Denny Clay
From Transformers Wiki
- Denny Clay is an Autobot-allied human from the Robots in Disguise portion of the Aligned continuity family.
Denny Clay lives up to the saying that growing old doesn't necessarily mean "growing up". Owner and proprietor of the Vintage Salvage Depot for the Discriminating Nostalgist outside Crown City, Denny is a consummate collector of... well, junk. Junk he insists will be worth a fortune to the right people, someday, but in the meantime isn't it cool? (Doesn't sound familiar at all, does it?)
In some ways, Denny is less mature than his son Russell. He wears his heart on his sleeve, still geeks out to cheesy glam-rock, and was flabbergasted to find out that professional wrestling is scripted... and he only learned that in the months following the arrival of Bumblebee and the Autobots to his scrapya- er, salvage depot. But that childlike manner of his is also a boon to the Autobots. He's more than ready to bend the rules and harmlessly break a few laws to help keep the presence of the Cybertronians on Earth a secret, quick with a disguise and a fake name (almost always the same name but still) to keep the local authorities distracted. And sometimes he even shows his "good dad" cred in helping Bumblebee better deal with his young, inexperienced team's personal problems. Add in a real know-how for mechanical work, enabling him to work with Cybertronian technology alongside Fixit, and Denny's a major asset to the team.
Just... don't let him eat while inside an Autobot's passenger compartment. The results are not pretty.
| “ | He's the closest thing to a responsible adult! | ” |
| —Bumblebee sums up Denny's status among the team, "The Champ" | ||
Contents |
Fiction
2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon
- Voice actor: Ted McGinley (English), Masamichi Kitada (Japanese), Su Xin (Chinese), Riccardo Lombardo (Italian, Seasons 1-2½), Giovanni Battezzato (Italian, Season 3), Hani Abdulhai (Arabic), Thomas Schmuckert (German), Tim Moeseritz (German, 3 episodes), Juha Haukka (Finnish, episodes 1 - 14), Petri Hanttu (Finnish, since episode 15), Stany Mannaert (French), Ricardo Tejedo (Latin-American Spanish), César Emilio (Brazilian Portuguese)
In his youth, Denny was an avid fan of the band Rear Axle. Bumblebee's Night Off
Denny welcomed Russell- who was visiting his dad while his mom was in Copenhagen- to the scrapyard, though Russell was less than enthusiastic. When an apparent meteorite crashed nearby, Denny was too busy closing a deal on some Billy the Breakfast Beaver figures to investigate. Pilot (Part 1) Denny succeeded in making the purchase, but while he was putting the figures away, the scrapyard was unexpectedly the scene of a giant robot fight. He aided Bumblebee's team in trying to prevent Underbite from reaching Crown City, and ended up being saved from the Decepticon by Optimus Prime himself. Pilot (Part 2)
Denny left his son under the care of the Autobots while he went to get supplies. Trust Exercises When Russell complained about the dull time he was having, Denny suggested he check out a nearby football field. As the team tried to track down Chop Shop, Denny helped out by aiding Strongarm and Fixit as they infiltrated a manufacturing park. More than Meets the Eye When a stasis pod ended up in the museum, Denny got the Autobots in by pretending to be noted archaeologist "Nevada Flieber". He assisted the Autobots in maintaining their cover by pretending Bumblebee was an ordinary animatronic, and in the capture of Terrashock. W.W.O.D.?
Bumblebee instructed Denny and Russell not to sell a generator to some weirdos who said they were working for the Kospego, as they were building a space bridge that could potentially destroy Earth. As the Kospego Commands! After an unwelcome visit to the scrapyard by Larry LaRue, Denny helped the Autobots by keeping other humans out of their hair as they tried to capture the Decepticon Filch. Unfortunately Filch mistook Denny for something valuable and carried him off to her nest at the top of a statue, and he had to be rescued by Sideswipe. Collect 'Em All Denny began clashing with Fixit over the former's participation in the repair of the Cybertronian weapons they'd found, leading to an all-out feud between pair until Russell succeeded in getting them to work together. Rumble in the Jungle
During the attempt to capture Ped, Denny used a piece of construction equipment to batter the Decepticon and to extract the Autobots from a pit Ped had dug. Can You Dig It? Denny came to the decision not to let Russell go along on any more missions. After the Decepticon Fracture set his sights on collecting the bounty on Bumblebee and kidnapped Denny, Strongarm, Sideswipe, and Grimlock, Denny decided to change his mind. Hunting Season Fixit and Denny finally succeeded in reproducing two more Decepticon hunters, presenting them to Strongarm and Sideswipe. Sideways
After going on an energon scrounging mission with Fixit and Bumblebee, Denny found himself caught up in the hunt for the Decepticon Nightstrike and was temporary trapped in a cocoon. Even Robots Have Nightmares Denny was alarmed by his son repeatedly standing up to Drift and suggested Russell not hassle the giant alien robots. One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing
Denny was unimpressed when Fixit managed to flood the scrapyard while GroundBridging the other Autobots to an undersea location. Deep Trouble While the other Autobots were indisposed, Denny was forced to pretend to be Grimlock's driver so they could enter the giant robot fights at the Rumbledome, however they successfully managed to defeat Groundpounder. The Champ Denny was surprised when Fixit insisted he conduct a diagnostic on the Mini-Con, however he accidentally revived Fixit's guard programming. After Fixit chased everyone around the scrapyard, Denny was able to disable him and restore him to normal. The Trouble with Fixit
After purchasing a roller coaster for the scrapyard, Denny reflected on how insignificant humans seemed alongside their robot friends. When Steeljaw's Decepticon team took over the scrapyard and trapped the Autobots outside using a subsonic field, Denny and Russell managed to fight back using the scrapyard's resources. Though Denny was recaptured by the Decepticons, once the Autobots had succeeded in regaining access to the yard and Denny helped reclose the stasis pods, he felt more useful in the Autobots' ongoing fight. Lockout After his snoring kept Russell awake, Denny tried to fix up an RV for his son to sleep in, but only succeeded in destroying the RV. He and Russell later managed to fix up another vehicle and celebrated with some disco. Similarly Different The pair returned to the scrapyard soaking wet after a disastrous camping trip. Ghosts and Impostors
While the Autobots went to rescue Sideswipe and Strongarm from the Decepticons, Denny and Russell kept themselves busy organizing the scrapyard's sock of bicycles. They were almost captured by Fracture, but instead were saved by the timely arrival of Optimus Prime, whom they accompanied to the battleground near Crown City. Battlegrounds, Part 1 Posing as filmmakers, the pair attempted to persuade a police officer to evacuate the area and eventually succeeded just before the battle reached its climax. Battlegrounds, Part 2
Denny played Go Fish with Fixit. They had to deal with the fallout after the GroundBridge exploded, and when Overload invaded the scrapyard, he and Russell had to run for cover. Overloaded, Part 1 While cleaning up, Denny watched Russell throw trash at Fixit's head. Overloaded, Part 2 Denny and Russell helped deal with the security guards at the steel mill when the Autobots tracked Saberhorn there. When Russell was taken hostage by the Decepticon, Bumblebee made sure Denny was safely out of harm's way. Metal Meltdown
Despite the destruction of his collection of gnomes at her hand, Denny attempted to help the others encourage Strongarm when she became demoralized. Though an attempt to give her some confidence using the scrapyard's systems went badly, Denny and Fixit later helped her go to the aid of some bird watchers trapped by fire. Suspended Denny bought a collection of vintage toasters for Russell's college fund, but sadly Grimlock sat on them. He later helped Fixit deliver the cure after Grimlock gained super-genius from a Cybertronian data cylinder, a process which had left the Dinobot's brain in danger of degrading into mush if not reversed. Brainpower
He, Russell and Fixit were captured in a subsonic force field when Steeljaw managed to infiltrate the scrapyard, however the trio were rescued by Strongarm before the shrinking field could crush them. Misdirection When Bumblebee had to stake out a Rear Axle concert, Denny was unfortunately unable to go as he had a prior appointment with Crackpot Carl. Russel was sent to accompany Bumblebee instead, and returned from the show with a T-shirt for his dad. Denny was ecstatic that the shirt was dirty from spilled concert snacks when he received it. Bumblebee's Night Off When Bumblebee and Strongarm got themselves impounded during a chase, Denny and Russell had to go and rescue them. While his son disabled the lot's security measures and distracted its guard, Denny sawed off the boots keeping the Autobots stationary. The four of them then drove out without being noticed. Impounded
Having obtained a lead regarding the colony of Decepticons, the Autobots headed to the harbor to try and infiltrate the Decepticon base. Denny and Russell stayed on shore with Fixit. Though mostly the entire team participated in the raid, included Bumblebee's old friend Ratchet, Denny had his doubts whether a handful of Autobots had any chance of winning against an entire army of Decepticons. Decepticon Island (Part 1) While the two humans were preparing disguises in case anyone turned up, Fixit left them to try and free the Mini-Con slaves in the base. The Autobots wound up being victorious, and the Decepticon crisis finally came to an end. Though many Autobots decided to head back to Cybertron, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Strongarm, Sideswipe, Drift, Jetstorm, and Slipstream were not among them; instead this team decided to stay behind to set up a permanent base of operations on Earth. Before speeding off, Bumblebee assured his human friends that the junkyard would always be another home to them. Decepticon Island (Part 2)
When Strongarm wanted to take Fixit with her on a mission, Denny and Russell volunteered to operate the command center. It was a disaster, culminating in them accidentally bridging the team to the scrapyard instead of Mount St. Hilary. Strongarm's Big Score Fixit later gave them training so they'd be able to work the command center. Mini-Con Madness Denny and Russell were present when the Autobots returned from Egypt with a high energy pulse generator. The pair had to take cover when the scrapyard was invaded by hostile Mini-Cons, and then a group of Decepticons arrived and abducted Fixit, Jetstorm and Slipstream. It turned out the Decepticons were working for Starscream, who used the captured Mini-Cons as leverage to take Bumblebee prisoner. Mighty Big Trouble Denny and his son helped fill in Optimus once he arrived, and worked the command center while the rest of the team went in search of Starscream. Mini-Con Madness
Denny played cheerleader at Russell's championship football match. King of the Hill (Part 1) When Russell became discouraged because the opposing team had a kid who was able to block his kicks, Denny gave him a pep talk, and Russell was able to return to the game and help win it. King of the Hill (Part 2) Bumblebee annoyed Denny by searching through the scrapyard for his Decepticon Hunter. While the rest of the team were on a mission, Denny and Russell had to cover for Fixit, who had becoming addicted to a handheld game. Defrosted During another mission, Drift borrowed a jet boat from Denny. Blurred
Denny and Russell had to cope with the Autobots going gaga over the Sphere of Doradus, thanks to the bizarre energies it emitted, and help them to stop Springload opening the sphere and potentially destroying the city. Sphere of Influence Denny again acted as part of Grimlock's crane disguise as the Autobots tried to capture Drag Strip and Wildbreak, taking part in an impromptu blockade of the only bridge out of West Rock. Bee Cool
Strongarm took Denny and Russell with her so they could interrogate a potential witness to a burglary by a Decepticon. The pair impersonated insurance company employees, though it turned out the witness hadn't seen much. Get a Clue Denny helped Fixit wire Sideswipe and Grimlock up for a combiner experiment. It did not go well. Out of the Shadows Denny and Russell spotted the Stunticons on television taking part in the Crown City Grand Prix. Denny later had to help Fixit after the Mini-Con beamed himself into a control console. Disordered Personalities
When Grimlock took up sculpting, Denny managed to sell the sculpture he'd built of Strongarm, though as Denny later discovered, it was being used as a scarecrow. The Golden Knight Grimlock gained super-speed as a result of one of Fixit's experiments, resulting in him causing more damage to the scrapyard than usual, much to Denny's distress. The Fastest Bot Alive! Denny helped out with Fixit's combiner experiments by building a replacement plasmodic capacitor, and was surprised when it actually worked and didn't explode. Combine and Conquer
Denny, Russell and the Autobots were forced from the scrapyard when it came under an assault by Steeljaw and his pack. They took shelter in the nearby cave system, and though Denny was upset at the loss of his scrapyard, he remarks that home was where your family and friends were. Exiles With the Autobots becoming irritable at the cramped quarters, Denny and Russell had Grimlock enlarge the caves to make more room. Breathing Room The pair put their talent for disguises into action when a hermit stumbled on Fixit, convincing the man that they were miners and Fixit was a mining robot. Prepare for Departure They got Grimlock to dig some "relaxation alcoves", however when the team captured Steeljaw's pack, the alcoves were turned into makeshift cells and Denny's hand chairs were smashed. Prisoner Principles
Dissatisfied with life in the cave, Denny and Sideswipe took a stealth trip back to the scrapyard to salvage some of their stuff, bringing back Bumblebee's Rear Axle poster and Russell's TV, among other things. He later joined Russell in watching the performance of Showcase of Shivers Sideswipe put on. Collateral Damage With the pack caught, the team moved back to the scrapyard where Denny had the vision of creating a great pyramid of scrap. When Underbite escaped and started teleporting around, Denny came up with a plan, and he and Russell successfully managed to lure the Decepticon into a stasis pod. Something He Ate
Denny and Russell ended up having to care for the Autobots after they contracted a nanovirus from the Decepticon Wingcode, including having to cover for Strongarm after she drove off in a delirium and started hassling random ice cream men. Sick as a Bot They successfully rescued Bumblebee's team from the cells on Dropforge's ship, after the lawbot arrested them all. Five Fugitives The pair had to take cover when the defense system triggered, which turned out to be a result of Optimus paying them a visit to recruit the Bee Team for a mission to Cybertron. Enemy of My Enemy Bumblebee and his team later returned and filled Denny and Russell in on their adventure on Cybertron. Freedom Fighters
2015 Robots in Disguise shorts
Bumblebee regretted giving Denny a ride after the human made a mess of his interior. Sticky Situation Denny counciled Grimlock on the search for his signature weapon. Perfect
IDW Robots in Disguise comic
After restricting Russell to the scrapyard, Denny joined Bumblebee in the hunt for Flamefeather. This took them to the Fun-A-Rama amusement park, where they found Russell had sneaked out with Sideswipe for some fun. Once the Decepticon was captured, Denny helped maintain the Autobots' cover with the park staff. Fire, When Ready! Denny listened to Bumblebee grouse about how badly his team did in combat situations, and Bumblebee later confided that he'd learned that other members of Team Prime were secretly on Earth. Robots in Disguise #1
Denny aided in the capture of Transit by posing as a bus company official so that the humans Transit had on board his bus mode could be unloaded. Robots in Disguise #2 Aiming to distract Ultra Magnus, whom they believed was monitoring the team, Denny, Russell and Sideswipe went on a tour of nearby storage facilities and Denny bought a ton of junk at auction, much to Sideswipe's annoyance. Robots in Disguise #3 Denny and Russell tried to help Clipshade coach the Autobots on their acting. Robots in Disguise #4
When Decepticon activity was detected at Fort Tucker, Denny again took on the identity of Major Thaddeus Q. Flieber so the Autobots could work undetected, only to discover that all the humans on the base were unconscious anyway. Following the ensuing battle with a pair of Vehicons, Denny rang for medical help for the unconscious soldiers shortly before they received a message from Steeljaw informing them that he had Fixit and Russell as hostages. Robots in Disguise #5
Returning to the scrapyard, Denny and the Autobots found trashed stasis pods and the computer system busted—Denny didn't think he could fix it without Fixit's help. Fortunately the Autobots succeeded in rescuing Fixit and Russell, reuniting Denny with his son. Robots in Disguise #6
2015 Robots in Disguise books
Denny took Russell to Doug's Den where he picked up some vintage pinball machines. When they were attacked on their way back by Scuzzard, Denny's driving saw them make it safely to the scrapyard where they told Bumblebee about the Decepticon on the loose. Denny set about repairing the surviving pinball machine. After Filch escaped, Denny was able to help recapture her by snaring her with his electromagnet. Bumblebee Versus Scuzzard When three of Russell's jerky schoolmates invaded the scrapyard, Denny offered to let them use it as a hangout so long as they paid the real estate taxes. His attempt to convince them that Grimlock was a Japanese movie plot was somewhat stymied when the dinobot reacted to a boy's cat tattoo. Sideswipe Versus Thunderhoof
Denny had his sleep interrupted when Bumblebee held a nighttime Decepticon drill. The next morning, he woke to find Drift had deserted and the Autobots were interrogating the Mini-Cons for info. After the Autobots were drawn away by a trick, Denny was captured by the Decepticon Ronin who took over the scrapyard. He was locked up until Drift managed to free everyone and the Ronin were defeated. Drift's Samurai Showdown
While the Autobots played football (or at least tried), Denny was busy cataloging some 80s barbarian toys he'd purchased online. He later disguised himself as a police officer in an attempt to clear Crown City Bridge while the Autobots fought Skinkbomb beneath it. The Trials of Optimus Prime
Denny and Russell had to deal with Bumblebee's team after they fell victim to Brakepad's lethargy-inducing power. Autobot World Tour
Signature Robots in Disguise comic
Denny Clay and Rusty helped Bumblebee and Sideswipe recapture Springload at the Crash Cragster movie set. Look Before You Leap
Legends comic
Denny was present when Rattrap and Tigatron from the Legends World suddenly appeared before the Autobots. Go! Adventure
Notes
Foreign names
- Japanese: Denny (デニー Denī)
- Mandarin: Danny (丹尼 Dānní)
