Piranacon (G1)

Piranacon is a Decepticon combiner from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Seafood SLEWis.

When it comes to combiners, most suffer from the same problem: an inability to agree on anything while in their super-robot form, resulting in limited intelligence and limited effectiveness. Such is not the case with Piranacon. The Seacons who compose Piranacon can all agree on one thing, they love to hunt. In fact, they love it so much, that once they combine, they absolutely will not stop until they've either run out of energy or are destroyed. This has gotten to be such a problem that their commander, Snaptrap, has been forced to activate an automatic timer upon combination, forcing Piranacon to disassemble after a period of time. Despite this one set-back, Megatron considers Piranacon an ideal warrior and wishes he had more Decepticons like him.

Piranacon is usually the combined form of:

• Nautilator (firearm)
• Overbite (right arm)
• Seawing (left arm)
• Skalor (right leg)
• Snaptrap (torso)
• Tentakil (left leg)

All of the Seacons, save for Snaptrap, have a Targetmaster mode that can be used by Piranacon himself. Overbite was intended to be the combiner's main weapon but Nautilator's incompetence results the formation mentioned above.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Eh, he's not so big.

Shockwave sent the Seacons to attack Galvatron when the future Decepticon neared the Decepticons' island base and threatened his position as Decepticon leader. When the six warriors failed to put a dent in Galvatron, they combined into Piranacon and renewed their attack. Even in this massive form, after a long and brutal underwater battle, Galvatron defeated them. Blasted into their component parts, the Seacons were abandoned where they fell. Enemy Action!

Also available in Tropical Berry.

Soon after their island base was relocated to the Arctic, Piranacon's might was called upon again. A mysterious starship had entered their airspace, and this potentially hostile action had to be answered with a show of strength. Piranacon assembled and grappled the edge of the starship as it landed, but he was called off when Starscream announced that these were no intruders, but a second group of Decepticons led by Scorponok come to visit. Piranacon set the starship gently on the ground. Cold War!

Transformers Comic-Magazin

When Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in New York City, he gave a "statue" of Snaptrap as a gift to the city. Just what they always wanted. Unsurprisingly, this statue turned out to be Snaptrap in disguise. Once night fell, Snaptrap transformed into Piranacon (on his own apparently) and went on a rampage. He was eventually stopped by the mighty force of the Sparkabots, Scoop and Quickmix. The Troy Principle Those events were also recorded on a videotape that was later found and watched by Autobots on Cybertron after a nuclear disaster in Kalis. In Memory of Earth

The characteristics of "Pirranacon" and the "Small Targetmaster Seacons" were reviewed by Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in a simulation watched by Goldbug. Memories of Bumblebee

Classics

"Bring me the brown trousers."

During Bludgeon's campaign against Megatron, the Seacons sided with the skeletal samurai Pretender. When Bludgeon was informed that Hun-Grrr had betrayed him in favor of Megatron, he and the Seacons confronted the Terrorcon leader. Hun-Grrr was outraged at the accusation, and hostilities lead to both teams combining. Abominus put up a good fight, but in the end, Piranacon jammed his sword into his opponent's back. The Terrorcons collectively entered stasis lock.

Fearing that Hun-Grrr was able to leak his battle plans to Megatron's forces, Bludgeon prepared for an immediate strike. Back at his command station, he issued orders to the Seacons. They made as if to obey, but secretly combined into Piranacon once more. Bludgeon turned, discovering the true traitors, and acknowledged that Megatron was his tactical superior. Piranacon blasted the Pretender to oblivion with his Mass-Compression Cannon. At Fight's End

Following their arrival on prehistoric Earth in another reality, Tentakil and Nautilator were killed Shattered Time and later replaced with Scylla. Shattered Expectations Consequently, Piranacon's consciousness was destroyed, and when the Seacons next combined while trying to steal the Maximals' energy purifier, the combined form called itself God Neptune. This new, more intelligent and tactical combiner kept Magnaboss busy with a typhoon attack while Autojetter and Autolauncher secured the purifier. Shattered Hope Joining Megatron's assault in an attempt to obtain the Origin Matrix, the Seacons again merged into God Neptune and battled Magnaboss, until Ultra Mammoth opened a dimensional rift, and the Predacons were all sucked through. Shattered Destiny

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Although any member other than Snaptrap could take turns, the team usually tried to make sure that their resident screw-up Nautilator was the one relegated to the role of Targetmaster. Nautilator's incompetence was so severe that his fellow Seacons preferred to exclude him from the primary gestalt, having discovered that Piranacon's effectiveness was noticeably impaired whenever his mind was part of the mix. More than Meets the Eye #5

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Ocean man, take me by the hand...

The Seacons formed Piranacon as a response to the Predacons assaulting Nautilator and wrestling in on their part of the Gladiator Zone. The Seacons' combined form proved inferior to Predaking, however, and Piranacon was defeated and nearly killed. He was saved due to the intervention of Serpent O.R., who recruited both combiners into his Decepticon army. The Art of War #2 Soon afterwards, Piranacon helped capture a group of Autobots and G.I. Joes who had arrived on Cybertron in search of Serpent O.R. During an assault on an Autobot peace ceremony, Piranacon helped Predaking and Menasor fight Omega Supreme. The Art of War #3 After the three combiners disabled the giant Autobot, Piranacon started hunting down civilians until Optimus Prime steered Sixshot into crashing into his face. The Art of War #4

Commercial appearances

• Who was that new Transformer talking with Powermaster Optimus Prime? Why, it was Doubledealer, the Powermaster Mercenary! And, uh, he was also talking to Piranacon! Who was holding onto Skar for him, while he was over at the Autobots' camp. Well, let's hope that's addressed at some point. Doubledealer commercial
• The Seacons combined into Piranacon to attack a city. Partway during the attack, Skalor and Seawing swapped positions in the gestalt; Seawing became Piranacon's right arm while Skalor become his gun. Seacons commercial
• Despite Piranacon guarding the entrance to the Decepticons' lair, several Autobot Micromasters were able to make it inside the base and muck about the place. Micromaster Patrols commercial

Games

Transformers: Battle Tactics

Piranacon participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. He could be recruited to a team if all of his components were at max level. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Piranacon was the combined form of the Seacons. Decepticon Directive

Toys

The Transformers

It was 1988. Can you tell?

• Snaptrap (Seacon, 1988)

• Team ID number: SE6

• Nautilator (Seacon, 1988)

• Team ID number: SE3

• Overbite (Seacon, 1988)

• Team ID number: SE1

• Seawing (Seacon, 1988)

• Team ID number: SE2

• Skalor (Seacon, 1988)

• Team ID number: SE4

• Tentakil (Seacon, 1988)

• Team ID number: SE5

Released in the fifth year of Hasbro's US The Transformers toyline (fourth year in Europe), Piranacon is a super robot formed out of five of the six Seacons. As a "Scramble City" style combiner, each smaller Seacon attaches as a limb onto the central body, Snaptrap. With five smaller members, this leaves one left over; that one can be added in their artillery cannon mode, held in Pirancon's special fists that are designed to hold both a combiner square-peg and a standard 5 mm post accessory.

The instructions that come with each component show Nautilator and Tentakil as the right and left legs (respectively), Skalor and Seawing as the right and left arms (respectively), and Overbite in cannon mode as the combiner's weapon, which is not how most of his media depictions go. This configuration also requires Tentakil to have his legs extended to match Nautilator's leg-mode length, making this version of Piranacon taller than the arrangement most people are used to seeing.

Nominally, each component was sold individually, with Snatrap coming in a box with the combiner kibble, and the remaining five bots on cards.

This entire mold-set was sold in Takara's Super-God Masterforce line, without changes, as King Poseidon.

• Piranacon (Gift set, 1988)

• Accessories: All individual-release toys' accessories

Piranacon could also be bought in a box set. However, this set omits Nautilator from the team, sticking with only four limb-bots like all of the other combiner box sets.

Because Nautilator is now missing, his instructions put Overbite in his place as the right leg. But the box-front illustration shows Overbite as the right arm, with Skalor as the right leg, the configuration shown in most media.

The figures in this box set, minus almost all of the weapons and gun-mode stands for the individuals, were redecoed as God Neptune.

• More information on Piranacon at TFU.info

Timelines

Red Lobster's Ultimate Feast

• Piranacon (Multi-pack, 2008)

A redeco of the Generation 1 mold above, Timelines "Piranaking" was available exclusively as a Transformers Collectors' Club-exclusive gift set, containing all six "Piranacons" in new color schemes. This set, unlike the original US giftset, includes Nautilator. The box looks like a modified version of King Poseidon's.

The toy is packaged with a reproduction of the original Piranacon instructions, which show Skalor as the right arm, Seawing as the left arm, and Nautilator as the right leg. However, the box art and on-package photos show Nautilator as the right arm and Skalor as the right leg, while the accessory layout gives the right fist to Seawing and the left fist to Nautilator. Confused yet?

This toy was originally intended as an exclusive set of Energon-series Terrorcons, but was shelved due to a lack of retailer interest.

• More information on Timelines Piranacon at TFU.info

Transformers (2010)

• Decepticon Piranacon (Multi-pack, 2010)

All six Seacons were released as a "shared exclusive" for several online toy merchants (BigBadToyStore in particular), in... well, close to its original colors. Unlike the previous 1988 version gift set, the set now includes all the Seacons: Snaptrap, Overbite, Seawing, Skalor, Tentakil, and Nautilator.

Most of the aqua-blue plastics have been changed to a more greenish seafoam color, but Skalor and Tentakil retain the original aqua colors (or close enough). Snaptrap/Piranacon's giant sword has now also been covered in silver chrome. Snaptrap's head has apparently been moved from a black plastic sprue to a green one; this is likely a holdover from the Timelines run, as it was not the case on Halfshell. The stickers, now pre-applied, also appear to have been remastered after a fashion, as new highlights and gradients have been added to almost all stickers, as well as just being remarkably crisp and vibrant in general. Previous screwed-on connectors have been changed to riveted points.

Just like the previous use of the mold set, certain degradations of the mold are very obvious, especially in Nautilator's hip area, although the 5mm holes and pegs have been readjusted somewhat from the much degraded state they were in on the Timelines release. The pegs and holes on all figures still are not exact fits in all cases, however.

The set is packaged in a way reminiscent of the Hasbro Masterpiece-style transparent display box. The toys are fully combined in Piranacon mode, holding Overbite's Targetmaster mode in his right hand and Snaptrap's newly-chromed incendiary sword in the left. The set also includes seven metallic-finish bio cards (the seventh being for Piranacon).

The set is packaged with Nautilator as the right leg and Skalor as the right arm, a combination also reflected in the new packaging art, box photo and instructions. However, the Piranacon card included with the set reuses the original box art, which depicts Skalor as the right leg and Nautilator as the right arm.

• More information on 2010 Piranacon at TFU.info

Kre-O

• Decepticon Piranacon (Micro-Changer Combiner, 2013)

• Set number: A4475
• Pieces: 95
• Known designers: Ed Masiello (Hasbro)

Part of the second wave of Kreon Micro-Changer combiner sets, Kre-O Piranacon comes as a set of four component Kreons (Snaptrap, Overbite, Tentakil, and Nautilator). Each Kreon can be rebuilt into their beast modes, or all four can be built into Piranacon by taking them apart and combining their pieces. Piranacon gets to wield Snaptrap's axe, and a gun made of other leftover parts. Piranacon's combined mode's waist part is somehow prone to falling off from the assembly while posing, and he has a problem standing straight due to how the legs are constructed.

Like the other Micro-Changer combiner sets, Piranacon comes with only one Kre-O display brick, and a sticker sheet composed of his leg detailing & a Kre-O logo. Due to the leg stickers being slightly transparent, applying them into the black-colored leg parts can render the details being semi-transparent. The instructions also did not mention on where you should put the Kre-O logo sticker. Also,

Some packages of Piranacon contained a duplicate Overbite rather than a Tentakil. Oops.

The two remaining Seacons were released in the blind-packed Micro-Changer assortment: Seawing was in the third assortment, while Skalor didn't arrive until the sixth. You can try and figure out how to incorporate them into a Piranacon build if you like.

• More information on Piranacon at TFU.info

Generations Selects

Somewhere, Combiner Wars Liokaiser is crying down a well.

• Turtler (Voyager, 2020)

• Gulf (Deluxe, 2020)

• Kraken (Deluxe, 2020)

• Lobclow[sic] (Deluxe, 2020)

• Overbite (Deluxe, 2020)

• Tentakil (Deluxe, 2020)

For further information, see: King Poseidon#Generations Selects

When importing the TakaraTomy Generations Selects Seacons exclusively into the US and Canada through Hasbro Pulse, the listings on the website were given their US Seacon names in parentheses, presumably to make them more relatable to the English-speaking fans and most likely due to there being no plans on making a full release of those molds in any of the Hasbro mainlines.

Aside from the listings on the website being altered to include the names of the English versions of the characters, the packaging and figures themselves were unchanged imports.

Notes

Khanna? Guidi? We'd like to know!

• Piranaking's motto, "Underwater, no one can hear you scream", is a reference to the 1979 film Alien.
• As shown at OTFCC 2004, Piranhaking was to have original box art. However, the box art of the Timelines Piranacon is a recolored version of his original art instead of that newly commissioned piece. Piranhaking's unused art appears to have been drawn by Dan Khanna.

Foreign names

• Mandarin: Hǎi Dǐ Kuáng Mó (China, 海底狂魔, "Seafloor Mad Devil")^[1]

References