Swoop (G1)
From Transformers Wiki
| This subject of this article goes by multiple names that apply to other articles as well. SeeSwoop (disambiguation),Divebomb (disambiguation),Strafe (disambiguation),Ptero. |
- Swoop is anAutobotDinobotfrom theGeneration 1 continuity family.
Swoop(akaDivebomb,[2]Strafe,[3]orPtero[4]) is the friendliest and most outgoing of the Dinobots. He's surprisingly good natured, kind, and upbeat. Few of his comrades realize this however, as his team's reputation and his alt-form, considered (for some reason) particularly "horrifying" to Transformer aesthetics, makes others wary of getting close enough to learn about the bot himself. Swoop is an excellent aerial combatant and bombardier, and has become skilled at using the fear his alt mode creates in battle. He considers it his greatest weapon. Like all the Dinobots, Swoop tends to be arrogant, disobedient, and generally disagreeing withOptimus Prime's leadership style. He's also a bit of a show-off.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformerscartoon
- Voice actor:Michael Bell(English),Yoku Shioya(Japanese),Yao Huang(Chinese),Roberto Alexander(Latin American),Thomas Rau(German,Call of the Primitives),Ulrich Frank(German, The Movie TV Dub),Gerd Wiedenhofen(German, Generation 2 Dub ofDinobot Island, Part 1),Claus Brockmeyer(German, Generation 2 Dub ofDinobot Island, Part 2&War of the Dinobots),Dick Eriksson(Swedish,Generation 2),Georges Atlas(European French),Henry Djanik(European French,Desertion of the Dinobotsepisodes),Marcos Miranda(Portuguese),Hélio Ribeiro(Portuguese, "Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 & 2" ),Márcio Simões(Portuguese, "The Movie" VHS dub),Ricardo Sawaya(Portuguese, "The Movie" Fox Kids dub)
Pleased with the overall success of the original three Dinobots,Optimus Primecommissioned the construction of two additional members:Snarland Swoop. The new duo made their combat debut againstIronhide,Bluestreak,Sideswipe,andProwlin a field test which the robotic dinosaurs passed with flying colors. Snarl and Swoop did battle with the original Dinobots (who were fooled byMegatronto go rogue), but were only strong enough to force them into a stalemate. The original Dinobots chose to return to the Autobots after their leader, Grimlock, was saved from the exploding meteorite through a selfless act of heroism from Optimus Prime.War of the Dinobots
Swoop later assisted his fellow Dinobots in limiting the amount of damage done by an incoming tidal wave by transporting logs to Snarl, who planted them into the ground to serve as an additional barrier against the raging wave.The Ultimate Doom, Part 2
Swoop was rarely seen apart from the other Dinobots. Together, they fought the likes ofDevastator,Heavy Metal WartheSub-AtlanticanKingNergill,Atlantis, Arise!and moved to abizarre islandto hone their skills.Dinobot Island, Part 1Dinobot Island, Part 2
Some time after that, the Dinobots chose to desert the Autobots during their time of need (the Autobots were dying from lack ofCybertonium) and go toCybertron.Sparkplug,Spike,andCarlysought out the Dinobots to convince them to help, but Grimlock, angered that they had been followed, decided to crush them. Swoop, however, saved them, wanting to hear the "brilliant part" from the humans. Grimlock was convinced to go, but instead led the Dinobots to Cybertron itself.Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1
All the Dinobots were captured byShockwave,reprogrammed and forced to work in the cybertonium mines at the planet'sorganic core.All, that is, except for Swoop. Swoop soon encountered Spike and Carly, the Autobots' human allies, deep within the bowels of the planet. The three teamed up and, after learning a brief history of the Transformer race, freed the Dinobots and returned toEarthwith a shipment of Cybertonium.Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
In2005,Swoop and the other Dinobots fought Devastator during the battle ofAutobot City.They didn't fare too well. They later evacuated the city (reluctantly) whenGalvatronattacked. Swoop and the Dinobots became briefly stranded onQuintessaalong withHot RodandKupwhen their ship was shot down. With help fromWheelie,the Dinobots found their friends, with Swoop usingSharkticonsas bombs. The Autobots escaped Quintessa and rescued the remaining Autobots on thePlanet of Junkfrom a horde of confusedJunkions.Later, Swoop did one of his greatest life accomplishments when he bombed the butt ofa god.The Transformers: The Movie
In the year2006,Swoop and other Autobots with "dinosaur transform static"were brought before a jury consisting ofSlammer,Six-Gun,Scamper,andMetroplex,who tried to determine if any of them were involved in a recent rash of monument thefts. It turned out they were innocent.Thief in the NightSwoop and the Dinobots were also summoned byPrimacron's Assistantto do battle withTornedron,a creation of the villainousPrimacron.Swoop failed to defeat the energy monster, but Grimlock managed to save the day just in the nick of time.Call of the Primitives
Japanese cartoon continuity
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformersstory pages
The Headmasterscartoon
Alongside Grimlock and Snarl, Swoop was sent out to defendCybertronfrom a major Decepticon assault.Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Legacy VS500 Collection Special Comic
Swoop was a spectator for the second week of theSpeedia 500onVelocitron.Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 3
Generations Selects Special Comic
In the year 2050, Swoop and the Dinobots resided on Dinobot Island with their new membersSlashandGrimmaster.Carlycalled and warned the Dinobots another time portal was opening on the island, and the Dinobots foundQuintessonson their land. The Dinobots ripped apart the Quintessons, but the evil merchants used theRecreatorto bring back thePredacons,who attacked asPredaking.Grimmaster was injured opposing Predaking, but he passed on hisEnergon Matrixso the Dinobots could create their own combiner, formingVolcanicus.Predaking was defeated, but the Dinobots learned that the human-forged robots calledSelectorswere rebelling atNeo Scramble City,and Carly had been hurt in the riots.Volcanicus comic 1
The Dinobots found the Autobots and Decepticons of theCybertron Alliancenow supported the Selectors' bid for freedom. Swoop agreed with Grimlock that the Dinobots would continue to support Carly and the humans against all other Transformers. Swoop was merciless in the battle that followed—first he blew theRainmakers' acid rain back in their faces, then grabbed their guns in midair and landed onSkyfireto blast him at point blank range. However, Swoop and the other Dinobots were all taken out bySky Lynxwhile Grimlock was busy with Optimus Prime. They recovered and reformed Volcanicus as the Quintessons got involved, dropping gas bombs on the battlefield.Volcanicus comic 2
The madness of the Quintessons united everyone against them and their creations, as the planet'sAngolmois Energybegan to go mad. The Dinobots were summoned back in time by theOracle,arriving on theBlue Planetof thePrecursor World.God Neptune comic 2There were many parties in play on the Precursor World, and it was all really complicated, so Grimlock focused the Dinobots on what he understood. Their old enemyPrimacronwas there, so Dinobots smash Primacron!Finale Prelude
Rodimus vs. Cyclonus
After blasting off of Quintessa aboard one of its ships, Swoop and the other Dinobots huddled around Kup near the vessel's control panel.Rodimus vs. Cyclonus
Wings Universe
Together withHot RodandKup,the Dinobots were on board a shuttle fleeing fromCyclonus,Scourgeand theSweeps,though they were more concerned about hearing one of Kup's war stories than being under attack. When they found temporary safety inside a nebula, Kup relented and told them about the time he was in theElite Guardand fought onBeta-Nine.Eventually the Decepticons found them, but Swoop and the other Dinobots were so angry about the interruption that they made short work of the attackers.Wings of Honor
Ask Vector Prime
In a universe where the Transformers andGoBotsco-existed, Swoop and the Dinobots fledGuardianCity aboard aCommand Centerafter Galvatron and his Renegade/Decepticon alliance attacked. Kup entertained the Dinobots with a few tall tales as they headed to Cybertron, but Galvatron attacked their ship, stranding them onAntares III.
Grimlock dispatched Swoop to scout out the region, but the Dinobot was unable to find Kup and Hot Rod. Shortly afterwards, the Dinobots encountered the RoGuns, who had also been stranded on Antares III. After a misunderstanding, they formed an alliance and barged into the court of theMaster Renegade,just in time to save Kup and Hot Rod from execution. After stealing the Master Renegade's ship and dubbing it "Grungy",the group headed toQuartex.Kup met up withBoulderand his heroicRock Lords,and together the alliance rescuedMajor Mo's group of Autobots and Guardians fromMagmar's evil Rock Lords.
The Autobots, Guardians, Rock Lords, and RoGuns returned to Cybertron aboard theGrungyand a Rock Lord vessel, where they battled Unicron. Before they were finished their fight,Vector Primemanaged to disentangle the two universes, setting history back on its proper course.Echoes and Fragments
Deviations
In a timeline where Optimus Prime killed Megatron during their Autobot City duel, Swoop was on Optimus Prime's shuttle when the Autobots set off to reclaim Cybertron from the leaderless Decepticons. They were attacked en route by "Megascream": a reformatted Starscream now in the thrall of Unicron. They managed to escape after Megascream and his troops retreated, touching down on Quintessa to repair the damage.
On the watery surface of the planet, the Autobots encountered a group of Sharkticons. Kup's universal greeting ended poorly, so Optimus dispatched the Dinobots to take care of the threat. Optimus, Kup, and the Dinobots stormed into a Quintesson courtroom, where they rescued Kranix and learned more about the threat of Unicron. When repairs on the ship had completed, the team picked up Hot Rod from Junkion and returned to Cybertron, where Optimus announced his intent to confront Unicron head-on.Deviations
Marvel Comics continuity
OnCybertron,Divebombwas a member of theElite Flying Corpswho had a strained relationship at best with his commanding officerOptimus Primeand a deadly rivalry witha Decepticonwho went on to take his name. Afterwards, he fell in withGrimlock's squad before becoming part of theArk's crew and after crashing onEarth,theArk's computerrevived Grimlock's squad to battleShockwave,giving themalt-modesbased upon theSavage Land'sdinosaurs.ThoughSwoopand the Dinobots defeated Shockwave they were also trapped, spending the next four million years in a tar pit until they were recovered byRatchetin1984.
Swoop then had a run of bad luck, first being deactivated by a bomb carried byGuardianand then being recovered byProfessor Morrisandused as a weaponto attack his fellow Autobots. He managed briefly to recover his mind before his primarycybo-dendronsburned out, rendering him little more than a violent beast and leaving him in a coma-like state. Upon recovering the Dinobots struck out on their own, battlingMegatronand theConstructiconsand befriending Morris's new mechanoidCenturionbefore Centurion was destroyed byGalvatron,an insanetime travellingDecepticon, and they once again had to fight for their lives. The Dinobots returned to the Ark after Optimus Prime's death and after they defeatedTrypticonthe Autobots elected Grimlock as their new leader. Swoop's life got a bit better after that until he discovered his old rivalDivebombwas also on Earth and he almost got killed by Divebomb's new buddies, thePredacons.Swoop was taken out of action shortly afterwards by theUnderbase-poweredStarscreamand kept on life support until Grimlock travelled toHydrus Fourand revived the Dinobots withNucleon.
Swoop and the others took control of the deserted Ark and used the super-fuel to revive the rest of the fallen Autobots before taking the fight toUnicrononCybertron.After the battle, Optimus Prime died and Grimlock became leader again before Cybertron started shaking itself apart and the Autobots were forced to flee, pursuingBludgeon's Decepticons toKlowhere they were ambushed and Swoop was killed. He was later resurrected by theLast Autobot.
In one timeline Swoop went on to haveApril Fools' Dayfun in Grimlock'sEarthforce;in others he foughtJhiaxus'sCybertronian Empireand theSwarm,became aMini-Con,or forged an alliance with Cybertron'sDemonsand fought theDark Matrix'sshadow-leechesbefore ultimately growing old and dying.
Kid Stuff Talking Story Books
Swoop and the other Dinobots live in an underground jungle environment, hidden beneath the Antarctic ice cap. Swoop was travelling to the Autobots’ headquarters when he and the Dinobots were attacked by Starscream and the Decepticon superjets. The Dinobots managed to fend off the Decepticons, and continued to Autobot headquarters.
Back at the Dinobots’ base, another Swoop, immersed in his tar cocoon, awaited activation to join the Autobot ranks. When theCrusher,a Decepticon juggernaut, forced its way into the Dinobots’ headquarters, the vibrations it produced inadvertently freed the cocooned Dinobots, who charged at Megatron and Soundwave to fend them off.Jaws of Terror
Optimus had requested Swoop and the rest of the Dinobots’ assistance when he and Prowl investigated Decepticon activity on the island ofBuru.Upon their arrival, the Dinobots quickly began overpowering the Insecticons on the island.Slaves of the Insecticons
Sticker Adventures books
Marvel Storybooks continuity
When the Autobots were confronted with the Decepticons' newest super-warrior, The Devastator, Swoop and the rest of the Dinobots arrived on-scene to counteract the new menace. Though the Decepticons mocked the Dinobots' slow pace at first, their laughter was cut short by Swoop flying down and bombarding The Devastator at close range, killing both Hook and Scrapper while they were still combined. Swoop then transformed and used his sword to slice through both of The Devastator's legs, in turn killing Mixmaster and Scavenger. With most of the Constructicons slaughtered, The Dinobots pounced on their carcasses, ripping them into pieces of scrap metal for good measure.Battle for Earth
Swoop was present whenBlasterconveyed a message from Megatron to Autobot headquarters, informing them that not only had they capturedSunstreakerwith the mighty gestaltDevastator,but that a rescue party of Autobots that had attempted to rescue the prisoner was now also being held hostage. As the rescue party had included fellow Dinobots Slag and Sludge, Swoop was perticularly shaken by this development, and was ready to surrender to the Decepticons. Thankfully,Optimusreturned morale to the Autobot ranks by devising a clever plan to trick the Decepticons. Swoop was amongst several Autobots that hid themselves within a statue of Devastator, which was wheeled before Decepticon headquarters, and left as a peace offering. When the Decepticons let down their guard, Swoop and the others burst forth from within the statue, and ambushed their enemies. Swoop played a prominent role in the battle that followed, blasting away at the earth-bound Decepticons as they impotently attempted to shoot him down. Eventually, the Autobots emerged victorious from the battle, with Swoop being one of the few robots emerging unscathed from the conflict.The Autobots' Secret Weapon
Marvel coloring books
When Optimus learned from Cosmos that the Decepticons were razing a human village to build a fuel plant in its place, he had the Dinobots hide within his trailer and inside his other troops' vehicle modes, in order to sneak up on the enemy. Once they were in close enough proximity toShockwaveand his minions, the Dinobots were released and the other Autobots transformed to battle the Decepticons. Swoop went after Laserbeak, frightening the cowardly bird away from the town.The Autobot Spy in the Sky
Swoop and the rest of the Dinobots gathered around Grimlock as Hot Rod explained to them that he was being chased by a squad of Decepticons. Hot Rod then took off towards Autobot City to warn Ultra Magnus while the Dinobots headed to confront the Decepticons. Swoop was taken by surprise by Dirge and took the first hit of the battle, but shrugged it off and retaliated in kind. He managed to take a few more hits, until finally being taken out of the fight when Galvatron injured his wing. The Autobots nevertheless managed to defeat the Decepticons, and they were cheered on by nearby humans as they headed back to Autobot City.Battle at Oil Valley
Swoop joined Bumblebee and Wreck-Gar on a mission to captureBombshell,who had injectedSpringerwith acerebro-shell.They trapped Bombshell in agiant super-strong trash bagand Swoop held the other Decepticons at bay with his rockets. Swoop then blew a hole in the side of a cliff for the Autobots to escape through.The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp
Swoop took part in a battle over energon cubes atMount St. Hilarywhich ended whenStarscreamscarfed all the energon.The Lost Treasure of Cybertron
Big Looker storybooks
During an incomprehensibly heavy-handed Decepticon plot to steal a single fuel tanker, the Autobots - also oddly determined to protect this single tanker - found themselves outnumbered and outgunned. Swoop, still recovering from a previous battle, arrived to assist, and was fired on by Megatron. This so enraged the mild-mannered Autobot that he dropped an air-to-air missile launcher (?) with the power of 5000 pounds of TNT. Swoop comes across as uncharacteristically modest, and grateful just to be able to help Prime and pals. Also, Swoop has hair.Decepticon Hijack
Swoop and the rest of the Dinobots accompanied Hot Rod, Kup and Arcee on a space-faring mission. Swoop helped load the ship's cargo. The ship wound up malfunctioning, and they crash-landed on the planet Quintesson. There, they encountered Wheelie, who warned them about the planet's evil inhabitants.They soon encountered a few Quintessons leading their Sharkticon soldiers to apprehend them. Swoop fired a couple of missiles to fend off the enemy robots. After the Quintessons had been defeated, the Autobots left the planet in the ship that had once been piloted by Wheelie's parents.The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson
Dinobot War
Swoop, along with the rest of the Dinobots, were present during Earth's distant past, whenyou,Ravage and Laserbeak travelled through time. The Dinobots quickly learned about the Decepticons' plan to attack the Autobots still slumbering in stasis aboard the crashed Ark, and set out to oppose them. Whether or not they succeeded was up to you!Dinobot War
Find Your Fate Junior
Dinobots Strike Back
As the Dinobots slacked off from lookout duty inHidden Valley,only Swoop saw an incomingmortarin time to dodge, escaping with an injured wing while the other four were knocked out. He watched in horror asBombshellplantedcerebro-shellson his teammates, unsure if he should fight theInsecticonor return to the Ark for help.
If he confronted Bombshell, the beetle responded by hovering over the other Dinobots, forcing Swoop to move higher or lower for a clean shot. If he flew in lower and fired a missile, he hit Bombshell, then threatened him until he removed his shells in two different paths; the only difference was that if he fired from aboveSludge,thenGrimlockaccidentally conked him on the head, leaving Swoop with no memory of Bombshell, andyoubeing the only one who knows what happened. If he fired from aboveSlag,he remembered enough to tell his buddies that they felt odd because they had a bug in their circuits.
If Swoop tried to lure Bombshell higher, the Insecticon instead just ordered the Dinobots to go attack the Ark. Their stampede raised a dust cloud that gave Bombshell the cover he needed to sneak up and inject Swoop with a poison that shrank to the size of a hummingbird. After evading a lizard, Swoop tailed his teammates until the poison wore off and he grew back to normal size.
When Swoop told Optimus Prime what happened, there were several options for a plan of attack. If Optimus chose an immediate assault, the Autobots made no progress until Swoop missiled the ground near Slag, knocking him over hard enough to dislodge his cerebro-shell. This gave Prime the strategy he needed to free the other Dinobots.
An alternate path led to the four Dinobots pretending to still be under the shells' control to infiltrate the Decepticons'Mount Lomasbase, a plan Swoop had to first relay to Sludge inDolphin's Bay.Swoop later flew a loop over their mountaintop victory party, signalling the others to break cover and attack, then shot down the fleeingThrustfor good measure.Dinobots Strike Back
Battle Drive
When Bumblebee failed to report back from his scouting mission in a timely fashion, Optimus became worried about the little Autobot and sent out Swoop along with Prowl and Hound to check up on him. After Bumblebee informed the group that the Decepticons were planning to detroy farmland in order to starve humanity into submission, the group had to make a decision on their next course of action. If they decided to try and head back to Autobot headquarters immediately, they would get caught in a sudden storm. The flooded roads stopped the earthbound Autobots from progressing, while the violent winds prevented Swoop from heading back to base as well.
If they decided to take on the Decepticons by themselves, the group encountered Buster Witwicky on the road. Informing the Autobots that Sparkplug was on the run from the Decepticons after having discovered a fatal flaw in their circuitry, the group were faced with another decision to make.
If the Autobots decided to continue on with their mission of stopping the Decepticons from destroying farmland, Swoop and the rest of the group are ambushed by the Decepticons and promptly destroyed.
If however, the Autobots decide to go after Buster's father, Swoop elects to carry Buster in hisbeast mode,and the group head into the hills, where Sparkplug was headed to hide. From this vantage point, Buster is the first to spot the Decepticons surrounding a cave wherein Sparkplug is holed up. Swoop dives down and lets Buster off his back before being ordered by Prowl to fly ahead and distract the Decepticons while the slower Autobots move in to secure Sparkplug. Swoop flew towards Megatron, Laserbeak, Blitzwing, Starscream, Bombshell and at least half-a-dozen other Decepticons. Focused on the cave's opening, the Decepticons did not notice Swoop approaching. Using the element of surprise, Swoop took out Starscream first with his air-to-air missiles. The Decepticons retaliate, and Swoop is faced with a new decision.
If Swoop elected to stay and fight the Decepticons, he manages to take out Megatron with a lucky shot into the tyrant's fusion cannon, causing it to backfire and obliterate the Decepticon leader. Without their leader, the Decepticons fell into disarray and were easily picked off by the Autobot reinforcements that arrived soon afterwards.
If Swoop decided to fly off to the Autobots' headquarters, a substantial amount of Decepticons tail him, leading to Swoop needing a few days to return with reinforcements.Battle Drive
Autobot Alert!
Swoop was in Metroplex city when an Autobot Alert sounded.
In one possible scenario, Swoop was selected alongside Mirage, Jazz, Powerglide and Prowl, to join Ultra Magnus on an orbital mission to both rescue Cosmos and halt a Decepticon plot to take over Earth's broadcast satellites. After donning special space gear for solar protection, the team took off and headed towards Cosmos's last coordinates.Though they soon found Cosmos, so did they spot Galvatron's ship, Cyclonus, looming nearby. After they had retrieved Cosmos, Ultra Magnus called out to his troops to return to the shuttle's control deck. Ultra Magnus ordered his troops to train all of their weapons on Cyclonus for a full-frontal assault. Swoop was pulled aside by Powerglide who questioned to wisdom of Ultra Magnus's plan, and suggested that he and Swoop instead attempt a sneak attack on the Decepticons.
If the Autobots went along with Ultra Magnus's plan, Swoop and the rest of the Autobots were horrorstruck when Galvatron himself emerged from Cyclonus, followed by an army of multiwing jet fighters. Swoop and the others were left drifting helplessly into space as the Decepticons tore their shuttle apart.
If Swoop and Powerglide went ahead with their own plan, Swoop is put in charge of using his superior fire power to disable Cyclonus while Powerglide distracts him. Sneaking up on Cyclonus, Swoop successfully destroyed the Decepticons’ transmit ion apparatus, foiling the Decepticons’ plans.Autobot Alert!
3H comics
In a distant future of theBeast Era,the dark warlord known asShokaracthad conquered Cybertron and much of the galaxy. Only a handful of Maximals and Predacons survived to oppose him, under the command of the PredaconSandstorm.Among them was an ancient warrior known simply as the Veteran. Reflecting on his long history and all his many departed comrades, the Veteran began to wonder if he had survived so long as to become afigurativedinosaur.
The Veteran's finely honed skills and instincts allowed him to survive an assassination attempt by theCub,one of Shokaract's servants. Returning in defeat, the Cub was severely wounded as punishment for his failure and left to die in the wilds of Cybertron. Before he could perish, however, Sandstorm's band of rebels recovered him. In an attempt to learn more about Shokaract's plans, the Veteran merged his Spark with that of the Cub, and thus was born the dual-sparkedWindrazor.Schism
Though Windrazor was essentially a new being, within him the Sparks of the Veteran and the Cub continued to grapple for control and dominance of their joined form.Paradox
DreamwaveGeneration Onecontinuity
Swoop was an Autobot once named Divebomb, though the circumstances surrounding his name change are unspecified. When Optimus Prime andMegatrondisappeared into an unstable space bridge prototype, Swoop joined Grimlock'sLightning Strike Coalition.Together, they were able to thwart Starscream'sPredaconsfrom keeping a stolen cargo of Energon and made a quick retreat with the goods.FragmentationWhen Grimlock took the Dynobots to executeJetfireand Shockwave, Swoop argued that they should instead focus onthe new battle basethe Decepticons had built. Grimlock insisted on pursuing their initial mission, but eventually relented, and allowed Swoop and the others aidProwland his troops fight Trypticon while he pressed forward. The battle against Trypticon wound up ending prematurely as the base was called away to rescue Shockwave. Swoop told Trypticon to come back and fight, and called it a coward (once the base was already leaving).Revelation
Heading to theNeutral Territories,they found no sign of Grimlock, Shockwave, or Jetfire, though there was evidence that a battle had taken place in the area. Swoop contacted Prowl factions to inform them of these strange happenings, and the Autobots agreed to investigate the matter further.ConfrontationTracking Shockwave down, Swoop convinced the Decepticon to form a temporary alliance to deal with the bigger threat they now faced;The Fallen,attempting to loose agreater chaotic forceonto their world. Together, the joint army managed to defeat theChaos Trinity,three acolytes working for The Fallen. Ultimately though, it was Jetfire who managed to put an end to The Fallen's diabolical scheming. Afterwards, each of the six Cybertronian factions agreed to seal the chamber used by The Fallen to prevent anyone from abusing the power contained within it.Conflagration
Afterwards,Ultra Magnusmanaged to unite the Autobots once more, and under his leadership gained a significant hold over Cybertron's resources and territories. This eventually forced theUltraconsand Shockwave's Decepticons to sign a peace treaty with the Autobots. Swoop was posted as perimeter guard during the signing, in anticipation for any attacks that might come their way. Sure enough, Starscream and hisPredaconsstruck by sending in a pair of shuttles filled with neutronium plasma to crash intoTyger Pax,where the treaty was being signed. Swoop and the other Dynobots were unable to halt the shuttles, ending any hope of an easy truce. The dramatic return of Megatron with his clonedAerospace Extermination Squadronended any ideas of truce at all.The Age of Wrath
As with the otherDynobots,they departed forEarthafter theInsecticons,most likely because they were running out of things to smashback home.ExterminationThey somehow ended up underMegatron's control and were used to blackmailGrimlockinto serving the Decepticons again.Prime Directive #3Grimlock was able to eventually free them when both Megatron and Optimus Prime became Shockwave's prisoners.Brothers' BurdenThereafter, the Dinobots decided that all the fun was really back home. Using a stolen Decepticon shuttle, Swoop piloted the Dinobots back to Cybertron, and after a crash-landing, began sowing their own brand of chaos, bringing discord toShockwave's totalitarian regime.Cold WarTheir rampage was so destructive that it required the intervention of theOmega Sentinelsto halt.Passive AggressionThough all of the Dinobots wound up rather dinged up after this battle, but they were retrieved by Ultra Magnus. Magnus brought them all to Perceptor for repairs so that they could join the insurrection against Shockwave's regime anew.Countdown to ExtinctionLater, once Shockwave's government had been overthrown, Swoop was among the Autobots assembled by Ultra Magnus to help fortify Cybertron's planetary defenses. The Dinobots were to help Kup bolster the new Autobot bases on Cybertron's moons.The Route of All Evil
After an amusing conversation took place between Kup andSludge,the two of them, along with Arcee, Snarl, and Slag, joined Springer, Grimlock, and Swoop on their shuttle's bridge. Together, they all saw an approaching Quintesson ship.Generation 1 #11
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
Swoop and his team members were sent into Earth's past and reformatted into dinosaurs by a malfunctioningTeletran 3.After some problems withShockwaveblocking their way back, a team consisting ofGung-Ho,Dusty,Shipwreck,and aCobraVipermanaged to retrieve the Dinobots, who immediately wrecked Shockwave's party. Swoop took care of flying Decepticons by simply cutting right through them with his wings.G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4
The Beast Within
Four million years ago, Swoop combined with his fellow Dinobots to formThe Beast,a savage abomination of a gestalt that knew no mercy.The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences
In the current day, Swoop was called upon by Grimlock to combine once more into their gestalt form. The merge complete, the Dinobots then rampaged once more as The Beast.The Beast Within
2005 IDW continuity
- First appearance:Spotlight: Shockwave
DuringNominus Prime's rule, Swoop and the other Dynobots made up thePrimal VanguardCovert Strike Force, a team of demolitions and heavy weapons experts with a perfect track record. This all changed one day when they ran into powerful subterranean monsters during a mission to theToraxxis Plains,forcing Swoop and his mates to use a revolutionary method of instantaneousaltmodeadaption to take on traits of their foes to survive. Already grieving over the death of their medic,Skar,the Dynobots were outraged to find that their superiors' response was to put them in quarantine and study their new altmodes, causing them to break out and abandon the Vanguard.Underworld
The Dynobots dropped off the radar until the dayOptimus Primerallied an army to fight the tyranny of theDecepticons.BroadcastSwoop and his team responded to the rallying call and joined the Autobots atIaconwhere they took outa lotof tanks.EndgameHowever, at this time they realized they were becoming increasingly aggressive, a side effect of their monstrous altmodes. Fearing that they might actuallybecomemonsters and endanger the people of Cybertron, the team turned to a life of crime in an attempt to gather enough money to leave the planet.Derelicts
Having caught a lead on a client wanting an energon refinery heist done, Swoop suggested that they rob theToraxxis mega-refinery,a plan the others agreed with. His main role in the heist was to air-drop Sludge onto the facility, smashing into it by using his thick comrade as a wrecking ball.WreckageWhen tensions grew between Grimlock and Slag during the theft, Swoop stepped in to calm them down but couldn't keep Slag from storming off. Thankfully he returned to help them out whenScorponokshowed up with a bunch of Decepticons to steal the Dynobots' score.Faces of DarknessGrimlock fought Scorponok one-on-one but grew increasingly vicious until he started transforming into his altmode, forcing Swoop and Slag to try to calm him down before he lost control completely.RageAfter the incident led to the destruction of the refinery, the Dynobots gave up on acting alone and accepted the Autobots' offer to help.Prey
Brought along byKuptoStarsreach Spaceport,Swoop and his comrades were caught in a Decepticon airstrike, causing Grimlock to lose control and go berserk.MassacreTheir leader's rampage caused the Dynobots to lose their newfound hope in ever finding salvation, and they chose to leave Cybertron.UnleashedFortunately they changed their minds on learning thatTrypticonwas unleashed upon Cybertron, and returned to fight off the monster's minions—the very same creatures they'd met underground long ago.AnnihilationOnce Trypticon was defeated, Swoop and the other Dynobots joined Optimus Prime for good in hopes that Autobot scientists could cure them of their cursed altmodes.Belly of the BeastThrough cleansing of their energon and restoration of their original altmodes, the Dynobots were indeed cured of their rage in time to participate in the defense of Iacon against a major Decepticon attack.Primacy #3Primacy #4
The Dinobots continued to serve under Optimus Prime over the next few million years, becoming widely-known and feared boogeymen for the Decepticons and conducting regular raids on outposts andenergonstores.Maximum Dinobots #1They took part in the battle ofVaras Centralus,one of the bloodiest battles of the warThe Killing Jaras well as another alien planet where the native population was rendered extinct by the conflict.PostSwoop fought in the skies during theBattle for Hell's Point.The Gloaming
Swoop and the other Dynobots followed Grimlock to revenge themselves againstShockwave,who blew up a cache ofenergonthey had stolen. When Shockwave traveled toEarth,the Dynobots pursued him and reformatted themselves to transform into robotic dinosaurs with a synthetic skin as a defense against energon overload. Sadly, it did not protect the Dynobots from Shockwave's energy blasts, which melted the artificial skin and caused the Dynobots to go intostasis lockdue to excessiveenergon radiation.Due to a deadman's switch, theDynobots' shipblasted a volcano that buried everyone in molten lava.Spotlight: Shockwave
Thousands of years later, the Dynobots were eventually excavated bySkywatch.As Swoop's wings had been mostly disintegrated by Shockwave, leaving only the "fingers," Skywatch scientists constructed new ones for him. Though Grimlock was the first to be brought back online, he was freed from Skywatch's control through a virus implanted by aMachinationspy (under orders from Scorponok). Scorponok wanted Grimlock to join him, but Grimlock refused, fought Scorponok and escaped, vowing to find and rescue Swoop and the other Dynobots. Scorponok, however, planned to take control of the Dynobots himself and use them to assassinate Grimlock.Spotlight: Grimlock
Skywatch activated Swoop, and in a test run, had him destroy a plane. When Grimlock showed up inFallon,he and the other Dynobots were sent to intercept him.Maximum Dinobots #1He got to slash at Grimlock with his talons before his reprogramming was removed, allowing him to discover Grimlock had set up a dead man's switch that buried themwithoutinforming the rest of the team. However, Grimlock's spirited defence of his actions seemed to convince Swoop...Maximum Dinobots #2
Or not. Despite Grimlock's best efforts to justify his actions, Swoop was quite disillusioned by the perceived betrayal of trust and decided to fly off on his own. The others also left Grimlock, who was thereafter almost immediately attacked by Scorponok'sHeadmaster army.Despite their shaken faith in Grimlock, the other Dynobots were quick to turn back and aid him in battle, unwilling to watch a comrade fight alone. Swoop also flew back, admitting he had nowhere else to go. The five Dynobots continued to fight even as the Sunstreaker clones threatened to overwhelm them. Swoop told Grimlock it was probably better to die like this alongside his warrior brothers than be on his own. Just as the Machination grunts began to dogpile the Dynobots, theMonsterbotsarrived, having been summoned earlier by Grimlock. With their help, the Dynobots easily forced the remaining Headmasters into a retreat.Maximum Dinobots #3
Later, aboard the Monsterbots’ ship en route to Machination HQ, Swoop and the others discussed their current situation. Swoop in particular was quite disgusted at being allied, even temporarily, with the Monsterbots. When Grimlock came to them with the terms of the alliance, the rest of the Dynobots just gave him an annoyed look. Having arrived at Machination HQ, Grimlock told his team that he was going to see this through to the end, with or without them. Deciding things couldn't get worse, Swoop and the rest followed Grimlock as they leapt from the ship and attacked. They set upon the task (again) of trashing Sunstreaker clones, untilHunter O'Nionmanaged to disconnect the clones’ link to the original Sunstreaker's head. Assuming the threat was ended, Sludge began to celebrate...only to be struck down by the vengeful Scorponok.Maximum Dinobots #4
Before the Dynobots could do anything about the DecepticonHeadmaster,Shockwave arrived on the scene. Claiming to want the Dynobots for himself, Shockwave entered into combat with Scorponok, leaving an opportunity for the Dynobots to escape. The price of his arrogance and unyielding attitude striking him, Grimlock decided to stay behind with Sludge's stasis-locked body, as Swoop, Snarl, and Slag retreated. They were going to pull out of the area with the Monsterbots, but ultimately decided against it. Returning to the scene of the battle, they found Grimlock fighting Shockwave, and Sludge having just come back online. Swoop and the others briefly aided Grimlock, but were ordered by the Dynobot commander to go find Scorponok before he escaped. They infiltrated Machination HQ, and found the chamber where Scorponok's original head was being stored. With some direction from the damagedHot Rod,Swoop severed the connections keeping Scorponok's head functional with his wings, rendering the giant Decepticon inert. Snarl was about to execute Scorponok whenUltra Magnusarrived on the scene. He suggested that they quickly scrub the site of evidence of any Cybertronian, and take Scorponok and the now-defeated Shockwave into custody. Swoop and the others were totally cool with this. In the end, Grimlock surrendered himself to Ultra Magnus for his rogue actions and the rest of the Dynobots were let off the hook. Swoop was seen helping the others rebuild theSkyfire.Maximum Dinobots #5
After traveling space for a few years, Swoop and the newly dubbed "Dinobots" returned to a reborn Cybertron and joinedIronhidefor a mission to find theAerialbotswho had gone missing in the wilderness. After a run-in with a ferociousturbofox,which the Dinobots dealt with in their usual fashion, they discovered signs of Transformer weaponry which made Ironhide suspicious thatMegatronwas still around after the Decepticon leader had disappeared during the Autobot's last battle which ended the war. The night they set up camp, a battle suddenly broke out and ended with Slag and Swoop impaling Ironhide.Dinobot HuntHowever, this didn't kill Ironhide and the Dinobots continued to fight each other. Eventually, they somehow stopped clashing among themselves and began to pursue Ironhide, who was saved thanks to the timely arrival of the combined form of the Aerialbots,"The Superion".Night and the City
As it later turned out, the Dinobots' rage had been brought about by Megatron, who had unsuccessfully been using them as test subjects for a mysterious type of energy capable of forcing Transformers tocombine.Superion's appearance caused them to recover from his tampering with their minds, and they returned to Iacon with Ironhide and Superion just as the city was being conquered by Decepticons.Before the DawnDuring the battle, Swoop took to the skies and fought withLaserbeakandBuzzsawPlan for Everythingas well asSlugslinger.While the Autobots were victorious in the end, they found themselves exiled into the wilderness whenStarscreamtook command and banished all non-neutrals.Heavy Is the HeadOut in the wilderness, the Dinobots defended the Autobot convoy from the approachingConstructicons,at least until the Decepticon team expressed their desire to join forces with the Autobots because they appreciated what a lying, murdering prickProwlwas.Bumblebeewas horrified by the revelation, which Swoop foundhilarious.Second Exodus
When a mysterious light lit up Cybertron, the Dinobots ignored Bumblebee's urges for caution and instead prepared to roll out and smash things. Then out of the light stepped the decidedly difficult-to-smashNecrotitan.Dark DawnAs the Autobots scrambled to deal with the situation, Swoop performed aerial reconnaissance on the giant and found it silent and unmoving.Black MetalThey were interrupted by an attack from the similarly exiled Decepticon forces, but the battle didn't last long before both factions were caught in a destructive energy wave emanated from the Titan.Winners & LosersRealizing they were both up against something greater, the Autobots and Decepticons teamed up to put a stop to Shockwave, responsible for summoning the Titan.Into the AbyssAfter the Necrotitan started marching towards Iacon, all the Dinobots could do was uselessly fire on it as it ignored them.No Exit
As the Necrotitan stomped through Iacon, the Dinobots and others continued to try and halt its rampage untilMetroplexarrived to confront the undead Titan.Burning BrightSwoop could only get out of the way as the two giants clashed.Finis TemporisAfter the Necrotitan was defeated, the Dinobots stood around in the aftermath as the crew of theLost Lightwas welcomed back to Cybertron. Swoop joined in the celebratory singing inSwerve'sas everyone enjoyed a brief break in the action.The BecomingThe reprieve didn't last long, as Shockwave's army ofAmmonitessoon appeared in the sky, and the Dinobots got back to fighting.Black PlanetSwoop and the others killed Ammonites until their foes all began self-destructing. Swoop bore witness to Optimus Prime and Megatron returning after they had ended Shockwave's threat....And the Damage Done
With a murderer on the loose, Swoop and the other Dinobots arrived on the crime scene to provide security for an investigation.Fight or FleeWhen theFireconswere suspected as the killers, Swoop and the others aided in their apprehension, brutalizing the three Decepticons.Quest for FireThe Dinobots left to let off some steam after the fight, and Optimus tracked them down to accuse Slug of being the real murderer.The Killing JarSwoop was doubtful that Optimus really meant what he said to Slug, but before the Dinobots could do anything about it, their stomping ground was bombed. Prime had only accused Slug to root out the real killer;Sandstorm,who chose the Dinobots as his next targets. The Dinobots were rescued by Starscream andWindbladewhile Optimus managed to stop and apprehend Sandstorm.Forever Is a Long Time Coming
Swoop and Sludge had to restrain a drunken Slug from attackingCamienproselytizers after he heard them singing the praises of Optimus Prime.AphelionThey dragged him toMaccadam'sto get even drunker and start a brawl THERE, ending in Slug's arrest byBarricade.Barricade soon hired the Dinobots for a under-the-table job requested by CamiensSwiftandStrafetransporting secret cargo into the wilderness and past theSea of Rust.While initially planning to double-cross Barricade and take his money, Slug changed his mind once he found out the cargo consisted of Camiensparksthat were to be planted in a newhot spotinAlyon.Swoop and the other Dinobots quickly followed Slug's lead and provided defense against theBadgeless,reanimatedSweeps,and mutated turbofoxes during the long journey. The group soon encounteredBludgeon,the source of their troubles, and a battle ensued that resulted in the death of Barricade, the loss of the Camien sparks, and Strafe being mutated by corruptedenergon.In the aftermath, the Dinobots, now joined by the newly-bestial Strafe, decided to continue deeper into the wilderness to track down the missing Bludgeon.Redemption
Months later, the Dinobots were still following Bludgeon's trail through the wastes ofTyger Pax.They discovered one of his abandoned labs, where they were ambushed by Sandstorm, who had been released from prison by Starscream to kill the Dinobots. He managed to kill Slug with a sniper shot, forcing the other Dinobots to flee. After stealing the new sparks from the Alyon hot spot, Bludgeon reawakened and enslavedTrypticonwith theVoid Scepter,unleashing him on Iacon. Swoop split off from the others to investigate Alyon and ran afoul of Sandstorm, who blew him out of the sky. Deciding Bludgeon and Trypticon were a greater threat, Sandstorm spared Swoop's life and gave him a lift back to Iacon. They infiltrated Trypticon and met up with Snarl and Sludge, who attacked Sandstorm upon learning from Swoop that he was Slug's killer. Their battle spilled into Trypticon's brain-center, where Strafe was confronting Bludgeon. The fight turned out to be a distraction so they could separate Bludgeon from the Void Scepter, and with his mind freed, Trypticon forciblyspace bridgedBludgeon outside and immolated him. Trypticon then departed Iacon and returned to the wilderness, determined to nurture the stolen sparks nested within him. The Dinobots and Sandstorm made an uneasy peace and agreed to defend the sparks until they matured intoprotoforms.Salvation
They were soon joined byCenturionin their vigil and drawn into conflict with Optimus Prime,Arcee,Garrison Blackrock,and the resurrected Slug, who was enraged to see his fellow Dinobots consorting with Sandstorm. Another fight broke out, with everyone's aggression amplified by Bludgeon and his reacquired Void Scepter.The Dead Come Home, Part 1Trypticon put a stop to the fighting and Slug reconciled with the rest of the Dinobots; Swoop welcoming him back with a sentimental "trying to kill each other is no big deal" hug.The Dead Come Home, Part 2
After Trypticon had relocated to Earth, Swoop, Slug, and Strafe found themselves defending against an attack by theColonist Soldiers,who were misguidedly attempting to rescue the imprisonedJazz.The battle took a tragic turn afterGimletkilledMainframeand was in turn killed by Slug. However, everyone soon stopped fighting whenUnicronappeared in the skies above Earth.Time Will RustSwoop and the Dinobots stood around wondering what to do as this new threat was assessed.A Sunrise Dark
The Dinobots attended a war council inside Trypticon and joined an attack force in Earth's orbit to oppose Unicron'sMaximalarmy.AssemblyAfter Bludgeon'sWorldsweeperbreached the planet's atmosphere, the Dinobots boardedSky Lynxand followed it. WithVictorionserving as a distraction, the Dinobots infiltrated the Worldsweeper and fought their way to the bridge to confront Bludgeon. Sludge, Snarl, and Slug all died in the ensuing fight but the Dinobots finally succeeded in killing Bludgeon after the Worldsweeper crash-landed into theWhite House.Swoop and Strafe managed to survive, being pulled from the rubble by Swift.CeremonyIn the days following Unicron's defeat, Swoop attended Optimus Prime's funeral.Post
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
Swoop was present whenBrawnpresented the offworldersClutch,Breaker,Cover Girl,andJinxas P.O.W.s to King Grimlock. Grimlock had no mercy for his captives, and promptly dropped them in a pool ofSharkticons.Funeral for a Friend
The Joes survived their trial, however, impressing Grimlock. The humans were escorted back to their allies on Cybertron, where Grimlock announced a truce between the Autobots and the Joes. Swoop joined in the festivities that ensued to celebrate the newly forged alliance.Form Follows FunctionSoon thereafter, the mobile city ofMetroplexcame under siege from bothTrypticonand a mind-controlledFortress Maximus.Swoop flew into battle to drive back the enemy forces of Decepticobra, allowingSnow JobandRock 'n Rollto ride atop of him.Everybody Hates Metroplex
Swoop flew with a united Autobot/G.I. Joeforce opposing the Decepticon/Cobraalliance before the final battle.Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12He carriedLady JayeandFlashinto battle and later saw the deceased Grimlock's spirit among the former bearers of theMatrix of Leadership.The War Never Ends
Transformers: All Spark
Ask Vector Prime
InPrimax 096.0 Beta,Grimlock, Sludge, and Swoop appeared at the last minute to save the day for the Autobots at the Battle forSherman Dam.Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06
2006 IDWBeast Warscontinuity
Swoop was one of the many casualties of the Great War before the signing of thePax Cybertronia.Dawn of the Predacus
Titans Returnmarketing material
TheTitan MasterPtero was a skilled flier capable of bombing ground-based targets from high above. He could grant other bots the ability to fly at supersonic speed.Titans ReturnPtero online bio
Prime Wars Trilogycartoons
- Voice actor:Matthew Patrick(English)
WhenMegatronand his team arrived in thePrimal Swamp,Swoop and the other Dinobots attacked the trespassers. Swoop assisted Grimlock in his attempts to drownPerceptor,butVictorionmanaged to force them off the scientist. Undeterred, Swoop merged with his fellow Dinobots to becomeVolcanicus.The SwampThe Dinobots later separated, but were taken aback when Grimlock agreed to join Megatron's group.PrimalUnable to agree with the decision, Swoop and the other Dinobots departed. Unfortunately, they were found byOverlordandRodimus Cron,who attacked and soundly defeated them. Unable to move, Swoop could only watch as Rodimus killed Sludge and departed with Overlord, leaving him and the others to mourn the loss of their own.Athenaeum SanctorumHe was later severely weakened by the spark-draining power ofMegatronus's doomsday weapon.Collision CourseFortunately, he ultimately survived and he and the others reunited with Grimlock, collectively mourning Sludge.Saga's End
Power of the Primesmarketing material
The Dinobot bombardier Swoop could wield powers of thePrimesby linking withPrime Masters.Power of the PrimesDinobot Swoop packaging bio
Commercial appearances
- Swoop and the Dinobots were beating upStarscream,Thundercracker,andSkywarpwhen thePredaconsintervened. The new arrivals then combined into Predaking and attacked the Dinobots from the skies.Predacons commercial
Games
The Transformers(PS2)
Transformers Legends
When Grimlock went missing, Swoop and Sludge paid a visit to the planetJunk,but were unable to find him there.WreckageThey and the rest of theLightning Strike Coalitiontracked down Grimlock to the Sea of Rust, where they were captured byShockwavewho experimented on them and gave them dinosauralternate modes.They repaid him by trashing his lab.Rescue the King
Grimlock and Swoop went missing, causing the other three Dinobots to act erratically, until the Autobots got the trio under control and locked them up.Day of the Dinobots - Part 1The missing pair resurfaced, staging a raid and freeing their fellow Dinobots in the middle of the night. The five Dinobots marched on the Decepticon base, but were defeated byShockwave,Ramjet,andRatbat.Day of the Dinobots - Part 2
The Dinobots supported Grimlock when their leader decided to take control of the Autobot army, and took part in an attack on the Decepticons, capturing Megatron and Shockwave.Me, Grimlock, King
When Optimus fell in battle during a massive Decepticon attack on Autobot City and Grimlock took command, Swoop and the other Dinobots joined him in crushing the Decepticon forces.S.O.S. DinobotsSwoop aided Grimlock in rescuing Rodimus and Kup when the pair were put on trial by the Quintessons.Mockery of Justice
Transformers Rising
Transformers: Battle Tactics
Swoop participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Super Rare character who was available as a reward in the "Dinobots Destruction" event.Transformers: Battle Tactics
Transformers: Frontiers
Transformers: Earth Wars
Strafe was previously known as Swoop.Dark DeedsThen later he became Swoop again.
- Class:Aerial
- Lowest Star Rating:2 star
- Weapons:Strafe uses a heat ray to obliterate targets.
- Ability: Fire Mission:Sets out to damage targets in an area, striking them up to 18 times.
- Cost:5 ability points +5 for reuses.
Strafe at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki
Angry Birds Transformers
Swoop exists in the game asVolcanicus’right arm.Angry Birds Transformers
Transformers Roleplaying Game
Although Swoop was a friendly soul and an excellent flier, he sometimes felt pressured by his fellow Dinobots to conform to their stubborn, belligerent ways.Technorganic Secrets
Toys
Merchandise
Notes
- Swoop had the preliminary names ofDivebomb[2]andWing.[5]
- Swoop was originally aDiacloneDinosaur Robo Pteranodon type piloted mech. Whoever made Swoop's animation model used thisDiaclonetoy as a reference, as the Dinobot sports the pre-Transformer's blue chest, and gold lower beak, missiles, and dino feet. Swoop's box art has the Transformer toy's red chest, but keeps the gold parts from the Diaclone toy.
- Swoop's character model was simplified a little between seasons one and two ofthe original cartoon,removing a couple of lines here and there from his legs, chest, and wings, and the "ears" on his helmet.
- Swoop is the only original Dinobot who is not technically a dinosaur.
- Thanks to theRobo-Capersstrip in issue#87of the UK Comic, Swoop became the first and possibly only Transformer to defecate in a licensed and approved presentation.
- Swoop was never released in the UK, resulting in several letters asking about his whereabouts being published in the UK comic letters page.
- A 1986Paninistickerbook sold in Belgium and the Netherlands gave Swoop the alternate French language name "Swarp". Whether this name was used in any other media made for French-speaking regions is unknown.
- The overall design and transformation sequence of the original Swoop toy served as the basis forPtera Geist,one of four recurring villainous henchmen on the Takara/Sunrise co-productionBrave Exkaiser;Ptera Geist was the smartest of the group, and something of an inventor. In what might be calleda vision of things to come,the four "Geisters" were once briefly fused into a single robot called "Mad Geister"(マッドガイスターMaddogaisutā). However, because each Geister controlled a portion of the combined body—and, aside from Ptera Geist, they had the accumulated brain power of a Froot Loop—this ended rather badly. In a more successful (if notalso prescient) later development, the Geisters learned to merge in groups of two, with Ptera Geist forming the upper body of "Pteder"(プテダーPutedā).
- Though never named specifically in the 3H comics, it is strongly implied that the Veteran is Swoop. The Veteran also appears in Simon Furman's pseudo-canonical story "The Last Days of Optimus Prime"and is outright referred to as being Swoop; he's said to have changed his name and appearance many times to adapt to Cybertron.
- TheDiacloneincarnation of Swoop was also used as the model for the "restored" version of the AutobotRavenusin theLegends of the Microns"Linkage"mini-comics.
- An Autobot-aligned Mini-Con called Swoop was planned for release in one of theCybertronMini-Con Versus Packs, facing off against the Decepticon-alignedOverbite,as part of a wave composed of members of theMini-Con Council of Sages.Swoop's bio described him as an experienced diplomat who tries to seek a peaceful resolution whileTracksandSledgedirect the Council's military.[6]Considering that the bio goes out of its way to establish Swoop as the oldest member of the Council of Sages, it seems likely that the bio's writer intended Swoop to be a nod to the original Dinobot, much like Swoop's eventualClassicsrelease and characterisation ended up being.
Foreign names
- Japanese:Swoop(スワープSuwāpu)[7]
- French:Assailo(Canada andAngry Birds Transformersgame)
- Hungarian:Roham( "Charge" )
- Italian:Reptilo
- Mandarin:Fēibiāo(China, phi phiêu, "dart" ),Fēibiāo Yìlóng(Taiwan,Generations Selects,Phi phiêu dực long, "Dart Pterodacyl" )
- Portuguese:Pairador(Brazil comic)
References
- ↑This is now his official motto, thanks toThe Loyal Subjects.No, really.
- ↑2.02.1"Divebomb" was a preliminary name for the originalGeneration 1Swoop toy. This was revealed byJim Sorenson,whoposted detailsfrom a version of theseries biblefor theoriginalThe Transformerscartoon,dated 1984, that contains a description of Swoop typed with the name "Divebomb", then crossed out by hand and rewritten "Swoop". When the name "Divebomb" was eventually used for amember of the Predaconstwo years later,MarvelUK writerSimon Furmanworked that little tidbit into the characters' backstories by establishing that "Divebomb"hadindeed been Swoop's original name in-universe before it was stolen by the Predacon, first alluded to in the 1986 storyThe Icarus Theoryand later elaborated upon in the1987 AnnualstoryWhat's in a Name?.That connection was later homaged by theTransformers: PrimeDivebombtoy, which uses Swoop's color scheme.
- ↑"Strafe" was originally a substitute name for asimilar characterfrom theTransformers: Age of Extinctionfranchise because the name "Swoop" was not available as a trademark to Hasbro at the time. Thanks to aToys "R" Usexclusive "Evolution" two-pack from 2014, it was also applied to the originalGeneration 1character… although thanks to a hilarious error, the artwork representing theGeneration 1character depicted theTechnobotStrafeinstead. Hasbro later explicitly admitted that this was indeed an error, thereby dispelling any further confusion. Other "Strafe" toys included a 2014Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic-Conexclusive 4-pack ofGeneration 1-themed redecos of theAge of ExtinctionDinobots, a 2014 Legion Class figure, a 2014Hero Mashers2-pack with Bumblebee, and a 2015Platinum EditionDinobot 5-pack. The name "Strafe" was also used for the character in the 2014 mobile gameTransformers Risingand the 2016 mobile gameTransformers: Earth Wars.
- ↑"Autobot Ptero" was Hasbro's substitute name for the 2016Titans ReturnTitan Mastertoy of the character, because the name "Swoop" was still not available to them at the time.
- ↑Thedialogue scriptto "War of the Dinobots"refers to Swoop as" Wing "in places.[1]This early name was evidently coined by writerDonald F. Glut.[2]
- ↑"TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON MINI-CON Class: OVERBITE vs. SWOOP:
[...]
"The oldest member of the MINI-CON Council of Sages, and a firm believer in peace, SWOOP is far smarter than he looks. It is this fact that has helped him last as long on the Council as he has. He believes that any situation can be resolved without violence. He is a master diplomat who uses dialogue, flattery and deception the way a more militant robot uses a laser cannon – to break down an opponent's defenses, destroy his position, and emerge victorious. The current battle between the rebels and the Council upsets him, but even as his friends TRACKS and SLEDGE direct the military response, he works to reach a peaceful resolution. Awesome OVERBITE and SWOOP figures change from robots to vehicles and back again!" —Hidden bios for the unreleasedCybertronMini-Con Versus Packs found on theTransformerswebsite - ↑While on the surface this Japanese rendition sounds more like "Swarp", it is the best that translators can make do with phonetic limitations. A more direct attempt to adapt Swoop yieldsSūpu(スープ), which is the same pronunciation as "Soup".
External links
- Character stubs missing fiction
- Character stubs missing video games
- Combiners
- Generation 1 Autobots
- Generation 1 cartoon Autobots
- Generation 1 Dinobots
- Generation 2 Autobots
- Generations Selects Dinobots
- Earth-born Transformers
- IDW (2005) Autobots
- The Headmasters Autobots
- Primal Vanguard
- Second Cybertron Alliance
- Titan Masters
- Titans Return Autobots
- Transformers Roleplaying Game Autobots
- Wings Universe Autobots
