Just look at those adorable toes.

Prowl: Prick since 1984.

Marvel The Transformers comics

Early in Cybertron's civil war, before Optimus became leader, Prowl was part of a strike team comprising himself, Jazz, Inferno, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack and Stampede. Together, they were tasked with infiltrating Decepticon territories to sow chaos from within. During a mission to the neutralist town of Yuss, they defeated a small band of Decepticons and were hailed as heroes by the locals. Regarding the war as little more than fun and games at the time, Prowl dubbed his team the "Magnificent Six", and started to think himself untouchable. This opinion was challenged when a retaliatory attack came, this time involving far deadlier opponents. The Magnificent Six held Yuss's borders for a week despite being up against Megadeath and his elite cadre, but the once-grateful neutralists grew to resent the Autobots. The siege ended with the neutralists betraying Prowl's band to the enemy.

As Megadeath's captives, the six were subject to tortures and humiliations for seven days. In one of his sadistic games, Megadeath gave five of the six blasters, and offered them a chance to win their freedom; they only needed to stop him from killing Stampede, the only unarmed member. Prowl and the others failed to even take up arms, so thoroughly had Megadeath succeeded in breaking them by that point. Megadeath then gave the Autobots two hours to find his neutralist prisoners before he detonated five Neutronic bombs to obliterate the entire region. Finding their mettle, the Autobots forewent any attempt to rescue either themselves or the civilians for the Decepticon's entertainment. They instead hid, and ambushed Megadeath when he came to investigate their lack of action. Though Prowl and Wheeljack nearly died in battle, the remaining three Autobots crippled their torturer. Megadeath refused to divulge where he had stashed the neutralists, so the Autobots left him behind to die to his own device. When later questioned about what had transpired during their mission, the survivors lied and claimed not to remember any of it. The Magnificent Six!

Prowl was at Prime's side when, upon being promoted to Autobot supreme commander, he thwarted Megatron's earliest attempt at taking Iacon. And There Shall Come...a Leader! He was also present at the battle of Jan-Ja, where Optimus Prime rallied the troops in the defense of Iacon once more. Surrender!

Well somebody's character model was ready.

Prowl was one of the select Autobots chosen by Optimus Prime to travel aboard the Ark, and ended up in stasis lock for four million years at the base of Mount St. Hilary with the rest of the crew. The Transformers Cold Comfort and Joy! Once the volcano exploded, Optimus chose Prowl to lead the first away mission into civilization. Prowl's group was the first to observe humans in the flesh, so to speak, and to understand that they were the dominant life form on the planet. After a battle with the Decepticons at a drive-in theater, Prowl ordered a retreat since the organic lifeforms did not seem capable of self-defense. The Transformers Prowl took part in a skirmish at a human auto repair facility, managing a direct hit on Buzzsaw during the altercation, Power Play! though the battle left him and his comrades drained of increasingly scarce fuel. Prowl took part in an effort to rescue the kidnapped Sparkplug Witwicky, Prisoner of War! and was later among the Autobots working to repair the damaged Ark. The Last Stand

During work on one piece of machinery, a strong electrical feedback struck Brawn, and Prowl was forced to violently rip out the device's power cord to save his comrade. But as Brawn recovered, Prowl and the other Autobots found their teammate acting uncharacteristically violent. Brawn burst out of the Ark and began rampaging in a nearby town, forcing Prowl and the others to forcibly subdue him. Though another electrical shock allegedly returned Brawn to normal, Optimus couldn't be sure that his soldier wouldn't lash out once more. The test of Brawn's loyalty wound up being a trial by combat against Starscream, which ended in what Prowl thought was the Autobot's demise. In reality, Mirage had projected an illusion to dupe Starscream into thinking he had annihilated his foe. Upon Brawn's return and re-induction in the Autobot ranks, Prowl welcomed him with open arms. The Enemy Within!

Soon thereafter, Megatron led his troops on a siege against the Autobots within the Ark. In the clash, Prowl was tackled down by Ravage, despite his best efforts to gun the Decepticon down. The scuffle was interrupted when the Ark's computer, Auntie, was activated with a circuit malfunction. Auntie magnetized the Ark's walls, restraining all combatants and effectively putting their battle on hold. Autobots and Decepticons alike were only freed thanks to the only two unaffected robots, Ravage and Windcharger, teaming up and shutting down the deranged computer. Even though the Decepticons were then driven out of the Autobots' headquarters, Prowl sustained significant damage, and required extensive reconstruction before he could take on active duty once more. Raiders of the Last Ark

At a later time, the Autobots came to fight against the Decepticons as the evil robots besieged a hydro-electric dam. Prowl helped charge the Decepticon troops while Optimus Prime dueled Megatron atop of the dam itself. But Optimus was defeated by his nemesis, and Megatron destroyed the dam before fleeing. Scrambling his troops in response to the ensuing flood, Optimus sent Prowl ahead to lead the fastest Autobots, tasking them with impeding the water's progress in whichever way they could. Though the trenches and barriers the Autobots made slowed the flood, a great portion of it still reached a nearby town. The Autobots managed to prevent any loss of life, but were vilified by the humans nonetheless, as they weren't able to tell the difference between Autobots and Decepticons. Decepticon Dam-Busters!

Prowl begins his career of cursing Grimlock's decisions.

After the Decepticons' next assault on the Ark, Prowl ended up deactivated and held captive by Shockwave and the Decepticons along nearly all his comrades. The Autobots' inert forms were strung up from the Ark's ceiling, intended to be used as spare parts to build a new army of Decepticons. The New Order Ratchet, the last surviving Autobot, beheld Prowl dangling limply alongside the others when he managed to infiltrate the now Decepticon-controlled ship. Warrior School! Prowl was eventually revived when Ratchet and the Dinobots reclaimed control of the Ark from Shockwave's drone, Guardian. Upon his awakening, Prowl learned alongside Wheeljack and Ratchet that the drone had been booby-trapped with a thermo-nuclear bomb, which threatened to blow all within the Ark to smithereens should Grimlock deliver a killing blow to it. The Wrath of Guardian! Though Prowl was helpless to do anything about their situation, Wheeljack managed to prevent their demise by remote-controlling Optimus Prime's headless body, and stopping Grimlock from blasting Guardian's head off. Guardian fled, and the Dinobots reconvened with the rest of the Autobots. Remembering the last time they had to deal with a rogue Guardian unit, Prowl suggested that Ratchet fix up Windcharger next, so that they could magnetize the droid to the Ark's walls. Guardian returned before they could fully implement this plan however, forcing Swoop to fly Guardian up into the sky, where the bomb was detonated far away from the rest of the Autobots. Believing that Swoop had perished in his rescue, Prowl and the others held a mourning ceremony for their lost comrade. The Wrath of Grimlock!

This injury would knock Prowl out of the American stories for a while, but over in the UK they had better health care.

With Optimus Prime's head still in Decepticon possession, Prowl took command of the Autobots until their true leader could be restored. At Jazz's suggestion, he forged an alliance with human fuel magnate G.B. Blackrock, arranging an exchange of free gasoline for the Autobots for their help in protecting Blackrock's facilities from the Decepticons. DIS-Integrated Circuits! He set the Autobots to various vital repair tasks around the crashed Ark, gave Blackrock a tour of the Ark in an effort to build trust with their new ally, and sent a team out to stop the Decepticons from constructing a communications dish. The Next Best Thing to Being There! On learning that their friend Buster was in danger, he dispatched Bluestreak and Bumblebee to defend him. Prowl personally led an expedition to recover Optimus Prime's head, Brainstorm! but the team was ambushed by the Decepticons and a false Prime. Prowl suffered a mangled arm, but was among the last Autobots standing when the real Prime arrived and put an end to the battle. Prime Time!

As Christmas rolled around, Prowl became dumbfounded by Optimus' willingness to indulge Buster in what he believed to be a bizarre charade. He and Bluestreak discussed the matter as Buster supervised the construction of a Christmas tree within the Autobots' headquarters, and Optimus paraded about in a big red suit. Bluestreak suggested that Prime simply felt endebted to Buster for carrying the Matrix of Creation in the Autobots' time of need, an explanation that Prowl readily accepted. Christmas Breaker!

Some even call me a prick! And why? Because I dared to dream of my own race of atomic monsters!

Shortly thereafter, Prowl was the ringleader of a group of Autobots strongly requesting that Prime use his Creation Matrix to create Ultimate Autobot super-warriors to wipe out the Decepticons for them. The lethal efficiency of Prowl's stance was just as strongly opposed by another faction who saw such action as a perversion of their sacred lifeforce, and the potential for laying waste to Earth. Prime's long absence and relative weakness after his recent ordeals left Prowl and the others less deferential than normal to his will, but after he single-handedly fought through the Decepticons to rescue Bumblebee, Prowl and the other Ultimate Autobot proponents backed down and accepted Prime's final word on the subject. Crisis of Command!

When an unidentified flying transformer approached the Ark, Prowl and the other able-bodied troops went out to meet it, only to find themselves under attack by a mind-controlled Swoop. Though the Autobots were unable to subdue the Dinobot, Optimus prompted Swoop to wrestle free from the mind-control by issuing the rebellious bot an order. Swoop flew off to the lab of the human who had taken control of him, with Prowl and the others in pursuit. Upon their arrival, Swoop handed the fleshling over to Optimus for judgement... only to go into a wild rage and attack the Autobots once more. The Icarus Theory Swoop was knocked offline, but the Autobots learned that the other Dinobots were also being driven feral by their primitive circuitry. After tracking them down, Prowl nearly sacrificed himself crashing a shuttlecraft straight into the feuding Grimlock and Sludge. Dinobot Hunt!

Prowl is actually unaffected - he's just enjoying being able to be his true self.

While on a mission to build friendly relations with the people of Pinewoodsville, Prowl and his fellow Autobots were hit with a strange energy blast that temporarily reversed their personalities. The group rampaged through the town, ruining months of goodwill work. Tracking the source of the blast to England, the Autobots flew overseas to put an end to what they assumed was a Decepticon plot. But the Decepticons had also been affected by the blast, and were likewise tracking its origin. Prowl, Jazz, Sideswipe, and Mirage holed up inside Optimus's trailer to conserve energy, but were shaken out of their hiding spot by Starscream just as another personality-reversing blast hit the group. Optimus was sent crashing into a tree off the road, and his troops began calling for a violent mutiny. The Autobots returned to their senses before they dealt out any permanent damage, but Optimus was left too banged-up to carry on with the mission. The culprit behind the energy blasts turned out to be a human invention, the "PARD." It was destroyed, along with a spy trying to steal it, after Starscream battled Jazz over both. With the threat neutralized, the Autobots carried Optimus back to their UK Base, where Ratchet was waiting to fix him up. To a Power Unknown!

Prowl was displaced to Limbo along with Optimus Prime and Ratchet when Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge time traveled from the future. Target: 2006 Joined later by Shockwave, Thundercracker and Frenzy, they found themselves in the middle of a war between the peaceful, cat-like Cloran and evil, monkey-like invaders led by Zenag. Optimus's refusal to use lethal force left the more pragmatic Shockwave in a better position forge alliances, but it was ultimately discovered that the whole set-up was only an illusion. Once said illusion was dispelled, Prowl and the others found that they had been sharing a dream fabricated by Limbo parasites in order to be made to feel violent emotions, the latter's sustenance. Distant Thunder! When Galvatron's group returned to their own time, Prowl was released from Limbo.

For the rest of the issue, the role of Prowl will be played by Nicholas Cage.

Prowl was next in action during the Battlechargers' rampage, and attempted to bring them in despite the endangerment of human life. After narrowly preventing a gas station from exploding due to his opponents' sabotage, and avoiding a car pile-up, Prowl grew enraged and readied to unleash his full fury on the Decepticons. However, Optimus then turned up, having easily found the battle scene due to the extensive collateral damage it had caused. The Autobot leader talked Prowl out of pursuing the 'Cons, and berated him for being so reckless in his pursuit. ...Perchance to Dream

Prior to Christmas 1986, the Autobots learned that the Decepticons had taken control of a NASA space-monitoring system. Prowl swiftly organized a strike team to interfere, himself at its helm, with Trailbreaker and Jetfire backing him up. In his attempt to reach Soundwave on the battlefield, Prowl was confronted by Kickback, who held him at bay. Prowl ordered Jetfire to take out Soundwave and interrupt the Decepticons' transmission to Cybertron, but the jet opted to instead help with Kickback. Kickback easily outmaneuvered the larger Autobot by shrinking down to his insect mode, and the Decepticons beat a hasty retreat. Infuriated that Jetfire had flubbed at his task, Prowl gave him a chewing out. The Gift

On Christmas Eve, Prowl, Bumblebee, Tracks, and Hoist foiled Soundwave's plan to steal electricity from a power plant near Midville. Outnumbered, Soundwave and Laserbeak retreated upon the Autobots' approach. Prowl had Bumblebee and Tracks pursue the Decepticons while he and Hoist attempted to repair the damage they had done to the plant. Prowl and Hoist were unsuccessful in getting the plant up and running again, and later followed Tracks into town after he reported that he and Bumblebee had similarly met with failure. They then watched as Bumblebee got into the spirit of giving, and supplied power to Midville's Christmas tree so the humans could partake in their holiday traditions. The Night the Transformers Saved Christmas

Having grown dissatisfied with his troops' performances during his recent absences, Optimus Prime planed to fake his own death, so that the Autobots could learn to better fend for themselves. To this end, he informed his soldiers that he would be heading out on a solo scouting mission near Decepticon territory. Prowl reacted poorly to this, insisting that one of the more expendable Autobots carry out the mission instead. But Optimus was adamant in carrying out the task himself, leading to Prowl's fears being seemingly confirmed a half-hour later; he was among a group of Autobots who came upon a facsimile construct of Prime, torn to shreds by the Decepticons. Prey! A funeral was held for the Autobots' fallen leader, attended by all. At least, until Optimus spontaneously reappeared on Earth standing atop his headstone, and the whole matter was quickly forgotten. Resurrection!

Deactivated by means unknown, Prowl lay in stasis in the Ark's repair bay for many months. Ratchet managed to briefly revive him in order to exploit his police car mode against a human thief named the Mechanic who had infiltrated the Ark, but Prowl still needed rest and was spent after this brief period of activity. Funeral for a Friend! Prowl was fully revived by the time the Ark was relaunched; he was among the many Autobots who welcomed Blaster back into the fold, asking him to take over leadership of the Autobots from Grimlock. Prowl went so far as to advise him to stay on the Ark rather than tangle with the Dinobots to rescue a quartet of children he had befriended, which Grimlock had ensnared in a trap to draw his rival out. But Blaster surrendered himself in order to secure the kids' safety. Spacehikers! Prowl was later among the crowd who gathered for Grimlock and Blaster's grudge match on the moon; when the Decepticons launched a sneak attack, he was the first to realize what was happening and call for the Autobots to turn and fight; he joined the battle alongside the combined crews of the Ark and Steelhaven against the Decepticon party-crashers. Totaled! Unfortunately, it wasn't too long afterwards that Prowl was once again knocked off-line, this time battling the Underbase-charged Starscream in New York. Dark Star Flashback!

Despite him being out of action, a solid light simulation of Prowl was used in a training mission for the Mayhem Attack Squad. Said simulation contained both high-ranking Autobot officers and Autobot "non-entities" though, so it's unknown how worthy of an opponent Prowl was considered by the Decepticons. The Hunting Party

After Ratchet seemingly perished, Optimus Prime fell into a deep melancholy, and had the Ark's computer recount to him all those who had fallen under his command. Prowl was among those name-dropped. Yesterday's Heroes!

He would remain in stasis for some time, until Grimlock acquired a large supply of super-energy known as Nucleon, and pumped it into all of the Ark's stasis chambers. The Void! Prowl found himself revived just in time to engage the Chaos-Bringer known as Unicron for the sake of all Cybertron. Grimlock led the charge by ramming the Ark in Unicron's face, sending the ship plummeting down towards Cybertron's surface. Prowl berated him for this foolish course of action, only for Grimlock to respond by pitching Prowl out of the ship. Prowl made it to the surface safely, and arrived to the battlefront in time to see his long-term friend and leader, Optimus Prime, sacrifice himself to destroy Unicron. On the Edge of Extinction!

After Unicron's destruction however, Prowl was surprised to find that Optimus's tattered remains still clung onto a semblance of life. Optimus named Grimlock his successor before finally expiring, much to Prowl's bemoanment. He subsequently delivered this news to the Dinobot, only to find that Grimlock was apparently unaware of the responsibility that now fell upon him; though Prowl insisted that Grimlock needed to nurture the fragile alliance the Autobots had forged with the Decepticons, Grimlock instead opted to seek out the Ark and the Autobots that still remained inoperative within it. Prowl at least managed to get Grimlock to promise that he would uphold Prime's ideals before he went off with the Dinobots. Still Life!

You'd be a prick too if Grimlock kept getting promoted over you.

As such, Prowl found himself working almost alone trying to maintain the tenuous peace between the Autobots and Decepticons. To make matters worse, he and Blaster discovered that Cybertron was tearing itself apart; without Primus's consciousness to maintain it, the planet was losing its cohesion. Prowl continued to implore Grimlock to step up into his role and make a speech that would assure everyone that the situation was well in hand. But Grimlock continued to eschew such responsibilities and reminded Prowl that Optimus had trusted him solely to lead, enraging Prowl to no end. The final straw came when Grimlock participated in a petty brawl like a common thug, prompting Prowl to chew him out in public. Bludgeon used the opportunity to demand assurances out of the Autobots, and Prowl was forced to comply, revealing prematurely where the ships they planed to leave the planet with were parked. Thus Prowl ended up overplaying his hand: Bludgeon took got the chance to betray the Autobots, leaving them trapped on the dying world, without transport, while the Decepticons fled to conquer new civilizations. Exodus!

Berating his lack of foresight and common sense, Prowl wandered outside, waiting for the inevitable end. Luckily for Prowl, Grimlock had anticipated the Decepticons' treachery (by Primus, how'd he manage that?!?) and had secured alternate starships. The Dinobot surprised Prowl and Blaster by parking said vessels, Decepticon Battle Cruisers, right in front of the Autobots' headquarters. Prowl suddenly found himself very grateful for Grimlock's rebellious streak. A Savage Circle

The Autobots tracked the Decepticons to the planet Klo, and Prowl partook in some back-seat driving as he urged Silverbolt to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Irritated that with every moment that the Decepticons were left to their devices meant more innocent lives lost, he turned to Grimlock and demanded to know why he couldn't have commandeered a faster ship. The latter and Nightbeat both made their best attempts at talking Prowl down, insisting he save his energy for the conflict that lay ahead. The Last Autobot? As the Autobots prepared to make planetfall, Prowl suggested they be cautious in their approach. Grimlock disregarded this advice, a charged into the fray blindly, prompting most of his troops to do likewise. The ensuing battle wound up having a disastrous outcome; the Decepticons had been anticipating the Autobots' arrival, and slaughtered all but five of their members in an initial ambush. Those left standing were Grimlock, Prowl, Blaster, Slag, and Kup. Despite the group's best attempts at hiding their scents, they were tracked down by a hunting party, though miraculously managed to overcome their attackers. Doubling back for a final stand, Prowl's group found the resurrected Optimus Prime and the legendary Last Autobot already turning the tide against Bludgeon's forces. With the Last Autobot reviving all those who had fallen, the Autobots drove off Bludgeon's forces, sending them into a temporary exile. End of the Road!

Transformers Annual 1985

A prick laid low by dozens of smaller pricks.

Realizing that their mission on Earth would be infinitely more difficult without capable human allies, Optimus attempted to open a dialogue with the American government. Planning the meeting in utmost secrecy, he, Warpath, and Prowl managed to secure an audience with the President of the United States. The three Autobots drove to the White House, and were warmly received by their host. But their talk was interrupted by the Insecticons. The Autobots did their best to take down the trio, only for Bombshell to loudly proclaim that Optimus was his leader, and he was off to attack the city as per his orders. Prowl was especially outraged at this act of slander. Unfortunately, the President's soldier escorts were quick to turn on the Autobots, having assumed that Bombshell had revealed the robots' true intent.

Prowl and Warpath were sent to deal with the Insecticons, while Optimus went off on his own to "cut them off at their source." Though Warpath was confused over what Optimus had just said, Prowl assured him not to bother himself with it; they had a mission to do, and that was the only thing they needed to think about. They drove to downtown Washington, finding that their foes had wasted no time in reducing the scene to a warzone. Prowl fought hard to bring an end to the carnage, though he was downed by one of Shrapnel's splinter grenades. Thankfully, Optimus's Roller drone came to Warpath's aid. Optimus was successful on his end of the mission, bringing down Ravage, responsible for remote-controlling the Insecticons. With the battle over, Optimus and his troops fled the scene; they felt that the humans would not believe them should they try and explain the situation, and that the Decepticon had already sullied their reputation beyond repair. Plague of the Insecticons!

"If there's one thing I know by sight alone, it's Ravage's dandruff!"

After the bulk of the Autobot forces left on a mission, Prowl and Bumblebee were relegated to monitoring news broadcasts for any signs of Decepticon activity. Prowl struck gold upon discovering footage of a man being rescued by a woman, spotting a sliver of Cybertronian metal at the man's feet. Analyzing the story, Prowl came to the conclusion that Ravage had attacked the man, and attempted to contact Optimus on the matter. But upon finding that his signal wasn't getting through, Prowl resolved himself to wait until their commander returned. Bumblebee managed to change his mind, pointing out that the Decepticon threat would only grow should they stay idle. Prowl, Bumblebee, Topspin and Twin Twist headed out to investigate.

Prowl remained nervous during the outing, suggesting to his compatriots they return to the Ark at the first obstruction in their path. The others wouldn't hear it however, and they soon picked up Ravage's trail. Following it, the group traveled for days until they happened upon the Decepticons' hideout. There, Megatron's soldiers were excavating rare crystals that could bring new Decepticons to life. Prowl suggested that the Autobots hold their position and contact the Ark for reinforcements, prompting a debate within the group. While the others were distracted by their argument, Bumblebee took it upon himself to push on alone, only to be caught in Thrust and Starscream's cross-hairs. Prowl and the Jumpstarters were forced to head down to his rescue. But they found themselves paralyzed with fear partway through their descent; Dirge had also been posted as a guard, and was using his fear-inducing engines on the Autobots. Thankfully, Prowl was able to work through his paralysis, and gunned Dirge down with a few acid pellets. The Autobots then managed to down Starscream and send him crashing into Megatron's mine, destroying it utterly. Thrust retaliated by burying the Autobots in an avalanche, and by the time Prowl clawed his way back out, the Decepticons had already fled the scene. Hunted!

Marvel UK future timelines

In one alternate timeline, the Decepticons succeeded in conquering all of Cybertron by the year 2005, forcing all of the Autobots off-world. Prowl was among those who wound up posted at Moonbase One, and left the satellite alongside Ironhide, Ratchet, and Brawn to make an Energon run to Earth. Partway to their destination however, they were boarded by a Decepticon party. Prowl was fatally shot down by Megatron in following confrontation. The Planet-Eater!

A time traveler from the distant future, Dicet Alpha-zero, would one day traverse the time-stream to observe several key moments in the Transformers' war, witnessing Prowl fighting back against the Decepticons aboard the Ark prior to it crashing on Earth, and an impostor Optimus Prime gunning down Prowl and Sideswipe. The Quest!

Rhythms of Darkness!

The Magnificent Three?

In an alternate 2009, Prowl was one of only seven Autobots left alive after Galvatron and his Decepticons took over America. With Cybertron destroyed by Unicron and the various Primes dead, things looked bleak. Prowl and Jazz led a last-ditch assault on the Decepticon fortress, though Getaway broke rank early on and attacked Cyclonus and Scourge early in the mission. Quickly adapting to the situation, Prowl ordered Guzzle and Chainclaw to help Getaway in distracting the guards while the rest of the team pushed forward. Miraculously, they managed to send a signal to the rest of the world that America was still alive and fighting. When some mysterious travelers shang-haied Galvatron from the field of battle, Prowl joined Jazz and Inferno (the last of their kind) in fighting alongside their human allies with renewed vigor. Perhaps the war could yet be won! Rhythms of Darkness!

Later on in Primax 490.0 Gamma, the reformed Cybertronian Empire dispatched Jhiaxus to Earth to enlist the aid of the Trio in the fight against Unicron. Together, Autobot, Decepticon, and Cybertronian stood as one and vanquished the Chaos-Bringer. Ask Vector Prime

Earthforce

Prowl was GEEWUN before it was fashionable.

At some point during the conflict on Earth, Prowl faced off against Blitzwing on a highway, dodging the Decepticon tank's artillery as he drove. Once upon a Time...

1990 Ironhide profile

Deactivated following his battle with the Underbase-enhanced Starscream, Prowl lay recuperating within a lifepod in the Ark for months, until the Galvatron of a parallel future intervened. Using a "mind bug" device, Galvatron manipulated the baser instincts of several Autobots, attempting to revive them as pawns he could use for his own purposes. Instead they revived intent on opposing him. Prowl joined Wheeljack, Sunstreaker, Ironhide and Silverbolt in overpowering and capturing the renegade Decepticon. Wheeljack cobbled together a device that turned Galvatron's own technology against him, and Prowl slapped it on the villain's head, leaving him trapped in his own nightmares. ...Perchance to Dream Prowl would emerge from this experience as a stable individual, possibly free from any mental issues as he'd been activated sooner and had longer to adjust, as well as due to his logical mind. 1990 Prowl profile

As the days passed, Prowl attempted to readjust to the war, despite how it had changed around him. Along with Wheeljack, he lamented about the proliferation of newer types of Transformers, claiming these newcomers gave him a headache just thinking about them. Luckily, their patrol turned up several familiar enemies, including the Constructicons and Stunticons working under Megatron's command. Megatron had formulated a scheme to destroy Earth's atmosphere with a deadly rocket, and reap the excess energy that would no longer be filtered out before reaching the planet's surface. Starting Over! While Wheeljack engaged the Decepticons, Prowl leaped aboard the flying rocket, knocking it off course so that its deadly poison never reached the proper altitude. Desert Island Risks! He crashed down in the backwoods of Louisiana, and befriended some locals who helped fix him up over the next few days. Prowl also neutralized the rocket's poison, and got a good chuckle out of watching the two Decepticon factions arrive days later and begin fighting over a useless cargo. Life in the Slow Lane His newly relaxed nature would sometimes impair with quick decision making. 1990 Prowl profile

A new team of Autobots called Earthforce had been formed, partly to help recover Prowl and the atmospheric rocket, and he quickly joined the organization once reunited with his fellow Autobots. Working under Grimlock's overall command, Prowl acted as second lieutenant, providing a voice of reason and strategy for the Dinobot Commander. On one occasion, Prowl sabotaged Megatron's attempt to alter the timeline using a Flashback Doorway. The two opponents traveled back in time to the battle with Starscream, where Megatron possessed the body of Snaptrap, and attempted to lead the Seacons to safety in order to receive their services in the present. Prowl possessed his own past form and ensured the Seacons' destruction, as well as that of his own past self, before returning to the present. Flashback! He also talked Grimlock into accepting the Survivors into Earthforce, and joined them in assaulting the island base of the Mayhem Attack Squad to rescue their Decepticon member, Carnivac. Upon arrival, the Autobots overpowered the remaining Mayhems, but were stopped short of granting any of them a "warrior's death" by Carnivac. Impressed by what he viewed as an act of mercy, Prowl formally welcomed Carnivac in the Autobot fold. Where Wolf?

Prowl and the rest of the Earthforce were forced to respond when a "concerned citizen" alerted them to Megatron and Shockwave's battle at Memphis Airport, though they (rightfully) suspected that the situation was a set-up put into play by an unseen party. Internal Affairs!

When the Autobot Earthbase was finished, Prowl gathered with all the other Autobots outside to witness Wheeljack's handiwork. Ever cautious and critical, Prowl commented on the noticeable lack of defenses. Wheeljack then turned on the defense grid and tossed a rock towards the base, triggering a series of underground weapon systems that annihilated the projectile. Prowl still wasn't convinced, and began asking how the defenses might be knocked off-line once activated. Wheeljack assured him the defenses were so completely fool proof that NO ONE could shut them off once they had been activated unless they were sitting at the control console inside the base. Prowl then gave Wheeljack his "Everybody's dumb but me" look, and did a headcount of the entire Earthforce who had come outside for the demonstration... meaning no one was inside who could shut off the deadly defense grid. In order to get back inside their base, Prowl volunteered to brave the perils and reach the console himself. With Jazz, Bumblebee and the Aerialbots spotting him, Prowl navigated his way through lasers, Heat Seekers, Acid Bats, and electrified tentacles before finally shutting off the system. The House that Wheeljack Built! Wheeljack went to work decentralizing the base's defenses, which unfortunately left it vulnerable to attack. The Autobots' lack of defenses coincided with the Decepticons finding the location of their headquarters, and summarily launching an all-out siege against it. Thankfully, the attack was nothing more than a distraction for an attempted hijacking of an oil tanker, and when the Survivors foiled the theft, Starscream ordered the Decepticons to retreat. Prowl saw Soundwave, Divebomb, and Hook off as they fled the scene. Divide and Conquer!

When Bludgeon, Stranglehold, and Octopunch managed to escape their cell within the Earthbase, Prowl reported the incident to Grimlock and assured him that their guard, Inferno, would survive despite getting stabbed in the back during the breakout. Shut Up!

Later on, Snarl began suffering from a case of Corrodia Gravis, and the Autobots were forced to go to Starscream in order to get a compatible systems boost to save the Dinobot's life. Not destined to be an easy mission in the best of cases, Prowl, Ironhide and the remaining Dinobots walked in on an assassination in progress and the former Decepticon leaders attempted to remove the current ones from their former thrones. As was often the case, it fell on Prowl to re-explain to Grimlock why it wasn't a good thing that Starscream's life was in danger. External Forces! After Megatron, Shockwave and their assassins were chased off, Prowl and Grimlock made a deal with Starscream to gain his help, in exchange for agreeing to step in if Megatron ever tried to overthrow their current Decepticon regime again. The Lesser Evil!

When Bombshell injected Superion with a cerebro-shell and caused him to go wild, Earthforce was in dire straits trying to find a means of stopping the warrior juggernaut. Prowl found a human reporter on the scene named Irwin Spoon, and made a deal with him for an exclusive interview in exchange for Irwin's help removing the shell from the inside. Inside Story! Irwin was successful and got his interview. Prowl hoped the good publicity would help the Autobots establish better relations with humanity, despite Grimlock's grumbling. It seemed the Decepticons had the same notion, and so Starscream and Soundwave sent the Stunticons to kidnap Irwin from Earthbase before he could publish his story, taking him right out from under Prowl's olfactory receptor. Front Line! Prowl tried to chase down Motormaster and recover the human, but was bashed off the side of the highway, and had to be recovered by Wheeljack. End of the Road!

In 1990, Optimus unwittingly reunited the surviving members of the Magnificent Six for a mission to the Acid Wastes. He suspected the Underbase's ruins still held a connection to Cybertron's core, which they could tap into to defeat Unicron. Despite the mission's urgency, Prowl and the others made excuses to be excluded from it. Optimus was bewildered by this apparent display of cowardice, and sent them forth anyways, with Silverbolt along to round out the team.

As the five delved deeper into the Wastes, their traumatic memories seeped to the forefront of their minds, culminating in their paralysis upon reaching the remnants of Yuss. There, they were accosted by mutated mechs, survivors of the Neutronic holocaust that they had failed to prevent millions of years ago. But another ghost from their past held even greater sway over their psyches: Megadeath had survived as well, and took the group captive once more! Having realized in the interim that his teammates were plagued by past trauma, Silverbolt sought to stir Prowl and the others out of their stupor through ridicule, calling the five "the Autobots' resident losers." This riled them enough for the truth of what had transpired in Yuss to finally come out. Silverbolt convinced his comrades that they were stronger than they thought, and the group's confidence slowly returned. With hate and cold fury driving them, Prowl, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, Inferno, and Jazz confronted Megadeath while Silverbolt saw to the mutated neutralists being freed from his control. Prowl's group battered down their former torturer, only stopping short of the killing blow. But Megadeath would rather kill himself, while taking the Autobots with him, than admit defeat; he breached his own nuclear core, beginning a destructive chain reaction. The Autobots fled to once more avoid annihilation.

Having found closure, the Autobots continued on with their mission, and reached the former site of the Underbase with the neutralists in tow. Prowl turned to Jazz and suggested that, with Silverbolt along to replace Stampede, it was almost as though they were the magnificent six once more. But Jazz replied that they couldn't go back to the way things were; they had grown too much, and seen for themselves the ugliest side of war. The Magnificent Six!

Another Time & Place

Prowl had a G2 neck before it was cool.

Several months after the incident on Klo, Prowl caught wind of Grimlock running off on his own again, this time back to Hydrus Four. Prowl alerted Optimus Prime at Nova Point to the situation, but was surprised when his leader harshly rebuked him for bringing it to his attention. When Prime made it clear he didn't want anything to do with Prowl's report, the Autobot strategist stormed off to consider the problem himself. After some solitary computation, Prowl decided that the threat of Decepticons following Grimlock to Hydrus Four and acquiring Nucleon was too perilous to ignore. He was rushing out of his chambers, ready to throw together a squad of Autobots regardless of what Optimus Prime thought, when he ran smack into Optimus himself. Prime apologized to Prowl for "hiding his head in the sand"—he had wanted the war to be over so badly, for his fellow Autobots' sake and not his, that he was willing to ignore an obvious threat. The two old friends shook hands and proceeded to gather their strike team.

On Hydrus Four, Prowl joined a small group of commandos including Springer, Blaster, Nightbeat and Ironhide to scout the enemy position. They dispatched Fangry with little effort, and sent in Roadhandler and some Micromasters to free Grimlock and the Dinobots quietly before the main offensive began. Nothing ever goes quietly with the Dinobots, though, and so once the shooting started inside, the Aerialbots were sent in to bomb the facility and let the Decepticons know they were in for it. Prowl and his fellow Autobots assaulted the base and, in little time at all, Bludgeon and his crew were dismantled and the day was won yet again. Another Time & Place

Marvel Generation 2 comic

Prowl and Grimlock's sexual tension continues.

When Optimus Prime and Grimlock discovered the threat of the Cybertronians, they called in Autobots scattered across the galaxy, including Prowl. As one of Prime's most loyal supporters, Prowl did not participate in Grimlock's ill-advised strike on the Liege Centuro and his fleet. Instead, he helped Optimus free Grimlock and his strike team after they had been taken prisoners by the enemy. Devices and Desires! Still, Prowl would not completely ignore Grimlock's opinions: when Optimus Prime decreed that he be left alone to entreat Megatron for peace, Grimlock convinced Prowl that Prime made a bad call, and they arrived with a rescue battalion just in time to keep Megatron from destroying his old nemesis. The Gathering Darkness

Optimus recuperated from his injuries for a few days afterwards, only for Megatron to burst into the medical bay following a brief off-world absence. Prowl rushed to Optimus's aid, only to find that Megatron had come to forge an alliance. Grimlock was scoffed at the very notion, and Prowl was forced to restrain the Dinobot after Megatron suggested that Prime muzzle his petulant soldier. Though an alliance was agreed upon, the Autobots were soon called to the planet Ethos to repel invaders, a conflict Megatron refused to involve himself in. Tales of Earth Part Five The Autobots found the culprit behind the invasion once more to be Jhiaxus's army, and Prowl helped in staving off an impeding genocide. But the Cybertronians proved as formidable as ever, and Prowl, Optimus, and Bumblebee were soon entrenched and surrounded, with little hope of victory in sight. The tide turned with Megatron's arrival, who had allegedly changed his mind upon learning who it was that the Autobots were fighting. Escalation!

Classics

I'm brushing up on looking down, I'm working on my roar!

After the war, Prowl eagerly took on the task of assigning new civilian roles for Autobot soldiers to better help them adjust to peacetime. Optimus Prime's profile in Club magazine #18

Some time later, Prowl, was given command over Cybertron while Optimus was dealing with Megatron's forces on Earth. Deciding that there was no more room for rogue heroics among the Autobot ranks, he traveled to Azure alongside Silverbolt and Ironhide to reel Grimlock back into the Autobot forces. The trio tracked down Slag and Sludge and arranged through them a meeting with their leader. This meeting wound up being cut short by a distress call from Earth, and Grimlock agreed to accompany the Autobots aboard the Graviton to respond to it. Grimlock's profile in Club magazine #50

During their journey, the Graviton was pulled into the negative polarity universe and deposited near that reality's prehistoric Earth. Despite his best attempts, the ship was shot down by the Talon, and Prowl had to come up with a way for the Autobots to survive the ambient energon radiation. They adopted organic alternate modes, with Prowl taking the form of a lion. Shattered Time On discovering that three stasis pods were missing from the ship, Prowl piloted a sky-sled which was shot down by Seawing and Dirge. By the time they reached the pods on foot, Megatron had activated them as Decepticons. Prowl, Ironhide, and Silverbolt were blasted by Autojetter, and it was only the arrival of Depth Charge and recovery of Ultra Magnus that saved them. Shattered Expectations

No, Prowl! Fruit is bad for cats!

The Autobots retreated across a rock bridge, and watched as Magnus faced off against Megatron, dealing their foe a temporary defeat. Back at the Graviton, Depth Charge gave the "Maximals" more of an explanation regarding his presence. Shattered Paths When they located their missing energy purifier, the Maximals went out to fetch it. Despite the new ability of Ironhide, Prowl, and Silverbolt to merge into Magnaboss, they were trounced by God Neptune. Shattered Hope

Suddenly feeling very Wyatt-y...

Returning to the ship, the Maximals fueled up before joining Depth Charge, who had located the Matrix he was seeking. The Maximals kept a security system occupied long enough for Magnus to retrieve the Matrix in question, however a short time later they were confronted by Megatron piloting a giant mech. Shattered Balance Prowl again took part in merging into Magnaboss, but the combiner was soundly defeated by Megatron's Gigastorm Armor. The Maximals were moments later pulled into a dimensional rift created by Ultra Magnus. Shattered Destiny

Prowl and his Maximal compatriots wound up on modern era Cybertron in the negative polarity universe. After exchanging stories, they agreed to return to their own Earth (orbiting near this Cybertron) in order to confront Ultra Mammoth's insane doppelgänger, the instigator of their universal collapse. Falling into Place

After receiving a new motorcycle mode from designers Needlenose and Spinister, Prowl traveled by stellar spanner back to his Earth and joined the battle. Distant Fissures He was present when Nexus Prime arrived and reclaimed the Terminus Blade, defeating evil Magnus. Restoration

Regeneration One

When Optimus Prime went to confront Megatron on the devastated Earth, he took Prowl and a detachment of Autobots with him. Loose Ends, Part 3 They arrived on the scene just as the insane tyrant was about to kill Springer. Loose Ends, Part 4 Prowl then fought against Megatron's reanimated zombie army as the two leaders clashed. Loose Ends, Part 5

After the battle, Prowl and Skids attended to Kup as he recovered from a Scraplet infection. Natural Selection, Part One Upon returning to Cybertron aboard the Valiant, Prowl attended an emergency council with Hot Rod, Kup, First Aid, Grapple, Perceptor, and Jetfire to address the effects of Scorponok's Gene Key on the population. When Hot Rod later tried to help the situation with a rousing speech at Eugenesis Plaza it fell to Prowl, Red Alert, Streetwise, and the Wreckers to contain the ensuing riot. Destiny, Part One

Prowl and Trailbreaker checked in on Blaster, Huffer, Silverbolt, and Inferno at the Garage after they were fitted out with new Nucleon-free bodies. Although they offered to help with the worsening situation outside, he was adamant that they should stay out of it until their new bodies had been thoroughly tested. Once Prowl had left, Blaster decided to try anyway and by tapping into Decepticon communications discovered that Soundwave was broadcasting an irritant subsonic signal that increased aggression levels. After defeating the Mayhem Attack Squad, the four Autobots reported this information to Prowl who shut down the intracomm for "essential maintenance", leaving Cybertron effectively blind to approaching threats. Destiny, Part Two

Out on patrol with Red Alert and Streetwise, Prowl conferred with Ultra Magnus regarding the Neo-Decepticons' strategy as they pulled over and arrested Runamuck. He reasoned that since all the key Neo-Decepticons had dropped out of sight, leaving only the small fry, the Autobots should conserve their resources and wait and see what the insurgents did next. Destiny, Part Three

Prowl was proven correct as a full-scale Decepticon assault soon began on Cybertron. The Warworld appeared over the planet and fired a horde of Blitz Engines at its surface. At the Presidium, Prowl ordered Kup to be patient and hold the Wreckers in reserve until the proper surgical strike point for the unit could be identified. After some analysis, Prowl and Perceptor determined the Warworld must be broadcasting to the Blitz Engines, making it the Wreckers' target. When the Warworld fired a massive blast at the surface, Prowl ordered Omega Supreme into action to combat the Blitz Engines. Destiny, Part Four Prowl then joined Ultra Magnus and others in holding the Presidium until the battle was finished. Destiny, Part Five

Afterwards, Prowl attended the leadership conference where Optimus officially ceded authority to the newly risen Rodimus Prime. The War to End All Wars, Part 1 He was captured and held at The Corral when the Autobots went to war with Jhiaxus and the Hub Network, but escaped with most of the warriors. The War to End All Wars, Part 4 When they returned to Cybertron, the Autobots found it overrun by shadow-demons of the Dark Matrix. Prowl helped eliminate the entity's possessed puppets Galvatron and Fortress Maximus on Earth and Nebulos, but Cybertron was lost. The Autobots left for the stars after that, hoping to spread peace instead of war. The War to End All Wars, Part 5

Transformers '84

After an explosion diverted the course of the planet Cybertron into the path of Stellae Cimeterium, double agent Counterpunch was sent to inform the Autobots of Ratbat's suspicions; that Shockwave had intentionally fired one of the planetary turbines. Prowl chose to handle the problem without informing Optimus, with the Autobot leader's attention focused on the launch of the Ark. He sent in Perceptor and the Dynobots to investigate deep in enemy territory. Secrets & Lies #1 Prowl took a group of Autobots to view the Ark for the first time before they launched. While everyone was mostly in high spirits, he reminded them that the mission they would undertake was extremely perilous and vital to Cybertron's safety. He was among the ship's crew when it was attacked by Megatron. '84 #0

References