Zod

Kneel before Zod, a fearsome Renegade superweapon. Possibly a monster, a savage animal, or a mass-produced weapon, Zod's power is the stuff of legends, his anger even more so. His roar echoing across the battlefield is a signal for all Guardians to flee and all Renegades to rejoice. However, Zod is not invincible, possessing a vulnerable nerve cluster on his underbelly, a strike to which can disable him. Good luck hitting it though.

Sometimes he used to be called Stron-Domez.

Fiction

Escape to Planet Earth storybook

The zany Loco was one of Cy-Kill's goons on GoBotron, where they were imprisoned by Security Forces led by Leader-1. Cy-Kill taught his troops to change their form and plotted an assault on Earth. They broke out and escaped the planet on a huge flying saucer before going on a rampage on Earth, where Zod mercilessly flattened two whole trees. However, two enterprising young scamps named Pete and Nancy then hacked their computer systems by accident, resulting in the Renegades malfunctioning - with Zod chewing on anything going, which sadly included fellow Renegade Loco. This allowed Leader-1 and his troops to track the Renegades before forcing them into a retreat. Escape to Planet Earth

Challenge of the GoBots cartoon

Voice actor: Ted Cassidy (Archive, uncredited)

My Zod, my Zod, why have you forsaken me?

Left on GoBotron after Cy-Kill had travelled to Earth, the Renegade leader had Zod sent to the organic planet, despite Fitor's pleas to have the monster deployed to hold off the Guardian assault on the Renegade Fortress. Battle for GoBotron He landed on Stolbovoy Island near Siberia as part of the Renegades' plan to capture sorium created by Anya Turgenova. His arrival drew the attention of the laboratory's guard detail, who were soon scattered. When the Command Center arrived with Leader-1 and Turbo, Zod's fire breath and optical lasers made short work of the Guardians, sinking their ship and trapping them within a mountain. Target Earth As the Renegades set course for Cheyenne Mountain, Zod followed by driving on the sea floor. Conquest of Earth Left to his own devices, Zod went to go munch on some scrap cars at a junkyard. Concurrently, Cy-Kill used the sorium to mind control humanity, having them construct for him a vast fleet of Zods that he intended to launch at GoBotron. With his victory assured, Cy-Kill threw the damaged Leader-1 to Zod. Earthbound The timely arrival of Turbo, combined with his more nimble frame and sharper mind, allowed Leader-1 to defeat Zod, jamming a metal bar into the monster's vulnerable nerve cluster. The fleet of copies launched undeterred but never reached GoBotron as a sorium sample was Astrobeamed into their flight path, destroying them all. The Final Conflict

On several occasions the Renegades were able to call on a Zod, or occasionally small groups of them - though presumably never enough to mount another invasion. Four were deployed as security at the Renegades' varium mining operation on a planet in the Vega system, where they were again waiting for the Command Center, thanks to the Renegades being warned by the spy Snoop. As such Leader-1, Turbo and Small Foot were all captured. Scooter escaped and used a hologram of Zod to infiltrate the mines, freeing his friends. The Guardians escaped, triggering a chain reaction that destroyed the planet. While Cy-Kill, Scorp and Screw Head were able to get clear on a Thruster it is not known if the Zods managed to do the same. Probably not, though. Cy-Kill's Cataclysmic Trap Zods were still used as guards for other Renegade projects - though not to protect the hoards of captured Guardians on the Moon of Shadows. However, Cy-Kill only remembered this titbit after Scooter had used a hologram of Zod to scatter the Renegade forces. Doppelganger

Cy-Kill called up a trio of Zods for his plans on Tri-Ceti, where a forcefield boosted by the Tramulet prevented the Guardians from attacking. Faced with defeat, the native Trindles decided to blow up their planet in an attempt to destroy the Renegades. While Cy-Kill, Crasher, Cop-Tur and probably Destroyer made it off the planet in a Thruster first but there was no sign of the Zods getting away. Bummer. Renegade Rampage, Part I The Renegades then tried to build an updated version named Ultra Zod but it was destroyed by the Guardians. Ultra Zod As a result, it was a standard Zod that was later called in to combat the mutated dinosaur Ichigar, stalemating the beast long enough for Cy-Kill's hypnosis powers to take hold and have it follow Renegade commands. Destroy All Guardians Zod was later used again on Earth to wreck a satellite tracking station, and when the Guardians arrived he shot down Leader-1 and menaced him. However the arrival of the powerful alien Alaric changed the battle, as he first deflected Zod's fire breath away and then simply levitated the monster over and onto Cy-Kill. The Gift When trapped on Level 17, Leader-1 and Turbo faced off against a wild Zod. The GoBots That Time Forgot

The Robo Machines comic

The planet Robotron was a futuristic paradise in the Proxima System, four lightyears from Earth - and home to the evil scientist Stron-Domez. After years of hidden research, he has modified the miscreants Cy-Kill and Tank into a new generation of Robo Machines, planning to assassinate the planet's president. At the parade, Stron-Domez and his two servants were spotted; Stron-Domez made his escape on Cy-Kill's motorcycle mode and the trio fled to a waiting spaceship that blasted off to the third planet in the Solar System: Earth. Stron-Domez sought to use Earth's natural resources to create a power base so he could return to his home planet and destroy his enemies. Using their ship's deflector-screens, they landed undetected in East Anglia. Stron-Domez built another Robo Machine, Fitor, who he sent on a mission to find a target to ignite fear among all of humanity. The fighter jet spots the quaint small town of Cholkham, which Stron-Domez ordered to be razed to the ground. Stron-Domez looked on, delighting in the effect such destruction would have upon Earth's leaders. Above Earth, the Renegades' activities were detected by Ex-El onboard the Command Center, who had followed Stron-Domez from Robotron and dispatched his own Robo Machines to intervene - Leader One, Dozer and Hans-Cuff. The trio drew Stron-Domez's forces out of Cholkham; after battle was joined Stron-Domez decided the Renegades will need a distraction to escape the Security Forces. He noticed a nearby school on the outskirts of a nearby town and ordered his trio of Robo Machines to attack it. The tactic worked and Stron-Domez's creations withdrew.

After adding Cop-Tur to his forces, Stron-Domez took over the Datafile Electronics factory in Westbridge, where he planned to use its' staff and facilities to build an army of Robo Machines. However, their activity was again detected by the Security Forces onboard the Command Centre. The employees of Datafile Electronics were assembled before Stron-Domez and told they would be killed if they don't build him new Robo Machines; Cy-Kill emphasised his point by melting a forklift. The building of the new Robo Machines continued, with Loco the next to be completed. The rest of Westbridge still had no idea that the factory is under Renegade control, instead still believing the workforce to be working on secret government technology. However, the Security Forces' human ally Charlie Bampton was twice able to infiltrate the factory - first onboard the stealthy Night Ranger and then with Truck to free the workers, allowing a full assault on the factory to be launched. Only Cy-Kill and Stron-Domez escaped the resulting attack. The Robo Machines, Story 1

The pair took refuge in a disused railway station near London, where Cy-Kill began work on Stron-Domez's latest plan - to turn the scientist himself into Zod, a huge monster. The process was a success but when they emerged they were witnessed by a scrap dealer named Alf Meeker. They realised he could be used to get material and find facilities for building further Robo Machines for the Renegades. However Zod's appearance created a large spike on the Command Centre's sensors, alerting the Security Forces. Alf led Cy-Kill to his scrap-yard while Zod followed by air. He came across the Command Centre, which was on its' way to investigate the derelict railway station, and decided to attack. His first pass caused considerable damage to the Security Forces ship so Royal-T and Carry-All were launched to defend the ship, much to Zod's amusement as he believed them to be Earth aircraft. They were able to distract Zod for a short while but their attacks didn't stop him. His return fire sent Royal-T crashing down towards Earth but Zod was unable to follow the Command Centre due to the damage inflicted. Meanwhile, Alf and Cy-Kill recruited a workforce of vagrants to build the first of Zod's planned Devil Invaders, Casmodon. Meanwhile Carry-All was still unable to contact the Command Centre and set off to search for it in person, detecting Zod and Cy-Kill's emissions. He investigated the scrap-yard and is spotted on a scanner by Cy-Kill, who was sent by Zod to stop him contacting the Command Centre. Carry-All was able to hit Cy-Kill with one of his blades but mistook a scrap Earth bike for the Renegade and was badly damaged by return fire. Before he could recover Zod appeared and crushed the Security Forces robot in his jaws. Meanwhile inside the yard Casmodon was ready. However Cy-Kill was growing weary of his creator and made adjustments to the final circuits of Casmodon's brain. Meanwhile the Command Centre closed in on the dying Carry-All's signal and Leader One led a force towards the scrapyard, but Zod activated Casmodon, who went on a rampage in London. Leader One, arriving ahead of his comrades, fought Cy-Kill, trapping the Renegade under a crane. However his energy reserves were low when Zod arrived but the other Guardians arrived. Their firepower disabled Zod but Leader One tells his men they have other problems. They fly off towards London to battle Casmodon. Cy-Kill got free but abandoned Zod, leading off to get a grandstand view of Casmodon destroying the Guardians. Most of them escaped, and Zod's further fate was unknown. The Robo Machines, Story 2

Robo Machine featuring Challenge of the GoBots annuals

Zod was Cy-Kill's latest weapon, developed in considerable secrecy. Work started at an abandoned mine in Silvermoon, where the Renegades evacuated before the Guardians could discover their exact mission. The Secret of Silvermoon Mine Cy-Kill threatened the Guardians that Zod would soon defeat them when his plan to capture a fleet of merchant vessels was thwarted Captain Clegg's Dream and again after Matt and Spay-C were able to evade the Renegades and deliver Battle Suit to Earth. The Professor's New Baby Zod was finally deployed to capture Anya Turgenova (and, less crucially, Boris Bulkanikov) in Siberia to use as hostages. The monster swallowed their plane whole before delivering them to Cy-Kill. However, the Guardians were able to get the pair released without having to hand over the Battle Suit. The Capture of Comrade Boris Later Zod was able to knock the Command Center into the sea but the Guardians were still able to release the millionaire Walter Wilson from Renegade imprisonment. Walter Wilson's Millions Despite Zod's presence, Leader-1 was able to rescue both Heat Seeker and Billy Jack from the Renegades. Billy Jack Makes a Friend Zod was later a key unit in the huge Renegade army Cy-Kill gathered at Mauna Mauna, and was soon locked in combat with Battle Suit but struggled with the system's ability to separate and reassemble at will. Night Ranger was able to burn out some of Zod's obedience circuits, consisting the monster some of its' motor control. As the Renegade forces were slowly whittled away more and more Guardian firepower was turned on Zod, who finally retreated - ending Cy-Kill's plans to invade Earth. The Battle at the End of the Earth

Machine Men mini-comics

Zod was one of the Enemy Machine Men from Robotron who joined Cy-Kill in targeting the peaceful planet Earth for conquest. He flattened Dozer Space Wars and later freed Cy-Kill and his troops when they were imprisoned in a laser beam gaol on Robotron. Space Wars II

Fun Publications

Ask Vector Prime

In a Primax universe observed by Vector Prime, Primax 185.0 Beta, the Decepticon City-Commander Galvatron gathered vast hordes of mind-controlled human slaves using his Hypno-chip Initiative and Decepto-Packs. These slaves constructed a fleet of Zods, who conquered star system after star system, leaving destruction in their wake. The Zods were met in battle by the Quintessons' Terrorcon hordes, cutting a swath of devastation across all of reality. Ask Vector Prime 2015/06/04

In another, Quadwal universe, the toy franchise GoBots surpassed Transformers and became a decades-spanning media empire. In the early 21st century, the GoBots franchise underwent a reboot for both the toyline and the cartoons, producing three back-to-back series called GoBots: Swarm, GoBots: Astro-Beam, and GoBots: GoBotron. They were collectively referred to as The Zod Trilogy, presumably because of Zod's prominent role in the events. By the GoBotic reality classification stream, these events took place on Level 28. Ask Vector Prime 2015/12/21

Transformers Timelines

Zod creates dinosaurs, Zod destroys dinosaurs.

The Monster GoBots' database listed several Zods as present in Level 1. Cultural Appropriation

Renegade Rhetoric

From Axiom Nexus, Cy-Kill crowed about Zod's infinite superiority to Trypticon, believing that his monster could defeat that "tin-plated tinker-toy" of a Titan any day of the week. He went on to boast about unlocking the secret of Zod's construction, allowing him to build more of the great beast. A vast fleet of, admittedly not quite as powerful, Zods was built once to assault GoBotron, but ultimately failed. Renegade Rhetoric 2015/10/16 In describing the value of Destroyer as a soldier, Cy-Kill remarked how he was fearless around Zods. Renegade Rhetoric 2016/10/17 Cy-Kill also described Scales as an attempt at Zod reconstruction. Scales was not as powerful as Zod, but more intelligent and capable of converting. Renegade Rhetoric 2016/10/18 Cy-Kill attacked Fermilab with a pair of Zods, confident they could overcome any opposition. Unfortunately, he neglected to account for a 100 foot tall Scooter, who easily handled and smashed the Zods to pieces. Attack of the 50 Foot Guardian

Using a Time Portal, Cy-Kill removed Leader-1 from history before he could become leader of the Guardians, creating an alternate reality where the Renegades ruled. As a group of Guardians from the original reality tried to undo Cy-kill's machinations, they pressed Cop-Tur for the location of the Time Portal. He accidentally revealed the planet it was on, but then summoned a Zod to menace the Guardians. Renegade Victory Part 1 Unfortunately for Cop-Tur, Van Guard snuck up behind him and stuffed him into the Zod's gaping mouth, trapping Cop-Tur and leaving Zod's threat greatly diminished. Renegade Victory Part 2 During a raid on Cape Canaveral, Zod bit into a space probe containing a quantum supercomputer and received a massive increase in intelligence. Cy-Kill took advantage of the accident to plan an attack on the Guardian drydock in the Procyon System. With Zod and Cy-Kill leading a two pronged assault, they captured the drydock easily, and with it a third of the Command Center fleet. Unfortunately for Cy-Kill, new intelligence also brought new ambition. While Cy-Kill left to bring Rogue Star to their position, Zod commandeered the Renegades left on the drydock with him, forcing them into an assassination scheme that would eliminate Cy-Kill and his subcommanders, leaving Zod to rule. (Whether Zod required his new Renegades to kneel before him is unknown.) Zod intended to lure Cy-Kill, Fitor, and Gunnyr onto a refitted Command Center loaded with explosives. The Guardians attacked the drydock before Cy-Kill could enter the ship, however, and its unprecedentedly large explosion clued him in to Zod's treachery. Cy-Kill and Leader-1 joined forces against Zod, Astro-Beaming in to his location for a final battle. When Zod tried to set off the drydock's self-destruct mechanism only to have it explode in his face, however, the bestial and uncomprehending Zod returned. Cy-Kill tried to turn on Leader-1, but the Guardian Tail Pipe jettisoned the Renegades out into space. In Zod We Trust Zod joined Cy-Kill's command team in attacking the Ingot Ampitheater on Quartex during the treaty signifying a tri-planet alliance. He was disposed of by Courageous, who grabbed Zod by the tail and hurled him into the horizon, far from the battleground. Combiner Wars Part 1

"Echoes and Fragments"

While escaping Earth in their Command Center, Kup entertained the Dinobots with stories about Zod and Scales. Echoes and Fragments

Go-Bots comic

The true origins of Zod are lost to time. What is known is that, sometime after Leader-1 had led the Go-Bots to conquer Earth and rebuild it into Gobotron, Zod became a menace to society. He attacked the highways, facing off against Leader-1 many times, but always managed to escape with his life. After Spay-C had touched down on Gobotron, Leader-1 was shown a vision of the Lazer Lance - the one weapon that could kill Zod - by the Dark Angel Eno. Concurrently, Cy-Kill tamed Zod with Go-Bot sacrifices. With Zod reinforcing them, the Renegades attacked the Command Center before it warped away. Go-Bots #3 When the group arrived on the shattered remains of Earth, "the Heart of Gobotron", Zod was deployed. After finding the Lazer Lance, Leader-1 charged Zod only for Cy-Kill to break the weapon. When the Go-Lems arrived, their geomanipulation caused Zod to fall into a chasm. As he fell, Leader-1, Turbo, and Scooter rebuilt the Lance and thrust it into Zod's underbelly, killing him. Go-Bots #4

Toys

GoBots

• Zod (1984)
  • Enemy Robot Monster
  • Accessory: Lazer Lance

Zod was released by Tonka in the first series of GoBots; it does not convert, instead having an action feature. An electronic motor, powered by 3 C-cell alkaline batteries, the toy had a "crushing action" were it would move forwards on its wheels before rearing up and pounding down on the ground at just the right height to clobber GoBots figures, also snapping his jaw. Unless, that is, you were able to get the red button on his tummy with the included Lazer Lance. Or a finger, though Tonka lawyers would no doubt prefer you used the Lazer Lance. The toy was one of only a handful designed by Tonka for the GoBots line themselves, and thus the rights to make it theoretically belong to Hasbro but they have a lousy record with toy moulds even for Transformers figures, so don't hold your breath. First year releases of Zod included a copy of the "Escape to Planet Earth" storybook.

• The toy was first made available in the first series in its own assortment (#7241) and remained available for the rest of the line's life on toy shelves.

• Learn more about Zod at The-Liberator.net

• 

  Box

Robo Machine

• Zod (1984)
  • Monster
  • Accessory: Lazer Lance

An unchanged version of Zod was issued as part of Robo Machine in Europe; along with the Command Center one of only two Tonka designs for the series to be released outside of North America.

• 

  Box

Machine Men

• Zod (1984)
  • Monster
  • Accessory: Lazer Lance

An unchanged version of Zod was issued as part of Machine Men in Australia. The box and paperwork were very low-rent, being basically the European version with Machine Men logos slapped on.

Notes

• A prototype version of Zod featured smooth tyres and additional red paint applications rather than the extensive stickers of the released version; this was featured in catalogues, especially for Robo Machine, long after the changed final toy had actually been released.
• It is highly unlikely that whoever named the thing was unaware of the Superman villain, what with Superman II coming out three years earlier. They probably got away with it due to DC's laughable pre-Time Warner legal department.
• Zod’s roar in Challenge of the GoBots is a modified version of Godzilla’s roar from Hanna-Barbera's 1978 cartoon based on the famous Japanese monster.
• Due to the title sequence from the original mini-series being retained throughout Challenge of the GoBots Zod was in it for the whole run, despite only making occasional appearances in the episodes themselves.
• Zod's Cybertronian-style body in the "Cataclysm universe" is modeled on Trypticon from the Generation 1 toyline.