Krunk

Krunk is a Decepticon-allied Nebulan Headmaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Becoming a Decepticon was kind of a lateral career move.

Krunk is Zarak's nasty, brutish bodyguard. He takes orders from Zarak without question, no matter how illegal or rotten they are.

As Snapdragon's Headmaster, he enhances the Decepticon's thuggish personality rather nicely. However, despite being binary bonded, Krunk lives in perpetual fear that he will be the next victim of Snapdragon's violent temper, having seen it's effects on others firsthand. Although Krunk knows that without a head Snapdragon is non-functional, he still fears his presence. This fear of violent retaliation leaves him too afraid to admit his own loathing of the Decepticon's beloved grease baths.^[1]

Fiction

Marvel The Transformers comics

On the other hand, he wouldn't have to wear this again.

Krunk tried to kidnap Llyra in order to extort ransom money from her wealthy father, Lord Zarak. Zarak caught him and threatened to kill him if he didn't swear loyalty to Zarak's family. Krunk did and became their bodyguard. Snapdragon's Transformers Universe profile

Krunk was instrumental in fomenting distrust against the Autobots when they arrived on Nebulos. Acting on Lord Zarak's instructions, he fired a magnetic ray at Blurr's arm when the Autobot arrived as the emissary of Fortress Maximus at the Plaza in Koraja, causing Blurr's arm to strike the model of Nebulos which formed the centrepiece of a fountain in the plaza. The model of Nebulos struck the ground and caused a mass panic (being the famous "Bonk" incident) and forced Blurr to flee Koraja. Ring of Hate!

When some of the Nebulons were demonstrating against the Autobots (an incident staged by Zarak), Krunk agreed with Zarak that it was nice to see them exercising their free speech. Later, after the xenophobic Nebulans had gleaned Cybertron's location from the Autobots' headquarters, Krunk put on a big set of headphones and got in touch with the robots' homeworld, which allowed Zarak to contact Scorponok and beckon him to Nebulos. Broken Glass!

When Scorponok arrived, Zarak's followers learned immediately that the Decepticons felt nothing but contempt for their kind. Doomsday for Nebulos They held Zarak, Krunk, Spasma, Grax, and Monzo captive until Scorponok saw what the Autobot Headmasters could achieve in battle. Zarak convinced him his troops needed Headmasters, too. Krunk was bonded to Snapdragon, and together they participated in an ambush against Fortress Maximus's soldiers. Love and Steel! The pair next worked together to slaughter several Autobots at the Mercury Gardens of Melanossus. Those few that escaped the Decepticons wound up fleeing into Nebulos's swamp lands. When he wasn't acting as Snapdragon's head, Krunk guarded the captured Autobot Headmasters and operated the controls to the macro-restraining harness that restrained the Nebulons. When Zarak was thinking clearly and worried about Scorponok's influence he told Krunk to move aside and let him at the harness controls. When Krunk hesitated, Zarak knocked him aside and freed the Autobots. Brothers in Armor!!

When the Decepticons pursued the Autobots to Earth, Krunk was aboard the bridge of the Semper Tyrannis as they arrived in orbit. The Decepticons were not impressed by the planet. Trial by Fire! When Scorponok's troops first met Ratbat's Decepticons on Earth, the Mini-Cassette commander mocked the pitiful flesh creatures. Zarak had Krunk and his other Headmaster soldiers reveal their human forms to counter Ratbat's statement. Cold War!

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Chris Latta (English), Kōji Ochiai (Japanese)

After the Hive members converted the Decepticons heads into exo-suits, Krunk and Spasma introduced themselves to their partners, Snapdragon and Apeface, warning the two Horrorcons not to mess with them or they'd get mad. Neither Decepticon seemed particularly impressed. Later on, Krunk and some other Hive members ganged up on Brainstorm to wrest the Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber from him successfully. The Rebirth, Part 2

Swamp of the Scorpion

Krunk was under the command of Lord Zarak when the later planned to steal Nebulos's oil supply. Stationed deep within Nebulos's jungle-swamp, Krunk and the Decepticons ran into opposition in the form of a young Nebulan and the Autobot Highbrow. Which side of the conflict emerged victorious depended on the decisions you made! Swamp of the Scorpion

Commercial appearances

Krunk piloted Snapdragon's jet mode deep into the canyons of Nebulon. The pair then combined in order to wreck some nearby rock formations. Headmaster Horrorcons commercial

Toys

The Transformers

"TV Puppet Pals! TV Puppet Pals! Lots of Fun for Guys and Gals!"

• Snapdragon and Krunk (Headmaster Horrorcon, 1987)
  • Takara ID number: D-100

• Known designers: Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy)

Like his partner, Krunk is a triple changer, transforming from an armored humanoid that fits in Snapdragon's jet-mode cockpit into the Decepticon's robot mode head, plus having a third configuration as a dragon-mode head as well. Krunk features a transformation unlike any other Headmaster partner: His connector plug isn't his head but located near his hips. This allows his jointed hips and legs to serve as a functional jaw for Snapdragon's dragon-mode head, so he gets to see everything Snapdragon eats in that mode. Yummy.

The picture shown here omits one transformation step. It is possible to flip up Snapdragon's robot-mode mouthplate to form a spike for the dragon head.

Though he only came with his partner, in head mode, Krunk is compatible with any other Headmaster body. On the larger Headmasters, he gives three of Snapdragon's Tech Spec stats in their display window, but the smaller ones still display their normal heads' stats due to their construction.

• More information on Krunk at TFU.info

War for Cybertron: Earthrise

"How did we get here, Krunk?" "You got me. By all accounts, it doesn't make any sense."

• Snapdragon (Voyager Class, 2020)
  • Hasbro ID number: WFC-E21
  • TakaraTomy ID number: ER EX-10
  • TakaraTomy release date: September 26, 2020

• Known designers: Emiliano Santalucia (concept artist)

The first official release for the character in 33 years, Earthrise "Decepticon Krunk" becomes the head of Snapdragon. Like Siege Spasma before him, Titan Master Krunk forms only a portion of the beast mode head - this time being the lower jaw and eyes of the dino mode. Also like Spasma, Krunk lacks a heelspur in his robot mode, which makes him incompatible with some Titan Master vehicles, including Fasttrack from the same line.

Krunk is not named in the toy packaging but was referred to as Headmaster Decepticon Krunk by the toy's Hasbro Pulse listing.^[2]

In Japan, Snapdragon and Krunk was released as a TakaraTomy Mall exclusive.

Notes

• In the Japanese The Headmasters continuity, Krunk does not exist as a separate entity from Snapdragon; like all Headmasters, the large robot is just a lifeless Transtector body controlled entirely by the head unit. However, Snapdragon's head unit is still called "Krunk" when separated from the larger robot body, even though it's the same guy!
• Snapdragon and Krunks' character models were designed by Marvel Productions, and as such, no rear-view models for any of their modes were made, as Toei's artists were typically the ones in charge of designing rear-view models. Being one of the few sets of models to be used in both "The Rebirth" and The Headmasters, a Toei artist by the name of "Miki" (full name currently unknown) was assigned the task of designing rear-view models for Snapdragon and his diminutive "Krunk" form for The Headmasters cartoon. This is why they are never shown from behind in "The Rebirth", the commercial animations, and the Marvel comics—and if they are, it's usually improvised.
• Krunk's Earthrise packaging labeling him as a "Titan Master" implies he is a native-born mechanical Cybertronian in this continuity, but owing to a lack of detailed bios, this is never expounded upon.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Krunk (クランク Kuranku)
• French: Kronk (France)
• Russian: Drachun (Драчун, "Scrapper")

References