Mayhem Attack Squad

The Mayhem Attack Squad is a sub-team of Decepticons in the fictional Transformers Universe, functioning as a commando unit and opposite number to the Wreckers. They were created by Marvel UK writer, Simon Furman in the story arc "Time Wars" and appear in two other incarnations.

Time Wars

In their first appearance (UK #199-205), they were teamed up with the Wreckers (as well as Inferno) to take down Galvatron - and had orders to kill any Wreckers left standing. The team was led by Carnivac and consisted mainly of older toy characters that had never been used before, with the exception of Catilla, a newly-released Pretender Autobot introduced as a Decepticon, and Flywheels, who had recently appeared in the "City Of Fear" storyline.

By the end of the Time Wars, only Carnivac and Catilla were left alive (though Flywheels was never killed on-panel and may have also survived). Finding themselves isolated from the other Decepticons and having found a high level of comraderie with the surviving Wreckers, Carnivac & Catilla went rogue and joined them in a new group called the "Survivors".

Springer and Broadside later formed the Survivors with Inferno, Skids and Mayhem left-overs Carnivac and Catilla.

The Mayhems:
*Carnivac
*Catilla (deceased)
*Battletrap (deceased)
*Flywheels (missing presumed deceased)
*Venom (deceased)
*Chopshop (deceased)

Earthforce

In the "Earthforce" run of stories in Marvel UK, a new team of Mayhems was assembled under Bludgeon for the sole purpose of assassinating Carnivac & Catilla for desertion. They were able to chase Carnivac across the Mexican desert and nearly killed him, while Bludgeon did succeed in killing Catilla. Knowing their other target had sworn revenge, they decided to just sit and wait for him to come to them (much to Needlenose's discomfort). This plan backfired when Carnivac was able to systematically kill half the team, leaving only Bludgeon, Octopunch and Stranglehold alive to be captured by Earthforce. They would later escape.

The Mayhems:
*Bludgeon
*Octopunch
*Stranglehold
*Snarler (deceased)
*Needlenose (deceased)
*Spinister (deceased)

Continuity

Marvel UK's Earthforce stories appear take place in a continuity bubble outside of the rest of Marvel's post-Underbase stories. However, the early stories make specific reference to the Dinobots being revived by an unknown source, which would happen in the US comics; editorial also initially told readers that it would be revealed how the Earthforce stories connected. It is just about possible to fit Earthforce in between Marvel US #80 and Generation 2 #1 - if this is done, the Earthforce Mayhems take place chronologically "after" the Unicron Saga Mayhems despite appearing first.

Unicron Saga

In their US debut in #60's "Yesterday's Heroes", the Mayhems consist of only Bludgeon, Stranglehold and Octopunch and were tasked by Thunderwing to assassinate the Classic Pretenders. During a pitched battle with the Pretenders and Micromaster Rescue Patrol, Octopunch woke up Primus and thus caused Unicron to start heading for Cybertron. This version of the Mayhems was the first not to suffer heavy casualties early on and the three characters would be constantly depicted as working together. They also showed up again in the "Earthforce" stories, out to assassinate Starscream for the money; and in "Aspects Of Evil" where Megatron had Stranglehold & Octopunch try to kill Bludgeon in order to flush out an Autobot double-agent.

The three would return again in "Generation 2", during which Bludgeon was incumbent Decepticon leader. Bludgeon was subsequently killed by Megatron and, two issues later, both Stranglehold and Octopunch would be seen being killed by Jhiaxus' forces.