“ | Strive for perfection even if others must suffer. | „ |
~ Hook's motto. |
Hook (known as Gren (グレン Guren) in Japan) is a recurring major villain from the Transformers franchise. He is a Constructicon who transforms into a crane truck and forms the torso of Devastator. He is the second-in-command of Scrapper.
Official Toy Biography[]
"With the precision of a fine jeweler, Hook performs with his job with skill unequalled among the Transformers, whether reconnecting a damaged microchip or setting a 2-ton girder into place. He's a snobbish, supercilious, upopular perfectionist who is able to lift 20 tons. As shoulders and head module, combines with fellow Constructicons to form giant robot "Devastator"."
G1 Transformers[]
Prior to the events of G1, Hook, alongside his fellow Constructicons are originally peaceful neutral Autobots who build Crystal City and are friends with Omega Supreme. Alongside his teammates, Hook was brainwashed and reprogrammed by Megatron's Robo-Smasher into serving the Decepticon cause. He and his team send Omega Supreme on a fool's errand so that they can destroy their precious creation: Crystal City. After destroying it, he was hunted and reprogrammed by Omega Supreme back to normal but the colossal Autobot's efforts were a failure as the Robo-Smasher's brainwashing can never be undone and instead, it upgraded Bonecrusher and his teammates with a new ability: to merge into Devastator, who then tries to brainwash Omega Supreme with the Robo-Smasher, only to fail as he struggled to free himself. This encounter left Omega Supreme into an emotionless robot who swore vengeance.
Hook first debuted in season 1 episode "Heavy Metal War". He is first seen with his teammates stealing construction materials from humans and delivering them to Megatron and the Decepticons. Megatron later send him and his team into the Ark to destroy Teletraan-1, only to be stopped and exposed by the Dinobots, forcing him to merge into Devastator. Devastator was tricked by Hound's hologram of "Halonix Maximus" and was shot by Optimus on the chest, causing the huge Decepticon combiner to disassemble & fell into the lava.
Hook however survived the fall and reappeared in season 2 as a recurring minor villain. He is seen in the episode "City of Steel" with his teammates bringing down the Empire State Building and replacing it with a Cybertronian fortress. He also helped Megatron in disassembling Optimus Prime and turning most of his parts (excluding the head for a trophy) into anything they want such as a mechanical alligator and his right arm into a turret. He also merge into Devastator to stop the Autobot leader from retrieving his arm.
In the episode "Autobot Run", Hook co-created the Transfixatron, a device meant to disable transforming into robot mode that keeps the Transformer into alt mode. He also co-created a car crushing machine also meant for the Autobots. He also merged with his teammates into Devastator when the Autobots regained their transforming ability, only to end up having a taste of their own medicine.
In the episode "The Core", Hook was tasked into creating a massive drill into gaining geothermal energy from the Earth's core and patrolling it. He scolded Scavenger after the latter nearly messed up the project. He then merges into Devastator to drove the Autobots away, after spotting them. Chip Chase came with an idea to make Devastator turn against his allies by secretly planting dominator discs into the Constructicons. Hook is among these who have been planted with dominator discs and once he and his teammates merged into Devastator, he soon went under Autobot control. Upon returning into the Autobot headquarters, Hook separated from Devastator and repaired Jazz while simultaneously bragging about his skill. Megatron knew of this scheme and fought back by regaining control of their champion upon their return on the base. Chip and Wheeljack fought back by activating the dominator discs again. Their fight over control of Devastator fried his logic circuits, causing him to go berserk and destroy everything on his path, regardless of faction. A conjoined forces of the two sides were able to calm him down and disassemble back into the Constructicons. Hook and his teammates then decided to stop the massive drill they themselves created by merging into Devastator and diving into the lava to stop the drill, which had been a success.
Hook appeared in the episode "The Master Builders", where his partner Scrapper made a deal with Autobots Grapple and Hoist in building his Solar Power Tower, while claiming they "left" the Decepticons. They returned to the headquarters where they are greeted by a furious Megatron and his Decepticons pointing their weapons at them. After Scrapper explained, Megatron allows them to return to the Autobots with a present. They brought a cargo of energon cubes, carried by Long Haul to serve as "proof" they left the Decepticons. Hook and his teammates then began stealing construction materials from the humans to help Grapple in his Solar Power Tower. After successfully finishing the tower, the Constructicons merge into Devastator and betrayed Grapple and Hoist, while giving the tower to Megatron as a prize. The Autobots soon arrived, after gaining suspicion and fought Devastator by tricking him into crushing the tower itself. With the tower destroyed, Megatron and the Decepticons retreated.
In the episode "Microbots", Hook and the Constructicons were then tasked into searching the Heart of Cybertron from an abandoned spacecraft. Upon finding it, he let Megatron borrow his cyberforceps so he could could cut loose the ship's power source. He also opened Megatron's chest to insert the Heart of Cybertron on him.
Hook was temporarily seen as a "heroic" Constructicon by the humans in the 2-part episode "Megatron's Master Plan" thanks to Megatron making a bargain with Shawn Berger. After Megatron reveals his true intentions, which in turn left Berger humiliated, Hook and the Constructicons were tasked of enslaving the humans and guarding them. He was soon driven away when the Autobots returned from their exile.
Hook once again re-encountered his old friend Omega Supreme in the episode "The Secret of Omega Supreme", were the colossal Autobot near defeated his merged form Devastator.
In the 2-part episode "Desertion of the Dinobots", Hook and his teammates were then tasked into guarding the Decepticon Space Bridge delivering Cybertonium from Shockwave from intruders. He tried to drove off the Dinobots, only to fail so they merged into Devastator with the exemption of Scavenger, who was caught off-guard and still failed to stop the Dinobots, as well as Spike Witwicky and Carly Spencer who went after them.
Hook and the Constructicons also served Blitzwing in the episode "Triple Takeover" after he and Astrotrain overthrowed Megatron and Starscream and made a bargain with them. They also build a trapped labyrinth to capture Autobots and turn their remains into his throne. Due to Blitzwing refusing to end the bargain and insulting them into building a bridge and jump off of it, Scrapper ordered the Constructicons to merge into Devastator as a revenge and claim their end of the bargain. Even when Megatron returned and defeated Blitzwing and Astrotrain, this did not calm Devastator as he continued to fight the Decepticons out of anger, forcing them to fight him. After defeating the Decepticon combiner, he is scolded and given a warning.
In the episode "Starscream's Brigade", Hook and the Constructicons were assigned by Megatron in defeating Starscream's new minions: the Combaticons, only to be defeated. He and his teammates' combined form is also no match for the Combaticons' combined form Bruticus, who easily defeated him. Devastator's defeat is soon avenged when Menasor arrived and defeated Bruticus.
Hook made an appearance in Transformers: The Movie as one of its minor villains. He joined Megatron's Decepticon forces into attacking an Autobot ship, killing Ironhide, Prowl, Brawn, Gears and Ratchet in the process. He then joined the attack on Autobot City by merging with his teammates into Devastator to breach the gates, only to be defeated by the Dinobots and ended up retreating to Astrotrain. With Megatron in a dying state, the Decepticons began to argue who should be the new leader. Scrapper suggested Devastator should be the new leader and Hook and the rest of the Constructicons supported him. Rumble and Frenzy in turn refuses and suggested Soundwave instead and uses their piledriver against Devastator, causing him to disassemble. Due to the heavy load, Astrotrain convinces the Decepticons to dump their casualties. Bonecrusher suggested a fight of the fittest so they could dump the weak Decepticons. After the fight, Hook and the rest of the Decepticons then dumped Megatron, Thundercracker, Skywarp and the Insecticons into space. Hook was also present in Starscream's coronation as the new Decepticon leader as well as his death at the hands of Galvatron. He and the remaining Decepticons were tasked in hunting down the Matrix of Leadership.
With the roles of the Constructicons diminishing into minor roles, Hook is seen alongside his teammates in the 3rd season as minor antagonists. In the 5-part episode "5 Faces of Darkness" after the events of the movie, Bonecrusher and the rest of the Decepticons are exiled on the planet Chaar. He and his teammates quickly rushed to get energon scraps from Astrotrain, only to be interrupted by Menasor. The Constructicons merged into Devastator to immediately claim their share but were easily defeated thanks to an exhausted Bonecrusher. After making an alliance with the Quintessons, Hook and the Constructicons build Trypticon out of a populated human city.
In the episode "Carnage in C-Minor" Hook and the Constructicons constructed a giant set of engines on a meteorite meant to destroy Metroplex. They plan was interrupted by the Autobots so Hook immediately merge into Devastator, only to be flattened by a cunning Broadside, who transformed into his aircraft carrier mode. He also merge into Devastator to stop the Autobots on Eurythma, only to be blasted by a precise shot from Perceptor.
Hook is among the Decepticon forces who attacked the exiled Autobot planet Paradron, home planet of the Autobot Triple Changer Sandstorm, in the episode Fight or Flee.
Hook was last seen in the 3-part season finale of season 4 "The Rebirth" as one of the Decepticon forces who attacked Cybertron.
Marvel Comics[]
Hook was introduced in Issue #10 of the Marvel US comic along with the other Constructicons, who were created on Earth by Shockwave and given life with the Creation Matrix energy siphoned from a captive Optimus Prime. Their first assignment was to assist Soundwave in constructing a giant radio dish to contact the Decepticons on Cybertron. When the Autobots attacked, Hook and the others formed Devastator for the first time to battle them.
In the UK-exclusive story "Devastation Derby", Hook and his teammates were again sent out by Shockwave to provide back-up for Soundwave in an attempt to abduct the Autobots' new friend Buster Witwicky, and again formed Devastator to hold off the Autobots when they tried to intervene. They would form Devastator again in US Issue #19 to fight off an Autobot attack on the Decepticons' new coal mine stronghold.
For a short time, Hook is one of the few Decepticons left active on Earth after most of the original line-up are offlined. In "In the National Interest", he accompanies Megatron when he stops the Dinobots revealing the truth of the Autobot/Decepticon war via journalist Joy Meadows, battling Swoop along with Scavenger and Mixmaster. In "Target: 2006", he is co-opted by Galvatron to construct a giant cannon to destroy Unicron in the future.
With other characters being introduced, Hook began to appear less. He is seen defending the Decepticon base from an attack by the Autobots, G.I. Joe and Cobra in the G.I. Joe and the Transformers miniseries, taking part in the theft of building materials in US Issue #37 and among the Decepticons at Ratbat's island base in Issue #39. His last appearance in the US title is in Issue #41, where he and the other Constructicons retrieve a number of captive Decepticons from stasis aboard the Ark.
He would reappear in Marvel UK's Earthforce storyline. "Internal Affairs" shows him as part of the Decepticon faction loyal to Megatron. He is among those who accompany Soundwave to a meeting with Starscream from the rival faction, where they explain their intention to unite the Decepticons under their joint rule. He makes his last appearance in "Divide and Conquer", where he joins the newly united Decepticon army in attacking the Autobot Earthforce's base.
Abilities & Weapons [1][]
Primary function: Surgical Engineer[]
Abilities[]
- In his construction crane mode, Hook's crane can lift up to 20 tons (~ 40,000 lbs ~ 17.86 long tons ~ 18.14 tonnes) and positions objects with error tolerance less than .00001%.
- Hook is incredibly strong with above average endurance. He's highly intelligent with exceptional skill in all form of construction engineering with a specialization in Transformer physiology & surgery. His precision in repairing comrades is equal to a full-fledged Decepticon surgeon, which backs up his snobbish attitude. He's definitely on par with Scrapper, who he holds a respect for.
- He becomes the upper torso & head module for the gestalt form of the team - Devastator.
Arsenal: Hook has average firepower[]
- In his vehicle mode, Hook is armed with a rocket launcher & a laser cannon, both of which actually form the head of Devastator. This mode is dubbed as "Attack Crane".
- In robot mode, Hook carries a standard laser pistol like other Constructicons.
Weaknesses[]
- His extreme care in performing his job often slows down his work as he takes too long on trivial tasks. This also endangers whatever operation his comrades & him are involved in.
- Hook is also slow in physical manner. His physical strength & firepower probably compensates this drawback.
- Strong as it is, his crane can get metal stress fractures of overused.
Pros |
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Equals |
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Cons |
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Strength | Intelligence | Speed | Endurance | Rank | Courage | Firepower | Skill | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bonecrusher | - 1 | + 6 | + 1 | - 2 | 0 | - 2 | - 1 | + 4 |
Long Haul | - 1 | + 4 | + 1 | - 3 | 0 | - 2 | - 2 | + 6 |
Mixmaster | + 1 | + 3 | 0 | - 2 | 0 | 0 | - 2 | + 1 |
Scavenger | + 1 | + 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - 3 | - 1 | + 3 |
Scrapper | 0 | +1 | - 1 | - 1 | - 1 | + 1 | + 2 | + 1 |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Despite being one of the major Constructicons in the original Transformers, Hook does not appear in many alternate Constructicon media due to Hasbro losing the name rights on him as he is replaced by Hightower and serves as a homage to him.
- Hook however manages to return in the Transformers media with most of his toys now labeled "Constructicon Hook' or "Decepticon Hook" for licensing purposes.
[]
- ↑ According to Transformers: More than Meets the Eye profile books & 1986 The Transformers Universe series