Why Bludgeon Proves You Can Worship Strength and Still Be Weak - Transformers Deep Dive

He wasn’t a conqueror.

He was a zealot.

Bludgeon made death his master, blending the silence of a monk with the savagery of a warlord. He preached honor and discipline, but beneath the creed was only ego—and a devotion to war that consumed both enemies and allies alike.

In this episode of Disassembled: Heroes and Villains, we uncover the story of Bludgeon—the Decepticon samurai who turned faith into fanaticism. From his origins as a deadly warrior, to his resurrection of dark gods in IDW, his path shows us how devotion without humility twists into tyranny.

We explore:

– Bludgeon’s rise as a mystic and a killer

– His pursuit of dark power through Unicron and Thunderwing

– Why his “discipline” was really ego in disguise

– The cost of worshiping power instead of truth

Because Bludgeon didn’t just fight wars.

He worshiped them.

🔥 New episodes of Disassembled: Heroes and Villains every Thursday

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🎙 Written and hosted by Tom Bedford | Handsome Comics

Chapters

• 0:00 The Warrior Who Worshipped Death
• 1:14 The Warrior and The Cultist
• 4:21 The Samurai Without Mercy
• 6:41 Call To Action
• 7:32 What We Can Learn From Bludgeon
• 10:44 Final Reflection

Transcript

0:00

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WARRIOR FORGETS WHY HE FIGHTS? WHEN HONOR BECOMES OBSESSION? WHEN DISCIPLINE TURNS TO DOMINATION. WHEN THE BLADE NO LONGER PROTECTS, BUT PUNISHES. SOME WARRIORS DEFEND THEIR PEOPLE. SOME SEEK PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH. BUT BLUDGEON, HE PRAYED TO WAR ITSELF. HALF WARLORD, HALF ZEALOT. A DISCIPLE OF SILENCE, STEEL, AND DEATH. HE OBSESSED WITH RITUAL, CLUNG TO HONOR LIKE ARMOR. AND MISTOOK CRUELTY FOR CLARITY. IN EVERY CONTINUITY, BLUDGEON IS THE SAME SHAPE AND SHADOW. A DECEPTICON WHO BOWED NOT TO LEADERS, BUT TO CARNAGE. WHO STUDIED MARTIAL ARTS AND DARK SCIENCE WITH EQUAL DEVOTION. WHO RAISED THE DEAD, NOT TO BRING LIFE. BUT TO PERFECT THE ART OF ANNIHILATION. BECAUSE WHEN YOU FORGET THE REASON BEHIND THE FIGHT. ALL THAT REMAINS IS BLOOD. AND BENEATH THE BONES AND BATTLEFIELD PRAYERS. BLUDGEON BELIEVED HIS PATH WAS SACRED. THAT DEATH WAS NOT A COST, BUT A VIRTUE. BUT THERE'S NO PEACE IN WORSHIPPING DESTRUCTION. NO JUSTICE IN SERVING POWER FOR ITS OWN SAKE. BECAUSE WHEN THE WARRIOR LOSES HIS PURPOSE. HE BECOMES THE VERY THING HE ONCE STOOD AGAINST. THIS IS DISASSEMBLED, HEROES AND VILLAINS. AND TODAY. WE DESCEND INTO THE. SILENCE, STEEL, AND SAVAGERY OF BLUDGEON. TO ASK THE QUESTION. CAN HONOR SURVIVE IF IT FORGETS WHO IT SERVES? BLUDGEON DIDN'T BEGIN AS A MONSTER. HE BEGAN AS A LOYAL SOLDIER. A WARRIOR WITH A CODE. A SERVANT OF MEGATRON AND THE DECEPTICON CAUSE. BUT CODES CAN CURDLE. AND LOYALTY, WHEN LEFT UNCHECKED, CAN BECOME WORSHIP. HE STOPPED SERVING A MISSION. AND STARTED SERVING DEATH. NOT IN NAME, NOT IN METAPHOR, BUT IN RITUAL. AND IN THAT DEVOTION, HE DIDN'T JUST LOSE HIMSELF. HE GAVE OTHERS SOMETHING TO FEAR. AND SOMETHING TO FOLLOW. BECAUSE THE MOMENT BLUDGEON TOOK COMMAND. THE DECEPTICONS STOPPED BEING AN ARMY. AND BECAME A CULT. WHAT SEPARATES A WARRIOR FROM A BUTCHER? PERHAPS IT BEGINS WITH PURPOSE. BLUDGEON'S EARLIEST APPEARANCES IN THE MARVEL UK TRANSFORMERS COMICS. CAST HIM AS A SILENT SENTINEL OF DESTRUCTION. A MEMBER OF THE MAYHEM ATTACK SQUAD. HE WAS NOT YET A LEADER OR A PROPHET. BUT A BLADE POINTED AT ENEMIES' THROATS. WITHIN AN ELITE UNIT OF DECEPTICONS. HE BUILT HIS REPUTATION THROUGH DISCIPLINE AND PRECISION. NEVER THE LOUDEST, BUT OFTEN THE DEADLIEST. HE SLEW CATILLA, A FORMER DECEPTICON-TURNED-AUTOBOT. AND BATTLED HIS EX-COMRADE CARNIVAC WITH COLD, RITUALISTIC RESOLVE. THESE WEREN'T JUST SKIRMISHES, THEY WERE TRIALS. PERFORMANCES OF WAR IS CEREMONY. AND IN EACH ONE, BLUDGEON BURIED HIS DOUBT DEEPER BENEATH THE ARMOR OF BELIEF. BUT THE MASK OF HONOR CAN BECOME A PRISON. AND WHEN PURPOSE FADES, A CRUEL AND VIOLENT IDEOLOGY RUSHES TO FILL THE VOID. BY THE END OF THE MARVEL US RUN OF THE TRANSFORMERS. BLUDGEON HAD RISEN TO LEADERSHIP. BUT NOT AS A UNIFIER. HE CROWNED HIMSELF LEADER AFTER GALVATRON AND SCORPONOK FELL. SEIZING POWER NOT THROUGH VISION OR CONSENSUS. BUT THROUGH VACANCY. AND WITH NO OTHER VOICES TO OPPOSE HIM. HE LEANED INTO WHAT HE KNEW BEST. DEATH. THE DECEPTICONS BECAME LESS OF A FACTION. AND MORE OF A CULT. IN REGENERATION 1, THAT DESCENT DEEPENED. BLUDGEON ABANDONED THE PRAGMATISM OF WAR. FOR A TWISTED THEOLOGY OF ANNIHILATION. HE AND HIS WAR-WALLED CULT. DESECRATED THE MATRIX. ATTEMPTING TO RESURRECT THUNDERWING. A BEING ALREADY CONSUMED BY POWER. AND CORRUPTED BY IT. BLUDGEON DIDN'T SEEK REBIRTH. HE SOUGHT PURIFICATION. IN HIS EYES, DEATH WASN'T THE PRICE OF BATTLE. IT WAS THE PURPOSE OF IT. HE EMBRACED THE PHILOSOPHY OF SACRED DESTRUCTION. BUT THERE WAS NOTHING SACRED IN IT. WHEN YOU WORSHIP POWER, YOU LOSE YOUR SOUL. THE MORE BLUDGEON CHASED STRENGTH. THROUGH THUNDERWING. THROUGH THE MATRIX. THROUGH THE VERY SPARK OF PRIMUS. THE FURTHER HE DRIFTED FROM THE IDEALS HE ONCE CLAIMED TO SERVE. HONOR BECAME AN EXCUSE. RITUAL BECAME A WEAPON. AND POWER BECAME GOSPEL. IN TRANSFORMERS GENERATION 2. BLUDGEON RETURNED ONCE MORE. NOT TO CONQUER. BUT TO CLEANSE. HE NO LONGER SAW AUTOBOTS AS ADVERSARIES. BUT AS FILTH. HE REBUILT THE DECEPTICONS INTO A WAR MACHINE. BAPTIZED IN ENERGON. AND ONCE AGAIN. BY THUNDERWING. NOT OUT OF LOYALTY. BUT AS SACRAMENT. A HOLY WAR CLOAKED IN CIRCUITRY AND SLAUGHTER. BUT IN EVERY TELLING. HIS FAITH BETRAYS HIM. THUNDERWING TURNS ON HIM. THE POWER HE RESURRECTS. ALWAYS CONSUMES WHAT REMAINS. AND WITH EACH FAILURE. BLUDGEON DOUBLES DOWN. NOT IN PURSUIT OF PEACE. BUT IN DEVOTION TO THE DELUSION. THAT ONE MORE DEATH WILL MAKE THE VISION REAL. AND IT NEVER DOES. BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW RIGHTEOUS YOU BELIEVE YOUR CAUSE TO BE. IF IT'S BUILT ON CARNAGE AND FEAR. IT WILL BURN. BLUDGEON FORGOT THAT STRENGTH WITHOUT JUSTICE IS JUST BRUTALITY. AND THAT OBSESSION. WRAPPED IN HONOR. IS STILL JUST OBSESSION. BLUDGEON HAD ONCE MASKED CRUELTY IN THE ROBES OF RITUAL. BUT IN HIS IDW INCARNATION. THAT RITUAL BECOMES REALITY. GONE IS THE QUIET WARRIOR MEDITATING ON HONOR. WHAT EMERGES INSTEAD. IS A FANATIC. A DISCIPLE OF THE APOCALYPSE. A SCIENTIST OF RUIN. A ZEALOT. WHO CARVES HIS FAITH INTO THE VERY FABRIC OF CYBERTRON ITSELF. HE DOES NOT SERVE A LEADER. HE SERVES EXTINCTION. AND WHILE OTHER DECEPTICONS FIGHT FOR DOMINANCE OR SURVIVAL. BLUDGEON FIGHTS FOR A PURITY ONLY HE CAN SEE. HE FUSES THE MYSTICISM OF Metallikato WITH OUTLAWED SCIENCES. HE RESURRECTS THUNDERWING. HE TAMPERS WITH THE MATRIX. HE DESECRATES THE SPARK ITSELF. ALL IN THE NAME OF REBIRTH THROUGH DESTRUCTION. BUT IS THAT STILL DISCIPLINE. OR IS IT DELUSION. BECAUSE WHEN YOU STRIP HUMILITY FROM YOUR COURAGE. FROM YOUR CODE. WHEN HONOR BECOMES A SHIELD FOR YOUR EGO. YOU DON'T GET A WARRIOR. YOU GET A TYRANT. IN AN IDW. BLUDGEON STOPS FIGHTING FOR PURPOSE. HE STARTS FIGHTING FOR POWER. AND WHILE OTHERS FIGHT FOR TERRITORY OR SURVIVAL. BLUDGEON FIGHTS FOR A PURITY ONLY HE CAN SEE. IN STORMBRINGER. HIS FOLLOWERS ENACT HIS WARPED GOSPEL. CYBERTRON IS TOO CORRUPTED. THEY CLAIM. LIFE MUST BE PURGED TO BE REBORN. AND SO. THEY UNLEASH THUNDERWING. THEY SACRIFICE COLONIES. THEY OFFER DEATH AS SACRAMENT. BUT THE TRUTH IS SIMPLE. YOU COULD NOT SERVE DEATH. AND EXPECT LIFE TO FOLLOW. EVEN AS THUNDERWING'S RAMPAGE CONSUMES WORLD AFTER WORLD. BLUDGEON DOES NOT REPENT. HE DOUBLES DOWN. EACH FAILURE ONLY FUELS HIS FAITH IN DESTRUCTION. OPTIMUS PRIME ONCE SAID THAT MERCY IS NOT WEAKNESS. BUT TO BLUDGEON. MERCY WAS TREASON. HE BELIEVED CLARITY COULD BE FOUND IN CRUELTY. THAT SILENCE AND STEEL WERE THE ONLY ABSOLUTES. HE EMBRACED THE RELIGION OF RUIN. AND EVERY TIME HE SOUGHT TO CLEANSE THE WORLD. HE ONLY LEFT IT IN ASHES. BECAUSE DISCIPLINE WITHOUT HUMILITY BREEDS TYRANNY. AND THE MORE BLUDGEON PURSUED HIS VISION OF PURIFICATION. THE MORE CORRUPTED IT BECAME. HE TWISTED RITUAL INTO DOGMA. WEAPONIZED HONOR AS JUSTIFICATION. AND MISTOOK ANNIHILATION FOR ORDER. IN MONSTROSITY. HE ALIGNS WITH DEATH CULTS THAT WHISPER OF UNICRON. NOT BECAUSE HE WANTS TO DESTROY THE UNIVERSE. BUT BECAUSE HE BELIEVES IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE IT. BUT THERE IS NO SALVATION IN SLAUGHTER. BLUDGEON BUILT HIS IDENTITY AROUND THE LIE THAT CONTROL COULD BECOME PEACE. BUT PEACE CANNOT BE FORCED. IT MUST BE CHOSEN. AND IN CHASING IT THROUGH CARNAGE. HE BECAME THE VERY CORRUPTION HE CLAIMED TO FIGHT. BECAUSE WHEN YOU BELIEVE YOUR CODE MAKES YOU RIGHTEOUS. YOU STOP QUESTIONING WHO IT HURTS. AND THE DEEPER BLUDGEON FELL INTO HIS FAITH. THE LESS HE FOUGHT IT FOR PURPOSE. AND THE MORE HE FOUGHT FOR POWER. BEFORE WE SHEATH THE BLADE AND LEAVE THE WAR CHANTS BEHIND. MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW OR SUBSCRIBE TO DISASSEMBLED HEROES AND VILLAINS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP. EVERY WEEK WE UNEARTH THE TRUTH BEHIND POP CULTURE'S MOST ICONIC HEROES AND TERRIFYING VILLAINS. TO UNDERSTAND NOT JUST WHAT THEY ARE. BUT WHY THEY ARE. AND LATER THIS WEEK. DISASSEMBLED VILLAINS ASCENDS. TO TELL THE STORY OF A TITAN BUILT NOT FOR CONQUEST. BUT FOR DEFENSE. A CITY FORGED IN SILENCE. A WARRIOR BOUND TO DUTY. A GOD WHO KNEELS. ONLY TO RISE AS A FORTRESS. LATER THIS WEEK. WE AWAKEN METROPLEX OF THE TRANSFORMERS. AND NEXT WEEK. DISASSEMBLED DEEP CUTS RETURNS WITH THE SHADOW OF THE PRIME LEGACY. NOT ONE EVIL CLONE. BUT MANY. NEXT UP. WE DESCEND INTO THE DARK REFLECTIONS OF OPTIMUS PRIME. AND IF YOU WANT TO HELP CHOOSE WHO WE FACE NEXT. CAST YOUR VOTE EVERY WEDNESDAY IN THE HANDSOME COMICS YOUTUBE COMMUNITY POLL. NOW BACK TO THE WARPATH. AND THE ZEALOT WHO TURNED DEATH INTO DOCTRINE. THANKS FOR WATCHING. SO, WHAT DO WE TAKE FROM THIS? BLUDGEON WASN'T JUST A WARRIOR. HE WAS A MIRROR. SHARPENED BY BELIEF. POLISHED BY RITUAL. AND ULTIMATELY BY OBSESSION. BECAUSE WHEN YOU STRIP AWAY THE STEEL. THE SILENCE. THE CEREMONY. WHAT REMAINS IS A CAUTIONARY TALE. A STORY OF HOW STRENGTH WITHOUT VIRTUE BECOMES SAVAGERY. HOW HONOR WITHOUT HUMILITY BECOMES EGO. AND HOW THE PURSUIT OF PURITY. IF UNCHECKED. BECOMES A PATH TO RUIN. HE PRAYED TO WAR. WORSHIPED POWER. SERVED DEATH. AND IN DOING SO. HE BECAME THE VERY DESTRUCTION HE ONCE BELIEVED IN. BELIEVED HE COULD CONTROL. SO NOW. WE TURN INWARD. NOT TO ANALYZE THE WARRIOR. BUT TO CONFRONT THE WARNING. BECAUSE BLUDGEON'S STORY ISN'T JUST ABOUT CYBERTRON. IT'S ABOUT ALL OF US. WHAT DO WE CALL STRENGTH? WHAT DO WE SACRIFICE IN ITS NAME? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY. WHAT GODS DO WE SERVE? BECAUSE ONE DAY. WE'LL EMBODY THEM. WHAT DO YOU CALL A WARRIOR WHO FORGETS WHY HE FIGHTS? BLUDGEON BEGAN WITH DISCIPLINE. WITH A CODE. WITH THE BELIEF THAT STRUCTURE WOULD GIVE MEANING TO THE VIOLENCE. THAT THE ART OF WAR COULD BE SACRED IF TREATED WITH RESPECT. BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY. REVERENCE GAVE WAY TO OBSESSION. HE WRAPPED DESTRUCTION AND RITUAL. CLOAKED EGO AND TRADITION. AND CONVINCED HIMSELF THAT DEVOTION ALONE MADE HIM RIGHTEOUS. BUT THERE'S A DANGER. BUT THAT'S THE DANGER, ISN'T IT? WHEN YOU FOLLOW POWER SO COMPLETELY. WHEN YOU BEGIN TO WORSHIP IT. YOU STOP SEEING THE COST. BLUDGEON DIDN'T WANT PEACE. HE DIDN'T EVEN WANT VICTORY. HE WANTED PURIFICATION. THROUGH FIRE. THROUGH DEATH. THROUGH FAITH. TWISTED INTO DOGMA. IT'S NOT THAT HE LACKED CONVICTION. IT'S THAT HIS CONVICTION HAD NO ROOM FOR HUMILITY. HE NEVER QUESTIONED HIMSELF. NEVER ASKED OF THE PATH HE WALKED. STILL SERVED THE IDEALS HE CLAIMED TO UPHOLD. AND WITHOUT THAT QUESTION. DISCIPLINE BECOMES TYRANNY. THINK OF THE CONTRAST. OPTIMUS PRIME WHO LEADS WITH PATIENCE. WITH MERCY. A WARRIOR WHO SEES RESTRAINT NOT AS WEAKNESS. BUT AS STRENGTH. BLUDGEON SAW MERCY AS BETRAYAL. TO HIM. EVERY COMPROMISE WAS A STAIN ON HONOR. AND EVERY DISSENTING VOICE. A HERETIC TO BE SILENCED. THAT'S HOW IT HAPPENS. HONOR BECOMES ARMOR FOR EGO. RITUAL BECOMES A WEAPON. AND STRENGTH BECOMES GOSPEL. SO HE RESURRECTS THUNDERWING. TAMPERING WITH LIFE AND DEATH LIKE THEY'RE JUST TOOLS. DESECRATES THE MATRIX IN PURSUIT OF SOME GREATER TRUTH. EMBRACES DEATH CULTS THAT SPEAK THE NAME OF UNICRON AS PROPHECY. ALL IN THE NAME OF REBIRTH. BUT DEATH DOESN'T GIVE. IT ONLY TAKES. BUT WHAT BLUDGEON NEVER UNDERSTOOD. WHAT SO MANY NEVER UNDERSTAND. IS THAT YOU CANNOT BUILD A BETTER WORLD BY BRINGING THE OLD ONE TO ASH. YOU CANNOT KILL YOUR WAY TO PURITY. YOU CANNOT SERVE DEATH AND EXPECT LIFE TO FOLLOW. BECAUSE THE MORE HE CHASED ABSOLUTION THROUGH DESTRUCTION. THE MORE DESTRUCTION WAS ALL HE HAD LEFT. EVERY VISION HE REVIVED TURNED AGAINST HIM. EVERY RITUAL BECAME A GRAVE. AND EVERY TIME THE FIRE DIED DOWN. ALL THAT REMAINED WAS SILENCE. BLUDGEON BELIEVED HE WAS CHOSEN. THAT THE WAR NEEDED HIM. BUT THE TRUTH IS SIMPLER. THE WAR USED HIM. AND WHEN IT WAS DONE. IT DISCARDED HIM. LIKE EVERY ZEALOT WHO CONFUSES ANNIHILATION WITH SALVATION. SO WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM HIM? THAT STRENGTH WITHOUT JUSTICE IS JUST BRUTALITY. THAT TRADITION. WHEN WIELDED WITHOUT SELF-AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING. BECOMES A PRISON. THAT THE PATH OF A WARRIOR IS NOT DEFINED BY HOW MANY FALL AT YOUR FEET. BUT BY WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO PROTECT. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY. WHAT GODS DO WE SERVE? BECAUSE ONE DAY WE WILL EMBODY THEM. IF YOU FOLLOW POWER WITHOUT QUESTION. YOU BECOME ITS SHADOW. IF YOU MISTAKE CRUELTY FOR COURAGE. YOU WON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE. AND IF YOU ONLY LIVE TO DESTROY. DON'T BE SURPRISED WHEN YOU FORGET HOW TO BUILD. THANK YOU FOR WALKING WITH US THROUGH THE RUSTED CODE AND HOLLOW GOSPEL OF BLUDGEON. THROUGH THE SILENCE OF THE BATTLEFIELD. THROUGH THE RITUALS OF STEEL. THROUGH THE BLIND DEVOTION TO A PURITY THAT NEVER TRULY EXISTED. WE'VE SEEN A WARRIOR WHO WAS NEVER THE LOUDEST. BUT ALWAYS AMONG THE DEADLIEST. A SOLDIER FORGED IN HONOR. WHO LET EGO WEAR THE MASK OF DISCIPLINE. A LEADER WHO COULD HAVE PROTECTED HIS PEOPLE. BUT CHOSE TO REMAKE THEM IN THE IMAGE OF WAR. BECAUSE BLUDGEON DIDN'T FALL FROM GRACE. HE BLED INTO IT. ONE CUT AT A TIME. HE CHASED STRENGTH UNTIL IT BECAME SCRIPTURE. HE FOUGHT SO LONG. HE FORGOT WHAT HE WAS FIGHTING FOR. AND WHEN THE LAST RITES WERE WRITTEN IN ENERGON. THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT TO READ THEM. JUST SILENCE. AND THE ECHO OF A WARRIOR WHO MISTOOK POWER FOR VIRTUE. SO SIT WITH THAT. SIT WITH THE TEMPTATION TO ARMOR YOUR HEART AND TRADITION. TO TURN CONVICTION INTO DOGMA. TO BELIEVE THAT THE ENDS. JUSTIFY THE CARNAGE. BECAUSE IF THE ONLY THING THAT YOU PROTECT IS YOUR PRIDE. YOU'RE NOT A WARRIOR. YOU'RE A TYRANT. SO STAY SHARP. STAY BRAVE. AND AS ALWAYS. STAY HANDSOME. AND REMEMBER. YOU CAN'T SERVE DEATH AND EXPECT LIFE TO FOLLOW