Driller

The Driller is a Decepticon from the Dark of the Moon portion of the movie continuity family.

The Kraken called, he wants his mouth back!

The largest subterranean lifeform native to Cybertron, Drillers are not to be taken lightly. Enormous multi-tentacled beasts capable of burrowing through the ground or through buildings with ease, they are capable of great destruction and carnage on any scale. They are semi-sentient at best and can only obey simple commands. They also develop intense loyalty to their masters. Naturally, all these qualities have endeared them to Shockwave who keeps one as a pet and personal transport.

They are beasts of burden, mainly used for mining jobs. However, the one owned by Shockwave is bred specifically for militaristic use and is considerably larger than a typical member of its species.^[1]

Fiction

Movies

Dark of the Moon film

"You never win in a fight against animals. Remember your war with the worms?"
"That wasn't a defeat! It was a phased withdrawal!"

A Driller, this one partially re-engineered to serve as Shockwave's chariot and warhound, was summoned alongside its master, to attack Optimus Prime when NEST was called to Chernobyl by Alexi Voskhod. This was only misdirection, to ensure that the Autobots did not realize that the Decepticons actually wanted them to find the fuel cell from the Ark located within the facility. After Optimus retrieved the fuel cell from the Driller, Shockwave emerged from it to reveal himself to Optimus, and the pair quickly retreated underground. The experience left Optimus somewhat shaken, and angry with the humans that they had concealed the Ark from the Autobots.

If Paul Dini saw this, he would be very proud.

Later on, the Driller was present in Chicago during the Decepticon invasion, proving to be a deadly threat from below, separating Optimus from his trailer and the flight tech it possessed.

Well, you know what they say: "The early bird gets the worm!" Except that this bird prefers to just kill it than to eat it.

It crawled its way in and through a toppling skyscraper by Shockwave's command to flush out Sam Witwicky and his allies, and caused the building to snap in half, the top section slamming onto another building. When the Driller went in to finish the humans, Optimus, with the jet pack and upgraded weapons from his trailer, attacked it in midair. The Driller's reach with its tentacles was hindered by the building as it attempted to fight back, and Optimus counterattacked it by slamming his entire body through its neck, killing it. Its partially severed body crashed to the street below. Dark of the Moon

Age of Extinction film

Five years after the Battle of Chicago, the Driller was listed as "deceased" by the CIA taskforce, Cemetery Wind.^[2] Age of Extinction

IDW movie comics

That's why you walk without rhythm.

Years before the war began, when Sentinel Prime's Autobots revitalized Cybertron by re-energizing the AllSpark, a Driller was drawn to the surface by the fresh energy flowing through the planet. At the outskirts of Thetacon, it attacked some Hatchlings and their protector Starscream. Megatron and Shockwave saved them from the creature, forcing it into retreat, but the beast had left an impression upon Shockwave, who deemed it "magnificent". Foundation #2

At some point before or during the war, Shockwave captured and tamed a Driller—whether it was the same creature he had fought beforehand or another member of its species is unknown—and brought it to Earth with him, where Astrotrain built a cage for it. Rising Storm #3 When its master was about to get killed by Optimus Prime, the Driller made it to Philadelphia and saved him. Ironhide recognized the creature and told Prime that if the Driller is what he thought it was, then they were in big trouble. Rising Storm #4

Decepticoaster

A captured Driller was taken to Metrobase in Beijing for scientific study, with the Autobot Coaster taking new recruits of NEST through the belly of the comatose beast to study how it processed Energon. When the Driller began to stir from its stasis, Coaster launched out of its maw to take the recruits to safety.Transformers Metrobase

Games

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - The Game

(Xbox 360/PS3)

The Driller was frozen along with his master, Shockwave, in a former Soviet military base. As Optimus Prime tried to keep Shockwave frozen until reinforcements arrived, the Driller came online and attacked the Autobot leader only to have his tentacles blasted by rockets, this caused it to retreat.

However, just as Optimus was about to deliver the finishing blow to Shockwave, the Driller reappeared and protected his master, taking him to safety. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon mobile game

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Dark of the Moon

Merchandise

Prime 1 Studio

• Shockwave (2020)
  • Movie: Dark of the Moon
  • ID number: MMTFM-14

The base of the Prime 1 Studio Museum Masterline Shockwave statue is designed after the Driller, with two of its tentacles sprawling out of it.

This statue is limited to 888 pieces.

• Jetwing Optimus Prime (2022)
  • Movie: Dark of the Moon
  • ID number: MMTFM-33 / 33S (exclusive)

The base of the Museum Masterline Jetwing Optimus Prime statue also features the Driller, with its big mouth and two tentacles crawling out of a pile of debris.

Notes

• The Driller resembles an aquatic Decepticon in concept art by Ben Procter for Revenge of the Fallen, as well as the Dweller from Generation 1.
• The Driller's working name was Colossus.^[3] The old name still pops up in media coverage.^[4]
• According to the special effects team, the Driller is the length of three football fields. That would make it roughly 1080 feet long.^[5]
• In the Japanese Heat Scramble card game, the Driller is called the "Worm".
• Attinger's playing card of the Driller was revealed in a prop auction for the Transformers film series held in 2019.^[6]

Foreign names

• Japanese: Driller (ドリラー Dorirā), Worm (ワーム Wāmu)
• French: Fouisseur (IDW, "Burrower")

References