Russell Clay

Russell Clay is an Autobot-allied human from the Robots in Disguise portion of the Aligned continuity family.

He hopes you don’t remember that animation goof on his eyes from the first release of the show’s teaser trailer.

Russell "Rusty" Clay never expected a visit to his father's junkyard to have so much adventure. Sure, he expected Denny to possibly obsess over his scrapy-sorry, "vintage salvage depot for the discriminating nostalgist," all day, but upon meeting Sideswipe, as well as the rest of the team, Rusty has made it part of his duty to provide a place for the Autobots to stay alongside his dad, who he had been recently getting to know better.

Fiction

2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon

Voice actor: Stuart Allan (English), Tomo Muranaka (Japanese), Andrea Oldani (Italian), Hamdi Abbas (Arabic), Luisa Wietzorek (German), Akira Takaki (Finnish), Stéphane Flamand (French), Iván Bastidas (Latin-American Spanish), Gabriel Martins (Brazilian Portuguese)

"They did what with the Fantastic Four movie?!"

While his mother was in Copenhagen, Russell unenthusiastically arrived at Denny's scrapyard to stay. After he and his dad heard an explosion, Russell investigated what they'd thought might be a meteorite, and instead ran into Sideswipe and Underbite. After he witnessed a battle between Underbite and Bumblebee's team, Russell realized the Decepticon was heading for his dad's scrapyard. Pilot (Part 1) After Russell alerted his dad to the danger, Underbite became distracted by the sight of Crown City and started heading there. The Autobots and Denny set off in pursuit, leaving Sideswipe to look after Russell, however Russell had an idea and helped Sideswipe lure Underbite to a quarry, where the Decepticon was defeated. Pilot (Part 2)

Russell came up with a plan to disguise Sideswipe as a Decepticon, allowing them to rescue Strongarm from Steeljaw after she was kidnapped. Trust Exercises Bored with life in the scrapyard, Russell reluctantly went to a nearby football field where he befriended some of the local kids. Though he initially didn't feel included, Hank and Grimlock managed to persuade him to persevere, and once he found he had some skill at kicking a ball, he enjoyed playing football with the kids. More than Meets the Eye When Denny needed to pretend to be an archaeologist so they could get the Autobots into the museum, Russell insisted on going too, and adopted the identity "McPlank". Once they got in, he immediately ran off and encountered Terrashock, but went on to help the Autobots capture the Decepticon and maintain their cover. W.W.O.D.?

Bumblebee instructed Denny and Russell not to sell a generator to some weirdos who said they were working for the Kospego, as they were building a space bridge that could potentially destroy Earth. As the Kospego Commands! When Larry LaRue turned up wanting to put Denny's scrapyard on television, Russell thought it was a good idea. Not so much when Larry later sneaked back in and Russell had to try to prevent him discovering Fixit and Grimlock. Collect 'Em All When Grimlock suddenly turned on his teammates, Russell figured that the Dinobot was being controlled. He and Fixit determined it was the Decepticon Minitron and were able to warn the other Autobots. True Colors

Russell found himself having to try to mediate between his father and Fixit when the pair fought over who was fixing what in the scrapyard. He eventually managed to get them to work together by sabotaging a piece of Cybertronian technology with a kazoo. Rumble in the Jungle Russell helped guard the Autobots' energon supply, and also provided a diversion during a later attempt to trap Ped. Can You Dig It? After Bumblebee was regressed to immaturity, Russell figured that babysitting the Autobot leader would be easy. He and Sideswipe were left to keep Bee occupied, and pretty much failed to do so. Adventures in Bumblebee-Sitting!

Denny forbade Russell from going on any more missions. When Fracture kidnapped Denny and the other Autobots in an attempt to capture Bumblebee, Russell tried unsuccessfully to bluff the Decepticon into thinking there were a fleet of warships on their way. Denny later reversed his decision and said Russell could go on missions again. Hunting Season He wouldn't let Russell have a Decepticon Hunter however. There are limits. Sideways

Russell proved impossible for the Autobots to scare. When the Autobots and Denny were all captured by the Decepticon Nightstrike, Russell bravely went into the cave after them and managed to mount a rescue. Even Robots Have Nightmares After Jetstorm returned to Earth claiming he wanted to be Russell's student, Russell stuck up for the Mini-Con against Drift as they tracked down Springload and Quillfire. One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing

Russell had to help clean up after Fixit accidentally flooded the scrapyard. Deep Trouble He also helped his dad and Grimlock enter the giant robot fights in the Rumbledome so they could capture Groundpounder. The Champ Russell and the others briefly found themselves on the run from Fixit after Denny accidentally reactivated the Mini-Con's guard program. The Trouble with Fixit Russell attempted with little success to teach the Autobots about football. After the Decepticons managed to take over the scrapyard, he and his dad worked using the scrapyard's resources to help the Autobots recapture it and make sure the prisoners were secure. Lockout

Irked by his father's snoring keeping him up all night, Russell decided he needed somewhere of his own to sleep, however when Denny insisted on fixing up an RV, Russell soon realized he was going to be stuck with "Denny Style". The RV ended up a wreck, so the pair instead fixed up another vehicle and then celebrated with some disco. Similarly Different The pair returned to the scrapyard soaking wet after a disastrous camping trip. Ghosts and Impostors

While the Autobots went to rescue Sideswipe and Strongarm from the Decepticons, Denny and Russell kept themselves busy organizing the scrapyard's sock of bicycles. Following a visit by Hank, Russell inadvertently let Fracture into the base, however they were saved by the timely arrival of Optimus Prime, whom the two humans accompanied to the battleground near Crown City. Battlegrounds, Part 1 Posing as filmmakers, the pair attempted to persuade a police officer to evacuate the area and eventually succeeded just before the battle reached its climax. Battlegrounds, Part 2

Russell helped out by buffing Grimlock. After the GroundBridge exploded, Grimlock returned the favor by drenching him with water while putting out the fire. He and his dad had to run for cover when Overload attacked the scrapyard. Overloaded, Part 1 Russell paused while cleaning up to throw a piece of trash at Fixit's head to break the Mini-Con out of a vocal skip. Overloaded, Part 2 Russell found a display case to store some of his souvenirs from the Autobots fights in, however his determination to get a trophy from their battle with Saberhorn led him to be taken captive by the Decepticon and almost resulted in Bumblebee getting melted down. Metal Meltdown

Russell helped Fixit provide Grimlock with a study guide to improve the Dinobot's intelligence, but when it all went wrong and gave Grimlock super-genius but a limited life span, he had to help Fixit come up with a solution and then help Grimlock try to help capture Simacore. Brainpower On his father's insistence, Russell performed a magic show for the Autobots, where demonstrated an illusion and then explained the concept of misdirection to them. He, Denny and Fixit were later captured in a subsonic force field when Steeljaw managed to infiltrate the scrapyard, however the trio were rescued by Strongarm before they could be crushed by the shrinking field. Misdirection

He reluctantly accompanied Bumblebee along on a stakeout at a Rear Axle concert, and stumbled on Bisk attempting to steal a sound board. With Russell's help (who posed as the son of Rear Axel's drummer), Bumblebee was able to capture the Con and smuggle him out of the venue. After the adventure, Russell gained a new appreciaton for his father's favorite band. Bumblebee's Night Off When Bumblebee and Strongarm got themselves impounded during a chase, Denny and Russell had to go and rescue them. The pair sneaked into the impound lot, and Russel then disabled the lot's security measures and distracted its guard. Denny removed the boots keeping the Autobots stationary in the meantime, and the lot of them drove out without being noticed. Impounded When Soundwave escaped the shadowzone, Russell helped Denny and Fixit fight the Decepticon, mainly by acting as distraction. Though their first attempt at tackling the Decepticon ended in failure, the clash inspired Bumblebee, then trapped in the shadowzone himself, to formulate a more effective battle plan. The humans distracted Soundwave long enough for Fixit to regain access to the GroundBridge, allowing Bumblebee to return to normal space, and forcing the Decepticon back in his other-dimensional prison. Portals

Having obtained a lead regarding the colony of Decepticons, the Autobots headed to the harbor to try and infiltrate the Decepticon base. Denny and Russell stayed on shore with Fixit, at the ready should the Autobots call on them for help. Decepticon Island (Part 1) While the two humans were preparing disguises in case anyone turned up, Fixit left them to try and free the Mini-Con slaves in the base. The Autobots wound up being victorious, and the Decepticon crisis finally came to an end. Though many Autobots decided to head back to Cybertron, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Strongarm, Sideswipe, Drift, Jetstorm, and Slipstream were not among them; instead this team decided to stay behind to set up a permanent base of operations on Earth. Before speeding off, Bumblebee assured his human friends that the junkyard would always be another home to them. Decepticon Island (Part 2)

When Strongarm wanted to take Fixit with her on a mission, Denny and Russell volunteered to operate the command center. It was a disaster, culminating in them accidentally bridging the team to the scrapyard instead of Mount St. Hilary. Strongarm's Big Score Fixit later gave them training so they'd be able to work the command center. Mini-Con Madness Denny and Russell were present when the Autobots returned from Egypt with a high energy pulse generator. As Sideswipe struggled to find a way to apologize to the three Mini-Cons, Russell suggested flowers and a poem, though the results left a lot to be desired. Russell and his dad had to take cover when the scrapyard was invaded by hostile Mini-Cons, and then a group of Decepticons arrived and abducted Fixit, Jetstorm and Slipstream. It turned out the Decepticons were working for Starscream, who used the captured Mini-Cons as leverage to take Bumblebee prisoner. Mighty Big Trouble The pair helped fill in Optimus once he arrived, and worked the command center while the rest of the team went in search of Starscream. Mini-Con Madness

Russell was confident going into the championship football game that he could kick any field goal, but it turned out the opposing team had a really tall kid who was able to block his kicks. King of the Hill (Part 1) He feigned an ankle injury, but after a pep talk from his father, he came up with a way to kick a goal over the tall kid. King of the Hill (Part 2) After lending his handheld game to Fixit, Russell found it extremely difficult to get the game back. While the other Autobots were on a mission, Russell watched Fixit attempt to cheat at the game, and eventually had to operate the GroundBridge himself to bring the team back. Defrosted

Denny and Russell had to cope with the Autobots going gaga over the Sphere of Doradus, thanks to the bizarre energies it emitted, and help them to stop Springload opening the sphere and potentially destroying the city. Sphere of Influence Russell and Denny were moving a washing machine around when they narrowly missed being stomped on by Blurr. Bee Cool

Strongarm took Denny and Russell with her so they could interrogate a potential witness to a burglary by a Decepticon. The pair impersonated insurance company employees, though it turned out the witness hadn't seen much. Russell later helped Strongarm tracks a Decepticon to the Crown City Gold Depository. Get a Clue While waiting for a scary movie to start, Russell tuned in to a news report that revealed the location of Crustacion's missing Shanix. Out of the Shadows Denny and Russell spotted the Stunticons on television taking part in the Crown City Grand Prix. Disordered Personalities

During a security alert, Russell helped Fixit out by observing that there didn't seem to be anything out there to set off the security system. Guilty As Charged Russell got Fixit hooked on movies set in medieval England. The Golden Knight Grimlock gained super-speed as a result of one of Fixit's experiments and was confined to the scrapyard as a result, so Russell read him a Captain Plasma Beam comic to cheer him up. Unfortunately this gave Grimlock the idea to become a superhero, and Russell helped him put a costume together, while hoping the speed would wear off before they finished. The Fastest Bot Alive!

Denny, Russell and the Autobots were forced from the scrapyard when it came under an assault by Steeljaw and his pack. At Russell's suggestion, they took shelter in the nearby cave system. Exiles With the Autobots becoming irritable at the cramped quarters, Denny and Russell had Grimlock enlarge the caves to make more room. Breathing Room The pair put their talent for disguises into action when a hermit stumbled on Fixit, convincing the man that they were miners and Fixit was a mining robot. Prepare for Departure They got Grimlock to dig some "relaxation alcoves", however when the team captured Steeljaw's pack, the alcoves were turned into makeshift cells instead. Prisoner Principles

Russell found life in the cave boring, until Sideswipe and Denny managed to retrieve his TV from the scrapyard. Unfortunately Sideswipe accidentally destroyed the TV, preventing Russell from watching that night's Showcase of Shivers. Sideswipe later put on an impromptu performance of the show to make it up to him. Collateral Damage Russell was overjoyed that they were able to move back to the scrapyard, but his plans to watch Rebels of the Iron Crown were quashed when Denny roped him into creating a great pyramid of scrap. After Underbite escaped, Russell helped his dad with a plan that successfully lured the Decepticon back into a stasis pod. Something He Ate

Denny and Russell ended up having to care for the Autobots after they contracted a nanovirus from the Decepticon Wingcode, including having to cover for Strongarm after she drove off in a delirium and started hassling random ice cream men. Sick as a Bot They successfully rescued Bumblebee's team from the cells on Dropforge's ship, after the lawbot arrested them all. Five Fugitives The pair had to take cover when the defense system triggered, which turned out to be a result of Optimus paying them a visit to recruit the Bee Team for a mission to Cybertron. Enemy of My Enemy Bumblebee and his team later returned and filled Denny and Russell in on their adventure on Cybertron. Freedom Fighters

Robots in Disguise shorts

Once when looking for Fixit, Russell discovered that the Mini-Con was stuck to Grimlock's foot. His attempts at rescue were less than successful. Fixit Jam

IDW Robots in Disguise comic

Russell and Sideswipe goofed off running circles around the scrapyard until Bumblebee found out. Despite being restricted to the scrapyard by Denny, Russell talked Sideswipe into taking him to the Fun-A-Rama amusement park, where it turned out the other Autobots had tracked Flamefeather. Fire, When Ready! Russell was annoyed to learn he'd missed out on a training session, and attempted to accompany Sideswipe on a mission. He later guessed where Spinhead was headed, and used the knowledge to get himself on the mission to capture the Decepticon. Robots in Disguise #1

Russell aided in the capture of Transit by covering up a fight at the Crown City Transportation Center. Robots in Disguise #2 Aiming to distract Ultra Magnus, whom they believed was monitoring the team, Russell, Denny and Sideswipe went on a tour of nearby storage facilities. Robots in Disguise #3 Denny and Russell tried to help Clipshade coach the Autobots on their acting. Robots in Disguise #4

After another incident-filled football practice session, Russell returned to the scrapyard dejected over the fact all his role models were giant robots. When the Autobots had to head to Fort Tucker, Russell opted to stay at base, and hence was kidnapped along with Fixit by Steeljaw and Steve while the Autobots were distracted. Robots in Disguise #5

Thanks to Fixit's drilling, the pair were able to escape the cave they'd been imprisoned in, only to run into Fracture. They almost got past him were it not for Russell accidentally kicking a piece of energon, however just as all seemed lost, Bumblebee's team arrived and Russell and Fixit were helped to safety by Drift's Mini-Cons. Russell was subsequently reunited with his dad. Robots in Disguise #6

2015 Robots in Disguise books

During spring break, Russell went with his dad to Doug's Den to pick up some old pinball machines. They were attacked on the way back by Scuzzard, but managed to make it back to the scrapyard. Later he played football with Grimlock, resulting in the clumsy Dinobot accidentally freeing Filch. Bumblebee Versus Scuzzard Russell's jerky schoolmates Joey, Johnny, and Steve paid a visit to the scrapyard, but were scared off by the Autobots. Sideswipe Versus Thunderhoof

Russell was woken in the middle of the night when Bumblebee helf a nighttime Decepticon drill. The next morning he woke to find Drift had gone and the Autobots were interrogating the Mini-Cons. He was able to get the needed information by winning the pair over with a game of tag. After the Autobots were drawn away by a trick and the scrapyard was taken over by Decepticon Ronin, Russell managed to escape with Jetstorm and find Drift. They returned to the scrapyard with Russell and Jetstorm masquerading as Drift's prisoners so Drift could pretend to be a Decepticon, and eventually free the captive Autobots. Drift's Samurai Showdown

Russell attempted to play football with the Autobots, only for Grimlock to puncture the football. After Fixit mangled the ball further in an attempt at repair, Russell figured he could probably just get a vintage football off his father. He and Denny later dressed as policemen and made sure Crown City Bridge was cleared while the Autobots fought Skinkbomb underneath it. The Trials of Optimus Prime

While watching Beyond the Mysterious Unknown with Loren Fortean, Russell saw footage of what Fortean claimed was a "Yeti" and, recognizing it as a Decepticon who turned out to be Abominus, had Fixit alert the away team. In the meantime, he and Denny had to cope with Bumblebee's half of the team falling victim to Brakepad's lethargy-inducing power. Autobot World Tour

Signature Robots in Disguise comic

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Legends comic

Russell was present when Rattrap and Tigatron appeared before the Autobots, claiming to be from another world, and wondered what world they were talking about. Go! Adventure

Renegade Rhetoric

While hiding out in a junkyard, Jazz befriended "Rusty," son of the scrapyard's owner. Wheeljack thought that he seemed like a good kid. Renegade Rhetoric (2), 2016/05/16

Notes

• Adam Beechen has stated that Russell "has a very good relationship" with his mother.
• In the Japanese dub, Russell's first person pronouns are "boku" and Fixit calls Russell "Rus-san".

Foreign names

• Japanese: Russell (ラッセル Rasseru)
• Mandarin: Russell (罗素 Luōsù)