Ransack is a Mini-Con from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy.

I'm sure a pickup truck can ransack... something...

Ransack loves a good challenge, and is constantly leading the Adventure Mini-Con Team on risky missions to sate his appetite for danger. His teammates Iceberg and Dune Runner are less enthusiastic about these missions, but Ransack is certain that they'll change their minds eventually. He just has to make them face danger until they learn to like it.

He once lit Sideways's crotch on fire.^[1]

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

Linkage

Ransack (or someone with the same body-type as him), appeared briefly among the Mini-Cons hugging Stella Holley goodbye, before taking off into space with the Autobots. Linkage Part 12

Cybertron comic

Ransack was part of an army of insurgent Mini-Cons plotting to destroy a Mini-Con colony on one of Cybertron's moons. He bore witness to Unicron, the insurgents' secret ally, turning on them and killing everyone around him. Revelations Part 5

Dreamwave Armada comic

After escaping from Cybertron, Ransack and his team ended up on Earth's moon, where they lived in the Mini-Con Moonbase under the command of Dualor. When the base was eventually discovered by the Decepticons, Ransack and Dune Runner hauled out satellite mines to defend their base with. Armada #9 The Adventure Team later assaulted Megatron when he broke into the base. Armada #10

The Mini-Cons were eventually forced to abandon the moonbase, and Ransack and his team ended up working for the Autobots on Earth. They were sent to Alaska to retrieve an escape pod containing several other Mini-Cons, but found that Thrust was already at the scene. Ransack and the others tried to escape, but were knocked out when Cyclonus joined the battle. Fire & Ice When Autobot reinforcements arrived, Jolt started searching for Ransack. Armada #13

As Unicron approached Cybertron, Ransack and the others Mini-Cons on Earth gathered to take a space bridge back to their home planet. Presumably, he was among the Mini-Cons at the Loop in Cyber City, giving his power to the Mini-Con Matrix that dealt the critical blow to Unicron. The End

Panini Armada comic

In the early stages of the war, Ransack was among the Mini-Cons in support of Dualor's plan to kill Megatron by luring him to the Autobot headquarters and blowing it up. Counter-Strike!

Transformers Legends anthology

With some greasing from Alexis, Ransack and Dune Runner managed to get themselves on an archaeological expedition to the Labná ruins in Mexico. Ransack almost immediately proved himself to be unsuitable for archaeology when he used his tow rope to pull open a stone door, and caused a cave in which plunged himself and Doctor Jessica Theist into a cave. Although Doctor Carter Sanford was less than pleased, it turned out they'd found evidence of a previously undiscovered civilisation named the Natiltec. Theist promised to lobby for an honorary doctorate for Ransack, and that was before they found that the writings detailed the tribe encountering a race of beast warriors. Fire in the Dark

Toys

Armada

• Adventure Mini-Con Team (Mini-Con 3-pack, 2002 / 2003)

• Takara ID number: MM-16
• Takara release date: August 28, 2003
• Known designers: Takashi Kunihiro (Takara), Joe Kyde (deco artist)

Armada Ransack transforms into a pickup truck of undetermined, possibly made-up model with oversized off-road tires and rollbar. He has a working winch mechanism connected to a spool and gear system in his torso; the cable, once pulled out, can be retracted by rolling Ransack in vehicle mode, or by attaching him to the gear system on the Armada Cyclonus mold. Unfortunately, playing with the winch with any level of zeal is likely to break the (rather shoddily-woven) cable.

As a Mini-Con, he has a "Powerlinx" socket on the back (!) of his vehicle mode, on the spare tire, that allows him to attach to larger toys with compatible Powerlinx plugs, activating special gimmicks on the larger toys when attached to a "live" plug. This placement makes him pretty awkward to Powerlinx with most toys.

He was normally only available in a three-pack with his teammates Dune Runner and Iceberg. In the Hasbro line, the Adventure Team were released in the third assortment of Mini-Con teams. In Japan, it was part of the seventh wave of Legend of the Microns product, released in August 2002. Aside from packaging, there are no noteworthy differences between the two releases.

This mold was also used to make Cliffjumper, Micron Booster Torque, and Cybertron Payload.

• More information on Ransack at TFU.info

• Grap Super Mode & Adventure Micron (Multi-pack, 2003)

• ID number: MS-07
• Release date: August 28, 2003

In Japan, the Adventure Team was available both in an individual set and in a multi-pack with Hoist and "Spark" Liftor.

All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases.

Whatchu gonna do with all that Junk? All that Junk inside your trunk?

• Adventure Micron Exdimensions (Mini-Con 3-pack, 2003)

• ID number: MM-19
• Release date: September 11, 2003

A limited-edition (yet still standard retail) "Exdimensions" redeco of the Adventure Team was released in Japan. This version of "Winch" was colored bright red.

This toy also doubles as the separate character Winch.

• More information on Exdimensions Winch at TFU.info

• Powerlinx Cyclonus with Crumplezone and Bonus Mini-Con (Bonus pack, 2003)

• Powerlinx Hot Shot with Jolt and Bonus Mini-Con (Bonus pack, 2003)

• Release date: November 28, 2003

US Toys"R"Us stores had special bonus pack Super-Con (Deluxe) toys on Black Friday 2003, which came with a single bonus Mini-Con attached to the card over their sticker, for less than the price of a normal Super-Con during their post-Thanksgiving Black Friday sale.

Each of the Adventure Team Mini-Cons could come packaged with either Powerlinx Cyclonus or Powerlinx Hot Shot.

• Battle for the Matrix (Multi-pack, 2003)

• Release date: November 28, 2003

For Kmart's 2003 Black Friday sales, they offered a massive multi-pack of toys. The only truly exclusive item was a gold version of Super Base Optimus Prime; the rest are unchanged versions of Sparkplug, Jetfire and Comettor, the Adventure Mini-Con Team, and (inexplicably) Longarm.

• Adventure Mini-Con Team (Mini-Con 3-pack, 2004)

Test-shots of a slightly-altered Adventure Team have popped up from various sources. It's possible this was intended to be a mid-series deco-change for the team, though it looks unfinished at best. The team has exactly the same paint application layouts in exactly the same colors as the original.

This version of Ransack replaced the dark green with light tan plastic.

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Energon

• Adventure Mini-Con Team / Sea Mini-Con Team (Multi-pack, 2004)

An unaltered version of the original Adventure Team was released as part of an Energon-series "Mini-Con 6-pack" with the Sea Mini-Con Team.

This set was one of three Mini-Con six-packs exclusive to Toys"R"Us stores in the US, and the only one of the three not "shared" with Walmart.

Notes

Foreign names

• Japanese: Winch (ウィンチ Winchi)

References

1. ↑ Cover of the unreleased 10th issue of the Panini Armada comic.