Rumble (Transformers)
Rumble is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series.
1984 The Transformers
Rumble should not be confused with the GoBots character of the same name.
Reception
According to X-Entertainment Rumble was one of the cult icons Transformers cartoon, but often people confused his toy with that of Frenzy.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
Rumble was featured in the 1985 Transformers audiobooks Autobots' Lightning Strike and Laserbeak's Fury. In both these books illustrations he was depicted in toy accurate red and black colors.
Rumble appeared in the 1986 story and coloring book The Lost Treasure of Cybertron by Marvel Books.
Comics
Devil's Due Publishing
In the G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers comics printed by Devil's Due Publishing, Rumble was one of the Decepticons discovered by Cobra in the Ark, although they were reactivated later than the others. Frenzy was reprogrammed by Cobra Commander to follow his orders. Destro used a newly purchased Soundwave, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Laserbeak and Ratbat along with stolen Cybertronian technology to attack a military base—only to be ambushed by the newly formed G.I. Joe.
There is an interesting art error here. Rumble appears to get shot through the eye and killed while under Destro's command, yet he is among the Decepticons who break free next issue (and is clearly identified as Rumble by Soundwave). This leads to the possibility that it was intended to be Frenzy, not Rumble, who was killed, and an art error led to their color schemes being mixed up. In any case, Rumble would soon be killed, crushed by Storm Shadow's S.N.A.K.E battlesuit while chasing Destro.
Dreamwave Productions
Rumble and Frenzy appeared in the second Generation 1 mini-series by Dreamwave Productions, where they revived Menasor.
Marvel Comics
Rumble's Marvel Comics appearance would use Rumble's red color scheme. Because black coloring in those days usually involved darker inking and dark blues,Template:Citation needed Rumble ended up looking like a blue robot with red limbs. The same problem happened to Skywarp, who looked almost identical to his cohort Thundercracker because of it.
According Marvel's Transformers comics, Rumble and Frenzy are brothers. Rumble was one of the Decepticons that originally attacked the Ark and subsequently crashed to Earth. Reconfigured into the Earth mode of a microcassette, he participated in many of the early battles against the Autobots (even being defeated by a robo-suited Buster Witwicky at one point in the U.K. comics). Unfortunately, he accompanied Megatron in his raid against the Autobot base, summarily getting deactivated by Omega Supreme along with Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Frenzy and Buzzsaw. It would be a while before Rumble was seen again, being freed in U.S. issue #41.
Although he was seen being deactivated by the Underbase-powered Starscream, Rumble would not appear again until the Transformers: Generation 2 series, where he, along with many of the original Decepticons, would be restored to prominence by Megatron's return. He would battle both the Autobots (taking out Hot Rod at one point) and Jhiaxus' second generation Cybertronians. As he was not seen to be killed, it is assumed he survived.
Toys
- See also: Tremor and Frequency
- See also: Warrior Type-R
Gallery
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Megatron, Shockwave and Rumble on the cover of the book Battle for Earth
Shattered Glass
Rumble appears in the Shattered Glass stories from Fun Publications. In this series he is colored like Generation 1 Rewind.
References