle against the Autobots by Scorponok
Scorponok
Scorponok is the name shared by several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons that turn into Scorpoins.- Transformers: Generation 1:...
. He was seen working with Armada Terrorsaur
Terrorsaur
Terrorsaur is the name of several fictional characters from the world of Transformers universes.Terror-Saur is an amalgamate of terror and saur .-Beast Wars:...
, who also had a beast mode, so it's possible Terrorsaur was one of Predacon's followers.
Any possible other appearances were cancelled due to Dreamwave's bankruptcy and Hasbro's Transformers print license being transferred to IDW Publishing
IDW 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...
.
Toys
- Armada Predacon with Side Burn and Skid-Z
- Predacon is a redeco of the Beast Wars TransmetalTransmetalsTransmetals are a subgroup of the Beast Wars and Beast Machines characters in the fictional Transformers universe. Ordinary Transformers in the Beast Wars universe have a mechanical robot form and a techno-organic animal form, also known as a "beast mode"...
Megatron toy, which was remolded with dead Mini-ConMini-ConMini-Cons are a human-sized race and faction of power-enhancing transforming robots in the Transformers: Armada universe and its sequels, one of the assorted universes in Transformers fiction...
ports, and came packaged with the Mini-Cons Side Burn and Skid-Z (respectively recolors of Backtrack and Spiral). - Some bonus pack versions of Predacon came with the Armada Destructon Mini-Con team members Buzzsaw, Drill Bit and Dualor in addition to his normal 2 Mini-Cons.
Transformers Animated
The Predacons appear the Transformers Animated episode "Predacons Rising". The team consisted of two former Autobots Elita One and WaspWaspinator
Waspinator is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes called Wasp. The original Waspinator was voiced by Scott McNeil in the Beast Wars animated series.-Beast Wars:...
, who become Blackarachnia and "Waspinator".