Ruckus (G1)

This article is about the evil Decepticon. For his heroic mirror-universe counterpart, seeRuckus (SG).

Ruckus is aDecepticonTriggerconfrom theGeneration 1continuity family.

RUCKUSIS A SHOUTING, FIGHTING, CLAMOROUS COLLECTION OF COLLECTED JUNK AND LOOSE BOLTS. A BOLD AND DARING WARRIOR, HE IS TOTALLY DEVOTED TO WINNING AND MAKING A LOT OF LOUD, LOUD NOISE WHILE DOING IT, ESPECIALLY THE NOISY BIT. HE LOVES TO PLUNGE INTO THE THICK OF THINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAUSES A GREAT BIG CRASH, AND CARES VERY LITTLE HOW INTACT HIS CHASSIS IS WHEN THE COMMOTION IS OVER. HE MAY BE CRAZY OR JUST ADDICTED TO THE TRANSFORMER EQUIVALENT OF ADRENALINE, BUT WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT HE IS TOTALLY LOYAL TO THE DECEPTICON CAUSE, AND EVEN IF HE WERE SMASHED INTO LITTLE PIECES THEY'D EACH BE LOYAL LITTLE PIECES. SURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGE!

YOU CAN ALSO CALL HIMGRABUGEORRUKUS!

Contents 1Fiction 1.1Marvel Comics continuity 1.1.1MarvelThe Transformerscomics 1.1.1.1Trigger-Happy! 1.1.1.2Marvel UK future timelines 1.1.2Transformers Comic-Magazin 1.1.3Classics 1.1.4Regeneration One 1.2G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers 1.32005 IDW continuity 1.3.1The Functionist Universe 1.4TransTech 1.5Transformers vs. G.I. Joe 1.6Of Masters and Mayhem 1.72019 IDW continuity 1.8My Little Pony/Transformers 2Games 2.1Transformers Legends 2.2Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive 3Toys 3.1The Transformers 3.2Combiner Wars 3.3Legacy 4Merchandise 4.1Transformers Trading Card Game 5Notes 5.1Foreign names 6References

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

MarvelThe Transformerscomics

Ruckus was merely an errand droid until he proved his worth during the battle ofValvoluxwhere, despite being shattered by aproton missile,he used his still-functioning voice module to warn his comrades of anAutobotambush. As reward,Megatronhad him upgraded into a larger, stronger form.Ruckus'sUniverseprofile

Ruckus was one ofMegatron's minions since the early days of thewar,working with him along with his fellow Triggercons in an attempt to acquire the knowledge and power of theUnderbase.Ultimately, a youngOptimus Primedestroyed the Underbase so that the Decepticons couldn't have it for themselves.The Flames of Boltax!

Many millions of years later, Ruckus and the Triggercons were serving a rather unfulfilling duty under theTriumverateon Cybertron. WhenMegatronarrived and offered them a better way, they quickly agreed and executed their current leaders.The Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire.After Megatron was disposed of by his predecessor, the original Megatron, Ruckus began working for theDecepticon High Council.Leading a team ofQuake,Flamefeather,and his fellow Triggercons to Earth, Ruckus was meant to retrieveThunderwing,an ambitious Decepticon looking to be crowned new leader of the armies. Having been defeated by a small party of Autobots in his previous bid, however, Thunderwing was in no mood to meekly return to the council for instructions. He commandeered Ruckus and his crew for a direct assault on the Ark in order to get revenge for his humiliating defeat.Rage!It was suicide—a half-dozen Decepticons in a shuttle against dozens of Autobots aboard their flagship, but Ruckus and his crew were forced to go along. After Thunderwing confrontedOptimus Primedirectly, only to be blasted off by a group ofTargetmasters,Ruckus managed to convince him to put the vendetta on hold, at least for a little while. (And Decepticon politics being what they are, Thunderwing ended up being promoted for his lunacy, anyway).Assault on the Ark!

After three Decepticons were killed, Ruckus,Windsweeper,Sparkstalker,andCindersaurwent looking to take revenge against the Autobots, unaware that the real culprits wereDemons,recently released from beneath the surface of Cybertron. Chancing acrossJazz,Grimlock,andBumblebee,they attacked before the Autobots could explain.Demons!Making their presence known, the Demons reduced the cocksure Cindersaur to a pile of rubble and then advanced on the Autobots while Windsweeper and Ruckus debated whether to help them or not. They joined the battle against the Demons only to find that their weaponsfire only made the creatures stronger, but were saved by the arrival ofEmirateXaaronandRed Hotwho fed the Demons pureEnergon,causing them to explode.Dawn of Darkness

When Lord Thunderwing learned of a series of Autobot teams being launched into one small cluster of the universe, Thunderwing brought Ruckus, Windsweeper,Spinister,andNeedlenoseto investigate. Their pursuit brought them toPz-Zazz,where Ruckus's team became known as the "Robot Mob." After quickly subduing and capturingNightbeat,Siren,andHosehead,Bird of Prey!and then turned their attentions towards an Autobot search team on the planetCheyne.En route to Cheyne, Thunderwing angrily interrogated the Autobots and learned of theirquest for the lost Creation Matrix,and Ruckus noted that Thunderwing was becoming more agitated and obsessive. Ruckus was happy nonetheless for the opportunity to destroy the Matrix once and for all, not knowing that Thunderwing actually wanted to possess the Matrix, not destroy it. Upon arriving at Cheyne, Ruckus accompanied the others to the planet's surface, where they discovered the Autobot team there had fallen victim to a family ofpsychic vampires.Kings of the Wild Frontier.

Ruckus and the rest of Thunderwing's team set their sights next onPequod,where Thunderwing suspected the Matrix's essence was focused inside a thought-extinct leviathan known as aKlud.As Thunderwing demanded the creature be spared so that the Matrix would not be harmed, Ruckus laughed at his commander for caring about a lowly animal. Thunderwing back-handed Ruckus across the room, sending him crashing through some machinery.Deadly Obsession

Finally, their pursuit of the Matrix came to an end on the moonVsQs.Thunderwing pointedly left Ruckus on the ship to guard the three Autobot captives, while Ruckus stewed over this menial duty. Thunderwing had already planted the seeds of his own undoing, however - the machinery damaged when he'd struck Ruckus was the same device holding the Autobots captive, and the captives were set free.Dark CreationThunderwing was possessed by the corrupted spirit of the Matrix and returned to the Ark, attacking both the Autobots and his own Decepticons. The freed Autobots were able to remove Thunderwing from the Ark and blow him up, and Ruckus and the other Decepticons surrendered to the Autobots peacefully.All Fall Down

Trigger-Happy!

At some point, aDecepticon Civil Warbroke out between Megatron,Scorponok,andShockwaveonEarth.Ruckus and Crankcase found themselves on Megatron's side and had stolen Scorponok's battle plans, but the Autobots also wanted to get their hands on the plans and prepared to ambush them. Fortunately, Crankcase and Ruckus were warned of the ambush thanks toBackstreetpanicking and giving away his position by firing, giving the Decepticons plenty of time to escape.

Afterwards, the Decepticons learned that Backstreet had become a fugitive from Autobot justice. Megatron saw an opportunity to recruit the wayward do-gooder to his side, and so tasked his troops with tracking him down. Ruckus served as Megatron's chariot during the search, carrying him in his gun mode atop of one of his car seat. Their target was eventually located squatting in an abandoned amusement park. Upon arrival at the fairground, Megatron instructed Ruckus and the rest of the Decepticon rank-and-file to hang back at its perimeter while he approached the Autobot alone. Ruckus became too engrossed in Megatron's recruitment pitch to notice Optimus Prime driving up behind him, and so was caught completely unawares when the Autobot leader knocked him aside to rescue his soldier.Trigger-Happy!

Marvel UK future timelines

On Cybertron in2009,Ruckus and the Triggercons joinedGalvatronin dismantling an Autobot resistance cell. Literally. The group then confronted Rodimus Prime, with Galvatron successfully goading his nemesis into a frenzied fight, hoping to corrupt the Matrix in the process. Ruckus tried to intervene, only for Galvatron to order him and Crankcase back; their interference being counter to his plans. Rodimus was talked out his mania however, and he and his remaining allies managed to escape.Aspects of Evil!

Transformers Comic-Magazin

Ruckus was an Autobot and a good friend ofOptimus PrimeandBackstreet!He underwent a lot of tough urban combat training under Prime.He Who Laughs Last..."By their Blasters you shall know them...!"

During a planet-wide Decepticon attack onoilrefineries, the Triggercons were spread throughout several cities and holding off the slower Powermasters. They were taken down by the arrival of theTriggerbots,including Ruckus, who also bore with great resolve the friendly fire from panicked humans. Ruckus and his team masterfully exploited their strengths and the enemy's weakness by drawing the Triggercons into built-up urban areas (wait WHAT) where they could manoeuver faster.He Who Laughs Last...

At another point, Ruckus was felled by Autobot friendly fire, prompting an upset Optimus Prime to berate and educate the Autobots on how to recognize the difference between Autobots and Decepticons."By their Blasters you shall know them...!"

Classics

Hungry for revenge, Ruckus blamed Nightbeat and friends for his capture aboard theArk.He went to elaborate efforts to gain vengeance against the Autobots, hiring a newMayhem Attack SquadofNeedlenose,Octopunch,andStranglehold,then kidnapping a transport pilot namedPhyrionto lure the Autobots into a fight. The Autobots could barely believe Ruckus had been nursing this grudge for nearly twenty years, and Ruckus's "leadership" of the Mayhems bordered on the pathetic. It hardly mattered that Nightbeat now travelled with twoDinobotbodyguards, although it certainly didn't improve Ruckus's chances any.

Ruckus sealed his fate when he tried taunting the Autobots with his hostage Phyrion, bringing the pilot out into the open. With that,Slagsimply cut off Ruckus's arm with his energon sword, rescuing the hostage at the same time. With Phyrion free, and his heavily armed shipAmoryno longer interested in holding back, the other Mayhems decided to cut their losses and leave Ruckus to his fate. Ruckus prepared to flee, and Slag made it clear the Decepticon could go, but the arm belonged to him now. Ruckus made his first wise decision of the night and didn't press the point.Cheap Shots

Regeneration One

Ruckus was one of the "Neo-Decepticons" that joinedSoundwave's insurgency atFort Scykafter twenty-one years of peace on Cybertron. He took part in the stealth assault on theKalisBaird Beaming Transmitter,but had serious problems with the "stealth" part.Counterpoint

When the resurrectedScorponokreturned to Cybertron with aGene Keycapable of turning Autobots into Decepticons, Soundwave was off-planet and the former Headmaster ordered the assembled troops at Fort Scyk to follow him instead. Ruckus readily agreed, after witnessingMisfire's summary execution for questioning those orders.Natural Selection, Part Three

Later, once Scorponok had been defeated and Soundwave had returned, Ruckus attacked one of Cybertron's communications facilities alongsideNeedlenose,Battletrap,andWindsweeperto blind the Autobots to the approach ofBludgeon'sWarworld.Destiny, Part Two

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Ruckus was amongShockwave's forces on Cybertron, and was standing around while his commander mockedPerceptor.G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4

2005 IDW continuity

Ruckus was on the rampage whenMegatron's gladiators broke out ofKaon's security services and lay siege to the city.Megatron Origin #4At some point during the war, Ruckus was part of the forces that mannedGrindcore.Speak, Memory: Part 1

In modern times, Ruckus was a part of the Decepticon infiltration team based onNebulosunder the command ofDarkwing.He reported on the arrival ofThunderwingto this world, to the Decepticons' horror.Stormbringer #2As Thunderwing began his mindless devastation of Nebulos, the Decepticon infiltration team moved out in a futile attempt to stop the monster. Ruckus attacked from the ground along withCrankcaseandSkullcruncher,but was crushed by the giantmonstrosity.His corpse was then used to destroy the airborneRoadgrabber.Stormbringer #3

The Functionist Universe

In adivergent timeline,Ruckus joined theAnti-Vocationist Leagueand worked with Megatron against theFunctionists.He later crossed over to Megatron's home universe and was present when Megatron returned to theLost Light.Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering

TransTech

In theTransTechcity ofAxiom Nexus,Ruckus,Needlenose,andCrankcaseassaulted what they thought was anenergonrefinery, but it turned out to be a waste fuel storage depot. Eyuw.Around Cybertron #1

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

Ruckus was among the Decepticons andCobrasoldiers who attackedMetroplex,where he andFlamefeatherwere held at bay byScarlett.Everybody Hates Metroplex

Of Masters and Mayhem

Ruckus had a younger brother namedGround Hog.^[1]

Ruckus and the rest of theMayhem Attack Squadwere selected byShockwaveto form the ultimate combiner,Thunder Mayhem.Their power amplified and the combiner's personality solidified by theMatrix of Malice,the Mayhem Attack Squad's destructive ability proved uncontrollable. The Squad captured Optimus Prime and restrained him within their ship, forcing him to watch as Thunder Mayhem went on an apocalyptic rampage across Cybertron, nearly driving the Cybertronian race to extinction.Deadly AimLively PursuitPandora's Gift

Years later, Ruckus and the others were drawn to a cavern on Earth by a Decepticon signal, finding upon their arrival that the extra-dimensionalRamjetwas the one broadcasting it. Ruckus was eager to simply off the stranger, but Bludgeon had him stand back while he spoke with Ramjet. When Ramjet suggested he and the Squad team up, Ruckus went on a tirade, asking Ramjet where he got off proclaiming himself on equal footing to the "Slaughterers of Worlds." Ramjet showed that he had the power to rival theirs by picking Ruckus up and letting some of his eldritch energies flow into him. This was enough to convince the rest of the group that Ramjet would make for a valuable ally, and together they began plotting the destruction of the universe.History

The Mayhem Attack Squad turned Thunder Mayhem loose on the city ofMerida.DivinationThey were confronted byMetalhawk's team of AutobotPretendersand the exiled Optimus Prime himself.Pandora's GiftThunder Mayhem had little trouble keeping them at bay, but when theWreckersarrived and unveiled their new combined formWreckage,the Mayhems had a true fight on their hands. The superpowered humanElizabethfired an energy blast that damaged Thunder Mayhem's chest, allowing Wreckage to expose the Matrix of Malice. Together, all parties focused their fire and destroyed the Matrix, causing the Squad to de-combine and ending Thunder Mayhem for good. In the aftermath, the Wreckers took the Mayhem Attack Squad into custody when they left the planet.Finale

2019 IDW continuity

First appearance:Transformers#1

Ruckus walked on a street past a dejectedTap-Out.Valentine's Day SpecialHe later attended anAscenticonrally inTarn.The World In Your Eyes Part One

As a member ofThe Rise,Ruckus went off the grid afterBrainstorm's death stirred upSecurity Operations.When the Rise's base under theMemorial Craterwas discovered, energon reserves were low.Shockwavesent out Ruckus,Wirespike,Kaskade,andLowloadto raid a substation nearCrystal City.They set off an alarm and were accosted bySpringerandSideswipe.The quartet fled, falling back to the body of an immersantTitanfor cover. Ruckus was able to use a railgun hidden in the Titan to hold off security forces from pursuing them inside, but the Risers were trapped.The Change In Your Nature Part One

Under the guise of peaceful negotiation,Senator Soundwavearrived at the scene and offered to parley with the Risers. Ruckus and the others were happy to see an Ascenticon face, but didn't realize how compromised they were. After Ruckus thoughtlessly babbled aboutBarricadeand Shockwave and other Rise secrets, Soundwave realized the quartet couldn't be allowed to live. Soundwave left hiselectromagnetic suppressorbehind to return to security, then detonated it inside the Titan, an act of blasphemy and extremism for all of Cybertron to notice "from the Rise".The Change In Your Nature Part TwoLowload and Wirespike died in the blast, but with Security Operations recovering Ruckus and Kaskade alive.Ratchetconfirmed, however, that their sparks only flickered, leaving them in deep coma-like states.All Fall DownThey remained as such long after the Autobots abandonedIacon,withFlatlinecontinuing to monitor them.Test Flight I

Doubtlessly unaware of Ruckus' current status and affiliation,Thunderclashconsidered him a potential recruit for theWreckers.Tread & Circuits Part 4

WhenExarchon—inside the body ofProvoke—awoke, the ancient Transformer reactivated Ruckus, stole his body, and turned him into a mindless puppet of Exarchon's latest iteration.EnigmaticCodexawas able to sense this and toldOptimus PrimeandUltra Magnusthat Ruckus' spark had been supplanted by Exarchon. Exarchon-as-Ruckus quickly got himself a Decepticon badge and went toSwindle'sto learn more about Cybertron's current state.Cyclonus,suspecting foul play, went to question "Ruckus" but was unable to get any meaningful answers from the disguised Exarchon before being asked to leave the establishment.Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part OneA captured Ultra Magnus tried to warnMegatronabout Exarchon's return but was ignored, even though Megatron's lieutenants suggested that they locate Ruckus just to be safe.Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part TwoRuckus' frame was eventually abandoned by Exarchon after he discovered a sleepingDeathsaurusin the basement of Swindle's and transferred his spark into the more powerful body.Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part ThreeAfter discovering that Exarchon still lived, Cyclonus went searching for Ruckus, discovering him dead. When he reported this to the Decepticons,Sixshottook Ruckus' miraculous revival and sudden death as proof of Cyclonus' warnings.War's End Part One

My Little Pony/Transformers

Ruckus was one of the many Transformers brainwashed byKing Sombraand sent to excavate the ancient TitanScorponok.When the Autobots attacked,Elita-1punched his lights out, although he was later returned to normal after the Cybertronians and their pony allies combined forces to defeat Sombra.Finale

Games

Transformers Legends

Ruckus was part of a Decepticon raiding party who scoured a human military base in order to retrieve theMacGuffin Generator.Though the Autobots showed up to interfere, Ruckus was ultimately able to find the generator, and handed it to Blitzwing. The Decepticons activated the device, and though it supercharged them at first, the MacGuffin Generator proved to be more volatile than they anticipated. It exploded, sending Ruckus and the rest of the Decepticons flying off into the distance.Raiding Party

Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive

Ruckus was among the Decepticons defending their multiple bases against Autobot invasors.Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive

Toys

The Transformers

• Ruckus(Triggercon,1988)

• Known designers:Takashi Kunihiro(TakaraTomy)

Released in the fifth year of theoriginalTransformerstoyline,Ruckus transforms into an indigo and tanBaja buggy.Like the otherTriggercons,Ruckus has a pair of twin flip-out cannons as his focalgimmick.The cannons are the unchromedgear-deploying style, like those ofCrankcaseand the AutobotTriggerbotDogfight.Invehicle mode,the cannons deploy either side of the driver's cabin, while in his robot form they're mounted atop his shoulders. That said the mechanism seems to be designed more for the latter, as the trigger switch more often than not causes the guns to flip to that position even in vehicle mode as opposed to the vehicle configuration mentioned here. In both cases, they point up at an angle instead of straight forward.

• More information on Ruckus at TFU.info.

Combiner Wars

• Grabuge(Deluxe,2016)

• Accessories:Axe, Weapon/Combiner extremity
• Known designers:Marcelo Matere(packaging artist)

Part of theFigure Subscription Service 4.0,Combiner WarsGrabuge (using his French Canadian name fortrademarkreasons) is aredecoof Deluxe ClassDecepticon Offroad(whose head was based on Ruckus!), transforming into a 4x4 double-cab pickup truck of undetermined, probably-made-up model. He includes a5 mm handleaxe weapon that can be a side-mounted exhaust pipe in truck mode, and a larger accessory that can form a hand or foot in combiner limb mode, a gun for robot mode, and can be mounted on a tab in the vehicle mode's truck bed to form a giant engine block.

Grabuge can also form either an arm or a leg for any standard-issueCombiner Wars-style gestalt (or into one ofLegendsGodbomber'slegs), though he was intended to combine withBludgeonto formThunder Mayhem.While the front hood/windshields are needed to be folded as kneecaps for his leg mode, the piece also had a tendency to dislodge if he collides with Optimus Prime/Motormaster's and Hot Spot's protruding foot while the legs are being swiveled in his standing position, unless the leg joints are bent down to lessen the problem.

This mold was also redecoed to makeUnite WarriorsZombie War Breakdownand was retooled to createFirst Aid,Ironhide,andTrailbreaker.This mold also served as the model for the non-toyShattered Glassversions ofCheckpointand theAutotroopers.

The figure was also available for purchase in the Transformers Collector's Club Online Store.

Combiner Warsmold:Offroad

Version 1: Hasbro:Combiner WarsDecepticon Offroad Ironhide Fun Publications:Combiner WarsGrabuge TakaraTomy:Unite WarriorsUW-05Ironhide UW-06Zombie War Breakdown Version 2: Hasbro:Combiner WarsProtectobot First Aid Fun Publications:Combiner WarsAutobot Ratchet Autobot Ratchet (Shattered Glass) Medix TakaraTomy:Unite WarriorsUW-03First Aid UW-EXRatchet Version 3: Hasbro:Combiner WarsTrailbreaker TakaraTomy:Unite WarriorsUW-EXTrailbreaker

Legacy

• Decepticon Bludgeon/Decepticon Rukus(Multi-pack,2024)

• Accessories: Gun
• Known designers:Mark Maher(Hasbro),Shuhei Umezu(TakaraTomy)^[2]

Legacy: United"Decepticon Rukus" (name changed slightly for trademark reasons) is anextensiveretoolingofLegacy: EvolutionDeluxe ClassBeachcomber,retaining the pelvis, hips, shoulders, and wheels, with most other parts being new and Rukus' robot mode being significantly taller than Beachcomber. He gains his Triggercon flip-out cannons, which can also detach to be hand-held guns.

Rukus' transformation requires a few extra motions from the legs than the instructions imply. Folding them out in front of his torso will give them clearance to connect and fold into themselves half-way without issue. This sets them up to complete their rotation while slipping their open panels between the fists and back, eventually clicking into place and allowing the panels to close unimpeded, completing his buggy mode.

His robotdeco choicesare upside-down or out of position compared to those of the G1 toy, suggestingthe designers relied on a samplethat had itsstickersincorrectly applied.

Like Beachcomber, his tires are made of PVC plastic.

Rukus is packaged with the Voyager-sizedDecepticon Bludgeon,and was first officially sighted atSan Diego Comic-Con2024 onJuly 25,2024.It was designated as anAmazonexclusive in the "Doom 'n Destruction" capsule subline. Unlike other figures in the Doom 'n Destruction line, Rukus lacks a Mayhem Attack Squad insignia.

• Designer commentary onLegacyRukus from Mark Maher on Instagram

Merchandise

Transformers Trading Card Game

• Ruckus, Combat Assault(2019)
  • Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners
  • Rarity:CT
  • Card Number:T37/T46
  • Stars:11

Ruckus, Combat Assault is one of forty character cards released in Wave 2 of theTransformers Trading Card Game,Rise of the Combiners.

The artwork for the card is reused from theTransformers Legendsmobile game, with line-art for both Bot and Alt Mode byDan Khanna.

Notes

• Mystifyingly, Ruckus was featured in a character lineup onHubworld'soriginalThe Transformerscartoonpage, visually represented by hisDreamwaveMore than Meets the Eyeart.^[3]
• Ruckus nearly got a newGenerationstoy as one theCombiner WarsStunticons;however,name unavailabilityand doubt as to whether he actually made sense as a member of that team led to the toy getting a new deco and identity asOffroad.^[4]Whilst the final toy transforms into a relatively straightforward pickup truck, early design sketches suggest that buggy-type vehicles, closer to Ruckus's alt mode, were initially considered.Fun Publicationswould later make a redeco of the toy available as the character it was originally designed as, using his French Canadian name "Grabuge" fortrademarkreasons.

Foreign names

• French:Grabuge(Canada, "Ruckus" ),Rallye(France, "Rally" )
• Hungarian:Zörej( "Noise" )

References