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- Vortex is a Decepticon Combaticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
I'm FANCY!
In a past life, it is very possible that Vortex was a roller coaster of some sort. He is the interrogator of the Decepticons, and his favorite method of divulging secrets from trembling Autobots is to take them on Mr. Vortex's Wild Ride. Laughing like a maniac, Vortex will treat Autobots held hostage within his cargo hold to a psychotic helicopter ride of twists, turns and near-death experiences. Then, once he has learned everything they have to tell: kerplop!
Vortex can combine with his fellow Combaticons to form Bruticus.
- Japanese name: Vorter
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
 This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki by expanding it. |
Marvel UK future timelines
Vortex and the Decepticon air force were led into battle by Astrotrain in 2008. They planned to strike back against the Autobots, but were instead ambushed by the Quintessons in what could have been a massacre. Putting aside his pride, Decepticon commander Soundwave radioed the Autobots for assistance, and soon the two factions were fighting side-by-side on Cybertron against the invading Quintesson forces. After the fight was over, Soundwave left the battlefield in Vortex's ridiculously-oversized helicopter mode. Space Pirates!
Generation 2
Vortex, along with the other Combaticons, formed the first line of defense against Jhiaxus's attack on Warworld. While Vortex's ultimate fate is unseen, the fact that Jhiaxus's troops ultimately took Warworld makes it likely he was destroyed. Total War
Animated continuity
- Voice actor: Johnny Haymer (US), Ken Shiroyama (Japan)
Vortex was one of five Decepticon renegades liberated by Starscream in the Air Commander's latest attempt to unseat Megatron. Rebuilt into new bodies based on WWII-era human military vehicles and dubbed the Combaticons, the renegades worked with Starscream primarily to gain the energy absorbers the schemer left out of their new forms. While Vortex and the others were at first successful, the Stunticons' intervention meant the brigade's defeat, and all six were exiled to a remote asteroid. Starscream's Brigade
Vortex and his fellow Combaticons soon escaped the asteroid and invaded Cybertron, defeating Shockwave's defenses as Bruticus. After Onslaught modified the space bridge to pull Earth into the sun, the Combaticons were attacked by unknown forces, which were actually holograms. Vortex was quite happy, as he loved sneak attacks. Once again, however, the Combaticons were defeated by outside intervention, as the Autobots and Decepticons temporarily allied against the renegades. While Megatron allowed the Autobots to believe the Combaticons had been destroyed, he secretly had Bruticus (and his components, we guess) reprogrammed to serve more loyally. The Revenge of Bruticus
Dreamwave comics continuity
Shortly after Optimus Prime became the new Autobot Supreme Commander, Vortex took part in the Decepticon assault upon Iacon.
Millions of years later, Vortex, along with his fellow Combaticons, was imprisoned by Shockwave until he was released by Starscream.
When Sunstorm appeared on Earth, the battered Combaticons were ordered by Starscream to combine into Bruticus and deal with the crazed zealot. It did not end well.
Nice kitty... pretty kitty...
The repaired Combaticons were brought to Guadalcanal, where they could hone their somewhat lackluster combat skills and listen to Starscream's long-winded aspirations of glory. Starscream ordered them to defeat the Autobot Sky Lynx as a means to train themselves for greater battles. Blast Off ordered Vortex to "take [Sky Lynx] down", but the crafty Autobot split into his two forms, and Blast Off was embarrassingly grabbed in the flying form's jaws while Vortex looked on.
This was the least of their troubles, however, as Predaking showed up as soon as Sky Lynx was deactivated. This encounter also did not end well. The Route of All Evil
Devil's Due G.I. Joe vs the Transformers comics continuity
As part of Serpent O.R.'s forces, Vortex defended the newly unified Decepticon army's base against a combined Autobot/G.I. Joe strike force. The Art of War, Part 5
IDW continuity
He was part of the Combaticons' assault on the Garrus-9 penal facility to seize the Pretender Monsters. When Arcee turned up to kill them all, it was Vortex who reacted quickly and sprang the Monsters while under fire. He then dissed Fortress Maximus on the way out. Spotlight: Arcee
Toys
Generation 1
- Vortex (combaticon, 1985/1986/1991)
- Team ID number: C4
- Japanese ID number: D-66
- Accessories: Pistol, left & right cannons
Get to da choppa. I dare ya.
- Vortex transforms into a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. He is armed with a small, chin-mounted machine gun and two large, tri-barrel Gatling guns mounted astern on his tail.
- In robot mode, Vortex is armed with his helicopter chin gun, and along with fellow Combaticon Blast Off, is one of the first Transformers figures to utilize ball-joints, located in his shoulders. Vortex normally becomes the left arm of Bruticus, but as a Scramble City design, he can also occupy any other limb slot on Bruticus.
- There are a few variations of this toy. Initial releases of Vortex gave him a die-cast metal chestplate painted deep purple. Later releases replaced the metal with lighter-purple plastic. In 1991, the entire Combaticon team was re-released as part of the European "Classics" line; like many toys released in this series, Vortex was retooled to remove the rubsign indent from his vehicle mode.
- This mold was redecoed as Operation Combination Target Hawk, Robots in Disguise Ro-Tor, and Universe Ro-Tor.
Generation 2
- Vortex (Combaticon, 1994)
- Team ID number: C4
- Accessories: Pistol, left & right cannons
- During the Generation 2 line, Vortex was redecoed blue with purple camouflage paint. His weapons were also redecoed purple, and his chest was changed to a different shade of purple, making him totally inconspicuous.