Runabout

## [Source]

**Runabout** was a Decepticon. He was part of the Earth Infiltration Unit.

## Biography

Around 2001, Runabout was assigned to the infiltration unit deployed to Earth under Starscream's command.

A Human named Stoker obtained evidence of the Decepticon presence on Earth, including images of Starscream in mid-transformation, and details on their abandoned command bunker in Nebraska.

Alongside Runamuck and Thundercracker, Runabout was charged with recovering the data cache from Stoker. Following the bus he took from Phoenix, Arizona to Los Angeles, California, the pair forced the bus off the road and abducted Stoker. However, the data cache was not in his possession. After killing Stoker, Runabout maintained a watch in the area in case anyone investigated. When Ratchet arrived on the scene to find Stoker dead, Runabout launched several missiles at him. The Autobot managed to evade the Decepticon temporarily and escape.

Alongside Runamuck, Runabout pursued Ratchet when he picked up the Humans Verity Carlo and Hunter O'Nion. Ratchet used his concealed weaponry to deal with both pursuers. In Runabout's case, Ratchet managed to blow out one of his windows and scramble his control systems. After losing Ratchet when he went to ground, Runabout joined Runamuck and Thundercracker in creating a search pattern.

After one of the Humans activated the device and clued in the Decepticons to their location, Runabout and Runamuck arrived at Auto Solutions in Riverside, California. Outside, they encountered Verity Carlo, and revealed their true nature to her. When she fled inside, they destroyed the front of the garage and demanded the data storage device. Ratchet managed to fight the pair off at the garage, then fled with the three Humans down Interstate 15. Runabout and Runamuck gave chase, no longer caring about stealth and causing chaos on the roads. Ratchet managed to engineer a crash during the chase, forcing both Runabout and Runamuck off the road.

Some time later, Runabout had returned to the command bunker in Oregon. He waited outside with Astrotrain while Starscream refueled using the newly refine Ore-13. They talked about the arrival of Megatron on Earth and the fact that he was most likely on his way to confront them after hurting Skywarp and Blitzwing badly in Nebraska. Runabout wanted Astrotrain's opinion, which was that they were in way too deep, Starscream emerged and indicated his intention to fight Megatron.

When Megatron arrived at the command bunker, Runabout, Astrotrain, Thundercracker, and Runamuck were sent out to meet him. Megatron gave them the choice to stand down, citing that there would be no mercy for them and they were expendable. Despite being powered with Ore-13, all four of the Decepticons stood down. Starscream did not, attacking Megatron for all his worth but unable to overcome the strength of his commander. During the battle, Runabout spied Bumblebee watching them from the treeline and opened fire, citing it as an internal matter. The recently arrived Prowl returned fire, hitting Runabout and advising everyone to stand down and let Megatron and Starscream sort out their differences.

Megatron dealt with Starscream with a single blast from his fusion cannon, ordering the assembled Decepticons to take Starscream's body inside and indicating to the Autobots who had arrived to potentially contain the situation that they were now in Phase Two.

## Alt Mode

While on Earth, Runabout adopted the alt mode of a 4th Generation Chevrolet Camaro.

## Appearances

* *The Transformers: Infiltration #0* (First appearance)
* *The Transformers: Infiltration #1*
* *The Transformers: Infiltration #2*
* *The Transformers: Infiltration #3*
* *The Transformers: Infiltration #5*
* *The Transformers: Infiltration #6*

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 *The Transformers: Infiltration #0*
2. ↑ The timeline given in *Revolutionaries #1* dates the events of the Transformers arrival on Earth to 2001.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *The Transformers: Infiltration #2*
4. ↑ *The Transformers: Infiltration #4*
5. ↑ *The Transformers: Infiltration #3*
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 *The Transformers: Infiltration #1*
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 *The Transformers: Infiltration #6*