Predacon (G1)


 * The Predacons are a Decepticon subgroup in the Generation 1 continuity family.

The Predacons are a subgroup of Decepticons who transform into powerful, savage animals.

The subgroup is composed of:


 * The ever-patient Razorclaw (leader)
 * The cheerful Divebomb
 * The stubborn Headstrong
 * The easily-distracted Rampage
 * The wrathful Tantrum

They combine to form the deadly Predaking.

Japanese name: Animatron

(NOTE: The Japanese line considered Gnaw to also be an Animatron. Perhaps basing the connection on the G1 cartoon where both are introduced as Quintesson-connected animal-themed robots, or because the toys shipped as part of the same assortment in the US.)

Generation 1 Cartoon
The Predacons debuted under the command of the Quintessons, having been deployed to try to retrieve Metroplex's Transformation Cog from Blurr, Wheelie, and Sky Lynx on the moon of Io. Oddly, despite being constantly touted as the most fearsome and vicious warriors in the galaxy, the Predacons were beaten off fairly easily by this small band of Autobots, with even the terrifying Predaking unable to do anything to so much as harm their human ally Marissa Faireborn. This would prove to be the start of a trend: more than most gestalts, Predaking would rarely be the given the chance to do anything useful before being driven off in a hail of gunfire soon after combining.

Inexplicably, the Predacons' allegiance to the Quintessons were never referred to again, and were shown serving Galvatron. The Predacons appeared in many of Galvatron's schemes in the ensuing year, ranging from oppressing the people of Paradron, to mining Death Crystals, and even meeting the creator of Unicron. They were also among those who were infected by the Hate Plague, and were moments from destroying the still-healthy Galvatron when, having formed Predaking, they were quickly shooed away by some passing Autobots.

2010 story page
According to a TV Magazine story page, the Predacons were built through cooperation between the Decepticons and the Quintessons.

Marvel Comics
(Note: Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.)

''Summoned to Earth by Megatron to help him hunt down and destroy an isolated and vulnerable Optimus Prime, the Predacons travelled across the Space Bridge and (after showing off their skills by doing some target shooting on Motormaster) were quickly approved of by their new employer. Before leaving on their mission, however, they were approached by Shockwave, who convinced them to turn on Megatron and destroy him instead. Their attempt at treachery would result in both Megatron and Optimus being transported to Cybertron and believed dead by their respective teams for some time.''

At the bequest of Shockwave, who was seeking to rid himself of an addled and insane Megatron (driven mad by the recent death of Optimus Prime), contacted the Predacons and hired them to ambush and kill the Decepticon leader. (It was explained to the Predacons, who were understandably concerned about having to deal with Megatron yet again, that their target had recently lost his memory, and thus would not recall meeting them before, or their subsequent betrayal of him.) The Predacons eagerly agreed to the mission, seeing it as a possible challenge for their skills, and disguised themselves as Autobots in order to convince Megatron that Optimus Prime was not only still alive, but had been the one who sent them.

Unlike most of their contemporaries, the Predacons appeared to be an elite group of hunters, who seemed to exist as mercenaries outside of the usual Decepticon hierarchy - they had no qualms about trying to murder their supposed leader, so long as it seemed challenging and the money was right. Their legendary skill was so well-known that even Shockwave remembered them as the greatest hunters on Cybertron, despite having been buried in a swamp for several millenia!

''Deciding to stay on Earth, the Predacons quickly grew bored with the lack of any real sport there. Their previous encounters with Optimus and Megatron had been so exciting that they had expected to find the planet a little more challenging. While rampaging randomly across the country, they soon encountered the Dinobots, and found them to be worthy opponents. Both teams were closely matched in terms of power, and were strongly devoted to "looking after their own". Furthermore, it was revealed that Divebomb and Swoop were actually old enemies from their days back on Cybertron. As the battle ended, the Predacons looked forward to causing their new rivals no end of trouble in the future.''

New Decepticon leader Ratbat dispatched the Predacons to raid a chemical storage facility outside of Huntsville, Alabama for rocket fuel. Having succeeded, they joined Ratbat for an assault on I.I.I.'s Oregon headquarters, in order to examine the corpses of the Throttlebots, whom III had recently executed. After making short work of the RAAT forces guarding the base, they located the crushed Autobot bodies, only to find that their brain modules had been removed. Ratbat and the Predacons tracked the brains (which had been transplanted into toy cars) to Witwicky Auto Repair, which they destroyed, and then to a local mall, where they were outmanoeuvered and defeated by the "toy soldiers" and their human allies, Buster Witwicky and Walter Barnett.

Dreamwave Generation 1 Comics
Eons ago, the Predacons were Decepticon warlords who had been banished from Cybertron to the planet Beest. While on the planet, the Predacons higher functions degraded, causing them to become feral. Megatron tracked down the exiled Predacons on Beest and, with the aid of three members of the Aerospace Elimination Squadron, subdued and rebuilt them, allowing them to combine into the fearsome Predaking.

Later, Megatron returns to Earth, and enters the Nemesis to punish Starscream for shooting him in the void of space

The Predacons are sent to fight Starscream's elite squad, the Combaticons while the latter are training on the Guadalcanal. Predaking's firepower forces the Combaticons combine into Bruticus, and each significantly damage each other. However, while Bruticus is strong and determined, Predaking has superior intelligence compared to the slow-witted Combaticon combiner, and he savagely puts Bruticus into stasis lock.

Timelines
After the end of the Great War the remaining Predacons formed the new Predacon faction. Divebomb is known to have recruited several ex-Decepticons for the faction.

IDW comics continuity
The Predacons are a Tactical Assault Unit loyal to Megatron. Shockwave prepared himself for a possible Predacon attack while enacting the Regenesis project, but was unprepared for the Dynobots.

After Thunderwing's reactivation and subsequent return to Cybertron, the Predacons are dispatched to ensure that his defeat is final this time, with Megatron giving Razorclaw explicit instructions: if Cybertron must die, then so be it. Razorclaw starts a countdown on an orbital bombardment powerful enough to destroy Cybertron, but stands at the console with his finger on the button, ready to cancel it in the event that Thunderwing is defeated. He remarks that he's hesitant to destroy Cybertron unless it's absolutely necessary, but is willing to do it if it is. During the Autobots battle with Thunderwing, Razorclaw sent two assault teams under Divebomb and Headstrong to assist the Autobots, but Razorclaw ordered them to retreat when Thunderwing revealed his "ultra-mode". Razorclaw cancels the countdown with one second remaining, after Optimus Prime defeats Thunderwing.