Battletrap (G1)

Battletrap is a Decepticon Duocon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

The Cybertronian equivalent of a Wuzzle.

Of the two Duocons, Battletrap is the sane one. In contrast to Flywheels, whose two components are constantly bickering, Battletrap uses the two separate vehicles of his alternate mode in concert with each other. He likes to play with his target in the way a housecat might play with a rodent...that is, if said housecat happened to have a separate avian part of itself that could fly like a hummingbird.

Sometimes, Battletrap is the combined form of Battleslash and Roadtrap.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

lookit me way back here!

Battletrap was a part of Scorponok's army of Decepticons on Cybertron. Battletrap was seen in his truck mode when Scorponok called on his cowardly troops to retreat from a battle with the formidable Fortress Maximus. Ring of Hate! Upon learning the co-ordinates of the planet Nebulos from Lord Zarak, requesting the Decepticons help in ridding the Autobots from his world, Scorponok ordered his army to lay siege to the alien planet. Battletrap was seen in his helicopter mode as part of a battalion carrying Decepticons from their spacecraft to the surface of Nebulos, where he remained out of sight, away from the main events. Broken Glass! Later, every Decepticon on the planet left Nebulos in pursuit of the Autobots to planet Earth. Brothers in Armor!!

Battletrap isn't too proud to play dead when necessary.

Some time later, Battletrap left Scorponok and returned to Cybertron for unknown reasons. On the bridge to Tyrest, Battletrap and his Duocon partner Flywheels in their aerial modes along with other Decepticons engaged in a brief battle against Ultra Magnus and the Sparkabots while on a regular patrol. The Duocons managed to avoid the Sparkabots fire and were able to knock them out in an explosion, incurring the wrath of Ultra Magnus. Battletrap was out of Ultra Magnus' reach but Flywheels was not so fortunate. Paranoid of the rumors of "the walking dead" in Kalis, Battletrap abandoned Flywheels to the Autobots rather than daring to cross into that city-state. City of Fear! Battletrap was later a member of the original Mayhem Attack Squad and took part in their joint mission with the Wreckers to destroy Galvatron in the Time Wars. He was one of the first warriors to fall during the battle, his chest torn open by Galvatron before being smashed against a wall. Time Wars

"It takes a while to get all the dents out after being thrown against a wall, OK?"

Despite his apparent "death", Battletrap appeared with the gathered Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron to hear the words of Primus through Emirate Xaaron immediately before the arrival of Unicron. The Void! Despite the heavy casualties suffered by both sides, he survived the subsequent battle and also narrowly escaped death at the hands of subterranean Cybertronian monsters shortly after, though his buddy Runabout wasn't so lucky. On the Edge of Extinction!

When Cybertron began shaking itself apart, Battletrap escaped the planet with the rest of the Decepticons under Bludgeon's command. Leaving their Autobot "allies" stranded, they went on to conquer the planet Klo, massacring its fleshy, pink-skinned inhabitants. The Last Autobot? When the Autobots finally caught up with them, the Decepticons mostly massacred them too, with only a few survivors escaping into the swamps. However their moment of victory was interrupted by the arrival of the Neo-Knights, a newly resurrected Optimus Prime and the Last Autobot. Battletrap joined the other Decepticons in dogpiling Prime but was caught off guard by the arrival of the other Autobot survivors and was run over by Prowl. Nevertheless, he survived the battle and retreated along with the other Decepticons when Bludgeon realised the day was lost. End of the Road!

Another Time & Place

Battletrap was part of the raid on Hydrus Four by Bludgeon and his army. After the Autobots arrived, he allegedly was about to shoot Sunstreaker in the back, but was shot down instead by Optimus Prime.^[1] Another Time & Place

Marvel Generation 2 comic

In the first battle between the two generations of Decepticons, Battletrap was badly wounded and had to be carried back to safety inside of the Warworld. New Dawn

Classics

Battletrap continued his service with Bludgeon's forces on into the 21st century. He was summoned by Crankcase to help with a waste disposal job after Hun-Grrr was branded a traitor and eliminated fighting Piranacon. At Fight's End

Regeneration One

I've never been to Kalis before. Sounds like a nice place, I think.

Twenty-one years after the defeat at Klo, Battletrap joined up with Soundwave's "Neo-Decepticon" insurgency at Fort Scyk in Polyhex and participated in a raid on the Kalis Baird Beaming Transmitter, allowing Soundwave to take control of one of Cybertron's orbital defence satellites and destroy the Last Autobot. Counterpoint Later, he attacked one of Cybertron's communications facilities alongside Needlenose, Ruckus and Windsweeper to blind the Autobots to Bludgeon's approach. Destiny, Part Two

Transformers '84

Nice shoes

Battletrap, along with Flywheels and Counterpunch, was part of a Decepticon unit under Wingspan's command. They followed the Autobots Fastlane and Cloudraker to Earth in 1017, intent on locating the long-lost Ark. Eager for action, Battletrap and Flywheels headed off to scout the terrain, leaving Wingspan alone with Counterpunch. When the Duocons returned they found Wingspan had been mysteriously killed and, blaming the Autobots, the three Decepticons headed off to confront them. In the ensuing battle, Battletrap was floored by Cloudraker's gravity-rod rifle. '84 #0

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Hirohiko Kakegawa (Japan), Rik Thomas (English, Omni Productions dub)

Battletrap shows everyone his foot fungus.

Battletrap and Flywheels were under the command of Scorponok, who first sent them into battle when the Autobots and Decepticons were fighting over a disk containing data on the Master Sword. After overwhelming the Autobot Targetmasters and playing a quick game of "catch", Battletrap got his hands on the disk and delivered it to Scorponok. The Master Sword Is in Danger!! Scorponok used the data to create the Zarak Shield, and when a group of Autobots came to investigate, the two Duocons joined the Decepticon Targetmasters in stopping them. The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide The Decepticons were later led into a trap on the planet Master, and Battletrap was caught up in the ensuing battle. He shot down the air fighter Chromedome's friend Kirk was piloting. Operation: Destroy the Decepticons

By order of Scorponok, the two Duocons later planted a bomb on Juno, one powerful enough to destroy the entire asteroid. Duel on the Asteroid Battletrap and Flywheels participated in the final battle against the Autobots in the Arctic. Battletrap got the drop on Wheelie and Daniel Witwicky and was about to stomp them to death when he was interrupted by the rogue Sixshot and Defensor. When it looked like Scorponok's plan to destroy the Earth was going to be successful, the Duocons fled into space to watch the results from afar. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

"It is only logical that there will be no side-effects from this whatsoever."

Battletrap and Flywheels were created by Shockwave as early prototypes for his Triple Changer fascination. Instead of achieving three alternating modes, however, they gained the ability to separate into two different alternate modes at once. More than Meets the Eye #8

TransTech

When he was diagnosed with Machanimus Disjunctus, Battletrap was upgraded into a Triple Changer to save his life. BotCon 2015 Battletrap bio card He managed to get himself stranded on Axiom Nexus, and wound up with the number four spot on the "Cybertron's most wanted" list. His crimes were so numerous that he had trouble remembering them all. Cybertron's Most Wanted In a public service announcement for the OZSA, Axiom Nexus News reporter Rook questioned why Battletrap was number four on the list as none of the crimes on his long record (petty theft, graffiti, etc.) included specifically malicious ones. Rook further reported criminal profiler Torca's (correct) analysis that Battletrap was a grunt for a boss and not a leader on his own. Rook - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/06/15

Battletrap found Axiom Nexus to be boring, but nonetheless found excitement in the Under City, where he fell in with fellow registries on the "most wanted list" Stepper, Nebulon, and C-81. Under C-81's leadership, the group planned to steal the parts for an inter-universal gate so as to run an off-the-books travel agency. On one of their raids, the group found themselves on the run from the OZSA, the chase leading them into Seeker-Shinai, where the law caught up to them. They were locked up together in the Offworlder Maximum security prison, where Battletrap and his group met Oilmaster and Packrat. Thanks to these two new additions, the lot of them managed to escape prison and once more went on the run. On their way out, Battletrap fought his fair share of Blastcharge Strika Drones.

First we crack the shell, then we crack the bugs inside!

When Battletrap and the others finally made it outdoors, they found Axiom Nexus to be completely offline. Taking advantage of the cover of darkness, they headed for the city's underground tunnel network. There, they encountered Burn Out, Lift-Ticket, and Spy-Eye, who all took off upon seeing them. Suspecting they might be off to report the prison escapees, Battletrap suggested they follow this new group while he restocked on weaponry from one of the crime group's stashes. Delving deeper underground, the group came the Waruders. These new players proved considerably more hostile. Using his sword and gun, Battletrap discovered the Waruders' pilot/exo-suit nature. The group now knew how to dispatch the Waruders thanks to Battletrap, but they nonetheless found themselves overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Though they tried to run, Battletrap and the others eventually found themselves too battered to flee. It was at this time that both the strangers they had previously encountered and the law-enforcers General Optimus Prime and Sergeant Hound met up with them. All three teams band together to fight against the Waruders. The Waruders eventually surrendered when C-81 offered them another Cybertron to feast upon instead of the local one. C-81's group built their inter-dimensional gate, and were allowed to go free in return for their part in thwarting the invasion.

Cybertron's most wanted were content with getting out of the adventure alive...all of them except Packrat, who still had felt compelled to pick-pocket one of the cops. Disgruntled by this last turn of events, Battletrap expressed interest in visiting one of the city's many pubs. Cybertron's Most Wanted

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Robots in Disguise #12

This is seriously his clearest, least-obscured appearance in this entire continuity.

When the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons ended, Battletrap appeared among the Decepticons who helped repopulate Cybertron with the Autobots and the NAILs. After Megatron returned from months in the wilds of Cybertron, Battletrap and the remaining Decepticons stood up to Bumblebee and the Autobot-led police as they tried to execute him. Rioting broke out in the streets as Battletrap and the Decepticons violently celebrated their leader's return. City on Fire Led by Needlenose, the rioting mob stormed the Iacon prison and freed Megatron. The Verge

Later, Battletrap found himself living in the Decepticon ghetto outside Metroplex. He attacked the interlopers Windblade and Optimus Prime, along with the Stunticons and other disgruntled Decepticons, but they were sent packing by the arrival of Ironhide and Chromia. First Contact

Games

The Transformers (PS2)

The Transformers

Toys

The Transformers

His incredible articulation allows him to... uh... headbutt his opponents into submission?

• Battletrap (Duocon, 1987)

• Takara ID number: D-96
• Accessories: "Double-Barreled Assault Missile Launcher"
• Known designers: Takashi Matsuda (TakaraTomy)

Released in the fourth year of Hasbro's US The Transformers toyline (third year in Europe and in Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers line), Duocon Battletrap is a single robot formed from two separate vehicles. His upper half is a simplified gray AH-64 Apache helicopter, while his lower half is formed from a blue Ford F-150 camper truck. Pegging the helicopter onto the roof of the truck triggers a spring-loaded autotransformation into robot mode.

He comes with a gray dual (non-firing) missile launcher that mounts on his robot-mode shoulder, or can be mounted on top of the truck or beneath the cockpit of the helicopter when they're separated.

• More information on Battletrap at TFU.info
• Image gallery of Battletrap at Seibertron.com
• Instruction booklet for Battletrap at Botchthecrab.com

Timelines

"Cybertron's Most Wanted", indeed.

• Cybertron's Most Wanted (Multi-pack, 2015)

• Accessories: Double-barreled missile launcher, two missiles, rotor blades/"Night-Fire Blade"

Timelines Battletrap is a blue and gray retool of Thrilling 30 Voyager Class Springer, featuring a new head, who transforms into both an armored car and a helicopter. His helicopter rotors detach to transform into a sword that is held by his hands via 5 mm post, and can store underneath his car mode. He also comes with a dual missile launcher that fires its two missiles in succession via a two-step pressure launch. The launcher features a jointed 5 mm handle to allow it to pivot, and can mount underneath the helicopter cockpit. He has two 5 mm ports on his back, the sword hilt has an additional post, and the launcher has additional ports at the top and bottom.

Battletrap was available exclusively in a BotCon 2015 five-figure box set, packaged with Packrat, Shattered Glass Stepper, Megatron, and Oilmaster.

The original version of this mold was redecoed into Cloud Hot Rodimus, and extensively retooled into Thrilling 30 Sandstorm. It also served as the model for the non-toy Beast Wars: Uprising incarnations of Dynobot and Grimlock.

• More information on Timelines Battletrap at TFU.info
• Image gallery of Timelines Battletrap at Seibertron.com

Power of the Primes

EAGLE!!!

• Battleslash (Legends Class, 2018)

• Roadtrap (Legends Class, 2018)

• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro), Robby Musso (concept artist)

Part of the Power of the Primes subline of Generations, "Duocon Battletrap" is the combined form of Battleslash and Roadtrap, two separate Legends Class toys that combine into a single roughly Deluxe-sized toy. Both were made available in the second wave of the line.

Neither of Battletrap's halves come packaged with any weapons. Although his hands feature 5 mm ports, the tab protrusions present on what are made from Battleslash's feet limit his ability to hold things: anything wider than the area above the 5 mm port is unlikely to fit. When combined with the official configuration, Battleslash's rotor is positioned at an angle that can obstruct posing his legs, although this can be remedied by repositioning his arms (or just removing the rotor from its mushroom peg).

In a nice example of forwards-compatibility, Battleslash or Roadtrap can swap with either of Siege Skytread (and his retool Slamdance)'s components, which were released in the following line.

Battletrap's components were first released in Singapore without prior announcement from Hasbro.

Merchandise

Jada Toys

• Transformers Series 2 18-pack (4 cm Die Cast Figure Multipack, 2022)

Nano Metalfigs Battletrap is an incredibly small die-cast figurine molded holding his blaster. He has a little base attached to his feet for balancing reasons.

He comes in an impressive multipack with seventeen other figurines.

Notes

• It's often speculated that Battletrap and Flywheels's names were mistakenly swapped during production, as the rollers of tank treads are not generally thought of as wheels. Their names are even swapped in the Headmasters episode "The Master Sword Is in Danger!!".
• The head of Battletrap's original character model sports a mouthplate, unlike the toy. This model was used for all of his Marvel Comics appearances, but most other fiction portrays him with his mouthplate-lacking toy head.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Battletrap (バトルトラップ Batorutorappu)
• French: Guétapens (Canada, "Trap")
• Mandarin: Quāntào (China, 圈套, "Trap")

References