Swindle is aDecepticon-alliedMini-Con from theArmada portion of theUnicron Trilogy continuity family.

Even the Mini-Cons have abandoned me.

Swindle is a sneak who is mainly concerned for himself. He's a smooth talker with a gift of gab and bluff who can wheedle people into seeing his way...at least, long enough to get what he wants. He actually gets along very well with hisDecepticon "partner"Starscream, but how much of that is a ploy to catch the Decepticon unawares has yet to be seen. Swindle lacks the strength of character to be a good guy, but suffers too many pangs of conscience to be a bad guy, try as he might. Swindle is also the cousin ofZapmaster, whatever that actually means.

Fiction

Toy pack-in comics

Swindle accompaniedStarscream when he and the Destruction Mini-Con Team were sent to destroy a satellite dish that could have helped detectMegatron. While they succeeded at destroying the dish, Starscream, with SwindlePowerlinxed to him, was plowed off to sea byScavenger.Armada Volume 2

DreamwaveArmada comic

Swindle was a resident ofMini-Con village C52. He was part of the mass effort erecting anEnergon Dome to protect their village before the Decepticons attacked. When Cyclonus burrowed under their defenses and brought down the dome, Swindle was captured and sent to a Decepticon chop shop for mecha-sectioning and re-wiring.Armada #1 It was Swindle's bad luck the next day when Starscream chosehim for the attack onCyber City. While the Mini-Cons left at the base staged a mass breakout, Swindle was left with the Decepticons for a million long, long years...Armada #2

When the Mini-Con reactivation signal brought the Decepticons to Earth, Swindle was brought with them, and he powerlinxed toMegatron during a battle with the Autobots.Armada #5 Some time later, he pretended to have escaped from Starscream in order to gain the trust of humansCarlos andRad. They promised to bring him to the Autobots for protection, and they successfully evaded a Decepticon attack, but Swindle betrayed them to the Decepticons. Megatron intended to merge humans with Cybertronian technology and create a power source, much as he had the Mini-Cons. Rad was outraged, as they hadescaped, but after a million years of slavery, Swindle believed his freedom was the Decepticons' to give. When Megatron subsequently refused to free him as promised, Swindle liberated a group of captured Autobots, who drove the Decepticons off. Swindle briefly believed he had won the freedom he had tried to buy, but Starscream activated a retrieval device, yanking him back into custody.Armada Free Comic Book Day

Swindle later escaped the Decepticons again, when he and all other Earthbound Mini-Cons were summoned to astarship which took them to theMoon.Armada #8 Upon arrival at afortress, they found that they had been brought there byDualor.Armada #9 It's not too clear, but Swindle appeared to be among the Mini-Cons who didn't mind this at all.Armada #10 Regardless of what he thought, the fortress was destroyed by the Decepticons, and Swindle had to return to Earth in an escape pod.Armada #11

After getting recaptured by the Decepticons at some point, Swindle was allowed to rejoin his fellow Mini-Cons for the joint battle againstUnicron. He took part in the ceremony at theLoop which badly damaged the Chaos Bringer.The End

Cartoon continuity

Armada cartoon

Swindle was discovered in a forest as the Autobots and Decepticons fought over possession of his storage panel. It was ultimately Starscream who claimed Swindle as his partner, causing the Mini-Con to imprint on the evil Decepticon. Starscream used Swindle's power to prove the strength of hisPowerlinx-activatedNull Laser Cannons. Delirious with power, Starscream continued to use Swindle's enhancement whenever he got the chance, even against holographic battle drones back on the moon.Jungle Swindle's partner loved him so much, he even gave him a nickname..."Grid". Surely its a Cybertronian term of endearment of some kind.Carnival

During a Mini-Con search in the cramped confines of a city subway system, Swindle and the other Decepticon Mini-Cons were dispatched to comb the catacombs more quickly than their bulk counterparts could manage.Underground Swindle also aided Starscream on a volcano mission, firing their null beam cannons on the Autobot position.Prehistory

When Starscream powerlinxed with theStar Saber, he used it to capture a large number of Mini-Cons for the Decepticons. Swindle was seen standing among Starscream's prized catches.Conspiracy

The Mini-ConDownshift surprisingly self-activated on Earth, and the Decepticons were forced to chase him down. Swindle used his race car mode to speed after the similarly moded Downshift, but they ended up racing straight into the Autobots.Red Alert managed to grab Swindle, but his loyal partner Starscream helped free the Mini-Con from Red Alert's grasp.Reinforcement In the next battle, Swindle and Starscream powerlinxed again to unleash their supercharged null beam cannons.Decisive Battle

When Starscream briefly joined the Autobots after a falling out with Megatron, Swindle came with him. After failing to destroy Megatron when he had the opportunity, Starscream was furious and lashed out violently at the rock croppings around the Autobot base. Swindle and theAir Defense Team tried to calm him down, but Starscream's wounded pride would not let his anger cool.Mars

Swindle later used his inherent Mini-Con powers to upgrade both himself and Starscream after the latter had been severely damaged byNemesis Prime. He appeared amidst a collection of Mini-Cons who struck down Nemesis Prime with a bolt of energy before transferring some of their power to their partners. Starscream was reborn thanks to Swindle, in a new body resemblingThundercracker.Puppet

Their partnership ended in tragedy on Cybertron. In his final stand, Starscream powerlinxed with Swindle and shot a futile blast atUnicron. Just before being torn apart by Unicron's energy bolts, Starscream broke the link with Swindle, sending him to safety. Swindle lamented his partner's death, whileOptimus Prime assured him that Starscream's long battle was finally over.Cramp

Cloud

Starscream summoned Swindle to Powerlinx with him in order to defeat his dishonorable counterpart,Cloud Starscream.Hammer

PaniniArmada comic

Despite being augmented by Swindle, Starscream was shot out of the sky byOptimus Prime during a battle onCybertron. To punish him for his failure,Megatron ripped Swindle off of him and threatened to use the Mini-Con for himself.First Encounter!

Many years later, Swindle was brought with the Decepticons toEarth, and was placed in theirSilver Ridge base when he wasn't in use. One day the Autobot-allied Mini-Cons came to save him and the other Mini-Cons held in the base, but they didn'twant to be rescued, and tried to capture their rescuers for the Decepticons instead. Swindle andCrumplezone ended up being zapped byJolt, and the Autobot Mini-Cons got away.Into the Lions' Den! He was later seen standing around withLeader-1 andBlackout on the Decepticons' new base on themoon.Dawn of Destruction!

Kre-O online manga

If you found him in thecomic, you've earned abowl of cereal.

Spark Grid was seen flying away offStarscream's back whenGalvatron destroyed the Starscream statue in one mighty blast.Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!

Legends World

The "Powerlinx" Swindle of theLegends World lived under the clever disguise of a toy, much like the rest of his brethren, and ended up being gifted toStarscream by an unwitting, toy-collectingMegatron. When Swindle overheard fromWindblade that Megatron's obsession was threatening to destroy the universe, he revealed himself to be a living being and imbued Starscream with the power of the Mini-Cons, granting him a super mode strong enough to take on Megatron.LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prologue

Toys

Armada

• Starscream with Swindle (Max-Con Class, 2002)

• Takara ID Number:MD-02
• Takara release date:December 26, 2002
• Known designers:Aaron Archer (Hasbro),Shogo Hasui (Takara),Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Armada Swindle was available only with the larger DecepticonStarscream, transforming into an Indy-style race car. As a Mini-Con, he has a "Powerlinx" socket on his vehicle-mode underside (which ends up on his robot-mode back) which allows him to attach to any toy with a "Powerlinx" style5 mm post; some toys have special Powerlinx posts that activate/unlock gimmicks when a Mini-Con is attached.

He is designed to fit between Starscream's Null Laser Cannons to activate their flip-out action. He can also be clipped on the underside of Starscream's jet-mode cockpit, and deployed by pressing down on Starscream's canopy.

TheTakaraLegends of the Microns version of "Grid" has merely the tiniest of tone changes to its color, being a smidge more vibrant.

This mold wasredecoed to becomeZapmaster and shares engineering with the mold used byMirage andTop Gear.

• More information on Swindle at TFU.info

(Hasbro Zapmaster shown for now)

• Starscream Super Mode with Spark Grid (Max-Con,2003)

• ID number:MD-09
• Release date: September ??, 2003

In the TakaraLegends of the Microns line, just as the HasbroThundercracker deco (with slight alterations) was released as Starscream's powered-up form, so too was the HasbroZapmaster deco (with slight alterations) released as Swindle's powered-up form, as seen in theArmada cartoon. "Spark Grid" uses more vivid blue plastics, but is otherwise identical to Zapmaster.

You can, of course, use yourArmada Zapmaster toy as "Powerlinx Swindle" if you want. Nobody can stop you.

• More information on Spark Grid (actually Zapmaster) at TFU.info

Built to Rule!

• Starscream with Swindle (Brick set, 2003)

For the HasbroBuilt to Rule! building block system, Starscream came with a small, building-block-based version of Swindle. This version can be rebuilt from robot mode into something kind of vaguely resembling a race car. Sort of.

• More information onBuilt to Rule! Swindle at TFU.info

Merchandise

Mega Super Collection Figure

Micro-Mini-Con

• Starscream (MSCF, 2003)

In Japan, a tiny PVC micro-figurine of Swindle based on his animation model was released with theMega Super Collection Figure version ofArmada Starscream.

Like the other Mini-Con PVC micro-figurines in the series, the soft-plastic pegs that keep his arms in place were painted over, and as such are susceptible to snapping off if you try to move the arms, his only points of articulation. Extra-special caution should be taken with these parts.

Notes

• The feature whereArmadaStarscream deploys Swindle from his nosecone is directly inspired by the God Phoenix aircraft from the animeScience Ninja Team Gatchaman, which similarly candeploy an F1 racecar.^[1]

Foreign names

• Japanese:Grid (グリッドGuriddo),Spark Grid ("Powerlinx", スパークグリッドSupāku Guriddo)
• Korean:Grid (그리드Geurideu)
• Polish:Kanciarz ("Racketeer")
• Ukrainian:Heshevtnyk (Гешевтник, "Businessman", from the German wordGeschäft)

References