|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Aug 9, 2010 23:19:39 GMT
Maybe it's my dodgy memory, but I don't seem to be able to recall just how Ratbat became Decepticon Leader. I know he out did Shockwave and took him out of the picture, but I don't know just exactly how he then become Leader over a host of a) higher ranked 'Cons, and b) 'Cons far more powerful than he. Don't get me wrong, I thought Ratbat was pretty cool as Leader, I'm a fan of the character, so I am. I'm just wondering if I've missed something. Could Ratbat becoming Leader truly be a occasion where the Decepticons chose a Leader who they believe would do the job the best, who's not the strongest or most powerful?
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Aug 10, 2010 6:07:45 GMT
I think that as far as the comic was concerned, Ratbat was Straxus's second-in-command. If you recall, he got to boss around guys like Trypticon and Piranacon, so he had plenty of obedient muscle to back him up. He was referred to as the Decepticons' 'fuel auditor' which is about as important as Chancellor of the Exchequer - or the guy who decides who eats and who starves - when you think about it.
I always thought he came across as a really smart guy - very rational, like Prowl and Shockwave actually!
Martin
|
|
|
|
Post by jameso on Aug 10, 2010 10:20:41 GMT
Ratbat got the job in the same way that Gordon Brown did then...  |
|
primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,008
|
Post by primenova on Aug 10, 2010 11:47:41 GMT
If you follow events from the US comic only - you don't need to wait for Simon to explain a reason for the how bad it is on Cybertron for the cons.
Straxus only turns up for 2 issues & gets taken out by Blaster. then there isnt anyone left to fill the void, apart from a certain Decepticon who take any chance he can get to become leader. Starscream must have been kicking himself trapped on Earth in the Ark [Bob had him rescued on the attack on the moon if you check the non-UK edited US print of that issue]
But Simon showed that the Decepticons on Cybertron where too busy playing games & letting anyone wanting a fight [Thunderwing] go & chase downa few Autobots.
|
|
Nigel
Thunderjet
Posts: 4,974
|
Post by Nigel on Aug 10, 2010 11:48:11 GMT
I tend to think of Ratbat's leadership as a bit like a company appointing administrators to stop itself going under.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Aug 10, 2010 17:39:12 GMT
I tend to think of Ratbat's leadership as a bit like a company appointing administrators to stop itself going under. Yes I like that. Shockwave had started to make a tad of a mess of things and piss off a few folkes. So when Ratbat engineered his removal, the other 'Cons saw him as the best one to lead them out of the rut. |
|
|
|
Post by jameso on Aug 10, 2010 22:34:29 GMT
Ratbat was mainly in charge on Cybertron, he wouldn't have had anything to do with removing Shockwave, he took over the Decepticons on Cybertron after Blaster defeated Straxus. I think.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Aug 10, 2010 23:15:44 GMT
One of those character choices for a Decepticon leader that I thought was ok as a kid but I find really amusing (in a good way) as an adult. Quite refreshing.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Aug 11, 2010 7:07:33 GMT
Ratbat was mainly in charge on Cybertron, he wouldn't have had anything to do with removing Shockwave, he took over the Decepticons on Cybertron after Blaster defeated Straxus. I think. Ratbat arrived on Earth and embarrassed Shockwave by pointing out the inefficiencies of his troops' fuel raids. Then when Fortress Maximus knocked Shockwave down into Earth's atmosphere, Ratbat (in command of the flying island) decided that it wouldn't be economically sensible to save him - and thereby replaced him as leader. Martin |
|
|
|
Post by grahamthomson on Aug 11, 2010 7:54:00 GMT
I always thought Bob Budiansky was brilliantly subversive with his choices of main characters/leaders in his comics.
Imagine: a tyrannosaur fighting a cassette. Genius!
One thing for Bob, he always defied expectations.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Aug 11, 2010 9:29:13 GMT
I choose to believe Ratbat won leadership of the Decepticons in a tombola.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by jameso on Aug 11, 2010 10:45:25 GMT
Ratbat was mainly in charge on Cybertron, he wouldn't have had anything to do with removing Shockwave, he took over the Decepticons on Cybertron after Blaster defeated Straxus. I think. Ratbat arrived on Earth and embarrassed Shockwave by pointing out the inefficiencies of his troops' fuel raids. Then when Fortress Maximus knocked Shockwave down into Earth's atmosphere, Ratbat (in command of the flying island) decided that it wouldn't be economically sensible to save him - and thereby replaced him as leader. Martin I wish I could remember the stories like I used to... |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2010 15:48:40 GMT
IIRC Ratbat had concerns about the fuel efficiency of Shockwave's Earthbound operation and arrived to pull everyone back on track. So he must have come with a certain weight of authority for anyone to take him seriously, as he's obviously not physically imposing. Once there he arguably slowly poisoned Shockwave's thinking, goading him into battling Fortress Maximus/Cerebros in space and then doing nothing to help when Shockers got pulled down by the Earth's gravity.
Why the other Earth based Decepticons accepted Ratbat's leadership is open to debate. I always thought it was due to his powerful connections on Cybertron (and at this time the Earth operation would have been in regular contact with the homeworld due to the space bridge) and some may have respected Ratbat for his intelligence. Although that is debatable considering Ratbat was responsible for the Car Wash of Doom plan and Club Con.
|
|
|
|
Post by Fortmax2020 on Aug 15, 2010 16:46:32 GMT
He also had the advantage of arriving after several Cybertron-regime 'loyalists' (such as the Insecticons and Dirge and co) and muscle (Predacons etc) had already been sent to Earth and were active in the ranks of the Earthbound Decepticons.
Which to be fair is smart thinking. Would you entrust Decepticon activity on Earth, a new supply of resources and a potential threat if left to the Earthbound Autobots to guys who'd been absent for the last 4 000 000 years? Of course not. You'd stack the deck there in your favour very rapidly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Aug 16, 2010 5:55:33 GMT
Yeah, he had Predaking, Piranacon and Trypticon behind him - so who's going to argue with that? (Well, Scorponok and Starscream, apparently...) some may have respected Ratbat for his intelligence. Although that is debatable considering Ratbat was responsible for the Car Wash of Doom plan and Club Con. They were good plans! They got a lot of fuel out of the first plan, and found the Autobot Cassettes as per the plan in the second. Martin |
|
Hero
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
King of RULES!
Everything Rules
Posts: 7,483
|
Post by Hero on Aug 16, 2010 6:14:08 GMT
Were those the cassettes that had been found by the pirates? ===KEN |
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Aug 16, 2010 6:26:37 GMT
Were those the cassettes that had been found by the pirates? Yep, one of the great yet-to-be-told stories of the Transformers. What would you get if you crossed the Decepticons with pirates? Long Tron Silver StARRRHscream ThundercrackARRRH LasARRRHbeak BuzzsARRRH ScrapARRRH ScavengARRRH MixmastARRRH BonecrushARRRH DevastatARRRH Long Haul o' loot and, er Hook Martin (PS Yo ho ho and a bottle of Rumble) |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2010 19:30:27 GMT
I actually liked Ratbat's spell in charge of the Con's - the only thing that let it down was Yomtov's despicable colouring. Occasionally, he would get the top of Ratbat's head confused with the characters eyes and paint the entire area yellow!
|
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Aug 24, 2010 23:30:41 GMT
Were those the cassettes that had been found by the pirates? Yep, one of the great yet-to-be-told stories of the Transformers. What would you get if you crossed the Decepticons with pirates? Long Tron Silver StARRRHscream ThundercrackARRRH LasARRRHbeak BuzzsARRRH ScrapARRRH ScavengARRRH MixmastARRRH BonecrushARRRH DevastatARRRH Long Haul o' loot and, er Hook Martin (PS Yo ho ho and a bottle of Rumble) Right. It's time to encase Martin in concrete and dump him in the North Sea ( ;D ) |
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Aug 29, 2010 11:12:06 GMT
Yep, one of the great yet-to-be-told stories of the Transformers. What would you get if you crossed the Decepticons with pirates? Long Tron Silver StARRRHscream ThundercrackARRRH LasARRRHbeak BuzzsARRRH ScrapARRRH ScavengARRRH MixmastARRRH BonecrushARRRH DevastatARRRH Long Haul o' loot and, er Hook Martin (PS Yo ho ho and a bottle of Rumble) Right. It's time to encase Martin in concrete and dump him in the North Sea ( ;D ) Are you proposing to make me walk the Plankcase? Then Long Haul away on the Skullcruncher and Crossbonecrushers! There's Stormclouds gathering and a Tailwind on the way! Pieces of Apeface! Dreadwings tell no tales! Etc. etc. Martin |
|
