Quake (Transformers)

Quake is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series.

Transformers: Generation 1

The first Quake figure was a Decepticon Targetmaster with two transforming weapon-partners: Tiptop and Heater. He transformed into a Leopard 2 A4.

Quake's original Transformers Universe biography painted him as little more than a raging berserker, barely controllable by even his fellow Decepticons. While Quake's lust for carnage and battle is an asset in a fight, even Megatron wonders if it is a good idea to give Quake a gun. Quake's only weakness is his poorly designed cooling system, which is prone to shut down during battle, leaving Quake's innards to melt.

His Nebulan partners are little better. Tiptop is an embittered former strongman. Fired by his employers after injuring several other performers he joined up with the Decepticons to get revenge. Heater was a con-man and thief who joined up with the Decepticons to escape the wrath of Nebulos' law enforcement officials.

Recepticon

Quake's transformation is well executed and his ability to climb walls impressive.^[1]

Marvel Comics

Quake appeared as one of Thunderwing's Decepticons during the "Matrix Quest". He was not referred as a Targetmaster.

Quake is noted for his durability, having taken what should have been fatal damage from Unicron during the Chaos-Bringer's attack on Cybertron and lived to tell the tale. Optimus Prime ordered him to fire on Unicron's foot in order to reduce his mobility. Quake did so - and was stomped flat by the irate Chaos-Bringer.

Quake appeared in issue #79, "The Last Autobot!" He was among the Decepticon forces under the command of Bludgeon who slaughtered the natives of the planet Klo.

He turned up in the last issue of the Generation 1 comic as part of a hunter-killer group who ambush Grimlock's troops, taking out Blaster in his tank mode.

Quake popped up again, initially as one of Bludgeon's crew manning the Decepticon Warworld in Marvel's Generation 2 series. He was one of the Decepticons who attacked Earth, noting that Bludgeon "knew how to keep the troops smilin'" after ordering them to destroy everything in sight. He was either seriously injured or killed attempting to repel a boarding party of second generation Decepticons under the command of Jhiaxus.

Animated series

His animated series ended in the US before Quake was released, he appeared in animated form along with the only Double Targetmasters in commercials for the toys.

While an animated Transformers series continued in Japan at the time, the Double Targetmasters were not released in Japan, and therefore didn't make it to television there.

Condor Verlag

In the episode called the transformers "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!" from Transformers Comic-Magazin issue #12 by German comic publisher Condor Verlag Optimus Prime instructs Backstreet, Bumblebee and Ruckus on how to identify Autobots from Decepticons in battle using the Ark's computer. Quake is one of those he displays to the Autobots.^[2]

Dreamwave Productions

Quake's only appearance in the fiction from Dreamwave Productions was as a member of Ratbat's Ultracons in the first issue of the third War Within series. He was among the combined Autobot/Decepticon/Ultracon forces attacked by Starscream's Predacons. In this story he presumably had a Cybertronian tank alternate mode, but was never shown in vehicle mode. This was before he became a Targetmaster.

Quake and his partners did receive a full page biography in Dreamwave's More Than Meets The Eye series.

3H Enterprises

In the BotCon "Wreckers" comics, a Vehicon called Quake appears as a redeco of Tankor. He has the Generation 1 Quake's colors and is mentioned by Megatron as having worked along his "namesake", revealing him as the original Quake rebuilt as a Vehicon.

His spark was taken by Megatron alongside that of Blastcharge and implanted in a Vehicon body. They were then sent to take care of Primal Prime's group of Wreckers. Their first encounter in the base of Arcee was inconclusive, although Blastcharge managed to kill the Maximal Fractyl. The two then tracked the Wreckers to the crashed Autobot shuttle that had brought Optimus Primal's group back to Cybertron, with Quake leading the Vehicon attack. However the Wreckers escaped the onslaught in the shuttle, with Quake being killed by the Vok enhanced Tigatron.

IDW Publishing

Quake appeared in The Transformers: Stormbringer #4. He was among the Decepticon forces sent against Thunderwing when the Wreckers were unable to stop him.^[3]

Toys

• Generation 1 Quake with Tiptop and Heater (1988)

Quake transforms into a 1/82 scale Leopard 2 Mobile Battle Tank. Unlike the other "double" Targetmasters, Quake has a third non-Nebulan weapon; his removable turret cannon, which can be replaced in vehicle mode by any smaller Targetmaster partner. He comes with the Nebulans Tiptop and Heater.^[4]

With the toy being 1/82 scale, the robot mode of Quake would stand about 11 meters (36 feet) tall.

• Universe Quake (unreleased)

Any plans to release the recolored Tankor toy as Quake were never realized.

• Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game Blitzwing (2007)

Produced by Wizards of the Coast, wave 2 of their Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game included a Blitzwing card, who was a recolor of Decepticon Brawl from wave 1. This card more closely resemples the Decepticon Quake than Blitzwing.

Shattered Glass

This Quake is an alternate version good of the Generation 1 character from the BotCon exclusive "Shattered Glass" comic, in which the Decepticons are on the side of good and the Autobots on the side of evil. His appearance is based on the Generation 1 character colored like the Generation 1 Autobot Hard Head. Presumably like all Decepticons of his world, he is heroic and opposed to the evil Autobots.

Fun Publications

Quake appeared as a member of Megatron's forces in the "Shattered Glass" story.^[5]

References

External links

• Seibertron Quake entry