Catilla (G1) - Transformers Wiki

The name or term "Catilla" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Catilla (disambiguation).

Catilla is an Autobot (sometimes, former Decepticon) Pretender Beast from the Generation 1 continuity family.

A silent, patient hunter, Catilla will vigilantly watch enemy activity for hours without making a single sound or movement. When he does move, it's in a flurry of activity that almost always ends in his target's destruction, a task he takes great pleasure in fulfilling.

No, don't check your title bar—this isn't Razorclaw's page.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Catilla was assigned to work for the Mayhem Attack Squad, the Decepticons' elite strike team counteracting the Autobot Wreckers. His first mission? Team up with the Wreckers. Granted, it was to battle Galvatron for the fate of four worlds, and they still had orders to kill any surviving Wreckers at the end, but still... Alanis would agree, that's ironic. Unexpectedly, Galvatron had found himself his own unlikely ally on Earth: a clone of his own past-self, Megatron! Catching their attackers off-guard, the duo mowed through both the Mayhem Attack Squad and the Wreckers, quickly forcing them into a retreat. Megatron and Galvatron pursued them however, the only reprieve coming from additional Autobots and Decepticons joining the fray to end the time storm caused by Galvatron's prolonged stay in his past. Time Wars

After Galvatron and his allies had massacred their way through the Mayhems, only Catilla, Snarler and their commander Carnivac were left alive. Their ship stolen by Megatron and Ravage, the Mayhems found themselves deliberately cut off from their superiors on Cybertron, who apparently saw the Time Wars as an embarrassment to be swept aside and ignored, along with the Mayhems. Even Scorponok of Earth was apparently unwilling to take them into the fold. He did, however, offer to refuel them and outfitted the three with Pretender shells in exchange for a "little job". While Carnivac and Snarler made an assassination attempt on Fortress Maximus's human half, Catilla stood watch on surveillance in case any reinforcements came running. Still, he somehow missed the orbital planetfall and arrival of Fortress Maximus himself, and the Decepticon trio were sent packing. The Man in the Machine!^[1]

Carnivac owed the Wrecker commander Springer a warrior's debt from the Time Wars and, seeing as how both groups were on the outs with their respective armies, approached the remaining Wreckers with an offer to pool resources. Catilla got a kick out of the idea, but Snarler was ready to brand them traitors for even considering it. All talks of alliances were postponed when the Autobots headed out to investigate a procession of emergency vehicles, while the Decepticons hung back. The disturbance turned out to be the Autobot Skids, recently returned from limbo with some monsters in tow. Once Carnivac and Catilla committed themselves to the alliance by charging in to rescue Springer's group in the battle against the monsters, Snarler stalked off, bitterly planning to return with an execution squad. As the dust settled, a new group formed out of the Wreckers and Mayhems known as the Survivors, and Springer even offered to make the two Pretenders honorary Autobots. Carnivac wished to remain a Decepticon, but Catilla jumped at the opportunity. Survivors!

Things weren't smooth sailing from then on, though. Catilla eased into the role of human-saving do-gooding Autobot rather well, but Carnivac was having trouble letting go of his warrior's past. After a fight with Springer, he stormed off, leaving Catilla to try and smooth things over on his behalf with Springer. Catilla was unsuccessful in convincing the Autobots that the Decepticon just needed time and space to cool off. This left Carnivac on his own when he ended up in a six-against-one fight with the new Mayhem Attack Squad, led by Snarler, on a mission to execute the traitors. Way of the Warrior Springer let his recent fight with Carnivac cloud his judgement, but while he was dragging his feet, Catilla charged ahead to rescue his fellow ex-Decepticon with or without the Survivors' help. Survival Run He reached the site of the battle just in time to stop Spinister from gunning down Carnivac, but ended up taking Bludgeon's sword to the chest. As the Survivors finally arrived to chase away the Mayhems, Carnivac held Catilla's body as he died, and vowed revenge on Snarler and the Mayhem Attack Squad. A Savage Place! Cry Wolf!

Transformers Comic-Magazin

Catilla was among the Autobots summoned to defend Nevada Alpha and its cache of nuclear missiles from the Decepticons. "Save Nevada Alpha"

Regeneration One

Catilla was among the many Autobots fighting off Bludgeon's Blitz Engines on Cybertron. He crushed an engine's leg in his jaws, only to have it regenerate and severely shock him. Destiny, Part Four

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Before the war, Catilla worked together with Carnivac as a private investigator. The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye During the Dark Ages, Catilla was a member of Ratbat's evil Ultracon faction. War Within: The Dark Ages At some point thereafter, Catilla joined the Autobots, and eventually became a Pretender. The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2005 IDW continuity

Catilla was on Garrus-9, holding the line with a group of Autobots against the advancing Nemesis Prime. It didn't work out. Spotlight: Doubledealer

Catilla would later hang out at Blurr's newly reopened Maccadam's Old Oil House. Night and the City

Commercial appearances

Snarler and Catilla battled in their robotic beast forms, with Snarler tackling down Catilla and transforming into his robot mode while pinning him to the ground. The two opponents then leaped apart and enveloped themselves in their Pretender shells... only to emerge from them once more. Pretender Beasts and Pretender Vehicles commercial

Toys

The Transformers

• Catilla (Pretender Beast, 1988)

• Accessories: Pretender shell, "air concussion cannon"/"turbo blaster", helmet, tail
• Known designers: Richard Marcej (packaging)

Released in the fifth year of the original The Transformers toyline (fourth year in European markets), Catilla transforms into a mechanical Saber-toothed cat. His outer Pretender Shell, which can contain his robot form, resembles a yellow organic saber-toothed cat with red robotic armor and a removable silver helmet. His shell's tail is also removable, though that's a storage and breakage-prevention move, as it has no function for Catilla's robot mode. He is armed with a large grey cannon that can be mounted on the top of his mechanical cat form, or on the side of his shell's spinal armor.

Ironically, the toy bio for the figure refers to the same weapon with two different names. When inside his shell, it's referred to as a "turbo blaster", but in robot mode mode it's referred to as an "air concussion cannon". Seemingly, Hasbro didn't provide Bob Budiansky with enough toy references for him to realize they are the exact same gun. To be fair, from the different angles it attaches onto Catilla and his Pretender shell, it does look like three different guns (just look at the image to the right!).

No version of this mold or character was released in Japan.

• More information on Catilla at TFU.info

Merchandise

Transformers Character Card

• Catilla & Gutcruncher Set (December, 2023)
  • ID number: 73 & 74

Released as part of the tenth wave of the e-HOBBY exclusive Transformers Character Card series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of Catilla and Gutcruncher along with character profiles and tech specs.

• Translation of Catilla's Transformers Character Card

Notes

• Catilla's name is a reference to Attila the Hun.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Catilla (キャティラ Kyatira)
• French: Chatou (Canada, "Catu")
• Italian: Zanna ("Fang")

References