Bludgeon

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP(S): PRETENDER
FUNCTION: ELECTRIC WARRIOR, DECEPTICON LEADER (1991—1994)
“To know your own limits, you must first know your foe's limits.”

First Appearance: Transformers 226
Significant Appearances: Transformers 226, 229, 237-239, 253-254, 259-261, 272-274, 282, 284-286, 311-312, 314, 317-319, 323, 325-327, 330-332. Transformers: Generation 2 1-6

Bludgeon believes there is more to a Transformer than armour and circuitry alone. He is much more spiritual in nature than most of his kind, and a firm believer of age-old Cybertronian myths such as the "Ultimate Warrior". Originally trained as a master of electricity, but later became Trannis's protege in teh deadly martial art of Metallikato. Few Decepticons are aware of his origins and training, but almost all of them fear and respect him. Bludgeon is highly charismatic—an evil inspiration to the other Decepticons, and instinctively seems to know what they want. Bludgeon shows no emotion when battling his enemies, though he has been known to allow a smile to show on his skeletal features.

Abilities: Bludgeon can control and manipulate electricity using the antennae atop his Pretender shell and can produce electrical fireballs with a range of over 400 metres. His Pretender armour secrets an odourous mucus slime which dissolves most alloys on contact. He is highly skilled in close combat—able to attack his enemies' fracture points while remaining outside their line of fire. Smoke generators in his legs produce billowing clouds of thick black smoke that disorient those nearby. Armed with a tungsten-tritanium alloy sword to aid in his martial arts combat. Inner robot armed with a high-voltage electric cannon that releases 150,000 volts at a time. Bludgeon transforms into a tank with a top speed of 70 km/h and a range of 950 km. In this mode, he can travel over virtually every terrain.

Weaknesses: Bludgeon's antennae are very fragile and damage to one renders the entire assembly useless. Any damage inflicted on his Pretender shell is felt empathically by his inner robot, but only more so. He is not protected from his own mucus slime when outside his shell, and sometimes finds himself attacked by the slime's properties when re-merging.


Master of the forbidden Cybertronian martial art of Metallikato (taught to him by War-Lord Trannis) and agent of chaos, Bludgeon built a threatening reputation against Autobot and Decepticon alike. Posing a serious threat to Megatron’s command, Bludgeon was accused of treason by his commander in 1989. Megatron’s plan to be rid of Bludgeon failed when the identity of the real traitor was brought to light.

After the apparent demise of Megatron, the following year, Thunderwing gave Bludgeon command of the Mayhem Attack Squad. Their first mission was to assassinate the newly revived Grimlock, Jazz and Bumblebee. The Mayhems tracked them to Autobase, located underneath the old Council Chambers. Bludgeon sabotaged the Autobots trans-dimensional jump to Earth and both groups were transported to the centre of Cybertron and the slumber chamber of Primus. The Mayhems were defeated by the Autobots, but not before Primus was momentarily awakened; betraying the location of Cybertron to Unicron.

With Thunderwing completely destroyed during the Unicron War, Bludgeon finally became Decepticon Leader (backed by Krok, his new lieutenant). Bludgeon broke the fragile Autobot-Decepticon alliance and began an interstellar mission to conquer nearby worlds. The remaining Autobots, under the command of Grimlock, tracked Bludgeon’s army to the first planet on their itinerary, Klo. The Decepticons were defeated and Bludgeon feigned surrender.

Upon hearing news of improved Nucleon being developed on Hydrus Four, Bludgeon led his Decepticons there — via Earth, to salvage Megatron’s body (who had been aboard the Ark when it crashed for a second time). Again, the Autobots followed and Bludgeon was thought destroyed by Swoop. The other Decepticons retreated.

In actual fact, Bludgeon was not inside his Pretender shell. Bludgeon took supplies of Nucleon to Earth and revived most Decepticons, including Megatron and Shockwave. Knowing the feud between the two ex-Leaders would detract attention from his own agenda, Bludgeon left for Cybertron (returning briefly to the Ark wreckage to free Ruckus, Windsweeper, Needlenose and Spinister).

Bludgeon had his new troops trained as Mayhems and the group left for Earth to terminate the turncoat ex-Mayhems Catilla and Carnivac. Despite the death of Catilla, the mission failed due to the interference of the Autobot Earthforce. Bludgeon, Octopunch and Stranglehold were taken prisoner, but escaped shortly afterwards. The three were hired as assassins to kill Starscream.

Megatron was severely damaged in a final confrontation with the Earthforce and Bludgeon led all active Decepticons to aid in his building of a planetary dreadnought called the Warworld. The project was finalised after a brutal attack against a group of Khyaxians.

Using the Warworld, Bludgeon attacked Earth with the intention of luring Optimus Prime out of hiding and using the Creation Matrix to give life to yet more new warriors. Instead, Bludgeon inadvertently attracted Megatron’s attention. Though impressed with what Bludgeon had achieved in such a short space of time, Megatron felt he had been a threat to his command for too long and murdered the Pretender.