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.[1]
Fictional biography
Rumble is your basic street punk. Small, but always acting tough. Quick temper and mean disposition. Follows Megatron's orders eagerly. Transmits immense low frequency groundwaves to create powerful earthquakes. His small size limits his physical strength, but his ability to shatter the ground makes him difficult to approach in a fight.
Animated series
Rumble is often partnered with Soundwave, along with other cassette Decepticons Ravage and Laserbeak. Because of his coloration on the original cartoon, he is sometimes identified as Frenzy, as the color schemes for Frenzy and Rumble were actually transposed.
Throughout the animated series Rumble was perceived as tough and full of firepower, but his fellow Decepticons, being much larger, were significantly more powerful. He gave the weaker Autobots, such as Hound, Mirage and Bumblebee hard times on the battlefield, due to their lack of warrior-like capabilities, although in one episode, Hound beat the tar out of Rumble during a huge Autobots/Decepticons battle. Due to his small size and average intelligence, he displayed a Napoleon complex and often tried to prove his loyalty to Soundwave and Megatron through tough talk and destructive tendencies.
Rumble debuted in the series opener "More Than Meets the Eye part 1", being used by Soundwave and Starscream to destroy a power station with his piledriver arms, and later to cause a large wave that would allow the Decepticons to create Energon cubes at a nearby dam. He battled and defeated Hound underwater, although the Autobot would get his revenge later on. Rumble appeared regularly throughout the series, although he rarely had major roles, and was usually called on to create tremors with his arms (such as in "Enter the Nightbird" or "Attack of the Autobots").
He was defeated by Sludge in "S.O.S. Dinobots" when his attempt at generating an earthquake was thwarted by Sludge's own.
One of Rumble's missiles damaged Red Alert in "Auto-Berserk", plunging the Autobot into a paranoid stupor.
In the episode "Sea Change", Rumble was humiliatingly turned into a tree through magic.
He was sent by Megatron to steal the cars that would become the Stunticons in "The Key to Vector Sigma part 1".
One of Rumble's most prominent appearances was in the episode "A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court". Warpath, Hoist and Spike were battling Starscream, Ramjet, Rumble and Ravage in England. Low on power, the Autobots and Decepticons discovered a magical stone formation called the Dragon Mound and were transported back to the year 543 AD. Although Starscream attempted to take over a castle and build a new empire with himself as lord, the help of local knights and a wizard refueled the Autobots, who defeated the Decepticons. After defeating a dragon who nested in the Dragon Mound the Autobots and Decepticons and returned to their own time where they rejoined the fight in modern-day England. Here, Rumble ended up in a jousting contest atop his "steed" Ramjet.
Rumble appeared in The Transformers: The Movie, cutting off the Autobot communications alongside Frenzy, Ravage and Ratbat, before battling their Autobot counterparts. During the leadership debate aboard Astrotrain (after Megatron had been unceremoniously set adrift in space) Rumble and Frenzy were deployed when the Constructicons insulted Soundwave's leadership ability (Rumble: "Hey! Nobody calls Soundwave un-crasamatic!)" (uncharismatic)). When they tried to form into Devastator, Rumble and Frenzy used their piledriver arms to shake the giant into his component pieces.
Rumble also appeared during the beginning of the third season in "Five Faces of Darkness," but disappeared shortly thereafter.
Headmasters
In the Japanese anime Transformers Headmasters, Rumble made sporadic appearances along other cassettes. He was first seen in the fourth episode of Headmasters, just after Soundwave is re-built as Soundblaster.
Books
Rumble was featured in the 1984 storybook The Great Car Rally by Dwight Jon Zimmerman.
Rumble was featured in the 1985 Find Your Fate Junior book called Dinobots Strike Back by Casey Todd.[2]
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.
Fun Publications
Rumble appeared as a member of Megatron's forces in the "Shattered Glass" story. He was captured and set to be executed by the Autobots.
References