Swoop

Swoop is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers fictional series and toy line. He was first introduced in 1985 and was voiced by Michael Bell in the animated The Transformers series.

Transformers: Generation 1
Swoop (Swarp in Japan, Assaillo in French Canada, Reptilo in Italy) is the PteranodonDinobot. Like all the original Dinobots, Swoop was based on one of the Diaclone toy line toys.[1]

His tech spec indicated that Swoop loved seeing his enemies break and run as he launched his aerial attack. However, his vicious exterior hid a gentle, good-natured Autobot. He has the ability to fly at 250 mph and is armed with air-to-air missile launchers under each wing. His greatest weakness perhaps are his fragile wings which are vulnerable to enemy firepower.

He joined the Autobots in the cartoon and comics in their first year, but did not have a toy until 1985.Like many of the Transformers characters, he was portrayed very differently in the cartoon and the Marvel comic books.

In some continuities Swoop is depicted as formerly being known as Divebomb, but changed the name when it was taken by the Decepticon now known as Divebomb.

Animated series
Swoop is the only Dinobot who can fly in his dinosaur mode (although Grimlock was once depicted flying in dinosaur mode in season three of the television series, assumed animation error). Swoop is also believed to be one of the smartest Dinobots, yet appears to lack the brute strength of his comrades.

Swoop first appeared in episode 10, called "War of The Dinobots." Swoop was created by Wheeljack and Ratchet on Earth in 1984. He was created along with Snarl to be the two new Dinobots to go along with the already-created Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge. It has not been explained why he or the other Dinobots were able to be fitted with personalities which can only be found on Cybertron from Vector Sigma. Apparently there is a difference between the brain and personalities in Transformers. Their brains are simple, yet still it is the personalities that make them sentient. It is evident that addition of personalities or "sparks" and its origin was after the fact, and was hoped that this inconsistency would be overlooked.

While Snarl and Swoop were being created, Megatron convinced Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge that Optimus and the Autobots were their enemies and the three original Dinobots kidnapped Optimus Prime. After Wheeljack and Ratchet, with the help of Chip Chase, created Swoop and Snarl, the two new Dinobots were used to rescue Prime from Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge. During that battle, Optimus saved the original Dinobots' lives before the meteorite near them exploded and they then realized that the Autobots were really their friends.

In 1985, an island with real dinosaurs was found by Powerglide and Bumblebee. Optimus decided that Dinobot Island would be a good place for the Dinobots to train and practice their fighting skills, because the Ark was too small for the giant Dinobots. Megatron and theDecepticons found out about the island and wanted to harvest it for all the energy it produced. The Dinobots were thrown in a tarpit, but were later rescued and enlisted a group of real dinosaurs to help them attack Megatron. Swoop carries Carlie and SpikeSome time later, the Cybertronian Autobots and Decepticons began to malfunction because they ran out of Cybertronium, a crystalline substance only found on Cybertron. The Dinobots were made on Earth, so they were the only Transformers not affected and were sent to Cybertron to get some. When they got to Cybertron, they disappeared. Spike and Carly went to Cybertron to find them and found Swoop, who led them to the other Dinobots that were captured and working for Shockwave. Eventually they were freed and brought the Cybertronium back so that the Autobot's bodies could be restored.[4]

In The Transformers: The Movie, the Dinobots traveled in the shuttle with Optimus Prime towards the end of the attack on Autobot City. their orders were to destroy Devastator, who had been a long-running enemy of theirs. Though Devastator appeared to have the upper hand at first, the Dinobots did manage to finally knock him down and halt his movements; taking him out of the fight. Swoop himself was knocked down by falling debris from Autobot City. When Galvatron attacked, they went in the shuttle with Kup and Hot Rod. This took no small amount of effort due to their innate stubbornness and desire to fight. The shuttle was shot down on Quintessa and Kup and Hot Rod were captured by the Quintessons. On Quintessa, the Dinobots met Wheelie, who led them to Kup and Hot Rod and they were able to rescue the two Autobots from the Quintessons. They took a Quintesson ship to the planet of Junk and were with the Autobots when they attacked Unicron. They helped with the attack on Unicron, inflicting more damage than most of the other combatants, striking at the Chaos-bringers flanks, attempting to break inside and rescue their friends.

None of the Dinobots but Grimlock played large roles in the episodes following the movie.