Quake (G1)

Quake is a Decepticon Targetmaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Instagib is his jam.

Quake is a berserker. When he enters a battlefield, he will not rest until anything and everything within sight is in smoldering ruins, including his own comrades. It will often take cries of protest from fellow Decepticons to "point the other way, you idiot!" to remind him to pick his targets more selectively. This, he claims, is just part of one of his unconventional "battle techniques."

Quake can become so caught up in the battle frenzy that his systems can overheat and shut him down. His endurance is second-to-none, however, and he has pulled through even the most seemingly final of defeats.

His Targetmaster partners are Tiptop and Heater.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

This is easily the most awesome he's ever looked.

Quake was one of the Triumvirate's gladiators on Cybertron and took a full fusion cannon blast from Megatron before the latter had the Triumvirate killed and assumed control of their territory. The Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire. He briefly went to Earth, where a fight between him and Joyride badly injured a human. Dreadwing Down!

Quake, with fear.

He was later sent by the Decepticon High Council to Earth alongside Ruckus, Crankcase, Windsweeper and Flamefeather to bring back Thunderwing after his failed bid for 'Con leadership. Thunderwing was unwilling to return, though, and when he punched out Ruckus, Quake made the mistake of shooting at him, for which he was grabbed by the barrel and used as a club to beat up the others. Rage! Afterwards, Thunderwing had his new team make a suicide attack on the Ark, but thankfully Ruckus convinced him that a good leader knows when to retreat. Assault on the Ark!

On Cybertron, Quake became part of the Transformer race's united defense against Unicron. The Void! When the Chaos-Bringer arrived, Quake attacked Unicron's foot alongside the Autobots Joyride and Waverider. Their combined firepower was enough to make Unicron go "Ouch", but a devastating optic beam scattered the attackers. On the Edge of Extinction! Despite the blast, Quake survived Unicron's assault and was present when Optimus Prime expired after the war was over. Still Life! He also attended the summit meeting between the Autobots and Decepticons, as the two factions tried to maintain peace. Like many Decepticons, though, Quake had trouble with the concept. Getting along with Autobots like Wheeljack was tough enough, but he also treated their human "comrades" like so much luggage (though, to be fair, they were boxed up in a crate). Exodus!

Few Decepticons had to have been happier than Quake when their new leader, Bludgeon, ended the alliance, stranding the Autobots on Cybertron while the Decepticons went marauding on the planet Klo. Quake relished in the devastation the Decepticons caused on that world. The Last Autobot? When the Autobots eventually arrived, they were ambushed and beaten almost to the last man. Quake joined a 'Con patrol hunting down the last five Autobots left alive, during which time he blasted Blaster from behind. As he was not seen afterwards (yet Blaster was—nice shot there, Quake), he probably didn't fare too well against Grimlock and the other ambushed Autobots. End of the Road!

Trigger-Happy!

Following a botched sting operation, Backstreet went on the run from his fellow Autobots, frightened over the consequences in store for him for his failure. Seeing an opportunity to turn one of Optimus's soldiers to his side, Megatron had Ruckus and Quake accompany him in tracking down the wayward Autobot. They trailed Backstreet to an abandoned amusement park, where Megatron instructed his soldiers to wait at a distance while he made his recruitment pitch. Listening in, Quake became so engrossed that he failed to notice Optimus Prime barreling towards him. He wound up getting knocked aside by the Autobot leader, who proceeded to rescue his soldier and return him home. Trigger-Happy!

Transformers Comic-Magazin

Quake was present when Megatron made peaceful gestures to Humanity in New York City; and the Decepticons gave a "statue" of Snaptrap as a gift to the city. Unsurprisingly, once Humanity was off-guard, the Decepticons struck, and the Autobots barely stopped them. The Troy Principle Those events were recorded on a videotape that was later found and watched by Autobots on Cybertron after a nuclear disaster in Kalis. In Memory of Earth

The characteristics of Quake and the other "Small Targetmaster Decepticons" were reviewed by Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in a simulation watched by Goldbug. Memories of Bumblebee

Another Time & Place

Quake was among the Decepticon warriors who attacked Hydrus Four with Bludgeon, assuming control of the Nucleon production facility in the hopes of reviving Megatron. They captured the Dinobots easily enough and Quake guarded them, prodding them with an electro mace whether they stepped out of line or not, but a full Autobot task force soon followed and the Decepticons were overwhelmed and defeated. Another Time & Place

Marvel Generation 2 comic

"No, no, hit the ones with the red faces painted on them! The purple faces are your friends!"

Miraculously alive and well, Quake was serving on the bridge of the new Warworld Bludgeon had constructed for raiding other ships in space and stocking up on resources. Old Evils He was one of countless Decepticons under Bludgeon's command when they fought the Autobots over ownership of a cache of weapons on an unnamed barren world. The Decepticons were easily overpowering the Autobots, but Bludgeon ordered a retreat when the gigantic, monstrous creature that guarded their quarry warned them away. Ghosts Quake was later part of a raiding party which landed on Earth, and enjoyed spreading chaos and destruction among the humans. Tales of Earth Part One Like most of Bludgeon's Decepticons, however, he was quickly cowed when Megatron returned and killed Bludgeon, forcing the Decepticons back under his command. Tales of Earth Part Two

During a Cybertronian attack on the Warworld, Quake was destroyed. Again. New Dawn

3H comics

Rule 193 of villainy: Don't taunt the tiny kitty.

With the emergence of the Wreckers, Mutants, and Dinobots on Vehicon-controlled Cybertron, Megatron needed more Vehicon Generals to counter the insurgents. He picked the sparks of Quake and Blastcharge, who served Megatron's namesake well, and put them in new Vehicon bodies and gave them experimental drones to command.

Quake and Blastcharge followed Primal Prime's group to the lair of the recluse spider Arcee, but got there too late to catch up with the main force. Blastcharge shot Fractyl, who had stayed behind to talk to Arcee. Quake rumbled that the Predacon was only worth five points for being "a half-pint loser" rather than the ten Blastcharge claimed, leaving two drones to clean up the mess as they went to hunt down the other Wreckers.

The two arrived at the Wreckers' destination, a shuttle hangar, right in the middle of a battle between the small force and a horde of drones led by Spy Streak. Quake was not impressed with many of the Maximals' small size, and chose to taunt the relatively tiny Tigatron. This was a mistake. Tigatron opened his chest, and with the awesome elemental powers of the Vok, Quake was destroyed. (Anybody else sensing a trend here?) Departure

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

In the early days of Optimus Prime's reign as Prime, Quake participated in the Decepticon assault on the Decagon. The War Within #4

Quake became a member of Ratbat's faction of Ultracons during the Dark Ages. He was present at the near-signing of the tri-faction peace treaty, and engaged the Predacons in battle alongside many other Autobots and Decepticons after the bombing. The Age of Wrath

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Stormbringer #4

Quake died. Must be a Tuesday.

Quake served with Headstrong's ground troops on board the Decepticon starship Thanatos, under the overall command of Razorclaw. They joined the Autobot Wreckers in confronting Thunderwing on Cybertron. Stormbringer #4

After the fall of Megatron, what remained of the Decepticon hierarchy retreated to a burnt-out husk of a planet. Quake and Razorclaw were among the nearly 100 Decepticons present, possibly having arrived with the rest of the crew of the Thanatos. As the mood in the camp descended into cannibalistic survivalism, Quake turned against the Decepticon leaders and attempted to assassinate Starscream. His efforts failed thanks to the "cerebro-shell" unit Bombshell constructed; Starscream shouted at him to die, and he did. All His Engines

2019 IDW continuity

First appearance: Transformers #3

Quake served under Dai Atlas during the War of the Threefold Spark. Escape Part Three He helped rescue a wounded Cyclonus in the final battle of the war. Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One A berserker by nature, Quake developed an addiction to violence during the war and proved unable to readjust to peacetime. Although Froid tried to treat him, the psychiatrist was unable to curb his appetite for destruction and eventually wrote him off as one of his four substantial failures, though Froid also held the opinion that limiting Quake's access to his only legitimate medium of self-expression was a poor decision. By the era just before the Great War, Quake still hadn't reintegrated into society, and his warlike personality led him into Megatron's burgeoning Ascenticon movement. The World In Your Eyes Part Three

At some point, Quake posed in a group photo with many Cybertronians, including Blast Off. Open Comms

Thank you, Ruckley, for letting me actually do something!

Secretly, however, Quake was also part of The Rise, the radical splinter cell led by Shockwave and deliberately cultivated by Megatron to effect change in Cybertronian society. The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five Following a staged attack on one of Megatron's Ascenticon rallies just after Brainstorm's murder, supposedly at the hands of the Ascenticons, Quake was one of the four initial Ascenticons recruited into Megatron's new Ascenticon Guard—a development that caused no small amount of concern for the Autobots, who were already aware of Quake's notorious reputation. The World In Your Eyes Part Three

Eventually, the Ascenticon sympathizer Barricade learned the whereabouts of a Voin trader who had supposedly been privy to Brainstorm's killing, and passed this information along to Soundwave; once Soundwave relayed the news to Shockwave, he sent Quake to Iacon's Xeno-Quarter to silence the loose end before Security Operations got to the Voin first. The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five Quake easily killed his target, but then spied Rubble, who had followed the Voin out of curiosity. Quake assumed that the newborn was a spy, chased him through the Xeno-Quarter, and easily killed him. The World In Your Eyes Part Five

As a result of his reckless behavior, Shockwave had Quake kept on a tight leash for some time, hidden away in a secret Rise bunker with Frenzy under Sixshot's supervision. Swindle's Once the news came that they had to up stakes and relocate their hidden base, Quake and some other "problematic" members of The Rise were loaded aboard Roughstuff's trailer for the move until a sudden ground quake upended their transport. To make matters worse, the sociopathic Triggerhappy then shot Roughstuff for no reason, leaving the group stranded in the wilderness. They were inadvertently discovered by a team of geologists, who recognized the wanted Quake and called in Security. Novastar's quick-response strike team soon arrived to save the geologists from the Risers, with Quake transforming to tank mode and shooting down Springer in the ensuing melee. He then fell for Smokescreen's decoy tactics and wound up ensnared in a paralyzing net by Novastar. Tremors

Still his meatiest role to date.

Sixshot's arrival changed the tide of battle and Quake was freed by Frenzy and Rumble. However, Quake soon found himself attacked by the massive Leviathan, who picked him up and smashed him into the ground. He managed to shoot out her knee with his tank cannon, but she toppled onto Quake, pinning him under her gargantuan form. Sixshot decided to cut losses and retreated with Rumble and Frenzy, leaving Quake to be taken into custody by Security. Sentinel Prime wanted to make a spectacle of Quake's capture and had Security parade him out in public in front of the unruly masses.

Skytread seeded the crowd with Ascenticon sympathizers, and upon receiving Soundwave's decree that Quake could not enter Senate custody, had them start a riot to cover for Quake's escape. Still manacled, Quake leaped from the hovering platform he was being transported on into the crowd, muscling his way to freedom down a side alley. He encountered a Voin asserter and its slaved simian enforcers, seeking vengeance for Quake's earlier murder of one of their kind. Quake managed to trick the attacking organics into breaking his manacles, losing a hand in the process. He then brutally slaughtered the Voin and its enforcers, but not without incurring severe damage. Bumblebee arrived in the alley in time to see Quake slowly shifting to his tank mode in an attempt to escape. Fearing that Quake would again escape justice for Rubble's murder, Bumblebee seized one of the Voin's fallen swords and drove it straight through the back of Quake's neck as he was transforming. Bumblebee then wrenched Quake's head and entire spark chamber clean out of his body, killing him. Prisoners

Games

Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive

Quake was in command of the second Decepticon base attacked and destroyed by the Autobots during a series of raids. He pursued the invader in tank mode launching several bombs against his target, but foolishly ran over his own bombs and ended blowing himself up. Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Quake was a heavily-armed Decepticon berserker who joined the Decepticons to get back at everyone who'd wronged him. Decepticon Directive

Toys

The Transformers

Ready to shake, rattle and—oh wait, never mind.

• Quake (Targetmaster, 1988)

• Accessories: cannon
• Known designers: Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

The Transformers Quake transforms into a Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank equipped with a plasma cannon. 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, or be held in robot mode.

He comes with the Nebulan Targetmasters Tiptop and Heater. No version of them was released in Japan.

• More information on Quake at TFU.info

Titans Return

A G1 robot mode but a Beast Machines tank mode.

• Chasm & Decepticon Quake (Deluxe Class, 2017)

• Accessories: rifle, tank turret
• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

Titans Return "Decepticon Quake" is a redeco of Hardhead, transforming into a futuristic tank of made-up model. Although his tank treads are merely molded detail, he possesses a set of hidden wheels underneath the front of his vehicle mode and in his rear tank treads that allow him to roll. In robot mode, he can either mount his non-firing turret on his shoulder (as pictured) or carry it in his hand, though due to its size it can make the figure somewhat unstable. His rifle—which, interestingly, seems to be generally modeled after a real-life Heckler & Koch G36C subcarabine—an also be carried, mounted on his shoulder, or plugged in on top of the larger gun.

Quake comes with his Titan Master partner Chasm (retooled from Furos), who fits into his vehicle mode cockpit and transforms into his robot mode head. As with other Titans Return toys, Quake can accommodate any Titan Master figure in both robot and vehicle mode. Due to the placement of the socket for Titan Masters to attach, Quake can be fully transformed into vehicle mode without removing his head. His head socket is a bit on the tight side; turning Chasm's head 180° before inserting him will make for a smoother fit. However, this should be done with caution, as grooves in the neck port can scratch the paint off of Chasm's face with repeated use.

In addition to the cockpit, Quake's turret can be opened to reveal a seat that allows any Titan Master figure to man it in both modes, with the cover also featuring a pair of angled pegs for a Titan Master to (somewhat insecurely) peg onto. Quake additionally sports four pegs on his treads that allow Titan Master figures to attach to his vehicle mode. (The rifle also has a small port that lets you store it on any of these pegs.) All this means that, not counting the neck socket, Quake's vehicle mode can accommodate a grand total of six extra Titan Masters at once.

• More information on Quake at Transformers-Universe.com

Legacy

The Great Quake of 2024

• G1 Universe Quake, G1 Universe Heater, G1 Universe Tiptop (Deluxe Class, 2024)

• TakaraTomy name: Quake & Heater & Tiptop (クエイク&ヒーター&ティップトップ)
• TakaraTomy ID number: TL-82
• TakaraTomy release date: 2025 January 25
• Accessories: Tank turret
• Known designers: Tomoki Tatsumi (TakaraTomy), Mark Maher (Targetmasters, Hasbro)^[1]

Part of the fourth wave of Legacy: United Deluxe Class toys, "G1 Universe Quake" is a heavy retool of Legacy Skullgrin, only retaining the forearms, hands, back, feet, and shoulder, ankle, and elbow joints, and transforming into a tank in 24 steps. The tip of his cannon barrel is compatible with Fire Blast effect parts. His tank turret is removable and comes detached in-box, but it does not need to be removed in order for him to transform, and cannot be held due to it only having 5 mm ports.

He comes with his Targetmaster partners, "G1 Universe Tiptop" and "G1 Universe Heater", which he can wield in both hands or mount on any 5 mm port. Tiptop and Heater can also combine into a super weapon, much like the original, and are blast effect compatible.

The original mold was also used to make the Buzzworthy Bumblebee G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper.

• Designer commentary on Legacy Quake from Mark Maher on Instagram

Merchandise

Transformers Trading Card Game

• Decepticon Quake, Ground Assault (2020)
  • Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack
  • Rarity: UT
  • Card Number: T18/T46
  • Stars: 7

Quake, Ground Assault is one of forty-six double sided character cards released as part of Wave 5 of the Transformers Trading Card Game, Titans Masters Attack. As a character with a body mode, Quake begins the game with a Titan Master attached in head mode. Once Quake is KO'd, said Titan Master is deployed.

The card's artwork is based on the Titans Return Quake toy, with the body mode artwork being reused from the toy's packaging art (minus the Chasm Titan Master). The card features original Alt Mode artwork, with lines by Sara Pitre-Durocher and colors by Zoner.

This card's set was originally set for an April 2020 release, however due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the release was pushed back to May 29, 2020.

Notes

• Vehicon Quake's body is Tankor's toy form in Quake's colors. A toy of this was never produced, and seemingly not even proposed as a convention exclusive, though it would be moderately easy to personally paint one. Quake had tank drones that looked exactly like Tankor's Mega-size toy, colors and all. (In The Wreckers comics, Tankor's Tank Drones were drawn to look like their CGI model from the television series, which was visually distinct.)
• The Blitzwing card from the 3D Battle-Card Game "Energon Wars" expansion is clearly designed to be Quake.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Quake (クエイク Kueiku, クェイク Kweiku)
• French: Séisme (Canada)
• Hungarian: Rengés

References