Lockdown (Transformers)

Lockdown is a Decepticon from the Transformers franchise introduced in 2008.

2008 Transformers Animated

Animated series

The original version of Lockdown was featured in Transformers: Animated as a bounty hunter most often employed by the Decepticons, though Sentinel Prime employed him on at least one occasion as well. A former student of Yoketron, Lockdown's villainous choices resulted in his disgrace, and his holographic bust was left deactivated alongside those of such notables as Dai Atlas and Ultra Magnus. Lockdown seems to have developed a particular contempt for his former master, and soon struck down Yoketron and stole the many Protoforms in Stasis pods under Yoketron's watch and delivered them to Megatron. Some time after, he hunted down and captured the Autobot intelligence agent Arcee and Ratchet, a medic dispatched to treat her after she was wounded. Lockdown was hired to deliver Arcee-and the codes to Project Omega that she carried-to Megatron as well, but was prevented from doing so when Ratchet used his EMP tool to apparently wipe Arcee's memory.

Lockdown would appropriate Ratchet's EMP tool, the first of many upgrades that he would "acquire" from his victims and through the proceeds from his successful missions. Eventually his career took him to Earth in search of Optimus Prime, whom many Decepticons blamed for the apparent demise of Megatron. He succeeded in capturing Prime and relieving him of his axe and grapple cables, only to find that Optimus' crew included his old foe Ratchet, who managed to reclaim his EMP tool and rescue Optimus and his equipment. Lockdown was forced to flee, but was later contracted for another job: hunting down the renegade Decepticon Starscream. In this mission he would deal with interference-and temporary assistance-from another former student of Yoketron's, the Autobot ninja Prowl.

Lockdown supplied Prowl with a number of upgrades for their work together, but Prowl eventually realized he was falling into the same amoral trap as Lockdown and rejected the bounty hunter's further aid; Lockdown later departed after Starscream employed a plan involving bomb-equipped duplicates of himself. Though not mentioned by name, he was almost certainly the "mutual bounty-hunting contact" referred to by Swindle when the black-market arms dealer contacted Megatron to sell a technology freezing weapon he had duped the Society of Ultimate Villainy into helping him assemble. Lockdown himself later reappeared after Sentinel Prime hired him to help capture various Decepticons at large on Earth, only to turn on his employer after making a deal with Dirge. This engagement led to another confrontation with Prowl, who recognized Yoketron's stolen helmet among Lockdown's equipment and demanded its return only to be caught in a booby trap. However, Prowl was able to employ the art of Processor Over Matter-a technique Lockdown himself had never mastered-to free himself, and reclaimed both the helmet and the upgrades Lockdown had granted him previously before forcing Lockdown into retreat.

Lockdown was not seen again in the cartoon series.

Toys

• Animated Activators Lockdown (2008)

A simple scout-class version of the character with a push-button transformation.

Also sold in Japan as part of the "Super Collection Vol. 1" gift set alongside Activators Optimus Prime, Ratchet and Megatron.

• Animated Activators Bandit Lockdown (2008)

A blue redeco of the original Activators Lockdown.

• Animated Bumper Battler Lockdown (2008)

First mentioned on a Walmart computer listing in July 2008.

• Animated Deluxe Lockdown (2008)

A Deluxe class toy, Lockdown is unique in that his robot mode stands as tall as most Voyager class toys. Comes with gauntlet that holds his hook and EMP generator. It is possible to fit the EMP generator on Ratchet's forearm.

This toy was featured in issue #17 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine.

• Animated Deluxe Stealth Lockdown (2008)

A clear plastic remold of the Lockdown figure. He is featured in a 3-pack along with Animated Legends Optimus Prime and Bumblebee.

• Animated Deluxe Blazing Lockdown (2008)

A redeco with a new paint job and a chainsaw on the gauntlet instead of a hook.

The mold for this figure is also used for the BotCon 2011 exclusive Deluxe Wildrider.

• Animated TA-08 Deluxe Decepticon Lockdown (Takara Tomy) (2010)

The 2010 Japan release version of Takara Tomy is virtually identical to the Hasbro release, with the exception of a purple Decepticon emblem.

Also bundled with TA-04 Deluxe Ratchet.

• Animated TA-46 Deluxe Blazing Lockdown (Takara Tomy) (2010)

The Japan release version of Blazing Lockdown is virtually identical to the Hasbro version.

2010 Transformers films

The online Hunt for the Decepticons animations depict a Lockdown who is quite similar to his Animated counterpart.

Animated series

Cyber Missions

In Hasbro's Cyber Missions, Lockdown (played by Bronco D. Jackson) is portrayed as a recurring antagonist for Ratchet. In Cyber Missions #3, Lockdown is seen rampaging through Mission City (famously known as the location for the climax of the first film). Ratchet intercepts him by tailing behind and trying to blast him with his EMP generator. However, it shorts out, giving Lockdown a chance to knock him while he was already down. Lockdown then stole Ratchet's blaster and sped off.

In Cyber Missions #7, Lockdown returns, infiltrating NEST HQ in Diego Garcia. Sideswipe and Ratchet (who was recovering from the encounter) were the only ones left at base. Lockdown easily gets past the electric fence and the security cameras (disabling both with the stolen EMP). Soon, he faces Sideswipe. The speedy Autobot (who traded his shattered twin blades for twin blasters) was able to blast the EMP generator off his wrist, sending it flying back to its original owner, Ratchet (fully recovered). Lockdown attempted to retreat, but he was instead heading towards the Medical Bay, where he was captured and sedated.

In Cyber Missions #11, Lockdown teams up with Barricade against Ironhide.

Movies

Transformers: Age of Extinction

The official movie version of Lockdown appears as a main antagonist in Transformers: Age of Extinction, where he has captured the Dinobots and is looking to add Optimus Prime to his collection as well.

Games

Lockdown appears as a playable character in the Wii, Nintendo DS, and 3DS versions of the video game prequel to Dark of the Moon.

In the DS version, Lockdown, on Megatron's orders as relayed by Starscream, broke into a NEST facility and stole information from the super-computer relating to NEST operations in the Pacific. When he had finished basking in his victory, he sent the data to Starscream, who ordered Lockdown to investigate a reactivated Sector 7 base, and the Decepticon ended up tangling with Mirage. He was later called on again to provide a diversion by destroying communication arrays in an Autobot base as part of Megatron's plan to reactivate Shockwave.

In the Wii/3DS version, he took part in the Decepticon's attack on Detroit, breaking into a NEST facility in order to upload a virus. He managed to flee the base after Optimus arrived, and was then ordered back to Decepticon HQ, as Megatron had new orders for him to carry out.

Toys

• Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Lockdown (2010)

A new version of Lockdown, whose appearance was influenced by a combination of his Animated appearance and the general aesthetic of the live action film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Also available in a white redeco as Axor.

2008 Shattered Glass

This Lockdown is a heroic Decepticon. He was introduced in the SD SG comic in 2015.

Shattered Glass Transformers Animated

This version of Lockdown is a heroic counterpart of Animated Lockdown. He is a freelance adventurer whose colors are inspired by Captain America.