Dead End (Armada)

Dead End is a Mini-Con from the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

And you thought that other Dead End was depressed.

What scraps of mind remain within Dead End are twisted beyond all hope of recovery. A gibbering mad-bot in an eternal state of mind-numbing terror, Dead End lives (such as it is) within the depths of the colossal Unicron. The Chaos-Bringer has a use for the poor creature, however; he is the template for the hundreds—perhaps thousands—of non-sentient Dead End Drones that serve as part of Unicron's immune system.

Fiction

Armada cartoon continuity

Dead End and the drones based on him defended Unicron during his battle with Cybertron's population. Alliance Union Linkage Part 13

Energon comic

Dead End is top shelf!

Dead End (or one of his clones) could be seen briefly inside the core of Unicron. What Lies Beneath, Part Three

Legends World

Dead End was among the Mini-Con toys stolen by Megatron in the Legends World. Bonus Edition Vol. EX

Games

Transformers (PS2)

A massive Dead End can be seen on one hemisphere of Unicron's planetary mode. Transformers

Toys

Armada

Gonna fight for what's right
Before it's gone gone gone

• Unicron with Mini-Con Dead End (Supreme Class, 2003)

• Takara/Sonokong ID number: MX-00
• Takara release date: September ??, 2003
• Known designers: Aaron Archer (Hasbro), Hironori Kobayashi (Takara), Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

Available only with the massive Armada Unicron, Dead End transforms into a dark gray and yellow mechanical "moon" with a non-firing cannon. As a Mini-Con, he has a "Powerlinx" socket on his vehicle-mode underside which allows him to attach to any toy with a "Powerlinx" style 5 mm post; some toys have special Powerlinx posts that activate/unlock gimmicks when a Mini-Con is attached. His upper and lower hemispheres are on a swivel joint, which does not serve any real purpose according to the instructions, but can be used to push his robot head to the "back" opposite the cannon-barrel to make it look like a little thruster, if that floats your boat.

Dead End in moon mode can fit into a specially-shaped socket on Unicron's planet form, acting as a turret.

This mold was used to make the Dead End Drone, Dead End General, and Kranix.

Dead End is about the size of a 2015 Robots in Disguise cyclone Mini-Con. As a result of this and his spherical alternate mode, he can be placed in, and launched by, any Robots in Disguise figure with a cyclone Mini-Con launcher, as can other toys of this mold type.

• More information on Dead End at TFU.info

• Unicron with Dead End (Bonus pack, 2003)

Late in the US line, Walmart stores received exclusive Unicron toys that came with the Air Military Mini-Con Team in a bubble attached to the top of the box. This set was sold for the normal retail price of Unicron… hey, free Mini-Cons!

Biogeocenosis (生態系)
Unlimited (無限界)
Genocidemachine (抹消機)

• Hikari no Unicron (Campaign prize item, 2004)

This contest-prize exclusive toy of Unicron's "Unicron of Light" Mini-Con-formed doppelganger from the Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003 of course came with a version of Dead End. Despite the mass changes to the big toy, this version of Dead End is only slightly different from the regular version, using a slightly lighter shade of charcoal as a base plastic color.

Only 10 Hikari no Unicrons were awarded, with the deadline for the drawing being May 31, 2004.

Energon

• Unicron (Supreme Class, 2004)

• Takara ID number: MX-00

Released in the first wave of Energon Supreme toys (yes, there was more than one!) Dead End's Armada toy was redecoed along with Unicron, in a somewhat Earth-like light blue and green color scheme, possibly inspired by the Dead End Drone's show color scheme.

The initial cases of Energon Unicron and Dead End came with both the new Energon deco and unchanged Armada deco Unicron, later to be replaced with only the Energon redeco.

The Takara Super Link "Unicron Black Version", was packaged inside the Legends of the Microns Unicron box, with a "20th Anniversary" sticker applied to the back and the front of the box. The figure was released in limited numbers (the amount of which is currently unknown), and was presumably exclusive to a store (which is also currently unknown). Both Unicron and Bug have no notable differences between the Hasbro and Takara releases.

• More information on Energon Dead End at TFU.info

Universe (2008)

"You saw it for yourself! The abominable horror that is Getter Emperor!"

• Unicron (Supreme Class, 2008)

Dead End was once again available with the 2008 Universe line release of Unicron, as a Toys"R"Us exclusive.

Dead End was a straight repack of Armada Dead End, with no changes whatsoever in paint detailing.

Welcome to Transformers 2010

Thought they'd forget me, didn't you.

• Universal Dominator Unicron (September, 2010)

As a part of TakaraTomy's Welcome to Transformers 2010 anniversary line, "Bug" once again came with Unicron, this time colored in his larger master's Generation 1-inspired dark-gray-and-orange coloration, with a little extra gold on the gun.

This set is only available in Japan as a Toy Hobby Market-exclusive, with orders being taken from June 1st through July 4th.

Encore

Ironically, one of the few Mini-Cons who couldn't be part of it.

• Unicron (Micron Shūgō-tai Color) / Universal Dominator Unicron (December 22, 2018)

"Universal Dominator Unicron" naturally came with a correspondingly redecoed Bug. This version is cast primarily in green plastic with greenish-grey parts.

Notes

Dead End's great-grandpappy.

• The unreleased Generation 1 Unicron toy was accompanied by a small moon that looks an awful damn lot like Dead End's moon mode. According to character designer Floro Dery, this moon was to transform into a "mini-Unicron" of sorts, and act like the Mini-Me to Unicron's Dr. Evil. [1]
• Preliminary names for Dead End included "Gobotron" after the home planet of the GoBots and "Nebulon" after the planet from Generation 1. Ultimately, Hasbro did the only sensible thing they could, and named him after a random Stunticon instead.^[2]
• Dead End—or the drones at least—get their only fictional robot mode appearance within the cartoon continuity in the Linkage manga.
• Of course, Dead End can serve as a drone if you want him to. Why the hell not?

Foreign names

• Japanese: Bug (バグ Bagu)
• Korean: Bug (버그 Beogeu)

References