Gas Skunk
From Transformers Wiki
- Gas Skunk is a Predacon originally from the Robots in Disguise continuity family.
Gas Skunk is one of the Predacons under the command of Megatron who has come to Earth to rob it of energy and perform other evil deeds. He is most often seen with his fellow Pred stooges Dark Scream and Slapper. He's the smartest of the trio—and while that doesn't take much, he actually is pretty clever. A Special Operations man,[1] he's a skilled inventor able to create new weapon technology when needed, and also has extensive knowledge of Cybertronian law and computer programming. But he's not as smart as he thinks he is: he tends to mangle large words he tries to use (and some not-so-large ones), and sometimes tends not to think about whatever he's doing beyond the very-short-term. Plus, he's a bully and a craven coward at heart, and as soon as he's up against a show of force, that aspect of his personality comes screaming to the forefront while he goes screaming to the rear of the battlefield.
Gas Skunk and his fellow stooges are also pretty good at shifting blame for the trio's failures onto their commander Sky-Byte...though he definitely shares Sky-Byte's hatred of the new Decepticon forces, who are a real threat to their jobs!
In battle, his bicep-mounted "Left Laser" blaster and serrated tail can do impressive damage. In both modes he can also cough up huge, billowing clouds of foul-smelling smoke that blind and disorient opponents and can corrode structures. Unfortunately for Gas Skunk and his fellow Predacon stooges, Railspike discovered that this gas is rather flammable.
Contents |
Fiction
Cartoon continuity
2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon
- Voice actor: Jerry DeCapua (English), Norio Imamura (Japanese), Oleg Kutsenko (Russian), Wan-gyeong Seong (Korean), Martín Soto (Latin American Spanish), Leonardo Serrano (Brazilian Portuguese)
Megatron invited the Predacon trio to the battlefield in New York, where they fought over who was going to defeat Optimus Prime. When the Autobot Brothers arrived, Gas Skunk reflected on how a nice day can "turn into such a bummer" after feeling Prowl's fusion flame. Doctor Onishi was captured by Megatron, but the trio were seen off with a missile. Battle Protocol!
When the Predacons brought back a pile of small batteries to use as energy, Megatron was not impressed. He placed Sky-Byte in charge of them for a mission to retrieve an explosive device. The trio found the car and prepared to take it to Megatron, but Sky-Byte destroyed the car and took the bomb. The shark was himself intercepted by X-Brawn, who inadvertently activated the device, causing the three Predacons to flee. Back at base, they observed Sky-Byte trying to work out how to understand humans by reading their literature. An Explosive Situation
After Gas Skunk destroyed a freight train, he was mocked by Sky-Byte for being useless. Sky-Byte, on the other hand, was aiming to attack the highly advanced Linear RFG train. To that end, Slapper and Gas Skunk planted a pulsar bomb on a bridge ahead of the train, and found themselves fighting both the Autobot Brothers and Optimus Prime. Although they were eventually chased off, they succeed in destroying the bridge, forcing the Autobots to save the train. Bullet Train to the Rescue
After a failed attempt to steal a plutonium energy generator from a building, the Predacon trio tried again while the generator was being transported by truck. After chasing off the truck drivers, Slapper and Gas Skunk picked up the generator (and Dark Scream) and made off with it. They ended up on the beach where the Spychangers ran rings around them. Sky-Byte turned up and managed to blast the Spychangers, allowing Slapper and Gas Skunk to spirit away the generator (lamenting that Sky-Byte never seemed to do the heavy lifting himself). Unfortunately when they got back to base, it turned out that the generator had been switched for a statue. Spychangers to the Rescue
Slapper and Gas Skunk worked on tapping some deep-sea power lines, though Gas Skunk was convinced Sky-Byte would take the credit for the victory. Sure enough, when the Autobots turned up to do battle, Sky-Byte was around to stick his fins in. The Hunt for Black Pyramid To distract the Autobots from Megatron's real plan, the Predacon trio attacked Metro City and kept Team Bullet Train busy. Gas Skunk attempted to use his acid breath, which backfired when Railspike ignited the acid and he ended up frying Slapper and Dark Scream. The Secret of the Ruins
After Side Burn was captured by Megatron, Sky-Byte and the Predacon trio ended up guarding the Autobot. Gas Skunk took the opportunity to take out a few frustrations by kicking their captive. After the inevitable failure of the plan, Sky-Byte managed to deflect the blame onto Gas Skunk and Dark Scream and Megatron announced the pair would be punished severely. Sideburn's Obsession
The three Predacons investigated a laboratory pointed to by information extracted from Doctor Onishi and stole a disk. The disk contained information which the Predacons interpreted to indicate that a steam train was some sort of weapon and set about trying to steal the train. Gas Skunk's contribution was an ion beam weapon capable of disrupting electrical systems—it was extremely effective against the Autobots, but against "Grandpa", not so much. After it was successfully stolen, Slapper and Gas Skunk redirected the steam train via a secondary rail line towards Megatron. Secret Weapon: D-5
Gas Skunk's next invention was a combination tracker/bugging device which he slipped onto Mirage when the Spychangers foiled the theft of a ruby. The Predacons listened keenly as Mirage appeared to fall out with the other Autobots and convinced Megatron that they should let Mirage join them, although to Gas Skunk's annoyance, Sky-Byte managed to take the credit again. Unfortunately for them, the defection turned out to be a ruse anyway. Mirage's Betrayal
The Autobots entered the Great Race to locate one of their comrades who'd gone missing. The Predacon trio attempted to drop a rock-slide on the Autobot forces, and were taken aback when Optimus leapt from boulder to boulder to reach the cliff-top they were on. The trio swiftly fled. Skid Z's Choice
After spying new Autobot Tow-Line and his overzealousness in towing illegally parked vehicles, the Predacon trio captured the Autobot and set about trying to brainwash him. After Slapper's attempt failed, Gas Skunk recommended using a metronome... which also put Slapper to sleep. Eventually they managed to brainwash Tow-Line with a disc, and sat back while he began abducting Autobots from around the city. Unfortunately a malfunction meant Tow-Line dropped off the captives at the wrong location, and by the time the Predacons located him, Optimus Prime and Prowl had already cured him of the rogue programming. Tow-Line Goes Haywire
After Doctor Onishi revealed something about the Cave of the Dragon to the Predacons, Gas Skunk saw a report on television about a statue transforming into a dragon (in reality a movie effect), which led them to try to find the cave. Sky-Byte and the Predacon trio found the Cave of the Dragon finally, and were frightened off by a ruse of the Autobots to make them believe that the transforming robot was hostile. The Ultimate Robot Warrior
Gas Skunk, Slapper, Night Scream and Sky-Byte faced off against the Spychangers once more on the beach. The battle ended with an all-too-familiar retreat on the Predacon's part. Hope for the Future
Not all of Doctor Onishi's information was unhelpful. The Predacons were sent to Castle Peak in America, where they began digging and unearthed a crashed Autobot spaceship. After Megatron retrieved the six protoforms from inside it, the Predacons began scanning new vehicle modes for the protoforms, creating the Decepticons. The Decepticons Unfortunately this development left the Predacons as second-stringers to the new troops. Sky-Byte came up with the idea to disguise themselves to get the Decepticons and Autobots to destroy each other. With typical finesse all four of them picked Optimus Prime to dress up as, but the Decepticons and Autobots ended up fighting anyway. Commandos
Digging under the volcano on Montrose Island, the three Predacons were first assaulted by some bats, then chased by molten lava. They eventually reached the ocean, and were forced to dive when the lava followed them over the cliff. Volcano On a later mission, Sky-Byte had the trio attempt to draw Megatron's face in the ground to indicate a rendezvous point. They did get to fight X-Brawn though. Attack from Outer Space
Gas Skunk was next seen kneeling before Megatron as Sky-Byte made his apologies for his latest fumble, this time claiming that Scourge had betrayed the Predacon cause. Turns out, Scourge was only pretending to be a traitor as part of an elaborate plan orchestrated by Megatron. The Test
Roped into another of Sky-Byte's plans, Gas Skunk disguised himself as Prowl in another attempt to get the Decepticons and Autobots to fight. The plan did not go well, nor did the next plan, to let the Autobots know where the Decepticons were going to strike. Gas Skunk's retort to Slapper's assertion that it was worth it to see Sky-Byte "bark like a seal" was simply to tell him to get a life. The Fish Test
Sky-Byte and the three Predacons raided a diamond mine in Antarctica in order to lure the Autobots into a trap. The Build Team turned up instead of the expected Autobot Brothers, but Sky-Byte took their leader Wedge captive. The Build Team tried to exchange him for a disk with a map of the Global Space Bridge and, after a chase with a penguin, the Predacons obtained their prize. Unfortunately it turned out to just be a map of some sewers. Wedge's Short Fuse
Sucked into another of Sky-Byte's plans to attack the CGA Tower, the Predacon trio instead found themselves holding the building up after the shark had an abrupt change of plans and insisted everyone save the hostages. Much complaining ensued. In the end the tower was saved, but the Predacons realized they still hadn't gotten the O-Parts Sky-Byte was after. Sky-Byte Saves the Day
The Predacon trio were put in charge of guarding the Autobot Brothers after their capture. They didn't last very long when the newly arrived Ultra Magnus came to the Autobots' rescue. The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus
Hiding in some bushes, the Predacons observed the failure of one of Scourge's plans and observed that he was still Megatron's favourite. They attempted to join the battle only to flee when Optimus and Ultra Magnus merged to become Omega Prime. Power to Burn!
The Predacon trio accompanied Megatron and the Decepticons to the Sahara to recover the Orb of Sigma. Their main contribution was to attempt to flee when the cavern in which the Orb was located began to collapse, and subsequently became buried under rubble. They were able to dig themselves out, only to find their energy being drained by a mysterious force. Peril from the Past This didn't seem to slow them down, as they were hanging out with Sky-Byte again soon after the Autobots found Cerebros, and were able to snatch the 'bot while the Decepticons kept the Autobots busy. Although they turned up to the battle in Metro City to claim Fortress Maximus, their contribution to the fight was minimal. Maximus Emerges
With the Decepticons' treachery taking them out of favor with Galvatron (as Megatron had become), the Predacons found themselves moving up in the hierarchy finally. They took part in the attack on the Autobot base, and were lured into a trap by Optimus Prime. The trio wisely took shelter once the Megastar turned up to add its fire-power to the fight, but the battle station was soon destroyed by Fortress Maximus. Surprise Attack! They continued to contribute little to the ongoing battle, and ended up following Sky-Byte into the space bridge when he and the Decepticons pursued the retreating Autobots in. Thus they were subsequently also trapped when Galvatron flooded the tunnel with molten lava. Galvatron's Revenge Fortunately for them, they survived and went on to face the Autobots again (and were swiftly trampled into the dirt).
After the defeat of Galvatron and his Decepticons, Slapper, Gas Skunk and Dark Scream were rounded up and shipped off to an asteroid prison colony on board Fortress Maximus. As all the other villains argued and shrieked vengeance from within their Phantom Zone-like prison cells, the Predacon trio lamented that Sky-Byte had been left stranded on Earth; a fate they considered worse than incarceration. The Final Battle
Dreamwave Robots in Disguise comic
Gas Skunk and the Predacons went looking to acquire an experimental nuclear generator under the bickering leadership of Scourge and Sky-Byte. Their efforts were interrupted first by Optimus Prime, then by Ultra Magnus who sent Gas Skunk flying. After a brief exchange of blows, Scourge halted the fight by threatening the nearby human workers. Sky-Byte wasn't in favor of killing innocent humans, though, and he sent Slapper and Gas Skunk to get in Scourge's way at a critical moment. The humans were saved, the Decepticons were left beaten and empty-handed, and the Predacons were able to return to Megatron with the generator in tow. All was right with the world. Ultra Magnus...to the Rescue?
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Unite Warriors
While in the process of reformatting the Commandos back to their original programming, the Autobots of the post-Cybertron Alliance era explained how they were corrupted by Gigatron and his Predacons. Ruination Chapter, Part One
Legends comic
When Gigatron and Sky-Byte ended their evil ways and joined the Dimensional Patrol, Dark Scream, Gas Skunk and Slapper were released from prison and followed suit. As part of the Patrol, they helped defend the Legends World from a Zamojin army and rather enjoyed being heroes. Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One
Regeneration One
As the Dark Matrix creature tortured Circuit Smasher with visions of his dead father in Zero Space, cracks began to appear in the membrane of infinite worlds. Gas Skunk could be seen through one alongside Leobreaker, Jetstorm, Blackarachnia, and Starscream. The War to End All Wars, Part 5
Shell Game continuity
In Viron 704.31 Epsilon, Sky-Byte rescued Gas Skunk, Dark Scream, and Slapper from having to serve the megalomaniacal Megazarak. They later came to the aid of Defensor during the last Autobot's final battle with Megazarak. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/30
Legends World
Gas Skunk worked at a "little brother cafe" and was there when the manager, Starscream, explained to another worker, who was another Starscream, just what kind of cafe they were. LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prologue
Beast Wars: Uprising
Gas Skunk was a member of the First Church of Primus, attending the congregation in Dodecahex held by Sunstorm. Left alone by the Resistance after their conquest of the city-state, the Church had no such protection from the Vehicons' counter-strike. Gas Skunk presumably escaped with other members of the congregation through the basement tunnels while Sunstorm ignited his reactor to cover their escape. Derailment
Toys
Robots in Disguise (2001)
- Gaskunk (Basic, 2000)
- ID number: D-002
- Known designers: Yuichiro Hira (TakaraTomy), Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
- Released in the first wave of Takara's Car Robots product, Gaskunk is a repaint of the Beast Wars Transmetal 2 Basic Class Maximal Stinkbomb (they use the same base plastic colors), transforming into a techno-organic monstrous skunk. His tail features a separate swinging scissor-blade at the tip. The hinged lower tail blade is installed upside-down compared to Stinkbomb's. He has a hidden spark crystal in his right rear leg in beast mode (left bicep in robot mode) revealed by a simple flip-up panel. His other leg/arm also has a flip-up panel, but there's nothing special under that one.
- This mold was likely supposed to be used for the unreleased Beast Machines Spiketail toy.
- Dark Scream / Gas Skunk / Slapper (Mega Class 3-pack, 2001)
- For his Hasbro release, Gas Skunk was only made available in a Mega-sized 3-pack with Dark Scream and Slapper. This set was released in the first wave of Robots in Disguise Megas.
- Gas Skunk has the mildest of differences from the Takara release of the three Predacons in the pack: the yellow paint on Gas Skunk's back is slightly darker than on Gaskunk, and the translucent plastic of his spark crystal has a more clouded appearance.
Notes
- In the Japanese version, Gas Skunk speaks in effeminate Japanese. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
- According to the Car Robots toy catalog, Dark Scream, Gas Skunk, and Slapper make up a subgroup known as the "3 Metal Beast Brothers" (メタルビースト３兄弟 Metaru Bīsuto San Kyōdai). Apparently, Takara's intent was to have them parallel the "3 Car Robo Brothers" (as Prowl, Side Burn, and X-Brawn were called in Japan), but this subgroup name was never used in the show's Japanese version, nor was any familial relationship implied between the three.
- On the (now defunct) Fox Kids website was a bio for Slapper that referred to his, Gas Skunk's, and Dark Scream's three-member team as the "Predacon Field Squadron".[2] This bio (like the others from that site) was derived from a longer bio for Slapper given in the production bible for the Robots in Disguise English dub. While Gas Skunk's own production bible bio did not specify his numerical member status in the group, Dark Scream was described as the second member and Slapper the third, making Gas Skunk the first member by process of elimination.[3] However, this team name was never used in the show itself.
- In "Wedge's Short Fuse", Gas Skunk reveals that the diamond is his birthstone (which should mean he was "born" in April; how this works for Cybertronians isn't entirely clear).
Foreign names
- Japanese: Gaskunk (ガスカンク Gasukanku)
- Russian: Skuns (Скунс, "Skunk")
