Grotusque

Grotusque is an Autobot Monsterbot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

If only Wildman had gotten to draw these guys in action... sigh. Nick Roche is drawing me WOOOOO!

Grotusque laughs at life and everything in it. Why shouldn't he when nothing out there could ever be as frightening as his own reflection in the mirror? Still, Grotusque gamely laughs off even his own hideous appearance and alternate mode with a joke about Primus having had a little too much high-grade energon that day.

He's jovial, upbeat, and irreverent by nature despite his frightening exterior. To the frequent amusement (and sometimes annoyance) of his comrades, Grotusque can be counted on to fill the air with laughter and lighthearted jokes in even the darkest or least appropriate of situations. To their dismay he's simply incapable of taking anything totally seriously. Yet they have little other reason to complain, even if there are rumors he was once on the other side of the war; Grotusque's courage is legendary and he's a top-notch fighter. He's also quite brilliant at his function as strategist, with a sharp and analytical mind that's perfect for planning masterful campaigns (and witty quips). Fighting is fun, in Grotusque's opinion, or he simply wouldn't do it, and, in the end, death is as much a joke as life, so smile and laugh a little, and enjoy yourself while you're here.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Not nearly as strange as making planetfall with a guy hanging from your tail.

Grotusque and the Monsterbots joined Fortress Maximus in abandoning Cybertron, hoping to find a new life for themselves on the planet of Nebulos. Grotusque's flight abilities proved handy as the Autobots awkwardly made their way down to the surface from their orbiting ship; he arrived with a fellow Autobot hitching a ride by hanging on to his tail, Trial by Fire! noting as he did that the organic planet before them looked quite strange. Ring of Hate!

Conflicts with the locals made the Autobots' lives on Nebulos difficult, and those conflicts were only exacerbated by the Decepticons' arrival and subsequent binary bonding with a deceitful group of local Nebulans, including the pairing of Decepticon leader Scorponok with high-ranking official Lord Zarak. Zarak turned the Nebulan people against the Autobots, portraying the Decepticons as public heroes even as they raided Nebulos's resources to serve the lust for power of both Zarak and Scorponok. When the Decepticons attempted to take control of the Mercury Gardens of Melanossus, the Monsterbots and several comrades attempted to stop them. They failed—not only did the Decepticon Headmasters kill every Autobot but the escaping Monsterbots, they also successfully proclaimed their heroism to the media for driving off the Autobot "attackers". Grotusque was the one who had to break the news to Blurr upon returning to base that no other Autobot had survived their mission. Brothers in Armor!!

"Stop talking over me, Goldbug!"

The Autobots eventually quit Nebulos and traveled to Earth, where Grotusque continued to serve as one of Fortress Maximus's top advisors. He was part of a select greeting party involved in the first meeting with the Ark's crew. Grimlock was less than impressed with the new arrivals, and wound up challenging Maximus to a duel in order to maintain control of the Autobot forces. Blaster was ultimately the one who battled the Dinobot on Earth's moon for leadership supremacy. The proceedings were interrupted by a Decepticon attack, and the duelists were forced to put their differences aside to lead their troops together against the attackers. Totaled!

Regeneration One

Grotusque was offlined during the Underbase fiasco and stored aboard the Ark. Reanimated by Megatron as part of his zombie army of "Ex-Bots", he was used to devastate the Earth until the Decepticon tyrant was defeated by Optimus Prime. With the signal reanimating his body gone, Grotusque's remains were gathered up by Red Alert and Smokescreen, thrown into a huge pit with the rest of the zombies, and then vaporized from orbit. Natural Selection, Part One

Japanese cartoon continuity

Legends comic (1)

The Monsterbots were created by Wheeljack in 2011 and programmed with low intelligence to keep them from rampaging like some other beast-type Transformers. Their strange personalities made them unsuitable to be placed on the frontlines, leading to their being stationed on Beast where they were treated as equals by the Beastformers and eventually developed more advanced intelligence. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Masaharu Satō (Japanese), Alejandro Abdalah (Latin-American Spanish)

Grotusque and his Monsterbot comrades were called in by Rodimus Prime to help liberate the enslaved natives on planet Beast. Their mission was a success, and the Monsterbots subsequently stayed on Beast in order to protect it from future Decepticon attacks. Rebellion on Planet Beast There was apparently a change of plans some time later, as the Monsterbots were ordered to help the Autobots with a battle against the Decepticons on the planet Paradise. During the fight, Grotusque used his flaming breath to help topple Abominus and destroy the Decepticons' energon cubes. Head Formation of Friendship

Legends comic (2)

The Monsterbots returned to Beast to aid the Beastformers in their war against the Laser Beasts, but were defeated and had their heads torn off when the Laser Beasts took control of the Head Hunters. LG51 Doublecross Prologue

Grotusque's body fell under the command of Tigerburn and his Laser Beasts. His head was saved from destruction by Platinum Tiger, but the Beastformer used the Tiger Hunter for the rescue, and began to succumb to its curse of evil. Grotusque attempted to halt the growing corruption in the Beastformer's heart by using the Three Wise Ones' gems to merge with him into a robotic Headmaster body, but this ploy was unsuccessful. Platinum Tiger ended up sealing their shared body in another dimension on the other side of the Holography Mirror. Grotusque accepted this fate due to his own deep rooted distaste for his own body.

In time, the Laser Beasts were beaten back and Grotusque's body was reclaimed. Realizing their strength was needed, Platinum Tiger broke free from the Mirror dimension and returned to Beast. Grotusque reconnected with his body and helped the Monsterbots and Beastformers defeat Tigerburn and impose peace on the planet.

By 2038, Platinum Tiger had exiled himself back into the Mirror dimension, leaving Grotusque in his monster mode. They remained in contact through the Holography Mirror, and this in part helped Grotusque be more comfortable with his appearance. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1 Grotusque and the Monsterbots were present on Beast when Rattrap and the refugees from the disintegrating Legends World came through. Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two

When Galvatron II attacked Beast, Grotusque needed his robot mode again. The reformed Tigerburn merged with Lione and created a new head for Grotusque to use. Nevertheless, Galvatron overpowered the Monsterbots and prepared to execute them. Grotusque and the others removed their heads in an act of self-sacrifice, tossing aside their Headmaster partners to save their lives. This evoked the spirits of the Three Wise Ones of Beast, who emerged from their Gems and claimed robotic bodies. They then merged with the Monsterbots to impose an evolution of power on the worthy heroes. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3

Grotusque and the Monsterbots received incredible Beast Power from the Gems. Repugnus Chapter Grotusque reached out to Platinum Tiger through the Holography Mirror, begging for his return. The Monsterbot swore to the Beastformer that they would fight his corruption together as a team. Platinum Tiger returned as Grotusque's Headmaster before switching to a Getmaster configuration, allowing Grotusque to summon an impenetrable barrier to defend against Galvatron's attack. Galvatron was struck down and the Decepticons forced into retreat. Grotusque Chapter

Transformers in 3-D

The three Monsterbots and Kup composed Ultra Magnus's team during the search for Metascan Alpha. The group ended up on a desolate moon, confronted by Cyclonus and the Terrorcons. Ultra Magnus insisted they ignore the Decepticons and continue with their mission. They flew down to the planet below, only to find it under attack by the Destructons. Grotusque commented that the foe was "really ugly", shortly before being struck by Bruton's Confusion Club. The Autobots beat a hasty retreat back to the moon, where the Destructons began beating on the Decepticons, and Magnus was able to engineer an Autobot/Decepticon truce. The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

3H comics

Less than 3 deca-cycles after the reformatting of Cybertron into a technorganic wonderland, Grotusque and his fellow Monsterbots (apparently all having undergone the Great Upgrade downsizing) were seen exiting a bar on the CSSB-16 Spaceport soused out of their minds on some high quality energon. The Wreckers: Finale Part 1

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Maximum Dinobots #2

Holy &#$%!

In the era of Zeta Prime, Grotusque was among the crowd of protesters rallying against the Autobot cop who reportedly killed an unarmed Decepticon agitator. To Walk Among the Chosen

After the war began, Grotusque was part of the mercenary Monsterbots team, who did violent work not for fun but for money (and also fun). The Monsterbots were called in to assist Grimlock, who was having Machination problems. Maximum Dinobots #2 Grotusque helped by eating Headmasters, god damn. Maximum Dinobots #3

After the initial bout of Headmaster slaughter, the Monsterbots agreed to drop the Dynobots off at Machination headquarters for a final reckoning. Aboard their ship, Grotusque and Doublecross observed quietly (and slightly menacingly) as Repugnus negotiated a fee with Grimlock. The Monsterbots dropped the Dynobots off at their destination, while taking some anti-air fire. Luckily, the Monsterbots' ship was well-armed and they were able to easily destroy all ground defenses with a blanket dispersal of firepower. Maximum Dinobots #4

Their agreement with the Dynobots called for evac as well, and Slag, Snarl, and Swoop eventually showed up to be pulled out. Repugnus even offered up membership in the Monsterbots to the trio. But the three Dynobots eventually decided that they would stay behind to fight after all. The Monsterbots presumably left the planet shortly thereafter. Maximum Dinobots #5

Well, at least it's not prison.

A few years later, Grotusque had apparently rejoined the Autobot cause. Together with Cloudburst, he was performing a routine security inspection of Kimia Facility when Cyclonus blasted straight through said security with a huge number of Sweeps in tow. Grotusque and Cloudburst rushed to Kimia's armories only to find them already infested with Sweeps. Lamentations Grotusque managed to survive Kimia's destruction and later participated in a battle on Cybertron against the invading 70-billion-strong Ammonite army. Black Planet

He would then join the crew of the Lost Light under the command of the reformed Megatron and helped bring on board a strange coffin they had found floating in space, alongside Mirage, Hot Spot, and Broadside. Words Hang in the Air

At Swerve's, Grotusque decided Ten would look better with pictures of flowers on his chestplate. Some high-grade energon may have been involved in this decision. The Lopsided Triangle He was hanging at the bar again at a later point, drinking with Mainframe. No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases

Wings Universe

During the Machine Wars, Grotusque served under City Commander Backstreet in defense of Uraya against Jhiaxus's clone soldiers. Termination

2019 IDW continuity

First appearance: Transformers #22

Along with the other members of the Senate Guard, Grotusque provided some extra security on the streets while Quake went to stand trial. Prisoners At some point afterwards, Ironhide tasked the Guard with keeping the Senate secure for the duration of Sentinel Prime's controversial anti-Ascenticon address. He and Roulette patrolled the inside of the Senate, but were unprepared for Clench and his legion of infiltration troopers, who left them and Flareup incapacitated. We Have Deceived You

Grotusque and his comrades were held prisoner in the occupied Senate by the Decepticons. Ironhide led the free Guard in a rescue mission, tunneling into the holding cells for a jail break. Grotusque was freed, but Roulette and Chainclaw of the Guard died during the escape. Worse, the First Senator was also brought down and killed by the Rainmakers. Prime Orion Pax claimed the Matrix and arose to become Optimus Prime. Grotusque and the Guard therefore became his Guard, as the last living and free representative of the elected government. Grotesque provided protection to the Prime when he visited the Forge Pyramid to speak to Perceptor. Titans

Grotusque and the renamed "Prime Guard" deployed with their leader to the Sea of Rust, where Termagax had possession of the Enigma of Combination. They set up defensive positions around Termagax's house as the Decepticons arrived for the Enigma as well. Sea of Rust II Grotusque was among the Prime Guard members that accompanied Optimus Prime when he went to confer with Codexa. He was briefly captured by Team Stream, before Ultra Magnus turned the tide. He took down Tracer and snagged Astrotrain in his jaws. He retreated with Prime and the other guard members leaving Ultra Magnus to be captured. Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One

Grotusque was present with the Prime Guard when Skywarp and Megatron confronted the Autobots in the wilderness with an imploder. Fate of Cybertron

Commercial appearances

Grotusque and the Monsterbots were created accidentally during an attempt to create new Autobots. Kup raced to warn Rodimus Prime and Blurr of the accident, as the wild Monsterbots trashed the lab where they were born. Thankfully the Decepticons attacked just then and the Monsterbots burst out of the building through the wall to fight them. In the ensuing battle, Grotusque traded fire with Scourge. Rodimus expressed relief that, though they were monsters, at least they were Autobot monsters. Monsterbots commercial

Games

The Transformers (PS2)

Voice actor: Jack Merluzzi (English)

Autobot story

Decepticon story

As Megatron's forces infiltrated the Ranpas Geothermal Power Plant, Grotusque confronted them in the underground caverns. After a brief discussion about which one was uglier, Grotusque fought the Decepticons. He was defeated and retreated to undergo repairs. The Transformers

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Despite his monstrous appearance, Grotusque was a cheerful, wisecracking Autobot who could joke his way through even the darkest situations. Technorganic Secrets

Toys

The Transformers

Real monsters wear pink.

• Grotusque (Monsterbot, 1987)

• Takara name: Grotes
• Takara ID number: C-99
• Accessories: "Vaporator" gun, left & right wings

Released in the fourth year of the Hasbro US The Transformers line (third in Europe and Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers line), Monsterbot Grotusque transforms into a robotic, bipedal winged saber-toothed cat-like monster (see "Notes"). Pressing a button on the back of his beast mode neck makes "cold" sparks shoot from his mouth as his jaw waggles up and down. His "vaporator" gun can also mount on his beast mode back.

In his original catalog photograph, Grotusque is mistransformed; his robot mode legs are not folded up all the way, turning his alternate mode into a four-legged monster. He's also missing his wings.

• More information on Grotusque at TFU.info

Titans Return

In case you missed Combiner Wars Streetwise.

• Fengul & Grotusque / Scorponok (Special Edition, 2017)

• Release date: October 5, 2017
• Accessories: Left & right guns
• Known designers: Ken Christiansen (concept artist)

Titans Return Grotusque is a heavy retooling of Titans Return Deluxe Class Twinferno, transforming into a robotic winged saber-toothed cat-like monster. His twin guns can combine into a super-gun with a seating compartment for Titan Master (and compatible) figures, notably his pack-in partner Fengul, who becomes Grotusue's robot-mode head. He also comes with Titan Master Scorponok.

First revealed at New York Comic Con 2017 on October 5, he was made immediately available on HasbroToyShop.com without warning, selling out in about three hours. He was later made available on the U.S. Toys"R"Us website beginning January 6, 2018.

Years later, Grotusque would be retooled further into Buzzworthy Bumblebee Fangry.

Legends

You have a Unite Warriors Guardian? Can I join in as well?

• Repug & Grotes (Repugnus & Grotusque) (Multi-pack, 2019)

• Release date: January 26, 2019
• ID number: LG-EX
• Accessories: Left & right guns

TakaraTomy's Legends Grotes is a re-release of the Titans Return Deluxe figure. This version is very slightly different, utilizing a matte paint finish and black screws in contrast to a glossy finish and silver screws on the Hasbro release. Also, his Headmaster partner is a new body for the Beastformers character Platinum Tiger.

Grotes and Plantinum Tiger were only available in a two-pack with Repug (and his Headmaster partner Hedgehog), released exclusively online through TakaraTomy Mall.

Notes

He's the team's wisecracking strategist, obviously.

• Grotusque's name is obviously a play on "grotesque", which works on the most obvious level as a description of how ugly and awful this Monsterbot is; similar wordplay was used with fellow Monsterbot Repugnus. However, Grotusque's twisted, many-different-animals-mashed-together alternate mode actually matches another definition of "grotesque"—that of the same sort of fanciful monstrosities that were carved into gothic structures for centuries. See, parents, this stuff is educational too!
• The patent application for Grotusque describes him as a "reconfigurable toy tiger", which is certainly one interpretation of his alt mode.^[1]
• One of Grotusque's more...bizarre appearances is in the IDW issues "The Possible Light" and "Mistakes and Mayhem", both of which are part of the Combiner Wars arc. In a hilarious error in both issues, Grotusque was drawn amongst the soon-to-be combined Protectobots, replacing Streetwise, alongside fellow not-Protectobot Mainframe, who replaced Blades in the same panels Grotusque replaced Streetwise! This was fixed for the trade paperback version, but it's still utterly hilarious.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Grotes (グロテス Gurotesu), Grotusque (グロタスク Gurotasuku)
• Mandarin: Jiànchǐhǔ (China, 剑齿虎, "Smilodon")
• Italian: Tigerbot

References