Swindle (Movie)

Swindle is aDecepticonfrom the2007 movie franchisein thelive-action filmcontinuity familyand also a bunch of mass-produced drones on both sides.

KABOOOM! Heh heh heh heh heh.

Well suited to the task,Swindleis one of many Decepticons ordered toEarthbyMegatronto cause havoc for the Autobot forces there. Swindle is not a great fighter, and more, he's dumb as a post, but he makes up for it by taking great glee in blowing things (any "things" ) to pieces! That's worth something, right? Generally, he leaps and hops around the battlefield like a madman, blasting explosives out of his chest cannon like crazy and laughing uncontrollably. Havoc is given when he's around, as battling Swindle is like battling living dynamite! He's also an enthusiastic but unfortunately ineffectual interrogator. But don't get him started onJoltDead End,he hates him for some reason.

Sometimes there are lots of him.

On both sides.

Fiction

IDW movie comics

Given his intelligence stat we're impressed he managed that coherent a sentence.

Many years ago, Swindle was a member ofCybertron'sDefense Force,under the command of ProtectorMegatron.After the discovery of amysterious relicand an alien attack,Defiance #1Megatron changed significantly, altering the military's mission from one of protection of their homeworld to the new aim of making war upon the hostile aliens and anybody who would stand in their way. Swindle was present at Megatron's war rally inTrypticon,where the military leader demanded the control of all of Cybertron's forces in his vengeful attack on thealiensfrom theEshems Nebula.Defiance #2

When Megatron consulted with the relic and decided to capture science division leaderOptimusand eliminate his associated "traitors", Swindle was awaiting orders withStarscream's group. He survived the botched ambush on Optimus and joined Megatron's new "Decepticon" faction.Defiance #3Defiance #4

During the subsequent civil war, Swindle was in charge of torturing the location of theAllSparkout ofBumblebee's team after their capture atTyger Pax.Even though he killed one of the team, he failed to extract any information from them, but succeeded at pissing offMegatron,who dismissed all of his underlings... then promised the relieved Swindle a slow and torturous death.

Luckily for Swindle, Megatron took off into space and was lost before he was able to follow through on his threats.Movie Prequel #1Later, Swindle was part of the crew ofStarscream's ship,which pursued the AllSpark and Megatron to the Eshems Nebula. They were forced to turn back for repairs when the ship was damaged by an Autobot concussion chain.The Reign of Starscream #1

After Megatron's death and the destruction of the AllSpark, Autobots attacked the Decepticons' ship onMarsas Starscream recuperated. Numerous drones, including Swindle units,Payloadunits andDreadwingunits were deployed to fight offArcee'steam.The Reign of Starscream #2The Reign of Starscream #3Later, Swindle units were among those in Dreadwing's army that helped build Starscream'snew AllSpark CubeThe Reign of Starscream #4and were subsequently involved in Dreadwing's failed coup.The Reign of Starscream #5

The main Swindle, meanwhile, had become a member ofSoundwave'screw, and was sent down toSan FranciscoonEarthto blow stuff up as a diversionary tactic. He was sent withDead End,who he hates.Alliance #3Their actions attracted the attention of the newly-formedNESTmilitary alliance between the Autobots and humans, though they didn't distract their enemies for long. Dead End was almost immediately destroyed byOptimus Prime,while Swindle was defeated by a tag team consisting of his old nemesisBumblebeeandMajor Lennox.Before he died, Swindle delivered an ominous warning that none of them were safe, and the Decepticons would find "it".Alliance #4

Transformers: Beginnings

Transformers: Beginnings

Titan movie comics

A lone Swindle manned a Decepticon outpost thatIronhideand his cadets stormed. Faced with Ironhide's bigger-than-Texas cannon, the lone Swindle silently surrendered.Lost In Space 3: Ironhide

Alternate timeline

Time to get a new job, guys.

In adivergent timeline,the Decepticons succeeded at Mission City and conquered the United States. Swindles were part of the occupation force on Earth. One guarded the Denver tunnel entrance to a facility whereOptimus Prime's body was being held (until Bumblebee beat him up).Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 3Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 4Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 5

Later, after Starscream had taken power, a Swindle andCrankcasewere confused by Starscream talking to himself and fondly remembered their old Boss Megatron... right before Optimus landed on their heads. Swindle drones swarmed him, but were massacred for their troubles.The Decepticon Who Haunted Himself

Transformers Mix & Match

Acting like a body builder isn't going to impress chicks.

Swindle appeared as an Autobot drone that had been captured bySector Seven.It defendedMaggie MadsenandGlen WhitmannfromFrenzyas they signaled for reinforcements.Transformers Mix & Match

The Veiled Threat

As part of Starscream's plan inItaly,Swindle joinedDeadendin causing chaos in the streets of Rome to draw the Autobots out. When the Autobots and NEST forces arrived and Rome, Swindle and Deadend got the drop on them and led them all through Rome. At first, Swindle and Deadend had no trouble staying ahead of the pursuing Autobots, as the Autobots' large alt-modes proved to be too unwieldy for Rome's narrow streets. But rookie Autobot Knock Out got the last laugh when he caught up to the Decepticon duo and tricked them into crashing into each other. As an infuriated Starscream challenged Optimus Prime to a one-on-one match in the Coliseum, the battered Swindle and Deadend quietly slinked off into the night.The Veiled Threat

Games

Battle for the Allspark

Swindle units can be either Autobot (top) or Decepticon (bottom)

Swindle units had excellent speed and fair attack power, but very weak defense.Battle for the Allspark

Transformers The Game(console)

Swindles were very common foes sent against both sides, though the largest concentration of them was inTranquility.The Decepticon ones were particularly fond of lying in wait in their car modes and springing sneak attacks on any passerby Autobot. They were stronger than theScrapperunits, but not by a lot, and were generally easily disposed of.

Aside from the head design differences, Decepticon Swindles were a deep wine color, while Autobots versions were green.Transformers The Game (console)

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark(3DS)

Rise of the Dark Spark

Toys

Transformers(2007)

Full court shot from Thorias, really showing what a man with a cannon in his chest can do.

• Swindle(Deluxe Class,2007)

• TakaraTomy ID number:MD-11
• Known designers:Alex KubalskyandTakashi Kunihiro(TakaraTomy),Joe Kyde(deco artist),Ken Christiansen(concept artist)

Released in the third wave ofTransformersDeluxe Class figures, Swindle transforms into an unlicensed approximation of aChevrolet Cobalt.Appropriately, he's based the lens-headed Decepticon version of the sedan drone type fromTransformers The Game.

During transformation, hisAutomorphinggimmick automatically flips out his head/chest section from his upper torso. His abdomen features a spring-loaded cannon that extends when a button on his back is pressed. This cannon gimmick can also be used in car mode, where it looks like a super-turbo-nitro exhaust pipe. His head has a long strip of clear plastic on top toilluminatehis mono-eye.

This mold was later redecoed intoCamshaft.

• More information on Swindle at TFU.info

Notes

• Swindle is inexplicably often-depicted with modern-Earthcarkibbleon him when he is seen on pre-Earth-contactCybertroncenturies before the automobile was invented... while Bumblebee and the other Autobots are not. Hm.
• ArtistKen Christiansendesigned Swindle, along with the other new characters in theTransformers The GameandRevenge of the Fallenvideo games.
• A squad of toy-like bright red Swindles appear at Hoover Dam during a cutscene of the console game... but as Autobots. Also, they were blown to smithereens byBlackout.Hm.
• Promotional renders for the console game also reveal a blue Swindle, though they never appear in this color in the game proper.
• Swindle's toy has a chest cannon, whichtechnicallyappears in the video game, if only as a design. His main weapon in the game is an arm-mounted missile launcher.
• Said chest cannon was laterhomagedbyanother Swindle.

Foreign names

• Japanese:Swindle(スウィンドルSwindoru)

External links

• Swindle conceptsandfinal renderingon Ken Christiansen's blog.