Dirge (SG)

Dirge is a heroic Decepticon (sometimes Pretender) from the Shattered Glass continuity family.

I love you, reader! *HUGS*

Dirge is a constantly sunny and smiling optimist. He's determined to see the bright side in everything, especially when there is no bright side. It's his mission in life to bring happiness and laughter to everyone, even if he has to use his emotion-controlling ability to force his enemies into it. His fellow Mayhem Suppression Squad members find it all just a little bit disturbing.

His eternal optimism led him to believe in Alpha Trion's words about a Cybertron at peace without question and join the Old One's faction. He doesn't have any problems with his infiltrating the Decepticons on his leader's behalf, as he thinks that one day they'll thank him when Alpha Trion's plan succeeds in turning Cybertron into a utopia.

He's also sometimes a Pretender.

Fiction

Shattered Expectations

But where's the squishy-gross SCHPLOCKT! sound effect?

After Razorclaw sent a signal, Dirge was among the members of the Mayhem Suppression Squad who dove in from the sky to attack the Autobots, his robot mode bursting from his organic outer shell in a sloppy spray of delicious fleshy juice. Shattered Expectations

Fun Publications Shattered Glass continuity

During a battle to defend the Arch-Ayr fuel dump from the evil Autobots, the Mayhem Suppression Squad was called in to assist. Dirge's ability caused Rodimus to crash into part of the building, transform into robot mode, and convulse and roll on the ground with laughter.

He also managed to get Arcee to laugh hysterically as well, transforming and flopping through the air in her robot mode, but she managed to still keep her bow on target. Fortunately a combination of Thundercracker's bubbles of silence and Gutcruncher's concussion blasts soon disabled her completely.

When the Dinobots arrived during a lull in the battle, the resulting ground vibrations caused Dirge to lose his balance and land on Cliffjumper, who was not at all pleased. When Wheeljack started ranting about how everyone laughed at him before he was banished, Dirge joked to Thundercracker that Wheeljack must have been funnier back then.

Later, Dirge excitedly suggested that the Dinobots running loose was a great opportunity to capture some and have Starscream reprogram their AI so they'd have more troops. Cliffjumper was skeptical, but Starscream agreed with Dirge's optimism for once. Dungeons & Dinobots

It's fast enough for you, old man.

Some months later, when Alpha Trion returned to Cybertron, Dirge was one of the loyal acolytes that answered his summons. He had been secretly loyal to Alpha Trion from the time before the Old One had been banished, and left the Decepticons to rejoin Alpha Trion's faction.

When Breakaway discovered that Alpha Trion was lying about the real cause of Skyfall's death, Alpha Trion ordered his followers to take him, Landquake, and Topspin captive. Dirge detained Landquake while Kickback and Perceptor handled Topspin and Breakaway. Reunification: Part 1 However, the three captives ended up surprise-attacking their captors to escape from their grasp. Kickback and Perceptor were both mortally injured, but Dirge only suffered some damaged "tootsies", though he was still unable to prevent the escape. Reunification: Part 2

Dirge was somehow restored to Galvatron's good graces after his dalliance with Alpha Trion. He was part of the cavalry crew aboard the Annex that came to Decepticon City on Earth to repel the Autobot attack. Memory's Splinter

IDW Shattered Glass comic

Dirge fought in the Decepticon assault on Goldbug's fortress in order to rescue Starscream, following behind Soundwave as he blasted a path into the compound. Shattered Glass #5

Notes

• Dirge's design in "Shattered Expectations" is based on "Games of Deception" Dirge, wearing a Pretender Shell based on "Descent into Evil" Dirge. Both toys are BotCon-exclusive merchandise.
  • He is colored yellow as an homage to Beast Wars II Thrust, while his shell's color scheme is inspired by "Descent into Evil" Chromia.
  • The shell's pose is also a lift from "Tales of Earth Part One", this time from Octopunch; the robot's pose comes from Ramjet in "Tales of Earth Part Three".
  • Yes, he's a sextuple homage.
  • When he needs to exit his outer Pretender shell, he seems to have to tear through its back side, spraying synthetic organic goop everywhere. Yuck. The shell doesn't seem to mind, though.
• As an artifact from being based off the Timelines Dirge figure, which was not retooled from Classics Ramjet due to budget restraints, Dirge lacks his "Generation 1" counterpart's distinctive forward canard on his legs.
• If everything is opposite in the Shattered Glass universe, does that mean that this Dirge can't be killed?