Rippersnapper

From WikiAlpha
Jump to: navigation, search

Rippersnapper is the name of two fictional characters from the Transformers series. They are both Terrorcons who turn into monsters. The first Rippersnapper was introduced in 1987.

Transformers: Generation 1

Transformers character
Rippersnapper-boxart.jpg
Box art for Rippersnapper
Name Rippersnapper
Decepticon
Series Transformers: Generation 1
English voice actor Jim Cummings
Japanese voice actor Kenyu Horiuchi, Ikuya Sawaki
Information
Alternate modes Lizard creature
Function Terrorist
Gender Male
Motto "Autobots are an error I intend to correct."
Partner Blot, Cutthroat, Hun-Gurrr, and Sinnertwin
Rank 6
Sub-group Terrorcons

Rippersnapper is a member of the Terrorcons. His alternate mode is refered to as a lizard on the toy instructions, and as a creature in his tech specs, but the form looks like a walking shark.

Combines with fellow Terrorcons to form Abominus, where he usually forms the left arm, although he can form any limb of any Scramble City type combiner, or combine with Metroplex or Metrotitan. He has also formed a limb of Hun-Gurrr Super Robot.

Fictional biography

Any organic creature whose status on the evolutionary scale ranks higher than a slime mold, particularly Autobots, sends him into a ferocious frenzy. Hates the smell of carbon-based life forms. In creature mode, claws and teeth can slice through almost any substance. Has twin, ground-to-air, voice-guided missile launchers. In robot Mode, has cyclone gun. Combines with fellow Terrorcons to form Abominus.

Animated series

The Transformers

The Terrorcons first as part of Galvatron's expedition to the lifeless head of Unicron, hoping to obtain anti-electrons to gain the upper hand over the Autobots. Rodimus Prime and his team investigated, but Galvatron's anti-electron beam caused them to malfunction. The Terrorcons eagerly attempted to take advantage of this, but a momentarily intelligent Grimlock managed to create the Technobots. The two teams battled as Abominus and Computron, with Abominus being soundly beaten and forced to flee.[1]

They next appeared under control of the Quintessons (during one of Galvatron's periodic bouts of insanity) who, in order to control the unruly Terrorcons, placed a time limit device on them in order to limit the amount of time they could spend as Abominus, later sending them to kill a human who had discovered their base on Saturn. (This episode was actually supposed to be aired after the above-mentioned episode, but was aired first in a transmission error).

They were part of Primacron's assistant's animal-Transformers themed army who battled against Tornedron, but were deactivated by the villain, only to be later revived by Grimlock.[2]

Their last major appearance was to steal a new heat-resistant metal from Doctor Morgan on Earth. The Technobots intervened, and in the ensuing battle and subsequent combiner grudge-match, this time the Terrorcons emerged victorious and escaped with the metal, injuring Dr. Morgan's daughter - leading to his later attempts to kill all Transformers - Autobot or Decepticon - with the Hate Plague.

They briefly appeared in "The Rebirth", battling the Throttlebots and once again coming up against the Technobots during the attack on Autobot City.[3]

Transformers: The Headmasters

The Terrorcons would make sporadic appearances throughout the Japanese Transformers: The Headmasters show, mostly acting as part of Galvatron's army and battling other Special Teams in their combined mode, but never having any major roles.

Transformers: Zone

Abominus would make a further appearance alongside most of the original series Decepticon Combiners in the single episode of Transformers: Zone, as one of the nine "Great Decepticon Generals" (the others being Devastator, Menasor, Bruticus, Predaking, King Poseidon, Trypticon, Overlord and Black Zarak) dispatched by the alien Violenjiger to harvest Zone Energy. They were defeated by Dai Atlas. It is interesting to note that Abominus here is a singular entity and shows no sign of being the combined form of different Transformers.

Comics

Blackthorne Publishing

Rippersnapper appeared in the Blackthorne Publishing The Transformers in 3D issue #3 as one of Galvatron's troops.[4]

Devil's Due Publishing

In the third G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers crossover from Devil's Due Publishing the Terrorcons are seen as part of the Decepticon forces being unified by Serpent O.R., almost coming to blows with the Predacons. Initially unwilling to serve someone so small, the Terrorcons are convinced by Serpent O.R.'s memories of Megatron. They are subsequently seen during the Decepticon attack on the Autobot Capital City.

Dreamwave Productions

Each of the Terrorcons had a biography printed in issue #7 of the Dreamwave Productions Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye series.

Fun Publications

Rippersnapper appears among Bludgeon's troops. Framed for leaking information to Megatron Hun-Gurrr is attacked by Bludgeon and the Seacons. Together with the other Terrorcons he formed Abominus, but they are defeated by Piranacon and left in stasis lock.[5]

Most of the Classicverse universe was destroyed in the BotCon 2012 story Invasion. Rippersnapper has not been depicted as one of the survivors and is presumed destroyed in that continuity.

IDW Publishing

The Terrorcons made their first IDW Publishing appearance in The Transformers: Spotlight issue on Sixshot. A group of psychopathic Transformers who idolized Sixshot, attempting to cause enough mayhem to impress him, the Terrorcons were dispatched to Muma-Obscura on a fact-finding mission. However, they were captured by the Reapers, a group of former beings of destruction like Sixshot who now aspired to a higher purpose by wiping out warlike races and war itself. When Sixshot, trying to cling on to some form of purpose, journeyed to Muma-Obscura to find out what had happened to them, he fought the Reapers to a stalemate, so they offered Sixshot a chance to join them in their quest to wipe war from the universe. Their condition to prove his loyalty was to kill the Terrorcons, much to their horror. Sixshot seemed to accept, but instead blasted all around them, and departed with them. In the issue, Sixshot implies that the group gave themselves the name of Terrorcons, rather than it being any sort of official designation.

Manga

In the Japanese manga "Big War" #2, the Autobots Rodimus Prime, Grimlock, Kup and Wheelie, along with their human allies Spike Witwicky and Daniel Witwicky send Computron into battle against Galvatron's new warrior combiner Abominus. The Terrorcons spit "corrosive control liquid" against Computron, taking control of him and turning him into a Decepticon. Spike luckily uses his new Exosuit to free Computron with "defense spray." Defeated, Galvatron retreats.[6]

Marvel Comics

Story exclusive to the Marvel UK Transformers comics appears in italics.

The Terrorcons would make their first appearance in the Transformers comic in the Headmasters miniseries, working for Scorponok on Nebulos. Issue three opened with them randomly attacking a Nebulon city and being opposed by the Technobots & Autobot Headmasters. They also battled the Autobot Targetmasters in the fourth issue, making them flee when the Autobots realized the damage their battle was doing to a Nebulan city (and the monument they were trying to save).

They would travel to Earth, joining the battle between Scorponok's Decepticons and Ratbat's Decepticons (with Cutthroat getting his arm blown off by Buzzsaw) before uniting with them to decimate the Earthbound Autobots. However this was all a ruse by Starscream to seize the power of the Underbase, and in the subsequent battle the Terrorcons were among the scores of Transformers deactivated by Starscream's power. They were not seen again in the U.S. comic.[7]

The whole Terrorcon team were the primary villains of the Time Wars prologue in #199, guarding and operating a device that was to leech Earth's energy until the Autobots stopped them; the team goofed off to rampage through a human city until Hun-Gurrr ordered them to return to work. Seeking revenge for the defeat, Soundwave and the Terrorcons went to Autobot City Earth; discovering they'd time jumped back to 1989, the Terrorcons wanted to go after them and Soundwave complied in order to maintain favor with the troops. They had little involvement in the Time War itself, joining the Autobot-Decepticon alliance initially before returning back to 2009 after seeing how poorly the alliance fared against Galvatron and Megatron.

Transformers: Mosaic

Rippersnapper appeared in the Transformers: Mosaic story "Wrath of the Gods" by Juan Pablo Osorio.[8]

Toys

  • Hasbro Transformers Terrorcon Rippersnapper (1987)
A new mold. He came with two guns. One for robot mode and one for monster mode. He was sold individually in most places, but in italy and japan there was a giftset of all 5 Terrorcons.[9]


Shattered Glass

Transformers character
Rippersnapper-sg.jpg
Shattered Glass Rippersnapper art
Name Rippersnapper
Decepticon
First appearance Reunicication by Fun Publications
Information
Alternate modes Lizard creature
Gender Male
Sub-group Terrorcons

The heroic Rippersnapper is a member of the Terrorcons on the mirror universe of Cybertron. They serve the leader of the Decepticons, Megatron.

Rippersnapper is a former actor who doesn't care if no one remembers his movies, because he remembers, and he's the only one that matters. He is impulsive and has a high opinion of himself. It was Rippersnapper who named his team the Terrorcons, considering the name avant-garde. He carries a vacuum cannon.

Rippersnapper combines with fellow Terrorcons to form Abominus, where he forms the left arm. This version of Rippersnapper looks like Generation 1 character, but colored like the Generation 1 Autobot Nosecone.[10]

Comics

In Reunification by Fun Publications Abominus is sent out to protect Topspin, Breakaway, Skyfall, Landquake and a Quintesson from the rampaging Autobot gestalt Computron, who is attempting to capture them for Alpha Trion. He later faces off against the Autobot super weapon Omega Doom, but is overpowered. He is only saved thanks to help from Nexus Prime and Galvatron. After the battle he is among the Decepticons who see off Nexus Prime and Aquarius Quintesson.[11]

References

  1. Transformers episode "Grimlock's New Brain"
  2. Transformers episode "Call of the Primitives"
  3. Transformers episode "The Rebirth part 1"
  4. "The Transformers in 3D" The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3 3 (March 1988), El Cajon, California: Blackthorne Publishing
  5. Pete Sinclair & Jesse Wittenrich (2009). At Fight's End. The Transformers Collector’s Club. 
  6. http://tfarchive.com/comics/japanese/trans182.php
  7. Transformers #49 by Marvel Comics
  8. http://transformers-mosaic.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4rvu8a
  9. Alvarez, J.E. (2001). The Unofficial Guide to Japanese and International Transformers. Schiffer Publishing Ltd.. p. 24. ISBN 0764312820. 
  10. Decepticon Abominus Decepticon Vanguard, Hasbro Transformers Collectors Club magazine, issue #28, August 2009/September 2009, page 7-8
  11. Reunification by Fun Publications

External links