Slugfest (G1)

Slugfest is a Decepticon Mini-Cassette from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Make a joke and I will sigh and you will laugh and I will cry.

Slugfest isn't so bright. Scratch that—he's a complete and utter dimwit. Not only that, he's a complete and utter dimwit who's so paranoid about what others think of him that the smallest whiff of a supposed slight against his person will send him into a berserker destructive rage. Hope he never reads this.

Very often the source of the supposed "insults" is whatever message he's carrying in his function as a data courier. Berserker destructive rages aren't very good for recorded data, and often result in their destruction.^[1]

Fiction

Oh so crucial to the plot.

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

In 2006, during a battle on Earth's Moon, Slugfest was one of the many "primitive" Transformers who answered the call put forth by Primacron's assistant in response to the threat posed by Tornedron. Call of the Primitives

The Headmasters comic

After the Decepticons abandoned Earth, Soundblaster remained behind with his cassettes. He jumped the Witwicky family out of nowhere, and had Overkill and Slugfest keep them hostage while he taunted their protector, Chromedome. While his back was turned, though, Overkill and Slugfest were overwhelmed and defeated by Daniel Witwicky. The Headmasters #8

Madman The Transformers comic

You're one to talk, Slugfest.

In the year 2001, Slugfest, along with Overkill, Ratbat, Beastbox, and Squawktalk, were dispatched by Soundwave to locate the Matrix of Leadership, which Optimus Prime had buried somewhere at the construction site of Autobot City, prior to the mass Autobot evacuation of Cybertron. Slugfest had to explain what "excavation" was to the dull witted Beastbox, though Squawkbox ended up finding the Matrix. However, Slugfest and Squawktalk were then run over by Hot Rod. The Transformers

Legends comic

In the late 1980s, Slugfest and Overkill infiltrated the Ark and destroyed its alarm system, leaving the Autobots unaware that the rest of the Decepticon forces were approaching. Slugslinger's Ambition

Lil Formers

Slugfest was one of the absurd amount of minions Soundwave ejected out of his chest, all in a row, in preparation for a fight. Lil Formers

2005 IDW continuity

"I demand to call my agent."

Following the war, Slugfest was part of Snap Trap and Hun-Gar's forces on Temptoria. Ultra Magnus stepped on him. Before & After

Regeneration One

Slugfest was present on Cybertron when the Dark Matrix creature attacked the population and was converted into a shadow-leech alongside Soundwave, Howlback, Overkill, Squawktalk, Beastbox, and Wingthing. Their combined form menaced Ravage before he was rescued by Shockwave and Starscream. King of Shadows The shadow-leeches ceased to be a threat once Rodimus Prime defeated the Dark Matrix creature. The War to End All Wars, Part 5

TransTech

Slugfest was one of countless Offworlders who inhabited Axiom Nexus's Under City. Cybertron's Most Wanted

Games

Transformers Legends

Transformers: Earth Wars

The Game Full of Death and Suffering...! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their video game appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Transformers: Earth Wars

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Slugfest was a dimwitted Decepticon with a volatile temper. Decepticon Directive

Toys

The Transformers

• Slugfest / Overkill (Cassette 2-pack, 1987)

• Accessories: Left & right "vibro-cannons"
• Known designers: Takashi Matsuda (TakaraTomy)

Released in the fourth year of Hasbro's US The Transformers toyline (third year in Europe), Slugfest transforms from a microcassette into a robotic Stegosaurus. His spine-plates are on springs so they pop out once his head and tail are flipped down. In cassette mode, he can fit into the tape doors of Soundwave, Blaster, and their various redecoed and retooled follow-ups.

In the Hasbro line, he was only available in a two-pack with Overkill, the two-pack being the only new cassettes produced for 1987's lineup (with a few repacks of older toys filling out product slots).

This toy was redecoed into Shattered Glass Slugfest.

• More information on Slugfest at TFU.info

• Slugfest (Cassettron, 1987)

• ID number: D-108
• Accessories: Left & right "vibro-cannons", cassette case
• Known designers: Takashi Matsuda (TakaraTomy)

The Takara Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers release of Slugfest, in the line's second year, is identical to the Hasbro one. However, Slugfest was only sold as a separately-boxed individual, and like (almost) all Takara-release microcassettes, came with a clear-plastic "tape case" to be stored in.

Encore

• Great Cassette Operation Vol.2 (Multi-pack, 2009)

• Encore number: 17
• Accessories: left & right vibro-cannons

As part of TakaraTomy's Encore line, Slugfest was reissued along with Ratbat, Ramhorn, and Steeljaw. This version features noticeably lighter-colored feet and spine-plates compared to the original release, leaning more towards hot pink.

In 2014, Slugfest and the rest of the Cassettes were re-released as a lucky draw prize (along with the other 2 box sets) for the Transformers Celebration 2014 event held at Ikebukuro Sunshine City store's Toys"R"Us, though this was very likely to be simply unsold stock.

Notes

• Slugfest had the preliminary names of Crunchback and Bruiser.
• Slugfest's robot mode is drawn without his weapons attached in his only appearance in the cartoon. A lot of the season three and four character models showcased the characters without their weapons/accessories attached to better show off the details that would be hidden by them. Instead they featured dotted lines that pointed towards the places that they should be placed on the body (other examples of this can be found with the Technobots and Sixshot). This appears to have resulted in Slugfest being depicted as if his weapon placements were optional, unlike the previous cassette Transformers to appear in the show. As it happens, Marvel's The Transformers Universe character profile for Slugfest featured his weapons attached—though, they were attached in the holes by his shoulders instead of the designated hip ports that the dotted lines point to. Some of the dotted lines were also kept in the Marvel profile image, so he has random lines that trail off of his body into the white abyss of the page. Whoops.
• Slugfest's trademark was evidently considered for the 2003 Dinobots incarnation of Slapper, who was listed by that name in Walmart's computer system.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Slugfest (スラッグフェスト Suraggufesuto)
• French: Matraque (Canada, "Bludgeons")

References