Grit

Grit is a Decepticon Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Every morning, I get up and eat a big bowl of myselves.

Grit only believes two things are inevitable: the destruction of all things physical, and the permanence of the Decepticon Empire. While he loves construction as much as his teammates on the Constructor Squad, what he truly works toward is building that empire.^[1]

His combiner partner is Knockout.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Grit was an Autobot and a member of Shovel Team portion of the Dump Shovel W Team, a group of Micromasters who acted as support for the Battlestars. As their superior officers advanced on the battlefield, the pairs formed positions and strengthened defenses by actions such as creating bases or setting minefield traps. Return of Convoy bio

2005 IDW continuity

True Me

Even after the war had ended with the Decepticons' defeat, Grit and his two flunkies continued on as always, attacking planets and enslaving the defenseless inhabitants. Discovered by Drift, the three were defeated and brought in chains to the Transformer-hating Galactic Council, much to Grit's horror. Ratchet offered to bring them to Cybertron in exchange for the location of Gigatron's main Decepticon force, and though Grit refused out of pride and spite, his underlings gave in and handed it over. On arrival, their shuttle was shot down by the other Decepticons, who assumed Grit had been working with the Autobots and prepared to execute him. He was rescued by Drift and Ratchet, only for all three of them to be captured and brought before Gigatron. Empire of Stone #1

Grit insisted that he wasn't a traitor, but was only met with mockery from Gigatron's right-hand man Hellbat, who told him a Decepticon who gets himself captured doesn't deserve to be a Decepticon. Enraged, Grit headbutted him in the face and tried to escape with the Autobots, but was cut off by Gigatron himself and imprisoned. After an unsuccessful attempt at tricking the guard into releasing them, the guard turned out to be Grit's old friend Knockout, who willingly let them go and gave them their weapons back. Grit then took off on his own, seeking to hunt down and kill Hellbat for what he'd said. Empire of Stone #2

Finding Hellbat in the middle of explaining his evil plan to Drift and Ratchet, Grit opened fire on him, giving the Autobots an opening to fight back. Unfortunately his coveted one-on-one battle with Hellbat was interrupted by Vanquish, who threw him into a wall and left him to be saved by Drift a second time. Escaping and forging an alliance with Gigatron, Empire of Stone #3 the three engaged Hellbat's Stone Army in battle, and Grit took on Vanquish once more to keep him busy while Drift confronted Hellbat. The fight ended with Vanquish impaling him and mocking his decision to help the Autobots, but Grit mustered up his last bit of strength to stand by his choice and rip his opponent's head off before collapsing. Assuming him to be dead, Drift and Ratchet left him behind when Hellbat was defeated and the building collapsed, but he survived and would later dig himself out of the rubble. After pausing in reflection of all that had happened to him, Grit tore off his Decepticon insignia and set out to live life by his own decisions. Empire of Stone #4

2019 IDW continuity

Grit walked on a street past a dejected Tap-Out. Valentine's Day Special

Toys

The Transformers

"Why do I keep getting that guy's mail?"

• Constructor Squad (Micromaster Combiner Squad, 1990)

Grit transforms into a wheeled truck that is intended to be the front half of a purple backhoe truck, which he forms with his combiner partner Knockout. Possessing molded-in rear windows, he is one of the few Combiner Micromasters that forms a convincing vehicle on his own, looking like a sort of armored truck. He can, of course, be connected to any other Micromaster Combiner or Combiner Transport to make a new vehicle.

Grit was only available in a six-pack with his squad mates Knockout, Excavator, Hammer, Sledge and Stonecruncher.

This mold was also used to make Pipeline.

• More information on Grit at TFU.info

• Dump Shovel W Team (Micro Trailer team, 1991)
  • ID number: C-367
  • Accessories: Micro Trailer #7

Grit is physically identical to the Hasbro-release, transforming the front half of a backhoe truck. He can, of course, be connected to any other Micromaster Combiner. Though Knockout nominally forms the back half, Grit can combine with any other Micromaster Combiner, Combiner Transport or Micro Trailer in vehicle mode to form new weird vehicles.

He was only available in a complete set with Knockout, Sledge, and Hammer. The set also comes with Micro Trailer #7. Like all Return of Convoy characters, he was marketed as an Autobot instead of a Decepticon.

Notes

• In the first Return of Convoy toy catalog, Grit/Knockout and Stonecruncher/Excavator's photos were incorrectly swapped between their two teams. This error had an effect on the second catalog for the series, where a piece of art depicting the leaders of all nine Micro Teams incorrectly showed Grit among them rather than Stonecruncher.
• In Dreamwave's More than Meets the Eye encyclopedia, Grit is depicted flipped left-to-right. (His combiner pin is on the wrong side.)

Foreign names

• Japanese: Grit (グリット Guritto)
• French: Gravier (Canada)
• Italian: Macigno

References