Kup (G1)

Kup is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

"I shouldn't be listening to complaints, I should be making them with you guys! The good Lord lets us grow old for a reason; to gain the wisdom to find fault with everything He's made!"

Kup is a tough old coot. He's almost as old as rust, in fact, and he was plinking Decepticons and Ick-Yaks with acid bursts from his trusty musket laser long before most of you turbo-revvin' young punks were born. In his day, lasers didn't need to use light; they did whatever they were told to do. And liked it.

He's probably had a thousand adventures, Kup has, and he'll be glad to relate a story of any one of them at any time to a willing audience. The Dinobots love Kup's war stories, lapping them up like cheap energon, and don't seem to mind when he inadvertently leaves a piece out or changes the story between retellings. Old memory chips'll do that to you. Other Autobots can be less patient, and Kup finds this disrespectful and irritating. If there's one thing Kup dislikes, it's when young punks don't respect their elders. If they'd only listen, they might learn something. Hot Rod is one of the worst offenders in this way, but he's a good lad-bot, and Kup will straighten him out sooner or later, even if it takes a tank of Sharkticons.

Occasionally, Kup's vast experience gets in his way. When a situation doesn't remind him of anything, he has trouble figuring out what to do. This doesn't happen very often though.

His Targetmaster partner is Recoil, who sometimes forms his head as a Titan Master instead.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Main article: Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

"Kup, if you don't start making more sense, we're gonna have to put you in a home."
"You already put me in a home!"
"Then we'll put you in the crooked home we saw on Sixty Minutes!"
"I'll be good."

Kup was a seasoned veteran who found himself constantly having to look after the other young whippersnappers that made up the bulk of the Autobot forces in his role as Cybertron's chief of security. Originally stationed on Earth, he and the other Autobots were drawn into the battle against Unicron, eventually defeating the giant Transformer. More adventures followed, including a trip back to planet Dread to confront an old nemesis, being turned into a zombie, witnessing the return of Optimus Prime, helping Rodimus Prime handle the burdens of command, and the menace of the Hate Plague.

In one continuity, he was part of a team of Autobots who ended up on Nebulos, an adventure during which he became a Targetmaster and took part in the restoration of Cybertron. In another reality, he hung out with Blurr and Arcee a lot, and following the destruction of Cybertron, he left with Rodimus to go on a quest to find a new home planet.

Marvel Comics continuity

"I say we call Matlock. He'll find the culprit. It's probably that evil Gavin MacLeod or George 'Goober' Lindsay."

Main article: Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

Kup, a curmudgeonly oldtimer, often acted as a source of wisdom and counsel for younger Autobots, and even not-so-young Autobots such as Optimus Prime. He became a Targetmaster after his trip to Nebulos, fought the Decepticon forces of Scorponok on Earth and defended his homeworld of Cybertron from the coming of Unicron. Future-Kup also did quite a bit of time travelling, usually in tandem with Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime, and this almost led to the destruction of reality itself. In one splinter timeline, Kup continued on as advisor of Optimus Prime and got super extreme and edgy. And in another splinter timeline, he fought zombies. Such was Kup's fascinating life.

Toy pack-in material

"Kup, how'd you take off your underwear without taking off your pants?"
"...I don't know."

Kup attended an emergency meeting led by Ultra Magnus after the Creation Matrix was stolen. Soon, First Aid announced his project to confuse the Decepticons using decoys. While the decoys attacked Decepticon headquarters, Kup, Ultra Magnus, Hot Rod, and Blurr snuck inside their base to steal back the Matrix. Start Your Own Decoy Collection

Sticker Adventures books

After another Autobot shuttle had gone missing in the vicinity of the planet Junk, Kup and Hot Rod headed over in their ship to investigate. Heading down to the planet's surface, they came upon the Autobots and the Junkions fighting. Kup stopped Hot Rod from joining in, explaining that the Junkions are not evil, just a little wild. He then used the universal greeting to calm the Junkions down. Now friends, the Junkions and the Autobots worked together to fix the damaged ship. Kup and the Autobots then blasted off and went on their way. Battle on the Junk Planet

In retaliation for past defeats, Galvatron attempted to destroy Metroplex with a two-fold attack from Dirge and Bonecrusher. Kup was among the first to respond, though he mostly distracted his fellow Autobots with rambling stories about past battles. The Decepticons were eventually driven off. Galvatron Attacks

Ladybird Books continuity

Voice actor: Blain Fairman (English)

"Then after that, World War II got quiet, 'til Superman challenged F.D.R. to a race around the world! F.D.R. beat him by a furlong! Or so the comic books would have you believe. The truth lies somewhere in between..."

As a young Autobot, Kup participated in many battles against the Decepticons on Earth. One particularly great battle ended up with many casualties on both sides—casualties whose bodies were simply left in the valley where they died. Many years later, when the Autobots were running out of cybernite for their repair jobs, Kup recalled this event and suggested that they loot the old bodies for the precious metal. Ultra Magnus approved, and let Kup lead Wheeljack, Grapple, Hoist and Spike to the valley. On the way, Kup mistook the aurora borealis for a Decepticon attack.

"Thank you for this award. It is a tribute to this great country that a man who once took a shot at Teddy Roosevelt could win back your trust."

Upon arrival at the valley, Kup spent some time reminiscing about the past, until Grapple told him that they had a mission to complete. However, before the group could find anything of use, they came under attack by a number of Decepticon jets and were forced to retreat. Returning to base, they wondered how the Decepticons had found them so easily, and it was eventually revealed that the Decepticons had constructed a space station from which to spy at the Autobots' activities. While the Autobots were incapable of attacking targets in space, Kup remembered the Battle of the Green Asteroid, during which the Autobots had lured the enemy closer by using false signals. He also recalled Spike telling him that auroras scramble radio signals, and had Wheeljack and Huffer construct an artificial aurora machine to mess up the Decepticons' communications. Galvatron's Air Attack

Eventually, Kup found himself stationed at Nebulos, where the Decepticons were collecting energy via a "tetrahedron" at the planet's north pole. Alongside Blurr and Sureshot, he was part of Brainstorm's "Operation Heatwave", which consisted of using high-temperature lasers to melt the ice below Scorponok and the energy-collecting facility. Decepticons at the Pole Some time later, the Autobots started running out of lubricants, leading to Kup's joints creaking something fierce, so naturally he was overjoyed when the Autobots found a legendary Nebulan oil lake. However, as soon as they started pumping the oil back to base, the Decepticons destroyed their oil pipe, so Kup, his Targetmaster partner Recoil and Highbrow were forced to do a quick repair job. A second Decepticon attack soon followed, so the three fled into the Nebulan desert... only for Kup to get stuck to a rock when the area turned out to be magnetic. Crosshairs soon saved him by neutralizing the magnetic field with an impact from his grenade launcher. Autobots Strike Oil

Highbrow later got kidnapped by the Decepticons and held ransom in exchange for Optimus Prime himself. When Prime decided to perform a rescue operation, Kup offered to come with him, but the Autobot leader had a different plan. Autobot Hostage After a few peaceful weeks with the Decepticons nowhere to be found, Prime got suspicious and ordered Kup to organize long-range patrols to find out what they were up to. The patrols scoured the entire planet except for the Nebulos Triangle, as Kup explained that nobody had ever entered that area and returned. Decepticons Underground

Big Looker Storybook continuity

"Is that story true, Kup?"
"Well, most of it. I did wear a dress for a period in the '40s. Oohh they had designers then!"

Kup and Hot Rod traveled to the coliseum to check out a robot car the humans had built that could respond to voice commands. They heard about it on their car radios! But when they arrived at the coliseum, Kup spotted Decepticons flying about. As some entered the back door, Kup shooed Hot Rod away, telling him to warn the others. If Hot Rod stayed, he would just get into trouble! Sneaking around inside, he eventually made his way up to the control room, where Galvatron and the other Decepticons were rigging the lighting. They were planning on stealing the robot car! Kup decided to leave and tell the others, but he was spotted by Starscream. The evil Decepticons tied up Kup so that he wouldn't interfere.

As a parade of cars entered the coliseum and the crowds cheered, Kup worried about the safety of the humans. If only he could warn them. Kup got his chance when Galvatron ran towards the controls, telling Frenzy to pull the switch. Kup tripped Galvatron, and Galvatron came tumbling through the glass and onto the coliseum floor! For a short while, there was a stalemate; the Decepticons had Kup captive, but the Autobots had Galvatron! Thankfully, Hot Rod snuck up behind Kup and freed him. Yelling "Geronimo!" they jumped from the control room onto the coliseum floor, taking the Decepticons by surprise. Galvatron and the others escaped, but Kup and Hot Rod agreed that they'd be ready for him when he returned. Car Show Blow Up

"You know, I thought I was too old. I thought my time had passed. I thought I'd never hear the screams of pain or see the look of terror in a young man's eyes. Thank Heaven for children."

Later, Kup, led Hot Rod, Arcee, and the Dinobots on a special mission to take supplies from Earth to a space station on Cybertron's second moon. Despite Kup's warnings, the Dinobots loaded too many supplies onto the ship, and in the middle of their journey, the ship began to have problems. Kup tried everything, but the ship was going down! It crashed on a planet, but everyone landed safely. Unfortunately, Kup recognized the place. It was the planet Quintesson! They were interrupted by a tribal scream and a flurry of firestones. However, the boy who made his presence known was not aiming at them, but at the Quintessons behind them. The boy's name was Wheelie, and he had been abandoned on the planet when his ship crashed their earlier.

Wheelie led them through the jungle, battling Quintessons along the way, until they reached Wheelie's crashed ship. Hot Rod was able to fix it, and everyone left the planet Quintesson, Wheelie included! The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson

Hot Shot's Bot Thoughts

The Kup of Primax yadda-yadda Zeta was interviewed by a dimension-hopping Hot Shot, though the interviewer seemed more intent on tweaking the name of his interview column than interviewing him. When the discussion turned to Kup's weird eye headlights, Kup questioned whether Hot Shot knew how his own alternate mode worked, and Hot Shot professed his ignorance. Hot Shot's Bot Thoughts

The Transformers in 3-D

"Ohh, you must be sick! Lets see, what's old Doc Washburn prescribe? Do you have dropsy? The grip? Scrofula? The vapors? Jungle rot? Dandy fever? Poor man's gout? Housemaid's knee? Climatic boo bow? The staggers? Dum dum fever?"

Kup is so old, he fought the Destructons the first time, and helped defeat them.

Eons later, he was part of Ultra Magnus's team searching for Metascan Alpha, a quest that took them to a desolate moon. While Kup was checking out some marks on the ground that he recognised, the team was attacked by Cyclonus and the Terrorcons. Magnus insisted they ignore the Decepticons and continue with their quest, which took them down to the planet below.

Kup quickly identified the Destructons attacking the city they had found. Psychokhan recognised him too, threatening to dispatch the Autobot with his Psychospear. The Destructons proved too powerful for the Autobots to handle, and they began a retreat back to Sky Lynx. Kup knew that they'd never make it, so he stayed behind to hold the four Destructons off while the others escaped.

He probably died. The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3

Marvel coloring books

While Ultra Magnus led a team of Autobots to free humans enslaved by Galvatron, Kup joined Bumblebee in a bid to free Springer from the mind-control of Bombshell. Kup's methods were ultimately effective, threatening to kill Bombshell if he didn't release his comrade. Springer and the humans were ultimately freed, but Bombshell escaped. The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp

Kup was returning from a road trip with Daniel, Hound and Hot Rod, Bumblebee, Blurr, Wheelie, Springer and Sunstreaker when the group paused to eat at a rest stop. As the Autobots ingested Energon Cubes, Hot Rod asked Kup to tell a story. Kup told the others the story of how, upon first crash landing in Mt. St. Hillary, the Ark had lost an enormous shipment of Energon Cubes that remained lost to the day. Enthralled by Kup's story, the rest of the group were all eager to go looking for this lost treasure. When they realized that Laserbeak had been spying on them the whole time, and would soon inform Galvatron about the lost Energon shipment, Kup and the others rushed back to Metroplex to inform Ultra Magnus on the situation. After a brief conference, Ultra Magnus led his troops to the Ark's crash site. Finding the Decepticons there already, the two factions began to fight. When the Energon stash was uncovered, it was completely gobbled up by Starscream who proclaimed himself the most powerful Decepticon. With nothing left to fight over, Kup and the Autobots left Galvatron and Starscream to their squabble. As they headed back for Autobot City, Hot Rod asked Kup for another story. The Lost Treasure of Cybertron

While listening to one of Kup's stories, Hot Rod and Daniel were inspired to go searching for adventure. This led to an encounter with Scourge and the Sweeps, which they had to be rescued from. Hot Rod's Escape

Desert of Danger

Kup was stationed on the planet Nebulos when the Decepticons hatched a scheme to smuggle on-planet Attack Squad robots. He was available as back up to the more active Hot Rod during his missions. Desert of Danger

Find Your Fate Junior

Autobot Alert!

"$5,000 on... What century is this?"
"The twentieth."
"Great! Put it on number 20!"

Having been put in charge of a top-secret mission, Kup was pestered by the young Hot Rod on the nature of the operation despite his insistence that this information was off-limits to the young Autobot. Then an Autobot Alert sounded across the Autobots’ headquarters, informing the Autobots that the Decepticons were taking over Earth's communication satellites. Kup pointed out that more bad news were on their way as he spotted Blurr returning prematurely from the secret mission. Upon learning that the Decepticons had stolen a coded message meant for his eyes only, Kup asserted that retrieving this message should be top priority.

If Ultra Magnus agreed to prioritize theft of the coded message, Kup was given permission to divulge the top-secret information pertinent to the mission to the rest of the Autobots. He explained that long ago, the Autobots had invented a formula that could increase an Autobot's strength tenfold. Kup took off towards the Autobots’ desert research centre along with a number of other Autobots. Once there, they learned from Springer that the Cybertite sphere containing the formula was discovered by humans during the 16th century. If the Decepticons had decoded Springer's message, they would be searching off the coast of California, where the ship containing the sphere had sunk. If they hadn't decoded the message, the Decepticons would still be digging in the nearby crater. Kup was for heading towards the California coast immediately.

If Ultra Magnus decided to head for the California coast right away, he split up his forces to more efficiently handle the situation. Kup was part of the main Autobot forces that were led towards the coast by Ultra Magnus. Arriving at the scene, Ultra Magnus's troops were informed by Powerglide (who had flown ahead of the land-bound group) that he had discovered the location of the sunken ship containing the cybertite sphere. Simultaneously, Blurr caught up with the group to inform them that the Decepticons were quickly approaching. The Autobots then needed to decide whether they would raise the ship themselves, or try and ambush the Decepticons after they had done so.

In one possible scenario the ancient Autobot formula was safely retrieved and taken back to Metroplex. Kup then watched on as Perceptor produced the first batch of power-booster. Autobot Alert!

Project Brain Drain

"Hot Rod, you're dumb as a mule and twice as ugly! If a strange man offers you a ride, I say TAKE IT!"

In one possible scenario, upon hearing that the Decepticons were planning to use a "Brain Drain device" to syphon the intelligence of nearly 500, 000 concert goers, Ultra Magnus ordered his troops, Kup included, to head for the concert to foil Galvatron's plot. Kup and the other Autobots were told to hide themselves amidst the parked vehicles surrounding the concert, and lie in wait for the Decepticons. Once the Decepticons had shown themselves, Ultra Magnus ordered his troops to transform in unison and open fire on their enemies. But Galvatron had planned to light afire the parking lot in which the Autobots were standing in order to trap the humans. Being drenched from above by Decepticon jets dumping gasoline upon them, Ultra Magnus needed to decide whether the Autobots needed to retreat, or to keep on fighting and hope that they could defeat the Decepticons before the fire consumed them.

If Ultra Magnus decided on a retreat, Kup rushed out of the blazing inferno and moved in closer to the humans in order to protect them. Kup and the others fended off the airborne Decepticons who swooped down, unaffected by the blazing barrier encircling the concert.

In one possible sequence of events that followed, the Autobots successfully destroyed the Brain Drain device, and Kup and the other Autobots received as standing ovation as the Decepticons retreated.

In a completely different possible scenario, Lup was out on patrol with Hot Rod and Jazz when the three of them heard nearby commotion and went to investigate. Finding Wreck-Gar and Sparkplug being attacked by Thrust and Laserbeak, the Autobots moved in to rescue them and fended off the Decepticons. Kup, Hot Rod and Jazz were informed of the situation as it were; the Decepticons were going to drain the minds of the concert-goers with their Brain Drain device. The Autobots then decided whether they would launch a counter-attack on the Decepticons’ lab, or if they would send Hot Rod for reinforcements while the rest of them headed directly to the concert.

If the Autobots decided to storm the laboratory, the group attacked with such ferocity and suddenness that they scared off most of the Decepticons guarding the place. Finding their only opposition left being a small group of Decepticons, Kup and the others successfully beat them back, until Soundwave attempted to escape with the Brain Drain device in hand.

If Hot Rod attempted to stop Soundwave, Laserbeak managed to grab hold of the device and flew off to meet Galvatron. The Autobots being too low on power to pursue meant that the Decepticons would ultimately be victorious. If Jazz attempted to stop him however, he was successful in doing so and the Autobots successfully destroyed the Brain Drain device.

Alternatively, if Wreck-Gar, Sparkplug, Kup and Jazz headed towards the concert while Hot Rod headed back to Metroplex for reinforcements, the small group found themselves wondering how they could defend the huge sea of people by themselves upon their arrival. Hearing the Decepticons approaching, but uncertain from which direction they were coming from, the Autobots had to decide whether they would station themselves on the west side of the concert, or at its south.

If the Autobots decided to head for the west side of the concert, Kup and the others positioned themselves just in time to see a whole squadron of Decepticons coming into view. Catching the Decepticons by surprise with a first volley, the Autobots managed to buy themselves a few minutes as the Decepticons regrouped before circling around for another pass. During the Decepticons’ second pass, one of Kup's arm was blown off. Despite his injury, Kup continued fighting. The Autobots were successful in driving away the Decepticons, thanks in no small part to Kup and the others exhausting their forces, leaving their foes underpowered to deal with the new arrivals.

Alternatively, if the Autobots headed for the south side of the concert, they were unable to see the Decepticons coming from the other direction, and were destroyed in a surprise Decepticon attack. Project Brain Drain

The Invisibility Factor

"I used to be with it. Then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it and what's it seems weird and scary to me. It'll happen to yooouuu!"

Long ago, Kup and another Autobot stationed on the planet Renerian were able to defeat an entire enemy squadron by duping them into thinking that entire squadron of Autobots was attacking them. On another occasion, Kup had been stationed on Sonacron V. On yet another occasion, Kup was stationed on the planet Serton, where he encountered a curious looking ship.

In the present day, Kup reminisced on his days with the Sonites while enjoying a night drive in the desert with Hot Rod. Then, the pair were startled to spot a space craft plummeting down towards them. As the spaceship came sputtering down for a landing before them, Kup noticed that the craft was alternating between being visible and invisible at regular intervals. Though Hot Rod wanted to investigate, Kup was suspicious of a Decepticon trap, and wanted to fetch reinforcements first.

If Kup agreed to look into the spacecraft right away, the two Autobots were surprised to spot a young woman emerge from the craft. Though Hot Rod startled her at first, the woman was reassured that the Autobots were friendly beings by Kup. Hot Rod learned that her name was Sarah Sanders, and that she was a scientist working to perfect her latest invention, an "Invisibility Device."

In one possible scenario, Hot Rod was unable to control himself and snatched the device away from Sarah. Though Kup attempted to reason with the young Autobot, Hot Rod took off, leaving behind both Kup and Sarah in the middle of the desert.

If Hot Rod and Kup attempted to politely coax Sarah into giving them the Invisibility Device willingly, Sarah informed the Autobots that she had a strong stance against her invention being used for warfare. As the three of them stood conversing in the open, they soon heard the Decepticons approaching. As the evil robots began to fire upon them, Hot Rod whisked Sarah away to safety. Upon realizing that the Decepticons weren't pursuing them, and that the Invisibility Device had been left behind, the trio hid behind some nearby rocks to spy upon the Decepticons, who were busy inspecting Sarah's ship and her Invisibility Device.

If Hot Rod and Kup decided to attack immediately, they were easily defeated and destroyed by the Decepticons.

If Hot Rod and Kup decided to lay low in an attempt to steal the device back from the Decepticons, they first told Sarah to wait for them here, then the pair sneakily followed the Decepticons as they left for their headquarters. As the Decepticons descended into a canyon, Hot Rod was eager to follow them in, but was stopped by Kup. Kup told the young Autobot of how he defeated the Decepticons on Renerian, and the two of them put into action a similar plan. Driving back and forth atop the canyon's edge, firing from all angles while remaining hidden in the dark, they tricked the Decepticons into thinking a whole team of Autobots had ambushed them. Kup then sent Hot Rod down to retrieve the device.

If Hot Rod went through with his plan to steal the device back from the Decepticons, he successfully snatched Sarah's invention from Shockwave's grasp and took off. Though the Decepticons gave chase, If they were unable to catch him before Kup fired down onto the canyon's walls, causing it to collapse and burying the Decepticons under an avalanche of earth and rocks. Convinced that Sarah Sanders would now allow the Autobots to use her device now that she had seen how evil the Decepticons were, Hot Rod and Kup drove back to meet up with her.

In a different possible scenario, the Decepticons took off in Sarah's spaceship upon finding it, forcing Kup and Hot Rod to head back to Metroplex city for reinforcements and a ship of their own. Hot Rod and Kup were joined by Ultra Magnus, Prowl, Jazz and Springer, and blasted off. Once in space, however, they found it difficult to locate the Decepticons. The ship's crew had to decided where to look next for the Decepticons. Kup suggested that they might be hiding out on the Earth's moon.

If the Autobots decided to investigate the dark side of the moon, they found themselves unable to see anything on the satellite's shadowy surface. Kup waited silently as Ultra Magnus, Jazz and Hot Rod discussed possible plans of action.

If Ultra Magnus decided to go through with Hot Rod's plan of shooting down to trick the Decepticons into revealing themselves, the Autobots succeeded only in making themselves an easy target for their enemies. The Decepticons blasted their shuttle to bits. Kup and his friends were reduced to space junk.

If Ultra Magnus listened to Jazz's plan, he ordered his Autobots to remain silent, and to shut off all of the shuttle's lights and mechanisms. Launching a probe as a decoy, the Autobots successfully tricked the Decepticons into revealing their position when they mistook the probe as their shuttle and opened fire upon it. Firing back, the Autobots began crippling the Decepticons’ ship, until a lucky shot rocked their own shuttle. Though the Decepticons attempted to escape while the Autobots were off-balance, the Autobots were able to deliver the finishing blow, ending the Decepticons’ menace as the evil robots' ship exploded. Though Kup bemoaned the loss of the Invisibility Device, he was reassured by Ultra Magnus that it was all for the best.

In an alternate scenario wherein the Autobots listened to Prowl's suggested and searched the Asteroid Belt beyond Mars, they soon found themselves struggling to get through the maze of floating rocks.

If the Autobots pushed on their search in the Asteroid Belt, they soon found themselves on a collision course with two enormous asteroids. If they only managed to blast one of asteroids, the Autobots were forced to retreat back to Earth after their shuttle took substantial damage. If the Autobots managed to blast neither of the Asteroids, they were all crushed between the giant pieces of space debris.

If they managed to blast away both asteroids, they reached a vast, empty expanse of space within the asteroid belt. Kup pondered whether or not the Decepticons had been able to master the Invisibility Device yet, only for his question to be answered when their shuttle was hit by a blast that originated seemingly from nowhere. The Autobots considered retreating, but Kup reminded them that Sarah Sanders had not perfected her device yet, and the Decepticons’ invisibility may yet wear off.

If the Autobots attempted to flee from the Decepticons’ attack, they found themselves at too much of a disadvantage to successfully make it out of the Asteroid Belt. They were blown into space junk before they could reach Earth.

If the Autobots held their ground, they were instructed by Ultra Magnus not to open fire upon the Decepticons until ordered to do so. Though things were tense as the Autobots were hit over and over again by their invisible opponents, soon the enemy ship came into view, just as Kup had predicted. The Autobots opened fire on the flimsier vessel, blowing it and the Decepticons within to smithereens.

If the Autobots did retreat out of the Asteroid Belt, they convinced one another that the Decepticons most likely perished within it. Then, a few days later, when the invisible Decepticons attacked Metroplex city, Kup and the rest of the Autobots were reduced to scrap metal, unable to fight the unseen enemy.

In a completely different scenario, wherein Hot Rod and Kup returned to Autobot headquarters for reinforcements after seeing the spaceship land, the two of them reported to Ultra Magnus directly, who agreed the situation necessitated further investigation. Hot Rod and Kup returned to the ship's landing site accompanied by Jazz, Sunstreaker, Prowl and Springer. When they arrived, the ship in question was nowhere to be found, prompting Jazz and Springer to second-guess the veracity of Hot Rod and Kup's story.

If Jazz and Springer convinced Hot Rod and Kup to return to Metroplex city to make sure they didn't have a few wires loose, Ratchet found nothing wrong with the pair, but the incident was forgotten nonetheless. That is, until Galvatron returned with a fleet of identical ships, and destroyed both Metroplex and all of its inhabitants.

If Hot Rod and Kup convinced the other Autobots to keep on looking, Hot Rod eventually found trail marks, indicating that a heavy object the size of their spacecraft had indeed landed and had been dragged away. Kup and the others followed the trail to a more rocky terrain, where tracking the ship would become more difficult. The trail seemingly lost, the Autobots then heard someone incoming, and took cover. From their hiding places, they saw the Decepticons Scavenger, a human captive within the grasp of his steam-shovel.

If the Autobots decided to rescue Sarah immediately, Scavenger dropped the woman, and cried for help while attempting to flee.

If the Autobots pursued Scavenger, they found him rejoining a whole squadron of Decepticons. Fighting the Decepticons immediately would cost them their lives. Otherwise, if the Autobots decided on a retreat when faced by the whole squadron of Decepticons, they managed to do so by blinding their enemies by their high beams and then splitting off into different direction. They later regrouped and found Sarah Sanders wandering in the desert.

If the Autobots asked Sarah to build them their own Invisibility Device, Sarah refused, stating she would not build weapons for war. Running away from the group Sarah was almost killed when Dirge passed overhead and dropped a missile on her position. After rescuing her from the Decepticon attack, Hot Rod and the others brought Sarah to safety within Metroplex. Grateful for the rescue, Sarah showed the Autobots how to create an Invisibility Scrambler to counteract the Decepticons’ Invisibility Device. Anticipating the Decepticons’ attack, the Autobots successfully defeated the evil robots when they came. After the victory, Kup shared a good laugh with Sunstreaker and Hot Rod, the latter having made a quip about "seeing right through the Decepticons’ plans."

If instead of asking Sarah to build them an Invisibility Device, Kup and the others attempted once more to retrieve her ship, the whole group snuck over to where the Decepticons were stationed. Once there, Hot Rod and Prowl argued over which plan of action would be the smartest to undertake next.

If the Autobots agreed with Hot Rod to try and take the Decepticons by surprise with a head-on attack, the Autobots manage to stun the Decepticons by dazzling them with their headlights. Kup provided Hot Rod some cover fire while the young Autobot raced down and snatched the Invisibility Device from the Decepticons. The Autobots then successfully peeled back, congratulating one another on a job well done. Kup decided that when he would recount this story in the future, he would dub it the "Decepticon Dazzle."

If the Autobots agreed with Prowl to take a moment to come up with a more detailed plan, Prowl instructed Hot Rod to taunt the Decepticons into following him. The plan worked, and the bulk of the Decepticons took off after the young Autobot. With only Scavenger, Shockwave and Galvatron left behind, Kup and the others easily defeated the Decepticons still guarding the spaceship, and forced Galvatron to retreat. In one possible scenario that followed, Kup helped destroy a hidden Decepticon base that Hot Rod found while the Decepticons gave him chase. In another, Kup watched on as Sarah left in her spaceship in order to destroy it, vowing it would never be used to bring destruction.

In an alternate scenario where the Autobots silently trailed Scavenger while the Decepticon held Sarah Sanders captive, Kup and the others followed him all the way to the Decepticons’ secret desert base. Inside, they spied upon Galvatron telling Sarah Sanders that the Decepticons would use Cerebro-Shells to control her mind, so that she would reveal to them to secret of invisibility. At this point, the Autobots decided to step in. A direct attack would only end in the Autobots’ defeat. In order to rescue Sarah, the Autobots would need to employ trickery. Using Jazz's special abilities, the Autobots could do just that. In this scenario, the Autobots grabbed Sarah while the Decepticons were too dazzled by the illusions that Jazz projected. Sarah directed the Autobots towards where the Decepticons had stored her ship. Upon following her directions, Kup and the others came upon two doors, unable to tell behind which one they would find their means of escape. If the Autobots happened upon Sarah's ship as they were, they would be destroyed by the droids guarding it. However, if the Autobots first opened the door which lead to a closet filled with Decepticon spare parts, they found a pile of spare Decepticon emblems. Donning them, Kup and the rest of his team were able to fool the Decepticon Droids guarding Sarah's ship. Escaping in the ship, despite the Decepticons best efforts to stop them, the Autobots returned to Metroplex. Sarah then gave the Autobots the secret to her Invisibility Device, ensuring the Autobots their victory in their war against the Decepticons. The Invisibility Factor

3H comics

"Kup, Matlock's not real."
"Neither are my teeth, but I can still eat corn on the cob! If someone cuts it off and mushes it into a fine paste. Now that's good eatin'!"

Several months after the defeat of Unicron in 2005, Kup accompanied Rodimus Prime as the Autobots' senior scientists (including Perceptor, Quickmix, and Rad) questioned their leader's plan to send out the best of the remaining Autobot science and research members to establish deep-space reconnaissance posts. Betrayal

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

"They say the greatest tragedy is when a father outlives his son. I have never fully understood why. Frankly, I can see an upside to it!"

Millions of years ago on Cybertron, shortly after the assassination of Sentinel Prime, Kup was part of an Autobot unit under Grimlock's command which battled for possession of Altihex. Kup and the other Autobots were forced to abandon the City-State as it collapsed, leaving it to the Decepticons. Afterwards a new Prime was crowned, a young archivist who became known as Optimus Prime, and Kup helped defend him as an assassination attempt was made during his inauguration. The War Within #1

The Decepticons later led a full siege on the Autobot headquarters of Iacon. As per Grimlock's orders, Kup met with him, Ironhide, and Wheeljack just outside Iacon on the Tri-Torus Loop, where Kup was shocked to hear Grimlock announce his plan to leave Iacon to the Decepticons. Instead, Grimlock led them deep within the planet, where the new Prime was battling Megatron for his life, even though Grimlock had huge doubts over whether Optimus Prime was worth saving. The War Within #4 Kup confronted Grimlock about his apathy, and asked him if he had ever respected anyone. When Kup got too personal, Grimlock shoved him into a wall. While looking for Prime, however, the Autobots stumbled onto Megatron's real plan. They found a system of planetary engines that Megatron had ordered the Constructicons to restore. While Grimlock went on ahead, determined to find Optimus Prime, Kup and the others stayed behind to sabotage the Constructicons' work. The War within #5 The Decepticons detected their presence, and so Kup and the others fought a very one-sided battle against them. All hope seemed lost until Grimlock returned... with a very impressive Optimus Prime, who ordered Kup and Ironhide to help him cover Wheeljack's sabotage of the engines.

"Did you call the girl from the escort service?"
"They said their insurance won't cover you."
"Ooooh, that's an onion in the ointment."

The engines were destroyed, but Kup and the others were distraught to see the smoking crater where Iacon used to be. Optimus Prime, who was quickly stepping into the role, refused to leave Cybertron, and instead implored Kup and the others to follow him underground, where they would continue to wage their war against the Decepticons. The War Within #6

Later, when Optimus Prime and Megatron disappeared in a prototype space bridge accident, the Autobot faction splintered, and Kup joined Grimlock's Lightning Strike Coalition. While on the Moon Alpha Spaceport, Kup waxed on about the alleged cosmic destiny of the Transformers and how it contrasted with the stagnation of their race. Grimlock was annoyed with this introspection and urged him to get back to work. The Lightning Strike Coalition was able to thwart Starscream's Predacons from keeping their stolen Energon and made a quick retreat with the goods. Fragmentation

After a prolonged absence, Megatron returned to Cybertron with an Aerospace Extermination Squadron army backing him. Though Kup was among the many Autobots who fought back, Megatron managed to achieve near total dominion over the planet. He enslaved the Autobots, putting them to work in underground labor camps. The Age of Wrath Pt.2 Megatron was eventually overthrown, and many Autobots and Decepticons disappeared out into the cosmos aboard the Ark and the Nemesis spacecrafts. With Cybertron's energy sources fading away, Micromasters were built to continue the war more efficiently. But some of these diminutive 'bots had aspirations of their own; Skystalker, a Decepticon-allied Micromaster, managed to trick both the Autobot and Decepticon guzzlers into battling one another in an all-out brawl, hoping that they would be eliminated and leave him to take control of a Micromaster-populated Cybertron. Kup was among those who rolled into battle, but as his energy reserves quickly depleted, he shut down into stasis-lock on the battlefield. Skystalker's machinations were revealed however, allowing the war to be prolonged further. Victims of the Revolution

3.9 million years ago, due to a catastrophically low level of Energon, every Transformer on Earth ground to a halt in the Great Shutdown. Kup was in the middle of a fight with Thrust when this occurred, and the two were frozen in a grappling pose for millions of years. Three thousand years ago, Shockwave awoke from this state and began rehabilitating the rest of the population. He eschewed the Decepticon/Autobot factions and promised a new unified Cybertron. Revelation

"I'll join! I'm filled with piss and vinegar! At first I was just filled with vinegar."

However, Kup and a handful of others believed Shockwave had evil motives for this and formed an underground resistance movement deep within the Wastelands. Things came to a head with the return of Optimus Prime to Cybertron, who had been on Earth for four million years. After disciplining Hot Rod for being an impetuous young punk, Kup explained their situation to Optimus Prime and introduced him to the rest of their members. More of Optimus Prime's comrades from Earth were brought into the resistance, including Kup's old friend Ironhide, and the two shared a heartfelt reunion. Passive Aggression

Kup and the others planned an all-out strike against Shockwave's stronghold in Iacon. While Kup, Arcee, and Prowl were trapped behind a rampaging Omega Sentinel, the three witnessed a strange beam emit from the top of Shockwave's stronghold and fire into space. Countdown to Extinction Shockwave was defeated, but Optimus Prime was severely damaged, and Kup and the others were forced to persist without his leadership while he recovered. Generation 1 #0 As Kup looked on, Prowl tried to reassure the Autobots with a speech from Iacon's Central Hall, but Prowl wasn't terribly good at speeches and so Ultra Magnus filled in. Though Prowl and the other Earthbound Autobots had finally returned home, things just weren't the same. Kup suggested Prowl and the others stop fighting the changes and just accept that they'd happened. This prompted Prowl to consider a return to Earth. Skyfire

Kup and Hot Rod sparred within a computer-simulated portrayal of Earth. Hot Rod managed to win over his older and wiser opponent, but only in the most reckless way possible, a fact which Kup was unable to impart on the youngster. Lost and Found Ultra Magnus decided to split the Autobots into teams to better defend Cybertron, and Kup was assigned to Moon Base One along with the Dinobots. Kup did not find this thrilling. The Route of All Evil

En route to Cybertron's moon, Kup had an amusing conversation with Sludge while Arcee, Slag, and Snarl looked on. Generation 1 #11

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Kup was part of a team of Autobots led by Hot Rod who were eager for revenge against the new Decepticon leader, Serpent O.R., but couldn't attack him since he was holding several Autobots and G.I. Joes hostage. The Art of War #4 As soon as the hostages were freed, Kup's group teamed up with the rest of G.I. Joe and defeated the Decepticon army. The Art of War #5

2005 IDW continuity

"Let me in! Someone's trying to kill me! Sweet merciful McGillicuddy, you gotta open the door!"
"Who is it?"

Main article: Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

United

When a deadly nano-virus infected the Autobots stationed on Earth, Kup, along with the rest of the Targetmasters and Headmasters, found himself immune to it. Kup lead the rest of the healthy Autobots to Nebulos in order to retrieve a cure concocted by Supreme Scientist Zella. Once there, they were ambushed by a squad of Decepticons who had hidden in inner-space to avoid detection. Kup ordered his troops to concentrate their fire on their leader, Straxus. With their commanding officer taken out of the equation, the rest of the Decepticons quickly fled. Kup and his team successfully retrieved the cure, and returned to Earth, where they were commended by Optimus for their heroic efforts. The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos

Kre-O online manga

After being asked to by Megatron, the Autobots, including Kup, attacked the Decepticon Base and chased away Vortex. A Reliable Warrior!? Vortex the Lookout from Hell

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

One of the oppressed Autobots on a Megatron-ruled Cybertron, Kup heard about Optimus Prime's return and rallied others to bring the fight to the Decepticons, including Wreck-Gar. Pax Megatronus He joined the rest of the Autobot army as they marched towards the final battle with the Decepticons. Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 When Ultra Magnus emerged to do battle with Megatron, Kup posed alongside him. The War Never Ends

2019 IDW continuity

First appearance: Transformers #14

"Oh, jabber-jacks! Schoolhouse don't put out spittoons, I ain't responsible."

Kup was originally a soldier who served under Dai Atlas in the days before the War of the Threefold Spark, and battled Abominus during the battle at Rivets Field. Escape Part Three Kup fought in the War of the Threefold Spark; afterwards, he retired from active military service and joined Security Operations to keep the newfound peace and ensure that young 'bots would never have to experience the horrors of war firsthand. When suspected members of The Rise camped out in an immersant Titan, Kup and Strongarm joined Sideswipe in trying to flush them out before Lowload chased them away. The Change In Your Nature Part Two

Much later, after Megatron and his newly minted "Decepticons" overthrew the Senate and instituted martial law, Kup joined Ironhide's resistance movement as part of a bid to rescue Orion Pax and Sentinel Prime. Hound put Kup in charge of a group of artillery troopers—Topshot, Flak, Sidetrack, and Sunrunner—and Kup had them bombard the Senate building to distract the Decepticons while Ironhide's team launched a rescue mission. Prime

Once Orion Pax had inherited the Matrix to become Optimus Prime, Kup was part of the crowd who listened his first speech. Awakenings As their resistance movement took shape, Kup, Flak, and Strongarm were posted at the Forge Pyramid, the last major facility not under Decepticon control. When the Decepticons launched a full-scale assault on the facility, Kup ordered his team to fall back and had Carzap seal the west entrance. He later evacuated with the other Autobots when molten plasma flooded the Pyramid and destroyed it. Titans

"Heheheh, now they'll never save your brain, Hitler!"

Optimus Prime's forces had to abandon Iacon after that, relocating to Crystal City. The Decepticons began claiming other city-states as Tarn, Tagan Heights, and Stanix fell as well. Kup fought in Protihex alongside Pyra Magna, but they were forced into another controlled retreat. Test Flight I As the Prime's forces consolidated around the Autobot symbol, Kup attended an Autobranding ceremony at Crystal City. Sea of Rust I

The Decepticons eventually lay siege to Crystal City, and Kup supervised his Battle Patrol in shelling the advancing troops. Once Strika had their range, however, she bombarded the patrol's position, forcing them to break ranks. The advance fighter Obsidian tore through Sidetrack, and Kup ordered his men into a controlled retreat. A Dust of Crystals Though the siege ended in a truce, the Autobots were forced out Crystal City to make their way through the wilderness towards Darkmount. Kup was among those fighting at Optimus Prime's side when they were assaulted by a swarm of rust worms. End of Time In the final battle at Darkmount, Kup and the Autobots boarded the Ark and abandoned Cybertron, leaving it in Decepticon hands. Fate of Cybertron

Alternate future

In a possible future where Exarchon had returned and conquered Cybertron, Kup was slain, his head impaled on a pike in the ruined Iacon. Test Flight II

Last Bot Standing

As he recovered from a blow to the head, Rodimus groggily mumbled Kup's name. Last Bot Standing #4

Energon Universe

"And so, just as things looked their worst... I realized I could make money selling my medication to Deadheads."

Kup, Warpath, and Huffer joined Elita-1 on a mission to rescue Ultra Magnus from Shockwave's fortress. However, they ran into a Decepticon ambush; as the Autobots fell, Kup urged Elita to go on without them, moments before he was shot in the head. Transformers #7

Games

The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth

"Nurse! Someone's trying to kill me!"
"Okay, we'll do something about that right away. Let's start by doubling your medication."

Along with his fellow Autobots, Kup protected Earth from the menace of the Decepticons. He was ostensibly under the command of Rodimus Prime. The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth

The Transformers (PS2)

Voice actor: Strings Kozisek (English)

In 2010, the Decepticon military commander Shockwave acquired a source of infinite power called Zel Quartz. It drove him to madness, and he destroyed Cybertron while threatening to lay waste to the rest of the galaxy. Rodimus Prime and the Autobots desperately coordinated with the Quintessons to use a timeslip device and travel back in time, preventing Shockwave from ever getting his hand on Zel Quartz. Unfortunately, Galvatron and the remaining Decepticons learned of the mission, and intercepted the Autobots on the way through the timeslip.

Crashing in 2003 on Zel Samine, where the quartz originated, Kup awoke with Arcee and Rodimus Prime. Separated from the rest of their team, they sent out an SOS and were met by Optimus Prime and the present day Autobots. After explaining the situation, Kup and his allies joined up with Optimus to search for the Zel Quartz before the Decepticons could find it.

Wheeljack searched the planet for any records or power signatures that might be Zel Quartz. After three false leads, they finally located Zel Quartz at the Enormous Laser Transmission Array. After fighting through numerous Decepticon lieutenants, and facing the might of Megatron and Galvatron united, Kup and the Autobots secured the Zel Quartz and ultimately disposed of it so that it could do no further harm. With the rock no longer a threat, the Autobots of 2010 vanished and returned to their home timeline. The Transformers

Transformers Legends

Following Megatron's rebirth as Galvatron, Sergeant Kup was part of the Autobot forces led by Rodimus who scored a decisive victory over the Decepticons. All Hail Galvatron He and Rodimus were put on trial by the Quintessons. They faced death by Sharkticon until Grimlock organized a well-timed coup. Mockery of Justice The pair subsequently had to run off to defend Cybertron from Unicron. 'Til All Are One

During a series of conflicts to defend and retain territory from the Decepticons, Kup and Ultra Magnus maintained the final defence against Galvatron and his Decepticons. Despite their valiant efforts, and Rodimus's plan to take on Trypticon alongside Metroplex, the Autobots were defeated. The Colossus War Ultra Magnus, Kup and Spike were kidnapped by Skuxxoids during the Galactic Games. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1 Though the trio were sentenced to death by the Quints, the other Autobots turned up in time to save them. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 2

Kup and Slingshot foiled an attempt by Starscream to resurrect Unicron. Unicron Returns

Angry Birds Transformers

Main article: Mighty Eagle#As Kup

Kup appears as a character unlockable in Challenge Events. He is portrayed by Mighty Eagle. Angry Birds Transformers

Transformers: Battle Tactics

"You're the worst shill I've ever seen! You're a disgrace to the medicine shill business!"
"They didn't start chasing us until you turned on that getaway music!"

Sergeant Kup participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Uncommon character that could be recruited by collecting 25 units of Cybermetal and 10 units of Transmetal. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Transformers: Frontiers

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: Frontiers

Transformers: Earth Wars

"For the love of God, help me! I've been here for four days and a turtle's got ahold of my teeth!"

Kup was present when he heard Grimlock's plan to find reinforcements from the future. He thought it was bonkers, but could work.Primal Instinct When Star Saber came by, Kup informed him of the plan, and that Perceptor had adapted the Spacebridge as a doorway through time. A Stich in Time He went along with the Dinobots to greet the new recruit, as he feared the new recruit would be scared away upon seeing Grimlock. Mixed Singals Kup was dismayed that the recruit was an ape and didn't have an advanced design. Kup asked him if he was a Prime, and Optimus Primal introduced himself and said he qualifies as since he had been round the block with the Matrix. Primal then called for a tactical withdrawal, which Kup had to simplify for Grimlock. Blast from the Past

In the Autobot war room, Mirage gave intel on Straxus's plan for the Moonbase, and Ultra Magnus assigned Kup for a Black Ops on the Moon. Prowl had Wheeljack equip him with an Orbital Bounce relay.Moonbase Arriving at the Moon, Kup was about to infiltrate the Decepticon Moonbase when he heard Bludgeon and Offroad approaching. Offroad sensed a familiar presence, and Kup thought he was discovered, but Offroad was, in fact, referring to Dead End. Kup and Ultra Magnus on the line heard that Dead End had a canister of Cosmic Rust. Kup knew he had to destroy the sample, and told Ultra Magnus he may not come back from this one.

He then burst into the room, armed with his grenade, and ordered Dead End to step away from the kill-switch. Bludgeon told him to stand down, and he may show him mercy, be Kup replied he was not familiar with the concept and fired, and his transmission was terminated. Prowl was about to accept that he had sacrificed himself for the Autobot cause when Kup came back online and told them he was still alive, fleeing from the collapsing complex and the Decepticons on his tail. He then told the Autobots to fetch Ratchet, as he's coming home. Handle with Care

Arriving back on Earth, he greeted Hot Rod with the Universal Greeting. Ultra Magnus had the command module prepped for debriefing, but Kup asked his fellow Autobots if they wanted to hear about the Shrikebats of Dromedon. Which meant he needed to catch his breath, and he'll tell Ultra Magnus about the Moonbase mission later.

• Class: Special
• Lowest Star Rating: 2 star
• Weaponry: He uses dual submachine guns, and every 10 seconds, he will use a long range cluster grenade that can be thrown over walls and deals higher DPS across a respectable area of effect.
• Ability: Orbital Bounce: Teleports to a target location and gains 70% damage reduction and immunity to slows and stuns for 5 (lvl 1) - 8.4 (lvl 10) seconds.
  This ability was fan-voted on the Transformers: Earth Wars BAND page.
  • Cost: 4 ability points +2 for reuses.

Kup at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki

Transformers Roleplaying Game

A seasoned veteran with plenty of adventures under his belt, Kup joined the Targetmaster program, where he was binary-bonded to Recoil. Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook

Commercial appearances

"Now, I'd like to digress from my prepared remarks to discuss how I invented the terlet. Stop your snickering! I spent three years on that terlet!"

• Kup, alongside Hot Rod and Blurr, joined Optimus Prime in a desert as he faced off against Starscream, Skywarp, Cyclonus, and Scourge. As he charged into battle, Kup commented that it reminded him of the battle on Beta 4 (not to be confused with the battle on Beta 9.) Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, and Rodimus Prime commercial
• Kup and Hot Rod found themselves stranded on Quintessa. The two Autobots drove up to the edge of a greenish pool, from which a pile of Sharkticons emerged and attacked. Kup and Hot Rod fist-fighted their way through the ravenous 'bots, with help from an intervening Wheelie. Sharkticon commercial
• Kup charged into battle alongside Rodimus Prime, Blurr, and Wheelie, firing at the enemy, until he got knocked aside by Sixshot's "rocket car" mode. Sixshot commercial
• As Rodimus Prime and Blurr drove into one of the Autobots' lab, Kup reported in distress that there has been an accident, and that the new Autobots were monsters! Thankfully, they still were Autobots nonetheless, and helped ward off a Decepticon attack. Monsterbots commercial
• A younger Kup enticed you to join the Elite Guard, so that you could help stamp out Decepticon threats such as Megatron, and keep Cybertron safe! Join the Elite Guard!

Toys

Main article: Kup (G1)/toys

Notes

"Legend has it, my great-grandpappy stumbled upon this recipe when he was trying to invent a cheap substitute for holy water."

"Didn't you wonder why you were getting checks for doing absolutely nothing?"
"I figured because the Democrats were in power again."

• In Ron Friedman's very early 1984 draft of the 1986 movie, the role of grizzled elderly veteran in the movie's initial battle was fulfilled by Tanker, who would have worn an eyepatch to cover a missing optic and transformed into a Sherman tank.^[1]
• Like the rest of the central The Transformers: The Movie cast, Kup had a preliminary character model by Floro Dery that was revised by Japanese artists before final animation. And just like the rest of the central movie cast, that early model was used as a basis for his toy design, and for his Marvel Comics appearances. Like the other movie characters, Kup's early model often appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon as a result of production errors (in particular, he spends the entirety of "The Rebirth, Part 2" in the design), but it was also deliberately employed in the episode "Chaos", where it was used in flashback scenes to represent a younger version of the character. The final model features a slimmer torso, a differently-shaped belt and boots and signs of aging.
• Regardless of whether they were drawing him to the specifications of his finalized character model or the early design, AKOM would always use the early design as a colour reference. Consequently, Kup always appears with a slightly different colour scheme in AKOM episodes, with grey boots and hip-pouches instead of the grey-green they should be.
• In 2010, a set of Kup's original color models from The Transformers: The Movie went up for sale on Heritage Auctions, sold from Ron Friedman's collection of Sunbow Productions materials. He looked extremely teal.
• In the Japanese Asterisk Story online manga, a little lost kitty is rescued from certain death (well, being stuck in a tree) by Ai Kuruma and Red Alert. That kitty is named Cher (Kup's Japanese name).
• The vehicle mode of Cybertron series Brakedown, another old coot, resembles Kup's Cybertronian vehicle mode from the War Within comic series. This similarity was brought to the fore by Brakedown GTS, a "powered-up" redeco of the character with the colors changed to resemble Kup's. In fact, the color guide for the redeco, revealed on Hasbro's website, showed that "Kup" was a working name for Brakedown GTS. Artist Don Figueroa originally designed Kup's alt-mode based on an animation error from "Starscream's Ghost", in which Kup drove backwards!^[2]
• He claims on his MySpace page (see External links) that he's a Pisces.^[3] It is best to remember, however, that at the time he wrote this, he was utterly insane.
• Most of Kup's Tech Spec stats drop when he becomes a Targetmaster, including, perhaps most oddly, his firepower.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Cher (チャー Chā),^[4] Kup (カップ Kappu)
• French: Kaisso (Canada), Coupe (France, early season 3, "Goblet"), Vérité (France, "Truth"), Baril (France, The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2, "Barrel")
• Hungarian: Kup, (Űr)Zsaru (The Movie, "(Space) Cop")
• Italian: Kup (The Movie), Blitz (cartoon), Char (The Headmasters)
• Mandarin: Kup (Taiwan, 卡布 K^hǎ Pù), Bēizi (China, 杯子, "Cup")
• Russian: Vorchun (cartoon, Ворчун, "Grumbler")

References

1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgcX9kGUpDw
2. ↑ "This is where I got the idea for his Cybertronian mode for War Within 😊"—Don Figueroa, Twitter, 2023/06/10
3. ↑ Kup's Myspace page was created by Nick Roche to promote his IDW "Spotlight: Kup" story.
4. ↑ As in "teacher", not the musician. An alternate romanization is "Chear", used twice in English on the Kup/Wheelie "Future Cybertrons" reissue.