Longtooth
From Transformers Wiki
- Longtooth is an Autobot Pretender from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Longtooth believes in dedication. Whether that dedication consists of guarding underwater installations, patrolling for Decepticon activity or ruthlessly hunting down endangered species because they swallowed something valuable, Longtooth knows that diligence and persistence will inevitably lead to success.
This sometimes drives him insane.
And for the love of God, don't bite off his leg.
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Fiction
Marvel The Transformers comics
Millions of years ago on Cybertron, Longtooth was one of the few survivors of a massive Decepticon offensive against the Autobots. Shellshocked, he clung to one of his dying troopmates, begging the Autobot not to die and leave him alone. At that moment, Optimus Prime came out of the smoke and commended Longtooth on his fighting spirit and dedication to his fellow Autobot. He removed a small portion of Matrix-force from his chest and gave it to Longtooth, to heal the fallen robot's injuries. Instead, to his eternal shame, Longtooth pocketed it for himself. Though his wounded companion survived, Longtooth kept the Matrix shard and carried it as a good luck charm into battle from then on. Though still afraid of dying, Longtooth found his guilt a more powerful motivator than fear and daringly charged headfirst into every battle afterwards. When he heard how Optimus Prime lost the Matrix, Longtooth finally gave up his "lucky charm" and sent it in a message buoy back to the Ark and to Prime. Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?
While hunting for the Creation Matrix, Longtooth worked with Pincher and Doubleheader on Gottlieb, where a strange, whale-like creature called the Klud had turned up alive again, apparently attacking ships. During the investigation, the creature ate Longtooth's leg, which drove him to madness. He then stole a whaler and maniacally hunted for the creature, putting a peg in place of his lost leg. As Thunderwing's Decepticons battled the Autobots overhead, hoping to learn the secret behind the Klud's mysterious resurrection, Pincher managed to talk him into letting the creature live. However, Longtooth's sanity and ultimate fate remained in question. Deadly Obsession
Marvel UK future timelines
In the alternate future of 2009, Longtooth was one of the Autobots fleeing a Decepticon-ruled Cybertron to Autobot City: Earth. When a saboteur hit the ship, Longtooth was briefly suspected by Kup, but it was later revealed to be a Unicron-possessed Rodimus Prime. Edge of Impact After their ship crashed to Earth, Longtooth was among the Autobots who fought back against Rodimus, but was shot down by the evil energy Rodimus was throwing around. Shadow of Evil
2005 IDW continuity
- First appearance: Spotlight: Arcee
Longtooth was incarcerated in the penitentiary complex on Garrus-9. Spotlight: Arcee
"No."
Having been released at some point before the war ended, Longtooth returned to Cybertron and got work as a cameraman for the Iacon Communication Service. He broadcasted Circuit's live interview with Starscream and Omega Supreme and the aftermath of an attack on Omega an hour later. The End of the Beginning of the World While reporting on the Decepticon riots that had broken out in the wake of Megatron's return, Longtooth and Circuit were approached by Metalhawk, who requested the use of their broadcast as a method to quell the violence. The Verge Once Metalhawk was done giving a speech to the populace, the two reporters were pulled away by reports that Megatron had been broken out of prison. Before the Dawn
Following a battle that ended with Megatron's defeat, Longtooth witnessed Starscream declare himself leader of the NAIL population and banish all Autobots and Decepticons from Iacon. Heavy Is the Head He was among those who opted to abandon their factions in favor of remaining in the city, where he continued working as Circuit's cameraman. Three Monologues When the population moved to Metroplex in the wake of Iacon's destruction, Longtooth and Circuit attempted to ask Starscream for a comment. Hello Cruel World
Longtooth and Circuit took it upon themselves to investigate a deadly explosion in the Acrolight District, but their attempts to interview patrons at Maccadam's Old Oil House only got them thrown out and listening in on Windblade and Chromia almost got them killed. Once Windblade found out that Starscream was "mining" Metroplex for Regenesis ore, she brought the two reporters to the mine to prove it. A Long Way Down After a tussle with the Terrorcon guards, their group was captured and imprisoned by Starscream. Longtooth unwisely protested by saying he had footage of Starscream's crimes in his head, but shut up once Starscream pointed out that said head could very easily be removed. The prisoners were then broken out by Blurr, Sky-Byte and Swindle, Windblade vol. 1 #3 and Longtooth's footage never came to light due to a deal between Starscream and Windblade. Windblade vol. 1 #4
During the official first contact between Cybertron and Caminus, Longtooth and Circuit were present to record the momentous occasion. The Possible Light
As Starscream prepared a new state-mandated holiday celebrating the glory that was him, he provided Longtooth and Circuit with a recorded statement explaining the holiday. Unfortunately for Starscream, Longtooth and Circuit got buzzed on high-grade energon and were too drunk to air the statement properly. By cutting off the broadcast during Starscream's speech, it sounded as if Starscream was encouraging the people of Cybertron to be nice to everyone, not just him. Choose Me Following the apparent murder of an unarmed Decepticon by the Badgeless, Longtooth went along with Circuit when he reached out to Starscream for comments. 07:00:00 While filming the aftermath of the battle with Bruticus, Longtooth was grabbed by Chromia, who confessed to the Acrolight bombing straight into his camera. The Line Between Us
Soon after, Optimus Prime annexed Earth as his personal protectorate and tried to have it added to the Council of Worlds. Starscream sent Circuit and Longtooth to the planet to film what was going on, figuring the truth would be enough to turn people against Prime. The Medium and the Message Prime didn't appreciate their presence and yelled at them to leave, but the two reporters stoutly remained, reporting on a human retaliatory attack that took place when the natives took Prime's actions for an invasion. It's Beginning To And Back Again Starscream's plan backfired when Longtooth ended up with footage of Optimus raising a Titan on Earth, an act that rather served to solidify his right to be called Prime. As Above...So Below The reporters then returned to Cybertron. The Last Autobot
Longtooth filmed as Circuit interviewed Elita One in the wake of Sentinel Prime unleashing an army of undead Titans on Cybertron. Heavy Several months later, Longtooth and Circuit watched Optimus depart from the Spire following his unhelpful meeting with the Council of Worlds to discuss Earth's status. Behind My Bleeding Back
Longtooth accompanied Circuit as they interviewed attendees at the ceremony for Earth's induction into the Council of Worlds. They then covered the Iron Ring's attack on the proceedings (while avoiding explosions.) First Strike issue 1 Unification Day: Dawn
When Windblade returned to her position as delegate for Caminus in the Council of Worlds, Starscream had Circuit and Longtooth on-hand to help deliver a little pomp and circumstance, taking a photo of her as she returned to work. After Windblade started mentioning something she shouldn't, the two were hurriedly ushered out of the room by Starscream's security. Sitting outside, Longtooth and Circuit grumbled about freedom of the press, when suddenly Windblade came out and told Longtooth to start filming as she revealed to them the impeding threat of Liege Maximo. The Chosen One
Onyx Prime's return to Cybertron coincided with an explosion that rocked the Spire and killed Alpha Trion. Circuit and Longtooth's broadcast captured Onyx's accusations of sabotage towards the Decepticons and humans that Optimus Prime had allied with. The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground
A Tale of the Pretenders
While trying to find Metalhawk in Japan, Longtooth and other Autobot Pretenders ran into a human woman who pleaded with them to save her siblings from Decepticon Pretenders. They soon found their teammate and were able to fight off the Decepticons. A Tale of the Pretenders
Beast Wars: Uprising
On an energon-depleted post-war Cybertron, Longtooth was one of the stationary Builders, too energy-inefficient to move about on his own. He was wired into the highest spire of Glibax, where he monitored Maximal activity on the ground below with obsessive voyeurism. Broken Windshields Five years into the Grand Uprising, he and his Cyberdroid attendants watched a column of tank drones bulldoze their way through the Maximal slums on their way to Iacon. Derailment
Toys
The Transformers
- Accessories: plasma cannon, ionic field generator, carrier wheels/backpack
- Known designers: Tetsuya Ikeda (TakaraTomy)
- The Transformers Longtooth's inner robot transforms into an amphibious transport vehicle of fictional design, although most of the vehicle mode's mass is composed of a removable "backpack" part. His shell represents a humanoid walrus with an electronic eye. Longtooth is an oddity amongst the standard Autobot Pretenders as his shell is not in the form of a human. The Pretender shell uses the larger ionic field generator, while the inner robot uses the smaller plasma cannon. Like all of the 1989 Pretenders, the smaller plasma cannon can store inside the shell in a port located in the leg.
- Extra care must be taken with the armature that connects the vehicle mode hood to the body, as both ends of said armature utilize a tiny clip connection that connect to bars on the hood and cockpit sections, and can stress and break from being overextended past their natural stopping points—or just frequent use. Needless to say, a lot of secondhand Longtooths on the aftermarket tend to have the whole hood missing, likely due to the clips on this piece having snapped at either or both ends.
- No version of this mold or character was released in Japan.
Merchandise
Transformers Character Card
- Released as part of the third wave of the e-HOBBY exclusive Transformers Character Card series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of Longtooth and Octopunch along with character profiles and tech specs.
Notes
- The Pretender shells of Longtooth and Octopunch both possess human skull belt buckles. The significance of this shared detail, if any, has never been revealed.
- When artist/writer Nick Roche was asked to name his least favorite Transformer, he chose Longtooth after only the briefest hesitation.
- Longtooth's vehicle alternate mode is reminiscent of a sea creature, with eye-like windshields and a flat-topped hull with protrusions, looking like a large jaw with teeth.
- IDW's reinterpretation of Longtooth is designed to invoke some of his Pretender shell features onto his inner-robot, with a helmet evocative of his distinctive walrus tusks and his "eyepatch" re-envisioned as the camera of his new trade as cameraman.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Longtooth (ロングトゥース Rongutūsu)
- French: Longues Dents (France, "Long Teeth"), Grancroc (Canada, "Big Fang")
- Hungarian: Agyar ("Fang")
- Italian: Ferox (Latin for "Ferocious")
