Lockdown (Transformers Animated)

"Wait, I know you. EMP Generator, right? I'm not good with names and faces, but I never forget a trophy."

- Lockdown, remembering Ratchet

Lockdown is a Cybertronian bounty hunter and major antagonist from the Transforners franchise. He is a bounty hunter. He's got no real loyalty to Megatron, but the Decepticons always pay better than the Elite Guard and allow him access to the systems upgrades he craves. Besides, he's such a nasty piece of work that it's just easier for him to be a 'Con.

Lockdown has a grisly habit of collecting "trophies" from his victims for his own use. He has attached a number of parts that appear to be stolen, such as his hook, chainsaw, and parts of his left leg. Other stolen gadgets include quick-hardening cement spray, smoke bombs, and Ratchet's EMP generator. TheAutobots consider his actions appalling, while Lugnut views his mercenary methods an insult to the Decepticon cause, but Lockdown doesn't care. As long as Megatron and the Decepticon leadership will give him his upgrades, Lockdown will get the job done.

He was voiced by the infamous film actor ,'''Lance Henriksen. '''

Transformers Animated cartoon
One of the earliest known aspects of his life was the fact that Lockdown was an apprentice Cyber Ninja under the direction of the legendary Sensei Yoketron. However, he betrayed his master and later fatally wounded him. He also stole his helmet and the protoforms stored by the Autobots in case they lost the Great War. He apparently really liked the helmet.

During the war, Lockdown worked as a bounty hunter. One of his jobs was to bring anintelligence officer who carried vital information in for questioning. He encountered Ratchet, broke off one of the Autobot's forehead chevrons and stole his EMP generator, turning the healing tool into a weapon. During said encounter, Lockdown's right arm was destroyed by Ratchet, causing him to replace it with a decidedly more menacing one (namely the hook he now wields). He also indirectly caused Arcee to lose her memory.

On modern-day Earth, Lockdown was hired by Blitzwing to bring in the Autobot presumed to be responsible for Megatron's death, Optimus Prime. He captured Prime using the EMP generator and, impressed by Prime's own personal modifications, stole his axe and forcibly removed Optimus's grapplers, something that traumatised him later on. When the Autobots came to rescue Prime, Lockdown made short work of Bumblebee and Bulkhead.Prowl, on the other hand, proved to be a bigger challenge for him. Lockdown eventually came out on top (but a tire mark smudged on his face). He was about to leave in his ship with his new trophies, when Ratchet, who had been suffering from war flashbacks, came on the scene and soundly thrashed him. It was partially because the stolen EMP generator didn't work on Ratchet himself. Pinning Lockdown, Ratchet painfully removed both Prime's grapplers and his own EMP generator. Lockdown was forced to watch as Ratchet crippled his ship and escaped with a weakened Optimus. The Thrill of the Hunt

Arriving on the Moon, Blitzwing remarked that the Decepticons hadn't heard anything from Lockdown since his last contact with the bounty hunter. Hearing Lockdown's name, Lugnut got a little bent out of shape.

Lockdown happened to survive the crash and had his ship repaired. Learning of a large bounty on Starscream, Lockdown headed back to Earth, expecting a serious fight to take him down. It turned out that Prowl managed to take down Starscream for him. During a fight over the Decepticon, they realized that Starscream escaped. Prowl offered to help Lockdown, and the bounty hunter offered a suit of armor to assist.

Upon landing on Earth, Lockdown and Prowl discovered an usually coward Starscream and Prowl managed to take him down. Lockdown contacted Megatron to set up a meeting, but Prowl wanted to turn him over to the Elite Guard. Lockdown subdued Prowl and took Starscream. At the warehouse, the Autobots arrived with another Starscream. Lockdown tried to take his leave, but Megatron commanded him to stay. Then the two Starscreams revealed that they were clones with bombs in their chests. Lockdown managed to get away in the chaos, then contacted Prowl with an offer of a partnership. Prowl rejected his offer, saying that all the mods were for weak processors, and warned Lockdown never to contact him again, or he wouldd turn him over to the Elite Guard.

At some point after he left Earth, Lockdown traded information to Swindle in exchange for weapons. SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy He later returned to Earth and made a deal with Sentinel Prime. In exchange for helping the Autobot commander to capture Decepticons on Earth secretly, the Prime would give him his choice in upgrades. Lockdown succeeded in capturing Swindle, Blitzwing, Sunstorm, Lugnut, and later the Liar Starscream. But the Liar Starscream offered him a deal better than Sentinel's, so he gladly double-crossed the Autobot commander. His plan was brought to light and a confounded Sentinel asked why he betrayed him (which was frankly quite silly). Prowl, who came to bust the scene, fought against Lockdown and learned that his sensei was murdered by the unscrupulous bounty hunter. Lockdown subdued Prowl and attempted to strip him of his upgrades. Prowl, having mastered Processor over Matter, freed himself and retrieved Yoketron's helmet as well as an upgrade Lockdown offered him earlier (when they joined forces to capture Starscream). As the battle coming to an end, Lockdown quickly escaped the scene in his ship.