| “ | It's, it's not any fault, Megatron. This greed is built into my personality component. | „ |
| ~ Swindle |
Swindle is a minor antagonist in the Transformers franchise. The original version was a member of the Combaticons. He is the brightest and friendliest of the Combaticons, but also a greedy opportunist and would sell anything to make a profit. He was voiced by the late Johnny Haymer, who also voiced Vortex and Caliburst.
Generation One
Cartoon
Swindle was introduced along with the other Combaticons in the late second season episode "Starscream's Brigade". He and the others were created by Starscream using brain modules of renegade Decepticons. He kept them loyal by making them dependent on him for fuel. The Combaticons attacked Megatron to try and install Starscream as leader but were defeated by Menasor despite combining into Bruticus.
In the following episode, "The Revenge of Bruticus", Swindle and the others escaped captivity and took control of Cybertron, using the space bridge to nearly send Earth into the sun. They were defeated by the combined efforts of the Autobots and Decepticons. Megatron pretended to have them destroyed but actually reprogrammed them to serve him. Swindle was then seen among Megatron's troops. In "B.O.T.", when the other Combaticons were blown apart by Defensor, Swindle sold their parts and had a micro-explosive implanted in his head by Megatron to force him to retrieve them.
In the aftermath of the movie, Swindle reappeared in "Five Faces of Darkness" as one of the Decepticons in exile on Chaar. When the Quintessons arrived to recruit them against the Autobots, Swindle was put in charge of negotiations. In "The Ultimate Weapon", he stole Metroplex's transformation cog for the Decepticons. He tried to sell it to Galvatron, who instead shot him in cannon mode and forced Swindle to simply give it to him. He last appeared in "The Rebirth" among the troops occupying Cybertron.
Marvel Comics
Swindle first appeared in the Marvel UK exclusive story "Second Generation" as part of a vision of the future. He made his proper first appearance in Marvel US Issue #24, where he and the other Combaticons accompanied Megatron in a raid on Energy Future Industries. When they were opposed by Optimus Prime and the Protectobots, it was agreed the two parties would fight in virtual reality. Swindle and Brawl were "destroyed" in battle with Streetwise and First Aid, but the Decepticons ultimately stole the new hydrothermocline.
In "Ladies' Night", Swindle and the others were sent by Shockwave under Soundwave's command to destroy the volcano where Ultra Magnus and Galvatron were entombed. They made short work of the army troops guarding the volcano, with Swindle picking up a jeep and tipping out its crew, but Swindle was later taken out of the mission by three human females commandeering a tank and explosives, before being driven off by Blaster and the Throttlebots. This led into the following Marvel US storyline where Swindle and the others tracked the Throttlebots to a used car lot, competing for them against the Protectobots and the human anti-robot team RAAT. Swindle attempted to kill the car lot owner Big Steve but was stopped by Blaster. With the Throttlebots having been taken by RAAT, Swindle and the other Combaticons pursued the Protectobots, but despite defeating Defensor, they were taken down by Blaster with an electric pylon.
Swindle was part of the mass attack on the Autobots on the moon ordered by Ratbat in Issue #41 and made his last appearance during the Underbase Saga, as part of the Decepticon staff when they used their island base as a holiday resort to cover their search for the Underbase tapes. He did appear in the UK-exclusive text story "Prime Bomb", assisting Scorponok with a plan to send an intelligent missile after Optimus Prime.
In Generation 2, he gave the newly-returned Megatron a tour of Bludgeon's War Wheel. He was probably killed when the War Wheel was subsequently attacked by Jhiaxus' Cybertronian Empire.
IDW Comics
to be added
Transformers Animated
- Main article: Swindle (Transformers: Animated)
Fall of Cybertron
- Main article: Swindle (Aligned)
Gallery
