Hound (Transformers)

Hound is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes referred to as Autobot Hound for trademark purposes.

Transformers: Generation 1
The toy that was to become the Autobot Hound was originally released as part of the Japanese Diaclone series by Takara.

A first-generation Autobot, Hound (Dépisteur in Québec and Canguro in Italy) was released into Transformers' first year - 1984 and was one of the smallest of the standard sized Autobot cars. Hound's alternate mode is that of a 4X4 military jeep, and comes with three different weapons - a Missile Launcher, a Machine Gun and a Hologram Gun.

Hound is known for his love of the planet Earth, his tracking skills, and the ability to project highly realistic holograms. He secretly wishes to be human.

Marvel Comics
Hound also appeared in the Marvel Transformers comic, where his role was much the same as in the animated series. During the UK-only story Crisis of Command, Hound and Mirage combined their special abilities to capture the Decepticon spy, Ravage. Later, during the Target: 2006 story arc, a spy mission alongside Jazz went badly awry, resulting in the capture of Jazz. From then on, Hound was an outspoken critic of Jetfire's headstrong tactics against Galvatron. Later, in the full US/UK continuity, he was among the scores of Autobots deactivated by the Underbase powered Starscream.

Hound's body was seen among the deactivated Autobots Ratchet was doing his best to revive in Transformers #56, "Back from the Dead".

However, he was resurrected at some point (presumably with Nucleon), as he appeared in the Transformers: Generation 2 comic as one of the few Transformers not dominated by the hate inducing parasites. It is unknown if he survived the final battles against Jhiaxus and the Swarm.

Animated series
During the first season of the cartoon, Hound served as the Autobots' primary scout and recon soldier, a role which suited him well because he quickly grew to love the varied natural landscapes of Earth. Hound was also instrumental in the creation of the original 3 Dinobots, as he captured holographic images which served as rough blueprints for construction of Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge. However, after a spurt of early appearances - perhaps most notably in relaying the pilot's backstory to Spike - Hound became increasingly absent from the show, showing up only when his holographic powers were necessary.

Hound's first appearance came in "More Than Meets the Eye", a three episode pilot created to launch the toyline onto television. Oddly enough the role of Spike's companion was filled by Hound in these episodes rather than Bumblebee. Hound was the first to introduce Spike to the concept of "transforming" and also gave Spike a tour of the nearby desert while beguiling him with tales of Cybertron. Hound would also end up being rescued by Spike, who nearly drowned in the process of saving him. While resuscitating Spike on the shore, Hound makes the mistake of thinking that the human Spike had "flooded his engine". Hound would be among the main cast of the pilot, almost playing as large of a role as Optimus Prime himself.

This changed however when the show moved into its regular season. Bumblebee became Spike's companion, and Hound took a backseat. However he was not without his notable appearances.

In "Heavy Metal War", Hound is responsible for providing a hologram of a large, menacing robot designed to intimidate Devastator. This helped turn the tide in the battle against the Decepticons in that episode.

The episode "City of Steel" featured another major role for Hound. He and a few other compatriots were charged with tracking and collecting the missing parts of the Optimus Prime. These parts had been disconnected and used in various parts of Megatron's reconstruction of New York.

Hound made a brief cameo appearance in The Transformers: The Movie where he, along with Sunstreaker, stood next to Optimus Prime before Prime confronted the Decepticon forces.

Hound was last seen in Takara's Japanese only Transformers: The Headmasters series, that included archive footage of TF:The Movie. The Autobot also has some lines on the first episodes. Japanese Transformers guides thus report that Hound has in some way survived the movie, however, because it also features Transformers that were pronounced deceased, that is considered speculation.

Books
Hound appeared in the 1984 sticker and story book The Revenge of the Decepticons written by Suzanne Weyn and published by Marvel Books.

Hound was featured in the 1985 Transformers audio books Autobots' Lightning Strike and Laserbeak's Fury.

Hound appeared in the 1985 story Autobots Fight Back by John Grant, published by Ladybird Books.

Hound appeared in the 1986 Ladybird Books story Decepticon Hideout by John Grant.

Video games
Hound is one of eight playable characters in the 1986 Commodore 64 video game Transformers: The Battle to Save the Earth.

Dreamwave Productions
When civil war broke out on the planet Cybertron between the Autobots and Decepticon factions, Hound joined the Autobot cause. After Decepticon leader Megatron killed the Autobot leader Sentinel Prime, a new Autobot leader was chosen by the Council of the Ancients. Hound was present when Optronix was given the Matrix and reformatted into Optimus Prime. Three Decepticon assassins attempted to kill Optimus, but were unsuccessful. Optimus then ordered a planet-wide evacuation of Cybertron (Transformers: The War Within #1). Hound was among those who reluctantly prepared for the evacuation (Transformers: War Within #2).

When Megatron and Optimus Prime disappeared in an accident with a space bridge, the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into smaller factions. Hound stayed with the Autobots under the leadership of Prowl. When Prowl and his team of Autobots confronted Trypticon, Hound, Tracks, Trailbreaker and other Autobots showed up as reinforcements (Transformers: The War Within - The Dark Ages #4).

Hound was among the Autobots who followed Optimus Prime on his mission on board the Ark. They were attacked by Megatron's ship, the Nemesis. After being boarded the Ark crash landed on Earth, where all on board were preserved in emergency stasis. In 1984 a volcanic eruption awakened the Ark's computer, Teletran-1, and it repaired all on board. It reformatted Hound in the form of an Earth Jeep.

Eventually the combined forces of the Autobots on Earth, and their human allies were able to capture the Decepticons. A ship called the Ark II was built to take the Cybertonians back to Cybertron, along with some human companions. Optimus left a small portion of his Matrix with human Spike Witwicky, promising to return with Spike's father from Cybertron one day. The Ark II exploded shortly after takeoff. The human allies were killed, but the Cybertonians were lost in the ocean, again in statis lock.

Hound and others were recovered by a rogue military unit and reprogrammed as slave war machines. Megatron broke free and then freed his fellow Decepticons and Grimlock. Hound and the other Autobots who were found by Lazarus were abused by Megatron's troops, but were eventually freed by Optimus Prime.

Hound returned with most of the Autobots from Earth to Cybertron as prisoners of Ultra Magnus. Prowl's team returned from Cybertron and Hound aided with construction for the new Autobot City in Alaska (Transformers: Generation One III #10).

Devil's Due Publishing
Hound also appeared in the first G.I Joe vs the Transformers crossover from Devil's Due Publishing. Here the Ark was discovered by the terrorist Cobra Organization. Here Hound turned into a Cobra armoured car. After the Transformers were freed, Hound tried to assist Bumblebee and Wheeljack in reaching Megatron's energon producing facility, but was confronted by its guardian - Devastator, who blew Hound in half with one blast. His death was soon avenged, as the giant combiner was mobbed and taken down by the other Autobots and G.I Joes.

IDW Publishing
Hound appeared in issue #2 of Megatron Origin. In this story, set on ancient Cybertron he was a member of an Autobot security force in the city of Kaon. His squad was hunting the operators of gladiatorial contests in the degenerate slums, particularly Megatron.

Hound made his first IDW Publishing appearance in the Spotlight issue on Galvatron, where it was revealed that he had been put in charge of guarding Thunderwing's inert corpse with Leadfoot, Skram, Road Rocket, Warpath and Sideswipe under his command. Clashing with Sideswipe over his desire to find his brother Sunstreaker, Hound soon had other things to worry about as a mysterious Transformer arrived and decimated his unit. While Hound survived, he had failed in his duty, as Thunderwing's body had disappeared. This version of Hound is more officious and serious than in other continuities.

Hound appeared in Spotlight: Doubledealer where he was among the Autobots fighting Thunderwing on the planet Corata-Vaz.

Other media
Lisa Simpson appeared as Hound in one opening sequence to the Simpsons alongside the rest of the Simpson Family rendered as Autobots. Hound also appeared in the first episode of Transformers: Armada while hearing the alarm.

Toys

 * Generation 1 Hound (1984)
 * Based on a Diaclone toy. One of the earliest Transformers toys. The toy of Hound was later repainted as the ehobby exclusive Junkion Detritus.


 * Transformers: Generation 2 Hound (unreleased)
 * Although Hound did not receive a new toy during this time, he did appear in Marvel's Generation Two comic.
 * There were plans and prototypes to release a toy called Sgt. Hound, a recolor of a Decepticon Autoroller in green, but the toy was never released. The figure could be seen, along with General Optimus Prime, and Road Block and Dirtbag, in a picture from the 1995 Hasbro Toy Fair Boy's Toys Catalogue. It appears that the repaints are incorrectly listed, due to the colours of the two figures.


 * Alternators Hound (2004)
 * Hound's latest appearance has been that of a Jeep Wrangler during 2004 (the specific Jeep design, including the patented grill design, were licensed from DaimlerChrysler) - twenty years after his original appearance in Transformers. In contrast to the other toys in the line, Hound (and the later remolds/repaints) does not include a steering system, or a weapon which transforms into a part of the car. Instead the figure features working suspension, and the weapon is folded and stored in the spare wheel. Hound appeared as Alternators figure #3, but Binaltech figure BT-04.
 * This toy was later remolded into Swindle and Rollbar.


 * Universe Classic Series Legends Autobot Hound (2008)
 * A small figure based on the animated series appearance of Generation 1 Hound.


 * Universe Deluxe Autobot Hound with Ravage (2008)
 * The second Hound is a Deluxe-class toy. He is packaged with the Decepticon Ravage, who is also a new mold.
 * This figure was redecoed as the BotCon 2010 exclusive Turbomaster with Shattered Glass Ravage.


 * Henkei! Henkei! C-13 Deluxe Hound with Jaguar (2008)
 * The Japanese version of the Universe Deluxe figure by Takara Tomy sports a darker shade of green with additional yellow stripes and a chrome front bumper. In addition, Ravage is repainted with the gray parts in a much darker shade to the point where it is almost completely black.

Transformers: Energon
Although there was no character named Hound in the Energon series, the Mini-Con Rollbar was repainted in this series as a homage to Generation 1 Hound, as was the green repaint of Ironhide.

Transformers
Hound appears in the video game and toy line related to the Transformers film series.

Video game
Hound is a playable character in the PSP version of Transformers: The Game. Also in the game is a billboard advertisement sign that spells his name.

Hound and his partner Trailbreaker are requested by Optimus Prime to implant a virus on a satellite that the Decepticons Thundercracker and Shockwave send to call in Decepticon drones. Hound's mission is to find a dish to transmit the virus while protecting Trailbreaker. They find a dish, but it is easily destroyed by the drones. The find and repair another dish. Because a wave of Decepticons is coming, Hound decides to stay and hold the satellite in position while Trailbreaker transmits it. They successfully transmit the virus, which destroys all of the Decepticon drones, but Hound is electrocuted in the process. Hound, weakened, asks, "Did it work?", to which Trailbreaker complies, but Hound already "loses his spark" and dies.

Toys

 * Transformers Legends Tracker Hound (2010)
 * A black/gold redeco of the Universe Legends Hound figure.


 * Transformers Speed Stars Stealth Force Autobot Hound (2010)
 * A non-transforming jeep that mechanically opens its panels and reveals hidden weapons at the pull of the front bumper. This toy resembles the vehicle mode of Deluxe figure from the Universe toy line.

Transformers: Timelines
A mirror-universe version of Hound appeared in the Transformers: Timelines fiction. He is one of the evil Autobots and has the ability to project hallucinations in his targets. He also hates/fears dirt and organic life.

Fun Publications
Hound appears in the fiction Dungeons & Dinobots, a text based story from Fun Publications. He is among the Autobots who attacked the Arch-Ayr fuel dump. His powers are blocked with a jammer by the Decepticons.

Hound appears briefly in the story Do Over. He is among the Autobots left on Cybertron after Rodimus left on the Ark with troops who were only loyal to himself. Unlike the other Autobots who stayed on Cybertron Hound wasn't thrown out of the Ark, he abandoned it willingly, earning him the wrath of Optimus Prime.

In Reunification, Kup leads Warpath, Camshaft and Hound in an attempt to assassinate Optimus Prime. Optimus uses Ricochet as a shield to block a blast from Warpath, grabbing Warpath and throwing him into Hound. Optimus then crushes Kup's head with one hand as he shoots Camshaft.

Toys
Although no toy was made for this version of Hound, he is based on the Universe Deluxe toy's design in new colors.