Combaticon (G1)
From Transformers Wiki
| The name or term "Combaticon" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Combaticon (disambiguation). |
- The Combaticons are a Decepticon subgroup from the Generation 1 continuity family.
The Combaticons are a unit of fierce Decepticon soldiers, operating with (mostly) military precision under the watchful eye of the tactically brilliant Onslaught. They sometimes operate out of their own headquarters.
The Combaticons consist of:
- The tactician Onslaught (leader)
- The violent Brawl
- The egotistical Blast Off
- The con man Swindle
- The unhinged Vortex
They combine to form the highly powerful, but extremely stupid Bruticus.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
When Starscream was banished from the Decepticons for Yet Another Failed Coup Against Megatron, he was deposited on the island of Guadalcanal, the site of one of the major battles between the United States of America and Imperial Japan during World War II. There he found and rebuilt several abandoned US military vehicles to pass the time. After he finished, he decided that if Megatron can have a Decepticon army, then so can he!
After bluffing his way past Skywarp and Thundercracker to use the space bridge, he travelled to a detention center on Cybertron and liberated the personality components of several Decepticon political prisoners before destroying the rest. Back on Earth, Starscream installed the components into the rusting military vehicles and ordered them to transform.
The reborn Combaticons were less than pleased with their "new," primitive bodies, nor were they particularly thankful to Starscream for freeing them after millions of years of imprisonment. That is, until the former Decepticon Air Commander revealed that he had neglected to install energy absorber units into their bodies, so they would have no way of refueling. As he was the only one with the knowledge and expertise to install them, he demanded their allegiance in his aim to overthrow Megatron. The Combaticons agreed to obey Starscream, for now.
Under Starscream's leadership, the Combaticons managed to capture several prisoners, then used their energy absorbers to recharge themselves at a power plant. Unfortunately, Megatron and the Decepticons attacked, while the Autobots rescued their comrades. The Constructicons formed Devastator, who was quickly defeated by the Combaticons' much more powerful, but dull-witted combined form, Bruticus. Starscream ordered Bruticus to grab Megatron, forcing his former commander to acknowledge Starscream as the new leader of the Decepticons. Under duress, Megatron did so as the Stunticons watched nearby. The latter group, deciding that Starscream would be too dangerous as a leader, quickly formed Menasor and defeated Bruticus with a single attack.
Starscream and the Combaticons were banished from Earth on a small asteroid, left to wallow in their own misery and blame each other for their failures. Starscream's Brigade
Starscream and the Combaticons quickly had a falling-out. After Starscream left, the Combaticons attacked Cybertron, easily defeating Shockwave and his drones. Thirsting for revenge, Onslaught reprogrammed the space bridge to pull Earth closer to the Sun, in the hopes of destroying it and every Transformer there. The Autobots and Decepticons temporarily joined forces to retake Cybertron and prevent Earth's destruction, and with Starscream's help, they deactivated the Combaticons once they formed Bruticus through a failsafe device built into the treacherous giant's back. Optimus Prime and Megatron agreed that Bruticus must be destroyed, but the Decepticon leader fooled the Autobots by using Shockwave's holographic projector to make it appear as though Bruticus was destroyed, when in reality the combiner was reprogrammed to be loyal only to Megatron. The Revenge of Bruticus
Soon afterwards, during Megatron's latest scheme on Earth involving the theft of fighter aircraft using Middle-Eastern criminals, the Combaticons were called into service to defend Megatron's Giant Purple Griffin, a large... thing that apparently pumped oil. Or something. Struggling against the Aerialbots, the Combaticons formed Bruticus, yet were still knocked over when the Aerialbots twisted a tow cable around his legs. The Decepticon combiner was finally defeated when the Aerialbots ignited the nearby oil wells, causing a massive explosion that sent Megatron, Rumble, Bruticus and gas prices flying away. Aerial Assault
While attacking a human city, Bruticus was destroyed in battle with Defensor (man, this guy can't seem to catch a break). Only Swindle survived, and he sold the remains of his comrades to various mercenaries and third-world dictator-types, only to be forced to locate and rebuild the Combaticons by Megatron. The reformed Bruticus was then defeated when Megatron's disruptor cannon was overloaded by the human-built B.O.T., once again sending the Decepticon flying into the sky. B.O.T.
After the great battle at Autobot City, the Combaticons were among the battered Decepticon forces who withdrew to Chaar. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 Swindle was instrumental in negotiating an alliance with the Quintessons; Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2 the Combaticons later participated in a Quintesson-led assault on the Autobots on Goo. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4
A lone Blast Off later attacked a Skuxxoid who was using death crystals to blow stuff up in Decepticon territory, and forced the alien to tell him where he got the ammunition. When a group of Autobots tried to find the crystals as well, Blast Off attacked them alongside Runamuck. Chaos The Combaticons later failed to assassinate Decepticon exile Octane at Autobot City, Starscream's Ghost then succeeded in shooting up a shuttle meant to take human delegates to an interstellar peace conference. Surprise Party
During a Decepticon attack on the Netherlands, Swindle infiltrated Metroplex and stole his transformation cog, whilst Vortex was charged with guarding Trypticon. The Ultimate Weapon The Combaticons later participated in the assault on Paradron, where they guarded the imprisoned Paradronians, among other things. Fight or Flee When the Earth was infected by the Hate Plague, the Combaticons (Bruticus) were among those infected. Brawl was seen driving along the road and infecting Headstrong who, in turn, infected Razorclaw while Vortex attacked a civilian plane on a runway. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1
Under Galvatron's directions, the Combaticons constructed a giant planetary rocket engine that was used to propel Cybertron into orbit around Earth. They also dragged away the bodies of defeated Autobots to use as fuel for the engine. Once Scorponok and Fortress Maximus began to fight the Combaticons ran away. They presumably left Cybertron with Galvatron in Scorponok The Rebirth, Part 3
Japanese cartoon continuity
Scramble City
When the Stunticons were dispatched to hinder the Autobots from constructing Scramble City, they were attacked by the Aerialbots and did not fare too well. The Combaticons arrived to help, and together Bruticus and Menasor easily overpowered Superion. However, Scramble City itself soon arrived and blasted both combiners away. Scramble City: Mobilization
The Headmasters cartoon
The Combaticons participated in an all-out Decepticon attack on Cybertron, Four Warriors Come out of the Sky until Fortress Maximus arrived and drove them away. The Mystery of Planet Master Shortly afterwards, Hot Rod set out to find the Matrix of Leadership and bring it to Optimus Prime, and the Combaticons were among the troops sent out to stop him. They were ambushed by the Protectobots, and defeated when Defensor buried Bruticus in a rockfall. Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime Not long after that, the Combaticons defended Trypticon against Twincast's attempted infiltration, but failed when the Aerialbots arrived and distracted them. The Great Cassette Operation
The Combaticons were later part of another attack on Cybertron, during which they killed plenty of soldiers before getting into another fight with Defensor. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 They lost. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2 When the Decepticons planted a giant carnivorous plant in San Francisco, the Combaticons and Stunticons were ordered to with attack any Autobots who arrived to kill it. When the Aerialbots and Trainbots did just that, Bruticus got into an energy-sword fight with Raiden. Head On!! Fortress Maximus Sixshot later sent the Combaticons, Terrorcons and Horrorcons to attack an Autobot energy facility in Miami, in order to lure Autobot troops away from Autobot City. Ultra Magnus Dies!!
The Combaticons were present when Scorponok held a speech about Galvatron's recent death and took control of the Decepticons. I Risk My Life for Earth Bruticus was later part of a small group of Decepticons who tried to lead Fortress Maximus away from the Decepticon base on Master. The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide He then stood by and laughed as Predaking sank the luxury liner Queen World in the Atlantic Ocean, before being stationed at one of Scorponok's Death Towers in Canberra, Australia. He defended the tower against Defensor until it activated, at which point Wingspan and Pounce ordered him to withdraw. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)
Bruticus participated in the final battle with the Autobots at the North Pole, and fought Computron alongside Abominus. As Scorponok's energy-absorbing satellite started tearing the Earth apart, Bruticus retreated into the atmosphere to watch the results alongside the rest of the Decepticon forces. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)
Zone OVA, manga, and story pages
Seeking to create a Decepticon Zone to counter the Autobot Zone, Decepticon Emperor Violengiguar gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. The Combaticons were of those summoned, but only in the form of Bruticus. Zone Part 1 Zone Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!
TV Magazine comic continuity
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic
Bruticus arrived to help the Stunticons fight Defensor and Superion at a baseball stadium in Japan. He quickly defeated Defensor, injuring his torso and preventing him from combining. In response, Superion disabled Brawl and Swindle using his electrostatic discharger rifle, allowing First Aid and Streetwise to steal their places as Bruticus's legs. Taking control of the giant's flight systems, the two Protectobots flew off with Bruticus as Kenji cheered at them to drop the Combaticons into the sea. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5 Onslaught later joined the Stunticons in a scheme to defame the Autobots by destroying factories around Japan whilst wearing Autobot insignias. When confronted by the real Autobots, he "combined" with fellow Decepticon Trailer Corps member Motormaster, but they were defeated and sent packing by Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7
The Combaticons' next mission was to hunt down an escaped dog that Megatron had experimented on, imbuing it with powerful energy. Brawl managed to fatally injure the animal, much to Onslaught's annoyance as they were supposed to capture it alive. The Autobot Powerglide soon arrived to put a halt to their activities, and the dog expressed its gratitude by using its powers to energize Powerglide with Scramble Power. As Powerglide used the power to combine with his fellow Minibots, the Combaticons responded by forming Bruticus. He proved weaker than this new Minibot combiner, however, as it used the "Minibot Warrior Spiral Attack" to drill straight through Bruticus's chest, defeating him.
The dog still died, though. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8
The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers
The Combaticons emerged as Bruticus alongside the other Decepticon super-warriors, ready to storm the Autobot energy tower on the planet Feminia. Galvatron and his men laughed off the presence of Superion, Defensor and Omega Supreme... but the Omnibots? Carrying a length of thread?! Oh, the horror. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5
The Great Transformer War
The Combaticons and Stunticons were working out of Trypticon where the kidnapped scientist Doctor Dalton was being forced to work for Galvatron's evil ends. When the Aerialbots and Protectobots arrived to save the scientist, Onslaught and Motormaster combined with Trypticon in their deployment launcher modes. Hurtling their fellow Decepticons at Superion did such damage that the Aerialbots were forced to disassemble. Somehow, however, the remaining Protectobots managed to hold off both Bruticus and Menasor long enough for Hot Spot to repair the Aerialbots, and for Blades to sneak past the Decepticons and retrieve Dalton. The Great Transformer War #1
Super-God Masterforce comic
Brawl and Blast Off participated in an attack on Athenia by forming the right limbs of Scramble 7, a Decepticon combiner using various combiner team members in a supposedly "ideal" configuration. Despite being so great, however, Scramble 7 was defeated by Super Ginrai, Lightfoot, and Ranger thanks to their use of Chōkon Power. The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army
Marvel Comics continuity
Marvel The Transformers comics
The Combaticons and their fellow Special Teams were first conceived within Buster Witwicky's mind shortly after the human had relinquished control of the Creation Matrix to Optimus Prime. Shockwave was able to view this data remotely and prepare for their development. Second Generation!
On their first mission on Earth, the Combaticons followed Megatron to retrieve the human hydrothermocline plant. When they arrived, they faced Optimus Prime and the Protectobots waiting for them. The Combaticons formed Bruticus and stared down Defensor when a nearby human named Ethan Zachary suggested that they play a video game over the plant instead. Optimus Prime and Megatron both agreed, and the Combaticons were sent into the game to attack the Protectobots. However, they lost every battle due to not taking the "wildlife" AI into account. Afterdeath! These events were observed by the time travelling Dicet Alpha-zero. The Quest! After this, the Combaticons didn't do much but follow Megatron around, even when their mentally unstable leader heavily damaged Brawl for mouthing off. Gone but Not Forgotten!
Later, Soundwave led the Combaticons to kill Galvatron—and co-incidentally Ultra Magnus—while they were trapped in the cooled lava flow of Mount Verona. After making short work of the human military encamped on the site, the Combaticons set up explosive charges around the volcano to obliterate the entire area but their operation was met with resistance thanks to three human women, as well as Goldbug and the Throttlebots. When the Combaticons retreated to detonate their explosives, their remote signal was jammed by Blaster. Ladies' Night In response to that humiliation, the Combaticons would later attack the Throttlebots in a used car lot, only for the Protectobots and Blaster to interfere and force them to retreat. Used Autobots Shortly afterwards, the group decided to ambush the Protectobots on their way to the Ark. This time, Bruticus claimed victory over Defensor by hitting him with a train, but was soon tricked and broken into his component parts by Blaster. After this, Blaster took control of Blast Off and flew into space, separating the shuttle from the other Combaticons. Child's Play Along with most of the Decepticon army, the Combaticons later ambushed the Autobots on the Moon, only to be beaten back by Blaster and Grimlock. Totaled!
At some point thereafter, the Combaticons worked with Darkwing and Dreadwind under the command of Scorponok to steal a backup of the floppy disk containing Optimus Prime's personality. Prime Bomb!
Marvel Generation 2 comic
After Bludgeon's defeat, Swindle took the returning Decepticon leader Megatron on a tour of the Warworld battleship he had inherited. The Gathering Darkness Soon after, Brawl and Blast Off were among the Decepticons preparing to charge into battle against the Cybertronians. New Dawn Vortex was seen with various other Decepticons attacking the Cybertronians on Ethos. Escalation! As the alliance progressed, Onslaught was struck by empathic pains as his apparent spawn Mindset was consumed by the Swarm. Swarm
During the final battle at Earth, all the Combaticons later attempted to defend the Warworld against a Cybertronian boarding party led by the treacherous Starscream. Despite Onslaught's emphatic orders of "maximum firepower", they didn't do so well. Total War!
Transformers Comic-Magazin
Young Corgi continuity
When the fleshlings discovered a mysterious lost civilization buried underneath the ice, the Combaticons Brawl, Vortex and Blast Off joined Ravage in seeking whatever treasures the hidden city might have. They were confronted by the Aerialbots named Skydive and Slingshot, and fought on the surface over the city. Little did they know that the city-dwellers were robots themselves, remotely storing and copying images of the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, imprinting themselves with the skills of warfare. They were only stopped by the unlikely duo of Ravage and Hot Rod. After the city-dwellers were defeated, the Autobots granted safe passage to their one-time Decepticon allies. Blast Off expanded to his maximum size to transport his fellow 'Cons back to Decepticon headquarters. Battle Beneath the Ice
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
The five soldiers who would one day become the Combaticons were early participants in the Decepticons' war effort. While Onslaught and the others joined Shockwave in attacking Iacon and the High Council Pavilions being protected by the Autobots, Swindle chose to throw in with Starscream, helping him to disable Laserbeak and assume temporary control over Megatron's planetary juggernaut project. The War Within
At some later date, these five warriors were officially brought together as a combiner team, given the ability to form Bruticus. Like the other Combiners, they were banned from operating together on any given faction during the Dark Ages, by decree of the Crisis Intervention Accord to prevent any more devastation to the planet at the hands of the super-robot combiners.Transformers: The Ultimate Guide The Combaticons were still authorized to operate individually and separately among the various Decepticon factions. Given his previous efforts helping Motormaster and the Battlechargers with Starscream's coup, Swindle may have joined them as a member of the Predacons, although this was never stated. War Within: The Dark Ages
By the modern era, the Combaticons had been declared war criminals by the united Cybertronian government under Shockwave and Ultra Magnus. The details of their crimes and why they were singled-out for imprisonment is unclear—Shockwave may have been intentionally eliminating potential rivals or loose cannons, or may simply have allowed their imprisonment as a token showing of cooperation with the Autobot High Council. Once the Transformers from Earth were contacted, and uprisings began taking place on Cybertron, Starscream managed to worm his way into the Detention Banks and recover the five stasis pods containing the Combaticons. He loaded them onto his stolen transport and brought them back to Earth with him and the rest of his hand-picked crew. Revelation
On Earth, Starscream reactivated the Combaticons as his personal "brigade", scanning Earth military vehicles for their alternate modes. Using the Combaticons as shock troops, he made a two-staged assault on the Ark, and successfully took five of the seven remaining Autobots off-line. Night of the Combaticons Starscream and Bruticus' efforts to complete their set were interrupted by the arrival of Sunstorm, Starscream's crazed clone-brother, and Bruticus was damaged in the melee. Black Sunshine After the battle with Sunstorm, Starscream attempted to train the Combaticons into better military shape, using the Autobot prisoner Sky Lynx as a "tackling dummy". His training efforts were interrupted by the return of Megatron and his combiner team, the Predacons. Even as Bruticus, the Combaticons quickly fell before the might of Predaking. The Route of All Evil
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
The Combaticons were among the Decepticons under control of "the Son of Megatron", Serpent O.R.. Onslaught tried to protect his leader from a vengeful Optimus Prime while Brawl, Vortex and Blast Off were seen fighting against a combined Autobot-G.I. Joe army. Swindle, however, was nowhere to be found. The Art of War #5
2005 IDW continuity
Early in the war, Brawl and Onslaught were part of an armored division led by Blitzwing. They participated in the defense of the Citadel but were overwhelmed by the Dynobots. Endgame When Megatron was overthrown by Scorponok, the Combaticons were among the Decepticons who refused to their new leader and left Cybertron to do their own thing. While breaking into an armory at the Presidium, they were approached by Starscream and offered ample payment for their return to the frontlines. Primacy #2 They accepted, and Onslaught and Brawl were later seen participating in Megatron's attack on Iacon. Primacy #3 Primacy #4
During the war Swindle became one of the worst violators of the Tyrest Accord, constantly selling Transformers technology to alien races, and had gone AWOL from the Decepticons, hunted by both sides of the war. Spotlight: Ultra Magnus The other four remained Combaticons, and were a dangerous tactical unit capable of taking on and beating superior numbers (even ones backed up by total loonies). Under orders from Banzaitron, they successfully raided the Garrus-9 Autobot prison and abducted the six newest inmates, the gestalt Transformers, despite taking some damage from a high threat convict, Arcee, who was released to stop them. Spotlight: Arcee Soon afterwards, the Combaticons were among the only survivors of an attack by the Dead Universe Transformers, who activated the gestalt combined form, Monstructor, inside Banzaitron's base. Spotlight: Hardhead After a deal was negotiated between Arcee and Banzaitron; the Combaticons, remaining DSS members and the crazed Autobot fought Monstructor on Rotan. Spotlight: Sideswipe
Two years after the fall of Megatron, the Combaticons were among the Decepticons left behind on Earth. Swindle joined up with a small band of roaming Decepticons, New Arrivals, Old Encounters while Onslaught was one of many Transformers captured by Skywatch using their reverse-engineered energon and Cybertronian technology. He and several other Decepticons were rescued from Skywatch custody by Swindle's team, who removed the mode-locks placed on them by Skywatch's restraint tech. A Rude Awakening After Swindle failed to take advantage of some rebellious Autobots in an attempt to get off Earth, he disappeared. Earthworks
Fleeing to North Korea, Swindle made a deal with Kim Jong Du, the leader of the nation, offering him the Combaticons as an invasion force in exchange for energon. He left when he got the energy he needed, but the other Combaticons remained. A Second Chance at Eden Soon enough, Onslaught, Brawl and Vortex were invading South Korea for their employer (Blast Off's whereabouts were unknown: Skywatch noted that the Koreans had enough energon for five Transformers, but he might just have left Earth on his own). "The Land Ironclads" They ended up in a brawl with both the Autobots (allied with Skywatch) and Predacons (allied with China), but were ultimately defeated. Luckily for them, the Autobots didn't have the resources at hand to take them captive. "All My Sins Remembered"
Brawl later tried to kill Prowl on Swindle's behalf, but failed and was captured by the Autobots. Only Forward Swindle himself was taken in shortly afterwards when his latest scheme failed. A Second Chance at Eden The captured Combaticons, and likely the others as well, ended up being forced to work for the Autobots on a restored Cybertron once the war was declared over. The Autonomy Lesson The Decepticons felt oppressed under a provisional government of Autobots, Non-Aligned Cybertronians, and Starscream. Starscream approached Onslaught to buy the Combaticons' services as he made his play for Iacon's leadership. In exchange for protecting him from those like the Decepticon Justice Division or unruly bots, Starscream would allow the group a position of power when the time came. Applicable Skills
Blast Off and Brawl were among those brought by Starscream to pressure Prowl into revealing one of his secret discoveries below ground. Later underground, they witnessed a Titan declare that Starscream was the Cybertronian destined to unite their whole race. They and the other Cybertronians celebrated afterwards with Starscream. Primus: All Good Things Later, most of the Combaticons were involved in the rioting that began when Megatron returned, although Swindle, along with Dirge, offered their testimony on Prowl's murder of Bombshell and the Constructicons. City on Fire The Verge Some time later, when Starscream successfully became the ruler of Iacon, he reneged on his deal with Onslaught, who was furious over the betrayal. Applicable Skills
After Megatron's defection to the Autobots, Galvatron and Soundwave took command of the Decepticons and led a contingent back to Earth, which included Brawl, where they formed an alliance with the Earth Defense Command against the Autobots. Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World Back on Cybertron, with Metroplex's installation as Cybertron's new capital, Onslaught and many other disgruntled Decepticons chose to live in slums outside the city instead. When they caught Optimus Prime making his way through their territory, many of them formed a mob and attacked him. City of Steel Blast Off joined the riot for Metroplex's space bridge under Swindle's claims that a better life was possible on Caminus. You, Me, and the Universe Swindle himself would be blasted in the back by Starscream in order to keep him from revealing his role in the attack on Caminus, and apparently expired. All That Remains
Onslaught later skulked by as a group of Camiens were passing out fliers regarding Optimus Prime's divinity in the district. Brawl returned from Earth at this time to help rally the Decepticons for Galvatron's campaign. The Transgressors The Combaticons soon reunited and stewed over Starscream's leadership. Upon throwing an energon canister at a viewscreen promoting Starscream's success in uniting some of the lost colonies, Onslaught declared that they wouldn't let Starscream forget the past, not without having to go through them first. They sprayed "SWINDLE LIVES" on a wall The Will of the Few thanks to Onslaught being informed by an anonymous informant, "DC-357", that Swindle was alive and had damaging info on Starscream. 07:00:00 Brawl, Blast Off, and Vortex got Onslaught a new grenade in light if the newly declared "Chosen One Day". Choose Me
Brawl rejoined Needlenose and Dreadwing to prepare for Galvatron's conquest of Earth. Brawl and Needlenose led a team of Decepticons, including Onslaught, to the Space Bridge nexus, where they transported aboard the Ark-7 to overpower the Autobots in Earth orbit. Lagrange Brawl, Onslaught and the Decepticons engaged Arcee, Sideswipe and Alpha Trion before the ship crashed into Shanghai, China. Perihelion The Earth Defense Command's "mindbomb" felled several of the Decepticons within the first minute of the battle. After the Chinese Mecha Force began tearing through the Decepticons, Brawl was taken through the space bridge by Ironhide, but began fighting his way through the Autobots in a panic and reignited the fight at the other end. Barely surviving an attack by Devastator, he and several Decepticons were able to slip away. Once Upon a Time on Earth
Onslaught continued to search the underbelly of Cybertron for the missing Swindle, and as the Badgeless began to brutalise Decepticons for information, he became sure DC-357 was onto something. However, the other Combaticons, particularly Blast Off, became worried he was too focused on finding Swindle, costing them paying jobs. The idea of dropping the search made Onslaught storm off in a huff, failing to notice a new message from DC-357. Blast Off did catch it, however, and soon he donned a Badgeless disguise, joined a patrol, and as soon as he got a chance he shot a Decepticon dead and sent footage of it to the press. 07:00:00 With riots breaking out, Vortex and Brawl were eager to join in, but Onslaught held them back until Blast Off returned. Onslaught suspected the situation was orchestrated by Starscream so that the colonists would be made to turn against their cause, until Blast Off admitted to doing the killing by following DC-357's suggestion to provoke an uprising. Onslaught hit upon a sneaky plan: he started a large protest that marched on Starscream to shake the tree and see what happened, and when what happened was Ironhide was made head of the cops and opened them up to anyone who wanted. Onslaught then started a fight so that Blast Off could 'stop him' and 'denounce' his plans, thus getting into the police as someone Ironhide would trust. Applicable Skills
Blast Off was able to use his position to eventually uncover surveillance footage of Wheeljack and Rattrap taking Swindle. While Onslaught took Brawl and went to Rattrap's, Blast Off and Vortex barged into Wheeljack's home, and ultimately threatened to kill Chromia unless Wheeljack talked. Wheeljack admitted that he and Rattrap had tried to save Swindle, but he was currently brain dead. Onslaught was unperturbed by Swindle's condition, and forced Rattrap to retrieve the Enigma of Combination. Things We Said We'd Never Do Onslaught used the Enigma on himself and his team, forming Bruticus, hoping that he might be able to access the dirt Swindle had on Starscream. As Bruticus rampaged through Iacon, within the combiner's psyche, Vortex reveled in the power that they wielded as Bruticus, Brawl was wallowing in pain after feeling Swindle's death, and Blast Off struggled to keep them all together. Eventually Onslaught found what he was looking for, and he, Brawl and Vortex began reveling in their path of destruction despite Blast Off's protests. Though Windblade tried to appeal to the Combaticon combiner to help her take down Starscream with their evidence, it was to no avail. Eventually Ironhide was forced to fire a rocket at Bruticus' head, and the shock forced the Combaticons to disconnect. Windblade frantically tried to get the Combaticons to wake up to share what they had learned, but failed. The Line Between Us
The Combaticons were imprisoned and awaiting trial, though Ironhide was reluctant to prosecute them if their mental scarring proved too great. Ping They were still comatose when Starscream told the Eukarian mnemosurgeon Airachnid to turn them to his side as one of his combiners. Though the Combaticons minds had imprinted on each other during their combination, making them susceptible to the process, one of the Combaticons was required to be aware of the deception in order to cover any holes in their story should the others get suspicious. Blast Off was chosen and bribed into accepting the deal after Starscream reminded him that Onslaught would never let the past go or ever take any real interest in him. As a result, the others Combaticons were made to believe that Onslaught's original deal with Starscream had worked out, with them having been his secret and loyal bodyguards, and that their forming of Bruticus had been a last-ditch attempt to save Swindle's life with Starscream's approval. Starscream informed Ironhide that Airachnid would be testifying that the Combaticons had not been responsible for their actions as Bruticus. The Price of You Soon the Combaticons "resumed" their work of protecting Starscream, and Onslaught and Blast Off arranged a date. Shortly afterwards, Swindle was restored, with his memories manipulated as well. If I Know You
The Combaticons later provided security for the ceremony to welcome Earth into the Council of Worlds. When a group of human assailants attacked, the Combaticons mobilized to fight back and evacuate Starscream. First Strike #1
Onslaught and Vortex later ushered Circuit and Longtooth out of the Council chambers during Windblade's official return to her post, with Vortex daring the two reporters to resist. When Windblade invited people to speak with her one-on-one during her campaign to become the new leader of Cybertron, Brawl was an unexpected supporter of her war-free vision. Vortex and Blast Off later stood guard outside Starscream's office as Windblade confronted Starscream, and Blast Off was disturbed at Vortex's ideas for what they were doing. During the final debate, Starscream revealed all of his crimes to the public, including the manipulation of the Combaticons. As a result, all of the Combaticons were imprisoned for their rampage as Bruticus, and Blast Off was ostracized by the others for his role in their manipulation. The Chosen One
Wings Universe
The Combaticons were an Elite Guard special ops unit created by Magnum to take out the various leaders of the new Decepticon faction, in the hopes of ending the war quickly. The Coming Storm: Part 2 After they ended up getting captured by Deathsaurus, the silver-tongued Decepticon manipulated the Combaticons to join him so they could prove their superiority over the rest of the Elite Guard. In return, he modified them so they could combine into Bruticus. The Coming Storm: Part 4
They attacked Elite Guard HQ, using their new combined form The Coming Storm: Part 5 and managed to slaughter most of the Elite Guard defenders, until Dion injured the giant, forcing them to separate. They departed the scene, assuming everyone to be dead. The Coming Storm: Part 6 Returning to Deathsaurus's base, they underwent repairs, though they were startled to learn that Deathsaurus could control their merging remotely. Battle Lines, Part 2 As the remnants of the Elite Guard tried to attack the base, the Combaticons joined the other Decepticons in defending it. However, as they tried to merge into Bruticus, they were blasted by some new arrivals Battle Lines, Part 3 who were, it turned out, even more survivors of the massacre. Blast Off was captured and bound by Side Burn, meaning the Combaticons were unable to form Bruticus for the rest of the battle. After Deathsaurus called a retreat, the team was slow to comply, and as a result were captured by the Elite Guard. Battle Lines, Part 4
In the hands of the compromised Gyronian Sentry Team, the Combaticons were whisked away to Deathsaurus's fortress, now under Megatron's control. Though Megatron gave them the option, none of them cared to help Deathsaurus, and they were imprisoned and their personality components subsequently interred in the Decepticon Detention Center. Battle Lines, Part 5
Kre-O online comic
Summoned by Starscream to act as his elite squad (whose first mission, of course, was to overthrow Megatron), Onslaught, Brawl, Swindle, and a repainted Vortex rolled onto the scene. After they all declared their specialties, Onslaught, Brawl, and Swindle were irritated when Vortex offered to stay behind and guard the base. Even though the Combaticons combined into Bruticus, Vortex's constant worry for the base's safety compelled the team to withdraw. When Starscream, under imminent threat of a beating from Megatron, contacted the team to demand to know where they were, the Combaticons happily informed their illustrious leader they were all protecting the base together. Aww. New Military Unit Combaticon! Bruticus, Combine!
Swindle was able to steal Metroplex's transformation cog, but his looking forward to being rewarded was interrupted when the Protectobots tracked him down to take back his loot. The Combaticons combined to form Bruticus, but were defeated by the Protectobots' own combined form, Defensor, and taken back to the Autobot base to have his injuries treated by the gentle First Aid. Bad at Fighting? Rescue Team Protectobots, Dispatch!
2019 IDW continuity
During the interwar period between the War of the Threefold Spark and the Great War, the Combaticons; Onslaught, Blast Off, Vortex and Brawl; were agents of The Rise under Shockwave's command. After the devastation of Mayalx, the Combaticons were sent to the colony to collect a bounty of energon cubes. Constructicons Rising, Part 4
When Exarchon returned, the Combaticons were summoned to Shockwave's bunker to meet with the ancient warlord. Though Blast Off had rocketed away after receiving a message, the other three pledged their loyalty to the Threefold Spark. War's End Part One No sooner had they arrived to reinforce him at his fortress in the Sonic Canyons did the Decepticons arrive and the Combaticons engaged them with the help of Exarchon's swarm of Skywarp drones. War's End Part Two The Companions showed up to try and stop Exarchon only for all hostiles to retreat when Devastator arrived. War's End Part Three When the Autobots and Decepticons returned for a united attack, the Combaticons rushed to Exarchon's defense only for the Threefold Spark to ultimately be trapped and destroyed. In the aftermath, Onslaught, Vortex and Brawl surrendered and were taken into Decepticon custody. War's End Part Four
Having been invited to join him on the damaged Winged Moon by Cosmos, Blast Off helped his friend repair the satellite, managing to get the lights on by the time the Autobots arrived to seek refuge. Fate of Cybertron
Energon Universe
Plot details for Transformers (2023) issue 9 follow. |
The Combaticons cornered Elita One when she tried to rescue Ultra Magnus. However, Elita wouldn't go down without a fight, and gunned down Vortex before taking Magnus through the Space Bridge to Earth. Giving chase, Onslaught followed them with Brawl right behind him. Onslaught was about to order the Combaticons to form Bruticus when Elita shot out the Space Bridge, resulting in Brawl being bisected at the waist and him and Onslaught being cut off from the other Combaticons. Transformers #9
Games
Transformers Roleplaying Game
The Combaticons were a tight-knit unit of elite soldiers. Decepticon Directive
Toys
The Transformers
- Japanese ID number: D-69
- As a Scramble City-style combiner team, the Combaticon team includes four small toys, sold carded at the $5 price point, and one large leader toy, sold boxed for $12 or so and including all the combiner kibble. They were available as part of the 1986 and 1987 assortments. In most markets, the Combaticons were only sold as individuals; the combined giftset was only available in Japan and Italy.
- Like their counterparts, the Protectobots, the four small Combaticons feature unique transformation schemes. All have attachable weapons for their vehicle modes. Posability varies from figure to figure; Brawl and Swindle have knee and "elbow" joints (their shoulder joints are halfway down their arms), but their legs are conjoined at the knees. Blast Off and Vortex feature an early use of ball joints in their shoulders, giving them near-universal range of motion, but are otherwise similarly limited.
- Like the other three original Scramble City teams, the small limbs can attach to Metroplex's robot mode, while the leader can be used to make an additional ramp/platform for Metroplex or Trypticon.
- The Combaticon molds have been frequently redecoed (and slightly retooled) over the years; they have been used to make Operation Combination Battle Gaia, 2001 Robots in Disguise Ruination, and Universe Ruination. They are also a favorite for bootleg toy manufacturers to copy, sometimes sold with bizarre new names like Tugging Gun, Copter, Secpmdary, Steel Generals, Secondary Brain, Panzer, Armament, and Steel Hetman.
Generation 2
- Combaticons (1993)
- Onslaught
- Brawl
- Blast Off
- Swindle
- Vortex
- A redeco of the Generation 1 molds that looks like they just went through a paintball war... and lost. They all combine and kick Superion's behind as the big, bad, battling Bruticus.
- Bruticus (Box set, 2012)
- Known designers: Andrew Franks (deco artist)
- Bruticus is a G2-styled giftset exclusive to Amazon and BigBadToyStore, containing redecoes of the Fall of Cybertron Combaticons in their Generation 2 colors with G2-style Decepticon insignia. This may be considered a tie-in to Amazon's preorder bonus for the game: a "Generation 2"-themed skin for Bruticus.
Alternators
- Swindle (2004)
Universe (2008)
- Onslaught (Legends of Cybertron, 2008)
- Onslaught (Ultra, 2008)
- Bruticus Maximus (2008)
- The Universe Combaticons are redecos of the Energon Destruction Team. In this incarnation, Swindle is a helicopter and Blast Off is a tank, while their combined form is known as Bruticus Maximus for trademark reasons. They were only available as a Bruticus Maximus multi-pack.
- The Combaticons are identical to the Revenge of the Fallen Combaticons.
United
- Bruticus Maximus (2012)
- Released exclusively in Takara's Asian markets, this redeco of the Energon Bruticus Maximus set has colours similar to the previous Universe (2008)/Revenge of the Fallen release, but with a much greater emphasis on G1-accuracy. Additionally, the hand/feet/weapons previously cast in translucent coloured plastic are now opaque grey.
Kre-O
- Decepticon Bruticus (Micro-Changer Combiner, 2013)
- Set number: A2225
- One of the first Kre-O Micro-Changer combiner sets, Bruticus includes four Kreons: Onslaught, Brawl, Vortex and Swindle. These four component Kreons can be rebuilt into their alternate modes or taken apart and combined into Bruticus. While he is not included in the set, Blast Off was made available through the first wave of blind-bagged Micro-Changers and can be built onto Bruticus if you're feeling creative.
Combiner Wars
- Onslaught (Voyager Class, 2016)
- Decepticon Blast Off (Deluxe Class, 2016)
- Brawl (Deluxe Class, 2016)
- Swindle (Deluxe Class, 2016)
- Decepticon Vortex (Deluxe Class, 2016)
- Decepticon Shockwave (Legends Class, 2016)
- Known designers: Shogo Hasui (TakaraTomy)
- Designed in the "Scramble City" style, all four Deluxe Combaticons can each become either an arm or a leg, and come with double-barrelled guns that can transform into either a foot or a fist to complete the limb. The stock photography shows Blast Off and Vortex as arms and Swindle and Brawl as legs. Notably, he is the first 'classic' combiner in the Combiner Wars series to not have a 'replacement' member. Continuing the aforementioned theme, however, Blast Off is a jet (a redeco of Quickslinger) instead of a space shuttle or a tank. Shockwave transforms into the combiner robot's handheld weapon.
- Orinigally there were plans to have a running change in Onslaught's colors; initial shipments were to feature the Bruticus chest cast in silver for a Bruticus-accurate color scheme, while a tan Onslaught-accurate color scheme was also revealed. However, the tan variant never made it to retail.
- Like Defensor before them, all four limbs were released in the same wave, making it much easier to complete a set.
- Bruticus (Giftset, 2016)
- A giftset featuring redecoes of all five Combiner Wars Combaticons in their Generation 2 colour schemes, plus an Action Master-inspired Shockwave. Despite having Generation 2-themed colors, all of the Combaticons have Generation 1 insignias.
- Decepticon Blast Off (Special Edition Deluxe, 2018)
- Accessories: Blaster, gun/fist/foot, Megatronus Prime Master
- Combiner Wars Special Edition Blast Off is a redeco of his Unite Warriors mold, featuring a dark brown deco more accurate to his original toy (essentially, plastic colors almost identical to the original Combiner Wars jet figure), as well as Shuttler's reverse chest as compared to the Unite Warriors release. If desired, his torso can be disassembled and reassembled in the same configuration as the Unite Warriors release. As part of a trio of "Special Edition" toys celebrating the Prime Wars Trilogy, he is packaged in a premium window box and includes a redeco of the Megatronus Prime Master (sans Bomb-Burst decoy suit) cast in translucent red plastic.
- Blast Off was first publicly revealed via preorder listings on Amazon and several Asia-based toy retailers without prior announcement from Hasbro.
Unite Warriors
- Combatron Combined Soldier Bruticus (giftset, June 25, 2016)
- ID number: UW-07
- English name: Decepticon Combaticons Combiner Bruticus
- Known designers: Hisashi Yuki (TakaraTomy)
- The Unite Warriors release of the set includes a cartoon-accurate color scheme, and a new Blast Off mold.
Notes
- The Generation 1 cartoon character models for the Combaticons look very little like their toys, much like the Stunticons. This would seem to have spawned from early patent drafts that featured the bare minimum of details, which were then used as the basis for the early, non-final Combaticon models (pictured at right). From there, the models were revised to the point where the finished character designs and toys had very little in common. Unlike the Stunticons, however; the finished Combaticon models do replace the original head designs with toy-accurate ones, which were likely based on the figures' package art.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Combatron (コンバットロン Konbattoron), Combaticon (コンバッティコン Konbattikon)
- Mandarin: Zhàn Chē Duì (China, 战车队, "Combat Vehicles Team")
- French: Combatican (Europe, "Combaticon")
- Hungarian: Csatarobot ("Battle-robot")
- Italian: Combacticon
- Portuguese: Combatantes
- Russian: Boevikon (Боевикон, "Thrillercon")