| 12.07.2018 – When you talk about Transformers and the Decepticons you think about the usual bad guys that make up the faction. From Megatron, Shockwave, Starscream, and his seeker team they’re most known baddies that put the Autobots to shame. All of them have appeared in the classic cartoons, but the comic books are entirely different they flesh out more characters that you won’t expect.
Bludgeon is one of those characters that Simon Furman has introduced in the original Marvel published series that lasted up to issue 80. Then this series was revived from issue 81 to 100 by IDW Publishing with some retcons and continuation of the saga. But before the Marvel cancellation Bludgeon was heavily featured in that final issue that made this character memorable. |
Unfamiliar to the mainstream Transformers fans, Bludgeon was not your usual Decepticon as originally he’s a Pretender. Back in the height of the brand Transformers has moved away from the conventional robot to vehicle form. They added some variety of gimmicks to the property like the Headmasters, Target Masters, and Pretenders.
Warrior's Dark Beginnings
The Pretenders are Transformers with outer shells with inner robots that transforms into their vehicle form land, sea, or air. Bludgeon was one of those Pretender toys to be released in its last wave. The original toy has this Skull-faced samurai warrior with his inner robot transforming into a battle tank. In the comic books he had several appearances and interpretations by the artist who have drawn him. After his original toy was released he never received any follow-up toy until Revenge of the Fallen came out in cinemas. But the toy that represented the character did not appear in the live action film.
For some Bludgeon is an underrated character who wields a katana blade instead of a blaster and introduced his devotion to the Metalikato martial art as his religion that he mentioned in Transformers issue no. 80 that is unconventional for a Transformer character. Though he never had any cartoon appearance, the character is popular in the comic books whenever being featured.
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Modern Iterations
There are a lot of fans who knows Bludgeon and some would hilariously say that he’s Skeletor’s copycat having a skull face wearing armor. There have been a handful of Bludgeon toys as mentioned and they are also based on the interpretation of how he was presented. The most recent version is from the Transformers: Robots in Disguise series from 2015. This figure is a retool of the Megatronus character from the earlier waves of the series.
Based on the aesthetics from waist up is a retool that defines the character though Bludgeon shares the same mold with Blastwave. When the toy was released in 2017 it was part of the Combiner Force subline that had major retooling transforming into a double-barreled Cybertronian tank. The cannon barrel is articulated that he can hold it through the 5mm hole or attach to his back. The sword doesn’t have a way to store it in robot mode but only in tank mode.
But there is an unconventional way to attach the sword at the back of his head to aesthetically appear to store it there, but the peg hole there is where you attach it when Bludgeon is in tank mode. In robot mode, however will limit his head rotation when you keep the sword there.
Appearance can be Deceiving
In appearance, Bludgeon’s design seems to work well than the Megatronus figure with the skull chest appears to be the tank’s front. But it was actually faux-parts like the thread on his shoulders don’t form part of his tank mode configuration. The same goes to his skull-designed chest is not used for the tank mode's base, which is not-so-subtly hidden as his posterior in robot mode.
The shoulders are ratchet jointed and the only concern here is that sometimes the chest plate always falls off. But there no broken piece but probably the joint is just a bit loose. The details on Bludgeon’s face may not be as equally exquisite like the G1 figure or the one released in 2009, but it hold up to the character’s heritage of being a frightening warrior.
In tank mode there are tiny wheels underneath that rolls in most flat surfaces. The transformation sequence on the tank threads turning into his leg is an interesting configuration. The sword is stored properly on top of the tank where the peg hole is located as mentioned that it’s at the back of his head.
Silent Warrior of the Night
When it was released Bludgeon is part of the Warrior Class a counterpart of the Deluxe Class assortment for the Generations toyline. Though not much details on this figure and never had an animated appearance in the RiD series, but it’s still one of those figures you’ll expect to have a new itreration of the character. Between Blastwave this character would be hard to find in some stores in Australia.
Particularly in South Australia, where not all stores skull-designed chest is not used for the tank mode's base, which is not-so-subtly hidden as his posterior in robot mode. have this figure having a cartoonish version makes Bludgeon appeals to kids besides the adults that accompanied them. This figure was started to be sold on clearance early in 2018 at Big W for $20.00 AUD and this was acquired in the Westfield Marion shopping centre. In some countries Bludgeon is hard to find too like in the Philippines as you would probably see Blastwave instead.
Bludgeon is a terrific figure and character presented in the comic books. The most current iteration of the character in toy form is part of The Power of the Primes toyline along with his Pretender compatriots. But this time regaining his pretender shell as a decoy armor although no vehicle form changing into a Prime Core that powers other Transformers as the toy gimmick.
There’s no Bludgeon figure currently representing the character in the Generations toyline as the one for PotP subline is not actually him, but Quintus Prime that hides behind the pretender shell. For now this RiD figure is the current representation of Bludgeon despite the cartoonish aesthetics, and with its articulation he can hold his sword with two hands is enough coolness you get from a Transformer who looks like He-Man’s arch nemesis!
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