Mudflap (ROTF)

The name or term "Mudflap" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, seeMudflap (disambiguation).

Mudflap is anAutobotfrom theRevenge of the Fallenportion of themovie continuity family.

The goofy-lookingMudflapand histwinSkidsare a result of a split spark, and share a close bond accordingly. Mudflap is hyperactive, noisy, argumentative, and eager... not that different from his brother. He's so desperate to impress that he comes off as having the robot equivalent of ADHD.^[1]When they're not trying to outdo each other in crazy, daredevil antics, the twins are usually bickering with each other over anything. Like Skids, he possesses hyper-reactive optical imaging scanners, making him able to process tactical information faster than any other Transformer (except Skids).^[2]As irritated as Mudflap gets from Skids' vocal one-upmanship, he realizes that they actually work best as a team.^[3]

Each twin can transform into smaller, separate vehicles or combine into a single, more durable alternate mode.^[4]Upon first arriving onEarth,Mudflap and his brother took the form of a beat-up old ice cream truck, but he laterscannedaChevrolet Traxfor a disguise, and, sometime after that, aChevrolet Spark.That being said, it's unlikely the twins will keep an alt-mode for long.

“	Nobody messes with the twins!	”
—Mudflap while doing damage toDevastator,Revenge of the Fallen

Contents 1Fiction 1.1Movies 1.1.1Revenge of the Fallenfilm 1.1.2Dark of the Moonfilm 1.1.3Age of Extinctionfilm 1.2Titan movie comics 1.3IDW movie comics 1.4Mini Mayhem! 1.5Hunt for the Decepticonsstorybooks 1.6Toy bios 1.7Kre-Oonline manga 1.8Play-Doh Videos 2Commercial appearances 3Games 3.1Cyberverse Battle Builder 4Toys 4.1Revenge of the Fallen 4.1.1Legends Class toys 4.1.2Deluxe Class toys 4.1.3Human Alliance 4.1.4Fast Action Battlers 4.1.5Gravity Bots 4.2Transformers(2010) 4.3Dark of the Moon 5Merchandise 5.1Revenge of the Fallen 5.1.1RPMs -Robot Powered Machines 5.2Robot Heroes 6Bigger Toys 7Notes 7.1Controversy 7.2Foreign names 8References

Fiction

Movies

Revenge of the Fallenfilm

Voice actor:Reno Wilson(English),Yōhei Tadano(Japanese),Zhang Wei(Chinese),Gerald Schaale(German),Davide Lepore(Italian),Moisés Ivan Mora(Latin American-Spanish),Albert Trifol Segarra(Castilian Spanish),Marc Perez(European French),Frédéric Desager(Canadian French),Cláudio Galvan(Portuguese),Uğur Taşdemir(Turkish)

The twins were first into action for NEST's mission to Shanghai, slowly trundling through the city streets in their ice-cream truck mode and taunting Decepticons in the area to show themselves. Two Decepticons soon did:DemolishorandSideways.At NEST's orders, the twins went after the smaller foe and, working with Arcee, managed to herd him into an alleyway. However, their slow, ungainly choice of alternate mode left them unable to keep up with Sideways. While Arcee leapt through a building to pursue the Decepticon, the twins tried to go around the building to catch him. However, the twins inadvertently split apart from one another when they rounded the corner too sharply, thus taking them out of the chase. Mudflap took the blame for the crash, but Skids still berated (and smacked) Mudflap for his failure.

Upon arrival to Diego Garcia and NEST headquarters, the twins were given new, individual alternate forms to make sure another incident like that never happened. Mudflap wanted the Chevy Beat as a vehicle form, but after a brief wrestling match with his brother, he was relegated to the form of the Chevrolet Trax.

Later, the twins, along with the other NEST-allied Autobots, were dispatched to look forSam Witwickywhen Decepticons were detected heading towards his college. AfterOptimus Primewas killed byMegatron,the twins helped the Autobot force fight off the Decepticon leader andStarscream,allowing Sam,Leo Spitz,Mikaela BanesandBumblebeeto make good their escape. Skids and Mudflap met up with Bumblebee and the humans, and together they fled to a remote location. After the twins teased Leo for a while for his panic attack, Sam inquired whether one of them could interpret the Cybertronic symbols with which he had become obsessed. The twins claimed that they couldn't read the ancient Language of the Primes and weren't much into reading, anyway.

With the help of the DecepticonWheelieand formerSector SevenagentSeymour Simmons,the group made their way to the Smithsonian, where the humans reactivated the venerable ex-DecepticonJetfire.He teleported them all toEgyptbefore telling them the tale of the originalPrimes,theStar Harvester,which had the potential to destroy all life on Earth, and finally, theMatrix of Leadership,the key to activating the harvester and possibly the only thing that could bring Optimus Prime back to life. When the Matrix could not be found at the ruins ofPetra,Mudflap questioned why they were helping Sam, wondering what they had done for the Autobots. Skids pointed out that Samhadkilled Megatron, but Mudflap said the point was moot since Megatron was now back. After calling each other "scared" and "ugly" the two began to fight with one another. After damaging the structure and nearly crushing the humans, Bumblebee picked the twins up, bashed them together, and threw them out the door. However, their bickering created a hole in the wall where theTomb of the Primeslay, and with it, the Matrix.

Making their way back to the Pyramids where NEST waited with Optimus Prime's body, the group came under attack by Starscream. Mudflap, Skids, Leo and Simmons acted as a decoy to lure the Decepticons away from Sam and Mikaela. Unfortunately, they attracted the attention of theConstructicons,whocombinedintoDevastatorand attacked by vacuuming up loose objects such as sand, cars, and Mudflap. Hanging on for dear life inside the monster's mouth, he tried to use his "kung-fu grip",but was sucked further inside, losing his shoulder guards in the process.

As Skids mourned the loss of his twin, Simmons realized that the safest place to be was directly under the giant. But he had survived being vacuumed up by Devastator, and to escape he had blasted a hole through its head. To buy the humans time to escape, Skids clambered up Devastator'sright forepawto assist Mudflap. Skids threw a cable to Mudflap, who grabbed it and swung off Devastator's head onto his arm. However, once they had landed, Mudflap accidentally shot Skids in the face, knocking them off. AtMegatron's command, Devastator continued onto theGreat Pyramid of Giza.Revenge of the Fallen

Dark of the Moonfilm

Mudflap and Skids were at the end of an Autobot convoy as the team rolled into the hangar of NEST'sWashington, D.C.base.

Mudflap was later parked next to Sideswipe when Sam arrived at NEST HQ for the first time.Dark of the Moon

Age of Extinctionfilm

Five years after the Battle ofChicago,Mudflap was not listed as "deceased" by the CIA taskforce,Cemetery Wind.^[5]Age of Extinction

Titan movie comics

Sometimes, he has a small forcefield in vehicle mode.Turnabout

Mudflap first metBumblebeewhen they were about to be thrown into asmelting pool.It was fun!Dogfight!

Mudflap and Skids happily stayed on Cybertron, going through intensive training (whichtotallywasn't goofing off) and having extreme-sports contests. Neither wanted to leave their homeworld, and they were the only Transformers on it untilStarscreamturned up witha Decepticon army.When they heard him mention aStar Harvester,Mudflap said they should tell someone...but was a bit upset to find out the fastest way to do that would be to leave Cybertron and tell the Autobots in person.

The decision was made for them when the Decepticons attacked. Mudflap took some hits, causing Skids to obliterate the Decepticons responsible, but for the most part, their training paid off. However, he realised they were running out of places to run, so he followed his brother in leaving the plane, with only one course of action remaining: follow the messageOptimus Primehad beamed into space and head forEarth.Training Day

The twins made it to Earth soon, crash-landing in Toronto, Canada. On the way in, Mudflap hit abig tower,and was a bit guilty since he knew how these primitive luddite humans still needed radio waves (the saps). They swam their way to Ball's Falls, where they picked up Earth alternate modes and, Mudflap taking charge, set out to try and find local Autobots and warn them about the Star Harvester.

Driving along the wrong side of the Interstate, the twins were attacked by theSeekerRansack,who pursued them across open countryside, trying to kill them on Starscream's orders. Mudflap transformed and blinded the old Decepticon with a fistful of dirt, which bought the twins some time to find cover. However, the airborne enemy kept up with the twins, and Mudflap lost a chance at cover when he ran back to save his brother. Luckily they were saved by Bumblebee, who attacked and forced Ransack to retreat.Dogfight!

Now living atNEST's Californian base with Bumblebee as their minder, Skids and Mudflap repeatedly asked to deliver their info toOptimus Prime—and only Optimus, much toIronhide's annoyance. He was more annoyed when they ambushed him to get to Optimus...who, as it turns out, was away on a need-to-know mission anyway.

After this defeat, and with Ironhide having bluntly told them nobody believed them, they desperately asked to join in a NEST op inLas Vegas...getting turned down, because they were too crap to get involved. Mudflap almost called their superior a very rude word over this, and after the team had left, he decided they should go to Vegasanywayto show Ironhide just what they could do! What they could do, it turned out, was screw up a successful mission by freeinga captured Decepticonby trying to "shoot him down". Mudflap was left mortified. Ironhide, recognising what they were trying to do, told him that maybe they could work on training the twins not to jump in without looking, and that the trick was to learn from mistakes. The twins claimed they'd try.Learning Curve

They soon wished they hadn't, as they were condemned to NEST'sOrkney Islandsbase for days of sim-com (simulated combat) training underSideswipe.Mudflap agreed with Skids' theory that this was an excuse to keep them away from Optimus, and the whole situation got on his nerves. They both protested to Sideswipe that they could handle Decepticons. Him pointing out their failure with Grindor shut them up. However, the training was interrupted whena huge metal cat monsterbroke into the base, KOed Sideswipe, and tried to eat the twins!

They transformed and fled, with all attempts at holding it off failing. Mudflap hit on a plan of trapping the creature in the sim-com room and letting the drones shoot it down. He pulled this off, using himself as bait; in the process, he received a communication fromthe monster's master,who demanded to know what the twins knew about some lost and fallen guy. Mudflap briefly wondered who this dude was, then shrugged and just sprang the trap on Ravage.

With that done, the twins tried to fill in the revived Sideswipe... except the creature had gone, leaving their instructor with the view thatthey'dknocked him out in revenge for their training. Between that and Grindor, he thought they were up to something...New Tricks

The twins were later taken to Diego Garcia, and ecstatic to learn Optimus was coming there! Okay, he's only dropping a prisoner off, he's not here to see them and knows nothing about their story, but they ignored all that and drove off when Sideswipe wasn't looking so they could greet the leader. Mudflap squeed over how Optimus would be so proud withhiswork! Skids picked up on that and accused his brother of trying to steal the glory, and soon the two of them were having a big fight and slagging match...

And so their first meeting with Optimus Prime was to be yelled at for conduct unbecoming of an Autobot warrior. (See the pic to the side to find out howthatwent.)

That was whenScorponokmade his attack, blasting at the distracted Prime and moving to free the prisonerSideways.Mudflap swiftly grabbed a weapon to stop this escape, but Sideways snatched it from his hands and used it himself to cover his retreat. Sideswipe, watching from a distance, believed Mudflap hadgivenover the weapon, and convinced Prime that the twins were traitors: they must have helped Scorponok get here and now assisted him in his mission, on top of freeing Grindor and attacking him! Mudflap and Skids protested they were being set up because they knew too much, but it fell on deaf ears as they were taken into custody...Reversal of Fortune

Following this, the decision was made to exile the twins into orbit. Mudflap and his brother moaned that they should've just ignored the Fallen, but help was at hand... from the Decepticons? Mudflap angrily toldDecepticon agent Wheeliethat they didn'twantto be freed byhim,but the complaint fell on deaf ears: now the twins looked like evenbiggertraitors. The two went underground to clear their names, and hit on the foolproof plan of abductingSam Witwickyfrom his house and pleading with him to tell their story to Optimus. All this did was cause Bumblebee to launch an attack to rescue Sam. Mudflap pleaded with the angry Bumblebee that they weren't traitors, that they had vital info...

...and thenSoundwavegunned down the scout and offered the twins sanctuary in the Decepticons. Nowhere else to go, Mudflap took Soundwave's hand and said he'd never liked Earth anyway...Outlaw Blues

Once in the Decepticons, he had fun dissing all the other members as being losers and getting oneveryone'snerve, before Soundwave finally sent them on a mission to bring in a rogue member. Once on Earth again, he was genuinely surprised to find out Skids was onlypretendingto defect; his annoyed brother explained the plan was that, since Soundwave would send a minder to watch them, they could ambush their minder and have a prisoner to give to the Autobots.

The rogue member turned out to be Ransack, and Mudflap helped Skids lie to him that the Fallen had sent them. Talking instead of fighting? That annoyedbothof their minders, and they came under attack by Grindor and Sideways! Mudflap was ordered after Sideways, and engaged him in a game of chicken; the Decepticon blinked first and crashed into a tree. He thought this was enough, but Skids was determined that they'd now take the fight to Soundwave himself! (Mudflap's considered response was "YOWZA!" )Turnabout

Upon returning to the Phobos base, Mudflap was consulted about having a plan of attack. He decided why bother having plansnow,just attack! The twins stormed the base, and Mudflap was able to defeat Ravage by ducking the beast's attacks and planting an electrical bomb on him. However, this success was quickly undone and Mudflap found himself about to be killed by Starscream... but the battle gave Ransack an opening to shoot the Seeker in the back and escape, causing the other Decepticons to chase after him! The twins hadnoidea whatthatwas all about... but this was just a short respite, as the twins discovered just what that army massing on Cybertron had been planning: to arrive at the Phobos base en route to Earth...

The twins stood ready to make their last stand, and Mudflap prepared to take down as many drones as possible... when Optimus arrived with the other Autobots! The twins had been tracked to Phobos and to their shock, the other Autobots had realised they weren't traitors and were even apologising! And with all the street cred of uncovering the Phobos base, the twins were welcomed to the Autobots' Earth division. Skids briefly wondered if they should mention "theFa-"again, but Mudflap told him they werenevermentioningthatbloody thing again. Whatever happened,would happen...Back-to-Back

IDW movie comics

After hearing Optimus Prime's call into space for all Autobots, Skids and Mudflap were captured by the DecepticonsThundercrackerandFlatlinejust before reaching Earth. Seeking to perfect some new medical experiments, Flatline tried to forcibly reprogram the brothers' processors, but only succeeded in leaving them addled and confused. Another of Flatline's experiments, the tri-fold biker namedArcee,helped Skids and Mudflap escape. They picked up a ship and made their trek the rest of the way to Earth.Tales of the Fallen #6

Skids and Mudflap followed Optimus Prime's message toEarthand arrived on the planet withTopspin,Leadfoot,Roadbuster,Sideswipe,Arcee,ChromiaandElita-Oneon theWreckersshipXantium.The ship and the Wreckers stayed behind inNASA,Dark of the MoonDark of the Moon #3The Twins both chose thecombinedform of an old, beat-up ice cream truck. The newly arrived Autobots joined the human-Transformer military allianceNESTand began training in earnest atDiego Garcia,but soon had to be deployed toShanghai,China.Alliance #4

Skids and Mudflap were inSeattlewith NEST tracking the Decepticon straggler,Alice.They helped guide her stolen RV right into Sideswipe's sights, and he then impaled the "girl" in her seat.Nefarious #1

Later, whenTheodore Gallowayand his unit were attacked byRansacken route to investigate the mysterious activities of the enigmaticInitiativeatHoover Dam,the Autobots dispatched Skids and Mudflap to Galloway's aid. Together, they held Ransack off until a NEST strike team could arrive and finish him off. The Twins then accompanied Galloway and the soldiers to Hoover Dam, and while the Initiative forces had already cleared out, Skids and Mudflap realized what they had been after: residual energy from theAllSparkthat had been kept there.Nefarious #4To uncover the Initiative's secret goals, the Autobots soon allied themselves withSoundwave,and followed his lead to the Initiative's base of operations inCrater Lake,Oregon.Skids and Mudflap were deployed to attack the base from the east; when they were met with resistance in the form of the Initiative's troops, they took them out of the equation by disabling the advanced weaponry they were wielding with precision blasts.Nefarious #5He and Skids then worked as back-up for Bumblebee's team of cadets in the final battle at Crater Lake.Nefarious #6

When NEST discovered that Starscream was selling Transformer weaponry to humans, a sting operation was staged in whichTheodore Gallowaywould pose as a buyer to lure the Decepticons in. WhenSkystalker,DivebombandFearswooptook the bait, the Twins joined Arcee, her sisters, and the human forces of NEST in tackling them. Fearswoop surrendered while the other Decepticons were killed.Rising Storm #1

AfterSam Witwickycontacted NEST asPhiladelphiawas beign attacked by Decepticons, the Twins joined Prime and the other Autobots in helping the boy.Rising Storm #2Rising Storm #3Skids and Mudflap survived the battle when theDrillertookShockwaveaway.Rising Storm #4

Mudflap and Skids were present at NEST's Washington base during Optimus Prime's conversation withCharlotte Mearingabout the moon landings.

Later, the Twins were among the Autobots charged with escortingSentinel PrimetoNESTheadquarters for safety when the ancient Autobot revealed himself to be a traitor by killing Ironhide. Skids was next to die, intercepting a shot meant for Bumblebee, sending Mudflap into a rage. He lunged at the turncoat Autobot, seeking revenge for his brother's death, but even his righteous anger could not make him a match for Sentinel, and he too met his ends moments later. Sentinel eulogized him with some degree of respect, remarking that he at least died a death worthy of an Autobot.Dark of the MoonDark of the Moon Movie Adaptation

Mini Mayhem!

Mudflap and Skids wanted to be characters in a strip ofMini Mayhem,but wound up being late to the punch, and had to settle for a one-panel cameo.Mini Mayhem!

Hunt for the Decepticonsstorybooks

Skids and Mudflap had been tasked with looking over Sam while Bumblebee was away on a mission. The twins reported to Optimus that they suspected anew lab assistantworking at the science lab at Sam's university to be a Decepticon spy. They turned out to be correct. Even after Megatron's latest plot had been foiled, and the Twins requested some time off from "spying" on Sam, Optimus informed them that their battle against the Decepticons was far from over.Prime Target

Upon learning thatBuzzsawandRatbatwere causing trouble, Optimus ordered Mudflap and the rest of the Autobots to roll out to face the Decepticons. Thanks to Soundwave's tampering with their communications, however, the Autobots arrived at an abandonned warehouse instead of where the trouble was taking place. Thankfully, Sam and Bumblebee met with the Autobots, and led them to the correct location. The Decepticons were defeated and the Autobots cheered Sam for his help in the mission.Satellite Meltdown

Toy bios

Young and eager, Mudflap idolized Optimus Prime and the other great Autobot heroes. He and Skids went to Earth solely in the hope of joining up with their idols, and it was a dream come true for them!Revenge of the FallenDeluxe MudflapIn an early mission, however, they found themselves used as guinea pigs for experimental combination technology; trying tostaycombined in their gestalt vehicle mode took up more of their focus than fighting Decepticons!Autobot Skids and Mudflap (Deluxe Combiner)

Skids believes himself to be the "smart one" of the twins, mostly because he is slightly less hyperactive than Mudflap.Revenge of the FallenDeluxe Autobot SkidsHowever, he must have impressed the Autobots as later, he was assigned to help Sideswipe take down an empoweredFearswoop!The Fury of FearswoopNormally, his role was to create diversions.Robot Replicas Skids

During Sideways's sojourn into the Autobot camp, Skids and Mudflap became suspicious and reverted to their old ice cream truck form to keep track of him. Having discovered Sideways's treachery, they planned to prove their worth by defeating him on their own!High-Speed Spy Battle

Mudflap eventually started hanging out withSeymour Simmons,because his bravery that seemed stupid struck a chord with the 'bot!Human AllianceMudflap / Chromia / Seymour Simmons

While his daredevil stunts have appeared brainless, the energetic Mudflap remained a true Autobot by being courageous, loyal to the end, and ready to take on the baddest Decepticons yet.Cyberverse MudflapWhile he has quickly become a veteran Autobot soldier, there are days he cannot believe he is battling Decepticons shoulder-to-shoulder with Prime. Even though his enemies have to wait years before they can fear him, Mudflap continues to show the courage and enthusiasm of a distinguished Autobot.Dark of the MoonDeluxe Mudflap

Kre-Oonline manga

Mudflap celebrated as the giantDevastatorwas tickled to defeat.A New Menace! The Giant Soldier Devastator Appears!

Play-Doh Videos

Optimus Primegot into a fight withGrimlockbut they were eventually interrupted by the RedPlay-Doh,who made them clean an ice cream truck. After they completed their task, the ice cream truck transformed into Mudflap and scared away the Red Play-Doh.^[6]

Commercial appearances

• Mudflap and Skids were present outside aBurger King,and watched patiently alongside a group ofhumanchildren who were waiting for a familiarChevy Camaroto transform. Much to their chagrin, however, the car was revealed to be just "some dude's car" and not Bumblebee himself.Transform Your Way television commercials

Games

Cyberverse Battle Builder

Mudflap joined the rest of the Autobots in combating the Decepticons on battlefields on Earth, the Earth's Moon and on Cybertron. Sometimes there were many of him!Cyberverse Battle Builder

Toys

Revenge of the Fallen

Legends Class toys

• Mudflap(Legends Class,2009)

• Known designers:Alex Androski(deco artist)

Legends ClassMudflap is a simple, affordable small-scale toy. Amusingly, just like his brother Skids, thekibbleon his arm actually works as his big deformed hand, only grossly oversized.

As with allwave3 Legends figures, his on-packagingstock photoshows a mistransformed robot mode, with his abdomen not being extended. Furthermore, the second set of stock photos (which depict apre-production sample) shows him lacking several redpaint operationscovering areas of gray plastic in vehicle mode as compared to the final toy.

• Autobot Set(Legends Class multi-pack, 2009)

Available exclusively at the Lawson's convenience store in Japan (and the only way to obtain this figure via TakaraTomy), the Japanese edition of Legends Class Mudflap, named EZ Collection Mudflap, is identical to the Hasbro release. The Deluxe Class Preview Bumblebee it comes with is also unchanged from the regular release. Preorders opened on the1st of Mayand closed onJune 30th,and the figure itself shipped on the16th of October.Although initial publicity photographs indicated that the toy was altered slightly from the US deco (see right), these photographs have proven to be inaccurate, as owners of this toy have reported no discernable differences from the standard US edition.[1]

• More information on Legends Mudflap at TFU.info

• Straightaway Shootout(Legends Class multi-pack, 2009)

Legends Mudflap was also available in theTarget-exclusive"Straightaway Shootout"5-pack together withIronhide,Swerve,RunamuckandSparkcrusher.Other than the sand-spray paint operations across his feet, below his front bumper and behind his front and rear fenders, and a slightly glossier finish, he is identical to his standard release.

InCanada,the set was released as a Zellers exclusive.

• More information on "Straightaway Shootout" Mudflap at TFU.info

• The Fury of Fearswoop(Multi-pack, 2009)

A "battle damaged" deco version of Legends Mudflap was available in theWalmart-exclusive "The Fury of Fearswoop"3-pack together with a similarly" battle damaged "version of LegendsSideswipe,and Deluxe ClassFearswoop.That the set uses a pair of Legends Class cars and a Deluxe Class jet means the toys are in a roughly-correctscaleto each other... which is borked by the story, in which Fearswoop is supposedly much huger than normal thanks to some unnamed mystic artifact.

• More information on "Fury of Fearswoop" Mudflap at TFU.info

• Rally Mudflap and Offroad Skids(Legends Class multi-pack, 2010)

This redeco of Legends Mudflap features a black hood and legs, along with dirt on his sides. He was packaged with a redecoed Skids as aTargetexclusive two-pack, and was part of the "N.E.S.T. Global Alliance"subline imprint.

• More information on Rally Mudflap at TFU.info

Deluxe Class toys

• Mudflap(Deluxe Class, 2009)
  • TakaraTomy ID number:RA-15
  • Accessories:Smoke-shaped missile

• Known designers:Hisashi Yuki(TakaraTomy)

Part of the third wave ofRevenge of the FallenDeluxe Class figures, Mudflap transforms into a rust-orange Chevy Trax. He transforms similarly to (but not exactly like) the Deluxe toy of his twin brother, Skids. He also has similar gimmickry; for example, hisMech Alivegimmick is also activated by pushing in the grill on his chest. This causes some panels in his chest to sway and his head to, uh, headbang. Additional Mech Alive action is engineered into his larger left arm. When his fist folds in towards his wrist, panels on the outside of his forearm spread and reveal a raising, spring-loaded missile launcher. In vehicle mode, this missile is stored through a cross-shaped hole on the rear bumper. On a sadder note, the clip which holds his chest to his back has a lot of trouble actually connecting, so you're going to be stuck with just carefully posing him so that he doesn't come undone. In addition, the wheels can be locked behind his extended kneepads, which shortens and squattens his legs to create a more screen-accurate model.

Mudflap initially came with a license plate that referenced his car model, "Trax."^[7]Arunning change variantlater enlarged the license plate and changed it to "Mudflap".^[8]The Japanese release only featured the later "Mudflap" version, skipping the earlier "Trax" version entirely. Both plates were apparently used for the movie (see notes below).

His feet aremisassembledin the package. Swap them! The bigger, separated toe should be on the outside.

• More information on Mudflap at TFU.info

• Autobot Skids And Mudflap(Deluxe Class, 2009)
  • TakaraTomy ID number:RA-20

• Known designers:Hisashi Yuki(TakaraTomy)

This two-pack of the twin Autobot brothers can combine into a single, old-fashioned ice cream truck. The vehicle splits in half right down the middle of its chassis (similar to how it does in the film) to create the two small robot forms. Other than the transformation, the toy features nogimmicks.

Mudflap's heels are too thick for his feet to fold up properly in vehicle mode, though this can be fixed by trimming them. Mudflap also has a springloaded neck socket...but the reason for it is not all that clear.(the instructions do document it, but the head is not even locked in packed on the card) Also, this toy may be the first Transformer to feature the typeface Comic Sans, which is used to write "MADE FRESH FOR YOU" across both front wheel hubs. But that's on Skids's half, so Mudflap is partly absolved here.

The ice cream truck features unpainted rust detailing.

Amusingly, the ice cream truck accommodatesHuman Alliancehuman figuresreallywell.

• Desert Version Mudflap(Deluxe Class, 2009)
  • Accessories:Projectile

This version of Mudflap has a sandblasted deco to closer match his onscreen appearance during the scenes in Egypt. It is only available in Japan with purchase of the Revenge of the Fallen DVD.

• Tuner Mudflap(Deluxe Class, 2009)
  • Accessories:Projectile

A redeco of original Deluxe Class Mudflap, his doors are painted with "tuner" racing stripes and the plastic is a different shade of orange. The windows are now translucent blue. His feet are now properly assembled.

Like hismanypredecessors,he is a notoriousshelfwarmer.

• More information on Tuner Mudflap at TFU.info

• Shanghai Showdown(Multi-pack, 2010)

In an effort to make them moremovie-accurate,the twins in this set have additional decals for you to put on (save for the "suck my popsicle" slogan) and painted rust and "Caution Children" for the ice cream truck mode. They come with a redecoed version ofDemolishor.

Human Alliance

• Mudflap /Chromia/Agent Simmons(Human Alliance, 2010)
  • TakaraTomy ID number:RA-31

A larger-scale figure,Human AllianceMudflap has a very similar transformation to his twin, which is understandable on a canonical level, since they're from the same spark. As usual, Simmons (or any other Human alliance driver figure) can be seated in Mudflap in his vehicle mode, with Mudflap's (still usable) seats ending up on his wrists/arms in robot mode. Simmons can also stand on Mudflap's palms in this mode. Mudflap comes with a transforming figure ofChromiaas well, which Simmons can ride in her motorbike mode.

He shares two features with his twin, having a pop-up mini-gun behind his head which a back-mounted Simmons can man, and having a similar action feature for his head: pressing down on an orange piece on his head opens and closes his mouth, simulating a talking motion.

He also has two unique features: the right seat has a twin-barreled gun molded into the base, and the left seat has a pop-up control panel for Simmons to operate, presumably to control the smallgrappling hookset above Mudflap's left hand, which a small winch can reel out and pull in.

Unlike most transforming Mudflap figures, he is a more screen-accurate shade of orange red, rather than just a rusty color. Also unlike the other Mudflap figures is the fact that this figure was stocked in much lower numbers, meaning he didn't end upshelfwarminglike the others and ironically ended up being quite rare.

• More information on Human Alliance Mudflap at TFU.info

Fast Action Battlers

• Grapple Grip Mudflap(Fast Action Battler, 2009)

Fast Action BattlersMudflap has a simplified transformation for younger buyers. His left hand's middle finger can be extended (yes, ha ha) on a rope to function as a grappling hook.

The toy's name, "Grapple Grip Mudflap", is misspelled as "GrappelGrip Mudflap "in various official instances, such as Hasbro's public website^[9]and onthe toy'sEuropean packaging.Presumably this typo didn't get caught byquality controluntil very late, so the North American packaging saw the error rectified in time, whereas the entire European production run had already been underway. Then again,2010Transformers"Solar Storm Grappel"raises the questionwhichversion is officially to be considered the "incorrect" one, and whether the "Grappel" (mis)spelling is in fact intentionally used fortrademarkreasons...

• Rally Mudflap & Offroad Skids(Fast Action Battler two-pack, 2009)

Rally Mudflap is aredecoof Grapple Grip Mudflap, decorating him with a gray racing stripe on his roof and his name on his windshield.

This figure was only available in a two-pack alongsideOffroad Skids.So far, this two-pack has been confirmed to have been released in Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Australia. Despite misconceptions based on early solicitations, it appears these figures were never intended to be released individually.

Gravity Bots

• Mudflap(Gravity Bot, 2009)
  • TakaraTomy ID number:GB-05

As aGravity Bot,Mudflap is a very boxy toy featuring noarticulationwhatsoever, relying solely on anautotransformationgimmick. When Mudflap is laid on his back in robot mode, gravity makes him transform into a somewhatsuper deformedcar, and the process is reversed when the car is stood back up.

• More information on Gravity Bots Mudflap at TFU.info

Transformers(2010)

• Battle Ops Bumblebee(Multi-pack, 2010)

An unchanged Legends Class Mudflap figure and a "Premium" vacuum-metalized gold redeco ofRevenge of the FallenLegends ClassBumblebeewere included as "Great Value!" toys, coming with aCostco-exclusivegold metallic redeco of the massiveBattle Ops Bumblebee.

Canada received both English and French versions of this release; weirdly, the French release was available in places outside Quebec such as Vancouver and even Alberta.

• Starscream's Assault(Multi-pack, 2010)

• Accessories:Missile

ThisWalmart-exclusive two-pack contains desert-themed redecoes ofDeluxe Class Mudflapand Voyager ClassStarscream.Mudflap is mostly tan plastic with various red paint splotches on his vehicle mode, to represent him being absolutely caked with sand from the desert.

• High-Speed Spy Battle(Multi-pack, 2010)

ThisTarget-exclusive two pack (or three pack, depending onhow you count) features a redecoed Sideways and the ice-cream truck mode of Mudflap and Skids, which replaces most of the robot mode white plastic on the originals with a rusty brown, adds even more rusty paint applications than the earlier "Shanghai Showdown" version and omits the comic-sans "Made fresh for you" on the front wheel wells of the truck.

• More information on High-Speed Spy Battle Mudflap at TFU.info

• Delivery Mudflap(EZ Collection,2010)

• Release date:October 23,2010

Released in "Vol.5" of TakaraTomy'sEZ Collection(not the fifth wave of product, the fifth iteration of the cross-franchise line), sold under theAutobot Alliancebanner, "Delivery Mudflap" is a redeco of Legends Class Mudflap in pink and white, referencing his and Skids's ice cream truck form.

Dark of the Moon

• Mudflap(Cyberverse Legion,2011)

• Series:1
• Number:010
• TakaraTomy ID number:CV25
• Known designers:Joe Kyde(Hasbro)

Released in the second wave ofDark of the MoonCyberverseLegion-Class toys, Mudflap transforms into a Chevrolet Spark production vehicle, rather than his Trax mode fromRevenge of the Fallen.His smaller right fist has a hole to accommodate 3 mm post weapons.

• More information on Cyberverse Mudflap at TFU.info

• Mudflap(MechTech Deluxe Class, 2011)

• TakaraTomy ID number:DA19
• Accessories::MechTech Blaster/Cybertronian BattleAxe
• Known designers:Andrew Scribner(deco artist)

Part of the third wave ofDark of the MoonMechTechDeluxe Class toys, Mudflap transforms from a black Chevrolet Spark with wide orange stripes into a stumpy robot with big feet. He features six MechTech ports in total, with two ports on the roof in vehicle mode, one for each of his hands, and one underneath each of his arms. He comes with a blaster that transforms into a "Cybertronian Battle Axe" when the scope is pulled, though the weapon cannot be locked in battle axe mode.

Unfortunately, Mudflap suffers from adesign flaw:the connection holding his shoulders and upper arms together is very tight, and trying to swing his upper arms out to the side will occasionally result in the arms popping out of their plastic swivels.

His weapon was redecoed into the weapon ofDeluxe Class Optimus Prime.

• More information onDark of the MoonDeluxe Mudflap at TFU.info

Merchandise

Revenge of the Fallen

RPMs -Robot Powered Machines

• Mudflap vs Autobot Skids(R.P.M. Mini-Vehicle, 2009)
  • Number:04 of 08
  • Series:Battle Series

Number four in a series of eightRobot Powered MachinesMini-Vehicle versus packs, Mudflap is packaged with his twin Skids. It's a non-transformableHot Wheels-like car, with his robot mode sculpted and painted onto his car-mode underside.

So yeah, the Mini-Vehicle pack is marked as a "vs" set instead of "&" despite consisting of two Autobot twin brothers. Maybe it was a reference to their occasional feud?

• More information on RPMs Mudflap at TFU.info

Robot Heroes

• Mudflap & Rampage(Two-pack, 2009)

• Known designers:Marcelo Matere(concept artist)

Robot HeroesMudflap is asuper deformedfigure with limited articulation in his neck, shoulders and, unusually for the line, his waist. He came in a two-pack withRampage.

• Desert Devastation(Multi-pack, 2009)

• Known designers:Marcelo Matere(concept artist)

Both Mudflap andSkidsare sculpted in their individual vehicle modes for this box-set that also includesDevastatorandCaptain William Lennox.

• Shanghai Shootout(Multi-pack, 2009)

• Known designers:Marcelo Matere(concept artist)

"Shanghai Shootout" replicates the opening action scene fromRevenge of the Fallen,featuring figurines ofSkids& Mudflap in ice cream truck mode,Sidewaysin vehicle mode,Optimus Prime,Demolishor,andSideswipein vehicle mode.

Bigger Toys

• Chevrolet Spark Transformers Edition(2011)

Produced in a limited run of 1000 units for the South Korean market, theChevroletSparkTransformersEdition features a black paint scheme with orange racing stripes based upon Mudflap's prop (that was cut) fromDark of the Moon,an aero kit with side skirts, 15-inch glossy black wheels, as well as various Autobot and Transformers sigils and branding.

Pricing in South Korea was at 11,823.00 won for a manual transmission or 13,326.00 for an automatic.

Notes

• The entire shell of the ice cream truck prop was pretty much custom-built from scratch,^[10]though it appears to be based on a 1937 Dodge D5 truck.Ben Procterapparently lifted the color scheme and deco for his early concept design for the ice cream truck^[11]directlyoff a photo of anAustralianice cream truck that had been added to the Wikipedia article for "ice cream van" in February 2006,^[12]down to identical placement and design of the fonts and graphics. The details were later slightly tweaked for the final design that can be seen in the movie... but only very slightly so. While the white and pink color scheme is used by ice cream trucks all over the world, it's a particularly common color combination in Australia.
• One of the decals on the ice cream truck's side that was created specifically for the movie reads "suck my popsicle! "Classy. Too bad the toydoes not havethis decal. (Because, you know, for kids...)

• In the brief scenes that the twins appear in robot mode while still in their ice cream truck-kibbledrobot forms, both have four wheels present due to the redressing of their individual car-based robot CGI models. The wheels are considerably wider than the ones present on the ice cream truck too.
  • Also, in the scanning scene, the pair both curl up into a ball and turn into their new vehicle forms in a burst of light, just as Skids did in his transformation mere seconds ago. This is likely due to the pair having very little screentime in those forms meaning proper transformations weren't animated.
• The Twins' final alternate modes in the film, the Chevrolet Beat (Skids) and Chevrolet Trax (Mudflap), were designed by General Motors as small car concept vehicles. At one point in the film's pre-production, another small car, theMercedes-BenzSmart,was evidently considered as an option for a film character; concept art of a "third twin" based on it appears in various sections of theRevengeDVD special features, always in close proximity to concept art of Skids and Mudflap. Whether it was meant to be a third character related to Skids and Mudflap or if it was supposed to be used in place of one of them is unknown. Whatisknown is thatHasbrohas had great difficultly in the past trying to get likeness licenses from German automakers, which is probably why the vehicle/character was dropped.
• Oddly enough, even though Mudflap's Chevy Traxalternate modefeatures big blue "eyes" on his chest and the truck seems to have a similar "face" on its grill that does not appear on his brother (and fellowcombiner) Skids's Chevy Beat form, he makes up thebackof the ice cream truck. He does, however, still have "eyes" on his chest in his ice cream truck form which are created from the rear taillights of the vehicle. This is evidenced in one scene from the movie where they are lit up in red.
• In their combined ice cream truck mode, the Twins sport thelicense plate"KDM 814". A minor variant of this, "KDM 0814" with an extra "0", was later used for the life-sized Bumblebee prop on various displays from 2009 upuntil at least 2011. For the individual cars, two different sets of license plates were apparently used, either "Trax" and "Beat" referencing their car models or "Mudflap" and "Skids". Most likely, theintentwas for the cars the two scan as their new alternate modes to feature the license plates with the cars' names, and for Skids and Mudflap themselves to have their names on their license plates in alternate mode... but then the production crew screwed up, resulting in various oddities. Most notably, in the scene where the Twins scan the Chevrolet Trax and Beat cars, those real cars already feature individualized license plates sporting their robot names, making their argument about who gets to choose which car all the more absurd. Throughout the rest of the movie, the license plates featuring their robot names are featured more prominently, although the "BEAT" plate for Skids can be seen briefly during the New York City scene (it'spossiblethe "TRAX" plate for Mudflap was used for the same scene, but the car's plate is never seen on screen in that particular scene). All four plates were auctioned off in October 2009.^[13]The auction claims that the plates referring to their car models were used in vehicle mode, while those identifying the two Autobots by name were used in robot mode... which isdirectlyrefuted by screencaps from the movie included with the auction, which show the robot name plates on the cars in vehicle mode.
• Amusingly,Hasbro's Battle Biofor Mudflap lists his arch-enemy as...Skids.The Twins' RPMs two-pack is also called "Skids vs Mudflap".
• Despite promotional pictures and most of the merchandise made for Mudflap, in the film he is actually closer to red than orange. The RPM and Human Alliance figures are close to the actual character's colors in the film.
• Much likethe previoustwo Mudflaps,toys of this character tend to beshelfwarmers.Maybe thenameis cursed.
• The Twins were originally supposed to return forDark of the Moon.Even thoughGeneral Motorsprovided two Chevrolet Sparks to serve as their alternate modes^[14]which were still spotted on the set as late as October 2010,^[15]the two were mostly edited out of the final movie (their vehicle modes can barely be glimpsed in a brief shot). Michael Bay even went so far as to offer a $25,000 reward for anyone who would see the Twins "perform" in the movie.^[16]In the novelization and the comic adaptation, Skids and Mudflap still appear.
• Like all non-toy robotKreonsin theKre-Ocomics, Mudflap is made from existingKre-Oparts. He uses theMiragehelmet... andJazzdoor-backpack.
• Attinger's playing card of Mudflap was revealed in a prop auction for theTransformersfilm series held in 2019.^[17][18]​

Controversy

From watchingRevenge of the Fallen,it should be pretty obvious that the depiction of the Twins is rooted in racist stereotypes of African-Americans. Their illiteracy inCyberglyphicsis framed as "never learnin' to read", they speak in an overall stereotypical manner and are generally shown to not be very clever and quick to violence. Furthermore, compared to the other Autobots (and even fellow black-coded movie AutobotJazz), their designs are visibly more hunched and ugly, with disfigured faces and a gold buck tooth on Skids.One later attemptto "smooth over" the problem would reveal that the pair act the way they do due to them being brain damaged, which only exacerbates the issue.

What's unclear is where exactly this imagery originated from: writersRoberto OrciandAlex Kurtzmanclaimed to have been followingMichael Bay's lead on the character, while Bay stated that it came from a piece of improv by actorsTom KennyandReno Wilson.Though Kenny, who is white, declined to comment when interviewed, Wilson, who is black, stated that they had been given direction to play the twins as "wannabe gangster types". This was supposed to play off the fact that, as alien robots who had learned human language and culture from the internet, they could not be black, with Wilson likening them to white rappers likeKevin Federline.^[19]What this means for Jazz, as well as theothercharactersWilson has played, is unknown. Whatever the intent, nobody involved seems to want to be tied to the issue. Orci and Kurtzman have attempted to distance themselves from the characters, stating that the stereotypes weren't in their script.^[20]For whatever reason, theRevenge of the Fallennovel, written by Alan Dean Foster and based on Orci and Kurtzman's screenplay, only depictsSkidsas the film-accurate slang-talker, while Mudflap speaks like any other Autobot, albeit with a thick lisp. Meanwhile,Simon Furman'sRevenge of the Fallenmaterial hasbothof the twins using less slang; presumably, Furman likely did not wish to try his hand at "street".

Whatever the intended direction for the characters, the "wannabe gangster" shtick doesn't come across in the finished project.Robert Epps,the only prominent black human character in the film, is never shown having anything to say about them, for example. Ultimately, the Twins' portrayal was rightfully deemed pretty disgusting, and the resultant public backlash was likely what led the studio to quietly drop the pair partway into the filming ofDark of the Moon.While their intended role in the film survived into that film'snovelizationandcomic book adaptation,the Twins are thankfully not present in any future movie stories, and are indeed conspicuous by their absence in the cross-filmStudio Seriestoyline.

Around fifteen years after the film's release, the twins were referenced in a not-so-subtle way onPrime Video'sThe Boystelevision series.^[21]

Foreign names

• Japanese:Mudflap(マッドフラップMaddofurappu)
• Finnish:Kuraläppä
• Hungarian:Sárfogó
• Mandarin:Dǎngníbǎn( đáng nê bản, "Fender" )

References