Road Pig (G2)

Road Pig is a Decepticon from the Generation 2 portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

The electricity doesn't quite complete the circuit with this one, if you get the meaning. Road Pig is brutish and moronic—he wasn't assigned the duty of "Autobot Harassment" because the role needed to be filled, but because it was probably the only function he was capable of completing. This thug is even unpopular among his fellow Decepticons. His fellow soldiers tolerate him because they can count on Road Pig to annoy their enemies in combat, and maybe take some fire instead of them, but they know he's not helping them intentionally: Road Pig just can't stop being a pain-in-the-manifold. With no known friends and a function that just invites the Autobots to shoot at him, it's a wonder he's lasted this long. As Omega Supreme might say, "Processing circuitry: slow; Intelligence: minimal."

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Masterpiece

Road Pig became the disciple of Six Clan member Nightbird along with Road Rocket. The two students were brought to Chaar by their teacher once she learned that Galvatron had been resurrected as Super Megatron in the 2030s. Nightbird Shadow bio

Legends comic (1)

Road Pig and Road Rocket butted heads over their master, developing a rivalry. LG-15 Nightbird Shadow Sequel

When the Cybertron Alliance fell apart due to the humans murdering Megatron's friend, Road Pig answered Megatron's call for war. Bonus Edition Metroplex

G-2 pack-in comic and story pages

That's a huge motorcycle.

Road Pig appeared in the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons shortly after the Cyberjets made their debut. His fellow Decepticon, Hooligan, had damaged his wing in combat and was forced to run away from the enemy instead of flying. After sneering at his comrade and laughing at his crippled wing, Road Pig pulled a Junkion and turned into cycle mode, letting Hooligan turn around and ride back straight into his Autobot pursuers. G-2 #12

Later, he joined the Decepticon Laser Rods in hunting down and trapping Road Rocket, another Laser Cycle who had attempted to infiltrate their base. They cornered the Autobot, but were caught off-guard by the arrival of Aero Raid. G-2 #14

Road Pig joined in on Megatron's final assault on the Autobot base. However, when Megatron was defeated, all the Decepticons were banished to deep space. G-2 Part 6

Legends comic (2)

Later, after Megatron was humiliated, Galvatron II assumed command of Road Pig and the Decepticons. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1 They attacked the planet Beast to steal its energy. Road Pig and the G-2 Decepticons unleashed a barrage of laser fire at the Monsterbots and Beastformers at Galvatron's command. Hooligan used Road Pig as a personal bike, riding him into battle. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3 After the Decepticons were driven off Beast, Unicron Neo arrived on Chaar and confronted the Decepticons. Road Pig was present when Galvatron II fled into the past to avoid being destroyed by Unicron Neo. LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One

When the Cybertron Alliance was restored, Road Rocket and Road Pig were reunited with Nightbird, who tried to impose peace between her two former students. Epiloge

Velocitron Speedia 500 Special Comic

Road Pig was one of many spectators for the Speedia 500 race on Velocitron. Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 2

Wings Universe

In 2010, Road Pig was part of Clench's forces when they invaded the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. He guarded one of the facility's back doors, but was knocked out by a karate-chop courtesy of Streetwise. Generation 2: Redux

2005 IDW continuity

Before the Great War, Road Pig worked in an illegal gunshop run by Swindle. The operation was shut down by a police raid led by Orion Pax. Endless Forever

Road Pig served under the command of Turmoil when their second-in-command Deadlock violated orders. Deadlock attacked the Autobots when Turmoil ordered him not to, and then executed a fellow Decepticon who planned on reporting his insubordination. Deadlock tried to rally Road Pig and several other soldiers from Turmoil's forces under his new leadership. Road Pig and his comrades refused, and turned Deadlock over to Turmoil to answer for his attempted mutiny. Drift #1

2019 IDW continuity

Smell ya later!

Road Pig was a troublemaker on Velocitron, assaulting Circuit on the road just for getting in his way. Tread & Circuits Part 1 He participated in the Speedia 500 when the race was attacked by Mayhem. The Security Operations officer turned terrorist named Axer was eager to target Road Pig. He snared the biker in an energy net before launching him towards Octopunch. Road Pig was sliced in two, making him the first casualty of the day. Tread & Circuits Part 3

Toys

Generation 2

• Road Pig (Laser Cycle, 1995)

• Takara name: Road Big
• Takara ID number: TRF-12

Part of the first (and ultimately only) assortment of Generation 2 Laser Cycles, Road Pig transforms from a black Harley-Davidson Electra Glide touring motorcycle into a robot with ninja motifs. His clear-plastic tailpipe is attached to an LED, making it glow red when a button on his central fuel tank is pressed. The tailpipe/light saber is attached to his robot-mode arm, where it can be activated by pushing down on the front wheel assembly on his back, which presses a tiny activation button embedded in his back.

This mold was retooled to make the Microman: LED Powers toys Road Bison and Tornado Bison; the retooled mold was then used to make 2001 Robots in Disguise Axer and Robotmasters Double Face. There were also plans to use it for a Generation 2 Laser Cycle incarnation of Soundwave, but it was never released.

• More information on Road Pig at TFU.info.

Legacy

• Star Raider Road Pig (Deluxe Class, 2024)

• Accessories: left & right saddlebags/gravity cannons, left & right exhaust pipes/clubs, back tire/sawblade
• Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Hisashi Yuki and Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy)^[1]

Legacy: United "Star Raider Road Pig" is a black and red redeco of Legacy: Evolution Crashbar, with a new head accurate to the original toy. His exhaust pipes are cast in a translucent, pinkish-red plastic to mimic the LED exhausts of the original Generation 2 toy. As a redeco of a Junkion, he can be separated into armor and weapon enhancements compatible with 5 mm ports, as well as swap limbs with other Junkions and adjacent gimmick figures. For some inexplicable reason the instructions include removing his head as part of his gimmick. The head which is made from translucent plastic. Just don’t.

Amusingly, there's a Transformers logo tampographed on his left leg, to match the wonderfully tacky '90s-era deco on the original Road Pig figure.

• Designer commentary on Legacy Road Pig from Mark Maher on Instagram

Notes

Can you spot the Road Pig in this picture?

• While Road Pig's card art and cross-sell toy photo depicts him with a black head, red upper arms and black forearms, the final toy features a red head and swaps the arm colors around.
• Confusingly, Road Pig's French name as featured on his bilingual Canadian packaging, "Motard", is also his fellow Laser Cycle Road Rocket's French name as featured on his trilingual French/Dutch/German European packaging.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Road Big (ロードビッグ Rōdo Biggu), Road Pig (ロードピッグ Rōdo Piggu)
• French: Graisseux ("Greasy", France), Motard ("Biker", Canada)
• Italian: Molock

References