Rumbler (G1)

Rumbler is anAutobotAction Masterfrom theGeneration 1 continuity family.

No, I CAN'T make earthquakes! Stop asking me that.

Rumbleris called on in times of major crisis to form a line of defense against theDecepticons.His massive heavily armoredExo-suitroams the battlefield, impervious to enemy firepower, pounding and mauling all attackers who cross its path.

Fiction

Wings Universe

Not pictured: His identical twin, Frenzyr.

Rumbler and his twin brotherSprocketwere part ofPowerflash'sElite GuardStealth Team.They invaded and destroyed a Decepticon fortress inGygax,among other exploits.A Team EffortOn one of his first missions,Sprocketwound up getting his processor scrambled. Rumbler and the rest of the Stealth Team wound up breaking him out of an Iacon mental institution so that he could rejoin them on their missions.Sprocket'sWings of Honorprofile

Before another mission, Rumbler caught Sprocket talking to his imaginary friendHalogenagain, something that regularly drove him nuts. Rumbler subsequently had to endure mockery fromTap-Out,which he responded to with threats of physical violence. The team was given their new mission bySentinel Major,to preventGutcruncher's Decepticon faction from securing an asteroid with a mysterious power source on it.

Powerflash came up with a plan that first required Rumbler and Sprocket to disguise Powerflash and Tap-Out with paint. When Powerflash acquired theDarklon,Rumbler was skeptical about Sprocket's claims that he had made friends with the ship's computer. Rumbler and his brother concealed themselves in a storage bay on the ship while Powerflash and Tap-Out convinced the Decepticons that it was a ship for hire. Of course, once the Decepticons were on board, the deception quickly unraveled, and Powerflash let Rumbler out to cause some havoc. He managed to disable all three Decepticons, though Sprocket somehow managed to take half the credit.

After the ship reached the asteroid, Rumbler was not convinced it was a great place to visit. He and Powerflash disembarked, only to find that Gutcruncher's team had managed to free themselves. While Rumbler and Powerflash were held at gunpoint with their ownF-249 Quantum Pulse Regulators,Sprocket emerged from the ship to join them, and confided in the others that he'd neglected to recharge the guns after their last battle. The Decepticons and Autobots found acrystal monolithin a nearby crater and were zapped unconscious by it. When they recovered, they found they were unable to transform and were forced to hike back to theDarklon.The Decepticons got there first, but Rumbler was able to force the exterior door open, and they two teams realized that the crystal had granted them enhanced power. The Autobots swiftly overcame the Decepticons while it was still sinking in, and Rumbler punched out Gutcruncher, despite Powerflash bagsying the Warlord. Back on Cybertron, they were given a clean bill of health and told they'd be able to transform again when the effects of the radiation wore off.A Team Effort

Rumbler and the rest of the Stealth Team defended Elite Guard headquarters with Sentinel Major when theCombaticonsattacked it at the head ofDeathsaurus's troops.The Coming Storm: Part 5Most everyone was killed when the Combaticons formedBruticus.The Coming Storm: Part 6Rumbler and Sprocket were among the survivors who were repaired. They joinedIronfistandBig Bangin coming to the aid ofMagnum's team, who were fightingDeathsaurusand his troops. A short time later they were set upon by Decepticons, though the Autobots eventually prevailed.Battle Lines, Part 4A week after the battle, Rumbler was part of the Autobot forces ready when the Decepticons assaultedIacon.He and Sprocket were sent flying by a shot fromShockwave.Battle Lines, Part 5Rumbler did not survive. This was not acknowledged by Sprocket, who spoke to "Rumbler" as if he were there in the ship that departed forParadron.Battle Lines, Part 6

2005 IDW continuity

Fully kitted up in his exo-suit, Rumbler helped defend Cybertron fromShockwave'sAmmonitearmy.Black Planet

Toys

The Transformers

No I'm not made of candy.

• 4WD All-Terrain Vehicle with Action Master Rumbler(Motorized Exo-Suit Action Master,1991)

• Accessories:"4WD All-Terrain Vehicle" Exo-suit, 2rotating defence pounderflail-weapons
• Known designers:Takio Ejima(TakaraTomy),Masakatsu Saito(concept artist)

Released in the seventh year of theEuropean-marketTransformerstoyline(the first year following the end of the US line),Action MasterRumbler is a redeco ofSprocket,a non-transforming 3¾-inch action figure, with swivel neck, shoulders and knees, and steel-ball-jointed hips. His body shows hints of some form of fighter jet alternate mode, with tiny wings on the backs of his biceps and exhaust thrusters in his heels. He is compatible with any other Action Master accessory or vehicle, with 3 mm holes in his fists and feet for weapons and stands, and a5 mm holein his back for backpacks. He has no dedicated weapon accessories of his own, and in fact his exo-suit's weapons are not compatible with him.

He comes with a battery powered, self-propelled "4WD All-Terrain Vehicle" with dual flails that can be attached to the front wheels. The ATV also transforms into an armoredexo-suit;in this mode it can still roll forward under battery power. (The exo-suit is the same base vehicle as the simultaneously-releasedSlicer,but with alternate weaponry).

Unfortunately, Rumbler's mace weapons are cast in rubber, and can eventually harden, rot, and break over time. The rubber traction bands on the rear 4WD tires are also prone to splitting.

This set was only available in European markets, the year after theTransformersline was ended in the US. As such, it tends to demand a high price nowadays, especially given the fragility of its weapons.

• More information on Rumbler at TFU.info

Notes

• Years after his release, Sprocket was given the alternate mode of "Overdrive Observer" so presumably Rumbler had the same alternate mode.