Maccadam's Old Oil House

"...to be loved by you."

Situated over at sub-level six on Cybertron's lower-east quadrant, or just east of the High Council Pavilions in Iacon, is one of Cybertron's most renowned enterprises: Maccadam's Old Oil House—the biggest single source of black market fuel on the entire planet. Its main attraction, beyond the excellent service, exceptionally pure oil and general selection of fuel, is that the proprietors make no distinction between Autobots, Neutralists, and Decepticons, with strict policies in place against fighting on the premises. If you can pay, you can stay.

Fuelled by the bar's ability to keep the burden of war outside its doors (most of the time), rumours circulate that Maccadam's Old Oil House is no ordinary establishment. Rather, it would exist out of the normal space and time continuum, possibly even be a nexus for multiple dimensions, and its secretive owner Maccadam would be nothing less than one of the thirteen original Transformers. Of course, people tend to gush out a lot under the influence, so little attention is paid to this inevitable falsehood.

Sometimes it is part of a Titan.

Known staff members across universes include:

• Maccadam — owner
• A female robot — bartender
• Rocky — bouncer
• Zarak Maximus — bouncer (possibly)
• A Mini-Con — waiter
• Tusks — entertainer
• Lickety-Split — waitress
• Blurr — new owner
• Perceptor — new owner

Sometimes the place is known as Maccadam's New Oil House, and other times simply as Maccadam's.

Fiction

Generation 1 continuity family

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Why does no-one ever suggest that the guy in the framed picture on the wall is Maccadam?

Answering a question about his plans if he were Decepticon leader, Dreadwind said that he'd take over Maccadam's Old Oil House and call it a day.^[1]

"All these machines and no dishwasher! That's irony, right buddy?"

The Wreckers liked to visit Maccadam's Old Oil House on their downtime. So when the members of the group were disheartened because they had to abandon Operation: Volcano, Twin Twist, Roadbuster and Whirl took their mood to the bar to drink it off. They were discussing their decision to step out of the mission when a loudmouthed Decepticon stomped into the establishment and immediately turned his attention to the bar's musician. Apparently having a history with the entertainer regarding discrepancies in their respective musical tastes, the Decepticon started beating him up for still playing "that aural atrocity". Twin Twist wanted to help, but Roadbuster declared it was not their fight. Twin Twist called slag on that, punched the Decepticon into a couple of pieces and speeched his colleagues that it always was their fight, inspiring them to resume participation in Operation Volcano. Target: 2006

When Thunderwing rose to power, he ended Maccadam's status as a neutral area, much to everyone but the Decepticons' annoyance. Quickswitch pondered bitterly about this while waiting impatiently for his Decepticon informants inside the bar. His attention was first erroneously piqued by the arrival of Dreadwind and Darkwing, who, feeling like losers, had chosen to drink away their sorrows at Maccadam's Old Oil House. Shortly after them entered another Decepticon, severely damaged, who warned the staff and customers that "creatures" outside had eaten his comrades and were coming this way. The bartender was unimpressed, stating that the bouncer Rocky would stop them. He wouldn't, as the Mecannibals had already eaten him after having followed the Decepticon Powermaster duo to the bar. Making their entrance, the Mecannibals immediately began tearing up the joint, with the pair of inebriated Powermasters blissfully unaware of the chaos around them. Quickswitch decided he couldn't just stand by and watch the slaughter, so he leapt into action. After a brief skirmish, Quickswitch used his tunneling mode to destroy the bar's supports and bury the Mecannibals alive deep underground. Finally making contact with the present again, Dreadwind and Darkwing noticed they were alone in the wrecked bar and decided to split before anyone would blame them. Out to Lunch!

Classics

During the time Cybertron was run by the Mini-Cons in preparation for the return of the bulks, Maccadam's Old Oil House was of special significance to the population. It had always been a place of peace, but to the new breed of Transformers it served as a testament to how their species could find joy and harmony even in the worst of times. Also, due to its immunity to the ravaging influence of the war, the place was in working order —excluding the entrance sign that notoriously refused to stay properly lit— and stocked when the Mini-Cons came upon it. It was soon reopened to serve as a place for relaxation after a long day of rebuilding Cybertron and killing Mutants.

The Dinobots and Broadside visited the bar one time, the former merely to unwind, the latter to attend a secret meeting about the progress of his plot to claim Cybertron for the Mini-Cons permanently. For his next move, he intended to have Modus Prime murdered and blame it on the bulks, a radical turn of events he'd need time for to convince his allies. As one of the waiters in on the conspiracy arranged a private room in the back area for them to talk, Broadside met up with Sledge and Wideload. With the crowd thin that night, the Dinobot Knockdown, seated at the other side of the room, had a clear view on their activities, but didn't think any of it.

Once Broadside and company had left for the back-room area, Knockdown forgot about them until he heard angered shouting coming from the direction they had gone to. The Dinobots functioned as Maccadam's Old Oil House's unofficial bouncers if they were around, so Knockdown felt obliged to check on the situation himself. He was right in front of the door to the meeting room when the waiter came back out in a rather suspicious manner, allowing Knockdown only a faint glimpse of what was going on inside. The waiter was startled when he spotted Knockdown and came close to killing him in panic, but managed to regain his composure before doing anything that gave away his malintent. The waiter apologized for his behaviour and went on to distract Knockdown from the scene by noting how grateful the staff at Maccadam's was for the Dinobots' occasional help and offering a bottle of Siebenaler Vintage if the Dinobot would give him some tips on handling bad customers. The New World

Regeneration One

The moustachioed bartender was sweeping debris out of Maccadam's following the effects of Scorponok's Gene Key on Cybertron's population. Destiny, Part One

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Where everybody knows your name.

The moustachioed bartender worked at Maccadam's Old Oil House in his usual capacity, and it seemed Zarak Maximus had a job as bouncer. Transformers: The Ultimate Guide

Universe comic

Given that Iacon was no longer in use post-Great Upgrade, it would seem that Maccadam had moved his establishment to Cybertropolis, as Rattrap offered to share a vat of vintage oil from Maccadam's with Trailbreaker when he and his comrades returned to Cybertron after the Great Transformation. Abduction

2005 IDW continuity

Maccadam's New Oil House opened in Rodion shortly before the Clampdown. Megatron and Impactor were patrons. Chaos Theory #1 as were a time-traveling Rung, Rodimus, Tailgate, Cyclonus, and Riptide. Stet Nightbeat and Quark were standing outside the bar when they discovered a body hanging from the nearby Interstate Bridge. Post Hoc Windcharger, Huffer, and Brawn were seated there when they caught a broadcast from Optimus Prime asking all Cybertronians to join him against the Decepticons. Broadcast Hot Rod was drinking at Maccadam's shortly after graduating from Autobot Academy, and ran into his old friend Slinger outside. Primacy #1

In the early stages of his leadership of the Autobots, Optimus Prime felt that his abilities to hold a speech were on par with someone who had had too much to drink at Maccadam's. The Iron Age

Once the war was over, Blurr decided to re-open Maccadam's Old Oil House in the shanty town that Iacon had become, intending it to be a place where Autobots, Decepticons and NAILs could all relax without the usual tension. A Better Tomorrow The bar proved popular, and Jazz and Sky-Byte formed a musical/poetic duo there to entertain the patrons. Interference Patterns Later, Bumblebee visited the bar to enlist Blurr's help in locating the missing Ironhide. Night and the City

With Megatron's return and the ensuing Decepticon riot, Blurr battened down the hatches at Maccadam's and sheltered several NAILs (plus a couple of disaffected Decepticons) there. City on Fire With a rampaging mob outside, Arcee appeared inside the bar and tasked Blurr with transporting two more Decepticons—Dirge and Swindle—to Bumblebee. The rioters then set fire to the bar, forcing the remaining occupants to abandon it. The Verge Following the defeat of the Decepticons, Blurr returned to rebuild Maccadam's and kicked out new NAIL leader Starscream, who was looking to use the bar to connect with his people. Three Monologues

After Iacon was abandoned in the wake of the Dark Cybertron disaster, Blurr moved Maccadam's Old Oil House to city mode Metroplex, where it continued to be a popular watering hole. A 'Bot and Her City Circuit and Longtooth attempted to interview the patrons on a recent explosion in the Acrolight District, only to be thrown out by an annoyed Blurr. The brief words the reporters got out of Waspinator were of interest to Windblade and Chromia, who then visited to Maccadam's to interrogate him. A Long Way Down Blurr later threw a party at the bar in celebration of Wheeljack's return, and everyone had a great time aside from Wheeljack himself. The World of Tomorrow

Ironhide and Mirage met at Maccadam's to discuss the visions they'd both been having, and paid no heed to Blurr's griping about how his usual customers had all run off to Caminus. You, Me, and the Universe Once the initial chaos had settled down and Cybertron and Caminus were united, Cybertronians and Camiens alike celebrated a "Not the End of the World" party at Maccadam's. Windblade invited the Velocitronian delegates, Knock Out and Moonracer, learning more about Velocitron's society from the latter while the former was busy butting heads with Blurr. Windblade vol. 2 #4

As more and more colonists appeared on Cybertron, they frequented Maccadam's as a melting pot for social interaction. Blurr called Ironhide to the bar so the security officer could remove a loud patron. 07:00:00

When Earth was slated to join the Council of Worlds, Blurr set up several screens in the bar so the public could watch the ceremony. He was interviewed in the bar for his opinion of humanity joining the Council. Primeless, Part 1

Not long afterwards, Windblade revealed to the public that Liege Maximo was free and planning horrible revenge on Cybertron much to the worry of the barflies watching the broadcast. When Windblade put forth her name in the upcoming elections, Blurr set her up with a booth in the bar where she could meet with the voters and listen to their opinions, grievances and suggestions. The Chosen One

When Unicron began its apocalyptic attack on the Council of Worlds, Blurr remained his bar believing it to be the next in a long line of crises that would soon pass. When the monster began physically attacking Cybertron, Blurr remained in his bar until he noticed the magical light of the Talisman making people disappear. Unhesitatingly, Blurr charged out of his bar to get his fellows to the safety of the ribbon. Shortly afterwards, Maccadam's was destroyed as Unicron tore Cybertron asunder. Road's End

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

Snake-Eyes visited Maccadam's Lubricarium in search of information, promptly causing a bar brawl by kicking a drink into the face of a patron. Expelled from the Garden

War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon

While searching for the Allspark, Wheeljack noted that the Ark barely had enough energon left to fill a mug at Maccadam's. Earthrise episode 3

Unicron Trilogy

Prime Spark

A bartender was told by somebody to expect a group of four temporarily deceased Optimuses to arrive in one of the bar's backrooms. He provided a table with four chairs and pitchers of oil for their refreshment. Armada Optimus Prime was first and the bartender reminded him of the tab he has running. The three other Optimuses soon arrived to talk over the doubts Armada Optimus was having about his leadership. After that, the bartender returned to inform them they needed the room for other purposes they had to leave through the back door, which they did, returning to life. Prime Spark

Cybertron comic

Not all Transformers responded to the order of a planetwide evacuation. The Decepticons Crush Groove and Jackhammer didn't buy into the mass hysteria and remained on Cybertron, using the opportunity of a deserted world to break into Maccadam's Old Oil House and steal all the energon and oil they'd ever need. Though not the smartest crooks in the history of their race, they would likely have gotten away with it if not for the arrival of the Heralds of Unicron known as Ramjet and Nemesis Prime. Ramjet offered them a place among Unicron's minions, but the duo declined impolitely. They were subsequently killed. Crime just doesn't pay. Balancing Act

Live-action film series

Maccadam's exists and the area wherein it is located is surrounded by the Rad Zone, Kolkular, Kaon, Moon Alpha, and the Tri-Torus Loop. Risk

Animated cartoon

A cross-factional bar isn't as impressive on an all-Autobot Cybertron.

Charming as ever, Sentinel Prime promised himself to down a few barrels at Maccadam's Oil House and talk trash about Optimus Prime after being pushed into speaking (positively) at his and his crew's funeral. Dispatches

Some time later, Ratchet and Captain Fanzone were accidentally transported via the space bridge to a location on Cybertron not far from the bar. Ratchet was intent on visiting his favorite "greasy valve", but Sentinel Prime had closed Maccadam's Old Oil House (and other "subversive" locations) for security reasons. This Is Why I Hate Machines

Maccadam's menu features a lengthy list of Energons, oils, and other fuels. It also features depictions of heads of some of its frequent patrons, though their accuracy is often suspect. The AllSpark Almanac II Further menus even depict distinctly non-robotic patrons. The Complete AllSpark Almanac

Aligned continuity family

Aligned novels

Orion Pax and Jazz were regular patrons at Maccadam's before the war. Their drink of choice seems to have been Visco. Exodus Wheeljack also enjoyed the establishment.

After the Great War had broken out, Maccadam turned his bar into the hub of the spy-net of the Autobot resistance. Retribution

Rescue Bots cartoon

High Tide enjoyed celebrating All Spark Day telling stories over a quart of Visco at Maccadam's Old Oil House. All Spark Day

Knights of Unicron

Maccadam's Old Oil House was the twenty-third venue for the Knights of Unicron on their 2014 "Till All Are One" tour. Knights of Unicron

Ask Vector Prime

On the eve of a momentous confrontation between the Autobots and Decepticons, Sideways encountered Gong in Maccadam's Old Oil House in a Primax universe. The two quickly hit it off and went right to scheming, prompting the barkeep to warn Vector Prime out what was up. Echoes and Fragments

Cyberverse cartoon

Now under the ownership of Bibbo Bibbowski.

Though rumours spread of it originally being an old oil house, Maccadam's traced its origin to Cybertron's Age of Expansion. When the era of colonization came to an end, the last of the War Titans, the mighty Iaconus, was unable to cope with the peacetime and went on a rampage, being felled through the sacrificial efforts of his crew. Maccadam, the only survivor of the rampage, buried Iaconus beneath the land that would become Iacon, cloaking his mass and converting the uppermost part of the Titan's structure into a pub as a means of keeping guard, using the Titan's internal facilities to generate a steady stream of beverages for his patrons. The Citizen

In the years before the Great War, it was a popular joint for local 'bots to visit, and one of Bumblebee's favourite hangouts. Though a kind and jovial barkeep, Maccadam enforced a strict "no fighting" policy. Maccadam's After meeting Windblade at a Cube match, Bumblebee invited her to join him in a visit. Cube After rubbing shoulders with some of Bumblebee's friends, the two eventually encountered Maccadam, who gave them some cryptic advice regarding a future situation they'd find themselves in.

During the Great War, the bar retained its neutrality, with both Autobots and Decepticons coming in for a drink. The Decepticon deserter Deadlock attempted to take shelter in the bar, but was pursued by Megatron, seeking to kill him for betrayal. When a fight threatened to break out, Maccadam deployed his frightening alternate mode to intimidate Megatron into retreating. Maccadam informed Deadlock that he'd be safe at his bar, and could stay as long as he'd like. Maccadam's As neutral ground, the bar was later used as a meeting place for one of Optimus Prime and Megatron's many failed negotiations. Parley During a particular all-Decepticon night, Maccadam's played host to a beattboxing battle between Soundwave and Soundblaster. The Immobilizers

Many years later, endless war had reduced most of Iacon to ruins. Shortly before Bumblebee was due to leave Cybertron aboard the Ark, he and Windblade stopped by to mourn the closure of the bar, and were surprised to learn that the bar was still open, thanks to its proprietor getting his hands on a private supply of energon. After receiving some more mysterious wisdom from Maccadam, the two friends shared one last drink before Grimlock called them to the Ark's launch site. Maccadam's

After the AllSpark had been returned to Cybertron, the Quintessons invaded and conquered the planet, enthralling the population. The cloaking module still online, The Citizen Maccadam invited what few free sparks were left refuge in the bar, the Prosecutors being blind to the structure. The Dead End

After Starscream was revealed as the new Quintesson Judge and rounded up the populace, the Sharkticons headed to Maccadam's to toast the end of the universe where they were mopped up by Windblade as she and Maccadam fought their way to the cityspeaker chamber to awaken Iaconus. The End Of The Universe II

The Quintessons were repelled soon enough though both Maccadam and Iaconus perished in the battle, Iaconus' now exposed city mode serving as the Autobot capital. The bar remained a popular watering hole for the Autobots, Perceptor adopting the role of barkeep. Wild Wild Wheel While having drinks, a group of Autobots toasted to the revival of Alien Hunt! Alien Hunt! With Meteorfire And Cosmos

After the end of the war, the reunited Autobots and Decepticons held a wake for Soundwave at Maccadam's, with Optimus leading the others in a toast to his memory. The Perfect Decepticon

Merchandise

• Transformers Monopoly (2007)

Maccadam's Old Oil House replaces Oriental in this version of the game.

• RISK TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON Battle Edition (2007)

Maccadams is one of the purple zones on the board.

Notes

• The idea that Maccadam's Old Oil House exists within a dimensional nexus, allowing characters from different universes to crossover and interact within its walls, is a shameless ripoff direct homage to Munden's Bar from the comic book series Grimjack. Munden's existed within a dimensional nexus allowing characters such as those in Grimjack and other indie comic publications (including the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) to meet up in back-up features.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Maccadam's (マカダムス Makadamusu)

References