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Symbol decept reg

The Decepticons are a militant faction of Transformers from the planet Cybertron. Throughout the Transformers mythos, they are usually depicted as the villains, defined by the common goal of universal conquest.

The origins and purpose of the Decepticons may vary depending on the media, but they are generally depicted as being duplicitous, violent and destructive. They are determined to destroy their eternal enemies, the Autobots, dominate their homeworld of Cybertron and the greater universe beyond. While the Autobots wish to protect other forms of life, the Decepticons only value other races in regards of how they can serve them. They hold little regard for organics, seeing most biological life as little more than vermin in need of exterminating.

Given that they are a militant faction, Decepticons typically transform into vehicles and machines meant for warfare such as fighter jets and tanks. Many Decepticons also specialize in espionage and may transform into seemingly innocuous devices that will not draw attention, yet are capable of carrying out spy functions such as surveillance, recording and information-gathering.

Generation 1[]

Marvel Comics[]

Decepticons 1985 by dan the artguy

The original Transformers comic series states that the Decepticons emerged as a militant faction on Cybertron following the devastating Vos-Tarn War. The movement originally consisted of gladiators forced to compete in the State Games who rallied together under the leadership of the strongest gladiator of them all: Megatron. With his natural charisma and promise for true change on Cybertron, Megatron soon drew more malcontents to his cause, building up an army mighty enough to overthrow the planet's governing bodies.

Megatron's plans didn't stop with the conquest of Cybertron; he intended to turn the planet into a cosmic dreadnought with which he could conquer the entire galaxy. As the war continued, Cybertron's reserves of energon were depleted, leading the planet and its inhabitants towards perpetual shutdown. In addition, the planet had been knocked out of its orbit and was drifting towards an asteroid field. The Autobots would construct a starship, the Ark, with which to clear a path through the asteroids, but the Decepticons would build their own vessel, the Nemesis, in order to destroy the Ark and the Autobots' leadership who were aboard. After the Ark had expended its energy clearing away asteroids, the Nemesis struck and Megatron and his crew boarded the Autobot vessel. Both ships would be caught in the gravitational field of the nearby planet Earth and dragged down. The Ark, with both Autobots and Decepticons aboard, crashed into the side of a volcanic mountain and its occupants were rendered offline, remaining inert for the next four million years. The Nemesis, however, would be lost.

While Megatron's crew remained offline on Earth, the war on Cybertron continued to slog along. The planet was eventually conquered, but had been so thoroughly devastated that there was little left worth ruling. Many Decepticons would decide to abandon Cybertron and establish a new Cybertronian Empire elsewhere in the cosmos. Meanwhile, the Decepticon warlord Straxus would continue to reign over the planet with a group of loyalists.

Eventually the Earth-bound Decepticons would awaken in 1984, sparking off a new front in the war. After the presumed suicide of Megatron, an escalation in fighting would see Decepticon leadership fragment and change hands rapidly, with frequent clashes, plots and counter-plots between the primary leadership, namely Starscream, Shockwave, Ratbat, and Scorponok, until most of them were killed in the Underbase conflict, leaving Scorponok the only surviving commander. A brief truce with the Autobots was held when Unicron attacked in 1991, but Scorponok was killed in the following conflict. Immediately after this, Bludgeon came to power. Charismatic and driven, Bludgeon turned the beaten Decepticons into a new army; after a defeat on Klo, they regrouped and reorganised.

Following Bludgeon's defeat on Klo, the Autobots turned their attention internally to Cybertron, repatriating Decepticons who chose to lay down their arms while leaving Bludgeon's faction free to conquer other planets and build up his Warworld. Having abandoned Earth to its own devices, the Autobots were unaware of Megatron's revival, and his subsequent devastation of the planet with the help of his horde of zombified Decepticons (which included a few Autobots in its ranks by circumstance). The horde was stopped when Optimus Prime killed Megatron once and for all.

Meanwhile, Soundwave used the Decepticons on Cybertron to subvert the Autobots' peace, destroying the Last Autobot and clearing the way for Bludgeon's eventual return. In the interim, Scorponok launched his own covert invasion of Cybertron, with the intent of using his Gene Key to overwrite the CNA of every Autobot on the planet, turning them into Decepticons. Scorponok's efforts were ultimately thwarted by Grimlock, and Bludgeon's subsequent invasion was ultimately repelled by Rodimus Prime, but at the expense of leaving the Autobots virtually defenseless.

While Rodimus led an Autobot task force on a preemptive strike against the Cybertronian Empire's Hub network, the Dark Matrix creature, which had manipulated events on Cybertron, Earth, and Nebulos, spread itself across Cybertron, turning every Transformer it could reach into Shadow-leeches. The last known surviving Decepticons were Ravage, Starscream, and Shockwave, who, facing extinction, renounced the ways of the Decepticons and became ambassadors for peace.

The Transformers (Cartoon series and movie)[]

In the 1984 animated series - which coincided with the release of the first Transformers toyline - the Decepticons were descended from a line of military robots created by the Quintessons. Towards the end of Cybertron's golden age, Megatron had amassed a loyal group of followers and modified them with flight capability, a trait that all Decepticons would come to share. After building up an army of drone soldiers, he began attacking different city-states across the planet, plundering energon stores and raw materials to further build up his war machine. As the threat of the Decepticons grew, Alpha Trion began rallying other Cybertronians to fight back as well as rebuilding labour drones into fighting machines, thus establishing the Autobots.

For millennia, the Decepticons wrought chaos and destruction across Cybertron. Despite the Autobots' efforts, whole cities would fall and the planet's energon reserves would be exhausted, leaving both sides struggling to survive and gain an advantage over the other. The Autobots would build a starship, the Ark, to leave Cybertron and search the stars for new energy sources, but the Decepticons would build a ship of their own and pursue the Autobots. A battle between the two ships would occur as they approached a primitive Earth, ending with both vessels being dragged down by the planet's gravitational field. The Nemesis would be lost while the Ark - with both Autobots and Decepticons aboard - would crash into the side of a volcanic mountain.

In 1984, four million years after the crash, a volcanic eruption would jumpstart the Ark's computer system, Teletraan-1. Using an automated reconnaissance drone, it scanned a variety of human vehicles and devices as it repaired and revived the inactive Autobots and Decepticons. The Decepticons would immediately start working towards the goal of returning to Cybertron and began plundering Earth's resources, but would continuously be thwarted by the Autobots. While the Autobots would manage to make alliances with various humans, the Decepticons would also make alliances of their own, though theirs were usually based on intimidation or false promises of power to greedy humans pursuing their own agendas.

The war would continue for a further twenty years, with the Decepticons eventually returning to Cybertron and conquering the planet. However, in 2005, Megatron would fall in the Battle of Autobot City and would soon after be reformatted into Galvatron by the all-powerful Unicron. Unicron had commanded Galvatron to destroy the Autobots' Matrix of Leadership, but the recreated Decepticon leader had double-crossed the Chaos-Bringer and tried to claim the relic's power for himself. In response to Galvatron's treachery, Unicron attacked Cybertron, but would be destroyed in the battle that followed when young Autobot Rodimus Prime opened the Matrix and unleashed its energies.

Following Unicron's attack, the Decepticons' hold over Cybertron was broken, allowing the Autobots to reclaim the planet. The Decepticons who had survived the battle were exiled to the barren world of Chaar and left to die, but Galvatron - who had been cast into space following the battle - would return stronger than ever before and rally his broken forces into continuing the war against the Autobots. However, after having spent some time in plasma baths that over-energized his circuits, Galvatron had been driven insane and proved to be a less effective leader than Megatron had been.

Dreamwave Comics[]

Beginning in 2002 and continuing until the publisher's bankruptcy in 2005, the Dreamwave G1 continuity introduced a number of new characters and concepts to the Transformers franchise. Like in the Marvel Comics, the Decepticon movement began in Cybertron's gladiator pits, rallying under Megatron as he called for the destruction of the Council of Ancients, who had allowed the games to go on for millennia. The Decepticons initially sought to use Cybertron as a cosmic dreadnought by activating the vast planetary engines beneath the surface, but they required the Matrix of Leadership in order to power them. A failed attempt to assassinate Optronix before he was granted the Matrix failed, hastening the formation of the Autobots in resistance to the Decepticon onslaught.

War for Cybertron Trilogy[]

In this CG-animated Netflix series, the Autobots and Decepticons continue battling for control of Cybertron, which has fallen into ruin after centuries of endless war. When the Autobots attempted to flee Cybertron with the AllSpark, the Decepticons would pursue them aboard the Nemesis. Their relentless pursuit would lead them across the galaxy and to realms beyond, including the Dead Universe, and even across time to prehistoric Earth where they would ally themselves with the Predacons.

When the Autobots used the AllSpark to turn the Ark into a colossal Transformer, they quickly overpowered the Decepticons and Predacons, capturing most of them. Using an ancient spacebridge network, the Ark returned to Cybertron, only to find the planet lifeless and frozen over. Upon arrival, Megatron was freed by his alternate-future self Galvatron, whom he had previously met in the Dead Universe. Together, they join forces with Nemesis Prime, a corrupt future incarnation of Optimus. Despite the villainous trio's efforts, the Autobots were able to return the AllSpark to its rightful place, beginning the thawing of Cybertron. The spirits of many long-dead Cybertronians appeared and teleported Nemesis and Galvatron away, bringing an end to the war at long last. The Transformer factions managed to reconcile their differences and agreed to leave one another alone as they began the slow process of rebuilding Cybertron.

  • Abominus (Combiner)
  • Apeface (Headmaster)
  • Astrotrain
  • Axer (Action Master)
  • Barrage (Insecticon)
  • Battletrap (Duocon)
  • Beastbox
  • Birdbrain (Pretender Monster)
  • Black Shadow (Crossformer)
  • Blast Off (Combaticon)
  • Blitzwing
  • Blot (Terrorcon)
  • Bludgeon (Pretender)
  • Bomb-Burst (Pretender)
  • Bombshell (Insecticon)
  • Bombshock (Micromaster)
  • Bonecrusher (Constructicon)
  • Brawl (Combaticon)
  • Breakdown (Stunticon)
  • Bruticus (Combiner)
  • Bugly (Pretender)
  • Buzzsaw
  • Carnivac (Pretender)
  • Chop Shop (Insecticon)
  • Cindersaur (Firecon)
  • Crankcase (Triggercon)
  • Cutthroat (Terrorcon)
  • Cyclonus
  • Darkwing (Powermaster)
  • Dead End (Stunticon)
  • Deathsaurus
  • Detour (Micromaster)
  • Devastator (Combiner)
  • Dirge (Seeker)
  • Divebomb (Predacon)
  • Drag Strip (Stunticon)
  • Dreadwind (Powermaster)
  • Dreadwing (Combiner)
  • Fangry (Headmaster)
  • Flamefeather (Firecon)
  • Frenzy
  • Galvatron
  • Headstrong (Predacon)
  • Hook (Constructicon)
  • Horri-Bull (Headmaster)
  • Hun-Gurrr (Terrorcon)
  • Icepick (Pretender Monster)
  • Iguanus (Pretender)
  • Jhiaxus
  • Kickback (Insecticon)
  • Krok (Action Master)
  • Laserbeak
  • Long Haul (Constructicon)
  • Megatron
  • Menasor (Combiner)
  • Mindwipe (Headmaster)
  • Misfire (Targetmaster)
  • Mixmaster (Constructicon)
  • Monstructor (Combiner)
  • Motorhead (Micromaster)
  • Motormaster (Stunticon)
  • Nautilator (Seacon)
  • Needlenose (Targetmaster)
  • Nemesis Prime
  • Nightflight (Micromaster)
  • Octane
  • Octopunch (Pretender)
  • Onslaught (Combaticon)
  • Overbite (Seacon)
  • Overkill
  • Overlord
  • Piranacon (Combiner)
  • Pounce
  • Predaking (Combiner)
  • Quake (Targetmaster)
  • Ramjet (Seeker)
  • Rampage (Predacon)
  • Ransack (Insecticon)
  • Ratbat
  • Ravage
  • Razorclaw (Predacon)
  • Reflector
  • Rippersnapper (Terrorcon)
  • Road Hugger (Micromaster)
  • Rumble
  • Runabout
  • Runamuck
  • Scavenger (Constructicon)
  • Scorponok (Headmaster)
  • Scourge
  • Scowl (Pretender Monster)
  • Scrapper (Constructicon)
  • Seawing (Seacon)
  • Shockwave
  • Shrapnel (Insecticon)
  • Sinnertwin (Terrorcon)
  • Sixshot
  • Skullcruncher (Headmaster)
  • Skullgrin (Pretender)
  • Skystalker (Micromaster)
  • Skywarp (Seeker)
  • Slugfest
  • Slugslinger (Targetmaster)
  • Snapdragon (Headmaster)
  • Snaptrap (Seacon)
  • Soundwave
  • Spinister (Targetmaster)
  • Squawkbox (Combiner)
  • Squawktalk
  • Squeezeplay (Headmaster)
  • Starscream (Seeker)
  • Stranglehold (Pretender)
  • Straxus
  • Submarauder (Pretender)
  • Swindle (Combaticon)
  • Tailwind (Micromaster)
  • Tantrum (Predacon)
  • Tentakil (Seacon)
  • Thrust (Seeker)
  • Thundercracker (Seeker)
  • Thunderwing
  • Triggerhappy (Targetmaster)
  • Trypticon
  • Vortex (Combaticon)
  • Weirdwolf (Headmaster)
  • Wildrider (Stunticon)
  • Wingspan

Robots in Disguise[]

In the Robots in Disguise cartoon, the Decepticons were a brand new faction that came into being during the events of the story. Because there were so few Decepticons (only six or seven), and because they were a subset of the Predacon antagonists, they can almost be viewed as a subgroup rather than a proper faction. The Decepticons were created on Earth when Megatron's forces captured a set of stasis pods from an ancient Transformer spaceship that had been found on Earth, leading to the birth of the Commandos and Scourge.

  • Armorhide (Commando)
  • Mega-Octane (Commando)
  • Movor (Commando)
  • Ro-Tor (Commando)
  • Rollbar (Commando)
  • Ruination (Combiner)
  • Scourge

The Unicron Trilogy[]

Armada[]

The origins of the Decepticons in the Unicron Trilogy are left hazy throughout the continuity, though it is generally accepted that the faction was established by Megatron as a means of enslaving the Mini-Cons. The war between the Decepticons and Autobots raged for millennia before the Mini-Cons, unwilling to let their power be abused any longer, fled from Cybertron with the aid of the Autobots. Even without the Mini-Cons, the war would continue for centuries, though neither side was able to gain an advantage over the other.

In 2010, a signal was received from the Mini-Con ship Exodus, which had landed on the planet Earth. Optimus Prime and his inner circle of Autobots would travel to Earth in order to recover the Mini-Cons, but Megatron led a contingent of his most effective warriors in order to seize the Mini-Cons' power for themselves. A series of conflicts took place on Earth over the Mini-Cons, with the Autobots eventually reclaiming them all. However, Megatron had assembled the Mini-Cons necessary to build three legendary weapons: the Star Saber, the Skyboom Shield, and the Requiem Blaster. Bolstered by this new power and the apparent death of Optimus Prime, Megatron attempted to take Cybertron once and for all.

But Megatron's (now calling himself Galvatron) return to Cybertron was the beginning of the end of the Decepticon army. When Unicron revealed himself as a threat to both armies, fueled by the negative psychic energies from centuries of death and destruction, the two sides eventually joined to beat back the planet-eater. Despite the truce, Galvatron and Prime engaged in a brutal duel on the surface of the weakened Unicron after the three legendary weapons had been removed from his core. Realizing their battle was keeping Unicron active, Galvatron sacrificed himself, and both Unicron and Galvatron disappeared into nothingness.

Energon[]

Galvatron's final orders to his troops still stood: work with the Autobots. The Decepticons maintained a degree of autonomy, still wearing the faction sigil and often taking military/defensive positions in the growing number of energon-mining colonies, but they were ultimately answerable to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. There were, of course, dissenters, most of whom were captured and imprisoned. For a decade, Autobot and Decepticon worked side by side in a somewhat stable truce.

Both sides found themselves the target of attacks from Unicron again; hordes of Terrorcon drones, sent by Alpha Quintesson to steal energon ore with which to revive the now-shattered husk of Unicron. What the alien did not count on was that Galvatron's spark had survived within the remains, and was siphoning energon from Unicron's body. Soon the Decepticon leader revived himself in a new form, (calling himself Megatron again) drove off Alpha Quintesson, and along with an elite cadre of soldiers and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of mindless Terrorcon drones, began his new plans for conquest.

When news of Megatron's return reached Cybertron, hundreds of Decepticons rose up and rebelled, eager to get back to conquering. But having been joined to Unicron for so long apparently had given Megatron a taste of godhood; he had no more interest in amassing a galaxy-spanning army of troops. Countless Decepticons died in the resulting battles, with Megatron more than willing to sacrifice them without a thought to attain ultimate power for himself. As the "Powerlinx Battles" -as they came to be called- came to their climax, Megatron (calling himself Galvatron again) found that his actions and thoughts were being influenced and controlled by the dark spark of Unicron. Unwilling to let Unicron stand in his way, Galvatron ultimately sacrificed himself (again) and seemingly destroyed Unicron's spark by plunging himself into a newly formed energon sun created by Primus.

Cybertron[]

What little remained of the once-mighty Decepticon army after Megatron's loss was at best a loose association of criminals, thugs, and lunatics, with no real political or military power to speak of. For a decade, Cybertron was once again at peace, with the population overwhelmingly Autobot or neutral. The Transformers had withdrawn from Earth and its other colonies to focus on revitalizing their homeworld after the devastation of the Powerlinx Battles. However, two great catastrophes shattered this peace; the energon sun collapsed in on itself, forming the powerful black hole known as the Unicron Singularity, which threatened to devour Cybertron and, if left unchecked, the entire universe... and the return yet once again of Megatron, who had absorbed much of what remained of Unicron's power.

Megatron's goal of attaining godhood was now at hand. By obtaining the legendary Omega Lock and the four Cyber Planet Keys, Megatron intended to accelerate the growth of the black hole, consuming the universe in a vast sea of nothingness that only he would survive, then use his powers to re-create the universe in his image. To this end, he had no need of an army. He gathered a small group of allies and lackeys to seek the items he needed, but they were nothing more than pawns to him, to be used and discarded at a whim.

The Decepticons briefly regained their status as a mass army of individuals when Starscream, who had long suffered at Megatron's hands since the beginning of the Decepticons, made his own bid for ultimate power with the help of the Planet X agent Sideways. Having sealed Megatron and his troops in a trap, Starscream freed hundreds of criminal Transformers who had been locked up on Earth for millennia, and formed his own globe-spanning army. The Decepticon "Monsters" were tasked with finding the Omega Lock and Earth's Cyber Planet Key, which they eventually brought to their leader. However, numerous Decepticons were killed in the battles with the Autobots, and it soon became apparent that Starscream, like Megatron before him, didn't care. Most of these criminals soon abandoned Starscream and went into hiding.

As for Megatron, he too had deserters among his own considerably small ranks. Most notably, the powerful Scourge, leader of the Jungle Planet and the colossal Menasor from Gigantion, both of whom eventually joined forces with their former enemies, the Autobots. This was not seen as a concern for Megatron, however, as by this time Starscream and his allies were seemingly destroyed on Gigantion, and Megatron (now calling himself "Galvatron" again) had the Omega Lock and all four Keys. What few Decepticons remained loyal to him were too stupid to see what Galvatron had planned, and made perfect distractions as he set his final plan in motion. If they weren't strong enough to survive the coming cataclysm, then so be it.

Ultimately, Galvatron's plan failed, and the Unicron Singularity was sealed. His remaining Decepticons quickly left him, realizing what was likely to have happened to them, and eventually joined the Autobots. After Galvatron's seemingly-final defeat and death in a one-on-one duel with Optimus Prime on Cybertron's moon, the Decepticons, not knowing when to quit, rose again, albeit in a rather pathetic fashion. Having cobbled together a rather rickety rocket, Ransack, Crumplezone and Thunderblast shanghaied the reluctant Thundercracker, who was really keen on being on the winning side for once, and flew off to parts unknown as the "New Decepticon Army". They made it to Mars before the rocket crash-landed.

Meanwhile, the Autobot Wing Saber reported form a deep-space recon mission that he thought he had picked up traces of Starscream, seemingly backed up by Sideways and Soundwave. Landmine and the former Decepticon Mudflap raced off to join Wing Saber and investigate...

  • Barricade (Destruction Team)
  • Blackout (Destruction Team)
  • Blight (Destruction Team)
  • Bonecrusher (Construction Team)
  • Bruticus Maximus (Combiner)
  • Constructicon Maximus (Combiner)
  • Crumplezone
  • Cyclonus
  • Demolishor
  • Dirt Boss
  • Divebomb (Terrorcon)
  • Duststorm (Construction Team)
  • Kickback (Destruction Team)
  • Laserbeak
  • Lugnutz
  • Megatron
  • Menasor
  • Mudflap (Ex-Autobot)
  • Nemesis Breaker
  • Nemesis Prime
  • Ransack
  • Scorponok (Terrorcon)
  • Scourge
  • Shockblast
  • Six Shot
  • Sledge (Construction Team)
  • Soundwave
  • Starscream
  • Steamhammer (Construction Team)
  • Stormcloud
  • Thrust
  • Thunderblast
  • Thundercracker
  • Tidal Wave
  • Undermine
  • Wheeljack (Ex-Autobot)
  • Wideload (Construction Team)

IDW Publishing[]

IDW decepticons

Following the collapse of Dreamwave, the rights for Transformers publications was acquired by IDW Publishings. The new series would incorporate previous concepts from past Transformers media and the majority of character designs would be taken from Generation 1, though characters from other Transformers series would also be included, as well as a large number of all-new characters. The IDW continuity would last from 2005 to 2018, though other stories set outside of the regular continuity would continue to be published until the rights to the property were acquired by Skybound Entertainment in 2022.

In the IDW continuity, Megatron founded the Decepticons as a political movement in opposition to Cybertron's Functionist caste system, which determined that a Transformer's worth was based on what alt-mode they took. While the movement was initially peaceful, the utterly corrupt Cybertronian Senate didn't take kindly to opposition of any form and sought to undermine Megatron's movement by instituting a Clampdown in the name of rooting out terrorists, though its true purpose was to grant the Senators unfettered power by stripping away all citizens' rights. This caused the Decepticon movement to grow in popularity, with Megatron enlisting countless down-trodden Transformers who were all too eager to get back at their leaders.

With no other choice but to resort to violence, Megatron and his supporters would rise up and strike back at the Senate. After Megatron killed Sentinel Prime in battle, leadership of Cybertron would be passed down to Zeta Prime, who proved to be the most ruthless dictator of them all when he authorized the use of weapons of mass destruction against the populace in order to swiftly put down all resistance. In order to stop Zeta, Megatron allied with Orion Pax, the head of the Autobot Security Forces, and together they fought the mad Prime and destroyed him. This was only the beginning, however, as Megatron - having developed a taste for violence and oppression - declared himself as Cybertron's new ruler and sought to expand his dominion across the stars. Thus, the Autobots rose up to oppose Decepticon tyranny under the leadership of Orion Pax, who would be dubbed Optimus Prime upon receiving the Matrix of Leadership.

The war between the Decepticons and Autobots would rage for millions of years, spilling out into the wider galaxy and devastating a number of worlds. In the twilight of the conflict, Earth would become a battlefront as the Decepticons sought to plunder its resources while the Autobots tried to defend its human inhabitants. Though the Decepticons did briefly occupy Earth, they were beaten back by the Autobots in an epic counter-attack in which Megatron was almost killed. Both factions would later return to Cybertron in order to stop Galvatron from using the Heart of Darkness to destroy the planet. Following the defeat of the D-Void, Cybertron would be restored and the Great War was declared officially over.

After the war's conclusion, most of Cybertron was left uninhabitable and civil unrest was rife as both Autobots and Decepticons struggled to set aside old hatreds. Most astonishing of all, Megatron would abandon the Decepticon cause and become an Autobot, joining the crew of the Lost Light as they sought out the ancient Knights of Cybertron.

  • Acid Storm
  • Agonizer
  • Astrotrain
  • Axer
  • Banzaitron
  • Barrage (Insecticon)
  • Barricade
  • Birdbrain (Monstructor Six)
  • Black Shadow
  • Blast Off (Combaticon)
  • Blip
  • Bludgeon
  • Bombshell (Insecticon)
  • Boom (Genericon)
  • Brainstorm
  • Brawl (Combaticon)
  • Breakdown (Stunticon)
  • Bristleback (Monstructor Six)
  • Bruticus (Combiner)
  • Buzzsaw
  • Carnivac (Chimeracon)
  • Chop Shop (Insecticon)
  • Cindersaur (Firecon)
  • Crankcase (Scavenger)
  • Cutthroat (Terrorcon)
  • Cyclonus
  • Dead End (Stunticon)
  • Deathsaurus
  • Demus
  • Devastator (Combiner)
  • Dirge
  • Divebomb (Predacon)
  • Doubledealer
  • Drag Strip (Stunticon)
  • Dreadwing
  • Fasttrack
  • Ferak
  • Flatline
  • Flywheels (Scavenger)
  • Frenzy
  • Fulcrum
  • Galvatron
  • Gigatron
  • Grit
  • Gutcruncher
  • Headstrong (Predacon)
  • Heavywait
  • Helex (DJD)
  • Hellbat
  • Hun-Gurrr (Terrorcon)
  • Hook
  • Icepick (Monstructor Six)
  • Jetfire (Traitor)
  • Kaon (DJD)
  • Kickback (Insecticon)
  • Killmaster
  • Krok (Scavenger)
  • Laserbeak
  • Lockdown
  • Macabre
  • Megatron
  • Menasor (Combiner)
  • Mindwipe
  • Misfire (Scavenger)
  • Monstructor (Combiner)
  • Motormaster (Stunticon)
  • Needlenose
  • Nickel (DJD)
  • Onslaught (Combaticon)
  • Overlord
  • Predaking (Combiner)
  • Ramjet
  • Rampage (Predacon)
  • Ratbat
  • Ravage
  • Razorclaw (Predacon)
  • Rumble
  • Runabout
  • Runamuck
  • Scorponok
  • Scowl (Monstructor Six)
  • Scrapper (Constructicon)
  • Shockwave
  • Shrapnel (Insecticon)
  • Sinnertwin (Terrorcon)
  • Sixshot
  • Skip
  • Sky-Byte
  • Skywarp
  • Slog (Monstructor Six)
  • Slugslinger
  • Snare
  • Sonic (Genericon)
  • Soundwave
  • Sparkstalker
  • Spinister (Scavenger)
  • Swift
  • Swindle (Combaticon)
  • Tantrum (Predacon)
  • Tarn (DJD)
  • Tesarus (DJD)

Live-action films[]

TLKDecepticonsRollOut

In the live-action film series directed by Michael Bay (affectionately referred to as the Bayverse), the Decepticons were established when Cybertron's Lord High Protector Megatron was manipulated by the Fallen with promises of absolute power as well as paranoia of losing said power. Convinced by the Fallen that Cybertronians had the right to rule over all other beings, Megatron spread the Fallen's message across Cybertron, gathering an army of like-minded followers.

In preparation for the Cybertronian Empire's expansion, the Decepticons constructed a great starship that would carry the Fallen's sarcophagus along with a vast army to seek out the lost Matrix of Leadership. Meanwhile, Megatron would command legions of Decepticons in a bid to dominate Cybertron, destroying everyone who dared to oppose them. They attempted to seize the AllSpark, the ancient relic responsible for spawning all life on Cybertron, but the Autobots would launch it into space to keep it out of Megatron's clutches. While Megatron set out to the stars in search of the AllSpark, the war continued to rage until Cybertron was depleted of energon and brought to total ruin. With their homeworld devastated, both Decepticons and Autobots ventured out into the galaxy to find the AllSpark and revitalize the planet.

By 2007, both factions had arrived on Earth and learned that both Megatron and the AllSpark were in the possession of a human organization called Sector 7. The Decepticons were able to infiltrate Sector 7 and revive Megatron, leading to a new battle for control of the AllSpark. During the battle, Megatron was killed when the human boy Sam Witwicky collided the AllSpark cube with his spark, burning it out and seemingly destroying the cube as well. The Decepticons that survived the battle went into hiding while calling for reinforcements from elsewhere in the galaxy. Meanwhile, the Autobots would form an alliance with the United States government, establishing the organization NEST in order to hunt down all Decepticons remaining on Earth.

While the AllSpark was supposedly destroyed, shards of the cube still remained and the Decepticons would obtain one in order to resurrect Megatron, who would continue to plot Earth's conquest. Immediately following his revival, he would battle against Optimus Prime and kill him, allowing the Fallen and his army to invade Earth in order to claim the Matrix. However, the Autobots would obtain the Matrix first and use it to resurrect Optimus, who went on to defeat the Fallen. After this setback, Megatron would ally with former Autobot leader Sentinel Prime to enslave humanity and harvest Earth's resources in order to restore Cybertron, but he and his army were defeated when the Autobots reversed Sentinel's space bridge, banishing the Decepticon army back to their lifeless home planet while Megatron and Sentinel were both killed by Optimus Prime.

  • Alice (Pretender)
  • Astrotrain
  • Barricade
  • Beastbox
  • Berserker
  • Blackout
  • Bonecrusher
  • Brains (Traitor)
  • Brakedown
  • Brawl
  • Buzzsaw
  • Crankcase (Dread)
  • Crowbar (Dread)
  • Dead End
  • Demolishor (Constructicon)
  • Devastator (Combiner)
  • Devcon
  • Dispensor
  • Dreadbot
  • Dreadwing
  • The Fallen
  • Flathead
  • Flatline
  • Fortress
  • Fracture
  • Frenzy
  • Grindor
  • Hatchet (Dread)
  • Igor (Mini-Con)
  • Infernocus (Combiner)
  • Jetfire (Traitor)
  • Junkheap
  • Laserbeak
  • Long Haul (Constructicon)
  • Megatron
  • Mixmaster (Constructicon)
  • Mohawk
  • Nitro Zeus
  • Onslaught
  • Payload
  • Ramjet
  • Rampage (Constructicon)
  • Ransack
  • Ravage
  • Reedman
  • Rumble
  • Scalpel (Mini-Con)
  • Scorponok
  • Scrapper (Constructicon)
  • Shockwave
  • Sideways
  • Soundwave
  • Space Case
  • Starscream
  • Stinger
  • Stockade
  • Wheelie (Traitor)
  • Wreckage

Transformers: Animated[]

In the Transformers: Animated cartoon series and related media, the Decepticons emerged as a sub-faction of the Destrons, a faction of Cybertronians that had risen to prominence during the Third Cybertronian War. They advocated the use of the AllSpark to bring Cybertron itself to life, that it might serve as a cosmic juggernaut that would allow the Transformers to return to the era of expansion and colonization of other worlds they had enjoyed nearly 700 million years beforehand. When the Decepticon leader Megazarak was ousted by charismatic rhetorician named Megatron, tensions finally exploded, and the Autobots and Decepticons went to war for possession of the AllSpark. After something in the vicinity of six million years of civil war, things reached a crisis point when the Decepticons began a strategic bombing campaign on Cybertron, demanding the AllSpark be turned over in exchange for a cessation of hostilities.

Rather than give in to Megatron's demands, the Autobots instead sought to put the AllSpark beyond any Cybertronian's reach, launching it randomly through a space bridge to some distant corner of the galaxy, where it was hoped it would never be found. The Autobots pulled a victory only due to their exclusive access to space bridges, Project Omega, and their decision to send the AllSpark into deep space. Defeated, the Decepticons dispersed, and, according to Ultra Magnus, the only sight of them would be an occasional scout ship. In fact, they had been missing for so long, Optimus Prime believed a Decepticon presence was a thing of the past. This was quickly reassessed upon encountering Megatron's crew. The ensuing confrontation over the newly rediscovered AllSpark took Megatron - injured from an assassination attempt by his lieutenant Starscream - and the Autobots to Earth, where Megatron would be sent crashing to Earth. The Autobots' ship crash-landed in Lake Erie, and during the next fifty years, Isaac Sumdac reverse-engineered technology from Megatron's severed head to build a robotic empire. Starscream would follow the AllSpark's trail to Earth, and the Autobots subsequently became heroes, though they were unaware of Sumdac's use of Megatron's technology.

Megatron revived in Sumdac's lab and covertly manipulated the scientist into helping him build a new body, poising as an incapacitated Autobot. His loyal Decepticons Lugnut and Blitzwing arrived on Earth to find him, and when the time was right, helped restore him to a functioning body. Megatron killed Starscream for his betrayal, but in the ensuing battle with the Autobots, the AllSpark was dispersed across the Detroit area. Though disheartened by the loss of the AllSpark, Megatron kidnapped Sumdac and downloaded a schematic of an Autobot space bridge, plotting to build one to invade Cybertron from within. The three Decepticons made camp in an abandoned mine that shielded their signals from the Autobots, but were surprised when Starscream was reanimated by an AllSpark fragment. Megatron reestablished contact with his double-agent on Cybertron, Shockwave, and ordered his troops around the galaxy to begin attacking the Autobots' space bridges.

Megatron would have his troops go after AllSpark fragments or supplies for his space bridge. Megatron also ordered a large bounty on the rogue Starscream. When the space bridge was completed, the Decepticons engaged in a fierce three-way battle with the Earthbound Autobots and Starscream's army of clones. Megatron would emerge victorious with the Autobots captured and the Starscream clones defected to his side, though the space bridge ended up malfunctioning and sucked in him and Starscream. A long night of bickering ensued.

Team Chaar and other Decepticons around the galaxy began succeeding in taking the Autobots' space bridges, but were dismayed when Megatron failed to arrive on Cybertron to begin the invasion. Megatron and Starscream were found by the comatose Omega Supreme, and Megatron cut his losses and cancelled the invasion, seeking to use Omega to conquer Cybertron himself. He was able to bring the Autobot to Earth to attack Optimus Prime's crew, but Ratchet's intervention trapped Megatron and Starscream inside Omega and sent them transwarping around the galaxy randomly.

His cover about to be blown, Shockwave mortally injured Ultra Magnus before escaping with the Magnus Hammer, putting Cybertron in disarray. Sentinel Prime had Lockdown capture Lugnut, Blitzwing, Sunstorm, Ramjet, and the stasis-locked Swindle for him. However, Swindle would be revived en route to Cybertron, and freed his fellow prisoners, though only he and Lugnut would escape the ship and not be recaptured. Lugnut found his way to Megatron, and Shockwave brought the group Arcee. The Decepticons returned to Earth and constructed a group of dark clones of Omega Supremes with the codes in Arcee's processor, and attacked Earth. Autobots and Decepticons did battle; Ratchet led a team to rescue Arcee and Omega Supreme, while Bulkhead and Bumblebee defeated and captured Lugnut and Shockwave. Starscream took control of the Lugnut Supremes, rigging them to blow and destroy Detroit. Prowl and Jazz reconstructed the AllSpark, killing Starscream once and for all, and managed to use the power of the AllSpark to save Detroit. Megatron was captured by Optimus, and the Autobots returned to Cybertron with the Decepticon leader, Lugnut, and Shockwave as prisoners. Megatron and his men would be incarcerated in Trypticon Prison, and Strika took command of the Decepticons for the time being. She ordered Team Stunticon to break out Megatron, but when they failed, Strika led an invasion of Cybertron's Energon farms.

  • Blackarachnia
  • Blackout
  • Blitzwing
  • Breakdown
  • Cyclonus
  • Dark Rodimus
  • Dead End
  • Dirt Boss
  • Drag Strip
  • Laserbeak
  • Lockdown
  • Lugnut
  • Lugnut Supreme
  • Megatron
  • Mixmaster
  • Motor Master
  • Oil Slick
  • Ratbat
  • Scrapper
  • Shockwave
  • Soundwave
  • Spittor
  • Starscream
  • Strika
  • Swindle
  • Toxitron
  • Waspinator
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