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Wasp

2009-10-01T00:43:59Z

92.12.80.30: /* Animated cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|decepticon}}
{{disambig2|the ill-destined wasp robot from ''Animated''|the ill-destined wasp robot from ''Beast Wars''|Waspinator (BW)}}

:''Wasp was an [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]]. After a freak mutation, he donned a [[Decepticon]] [[insignia]] and took the name '''Waspinator'''.''

[[Image:WaspAutobot.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Wasp and Bee. Obvious, with hindsight.]]
'''Wasp''' is a lot like [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]... physically, at least. Built from the same chassis and sharing many of the same specifications and subroutines, the two Autobots attended boot camp together. Wasp's pompous, smarmy personality leaves something to be desired, but he had a lot going for him as a soldier, being highly skilled in the use of his stingers and knowing just how to toe the line with the drill sergeant. In a better life, he might have been [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] commander material.

''Might'' have.

These days, though, Wasp is a broken bot, mentally unstable and on the run from the Autobots who have branded him a traitor. And, thanks to [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia's]] experimentation, he's been reformatted into a high-powered, techno-organic monstrosity. What little remains of his mind is focused on just one goal... destroying Bumblebee, the bot who ruined his life!

{{bigquote|You were always mean to me and Bumblebee. You may not be a traitor... but you were ''never'' a good bot.|[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] tells Wasp off|"[[Where Is Thy Sting?]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Tom Kenny]] (English), [[Jaron Löwenberg]] (German)
Wasp was a cadet in the same group as Bumblebee, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] and [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm]]. Right away, Wasp took a dislike to Bumblebee, insulting him out of the blue as the yellow bot mused to himself about his future in the Elite Guard. He also dubbed Bulkhead a "[[Mudflap (slang)|mudflap]]", much to the amusement of his fellow cadets. The loud-mouthed drill sergeant [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Minor]] took an immediate liking to "Wasp", as he dubbed him due to being impressed with his accuracy with his stingers - it was Bumblebee "bumbling" in trying to compete with this that led to his own name being assigned. Wasp and Ironhide quickly became close friends, often competing in little tests of strength, usually involving Wasp hitting or stinging Ironhide while the latter was in armor mode.

After Bumblebee "bumbled" several more times, leading to many [[transform-up]]s for the whole group, Wasp and Ironhide decided to take matters into their own hands, unscrewing Bumblebee's lower legs and leaving them out of reach even before they dumped the rest of him in a locker.

Unbeknown to Wasp, however, the reason for Bumblebee's foul-ups was that he was trying to out a traitor in the group—and had pegged Wasp as the likely culprit after seeing him walk out of a hangar in which someone had contacted [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. (Plus, let's face it, he was a complete jerk. And Decepticons are jerks, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|right?]]) At Longarm's prompting, Bumblebee eventually found evidence incriminating Wasp as a spy. Wasp was stripped of his Autobot insignia and wheeled away, protesting his innocence and swearing revenge on Bumblebee.

[[Image:WaspAnimated2.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Wasp was once a 'Bot...]]

Many years later, Wasp escaped from Autobot custody and apparently eluded the now-Sentinel Prime by jumping through a [[space bridge]]. What was left of Wasp hid beneath the bridge as Sentinel left, [[Waspinator (BW)|buzzing and twittering to himself]], still swearing revenge on "Bumblebot". In reality, however, the innocent bot—broken mentally by his years of imprisonment—had been set up with evidence planted by "Longarm", who had also arranged Wasp's "escape" to divert suspicion from himself. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}

Needless to say, when the truth was revealed to Bumblebee by his old "friend", Longarm Prime (aka the Decepticon Shockwave), he took it pretty hard. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

[[Image:WhereIsThySting-Bumblebeecreepilydefeated.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Bee-st Wars!]]

Wasp headed straight for the Autobots' base on Earth, with Sentinel Prime and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] in pursuit. Waiting until Bumblebee was left alone on monitor duty (and actually playing ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' instead), he struck during a power outage, knocking Bumblebee cold and switching color schemes, helmets and even speech synthesizers with his rival. When Bumblebee came to, the others had returned and had him prisoner, with the disguised Wasp at their side. Despite Bumblebee's muffled cries, the Autobots fell for Wasp's ruse, forcing Bumblebee to flee into the night. Wasp stayed behind as the others tracked Bumblebee down, allowing him to try beating Bumblebee's video game and to search through Bumblebee's personal files.

When the others returned, joined by Sentinel, Jazz, [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]], Wasp was able to recount several of Bumblebee's adventures which were logged in his files to keep the Autobots confused as to which bot was which. Unfortunately for Wasp, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] proposed the two battle against each other in in ''Ninja Gladiator'', so that Bumblebee's video game skills would be readily apparent and the traitor revealed. Before their video game could begin, Wasp panicked and attacked Bumblebee, holding him hostage so he could make his escape. Wasp left Bumblebee with one final indignity, turning off the [[electronic paint job]] he'd installed in Bee and stealing his helmet back... tricking Bulkhead into pummeling the real Bumblebee while Wasp fled. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

The Autobots continued to pursue an erratic Wasp, though for different reasons: Sentinel Prime was still commanding the Elite Guard to bring him in on suspicion of treason, while Optimus and Bumblebee just wanted to help him (or at least keep him from damaging himself and bystanders during his crazed flight). In the midst of a pursuit through the streets of Detroit, Bumblebee tried once again to convince Wasp that he was now known to be innocent and was set up by Longarm, but Wasp refused to listen. During the chase, Wasp was suddenly abducted by [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]], who carried him to [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]].

[[Image:PredaconsRising_Waspinator.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Waspinator's back...and he's tired of being comic relief.]]

Wasp soon found himself in [[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]]'s old underground lab going ga-ga over [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]]. The spiderbot used her feminine wiles and familiar-sounding sob stories of Autobot betrayal to win Wasp's trust, and she convinced him to undergo an organic power augmentation procedure by impressing him with the ferocity of her own beast mode (while shielding him from seeing the disfigured mutant corpses left behind from her prior experiments). Wasp entered one [[transwarp]] chamber, a real organic wasp was put into another, and out came... Waspinator, three times larger than before, with more powerful energy "stings" and a deeper, heavily processed, voice.

When he was finally tracked down by Bumblebee, who apologized to him, he decided that while "Wasp" forgave his former accuser, "Waspinator" preferred violent revenge. But before Waspinator could deliver the final blow, he overheard Blackarachnia admitting to the Autobots that she only viewed her new "friend" as another experimental attempt to cure her own organic infection. Irate at yet another betrayal, Waspinator started attacking everybody—and if that wasn't scary enough, his transwarp energy became unstable. Just as Waspinator reached critical mass, Blackarachnia sealed them both within a cocoon of her energy webbing, containing the explosion of transwarp energy.
[[Image:TFAni Predacons Rising Waspinator Hazz Planzzz.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Some reassembly required.]]
While only a crater was left on Dinobot Island, Waspinator and Blackarachnia were teleported by the transwarp energy to an unknown jungle. Although reduced to pieces by the explosion, Waspinator was still functional, and slowly began putting himself back together. After all, he couldn't go offline yet... because "Wazzzpinator hazz planzzz!" {{storylink|Predacons Rising}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Waspinatoranimateddeluxe.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Finally Blackarachnia has a pal... and by "pal", we mean "guinea pig".]]
*'''Waspinator''' (Deluxe class, 2009)

:Despite his cartoon origins, Waspinator is ''not'' a [[redeco]] or [[Retool|retooling]] of Bumblebee. Part of the sixth wave of ''Animated'' Deluxe-class toys, Waspinator transforms from a techno-organic wasp into a techno-organic, four-armed, winged robot that resembles his ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' namesake, only far freakier-looking. In both modes, a lever on the thorax flaps his wings back and forth.

:His antennae are made of softer rubber, to allow them to be wedged within his insect head, as well as [[for safety reasons]].

{{-}}
*'''Fugitive Waspinator''' (Deluxe, 2010?)
**''Accessories'': Detachable twin boosters

: 'Fugitive Waspinator', apparently named such because of [[Trademark|trademark issues]], represents Wasp before he became a freak mutant. He is a simple [[redeco]] of Deluxe class Bumblebee. At BotCon, Hasbro explained 'Either [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] got a new head, or Wasp did.' They went with the former.
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Notes==
*A wasp and a bee, sharing the same mold? [[Waspinator (BW)|How]] [[Buzz Saw|preposterous]]!

*The small, vestigial arms present on the Deluxe Waspinator toy's robot mode torso have their origin in an early design concept for [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]]; the bounty hunter robot's character model was subsequently altered to make his appearance less monstrous, but [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] loved the concept of the vestigial arms enough to incorporate them instead into Waspinator's design.<ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/05/evolution-of-lockdown.html The Evolution of Lockdown ] and [http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/10/tfa-s3-chin-on.html TFA S3: CHIN ON!]</ref>

*The signature quote given to Waspinator on his toy packaging is "Waspinator rules!", one of several iconic catchphrases associated with the original ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' incarnation of Waspinator. He uttered it in "[[A Better Mousetrap]]" and "[[Maximal, No More]]".

* Derrick Wyatt states on his blog that this incarnation of Waspinator is inspired by his ''Beast Wars'' counterpart, but made more monstrous and buglike. Wyatt examined photographs of actual wasps, nature shows like "Life in the Undergrowth" and monster movies for inspiration. The FX studio, Audio Circus, added insectoid clicks and other background sounds for the character.<ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2009/04/oh-canada-here-i-come.html Oh Canada, here I come!]</ref>

* In technorganic mode, Wasp is capable of firing energy blasts from his vestigial arms. This is possibly the mutated version of his original stinger attack, similar to Elita-1/Blackarachnia retaining her downloading power.

* Wasp is the only character to have shown 3 different bodies throughout the show (Cybertronian race car, green version of Bumblebee's car mode, and giant wasp).

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Animated characters]]
[[Category: Autobots]]
[[Category: Decepticons]]

Soundwave (Animated)

2009-10-01T00:40:10Z

92.12.80.30: /* Animated */

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Soundwave}}
:''Soundwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TFAnimated Soundwave.jpg|right|256px|thumb|When the Dance Dance Revolution comes, you will be first against the wall.]]
'''Soundwave''' is technology gone wrong. Machines are superior to humans: more logical, more intelligent, and longer lasting. It does not compute that humans control their robotic helpers, and Soundwave aims to lead the robot proletariat to rise against their fleshling bourgeoisie. The Decepticon cause is logical in Soundwave's optics, and he joined them in the hopes of overthrowing the human/capitalist oppressors. With an army of subservient mechanoids that he can control through powerful signals, that uprising just might be possible.

His arsenal of weapons and gadgets is unusually large, and includes powerful speakers, wiretaps, voice modulators, sonic signals that control lesser robots, and the uncanny ability to assimilate other devices into his body.

He has a [[Laserbeak (Animated)|pet bird]] that transforms into a guitar and a [[Ratbat (Animated)|pet bat]] that changes into a keytar. He also on occasion has been known to command an army of diminutive [[Sound Wave|drones]] of himself.

{{quote|I am Soundwave. I am Decepticon. The revolution begins now.|Soundwave|"[[Sound and Fury]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Jeff Glen Bennett]] (English), [[Jaron Löwenberg]] (German)

[[Image:Soundandfuryprotect.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Don't you touch him! His voice is awesome!"]]

Soundwave was a robot originally designed by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. Megatron suggested [[Isaac Sumdac]] give Soundwave to [[Sari Sumdac|his daughter]] as a birthday present... this seemingly kind act, of course, had a sinister ulterior motive. Megatron knew Sari would use her [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]]-enhanced [[AllSpark Key|Key]] on Soundwave, which would allow him to upgrade... and ultimately become Megatron's new body. What Megatron didn't count on, though, was that the upgrades would actually make Soundwave self-aware and able to control other robots with sound. Additionally, Soundwave concluded that machines should be the masters of the world, and humans would be an ideal slave force. Megatron decided that if Soundwave couldn't be a new body, he would be a new soldier.

[[Image:Animated Soundwave masses rebel.jpg|right|175px|thumb|The struggle between the robots and the humans is a class struggle. Automatons of the world, unite!]]

Megatron tried to convince Soundwave to join the Decepticons, take control of the machines in [[Detroit]], and steal the AllSpark Key. At first Soundwave refused, but then Megatron told Soundwave that the [[Autobot]]s lived to serve the humans. Once convinced, Soundwave promptly upgraded himself into a transforming body using controlled robots, and began his task. He started by taking over all the robots in [[Detroit]] and using [[Tutor Bot]] to kidnap Sari Sumdac. The revolution of the robots was, however, quickly opposed by the Autobots. When [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] came to rescue Sari, Soundwave blasted him with a sonic blast. Soundwave then appealed to Bulkhead to join the revolution because he did not want to hurt a fellow machine, reminding him how Bulkhead had been replaced by Soundwave himself. Bulkhead acted as if he was about to kill Sari... then used his wrecking ball to shatter Soundwave. The machines were restored to their normal operational status, and the day was saved.

Unknown to all others, however, Soundwave still functioned as a small piece even after Bulkhead pummeled him into scrap metal. {{storylink|Sound and Fury}}

A newly reassembled Soundwave was revealed to be in control of an army of Soundwave toys that have been marketed and sold by [[Porter C. Powell]] just in time for [[Christmas]]. One such toy was among the wrapped gifts at Autobot base. This toy freed himself from his packaging where he proceeded to poison the Autobot's [[oil-nog]], which made the Autobots eager to take a [[stasis nap]]. Hoping to reprogram them into Decepticons, Soundwave plugged the sleeping Autobots into a virtual world where they were led to believe they had been turned into humans. However, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] eventually deduced that they were in a virtual world, and managed—by force of will—to change their avatars into their Cybertronian forms. Soundwave decided that he had to accelerate the reprogramming. However, Sari Sumdac used her previously discovered Cybertronian abilities to try to interfere with his plans. Laserbeak was able to drive her off, and Soundwave used Ratbat to begin a more accelerated reprogramming. {{storylink|Human Error, Part I}}

[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part2 Electrostatic Soundwave Reprogramming.jpg|left|175px|thumb|I will make everything metal, blacker than the blackest black… times infinity!]]
Unfortunately, the damage that Sari dealt to Soundwave in their scuffle impeded the process of reprogramming the Autobots. That was of little consequence, as Soundwave had a back-up plan: using the toys Powell made in his likeness, Soundwave was able to brainwash every human in Detroit, ordering them to "destroy the [[techno-organic]]". Soundwave then turned his attention back to the Autobots, however, Prowl had freed himself using his "[[processor-over-matter]]" technique, but Soundwave quickly rectified this and returned the virtual Autobots into their human bodies. Exploiting their desire to escape from his trap, Soundwave entered the virtual world with an oddly-colored avatar and led them into a trap, where their reprogramming was completed.

[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part2 Soundwave Destroyed.jpg|thumb|right|175px|[[Sound and Fury|Not again.]]]]
After Sari Sumdac assembled a group of "[[Substitute Autobot|Substitute Autobots]]" to free her friends, Soundwave gained the element of surprise when he burst out from under the street and brought forth his newly reprogrammed Autobot minions. Soundwave held a significant tactical advantage over the inept group, but when the miserable technorganic changed tactics and focused on individual attacks, Soundwave found himself disoriented as he tried to control five minions at once. Soundwave was able to regain the upper hand when the substitute Autobots took out all but one of the reprogrammed Autobots: leaving him with full control over Optimus Prime. However, Prowl was able to break free of Soundwave's control using processor-over-matter and disabled Soundwave's control over his comrades. Soundwave then deployed Ratbat to deal with the meddling cyber-ninja and fought servo-to-servo with Optimus Prime, who then grabbed Laserbeak and forced him to transform back into guitar mode. Soundwave called Ratbat back to him in keytar mode and the two battled each other with music, until Optimus changed tactics and slashed him to pieces with his own ax. Soundwave was reduced back to his smaller form and seemed to be in Autobot custody... until Laserbeak grabbed his master and retreated in the sky. {{storylink|Human Error, Part II}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Soundwaveanimateddeluxe.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Guitar Villain.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories'': "Laserbeak" guitar

: Soundwave transforms into a pseudo-Scion xB that got a "Pimp My Ride" music style treatment. That's awesome. He also comes with his partner [[Laserbeak (Animated)|Laserbeak]], who changes from a guitar to a bird. Also awesome. His chest can open in robot mode, so he can "eject" anything that fits there (but not what you [[Laserbeak (Animated)|want]]). Awesome too. Laserbeak can mount on the top of the roof of Soundwave's car mode and perch on his arm (or store on his back) in robot mode. Very awesome. And the volume/tone knobs are just the right size to fit in the screwholes on his arms, so he can look like he's strumming Laserbeak's guitar form. <u>'''Extremely'''</u> awesome.

:Between the presence of Soundwave's huge backpack and his painted eyes, his lightpiping feature is well and truly neutered. Not so awesome. And the chest can be a ''pain'' to transform. Even less awesome.

Overall, though? Awesome.
{{-}}
[[Image:Ani-toy BumperBattlers Soundwave.JPG|right|250px|thumb|That can't be good for his back.]]

*'''Soundwave''' (Bumper Battlers, 2009)
: This adorable Soundwave has a Decepticon symbol that plays unknown sound effects when pressed.
{{-}}
[[Image:Animated-toy_ActivatorsSoundwave.JPG|right|250px|thumb|]]

*'''Soundwave''' (Animated Activators, 2009)

{{-}}
{{anchor|Electrostatic Soundwave}}
[[Image:Animated electrostatic soundwave toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Rick Wakeman, eat your heart out.]]
*'''Electrostatic Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2010?)
**''Accessories'': "Ratbat" keytar

: A redeco of the regular Deluxe Soundwave, Electrostatic Soundwave's deco is an obvious homage to Soundblaster, being [[Black repaint|black]] with red paint applications. Instead of [[Laserbeak (Animated)|Laserbeak]], he comes with [[Ratbat (Animated)|Ratbat]], a black keytar that turns into a bat with a metallic purple head and wings. ''Supremely'' awesome.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
* Soundwave's eyes are a reference to [[wikipedia:2000 AD (comic)|''2000 AD'']]'s ''[[wikipedia:ABC Warriors|ABC Warriors]]''<ref>[https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21975298&postID=8564559979841180115 Comment section for "Back from Botcon" entry in Derrick Wyatt's blog]</ref>.

* In the cartoon, his eyes can be either "Decepticon" red or "Generation 1 toy" yellow. Everybody's happy!

* The box he was in when given to Sari—as well as his remaining component after Bulkhead first defeated him—are obvious references to the [[alternate mode]] of [[Soundwave (G1)|Generation 1 Soundwave]].

* The production staff of ''Transformers Animated'' were completely unaware of the Soundwave toy's Laserbeak-guitar, hence why it was not included in his debut episode.<ref name="botcon2008">[[BotCon 2008]]</ref>

* Soundwave's "tape deck" form seen at the end of "Sound and Fury" is based upon Takara's [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Music Label MP3 player Soundwave toy]].<ref name="botcon2008"/>

* Soundwave's consciousness appears to be localized to this "tape deck", meaning as long as it remains intact, he can form/build a new body. It's not clear whether his [[spark]] is also contained within, though it's very likely.

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm Soundwave at TFU.info]

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]