Rumble (WFC)

Rumble is a Decepticon Mini-Con from the Aligned continuity family.

"Just who the hell do you think I am!?"

Loudmouthed, violent, and destructive, Rumble loves using his quake-producing armament to shake up the opposition, and is therefore the ultimate Decepticon soldier. Though he is most often found by the side (or rather, inside) of his powerful commander, Soundwave, Rumble can be a surprisingly effective warrior on his own and loves any mission that involves wholesale destruction. His piledrivers can open up the ground below his opponents, throwing even the mightiest warriors for a tumble! It's these moments of chaos that keep up Rumble's morale.

He is blue and red! He's also less Mini-Conny these days.

Fiction

Aligned novels

Soundwave sent Rumble and Frenzy to search for the Matrix of Leadership in Crystal City. Afterwards they attended Megatron and Orion Pax's hearing with the High Council. Exodus

Unreliable Narratives

Voice actor: Greg Sepelak (English)

Rumble was one of the two test subjects in Shockwave's latest experiment. Rumble and his brother Frenzy's sparks would be extracted from their bodies and placed in Laser cores, which would permanently allow their sparks to be switched between different bodies. When two Autobots invaded the lab they were in, Thundercracker released Rumble and Frenzy to engage the Autobots. After Shockwave eventually disarmed the Autobots, Rumble and Frenzy were ordered to execute them, but the two Autobots utilized the Decepticons' original data disc bodies to stop Rumble and Frenzy (who were unwilling to risk harm to their old bodies). After beating the two Deployers with their own bodies, the Autobots tossed the bodies out of the lab's windows, into the lab's waste canals. Rumble and Frenzy immediately followed, trying to retrieve their bodies.

Back in Kaon, Soundwave would demand that Shockwave return the two to their original bodies, to which Shockwave complied. Unreliable Narratives

Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe

Rumble was one of the many Decepticons that pursued the Allspark to Earth. He participated in an enormous battle against the Autobots in a human settlement. He used his pile-drivers to shake things up! The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe

Adventure

During an intrusion from Cloud World into his universe, either Rumble or Frenzy witnessed the bloodthirsty Deadlock shoot a downed Override in the head. Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock

Rumble and Frenzy never got along with Grimlock during his days as a Decepticon, and they often came to blows. When they heard about Grimlock joining the Autobots, the two brothers traveled to Earth to settle their score for good. Rumble & Frenzy bio

Games

Transformers: War for Cybertron (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

Voice actor: Keith Silverstein (English), Thierry Kazazian (French), Ángel Amorós (Spain-Spanish)

Look everyone; no hands!

Following the defeat of Zeta Prime in the Iacon Vaults, the Autobot leader was transferred to Kaon prison facility where he was tortured by Soundwave. In the hopes of luring Optimus to Kaon, Megatron and Soundwave orchestrated events that allowed Zeta Prime to send a message to the Autobots revealing of his survival. Even though the Autobots recognized it for the trap it was, Optimus nevertheless led Bumblebee and Sideswipe allowing themselves to be captured and briefly imprisoned. They broke free, releasing all of the other Autobots in the prison and fought their way to Soundwave's laboratory. Soundwave protected himself behind an impenetrable forcefield and unleashed Rumble, Frenzy, and Laserbeak upon the Autobots. Any attempt by Optimus and his team to free Zeta was met with a gleeful attack by Rumble and his compatriots. However, when they received damage, Soundwave was forced to leave his protective shield to administer repairs, leaving him open to attack. Eventually, Soundwave and his minions were overwhelmed and had to retreat but not before mortally wounding Zeta Prime. Transformers: War for Cybertron

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Voice actor: Keith Silverstein (English)

Rumble was sneaking around Autobot City, and when shot by Optimus Prime, angrily yelled "lucky shot" before retreating. He then assisted Soundwave in his efforts to rebuild and revive Megatron, putting the Decepticon leader's new head into the assembly machine. He subsequently handed the reborn Megatron a Riot Cannon. Later, he could be seen torturing Autobots with Frenzy as Decepticon troopers cheered them on. As Megatron walked by, he called to the little 'bot to "show no mercy". Later still, Rumble fought during the Decepticon assault on the Ark, destroying obstructions and helping his master fell enemies. Fall of Cybertron

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark

Console

Rumble accompanied his master Soundwave on his mission to locate the Dark Spark. Rumble's role included little more than utilizing his small size to unlock the passages leading to the Dark Spark's chamber. Rise of the Dark Spark (console)

3DS

Rise of the Dark Spark

Toys

Prime

His torso is Inferno's face. (Hasbro version pictured)

Rumble's Gurren Lagann cosplay. (TakaraTomy version pictured)

• Decepticon Rumble (Deluxe Class, 2012)

• Series/number: 1 / 014
• Takara ID number: AM-30
• Takara release date: December 26, 2012
• Accessories: Left & right pile drivers (Hasbro only), "Dago R" Arms Micron (TakaraTomy only)

Part of the fifth wave of Prime: Robots in Disguise Deluxe Class toys, "Decepticon Rumble" transforms into a blue compact car with red windows. He features small, sculpted cannons on his back kibble panels, and also comes with a pair of pile driver accessories with sculpted, non-firing cannon barrels at the ends. The pile drivers can peg via 5 mm post onto the rear sides of the vehicle and the backs of his robot shoulders, or they can be held by his hands, with the weapons covering most of his hands and looking like integrated weaponry. Additionally, the weapons themselves each feature a peg-hole underneath their barrel ends. He also has a "dramatic head reveal," wherein his head springs out from within his torso when said torso is opened during transformation.

Since his hands are fully painted, the paint tends to scrape off whenever he holds his weapons. Additionally, while he does have a ball-jointed waist, his crotch panel gets in the way, restricting movement.

In wave six of the Prime toyline, Rumble was put into new packaging, which came with a DVD featuring the Prime episode, "Loose Cannons".

The Hasbro stock photography for this toy depicts blue paint operations on his pile drivers that are absent from the final product.

Rumble's TakaraTomy release, part of the tenth assortment of Prime toys in Japan, is significantly different from the Hasbro version. First of all, he's red as per the Generation 1 toys, and uses the mold's alternate head. Much of his color detailing is provided by a sheet of customer-applied foil stickers; this sheet also includes several optional decals, including a Soundwave-shaped sticker meant to complement its twin on Frenzy, allowing the two to combine their shoulder kibble into a Soundwave-glorifying shield. Instead of the twin pile-driver weapons, he comes with a single Arms Micron partner named Dago R, a robotic octopus that transforms into something resembling the Hasbro version's pile drivers.

This mold (with the alternate head) was redecoed into Frenzy. This mold also served as the basis for the non-toy Beast Wars: Uprising designs of Rattrap and Packrat.

• More information on Prime Rumble at TFU.info

Generations

"First we crack the shell, then— Whaddaya mean, it doesn't make sense out of context?"

• Ravage & Decepticon Rumble (Legends Class, 2012)

• Series / number: 01 / 001
• Accessories: Disc case
• Known designers: Joe Kyde (Hasbro)

Part of the first wave of Generations Legends Class toys, "Decepticon Rumble" transforms into a "data disc". He is designed to interact with the Voyager Class Soundwave mold, being capable of storing in and launching out of Soundwave's chest compartment, and features a partial, spring-loaded transformation to robot mode that is triggered when a button on his underside is pressed. He features hands that are compatible with 3mm posts, and comes with a clear-purple plastic case which can be used to store him in disc mode.

Rumble uses the same "circuit board" pattern as the other three humanoid data discs, but like the other three, has been mirrored in a way to give each one a unique orientation to the pattern.

Due to his construction, Rumble has little to no posability, and the fact there is nothing to lock his feet into the proper position renders standing alone very difficult for him.

He was only available in a two-pack with Ravage. He was redecoed into his wave-mate, Frenzy, and retooled to make his Autobot counterparts Eject and Rewind.

• More information on Generations Rumble at TFU.info

Generations (Japan)

• Decepticon Data Disc Set (Multi-pack, 2013)

• ID number: TG16
• Release date: April 27, 2013
• Accessories: Disc case

True to classic TakaraTomy form, this version of Rumble is the red-and-black humanoid. There are a few paint differences from the Hasbro Frenzy, though: black has been added to his hands, plus the circuit board pattern on the data disc mode is in the same orientation as Hasbro-Rumble/Takara-Frenzy. The brighter-red base layer of paint under the circuit pattern is missing as well.

He was only available as part of a four-disc set with Ravage, Frenzy, and Ratbat.

• More informtion on the Decepticon Data Disc Set at Alfes Toy Blog

Adventure

• Rumble & Frenzy (Multi-pack, 2015)

• ID number: TAV32
• Release date: October 24, 2015
• Accessories: Left & right cannons

Adventure Rumble is an exceedingly minor redeco of United Rumble: the main differences are the stripes on his shins are now pale yellow instead of white, and his feet have some extra red paint above the soles. He transforms into a dual-cannon anti-aircraft vehicle similar to a Gepard. In robot mode, his arms can transform into spring-loaded pile-driver weapons, and his two C joint guns can be attached to bars on either his arms or back.

His scannable badge, compatible with the Transformers Chronicle app, located on the left section of his right piledriver arms/tank treads, is not accessible while in vehicle mode.

He was only avaiable packaged with his mold-mate Frenzy, in a set released in the eighth wave of Adventure product.

This sculpt was also used to make United Frenzy and was furthermore retooled into Timelines Rewind and Eject. In addition, the sculpt's initial release would have been in the 2010 Transformers line as Reveal the Shield Demolition Rumble, but was cancelled before it could reach shelves.

• Gallery of Adventure Rumble and Frenzy including side-by-side comparisons with their United predecessors

Notes

• Rumble and Frenzy are described as communicating in coded beeps in Exodus, but we are told that they can speak normally when they choose to.
• As mentioned above, there is a point in level two of Fall of Cybertron when Optimus is talking to Perceptor, and Perceptor mentions when the Autobots built the Ark's thrusters that the player can spot Rumble on the catwalks above Optimus and shoot the Decepticon, causing him to run away.
• Like several other Prime toys unrelated to the cartoon, the Deluxe Rumble mold (originally intended for release in red, as Frenzy) came about as part of an opportunity to create a capsule line for the Asian market^[1] (a la the "Global Development Organization" Generations releases from that same year), tying into the short-lived Transformers Online MMORPG.^[2] As this capsule never materialised for whatever reason, the mold ended up first being released as Rumble.
• An almost-realized BotCon exclusive from Fun Publications was a redeco of Prime Rumble/Frenzy into Generation 1 Bumper.^[3]

Foreign names

• Japanese: Rumble (ランブル Ranburu)
• Russian: Gromila (Громила, "Thug")

References