Groundshaker (G1)

Groundshaker is an Autobot Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

"I talk serious slaggin' business! No joke!"

A seasoned warrior, Groundshaker (aka Ground Shaker) barrels into the thick of battle at every opportunity, whether it's a good idea or not. He drives his ATV like a maniac, plowing through buildings and launching heavy artillery in all directions in his hunt for Decepticons. Unfortunately, he does this regardless of the environment he's in, be it wasteland or heavily-populated alien city. Naturally, this does not exactly give the locals the impression that the Autobots are benevolent defenders like his commander Countdown wants to project. Unfortunately, Autobot command is stretched thin for personnel and his requests to replace Groundshaker have been denied, forcing Countdown to try and get his field commander to be more diplomatic... or at least a bit more discretionary in his destruction.^[1]

Fiction

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

"Really, slaggin' serious..."

Groundshaker begun his life as a "normal", full-sized Transformer, and was one of the first Micromasters to be created, voluntarily and consciously partaking in the Micromaster-process, as opposed to the huge majority of later Micromasters, who were created in their small bodies and had never been full-sized Transformers. During "Operation: Containment", a special mission to prevent the Decepticons from spreading further across the universe, Groundshaker acted as Countdown's second-in-command. During their space-faring days, they encountered the Decepticon Skystalker, and prevented him from obtaining a Golden Disk on Paradron... but otherwise failed to save it, and many other worlds from falling to the Decepticons. Afterwards, the two Autobots returned to Cybertron. During an audience with Ultra Magnus and Fortress Maximus, Groundshaker lost his temper over the perceived lack of progress on Cybertron during his absence, accusing the Autobots of "twiddling their thumbs" while he and Countdown were among the stars. Destined for Nothing

He then set out by Countdown's order with his armoured fighting vehicle to recruit some young Micromasters for their cause, and saved the Hot Rod Patrol and the Race Track Patrol (and Flanker) from the Insecticons by shooting Venom and thus driving off the rest of the attackers. Groundshaker took the Hot Rod Patrol back to Countdown's base. The Gray Race The Hot Rod Patrol opted out of joining Countdown however, not believing him when he informed them that he had learned of a divine mission destined to be completed by Cybertroninans. Once Skystalker returned to Cybertron as well, and informed the Decepticons of Countdown's attempt at recruitment, the Hot Rod Patrol were targeted by Shockwave's troops. Infuriated when Countdown told him to sit and wait, Groundshaker finally exploded and revealed that he knew about an old transfer request Countdown had filed against him early in "Operation: Containment." Crestfallen, Countdown apologized profusely to his comrade for the error, and insisted that he had long since changed his mind about his partner.

As a show of good faith, Countdown fully explained his reasoning and recent actions to Groundshaker. The Golden Disk he had uncovered on Paradron contained vast amounts of information on Cybertron, despite the lack of any previous known communications between the two worlds. The artifact apparently contained files on the past, present, AND future of the Transformer race. Countdown justified leaving the Patrol to their fate for the time being, since the Decepticons' efforts were clearly an attempt to draw them out and steal the artifact and its secrets for themselves. Groundshaker still wasn't wholly impressed, and warned Countdown that focusing too much on the big picture would only ensure that no one was left to watch out for the little guy. Recipe for Hate

Countdown seemed to have been somewhat moved by Groundshaker's speech; when the Hot Rod Patrol returned, pleading for help in freeing the Micros taken prisoner during the Insecticons' attack on Little Iacon, he agreed to join them, along with Groundshaker, in their venture. Groundshaker thus partook in a raid of the Decepticons' headquarters, though he had to wade through an oil-disposal tunnel to do so. During this mission, he single-handedly defeated Ransack, presumably killing him. Victims of the Revolution

Beast Wars: Uprising

Groundshaker's ATV, the Landshaker, served as a mobile base of operations for the Micromaster 001st under Hot Rod's command in Iacon. Derailment

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

During the war for Cybertron, Ground Shaker was an Air Command Infantry Private. Siege toy packaging

Toys

The Transformers

I'm seriously serious!

• Groundshaker (Micromaster Base, 1989)

• Accessories: ATV, large cannon, gun, "connector" ramp, "deployment" ramp, left & right missile launchers, figure stand.

Released in the sixth year of the The Transformers toyline (fifth year in the European line), Groundshaker is a green redeco of Micromaster Whisper, transforming into a fighter jet of made up origin, possibly loosely based on the apocryphal F-19 stealth fighter and the Advanced Tactical Fighter concept design. As one of the higher price point Micromasters, Groundshaker has stickers on his wings, making him one of the few Micromasters to personally sport a faction symbol (Autobot in this case, obviously).

Groundshaker comes with an armoured military vehicle, which is huge compared to himself. Groundshaker can stand in the cockpit, though because of the vehicle's comparatively huge size, he can barely see over the edge of the cabin's armor. The ATV transforms into a large battle station, with a launch pad for Groundshaker.

Groundshaker's mold was also used to make the Japanese Autobot Whisper. His ATV mold was used in Japan as the Landshaker vehicle.

• More information on Groundshaker at TFU.info

War for Cybertron: Siege

• Autobots vs. Decepticons (Micromaster multi-pack, 2019)

• ID number: WFC-S59

Siege "Ground Shaker" is a redeco of Visper, transforming into a vaguely-Cybertronic stealth jet. As part of the C.O.M.B.A.T. System, he can also form the blade of the "Ultra-Sonic Shredder Blade" short sword when combined with his pack-in partner Overair (or any other iteration of that mold).

He was only available as part of a Target exclusive ten-pack of Micromasters, which includes the Autobots Irontread, Overair, Ricon, Road-Police, and Wheel Blaze, and the Decepticons Cratermaker, Fireline, Nightflight (who uses the same mold as Ground Shaker), and Slyhopper.

Notes

• As a redeco of Whisper who was gang molded with Storm Cloud, Groundshaker, by necessity, shares plastic colors with his fellow Micromaster Station toy Skyhopper. This was oddly not carried forward for their Siege counterparts, despite Siege Storm Cloud and Visper continuing to be gang molded; instead, Siege Ground Shaker shares plastic colors with his combination partner Overair.
• Oddly, Groundshaker's blaster seems to be directly based on a real-life German MG 42 machine gun.

Foreign names

• French: Tank
• Italian: Titano

References