Sludge (G1)

Sludge is an Autobot Dinobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Me now transform into scientifically-accurate dino!"

"Sludge dumb" is how Grimlock, the Dinobot commander himself, describes the plodding Autobot (also known as Slog). The Dinobots have a perhaps undeserved reputation for being dimwitted, but Sludge is the genuine article. He makes the other four look like scholars in comparison.

As Sludge can't make much of an impression in the mental department, he likes to make his presence known physically. He'll stomp his hefty hide around just so you know he's there. None of the Dinobots really like Optimus Prime, but he and Slag share an especially intense dislike for him. Sludge believes that the strongest should lead, and in his mind, Grimlock is the strongest Autobot. But Sludge genuinely believes in the Autobot cause, so he tolerates Prime. Beyond that, Sludge is actually what you might call nice... Maybe not to Swoop's level, but nicer than the other guys.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Frank Welker (English), Kenyū Horiuchi (Japanese), Ken Shiroyama (Japanese, "Dark Awakening"), Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese, "Webworld"), Keiichi Nanba (Japanese, "Grimlock's New Brain"), Toshiro Ishii (Japanese, "Call of the Primitives"), Minoru Inaba (Japanese, The Movie), Liu Qin (Chinese), Georges Atlas (European French), François Leccia (European French, "Dinobot Island" episodes), Albert Augier (European French, "Desertion of the Dinobots" episodes), Edgar Givry (European French, "Atlantis, Arise!"), Unknown (European French, "Dark Awakening"), Francis Lax (European French, "Webworld"), Edgar Wald (Latin American Spanish), Manfred Schmidt (German, "Webworld"), Bernd Simon (German, "Grimlocks New Brain" & "Call of the Primitives"), Thomas Albus (German, The Movie TV Dub), Willy Schäfer (German, Generation 2 Dub), Ionei Silva (Portuguese), Garcia Neto (Portuguese, "Dinobot Island, Part 1 & 2"), Júlio Chaves (Portuguese, "Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2"), Carlos Seidl (Portuguese, "Dark Awakening")

Those with face like this good. Except when they aren't.

Sludge was developed, along with his fellow Dinobots Slag and Grimlock, after the Autobots discovered dinosaur bones in their volcanic headquarters. Inspired by the power of the prehistoric beasts, Wheeljack and Ratchet built a trio of Dinobots to add firepower to the Autobot forces. The Dinobots proved too dangerous at first, and Optimus Prime ordered Wheeljack to abandon the Dinobot project. Wheeljack continued improving the trio of titans in secret, crafting memory components that made them smarter and easier to control. When the rest of the Autobots were captured by the Decepticons at the Great Falls hydroelectric power plant, Wheeljack dispatched the Dinobots to free their comrades and destroy the Decepticons. The Dinobots succeeded in forcing a Decepticon retreat and were welcomed as members of the Autobot team. S.O.S. Dinobots

Sludge's greatest weakness was his sheer stupidity. Megatron exploited the Dinobots' weaknesses to turn them against Optimus Prime, Sludge merely choosing to follow whichever leader was "strongest". When Optimus Prime risked his life to boldly save Grimlock, the Dinobots rejoined him. War of the Dinobots

"Hello, pretty trees. Me Sludge stomp you now."

Sludge and his fellow Dinobots were called upon to stop a colossal tidal wave, The Ultimate Doom, Part 2 and afterwards, he and Grimlock helped repair a city that was destroyed during the terror. Countdown to Extinction

The Dinobots were in the Ark to fight off the Constructicons who came for Teletraan I. Sludge didn't recognize the new Decepticons, but was still willing to pummel them. When the Constructicons merged into Devastator, Hound created a giant hologram that distracted the beast and gave the Dinobots an advantage, forcing Devastator into a crevice of lava. Heavy Metal War

During a game of football, Sludge was tackled by Hound. The other Autobots later went on a mission to stop Nergill and the Decepticons at Washington, D.C., and when in dire need of assistance, Wheeljack called in the Dinobots as reinforcements. When they arrived, Sludge was pleased to hear Grimlock's order to "transform and destroy", and his powerful feet created earthquakes. Later, Sludge and the rest of the Dinobots were deposited on Negill's home base of Sub-Atlantica, with instructions to act prehistoric. The Dinobots subsequent destruction made Nergill decide to detonate the entire base rather than let the Autobots have it, and everyone was forced to flee the vanquished Sub-Atlantica. Atlantis, Arise!

"Oops. Pardon me. Coming this way. Excuse me!"

Once again, when the Autobots were overwhelmed and needed good brute force, the Dinobots were called in. This time at Quantum Laboratories where the super computer, TORQ III, began remote controlling machines to go on the offensive. Sludge helped out with the destruction of trucks, stomping them like ants. Sludge's long neck gave Optimus Prime a boost so that he could rescue Paul Gates who was held captive in his office. Day of the Machines

After Wheeljack's attempt to show off the Dinobots' finesse was a failure, (Sludge stepped on Slag's tail, unleashing his flame-breath, and it only got worse from there) they were sent to Dinobot Island, a place where the Dinobots would be at home. Sludge didn't mind, because he thought that more room was a good thing for a big guy like him. On the island, he rescued Spike from a lake and had a rock fly in his face (courtesy of Snarl), but with the other four Dinobots, he was cornered by Megatron and fell over a cliff, plunging into a tar pit. Dinobot Island, Part 1 Luckily, Sludge survived, and the Dinobots got out of the pit and outnumbered the Decepticons who had arrived, forcing them to retreat. Sludge then helped release the island's energy return the flow of time to normal. Dinobot Island, Part 2

Me Sludge celebrate Labour Day.

When Bumblebee saw Decepticons at a public airport and Optimus Prime's squad was unavailable, Wheeljack sent in the Dinobots. At the airport, Sludge rescued Bumblebee from the incoming Blitzwing, and helped overpower Megatron's forces, but when he recklessly changed into robot modes with his comrades, Sludge was vanquished by the Decepticons' assault. Though the Autobot doctors did their best, Sludge was no longer interested in doing labour for Optimus Prime and quit with his fellow Dinobots. When the Autobots were incapacitated by the deterioration of cybertonium in their bodies, Spike and Carly pleaded with the Dinobots to help steal some of the critical component from the Decepticons.

Instead, the Dinobots used the Decepticon space bridge to go to Cybertron, Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 where Sludge and the others were captured by Shockwave and reprogrammed into thinking that they obeyed the Decepticons. Shockwave stuck them down in the Cybertonium pits to mine more of the element. Luckily, they was rescued by Spike and Carly, and sent back to Earth with a healthy supply of cybertonium for the weakened Autobots. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2

By the year 2005, the Autobots had been driven off Cybertron completely, but were formulating an assault from two of the planet's moons. The Dinobots worked in the armament factories, until the Battle of Autobot City had them accompany Optimus Prime to Earth. Sludge and the Dinobots were charged with destroying Devastator, but were overmatched. During the attack, Devastator struck Sludge so hard his optic sensors bulged out of his head. Fortunately, none of the Dinobots suffered any fatal damage as they were all present when Spike and Bumblebee contacted them from Moonbase Two about Unicron's attack.

When Galvatron and his troops attacked the city, the Dinobots escaped with Kup and Hot Rod, only to have their spaceship shot down over Quintessa. The Dinobots managed to save the two Autobots from an army of Sharkticons with the help of Wheelie, and Sludge and Slag dispatched a Quintesson prosecutor—by standing on top of a door under which he'd been caught. They all escaped Quintessa and flew to Junkion, reuniting with their fellow Autobots. Later, Sludge was part of the Dinobot attack on Unicron and was able to tail-whip the butt of a god. Unicron wasn't quite a sport about this and the Dinobots just barely escaped being grabbed by the planet eater. Sludge was later seen listening to the speech of the Autobots' new leader, Rodimus Prime. The Transformers: The Movie Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1

Sludge and Snarl were later left to guard Cybertron when a seemingly resurrected Optimus Prime returned, saying that Hot Rod, Kup, Ultra Magnus, and Arcee had been killed by the Quintessons. When the aforementioned Autobots turned up on Cybertron alive, Arcee said that she was happy to see them, but Sludge was not happy, as he thought that meant he and Snarl were dead. Dark Awakening

When Grimlock detected dinosaur transform static at the crime scene where Fort Knox once stood, all the Dinobots (and Sky Lynx) were interrogated about the theft of the building. They were quickly cleared by Perceptor, though. Sludge and the other Dinobots later accompanied the Autobots in the liberation of Carbombya from the Decepticons. Thief in the Night

Sludge helped the Autobots mine isidrite on an asteroid. When the Decepticons arrived, Sludge kicked aside a "Dumb Sweep" that Sky Lynx tossed his way, and later knocked Galvatron over before he could blast Ultra Magnus. Sludge escaped with the other Autobots aboard Sky Lynx. Webworld

We'll assume they built those palm trees just for the Dinobots.

Sludge was on hand to watch the activation of the Autobots’ new power generator. After Grimlock had suffered an accident which dramatically increased his intelligence, Sludge, along with Slag and Snarl, found their offer to fish with them rebuked. Grimlock explained the more important things he had to do, but Sludge really didn't understand what he was talking about. Later, the Dinobots came looking for Grimlock who was working on a new spaceship. Grimlock remarked that they were just in time to assist him, but Sludge complained about the Dinobot leader's new demeanor and the disapproving Dinobots left to go hunting without Grimlock. The Dinobots were much happier when Grimlock was returned to his normal self and they all went back to fishing together. Grimlock's New Brain

Sludge was present during a battle with the Decepticons on the Moon, and was among the Primitives who were summoned by Primacron's assistant. Travelling on board Trypticon, when Headstrong insulted Grimlock, Sludge, who didn't like the Predacons, suggested that they stomp them. Soon a scuffle broke out, until Trypticon shook everyone back into place. The Primitives kept their tempers in check for the rest of their journey, locating the assistant and learning their mission to fight Tornedron. When Tornedron arrived on the Oracle's planet, Sludge and the Dinobots were defeated during an attempted ambush on the creature, as were most of the other Primitives. However, everyone was restored to normal thanks to the actions of Grimlock. Call of the Primitives

Japanese cartoon continuity

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story pages

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it.

The Headmasters cartoon

When the Decepticons invaded Cybertron to conquer Vector Sigma, Sludge defended the planet alongside his fellow Dinobots. The Mystery of Planet Master

Generations Selects Special Comic

In the year 2050, Sludge and the Dinobots resided on Dinobot Island with their new members Slash and Grimmaster. Carly called and warned the Dinobots another time portal was opening on the island, and the Dinobots found Quintessons on their land. The Dinobots ripped apart the Quintessons, but the evil merchants used the Recreator to bring back the Predacons, who attacked as Predaking. Grimmaster was injured opposing Predaking, but he passed on his Energon Matrix so the Dinobots could create their own combiner, forming Volcanicus. Predaking was defeated, but the Dinobots learned that the human-forged robots called Selectors were rebelling at Neo Scramble City, and Carly had been hurt in the riots. Volcanicus comic 1

The Dinobots found the Autobots and Decepticons of the Cybertron Alliance now supported the Selectors' bid for freedom. Sludge agreed with Grimlock that the Dinobots would continue to fight for Carly and humanity. During the war that broke out, Trailbreaker tried to defend himself against Sludge's charge, but Sludge just opened a fissure beneath the Autobot, dropping the ground out from under him. However, Sludge and the other Dinobots were all taken out by Sky Lynx while Grimlock was busy with Optimus Prime. They recovered and reformed Volcanicus as the Quintessons got involved, dropping gas bombs on the battlefield. Volcanicus comic 2

The madness of the Quintessons united everyone against them and their creations, as the planet's Angolmois Energy began to go mad. The Dinobots were summoned back in time by the Oracle, arriving on the Blue Planet of the Precursor World. God Neptune comic 2 There were many parties in play on the Precursor World, and it was all really complicated, so Grimlock focused the Dinobots on what he understood. Their old enemy Primacron was there, so Dinobots smash Primacron! Finale Prelude

Legacy VS500 Collection Special Comic

Sludge was a spectator for the second week of the Speedia 500 on Velocitron. Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 3

Rodimus vs. Cyclonus

After blasting off of Quintessa aboard one of its ships, Sludge and the other Dinobots huddled around Kup near the vessel's control panel. He stood about, muted, as the spacecraft came under assault from Cyclonus. Thanks to Kup and Hot Rod, they managed to escape their attacker, and Sludge later disembarked to meet up with Arcee and Wreck-Gar on the planet Junk. Rodimus vs. Cyclonus

Wings Universe

Together with Hot Rod and Kup, the Dinobots were on board a shuttle fleeing from Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps, though they were more concerned about hearing one of Kup's war stories than being under attack. When they found temporary safety inside a nebula, Kup relented and told them about the time he was in the Elite Guard and fought on Beta-Nine. Eventually the Decepticons found them, but Sludge and the other Dinobots were so angry about the interruption that they made short work of the attackers. Wings of Honor

Ask Vector Prime

In one particularly strange iteration of the Unicron War, Sludge was among the Dinoobots when they evacuated Guardian City aboard a Command Center after Galvatron and his Renegade-Decepticon alliance attacked. Kup entertained the Dinobots with a few tall tales as they headed to Cybertron, but Galvatron attacked their ship, stranding them on Antares III.

The four Dinobots tried to search for the missing Kup and Hot Rod, but not even Swoop could locate their whereabouts. Instead, they encountered the RoGuns. After a misunderstanding, they formed an alliance and barged into the court of the Master Renegade just in time to save Kup and Hot Rod from execution. After stealing the Master Renegade's ship and dubbing it "Grungy", the group headed to Quartex. Kup met up with Boulder, and together they alliance rescued Major Mo's group of Autobots and Guardians from Magmar's evil Rock Lords. Sludge took part in the party that commemorated their alliance.

The Autobots, Guardians, Rock Lords, and RoGuns returned to Cybertron aboard the Grungy and a Rock Lord vessel, where they battled Unicron. Before they were finished their fight, Vector Prime managed to disentangle the two universes, setting history back on its proper course. Echoes and Fragments

Deviations

In a timeline where Optimus Prime killed Megatron during their Autobot City duel, Sludge was on Optimus Prime's shuttle when the Autobots set off to reclaim Cybertron from the leaderless Decepticons. They were attacked en route by "Megascream": a reformatted Starscream now in the thrall of Unicron. They managed to escape after Megascream and his troops retreated, touching down on Quintessa to repair the damage.

On the watery surface of the planet, the Autobots encountered a group of Sharkticons. Kup's universal greeting ended poorly, so Optimus dispatched the Dinobots to take care of the threat. Optimus, Kup, and the Dinobots stormed into a Quintesson courtroom, where they rescued Kranix and learned more about the threat of Unicron. When repairs on the ship had completed, the group rescued Hot Rod, who was marooned on Junkion, and returned to Cybertron, where Optimus announced his intent to confront Unicron head-on.

When Hot Rod saved the day by opening the Matrix, Sludge was present to witness Optimus's declaration that the Cybertronian Wars had indeed ended. Deviations

Marvel Comics continuity

The word you're looking for is "gentle giant".

Main article: Sludge (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

Milton Bradley mini-comic

Sludge was among a number of Autobots under Jetfire's command who crewed the ark. After it crashed into Earth, the ark detected Soundwave and repaired Sludge and three others into the Dinobots. The Dinobots soon tracked down Soundwave, but he proved too much for them to handle until Grimlock used his brain and brought the nearby cliff down, knocking them all offline. The Transformers

Kid Stuff Talking Story Books

Sludge and the other Dinobots live in an underground jungle environment, hidden beneath the Antarctic ice cap. He can fly. Sludge was travelling to the Autobots’ headquarter when he and the Dinobots were attacked by Starscream and the Decepticon superjets. The Dinobots managed to fend off the Decepticons, and continued to Autobot headquarters. Back at the Dinobots’ base, another Sludge, immersed in his tar cocoon, awaited activation to join the Autobot ranks. When the Crusher, a Decepticon juggernaut, forced its way into the Dinobots’ headquarters, the vibrations it produced inadvertently freed the cocooned Dinobots, who charged at Megatron and Soundwave to fend them off. Jaws of Terror

Optimus had requested Sludge and the rest of the Dinobots’ assistance when he and Prowl investigated Decepticon activity on the island of Buru. Upon their arrival, the Dinobots quickly began overpowering the Insecticons on the island. Slaves of the Insecticons

Marvel Storybooks continuity

Sludge and the other Dinobots stood by while Swoop mercilessly butchered Devastator and killed the Constructicons one by one. The rest of the Dinobots then joined in ripping the Constructicons' carcasses into scrap metal for good measure. Battle for Earth

When Sideswipe learned that his "twin Autobot" had been captured by Devastator, he swore to rescue Sunstreaker himself. Grimlock advised him to take Sludge and Slag with him, as their muscle would come in handy against Devastator. The three Autobots made their way to Decepticon headquarters, avoiding best they could the many traps that lay before it. The trio then encountered a couple of Decepticon guards, but made short work of them. Once within Decepticon headquarters, they encountered Devastator. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to defeat the Decepticon gestalt, and were themselves taken prisoner. Some time later, Megatron took Sludge and the others out of their cell to show them that the Autobots had agreed to surrender; on the Decepticons' doorstep was left a statue of Devastator, with a note attached explaining that it was a peace offering. The statue turned out to be a ruse however, and Autobot reinforcements burst forth from within it. Sludge participated in the battle that ensued, which eventually ended in a victory for the Autobots. The Autobots' Secret Weapon

Marvel coloring books

When Optimus learned from Cosmos that the Decepticons were razing a human village to build a fuel plant in its place, he had the Dinobots hide within the other Autobots' vehicle modes to sneak up on the enemy. Once they were in close enough proximity to Shockwave and his minions, the Dinobots were released and the battle against the evil robots commenced. Sludge struck the first blow in combat, tackling Scavenger into a pit to "make him go crunch!" Kickback and Ravage then nearly managed to sneak up on Sludge and Slag, but Grapple and Gears intercepted the two Decepticons before they could harm the Dinobots. The Decepticons were beaten up, shoved into a pit, and covered with quick-drying cement to trap them. The Autobot Spy in the Sky

Sludge and the rest of the Dinobots gathered around Grimlock as Hot Rod explained to them that he was being chased by a squad of Decepticons. Hot Rod then took off towards Autobot City to warn Ultra Magnus while the Dinobots headed to confront the Decepticons. In the battle that ensued, Sludge was taken by surprise by Starscream, who managed to land a hit on Swoop. The Autobots were eventually able to beat the Decepticons back, and were cheered on by the nearby humans as they headed back for Autobot city. Battle at Oil Valley

Sludge took part in a battle over energon cubes at Mount St. Hilary which ended when Starscream scarfed all the energon. The Lost Treasure of Cybertron

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Hot Rod's Escape

Big Looker storybooks

Sludge and the rest of the Dinobots accompanied Hot Rod, Kup and Arcee on a space-faring mission. Sludge helped load the ship's cargo. The ship wound up malfunctioning, and they crash-landed on the planet Quintesson. There, they encountered Wheelie, who warned them about the planet's evil inhabitants. They soon encountered a few Quintessons leading their Sharkticon soldiers to apprehend them. Sludge used his armoured tail to swat away three Sharkticons at once. After the Quintessons had been defeated, the Autobots left the planet in the ship that had once been piloted by Wheelie's parents. The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson

Dinobot War

Sludge, along with the rest of the Dinobots, was present during Earth's distant past, when you, Ravage and Laserbeak travelled through time. The Dinobots quickly learned about the Decepticons' plan to attack the Autobots still slumbering in stasis aboard the crashed Ark, and set out to oppose them. Whether or not they succeeded was up to you! Dinobot War

Find Your Fate Junior

Dinobots Strike Back

Sludge, along with the rest of Dinobots, was feeling disagreeable and bored while on lookout duty in Hidden Valley. Sludge absent-mindedly splashed Slag, causing the later to pick a fight with Sludge, which in turn caused the Dinobots to be distracted from the vigil long enough for the Decepticon Bombshell to sneak nearby and fire a mortar at the group. Sludge and most of the Dinobots were knocked down by the blast, and injected with mind-controlling cerebro-shells. Now Bombshell's mind-slave, Sludge was ordered to go about and wreak havoc.

If the only Dinobot to have escaped the cerebro-shells, Swoop decided to go warn Optimus of what has transgressed, Sludge went freely about the country side, destroying farmlands and endangering human lives. In order to stop the Dinobots, Optimus was presented with two options. The first was to use Windcharger's magnetic abilities to try and dislodge the cerebro-shells. This was a risky plan, and with the Dinobots approaching Bandit's Bluff, Mirage suggested they could alternatively use his own holographic powers to subdue the Dinobots. Going with the original plan involving Windcharger has an equal chance of either removing the cerebro-shells harmlessly, or pulling the Dinobots apart and destroying them. In the event that Windcharger manages to successfully extract the cerebro-shells without killing the Dinobots, the Autobots discover that what has transpired is only the beginning of a Decepticon plot. Optimus sends a squad of Autobots to Dolphin's Bay, prompting Sludge to volunteer himself for the underwater mission that is to come. If Optimus decides to send Sludge along, he arrives first on-location by accidently taking a shortcut. Finding himself waiting for Bumblebee and Skids, he decides to take a nap, and becomes indistinguishable from a rock, half-submerged in the water. Events can unfold so that the Autobots decide to trick the Decepticons into thinking the Dinobots are still under their control in order to rescue Bumblebee, who has been captured while Sludge slumbered. In this case, Swoop flies to Dolphin's Bay and quickly finds his fellow Dinobot. The plan is a success, and during the course of the battle that ensues, Starscream's gun is melted after Thrust's laser bounces off Sludge's tough hide and hits it. The Decepticons defeated, the Autobots party in celebration. If events unfold differently, Sludge rescues Skids after the mini-sub the later is piloting goes haywire. Thanks to Sludge's help, the Autobots successfully mount a direct attack against the Decepticons operating out of Dolphin's Bay, and win the day. If events play out differently still, Sludge rescues Bumblebee and defeats the Decepticons by himself by creating massive waves in the Bay, using the great size of his dinosaur mode.

If Optimus decided to use Mirage's abilities to subdue the Dinobots, Sludge is the first to see Optimus's false-image made to fool the Dinobots into tumbling into the ocean. The Dinobots fall for the Autobots' ruse, and the cerebro-shells are then removed safely at the Autobots' base.

Optimus may also opt to go for a full-frontal assault to stop the Dinobots' rampage. If he does so, Sludge's cerebro-shell is the second to be dislodged in the midst of the ensuing battle. Though disgruntled, the Dinobots return to their usual selves once the mind-control devices are destroyed.

In the event that Swoop manages to overpower Bombshell early on and prevent the Dinobots from going on a rampage at all, Sludge may resumes his fight with Slag, leading Swoop to get bumped on the head and forget all of the events that had just transpired. Even if Swoop retains his memory, Sludge remains oblivious to being mind-controlled at all. Dinobots Strike Back

Autobot Alert!

Sludge was present at the Autobot city of Metroplex when an Autobot Alert sounded.

He and the other Autobots learned of two Decepticon plots simultaneously occurring. One of which was the theft of a coded message meant for Ultra Magnus's eyes only. If Ultra Magnus decided to prioritize theft of the coded message, Sludge was part of the captive audience that listened to Kup divulge information about an ancient Autobot formula. Sludge took off towards the Autobots’ desert research centre along with a number of other Autobots. Once there, they learned from Springer that the Cybertite sphere containing the formula was discovered by humans during the 16th century. If the Decepticons had decoded Springer's message, they would be searching off the coast of California, where the ship containing the sphere had sunk. If they hadn't decoded the message, the Decepticons would still be digging in the nearby crater.

If Ultra Magnus decided to assume that the Decepticons had already decrypted the message, he ordered his forces to split up to more efficiently address the situation. Sludge was part of the main group of Autobot forces led by Ultra Magnus towards the California coast. Arriving at the scene, Ultra Magnus's troops were informed by Powerglide (who had flown ahead of the land-bound group) that he had discovered the location of the sunken ship containing the cybertite sphere. Simultaneously, Blurr caught up with the group to inform them that the Decepticons were quickly approaching. The Autobots then needed to decide whether they would raise the ship themselves, or try and ambush the Decepticons after they had done so.

Ultra Magnus came up with three separate possible plans, one of which required Sludge to use his powerful dinosaur mode to retrieve the sunken ship, and haul it out of the water. Hot Rod would then retrieve the sphere within. Though Sludge had difficulty following the orders barked to him by Ultra Magnus, he and Hot Rod eventually managed to retrieve the sphere. The Autobots’ celebration was cut short by the arrival of the Decepticons. Quickly hiding themselves, the Autobots ambushed their enemies, and successfully shot them all out of the sky. Autobot Alert!

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

After Optimus Prime and Megatron disappeared into a prototype space-bridge and were presumed dead, Sludge became part of Grimlock's Lightning Strike Coalition, a sub-faction that arose as the Autobots splintered into smaller groups. Together, they would run amok disrupting the Decepticons' activities. On one of their missions, they managed to swipe a plenty of energon from Starscream's Predacons. Fragmentation Later he and his fellow Dynobots (minus Grimlock who was busy tracking down Jetfire for treason) aided Prowl's group deal with Trypticon, though the fight went unfinished when Trypticon simply left to respond to other orders. Revelation When Sludge's group went to meet up with Grimlock they found him missing. Confrontation On finding that their leader had been captured by The Fallen, the Dynobots joined forces with good ol' one eye to rescue him. The Fallen was ultimately done in by the power of Primus himself, and the Dynobots were reunited with their leader. Conflagration

Afterwards, Ultra Magnus managed to unite the Autobots once more, and under his leadership gained a significant hold over Cybertron's resources and territories. This eventually forced the Ultracons and Shockwave's Decepticons to sign a peace treaty with the Autobots. Sludge and the other Dynobots were posted as perimeter guards during the peace talks, in anticipation for any attacks that might come their way. Sure enough, Starscream and his Predacons struck by sending in a pair of shuttles filled with neutronium plasma to crash into Tyger Pax, where the treaty was being signed. Sludge and his teammates were unable to halt the shuttles, ending any hope of an easy truce. The dramatic return of Megatron with his cloned Aerospace Extermination Squadron ended any ideas of truce at all. The Age of Wrath

Later, Sludge went to Earth along with the other Dynobots to go crush some bugs and eventually wound up under Megatron's control. Extermination They were used to blackmail Grimlock to serve the Decepticons once again; however, Megatron's defeat allowed them to be freed by their mighty leader Brothers' Burden and taken to Cybertron (in a stolen Decepticon vessel no less) where they did what they did best, causing massive destruction against Shockwave's totalitarian regime by rampaging about. Cold War Though the Dinobots made much headway towards Shockwave's Tower, their progress was halted by the newly reawakened Omega Sentinels. One of these titans blasted the Dinobots, leading to some 'rest time' for Sludge and the others. Passive Aggression Later, once Shockwave's government had been overthrown, Sludge was among the Autobots assembled by Ultra Magnus to help fortify Cybertron's planetary defenses. The Dinobots were to help Kup bolster the new Autobot bases on Cybertron's moons. The Route of All Evil

En route to Cybertron's moon, Kup had an amusing conversation with Sludge while Arcee, Slag, and Snarl looked on. Generation 1 #11

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

When Teletran 3 malfunctioned and sent a random number of Transformers into different points in Earth's timeline, Sludge and his comrades ended up in the planet's distant past, where they were reformatted into dinosaurs and took on the "Dinobot" moniker. They were eventually brought back to present day Cybertron by a group of G.I. Joes and a Cobra Viper, where their powerful dinosaur modes easily overwhelmed Shockwave and his troops. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4

Transformers Legends anthology

Sludge agreed with Grimlock's plan to deal with a helpless Starscream by slagging the Decepticon and scattering the pieces. Redemption Center

The Beast Within

Four million years ago, Sludge combined with his fellow Dinobots to form The Beast, a savage abomination of a gestalt that knew no mercy. The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences

In the present day, Slag participated in a savage battle against the Decepticons. He did not fare too well in the early stages of the battle, being on the receiving end of a volley of Decepticon laser blasts. Then, Grimlock called upon him and the other Dinobots to combine once more into their gestalt form. The merge complete, the Dinobots then rampaged once more as The Beast. The Beast Within

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Spotlight: Shockwave

Before the war, Sludge and the other Dynobots were a Primal Vanguard counter-terrorism unit. During a mission to the caverns of the Toraxxis Plains, they discovered cyber-morphic predators, subterranean creatures that attacked and nearly killed them, forcing them to hastily take on alt-modes based on the monsters themselves to escape alive. Already grieving over the death of their comrade Skar, the Dynobots snapped and deserted from the Vanguard when their superiors cold-heartedly locked them up to study their alt-modes. Underworld On the run from the law, Sludge and his pals began fighting in underground gladiator battles, and was one of many bots to come from distant regions of Cybertron to attend Megatron's speeches and demonstrations of power as the Decepticon faction begun to take shape. Megatron Origin #3 Sludge and the Dynobots were in the Ring of Trials in Ironfall when they witnessed Optimus Prime's rallying call for additional support against the Decepticon tyranny. Broadcast They responded to the call and joined the Autobots in the following battle for control of Cybertron, during which they took out a lot of tanks. Endgame

The Dynobots' time as part of the Autobots was short, as they were now losing control of their unnatural alt-modes and becoming increasingly violent as a result. Fearing they might turn into monsters for good and endanger people around them, they stopped transforming and turned to a life of crime looking to earn the money needed to leave Cybertron. Derelicts During a heist on the Toraxxis mega-refinery, Swoop air-dropped Sludge onto the facility, using him as a wrecking ball to break through its permacrete walls. Wreckage The Dynobots' energon theft was interrupted by Scorponok's forces, having come to conquer the facility for the Decepticons, forcing them to trigger the alarm and escape. Faces of Darkness After the refinery was destroyed in the chaos, Sludge and the others agreed to turn themselves over to the Autobots in hopes that they could help. Prey

Sludge's trip to Autobot HQ was sidetracked when a riot broke out at Starsreach Spaceport, and the Dynobots arrived there just in time to be caught in Decepticon attack that caused Grimlock to lose control and transform into his berserking monster form. Massacre While Grimlock's display repelled the Decepticons, it only made Sludge and the other Dynobots lose any hope they had for redemption, and they left Cybertron on one of the spaceport's shuttles. Unleashed They had a change of heart upon learning that the ancient beast Trypticon had awakened, and returned home to help fight its minions, the very same cyber-morphic predators from earlier. Annihilation After Grimlock was able to take down Trypticon from the inside, the Dynobots rejoined Optimus Prime in hopes that Autobot scientists could cure them. Belly of the Beast Through cleansing of their energon and restoration of their original altmodes, the Dynobots were indeed cured of their rage in time to participate in the defense of Iacon against a major Decepticon attack. Primacy #4

The Dinobots continued to serve under Optimus Prime over the next few million years, becoming widely-known and feared boogeymen for the Decepticons and conducting regular raids on outposts and energon stores. Maximum Dinobots #1 They took part in the battle of Varas Centralus, one of the bloodiest battles of the war The Killing Jar as well as another alien planet where the native population was rendered extinct by the conflict. Post Over ten thousand years ago, the Dynobots followed Grimlock to revenge themselves against Shockwave, who had blown up a cache of energon they had stolen. When Shockwave traveled to Earth, the Dynobots pursued him and reformatted themselves to transform into robotic dinosaurs with a synthetic skin as a defense against energon overload. Sadly, it did not protect the Dynobots from Shockwave's energy blasts, which melted the artificial skin and caused the Dynobots to go into stasis lock due to excessive energon radiation. Due to a deadman's switch, the Dynobots' ship blasted a volcano that buried everyone in molten lava. Spotlight: Shockwave

Sludge must be getting tired of being used as a giant club.

Thousands of years later, the Dynobots were eventually excavated by Skywatch, Escalation #5 and though Grimlock was the first to be brought back online, he was freed from Skywatch's control through a virus implanted by a Machination spy (under orders from Scorponok). Scorponok wanted Grimlock to join him, but Grimlock refused, fought Scorponok and escaped, vowing to find and rescue Sludge and the other Dynobots. Scorponok, however, planned to take control of the Dynobots himself and use them to assassinate Grimlock. Spotlight: Grimlock

Skywatch activated Sludge, and in a test run, had him attack a bi-plane. When Grimlock showed up in Fallon, he and the other Dynobots were sent to intercept him. Maximum Dinobots #1 He smashed through buildings, rammed Grimlock and got chucked around by his neck before his reprogramming was toned down, allowing him to find out Grimlock had set up a dead man's switch without telling the team and then hear Grimlock's defense. Sludge's face went ":(" during this. Maximum Dinobots #2

Saltasaurus was not aerodynamic. We have proved this with extensive testing.

Along with the other Dinobots, Sludge walked away after Swoop read Grimlock the riot act. When Grimlock was attacked and almost destroyed by the Sunstreaker clones, however, the team reunited once again for battle. Although fighting valiantly, they might have been destroyed, if not for the intervention of the Monsterbots, who were earlier contacted by Grimlock. Maximum Dinobots #3

Aboard the Monsterbots' ship, Sludge and the others wonder why Grimlock would side with the outcasts. They gave Grimlock a stern look when he exited the cockpit. The Dynobots didn't see the point of fighting Scorponok, but Grimlock said that Scorponok made it their fight when he turned the Dynobots against him. Snarl disagreed, saying that it has always been Grimlock's fight, that he and the other Dynobots went along with him, and that it was now Grimlock's wounded pride at stake. After the Monsterbots blasted away the defenses, Grimlock exited the ship, saying that there was no way he could let this go, and that with or without the Dynobots, there would be a reckoning for Scorponok. The Dynobots decided that arguing is pointless and followed Grimlock. When Hunter O'Nion pulled the cords from Sunstreaker's head, shutting him down, the clones ceased to function. Sludge cried out in victory, but the moment was short-lived as Scorponok blasted Sludge into stasis. Maximum Dinobots #4

"And I have the power too!"

Grimlock stared down at Sludge's dead body, brooding about how it was his fault Sludge was dead... while a battle between Scorponok and Shockwave (for rights of revenge upon Grimlock) raged on around him. Eventually Snarl, Slag, and Swoop decide to get to the Monsterbots' ship while the getting was good, but Grimlock stayed behind with Sludge. Grimlock tried infusing some of his spark energy into Sludge to revive him, but it seemed to have no effect. Shockwave got the upper hand and let Scorponok escape, and in frustration, Grimlock attacked Shockwave. Grimlock and Shockwave were too busy fighting to notice the return of Slag, Snarl, and Swoop, who reasoned that, while helping Grimlock might not be much of a cause, it still beat being no better than the Monsterbots. They were noticed by Sludge, however, who seemed to have recovered due to Grimlock's treatment after all. The four of them dove into the fray proper, but Grimlock ordered them to go after Scorponok instead. When Hot Rod was about to get squished by Scorponok, the remaining Dynobots showed up in just the nick of time. At Hot Rod's urgings, Swoop severed the connections keeping Scorponok's head conscious. But before the Dynobots could kill the rest of Scorponok, Ultra Magnus showed up and told them that Scorponok would be revived and made to answer to a tribunal instead. He then said they should purge the entire Machination facility, gather up all related Machination technology, and get as far away from Earth as possible as soon as possible—a plan that the Dynobots, Hot Rod, and Hunter were all perfectly OK with. Ultra Magnus later told Grimlock that having Scorponok and Shockwave in custody could help offset Grimlock's own sentence, and that the other Dynobots' warrants had been canceled, and Grimlock was content with that and the fact that Sludge was alive again thanks to him. Sludge and the others meanwhile happily repaired the Skyfire. Maximum Dinobots #5

After traveling space for a few years, Sludge and the other "Dinobots" returned to a reborn Cybertron where they joined Ironhide for a mission to find the missing Aerialbots. Traveling into the untamed wilderness on Sky Lynx, they made short work of a ferocious turbofox before discovering signs of Transformer weaponry and deciding to set up camp for the night. That night, Sludge was attacked and decapitated by an unknown foe as he rested in dinosaur mode on the roof of their hastily constructed hut. Dinobot Hunt Since the dinosaur mode head wasn't his true head, he was fine, which he had to correct not only Ironhide but Swoop about. The attacker turned out to be one of the other Dinobots under the same mysterious influence that had claimed the Aerialbots. Sludge fell under the effect and became violent as well, first turning on his fellow Dinobots, then joining with them to chase down Ironhide until they were finally stopped by "The Superion". Night and the City With Dinobots, Aerialbots and Ironhide all gathered in one place, the influence that had made the Dinobots aggressive and created Superion ceased to affect them. Second Exodus

The Dinobots returned to Iacon with Superion, only to find it under attack by Megatron. Before the Dawn Sludge joined the battle against the Decepticons, getting swung around as a club by Turmoil Plan for Everything and using his tail to give Ironhide the boost he needed to punch Devastator in the face. The Autobots were victorious, but Starscream turned the neutral population against them and had both factions banished from the city. Heavy Is the Head Traveling back into the wilderness, the Dinobots briefly scuffled with the approaching Constructicons before the Decepticon group clarified that they were there in peace. Second Exodus

Eager to find something to punch, the Dinobots were among the Autobots who went to investigate a mysterious light on the horizon, only to bear witness to the Necrotitan bursting out of the ground. Dark Dawn Since the giant showed no signs of aggression, the Autobots surrounded it and stayed on their guard until the exiled Decepticons showed up and attacked them. Black Metal The two groups battled until the Necrotitan suddenly unleashed an energy wave that caused extensive damage on both sides, gravely wounding several, including the Dinobots. Winners & Losers In the wake of this blast, the Autobots and Decepticons decided to cease hostilities and join forces against Shockwave. Into the Abyss After the Necrotitan started marching towards Iacon, all the Dinobots could do was uselessly fire on it as it ignored them. No Exit

As the Necrotitan stomped through Iacon, the Dinobots and others continued to try and halt its rampage until Metroplex arrived to confront the undead Titan. Burning Bright After the Necrotitan was defeated, the Dinobots stood around in the aftermath as the crew of the Lost Light was welcomed back to Cybertron. The Becoming The reprieve didn't last long, as Shockwave's army of Ammonites soon appeared in the sky, and the Dinobots got back to fighting. Black Planet Sludge and the others smashed Ammonites until their foes all began self-destructing. Sludge bore witness to Optimus Prime and Megatron returning after they had ended Shockwave's threat. ...And the Damage Done

Sludge attended the trial of Megatron in Raskol Arena. Towards Peace Sludge accompanied Slug, Starscream, and Barricade to the murder scene of three Decepticons. He then went to greet Optimus Prime upon his return from Earth to Cybertron, receiving a friendly pat on the head from the Autobot leader. City of Steel The Decepticon ghetto was scene to three more murders and Sludge and the other Dinobots arrived on the scene to provide security for the investigation. Fight or Flee When the Firecons were suspected as the killers, Sludge and the others aided in their apprehension, brutalizing the three Decepticons. Quest for Fire The Dinobots left to let off some steam after the fight, and Optimus tracked them down to accuse Slug of being the real murderer. The Killing Jar Sludge was game for helping Slug take Prime down a few pegs for his accusations, but before the Dinobots could do anything, their stomping ground was bombed. Prime had only accused Slug to root out the real killer; Sandstorm, who chose the Dinobots as his next targets. The Dinobots were rescued by Starscream and Windblade while Optimus managed to stop and apprehend Sandstorm. Forever Is a Long Time Coming

Sludge and Swoop had to restrain a drunken Slug from attacking Camien proselytizers after he heard them singing the praises of Optimus Prime. Aphelion They dragged him to Maccadam's to get even drunker and start a brawl THERE, ending in Slug's arrest by Barricade. Barricade soon hired the Dinobots for a under-the-table job requested by Camiens Swift and Strafe transporting secret cargo into the wilderness and past the Sea of Rust. While initially planning to double-cross Barricade and take his money, Slug changed his mind once he found out the cargo consisted of Camien sparks that were to be planted in a new hot spot in Alyon. Sludge and the other Dinobots quickly followed Slug's lead and provided defense against the Badgeless, reanimated Sweeps, and mutated turbofoxes during the long journey. The group soon encountered Bludgeon, the source of their troubles, and a battle ensued that resulted in the death of Barricade, the loss of the Camien sparks, and Strafe being mutated by corrupted energon. In the aftermath, the Dinobots, now joined by the newly-bestial Strafe, decided to continue deeper into the wilderness to track down the missing Bludgeon. Redemption

Months later, the Dinobots were still following Bludgeon's trail through the wastes of Tyger Pax. They discovered one of his abandoned labs, where they were ambushed by Sandstorm, who had been released from prison by Starscream to kill the Dinobots. He managed to kill Slug with a sniper shot, forcing the other Dinobots to flee. After stealing the new sparks from the Alyon hot spot, Bludgeon reawakened and enslaved Trypticon with the Void Scepter, unleashing him on Iacon. Sludge, Snarl, and Strafe managed to catch up and infiltrate Trypticon after fighting off a newly-spawned horde of cyber-morphic predators. Sludge and Snarl were separated from Strafe, but continued blowing holes in Trypticon's interior until they were joined by Swoop and Sandstorm, who had reluctantly teamed-up. Snarl and Sludge attacked Sandstorm after learning he was the one who shot Slug, and the fight spilled into Trypticon's brain-center, where Strafe was confronting Bludgeon. The fight turned out to be a distraction so they could separate Bludgeon from the Void Scepter, and with his mind freed, Trypticon forcibly space bridged Bludgeon outside and immolated him. Trypticon then departed Iacon and returned to the wilderness, determined to nurture the stolen sparks nested within him. The Dinobots and Sandstorm made an uneasy peace and agreed to defend the sparks until they matured into protoforms. Salvation

They were soon joined by Centurion in their vigil and drawn into conflict with Optimus Prime, Arcee, Garrison Blackrock, and the resurrected Slug, who was enraged to see his fellow Dinobots consorting with Sandstorm. Another fight broke out, with everyone's aggression amplified by Bludgeon and his reacquired Void Scepter. The Dead Come Home, Part 1 Sludge broke away to safeguard Trypticon's newborns, intentionally leading Arcee to them so she could see what all the excitement was about. Trypticon put a stop to the fighting and Slug reconciled with the rest of the Dinobots. The Dead Come Home, Part 2

After Unicron appeared in the skies above Earth, Sludge and the Dinobots stood around wondering what to do. A Sunrise Dark They attended a war council inside Trypticon and joined an attack force in Earth's orbit to oppose Unicron's Maximal army. Assembly After Bludgeon's Worldsweeper breached the planet's atmosphere, the Dinobots boarded Sky Lynx and followed it. With Victorion serving as a distraction, the Dinobots infiltrated the Worldsweeper and fought their way to the bridge to confront Bludgeon. Sludge met his end at the hands of numerous Maximals, but the Dinobots finally succeeded in killing Bludgeon after the Worldsweeper crash-landed into the White House. Ceremony

Transformers: All Spark

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Revenge Great Aspirations Conclusion

Ask Vector Prime

In Primax 096.0 Beta, Grimlock, Sludge, and Swoop appeared at the last minute to save the day for the Autobots at the Battle for Sherman Dam. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06

Prime Wars Trilogy continuity

Prime Wars Trilogy cartoons

Voice actor: Frank Todaro (English)

When Megatron and his team arrived in the Primal Swamp, Sludge and the other Dinobots attacked the trespassers. Sludge managed to pin down Victorion, attacking her with Snarl, but she eventually managed to free herself. Undeterred, Sludge merged with his fellow Dinobots to become Volcanicus. The Swamp The Dinobots later separated, but were taken aback when Grimlock agreed to join Megatron's group. Primal Unable to agree with the decision, Sludge and the other Dinobots departed, with Sludge taking on a leadership role. Unfortunately, they were found by Overlord and Rodimus Cron, who attacked and soundly defeated them. Rodimus grabbed Sludge and started torturing him until Snarl confessed Megatron was headed for the Athenaeum Sanctorum. Momentarily possessed by Unicron, Rodimus killed Sludge and departed with Overlord, with the others mourning the loss of their own. Athenaeum Sanctorum Grimlock joined them in their mourning after Megatronus's defeat. Saga's End

Prime Wars Trilogy marketing material

The Dinobot Sludge could wield powers of the Primes by linking with Prime Masters. Power of the Primes Dinobot Sludge packaging bio

Commercial appearances

• Sludge, Slag, and Grimlock battled against Soundwave, Ravage, and Laserbeak in the middle of a thunderstorm. Dinobots commercial
• Sludge and the Dinobots were beating up Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp when the Predacons intervened. The new arrivals barreled over Sludge before combining into Predaking and attack the Dinobots from the skies. Predacons commercial

Games

The Transformers (PS2)

The Transformers

Transformers Legends

When Grimlock went missing, Swoop and Sludge paid a visit to the planet Junk, but were unable to find him there. Wreckage They and the rest of the Lightning Strike Coalition tracked down Grimlock to the Sea of Rust, where they were captured by Shockwave who experimented on them and gave them dinosaur alternate modes. They repaid him by trashing his lab. Rescue the King

Following the disappearance of Grimlock and Swoop, Sludge and the other remaining Dinobots refused to obey Autobot orders and set out for the Decepticon base, attacking Optimus when he tried to stop them. Having dealt with Optimus, the Dinobots continued towards the Decepticon base until the Autobots managed to overwhelm and imprison them. Day of the Dinobots - Part 1 The trio were released during a night raid by Grimlock and Swoop. The five Dinobots marched on the Decepticon base, but were defeated by Shockwave, Ramjet, and Ratbat. Day of the Dinobots - Part 2

The Dinobots supported Grimlock when their leader decided to take control of the Autobot army, and took part in an attack on the Decepticons, capturing Megatron and Shockwave. Me, Grimlock, King

When Optimus fell in battle during a massive Decepticon attack on Autobot City and Grimlock took command, Sludge and the other Dinobots joined him in crushing the Decepticon forces. S.O.S. Dinobots

Sludge was caught up somehow in a Quintesson plot to kidnap several Autobots during the Galactic Games. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1

Transformers Rising

The Game Full of Death and Suffering...! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their video game appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it.

Transformers: Battle Tactics

Slog participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character who could be recruited by collecting 160 units of Cybermetal, 95 units of Transmetal, and 20 event cores. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Transformers: Frontiers

The Game Full of Death and Suffering...! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their video game appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it.

Transformers: Earth Wars

Me don't wanna fight, but me have to. Grimlock said.

Despite his plodding, lumbering gait and bulldozer-like approach to anything in his way, Sludge is a gentle and even shy 'bot at heart. But conscious of his bellicose fellow Dinobots, and wary of their scorn, he keeps his sensitive side hidden. Sludge's seismic footfalls have been known to cause inadvertent landslides, which sometimes bury Sludge and anyone nearby, making others dismiss him as clumsy and accident prone.

Sludge was practicing his walking when he stumbled into Polyhex. Straxus had his eyes on him, and sent the Insecticons to ambush him. Dark Deeds He shrugged off the stings of the Insecticons and swatted away a cerebro-shell, but another one drilled into his head. Mind Games With Sludge under Bombshell's control, he was transported to Earth. Starscream then presented him as a gift to Megatron, which actually impressed him. Out of Control The Decepticons then headed to an abandoned spaceport where they had set up for a Moonbase operation, and lured the Dinobots there. Under the command "Crush Dinobots", Sludge battled his fellow Dinobots and overpowered them. As Megatron was preparing for the finishing kill, Sludge, according to Starscream's command, pushed him down an empty rocket silo. He then fell unconscious, and Drift, who was observing the course of events, called for an emergency shuttle extraction. Double-Crossed

Back the base, Bumblebee was going to fetch Ratchet, but Grimlock insisted that they would take care of him. It didn't help when Sludge heard that Slug was going to fetch a drill to fix his head.

• Class - Warrior
• Lowest Star Rating: 2 stars
• Weapons: Sludge mainly sticks to his beast mode, and smashes things with his feet and head. When in bot mode, he uses a triple barreled "seismic gun" of the same model as Seaspray to create seismic quakes that damage walls immensely.
• Ability: Seismic Charge - Target an enemy wall with a resonating seismic charge. The explosion deals damage for each wall within the radius, and quadruple damage to walls.
  • Cost: 8 ability points +3 for reuses.

Slog at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki

Toys

The Transformers

Me Sludge crush Littlefoot's mama.

• Sludge (Dinobot, 1985/1986/1992)

• Takara ID number: 27
• Accessories: "Energo sword", "electron cannon", rocket pod launcher, 3 rockets
• Known designers: Kōjin Ōno (TakaraTomy), Shōji Kawamori (Studio Nue)

Released as part of the second series of Hasbro's The Transformers in 1985, Sludge is a redeco of the Diaclone "Dinosaur Robo Brontosaurus" toy, transforming into a robotic Brontosaurus. In dino mode, he has an opening jaw. His missile-launching cannon has had its springs severely weakened for safety reasons. Like most Diaclone-era molds, Sludge also has a conspicuous driver compartment located in his chest. Due to his transformation scheme, he ends up reasonably well-articulated in robot mode.

In Japan, he and the other Dinobots were offered in the initial year of Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers toyline, though his missile launcher's springs have been restored to full-force functionality. He and the other Dinobots were also available years later as mail-away items during Operation Combination; Sludge cost 2300 yen (his original retail price) and two Robot Points.

• Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Sludge at Transformerland.com
• More information on Sludge at TFU.info

• Sludge (Dinobot, 1991)

• Accessories: "Energo sword", "electron cannon", rocket pod launcher, 3 rockets

Sludge was re-released in the European "Classics" line in 1991, with no notable changes.

In Greece, these releases were added to re-releases of the Defensor and Devastator giftsets.

Platinum Edition

Me Sludge work for Tommy Oliver.

• Dinobots (Platinum Edition 5-pack, 2015)

Part of the Platinum Edition Dinobots 5-pack, Slog is a slight Generation-1-inspired redeco/new-head retool of Age of Extinction Voyager Class Slog. While the deco is pretty much the same as the Thrilling 30 figure, this Slog doesn't feature chromed side thighs.

Slog was bundled with Grimlock, Slug, Snarl, and Strafe.

This set was initially released as a Toys"R"Us exclusive in Canada in October 2015, followed by Singapore a month later (although it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular store there or not). Much later, it became available via the Australian Toys"R"Us website (but never found in stores). In the United States, it was initially only available online via Amazon and BigBadToyStore before being found at discount chain Ross a year after its intial release in Canada.

Kre-O

• Kreon Class of '85 (Kreon figure set, 2015)

• Set number: B5152
• Voted: Most Likely to Lose a Spelling Bee By Misspelling "Bee"
• Accessories: Scoped pistol, sword

Kre-O "Slog" (renamed thanks to trademark) is a small brick-built Kreon figure, using the 2015-style construction with raised hands and the sturdier "peg-in-peg" torso/waist connection. His body tampographs are heavily toy-based.

He was only available as part of the San Diego Comic-Con-exclusive "Kreon Class of '85" 30-Kreon set. This set was also sold online through Hasbro Toy Shop after the show.

• More information on Slog at TFU.info

Power of the Primes

• Dinobot Sludge (Deluxe Class, 2018)

• TakaraTomy ID number: PP-14
• TakaraTomy release date: June 30, 2018
• Accessories: Blaster, Prime Armor/combiner hand, Prime Master gap filler/gun
• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro), Robby Musso (concept artist), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Power of the Primes "Dinobot Sludge" (he got his name back!) is a heavy retool of Dinobot Slug (unlike Slug, Sludge gets to keep the robot mode wings from his original design) and transforms into a robotic Brontosaurus, as well as a limb for Volcanicus or any Combiner Wars-style combiner (or into one of Legends Godbomber's legs). Like the other Dinobots in this subline, Sludge is partially composed of translucent plastic with gold paint on the inside, to give him a 'layered' look reminiscent of his original toy. This includes the hind legs of his Dino Mode, which unlike Slug's are single-cast translucent pieces. As with all Power of the Primes Deluxe Class figures, he comes with Prime Armor with a place for a Prime Master, Enigma, or Matrix core that can transform into a hand for a combiner. The filler piece in the Armor's "Master socket" can be removed and wielded as a weapon accessory. He also comes packaged with the same blaster weapon packaged with Slug.

For whatever reason, Sludge is absolutely riddled with 5 mm holes; between his robot and dino modes, he has a whopping total of 13 ports (15 if you want to count the two used for his arm and leg modes), meaning he has the most ports of any of the POTP Deluxes and Voyagers by far.

Sludge unfortunately suffers from the same combiner peghole issue as Slug, being very thinly molded and easily broken. Extreme caution should be taken when plugging anything into it or manipulating what may have already been inserted. Should the plastic snap, its tension will be severely reduced and may lead to the combiner hands or feet falling out. In some cases, it may simply not be possible to avoid breaking the peghole aside from not using it. Also like Slug however, the peghole on the bottom of his foot used for combiner hands is considerably thicker and less prone to breakage.

In China, he was also released along with the other 4 Dinobots as a gift-set, exclusive to Hasbro China's TianMao site.^[1]

Generations Selects

Sadly, a cartoon-accurate color scheme does not equal an improved IQ.

• Volcanicus (Gift set, February 27, 2021)

• Hasbro ID number: TT-GS11
• Accessories: 2 guns, 2 swords, 2 Magma Swords, 2 arm-mounted cannons, twin 'stunner' laser rifle, 2 foot-plates, left & right fists

Generations Selects Sludge is a redeco of his Power of the Primes figure, but now with a more cartoon-inspired deco.

He was only available in an online-order box set with his fellow Dinobots Grimlock, Slug, Snarl and Swoop.

TakaraTomy Mall gives this figure the title "Dinobot Dense Forest Warrior Slage". [sic]^[2]

Studio Series

Sludge forgot to bring a friend along for the ride.

• Dinobot Sludge (Leader Class, 2022)

• Movie: The Transformers: The Movie
• Hasbro ID number: 86-15
• TakaraTomy ID number: SS-89
• TakaraTomy release date: August 27, 2022
• Accessories: Blaster, "Mockery of Justice" backdrop
• Known designers: Shogo Hasui (TakaraTomy), Mario Carreiro, Christina Murphy and Amy Bence (packaging),^[3] Felipe Hamame (instruction designer), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Released to commemorate the 35th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie, Studio Series "Dinobot Sludge" is a Leader Class-sized figure approximating his character art from The Transformers Collection, transforming into a mechanical Brontosaurus that hybridizes his cartoon and G1 toy appearances. The third of the original Dinobots to receive the Studio Series treatment, Sludge comes with his traditional cannon accessory which can either be wielded in robot mode or stored under his dinosaur mode's belly. Sludge's toy packaging uses the "window-less" style first seen with Coronation Starscream, with the box art depicting Sludge blasting away hordes of Sharkticons.

Unlike the other Generation 1-styled Studio Series Dinobots so far, Sludge does not come with an additional mini-figure. To make up for this, Sludge has significantly more complex engineering that results in him having a dinosaur mode that's decidedly larger than Grimlock's or Slug's.

In an undocumented feature, Sludge's blaster accessory can store on his back by plugging its 5mm post handle into either of the two screw holes along the length of the dino neck.

Also not mentioned in the instructions - in robot mode, if the front dino legs hanging off the back are angled to sit flush against the dino neck with the dino feet sandwiched tightly between the dino chin and neck with the dino head folded up, it will create a much more secure backpack with enough clearance for a complete 180-degree waist swivel without the backpack getting undone. Whether this was an intentional part of the design that was erroneously omitted from the instructions or just a happy accident is unknown.

Though Sludge had difficulty making it onto retail shelves at first, droves of the figure popped up months after his supposed release date. Due to coinciding with his then-repack in the wave containing The Fallen, and figures starting to finally get into collector's hands, Sludge became a hefty shelfwarmer.

Although Sludge does not include a sword, the 2024 Comic Edition redeco of Grimlock would include three swords, one of which was styled after Generation 1 Sludge's sword, and is intended to be given to the Studio Series figure.

Legacy

Me Sludge get mad if you use dino-head for not intended purpose in big-bot mode!

• Dinobot Sludge (Core Class, 2023)

• 1 of 6: Volcanicus
• TakaraTomy ID number: TL-28
• TakaraTomy release date: May 27, 2023
• Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro), Shuhei Umezu and Shogo Hasui (TakaraTomy)^[4]

Part of the first wave of Legacy: Evolution Core Class toys, "Dinobot Sludge" is a smaller version of the Brontosaurus Dinobot. Sludge is also notable in being part of the first Core Class combiner: forming the lower half of the torso for Volcanicus, akin to Dinoking's Rairyu. As a result of forming a combiner part on such a small scale, he comes with noticeable kibble; his rear dino mode legs hang off his robot mode legs, with the molded robot thighs and the lower legs' articulation being compromised by them. In a rarity for a modern figure, he doesn't come with any accessories. Instead, his dino mode head comes as a separate piece in the packaging and must be clipped on manually.

In an apparent design flaw, the two sides of Sludge's dinosaur snout do not match each other, with very different half-sets of sculpted detailing separated by a prominent seam. While Sludge's combiner mode thighs are meant to be secured by tabbing, they still can be unlocked and rotated.

Merchandise

Decoy

• Cybertron Hero Collection 9 (multi-pack, 1986)
• Sludge (1987)
  • Decoy number: 14

The figurine was later brought over to Hasbro markets as part of the Decoy promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded Throttlebots, Aerialbots, Protectobots, and Technobots.

• More information on Decoy Sludge at TFU.info

The Loyal Subjects

Me Sludge deformed, but scientifically accurate!

• Sludge (2014)

The Loyal Subjects Sludge is a Wave 3 figure with standard articulation. He has a cute widdle dino head on his back. For every 16 figures, there is one Sludge.

Like most of his wave, Sludge's bio card plagiarizes this wiki article's opening paragraphs.

Transformers Trading Card Game

• Dinobot Sludge, Mighty Stomper (2018)
  • Wave 1
  • Rarity: UT
  • Card Number: T16/T40
  • Stars: 8

Dinobot Sludge, Mighty Stomper is one of forty double-sided character cards available in Wave 1 of the Transformers Trading Card Game.

The artwork on the card is reused from the Transformers Legends mobile card game, with Bot-mode line-art by Dan Khanna.

• Dinobot Sludge, Dino Demolitions (2019)
  • Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners
  • Rarity: RT
  • Card Number: T18/T46
  • Stars: 8

Dinobot Sludge, Dino Demolitions was released as part of the Transformers Trading Card Game Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners. Like all other members of combiner teams released in the set, Dinobot Sludge, Dino Demolitions is a folding card, with the Bot and Alt modes being depicted when the card is folded in half, and a holofoil portion of the combined mode depicted when unfolded. The reverse of Dinobot Sludge, Dino Demolitions depicts Volcanicus's right leg, which is formed by Sludge in the artwork.

The artwork for Bot and Alt Mode is reused from the Transformers Legends mobile game.

Dinobot Sludge, Dino Demolitions can be used to form Volcanicus, Fiery Champion with the use of the Action card Dinobot Enigma while he and the other Wave 2 Dinobots are in Bot mode on the battlefield or KO area.

Notes

Evolution of Sludge's character model.

WANT.

• Sludge was originally a Diaclone "Dinosaur Robo Brontosaurus". The only differences between this incarnation and the Transformers release is that the Diaclone version has a gold-chromed sword, as well as coming with a red-and-black Diaclone pilot figure.
• Sludge went through several preliminary names, including Brontobot, Piledrive,^[5] and Bronton.^[6]
• Sludge's alt mode was originally identified as a Brontosaurus^[7] (a sauropod dinosaur), more recent depictions (such as the 2005 IDW continuity) have updated this to a different species of sauropod like Apatosaurus or Saltasaurus. Recently, Brontosaurus has been rehabilitated as a proper genus of animal. Hooray, Sludge!
• The overall design and transformation sequence of the original Sludge toy served as the basis for Thunder Geist, one of four recurring villainous henchmen on the Takara/Sunrise co-production Brave Exkaiser. In what might be called a vision of things to come, the four "Geisters" were once briefly fused into a single robot called "Mad Geister" (マッドガイスター Maddogaisutā). However, because each Geister controlled a portion of the combined body—and, aside from Ptera Geist, they had the accumulated brain power of a Froot Loop—this ended rather badly. In a more successful (if not also prescient) later development, the Geisters learned to merge in groups of two, with Thunder Geist forming the lower body of "Pteder" (プテダー Putedā).
• Sludge's "electron cannon" in the cartoon is actually based on the missile launcher that comes with the Generation 1 toy. This is likely down to the toy reference photos given to the show's art team only having the missile launcher in his hand. This is also presumably the reason why Sludge and several of the other Dinobots never use a sword in the cartoon either.
• Swoop and Sludge's absence from the Generation 2 toyline has never been fully explained, though rumors of what might have been persist. In the late 2000s, packaging art of both in new colors was put up for auction on eBay—seemingly from the collection of a former Hasbro employee—indicating what he might have looked like in the line. This art surfaced alongside a screaming yellow-orange and turquoise Grimlock and a lime-green Swoop, so it is possible that the three were at one time planned for a second wave of Dinobots.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Sludge (スラージ Surāji, スラッジ Surajji)
• Czech: Bochánek
• French: Slug, Terro (Canada and Angry Birds Transformers game)
• Hungarian: Iszap
• Italian: Bronto
• Mandarin: Níbā (Taiwan, 泥巴, "Mud"), Yūní (China, 淤泥, "Sludge")
• Portuguese: Chafurda (Brazil comic) Lama (Portugal)

References

1. ↑ https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=559183834163&skuId=3853426938808
2. ↑ [Domestic: Limited to TAKARATOMY MALL] Transformer GENERATION SELECTS Volcanicas
3. ↑ Transformers Panel at Hasbro Pulse Con 2024 with Ben MacCrae, Evan Brooks, Mark Maher, Marcelo Matere, and Nate Purswell.
4. ↑ Design notes on the Legacy Evolution Dinobots from Hasbro designer Evan Brooks on Instagram.
5. ↑ Jim Sorenson revealed that the original The Transformers cartoon series bible features a descriptions of him typed with the name "Piledrive", then crossed out by hand and relabeled "Sludge". He was also listed parenthetically as "Brontobot".
6. ↑ "Bronton" is from the Sunbow Productions cast list page for "Countdown to Extinction", and was evidently coined by writer Donald F. Glut.[1]
7. ↑ But not that often, really. Dinobot toy packaging and instructions identified them only as "dinosaurs." It didn't seem to come up in the comics or his bios either. Specific mentions of him being a Brontosaurus include the cartoon production bible and the episode S.O.S. Dinobots.