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Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I

2021-09-11T07:46:21Z

TailgatePrime: /* Synopsis */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #34
|prev=Lord of Misrule: Swindle's II
|next=Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust II
|caption=
|image=TF2019 34 cvrA.jpg
|title="Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 1]], 2021
|coverdate=August 2021
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Anna Malkova]]
|colors=[[David García Cruz]] and [[Evan Gauntt]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Termagax has a secret—and when the Decepticons go after Megatron's old mentor, Landmine and Geomotus are caught in the middle.'''

==Synopsis==
While conducting a geological survey near the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], [[Geomotus]] and his best friend [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] observe that the frenzied [[rust worm]]s have disrupted the usually placid sea, putting it in a state of upheaveal. [[Termagax]] cuts in to explain that the creatures have been in a frenzy ever since the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Citadel (Titan)|Citadel]] splashed down in their feeding grounds and provided them with a feast, the likes of which they haven't seen in eons. Since her last confrontation with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], the reclusive engineer has retreated into the deep wilderness to evade the [[Decepticon]]s who've been searching for her; with the latest such patrol inbound, Termagax warns the pair that they should take shelter inside her mobile [[House (building)|House]]. Indeed, when the Decepticon flier [[Red Wing]] and his [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s spy Termagax's tower, the trio immediately recognize the building for what it is—when Red Wing suggests they fall back and inform their superiors, the reckless [[Space Case (G2)|Space Case]] and [[Wingstun]] ignore Termagax's warnings, attempt a landing, and are promptly repelled by an electrical field. The pair don't take the hint and try a second pass... at which point House launches a barrage of surface-to-air projectiles that transform into energy-draining clamps. As Wingstun retreats, Space Case loses power and crashes into the sea, where the rust worms promptly devour him alive.

In [[Crystal City]], the remnants of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s [[Security Operations]] division have come together with the specialists, scientists, and engineers displaced by Megatron's coup to form a new Autobot faction. As [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] wraps up his speech congratulating the new recruits, he informs [[Pyra Magna]] that he's got news: thanks to a tip-off from his former spy [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], he's learned that Termagax may possess the most powerful weapon on Cybertron—something that could change the course of the war. Although finding the notoriously reclusive philosopher will pose a challenge, [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] points out that tracking her down might not be an issue—he's just received an interesting transmission from Geomotus, out near the Sea of Rust...

Elsewhere, Megatron has arranged an audience with notorious war criminal [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. Although most Cybertronians thought him dead after the end of the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], the mercurial Seeker explains that after he abandoned [[Exarchon]], he was banished from the planet... but when he grew bored and attempted to return home, he wound up stranded in [[unspace]] for kilocycles. Megatron has no patience for his antics, and when [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] informs Megatron that Red Wing has located Termagax out in the Rust Sea, the Decepticon leader tells Soundwave to get [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] on the job. Skywarp, eager to spread his unique brand of mayhem once more, asks if he can come along too, but when Soundwave refuses to tell him where he can find Shockwave, Skywarp just teleports away.

While Termagax catches up with Landmine and Geomotus, [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] leader [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] receives a transmission from Shockwave: although Bombshell and Shockwave have agreed on a ceasefire, that agreement came with the stipulation that Bombshell and his clone-drones must support the Decepticons when asked—and right now, he's delegating the task of capturing Termagax to the Insecticons. When his minion [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] wonders why Shockwave's not using his own army of superior [[Insecticon clone]]s, Shockwave explains that forcing his rival's hand will give Shockwave an edge—forcing Bombshell to throw his army of cheap, shoddy clones into combat will weaken him in the long run. If Bombshell succeeds, then Shockwave will have the [[Enigma of Combination]]... and if Bombshell fails, then Shockwave will still have undermined a potential competitor while still having [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] to fall back upon.

Landmine warns Geomotus that they really should leave before the Decepticons show up in force—but Geomotus, taken by Termagax's collection of rare Cybertronian strata, wants to dawdle and enjoy himself. Termagax reminds Landmine that it will take time for the Decepticons to muster a coordinated response... but when the House AI detects something on the horizon, Termagax sees what the Decepticons have sent after her: a gigantic swarm of Insecticon clones!

Meanwhile, in [[Praxus]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] have finally awoken [[Jumpstream]] from her slumber. Jumpstream groans that she saw another world... but Perceptor reveals to her that his teleport harness took her across time, not space. This revelation shakes Jumpstream to her core: if she saw the future, then that means the darkness she saw is still coming. Exarchon never died, Jumpstream tells them; Exarchon ''will'' return... and when Exarchon comes back, ''he wins''.

At first, House tries to outrun the swarm; as a panicked Landmine and Termagax snipe back and forth, Termagax finally decides to take charge and fight back. With a few verbal commands, House brings ''every'' weapon to bear—concealed missile launchers and antipersonnel weapons emerge from recessed compartments and begin chewing through the swarm. With their safety temporarily assured, Termagax takes a moment to explain ''why'' the Decepticons are after her: she holds the [[Enigma of Combination]], and although she might doubt the veracity of the [[Thirteen]], there's no denying the power of their incredible artifacts. Megatron will do anything to get that power in his hands... but before she can finish that thought, the House AI cuts in to alert the three that its systems are about to run out of ammunition. The surviving Insecticons promptly swarm over Termagax's fortress, and Termagax apologizes to the pair for getting them involved... until House picks up more contacts, coming in hot. A gout of flame incinerates multiple Insecticons and heralds some Autobot reinforcements: [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], [[Blades (G1)|Blades]], [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Geomotus]] (1)
* [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] (2)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (7)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (8)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (9)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (10)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (11)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (12)
* [[Pyra Magna]] (13)
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (14)
* [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (15)
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (16)
* [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (17)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (18)
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (19)
* [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] (20)
* [[Vibes]] (21)
* [[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]] (22)
* [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (23)
* [[Pointblank]] (24)
* [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (25)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (39)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (40)
* [[Jumpstream]] (41)
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (49)
* [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (50)
{{!}}}

|h2=[[Decepticon|Ascenticon]]s/[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
* [[Termagax]] (3)
* [[Wingstun]] (4)
* [[Space Case (G2)|Space Case]] (5)
* [[Red Wing]] (6)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (26)
* [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]] (27)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (28)
* [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (29)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (30)
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (31)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (32)
* [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (34)
* [[Shrapnel (G1)|Skrapnel]] (35)
* [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] (36)

|c4=
* [[Insecticon clone]]s (33)
* ''[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]'' (37)
* ''[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'' (38)
* ''[[Vector Prime]]'' (42)
* ''[[Quintus Prime]]'' (43)
* ''[[Micronus Prime]]'' (44)
* ''[[Liege Maximo]]'' (45)
* ''[[Solus Prime]]'' (46)
* ''[[Alchemist Prime]]'' (47)
* ''[[Nexus Prime]]'' (48)
}}

==Quotes==
"You waited until Exarchon was '''losing''', then changed sides to save your own '''life'''." 
"I survived, you won. Good result all around. And now we get to dance again, Sixshot."
:—'''Sixshot''' and '''Skywarp'''

"Of the '''fourteen artifacts''', only it and the Matrix have been seen since the Primes fell. And it has only resurfaced '''twice''' in all those ages, each time creating terror... and wonder. And only '''I''' know where the second of those wonders is, and how to direct it. If the Insecticons succeed, I gain the Enigma. If they '''fail''', we lose nothing. I already '''have''' what the Enigma offers. I have '''Devastator'''. A monopoly on wonder and terror is a good thing to hold."
:—'''Shockwave'''

"I don't understand. How can you not have '''heard''' that there's an '''Insecticon swarm''' on the loose?! They attacked '''Darkmount!''' They've been roaming the mountains for '''cycles! Everyone''' knows!" 
"The best way of '''avoiding''' attention is '''paying''' no attention. I am '''hiding''', you idiot!"
:—'''Landmine''' and '''Termagax'''

"I never really believed in the existence of the Thirteen—the Primes—as '''actual''' beings. Solus, Quintus, Nexus, Alchemist, and the rest. '''Metaphors'''. The embodiments of all the mysteries and abilities that make us. Everything that makes us unique, given a name and a face. And what else does a species '''do''' with its mysteries? But then there the '''artifacts'''. I have seen the Matrix. Held the Enigma. And if they exist, perhaps the others do. The Mask and the Cog and the Stone. All the others. Perhaps the Primes were invented to explain '''them'''."
:—'''Termagax'''

"Never fear, lesser beings! '''SKY LYNX''' is here!"
:—'''Sky Lynx''' brings the cavalry

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Termagax went on the lam in [[War World: Awakenings|issue #26]] and took House with her after a final attempt to make Megatron see sense. She's still in possession of the [[Enigma of Combination]], which she'd previously used to create [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' [[Constructicons Rising, Part 1|#1]]. Her central workshop still includes both a dead [[Voin]] in a tank and what appears to be [[Gridlock]]'s severed head, furnishings that'd previously appeared in [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two|#8]].
* Geomotus's best friend [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] last appeared in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|issue #21]]. Termagax commends his traumatic descent into Cybertron's [[Sonic Canyons]], an ill-fated expedition that Geomotus had previously mentioned in #14.
* The mysterious [[rust worm]]s first appeared in [[War World: Awakenings|issue #26]], but weren't specifically named until ''[[Transformers: Escape|Escape]]'' [[Escape Part Two|#2]]. During an exchange with Highbrow, Geomotus identified them as a serious threat to the planet's integrity, and they later appeared in again in [[War World: Titans|#29]] after the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Citadel (Titan)|Citadel]] crashed in the Sea of Rust. This issue finally clarifies the relationship between the worms, the sea, and the rest of Cybertron: the rust worms were originally a hostile, possibly invasive species who threatened the planet at some point during the [[Expansion|Age of Expansion]]. They ate their way through the planetary strata, defying all attempts to contain them, until finally the living planet did what Cybertronian could not by forming an impermeable basin to contain both the worms and the liquid rust particulates they excreted, and creating the Sea of Rust in the process.
* Red Wing's compatriots give him a hard time about his recent encounter with [[Pyra Magna]]'s [[Companion]]s in [[War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|#30]]. According to [[Nacelle (G1)|Nacelle]], Red Wing turned tail in the middle of the fight and left him—in reality, Red Wing told Nacelle to fall back when he saw who they were up against, but Nacelle didn't understand why Red Wing was retreating and got wailed on by a pissed-off [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] as a result.
* Although Pyra Magna claims that she barely knew Termagax, Optimus tells her that she became "something of a cause" for the ambitious Ascenticon leader. As discussed in issue #8, Termagax viewed Pyra's punishment as unjust; she told Megatron that she'd only return to society if [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] pardoned the former Great General.
* The last few issues have been a bit vague about Skywarp's situation, but his exchange with Megatron clarifies some details—most prominently, Skywarp changed sides at some point before the end of the war, and was later banished from the planet by [[Nominus Prime]] like Shockwave and the Insecticons. At some point afterwards, he attempted to jump back home using his teleportation powers, but wound up stranded in [[unspace]] instead, or so he claims, anyways...
* Bombshell and the other Insecticons deserted Shockwave and went rogue in the pages of ''[[Transformers: Escape]]'' to raise a clone army of their own—Landmine even recalls their attack on [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]] in [[Escape Part Five|the final issue]]. At some point over the forty-cycle timeskip between then and [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|''Transformers'' #31]], it seems as though Bombshell and Shockwave have reached some kind of truce, although Bombshell points out that he only suggested a ceasefire after realizing he couldn't root them out—he sent [[Hydradread]] and [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] to assassinate the main trio in [[Escape Part Four|''Escape'' #4]] but things quickly went ''Aliens'' for them and they barely got out alive.
* [[Storm Horizon Part 3|''Galaxies'' #10]] ended with the reveal that Shockwave had been using the raw materials sourced from Soundblaster's splice-thieving operation to construct an army of [[Insecticon clone]]s of his own, with the implication that these clones would play a role in the then-upcoming ''Escape'' miniseries. In the actual ''Escape'' story, however, the clones were instead created by Bombshell and the gang after they stole one of Shockwave's cloning machines. This issue addresses the apparent discrepancy by revealing that Shockwave ''did'' create clones of his own, and they are noted to be of higher quality than the mindless monsters the Insecticons have created. Perhaps this sophistication has something to do with the Insecticons we saw in [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|#32]]'s bad future, which possessed the power to transform?
* In the same conversation, Shockwave finally confirms that Soundblaster is indeed a clone, presumably of the original Soundwave. Shockwave speaks of a "we" when discussing Soundblaster's creation, which suggests that he might have been a collaborative effort between Shockwave and Exarchon.
* As he contemplates the Enigma of Combination and the other lost artifacts of the Primes, Shockwave notes that the Enigma has only been used twice in recent history: it created [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] at some point before the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] immediately afterwards, who's shown to be sulking on an asteroid somewhere in deep space. Although Shockwave gloats that his command over Devastator gives him a monopoly on combiner power, he doesn't know that another combiner's recently come into play—[[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] and his team absorbed [[Airachnid (G1)|Airachnid]]'s artificial Enigma of Combination and became [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] in the [[Light/Star|2021 annual]].
* As the Insecticons overwhelm House, Termagax attempts to power up a [[spectrosynth drone]], the same kind of life-model-decoy tech she used in issue #26 to confront Megatron.
* The final panel shows that [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] has returned to duty—he was sidelined for a while after Sixshot mauled him in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|#23]], but evidently recovered over the course of the timeskip.

===Transformers references===
* The rust worms that plague the region resemble the [[Driller]]s from the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' film. Their wormlike shape, serrated fangs, description as "machine-animals", and their mysterious appearance at some point in Cybertron's deep past also recall the [[Dweller (G1)|Dweller]] from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Dweller in the Depths]]".
* [[Space Case (G2)|Space Case]] and [[Wingstun]] originated in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' and ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' franchises respectively. Much like [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]] in [[War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|#30]], the pair use the generic ''Siege'' [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] body-type, even though they weren't Seekers in their original franchises.
* Since returning to Cybertron in [[War World: Moon|issue #28]], it seems as though Huffer has upgraded to a new body off-screen based on his recent [[Huffer (G1)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''War for Cybertron'']] toy.
* Termagax's brief flashback features a look at seven members of the original [[Thirteen]] Transformers and some of the artifacts they carried. Many of them—[[Solus Prime|Solus]], [[Nexus Prime|Nexus]], [[Quintus Prime|Quintus]], and [[Micronus Prime|Micronus]]—are immediately recognizable, but a few have been reinterpreted to varying degrees.
** If we assume that the sword to his right is [[Prima]]'s [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]], then that would probably make the beardy, blade-wielding 'bot in the top right corner [[Vector Prime]], who's wielded [[Rhisling|a different sword]] in various ''Transformers'' stories.
** Although basically all of the [[Liege Maximo]]'s contemporary fictional appearances have based the character on his {{w|Loki (Marvel Comics)|Loki}}-esque depiction in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'', this continuity returns Liege to his roots by giving him fangs, claws, a shrouded face, and a tentacle loincloth, all traits lifted from his monstrous [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'']] look.
** [[Alchemist Prime]], sporting a windscreen chest, round shoulders, and smokestacks, is physically based on [[Maccadam]] as he appeared in the ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' cartoon, who was revealed to be Alchemist Prime in the cartoon's final season.
* The other side of the spread features several [[Artifacts of the Primes]]: in addition to the well-known [[Matrix of Leadership]], [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]], and the [[Enigma of Combination]], other artifacts include [[Onyx Prime]]'s [[Triptych Mask]], an hourglass trinket that's probably the [[Blades of Time]], the [[Transformation cog|Transformation Cog]] of [[Amalgamous Prime]], and a crystalline thing that's not readily identifiable—Micronus Prime's [[Chimera Stone]], perhaps?

===Errors===
* Throughout the comic, Landmine's chest is colored solid grey instead of orange.
* On page seven, Huffer's chest is orange instead of blue.
* When they first appear, Geomotus's comfort shapes are colored bronze. When the Insecticons attack, the shapes are colored blue, red, and green, and stay that way for the rest of the comic.

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for August 18th, this issue arrives two weeks late, on September 1st.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Termagax, [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]], and Red Wing, with the Enigma of Combination, by [[Winston Chan]]
* '''Cover B''': Termagax grabs the flyswatter, by [[Susan Margevich]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Shockwave and the Insecticons, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 34 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 34 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 34 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Star Trek]]'': The Mirror War
* ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (IDW)|Transformers: Shattered Glass]]''
* ''[[Transformers: King Grimlock]]''

===Reprints===
*'''''Transformers Volume 5: Horrors Near and Far''''' ([[May 22]], 2022 **''scheduled''**) ISBN 1684058066 / ISBN 978-1684058839
**Hardcover.
**Collects ''Transformers'' issues #31–36, ''[[Wreckers: Tread & Circuits]]'' issues #1-4, ''Transformers Annual 2021'', and the ''Transformers Halloween Special''.
**Bonus material currently unknown, most likely alternate covers.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v5.jpg|'''''Volume 5: Horrors Near and Far'''''; cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://comic-watch.com/news/sneak-peek-preview-of-idw-publishings-transformers-34 Preview]

[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I

2021-06-24T04:53:58Z

TailgatePrime: /* Synopsis */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #31
|prev=Light/Star
|next=Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II
|caption=
|image=TF2019 31 cvrA.jpg
|title="Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[June 23]], 2021
|coverdate=May 2021
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Anna Malkova]] (pg. 1-13), [[Angel Hernandez]] (pg. 13-20)
|colors=[[David García Cruz]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''An unsuccessful teleportation experiment leaves Jumpstream stranded on a dangerous planet and farther from home than she ever imagined.

==Synopsis==
In [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s medical center, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] keeps a solitary vigil as [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] does what he can for [[Provoke]]. Though the medic theorizes that Provoke was running off of extra [[energon]] reserves when she fell, his final prognosis is grim: he might be able to salvage her [[spark]], but two megacycles of protective [[stasis lock|stasis]] may have corrupted her mind and body beyond any hope of repair.

In [[Crystal City]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] welcomes [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Prime fills him in on what has transpired since he left the planet: [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] has overthrown the [[Senate]] and driven the Autobots from Iacon, while [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his followers have spearheaded similar uprisings in [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], [[Stanix]], and the [[Tagan Heights]], incarcerating political opponents as they go. The Autobots are fighting back where they can—[[Pyra Magna]] and her soldiers are organizing an evacuation from [[Protihex]], while [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] have turned the city of [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]] into a refuge for organics and neutral Cybertronians—but despite these small victories the Autobots lack the resources and firepower to muster a coordinated resistance. Ultra Magnus has his doubts, but notes that the takeover has left him without a government to support and ultimately decides to support the new Autobot leader in his fight. When Magnus asks why Optimus released Pyra Magna from prison, Prime notes that her own quest for atonement has made her a dependable ally—and her fanatically loyal [[Companion]]s are useful assets in their own right. Even now, Pyra's lieutenant [[Jumpstream]] has volunteered for a risky solo mission in [[Praxus]]...

At Praxus's [[Academy of Applied Technology]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] explains his plan to amplify Jumpstream's teleportation abilities—though [[Strongarm (BWU)|Strongarm]] and the other security guards sent to protect them don't share his belief that his latest experiment will work. After ordering them outside, Perceptor continues: during the recent attack on the Senate, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] amplified [[Ion Storm]]'s electromagnetism powers by over-fuelling him on [[energon]]. Perceptor's new [[teleportation hybrid-rig]] works on the same principle; by combining energon, [[nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]], and some reverse-engineered [[Thraal]] teleportation technology, this harness will massively overcharge Jumpstream's powers and allow her to instantly transport soldiers and supplies across vast distances, and potentially giving the Autobots the edge they so desperately need. First, however, they'll need to make a test run. Outside the academy, [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] eagerly shows off his replacement arm to [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], but the older Autobot gets the cadet off his back by ordering him to make a patrol circuit around the building. Once he's gone, Strongarm points out that Bumper's latched onto Sideswipe; although Sideswipe doesn't think he's cut out to be a role model, their conversation is cut short when Jumpstream materializes in front of them. Jumpstream fumbles with the controls for a few seconds before reappearing in Perceptor's lab; as she tries to explain that the safety cut-out's malfunctioning, Perceptor prepares to manually siphon the fuel while warning her that uncontrolled, rapid-fire jumps could burn out the harness entirely, stranding her in [[unspace]] or even some alternate reality—but Jumpstream vanishes again before he can finish his sentence.

In his underground laboratory, Shockwave has taken custody of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]; his containment tube churns with radioactive energy as he pleads for Shockwave to release him, babbling that he can share his "understanding" with Cybertron. Shockwave has other ideas, however, and leaves to interrogate [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] and the other members of [[Team Stream|her team]] for more information regarding their misadventure on the [[Winged Moon]]. On the surface of the bunker, Jumpstream briefly flickers past [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] as the young Decepticon argues with her teammates, each new jump taking her further and further from Praxus: she narrowly avoids a swarm of feral [[Insecticon clone]]s by teleporting away, then winds up thousands of feet ''above'' the [[White Tower]] in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], teleporting to safety mere seconds before she hits the ground. As her jumps grow faster and more erratic, Strongarm and the other security 'bots burst into the lab to see Perceptor hunched over the console, trying to chart each new teleport using the harness's built-in tracker. Suddenly, Perceptor loses her signal completely: wherever she is, she's not on Cybertron.

Somewhere, Jumpstream careens through [[unspace]]—briefly drawing the attention of a [[Skywarp (G1)|shadowy form]]—before the teleport rig finally runs out of fuel, causing her to crash-land in an unfamiliar metallic landscape. As Jumpstream gets her bearings, however, the Autobot realizes that she's in Iacon... but not the Iacon ''she'' knows. ''This'' city is a burned-out ruin, illuminated only by glowing pillars of purple energy and strewn with corpses—including the severed heads of Pyra Magna, Ultra Magnus, [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]. Jumpstream recoils in horror from the sight and loses her footing in the process; when a familiar hand helps her to her feet, she's at first relieved to see [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]... but soon realizes that "Sunstreaker" is just one of several Cybertronian slaves under the control of a [[Voin]] asserter! Though Jumpstream demands an explanation, the Voin barks for her to be quiet as it escorts her through the ruins, towards the crumbling remains of the Senate building, where two [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s shove her before a crude throne in in the middle of the ruins. Jumpstream immediately recognizes the shadowy, red-eyed figure before her as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], but the nearby "[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]" corrects her: their ''bodies'' might persist, but their individual minds are long gone. "Shockwave" steps forward to reveal the truth—together, they are [[Exarchon]], lord of Cybertron!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (9)
* ''[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]'' (12)
* ''[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]'' (13)
* ''[[Pyra Magna]]'' (14)
* ''[[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'' (15)
* ''[[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'' (16)
* ''[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'' (17)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (18)
* [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] (19)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (20)
* [[Jumpstream]] (21)
* [[Strongarm (BWU)|Strongarm]] (22)

|c2=
* [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] (2)
* [[Kaskade]] (3)
* ''[[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'' (10)
* ''[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]'' (11)
* [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] (23)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (24)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (25)
* [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)|Hyperdrive]] (26)
* [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] (27)
* [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] (28)
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] (30)
* [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] (31)

|c4=
* [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (1)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (4)
* [[Provoke]] (5)
* [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (6)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)
* [[Victory Leo]] (8)
* [[Insecticon clone]]s (29)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (32)

'''Threefold Spark'''
* [[Voin]] asserter (33)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (34)
* [[Heavywait]] (35)
* [[Skywarp drone]]s (36)
* [[Exarchon]] (37)
}}

==Quotes==
"I take orders from governments. If I can't live with them, I quit. And I get '''one vote''' to change things.. Same as everyone. Not much, one vote, but I'm attached to it. Seems Megatron's taken it away. So I'm with you, easy or not."
:—'''Ultra Magnus'''

"Conceptually, it's very simple." 
"Don't say things like that, Perceptor. That's inviting the universe to demonstrate that it's '''not'''."
:—'''Perceptor''' and '''Strongarm'''

"And anything Shockwave can do, I can do better. Except possibly cloning. Which is illegal."
:—'''Perceptor'''

"'''So?!''' So? I'll tell you so. Me and Shadow Striker were '''on''' team Sixshot and it was no fun! Team Six? Team Shot? Whatever. Top to bottom, side to side, all the way through... '''no fun'''!"
:—'''Flamewar'''

"Perceptor! I am going... '''TO KILL YOU!'''"
:—'''Jumpstream''' has a bad trip

"M-Megatron? Oh, damn." 
"Damned. Yes. But Megatron? Not Megatron." 
"Onslaught?" 
"He is long gone. I am '''EXARCHON'''."
:—'''Jumpstream''' meets... well, take a wild guess.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This issue picks up forty cycles after the end of [[War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|issue #30]], which ended with Optimus Prime and his forces making a complete withdrawal from Iacon after a final, failed peace conference with Megatron. Since then, Prime and his forces have relocated to [[Crystal City]].
* [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]] and [[Roadtrap (Generations)|Roadtrap]] stumbled across Provoke's body in the final scene of [[War World: Titans|issue #29]] while poking around in the ruins of the [[Memorial Crater]].
* The unconscious bodies of [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] and [[Kaskade]] appear during scene in the medical center. The pair were deliberately silenced by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] during a standoff in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Two|issue #14]]; they last appeared in [[Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|issue #19]] in a comatose state.
* Flatline notes that [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], and most of the other medical workers walked out instead of serving the Decepticons—[[Escape Part One|the first issue]] of ''[[Transformers: Escape]]'' featured a tense standoff between Hoist and [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]]'s group of Decepticons. While Hoist subsequently joined the cast of the ''Escape'' miniseries, [[War World: Awakenings|issue #26]] also showed Ratchet and [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] taking in Optimus Prime's first speech. Presumably, they've also joined the Autobot resistance during the timeskip.
* Ultra Magnus recently starred in the "Storm Horizon" arc of ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]''; after rescuing [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] from the [[Black Sphere]], he and his crew returned to Cybertron seventy cycles behind schedule and discovered that Megatron had overthrown the Senate in their absence. Magnus's first mate Chromedome and [[Colonial Security]] heavyweight Victory Leo make barely-visible cameos alongside Magnus, but there's no sign of Trion or Magnus's prisoners [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] and [[Octane]]. Perhaps they're still aboard the ''[[Fist of Iacon]]''?
* Since we last saw her and her family in ''Galaxies'', Arcee has returned to active duty as a member of Pyra Magna's Autobot militia. She's fighting alongside [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], another ex-soldier who retired at some point after the end of the War of the Threefold Spark.
* As a result of IDW's ongoing scheduling delays, this comic comes out two weeks before [[Escape Part Five|the final issue]] of the ''Transformers: Escape'' miniseries and spoils the ending by revealing that [[Straxus (G1)|Straxxus]] has vacated Darkmount, leaving Hound and Wheeljack to turn the city into a neutral sanctuary for civilians and organic aliens. The [[Insecticon clone]]s that attacked Darkmount, meanwhile, have gone feral, dispersed across the planet, and remain a persistent threat to Autobots and Decepticons alike.
* Perceptor refers to [[Ion Storm]]'s electromagnetic attack on the Senate in [[Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|issue #23]], and speculates that the enhanced power he displayed might have been the result of Shockwave over-fuelling him on [[energon]].
* Perceptor notes that [[cloning]] is illegal—as per [[Escape Part Three|''Escape'' issue #3]], we know that Shockwave and Exarchon cloned [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] during the War of the Threefold Spark. More recently, Shockwave's experimented with cloning the Insecticons and taken on the ever-mysterious [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] as his Igor, who may or may not be a clone of the original Soundwave.
* Sideswipe risked his life to rescue Bumper from [[Clench (G1)|Clench]]'s artillery barrage in [[War World: Prime|issue #25]]; he's sporting some hastily welded patches across his chest, shoulder, and legs to cover the wounds he sustained, while Bumper's got an entirely new right arm after he lost it to a railgun slug.
* [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] last appeared in [[War World: Moon|issue #27]], where he took a direct hit from a microsingularity created after [[Lancer]] and the other members of the engineering crew destabilizied the [[Winged Moon]]'s artificial gravity system. In that issue, Slipstream and the other Decepticons noted that he was hot to the touch; since then, his corrosive radiation powers have continued to develop as his sanity deteriorates.
* Flamewar bristles at the idea of returning to Iacon to work for Sixshot; she and Shadow Striker worked with him in issues [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two|#8]] and [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Three|#9]], which established Sixshot's propensity for smacking his subordinates around.
* The [[Voin]] that takes Jumpstream prisoner is shown using the heavily-armed "asserter" module that appeared in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Two|#14]]. In this alternate universe, however, the Voin have progressed beyond their ape-like "slaved organics" and use Cybertronians instead, including Sunstreaker and Heavywait.
* Multiple [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s in the ruins of alternate-universe Iacon sport [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]-like color schemes; it's likely that these are versions of the [[Skywarp drone]]s that fought in the war.
* Numerous characters have speculated that [[Exarchon]], the villain who kicked off the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], might still be out there: Cyclonus voiced his belief that Exarchon was still alive in [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One|issue #7]], and in issue #25 the "Mediator" that dwelt within the [[Matrix of Leadership]] told Optimus that Exarchon had not yet returned to the [[Transformer afterlife|Allspark]]. Is Exarchon native to this universe, or did he too somehow find a way to cross dimensions?
* The reveal that Exy is a body-snatcher clarifies a few details about the character, such as Pyra's comments in the previous issue about how not everyone served him "willingly", and his attempted usurpation the Titans which led to the death of [[Croaton (G1)|Croaton]], as was established in [[Wheeljack: Orbital Decay|issue #24]]. It also give a hint as to just ''what'' he'd been planning to do with Megatron in the flashback shown in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Three|issue #15]].

===Transformers references===
* Perceptor briefly discusses how some 'bots like Jumpstream possess unusual powers at birth. The [[2005 IDW continuity|previous IDW universe]] had previously touched upon this concept through "[[Outlier (group)|outliers]]"; in keeping with this more egalitarian depiction of Cybertronian society, however, Cybertronians with abnormal powers appear to be called "prodigies", as per an exchange in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|issue #20]].
* Upon learning that her teleport rig uses [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] as a fuel source, Jumpstream notes that she doesn't want to get mode-locked. Perceptor points out that it takes sustained amounts of Nucleon abuse over a long period of time to affect one's physiology—a bit of in-universe justification to explain how the substance sometimes creates [[Action Master]]s but can also be used as some kind of recreational drug.
* Perceptor speculates that Jumpstream's teleports temporarily take her through [[unspace]]—while the term originated in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel's ''The Transformers'' comics]], the concept's recently returned to prominence within the overarcing ''Transformers'' mythos: within the last two years, the [[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|''Cyberverse'' cartoon]], ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron]]'', and IDW's own ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars|Beast Wars]]'' comic have all used the concept to refer to the "void" between different realities within the ''Transformers'' [[multiverse]].

===Real-world references===
* This three-issue arc likely takes its name from the {{w|Lord of Misrule|real-world religious tradition}} associated with Christmas celebrations in medieval Britain.

===Errors===
* On page five, Jumpstream's dialogue misspells "Nucleon" as "Nucelon".
* The alternate-reality Sunstreaker sports a faded Autobot [[insignia]]—this seems like a bit of artistic oversight, as his counterpart in the main universe doesn't possess one.

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for May 19th, this issue arrives one month late.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Jumpstream, by [[Diego Zúñiga]] and [[Sid Ven Blu]]
* '''Cover B''': Jumpstream arrives in an alternate reality, by [[Chris Panda]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Ultra Magnus and Optimus, by [[George Caltsoudas]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 31 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 31 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 31 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*[[Light/Star|''Transformers'' Annual 2021]]
*''[[Transformers/Back to the Future]]'' TPB
*''[[Star Trek]]: Year Five''

==External links==
* [https://comic-watch.com/news/sneak-peek-preview-of-idw-publishings-transformers-31 Preview]

[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

War World: Moon

2021-01-21T03:32:57Z

TailgatePrime: /* Synopsis */

{{disambig3|Moon}}

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #27
|prev=War World: Awakenings
|next=War World: Hunt
|caption=
|image=TF2019 27 cvrB.jpg
|title="War World: Moon"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[January 20]], 2021
|coverdate=January 2021
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Fico Ossio]]
|colors=[[David García Cruz]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Novastar's Autobots go up against Slipstream's Decepticons for control of the Winged Moon.'''

==Synopsis==
Not long ago, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and his team rescued the [[Winged Moon]] from falling into [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s sun... now, it's up to [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]] and her [[Autobot]]s to save it from [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] and her forces. Aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], the team prepares for the drop as Novastar runs over the environmental conditions they'll face below—fortunately, Novastar explains, the moon's damaged sensors mean that their enemies won't detect their arrival until it's too late.

On the surface, [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] and the other members of "[[Team Stream]]" have problems of their own: [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and the remaining engineers barricaded themselves inside the central control room, and without access to the controls their specialist [[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] can't deduce if the moon even has any [[energon]] left to steal. As Slipstream orders her team to open fire on the heavy access hatch, Huffer and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] watch from the central video console—though Huffer's adamant that they're not getting in that way, he's worried that Slipstream might have split her forces to mount a surprise attack. [[Lancer]] pulls an unlucky [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] free from a tube, and when the young Transformer wonders why they need to block the pipes Huffer reminds him that not only do their attackers have access to [[Mini-Cassette|infiltration trooper]]s, but Hotlink himself worked on the moon—he'll find a way in eventually. Worse yet, amidst the chaos, the engineers had to abandon their prisoner [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]] in another section of the moon—and when [[Shadow Striker (G1)|Shadow Striker]] and [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] stumble upon his abandoned cell while detonating their way through the moon's inner workings, they're taken by surprise by the sight! At the same time, [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] contacts Slipstream to warn her that he's picked up signs of an incoming vessel; on her orders, the hulking Decepticon takes off to investigate. When he informs his leader that Sky Lynx is coming in hot, Slipstream orders Flamewar, Hotlink, and [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)|Hyperdrive]] to dig in and prepare for a counterassault.

In lunar orbit, Sky Lynx detaches his lower body to make landfall, but warns his passengers that he won't be able to completely commit himself to the ground assault—to keep Astrotrain distracted, he'll need to transfer his higher functions to his other body and leave his ground-based form a mindless weapon of last resort. In the tunnels, Shadow Striker, Sunstorm, [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] and [[Tracer (G1 Decepticon)|Tracer]] take Enemy with them as they make their way through the tunnels as Sunstorm complains about their cramped environment. Enemy wonders why [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] didn't tell anyone about his mission, moments before Tracer stumbles over an electrical tripwire and collapses! The engineers have rigged every possible way in or out to the control room with booby-traps and obstacles, and their problems are compounded when Slipstream orders Shadow Striker back to the surface to assist her.

While Flamewar, Slipstream and Hyperdrive trade fire with the Autobots, [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] charges through the line of fire, kicks up a cloud of dust and debris, and baits Hyperdrive into charging his position before taking out the impulsive Decepticon. As Smokescreen trades banter with his old coworker Slipstream, Flamewar tries to get the drop on him before Windblade tackles the bike-bot and hurls her away. As Novastar and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] take shelter under a communications dish and debate whether or not to give their enemies a chance to surrender, Shadow Striker answers their question for them when she blasts their improvised cover and takes them out! Ignoring [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s orders to stand down, Shadow Striker outfinesses the Autobot and uses the low gravity to trip him up.

In the maintenance shafts, Blackjack and Enemy spy Gears and Lancer setting up another series of traps and promptly give chase. The engineers barely escape capture by leaping into a hole in the floor, squeezing into a side door to the control room, then sealing the hatch behind them ... but the Decepticons now ''know'' where they are and promptly open fire on the unsecured doorway. With only minutes before the controls are breached Lancer has one final idea up her sleeve—if they sabotage the artificial gravity system, create an imbalance in the core's suspension cage, they can weaponize the miniature [[black hole]] that this maneuver will create... at the cost of igniting the moon's remaining energon and jeopardizing its structural integrity. Huffer has doubts, but Lancer's argument is simple: they're out of time, out of options, and with the enemy literally at their gate they can't afford to think of another plan.

As Tracer, Enemy, Sunstorm, and Blackajack try to hammer their way through the hatch, the desperation attack proves effective and destructive: the singularity pierces Sunstorm's head, and the massive explosion of energon that follows sends all three flying straight up onto the surface of the moon. Though the blast merely catches Tracer and Blackjack, it's Sunstorm who takes the brunt of the blast; bathed in a mixture of volatile energon and exotic radiation, the detonation knocks the flying Decepticon into orbit; as Sky Lynx breaks off from his combat with Astrotrain to investigate, Slipstream realizes they've lost and orders Astrotrain to prepare for an evacuation. The defeated Decepticons make a brief detour to pick up Sunstorm, but find that that the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] is still burning hot to the touch. Though Enemy's missing in action after the explosion, Slipstream announces that they're cutting their losses and returning to Cybertron: they lost the battle, but the war is only just beginning...

As the Autobots and the rescued engineers board Sky Lynx, Cosmos informs Huffer that he'll stay behind; despite Huffer's concerns, Cosmos insists that ''someone'' has to take care of the damaged station until it can be repaired. Before they leave, however, Cosmos takes Lancer aside—he wants her to take a comms package back to Cybertron for him. It's a message, he explains, but it's not ''just'' that... it's also an invitation for [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast-Off]] to join him.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]] (1)
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (2)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (3)
* [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] (4)
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (5)
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (6)

|c2=
* [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)|Hyperdrive]] (7)
* [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] (8)
* [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] (9)
* [[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] (10)
* [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]] (15)
* [[Shadow Striker (G1)|Shadow Striker]] (16)
* [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] (17)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (18)
* [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] (19)
* [[Tracer (G1 Decepticon)|Tracer]] (20)

|c4=
* [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (11)
* [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] (12)
* [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (13)
* [[Lancer]] (14)

}}

==Quotes==
"I say we get in there and '''powderulverize''' them!" 
"That's not even a word!" 
"Of '''course''' it's a word, Hyperdrive. I couldn't '''say''' it if it wasn't a word, could I?"
:—'''Flamewar''' and '''Hyperdrive'''

"Hah! '''Knew''' someone would come for me eventually! '''Knew''' the Rise wouldn't forget me!" 
"Who're you?"
:—'''Enemy''' and '''Shadow Striker'''

"You'll have to forego much of my verbal assistance shortly, as I'll be localizing my higher functions in my winged section. But you'll get down safely. And I get to fly some distracting rings around that lump of inertia Astrotrain, so everyone wins."
:—'''Sky Lynx'''

"First hit wins the bragging rights." 
"Fine by me, '''Hyperfail'''. Hyperdrivel? Missdrive? No... Hyperfail's the best of those, right?"
:—'''Hyperdrive''' and '''Flamewar'''

"Quite liked [Slipstream] back then, to be honest. Yet here she is, apparently trying to kill me. Crazy times... but we don't get to '''choose''' our times, do we? We just get to '''live''' in them."
:—'''Smokescreen'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The [[Winged Moon]] last appeared in [[Wheeljack: Orbital Decay|issue #24]], where [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and his engineering team prevented it from falling into the sun after [[Vigilem]] severed it from the [[Tether]]. In [[War World: Prime|issue #25]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] left the other four members of his engineering team behind to warn Cybertron that the Decepticons had attacked the moon, and [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]] took her rapid response team to investigate.
* Novastar notes that the moon's external sensors are nonfunctional; in #24, the moon passed through the [[Croaton Cloud]], which knocked out most of its long-range communications equipment.
* [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] is missing from the Autobot roster—he's still recovering from the mauling [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] gave him in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|issue #21]], since [[Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|#22]] confirmed that he required medical attention.
* Throughout the comic, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and the other engineers refer to their attackers as members of "[[The Rise]]". They're not to know it, but since they left Cybertron, the Rise has effectively ceased to exist as a separate organization; [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] recruited many Risers directly into the [[Ascenticon Guard]] in [[Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|#19]], and eventually rebranded his movement as the "Decepticons" in issue [[Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|#23]] under the pretense that they had defeated the Rise.
* Cosmos met and courted [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast-Off]] in the [[Open Comms|backup story]] of the ''[[Transformers Valentine's Day Special]]'', and briefly mentioned his long-distance romantic partner in issue #24. However, ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' [[Constructicons Rising, Part 4|issue #4]] revealed that Blast-Off had since become a member of the Rise, and is now presumably a Decepticon, so this could invite some unforeseen consequences...

===Transformers references===
* Flamewar's made-up word and suggestion to "powderulverize" their enemies was previously made by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]."
* After taking the radiation blast head-on, [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] is left glowing with energy and hot to the touch, suggesting that he's developing the corrosive, radioactive powers that some other iterations of the character have displayed. This trait originated in [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave Productions']] [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|''Generation 1'' series]], and Sunstorm's mumbling that he "saw something" amid the light evokes his demented messiah complex from the Dreamwave era.

===Errors===
* Throughout the comic, [[Shadow Striker (G1)|Shadow Striker]] is missing two of her three helmet-mounted "eyes".

===Other trivia===
* After more than a year of delays, IDW starts 2021 on the right foot by releasing this comic on its original solicited date—the first ''Transformers'' comic to do so since [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five|issue #11]], all the way back in August [[2019]].

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Astrotrain, by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
* '''Cover B''': Cosmos on the moon, by [[Red Powell]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Sunstorm flambé, by [[Nicole Goux]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 27 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 27 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 27 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Transformers'' hardcovers
*''[[Transformers: Escape]]''

===Reprints===
*'''''Transformers Volume 4: Declaration of War''''' ([[August 10]], 2021 **''scheduled''**) ISBN 1684058066 / ISBN 978-1684058068
**Hardcover.
**Collects ''Transformers'' issues #25–30, ''Transformers Valentine's Day Special'', and ''[[Transformers: Escape|Escape]]'' issues #1-5.
**Bonus material currently unknown, most likely alternate covers.

<gallery>
image:TF-IDW-2019v4.jpg|'''''Volume 4: Declaration of War'''''; cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2021/01/19/preview-transformers-27/ Preview]

[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

Infiltration issue 0

2020-10-20T01:34:29Z

TailgatePrime: /* Synopsis */

{{Comicstory
|series=infiltration|issueno=0
|prev=
|next=Infiltration issue 1
|image=Infiltration 0a.jpg
|caption=Freeze man, before I pop a cap in your afterburner.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[October 19]], [[2005]]
|coverdate=October 2005
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[E. J. Su]]
|colors by=[[John Rauch]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]] & [[Robbie Robbins]]
|edits by=[[Chris Ryall]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline#2006-7|2006-7]]
}}
'''A young woman steals an item from a businessman that turns out to be more than meets the eye.'''

==Synopsis==
At a bus station in [[Phoenix (city)|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]], young [[Verity Carlo]] is picking her marks when she spies a high-end [[SM-40|palmtop PC]] in use by an [[Stoker|anonymous businessman]]. Eager to nab the device, she's unaware that she's not the only person interested in the computer: from a nearby [[Runabout (G1)|black sports car]], someone—or some''thing''—is just as intrigued...

Using a stolen ticket, Verity hops onto the same [[Los Angeles]]-bound coach as the businessman. While he's napping she lifts his palmtop computer then, with the help of a rancid bagel, feigns illness and is left at the side of the road. The coach bus takes off—followed closely behind by the two seemingly normal sports cars.

In a bunker deep underneath [[Oregon]], a report comes in: a target of interest has been "sanitized" but the "cache" is missing: a state of affairs that [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] can't abide.

Alone on the side of the road, Verity sticks out her thumb at the next car and is picked up by an intense young man named [[Hunter O'Nion]], who is rather self-conscious about his last name. Verity tries to figure out why a kid like him is in the middle of nowhere. After Verity grills him about his alien paraphernalia, O'Nion exasperatedly reveals why he's come to the desert, only to swerve suddenly when he spies trouble up ahead.

The two take a detour and discover that Verity's coach has been run off the road by two sports cars. Everyone's okay, except that the businessman whose palmtop Verity stole is missing. As the two depart, O'Nion explains his story: he runs a [[Mechatopia|website]] devoted to alien conspiracy theories. Two years ago, he claims, [[Earth]] was invaded by aliens, and not just ''any'' aliens: these extraterrestrial visitors are, according to his findings, gigantic mechanoids who have escaped [[human]] detection by disguising themselves.

[[File:Infiltration0 Thundercracker.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

A skeptical Verity has a good laugh at his expense... until a red light floods Hunter's van. Seconds later, the two humans realize that it's a scanning beam emitted by [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|a blue fighter jet]], who, on Starscream's orders, "contains" the two humans as they flee from their van, blowing their only means of escape to bits, and then prepares to "purge" the humans. Verity wonders if they can talk down the jet, but Hunter reveals that he got a good look at the jet's cockpit — and there's nobody inside!

As the jet comes around for another pass, the two humans try and make a break for it, but don't expect to be saved by [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|an ambulance]], who zooms to their rescue and sends the jet fleeing with a roof-mounted cannon. The ambulance's smiling driver reveals himself and tells them that, if they want to live, they'd better come with him!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] (8)
|c2=
*[[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] (3)
*[[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] (4)
*[[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] (5)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] (7)
|c3=
*[[Stoker]] (1)
*[[Verity Carlo]] (2)
*[[Hunter O'Nion]] (6)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* As this is our intro to this new universe, it's told heavily from a human point of view. This also ties into the story's heavy emphasis on concealment and disguise.
*The Transformers are shown to have concealed heavy artillery in their alternate modes. This will often be used in subsequent issues—the fight scenes in the next two issues are primarily done in vehicle mode.

===Transformers references===
* The use of Ratchet and Thundercracker as primary characters in this introduction to IDW's continuity may homage early stories of the [[Marvel Comics continuity]]. Specifically, Ratchet was the lead protagonist in [[Bob Budiansky]]'s [[The New Order|first]] [[The Worse of Two Evils!|story]] [[Warrior School!|arc]] for the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|US comic book]]. Thundercracker, meanwhile, served as a main antagonist (or ''the'' main antagonist, [[Man of Iron (issue)#Production notes|depending upon the version and the coloring]]) for the first original story appearing in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK comic]], "[[Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron]]".
* Further, the emphasis on Transformers remaining disguised in alternate modes, even throughout battles, also seems to homage [[Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron]]. Other than Starscream's shadowed back, no Decepticons are seen in robot mode in this issue, similar to how only alt-mode Decepticons appeared until the very end of the Man of Iron storyline.

===Real-life references===
*Ratchet's holomatter driver states, "If you want to live, come with me," in a reference to the often-used line from the ''[[Terminator]]'' franchise. Verity made fun of this in issue #1. Simon Furman would later be the author on a ''Terminator''-based comic series called ''Terminator 2: Infinity''.

===Errors===
[[File:Verity 6 fingers Carlo.jpg|200px|thumb|Six fingers on each hand, six toes on each foot, a healthy baby girl.]]
*After identifying herself as "Verity Carlo" in the narrative text, the character identifies herself to Hunter as "Verity Carter". An internal justification could be that "Verity Carter" is an alias she uses to prevent Social Services tracking her down, but when Ratchet asks for her name in issue #1 she answers with "Verity Carlo".
*When Verity points her knife at the duffel bag on the bus, her right hand has six fingers. Also, when Verity whips out her dual mace spray attack, she has six fingers on each hand.
*Hunter must possess both superhuman vision and nerves of steel to be able to see there is no pilot inside Thundercracker's cockpit as the Decepticon jet passes overhead.

===Other trivia===
*The issue features a welcome page by Chris Ryall (as ChrisCharger), a 3-page interview with author Simon Furman, and 2 pages of sketches from artist E. J. Su, including a 1-page writeup.
*Cover A features Jazz with his original Porsche 935 hood/chest, but when actually seen in the comic, he transforms into a current-model Porsche 911 (aka 997).

===Covers (8)===
<gallery>
File:Infiltration 0a.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #0 cover A''' - Eat lead, dig?
File:Infiltration 0b.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #0 cover B''' - Could it be? Respecting [[scale]]???
File:Infiltration 0c.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #0 cover C''' - Forget Megatron, every girl in the city's got some serious cleavage!
File:Infiltration 0d.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #0 cover D''' - Still function now, Megatron?
</gallery>
*'''''Infiltration'' #0 cover A:''' Autobots, by [[E. J. Su]].
*'''''Infiltration'' #0 cover B:''' Decepticons, by E. J. Su.
*'''''Infiltration'' #0 cover C:''' [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] in city, by [[James Raiz]].
*'''''Infiltration'' #0 cover D:''' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] fighting Megatron, by [[Milx]].
<gallery>
File:Infiltration 0botcon.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #0 [[BotCon 2005]] exclusive cover''' - Come on, Archer, finish the cover!
File:Infiltration 0gatefold.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #0 Gatefold Incentive cover''' - Totally cool, totally ''not'' in this comic! [[Spotlight: Shockwave|Yet]].
File:Infiltration 0summitprime.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #0 Retailer Summit Exclusive (Boston) cover''' - Well, that's just Prime!
File:Infiltration 0summitmegs.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #0 Retailer Summit Exclusive (Fort Wayne) cover''' - Pissed he won't be in the book for another 6 months.
</gallery>
*'''''Infiltration'' #0 [[BotCon 2005]] exclusive cover:''' Optimus Prime sketches wraparound cover by Aaron Archer and assorted Hasbro artists
*'''''Infiltration'' #0 Gatefold Incentive cover:''' [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] wraparound cover by [[Ed McGuinness]]
*'''''Infiltration'' #0 Retailer Summit Exclusive (Boston) cover:''' Optimus Prime face by E. J. Su
*'''''Infiltration'' #0 Retailer Summit Exclusive (Fort Wayne) cover:''' Megatron face by E. J. Su

===Advertisements===
*[[Infiltration issue 1|''Infiltration'' #1]]
*''Angel: Old Friends'' comic (back interior cover)
*Optimus Prime wants YOU: The Transformers and IDW Publishing (back cover)

===Reprints===
Other than [[The Transformers: Infiltration#Collections|reprints of the full series]]
* N/A

The Toxic Transformer

2020-10-16T10:44:49Z

TailgatePrime: /* Synopsis */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|''Transformers Timelines'']] text story
|prev=Life Finds a Way
|next=Foundation and Wreckage Part 1: Deadly Aim
|image=ToxicTransformer.jpg
|caption= We're waiting on "Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxitron". Or a musical adaptation.
|seriesissue2=''[[Of Masters and Mayhem]]''
|prev2=
|next2=
|title="The Toxic Transformer"
|publisher=[[Transformers Collectors' Club]] (online exclusive)
|date=[[May 20]], [[2016]]
|by=[[Luke Thompson]]
|pencils=[[Dan Khanna]]
|colors by=[[Thomas Deer]] and [[Jesse Wittenrich]]
|inks=[[Jake Isenberg]]
|managing editor=[[Pete Sinclair]]
|pagecount=14pp
|chronology=
|continuity=''[[Of Masters and Mayhem]]''
}}

'''The Decepticons have created a monster who burns everything he touches: Toxitron! But as it turns out, this monster is unwilling to be a slave...'''

==Synopsis==
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the Autobot/Decepticon war rages on, consuming everything in its path. A 500-strong Autobot platoon was sent to protect yet another city as part of yet another "holding action," and now, 17 days later, yet another Cybertronian city has been razed to the ground, with only a few dozen Autobots left. Autobot fuel-preparation specialist [[Spin-Out (G1)|Spin-Out]], the last remaining officer of the platoon, looks over the damage caused by the battle, melancholic over their Pyrrhic victory. One of his soldiers, [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], tries to cheer him up, pointing out that without him, they wouldn't of had anyone else to lead them, but this only serves to upset Spin-Out more, as he only became leader because forty-eight other Autobots died. His frustration his interrupted when [[Powerflash]] calls him, informing the new "commander" that they've managed to capture a Decepticon. Heading on over, Spin-Out finds the remaining Autobots standing around the noxious-smelling prisoner, ready to use melee weapons at the first notice of trouble. Spin-Out interrogates the Decepticon, asking for his name; when he refuses to answer, Powerflash forces the prisoners head up, causing Spin-Out to realize that the Decepticon looks like a warped version of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]! He doesn't have much time to think about this, however, as Powerflash begins screaming, his hand melting away from the orange slime that the Decepticon produces. The Decepticon slowly and deliberately rises up, his restraints melting away, and grabs Powerflash's head, reducing it to ooze. As the other Autobots attack him, only for the wounds that they do manage to inflict spraying orange slime all over them, the Decepticon slowly pontificates, explaining that he is an experiment, and like any experiment, he has a name...[[Toxitron (G1)|Toxitron]]. Spin-Out, now the only survivor of his platoon, is paralyzed with fear, as Toxitron turns his attention to him. Finding Spin-Out's red armor "too bright," Toxitron moves to melt the Autobot...when a electrical pop sounds off, freezing the Decepticon and causing him to fall backwards. Spin-Out stands silently for several seconds, before his knees give out, joining Toxitron in unconsciousness.

Inside a top-secret facility, Decepticon scientists [[Loudpedal]] and [[Oil Slick (G1)|Oil Slick]] have retrieved Toxitron from his latest mission, along with Spin-Out, who has unfortunately become one of Loudpedal's "patients." Looking over the latest data, the two call up [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] to inform them of their latest success (with Loudpedal hoping to impress Knock Out enough to enter his fellowship). The two tense up, however, when their call is picked up on the other line, as [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] has elected to accompany Knock Out on the call, and coldly demands for their latest report. Regaining composure, Loudpedal and Oil Slick go over Toxitron's origins; he was part of an attempt at making a new combiner, and while he does seem capable of forming a torso component, the experiment upon him having changed his biology, turning his internal fluids into a "molecular solvent," toxic sludge constantly leaking from his body that has also imbued him with rapid regeneration abilities. This sludge is highly adhesive, unable to be removed until its potency is expired, and which emits caustic fumes that causes further damage to those around it. Knock Out is fascinated, and inquires into the "cognizant stasis" they've used to control him in-between missions. Loudpedal is all too happy to explain the process to his idol: using a form of mental conditioning created by [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]], Toxitron is frozen, unable to move but fully aware of his surroundings, causing him to stew in his own negative emotions, building up until he is next unleashed upon the Autobots. Shockwave, apparently pleased, orders them to proceed to schedule, and ends the call.

Outside a top-secret Autobot facility, security director [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] keeps watch. Inside, engines are being built for the Autobot's last hope: the [[Ark (G1)|''Ark'' Project]], a spaceship that will allow them to search for energy elsewhere, as Cybertron's own energy grows dim. Lost in thought as he looks over the security log, his attention is brought to the sky when a shuttle comes flying overhead, following the complicated flight pattern Red Alert devised to identify those who are a friend and foe. Completing the maneuvers, the shuttle lands; [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] exits the craft with a box of new components, and the shuttle transforms into [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. Red Alert elects to escort the two in, having received reports from the front gate that Optimus Prime appears to be coming. Inside the factory, Jetfire takes the components from Brawn, heading off towards his laboratory. Red Alert and Brawn head for the security area, where a group of Autobots are watching the security footage. One of the officers informs Red Alert that the signal is from an Autobot transponder, and that the cybermetrics match Optimus Prime. However, "Prime" is traveling alone, and although he's maintained radio silence, the video feeds are unable to actually capture an image of the incoming Transformer, due to some sort of feedback emitting from him. Red Alert activates the Emergency Autobot Alert System, informing everyone of the situation, as the Transformer rams through the gates. Red Alert orders everyone to their battle stations, as he and the rest of the security force gather around the front doors, which begin melting away. As Toxitron emerges through the whole, the Autobots open fire...but when the smoke clears, the damage inflicted on Toxitron heals over rapidly. Toxitron mockingly asks them why they would treat a fellow Autobot like that, as he opens his chest, revealing the source of the transponder signal: the decapitated head of Spin-Out! Infuriated, Brawn rushes towards Toxitron, but the Decepticon pulls out his rifle, spraying the small Autobot with his toxic ooze. Unsheathing his sword, Toxitron blasts and cuts his way through the security forces, with what little damage the Autobots do manage to inflict on him simply damaging their comrades. However, Toxitron is blindsided when Jetfire punches him to the ground, his heat shielding slowing down the effects of Toxitron's sludge. Jetfire warns Red Alert to stay back, allowing Toxitron enough time to heal, as blasts Jetfire back with a stream of sludge, quickly standing up and pressing his hands against Jetfire's battlemask, quickly burning through it. Red Alert jumps at Toxitron, knocking him off of Jetfire, but before he can get back up, the Decepticon slices him at the waist with his blade, the two halves falling to the floor. The other Autobots fall in pain, connected to Red Alert from the emergency alert system; his link to Spin-Out causes him pain as well, and Toxitron rips the dead Autobot's head out of his chest, tearing it apart. Jetfire, recovered from Toxitron's attack, blasts the Decepticon with his pulse rifle, but unfortunately, it sends him flying into the incomplete engines, ruining the ''Ark''. Jetfire orders everyone to escape the compromised facility, promising to buy them some time, as Toxitron melts his way out of the engines...

Later, Loudpedal and Oil Slick report once more to Shockwave and Knock Out. The two explain how they've given Toxitron weaponry using frequency-randomizing force fields, allowing him to hold them and channel his toxic sludge through it. Unfortunately, Oil Slick lets slip that they've been looking into the force field tech because they learned that his stasis-lock implant had been corroded away, which they found out after several missions, his mental conditioning apparently working irregardless. Loudpedal chimes in that they do have a back-up...but it takes a breem to charge. Realizing what Shockwave's getting at, Knock Out demands to know how often the two scientists are resupplied, and when they reveal that the ship comes every three months and is currently there, Knock Out chews them out for their incompetence, and signals for the supply ship to return. Shockwave coldly tells the two that if there's any survivors, he wishes for a report, and ends the transmission. Loudpedal and Oil Slick slowly realize that Toxitron has feigned his mental conditioning, and has been waiting for this moment...and as soon as this dawns on them, the base's klaxon begin to go off. Many years later, the frozen Toxitron reflects on his situation. He was able to get his revenge on his tormentors, but as he was headed for the hangars, the back-up stasis implant activated, freezing him. Now he spends his days counting the rivets in the doors...but on one day, he is given a brief respite, as the surface of the planet shakes, under the threat of some [[Thunder Mayhem|unstoppable force]], and lets the sounds of destruction carry him back to sleep.

Sometime later, [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]], and [[Fractyl]] return to the ruins of Cybertron, following a potential lead from records that speak of a secret base abandoned by the Decepticon, with an experiment still alive inside. Fractyl finds the hidden bunker, and Counterpunch, who doubts they'll find anything, nearly falls over when the hangar doors finally open, finding the frozen form of Toxitron within. The three explain to the frozen Decepticon what has happened: Cybertron was rendered lifeless by the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]], who have virtually wiped out the entire Transformer race. Impactor orders Fractyl to disable the stasis lock device, promising to let Toxitron do whatever he wants when he's free; Counterpunch briefly protests, believing Toxitron will just kill him, but Impactor is fine with that, because then Toxitron will have at least made a choice for himself. Fractyl disables the device, and Toxitron moves for the first time in many stellar cycles. Slowly gaining control over himself, Toxitron decides to listen to whatever Impactor has to say, and so the Autobot offers him a choice: to join them in gaining revenge on the monsters who destroyed Cybertron, no matter what it takes. Toxitron mocks him, pointedly asking him whether or not that he would go to the Mayhem Attack Squad if he was the one responsible for the destruction of Cybertron. Impactor candidly confirms that he would, promising that he'll drag them all down with them if he has to, and Toxitron, genuinely impressed, asks what he'll get in return. Impactor figures that the chance to kill is the best reward Toxitron can have; Toxitron muses over this, reflecting on how he was molded to be little more than a monster. For the first time in his life, he has a choice to be part of a team...a team of killers that need him to be a monster. Toxitron is silent for a second, and begins laughing, unnerving Fractyl and Counterpunch. Taking Toxitron's howling as a yes, Impactor welcomes Toxitron into the [[Wrecker]]s, and heads off, promising him that, like every other Wrecker...

...he probably won't survive the experience.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Spin-Out (G1)|Spin-Out]] (1)
*[[Outback (G1)|Outback]] (2)
*[[Powerflash]] (3)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (9)
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (10)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (11)
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (13)

|c2=
*[[Toxitron (G1)|Toxitron]] (4)
*[[Loudpedal]] (see notes) (5)
*[[Oil Slick (G1)|Oil Slick]] (6)
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (7)
*[[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] (8)
*[[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] (12)
*[[Fractyl]] (14)
}}

==Quotes==

"You still stepped up when we needed it, and that’s what counts." 
"Is that... supposed to make me feel better? I stepped up because the forty-eight Autobots ahead of me were already dead!"
:—'''Outback''' isn't good at cheering up '''Spin-Out'''

"Your armor shines too bright."
:—'''Toxitron'''

"Knock Out isn’t going to award the fellowship based on looks. [pause] What am I saying? Of course he will. He keeps an autographed picture of the Stunticons in his glovebox!"
:—'''Oil Slick''' knows the score

"Then why would you want my help? Because I like to break things too? Do you think I’m different than them? How many more would I have killed, had I not been shut down and buried? Would you be approaching them to fight with you against me?" 
"I’m not delusional. We’re all broken. Our time in this universe is done, and none of us are going to win regardless of whether we survive. So yeah. I would team with them to fight you. I want to pitch one walking genocide against another and make sure I drag them all down with me when I go."
:—'''Toxitron''' and '''Impactor'''

"Tortured into existence, deprived of will, of simple connection to others. Molded to do nothing but kill... to be nothing but a monster. You give me a choice, offer me inclusion. I can belong—and there’s nothing left to belong ''to'' except a group of killers who need a better monster."
:—'''Toxitron''' tells a funny joke

==Notes==
* Characters mentioned but not seen include: [[Hauler]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s, [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]], [[Primus]], and the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]].
* Characters who appear in the illustrations include: [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]].

===Continuity notes===
* Chronologically speaking, the majority of this story is the earliest point in the ''Of Masters and Mayhem'' timeline, set during the war on Cybertron; since the ''Ark'' is being built during this story, and ''Of Masters and Mayhem'' is mostly based upon the original Marvel ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' comic continuity, this places it slightly before four million years ago. The third to last section of the story take place during Thunder Mayhem's destructive rampage on Cybertron, while the final two sections take place after the last two prose stories ("[[The Truth We Make]]" and "[[Life Finds a Way]]"), in which Impactor was shown to be assembling a new team of Wreckers, including Counterpunch, Fractyl, and now Toxitron.

===Transformers references===
* The flag on the cover (see "real-world references" below for more information) has red and blue stripes, with a white square containing an image of Cybertron; evidently, this is the flag of Cybertron.
* According to the bombastic claims of the story's cover, Toxitron is the first Wrecker from the [[Rust Sea]], a location on Cybertron first mentioned in the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] of the Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' comic. See "real-world references" for more information below.
* The "film rating" on the cover illustration reads "Under 17 requires accompanying Autobot or Decepticon. (Under 3 requires kids' meal purchase.)" The latter half is a reference to "[[Under-3]]", the designation given to the [[Maximal]] toy for toddlers that was part of the 1996 ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' "Happy Meal" promotion from [[McDonald's]]. He's infamous for his rather strange, "clamshell"-style altenate mode: the head of a lion. See "real-world references" below for more information.
* Although not pictured, Spin-Out is recognizable from his description as a red Autobot with a "supercharged engine" on his back and vents on each side of his head as the red ''[[Diaclone]]'' Super Tuning Countach toy, which would become the original ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] toy. "Spin-Out" was, in turn, a pre-production name for Sunstreaker, hence its application here.
* Autobots in Spin-Out's unit include: Hauler (an Autobot crane seen very briefly in the [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|first episode]] of the Sunbow ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' cartoon, who would later receive a backstory when [[E-HOBBY|e-HOBBY]] released a toy of him in 2003), Outback (one of the 1986 Autobot [[Mini Vehicle]]s), and Powerflash (a European-exclusive [[Action Master]] from 1991).
* Powerflash insults Toxitron by calling him a [[scraplet]], a species of metal-eating parasites first seen in the original Marvel ''The Transformers'' comic.
* Toxitron melts through the [[stasis cuffs]] the Autobots put him in at the beginning of the story; stasis cuffs were restraining devices introduced in the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' cartoon.
* Loudpedal is based on the Finnish-exclusive black variant of the ''Diaclone'' Corvette Stingray toy, for which the mold would later go on to be used for ''The Transformers'' [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]. See "other trivia" below for more information.
* Oil Slick is broadly inspired by the Decepticon chemical weapons expert [[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]] from ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]''. Visually, he's based on ''Generation 1'' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s character model, using the colors of "Ratchet Emergency Green", the ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' release of Ratchet's original toy recolored based on the [[Ratchet (Movie)|live-action movie version]] of the character, sold as a mail-away with the ''[[Transformers Visualworks]]'' artbook. His head, meanwhile, is repurposed from ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (toyline)|Transformers Go!]]'' [[Ratchet (WFC)|Hunter Ratchet]]'s noggin, who was also colored in homage to the live-action movie Ratchet.
* Many of the characters in this story are colored based on their appearances in the Marvel ''The Transformers'', including: :
** Shockwave, who has blue shoulders, which he was depicted with for the first dozen or so issues of the comic, though they eventually were changed to be colored purple.
** Jetfire, who has red eyes, white feet with red detailing, and red details on his chest.
** Red Alert, who has dark blue hands, wheels, lower legs, and his head.
** Wheeljack, who is mostly white, with a blue head, shoulders, hands, and waist, and a red windshield.
** Perceptor, who has a blue head, a nearly all-blue torso, blue thighs, and blue forearms.
** Grapple, who has a blue helmet, hands, and knees.
* Knock Out is, in terms of personality, based on the ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'' [[Knock Out (Prime)|Decepticon medic]] of the same name. His visual appearance, meanwhile, is based on the original [[Knockout (G1)|Knockout]], a Decepticon [[Micromaster Combiner]] from 1991 who was part of the [[Constructor Squad]]. However, his torso is now colored red instead of orange, and his original head, rather blocky in shape, has been redesigned to look more like ''Prime'' Knock Out's noggin.
* Oil Slick and Loudpedal have based their use of "cognizant stasis" on a mental conditioning program created by Straxus, a Decepticon dictator from the Marvel ''The Transformers'' comic.
* When Red Alert activates the Emergency Autobot Alert System, his helmets little stubby "horns" glow blue, as they did several times in the Sunbow ''The Transformers'' episode "[[Auto Berserk]]".
* Toxitron shoots Brawn in his shoulder, where the Autobot Mini Vehicle was fatally shot in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* Jetfire uses a battlemask in his fight with Toxitron, based upon his original toy's head.
* Among Toxitron's victims is Mainframe (seen only in illustration), one of the 1990 Autobot Action Masters.
* Both breems and vorns are mentioned, units of time first mentioned in the Marvel ''The Transformers'' comic, equivalent to 8.3 minutes and 83 years, respectively.

===Real world references===
* The story's title is a reference to the 1984 black comedy film, ''{{w|The Toxic Avenger (film)|The Toxic Avenger}}'', with the cover of the story recreating the film's theatrical poster (Toxitron holding his gun in front of a flag with Cybertron on it/the Toxic Avenger holding a mop in front of an American flag). All of the phrases on the poster are recreated ("He was 9.8 tons of solid scrap until he became..."/"He was 98 lb of solid nerd until he became..."; "The first Wrecker...from the Rust Sea!"/"The first Super-Hero...from [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]]!"; "A Fun Publications Production"/"A {{w|Lloyd Kaufman}}/{{w|Michael Herz (producer)|Michael Herz}} Production"). Also recreated are the film credits (replaced by the creative team of this story) and even the film rating (now "C" for Cybertron instead of "R", with the {{w|Motion Picture Association of America|MPAA}} logo replaced by the Autobot and Decepticon insignias, and an accompanying Autobot or Decepticon instead of a parent) and copyright symbol (right where the {{w|Troma Entertainment}} copyright indicator was on the original film poster).
* Toxitron's internal fluids are described by Oil Slick as a "universal molecular solvent"; this rather tautological description seems to be in reference to the {{w|Alien (creature in Alien franchise)|Xenomorphs}} from the ''{{w|Alien (franchise)|Alien}}'' film franchise, the blood of which was a substance known as "molecular acid".

===Errors===
*The word "hangar" is consistently misspelled as "hanger".

===Other trivia===
* When this story was first released, the Decepticon based upon the Finnish "Black Tracks" was given the name of [[Vivisector]], a Decepticon scientist mentioned in the profile for [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] in the trade paperback collection of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' mini-series. However, less than a day later, [[TakaraTomy]] announced the released of Loudpedal, a ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toy that was ''also'' based on the Finnish black ''Diaclone'' Corvette Stingray. Hence, the story was re-released a few days later, with Vivisector now called Loudpedal. In homage to the original name, the revised version adds in a line from Knock Out, where the Decepticon expresses his appreciation for Loudpedal's new carrer as a "vivisectionist." In turn, the narration notes that Loudpedal was "pleased that the vocational change meant to further impress Knock Out had the desired effect."
* In addition to the aforementioned changes, the second release of the story made it more clear that Spin-Out was Loudpedal's patient ("The last patient was… juicy." vs. "The last patient, that red one, was... juicy.").

==External links==
* "[http://www.transformersclub.com/prose/the_toxic_transformer.pdf The Toxic Transformer]" at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toxic Transformer}}
[[Category:Generation 1 media]]
[[Category:Text stories]]
[[Category:Timelines media]]

Micronaut

2020-10-15T03:26:07Z

TailgatePrime: /* 2005 IDW continuity */

{{disambig2|the team of tiny heroes|the comic series|Micronauts}}
:''The Micronauts are a group of [[alien]]s from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]]''
[[File:Revolution3-Micronauts.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Toys Colonel Gentleman wishes he had as a lad but they weren't invented yet:'' ''Micronauts'' ''Which Witch'' ''Stay Alive: The Survival Game'' ''Scooby-Doo Monster Game'' ''AT-AT Imperial Walker...'']]

The '''Micronauts''' are a ragtag team of heroes from [[Microspace]]. Originally a small-time crew of smugglers aboard their ship, the ''[[Heliopolis]]'', they found themselves drawn into a conflict with the evil [[Baron Karza]]. They are now stuck on a [[Earth|strange, mysterious world]] populated by [[human|giant creatures]] and [[Transformer|even bigger machines]].

Members include:

*[[Oziron Rael]] (captain)
*[[Microtron]] (first mate)
*[[Acroyear (Micronaut)|Acroyear]]
*[[Phenolo-Phi]]
*[[Larissa]]
*[[Biotron]]

==Fiction==
===''Unit:E'' comic===
The Micronauts originated in a distant part of the galaxy. King [[Acroyear (Micronaut)|Acroyear]] led a group of warriors against [[Baron Karza]]. This group included Karza's former comrades [[Phenolo-Phi|Space Glider]] and Celeste, as well as the Time Travelers, [[Microtron]], and a [[Biotron]]. [[Synergy]] was a creation of the Micronauts. {{storylink|Unit:E (issue)|Unit:E}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{mainIDW|Micronaut}}

Led by [[Oziron Rael|Oziron "Oz" Rael]], the Micronauts were a group of smugglers and misfits hailing from the subatomic dimension of [[Microspace]], travelling aboard the starship ''[[Heliopolis]]'' and notable for their struggles against the nefarious [[Baron Karza]] and his forces. {{istorylink|Micronauts: Revolution}} When [[Scarlett]] expressed her worry about what other forces could appear on Earth following [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Optimus Prime's activities]], the Micronauts were in the middle of one such battle. {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}}

This conflict had, in part, been sparked by the formation of a destructive [[entropy storm]] that threatened to consume their universe entirely; when the Micronauts flew into this storm in an attempt to escape Karza, they were attacked by {{i|Repto}}s, a race of beings previously thought destroyed by the cloud. Before the Reptos could destroy the ''Heliopolis'', the crew was saved by a mysterious {{i|Time Traveller}}, who gave them a series of visions before disappearing.

Some time later into the voyage, [[Microtron]] scanned the surrounding area for fuel, but detected something "big" instead. The Micronauts then received a message from Karza, who revealed that time and space had been distorted by the storm, while only days had passed for the Micronauts, he had spent years trapped in the very center of the entropy cloud, having discovered the birthplace of Microspace and the body of its creator—[[Micronus Prime]]. {{istorylink|Micronauts: Revolution}} Hoping to reverse the damage wrought by the entropy cloud, Karza had discovered that the giant's body contained a [[Space Bridge|gateway]] to another universe, one which held [[Ore-13|a miraculous mineral]] capable of repairing the damage that the entropy cloud had wrought. Having struck a deal with the devil, the ''Heliopolis'' prepared to enter the space bridge, but not before its crew were confronted by another Time Traveller, who warned them that the fate of their universe lay in ''their'' hands, not Karza's.

Due to [[Rom|outside forces]], the space bridge portal was momentarily assaulted by explosive shards of Ore-13. After the Time Traveller warned them of the urgent nature of their mission, the Heliopolis flew onward through the Space Bridge, and emerged on [[Earth]], inside [[Autobot City]]. Confused by their metallic surroundings, they were even more confused by [[Snake-Eyes]], who they mistook for a gigantic Karza robot. {{storylink| O Ship of State}} In the ensuing skirmish, [[Acroyear]] battled the "robot," and was in turn confronted by [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|robot]] attacked.The three sword-wielders fought each other until [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] intervened, though the Micronauts discovered that they were unable to communicate or understand the language of the "giants."

During the [[Dire Wraith]] attack on Autobot City, the Micronauts joined the battle alongside [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his new allies as Baron Karza revealed himself; unable to warn the "giants" of Baron Karza's {{i|Enerchange}} ability, they watched in horror as their enemy merged with the Dire Wraiths to become a colossal monster. {{storylink|The New Colossus}} The Micronauts continued to fight as allegiances changed, with Acroyear attacking [[Matt Trakker]] and Snake-Eyes before Optimus was able to convince the heroes to work together to take down the true threat. The Micronauts, discovering that the Autobot [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] spoke a variant of [[Ancient Cybertronian|their language]], were able to work with the Transformers, M.A.S.K. and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] to enerchange with the Space Bridge, sacrificing their only way home to send Karza back to Microspace. In the resulting explosion, the Micronauts were assumed to have perished; in reality, they had been knocked unconscious aboard their ship and captured by a scientific organization, who wished to vivisect them. {{storylink|Valley Forge}}

After escaping human captivity and having several other adventures along the way, the Micronauts next encountered the Transformers some months later, when [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], [[Ayana Jones|Mayday]], and [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]—searching for more information about the alien artifact known as the "[[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]]"—tracked them to the [[Pacific Science Center]] in [[Seattle]]. Unsure of their intentions, the encounter led to a brief skirmish that was only averted when Kup used the [[universal greeting]] to assure the Micronauts of their good intentions. Though the Micronauts were unable to identify the Talisman, Oz wondered if it could be a way home. Using the sensors aboard the ''Heliopolis'' sensors, they were able to track the Talisman's energy to an abandoned [[Section Sabine|base]] on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], and set off to rescue [[Action Man]] from the clutches of the [[Iron Ring]]. After being swatted out of the sky by [[Tempest (Cobra)|Storm Shadow]], [[Larissa]] enerchanged with the Talisman and revealed a Microspace-sized control suite, flying it out of the base as it self-destructed and rejoining Kup as they set course for Earth. Larissa noted she did not have full control over the device and that it would take years to understand its full capabilities. {{storylink|Enter the Shadow}}

Some time later, Baron Karza returned to Earth wielding the body of Micronus Prime, seeking to colonize the planet so that it could become a new home for his displaced people. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 1|Wrath of Karza #1}} Only by teaming up with the Autobots were the Micronauts able to defeat their enemy once more, separating him from the body of Micronus and banishing the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] through the timestream, with Oziron ascending to become a Time Traveller himself. In the aftermath, the surviving Micronauts agreed to accept Prime's help in establishing a refugee colony for the inhabitants of Microspace. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 5|Wrath of Karza #5}}

==Toys==
===Revolution===
[[File:SDCC 2017 Micronauts Stock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|If they were meant to be humans, they'd be better scaled to Jetfire than the human characters.]]
*'''Revolution Set''' (SDCC Gift Set, 2017)
:Released as part of a [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2017 exclusive set, the Micronauts are a set of 9 non-articulated mini-figures, mostly based on figures from the original ''Micronauts'' toyline: [[Acroyear (Micronaut)|Acroyear]], [[Phenolo-Phi]], [[Biotron]], [[Xant]] (based on the original toyline's Antron), [[Quin-Tilus]] (based on the original toyline's Time Traveller), [[Oberon]] (a one-wheeled humanoid named after an unrelated toy), [[Baron Karza]], and [[Betatron (Micronauts)|Betatron]] and [[Gammatron]] (robots named after vehicles from the original toyline).

:They were packed with several other [[Hasbro Universe]] action figures: [[Matt Trakker]] of ''[[M.A.S.K. (franchise)|M.A.S.K.]]'', [[Action Man]], ''[[Visionaries]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> [[Leoric]], [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] of ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'', and [[Rom]] and a [[Dire Wraith]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
*The Micronauts featured in ''[[Unit:E (issue)|Unit:E]]'' are more closely based on the {{w|Micronauts (comics)|Marvel Comics incarnation of the characters}}.

[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) aliens]]
[[Category:Micronauts properties]]

Blaster (G1)

2020-10-06T03:02:47Z

TailgatePrime: /* Attack of the Insecticons */

{{factions|autobot|allianceg2|autobotg2}}
{{disambigm|Blaster (disambiguation)|Twincast (disambiguation)}}
{{featured}}
{{suite}}
:''Blaster is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:SDCCBlasterBoxArt.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"What it is, big mama? My mama ain't raise no dummies, I dug her rap!"]]

'''Blaster''' loves all Earth music, especially good, hard, LOUD rock 'n' roll. He can be found at the forefront of any situation in which he's involved, be it getting down and truly hopping to town, or kicking butt and taking names—both of which he does well, and both of which have led him into conflict with authority at times. Blaster marches to his own beat, whether it's a pounding bassline or pounding Decepticon skulls, and he's not shy when it comes to sharing his feelings about either! He maintains a shared enmity with his Decepticon counterpart [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], with whom he shares his powers over all forms of sound, and is often backed up by a team of his own [[Autobot Mini-Cassette]]s to match Soundwave's mini-minions on the battlefield.

{{note|Blaster's personality varied significantly across different media; see entries below for details.}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
{{main|Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
[[File:AutoBop blaster speakers.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Beware my tweeters of doom!!]]
Blaster was a fun-loving, hip and happening robot. Loud and energetic, he was quick to immerse himself in Earth culture, and was happy to share his choice of rockin' tunes with anyone, whether they really wanted to hear them or not—a trait that got him in trouble as often as it saved him and his Autobot allies. Developing a rivalry with his Decepticon opposite number, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], Blaster gained a cassette army of his own so he could fight Soundwave on equal footing, and he and little buddies were instrumental in ensuring reinforcements arrived in time to save [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] when it was besieged in [[2005]]. Following this, Blaster was assigned command of the city, where his jive-talking jingles and jams saw the Autobots through crises like the attack of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Blaster's duties also took him to a variety of battlefields that were stranger than many other Transformers would experience, including millions of years into the past, into another dimension ruled by magic, and—a particular favorite of his—the musical planet of [[Eurythma]].

In some timelines which spin off from this one, Blaster joined the [[Interplanetary Personnel Exchange Program]] under the new name '''Broadblast''' (ブロードブラスト ''Burōdoburasuto''), and after perishing in a one-on-one battle with Soundwave, was reconstructed by the super-science of the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] as '''Twincast''' (ツインキャスト ''Tsuinkyasuto'').
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:BlasterUS17.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More than likely, he'll kill you. Yeah, you. You know who you are.]]
Blaster was a rather grim, brooding, rebellious loner who hated Decepticons with a passion, whose reputation as one of the best fighters the [[Autobot]]s had was blemished by his vocal problems with authority figures. Part of [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s [[Cybertron Seven|Autobot resistance cell]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he often disagreed with his superior's orders, especially after his friend [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] failed to make a rendezvous with him in the [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]], and Blaster wanted to hunt for him. Although his fellow freedom fighters rallied behind him at first, the discovery that Scrounge had been taken to the Decepticon stronghold in [[Polyhex]] changed their minds, and Blaster went in alone. Captured by the forces of [[Straxus (G1)|Lord Straxus]], Blaster was sentenced to the [[smelting pool]], where he discovered the half-melted Scrounge, who clung to life just long enough to pass on to Blaster the data he had obtained, so that this death would not be in vain. Blaster was then saved from the pit by his comrades, and he claimed revenge for Scrounge by ripping out the pipes that fed the pool and blasting their Decepticon pursuers with molten slag.

[[File:MarvelUS18 blaster cyb altmode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.3|And you thought the 1980s cellphones were huge.]]
Scrounge's information brought new hope to the Autobot resistance, as it revealed that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and the Autobots on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] were still alive and well after four million years, fighting on a planet called Earth. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} The Decepticons set about building a [[space bridge]] to this planet, and Blaster spied on the tests in his [[alternate mode]], gathering the information they needed to launch an attack. Blaster personally battled Straxus on the bridge, tricking the Decepticon leader into damaging the portal before kicking him through it and apparently destroying him. Blaster and the rest of his Autobot allies were trapped on the Earth side of the bridge as it faded out. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}} {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} Though [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and his troops spotted the Autobots upon their materialization on Earth, the Decepticons were distracted by a more pressing mission at the time, and left without attacking the new arrivals. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

Blaster and his men were attacked by the government anti-robot task force [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] and its super-powered agent [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] almost immediately upon arrival; unfamiliar with Earth customs, Blaster's group first tried to communicate with RAAT's vehicles, leaving the humans an opening to blindside the Autobots with "electric snow" missiles. Circuit Breaker then delivered a powerful electric blast, short-circuiting the group. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} Blaster and the others were disassembled, with their heads getting mounted on the wall of RAAT's headquarters. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} To deal with the threat of the [[Battlecharger]]s, Blaster and the Autobots agreed to allow Circuit Breaker to jury-rig their bodies together into a giant exo-suit she would use to take the two Decepticons down, in exchange for their being rebuilt and released. {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}}

[[File:FallenAngel blaster sonics galvatron.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Yeah, that's real good, Blaster, you keep doing that.]]
''Blaster's team followed their fellow RAAT captive [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] back to the Ark, but along the way, their guide vanished, displaced to [[Limbo]] by the appearance of the future Decepticon, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Unwisely deciding to engage the Decepticon, Blaster tried hitting him with a blast of sonics, which sundered Galvatron's tenuous hold on sanity and only made him even more dangerous. Fortunately, the arrival of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] saved him, and he decided to try the tactic again while Galvatron was distracted. It ''almost'' worked this time, but Galvatron hurled a discarded [[sword]] in Blaster's direction, and he was only rescued from impalement by [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]]. Blaster was soon knocked unconscious, and didn't witness Galvatron being driven off by the present-day Decepticons.'' {{storylink|Fallen Angel}} ''Blaster's team continued on their way to the Ark, and arrived just as the Autobots were preparing to hold a funeral for Optimus Prime. Blaster quietly questioned their decision to bury Prime rather than fire his body into space, but it proved a moot point when the Autobot leader turned out to not actually be dead, returning in the midst of the ceremony.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:JoeandTF4 blaster omega and the rest.jpg|upright=1.4|left|thumb|Turn down that blasted music! THIS I COMMAND!!!]]
When Optimus Prime died for real soon after, Blaster got on the comm to pass the grim news on to [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], ordering him to break off his present engagement with the anti-terrorist team [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and return to the Ark. {{storylink|Power Struggle}} After watching as [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] tried and failed to rebuild the Autobot leader, Blaster attended Prime's funeral, where his body was sent into space on a funeral bier. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} Blaster gave a speech to mark Prime's passing, {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} then returned to the Ark with the Autobots, only to be attacked by the ship's own defense systems, co-opted by the human criminal, the [[Mechanic (G1)|Mechanic]]. Perceptor had to stop Blaster from damaging the ship until the situation could be brought under control. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} No sooner had ''that'' been dealt with than Blaster detected a fleet of human aircraft heading for the Ark, which the Autobots proceeded to intercept on the assumption of hostile intent. After a brief battle, the human revealed themselves to agents of [[Cobra]], who requested the Autobots' help in stopping the Decepticons from destroying the planet using [[Power Station Alpha]]. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} Suspecting the highly advanced Alpha could potentially be a sentient technological lifeform, Blaster opposed destroying it outright, and remained at the Ark to co-ordinate a combined Autobot/G.I. Joe/Cobra attack on the Decepticons to free Alpha from their control. The Joes and Cobra surreptitiously had Alpha destroyed to remove its threat, infuriating Blaster and leading him to wonder if ''any'' humans could be trusted. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

[[File:MarvelUS28 blaster cops.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Blaster's about to lay down some sick beats!]]
Turning to the matter of finding a new leader of the Autobots, Blaster and several other high-ranking Autobots were in the process of a holding a vote when the massive Decepticon battle station Trypticon attacked, and Blaster was shot down when he attempted to rush the giant. Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] proceeded to secure victory over Trypticon, convincing Blaster and the other Autobots to appoint him the Autobots' new commander. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} Unfortunately, Grimlock soon gave Blaster cause to regret his decision with increasingly hostile leadership methods and a callous disregard for human safety. Paired with [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]], whose more naturally upbeat personality provided the Boy Wonder to his [[Batman]], Blaster was charged with locating the Mechanic, but disobeyed orders and entered into alliance with some local human law enforcement to prevent the officers from being killed by the advanced Cybertronian weapons the criminal had stolen from the Ark. Playing the fool, Detective [[Greco]] carried Blaster into the Mechanic's hideout in tape-deck mode, where the Autobot used his electro scrambler to disable all the villain's weapons. Alas, the Mechanic escaped, and, realizing that Grimlock would not tolerate the news of their failure and their human alliances, Blaster and Goldbug elected to go AWOL. {{storylink|Mechanical Difficulties!}}

[[File:MarvelUS30 blaster and goldbug.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|"MY PARTNERS ARE DEEEEAD!"]]
Rather than lay low, Blaster and Goldbug decided to take their fight to the Decepticons, and quickly tracked down the Autobots' human ally [[G.B. Blackrock]] in hope that he could provide them with both fuel and some hot tips on current 'Con activity. Following Blackrock's info, the two Autobots found a crashed Decepticon ship, and befriended the scientist [[Charlie Fong]] in order to bypass the military blocked surrounding it. Upon approaching the crash-site, they ran afoul of the Decepticon [[Triple Changer]]s. As Blaster took on all three of the villains at once, he discovered they were ravaged with [[Scraplet]]s, which soon infected him as well. Goldbug withdrew to seek a cure, but Blaster believed he had left him to die and swore vengeance against the little 'bot. {{storylink|Crater Critters}} Hooking up with the [[Throttlebot]]s and human scientist [[Charlie Fong]], Goldbug discovered that water could destroy the Scraplets, and surprised Blaster by returning to save him. Blaster refused to allow himself to be cured if it meant that the Decepticons would live as well, but when the Scraplets merged into a giant, Goldbug had no choice, and sprayed them all. A cured but furious Blaster smashed the water tank over the Scraplet-monster, killing it, then calmed down enough to apologize to Goldbug for doubting him. {{storylink|The Cure!}}

[[File:MarvelUS32 blaster arrested.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Check it out, Blaster, we all got [[Nerf]] guns for Christmas!]]
''Taking some time out of their life on the road to watch human television, Blaster, Goldbug and the Throttlebots happened upon a news report about the discovery of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and Galvatron, entombed in lava within the volcano, [[Mount Verona]]. Discovering that Soundwave and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] were going to blow up the mountain to destroy them both, Blaster used his sonic powers to block Soundwave's detonation signal, preventing the bombs the Combaticons placed from going off.'' {{storylink|Ladies' Night (issue)|Ladies' Night}} Once they had evaded the pursuing Combaticons, Blaster and company found themselves in a scuffle with RAAT in [[California]], and hid out in [[Big Steve Ludwig (G1)|Big Steve Ludwig]]'s used car lot. Unfortunately, their battle made the evening news and finally alerted Grimlock to their AWOL status, prompting him to brand them traitors and send the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] to hunt them down. The car lot quickly turned into a three-way battleground between the Combaticons, Protectobots and RAAT, and despite Blaster's help in the battle, the Protectobots surrounded and apprehended him at the fight's end. {{storylink|Used Autobots}}

[[File:Blasterbeourleaderplease.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|"BLASTER, BE OUR LEADER, PLEAAAASE???"]]
Trapped in tape deck mode by a [[mode lock]], Blaster was helpless to aid the Protectobots when the Combaticons returned. Groove sped off and stashed Blaster away in a drainage pipe for retrieval after the battle's end, where he latter was found by four [[Spacehikers|human children]]. It took some convincing, but Blaster eventually talked the younglings to remove his mode lock. Despite once more being able to transform, Blaster was still no match for [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], who had managed to fell Defensor in the meantime. Blaster was forced to rely on the children to put on a good show, and "proved" he was no longer loyal to the Autobots by making the Decepticon believe he shot one of them dead. The dimwitted colossus fooled, Blaster circled around him and collapsed an electrical tower onto Bruticus, knocking him offline. Realizing that Blaster was far nobler than Grimlock, [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] allowed him to go free upon his recovery. In turn, Blaster rewarded the children for their help by taking them on a trip into space aboard the mode-locked [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]. Unfortunately, they were accosted in mid-flight by the now-airborne Ark. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}} The humans tossed Blaster out an airlock so he could avoid capture by Grimlock's forces. While Grimlock was occupied trying to stop [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] from interfering in his attempted execution of the kids, Blaster rode a telecommunications satellite back to the Ark, where he his fellow Autobots, all sick of Grimlock's leadership, begged him to take over as leader. However, he was forced to surrender to his former commander in order to secure the kids' safety. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

[[File:MarvelUS41 blaster vs grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
Imprisoned by Grimlock, Blaster was strapped to a [[variable voltage harness]] for some time as punishment for his desertion and disobedience. When [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]] and his Autobots arrived and Grimlock challenged him to a duel, Goldbug talked Blaster into taking the injured Fortress Maximus's place to get even with Grimlock once and for all. They proceeded to battle on the surface of Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]], but their duel was interrupted by a Decepticon attack, and Blaster pointed out that their feud had put all Autobots in danger. Grimlock agreed to call their duel a draw and declared a truce with Blaster as they fended off the Decepticons side by side. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:ClubCon-ptoo.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9]]
With Optimus Prime's subsequent return both to life and to command of the Autobots, the faction's in-fighting issues ceased and more important matters could be dealt with—namely, rescuing their human ally [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] from the Decepticons' baffling new [[Club Con|desert island resort]]. Tasked with investigating, Blaster was loaded into a [[Egg transport|capsule]] in tape deck mode and dropped from the orbiting Ark into the Witwicky family garden, where he asked Buster's girlfriend [[Jesse (G1)|Jesse]] to sneak him into "Club Con". The pair were able to steal a pair of captive Autobot cassettes—[[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] and [[Raindance]]—from the Decepticons, but this aroused the ire of the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], and Blaster, unable to battle them effectively due to the human holidaymakers occupying the island, was forced to ditch the tapes in the ocean to break off the fight. Although forced to withdraw without Buster, Blaster and Jessie ''had'' learned something important: the tapes held data on a mysterious Cybertronian object heading for Earth. {{storylink|Club Con!}} ''The eruption of the "Time Wars" briefly tabled this mystery, but Blaster had no real role in that conflict, as he, Optimus Prime, and several other Autobots were temporarily displaced into Limbo to make room for a team of Autobots arriving from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:MarvelUS50 blaster dies.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb]]
A search of the waters where "Club Con" used to be proved fruitless, as the Decepticons quickly moved on after Blaster's incursion. Blaster berated himself for his "incompetence," which allowed the Decepticons to slip beyond their reach once more, though Optimus assured him they would track down their enemies in due course. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Soon after, the Autobots were drawn to the Arctic, where a Decepticon ambush awaited them. The warring factions struck a temporary truce when they learned that [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] had orchestrated the confrontation in order to distract everyone else from his own goals. The approaching object Blaster had learned about earlier, revealed to be the Cybertronian database known as the [[Underbase]], would endow Starscream with godlike powers were he to absorb all of its cosmic energies. Though the Autobot/Decepticon alliance interrupted Starscream's absorption of the Underbase's power, the portion he did manage to take into himself was enough to grant him near-invincibility. Blaster joined [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] in co-ordinating a battalion of Autobots and Decepticons in defense of [[New York City]] against Starscream's worldwide rampage, and was the last to fall, shot dead atop the Brooklyn Bridge, like all those who attempted to stand against the cosmically-powered villain. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:Marvel77-Blaster.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|He used to be badass, now he's just a poor man's Perceptor...]]
Blaster's body was put into storage on the Ark, defying all of Ratchet's attempts to repair it, {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} to the extent that the medic started to have nightmares about him and various other deactivated Autobots reviving as [[zombie]]s to kill him for his failures. Ratchet's nightmares came true for a short while, when the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]] managed to infiltrate the Ark and took control of the damaged Autobots' bodies to torment him. When this failed to make Ratchet snap completely, the Decepticons' plan was abandoned and Blaster was shut down once more. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

A few years later, Grimlock succeeded where Ratchet had failed by using the miracle fuel [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] to revive the damaged Autobots, with Blaster being one of the first back on his feet. Arriving on Cybertron in the nick of time aboard the Ark, Blaster took part in and survived the battle with [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} In the aftermath, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] had Blaster run a check on the strange seismic activity Cybertron was suffering from, {{storylink|Still Life!}} with disastrous results: It turned out Cybertron was tearing itself apart without the binding life-force of [[Primus]] to sustain it. A meeting was called, with Blaster sharing the news to all present. {{storylink|Exodus!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-finalfive.jpg|thumb|Guess how many of these guys had Action Master toys on the shelves when this came out.]]
The Decepticons fled Cybertron, leaving the Autobots to die with their homeworld. Blaster found Prowl wandering about outside, and cautioned his fellow Autobot to take shelter, as Cybertron's gradual self-destruction made the outdoors dangerous. His warning was met with laughter; Prowl had given up on living altogether, seeing no escape from the planet's death-throes. The pair were then surprised by Grimlock, who had foreseen the Decepticons' treachery and secured alternate transportation! {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} The Autobots followed the Decepticons to the planet [[Klo]], only to be caught in an ambush upon arrival. Only five stragglers managed to escape this surprise attack: Blaster, Grimlock, Kup, Slag, and Prowl. Despite their best attempts to lose their pursuers, the Autobots found themselves hounded by a hunting party. Blaster took a blast in the shoulder from [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], but persevered nonetheless. His group miraculously defeated the hunting party, and doubled back for a final stand against Bludgeon's forces. Upon arrival, they found a resurrected Optimus Prime already turning the tide of battle thanks to a new ally, the [[Last Autobot]]. Blaster was last seen shooting the head off [[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] as the Decepticons were driven off into exile. [[Krunk|Uh oh.]] {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

=====The Big Broadcast of 2006=====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
[[File:Ultra magnus blaster big broadcast of 2006.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8]]
In an alternate version of [[2006]], Blaster went with a group of Autobots to [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] to investigate strange happenings there. When they arrived, they discovered a chaotic scene where aliens from many worlds, including the Decepticons, were all engaged in a deadly battle with one another. Blaster detected a signal he suspected was hypnotizing all the combatants into this aggressive behavior. He and Ultra Magnus came up with a plan where [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] would fly Blaster into the air, while Blaster would broadcast soothing music. The plan succeeded in calming all those affected by the signal. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:SpacePirates blaster strung up.jpg|thumb|left|Help! He's touching my special area!]]
In the future of [[2008]], Blaster was present at Autobot City when the [[Quintesson]] [[Trident Attack Craft|Trident]] ships attacked. He attempted to transform Autobot City himself, but was stopped cold by General [[Ghyrik]]. He was deactivated in the battle that followed and his body strung up on the outer parapets as a warning to any Autobots who came to liberate the city. Although Blaster was inactive, his cassettes were not, and this fact gave [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] an edge when they began battling their way through the Quintesson occupants. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

Blaster was seen briefly in [[2009]] at the start of the Time Wars, but did not end up joining Rodimus Prime on his mission into the past (see above). {{storylink|Time Wars}} After Galvatron was destroyed back in [[1989]] and the time line rebooted itself, Blaster was still among the Autobots stationed at Autobot City. He responded to [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]]'s emergency signal when the Autobots crash landed on Earth after a crazed Rodimus Prime turned against them. {{storylink|Shadow of Evil}} Upon his arrival however, Kup urged the other Autobots to hold their fire; he had deduced that it was Unicron acting through Rodimus, as the dark god had been imprisoned within the Matrix at a pervious date. Blaster and the other reinforcements stood back as Kup managed to rip the sacred talisman out of Rodimus's chest, severing Unicron's connection to him. {{storylink|White Fire}}
{{-}}

=====Letters page=====
[[File:TFUK300 letterspage.jpg|left|upright=0.8|thumb|FAKE NU(cleon)S]]
The relaxed and jovial Blaster of "yet another alternate future" was turned into an [[Action Master]] and somehow arrived on 1990s Earth, where he took a job answering letters for Marvel UK. {{storylink|Rhythms_of_Darkness!|#300's Darn 'n' Blast}} He had to recuperate in an acclimatisation unit as a result and a nameless human at the Marvel offices took it upon themselves to answer a letter about being an Action Master, copying [[Nucleon#Toy packaging blurb|the back of a toy box]] and claiming that was the origin of [[nucleon]]. Don't trust it, kids! The ''real'' answer comes from an upcoming story, kids! {{storylink|The Human Factor!|#303's Darn 'n' Blast}}{{storylink|Rhythms_of_Darkness!|#300's Darn 'n' Blast}}

When Dreadwind refused to accept he'd been replaced as letters host and barricaded his office, Blaster, new host of ''Darn 'n' Blast'', took up a temporary office next door. Dreadwind kept banging on the wall to distract him. {{storylink|Rhythms_of_Darkness!|#300's Transformation}} The kids of 1990 Britain duly wrote to Blaster with rap and cool lingo, dude. {{storylink|Rhythms_of_Darkness!|#300's Darn 'n' Blast}}

Unlike Grimlock, he felt guilty about using the [[variable voltage harness]] to punish Marvel UK staff for bad work. Following a suggestion by a sadistic fan, he instead began tormenting people with hours of {{w|The Church (band)|''The Church}} and {{w|Cliff Richard}}. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm|#308 Darn 'n' Blast It}}

During Blaster's run we learned he had a brother named [[Toaster]]{{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!|#310's letters page}} and a sister called [[Karmen]] {{storylink|Out of Time!|#316's letters page}}, and about sports like the [[Iacon 5000]] and [[Mecha-soccer|Cybertron's football divisions]] (Primus League and Premier League). His team are the non-league no-hopers [[Throttlebot]] Wanderers {{storylink|Out of Time!|#316's letters page}} and he lamented how badly they'd been fouled by Combaticon Hove Albion, ruining their chances of a cup win. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!|#320's letters page}}

He was unable to make a reader's birthday party due to the battle against [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|Exodus!|#326's letters page}}

{{-}}

=====''Combat Colin''=====
[[File:Combat colin 300.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6]]
After [[Colin Doobrey-Smiff|Colin]] managed to defeat all of his recurring villains at once, he grew a bit too big for his boots and announced that he was going to boot out the [[Transformer]]s and take over the rest of the comic. Overhearing this, Blaster was forced to remind him of his place as a back-up strip character. {{storylink|Combat Colin 300}}
{{-}}

=====Another Time & Place=====
[[File:Another Time Place Fangry.jpg|thumb|left|That's his hand on the left!]]
Blaster was part of the rescue unit who infiltrated [[Hydrus Four]] to defeat the Decepticons and rescue the Dinobots. He personally helped disarm and defeat [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]]. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
Blaster and the Autobots defended the launch of a new space flight by human scientists. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}}
{{-}}

====''Classics''====
[[File:Invasion-Radcontrolroom.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Blaster's happy? This can't be the Marvelverse.]]
{{noteclassics}}
Decades later in [[2012]], Blaster was stationed with several other Autobots in [[Canada]] within the ''[[Ark II]]''. He was present one day when [[Rad (G1)|Rad]] reported from the [[Ironworks (facility)|Ironworks]] base in [[Oregon]] about a foiled attack by [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]] and his Decepticons. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}

[[File:Recordicons12-everyone.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8]]
Blaster and his partners [[Stripes]], [[Tigatron]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Sundor]], and [[Blockrock]] subsequently teamed up with negative polarity [[Ravage (SG)|Ravage]]. {{storylink|Recordicons issue 12|Recordicons #12}}

Some time later on negative Cybertron, Blaster and [[Straxus (SG)|Straxus]] compared notes on their mirror universes, such as [[Straxus (G1)|the evil Straxus]]. {{storylink|Falling into Place}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Blaster silverbolt destiny.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Sometime around [[2007]], Blaster was amongst those Transformers suffering ill effects from the infusion of [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] into their systems. It had apparently made him hyper-sensitive to noise and he was kept at the [[Nursery (Cybertron)|Nursery]]. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}} He, along with [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]], and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] were eventually given new Nucleon-free bodies at the [[Garage]]. Going against [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]]'s orders that they should not get involved in the growing conflict with [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s Neo-Decepticons, Blaster began monitoring the old Decepticon comm-line subfrequencies and discovered that Soundwave was indeed responsible for keeping Cybertron's population aggressive through an irritant subsonic signal. Alerted to Blaster's hacking, Soundwave dispatched [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]], [[Snarler]], and [[Roadblock (G1)|Roadblock]]—the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]—to eliminate him, but the four former Nucleon patients used some quick thinking to subdue the Decepticons and report the signal to Autobot command. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}}

[[File:Blaster soundwave destiny.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|''Only one will survive. Beatle-based pop vs. New Romantic, History will decide.'']]
As the Decepticon invasion/uprising under Soundwave and Bludgeon began, Blaster tracked down Soundwave on the battlefield for a "battle of the bands". {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}} Soundwave attempted to defeat Blaster with finesse, using a variety of sonic tricks and frequencies to disorient his Autobot counterpart. To win, Blaster abandoned skill for brute force, and unleashed a sonic onslaught that overwhelmed Soundwave and brought him to his end. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}

Blaster reintegrated into the Autobot forces, joining the bridge crew of [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]]'s command vessel ''[[Priam]]'' during the attack on the [[Hub (G2)|Hub Network]]. Unfortunately, the superior numbers and firepower of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his Cybertronians forced the Autobots to surrender. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} They escaped captivity thanks to the ever-insubordinate [[Wrecker]]s staging their own attack on the Hub, and Blaster joined the crew as they made their way back to Cybertron to face an even greater menace. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} The [[Dark Matrix|Anti-Matrix]] had consumed the population of Cybertron, transforming them into [[shadow-leech]]es. Blaster and the remaining Autobots forces secured the [[space bridge]] network to Earth and [[Nebulos]] while Rodimus Prime confronted the creature in [[Zero Space]], bringing an end to its machinations. On Nebulos, Blaster joined [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s troops in finishing off [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] once and for all. With their link to the [[multiverse]] and [[Primus]] himself permanently cut off, Blaster and the other remaining Transformers abandoned Cybertron, eventually growing old and dying. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===Sticker Adventures books===
Blaster and the Autobots protected the humans from a revenge attack by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and the Decepticons.{{storylink|Galvatron Attacks}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Storybooks continuity===
[[File:ListeningtoBlaster-ASW.jpeg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Blaster received a message from Decepticon headquarters and conveyed it to Optimus Prime; the Decepticons had taken [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] hostage, and were demanding the Autobots' surrender. The Autobots sent out a party to rescue their captured comrade, but the attempt failed. Afterwards, Blaster once more relayed a message from Megatron to Optimus; the Decepticon leader threatened to destroy all four captured Autobots and rebuild them into Decepticons if Optimus did not surrender before morning. {{storylink|The Autobots' Secret Weapon}}
{{-}}

===Attack of the Insecticons===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:AttackoftheInsecticonsBustercockpit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Blaster was witness to Ironhide testing the Sun-Pak, a device of Sparkplug's invention that would solve the Autobot's energy problems. When the Decepticons discovered of the device's existence, many possible adventures ensued. Most notably, after a failed attempt on Optimus's part to eliminate Starscream, who was leading the Decepticon's raid, Sparkplug is kidnapped by the Decepticons and Blaster is entrusted alongside Bumblebee and Buster with Sparkplug's rescue, while the rest of the Autobots are forced back to base in order to recharge. The trio is instructed to contact Autobot headquarters as soon as they come to know the Decepticons' location. Blaster was the one who managed to track down Starscream and Sparkplug, using his abilities to detect one of Starscream's transmissions. Blaster traces the transmission to a museum in the suburbs, and he and Buster sneak into the building while Blaster is camouflaged in tape-player mode. Hiding in one of the museum's planes until after-hours, at which point Starscream and Bombshell reveal they will use a Cerebro-shell to make Sparkplug compliant to their wills, Blaster and Buster debate whether to contact Megatron, and offer a recording made by Blaster earlier proving that Starscream is a Decepticon traitor in exchange for Sparkplug's release, or to fetch Bumblebee and take on the Decepticons personally.

If it is decided to try and parlay with Megatron, omitting any mention of the Sun-Pak in their story, Megatron appears attentive at first, but demands that the Autobots fulfill their half of the trade before he takes action. If Blaster and Buster accept, Megatron arrives at the museum, and forces Starscream back to Decepticon base to be reprogrammed after releasing Sparkplug. If they insist to have Megatron release Sparkplug from Decepticon custody first, Blaster and Buster are powerless to stop Sparkplug from becoming a mind-controlled slave.

If Blaster and Buster decide to fetch Bumblebee, the trio quickly formulate a plan to rescue Sparkplug. Using his Electro-Scramblers at a key moment, Blaster causes Starscream to be the recipient of the Cerebro-Shell instead of Sparkplug, and then convinces the now easily influenced Decepticon to release Sparkplug and hold back Bombshell while Sparkplug, Buster, Blaster and Bumblebee happily ride back to Autobot headquarters.
{{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}
{{-}}

===Milton Bradley mini-comic===
Blaster was among the Autobots under [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s command who launched in the [[Ark (G1)|ark]] to clear a path through an asteroid belt. When the Decepticons attacked the ship, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] sent it crashing into [[Earth]], knocking everyone aboard offline. Four million years later, they were repaired when the ship's systems were reactivated by a volcanic eruption. {{storylink|In the Transformers}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[File:WarAgainstDestructions blaster plays.jpg|thumb|left|That's right kids, this is what 3D used to look like.]]
When Hot Rod and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] returned from [[Tau-Ursa]] with a strange recording, Blaster was able to play it. The recording revealed the existence of the [[Destructon]]s, [[Logicon]]s, and the location of [[Metascan Alpha]], the Logicons' storehouse of [[Energon]]. At Optimus Prime's command, Blaster contacted Ultra Magnus at Metroplex on Earth to pass the information along. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' manga===
In a flashback to the launch of the Ark, Blaster could be seen taking orders from Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 3|Beast Wars Metals #3}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:AgeofWrath2 AutobotResistance.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Steeljaw was in the bathroom.]]
Around 6.5 million years ago, Blaster was one of the high-ranking Autobots who helped Ultra Magnus reunify their fractured faction at the end of the [[Dark Ages]], suggesting that he may have been in charge of one of the various splinter groups that formed during those troubled times. Over the next half-a-million years, the reunited Autobots worked to usher in a new Golden Age, and were finally poised to sign a peace treaty with the Decepticons and [[Ultracon]]s until the long-missing Megatron returned to Cybertron, launching an attack in the middle of the treaty ceremony with his new [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} With this new army, Megatron ushered in an [[Age of Internment]], capturing nearly the entire Autobot army and putting them to work as slaves, extracting the very core of Cybertron itself. Blaster managed to evade capture, however, and together with Perceptor, assembled a small rebel cell hiding out in the subterranean chambers of [[Iacon Command]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

Seeking to capture one of Megatron's drones in order to learn more about Megatron's new [[Cloning|clone technology]], Blaster oversaw his unit on the mission from a distance, using his abilities to jam any emergency transmissions while [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] and several other Autobots engaged the drone in battle long enough to attach an inhibitor claw, immobilizing it. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.3}}

{{Unreleased WW comic}}

Blaster and his team used an ancient map of Cybertron's depths to infiltrate Megatron's slave camp, only for them to be discovered by Megatron himself. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.4}} Blaster battled Megatron one-on-one, managing to use his sonic powers to briefly gain the upper hand, before losing a leg to the Decepticon leader. The sudden return of Grimlock, believed to have died during Megatron's first attack, gave the wounded Blaster the chance he needed to free the Autobot prisoners by deactivating their [[inhibitor claw]]s. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.5}} Blaster was badly damaged, losing a leg in his fight against Megatron. Perceptor, meanwhile, used the data gleaned from studying the captured drone to deactivate the neural network linking the entire squadron, ending the Age of Internment. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.6}}

Blaster remained on Cybertron when the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' left four million years ago, and eventually entered stasis along with the rest of the planet when it finally ran out of energy during the [[Great Shutdown]]. The planet was reawakened by Shockwave in roughly the Earth year 1000 BC, and the Autobots and Decepticons put aside their differences to begin rebuilding their world. [[File:PassiveAggression Blaster lovesEarth.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb]] Suspecting that Shockwave had more sinister motives, Blaster was one of the first Autobots to join an underground resistance movement against him, using his communications skills to discover a subliminal code being pumped through the public address screens around the planet that was aggravating the violent tendencies of the entire population. Despite his feelings for Shockwave, Blaster still developed a strong taste for information from the Earth culture Shockwave was introducing to Cybertron, and even modified his alternate mode into an Earthly boom box. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}

In the year [[2003]], when Shockwave's forces brought Optimus Prime and the crew of the Ark back to Cybertron to be tried as war criminals, double agents inside the United Cybertronian force delivered Prime and his crew to Blaster and the others at their headquarters in the [[Wastelands]]. With the help of Cybertron's greatest hero, the resistance movement began an open insurrection against Shockwave's loyal Decepticon forces and the [[Guardian robot]]s under his control. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}} Shockwave's regime fell, and the Autobots resumed command of Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
[[File:DividedFront1 bots found.jpg|thumb|Comfortable?]]
In the year [[1985]], Blaster and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] hastily took off for [[Earth]] in an starship poorly-suited for interstellar travel. Upon arrival, they unsurprisingly crashed, landing in the forests of [[Oregon]] near [[Mount St. Hilary]]. Their deactivated bodies were found by the forces of [[Cobra]] and bundled up to be airlifted out, but a [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] team led by [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] soon intervened. [[Blowtorch]] knocked the chopper carrying their bodies out of the air with his flamethrower, and [[Barbecue]] extinguished the flames before the two Autobots could be consumed by the blaze. Blaster and Perceptor's bodies were then taken back to G.I. Joe headquarters. {{storylink|Targets of Opportunity}}
{{note|Dreamwave's bankruptcy meant this story was never finished.}}
{{-}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:HeartsofSteel blaster.jpg|left|thumb|No, no, don't get up.]]
Blaster and his fellow Autobots fought the Decepticons on Earth in the distant past until an incoming ice age threatened to deactivate all the Transformers. Both sides went into hiding underground until the danger had passed, remaining in stasis until the mid-19th century. When they woke up, the war against the Decepticons started anew, though Blaster was not seen getting involved. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}}

{{IDW HOS}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Blaster participated in a savage battle against the Decepticons, though he did not fare too well, already laying defeated on the battleground during the conflict's early stages.{{storylink|The Beast Within}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Stormbringer issue 1|Transformers: Stormbringer #1]] (apocryphal); [[Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2]] (cameo); [[Spotlight: Blaster]] (full appearance)

Blaster was [[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|constructed cold]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} Before the war, he was a reporter for the [[Iaconian Newsfeed Service]], and reported live from the [[Nova Plaza]] after an assassination attempt on [[Nominus Prime]]. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2|Chaos Theory #2}} He took a brief respite from reporting to work for security control for Sentinel Prime's government. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}}

[[File:Broadcast BlastersMoment.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|left]]
When the [[Decepticon]] dictatorship of Cybertron began, Blaster used his bad experiences with state-censored media to set up the [[Nexis]], a pirate news broadcast that dared speak the truth about the new government. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] attempted to assassinate him, but were defeated by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] who asked for Blaster's help to hack the Iaconian Newsfeed Service's headquarters and send a rallying call for additional support against the Decepticon tyranny. {{storylink|Broadcast}} After his efforts had led to the Decepticons being overthrown and replaced with Optimus Prime's Autobot government, Blaster went back to legal news broadcasting. From the Nexis, he reported on the disastrous explosion of the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]] and interviewed [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] about the [[Exodus (event)|mass exodus]] triggered by its destruction. {{storylink|Fallout (issue)|Fallout}} During the exodus he interviewed some of the disgruntled Cybertronians stranded at [[Starsreach Spaceport]], annoying [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'s Autobots who thought the media attention just served to make things worse. {{storylink|Massacre}}

[[File:SpotlightBlaster the voice.jpg|upright=1.9|thumb|right|''I'm gonna bust into your head through your cute lil' ears'' ''and blow your minds with my sexy voice and out-of-sight sounds!'']]
In the wake of the exodus and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s rampage in [[Harmonex]], Blaster reported that the [[Conclave of Representatives]] was refusing to disclose how many Cybertronians had left the planet and that Harmonex had been closed off, calling the government's intentions into question once more. {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy #1}}

With the war going into full swing, Blaster joined Optimus Prime's Autobots, and initially served as a soldier who was present at a victory celebration after the Autobots halted a major Decepticon energon convoy four million years ago. {{storylink|The Iron Age}} Eventually, however, he returned to his broadcasting roots and became a patriotic radio personality, broadcasting propaganda across the galaxy to rally the Autobot forces as they struggled on the war's many battlefronts. Known as "The Voice" for his widespread positive influence, Blaster became the target of a Decepticon assassination attempt, this time to prevent him from making an important broadcast on the eve of a major Autobot offensive. Although the assassin failed, Blaster's wounded body was ejected into space, and he was believed dead by his faction.

[[File:SpotlightBlaster altmode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.85|Blaster used to transform into a kaboombox.]]
Some time later, Blaster was found by a passing [[Yar|trawler]] and delivered home, where it was revealed that he had to have been attacked by an Autobot. In an effort to flush the traitor out, Blaster went back on the air. The attempt worked, and his would-be killer was revealed: [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], forced into the act by a mind-controlling [[cerebro-shell]] implanted by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] at the direction of [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]. However, he was able to resist when Blaster used his greatest weapon: his voice. As a damaged Beachcomber was brought in for repairs, Blaster swore he'd find Soundwave and that the last thing he'd ever hear would be... the Voice. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[File:AHM15 blaster and kup.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|I dunno... sex appeal?]]
In the year that followed the defeat of [[Nova Prime]], Blaster was among the Autobots captured by the Decepticon [[Turmoil]], but was soon rescued by a team led by [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]. All the other prisoners were members of the [[Wrecker]]s, suggesting Blaster may have joined the team at some point. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}} Blaster remained with Kup's team, and was serving as the communications officer for his ship, the ''[[Trion]]'', when a simultaneous galaxy-wide uprising was staged by the Decepticons. Distress signals came pouring in, but all went silent in short order, save for one from [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]], so the crew of the ''Trion'' went to save the turbo-revvin' young punk from [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]]. The day was saved by [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]], although Blaster disapproved of the scientist's transformation into a warrior, saying he had "defiled himself". {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Lost & Found}}

Blaster and the others harried the Decepticon fleet until they were baited into an ambush above Cybertron. There, the ship was shot down and forced to crash-land on the assumed uninhabitable world. Banding together to survive, they eventually encountered Optimus Prime's unit, only to find him incapacitated, the Matrix having been seized by [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} Blaster mingled with the other Autobots for a while, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} before warning Kup about an incoming [[Insecticon swarm|swarm]] attack that forced them to relocate. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

[[File:AHM9 blaster breaks up argument.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.0|...kiss, damn it, my fanfic needs justification!]]
With morale still dwindling, Blaster attempted to put his famous voice to work by trying to break up a fight between Hot Rod and [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] by injecting some reason, but was interrupted by [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]] telling them they all deserved to die. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} The Autobots were eventually saved when [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] decimated the swarm and carried them all to Earth, where they attacked Megatron and his troops. Blaster was ordered to block the Decepticons' communications, allowing the arrival of Omega Supreme to take them completely by surprise. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} He survived the great battle. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

Blaster remained on Earth with the other Autobots for the next three years, as they regathered their forces. [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] radioed in to Blaster when Prowl got himself nabbed by [[Skywatch]], an event which led to the death of [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] and the resignation of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} Autobot leadership was split between Bumblebee and Hot Rod, and Blaster stayed with Bumblebee's group, which went on to form an alliance with [[Gordon Horiuchi]] of Skywatch. Blaster was among the Autobots who captured [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and other Decepticons for their new allies. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}} Unfortunately, Horiuchi betrayed the Autobots and forced them to hunt one of their own kind, [[Blurr (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]]. Bumblebee managed to get free from Horiuchi's control, and so Blaster and the others stayed behind to cover for him as he sought a solution for their problems. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}} They pretended to be making plans to hunt down Hot Rod while Bumblebee recovered the control tech Skywatch was using to keep them in line. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}} Bumblebee was successful, and Blaster was later present when Bumblebee unveiled his new, more powerful form, to better serve as Autobot leader. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

[[File:IntimateBeheading BRILLIANT.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
Following the end of the war, Blaster was one of the Autobots who joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' in search of the mythical [[Knights of Cybertron]] {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} and was one of the first people to use [[Swerve's]], being part of the grand secret opening. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} Much later, when the newly arrived [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]] was on a rampage around the ship, Blaster hacked a security camera so the crew could see what he was doing when he holed himself up in [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'s office. {{storylink|Interiors}} He was later instructed by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] to patch him in with Rodimus after the latter and some other crewmembers had been teleported to [[Theophany]]. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} Blaster was among those invited to [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind's]] first attempt to awaken Rung from his coma with a storytelling session, but it didn't go so well thanks to [[Siren (G1)|Siren]]'s volume. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:UnderColdBlueStars-PipesBlasterWhirl.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Swerve needs to go on an Electro-Scrambler Quest.]]
One of Blaster's duties on the ''Lost Light'' was to repair the long-range [[Transwarp|subspace]] communicator so that the crew could contact Cybertron, and he was annoyed all the while by [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] who wanted to be the first to send a message. He thought he fixed it, but the message still couldn't get through as Swerve had the wrong hailing frequency. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} Not that it would have mattered much, as Blaster went on to say that any attempt made with the subspace communicator to reach Cybertron met with failure. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}} Blaster reported to Rodimus when the ''Lost Light'' was contacted by the ''[[Vis Vitalis]]'' and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]. {{storylink|Little Victories}} The subspace communicator still wasn't working properly, but this didn't stop [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] from leaving a message for [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] with Blaster while he was busy clearing a path through an asteroid belt with unwanted help from [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}}

Following the disappearance of an injured Ultra Magnus, Blaster used security footage to find out where he had gone, eventually leading the ''Lost Light'' to the lost moon [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]]. Rodimus led a team to its surface, leaving Blaster and Fortress Maximus in charge, but they lost contact with the away team when the ship was attacked by [[Legislator]]s who blocked their transmissions. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} Blaster took a blast to the chest early in the battle and had to be protected by Maximus, {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ámbus}} and the crew was ultimately overwhelmed by the Legislators. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} To make matters worse, when the insane Chief Justice [[Solomus|Tyrest]] activated his [[universal killswitch]] to eradicate the Transformers who were "constructed cold", Blaster was one of those affected. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Following the Tyrest crisis, Blaster was one of the dozens of Autobots who helped clean and fix up the [[Swerve's|devastated bar]] so that Swerve could reopen it. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

Blaster was present on bridge when Ultra Magnus made the decision to search for [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} The crew tracked the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] to the oceans of [[Hydrophena]] where they were attacked by [[Ammonite]]s, {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} prompting Blaster to participate in the underwater battle. {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}} Upon finding Metroplex, they used his [[space bridge]] to return the ''Lost Light'' to Cybertron, where they were reunited with the other Autobots. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} Once the [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]] plaguing Cybertron was defeated, Blaster celebrated alongside the rest of the population. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} He went on to attend the trial of Megatron at [[Raskol Arena]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}}

[[File:TwentyPlusOne BlasterLostRodimus.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|right]]
Blaster continued to serve aboard the ''Lost Light'' as it departed again under the command of a new captain—a reformed Megatron. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} Alongside the rest of the crew he evacuated the ship when it began mysteriously dematerializing piece by piece. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} Stuck on board the [[Rodpod]] alongside 20 other others, he took a message from Rodimus on the ''[[Leading Light]]'' to rendezvous at [[Ofsted XVII]]. All original crew members then began disappearing one by one as well, Blaster among them. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}} Fortunately, the new crew managed to reverse the quantum irregularity, and Blaster and the others quickly returned. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

On a quantum-duplicated ''Lost Light'', its version of Blaster was executed along with the rest of the crew, save their Rewind. He was forced to transform into vehicle mode to keep his transformation cog fresh, which was harvested from his body by the [[Decepticon Justice Division|DJD]]. His corpse was found among a large collection of bodies in a room by [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]]. {{storylink|slaughterhouse}}

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-LostLightmutiny.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|Always [[Totaled!|first in line for mutiny.]]]]
Blaster gathered with most of the crew to hear Rodimus announce their rendezvous with the ''Vis Vitalis'' for the dying Thunderclash's "pre-wake". {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}} He later served as DJ for a dance party in Swerve's and accepted a song request from [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]. {{storylink|The Frail Gaze}} After a life-size [[holomatter]] projection of Earth appeared to be tailing the ''Lost Light'', Blaster attempted to make radio contact with it, only to hear a "catchy" song being played back to them. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}} When [[Getaway]] set up his mutiny, Blaster agreed to be part of it. He 'discovered' the source of a signal that would lure Megatron, Rodimus, and their 'loyalists' off the ''Light'', and later stood with Getaway in a broadcast to emphasize how the crew had turned on their captains. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

[[File:FillingInTheBlanks GetawayFakeNews.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|right|Do one mutiny, get a second free.]]
During a team meeting regarding the [[Warren]], Blaster interrupted to report a distress signal came in from [[Frayus]], but was stunned when Getaway told him to respond that they couldn't assist. As Getaway and Thunderclash argued, Blaster and his teammates were horrified when a transmission from Rodimus revealed that Getaway had not only abandoned Rodimus's men to the mercies of the [[Galactic Council]], but to the [[Decepticon Justice Division]]. With the command structure threatening to breakdown, Getaway had the mnemosurgeon [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder]] reprogram the memories of Blaster and the rest of the crew. They were coerced into believing that Rodimus and the others left of their own free will, abandoning the rest of the crew to find Cyberutopia faster on their own. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 2): Filling in the Blanks|Filling in the Blanks}}

As the use of the Warren drew the ''Lost Light'' closer to Cyberutopia, Blaster was instructed by Getaway to change their course so that they could make a rendezvous with their new Head of Security. Soon after, Blaster happily reported to Getaway that they had finally arrived at Cyberutopia. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}

[[File:ADanceBeforeDying BlasterSparkeater.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|left|"Hey folks, this is Blaster slaverin' at ya! ''Uhnnn, SPAAAAAAARKSSSSSSSS''..."]]
Everything collapsed, however, when they reached Cyberutopia. The promised land turned out to be a sham, and the ''Lost Light'' came under attack by the [[Adaptus|Grand Architect]] and his [[Phantom Fleet]] of [[Worldsweeper]]s. Desperate to save his own skin, Getaway made a deal with the Architect to spare him in exchange for his help against Rodimus, who Getaway swore would try to stop the Grand Architect's plans. To that end, the Architect's ally [[Scorponok (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Scorponok]] was allowed to subject Blaster and the other Autobots to a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] virus, changing them into zombie-like minions with acid vomit, a thirst for sparks, and no will of their own. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|Lūstrāre}}

When Rodimus and the others ''did'' arrive on Cyberutopia, Blaster was dispatched with the first wave of Sparkeaters along with [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]], [[Hound (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hound]] and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] to "greet" their friends. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}} Blaster and the Sparkeaters threatened Rodimus and his growing collection of allies as they opposed the Grand Architect's forces. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|A Dance Before Dying}} Eventually, First Aid discovered a form of concussive medicine that would transmit a kinetic program code to eliminate the Sparkeater virus. Blaster and the others were incapacitated, but seemingly cured of their infection. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|Lūstrāre}} After Rodimus reclaimed the ''Lost Light'', he had Blaster and his ailing crew brought aboard for Ratchet and First Aid to continue treating as they confronted the Grand Architect. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|Farsickness}}

After the crisis was over, Blaster joined the rest of the crew for one last "victory lap" aboard the ''Lost Light''. As the crew prepared to quantum jump home, the science team proposed the risky gamble of recreating the malfunctioning launch, thereby quantum duplicating themselves before then shunting the duplicates into a parallel universe to ensure that the Lost Light's adventures would never truly end. Rodimus put the notion to a vote, and the crew agreed to attempt it.

After returning to Cybertron and years in the future, Blaster was one of the attendees at Ratchet's funeral. He led the grieving Hound away after the service had concluded.

Unaware to everyone, in some distant corner of the multiverse, the duplicate ''Lost Light'' with its version of Blaster had successfully materialized. Blaster excitedly reported that the navigation computers had no idea where they were, and everyone got ready to set sail for an infinity of new adventures. {{storylink|How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2}}

{{-}}

===''TransTech''===
{{voiceactor|[[Buster Jones]] (English)}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Bee in the City 2: Electric Bugaloo}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:Blaster Kreon.JPG|thumb]]
Blaster was seemingly escorting [[Lumina Hoshi|Lumina]] at the inauguration of [[Metroplex (Kre-O)|Autobot City]], as he was holding her hand. {{Storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}}

Some time later, when [[Soundwave (G1)#Kre-O online manga|Soundwave]] tried to use his clones to brainwash humans, Blaster arrived alongside [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus]] and [[Jazz (G1)#Kre-O online manga|Jazz]] to stop him. Blaster turned to tape deck mode to help the Autobots in the battle of opposing sounds, and later (in a different blue coloration) played music at the ensuing hanami. {{Storylink|Soundwave's Trap? Stop Operation Brainwash Humanity!}}
{{-}}

===''Cloud''===
[[File:Cloud Blaster.jpg|thumb]]

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Awakening (Cloud)|Awakening}} {{storylink|Shock (Cloud)|Shock}} {{storylink|Lightwave}}}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Blaster was a freedom fighter on a Decepticon-controlled Cybertron. He was one of the many thorns in Megatron's side that continuously evaded capture.

Enraged that the once great [[Hot Rod (G1)|Imhotep Rodimus]] was one of the many Autobots that had succumbed to Megatron's will, Blaster set out to confront his fellow Autobot at the planet's north pole. There, he berated and blasted Rodimus for his fall from grace. Rodimus retaliated and during the firefight, [[G.I.Rocket]]s began to rain down around them. One of the rockets' blasts caused debris to fall atop of Blaster, knocking him out. Rather than allow his friend to be captured by the Decepticons, Rodimus abandoned his post and hauled Blaster away. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}} Rodimus brought Blaster to Ratchet for repairs before seizing leadership of the Autobots from [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}}

During the combined Autobot-Joe attack on the Decepticon army, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] had Blaster deactivate [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s force shield by using his altmode to emit a sonic signal imbued with the shield's codes. Blaster then joined the battle by releasing his [[Autobot Mini-Cassette|Recordobots]] against [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[Eject (G1)|Eject]] lamented that all the great and famous Cybertronians, including his mentor Blaster, were long gone by the time Cybertron was controlled by the [[Builder Assembly]]. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
[[File:TPotTM BlasterStripesRewind.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right]]
When the [[Titan Master]]s joined the Autobot-Decepticon war, Blaster was partnered with the Titan Master [[Twin Cast]], the bot with the universe's most advanced cryptographic abilities. {{storylink|Blaster (G1)/toys#TitansReturn|''Titans Return'' Twin Cast/Blaster toy bio}} On the planet [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], Blaster, Stripes, and Rewind pursued [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullsmasher]], [[Grax]], and [[Horri-Bull|Rot-Gut]] through the streets. They were ultimately forced to break off when Rot-Gut and Skullsmasher combined, allowing Skullsmasher to deploy a cloud of armor-eating rust and make good their escape. Blaster was later seen fighting off Soundwave's all-out attack on Cybertron. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}}

===''Win If You Dare''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee - Win If You Dare|Win If You Dare}}}}

===2019 IDW continuity===

Blaster worked with [[Playback]] and [[Wavelength (G1)|Wavelength]] at the [[Titan Net Primary Hub]] in Iacon. They detected a nasty virus introduced to the net that took out all the orbital [[Titan (group)|Titans]], leaving them inert. The only one still active was [[Vigilem]], who plotted an aggressive course towards the [[Winged Moon]]. They alerted [[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]] and [[Lodestar (Titan)|Lodestar]], the Titan/[[Cityspeaker|Speaker]] pair who had recently returned from the colonies and were outside the Titan net's influence. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Blaster allowed himself to be found by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] in his radio mode. The device caught Rumble's eye, and he decided to bring Blaster back to the Decepticons' headquarters. Soundwave wasn't as easily duped, and recognized Blaster as an Autobot intruder immediately upon seeing him. Blaster then had to contend with fending off [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Blaster|Blaster commercial}}
*When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] led a squad of Decepticons on an attack on the Autobots' launch site, Blaster informed [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus]] was off-planet, and so couldn't come to their aid. He stayed behind as Ultra Magnus carried several Autobots into battle to counter-attack. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Ultra Magnus|Ultra Magnus commercial}}
*Blaster, Cosmos, and Perceptor had a dance-off against Soundwave, Rumble, and Frenzy. {{storylink|Blaster VS Soundwave 2013}}

==Games==
===''Transformers G1: Awakening''===
[[File:Gluawakening blaster.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85]]
Blaster was among the Autobots who left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and spent four million years in stasis after it was shot down over Earth by the Decepticons. Though Ratchet soon had him fixed up, the Autobots lacked the [[energon]] that he needed to get operational. They had gathered enough by the time the Autobots were preparing to assault the Decepticon fortress on Cybertron to free their enslaved fellows, and Blaster took part in the operation to take out the fortress's main power plants. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
When the Decepticons seemed to be having a run of luck, Blaster and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] found this pattern so suspicious that they teamed up with [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to investigate. They eventually uncovered [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s infiltration and sent the Decepticon and his tapes packing. {{storylink|Covert Operations}} Concerned that the Decepticons might be after the technology at a scientific facility, Blaster and his tapes infiltrated the base only to find that Soundwave was already concealed inside and after the tech. {{storylink|Espionage}} Returning from a charity event, Blaster, Windcharger and Cliffjumper received a distress signal from a nearby human military base. Leading the charge, Blaster found a Decepticon raiding party scouring the base for the [[MacGuffin Generator]]. The Autobots fought the Decepticons to a stalemate until the evil robots managed to acquire the device. It proved more volatile than they expected however, and Blaster and his team helped rebuild the base after the Decepticons were blown away by the generator. {{storylink|Raiding Party}}

Blaster was among the Autobots who fought the Decepticons after they joined forces with the Quintessons. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 2}}

===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
[[File:Blaster-Bird.jpg|thumb|300px]]
{{main|Bubbles#As Blaster}}

On an [[AllSpark|Eggspark]]-altered [[Piggy Island]], Blaster found himself fused with [[Bubbles]] of the [[Flock]], turning them into an [[Autobird]] that transforms into a van-like thing. Bubbles-Blaster launches a rapid-fire stream of sonic blasts that pack incredible punch and have a wide "splash damage" range, especially when paired up with his [[Autobot Mini-Cassette|cassette]] partners.

Blaster ''also'' helps out [[Red (AB)|Red]]/[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] by transforming to tape deck mode and acting as an "accessory", giving the speedy Autobird's rapid-fire machinegun a bit of the ol' [[electro-scrambler]] power by imbuing it with [[electromagnetic pulse|EMP capability]]. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

<center>
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:75%" align="center"
|-
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Accessory'''
! scope="col" width="10%" | '''Body Part'''
! scope="col" width="10%" | '''Rarity'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Cost'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Base Effect'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Notes'''
|-
|[[Rosanna (AB)|Rosanna]]
|Head
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| +20% Explosive Force
|
|-
|Headphones
|Head
|Uncommon
|5 Uncommon Crystals + 8,000 Coins
| +10% Damage
|
|-
|Baseball Cap
|Head
|Common
|5 Common Crystals + 2,500 Coins
| +10% Vehicle Time
|
|-
|Santa Hat
|Head
|Uncommon
|5 Uncommon Crystals + 8,000 Coins
| +10% Defense
| Holiday Event exclusive
|-
|Festive Deely Bopper
|Head
|Rare
|5 Rare Crystals + 20,000 Coins
| +20% Damage
| Holiday Event exclusive
|-
|Snowman
|Head
|Rare
|5 Rare Crystals + 20,000 Coins
| +20% Damage
| Holiday Event exclusive
|-
|Lion Hat
|Head
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| +16% Defense
|Chinese New Year exclusive
|-
|[[Stripes]]
|Chest
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| +40% Faster Reload
|
|-
|[[Sundor]]
|Arms
|Rare
|5 Rare Crystals + 20,000 Coins
| +20% Damage
|
|}
</center>
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Blaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|Among the random Movie quotes a random bot says are: Two can Play! Sic' em! Don't know how much longer we can hold out. We're all going to look like burnt-out toaster ovens.]]
Blaster participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Epic character who first appeared in the "Sonic Clash" event, and could be recruited by collecting 500 units of Cybermetal, 250 units of Transmetal,100 event cores, and 50 cores of this character. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Blaster-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Yo dawg! Let's build this base before the Cons show up!]]
Blaster was in contact with Ironhide and Jetfire after the latter two and an ally raided a Decepticon outpost. Blaster suggested it would be great if they upgraded the HQ.
{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Transformers: Earth Wars}}

Blaster then helped out in the many other battles that the Autobots participated in.

*'''Class:''': Special (Deployer)
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 stars
*'''Weapons:''' Blaster uses a standard issue Photon blaster used by Jetfire and the Aerobots.
*'''Ability: Deploy Minions:''' Deploy Eject, Rewind, Steeljaw, and Ramhorn to attack targets! All have unique attacks.
**'''Cost''': 3 ability points +3 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:blaster Blaster at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

Blaster is one of two characters that has a unique ending victory pose, in which Blaster has a chance to perform a handstand, and then start break dancing.

{{-}}

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:ForgedToFight-Blaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight}}}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Blaster (G1)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Blaster (G1)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Notes==
[[File:MicroChangeRadiCassRobo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*Blaster had the preliminary names of '''Pulse'''<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/index.php?full=1&set_albumName=BotCon_2010_Sat_Panels&id=DSC05237&option=com_gallery&Itemid=4&include=view_photo.php Bob Budiansky's notes at BotCon 2010]</ref> and '''Blastbox'''.<ref>[[Production bible]] of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]]</ref>
*Blaster began life as the ''[[Micro Change]]'' "Radi-Casse Robo" ("radio-cassette", you see), which was actually a functional AM radio. Though this feature was gutted from Blaster when he was released as part of the ''Transformers'' toyline, the original toy's power switch (on his right leg), earphone jack (on the back of his left leg) and tuning dial (on his chest) still remain, now as moulded, non-moving details. Even the toy's electro-scrambler gun is designed to serve as storage for the mono earphone which came with the toy, with the plug inserting into the stock, the cord winding around it, and the earphone itself tucking into the hole in the gun's main body. It was not the toy itself which was the radio; rather, the radio was a small "micro-cassette" which plugged into the toy's internal wiring when inserted into its chest, allowing it to play through the speakers in its legs in either mode. As the electronic equipment in the chest meant that the figure could not hold normal ''Micro Change'' cassettes there, it featured a compartment on its back which could hold a single tape instead. This compartment could still be found on some early releases of Blaster, though it was often mistaken by fans as a vestigial battery compartment, which was actually originally located in the toy's right leg.
*Blaster's finalized [[character model]] was apparently not available to artist [[Don Periln]] when he first drew Blaster in the Marvel Comic. While the final model—used in the Generation 1 cartoon, the UK Marvel comics and ''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]''—gives Blaster a set of individual eyes, Perlin's interpretation of the toy reference material he had to work with saw him draw Blaster with a goggled visor. Perlin's visored head design would be used throughout the Marvel run, until the last few issues, when UK artists who had taken over drawing the book rendered Blaster with his finalized model's head. [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] rationalized this discrepancy early on in the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] of [[Hunters|UK issue #118]] by explaining that Blaster's visor is retractable, and used to shield his especially delicate optical sensors from sunlight. Less explainable was [[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]'s color choice for the comic version of Blaster: a red forehead and yellow face, a combination never used on a toy or in the cartoon.
**[[IDW Publishing]] tried for a hybridized look, giving Blaster an odd-looking "moustache" that was promptly discarded from his design after his introductory [[Spotlight: Blaster|''Spotlight'' issue]].
[[File:TFUK300 letterspage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
*In an odd quirk of design, Blaster's character model breaks the row of buttons on his abdomen up into three buttons in [[robot mode]], but four in [[alternate mode]]. It's a product of the way his toy is made: it's got three separate button-chunks, like his robot mode model, but the centre chunk is two buttons sculpted together, so he's actually ''got'' four, like his alternate mode model. This was most evident in the cartoon; in the comic, as you can see from some of the pictures above, they'd often basically draw as many as they felt like.
*Blaster hosted the Marvel UK comic's letters page for the final 33 issues (from [[Rhythms of Darkness!|issue #300]] to [[End of the Road! (US)|issue #332]]), to tie in with his Action Master toy. Here, the letters page was dubbed "Darn 'n' Blast", replacing [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind's]] "Dread Tidings", despite Dreadwind's holing himself up in the Marvel offices. The Decepticon finally left after a visit by three Christmas spirits, [[Ghost of the present|one of whom]] took on the appearance of Blaster. {{storylink|Dreadwind's Xmas!}} Blaster complained that Dreadwind had decorated the office in all purple and orange with a solitary picture of a dog with sad eyes. His characterization in the letters page is more in line with his fun-loving, hip and happening self from the cartoon than the rather grim, brooding, rebellious loner seen in the comics. He arrived on the letters page in advance of his resurrection in the comics itself, which did not occur until [[On the Edge of Extinction!|issue #321]]. He was explicitly identified as being a non-transformer Action Master, though his partner [[Flight Pack]] did not appear.
*According to Blaster himself on the UK letters page, he has two [[Relatives|siblings]]: [[Toaster]] and [[Karmen]]. And then there's [[Bluster]], his retroactively-created and less-seen brother.
*Since the release of ''Universe'' Blaster, there seems to be an attempt on the part of tech spec writers to balance Marvel's dark and brooding portrayal of Blaster with the rock 'n' roll loving version from the original US cartoon. The ''Universe'' write-up has Blaster organizing resistance cells with Perceptor (with NO mention of his musical interests), recalling the storyline in US comic #17-18. The 2010 San Diego Comic Convention release of the figure not only mentions Blaster's love of music ("Any music, from Cybertronian magna marches to down and dirty D.C. hardcore"), it references "his hatred of the Decepticons", because "the war they started killed the music scene (and most of the musicians) on Cybertron"—combining Blaster's varying personalities from these two continuities into one.
**This also means Blaster is a fan of Bad Brains and Minor Threat. That rules '''so hard.'''

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Broadcast''' (ブロードキャスト ''Burōdokyasuto''), '''Twincast''' (ツインキャスト ''Tsuinkyasto''), '''Blaster''' (ブラスター ''Burasutā'')
*''English:'' '''Billy''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Blaster''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub Twincast)
*''French:'' '''Tempo''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Össztűz''' ("All-fire")
*''Italian:'' '''Radiorobot''', '''Audiobot''' (''The Headmasters'', Blaster), '''Digital''' (Twincast)
*''Portuguese:'' '''Rajada''' (Portugal comic, "Gust"), '''Dinamitador''' (Brazil comic)
*''Spanish:'' '''Bill''' (America, ''The Headmasters''), '''Plato''' (America, ''The Headmasters''), '''Platon''' (Twincast)
*''Chinese:'' '''Lùyīnjī''' (China, 录音机, "Recorder"), '''Shuāng Lǚdài''' (''The Headmasters'', 双履带, "Double Pedrail")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Autobots]]
[[Category:Blue Order]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Cloud Autobots]]
[[Category:Combat Colin characters]]
[[Category:Communications specialists]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Sky Lynx (G1)

2020-09-30T03:55:17Z

TailgatePrime: /* 2005 IDW continuity */

{{factions|autobot|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Sky Lynx}}
{{disambig2|the Autobot who thinks he knows everything, whose alt-mode is [[Sky Lynx (G1)#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|sometimes]] known as the Magnificence|the deity whose head became an actually all knowing orb under that name|Epistemus}}
:''Sky Lynx is the most magnificent [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Sky lynx.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Twice the bot, twice the ego.]]

'''Sky Lynx''' is the unbelievably talented, unsurpassably skilled, and altogether magnificent robot behind most of the greatest, most adventurous, and most daring moments in all of Autobot history. At least, if you ask Sky Lynx, that is. Not that he isn't a skilled, fast, and powerful warrior, well deserving of his rank as [[Lieutenant Commander]]—he most certainly is all those things—he's just a bit too eager to tell you about it. At length. However, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|his]] [[Hot Rod (G1)|superiors]] recognize his undeniable skill and tolerate his ego. [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] has nicknamed him "Commander Modesty."

Sky Lynx's unusual form grants him several abilities. As a shuttle, he can easily travel between star systems and carry passengers as well. When transformed, he can split himself into two autonomous components: a walking lynx and a flying bird-creature. His two components can also combine into a larger and more powerful lynx-bird-creature. In some universes, he can [[Combiner|combine]] to form [[Sky Reign]].

When disguised as a Space Shuttle, Sky Lynx sometimes goes by ''Magnificence'' as his actual name.

{{bigquote|Before you do anything, think, 'Is this what Sky Lynx would do in my position?', and you will not go far wrong.|Sky Lynx|"[[Call of the Primitives]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{Voiceactor|[[Aron Kincaid]] (English), [[Kōji Totani]] (Japanese)|[[Víctor Mares]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5", "Chaos", "Grimlocks New Brain"), [[Ulrich Bernsdorff]] (German, "The Killing Jar"), [[Manfred Schmidt]] (German), [[Peter Musäus]] (German, "The Face of the Nijika"), [[Klaus Kessler]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[François Leccia]] (European French), [[Éric Etcheverry]] (European French, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5"), [[Éric Legrand]] (European French, "Chaos"), [[Henry Djanik]] (European French, "Webworld"), [[Philippe Roullier]] (European French, "The Dweller in the Depths")}}
[[File:FFoD Part5 SkyLynx kicksass.jpg|left|370px|thumb|"I am Sky Lynx, king of kings! Look on my trouncing of Decepti-cads, ye mighty, and despair!"]]
In [[2006]], after the [[Autobot]]s reclaimed [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Sky Lynx returned from another region of space to once again share his glory with his fellows. {{storylink|Secret Files of Teletraan II}}
Sky Lynx made his fantastic debut when he selflessly risked his own life to save three [[Blurr (G1)|vastly]] [[Wheelie (G1)|inferior]] [[Marissa Faireborn|specimens]]. Shortly after this, his peerless battle prowess was needed to fight off some [[Predacon (G1)|ruffians]]. He flew his brave comrades to Earth where it took the combined firepower of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] to shoot him down. Even that was not enough to stop the mighty Sky Lynx, as in his lynx form, he proved instrumental in getting the new [[transformation cog]] to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], trouncing many a Decepticon along the way. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

A [[Quintesson]] once used Sky Lynx's sublime appearance as a disguise. Somehow [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] was unable to tell the difference between the real thing and a vastly inferior illusion and stepped on board. He surely recognized his mistake in the aftermath of the adventure, when the genuine Sky Lynx ferried him with Marissa Faireborn back to Cybertron. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar}}

[[File:Chaos SkyLynx dodgecrystals.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|"I warned ya, bird-bot! I warned ya about them cosmic rays!" "Oh, hush, Grimm. I'm already fantastic."]]
When the Autobots investigated into the destruction of a [[Earth Defense Command|provincial human law enforcement]] space station, Sky Lynx deigned to flawlessly transport [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|a doddering old fool]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|that speech-impaired imbecile]] and his friends to the filthy planet [[Goo 8739B|Goo]]. During the course of this investigation, Sky Lynx was forced to save his comrades from [[Blast Off (G1)|a pale imitation of himself]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|a mere hooligan]], who had somehow obtained [[death crystal]]s. Sky Lynx carried his team to [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], where he was again forced to intercede, rescuing Blurr from a swamp while simultaneously leading the counter offensive against the Predacons. Did they not learn their last painful lesson in humility on Io? They made another attempt during the battle at [[Queeg Mountain]], but even as Sky Lynx attempted to enlighten them on the error of their ways, a lucky shot destroyed the rock he was standing on. Naturally Sky Lynx suffered only minor damage, and he was about to execute his usual daring nick-of-time rescue for Kup and the [[Dread slaves|slaves]] as the mountain erupted. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

Sky Lynx lent his skill and finesse to the assault on [[Paradron]] after the planet was conquered by the Decepticons. His spacious cargo bay was used to transport a stockpile of guns to the captive Paradonians, so that they could join Sky Lynx as he valiantly fought for their freedom. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}} Upon the discovery of [[dinosaur transform static]] at the scene of Fort Knox's apparent theft, Sky Lynx was forced to endure a humiliating trial in [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex's]] ill-conceived kangaroo court, merely because, as [[Six-Gun|that unrefined, multi-gunned cowboy]] put it, Sky Lynx had [[Dinosaur transform static|dinosaur electrons]] in his body. Be that as it may, did he have to be lumped together with [[Dinobot (G1)|such unsuitable company]] when he could be effortlessly tracking down and bringing [[Trypticon (G1)|the real culprit]] to justice? {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[File:Webworld Sky Lynx.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.45| "Does this make my backside look big?"]]
While his beauty was gracing the entrance to a peace conference, Sky Lynx was approached by Ultra Magnus, who needed a ride to some dingy asteroid or other to save the galaxy. Sky Lynx took him there and helped him fight off a small swarm of some disgusting alien parasites. Unfortunately he was unable to fit through the corridors of the storage asteroid and thus couldn't help defeat the Decepticons, but he could at least take Ultra Magnus, Wheelie and Daniel to safety before the asteroid exploded. {{storylink|Surprise Party}} After Sky Lynx dropped Kup and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] off at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], there was a dreadful kerfuffle resulting in him transporting a group of Autobots to [[Unicron]]'s head. While he was parked outside, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] attacked, and Sky Lynx was forced to retreat to a safe distance, from where he was later able to swoop in and rescue Ultra Magnus and his team. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}} During an [[isidrite]] mining operation, Sky Lynx alerted his fellows to incoming Decepticons. A brief battled ensued, in which Galvatron claimed more Decepticon casualties than the Autobots, and Sky Lynx suggested they strategically withdraw with what isidrite they'd gathered. They swiftly did so, leaving the Decepticons to bicker. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[File:BigBroadcast SkyLynx rescue Superion.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|"And that is why I am far superior to the Aerialbots. Including you, Slingshot." "YOU LIE!"]]
During a journey to through the [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] sector, Sky Lynx came under attack by [[Astrotrain (G1)|another pretender to the shuttle throne]]. The two proceeded to engage in combat, until both were fired upon by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. Though the Junkions posed no threat to one of Sky Lynx's skill, he recognized that their actions were out of place, and sped with all possible haste back to Cybertron, informing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] of their out-of-character actions. Despite acknowledging his "ace work", Rodimus, for some reason, dispatched those [[Aerialbot (G1)|uncouth flyboys]] to investigate. However, Sky Lynx proved his undeniable talents by rescuing [[Superion (G1)|their combined form]] from imminent destruction. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

When [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] detected a Quintesson signal, he naturally dispatched Sky Lynx to investigate. Unfortunately the planet from which the signal emanated proved to be covered in vegetation, preventing Sky Lynx's otherwise flawless chassis from landing and forcing him to send his passengers, [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] instead. He was nonetheless able to provide air support against the Predacons, and spirited away the Autobots along with the [[Quintesson Journal]] they'd found. Alas, he was subsequently seized by the Quintessons. No sooner had he and his chums escaped that predicament, than they were set upon by Decepticons, who blew a hole in Sky Lynx's side and stole the journal. While they battled over control of the journal, the Quintessons reclaimed their toy, and Sky Lynx was later able to extract it from the Quintesson ship by deftly cutting a hole in the hull at exactly the right point. He could then return the journal to the peace conference, where its contents were used to settle a centuries-old war. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}} On one occasion, Sky Lynx's normally-superb gyros malfunctioned, causing him to crash on Cybertron. It later transpired that the glitch had been caused by anti-electrons and thus was outside Sky Lynx's control. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:CallofthePrimitives SkyLynx ruetheday.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"My leading role in this episode was enough to make it the prettiest in the whole series."]]
Later still, during a skirmish on [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], superior forces arrived to save the Autobots in the form of Sky Lynx, though the brutish [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] dared challenge him. However, before Sky Lynx could deliver what would have likely been a stunning finishing blow, the other [[Primitive|vulgars]] were drawn away from the battle by a voice in the distance. For some reason, his magnificence was included in this motley crew and was even forced to voyage with them to the far reaches of space, a sojourn they surely could not have made themselves without Sky Lynx's intellect and sense of direction. Upon landing, Sky Lynx took command of that ill-tempered, uncivilized group of evolutionary throwbacks and directed them in a proper manner, a task which nearly exceeded his incredible skill. However, upon finding the caller, [[Oracle (G1)|the fool]] had the audacity to call him Primitive! Can you imagine? Unfortunately for Sky Lynx, the menace [[Tornedron]] was too much even for him. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

Finding Galvatron bashing on a [[quadrant lock|strange disc]] in space, Sky Lynx released his passengers to investigate. He was unable to prevent them from being sucked through the disc into a sealed region of space, however after the seal was broken, he joined them on the newly freed world of [[Zamojin (planet)|Zamojin]]. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}} Sky Lynx carried Rodimus Prime and Kup to [[Japan]] during a Decepticon attack, arriving in time to prevent [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] from shooting [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. Kup even complemented him on his shooting, but Sky Lynx just responded "I know". Once they'd landed, Sky Lynx passed on the message that Rodimus was wanted at the Imperial Palace by an irate [[Prime Minister of Japan|Prime Minister]]. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

In one of his most successful endeavours, Sky Lynx's unquestioned skills were called into play yet again when Rodimus Prime required a [[Quintesson]] during the [[Hate Plague]] crisis. With his customary flair and talent, not to mention amazing speed, Sky Lynx located and retrieved one, who subsequently restored [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] to life. Jolly good show! Just as Sky Lynx hoped, Optimus Prime knew how to stop the Hate Plague. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Sky Lynx accompanied Optimus Prime to obtain the heat resistant alloy from Galvatron. When Galvatron attempted to betray the Autobots, Sky Lynx's swift speed enabled him to grab Galvatron's cannon when it was knocked away. During the retreat, Sky Lynx was blessed by not being infected by the Hate Plague despite being grabbed onto by [[Jessica Morgan]]. Truly special this was! This did not protect him being infected by Rodimus Prime later on Earth. Sky Lynx, now freed from basic inhibitions, decided to crash through a glass window that prevented him from the sky above. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' manga=====
[[File:SkyLynxManga01.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|We're guessing that Sky Lynx pulled a Batman on Galvatron and ''planned'' to be occupied on Earth.]]
During a battle on planet [[Feminia]], the Autobots fought to keep the [[Prime Energy Tower]] safe from the Decepticons. Deploying their [[combiner]]s and giant warriors, the two factions found themselves evenly matched. That is, until [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] unleashed his trump card: [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. As Predaking squashed his foes, Galvatron chuckled, having ensured that Predaking's only worthy opponent, Sky Lynx, was entangled on [[Earth]] battling Decepticons in [[New York City]]. With Sky Lynx unavailable, surely nothing could stand in Predaking's way?

Then the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] showed up and took him out. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}
{{-}}
=====''Unite Warriors''/''Legends''=====
In [[2011]], Sky Lynx carried the [[Disaster Relief Team]] made up of [[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] to the ruins of Cybertron after the planet was destroyed by [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. There they discovered the intact form of [[Vector Sigma]], which [[reformatting|reformatted]] the five into new forms, granting them enhanced powers and the ability to combine into [[Sky Reign]], a [[combiner]] that made use of Sky Lynx's beastly strength. Over the course of the next decade, the team used their abilities to rebuild Cybertron until it was inhabitable again, but the peace was shattered when [[Grand Galvatron]] attacked the planet in [[2021]]. During the battle, Sky Lynx fought [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] to stop him from destroying the body of Optimus Prime, then combined with the others to battle Grand Galvatron directly. {{storylink|Sky Reign Chapter}} After Sky Reign was separated into his components by [[Megaempress]], Sky Lynx was exposed to [[Moonheart]]'s [[healing pheromone]]s and fell asleep. {{storylink|Megatronia Chapter}} After Unicron showed up to attack Cybertron, the team helped defeat him in the form of Sky Reign. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part Two}}

The Disaster Relief Team later set up a musical in which Sky Lynx played an evil dragon who kidnapped a princess. {{storylink|Unite Warriors Offshot#Invitation to the Dress Rehearsal!|Invitation to the Dress Rehearsal!}} They were later deployed to the [[Legends World]] to help rebuild [[Akihabara]] after it was wrecked by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} When this other world was attacked by [[Majin Zarak]], Sky Lynx helped defend it as part of the "2010 Team". {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}} The Legends World ended up being destroyed, however, so Sky Lynx was among the transports that helped evacuate everyone back to their own dimension where they arrived on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] in [[2023]]. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1}}

====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
In the year 2001, the Decepticons had managed to conquer Cybertron completely. Sky Lynx aided in the Autobots' exodus of the planet, though he came under heavy enemy fire during this mission. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
[[File:SklLynxG1mvl03.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|The wonderful thing about Sky Lynx / Is he is a wonderful thing! / His top is made out of rubber / His bottom is made out of springs!]]
[[Lieutenant Commander]] Sky Lynx, of the [[Autobot Third Air Strike Division]], {{storylink|Monstercon from Mars!}} had, throughout the course of the war, been rescued several times by his old chum, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]. As such, he did not hesitate to fly to his aid when the latter called upon him to join the Autobots on Earth. There, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s less than stellar performance as Autobot leader threatened to doom them all! (The uncouth [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] was overly obsessed with catching the rogue Autobot, [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]].) Upon the venerable Sky Lynx's arrival, Wheeljack requested that he put his considerable skills on temporary hold. What a waste of his immeasurable potential! Before too long, thankfully, Sky Lynx was at last called into action! After Grimlock tossed some [[Spacehikers|juvenile humanoids]] out the airlock of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] into space (for "conspiring" with Blaster), Sky Lynx, with utmost aplomb, rescued them, and put to use his finest displays of agility evading those mongrel Dinobots. Indeed, Sky Lynx's feats were subverted only by the actions of another. To wit: While Sky Lynx was surrounded (which posed no true disadvantage to the ever-resourceful paragon), Blaster turned himself in to Grimlock in exchange for the guaranteed safety of Sky Lynx's young charges. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:SklLynxG1mvl02.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|I'm off to outer space / Protecting Autobots / To save [[Spacehikers|annoying kids]] / I am Sky Lynx!]]
However, before speedily returning the kids to their home, Sky Lynx took them to a traveling space carnival. As they had no money to pay for tickets, Sky Lynx charitably agreed to work for the carnival, while the kids were taken care of. Unfortunately, the fine print in the magnificent Autobot's contract made all of them permanent guests of the wretched carnival. Before Sky Lynx could effect a no-doubt-brilliant escape plan, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] passed by and elected to formulate an escape plan of their own. Optimus pounced into the circus ring while Sky Lynx was about to begin his routine show, and helped ram down all performers who tried to hinder their flight from captivity. Optimus took care of most of them, saving Sky Lynx the indignity of facing down such unworthy foes as a [[Gilashark]] and [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. On their way out, the crowd rightfully burst into cheer, and both Autobots took a bow at Sky Lynx's insistence. They then reconvened aboard the ''[[Skyhammer (G1)|Skyhammer]]'' with Goldbug, who had been equally successful in securing Sky Lynx's charges. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

Sky Lynx then returned the Spacehikers to Earth with flair and dispatch. The humans, however, seemed impervious to his charm, and drove him away from Earth again with thrown produce and such. {{storylink|Monstercon from Mars!}}

Some time later, the [[Mecannibal]]s, through an unfair deception, managed to capture the magnificent Sky Lynx. While they did admit to his wondrousness, they unfortunately considered him wondrously ''tasty.'' Luckily, [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] and [[Cloudburst]] happened upon the impending banquet aboard the [[Mecannibals' ship]], and assisted in Sky Lynx's escape. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}}

[[File:SklLynxG1mvl01.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"Yes, one day you two can tell your children how you were defeated by the incredible Sky Lynx."]]
When those selfsame [[Pretender]]s later found themselves harried by [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] and [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]], the noble Sky Lynx showed up to repay his debt, easily dispatching the Decepticon [[Powermaster]]s. He then explained to the Autobots that [[Hi-Test (G1)|Hi-Test]] and [[Throttle (G1)|Throttle]] were the binary-bonded partners of the Decepticons. (Which, really, they should have been able to figure out for themselves.) The ever-helpful Sky Lynx then held the [[Nebulos|Nebulan]]s hostage while the Pretenders blackmailed the Mecannibals into reconstituting all their former victims. Having once again saved the day, Sky Lynx flew off into the sunset, and a shining place in history. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}

=====The Big Broadcast of 2006=====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
In an alternate future of 2006, Sky Lynx's impeccable perspicacity led him to discover suspicious activity on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]], and he swiftly and surely reported his findings to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]. Rodimus recognized Sky Lynx's greatness by declaring him to be one of the best, but inexplicably sent those lesser (though still valiant) fliers, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], to Junkion to investigate Sky Lynx's report. After [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] was defeated by the [[Quintesson]]s, Sky Lynx's redoubtable abilities were once again required for a rescue. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Sky lynx silverbolt destiny.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]
The infusion of [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] into his systems boosted [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]'s hypersonic burn to the point that he blacked out and would have simply shot off into space if it hadn't been for Sky Lynx's quick reactions, as he managed to grab the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] in time. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Sky Lynx was hanging around Autobot headquarters on Cybertron when Ultra Magnus checked in with Hot Rod to see how the situation was progressing. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

He acted as transport for Ultra Magnus's team as they searched for [[Metascan Alpha]]. After a stop on a moon, they reached a city under attack from the [[Destructon]]s, but were forced to retreat when the enemy proved too much for them to handle. Sky Lynx made it as far as the moon before running out of energy. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
After awakening from the [[Great Shutdown]], Sky Lynx found himself operating the regime of that uncharismatic, mono-visioned walking calculator, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Sky Lynx was requisitioned into mere transportation for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Optimus Prime's little brother]] when he traveled to [[Earth|an insignificant backwater planet]] to arrest the long-lost Autobots. When Ultra Magnus learned of Shockwave's plans to deactivate the Autobots, he lost his temper and hit a console inside of Sky Lynx. While this news was most distressing, it did not warrant such uncivilized violence against one's vehicle. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} When [[Starscream (G1)|that small and irritating little flyboy]] inevitably ran like a coward, he attempted to commander the magnificent Sky Lynx as his transportation. Imagine the horror etched on the faces of his terrified crew when Sky Lynx refused to accept their navigational commands and flew off at his own volition! {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Unfortunately, that [[Soundwave (G1)|monotoned malcontent]] managed to hack into Sky Lynx's impressive neural processors, and even though he put up a valiant struggle against his Decepticon passengers, he was forced to bring them to the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' on Earth. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}

[[File:G1DW SkyLynx sporting.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|It tickles!]]
Sky Lynx found himself embarrassingly captured by the Decepticons under Starscream and [[Combaticon (G1)|his band of merry miscreants]], as, of all things, a punching bag for their training! Far be it for him to refuse combat, but did these fools not realize they were up against the mighty Sky Lynx, even with the Decepticon energy dampeners in effect? Sportingly, the Autobot lieutenant commander warned Starscream that it was hardly a fair match, which the Decepticon, for some reason, misinterpreted to mean that it was not fair to Sky Lynx.

Taking advantage of Starscream's gross overconfidence, Sky Lynx tipped the scales ''further'' in his favour by splitting in half into his separate lynx and dinosaur modes, then soundly thrashing the pitiful Combaticons before the shocked Starscream reactivated the energy dampeners.

Naturally, Sky Lynx's personal punching bag [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] only appeared ''after'' his magnificence was offline, which is just typical, really. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===Shell Game===
[[File:Sky_lynx%27s_corpse_from_shell_game.jpg|thumb|Sadly, this world may never know of his magnificence.]]

In [[Viron 704.31 Epsilon]] after the disappearance of several Autobots due to [[Unicron]]'s abductions, Optimus, Sky Lynx, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], and [[X-Brawn]] did their best to hold out against Megazarak, but they ultimately all fell to the tyrant's onslaught. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/30}}

Sky Lynx's corpse was thereafter visible on the surface of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Shell Game}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|''More Than Meets The Eye'' #1]]}}

[[File:Sky Lynx Cause and Effect.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
Sky Lynx was used as a transport by a group of Autobots on a mission to rescue [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] from the Decepticons. He was magnificent, as always. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}} Sky Lynx would later help transport the Autobots to the [[Iaconian Newsfeed Service]] headquarters where the Autobots would hack it to rally more allies for an assault against the Decepticons. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

When the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]] came under attack from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], an Autobot strike force scrambled to the location on board Sky Lynx, {{storylink|Faces of Darkness}} whose participation in the battle naturally ensured an Autobot victory. {{storylink|Rage (IDW)|Rage}} Sky Lynx was later carrying the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] when he received new orders to help prevent a riot at [[Starsreach Spaceport]]. {{storylink|Massacre}} Following [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s defeat, Sky Lynx took [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] on a fly-by over [[Harmonex]] to confirm the body of the beast was still there. It wasn't. {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy #1}} Soon after, during the Decepticons' siege on Iacon, Sky Lynx joined up with Optimus and the other Autobots who had been protected from the Cons' bombardments by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}} 500,000 years ago he participated in the final defense of the Autobot base, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}}

[[File:Sky Lynx crashes Night and the City.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
After the war ended, Sky Lynx was, of course, smart enough not to be on the ''[[Lost Light]]'', but, along with Bumblebee and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]], had a good view of her fate. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Later, Sky Lynx was seen hovering over a crowd of [[NAIL|peasants]]. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} He visited [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] with [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] after Blurr reopened it. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

Sky Lynx was entrusted with the important task of carrying [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] and those ungrateful Dinobot ruffians into Cybertron's wilderness in search of the missing [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], and made sure to entertain them with many fascinating stories of his glorious victories and accomplishments during the war on the way. Alas, the magnetic interference in the wilderness proved too much even for his finely-tuned navigation systems, and he was forced to leave them to carry on their mission on foot. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt (IDW)|Dinobot Hunt}} The strain on his systems only got worse from there, and by the time he reached Iacon he could no longer stay airborne and crash-landed violently. He managed to tell Bumblebee that he lost Ironhide and Dinobots "to the night" before starting to drift in and out of consciousness. {{storylink|Night and the City}} [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] would later mention that he was recovering. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}}

Sky Lynx had made a full recovery by the time the ''Lost Light'' returned to Cybertron, and joined in the celebrations. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} He subsequently attended the trial of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} Months later, Optimus Prime made the wise decision to bring Sky Lynx on a mission to [[Earth]] to investigate a lead left by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]. Greeted by a barrage of missiles from the [[human]]s, the Autobots abandoned that clumsy ''[[Ark-7]]'' in favor of using the smaller Sky Lynx to reach the surface. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} On Prowl's orders, Sky Lynx delivered the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] from the ''Ark-7'' to the battle in [[Poverty Flat]], {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} then ferried everyone straight back to the ship where he got some energon to slurp. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

Next, Sky Lynx carried the team to the [[Earth Defense Command]] base on [[Marshall Islands|Bikini Atoll]], staying clear of the actual fighting. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} Once their mission to rescue Alpha Trion was complete, Sky Lynx returned and carried the team to safety. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}} When [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] and [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] rather rudely burst into the hangar following an alarm, Sky Lynx explained to them how Optimus and Alpha Trion had equally rudely left the ''Ark-7'' aboard Prime's [[Skyroller|personal shuttle]] without so much as a greeting. {{storylink|The Crucible}}

When [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] came under fire while investigating the remnants of the EDC's Bikini Atoll base, it was up to the valiant Sky Lynx and his comrade, [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]], to come to the rescue of the hapless 'bot. Sky Lynx had much fun destroying the target-seeking missiles before returning to the ''Ark-7''. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}} Sky Lynx was hesitant to fly Prowl and the Constructicons to [[Tokyo]], seeing as how the absent Optimus hadn't authorized such a mission, but begrudgingly did so after Prowl argued that he was in charge in Prime's absence. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|Vs.}} When [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and Sideswipe confronted Sky Lynx about his going through with this trek against Prime's orders, he claimed that Prowl had been supplying him with some top-class [[Engex]], and couldn't see him getting into ''that'' much trouble. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}} Prowl failed to live up to expectations, however, and it was up to Sky Lynx to come in as the cavalry once again during the Decepticons' fight with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in [[Wanmu]]. Sky Lynx restrained that clod, [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]], and spat fire at Devastator until the combiner came to his senses; after which, Sky Lynx took the Autobots and Constructicons back to the ''Ark-7'' with a [[space bridge]] in tow. {{storylink|The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati|The Obliterati}}

When Arcee brought an [[Onyx]] tablet aboard the ''Ark-7'' for examination, Sky Lynx tried to tell his fellow crew members of how useless looking at such primitive human tech would be, but alas, his advice was harshly brushed aside. {{storylink|Now and On Earth}} When the Autobots discovered some mysterious Cybertronian source code within the device, as well as a quantum signal within it leading to Earth, Sky Lynx went alongside Jetfire and transported [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] and Kup to the signal's source on the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] island of [[Bouvetoya]]. However, Sky Lynx looked on in horror as the team was soon attacked by [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]]'s [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]/[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] [[Seeker clone|clone-combiner]]s and tried to help by opening fire on them. Finding that the group of combiners were too powerful even for him, Sky Lynx began to fly back to the ''Ark-7'' for assistance. As the violent brutes revealed they could transform and flew after him, Sky Lynx tried leading them to get within range of the ''Ark-7'''s weapons; however, the very same Onyx tablet that Sky Lynx warned against looking at took control of the ship's systems and raised its deflector shields just as Sky Lynx was about to reach it, causing him to crash into the shields quite violently and be knocked offline. The combiners then promptly took the finest Autobot of them all captive. This is why one should always listen to Sky Lynx!
{{storylink|The Nothing Man}}

<div style="float: right; width: 70%"></div><div style="clear:right"></div>

Imprisoned by Blackrock with the other defeated Autobots in a secret, black liquid-filled chamber of the EDC's Bikini Atoll base, even the weary Sky Lynx was rather surprised when none other than Jetfire's drone [[D.0.C.]] came to rescue them (although it reminded him of another, sure to be exciting story he promised to tell the drone later). After D.0.C. cut open a hole in the room's ceiling, Sky Lynx emerged from it with the other Autobots, free once more and as majestic as ever! {{storylink|Conquerors Part 3: Helden|Helden}}

[[File:AHM-SkyReign.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

As the EDC started making preparations for a full-spectrum [[mindbomb]] to try to stop Galvatron and his forces after he had gone turncoat, the still-injured Sky Lynx happily volunteered to provide some information about their neocortexes. The humans would have obviously been lost without him. When Optimus and some other Autobots arrived at the EDC base in the ''Skyroller'' to pick up their wayward comrades, Sky Lynx climbed aboard. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}} To convince the humans of their innocence, Sky Lynx and his comrades began flying across the globe, heroically helping the small creatures with their petty problems. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth|Edge of the Earth}}

Indispensable as ever, Sky Lynx carried a complement of Autobots and Decepticons over the ocean to make an attack on Galvatron's submerged base, the ''Nemesis''. Tragically, Sky Lynx fell victim to the energies of the [[Enigma of Combination]], turning him into the torso of [[Sky Reign]] (He remained as strikingly handsome as ever). {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} He reverted to normal after Superion loutishly tampered with the Enigma and nullified its effects. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}} Sky Lynx helped mop up what Decepticons had been left behind after cowardly Galvatron's absconsion {{storylink|White Light}}, but found themselves having to deal with the bothersome forces of the EDC, now under the command of the brutish [[Joe Colton]]. {{storylink|White Heat}} Some months later, Sky Lynx and some of his comrades were on Cybertron to assist in relief efforts in the wake of [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'s rampage. {{storylink|Concorde Hymn}}

In the wake of the "[[Revolution]]" incident, Sky Lynx remained on Earth as Optimus Prime and the Autobots maintained the peace. He ferried Optimus Prime and some Autobots to a meeting with the wretched [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s on the [[Matterhorn]], then took the group back to Autobot City, where he was bothered by a group of utterly childish Autobot recruits demanding to know more about the new arrivals. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}} Sky Lynx later attended a meeting between Optimus Prime and some dignitaries, which would have been impossible to arrange had it not been for his impeccable presence on the deck of Metrotitan. It was a tragedy, then, that the uncivilized Junkions sought to spoil this momentous event by unleashing a school of ravenous [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s on all assembled. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|Dance Among the Shadows}} Fortunately Sky Lynx was there to ferry the injured Sideswipe to safety with alacrity and aplomb. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Time Will Rust}} {{storylink|A Sunrise Dark}} {{storylink|Ceremony}}}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
[[File:Sky LynxAligned-UltimatePopUpUniverse.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8]]
Pursuing the [[AllSpark]] after it had been launched into space, Sky Lynx was one of the many Autobots that found his way to Earth. There, he participated in a great battle within a human settlement against the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers × Evangelion''===
Sky Lynx arrived on Earth with a team of Autobots on board just as the [[Angel]]s were advancing on [[Tokyo-3]]. {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 1}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
[[Vector Prime]] noted that 'bots such as Sky Lynx had [[mitotic spark]]s. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The Complete AllSpark Almanac|Ask Vector Prime, The Complete AllSpark Almanac}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Sky Lynx served as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]'s steed when the Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}} After the war was won, Rodimus was still seated on Sky Lynx as he was made ruler of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

==Commercial appearances==
When [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] found themselves imperiled by an attack from [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], Sky Lynx swooped down and blasted away the Decepticon combiner before unleashing his fiery breath onto his foe. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sky Lynx|Sky Lynx commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
====Decepticon story====
While searching for [[Zel Quartz]] in the present, the Decepticons hunted down several leads, including the [[Jewel of Mystery]]. Sky Lynx and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] defended the Jewel of Mystery from Decepticon raiders. They failed, but the Gem was not the fabled Zel Quartz in the end anyway. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers: Legends''===
Sky Lynx was part of an escort squadron led by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], tasked with protecting important cargo from a Decepticon strike force. {{storylink|Cold Delivery}}

In the aftermath of the restoration of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Sky Lynx led a small team of Autobots in attempting to map the changes to their planet. They were briefly delayed by [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] and [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]]. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (Legends)|The Autonomy Lesson}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Skylynx_Earth_Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|When I split apart, my ego doesn't decrease, it merely doubles (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧]]

*'''Class''': Triple Changer
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*Abilities: Being a triple changer, Sky Lynx has two abilities available to him:
**'''Flamestrike''': Set the target on fire dealing 109 damage over 8 seconds. Follow with Plasma Shroud: re-ignite the target dealing 169 damage over 6 seconds.
**'''Plasma Shroud''': Ionized plasma lowers enemy damage by 50% for 7 seconds. Follow with Flamestrike: trigger a plasma burst dealing 121 damage in a big area.
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:sky-lynx Sky Lynx at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

==Toys==
===The Transformers===
[[File:G1SkyLynx toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Part cat, part bird, part danger, all applesauce.]]
*'''Sky Lynx''' (Motorized Space Shuttle, [[1986]])

:Sky Lynx transforms from a space shuttle with crawler-transporter into two smaller robots; the shuttle grows legs to become a prehistoric bird, while the crawler-transporter grows a head and two tails to become a lynx. The two can then combine into a super robot with the legs of a lynx and the upper-body of a prehistoric bird. The crawler-transporter section has a battery-powered motor that rolls him along in transporter shuttle mode and activates a slow, ungainly walking action in lynx/lower-body mode. The shuttle also has an opening "cargo bay", though there is no room to store anything in it. Even though it fails to capture his magnificence fully, it is ''still'' the apex of toy technology.

:Unlikely as it may seem that anything could improve upon the perfection of this design, there were two different versions of this toy, released a year apart. On the first version, the rear thruster panel was connected to the body by a basic hinged piece. The second release modified this hinge so the panel could extend out from the body slightly, allowing a little more room for opening the panel and extending the tail.

:Unusually for a toy of his size, he has no other accessories packaged with him. But then again, why add to something that is already perfect?

:Along with [[Omega Supreme (G1)#Toys|Omega Supreme]], Sky Lynx was licensed from a company called [[Toybox]]. As a result, Sky Lynx was not initially released by Takara in Japan. They were robbed. They. Were. ''Robbed''.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/SkyLynx/skylynx.htm More information on Sky Lynx's magnificent toy at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Sky Lynx''' (Encore, [[2008]])
:In February 2008, [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]] had the glorious honor of re-releasing Sky Lynx. This was the first time that this masterpiece of a toy was sold in Japan. As if it was possible, TakaraTomy made perfection even more perfect by painting the shuttle's mouth cannon and the lynx's eyes, and making the gold chrome more subtle.

{{-}}

===Generations===
====Combiner Wars====
[[File:CWVoyagerSkyLynx.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Aaron Archer had to quit Hasbro to make this possible!]]
*'''Sky Lynx''' (Voyager Class, 2016)
**'''3 OF 5: [[Sky Reign]]'''
**''Accessories'': two sword-rifles

:From the sixth wave of Voyager Class toys from the ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' portion of the [[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|''Generations'']] toyline, Sky Lynx is a superbly-engineered Voyager-class toy which transforms from shuttle to dinobird. While not specifically called out in the instructions or on the box, Sky Lynx is also able to transform into his glorious lynx mode. Sky Lynx can combine with any Deluxe Class ''Combiner Wars'' figures, and can impart a fraction of his innate magnificence upon them to form the splendiferous [[Sky Reign#Generations|Sky Reign]]. Although he can no longer split into his two components, such a minor exclusion does naught to mar his superb excellence.

:Unlike most Voyager Class ''Combiner Wars'' figures, Sky Lynx's weapons aren't shown in his instructions at all. They can be combined to create a larger sword for Sky Reign, and as further proof of his superiority, they can be combined with either serving as the hilt: they're not limited to combining in a single way like other, less magnificent combiner weapons. They can be attached to his wings to function as cannons in any mode, or peg onto his center thruster fin to form a magnificent tail in beast mode. He also has 5mm peg holes on his wings, front feet, and hips, though his superior self scarcely needs additional weaponry given his unrivaled greatness.

:This mold was retooled with a new beast head and Combiner head into [[Deathsaurus (Victory)#Generations|Dezarus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Autobot/CWSkyLynx/skylynx.htm More information on the wondrous ''Combiner Wars'' Sky Lynx at TFU.info]''

====War for Cybertron: Earthrise====
[[File:TF-WFC-E-Commander-Sky-Lynx.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"There is no doubt that I am the most magnificent Transformer in this line!"]]
*'''Sky Lynx''' (Commander Class, [[2020]])
**''ID number'': '''WFC-E24'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''ER-06'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[July 25]], 2020'''
**''Accessories'': 7 blast effects, 2 cannons
:Following in the footsteps of ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Jetfire]], ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' Sky Lynx is a brand-new mold changing from dinobird to shuttle in 35 steps. He once again possess the dazzling ability to split into dual beast modes (22 steps from dinobird), and his Lynx component has the marvelous new capability to turn into a shuttle launch platform base mode, complete with [[A.I.R. Lock System|A.I.R. Lock]] attachments, in 20 steps.

:His range of articulation is an undeniable marvel of toy engineering, even greater than prior toys despite the mere suggestion being the Sisyphean task of perfecting perfection. Almost unbelievably, they succeeded, with lateral movement in hips and shoulders, double jointed knees and elbows, 180 degree movement on all four ankles, and a multi-jointed neck for the shuttle component. And the true mark as a work of art is that all are ratcheted! A wonderfully posable ball joint is also located at the base of both beast mode heads, with the lynx also possessing an embedded swivel for even more range of motion.

:Sky Lynx also comes with 7 blast effect pieces, [[redeco]]ed from those of ''Siege'' [[Omega Supreme (G1)#Generations|Omega Supreme]]. Some online store descriptions initially stated that [[Astroscope]] was included, but this was dropped from the final product due to cost limitations.

:Like all ''Earthrise'' toys, Sky Lynx comes with an exclusive piece of a larger star map, and a thin piece of red translucent plastic which acts as a decoder for the map. Unlike smaller Earthrise figures, Sky Lynx's map piece is pre-cut. Sky Lynx's map segment shows the location of [[Chaar|CHAAR]] and an entry point to the [[Dead Universe|DEAD UNIVERSE]].

:In a first for the ''Transformers'' brand, Sky Lynx is one of two space shuttle toys developed with an official license from [[NASA]] (the other being the Micromaster [[Astro Squad]]), and bears NASA logos in his deco. As part of that partnership, Sky Lynx was given a new fictitious Space Shuttle name, visible below the cargo bay door hinges. He is... the ''Magnificence''.

:Most of Sky Lynx's 5mm compatible ports are located on his Lynx section, but magnificent his bird/shuttle section nonetheless has one on each side of his neck, each side of his tail fin, and inside his cargo hold. A resplendent addition to both modes is a [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]] plug on the end of each of his separate beast mode tongues, to which the fire effect pieces in various combinations can be mounted for a truely awe-inspiring fire breath attack.

:Care should be taken when snapping his two halves together to ensure that they connect properly. This is best done by moving the wings out of the way first, then laying the shuttle flat against the carrier and angling it up slightly while pushing forward until it hooks into place before angling it back down again. Failure to do so can cause him to split apart unexpectedly. Likewise, his wings can be prone to popping off of their extension arms if roughly handled.
{{--}}

===Unite Warriors===
[[File:TF-Unite-Warriors-UW-EX-Sky-Lynx.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Hi. I'm better than you. I'm better than all of the other combiners, because I turn into a kitty. Meow!]]
*'''Lynxmaster''' (Multi-pack, 2016-[[October 29|10-29]])
**''Japanese ID number'': '''UW-EX'''
**''Accessories'': two sword-rifles

:Takara's glorious iteration of ''Combiner Wars'' Sky Reign is sold in a gift set including all five Autobots (with Ratchet replacing Smokescreen). Sky Lynx has some splendorous changes and some sub-par omissions in deco to better match their component's marvelous appearances in the Generation 1 cartoon.

:Lynxmaster was released as a Takara Tomy Mall exclusive, with the preorders opened at Thursday, 9th of June afternoon till Thursday, 30th of June. It shipped October 29.

{{-}}

==Notes==
*In his ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' profile, Sky Lynx's "Lynx" component is instead identified as a puma and his bird component is identified as a "dinobird".
*Original scripts for the Generation 1 cartoon identify Sky Lynx's beauteous combined form as his "Dinoblast" mode.
*On numerous occasions throughout the Generation 1 cartoon, Sky Lynx's pristine form was blemished with a Decepticon [[insignia]], too often to be an accident. This suggests that a [[character model]] bearing the insignia existed that was being drawn from in these instances, in turn implying that Sky Lynx may have been originally characterized as a Decepticon. This fits well with the fact that his perennial rivals, the Predacons, started out the design process as a team of Autobots known as the [[Anibot]]s!
*The true nature of Sky Lynx's transformation remains a mystery even to those intrepid souls who endeavor in that most worthwhile task of chronicling his many laudable adventures. In the Marvel Comics, for example, Sky Lynx does not split into two [[beast mode]]s; rather, he seems to be a [[Triple Changer]] of sorts who has a shuttle mode, a lynx mode, and a bird mode which sometimes retains the four-legged undercarriage ("[[Spacehikers!]]") and sometimes doesn't ("[[The Cosmic Carnival]]"). While some might see these as "inconsistencies", Sky Lynx's design is grand enough to encompass all such possibilities, so these alternate depictions of his transformation disturb him not in the least.
*Though it chafes the magnificent Sky Lynx to share an origin with the ungainly (if powerful) [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], both were originally created by a company known as Toybox, from whom Hasbro licensed the designs for sale as Transformers. As with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Insecticon (G1)|Deluxe Insecticons]], this meant it could not be sold as a Transformers toy in Japan, since Takara didn't want to promote its competition's toys. Thus, Japan was unable to experience Sky Lynx's full grandeur—but such glory could not be denied forever! Sure enough, when Takara merged with former competitor Tomy, the situation changed. After the merger, an especially perspicacious member of the TF development team spotted a "shuttle dinosaur" development code name among the molds listed in Tomy's possession. Soon, the truth of Sky Lynx's esteemed lineage emerged: Toybox was not the original equipment manufacturer, but rather, it had requested that Tomy develop the Sky Lynx design on its behalf. (Such outsourced design and mold development was not uncommon in the Japanese toy market at the time.) This unsung hero of a developer called attention to the fact, helping initiate the process for issuing Sky Lynx as a Japanese Transformers toy for the first time ever. Had the situation moved a bit more slowly, the molds might have been lost forever—a tragedy of such magnitude, it scarcely bears consideration.<ref>http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/products/encore/e-07s.html Takara's "Tale of Sky Lynx" page</ref>
*[[Fireflight_(G1)/toys#Classics|Fireflight]]'s puny ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' figure was at one point conceived as Sky Lynx, but someone at Hasbro must wisely have decided that a mold as diminutive as [[Jetfire (Armada)#LOC|Jetfire]]'s simply wouldn't do for a 'bot of such stature.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sky Lynx''' (スカイリンクス ''Sukai Rinkusu'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Légihiúz''' ("Air-Lynx")
*''Italian:'' '''Argon'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tiān Māo''' (天猫, "Sky Cat")
*''Russian:'' '''Bravyj''' (Бравый, "Gallant")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Nebesna Rys'''' (Небесна Рись, "Sky Lynx")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/japanese-hobby-magazine-scans-for-january-2008-164116/ Interview with Junichi Ishikawa, the noble being who first sought to capture Sky Lynx's image in humble plastic, detailing the amazing story of Sky Lynx's origins at Toybox]

[[Category:Combiner Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001) Autobots]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Autobots]]

I, Lowtech

2020-09-17T05:44:52Z

TailgatePrime: /* Quotes */

{{cleanup|November 2018|Needs a thorough grammar smoothing throughout, at least.}}
{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Transformers Timelines]]'' text story
|prev=Withered Hope
|next=Dungeons & Dinobots
|seriesissue2=''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]''
|prev2=Transcendent: Part 6
|next2=Invasion Prologue
|image=BulletbikesReflection ILowtech.jpg
|caption=I'm starting with the Man in the Mirror/ I'm asking him to change his ways...
|title="I, Lowtech"
|publisher=[[Fun Publications]]
|date=[[September 17]], [[2008]]
|written by=[[Trent Troop]] and [[Greg Sepelak]]
|illustration by=[[Nick Roche]]
|colors by=[[Winston Bolen]]
|pagecount=47
|continuity=[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]
}}
'''A high-ranking TransTech businessman finds himself inexplicably trapped inside a lowtech body, and will stop at nothing to regain what is rightfully his.'''

==Synopsis==
{{note|Events from the prologue are in italics.}}
Inside a dampened room, [[Cheetor (TransTech)|Cheetor]] and [[Stungun (TransTech)|Stungun]] interrogate a damaged and uncooperative [[Bulletbike (G2)|suspect]]. The mech demands to see his solicitor, but Stungun replies that Bulletbike's mouthpiece lacks sufficient clearance. Cheetor tells the unbelieving suspect that according to the [[Barax Act]], his legal counsel can get involved...so long as he testifies to the investigating officers. The outraged suspect refuses, and Cheetor, content to wait, sets up a [[Data-Con|datacon]], playing back the damaged and fragmented memories of one [[Bulletbike (TransTech)|Bulletbike]]...

The TransTech businessman Bulletbike is trapped in darkness, feeling as though [[Topspin (Classics)|something]] is smothering him. Feeling a sensation of falling, Bulletbike cuts offline for some time, and eventually wakes up groggily. Lacking all but his most basic senses, Bulletbike watches as a big, dark shape appears on his low-rez vision. The shape, prodding him with a cudgel, demands he gets up, and as Bulletbike struggles to get to his feet, he notices that he's not in the [[Auron District]], and that the mech prodding him is a offworlder. Bulletbike asks the robot who he is, and when the large robot tells him that he's Officer [[Blastcharge (BM)|Blastcharge]], the confused Bulletbike notices the [[Axiom Nexus Security Administration]] badge, realizing he's in the [[Offworlder Zone]]. Angered by the cop's insults, the TransTech businessman rises to his full height, proclaiming himself to be the 37th richest mech on Cybertron and CEO of [[RoboCo]], and threatens to call Blastcharge's commander. As the cop laughs, Bulletbike's equilibrium fails him, and he staggers to his knees above a puddle...in which he finally notices his appearance. To his great horror, the former TransTech realizes that someone has placed him into a lowtech body.

The sensory input briefly overloads Bulletbike, and Blastcharge helps him out, pointing him to [[Widow's Cafe Cybertronian]]. Blastcharge transforms and drives off with one final insult, leaving Bulletbike to stew. Looking over his new primitive form, Bulletbike tries to figure out how he ended up like this. His last memory was of the party celebrating the defense contract between RoboCo and the Senate. Unusually, he surged out after 8 or 9 cycles, despite his advanced systems; Bulletbike figures someone put something in his drink. Fragments of dreams follow these memories, including feeling crushed in a immense hand, and he reflects that the urban legends of offworlder spark swaps are true after all. Noticing the similarity between his treatment and those of murderers and transit bandits, he wonders if a vigilante has done this to him for "actions" his lawyers have ensured aren't technically illegal. Suddenly, Bulletbike is interrupted by a Predacon named [[Sling (BWN)|Sling]] who asks for the time and some fuel. Bulletbike notices the shiv in the Predacon's hand, and tries to get away. Sling edges forth to steal his fuel, but the struggling Bulletbike punches him in the face, and begins to run off. Sling, having transformed into his beast mode, prepares to kill his victim. Bulletbike holds the Predacon's mouth back with his arm as his free hand grabs a pipe, knocking him in the head over and over until he thinks his foe has fallen into stasis lock. Unfortunately, as Bulletbike gets up, he realizes that he's killed the Predacon. Horrified, Bulletbike drags his corpse to a nearby refuse chute and uses it to dispose of him, knowing that the [[Axiom Nexus Security Administration]] is unlikely to look into the [[Heap]]. Picking up the shiv, Bulletbike begins to feel light, having spent most of his energy in the fight, and falls into stasis lock.

Bulletbike is soon jolted awake by a concerned [[Scrounge (G1)|derelict]]. Bulletbike doesn't even have enough energy to speak, and the Autobot derelict gives him a foul-smelling and even worse tasting brew, which nevertheless re-energizes him. Asked by the derelict for his name, Bulletbike tells him who he is, and is surprised when the robot believes him, telling the former TransTech that no one believes who he is either. Taking a swig, the derelict tells him that people call him Scrounge, but that he's really Emirate [[Xaaron]] of [[Primax 093.0 Epsilon]]. Scrounge claims that he was able to get in past the security, but someone took his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], causing him to downgrade into this form, and asks Bulletbike if he's seen it. Bulletbike plays along, telling him he hasn't, and asks Scrounge to help him find his way to an [[EconTerm]]. Scrounge agrees, although not before he asks for some fuel, and the pair transform. Pained by his transformation, Bulletbike is annoyed by the simplicity of his form, and is amazed by Scrounge's "vehicular" mode-a disk. Bulletbike's parts barely fit together, and his fuel is leaking, with his energon reserves burning at an increased rate. Along the way, Bulletbike gets the chance to truly observe the Offworlder Zone for the first time; Bulletbike notices as the conditions improve upon each level, and feels unnerved at how unnoticed he is. Still, he complains to himself as exhaust blows into him, and a bot nearly walks into him while he disinfects his [[scraplet]]-infested arm with water, leaving Bulletbike eager to depart.

Arriving at the EconTerm, Bulletbike tries to have his onboard computer—called a custodian—retrieve his access codes, only to quickly realize he doesn't have his computer anymore. To make matters worse, Bulletbike is quickly embarrassed at the fact that he can't remember his account number, either. Scrounge soon begins to tug at his shoulder, pointing out to Bulletbike his true face appearing on the holoprojected newsfeed. Bulletbike tells his companion that it's probably just a recording. The recording, however, begins giving a speech Bulletbike only wrote and never gave, even changing some of the wording, calling the Offworlders a threat to no one but themselves. Bulletbike is horrified, having realized the truth, and begins to hallucinate, feeling the eyes of everyone around him fixating on him. As the world turns red, Bulletbike sees his true body gripping him in his hands and crushing him. Scrounge, having nearly been hurt by Bulletbike, brings him back to reality, and Bulletbike apologizes to his companion. Bulletbike tells Scrounge that someone (whom the latter identifies as Bulletbike's nemesis) has stolen his body. Telling his companion to meet him back in three megacycles, Bulletbike watches as Scrounge rolls off, going to the Heap to look around for fuel and reports of bodysnatching. Bulletbike heads the opposite way, spying a bot he recognizes as one of the [[Omnicon]]s, [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]], having employed some Omnicons in his factory. The Omnicon's armor, shining white, indicates his wealth, and Bulletbike sneaks up behind him with his stolen shiv, telling the Autobot jet to cooperate and hand over his money. As Skyblast attempts to form some [[energon]] blades, Bulletbike thrusts his shiv into the bot, and before he can scream, snaps the robot's neck, killing him. Bulletbike feels odd; all throughout his life, he felt sick for even the tiniest amount of violence, but all he feels now is power. Taking the bot to a nearby dumpster, he grabs the dead bot's loaded cred-key, and heads off.

Heading to [[Swindle, Swindle and Swindle]], the body-shop, Bulletbike enters, with the shop's jingle getting stuck in his head. Greeted by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle the Second]] and Swindle the Third, Bulletbike tells them he needs a full-body examination, and when the two tell him about their discount for ANSA, [[Freelance Police Legion]], and the [[Fully Bonded Bounty Hunter Consortium]], Bulletbike tells them he's not a cop. Delighted, the two get down to real business, and ask for Bulletibke's name. The two express genuine admiration at the name, pointing Bulletbike to a poster of himself in his true body, filling him with anger. Bulletbike tells the two that he is the ''real'' Bulletbike. The two hardly miss a beat, and scan over him; recognizing the body as a newer model, the pair call out their senior partner, Swindle the First. Wanting to hasten the process, Bulletbike tells them that if they can get him verifiable evidence of a spark transplant, he will get them a lifetime supply of reactor couplings at two percent over cost. Their greed overriding their incredulity, the Swindles take him to the back, putting him into an ancient medical restraint. Swindle the First has him sign their contracts, and preps for some "localized shutdowns," knocking Bulletbike offline. Awakening, the briefly furious Bulletbike demands to know what they've found. Swindle the Third informs him that there's no indications of anything aside from prolonged stasis lock and inebriation, and when Bulletbike demands for them to do it again, Swindle the First informs him that due to the illegality of spark transplants, their scanners are top of the line; the tests were as accurate as possible. Swindle the Third informs him that stasis lock in newer models can cause side-effects, including dissociative episodes. Swindle the First tells an unbelieving Bulletbike that his ID bolt says he is a Bulletbike from [[Primax 095.0 Beta]]. The two try to recommend a mental health professional, but Bulletbike prepares to leave. Stopping him, the two tell him of his injuries, with stress fractures in transformation joints and numerous other mechanical issues. Bulletbike asks if the cost of repairs can be covered by the unsuccessful diagnostic, but is told by Swindle that he should have read the contract closer. Still, he has enough money for repairs, and the pair ask if he wants his firing systems and [[subspace storage pocket]] systems restored. Bulletbike agrees, briefly considering killing them, but decides against it when realizing the amount of security they have.

Bulletbike passes to another fragmented memory, cutting to his stealing something from an offworlder thug he murders, ''and later to another new report with his nemesis, who tells the offworlder population that he owes everything to them. Bulletbike begins to hallucinate again as the news report shifts to [[Andromeda (TransTech)|Andromeda]], informing the populace of a series of murders; namely, the murders committed by Bulletbike. A rough eyewitness description has been simulated, and when a passing [[Skids (G1)|Autobot]] tries to ask Bulletbike for the time, he notices the similarity. Running off, the Autobot is chased by Bulletbike, who bashes him with a rod until he dies.'' Shifting some storage crates, he makes the body look like a sleeping derelict, and wanders off, contemplating his situation further. He knows he can't keep killing, or else the trail will lead back to him. Bulletbike tries to think of a reason behind the impersonation; even though he has control over the majority of the planet's security forces, he still couldn't take it from the Senate's command. He wonders if his hated rival, [[Ego (TransTech)|Ego]] of [[C-Kar Technologies]], is behind it, but figures even he wouldn't do this. Wondering if there are others in his situation, Bulletbike snaps back to reality when he is greeted by Scrounge. Briefly worried about his companion discovering the body before realizing they're back in their meeting spot, Bulletbike comes up with a plan. Asked for a communications node, Scrounge tells Bulletbike there's one at [[Cryotek (TransTech)|Cryotek]]'s establishment, [[The Blue Deployer]], but is worried, knowing the TransTech doesn't like derelicts messing with their stuff. Bulletbike dismisses Scrounge's concerns, and the pair head off to their destination.

At The Blue Deployer, Bulletbike calls Ego using a personal number the latter gave in an attempt to be friendly. Bulletbike, not giving his name, tells Ego he knows he won't be rich for much longer, and that he can offer something that will topple down Bulletbike and RoboCo. Telling an indecisive Ego that he could give this information to [[Corvo]], CEO of [[BioDyne]] instead, his competitor agrees to listen to Bulletbike. Steeling himself, Bulletbike tells Ego that RoboCo's [[Vehidrone]]s are rushed and slipshod, and that armed with the right information, any lowtech could take one down. Bulletbike demands that in exchange for this information, he has his ID bolt removed and is taken into the TransTech zone of Axiom Nexus. Ego mulls over the proposition, unwilling to give him more than a pass for information that might not be real, but Bulletbike pushes him, finally convincing him to commit the felony of getting him out of the Offworlder Zone. Bulletbike tells him to meet him at [[Vionax Tower]] in the [[Arclight District]]. Hanging up, Bulletbike considers his options, and figures that the [[D-Wy warehouse district]] is his safest bet. Roused from his thoughts by Scrounge, who is running away from one of Cryotek's [[Backslash|workers]], Bulletbike is briefly terrified, thinking the thug is the Omnicon he saw earlier, before recognizing that he just shares a body type with him. As the Predacon rants, Bulletbike drives off, feeling strangely exhilarated. After escaping, Bulletbike tells Scrounge that he has to go alone from here. Scrounge is worried, not wanting to separate from his companion. Bulletbike considers the possibility of his nemesis taking Scrounge and torturing him, and considering Scrounge's delusions and derelict body, begins to move his hands towards his neck...but Bulletbike can't bring himself to kill the closest thing he's ever had to a friend. Bulletbike tells Scrounge that he will tell him if he finds his Matrix, and turns away as Scrounge rolls off, unable to watch as his friend bounces into the walls and pedestrians. Bulletbike ensures to himself that Scrounge, even with his limitations, is a good bot, and goes off to reclaim what is his.

After infiltrating the warehouse, Bulletbike throws a spanner against the wall. The Vehidrone, upscaled from a Vehicon design confiscated from the offworlder [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], goes to investigate. Staying out of its scanner eye's line of sight, Bulletbike fires a low-intensity laser beam at the Vehidrone's optic band, burning out the pixels in that area. When the scanner beam collides with the pixels, its main optic band burns out, since internal diagnostic programs would have cost millions. Only able to see through its peripheral and rear sensor systems, the drone fails to notice Bulletbike until he's right in front of the drone. Warning the unseen Bulletbike that he has thirty seconds to input maintenance codes, the Vehidrone is helpless as Bulletbike tears open its access panel and rips out the wires powering the sentry. Falling over, the Vehidrone's Processor Matrix is retrieved by Bulletbike. At his and Ego's meeting place, Bulletbike watches as Ego steps out of his transport, regarding his competitor with contempt. Handing him the Processor Matrix, Ego examines it and claims that Bulletbike could have taken it out of the junkyard. Bulletbike counters this by reminding him that all combat-grade artificial intelligence above Class Six are to be destroyed after deactivation. Ego asks for Bulletbike's name, and Bulletbike quickly comes up with alias "Wildfly". Not questioning the name, Ego gives Bulletbike a signal dampener to hide his spark signature, and has him enter the back of his transport. The back, filled with offworlder garbage scavenged by Ego, is a common sight among security checkpoints, and Ego assures Bulletbike the guards will not look into it. Bulletbike reluctantly acquiescences, telling himself that Ego will pay for this indignity.

Arriving at Ego's building, Ego gives Bulletbike a tour, and the latter recognizes it from a previous discussion of a merger. Bulletbike, despite himself, notices the destructive potential of the weapons and "holy" relics. Ego tells the guard, an older TransTech named [[Aurik]], that "Wildfly" is with him to tour and discusses possible donations to his collection. Ego takes Bulletbike to his personal office, where Ego stores the best of his collection, including the original [[Unicron]]-tainted [[Energon Sword|Sword of Megatron]], and a desk made from the [[Zarak Shield|shield]] of the Decepticon leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] made by [[Bricolo (TransTech)|Bricolo]]. Bulletbike knows that Ego is trying to intimidate him, and is disgusted by Ego's display of items that are the focal points of wars throughout the multiverse. Most of all, Bulletbike is disgusted by Ego's pretentious display of a seemingly ordinary [[plush lizard]] in the center of the room. Getting down to business, he throws a recording to Ego of his attack on the Vehidrone, explaining the weakness of the optic systems. Ego asks "Wildfly" how he came across this information; Bulletbike lies, telling him he used to work in research and development at RoboCo. After briefly letting it slip of his recent murders, which Ego ignores, Bulletbike watches as Ego heads to the window, reminiscing how phony it felt when he had to do layoffs. Turning around, Ego begins to increase in size, telling Bulletbike that there's no listing of "Wildfly" in RoboCo's employee files. Either Bulletbike is hiding information from the government, or "Wildfly's" a liar; Bulletbike's ID bolt confirms the latter. As Ego converts into the his battle configuration, Bulletbike rushes forward, undeterred. Using the [[nucleon]] syringe he stole from the offworlder thug he murdered, Bulletbike pierces Ego's shifting armor. Ego begins to crush Bulletbike, but his constantly transforming form is adversely affected by the nucleon now replicating in his body. Severing Ego's hand with his gun and shiv, Bulletbike uses it to power down the shields containing the weapons. Grabbing the Sword of Megatron, Bulletbike finds Ego pulling himself towards his feet. Ego recognizes his old opponent at last, and Bulletbike decapitates him, putting the TransTech out of his misery. Bulletbike goes to grab the [[Animatron|Jungle Planet]] [[Cyber Planet Key]], but the mystical item refuses to allow Bulletbike to touch it, the soul of the Jungle Planet biting him. Bulletbike wonders how to get out of the building. Noticing he hasn't set off any alarms due to a dampening field, Bulletbike goes back to the room which Aurik guards, a preserved [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]] in his hands. Aurik begins to rush forward, realizing what Bulletbike is about to do, but Bulletbike blasts him, the TransTech's armor unable to stand against the power of the Mini-Con weapon. Grabbing an Autobot jetpack along with a few other artifacts, Bulletbike cleaves through the window and flies off to RoboCo's tower.

Bulletbike arrives and barges in, blasting his secretary, [[Cyclis]], with a antimolecular reagent gun before she can call security. Feeling as though the thieving secretary is an acceptable loss, Bulletbike proceeds, blasting any security drone is his way. Nearing his handpicked security garrison on the third floor, Bulletbike retrieves a makeshift bomb, made from a [[Vok]] [[Transmetal driver|artifact]], a [[Reconfiguration Matrix]], and a zero-point energy catalyzer from Ego's climate control system. Opening the door slightly, Bulletbike throws in the bomb, and as the guards react too late, the bomb goes off. A transwarp barrier opens, the radiation wreaking havoc on all objects in its range, mutating the guards into new, strange forms. Bulletbike considers touching the energy, regarding the Vok as one of few races in the multiverse as advanced as the TransTech, but reacts too late to do so. Passing the offlined guards, hoping that some of them have survived for experimentation, Bulletbike heads down to his office, hearing the imposter's voice. The imposter Bulletbike is communicating with an unseen [[Alpha Trion (SG)|accomplice]], begging for his help, but when he mentions that he's withdrawn half the security forces in the city, the accomplice uses this information to further his plans, and cuts off the call. Bulletbike retrieves his sword from his subspace pocket, and greets his nemesis. The imposter Bulletbike attempts to talk him down, but Bulletbike doesn't listen, using the engines in his feet to rush forward and cut off his real body's arm. Blasted by the remaining arm of the imposter, Bulletbike's sanity begins to crack, bashing his opponent and quickly losing track of who he is. The imposter drops all pretenses, and begins to blast Bulletbike, telling him that he should have killed his counterpart when he had the chance. As Bulletbike hallucinates and the room turns red once more, the imposter Bulletbike notes that without his body, Bulletbike is nothing but rage. Bulletbike hallucinates that he is stabbed with thorns, but counters the hallucination by focusing on what's real, and tells his counterpart he forgot his only weakness: neither of them can fly. Pushing his engine to its limits, he rams the imposter into a window, and watches as he falls. Figuring his nemesis dead, Bulletbike's madness consumes Him, and He considers Himself immortal. Suddenly, Bulletbike is confronted by Stungun and several other TransTech officers, who try to arrest Him for the murders of the offworlder and of His attempted murder of Bulletbike. Bulletbike, believing them to be in awe, tells them to wait as He retrieves what is His, stepping out the window and falling to His death below, ending the recording.

The interrogation of the other Bulletbike resumes, with the supposed TransTech calling the other Bulletbike a lunatic and a murderer. Stungun points out how he knew about his location and the Vehidrone's flaw, which could end up being a criminal charge of its own. Bulletbike claims he didn't know, bringing up that he wouldn't have called flawed security drones to protect himself, but Cheetor points out that the drones were recalled right as the [[Transwarp Complex]] attack began. Cheetor demands to know who Bulletbike's contact was, but the defeated mech simply demands to speak to his solicitor again. A tone rings at the door, and [[Starscream (TransTech)|Starscream]] steps through, demanding a word with Cheetor alone. Starscream tells Cheetor that the Senate is not happy; numerous murders were committed right under Cheetor's nose, and Cheetor's failed to prevent the same murderer from offlining himself at Bulletbike's tower. Cheetor defends his partners' actions, noting the threat of the mutagenic bomb Bulletbike set off as well as the fact that the Vehidrones were set to kill anyone who tried to enter. Annoyed by Starscream's insults, Cheetor brings up the problems with the border security under Starscream's command. Watching as Stungun continues the interrogation, Starscream asks Cheetor if he's sure that he was involved with Alpha Trion, and Cheetor confirms, albeit as a patsy. Starscream still cannot believe Cheetor's spark swap theory, even if it makes sense, as their equipment is still unable to pick up signs of a procedure in either Bulletbike. Starscream, worried about the implication of the theory, demands it be covered up, and Cheetor assures him that he has assigned his most dedicated officers to the case. Cheetor tells Starscream that they found Scrounge, and that [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] is repairing him. Starscream, annoyed at the offworlder's pampering, orders him to be shipped off-dimension, knowing that unlike the Swindles, he won't be able to stop himself from blabbing. Beginning to head for the interrogation room, Starscream has one last request: that Cheetor get him answers. Entering the room, Starscream dismisses Stungun, telling him that [[Military Police]] is taking over, and begins a "vigorous" interrogation of Bulletbike.

Outside, Cheetor gives a troubled Stungun permission to speak freely. Nothing adds up; the off-world Bulletbike didn't have the intelligence to figure out the flaw of the Vehidrones, and knew far too much about the TransTech Bulletbike and Ego's personal lives and life outside the Offworlder Zone. Cheetor agrees, knowing that Starscream is right; word about this cannot get out. Worried, Stungun asks Cheetor about regressing; the two officers have voluntarily taken out their [[clarity codec]]s, which regulated their morality, and Stungun is worried that if it was the TransTech Bulletbike who was the murderer, the same could happen to him. Cheetor reassures his partner, reminding him that while intended to make more ethical choices, the codecs do not make one one a good person, reflecting that for all the Transcendents' advancements, they're the ones who need regulating systems, while millions of offworlders get along without them. The trick isn't not to have those feelings of anger and violence, but rather, to control them. The two leave, prepared to face the aftermath...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Cheetor (TransTech)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Stungun (TransTech)|Stungun]] (3)
*[[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] (7)
*[[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] (8)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (9)
*[[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] (11)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (16)
*[[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] (23)
|c2=
*[[Bulletbike (G2)|Bulletbike]] (1)
*[[Blastcharge (BM)|Blastcharge]] (5)
*[[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] (10)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle the Second]] (12)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle the Third]] (13)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle the First]] (14)
*[[Starscream (TransTech)|Starscream]] (24)
|h3=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]
|c3=
*[[Sling (BWN)|Sling]] (6)
*[[Backslash]] (18)
|c4=
*[[Bulletbike (TransTech)|Bulletbike]] (4)
*[[Andromeda (TransTech)|Andromeda]] (15)
*[[Ego (TransTech)|Ego]] (17)
*A [[Vehidrone]] (19)
*[[Aurik]] (20)
*[[Plush lizard]] (21)
*[[Cyclis]] (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"Who are you?" 
"Officer Blastcharge, but if you don't get up in the next cycle, it's going to be 'Sir Please Stop Thumping Me Across The Alleyway.'"
:—'''Bulletbike''' & '''Blastcharge''' trade pleasantries

"Good day, friend, welcome to Swindle, Swindle and Swindle. I'm Swindle the Second, but you can call me Swindle. This here is Swindle the Third, but you can call him Swindle too. What can we do ya for?"
:—A '''Swindle''' greets his new customer

"And exactly where were you during Bulletbike's rampage and the solar cycles leading up to it, Commander Cheetor? Do you routinely allow murderers to wander your precinct unmolested?" 
"Just off the top of my processor... the Gutcruncher rebellion and the ongoing black market raids, two riots, the incident with General Demolishor, sixteen murders unrelated to this case, twelve armed robberies, three major traffic snarls, fifty-six minor accidents, and four inter-faction rumbles. Plus, all the times the Senate has 'requested' my personal appearance. We're stretched thin even with the assistance of the Freelance Police Legion. If we're pointing servos, however, border security, which is under your jurisdiction, was egregiously lax in investigating Ego's transport. Personally, I'd be worried about what else is slipping through." 
"That matter is being investigated, I assure you."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Cheetor''' discuss a typical week in the Offworlder Zones

"If Bulletbike is what can happen when the system fails... why take the risk in voluntarily removing [the clarity codecs]?" 
"Did you know that some organics willingly ingest non-lethal doses of deadly poisons?" 
"Uh, no, sir?" 
"It's to build up an immunity. Small, careful doses. Their body learns to fight it. Eventually, they can handle amounts that would, under normal conditions, kill them. So, think of this as building up an immunity to the urge to kill." 
"I... guess that makes sense, sir. But I lost my temper with those two grease-stained chiselers, what if..." 
"Don't worry, I wanted to knock their smug little heads together too. Millions of supposedly 'lower' mechanoids in this city have gone gigavorns without crossing the line. We're supposed to be 'transcendent'... if we need some piece of code implanted in us to foster basic morality, then what's the point? The trick isn't not having those feelings, Stungun. It's learning how to handle them. We augment the body, but not the spark. ''That'' takes hard work. ...besides, if you crossed that line, you'd be wearing a restraining bolt before you hit the ground."
:—'''Stungun''' and '''Cheetor'''

==Notes==
*Mentioned characters include [[Strika (TransTech)|Strika]], Emirate [[Xaaron]], [[Unicron]], [[Sideways (disambiguation)|Sideways]], [[Sidestep]], Swindle the First's Bulletbike, [[Twitcher F451]], [[Cryotek (TransTech)|Cryotek]], [[Corvo]], [[Primus]], [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], [[Bricolo (TransTech)|Bricolo]], [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], [[Scorponok (TransTech)|Scorponok]], the [[Vok]], [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]], General [[Demolishor (TransTech)|Demolishor]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], and [[Jackpot (G1)|two grease]]-[[Hubcap (G1)|stained chiselers]].

===Continuity notes===
* Blastcharge and Hoist previously appeared in "[[Withered Hope]]". The Widow's Cafe Cybertronian also appeared in that story, having first appeared in "[[Gone Too Far]]", along with Cryotek and The Blue Deployer.
* At one point in the story Bulletbike rolls pass ''Animated'' Bumblebee and BotCon exclusive Flareup; Bumblebee and Flareup appeared together in [[BotCon 2008]] script reading "[[Bee in the City]]".
* Swindle, Swindle and Swindle previously appeared in "Withered Hope", and the trio are heavily expanded on here.
* Backslash previously appeared in "Gone Too Far".
* References throughout the story imply that Bulletbike was the victim of Alpha Trion's conspiracy to get back to his home dimension. Among the last few memories Bulletbike has are hazy dreams of being held in an immense hand; evidently, this is Alpha Trion's spark swapping follower, [[Topspin (Classics)|Topspin]], who would later be confirmed to indeed be behind his spark swap. The conversation between Bulletbike and an unidentified Alpha Trion follower, meanwhile, makes mention of Trion's plans, which would be seen in the final two chapters of the club magazine storyline, "[[Transcendent]]", to attack the Transwarp Complex; Bulletbike's removal of security allowed for Trion and his followers to attack the complex, the events of which the prologue and epilogue take place directly after. Cheetor and Starscream still have various wounds and marks from the battle in that story.
* Events in Cheetor's precinct that have kept him occupied include the attempted rebellion by Gutcruncher in "Gone Too Far" and the actions of TransTech General Demolishor in "Withered Hope".
* The altercation with two "greased-stained chisellers" that Stungun mentions happend in "Gone Too Far", where Stungun was briefly angered by Jackpot punching him during his and Hubcap's escape from police headquarters.

===Transformer references===
* ''TransTech'' Bulletbike's original body (and ''Generation 2'' Bulletbike's current one) is based off the ''Beast Machines'' [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] toy.
* As is standard for the ''TransTech'' stories, plenty of offworlders from various franchises show up. Aside from ''Generation 2'' [[Power Master]] Bulletbike's body, these include:
** ''Generation 1'' Skids, who shows up in the preview.
** The ''Universe'' version of ''Beast Machines'' Blastcharge.
** ''Beast Wars Neo'' Sling.
** Scrounge, a Marvel original ''The Transformers'' character, introduced in issue [[The Smelting Pool!|#17]].
** ''Animated'' Bumblebee and [[BotCon 2005]] exclusive Flareup.
** Live-action movie Frenzy.
** ''Energon'' Skyblast.
** Swindle the First is based on the ''Generation 2'' toy of Swindle. Swindle the Second is the ''Generation 1'' toy as originally released with the diecast purple chest, while Swindle the Third is the version of the toy with the plastic grey chest.
** Fun Publications original Beast Era character Backslash.
* The "rough simulation image" of Bulletbike in the preview is an extremely toy accurate drawing of him, down to the connected feet and flat face.
* The line, "Unit Designate PM4-Bulletbike," refers to the offworlder Bulletbike's Power Master ID number. His home universe, [[Primax 095.0 Beta]], is the universe of his tech specs, taken from his release year.
* Bulletbike notes he only had his echolocation senses for a quartex, a unit of time introduced in the first ''The Transformers'' [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|episode]].
* Blastcharge sarcastically responds to Bulletbike's claims by telling him he's "Grand Admiral Strika the Sixth," a TransTech version of the ''Beast Machines'' [[Strika (BM)|character]].
* Blastcharge tells Bulletbike to hurry before the [[Junkion Sanitation Service]] comes to pick up the garbage; Junkions first appeared in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* The insult "empty" is used throughout the story; empties are derelict, often unaffiliated Transformers introduced in the Marvel Comics, who are forced to scavenge for what little energy they have.
* Bulletbike is confused by the lettering on his feet, not realizing it's upside down; the letters are from the sticker on his toy, reading "BULLETBIKE PM4".
* Foods and drinks served at Bulletbike's party include: [[Schaeffer Energy]] (from ''Victory'' episode "[[Battle Up of Wrath!!]]"), [[Isidrite]] (from ''The Transformers'' cartoon episode "[[Webworld]]"), and [[polonium spritzer]]s (from the previous two ''TransTech'' stories).
* Bulletbike swears by [[Nexus Zero]], home of the [[Vok]] from ''Beast Wars''.
* Xaaron was an Autobot commander introduced in the Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' comic.
* Scrounge isn't very good at being Xaaron. He claims he has a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] and that he's from universe [[Primax 093.0 Epsilon]]. [[Universal stream|Decoding that technobabble]] allegedly pegs him as an Emirate Xaaron from Transformers Fan Club fiction published in 1993. Yyyyyeah.
* Scraplets are metal eating parasites from the Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics; the only thing that could cure an infestation was [[water]].
* Scrounge notes that Bulletbike's custodian system is like the [[onboard computer]] the "animal-type bolts" talk to; in ''Beast Wars'', Maximals and Predacons would speak aloud to their computers when performing various actions.
* Scrounge tells Bulletbike to let him tell of his supposed "encounter" with Unicron and Sideways.
* Bulletbike notes that Omnicons hail from the [[Aurex]] Cluster (aka the various ''Unicron Trilogy'' fictions) and notes of their ability to shape raw energon.
* Bulletbike remembers that he once got angry at one of his workers, Sidestep, for misaligning his energon drip, and threw a [[chronometer]] at him.
* The image for the [[Swindle, Swindle and Swindle]] shop is filled with various easter eggs, including:
** A sheet displaying various [[Insignia|faction symbols]], including: the original ''Generation 1'' Autobot and Decepticon symbols; the ''Generation 2'' Autobot and Decepticon symbols; the ''Beast Wars'' Maximal and Predacon symbols; the ''Beast Machines'' Maximal, Vehicon, and [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobot]] symbols; the ''TransTech'' Autobot and Decepticon symbols; the ''Beast Wars Neo'' [[Blentron]]/[[Minion of Unicron (Universe)|Minion of Unicron]] symbol; both versions of the Playskool ''Go-Bots'' symbol; the [[Wrecker]] symbol, introduced in [[3H Productions]]' comics; the ''Beast Machines''-era Predacon symbol, seen in [[BotCon 2006]] comic "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]"; the Japanese ''Generation 2'' [[Cybertron Alliance]] symbol; the South American ''Generation 1'' Optimus and Malignus symbols; and the [[Cyber Planet Key]] symbols for [[Velocitron]], [[Animatron|Jungle Planet]], [[Earth]], and [[Gigantion]].
** ''Generation 1'' [[Pretender Beast]] [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]'s shell helmet.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Pretender]] [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s shell helmet.
** Live-action movie [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]'s air freshener from his 70's Camaro alt-mode.
** IDW ''Generation 1'' [[Outback (G1)|Outback]]'s arm, used by IDW [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] as a bludgeon in ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]''.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s toy arm guard.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s alternate mode tracks.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s [[Powermaster]] partner [[Hi-Q]] in engine mode.
** Jars labeled with images of a ''Tyrannosaurus'', a tarantula, and a gorilla, presumably referring to ''Beast Wars'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], and [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]].
** A box of empty [[Matrix of Leadership]] containers.
** The IDW ''Generation 1'' [[Epistemus|Magnificence]].
** The [[Bird|bird statue]] from issue [[Bird of Prey!|#62]] of the Marvel ''The Transformers'' comic.
** [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s "lightsaber" from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', along with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s crown.
** One of the [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disks]] from ''Beast Wars''.
* Swindle, aside from examining the spark, also examines Bulletbike's [[laser core]], a piece of technology mentioned several time in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon that various fictions have linked to the spark.
* Swindle tries to recommend [[Twitcher F451]], the movieverse [[Real Gear Robot]], to Bulletbike as a mental health technician.
* Subspace storage pockets, having appeared in several other stories by Sepelak and Troop, are a fan-made concept, based on the occasional odd instance of ''The Transformers'' cartoon showing Transformer weapons appearing and disappearing in a flash of light.
* Ego takes his name from the French-Canadian release of ''Generation 1'' Starscream; his company, C-Kar Technologies, is named for the [[Seeker (body-type)|subgroup]] Starscream belongs to.
* Corvo takes his name from the Italian release of ''Generation 1'' [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]].
* The Vehidrones are an upscaled version of one of the Vehicons confiscated from ''Beast Machines'' Megatron. Based on its description in-story, it's presumably based off the [[Tank Drone]] design.
* Among the garbage in Ego's transport is a [[Teletraan (disambiguation)|Teletraan]]-class computer.
[[File:ILowtech-Ego'sOffice.jpg|right|upright=2|thumb|They say a picture is worth [https://twitter.com/TheWadapan/status/1249100330207293441/ a thousand words].]]
* The image of Ego's showroom contains a variety of easter eggs, including:
** ''Victory'' [[Leozack]]'s [[Lionbreast|Breast Animal partner]] in gun mode.
** The pistol of the IDW 2005 comic continuity's incarnation of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]].
** ''Generation 1'' European-exclusive [[Stalker (G1)|Stalker]]'s missile.
** An Autobot jetpack from ''The Transformers'' cartoon.
** The [[time-jump mechanism]] and [[inhibitor claw]] from Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' story, "[[Target: 2006]]".
** ''Energon'' Skyblast's energon spear.
** ''Victory'' [[Blacker]]'s sword.
** The ''Armada'' roleplay [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] toy in a halfway configuration.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]]'s [[electro-sword]].
** ''Generation 1'' Megatron's [[energon mace]].
** ''Victory'' [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]]'s "Saber Blade".
** ''Generation 1'' [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s arm-mounted guns.
** ''Generation 1'' Megatron's [[fusion cannon]].
** ''Generation 1'' [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s rocket launcher and concussion blaster.
** One of ''Generation 1'' [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s claw hands.
** ''Generation 1'' Optimus Primes [[ion blaster]].
** ''Generation 1'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]' rifle.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]'s photon eliminator.
** The [[exosuit]] used by [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
** A [[Velocitron]] [[Cyber Key]] from ''Cybertron''.
** The [[AllSpark]] from the live action movie.
** The ''Generation 1'' Matrix of Leadership.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s Action Master partner, [[Fistfight (G1)|Fistfight]].
* Additionally, other items in the showroom and Ego's private office are described in-text, including:
** The sword of ''Energon'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]; Bulletbike notes it has the taint of the Unicron Phenomenon on it; Unicron was referred to by this name in the previous story "Withered Hope". Ego notes that it isn't one of the Omnicon knockoffs seen in the cartoon.
** A desk made from the Zarak Shield of Scorponok from [[Primax 787.3 Alpha]], which is the universal stream designation of ''The Headmasters'' anime.
** The Requiem Blaster from ''Armada''
** The Cyber Planet Key for the Jungle Planet from ''Cybertron''; Bulletbike notes that it isn't the copies used by the denizens of the planet, as the Key has a gold frame.
** A [[Reconfiguration Matrix]]; this item was first mentioned in ''Generation 2'' Optimus Prime's [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] tech specs, but was heavily expanded on in Japanese ''Generation 2'' fiction.
** The Vok [[Transmetal driver]] from ''Beast Wars''.
** 16 kilos of [[Forestonite]], a mysterious energy source from the Japanese ''Generation 2'' ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'' [[The New Battle!!|manga]]; Bulletbike is angered, having to substitute Forestonite for [[Solitarium]] (an ore from the Japanese ''Robotmasters'' line) in the "series seven [[Ariga experiement]]s."
* Bricolo takes his name from the French-Canadian relase of ''Generation 1'' [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]].
* When Ego asks Bulletbike if he has a Scorponok in his home realm, Bulletbike notes that he does, a TransTech bartender at the country club he and Ego go to.
* Nucleon is the power source of the ''Generation 1'' [[Action Master]]s.
* Fittingly, the last bit of dialogue between Ego and Bulletbike mirrors Starscream's brief dialogue with [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* Bulletbike notes that the Vok are beings of pure spark; one of the unused ideas for the Vok's origin was that they were the evolved form of sparks who had passed into the [[Transformer afterlife|Matrix]].
* Stungun notes that Bulletbike's contact has left him to the Preditrons; aside from the obvious allusion to "left to the wolves," Preditron is the name of an evil version of Playskool Go-Bot, [[Beast-Bot]].
* Starscream tells Cheetor that just because [[Quintesson]] wizards exist, doesn't mean they can explain everything; a Quintesson wizard, [[Mara-Al-Utha]], appeared in ''The Transformers'' cartoon episode "[[Madman's Paradise]]".
* Stungun notes that the offworlder Bulletbike had an intelligence point of 5, as seen on his toy's Tech Specs.

===Real-world references===
* The title is probably a reference to Isaac Asimov's famous story collection, ''{{w|I, Robot}}''. While ''I, Robot'' is not the first appearance of the "I, Noun" formulation (''{{w|I, Claudius}}'', for example), it's certainly the most famous involving robots. ("[[I, Robot-Master!]]" is a much clearer case.)
* Bulletbike's home is in the Auron District, possibly named for the character from ''{{w|Final Fantasy X}}'' and ''{{w|Kingdom Hearts II}}'', two franchises which author Greg Sepelak has a..."love-hate" relationship with.
* Blastcharge tells Bulletbike that "you don't have to go home, but you can't defrag here," paraphrasing lyrics from "{{w|Closing Time (Semisonic song)|Closing Time}}", by {{w|Semisonic}}.
* Blastcharge sarcastically tells Bulletbike that he's part of the "gaussing Smart Patrol," named for the {{w|Devo Presents Adventures of the Smart Patrol (video game)|video game}} and accompanying {{w|Devo}} {{w|Devo Presents Adventures of the Smart Patrol (album)|album}}.
* [[Autopol]], the TransTech Zone's police, is named for international organization {{w|Interpol}}.
* Part of the diagnostic that reads out when Bulletbike drinks reads "TAS2R38-42"; {{w|TAS2R38}} is one of the bitter taste receptors in humans.
* Corvo's company, BioDyne, is named for Cyberdyne Systems, creators of {{w|Skynet (Terminator)|Skynet}} from the ''{{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator}}'' films.
* "[[Isen Power Station]]" and a "D-wy warehouse district" are mentioned as places Vehidrones can be found, references to ''Transformers Animated'' main story writer [[Marty Isenberg]] and main character designer [[Derrick J. Wyatt]].
* Bulletbike notes that the Vehidrone has a "WVNG-class voice modulator", in reference to [[Hugo Weaving]], voice actor for the live-action movie incarnation of [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]].
* Bulletbike thinks that the force of a Vehidrone's voice is "one degree shy of sadistic", a line from the song "[http://tmbw.net/wiki/SenSurround SenSurround]" by {{w|They Might Be Giants}}.
* Among Ego's collection is an Earth musical instrument made entirely of gold, referencing the golden fiddle from the song "{{w|The Devil Went Down to Georgia}}" by the {{w|Charlie Daniels|Charles Daniels Band}}.
* The [[plush lizard]] in Ego's office is the {{w|The Winslow|Winslow}}, a central [[:Category:MacGuffins|MacGuffin]] of {{w|Phil Foglio}}'s ''{{w|Buck Godot|Buck Godot: Zap Gun for Hire}}'' comics.
* The Ariga experiments are possibly named for Japanese manga artist, Hitoshi Ariga, who has created several manga for the ''{{w|Mega Man}}'' franchise, a favorite of Sepelak's.
* While talking to Ego. Bulletbike apparently says he works in "murders and executions", which Ego responds with he also worked in "mergers and acquisitions", mirroring a scene from the psychological horror film ''{{w|American Psycho (film)|American Psycho}}''. Several story elements, such as Bulletbike's hallucinations, also seem to be inspired by various scenes in the film.

===Errors===
* The data-con is referred to as a datacon, missing the hyphen.
* Isidrite is misspelled as "isodrite".

==External links==
* [http://transformersclub.com/prose/I_Lowtech.pdf "I, Lowtech"] at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club

[[Category:Text stories]]
[[Category:Timelines media]]
[[Category:TransTech media]]

I, Lowtech

2020-09-17T05:29:41Z

TailgatePrime: /* Synopsis */

{{cleanup|November 2018|Needs a thorough grammar smoothing throughout, at least.}}
{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Transformers Timelines]]'' text story
|prev=Withered Hope
|next=Dungeons & Dinobots
|seriesissue2=''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]''
|prev2=Transcendent: Part 6
|next2=Invasion Prologue
|image=BulletbikesReflection ILowtech.jpg
|caption=I'm starting with the Man in the Mirror/ I'm asking him to change his ways...
|title="I, Lowtech"
|publisher=[[Fun Publications]]
|date=[[September 17]], [[2008]]
|written by=[[Trent Troop]] and [[Greg Sepelak]]
|illustration by=[[Nick Roche]]
|colors by=[[Winston Bolen]]
|pagecount=47
|continuity=[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]
}}
'''A high-ranking TransTech businessman finds himself inexplicably trapped inside a lowtech body, and will stop at nothing to regain what is rightfully his.'''

==Synopsis==
{{note|Events from the prologue are in italics.}}
Inside a dampened room, [[Cheetor (TransTech)|Cheetor]] and [[Stungun (TransTech)|Stungun]] interrogate a damaged and uncooperative [[Bulletbike (G2)|suspect]]. The mech demands to see his solicitor, but Stungun replies that Bulletbike's mouthpiece lacks sufficient clearance. Cheetor tells the unbelieving suspect that according to the [[Barax Act]], his legal counsel can get involved...so long as he testifies to the investigating officers. The outraged suspect refuses, and Cheetor, content to wait, sets up a [[Data-Con|datacon]], playing back the damaged and fragmented memories of one [[Bulletbike (TransTech)|Bulletbike]]...

The TransTech businessman Bulletbike is trapped in darkness, feeling as though [[Topspin (Classics)|something]] is smothering him. Feeling a sensation of falling, Bulletbike cuts offline for some time, and eventually wakes up groggily. Lacking all but his most basic senses, Bulletbike watches as a big, dark shape appears on his low-rez vision. The shape, prodding him with a cudgel, demands he gets up, and as Bulletbike struggles to get to his feet, he notices that he's not in the [[Auron District]], and that the mech prodding him is a offworlder. Bulletbike asks the robot who he is, and when the large robot tells him that he's Officer [[Blastcharge (BM)|Blastcharge]], the confused Bulletbike notices the [[Axiom Nexus Security Administration]] badge, realizing he's in the [[Offworlder Zone]]. Angered by the cop's insults, the TransTech businessman rises to his full height, proclaiming himself to be the 37th richest mech on Cybertron and CEO of [[RoboCo]], and threatens to call Blastcharge's commander. As the cop laughs, Bulletbike's equilibrium fails him, and he staggers to his knees above a puddle...in which he finally notices his appearance. To his great horror, the former TransTech realizes that someone has placed him into a lowtech body.

The sensory input briefly overloads Bulletbike, and Blastcharge helps him out, pointing him to [[Widow's Cafe Cybertronian]]. Blastcharge transforms and drives off with one final insult, leaving Bulletbike to stew. Looking over his new primitive form, Bulletbike tries to figure out how he ended up like this. His last memory was of the party celebrating the defense contract between RoboCo and the Senate. Unusually, he surged out after 8 or 9 cycles, despite his advanced systems; Bulletbike figures someone put something in his drink. Fragments of dreams follow these memories, including feeling crushed in a immense hand, and he reflects that the urban legends of offworlder spark swaps are true after all. Noticing the similarity between his treatment and those of murderers and transit bandits, he wonders if a vigilante has done this to him for "actions" his lawyers have ensured aren't technically illegal. Suddenly, Bulletbike is interrupted by a Predacon named [[Sling (BWN)|Sling]] who asks for the time and some fuel. Bulletbike notices the shiv in the Predacon's hand, and tries to get away. Sling edges forth to steal his fuel, but the struggling Bulletbike punches him in the face, and begins to run off. Sling, having transformed into his beast mode, prepares to kill his victim. Bulletbike holds the Predacon's mouth back with his arm as his free hand grabs a pipe, knocking him in the head over and over until he thinks his foe has fallen into stasis lock. Unfortunately, as Bulletbike gets up, he realizes that he's killed the Predacon. Horrified, Bulletbike drags his corpse to a nearby refuse chute and uses it to dispose of him, knowing that the [[Axiom Nexus Security Administration]] is unlikely to look into the [[Heap]]. Picking up the shiv, Bulletbike begins to feel light, having spent most of his energy in the fight, and falls into stasis lock.

Bulletbike is soon jolted awake by a concerned [[Scrounge (G1)|derelict]]. Bulletbike doesn't even have enough energy to speak, and the Autobot derelict gives him a foul-smelling and even worse tasting brew, which nevertheless re-energizes him. Asked by the derelict for his name, Bulletbike tells him who he is, and is surprised when the robot believes him, telling the former TransTech that no one believes who he is either. Taking a swig, the derelict tells him that people call him Scrounge, but that he's really Emirate [[Xaaron]] of [[Primax 093.0 Epsilon]]. Scrounge claims that he was able to get in past the security, but someone took his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], causing him to downgrade into this form, and asks Bulletbike if he's seen it. Bulletbike plays along, telling him he hasn't, and asks Scrounge to help him find his way to an [[EconTerm]]. Scrounge agrees, although not before he asks for some fuel, and the pair transform. Pained by his transformation, Bulletbike is annoyed by the simplicity of his form, and is amazed by Scrounge's "vehicular" mode-a disk. Bulletbike's parts barely fit together, and his fuel is leaking, with his energon reserves burning at an increased rate. Along the way, Bulletbike gets the chance to truly observe the Offworlder Zone for the first time; Bulletbike notices as the conditions improve upon each level, and feels unnerved at how unnoticed he is. Still, he complains to himself as exhaust blows into him, and a bot nearly walks into him while he disinfects his [[scraplet]]-infested arm with water, leaving Bulletbike eager to depart.

Arriving at the EconTerm, Bulletbike tries to have his onboard computer—called a custodian—retrieve his access codes, only to quickly realize he doesn't have his computer anymore. To make matters worse, Bulletbike is quickly embarrassed at the fact that he can't remember his account number, either. Scrounge soon begins to tug at his shoulder, pointing out to Bulletbike his true face appearing on the holoprojected newsfeed. Bulletbike tells his companion that it's probably just a recording. The recording, however, begins giving a speech Bulletbike only wrote and never gave, even changing some of the wording, calling the Offworlders a threat to no one but themselves. Bulletbike is horrified, having realized the truth, and begins to hallucinate, feeling the eyes of everyone around him fixating on him. As the world turns red, Bulletbike sees his true body gripping him in his hands and crushing him. Scrounge, having nearly been hurt by Bulletbike, brings him back to reality, and Bulletbike apologizes to his companion. Bulletbike tells Scrounge that someone (whom the latter identifies as Bulletbike's nemesis) has stolen his body. Telling his companion to meet him back in three megacycles, Bulletbike watches as Scrounge rolls off, going to the Heap to look around for fuel and reports of bodysnatching. Bulletbike heads the opposite way, spying a bot he recognizes as one of the [[Omnicon]]s, [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]], having employed some Omnicons in his factory. The Omnicon's armor, shining white, indicates his wealth, and Bulletbike sneaks up behind him with his stolen shiv, telling the Autobot jet to cooperate and hand over his money. As Skyblast attempts to form some [[energon]] blades, Bulletbike thrusts his shiv into the bot, and before he can scream, snaps the robot's neck, killing him. Bulletbike feels odd; all throughout his life, he felt sick for even the tiniest amount of violence, but all he feels now is power. Taking the bot to a nearby dumpster, he grabs the dead bot's loaded cred-key, and heads off.

Heading to [[Swindle, Swindle and Swindle]], the body-shop, Bulletbike enters, with the shop's jingle getting stuck in his head. Greeted by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle the Second]] and Swindle the Third, Bulletbike tells them he needs a full-body examination, and when the two tell him about their discount for ANSA, [[Freelance Police Legion]], and the [[Fully Bonded Bounty Hunter Consortium]], Bulletbike tells them he's not a cop. Delighted, the two get down to real business, and ask for Bulletibke's name. The two express genuine admiration at the name, pointing Bulletbike to a poster of himself in his true body, filling him with anger. Bulletbike tells the two that he is the ''real'' Bulletbike. The two hardly miss a beat, and scan over him; recognizing the body as a newer model, the pair call out their senior partner, Swindle the First. Wanting to hasten the process, Bulletbike tells them that if they can get him verifiable evidence of a spark transplant, he will get them a lifetime supply of reactor couplings at two percent over cost. Their greed overriding their incredulity, the Swindles take him to the back, putting him into an ancient medical restraint. Swindle the First has him sign their contracts, and preps for some "localized shutdowns," knocking Bulletbike offline. Awakening, the briefly furious Bulletbike demands to know what they've found. Swindle the Third informs him that there's no indications of anything aside from prolonged stasis lock and inebriation, and when Bulletbike demands for them to do it again, Swindle the First informs him that due to the illegality of spark transplants, their scanners are top of the line; the tests were as accurate as possible. Swindle the Third informs him that stasis lock in newer models can cause side-effects, including dissociative episodes. Swindle the First tells an unbelieving Bulletbike that his ID bolt says he is a Bulletbike from [[Primax 095.0 Beta]]. The two try to recommend a mental health professional, but Bulletbike prepares to leave. Stopping him, the two tell him of his injuries, with stress fractures in transformation joints and numerous other mechanical issues. Bulletbike asks if the cost of repairs can be covered by the unsuccessful diagnostic, but is told by Swindle that he should have read the contract closer. Still, he has enough money for repairs, and the pair ask if he wants his firing systems and [[subspace storage pocket]] systems restored. Bulletbike agrees, briefly considering killing them, but decides against it when realizing the amount of security they have.

Bulletbike passes to another fragmented memory, cutting to his stealing something from an offworlder thug he murders, ''and later to another new report with his nemesis, who tells the offworlder population that he owes everything to them. Bulletbike begins to hallucinate again as the news report shifts to [[Andromeda (TransTech)|Andromeda]], informing the populace of a series of murders; namely, the murders committed by Bulletbike. A rough eyewitness description has been simulated, and when a passing [[Skids (G1)|Autobot]] tries to ask Bulletbike for the time, he notices the similarity. Running off, the Autobot is chased by Bulletbike, who bashes him with a rod until he dies.'' Shifting some storage crates, he makes the body look like a sleeping derelict, and wanders off, contemplating his situation further. He knows he can't keep killing, or else the trail will lead back to him. Bulletbike tries to think of a reason behind the impersonation; even though he has control over the majority of the planet's security forces, he still couldn't take it from the Senate's command. He wonders if his hated rival, [[Ego (TransTech)|Ego]] of [[C-Kar Technologies]], is behind it, but figures even he wouldn't do this. Wondering if there are others in his situation, Bulletbike snaps back to reality when he is greeted by Scrounge. Briefly worried about his companion discovering the body before realizing they're back in their meeting spot, Bulletbike comes up with a plan. Asked for a communications node, Scrounge tells Bulletbike there's one at [[Cryotek (TransTech)|Cryotek]]'s establishment, [[The Blue Deployer]], but is worried, knowing the TransTech doesn't like derelicts messing with their stuff. Bulletbike dismisses Scrounge's concerns, and the pair head off to their destination.

At The Blue Deployer, Bulletbike calls Ego using a personal number the latter gave in an attempt to be friendly. Bulletbike, not giving his name, tells Ego he knows he won't be rich for much longer, and that he can offer something that will topple down Bulletbike and RoboCo. Telling an indecisive Ego that he could give this information to [[Corvo]], CEO of [[BioDyne]] instead, his competitor agrees to listen to Bulletbike. Steeling himself, Bulletbike tells Ego that RoboCo's [[Vehidrone]]s are rushed and slipshod, and that armed with the right information, any lowtech could take one down. Bulletbike demands that in exchange for this information, he has his ID bolt removed and is taken into the TransTech zone of Axiom Nexus. Ego mulls over the proposition, unwilling to give him more than a pass for information that might not be real, but Bulletbike pushes him, finally convincing him to commit the felony of getting him out of the Offworlder Zone. Bulletbike tells him to meet him at [[Vionax Tower]] in the [[Arclight District]]. Hanging up, Bulletbike considers his options, and figures that the [[D-Wy warehouse district]] is his safest bet. Roused from his thoughts by Scrounge, who is running away from one of Cryotek's [[Backslash|workers]], Bulletbike is briefly terrified, thinking the thug is the Omnicon he saw earlier, before recognizing that he just shares a body type with him. As the Predacon rants, Bulletbike drives off, feeling strangely exhilarated. After escaping, Bulletbike tells Scrounge that he has to go alone from here. Scrounge is worried, not wanting to separate from his companion. Bulletbike considers the possibility of his nemesis taking Scrounge and torturing him, and considering Scrounge's delusions and derelict body, begins to move his hands towards his neck...but Bulletbike can't bring himself to kill the closest thing he's ever had to a friend. Bulletbike tells Scrounge that he will tell him if he finds his Matrix, and turns away as Scrounge rolls off, unable to watch as his friend bounces into the walls and pedestrians. Bulletbike ensures to himself that Scrounge, even with his limitations, is a good bot, and goes off to reclaim what is his.

After infiltrating the warehouse, Bulletbike throws a spanner against the wall. The Vehidrone, upscaled from a Vehicon design confiscated from the offworlder [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], goes to investigate. Staying out of its scanner eye's line of sight, Bulletbike fires a low-intensity laser beam at the Vehidrone's optic band, burning out the pixels in that area. When the scanner beam collides with the pixels, its main optic band burns out, since internal diagnostic programs would have cost millions. Only able to see through its peripheral and rear sensor systems, the drone fails to notice Bulletbike until he's right in front of the drone. Warning the unseen Bulletbike that he has thirty seconds to input maintenance codes, the Vehidrone is helpless as Bulletbike tears open its access panel and rips out the wires powering the sentry. Falling over, the Vehidrone's Processor Matrix is retrieved by Bulletbike. At his and Ego's meeting place, Bulletbike watches as Ego steps out of his transport, regarding his competitor with contempt. Handing him the Processor Matrix, Ego examines it and claims that Bulletbike could have taken it out of the junkyard. Bulletbike counters this by reminding him that all combat-grade artificial intelligence above Class Six are to be destroyed after deactivation. Ego asks for Bulletbike's name, and Bulletbike quickly comes up with alias "Wildfly". Not questioning the name, Ego gives Bulletbike a signal dampener to hide his spark signature, and has him enter the back of his transport. The back, filled with offworlder garbage scavenged by Ego, is a common sight among security checkpoints, and Ego assures Bulletbike the guards will not look into it. Bulletbike reluctantly acquiescences, telling himself that Ego will pay for this indignity.

Arriving at Ego's building, Ego gives Bulletbike a tour, and the latter recognizes it from a previous discussion of a merger. Bulletbike, despite himself, notices the destructive potential of the weapons and "holy" relics. Ego tells the guard, an older TransTech named [[Aurik]], that "Wildfly" is with him to tour and discusses possible donations to his collection. Ego takes Bulletbike to his personal office, where Ego stores the best of his collection, including the original [[Unicron]]-tainted [[Energon Sword|Sword of Megatron]], and a desk made from the [[Zarak Shield|shield]] of the Decepticon leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] made by [[Bricolo (TransTech)|Bricolo]]. Bulletbike knows that Ego is trying to intimidate him, and is disgusted by Ego's display of items that are the focal points of wars throughout the multiverse. Most of all, Bulletbike is disgusted by Ego's pretentious display of a seemingly ordinary [[plush lizard]] in the center of the room. Getting down to business, he throws a recording to Ego of his attack on the Vehidrone, explaining the weakness of the optic systems. Ego asks "Wildfly" how he came across this information; Bulletbike lies, telling him he used to work in research and development at RoboCo. After briefly letting it slip of his recent murders, which Ego ignores, Bulletbike watches as Ego heads to the window, reminiscing how phony it felt when he had to do layoffs. Turning around, Ego begins to increase in size, telling Bulletbike that there's no listing of "Wildfly" in RoboCo's employee files. Either Bulletbike is hiding information from the government, or "Wildfly's" a liar; Bulletbike's ID bolt confirms the latter. As Ego converts into the his battle configuration, Bulletbike rushes forward, undeterred. Using the [[nucleon]] syringe he stole from the offworlder thug he murdered, Bulletbike pierces Ego's shifting armor. Ego begins to crush Bulletbike, but his constantly transforming form is adversely affected by the nucleon now replicating in his body. Severing Ego's hand with his gun and shiv, Bulletbike uses it to power down the shields containing the weapons. Grabbing the Sword of Megatron, Bulletbike finds Ego pulling himself towards his feet. Ego recognizes his old opponent at last, and Bulletbike decapitates him, putting the TransTech out of his misery. Bulletbike goes to grab the [[Animatron|Jungle Planet]] [[Cyber Planet Key]], but the mystical item refuses to allow Bulletbike to touch it, the soul of the Jungle Planet biting him. Bulletbike wonders how to get out of the building. Noticing he hasn't set off any alarms due to a dampening field, Bulletbike goes back to the room which Aurik guards, a preserved [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]] in his hands. Aurik begins to rush forward, realizing what Bulletbike is about to do, but Bulletbike blasts him, the TransTech's armor unable to stand against the power of the Mini-Con weapon. Grabbing an Autobot jetpack along with a few other artifacts, Bulletbike cleaves through the window and flies off to RoboCo's tower.

Bulletbike arrives and barges in, blasting his secretary, [[Cyclis]], with a antimolecular reagent gun before she can call security. Feeling as though the thieving secretary is an acceptable loss, Bulletbike proceeds, blasting any security drone is his way. Nearing his handpicked security garrison on the third floor, Bulletbike retrieves a makeshift bomb, made from a [[Vok]] [[Transmetal driver|artifact]], a [[Reconfiguration Matrix]], and a zero-point energy catalyzer from Ego's climate control system. Opening the door slightly, Bulletbike throws in the bomb, and as the guards react too late, the bomb goes off. A transwarp barrier opens, the radiation wreaking havoc on all objects in its range, mutating the guards into new, strange forms. Bulletbike considers touching the energy, regarding the Vok as one of few races in the multiverse as advanced as the TransTech, but reacts too late to do so. Passing the offlined guards, hoping that some of them have survived for experimentation, Bulletbike heads down to his office, hearing the imposter's voice. The imposter Bulletbike is communicating with an unseen [[Alpha Trion (SG)|accomplice]], begging for his help, but when he mentions that he's withdrawn half the security forces in the city, the accomplice uses this information to further his plans, and cuts off the call. Bulletbike retrieves his sword from his subspace pocket, and greets his nemesis. The imposter Bulletbike attempts to talk him down, but Bulletbike doesn't listen, using the engines in his feet to rush forward and cut off his real body's arm. Blasted by the remaining arm of the imposter, Bulletbike's sanity begins to crack, bashing his opponent and quickly losing track of who he is. The imposter drops all pretenses, and begins to blast Bulletbike, telling him that he should have killed his counterpart when he had the chance. As Bulletbike hallucinates and the room turns red once more, the imposter Bulletbike notes that without his body, Bulletbike is nothing but rage. Bulletbike hallucinates that he is stabbed with thorns, but counters the hallucination by focusing on what's real, and tells his counterpart he forgot his only weakness: neither of them can fly. Pushing his engine to its limits, he rams the imposter into a window, and watches as he falls. Figuring his nemesis dead, Bulletbike's madness consumes Him, and He considers Himself immortal. Suddenly, Bulletbike is confronted by Stungun and several other TransTech officers, who try to arrest Him for the murders of the offworlder and of His attempted murder of Bulletbike. Bulletbike, believing them to be in awe, tells them to wait as He retrieves what is His, stepping out the window and falling to His death below, ending the recording.

The interrogation of the other Bulletbike resumes, with the supposed TransTech calling the other Bulletbike a lunatic and a murderer. Stungun points out how he knew about his location and the Vehidrone's flaw, which could end up being a criminal charge of its own. Bulletbike claims he didn't know, bringing up that he wouldn't have called flawed security drones to protect himself, but Cheetor points out that the drones were recalled right as the [[Transwarp Complex]] attack began. Cheetor demands to know who Bulletbike's contact was, but the defeated mech simply demands to speak to his solicitor again. A tone rings at the door, and [[Starscream (TransTech)|Starscream]] steps through, demanding a word with Cheetor alone. Starscream tells Cheetor that the Senate is not happy; numerous murders were committed right under Cheetor's nose, and Cheetor's failed to prevent the same murderer from offlining himself at Bulletbike's tower. Cheetor defends his partners' actions, noting the threat of the mutagenic bomb Bulletbike set off as well as the fact that the Vehidrones were set to kill anyone who tried to enter. Annoyed by Starscream's insults, Cheetor brings up the problems with the border security under Starscream's command. Watching as Stungun continues the interrogation, Starscream asks Cheetor if he's sure that he was involved with Alpha Trion, and Cheetor confirms, albeit as a patsy. Starscream still cannot believe Cheetor's spark swap theory, even if it makes sense, as their equipment is still unable to pick up signs of a procedure in either Bulletbike. Starscream, worried about the implication of the theory, demands it be covered up, and Cheetor assures him that he has assigned his most dedicated officers to the case. Cheetor tells Starscream that they found Scrounge, and that [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] is repairing him. Starscream, annoyed at the offworlder's pampering, orders him to be shipped off-dimension, knowing that unlike the Swindles, he won't be able to stop himself from blabbing. Beginning to head for the interrogation room, Starscream has one last request: that Cheetor get him answers. Entering the room, Starscream dismisses Stungun, telling him that [[Military Police]] is taking over, and begins a "vigorous" interrogation of Bulletbike.

Outside, Cheetor gives a troubled Stungun permission to speak freely. Nothing adds up; the off-world Bulletbike didn't have the intelligence to figure out the flaw of the Vehidrones, and knew far too much about the TransTech Bulletbike and Ego's personal lives and life outside the Offworlder Zone. Cheetor agrees, knowing that Starscream is right; word about this cannot get out. Worried, Stungun asks Cheetor about regressing; the two officers have voluntarily taken out their [[clarity codec]]s, which regulated their morality, and Stungun is worried that if it was the TransTech Bulletbike who was the murderer, the same could happen to him. Cheetor reassures his partner, reminding him that while intended to make more ethical choices, the codecs do not make one one a good person, reflecting that for all the Transcendents' advancements, they're the ones who need regulating systems, while millions of offworlders get along without them. The trick isn't not to have those feelings of anger and violence, but rather, to control them. The two leave, prepared to face the aftermath...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Cheetor (TransTech)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Stungun (TransTech)|Stungun]] (3)
*[[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] (7)
*[[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] (8)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (9)
*[[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] (11)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (16)
*[[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] (23)
|c2=
*[[Bulletbike (G2)|Bulletbike]] (1)
*[[Blastcharge (BM)|Blastcharge]] (5)
*[[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] (10)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle the Second]] (12)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle the Third]] (13)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle the First]] (14)
*[[Starscream (TransTech)|Starscream]] (24)
|h3=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]
|c3=
*[[Sling (BWN)|Sling]] (6)
*[[Backslash]] (18)
|c4=
*[[Bulletbike (TransTech)|Bulletbike]] (4)
*[[Andromeda (TransTech)|Andromeda]] (15)
*[[Ego (TransTech)|Ego]] (17)
*A [[Vehidrone]] (19)
*[[Aurik]] (20)
*[[Plush lizard]] (21)
*[[Cyclis]] (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"Who are you?" 
"Officer Blastcharge, but if you don't get up in the next cycle, it's going to be 'Sir Please Stop Thumping Me Across The Alleyway.'"
:—'''Bulletbike''' & '''Blastcharge''' trade pleasantries

"Good day, friend, welcome to Swindle, Swindle and Swindle. I'm Swindle the Second, but you can call me Swindle. This here is Swindle the Third, but you can call him Swindle too. What can we do ya for?"
:—A '''Swindle''' greets his new customer

"And exactly where were you during Bulletbike's rampage and the solar cycles leading up to it, Commander Cheetor? Do you routinely allow murderers to wander your precinct unmolested?" 
"Just off the top of my processor... the Gutcruncher rebellion and the ongoing black market raids, two riots, the incident with General Demolishor, sixteen murders unrelated to this case, twelve armed robberies, three major traffic snarls, fifty-six minor accidents, and four inter-faction rumbles. Plus, all the times the Senate has 'requested' my personal appearance. We're stretched thin even with the assistance of the Freelance Police Legion. If we're pointing servos, however, border security, which is under your jurisdiction, was egregiously lax in investigating Ego's transport. Personally, I'd be worried about what else is slipping through." 
"That matter is being investigated, I assure you."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Cheetor''' discuss a typical week in the Offworlder Zones

"If Bulletbike is what can happen when the system fails... why take the risk in voluntarily removing [the clarity codecs]?" 
"Did you know that some organics willingly ingest non-lethal doses of deadly poisons?" 
"Uh, no, sir?" 
"It's to build up an immunity. Small, careful doses. Their body learns to fight it. Eventually, they can handle amounts that would, under normal conditions, kill them. So, think of this as building up an immunity to the urge to kill." 
"I... guess that makes sense, sir. But I lost my temper with those two grease-stain chiselers, what if..." 
"Don't worry, I wanted to knock their smug little heads together too. Millions of supposedly 'lower' mechanoids in this city have gone gigavorns without crossing the line. We're supposed to be 'transcendent'... if we need some piece of code implanted in us to foster basic morality, then what's the point? The trick isn't not having those feelings, Stungun. It's learning how to handle them. We augment the body, but not the spark. ''That'' takes hard work. ...besides, if you crossed that line, you'd be wearing a restraining bolt before you hit the ground."
:—'''Stungun''' and '''Cheetor'''

==Notes==
*Mentioned characters include [[Strika (TransTech)|Strika]], Emirate [[Xaaron]], [[Unicron]], [[Sideways (disambiguation)|Sideways]], [[Sidestep]], Swindle the First's Bulletbike, [[Twitcher F451]], [[Cryotek (TransTech)|Cryotek]], [[Corvo]], [[Primus]], [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], [[Bricolo (TransTech)|Bricolo]], [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], [[Scorponok (TransTech)|Scorponok]], the [[Vok]], [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]], General [[Demolishor (TransTech)|Demolishor]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], and [[Jackpot (G1)|two grease]]-[[Hubcap (G1)|stained chiselers]].

===Continuity notes===
* Blastcharge and Hoist previously appeared in "[[Withered Hope]]". The Widow's Cafe Cybertronian also appeared in that story, having first appeared in "[[Gone Too Far]]", along with Cryotek and The Blue Deployer.
* At one point in the story Bulletbike rolls pass ''Animated'' Bumblebee and BotCon exclusive Flareup; Bumblebee and Flareup appeared together in [[BotCon 2008]] script reading "[[Bee in the City]]".
* Swindle, Swindle and Swindle previously appeared in "Withered Hope", and the trio are heavily expanded on here.
* Backslash previously appeared in "Gone Too Far".
* References throughout the story imply that Bulletbike was the victim of Alpha Trion's conspiracy to get back to his home dimension. Among the last few memories Bulletbike has are hazy dreams of being held in an immense hand; evidently, this is Alpha Trion's spark swapping follower, [[Topspin (Classics)|Topspin]], who would later be confirmed to indeed be behind his spark swap. The conversation between Bulletbike and an unidentified Alpha Trion follower, meanwhile, makes mention of Trion's plans, which would be seen in the final two chapters of the club magazine storyline, "[[Transcendent]]", to attack the Transwarp Complex; Bulletbike's removal of security allowed for Trion and his followers to attack the complex, the events of which the prologue and epilogue take place directly after. Cheetor and Starscream still have various wounds and marks from the battle in that story.
* Events in Cheetor's precinct that have kept him occupied include the attempted rebellion by Gutcruncher in "Gone Too Far" and the actions of TransTech General Demolishor in "Withered Hope".
* The altercation with two "greased-stained chisellers" that Stungun mentions happend in "Gone Too Far", where Stungun was briefly angered by Jackpot punching him during his and Hubcap's escape from police headquarters.

===Transformer references===
* ''TransTech'' Bulletbike's original body (and ''Generation 2'' Bulletbike's current one) is based off the ''Beast Machines'' [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] toy.
* As is standard for the ''TransTech'' stories, plenty of offworlders from various franchises show up. Aside from ''Generation 2'' [[Power Master]] Bulletbike's body, these include:
** ''Generation 1'' Skids, who shows up in the preview.
** The ''Universe'' version of ''Beast Machines'' Blastcharge.
** ''Beast Wars Neo'' Sling.
** Scrounge, a Marvel original ''The Transformers'' character, introduced in issue [[The Smelting Pool!|#17]].
** ''Animated'' Bumblebee and [[BotCon 2005]] exclusive Flareup.
** Live-action movie Frenzy.
** ''Energon'' Skyblast.
** Swindle the First is based on the ''Generation 2'' toy of Swindle. Swindle the Second is the ''Generation 1'' toy as originally released with the diecast purple chest, while Swindle the Third is the version of the toy with the plastic grey chest.
** Fun Publications original Beast Era character Backslash.
* The "rough simulation image" of Bulletbike in the preview is an extremely toy accurate drawing of him, down to the connected feet and flat face.
* The line, "Unit Designate PM4-Bulletbike," refers to the offworlder Bulletbike's Power Master ID number. His home universe, [[Primax 095.0 Beta]], is the universe of his tech specs, taken from his release year.
* Bulletbike notes he only had his echolocation senses for a quartex, a unit of time introduced in the first ''The Transformers'' [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|episode]].
* Blastcharge sarcastically responds to Bulletbike's claims by telling him he's "Grand Admiral Strika the Sixth," a TransTech version of the ''Beast Machines'' [[Strika (BM)|character]].
* Blastcharge tells Bulletbike to hurry before the [[Junkion Sanitation Service]] comes to pick up the garbage; Junkions first appeared in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* The insult "empty" is used throughout the story; empties are derelict, often unaffiliated Transformers introduced in the Marvel Comics, who are forced to scavenge for what little energy they have.
* Bulletbike is confused by the lettering on his feet, not realizing it's upside down; the letters are from the sticker on his toy, reading "BULLETBIKE PM4".
* Foods and drinks served at Bulletbike's party include: [[Schaeffer Energy]] (from ''Victory'' episode "[[Battle Up of Wrath!!]]"), [[Isidrite]] (from ''The Transformers'' cartoon episode "[[Webworld]]"), and [[polonium spritzer]]s (from the previous two ''TransTech'' stories).
* Bulletbike swears by [[Nexus Zero]], home of the [[Vok]] from ''Beast Wars''.
* Xaaron was an Autobot commander introduced in the Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' comic.
* Scrounge isn't very good at being Xaaron. He claims he has a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] and that he's from universe [[Primax 093.0 Epsilon]]. [[Universal stream|Decoding that technobabble]] allegedly pegs him as an Emirate Xaaron from Transformers Fan Club fiction published in 1993. Yyyyyeah.
* Scraplets are metal eating parasites from the Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics; the only thing that could cure an infestation was [[water]].
* Scrounge notes that Bulletbike's custodian system is like the [[onboard computer]] the "animal-type bolts" talk to; in ''Beast Wars'', Maximals and Predacons would speak aloud to their computers when performing various actions.
* Scrounge tells Bulletbike to let him tell of his supposed "encounter" with Unicron and Sideways.
* Bulletbike notes that Omnicons hail from the [[Aurex]] Cluster (aka the various ''Unicron Trilogy'' fictions) and notes of their ability to shape raw energon.
* Bulletbike remembers that he once got angry at one of his workers, Sidestep, for misaligning his energon drip, and threw a [[chronometer]] at him.
* The image for the [[Swindle, Swindle and Swindle]] shop is filled with various easter eggs, including:
** A sheet displaying various [[Insignia|faction symbols]], including: the original ''Generation 1'' Autobot and Decepticon symbols; the ''Generation 2'' Autobot and Decepticon symbols; the ''Beast Wars'' Maximal and Predacon symbols; the ''Beast Machines'' Maximal, Vehicon, and [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobot]] symbols; the ''TransTech'' Autobot and Decepticon symbols; the ''Beast Wars Neo'' [[Blentron]]/[[Minion of Unicron (Universe)|Minion of Unicron]] symbol; both versions of the Playskool ''Go-Bots'' symbol; the [[Wrecker]] symbol, introduced in [[3H Productions]]' comics; the ''Beast Machines''-era Predacon symbol, seen in [[BotCon 2006]] comic "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]"; the Japanese ''Generation 2'' [[Cybertron Alliance]] symbol; the South American ''Generation 1'' Optimus and Malignus symbols; and the [[Cyber Planet Key]] symbols for [[Velocitron]], [[Animatron|Jungle Planet]], [[Earth]], and [[Gigantion]].
** ''Generation 1'' [[Pretender Beast]] [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]'s shell helmet.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Pretender]] [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s shell helmet.
** Live-action movie [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]'s air freshener from his 70's Camaro alt-mode.
** IDW ''Generation 1'' [[Outback (G1)|Outback]]'s arm, used by IDW [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] as a bludgeon in ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]''.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s toy arm guard.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s alternate mode tracks.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s [[Powermaster]] partner [[Hi-Q]] in engine mode.
** Jars labeled with images of a ''Tyrannosaurus'', a tarantula, and a gorilla, presumably referring to ''Beast Wars'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], and [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]].
** A box of empty [[Matrix of Leadership]] containers.
** The IDW ''Generation 1'' [[Epistemus|Magnificence]].
** The [[Bird|bird statue]] from issue [[Bird of Prey!|#62]] of the Marvel ''The Transformers'' comic.
** [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s "lightsaber" from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', along with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s crown.
** One of the [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disks]] from ''Beast Wars''.
* Swindle, aside from examining the spark, also examines Bulletbike's [[laser core]], a piece of technology mentioned several time in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon that various fictions have linked to the spark.
* Swindle tries to recommend [[Twitcher F451]], the movieverse [[Real Gear Robot]], to Bulletbike as a mental health technician.
* Subspace storage pockets, having appeared in several other stories by Sepelak and Troop, are a fan-made concept, based on the occasional odd instance of ''The Transformers'' cartoon showing Transformer weapons appearing and disappearing in a flash of light.
* Ego takes his name from the French-Canadian release of ''Generation 1'' Starscream; his company, C-Kar Technologies, is named for the [[Seeker (body-type)|subgroup]] Starscream belongs to.
* Corvo takes his name from the Italian release of ''Generation 1'' [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]].
* The Vehidrones are an upscaled version of one of the Vehicons confiscated from ''Beast Machines'' Megatron. Based on its description in-story, it's presumably based off the [[Tank Drone]] design.
* Among the garbage in Ego's transport is a [[Teletraan (disambiguation)|Teletraan]]-class computer.
[[File:ILowtech-Ego'sOffice.jpg|right|upright=2|thumb|They say a picture is worth [https://twitter.com/TheWadapan/status/1249100330207293441/ a thousand words].]]
* The image of Ego's showroom contains a variety of easter eggs, including:
** ''Victory'' [[Leozack]]'s [[Lionbreast|Breast Animal partner]] in gun mode.
** The pistol of the IDW 2005 comic continuity's incarnation of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]].
** ''Generation 1'' European-exclusive [[Stalker (G1)|Stalker]]'s missile.
** An Autobot jetpack from ''The Transformers'' cartoon.
** The [[time-jump mechanism]] and [[inhibitor claw]] from Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' story, "[[Target: 2006]]".
** ''Energon'' Skyblast's energon spear.
** ''Victory'' [[Blacker]]'s sword.
** The ''Armada'' roleplay [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] toy in a halfway configuration.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]]'s [[electro-sword]].
** ''Generation 1'' Megatron's [[energon mace]].
** ''Victory'' [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]]'s "Saber Blade".
** ''Generation 1'' [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s arm-mounted guns.
** ''Generation 1'' Megatron's [[fusion cannon]].
** ''Generation 1'' [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s rocket launcher and concussion blaster.
** One of ''Generation 1'' [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s claw hands.
** ''Generation 1'' Optimus Primes [[ion blaster]].
** ''Generation 1'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]' rifle.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]'s photon eliminator.
** The [[exosuit]] used by [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
** A [[Velocitron]] [[Cyber Key]] from ''Cybertron''.
** The [[AllSpark]] from the live action movie.
** The ''Generation 1'' Matrix of Leadership.
** ''Generation 1'' [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s Action Master partner, [[Fistfight (G1)|Fistfight]].
* Additionally, other items in the showroom and Ego's private office are described in-text, including:
** The sword of ''Energon'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]; Bulletbike notes it has the taint of the Unicron Phenomenon on it; Unicron was referred to by this name in the previous story "Withered Hope". Ego notes that it isn't one of the Omnicon knockoffs seen in the cartoon.
** A desk made from the Zarak Shield of Scorponok from [[Primax 787.3 Alpha]], which is the universal stream designation of ''The Headmasters'' anime.
** The Requiem Blaster from ''Armada''
** The Cyber Planet Key for the Jungle Planet from ''Cybertron''; Bulletbike notes that it isn't the copies used by the denizens of the planet, as the Key has a gold frame.
** A [[Reconfiguration Matrix]]; this item was first mentioned in ''Generation 2'' Optimus Prime's [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] tech specs, but was heavily expanded on in Japanese ''Generation 2'' fiction.
** The Vok [[Transmetal driver]] from ''Beast Wars''.
** 16 kilos of [[Forestonite]], a mysterious energy source from the Japanese ''Generation 2'' ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'' [[The New Battle!!|manga]]; Bulletbike is angered, having to substitute Forestonite for [[Solitarium]] (an ore from the Japanese ''Robotmasters'' line) in the "series seven [[Ariga experiement]]s."
* Bricolo takes his name from the French-Canadian relase of ''Generation 1'' [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]].
* When Ego asks Bulletbike if he has a Scorponok in his home realm, Bulletbike notes that he does, a TransTech bartender at the country club he and Ego go to.
* Nucleon is the power source of the ''Generation 1'' [[Action Master]]s.
* Fittingly, the last bit of dialogue between Ego and Bulletbike mirrors Starscream's brief dialogue with [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* Bulletbike notes that the Vok are beings of pure spark; one of the unused ideas for the Vok's origin was that they were the evolved form of sparks who had passed into the [[Transformer afterlife|Matrix]].
* Stungun notes that Bulletbike's contact has left him to the Preditrons; aside from the obvious allusion to "left to the wolves," Preditron is the name of an evil version of Playskool Go-Bot, [[Beast-Bot]].
* Starscream tells Cheetor that just because [[Quintesson]] wizards exist, doesn't mean they can explain everything; a Quintesson wizard, [[Mara-Al-Utha]], appeared in ''The Transformers'' cartoon episode "[[Madman's Paradise]]".
* Stungun notes that the offworlder Bulletbike had an intelligence point of 5, as seen on his toy's Tech Specs.

===Real-world references===
* The title is probably a reference to Isaac Asimov's famous story collection, ''{{w|I, Robot}}''. While ''I, Robot'' is not the first appearance of the "I, Noun" formulation (''{{w|I, Claudius}}'', for example), it's certainly the most famous involving robots. ("[[I, Robot-Master!]]" is a much clearer case.)
* Bulletbike's home is in the Auron District, possibly named for the character from ''{{w|Final Fantasy X}}'' and ''{{w|Kingdom Hearts II}}'', two franchises which author Greg Sepelak has a..."love-hate" relationship with.
* Blastcharge tells Bulletbike that "you don't have to go home, but you can't defrag here," paraphrasing lyrics from "{{w|Closing Time (Semisonic song)|Closing Time}}", by {{w|Semisonic}}.
* Blastcharge sarcastically tells Bulletbike that he's part of the "gaussing Smart Patrol," named for the {{w|Devo Presents Adventures of the Smart Patrol (video game)|video game}} and accompanying {{w|Devo}} {{w|Devo Presents Adventures of the Smart Patrol (album)|album}}.
* [[Autopol]], the TransTech Zone's police, is named for international organization {{w|Interpol}}.
* Part of the diagnostic that reads out when Bulletbike drinks reads "TAS2R38-42"; {{w|TAS2R38}} is one of the bitter taste receptors in humans.
* Corvo's company, BioDyne, is named for Cyberdyne Systems, creators of {{w|Skynet (Terminator)|Skynet}} from the ''{{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator}}'' films.
* "[[Isen Power Station]]" and a "D-wy warehouse district" are mentioned as places Vehidrones can be found, references to ''Transformers Animated'' main story writer [[Marty Isenberg]] and main character designer [[Derrick J. Wyatt]].
* Bulletbike notes that the Vehidrone has a "WVNG-class voice modulator", in reference to [[Hugo Weaving]], voice actor for the live-action movie incarnation of [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]].
* Bulletbike thinks that the force of a Vehidrone's voice is "one degree shy of sadistic", a line from the song "[http://tmbw.net/wiki/SenSurround SenSurround]" by {{w|They Might Be Giants}}.
* Among Ego's collection is an Earth musical instrument made entirely of gold, referencing the golden fiddle from the song "{{w|The Devil Went Down to Georgia}}" by the {{w|Charlie Daniels|Charles Daniels Band}}.
* The [[plush lizard]] in Ego's office is the {{w|The Winslow|Winslow}}, a central [[:Category:MacGuffins|MacGuffin]] of {{w|Phil Foglio}}'s ''{{w|Buck Godot|Buck Godot: Zap Gun for Hire}}'' comics.
* The Ariga experiments are possibly named for Japanese manga artist, Hitoshi Ariga, who has created several manga for the ''{{w|Mega Man}}'' franchise, a favorite of Sepelak's.
* While talking to Ego. Bulletbike apparently says he works in "murders and executions", which Ego responds with he also worked in "mergers and acquisitions", mirroring a scene from the psychological horror film ''{{w|American Psycho (film)|American Psycho}}''. Several story elements, such as Bulletbike's hallucinations, also seem to be inspired by various scenes in the film.

===Errors===
* The data-con is referred to as a datacon, missing the hyphen.
* Isidrite is misspelled as "isodrite".

==External links==
* [http://transformersclub.com/prose/I_Lowtech.pdf "I, Lowtech"] at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club

[[Category:Text stories]]
[[Category:Timelines media]]
[[Category:TransTech media]]

Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You

2020-09-16T04:48:51Z

TailgatePrime: /* Continuity notes */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #23
|prev=Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners
|next=Wheeljack: Orbital Decay
|caption=
|image=TF2019 23 cvrA.jpg
|title="Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Decieved You"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 16]], 2020
|coverdate=September 2020
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Anna Malkova]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Sentinel Prime's controversial speech at the Senate gives Megatron the opening he needs... and Cybertron will never be the same again.'''

==Synopsis==
For the first time, [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] intends to convene the [[Senate]] without [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] or the [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] party he represents, and his decision has only further strained tensions on a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] pushed to the breaking point. In the Senate, a grim-faced [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] briefs the [[Senate Guard]] on their posts; on the streets, overstretched members of [[Security Operations]] struggle to keep the peace as supporters, protesters, and demonstrators surround the building, while [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] cracks down on another interview between [[Andromeda (G1)|Andromeda]] and [[Voxpop]]. Just as Prowl warns a hesitant [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] to keep his head down and do his job, the crowd silently parts to reveal a far more ominous problem: Megatron, [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] have arrived.

[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] watches them approach, but advises caution: the three ''are'' still elected Senators, regardless of Sentinel's rhetoric. Megatron demands they let him in, and Orion makes one last attempt to get his former friend to stand down. Though Megatron protests that chaotic change is inevitable if measured change is impossible, Orion delivers his final warning: if he continues down this path, then his means and his message will become the same—one of violence and death. Megatron disregards Orion and stalks inside the Senate building to meet his destiny, snarling that Orion should've stayed a lowly archivist as he leaves. Orion apologizes to the head archivist [[Codexa]], but she has other concerns: no matter what happens, Megatron ''will'' inflame his supporters, who even now gather around the Senate building. Orion takes [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] with him into the Senate to keep an eye on Megatron; Ironhide protests that this move will weaken their final line of defense, but Orion doesn't care: Megatron ''is'' the greatest threat to Cybertron, and he might just be on the cusp of victory. Indeed, as the Senate convenes and Sentinel Prime begins his thunderous condemnation of the deceitful Ascenticons, Megatron arrives and demands the right to address the Senate and refute these charges!

Elsewhere, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] pays a visit to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s cell. As Head of Cybertronian intelligence, Starscream has his fingers in many pies; one of his informants has tipped him off that today will mark the birth of a new Cybertron. Starscream's connections will let him ride out the storm in comfort—he ''knows'' what Bumblebee's been up to, and that's why he wants to propose an alliance. Caged and resentful, Bumblebee says nothing...

As Prowl does his best to keep the crowd outside the Senate at bay, he finds [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], who wants to ask [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] for information on [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. As Megatron's supporters take up a chant, Prowl tells Cyclonus to leave; Cyclonus does so, musing that ''this'' fight won't be his... but the ghosts in his mind feel otherwise.

Orion, Flareup, and Groove arrive in time to see Megatron take the pulpit and begin his speech, but this is no attempt to defend himself, or parley as equals. Megatron's fiery speech condemns the Autobots and everything they stand for: in response to widescale civil unrest and the loss of the [[Winged Moon]], the Autobots only tighten [[energon]] rations and impose curfews. Sentinel Prime may have denounced the Ascenticons as "[[Decepticon]]s", but Megatron smiles: it is an apt name, for they ''have'' deceived Cybertron. For too long, he and his followers had concealed their desire for change, convinced the Senate that they would work within the system to get what they wanted—but that lie ends today. Already, the Decepticons have done what the Autobots and the Senate could not: today marks the end of [[The Rise]], who have already surrendered to the Decepticons. If the bloated, complacent Senate could not achieve such a simple task, then what could they possibly do for the people of Cybertron? Today, he announces, marks the ''end'' of the Senate—and, right on cue, Megatron's concealed warriors begin their attack. Outside, [[Clench (G1)|Clench]], [[Apeface]], [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] and [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] overwhelm [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] and [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]] and bash right through a side door; on the roof, [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]], [[Ion Storm (G1)|Ion Storm]], and [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] take out [[Subsea]]. Chaos reigns in the Senate hall as Strika pins Sentinel and senators rush the podium, while Orion shouts for Flareup to seal the doors... but doesn't get far before Acid Storm uses his powers to eat right through the Senate's roof, allowing Ion Storm to incapacitate the Senators with a devastating electromagnetic blast. Clench breaches the loading bay and disgorges a squadron of of [[Mini-Cassette|infiltration troopers]], who overwhelm Roulette, Grotusque, and Flareup. As the dust settles, Megatron orders Strika to secure the building and tell all of Cybertron of their triumph. When Ironhide, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] breach the building, they don't get far before Strika, Apeface, and Clench bulldoze right over the three and blast them right back out the door with a single missile barrage.

Confident that they've taken the Senate, Strika and her compatriots activate the Senate's built-in projectors and pose triumphantly in front of the crowd. Backlit by their insignia, Strika announces the good news: the crisis is over, Megatron has triumphed, and the Decepticons are here to open the way!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in hallucinatory form. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] (22)
* [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] (24)

|c2=
* [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (19)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (20)
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (21)
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] (32)
* [[Clench (G1)|Clench]] (33)
* [[Apeface]] (34)
* [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] (35)
* [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]] (36)
* [[Ion Storm]] (37)
* [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] (38)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (39)
* [[Squawktalk (G1)|Squawktalk]] (40)
* [[Beastbox (G1)|Beastbox]] (41)
* [[Howlback (G1)|Howlback]] (42)
* [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (43)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (44)

|h4=Cybertronians|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (1)
* [[Grotusque]] (2)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (3)
* [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (4)
* [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] (5)
* [[Roulette (G1)|Roulette]] (6)
* [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (7)
* [[Subsea]] (8)
* [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] (9)
* [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]] (10)
* [[Andromeda (G1)|Andromeda]] (11)
* [[Voxpop]] (12)
* [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] (13)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Vibes]] (14)
* [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (15)
* [[Strongarm (BWU)|Strongarm]] (16)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (17)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (18)
* [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]] (23)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (25)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (26)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (27)
* ''[[Highfire]]'' (28)
* ''[[Gridlock]]'' (29)
* ''[[Grudge]]'' (30)
* ''[[Provoke]]'' (31)
{{!}}}

}}

==Quotes==
"I do not know what ends you are pursuing, but the means '''will''' consume the ends. '''How''' a thing is done becomes the thing itself. You will '''become''' the means you employ, Megatron." 
"We must become what the times '''require''' of us."
:—'''Orion Pax''' and '''Megatron'''

"We have concealed the true extent of our determination. We have '''concealed''' the '''extremity''' of our hunger for renewal. We have '''pretended''' to a patience, a tolerance for '''failure''' that we do not possess. We have allowed you to believe that we would wait '''forever''' for this Senate, for the Autobots to '''awaken'''. No more. While '''you''' have stagnated, we have worked. '''We''' have '''imagined'''."
:—'''Megatron'''

"Hey, aren't you '''Clench'''? I saw you and Apeface fight in the arena! Long time ago, but—" 
"Yeah. Long time ago. But if you're a fan, guess I should '''pretend''' to be sorry about—'''THIS'''!"
:—Never meet your heroes, with '''Pipes''' and '''Clench'''

"You have sat too long for any good you have been doing. So let us '''have done''' with you! I say you are no Senate '''worthy''' of the name! In the name of Primus, '''go!'''"
:—'''Megatron'''

"We have no need for your Senate Guard in here, Ironhide! We have no need for '''a Senate'''!"
:—'''Strika'''

"A new horizon opens, and '''Megatron''' and the '''Decepticons''' have come to show you the way! Cybertron! '''The crisis is over! Order and freedom are within reach!'''"
:—'''Strika'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* After first denouncing their deceptive ways in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Three|issue #15]], Sentinel coined the appellation "Decepticon" in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|issue #20]]. HE previously threatened to outlaw the Ascenticons and convene the Senate without them in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|issue #21]].
* Ever the conspiracy theorist, [[Voxpop]] wonders if the alien [[Thraal]] were the ones responsible for destroying the [[Tether]]. We learned about the fraught political situation between the Thraal and the [[A'ovan]] in [[Nautica: Home|issue #12]]—and, to be fair, this ''does'' seem like the kind of terrorist attack that the Thraal hardliners [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] mentioned in that issue might plan.
* In a nice bit of artistic consistency, the steps to the Senate feature the same spherical statue that appeared in [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four|issue #10]].
* [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]] makes her visual debut in the comic, although [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] mentioned her in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Four|issue #16]], and [[Arcee/Greenlight: Run|issue #18]] featured an excerpt from [[How to be a Good Mentor|one of her books]].
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] learned about [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]'s destruction of the [[Memorial Crater]] in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Five|issue #17]].
* Bumblebee was arrested [[Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|last issue]] after he killed [[Quake (G1)|Quake]].
* Starscream mentions an informant who's tipped him off about the impending attack on the Senate building, but advises Bumblebee not to "'''reflect''' for too long" on who this might be. It's a sure bet that Starscream's being coy about [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]], his mole in the [[Ascenticon Guard]], while also playing on how the character is traditionally named "Reflector."
* [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] recognizes gladiators [[Clench (G1)|Clench]] and [[Apeface]]; [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] owned an old poster of one of Apeface's bouts in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|issue #20]] and before that we saw the tail end of Apeface's career in the ''[[Transformers Valentine's Day Special]]'' as he performed in front of a bored crowd alongside [[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]].
* Megatron recruited the trio of [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]], [[Ion Storm]], and [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] directly from [[The Rise]] in [[Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|issue #19]]. In that same issue, Megatron sent [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to ready the "infiltration troopers" seen here—it wasn't clear what he was talking about at the time, but this issue reveals that Megatron was talking about the future members of the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette]]s.

===Transformers references===
* [[Subsea]] debuted in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK]] story "[[Underworld!]]" as a hie-and-die generic; more recently, he showed up in [[Unstopped and Unstoppable|issue #22]] of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' as... uh, well, a hi-and-die generic. His cameo here suggests he's on a winning streak!
* Grotusque's complaints about Cybertronians prejudiced against individuals with [[beast mode]]s seems like a call-back to the [[2005 IDW continuity|first IDW continuity]]'s [[Functionism|functionist]] system, which discriminated against both Transformers who turned into beasts, and Cybertronians with animal-like robot modes. Of course, as Ironhide points out here, that kind of institutionalized prejudice doesn't seem to exist on this version of Cybertron, where newly-forged Transformers can choose to become whatever they'd like.
* The parting crowd on page three includes a pair of Cybertronians drawn to resemble [[Scrounge (Animated)|''Animated'' Scrounge]].
* Ion Storm incapacitates the Senate using a powerful electromagnetic pulse, but the effort involved makes him collapse from overexertion. Both of these traits have their origin in the 2015 "[[Ask Vector Prime]]" feature that originally named both him and [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]].
* The cassette team includes familiar mainstays [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], second-stringers [[Beastbox (G1)|Beastbox]] and [[Squawktalk (G1)|Squawktalk]], and left-field cameo [[Howlback (G1)|Howlback]]—a character who, up until now, has been limited to bit parts and namedrops. In an odd detail, Laserbeak is drawn to resemble his [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' toy]] and sports that toy's streamlined, mono-optic head, but both Buzzsaw and Squawktalk possess their regular bird heads (But see "Errors", below...)

===Errors===
* Colorist [[Joana Lafuente]] appears to have mistaken [[Beastbox (G1)|Beastbox]] for [[Apeface]], and has colored him as such. (Perhaps Beastbox is just a big fan?)
* On page seventeen, the panel of Laserbeak attacking Roulette has him sporting a two-eyed head.

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for June, this issue was pushed back to September as a result of IDW Publishing suspending operations.
* [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] is shown [[Aggressive depigmentation|turning grey]] after the cassettes attack her, suggesting that she's probably dead. That said, this universe is just a ''teensy'' bit inconsistent on whether or not characters turn grey when they die—[[Rubble]] did, as did Cyclonus's ghostly compatriots, but [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and Quake did not. With that in mind, it's difficult to judge at this juncture whether characters like Subsea or Grotusque survived their encounters with the Decepticons.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Megatron in front of the Senate, by [[Joana Lafuente]]
* '''Cover B''': Megatron and his infiltration troopers, by [[Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Megatron, Brawn, Laserbeak, and Strika, by [[Corey Lewis]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 23 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 23 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 23 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]: Bad Guys''
* ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]] Adventures''
* ''Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band''

==External links==
* [http://majorspoilers.com/2020/09/15/preview-transformers-23/ Preview]

[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

Octopunch (G1)

2020-09-06T02:11:36Z

TailgatePrime: /* Transformers: Earth Wars */

{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Octopunch}}
{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|autobot}}
:''Octopunch is a [[Decepticon]] [[Pretender]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Octopunch-mtmte.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Just between you and me, it was a blast which ricocheted off Grimlock.]]
There is no greater scourge of the seas than '''Octopunch'''. Though plundering the depths for forgotten treasure is well-suited to his expertise, his real love is the terror he can bring to those who breach his territory. There is no cruise ship so large that he can't find an appropriately-sized iceberg to push in its path. The thought of bringing its hull beneath the waves with his slimy tentacles is what sustains him in his private moments.

And unlike other robots with [[Scavenger (G1)|similar]] [[Nautilator|functions]], Octopunch is very good at what he does. While in his [[Pretender]] shell underwater, his strength expands several fold, and his electrically-charged, razor-tipped harpoon gun can stop anything in its tracks. Though often seen with fellow [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] members [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and [[Stranglehold]], Octopunch is a fearsome warrior in his own right, either above or beneath the waves.

His only weakness is his overconfidence in his abilities. It may seem like a small one, but get back to us on this after he [[The Primal Scream|shoots God in the face]].

{{quote|Give it up, Autobot! You cannot defeat me; I have survived the Unicron war... I am one of Gigatron's personal guards, you have no chance of defeating '''Octopunch!'''|Octopunch|"[[Invasion (issue)|Invasion]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:HuntingParty-Mayhem Attack Squad small.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.4|I'm with fashionable →]]
''Looking to recruit a new [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] to go after the traitorous former members, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] and [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]], [[Snarler]] hired Octopunch and his comrades [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and [[Stranglehold]] for the squad. For training purposes with their fellow recruits [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] and [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]], they engaged in a [[Solid light simulation|solid light simulated]] combat session set in [[Slaughter City]], and Octopunch managed to destroy the sim versions of [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] AND [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]] in the first few minutes (mmmmaybe it was still set on 'Easy' mode).'' {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} ''On Earth, the Mayhems caught up with Carnivac on the outskirts of [[Dallas]], [[Texas]],'' {{storylink|Way of the Warrior}} ''and their fight soon carried across the border into the [[Mexico]] deserts. After Carnivac caught Needlenose flat-footed, Octopunch forced him to disengage and leave his [[Pretender]] shell by threatening some nearby humans. Infuriated at seeing a fellow Decepticon surrender simply because of some fleshlings, Octopunch prepared to deliver the death-blow to Carnivac.'' {{storylink|Survival Run}} ''However, those self-samed fleshlings came to the rescue of their savior, driving a transport truck at full-speed into the Mayhems' backside, giving Carnivac a chance to scramble clear. The resulting explosion took Octopunch out of the rest of the fight. His fellow Mayhems eventually dragged him clear when the rest of the [[Survivors]] arrived and they retreated, but not before Bludgeon managed to execute the traitor Catilla with his blade.'' {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}

[[File:Bludgeonstrangleholdoctopunchmodelsheet.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|If you ever wanted to see his [[character model]], this is probably it.]]
Octopunch was part of the Mayhem Attack Squad (alongside Bludgeon and Stranglehold) sent by [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] to assassinate the [[Autobot]] Pretenders [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], Grimlock, and [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]], after their revival on Cybertron stirred the spirits of the Autobot rebellion and threatened Decepticon supremacy. After a [[trans-time dimensional portal]] accident cut short their first assassination attempt, Octopunch and the rest of the Squad followed the Autobots into the core of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Surprisingly, Cybertron's core contained none other than [[Primus]] himself! {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

[[File:PrimalScream-Octopunchshootsgodintheface.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|The most important thing Octopunch ever did was sadly also the stupidest.]]
The Mayhems made a second attempt to destroy the Autobot Pretenders, but Octopunch found out that Grimlock was much harder to kill in real life than in a simulation. After the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] commander headbutted Octopunch, shattering his faceplate, the [[Micromaster]]s [[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] and [[Red Hot]] tripped him over the edge of a railing, sending him crashing to the floor below. Blacking out, Octopunch made a final attempt to fire at Grimlock, which ended up ricocheting off the Dinobot's armor-plating and striking Primus right between the eyes. Upon being shot, Primus awoke and unleashed a [[Primus#War of the balance|scream]] that eventually drew [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] to the Transformers' homeworld. {{storylink|The Primal Scream}} {{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}

Thanks a LOT, Octopunch.

Octopunch and the other Squad members ended up on Earth, and joined forces with [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]. When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] surrendered his Autobots to the Decepticons under the pretenses of facilitating an alliance against the threat of Unicron, Octopunch helped place the Autobots into holding cells. Like many of the other Decepticons, Octopunch had grown dissatisfied with Scorponok's leadership, and viewed a potential alliance as a weakness. {{storylink|Surrender!}} The alliance was temporarily put on hold when a small subfaction of Decepticons led by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] attacked the base. Octopunch joined Scorponok's Decepticons in repelling the insurgents. {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}

[[File:EndoftheRoad-FangryQuakeWeirdwolfOctopunch.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Apparently, octopus is above dog in the natural pecking order.]]
The second Decepticon Civil War came to a halt when [[Primus]] himself brought all of the Earthbound Transformers to Cybertron to counter the imminent arrival of Unicron. Primus spoke to Octopunch and the others through [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]], catching them up on the history between the two cosmic beings. Though Octopunch still had his doubts about an Autobot/Decepticon alliance, they were mostly dispelled when [[Acolyte of Unicron|Unicron cultists]] raided their camp—anything that gave him the opportunity to kill this many dudes was fine by him! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

When Unicron arrived, Octopunch did the wise thing and made a run for it. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

Unicron was defeated, and with Scorponok also dead, Bludgeon assumed command of the Decepticons. Bludgeon led Octopunch and the other Decepticons off Cybertron to [[Klo]], a peaceful world which they could conquer quickly and easily without interference from the Autobots. The Decepticons found a tracer on one of their spaceships, and waited for their adversaries to arrive, intending to spoil their surprise attack. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}} Wiping out nearly all the Autobots in the battle that followed, Octopunch led a squad consisting of [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] to pick off the stragglers. Octopunch located them, but the Autobots' desperation helped them overwhelm their hunters. When Grimlock and the others joined the main battle elsewhere, he was carrying Octopunch's trident. Octopunch was not seen fleeing with the Decepticons following their defeat. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:ShutUp-Octopunch.jpg||thumb|left|upright=1.1|His Shuma-Gorath cosplay still needs work.]]
Although their last target, Carnivac, was still at large, the Mayhem Attack Squad reasoned that he would inevitably come to them, seeking revenge for the death of his comrade, Catilla. Therefore, they set up a heavily defended island base in the Bahamas to wait out the traitor's arrival. When Needlenose's cowardice prompted him to fake an emergency to test how quickly his teammates would come to his aid, Octopunch, Stranglehold, and Bludgeon were left infuriated over the deception. All three prepared to off Needlenose, only for Snarler and Spinister to interrupt the attempt. The disgruntled Decepticons walked away in disgust after Needlenose explained that his paranoia had pushed him to cry wolf. Little did the group know that Carnivac had indeed already infiltrated their headquarters. He took out Needlenose before anyone even knew he was there. {{storylink|Cry Wolf!}} As night fell, Carnivac skulked about the base, eager to find another isolated target. He happened upon Octopunch while he was standing guard with Stranglehold, and so moved on. Finding Bludgeon meditating, Carnivac tried to take him out by surprise. But Bludgeon heard him coming, and the ensuing commotion soon brought the rest of the Decepticons to the confrontation. {{storylink|Wolf in the Fold!}} The Decepticons were tricked into thinking Spinister killed Carnivac, when in reality their opponent had allowed the destruction of his Pretender shell to fake his death. Octopunch, Bludgeon, and Stranglehold wandered off to a nearby beach to mope over not getting to kill the traitor themselves, only for several Autobots to turn up, intent on rescuing their ally. Octopunch and his colleagues were planning to go down fighting against Carnivac's back-up, but Carnivac turned up just before a killing blow was struck. The three Pretenders were taken into custody, denying them a warrior's death. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}}

While in captivity, Octopunch, Bludgeon and Stranglehold kept completely quiet in their cell, unnerving their guard, Inferno. The trio managed to escape when Strangehold created a distraction, tearing up their cell's floor and forcing Inferno to open it up to pacify him. Bludgeon then summoned his sword telekinetically, stabbing Inferno in the back and allowing the Mayhems to calmly walk away as the Autobot blacked out. {{storylink|Shut Up!}} They hooked up with the deposed Decepticon leaders, [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], taking an assassination contract for the usurpers, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]. {{storylink|Assassins}} Though the Pretenders were only meant to eliminate whichever of their targets had survived an orchestrated battle between the pair, they found both Starscream and Soundwave functional upon their arrival. Unperturbed, Octopunch and his teammates surmised that they could ask to be paid double for the hit once it had been completed. {{storylink|External Forces!}} Problem was, the Autobots needed Starscream alive for their own reasons, and so Grimlock sent [[Sludge (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Sludge]] and [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] in to fight against the Mayhems. It was surely a brutal battle, but Octopunch and the others were defeated, their contract unfulfilled. {{storylink|The Lesser Evil!}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:AspectsofEvil4-Octopunch.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|HE PUNCHED A LADY BEE!]]
In [[1990]], Octopunch was working for [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] on Cybertron along with Bludgeon, Stranglehold, and [[Warmonger]]. After some Autobot captives temporarily escaped, Megatron determined there was a traitor in their midst, and singled out Bludgeon. When the Pretender demanded a [[Trial by Combat]], Megatron set him loose to face his fellow Decepticons on the field of battle. In the fight, Bludgeon scored first blood against Octopunch, but the salvage expert caught his "once friend" off-guard by popping out of his shell with a flying punch. The punch did little against Bludgeon's armored shell, though, and he knocked Octopunch out. Bludgeon was eventually proven innocent when Warmonger caught him in his sights but couldn't pull the trigger, thus proving to Megatron that HE was the weak-willed Autobot in disguise. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}
{{-}}

=====Another Time & Place=====
[[File:BludgeonStrangleholdOctopunch-AnotherTimeAndPlace.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.85|Guy named Octopunch winds up with eight limbs. What are the odds?]]
After the war on Klo, Octopunch and the Decepticons lay in wait for [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] to do something stupid, and so he did. Tracking the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] commander and his troops to [[Hydrus Four]], Octopunch and his fellows caught Grimlock off-guard and managed to take control of the medical facility where Nucleon was being produced. Bludgeon had plans to use the super-energy to bring [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] himself back to life. Octopunch was later seen worshipping at the altar of Megatron's corpse alongside Stranglehold and Bludgeon. When the Autobots attacked, Octopunch charged into battle with his electro trident like the others, but was ultimately defeated. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{-}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:Octopunchtalesofearth.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Wasn't he on ''[[Don Messick|Scooby]]-[[Frank Welker|Doo]]''?]]
Octopunch was one of countless Decepticons under Bludgeon's command when they fought the Autobots over ownership of a cache of weapons on an unnamed barren world. The Decepticons were easily overpowering the Autobots; Octopunch, in particular, was strangling [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]] with his tentacles. Bludgeon ordered a retreat when a gigantic, [[Guardian (G2)|monstrous creature]] who guarded their quarry warned them away. {{storylink|Ghosts}}

Later, Octopunch and the other Decepticons were ordered to rampage across Earth in order to get Optimus Prime's attention. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)#"Tales of Earth Part One"|Tales of Earth Part One}} Their "work" was interrupted when [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] returned in a powerful new body with [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] in tow. Megatron challenged Bludgeon for leadership of the Decepticons, and when Bludgeon lost, Octopunch and the other Decepticons switched their allegiance to the victor. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory#Tales of Earth Part Two|Tales of Earth Part Two}}

[[File:NewDawn-whatarethey.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|Hey Octopunch, try using that blaster that ricochets off Grimlock.]]
Soon after, Megatron's forces clashed with [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]]. Megatron declared war against them as Octopunch and the other Decepticons cheered him on. Their feelings changed, however, when the Warworld was attacked. Octopunch and the others fought the Cybertronians on the surface of the Warworld, but they were getting massacred. Octopunch was shot in the chest, presumably killed. {{storylink|New Dawn}}
{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:CheapShots-mayhemattacksquad.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I lost a lot of yellow in the past 15 years.]]
[[Ruckus (G1)|A complete idiot]] and his [[Needlenose (G1)|dumb surfer friend]] hired Octopunch and Stranglehold as part of a new Mayhem Attack Squad. They took a [[Phyrion|hostage]] as bait to capture [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] and [[Siren (G1)|Siren]]. When Nightbeat's crew showed up, Octopunch took one look at [[Slag (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Sludge]] and promptly said that his price went up. Slag beat him up badly, and Octopunch beat himself up worse when he saw that Ruckus brought the hostage ''with'' him. Needless to say, Octopunch left saying that he would contact Ruckus about payment, after they all got their rears handed to them. {{storylink|Cheap Shots}}

[[File:Invasion-OctopunchvsOctopunch.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|The SG matchup you've always wanted to see! Hopefully!]]
Some time later, Octopunch and Stranglehold had fallen in with [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]] on Earth, and were present when Gigatron's team attacked the Autobots' [[Ironworks (facility)|Ironworks]] headquarters for their hidden [[Rarified Energon]] reserves. {{storylink|Invasion Prologue}}

While observing Ironworks with Gigatron and the rest of his troops from afar, Octopunch and the others received word from [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] that strange Transformers from another dimension had invaded the Autobot base. Gigatron decided the time was ripe to make another play for the Rarified Energon while the Autobots were distracted, and the Decepticons moved in. Octopunch and [[Skullgrin]] tried to sneak into Ironworks from underground, but encountered two Autobots instead. [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] proved more than a match for Skullgrin, but Octopunch was more evenly paired against the other interloper. Octopunch realized too late that he was not fighting an Autobot at all, but [[Octopunch (SG)|a heroic version of himself from another dimension]]. With one final sock to the jaw, Octopunch was down. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}
[[File:Bludgeons decepticons destiny.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95]]
Twenty-one years after the battle of [[Klo]], Octopunch was still a member of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s forces, and helped torture the inhabitants of [[Torkulon]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} He was still at Bludgeon's side aboard the ''[[Warworld]]'' as the Decepticon leader unleashed his [[Blitz Engine]]s on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s Autobots. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}} At [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]]'s suggestion, [[Krok (G1)|Krok]], [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]], [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]], [[Horri-Bull]], [[Stranglehold]], and Octopunch went down to the planet's surface to join in the fighting, but as the Blitz Engines, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s Neo-Decepticons and finally Bludgeon himself were all defeated in turn, the Autobots claimed victory. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}

Afterwards, any Decepticons not killed in the battle were taken into Autobot custody and were then most likely converted into [[shadow-leech]]es by the [[Dark Matrix]] creature, along with (almost) the entire population of Cybertron, while [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and his Autobots were off-planet fighting [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] at the [[Hub (G2)|Hub Network]].
{{-}}

===A Tale of the Pretenders===
With other Decepticon Pretenders, Octopunch was active in ancient [[Japan]]. One day, they came across three [[human]] siblings and threatened them. The oldest managed to escape and both [[Iguanus (G1)|Iguanus]] and [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] pursued the remaining two while the other Decepticons followed. [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] found the entire thing beneath their notice, but Octopunch rebuked him, desiring to "play" with the humans. He was about to step on the two when [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] struck Octopunch, breaking his helmet and leaving him unable to "ventilate". Other Autobot Pretenders soon followed and Octopunch was sent scampering by the efforts of [[Lander]], [[Diver (Masterforce)|Diver]], and [[Phoenix (Masterforce)|Phoenix]]. {{storylink|A Tale of the Pretenders}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[City on Fire|Transformers: Robots in Disguise #12]]
[[File:LonelyPillarOnThePlain-forgottenskirmish.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Octopunch fought [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] during the [[Battle of Junkion]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}}

[[File:Octopunch submarauder stranglehold city on fire.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67]]

After the Chaos War, Octopunch was one of the Decepticons who started rioting on the streets of Cybertron in celebration of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s return. {{storylink|City on Fire}}
{{-}}

===''Power of the Primes'' marketing material===
[[File:PowerOfThePrimes-OctopunchSolusPrime-CardArt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Four times better than [[Double Punch]]]]
Octopunch was a [[Prime Master]] who housed the spark energy of [[Solus Prime]], able to grant weapon forger abilities to other Transformers. {{storylink|#Generations|''Power of the Primes'' Octopunch / Solus Prime online bio}}
{{note|For a list of powers manifested by Octopunch, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this chart]].}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Octopunch-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|[[Octopunch (SG)#Timelines|''Shattered Glass'' Octopunch]]? What are you doing here?]]

Octopunch was on a routine mission to [[Aquatron]] to get some crystals, and decided to spare some torpedoes on his sworn enemy [[Seaspray (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Seaspray]]. That was a big mistake. His torpedoes set off the highly volatile crystals, and Sharkticons swarmed in attacked them both.

Arriving on Earth, distraught, damaged, and missing some vital organs, he needed someone to talk to about Aquatron. [[Luca]] and Breakdown excused themselves from having to hear his woes, and Bludgeon only reminisced about their hardcore times as the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] with [[Stranglehold]]. So Octopunch turned to Seaspray to talk about his Sharkticon horrors. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Octopunch Research}}

Bludgeon gave Octopunch their 'wrecking ball' Gnaw to work with, much to his chagrin. They went to one of Earth's oceans, waiting for any Autobot to intercept a signal there. Octopunch presented the vast ocean to Gnaw, but he didn't seem interested. Octopunch started to believe they could make a good team, just as Gnaw bit one of his tentacles.

Seaspray eventually arrived, and Octopunch was waiting for the right moment to pounce, but Gnaw jumped out too soon. Seaspray had energon snacks with him, and convinced Gnaw to chomp Octopunch's body parts for more!
{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Gnaw Research}}

*'''Class:''' Gunner
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Weapons:''' Octopunch a rocket launcher that shoots three missile at a time.
*'''Ability: Whirlwind:''' Summons a devastating tornado that moves to target location dealing damage every second. Stuns and interrupts defenses.
**'''Cost:''' 5 ability points (was 6) +3 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:octopunch Octopunch at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Octopunch toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Found in the aisles of your local Shell City.]]
*'''Octopunch''' (Pretender, [[1989]])
**''Accessories:'' Gun, small gun, helmet, 2 crab legs (left & right)
:Octopunch's inner robot transforms into a crab, though you need the two sets of legs which attach to his sides to complete it. By attaching the small "acetyene torch gun" to his [[robot mode]] arm, an "Attack Robot" is formed. Octopunch's Pretender shell is a bipedal octopus creature in a scuba outfit, with four octopus-like tentacles extending from his shoulders. While the robot is inside, the crab legs can attach to the back of the shell, and there's a place for the small gun to attach inside the shell. The helmet can be removed revealing a monstrous face. The shell's arms, head and helmet are all made from a softer plastic than the rest of the shell. Though Octopunch's Marvel Comics appearances give him a trident weapon, the toy does not come with one; instead, he has this harpoon gun thing.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Decepticon/Octopunch/octopunch.htm More information on Octopunch at TFU.info]''

===Generations===
[[File:POTP-Prime-Master-Solus-Octopunch.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Solus Prime''' (Prime Master, [[2018]])
**''Japanese ID number'': '''PP-28'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[September 29]], 2018'''
**''Accessories'': Octopunch decoy armor, tentacle device
:''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Solus Prime#Generations|Solus Prime]] is a new mold that transforms into a [[Prime Master|Prime Core]] that can store inside decoy armor modeled after Octopunch's [[Pretender]] shell, or plug into any decoy armor's weapon form, or replace the Matrix core of a ''Power of the Primes'' Leader Class figure. Solus can also ride Legends Class figures, or attach to Deluxe Class figures' chest armor, Voyager Class figures' bucklers, or Voyager Class figures' combined modes. Similar to all of the decoy armor, the weapon piece for weapon mode can detach and be held by the decoy armor.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:EarlyBanzaiTron.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Maybe he's Punchocto.]]
*The Pretender shells of Octopunch and [[Longtooth]] both possess human skull belt buckles. The significance of this shared detail, if any, has never been revealed.
*Many promotional catalogs depict [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron's]] [[Action Master]] partner [[Razor-Sharp]] as Octopunch's inner robot in Razor-Sharp's colors. That's kind of weird.
*It was bad enough when Octopunch's ricocheted shot alerted [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] to [[Primus]]'s location, resulting in countless deaths and the persisting threat of the Planet Eater. It was later [[retcon]]ned in "[[Vector Prime: In the Beginning]]" that Octopunch's ricocheted shot not only doomed his own universe to Unicron, but every single Transformers universe in the entire multiverse as well. Better hope there's no {{w|karma}} in ''Transformers'', or he's got some serious comeuppance due.
*At [[BotCon 2008]], it was revealed that the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' crew originally planned to use a human villain patterned after Octopunch (with the addition of boxing gloves on his tentacles) in the opening scenes of "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]". He was eventually replaced with the [[Angry Archer]]. [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] also stated in an interview that he and [[Matt Youngberg]] had been trying to make him a character for a long time.
*He only used the toy's blasters once. And it was when ''Ruckus'' employed him.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Octopunch''' (オクトパンチ ''Okutopanchi'')
*''French:'' '''Pieuvre''' (France, "Octopus"), '''Octocoup''' (Canada, "Octopunch")
*''Italian:'' '''Medusa'''

[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Mayhem Attack Squad]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Prime Masters]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:Undersea specialists]]

Gauging the Truth, Part Three: Moment of Truth

2020-09-02T05:40:36Z

TailgatePrime: /* Synopsis */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'' #9
|prev=Gauging the Truth, Part Two: A Truth for a Truth
|next=Storm Horizon, Part 1
|caption=
|image=TFGalaxies 9 cvrA.jpg
|title="Gauging the Truth, Part Three: Moment of Truth"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 2]], 2020
|coverdate=August 2020
|written by=[[Sam Maggs]]
|art by=[[Beth McGuire-Smith]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]], and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Arcee and Greenlight fight to stop Heretech and his Reversionists, but Gauge's status as a child of two worlds may be the key to saving Cybertron.'''

==Synopsis==
Plenary [[Heretech]] and the [[Reversionist]]s who follow him have come full circle—as the ''[[Exodus (G1 ship)|Exodus]]'' arrives over [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], [[Greenlight]], and [[Gauge]] observe the grim panorama below, and Arcee deduces that this is a deliberate move on Heretech's part. The mad Senator intends to take advantage of the chaos on Cybertron for his own ends. Arcee and Greenlight hatch a plan: Gauge will rejoin Heretech's ranks in the hopes of slowing down his plan from the inside, while Arcee and Greenlight will flee to the surface using a launch bay to warn as may people as they can. The three share a quick hug before Gauge returns to the upper levels of the ship, where [[Accelerator]] waits to return her to custody. Gauge accepts Accelerator's many threats and admonishments... but is shocked when Accelerator informs her that the only reason she's still alive is because Heretech has a special destiny for her!

Heretech parades Gauge before the assembled Reversionists for one final ceremony—she will be their messenger, chosen spread their holy word across Cybertron. ''All'' Transformers will renounce their former allegiances and join the Reversionists on their "true path"... and those who do not will return to [[Primus]] when the ''Exodus'' fires its plasma engines directly onto the surface, igniting a vein of naturally-ocurring [[energon]] that Gauge will find for her people. Gauge knows that this will only accelerate the burgeoning crisis below, but doesn't dare speak up. If she refuses to comply, Heretech warns her, she too will perish with the other sinners. Once again, Gauge finds herself caught between two worlds: the religious world of the Reversionists and the secular existence of her mentors. Has her Reversionist upbringing ''really'' enlightened her, or duped her into following a maniacal false prophet? All her life, Gauge has followed instructions, Arcee's, Greenlight's, Heretech's, Accelerator's... but Gauge has her epiphany—she may have been raised in two different worlds, raised and conditioned to advance two different causes—but there is only ''one'' Gauge, and only ''she'' can decide what that means,

As the Reversionists leap from the ''Exodus'' to begin their attack on the local communications outpost, Gauge follows, [[transformation|transforming]] as she falls and landing in her mobile digger [[alternate mode]]. As the Reversionists overwhelm the defenders, Gauge reports to Arcee that she's heading towards the communications tower, ignoring her mentor's demands to tell her what she's up to. The Reversionists don't ''want'' to kill, she realizes, they want converts... and perhaps Arcee and Greenlight might ''not'' have the right answer to this problem. Gauge reaches the tower, slips past the Reversionists outside, then locks herself in the broadcast center. Once she activates the array, Gauge delivers her impassioned speech: the Reversionists want the people of Cybertron to join them, and the Cybertronians want her to denounce their movement. Today, however, she'll do neither. If a Cybertronian wants to become a Reversionist, then they should have the freedom to choose... but the Reversionists must also respect the wishes of others who might ''not'' wish to join them. The Reversionists didn't ''give'' Gauge that choice; every minute of every day, they told her how to live, how to act, how to think—but now that Gauge can think for herself and make her own decisions, she wants to stop them from inflicting that abuse onto anyone else. As the crowd outside pounds on the doors, Heretech himself descends from on high, rips his way into the comms tower, and prepares to rip Gauge apart for her disobedience. But Arcee and Greenlight aren't far behind, and promptly leap to their mentee's defense!

Intent on proving that nothing can stop will of Primus, Heretech transforms, intent on using his hulking drill-tank alternate mode to bulldoze right over the three. Using their own vehicle forms, however, Arcee and Greenlight outmaneuver their foe and keeping the religious fanatic at bay while Gauge transforms and uses her scoop to dig up a mass of raw [[energon crystal]]s. For the first time in her life, Gauge stands up for herself by pitching the crystals directly at him; a crack shot from Arcee ignites the energon, and the subsequent explosion leaves the 'bot she once worshipped broken and defeated. Her actions have finally broken Heretech's godly façade—his mystique lost forever, Heretech stands revealed as just an ordinary Cybertronian. Greenlight asks Gauge what they should do with the villain, and Gauge suggests they leave him for the other Reversionists to deal with—just like her, they should let Heretech's former followers decide what ''they'' should want to be.

Although Heretech's defeat means that the [[Senate]]'s Reversionist party no longer exists, its members are quick to bounce back, and elect Accelerator as their new plenary. She and most of her followers will return to space once the ''Exodus'' has been repaired, but not all. Some choose to stay behind on Cybertron, in the hopes of joining other factions and steering their homeworld towards a brighter tomorrow... including Gauge. But despite her many adventures, she's not ''quite'' ready to go it alone, and approaches Arcee and Greenlight to ask if she can stay with them. The two happily agree, but Gauge has one condition: just because they're her mentors, ''doesn't'' mean that she can't question their judgment. Greenlight agrees, joking that she ''always'' questions Arcee's judgement. As the sun rises over the Cybertronian skyline, the reunited family walks off into the dawn, ready to begin their new life—together.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters

|h4=[[Reversionist]]s|c4=
* [[Accelerator]] (4)
* [[Heretech]] (5)

|h5=Others|c5=
* [[Greenlight]] (1)
* [[Gauge]] (2)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (3)
}}

==Quotes==
"The Reversionists wanted me to have faith in the process. But I have faith in myself. I make my '''own''' decisions, now. I '''choose''' who I'm going to be. Sure, there may be some beauty in repetition. But I think the '''real''' beauty... is in the unknown."
:—'''Gauge'''

"They took me from my family. '''Told''' me how to live. I can make my '''own''' decisions now. And I've decided to fight '''back''' against their plan to rob you all of your free will, head-on. And now I am almost certainly going to be ripped to shreds so if you'll '''excuse''' me, Cybertron-"
:—'''Gauge''' makes a speech

"Just because you're my mentors '''doesn't''' mean that I can't question you. Right?" 
"'''I''' question Arcee all the time." 
"Only because I'm '''nearly always''' right and she just can't accept that."
:—'''Gauge''', '''Greenlight''', and '''Arcee'''

"To a new life. To '''my''' new life. To find a new routine."
:—'''Gauge''' closes us out

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* It's not entirely clear how far along the timeline this adventure is set relative to what's going down in IDW's [[Transformers (2019 comic)|main ''Transformers'' ongoing]]. As the war doesn't appear to have broken out yet, it'd likely take place at some point during the concurrent "Rise of the Decepticons" story arc that began in [[Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|#19]]—possibly just before, as Cybertron still seems to be reeling from the destruction of the [[Tether]].
* In this universe, newborn Transformers like Gauge and [[Rubble]] don't have [[alternate mode]]s when they emerge from the [[Pyramid (Cybertron)|Pyramid]]; in [[Arcee/Greenlight: Run|''Transformers'' issue #18]], Gauge specifically laments the fact that she hadn't chosen one yet. By process of elimination, this must mean that she scanned her alternate mode at some point ''after'' leaving Cybertron during her time as [[Accelerator]]'s mentee. Since Heretech specifically praises her "unique skills" in finding energon, maybe having her choose ''this'' specific vehicle mode was always a part of his overarching "kill all who disagree" plan?

===Transformers references===
* Heretech's big fight scene marks the first time he's transformed in either IDW continuity, but his depiction as a fanciful drill-tank is in keeping with [[James Roberts]]'s vision for the character in his script for ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[The Gloaming|#16]], which described him as a tunnel-boring machine. <ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/a-look-into-james-roberts-scripting-part-2-introducing-megatrons-gun-mode/43054/ James Roberts's script for ''More than Meets the Eye'' #16: "He transforms into a digging machine (tunnel boring machine)."]</ref>

===Errors===
* On page twelve, there’s a comma missing from Gauge’s speech bubble, between "now" and "I".

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for May, the comic slipped to June before IDW Publishing’s two-month hiatus and further delays pushed it all the way back to September.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Gauge, Arcee, and Greenlight make a stand, by [[Umi Miyao]]
* '''Cover B''': Gauge gets up to mischief, by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Stuck in the middle with Gauge, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Burcham]]

<gallery>
File:TFGalaxies 9 cvrA.jpg
File:TFGalaxies 9 cvrB.jpg
File:TFGalaxies 9 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''The Last Ronin''
* ''Voyage to the Stars''
* IDW digital comics

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://popculthq.com/2020/09/01/preview-idws-9-2-release-transformers-galaxies-9/ Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gauging the Truth Part 3: Moment of Truth}}
[[Category:Galaxies issues]]

Bumblebee (G1)/toys

2020-08-08T03:32:57Z

TailgatePrime: /* Transformers (2014) */

{{suite}}
[[File:Bumblebeeg1toys.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|Sure, just one Bumblebee's pretty nonthreatening. But get an army...]]
'''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]''' gots lots of toys!

==Toys==
===The Transformers===
{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:Bumblebeeg1toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeSpfUHqxG8 The original sweet boy.]]][[File:G1-toy BumblebeeChina.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Chinese-release Bumblebee. Note the unpainted rear bumpers.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Mini Vehicle, 1984-1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''11''', '''C-56'''

:Bumblebee's original toy, released in 1984 and in Japan in 1985, originally hails from the ''[[Micro Change]]'' series, transforming into a "penny-racer"-proportioned Volkswagen Beetle. He was available through the first three years of the ''Transformers'' series, the entire duration of the [[Mini Vehicle]] assortment, the only 1984 Mini Vehicle to do so.

:'Bee has a ''lot'' of minor variations. Throughout 1984 and 1985, Bumblebee was produced in both yellow and red (as was [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Cliffjumper]]), a move meant to "make the line look bigger" according to former [[Hasbro]] R&D Vice President [[George Dunsay]].<ref name="dunsay">[http://www.tfarchive.com/fandom/interviews/george_dunsay/george_dunsay_interview.php Interview with George Dunsay at TFArchive.com]</ref> For his 1984 release, both color versions had an Autobot sigil on the roof/chest. In 1985, this was replaced by a [[rubsign]]. The rubsign remained on the 1986 release, though he was only released in yellow that year.

:Packaging-wise, there are several more variations. In 1984, the Mini Vehicles were packaged in vehicle mode. Come 1985, a picture of the toy in vehicle mode was added to the front of the card, and ''later'' the toys proper were packaged in robot mode. From this point on, the Mini Vehicles were also part of two different pack-in promotions; the [[Mini-spy|Mini-spies]] and iron-on reflective patches. The Mini-spies packed in with Bumblebee and Cliffjumper only came in white, one of the three possible colors for the add-ons.

: For his 1985 Japanese release, Bumblebee came in a small box rather than on a card. He was available in both red and yellow, both versions having the rubsign rather than the foil faction symbol. He was also released in the 1986 assortment, but only in yellow. This is why he has two ID numbers in Japan; in 1986, the line switched from a single-series number listing to splitting it up between "C" (Cybertron/Autobot) and "D" (Destron/Decepticon) groupings.

: Bumblebee was released in a wide variety of colors in markets south of the border, which will be covered in separate entries below (as to not make this entry unreadably long; there's a ''ton'' of variants and more keep popping up!).

: In the early 1990s, Bumblebee was one of many Transformers ''finally'' released in China. He comes on a card nigh-identical to the original Hasbro packaging, with a few Chinese-language stickers added. The toy itself has some notable differences from the original, however: aside from an unpainted rear bumper (the most obvious difference), this Bumblebee has a paler, less-saturated yellow plastic. He also only came in yellow, and only came with a rubsign. This toy, along with many other Chinese-market Transformers at the time, somehow made their way to UK stores, most notably Woolworths.

:This mold was later [[retool]]ed into a [[#Keychain|keychain version of Bumblebee]], as well as for a [[#TFCollection|''Transformers Collection'' multipack]] (see below).

:The original mold is also used by the [[Optimus (faction)|Optimus-faction]] [[Volks (G1)|Volks]]. Later [[retool]]ings of this mold were used to make [[Glyph (Universe)#Toys|Glyph]] and [[Bug Bite (GoBots)#Toys|Bug Bite]].

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-mini-vehicles-bumblebee/19/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Bumblebee at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Bumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Bumblebee at TFU.info]''


{{-}}{{anchor|Mexican}}
*'''Bumblebee''' (Mini Vehicle, 1985)

: When he was released in Mexico by [[IGA]], Bumblebee came in a wide variety of colors: both the original red and yellow, as well as blue, silver, and white. The silver and white versions are particularly notable (and significantly rarer), as they have red-painted faces. The sticker on the back of Mexican Bumblebee's head is also slightly different from the Hasbro/Takara release, being the same general design, but smaller and with thicker, simpler lines.

: Years later, large numbers of Mexican Transformers somehow made it to various European markets.

:*''[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/mini_frame.php?art=bluemexbee More information on blue Mexican Bumblebee at TF-1.com]''
:*''[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/mini_frame.php?art=whitemexbee More information on white Mexican Bumblebee at TF-1.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Estrela}}
[[File:G1toy silver volks.jpg|thumb|''"Eu vou a pé eu vou de fusca / Eu vou em busca de um amor..."''|upright=1.67]]
*'''Volks''' (Robocar, 1985)

: Bumblebee was released in Brazil by [[Estrela]] in 1985 as the Robocar "Volks", initially available in two color schemes: his original yellow and black, and slick-looking silver and black with a gold face, both decorated with a new thin tech-detailing sticker on their chests based on the original ''[[Micro Change]]'' decals. The design of the sticker on the back of his head was also changed to a more complex grid pattern. The raised "DUNLOP" branding on the tires was also removed.

: Later, Estrela released red and orange versions of Volks sporting the new "[[Optimus (faction)|Optimus]]" faction insignia; given this new factional alignment, for the purposes of this wiki, the Optimus-aligned Volks is considered a [[Volks (G1)|separate character]] from Bumblebee.

::*''[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/mini_frame.php?art=silverbee More information on Silver Bumblebee/Volks at TF-1.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Antex}}
[[File:AntexVolks.jpg|thumb|''"... Eu vou a pé vou de fusca / Aonde tem amor eu vou!"''|upright=1.66]]
*'''Volks''' (Robocar, 1985)

: The aforementioned red and orange versions of Volks were released in Argentina by [[Antex]] in 1985, both sporting the Estrela stickers and "DUNLOP"-less tires. Later releases of the orange version have been found with different paper stickers: the one on his chest/roof being one that was originally applied to [[Salt-Man Z]]'s groin. (The back-of-the-head decal was ''probably'' also changed, but right know we don't know for sure.)

: The card's toy photogrpahy depicts the Estrela yellow and silver versions, but it is believed this was merely a holdover from the Estrela-designed packaging, and that neither coloration was never sold in Argentina.

: These toys are more readily available on the secondary market than their Estrela predecessors. They also have lower quality control.

{{-}}{{anchor|Rubiplas}}
*'''Bumblebee''' (Mini Vehicle, 1985)

: As far as foreign Mini Vehicle variants go, the Venezuelan release of Bumblebee by [[Rubiplas]] is pretty tame. He came in both the Hasbro yellow and red versions, and retains the Hasbro stickers. However, his head lacks both the silver paint on his face, and the [[Vacuum metallizing|chrome silver]] on the "plate" part of the head, leaving it as black plastic.

{{-}}{{anchor|Lynsa}}
*'''Bumblebee''' (Mini Vehicle, 1986)

: Manufactured by Argentinean company [[Lynsa]] but sold in Peru, this version of Bumblebee is similar to the Rubiplas release, lacking any paint or chrome, but this version also has plastic tires instead of rubber. So far, three different colorations have been confirmed: the original yellow-and-black, red-and-black, and peachy-orange-and-black. It is claimed that there may be ''six'' different versions of Peruvian Bumblebee all told, with the three others being unique to that market, but no-one has been able to find and confirm the others so far.

{{note|Peruvian company BASA (which eventually changed to HUDE) apparently also (briefly) sold ''Transformers'' in Peru, but these were straight imports of Hasbro Mini Vehicles with a company sticker applied to the packaging.}}

{{-}}{{anchor|Goldbug}}
[[File:Goldbugg1toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Older, squatter, faster.]]
*'''Goldbug''' (Throttlebot, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-97'''

:The [[Throttlebot]] Goldbug was released in 1987, and like the other Throttlebots, he has a pull-back motor and a simple transformation. The vehicle mode was not designed to look like a penny racer, as the original toy was, so its variation on the Volkswagen Beetle was much more realistically-proportioned. Despite being made of gold plastic, he does not seem to suffer from [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]]. Though the other Throttlebots seem to have always been intended to be new characters, Goldbug's head was based directly on that of Bumblebee's original toy. Bumblebee was the second Transformer to be given a second toy (as both [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Hot Rod]] and Rodimus Prime had been released the previous year).

: The Throttlebots were part of the [[Decoy]] promotion in 1987, where the carded toys came with a soft-rubber figuring. The Throttlebots were the only team to come with either Autobot or Decepticon Decoys; the other toys in the promotion only came with Decoys of the same faction they belonged to.

:This toy also doubles as the ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' incarnation of [[Goldbug (IDW)|Goldbug]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1987/Autobot/Goldbug/goldbug.htm More information on Goldbug at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/instructions/autobot/1987/instr_goldbug.jpg Instructions for Goldbug at Botchthecrab.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Pretender}}
[[File:G1toy pretender bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Still not Herbie.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Pretender, 1989)
**''Accessories'': Pretender shell, helmet, large "sonic blaster" rifle, small "laser pistol"

:As part of the sixth year of Generation 1, Bumblebee was released as a "[[Classic Pretender]]", expanding the range of [[Pretender]]s toys. This version of Bumblebee is still a Volkswagen Beetle, but now has what look like off-road tires. His vehicle mode has a realistically-proportioned front end, but the cab area is more relatively compact than on the Goldbug toy (though not quite as deformed as the original Bumblebee). He came with a gun for his robot mode that could be mounted on his roof and another gun for his human shell. Oddly, the robot's head is modeled after [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper's]] toy head.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1989/Autobot/Bumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on ''Pretender'' Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/instructions/autobot/1989/instr_bumblebee_(pretender).jpg Instruction booklet for ''Pretender'' Bumblebee at Botchthecrab.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|G1Legend}}
*'''Bumblebee''' (Legends, 1989)
**''Accessories'': "Laser pistol"

:The inner robot to Pretender Classics Bumblebee was sold without the shell as a [[Kmart]] [[exclusive]] [[Legends (G1)|Legends]] figure, but with the inner-robot gun to his teammate [[Jazz (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Jazz]], who had Bumblebee's small gun in exchange.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1989/Autobot/Bumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on ''Legends'' Bumblebee at TFU.info]'' (scroll down)
::*''[http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/instructions/autobot/1989/instr_bumblebee_(legends).jpg Instructions for ''Legends'' Bumblebee at Botchthecrab.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Hero Set}}
[[File:G1toy japanese legends giftset.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Hero Set''' (Multi-pack, 1989)
**''Accessories:'' "Laser pistol"

:In Japan, Legends Bumblebee was only available in a boxed "Hero Set" with the Legends versions of [[Jazz (G1)/toys#HeroSet|Jazz]], [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#HeroSet|Grimlock]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Heroset|Starscream]]. Bumblebee was identical to the Hasbro release.

:In Italy, [[GiG]] released their own version of the Hero Set, named "Set Commandos", instead of the Classic Pretender versions of the toys. Bumblebee was given the name "Saetta", which was originally the Italian name of [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys|Wheeljack]]. The "Set Commandos" toys were identical to the Japanese "Hero Set" versions.

{{-}}{{anchor|ActionMaster}}
[[File:G1toy action master bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Sadly, despite its charm, Hasbro's crossover attempt with [http://data.whicdn.com/images/133507565/large.png Doraemon] wouldn't be enough to save the Action Masters from flopping.]]
*'''Bumblebee with Heli-pack''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories'': Heli-pack, "Astral Exploder Rifle"

:Part of the second wave of single-carded [[Action Master]] figures, Bumblebee is a non-transforming action figure that mixed cartoon model with toy-detail. He comes with his [[Heli-pack]] that transforms into a large "high-powered air rifle" with spring-loaded deploying barrel. Bumblebee and his Heli-pack are cross-compatible with any other Action Master figure, vehicle or accessory; plus the hole in his back is compatible with [[5 mm post|5mm post]]s.

:This release makes Bumblebee the only character to have a toy of ''some'' kind available during the entire original ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' production run (from 1984-1990).

::*''[http://tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Bumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on ''Action Master'' Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/instructions/autobot/action_masters/instr_bumblebee.jpg Instructions for ''Action Master'' Bumblebee at Botchthecrab.com]''
{{-}}

*'''Goldbug''' (1991)
:Goldbug, and the rest of the Throttlebots, were reissued in Europe in 1991 as part of the [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] reissues. It was [[retool]]ed to remove the [[rubsign]] indent, and the heat-sensitive decal was replaced with a glossy-paper faction symbol.

{{-}}{{anchor|Keychain}}
[[File:G1toy bumblebee keychain.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.67|If you're feeling bitter, you might need a sweet boy in your pocket!]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Keychain, 2001/2003/2007)

:Bumblebee was reissued as a keychain by [[Fun4All]] under license from [[Hasbro]] in the US in 2001. Along with having its rear bumper [[retool]]ed to accommodate the chain, the keychain form lacked the "Dunlop" text on the tires. The toy also returned to its original sticker set-up, doing away with the rubsign and restored the Autobot symbol on his chest. They keychain version of this figure was made available again in 2007, this time released by Basic Fun under the "[[Heroes of Cybertron]]" banner.

:In Japan, all four Mini-Bot keychains were released in Japan in 2003 as [[7-Eleven]] [[exclusive]]s. Each of the keychains also had a black "[[Chase figure|chase]]" version. The black deco was later [[Repurposing|repurposed]] as [[Black Bumble|an evil clone]] of Bumblebee.

:This mold was also used to make [[Glyph (Universe)#Toys|Glyph]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2003/Cybertron/BlackBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on the black keychain Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[File:G2Bumblebee Minicar toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|A gold bug, but not Goldbug.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Mini Vehicle, 1993)

:Bumblebee's first ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' toy was a [[redeco]] of his original toy, transforming into a "Penny Racer"-proportioned Volkswagen Beetle. However, this version has yellow chrome on the previously matte-yellow plastics. Thankfully, there seem to be few to no reports of chrome flaking on any of the ''Generation 2'' Mini Vehicles.

:The figure pictured here features a G1 Autobot [[Insignia]] on his chest/roof, but this is nonstandard. The figure as released featured a bare chest/roof. The only symbol on the figure is the G2 Autobot Insignia stamped on the bottom of his foot followed by the word Autobot.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1993/Autobot/Bumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Generation 2 Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Go-Bot}}
[[File:G2toy gobot bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Now he's just gold.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Go-Bot, 1995)
**''Accessories'': Rifle

:Bumblebee's second release in the ''Generation 2'' line was as a recolor of the [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] [[High Beam]], transforming into a concept race car with exposed rear engine that looks ''exactly'' like the [[Wikia:hotwheels:Speed Blaster|Speed Blaster]] car from Mattel's ''Hot Wheels'' line that was first released in 1991 under the names "Back Burner" and "Sonic Special". He features through-axle construction for incredibly fast zipping on flat, smooth surfaces, and is compatible with many tracks and playsets from ''Hot Wheels'' and ''Matchbox''.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Crosswise (RID)#Toys|Crosswise]] and [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]]. It was later [[repurposing|repurposed]] to be a [[Bumblebee (G2)|"next-generation" clone of Bumblebee]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1995/Autobot/Bumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Go-Bots Bumblebee at TFU.info]''{{G2HighBeamMold}}
{{-}}

===Smallest Transforming Transformers===
[[File:Smallest transforming bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|50% smaller, still 100% sweet.]]
*'''Bumble''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GTF 04'''

: Not much more than an inch tall, ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' Bumblebee is a scaled-down version of his original toy, retaining the larger figure's [[transformation]] scheme but losing its rolling wheels by sheer necessity of size. Bumblebee was sold as part of the line's first wave and, like all the figures, came [[blindpacking|blindpacked]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2003/Cybertron/SmallestBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Smallest Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{anchor|SmallestRed}}
*'''Bumble (Red)''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GTF X-2'''

:Bumblebee also came in red! A red variant of the toy was one of two [[chase figure]]s sold in the first ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' wave.
{{-}}

===The Transformers Collection===
{{anchor|TFCollection}}
[[File:G1toy reissue Bumble.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Sweet Boy: Upgraded!]]
*'''Minibot Team Set''' (6-pack, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''12'''

:"Bumble" was again reissued in Japan as part of ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' "bookbox" series in a six-toy multi-pack, with [[Huffer (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Drag]], [[Cosmos (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Adams]], [[Gears (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Gears]], [[Powerglide (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Powerglide]], and [[Warpath (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Warpath]]. This time around, Bumblebee was [[retool]]ed to have a new [[Show-accuracy|cartoon-accurate]] head. Additionally, this version of the figure gave Bumblebee both an Autobot symbol ''and'' a rubsign, keeping the former in its traditional placement on his chest, and relocating the rubsign to the back of his head, replacing the original tech-detailing sticker that had previously been there.

:The entire set was redecoed to make the [[G1 GoBots|"G1 GoBots"]] set; this version of Bumblebee became [[Bug Bite (GoBots)#Toys|Bug Bite]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/ReBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Transformers Collection Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternators/Binaltech===
[[File:AlternatorsBumblebeeDesign.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]

: One of the earliest proposals in the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators/Binaltech]]'' line was for Bumblebee as a Volkswagen New Beetle, with [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Cliffjumper]] as the redeco. Unfortunately, VW evidently did not want to be associated with "war toys" [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|at that time]], and therefore the design never made it past the control drawing stage. Control drawings for both Bumblebee and Cliffjumper have been published in the Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' book. The design did, however, end up appearing fictionally as Bumblebee's form in the "[[Descent into Evil]]" comic.
 
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[File:Titanium bumblebee.jpg|thumb]]
*''' ''War Within'' Bumblebee''' (Cybertron Hero, unreleased)
**''Accessories:'' Unknown, likely display stand

:Prior to the line's cancellation, a 6-inch resin copy depicting a transformable Bumblebee was seen at [[BotCon 2006]]. His alternate mode was the saucer-like car seen the Dreamwave's ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' (which was itself based on the first cartoon appearance of Bumblebee). An alternate head of Cliffjumper was seen as well, indicating a retool. Unfortunately these never made it into production.
 
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Classics===
[[File:Bumblebeeclassicstoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Flight-enhancement buddy #2]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Wave Crusher trailer/backpack

:The Deluxe ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Bumblebee transforms into a yellow hatchback sports car (labeled as a "cruiser" on the package) that's basically Hasbro's typical cross between several existing car models: The general shape of the car is based on a heavily customized one-of-a-kind 1992-1995 {{w|Honda Civic (fifth generation)|fifth generation Honda Civic hatchback}} with lots of aftermarket add-ons (such as a large front bumper, large fenders and a large rear wing).<ref name="ricercivic">[http://www.tuningfever.fr/fr/pics/gal-1596-stephan/pic-33883-honda-civic.php Photos of 1992-1995 Honda Civic], photos taken from an eBay auction posted before September 2005.</ref> The front section takes some design cues from various models of the {{w|Subaru Impreza WRX}}, namely the hood vent present on all models, the front grille of the 2004-05 WRX and the headlights and the midsection of the front bumper from the 2006-07 WRX STi.<ref name="wrxsti06">[http://www.insideline.com/subaru/impreza-wrx/2006/first-drive-2006-subaru-impreza-wrx-and-wrx-sti.html 2006-2007 Subaru WRX STi], officially unveiled in September 2005.</ref> The shape of the rear fenders is also vaguely inspired by the {{w|Volkswagen New Beetle}}.

:Bumblebee comes with a single accessory, a jet ski called "[[Wave Crusher]]" on a trailer. This is a bit similar than his Action Master toy's transforming heli-pack. His robot mode is designed to look like a typical teenager, dressed in a hoodie with pockets and wearing big chunky trainers.<ref>[http://pingmag.jp/2007/06/29/transformers/ Interview] with [[Alex Kubalsky]]</ref> He is articulated with ball joints at the head, shoulders, elbows, hips, and has hinge knees. Wave Crusher converts into a [[jet pack]] that mounts onto his back.

:Later versions [[retool]]ed the area the [[rubsign]] rests on to be larger.

:This retooled version of this mold was also used to make ''Classics'' [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Classics|Cliffjumper]], and an unreleased blue deco.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Classics Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
{{ClassicsBumblebeeMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|LOC}}
[[File:Classics LegendsBumblebee toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Hot Bee? Bumbleshot?]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Legends, 2007)

:This ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Bumblebee toy is a redeco of ''[[Legends Class (2005)|Legends of Cybertron]]'' [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#CyLOC|Hot Shot]], transforming into a modified Chrysler ME Four Twelve concept car. In either mode he has flip-out "wings". We have gone full circle.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Red Alert (G1)#Universe (2008)|Red Alert]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Autobot/ClassicsLegendsBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Classic Legends Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Transformers (2007)===
{{anchor|Legacy3pack}}
[[File:Movietoy legacyofbumblebee classic.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.66|Do I need to have these black stripes? the white ones were fine.]]
*'''Legacy of Bumblebee''' (Deluxe class multi-pack, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Wave Crusher trailer/backpack

:A [[Walmart]] [[exclusive]] three pack, the ''Legacy of Bumblebee'' collector's set comes with [[#Classics|''Classics'']], [[Premium Series]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Premium|live-action movie]], and ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Bumblebee (Animated)#Toys|Bumblebee]] figures. While the ''Movie'' and ''Animated'' Bumblebees are identical to their original, single carded releases, the ''Classics'' Bumblebee has been redecoed to more closely resemble his ''Movie'' and ''Animated'' counterparts, changing his white stripes to black, his gray/silver plastic to yellow (similarly to ''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bumble, see immediately below), and the clear parts from a very faint blue-ish tint to deeply saturated clear blue plastic. In addition, the shoulder straps are no longer painted yellow, instead showing the clear blue plastic they are cast in; the head is no longer be painted over in yellow, due to the change of the plastic color from gray to yellow; and the [[Wave Crusher]] replaces the white paint with black paint for the upper half and an unpainted yellow lower half, and the orange stripe with a yellow one.

:This three-pack was available in ''Movie'' style packaging.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2008/Autobot/WMClassicBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Legacy Classics Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
{{ClassicsBumblebeeMold}}
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[File:Henkei Bumble toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The difference is mind blowing.]]
*'''Bumble''' (Deluxe, 2008-[[March 13|03-13]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-03'''
**''Accessories:'' Wave Crusher trailer/backpack

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Bumblebee is a redeco of [[#Classics|''Classics'' Bumblebee.]] Bumblebee swaps some of his black plastic for dark gray, and his light gray plastic for yellow. His yellow plastic is almost entirely covered in yellow paint to deal with the common problem of yellow plastic being near-translucent against darker plastics and the inconsistency between bare plastic parts and painted clear parts. His eyes are painted blue despite being molded in translucent plastic. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, he lacks the ''Classics'' heat-sensitive rubsign, but has some [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] parts: his hood-mounted scoop and his spoiler.

:This mold was also used to make ''Classics'' [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Classics|Cliffjumper]].
{{ClassicsBumblebeeMold}}
{{-}}

[[File:TF-Henkei-Deluxe-Glyph.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Are you sure that the little blue sweet boy isn't [[Glyph (Universe)|Glyph]]?"]]
*'''Bumble'''? (Deluxe Class, unreleased)
:A redeco of ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classic]]'' Deluxe [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Classics|Bumblebee]] in a color scheme very reminiscent of the blue variant of the original ''Micro Change'' Volkswagen. Several samples of this figure were leaked in 2010, with [[fandom|fans]] arguing over whether it was a legitimate Hasbro or TakaraTomy product (with the [[vacuum metallizing|chromed]] spoiler and hood vent strongly hinting towards TakaraTomy) or a [[knockoff]]. At least one [[eBay]] seller claimed it was a very rare [[Lucky Draw figure|lucky draw figure]].<ref name="united1">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/universe-classics-20-29/unknown-classics-bumblebee-repaint-glyph-169500/ "Unknown Classics Bumblebee Repaint - Glyph?"] at TFW2005.</ref><ref name="united2">[http://tformers.com/transformers-classics-bumblebee-repainted-blue-forsomething-updated/13356/news.html "Classics Bumblebee Repainted Blue For...Something - UPDATED"] at TFormers.com.</ref> At [[BotCon 2010]], Hasbro representatives stated that the figure was "not a Hasbro product".<ref name="bc2010">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2010-hasbro-designers-panel-170066/ Botcon 2010 Hasbro Designers Panel] at TFW2005.</ref> Ultimately, the toy was never officially acknowledged by TakaraTomy until 2014, when it was included in an exhibit at Transformers Expo, albeit this time with the hood vent covered in gold rather than silver chrome.<ref name="tfexpo1">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/tf-expo-pics-masterpiece-star-saber-in-color-and-more-180923/ "TF Expo Pics - Masterpiece Star Saber In Color and More!"] at TFW2005.</ref><ref name="tfexpo2">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/tf-expo-pics-part-2-g1-prototypes-movie-props-and-more-masterpiece-180925/ "TF Expo Pics Part 2 - G1 Prototypes, Movie Props, and More Masterpiece!"] at TFW2005.</ref><ref name="tfexpo3">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/tf-expo-pics-part-4-prototypes-and-figure-displays-from-diaclone-g1-g2-beast-wars-180933/ "TF Expo Pics Part 4 - Prototypes and Figure Displays from Diaclone, G1, G2, Beast Wars"] at TFW2005.</ref>
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Encore===
[[File:G1toy encore bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Hey, I can see!]]
*'''Bumble & Minibots''' (5-pack, 2008)
** ''Japanese ID number'': '''10'''

:The ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' series of reissues featured a set similar to the 2004 ''The Transformers Collection'' Minibots set; this time, rather than a mix of 1984 and 1985 Mini-Vehicles, it included mostly figures from 1986 plus Bumblebee (whose original toy had still shipped in 1986), bundling him with [[Outback (G1)#Encore|Outback]], [[Pipes (G1)#Encore|Pipes]], [[Swerve (G1)#Encore|Swerve]], and [[Tailgate (G1)#Encore|Tailgate]]. ''Encore'' Bumblebee retains the [[show-accuracy|show-accurate]] head sculpt from the ''Transformers Collection'' release, but now sports several additional paint operations: his eyes are blue, his brake lights are red, and his bumpers and headlights are silver.
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:TF-Universe-(2008)-Legends-Class-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Stingers and plasma cannon not included. (Neither is a laser pistol.)]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Legends, 2008)

:''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Legends class Bumblebee has a vehicle mode that is something of an amalgamation of the vehicle forms recent Bumblebees have adopted. While he forms a modern hatchback like the ''Classics'' Bumblebee and ''Animated'' Bumblebee toys, the more aggressive design with large flared wheel arches, and small windows evoke the look of the [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]] version of [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]. He transforms similarly to, but not exactly the same as, his [[#Generation 1|Generation 1 toy]].

:Care must be taken while rolling the vehicle: pushing down while moving the vehicle forward can chip the paint underneath the hip section. The hip ball-joints are also fragile, as one of them can eventually break if one attempts to separate it, or twisting it with a slightly warped ball joint.

:This mold was redecoed into ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Cliffjumper]], [[#Transformers (2010)|''Transformers'' "Gold Bumblebee"]], and ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' Cybertronian [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Bumblebee]] from the Bumblebee/Starscream [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] four-pack.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Universe Legends Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternity===
[[File:Alternity bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Bee not included]]
*'''Bumble''' (2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''A-03'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 "chrono-venom stinger guns"

:''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' Bumble transforms into a licensed 1:32 scale Suzuki Swift featuring die-cast metal parts and rubber tires, as well as an opening hood, trunk and doors. In robot mode, the figure can hold twin pistols that are normally stored in the legs, and features light-piped eyes.

:Bumblebee was [[retool]]ed to make ''Alternity'' [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2009/Cybertron/Bumble/bumble.htm More information on ''Alternity'' Bumble at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|AlternityBug}}
[[File:Alternity Gold Bug.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Now for the rest of the throttlebots. Cancelled? Oh well.]]
*'''Suzuki Swift Sport / Gold Bug [Throttle Gold]''' (2011/2012)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''A-03G'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 guns

:''Alternity'' Gold Bug is a redeco of the above mold. He features an extensive glittery metallic gold paint scheme for his vehicle parts and knee panels, and has blue arms, hands, legs, and head. He comes packaged in a box that is similar to the one used by ''Alternity'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Alternity|Ultra Magnus]].
{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[File:TF2010-toy Legends Gold Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I feel like a Gold... Bumblebee!]]
*'''Gold Bumblebee''' (Legends Class, 2011)

:In ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers:]] [[Reveal the Shield]]'', [[#Goldbug|Goldbug]] was [[renaming|renamed]] Gold Bumblebee for this redeco of [[#Universe (2008)|''Universe'' Legends Class Bumblebee]]. As part of the "Reveal the Shield" promotion, he sports a [[rubsign]].

:The [[prototype|sample]] used for Hasbro's official [[stock photography|stock photos]] sported unpainted gold legs, but the final toy has the legs painted over in blue. So far, no gold-legged specimens have been found in the wild. Conversely, the vehicle mode stock photo on the back of his packaging implies that the ''entire'' leg pieces (or at least his ankle joints) have been painted blue, as there are two very obvious blue patches on his hood.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2011/Autobot/RTSLegGoldBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Gold Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|2010Deluxe}}
[[File:TF2010-toy Deluxe Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"... I'm always going to have these black stripes from now on, aren't I?"]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Deluxe Class, 2011)
**''Accessories:'' Wave Crusher trailer/backpack

:This Bumblebee is a redeco of ''Classics'' Deluxe Class Bumblebee in a [[Bumblebee (Movie)|live-action movie-inspired]] paint scheme. He also features a rubsign, this time on his roof/chest.
::*''[http://tfu.info/2011/Autobot/RTSBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on 2010 Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
{{ClassicsBumblebeeMold}}
{{-}}

{{anchor|DollarLegends}}
[[File:TF2010-toy BumblebeeDollarStore.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Wear your allegiance on your sleeve.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Legends Class, 2012)
:A minor redeco of "[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Cybertronian Bumblebee]]" from the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] Bumblebee/[[Starscream (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Starscream]] four-pack, itself a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Legends Class Bumblebee, was released as a "Dollar Store" exclusive (available at stores such as Dollar General and Big Lots) in generic 2010 ''Transformers'' packaging alongside [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#DollarLegends|Optimus Prime]], [[Starscream (G1)/toys#DollarLegends|Starscream]] and [[Megatron (G1)/toys#DollarLegends|Megatron]].

:While the overall deco is similar to that of ''Dark of the Moon'' Cybertronian Bumblebee, some of the [[paint operation]]s are different: The Autobot [[insignia|logo]] is now placed on the side of his right arm/passenger door of his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] (the official [[stock photography|stock photos]] on the back of the packaging are flipped, depicting it on the opposite side instead) rather than on the robot mode's chest/vehicle mode's roof, and the red stripes on the "running boards" on the sides of his vehicle mode have been omitted.

:In addition, this release of the sculpt also sports a very minor [[retool]] compared to all previous releases, namely additional pegs and holes that allow for his arms to attach more securely to the torso in vehicle mode.<ref name="legendspegs">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/575525-rts-legends-dollar-general-generic-packaging-11.html#post7646534 Comparison of ''Reveal the Shield'' Legends Class Gold Bumblebee and ''Generations'' Legends Class Bumblebee, with newly-sculpted pegs.]</ref>
{{-}}

===United===
{{anchor|UnitedCybertron}}[[File:Unitedtoy cybertron bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Meet my steak knives... OF <s>MURDER</s> <s>DEATH</s> JUSTICE!!]]
*'''Bumblebee Cybertron Mode''' (Deluxe, 2010-[[December 25|12-15]])
**''ID number'': '''UN02'''
**''Accessories'': "Energy gun"

:Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' product, Bumblebee is a [[redeco]] of the [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Toys|''War for Cybertron'' Bumblebee toy]], transforming into a "[[Cybertronian courier]]." He comes with a handgun and features two wrist-mounted flip-out blades. The handgun can be stored inside his rear bumper in either robot or vehicle mode. Like the original mold, His legs are generally loose at the mid-thigh joint due to being used for transformation.

:TakaraTomy's release features an extensive metallic paint job on the car mode panels as well as some of the robot's parts (such as the head and forearms). In addition to some painted detail differences from the Hasbro release, United Bumblebee features a lighter gray as well as a brighter pink than the Hasbro version.

:This mold was also used to make [[Cliffjumper (WFC)#Toys|''War For Cybertron'' Cliffjumper]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#United|''United'' Cliffjumper Cybertron Mode]].
{{-}}

{{anchor|UnitedEarth}}
[[File:Unitedtoy bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Bumblebling.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Deluxe, 2010-[[December 25|12-25]])
**''ID number:'' '''UN07'''
**''Accessories:'' Wave Crusher trailer/backpack

:Another redeco of the ''Classics'' Deluxe toy, ''United'' Bumblebee is painted mainly in chromed golden yellow with silver bumpers. He was sold alongside his Cybertron Mode (see above) in the first assortment of ''United'' product.

:While very similar in appearance, this version of Bumblebee is cast in a lighter yellow plastic than the ''Henkei'' release, with most of his car mode parts (along with his robot mode head and forearms) painted over in gold. As noted above, he also features a silver front bumper and other painted details different from his previous TakaraTomy release.

:Unfortunately, because he is packaged in robot mode and his vehicle shell is entirely coated in paint, quite a number of Bumblebees have the gold paint between their jointed leg/hood panels and feet scratched off ''out of the box'', resulting in ugly scored lines on the hood in vehicle mode.
{{ClassicsBumblebeeMold}}
{{-}}

===Chronicle===
[[File:EZCollectionChronicleBumbleToy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Now 85% creamier!]]
*'''Bumble''' (EZ Collection, 2011)

:''[[Transformers Chronicle (toyline)|Chronicle]]'' EZ Collection Bumble is a redeco of the ''Universe'' [[Legends Class]] Bumblebee toy, featuring sky blue windows, and his inner arms are entirely painted black. His vehicle front grill and the lower robot legs' paint applications are also removed. Like other ''Chronicle'' Legends toys, he was sold in a blindpacked box.
{{-}}

===Kre-O===
{{Note|This section only lists Generation 1-inspired Bumblebee Kre-O toys.}}
[[File:Kre-o-G1-Bumblebee-Kreon.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb]]
* '''Bumblebee''' (2011)
**''Set number'': '''36421'''
** ''Pieces'': '''336'''
** ''Kreons'': Bumblebee, [[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Red Alert]], Driver
** ''Accessories'': Small pistol

: While the [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Kre-O|larger Bumblebee]] ''[[Kre-O]]'' kit is mostly based on the [[Bumblebee (Movie)|live-action movie version of the character]] (though the noggin is a moosh of movie and Generation 1), the accompanying Bumblebee [[Kreon]] is unquestionably based on the Generation 1 Bumblebee.

{{-}}{{anchor|74pc}}
[[File:KREOtoy-Bumblebeesmall.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Hey everybody! Do the Bumblebee!]]
* '''Bumblebee''' (2011)
**''Set number'': '''31144'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''2013-[[March 20|03-20]]'''
**''Pieces'': '''74'''

: The smaller Bumblebee ''Kre-O'' kit is loosely based on the [[Bumblebee (G1)|original Bumblebee]], with a head that's a straight copy of that Bumblebee's ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' toy head. He can be rebuilt into a hatchback and comes with no Kreons. Since his vehicle mode is basically a solid brick that can't hold any Kreons, this isn't such a big thing.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Autobot/Kre-OSmallBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on "small" Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Energon}}
[[File:KreO-toy Bumblebee Energon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|Razzlebee Blast!]]
* '''Energon Bumblebee''' (2012, NYCC Exclusive)
**''Accessories'': Small pistol

: A [[redeco]] of the Bumblebee Kreon in clear blue plastic, [[exclusive]] to [[New York Comic Con]] 2012, Energon Bumblebee comes in its own special little window box with an outer sleeve.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/Kre-OEnergonBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Energon Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|FigurePack}}
* '''Kreon Figure Pack''' (2013)
**''Set number'': '''A4642'''
**''Accessories'': Small pistol

: A boxed set of five Kreons, with Bumblebee, [[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Red Alert]], [[Mirage (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Mirage]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Jazz]] and a fifth "mystery" Kreon; a randomly-packed robot Kreon from the first year of the line.

{{-}}{{anchor|Custom}}
[[File:KreO-Toy BumblebeeCustomKreon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Don't even think about how would these things make good prank tools.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Custom Kreon, 2013)
**''Set number'': '''A6087'''
**''Pieces'': '''40'''
**''Accessories'': Rack, rifle, large gun, axe, [[jet pack|rocket-pack]]

: Part of the first assortment of "Custom Kreons", this version of Bumblebee comes with a buildable parts rack on which to hang/store his many many extra pieces. His [[tampograph]]s are much more heavily-detailed than the original Kreon, based on the [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|original Bumblebee toy]]. His "normal" helmet and large rifle are [[chrome]]d, plus he comes with an extra clear-plastic helmet, torso and legs. He also has a pair of extra arms (originally from the ''Kre-O Battleship'' aliens), plus a buildable hand-cannon, rocket-pack and energon axe.

: Bumblebee's tampos were also used to make Custom Kreon [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Custom|Cliffjumper]].

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2014}}
[[File:KreO-toy Bumblebee Class84.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|In his younger days, he used to be a Sweet Boy before becoming a prankster.]]
*'''Kreon Class of 1984''' (Kreon figure set, 2014)
**''Voted'': Best Spark
**''Accessories'': Scoped pistol

: This version of Bumblebee, part of the [[Kreon Class of 1984]], has much more toy-based [[tampograph]]s than his prior versions, including visored-and-masked face. He uses the [[Prowl (Kre-O)|Prowl]] style door-wings, which is really odd considering the toy he's based on does not have said feature.

:He was only available in a pack of 30 Kreons dubbed "Class of 1984", [[exclusive]] to [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2014. Remaining stock was be sold at [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online, but the set actually sold out at the show.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/SDCCKre-OBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Class of 1984 Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BrickBox}}
*'''Brick Box'''
**''Set number'': '''B2962'''
**''Pieces'': '''77'''
**''Accessories'': Scoped pistol

: Sold only at discount chains like Family Dollar, this version of Bumblebee uses the new 2015 style of Kreon hips and torso, with a hollow hip-peg and a central post inside the torso for increased grip... which also makes the torso incompatible with about four years' worth of Kreons. Nice. His face tampograph is new, but his torso uses the "Class of '84" deco.

: The set comes with two bags of Kre-O parts, one coming from the first-year large Bumblebee (mostly all the small bits and the now-useless neck joint), the other "new" with some basic bricks and plates, as well as a set of axles, rims and tires. The set has no instructions, as it's just a box of bricks to makes whatever with.

{{-}}{{anchor|BattleChangers}}
[[File:Kre-O-Battle-Changers-Bumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Prank first, then convert to run away.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Battle Changers, 2014)
**''Set number'': ''' B0716'''
**''Pieces'': ''81''
**''Accessories'': 2 pistols

:Part of the new Battle Changers line, Battle Changers Bumblebee transforms from a vehicle that vaguely resembles a sports car with a proportions of a Volkswagen Beetle into a robot and back without removing any parts!

:All of the 2015 ''Transformers [[Kre-O]]'' product was skipped by retailers in the US (at first), seeing release in Canada, Australia and various Asian markets. In late 2015, much of the line was finally released at discount in the US through TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores, including this set.

{{-}}{{anchor|MiniConCombiner}}
*'''Bumblebee''' (Mini-Con Combiners, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': Rifle, scoped pistol, grenade launcher, clip-on gatling gun, blaster

:"Mini-Con Combiner"' Bumblebee comes with one standard Kreon and four ''Cityville''-syle mini-Kreons of the same character, each one a different incarnation from various franchises. With some extra parts, the mini-Kreons become limbs to make a larger combiner-bot.

: The torso-Kreon and one Mini-Con are based on versions of Generation 1 Bumblebee: [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Classics|''Classics'']] (with an arm-cannon instead of a hand-held blaster, oddly) and [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Deluxe|"Thrilling 30" Bumblebee]] (Prowl helmet) respectively. The remaining three Mini-Con Bumblebees are based on [[Bumblebee (WFC)|"Aligned" Bumblebee]] bodies: ''[[Bumblebee (WFC)#Transformers: War for Cybertron (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'' (Bumblebee helmet), ''[[Bumblebee (WFC)#Prime cartoon|Prime]]'' (Ratchet helmet), and ''[[Bumblebee (WFC)#Rescue Bots cartoon|Rescue Bots]]'' (Jazz helmet).

:Unfortunately, the Mini-Con Combiners apparently never saw release anywhere.
{{canceledtoy}}

{{-}}

===Bot Shots===
[[File:Bot Shots S1 B001 Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''B001'''
***''Fist strength'': '''110'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''630'''
***''Sword strength'': '''970'''

:Part of the first wave of ''[[Bot Shots (toyline)|Bot Shots]]'' Series 1 single-packs, Bumblebee is a teeny little sports car ''vaguely'' like a Camaro, with a [[Autotransformation|spring-loaded automatic transformation]] to robot mode triggered when his front bumper is pressed. He has a "spinner" in his chest that shows his three attack types and power levels. He is heavily based on the [[Bumblebee (Movie)|live-action movie Bumblebee]], with his head based on the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' version of [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Bumblebee (G1)#Classics|Bumblebee]].

: Bumblebee's main car body, arms, and legs are also used by many ''many'' other car Bot Shots, such as [[Barricade (Movie)/toys|Barricade]], [[Mirage (G1)/toys|Mirage]], [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], [[Topspin (DOTM)|Autobot Topspin]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]], [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]], [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]], ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (toyline)|Go!]] [[Bot Shots (toyline)#BeCool|BeCool]]'' [[Kenzan#BeCool|Kenzan]], and their numerous [[redeco]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/BSBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on ''Bot Shots'' Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SuperBot}}
[[File:Bot Shots S1 Super Bot 002 Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': ''' Super Bot 002'''
***''Fist strength'': '''910'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''460'''
***''Sword strength'': '''270'''

:Part of the second wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 1 single-packs, this redeco of Bumblebee is cast in clear-orangey-yellow plastics with minimal paint. As this wave's Super Bot, he has more lopsided stats, but is [[Shortpacking|shortpacked]] to one a case.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/BSSBBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Super Bot Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShot3Pack}}
[[File:Bot Shots S1 BP001 Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Sentinel Prime / Prowl / Bumblebee''' (Multi-pack, 2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''BP001'''
***''Fist strength'': '''765'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''530'''
***''Sword strength'': '''325'''

: Part of the first wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 1 three-packs, this version of Bumblebee has a metallic shade of orange-yellow plastic, black painted windows instead of blue, light gray tires, and extra silver paint on his torso and grill. He comes with [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)#BotShot3Pack|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/BS3pkBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on three-pack Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotBattleForMatrix}}
[[File:BStoy-BattlefortheMatrix-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Battle for the Matrix''' (Ultimate Battle Set, 2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''UB002'''
***''Fist strength'': '''200'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''640'''
***''Sword strength'': '''780'''

: Part of a large multi-pack, this Bumblebee is redecoed in lighter yellow plastic and gray tires compared to his original release, features a painted grille on both his chest and bumper, and has silver windows.

: The set also comes with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#BotShotBattleForMatrix|Megatron with his launcher]], [[Brawl (Movie)#BotShotBattleForMatrix|Decepticon Brawl]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#BotShotBattleForMatrix|Optimus Prime with his launcher]], as well as a [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Bot Shots|Matrix]] prize.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/BSBFTMBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on "Battle for the Matrix" Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotBattlemask}}
[[File:Bot Shots Battlemask Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''B019'''
***''Fist strength'': '''610'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''390'''
***''Sword strength'': '''620'''

:Part of the fifth wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 1 single-packs, this [[retool]] of Bumblebee features a remolded head to give him a battle mask not dissimilar to the face of the original [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee's toy]], rather than the one based on that Bumblebee's character model.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/BSB019Bumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on battle mask Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotFlipShot}}
[[File:BotShots FlipShot Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (2013)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Number'': '''B001'''
***''Fist strength'': '''160'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''705'''
***''Sword strength'': '''740'''

:Part of the first wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 2 single-packs, this new-mold Bumblebee features a new sports car alternate mode, albeit this time without a rear spoiler. As a Flip Shot, an impact to the front of his vehicle mode causes him to flip up when autotransforming. This mold was redecoed into [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#3packFlipShot|Flip Shot Cliffjumper]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/BSFSBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Flip Shot Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotLauncher}}
[[File:BotShots Launcher Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumblebee Launcher''' (Launcher, 2013)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Number'': '''BL001'''
**''Accessories:'' 3 Cyber pin targets
***''Fist strength'': '''380'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''745'''
***''Sword strength'': '''480'''

:Part of the first wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 2 launchers, this new-mold Bumblebee is a Jump Shot, and an impact to the front of his vehicle mode causes him to spring up and autotransform into a robot armed with a pistol. He comes with a launcher used to propel him to great speeds, as well as three targets for him to knock over. The targets feature an assortment of pegs and peg-holes, allowing them to peg into each other to form various structures, although since you only get three of them, there's not a lot to make out of them.

:This version of the Bumblebee mold was retooled into [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Bot Shots|Super Bot Cliffjumper]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/BSLBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on launcher Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShot3pack2}}
[[File:BotShots S2 3pack Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumblebee / Shockwave / Skyquake''' (Multi-pack, 2013)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Number'': '''BP004'''
***''Fist strength'': '''795'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''335'''
***''Sword strength'': '''485'''

: Part of the first wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 2 three-packs, Bumblebee is a redeco of Super Bot Cliffjumper in the same shade of orange-yellow as the original Jump Shot Bumblebee toy (see above). He features purple windows, black robot details, and a painted spoiler. He comes with [[Shockwave (WFC)#BotShot3pack2|Jump Shot Shockwave]] and [[Skyquake (Prime)#BotShot3pack2|Super Bot Skyquake]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/BS3pkBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on second three-pack Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotPolarAssaultTeam}}
[[File:BotShots PolarAssault Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Well, that's different.]]
*'''Polar Assault Team''' (Multi-pack, 2013)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Number'': '''T002'''
***''Fist strength'': '''595'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''615'''
***''Sword strength'': '''410'''

: Part of the first wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 2 five-packs, this is a redeco of the original Bumblebee toy in white with blue details that resembles [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite's]] colors. He comes with similarly-themed redecos of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#BotShotPolarAssaultTeam|Optimus Prime]], [[Mirage (G1)#BotShotPolarAssaultTeam|Mirage]], [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#BotShotPolarAssaultTeam|Ironhide]], and [[Jetfire (G1)#BotShotPolarAssaultTeam|Jetfire]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/BSPABumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Polar Assault Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|3packSuperBot}}
[[File:BStoy-3packSuperBotBumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Ever feel like you're going in circles?]]
*'''Twinstrike / Skystalker / Bumblebee''' (Multi-pack, 2013)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Number'': '''Super Bot 010'''
***''Fist strength'': '''438'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''984'''
***''Sword strength'': '''199'''

: Part of the third wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 2 three-packs, the second Super Bot Bumblebee is another redeco of the original Bumblebee toy, this time cast in clear-golden-yellow plastics. He comes in a three-pack with [[Twinstrike (Prime)#3pack|Flip Shot Twinstrike]] and [[Skystalker (Prime)#3pack|Jump Shot Skystalker]].

{{--}}

===BeCool===
[[File:BeCool YellowSportsCar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Yellow Sports Car (Bumblebee)''' (2012)
**''ID number'': '''B04'''

:''[[Bot Shots (toyline)#BeCool|BeCool]]'' "Yellow Sports Car" is a slight [[repaint]] of the ''Bot Shots'' battle-masked Bumblebee toy, featuring silver paint on his grill and windshield instead of black. Rather than power levels, the stickers in his chest spinner feature drawings of his vehicle mode racing, a checkered flag and a crying face.

{{-}}{{anchor|ClearColor}}
[[File:BeCool SpecialSportsCar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Special Sports Car (Bumblebee Clear Color)''' (2012)
**''ID number'': '''B12'''

:"Special Sports Car" is practically identical to the first ''Bot Shots'' Super Bot Bumblebee, the only difference being that his chest stickers are now pictures of his vehicle mode, a star and a parking sign. This toy was only available for purchase for three months, during which it was sold at a lower price than other ''BeCool'' toys as an incentive. After getting taken off shelves it was replaced by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Garbage Truck|Garbage Truck]], a new, full-price B12.

{{-}}
===Generations===
====Thrilling 30====
[[File:Generationstoy-BumblebeeBlazemaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Just walk into the spinning blades; it'll be fun!]]
*'''Bumblebee & Blazemaster''' (Legends Class, 2013)
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #002'''
**''Accessories'': Rotors

:Part of the third wave of [[2012]]-onwards ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' Bumblebee is a new mold that is roughly the same size as a ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Commander Class toy. He transforms from an Earth-style car into a robot styled after [[Andrew Griffith]]'s design for the character in [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' (which is in turn modified from ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]), and features [[5 mm post|5mm-compatible]] front wheels, back/roof, and hands.

:He comes with [[Blaze Master#Generations|Blazemaster]], who can transform into a helicopter, a robot with [[C joint|3 mm-compatible]] hands, and a weapon with a 5 mm handle. In weapon mode, his rotors detach and mount onto Bumblebee's forearm wheel peg-holes.

:There are two packaging [[variant]]s of this two-pack: One version (which is also reflected by the official [[stock photography|stock photo]] of the toy in packaging) features the same layout for the cardboard name insert as its [[wave]]mate [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Thrilling 30|Optimus Prime]] & [[Roller (G1)#Generations|Autobot Roller]], while the other version has various texts and logos rearranged and relocated, and is lacking both the difficulty level and the [[Hasbro]] company logo.<ref name="genvar">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/generations-classics-44/generations-legends-bumblebee-with-blazemaster-packaging-variant-177748/ Comparison] between both variants of ''Generations'' Bumblebee & Blaze Master's packaging</ref>

:This mold was also used to make ''Generations'' Legends Class [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generations|Cliffjumper]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Autobot/GenLegBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More informations on ''Generations'' Legends Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|T30Deluxe}}{{anchor|Deluxe}}
[[File:Generationstoy-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Deluxe Class, 2013)
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #004'''
**''Accessories'': 2 stinger blasters

:Part of the fifth wave of 2012-onwards ''Generations'' Deluxe Class toys, this ''Thrilling 30'' Bumblebee is a new mold with a robot mode based on the character's body from IDW's [[The Transformers (IDW)|''The Transformers'' vol. 1]] ongoing series; more specifically, it is the version used by [[Guido Guidi]] in [[Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|issue #21]]. He transforms into a muscle car that resembles a fifth generation [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Ford Mustang|Ford Mustang]], and comes with two "stinger blasters" which peg via 5mm post into his hands, forearms, and rear vehicle sides, and can also combine into a large weapon.

:The American release is packed in with a copy of ''[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]'', with a cropped version of the [[Clayton Crain]] RI cover that is called out as a '[[Hasbro]] Exclusive Cover'. In European and Canadian markets the figure is packed without the comic.

:For some reason, Hasbro's official [[stock photography|stock photos]] provided to retailers which depict a [[prototype|(pre-)production sample]], including a photo of the toy in [[packaging]], feature a Bumblebee that lacks the [[paint operation|painted]] stripes on the [[kibble#"Faux-parts"|fake]] car hood on his robot mode chest. The same applied to the packaged sample on display at [[BotCon 2013]]. Fortunately, the final toy sports the stripes after all. For their own official website, Hasbro remedied this with a new set of stock photos that are more representative of the final product... which were later replaced with the inaccurate photos.

:This mold was retooled into ''Generations'' [[Nightbeat (G1)#Generations|Nightbeat]] and [[Goshooter#Generations|Goshooter]] as well as ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Carzap (BT)#Timelines|Carzap]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Autobot/GenBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Deluxe ''Generations'' Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2013}}{{anchor|SDCCMetroplex}}
*'''Metroplex''' (Titan Class, 2013)
**'''01 OF 30'''

:An [[exclusive]] version of Titan Class [[Metroplex (G1)#SDCC2013|Metroplex]] was made available at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2013. He comes with 12 small, non-transforming figurines of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#SDCC2013|Orion Pax]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#SDCC2013|Megatron]], Bumblebee, [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Thrilling 30|Thundercracker]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#SDCC2013|Trailcutter]], and [[Hoist (G1)/toys#Thrilling 30|Hoist]], all in both modes. The figurines are based on their ''Thrilling 30'' Deluxe Class toys, and similarly to [[Decoy]]s, the Autobot figurines are cast in red plastic, and the Decepticons in purple.

{{-}}{{anchor|ACGHK2013}}{{anchor|HKACGCONMetroplex}}
[[File:Generationstoy-T30-Metroplex-Bumblebee-HKACGCON.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|There's been a walnut uprising.]]
*'''Metroplex''' (Titan Class, 2013)
**'''05 OF 30'''

:Another exclusive version of Titan Class [[Metroplex (G1)#ACGHK2013|Metroplex]] was made available at [[Anime-Comic-Game Hong Kong]] 2013. This Metroplex also has the 12 figurines of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Orion Pax]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Megatron]], Bumblebee, [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Thundercracker]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Trailcutter]], and [[Hoist (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Hoist]], but casts the Autobot figurines in gold plastic, and the Decepticons in silver.

{{-}}{{anchor|TG24}}{{anchor|OPandBee}}
[[File:TTGenerationsTG24BumblebeeBlazemaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Bumblebee has become the legendary SUPER SAIYAN!]]
*'''Optimus Prime & Bumblebee''' (Multi-pack, [[September 28]], 2013)
**''ID number:'' '''TG24'''
**''Accessories'': Rotors

:The Japanese release of ''Generations'' Legends Class Bumblebee [[redeco]]es him in an extensive metallic gold paint job. He comes in a [[TakaraTomy]] four-pack with [[Blaze Master#TG24|Blazemaster]], as well as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#TG24|Optimus Prime]] and [[Roller (G1)#TG24|Roller]].

{{-}}{{anchor|Goldfire}}
[[File:Generationstoy-Goldfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[[Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Yeah, he's gonna live a long, full life.]]]]
*'''Goldfire''' (Deluxe, 2013)
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #010'''
**''Accessories'': 2 hand-held blasters

:Part of the seventh wave of 2012-onwards ''Generations'' Deluxe Class toys, ''Thrilling 30'' Goldfire is a [[retool]] of ''Generations'' Bumblebee in Goldbug-inspired colors, using a new head that draws upon both Bumblebee/Goldbug's original faceplated design and the "speaker mouth" of the modern [[Movie (franchise)|movie]] and ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' versions of the character.

:He is packed in with a copy of ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Second Exodus|#18]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2014/Autobot/GenGoldfire/goldfire.htm More information on Goldfire at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TG26}}{{anchor|BumblebeeGoldbug}}
[[File:Transformers-Generations-TG26-Bumblebee-Goldbug.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Blingin' Sweet Boy feeling a little blue today.]]
*'''Bumblebee Goldbug''' ([[November 30]], [[2013]])
**''ID number:'' '''TG26'''
**''Accessories'': 2 stinger blasters

:Part of the eleventh wave of TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Japan|Generations]]'' line, "Bumblebee Goldbug" is a redeco of the Hasbro ''Generations'' Deluxe Bumblebee in a more orange shade of yellow, with blue translucent plastic and black limbs. His head is painted metallic blue in homage to Goldbug (though it's still Bumblebee's head instead of Goldfire's), and he also features metallic gold paint on his bumper, torso, forearms, and feet.

{{-}}

====Cyber Series====
[[File:Generations-Cyber-Battalion-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Cyber Battalion, 2015)
:Part of the new ''Generations'' Cyber Battalion series, Bumblebee is a new mold which stands 7 inches tall, and transforms from a sports car, which is probably a combination between ''Generations'' Legends Class' Bumblebee's and ''Prime'' Bumblebee's alt mode, into a robot in just 5 simple steps. The figure's transformation engineering takes cues from the ''Prime'' Cyberverse Bumblebee figure. Bumblebee also features 5mm-compatible hands.

:Like every Cyber Series figures, Bumblebee was available in limited quantities from online retailer BigBadToyStore.com, initially not hitting mass retail anywhere besides Asia and Latin America. However, alongside Starscream and Optimus Prime, it eventually saw a limited release in the Universal Studios Theme Park, and was later widely available as a Walgreens exclusive.

{{-}}
[[File:Generations-Cyber-Commander-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Cyber Commander, 2015)
:Released in the first wave of Cyber Commander figures, Bumblebee is a new mold figure and changes from muscle car to robot in a few easy steps. His transformation scheme is largely based on that of [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Legion Class|Robots in Disguise Legion Bumblebee]]. His arms feature a decent range of articulation as well as 5mm-compatible hands. His robot mode stands taller than most modern Leader class figures.

{{-}}{{anchor|HasbroMP}}
====Masterpiece====
:''See also:'' [[#Masterpiece 2]]
[[File:Hasbro MP Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|With added skirt flap]]

*''' Bumblebee & Exosuit Spike Witwicky''' (2016)
**''ID Number'': '''MP-08'''
**''Accessories'': Blaster, rear-view mirrors, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (Exosuit), spare tire cover, license plate, neutral face, smiling face

:This Hasbro version of [[#Masterpiece 2|''Masterpiece'' MP-21 Bumblebee]] is virtually unchanged from its Takara counterpart. All accessories included with the MP-21 version (minus the retailer-exclusive battle mask) are present in this release. Unlike the Takara version which (confusingly) identifies the Exosuit figure as Spike or Daniel, this version identifies him as just Spike.

:Oddly, the instruction manual and package has a couple quirks—first, stock photos of Bumblebee's robot mode show his hood vent flap exposed and his backpack untransformed, where the flap should be tucked into its compartment in his pelvis and the backpack rotated, then the bumper folded in. The instructions also show this, but it shows the steps for tucking in the flap and transforming the backpack. Second, the instructions for the swappable face gimmick has two errors: The regular face is shown twice instead of the smiling face being swapped, and the battle mask is shown in the instructions, despite not being included with the actual toy.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Autobot/MPBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on ''Masterpiece'' Bumble/Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{MPVolkswagenBeetleMold}}

{{-}}

====Alt-Modes====
[[File:Alt-Modes Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Alt-Modes, 2016)

:''[[Alt-Modes]]'' Bumblebee is a super deformed toy whose body transforms into a car when the Autobot faction symbol on his head is flipped. He was [[Blindpacking|blind-boxed]] and available in two cases of the first collection and the only case of the second collection.

:This mold was redecoed into ''Alt-Modes'' [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Alt-Modes|Cliffjumper]].
{{-}}

====Titans Return====
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Legends-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Don't expect him to shelfwarm like his [[Bumblebee (Movie)|''Movie-verse'' counterpart]] anytime soon.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Legends Class, 2016)
:''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Bumblebee is a new Legends Class mold who transforms from a robot to car, with a vehicle mode based on his alt mode in ''[[Transformers: Earth Wars]]''. As with some of the ''Titans Return'' Legends Class figures, Bumblebee features an opening canopy for his cockpit, which allows any Titan Master figures to ride inside him. He also features 5mm-compatible hands, although the yellow piece can prevent any weapon's slightly longer posts to peg down through his hands. Also, take note that the vehicle back wings/shoulder kibble can sometimes block the way for wielding weapons; however the shoulder parts can be swapped for better tolerance, but prevents him from fully transforming into vehicle mode. Oddly, his molded license plate reads "100 STRA" which is a variation of his movie counterpart's "900 STRA" plate.

:Although the instructions tell [[you]] to immediately swing down the chest/vehicle roof to his shoulders/vehicle rear, you have to give a slight opening gap on the shoulder parts in vehicle form before you swing the roof piece down, and squeeze the shoulders against the piece until it clicks properly (make sure the rear vehicle's pegs and the shoulder's rectangle holes are in place first). Take note that where the tail-end of the chest/roof hinge piece is prone to paint chipping due to the friction between both hinged vehicle rear pieces.

:This mold was also used to make [[Chase (G1)#Generations|Roadburn]].
{{-}}

====War for Cybertron Trilogy====
[[File:TF-Generations-WFC-Trilogy-Deluxe-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Wait I'm a retool of Cliffjumper now? This must be Shattered Glass or something...]]
*'''Autobot Bumblebee''' (Deluxe Class, [[2020]])
*''Japanese ID number:'' '''WFC-09'''
*''Japanese release date:'' '''[[January 20]], [[2021]]'''
**''Accessories:'' Three-piece blaster, 2 skis, car trunk
:This version of Bumblebee is a retool of [[War for Cybertron: Earthrise (toyline)|''Earthrise'']] [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Cliffjumper]], having all of the original figure's vehicle mode parts replaced with those of a [[licensed vehicle alternate modes|licensed]] Volkswagen Beetle without the "penny racer" proportions, along with a new head sculpt. In keeping with his depiction as being rather small in most Transformers media, this figure is much smaller than a typical Deluxe Class and is closer to being a particularly large Legends Class-sized figure.

:The rest of his price-point is made up for with Cliffjumper's bazooka, which can split into two smaller blasters and a pair of skis which can attach under his wheels. The backend of the cannon is folded out to fit in his car mode's underside to help balance when skis are deployed, while also being usable as a melee weapon. Similarly, his [[partformer|detaching]] car trunk can either be put into the robot mode's back or be used as a shield with help of a flip-out peg. Additionally, he is highly articulated for a mainline Legends-sized Transformer, with over 90-degree ankles and two-way elbows and a complex transformation scheme. Bumblebee also has molded high-performance brake discs, a surprising detail for a mainline ''Transformers'' figure.

:Like all Deluxe Class figures of the ''War for Cybertron'' subline, Bumblebee includes numerous 5 mm ports for attaching other accessories, but due to his small size, he can't easily accommodate an entire Modulator or Weaponizer figure. His blaster is sold separately as part of the ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' [[Centurion droid#Toys|Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack]] set.

:[[For safety reasons|As per the norm]], the stock renders depict him with sharp horns before it was rounded off in the actual product.

:Bumblebee was released as a part of the Walmart-exclusive ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toyline, promoting the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|Netflix-original series]] of the same name.

:The original mold was differently retooled into ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Hubcap (G1)#Generations|Hubcap]].
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

===Construct-Bots===
[[File:Construct_bot_bumblebee_triple.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|You guess this is the Triple-Changer one?]]

* '''Bumblebee''' (Triple-Changer, 2013)
**''Pieces: '''69'''
: Part of Wave 1 of Construct-Bots Triple-Changers, Bumblebee can transform into a sports car-like thing or a jet-like thing. He is heavily armed with two large shoulder-mounted launchers, a third launcher hidden in his jet mode nosecone as well as two large swords.

:Many of his parts were used to make himself again (see below) as well as [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Construct-bots|Cliffjumper]].
{{-}}

[[File:ConstructBots_ArsenalPackBumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"I feel lighter."]]
* '''Bumblebee''' (Scout, 2013)
**''Pieces: '''45'''
: Part of Wave 2 of Construct-Bots Scouts, Bumblebee can transform into a car. He uses largely the same part scheme as Triple Changer Bumblebee, except his head is remolded to have his battle mask up, and uses Ironhide's shoulders. He also lacks the two shoulder-mounted launchers as well as his rear wheel wells and spoiler attachments, making his vehicle mode appear much smaller. He swaps out his dual longswords for the fork blade originally included with Optimus Prime. His color scheme changes the original's orange to a neon yellow and most of his black details to a lighter blue.
{{-}}

* '''Arsenal Pack Bumblebee''' (Scout, 2014)
**''Pieces: '''51'''
: Arsenal Pack Bumblebee turns into a car. He is almost identical to the previous Scout release. Like all Arsenal Pack toys it was canceled and you'll never own one.

{{canceledtoy}}

===Age of Extinction===
[[File:AoE now & then Bumblebee 1984.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|OH GOD WHY??? JUST KILL ME!!!]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Evolution 2-Pack, 2014)
**'''22 OF 30'''
**''Japanese Release Date'': '''[[2014]]-[[August 3|08-03]]'''
**''Accessories:'' Blaster/Hand Cannon

: Available only at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores in the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany, this two-pack includes a "Classic" Bumblebee [[redeco]]ed from the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Legends Class Bumblebee, cast in a slightly lighter yellow with blue headlights and taillights and armed with a black and yellow redeco of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Jolt (ROTF)#Deluxe Class toys 3|Deluxe Jolt]]'s [[MechTech]] weapon that turns into a hand cannon when the scope is pulled. This weapon can either be plugged via 5mm post on his roof/back or held in hand. As with all other ''MechTech'' Deluxe weapon accessories, the converted weapon cannot lock into place.

: The two-pack was one of the three Evolution 2-packs available as a Toys"R"Us exclusive in Japan, with no changes on the figures with an exception of the packaging, which the front box features Japanese translated versions of the English text, and a sticker on the back confirming that this was a Japanese release.
{{-}}

===Hero Mashers===
[[File:HM-toy BumblebeeG1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
* '''Bumblebee''' (Basic, 2014)
**''Pieces'': '''9'''
**''Accessories'': Blaster

: Part of the first wave of ''Transformers [[Hero Mashers]]'' basic Action Figures, Bumblebee is a non-transforming action figure with ratchet-joints, about six inches tall. His robot mode takes many design cues from his Deluxe Class ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]] [[Thrilling 30]]'' toy. He has multiple peg-holes all over that can be used to mount any ''Hero Mashers'' accessory. As a first-wave figure, he has extra ankle articulation that is not present in later waves (a cut that was made to all ''Hero Mashers'' lines, not just the ''Transformers''-branded ones).

: He is designed with a removable head, forearms, thighs, and lower legs, all of which use the same clip-peg/hole joint. This means his pieces can be swapped around in any order, as well as swapped with any other ''Hero Mashers'' figure... which includes figures from [[Marvel Comics]], ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'', and ''[[Jurassic Park|Jurassic World]]'', meaning you can make some pretty freaky combinations.

: His left forearm was [[redeco]]ed to make [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Hero Mashers|Cliffjumper's]] arm in the [[Bulkhead (Prime)#Hero Mashers|Battle Upgrade Bulkhead]] set.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2014/Autobot/HMBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on ''Hero Mashers'' Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|HMStrafe}}
[[File:HM-toy BumblebeeStrafe.jpg|right|thumb|300px|But he's got a new <s>hat</s> missile launcher!]]
* '''Bumblebee & Strafe Team Pack''' (Team Pack, 2014)
**''Pieces'': '''23'''
**''Accessories'': Jetpack, axe/missile launcher, 2 "Dino Claw Missiles", buzzsaw, 2 twin-blasters

: Part of a "Team Pack" with [[Swoop (G1)/toys#Hero Mashers|Strafe]], this release of Bumblebee is basically identical to his individual release, but lacking his silver blaster. Instead, he can be equipped with any of the pack's various accessories (which can be argued also belonging to Strafe but whatever), including a winged jetpack and a spring-loaded "Dino Claw Missile" launcher that doubles as an axe. The spare missile can be pegged to any standard ''Hero Mashers'' peg-hole, though it sits pretty shallowly.

: There are two different releases of this set, each one containing the same parts, but arranged differently. One has Strafe much more visibly pulled apart, with the resulting part-spread meaning the jetpack ends up hidden under the packaging photo on the lower-left corner under Bumblebee's feet.
{{-}}

===Transformers (2014)===
[[File:Transformers-2014-Legion-Class-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|(Black insignia version pictured)]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Legion Class, 2014/2015/2017)
:Another release of the 2014 ''Universe'' sculpt. The deco is a hybrid between the [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusive ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' Cybertronian [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Bumblebee]] release of the sculpt and the ''Transformers'' release from 2012: The Autobot insignia is placed on the chest/roof again (like on the ''Dark of the Moon'' version), but the "running boards" on the sides of the vehicle mode are still unpainted (like on the 2012 release). Bizarrely, the [[package art]] is lifted directly from the ''Generations'' Legends Class Bumblebee/Blazemaster two-pack's packaging, whereas the [[stock photography|stock photos]] depicted on the back of the packaging are taken from ''Universe'' Bumblebee's packaging and only slightly altered, sporting a highly inaccurate deco and even advertising a "[[Reveal the Shield]]" [[rubsign]] [[gimmick]] the toy doesn't actually have. Meanwhile, Hasbro's official stock photos provided to online retailers (including an in-packaging photo) depict the sculpt's 2012 release's deco.
:[[File:Transformers-2014-Legion-Class-Bumblebee-packaging-variants.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|left|2014 packaging left, 2015 packaging right.]]
:Legion Class Bumblebee has been found at Family Dollar and Dollar General stores in the United States. A later [[variant]] replaced the red Autobot insignia with a black version. This later version was also released at general retail in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. In addition, the version with a black insignia was later re-released in 2015, this time in packaging mimicking the then-current ''Generations'' packaging design, but replacing the name "Generations" with "Authentic Transformers". It was also given a new Hasbro product code number and UPC barcode, thereby technically making it a separate product. In 2017, it was re-released ''again'', this time in a minor variant of the 2014 version's packaging (including the original product code number and barcode) that now lacked the reference to the non-existing "Reveal the Shield" gimmick.

:Like [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Starscream]], the Black Insignia variant of the toy ended up being dumped to some hobby shop dealers in Asia.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2014/Autobot/FDBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Bearbrick===
[[File:Bearbrick Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (2014)

: A special edition [[Bearbrick]] released in celebration of the ''Transformers'' 30th anniversary, Bumblebee is a [[retool]] of the Bearbrick [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Bearbrick|Optimus Prime]]/[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Bearbrick|Megatron]] mold with a new chest and head, transforming from a Bearbrick painted up like himself to a bear-eared robot. He has no accessories, but holes in his robot mode hands can accommodate other toys' weapons.

: The chest used for this mold was also used to make the simultaneously released Bearbrick [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Bearbrick|Starscream]].

{{-}}
===Masterpiece===
:''See also:'' [[#Masterpiece]]
{{MPVolkswagenBeetleMold}}
[[File:Bumble Bee Masterpiece.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I've been all around the world, seen all the sights; but this is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen.]]
*'''Bumble''' ([[November 29]], [[2014]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-21'''
**''Accessories'': "Laser Gun" pistol, rear-view mirrors, [[Exosuit#Masterpiece|Excelsuit]], spare tire cover, license plate, neutral face, smiling face, "Battle Face" ([[Amazon (website)|Amazon.co.jp]] exclusive)

:''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Bumble transforms into an officially-licensed Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle. As with other figures in the ''Masterpiece'' line, he is intended to be an accurate representation of his cartoon model. Roughly as tall as a [[Size class|Deluxe Class]] figure, he is also in [[scale]] with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#MP10|MP-10 Optimus Prime]] in robot mode (making his car mode very out of proportions with the other ''Masterpiece'' cars), and can fit inside [[Combat Deck (G1)#MP10|Prime's trailer]] in vehicle mode. In contrast to larger entries in this line, Bumblebee lacks [[die-cast]] parts, and his tires are cast in hard, non-rubberized plastic. Additionally, following the trend started with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Wheeljack]], his side mirrors come detached out of the box, and can be found separately packaged inside the instruction bag. Accurate to the real-life Type 1 Beetle, he only has one mirror, on the driver's side; an extra is included in case of loss or breakage.

:For accessories, he comes with his gun (called ''Lazer Gun'' {{sic}} in the instructions), a second interchangeable face with [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Armada|an open-mouth smile]] to replace his regular neutral face, and a spare tire cover that can be plugged on the rear of his vehicle mode by pulling away the license plate, which then fits inside the cover. The cover mounts on his back in robot mode; indeed, it only ''exists'' in order to replicate the large yellow circle on the back of Bumblebee's [[character model]], a visual adaptation of some molded circular detail on his original toy. Illustrating its non-essential vehicle mode role, it can also be stored out of view on the car's underside.

:To make up for the smaller size of Bumblebee when compared to other figures in the Masterpiece line (and to keep up with the price tag), MP-21 comes with an Exosuit figure, which can transform into its vehicle mode as seen in ''The Movie''. The figure itself is referred to only as "Excelsuit" (the Japanese G1 dub name) on the instruction book, but according to the line-art included in ''The Transformers Masterpiece Official Guide'', it's supposed to be [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)#Masterpiece|Daniel Witwicky]], though the back of the box refers to it as Spike.

:If purchased in Japan through [[Amazon (website)|Amazon.co.jp]], one additionally gets an interchangeable "Battle Face" based on the original G1 toy's one. If purchased in other Asian markets outside of Japan, a [[collector coin]] is included instead of or in addition to the face. The coin package is shaped like his head, and identifies him as "Bumblebee Autobot".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Autobot/MPBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on ''Masterpiece'' Bumble/Bumblebee at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|G2Masterpiece}}{{anchor|MP21G}}
[[File:Bumble Bee Masterpiece G2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|With all the cash from my multi-million dollar movie promotions, I got myself coated in solid gold, baby!]]
*'''Bumble G-2 Ver.''' (July 2015)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-21G'''
**''Accessories'': Laser gun, spare left-side rearview mirror, 3-piece jetpack, spare tire cover, "normal" and "smile" extra faces

:A redeco of ''Masterpiece'' Bumble in [[#Generation 2|shiny ''Generation 2'' gold]], this version does not come with an Exosuit figure. Instead, he comes with a three-piece jetpack, as worn by Bumblebee in the cartoon episode "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1]]". The toy-inspired "battle face" from the normal version's Amazon Japan special release is included as the default face, along with the two cartoon-based faces from the original release.

: He also comes with an extra [[sticker|sticker sheet]] for customization. The sheet includes both Generation 1 and ''Generation 2'' style Autobot insignias in two different sizes, two yellow ''Generation 2'' style "AUTOBOT" logos (as was stamped on the original toys), ''180 Deceps'' and ''I♥Cybertron'' (from his appearance in the [[The Planet-Eater!|Marvel Comics adaptation of ''Transformers: The Movie'']]), and the "'''I♥NY'''" license plate decal as seen in the episode "[[City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel]]".

:The non-Japanese Asian market version came with a special collector's coin. The coin package is once again shaped like Bumblebee's head (with the "battle face" faceplate on the front), but actually identifies him as Goldbug. Go figure.

: This toy was released by Hasbro [[#Masterpiece|under ''Generations'' co-branding]].

{{-}}{{anchor|MasterpieceRedBumble}}{{anchor|MP21R}}
[[File:MP21R-RedBumble.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|And Takara will forever use this as an excuse not to make a ''Masterpiece'' Cliffjumper.]]
*'''Bumble Red Body''' ([[December 26]], [[2015]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-21R'''
**''Accessories'': pistol, rear-view mirrors, spare tire cover, license plate, neutral face, smiling face

:Another redeco of ''Masterpiece'' Bumble, in red colors (based on his original G1 toy variant) and chromed bumpers. ''Masterpiece'' Bumble Red Body was released as a Cybertron Satellite exclusive.

:As usual, the version supplied from Hasbro Asia came with a special collector's coin. This time, the package is shaped like the Beetle's front hood, and the coin identifies him as "Bumblebee Red Boby" {{sic}}

{{-}}{{anchor|MP45}}
[[File:TF-Masterpiece-MP-45-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Now with far less cool and far more gremlin face.]]
*'''Cybertron Espionage Bumble (Ver. 2.0)''' ([[November 24]], [[2019]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-45'''
**''Accessories'': 2 faces, firing effect, small blaster, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#MP45|Spike Witwicky]] figure, I (heart) NY license plate

:This ''Masterpiece'' "Cybertron Espionage" is an all-new mold of the Bumble character, transforming from robot into a show-and-toy-accurate Penny Racer-proportioned Volkswagen Beetle. He comes with his handgun, now with its own blast effect, 2 faces, a license plate from the episode "[[City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel]]", and a small posable figure of Spike, which can fit in his vehicle mode. While the car mode can be displayed with the doors open, sitting the mini-figure in requires separating its front halves and folding up the windscreen+car hood assembly. Like the other ''Masterpiece'' Autobot cars, Bumble can fit in Convoy's (MP-10 and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#MP44|MP-44]]) Trailer. Bumble comes with a sheet of optional stickers: Two hearts for his license plate, the ice cream splotches for his shoulders seen in [[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]], the brown [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|disease patches]] seen in [[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]], and the [[Morphobot]] tentacle seen in [[Quest for Survival]].

:Unfortunately, due to the sake of show-accuracy, this Bumble ends up having most of his kibble present on his rear ankles and a glaring backpack when viewed at any angle other than his front, which also collides with his lower waist, effectively neutering the usage of his waist swivel.

:After the official images' reveal, Hasbro requested a number of sites (including a few listings like Amazon Japan) to take down the pictures, until they were allowed to post them again, several hours later. Initially set for a late September release, Bumblebee was pushed back to [[November 24]].

:Bumble comes with a die-cast token modeled after the Matrix of Leadership, and like the collector coins, the token had Bumblebee's head, the ''Masterpiece'' logo and the ID number engraved on it. Strangely enough, the box used for imported releases omits Bumble's name and just refers him as "Cybertron Espionage" while the box itself retains Bumble's (Japanese) name.

{{-}}

===Nanoblock Motion Choro-Q===
[[File:NanoblockChoroQBumble.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumble''' (2014-[[December 11|12-11]])

:Produced as a collaboration between toylines ''[[Diablock|Nanoblock]]'' and ''[[Choro-Q]]'', this Bumblebee is a building block toy providing pieces to build both Bumblebee's super deformed robot mode and, separately, his car mode (or something else, given it's blocks and all). His car mode is built on a generic ''Choro-Q'' chassis outfitted with an electric motor and can be remote-controlled using a smartphone app. While the chassis is physically generic, its firmware identifies it as belonging to the Bumblebee kit, and the smartphone app's controls adopt a yellow and black theme to match, complete with Autobot logo on the steering wheel hub.

{{-}}

===Q-Transformers===
[[File:QTransformers Bumble.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bumble''' (2014-[[December 26|12-26]])
**''ID number:'' '''QT-08'''

:''[[Q-Transformers]]'' Bumble transforms from a licensed [[super deformed]] Daihatsu Copen to a cute little robot. In spite of his new vehicle mode, molded detail on his feet still evoke the traditional Volkswagen Beetle hood. He comes with a code for unlocking Generation 1 Bumblebee as a playable character in the ''[[Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (mobile game)|Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns]]'' game.

:Bumblebee was retooled into ''Q-Transformers'' [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Q-Transformers|Cliff]].
{{-}}

===Legends===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG-54-Bumble.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I have clear windows! Buy me again!]]
*'''Bumble & Excelsuit Spike''' ('''Bumblebee & Exo-suit Spike''') (2017-[[December 30|12-30]])
**''ID Number'': '''LG-54'''

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Bumble is an extensive redeco of the [[#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Legends Class figure]], with most of the yellow parts now recast in transparent plastic with yellow paint applied. This allows his windows to be transparent.

:Bumble comes with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Legends|Excelsuit Spike]].
{{-}}

===au x Transformers===
[[File:INFOBAR-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|... some joke about a bee-line.]]
*'''INFOBAR Bumblebee (ICHIMATSU)''' (2017)
**''Accessories'' display stand, swappable display cards

:Released in conjunction with Japanese cellphone maker au,<ref>[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/product_release/pdf/p170201.pdf TakaraTomy au x Transformers Project press release]</ref> ''au x Transformers'' INFOBAR Bumblebee is a retool of the same line's [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#au x Transformers|INFOBAR Optimus Prime]], with a new head and decoed in black and yellow.

:The INFOBAR figures celebrate 15 years since the 2002 au Design Project that resulted in the INFOBAR cellphone, as well as the 10th anniversary of the [[Live-action film series|live-action films]]. He transforms into a (non-functional) scaled-down replica of the 2002 au INFOBAR, and in lieu of cellphone functions, the figure can be paired via Bluetooth with a smartphone, such as an iPhone, to act as a notification alarm in either robot or INFOBAR mode. The screen is also non-functional, but pre-printed cards are included which can be slid into the screen to show an Autobot logo, Decepticon logo, a mockup of a cellphone home screen, or a technical "Transformers INFOBAR" design. The figure also includes a display stand.

:The project was crowdfunded through Japanese crowdfunding site Makuake.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/01/31/transformers-x-au-transforming-phones-launch-crowdfunding-campaign-332289 Transformers x au Transforming Phones Launch Crowdfunding Campaign at TFW2005.com]</ref> Both Bumblebee and Megatron could only be obtained by contributing 16,2000 yen to the project to receive a package of all three INFOBAR figures; at the 5,400 yen level, contributors received only INFOBAR Optimus Prime. The project received one million yen in the first 24 hours, ultimately topping out at over 32 million yen.

:This figure was differently retooled, with another head, and redecoed into [[Megatron (G1)/toys#au x Transformers|INFOBAR Megatron]].

::*''[https://time-space.kddi.com/au-transformers/ More information on au x Transformers website (Japanese)]''
::*''[https://www.makuake.com/project/au-transformers/ More information on INFOBAR Bumblebee at Makuake crowd-funding site (Japanese)]''
{{-}}

===Authentics===
[[File:Authentics_5inch_Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Somebody give him a [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|walking stick]].]]
*'''Autobot Bumblebee''' (5 Inch, 2017)
:Released in the first wave of the [[Transformers Authentics|''Authentics'']] toyline, "Autobot Bumblebee" is a new mold the size of a 2015 [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Mini-Con Battle Packs|''Robots in Disguise'' Battle Pack]] toy. In just four steps, he changes from an [[evergreen]]-inspired robot into a car reminiscent of his [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Classics|''Classics'']] iteration, and he features ''very'' limited articulation consisting of his head and his shoulders.

{{-}}{{anchor|7 inch}}
[[File:Authentics_7inch_Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Who asked for this?]]
*'''Autobot Bumblebee''' (7 Inch, 2017)
:Around the height of the average Voyager figure, "Autobot Bumblebee" is nigh-identical to his smaller equivalent. He features the same four-step transformation, while adding some sideways-oriented elbows and additional paint. His legs are stiff as ever.

{{-}}{{anchor|Super20inch}}
[[File:TF-Authentics-Super-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Super Bumblebee''' (20 Inch, 2018)
:4 inches below the size of a Titan Class figure, "Super Bumblebee" is a retool of the [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Super Class|Super Bumblebee]] toy from the ''Robots in Disguise (2015)'' line, with a new upper body and head with the arms, legs, and vehicle body unchanged. He is packed with 15 sounds and phrases that activate when his [[Autobot]] symbol is pushed on his chest. He transforms in 3...no, just a single step by pulling his arms.
{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-Authentics-Titan-Changer-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Titan Changer, 2019)

:This Bumblebee is an all-new Titan Hero-sized mold, utilizing a different transformation scheme compared to his previous Authentics figures.

{{-}}

===Vintage G1===
[[File:Walmart-Vintage-G1-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Sweet boy will outlive us, mere mortals, with periodical re-releases on a per decade basis. As it should be.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' ("Legion Class" reissue, 2018)

: Part of the first wave of the ''[[Vintage G1]]'' line, Bumblebee is a nearly-identical reissue of ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' Bumble, using the newly tooled head introduced in ''[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|The Transformers Collection]]'' and the many deco alterations. The only "major" difference is the ''Vintage G1'' version has production information tampographed onto the sole of his right foot. He's the only Minibot in ''Vintage G1'' to not have a [[rubsign]].

: Despite these differences from the original, card still displays the original toy-based package art. Of particular note is that this is the first ever release of this figure that's identified on its packaging as being an "official licensed product" approved by Volkswagen.

:Like all ''Vintage G1'' figures, Bumblebee was [[exclusive]] to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada. He was also available at general retail in Hong Kong, and exclusive to the website of Australian fashion chain Cotton On. Oddly, the Australian release came in [[multilingual packaging]] intended for the European market, a rare but not entirely unheard of occurrence. Due to the limited space on the back, this, unfortunately, means the iconic [[Tech Spec]] card is omitted, replaced by parental warnings in 24 languages about the possibility of breakage due to excessive force, and that parts are not designed to reattach. In Singapore, Bumblebee is released as a giveaway for their screenings of the [[Bumblebee (film)|''Bumblebee'' live-action movie]].

{{--}}

===EZ Collection (2013)===
[[File:TF-EZ-Collection-EG-02-Bumblebee.jpg|upright=0.99|thumb]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (EZ Collection, [[April 27]], 2013)
**''ID number'': '''EG-02'''

:Another [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Legends Class Bumblebee, this individual carded release of ''EZ Collection (2014)'' Bumblebee features slightly darker yellow plastic and black windows while retaining most of the paint applications from the ''Chronicle'' release. While his stock photography retains the G1 Autobot symbol and the original arms, though the toy proper has the movie variant, and also uses the retooled arm pegs used for the ''Transformers (2010)'' release.

{{-}}

===BUMP×TF===
[[File:TF-Bump-of-Chicken-Collaboration-SonicBlue-Bumblebee-and-Exo-Suit-Chama.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Glyph (Universe)|So]] [[Freeway (G1)|close.]]]]
*'''SonicBlue Bumble and Exo Suit Chama'''{{sic}} (2019)

:Released as part of the collaboration between the ''Transformers'' franchise, the [[Bump of Chicken]] rock group, and [[Studio Trigger]]'s [[Sushio]], this Bumblebee is a redeco of the ''Legends'' release of the ''Titans Return'' mold, complete with translucent windows. The included Headmaster is redecoed from [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Legends|Excelsuit Spike]] to represent the likeness of Yoshifumi Naoi aka [[Chama]]. Also included is a [[pack-in material|pack-in]] mini-comic, "[[Transformers × Bump of Chicken EX Episode]]", written by Chama himself and illustrated by [[Sushio]].

:The figure is exclusively released as one of the band's [https://bumpofchicken.com/goods/list/detail?id=14&item_id=46 online shop items], though customers must register as an EMTG (Entertainment Music Ticket Guard) member to purchase it. Collectors first had an opportunity to purchase the figure in-person at an event at Tokyo Dome from November 3–4, 2019, starting at 8:30 AM JST. In-person purchasers needed to have a ticket to the band's concert in order to purchase the figure. Online orders were also available at noon on November 8, 2019, and quickly sold out. Due to demand, a second run of the toy was made available on November 11, 2019, with the second run shipping in March, 2020.

{{-}}

==Fictional toys==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Bumblebee Fictional Toy Power Struggle.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
[[Anthony Duranti]]'s toy Bumblebee was articulated in the knees and probably the shoulders and elbows. {{storylink|Power Struggle}}
{{-}}

[[File:Bumblebee christmas toy marvel uk 250.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|[insert obligatory innuendo about "''playing with yourself''"]]]
''At the [[1989]] [[Transformer]]s' [[Christmas]] party, Bumblebee was given a box containing a toy of himself in his alternate mode.'' {{storylink|:File:MarvelUK-250.jpg|''The Transformers'' #250 cover}}
{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternity Autobots]]
[[Category:Authentics]]
[[Category:Bot Shots Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Construct-Bots Autobots]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Hero Mashers Autobots]]
[[Category:Kmart exclusives]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Q-Transformers characters]]
[[Category:SDCC exclusives]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Titans Return Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Autobots]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Sea specialists]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Trilogy]]

Bumblebee (Movie)

2020-07-23T06:42:00Z

TailgatePrime: /* The Last Knight film */

{{factions|autobotfilm|NEST|sector7|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3.5|the Autobot lieutenant|the movie named after him|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
{{suite}}
:''Bumblebee is an [[Autobot]] from the [[live-action film series]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:TF-Alliance03 Cover Nizzi.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb| Hi, kids! I'm the new face of Transformers! Hope you enjoy!]]
'''Bumblebee''' is one of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]'s most trusted lieutenants. Although he is not the strongest or most powerful of the Autobots, Bumblebee more than makes up for this with a bottomless well of luck, determination and bravery. He would gladly give his life to protect others and stop the [[Decepticon]]s.

Badly damaged in battle, Bumblebee lost the ability to speak verbally, though he can still communicate over [[Inter-Autobot radio|inter-Autobot frequencies]] (in a fashion that seems somewhat akin to instant messaging, a usable but more distant and less personal means of interaction). He can also communicate with the Autobots' human allies and his friend, [[Sam Witwicky]], by playing audio clips from popular media on his radio. Though he has these stable forms of communication, Bumblebee would love nothing more than to finally get his voice back someday.

As the battles on Earth have raged on and more of their old friends have perished in the fighting, Bumblebee has found himself forced to step up as acting Autobot leader whenever Optimus isn't around. This stint at leadership isn't exactly going that well, as not only are there barely any surviving Autobots around to lead, not many of them respect his authority. Bumblebee's trying his best, but he shows all the signs of a young 'bot forced to grow up too fast, with his impulsiveness sometimes giving the Autobots as much trouble as their adversaries.

He is also known as '''N.B.E.-02''', '''ZB-7''', or '''B-127''', and has operated under the codename '''Goldwheels'''. He is also partnered with the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobot]] [[Strafe (AOE)|Strafe]], and is brothers-in-arms with fellow Autobot [[Hot Rod (DOTM)|Hot Rod]].

{{quote|If there's anything you need, I won't be far away.|Bumblebee quoting ''{{w|Forrest Gump}}'' to Sam|''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Movies===
{{note|The six movies are the primary component of the live-action movie continuity family. Their events should be taken as canon for all other pieces of fiction listed below, unless otherwise specified.}}

====''Transformers'' film====
{{voiceactor|[[Mark Ryan]] (English), [[Hiroshi Iwasaki]] (Japan radio voice), [[Akio Kato]] (Japan normal voice)|[[Bohdan Tůma]] (Czech), [[Lu Kui]] (Chinese), [[Patrick Béthune]] (European French), [[Helmut Gauß]] (German), [[Eduardo Borgerth]] (Brazil), [[Omar Soto]] (Latin American-Spanish Radio voice), [[Alfredo Gabriel Basurto]] (Latin American-Spanish normal voice), [[János Bácskai]] (Hungarian), [[Saverio Indrio]] (Italian), [[Shanu Dev]] (Hindi)}}
[[File:Movie2007 Bumblebee dealership.jpg|left|upright=1.8|thumb|Out with the old, and in with the new.]]
When the Autobots scattered to the stars in search of the lost [[AllSpark]], Bumblebee made his way to the planet [[Earth]], where he connected the trail of the lost relic to the [[Witwicky]] family line. In 2007, disguised as a battered 1970s Camaro, Bumblebee followed [[Ron Witwicky]] and his son [[Sam Witwicky|Sam]] to [[Bolivia's Finest Quality Used Cars and Petting Zoo|a second rate car dealership]] and slipped himself amongst the vehicles, intending to have the boy purchase him so that he could get close to the family. When proprietor [[Bobby Bolivia]] couldn't agree on a price, however, it looked like Sam would wind up buying another car, so Bumblebee used a high-frequency sound wave to blow out the windows of every other vehicle in the lot, leaving Bolivia with no choice but to sell him.

[[File:Movie Bumblebee winner.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|YOU BIG WINNER, HAHAHA.]]

The next day, Sam and his friend [[Miles Lancaster]] drove Bumblebee down to a party at the lake, where the disguised Autobot decided to do the boy a favor, playing "Drive" on his radio to subtly convince Sam to kick Miles out and offer his crush [[Mikaela Banes]] a ride home. When he neared a romantic spot overlooking the city, Bumblebee turned off his engine and began playing romantically suggestive songs; this didn't have the intended effect, and Bumblebee had to abruptly turn himself back on again when Mikaela started to walk off. After they returned Mikaela home, Bumblebee drove off during the night; Sam, believing it to be a car theft, followed him to a junkyard and witnessed the robot-mode Bumblebee sending a beacon into space to summon his fellow Autobots. Apparently unaware that he had been spotted, Bumblebee then scared off the junkyard's two guard dogs when they menaced Sam.

[[File:TF2007 bumblebee 2009 camaro.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8|Out with the new, and in with the newer.]]

When Bumblebee returned to the Witwicky home the next day, a terrified Sam fled from what he dubbed "Satan's Camaro", only to wind up being attacked by the Decepticon [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]], who was also on the trail of the AllSpark. While fleeing this new threat, Sam ran into Mikaela, and Bumblebee then snatched the pair up and drove them away, with Barricade in hot pursuit. Taking refuge at a deserted chemical plant, Bumblebee revealed his robot form to the two humans so he could engage Barricade in combat, eventually knocked the Decepticon out after a brawl. Afterward, Bumblebee—able only to communicate in sound bites broadcast over his radio—properly introduced himself to Sam and Mikaela, and drove them to nearby [[Griffith Observatory]] to watch as the other Autobots he had called upon arrived in the sky overhead. Along the way, when Mikaela wondered aloud why a super-advanced robot turned into a "piece of crap Camaro", a mildly insulted Bumblebee scanned a passing 2009 Camaro, taking on its sleek and shiny form himself.

[[File:Movie BumblebeeCC guardian.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|I may be your guardian, but I will not carry you through a crowd to the music of Whitney Houston.]]

Bumblebee took his friends to a secluded alleyway, where Sam and Mikaela met the other Autobots, including their leader, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]. Medical officer [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] explained that Bumblebee's inability to speak was a result of an old injury to his [[processor|vocal processor]], which Ratchet then treated with a regenerative plasma beam.<ref name="Orci">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showthread.php?t=12054 Post-movie Q&A with screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman]</ref> Prime explained that Sam had been targeted because he owned [[Archibald Witwicky's glasses|a set]] of [[glasses]] belonging to his grandfather, [[Archibald Witwicky]], which had the location on the AllSpark inscribed on their lenses, and the entire group returned to the Witwicky home so they could obtain them.

[[File:Movie2007 Bumblebee lubricates Simmons.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.8|"They should change my name to Bumble-PEE!!!" Ba Dum Tss! I'll be here all night!]]

Though the glasses were soon found, the forces of [[Sector Seven]] soon descended upon the house and apprehended Sam and Mikaela. The Autobots wasted no time in rescuing them, but when the interrogation of [[Seymour Simmons]] went nowhere, Bumblebee became so annoyed with his attitude that he released lubricant onto the agent. When Sector Seven reinforcements arrived, the Autobots were forced to hide; unfortunately, Sam and Mikaela fell from their hiding place beneath a bridge, and Bumblebee had to reveal himself to save them. Harpooned and frozen by Sector Seven agents, he was captured by the organization, with Optimus Prime regrettably unable to intercede as he knew the Autobots could not do so without harming the humans.

[[File:TF2007 bumblebee captured.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|"I WAS FROZEN TODAY!"]]
Taken to Sector Seven's base at [[Hoover Dam]], Bumblebee was continually doused with cryoblasts to keep him subdued while experiments were performed on him, until Sam and Mikaela (with some armed persuasion from [[William Lennox|Captain Lennox]]) convinced S7 to let him go. Upon his release, Bumblebee almost lashed out at his human oppressors until Sam calmed him down, informing him of the presence of the AllSpark and [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] in the facility, and that the Decepticons were coming for both. Following the humans to the AllSpark's chamber, Bumblebee hesitantly reached out to the life source of his people and reformatted it, shrinking the cube until it was a size that the humans could manipulate. Cube in hand, Bumblebee and a military escort fled to [[Mission City]], meeting the Autobots en route.

[[File:TF2007 bumblebee gives sam allspark.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|"I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!"]]
Soon after Bumblebee and the Autobots arrived in the city, the Decepticons descended in force, with a missile attack from Starscream blowing off Bumblebee's legs. To get him to safety, Mikaela and Sam hoisted Bumblebee onto an abandoned tow truck, but Bumblebee pushed the AllSpark into Sam's hands, urging him to run while he still could. As Sam reluctantly left, Mikaela drove Bumblebee away from the fighting to relative safety, but she was soon overcome with guilt for leaving Sam and the battle. With Bumblebee's assent, she turned headed back in, driving the truck in reverse so that Bumblebee could fire his weapons at [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]], helping take the tank Decepticon out. Subsequently, Sam used the AllSpark to destroy Megatron, and in the aftermath, Bumblebee found that his voice had returned,<ref name="Orci"/> and he used it to request permission to remain with Sam. Optimus and Sam agreed, and after his legs were repaired, Bumblebee allowed Sam and Mikaela to make out on top of him as Optimus sent his message to space calling other Autobots to Earth. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}

{{note|Bumblebee's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the novels "[[Transformers (novel)|Transformers]]," "[[Transformers: The Junior Novel]]" and "[[The Quest for the AllSpark]]"; the "[[Transformers: Movie Adaptation]]" and "[[Movie Trilogy]]" comics; the activity book "[[Look and Find Transformers]]"; and the storybooks "[[Bumblebee Rumble]]," "[[Optimus Prime Versus Megatron]]," "[[Sam's New Car]]," "[[Transformers (interactive Play-a-Sound Storybook)|Transformers Play-a-Sound]]," "[[Transformers Mix & Match]]," "[[Meet the Autobots]]," "[[Meet the Decepticons]]," and "[[Transformers: The Movie Storybook]]." In several, Bumblebee has his own [[Moustache Man]] hologram driver, which does not appear in the finished film.}}

====''Revenge of the Fallen'' film====
{{voiceactor|[[Mark Ryan]] (English, promo video)|[[Lu Kui]] (Chinese), [[Bohdan Tůma]] (Czech), [[Jean-Philippe Puymartin]] (European French radio voice), [[Eduardo Borgerth]] (Brazil), [[Omar Soto]] (Latin American-Spanish Radio voice), [[Enrique Cervantes]] (Latin American-Spanish), [[Arturo Acosta]] (Latin American-Spanish radio voice), [[Alfredo Gabriel Basurto]] (Latin American-Spanish normal voice)}}
[[File:ROTF bumblebee opens fire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Fixing [[Appliancebot|broken appliances]] the most effective way.]]
Two years after the battle of Mission City, his voice still not properly repaired, Bumblebee was dozing in the Witwicky garage the day Sam was packing for [[Princeton University]] when a scream from Sam saw him called into action to blast the [[AllSpark Mutation]]s a surviving sliver of the AllSpark had made of the Witwicky kitchen appliances. Shrugging off [[Judy Witwicky]]'s complaints that he had blown up much of their house, 'Bee returned to the garage, where he was dismayed to learn that Sam was not planning on taking him to college with him, as just he wanted a normal life.

[[File:ROTF bee makes trouble.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8|Phew, turned the alarm off before it started playing "Imma Be".]]
Hoping that Sam could serve as an ambassador of sorts to help convince the [[President of the United States]] that it was important the Autobots stay on Earth to fight off the Decepticons, Optimus Prime had Bumblebee pick up Sam from college so he could talk to him. 'Bee caused trouble for Sam right away, disrupting a frat party he was attending, then wound up with an unwanted passenger in [[Alice (ROTF)|Alice]], about whom he could tell something wasn't right. Bonking her head off his dashboard and spraying her in liquid to get rid of her, he then took Sam to meet Optimus, but the boy turned down the Autobot leader's offer. Unfortunately, Sam soon proved to have little choice in whether or not he would be involved in the Transformers' war, when a resurrected Megatron captured him, and Bumblebee and Prime had to come to his rescue. 'Bee took Mikaela and Sam's roommate [[Leo Spitz]], to safety, but Optimus died protecting the boy.

[[File:ROTF bumblebee puppdogeyes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|''You tell me that you open your eyes...'']]

Bumblebee, together with [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]], took the three humans to an abandoned prison where they would be safe, but soon, the Decepticons' master [[The Fallen]] struck across Earth, demanding Sam he turned over to them. Bearing Sam no grudge for Optimus's death, Bumblebee promised to help his fugitive friend in any way, though he advised against Sam turning himself in. At Leo's suggestion, the group went to [[New York City]] to meet his internet rival, the Robo-Warrior—in actuality, Bumblebee's old lubrication post Seymour Simmons, who provided evidence that [[Seeker (ROTF)|a group of Decepticons]] had been on Earth thousands of years ago. Following this information, the group located and reactivated the ancient [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]], who teleported them to [[Egypt]] to search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]], which Sam hoped could be used to revive Optimus.

[[File:ROTF Bumblebee twin bash.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|Respect my authoritah!]]

Bumblebee transported the humans to [[Petra (Earth)|Petra]], the supposed location of the [[Tomb of the Primes]], but when it appeared to be a dead end, the Twins got into an argument over why they were following Sam around. The argument turned into a brawl which threatened to crush the humans in the close quarters, so Bumblebee picked his two subordinates, slammed them together, and threw them out of the temple. However, the Twins' brawl had managed to unearth the Tomb of the Primes, and Bumblebee further opened the hole with his plasma cannon, where they found the Matrix...which instantly turned to dust. Gathering up the dust in hopes it would still work, the team headed back to Egypt, but were [[Operation: Firestorm|assaulted]] by Starscream on the way. 'Bee, Simmons, Leo, and the Twins led Starscream and the Decepticons away while Sam and Mikaela went on ahead, and when it became apparent that Starscream was no longer pursuing them, Bumblebee left to rejoin the pair.

[[File:ROTF movie BumblebeevsRampage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Move your body Rampage! Yeah, like that, gymnastics are really easy when you have two legs. Oh wait...]]

Arriving in the abandoned town Sam and Mikaela were hiding from the Decepticons in, Bumblebee found that Sam's parents were being held captive by [[Rampage (ROTF)|Rampage]]. Sam distracted the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]] long enough for Bumblebee to jump him, but while they were grappling, [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] ambushed Bumblebee. The plucky Autobot managed to fight off Ravage and ''rip out his spine'', then overpowered and killed Rampage. At Sam's instruction, Bumblebee took the boy's parents to safety, returning in time to see Sam apparently be killed by a blast from Megatron, upon which he broke down in grief. However, Sam miraculously survived the attack, and with the reformed Matrix of Leadership, resurrected Optimus Prime. Together, the assembled Autobots and humans watched as Optimus combined with the remains of Jetfire, destroyed the harvester and killed The Fallen. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

{{note|Bumblebee’s involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the novels "[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (novel)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]," "[[Revenge of the Fallen: The Junior Novel]]" and "[[The Last Prime]]"; the comic mini-series "[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Official Movie Adaptation]]"; and the storybooks "[[I Am Optimus Prime (ROTF)|I Am Optimus Prime]]," "[[When Robots Attack!]]," "[[Rise of the Decepticons]]," "[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Electronic Voice Changer]]" and "[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Mix & Match]]." In the [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (novel)|novelization]] of the film, Bumblebee speaks—with difficulty—in his own voice several times, a story element that was cut from the finished film.}}

====''Dark of the Moon'' film====
{{voiceactor|[[Lu Kui]] (Chinese)|[[Eduardo Borgerth]] (Brazil), [[Bohdan Tůma]] (Czech), [[Omar Soto]] (Latin American-Spanish Radio voice), [[Enrique Cervantes]], [[Arturo Acosta]] (Latin American-Spanish radio voice; ''Revenge of the Fallen''), [[Alfredo Gabriel Basurto]] (Latin American-Spanish normal voice), [[Ferso Velázquez]] (Latin American-Spanish radio voice)}}
[[File:DOTFfilm-BumblebeeStealthForce.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8|''Stealth'' Force? Right...]]
Three years after the defeat of The Fallen, Bumblebee no longer lived with Sam, having been put back on active NEST duty now regularly engaged in top secret missions with the rest of the Autobots, mostly to prevent human conflict. Alongside [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]], [[Mirage (Movie)|Dino]] and [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]], 'Bee investigated an illegal nuclear facility, employing his [[Stealth Force]] mode to destroy it. Upon returning to the [[NEST]] base, he assisted in teaching soldiers how to fight Decepticons.

[[File:DOTM bumblebee vs brazos.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Grumpy Bee is not impressed.]]

Having received information from his co-worker [[Jerry Wang]] that suggested a conspiracy of humans collaborating with the Decepticons, Sam and his new girlfriend [[Carly Spencer]] went to NEST headquarters to share what Sam had learned, but when the guards would not let him enter, he grabbed a radio and called for Bumblebee to "convince" them. The guards quickly backed off when Bumblebee burst out of the building, but the reunion wasn't an entirely happy one, as Sam made clear to his big 'bot buddy that he was upset that he wasn't around much any more. National Intelligence Director [[Charlotte Mearing]] had no interest in Sam's conspiracy theories, so Sam left with Bumblebee to investigate the matter himself. To "repay" Sam's boss eccentric [[Bruce Brazos]] for a few leads he was able to provide them, Bumblebee play-fought with the man, who tried some karate moves on him.

[[File:Dotm-sam&bumblebee-ahhh!-1-.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8|Here comes another Flight of the Bumblebee joke...]]
After Sam, [[Seymour Simmons|Simmons]] and [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]] learned that the Autobots' recent actions—recovering their lost former leader [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] and his [[space bridge]] [[pillar]]s from the wreck of the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' they had discovered on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]]—had actually been orchestrated by the Decepticons, Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Dino escorted the humans and Sentinel back to the NEST base. En route, they were attacked by the [[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]], and Bumblebee was forced to execute an impressive mid-air transformation to avoid a crashed truck, tossing Sam into the air as he switched modes, before transforming back to vehicle mode around the boy. When the group arrived back at NEST, Sentinel revealed he was in league with Megatron, and Bumblebee was unable to prevent [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] from being killed and the base from being destroyed as Sentinel retrieved his pillars.

[[File:DOTM-bumblebeesamsfriend.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Bee good.]]
Sentinel used his pillars to open a space bridge in the heart of Washington, and Bumblebee and the Autobots were vastly outnumbered by the Decepticon forces that poured through and had to retreat. When Sentinel forced the humans to exile the Autobots on their ship, the ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]'', Bumblebee was allowed a short time to say goodbye to Sam, and assured him he was always going to be his friend, before helping the others prepare the ship for launch. However shortly after lift-off, the ''Xantium'' was destroyed by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], and Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots were presumed dead.

[[File:DOTM bee and carly in ship.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8|Carly is not liking the in-flight movie.]]
In actuality, the Autobots had hidden in a rocket booster that was jettisoned before the Xantium's destruction, and arrived in the Decepticon-occupied [[Chicago]] in time to help Sam, [[Robert Epps|Epps]] and a team of soldiers in finding the kidnapped Carly. Bumblebee piloted one of the downed Decepticon fighters to get Sam into the building in which Decepticon conspirator [[Dylan Gould]] was holding Carly, and used it to both rescue the pair and blast off [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]]'s head. He rejoined his fellow Autobots in attacking the Decepticon forces, and arrived in time to save Sam and Lennox from falling to their deaths after Sam managed to kill Starscream.

[[File:830px-Dotm-helluvarun-1-.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|He's right behind me, isn't he?]]
Unfortunately, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Dino, Ratchet and Que were soon captured by [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] and his troops, and Bumblebee could only watch as Que was executed. He had barely a moment to mourn before he was pulled forward, sharing what seemed to be a final, heartfelt look with Sam... before [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] and [[Brains]] suddenly started dropping Decepticon fighters from a Decepticon warship above. With Soundwave distracted, Bumblebee attacked his would-be executioner, and after a short but intense battle, killed the Decepticon spy-master by punching straight through his chest and blasting his head to bits. Subsequently, Bumblebee joined the final battle, and with Ratchet's help, he tackled and destroyed the space bridge's control pillar, shutting the bridge down. After the defeat of the Decepticons and Sentinel Prime, Bumblebee produced a selection of gears and washers from inside his body so that Sam could use one as a ring to propose to Carly with, but Sam just told him that he needed to slow it down. He was then commended for his bravery in battle by Ratchet.{{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
{{note|Bumblebee's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the novels "[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]" and "[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel]]," the "[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation]] and "[[Movie Trilogy]]" comics," and the storybooks "[[Autobots Versus Decepticons]]," "[[The Lost Autobot]]," "[[Optimus Prime's Friends and Foes]]," "[[Bumblebee's Best Friend]]," "[[Dark of the Moon: Action Pop-ups!]]" and "[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Mix & Match]]."}}

====''Age of Extinction'' film====
{{voiceactor|[[Kōichi Yamadera]] (Japanese radio voice)|[[Lu Kui]] (Chinese), [[Bohdan Tůma]] (Czech), [[Vincent Ribeiro]] and [[Tristan Petitgirard]] (European French radio voices), [[Eduardo Borgerth]] (Brazil), [[Ferso Velázquez]] (Latin American-Spanish radio voice), [[Gerardo Alonso]] (Latin American Spanish radio voice)}}
[[File:AOEBumblebee.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|After a wild bender, Bumblebee woke up in the desert, stripped of his 2011 Camaro kibble.]]
At some point in the past, Bumblebee had a phase where he became extremely insubordinate and disrespectful to Optimus Prime.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Chicago, Bumblebee remained on Earth with the other Autobots, but they were all soon forced to go on the run when US government disbanded [[NEST]], and [[Harold Attinger]]'s [[Cemetery Wind]] taskforce began hunting down Transformers. Disguised as a beat-up 1967 Camaro, Bumblebee even found himself having to take command of the remaining Autobot refugees when Optimus Prime disappeared, even though the others saw him as brash and inexperienced.

[[File:AOE bee and stinger.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Bumblebee shares the same feeling with [[Stephanie Sheh|Usagi Tsukino]] when it comes to clones.]]

Five years after Chicago, Optimus returned and Bumblebee relinquished command, but this did not stop [[Drift (AOE)|Drift]] from complaining about Bumblebee's leadership skills. Indignant at being called a "child" by the Autobot samurai, Bumblebee briefly brawled with Drift, but greater matters soon demanded the Autobots' attention. Following information provided by Optimus's new human ally [[Cade Yeager]] that revealed Cemetery Wind were delivering the bodies of the Transformers they captured to [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated]], the Autobots prepared to infiltrate the company's Chicago headquarters; Bumblebee falsified ID cards to get Cade and [[Shane Dyson]] into the building, then drove them to the site, masquerading as a non-sentient vehicle being brought in for [[scanning]]. Upon seeing the company's display of [[Stinger (AOE)|Stinger]], a drone based on his own design, as well several videos and posters claiming that he was inferior to the human-made Transformer, Bumblebee flipped out and knocked over the prototype, then left Shane to take the blame for the accident.

[[File:AOE bumblebee missiles.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8|Hi Tom!]]

The information Cade brought out of KSI revealed to the Autobots that the captured Transformers were being melted down for their raw [[Living metal#Live-action film series|transformium]] metal. Learning that Ratchet had suffered this grisly fate, Bumblebee joined the Autobots in attacking the building, though not before he half-heartedly scanned a 2014 Camaro along the way, taking on a sleek new alternate mode. He got a lift from Drift's helicopter mode to the buildings upper levels and was able to rescue Cade from Attinger's clutches, having no regards for rampaging the building for Ratchet. The Autobots then withdrew, but were pursued by Stinger and KSI's premiere creation, Galvatron; 'Bee attempted to blast Galvatron with a cluster of missiles, but was left in utter shock when the drone disintegrated and reassembled himself to avoid the attack.

[[File:AOE-BeeIsTheBest.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Never mind the fact we should be ripped to shreds by the shattered glass from this skyscraper, you're the best, Bee!]]
When Optimus was captured by [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], Bumblebee and the Autobots infiltrated the [[Knight Ship|bounty hunter's ship]]. Bumblebee helped their human allies escape from several [[Steeljaw (AOE)|Steeljaw]]s, and though he could not stop the ships anchors from being detached, causing the humans to fall towards Chicago, he still managed to save them by swinging down on the cables and grabbing them out of the air. Given a lift by [[Crosshairs (AOE)|Crosshairs]] in a stolen gunship, 'Bee had to take over piloting the craft while Crosshairs engaged Lockdown's pursuing henchmen, and although he managed to lose the ships chasing them by diving into an underground roadway, he then promptly crashed the gunship into the city streets.

Bumblebee and the humans regrouped with the other Autobots at a disused train yard, where they learned from Brains that Galvatron was, in actuality, a reborn Megatron, and was planning to detonate a cyberforming [[seed]]—given to KSI head [[Joshua Joyce]] by Lockdown—in [[Hong Kong]]. The team immediately headed for China, but upon arrival, their ship was shot down, and Bumblebee, [[Hound (Movie)|Hound]] and the humans fell out and had to escort the seed out of the city. [[File:CheapKnockOffs.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|But how does he feel about the length of his toy page?]] Bumblebee and Hound acted as a defensive line against Galvatron's forces, and though they destroyed many drones, they slowly became overwhelmed by the onslaught. Salvation came in the form of Optimus Prime and the newly recruited [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobots]]; their airborne member [[Strafe (AOE)|Strafe]] partnered himself up with Bumblebee, and together, they took out Stinger, who 'Bee "eulogized" by calling him a "cheap knockoff" and let Strafe gnaw on his head. With the battle reaching fever pitch, Bumblebee was tasked by Cade with taking his daughter [[Tessa Yeager|Tessa]] and Shane out of the city, but the pair soon convinced him to turn around and help Optimus and Cade fight the returned Lockdown. Bumblebee quickly found he was no match for Lockdown, but his intervention gave Tessa and Shane enough time to help Optimus recover, and the Autobot leader slew the bounty hunter. Bumblebee, alongside the other Autobots, was tasked with protecting the Yeager family from any threats when Optimus left Earth to confront Lockdown's employers, the mysterious [[creator (AOE)|creators]]. With Optimus off-world, Bumblebee was left in charge of the Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
{{-}}

====''The Last Knight'' film====
{{voiceactor|[[Erik Aadahl]] (English)|[[Masato Obara]] (Japanese), [[Lu Kui]] (Chinese), [[Bohdan Tůma]] (Czech), [[Boris Tessmann]] (German), [[Eduardo Borgerth]] (Brazil), [[Omar Soto]] (Latin American-Spanish Radio voice), [[Alfredo Gabriel Basurto]] (Latin American-Spanish normal voice), [[János Bácskai]] (Hungarian)}}
[[File:TLK Bumblebee versus Nazis.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|left|He shot fifty men.]]
During [[World War II]], Bumblebee, then known as ZB-7, and [[Hot Rod (DOTM)|Hot Rod]] fought alongside Allies, during which the two met and befriended a young [[Edmund Burton]]. After the war however, Bumblebee resumed his search while Hot Rod remained behind. As the decades passed, Bumblebee would not come to remember World War II as a particularly noteworthy conflict.

[[File:TLK Bumblebee snags Santos.jpg|thumb|300px|If it's a Super Saiyan you're looking for, I can fill the part.]]
In the years since Optimus Prime's departure into space in search of the Creators, Bumblebee retook command of the remaining team of Autobots on Earth. He accompanied Cade and Hound to the Chicago No Go-Zone: a hotspot of Cybertronian artifacts that landed on Earth since the Battle of Chicago. He and Cade came to the aid of [[Izabella]] after her Autobot companion [[Canopy]] was killed with Bumblebee himself destroying one of the attacking Sentinels. When Cade was held up by the [[Transformers Reaction Force|TRF]], Bumblebee came to his assistance, albeit in an unorthodox manner. He blew himself apart, only for his individual pieces to piece back together and reassemble himself in order to dispose of the TRF forces, giving their side the advantage. If it weren't for Lennox's intervention, Bumblebee would very likely have killed TRF Commander [[Santos]]. With Cade easing the standoff to prevent any collateral damage and Hound arriving at the scene, he urged the TRF to lower their weapons and allow them to leave, but not without the TRF tagging Bumblebee with a tracker.

Back at the [[Junkyard (TLK)|junkyard]] where the other Autobots camped, he struggled to keep the team in order, with Grimlock stealing the local sheriff's cruiser and Crosshairs questioning his leadership skills, with whom he engaged in a small brawl. It wasn't helped by the arrival of the unscrupulous [[Daytrader]], who brought with him more of his shady trinkets, which included a [[Vatti Bot]] (which Bumblebee angrily crushed) and the deceased Starscream's head. The next morning, however, a convoy of Decepticons were heading towards at the junkyard. While Hound and [[Trench]] held the line, Bumblebee and others fled to a nearby town where Drift discovered and disabled the tracker the TRF had placed on Bumblebee. After the Decepticons had been lured into a trap, Bumblebee personally slew [[Mohawk]] before a [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] by the name of [[Cogman]] arrived on the scene to escort Cade to England to meet Sir Edmund Burton. Bumblebee accompanied Cade as extra muscle.

[[File:TLKOptimusVsBumblebee.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb|Ah, I was wondering what would break first! Your spirit -- ''or your body!'']]
At the castle, they were initially greeted by [[Bulldog (TLK)|a tank Transformer suffering from "robot-dimentia"]] attacking them before Sir Edmund scolded him for firing at guests. Burton then expressed joy at seeing Bumblebee despite the Autobot not remembering him. It was then that Bumblebee was reunited with Hot Rod, who had sort of kidnapped a woman named [[Viviane Wembly]]. When the TRF arrived, Bumblebee served as a getaway car for Cade and Vivian, depositing them at her flat before he took the two to the [[HMS Alliance|HMS ''Alliance'']], during which he managed to get his Decepticon nemesis Barricade off his tail by blasting him aside. Leaving Hot Rod behind, Bumblebee took hold of the massive femme as she submerged and took the humans to a [[Guardian Knights' ship|submerged Cybertronian ship]]. Inside the ship, however, the group was forced to split as ocean debris had made the path accessible to humans but inaccessible to Bumblebee. He caught up with the two soon after Viviane had found the [[Staff of Merlin]] and seconds before [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Nemesis Prime]] arrived to demand the staff. After threatening Viviane's life for it, Nemesis walked out and Bumblebee, spurred on by Cade, followed Nemesis to try and reawaken his true personality.

On the deck of the ship, Nemesis promptly beat Bumblebee into submission only for the sound of Bumblebee's true voice to reawaken Optimus Prime. Allying with the [[Guardian Knight]]s, the Autobots flew to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to confront and destroy [[Quintessa (TLK)|Quintessa]] while Viviane removed the staff from the [[ignition chamber]] to halt her plan. Though Cybertron's reconnecting and shifting geology proved an obstacle, the Autobots made it to the area of the ignition chamber only to be faced by a Decepticon army backed up by a gun emplacement and [[Infernocus]]; they were eventually destroy by Optimus and [[Sqweeks]]. Salvation came when the [[British Armed Forces|British military]] caused a nearby chunk of Cybertron to swing and impact the ignition chamber. In the temporary state of zero gravity, Bumblebee took the opportunity to kill [[Nitro Zeus]] by blowing up his head. Optimus then distracted Quintessa allowing Bumblebee to blast her from behind (with a quippy one liner) and Viviane to remove the staff saving Earth. on the surface of Earth, Optimus had felt that Cybertron had healed enough that the Autobots could return home and Bumblebee, after thanking the humans for saving Optimus, boarded the [[Knight Ship]] as it blasted off for Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

====''Bumblebee'' film====
{{voiceactor|[[Dylan O'Brien]] (English), [[Ryōhei Kimura]] (Japanese)|[[Bohdan Tůma]] (Czech), [[Julien Allouf]] (European French), [[Boris Tessmann]] (German), [[Rajesh Kava]] (Hindi), [[János Bácskai]] (Hungarian), [[Ivan Zaytsev]] (Italian), [[Paco Gázquez]] (Spain Spanish), [[Emilio Treviño]] (Latin-American Spanish)}}

{{note|''Bumblebee'' takes place before the other films (supposedly), but was released last. As such, it is placed at the bottom here.}}

[[File:Bumblejeep.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|"Maybe if I look like this, [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] will think I'm [[Swindle (G1)|a part]] of [[Combaticon (G1)|his brigade]]!"]]

A scout under the command of Optimus Prime, B-127 was part of the final battle for Cybertron — a battle that ended with the Autobot position overrun by the Decepticons and necessitating a full-scale Autobot evacuation of Cybertron. As part of this evacuation, Prime tasked him with a reconnaissance mission to the distant planet of [[Earth]]—its location hidden from the Decepticons—in the hopes that the scout could establish a base for the Autobots to regroup and strike back. Launched off-planet aboard an [[Autobot escape pod|escape pod]], B-127 crash-landed in [[California]] in the year [[1987]], having the bad fortune to land in the woods where [[Sector Seven]] agent [[Jack Burns]] had been conducting a training exercise.

Trying to flee the hostile humans, B-127 quickly [[scanning|scanned]] a jeep alternate mode to make his escape and fled through the woods until he was cornered outside of an abandoned mineshaft. Despite his best intentions to assure the humans of his good intentions, the Autobot scout found himself attacked by the Decepticon [[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]]. Believing that B-127 knew the whereabouts of Optimus Prime and his forces, the Decepticon grappled with the little Autobot in an attempt to get him to speak; when his foe retorted that he would never disclose Prime's location, Blitzwing "made it official" by ripping out B-127's voice box and greviously injuring him by hurling him off a cliff. Before the Decepticon could execute him, however, B-127 emerged triumphant by jamming one of Blitzwing's missiles into the Decepticon's superstructure, blowing Blitzwing to smithereens.

His [[voice box]] damaged, his memory cells offline, and his body failing, the critically wounded B-127 was able to limp to a nearby riverbank, and before entering stasis he was able to scan a new disguise: a Volkswagen Beetle. It was in this form that B-127 remained for some time while he recovered, and at some point the derelict car found its way to a run-down [[Hank's Marine Repair and Parts|salvage yard]] in [[Brighton Falls]], where it was sheeted and left to rust.

[[File:VWBumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.8|"Do [[Sam Witwicky|you]] have your [[Archibald Witwicky|grandfather]]'s [[Archibald Witwicky's glasses|glasses]]- wait, sorry, [[Charlie Watson|wrong human]]."]]

In August of that year, B-127's derelict form caught the attention of [[Charlie Watson]], and while trying to start the car she triggered the Autobot's radio, broadcasting a signal that inadvertently reached the Decepticons [[Shatter]] and [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] on [[Saturn]]. Several days later, on her eighteenth birthday, yard owner [[Uncle Hank|Hank]] allowed Charlie the car as a birthday present if she could get it to start. After fixing the engine, Charlie drove her new car home, and while repairing the car her investigations inadvertently revealed B-127, still wounded, mute, and amnesiac from his battle on Earth. Inspired by the buzzing noises of his broken voice box, Charlie named him "Bumblebee."

The next morning, [[Sally Watson]] used her daughter's car to drive [[Conan|the family dog]] to the vet, with Bumblebee almost revealing himself to a panicked Charlie as she tried to catch up with him. That afternoon, Charlie took him to a nearby beach to teach the Autobot that he couldn't reveal himself to other [[humans]], and during a subsequent walk in the woods Charlie wound up activating a garbled hologram of Optimus Prime, jolting Bumblebee's memory and reminding him of Prime's final battle on Cybertron. His continual attempts to communicate with his broken radio inspired Charlie to replace it with the radio from her late father's Chevrolet, and Bumblebee's curiosity about her old diving tapes and records prompted Charlie to open up about the passing of her father and her difficulty coping with his death.

[[File:Bumblebee vs sofa.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8]]
As Bumblebee played with his radio, the noise attracted the attention of Charlie's neighbor [[Memo]], and after swearing him to secrecy the pair went for a drive in Bumblebee, with the two humans realizing that Bumblebee was trying to use the radio to communicate. Following an antagonistic encounter with [[Tina Lark]] at a cliff-diving party hosted by [[Tripp Summers]], the trio decided to get revenge by pranking her house; Bumblebee got carried away while egging her car, however, and wound up destroying it entirely. Their hasty escape caught the attention of [[Sheriff Lock]], and Bumblebee was able to easily evade the sheriff's police cruiser during the subsequent police chase.

Realizing that she couldn't drive Bumblebee the next morning, Charlie left him in the garage while she went to work, though Bumblebee's curiosity soon got the better of him, and his clumsy exploration of the Watson home had him inadvertently destroy the house's interior in the process, while his experiments with an electrical outlet led to a massive [[energon]] surge. His destruction of the house caught the attention of Memo, who called Charlie home from work to deal with the problem. Though Memo was able to coax Bumblebee back to the garage to lie low, they were unable to clean up the house before Charlie's parents arrived, and the ensuing argument led to Charlie leaving home in Bumblebee... running into a Sector Seven ambush in the process, the agency having tracked Bumblebee thanks to his energon surge.

[[File:BBfilm-interrogation.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
Bumblebee transformed to robot mode to carry Charlie to safety, and although he was able to outmaneuver the humans he was ambushed by Shatter and Dropkick, who took the little Autobot prisoner. Their interrogation revealed Prime's hologram; armed with the knowledge that the Autobots were on their way to Earth, the two Decepticons left to call in their army to finish off their foes—but not before blasting their prisoner.

Thanks to Charlie and Memo jury-rigging one of Sector Seven's electrical guns, the two were able to blast enough electricity into Bumblebee's systems to bring him back online, the reboot restoring his memory cells in the process. Cornered by Sector Seven agents, a weakened Bumblebee only found the strength to fight back after watching Agent Burns manhandle Charlie, blasting the humans until Charlie was able to talk him down; despite his human friend's belief that they needed to hide, Bumblebee set out to stop the Decepticons, bringing Charlie with him.

[[File:BBfilm-Charlie-Bee-underwater.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8]]
The pair raced through the streets of Brighton Falls, accompanied by Charlie's family and pursued by more Sector Seven agents, until they reached the radio antennae that Shatter and Dropkick had repurposed into a makeshift Cybertronian relay to contact the Decepticon fleet. Bumblebee leapt into action immediately, killing Dropkick by tearing him apart with a chain and rescuing Agent Burns's disabled helicopter from crashing. As Charlie tried to manually disable the Decepticon relay, Bumblebee was able to narrowly prevent Shatter from taking her down, and as the pair battled in the dry dock below Bumblebee was able to blast the dam holding back the ocean, allowing the rush of water to fatally crush Shatter against a ship. With the Decepticons vanquished, Charlie dove into the water to guide Bumblebee back to shore, and as the pair recovered from their ordeal Agent Burns, having realized the error of his ways, allowed them to leave before his reinforcements arrived.

His memories restored and his body healed, Bumblebee drove Charlie to the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] to say his goodbyes so that he could reunite with the other Autobots and continue his mission on Earth. After thanking his human friend for helping him find his voice, Bumblebee scanned a passing Camaro and drove off, meeting up with Optimus Prime on the bridge and driving away. In the woods that night, Prime commended the scout for his bravery as the pair watched more Autobots arrive on Earth. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
{{note|Bumblebee's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the novel "[[Transformers: Bumblebee: The Junior Novel]]".}}

===Novels===
====''Ghosts of Yesterday''====
Before coming to Earth, Bumblebee was part of the crew of the [[Ark (Movie)|''Ark'']], searching through space for the lost AllSpark. In 1969, Earth-time, the crew encountered an alien ship, the ''[[Ghost 1]]'', in an abandoned solar system. After the ship turned tail and headed for one of the local planets, Optimus Prime sent Bumblebee down after it. Bumblebee located the ship, and was about to approach it when [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] arrived, and he was forced to retreat under the Decepticon's superior firepower. Shortly after Bumblebee discovered some apparently artificial pillars, the ground gave way beneath him, and 'Bee found himself plunged into a cave system. With his radio damaged, he explored the caves, and was attacked by giant, monstrous worm creatures, whose organic nature did not make them any less challenging as opponents. Fortunately, Optimus arrived in time to save him.

Prime and Bumblebee had a brief encounter with Starscream and the ''Ghost 1'', the crew of which had been persuaded by the Decepticon that the Autobots were the aggressors in the Transformer war. The pair retreated back below ground, and later found the ''Ghost 1'' in a battered state, having been abandoned by Starscream. Bumblebee made contact with its crew, a species known as "humans", and the earlier misunderstanding was soon cleared up. When more of the worm creatures turned up, Bumblebee acted as a diversion so Optimus could blast a way out of the caves, and everyone escaped intact. They returned to the ''Ark'' in time to fight the Decepticons once more. Bumblebee joined Ratchet in attacking Barricade, though the Decepticon gave them more than enough trouble. When the ''Ghost-1'' and its crew were lost during the battle, the Autobots turned their attention toward the planet from which it had hailed... Earth. {{storylink|Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Ghosts of Yesterday}}

====''The Veiled Threat''====

Following the battle of Mission City and the destruction of the AllSpark, Bumblebee's guardianship of Sam Witwicky meant that he was not an activate participant in any missions carried out by the forces of NEST. {{storylink|Transformers: The Veiled Threat|The Veiled Threat}}

====''Classified'' novels====
[[File:Tfc-switchinggears.jpg|right|thumb|Psst, down here!]]
After the defeat of The Fallen, NEST resumed their regular business of hunting down rogue Decepticons. Bumblebee was at [[Edwards Air Force Base]] with Ratchet when they received word that two Cybertronians in transition forms had landed near [[Hurley's Crossing]]. The pair went there by helicopter and encountered [[Reverb (ROTF)|Reverb]], who claimed to be a Decepticon defector hunting down another Decepticon who was after the technology at [[Hawthorne Army Depot]]. Though Bumblebee was highly skeptical, he followed Ratchet's lead, and they took Reverb to the depot. When they reached it, [[Kevin Bowman]] let them know that [[Gears (ROTF)|Gears]] was an Autobot and in reality trying to protect an ancient weapons cache. The warning came too late, as Reverb turned the weapons on Bumblebee and Ratchet, who were unable to penetrate the personal forcefield Reverb had acquired. Despite this, Bumblebee lasted out Reverb's defeat with minimal damage. {{storylink|Transformers Classified: Switching Gears|Switching Gears}}

When Bumblebee and Gears were left at base, they received word from [[Douglas Porter]] that the Decepticon [[Blowback]] was heading up to [[Battle Mountain]] where a storehouse of Cybertronian artifacts had been discovered. The pair were compelled to travel to Battle Mountain with Kevin and Douglas, though Bumblebee made a detour to a [[Kwiki-Burger]] on the way. On arrival, they were attacked by Blowback and his men, and by the time they'd dispatched the four Decepticons, Kevin and Douglas had found the storehouse. They were subsequently picked up by Ironhide and taken back to face Optimus Prime's anger at them having gone off on their own. {{storylink|Transformers Classified: Battle Mountain|Battle Mountain}}

When the Battle Mountain cylinder was in danger of activating, Bumblebee and Gears took part in a convoy to transport the device to a NEST vault near [[Yucca Mountain]]. The trip was cut short when the convoy was ambushed outside [[Beatty]] by Reverb and some stolen [[Hyperdynamix]] autonomous tanks. They caught a break when Reverb was called away to the nearby Hyperdynamix Aerospace facility, and while Gears and Kevin followed the Decepticon, Bumblebee remained to protect the remains of the convoy. {{storylink|Transformers Classified: Satellite of Doom|Satellite of Doom}}
{{-}}

===IDW movie comics===
[[File:Defiance1 Cliffjumper Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|"Tell Hasbro that [[Cliffjumper (disambiguation)|I]] don't want to be a [[repaint]] of [[Bumblebee (disambiguation)|you]] anymore!"]]

Bumblebee was born over 10,000 years ago, one of the second generation of Cybertronians spawned by the [[AllSpark]] since its rediscovery and the revitalization of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 1|Movie Prequel #1}} He and [[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]] were guardians of the AllSpark at the [[Simfur Temple|Temple]] of [[Simfur]]. One day, when the AllSpark suddenly began giving off energy spikes, a nervous Bumblebee was troubled by the fact that planetary leaders Optimus and [[Lord High Protector]] Megatron were more concerned with a nearby archaeological excavation than with the source of the spikes, but Cliffjumper reassured him that they could handle whatever came their way. He would soon regret those words when [[Ejoornian|aliens]] from the nearby [[Eshems Nebula]] attacked Simfur. The pair were seeking cover inside the temple when Lord Megatron swooped in, berated them for not taking the fight to the enemy, and destroyed their opponent. {{storylink|Defiance issue 1|Defiance #1}} Instructed to stay out of the military's way, Bumblebee was concerned that the attack signalled the start of something ''big'', but Cliffjumper was unconcerned on the basis that two lowly guards wouldn't be part of whatever it was. [[Prowl (Movie)|Prowl]] agreed, ordering them to stay at their posts, after which he quizzed them on how the AllSpark had reacted during the battle. {{Storylink|Defiance issue 2|Defiance #2}}

[[File:Defiance3 Optimus Bumblebee orders.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Well, that's one way to make a first impression.]]

His ambition ignited by the [[The Fallen|mysterious relic]] discovered at the archaeological dig, a power-hungry Megatron sought to have Optimus disposed of, and sent a team led by Prowl—including Bumblebee—to apprehend him on charges of treason. When Optimus angrily demanded to know what he had done, Bumblebee pointed his weapon at the science leader and said they were just following orders, which seemed to satisfy Optimus. What 'Bee and the other security officers didn't know, however, was they were being led into a trap; on the way to the city of [[Metrotitan (ROTF)|Metrotitan]], they were ambushed by a soldiers loyal to Megatron, who had been ordered to kill them all, save Optimus. Bumblebee helped haul [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] to safety after the group was hit by an explosive round, and Optimus ordered them all to withdraw to [[Burthov]] while he took care of their attackers personally. {{storylink|Defiance issue 3|Defiance #3}} {{storylink|Foundation issue 3|Foundation #3}}

[[File:Defiance Bumblebee vehiclemodes.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|My alt mode is Pac-Man!]]

After it was learned that Megatron had rebuilt his Defense Force as an army known as the "Decepticons", Optimus—now Optimus ''Prime'', embracing his destiny—organized Bumblebee and the others loyal to him to stand against Megatron's forces as the "Autobots". While on an apparent scouting mission, Bumblebee and Arcee discovered the Decepticon starship ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'' while it was under construction; some time later, when the vessel was complete, they also observed as the majority of the Decepticon forces boarded. {{storylink|Defiance issue 4|Defiance #4}} Returning to the camp at Burthov, they and all the assembled Autobots watched at the ''Nemesis'' took off. {{storylink|Foundation issue 3|Foundation #3}} With the bulk of the Decepticons gone, the Autobots launched their first strike against the Decepticons, and the war between the two factions truly began. {{storylink|Defiance issue 4|Defiance #4}}

[[File:MovieMegatron Bumblebee torture comic.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Megatron's attempt at a "Give me your arm!" meme didn't really take off...]]

After years of war, with no end in sight, Bumblebee participated in an assault on Simfur Temple to activate the "[[pillar|torch]]" [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] had created, which Sentinel had promised would end the conflict. {{storylink|Foundation issue 3|Foundation #3}} Alas, Starscream blew up Sentinel's [[Ark (DOTM)|ship]], and Bumblebee retreated with the rest of the Autobots. However, the battle had weakened Decepticon forces to the extent that the Autobots were soon able to steal the AllSpark. {{storylink|Foundation issue 4|Foundation #4}} After moving the relic around the planet, Optimus Prime finally made the desperate decision to launch the AllSpark into space to put it beyond Megatron's reach. This decision took Bumblebee by surprise, but he supported Optimus. {{storylink|Defiance issue 4|Defiance #4}} Bumblebee was placed in command of a small Autobot unit at the AllSpark's hiding place in [[Tyger Pax]], on the assumption that the Decepticon would focus their attention on Simfur; unfortunately, Megatron sensed the AllSpark's true location, and Bumblebee and his men found themselves under attack by the Decepticon leader and his troops. [[Swindle (Movie)|Swindle]] tried and failed to torture the AllSpark's precise hiding spot out of Bumblebee, forcing Megatron to take up the task, but even 'Bee did not know ''exactly'' where it was—moments later, both he and Megatron could only watch as the cube was blasted into space from a launch site nearby. A furious Megatron crushed Bumblebee's voice capacitor beyond repair in a petty act of revenge and took off after the AllSpark; although the young bot survived and was dubbed a hero for his actions, he feared that all the Autobots had done was potentially spread their war to other worlds. {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 1|Movie Prequel #1}}

[[File:MoviePrequel Interlude bee vs barricade.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6]]

In time, the Autobots left Cybertron aboard the ''Ark'' in search of the AllSpark. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream issue 1|The Reign of Starscream #1}} After years of questing, in 2003, Bumblebee traced the AllSpark to Earth's [[Solar System]], first touching down on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], where his image was captured by the [[Hubble Space Telescope]] and passed to human organization [[Sector Seven]]. {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 2|Movie Prequel #2}} Landing on Earth in the state of [[Virginia (state)|Virginia]], 'Bee quickly evaded S7 by scanning a battered old Camaro and making for [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]. There, he used a remote link to a coffee shop computer to search [[Shwiggle]] for any signs of extraterrestrial sightings, and discovered the story of Captain [[Archibald Witwicky]], who claimed to have seen an "Ice Man" that Bumblebee recognized as a frozen Megatron. {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 3|Movie Prequel #3}} Bumblebee's followed Witwicky's trail to an [[Psychopathic Institute for the Long-Term Insane|asylum]] in [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]], where the late captain had been committed, {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 4|Movie Prequel #4}} then headed downtown to [[asylum|another asylum]] that had computerized records he could scan. Having thus obtained a list of Witwicky's descendants, Bumblebee set course for [[Springfield]], Missouri, in search of his son [[Clarence Witwicky|Clarence]], evading an attack by Sector Seven along the way. In Springfield, he found records of Clarence's children and started out to track them down, starting with his eldest son [[Ben Witwicky|Ben]] in [[Denver]], [[Colorado]]. Ben proved a dead end, so 'Bee took off for [[Tucson]], only to be again attacked by Sector Seven, evading their helicopters by blinding them and rocketing off at high speed. Not long after, he learned the Decepticons had followed him to Earth when he was attacked by Barricade in the desert. {{storylink|Planetfall (Movie)|Planetfall}} {{storylink|Interlude}}

[[File:Prequel3 bumblebee altmode.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.8]]

Escaping his various pursuers, a damaged and smoking Bumblebee stopped by the roadside on the way out of Colorado to rest and recover. Suddenly detecting a burst of AllSpark energy, he trace the source to [[New Mexico]], where Barricade tracked him down and attacked once again. Other Decepticons, meanwhile, attacked the energy source and found it to be a Sector Seven ruse; consequently, assuming Bumblebee would have further leads they could exploit, Barricade let 'Bee escape so that they would be able to covertly track his movements. Eventually, Bumblebee's search took him to [[Tranquility]], [[Nevada]], {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 4|Movie Prequel #4}} where he would soon encounter Sam Witwicky, whom he befriended and allied with during the subsequent battle for the AllSpark. {{storylink|Transformers: Movie Adaptation}}

[[File:Alliance2 Bumblebee takecove-rrk.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|"Why do they always aim for the throat!?"]]

Immediately following the battle in [[Mission City]], Bumblebee had his legs reattached by Ratchet, then he and the other Autobots rolled out to avoid Sector Seven's inquiries. 'Bee remained behind to guard Sam when the other Autobots were summoned to a meeting with Lennox a month later, {{storylink|Alliance issue 1|Alliance #1}} but then took part in the mission Lennox requested their help with: transporting the dead Decepticons' body to a navy base in [[San Diego]], [[California]] for disposal at sea. Before departing Sector Seven's [[Nevada]] base with the convoy, Optimus Prime gave the surviving AllSpark sliver to [[Vine|Professor Vine]] for safekeeping, but had second thoughts about his decision partway into the mision and sent Ironhide and Bumblebee back to the facility to retrieve it. Racing ahead, Bumblebee was greeted with an unexpected sight: the base aflame, and Decepticons [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] and Starscream brawling in the midst of it all. 'Bee disarmed Wreckage with a well-aimed blast and Starscream finished him off, then turned his firepower on the humans; Bumblebee dived in front of them and took the blast, damaging his vocal processor once again. {{storylink|Alliance issue 2|Alliance #2}} {{storylink|Convergence chapter 4}} Ironhide praised him for his bravery and selflessness, Bumblebee regretted not being able to save everybody. {{storylink|Alliance issue 3|Alliance #3}}

[[File:Alliance3 Ironhide Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|"I see dead people, I mean it, look there's one right over there."]]

Two weeks later, Bumblebee was present for the burial at sea of [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] and the Decepticons, following which it was announced that the Autobots and Lennox's team would be working together as a new special unit, dedicated to protecting the Earth from threats posed by the remaining Decepticons. They began training on the island of Diego Garcia, but it took time for the humans and Autobots to learn to work together; during a training exercise on a shooting range, when Bumblebee instinctively fired on a target, he only narrowly avoiding blasting Epps in the process. {{storylink|Alliance issue 3|Alliance #3}} For their first mission, NEST was deployed to [[San Francisco]] to take out the Decepticons [[Jolt (Movie)|Deadend]] and 'Bee's old opponent Swindle. Bumblebee and Lennox chased Swindle onto the deserted [[Golden Gate Bridge]], where the Decepticon was amused upon realizing who it was he was facing once again. When Swindle turned on Lennox, however, he learned the folly of underestimating Bumblebee, who blasted his one-time torturer through the back, killing him. {{storylink|Alliance issue 4|Alliance #4}}

[[File:TotF1 bee vs barricade again.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]

Concerned that Sam Witwicky would become the target of the Decepticons again, Optimus selected Bumblebee to act as Sam's guardian again and sent him to live with the boy. {{storylink|Alliance issue 4|Alliance #4}} However, Bumblebee's attempts to integrate himself into Sam's life were not as smooth as he had hoped. Without the team structure of the Autobots, Bumblebee tended to act upon instinct, taking revenge on Mikaela's ex-boyfriend [[Trent DeMarco]] for his previous humiliations of Sam by wrecking his truck, smashing a would-be car thief with the door he was attempting to unlock, and inadvertently giving Sam traffic tickets by not observing the rules of the road. When Bumblebee was alone, he attempted to learn as much as he could about human culture, feeling that he owed it to his friend. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 1|Tales of the Fallen #1}} Though no longer on active NEST duty, Bumblebee very occasionally helped his Autobot allies out; in November 2008, he came on-scene to assist his team-mates after [[Demolishor (ROTF)|Demolishor]] had... demolished a sizeable amount of human property in [[Uruguay]]. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 2|Tales of the Fallen #2}}

Soon, the problem of Sam's impending departure for college arose: 'Bee intended to follow Sam wherever he went, but Sam feared that he might not be able to bring his car along with him. Not thrilled the prospect of Bumblebee continuing to live with them, Sam's father Ron decreed that once Sam had gone to school, Bumblebee would have to leave. However, unexpectedly, Ron came to Bumblebee seeking aid when Mikaela reported that Sam had never made a rendezvous with her. Speeding out of the garage without Ron (and without waiting for the garage door to open), Bumblebee searched for clues to Sam's whereabouts and eventually found a message from his old foe Barricade, who demanded the AllSpark in exchange for the boy. Finding the pair at an car wrecking yard, Bumblebee attacked Barricade, but was considerably outmatched, with the Decepticon gloating that Earth had made the Autobot soft, and their last encounter was down to pure luck. Eventually, with a distraction from Sam, Bumblebee was able to force Barricade into a pool of gasoline. With the Decepticon hardly down for the count, Bumblebee told Sam to run and ignited the gasoline, causing a tremendous explosion that sent both Transformers flying. In the aftermath, Bumblebee told Sam he had a feeling they hadn't seen the last of Barricade. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 1|Tales of the Fallen #1}}

[[File:After fight with Soundwave Nefarious 1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|If you have a problem... if no one else can help... and if you can find them... maybe you can hire... The Bee Team.]]

In the wake of the Autobots' battle with The Fallen, {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Official Movie Adaptation|Revenge of the Fallen movie adaptation}} with more new Autobots arriving on Earth regularly, Bumblebee was brought back onto active duty and placed in charge of a team made up of rookies [[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]], [[Knock Out (ROTF)|Knock Out]], [[Dune Runner (ROTF)|Dune Runner]] and [[Breakaway (ROTF)|Breakaway]]. Bumblebee's team responded to Decepticon activity at [[Kingdom Petrochemicals]] in [[Florida]], but 'Bee and the other ground-based team-members arrived too late to save Breakaway from dying at Soundwave's hands. The Decepticons soon fled, as did a mysterious group of humans also active at the sight, leaving Bumblebee mystified as to what was going on. {{storylink|Nefarious issue 1|Nefarious #1}} He and his team returned to [[Edwards Air Force Base]], where Galloway was annoyed that he hadn't been notified about the arrival on Earth of some of the members of Bumblebee's team. {{storylink|Nefarious issue 2|Nefarious #2}}

After Optimus managed to capture Soundwave in [[Utah]], Bumblebee's team was assigned to escort the captive Decepticon to a NEST base in [[Odessa]], [[Texas]]. Decepticon. En route, their transport plane was shot down by [[Buzzsaw (ROTF)|Buzzsaw]], and when they attempt to continue the mission on the ground, they were soon obstructed by Soundwave's "mini-militia". Bumblebee tussled with [[Rumble (ROTF)|Rumble]], but quickly realized that his team was outmatched. Rather than a repeat of the loss of Breakaway, Bumblebee opted to release Soundwave. {{storylink|Nefarious issue 3|Nefarious #3}} Subsequently, Soundwave chose to ally himself with the Autobots to bring down the [[Initiative]], the human organization who had also been at Kingdom Petrochemicals, who were conspiring against the Transformers. Bumblebee's team were part of the NEST unit that follow Soundwave to the supposed location of the [[Initiative base|Initiative's base]] in [[Inyokern]], but the mobile facility had already relocated to [[Crater Lake]], [[Oregon]], by the time they got there. Pursuing it, 'Bee's team was sent to assault the base from the north, but when Bumblebee broke through the base wall, he was confronted by a most unexpected set of opponents: Initiative-controlled Transformers! {{storylink|Nefarious issue 5|Nefarious #5}} The damage he took from the initial blast knocked him out of the fight, but he had recovered in time to help during the clean-up. {{storylink|Nefarious issue 6|Nefarious #6}}

[[File:Cyberglyphicscomic bumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6]]

While Bumblebee was picnicking with Sam and Arcee, a small earthquake, followed by the emergence of a Transformer energy signature, prompted the trio to investigate. Tracing the signal to a nearby cave, they were attacked by [[Space Case (DOTM)|Space Case]], who had been freed from his subterranean prison by the 'quake, and who promptly brought the cave down on top of the threesome. {{storylink|Transformers: Space Case}} Separated from Arcee in the cave-in, Bumblebee managed to hold up the collapsed ceiling, but could not get any transmissions out through the rocks, and found his strength slowly ebbing as the weight pressed down. 'Bee's mind drifted back to a recent encounter he and Sam had with Starscream, and remembered how the boy had aided him by using downed power lines to electrocute the Decepticon. Reminded that friendship meant trying your hardest and not letting your friends down, Bumblebee dug deep, and when a crack of light appeared overhead, managed to wrench the rocks clear. The pair were lifted to safety by Ratchet, who had been digging for them, and who was amazed that Bumblebee had had the strength to carry the weight for as long as he had. {{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee}}

[[File:RisingStorm2 bumblebee vs decepticons.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.7]]

While visiting Sam at college in [[Philadelphia]], Bumblebee was parked at the roadside waiting for him while he grabbed lunch when he was approached by "[[Brains]]", a Decepticon brain unit who had just recently come online and escaped from [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] and [[Astrotrain (DOTM)|Astrotrain]]. Believing him to be an ordinary Earth vehicle, but not understanding that said vehicles were not alive, Brains tried asking Bumblebee for help; naturally, Bee did not break cover by replying, but when an angry Brains then kicked him, 'Bee's temper got the better of him and he transformed. {{storylink|Rising Storm issue 1|Rising Storm #1}} Sam and Bumblebee brought Brains back to his college, but this only made them targets for a force of Decepticons heralded by 'Bee's recurring opponent, Barricade. Vastly outnumbered, Bumblebee nearly met his maker at the end of [[Sonar (ROTF)|Sonar]]'s blaster, but was saved when NEST reinforcements [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] and [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack]] arrived. {{storylink|Rising Storm issue 2|Rising Storm #2}} As the battle intensified, Bumblebee and Barricade squared off once more, {{storylink|Rising Storm issue 3|Rising Storm #3}} but as more Autobot backup came to join the fight, Bumblebee got the better of his old enemy and defeated him yet again. {{storylink|Rising Storm issue 4|Rising Storm #4}}

Concurrently with the battle in Philadelphia, Shockwave had staged a devastating attack on NEST's Diego Garcia base, necessitating a restructuring of the organization. NEST's [[Charlotte Mearing|new director]] removed Bumblebee from his position as Sam's guardian, and placed him on full-time NEST activity. {{storylink|Rising Storm issue 4|Rising Storm #4}} Some time later, the Autobots faced the return of Sentinel Prime and Bumblebee and Sam were reunited to thwart his space bridge plot. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation|Dark of the Moon movie adaptation}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers: Beginnings''====
[[File:MoviePrequel bumblebee seeks allspark.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.8|It's a great big universe, and we're all really puny We're just tiny little specs about the size of Mickey Rooney]]
{{voiceactor|[[Mark Ryan]]}}

[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] entrusted Bumblebee with the secret that the AllSpark would be sent into deep space to prevent Lord Megatron from possessing and corrupting it. Just after the launch, Megatron attacked Bumblebee in rage at losing the AllSpark and shattered the Autobot's voice capacitor beyond repair.

Bumblebee arrived on Earth and, sensing the AllSpark was near, took on local camouflage to search for the artifact. He immediately attracted the attention of Sector Seven agents and the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers: Beginnings (Movie)|Transformers: Beginnings}}

{{note|Transformers: Beginnings is a condensed, flash-animated retelling of the events of the [[Transformers: Movie Prequel|Movie Prequel]], described in the above section.}}
{{-}}

====''Schick Hydrobot and the Transformers''====
While searching for Decepticons, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Hound came across [[Hydrobot (TLK)|Hydrobot]] and mistook him for a [[Decepticon]]. Before they could catch him, Hydrobot escaped from the Autobots' clutches. The trio started to realize that they might have judged the small 'bot wrongly when Hound found out that the [[H-Boostium|substance]] Hydrobot left behind was nothing like something a Decepticon would use. They traced its source to a [[Schick]] R&D department and gained access into it in vehicle mode by fooling the guard into believing that the vehicles modes they were using was ordered by the scientist Dr. [[Hiroshi Benson]] himself. Upon gaining access to the laboratory, they confronted Hiroshi in robot mode, which left the human scientist baffled.

Shortly after the scientist finished explaining the origin of the substance and Hydrobot, a squadron of Decepticons led by Megatron suddenly bursted through the wall, explaining their intent to use the devices inside Hiroshi's laboratory to build the Energon converter. Luckily, Hydrobot arrived at the scene to help the Autobots by knocking over [[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]]. With help from Hiroshi's [[Energy-field razor|control set]], Bumblebee released a shock burst towards the Decepticons, prompting them to retreat. After all was said and done, the Autobots gave Hydrobot a lift and bid their farewells, but Bumblebee knew that he would return one day. {{storylink|A New Friend|A New Friend}}
{{-}}

====''Bumblebee Movie Prequel''====
{{note|Bumblebee Movie Prequel follows along with the continuity twist regarding Bumblebee's arrival on Earth that was established in [[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]], yet is incompatible with the Bumblebee film itself.}}
During the war for Cybertron, Bumblebee was friends with the Autobot [[Diabla (BB)|Diabla]], at one point battling alongside her in the [[smelting pool]]s of [[Polyhex]]. {{storylink|From Cybertron with Love}} Unbeknownst to Bumblebee, Diabla was a Decepticon mole who had infiltrated the Autobots to destabilize them from within; when Diabla's treachery was revealed, Bumblebee maintained that Diabla had ''always'' been an Autobot, albeit one who had gone bad and joined the Decepticons.

After arriving on Earth and serving in World War II, Bumblebee — prior to the loss of his voicebox — fell in with [[Sector Seven]] at some point after the end of the war. At some point during the early 1960s the organization traded him to [[Secret Intelligence Service|MI6]], Bumblebee joining the ranks of Britain's elite counterintelligence agency [[P.R.O.G.R.A.M.M.E.]] Partnered with the not-so-suave superspy [[David Reeve]], {{storylink|The Man with the Golden Car}} and taking pointers from intelligence specialist [[Diana Lux]], {{storylink|The Living Headlights}} Bumblebee and Reeve embarked on a series of globetrotting adventures, battling against the forces of [[Konrad Gotell]]'s [[E.I.D.O.L.O.N.]] crime syndicate. In [[1964]], the duo tracked Gottell to [[Germany|East Berlin]]. Though Reeve discovered that Gotell had already been killed, and his office booby-trapped rigged to blow, Bumblebee was forced to evade the German police before he could rescue his partner from [[Wild Rider|Wildrider]], killing him by throwing him into the [[Berlin Wall]] and crushing him with a chunk of rubble.

Some time later, the duo returned to the United Kingdom to rendezvous with their handlers at [[Maundy Gregory Studio]]; though initially put out about being left in the rain, his position allowed him to realize that [[Pelham|the agency's director]] had been killed, his car coopted as a disguise for the Decepticon [[Runabout (BB)|Runabout]]. Bee was barely able to warn Reeve and Lux before the blast from Pelham's explosive-rigged body took out the studio, shielding his human friends from Runabout and Diabla's attacks. At Reeve's suggestion, Bumblebee fell back, deploying an oil slick to trip up the Decepticons while he made his escape. Regrouping on [[Victoria Embankment]], Reeve was barely able to recontact [[B.A.S.E.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.]] on a secure line: learning that P.R.O.G.R.A.M.M.E. had been potentially compromised by a human collaborator, the trio were sanctioned to do whatever it took to eliminate the compromised agent. {{storylink|The Man with the Golden Car}} Reeve was unaware that Bee and Lux had tapped the call, and though Lux briefly wondered if Reeve would kill ''them'' based on that suspicions, the sight of his partner raising his gun caused the Autobot to flee... until it became clear that Reeve was aiming at the Decepticon duo who had tailed them, and the subsequent chase took them across London until Bumblebee transformed to tangle with Diabla atop [[Tower Bridge]]. When it became clear that Diabla wouldn't listen to her old comrade, and that the Decepticon had him phsycially outmatched, Bumblebee escaped death by diving into the [[Thames]] so that he could meet up with his human contacts at a secret P.R.O.G.R.A.M.M.E. safehouse.

To meet with Gottell's old contact [[Vladimir Vladek]], the two humans disguised themselves as a photographer and a model, staking out [[Carnaby Street]] in the process and using Bumblebee's vehicle mode to block the road from Diabla so that the two humans could break into Vladek's headquarters. In the ensuing battle, Bumblebee attempted to talk down his old friend; this time, the Decepticon agreed, and the pair retreated to the roof to converse. Despite his best efforts, Bumblebee was unable to convince Diabla to reveal any information about her human connections, and the entire conversation was quickly revealed to be a distraction, so that [[Dead End (ROTF)|Dead End]] could tie up another loose end by killing Vladek while [[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] eliminated the Autobot. {{storylink|The Living Headlights}}

Left to the mercy of Diabla and Blitzwing, Diabla's brief moment of mercy — when she briefly considered giving Bumblebee a quick and painless death — allowed Bumblebee to take on Blitzwing, though it quickly became clear that the Autobot was outmatched. Instead, Bee fired at a nearby gas main, using the explosion as cover to scoop up his human allies before transforming and fleeing into the [[London Underground]]. Pursued by Diabla, Bumblebee was able to outmaneuver his Decepticon foe by deploying his meager rear-mounted weaponry, baiting her into getting hit by an oncoming train while he re-emerged in south London.

Having eluded their pursuers, Reeve made contact with an "old friend" who promised more news regarding the activities of their foes. That evening, the group headed to [[Hyde Park]] to meet up with Reeve's ally; though momentarily surprised by a Decepticon ambush, their opponents were taken offline by [[Heath Donovan]], a Sector Seven agent in charge of keeping tabs on Bumblebee. New information revealed the full extent of the Decepticon's plans, including the extinction of humanity by turning the [[Cold War (history)|Cold War]] hot, but thanks to the homing device he'd tagged Diabla with in the Underground Bumblebee revealed that he was able to take them to their base of operations. Hitching a ride aboard a [[Jetfire (Movie)|stealth jet]], the trio parachuted into an abandoned castle, with Bumblebee dropping [[Darksteel (DOTM)|a guard]] before fighting their way into the complex... and discovered the diminuitive Decepticon [[Malignus (BB)|Malignus]] as the mastermind behind the conflict. {{storylink|Energon Is Forever}}

Having revealed his role in recent events, gloating about his plans to push the nations of Earth into a nuclear war, Bumblebee begged Diabla for help one last time — only for Lux to reveal that she had previously turned Bumblebee's homing rounds into explosive devices, and detonated Diabla's, causing a momentary distraction that allowed the three heroes to slip their bonds. Deploying an underwater mode, Bumblebee was able to dive into the castle waterways, using his oil slick to blind the [[Sharkticon (BB)|Sharkticon]]s that pursued him. When it seemed like his luck had run out, however, he was unexpectedly rescued... by ''Diabla'', who assured him that she had saved him only so that ''she'' could kill him, as revenge for his killing of the humans of E.I.D.O.L.O.N., siccing Dead End on the yellow Autobot. Though Reeve was able to kill Malignus, his missile had already launched, and the three spies were unable to do anything about it — only becoming aware that the conflicted Diabla had already climbed aboard to defuse it too late to stop her. Momentarily throwing Dead End off balance by using a falling Sharkticon to crush the red Decepticon, Bumblebee was too focused on preventing Diabla from killing herself to notice the arrival of Blitzwing and Dead End, but a shout from Reeve caused Bee to duck, and Blitzwing's shot to blow Dead End apart. Grabbing his two human allies, Bumblebee leapt into the ocean as the disabled missile plummeted back into the castle, destroying it and all of its occupants.

In the aftermath, Bumblebee and his two human allies survived, but were unable to determine if Diabla had done the same. Bumblebee spied one of her tires, which led her to believe that his old friend had survived the battle. Ferrying his partners back to shore, the Autobot vowed to find her... and, if he couldn't find her, than to kill Blitzwing. Over the next twenty years, Bumblebee left his human friends behind to pursue his new mission, travelling across the globe and eventually dedicating himself to eliminating Blitzwing instead. Eventually, Bumblebee tracked Blitzwing down, and the pair prepared to do battle once more... {{storylink|From Cybertron with Love}}

{{-}}

===Titan movie comics===
[[File:TitanMag-BumblebeeMegatronAllSpark.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb]]

Bumblebee was part of a mission to trick Megatron into looking in the wrong place for the AllSpark{{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 1|Reprint of Prequel #1}}, in which he was the only one who knew the truth (not even team leader [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] knew!) {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2|Recap in #2}} He lost his voice when Megatron crushed his vocal processor upon witnessing the launch of the AllSpark. The Decepticon leader immediately discarded his body and took off after the cube {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2|Prelude: Megatron}} and it was a long while before he was recovered. {{storylink|Transformers_Comic_issue_3#Items of note|Prelude: Ratchet}}

Rendered voiceless, he continued to fight on Cybertron and would encounter [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] when the two were about to be thrown into a Decepticon smelting pool. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.2|Dogfight!}} In 2003, he travelled to Earth while tracing the AllSpark and would spend years evading Decepticons and Sector 7 alike. {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 3|Reprint of Prequel #3}} {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 4|Reprint of Prequel #4}}

[[File:Titan2 BumblebeePOV.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb]]

Bumblebee and his fellow Autobots would ultimately follow the AllSpark to the planet Earth, where Bumblebee befriended the human Sam Witwicky. Some time after the battle of Mission City, Bumblebee was driven by the Witwickys to [[Princeton University|Sam's college]], where he quietly endured their bickering while scanning everything around him for potential threats. When he picked up radio transmissions from two new Autobots, he drove off into battle, and saved [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] from being slaughtered by [[Ransack (ROTF)|the Decepticon Ransack]]. But with the villain threatening a long game, Bumblebee knew that trouble was on the horizon. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.2|Dogfight!}} 'Bee brought Skids and Mudflap to meet with the other Autobots at [[Edwards Air Force Base]] in California, but no sooner had he turned his back than the pair snuck off to find Optimus Prime on their own, insisting they had a message for his ears only. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.3|Learning Curve}}

[[File:Titan2-6 aimedatyourheart.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.8|There's only room for ''one'' kid-appeal character...]]

Some time later, Bumblebee was hanging out in Sam's garage when he received an emergency call from NEST: the twins, having apparently fallen in with the Decepticons, had abducted Sam! 'Bee tore out of the garage, tracked down the twins, and demanded they stop immediately. When they didn't, he launched suppressive fire and began ramming Skids, which soon convinced them to release Sam. As Bumblebee held the twins at gunpoint, ready to eliminate if necessary, Mudflap's tried to explain that they hadd been framed and there was a bigger threat coming... but before 'Bee could hear any more, he was gunned down in a surprise attack from Soundwave. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}} The "bigger threat" the twins had warned of soon arrived, in the form of The Fallen, but the Autobots were able to defeat the ancient Decepticon. Afterwards, back in the field in [[Beverly Hills]], Bumblebee was part of a unit assigned to captured [[Reverb (ROTF)|Reverb]]; Jolt messed the mission up, but Bumblebee saved the day by ''ramming'' the bike head-on. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.9|Culture Shock}}

[[File:Titan10 Eppsandbee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8]]

Later, with Lennox and his crew searching for [[Seeker (ROTF)|Seekers]], Bumblebee was left with only [[Robert Epps]] to investigate an attack on Malmstrom Air Force Base and the disappearance of Optimus Prime. Epps worked out that Optimus had been victim of an electromagnetic bomb, and Bumblebee tracked his leader to where he was being held (Poor Epps had to ride in Bumblebee jumping a ravine, and almost spewed up his breakfast). After locating Prime, they found he was a captive of the [[Free Men]] militia. At Epps command, Bumblebee hit the Free Men compound with his full firepower, swiftly defeating the militia. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10| Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}

[[File:Titan18 Bumblethumbsup.jpg|thumb|upright=1|It's true!]]

Bumblebee selected [[Death Valley]] as the site for a survival exercise for raw recruits Jolt, Dune Runner, and [[Rollbar (ROTF)|Rollbar]].{{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.11|Spare Parts!}} Later, he was summoned as back-up by NEST [[South Africa]] alongside [[Springer (ROTF)|Springer]] and Gears due to a Decepticon jailbreak led by [[Bludgeon (ROTF)|Bludgeon]], but Optimus ordered him to let the Decepticons leave to prevent civilian casualties. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.13|Inside Out!}}

[[File:NightBee4Xmas bumblebee vs deadend.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6]]

Ultimately, this failure left the Autobots' reputations in the toilet, and with concerns that public fights risked alienating humans, Bumblebee was tasked to head a covert unit with [[Slap Dash]] and [[Hubcap (TF 2010)|Hubcap]]. They were charged with operating under NEST's radar, monitoring Decepticons and waiting for windows of opportunity out of the public eye, before hitting hard and fast. In practice, this meant allowing Decepticons like [[Crankstart]], [[Brimstone (TF 2010)|Brimstone]], and [[Trenchmouth]] to run amok in cities, with Bumblebee restraining his desire to stop them and keeping his men from taking action. After an uncomfortable period of hoping nobody would be killed, the Decepticons went to an isolated stretch of road: now free to act, Bumblebee led his men in a vicious ambush and personally drove ''through'' Crankshaft. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.18|Shadow War}}

Information obtained from the Decepticon unit Bumblebee's covert squad had brought in allowed the Autobots to trace the location of Bludgeon's Decepticons' base to [[Arkhangelskaya Oblast]] in [[Russia]]. Regrettably, while strategizing together, Bumblebee and Ironhide made the mistake of dismissing Wheelie when he offered to help; insulted and angry, the little scrap drone sold the Autobots out to Bludgeon's Decepticons, who were able to ambush 'Bee and the Autobots when they moved to attacked their base, with Springer being shot out of the sky following an air strike by [[Skywarp (Movie)|Skywarp]] and [[Thrust (Movie)|Thrust]], Slap Dash being killed by Bludgeon, and Hubcap being subsequently killed/wounded as well. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.20|Divided Loyalties}} Fortunately for the Autobots, Megatron himself soon arrived and slew Bludgeon for his transgressions, meaning Bumblebee and the others did not have to battle the rogue Decepticon at all. In the wake of the two Decepticons' brawl, Bumblebee discovered the shattered remains of Wheelie, who had been torn to bits. Unaware of his treachery, 'Bee gathered up his parts to take back to Ratchet for repair... unaware that the cannibalistic Decepticon [[Dead End (ROTF)|Dead End]] was on his trail! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.21|A Short, Sharp Lesson!}}

Intrigued by the human ritual of "[[Christmas]]", Bumblebee convinced Sam to let him secretly observe the Witwicky family during the festive proceedings. Unfortunately, Dead End tracked the Autobot to the Witwickys' house and attacked on Christmas Eve, tearing bits of Bumblebee's mechanisms out to integrate into his own body. Luckily, 'Bee managed to shock the zombie-con into submission before their fight awoke Sam's parents, and he was even able to get into the gift-giving on Christmas morning, buying Judy Witwicky car wax. Sam's present was particularly timely: a new traction bearing to replace the one Dead End had torn out! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.19|The Nightmare Bee-4 Christmas}}

{{note|"The Nightmare Bee-4 Christmas" reads like it was meant to go '''after''' "Divided Loyalties" and "A Short, Sharp Lesson!" despite that story being released '''before''' the other two: it's the Russian battle that turns Dead End back into a monster, and he turns up at the Witwickys' because he's following Bumblebee.}}

When the Autobots were summoned to [[Fiesole Cathedral]] in [[Fiesole]], [[Italy]] to examine a mysterious object discovered there by an archaeology professor, Bumblebee accidentally smashed the cathedrals shrine to Saint Donatus. Determined to prevent the Autobots from getting ahold of the object—actually a piece of Sentinel Prime's ''Ark''—Starscream attacked the cathedral, blasting Bumblebee through a wall with a volley of missiles. Recovering, 'Bee joined Optimus Prime in pursuing Starscream to the cathedral's belltower, but the Decepticon then brought the tower down on top of them and escaped with the ''Ark'' component. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 3.1|Fight for Fiesole}}

At some point, Bumblebee uncovered some intel, pointing towards Soundwave working in conjunction with the [[Tanto Gang]], and passed on the information to Lennox. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 3.2|Gold And Blood}}

[[File:AcceptNoSubstitutes bumblebee vs stinger.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|Can ''you'' tell which is the real Bumblebee out of the guy who can talk and the one who can't?]]

Bumblebee was later teamed with Robert Epps to hunt down Soundwave in the Spanish [[Sierra Nevada]] mountain range, but NEST's intelligence regarding the Decepticons' operational status was flawed: Soundwave's weapons systems were in perfect working order, and Bumblebee was badly damaged by his attacks. Luckily, Optimus Prime arrived to save them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 3.3|Dealing with the Devil}}

After the return of Sentinel Prime and the battle of Chicago, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and [[Crosshairs (AOE)|Crosshairs]] tracked three Decepticon survivors of the conflict to [[Jakarta]], [[Indonesia]]. When the Decepticons retreated and Crosshairs tracked them to [[Pulau Bidadari]], Bumblebee monitored the ranger and relayed the events to Optimus. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5.2|Thousand Island Fight}}

Not long after, Bumblebee was shocked to see a news report claiming that he had attacked a human power plant. Though 'Bee was eager to hunt down his mysterious doppelgänger, Optimus Prime encouraged him to wait until he had the Autobot leader to back him up. The choice was soon taken out of Bumblebee's hands, however: responding to a fire at a remote human homestead, he was attacked by his mysterious duplicate, who introduced himself as "[[Stinger (AOE)|Stinger]]", and promptly welded 'Bee's battle mask shut so they would be totally indistinguishable from one another. Optimus Prime soon arrived and had to train his guns on the two identical Bumblebees... but the standoff was brief, as the real 'Bee revealed himself when he dived to save a human who had fallen from the burning building. Prime quickly sent Stinger packing, and he and Bumblebee rolled out together, wondering where Stinger had come from... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5.3|Accept No Substitutes!}}
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====Alternate timeline====

[[File:Titan MikaelaBumblebee.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Why is he apologizing, you ask? Look where his left hand is.]]

In an [[Tyran 208.28 Gamma|alternate timeline]], the battle of Mission City turned out very differently—Megatron killed Sam, captured Optimus, and obtained the AllSpark. The Decepticons proceeded to conquer North America, and by the start of 2008, had begun a plan to cyberform the Earth using the AllSpark's energies. Bumblebee—his voice still functional—and Mikaela Banes went underground, working with [[Tom Banachek]] to fight a guerilla war against the Decepticons.

Considering Optimus their last, best hope for victory, Bumblebee and Mikaela went on a mission to rescue him from the old Sector Seven base in Hoover Dam, which the Decepticons were now using as their headquarters. Mikaela quickly shot down Bumblebee's concerns about her safety, though she ''did'' almost get squished when 'Bee took out the bunker guard Swindle. Entering, the pair quickly located Optimus, but in a most unexpected condition: frozen solid in the old cryo-system previously used to contain Megatron. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 9|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1}} Stalked by Megatron, Bumblebee kept the Decepticon leader busy while Mikaela attempt to deactivate the freezing system, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 10|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 2}} but was baited into revealing himself when the tyrant threatened to kill Mikaela. Bumblebee made a desperate attack, only to be beaten aside with ease, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 11|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 3}} but he remained defiant to the end and refused to beg for mercy. Luckily, Autobot reinforcements arrived; although even they were no match for Megatron, their added distraction provided Mikaela time to thaw out Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 12|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 4}} While Prime and Megatron battled, Mikaela arrived with Phase Two of their plan: a Sector Seven nanovirus that targeted AllSpark energy. Loading the virus into himself, Bumblebee charged Megatron, forcibly transmitting the nano-virus into him via a light-beam from his headlights. The virus killed Megatron once and for all, but Bumblebee did not celebrate too loudly, as he knew too well that this just left a [[Starscream (Movie)|power vacuum]]... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 13|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 5}}

[[File:Aftermathpt2 bumblebee FAAASH.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.6]]

Bumblebee and the Autobots [[Savannah]], [[Georgia]], to survey the damage done by the Decepticons' AllSpark cyberforming project. He took Mikaela to a nearby refugee camp, but as Optimus Prime had feared, the humans the were fearful of him, viewing all Cybertronians as an unwanted presence. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 14|Aftermath, Part 1}} In apparent further validation of this fear, the Autobots soon came under attack from a [[NATO]] unit while attempting to defend the camp from a Decepticon attack, but intel from Banachek suggested something was not right. Spotting the human in charge of the unit, Bumblebee and Mikaela ran a gauntlet of human and Decepticon firepower, blinding the former with his headlights and roasting the latter with his fiery exhaust, in order to get to the man. Having got in close enough, Bumblebee was able to detect a mind-controlling Decepticon [[cerebro-strip]] on the man, and Mikaela freed him from its effects, ending the conflict. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 15|Aftermath Part 2}} Following this battle, the Decepticons continued their attacks on human infrastructure; Bumblebee was part of a unit defending an oil pipeline in [[Crooked Creek]], [[Alaska]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 16|Dark Spark}}

[[File:ReturntoCybertronpt2 ironhide restrained.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Leave it, mate, 'e's not worf it!]]

Bumblebee was part of a unit under Ironhide's command that was sent back to Cybertron in order to retrieve [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] in hopes it could be used to repair the damage inflicted upon the Earth by the AllSpark. Touching down on their homeworld, Bumblebee was sent on recon and discovered a strange satellite dish, but when the team investigated it, they were jumped by a team of Decepticons led by [[Stockade (Movie)|Stockade]]. The revelation that Stockade's "New Decepticons" were in control of the planet's Nucleon supply, followed by the appearance of a strange energy anomaly in Cybertron's orbit, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 17|Return to Cybertron: Part 1}} convinced Bumblebee to try talking, rather than fighting; after convincing Ironhide to stop throwing his face at Stockade's fists, he learned from Stockade that the anomaly was a living entity the Decepticons had deliberately summoned, believing it would rejuvenate Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 18|Return to Cybertron: Part 2}}

Not trusting this entity and wanting to stop all the Nucleon being used up, Bumblebee had the Autobots create a distraction while he turned the Nucleon transfer off, and sent a distress call to Optimus Prime on Earth. His efforts to prevent the arrival of the entity failed, and it revealed itself to be [[Unicron|Unicron, the Anti-Life]], as it began to possess Cybertron itself. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 18|Return to Cybertron: Part 2}} In the resulting chaos, Bumblebee had to rescue Ironhide when the satellite dish collapsed on him. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 19|Return to Cybertron: Part 3}} Optimus soon arrived in response to Bumblebee's summons, brokered an alliance with Stockade, and came up with a plan: Cut off the Nucleon that Unicron's body was using for power. Bumblebee and Armorhide were dispatched to drain the Nucleon seam, but were not able to siphon all of the fuel off fast enough, so Ratchet came up with a quicker alternative: blowing it up. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 20|Return to Cybertron: Part 4}}

[[File:Titan MikaelaBumblebeereunion.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|OTP!]]

Upon returning to Earth, the Autobots found the Decepticons had pinched their base and all 600 square miles around it. They retreated, leaving Mikaela in Decepticon hands; Bumblebee was distraught over this. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 21|Hard Target}} He would be part of the raid to get her back, perfectly aware it was an obvious trap, but not caring due to how much they owed Mikaela. The raid was successful and the two were reunited, awwww! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 22|The Decepticon Who Haunted Himself}}

The pair's time together was short, as soon, the Decepticon-blackmailed American government ordering the Autobots off the planet. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 23|Revolution, Part 1}} Knowing that the Decepticons were behind, Optimus Prime had Bumblebee and Ironhide prepare a decoy ship; {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 25|Revolution Part 3}} the following day, after Bumblebee said his farewells to Mikaela (and beat up the Decepticon [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] as an "up yours" gesture), the Decepticons had the ship blown up shortly after take off. [[File:Revolutionpt3 the end.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8]] {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 23|Revolution, Part 1}} Believed dead, Bumblebee and the Autobots hid themselves on Cybertron, where they readied their final weapon against the Decepticons: a teleportation system that would trap the Decepticons on the dead planet, then teleport ''it'' off to the far reaches of the universe. When all was in readiness, the Autobots returned to Earth; Mikaela was ''not'' happy to find out they had not told her of their plan, but Bumblebee denied that it was because they didn't trust her—they had simply had to minimize any possible exposure. In the final battle that followed, Bumblebee tagged Megatron with the teleport tech, and the Decepticon leaders and his followers were soon exiled forever.

In the aftermath, after it became clear the Autobots had just exiled ''themselves'' to Earth forever—"Hey, there are worse fates," said Bumblebee—Mikaela forgave Bumblebee. Both had a lot of clean-up work to do, but also a brave new world to explore together...! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 25|Revolution, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===Toy bios===

Bumblebee learned hand-to-hand combat at the most prestigious combat training center on Cybertron, where he received his converting energon blade as a reward for his skills. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#WalmartRace|''Dark of the Moon'' Walmart-exclusive Bumblebee}} It was on the battlefields of Cybertron that Bumblebee first met the Decepticon Starscream, who he would meet again and again in combat. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Bumblebee/Starscream}} He also repeatedly crossed paths with fellow elite spy Decepticon [[Hardtop (Movie)|Hardtop]]; initially a professional rivalry, the relationship between the two 'bots slowly evolved into a personal vendetta that saw the pair battle across the galaxy. It was a crack shot by Hardtop that damaged Bumblebee's vocal processors, causing the Autobot pain when he tries to speak. {{storylink|Hardtop (Movie)#Transformers (2007)|Hardtop}}

Bumblebee was sent to Earth ahead of the other Autobot by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#TF2007_76deluxe|Deluxe Bumblebee ('76 Camaro)}} Prior to his arrival on the planet, Bumblebee cared little for the appearance of his alternate mode, simply scanning the first vehicle he saw, {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#evoofhero|Evolution of a Hero}} but that changed upon befriending Sam Witicky. At the boy's urging, Bumblebee scanned a new Concept Camaro form, and came to appreciate how stylish he looked. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#TF2007ConceptCamaro|Deluxe Bumblebee (Concept Camaro)}} His shiny new form was soon badly damaged, however, during the battle of Mission City—with his legs blown off, Bumblebee had to be towed to safety by the newborn [[Longarm (Movie)|Longarm]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#TowedToSafety|Towed to Safety}}

When the AllSpark was destroyed, Bumblebee was briefly empowered by its radiation, and put the new power to use hunting down the straggling Decepticons. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#AllSparkPower|AllSpark Power Bumblebee}} One such Decepticon was [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]], who he hunted across the [[Middle East]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Allspark2pack|Bumblebee vs. Scorponok}} Then, with the initial threat over, Bumblebee decided to kick back and relax. Transcanning a rally car, he began hanging around at race tracks, pitting himself against the human racers. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Fast Action Battlers|Rally Rocket Bumblebee}} Following this, he volunteered to be Sam's guardian. It was a pretty swank deal: he got to hang with Sam and Mikaela all the time, got lots of [[oil]], and could join Ironhide in killing Decepticons whenever he wanted. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ROTFdeluxe|''Revenge of the Fallen'' Bumblebee}} Peacetime afforded him the luxury of becoming meticulous about his alternate mode; he even had Ratchet learn a little about the cosmetic side of repair work. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Premium|Premium Series Bumblebee}}

In time, Bumblebee came to realize that with pictures of him all over the internet, ''everyone'' recognised him... including newly arriving Decepticons, which put Sam and others in danger! With Mikaela's help, Bumblebee recoloured himself to help restore his disguise and make it easier to sneak up on the enemy. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#TF2007Stealth|Stealth Bumblebee}} With the Decepticon forces constantly growing, he also decided to upgrade his arsenal and modified his vehicle mode so he could use weaponry in it, deciding he'd been caught off guard too many times before. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Cannon|Cannon Bumblebee}} When the battle shifted to the deserts, he threw himself into the fray, upgrading himself for desert combat and wielding the mighty ''sand blast''! {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SandAttack|Sand Attack Bumblebee}}

Following the defeat of The Fallen, Bumblebee returned to active NEST duty, hunting down the Decepticons hiding across Earth; Sam even began joining him in the field. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ROTFHumanAlliance|Human Alliance Bumblebee}} Discovering that [[Dirge (Movie)|Dirge]] had secreted himself inside NEST itself, Bumblebee teamed with [[Armorhide (Movie)#ROTFdlx|Armorhide]] to ferret him out. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Alliance|Alliance Bumblebee}} He had particular dislike for [[Shadow Striker (ROTF)|Shadow Striker]], who really got under his metal skin. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#LegendsVsShadowStriker|Bumblebee vs Shadow Striker}} He later took on Soundwave, {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#VsSoundwave|Battlefield Bumblebee vs Infiltration Soundwave}} and brought his battle blade to bear in combat with Ravage and [[Insecticon (Movie)|Insecticon]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BattleBlade|Battle Blade Bumblebee}} His experience fighting fliers also meant that he was fully equipped to deal with [[Thrust (Movie)|Thrust]] {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#CrashLandingAttack|Crash Landing Attack}} and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BombingRunBattle|Bombing Run Battle}}

Bumblebee was the first Autobot try out the new [[MechTech]] weapons developed by NEST, {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#DOTM|''Dark of the Moon'' Leader Bumblebee}} and also began toting a Mobile Battle Bunker around. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#CyberverseActionSet|Bumblebee Mobile Battle Bunker}} Like several other Transformers, he took to inscribing [[Cyberglyphics]] on his armor before significant battles, out of a superstitious racial belief that they granted good luck. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Cyberglyph|"Cyberglyph" Bumblebee}} When Soundwave reappeared on Earth, Bumblebee put a plan together to take care of him once and for all. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#|BeeSoundwaveRodimus|Bumblebee/Soundwave}} Together with Sam and [[Backfire (TF 2010)|Backfire]], he formed the Autobot Daredevil Squad {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Daredevil|Autobot Daredevil Squad}} and battled Shockwave alongside Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#StreetsideBotBrawl|Streetside Bot Brawl}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
In a celebration of the Transformers brand, Bumblebee showed up as the representative for the "Movie" era of the franchise. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===Cyber Missions===
{{voiceactor|[[Tom Anderson]], [[David Kledzik]], [[Tony Gialluca II]], [[Bronco D. Jackson]] (English)|[[José Antonio Macías]] (Latin American-Spanish), [[Alexandre Moreno]] (Brazilian Portuguese)}}

[[File:CyberMissions1 bumblebee datatrax lockdown.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Some time after the defeat of The Fallen, Bumblebee and Ironhide were reviewing some [[datatrax]] that Optimus Prime had made for preservation in [[Vector Sigma]] when they detected an explosion outside their base. Bumblebee remained to lock down the most important data tracks while Ironhide went to investigate [[Bludgeon (ROTF)|the cause]] of the explosion. However, that turned out to be just what the Decepticons wanted, as moments later, Soundwave burst into the base, overwhelming Bumblebee with a sonic attack. Bumblebee attempted to counter with a shot from his shoulder cannon, but Soundwave absorbed the sonic boom and sent the acoustic energy back at him, bragging about his mastery of sound. Bumblebee decided to put his sonic skills to the absolute test, and unleashed a barrage of automatic weaponsfire at the Decepticon. At ten thousand rounds per minute, Soundwave was faced with too many sonic booms to absorb, and was soon flat on his back. {{storylink|Cyber Missions 1}} [[File:CyberMissions8 bumblebee in the arctic.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]] Bumblebee enclosed the defeated Soundwave in an electromagnetically sealed bubble, cut off from all sound. {{storylink|Cyber Missions 2}}

Ironhide, meanwhile, had gone missing in the jungle; Bumblebee reported the problem to Optimus, who had 'Bee perform a scan of the area. Bumblebee discovered several rich deposits of [[energon]] ore, which Prime pinpoint Ironhide's location. {{storylink|Cyber Missions 5}} Reunited, Bumblebee and Ironhide went on a training exercise in the Arctic, where the bigger 'bot put 'Bee through his paces. As Bumblebee was frequently singled out as a target by the Decepticons because of his small size, Ironhide taught him the importance of staying on guard and being mindful of his surroundings. As the pair sparred, Bumblebee learned another benefit of being aware of everything around him when Ironhide stopped their fight after they nearly crushed a strange little plant growing through the ice... a plant, Ironhide implied, that could well be sentient. {{storylink|Cyber Missions 8}}

[[File:CyberMissions9 Bumblebee.JPG|upright=1.5|thumb|BUUU!]]

When Decepticons [[Smolder]] and [[Chopster]] set fire to a building [[Scramble City (city)|Scramble City]], Bumblebee and Ratchet were dispatched to the scene by Optimus Prime. A menacing look from Bumblebee sent the diminutive Chopster running off in terror; 'Bee called after him to tell Smolder they would "like a word", hoping they could perhaps talk the situation out rather than fight, but Smolder wasn't interested. Bumblebee grappled with the pyromaniac Decepticon while Ratchet powered up his EMP blaster, which he then used to knock Smolder offline. {{storylink|Cyber Missions 9}}

[[File:CyberMissions12 cannon bumblebee vehicle.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Optimus reported finding Megatron and Starscream in the Arctic regions of Earth, and Bumblebee was summoned to aid his leader in battle alongside Ironhide, Ratchet and Sideswipe. Leaving Megatron to handle Prime, Starscream attacked all the Autobots at once, but the combined fire of the four heroes was enough to ground the Decepticon. {{storylink|Cyber Missions 12}}

Optimus later laid a trap to lure the Decepticons to a final confrontation with a hologram of Soundwave, and Megatron indeed walked right into it. Bumblebee, Ironhide, and Ratchet arrived to join the battle, and in the ensuing fight, Bumblebee took on Mindwipe. The Decepticon tried to hypnotize Bumblebee into not fighting, but Bumblebee blocked out his voice and kept up the attack. An army of humans soon arrived and surrounded the combatants, and the day went to the Autobots. Optimus instructed the Decepticons to leave Earth to be destroyed, and after they had fled, Bumblebee stamped a huge Autobot symbol in the dirt, a marker visible from far away that let all Decepticons who saw it know that the Autobots protected the planet. {{storylink|Decepticons Attack}}
{{-}}

===Transformers Annual 2011===
Bumblebee charged to Sam's defense when Starscream tried to abduct the boy, but proved no match for the Decepticon, and was flung around the yard. As Starscream started making off with Sam, Bumblebee made another attempt to stop him, and was brushed aside. Luckily Optimus arrived to help, and Starscream soon fled, but the Witwicky's yard was in ruins. {{storylink|Sam in Danger}}

===''Unite for the Universe''===
[[File:UnitefortheUniverse bumblebee vs ravage.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.6]]
During NEST's ongoing worldwide hunt for the Decepticons after the defeat of The Fallen, Bumblebee paid a visit to NEST's regional headquarters in [[Bloemfontein]], [[South Africa]]. As he entered the facility, Decepticon spy Ravage was able to quickly sneak through the closing door behind him, but Bumblebee spotted him in his rear-view mirror and quickly went on the attack. When Ravage pounced on him, Bumblebee triggered his headlights, blinding the feline Decepticon and sending him fleeing, leaving Bumblebee confused as to the point of the infiltration... unaware that an airborne nano-virus Ravage had carried with him had already picked NEST's computers clean of information regarding [[Project: Unite]]. {{storylink|Unite for the Universe issue 1|Ambition Instigated}}
{{-}}

===''I Can Read!'' books===
[[File:BumblebeeandSideswipe-TrainingDay.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Bumblebee met up with Optimus, Ironhide and Sideswipe in a desert to train. He raced Sideswipe, only for their training to be interrupted by a large boulder tumbling towards a nearby town. The two Autobots destroyed the boulder before resuming their race. They met back up with Optimus and Ironhide afterwards, and Optimus revealed the they had encountered a "natural disaster" as well. The source of the disturbances soon revealed itself to be Megatron and Starscream tunneling underground. Though the two Decepticons attempted to ambush the Autobots, Bumblebee and the others were able to send them running thanks to the training they had gone through that day. {{storylink|Training Day (book)|Training Day}}

Bumblebee and Sideswipe had a nasty run-in with the Decepticons, leaving Bumblebee pinned under a massive metal bar. Thankfully, Ratchet came to their rescue, and repaired them both. Bumblebee later helped the Autobots defeat the Decepticons in Egypt. {{storylink|Ratchet to the Rescue}}

[[File:BeeandWheeliehighfive-BuddyBrawl.jpeg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
Bumblebee was out for a drive with Wheelie, Sam and Mikaela one day when Starscream swooped down and began to attack them! Bumblebee suggested to Wheelie that they gun for Starscream's wings to defeat the Decepticon. Wheelie disagreed, saying that they had to outsmart Starscream to defeat him. The two Autobots began to argue, becoming oblivious to Starscream attacking their human companions. Thankfully, Optimus Prime showed up to knock out Starscream. Optimus then chastised Bumblebee and Wheelie for allowing their feelings get in the way of protecting Sam and Mikaela. Bumblebee realized he was in the wrong, but was still too worked up to make his apologies to Wheelie. Instead, he stormed off. But he didn't get far before Starscream regained consciousness and resumed his attack. Optimus ordered Bumblebee to work with Wheelie to stop Starscream. The pair managed to do so by outwitting Starscream and destroying his wings, making the Decepticon crash into a nearby tunnel and crippling his flying abilities. With Starscream down, Bumblebee and the rest of the group celebrated another victory over the Decepticons. {{storylink|Buddy Brawl}}
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===''Hunt for the Decepticons'' storybooks===
[[File:AutobotsthankSam-SatelliteMeltdown.jpeg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Sam witnessed the Decepticons [[Buzzsaw (ROTF)|Buzzsaw]] and [[Ratbat (ROTF)|Ratbat]] tear up a human city, while Soundwave declared that the Autobots had abandoned the humans. Refusing to believe the Decepticon's lies, Sam and Bumblebee set out to find Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots. It turned out that the Autobots had been tricked by Soundwave to go to the wrong location when they rolled out to engage the Decepticons. Sam and Bumblebee led Optimus and his troops to the scene of the conflict, where Optimus quickly dispatched the Decepticons. Afterwards, Optimus thanked for Sam's part in the day's events, while Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots cheered. {{storylink|Satellite Meltdown}}

===''Spot the 'Bots''===
Bumblebee helped Optimus chase down Megatron to an old warehouse. There, Bumblebee duked it out with Starscream. The battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that ensued would decide the fate of the Earth! {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Spot the 'Bots}}
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===''How to Ride your Dinobot''===
====Cartoon====
[[File:Htryd-chapter-1-bumblebee-yikes.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb|I'VE CHANGED INTO WILE E. COYOTE.]]
Bumblebee had never ridden a [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobot]] before, and decided to start by trying to mount [[Strafe (AOE)|Strafe]]. Guided by a kind but astonishingly unhelpful narrator, Bumblebee's attempts to mount Strafe left something to be desired. After many failed efforts, Bumblebee simply destroyed the instruction manual to riding Dinobots before storming off in annoyance, much to the narrator's surprise.
{{storylink|How to Ride Your Dinobot Chapter 1: Getting on a Dinobot|Getting on a Dinobot}}
[[File:HowtoRide bumblebee and strafe.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
====Comic====

When Optimus Prime asked the Autobots to accompany him into the depths of a Chinese forest, Bumblebee was sure that their objective was important... but he never expected that the Autobot leader was taking them to learn the fine art of Dinobot riding! When Hound's tough-talking approach failed to win the Dinobots' hearts, 'Bee tried a kinder, gentler method, offering the Dinos a little snack. This worked a bit ''too'' well, and he would have been crushed when the Dinobots mobbed him to get the goodies had Strafe not lifted him into the air. Bumblebee pushed his luck when he climbed onto the flying Dinobot's back, however, and Strafe promptly threw him back to the ground. Subsequently, when Grimlock caught the scent of Decepticons nearby, Strafe and the other Dinobots relented and allowed Bumblebee and the Autobots to saddle up so they could all ride out to face the villains together. {{Storylink|How to Ride a Dinobot!}}
{{-}}

===Yokohama Decepticon Secret Base===

[[File:YokohamaBase bumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Bumblebee was hanging out at the [[Transformers Expo]] in [[Yokohama]] when [[Yokohama Convoy|Nemesis Prime]] came crashing into the building. The evil Prime initially mistook Bumblebee for a cosplayer, only to realize that the little yellow Autobot was the real deal when he attacked him alongside the two versions of Optimus Prime also visiting the show. Nemesis soon got himself some backup in the form of a ''second'' [[Nemesis Prime (AOE)|Nemesis Prime]] and [[Nemesis Grimlock]], but before they could all do much more than glare at each other, the combined energies of the AllSpark, the Matrix of Leadership and the [[seed]]—all on display at the Expo, because why not—suddenly began reacting with the [[Dark Energon]] within the first Nemesis Prime. This was all part of a complicated plot by [[Unicron]], but fortunately, Nemesis resisted the dark urges within himself, and channeled all the Dark Energon into the stickers his creator [[Doctor Arkeville]] had used to make him evil. Nemesis ripped the stickers off and hurled them into the air, where all the Autobots and Decepticons—and even the Expo's human attendees, using their cell phones—blasted them and stopped the chain reaction.

All together, pretty odd. {{storylink|Yokohama Decepticon Secret Base}}
{{-}}

===''Cheetos/Age of Extinction'' comic===
[[File:CheetosAOE bumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Discovering that the Decepticons were increasing their strength through artifacts from the [[Cheetos (galaxy)|Cheetos galaxy]], Bumblebee and the Autobots recruited [[you]]r help to acquire the power-enhancing objects. {{storylink|Cheetos/Transformers: Age of Extinction}}
{{-}}

===''Q-Transformers''===
{{voiceactor|[[Ryōhei Kimura]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:QTransformers the cast.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2]]
In this world, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and Lockdown were aware that they were toys: specifically, ''Q-Transformers'', a new line of cute-looking ''Transformers'' merchandise produced to tie-in with the 30th anniversary of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]]. Bumblebee occasionally changed his look to one more reminiscent of [[Bumblebee (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]], but his "default" form was that of a toy based on his ''Age of Extinction'' look. They hung out at different famous service areas on Japanese expressways, and talked about the ''[[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy|Mystery of Convoy]]'' video game, and the remake produced as a tie-in with their toyline, ''[[Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (mobile game)|Mystery of Convoy Returns]]''.

[[File:QTransformers1 Lockdown's bishonen fantasy.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.8|Bumblebee suddenly realized, much to his horror, that he was trapped in an anime high school AU.]]

Discussing the ins and outs of their cute designs, Optimus and his pals explained that they were created for the purpose of appealing to non-Transformers fans. Bumblebee suggested that another way to tap that market would be to create "Zodiac Transformers", based on all the different animals of the Chinese zodiac, but Lockdown had a different idea: a humanized Transformers "Boys Love" romance, where he and Optimus competed for Bumblebee's affection. Bumblebee was not impressed. {{storylink|Mystery of the 30th Anniversary Merchandise}} The trio went on to talk about the original ''Mystery of Convoy'', and Bumblebee got a telling-off from Optimus when he pointed out that it was a famously terribly game. Discussing traits that they thought made games bad, Bumblebee suggested that an RPG already completed when you started would be pretty awful. {{storylink|Mystery of Reliably Crappy Games}} When Lockdown suggested that re-releasing such a terrible game was like rubbing salt in a wound, Bumblebee didn't understand the expression. Optimus explained, and they all tried to come up with situations the phrase was applicable to; taking it a bit too far, Bumblebee suggested getting pooped on by bird, then looking up to discover that a meteor was about to crash into the Earth. {{storylink|Mystery of Smearing Salt in the Open Wound}} The group then talked about the rubbish stage bosses in ''Mystery of Convoy'', particularly the [[Destron Mark|floating Decepticon insignia]], and wondered what sort of fictional scenarios it could be used in. {{storylink|Mystery of the Stage Bosses}}

[[File:QTF bumblebee explorer.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.8]]

Prime and company began being joined by their friends to discuss facets of the game. [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] participated in a talk about the differences between the original and the remake, {{storylink|Mystery of the Wittily Similar Circumstances}} while [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] highlighted the tonal "gap" between the cute character designs and the very ''un''-cute action in the game. Everyone tried to think of examples of similar "gaps": Bumblebee suggested a handsome young man cooking a nice meal... for his mother. {{storylink|Mystery of the Gap of Unpopular Men}} [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] joined them to talk about classic terrible games, which turned into a discussion about adventure and exploring, and the comforts an explorer might like to have with them on such a journey—Bumblebee thought a nice pillow would be just the thing. {{storylink|Mystery of a Certain Explorer}} [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] also talked about some famously awful old games, segueing into a discussion about psychokinetic powers; Bumblebee was concerned about the potential of such powers to interfere with television. {{storylink|Mystery of a Certain Psychic}}

When [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] came along to share his thoughts on points of commonality among famously awful games, the group talked about the technical advancements of video games, with Bumblebee mentioning motion-control. {{storylink|Mystery of Game Balance}} [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] also had some opinions on the common themes of bad games, but Bumblebee and Optimus's willingness to settle for less frustrated Lockdown. {{storylink|Mystery of the Lowest Possible Standards}}

[[File:Qtransformers gtoptimus copenbee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2]]

Bumblebee had changed his look when [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] dropped in, to one resembling his Generation 1 self but with a Daihatsu Copen alternate mode. They talked about the constantly changing looks of Transformers through history, and how Bumblebee used to be called "Bumble" in Japan. {{storylink|Mystery of Convoy}} Still sporting his Daihatsu Copen form, Bumblebee dropped in on a conversation between [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], the star of ''Mystery of Convoy''. He told them how Optimus and Lockdown would argue over the crappy's games merits—but to be reminded of the games shortcomings only sent Magnus into floods of shameful tears. {{storylink|Mystery of Mystery of Convoy}}

When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] turned up to join the argument over just how bad ''Mystery of Convoy'' was, Optimus quickly switched bodies, taking on the form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|his Generation 1 self]]; seeing this, Bumblebee also switched from his ''Age of Extinction'' form to his Daihatsu Copen body. They argued back and forth for a bit, discussing other ways the game could have been remade using staples of Japanese media, and Bumblebee proposed a "sports day"-style version. {{storylink|Mystery of Return of Convoy}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Road to Winning a New Fanbase}} {{storylink|The Road to Easy Identification}}}}
{{-}}

[[File:LegendsBizTrip5 TFs of today.jpg|left|thumb|upright=.75]]

===''Legends'' comic===
In the [[Legends World]], Bumblebee was just a fictional character featured in a series of popular movies and toylines. When [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] turned into [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] and tried to revert the world back to how it was in the '80s, Rattrap attempted to stop him by singing the praises of modern-day Transformers, including the ''Q-Transformers'' incarnation of Bumblebee. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 5|Bonus Edition Vol. 5}}

Bumblebee had a big presence at the ''Q-Transformers'' event held at the Decks Tokyo Beach shopping center which Rattrap, [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] attended, including a standee, a statue, an exclusive sticker, and even a themed "Bumblebee Mango" drink. At the neighboring Joypolis amusement park, his voice actor Ryōhei Kimura attended a Q&A! {{storylink|Deckss × Q-Transformers Collaboration Event Report|Deckss × Q-Transformers}}
{{-}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Tyran 511.0 Kappa]], Bumblebee survived [[Cemetery Wind]]'s massacre and joined Optimus Prime along with fellow Autobot survivors [[Bulkhead (DOTM)|Bulkhead]] and [[Backtrack (Movie)|Backtrack]] as well as the desperate Decepticons [[Axor|Axel]] and [[Wild Rider]]. Initially skeptical of the Decepticons, the Autobots learned to appreciate Wild Rider, but Axel tried and failed to betray them to Lockdown. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/16}}

===Bee's Backtalk===
[[File:Ask Vector Prime Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|left]]

With [[Vector Prime]] still missing in action, Bumblebee became the fourth guest contributor to Vector Prime's [[Ask Vector Prime|column]]. He renamed the column to "Bee's Backtalk", answering questions from readers through patched-together audioclips.

Bumblebee gave us some more details about the state of the Autobots and their allies following the Chicago crisis. When asked about the fate of Sam following the rise of Cemetery Wind, Bumblebee became upset, and declined to comment. He noted that the Autobots were still searching for any more survivors of Cemetery Wind. A comment about the workmanship of KSI's Stinger units was enough to make him hopping mad, although he immediately apologized for his behavior. When someone asked Bumblebee why things in the [[Tyran|Tyran Cluster]] are prone to exploding, he suddenly found himself in the middle of a battleground as everything around him exploded. The Axiom Nexus News team lost contact with him (disappointing the editor, who was pleased that Bumblebee was able to stabilize ratings). As Andromeda was the one who found Bumblebee, she was tasked with finding his replacement: someone who, in contrast to Bumblebee's cryptic radio answers, could speak their mind in a straightforward manner.

[[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|And look how ''that'' turned out]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Bee's Backtalk|Bee's Backtalk}}

===''TV Magazine stories''===
As Megatron fought against several Autobots including Drift and Hot Rod, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee arrived in the battlefield, only to be shocked by Megatron's towering size. However, Optimus immediately though of a plan: transferring his Energon (along with Drift and Hot Rod's) to Bumblebee, giving the yellow scout a new ability called "Energon Charge", and defeats Megatron with a single punch. While victorious, Bumblebee is still considered as problematic for the napping Autobots as the glowing Energon effect is still on. {{storylink|The Explosive Birth of Energon Charge Bumblebee}}
{{-}}

===''Mission to Cybertron'' comic===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Mission to Cybertron}}}}
{{-}}

===''Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle at Half Dome'' comic===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle at Half Dome}}}}

===''Bumblebee's First Life on Earth''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Picked Up from the Junkyard}}{{storylink|Hiding in the Park!}}{{storylink|Cooking!}}}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Both Optimus and Bumblebee could be seen driving around the [[Speed Stars]] logo in vehicle mode. {{storylink|Commercial#Speed Stars|Speed Stars commercials}}
*Bumblebee was resting in vehicle in Al's Chevrolet car dealership, getting caught on tape while the dealership's owner filmed a commercial. The place's squirrel mascot playfully bashed Bumblebee's hood with a foam hammer, provoking Bumblebee into transforming and tossing him away. Bumblebee then sped away in a huff. {{storylink|Commercial/Dark of the Moon#Chevy|Dark of the Moon Super Bowl XLV Chevrolet Camaro TV Spot}}
*Bumblebee joined Optimus Prime on the road as part of the "[[Win A Ride To School With The Autobots]]" contest. {{storylink|Commercial/Dark of the Moon#Win A Ride|Win A Ride To School With The Autobots contest and commercial}}
*Bumblebee dazzled a group of Valero patrons by showing up at the gas station in his vehicle mode and... popping his fuel filler flap. {{storylink|Commercial/Age of Extinction#Valero|Age of Extinction Valero tie-in commercial}}
*While driving about town, Bumblebee crossed paths with a little boy in possession of a Mega 1-Step Bumblebee toy. Impressed by his miniature likeness, he paused to admire it, then gave the boy a fist bump. {{storylink|Commercial/Age of Extinction#Flip and Change|1-Step Optimus Prime & Flip and Change Grimlock toy commercial}}

==Games==
{{main|Bumblebee (Movie)/games}}

==Toys==
{{main|Bumblebee (Movie)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise}}

==''Second Life''==
In the online virtual world simulation/game ''Second Life'', there was a full replica of the Sector Seven base which contained a giant discussion room where Michael Bay held a question board. This room contained a giant frozen Megatron replica and free avatars of both Bumblebee and Barricade. Both freebies were non-transforming. Also, the Bumblebee avatar had his battle mask down and it could not be raised.

==Notes==
===Classic Camaro===
*According to an article on [http://web.archive.org/web/20071013122820/http://edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=121138?imw=Y Edmunds.com], the film makers wanted Bumblebee's original Earth form to be the 1976 iteration of the Camaro because it was the worst Camaro possible that also had chrome bumpers.
*The same article indicates that the 1976 Camaros used in the film were all purchased via online auction for under $6000 each, one for less than $2000. That one didn't run.
*One of the 1976 Camaros was sold on eBay. The bidding ended on July 18, 2007; the final price was $40,100.01.

===Modern Camaro===
*The 2008 Concept Camaro used for Bumblebee in the first movie was built by Saleen in 30 days, using a heavily modified 2006 Holden Monaro chassis as the basis. The '08 Camaro was not in production at the time that the first film was being made, hence an identical mock-up was needed to fill the role.<ref>[http://www.saleen.com/transformers.htm Saleen article about the construction of the Barricade and Bumblebee vehicles]</ref>
*In ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'', Bumblebee scans a working, driveable new generation Camaro — conveniently with the same paint job as his classic Camaro disguise at that time — that wouldn't be released until some time in the year 2009. However, it is possible that the Camaro in question was being road-tested by GM engineers, like they were doing in the real world.
*Although unexplained in the films, Bumblebee's vehicle mode changes appearance subtly between ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''. This is probably because of product placement: Bumblebee's old [[alternate mode]] was an unavailable concept Camaro, while in ''Revenge'' he uses what seems to be the new Z/28 Camaro... whose mass production was later canceled. Oops. However, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that it is the Camaro ZL1 that uses the same design.
*He changes models again between ''Revenge of the Fallen'' and ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' and becomes a production Camaro SS (rather than the previous two movies GTO-Based mock-ups); the movie prop car changes include the addition of a rear spoiler, the black racing stripes now being further apart while at the same time losing the outer pinstripes, the racing stripes now also covering the roof and Autobot badges in the front fenders.
*After the end of production of their respective films, the Camaros from ''Revenge of the Fallen'' through to ''The Last Knight'' were simultaneously sold for $500,000.

===Robot mode and CG model(s)===
[[File:MovieBumblebeeStinger.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|He uses it once, then dies.]]

*The Bumblebee computer-generated model consisted of 7608 individual parts, 1,511,727 polygons, 19,722 rig nodes, and 8094 texture maps. The volume of all the pieces came to 1069.01 cubic feet.<ref>Robertson, Barbara (2007). Heavy Metal. ''Computer Graphics, 30''(7), 12-17.</ref>
*Bumblebee's character animation is based on the performance of {{w|Michael J. Fox}} in the ''[[Back to the Future]]'' movies.<ref>From ''Cinefex'' magazine, issue number 111, published October 2007.</ref>
[[File:ROTFBumblebeeAltColorsConcept.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|But will we ever '''get''' an orange Bumblebee? No, we'll just keep getting slightly different yellow ones.]]
*Bumblebee is equipped with a pair of arm-mounted electrical "[[Stinger (weapon)|stingers]]."<ref>Bumblebee's [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/discover/Battle-Bios.cfm Battle Bio] at Hasbro.com</ref> While designed, the stingers were ultimately not featured in the movies, though they may have influenced [[Bumblebee (Animated)|other]] [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|media]].
*Speaking of weapons, for someone whose main job is being subtle, Bumblebee is quite well armed, with a [[plasma cannon]] powerful enough to rattle [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]], [[Mohawk]], and [[Nitro Zeus]], a blade capable of disabling [[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]]'s jet thrusters, and a ring-shaped light missile launcher in each shoulder. He is also a capable close-combat fighter, as seen in his fights against [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]], [[Rampage (ROTF)|Rampage]], [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]], [[Stinger (AOE)|Stinger]], and [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]].
**Despite this, he has a [[Fireblast]] rating of ''three''. Also, he lost his blade while fighting [[Shatter]], requiring him to use his environment to his advantage.
*According to designer [[Paul Ozzimo]] on his website, at one point there were plans to make Bumblebee into a Z/28 convertible for ''Revenge of the Fallen'', and the possibility of changing his color to orange or black with yellow was also discussed. While none of these alterations happened, concept art for both appeared on the "25 Years of Transformers" feature on the ''Revenge'' DVD... though the black version is only seen from behind.
*Bumblebee stands approximately 16 feet tall, according to the [[Transformers The Game|official game]] strategy guide.
*In 2011, Bumblebee appeared in a Super Bowl XLV-related commercial, parodying car dealers by tossing a squirrel mascot knocking his hood to literally hammer the point of low prices. The TV spot also revealed ILM's modifications to his design for ''Dark of the Moon'', namely more pronounced shoulders and ribs ala his [[Bumblebee (WFC)|''Prime'' counterpart]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RttT4jC7_10&feature=player_embedded Chevrolet Super Bowl spot]</ref>
*Despite his Camaro alternate mode used for ''Dark of the Moon'' no longer sporting the outer pinstripes bordering his black racing stripes, the CG robot model still has them. Whoops.
*Similarly, in the first movie, after he gains the modern Camaro alt mode, Bumblebee's robot mode still features the scratches and dirt on his paint job of his original 1976 Camaro alt mode.
*In ''Age of Extinction'', Bumblebee's concept Camaro robot model sports a [[death-lock pincer]] similar to that of Megatron's ''Revenge of the Fallen'' body.
*Bumblebee's arm cannon in ''The Last Knight'' undergoes a slight visual tweak. Using his original trilogy's cannon design, the main barrel has a narrow barrel as the main firearm.
*In a profile image posted by the Movie series' Facebook page, Bumblebee is depicted to retain his battle mask from his ''Age of Extinction'' body, while the final cut features his original battle mask seen in the first 3 films.
*Meanwhile, although Bumblebee transforms into a regular, unarmored Mercedes-Benz 770 cabriolet in ''The Last Knight'''s World War II flashback sequence, his robot-mode kibble is that of a {{w|Humber Scout Car|Humber Scout Car}}, and his ''[[Studio Series]]'' toy based on the scene is yet ''another'' Humber model, specifically a {{w|Humber Light Reconnaissance Car}}.
*The design for Bumblebee's Cybertronian and Volkswagen bodies in ''Bumblebee'' draws heavy influence from his Generation 1 [[Bumblebee (G1)|namesake]].

===License plates===
Bumblebee sported several different [[license plate]]s between the movies, the video games and the toys:

*'''489 PCE''', registered in [[California]], was the 1976 Camaro's license plate in the first movie, which was kept consistent between the car prop and the CG model for the robot mode. The license plate was later auctioned off in 2008.<ref name="plate1">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/movie-bumblebees-license-plate-for-sale/12255/ Movie Bumblebee (1976 Camaro edition) license plate for sale], Seibertron.com, January 2008.</ref> The same license plate was later used again in ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' when Bumblebee upgraded from a Volkswagen Beetle to a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro.
*'''900 STRA''', without a state-specific registration, was the new license plate for the Concept Camaro car prop, which was kept for the production models used for all three subsequent movies. It was also used when the modern Camaro prop cars from the movies were on display at car shows and other events. Finally achieving consistency between both modes, Bumblebee also sported this plate in robot mode in ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''. Furthermore, Hasbro started to use this license plate number with the Leader Class Bumblebee and Deluxe Class Nitro Bumblebee toys from the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|''Dark of the Moon'' toy line]] (both sporting ''sculpted'' license plate inscriptions in both modes), and the [[Activision]] [[Dark of the Moon (video games)|''Dark of the Moon'' video game]] also uses it for the vehicle mode. The license plate used in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' was auctioned off in October 2009.<ref name="2009auct">[http://www.icollector.com/Hero-Bumblebee-license-plate-from-Transformers-Revenge-of-the-Fallen_i8633011 ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Bumblebee license plate auction], icollector.com</ref> In ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'', he even uses this license plate in his 1967 Camaro disguise, and still keeps it when he upgrades to his new 2014 Camaro concept form.
*'''4NZZ454''', registered in California, is probably the most well-known license plate number due to being used on the CG model for the robot mode in the 2007 movie and ''Revenge of the Fallen''.<ref name="proctercg">[http://www.benprocter.com/storage/oldersites/sitev2/html/PROJPAGE_Trans_06.html Official Hasbro promo shots of the finalized CG model for Bumblebee] on Ben Procter's portfolio</ref> This number was also used for a lot of Hasbro's toys from the first two movies' toy lines (in robot mode and often also in vehicle mode), including the Deluxe Class Classic Camaro.
*'''4NZZZ454''', with a red line indicative of a California registration, was an erroneous version of the above number with an extra "Z", used on some of Hasbro's toys, namely the Deluxe Class Concept Camaro Bumblebee toy from the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|first movie's toy line]] (including several [[redeco]]s and [[retool]]s) and ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Human Alliance]] Bumblebee.
*'''5LKZ213''' can be spotted on some photos of the life-sized robot prop from the Hoover Dam set from the first movie.<ref name="procterprop">[http://www.benprocter.com/storage/oldersites/sitev2/html/ZOOM_Trans/ZOOM_24.html Life-sized Bumblebee prop] on Ben Procter's portfolio</ref><ref name="unicubb">[http://www.unicron.us/tf2007/toypix/ultimate_bumblebee.html Review of Ultimate Bumblebee] at Unicron.com, including a set photo of the life-sized Bumblebee prop used for the movies.</ref>
*'''BUMBLBE''', registered in California, was used for the life-sized robot prop on various exhibits in 2007.<ref name="premiere">[http://www.flickr.com/photos/bob_karol/archives/date-taken/2007/06/27/ Transformers Movie premiere in Westwood Village, California], Flickr photostream of Candid Photos</ref><ref name="18foot">[http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/pictures-18-foot-bumblebee-transformer-invades-la "18 Foot Bumblebee Transformers invade LA"] at Techeblog</ref>
*'''FXPERTS''' (registered in California), a reference to the special effects company that built the life-sized robot prop,<ref name="fxperts">[http://www.fxpertsinc.com/trans.html Building the life-sized Bumblebee prop] at Fxperts</ref> was used on various exhibits in 2008.<ref name="dolby">[http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/ces-2008-giant-bumblebee-transformer-invades-the-dolby-booth "CES 2008: Giant BumbleBee Transformer Invades the Dolby Booth"] at Techeblog</ref><ref name="holloman08">[http://www.flickr.com/photos/61043118@N00/archives/date-taken/2008/09/22/ Transformers on display at Holloman Air Force Base in September 2008], Flickr photostream of snakebite000.</ref>
*'''KDM 0814''', registered in California, was used for the life-sized robot prop on various exhibits from 2009 to at least 2011.<ref name="sydney">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/movie-bumblebee-prop-appears-in-sydney-australia/17305/ Life-sized Bumblebee prop in Sydney, Australia] at Seibertron.com</ref><ref name="vegas">[http://www.flickr.com/photos/deltamike/archives/date-taken/2009/03/30/ Transformers on display at the Las Vegas Strip], Flickr photostream of Mike Renlund</ref><ref name="childmuseum">[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=77515 "Bumblebee coming to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis"] at The Allspark, March 2011</ref> A variant of this, "KDM 814" minus the "0", had been previously used as the license plate of [[The Twins]]' combined ice cream truck mode in ''Revenge of the Fallen''.
*'''5BBM2''' (registered in California), mirrored on the other side, is used by Activision for the robot models used in the ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (video games)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Dark of the Moon (video games)|Dark of the Moon]]'' video games.<ref name="nextgen">[http://www.nextgn.com/2009/05/15/transformers-2-playable-characters-and-soundtrack-revealed/ ''Revenge of the Fallen'' video game models] at Next Gen News</ref><ref name="actidotm">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/video-games-17/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-the-game-hands-on-171673/ Activision trailer and promo stills for Dark of the Moon video game] at TFW2005.</ref> Due to its partially mirrored nature, this plate wouldn't actually be legal.
*'''4N7 454''' (registered in California), another erroneous variant of the robot mode license plate from the first two films, was seen on a hand-painted prototype used for early official stock photos of the ''Masterpiece Movie Series'' Bumblebee figure.<ref name="mpmsbb">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/01/10/shadow-spark-optimus-masterpiece-movie-bumblebee-official-images-330837 "Shadow Spark Optimus and Masterpiece Movie Bumblebee Official Images"] at TFW2005.com.</ref> Samples on display at both Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair 2017 and [[Toy Fair|New York Toy Fair]] 2017, on the other hand, sported a regular "900 STRA" license plate.
*'''ANZZ454''', ''another'' erroneous variant of the robot mode license plate from the first two films that mistakes the first "4" for the letter "A", was used for the redeco of ''Transformers'' (2007) Deluxe Class Classic Camaro Bumblebee from the ''[[Transformers Tribute]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Tribute|Bumblebee Evolution 3-Pack]].
*'''MM''', an easter egg put on the [[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#Robot Heroes|''Revenge of the Fallen'' Robot Heroes figure]] by its designer, [[Marcelo Matere]].
*'''WH 218 371''', a license plate used by Bumblebee in ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'' in a flashback set during [[World War II]] that showed him infiltrating the Nazis in the disguise of a Mercedes-Benz 770.
*'''RWM4V15''', registered in California, the license plate used by Bumblebee in his disguise as a Volkswagen Beetle in ''Bumblebee''.

===Lack of voice===
*For [[Transformers (film)|the first movie]], [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] had originally preferred the Transformers not to talk ''at all'' throughout the movie, a notion Hasbro heavily contested.<ref name="tfwtour">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/139273-botcon-2007-botcon-2007-hasbro-tour-updated-friday-12-45pm.html BotCon 2007 Hasbro tour report.]</ref> Bumblebee still ended up being mute throughout most of the movie, which, according to Orci and Kurtzman, was inspired by [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''{{w|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial|E.T.}}'' and is supposed to signify that his friendship with Sam transcends words.<ref name="mtv">[http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1554426/20070312/story.jhtml MTV.com interview with Kurtzman and Orci.]</ref>
*According to the [[Movie Prequel issue 1|prequel comic]] by IDW Publishing, Megatron ripped out and crushed Bumblebee's voice capacitor during the battle at [[Tyger Pax]] back on Cybertron. [[Hardtop (Movie)|Hardtop]]'s toy bio claims the damage came from a shot fired by Hardtop. In the film itself, Ratchet only states to Sam that Bumblebee's "vocal processors were damaged in battle" and he was "still working on them". Ultimately, the most canon explanation of his loss of voice occurs during the events of ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'', when his voice box is ripped out by [[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]].
*By the end of all the conflict (the climax of the first film proper), Bumblebee has regained his ability to speak. Although it was not confirmed on-screen, screenwriter [[Roberto Orci]] did confirm ''off''-screen<ref name="Orci"/> that Ratchet's (regenerative) beam fired at Bee's throat was indeed the reason. Just as well, Roberto Orci ''also'' admitted that Bumblebee's brief contact with the AllSpark would be an equally valid (and an even more "in-continuity") explanation.<ref name="Orci"/>
*When asked, Orci admitted there had been plans to have Bumblebee speak in ''Revenge of the Fallen''; however, ultimately they liked his "musical ability" too much, and [[Michael Bay]] wanted to focus more on [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]], since he thought kids would like the two characters.<ref name="orci">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-movie-discussion/180451-welcome-mr-roberto-orci-you-may-ask-him-questions-283.html#post3785383 Q&A with Roberto Orci at TFW2005]</ref>
*When Bumblebee finally did speak in the first movie, he had a slightly British accent. However, in ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'', it appears he in fact has an ''American'' accent. This was carried over to ''Bumblebee'' as well, albeit with a younger-sounding voice to reflect the film's status as a prequel. As of yet, no explanation for this discrepancy has been made.
*In most foreign-language dubs, namely Japanese, and Spanish, Bumblebee is dubbed over by only one voice actor. This choice has been criticized for creating an obvious contradiction (If his voice box was damaged, how can he talk perfectly?"). However, in others, such as Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, Bee is voiced my multiple uncredited voice actors, and all of their voices have certain audio effects. That's some good respect to the source material.

===Arrival on Earth===
*While the 2007 movie never states how long Bumblebee has been on Earth, all the prequel materials (in particular IDW's comic books) establish that he arrived only a few years prior to the movie's present day events. This was never explicitly contradicted by any other media until ''The Last Knight'' suddenly established that he had been active on Earth as early as [[World War II]], fighting on the side of the Allies alongside [[Hot Rod (DOTM)|Hot Rod]] and several other Autobots. The [[Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel|''Bumblebee'' prequel comic]] follows along with this backstory, chronicling Bumblebee's adventures during the [[Cold War (history)|Cold War]]. However, the events of ''Bumblebee'' depicts Bumblebee arriving on Earth in 1987, rendering both the WWII flashback and ''Bumblebee Movie Prequel'' inconsistent with the films themselves. Therefore, we can safely assume at this point that all prequel materials are by now to be considered null and void... or maybe there is a live-action counterpart to [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] running around.

===Other===
[[File:BumblebeePrequelSketches.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Bumblebee: Year One"]]
*Bumblebee is the only Autobot featured in ''Transformers'' to not get killed off on-screen throughout the entire series; his "demise" in ''Bumblebee'' feels more like falling into a coma than a death.
*Bumblebee is a big fan of Earth cartoons! Some of his favourites include ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'', ''{{w|Ren and Stimpy}}'', ''{{w|Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law}}'', ''{{w|Futurama}}'', ''{{w|Voltron}}'', and ''{{w|Rick and Morty}}'', as noted in [[Ask Vector Prime]].
*Bumblebee's ability in ''The Last Knight'' to blow himself apart and magnetically reassemble himself came seemingly out of nowhere; with no explanation, having never demonstrated this ability before, and with no mention of this ability at any point in any other media whatsoever. The closest thing to an in-universe explanation for this ability would be that he was somehow able to mimic (for the purposes of repairs and as a battle strategy) a similar ability shown by the man-made KSI drones in ''Age of Extinction'' to disintegrate and re-materialize for the purposes of repairs and transformation (but even that's a ''huge'' stretch).
*According to artist [[Andrew Griffith]], Bumblebee's alternate mode in the [[Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel|''Bumblebee'' prequel comic]] is a mixture of an {{w|Aston Martin}} and a {{w|Volkswagen Karmann Ghia|Karmann Ghia}}.<ref>[https://twitter.com/glovestudios/status/1014997829775917059 Andrew Griffith on Twitter]</ref>
*Bumblebee attended ''The Voice'' to watch [[Hailee Steinfeld]]'s performance of "Back To Life", the single from their movie.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJveg86lUWE Hailee Steinfeld's YouTube account]</ref>
*This isn't [[Centurion (IDW)|the only "Bumblebee"]] who fought WWII with a big hammer.

===Foreign names===
*''Czech:'' '''Čmelák (first movie's first dub only) (Bumblebee)
*''Japanese:'' '''Bumblebee''' (バンブルビー ''Banburubī'')
*''Korean:'' '''Bumblebee''' (범블비 ''Beombeulbi'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Daai Wong Fung''' (大黃蜂, "Bumblebee")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Űrdongó''' ("Space Bumblebee")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Dàhuángfēng''' (Taiwan, 大黃蜂, "Bumblebee"), '''Dàhuángfēng''' (China, 大黄蜂, "Bumblebee")
*''Spanish:'' '''Abejorro''' ("Bumblebee")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Bdzhilka''' (Бджілка, "Bee")

==See also==
{{OtherVersions
|charname=Bumblebee
|disambig=Bumblebee (disambiguation)
|body=
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], the plucky yellow [[kid-appeal character]] from [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]].
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], the hothead yellow kid-appeal character from ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]].''
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], the yellow kid-appeal character turned leader from the [[Aligned continuity family]].
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]], the amnesiac yellow kid-appeal character from ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (franchise)|Transformers: Cyberverse]].''}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/Bumblebee/bumblebee.htm Bumblebee at TFU.info]
*[http://www.seibertron.com/toys/index.php?f_series=40&f_name=bumblebee&f_type=exact&Submit=Search Galleries of various different Bumblebee toys from the Movie]

[[Category:Age of Extinction Autobots]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Bumblebee Autobots]]
[[Category:Classified Autobots]]
[[Category:Cyber Missions characters]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon Autobots]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:Human Alliance]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Movie Autobots]]
[[Category:NEST]]
[[Category:P.R.O.G.R.A.M.M.E.]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen Autobots]]
[[Category:The Last Knight Autobots]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]

Secrets & Lies issue 1

2020-07-16T01:16:43Z

TailgatePrime: /* Synopsis */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies]]'' #1
|prev=Transformers '84 issue 0
|next=Secrets & Lies issue 2
|caption=
|image=TF84 1 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[July 15]], 2020
|coverdate=July 2020
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[Guido Guidi]]
|colors by=[[John-Paul Bove]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The launch of the''' '''''Nemesis''''' '''hides a secret power struggle in the Decepticon ranks—one with far-reaching consequences for Grimlock and the Dynobots.'''

==Synopsis==
''[[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] continues his story...''

On a war-stricken [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Decepticon]] advance threatens to overrun the [[Autobot]] line. But the Decepticons aren't as unified as the Autobots think: [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s growing vendetta against the upstart [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] has resulted in him diverting resources and manpower away from [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]'s "[[Project Dreadnought]]", which aims to rebuild Cybertron itself into a planet-sized warship, and towards the ongoing war effort. Counterpunch enters Shockwave's project hub as [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] grimly contemplates Megatron's increasingly erratic behavior, and wonders if it'd be possible to refocus his mind on his original goal of galactic conquest. His friend [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] sardonically dismisses this possibility, but Counterpunch cuts the debate short by telling an irritated Shockwave that Megatron needs him immediately at the Decepticon [[Presidium (facility)|Presidium]].

At the Presidium, Megatron has gathered his top confidants as he plans his next attack on [[Stanix]], a move he hopes will push Prime's forces towards [[Kalis]]. But although [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] points out that their forces are over-committed and stretched thin, Megatron ignores his advice to redevelop their [[energon]] manufacturing capabilities instead—if they don't have the energon they need, then they need to take more, by force. Shockwave impassively watches from the sidelines, unaware that Counterpunch is observing him...

When a massive explosion shakes Cybertron some time later, the effect it has proves disastrous: already shaken loose from its orbit by the Autobot-Decepticon conflict, the latest detonation diverts its trajectory and sends it hurtling towards the dangerous [[Stellae Cimeterium]]. At an emergency Presidium meeting, Skyfire informs Megatron that the explosion was likely the result of a stray missile hitting a fuel storage tank. Shockwave points out that a fully operational [[Planetary engine|planetary turbine]] array ''could'' correct their course, but Megatron declines: better first gauge Prime's response, then decide upon an appropriate course of action. Shockwave returns to his project hub, where he finds an accusing Ratbat with some suspicions of his own. The flier points out that the mystery explosion ''conveniently'' took place near one of the half-completed turbines, suggesting that Shockwave deliberately test-fired a turbine to force Megatron's hand. Shockwave refuses to play Ratbat's game, and the cassette-bot takes his leave—but warns Shockwave that although he has no real evidence of the double-cross, he's sure to find some.

[[The Transformers (issue)|Learning of Optimus Prime's plan to clear a path through an oncoming asteroid belt]], Megatron commissions the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', to ambush the Autobot's own ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. But while Megatron and his high-ranking Decepticons board the ship, Shockwave orders Skyfire, the vessel's architect, to stay behind as part of a contingency plan, to finish what they started. Though Ratbat can't only move against Shockwave, and can't prove his suspicions to Megatron, the sneaky fuel auditor devises a scheme to expose Shockwave's treachery—by giving the necessary information to Counterpunch, their deep-cover agent within the Autobots, he ensures that the intel finds its way to [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]]. With the ''Ark'' launch pending and Prime preoccupied, Prowl informs Punch that they'll take care of this one quietly, and dispatches [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] to investigate. But with the turbines located deep in Decepticon territory, he'll need an escort, comprised of the heaviest-hitting Autobots around: the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobot]]s!

Behind enemy lines, the six Autobots trek through the ruins to find the turbines, but [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] has little patience for Perceptor's technical know-how. Indeed, he questions just how important they could be if they haven't encountered any resistance... unaware that he's tripped a silent proximity alarm that immediately alerts Shockwave, who promptly dispatches Skyfire to deal with the intruders. As Shockwave transforms and blasts off, Megatron, overseeing the boarding of the ''Nemesis'', fumes at the scientist's absence, and dispatches [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] to find him.

At the smoldering rim of the turbine, the five Dynobots observe the landscape while Perceptor collects some samples for analysis. Grimlock can't shake his unease, however, and wonders where the Decepticons might be... but gets the answer to his question when Skyfire strafes their position! While [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] takes to the skies, [[Sludge (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Sludge]], [[Slag (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Slag]], and [[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]] launch a surface-to-air barrage that Skyfire easily outmaneuvers. Skyfire assume he's got the upper hand as he makes another run on their position... but didn't wager on Grimlock, who charges forward, contemptuously cleaves the Decepticon's wing off, and sends him hurtling to the ground in a fiery wreck. The battle seems won... but as Perceptor peeks out of his hiding place while the Dynobots exchange congratulations, Shockwave arrives and easily annihilates Grimlock and the other Dynobots in a single devastating blast!

Perceptor watches as Shockwave kneels by Skyfire's remains, seemingly in mourning.. only to extract the flier's [[brain module]] and promise that, someday, his subordinate will live again. His movements draw Shockwave's attention, but before the Decepticon can blow his hiding place the three Seekers arrive and inform Shockwave that Megatron has ordered him to board the ''Nemesis''. His machinations in shambles, Shockwave grudgingly obliges and takes off with the fliers... but the experience has taught the cold, logical Decepticon that the ''real'' threat to the dream of a [[Decepticon Empire]] is ''not'' the Autobots—it is ''Megatron''. Shockwave keeps his cards close to his chest as he boards the ship and humbly accepts Megatron's furious admonishments, already hatching a new plan to ensure that only ''one'' of them will return to Cybertron.

Meanwhile, at the former battle site, a team of Autobots recover the badly injured Dynobots, as the ''Ark'' prepares for its own fateful launch...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Punch (G1)|Punch/Counterpunch]] (1)
* [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] (23)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (24)
* [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Divebomb/Swoop]] (25)
* [[Sludge (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Sludge]] (26)
* [[Slag (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Slag]] (27)
* [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] (28)
* [[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]] (29)
* [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] (33)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Clifjumper]] (34)
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (35)
* [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] (36)
* [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (37)

|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Chop Shop (G1)|Chop Shop]] (2)
* [[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]] (3)
* [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]] (4)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (5)
* [[Octane]] (6)
* [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] (7)
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] (8)
* [[Venom (G1)|Venom]] (9)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (10)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (11)
* [[Deluge (G2)|Deluge]] (12)
* [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] (13)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] (14)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Thundercracker]] (15)
* [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (16)
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (17)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] (18)
* [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (19)
* [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] (20)
* [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] (21)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (22)
* [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (30)
* [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (31)
* [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (32)
{{!}}}
|c3=
}}

==Quotes==
"Accident... or '''design?''' I wonder." 
"Ratbat. Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think, otherwise... you'd '''know''' I abhor spontaneity. Next time... schedule an appointment."
:—'''Ratbat''' and '''Shockwave'''

"Let me get this straight. The 'Cons '''want''' us to know this... but it's intel you'd intended to bring us anyway?" 
"It's complicated." 
"Tell me about it."
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Punch'''

"Big." 
"Deep." 
"Am I relieved I brought you boys along for a second opinion."
:—'''The Dynobots''' do not help '''Perceptor'''

"Alas, poor Skyfire. Your '''mind'''... is a terrible thing to waste. Soon, old friend, you shall rise again. I will '''see''' to it."
:—'''Shockwave'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This issue weaves in and around the Cybertron flashbacks from [[Transformers '84 issue 0|last year's issue #0]], and, by extension, the first few pages of [[The Transformers (issue)|the first issue of the Marvel US comic]]. Notably, Megatron is shown here planning the attack on [[Stanix]] which he spearheaded in issue #0, and the comic reveals that Shockwave ''deliberately'' sent Cybertron towards [[Stellae Cimeterium]] as part of a larger ploy to force Megatron's hand. While Punch narrated the last issue, Counterpunch narrates this one, likely due to the comic's Decepticon-centric plot.
* [[The Transformers (issue)|The very first installment]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the original comic]] had Megatron pontificate about turning Cybertron into a mighty "cosmic dreadnought" to conquer the universe—a plot thread that never actually resurfaced the US run, although the UK-exclusive story "[[Meltdown!]]" revealed that Megatron had commissioned a set of [[planetary engine]]s in [[Kalis]] at some point before the launch of the ''Nemesis'', which we we return to here. This issue takes a stab at addressing the discrepancy by explaining that Megatron ''began'' the war with the intention of galactic subjugation, until his mounting obsession with Optimus Prime led him down an emotional, less rational path.
* This issue features Shockwave and Ratbat at loggerheads over Shockwave's subterfuge, suggesting an origin point for Ratbat's distaste for Shockwave and his wasteful fuel consumption that will mark Ratbat's tenure as a Decepticon leader on Earth.
* The [[Presidium (facility)|Presidium]] previously appeared as a government building in Furman's ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'' series. Notably, this slightly deviates from Marvel US #1, where Megatron and his forces operated out of "[[Castle Decepticon]]". Perhaps one is an alternate name for the other?
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] appears as a Decepticon scientist on Cybertron; when Grimlock defeats him in battle, Shockwave plucks his [[brain module]] from his lifeless body and promises that he'll one day "rise again". The implication seems to be that, after Shockwave gets his hands on the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] in ''The Transformers'' [[The Next Best Thing to Being There!|#10]], he will use this brain module to recreate Skyfire on Earth as "Jetfire", explaining why Jetfire occasionally referenced details of Cybertronian life. In the author's commentary, Furman compares this to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] using the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[mind bank]] to resurrect five Autobots from preexisting engrams in [[Rock and Roll-Out!|Marvel US #14]], and suggests that Shockwave might have had access to similar technology.
* Speaking of, [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (featuring a yellow paint job based on either his European Generation 1 toy or his American [[Hook (G1)#Generation 2|''Generation 2'' toy]]) makes an appearance as one of the scientists on Project Dreadnought. He and the other five [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s were also brought to life by Shockwave in Marvel US #10, so perhaps a similar fate will befall him and his teammates?
* Megatron notes that the ''Nemesis'' will launch in one "[[Units of time|orn]]," a unit of time based on Cybertron's lunar day that previously appeared in [[Yesterday's Heroes!|Marvel #US #60]].
* A few characters mistakenly call [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] "Divebomb", and at one point Grimlock sarcastically addresses him by "whatever you're calling yourself these days". Evidently, this story must not take long after the events of "[[What's in a Name?]]" where Swoop, then Divebomb, lost an aerial battle to a [[Divebomb (G1)|Decepticon]] who stole his original name.
* The three Decepticon "[[Conehead]]s"—[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]—are shown boarding the ''Nemesis'', when, as per [[The Smelting Pool!|Marvel US #17]], they explicitly ''didn't'' travel to Earth with Megatron, and served under [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] during his reign over Cybertron. Furman advises us to "watch this space"...
* Counterpunch compares Project Dreadnought to a [[warworld]], [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s preferred mode of transit during the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' comics; although while that was just one spaceship, Counterpunch describes them in the plural, evoking the ''many'' warworlds used by the [[Decepticon fleet]] over in the [[2005 IDW continuity]].
* As originally presented in [[The Last Stand|Marvel US #4]], the Dinobots were just five random 'bots who happened to receive dinosaur alternate modes, but a later [[retcon]] in [[A Savage Circle|Marvel US #78]] established that they were already a tight-knit team back on Cybertron. Here, the five "Dynobots" (see "Transformers references" for more on that) are badly injured in the fight; presumably, their offline bodies will be loaded into the ''Ark'' before it launches from Cybertron, and reactivated to fight Shockwave in the [[Savage Land]] as per Marvel US #4. This take on events also explains why Grimlock and company didn't take an active role in the asteroid-clearing mission or the battle between the ''Ark'' and ''Nemesis'' that precipitated their arrival on Earth.

===Transformers references===
* This issue takes some inspiration from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow animated series]] in its decision to depict Skyfire and [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] as scientists and coworkers, a backstory established for the pair in the ''The Transformers'' episode "[[Fire in the Sky]]."
*[[Deluge (G2)|Deluge]], a lesser-known Decepticon scientist, cameos as one of the scientists working on Project Dreadnought.
* Grimlock and the other members of his pre-Earth team go by the "Dynobots", a neologism that originally appeared in [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|Dark Ages]]'' miniseries and reappeared in the [[2005 IDW continuity]].
* Grimlock's battlecry, "Dynobots-traumatize!" evokes the [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[activation code]]s—"maximize" and "terrorize", respectively—in the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]].

===Real-life references===
* In the author's commentary, Furman notes that his instructions to artist [[Guido Guidi]] were to model Slag's Cybertronian [[alternate mode]] on a {{W|Nimr}} armored jeep, Sludge's on a {{w|IDF Caterpillar D9|D9R military bulldozer}}, and Snarl's on a {{w|BMD-1|BMD-1}} amphibious vehicle—although the final art buries any direct inspiration beneath a layer of sci-fi Cybertronian detail and various dinosaurian embellishments.
* "Alas, poor Skyfire," muses Shockwave as he eulogizes his fallen friend, evoking the famous monologue from ''{{w|Hamlet}}''.
* While extracting Skyfire's mind from his corpse, Shockwave remarks, "your mind is a terrible thing to waste," a riff on the motto of the {{w|UNCF}}, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste." This reference isn't specifically called out in Furman's commentary, but it ''has'' become a very common phrase, the origin of which most people aren't aware.

===Errors===
* On page 20, "Warworld" is erroneously spelled with a hyphen.

===Other trivia===
* Backmatter for this issue includes a writer's commentary, where miniseries author [[Simon Furman]] explains some of the more obscure references or writing choices while also teasing upcoming issues.
* Originally solicited for release on April 29th, the miniseries was deliberately pushed back to July as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

===Covers (8)===
* '''Cover A:''' Starscream and Skyfire, by [[Guido Guidi]]
* '''Cover B:''' The Decepticons, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover A:''' Optimus Prime and Megatron, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover B:''' Dinobots on the rampage, by [[Geoff Senior]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Gem City Comic Con exclusive cover A:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Stuart Sayger]]
* '''Gem City Comic Con exclusive cover B:''' Soundwave, by Stuart Sayger
* '''East Side Comics exclusive cover A:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Josh Giang]]
* '''East Side Comics exclusive cover B:''' Megatron, by Josh Giang

<gallery>
File:TF84 1 cvrA.jpg
File:TF84 1 cvrB.jpg
File:TF84 1 cvrRI A.jpg
File:TF84 1 cvrRI B.jpg
File:TF84 1 cvrRE1.jpg
File:TF84 1 cvrRE2.jpg
File:TF84 1 cvrRE3.jpg
File:TF84 1 cvrRE4.jpg

</gallery>

===Advertisements===
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==External links==
*[https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2020/07/comic-book-preview-transformers-84-secrets-and-lies-1/ Preview]

[[Category:Transformers '84 issues]]

Optimus Primal (BW)

2020-07-13T03:03:07Z

TailgatePrime: /* Beast Wars Metals manga */

{{factions|maximal|maximalbm|autobot|protector|onyxprime|liegemaximo|unicron|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Optimus Primal}}
{{suite}}
:''Optimus Primal is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Optimusprimalbw.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Next one of you says "[[trukk not munky]]" gets it in the [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|FACE]].]]
Young and untested, '''Optimus Primal''' was a mere captain of an exploration ship when he and his crew were diverted off-course to pursue a stolen Predacon ship under the leadership of some crook named [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. The rest, they say, is (literally) history.

Though he does have a penchant for stuffy speeches, Optimus Primal is much more down-to-Cybertron than his legendary [[Optimus Prime (G1)|namesake]]. He is committed to the Maximal codes of honor and moral judgment, but he does view them with some irreverence, and is not above finding loopholes or administering unorthodox solutions if necessary. ("Sometimes, crazy works", he says.) He is eternally loyal to his friends and respectful to his enemies. He is brave and selfless in battle. However, he is so committed to helping others that he can withdraw into a deep depression when he feels he has let them down. This is the only time he is self-absorbed.

Optimus Primal is extraordinary for not only being able to distinguish himself, despite living in the shadow of Optimus Prime, but he may even have surpassed the greatest of the Autobots, seeing as he [[Optimal Situation|saved the life of his namesake]] and ushered in a new [[technorganic]] [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. It is possible Optimus Primal is the greatest Cybertronian hero who has ever lived.

{{quote|Come on, let's hear it, the usual destiny and honor speech.|Megatron}}
{{quote|Speech this!|Optimus, as he punches Megatron in the face|"[[Nemesis Part 2]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Toy bios===
[[File:BatPrimal-2packcomic.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|Function: Megatron's lunch]]
Under the eerie shadows of a full moon Optimus Primal, a gigantic bat, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], a swift-stalking cheetah, and [[Razorbeast]], a fearsome wild boar, hunted purposely through the depths of a jungle. Soon, Optimus detected the thermal emissions and fusion activity from a building, which meant they'd found their target. His motion sensors registered what appeared to be a harmless [[Earth]] creature below.

Before Optimus realized his mistake, the alligator lashed out with as smashing swipe of its tail, knocking Optimus into the swampy waters. The beast transformed and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] towered above him. The building ahead was the Predacons' genetics lab and he'd never let Optimus reach the secrets inside. He ordered his troops to attack and everyone transformed to robot mode. The gigantic arthropods Tarantulas and Waspinator engaged Razorbeast and Cheetor respectively while Optimus and Megatron faced off.

Optimus bragged that the Maximal "[[bio-genetic morphing process]] has allowed us to create the perfect fusion of organic musculature and Transformers technology!" Megatron responded that his side did all that too, so nan-neh, but used the DNA of Earth's most vicious predators. When Optimus noted that the Maximals seemed to be getting the upper hand, Megatron immediately detonated the lab and escaped, vowing to return with new forms and new plans when the Maximals least expected it. The [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] had just begun! {{storylink|Optimus Primal vs Megatron!}}

Optimus believed, as his namesake did, that freedom was the right of all sentient beings... when it didn't clash with the greater good. His goal was to vanquish the Predacons from the planet Earth, a task he recognized would not be done easily. {{storylink|Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Optimus Primal bio (Basic class)}}

Optimus eventually re-engineered his body, from a fruit bat to a gigantic gorilla, alluded to be comparable in size to [[King Kong]]. His strength had been most notably increased by this process, and he possessed "mega blast missiles", produced from his shoulder mounted cannons. {{storylink|Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Optimus Primal bio (Ultra class)}}

{{note|This comic, along with the on-package [[Bio]]s of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. Instead, they seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}

His transformation into Optimal Optimus was due to exposure to a "nebulous entity". {{storylink|Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Optimal Optimus toy bio}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
{{main|Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity}}
[[File:Call of the Wild Optimus Megatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''King Kong'' took a weird turn.]]
Optimus Primal was a minor [[Maximal]] officer of little note who commanded the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. When he received an alert about a fugitive [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] ship, the ''[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]'', he had the ''Axalon'' pursue it through a [[transwarp]] portal, eventually ending up on a primitive planet. There, he and his Maximal crew scanned [[beast mode]]s and battled [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s criminal band of Predacons in what the Maximal dubbed the "[[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]". The two forces soon became embroiled in an "experiment" by the mysterious [[Vok]], and Primal gave his life to stop the destruction of the Maximals by the aliens' [[Planet Buster]]. The planet was revealed to be [[Earth]] in the past, putting the conflict in a vital context. Optimus Primal was soon reborn in a [[Transmetal]] body and was later granted a more powerful body after taking [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s [[spark]] into his body to foil Megatron's plans to change history. Despite his nemesis's numerous machinations, the Predacons were defeated and Megatron brought back to Cybertron.

However, Megatron prematurely freed himself, and he arrived at Cybertron before the Maximals. When they arrived, they found the planet to be desolate and conquered by Megatron. They soon met the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], who [[reformatting|reformatted]] the Maximals into [[technorganic]] forms and entrusted Optimus Primal with the task of defeating Megatron and bringing about an evolution of the planet and the species into the technorganic. Despite some missteps, Optimus Primal was able to free Cybertron from Megatron's reign and bring about a new age for Cybertron, albeit with the cost of his life.

When [[Unicron]] instigated the [[Universe War]] with his abductions of Transformers from across the [[multiverse]], [[Primus]] resurrected Optimus Primal to act as the leader of the [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]]. Well into the war efforts, Unicron disappeared and Optimus Primal's fate was left unknown.

A different quantum branch of this Optimus Primal became one of the [[Alternity]]'s dimension-hopping [[Protector|agents]] and met with the [[Thirteen|ancient Transformer]] [[Vector Prime]].

In a divergent timeline, Optimus Primal, a possessor of an [[Energon Matrix]], joined forces with various [[Autobot]] and Maximal [[Supreme Commander|leaders]], such as the legendary Optimus Prime himself, the [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] of a different [[Universal stream|universal cluster]], [[Lio Convoy]], and [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]].

===''Beast Wars II'' toy catalog===
[[File:PrimalLioConvoyCatalog01.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|"And what's that, Lio Convoy? Your toy is now out in '''all major retailers''' and buying it will make children be '''seen as cool''' by their peers? Boy, who ''wouldn't'' want to '''buy your toy'''?"]]

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Optimus Primal observed a warrior named [[Lio Convoy]] advance through the ranks of the Maximal Space Patrol. Respecting him for his strength and courage (though feeling he was a bit too straightforward), Primal dynamically named him as his successor. Shaking hands, Lio Convoy swore not to let Primal down. {{storylink|Catalog#Beast Wars II|The next stage of battle advances to the Second War... Beast Wars, Transform!}}
{{-}}

===''Bom Bom'' manga continuity===
====''Beast Wars II'' manga====
Many years ago, before [[Lio Convoy]] became "Lio Convoy", Optimus Primal was a sitting member of the [[Convoy Council]] and personally awarded him his [[Energon Matrix]] and [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] rank.

Years following that, during a battle with [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] on planet [[Gaia]], Lio Convoy's Energon Matrix was damaged by his foe and corrupted with [[Angolmois Energy]]. The chaotic energy caused Lio Convoy to grow to enormous size and go berserk. To stop him from destroying everyone and everything, [[Apache]] and [[Scuba]] used an ancient Gaian computer to summon Optimus Primal across time and space.

Primal observed the danger and immediately recognized the problem. Stretching out his glowing hand, Primal pressed his palm against Lio Convoy's Energon Matrix, repairing it. This act disspelled the Angolomois corruption, returning Lio Convoy to normal size and sanity. The deed done, Primal faded away, returning to wherever he had come from. {{storylink|Free the Captured Matrix!}}

Before Lio Convoy and his team set out to the artificial planet [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], Optimus Primal showed up in the Maximals' base on Gaia via holographic communication. He warned Lio Convoy would die due to overexposure to the Angolmois Energy if he went to the planet. {{storylink|All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet!}}

====''Beast Wars Metals'' manga====
[[File:DevilGorilla-sk.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|It's on like a reanimated cyborg Donkey Kong!]]
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Primal was left dead. Within [[Transwarp]] space, he found himself being dragged into the afterlife by a horde of monsters. Suddenly, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] arrived and attempted to return him to life. Primal at first refused, saying he wished to move on. Rhinox then smacked some sense into him, reminding him of his duty to his Maximals. Brought back to his senses, Primal left Transwarp space, his spark being blasted from a laser cannon of Rhinox's design.

Over at the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] base, [[Hindenburg]], [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] had recovered Primal's sparkless, rampaging body and imprisoned it in shackles. Using a voodoo ceremony of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s design, Megatron intended to turn Primal's body into a Predacon slave. Before he could apply his mutant blood and finish the ceremony, Primal's spark reunited with his body and upgraded into a [[Transmetal]].

None too pleased, Primal proceeded to make short work of Tarantulas, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and Megatron's army of drones. He then defeated Megatron and escaped Hindenburg, rescuing an injured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] in the process. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}

Later, while investigating the remains of the ''Axalon'', Primal was attacked by Rampage. Primal had his robot head bitten off in the attack and lost both his arms (it was brutal). Ultimately, using undersea volcanos and his own hoverboard, Primal launched Rampage into space, trapping him in orbit. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 2|Beast Wars Metals #2}}

When [[Jaguar]] attacked a [[protohuman]] village and killed Dinobot, Primal journeyed there to avenge his friend. Their battle raged into a cave, where Jaguar blew a hole through Primal's torso. Primal managed to tear Jaguar's arms off and then shoot him before letting the villain stumble into a pit. Dinobot was avenged. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 3|Beast Wars Metals #3}}

Optimus Primal once again arrived too late to save a friend, as Tigatron, mind-controlled by Tarantulas, killed Airazor. Primal proceeded to stomp the spider to death and tear his body into a thousand pieces. He was much more courteous to Blackarachnia, however, having seen her attempt to help Airazor, and let her leave in peace.{{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 4|Beast Wars Metals #4}}

When Optimus learned that Megatron had discovered the ''Ark'', he raced to get there in time, only to be besieged by zombie Predacons. With Tigatron's help, he made it through them, but ONCE AGAIN arrived too late, as Megatron (now merged with the spark of [[Megatron (G1)|his namesake]]) blasted [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] to bits. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 5|Beast Wars Metals #5}}

To save Prime's spark, Optimus Primal ate it and became Optimal Optimus. In their final confrontation, Optimus ripped Megatron's spark out of his body and crushed it, killing his foe. After all was said and done, Primal lamented that repairing Optimus Prime and restoring the time stream would be a tall order. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 6|Beast Wars Metals #6}}

{{--}}

===''Universe'' CD-ROM===
[[File:UnivCDROM Autobots.jpg|left|thumb|"Pardon me, just passing through."]]
On some alternate Cybertron, that universe's Optimus Primal was leading the Autobots [[Snarl (BM)|Snarl]], [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], and [[Striker]] against [[Reptilion|Reptillion]], [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]], and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] in the most intense day of fighting that year. Just as the combatants were really starting to beat the slag out of each other, they were interrupted by [[Acheron|a mysterious spaceship]] that swooped down, sucked the [[Decepticon]]s up on beams of light, and flew away. Primal and his troops were left dumbfounded, unaware that the ship had been a tool of [[Unicron]] in his quest to build [[Minion of Unicron (Universe)|an army]] for a [[Universe War|grand war]]. {{storylink|Universe CD-ROM}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
When [[human]] archaeologists uncovered a cave filled with primitive language, [[Mini-Con]] [[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeak]] translated it for them. The markings told of a time when the Maximals and Predacons crash-landed on prehistoric Earth, though the stranded Transformers were seen by the protohumans as gods. One of the pictographs depicted one of these "gods" in the form of a gorilla. {{storylink|Fire in the Dark}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Aurex 1104.30-JH Zeta]], Megatron's Predacons fought Optimus Primal's Maximals in the war for the [[Mini-Con]]s, which the Maximals emerged victorious . {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/13}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Historyofcybertron.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|He's looking into your other browser tabs RIGHT NOW.]]
When [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] plugged himself into [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s deactivated head to download information on the history of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he skimmed past some facts on Optimus Primal. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1|The Art of War #1}}
{{-}}

===''Q-Robo Transformer''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Q-Robo Transformer}}}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
In a celebration of the Transformers brand, Optimus Primal showed up as a representative for the "Beast Wars" era of the franchise. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''United''===
During the United battle, Optimus Primal entered into battle against the new threat of [[Unicron/Generation 1#United|Ark Unicron]]. During the fight, Primal's ship, the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', mysteriously gained a [[spark]] and became a Transformer. The ''Axalon'' was then the Autobot's greatest hope of defeating Unicron. {{storylink|Axalon (BW)#United 2|''United'' Axalon bio}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
On a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] where the Autobots and Decepticons had grown too decrepit to carry on the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], they constructed proxy armies in the form of the [[Maximal]]s and Predacons. Increasingly questioning the orders of her Autobot masters, the breaking point with [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] came with the death of her colleagues Silverbolt and Rhinox. She conspired with [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] and together they killed their commander, Optimus Primal, who refused to turn against the Autobots. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25|"TransTech" Blackarachnia's profile in Club magazine #25}}

===''Legends'' comic===
Optimus Primal was the president of [[Axalon Trading Company]], and took new employee Rattrap drinking after his first workday. As Rattrap was explaining ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' to him, Primal assumed by his mention of CGI-animated transforming robots that he meant the [[live-action film series|recent Transformers movies]]. {{storylink|The Generation Gap}} Primal believed that your robot mode was your "serious adult" mode and that you should use it while working, and was annoyed that Rattrap remained in beast mode throughout the day and transformed to have fun afterwards. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 4#The Transformation Gap|The Transformation Gap}} During a meeting with [[Lio Convoy]] from another company, Primal had Airazor serve their guest tea. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 5#The Gender Gap Part 2|The Gender Gap Part 2}} He later found Rattrap, Rhinox and Silverbolt with their stomachs growling, and wondered what they'd been up to. {{storylink|TF4 Toy Party}}

While visiting [[Tokyo Toy Show 2014]] with his son, [[Optimus Minor]], Primal was shocked to run into some of his own employees and reprimanded them for caring about toys at their age. During the event, he talked to Minor about ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' characters and helped him transform an [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] toy he'd won. {{storylink|Tokyo Toy Show 2014 Report}} Later at work, he was exasperated by Cheetor enthusiastically refusing to work overtime. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 9#The Bathroom Gap|The Bathroom Gap}} While heading out one day, he told his employees not to touch his [[banana]]s, but turned back when he realized he'd forgotten to bring some with him. He returned to find that the others had immediately started eating all his bananas in a great big banana-themed party, and was ''not pleased''. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 10#Even Though I Told You Not To...|Even Though I Told You Not To...}} He also had his hands full with Cheetor, who at different points was so tired at work he forgot how to transform, {{storylink|Legends Vol. 10#Head of Partying, Cheetor|Head of Partying, Cheetor}} asked Primal to cover his travel expenses after he'd fallen asleep on the train, {{storylink|Legends Vol. 10#Cheetor at Night|Cheetor at Night}} and claimed to have overslept even when he arrived late fully energetic and refreshed. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 10#Cheetor in the Morning|Cheetor in the Morning}}

As punishment for the banana incident, Primal assigned Dinobot to be Rattrap's trainer, ignoring the rat's protests that his new trainer clearly wanted to eat him. When Rattrap managed to work even while stuck in Dinobot's mouth, Primal commented that the two worked well together after all. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 11#The Two's Recent Encounter|The Two's Recent Encounter}} Rattrap later arrived at worked in the body of a real Transformer, to which Primal responded by having him go see Doctor [[Bump]], who explained that the cause was Rattrap's obsession with Transformers. Primal ordered his employee to get rid of his toy collection, but was ignored. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 1|Bonus Edition Vol. 1}} Not long afterwards, the same thing happened to Optimus Primal himself! His initial worries about what his son would think proved unfounded when Minor was overjoyed to have a cool Transformer as a dad, but things still ended badly when his suspicious appearance caught the interest of the police. His accidentally deployed a bunch of hidden weapons while trying to explain himself, worsening the situation until Rattrap showed up and transformed him back into gorilla mode. Seeing Bump again, Primal was told that the transformation had been caused by his overeating of bananas, but like Rattrap, he refused to change his lifestyle. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 2|Bonus Edition Vol. 2}}

Optimus Primal's body was later transformed ''again'', this time becoming [[Fallout (episode)|flat as a pancake]]. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 15#LG03 Tankor Prologue|LG03 Tankor Prologue}} His boss's cool new robot mode was a source of jealousy for Rhinox until he too was transformed, becoming [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]. Primal watched an ensuing battle between Rattrap and Tankor with confusion. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 3|Bonus Edition Vol. 3}} He'd reverted to his old form again in time for [[Christmas]], during which he went for a walk with Minor. {{storylink|Merry X'mas!!}} He later bore witness to Tankor's final defeat at the hands of [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], after which he too reverted into Rhinox. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 7|Bonus Edition Vol. 7}} The large statures of Primal and the others at Axalon Co. bothered Rattrap, who regretted his small size. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 8|Bonus Edition Vol. 8}} Primal was a bit bothered when [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] showed up at Axalon to cook lunch for the employees on company time, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 10|Bonus Edition Vol. 10}} and later watched in bewilderment when [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] attempted to destroy [[Legends World|their universe]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 12|Bonus Edition Vol. 12}}

During a partnership between Axalon Trading Company and the rivaling [[Tera-Kura Co.]], President Primal and Rattrap were invited by [[Megatron (BW)|President Megatron]] to a ''[[Q-Transformers]]'' event. He enjoyed himself trying out food and drinks, but didn't really understand why Rattrap wanted ''Beast Wars Q-Transformers'' so badly. {{storylink|Deckss × Q-Transformers Collaboration Event Report|Deckss × Q-Transformers}} Primal was visiting Tokyo Toy Show 2015 with Minor when [[Scourge (RID)|Black Convoy]] showed up and kidnapped his son! Fortunately [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] was around to get him back. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Black Convoy)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} As the battle with Windblade had led to the destruction of Axalon's offices under [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s girth, Primal declared Metroplex's city mode to be their new office building. {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue#The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter|The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter}} At one point, Rattrap and Tigatron arrived late for work and tried to explain to an angry Primal that they'd been trapped in a dream, but of course he didn't believe it. {{storylink|Go! Adventure}}

When all the heroic warriors of the Legends World got together to protect their world from [[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]], Optimus Primal joined in by turning into his Transformer form again. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 16|Bonus Edition Vol. 16}} He and Rattrap were later approached by the Autobot [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]], who asked for their help in using the Legends World's energies to build [[transtector]]s for him and his troops. Primal responded that business is business and they needed compensation, so Fortress offered his company access to Autobot technology, which led to a full-blown Autobot Axalon Trading Company partnership. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 21|Bonus Edition Vol. 21}} He later wondered what was up when Fortress was being chewed out by his brother [[Grand Maximus|Grand]]. {{storylink|LG24 Shockwave & Cancer Prologue}} Annoyed by the volume of one of his new employees, [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]], Primal kicked him out of the room and told him to get back to work. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 27|Bonus Edition Vol. 27}} He and Rhinox were later given [[Master-Brace]] blueprints by [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], allowing their company to produce some. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 28|Bonus Edition Vol. 28}} After selling Metroplex to Tera-Kura in order to fund their new HQ, Maximus, Primal lamented the sacrifice they'd been forced to make. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 31|Bonus Edition Vol. 31}}

Optimus Primal yelled at [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] for flying around the office on [[Moguru]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 32|Bonus Edition Vol. 32}} Then his Transformers sickness kicked in again and he was turned into an orange robotic ape. His new appearance caught the attention of [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], who hired him to play [[Ape X Arms]] in his new film, ''[[Transformers: Convobat Amazon Showdown]]''. He ended up having to combine with Megatron twice, first as part of a scene and again to subdue the rampaging transtector meant to represent [[Convobat]]'s. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Convobat)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} Primal was later among the passengers on [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]'s commuter train, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 40|Bonus Edition Vol. 40}} was around when [[Dark Ai]] came to Axalon looking for help, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Black Convoy 2)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} and got eaten whole by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} He then watched his house be destroyed during [[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]]'s [[plasma energy]] rampage. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 49|Bonus Edition Vol. 49}} Primal was given [[Beastformer]] armor by [[White Leo]] when he tried to recruit the Legends natives into his army, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 51|Bonus Edition Vol. 51}} and was present at Axalon when [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Goldbug]] came knocking. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 54|Bonus Edition Vol. 54}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:ASurfeitOfPrimes-OptimusPrimalMegatron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|And you thought ''Beast Machines'' took him to dark places.]]

Twelve million years ago, Optimus Primal was a [[Maximal]] under the command of [[Liege Maximo]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} When [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] and his [[Darklands|Darklander]] army conquered the [[Forgotten Plains]], Maximo and his army were forced into exile, and eventually came into the employ of "[[Onyx Prime]]" in reality, an alias assumed by a time-travelling [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|Origin Myths}} As part of his grand plan to engineer Cybertronian history, "Onyx" took control of Liege Maximo's forces and incorporated them into his "Menagerie" of bestial warriors, {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} and Optimus was one of the warriors who accompanied his new master to the [[Crystal City]]. There, they joined forces with [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]'s council to battle the Darklanders. {{storylink|Origin Myths}}

[[File:GhostStories-OPBeastMode.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

Two million years later—after the ascension of the [[Thirteen]] and the subsequent [[First Cybertronian Civil War]] that saw their alliance undone—Primal was now a member of Onyx Prime's innermost retinue, and joined the Prime when he left Cybertron aboard the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]] to advance his plans. {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}} The Maximals made camp on [[Antilla]], a planet that the Cybertronians had once attempted to colonize years before, now the site of a weapon that Onyx dubbed the "[[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]]." {{storylink|Our Finest}} After many millions of years, Onyx sent the Talisman away aboard the starship ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', {{storylink|Strange Visitors}} with Primal and the other Maximals remaining on Antilla. At some point afterwards, the [[Mistress of Flame|Matriarch of Incaendium]], [[Praesidia Magna|Praesidia]], and [[Magrada]] traveled there to investigate a Cybertronian signal, and Primal was one of the Maximals who watched as Onyx slew Magrada. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes|Surfeit of Primes}} Some time later, Primal was among the Maximals who travelled to [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], the Cybertronian colony from whence the intruders had came, and clashed with the [[Torchbearer]]s over a supply of [[Ore-4]]. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

In the modern day, Primal and the other Maximals travelled to Cybertron with Onyx and Liege Maximo as Shockwave put the final stages of his plan into play; as Cybertron collapsed into chaos thanks to his machinations, Primal joined Liege Maximo to attack the crew of the fallen [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]. Primal was nearly impaled by [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]]'s sword before Maximo caught the blade, allowing Primal and [[Megatron (BW)|Beast Megatron]] to restrain the Autobot. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} Though Shockwave and Liege Maximo were both defeated—fatally, in the case of the latter—Primal and the other Maximals fled Cybertron aboard the Nemesis {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|Unforgivable}} to rendezvous with Shockwave's ultimate weapon: [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}}

[[File:StrangerEons-MutantMaximals.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Maximal auditions for the live-action movies left something to be desired.]]

Shockwave believed that the Maximals had done so at his behest, helping Unicron devour each colony world before destroying Cybertron, at which point the Talisman would kill Unicron and allow the Transformers to establish a new Transformer empire on Earth. He was unaware of their true intentions; despite pledging fealty to Shockwave, the manipulative ex-Decepticon had shattered ''their'' faith as well, and their decision to ''truly'' join forces with Unicron was an act of revenge, aiming to bring down the entire galaxy in defiance of Shockwave's carefully-curated plan. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

After meeting up with Unicron as the planet-eater consumed [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]], {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}} the Maximal swarm travelled with him to [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] and attacked the surface, allowing Unicron to consume them as he devoured Caminus. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}} This was not the end of the Maximals, however; as Unicron had already consumed [[Eukaris]] and its supplies of [[Ore-11]], the Maximals were exposed to the mutagenic ore in Unicron's systems. It was in this state that Unicron regurgitated them to deal with the [[Decepticon Vengeance Division]], and thanks to the powers of Ore-11 Primal and the other Maximals were able to manifest a monstrous new robot mode. D.V.D. commander [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], already a Unicron loyalist, had double-crossed the fleet under his command, and allowed the Maximals to board the [[Worldsweeper]] flagship so as to pass on their mutation to the Decepticons sent to impede Unicron's progress. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

[[File:Unicron5-MaximalAttack.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Okay, that's better...]]

Concealing his new form beneath his old bestial guise, Primal and several other Maximals made their way to [[Earth]] in advance of Unicron's arrival and landed in [[Toronto]] as Shockwave teleported in. With Cybertron gone, Shockwave believed that his plan had worked, and that Unicron had perished in the act; at his command, Primal, Beast Megatron, and Rhinox began razing the city to make way for the birth of Shockwave's new Cybertronian empire. {{storylink|Road's End}} As the Maximals wreaked havoc, Beast Megatron was attacked and crippled by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], bringing Primal and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] running. Primal found himself facing off against [[Stardrive]] and the [[Red Shadows]] in combat, being able to hold his own despite their [[Dire Wraith]] powers. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} Though he was able to keep Stardrive at bay, Primal was dogpiled by the ninjas and tag-teamed by [[Tempest (Cobra)|Storm Shadow]] and [[Snake-Eyes]], their combined attacks slicing him to bits. {{storylink|Ceremony}}
{{-}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons===
[[File:PowerOfThePrimesTeaserPoster.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''M-O-N-K-E-Y MONKEY R-O-B-O-T ROBOT'']]
{{voiceactor|[[Ron Perlman]] (English)}}
Optimus Primal was the latest in a long line of noble Cybertronians tasked by the [[Thirteen|gods]] with guarding the [[Requiem Blaster (Megatronus)|Requiem Blaster]]. For as long as he could remember, he was sealed with it inside a dome in [[Primal Swamp]] to watch over it. This continued until [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] eventually found and entered the vault, hoping to retrieve the Blaster in order to keep it out of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'s clutches. Primal appeared before him and fought to defend the Blaster, but Megatron told him that Cybertron was facing extinction and that he was prepared to give his life to save the planet. Sensing the truth in his words, Primal relinquished the Blaster to Megatron, who left the vault with it. As the former Decepticon and his team discussed their next move, Primal followed him outside and properly introduced himself, suggesting they head for the [[Athenaeum Sanctorum]]. {{storylink|Primal (POTP)|Primal}}

The group traveled to [[Cataclysm Tundra]], where they unearthed the Sanctorum's hidden entrance. Finding a data terminal inside, they learned of Primal's origins as an agent of the gods, but were interrupted when [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Cron]] attacked. {{storylink|Athenaeum Sanctorum (episode)|Athenaeum Sanctorum}} In the ensuing fight, Rodimus briefly trapped him beneath some rubble. When he emerged, he saw the Requiem Blaster left unguarded and attempted to flee with it. When Windblade called him out, he claimed that letting the Blaster out of Primal Swamp was a mistake, but accusations of cowardice by Windblade promted a change of heart. Instead of leaving, Primal moved himself into the shadows on the higher levels of the Sanctorum before tossing the Blaster to Megatron so he could finish Overlord. {{storylink|Countdown (POTP)|Countdown}} In the aftermath, Primal thanked Windblade for stopping him from running. As Megatronus appeared to take the Blaster, Primal attempted to defend it, but proved no match. Following Megatronus's escape, Primal sided himself with the others in support of Megatron as they marched toward the [[Well of All Sparks|Well of Sparks]] to finish things. {{storylink|Consequences}}
[[File:POTP-Ep9-Megatronus-Unleashed-Primal-becomes-Optimal-Optimus.jpg|thumb|300px|"Before there was time, before there was anything, there was nothing, and before there was nothing, there were monsters."]]

Noting the peculiarity of the [[Labyrinth of Tunnels]], he mused to himself about how much of Cybertron and the surrounding universe he had yet to discover due to his isolation. Though his spark was weakened by Megatronus's doomsday device, Primal and the others forced their way into the Well. After saving Windblade from a potentially lethal blast, he and Grimlock worked to restrain Megatronus. However, Megatronus proved too powerful and severely burned Primal and the others. {{storylink|Collision Course}} The flames surrounding him died down while Megatronus fought Rodimus, now completely possessed by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], and Primal resumed attacking Megatronus's device. Despite interference from Megatronus, Primal did his best to pull the Matrix free from the device. He eventually succeeded and began interfacing with the Matrix unexpectedly, creating a protective shield around him. When Perceptor revealed the Matrix had chosen him, he placed the relic into his chest and was transformed into a new form. Dubbed Optimal Optimus by the Matrix and proclaimed as the protector of all sentient beings, he began to battle Unicron, now seemingly a match for him. {{storylink|Megatronus Unleashed}} Optimal eventually overtook his foe and managed to remove the [[Matrix of Conquest]] from his chest, restoring him back to his former self as Hot Rod. When Unicron attempted to use the Matrix to take control of Megatron, Optimal agreed to use the Requiem Blaster to destroy them both, hailing Megatron as a true hero. In the aftermath, thanks to the Matrix's choice of him as the new Prime, Optimal was named the leader of Cybertron. Though Optimal was unsure if he was worthy of the role, the newly revived [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] taught him the ways of Cybertron and promised to support him as Optimal declared he would lead Cybertron into a new age of prosperity. {{storylink|Saga's End}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
Optimus Primal fluttered about in his bat mode, descending over a river swarming with alligators. After one of the beasts nearly snapped him out of the air, Optimus transformed to robot mode to scare it off. But the alligator transformed as well, revealing itself to be Megatron! Though Optimus took a blast to the side, he was able to relieve Megatron of his gun before the two adversaries continued exchanging blows. {{storylink|Commercial/Beast Wars#Wave 1 Deluxe|Beast Wars Wave 1 Deluxe toys commercial}}

==Games==
===''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game continuity===
====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game advertising comic====
Upon arriving on "[[Earth|Planet Energon]]", the dangers of Energon radiation forced the six surviving Maximals and their Predacon adversaries to take on beast alternate forms. {{storylink|Beast Wars: Transformers video game advertising comic}}

====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game====
{{voiceactor|??? (English), ??? (Japanese)}}
Many of the Beast Wars combatants had managed to built personal bases, customized to their personal tastes, due to the extended duration of the war. Optimus Primal himself remained stationed at the ''Axalon''. Optimus Primal joined his fellow Maximals in battling not only an entrenched Predacon threat, but the interdimensional monsters known as the [[Skriix]].

=====Maximal campaign=====
{{Note|Optimus Primal is a playable character for both rescue missions and normal gameplay.}}
Optimus and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] had the task to rescue any of their comrades that were captured whenever a mission against the Predacons failed.

Upon having eliminated the Predacon threat, Optimus Primal declared the galaxy to be at peace thanks to the Maximals.

=====Predacon campaign=====
Retaliating after [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] had been assassinated by the Predacons, Optimus launched an offensive directly against the Predacon's ship. His drone troops were unsuccessful in destroying the Predacons, who launched a counter-offensive while Optimus troops were still in disarray after the failed attack. The Maximal leader was ultimately assassinated, securing the Predacons their victory in the Beast Wars. {{storylink|Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|Beast Wars: Transformers}}

{{Note|Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. To view the various feats Optimus Primal can accomplish throughout gameplay in Maximal Mode, it is told on the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|''Beast Wars'' video game]] page, wherein Optimus Primal fills the role of the nameless Maximal.}}

===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals'' (N64)===
[[File:N64 Optimus Primal.jpg|frame|Back in 1999, you thought these graphics were awesome! ADMIT IT!]]
{{voiceactor|[[Garry Chalk]] (English), ??? (Japanese)}}

The Beast Wars seemed over, but the captured Megatron had prepared for such a situation and was able to send a message to his past self via transwarp, causing history to be altered! These rewritten Beast Wars came to an end when Optimus lead a final strike against the Predacon forces. The battle was hard-fought, resulting in tragic casualties on both sides, but ended with Megatron's capture.

After Megatron was secured to the outside of an Autobot escape shuttle, the remaining Maximals were on their way to return to Cybertron. Unfortunately, the captured Megatron had prepared for such a situation and was able to send a message to his past self via transwarp, causing history to be altered! These rewritten Beast Wars came to an end when Optimus... {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)}}

{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages; see the other characters' pages for Optimus's fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals'' (PS)===
{{voiceactor|[[Garry Chalk]] (English), ??? (Japanese)}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS)}}
{{charstubgame}}

===''Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars''===
Optimus Primal became involved in a series of disputes when the super-powerful [[Energon Quartz]] was discovered on [[Earth]]. He partook in a series of one-on-one battles, his goal to become the last warrior standing, allowing him to take possession of the crystal.

Optimus could also partake in various other tasks, such as a mission to break a boulder to reveal an energon crystal hidden within before sundown, using a block in a mission to defend himself against various incoming projectiles, and missions to run across a pit-riddled field, sometimes involving hideously large bacteria he had to fend off.

His old nemesis, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], was the final bot opposing him at the end of his quest. Overcoming his Predacon foe, he used the power of the Quartz to finally defeat the Predacons, saving the universe! {{storylink|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars}}

{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Optimus Primal's fate in those outcomes.}}

===''Transformers Battle Universe''===
At the edge of time, when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] needed a new host, Optimus Primal was among several warriors (and [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimuses]]) summoned from the multiverse to battle for control of the prize. {{storylink|Transformers Battle Universe}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
[[File:LegendsPrimal.jpg|thumb|250px|BEEF MUNKY]]
During a tectonic upshift, a huge amount of [[Energon]] was exposed.
Optimus Primal and the other Maximals found themselves the victims of a Predacon ambush as they tried to secure the Energon themselves, and the cache ultimately fell into Predacon hands. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Legends)|Beast Wars}} On their return to Cybertron, the Maximals discovered that Megatron had conquered the planet, and they were forced to face his Vehicon generals. {{storylink|Beast Machines (Legends)|Beast Machines}}

.

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Optimus-Primal.jpg|thumb|400px|SUPER RARE MUNKY]]
Optimus Primal participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in multiple different bodies:
*''Optimus Primal''—This Super Rare character was available as a reward in the "Beast Wars: Episode 1" event.
*''Optimus Primal Bat''—This Epic character was available as a reward in the "Beast Wars: Episode 3" event.
*''Optimus Primal Transmetal''—This Epic character first appeared in the "Transmetals: Beast Wars: Episode 1" event, and could be recruited by collecting 500 units of Transmetal, 250 units of Cybermetal, 100 event cores, and 50 cores of this character.
{{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Optimus-Primal-Bat.jpg|thumb|400px|Because I'm Batman!]]
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Optimus-Primal-Transmetal.jpg|thumb|423px|EPIC MUNKY]]
{{!}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Optimus-Primal-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|400px|Battle Munky!]]
In an unknown time and place, the Beast Wars came to an end. Optimus Primal planned on going home to a new command, while [[Megatron (BW)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Megatron]] went into incarceration. {{storylink| Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Primal Instinct}} As the [[Autobot Shuttle Omega Delta|shuttle]] was traveling through chronospace, Optimus and Megatron found that they both reverted from their Transmetal forms to their original beast modes. {{storylink| Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|A Stitch in Time}} They were soon ripped from his place in space-time; Primal tried telling [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] to disengage their transwarp engines and abort their travel, to no avail. {{storylink| Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Mixed Signals}}

They ended up at 21st century Earth, just as the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] were closing in to secure their new recruits. Optimus Primal decided to ally himself with the Autobots and figure out who brought him here and why. He was shoved aside by [[Grimlock (G1)|Megatron]], assumed Megatron was the future version of himself. After that mistake, Grimlock ordered the Dinobots to secure the... monkey. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Blast from the Past}} {{storylink|Quantum Beast Leap}}

Optimus Primal soon figured out he was back on Earth and in the [[Transformers: Earth Wars|Earth Wars]], to his disappointment. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] came and questioned [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] on the ongoing battle between the Dinobots and the Predacons, and the new primate. Perceptor explained that the primate was a Prime and the idea was Grimlock's. Optimus Prime replied, "Well, that's just prime", and the annoyed Primal told him to get his own catchphrase.

*'''Class''': Special
*'''Lowest star rating''': 2 stars
*'''Weapons''': Primal in his beast mode first uses his shoulder cannons on a target far away. (15 second cooldown) He thens leaps into the air and lands on a target dealing Area of Effect damage. (10 second cooldown) He then proceeds to pound the target.
*'''Ability: Battle Orders''' - Target their defenses! Friendly bots are given a health shield and prioritize all defenses for a time.
**'''Cost''': 6 ability points +2 for reuses.
{{note|This ability was fan-voted as a community favorite on the Transformers: Earth Wars BAND page. It has been redesigned from restoring health to bonus health.}}

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:optimus-primal Optimus Primal at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:ForgedToFight-OptimusPrimal.jpg|right|thumb|300px|#GORILLACHANNEL #DEEPSTATE]]

*Faction: Maximal
*Class: Brawler

{{charstubgame}}

==Toys==
[[File:Optimus Primal toys.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|There's a lot more where these came from!]]
{{main|Optimus Primal (BW)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Merchandise}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*The design of Optimus Primal's bat form is an [[homage]] to [[Batman]], an action figure license also held at the time by [[Kenner]].<ref>Page 78, Toy database section in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>

*Optimus was given the rank of "Maximal General" on his punch-out card for McDonald's original Beast Wars promotion.

*Primal's gorilla mode, paired against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s ''T. rex'' mode, was inspired by the showdown in ''[[King Kong]]''.<ref>[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/BC04interviews.html Botcon 2004 Interview with Vinnie D'Alleva], p2</ref>

*Indeed, gorilla Primal's original tech specs (which belong to the [[micro-continuity]] that takes place on modern-day Earth) seems to strongly imply that Primal is a building-scaling ape of Kong-like stature. As speculated in the ''Beast Wars'' volume of the ''[[Unofficial guidebooks#Cybertronian: The Unofficial Transformers Recognition Guide|Cybertronian]]'' action figure guide, this may have been intended to explain why he is [[Scale|in the same scale]] as Megatron, a ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. This would also make somewhat greater sense in the context of the toyline itself, wherein the leader characters were of a much larger "Ultra" size-class than their minions, unlike their eventually much smaller depictions in [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|the CG cartoon]].

*In the ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|Beast Wars II]]'' issue "[[All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet!]]", [[Tasmania Kid]] calls Optimus Primal "'''Mr. Gorilla'''" (ゴリさん ''Gori-san''). Optimus likes the nickname.

[[File:OptimusPrimalBMconcept.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]

*Early concept artwork for the ''Beast Machines'' toyline depict Optimus's new body as having a white/silver, black, and red color scheme.

*According to his [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline]] [[bio]], Optimus Primal is from "the future", suggesting the events of ''Robots in Disguise'' are somehow part of the [[Beast Era]]'s past. Though this could have been an element of ''Car Robots'' , RID's original counterpart being part of the Generation One continuity family in Japan and as shown in a [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|2007 timeline]] the ''same'' continuity as their version of [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Japan|Beast Wars]] in 2015 the Facebook version of [[Ask Vector Prime]] fleshed out a form of this, portraying a dimensionally-displaced Optimus Primal fighting a similarly displaced Megatron in the future of a ''Robots in Disguise'' universe before traveling to that universe's past to aid ''Robots in Disguise'' Optimus Prime.

*"Powered Convoy", Optimal Optimus's Japanese name, is Ultra Magnus's [[pre-Transformer|pre-''Transformers'']] name in the ''[[Diaclone]]'' toyline.

*According to the control art of Optimus Primal's toy, his chest originally seemed to be a kind of launcher instead of being an homage to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]].<ref>Page 50, Toy database section in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Convoy''' (コンボイ ''Konboi''), '''Convobat''' (bat, コンボバット ''Konbobatto''), '''Metals Convoy''' (Transmetal, メタルスコンボイ ''Metaruzu Konboi''), '''Powered Convoy''' (Optimal Optimus, パワードコンボイ ''Pawādo Konboi''), '''Burning Convoy''' (''Beast Wars II'', バーニングコンボイ ''Bāningu Konboi''), '''Beast Convoy''' (''Robotmasters'', ビーストコンボイ ''Bīsuto Konboi''), '''Yvonco''' (イボンコ, ''Ibonko''),<ref>This joke name is first seen in the intro part from Japanese dub version of the episode "[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]". "Yvonco" (イボンコ) is the reverse of "Convoy" (コンボイ).</ref> '''Optimus Primal''' (オプティマスプライマル ''Oputimasu Puraimaru''), '''Optimal Optimus''' (オプティマルオプティマス ''Oputimaru Oputimasu'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Odim''' (Hong Kong, 奧狄武 ''Oudikmou'')
*''Italian:'' '''Black Jack''' (Basic and Ultra toys), '''Metal Gorilla''' (''Transmetal'' toy), '''Optimus Primal''' (Optimal Optimus toy)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jīngāng Wáng''' (Taiwan, 金剛王, "King Kong King"), '''Hēixīngxīng Duìzhǎng'''（China ''Beast Wars'', 黑猩猩队长, "Captain Chimpanzee"）, '''Xīngxīng Jiāngjūn''' (China ''Beast Machines'', 猩猩将军, "General Gorilla"), '''Qíng Tiān Shèng''' (comics, 擎天圣, "Sage that Supports the Sky")
*''Polish:'' '''Optimus Naczelny''' ("Optimus Primal"）
*''Russian:'' '''King Kong''' (first ''Beast Wars'' dub), '''Optimus Commandeer''' (second ''Beast Wars'' dub, "Optimus the Commander"), '''Optimus Perviy''' (''Beast Machines'' only, "Optimus First")
*''Spanish:'' '''Optimus Primal''' (Spain), '''Optimus Primitivo''' (America, "Optimus Primal")

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Alternators characters]]
[[Category:Alternity characters]]
[[Category:Armada Maximals]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Maximals]]
[[Category:Children of Primus]]
[[Category:Council members]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Transformers]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Maximals]]
[[Category:Legends Maximals]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with multiple modes]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Megatron (Armada)

2020-06-06T05:24:35Z

TailgatePrime: /* Toy pack-in comics */

{{factions|decepticon|jungleplanet|hofsilver}}
{{Disambigm|Megatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron (disambiguation)}}
{{featured}}
{{suite}}
: ''Megatron is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Unicron Trilogy]] [[continuity family]]. When in his powered-up forms, he is known as '''Galvatron'''.''

[[File:Megatronut.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Sorry, Hot Shot, no [[JaAm]] for you!]]
'''Megatron''' is not content with conquest of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. When he learns of some power greater than his own, he does not attempt to merely defeat it. He will subjugate it, bend it to his will, carve up its corpse and integrate its power into himself. Megatron demands complete submission from those around him. Any opposition is savagely crushed, any insubordination violently punished. He is a monster in every sense of the word. Megatron tempers this barbarism with regal militaristic formality. He calls his closest troops "gentlemen." He speaks politely and intelligently. He makes it perfectly clear that he is completely cognizant of his madness.

Megatron's only weakness is his obsession with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. No matter how much power he attains, his final, glorious battle must be against him. On the occasions Prime has seemingly been destroyed, Megatron has sunk into a deep depression. Once Optimus Prime is gone, there may be no further challenges in this universe.

{{bigquote|Megatron seems to change forms like a race-bot changes tires, but with every re-scan he only grows more twisted and evil. There was a time Megatron actually seemed to ''care'' about the Decepticons under his command, but now all he cares about is power.|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] mourns for his enemy|"[[Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Toy pack-in comics===
[[File:Armada V3 Galvatron.jpg|thumb|left|At last, this sword made of tiny planes is mine!]]
Megatron set up a power-sapping device in the city, which prompted [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] to send [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] to deal with it. Despite [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] guarding it, the device was destroyed. {{Storylink|Armada Volume 1}} Later, when Megatron got wind of a satellite dish that would help detect him, he sent [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] and the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team]] to destroy it. They succeeded. {{Storylink|Armada Volume 2}}

Megatron somehow became Galvatron and set up a false distress signal that lured in the [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Mini-Con Team]]. Capturing them, Galvatron forced them to form the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Dark Saber]]. He was soon attacked by Optimus Prime and [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]], who combined and kicked him into the sky. {{Storylink|Armada Volume 3}}

[[File:Energon V1 Megatron.jpg|thumb|Product and colors may vary.]]

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Galvatron was "finally" defeated by Optimus, but this was part of a cunning plot to destroy Optimus Prime. On the way to prison, Galvatron was rescued by [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], who combined with him. Together, their power was too much for [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] and [[Rollout (Armada)|Rollout]], but their battle was cut short when [[Unicron]] arrived. {{Storylink|Armada Volume 4}} Galvatron was somehow absorbed into Unicron. Much later, he was reborn as "Megatron" in a new body within Unicron. {{Storylink|Energon Volume 1}}

Megatron took leadership of the [[Decepticon]]s, leading them in obtaining [[Earth]]'s [[energon]]. He sent a flock of [[Divebomb (Energon)|Divebombs]] to attack a group of [[Autobot]]s who were surveying a hill for [[energon tower]] sites. In reality, the Divebomb attack was a feint to allow Megatron's [[Insecticon (Energon)|Insecticons]] time to absorb the energon under the hill. Beaten, the Autobots fled while Megatron mockingly told them to tell Optimus Prime that he would never stop till he had drained the planet of energon. {{Storylink|Energon Volume 2}}

Megatron later made Optimus Prime fall on his knees and sicced [[Shockblast]], [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]], [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]], and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] on him. They were blasted away by [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]], who combined with Optimus. The powered up Optimus Prime shocked Megatron with his fire power and flight, punching him out during his moment of surprise. {{Storylink|Energon Volume 4}}

When Optimus Prime battled his mystery duplicate, [[Grand Scourge]], Megatron watched the battle from afar, dubbing the unexplained appearance of this second Prime an interesting turn of events. {{storylink|Optimus Prime VS Scourge|Optimus Prime VS Scourge Episode.2}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' continuity===
====''Armada'' comic====
[[File:DWArmada2 Megatronlaughing.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Ha! Ha! My mirth cannot be contained by mere word bubbles!]]
One million years ago, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was at relative peace. Most Transformers were nothing more than citizens of the planet, the [[Autobot]] army simply guarded the majestic [[Cyber City]], and no one had heard of "Decepticons". The standard-sized Transformers lived alongside villages of the smaller-sized [[Mini-Con]]s, and all of them were caught unawares by the sudden rise of Megatron. He and his soldiers came [[Decepticon Headquarters (Armada)|seemingly out of nowhere]], sweeping through Mini-Con villages and performing [[Mecha-sectioning|horrible experiments]] on the diminutive Transformers. The Decepticons had discovered how to rewire Mini-Cons to interface with them, [[Powerlinx|drawing power]] from their new slaves. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 1|Armada #1}} Such manipulation of the Mini-Cons was based on ancient technologies Megatron discovered. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye: Transformers: Armada|More than Meets the Eye: Armada #3}}

After capturing all but a handful of Mini-Cons, Megatron and his enhanced troops assaulted Cyber City, defeating the Autobots in a single battle. But while Optimus Prime's forces retreated, the rogue Mini-Cons infiltrated Decepticon headquarters and spirited all of their imprisoned brethren away in a [[Exodus (Armada)|spaceship]]. To Megatron's great consternation, the ship fled from Cybertron to [[Earth|parts unknown]]. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 2|Armada #2}}

Despite this loss, the Decepticons still held the power of the Mini-Cons they had been using in the battle of Cyber City, and this gave them continual combat superiority. Cybertron was completely unprepared for Megatron's assault; thousands of citizens submitted themselves to slavery. Megatron's rule brought chaos and injustice, and while the Autobots never gave up their fight, they had to resort to guerrilla tactics from underground bases. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 3|Armada #3}}

[[File:DWArmada4 Megatrontank.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Try to hump THIS tank, and you get a fusion blast where the sun don't shine.]]

Over the next million years, the Mini-Con empowered Decepticons steadily conquered the planet. Concerned that the conflict could escalate and put other worlds at risk, the [[Universal Peacekeeping Committee]] sent the famed mediator [[Fflaxl]] to the relatively unknown Transformer homeworld in an attempt to settle the dispute between the Autobot and Decepticon "tribes" peacefully. However, just as he arrived, Megatron and Optimus Prime were in the midst of a battle, and Optimus Prime was sent flying, eventually landing on [[Bix]], Fflaxl's bodyguard. The diplomat, seeing the scale of the war and its participants, decided that some conflicts were best left untouched and that everything would work out in the end. {{storylink|Armada Preview}}

The situation changed drastically when [[Rad White|some]] [[Alexis Thi Dang|human]] [[Carlos Lopez|children]] stumbled upon the crashed Mini-Con ship on the distant world of [[Earth]] and activated a distress beacon. The Decepticons, controlling Cybertron's communications satellites, intercepted the signal and mounted a [[space bridge]] assault on Earth. Meanwhile, the Autobots, having hacked into the communications system, also saw the signal and made a spacebridge trip of their own. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 3|Armada #3}} Megatron thinking nothing of rampaging across an inhabited planet that had nothing to do with the Cybertronian civil war, attacked Sparkplug's group and their new human friends in [[Science City]], declaring that for escaping his grasp, he would not simply rewire them for powerlinking, he would take them apart piece by piece. Fortunately, the Mini-Cons and the children inadvertently led the Decepticons to an Autobot ambush, and the two forces inevitably clashed. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 4|Armada #4}} Megatron was furious that Prime had still refused to bow down to him despite all the losses the Autobots had suffered, and arrogantly powerlinked with all the Mini-Cons the Decepticons had at their disposal, leaving his lieutenants vulnerable. He was forced to retreat when newly reactivated Mini-Cons came to the rescue and powered up the Autobots. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 5|Armada #5}}
[[File:DWArmada7 megatron and star saber.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5|The art in this issue is so bad, we had to use part of the cover.]]
Megatron, however, was undeterred by the Mini-Cons' newfound resistance. In addition to the Mini-Cons he had maintained lordship over for millennia, Megatron also gained control of the [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Team]], reconfigured them and warped them into the mighty [[Star Saber (Armada)|Dark Saber]] sword. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 6|Armada #6}} Gloating over his newfound power, Megatron lead an attack on [[Lincoln, South Dakota|Lincoln]], [[South Dakota]] to draw the Autobots out of [[Autobase|Autobase: Earth]], but was unable to effectively wield it, partly became his own Mini-Con [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] wasn't giving him enough power to control it, and he lacked respect for the sword's power. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 7|Armada #7}}

Seeking to learn more about humankind and ways to exploit their biology for power, Megatron had Starscream release his Mini-Con partner [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]], intending that the little 'bot befriend some humans and lure them into the Decepticons' clutches. Unfortunately for the villains, the humans Swindle came across were the Autobots' new allies [[Rad White|Rad]] and [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]], and when Starscream, Demolishor and Cyclonus moved in, the Autobots were there to defend their friends. An irritated Megatron was forced to take to the battlefield himself, flattening most of the Autobots with one shot, but when Optimus Prime engaged him in a one-on-one battle, it took Starscream shooting the Autobot leader in the back for Megatron to claim victory. The Autobots' defeat was short-lived, however, as a vengeful Swindle—who had been tricked by Megatron into believing he would be granted freedom if he helped in the plan—freed Prime and his men, and together, they drove Megatron and the Decepticons into retreat. {{storylink|Armada Free Comic Book Day}}

[[File:DWArmada10 Megatrontrytryagain.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|The [[Megatron (disambiguation)|universal]] Megatron credo.]]

When all activated Mini-Cons on Earth were "summoned" by a mysterious obelisk that landed in [[Tranquility, Kansas|Tranquility]], [[Kansas]], the Decepticons followed, intending to scoop up all the known Mini-Cons in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, they were prevented from doing so when the Mini-Cons entered the obelisk and it launched itself to Earth's [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 8|Armada #8}} Piecing together what little they knew, Megatron realised that the Mini-Cons must have been taken away by a previously-unknown Mini-Con rebel group. Salivating at the sheer amount of Mini-Cons on Earth's natural satellite, Megatron called upon [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] to bring a set of booster packs from Cybertron so he could lead an assault. However, in his haste, Megatron was unprepared for impressive defenses the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team]] had erected on their new home and was forced to regroup on the dark side of the Moon. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 9|Armada #9}} Realizing a frontal assault would not win this battle, Megatron had [[Mini-Con Moonbase breacher|drilling equipment]] brought up and simply drilled his way into the Mini-Con rebel base. While he defended himself from Mini-Con counterattacks he sent Leader-1 ahead to deactivate the moon base's various defenses, a decision he would come to regret. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 10|Armada #10}} By relying on his much-abused Mini-Con slave for coordination and information in his attempt to seize the escaping Mini-Con rebels, he gave Leader-1 the means to seal him in a security room and almost torture him to death. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 11|Armada #11}}

[[File:DWArmada13 Megatron finesse.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"This is going to be the best ''Stargate'' fan-film ever!"]]

He came out of this with the Destruction Mini-Con Team as his prisoners, only to find they had a failsafe in their systems that gave out both unfettered power and incredible pain to anyone powerlinking to them by force. Having tasted that power, Megatron was unwilling to let it go, and so actually made a deal with [[Dualor (Armada)|Dualor]] in return for it, allowing the Destruction team a say in how the Decepticons would operate, ''even though'' he knew they would end up betraying him. With this in mind, he used [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] as a guinea pig. Meanwhile, [[Skywarp (Armada)|Skywarp]], [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] and [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]]'s group in [[Death Valley]], [[California]] had launched the [[Solar Scalpel]], Megatron's new solar ray-reflective superweapon. {{storylink|Fire & Ice}} As he suspected, the Destruction Team did not keep their end of the bargain and overloaded Cyclonus with uncontrollable power. Still he had "bigger fish to fry": a group of Mini-Con escapees from the Moon had crashed in [[Alaska]] and an [[Autobot shuttle]] had been sent to rescue them. Though he could have easily destroyed the Autobots with one shot, he intentionally missed and only destroyed their shuttle, arrogant in the belief that the victory would be so much more satisfying if the Autobots could see their imminent destruction. Once again, Megatron's hubris was his undoing, as the Autobot-allied [[Space Mini-Con Team]] destroyed the Solar Scalpel before it could be used to harm the Autobots or the Mini-Cons. With this latest setback, Megatron wandered off to sulk. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 13|Armada #13}}

[[File:WorldsCollide3 MegatronVsGalvatron.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|First one to reach for a [[Star Saber (Armada)|MacGuffin]] loses!]]

Discovering that the Decepticons' space brige was malfunctioning, Megatron at first ordered Starscream and Demolishor to repair it, but neither of the pair were engineers and turned the task down. Leader-1 explained that they couldn't fix it anyway: the malfunction was the result of outside interference, which Megatron suspected was the work of the Autobots. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4}} In actuality, the disruption was caused by the arrival of interdimensional travellers; Starscream recovered the vessel that had brought the other-dimensional Mini-Con [[Over-Run (Armada)|Over-Run]] to their world, but Megatron was unimpressed by his prize, as it answered no questions for him. Subsequently, Leader-1's monitoring of the space bridge network bore fruit when he learned that Optimus Prime had disappeared across the dimensions, and Megatron saw the chance to strike at the Autobots while they were leaderless. Leading an attack on Autobase: Earth, Megatron seriously trashed [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] and [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], and critically wounded [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]], but their victory was disrupted by the arrival of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], herald to [[Unicron]] from another world, the architect of recent events. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 2 of 4}} Megatron and Galvatron engaged in a vicious battle, with even Leader-1's powerlink augmentation failing to give Megatron the strength to defeat the herald. The Decepticon leader would have been destroyed if not for the intervention of the Air Defense Team, who formed the Star Saber (corrupted as the Dark Saber) once again and allowed Megatron to wield them. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 3 of 4}} With the sword's power, Megatron defeated Galvatron, after which a precision sneak attack from the [[Land Military Mini-Con Team]] blasted the Saber out of Megatron's hand, allowing the Air Defense Team to free themselves from his corrupting grasp. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4}}

Regrouping after this, he formed an alliance with the returned Optimus to get "payback". The Decepticons joined the Autobots and Mini-Cons in battling Unicron, who emerged from another dimension via a portal close to Cybertron. While almost all of the Transformers were pouring their efforts into a direct assault, Megatron covertly flew to Unicron's surface with the intent of striking a deal. Just as he was landing, [[Over-Run (Armada)|Over-Run]] opened the [[Mini-Con Matrix]] and dealt Unicron a critical blow. Megatron changed his plan to simple looting, but before he could even begin, Hot Shot, Red Alert, and [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] shot him at pointblank range in revenge for Smokescreen. As the dimensional portal closed back around Unicron, Megatron was pulled helplessly into the Chaos-Bringer's departing body. {{storylink|The End}}
{{-}}

====''More than Meets the Eye: Armada''====
[[File:MTMTEArmada1 galvatron.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|This is just the beginning of the pain I will cause you!]]
{{note|Although supposedly set in the same universe as Dreamwave's ''Armada'' comic, the ''[[More than Meets the Eye: Transformers: Armada|More than Meets the Eye]]'' guidebook published after the conclusion of the series contained multiple scenarios that were completely incompatible with the comic's story.}}

It was while Optimus Prime was still in [[Cybertronian Military Academy|military academy]] that he first heard about Megatron. In recounting those times, Prime recalled that the rumors surrounding Megatron were positive: That he was an unbeatable warrior with an unrivaled intellect. But Megatron soon turned his abilities against the Cybertronian governments, raising the Decepticon army in a march of conquest. After Prime's first field mission, he witnessed Megatron's ruthlessness in the form of a devastated energon refinery filled with the dead and dying. Prime claimed that this experience cemented his desire to defeat Megatron at all costs. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye: Transformers: Armada|More than Meets the Eye: Armada #2}}

At some point after coming to Earth, Megatron somehow gained even more power and a new paint job, rechristening himself "Galvatron". By itself, this new form was more powerful than his old body ''with'' Mini-Con enhancement. Still refusing to accept any limits, Galvatron discarded Leader-1 {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye: Transformers: Armada|Galvatron's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' profile}} and sought to create the ultimate Mini-Con in his place. He began with [[Clench (Armada)|Clench]] and "upgraded" him with parts extracted from other victims. Clench took to his servitude gladly, grateful for the power of his new body. This was just one example of Galvatron's increased ability to manipulate those around him to serve his own ends. Sadly for his allies, this came with an even greater disregard for anyone and anything besides his own quest for physical enhancement. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye: Transformers: Armada|More than Meets the Eye: Armada #1}}
{{-}}

====''Energon'' comic====
[[File:Energon22 megatron in unicron.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
Megatron once oversaw an attack that had [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] leading the ground forces. [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] warned of the scorpion's possible aspirations. {{Storylink|No Exit}}

Within [[Unicron]], Megatron was disassembled and assimilated, but his consciousness remained in the giant's [[spark]] core. Through his ten year-long imprisonment within the Chaos Bringer, Megatron learned a great many things about the god, and its occupant, [[Alpha Quintesson]]. Using his interface within Unicron, he constructed a new and powerful body for himself, but was unable to transfer his spark to it. Nevertheless, he planned and waited for an opportunity... {{Storylink|What Lies Beneath, Part Three}}

When [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] was brought to Unicron in a vision triggered by the [[Hub (Energon)|Hub]] and [[Alpha Trion (Energon)|Sig-Omega]], Megatron's spark reached out to Optimus, promising him the chance to defeat Unicron in exchange for his freedom. He warned his nemesis that [[Earth]] had a store of [[energon]] that the [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcons]] planned to procure for Unicron. {{Storylink|This Evil Reborn}} Megatron again connected to Optimus when he traveled through the [[space bridge]] to confront the Terrorcons on Earth, reminding the Autobot of his unique position within Unicron. Another reminder was in order when Optimus and his Autobots were defeated by the Terrorcons. {{storylink|What Lies Beneath, Part Three}}

[[File:Energon28 megatron reborn.jpg|thumb|225px]]
After establishing the Autobots on Earth, Optimus Prime found his space bridge back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] redirected to the interior of Unicron by Megatron. {{storylink|Omni-Potent}} With Optimus Prime trapped in Unicron, Megatron took the time to explain his degree of power over Unicron's systems, and his need for assistance in the transference of his spark into his new body. When Optimus refused to assist, Megatron produced some incentive by showing a video feed from the Terrorcons devastating the cities of Earth. {{Storylink|Multiplicity}} His hand forced, Optimus Prime ventured deep into Unicron and, despite Megatron's lack of control over all of Unicron's defenses, {{storylink|Multiplicity, Pt. 2}} managed to free Megatron's spark from its imprisonment.

Using an internal teleporation system, Megatron left behind Optimus Prime in Unicron and arrived on Earth. {{storylink|Multiplicity, Pt. 3}} There, he took out his aggression over being imprisoned on the Terrorcon armies threatening the planet. After the Terrorcon drones were forced into retreat, Megatron took his leave to face down [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] at the [[energon tower|shield tower]] in [[Yukon|Yukon Territory]]. {{Storylink|Multiplicity, Pt. 4}} After a debate of strategy and a brutal battle, Megatron killed his usurper and left his smoldering corpse standing. He soon told the watching [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]] to warn all that Megatron had returned. {{Storylink|No Exit}}

Using [[Decepticon Orbital Command HQ]] as his headquarters, Megatron took command of the Decepticons and sent [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]], [[Sharkticon (Energon)|Sharkticon]], and [[Slugslinger (Energon)|Slugslinger]] to investigate the [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] prototype at [[Ocean City]]. After listening to their excuses, Megatron promoted Slugslinger on the basis that he had lied the best—adhering closely to what it meant to be a "Decepticon". {{storylink|Perspective}}

{{Unreleased energon comic}}
In the six months that followed, Megatron took to the task of rebuilding his Decepticon empire, beginning with Earth, which was protected by a [[Energon grid|global energy shield]], trapping the Decepticon leader within. Thus, Alpha Quintesson considered him to be of little concern. {{storylink|Doomsday Redux!}} Megatron's return emboldened the Decepticons on Cybertron, bringing an end to the lull of hostilities between Decepticons and Autobots. {{storylink|Armageddon Part 1}} As part of his machinations, Megatron ordered [[Shockblast]] to attack an ore processing facility in the [[Cayman Islands]], ignoring the Decepticon's desire to attack more key installations. {{Storylink|Armageddon Part 2}} When Alpha Quintesson began to make his move, Megatron knew the alien's goal would hardly be good for any side, and ordered [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] to intervene in a battle with Alpha Quintesson's co-conspirator, [[Avalon (Energon)|Avalon]], and [[Levitacus]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Armageddon Part 3}} Desiring to confront Alpha Quintesson, Megatron had his Decepticons destroy the [[Energon tower|shield generators]] so that he could teleport back to Unicron. However, just as he was about to finish off Alpha Quintesson, Unicron awakened, trapping Megatron within his body. {{Storylink|Armageddon Part 4}} Megatron furiously ripped through Unicron's interior and killed Alpha Quintesson just as he escaped through a space bridge. When Unicron was destroyed, there was no sign of Megatron. {{Storylink|Armageddon Part 5}}

===Cartoon continuity===
{{main|Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity}}

[[File:UnicronTrilogyMegatron cartoon bodies.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.95|The Robo-Antichrist. From left: ''Cybertron'', ''Armada'', ''Energon''.]]

Megatron led the Decepticons in the war for the Mini-Cons, moving from Cybertron to Earth in his unstoppable goal to seize the power of the tiny 'bots. His relationship with his lieutenant Starscream was a troubled one, his harsh abuse of the younger Decepticon earning him his undying enmity, while his rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was an odder one still: when the Autobot leader was thought dead, Megatron sank into a deep depression, seeing no further challenge in his life without his eternal foe. Once upgraded through the power of the Mini-Cons into "Galvatron", Megatron was tormented further by the emergence of the threat of Unicron, whose existence called into question all he had ever fought for. Unable to tolerate the idea of living in peace, Megatron sacrificed his life to destroy Unicron.

But Megatron did not die, living on within Unicron, absorbed into the chaos-bringer's body. Ten years later, when the alien [[Alpha Quintesson|Alpha Q]] began his plan to restore Unicron with [[Energon]], Megatron was able to siphon some off for his own and create a new body for himself. Returned to life, he promptly took over Alpha Q's objective, raiding the Autobots' cities on Earth for Energon to resurrect Unicron as the ultimate weapon. But Unicron's power was too much for Megatron to handle, and he became possessed by the dark god, transformed into Galvatron once again-through exposure to [[Super Energon]]-and mutated into a planet-sized titan. Refusing to be a servant, Megatron shook off Unicron's control long enough to hurl himself into an Energon sun created by Primus, once again appearing to give up his life rather than let Unicron win.

A further ten years later, when the energon sun collapsed into a [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]], Megatron was freed, having transformed Unicron's remains into a [[Armor of Unicron|suit of armor]] that greatly magnified his already-impressive power. Megatron began a search for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, seeking to use them to accelerate the universal degradation caused by the black hole and remake creation in his own image. After being upgraded to Galvatron for a ''third'' time by the power of the Cyber Planet Key of [[Gigantion]], Megatron succeeded in stealing the keys from the Autobots, but was defeated in battle within the singularity. With ultimate power lost to him, Megatron challenged Optimus Prime to one final battle on Cybertron's moon, which concluded when Prime ran him through with [[Vector Prime]]'s [[Rhisling|sword]], disintegrating his body and finally putting an end to his evil.
{{--}}

===Panini ''Armada'' comic===
[[File:ArmadaUK9 megatron attack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
Back when Megatron first started terrorizing the Mini-Con population of Cybertron, he learned that Mini-Cons were hiding at [[Autobot Command HQ]], and so he and his forces attacked the building. However, this was false information leaked to the Decepticons by [[Dualor (Armada)|Dualor]], who planned to assassinate Megatron by blowing the Autobot headquarters up. When the Autobots learned of this, they evacuated the building, distracting Megatron from entering the [[magno-web]] perimeter. As such, the ensuing explosion only served to knocked him over, which still made him furious. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 9|Counter-Strike!}}

[[File:ArmadaUK2 megatron rad highwire.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]

A few million years later, Megatron was still fighting the Autobots long after most of the Mini-Cons had abandoned Cybertron. During one battle, he was very disappointed with [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]]'s ability to lose despite his Mini-Con augmentation, and threatened to take [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] for himself. Suddenly, a Mini-Con activation from [[Earth]] reached Cybertron, and Megatron was the first to take a [[space bridge]] to the alien planet. Upon arrival he found [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] and three [[human]]s, and quickly made it clear that he did not "come in peace". After voicing his intent to strip Earth of its resources after finding all the Mini-Cons, he made a grab for High Wire, but was stopped by [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|First Encounter!}} Megatron's power-link with [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] allowed him to easily defeat his Prime and summon Starscream, [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] and [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] to Earth. He was busy contemplating the possibility of Mini-Cons on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] when [[Rad White]] confronted him and offered to lead him to the Mini-Cons' crashed ship in exchange for sparing Optimus Prime. Megatron laughed at him and explained that he didn't make "deals", and told the human to lead him to the ship before he became a wet spot on the ground. Rad's Mini-Con friends came to his aid, and after shooting and electrocuting Megatron had little effect, they power-linked with the arriving Autobots instead. With Prime now strengthened by [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], Megatron opted for a temporary retreat. {{storylink|Friends and Foes!}}

The Decepticons returned to attack the Autobots again when they were attempting to send their Mini-Cons back to Cybertron. Rad hoped that Megatron would give up when the Mini-Cons left, but the Decepticon leader made it clear that he wasn't leaving Earth until he had captured all the remaining Mini-Cons. When it turned out that the Mini-Cons had stayed on [[File:ArmadaUK9 megatron vs cyclonus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]] Earth after all, Megatron saw no further need for battle and retreated, blowing the Autobots' space bridge up on the way. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 4|No Way Back!}}

Following up on his earlier theory, Megatron traveled to the Moon in search of Mini-Cons. He ended up being confronted by [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]], [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] and a hologram of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], who revealed that they had already saved all the Mini-Cons on the moon. After furiously clawing at the holographic Prime, Megatron retreated once again. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 6|Between Two Worlds!}} However, he elected to stay on the Moon, where the Decepticons constructed a massive headquarters from which they planned to simply nuke [[Autobase]]. The Mini-Cons tried to negotiate with Megatron, offering to surrender themselves in exchange for sparing the Autobots. Again, Megatron didn't make deals, and decided to first capture the Mini-Cons then blow the Autobots away anyway. However, this gave the Autobots the time they needed to repair their space bridge and link it to the Decepticons' one, so when Megatron fired the missiles, they were warped straight back into his own short-lived base. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 8|Earthshaker!}} To make matters worse, Cyclonus didn't return with the captured Mini-Cons, and Megatron took his frustration out on Demolishor. His mood was not improved when Cyclonus suddenly returned and began opening fire on what remained of the Decepticon base. It turned out that the "traitor" was possessed by the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team]], who attacked and defeated Megatron despite his power-link with Leader-1. Before Cyclonus could finish him off, however, Megatron was saved by Starscream when he separated the Destruction Team from their host. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 9|Dawn of Destruction!}}
{{-}}

===Bendon ''Armada'' books===
[[File:RTD-OptimusMegatroncrash.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Megatron and Demolishor launched a surprise attack against the Autobots, only to "cowardly" run away after Optimus Prime and Hot Shot stood up to them. {{storylink|Cave Catastrophe}}

Megatron and Demolishor also launched a sneak attack against the kids when they left themselves in the open, and were yet again bested by the two Autobots when they came to render aid. {{storylink|Race to Disaster}}
{{-}}

===The Balance of Power===
[[File:BalanceofPower megatron vs prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
Even without the power of the Mini-Cons, who had disappeared from Cybertron millions of years past, Megatron and his Decepticons were still a conquering force to be reckoned with. When Autobots Hot Shot and Red Alert were detected in Decepticon territory looking for a Mini-Con relic, Megatron dispatched Cyclonus with a platoon of his new mass-produced [[Decepticlone]] warriors to destroy them. The arrival of Optimus Prime changed things, and Megatron himself strode into the fray, ordering his Decepticlones to stand down so that he could battle Prime alone. Their fight was cut short, however, by an explosion of light: the relic the Autobots had been looking for had been found by Starscream, and opened a portal to the planet to which the Mini-Cons had retreated. Ordering his Decepticons to track the signal, Megatron leapt into the portal and was immediately teleported to Earth. {{storylink|The Balance of Power}}
{{note|This comic was written as a tie-in to the [[#ArmadaPS2|''Armada'' video game]], but its details differ from the introduction seen in the game itself. See [[#Games|below]] for that version of the story.}}
{{-}}

===Beast Megatron===
====''Universe'' comic====
{{voiceactor|[[David Kaye]] (English)}}

[[File:Universeissue2 megatron grimlock primal.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Why should I listen to you? You sound [[Garry Chalk|just like]] my [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|sworn enemy]]!]]
Megatron—bearing the tank-based form he took after first arriving on Earth—was among the Transformers from all across time and space targeted for capture by Unicron. {{storylink|Abduction}} Teleported into the chaos-bringer's ruined body, trapped between dimensions, Megatron was confronted by fellow abductee [[Grimlock (G1)#Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Grimlock]], with whom an argument soon devolved into a brawl. The fight was stopped by [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], who explained what had happened and where they were, and the trio were then dropped into the [[Cauldron]], the arena in which the captives of Unicron were destined to fight, so that the planet-eater could consume their [[energon radiation]], and eventually, their [[spark]]s. Together, the three 'bots defeated Cauldron guards [[Reptilion]] and [[Striker]], {{storylink|OTFCC Live-Action Drama}} but while they interrogated Striker, Reptilion escaped and called in [[Tankor (BM)#Universe comic|Tankor]] and [[Obsidian (BM)#Universe comic|Obsidian]] for backup. Megatron and Grimlock held the villains off while Primal instigated a prison break. The escapees helped Megatron and Grimlock overcome their foes, and everyone escaped back to their home dimensions. {{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
[[File:Cybertron megatron jungleplanet boxart.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.85|Unfortunately, Megatron had been ''right'' handed.]]
On his return to home to [[Aurex 1006.0 Beta]], he was fully aware of Unicron's threat. As a result, Starscream didn't need to die to convince him; the surviving Starscream led the Decepticons after Megatron's death; when Megatron came back, the Autobot-Decepticon alliance hung together anyway. Megatron died and returned again, and during the [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] crisis, Megatron upgraded into Beast Megatron, rather than a Galvatron. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/19}}

====Toy bio====
The Jungle Planet Key mutated Megatron into a [[Megatron (BW)|strangely familiar]] tyrannosaurian form! Though he was initially frustrated by this [[Megatron (BW)|strangely familiar]] tyrannosaurian form, he came to enjoy both the terror of the residents of the Jungle Planet at his ferocious presence and the ability to whack trees over, desiring to kill Optimus with his [[beast mode]] jaws! {{storylink|Megatron (Armada)/toys#Dinosaur|Megatron (2006 Deluxe) toy bio}}

Megatron fought [[Optimus Prime (Armada)#Beast Prime|his Prime]] in final combat and fell to a blow from the sword [[Rhisling]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/19}}
{{-}}

===MegaWing Galvatron instructions===
In [[Aurex 304.0 Epsilon]], Galvatron led the Decepticons in a three-way war against [[Optimus Prime (Balancing Act)|Optimus Prime]]'s Autobots and [[Rodimus (Energon)|Rodimus]]'s [[Omnicon]]s for the [[Mini-Con]]s. When the [[Destructicon (RID)|Destructicon]]s of [[Viron 403.0 Beta]] arrived, the Decepticons formed a tenuous alliance with them. Galvatron's Mini-Con [[Caliburn (Armada)|Caliburn]] was given to [[Megazarak (Universe)|Megazarak]], {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/11}} and Galvatron used the [[Spark of Combination]] to combine with [[Dreadwind (RID)|Dreadwind]] and [[Smokejumper]] to form MegaWing Galvatron. They could further combine with [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] to form Dark MegaWing Galvatron. {{storylink|The Official Transformers Collectors' Club Magazine issue 1|MegaWing Galvatron instructions}} However, once the Autobots and Omnicons were taken care of, the Destructicons turned on the Decepticons and wiped them out. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/11}}

===''Superdeformers''===
[[File:Superdeformers Thrust and Megatron.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Megatron saw [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] manage to accidentally give away a Mini-Con to the Autobots, and angrily came up behind his subordinate. {{storylink|The Official Transformers Collectors' Club Magazine issue 1|SuperDeformed Fan}}
{{--}}

===Reader's Digest ''Armada'' novels===
Megatron was present eons ago when the Mini-Cons were sent off into space as part of a truce between the Autobots and Decepticons to put a halt to their civil war. Peacetime did not last, however, and the war began anew without the Mini-Cons. When three children awoke the Mini-Cons on Earth, Megatron and several of his soldiers were pulled from the battlefield on Cybertron and teleported to the small blue planet. Here, Megatron resumed grappling against Optimus until he noticed the Mini-Cons, and attempted to capture them. Optimus managed to prevent Megatron from harming both the Mini-Cons and the children accompanying them. [[Perceptor (Armada)|Perceptor]] then put an end to the battle by generating a forcefield, which prevented Megatron from attacking both Optimus and the Mini-Cons. Seeing it was futile to continue fighting, Megatron used his built-in warp gate to retreat to Earth's Moon, bringing his troops with him. There, he found a fragment of the Mini-Cons' ship, and set out to reinforce it so it could serve as his base of operations. Megatron then vowed that he would collect the Mini-Cons, and meet up with Optimus in battle once more. {{storylink|Transformers Armada: The Battle Begins|The Battle Begins}}

Though the reinforcement of his lunar base proceeded at a steady pace, Megatron nevertheless grew impatient, ordering his troops to work at an ever-increasing rate. As he paced about ruminating on his recent defeat, one of his minions working overhead, Cyclonus, dropped his calibration device. The device narrowly missed Megatron's head on its way down. Though annoyed, Megatron noted that the device hit something metallic, and he called for Cyclonus to help him dig up what he correctly guessed was a buried Mini-Con panel. Megatron claimed the Mini-Con as his own, and named it "[[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]]" after it awoke from dormancy. The two bonded instantly, and Leader-1 attached itself to Megatron’s shoulder, transforming into a machine gun. Trying out the new weapon for laughs, Megatron sent his troops scrambling for cover. Megatron then instructed Cyclonus to acquire for himself a new alternate mode, based on an Earth vehicle. Megatron and the other members of his inner circle, [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] and [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]], did so as well. Megatron chose to adopt the form of a "super-tank" as his disguise. His fervor renewed, Megatron decided to pay Optimus Prime and his Autobots a surprise visit...

Finding the cave leading to the Autobots' base sealed shut, Megatron and his Decepticons bombarded the mountain-side until the three children and their Mini-Cons turned up once more. Megatron haulted his assault, and reiterated his demand that the children turn over their Mini-Con companions. But the Autobots had been closely following the children, and both team of robots tangled once more. Megatron found himself at a disadvantage as the battle was underway, with Optimus adopting his "Super Optimus Prime" mode to overwhelm his opponents. In response, Megatron linked up with Leader-1, doubling the Decepticon leader's size in the process! Now a match for his nemesis, Megatron unleashed a blast so powerful that the recoil sent him reeling back. Demolishor and Starscream helped Megatron right himself, though he insisted that they instead worry about finishing off the Autobot leader. But Megatron's troops proved to still be no match for Optimus. Megatron made another attempt at attacking Optimus, but this time around the Autobot bent his cannon's barrel skywards as Megatron fired. Recognizing that they were fighting a losing battle, Megatron called a retreat and teleported away.

Back on the Moon, the Decepticons began to squabble over their most recent failure to gain ground on the Autobots. Then, Cyclonus teleported in late with two Mini-Con panels in his possession. During the battle on Earth, the children had uncovered several panels, and Cyclonus had managed to snatch two of them before fleeing. Starscream tried to claim one of the Mini-Cons for himself, but Megatron denied him the opportunity. He decreed instead that since Cyclonus managed to grab the Mini-Cons, one would serve as his partner. The other would be granted to Demolishor, so that scheming Starscream's power could be held in check. Megatron then declared once again that soon the Decepticons would claim every single Mini-Con on Earth! {{storylink|Transformers Armada: Race for the Mini-Con Robots|Race for the Mini-Con Robots}}

===''Q-Robo Transformer''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Q-Robo Transformer}}}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Early in the war on Earth, Megatron confronted the Autobots in [[Yellowstone National Park]]. Despite Prime's warnings that the area was highly unstable and a battle could create untold geological mayhem, Megatron pressed on and brought Optimus to the verge of defeat before he was interrupted by [[Riptide (Armada)|Riptide]]. Megatron managed to rip [[QuickFire]] from the Autobot, but found himself under attack by [[Jake Williams]] in his [[Starheart|pickup]]. The distraction gave time for Riptide to recover and force Megatron to retreat. {{storylink|Lonesome Diesel}}

Eons after having been to Earth, elder Mini-Cons relayed stories of their adventures on the distant planet to the younger generations. According to Mini-Con lore, when their ancient enemy Megatron came to Earth, he was able to stomp out entire cities underfoot due to the humans' lack of defenses. {{storylink|Something Robotic This Way Comes}}
{{-}}

===''Lil Formers''===
Megatron claimed he could stop collecting Mini-Cons anytime he wanted to, but just didn’t feel like doing so at the moment. {{storylink|Lil Formers}}

===''Galaxy Force'' manga continuity===
====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Aurex 105.15 Gamma]], [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] went to serve Megatron on Earth and was betrayed and destroyed by Galvatron. Thrust's brother [[Sunstorm (Universe)|Sunstorm]] learned of this from Thrust's surviving Mini-Con partner [[Inferno (Armada)|Inferno]] and together, they sought revenge only to discover that Galvatron had died at the end of [[the Unicron Battles]]. This prompted Sunstorm to start praying to Unicron, and for once, his prayers would not go unanswered. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/06}}

====''Galaxy Force'' manga====
[[File:GalaxyForcemanga4 master megatron.jpg|left|thumb]]
With a colossal [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] threatening the existence of Cybertron, Megatron battled Optimus Prime on the planet's surface even as the singularity's effect was wreaking havoc across it. He sealed Optimus in a crushing energy bubble, but their battle was cut short when the planet was pulled into the black hole. Following the Autobots to their new haven on Earth, Megatron approached [[Vector Prime]] in the middle of a forest fire and mesmerized him to get him to hand over his map to the powerful [[Cyber Planet Key]]s. Fortunately, a cry from the Autobots' new human ally [[Coby Hansen]] snapped the ancient Transformer of his trance before that could happen. Optimus Prime then appeared, and Megatron used his energy bubble trap on him again, but this time, Prime's determination to save the humans gave him the strength to overpower it. Striking a powerful blow to Megatron, Prime drew blood (well, oil) and Megatron elected to withdraw for the moment. {{storylink|Touchdown! Optimus Prime}} It was not long before Megatron struck again, however, attacking Vector Prime when he was on his own, scouting the planet for information about the [[Omega Lock]]. With Starscream keeping the other Autobots occupied, Megatron successfully stole the old Transformers' planet map, and obtained from it the location of the first Cyber Planet Key: [[Velocitron]], the Speed Planet. {{storylink|The Devil's Dogfight! Coby's Courage}}

[[File:GalaxyForcemanga4 megatron deathclaw.jpg|thumb|260px]]
When Vector Prime, along with the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]] and their human friends, located the Omega Lock within the crashed Cybertronian starship ''[[Atlantis]]'' at the bottom of the ocean, Megatron blasted his way into the ship to claim it. Tearing it from its moorings activated the ship's defense systems, which blasted him and made him drop the Lock, but he immediately deployed his Death Claw to "persuade" Vector Prime into handing it back. The pair battled while the kids and Mini-Cons got the lock to safety, as the ''Atlantis'' began to self-destruct around them. Optimus Prime arrived to aid Vector Prime, taking over the battle with Megatron and giving Vector Prime the time to warp the ship into space. The two Primes survived the explosion of the vessel, but Megatron disappeared in the blast and was not seen again. {{storylink|Deep Sea Discovery! Vector Prime}}

{{note|Megatron would have assuredly returned as Galvatron had the ''Galaxy Force'' manga continued, but it was cut short with its ninth issue and its plot was left unfinished. The shadowy image of Megatron (or Galvatron) is seen looming over the cast along with all the other characters who did not get a chance to appear in a splash page depicting unseen "future adventures" at the end of the final chapter.}}

===''Cybertron'' toy bios===
[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] functioned as a spy and courier for Megatron for a long time. {{storylink|Runamuck (Cybertron)#Toys|Runamuck toy bio}}

[[Brushguard]] was one of many scientists working for Megatron. {{storylink|Brushguard#Toys|Brushguard toy bio}}

[[Swindle (Cybertron)|Swindle]] was not a slavishly loyal to Megatron as [[Hardtop (Cybertron)|Hardtop]] was. {{storylink|Swindle (Cybertron)#Toys|Swindle toy bio}}

Megatron supplied [[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)|Dirt Boss]] with information which allowed Dirt Boss to forcibly link with the dimensionally-displaced Mini-Con [[Downshift (Armada)|Downshift]]. {{storylink|Dirt Boss (Cybertron)#Toys|Wal-Mart exclusive Dirt Boss two-pack toy bio}}

After being repainted for stealth missions, [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] ran his vocal processor so much that Galvatron considered having it removed. {{storylink|Ransack (Cybertron)#GTS|Ransack GTS toy bio}}

===''Universe'' toy bios===
Megatron left [[Storm Surge (Universe)|Storm Surge]] in charge of aquatic combat. {{storylink|Storm Surge (Universe)|War of the Waves toy bio}}

===Spacewarp's Log===
In [[Spacewarp]]'s home reality, Ulchtar was Megatron's right hand 'bot but betrayed Megatron multiple times. {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2015/11/28}}

==Games==
===''The Energon Within''===
[[File:EnergonWithin megatron orders.jpg|thumb]]
Megatron ordered Ulchtar to secure 100 [[energon cube]]s from an Autobot mine. Despite the fact he succeeded, Megatron still berated Starscream for the high cost. {{storylink|Transformers Armada: The Energon Within|The Energon Within}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers''===
{{anchor|ArmadaPS2}}[[File:ArmadaPS2 megatron vs optimus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
During the great war on Cybertron, Megatron created the [[Decepticlone]]s, an army of drones in many shapes and sizes to aid him in the takeover of Cybertron.

During a massive battle, Megatron engaged Optimus Prime on a rooftop, Megatron clearly had the upper hand, and seized the Autobot leader by the face, about to strike a fatal blow. Before he could however, a beam of light dove out of the heavens between the two combatants, and resolved itself into a signal beacon, revealing that the Mini-Cons, who had long ago left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], had awakened on Earth. Tracing the signal's location, Megatron departed for [[Earth]] with his second in command [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]], [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] and his newly created Decepticlone army

Once on Earth, Megatron established a base of operations inside a volcano on a Pacific island and had search parties established in the [[Amazon]] (led by Cyclonus), [[Antarctica]] and [[Alaska]] (led by Starscream). and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] (led by Tidal Wave).

Angered by what the Decepticons had done, Optimus Prime interrogated Starscream in their second battle with him, and the Decepticon revealed that he was seeking to take command. After punching him in the face, Red Alert hacked Starscream's warp transponder and learned of Megatron's location but Megatron simply invited the challenge once he learned of their coming.

After defeating the other Decepticons, the Autobots arrived on the island and managed to find their way into the volcano's crater. After they successfully defeated Megatron in a drawn-out battle, the volcano suddenly erupted, causing the platform Megatron and the Autobots were fighting on to collapse. The unconscious Megatron slid off the edge, but was grabbed by Optimus Prime before he could tumble into the lava. Awakening, Megatron spat that the Autobot leader did not even know when he had won, and shook himself free of Prime's grip, plummeting into the molten pit. {{storylink|Transformers (PS2)|Transformers}}
{{--}}
===''Transformers Energon: Battle for Megatron''===
Scorponok and the Terrorcons attempted to free Megatron from captivity within Unicron, facing the chaos-bringer's internal defenses and even Optimus Prime himself in the process. {{storylink|Transformers Energon: Battle for Megatron}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsArmadaMegatron.jpg|thumb|right|400px|I get much better later on. Trust me.]]
Megatron participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in multiple different bodies, as both "Megatron" and "Galvatron":
*''Armada Megatron'' — This Super Rare character could be recruited by collecting 350 units of Cybermetal, 115 units of Transmetal, 70 soldier cores, and 5 cores of this character.
*''Galvatron Armada'' — This Epic character was available as a reward in the "Galvatron" event.
*''Energon Galvatron'' — This Epic character first appeared in the "Christmas Breaker" event, and could be recruited by collecting 650 units of Cybermetal, 350 units of Transmetal, 150 exclusive cores, and 50 cores of this character.
{{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Galvatron-Armada.jpg|thumb|423px|Told ya.]]
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Energon-Galvatron.jpg|thumb|400px|Too bad there won't be a Galvatron Cybertron in this game.]]
{{!}}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Armada-Megatron-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|300px|As Megatron has an [[Energon mace]], I have a <s>[[Energon Sword]]</s> katana!]]
Arriving in [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|a new universe]] in search of a suitable Decepticon recruit, [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]]
and [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]] observed the local Megatron terrorize some humans with his [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]], and concluded that Armada Megatron was a worthy Decepticon. Barricade nabbed him just as Drift and [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Laser Optimus]] arrived, but the Decepticons quickly got away and returned to their home universe with Megatron in tow. Starscream was again sure that [[Primus|someone up there]] really, really hates him.
{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Worlds Collide}}

With three Megatrons in one universe, they soon had a meeting of minds. Megatron argued that he alone should be the supreme power in whatever universe he's in. The "original" [[Megatron (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Megatron]] expected him to do his bidding. [[Megatron (BW)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Megatron]] disagreed, saying
as they're all born to rule, the pretense would never work out. Megatron was starting to believe that a power struggle was inevitable, but Armada Megatron reasoned they could still make this work. Starscream admired his two-facedness, and believed he could be a potential ally.

*'''Class:''' Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Weapons:''' Megatron fires off a disc that bounces off two buildings before attacking with his energy katana.
*'''Ability: Ricochet Mode!''' For 15 seconds, fires plasma discs dealing small damage and bouncing onto up to 4 nearby targets, each bounce dealing 20% less damage.
**'''Cost''': 11 ability points +2 cost increase.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:armada-megatron| Armada Megatron at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Megatron (Armada)/toys}}

==Notes==
* When a fan asked him why ''Energon'' Megatron was not named Galvatron, owing to continuity with the ''Armada'' series and the obvious visual [[homage]] in the figure's design, [[Aaron Archer]] explained that it was due to Hasbro needing to protect their [[trademark]]s, as well as Megatron being a more recognizable (and thus marketable) product name. He added that he personally wanted to call the toy '''Galvatron Imperius'''.

[[File:Armada megatron toy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Back in Armada this was considered a dynamic pose.]]
* According to the [[Transformers (PS2)|''Armada'' PlayStation 2 game]] instruction booklet, Megatron's ''Armada'' body has the following statistics:

:Height: 22' 11" (8' 3" [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]])
:Weight: 106,925 lbs
:Power: 1,600 hp
:Vehicle top speed: 50mph

* During his stint on the ''Armada'' comic, it seems [[Pat Lee]] may have been referring to the original Hasbro [[stock photography|stock photo]] of a [[misassembly|mis-assembled]] Megatron toy (seen on the right), as he consistently drew Megatron's feet as being flipped with the "grates" from the tops of the feet facing forward.

*Megatron was left out of the [[BotCon 2010]] [[Transformers Hall of Fame]] video tribute to Megatrons, however he was included in his ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' form as part of the final video montage at the end of night.

* [[Master Megatron|An unnamed Decepticon]] based on the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' design of this Megatron appeared in "[[Bots of Science]]", and a generic imaginary [[Vigilem|Carcer]]ian in [[The Will of the Few|''Windblade'' vol 2 #7]] uses Megatron's ''Armada'' design.

===Foreign names===
====''Armada''====
*''Japanese:'' '''Megatron''' (メガトロン ''Megatoron''), '''Megatron Super Mode''' (メガトロンS ''Megatoron Sūpā Mōdo''), '''Armada Megatron''' (retroactive designation, アルマダメガトロン ''Arumada Megatoron'')
*''Korean:'' '''Megatron''' (메가트론 ''Megateuron'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Wēi Zhèn Tiān''' (威震天, "Extremely Prestigious", literally "Heaven-shaking Might")

====''Energon''====
*''Japanese:'' '''Galvatron''' (ガルバトロン ''Garubatoron''), '''Galvatron General''' (ガルバトロン{{ruby|G|ジェネラル}} ''Garubatoron Jeneraru'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jīng Pò Tiān''' (惊破天, "Sky-breaking Awe")

====''Cybertron''====
*''Japanese:'' '''Master Megatron''' (マスターメガトロン ''Masutā Megatoron''), '''Master Galvatron''' (マスターガルバトロン ''Masutā Garubatoron'')
*''Korean:'' '''Master Megatron''' (마스터 메가트론 ''Maseuteo Megateuron''), '''Master Galvatron''' (마스터 갈바트론 ''Maseuteo Galbateulon'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Shénzūn Wēi Zhèn Tiān''' (神尊威震天, "God-supreme Megatron"), '''Shénzūn Jīng Pò Tiān''' (神尊惊破天, "God-supreme Galvatron")

[[Category:Armada Decepticons]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Emperors of Destruction]]
[[Category:Energon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]

Chase (G1)

2020-06-05T04:11:46Z

TailgatePrime: /* Marvel The Transformers comics */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambigm|Chase (disambiguation)|Roadburner}}
:''Chase is an [[Autobot]] [[Throttlebot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Chase g1 boxart.jpg|218px|thumb|Yes, but do his best stories feature [[wikia:left4dead:Ellis/Quotes#Stories|a guy named Keith?]]]]
As a warrior, '''Chase'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s (aka '''Roadburn''') only outstanding asset is his staunch courage, but it's his attitude that earns him his many friends in the [[Autobot]] ranks. Yes, he's a motormouthed braggart and rather full of himself, but his storytelling skills are so fantastic that few mind when he monopolizes the conversation. Combine that ability with the enthusiastic, superficial friendliness and charisma of a talented politician, and it's no wonder Chase is well liked, despite his flaws.

Many of Chase's missions are rather routine; radar is his specialty. He can detect objects as small as [[Toaster]] on the horizon, and see a tennis ball two miles away—three of them, in fact, at the same time, in three different directions. He seldom needs to engage the enemy closely, but even the least dangerous "milk run" comes alive with purpose and excitement when Chase is telling its story.

Impulsive and quick-thinking, Chase's 240 mph top speed often places him far ahead of his comrades on his scouting missions, and frequently he's the first to roar down a promising byway, heedless of possible ambush or hazards. Sometimes this leads him into trouble. Most often this trouble is mechanical; Chase's body, especially his drivetrain, just isn't engineered to keep up with his mind.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{note|Throughout the Marvel comic, Chase has [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]]'s white color scheme. See [[#Notes|Notes]] for more.}}
[[File:TheCure Searchlight.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|"This one time, my buddy Keith, on a DARE, got a tattoo: "I'm a moron" right across his forehead, man. 'Course, he made two hundred bucks off that, so...You ask yourself: Who's the REAL moron?"]]

Thanks to a Decepticon [[Titanium-class Destruction Drone]], Chase and his fellow Throttlebots were captured during one of their attacks on fuel storage depot, and brought to the Chief Decepticon Fuel Auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. An outbreak of [[Scraplet]]s had begun on [[Earth]], and Ratbat ordered them to travel there and destroy all of the infected—or he would destroy the planet itself to prevent spread of the deadly disease. Given new Earth-style vehicle forms and canisters of corrosive acid, Chase and the others arrived on Earth. Chase stayed at the primary site of the infection with Freeway and Searchlight, while Rollbar and Wideload went to track another Transformer who'd left the scene. Rollbar and Wideload eventually returned with [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]], his human friend [[Charlie Fong|Charley Fong]], and a cure for Scraplets: the "rare chemical" [[water]]. With this knowledge, they managed to destroy all the Scraplets with help from another of the Earthbound Autobots' allies, [[G.B. Blackrock]]. {{storylink|The Cure!}}

Chase and the Throttlebots continued to travel on Earth with Goldbug and Blaster, but that only made them targets for virtually everyone—the Decepticons, the Autobot faction Goldbug had gone AWOL from, and the humans who hated and feared all Cybertronians. After escaping one of the Combaticons, Goldbug suggested they hide in a used car lot (because that [[Plight of the Bumblebee!|worked so well for him before]]). Astonishingly the owner, [[Big Steve Ludwig (G1)|Big Steve Ludwig]], noticed a giant earthmover dump truck magically appearing on his lot, and soon put two-and-two together after receiving a notice from the local RAAT boys. After pouring sugar into the Autobots' gas tanks, he summoned the proper authorities. Chase and the other Throttlebots were carted off and taken prisoner by RAAT's parent organization, [[Intelligence and Information Institute|Triple-I]]. {{storylink|Used Autobots}}

[[File:DarkStar Throttlebots die.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|"I ever tell you about the time Keith and I made fireworks? Now, I didn't know shit about chemistry, but Keith figured 'Gasoline burns, doesn't it?" Heh, third-degree burns on 95% of his body. Man, people in the next city over were calling to complain about the smell of burning skin."]]
Still not recognizing the difference between Autobots and Decepticons, III's bigwigs publicly threatened to execute their prisoners if any more robot attacks took place. Guess what—the Decepticons were willing to call their bluff. After the inevitable raid, [[Forrest Forsythe]] ordered the Autobots crushed into cubes. However, a sympathetic (and borderline competent) agent named [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]] realized Chase and his friends were telling the truth about there being two factions of robots, and salvaged their cerebro-circuits before the execution, transferring their brain chips into electronic toy cars. Barnett then brought the Autobots in his care to meet with [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], longtime friend of their Earthbound forces. The reunion was cut short by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], who had caught the Throttlebots' scent, and sought to crush them dead in their vulnerable state. The Throttlebots managed to outmaneuver their pursuers through a shopping center. Barnett and Buster were separated during the chase, with most of the Throttlebots winding up in Barnett's custody once more. {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}

Chase and the rest of the Throttlebots remained in Barnett's possession for some time. The human brought the five of them to consult on a hostage situation after Buster wound up on the Decepticons' island-base. Before any of them had the chance to dispense any advice, the island transformed into a spacecraft and launched, with Buster still on board. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}} The Throttlebots were apparently returned to the Autobots at some point, and reconstructed into new bodies replicating their old ones. When an [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] announced that he would "destroy the cities of [[New York City|New York]], [[Tokyo]], and [[Buenos Aires]]," Chase was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to Japan to try and stop him. He and the rest of the Throttlebots didn't get to put up much of a fight, as they were all destroyed by Starscream before even getting a chance to transform. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
{{note|In this story, Chase is consistently miscolored as [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]].}}
In [[2008]], Chase was active at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth when the [[Quintesson]]s raided the base. He was presumably disabled with the rest of the Autobots present. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:FinalTransformations Chase dies.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.34|"I ever tell you about the time Keith tried to deep-fry a turkey? Third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body. His doctor called up, like, other doctors to look at him cause they'd never seen burns on top of existing burns!"]]
Years later, a resurrected Chase was part of a detachment sent to Earth to deal with the menace of a revived [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. The team was very surprised to find that this Megatron guy was actually pretty powerful, and soon started making mincemeat out of them. Chase got his leg blown off, and told the rest of the team not to wait for him. He kept firing as Megatron approached, only to get blown to smithereens at point blank range for his troubles.

Megatron then examined Chase's snapped-off leg, looking for a soil sample that would let him locate the Autobots' starship. An enraged Brawn would beat on Megatron, declaring one punch was "for Chase". {{storylink|Final Transformations}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Rob Paulsen]] (English, casting only), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime1 Chase infected.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"My buddy Keith tried camping out inside this here lab once. He was shooting crows, but [[Mark Morgan|the]] [[Gregory Swofford|scientists]] were too busy teargassin' him to ask what he was doin' in there. He screamed for an entire year every single time he opened his optics! Oh, man! At first, it was funny; then it just got sad, but then it got funny again! Oh, man!"]]
Chase was with the [[Throttlebot]]s when they were ordered to retrieve the body of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], but they ended up being infected by the [[Hate Plague]], which made Chase even redder and also prone to attack his comrades. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Chase and the Throttlebots were later cured when Optimus unleashed the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}, and helped defend [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] from a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} Chase was later present as Cybertron was re-energized and a new Golden Age was ushered in. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Tomomichi Nishimura]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:ApproachMeteorite Chase WideLoad twisted.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|"Man, I love malls. I do. Once, I was in this mall, up in [[Metamorphose]], and these guys were dancing for like money and stuff and my friend [[Wideload (G1)|Wideload]] and I was all..."]]
Chase and his Throttlebot buddies were seen on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] during a Decepticon attack. They tried to fight back against the new Decepticon [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], but didn't fare well against [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]'s hypnosis. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} The Throttlebots were dispatched again to protect their home planet from the [[Madmachine]], but they couldn't even scratch its armor. Instead they opted for scrapping with the machine's Headmaster guards, and did remarkably better than in their first battle. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Later, the Throttlebots traveled to Earth to fight some Decepticons, but ended up sneaking into space to stop the Decepticon meteorite [[Metamorphose]] by themselves for the fame and glory. However, when Chase and [[Wideload (G1)|Wideload]] jumped out of their [[Autobot frigate|vessel]] to take care of the meteorite, they quickly learned about its power to twist and deform metal. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Chase and the Throttlebots were eventually twisted back into shape, as they reappeared much later on Earth. They challenged [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], guardian of a [[Death Tower]], but were swiftly defeated. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}}
{{-}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
In [[2021]], a villain posing as [[Galactic Peace Alliance]] chairman [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] declared Goldbug a traitor and ordered the other Throttlebots to destroy him, bringing them to the [[Legends World]] to confront their leader. However, the Throttlebots were reluctant to go through with it and stayed out of the fight, with Chase commenting that even someone as impulsive as himself had trouble following such an order. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 54|Bonus Edition Vol. 54}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Spotlight: Metroplex]]

[[File:Spotlight Metroplex Chase.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"My buddy Keith started up a historic tour, on account of his mom took him to Colonial Williamsburg. And it's like a license to print money at them places. Now, you might ask yourself how an honest attempt to recreate the majesty of colonial times turned into raccoon fights at five bucks a pop in Keith's backyard, ha-ha."]]
Chase was assigned to a team known as the Throttlebots stationed on [[Orvus Base]], a research facility in orbit around [[Salvvatan VI]]. The research was classified several levels above top secret, and so the Throttlebots didn't even know what they were helping to safeguard. The point was apparently rendered moot when [[Sixshot]] arrived at Orvus, and slaughtered the entire research team. Chase and the Throttlebots took off in a tiny shuttle looking for a chance at survival. They found it a few planetary orbits away on [[Salvvatan VIII]]. Curiously, the nearby planet showed signs of life...Transformer life. The Throttlebots found a ghost town stocked full of energon and supplies. Fully refueled, Chase was more optimistic about their chances, but [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] spoke from experienced and told them that, with Sixshot, they were definitely still slagged. Sixshot soon arrived and proved as deadly as his reputation. Chase was the first of the Throttlebots taken down by the [[Six Changer]]'s attacks. They only survived thanks to the intervention of the mysterious and powerful [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Metroplex}} The departing Titan left the surviving Throttlebots a shuttle to leave, however they were pursued by Sixshot. Finally killing the Decepticon, the Autobots crashed onto a [[Regalis V|world of giant plants]] in the process. Still far from their home and failing to make contact with high command, the group came to the conclusion that the Autobots had lost the war.

After ten years, Chase noticed one of the trees move, but was not taken seriously by the rest of the group. However it was soon undeniable that they were under attack. As the others fell around him, Chase carried Goldbug to safety. This kept them alive long enough to be saved by an unlikely group. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)}} [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] took charge, while [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Garnak]] helped the remaining three Throttlebots onto their savior's shuttle. Chase was shocked to find the planet had a proper name as they were carried away from it. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)}}

{{--}}

==Toys==
===The Transformers===
[[File:G1Chase toy.jpg|thumb|right|300px|]]
*'''Chase''' (Throttlebot, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-94'''

: Chase transforms into a Ferrari Testarossa sports car. Like all [[Throttlebot]]s, Chase's primary gimmick is a pull-back motor that sends him zipping forward in either car or robot modes.

: The Throttlebots were part of the [[Decoy]] promotion in 1987, where the carded toys came with a soft-rubber figuring. The Throttlebots were the only team to come with either Autobot or Decepticon Decoys; the other toys in the promotion only came with Decoys of the same faction they belonged to.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/Chase/chase.htm More information on Chase on TFU.info]''

*'''Chase''' (1991)
: In 1991, Chase and the other Throttlebots were re-released in the European market as part of the "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line. This [[variant]] of Chase was [[retool]]ed to have the [[rubsign]] indent removed, the heat-sensitive decal replaced with a normal factory-applied paper faction sigil decal.

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===Generations===
[[File:TF-Titans-Return-Roadburn.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''Chasing'' cons while he burns the road.]]
*'''Roadburn''' (Legends Class, 2017)

:Part of the fourth wave of ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Legends Class figures, "Roadburn" is a retool of the previous wave's [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Bumblebee]] mold with a new head based, for whatever reason, on that of fellow Throttlebot [[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]]. As with some of the ''Titans Return'' Legends Class figures, Roadburn features an opening canopy for his cockpit, which allows any [[Titan Master]] figures to ride within his vehicle mode. He also features 5mm-compatible hands, although the red piece can prevent some weapon's slightly longer posts to peg down through his hands. Also, take note that the vehicle back wings/shoulder kibble can sometimes block the way for wielding weapons, however the shoulder parts can be swapped for better tolerance, but it could prevent him fully transforming into vehicle mode.

:Roadburn features a sculpted [[license plate]] that says "100 STRA", a reference to Bumblebee's [[Bumblebee (Movie)|live-action movie counterpart]] which Roadburn retains due to that part being unchanged from Bumblebee.

:The decision to change Roadburn's name from Chase to his new monicker was likely made ''very'' late in the design process as the instruction booklet in some samples states his name as '''Autobot Chase'''. This was likely done to not confuse kids with [[Chase (RB)|a different Chase]].

{{-}}

==Notes==
*Chase's [[character model]] uses Searchlight's head, and vice versa. This mis-matched design was used for all his major appearances in classic media, including the Marvel comic, the animated series, and even Japan's ''The Headmasters'' anime. The Marvel comic gets an extra-special mention, though, for swapping his ''color scheme'' with Searchlight's, too, so he always appears white instead of red... but ''only in robot mode!'' When he's in car mode, he's still red!

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Chase''' (チェイス ''Cheisu'')
*''English:'' '''Carlo''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub)
*''French:'' '''Poursuite''' (Canada, "Pursuit")
*''Italian:'' '''Scoutbot'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Zhuībǔ''' (追捕, "Chase")

==External links==
*[http://www.redshirt.co.uk/toys/chase-must-die/ Chase Must Die - A scholarly look at the Throttlebots.]

[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Scouts]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Throttlebots]]
[[Category:Titans Return Autobots]]

Hot Rod (G1)

2020-05-31T03:13:23Z

TailgatePrime: /* Titans Return marketing material */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|wreckers|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{Disambigm|Hot Rod (disambiguation)|Rodimus (disambiguation)}}
{{featured}}
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:''Hot Rod is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:DVDbox3d1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And yet he still gets carded.]]
'''Hot Rod''' (aka '''Rodimus''' and '''Hot Rodimus''') is brash and headstrong, with an overwhelming self-confidence that borders on arrogance. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] has assumed the role of mentor and advisor to the impetuous young Hot Rod, offering him wisdom and advice when he needs it (though Hot Rod rarely feels that he does, much to Kup's annoyance). [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] also serves as a calming influence on Hot Rod, and tends to either worry about him when he is not around, or deride and tease him when he is. Their relationship is antagonistic, but friendly. Exactly how deep Hot Rod's feelings for Arcee might run is unknown.

In contrast, his '''Rodimus Prime''' persona—while still headstrong and stubborn—seems to suffer from a severe lack of confidence, often doubting his own decisions and expressing distress over his position as an [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]. Of course, much of this comes from comparisons with his former commander [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]—and let's face it, shoes-to-be-filled just don't ''get'' much bigger than that.

One thing that both sides of this Autobot's identity have in common is their impatience—neither Hot Rod nor Rodimus Prime can stand to wait around when they could be doing something instead. He is also very self-reliant, rarely sending others to do anything when he could be doing it himself.

{{bigquote|I ''knew'' you had potential, lad.|[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] on Hot Rod's transformation into Rodimus Prime|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
[[File:Fightorflee Rodimus explosion.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"What about you, Dad?"]]
{{main|Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
At some point before [[2005]], Hot Rod became stationed at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] and so was present during the [[Battle of Autobot City]]. This was a turning point in the life of the turbo-revving young punk, because he became Autobot leader after gaining the [[Matrix of Leadership]] following the death of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. As Rodimus Prime, his first accomplishments were the defeat of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and the return of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to the Autobots.

During his time as [[Prime (rank)|Prime]], Rodimus not only had to deal with the Decepticons and [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|their new leader]], but also the political complexities of the planetary alliance Cybertron joined, the return of the Transformers' cruel masters from long ago, the [[Quintesson]]s, the possible revival of Unicron and the arrival of Unicron's "little brother" [[Tornedron]].

During the [[Hate Plague]] outbreak in [[2006]], Optimus Prime was brought back to life and Rodimus gave up his rank of Prime, becoming Hot Rod once more. He would then become a Targetmaster and live to see the next Cybertronian [[Golden Age]].

In a splinter timeline, Hot Rod would lose the Matrix a whole bunch of times. ''Constantly.'' Eventually, he would resign himself to his role as Rodimus Prime, leader, though in 2011 it was under his watch that Cybertron was destroyed. Rodimus would later discover the planet Micro and help develop Micromaster technology, becoming one himself and reverting back to Hot Rod.
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===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[File:Hoverscooter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Wheeeee....]]
{{main|Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity}}
Initially serving under [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Hot Rod travelled to [[Nebulos]] where he became a [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] and then on to [[Earth]] where he joined [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s forces aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Returning to Cybertron, he survived the battle against [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and formed part of the shaky Autobot-Decepticon alliance under the leadership of Prime's successor [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. Betrayed by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s Decepticons, Hot Rod was killed during the ambush on [[Klo]] but revived shortly afterwards by the power of the [[Last Autobot]].

In some [[splinter timeline]]s Hot Rod went on to become Rodimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, and took part in further battles against Unicron and his minion [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], albeit with mixed results. In others, he has yet to fulfil this part of his destiny.
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===S.T.A.R.S. pack-in flyers===
[[File:PackIn RodimusPrimeRemembers Front.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Just like he remembers Woodstock.]]
Unicron just might consume the universe, and the Autobots need to determine who the Chosen One is so that he may rise from their ranks, unlock the Matrix of Power, and save all from Unicron! Unfortunately, not even the Chosen One himself knows his identity, and his discovery may come too late. {{storylink|The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:}}

There was a legendary conflict between the Autobots and Decepticons when Optimus Prime led Rodimus Prime and a large team of Autobots in a search for the future site of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. They were ambushed by Megatron and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and this became known as the Transformers' greatest battle on Earth. Rodimus Prime dubbed it "[[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction (G1)|Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]]." {{storylink|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.}} Some of the Autobots were forced to retreat due to Thundercracker's "force shield," and Optimus Prime told Rodimus and the others that their only hope was to call in for additional troops. {{storylink|Transformers Combat Data}}

Later, Rodimus Prime remembered the Transformers' greatest battle on Earth. {{storylink|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.}}
{{-}}

===Battle Beneath the Ice===
[[File:BBTI-RunaboutandRodimus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]
Hot Rod had a run in with the Battlechargers when they tried to destroy the golden gate bridge. The altercation was caught on television.

A couple of weeks later, Hot Rod was part of an expedition to the Antarctic along with Slingshot and Skydive to investigate the discovery of a highly advanced underground city. He was parked in the cargo bay of a troop-carrier aero-plane when he met the young human [[Jeff Grey]]. Together, they watched Hot Rod’s battle with the Battlechargers on Jeff’s [[chronovid wristwatch]]. Some time later, their plane was caught in a blizzard, and shot down by an energy beam. Though many humans perished in the crash, Hot Rod attempted to keep the survivors warm by increasing the current through his temperature control unit to emit heat. Hot Rod and his group of humans were then met by three inhabitants of the subterranean city, who invited them into their futuristic world.

[[File:BBTI-JeffGrey+HotRod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left|Doesn't this image just scream "buy the toys"? Boy, I sure want an action figure of Old Man Shivering In The Snow.]]
The [[Watcher]], leader of the underground civilization, explained that they possessed technology far surpassing the surface world, save for their weaponry, as they were a peaceful people. The Watcher offered the humans a tour of the city while he and Hot Rod talked. Impressed by the technological wonders The Watcher’s people possessed, Hot Rod became convinced of their altruistic nature. He then met up with Skydive and Slingshot, who had gone on to rendezvous with the drilling team after being unable to locate the downed troop-carrier in the blizzard. The Watcher then showed them an image from the surface: Brawl, Vortex and Blast Off, the Decepticons the Watcher said were responsible for shooting down the troop-carrier. Skydive and Slingshot then took off to battle the Decepticons and draw them away from the city, leaving Hot Rod in charge of protecting the humans.

Hot Rod's group continued their tour of the city. They were shown a hologram chamber, where they encountered Ravage. Hot Rod warned the Decepticon to stay back from the humans, but Ravage assured him he wasn’t here as their enemy. Ravage informed Hot Rod that it wasn’t the Decepticons, but the city-dwellers that had shot down the plane. One of the city-dwellers entered the room with a weapon, intending to attack Ravage. Hot Rod accidentally shot him while aiming for Ravage, who had lept for the city-dweller's throat. Hot Rod was shocked to see the guide fall to the ground, seeing as his weapon only affected other robots. They came to the conclusion that Ravage was telling the truth; the city-dwellers were robots. They were after the warrior-factor encoded in both the Autobots and the Decepticons in order to turn themselves into a powerful army. Hot Rod and Ravage formed a temporary alliance to combat the city-dwellers. Jeff and Ravage then worked together to overwrite the city-dwellers’ programming with the cartoon antics of Gus Gopher that had been recorded by Jeff’s [[chronovid wristwatch]]. With the city-dwellers behaving like cartoon characters, Hot Rod made contact with the Aerialbots, and told them to stop fighting with the Combaticons, and to instead return to the city. The Autobots and Decepticons then went their separate ways on peaceful terms… for the moment being, at least. {{storylink|Battle Beneath the Ice}}
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===Big Looker Storybook continuity===
[[File:CarShowBlowup-AutobotCity.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Hot Rod clearly does not pass emissions standards.]]
Kup and Hot Rod traveled to the coliseum to check out a robot car the [[human]]s had built that could respond to voice commands. They heard about it on their car radios! But when they arrived at the coliseum, Kup spotted Decepticons flying about. As some entered the back door, Kup shooed Hot Rod away, telling him to warn the others. If Hot Rod stayed, he would just get into trouble!

[[File:Wildboyofquintessonbattle.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
When Hot Rod returned with the Autobots, Kup had been captured and held prisoner, so the others entered the coliseum in vehicle mode. Meanwhile, Hot Rod snuck up behind Kup and freed him. Yelling "Geronimo!" they jumped from the control room onto the coliseum floor, taking the Decepticons by surprise. Galvatron and the others escaped, but Kup and Hot Rod agreed that they'd be ready for him when he returned. {{storylink|Car Show Blow Up}}

Later, Kup led Hot Rod, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] on a special mission to take supplies from Earth to a space station on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s second moon. Despite Kup's warnings, the Dinobots loaded too many supplies onto the ship, and in the middle of their journey, the ship began to have problems. Hot Rod reassured Arcee that everything would be okay, but the ship was going down! It crashed on a planet which Kup recognized. It was the planet [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintesson]]! They were interrupted by a tribal scream and a flurry of firestones. However, the boy who made his presence known was not aiming at them, but at the Quintessons behind them. The boy's name was [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], and he had been abandoned on the planet when his ship crashed their earlier.

Wheelie led them through the jungle, battling Quintessons along the way, until they reached Wheelie's crashed ship. Hot Rod was able to fix it, and everyone left the planet Quintesson, Wheelie included! {{storylink|The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson}}
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===Marvel coloring books===
Visiting [[Oil Valley]] with Daniel one day, Hot Rod spotted a group of Decepticons lurking nearby. Taking Daniel into his car mode, he headed back to Autobot City to report back to Ultra Magnus. The Decepticons noticed Hot Rod driving away, and gave chase. As Hot Rod neared Autobot City, he ran into Grimlock and the Dinobots. He quickly informed them of the situation before continuing on his way into the city, while the Dinobots stayed back to fend off the Decepticons. Once Hot Rod informed Ultra Magnus of the situation, Hot Rod stayed behind in Autobot City with Daniel while Ultra Magnus assembled a strike team to head out and help the Dinobots fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Battle at Oil Valley}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}}}

Hot Rod was returning from a road trip with Daniel, Hound and Kup, Bumblebee, Blurr, Wheelie, Springer and Sunstreaker when the group paused to eat at a rest stop. As the Autobots ingested Energon Cubes, Hot Rod asked Kup to tell a story. Kup told the others the story of how, upon first crash landing in Mt. St. Hillary, the Ark had lost an enormous shipment of Energon Cubes that remained lost to the day. Enthralled by Kup's story, the rest of the group were all eager to go looking for this lost treasure. When they realized that Laserbeak had been spying on them the whole time, and would soon inform Galvatron about the lost Energon shipment, Hot Rod and the others rushed back to Metroplex to inform Ultra Magnus on the situation. Hot Rod made a quick stop first, however, dropping Daniel off at his parents; house. After a brief conference, Ultra Magnus led his troops to the Ark's crash site. Finding the Decepticons there already, the two factions began to fight. When the Energon stash was uncovered, it was completely gobbled up by Starscream who proclaimed himself the most powerful Decepticon. With nothing left to fight over, Hot Rod and the Autobots left Galvatron and Starscream to their squabble. As they headed back for Autobot City, Hot Rod asked Kup for another story. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Hot Rod's Escape}}}}
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===Ladybird Books continuity===
{{voiceactor|[[Blain Fairman]] (English)}}
[[File:DecepticonsatthePole-HotRodSparks.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.85|Say I'm badly drawn to my face, pal!]]
Hot Rod was one of several troops stationed on Earth when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] was in charge and the Transformers' war was still a secret one. After a scrape with the Decepticons, he found himself in the Autobots' infirmary, impatiently telling Ratchet and Wheeljack to patch him up quickly so he could get going. Due to a shortage of [[cybernite]], however, Hot Rod's repairs took awhile. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}} He got along well with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], the two spending their downtime looking at car magazines together, and was quite pleased to receive some snazzy gold wheel-trims from the boy. {{storylink|Decepticon Hideout}}

In the time following this campaign, Hot Rod would mature into a more sensible warrior and even a team leader. During the early stages of the war on [[Nebulos]], Hot Rod was Autobot commander against [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'s Decepticons before the return of Optimus Prime. At one point, he prevented the Decepticons causing Nebulos' destruction via cosmic radiation. {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole}} He also orchestrated a search for a new source of lubricant when the Autobots were running dry, and led the construction of a pipeline bringing the oil reservoir's contents to Autobot base.
{{storylink|Autobots Strike Oil}}
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===Sticker Adventures books===
Out searching for a missing shuttle, Hot Rod and Kup spied it crashed on the Junk planet. They landed to find their friends engaged in battle with the natives, but Kup cautioned Hot Rod not to rashly jump in and join them. Kup's use of the Universal Autobot Greeting resulted in the Junkions abandoning the fight and making friends with the newcomers, and causing Hot Rod to exclaim "Holy cow!" The Junkions helped repair the damaged shuttle before the Autobots left. {{storylink|Battle on the Junk Planet}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Galvatron Attacks}}}}
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===Desert of Danger===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:Wolf at the door desert of danger.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|When you're weary, feelin' small...]]
Hot Rod had himself delivered by freight to the planet of Nebulos, where he and his Targetmaster partner Professor Sparks suspected the Decepticons were attempting reinforce their position in spite of a treaty in place to limit their numbers. With [[you]]r help they traced the Decepticons to the [[Wolf at the Door]] nightclub, an [[oil]] bar for Nebulan miners run by [[Monzo]], and discovered that [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]], [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] were importing [[Attack Squad robot]]s from Cybertron and awakening them from cryogenic suspension with a catalytic stimulant disguised as [[Sirian brandy]].

After a confrontation with the Decepticons that left Skullcruncher and Mindwipe out of action, Hot Rod faced off against Weirdwolf and Monzo. Weirdwolf was defiant, but Monzo wasn't feeling lucky and surrendered to the Autobot. Though the Headmasters had to be released under the terms of the treaty, the Attack Squad robots were destroyed. {{storylink|Desert of Danger}}
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===''Transformers PD Type'' comic===
[[File:Pdtype rodimus manga.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|He's seen some slag.]]
Clutching a [[Blackball]], Rodimus Prime found himself being attacked by Galvatron. As the Decepticon leader attempted to throttle him, a light shone from Rodimus's chest, making Galvatron think it was the power of the Blackball. After Galvatron had fled, Rodimus revealed it was just a flashlight, and reflected on what an idiot his foe was. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##11 "Take a Stand! Rodimus Prime!"|Take a Stand! Rodimus Prime!}}

As Fortress Maximus and Mega Zarak clashed violently, Rodimus reminded Optimus that he had said never to let those two fight. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! Mega Zarak!}}

Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime enjoyed many victories against the Decepticons, but [[Greatshot|who was that in the background?]] {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##15 "No One Knows When he's Come or Gone. Greatshot..."|No One Knows When he's Come or Gone. Greatshot...}}

Together with Ultra Magnus, Rodimus engaged in battle against [[Sixshot]], but was terrified when the Decepticon ninja unleashed the fury of his "Six Shadow Selves"! Luckily for Rodimus, Sixshot's doppelgangers were actually other Decepticons whom he'd painted black (and weren't very happy about it). {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##18|The Ninja of Space, Sixshot!!}}

In a later altercation with Sixshot, Rodimus attempted to use his Photon Eliminator gun to strike down the fleeing ninja. Though he managed to shoot ''every other'' Decepticon on the battlefield, he failed to hit his intended target. Rodimus sat pouting in the corner as the other Autobots convened to register their disappointment that Rodimus let Sixshot get away. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##21|Photon Eliminator}}

Joining [[Ginrai (human)|God Ginrai]] and Ultra Magnus in an assault on Mega Zarak, Rodimus was terrified when the mammoth Decepticon unleashed his titanic Anti-Gravity Rifle. Fortunately for the Autobots, the gun jammed and Mega Zarak was left fiddling with it while they opened fire. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##24|Anti-Gravity Rifle}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[File:WarAgainstDestructions-HotRodApeface.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|GRONK yourself!]]
As Ultra Magnus left for a mission to find an Energon source, Hot Rod assured him that everything would be fine on Cybertron, and if there was any hint of trouble "Rodimus" would pop up and save the day. When Magnus later checked in, Hot Rod reported that they'd made some process on Headmaster technology. Though Magnus was more concerned about the threat of war, Hot Rod told him not to worry, unaware that [[Sixshot]] was planning to throw him a surprise. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

Hot Rod was pleased to have [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] back. Then [[Monitorus]] arrived with the news that [[Tau-Ursa]] had been attacked and leveled by Decepticons, and Hot Rod got to point out that the Tau-Ursans had refused the Autobots permission to build a defense base there. He shortly took part in an attempt to repel a Decepticon attack on Cybertron, finding himself fighting against Sixshot, who seemed more interested in goading him than fighting. This turned out to be a diversion, while [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] used his new [[Nullification Cannon]] on the planet's Energon supplies.

Hot Rod and Blurr next visited Tau-Ursa to check for Decepticons, and encountered [[Apeface|Ape Face]], who had found a [[Logicon]] warning beacon. The two Autobots wrestled it from him and returned to Cybertron, where the beacon was found to hold the coordinates to [[Metascan Alpha]], a major Energon storehouse. Prime placed Hot Rod in charge of one of two teams to search for the planet, though the operation was hampered slightly by the discovery of the two Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clone]]s spying on them. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

{{Note|At this point [[Blackthorne Publishing]] went bankrupt and the storyline was never completed}}
{{-}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Both Hot Rod and Rodimus fought side-by-side during a tumultuous battle on a moon base. While Rodimus charged [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] alongside [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], Hot Rod received a punch to the face, courtesy of [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Decipher the Decepticon}}

The Decepticons having stolen the Matrix of Creation, Hot Rod was called up by Ultra Magnus to help retrieve it. The Autobots used an army of [[decoy]]s to distract the Decepticons, while Hot Rod, Blurr, Kup and Ultra Magnus infiltrated their base. Hot Rod told Blurr of all people to hurry up and blast the Matrix out of same sort of crystal structure. The Autobots then made their getaway with the Matrix in hand. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}}

When Optimus became stranded on Cybertron's hemisphere of darkness with his memory damaged, Hot Rod joined a small strike force of Autobots called H.O.P.E. ([[Help Optimus Prime Escape]]) to retrieve him. {{Storylink|Optimus Prime Is Back}}
{{-}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Autobot Alert!====
[[File:AutobotAlertKupandHotRod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
While on a midnight spin, Hot Rod spotted Beachcomber, Springer and Blurr leaving Metroplex on a secret mission. The next day, after coming home from his karate lessons, Hot Rod began pestering Kup in order to glean more information on the nature of his fellow Autobots’ assignment. Before he learned anything of substance, an Autobot Alert sounded across the Autobots’ headquarters. The Autobots learned that the Decepticons were taking over Earth’s communication satellites. Shortly afterwards, Blurr returned prematurely from the aforementioned secret mission to deliver more bad news. The Decepticons had gotten their hands on an important coded message.

If Ultra Magnus decided to prioritize the Decepticons’ orbital attack, Hot Rod became frustrated after once again being overlooked for a mission. Catching him sulking, Bumblebee approached Hot Rod and informed him that he had spotted Astrotrain skulking about nearby the previous night. Deducing that Astrotrain might have something to do with the ongoing Decepticon plot, the two Autobots decided to go on their own clandestine mission to investigate. They brought along a supply of "laser-ignited explosives" and went on their way. Soon happening upon the Decepticons’ control centre, the pair set out to sabotage the Decepticons’ operation. While Bumblebee wanted to sabotage the Decepticons’ communication centre on Earth, Hot Rod was in favour of sneaking aboard Astrotrain before he launched, and sabotage the Decepticons out in space.

If Hot Rod convinced Bumblebee to go along with his plan, the pair snuck aboard Astrotrain by concealing themselves within a trailer filled with bombs. As Astrotrain launched, Hot Rod happened upon a room filled with Decepticon space gear. The two Autobots donned the suits in order to disguise themselves. The disguises proved effective as Thrust and Starscream walked past the pair, none the wiser. As Hot Rod continued to explore Astrotrain, he spotted the giant Decepticon Cyclonus out of a nearby window, as well as the Autobot shuttle obliviously heading into a trap. Hot Rod had to then decide on two options. He could risk commandeering Astrotrain’s military command post, despite the Decepticons guarding the door, and warn the incoming Autobot shuttle about the Decepticons. Alternatively, he could find a hiding place from which he could attack Cyclonus himself.

If Hot Rod decided to commandeer the military commands, his disguise managed to fool the guards, but not Scourge, who happened upon them as Hot Rod was inspecting the commands. Bumblebee urged Hot Rod to go through with his plan quickly as Scourge approached them. Hot Rod succeeded in firing Astrotrain’s weapons at Cyclonus, warning the Autobot shuttle of the Decepticons, but was quickly overpowered by Scourge. Alongside Bumblebee, Hot Rod was flung out into the blackness of space by Scourge, stranded in zero-gravity, waiting for a rescue that might never come.

If instead Hot Rod and Bumblebee decided to find themselves a hiding spot, the pair snuck into a room labelled "Dirty Tricks Department" in order to dodge the incoming Laserbeak. Finding a hatch to the space shuttle’s exterior, Hot Rod trained one of Perceptor’s inventions, a "rapid-fire, high-intensity rifle cannon" towards Cyclonus and fired. Having successfully blown a massive hole into Cyclonus, Hot Rod and Bumblebee hid out for the rest of the mission inside the Dirty Tricks department room, finding a way to escape later when it docked.

If instead of boarding Astrotrain, Hot Rod and Bumblebee decided to infiltrate the Decepticons’ command centre on Earth, the two used Astrotrain’s take-off as cover for sneaking into the facility. The pair soon found themselves overhearing Galvatron’s latest pirate broadcast. As the nearby Decepticons troops were busy bowing to their leader’s image, Bumblebee and Hot Rod managed to find the Decepticons’ main computer room. Now in a position to thoroughly sabotage the Decepticons’ operation, Hot Rod spotted a button labelled "TOP SECURITY/DESTRUCT SYSTEM!" and was eager to press it. Bumblebee suggested instead that they use a code he had learned in Advanced Espionage that would scramble the Decepticons’ computer program.

If Hot Rod allowed Bumblebee to use his code, the Decepticons’ plan fell into disarray, and Bumblebee and Hot Rod made their way back to the Autobots’ base safely as the command centre blew itself apart behind them.

If Hot Rod went ahead and pressed the button, he soon discovered that it was a Decepticon trap, as sirens began blaring across the Decepticon base and iron bars prevented them from escaping. Galvatron’s image appeared on a nearby monitor, explaining that both Hot Rod and Bumblebee would be used as hostages in order to secure a Decepticon victory. Hot Rod could do nothing but cover his face in shame in shame.

In a completely different possible series of events, wherein Ultra Magnus agreed to prioritize theft of the coded message, over the Decepticons’ signal hijacking, Hot Rod was part of the captive audience that listened to Kup divulge information about an ancient Autobot formula. Hot Rod took off towards the Autobots’ desert research centre along with a number of other Autobots. Once there, they learned from Springer that the Cybertite sphere had been discovered by humans during the 16th century. If the Decepticons had decoded Springer's message, they would be searching off the coast of California, where the ship containing the sphere had sunk. If they hadn’t decoded the message, the Decepticons would still be digging in the nearby crater.

If the Autobots decided to head for the crater, Hot Rod raced Blurr to the site, only to find it void of any Decepticon activity. Finding Beachcomber tied to an explosive device, the two Autobots worked together to free their comrade. Once freed, Beachcomber informed the pair that the Decepticons had long ago broken the code and were already en-route to retrieve the cybertite sphere. It would now be much to late to catch up to the Decepticons, and all hope to retrieve the orb before them was lost.

If Ultra Magnus decided to assume that the Decepticons had already decrypted the message, he ordered his forces to split up to more efficiently address the situation. Hot Rod was part of the main Autobot force that headed for the California coast. Arriving at the scene, Ultra Magnus’s troops were informed by Powerglide (who had flown ahead of the land-bound group) that he had discovered the location of the sunken ship containing the cybertite sphere. Simultaneously, Blurr caught up with the group to inform them that the Decepticons were quickly approaching.

In one of the possible plans that Ultra Magnus concocted, Hot Rod was tasked with searching the ship once Sludge had used his titanic strength to haul it from the deep. Hot Rod tore through the wrecked vessel, and found the sphere in a timely fashion. He then hid alongside his fellow Autobots, and ambushed the Decepticons as they arrived on-scene.

If Ultra Magnus decided to execute a different plan, wherein Hot Rod, Bumblebee and Grapple had to work together to fetch the sphere, the Autobots did not find the sphere before the Decepticons reached the coast. While Hot Rod searched the ship, dangling from Grapple’s hook over a nearby cliffside, Galvatron and his troops swooped in and blew both the ship and the sphere to smithereens. With the sphere destroyed and the Autobots being pummelled by the Decepticons’ superior firepower, the Autobots’ only hope rested with Hot Rod, dangling on the coast-side in a literal and figurative cliff-hanger!

In yet another possible scenario, where Hot Rod was not involved at all in the actual retrieval of the sphere, the ancient Autobot formula was safely retrieved and taken back to Metroplex. Hot Rod then watched on as Perceptor produced the first batch of power-booster. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}
{{-}}

====Project Brain Drain====
[[File:ProjectBrainDrainAutobotsCelebrate.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
In one possible scenario, upon hearing that the Decepticons were planning to use a "[[Brain Drain device]]" to syphon the intelligence of nearly 500, 000 concert goers, Ultra Magnus ordered his troops, Hot Rod included, to head for the concert to foil Galvatron’s plot. Rodimus and the other Autobots were told to hide themselves amidst the parked vehicles surrounding the concert, and lie in wait for the Decepticons. Once the Decepticons had shown themselves, Ultra Magnus ordered his troops to transform in unison and open fire on their enemies. But Galvatron had planned to light afire the parking lot in which the Autobots were standing in order to trap the humans. Being drenched from above by Decepticon jets dumping gasoline upon them, Ultra Magnus needed to decide whether the Autobots needed to retreat, or to keep on fighting and hope that they could defeat the Decepticons before the fire consumed them.

If Ultra Magnus decided on a retreat, Hot Rod was more than happy to rush out of the blazing inferno and move in closer to the humans in order to protect them. Hot Rod and the others fended off the airborne Decepticons who swooped down, unaffected by the blazing barrier encircling the concert.

In another possible scenario, wherein the Autobots stayed in the parking lot to battle at close-quarters the Decepticons, both he and Bumblebee noticed Soundwave pass the Brain Drain device to Galvatron after the latter had been able to fling Ultra Magnus away. If Hot Rod attempted to stop Galvatron, he successfully plucked the device out of the Decepticons’ hands and barrelled through the nearby circle of flames to make his escape. Just as he reached the other rim of the ring of fire, all four of his tires burst from the flames. He nonetheless skidded to safety, but found himself temporarily out of commission. Nonetheless, the Autobots managed to destroy the Brain Drain device, and Hot Rod was able to enjoy the concert-goers giving the Autobots a standing ovation as the Decepticons retreated.

In a completely different possible scenario, Hot Rod was out on patrol with Kup and Jazz when the three of them heard nearby commotion and went to investigate. Finding Wreck-Gar and Sparkplug being attacked by Thrust and Laserbeak, the Autobots moved in to rescue them and fended off the Decepticons. Hot Rod, Kup and Jazz were informed of the situation as it were; the Decepticons were going to drain the minds of the concert-goers with their Brain Drain device. The Autobots then decided whether they would launch a counter-attack on the Decepticons’ lab, or if they would send Hot Rod for reinforcements while the rest of them headed directly to the concert.

If the group settled on launching a counter-attack, the lot of them stormed the lab with such ferocity and suddenness that the Decepticons were caught completely unawares. Though most of the Decepticons’ forces scattered with the Autobots’ initial assault, Hot Rod and company still had to beat back a small contingency of Decepticons too afraid of Galvatron to desert their posts. Hot Rod and the others successfully beat them back, until Soundwave attempted to escape with the Brain Drain device in hand.

If Hot Rod attempted to shoot the device out of Soundwave’s hands, Soundwave tripped at the last moment over the fallen body of a Decepticon. Hot Rod’s blast his Soundwave’s shoulder, causing him to fling the Brain Drain device up in the air. Laserbeak then managed to snatch the device in mid-air, and flew off to rendezvous with Galvatron. Unable to follow, the Autobots realized that the concert-goers were doomed to all become incredibly stupid very soon. If Jazz attempted to stop him however, he was successful in doing so and the Autobots successfully destroyed the Brain Drain device.

Alternatively, if Hot Rod agreed to head off to Metroplex while the rest of the Autobots headed for the rock concert, he promised that he was soon meet up with them, backed up by an entire army of Autobots, and then sped off.

Some time later, Hot Rod finally arrived at the concert accompanied by Ultra Magnus and numerous other Autobots.

If Sparkplug was able to signal them, Hot Rod pinpointed the location at which his friends were fending off the Decepticons, and sped to meet them as Galvatron was beginning to active the Brain Drain device. Thanks to Ultra Magnus’s timely interference, the Brain Drain device was destroyed and the Autobots were victorious that day.

Otherwise, Hot Rod and the Autobots arrived just in time to congratulate Wreck-Gar, who had already destroyed the Brain Drain device. {{storylink|Project Brain Drain}}
{{-}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
[[File:InvisibilityFactorHotRodKupmeetSarah.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Hot Rod accompanied Kup on a night drive in the desert, when he noticed a spacecraft barreling down from the heavens towards them. As it landed, Hot Rod perceived that it would alternate between being visible and invisible. Curious, he prompted Kup to come with him to investigate.

If Kup agreed to look into the spacecraft right away, the two Autobots were surprised to spot a young woman emerge from the craft. Though Hot Rod startled her at first, the woman was reassured that the Autobots were friendly beings by Kup. Hot Rod learned that her name was [[Sarah Sanders]], and that she was a scientist working to perfect her latest invention, an "[[Invisibility Device]]."

In one possible scenario, Hot Rod, unable to control himself, snatched the device away from Sarah. Despite Sarah’s protests, Hot Rod insisted that the device would be put at its best use in the hands of the Autobots, keeping the world safe from the Decepticons. As Hot Rod daydreamed of glory while driving towards the Autobots’ base, he accidentally triggered the Invisibility Device’s self-destruct mechanism. The ensuing explosion blew him to bits.

If Hot Rod and Kup attempted to politely coax Sarah into giving them the Invisibility Device willingly, Sarah informed the Autobots that she had a strong stance against her invention being used for warfare. As the three of them stood conversing in the open, they soon heard the Decepticons approaching. As the evil robots began to fire upon them, Hot Rod whisked Sarah away to safety. Upon realizing that the Decepticons weren’t pursuing them, and that the Invisibility Device had been left behind, the trio hid behind some nearby rocks to spy upon the Decepticons, who were busy inspecting Sarah’s ship and her Invisibility Device.

If Hot Rod and Kup decided to attack immediately, they were easily defeated and destroyed by the Decepticons.

If Hot Rod and Kup decided to lay low in an attempt to steal the device back from the Decepticons, they first told Sarah to wait for them here, then the pair sneakily followed the Decepticons as they left for their headquarters. As the Decepticons descended into a canyon, Hot Rod was eager to follow them in, but was stopped by Kup. Kup told the young Autobot of how he defeated the Decepticons on Renerian, and the two of them put into action a similar plan. Driving back and forth atop the canyon’s edge, firing from all angles while remaining hidden in the dark, they tricked the Decepticons into thinking a whole team of Autobots had ambushed them. Hot Rod the snuck down into the canyon to retrieve the Invisibility Device. As he crept closer to Shockwave, clutching the device in his robotic arms, Hot Rod noticed that Galvatron was nearby, with his back turned to him.

If Hot Rod forewent attaining the Invisibility Device and attempted to take out Galvatron instead, Starscream spotted him before he could do so, and Hot Rod was promptly dispatched.

If Hot Rod went through with his plan to steal the device back from the Decepticons, he successfully snatched Sarah’s invention from Shockwave’s grasp and took off. Though the Decepticons gave chase, If they were unable to catch him before Kup fired down onto the canyon’s walls, causing it to collapse and burying the Decepticons under an avalanche of earth and rocks. Convinced that Sarah Sanders would now allow the Autobots to use her device now that she had seen how evil the Decepticons were, Hot Rod and Kup drove back to meet up with her.

In a different possible scenario, the Decepticons took off in Sarah’s spaceship upon finding it, forcing Kup and Hot Rod to head back to Metroplex city for reinforcements and a ship of their own. Hot Rod and Kup were joined by Ultra Magnus, Prowl, Jazz and Springer, and blasted off. Once in space, however, they found it difficult to locate the Decepticons. The ship’s crew had to decided where to look next for the Decepticons.

If the Autobots decided to investigate the dark side of the moon, they found themselves unable to see anything on the satellite’s shadowy surface. Hot Rod suggested that they fire down laser blasts, in the hopes of making the Decepticons fire back, making them reveal their position. Jazz dismissed Hot Rod’s plan as being too risky.

If Ultra Magnus decided to go through with Hot Rod’s plan, the Autobots succeeded only in making themselves an easy target for the Decepticons, who blasted their shuttle to bits. Hot Rod and his friends were reduced to space junk.

If Ultra Magnus listened to Jazz’s plan, he ordered his Autobots to remain silent, and to shut off all of the shuttle’s lights and mechanisms. Launching a probe as a decoy, the Autobots successfully tricked the Decepticons into revealing their position when they mistook the probe as their shuttle and opened fire upon it. Firing back, the Autobots began crippling the Decepticons’ ship, until a lucky shot rocked their own shuttle. Though the Decepticons attempted to escape while the Autobots were off-balance, the Autobots were able to deliver the finishing blow, ending the Decepticons’ menace as the evil robots' ship exploded.

In an alternate scenario wherein the Autobots listened to Prowl’s suggested and searched the Asteroid Belt beyond Mars, they soon found themselves struggling to get through the maze of floating rocks. Hot Rod was in favour of retreating from the asteroid field when it proved increasingly difficult to navigate it.

If the Autobots pushed on their search in the Asteroid Belt, they soon found themselves on a collision course with two enormous asteroids. If they only managed to blast one of asteroids, the Autobots were forced to retreat back to Earth after their shuttle took substantial damage. If the Autobots managed to blast neither of the Asteroids, they were all crushed between the giant pieces of space debris.

If they managed to blast away both asteroids, they reached a vast, empty expanse of space within the asteroid belt. Despite no longer being in danger of being crushed, Hot Rod announced that he had a horrible sense of foreboding about their situation. His feelings of being watched were confirmed when the Decepticons, now invisible, began firing upon them. The Autobots considered retreating, but Kup reminded them that Sarah Sanders had not perfected her device yet, and the Decepticons’ invisibility may yet wear off.

If the Autobots attempted to flee from the Decepticons’ attack, they found themselves at too much of a disadvantage to successfully make it out of the Asteroid Belt. They were blown into space junk before they could reach Earth.

If the Autobots held their ground, they were instructed by Ultra Magnus not to open fire upon the Decepticons until ordered to do so. Though things were tense as the Autobots were hit over and over again by their invisible opponents, soon the enemy ship came into view, just as Kup had predicted. The Autobots opened fire on the flimsier vessel, blowing it and the Decepticons within to smithereens. Hot Rod noted that it was a shame the invisibility device had been lost in the process, but Ultra Magnus comforted him, noting that at least the Decepticons had been taken care of, once and for all.

If the Autobots did retreat out of the Asteroid Belt, they convinced one another that the Decepticons most likely perished within it. Then, a few days later, when the invisible Decepticons attacked Metroplex city, Hot Rod and the rest of the Autobots were reduced to scrap metal, unable to fight the unseen enemy.

In a completely different scenario, wherein Hot Rod and Kup returned to Autobot headquarters for reinforcements after seeing the spaceship land, the two of them reported to Ultra Magnus directly, who agreed the situation necessitated further investigation. Hot Rod and Kup returned to the ship’s landing site accompanied by Jazz, Sunstreaker, Prowl and Springer. When they arrived, the ship in question was nowhere to be found, prompting Jazz and Springer to second-guess the veracity of Hot Rod and Kup’s story.

If Jazz and Springer convinced Hot Rod and Kup to return to Metroplex city to make sure they didn’t have a few wires loose, Ratchet found nothing wrong with the pair, but the incident was forgotten nonetheless. That is, until Galvatron returned with a fleet of identical ships, and destroyed both Metroplex and all of its inhabitants.

If Hot Rod and Kup convinced the other Autobots to keep on looking, Hot Rod eventually found trail marks, indicating that a heavy object the size of their spacecraft had indeed landed and had been dragged away. Hot Rod and the others followed the trail to a more rocky terrain, where tracking the ship would become more difficult. The trail seemingly lost, the Autobots then heard someone incoming, and took cover. From their hiding places, they saw the Decepticons Scavenger, a human captive within the grasp of his steam-shovel.

If the Autobots decided to rescue Sarah immediately, Scavenger dropped the woman, and cried for help while attempting to flee.

If the Autobots pursued Scavenger, they found him rejoining a whole squadron of Decepticons. Fighting the Decepticons immediately would cost them their lives. Otherwise, if the Autobots decided on a retreat when faced by the whole squadron of Decepticons, they managed to do so by blinding their enemies by their high beams and then splitting off into different direction. They later regrouped and found Sarah Sanders wandering in the desert.

If the Autobots paused a moment to listen to Sarah, she informed them of her spacecraft and its invisibility capabilities.

If the Autobots asked Sarah to build them their own Invisibility Device, Sarah refused, stating she would not build weapons for war. Running away from the group Sarah was almost killed when Dirge passed overhead and dropped a missile on her position. After rescuing her from the Decepticon attack, Hot Rod and the others brought Sarah to safety within Metroplex. Grateful for the rescue, Sarah showed the Autobots how to create an [[Invisibility Scrambler]] to counteract the Decepticons’ Invisibility Device. Anticipating the Decepticons’ attack, the Autobots successfully defeated the evil robots when they came. As Starscream, having been taking prisoner, was being escorted to his cell Hot Rod made a quip about seeing "right through the Decepticons’ plans."

If instead of asking Sarah to build them an Invisibility Device, Hot Rod and the others attempted once more to retrieve her ship, the whole group snuck over to where the Decepticons were stationed. Once there, Hot Rod and Prowl argued over which plan of action would be the smartest to undertake next.

If the Autobots agreed with Hot Rod to try and take the Decepticons by surprise with a head-on attack, the Autobots manage to stun the Decepticons by dazzling them with their headlights. While the Decepticons were distracted, Hot Rod raced down, snatched the Invisibility Device out of the hands, and retreated while the rest of the group provided cover fire. The Autobots then successfully peeled back, congratulating one another on a job well done.

If the Autobots agreed with Prowl to take a moment to come up with a more detailed plan, Prowl instructed Hot Rod to taunt the Decepticons into following him. The plan worked, and the bulk of the Decepticons took off after the young Autobot. Though Hot Rod encountered a canyon that blocked off his escape route, by keeping his wits about him, he managed to come out on top. In one scenario, Hot Rod even discovered a secret Decepticon base, which the Autobots managed to destroy thanks to him. In another, Hot Rod watched on as Sarah left in her spaceship in order to destroy it, vowing it would never be used to bring destruction.

In an alternate scenario where the Autobots silently trailed Scavenger while the Decepticon held Sarah Sanders captive, Hot Rod and the others followed him all the way to the Decepticons’ secret desert base. Inside, they spied upon Galvatron telling Sarah Sanders that the Decepticons would use Cerebro-Shells to control her mind, so that she would reveal to them to secret of invisibility. At this point, the Autobots decided to step in. A direct attack would only end in the Autobots’ defeat. In order to rescue Sarah, the Autobots would need to employ trickery. Using Jazz’s special abilities, the Autobots could do just that. In this scenario, the Autobots grabbed Sarah while the Decepticons were too dazzled by the illusions that Jazz projected. Sarah directed the Autobots towards where the Decepticons had stored her ship. Upon following her directions, Hot Rod and the others came upon two doors, unable to tell behind which one they would find their means of escape. If the Autobots happened upon Sarah’s ship as they were, they would be destroyed by the droids guarding it. However, if the Autobots first opened the door which led to a closet filled with Decepticon spare parts, they found a pile of spare Decepticon emblems. Donning them, Hot Rod and the rest of his team were able to fool the Decepticon Droids guarding Sarah’s ship. Escaping in the ship, despite the Decepticons best efforts to stop them, the Autobots returned to Metroplex. Sarah then gave the Autobots the secret to her Invisibility Device, ensuring the Autobots their victory in their war against the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}
{{-}}

===St. Michael ''The Transformers'' Sticker Book===
{{notemultipath}}
Hot Rod served on an alien spacecraft with the Autobots [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] under the command of Ultra Magnus. While fighting Decepticons, their spaceship took heavy damage and crash-landed on the planet [[Barrenikon]]. There, he met [[you]], having just emerged from the Vortex, a portal through space and time contained within the planet. Together, you went on an adventure, fighting Decepticons, braving Barrenikon's barren desert or its putrid swamp, and trying to find a way to get the Autobots space-bound once more. {{storylink|The Transformers Sticker Book (St. Michael)|The Transformers Sticker Book}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Hotroddreamwave.jpg|left|thumb]]
Hot Rod joined an underground Autobot cell led by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] after [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] takeover of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Among the members of the cell was [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], whom Hot Rod became attached to. From the [[Wastelands]], Hot Rod, [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] observed an incoming Decepticon shuttle carrying the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} Shortly afterward, the cell rescued [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] from [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] and [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]], and took him to their base. After awakening, Prime attacked [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]], Blurr, and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], forcing Hot Rod (who didn't recognize him) to hold the Autobot leader at gunpoint. After receiving a corrective slap from and being admonished by Kup, Hot Rod apologized. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}

After Shockwave unleashed the [[Guardian robot]]s on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Prime organized the resistance cell and other Autobot forces on the planet in an assault on Shockwave's citadel. Fighting alongside the Autobot leader, Hot Rod was amazed that the stories Kup had told him about Prime's courage and heroism had all been true. As an injured Prime breached the citadel, Hot Rod, Ironhide and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] provided cover fire, taking down a number of Guardians in the process. Along with the rest of Iacon, they witnessed the divine light of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Matrix of Leadership]] when Shockwave activated it. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

As Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] battled Shockwave within the citadel, Hot Rod and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] took down [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. Immediately afterward, they were confronted with the looming threat of a remaining Guardian robot—a threat that was soon neutralized by the arrival of the [[Wrecker]]s, the [[Autobot High Council]], and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. The unified Autobot group soon breached the citadel, and successfully brought to an end Shockwave's reign. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Some time later, Hot Rod ran a simulation combat scenario against Kup, and won using tactics that, in Kup's opinion, would have killed them both had it been real. Only after his victory did Hot Rod remember that he'd promised to take Arcee to see an [[Earth]]-bound shuttle launch—a duty Springer was happy to relieve him of. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}} Soon afterward, he was assigned to perimeter guard duty at [[Autobase]] with Gnaw and Wheelie, separating him from Arcee. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

Optimus Prime once experienced a vision showing, at some unknown point in the future, Hot Rod had become a [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]].{{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

{{Unreleased DW G1 comic}}
After looking upon the still-recovering Optimus Prime with Wheelie and Gnaw, Hot Rod was accosted by several "[[Female Autobots|Transformer-like warriors]]," and knocked off-line. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Issue 11|Generation 1 #11}}
{{-}}

===3H comics===
[[File:Skidswreckers2.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|It's funny because Rodimus sucked at everything.]]
A few months after he destroyed [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] in 2005, {{storylink|Covenant (story)|Covenant}} Rodimus Prime spearheaded an effort to establish multiple recon posts to watch for advancing threats... even though some of his scientists said he shouldn't. When only two of the five launched ships were ever heard from again. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

After the Great Wars ended and the [[Pax Cybertronia]] was signed, he changed his name to simply "Rodimus" and decided to check out the new "[[Great Upgrade|Maximal Upgrade]]". His relationship with [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] ended shortly after, as the latter went through dark gripping depression over the death of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and vanished.

Rodimus joined the [[Wrecker]]s at some undetermined point afterward. After [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] took over Cybertron with his [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]], Wrecker leader [[Apelinq (BM)|Apelinq]] got stranded on prehistoric [[Earth]], leaving Rodimus in charge. True to form, he ditched leadership duties to [[Primal Prime]] as soon as possible.

After Primal Prime got his marching orders from the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], he met Rodimus deep inside Cybertron's caverns, where Arcee—in a new Maximal body—lurked and stewed in her depression. Realizing he couldn't convince her to give a damn about anything, he left, rejoining the main Wrecker force in battle. Making it onto an ancient Autobot shuttle, the Wreckers blasted off... with late-arrival Arcee. {{storylink|Departure}}

[[File:Arceedisclosure.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Except you're the size of my arm now.]]
Rodimus recognized the homing beacon emitting from [[Akalo|Archa Nine]] as one of those missing exploration parties mentioned before. When the shuttle landed, Rodimus stayed behind to help repair the damage the ship had suffered. The entire Wrecker team later gathered in an [[Akalouthan]] village, where Rodimus was reunited with [[Glyph (Universe)|Glyph]], who took them to see the artifact known as the [[Divine Light]]. The Wreckers' analysis of the item was cut short, as it was stolen by the traitor [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Rodimus saw the back-in-his-old-body [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] off, who was sent to chase after Cyclonus, while the Wreckers made for their next destination... even though several of them were now leery of the visions Primal Prime had been getting. Because they'd really done ''so well'' by the Wreckers so far. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

Upon landing on the frozen planet, Rodimus was part of the search party immediately dispatched to look for... something. Primal Prime wasn't too specific. They came across [[Al-Badur]], an exiled [[Quintesson]], who gave them a little history lesson. They were then promptly attacked by a school of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]], but the Wreckers made short work of them. They made their way back to the ship, with Al-Badur in tow, and made for their next destination... {{storylink|Disclosure}}

[[File:WreckersFinaleII-RodimusCyclonus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|If Optimus can die, so can I!]]
...Cybertron. As Primal Prime took some Wreckers after their true foe, [[Cryotek (Universe)|Cryotek]], Rodimus tried to get their injured to a safe place. Unfortunately, the planet was under a full scale Quintesson invasion, and some anti-aircraft fire inevitably clipped the ship and sent them plummeting downwards. After they made it to safe ground, Rodimus and the crew hooked up with his fellow [[Matrix Templar]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], and followed his insight to the battle. They confronted Cryotek's underling, Cyclonus, and his purloined squad of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s. With casualties mounting on both sides, Cyclonus beat a safe retreat, collapsing the tunnel behind him to prevent pursuit. Rodimus was quick enough to dive through the falling debris, however, leaving the two old enemies alone to do battle. Centuries of bad blood carried them through the conflict, until both drew their weapons at point blank range, and fired.

Horribly damaged by this last attack, Rodimus struggled to keep up with the other Wreckers and the running conflict between [[Sentinel Maximus]] and Cryotek. The fighting came to an end at a Quintesson banishing chamber, where the treacherous Al-Badur had attempted to toss Sentinel and Cryotek into a formless void. The two warriors were trapped behind an energy dome, barely able to fight off the portal's pull using their flight systems. Once [[Fractyl]] pointed out that Cryotek was empowered by the Divine Light, a fraction of Primus's own power, Rodimus realized that as Matrix Templars he and Cheetor could drain that power away from the Predacon. They managed to extract most of it before Cryotek cut off their siphoning effect. In the end, Sentinel Maximus sacrificed himself to pull Cryotek into the void with him. Rodimus finally expired from his wounds from fighting Cyclonus, quietly passing on into the Matrix. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:GIJoeTFHotRod70s.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|"That bumperchest really doesn't feel right. How do Prowl and Jazz live with it?"]]
Hot Rod was one of [[Teletran 3]]'s unfortunate victims when the computer malfunctioned and transported a random number of Transformers to random points in Earth's timeline. Along with [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], Hot Rod ended up in mid-1970's [[San Francisco]], where he was locked into the form of a Ford Mustang muscle car. The dormant Autobot was soon stolen by a car thief, but was chased down by a group of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] and [[Cobra]] members sent to retrieve the Transformers. Discovering [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] in the process, the humans equipped both vehicles with [[disruption unit]] that awakened the Transformers and sent them back to present-day Cybertron seconds after Hot Rod commented about feeling "really weird." {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}} Back on Cybertron, they were stuck waiting inside the force field Ultra Magnus had erected to prevent [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] from capturing Teletran 3. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

Some time after his time travel adventure, Hot Rod reported to Optimus Prime that [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s team on Earth had been sidetracked by a Cobra attack. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}} When said team ended up disappearing in Cybertron's [[Gladiator Zone]], Hot Rod convinced Optimus to stay behind and take care of an Autobot peace ceremony instead of going out and searching for them. Hot Rod then assembled his own search party, but they failed to find the missing Autobots. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} Unfortunately, [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces attacked the peace ceremony and captured Optimus Prime, leading to Hot Rod assembling a new team intent on rescuing him. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}} [[File:Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus BlackHorizon1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.9]] They fought Serpent O.R.'s Decepticon army together with reinforcements from G.I. Joe, and during the battle, Hot Rod paused in horror as he saw the light of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] being opened inside the Decepticon base. The Decepticon army eventually defeated, and by the time Hot Rod reached inside their base, Serpent O.R. had been killed as well. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

A few months later, Hot Rod questioned Optimus Prime's choice to go to Earth again, accusing his leader of feeling guilty about [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s death at Serpent O.R.'s hands and doing everything by himself just to prevent more people from dying. Prime just looked at him sadly before leaving, causing Ultra Magnus to tell Hot Rod that he really needed to learn when to stop talking. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{main|Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity}}
[[File:SpotlightHotRod-HotRodcvrAexcerpt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|As much as anything else, this was to troll [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]].]]
Originating from the city-state of [[Nyon]], Hot Rod destroyed it to keep its population from being painfully, fatally drained to fuel the corrupt [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]]'s war machines.

Years later, Hot Rod held a fairly high rank in the Autobot army, equivalent to [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]], and was sent on a mission to [[Ki-Aleta]] to retrieve the [[Epistemus|Magnificence]] which turned into a only technically-successful disaster, with himself the only apparent survivor. When he found out [[Doubledealer|Dealer]] had also survived, he rescued him from a Decepticon prison, unaware that he was the traitor who had caused things to go so wrong. Soon after, he was called to Earth to aid [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], but briefly returned to retrieve the Magnificence to gain information on the [[Expansion]], during which he discovered Dealer's treachery and killed him. Thereafter, he returned to his information-gathering task on the [[Machination]], and though was badly beaten by [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], he still aided in the Decepticon's defeat.

After surviving the [[Surge (event)|Surge]] and watching Optimus surrender to [[Skywatch]], he led a group of Autobots to make an alliance with [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to get off Earth, with the capitalist Decepticon buttering him up by dubbing him "Rodimus Prime", a name he adopted and continued to use even after Swindle's inevitable betrayal. Flying off in a stolen shuttle to retrieve the Matrix from the Decepticons, he was blasted into space by [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] after taking it from [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], leading to a trip that involved the discovery of [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron's]] army-building. Returning the Matrix and this information to Optimus, he was permanently redubbed Rodimus and joined him in facing Galvatron, convincing Optimus that only the Matrix could undo the [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]]' contamination of Vector Sigma.

After the Chaos War was done, he was given half of the now-empty Matrix by Optimus, and led a two-hundred strong crew into space aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'' to seek the [[Knights of Cybertron]], leaving Cybertron and its returned, hostile, population of [[NAIL|neutral Transformers]].

{{--}}

===''Q-Robo Transformer''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Q-Robo Transformer}}}}
{{-}}
===''Mini Mayhem!''===
When a surprise party was thrown for Optimus in honor of the 20th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Hot Rod didn't wind up getting invited. He bemoaned that no one ever remembered ''his'' anniversary.

Later, Optimus told a couple of humans that the Transformers were in the midst of doing something really interesting... and showed them Hot Rod and Sunstreaker eating a pie! {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in manga===
[[File:Henkei manga rodimus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9]]
While the other Autobots were busy dealing with a rampaging [[Astrotrain (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Astrotrain]], Hot Rod disrupted [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Megatron]] and the other Decepticons' attack on a power plant by engaging them solo. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2}} Unable to tackle Megatron in hand-to-hand combat, he was able to get [[Starscream (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Starscream]] to accidentally blast his leader instead, but this did little more than annoy Megatron, who flattened Hot Rod with a [[fusion cannon]] blast. With Hot Rod defeated, the Decepticons pulled out, but the Autobot cavalier didn't let the defeat get him down, and he sped off to join the other Autobots in battling Astrotrain. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3}} Soon after, Hot Rod helped defend another power plant against a Decepticon attack, shielding the human workers from Starscream's blasts with his own body. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 4}}

When the mysterious new Decepticon warrior [[Cyclonus (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Cyclonus]] provided Megatron with the means to transform himself into the monstrous [[Galvatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Galvatron]], Hot Rod, [[Ironhide (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Ironhide]] and [[Mirage (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Mirage]] trailed Cyclonus's Targetmaster partner [[Nightstick (G1)|Nightstick]] to the volcano in which Megatron was carrying out his transformation. Despite resistance from Starscream and Cyclonus, Hot Rod and his team were able to collapse the volcano's cone in on itself. They believed they had sealed Megatron within, and were about to focus their attack on Starscream when they were sent scattering by the explosive emergence of Galvatron from the remains of the caldera. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 9}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun'' manga===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}}}

Following the defeat of [[Galvatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Galvatron]] on [[Earth]], Hot Rod was among the Autobots that [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Optimus Prime]] summoned to the planet. Together with [[Ironhide (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Ironhide]], [[Hound (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Hound]] and [[Jetfire (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Skyfire]], Hot Rod was to protect the planet while Optimus's team set off for Cybertron in pursuit of the fleeing Galvatron. {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 3}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 4}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 6}}}}

===Fire Rodimus===
{{note|Fire Rodimus is based on an unproduced toy concept. For information about the toy concept, see [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Notes|here]].}}
[[File:TFGRodimus.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|New Rodimus, not to be confused with New Coke.]]

====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Primax 092.0 Beta]], Rodimus (in his [[Micromaster]] body) was severely injured defending [[Micro|Zone]] from a [[Galaman|Great Galaman]] invasion. Subsequently, Rodimus's essence was transferred into [[Duke Fire]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Star Convoy]]'s power-up being, and Rodimus became known as Fire Rodimus. Star Convoy and Fire Rodimus's powerful combined form, Supernova Convoy, defeated [[Dark Nova|Star Giant]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Ultra Megatron]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/15}}

====''Regeneration One''====
Fire Rodimus was among the many alternate universe incarnations glimpsed by [[Primax 512.5 Gamma]]'s [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] {{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}} and was also summoned to Primax 512.5 Gamma to fight the [[Dark Matrix]] creature. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
After being asked to by [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]], the [[Autobot]]s, including Rodimus, attacked the Decepticon Base and chased away [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]. {{Storylink|A Reliable Warrior!? Vortex the Lookout from Hell}} After Megatron transformed into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Rodimus helped stop Galvatron's rampage by distracting him long enough for [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] to take Galvatron's helmet off, returning him to normal. {{storylink|Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!}}

===''Cloud''===
[[File:Cloud Hot Rodimus.jpg|thumb|"Let me ask before I grab your purse; Why do I look like the [[Springer (G1)|Green guy]]?]]
'''Hot Rodimus''' was a young knight among the [[Autobot]]s, the space-time guardians who resided in [[Cloud World]]'s [[Metropolis]]. He was a powerful warrior with a strong sense of justice, but had a rather brash and immature attitude because of his youth.

Hot Rodimus was dispatched by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to deal with an energy surge at the 24-BW Spacetime. {{storylink|Uprising (Cloud)|Uprising}} Returning after the appointed time, Hot Rodimus explained to Optimus that a space-time disturbance delayed his return with the energy for [[SARA]]. As they spoke, the Decepticon uprising began with a devastating level of destruction levelled against Metropolis. Though overcome with emotion, Hot Rodimus was pacified by Optimus, who dispatched him to prepare their district's defenses. {{storylink|Raid}}

The Autobots fought back against the Decepticon invaders, but little did they suspect that the destruction being wrought was little nothing more than a distractio. While the bulk of their forces had been drawn away from their base of operations, a group of Decepticons forced their way in and abducted [[SARA]] before returning to the Underground. When the Autobots reconvened to discuss their next course of action, Hot Rodimus bemoaned their foolishness and inability to see through the Decepticons' ruse. The Autobots began to lose hope when it became clear that they would have to venture into the vast, dangerous, and unmapped Decepticon territory to retrieve SARA. Though Optimus, taking full blame of the situation onto himself, suggested that he venture into the Underground alone, Hot Rodimus refused to allow Optimus to go on such a dangerous venture. He declared that all the Autobots would join him. His comrades, though scared at first, agreed with Hot Rodimus's sentiment. Optimus thanked Hot Rodimus for preventing him from making another foolish decision, and then gave the order... ROLL OUT! {{storylink|Resolve}}

After zeroing in on SARA's energy signature, a decrepit old building, Hot Rodimus, Optimus Prime and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] headed underground. While a team headed by Jazz blitzed the Decepticons on the building's main floor, Hot Rodimus's team infiltrated its basement covertly. They reached the inner sanctum were SARA was being kept only to find that Megatron had already wired her into his own body. The Decepticon leader revealed the extent of his megalomania, declaring that he would rule all of space-time, even if it meant destroying his home dimension in the process. Though they tried to stop him, both Hot Rodimus and Brawn were shoved away effortlessly by the newly empowered Megatron. Hot Rodimus was knocked unconscious by the attack. His back-up disabled, Optimus Prime rammed Megatron, causing a disruption in SARA's energy and sending the combatants across dimensions. {{storylink|Leap}}

When a close friend of Hot Rodimus was injured by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], the righteous anger burning within him awakened the power of [[SARA]], granting him a second [[alternate mode]] in the form of a helicopter.

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Rampage (Cloud)|Rampage}} {{storylink|Crisis (Cloud)|Crisis}} {{storylink|Showdown (Cloud)|Showdown}} {{storylink|Return}} {{storylink|Awakening (Cloud)|Awakening}} {{storylink|Wandering}} {{storylink|Shock (Cloud)|Shock}} {{storylink|Wild (Cloud)|Wild}} {{storylink|Eagerness}} {{storylink|Lightwave}} {{storylink|Metamorphosis (Cloud)|Metamorphosis}} {{storylink|Overwhelm}} {{storylink|Concealment}} {{storylink|Struggle}} {{storylink|Fury (Cloud)|Fury}} {{storylink|Transcendence}}{{storylink|TFC-A01}} {{storylink|TFC-A03}} {{storylink|TFC-A04}} {{storylink|Transformers Cloud (issue)|Transformers Cloud}}}}

====''Legends'' comic====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Deadlock)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:TFvsJoe4 hotrod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Flame deco now available with Kirby Krackle!]]
Polymath warrior prince '''Imhotep Rodimus''' was Optimus Prime's chosen successor as Autobot leader. Unfortunately for Rodimus, when Optimus disappeared and Megatron seized control of Cybertron, Dinobot leader Grimlock objected to the "chosen one" taking leadership and defeated him in combat, casting him out of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. Fallen and dejected, with no fight left in him, the young 'bot became a cog in Megatron's great machine, and wound with a lowly job in reactor maintenance, cleaning up vermin droppings and ferrying around the tubular [[energon]] containers from which he took his new name: Hot Rod.

On a routine collection of [[turborat]] traps, Hot Rod was puzzled to find that one trap contained not the robotic pests he was used to, but small, organic beings: unfortunate members of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], who had recently arrived on the planet. Tossing them in with the rest of his cargo and going on his weary way past the [[smelting pool]]s, he was suddenly confronted by Autobot revolutionary Blaster, who despised him for his defection and opened fire on him. A G.I. Joe [[G.I.Rocket|missile bombardment]] subsequently took Blaster out, but when Decepticons [[Apeface]] and [[Demolisher]] arrived, they assumed Hot Rod was responsible and congratulated him. Praise from these low-lifes was the last straw for Hot Rod, and he threw the pair into one of the furnaces, loaded up the unconscious Blaster, and roared off back to Metroplex, unintentionally providing the Joes with an escape from their own missiles in the process. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}}

Hot Rod returned to Metroplex just as it was coming under attack from both [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and a mind-controlled [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. He managed to get inside the Autobot city anyways, and brought Blaster to Ratchet, urging the medic to save the brave Autobot to whom he owed his reawakening. Hot Rod then made his way to Metroplex's control room and ordered him to convert to his battle mode. Before he could convince the traumatized city to do so, Grimlock happened by. The Dinobot tried to chase off Hot Rod as he had done so in the past, but with a solid left hook Rodimus challenged Grimlock for leadership once more. Whatever the outcome of the duel, Grimlock expired shortly thereafter at the hands of Megatron. {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}} Afterwards, Rodimus, Brawn, and Mirage found that [[Bazooka (G.I. Joe)|Bazooka]], while in a trance, had drawn a map to the Chamber of Primus on Metroplex's floor. Following the map, the three Autobots, Bazooka, Cover Girl, and Duke found the face of the dormant Cybertronian god whispering: "No will but Megatron's"... Decepticobra guards, posted at a nearby Megatronian temple, caught sight of them, and a firefight began between both sides. {{storylink|Expelled from the Garden}}

The group's pilgrimage took them deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, where they encountered the mysterious [[Keeper (Transformer)|Keeper]]. The Keeper told the group about the creation of Cybertron from its progenitor [[Daiakuron]]. {{storylink|Earth: R.I.P.}} Their tour of the netherworld was cut short by tremors from above, and the team made a break for it. Rodimus made up to the surface safely, where he dispatched Springer and some Joes to rescue the individuals who hadn't made it out. {{storylink|Escape from Primus}} As the maddened Primus drew closer to the sun, both sides prepared for the final confrontation. Rodimus rallied the shellshocked Metroplex, convincing him to transform into his robot form for the first time in millennia. As the Jotobots attacked Trypticon, Rodimus rode Sky Lynx into the battle. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

Rodimus was one of the many Autobots forced to combine with Megatron to form "Mega-Megatron". After the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the end of the war, Optimus departed Cybertron aboard the ''Ark-2'', once again offering Rodimus a second chance to rule Cybertron. Rodimus gratefully accepted the opportunity. As a peacetime "philosopher-king", he and Wreck-Gar frequently visited [[Uranus]] to contemplate. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}} {{storylink|Conclusion}}

===''Q-Transformers'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Kenshō Ono]] (Japanese)}}
{{Charstubfiction|{{storylink|Mystery of Mystery of Convoy}} {{storylink|Mystery of Return of Convoy}}}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[File:Micro-Aggressions HotRodGrimlock.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]
During the original Great War, Hot Rod fought on Earth and once tore off [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s wing in a parking garage. {{storylink|Derailment}}

When the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders of Cybertron]] came into power, Hot Rod quickly became aware of how oppressive their rule was. He believed he could work within their system however, and set about implementing gradual change without resorting to violence. To this end, he downsized his body and became a [[Micromaster]], even though doing so meant he lost much of his status in the government's hierarchy. Hot Rod worked the system for seventy years, along the way getting posted as the head of [[Micropolis]]. Then, in the late 24th century, [[Lio Convoy]] sparked a revolution among the [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] populace, calling for an aggressive societal reform. Hot Rod and his team, [[Drillbuster]], [[Blackout (G1)|Blackout]], [[Spaceshot]], and [[Countdown (G1)|Countdown]], were assigned to deal with and counter the [[Resistance]]'s [[Grand Uprising]].

In energy-starved times, Hot Rod, like most other members of society, was privy to a very limited amount of fuel. It surprised him then when he was given a full tank in preparation for an upcoming mission. The severity of the situation cleared up why he had been allowed more than his usual ration: the Resistance had managed to steal the [[G-Virus]]. This potent weapon had been reverse-engineered from [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s remains, and would replicate the process that transformed [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] into the mad scion of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] in anyone that was infected with it. Hot Rod was furious to learn that the one who had orchestrated the theft was none other than [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]; his former teammate had previously transplanted his spark into a Maximal body and then led many violent attacks against the government. Hot Rod did find solace in the fact that Grimlock was a predictable opponent though. He quickly puzzled out that the Resistance's next target would be the first [[Games|gladiatorial game]] to be hosted since Lio Convoy's call to arms. Hot Rod called in every favor owed to him to secure two hundred extra guards for [[Tesarus (polity)|Tesarus Arena]], with an extra three-hundred [[Maximal Command Security Force|MCSF]] officers to patrol the stadium's crowd.

Despite these precautions, Grimlock's cell managed to come dangerously close to the crowd before Hot Rod was alerted to their presence. He went to deal with the intruders in person, leaving most of his troops in place in case Grimlock was merely creating a diversion for another attack. Hitching a ride atop of Blackout and Spaceshot's combined vehicle mode, he managed to reach the Resistance fighters before they were in position to infect the Builders enjoying the Game. While his subordinates dealt with The [[Manterror|Man Terror]] and [[Snapper]], two Predacons operating under Grimlock, Hot Rod took on the former [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] himself. The battle that ensued left both Hot Rod and his opponent gravely wounded. Many verbal attacks were also traded between them, with Grimlock accusing Hot Rod of spitting on everything the Autobot badge once stood for by siding with the Builders. Hot Rod countered that though he hated what their world had become, he was leading by example, unlike Grimlock who had remained a violent brute. Their brawl eventually led to both 'bots tumbling out into the arena crowd. Grimlock's remaining allies came to his aid, and Hot Rod was tossed aside as Snapper prepared to unleash a virulent payload on the unsuspecting crowd. Hot Rod pleaded with him not to, explaining to the Predacon what the virus actually did; Grimlock had neglected to inform his underlings of this particular detail. Snapper was swayed to not unleash a thousand more mad tyrants on Cybertron, and destroyed the virus. Though Hot Rod had been specifically instructed to retrieve the G-Virus, he was simply content with the fact that it had not been unleashed. In thanks for his cooperation, Hot Rod promised Snapper that he would be treated fairly as he was taken into custody. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}{{storylink|Derailment}}}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
In one universe, Rodimus fought alongside his fellow Autobots against Megatron's Decepticons until the Cybertronian civil war led to the creation of the monstrous combiner, [[Thunder Mayhem]]. Thunder Mayhem turned on his masters, ultimately leading to him rampaging across Cybertron. Rodimus presumably perished during the reckoning of his homeworld. {{storylink|History}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons===
{{voiceactor|[[Ben Pronsky]] (''Combiner Wars'', English), [[Judd Nelson]] (''Titans Return'', ''Power of the Primes'', English)}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Starscream}} {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Windblade}} {{storylink|The Council}} {{storylink|Homecoming (CW)|Homecoming}} {{storylink|A War of Giants}} {{storylink|Darkest Hour (CW)|Darkest Hour}} {{storylink|Destruction's Dawn}}}}
[[File:TR-Ep1-Aftermath-and-Rebirth-Rodimus-scan.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|left|So we're letting any fool with a costume into the hall now?]]
[[File:TF-TR-Cartoon-Ep5-Ridealong.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''You're gonna climb over the top of all Nobody beats you 'cause you're fast as lightning Gekiso Sentai Carranger'']]
Following the Combiner Wars, Rodimus returned to the [[Primal Basilica]], where he asked the [[Chorus of the Primes]] to take back the [[Matrix of Leadership]], as he no longer believed himself worthy to carry it. The Chorus agreed and restored his arm before reformatting him back into his previous body as Hot Rod. {{storylink|Aftermath and Rebirth}} When the [[Mistress of Flame]] alerted him to [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s attack, he rushed back towards [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex City]] to help fight, assuring the Mistress he wouldn't be long. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}} {{storylink|The Fight Begins}} Finally arriving, he ran into Windblade and the two worked together to attack Trypticon, though they were unable to save Metroplex. When [[Emissary (Generations)|Emissary]] was swallowed by Trypticon, Hot Rod Entered Trypticon's body himself and rescued the [[Titan Master]], though he was hit by Trypticon's tail and sustained severe damage. Unable to move, he asked Windblade to take Emissary and find [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. As he lay on the ground, [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] arrived and forced the [[Matrix of Conquest|Matrix of Chaos]] into the weakened Hot Rod's chest, corrupting him. {{storylink|At the Last Second}} The two later observed the end of the conflict and the return of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] from afar. {{storylink|All Things Must Pass}}
[[File:Machinima-POTP-Rodimus-Cron-fires.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Carbon fiber, 28 caliber, made in China; if you want to kill a public servant, Mr. Maroni, I recommend you buy American.]]

Now an acolyte of Megatronus, Hot Rod found himself dramatically powered up by the Matrix of Chaos, which granted him the new name '''Rodimus Cron'''. He joined Overlord in assaulting the remaining Combiners, killing [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] and disabling [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. He proceeded to destroy Devastator's limbs one by one until [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] finally confessed [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s whereabouts, only to finish the job anyway before departing for [[Primal Swamp]] with Overlord. {{storylink|Volcanicus (episode)|Volcanicus}} At first their search proved fruitless, but they spotted the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and took them down, attempting to interrogate them for Megatron's whereabouts. Rodimus found himself momentarily possessed by [[Unicron]], who identified the [[Athenaeum Sanctorum]] from [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]'s description before killing [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] as a warning, leaving Rodimus's body as he and Overlord headed for the library. There, they caught Megatron's team unaware, giving Rodimus the opportunity to kill Victorion. {{storylink|Athenaeum Sanctorum (episode)|Athenaeum Sanctorum}} Rodimus then proceeded to beat down any member of the team that came his way, culminating in him strangling Windblade when she moved to defend Megatron. Though she pleaded with him in an attempt to reach him, he assured her the old Hot Rod was dead and tossed her aside. He again prepared to execute Megatron, but Overlord insisted he do it himself. {{storylink|Countdown (POTP)|Countdown}}
[[File:POTP-Ep10-Saga's-End-Rodimus-Cron-evolves.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|left|"We. Are [[Venom (Crossovers)|Venom]]."]]
[[File:POTP-Ep10-Saga's-End-Hot-Rod-aftermath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''We'll be right back''.]]
Unfortunately for him, Megatron used the [[Requiem Blaster (Megatronus)|Requiem Blaster]] to kill Overlord, overwhelming Rodimus with its power and leaving him on the ground. As Megatronus arrived to take the blaster, revealing his intention to combine it with the Matrix, Rodimus was again possessed by Unicron. Hellbent on destroying the Matrix, he approached Megatronus, but was knocked away before the Fallen Prime escaped with the blaster. Undeterred, Rodimus got to his feet and gave chase in vehicle mode. Although Windblade still hoped to save her friend, the others all agreed that if the time came, Rodimus might have to be sacrificed to save their race. {{storylink|Consequences}} Rodimus eventually arrived at the [[Well of All Sparks|Well of Sparks]] just as Megatronus had incapacitated everyone but Megatron, and the power of Unicron morphed him into an even stronger form. {{storylink|Collision Course}} Now fully possessed by Unicron, Rodimus battled Megatronus for the Matrix. When [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] got his hands on it instead and transformed into Optimal Optimus, he drew Rodimus's attention and the two began fighting, seemingly evenly matched. {{storylink|Megatronus Unleashed}} Ultimately, Optimal got the upper hand and managed to remove the Matrix of Chaos from Rodimus, freeing him from Unicron's control and turning him back to Hot Rod. With Unicron now attempting to take control of Megatron, the still-weak Hot Rod confirmed their only option was to kill them both, to which Optimal obliged. In the aftermath, Hot Rod was placed in intensive care to recover from his experience, though Optimus Prime suspected that the emotional wounds from his time as Rodimus Cron would never heal. {{storylink|Saga's End}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
[[File:ChaosOnVelocitron-Rodimus Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|YEEHAW!!!]]
Hot Rod was partnered with the [[Titan Master]] [[Firebolt (G1)|Firedrive]], who granted him the ability to use electrostatic fire blasts to disable enemy systems. {{storylink|Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Firedrive/Hot Rod toy bio}} Later, during a mission to [[Velocitron]], Rodimus Prime crossed the finish line in a race to win the power of dominion over speed, but he had to convert himself into a Titan Master to use the power.<ref>''Titans Return'' Chaos on Velocitron bios</ref>
{{-}}

===''Mazinger Z versus Transformers''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Mazinger Z versus Transformers}}}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Hot Rod, [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] came to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s aid when the Autobot leader was fighting against [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. Hot Rod taunted the Decepticons, telling them to "watch my smoke!" {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, Rodimus Prime|Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, and Rodimus Prime commercial}}
*Hot Rod and Kup found themselves stranded on the planet [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]]. The two Autobots drove up to the edge of a greenish pool, from which a pile of Sharkticons emerged and attacked. The duo fist-fighted their way through the enemy 'bots, with the help of an intervening [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sharkticon|Sharkticon commercial}}
*A stone sculpture of Rodimus was savaged by Weirdwolf as part of his training. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Decepticon Headmasters|Decepticon Headmasters commercial}}
*Rodimus Prime charged into battle with Kup, Blurr, and Wheelie against Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge. Then [[Sixshot]] joined the scuffle. Rodimus took the brunt of many of the Six-Changer's attacks, getting fired upon while Sixshot was in his jet fighter mode, pounced onto when Sixshot assumed his "wheeled wolf" mode, and blasted once more by the Decepticon's "laser pistol" mode. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sixshot|Sixshot commercial}}
*Rodimus handed his totally trustworthy agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] an important device, and saluted him as he drove off. Unbeknownst to Rodimus, Punch would meet with the Decepticons under his "Counterpunch" guise and hand the device over to Galvatron himself! {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Punch and Clones|Punch/Counterpunch and Clones commercial}}
*Rodimus and Blurr drove to an Autobot laboratory, only to be informed by a distressed Kup that there had been an accident; the newest Autobots were monsters! Thankfully, they were still Autobots nonetheless, and helped ward off a Decepticon attack. After seeing how viciously the [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s dealt with the Decepticons, Rodimus expressed relief that these new 'bots were on his side. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Monsterbots|Monsterbots commercial}}
*The Autobots were caught by surprise when it seemed at first that a tank and jet were about to crash into one another on the battlefield, only for them to transform together into the Decepticon [[Flywheels]]! Rodimus was unfazed by this turn of events, and pounced onto this new combatant. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Duocons and Throttlebots|Duocons and Throttlebots commercial}}
*Rodimus Prime fought next to Blurr against Galvatron and his cronies while Transformers from both factions prepared to leave Cybertron and expand their war to the planet [[Nebulos]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmaster comic book|Headmaster comic book commercial}}
*Hot Rod's voice narrated a handful of commercials, including:
**The [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmasters|Headmasters commercial}}
**The [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] and [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Technobots and Terrorcons|Technobots and Terrorcons commercial}}

==Games==
===3D Battle-Card Game===
Hot Rod was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}

===''The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth''===
[[File:C64RodimusPrimeAndHotRod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Along with their fellow Autobots, Hotrod{{sic}} and Rodimus Prime protected Earth from the menace of the Decepticons. Hotrod was ostensibly under the command of Rodimus Prime. {{storylink|The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth}}

{{note|In this game, "Hotrod" and Rodimus Prime are separate characters who can be in the same place at the same time. Don't try to think about this too hard.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===
[[File:Mysteryofconvoy rodimus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When Optimus Prime went missing under mysterious circumstances, Ultra Magnus was given the task of battling hordes of Decepticons in order to solve the mystery of his whereabouts. The Decepticons had also stolen a collection of seven energon cubes belonging to Rodimus Prime, which Magnus strove to recover during his fight. When all seven were successfully obtained and the battle was won, a new challenge rose its head, but with his energon cubes back, Rodimus was able to take up the fight! He had a funny habit of looking like an orange Ultra Magnus if you looked at him sideways. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
Rodimus Prime was kidnapped by the Decepticons and held captive on Cybertron by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. He was rescued by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and his other comrades, and in turn helped rescue those who were still imprisoned. Once they had reunited, Rodimus Prime and the others met with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] for the last battle against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter von Gomm]] (English)}}
====Autobot story====
[[File:Callofthefuture rodimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"I am from the future and know a lot about history!"]]

When [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] gained the incredible power of the [[Zel Quartz]] in the year 2010 and began cutting a swath of destruction across the galaxy, Rodimus Prime, [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] resolved to prevent this devastation by traveling back in time and eliminating the quartz in the past, thereby altering their future. Using a [[Transwarp]]-equipped ship supplied by the [[Quintesson]]s, they traveled to the world of [[Zel Samine]] in the year 2003, where they ran across teams of present-day Autobots and Decepticons led by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], who were carrying out investigations on their own on the planet.

Making matters worse, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] also followed them back in time, and the two teams allied themselves with their respective present-day factions in order to locate the Zel Quartz. It wasn't necessarily an easy alliance to make: Rodimus was barely able to keep his cool when [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], not believing that he and his team were really Autobots, demanded to know if Rodimus was Autobot leader in the future, what happened to Optimus? Fortunately, Optimus calmed his lieutenant down and welcomed the trio of future Autobots into his forces.

Working with the present day Autobots was not easy for Rodimus, as he was well aware of the fate that awaited them. On a number of occasions, he struggled with his knowledge of the future, knowing he could prevent a [[Battle of Autobot City|great tragedy]] but could also cause untold damage to the timestream by doing so. He also showed some interest in Arcee when he attempted to give her a precious stone he'd found during a mission to a mine, only for the female Autobot to scold him for taking something that didn't belong to him. Luckily for him, Optimus stepped in and settled things by ordering Rodimus and Arcee to return the stone. That Optimus makes one heck of a wingman.

After several false leads, the quartz was eventually located, serving as the power source of the [[ELTA]] power transmission array. After fighting their way through the likes of Cyclonus, Scourge, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and both [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his future counterpart Soundblaster, Rodimus and Optimus engaged Megatron and Galvatron in a two-on-two battle over ELTA, using the power of their twin Matrices to stop the computer from self-destructing. Once the dust from the fight had settled, Starscream reemerged and snatched up the Zel Quartz, only to promptly take it off-planet, where it disintegrated without Zel Samine's atmosphere and electromagnetic properties to sustain it. With their future thus averted, Rodimus and his Autobots began fading away to rejoin the timestream. Before they disappeared, Rodimus attempted to warn Optimus of the coming dangers in the future, including his Optimus's death (for which Rodimus continued to blame himself), but Optimus silenced him, telling him that he did not need to know what the future held. Rodimus told Optimus that he would always be the greatest leader in Autobot history, but Optimus told him that he was merely a soldier who loved justice, and that that was all Rodimus needed to be too.

====Decepticon story====
Megatron, Starscream, and Soundwave encountered Rodimus Prime while investigating the presence of unknown craft over Zel Samine. Rodimus was stunned to see the Decepticon [[Emperor of Destruction]] before reminding himself of the era he was in. For his part, Megatron thought he was facing Hot Rod, but quickly realised his mistake. After a short, sharp fight that saw Rodimus defeated, Megatron was distracted enough by the appearance of Galvatron to allow the future Autobot to escape.

Rodimus would again battle Megatron as well as Galvatron at the ELTA power transmission array, this time alongside his hero Optimus Prime. He was shocked that despite the fact the two Primes were working together, they were still defeated. When Megatron and Galvatron resolved to destroy the ELTA array Rodimus pleaded with them to stop, pointing out that the array generated a massive amount of energy, the same energy the Decepticons so loved. Sadly, the two Emperors of Destruction felt that with the Zel Quartz now in their possession, they no longer needed the array and proceeded to destroy it with their combined power. The wounded Rodimus barely escaped.

He presumably returned to the future alongside all the future Transformers when Starscream unwittingly rendered the Zel Quartz powerless. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers Battle Circuit''===
Rodimus, one of the "greatest Transformers of all time," was part of an Autobot team that participated in a tournament on Cybertron. He faced off against a team of Decepticons in a series of one-on-one matches. If he managed to defeat Menasor, Trypticon, Astrotrain, Starscream, and Megatron, Rodimus was declared to be the tournament's champion! {{storylink|Transformers Battle Circuit}}

===''Transformers: Battle Masters''===
Rodimus arrived in the city for a decent battle, and though he was defeated by local fighters, he decided not to leave the town. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Masters (mobile game)|Battle Masters}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Following [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s rebirth as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Rodimus led the Autobots to a decisive victory over the Decepticon forces. {{storylink|All Hail Galvatron}} When Galvatron summoned [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] to the battlefield, Rodimus attempted to block the Decepticon advance with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], though unsuccessfully. {{storylink|The Colossus War}}

Rodimus and [[Kup (G1)|Sergeant Kup]] were put on trial by the [[Quintesson]]s. They faced death by [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] until [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] organized a well-timed coup. {{storylink|Mockery of Justice}} The Autobots subsequently found themselves up against [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. Rodimus defeated the monster by opening the [[Matrix of Leadership]], saving [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and becoming the new Autobot leader in the process. {{storylink|'Til All Are One (Legends)|'Til All Are One}}

When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] were abducted by [[Skuxxoid]]s during the [[Galactic Olympics|Galactic Games]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and Rodimus Prime traveled to [[Chaar]] to see if the Decepticons were responsible. Damaged in an attack, he had a vision revealing the Quintessons were behind the kidnapping. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1}} He almost sacrificed himself on the planet Goo to save the rest of his team. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 2}} Rodimus traveled into the Matrix to learn the origin of the Transformer race. Following an attack on Cybertron, Galvatron was only prevented from fighting with Rodimus by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 3}}

Following an Decepticon assault led by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Rodimus, alongside Spike, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and Ultra Magnus were forced into taking cover within the [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. This did little to improve their situation, however, as the Decepticons continued their advance. Unexpectedly, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] rose from his tomb, providing hope that the tide may yet turn in the Autobots' favour. Rodimus returned the Matrix of Leadership to the resurrected Autobot leader, reverting to Hot Rod in the process. Once in possession of the Matrix, however, Optimus fled for Cybertron, leaving the other Autobots stranded. The Matrix was returned to Hot Rod when Optimus regained his senses, who sacrificed himself once more to undo the Quintessons' trap, much to the chagrin of the Autobots. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (Legends)|Dark Awakening}}

Arcee, Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, and Springer were trapped in human bodies by [[Victor Drath]] and [[Cobra Commander|Old Snake]], but still managed to foil the pair's plan to destroy Autobot City. They were later successfully returned to their robot bodies. {{storylink|Only Human (Legends)|Only Human}}

Rodimus attempted to defend an experimental space bridge from Galvatron and his forces, only for a stray shot to hit the space bridge, sending all nearby combatants hurtling back in time. Finding themselves in a time where Primus and Unicron were battling one another, shaking the very cosmos with their blows, Rodimus and his troops allied themselves with their creator, while the mad Galvatron ordered his troops to help the Chaos Bringer. Despite the superior amount of beings that Unicron was able to will into being, the Autobots prevailed. Unicron was sent into a retreat, and the time-displaced Transformers were sent back to their proper place in the timestream by Primus. {{storylink|Battle of the Brothers}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Rodimus-(CW).jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|We've got to get a new travel agent.]]
Rodimus (CW) participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Super Rare character who could be acquired as a reward in the "Optimus Maximus Awakes!" event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{Charstubgames|{{Storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers Operation Omega''===
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers Operation Omega}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:RodimusEarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|wHY Do mY PipES BeNd??]]
Hot Rod encounters [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Transformers:Earth Wars|Nemesis Prime]].
{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Light our Darkest Hour event}}

[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] met with Hot Rod to offer information on [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s dimensional recruitment scheme; Hot Rod was skeptical, and when the other [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s arrived on the scene, Hot Rod declared that it was an ambush. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Rogue Trader}}

*'''Class:''' Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Weapons:''' Hot Rod wields two blasters. ''And'' he can also throw a hand grenade from a distance and set a building on fire!
*'''Ability: Blessing of the Matrix:''' Makes a friendly bot invulnerable to damage and stun effects for 8 seconds. Upgrading this ability increases duration.
**'''Cost''': 6 ability points +2 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:HotRod Hot Rod at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Image and story from all three cutscenes upon obtaining him, and after Researching twice.}}}}

;'''Rodimus Prime'''
[[File:Rodimus_Prime_Earth_Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|That's right folks, the Matrix can also cure pipe bending!(Becoming the next leader of the Autobots included)]]

*'''Class''': Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Ability: ''' Matrix Burst - Overcharge the Sparks of your allies, making them deal damage in an area around them over 5 seconds.
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:rodimus-prime Rodimus Prime at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

;'''Rodimus Unicronus'''
[[File:RodimusUnicronusEarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|Just like [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]], I became evil in the third movie >:D]]

*'''Class''': Warrior
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Ability: '''To Battle!: Rush into combat and inspire your allies, giving them an increase to all damage (including abilities) for 5 seconds.
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:rodimus-unicronus Rodimus Unicronus at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|All information on character, after he comes out.}}}}

==Toys==
{{main|Hot Rod (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
[[File:RodimusPrime-earlymodel.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Hey, ladies. Look at your G1 Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime toys, now back to us, now back at your toys, now back to us."]]
*According to earliest materials (also the source of the earliest Hot Rod head seen in this section's first image), Rodimus Prime's original name was '''Hot Rodimus'''.
*Like the rest of the 1986 movie's original characters, Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime had early designs by [[Floro Dery]] which the toys were based on, only for the designs to then be refined over time into their finalized form. The early models were used for the characters' Marvel Comics appearances, the original promo reel for the movie, and would occasionally erroneously appear in [[AKOM]]-animated episodes of the cartoon. Rodimus's early design is one of the mostly commonly-seen in the series, popping in and out of episodes from scene to scene quite literally at random; it features curving shoulders and a spoiler that flares outward, and lacks an additional trapezoid in the centre of his pelvis that is part of his finalized model. Notably, Rodimus's final character model has never actually been found—only his early design is published in character model compendiums like ''[[Transformers Generations]]'' or ''[[Transformers: The Ark]]''.
**While AKOM bounced back and forth between early and finished designs for Rodimus, they ''always'' used the ''color scheme'' of the early design. This scheme colors the indentations on his shoulders burgundy-red instead of white; the "windscreen" details on his pelvis (see below) white instead of light-burgundy; the aforementioned trapezoid the same burgundy as the rest of his pelvis instead of the same light burgundy the windscreen is supposed to be; and finally, his his tires black (the finalized model is the odd one here, as it made them burgundy).
**Additionally, Rodimus also has an even ''older'' design, seen at right, which is substantially more different. Here, he appears to carry the trailer of the truck on his back, plus additional [[kibble]] on the back of his forearms. If only there were art of the back of this design. We'd plotz.
**Meanwhile, on Hot Rod's early character model, both sets of wheels are on his arms, as they are intended to span the entire length of the vehicle; his wrist-cuffs are intended to become the vehicle's taillights. Unsurprisingly, this has never been duplicated on any toy.
*As mentioned above, both Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime's character models suggest that the windshield and roof of their respective vehicles form the pelvic area, including little side windows on their hips. This was highlighted by on both characters' early color model, used by AKOM, which colored that area white, as if it were a window, but was downplayed on their finalized models, which recolored those sections in a lighter shade than the surrounding area. The sheer physical impossibility of this has, again, meant it has never been duplicated on any toy, although the Masterpiece version makes a nod to it with a transparent groin plate with indentations underneath denoting two seats and a steering wheel.
[[File:Hotrodrodimuscharactermodels.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Rodimus is always embarrassed by his yearbook photos. (Early AKOM Rodimus model pictured, colored like the finished Toei Rodimus model.]]
*Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime look very similar in fiction, but there are ways to distinguish them by sight.
**Rodimus Prime's character model has extra lines on his face that go from the bottom of his nose and connect to another line forming a triangle shape. Hot Rod's cheeks are more clear and youthful.
**Despite their toys being the same color of red, the cartoon series rendered Hot Rod as magenta, and Rodimus a dark shade of burgundy (the movie, however, made Rodimus the same color as Hot Rod). In addition to repeatedly getting the two character models mixed up, sometimes the animation would depict one model colored as the other.
**In Marvel stories, Hot Rod was also colored almost entirely magenta, with a yellow spoiler and flame deco, but with silver thighs instead of orange. Whoever did the Marvel deco sheet seems to have been looking at the [[:File:G1catalog86-PinkHotRod.jpg|original toy photos]] and colored the thighs like the toy's silver stickers. While Marvel Hot Rod was stark magenta, Marvel Rodimus was colored in the reds, oranges and yellows of his toy. Future comics and toys would often ignore any differences in color between the character's two forms, presenting them both in the original toy colors (see the image at the head of the article for a good example).
**The Japanese ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' cartoon, in addition to featuring the coloration differences of the American Generation 1 cartoon, also added some extra lines around the perimeter of Rodimus's eyes to further distinguish him from Hot Rod. These odd-looking lines appeared only intermittently, thankfully so—they made Rodimus look like he was wearing robo-mascara. The ''Headmasters'' Rodimus Prime character model also moved the wheel kibble from the back of the arms to the front, to better approximate their position on the toy.
[[File:RodimusPrimeG1-trailermanagement.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|Maybe his Mobile Defense Bay is just an extra set of legs!]]
*Rodimus Prime's toy followed the model set by Optimus Prime before him by having a trailer that disconnected and transformed into a battle station (in this case, called the "[[Mobile Defense Bay]]"). Unlike Prime's [[Combat Deck (G1)|Combat Deck]], however, Rodimus's Defense Bay failed to make the leap to fiction, with the cartoon simply depicting his trailer as somewhat unfeasibly folding up into his legs and body <ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/stories/tfpulp/8704TVM/k.gif Image of Rodimus Prime's animated transformation scheme from TV Magazine]</ref> (barring a few animation errors that depicted it as a separate unit). This [[Transformation|transformation scheme]] was realized in toy form with Rodimus's [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|6" ''Titanium Series'' action figure]].
*A lot of early secondary material uses Hot Rod and Rodimus in ways that don't fit the main Movie-established dynamic. As with stories from the same era that portrayed Megatron and Galvatron as separate beings, this was likely to avoid spoiling the Movie's ending.
*Hot Rod's 1986 tech specs figures are ''extremely'' high (six 10/10s, one 9/10, one 7/10). They are actually higher than both Ultra Magnus and Galvatron's stats. None of the other movie characters have such inflated tech specs, so this was possibly an attempt (albeit small) to convince the kids of the time how awesome their new hero was. Rodimus Prime's tech specs are only ever so slightly higher than Hot Rod's, but as the latter was near maximum anyway that isn't saying much. One year later, for his Targetmaster release, Hot Rod's stats have been reduced to slightly more sensible figures (which leads to the amusing situation where his "Firepower" stat actually goes ''down'' from 10 to 7 when he becomes a Targetmaster. Also his top speed has changed from 120 mph to 330 mph. Maybe Firebolt weighs less than his old gun?)
*Hot Rod might be the ''Transformers'' character with the most names in the US. From "Hot Rod" to "Rodimus Prime", to "Rodimus Major" to just plain "Rodimus". Varieties of "Rodimus" appeared to be how he would be named for a while, but his [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Titans Return]] figure is back to being "(Autobot) Hot Rod", suggesting that Hasbro has somehow reclaimed the [[trademark]] on the name.
*[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'s powered up form has a color scheme which resembles Hot Rod's. The reference came full circle with [[Side Burn (RID)|G1 Side Burn]], who was a redeco of a Rodimus toy.
*Aside from the ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Rodimus (Energon)|namesake character]], Hot Rod has also been [[homage]]d twice (or possibly thrice depending on how you look at it) in the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. For ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the "[[Powerlinx]]" upgrade of [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] was given a very Hot-Rod-inspired deco. In ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'', [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] made a redeco of Hot Shot (well, "Exillion"), who already had some Hot Rod homage elements in his toy design, with Hot Rod deco as a DVD-pack-in [[exclusive]]. [[Hasbro]] then took this deco, altered it, and released it in the US line at mass retail as the new character [[Excellion (Cybertron)|Excellion]].
*This Rodimus Prime, along with the original [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] makes a cameo appearance as one of the four elders who began the [[space bridge]] project in the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' episode "[[Balance]]".

===Foreign names===
====Hot Rod====
*''Japanese:'' '''Hot Rodimus''' (ホットロディマス ''Hotto Rodimasu''), '''Hot Rod''' (ホットロッド ''Hotto Roddo'')
*''English:'' '''Roadimus Prime''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub)
*''French:'' '''Météorite''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Nagyágyú''' ("Hot Shot"), '''Peca''' (''The Movie'', "Fisher")
*''Italian:'' '''Folgore'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Rod''' (Taiwan, 羅德 ''Lúo Dé''), '''Rè Pò''' (China, 热破, "Hot Break")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Roda Quente''' (Portugal comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Patron''' (cartoon, Патрон, "Cartridge")

====Rodimus Prime====
*''Japanese:'' '''Rodimus Convoy''' (ロディマスコンボイ ''Rodimasu Konboi''), '''Rodimus Prime''' (ロディマスプライム ''Rodimasu Puraimu'')
*''French:'' '''Rodimus Primo''' (Canada toy, "Rodimus First"), '''Rodimus Primus''' (Canada cartoon)
*''German:'' '''Rodius Prime''' ([[Condor Verlag]] comics)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Rodimusz Fővezér''' ("Prime Commander Rodimus")
*''Italian:'' '''Captain'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Rhodie Jr-tsūn''' (Taiwan, 羅迪至尊, "Rodimus Prime"), '''Bǔ Tīan Shì''' (China, 补天士, "Gentleman Who {{w|Nüwa|Repairs the Sky}}")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Rodimus Supremo''' (Portugal comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Rodimes Prime''' (cartoon, Родаймес Прайм)
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Rodimus Naykrashchyy''' (ICTV, Родімус Найкращий, "Rodimus the Best")

====Nemesis Hot Rod====
*''Japanese:'' '''Nemesis Hot Rod''' (ネメシスホットロッド ''Nemeshisu Hotto Roddo'')

====Rodimus Unicronus====
*''Japanese:'' '''Rodimus Unicronus''' (ロディマスユニクロナス ''Rodimasu Yunikuronasu'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Battle Masters Autobots]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Autobots]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Cloud Autobots]]
[[Category:Convoys]]
[[Category:Council members]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Autobots]]
[[Category:Knights]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Micromasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Autobots]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Lio Convoy (BW)

2020-05-27T04:36:22Z

TailgatePrime: /* Beast Wars II cartoon */

{{factions|maximal|predacon|autobot|convoy}}
:''Lio Convoy is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:BWIILioConvoyColorModel.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He's no [[Leoric]].]]
As he rose through the ranks of the Maximal Space Patrol, '''Lio Convoy''' (ライオコンボイ ''Raio Konboi'', aka '''Leo Prime''') and his honest nature, selfless dedication to duty and ability to lead by example quickly caught the attention, and earned the respect, of his superior officers. Now with his own crew of loyal Maximals, Lio Convoy continues to display those qualities in the heat of desperate combat.

While on the surface he appears to be a tough, exacting, career-military sort of robot, any Maximal who has served under him knows that there's a smile behind his face-plate and a gentleness at the core of his [[spark]]. Though he yearns for a universe forever at peace, Lio Convoy takes to the battlefield with precision, strength and cunning. He believes that combat, more than anything else, reveals an enemy's true character and it has been through combat that Lio Convoy has made both his bitterest rivals and most enduring friendships.

Though compassionate by nature, Lio Convoy stumbles when it comes to expressing anything outside the perimeters of gruff military rhetoric. This attitude has strained his relationship with his "son", [[Lio Junior]], who wants only to obtain the approval of his "father".

==Fiction==
===''Beast Wars II'' toy catalog===
[[File:PrimalLioConvoyCatalog01.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Beast Thumb Wars]]

As Lio Convoy advanced through the ranks of the Maximal Space Patrol, his progress was observed by an impressed [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]. When the time finally came, Primal chose him as his successor for his strength and bravery (though he felt he could be too straightforward, at times). Lio Convoy happily shook Primal's hand and promised not to let his predecessor down. {{storylink|Catalog#Beast Wars II|The next stage of battle advances to the Second War... ...Beast Wars, Transform!}}

{{-}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon====
{{Picsneeded}}
{{voiceactor|[[Hozumi Gōda]] (Japanese)|[[Jung Goo Lee]] (Korean)}}

[[File:Lioconvoy preformat.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"TRUKK NOT LYON!"]]
During his training period, the Maximal known as Convoy worked alongside another recruit named Apache. In an extreme conditions test, the instructors told recruits to leave those who fell behind where they lay, and focus on their own success. When Apache dropped from exhaustion, however, Convoy, shared his energy with Apache so that they could both continue on together. Convoy's act of kindness earned him a loyal friend for life. {{storylink|Mystery of the Ancient Ruins}}

Receiving a mysterious SOS signal from within an asteroid field, Maximal Supreme Commander Convoy investigated alongside his deputy, Apache. Entering the field in small one-man reconnaissance crafts, the pair discovered that the signal was coming from a small planetoid that suddenly began bearing down on them in a collision course. Realising that the whole affair had been a trap laid by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] Emperor [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]], Convoy sprang into action and opened fire on the planetoid, which exploded dramatically. {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!|The New Forces Arrive!}} While the blast hurled Apache to safety, however, Convoy took the brunt of the explosion and was cast into the depths of the cosmos, eventually crash landing on the planet [[Gaia]]. When he regained consciousness, his body had already been weakened and corroded by the hazardous atmosphere of the planet, and he would surely have died had not a white lion come upon his prone form. The lion carried Convoy to a cave brimming with the power of [[Angolmois Energy]], which restored and revitalized Convoy. Convoy then scanned the lion's form for use as a [[beast mode]] to protect him from Gaia's atmosphere, and redubbed himself "Lio Convoy".

As coincidence would have it, Galvatron and his Predacons had also come to Gaia to harness its Angolmois Energy, and Lio Convoy's unit had followed them, but wound up on the losing end of the battle that resulted. Staying in lion mode the whole time, Lio Convoy bounded onto the scene and freed his troops from the energy web that was paralyzing them, then led them back to the crashed wreck of their ship, the ''[[Yukikaze (BWII)|Yukikaze]]'', where he revealed his identity to them (although Apache had already figured it out). Stranded on Gaia, the team dedicated themselves to stopping Galvatron's evil plans for the Angolmois Energy. {{storylink|White Lion, Run!|White Lion, Run!}}

At Lio Convoy's direction, the Maximals searched the area for signs of the ''Galvaburg II''. Once [[Megastorm]] was drawn out into the open by [[Diver (BWII)|Diver]], Lio Convoy and Apache arrived to support their team in battle. Lio Convoy told [[Bighorn]] to stand down so the team could fight as a unit, but the enraged buffalo could not be restrained. Lio Convoy allowed his trooper to stand alone against Megastorm as he wished, only providing support when [[Starscream (BWII)|Starscream]] and [[BB]] intervened on the fight. {{storylink|Bighorn's Rage}}

Soon after, Lio Convoy became concerned when [[Tasmania Kid]] reported in from patrol that he had found something, but went off on his own without waiting for the team. Convoy led the Maximals to the site of Kid's last transmission, where he, Apache and Bighorn were caught in Starscream's trap. Lio Convoy drew Starscream's attention while Diver and [[Scuba]] infiltrated the lake base and disabled the force field containing them. Once all the Maximals escaped the exploding base, Lio Convoy instructed Kid to thank the Tasmanian devil that helped him in his ordeal. {{storylink|The Lake Trap}}

When Megastorm unleashed a swarm of fortress building robots, the mere six Maximals were outmatched and couldn't keep up with destroying all the drones. Matters didn't improve when Galvatron awoke for the first time since landing on Gaia, freshly empowered by Angolmois Energy. Lio Convoy used his lion-agility to divert Galvatron's drill tank mode up a mountain pass towards the mouth of a volcano, but an unexpected leg sprain ended the game of cat-and-juggernaut. Luckily, Scuba was there to save Lio Convoy by triggering a geyser of water under Galvatron, flipping him over.

The Maximals hoped to rid themselves of Galvatron by burying his prone form in a rockslide, but Galvatron emerged in his ''third'' form, an enormous dragon. The dragon chased Lio Convoy and his men into the mouth of the volcano. Unable to stop him directly, Lio Convoy directed the Maximals to shoot out the ledge Galvatron was standing on, in hopes of dropping him into the volcano itself. The Maximals' firepower was not enough, but the ambitious Megastorm saw their plan and covertly fired his cannon as well, sending Galvatron falling into the lava flow. {{storylink|Galvatron Revived}}

The Maximals detected energy readings coming from the Southern Continent, they took two short-range ships down south as a temporary mobile base of operations. When the readings centered on a set of ancient ruins, Lio Convoy went out to investigate and took Apache with him for support. The two came under fire from Starscream and BB, who carpet-bombed the forest to destroy the Maximals. Apache fell behind again, and Lio Convoy carried him to safety beneath the protection of the ruins. Apache's old sense of inadequacy from their training days had flared up, but Convoy brushed it aside as Apache had inadvertently led them to the secret entrance of the ruins.

[[File:BW2_ep6_ConvoyStare.jpeg|thumb|]]Inside the pyramid, Lio Convoy and Apache were separated by a trap door. Convoy followed Apache down the trick shaft and found him a captive of the ornery [[Insectron]], [[Mantis]]. Lio Convoy was forced to fight the territorial Mantis, and fared poorly against Mantis's disc attacks and scythe blades. As Mantis pummeled Lio Convoy on the ground, however, Apache's determination led him to break free of his restraints and unleash a third mode as a weapons platform, discharging raw energy that literally brought the house down. As Mantis fell into a crevice, Lio Convoy leapt to his aid and caught the falling warrior. Mantis was confused by this act of sacrifice, and Lio Convoy insisted it was because they ''weren't'' enemies. Grumbling, Mantis shook himself free and used his wings to fly away on his own. Reuniting with their fellow Maximals, Lio Convoy thanked Apache for his aid, and chuckled at the fact that Apache apparently suffered amnesia from the act, making his secret third mode a secret even from him.{{storylink|Mystery of the Ancient Ruins}}

With the [[Insectron]]s as a new potential threat, Lio Convoy cautioned the Maximals not to make enemies of the Insectrons unnecessarily. As a result, he sent out teams of two to locate the Insectrons, and ordered his men not to fire on them, but engage in dialogue. Kid and Lio Convoy were nearby when Bighorn and Apache were attacked by the Insectrons [[Bigmos]] and [[Tonbot]], who had been fed false information on the Maximals by Starscream. They tried to stop the fighting when they arrived, but Starscream and BB opened fire on both parties to avoid any peaceful dialogue. The Maximals warned the Insectrons of the incoming missiles, and threw their own bodies on top of their opponents' delicate insect modes for protection. Confused by the act of self-sacrifice, Bigmos and Tonbot departed without further conflict. {{storylink|The Insect Corps Arrive}}

Lio Convoy maintained that the Insectrons were potential allies, not enemies. Having been on the receiving end of their missiles, Bighorn couldn't understand Lio Convoy's thinking. As the only Maximal who had personally battled an Insectron, Mantis, Lio Convoy could not explain his reasoning, but the way they fought made it seem as if the Insectrons were not truly evil. Soon after, Bighorn and several Maximals were tricked into another fight with the Insectrons by the Predacons. Lio Convoy, Apache and Scuba saved their friends from an opportunistic Predacon attack after the Maximals were low on energy. Afterwards, Bighorn told Lio Convoy his own impression after fighting [[Powerhug (BWII)|Powerhug]] was the same as Convoy's, and the Insectrons' fighting style was not that of a malevolent group. {{storylink|Friend or Foe? The Insect Robos}}

Lio Convoy and the Maximals came to the aid of Tasmania Kid, who had discovered a plot by Starscream to undermine the Insectrons with spiked oil. Tensions increased as Galvatron emerged from his slumber, out of control after imbibing on the same oil. Luckily, bonds were forged in the heat of battle as Bigmos and his Insectrons joined forces with Lio Convoy and the Maximals against Galvatron. Bigmos lured Galvatron into position for Lio Convoy to fire a volley of missiles straight down the dragon's throat, ending his threat for the moment. In the aftermath, the Maximals and Insectrons talked out their differences for the first time. Although Bigmos refused to join the fight against the Predacons full-time, preferring to live in peace, Lio Convoy offered his hand in friendship and the feuding between the two groups ceased. {{storylink|The Strongest Tag Team?}}

Their alliance was tested when Bigmos was forced to honor an old debt to [[Autostinger]] of the Predacons, stepping aside while the [[Autoroller (BWII)|Autoroller]]s fought the Maximals. Still, he saved Autostinger from a barrage of Lio Convoy's missiles, negating the debt. Lio Convoy and Apache attended a duel between Bigmos and Autostinger, but it was interrupted by Predacon missile fire, leaving issues between the various factions unresolved. {{storylink|Autorollers Roll Out!}}

When NAVI reported Kid and [[Scissor Boy]] were approaching the base with the Autorollers, Lio Convoy correctly deduced their friends had been captured, and were trying to lead the Predacons into an ambush. Lio Convoy and the Maximals intercepted the Autorollers, freeing their friends after a fight with Megastorm and his mercenaries. {{storylink|Danger! Scissor Boy}} Lio Convoy and the Maximals were later called in by Scuba to join forces with the Autorollers, as Galvatron had gone on a rampage while engorged on Angolmois Energy. Lio Convoy acted as bait to lure Galvatron into position, opening his massive jaws to take in a concentrated spray of Angolmois Energy. They overfed Galvatron with the energy until his bloated form nearly exploded from within, rendering him harmless. {{storylink|Galvatron Rampages}}

When the Predacons launched a massive offensive on the Southern Continent, Lio Convoy led the Maximals and teamed up with the Insectrons to foil their plans once again. {{storylink|Predacon General Offensive!}}

The Maximals were soon met by a trio called the [[Jointron]]s, who arrived on Gaia's Eastern continent and demonstrated their powerful [[Tripledacus]] combination. Thinking they could take on the entire Predacon army by themselves, the Jointrons flew into battle, followed by Bighorn, Diver, and Kid, who were worried the Jointrons would take all the credit for a victory, or possibly get themselves killed. As the dust settled, Apache looked to Lio Convoy for a response, and the commander sighed (''deeply'') before acknowledging they should follow and keep the younger Maximals out of trouble. Apache and Lio Convoy soon joined Scuba in helping Tripledacus escape the ''Galvaburg II'' when he bit off more than he could chew. {{storylink|The Combined Giant, Tripledacus}}

While Lio Convoy and most of the Maximals were out on patrol, the Jointrons took over one of the base ships and turned off the cloaking field, hoping to lure the Predacons in and defeat them. Lio Convoy spotted the signal flare they launched, and radioed in to hear Apache and Diver were being overwhelmed by the Jointrons' antics. By the time he arrived back at base, however, Lio Convoy saw that the Autorollers had taken the ship hostage by training their missiles on the exterior fuel tanks. Luckily, the Jointrons came outside and distracted the Autorollers with oil, allowing Lio Convoy to take them down without destroying the ship. As the Jointrons held a celebration in their own honor to celebrate capturing some Predacons, however, the enemy escaped and everyone was right back where they started. {{storylink|The Festive Jointrons}}

While the Maximals were searching for the latest Predacon fortress, the Jointrons were exposed to a bacteria bomb that robbed them of their power. Lio Convoy and the other Maximals saved the Jointrons by posing as the massive Jointron II. They compensated for Kid and Diver's exposure to the bacteria by sharing energy between one another, in a proud display of teamwork. {{storylink|A Fearsome Combination Plan?}}

The Jointrons caused more chaos when they stole one of the base ships to approach a Predacon fortress from the air. Lio Convoy and the Maximals followed them in the second ship, but were rammed out of the sky by the Jointrons' poor piloting. The Predacons were engaged in an operation to kidnap the Jointrons and study their combination transformation. While the other Maximals worked to recover the kidnapped Jointron brothers, Lio Convoy and Apache made short work of the Autorollers back at the fortress, and the installation was soon destroyed. {{storylink|Who Is the Leader!?}}

One day, Tasmania Kid found a [[Copy Machine]] that scanned objects to create three-dimensional duplicates of the subject. Believing the Machine's abilities could help bolster the Maximals' ranks, Kid shined the Machine's ray on Lio Convoy, creating "[[Black Lio Convoy|Copy Convoy]]". Unfortunately, the machine only created ''evil'' copies. Copy Convoy declared himself the original and began to fight Lio Convoy. Lio Convoy initially engaged his copy alone, but soon realized they were so evenly matched the two fighters would battle without victory until they completely ran out of energy. Copy Convoy sent running by the watching Maximals, but soon returned to the ''Yukikaze'' and asked the other Maximals to come outside and meet him in peace. The Maximals didn't fully trust the copy, but didn't know how to deal with him since Copy Convoy knew everything Lio Convoy did. Luckily, Lio Convoy saw an advantage in that. Diver had made his own modifications to the defense network surrounding the ''Yukikaze's'' waterfall, without consulting Lio Convoy on the details. Lio Convoy sent Diver out to activate the [[Niagara Base]], and Copy Convoy was taken by surprise. He and the Copy Machine were soon destroyed by the Maximals. {{storylink|The Black Lio Convoy}}

Alerted to a new arrival on Gaia, Lio Convoy and the Maximals traveled to the Sea Continent and discovered a [[Photon sailer|pirate ship from space]]. The Maximals were soon confronted by [[Halfshell]], captain of the [[Seacon (BWII)|Space Pirate Seacons]] who intended to plunder the world of Angolmois Energy. Lio Convoy had the idea of flipping the snapping turtle on his back, rendering him helpless, but Halfshell's beast mode was designed to counter that strategy, turning him into the Big Wheel Cutter that rampaged over the hills. Matters only deteriorated further when Halfshell called his crew and formed the colossal [[God Neptune (BWII)|God Neptune]]. Outmatched by the combiner's sheer power, Lio Convoy directed Diver and Scuba to seize control of the deserted pirate ship while the land-based Maximals kept God Neptune busy. The distraction worked, as God Neptune chased after his stolen ship, only to get caught in a detonation of Angolmois Energy rigged by the Maximals before abandoning ship. {{storylink|The Space Pirate Seacons!}}

Breaking the fourth wall juuuust a little, Lio Convoy and Galvatron called in to [[Artemis]] and [[Moon (BWII)|Moon]] on the moon when they were wondering who the strongest of the Cybertronians was. Their two armies proved to be surprisingly evenly matched, and even the strength test between Lio Convoy and Galvatron themselves was ruled a tie. {{storylink|Who Is the Strongest Warrior!?}}

Although he knew the Seacons intended to plunder Gaia's Angolmois Energy, Lio Convoy felt the Seacons were not inherently evil, and could possibly be reasoned with just as the Maximals did with the Insectrons. He ordered his men not to confront or antagonize the Seacons until they knew for sure. And so, by the end of the day, Lio Convoy and Apache arrived as the cavalry to help Bighorn and the others escape from battle with the Seacons and God Neptune, because Lio Convoy's men are spectacularly bad at following orders and staying out of trouble. {{storylink|The Tentacular Scuba}}

When Megastorm and the Seacons teamed up, each of the Maximals was lured to a separate location by an Angolmois Energy signal transmitter. Since there were only five Seacons, no one was around to greet Lio Convoy when he located his transmitter, except for an easily flummoxed Dirge and Thrust. The comedy duo had been instructed by Megastorm to blow hidden bombs inside each of the transmitters when the Maximals got within range, but Lio Convoy startled them into dropping and damaging the trigger device. Not sensing any threat whatsoever from those two, Lio Convoy calmly examined the transmitter before sauntering over to question the Predacons. They panicked and flew away setting off the bomb in the process and completely failing to kill Lio Convoy. {{storylink|Megastorm's Reckoning}}

Tasmania Kid alerted Lio Convoy when Bighorn seemingly got a love letter from Scylla, the Seacon. The other Maximals feared Bighorn was being lured into a trap, and they were right—Bighorn and Kid were set adrift on a rock when the Seacons sprang their ambush. Trapped on land, Lio Convoy used his jump jets to launch out over the water where his troops were being assaulted. Unfortunately, he was pulled underwater by Halfshell before he could reach the others. Apache rushed to join his commander, and together they held off Halfshell and [[Coelagon]] until Scuba whisked the Maximals to dry land. They were confronted by God Neptune, but fortunately the Insectrons appeared and gave the Maximals the back-up they needed. {{storylink|Showdown in the Sea}}

After receiving word of more hijinks involving Bighorn, Lio Convoy and Apache rushed to the scene and found a showdown between Tripledacus and God Neptune already in progress. They helped their Jointron comrades flush the Seacons back into the sea. {{storylink|Face the Setting Sun}}

As the Seacons prepared to leave Gaia, Lio Convoy met with Halfshell and offered to give them the energy they needed to hustle them on their way. Halfshell's pride as a pirate wouldn't let him take charity, though, and so he offered to fight Lio Convoy one-on-one battle to claim the energy if he won. Lio Convoy agreed, if Halfshell and the Seacons turned themselves in to the Maximals authorities if Convoy won. Halfshell accepted these terms, but neglected to spell out exactly who the "one-on-one" bout would be between. Lio Convoy was surprised, but ultimately unconcerned, when Halfshell arrived in "one" body as God Neptune. Lio Convoy told his fellow Maximals to step aside and let him honor the deal. Convoy used his maneuverability to stay ahead of God Neptune during the fight, and even escaped him in the sea when God Neptune tried to move the fight into his preferred element. When it appeared Lio Convoy would be victorious, however, Megastorm burst from his hiding spot and tried to gun down the Maximal commander himself. This ambush set off a chain reaction in the Angolmois Energy on the shores, ending the fight and scattering the competitors. Halfshell and the Seacons grabbed the energy cylinders Lio Convoy brought, and the Seacons soon left Gaia for good. {{storylink|The Final Battle (BWII)|The Final Battle}}

While investigating the new, unstable reactions of Angolmois Energy on the planet, Lio Convoy, Bighorn and Apache crossed paths with a powerful lion cub. They soon realized he was actually a Maximal in disguise and gave chase. Lio Convoy found the cub conversing peacefully with Diver and Tasmania Kid, but was shocked when the cub raced up to him and called him "mama"! This "[[Lio Junior]]" had taken to heart a joke by Tasmania Kid that Lio Convoy must be his parent, leaving Lio Convoy to crush the cub's expectations. Their meeting was interrupted by Galvatron, who had sensed great power of Angolmois Energy within Lio Junior, and wished to snuff it out. Lio Junior joined forces with two new Maximal arrivals named [[Santon]] and [[Skywarp (BWII)|Skywarp]] to become the combination warrior, [[Magnaboss (BWII)|Magnaboss]]. {{storylink|Enter Lio Junior}}

[[File: BW II ep27 Double Lio.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|”For the last time, [[Unicron/Generation 1|he’s]] NOT getting any child support!”]]
Lio Convoy helped Magnaboss defeat Galvatron, driving him off with a serious chest wound. Lio Junior disengaged and proudly presented himself before his "papa", but Lio Convoy insisted that Lio Junior should not call him that. Back at base, Lio Convoy reviewed the data Santon and Skywarp had brought from Maximal HQ about a dangerous artificial planet called Nemesis which Galvatron had called the Gaia. It seemed Nemesis was responsible for upsetting the Angolmois Energy, and it would only get worse from that point on. With that to mull over, Lio Convoy led an official investigation into Lio Junior's origins. Scans revealed that, after first crashing on Gaia, the Angolmois Energy in the Valley of the Lions duplicated Lio Convoy's Energon Matrix, splitting it to create a separate Maximal robot lifeform. Lio Junior proudly displayed that he had an Energon Matrix in his chest just like Lio Convoy, and Convoy couldn't deny he felt a tug connecting his Matrix to the cub's. Still, he refused to acknowledge Lio Junior as his son, causing the lad to run off.

Meanwhile, Megastorm had found a way to augment his own powers with Angolmois Energy, becoming [[Megastorm|Gigastorm]]. The newly risen Gigastorm threatened Lio Junior at an volcanic pit of Angolmois Energy, which Lio Convoy sensed through their connection. Convoy raced to Lio Junior's side and saved him from falling into the pit. This one time, he agreed to acknowledge Lio Junior as his son, explaining that a father-child bond could muddy his emotions, something that could not be allowed in a Commander during times of war. Lio Convoy needed to know that Lio Junior would serve as a Maximal warrior, not as his son. Finally understanding his father's reluctance, Lio Junior agreed to fight for his ''commander'' Lio Convoy. Together, Lio Convoy directed Lio Junior (as Magnaboss) in a successful skirmish against Gigastorm, and congratulated him on his victory when they were finished. {{storylink|Megastorm Reborn}}

With Gigastorm's upgrade a very real threat to the Maximals, Lio Convoy orchestrated a coordinated strike on the Predacon. The Maximals lured Gigastorm into a box canyon, where he was surrounded by maximal gunners. They opened fire on the Archduke of Destruction and the ground beneath his feet, causing him to drop up to his neck in the earth. Lio Convoy had chosen that spot due to the veins of natural gas flowing in the area, gas which was now filling the space around Gigastorm. When enough gas had built up, the Maximals fired again, igniting the gas in a horrendous explosion designed to rid Gaia of Gigastorm once and for all. Unfortunately, the Angolmois Energy-empowered Predacon was too strong even for this attack, and shrugged off the explosion. He struggled free with the help of the Combatrons and nearly caught Lio Junior, but Lio Convoy pulled him to safety. The arrival of [[Ikard]] and the [[Tako Tank]] provided enough of a distraction that Gigastorm and the Predacons were driven off. {{storylink|The New Weapon, Tako Tank}}

After receiving a garbled SOS signal, Lio Convoy and the Maximals wondered what the Space Pirate Seacons were doing right now. {{storylink|The Artificial Planet Nemesis}}

Lio Convoy was in conference with the older Maximals when NAVI informed him Lio Junior had rushed off with the others to investigate an evil Angolmois Energy signal. Lio Convoy and the rest arrived to back-up Lio Junior and help then escape the trap Galvatron and the Autorollers had set. Lio Convoy fought Galvatron head on, but their struggle was interrupted by the feud between Galvatron and Gigastorm, bringing an abrupt end to the conflict. {{storylink|Gigastorm's Treachery}}

After Tasmania Kid was rescued from a runaway Tako Tank, Lio Convoy and the Maximals found themselves in battle with Starscream and BB. The Combatrons exhausted their weapons, only to fall into a pit of Angolmois Energy and arise in new forms called [[Starscream (BWII)|Hellscream]] and [[BB|Max-B]]. These new Predacons proved to be ferocious opponents. {{storylink|The End of Starscream}} Lio Convoy was next targeted for assassination by Dirge and Thrust, who felt slighted by their fellows' recent upgrades and wanted to improve their standing in the Predacons. More bemused than anything, Lio Convoy dispatched the duo with expected ease. The second strike was more serious, however, for Dirge and Thrust had exposed themselves to Gigastorm's Angolmois Energy to become [[Dirge (BWII)|Dirgegun]] and [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrustor]]. Now a significant threat, the former comedy duo had the skill and power to counter all Lio Convoy's traditional attacks. The Maximal commander only survived due to the arrival of Lio Junior, and even then they only waylaid the two Predacons temporarily. {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Assassination Plot}}

[[File:Lioconvoyinemminentdomain.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Continuity migraine.]]
At one point, an alien machine that could warp time and space crashed onto Gaia. While trying to secure the machine, Lio Junior pressed the battle against the Predacons unnecessarily. In the struggle that followed, Tasmania Kid was seriously injured protecting Lio Junior from harm. After the battle, Lio Convoy pulled Lio Junior aside and reprimanded him. He attempted to convey the difference between fighting for peace and fighting for one's self. Lio Junior was focused on his own glory, and that distraction is what got Tasmania Kid injured. Lio Junior could not see the truth in Convoy's words, and felt diminished in the eyes of his fellow soldiers and his...commander. Running off in a huff, Lio Junior was taken by Galvatron, who acquired from him the key necessary to activate the teleport gate.

The Predacons used the gate to summon the unstoppable mobile fortress, [[Majin Zarak]], and quickly trashed most of the Maximals. Lio Convoy fought through the Autorollers and dispatched Gigastorm, but could not reach Galvatron before the Emperor of Destruction unleashed Majin Zarak's bestial robot mode. Its incredible energy attacks scattered the Maximals. On the brink of consciousness, Lio Convoy was contacted by [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]], champion of the first Beast Wars, who Lio Junior had managed to retrieve from the teleport gate as well. Renewed by the presence of this legendary warrior, Lio Convoy rallied his troops to confront Galvatron and Majin Zarak.

[[File:Flashlioconvoy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Ooh, shiny.]]

Primal and Lio Convoy teamed up to battle Majin Zarak, who turned out to be a sentient robot and not just a battle station, fighting on even after they disposed of Galvatron. Together, they combined the power of their Energon Matrices to [[Spontaneous recoloration|upgrade]] themselves into Burning Convoy and '''Flash Lio Convoy''' (フラッシュライオコンボイ ''Furasshu Raio Konboi''). With Primal's enhanced strength and Lio Convoy's super speed, they weakened Majin Zarak vulnerable spot, his evil third eye. They then unleashed the power within their Matrices into a "Double Matrix Blast" which finished off the monster. Lio Convoy congratulated Lio Junior on his valor and thanked Optimus Primal for his help before the legendary warrior returned home through the gate, and the Maximals destroyed the gate behind him. {{storylink|Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!}}

With the artificial planet Nemesis creeping ever closer to Gaia, its influence on the Angolmois Energy was ever more keenly felt. Lio Convoy enlisted the Insectrons and Jointrons for their help preparing for Nemesis's arrival. [[Drill Nuts]] in particular provided his engineering expertise to the Maximal efforts. Lio Convoy and the Maximals tried using freeze devices to cool the unstable Angolmois Energy before it upset the planet's core. The Predacons tried to oppose them, but Lio Convoy and his team turned the freeze beams on Gigastorm, limiting his threat until Tripledacus froze and sealed off the flow of Angolmois Energy with a giant iceberg. {{storylink|The Great Angolmois Freezing Tactic}}

Lio Convoy's next plan to foil the Predacons involved upgrading an artillery cannon from the Niagara Base and then feeding it with Angolmois Energy to blast Nemesis out of the sky. When Drill Nuts informed Convoy the cannon was ready, NAVI's calculations indicated they must be ready within seventy-two minutes for optimum firing position. Lio Junior begged for the job setting the cannon and, in a private meeting later, Lio Convoy impressed upon Lio Junior how important the mission was before granting his wish. To divert the Predacons, Apache led Tasmania Kid, Diver, and Bighorn in brazenly transporting a decoy cannon to the target site, while Scuba transported another decoy underwater. Their actions delayed the Cyborg Beasts, but Galvatron and Gigastorm caught the Magnaboss team with the real cannon atop the volcano firing position. The cannon overloaded on Lio Junior's pure Angolmois Energy and self-destructed before its beam reached Nemesis. Although Lio Junior was downtrodden afterwards, Lio Convoy came to the cub and told him how proud he was of him that day. {{storylink|Knock Out Nemesis}}

While discussing the looming approach of Nemesis with Apache and NAVI, Lio Convoy felt a pang in his Energon Matrix telling him that Lio Junior was in trouble. Excusing himself, Lio Convoy raced to his son's side to find Lio Junior alive and seemingly well. When Lio Junior charged and attacked him, however, is was quickly clear that all was NOT well. Lio Junior was infected with the corrupted Angolmois Energy by Galvatron, making him loyal to Predacon ideals. Matters only got worse when Santon and Skywarp tried to reign in Lio Junior by combining with him, but just forged a corrupted Magnaboss instead. As Magnaboss hesitantly prepared to lay his Magna Blade on Lio Convoy, Junior mentally spoke to Convoy through his Energon Matrix. He begged his father to kill him before Santon and Skywarp were forced to harm someone against their will. Instead, Lio Convoy used their connection to siphon the corrupted Angolmois Energy into himself, and then purge the poison from his system. Lio Junior and Magnaboss were returned to normal, and Galvatron's plan foiled. {{storylink|Lio Junior's Revolt!?}}

A mysterious UFO crashed near the Maximal base, and Lio Convoy investigated with Apache. They found an emissary robot which NAVI could communicate with in its own computer language. The robot came from the planet Mars, activated by the slow approach of Nemesis and its corrupting effect on the Angolmois Energy of Gaia. The robot relayed how its creators abandoned Gaia eons ago in order to avoid corrupting the Angolmois Energy themselves, and set up the emissary as a safeguard to prevent that corruption from ever happening. As the robot claimed it could prevent the Angolmois Energy from being misused, Lio Convoy and Apache shepherded it to the Valley of the Lions, and the mother computer terminal hidden in the ruins underneath it. Fortunes shifted dramatically, however, when Magnaboss brought word from a second android, [[Moon (BWII)|Moon]] of the moon, that the emissary intended to prevent misuse of the Angolmois Energy by destroying the entire planet, crashing the moon into Gaia in a cataclysm that would stop anyone from corrupting the Angolmois Energy further! {{storylink|Emissary of the Fourth Planet}}

Lio Convoy and Apache tried to fight their way to the mother computer and stop the emissary from triggering the termination sequence, but the computer possessed restraining defenses and incredible self-repair capabilities. The Maximals could not approach the computer without being blocked by the defenses, and the defenses quickly regenerated if the Maximals tried to blast through. Still, they deduced that NAVI could shut down the termination sequence if she could enter the console, and so the power of Magnaboss and the other arriving Maximals was added to their firepower in order to overload the self-repair circuits long enough for NAVI to slip through. At first, it didn't seem as if the Maximals had enough power, but a sudden surge of energy destroyed the defenses long enough for NAVI to enter the mother computer and end the termination sequence.

Lio Convoy alone recognized that final burst of power came from Galvatron, who had followed the Maximals into the ancient caves and lent his firepower in support of saving Gaia. Lio Convoy caught up with Galvatron outside and begged an audience. The two old foes discussed their philosophical differences on peace and how it was achieved. Despite their opposing viewpoints, Lio Convoy saw the light of reason in Galvatron's actions, and offered his hand in peace so that Maximal and Predacon alike could end their war and bring peace to the universe together. After a moment's consideration, Galvatron laughed off his nemesis's weakness and opening fire on Lio Convoy. There would be no peace until Galvatron crushed the Maximals once and for all. {{storylink|The Crisis of Planet Gaia}}

With Gaia momentarily saved, the Maximals still had to deal with the threat of Nemesis. As a final solution, Lio Convoy instructed Drill Nuts and NAVI to finish cannibalizing the ''Yukikaze'' to upgrade Santon and Skywarp's ship, allowing the Maximals to leave Gaia and intercept the Nemesis before it reached the planet. It was paramount that the Predacons not intervene with the launch, so Lio Convoy had Kid and the others deliberately reveal the location of their hidden base to the Cyborg Beasts, hoping to draw Predacon attention away from the mountain caves where the launch catapult was under construction. Hellscream discovered the catapult anyway, however, forcing Drill Nuts to encourage Lio Convoy and Apache to launch as soon as possible, even if Kid's unit couldn't return in time. Lio Convoy held out as long as he could, but reluctantly agreed and began the launch. Fortunately, Magnaboss and the rest of the ''Yukikaze'' crew returned just in time to join the space mission, and Tripledacus ensured their catapult trajectory was preserved under fire from the Predacons. {{storylink|Fly Out! Planet Gaia}}

On their way to Nemesis, the Maximals were diverted by the Space Pirate Seacons, now under the control of Galvatron. The Maximal ship was forced down on an asteroid, ruining their intercept course towards Nemesis. Lio Convoy confronted Halfshell and his mates, only to find them as zombie-like soldiers to Galvatron's will. Even when the Seacons were defeated and freed from the mind control, the Maximals were still trapped. Lio Junior raised a plan provided to him by the otherwise invisible Moon to use the moon's gravity to slingshot back on course. Lio Convoy demonstrated great trust in Lio Junior, allowing him to coordinate the signal with Moon and [[Artemis]] to fire their engines for the slingshot, otherwise the Maximals would crash into the moon's surface. Lio Junior lived up to Lio Convoy's faith in him, and the Maximals were back on track to confront Nemesis. {{storylink|Revenge of the Space Pirates}}

The Maximals landed on Nemesis away from their ship, sending it off on auto-pilot to self-destruct, diverting the Predacons temporarily. NAVI guided Lio Convoy and the team to an exhaust port, which she believed would lead down to Nemesis's core. Lio Convoy's plan was to follow the port tunnels to the core of Nemesis and destroy it, taking out the entire artificial planet. All the Maximals volunteered to undertake the mission, but Lio Convoy selected only himself and Scuba to take the risk. Lio Junior balked at being overshadowed, but Lio Convoy had his reasons—as Magnaboss, Lio Junior had the great power and flight capability to protect the entrance to the tunnels from Predacon attack AND ferry the other Maximals off Nemesis to a safe distance before the explosion. Lio Junior reluctantly agreed.

[[File:BW II ep41 Galva Lio Fight.jpg|left|thumb|]]
During their search for the core, Lio Convoy and Scuba crossed paths with Galvatron. Lio Convoy sent Scuba on ahead, leaving him to deal with Galvatron. The two old foes again exchanged a debate about the nature of justice. Galvatron believed that justice was whatever he who held the most power said it was, but Lio Convoy believed justice came from the spirit within an individual. Their battle (and debate) came to an end when Galvatron used his Galva-Matrix to make Nemesis begin drawing upon the Angolmois Energy of Gaia. The tunnels flooded with the destructive energy, and Lio Convoy barely protected himself with a shield generated by his Energon Matrix. Knowing the paltry shield wouldn't hold out forever, Galvatron laughed as his enemy was swept away in the flood of energy. {{storylink|Breaking into Nemesis}}

[[File:BWII 42 Green Warrior.jpg|thumb|]]
The Energon Matrix shield could indeed only delay Lio Convoy's demise beneath the Angolmois Energy, it could not prevent it altogether. Lio Convoy's Energon Matrix called out to Lio Junior, who found his father within the tunnels inside the rapidly depleting shield. Lio Convoy told Lio Junior to forget about him and return to lead the others against Galvatron. Lio Junior refused to give up on his father, however, and linked his Energon Matrix shield to Lio Convoy's. This act of heroism not only saved Lio Convoy's life, it merged father and son. Their two Energon Matrices, which had once been one, merged again to create the '''Legendary Green Lion''' (伝説の緑のライオン ''Densetsu no Midori no Raion''). {{storylink|Legend! The Green Warrior}}

With his Matrix Typhoon and Matrix Lion Arrow attacks, the Green Lion utterly defeated Gigastorm and turned back Galvatron's unstoppable Drill Destroyer attack. Meanwhile, Scuba had completed the mission and engineered an explosion that would destroy Nemesis in a matter of minutes. Galvatron refused to accept defeat, and fled back to the Angolmois Energy's core. Lio Convoy followed behind, with his loyal son and fellow defender of justice Lio Junior by his side. The lions found Galvatron in the core, where the Emperor of Destruction began absorbing Angolmois Energy again directly, growing to tremendous size in dragon mode. By agitating the Angolmois Energy, Galvatron ensured that the Nemesis explosion now threatened Gaia as well.

Seeing no other option, Lio Convoy reasoned the Green Lion could create Matrix shields for the Angolmois Energy, countless shields that would isolate and encapsulate the energy so that it would vent more peacefully and blunt the Nemesis explosion. Lio Convoy was concerned about the potential consequences to them, but Lio Junior eagerly pronounced that protecting peace in the universe at any cost to themselves was the Maximals' reason for being. Immensely proud at the lessons Lio Junior had learned, Lio Convoy called him "my son" and accepted the name "Father" as he and Lio Junior merged once more. The Matrix Typhoon dispersed the Angolmois Energy in Nemesis and in Galvatron as well.

Despite losing all his enhanced abilities from the Angolmois Energy, Galvatron refused to surrender. With the energy safely dispersed and Nemesis about to explode, Lio Convoy saw no more reason for battle and plead with Galvatron to stop. Galvatron still contained enough Angolmois Energy in his Galva-Matrix to be a threat, however, and challenged the green Lio Convoy to one last round. Lio Convoy abhorred violence without purpose, but saw Galvatron would not stop without an honorable death by combat. With tears in his optics, the combined green Lio Convoy charged Galvatron, locking his Matrix blades to Galvatron's Scissor blades in a swordsman's stalemate. He then split back into Lio Convoy and Lio Junior, sidestepping the block and surprising Galvatron with a killing stroke with his Lion Claw straight through the Galva-Matrix, shattering it. Galvatron commended him on his blow as the Nemesis broke down all around them.[[File: BW II ep43 Lio Convoy Farewell.jpg|right|thumb|]]

When the explosion finally came, Gaia was safe and Lio Convoy used the last of the Energon Matrix's power to preserve himself and his comrades from the detonation. Weakened from the exertion, Lio Convoy found himself and his comrades adrift in a wormhole created by the explosion. Lost but at peace, Lio Convoy led his soldiers, his friends, and his son towards a light in the distance, the light of the next battle for peace in the universe! {{storylink|Farewell! Lio Convoy}}
{{-}}

====The Maximal Brainwashing Operation====
Lio Convoy was aboard the ''[[Yukikaze (BWII)|Yukikaze]]'' when it was attacked by the duo of [[Dirge (BWII)|Dirge]] and [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrust]]. After a short battle, the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] were felled by Lio Convoy's missiles, and the shock to the two's systems made them believe they were [[Maximal]]s.

When [[Diver (BWII)|Diver]] and [[Tasmania Kid]] eventually showed up after a patrol, seemingly exhausted, Lio Convoy and the other Maximals set out to assist, but were surprised when the two turned out to have been brainwashed into being Predacons! In the ensuing battle, Lio Convoy fought against [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] and was about to meet his end when an errant shot from [[Megastorm]] impacted both forces. Weakened, Galvatron ordered a retreat and Diver and Tasmania Kid were cured of their brainwashing from the blast's shock. {{storylink|The Maximal Brainwashing Operation}}

====''Robotmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Masayuki Katō]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:Robot Masters episode1 Lio Convoy.jpg|thumb|left]]
As [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], and [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] made a vow to protect Earth's [[Solitarium]] from the Decepticons, Lio Convoy watched silently from afar. {{storylink|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!}}

When [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Beast Megatron]] launched an attack on a human city, Lio Convoy aided Optimus Prime in blasting the Predacon, but otherwise remained out of sight. It wasn't until later in the battle that he introduced himself, as he delivered a powerful kick onto the Predacon leader. As the battle raged, Lio Convoy helped his fellow heroic Cybertronians in battling [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Robotmasters|Rebirth Megatron]], who had joined the battle under the guise of "Reverse Convoy" to catch his foes unawares. Lio Convoy added his own strength to Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal's “Double Convoy Tornado” to overpower a similar tornado-style attack from the Megatrons. The "Lio Typhoon Arrow" sent the villains into a retreat. Though Lio Convoy and his allies won the battle, the war raged on... {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}

====''Robotmasters'' online manga====
[[File:RM online 9.jpg|thumb|]]
While on Gaia, Lio Convoy came across the [[Blasty Zone]], which transported him to the planet's past in [[2005]], when it was called [[Earth]]. The trip left him with a bout of amnesia, which was quickly took advantage of by his discover, the nefarious [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Beast Megatron]]. Convinced of the Autobots' evil, Lio Convoy attacked [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] and [[Ginrai (robot)|Victory Leo]] as they were flying overhead. {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (issue)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}} The battle was fortunately put to a stop by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], and the former used his [[Matrix of Leadership]] to connect to Lio Convoy's [[Energon Matrix]] to convince him of the goodness of the Autobots. Utilizing all of their powers, the four gathered Supreme Commanders attacked the nearby Decepticons and sent them fleeing. {{storylink|Together, the 4 Great Supreme Commanders}}

[[File:RM online 10.jpg|thumb|left]]
When the Autobots took in the fallen [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Reverse Convoy]], Lio Convoy was suspicious of the strange robot and elected to remain behind when Reverse Convoy took a contingent of Autobots to [[Sherman Dam]]. {{storylink|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} Lio Convoy's suspicion would prove to be justified, as it turned out to be a trap and Reverse Convoy revealed himself to be actually Rebirth Megatron! Nevertheless, Lio Convoy was able to save his comrades from the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn}}

A decisive battle soon takes place between the Autobots and the Decepticons, where Lio Convoy battled [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]]. The fight raged on for three days and three nights till the Autobots emerged victorious. With [[solitarium]], Lio Convoy and the other time-displaced warriors were able to return to their native eras. {{storylink|And Then}}
{{-}}

====''Robotmasters'' 3D diorama manga====
When the mysterious [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Reverse Convoy]] appeared promising vital information with [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] chasing to prevent him from revealing said information, Lio Convoy and the other chased off Starscream. However, when Reverse Convoy was welcomed into the Autobots, Lio Convoy found the preceding events a little too convenient. {{storylink|Robotmasters Vol. 9}} His suspicions would prove correct when Reverse Convoy trapped some of the Autobots and sapped them of their energy. Lio Convoy came to their rescue and the Autobots' forces were bolstered by the arrival of an [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] from another universe. Uniting all of the power of five Autobot leaders, they were able to blow away the Decepticons in a Big Bang Cannon attack. {{storylink|Robotmasters Vol. 11}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Hozumi Gōda]] (Japanese)|[[Jeong-gu Lee]] (Korean)}}

[[File:Planet Dinosaur.jpg|thumb|]]
In the wormhole created from the destruction of Nemesis, Lio Convoy would get lost in a "loophole" which went "beyond time and space", ending up on the [[Decepticon]] planet [[Dinosaur (planet)|Dinosaur]] in the distant past, just in time to see it partially consumed by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|Illusion? Lio Convoy}}

In Lio Convoy's native time, his disappearance prompted [[Vector Sigma]] and the [[Convoy Council]] to send [[Big Convoy]] and his trainees to [[Gaia]] to find clues as to what happened to the lost Supreme Commander. They found a black box left behind by the previous Maximals that contained a recording of Lio Convoy explaining his conflict with Galvatron and the end result of it being the scattering of Angolmois Capsules across space. Implored by his fellow Supreme Commander, Big Convoy decreed that his unit's mission was to gather the Angolmois Capsules for the safety of the universe. {{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}}

[[File:Neo29 hot matrix-on-matrix action.jpg|left|thumb]]
While seeking out the [[Blentron]]s' base of operations, Big Convoy's unit stumbled upon a wormhole left behind by them and traversed through it to find the ravaged planet, Dinosaur. On the surface, they met a seemingly aggressive opponent who turned out to be Lio Convoy, to the amazement of the star-struck rookies. Lio Convoy explained how he came to be on the planet and emphasized the threat of Unicron, and how the Angolmois Energy was in actuality the energy drawn out of him and then sealed in Gaia. Realizing the Blentrons were trying to revive Unicron, Lio Convoy combined what little power he had in his Energon Matrix with Big Convoy's to attain the form of the Legendary Green Lion and used the light of his Matrix to show the newest generation the correct path to the Blentrons. {{storylink|Illusion? Lio Convoy}}

[[File:Neo35 greenwarrior.jpg|thumb|Maximals. Now flavored in mint.]]

The still green Lio Convoy made it back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] as Big Convoy and his troops were fighting the revived Unicron, who was using Galvatron's image for his energy form. Picking up the defeated [[Magmatron]]'s [[Magma Blade]], Lio Convoy imparted some encouraging words to the other Maximals, telling them to combine their spirits with Big Convoy's Energon Matrix so that he could use the Matrix Buster on Unicron. Stalling with some swordplay, Lio Convoy stabbed Unicron in the chest, allowing Big Convoy to fire the Matrix Buster and annihilate Unicron. {{storylink|The Final Battle (BWN)|The Final Battle}} In the aftermath, Lio Convoy returned to his normal colors and was thanked for his assistance by Big Convoy, to which the humble Lio Convoy stated that it was truly the heroic spirits of everyone who won the day. [[Vector Sigma]] quickly repaired itself from Unicron's earlier attempted possession and promoted Lio Convoy to the rank of Great Convoy, an honor which he gladly accepted. He was soon involved in the Big Convoy Unit's graduation ceremony and the Maximal-Predacon truce to rebuild Cybertron. {{storylink|Graduation Ceremony!!}}

====''Timelines''====
[[File:InvasionPrologue-Primes.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Don't cross Leo Prime. He transforms into a lion the size of a fire truck.]]

As a high-ranking member of the Convoy Council, Lio Convoy traveled from [[Primax 498.1 Alpha]] and passed through [[Gargent 984.08 Alpha]], {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/05/14}} where, as the "Beast Sage", he helped forestall that universe's [[Cataclysm (GoBots)|Cataclysm]]. However, while his technology gave that universe's [[GoBot|natives]] more time, it was only temporary. {{storylink|Sunrise}} Lio Convoy eventually ended up in [[Nexus 208.0 Epsilon]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/05/14}} In [[Axiom Nexus]], he was gathered by [[Optimus Prime (TransTech)|the local Optimus Prime]], along with a roster of other Optimus Primes and [[Sentinel Maximus|their kin]] in a group known as the [[Convoy (group)|Convoy]]. A multiversal cataclysm in [[Primax 207.0 Epsilon|a universe]] seeded with [[Rarified Energon]] and an invasion by [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon|natives from a negative polarity universe]] had called them into action. Since Matrix bearers and their doppelgangers were usually never allowed into Axiom Nexus, this was a grave threat indeed! {{storylink|Invasion Prologue}}

His name was on a list of Convoy members given by [[Cheetor (TransTech)|Commander Cheetor]] to [[Andromeda (TransTech)|Andromeda]]. The list noted that his home [[universal stream]] was Primax 498.1 Alpha and that Lio Convoy also used the moniker "Leo Prime". {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/21}} Leo Prime was present at a meeting of the Convoy after the turmoil caused by the [[Waruder]] invasion of Axiom Nexus. {{storylink|Cybertron's Most Wanted}}

Leo Prime would eventually go on to travel to a universal stream in the [[Uniend|Uniend Cluster]]. He generated much confusion as he joined the local Autobots to defeat their Unicron with more ease than they were intended to have. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/05/14}}
{{-}}

====''Prime'' toy bios====
[[File:Arms Micron Leo Prime.jpg|thumb|]]
Following the restoration of Cybertron, Lio Convoy ascended to the rank of [[Great Convoy]], and became a member of the ruling body of Cybertron. After a time, Great Lio Convoy sensed the [[One Shall Rise, Part 1|awakening of Unicron]] in another dimension, and travelled across the multiverse to this world. Finding that the native Autobots and Decepticons had already dealt with the threat of Unicron, Great Lio Convoy—now using the name "Leo Prime"—elected to stay on this world for a time to ensure that Unicron did not reawaken, refraining from involving himself in the combat between the native Transformers. In the new body he wears in this universe, he is armed with an ancient sword that draws power straight from his Energon Matrix, though apparently unbeknownst to him, it, like the weapons of many other Transformers in this universe, is secretly an [[Arms Micron]] named [[L.P.]]. {{storylink|#primetoy|''Arms Micron'' Leo Prime bio}} Using this weapon, Leo Prime carved up the remains of one of Unicron's rock-and-earth avatars to create the [[Gaia Armor]], using the power of his Energon Matrix to sever the avatar's link to Unicron himself, but allowing it to retain the power of [[Dark Energon]]. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#PrimeUnicronPack|''Arms Micron'' Optimus Prime + Gaia Unicron bio}}

====''Legends'' comic====
[[File:Vol 41 Leo Prime vs Katsu Don.jpg|thumb|left|100px]]
Leo Prime's interuniversal journey brought him to the [[Legends World]], one he was particularly fond of as its inhabitants had been encouraging the Maximals from afar during their battles on Gaia. He repaid them by defending their world from the [[Zamojin (species)|Zamojin]], but ended up defeated by [[Katsu Don]], who reverted him to his original body by absorbing his "[[Chōkon Power|Beast Power]]" and sent him crashing into the home of his local counterpart, [[#Legends comic 2|Lio Convoy]]. After he'd explained his circumstances, Katsu Don attacked again and Leo Prime saw the similarities between himself and Lio Convoy when the latter put himself in harm's way to protect the Legends version of Lio Junior. He induced a beast transformation in Lio Convoy, turning him into a giant robotic lion, then adopted a [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] body that let him combine with Convoy and draw upon his Beast Power to defeat Katsu Don. He then remained in the Legends World in anticipation of further Zamojin attacks, living with Lio Convoy and his son. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 41|Bonus Edition Vol. 41}}

[[File:Vol 41 Leo and Lio.jpg|thumb]]
Some time later, Leo Prime could feel that the return of the Zamojin was imminent. {{storylink|TF Legends Late Xmas Present Chapter|Late Xmas Present Chapter}} Indeed, Katsu Don reappeared and attacked the Legends World with [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], so Leo Prime confronted him alongside [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 65|Bonus Edition Vol. 65}} While espousing his belief that Transformers would achieve peace upon becoming one with organic life, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]] envisioned a future inhabited by Lio Convoy, Big Convoy and Optimus Primal. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Grand Maximus)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}

[[File:Revival 3 Triple Convoys.jpg|thumb|left]]
When [[Majin Zarak]] attacked the Legends World, Leo Prime recognized his old foe and attempted to battle it alongside Lio Convoy and Optimus Primal. Upon being defeated, he realized that since he was fated to destroy Zarak in the future, the beast was effectively invincible in this era or else a time paradox would occur. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One}} Fortunately [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] hit upon the idea to defeat Majin Zarak without killing it by banishing it to another dimension. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}} Following the destruction of the Legends World, Leo Prime evacuated alongside many of its natives to his home dimension, ending up on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] in [[2038]]. The planet was then attacked by none other than [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], confusing Leo Prime until he realized the ship wasn't built by his era's Galvatron to begin with, but had been the brainchild of [[Galvatron II|another Galvatron]] from this era. By using his power to induce beast transformation, he temporarily turned all the Legends natives into proper Transformers, allowing them to attack and take down Nemesis. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3}}
{{-}}

===''Bom Bom'' manga continuity===
====''Beast Wars II'' manga====
When the rainy season rolled around, most of the Maximal troops used the foul weather as an excuse not to go out on their regular patrol, and be insubordinate towards sub-commander Apache. Lio Convoy was none-the-wiser to the situation however, as all of the troops snapped to attention whenever he came by. Their slacking off came to an end when Diver reported that the Predacons were heading their way aboard [[Galvatron Dekazura Tank|an enormous tank]]. Lio Convoy led the counter-offensive, and upon his approach was troubled, as he sensed a power-source of Angolmois Energy within the juggernaut. Lio Convoy led Tasmania Kid into an attempted infiltration of the enemy vehicle, with the Insectrons Bigmos and Tonbot helping them out in getting airborne to bypass its defenses. But Bigmos's failed to fly quickly enough to avoid Lio Convoy getting hit by a blast, and Tasmania Kid was forced to proceed alone. Thankfully, a secondary plan of bombing the tank's vulnerable underside as successful, and the dreadnought was soon sinking into a nearby river. Lio Convoy returned to the front lines and entered the tank to confront Megastorm, whom he bested in combat. In the process, Megastorm was made to accidentally trigger the tank's self-destruct mechanism. Following the tank's spectacular detonation, the overcast skies began to clear, signaling an end to the rainy season. {{storylink|Demolish the Superdreadnought Tank!}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Infiltrate the Mystery Island!}} {{storylink|Free the Captured Matrix!}} {{storylink|Make a Surprise Attack on the Super Weapon Base!}}

He gets [[Humanization#Intoxication|drunk]] for drinking too much [[oil]] and ends up trashing [[Apache]]'s room. {{storylink|Recover the Bonds Lost!}} {{storylink|All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet!}}}}

During the final battle with [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] on the artificial planet ''[[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]'', Lio Convoy once again became corrupted by the [[Angolmois Energy]] that the planet had collected. The energy quickly consumed him, transforming him into Black Lio Convoy, a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]. Lio Convoy was able to use his [[Energon Matrix]] to channel the true spiritual energy of [[Gaia]] through himself, dispelling the evil influences and restoring him to a Maximal. The energy then transformed him into the [[Green Warrior]] and he was able to defeat Galvatron once and for all. {{storylink|Win the Battle of Light and Darkness!}}

After the destruction of the [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], Lio Convoy and the members of his team were scattered across the time and space due to the blast of Angolmois Energy. After awaking one night in a blizzard, Lio Convoy found he was alone on an unknown planet.

Lio Convoy then wandered in the snow field alone, wondering where the other members of his team were. He then ran into a gang of rampaging animals, consisting of a Quetzalcoatlus, an Elasmosaurus, a [[Guiledart|Triceratops]], a [[Saberback|Stegosaurus]], a [[Sling (BWN)|Dimetrodon]] and an [[Dead End (BWN)|Ammonite]]. The gang, led by a [[Magmatron|Giganotosaurus]], attacked other animals. At first, he thought it was a hunt, but it turned out to be a massacre instead. Lio Convoy saved a dear cab and fired Lio Missiles toward the Giganotosaurus. He was surprised to find the missile didn't killed the dinosaur —in fact, the Giganotosaurus was completely unharmed. The Giganotosaurus fought back by firing missiles. When it was about to kill Lio Convoy, he was saved by a [[Big Convoy|mammoth]], who gave him and the dear cab a ride and helped them escape.

The mammoth, whose name was "Big", took Lio Convoy to a hot spring to heal his wounds. He then began to tell his story: His is the leader of a group of native wild animals. He told Lio Convoy that the Giganotosaurus's gang was a bunch of rowdies who became more vicious and killed his friends when he was absent after the mysterious "God's Stone" fell on the planet. He felt sorrow because he couldn't protect his friends. Lio Convoy asked Big to take him to the place where the "stone" fell.

Upon arriving at the cliff above the place mentioned by Big, Lio Convoy soon realized the "stone" is in fact an Angolmois Capsule. He then descended into the valley to take an examination of the capsule. The energy restored his onboard computer and gave him the time-and-space coordinates. Lio Convoy was shocked when he learned he was on a distant planet located in the [[7th Cosmos]] in a time long before he was born.

While Lio Convoy was examining the capsule, Big was wondering what he's doing in the valley before the gang came to the spot and attacked him, claiming for the "God's Stone". Though wounded, Big pushed the gang into the valley after he told Lio Convoy to get out. The impact caused the capsule to explode and the two breathed a sigh of relief. In the pit, the gang evolved in the blast of Angolmois Energy. The gang then rose out of the valley front of Lio Convoy and Big. Their leader, now named "[[Magmatron]]", thanked Big for his effort, which had made them stronger than ever before. The gang then transformed, ready to kill Big and Lio Convoy. Lio Convoy immediately transformed and fought the gang. He defeated the henchmen with ease, but Magmatron took him out with one blast.

Some time later, Lio Convoy crawled out of a thick snow layer and learned there was 90 percents of malfunctions within his body. Lio Convoy was sorry he got Big, who was mortally wounded, involved in this incident. Lio Convoy decided to use his [[Energon Matrix]] to cure Big. During the treatment, the only thought on his mind was curing Big, hoping he would carry on his will, and feeling concern about his teammates. After the action, the whereabouts of Lio Convoy was unknown. {{storylink|The Beast Wars "Neo" Begin!!!}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' manga====
At a certain point, the [[Unicron|Black Ball]] told Lio Convoy and his teammates' action to [[Big Convoy]] and his crew. Big Convoy felt the name "Lio Convoy" sound familiar, but he couldn't remember when he ever knew the name. {{storylink|There Are 7 Capsules}}

When fixing the ''[[Gung Ho]]'' on an asteroid near the planet [[Luxor]], Big Convoy asked [[NAVI (Gung Ho)|NAVI]] for information about Lio Convoy because he felt the name was familiar. NAVI gave Big Convoy the information and he learned that Lio Convoy was a rookie officer. In addition to that, they had never met each other, according to the official records. {{storylink|There Are 7 Capsules}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Double Cross}}
During his last breath, Big Convoy saw Lio Convoy come to take him to a place where his soul could rest in peace. {{storylink|Return to Zero}}

====''Beast Wars Metals'' manga====
The visage of Lio Convoy appeared alongside those of Big Convoy and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in a poetic montage overlooking the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] on [[Earth|Energoa]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{BW Shell Game}}
Suspicious of Magmatron even in peacetime, Lio Convoy sent Razorbeast undercover into his Predacon unit to sabotage his plans, despite not knowing exactly what Magmatron was scheming. {{storylink|Shell Game issue 1|Shell Game #1}}

===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
[[File:Lioconvoy gathering.jpg|thumb|Hey, look, he turns into Liger Zero!]]
There is a slight otherworldliness about Commander-in-Chief Lio Convoy, a sense that he is operating on a bigger picture and serving a higher power. Upon landing on a planet, he immediately becomes in tune with its natural harmonics and becomes determined to defend that world. He has sheer belief in his pre-ordained cause, backed up by a Matrix that gives him power from the very core of Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 17|Transformers Comic #17}}

Prior to the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], Lio Convoy commanded a crew of Maximals who traveled to the planet [[Gaia|Gaea]] and battled [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] and his forces. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook #2}}

By the tail-end of the Great War, Lio Convoy had earned himself a place on the Autobot High Council. He was away from their base of operation when news came in that both Optimus Prime and Galvatron had fallen in combat, and so attended a meeting via holographic-projection. After rebranding themselves the "Primal Council," the group discussed their intent to broker an armistice with their enemies, in the hopes of ending the war without further bloodshed. To this end, Lio Convoy was sent out to the Eastern Iacon front of the conflict. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

Years later, during peace-time, the ever-vigilant Lio Convoy sat on the [[Bi-Partate Committee for State Affairs]], but was also a member of a secret black-ops intelligence unit known as the [[Pack]]. During a conversation with [[Razorbeast]] that was officially off-the-record, he reminded his fellow Maximal that their unit didn't exist and that the [[Maximal Imperium]] didn't sanction their operations. He warned Razorbeast that if he was caught while undercover in [[Magmatron]]'s command, he would be disavowed. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}}

[[File:BWAScendLioConvoyConventional.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]
Unfortunately, Lio Convoy believed that Magmatron was the true enemy, while [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] was just a loose cannon. (Real good job of threat assessment there.) After Razorbeast's transwarp booster-sent distress message was strengthened by Magmatron, it reached Lio Convoy, who, despite his earlier warning, mobilized the Pack at once to race to Razorbeast's rescue. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1|The Ascending #1}}

While Razorbeast's Maximals were fighting the Predacons to a standstill (in no small part thanks to the powerhouses [[Torca (BW)|Torca]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]), the Pack arrived and looked to turn the tide of battle quickly in the favor of all that is clean and fresh. Lio Convoy himself transformed and confronted [[Drill Bit (BW)|Drill Bit]] and some other Pred thugs, who were unimpressed by his unnervingly LARGE beast mode. Lio Convoy accepted this and whipped out his cannons. THEN they were impressed. When [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] revealed himself to the Maximals, Lio Convoy and Razorbeast were quick to turn their guns on him, right up until [[Latolata|Rartorata]] showed his ugly mug. The [[Blentron|Blendtron]] injected Razorbeast with a load of Angolmois, turning the Maximal into a raging berserker locked in beast mode. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2|The Ascending #2}}

[[File:Lio V Ravage.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Rumble (G1)|RUMBLE]]! WAS! [[FIRRIB|RED]]!]]
Reminding the Pack that they take care of their own and clean up their own messes, Lio Convoy engaged the enemy. Once they had subdued Razorbeast's mutated form with crude vines and stakes, Convoy discovered that his comrade was still within the monstrous beast and fighting a losing battle against the Angolmois that was corrupting his mind. Ravage informed the Maximal commander of the urgency of what Magmatron had showed him, and the Maximals prepared to board Lio Convoy's transwarp cruiser. The cruiser's takeoff was then threatened by the arrival of the other two Blendtrons. Razorbeast broke from his restraints and charged into battle against the servants of Unicron, telling Convoy to escape while he held the line. Setting the transwarp coordinates to the time and place Ravage had received from Magmatron, the cruiser emerged in the midst of [[Big Convoy]]'s battle with Shokaract. However it was shot down upon the arrival of [[Herald of Shokaract|Shokaract's Heralds]]. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 3|The Ascending #3}}

Luckily Lio and the rest of The Pack survived the crash and were able to join up with Big Convoy. After briefly explaining the seriousness of the situation to Big Convoy, Lio provided [[Bump]] with a sample of Angolmois so he could synthesize an antidote. After a brief spat of posturing by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and Ravage, Lio took part in a frontal assault on Shokaract to serve as a distraction while [[Snarl (BW)|Snarl]] and [[Prowl II|Prowl]] enacted the real plan. Once Shokaract decided to call it a day after his heart to heart talk with Magmatron and in the wake of the devastating battle Lio Convoy received the antidote from Bump and started on rebuilding a devastated Cybertron... just in time for Megatron to get back from the Beast Wars and release his [[transformation virus]] on the planet. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4|The Ascending #4}}
{{-}}

===''Universe'' toy bio===
Leo Prime was a career soldier, commander of the elite Maximal black ops unit the [[Pack]]. He and his comrades traveled to wherever trouble was thickest, working undercover to foil Predacon plots. {{storylink|#Universe (2008)|''Universe'' Leo Prime toy bio}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:Lio_Convoy_Kre-O_Character_Image.jpg‎|thumb|75px]]

Lio Convoy was at the newly constructed Autobot base, [[Metroplex (Kre-O)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}} Later on, he was at [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]]'s {{w|Hanami}} party having a drink from [[Heinrad (BWN)#Kre-O online manga|Heinrad]]. {{storylink|Soundwave's Trap? Stop Operation Brainwash Humanity!}}
{{-}}

===''Legends'' comic===
[[File:LegendsComic LioConvoy robot mode.jpg|thumb|125px]]
Visiting the [[Axalon Trading Company]] to discuss business with [[Optimus Primal (BW)#Transformers Legends comic|Optimus Primal]], the Lio Convoy of the [[Legends World]] found himself charmed by their office lady, [[Airazor (BW)#Transformers Legends comic|Airazor]]. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 5#The Gender Gap Part 2|The Gender Gap Part 2}}

[[File:LegendsComic LioConvoy.jpg|left|thumb]]
Later, when he was out drinking sake, he was surprised by a speeding [[Arcee (G1)#Transformers Legends comic|Arcee]], who was transporting her nephew [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] to work in her car mode. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 10|Bonus Edition Vol. 10}} A gambler and a drunk, Lio Convoy lived in poverty and wasn't too eager to buy Lio Junior the ''Transformers'' toys he wanted. He tried to distract his son by making funny faces and calling it "transforming", to no avail. At another point, he gambled away his son's school lunch money at the races and was left despondent and full of regrets until Junior cheered him up. {{storylink|Lio Dad}}

[[File:LegendsComic LioConvoy mechalion.jpg|thumb]]
One day, [[#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Leo Prime]] fell from the sky into the home of the Lios, who mistook him for a toy until he introduced himself and explained that the Zamojin were targeting their world. When Katsu Don tracked down Leo Prime and hurt Junior, Lio Convoy was enraged and threw a rock at the Zamojin, impressing Leo Prime who helped him [[Transformers sickness|access his inherent Transformer memories]] and turn into a lion/starship Transformer. Lio Convoy used his new body to battle Katsu Don and combine with Leo Prime, forming the body of Prime's new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] form. After Katsu Don was driven away, Lio Convoy repurposed his starship mode as a new home for him and Junior. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 41|Bonus Edition Vol. 41}} When [[Akihabara]] was rebuilt, his "house" mode was seen to be located in a wooded area just outside the town. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} He congratulated Junior after he'd gotten a new toy as a [[Christmas]] present. {{storylink|TF Legends Late Xmas Present Chapter|Late Xmas Present Chapter}}

When [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] summoned [[Majin Zarak]] to the Legends World, Leo Prime called in Lio Convoy and Optimus Primal to assist him in battle with the titan, but, as Majin Zarak was fated to be defeated by Leo Prime in its future, it could not be destroyed sans a time paradox. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One}} Fortunately, [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] hit upon the idea to defeat Majin Zarak without killing it by banishing it to another dimension. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}} Following the destruction of the Legends World, Lio Convoy evacuated alongside many of his peers to Lio Convoy's home universe, ending up on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] in [[2038]]. The planet was then attacked by [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], which Leo Prime responded to by empowering Legends World refugees into becoming full-blown Transformers and Lio Convoy aided in taking own Nemesis as Leo Prime's body. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[File:BWU Lio Convoy.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|There's gonna be a revolution.]]
The Guardian of Order Lio Convoy, holder of the [[Energon Matrix|energon matrix]], was once in the employ of the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders]], the decrepit and selfish [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s that had survived the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Using his [[Solipsistic Staff]], he would ensure that the gladiatorial matches pitting the oppressed Maximals and Predacons against one another would always turn out as his mentor, [[Eject (G1)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Eject]], intended them to. This allowed the status quo to remain in place, with the Builders securely ruling over the younger Cybertronians. Though Lio Convoy had resentments about his lot in life, he was otherwise steadfast in his loyalty towards The Administrator of the Games. After a chance encounter with [[Blackarachnia (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Blackarachnia]], Lio Convoy had his eyes opened to the injustice of the caste-based society of Cybertron, where any Maximal or Predacon could be summoned to die in a Game or have rations cut for minor infractions of ridiculous laws. After a cathartic venture where he stood up to a couple of corrupt MCSF officers, Lio Convoy joined Blackarachnia and the resistance fighting to tear down Cybertron's tyrannical power structure. Now ready to leave his old life behind, Lio Convoy snuck a team of rebels into the 1924th Games at the [[Dodecahex]] Arena. While Blackarachnia's team seized control of [[Override (BW)|Override]]'s broadcasting equipment, Lio Convoy assassinated [[Supersonic]], securing the attention of Cybertron. He publicly exposed the Builders' moral corruption, deeming them unworthy of ruling Cybertron and calling for a war for freedom. Thus, the Fourth Cybertronian War, the [[Grand Uprising]], began. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

Broadcast footage of Lio Convoy's war declaration was seen shortly thereafter by the crewmembers of the ''[[Spooky Action at a Distance]]'' and the ''[[Dinosaur (ship)|Dinosaur]]''. {{storylink|Intersectionality}}

Dubbed "Supreme Commander" of the Resistance by (mainly Predacon members of) his newfound followers, Lio Convoy began coordinating a variety of attacks on Builder-held territories. One particular target of interest was [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Fortress Maximus]], the massive Builder was also served as a prison for several high-value dissidents. However, the first raid was a disaster when Fortress Maximus used his telepathy to influence the team. The second raid failed as well, as the team was aware of Max's abilities and therefore were easily pushed into paranoia by the Builder. They ended up destroying themselves, each convinced the others were under the influence of Fortress Maximus.

For the third raid, Lio Convoy authorized an unpleasant but necessary action. Only mission-critical members were informed of Fortress Maximus's powers. A former champion of the Games, [[Buzzclaw (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Buzzclaw]], was specifically recruited for the mission but left in the dark. Buzzclaw's psychological profile painted him as an obvious target for Maximus's manipulations, leaving the team with only ''one'' member to watch out for. Furthermore, psy-tech was developed that not only sensed when Buzzclaw was turned, it also carried a neural-spike that killed the unfortunate Predacon, but also sent a feedback pulse back to Fortress Maximus through their connection, allowing the team to eliminate the Builder and complete their mission. {{storylink|Head Games}}

While overseeing several campaigns, Lio Convoy was informed by [[B'Boom]] that [[Bighorn]] had died trying to take the [[Melpomene Bridge]]. B'Boom wanted to authorize an air strike to take revenge on the [[Maximal Command Security Force|MCSF]] members responsible, Lio Convoy refused, reminding his comrade that they were fighting a war, not seeking revenge, and resources were better served elsewhere. Still, he took B'Boom aside and they shared stories about Bighorn in memorial of their fallen friend. {{storylink|Burning Bridges}}

As the war went on, the Beast Upgrade hit Cybertron. Lio took on the form of a [[cybercat]], reforging his Solipsistic Staff into a sword. Somewhere during this time, he devised ''Operation: Amputation'', a last-ditch strategy involving wiring troops up with [[K-Bomb]]s. What he didn't tell the four volunteers was that he had remote control over the bombs. Six years in, the newly formed [[Independent Predacus States]] demanded Lio have Preditron killed, and he agreed for the sake of their alliance. After all, that was what the Resistance had sprung him from Fort Max ''for''. He still felt bad about it, though. {{storylink|Safe Spaces}} {{storylink|Derailment}} Elsewhere across Cybertron, various warlords were carving out their own territory. Lio made a note to deal with them after everything was over, but the Resistance was making great gains.

Then the news came out about strange "[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s" spreading over Cybertron, violently reformatting their victims into more drones. Lio Convoy realized it was the Builder's last-ditch attempt to stop them, and it was working. His first act was to try ''Operation: Amputation'', over the objections of his war council, but even the [[K-Bombs]] were unable to stem the tide. Lio Convoy ordered all reserve forces to Petrohex, then watched as they fell to the Vehicons within .20 cycles. Bump and Psycho-Orb filled him in on just how many Cybertronians stood in the Vehicon's path; if they were all converted, their numbers would overwhelm the Resistance with ease. With surrender out of the question, Lio Convoy put out the order: the Resistance would march on Iacon that night.

Before leaving, Lio reached out to the [[Maximal Nation]] and the Independent Predacus States, asking for assistance. As the assault on Iacon began, Lio Convoy spearheaded the battle for the [[Yuss Batteries]], one of the last lines of defense before Iacon. Lio was part of the group who stormed [[Fort Qalt]]. Utilizing a secret tunnel inside the fort, Lio Convoy, Break, and [[Quillfire (BW)|Quillfire]] managed to get the drop on the fort's commander, [[Goldbug (IDW)|Goldbug]], only to find he and Break were locked out and the Builder refused to give up the codes. Break sacrificed his life to gain them, Lio informed Scylla that the guns would be unable to target the Builder fleet.

Once the battle was over, the Builders' efforts meant taking a ship to Iacon was out of the question. The Resistance would have to walk in, all seventy-five thousand of them. Before setting out, Lio gave a rousing speech to the troops, congratulating them for doing the impossible and assuring them of their victory. Two and a half megacycles into their march on Iacon, everyone was getting a bit concerned about the total absence of anyone trying to stop them. Lio Convoy figured if ''he'' had been in charge, he'd be fighting a rearguard action, and came to the conclusion that Hot Rod had been told to do just that... and not done it.

[[File:Derailment SupremeCommanderLioConvoy.jpg|350px|left|thumb|"Behold, the quintessential devil in these matters: Lio T. Convoy, renegade and terrorist!"]]
By the time the Resistance had arrived at Iacon and scouted the area, the massed Vehicon armies were practically on their doorstep. Surrounding the [[High Council Pavilions|High Pavilion]], Lio declined to order shelling, not knowing whether that would call off the hordes or not. As his commanders went in, Lio lead the fight against the Vehicons outside, until the Assembly Bunker rose into the sky in front of him. Pissed by the display of arrogance, Lio swore to make them pay. With assistance from [[Grimwing (BW)|Grimwing]], he reached their platform and demanded their surrender, slicing off [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s wing when the councilor mouthed off. His terms for surrender were cut short when the Assembly revealed the architect behind the Vehicons: a dark clone of Lio Convoy who called himself "[[Galva Convoy]]". Lio and his forces were surrounded by Vehicons... who betrayed their benefactors and began converting the Assembly instead. On Blackarachnia's suggestion, Lio fled.

Desperate, thanks to his big plan going belly-up, Lio came to a grim conclusion: The Vehicons had to be stopped by whatever means necessary, and if that meant he had to use the last K-bomb left to crack the entire planet like an egg, so be it. As he was arming Ro-tor, he was met by Eject and [[Riker]] aboard [[Black-Out]], who had come to him to offer a truce. Lio wasn't happy to see his old mentor, but Eject revealed where Galva Convoy had holed up - in the [[Grand Mal]], and Lio's sword, which would hide him from the sparkless Vehicons, was their way in. They had a chance, though Lio promised to square things with Eject later.

On approach to the Grand Mal, Black-Out was shot down by a glancing blow, but managed to crash through the fortress' eye. Lio was unharmed, but to his distress found Eject fatally wounded, Eject offered him some last words of encouragement before expiring; as Black-Out exploded, Lio and his Maximals made their way inside, fighting through the drones as they went until they reached the bridge, where Galva Convoy awaited. Surprisingly, Galva Convoy was happy to see his "brother", maintaining that he was merely doing Cybertron a favor by removing the evils of "free will"... and that he had merely taken the ruthlessness of the Resistance to its logical extreme. Despite Blackarachnia's attempt to shoot him, she was subdued while Galva attacked Lio, who was too drained from days of activity to properly fight back. Lio began to wonder whether his duplicate had a point, and ruminated over all the dubious decisions he'd made over the years. Galva Convoy was just following his example. So, Lio decided to change strategy.

He pretended to be convinced by Galva's words, that he wanted to help him strip Cybertron of its sparks, as he focused his spark so it would match that of his duplicate. He told Galva to bring in a drone and assimilate Blackarachnia, and when he did, Lio jumped in front of them, taking the virus for himself. A panicked Galva leapt in to try and stop the process, allowing Lio to infect ''him'' thanks to their matching sparks. Lio blacked out, though not before he saw Blackarachnia raise her gun and fire.

Fortunately, the [[cyber venom]] in her gun prevented the virus from taking Lio. He was unconscious for the next several cycles, missing the end of the apocalypse, as medics did what they could to save his life, spending a decacycle rebuilding him "from the ground up", in Blackarachnia's words. On awakening, his oldest friend filled him in on the aftermath. Wrenching himself free of his recharge slab, he told her to get on the horn to everyone she could, Maximal, Predacon, Builder or Neutral, and get them to arrange a summit before the chance passed them by. Over the next eight cycles he passed in and out of consciousness, but Blackarachnia and B'Boom managed what he asked.

[[File:Inexorable March Lio Convoy.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Casting a long shadow over history.]]

With several more cycles of arguing and politicking, the Cybertronian Parliament was created, with a design that would make any one faction achieving a supermajority difficult. Watching their discussion, albeit via the means of an [[exo-walker]] since he hadn't fully recovered, Lio felt confident he'd made the right choice. When their first decision was to declare the war over, and that day dubbed [[Unity Day]], Lio felt a surge of hope before leaving them to their work. Two solar cycles later, Lio Convoy left Cybertron, deciding that he was too polarizing a figure to stay behind. The only witness to his departure was Blackarachnia, to whom he pondered over trying to bridge the gulf between Cybertron and Earth. {{storylink|Derailment}}

A decade after the events of the [[Vehicon Apocalypse]], Lio Convoy reappeared during a [[Vok]]-induced crisis on [[Metascan Omega]]. {{storylink|The Inexorable March}}

He did eventually return to Cybertron in some way, having some involvement in the ''Second'' Vehicon Apocalypse.

Some ten thousand years later, history remembered him for walking away from Cybertron rather than becoming a tyrant, though the details became blurred by the intervening years. The bulk of historians wrote that the great Lio Convoy was ''certainly'' not aware of all those horrible things like the G-Virus! [[Hatchet (BW)|Some academics]] took a far less than charitable view of his activities, both rightfully noting he knew approved monstrous deeds along with blaming him for activities he wasn't responsible for and taking a negative view of most of his choices. One notable historian, [[Rampage (BW)#Beast Wars Uprising|Pontiff General Rampage]], would write that Lio Convoy was a truly horrible thing who created zealots and sent them to their deaths, like those poor "Protoform Ex" agents.

There were persistent rumors that, following the [[Grand Uprising|Unification War]], Lio Convoy became part Vehicon, adopting a jet mode in addition to his more familiar [[cybercat]] [[beast mode]]. He also may have become binary bonded to the [[Titan Master]] [[Moon (BWII)|Moon]], sometimes known as "Mecha Usagi", but no records existed to prove it. {{storylink|Lio Convoy: Unity Through Tyranny}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars''===
When the super-powerful [[Energon Quartz]] was discovered on [[Earth]], Lio Convoy was one of the several combatants to join the brawl to take possession of it.

Lio Convoy could also partake in various other tasks, such as a mission to break a boulder to reveal an energon crystal hidden within before sundown, using a block in a mission to defend himself against various incoming projectiles, and missions to run across a pit-riddled field, sometimes involving hideously large bacteria he had to fend off.

After defeating his final opponent, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], Lio Convoy decided to seal away the Quartz forever, so that it would never fall into the hands of those who would abuse its power towards evil ends. {{storylink|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars}}

{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Lio Convoy's fate in those outcomes.}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Lio-Convoy.jpg|thumb|400px]]
Lio Convoy participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Epic character who was available in the July Daily Campaign and could be recruited by collecting 20 Alpha cores, 20 Beta cores, 20 Omega cores, and 10 cores of this character. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Beast Wars II''===
[[File:BWII LioConvoy toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight]]
*'''Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, [[April 23]] 1998)
**''ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

: The only item in the second wave of ''[[Beast Wars II (toyline)|Beast Wars II]]'' toys, Lio Convoy transforms into an organic white lion articulated at the legs and head. In this mode, he has flip-out twin blades in each foreleg, and spring-loaded missile launchers hidden in his mane. The head/mane can also open up and spin around via push-lever gear mechanism as part of a spinning attack gimmick ''thing''. A button on top of his head opens his [[beast mode]] jaw. He can only store two of his six missiles in beast mode...and they stick out of his mane, looking a little goofy.

:In [[robot mode]], Lio Convoy's chest design and colors closely resemble Generation 1 [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], even sporting a non-removable [[Energon Matrix]] sculpted into his chest, underneath his left chest panel (which also has a heat-sensitive Maximal [[rubsign]]). All of his flip-out beast mode weapons can be used in robot mode, and his missile launchers can be removed and held in either of his hands.

: [[Hasbro]] offered Lio Convoy as an [[exclusive]] on its now-defunct [[Hasbro Collectors]] website in 2000.

: This mold was also used to make [[Black Lio Convoy#Toys|Black Lio Convoy]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/LioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm More information on Lio Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|VSGalvatron}}
*'''History's Greatest Showdown: Lio Convoy VS Galvatron''' (VS pack, [[May 21]] 1998)
**''ID number:'' '''VS-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

: Lio Convoy was also (eventually) available in a "History's Greatest Showdown" (史上最大の対決, ''shijō saidai no taiketsu'') two-pack with his arch-enemy [[Galvatron (BWII)#Toys|Galvatron]]. Both toys are identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|Black}}
*'''Black Lio Convoy''' (1998)
**''ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

: A [[redeco]] of Lio Convoy, Black Lio Convoy sports the now-familiar black, silver, and teal color scheme which was later used for ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]], ''Armada'' [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]] and many, many other "evil" Optimus Primes. There is also a variant of this toy that comes with gold claws, which is harder to find than the normal version.

: Black Lio Convoy was a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] and came in a Lio Convoy box with a sticker indicating that it was "Black Lio Convoy". A special [[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]] version was also released through ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'', which featured "BL-00" painted in white on his robo-butt.

: This toy is also used to represent the separate character of [[Black Lio Convoy]].

{{-}}{{anchor|Flash}}
[[File:BWII LioConvoy Flash.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Blinged out and sparkly. Who are these toys marketed to again?]]
*'''Flash Lio Convoy''' (1998)
**''ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

:The first [[redeco]] of Lio Convoy in his "Flash" color scheme, which replaces most of his secondary colors with metal-flake gold and silver.

:He was released alongside Burning Convoy to promote the ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers|Beast Wars Special]]'' film.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/FlashLioConvoy/flashlioconvoy.htm More information on Flash Lio Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|GalvatronColor}}
[[File:BWII-Toy_LioConvoy_GalvatronLuckyDraw.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Please help. I fell into some Kool-Aid."]]
*'''Galvatron Color Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

: A ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'' [[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]] exclusive limited to only 50 units, Galvatron Color Lio Convoy is a [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]]-themed recolor of Lio Convoy. This rare toy represents Lio as he appeared in the ''Bom Bom'' manga story when his spark was tainted by [[Angolmois Energy]].

: This toy was only made available as a prize offered through the December 1998 issue of ''Comic Bom Bom''.

::*''[http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/toy/gallery/review/galva+lio+convoy/886/galva+lio+convoy.html More information (and a photo gallery) on Galvatron Color Lio Convoy at luckydrawtransformers.com ]''
{{-}}

===''Robotmasters''===
[[File:RMLioConvoy toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I'm adorable!]]
*'''Lio Convoy''' (2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-22'''
**''Acessories:'' "Gold Fang" x2, "Laser Tonfa" x2, "Lio Shot"
: ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' Lio Convoy is a scaled-down, simplified, all-new, Deluxe-sized Lio Convoy. Though he retains most of the original Lio Convoy's articulation, he lacks the spring-loaded [[gimmick]]s such as his spinning mane and missile launchers, and is of lower sculpted detail.

: Instead of spring-loaded weapons, Lio Convoy comes with a whopping five non-firing blasters. His beast mode mane has peg-holes to attach four of the weapons, simulating his bigger toy's [[attack mode|attack beast mode]]. The smaller handgun has several mounting points on it for adding the other guns, resulting in a superweapon.

: This mold was also used to make the ''Robotmasters'' version of [[Black Lio Convoy#Robotmasters|Black Lio Convoy]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/LioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm ''More information on ''Robotmasters'' Lio Convoy at TFU.info'']

{{-}}{{anchor|RMDVD}}
[[File:RMLioConvoy DVD toy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I'm unobtainable!]]
*'''Lio Convoy + DVD''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-23'''
**''Acessories:'' "Gold Fang" x2, "Laser Tonfa" x2, "Lio Shot"

: This more limited-edition (yet still normal retail) redeco of Lio Convoy features a shiny metallic paint deco for his red parts. He also comes with a DVD with the second part of the short ''Robotmasters'' CGI-animated storyline.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/DVDLioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm ''More information on ''Robotmasters'' Lio Convoy + DVD at TFU.info'']

{{-}}

===''Classics''===
[[File:Classics LeoPrime LOC.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|This toy has caused untold years of war.]]
*'''Leo Prime''' (Legends, 2007)
*'''Leo Prime''' (Legends, "Cybertron Collection", 2008)

: An unusual addition to the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' line, Leo Prime is a redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]''-series [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends of Cybertron]] [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] toy, transforming into a robotic lion (well, liger, really). He was originally part of the first wave of ''Classics'' Legends, then later re-released in a wave with—even more unusually—the ''Cybertron''-series characters [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], and [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]], all of whom (Leo Prime included) had the words "Cybertron Collection" added to the standard ''Classics'' package design.

: Interestingly, this makes Leo Prime the only remake / redeco figure released under the ''Classics'' toyline that's based on a Beast Era character - though of course, one might argue his inclusion is not entirely odd since he's still technically part of the Generation 1 continuity regardless.

: This mold was also used to make [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|''Universe'' (2008)]] [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsLeoPrime/leoprime.htm ''More information on ''Classics'' Leo Prime at TFU.info'']

{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
[[File:Leoprimeuniversevoyager.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|In the same zoo as Primal Prime.]]
*'''Leo Prime''' (Voyager Class, 2009)
**''Series'': '''Beast Wars Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/"Jungle whip," Key

: A [[retool]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Overhaul (Cybertron)#Leobreaker|Leobreaker]] with a new head and [[redeco]]ed in blue and red, Leo Prime transforms into a mechanical lion. Unlike previous releases of this mold, the electronics were removed and the battery cover is riveted closed. Each forelimb/arm has a Cyber-Key-released spring-loaded "snap-out robo-shredder claw," and his tail becomes a blade-whip for robot mode. As a redeco of Leobreaker, he can still transform into a "Savage Claw Mode", becoming a massive clawed arm that can attach to the Leader-class ''Cybertron'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|Megatron]] toys, usable on either side of their torsos. He comes with a silver-bordered blue Jungle Planet-type Cyber Key. His packaging designates him a [[Maximal]] despite the Autobot symbol on his chest.

: The original version of this mold was also used to create [[Nemesis Breaker#Toys|Nemesis Breaker]] and retooled to make [[BotCon 2009]] [[Razorclaw (G1)#Timelines|Razorclaw]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Maximal/LeoPrime/leoprime.htm More information on ''Universe'' Leo Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{Anchor|Target}}
[[File:Universe2008toy-LeoPrimeTarget.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|He hangs out with Walmart's red ''Universe'' Powerglide.]]
*'''Leo Prime''' (Voyager Class, 2009)
**''Series'': '''Beast Wars Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/"Jungle whip," Key

: A [[Target]]-[[exclusive]] [[redeco]] was produced of the first ''Universe'' Leo Prime in colors that homage Lio Convoy's original color scheme. Though he was in ''Universe'' packaging, his cross sells were for the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Voyager Class toys [[Stratosphere#Toys|Stratosphere]], [[Grindor (ROTF)#Toys|Grindor]], and [[Long Haul (ROTF)#Toys|Long Haul]]. Leo Prime's bio and call-outs remain the same.

: This release was exclusive to Target stores in the United States.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Maximal/TargetLeoPrime/leoprime.htm More information on "Target" Leo Prime at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Prime''===
[[File:Primetoy-LeoPrime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''If it is my fate, I will make up my mind, so please cut me some slack for now. Surely there will be a tomorrow, aah, after today.'']]
{{anchor|primetoy}}
*'''Leo Prime''' ([[December 15]], [[2012]])
**''ID number'': '''AM-28'''
**''Accessories'': Beast-leg/blade, "L.P." Arms Micron

: Part of the tenth wave of the [[TakaraTomy]] [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Japan|''Prime'' toyline]], Leo Prime is a [[redeco]] of Voyager Class [[Thundertron#Prime|Thundertron]], transforming into a mechanical lion. His right robot mode foot can detach to reveal a bladed "peg-leg", with the original foot converting into a claw-weapon. Leo Prime comes with his [[Arms Micron]] partner, [[L.P.#Toys|L.P.]], who transforms into a sword.

: In an erroneous holdover, the catalogue that comes with Leo Prime labels the figure "Thundertron" (サンダートロン ''Sandātoron'').

: This mold was also used to make [[Go Prime#Toys|Go Prime]] and [[BotCon 2014]] [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Timelines|Knight Alpha Trizer]].
{{-}}

===''Legend Commander Collection''===
[[File:LegendCommanderCollection-LioConvoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Lio Convoy. the only one that Primus does not sin when he destroys."]]
*'''Lio Convoy''' (2014)
**''ID number:'' '''LC-03'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Gold Fangs", 2 "Laser Tonfa", "Lio Shot"
:Part of the ''[[Legend Commander Collection]]'' sold at [[Transformers Expo]], Lio Convoy is a redeco of ''Robotmasters'' Lio Convoy. Remaining stock was sold through [[TakaraTomy Mall]].
{{-}}

===''Timelines''===
[[File:TFCC-Lio-Convoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Lio Convoy''' (TCC incentive figure, 2015)
**''Accessories'': blaster, [[Solipsistic Staff|axe]]
: The [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] member incentive figure of 2015, ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' Lio Convoy is a retool of ''Thrilling 30'' Deluxe Class [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Deluxe|Orion Pax]], transforming into a truck. He comes with a blaster and axe, both of which can peg onto 5mm ports on his hands and vehicle rear sides. Although not depicted on the instructions, the blaster can also peg into the hole on the larger blade of the Energon Axe.

:Some units have [[Quality control|two left fists]].

:Lio Convoy was [[redeco]]ed into [[Nova Prime#Toys|Nova Prime]] and [[Galva Convoy#Toys|Galva Convoy]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Maximal/TFCCLioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm More information on ''Timelines'' Lio Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG41-Lio-Convoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|But can he kill Unicron in just one single shot?]]
*'''Leo Prime''' ([[February 25]], [[2017]])
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''LG41'''
**''Accessories'': Ancient Sword, Headmaster, Leo Missile gun, small gun

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Leo Prime is a redeco of ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Voyager Class [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Generations|Alpha Trion]] using [[Infinitus#Generations|Infinitus]]'s head, and he transforms from a robot to "ancient leo" to "space carrier". He is armed with an "[[L.P.|Ancient Sword]]" (named the "[[Solipsistic Staff|Solipsistic Sword]]" in ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]''), a "Leo Missile" gun ("[[Typhoon Arrow]]" in ''Uprising'') that his Headmaster can ride in spaceship mode, and a smaller handgun that, like Infinitus, was previously included with [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#Generations|Sentinel Prime]]. As with Hasbro's ''Titans Return'' Voyager figures, pressing in his chest crystal makes his head adornments, the "Great Horn", spring up to "bulk up" his head.

{{TRInfinitusMold}}
{{-}}

===''Masterpiece''===
[[File:Masterpiece MP-48-Lio Convoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Kimba really has gotten so big.]]
*'''Lio Convoy''' ([[February 29]], [[2020]])
**''ID number'': '''MP-48'''
**''Accessories'': <s>[[Artemis#Masterpiece|Artemis]] minifigure</s>, Cybertron Blaster, 4 Lio Missiles (2 for each launcher), holder

:[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|''Masterpiece'']] Lio Convoy is an all-new mold that is intended to replicate his animated appearance. He is designed to scale with other ''Beast Wars''-based ''Masterpiece'' figures. Incidentally, he also scales with the Ultra-sized ''Beast Wars'' [[Big Convoy#Toys|Big Convoy]].

:Lio Convoy was supposed to come with a poseable Artemis figure, though she was omitted from the final product.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Beast Wars Gum===
*'''Lio Convoy''' (candy toy, 1997)
:A snap together model kit of Lio Convoy was available as part of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Gum|Beast Wars Gum]]'', sculpted from purple and gold plastic. He could transform from robot to beast mode by being broken down into its component parts, then rebuilt into a new mode. It came with a stick of gum.
{{-}}

===Beast Fighters===
*'''Lio Convoy''' (candy toy, 1997)
:Kabaya's ''[[Beast Fighters]]'' Lio Convoy was a small, [[super deformed]] PVC model which was hollow inside, designed to be used as a finger-puppet. It was available in a [[Blindpacking|blindpack]] with fizzy "Ramune" candy.
{{-}}

===Flame Toys===
====Furai Model====
*'''Lio Convoy''' (20??)
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Notes==
[[File:LioConcept.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|Concept art]]
*In [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'', Lio Convoy's [[beast mode]], like [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s, is [[Scale|huge compared to the real thing]].
*Lio's beast mode is probably based on the main character of the classic manga, ''{{w|Jungle Emperor Leo}}'', better known to the English speaking world as ''Kimba the White Lion''.
*The fact that his Legends Class toy was re-released in packaging marketed as part of the "Cybertron Collection" could be interpreted to mean the character has some connection to the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. Odd as it is, there is a minor precedent: the Unicron Trilogy character [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] has adopted a disguise based on [[Sky Shadow (Cybertron)|a Decepticon hero who took part in a Unicron Trilogy Beast Wars]].
*The toy catalogue featured as the first piece of fiction in this article was essentially [[fandom]] gospel for many years when it came to understanding the relationship between ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Wars II'', and everyone operated under the assumption that the characters of both series were contemporaries who then went off time-travelling to visit past and future Earth, respectively. But this scenario is nowhere else to be found in Japanese fiction: in cartoon continuity, the ''Beast Wars II'' characters live in the future thousands of years after the ''Beast Wars'' characters' home-time, and employ no time-travel in getting to Gaia. English-speaking fans didn't know this until it was loudly and explicitly stated by a [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|timeline published in 2007]]; as such, IDW's 2006 comic miniseries ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|Beast Wars: The Gathering]]'' took the setting from the catalogue as its starting point and presented Lio Convoy and the other ''Beast Wars II'' (and ''Neo''!) characters as hailing from the same time period as the ''Beast Wars'' characters.
*Lio Convoy, like a ton of other [[Kre-O Transformers (comic)|''Kre-O'' comic]] characters, uses existing Kre-O pieces. As such, he uses the [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] helmet, the [[Razorclaw (Kre-O)|Razorclaw]] lion head and mane (though they are rather smaller than normal), and a form of backpack piece to hold it on Lio Convoy's right-hand shoulder.

===Foreign names===
*''Korean:'' '''Lion Convoy''' (라이온콘보이 ''Raion Konboi'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Bái Shī Qíngtiānzhù''' (白狮擎天柱, "White Lion Optimus Prime")

[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Maximals]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Convoys]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
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[[Category:Japanese-original Transformers]]
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[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
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[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Knights of Cybertron

2020-05-19T02:06:17Z

TailgatePrime: /* 2005 IDW continuity */

{{factions|primus|adaptus|{{factions/icons|custom=Epistemus.png|cSize=30px|cLink=Epistemus|cPretty=Epistimus}}{{factions/icons|custom=Mortilus.png|cSize=30px|cLink=Mortilus|cPretty=Mortilus}}{{factions/icons|custom=Solomus.png|cSize=30px|cLink=Solomus|cPretty=Solomus}}}}

{{disambig2|legendary group from several continuities|the namesake group from the ''Wings Universe''|Cybertronian Knight}}
[[File:YouAreHere-KnightsOfCybertron.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Not to be confused with [[Knights of Unicron (band)|those Knights serving the other guy]].]]

The '''Knights of Cybertron''' are a mythical group that existed on the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. In the present day, they have disappeared, leaving little trace of their existence behind.

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
Some time after the creation of [[Rung (G1)|Primus]] and the other four robots who would come to be remembered as the "[[Guiding Hand]]," the Knights of Cybertron were the first generation of Cybertronians to emerge from Cybertron's [[hot spot]]s, marking them as the first true generation of Cybertronians. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}} Little is known about the earliest eras of their history; later mythologies would remember them as having turned Cybertron into a "paradise," a utopia for both the mind and spirit, {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} and ruling the planet from the [[Halls of Order]]. {{storylink|Ruins}}

During the "[[God War]]," some twelve million years ago, this peaceful era came to a disastrous end when the ambitious [[Adaptus]] turned on his four siblings, a conflict that ended with the rogue Adaptus turning [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]] into an electromagnetic weapon designed to wipe the memories of the planet's inhabitants, leaving them disoriented long enough for him to make his escape. The Knights of Cybertron were among those afflicted; in the aftermath, they would come to forget the Guiding Hand, inventing new mythologies that remembered the conflict as having been spurred by [[Mortilus]] instead, falsely remembering the kindly robot as a malevolent god of death. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}} Later generations would claim that the "death" of Mortilus had rendered the Knights of Cybertron immortal and wise. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} Some time afterwards, the Knights of Cybertron left the planet entirely, hoping to spread their "enlightenment" throughout the cosmos aboard a fleet of [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}} They brought with them the [[Matrix of Leadership]], which they dubbed the "Creation Matrix" for its life-giving properties. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}} The Knights marched under the banner of Adaptus, remembered as the god of transformation, hoping to "change and be changed" by their new adventures. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}}

While the Knights did indeed make contact with [[alien]] lifeforms, the extended stay in deep space resulted in those Knights becoming patients zero for a new degenerative disease brought on by extended contact with organic life: [[atrophosia]]. Seeking treatment, the Knights made their way to the medical moon of [[Mederi]] after two million years of travel. Detecting that the Knights wanted to both return to Cybertron but also find new worlds, the moon's euthanasia protocols resolved this paradox by creating a telepathic illusion of a perfect Cybertron for them to inhabit, a "[[Cyberutopia]]." Unaware of the true nature of the world they landed on and in such a state of bliss that they'd forgotten they were dying, the Knights inscribed a map in the crystalline core of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] and sent it back to Cybertron so that the rest of their kind could follow it and join them in utopia – where, presumably, they all died. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}}

Without the guiding influence of the Knights however, Cybertron had devolved into a primitive, tribal, society run by various [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] and warlords. Peace eventually came about when the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]] emerged to unite the warring factions. {{storylink|The Crucible}} {{storylink|Heavy}} {{storylink|Origin Myths}} Indeed Cybertronian society had devolved so far that it was not well into the reign of the Thirteen that Cybertronians would again leave their planet. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}}

All the texts and artifacts about the Knights were considered to be dubious following the War of the Primes. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} The [[Senate]], however, knew that they existed and were once in control of the Matrix of Leadership, even being aware that the Knights had referred to the talisman as the "Creation Matrix". {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}} As a result of the Knights marching under Adaptus's sigil, the symbols of the other members of the Guiding Hand were conflated as having belonged to other clans of the Knights. {{storylink|An Axe to Break the Ice}} {{storylink|The Ties That Bind}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}} Lore on the Knights had survived on the colony worlds as well with [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] being familiar with them prior to her emigration to Cybertron. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}}

Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], Cybertronian society included a high class elite with the lower castes being subjugated leading to elements of discontent with these classes. When [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] stood up for himself, upper-caste bullies mocked him by asking him if he was a descendant of the Knights. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} Later that day, upon hearing that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] didn't believe in the Matrix's divinity, [[Springarm]] asked him if he also thought stuff like the [[Primal Prophecies]] or the [[Underbase]] were made up by the Knights of Cybertron. Orion responded that he didn't even know if he believed in the Knights or not. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}

After becoming on speaking terms with the [[Omega Guardian]]s, [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] incorrectly theorized that the Magnificence was what remained of one of the Knights of Cybertron, unaware that he had actually located [[Epistemus]]. {{storylink|The Ties That Bind}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}}

[[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] and the [[Circle of Light]] believed in the Knights and their example, which more cynical Autobots like [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] thought was an excuse to duck out of the war. Dai Atlas was, however, a true believer: even his ''name'', in old Cybertron (Dei Atlas), translated into "God Map". {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

In modern times, [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] told Optimus Prime that if he won the war, he would bring about a rebirth of the Cybertronian race and create a new golden age that would put the works of the Knights of Cybertron to shame. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

After the war ended, the Matrix's map was discovered. [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], a disciple of the Circle of Light, believed it pointed to the legendary [[Cyberutopia]]. [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] seized on this, believing that if they found the Knights they could restore the culture and Golden Age that the war had destroyed. He gathered a team of like-minded Autobots to search for Cyberutopia, taking the ''[[Lost Light]]'' as their flagship. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

[[Solomus|Tyrest]] believed that he found the location of the Knights and Cyberutopia after he drilled a hole into his head but was unable to pass through the [[space bridge]] to this location. He believed that by using a [[universal killswitch]] to kill everyone Cybertronian that was "constructed cold" he could atone for his previous sins in life and pass through the portal. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} While circumstances prevented Tyrest from crossing over, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] discovered he could do so, and found himself in the mind of Adaptus. Though the god tried to communicate with the Autobot, even revealing his sigil, the theoretician soon ran back through the portal which burnt itself out shortly afterwards. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}}
[[File:Mtmte50-talkaboutthis.jpg|thumb|right|Megatron knows an arc symbol when he sees it.]]

When questioned by Nautica, Metroplex would not reveal anything to her about the Knights other than the fact that she did not "deserve to know". {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}}

Even after adopting the persona of the "Grand Architect", Adaptus continued to utilize his insignia. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}} The ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s repeated encounters with the sigil, alongside the other four emblems, led the crew to theorize that it was the coat of arms for a particular chapter of the Knights. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

After [[Team Rodimus]] had been exiled, {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}} the new bridge crew examined Rodimus' map to Cyberutopia with [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] scribbling the symbols of the other four gods around the target planet. The crew theorized that the many hieroglyphs they had seen represented the various clans of the Knights of Cybertron converging on Cyberutopia. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 2): Filling in the Blanks|Filling in the Blanks}}

Team Rodimus soon found their way to [[Mederi]], where they discovered the fate that had befallen the Knights. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}} When they later confronted Adaptus, he bluntly stated the Knights, as the stories recounted them, didn't exist, having always been more myth than fact. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}}

===Live-action film series===
Knowing the great power that the [[AllSpark]] possessed, [[Alpha Trion (ROTF)|Alpha Trion]] appointed a small group of Cybertronians as the Knights of Cybertron, tasked with preventing the AllSpark from falling into Decepticon hands.

After [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] sent the AllSpark into space, the Knights were approached by [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] with a deal, offering to surrender himself in exchange for amnesty. The Knights were reluctant to accept, but because they wanted peace for Cybertron, they agreed. All of their members gathered for a meeting to discuss the deal, with the exception of junior member [[Evac (Ride)|Evac]]. As the meeting began, Megatron revealed it to be a trap, and his Decepticons launched a surprise attack. The Knights contacted Alpha Trion, but he was unable to offer any assistance, and the Knights were completely wiped out, leaving the absent Evac as the only one to survive. {{storylink|Prepare for Battle (website)#Images|Prepare for Battle}}

===''Wings Universe''===
The Knights of Cybertron were a fabled group in Cybertronian history. Sometime after the [[Great Reformatting]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Alpha Trizer]] formed the [[Cybertronian Knight]]s as a special unit to defend Cybertron, naming the unit in honor of the original Knights. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Apelinq's personal logs}}

==Notes==
*The Knights were thought up by [[Mike Costa]] as a "sketchy" post-''Chaos'' idea, but he couldn't get much enthusiasm for the idea. He handed the concept to [[James Roberts]].<ref>[http://moonbase2.libsyn.com/webpage/the-underbase-reviews-ongoing-31 Moonbase 2 interview with Mike Costa ("Special Guest")]</ref>
*The ''Robots in Disguise'' story "[[Primus: All Good Things]]" has the Titan said to be part of the ''Guiding Hand's'' fleet. While this was probably a case of John Barber mixing up the Knights with the Hand, it could be said to mirror how real-world religions will get historical details wrong or conflated (a recurring theme in the latter half of IDW's first continuity).
*The [[Senate]] were descendants of "the [[Progenitor]]s". What relation the Progenitors have to the Knights is unknown.
*In the movie universe they are said to be marked with [[Cyberglyphics|glyphs similar to the ones]] found on the [[AllSpark]] they have sworn to protect.
*''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' [[The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|#18]] identifies [[Prima]] as the "last true Knight of Cybertron," though given the circumstances it's not immediately clear if Prima really ''is'' a member of the Knights who opted to stay behind on Cybertron, or if he merely selfishly co-opted the name following their departure.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Knights of Cybertron''' (ナイツ・オブ・サイバートロン ''Naitsu obu Saibātoron'')

==See also==
*[[Cybertronian Knight]]
*[[Dinobot (AOE)]]
*[[Guardian Knight]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:IDW (2005) legends]]
[[Category:Live-action film series]]
[[Category:Knights]]
[[Category:Wings Universe subgroups]]

Quake (G1)

2020-05-01T08:23:52Z

TailgatePrime: /* 2019 IDW continuity */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|vehicon|ultracon|ascenticon}}
{{disambig3|Quake}}
:''Quake is a [[Decepticon]] [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Quake cardart.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Is killed a lot, but never dies.]]
'''Quake''' is a berserker. When he enters a battlefield, he will not rest until anything and everything within sight is in smoldering ruins, including his own comrades. It will often take cries of protest from fellow Decepticons to "point the ''other'' way, you idiot!" to remind him to pick his targets more selectively. This, he claims, is just part of one of his unconventional "battle techniques."

Quake can become so caught up in the battle frenzy that his systems can overheat and shut him down. His endurance is second-to-none, however, and he has pulled through even the most seemingly final of defeats.

His [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] partners are [[Tiptop]] and [[Heater]], and his [[Titan Master]] partner is [[Chasm]].

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:UK213 Quake Grinning.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|This is easily the most awesome he's ever looked.]]
''Quake was one of the [[Triumvirate]]'s gladiators on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and took a full [[fusion cannon]] blast from [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron]] before the latter had the Triumvirate killed and assumed control of their territory.'' {{storylink|The Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire.}} ''He briefly went to [[Earth]], where a fight between him and [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]] badly injured a [[human]].'' {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}}

[[File:Crankcase battletrap quake the void.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.6|Quake, with fear.]]
''He was later sent by the [[Decepticon High Council]] to Earth alongside [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]], [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]], [[Windsweeper]] and [[Flamefeather (G1)|Flamefeather]] to bring back [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] after his failed bid for 'Con leadership. Thunderwing was unwilling to return, though, and when he punched out Ruckus, Quake made the mistake of shooting at him, for which he was grabbed by the barrel and used as a club to beat up the others.'' {{storylink|Rage!}} ''Afterwards, Thunderwing had his new team make a suicide attack on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], but thankfully Ruckus convinced him that a good leader knows when to retreat.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

On Cybertron, Quake became part of the Transformer race's united defense against [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} When the Chaos-Bringer arrived, Quake attacked Unicron's foot alongside the Autobots Joyride and [[Waverider]]. Their combined firepower was enough to make Unicron go "Ouch", but a devastating optic beam scattered the attackers. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} Despite the blast, Quake survived Unicron's assault and was present when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] expired after the war was over. {{storylink|Still Life!}} He also attended the summit meeting between the Autobots and Decepticons, as the two factions tried to maintain peace. Like many Decepticons, though, Quake had trouble with the concept. Getting along with Autobots like [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] was tough enough, but he also treated their human "[[Neo-Knights|comrades]]" like so much luggage (though, to be fair, they ''were'' boxed up in a crate). {{storylink|Exodus!}}

Few Decepticons had to have been happier than Quake when their new leader, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], ended the alliance, stranding the Autobots on Cybertron while the Decepticons went marauding on the planet [[Klo]]. Quake relished in the devastation the Decepticons caused on that world. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}} When the Autobots eventually arrived, they were ambushed and beaten almost to the last man. Quake joined a 'Con patrol hunting down the last five Autobots left alive, during which time he blasted [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] from behind. As he was not seen afterwards (yet Blaster ''was''—nice shot there, Quake), he probably didn't fare too well against [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and the other ambushed Autobots. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

=====Trigger-Happy!=====
Following a botched sting operation, [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] went on the run from his fellow Autobots, frightened over the consequences in store for him for his failure. Seeing an opportunity to turn one of Optimus's soldiers to his side, [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] and Quake accompany him in tracking down the wayward Autobot. They trailed Backstreet to an abandoned amusement park, where Megatron instructed his soldiers to wait at a distance while he made his recruitment pitch. Listening in, Quake became so engrossed that he failed to notice Optimus Prime barreling towards him. He wound up getting knocked aside by the Autobot leader, who proceeded to rescue his soldier and return him home. {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}}

====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
Quake was present when Megatron made peaceful gestures to Humanity in [[New York City]]; and the Decepticons gave a "statue" of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] as a gift to the city. Unsurprisingly, once Humanity was off-guard, the Decepticons struck, and the Autobots barely stopped them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}} Those events were recorded on a videotape that was later found and watched by Autobots on Cybertron after a [[City of Fear!|nuclear disaster]] in [[Kalis]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|In Memory of Earth}}

The characteristics of Quake and the other "Small Targetmaster Decepticons" were reviewed by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] in a simulation watched by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|Memories of Bumblebee}}

====Another Time & Place====
Quake was among the Decepticon warriors who attacked [[Hydrus Four]] with Bludgeon, assuming control of the [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] production facility in the hopes of reviving Megatron. They captured the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] easily enough, but a full Autobot task force soon followed, and the Decepticons were overwhelmed and defeated. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

{{note|There is a scene in the text where [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] supposedly blasts [[Battletrap]] in his tank mode. Battletrap doesn't have a tank mode, and for once Quake isn't blown up anywhere else in the story, so odds are it was meant to be him.}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:Quakeg1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"No, no, hit the ones with the red faces painted on them! The purple faces are your friends!"]]
Miraculously alive and well, Quake was serving on the bridge of the new [[Warworld]] Bludgeon had constructed for raiding other ships in space and stocking up on resources. {{storylink|Primal Fear!|Old Evils}} He was also part of the raiding party which landed on Earth, and enjoyed spreading chaos and destruction among the humans. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Tales of Earth Part One}} Like most of Bludgeon's Decepticons, however, he was quickly cowed when Megatron returned and killed Bludgeon, forcing the Decepticons back under his command. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory|Tales of Earth Part Two}}

During a [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian]] attack on the Warworld, Quake was destroyed. Again. {{storylink|New Dawn}}
{{-}}

===3H comics===
[[File:Quakevehicon.jpg|thumb|Rule 193 of villainy: Don't taunt the tiny kitty.]]
With the emergence of the [[Wrecker]]s, [[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]], and [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]] on Vehicon-controlled [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] needed more [[Vehicon general|generals]] to counter the insurgents. He picked the sparks of Quake and [[Blastcharge (BM)|Blastcharge]], who served Megatron's [[Megatron (G1)|namesake]] well, and put them in new Vehicon bodies and gave them [[Blastcharge's drones|experimental]] [[Quake's drones|drones]] to command.

Quake and Blastcharge followed [[Primal Prime]]'s group to the lair of the recluse spider [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], but got there too late to catch up with the main force. Blastcharge shot [[Fractyl]], who had stayed behind to talk to Arcee. Quake rumbled that the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] was only worth five points for being "a half-pint loser" rather than the ten Blastcharge claimed, leaving two drones to clean up the mess as they went to hunt down the other Wreckers.

The two arrived at the Wreckers' destination, a shuttle hangar, right in the middle of a battle between the small force and a horde of drones led by [[Spy Streak]]. Quake was not impressed with many of the Maximals' small size, and chose to taunt the relatively tiny [[Tigatron]]. This was a mistake. Tigatron opened his chest, and with the awesome elemental powers of the [[Vok]], Quake was destroyed. (Anybody else sensing a trend here?) {{storylink|Departure}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:AgeofWrath1 Prowl charge.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|The ensuing battle would be a lot easier if Quake had a [[rail gun]].]]
In the early days of Optimus Prime's reign as Prime, Quake participated in the Decepticon assault on the [[Decagon]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

Quake became a member of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s faction of [[Ultracon]]s during the Dark Ages. He was present at the near-signing of the tri-faction peace treaty, and engaged the [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]] in battle alongside many other Autobots and Decepticons after the bombing. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Stormbringer issue 4|''Stormbringer'' #4]]}}
[[File:AllHisEngines Quakedies.jpg|upright=1.0|thumb|Quake died. Must be a Tuesday.]]
Quake served with [[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]]'s ground troops on board the Decepticon starship ''[[Thanatos]]'', under the overall command of [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]. They joined the Autobot [[Wrecker]]s in confronting [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

After the fall of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]], what remained of the Decepticon hierarchy retreated to a burnt-out husk of a planet. Quake and Razorclaw were among the nearly 100 Decepticons present, possibly having arrived with the rest of the crew of the ''Thanatos''. As the mood in the camp descended into cannibalistic survivalism, Quake turned against the Decepticon leaders and attempted to assassinate [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. His efforts failed thanks to the "[[cerebro-shell]]" unit [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] constructed; Starscream shouted at him to die, and he did. {{storylink|All His Engines}}
{{-}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
:*''First appearance:'' [[The World In Your Eyes Part Three|''Transformers'' issue #3]]
[[File:TheWorldInYourEyesPart5-Quake.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Thank you, Ruckley, for letting me actually do something!]]

Quake was a notoriously sociopathic war veteran, who, in the years that followed the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], struggled to readjust to peacetime life. His bloodthirst and love of violence led to him receiving postwar counseling from the psychiatrist [[Froid]]. Froid's therapies had no effect, however, and Froid would eventually remember his patient as one of his four substantial failures—though he ''also'' opined that removing Quake's only legitimate medium of self-expression was carelessly done. In the antebellum years before the outbreak of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], Quake still hadn't reintegrated into society, and his warlike personality led him into [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s burgeoning [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] movement—{{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}} secretly, however, he was ''also'' part of [[The Rise]], the radical splinter cell led by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and deliberately cultivated by Megatron to effect change in Cybertronian society. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

Following a staged attack on one of Megatron's Ascenticon rallies just after [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s murder, supposedly at the hands of the Ascenticons, Quake was one of the four initial Ascenticons recruited into Megatron's new [[Ascenticon Guard]]—a development that caused no small amount of concern for the Autobots, who were already aware of Quake's notorious reputation. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}}

Shortly afterwards, the Ascenticon sympathizer [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] learned of the whereabouts of a [[Voin]] trader who had supposedly been privy to Brainstorm's killing, and passed this information along to [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]; in turn, Shockwave deployed Quake to Iacon's [[Xeno-Quarter]] to silence the loose end before it could be found by Cybertron's [[Security Operations]]. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}} When Quake spied [[Rubble]], who had inadvertently followed the Voin, Quake assumed that the newborn was a spy, chased him through the Xeno-Quarter, and easily killed him. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Five}}

In the aftermath, Quake vanished from the public Ascenticon movement, likely due to Shockwave taking the extremists of The Rise underground until Megatron next needed them. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

{{-}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive''===
Quake was in command of the second Decepticon base attacked and destroyed by the Autobots during a series of raids. He pursued the invasor in tank mode launching several bombs against his target, but foolishly ran over his own bombs and ended blowing himself up. {{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1-toy Quake.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Ready to shake, rattle and—oh wait, never mind.]]
*'''Quake''' (Targetmaster, [[1988]])
**''Accessories'': "Tiptop" & "Heater" Targetmaster guns, cannon
:Quake transforms into a Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank equipped with a [[plasma cannon]]. Unlike the other "double" [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s, Quake has a third non-Nebulan weapon; his removable turret cannon, which can be replaced in vehicle mode by any smaller Targetmaster partner, or be held in robot mode.

:He comes with the Nebulan Targetmasters [[Tiptop]] and [[Heater]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1988/Decepticon/Quake/quake.htm More information on Quake at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:TF-Titans-Return-Deluxe-Quake.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|A G1 robot mode but a Beast Machines tank mode.]]
*'''Chasm & Decepticon Quake''' (Deluxe Class, [[2017]])
**''Accessories'': "[[Chasm]]" Titan Master, rifle, tank turret
:''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' "Decepticon Quake" is a [[redeco]] of [[Hardhead (G1)#Generations|Hardhead]], transforming into a futuristic tank of made-up model. Although Quake's tank treads are merely molded detail, he possesses a set of hidden wheels underneath the front of his vehicle mode and in his rear tank treads that allow him to roll. His non-firing turret can be opened to reveal a seat that allows any [[Titan Master]] figure to man it in both modes, and his rifle can plug into the top of his larger gun. He sports four pegs on his treads that allow any Titan Master figure to attach to his vehicle mode. The rifle can also be mounted on one of these pegs. In robot mode, he can either use his larger gun on his shoulder (as shown in the picture) or carry it in his hand, though due to its size it can make the figure somewhat unstable.

:Quake comes with his Titan Master partner Chasm, who fits into his vehicle mode cockpit and transforms into his robot mode head. As with other ''Titans Return'' toys, Quake can accommodate any Titan Master figure in both robot and vehicle mode.

:Along with his wave of Deluxes, Quake was first released at retail in Asia without any prior announcement by Hasbro whatsoever.

::*''[http://www.transformers-universe.com/i.php?ID=6765 More information on Quake at Transformers-Universe.com]''
{{--}}
==Merchandise==
===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:W5DecepticonQuake.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Decepticon Quake//Ground Assault''' (2020)
**'''Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack'''
**''Rarity: '''''UT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T18/T46'''
**''Stars: ''7

:This card's set was originally set for an April 2020 release, however due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the release was pushed back to May 29, 2020.
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Vehicon Quake's body is [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]'s toy form in Quake's colors. A toy of this was never produced, and seemingly not even proposed as a convention [[exclusive]], though it would be moderately easy to [[Customizing|personally paint one]]. Quake had tank drones that looked [[Repurposing|exactly like]] Tankor's Mega-size toy, colors and all. (In ''The Wreckers'' comics, Tankor's [[Tank Drone]]s were drawn to look like their CGI model from the television series, which was visually distinct.)
*The [[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#3D Battle-Card Game|Blitzwing]] card from the ''[[3D Battle-Card Game]]'' "Energon Wars" expansion is clearly designed to be Quake.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Quake''' (クェイク ''Kweiku'')<ref>Japanese reprint of ''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers: International Incident]]''.</ref>
*''French:'' '''Séisme''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Rengés'''

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Machines Vehicons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:Titans Return Decepticons]]
[[Category:Ultracons]]
[[Category:Universe Transformers]]

Spin-Out (G1)

2020-04-22T03:55:48Z

TailgatePrime: /* Of Masters and Mayhem */

{{disambig2|the cannon fodder for Toxitron|the cannon fodder for Overlord|Spin-Out (G1)}}
{{factions|autobot}}
:''Spin-Out is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Of Masters and Mayhem]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
{{faceless}}

'''Spin-Out''' is a fuel preparation specialist—in other words, a cook—for the Autobot army. But even if it isn't a very high-ranking job, it still makes him an officer, and thus capable of taking command if his superiors are all incapacitated.

What are the chances of ''that'', though?

__TOC__
==Fiction==
===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
Spin-Out was the ''cook'' in a five hundred strong Autobot force but being the 49th highest ranking officer means you still become the commanding officer when forty eight other 'bots are dead! After a destructive, 17-cycle "holding action", the Autobots technically won but Spin-Out was left depressed by the wreckage, the amount dead, and the fact people like [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] think he should feel proud he "stepped up". And he can't even sit in case it's on a corpse!

Things couldn't get worse.

Then his remaining men took a Decepticon called [[Toxitron (G1)|Toxitron]] prisoner... who turned out to be a walking acid spill who had intentionally been "captured". Everybody died, including Spin-Out, and the cook's rotting head was later used to let Toxitron register as having an Autobot transponder.

So that's worse. {{storylink|The Toxic Transformer}}

==Notes==
[[File:Sunstreaker-diaclone.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|The red mecha on the left.]]
*"Spinout" was the working name of Generation 1 [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]; hence, Spin-Out looks like Sunstreaker's red ''[[Diaclone]]'' [[Pre-Transformer|predecessor]].

[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Fiction-only Transformers]]

Wreckers

2020-04-15T03:26:11Z

TailgatePrime: /* 2005 IDW continuity */

{{factions|autobot|wreckers}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Wrecker}}
[[File:Wreckers symbol.png|thumb|Wreck & Rule]]
The '''Wreckers''' are a special task force, generally composed of the best and the toughest die-hard fighters around. Its ranks include a veritable who's-who of the obscure; mechs you've never heard much about, mostly because the Wreckers are often called in to fight when the odds of success are slim. Bluntly, they tend to burn through their roster at a frightening rate. The Wreckers are a close-knit group that's more concerned with bursting in, guns-blazing, and doing their Thing, than they are concerned with, say, strategy. Despite their disregard for planning and the bodycount their team mounts, the Wreckers are amazingly successful. If it's a lost cause, the Wreckers will be there, winning the day with sheer guts and determination.

Perhaps the most celebrated leader of the Wreckers is [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], though the memory of his former leader, [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], hangs over his head. The team also has vague ties to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and the [[Maximal]] future will bring leaders such as [[Apelinq (BM)|Apelinq]] and [[Primal Prime]].

They're associated with Autobots like the [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s and [[Jumpstarter]]s, but when [[Target: 2006|times]] [[Transformers: The Wreckers|get]] [[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|really]] [[Of Masters and Mayhem|desperate]], they'll grab ''anyone'': newly modified Autobots, [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], squishy [[human]]s, and even former [[Decepticon]]s or the [[Ironfist (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|dying]].

{{bigquote|Never a dull moment when you're a Wrecker.|[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]|[[Stormbringer issue 4|''Stormbringer'' #4]]}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukexclusive|The Wreckers}}
[[File:Wreckersoriginallineup.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|They always smile after a nice massacre.]]
The Wreckers were [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]]'s special ops squad, first being heard from during [[Trannis]]'s dread advances. Their first mission was to assassinate Trannis himself and they succeeded (and that meant [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] took over, whoops). {{storylink|Cybertron: The Middle Years!}}

In [[1986]], the roster of the Wreckers consisted of Impactor (the leader), Roadbuster, Whirl, Twin-Twist, Topspin, and Rack'n'Ruin. They were later joined by Broadside, Sandstorm, and Springer (who became the team's leader after Impactor's death). The team were set to be at the business end of [[Operation: Volcano]], killing ten of the most deadly Decepticons as they converged on a staged conference. Without [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] around to help, however, they would have been massacred soon after and they came close to backing out, only to decide to do their duty. The Autobot [[Triple Changer]]s were sent in as a replacement.

However, when [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] called off the Decepticons' advance (truth be told, he didn't seem to know or care about it), the Wreckers' plans were also cancelled. As was Impactor's life, as one of the Decepticons, [[Macabre]], had stayed behind to kill [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]], and Impactor took the 'bullet' for him. Impactor named Springer his successor as he lay dying. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

Later, the team and Ultra Magnus were misled into trying to kill [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] upon his return to Cybertron. Decepticons had planted misinformation that Prime was in fact a Decepticon made up to ''look'' like Prime. Fortunately for the Wreckers' record, Magnus and Xaaron uncovered the truth before anyone could kill the Autobots' Greatest Leader. {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} During his stay on Cybertron, Optimus Prime led the Wreckers on a number of fruitful raids on [[Decepticon fuel store]]s. {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Technician wreckers legion of the lost.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.95]]
After Optimus Prime returned to Earth, [[Autobase]] in [[Kalis]] was rocked by a huge explosion caused by the venting of an active nuclear reactor. Xaaron told the Wreckers of Megatron's ancient plan to turn Cybertron into a vast mobile battle station and that Autobase was potentially built on top of the engine room. Springer led the Wreckers to try to find the entrance to the sub-terranean facility but they were unable to locate it. Upon their return Autobase was attacked by hoards of undead Transformers including their former leader, Impactor. Once the Wreckers and Xaaron were imprisoned, [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] revealed himself to be behind the explosion as well as the reanimation of the dead. Though shaken by recent events Springer managed to escape the cell taking Impactor with him. The current Wrecker leader did enough to reawaken some sense of self in the zombified Impactor before reaching the surface where he met Ultra Magnus and the [[Sparkabot|Sparkler Mini-Bots]]. Meanwhile, the other Wreckers had escaped and headed for the armory and, aided by a curious and vengeful Impactor, managed to reach the weapons necessary to defeat Flame's undead minions. With [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s assistance, the Wreckers broke through to the main control room where Xaaron was preparing to sacrifice himself in order to reach the reactor shut down control. Under orders to leave, the Wreckers fought their way past more reanimated corpses, leaving Impactor to save Xaaron twice again, firstly by killing Flame and then entering the radioactive chamber himself to deactivate the reactor. Xaaron made it to safety and gave thanks for the bravest being he had ever met. {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:WreckingHavoc-yourfoe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Sandstorm and Broadside are on good terms with Galvy.]]
In [[1988]] the Wreckers were tasked to bring down [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Both Xaaron and Springer had concerns about the mission but deemed it necessary due to the danger posed by the future Decepticon leader. The team transported through an unstable dimensional portal, unwittingly landing in a small mid-western town, to be confronted not only by Galvatron but also his two former lieutenants, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. Unable to fight all three Decepticons as well as defend the human population, Springer managed to lure Cyclonus and Scourge away. Faced with a choice of allowing Galvatron to escape or aid their leader the Wreckers chose to help Springer. Galvatron was able to escape but the Wreckers vowed to return to finish the job. {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}}

In an effort to reduce further risk to human life Xaaron sent an [[Advance Surveillance Unit]], consisting of Broadside, Sandstorm, and Inferno, to set up a reconnaissance base. Though their primary mission was to observe and not interfere, the two Wreckers and Inferno could not help put go to the aid of a local town when a [[Firebug (G1)|Firebug]] crash landed nearby and started multiple blazes. {{storylink|Firebug!}}

[[File:Megatron wreckers time wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|The Wreckers look on as Megatron goes Dreamwave on them.]]
The unit tracked Galvatron as he stockpiled equipment and supplies and discovered his subterranean base. With space and time [[time rift|ripping themselves apart]] due to the future Decepticon's presence, Xaaron sent reinforcements in the shape of a Decepticon [[Decepticon heavy transport|spacecraft]] carrying the rest of the Wreckers and the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]], who had formed a crisis alliance. The two teams made their way to Galvatron's unguarded base and were able to walk straight in. Unfortunately Galvatron had formed his own alliance with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (or at least, [[Straxus (G1)|his clone]]) and they attacked the two elite squads, who quickly began to fall beneath the might of the crazed duo. Topspin was one of the first to fall, victim of Megatron's [[fusion cannon]]. Cracks soon showed in the alliance as Springer and [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] almost came to blows, blaming each other for the disastrous plan. They were interrupted by Scourge and [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], who had also allied themselves to Galvatron. Fortunately Springer was able to sow seeds of doubt about the cause of the space/time rift in Scourge's mind, distracting him, Springer then jumped him while Ravage was taken out by Carnivac. The Wreckers leader sounded the retreat and Carnivac reluctantly ordered his Mayhems to do the same.

[[File:TimeWars-frakamm.jpg|thumb|GET OUT OF MY WAY!]]
The teams re-grouped at the Decepticon ship with Galvatron and Megatron hot on their heels. Galvatron announced his arrival by destroying Sandstorm with his [[Particle cannon]], enraged Roadbuster fetched an experimental [[Pathblaster]] and managed to blow half of Galvatron's face off. However the weapon was unstable and exploded, killing Roadbuster before he could use it again. Galvatron was only further enraged by his injury ripping off Twintwist's head and blasting Rack'n'Ruin. The remaining Wreckers were only saved by the arrival of reinforcements of Autobots and Decepticons from both the future and present day. With most of their members offline and the rest injured the Wreckers did not play any further part in the battle. {{storylink|Time Wars}}

After the Time Wars, the few survivors (Springer, Broadside and Inferno) joined together with other "outsiders"—both Autobot and Decepticon. The Decepticon ship they had used to reach Earth was stolen by Megatron and they were seemingly abandoned by High Command, with these new circumstances they ceased to use the Wreckers title and formed part of the (aptly named) [[Survivors]]. {{storylink|Survivors!}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Rodimus technobots wreckers peace.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66||...have granted me the right to join two Cybertronians in holy matrimony. You sure about your best man Magnus?]]
In an alternate future of [[2510]], the Wreckers killed the last Decepticon in battle, signifying the end of the [[Great War (G1)|war]]. Upon learning this news, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] called together his warriors at Autobase to announce that he was stepping down as Autobot leader and selected Springer as his replacement. Triton, a Decepticon double agent who had infiltrated the ranks of the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], sought to sow dissent in the Autobot ranks and questioned Rodimus's choice, suggesting that Ultra Magnus would make a better leader.

The resulting argument quickly escalated when [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] shot Roadbuster, blowing his head clean off. Sandstorm retaliated by killing Triton and soon the Autobots had split into factions fighting a whole new war, to Rodimus Prime's great despair. {{storylink|Peace}}
{{-}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (first leader)
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]
*[[Rack'n'Ruin (G1)|Rack'n'Ruin]]
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (second leader)
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
*[[Twin Twist]]
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
}}

*Both Roadbuster and Whirl were absent during the Flame incident and initial Galvatron mission. Roadbuster reappears and dies during the Time Wars but Whirl is never seen again. As Springer states that the rest of the Wreckers are with him on the Decepticon heavy transport ship, this may indicate that Whirl either left the Wreckers or was killed in action.
*Dialogue in "[[Firebug!]]" suggests Inferno was not a Wrecker at this point. Later, in "[[Survivors!]]" and an [[Transformers Annual 1991|annual bio]], he was considered an ex-Wrecker. There is no indication of when he joined, most likely prior to "[[Time Wars]]".
*Rack'n'Ruin and Inferno are missing from the alternate future roster in "[[Peace]]".

=====''Regeneration One''=====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Wreckers loose ends.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8| [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]? What Great War? Sorry, must have missed the call to arms. Did you make a mess?]]
Twenty-one years after the battle of [[Klo]], Springer led a team of soldiers known as the Wreckers. Loosely under the jurisdiction of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]], the Wreckers were apparently separate from the standard [[Cybertronian Civil Defense]] rank-and-file. They stopped a terrorist act on Cybertron and later accompanied [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] to visit planets affected by the Great War. On their first stop, Earth, they discovered it had been devastated some time ago. Before they had chance to fully take in the devastation their ship was promptly blown out of the sky by Megatron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

[[File:Wreckers loose ends 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
The unit managed to bail out of the ship in escape pods, crash landing on Earth. Somewhat battered, the Wreckers had little chance to fully take stock before Whirl delivered the news that reanimated Decepticons were on their way. Heading out Springer decided to try to contact Cybertron and aid the safe approach of reinforcements. Leaving the injured at a safe distance the remaining Wreckers attempted to reach the [[Deep Space Network]] at [[Goldstone]]. Sandstorm, Roadbuster and Leadfoot tried to keep the zombie Decepticons distracted while Kup, Springer and Whirl made a dash for the transmitter. The former trio were not totally successful so Kup turned to assist to allow his teammates to send the message. Unfortunately he was taken by surprise by [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]], knocked unconscious and quickly taken to Megatron. Meanwhile, a group of human survivors stumbled across Rack'n'Ruin and the injured Wreckers. Assuming the worse the humans attempted to flee, Rack'n'Ruin tried to go after them but was held off by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}}

Though initially distrustful, Circuit Smasher eventually allied himself with the Wreckers and explained how human interference with the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] had led to the reactivation of Megatron. Somehow the Decepticon leader managed to turn the planet's defenses on itself, reactivated his fallen warriors and in a matter of hours had all but wiped out the Earth. Circuit Smasher took the Wreckers to meet [[G.B. Blackrock]] who told them that the Ark should be their key target as it formed the basis of Megatron's technology and defensive capabilities. However, before they could make any specific plans their meeting was interrupted by a call from Megatron who informed them that he had given Kup [[Scraplet]]s. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

[[File:Wreckers loose ends 4.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Springer once again split the Wreckers, while he, Sandstorm and Whirl went to meet Megatron the remaining bots and their human allies would assault the Ark. Both teams took heavy fire, Springer's squad were soon grounded by weight of numbers and the others got past the first wave of Ark defenses only to face a troupe of [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian Units]]. Megatron was about to execute Springer when Optimus Prime arrived with reinforcements, the distraction allowing the zombie Starscream to tell Kup to kill [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink| Loose Ends, Part 4}}

Prime demanded the Megatron let Springer go, however the Decepticon leader merely goaded his nemesis by glibly blasting Springer's head off at point blank range. Blinded with rage Prime attacked leading Megatron to reveal that he had programmed [[Aunty|Auntie]], the Ark's computer, to launch every missile on the planet once their battle was done. At the Ark the Wreckers kept the Guardians busy so that Circuit Smasher could deal with Auntie. Kup managed to arm himself and make his way to Megatron's [[battle sled]] to kill Ratchet and with him Megatron with whom the medic had become fused both in body and mind. Considering it a mercy killing Kup shot Ratchet giving Prime the chance he needed to rip out Megatron's [[Spark]]. Fortunately by this time Circuit Smasher had deactivated Auntie and the planet was saved from further destruction. {{storylink| Loose Ends, Part 5}}

[[File:Kup fang destiny.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.9]]
In addition to Springer's death, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]] were left in critical condition because of their injuries. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}} After returning to Cybertron, {{storylink| Natural Selection, Part Five}} the Wreckers acted as a security force for [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. When a group of Neo-Decepticons led by [[Fang]] blockaded the bridge [[Auto-artery RG1]], Kup led the Wreckers to detain them. When Kup started to come to blows with Fang, Roadbuster pulled him aside, suggesting they do things the way Springer would have, going so far as suggesting that Kup ''himself'' was making things worse by giving the populace something to hate. As they argue, two Cybertronians try to sneak past the blockade, attacking Fang, and causing a fight to break out. {{storylink| Destiny, Part Two}}

[[File:Wreckers destiny.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
The Wreckers' next foray into action came in the form of a raid. Remotely coordinated by Ultra Magnus, they raided [[Fort Scyk]] in order to find apprehend [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] and his Neo-Decepticons. However, having anticipated this, the Decepticons had abandoned the place and wired it to explode. Unsurprisingly, all of the Wreckers survived virtually unscathed, and Kup proceeded to report in to Magnus on the situation. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}

When [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all out attack on Cybertron, Kup tried to convince [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] to let the Wreckers take the front lines. Prowl refused, saying that the Wreckers needed to be applied strategically, he just didn't know ''where''. This frustrated Kup. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}}

The Wreckers were eventually dispatched aboard a ship to infiltrate Bludgeon's base of operations the [[Warworld]]. Bludgeon, fully aware of their presence, launched a solo attack on them, slaughtering them with his mastery of [[Metallikato]]. As the Wreckers tried to stand against him, Kup escaped to destroy the reservoir of Matrix energy powering the Warworld, but Bludgeon, having swiftly defeated all of the other Wreckers, pursues him. After catching him, Bludgeon proceeded to beat Kup to within an inch of his life, and the old-timer was only saved by the arrival of the newly christened [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. As the new Prime soundly defeated Bludgeon and disabled the ship, Kup, along with his fellow Wreckers and Rodimus fled the ship as it was destroyed. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}

[[File:Wreckers war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8]]
When a more successful attack against the Autobots was launched by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], and Rodimus, along with a good number of the Autobot's forces were captured, the Wreckers (with Broadside now fully recovered from his wounds on Earth) carried on the fight on their own, single-handedly fending off thousands of [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] while also desabalizing Jhiaxus's [[Hub (G2)|Hub Network]]. All while looking totally badass. When Rodimus and the others managed to free themselves, Autobot and Wrecker alike fled from the Hub as it began to disintegrate. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}

Returning to Cybertron, the Autobots find the planet abandoned. Or so it seemed, as they were suddenly attacked by [[Shadow-leech]]es. As the Autobots held off the monsters, Perceptor came to the horrifying revelation that the Shadow-leeches were actually Cybertron's missing inhabitants, having been transformed by the [[Dark Matrix|Matrix's dark energy]]. As the Autobots' forces split up to cover multiple fronts, the Wreckers travel to Earth to recruit their human allies and team up to finally the up all lose ends. Upon successfully recruiting the humans, the Wreckers return through the space bridge they arrived in, taking the humans to Nebulos, where they dispatched a rampaging [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]], who had been possessed by the corrupted Matrix entity. Elsewhere, Rodimus defeated the Dark Matrix entity by sealing off their own universe from the rest of the multiverse, disconnecting them from Primus for good, causing the entity to die. However, without a connection to Primus, the Transformers' lifespans became decidedly finite, and over the eons all of the remaining Autobots and Decepticons, including the Wreckers, eventually died out from old age, a thing previously impossible due to their now-severed connection with Primus. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]
*[[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] (second leader)
*[[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]]
*[[Rack'n'Ruin (G1)|Rack'n'Ruin]]
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (first leader)
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
}}

====3H comics====
[[File:Wreckers3hlineup.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Now taking applications for: [[Cyclonus (G1)|Traitors]], [[Fractyl|Wimps]], and [[Alpha Trion (G1)|People Who Shouldn't Be Here]].]]
After the end of the war, the [[Maximal High Council]] called the Wreckers back into service to protect the fragile peace that existed between [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]. They were originally stationed in Delta Three within the [[Wrecker Command Base]], but would eventually relocate to Delta Five {{storylink|Apelinq's War Journals}} on the far side of Cybertron. {{storylink|Departure}} The war veteran and gifted engineer Apelinq was assigned to be a squad commander of this new iteration of the legendary Autobot strike force, and several of his former comrades were also drafted. [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] was also added to the ranks of the Wreckers in a commanding role. {{storylink|Disclosure|Apelinq's extended profile}} By 316 A.U., there were at least seven Wrecker Squadrons. {{storylink|The Wreckers: Finale Part 1}}

All but Rodimus and Apelinq were lost to [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon forces]] and its [[transformation virus]]; by the time the foe was identified, many of the Wreckers had already fallen and Rodimus took the remainders bar Apelinq in a last-ditch strike in 316.247 AU. Rodimus' Matrix history left him immune to the virus and meant Apelinq could develop an inoculant, and meant they had a chance to find and save any survivors. Luckily, their depleted ranks were filled when a new horde of battle-hardened survivors—some brought by [[Primal Prime]] from the time-lost [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]—surfaced in [[Polyhex]]. Around this time is when the team relocated from Delta Three to Delta Five, and Prime himself took command after an incident that sent Apelinq back in time. {{storylink|Apelinq's War Journals}} Apelinq eventually made it back via his own devices. In this troubled time, [[Decepticon]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] were also accepted into their ranks, including the Great War veterans [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Departure}}

[[Cryotek (Universe)|Cryotek]] and the [[Quintesson]]s plotted to exploit this: the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] [[shell program]] was placed on [[Vector Sigma]], allowing them to give false commands to any survivors and have Cybertron turned [[technorganic]], easier to conquer. Cyclonus was secretly working for them! {{storylink|Betrayal}} {{storylink|Disclosure}} (The technorganic shift was, in fact, part of [[Primus]]'s plan) {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}} The Wreckers were part of the many groups conned, sent off on a quest that would require fighting their way through the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] guards at [[Shuttle Complex Ohm]]. A staggered batch of reinforcements turned a likely trap into victory {{storylink|Departure}} to the annoyance of the enemy conspirators, but Cyclonus successfully bombed their ship in secret to impair them.

Five Wreckers died because of [[Packrat]] cowardly sacrificing them. This contributed to growing tension in the team. They made it to [[Akalo|Archa Nine]], home of the [[Divine Light]] power source that Cryotek coveted, and the team were so focused on Packrat that they didn't see Cyclonus coming! With the power source gone, the Wreckers could pretty much just mope. {{storylink|Betrayal}} Primal Prime took them on another quest, thinking he had an Oracle vision, and they found themselves on a planet where the Quintesson [[Al-Badur]] lived in exile. There, they learned of the true threat (and that ''Vector Sigma'' had sent Prime the message) and they'd need to get the hell back to Cybertron! {{storylink|Disclosure}}

[[File:Chromutated.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"We don't ''like'' out-of-towners!" "WE PUNCH WHAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND!!"]]
The Wreckers made it back in time to find the newly technorganic planet was facing an all-out Quintesson invasion and they joined the army in fighting back. They took the fight to Cryotek, who successfully used the Divine Light to gain access to Primus' power; luckily, his first act of demigodhood was to accidentally merge Apelinq and Primal Prime into [[Sentinel Maximus]]! {{storylink|The Wreckers: Finale Part 1}} While the two leaders threw down, the rest of the Wreckers fought Cyclonus, [[Chro]], and the Sharkticons. Mid-battle, [[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]] and Skywarp went [[Cauldron|missing]] but the Wreckers still triumphed over these other foes. In the end, Cryotek was defeated by forcing him into an extradimensional portal and the Divine Light's divine power was drained off. The cost was Rodimus' life and Sentinel Maximus being lost along with Cryotek.

The battle over, they mourned their lost comrades and went their separate ways in a new, peacetime Cybertron. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}} (Well, ''briefly'' peacetime) {{storylink|Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Apelinq (BM)|Apelinq]]
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]
*[[CatSCAN]]
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]
*[[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]]
*[[Dillo]]
*[[Fractyl]]
*[[Mol]]
*[[Packrat]]
*[[Primal Prime]]
*[[Ramulus]]
*[[Rav (BM)|Rav]]
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]
*[[Rotorbolt (Universe)|Rotorbolt]]
*[[Sentinel Maximus]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
*[[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]]
*[[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]]
*[[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]]
*[[Tigatron]]
}}

====Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity====
[[File:Wreckersdw.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The Wreckers: Featuring Ultra Magnus' Crotch.]]
The Wreckers split from the Autobot forces after the disappearance of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in a [[space bridge]] explosion. Led by Springer, they clashed with [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s [[Ultracon]]s in the [[Tagan Heights]] for a time {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}} before reuniting with the Autobots and the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] immediately prior to the Age of Internment. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath|War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (leader)
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
*[[Twin Twist]]
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
}}

Later on, during Shockwave's reign on Cybertron, the Wreckers whittled down to small but elite task force of Autobots dedicated to keeping the peace wherever (and however) necessary. The [[Triple Changer]]s left the group and Ultra Magnus stepped in to lead.

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*Roadbuster
*Topspin
*Twin Twist
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (leader)
*Whirl
}}

When the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were released from imprisonment in Cybertron's [[Detention Banks]], the Wreckers responded in kind. This, however, was after [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] had already wiped out the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] and defeated [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. In the battle, both Whirl and Roadbuster were apparently killed before Ultra Magnus took charge and brought Menasor down. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
{{quote|What do you '''mean''', it's a lost cause? Of '''course''' it's a lost cause. That's why we're '''here!'''|[[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2]]}}

{{quote|They give the Autobots something to ''believe in!'' And it's all thanks to [[Ironfist (G1)|you]]. Without Fisitron and his datalogs, the Wreckers would be nothing more than a bunch of ''thugs with a death wish.''|[[Verity Carlo]], "[[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5]]}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers4-triumphoverevil.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|This roster feels familiar.]]
The Wreckers are the Autobots who get called in when the odds of success are non-existent, but the job needs to be done anyway. The origin of the group is unknown, and for the longest time their existence was no more than a rumor, even among the ranks of their fellow Autobots. {{storylink|Zero Point}} Because of the extreme nature of their missions, the Wreckers have a low survival rate, around 38% to 42%, depending on who you ask. {{storylink|Dead Men's Boots}} All of the founding members have died (with one [[Valve|deliberately ignored exception]]), and the group's roster has gone through over eighteen iterations. Although every active member isn't always present for every mission, Springer once said Wreckers only leave the group ''for good'' in three ways: death, dementia, or dishonorable discharge. In fact, the one rule this "No Rules" team abides by is The Veto: any Wrecker can remove any other Wrecker from the roster at any time. {{storylink|Interiors}}

The Wreckers' exploits have been lionized in the eyes of the rank and file by their unofficial biographer, "[[Ironfist (G1)|Fisitron]]", and his ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'' datalogs. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}} Before his death, Fisitron produced 331 datalog adventures for his heroes, cobbled together from data requests, mission reports and [[Autopedia]] bios about the Wreckers and their history. Many Autobots in the fleet subscribed to Fisitron's datalogs. They were an inspiration to the Autobots, heroes of daring exploits who never leave each other behind and always save the day... or so ''Wreckers: Declassified'' and the official line would tell them. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}} {{storylink|Bullets}} In reality, the ''Declassifieds'' were full of embellishments and were quite sanitised. The dirtier the war got, the dirtier the Wreckers got, and they were always ''particularly'' dirty. Before they'd gone public, at least one Decepticon was caught wandering around, gibbering about Impactor's harpoons, before killing himself. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

Among the many adventures chronicled by Fisitron were the Wreckers' battles with [[The Anguished]], an event involving Broadside and some [[Rada Mor|psychic explosives]], {{storylink|Bullets}} Impactor rescuing Xaaron from the [[Sonic Canyons]] (at which point he coined the battle cry of "Wreck and rule!", while flying a [[sky-sled]] into a drilling platform) {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2|Last Stand of the Wreckers #2}} and the [[Siege of T'Muk]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}} Another episode involved Impactor rescuing hostages on the verge of an event horizon. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2|Last Stand of the Wreckers #2}}

[[File:RulesofDisengagement-BlackShadowvsWreckers.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2.2|Oh, and remember when Black Shadow blasted us all new ones? Good times.]]
They were founded by [[Threnody]] {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|Sins of the Wreckers #1}} and [[Valve]] was part of his first squad. {{storylink|Zero Point}} The earliest version we've seen in action was the 11th iteration, led by Crest and consisting of Hyperion, Impactor, Valve, Piston, Rack, and at least one more member. They battled the Warriors Elite genocide specialist named [[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]], and three Wreckers died in combat, including their leader Crest and Piston. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} Hyperion, a known former Wreckers leader, likely succeeded Crest as commander.

The roster continued to evolve, as Hyperion stepped down for reasons unknown, and Impactor went on to become the team's longest serving member and leader. The last surviving founding member, Valve, abandoned the Autobot cause and joined up with the Decepticons. He was responsible for founding and leading the Wreckers' opposite number, [[Squadron X]]. His betrayal cut so deep that the Wreckers collectively refuse to acknowledge his history with the group. {{storylink|Zero Point}} The reason for Valve's betrayal hasn't been explained, although considering that around this time the Wreckers recruited Whirl (a loose cannon indirectly responsible for the death of Valve's brothers, [[Wheelarch]] and [[Springarm]]), one could make an educated guess.

[[File:RequiemoftheWreckers WreckersWelcome.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|WELCOME TO DIE!]]
Following the battle of [[Sherma Bridge]], Impactor recruited Springer into the 17th iteration of the Wreckers. (It was after this that the group went public) Springer rose quickly in the ranks, becoming Impactor's first officer and nicknamed "his little green circuit booster" after his knack for rallying the team's spirits. Unfortunately, the horrors of war began to weigh on Springer, as he saw the Wreckers straying further and further from the [[Autobot Code]]. He ignored the "slips" for some time, then began telling himself at least he was making sure (increasingly fewer) Decepticons were still alive in incredible pain or buried rather than being dead, and then he began saying that at least it wasn't ''him'' brutalising prisoners; but as Impactor's hatred of Squadron X became more bittered and obsessive, Springer's resolve began to shake. A watching Prowl began waiting hundreds of years for an excuse to bring them in. And eventually, the Wreckers began to outright ignore threats, even as grim as the [[Black Epoch]] and the ongoing [[Simanzi Massacre]], so they could continue tracking Squadron X. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

After Springer was recruited, another Wrecker named Blocker succumbed to dementia and began cannibalizing his best friend. He was removed from the roster and replaced by Sandstorm. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

Twenty years before the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], the vendetta between Impactor and Squadron X came to an end on the neutral planet of [[Pova]]. The roster by this time included Springer, Roadbuster, Sandstorm, Whirl, Broadside, and the now conjoined Rack'n'Ruin. After being pursued across nine star systems, Squadron X was caught off-guard refueling their ship, the ''[[Pale Fire]]''. A battle ensued, and Impactor made the winning move by shooting through trapped Springer's back, taking the Squadron by surprise. The entire roster was captured and fitted with inhibitor claws by the Wreckers. Impactor proudly called in his catch to [[Autobot High Command]], but [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] told him the unthinkable: they had to let Squadron X go. A non-interference pact made with the Povans made the capture illegal and a potential political nightmare, so Prowl ordered Impactor to release the Decepticons. Instead, Impactor took Roadbuster's gun and put himself in a room with the prisoners, executing each of them one at a time with a bullet through the brain module. Springer was nearly crippled by injuries he suffered during the fight, but as he dragged himself over to room, he saw Impactor standing over the bodies. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Springer reported his superior officer to High Command, and Impactor was arrested under the [[Tyrest Accord]] for violating the Autobot Code and killing helpless prisoners. At the [[Aequitas]] trials, Springer's testimony sank any chances Impactor had of release, and he was sentenced to [[Garrus-9]]. A cover story was released that Impactor had been locked away for selling circuit boosters to the [[Chomskian]]s. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2|Last Stand of the Wreckers #2}}

[[File:Animals-RadarGatoraider.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|"FINISH HIM!"]]
Springer became the Wrecker leader after Impactor's arrest. He'd been asked to by the other Wreckers and thought that he could correct their increasingly immoral course; what he didn't know was that the other members were trying to cover up their collusion with Impactor's murders. They lavished praise on Springer in the hopes that he wouldn't demand they be prosecuted, too, and the hoodwinked Springer gave such a clear, unambiguous witness statement to the guilt-reading [[Aequitas]] that none of the others had to be plugged in to give an account. {{storylink|Zero Point}} Some time after Springer took command, Rack'n'Ruin lost their lives. {{storylink|Dead Men's Boots}} Despite the change in leadership, the Wreckers continued to operate in a brutal capacity, maintaining their fearsome reputation among Decepticons. In a particularly-violent raid on a squad led by [[Krok (G1)|Krok]], Roadbuster- high on [[Syk]], tore out [[Radar]]'s spine and made him ''eat it''. {{storylink|Animals}}

Decades later, the Wreckers were assigned to [[Varas Centralus]] after the Decepticon [[Infiltration protocol|infiltration unit]] on that planet went to [[Phase Sixer|Phase Six]]. They were pulled out and sent back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] at the order of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] when the Autobot leader suspected that [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] might have been behind the disappearance of the [[Calabi-Yau]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}}

[[File:Wreckersstormbringer.jpg|left|upright=1.5|thumb|The Wreckers are so hardcore they don't even need a spaceship. Except for when they [[Xantium (G1)|do]].]]
The Wreckers arrived just in time to save [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] and [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]]. They then proceeded to take [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s team apart without breaking a sweat. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} Thunderwing was ''slightly'' more challenging, but the Wreckers suffered no apparent casualties. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

When Thunderwing popped up again guarding a cave on [[Corata-Vaz]], Optimus Prime sent for the team once again. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}} While they did not succeed in stopping Thunderwing themselves, they managed to survive until he was rendered inert by [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Sometime later, some of the Wreckers were captured by the Decepticons. They were rescued by the remaining Wreckers, now led by [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]], [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]], and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], who was acting independently. After this, Kup decided to form a new team that included Wreckers [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

After the great push by Megatron, Kup and Perceptor were made into Wreckers, with Ultra Magnus and [[Verity Carlo]] providing them with transport. A few years later, Wrecker reservists [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]], [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]], [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]], and [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] were added to the team. Springer was becoming weary of assembling these teams, only to see them blown apart.

The first mission by the new team was to travel to [[Garrus-9]] and bring it back under Autobot control. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}} After the arrival of a battered Impactor, however, they discovered that the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] had seized control of the facility and the whole place had gone mental. A report from Prowl also stated they needed to find "[[Aequitas]]". Splitting into two teams, the Wreckers made planetfall {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2|Last Stand of the Wreckers #2}} and soon became separated from each other. Perceptor's team were tasked to find Aequitas, but Springer abruptly changed strategy and split his group into two: one to find the prisoners, the other to "get help" from a maximum security cell. Perceptor's team succeeded—albeit with the loss of Rotorstorm to Overlord—but Springer, Impactor and Twin Twist were captured. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5- Ironfist Perceptor Verity.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Topspin willingly sacrificed himself to activate Aequitas, simultaneously killing Twin Twist due to their branched spark. Kup and Guzzle failed to find the help they were looking for, but managed to save Springer and Impactor from death by torture. As Springer's team faced down Overlord himself, the other Wreckers finished their mission by downloading Aequitas's data into Ironfist. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}} Perceptor's group then went to aid the others in the battle against Overlord, with Pyro sacrificing himself in the process. Overlord effortlessly defeated most of the remaining Wreckers, but was eventually taken down thanks to Ironfist's connection to Aequitas. Garrus-9 was liberated, and miraculously, no further Wreckers had been killed in the fight with Overlord... though Springer was in a critical condition and Ironfist succumbed to a workplace injury and died on the way home. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Convinced that their leader, Springer, was a goner, Whirl used Roadbuster's [[Sparkeater (weapon)|Sparkeater]] to attempt to euthanize Springer. Instead he was caught in the act by Roadbuster and kicked out of the Wreckers. {{storylink|Interiors}} [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] later suggested to Roadbuster that reading something emotional could reactivate the leader of the Wreckers, so Roadbuster read datalogs from the ''Wreckers: Declassified'', to no avail. However, after Roadbuster confessed to Springer what the other Wreckers felt about what Impactor did, and called Springer their best leader, the comatose Autobot began showing signs of life. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

Pardoned after Garrus-9, Impactor continued to wreck with Guzzle. The latter became increasingly blood-thirsty and large, and even Impactor, who'd made progress on giving up his overly violent ways, succumbed again.{{storylink|Escape (G1)|Escape}}

[[File:Sins of the Wreckers2-everybody's unhappy.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Ha, you expected that cool splash of the group from ''Sins'' #1? Tough luck, buster, you get a more accurate depiction of the Wreckers!]]
Five years after Garrus-9, Prowl was abducted by the insane [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and to get him back, a rejuvenated Springer assembled a new Wreckers team out of old guys and whoever happened to be around. For most members, this was more about keeping Prowl's secrets like the Aequitas data out of the public eye. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|Sins of the Wreckers #1}} In true Wreckers fashion, this went horribly wrong for most people involved and the team were rapidly faced with their own psychological issues: Kup learning how he'd killed Autobots while mad, Guzzle in constant battle fury, and Roadbuster proving still willing to torture. Backing Tarantulas up were [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]], whose leader [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] felt Springer should be with them. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 2|Sins of the Wreckers #2}} Half the team invaded the [[Noisemaze]] to cut to Tarantulas' base and were immediately defeated by its maddening environment, with the exception of Verity (human) and the frequency-blocking Hubcap. The latter was then seen with Tarantulas, while Springer, Arcee, and Roadbuster were plugged into the guilt-extracting [[Impetus]] to relive their worst sins.

Impactor and Kup, meanwhile, had gone back to Debris: Impactor knew a little about the Noisemaze and had a 'backdoor' to it buried under his own in-waiting grave! {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}}

While in Impetus, Roadbuster relived the [[Roadbuster affair]], where he killed his assigned cadets in the name of [[Mortilus]], who spoke to him in voices. In reality, the voice was Tarantulas, shrunken down to a tiny size to whisper in his ear. One surviving cadet was Hubcap, who was incensed that Roadbuster served minimal time for his crimes, and fell in with Tarantulas to help punish those responsible, including Prowl. Verity reveals she is dying due to exposure from Aequitas and blackmailed Prowl as a cry for help. Impactor, Guzzle and Kup use a space portal to drag the ''Debris'' into the Noisemaze and collapse it, while rescuing their comrades. Inside, they battle the Mayhems, including Tidal Wave. Hubcap has a change of conscience and frees the Wreckers, who attack Tarantulas while Prowl goes with Hubcap back to ''Debris''. Roadbuster smashes into Tarantulas and they both fall out a window. In the confusion, Tarantulas shrinks and buries himself inside Roadbuster's head and then expands to full size, killing him. Prowl considers killing Hubcap due to his possession of Aequitas, but reconsiders, just before Impactor does the deed, as the info is just too dangerous for Hubcap to possess. As the Wreckers plan to blow up the Noisemaze and destroy all of Tarantulas's inventions, the Spider surprises them. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}}

Using mass displacement, Tarantulas grew to massive size, while shrinking the Tor itself down to pocket size so that he could safely transport the facility out of the collapsing Noisemaze. He then turned on Arcee, Verity, and Prowl, gloating over how he healed Verity's illness purely to prove his intellect to Prowl. Springer planted explosives, while sending Impactor to deliver the Obtenteum and aid the others. Impactor revealed it was not Prowl who pushed Tarantulas into the Noisemaze all those years ago, but Impactor himself. At the sound of Springer's voice crackling over Impactor's comm, Tarantulas realized that Ostaros was not dead, but was now Springer. Tarantulas forgot his vengeance and instead climbed into the pit to reunite with his child. Prowl and Verity took the Obtenteum while the others battled Tarantulas.

While Tidal Wave punches his way through ''Debris'', coffins spill out and Verity is brought to tears as Ironfist's body landed right in front of her. Guzzle used his own cannon to blast himself up into the air, jamming the Obtenteum into Tidal Wave's mouth, driving him mad, forcing Carnivac to unwittingly play into the Wreckers' hands by using his Outlier power to forcibly convert Tidal Wave to whale mode. The g-forces of the giant's transformation—amplified by the Obtenteum—are the last push needed to trigger the Noisemaze's complete and irrevocable collapse. Arcee and Impactor escape while Tarantulas leapt into the pit after Springer. Springer attacked and could no longer transmit his part of the call-and-response signal, forcing Impactor, with the utmost reluctance, to press the button to set off the explosives.

Aboard the damaged ''Debris'' Guzzle threatened to kill Kup and Prowl as revenge for the deaths of his friends on Tsiehshi and Prowl's crimes. Impactor is forced to kill Guzzle to save them. Prowl ran back inside the Noisemaze before it collapsed and saved Springer's life. Kup and Arcee returned to Optimus Prime's ranks on Earth while Impactor took up Carnivac on his offer to join Mayhem, joining their crusade to bring down those in power who use 'bots like Impactor as pawns. Back in Nome, Alaska, Verity and Springer stare up happily at the Northern Lights, enjoying the normalcy while it lasts. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 5|Sins of the Wreckers #5}} {{groupstub|{{storylink|Out of Bullets}}{{storylink|Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers|Reqiuem of the Wreckers}}}}
{{-}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-newrecruits.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"What's your name, soldier?" "Parts, sir! Private Parts!"]]
'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] (by association)
*[[Blocker (G1)|Blocker]]
*[[Breacher (G1)|Breacher]] (trainee)
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]
*[[Bulkhead (G1)|Bulkhead]] (trainee)
*[[Crest]] (second known leader)
*[[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]]
*[[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]]
*[[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]] (third known leader)
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (fourth known leader)
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]
*[[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]
*[[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]]
*[[Piston (Wrecker)|Piston]]
*[[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]]
*[[Rack'n'Ruin (G1)|Rack'n'Ruin]]
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]]
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]]
*[[Sixknight]]<ref>See [[Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers#Errors|Requiem of the Wreckers]] under "Errors" for details</ref> (trainee)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (fifth known leader)
*[[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] (by association)
*[[Strongarm (BW)|Strongarm]] (trainee)
*[[Threnody]] (first known leader)
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
*[[Twin Twist]]
*[[Valve]]
*[[Verity Carlo]]
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
}}
{{-}}

====''Cloud''====
The Wreckers of [[Cloud World]] were a special Autobot unit tasked with defending the entire world of space-time from dangerous threats. Numerous harsh missions caused many of them to develop rather bad tempers.

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
*[[Twin Twist]]
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
}}

====''Wings Universe''====
During the Great War, the Wreckers were Autobot elite commandos led by [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], who served as the opposite number to [[Macabre]] and his Decepticons in [[Squadron X]]. Their long struggle came to an unexpected end when Macabre set an ambush for the Wreckers on [[Torax Prime]] which they never walked into. Instead, the various members of Squadron X slowly turned against Macabre or went completely insane waiting for the Wreckers to show up. Impactor's squad eventually came to Torax Prime only after hearing about a massive explosion, caused when [[Earthquake (G1)|Earthquake]] strapped a couple of bombs to his chest and rushed Macabre in a demonstration of his dissatisfaction with the current mission. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

The Wreckers' activities are largely undocumented beyond that, although centuries later, one group of Wreckers was led by [[Primal Prime]] during a [[Quintesson]] invasion. Shortly before or during [[2984]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Alpha Trizer]] recently reformed the Wreckers under Primal Prime's command and given the ship ''[[Rodimus Major]]'' to patrol distant corners of the galaxy in the name of peace (and give some of the more aggressive personalities on peacetime Cybertron an outlet). {{storylink|BotCon 2014|Primal Prime's customization class booklet}} {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Apelinq's personal logs}}

Primal Prime invited [[Flareup (G1)|Flare-Up]] to join the Wreckers, but [[Ginrai (robot)|Ginrai]] had already recruited her for the [[Cybertronian Knight]]s.

As the Knights responded with dread to an impending mandatory meditation session and lecture from Alpha Trizer, [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] quipped that the Wreckers had refused the assignment.

When Ginrai called a red alert for what turned out to be a space fender-bender at a [[Nebulos]] spaceport, Apelinq reported that the Wreckers were two systems away. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Apelinq's personal logs}}

While journeying to check up on a Predacon colony near the [[Dark Nebula]], the ''Rodimus Major'' was caught in the gravity well of a wormhole anomaly. {{storylink|BotCon 2014|Primal Prime's customization class booklet}} With no hope of breaking free, Primal Prime ordered [[Fireflight (Universe Deluxe)|Fireflight]], the only Wrecker with personal FTL capability, to return at top speed to Cybertron with their logs. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Apelinq's personal logs}}

'''Known members: '''
{{collist|3|
*[[Backstop (G1)|Backstop]]
*[[Buzz Saw (BW)|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]]
*[[Drop Zone]]
*[[Fireflight (Universe Deluxe)|Fireflight]]
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]
*[[Night Viper]]
*[[Primal Prime]] (leader)
*[[Quickstrike (BM)|Quickstrike]]
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Major]]
*[[Stockade (Universe 2003)|Stockade]]
*[[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]] (second-in-command)
*[[Tripwire (G1)|Tripwire]]
*[[Wide Scope]]
}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
When [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] were created in [[Legends World|another dimension]], ''Transformers'' nerd [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] identified them as Wreckers from [[#Marvel The Transformers comics|a British comic book]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 4|Bonus Edition Vol. 4}} The two accepted this as their origin story and, after traveling to the year 2004 of the [[OG World|G1 World]], introduced themselves as Wreckers to [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Twin Twist]]. [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] overheard their conversation and thought it was a really cool name for a team, so he founded his own Wreckers as a new Autobot unit and recruited all four of them. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 7|Bonus Edition Vol. 7}} {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter#LG-07 Jetfire Sequel|LG-07 Jetfire Sequel}} Springer's vague mission statement for the Wreckers was "doing cool stuff", but [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] thought that was stupid and instead charged them with cleaning the area around [[Mount St. Hilary]]. As a result, a disappointed Springer left the team for a few years. {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter#G1 Wreckers Birth Story|G1 Wreckers Birth Story}}

In the 2030s, the Wreckers traveled to the Legends World to defend it from [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and [[Katsu Don]]. {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter#LG65 Twin Twist Prologue|LG65 Twin Twist Prologue}} Topspin and Twin Twist did most of the work thanks to having mastered the powers of the [[Zodiac]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 65|Bonus Edition Vol. 65}} {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 66|Bonus Edition Vol. 66}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]]
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
*[[Twin Twist]]
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Primax 208.06 Zeta]], the Wreckers were a resistance group led by [[Rodimus Primal]] that fought against [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]]'s [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] on [[Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/16}}

====''Of Masters and Mayhem''====
[[File:Toxic Transformer The Wreckers.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"What are we, [[Avengers|a team]]? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're ... [[Wreckage (G1)|we're a time bomb.]]"]]

When the monstrous [[Thunder Mayhem]] destroyed Cybertron, Impactor gathered together a motley crew of survivors to get revenge. He doesn't care if you're a geochemist or a mass murderer, this is all revenge, all the time!

[[File:LivelyPursuit Wreckers.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Wrecker's AA meeting.]]
'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (leader)
*[[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]]
*[[Fractyl]]
*[[Toxitron (G1)|Toxitron]]
*[[Alpha Bravo]]
*[[Offroad]]
*[[Wreckage (G1)|Wreckage]] (ultimate weapon)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]
}}

{{-}}

====''Beast Wars: Uprising''====
During the waning days of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] discovered the [[Underbase]] on [[Moonbase Two|Artemis]] and used it to fuse his spark with those of his minions, causing mayhem. The Wreckers tried to stop Thunderwing only to be wiped out. {{storylink|Not All Megatrons}}

[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] mentioned he was a former Wrecker. {{storylink|Derailment}}

===''Shattered Glass''===
The Wreckers were a band of mercenaries led by [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]], who spent their time looting and pillaging the countryside. They approved of [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus]]'s campaign of conquest, but initially preferred to remain autonomous.

That is, until one fateful day when Optimus hired the Wreckers to fight alongside his Autobots at the battle of [[Praxus-Delta]]. The battle was brutal and resulted in every Wrecker except Rodimus meeting the fate of most Wreckers across the [[multiverse]] at the hands of the Decepticons. Rodimus impressed Optimus by remaining in the fight regardless, in order to fulfill the contract. Thanks to his efforts the Autobots escaped without further losses, and Optimus was so impressed that he offered Rodimus leadership of the [[Seeker (SG)|Seekers]], which the former Wrecker accepted. {{storylink|Rodimus (SG)#Timelines|BotCon 2008 Rodimus profile card}}

After the [[Mayhem Suppression Squad]] had successfully turned back one of the Autobots' raids, [[Side Burn (SG)|Side Burn]] reminded Prime that he ''had'' recommended reforming the Wreckers as their best counter to the Squad.

Later, when trying to convince [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Cliffjumper]] and [[Sideswipe (SG)|Sideswipe]] to leave the Decepticons and join up with one of his power-grabbing schemes, Rodimus hearkened back to what was likely the Wreckers' old motto, when he told them that they'd have "a whole planet ready to ''wreck-and-ruin''!" {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
During the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], the Wreckers were a major problem for the Decepticons, operating behind their lines as a commando unit. They are noted for interrupting supply lines, destroying the mainframe on [[Bk'n]], and demolishing the shipyards of [[Salvvatan VI]]. They operated from the [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinel]] ship ''[[Zeta Supreme|Xantium]]'', which was bonded to [[Impactor Major]], apparently the leader of the team. Megatron created the [[Decepticon Heavy Brigade]] specifically to hunt down the Wreckers. When they finally met in battle, [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] was the only survivor on either side. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

===Aligned continuity family===
{{bigquote|Wreckers don't call for backup. They call for clean-up!|[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]]|"[[Loose Cannons]]"}}

[[File:ChainOfCommand Wreckers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|On the count of three, everybody say "Whirl sucks!"]]
The Wreckers were [[Autobot High Council|Council Guardians]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] and [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] were also members, though early on in the war Bulkhead left to join [[Team Prime]]. {{storylink|Con Job}} Wheeljack left when [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] was appointed to lead the squad {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}} by [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] with the hopes Magnus would be able to give the squad some discipline. {{storylink|Project Predacon}} The Wreckers took part in the siege of the [[Hydrax Plateau]]. Afterwards, they were all that stood between [[Devastator (WFC)|Devastator]] and the [[Tagan Heights]] before [[Defensor (WFC)|Defensor]] arrived. They guarded the [[Well of All Sparks]] when [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] descended through it to free the [[core]] of its suffocation by [[Dark Energon]]. Ultra Magnus, [[Springer (WFC)|Springer]], and other team members opted to remain behind to distract [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] when the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'' launched, gaining invaluable allies in [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]], [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]], and [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

After Cybertron went dark, Wheeljack traveled the stars and eventually found Bulkhead on [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Con Job}} He left shortly after their reunion and continued to search the galaxy. He eventually found [[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]], but [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] had found them both and promptly destroyed Seaspray's ship, killing the Wrecker. When Dreadwing made his way to Earth, Wheeljack followed to get his revenge. {{storylink|Loose Cannons}} The [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]] [[Hardshell]] noted that he had off-lined several Wreckers when fighting Bulkhead. {{storylink|Toxicity}} Miko was inducted as a Wrecker by Wheeljack after she off-lined Hardshell. {{storylink|Hurt}} At some point, [[Elite Guard]] graduate [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] had studied every battle the Wreckers had been involved in. {{storylink|The Human Factor}} After arriving on Earth, Ultra Magnus again attempted to instill some discipline into Bulkhead and Wheeljack, but this only led to Wheeljack temporarily quitting the team. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}} The Wreckers served as a vital asset to Team Prime during the twilight days of the war, usually handling large swaths of enemies on their own {{storylink|Evolution}} and proved instrumental in securing the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' during the final battle of the war. {{storylink|Deadlock}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]]
*[[Fisitron (Timelines)|Fisitron]]
*[[Hot Shot (Prime)|Hot Shot]]
*[[Impactor (Prime)|Impactor]]
*[[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]]
*[[Kup (WFC)|Kup]]
*[[Miko Nakadai]]
*[[Moonracer (COP)|Moonracer]]
*[[Pyro (Prime)|Pyro]]
*[[Rack n' Ruin]]
*[[Roadbuster (Prime)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Rodimus (WFC)|Rodimus]]
*[[Rotorstorm (Prime)|Rotorstorm]]
*[[Ruination (FOC)|Ruination]]
*[[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]]
*[[Springer (WFC)|Springer]]
*[[Topspin (FOC)|Topspin]]
*[[Twintwist]]
*[[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] (leader)
*[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]]
*[[Whirl (FOC)|Whirl]]
}}

===Live-action film series===
{{bigquote|We don't let them off the base much 'cause they're assholes.|[[Charlotte Mearing]]|''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''}}

[[File:DOTM-Leadfoot-Topspin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|How am I gonna stop some big, mean Mother Hubbard from tearing me a structurally superfluous new behind? The answer, use a gun. And if that don't work? Use more gun.]]

The Wreckers, [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]], [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]], and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]], were a trio of engineering geniuses who came to Earth aboard the Autobot spaceship ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]''. The Wreckers rarely left the secret Autobot launch facility at Cape Canaveral, partially because caring for the ship dominated their time, and partially because they were assholes. The Wreckers helped engineer the Autobots' feigned exile from Earth and assassination by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], and later participated in the battle for [[Chicago]]. They proved effective, if vicious, fighters, dismantling their fair share of Decepticons, challenging [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] and rescuing [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] from an embarrassing situation. All three of them would continue fighting and would be among the surviving Autobots, accepting Earth as their true home. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}

After the Battle of Chicago, [[Harold Attinger]] formed a secret faction of the CIA known as "[[Cemetery Wind]]" to hunt down all Transformers regardless of faction. Leadfoot was among the many casualties of the hunt, and his death was revealed to the surviving Autobots by [[Cade Yeager]]. [[Hound (Movie)|Hound]] sadly took off his hat in respect for his fallen friend, and Optimus Prime vowed to kill the person responsible for Leadfoot and the other's deaths. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

Topspin was very fortunate, as he was given sanctuary in [[Cuba]] with [[Seymour Simmons]]. He spends most of his time pestering him to go to the beach or play volleyball for fun. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]]
*[[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]]
}}

====''Bot Shots''====
The Wreckers were an elite Autobot fighting force famed for their habit of not fighting fair. {{storylink|Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin's online bio}}

'''Known members:'''
*[[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]]
*[[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]]

{{-}}
===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
[[File:ABTF-screen WreckerSquad.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
Yes, even the inhabitants of [[Piggy Island]] have their version of the Wreckers! This Squad of [[Autobird]]s is famed for toppling towers and popping [[Minion Pig]]s aplenty... and when they're all together, earning more gold coins in the process. Cha-ching! {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

'''Known members:'''
* [[Stella (AB)#As Moonracer|Moonracer]]
* [[Chuck (AB)#As Rodimus|Rodimus]]
* [[Red (AB)#As Ultra Magnus|Ultra Magnus]]
* [[Bomb (AB)#As Wheeljack|Wheeljack]]

{{-}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
When [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] convinced his comrades to go and help [[Sentius Magnus]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] agreed by "the Wrecker way". {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Equilibrium}}

==Notes==
*The ''Wings Universe'' Wreckers were supposed to feature in "[[Cybertron's Most Wanted]]" following their mentions in "[[Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur]]", but an art coordination error prevented this from happening.<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135573-wings-universecannonball-loose-ends/?p=3406288 Post by NightViper (Jesse Wittenrich) on the Allspark Forums, 2016/12/23]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wreckers''' (レッカーズ ''Rekkāzu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Léitíng Zhěngjiù Duì''' (China, 雷霆拯救队, "Lightning Rescue Team"), '''Huíshōu Jiùyuán Duì''' (China, 回收救援队, "Reclaim & Rescue Team")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Rontók''' (''Dark of the Moon'', "Ruiners")
*''Indonesian'' '''Wreker''' (왜러긄 ''Wrecker'')
*''German:'' '''Schrotter''' (''Prime'', "Wrecker(s)")
*''Italian:'' '''Demolitori''' (''Dark of the Moon'' comic adaptation and ''Prime'', "Demolishers")
*''Korean:'' '''Wreckers''' (레커즈 ''Wreckers'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Animated subgroups]]
[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising subgroups]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon subgroups]]
[[Category:Fall of Cybertron subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Prime subgroups]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass subgroups]]
[[Category:Subgroups]]
[[Category:Universe (2003)]]
[[Category:Wreckers| ]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron subgroups]]
[[Category:Wings Universe subgroups]]

Decepticon

2020-04-14T07:59:44Z

TailgatePrime: /* 2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ttdecepticon|sgDecepticon|ascenticon}}
{{disambig2|the Transformers faction|the ''Robots in Disguise'' episode|The Decepticons}}
[[File:Symbol decept reg.png|upright=1.4|thumb|Get this tattooed on you and all you'll need is a black trenchcoat and a long ponytail. Then people will love you.]]

{{quote|'''''Decepticon''' (di-sep-ti-con) A member of a subversive sect or society. From the noun — 'deception'; one who deceives.|the [[New Cybertronic Dictograph]]}}

The '''Decepticons''' are one of the primary factions in the ''[[Transformer]]s'' mythos. They are typically concerned with such things as conquering [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], defeating the [[Autobot]]s, amassing large quantities of [[energon]], developing powerful weaponry, and beating people up. Not necessarily in that order.

Unlike the Autobots, whose leader is a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] bearing a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], the Decepticons are led by the [[Decepticon leader|most powerful]] of their ranks. This tends to cause some conflict, given how generally ''every'' Decepticon thinks that they're the most powerful. Also, the Decepticons are not exactly the most compassionate beings in the universe, but not all fight for greed. More than a few have a [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|sense]] [[Scourge (Cybertron)|of]] [[Dreadwing (Prime)|honor]], while others believe that Cybertron would be better protected by [[Decepticon Empire|aggressive expansion]]. Ultimately, the Decepticons desire to protect their homeworld, even if it is at the expense of others. [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Usually]].

In at least [[2019 IDW continuity|one universe]], the faction starts off being named the '''Ascenticons''' before taking its more traditional appellation.

{{quote|The Decepticons are a malevolent race of robot warriors, brutal and merciless. The Decepticons are led by a single undeviating goal: total domination of the universe.|[[Narrator]]|[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]}}

==Generation 1 continuity family==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
[[File:Thelaststand-prepare.jpg|left|upright=1.95|thumb|MUSTER THE GOOMBAS! HAND OUT THE DE-EVOLUTION GUNS! PREPARE FOR DESTINY!]]
The Decepticons emerged from the gladiatorial [[Games|State Games]], which caused [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s rise to public prominence - in the aftermath of the destructive Vos-Tarn War, Megatron was able to use his fame and charisma to unite both the survivors and the planet's malcontents into a new army. His plan was to turn Cybertron into a mobile cosmic dreadnought and conquer the galaxy. {{storylink|State Games}} The Decepticons developed new technology to allow them to transform into attack vehicles and weaponry, launching a devastating attack that killed billions and shook the planet from its orbit before [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] turned the tide.

Megatron, Shockwave and others were lost on Earth for four million years; as Optimus was too, the Autobots swiftly lost ground to Decepticon leaders [[Trannis]] and [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]. Cybertron was devastated and conquered, causing the cream of the Decepticons to leave the burnt-out planet to form a [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] out in the stars, while Straxus threw all those he considered weak into the [[Smelting pool]]. The Empire would go on to slaughter and Cyberform planet after planet, their actions unknown on Cybertron.

Eventually the Earth-bound Decepticons would awaken in 1984, sparking off a new front in the war. After the presumed suicide of Megatron, an escalation in fighting would see Decepticon leadership fragment and change hands rapidly, with frequent clashes, plots and counter-plots between the primary leadership, namely [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], until most of them were killed in the [[Underbase]] conflict, leaving Scorponok the only surviving commander. A brief truce with the Autobots was held when [[Unicron]] attacked in 1991, but Scorponok was killed in the following conflict. Immediately after this, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] came to power. Charismatic and driven, Bludgeon turned the beaten Decepticons into a new army; after a defeat on [[Klo]], they regrouped and reorganised. ([[Another Time & Place|In one reality, they were immediately massacred afterward.]])

{{--}}

====Earthforce====
{{Earthforcefiction}}
In the side-continuity of [[Earthforce]], while Unicron continued on to Cybertron, Megatron and Shockwave continued a Decepticon civil war on Earth with a small handful of troops - wasting most of their time trying to take each other out. Eventually Soundwave and Starscream overthrew them, uniting both factions into a stronger Decepticon force. The two former leaders attempted to regain their position but never appeared to succeed.

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
Bludgeon invaded Earth with the intention of capturing the Matrix and making a new generation of Decepticons, but Megatron returned, killed Bludgeon in one-on-one combat, and stole this plan. However, the threat of the Cybertronian Empire forced an alliance between the Autobots and Decepticons again.

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
{{groupstub}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
Following Bludgeon's defeat on Klo, the Autobots turned their attention internally to Cybertron, repatriating Decepticons who chose to lay down their arms while leaving Bludgeon's faction free to conquer other planets and build up his [[Warworld]]. Having abandoned Earth to its own devices, the Autobots were unaware of Megatron's revival, and his subsequent devastation of the planet with the help of his horde of [[Zombie|zombified]] Decepticons (which included a few Autobots in its ranks by circumstance). The horde was stopped when Optimus Prime killed Megatron once and for all.

Meanwhile, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] used the Decepticons on Cybertron to subvert the Autobots' peace, destroying the [[Last Autobot]] and clearing the way for Bludgeon's eventual return. In the interim, [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] launched his own covert invasion of Cybertron, with the intent of using his [[Gene Key]] to overwrite the [[CNA]] of every Autobot on the planet, turning them into Decepticons. Scorponok's efforts were ultimately thwarted by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and Bludgeon's subsequent invasion was ultimately repelled by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]], but at the expense of leaving the Autobots virtually defenseless.

While Rodimus led an Autobot task force on a preemptive strike against the Cybertronian Empire's [[Hub (G2)|Hub network]], the [[Dark Matrix|Dark Matrix creature]], which had manipulated events on Cybertron, Earth, and [[Nebulos]], spread itself across Cybertron, turning every Transformer it could reach into [[Shadow-leech]]es. The last known surviving Decepticons were [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], who, facing extinction, renounced the ways of the Decepticons and became ambassadors for peace.

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:Ffod4 early soldiers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

The Decepticons began life as a line of military hardware robots created by the [[Quintesson]]s, alongside the consumer goods robots that would become the Autobots. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} It is unknown exactly what role the military hardware robots played in the eventual rebellion of the robots against their creators; the only ones seen to participate in the conflict were the Autobots' ancestors, led by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|A-3]], but given their fighting ability, the proto-Decepticons seem like they would have made logical soldiers in the fight. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

Following the defeat of the Quintessons and their exile from Cybertron, a brief period of peace descended, before the base differences between the two breeds of robot led to the outbreak of conflict. Lusting for power, the Decepticons, as they now called themselves, rallied under [[Trannis|a leader]] and began a war with the peaceful Autobots, who proved unable to match their inborn military skills. After the fall of several successive Autobot leaders, the heroic robots turned to stealth, and invented the art of [[transformation]]; with this edge, [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] defeated the Decepticons' leader, ending the war and ushering in the prosperous [[Golden Age]] of Cybertron. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}
[[File:Masterplan2 earth germ.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Excuse me, do you have seating for 3?"]]
Over time, the defeated Decepticons married transformation technology with [[robot mode]] flight powers, leading to the creation of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] around nine million years ago. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} Gathering like-minded warriors like the loyal [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], the emotionless [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and the young upstart [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], and brain-washing others into his service with the [[Robosmasher|Robo-Smasher]], {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} Megatron slew Sentinel Prime and reignited the war. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} Against the Autobots under the command of new leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], the protracted warfare ran for five million years, draining Cybertron dry of energy and forcing the Transformers to seek new power sources on other planets. When Optimus Prime's best and brightest departed on this quest aboard [[Ark (G1)|a spacecraft]], Megatron's elite followed them, and the battle that erupted led to a crash-landing on prehistoric Earth that entombed all the combatants in stasis for four million years. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

In 1984, a volcanic explosion led to the reactivation of the Transformers; the Decepticons were first to recover, and immediately set about plundering Earth's natural resources to build a [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]] that would take them back to Cybertron. Sabotaged in mid-flight, the ship crashed into one of Earth's oceans, {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}} but the Decepticons survived and rebuilt the crippled craft to serve as their new [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|headquarters]] for the continuing conflict on the planet. A [[space bridge]] was established between Earth and Cybertron, and any resources the villains could purloin would be sent back to the dying planet to secure their stranglehold over it. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion}}
[[File:FFOD5 Decepticons attack.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4]]
At some point over the next twenty years, the Decepticons focused their attentions away from Earth and managed to take complete control of Cybertron, forcing the Autobots to relocate to twin moonbases on Cybertron's two satellites, and to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth. In 2005, learning that the Autobots planned a major strike to retake Cybertron, the Decepticons launched an [[Battle of Autobot City|attack]] on Autobot City, with disastrous consequences for the Autobots. The battle saw one of the Decepticons' long held dreams achieved in the death of Optimus Prime, but Megatron was damaged, and left to rot in deep space, along with several of his wounded followers. Found by the monster planet [[Unicron]], Megatron was reformatted him into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], and the others into [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s, in return for their servitude. Soon after, while Unicron was attacking the Decepticon-controlled Cybertron, Galvatron duelled with the new Autobot leader [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], who triumphed and hurled him into the void of space. Their world and their forces devastated and their leader gone, the Decepticons were easily routed by the Autobots, who forced them into exile on the burned-out world of [[Chaar]] while they retook and restored Cybertron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{quote|Once the Decepticons held the quadrant through terror, now we scrap like [[Slaarg]]s over a few [[energon cube]]s.|[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]|[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]}}
[[File:Rebirth 2 Decepticon offerings.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
On Chaar, the Decepticons faced constant energy shortages and engaged in constant in-fighting over what little they did have. Determined to restore order, Cyclonus hatched a plan to locate the lost Galvatron, in hopes that he could lead the Decepticons to glory once more. Although they were successful, Galvatron proved to have been driven insane by his experiences, and while his return did herald the recommencement of hostilities with the Autobots, the Decepticons never quite recovered their old standing, continuing to operate on Chaar throughout 2006 and regularly entering into ill-fated alliances with the Quintessons. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness}}

Eventually, the Decepticons went into hiding following the resurrection of Optimus Prime. When they returned, it was in force, launching an attack on Autobot City in order to steal the key to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] on Cybertron, intending to use the chamber to overload the sun and destroy Earth and Cybertron together. The battle for the key carried several of their number to the planet [[Nebulos]], where they became [[binary bonding|binary bonded]] to the planet's evil rulers, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], as [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]]. They returned with the key to Cybertron, but Autobot intervention caused the energy of the chamber to backfire on them, hurling their battlestation [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], with the amassed forces of the Decepticons aboard, off into the far reaches of the universe. {{storylink|The Rebirth}}

{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|In Japanese cartoon continuity, the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur, and Headmasters and Targetmasters have a different origin.}}
[[File:FourWarriors Decepticon Headmasters flaming balls.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|There were more burning rocks in the Japanese continuity.]]

Following the return of Optimus Prime, the Decepticons consolidated their power base by heavily fortifying Chaar and turning it into an actual, functional base of operations. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Their ranks were swelled with the addition of the Decepticon Headmasters—Cybertronians who had fled their homeworld millions of years before and taken up residence on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], but who had been exiled by the local leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] for an attempted coup. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Headmaster commander [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] coveted leadership of the Decepticons for himself, and finally obtained it when the Autobot Headmasters entombed Galvatron in an iceberg. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} Under Scorponok's leadership, the Decepticons nearly succeeded in destroying the Earth with [[crysmagnetal]] and [[plasma energy]], but upon the destruction of Scorponok's [[Transtector]], the ultimately elected to finally withdraw from Earth once and for all. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
[[File:BirthHeadmasterJrs Decepticon Jrs in transtectors.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The Decepticons returned to Chaar, and over the next few years, fought the Autobots on [[Athenia]] in a series of space-based exchanges that became known as the [[Master Wars]]. Circumstances changed when the mysterious alien [[Devil Z]] was able to brainwash Scorponok, placing him and by extension, the entire Decepticon army, under his command. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}} While Scorponok, now known as "BlackZarak", continued to lead the Decepticons' space based forces, a small group of [[Pretender]]s operating under Devil Z's direct command on Earth furthered the evil alien's attempts to fuse human and Transformer life to create the ultimate lifeform by bringing about the rise of the [[Headmaster Junior]]s and the [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]]. {{storylink|Birth! Headmaster Jrs}} {{storylink|Super Warriors - The Godmaster Brothers}} A group of Autobot Pretenders worked to counter his schemes by doing the same, and the repeated failure of his human Transformers to triumph over their Autobot counterparts led Devil Z to conclude that he had been incorrect, and that humanity was of no use to him. He transformed the Headmaster Jr and Godmasters into full robotic lifeforms, but soon after, he and BlackZarak were destroyed by the Autobot leader [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]], and the Decepticons fled the Earth once more. {{storylink|A Battle... and Then...}}
[[File:Deathsaurus throne.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Leadership was briefly taken up by [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], but by the year 2025, the Decepticon army was reorganized under the new Emperor of Destruction, [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]], and began attacking numerous different planets all across the galaxy in pursuit of a world they could take for their own. {{storylink|The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber}} Deathsaurus led the [[Breastforce]] and [[Dinoforce]] in attack on Earth, seizing enough energy to reactive his [[Planet-Destroying Fortress]], but he was stopped by the new Autobot [[Supreme Commander]], [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification}}
[[File:TVMJuly1990Mashougun.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Deathsaurus' defeat marked a decline in Decepticon activity, but soon a more supernatural force seized command: [[Violen Jiger]], a being made up of the spirits of many defeated Decepticons, rallied together [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] from throughout Decepticon history to capture for him the Autobots' new [[Energon Z]], and the life-giving [[Zodiac]], which he would combine to create a "[[Decepticon Zone]]" from which he could conquer the universe. His plans were stopped by new Autobot leader [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]], {{storylink|Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone}} and the Zodiac was instead used to bring Optimus Prime back to life. This stood in the way of the plans of the mysterious alien [[Dark Nova]], so he used his powers to resurrect Galvatron from his Arctic tomb and transform him into Super Megatron. The Decepticon army was virtually non-existent under Dark Nova; Super Megatron had no actual Decepticon troops at his command, merely Dark Nova's [[Novaroid]] and [[Galaman]] warriors, though they did bear the Decepticon insignia. Dark Nova later upgraded Super Megatron into Ultra Megatron, then merged with him to become "Star Giant", but was destroyed by the resurrected Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Return of Convoy (franchise)|Return of Convoy}}

By the year 2035, Decepticon leadership had been taken up by the enigmatic [[Scrash (OC)|Scrash]], and fighting was primarily occurring in outer space once again. The development of [[Power Core Combination]] by the Autobots and their human allies on Earth drew Scrash's attention back to the planet, and he sent [[Battle Gaia]] and the [[Jet Corps]] to create distractions while a team of Decepticons reformatted to be able to take control of the Autobots' new inventions were sent to steal the combiner tech. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (franchise)|Operation Combination}} Some reports suggest that when his plans were foiled, Scrash himself made another attack on the planet along with his warriors [[Flashwing]], [[Deathplay]], [[Darkfly]] and [[Sharpedge]] which also met with failure. {{storylink|Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)#After_2025|2007 timeline}} [[File:G2 Humans killed Megatron's friend.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|There were also more gigantic plastic army men in the Japanese continuity.]] Following this, Megatron retook command of the Decepticons, but with his damaged sanity circuits repaired, he abandoned his evil ways and united the Decepticons with the Autobots as the [[Cybertron Alliance]]. This was not to last, unfortunately, when a misunderstanding led a human military unit to kill [[Kiloton|a Decepticon]], prompting Megatron to begin the war all over again. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|Autobots vs. Decepticons: Combat Secrets}}

Defeated by Optimus Prime in a duel in the [[Mirtonian constellation]], the badly wounded Megatron disappeared with the Decepticons into the far reaches of the universe, and the war appeared to be over once more. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|The Autobots Triumph in the Battle of Good Vs. Evil!}} Alas, it was not to be so, as a [[Galvatron II|parallel version of Galvatron from an alternate dimension]] appeared and took control of the Decepticon army, renewing hostilities {{storylink|Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version}} and bolstering their forces with the addition of biomechanically-engineered monsters. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
The Decepticons fought the Autobots in the Great War but were ultimately defeated and forced to sign the [[Pax Cybertronia]] which left them in a second class position. A small number of Decepticons were granted amnesty for their crimes but by the era of the [[Maximal]]s, most of these had retired. The Decepticons were succeeded by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] who shared their ancestors' dream of galactic conquest and schemed to quietly subvert the rule of the Maximals. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:DeceptLitho.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|"My Liege, when did you get that sw—" "CAN'T HEAR YOU, FANWANKING"]]
The Decepticons arose out of the [[Gladiatorial combat|underground fights]] that Megatron once partook in. After discovering certain secrets about Cybertron's origin, including massive [[planetary engine]]s, Megatron began using the games to recruit combatants. For nearly half a million years, they grew in numbers and trained, until they rebelled against the [[Council of Ancients]] and took [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] by force.

While the war raged on, the Constructicons repaired the engines and introduced a mecha-forming process, but what they really needed was a power source. Megatron became convinced that he could find one powerful enough within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which was in the possession of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. However, when Megatron finally killed the Prime, he discovered that it was not within him. Soon after, Optronix became Optimus Prime, and Megatron initiated a plan: an assassination team under Communications Officer [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would elimate the Prime and claim the Matrix, while Military Operations Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] would lay siege to Iacon, preventing the Autobots from coming to Prime's rescue.

However, Megatron made two mistakes: he informed Air Commander [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] of his intentions, and he underestimated Optimus Prime. The Prime managed to erase some of Megatron's memories of what he discovered, while Starscream activated the mechaforming process using energy from the planetary engines. The engines were destroyed before the process was complete, ruining both. {{storylink|Transformers: The War Within|The War Within}}

After Megatron disappeared with Optimus Prime in a space bridge test, Shockwave became Decepticon leader, though Starscream and High Auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] broke off with their own splinter factions shortly afterwards. The Decepticons allied with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s Autobots and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] (an Autobot splinter group), to stop the machinations of [[The Fallen]]. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}} Several thousand years later, Shockwave was prepared to sign a peace treaty with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], who had become Autobot leader, the LSC, and Ratbat's [[Ultracon]]. However, Megatron returned with the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]], an army of [[Quintesson]] created [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] drones, whose abilities allowed the Decepticons to fully conquer Cybertron and enslave the Autobots. The Decepticons' control over Cybertron was ended when Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron and the Air Warriors were defeated. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath|War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

When Megatron disappeared along with the ''Nemesis'' crew, Shockwave again emerged as Decepticon leader, this time as head of a triumvirate including Ratbat and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. With [[energon]] becoming scarce, Shockwave agreed to work with Ultra Magnus and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in the creation of the [[Micromaster]]s, Transformers who were downsized for better fuel efficiency. Shockwave suffered a rebellion when [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] overthrew him, using Shockwave's severed head as a tool. {{storylink|Transformers: Micromasters}} However, all Transformers on Cybertron entered [[stasis lock]] when the [[Great Shutdown]] occurred.

Around 1,000 B.C.E., Shockwave was reactivated by Scourge, and then defeated the Unicronian Transformer. Studying Scourge and discovering some of the secrets Megatron had learned, Shockwave made peace with the Autobots, installing himself as Head of State with an [[Autobot High Council]] as a legislature, while Ultra Magnus became his senior security officer. However, the High Councillors were unsuited for peace time government, and gradually gave Shockwave more and more power... which is exactly what he had planned.

On Earth, the ''Nemesis'' crew was reawakened in 1984. Cut off from Cybertron, the Decepticons concluded that they had no other choice but to conquer the planet. Megatron soon learned that others had come looking for them, including [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]]. The Decepticons captured Jetfire and the Dinobots except Grimlock, and used the hostage situation to force Grimlock to serve the Decepticons. Additionally, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] located Earth and served under Megatron. In 1998, the Autobots allied with humanity to defeat the Decepticons. They were to be returned to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]'', but Shockwave, through a human intermediary, sabotaged the ''Ark II'', causing the ship to crash and send the Transformers aboard into stasis lock.

Renegade members of the [[United States military]] managed to capture the Decepticons and a number of Autobots, intending to use them as instruments of war, but [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]] later stole them and set himself up as an arms dealer. Unfortunately, Megatron overwhelmed the programming that kept him a prisoner, and freed the other Decepticons. Megatron then intended to unleash a technovirus on Earth, but the Autobots defeated him. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

A year later, Shockwave arrived to tie up loose ends, quickly capturing Megatron and the ''Nemesis'' crew. Starscream ejected Megatron out of the ship carrying them to Cybertron, leaving him to die in space. The ''Nemesis'' crew were granted amnesty, but Starscream quickly recruited them into going back to Earth to conquer the planet, taking the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] with them. Shockwave was finally overthrown when Optimus Prime united the Autobot resistance groups, but he escaped with a small number of troops. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

Meanwhile, Megatron was rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], who repaired his memory loss. Using some recovered Air Warriors, Megatron located the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], who were used to take control of Shockwave's small army. On Earth, Starscream's failures during [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]'s rampage were reason enough to convince the ''Nemesis'' crew to mutiny against Starscream in Megatron's favor. With two combiner teams, an army of Seekers, Soundwave's cassettes, and knowledge of Earth's connection to Cybertron, Megatron prepared to lead the Decepticons on the conquests of Earth and Cybertron {{storylink|Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave) |G1 ongoing}}...

{{note|...At which point Dreamwave went bankrupt. Damn.}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
During the reign of [[Nominus Prime]], Cybertronian civilization was stratified by a [[Functionism|Functionist]] society that equated one's worth as an individual with the usefulness and uniqueness of one's altmode. Among the impoverished lower classes was a young, idealist miner named [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] who sought to peacefully end Functionism as an institution. His [[After the Ark: Nominus Prime and the Illusion of Progress|treatise]] gathered momentum among Cybertron's working class,{{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} but the Decepticon movement didn't come about until later, when an embittered and disillusioned Megatron began circulating more radical and violent samizdat writings. Indeed, the name Decepticon was taken from one of Megatron's favorite rallying cries: "You are being deceived." They soon began scaring people in high society. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}}

They really came into their own when Megatron led an uprising in Kaon, taking the city and killing a Prime. {{storylink|The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin}} The Decepticons soon began spreading across the planet, recruiting new people and carrying out terrorist strikes in advance of their main assaults. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}} Eventually they overthrew the Senate and yet another Prime, but by then it was clear they were going to install a brutal dictatorship of their own. {{storylink|Overthrown}} The Autobots of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] rose up against them and war began. {{storylink|Rise}}

The war they started proved ''too'' destructive for Cybertron to handle, and the Decepticons had to abandon it after the disastrous [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] incident. {{storylink|The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer}}

The Decepticons are spread across known space, following a strict [[Infiltration protocol]] to conquer worlds. Disguising themselves, the infiltration unit gathers intelligence and seeds [[Facsimile construct|facsimiles]] in key strategic places; Phase Two is to use their facsimiles to inflame global tensions and watch the locals to devastate themselves. By Phase Five, their base is in [[Infiltration protocol|Siege Mode]] and Phase 6 has open war on a burnt-out world. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration}} {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}} In extreme circumstances, when they ''really'' want a world destroyed, they'll send in a [[Phase Sixer]] like [[Sixshot]].

The Decepticon army is highly specialised: there's infiltration units for, er, infiltration; a [[Decepticon Secret Service]] handling spying and tech acquisitions; {{storylink|Spotlight: Hot Rod}} penal colonies like [[Styx]]; and Tactical Assault Units like the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] who carry out direct action.

This all got thrown out of the window in the early 21st Century, however, when it appeared the Decepticons had won. Whoops, they hadn't. Earth was lost, Megatron was defeated, and Starscream took control through a charade of wielding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron}} Some Decepticons were left behind on Earth while Starscream led the rest to a barren asteroid, where they accomplished nothing for three years until Megatron finally returned and took back his rightful position. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon|Altered Carbon}}

Later, Megatron allowed himself to be captured and brought to a mostly restored Cybertron, where he used a [[space bridge]] built into his body to summon the Decepticon army to him. Everyone but Megatron and [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] were brainwashed by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] and/or [[D-Void]] into combining with the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s to form a "[[Deceptigod]]". {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} Once the monster was defeated, the weakened Decepticons were all captured by the Autobots. They were imprisoned and kept under control using [[inhibitor/deterrence chip]]s in their heads, and the war was considered over. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} Megatron was believed dead after standing up to the creature.

Though many Decepticons returned to Cybertron, an even greater number of cells opted to remain in space, communicating with each other and waiting for an inevitable call to arms. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

The Decepticons were released and eventually, in the interests of peace, the chips were deactivated. An uneasy peace emerged between Decepticon, Autobots, and the [[NAIL|returning neutrals]], with Starscream rising to power as the Decepticon spokesman (after arranging the death of their previous spokesman, Ratbat, before he could start another war). {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} Out in space, however, the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] refused to accept the war was over and continued hunting down and murdering anyone on their 'list'. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} Megatron soon returned, having spent the intervening time in the wilds of Cybertron, learning about the "strange energies" that allowed the Deceptigod to form and communicating them with his inner circle of loyalists. Wielding a new [[Devastator (G1)|combiner]], he and his followers once again attempted an uprising, but the Autobots successfully quashed the conflict and managed to imprison Megatron once again. In the ensuring chaos, Starscream abandoned the Decepticons managed to convince the NAILs to support him as the sole leader of Cybertron; with their support, the remaining Autobots and Decepticons were exiled from Iacon. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

Following the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crisis, Megatron allowed himself to be put on trial on [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]], having supposedly abandoned the Decepticon cause. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} Thanks to a technicality in the Luna 2 legal system, Megatron was allowed to join the ''[[Lost Light]]'' crew in its quest for the [[Knights of Cybertron]], postponing his ultimate verdict until the Knights could judge him in person. However, in exchange for his continued freedom, Megatron was forced to recite a statement declaring his renouncement of all Decepticon ideals and ordering all remaining Decepticon forces to stand down and do the same. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} In the aftermath of Megatron's defection [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] took command of the Decepticons. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}} Galvatron led them to Earth where they forged an alliance with the EDC. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} According to Ravage, however, Galvatron would be instantly abandoned if Megatron gave the word. {{storylink|slaughterhouse}}

After Galvatron's demise, {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}} the Earth-based Decepticons fell under [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s command and worked, somewhat uneasily, alongside the Autobots within the [[Council of Worlds]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}} Out in space, [[Nickel]] assumed command of [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]' troops with the cell being caught in the crossfire of the [[Galactic Council]] and the [[Black Block Consortia]]. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}

Shortly before his fall from grace, Starscream sent [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] into space to rally all the scattered Decepticon cells into one massive fleet. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

The techno-geneticist [[Scorponok (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Scorponok]] had his own plans to revive the Decepticons (now hovering somewhere around 10,000 individuals) and finally achieve victory. Via a creature called the [[Firstborn]], Scorponok intended for the Decepticons to briefly become organic creatures and sexually reproduce so as to refresh their numbers. {{storylink|Kill All 'Cons}}

Upon [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]]'s return to Cybertron, he unveiled the truth about [[Horri-Bull]]'s death, turning the Decepticons against Soundwave. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}} As the leaderless faction clashed with the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] worshippers, they noticed Starscream sneaking around and asked him to become leader again. Though hesitant at first, {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} Starscream ultimately agreed and led his army away to draw up new plans of conquest. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|Unforgivable}} Shortly afterwards, Starscream visited the imprisoned Shockwave who revealed his master plan was to have [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] soften up the galaxy before killing him via the corrupted [[Vector Sigma]] and restoring the [[Decepticon Empire]]. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}}

Under Bludgeon's guidance, the scattered cells came together to form the "[[Decepticon Vengeance Division]]", being dispatched by Starscream to contain and destroy Unicron at [[G Nebula 89]]. Though the fleet's firepower was immense, Bludgeon himself was loyal to Unicron, the Decepticons subsequently being warped into Unicron's heralds. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}} When Unicron arrived at Cybertron, the Decepticon citizenry swarmed into [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], {{storylink|Our Finest}} before the entirety of the population was teleported to Earth by the [[magic]] of the [[Spectral Knight]]s. {{storylink|Road's End}}

Along with all other factions, the Earth-bound Decepticons joined in the attack on the DVD, {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} settling into a new life on Earth once Unicron had been defeated. {{storylink|Ceremony}} {{storylink|Post}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
After being reactivated in [[1984]], the Decepticons carried out operations on Earth, seemingly under the command of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}, before the war spread beyond Earth and turned increasingly violent, resulting in the [[Earth Defense Command]] banning all Transformers from their space. The Decepticons were the ones to finally sour all human/Transformer relations when they used a stolen Autobot shuttle to destroy the human colony of [[Xin Shanghai]]. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

At an unidentified point in the 21st century, [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] reformatted, or revived, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] into the powerful [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] who continued, or retook, Decepticon leadership. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} Both Autobots and Decepticons briefly joined forces to combat the Chaos Bringer, eventually destroying him. {{storylink|The Inexorable March}}

The Decepticons then invaded the planet [[Nebulos]] via [[infiltration protocol]] before the intervention of the [[Human Confederacy]] turned the war hot and ended in the [[Scouring of Nebulos]]. The enormous loss of life was the final straw for the [[human]]s, who restricted all Cybertronians to the [[Allowed Zone]], where the war could do no further harm to the galaxy. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}} {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} Galvatron did not take this threat lying down and quickly conquered the Allowed Zone to rebuild his army and destroy humanity in the [[Great Push]]. The battle ended in a humiliating defeat for the Decepticons, and resulted in the Allowed Zone being cut in half. Galvatron himself would eventually be executed via a [[Quintesson]] judgement. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

In the aftermath, [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took command of the Decepticons, {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} before [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] overthrew him. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}} Thunderwing led his troops to seize the [[Underbase]] on [[Moonbase Two|Artemis]] and bonded with the ancient artifact's power. Rendered insane, he cut a swath of destruction across Cybertron, forcing the Autobots and Decepticons to once again unite to combat their mutual foe. Thunderwing's defeat marked the technical end of both Autobots and Decepticons as both parties reorganized themselves into the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Not All Megatrons}}

Having created the [[Energon Matrix]] to substitute for the lost [[Vector Sigma]], [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] created the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] as the descendants of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Head Games}}
{{-}}

===''Star Trek vs. Transformers''===
Four million years ago, the Decepticons pursued the Autobots into the Sol [[asteroid belt]], their boarding of the ''Ark'' causing it to crash on prehistoric Earth and knocking all aboard into stasis lock. The Decepticons were reawakened in the 1980s and began a secret war over Earth's supply of [[energon]] before [[World War III]] forced them off the planet. Trailing the Autobots aboard [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], the Decepticons boarded [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in orbit of [[Cygnus Seven]], the act again causing all aboard to fall into stasis lock when the Autobot ship crashed. In the 23rd century, a [[Federation]] survey team unknowingly reactivated Maximus. Awakened first by the Titan's repair protocols, Megatron healed his troops and led an attack on the surface. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}}

While Decepticon firepower made quick work of the mining colony, they were unprepared for the intervention of the [[USS Enterprise|USS ''Enterprise'']], its [[photon torpedo]]s proving able to damage the Decepticons. Falling back to a nearby moon, the Decepticons found Trypticon being occupied by the [[Klingon]]s, Megatron soon smooth talking the aliens into an alliance. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part One}}

Though the Decepticon/Klingon alliance had initial successes, {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Three}} it soon collapsed when it was revealed that Starscream had manipulated the Klingon sense of honor to have [[Kuri]] give him a personal cloaking device. Enraged, Megatron ordered a retreat from Cygnus Seven to pursue Starscream. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}}

The Decepticons caught up with Starscream on [[Kronos]], within the chambers of the [[Klingon High Council]], and began conquering the planet. When the Autobots and [[Starfleet]] arrived to defend Kronos, Soundwave unleashed his audio disruptor waves on their foes, only to learn that the Klingons were deaf to the frequency he utilized. Caught off-guard, the Decepticons were subject to a surprise attack by a fleet of [[Warbird (Star Trek)|warbirds]]. By the terms of [[James Kirk]]'s peace with [[Gorkon]], the Decepticons were left behind in Klingon custody. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Five}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
[[File:Ascenticon rally.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|Look, we're not saying that that banner is just one accidental flag-hanging away from a Decepticon symbol. We're just implying it.]]

{{quote|Your life is yours to shape. In doing so, you owe nothing to those who came before you. But you owe everything to those as yet unforged. Let no shaping of yours, limit what they, in their turn, might yet be and achieve.|One of Termagax's writings|The World In Your Eyes Part One}}

The 'Ascenticon' faction began with [[Termagax]], noted Cybertronian engineer and philosopher, in the aftermath of the [[War of the Threefold Spark]]. Dissatisfied with the way Cybertron had developed in response to the [[Nominus Edict]], Termagax created the Ascenticon to become part of the Cybertronian senate and institute reforms, starting with scrapping the Edict. Termagax's student, a young firebrand named [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], became the first Senator of the Ascenticon faction. {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}} {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}}

Over time, Termagax's dissatisfaction with Cybertronian society grew more extreme, until she eventually recused herself from society entirely, leaving the Ascenticons in Megatron's hands... just as the senator wished. Megatron shared his mentor's desire to get rid of what he saw as the restrictions on Cybertron's growth, but not her grassroots approach. Megatron began a scheme to make sure the Ascenticons rose to power, even if by mass deception. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two}} {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}}

Megatron's scheme began with the creation of a sub-faction, called [[The Rise]], composed of those radically opposed to the Edict, and the Autobot hegemony. The intent was to have the Rise creation friction, which would turn the Autobots increasingly fascistic, and therefore drum up support for the Ascenticon way. Unknown to all, Megatron had Shockwave returned from exile to whip the Rise into suitable shape. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}}

In the senate, the Ascenticons proved contentious, siding against the Autobots and [[Reversionist]] factions. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Four}}

In public, Megatron began giving rallies, gaining popular support while condemning the violence of the Rise. As the cycles passed, their rallies grew harder and harder to control as support for their cause grew and grew, with the most recent rally having injured a dozen people. Senator [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] attempted to parley with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], seeking a delay of the latest Ascenticon rally in [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], but Megatron rebuffed these efforts, simply stating that he sought change on Cybertron, and as long as he was allowed to speak he would continue to do so. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part One}} At the rally in Tarn, Megatron's speech was supposedly interrupted by an assassination attempt. Megatron publicly vowed to catch whoever was responsible, {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Two}} while denouncing the Autobots and their attempts to keep the peace, declaring the formation of a new "Ascenticon Guard", {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}}

While the Guard was nominally under the command of Elita-1, it was Senator Soundwave who was in charge of recruitment, and the senator was extremely untrusting of any recruit with Autobot sympathies. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Five}} Meanwhile, the Guard took in such luminaires as Refraktor, Skytread, and unhinged war veteran Quake. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}}

The situation soon escalated after the Rise murdered Brainstorm, when the scientist stumbled onto their illegally siphoning energon, {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part One}}{{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part One}} an act witnessed by a Voin. Acting quickly, Soundwave contacted the Rise to deal with the situation. They sent Quake, {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}} who did silence the witness, but also murdered the young Cybertronian Rubble when he stumbled onto the scene. {{storylink
|The World In Your Eyes Part Five}}

In the ensuing investigation, the security services found evidence of the Rise's activities and armaments, and officer Barricade's connection to these events. Elsewhere, recruitment for the Guard began to surge, including Barricade. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One}}

Megatron, on learning of Soundwave's actions, was outraged at the decision. He quickly updated his plans, to accelerate events. Broadcasting a speech to Cybertron as a whole, Megatron declared the Ascenticons would no longer wait peacefully for change to come, but force it, before unveiling a revised version of the Ascenticon insignia. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

Soon after, Ascenticons began branding themselves with the new insignia. Elsewhere, Soundwave approached Sentinel Prime, stating the Ascenticon viewpoint that the planet's situation dictated an immediate, accelerated election, which Sentinel angrily refused. Meanwhile, Soundwave covered the Ascenticons' tracks, erasing the knowledge of when 'bots such as Quake and Barricade had joined up. On hearing of a fight between Risers and the security service, Soundwave ordered Elita and Bumblebee to intervene and show Cybertron the new face of the Ascenticons. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part One}}

===''Transformers/Ghostbusters''===
While the Autobots fled Cybertron at the end of the Great War, [[Decepticon High Command]] was visited by [[Gozer]] who proceeded to take Starscream's form and attack Cybertron. Though the Decepticons fought back, they found their power outmatched by the invader. Unable to flee, Megatron was approached by [[Kremzeek|Kremzeek the Scavenger]] who had come seeking the [[AllSpark]], shuttled off Cybertron by the recently departed Autobots. Bargaining with the Decepticon leader, Kremzeek turned Megatron and his inner retinue into [[ghost]]s, leaving the Decepticon army to be destroyed by Gozer along with their planet. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1}} {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}} {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}}

When Kremzeek was defeated on Earth, his Decepticon prisoners were freed. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}} Though Optimus offered to use the AllSpark to revive them, Megatron attacked his arch-foe in a vengeful fury, even dreaming of possessing Optimus and using the Autobots to rebuild the [[Decepticon Empire]], before he was detained in a [[ghost trap]]. Soundwave and Shockwave were likewise imprisoned by the [[Ghostbusters]] while Starscream fled the planet. In the aftermath, Optimus took the Decepticon ghosts with him, hoping to one day rehabilitate and resurrect them, while [[Ectotron]] opted to patrol the galaxy for any more Decepticon spectres that might be out there. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 5}}

==2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon==
{{note|Car Robots'', the Japanese version of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], is regarded as part of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]] and the [[Primax]] [[Universal stream|universal cluster]]. However, ''Robots in Disguise'' itself constitutes a different continuity family and is designated as the [[Viron]] universal cluster.}}

{{See also|Predacon (RID)}}

[[File:WedgesShortFuse Commandos firing in vehicle mode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|If you look closely, you can see Decepticons behind those laser beams.]]
In the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], the Decepticons were a brand new faction that came into being during the events of the story. Because there were so few Decepticons (only six or seven), and because they were a subset of the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] antagonists, they can almost be viewed as a [[subgroup]] rather than a proper faction. The Decepticons were created on Earth when [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]]'s forces captured a set of [[stasis pod]]s from an ancient Transformer spaceship that had been found on [[Earth]], leading to the birth of the [[Commando (RID)|Commandos]] and [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]. The toy version of [[Megatron (RID)|Galvatron]] was also labeled as a Decepticon, although this "change" in the character's faction was only mentioned once in the cartoon series.

{{note|In the Japanese version of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''Car Robots'', the Decepticons were known as Combatrons. This is the same name by which the [[Combaticon (G1)|Generation 1 Combaticons]] were called in Japan. For the [[Hasbro]] toyline, several other non-show Decepticons were added to the ranks to help fill out the line. It is currently unknown how many, if any, of the Decepticons unique to the toyline, share a similar origin to the show's Decepticons. In their scant portrayals, these Decepticons are simply portrayed as being around, though one of them, [[Axer (G1)|Axer]], is actually a dimension-hopper who arrived from [[Generation 1 continuity family|a Generation 1 universe]]. Meanwhile, the components of [[Devastator (Universe Ultra)|Devastator]] and [[Dominus Trannis]] are portrayed as Autobots brainwashed by the [[Robosmasher|Robo-Smasher]] and implanted with Predacon [[personality component]]s.}}

==Unicron Trilogy continuity family==
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Armada'' cartoon====
The ''exact'' origins of the Decepticon faction are a bit muddled. It is widely assumed, though never directly confirmed, that the movement was founded by [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Also, the enslavement of the power-enhancing [[Mini-Con]]s is considered to be the impetus to the Decepticons' rise to a massive multi-planet-spanning army, though at what point in the war this occurred is unclear; it's possible the Mini-Cons' arrival was what gave Megatron the opportunity to rise to power, or that they arrived after the war had already begun.

Either way, the Mini-Cons fueled the war machine for centuries, and the war with the [[Autobot]]s soon spread from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to other worlds. The self-imposed exile of the Mini-Cons to an unknown destination was seen as a major setback for the Decepticons (and something of a pyrrhic victory for the Autobots), but despite this, the war continued, as both sides had amassed a large enough power base to continue on without the little buggers.

The Autobots and Decepticons seemed to fight to a stalemate, neither able to gain a distinct advantage over the other. When a signal reached Cybertron centuries later that the Mini-Cons had landed on [[Earth]], it seemed neither side was capable of sending a full force to retrieve them, despite the power they contained. Though the Decepticon force sent to Earth was small in numbers, it was far from insignificant; Megatron himself led the squad, backed by some of his most trusted warriors.

[[File:Armada decepticons alliance.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

When Megatron returned to Cybertron, the overwhelming majority of the Mini-Cons were in the protective custody of the Autobots, but Megatron was unfazed; he had assembled the Mini-Cons required to make the three legendary weapons: the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] and [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]]. Bolstered by this new power and the apparent death of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], Megatron attempted to take Cybertron once and for all.

But Megatron's (now calling himself Galvatron) return to Cybertron was the beginning of the end of the Decepticon army. When [[Unicron]] revealed himself as a threat to both armies, fueled by the negative psychic energies from centuries of death and destruction, the two sides eventually joined together to beat back the planet-eater. Despite the truce, Galvatron and Prime engaged in a brutal duel on the surface of the weakened Unicron after the three legendary weapons had been removed from his core. Realizing their battle was keeping Unicron active, Galvatron sacrificed himself, and both Unicron and Galvatron disappeared into nothingness.

====''Energon'' cartoon====
[[File:Energon Decepticon insignia.jpg|left|127px|thumb|Now available with added purple!]]
Galvatron's final orders to his troops still stood: work ''with'' the Autobots. The Decepticons maintained a degree of autonomy, still wearing the faction sigil and often taking military/defensive positions in the growing number of [[energon]]-mining colonies, but they were ultimately answerable to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. There were, of course, dissenters, most of whom were captured and imprisoned. For a decade, Autobot and Decepticon worked side-by-side in a somewhat stable truce.

[[File:Decepticons Megatron Resurrected.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Both sides found themselves the target of attacks from Unicron again; hordes of [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon drones]], sent by [[Alpha Quintesson]] to steal energon ore with which to revive the now-shattered husk of Unicron. What the alien did not count on was that Galvatron's [[spark]] had survived within the remains, and was siphoning energon from Unicron's body. Soon the Decepticon leader revived himself in a new form,(calling himself Megatron again) drove off Alpha Quintesson, and along with an elite cadre of soldiers and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of mindless Terrorcon drones, began his ''new'' plans for conquest.

When news of Megatron's return reached Cybertron, hundreds of Decepticons rose up and rebelled, eager to get back to conquering. But having been joined to Unicron for so long apparently had given Megatron a taste of godhood; he had no more interest in amassing a galaxy-spanning army of troops. Countless Decepticons died in the resulting battles, with Megatron more than willing to sacrifice them without a thought to attain ultimate power for himself. As "the Powerlinx Battles" -as they came to be called- came to their climax, Megatron (calling himself Galvatron ''again'') found that his actions and thoughts were being influenced and controlled by the dark spark of Unicron. Unwilling to let Unicron stand in his way, Galvatron ultimately sacrificed himself (again) and seemingly destroyed Unicron's spark by plunging himself into a newly formed energon sun created by [[Primus]].

{{--}}

====''Cybertron'' cartoon====
What little remained of the once-mighty Decepticon army after [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron's]] loss was at best a loose association of criminals, thugs, and lunatics, with no real political or military power to speak of. For a decade, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was once again at peace, with the population overwhelmingly [[Autobot]] or neutral. The Transformers had withdrawn from [[Earth]] and its other colonies to focus on revitalizing their homeworld after the devastation of the Powerlinx Battles. However, two great catastrophes shattered this peace; the energon sun collapsed in on itself, forming the powerful black hole known as the [[Unicron Singularity]], which threatened to devour Cybertron and, if left unchecked, the entire universe... and the return yet once again of Megatron, who had absorbed much of what remained of Unicron's power.

Megatron's goal of attaining godhood was now at hand. By obtaining the legendary [[Omega Lock]] and the four [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, Megatron intended to accelerate the growth of the black hole, consuming the universe in a vast sea of nothingness that only he would survive, then use his powers to re-create the universe in his image.

To this end, he had no need of an army. He gathered a small group of allies and lackeys to seek the items he needed, but they were nothing more than pawns to him, to be used and discarded at a whim.

The Decepticons briefly regained their status as a mass army of individuals when [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who had long suffered at Megatron's hands since the beginning of the Decepticons, made his own bid for ultimate power with the help of the [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] agent [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]]. Having sealed Megatron and his troops in a trap, Starscream freed hundreds of criminal Transformers who had been locked up on [[Earth]] for millennia, and formed his own globe-spanning army. The Decepticon "Monsters" were tasked with finding the Omega Lock and Earth's Cyber Planet Key, which they eventually brought to their leader. However, numerous Decepticons were killed in the battles with the Autobots, and it soon became apparent that Starscream, like Megatron before him, didn't care. Most of these criminals soon abandoned Starscream and went into hiding.

As for Megatron, he too had deserters among his own considerably-small ranks. Most notably, the powerful [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], leader of the [[Animatron|Jungle Planet]] and the colossal [[Menasor (Cybertron)|Menasor]] from [[Gigantion]], both of whom eventually joined forces with their former enemies the Autobots.

This was not seen as a concern for Megatron, however, as by this time Starscream and his allies were seemingly destroyed on Gigantion, and Megatron (now calling himself "Galvatron" again) had the Omega Lock and all four Keys. What few Decepticons remained loyal to him were too stupid to see what Galvatron had planned, and made perfect distractions as he set his final plan in motion. If they weren't strong enough to survive the coming cataclysm, then so be it.

[[File:NewDecepticonArmy.jpg|thumb|The yutz, the ditz, the klutz, and the putz.]]
Ultimately, Galvatron's plan failed, and the Unicron Singularity was sealed. His remaining Decepticons quickly left him, realizing what was likely to have happened to them, and eventually joined the Autobots. After Galvatron's seemingly-final defeat and death in a one-on-one duel with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron's]] moon, the Decepticons, not knowing when to quit, rose again, albeit in a rather pathetic fashion. Having cobbled together a rather rickety rocket, [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] shanghaied the reluctant [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], who was ''really'' keen on being on the winning side for once, and flew off to parts unknown as the "[[New Decepticon Army]]".

They made it to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] before the rocket crash-landed.

Meanwhile, the Autobot [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] reported form a deep-space recon mission that he thought he had picked up traces of Starscream, seemingly backed up by Sideways and [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]]. [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] and the former Decepticon [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] raced off to join Wing Saber and investigate...

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' continuity===
====Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic====
Founded by Megatron, the exact number of the original Decepticons is unknown. Using the Mini-Cons as weapons, they were able to conquer Cybertron and force the Autobots underground. Eventually they were beaten due to the arrival of Unicron: his heralds slaughtered the entire Decepticon base on Cybertron, and the Chaos-Bringer's arrival forced them to join forces with the Autobots. With Megatron shot dead during the Unicron battle, the peace held for a period of years.

==Live-action film series==
{{note|In a departure from previous Transformers incarnations, Japan used the name "Decepticons" for this franchise, rather than "Destrons".<ref>[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/products/movie/decepticons.html Movie Decepticons toy listing on Takaratomy.com]</ref>}}

[[File:Defiance3 wearenowDECEPTICONS.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|LATER: Megatron realizes he blew his entire budget on the giant rotating wall symbol.]]
The origins of these Decepticons began when the Fallen turned on his [[Dynasty of Primes|brother Primes]] in an attempt to seize power at the cost of humanity's existence. One account has it that the Fallen gathered a small army of [[Constructicon (ROTF)|construction drones]] to assist him and named them Decepticons. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 3}} Either way, he would become known as the ''first'' Decepticon and would go on to become the [[Emperor Palpatine|Sidious]] to Megatron's [[Darth Vader|Vader]] {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}, tempting the latent aggressive edge in the Protector. Filled with dreams of power and paranoia of losing that power, Megatron reformed the Cybertron defense force into a massive engine of war, ready to wipe out entire alien species who would dare challenge them.

When science leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]'s opposition became known, Megatron branded them traitors and declared his followers to be the Decepticons. Soon after, The Fallen commanded Megatron to build the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'', a ship that would carry his sarcophagus and Decepticon soldiers in their search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] left on Earth. Megatron was commanded to remain on Cybertron, so [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] commanded the expedition. Most of the Decepticons left Cybertron, leaving Megatron with a reduced, but still potent, army. {{Storylink|Transformers: Defiance|Defiance}}

[[File:BBfilm-Decepticons-surround-the-Autobots.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|right|Company photo day.]]
The Decepticons began the war, destroying any who defied them. When the Allspark was thrown into space, Megatron followed after it, eventually landing on Earth, where he became frozen. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} Despite the absence of their supreme leader, the Decepticons were able to conquer Cybertron and drive the Autobots off-world while operating under the joint leadership of [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] and Soundwave. In [[1987]], [[Shatter]] and [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] learnt that Optimus Prime was planning to regroup the Autobots on Earth while torturing [[Bumblebee (Movie)|B-127 "Bumblebee"]], and attempted to summon the [[Decepticon fleet]] and bait a trap for the rebels, only to be slain before they could make the transmission. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}

[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] began a search for Megatron and the AllSpark. After a while, Starscream began to focus more on the AllSpark, hoping Megatron would remain lost, something the other Decepticons began to suspect. {{storylink|Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Ghosts of Yesterday}} In 2003, Starscream's retrieval team made their way to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], destroyed the [[Beagle 2 Rover]] and made their way to Earth. {{storylink|Transformers: Movie Prequel|Movie Prequel}}

In 2007, the Decepticons began to make their presence known, with [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] destroying [[SOCCENT Forward Operations Base]] in [[Qatar]], searching for information on Megatron and the AllSpark. A few days later, [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] hacked [[Air Force One]]'s computers. Although he was unable to find out the truth about [[Sector Seven]], he avoided detection and managed to get a clue in [[Sam Witwicky]], whose ancestor [[Archibald Witwicky]] had discovered Megatron a century earlier. His glasses had been marked with coordinates to the AllSpark's location, so [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and Frenzy attempted to confront the boy. Although they were defeated by Bumblebee and [[Mikaela Banes]], Frenzy hid in Mikaela's purse, and accompanied them to [[Hoover Dam]], where Megatron and the AllSpark were hidden. As Starscream ordered the Decepticons to mobilize, Frenzy shut down the temperature controls while Starscream destroyed the external generators. Megatron was freed, but Bumblebee took the Cube with a group of survivors from Blackout's attack to Mission City, meeting with Optimus Prime's Autobots along the way. In the Battle of Mission City, Megatron and most of the Decepticons were killed and the AllSpark believed destroyed. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}

After the battle of Mission City, Starscream, who had survived, stole Frenzy's remains to access whatever information the humans had on the AllSpark to build [[Replica AllSpark|his own AllSpark]]. Returning to Cybertron, Starscream proclaimed himself [[Decepticon leader]] and began building the replica. One month later, the replica was ready, but it didn't work properly and [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] made a coup attempt. Starscream barely survived and made his way back to Mars, questioning his purpose. {{storylink|Transformers: The Reign of Starscream|The Reign of Starscream}}

When he received word that the Autobots would be helping the humans destroy Megatron's remains, and hoping to destroy Prime, Megatron, and the traitor [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] all at once, Starscream returned to Earth. Although he managed to destroy Wreckage, Prime had already left with Megatron's body. Just as he defeated Bumblebee, Starscream received word from Soundwave, who had brought the ''Nemesis'' to Earth's solar system. After meeting up with Soundwave, Starscream explained the situation, and returned to the ''Nemesis'' to awaken the remaining Decepticons and oversee the spawning of more [[hatchling]]s while Soundwave lead a scout team to Earth. {{storylink|Transformers: Alliance}} Over the next two years, the Decepticons under Soundwave's command searched for the [[Tomb of the Primes]], which housed the Matrix needed to activate the solar harvester only to be opposed by the Autobot/human task force [[NEST]].

[[File:ROTF Fallen message.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|The Fallen performs what may be the greatest [[Rick Astley|Rick roll]] in history.]]
In 2009, Soundwave discovered Megatron's resting place in the [[Laurentian Abyss]] and the presence of an AllSpark shard on [[Diego Garcia]]. Dispatching [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] and the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s, the Decepticons managed to restore Megatron's [[Spark]] and bring him back to life. Returning to the Decepticon flagship, the ''Nemesis'', Megatron learned from the Fallen that the AllSpark's knowledge was now within Sam Witwicky's mind, who had destroyed the Cube when he killed Megatron. Further commanded to kill Optimus Prime, Megatron captured the boy. Although the boy escaped, Megatron, Starscream and Grindor battled Optimus, and Megatron eventually managed to kill the last Prime. Megatron then decided that a show of force was needed to compel the humans to turn Sam over to them. The Fallen lead Decepticon protoforms to Earth and then broadcast a message demanding the humans turn over Sam. Sam was eventually found in [[Egypt]], where the harvester was hidden under a pyramid. In Egypt, a battle took place around the pyramids. Although the Fallen managed to reclaim the Matrix, it had already been used to resurrect Optimus, who was then made super-powerful by being fused with Jetfire, a Decepticon-turned Autobot. Optimus Prime then destroyed the harvester and confronted the Fallen, slaying the ancient Decepticon after a short, but vicious fight with him. Seeing his master's demise, Megatron, who had been severely injured during the battle, retreated with Starscream, vowing revenge. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

[[File:DOTM-Moonspacebridge.jpg|upright=1.67|right|thumb|Fly me to the Earth.]]
After three years of relative quiet, the Decepticons returned to NEST's radar when they enacted a scheme decades in the making, luring Optimus to the crashed ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. Optimus revived [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]], who soon revealed that he had joined up with Megatron to restore Cybertron. Sentinel activated his space bridge, bringing forth an army of Decepticons who had hidden on the Moon. Sentinel issued an ultimatum to humanity: deport the Autobots from Earth or be destroyed. Humanity complied and the Autobots left in their spacecraft, but Starscream destroyed the ship once their human operative [[Dylan Gould]] learned they would leave without a fight. The Decepticons then stormed Chicago, slaughtering thousands of humans and made the city into a fortress impenetrable to the human military. Decepticons scattered across the globe to get Sentinel Prime's [[pillar]]s in place, so that they could create a space bridge large enough to bring Cybertron to Earth, enslaving humanity to reconstruct their home.

However, the Autobots had survived the destruction of their ship, foreseeing the Decepticons' treachery, and with the help of Sam Witwicky and a small crew of human allies, began a great battle to destroy Sentinel's space bridge. In the ensuing battle, the majority of the Decepticons' chain of command was killed off before the Autobots took the fight to Sentinel once the control pillar was temporarily disabled. After a brief duel with Optimus, Sentinel ordered the Decepticons' entire [[Orbital Assault Carrier]] fleet to attack his former pupil. With Sentinel battling the majority of the Autobots, the OAC's attacking Optimus, and the [[Wrecker]]s engaging the incoming terrestrial Decepticons, Gould was left to reactivate the control pillar. Though he succeeded, he was killed by Sam, and the pillar was destroyed, taking Cybertron, the Decepticons' remaining air force, and the space bridge with it. Sentinel attempted to escape, but was intercepted by Optimus and they fought once again. Although Sentinel managed to defeat Optimus, he was attacked and grievously wounded by Megatron, who sought to regain the power he had lost in the past few years. Megatron then asked for peace, but Optimus refused and seemingly killed the tyrant once and for all. Sentinel Prime was then executed by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}

[[File:AOE-Climb.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|left|HE STOLE MY LINE!!!]]
Unfortunately, this Autobot victory was quickly negated when [[Harold Attinger]] created [[Cemetery Wind]], a secret [[CIA]] cabal who began hunting down all Autobots and Decepticons left around the globe, with the help of [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], a Cybertronian bounty hunter. Five years later, less than a dozen Transformers from either faction had survived the hunt. Though both factions were being slaughtered, Attinger claimed he was only hunting Decepticons, and their remains were sent to [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated]] to be melted down to be made into new Transformers remote-controlled by humans. Megatron's head was recovered from Chicago, but no one except [[Brains]] discovered that the Decepticon leader had survived, and was biding his time by secretly worming his way into KSI's military prototype, Galvatron. Megatron also gave his new body operational control of the other fifty drones KSI had built. This was all in order to obtain the [[Seed]] that Lockdown would eventually pay Attinger and KSI with in exchange for help in apprehending Optimus Prime, so that Megatron could cyberform a large city to announce his return and build a massive army.

Optimus only became aware of Galvatron's true nature after doing battle with the drone, and passed the knowledge on to his human ally [[Cade Yeager]]. Yeager tried to warn [[Joshua Joyce]] of Galvatron's plot regarding the Seed, but it was too late, and Galvatron rebelled, christening the drones he took control of Decepticons. The Autobots came to rescue Joyce and the Seed in Hong Kong, but Galvatron set his army upon them, sparking a large battle. [[Hound (Movie)|Hound]] and Bumblebee were nearly overwhelmed by the Decepticons until Optimus arrived with the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobots]], decimating the majority of them. The last few Decepticons were killed when Optimus detonated one of Lockdown's grenades. Galvatron, having escaped the battle when the Dinobots arrived, headed off for parts unknown, his plans temporarily stymied. {{Storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

[[File:TLKDecepticonsRollOut.jpg|right|upright=1.6|thumb|I am the leader of the Decepticons... which is only like, one or two or three of them.]]
Over the next few years, new Decepticons continued to arrive on Earth, but soon fell into disarray without a leader. Several Decepticons were killed in skirmishes with humans and Autobots, while others were captured by the TRF. After years of anarchy, Galvatron returned to Earth with a new body and reverted to his Megatron persona, now serving Quintessa in her plan to restore Cybertron at the cost of destroying Earth. Megatron initially kept his existence a secret to all except Barricade, who he used as a scout.

Eventually, Megatron came out of hiding and reformed the Decepticon army, negotiating the release of his henchmen [[Mohawk]], [[Dreadbot]], [[Nitro Zeus]], and [[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]] (only settling for the latter when his request for the volatile-even by Decepticon standards-[[Berserker]] was denied). The Decepticons and [[Transformers Reaction Force]] attacked an Autobot [[Junkyard (TLK)|refugee camp]], but were forced into a retreat thanks to the efforts of Yeager's team of Autobots and Dinobots, with Mohawk, Onslaught, and Dreadbot perishing during the battle. Decepticons began making their way to Cybertron after Megatron retrieved the [[Staff of Merlin]]. However, practically all Decepticons-including Nitro and [[Infernocus]]-fell before the combined might of the Autobots, the [[Transformers Reaction Force]], Quintessa's former [[Guardian Knight]]s, and their other allies as well as the [[British Armed Forces]]. Seeing as how Megatron and Barricade's current statuses are unclear, the return of the Decepticons is uncertain. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

{{groupstub}}

===Titan movie comics===
[[File:Titan23 decepticonsmassing.JPG|upright=1.4|thumb|left|Company photo day.]]
War devastated Cybertron. While the Decepticons were heavily reliant on drone units to bolster their forces and were forced to automate many of their outposts, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5|Lost In Space 3: Ironhide}} the risk was still too high that they might claim the AllSpark, forcing Optimus Prime to make the desperate decision to launch the AllSpark into deep space. Megatron obsessively followed after it, and disappeared. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 1|Prelude: Optimus Prime}}
{{groupstub}}

====Alternate timeline====
{{groupstub}}

{{-}}

==''Animated'' continuity family==
Around 1 billion years ago, the [[Destron (Animated)|Destrons]] emerged as a new faction on the Protectobot governed Cybertron. Led by [[Devron (Animated)|Devron]], the [[Third Cybertronian War]] was fought between the Destrons and the Protectobots (who were led by the new leader [[Nova Magnus]]). ''The Destrons emerged victorious, though many Cybertronian records were forever lost due to the [[Great Purge]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

The Decepticons came to prominence as a sub-faction of the Destrons around 70 million years ago. They advocated the use of the AllSpark to bring Cybertron itself to life, that it might serve as a cosmic juggernaut that would allow the Transformers to return to the era of expansion and colonization of other worlds they had enjoyed nearly 700 million years beforehand. When the Decepticon leader [[Megazarak (Animated)|Megazarak]] was ousted by charismatic rhetorician named [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], tensions finally exploded, and the Autobots and Decepticons went to [[Great War (Animated)|war]] for possession of the AllSpark.

After something in the vicinity of six million years of civil war, things reached a crisis point when the Decepticons began a strategic bombing campaign on Cybertron, demanding the AllSpark be turned over in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}} Rather than give in to Megatron's demands, the Autobots instead sought to put the AllSpark beyond any Cybertronian's reach, launching it randomly through a [[space bridge]] to some distant corner of the galaxy, where it was hoped it would never be found. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}
The Autobots pulled a victory only due to their exclusive access to [[space bridge]]s, [[Project Omega]], and their decision to send the [[AllSpark]] into deep space. Defeated, the Decepticons dispersed, and, according to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], the only sight of them would be an occasional scout ship. In fact, they had been missing for so long, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] believed a Decepticon presence was a thing of the past. This was quickly reassessed upon encountering [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] crew. The ensuing confrontation over the newly rediscovered AllSpark took Megatron - injured from an assassination attempt by his lieutenant [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] - and the Autobots to Earth, where Megatron would be sent crashing to Earth. The Autobots' ship crash-landed in [[Lake Erie]], and during the next fifty years, [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] reverse-engineered technology from Megatron's severed head to build a robotic empire. Starscream would follow the AllSpark's trail to Earth, and the Autobots subsequently became heroes, though they were unaware of Sumdac's use of Megatron's technology. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

[[File:PayThePiper.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]
Megatron revived in Sumdac's lab and covertly manipulated the scientist into helping him build a new body, poising as an incapacitated Autobot. {{storylink|Home Is Where the Spark Is}} His loyal Decepticons [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] arrived on Earth to find him, {{storylink|Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found}} and when the time was right, helped restore him to a functioning body. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 1}} Megatron killed Starscream for his betrayal, but in the ensuing battle with the Autobots, the AllSpark was dispersed across the [[Detroit]] area. Though disheartened by the loss of the AllSpark, Megatron kidnapped Sumdac {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 2}} and downloaded a schematic of an Autobot space bridge, plotting to build one to invade Cybertron from within. The three Decepticons made camp in an abandoned mine that shielded their signals from the Autobots, {{storylink|The Elite Guard}}, but were surprised when Starscream was reanimated by an AllSpark fragment. Megatron reestablished contact with his double-agent on Cybertron, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], and ordered his troops around the galaxy to begin attacking the Autobots' space bridges. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished}}.

Megatron would have his troops go after AllSpark fragments {{storylink|Garbage In, Garbage Out}} or supplies for his space bridge {{storylink|Rise of the Constructicons}}. Megatron also ordered a large bounty on the rogue Starscream. {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon}} When the space bridge was completed, the Decepticons engaged in a fierce three-way battle with the Earthbound Autobots and Starscream's army of [[Starscream clone (Animated)|clones]]. Megatron would emerge victorious with the Autobots captured and the Starscream clones defected to his side, though the space bridge ended up malfunctioning and sucked in him and Starscream. A long night of bickering ensued. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

[[Team Chaar]] and other Decepticons around the galaxy began succeeding in taking the Autobots' space bridges, but were dismayed when Megatron failed to arrive on Cybertron to begin the invasion. Megatron and Starscream were found by the comatose [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]], and Megatron cut his losses and cancelled the invasion, seeking to use Omega to conquer Cybertron himself. He was able to bring the Autobot to Earth to attack Optimus Prime's crew, but [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s intervention trapped Megatron and Starscream inside Omega and sent them transwarping around the galaxy randomly. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

His cover about to be blown, Shockwave mortally injured Ultra Magnus before escaping with the [[Magnus Hammer]], putting Cybertron in disarray. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}} [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] had [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] capture Lugnut, Blitzwing, [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]], and the stasis-locked [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] for him. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}} However, Swindle would be revived en route to Cybertron, and freed his fellow prisoners, though only he and Lugnut would escape the ship and not be recaptured. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}} Lugnut found his way to Megatron, and Shockwave brought the group [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}} The Decepticons returned to Earth and constructed a group of [[Lugnut Supreme|dark clones]] of Omega Supremes with the codes in Arcee's processor, and attacked Earth. {{storylink|Endgame, Part I}} Autobots and Decepticons did battle; Ratchet led a team to rescue Arcee and Omega Supreme, while Bulkhead and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] defeated and captured Lugnut and Shockwave. Starscream took control of the Lugnut Supremes, rigging them to blow and destroy Detroit. [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] reconstructed the AllSpark, killing Starscream once and for all, and managed to use the power of the AllSpark to save Detroit. Megatron was captured by Optimus, and the Autobots returned to Cybertron with the Decepticon leader, Lugnut, and Shockwave as prisoners. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}

Megatron and his men would be incarcerated in [[Trypticon Prison]], and [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] took command of the Decepticons for the time being. She ordered [[Team Stunticon]] to break out Megatron, but when they failed, Strika led an invasion of Cybertron's Energon farms. {{storylink|The Stunti-Con Job}}

{{note|As with the movie Decepticons, the Animated Decepticons are not called Destrons in Japan.}}

==''Shattered Glass''==
[[File:Decepticon Shattered Glass.png|thumb|Decepticons wage their battles to destroy...]]
{{quote|Your tyranny ends here, Prime! Cybertronians will once again know the freedom which is their right!|Megatron|"[[Shattered Glass (issue)|Shattered Glass]]"}}
In this universe, the Decepticons are the good guys and a resistance group, intended to overthrow Autobot tyranny and their dastardly leader, [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]. Led by the heroic [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]], the 'Cons want to liberate Cybertron and preserve freedom and life across the galaxy, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|no matter the cost]]. But if they fail to stop the Autobots, not only will the Autobots conquer [[Earth]], they will also enslave the universe and all will be lost. {{storylink|Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass}}

{{-}}

==Aligned continuity family==
{{bigquote|Sometimes deception is necessary, when those who should listen to the truth will not, and will only understand once they have been lied to and forced to see their own lies.|[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]].}}

[[File:Megatroncamehome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"Breakdown! Assume the footrest position! Soundwave! Log into my Netflix! Knock Out, you... erm. Go make some popcorn or something."]]

[[The Fallen|Megatronus]], a member of the Thirteen, considered himself the first Decepticon. {{storylink|Lockout}} He killed [[Solus Prime]] {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 2}} and was imprisoned for it in an alternate dimension. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}}

The Decepticons originated from those in the [[caste system|lower castes]] of Cybertronian society in the [[Badlands (Cybertron)|Badlands]]. Megatron, a gladiator who seized control of all the gladiatorial pits and assumed the name of The Fallen, began preaching to the dispossessed on the Grid. He allowed them to bomb Cybertron and throw their society into chaos, for he rightly believed if he denied any connection to their extremist behavior, it would elevate him in the eyes of the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. Even the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] kidnapped [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]] for him. When the Council questioned Megatron about the movement's name, he denied he had heard of it, though he also accepted it for reasons outlined above.

When Halogen appointed Orion the new Prime, Megatron declared his Decepticons would continue to fight for freedom. During the war they conquered eighty-five percent of the planet, as well as occupying [[Moonbase One|Moon Base One]] and [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] Station, before poisoning the [[core]] itself with [[Dark Energon]]. When the Autobots left aboard the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'', Trypticon transformed into the ''Nemesis'' and followed them with Megatron, Starscream, [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]], and [[Lugnut (WFC)|Lugnut]] into unknown space, while [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] took control of the Cybertronian Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
Eons later, Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]], and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] were based on [[Earth]], with a mass-produced [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] army. During a three-year lull, Starscream was ordered to build a [[space bridge]] and to mine more Energon. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)}} Megatron returned, but not with the army Starscream had hoped for. Instead he tried to raise an army of [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcon]] [[zombie]]s to eradicate humanity, but failed and perished in a space bridge implosion, leaving Starscream in command once more. {{storylink|Darkness Rising}} It emerged he survived, and he was retrieved and placed in sickbay. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} Meanwhile, Starscream and Soundwave waited for opportunities to pounce on [[Team Prime]] with their Vehicons. {{storylink|Con Job}} {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}
[[File:DeusExMachina-fourcons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Starscream: "We're gonna go out there and catch those museum thieves red-handed!" Breakdown: "What color are their hands now?"]]

Megatron eventually returned to life, nearly killing Starscream for his part in his near-death in the space bridge explosion. {{storylink|Sick Mind}}{{storylink|Out of His Head}}{{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}} Despite his brush with death, Starscream continued to secretly operate against Megatron {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}}, which came to a grinding halt when Megatron forced him to beg for his life in an abandoned Energon mine. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}} Finding neither respect from Megatron following this incident nor mercy from the [[Arcee (WFC)|Autobots]], as well as seemingly being replaced by former rogue [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], Starscream abandoned the Decepticons, becoming neutral, and leaving Airachnid to take his place. {{storylink|Partners}}

Seeking to attain more Dark Energon to coincide with a prophecy that he interpreted as his own destiny in the [[Covenant of Primus]], Megatron raced to complete a second space bridge. Optimus Prime sought to stop this plot by finally ending the Decepticon leader's life{{storylink|One Shall Fall}}, but a larger problem became apparent. Following an explosion of Dark Energon from a volcano, it was surmised that [[Unicron]] was awakening at the [[Earth's core|core of Earth]]. Rejected from Unicron's service,{{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}} Megatron formed a shaky alliance with Optimus {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}} to defeat Unicron. During this time, acting Decepticon leader Airachnid attempted to abandon Megatron to Unicron's wrath, but following a humiliating defeat at the hands of Soundwave, relinquished command to the communications officer. With the power of the Matrix of Leadership, Optimus was able to defeat Unicron. However, Optimus' surrender of the Matrix's power also lost him his memories of being a Prime, and he took upon his old 'Orion Pax' persona. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}} Megatron took advantage of Orion's amnesia, setting him to work on [[Project Iacon]], to find various relics from Cybertron hidden on Earth. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} Eventually, however, the Autobots were successful in restoring Orion Pax to Optimus Prime, halting work on the project {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 3}}.

Former Seeker captain [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] arrived on Earth {{storylink|Loose Cannons}}, and was promoted to second in command following Airachnid's departure and murder of Breakdown (whose remains were recovered by human terrorist organization MECH). {{storylink|Crossfire}} Airachnid later sent her armada of [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] to kill Megatron, but following her defeat at the hands of Arcee, the Insecticons were freed from her control and then integrated into Megatron's forces. However, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead's]] actions caused the ''Nemesis'' to crash on Earth, {{storylink|Armada (episode)}} prompting Megatron to use Dark Energon to repair the ship. Unexpectedly, the Dark Energon enhanced Nemesis gained sentience, and disabled the Decepticons and worked to complete Project Iacon and collect the relics around the world. Through the efforts of [[Jack Darby|the]] [[William Fowler|Autobots]] [[Miko Nakadai|human]] [[Raf Esquivel|allies]], the ship's sentience was defeated, but had already located four Iacon relics. {{storylink|Flying Mind}} The Decepticon forces were sent to the four locations around the world: Knock Out and an Insecticon to New York City {{storylink|Tunnel Vision}}, Dreadwing to Antarctica {{storylink|Triangulation}}, Soundwave to a wooded area {{storylink|Triage (episode)|Triage}}, and [[Hardshell]] to a volcano around the equator. {{storylink|Toxicity}} Knock Out, Dreadwing, and Hardshell's endeavours all end in failure, Soundwave being the only victorious one. {{storylink|Triage (episode)|Triage}} After mistakenly reporting Bulkhead's destruction to Megatron, Hardshell was himself destroyed by a vengeful Wheeljack and Miko.{{storylink|Hurt}}

[[File:FlyingMind-DecepticonsOnDeck.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67|And the Decepticons always remembered this as the day Megatron said, [[Frank Welker|"Well it was either this or college!"]]]]
Breakdown's remains were used to save the mortally wounded {{storylink|Nemesis Prime (episode)}} MECH leader Silas - to Megatron and Knock Out's disgust - who attempted to join the Decepticon ranks, but when his offering of Project Damocles was destroyed by the Autobots, he was hauled away for dissection by Knock Out. The effort did bear fruit in that the location of Raf Esquivel's home was discovered,{{storylink|The Human Factor}} narrowing down the location of the Autobot base. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}}. The Decepticons lost the upper hand briefly when Optimus acquired the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] {{storylink|Legacy (episode)|Legacy}}, but the blade was destroyed by Megatron's knock-off [[Dark Star Saber]]. Additionally, the Decepticons found the existence of the [[Omega Key]]s on Earth, though they were unaware of their true function. {{storylink|Alpha/Omega}}. Knock Out successfully retrieved a Key, while Dreadwing lost one, but it turned out new Autobot recruit [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] is the final Key, and was promptly kidnapped by Soundwave. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} Megatron learned of the Omega Keys' ability to revive Cybertron, but Smokescreen made off with the two Keys the Decepticons possessed. However, the rogue Starscream was able to steal all three Autobot Keys, and proposed to use them as a bargaining chip to return to the Decepticons. {{storylink|Inside Job}}

Naturally, Megatron was less than convinced of Starscream's loyalty, and watched his memories via cortical psychic patch to find his true motives. While evidence of Starscream's treachery was rampant, Megatron allowed him to return since the Decepticons must be united to revive Cybertron. However, Dreadwing was enraged and disillusioned by Megatron's pardon, since his leader was apathetic to Skyquake becoming one of the undead, {{storylink|Patch (episode)}} but his attempt to murder Starscream was halted when Megatron killed him with his own blaster. Starscream returned to his position of second-in-command, and worked out the location of the Omega Lock on Cybertron. Megatron battled the Autobots on their home planet, lost the Keys, but Starscream, Knock Out and Soundwave kidnapped the Autobots' human allies and held them hostage. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)}} The Autobots handed over the Keys in exchange for the children, and Megatron turned the power of the Omega Lock on Earth to cyberform it. Optimus used the Star Saber to destroy the Omega Lock and all hope of restoring Cybertron, but Megatron launched a full-scale invasion of the Earth from his new fortress of [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]], with his first act of aggression being destroying the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]]. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}}

In the wake of the Autobots' defeat, and having found no corpses in the base's remains, the Decepticons increased global surveillance to find them - also dealing a similarly devastating blow against the United States military with its fusion cannons. Megatron feigned a desire for peace to the US government, a cover for his eventual violent conquest of Earth. A search on Cybertron for the missing relics turned up [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]], {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}} who is quickly reinstated into the Decepticon command structure as first lieutenant of all scientific endeavors, to Starscream's chagrin. Efforts to find the Autobots resulted only in failure, leading Shockwave to unleash the massive [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]] he cloned, [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] to hunt down the Autobots, {{storylink|Scattered}} only for it to come home empty-handed. {{storylink|Prey (episode)|Prey}} The Autobots were able to spread the Decepticon ranks thin and away from Darkmount, and the newly arrived [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] lead the regrouped team to assault the fortress. The attack was eventually halted and the Autobots were taken prisoner, only for an upgraded Optimus Prime to arrive and single-handedly turn the tide. Earth's military was able to bring Darkmount crumbling to the ground, forcing the Decepticons to go on the defense and return to using the ''Nemesis'' as their base of operations. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)}}

The Decepticons turned their efforts to cloning, and enjoyed a string of successful ventures to retrieve Predacon fossils to engineer an army of the extinct beasts thanks to the efforts of Shockwave and Soundwave, {{storylink|Project Predacon}} the Predacon, {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)}} and Knock Out. {{storylink|Plus One (Prime)|Plus One}} Jealous of Megatron's favoring Shockwave, Starscream coerced Knock Out to create an army of super soldiers with a mix of Dark and [[Synthetic Energon]], starting with the imprisoned Cylas. However, this only created a new form of Terrorcon that craved and drained Energon from a victim, starting a plague that threatened the entire ship. The Decepticons struggled to repel the infected, until Cylas freed Airachnid from her stasis pod. The former prisoner killed Cylas and called the Insecticons to rejoin her, but Airachnid's latest attempt to overthrow Megatron was put down by Soundwave, who bridged her and her army to a dead moon of Cybertron. The crisis weakened the Decepticons with the loss of the Insecticons and the infected Vehicons, having depleted more than half of their military strength. Shockwave subsequently speeded up progress on Project Predacon, {{storylink|Thirst}} but Predaking revealed his sentience and ability to transform on the verge of the project's completion. The former beast asked to lead the coming Predacons on Megatron's behalf, but the Decepticon leader and his command staff knew better than to give him control of a more powerful army than the depleted Decepticons. Following a plot engineered by Starscream, the Decepticons allowed the Autobots to destroy the Predacons before they escape their pods, to Predaking's horror and rage. The destruction of the lab, coupled with the presence of Synthetic Energon, resulted in the lab being filled with pure [[Living metal|Cybermatter]]. {{storylink|Evolution}}

[[File:Deadlock-Megatron-Decepticons-extinguished.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Megatron shouldn't have gone to Unicron for life insurance.]]
Shockwave realized the Cybermatter could cyberform entire worlds. Megatron resolved to restore the Omega Lock and rule a cyberformed Earth and a revived Cybertron, but found the synthetic Energon formula was incomplete, and had Ratchet delivered to him by the captured Soundwave, while his lieutenants gathered human technology to repair the Omega Lock. {{storylink|Minus One}} As the device was being restored, Megatron appealed to Ratchet to finish the synthetic Energon formula, playing on the medic's love for his home to outweigh his reservations about aiding the leader of the Decepticons. Ratchet eventually consented when he was shown the nearly completed Omega Lock {{storylink|Persuasion}} and soon completed the formula. In return, Megatron turned him over to the vengeful Predaking, but Ratchet - having learned the truth thanks to a slip up from Knock Out - revealed Megatron's plot to wipe out Project Predacon. Predaking turned on the Decepticons and slaughtered countless Vehicons, but was bested by Megatron in combat. Ratchet gave his comrades a way onto the warship, and Megatron mobilized his remaining army for their last stand. {{storylink|Synthesis}} While Megatron battled Optimus with the Dark Star Saber, Jack and Miko banished Soundwave to the [[shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]] on the bridge, while the other Autobots fought to capture the ship. Smokescreen and Bumblebee tried to get the Star Saber to Optimus, but Megatron killed Bumblebee as he tried to do so. However, the scout's corpse, having fallen info the Omega Lock, was revived by the Cybermatter, and ran Megatron through with the Star Saber, finally killing the leader of the Decepticons once and for all. Their leader dead, Shockwave, Starscream, and what few Vehicons remained abandoned ship, while Knock Out attempted to join the winning team. The ''Nemesis'' was used to fire the Omega Lock into the [[Well of All Sparks]], and Cybertron was restored. {{storylink|Deadlock}}

Most of the Vehicons had theoretically surrendered to the Autobots, and were part of an inept crew of construction workers under Bulkhead's watch. Though, not all hope was lost for the Decepticons. Shockwave & Starscream had been moving to the former's labs, cloning more Predacons to overthrow the Autobots in their newly restored home world. However, when Unicron took over Megatron's semi-lifeless body, the [[Skylynx (Prime)|two]] [[Darksteel (Prime)|Predacons]] they had cloned joined [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] in helping the Autobots save Cybertron from an army of Terrorcon-Predacons headed to corrupt the core once more, after Shockwave had been beaten up by the zombie dragons and encouraged the Predacons' decision. To make matters worse for them, Knock Out, who had been imprisoned by the Autobots, officially joined their side. When the Autobots put a stop to Unicron's plans and trapped Unicron in the [[AllSpark]]'s container, Megatron officially disbanded the Decepticons after being victim of Unicron's eternal torture and realized the true meaning of oppression. With Starscream all alone, he returned to his roots and decided to take command of the no longer functioning faction, but the Predacons had something in store for their former abuser... {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

===''Rescue Bots'' cartoon===
At some point during the Decepticons' campaign on Earth, [[Rescue Force Sigma-17]] arrive on the planet in response to message sent into space by [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]. Prime judges them as not ready to face the Decepticons, and instead stations them in the technologically advanced town of [[Griffin Rock]], [[Maine]] located on an island off the east coast of [[United States of America|America]]. There they must work undercover, posing as ordinary robots used as rescue vehicles by the island's "family of heroes", the Burns family.{{storylink|Family of Heroes}} For their protection, Optimus apparently kept their existence a secret from the Decepticons and seemingly the other Autobots, with the exception of Bumblebee and Ratchet. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue (RB)|Bumblebee to the Rescue}} While the Decepticon empire has never touched the island, Optimus and Bumblebee occasionally lend a hand whenever things get out of control by [[Doctor Morocco|other dangerous]] [[Quint Quarry|threats]]. {{storylink|It's a Bot Time}}

In an alternate timeline where [[Doctor Morocco]] ruled [[Griffin Rock]], Bumblebee mistook the [[MorBot]]s as Decepticons, only to have Heatwave correct him. {{storylink|Bot to the Future}}

===2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
{{Main|Alchemor (RID)#Prisoner manifest}}
[[File:RID-steeljawsgang.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|We're not getting a whole lot of toys, are we? Bumblebee and his damn army of toys, the fiend!]]
At some undetermined point, the Autobot prison ship ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]'' took off from Cybertron, its cargo of [[stasis pod]]s carrying several hundred of the most-wanted Decepticons, who [[To sell toys|for some unexplained reason]] all possessed robot or [[beast mode]]s based on Earth animals. At least some of them were simply members of naturally-occurring, animal-shaped Cybertronian sub-races, reminiscent of the Insecticons of the ''Prime'' cartoon. After Megatron disbanded the Decepticons, any remaining Decepticons seemed to have been forced into hiding or had defected after the planet repopulated with Autobots. Megatron apparently kept his promise about not inflicting any more oppression as he had remained unseen by the time Bumblebee traveled to Earth.

In the aftermath of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s restoration, the population was overwhelmingly Autobot. [[Cyclonus (WFC)|Cyclonus]] and his troops quickly worked to overthrow the High Council and take over Cybertron. With the planet under their control, they began making preparations for the rebirth of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

Years later, [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] caused the ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]'' to crash on [[Earth]] near [[Crown City]], its cargo being scattered around the countryside in the crash. {{storylink|Lockout}} The [[Mini-Con]] [[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]] sent a mayday, however on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], working as a street cop for the repopulated planet, was instead alerted by a vision of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]. Optimus gave Bumblebee a new mission on Earth, sending the young Autobot to the nearest [[space bridge]]. Bumblebee unwillingly found himself accompanied to Earth by his cop partner [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] and the delinquent [[Sideswipe (RID)|Sideswipe]]. Joined by the ex-Decepticon prisoner [[Grimlock (RID 2015)|Grimlock]] and two [[human]]s — [[Denny Clay]], owner of a vintage salvage depot for the discriminating nostalgist (a scrapyard) and his son [[Russell Clay|Russell]] — Bumblebee and his team were tasked with tracking down the escaped prisoners and prevent harm coming to Earth or its native population. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 1)}}

Chief among the threats poised by the Decepticons was the charismatic [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]], who sought to organize the escaped prisoners into an effective cabal to conquer the planet. {{storylink|Trust Exercises}} Steeljaw first teamed up with [[Minitron]], who took control of Grimlock and was able to snatch Underbite. Though Minitron was captured, Steeljaw made off with Underbite {{storylink|True Colors}} and made an alliance with the Decepticon criminal, [[Thunderhoof (RID)|Thunderhoof]]. {{storylink|As the Kospego Commands!}} Setting up a base in an abandoned factory, Steeljaw was eventually able to assemble a new team of Decepticons - consisting of [[Underbite]], [[Thunderhoof (RID)|Thunderhoof]], [[Clampdown (RID)|Clampdown]], the bounty hunter [[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]] (who had initially arrived on Earth to collect a bounty placed on Bumblebee by the High Council). {{storylink|Hunting Season}} and his Mini-Cons, [[Airazor (RID)|Airazor]] and [[Divebomb (RID)|Divebomb]]. After a short battle with Bumblebee's team, Steeljaw's gang were apprehended by the Autobots, however, Steeljaw was able to free everyone and the team escaped. {{storylink|Sideways (episode)|Sideways}}

Steeljaw and his "pack" went on to have a series of failed attempts at trying to free the captured Decepticons inside the [[Vintage Salvage Depot for the Discriminating Nostalgist|Autobot's base]]. Seeking access to the scrapyard, Steeljaw engineered a diversion by using [[Kickback (RID)|Kickback]] as bait. While Bumblebee's team was distracted, Steeljaw broke into the scrapyard, and his gang quickly took Fixit, Russell, and Denny hostage. Steeljaw also rigged up a sub-sonic pulse that would disable the Autobots and prevent them from gaining access. Steeljaw tried to get Fixit to free the other Decepticon convicts, Fixit managed to stall long enough for the Autobots to break in and deactivate the sonic weaponry; in the ensuing fight, Steeljaw was defeated yet again by Bumblebee. Back at the Decepticon hideout, Steeljaw exploded at his comrades and ordered them to leave. The arrival of a [[The Fallen|mysterious entity]] snapped him out of his funk, and Steeljaw reluctantly agreed to build him a gateway and serve as his minion for the time being. {{storylink|Lockout}}

Steeljaw and his "pack" searched for materials and constructed a doorway for Megatronus to enter the material world, however the Autobots arrived to stop him and Steeljaw's portal was destroyed by a resurrected Optimus Prime. Despite this, Megatronus successfully made it through {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}} and proceeded with his true plan: to merge the AllSpark and Anti-Spark together to destroy both Earth and Cybertron. With the revelation that the planet he intended to conquer would be destroyed, Steeljaw turned on Megatronus and attempted to fight him, only to be backhanded out of sight. The remaining members of his gang placed in stasis after the death of Megatronus, with Steeljaw and Kickback the only specific Decepticons known to be at large. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 2}}

After a Groundbridge accident at the scrapyard, [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (who was still trapped in the shadowzone after the end of the war) managed to escape, quickly dispatching the Bee Team. However, with a coordinated attack, he was sent back just as fast as he escaped. {{storylink|Portals}}

[[File:TRID S2 E12 DIP1 SC 4.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|]]
Steeljaw eventually managed to assume control of all Decepticons on Earth, intending to rebuild the [[Decepticon Empire]] on the planet, {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 1)}} before he was defeated and all the Decepticons were shipped back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 2)}} The High Council freed Steeljaw and a select few others to act as decoys for the [[Bee Team (RID)|Bee Team]] while they worked to continue their plans. {{storylink|Exiles}} {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

The High Council eventually sent a quartet of genetically-engineered Activator [[Mini-Con]]s to aid Soundwave in escaping from the Shadowzone so he could summon [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] back home. {{storylink|King of the Hill (Part 2)}} {{storylink|The Great Divide}} {{storylink|Railroad Rage}} {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}} Soundwave was defeated however and placed in [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s custody. {{storylink|Collateral Damage}} {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

When the Bee Team arrived on Cybertron, they discovered the High Council's true identities and, as a result of [[Cyberwarp]]'s hesitations, managed to defeat their combined form of [[Galvatronus (RID)|Galvatronus]], freeing Cybertron from Decepticon control. [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] took Cyberwarp's desire for peace as a hopeful sign that Autobots and Decepticons might one day peacefully co-exist on Cybertron. {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

{{note|It is currently unknown how many, if any, of the Decepticons or Dinobots unique to the Japanese ''Adventure'' series were prisoners on-board the ''Alchemor'', or just made their way to Earth on their own.}}

==''Cyberverse'' cartoon==
[[File:Cyberverse Decepticon Plankowners (Cyberverse - Megatron Is My Hero).jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm sure you're wondering why we're here...]]

[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] established the Decepticons as a political movement, opposing the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] status quo. Standing alongside the former gladiator as he declared his vision of a Cybertron where [['Til all are one|all would be one]] were [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]], [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus]], [[Soundwave (Cyberverse)|Soundwave]], [[Arcee (Cyberverse)|Arcee]], [[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]], and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadowstriker]]. Optimus, at least, would soon become disillusioned with Megatron's actions, finding his friend's chosen course too violent and power-hungry; after a final confrontation with his old friend where he failed to sway him from his course, he fully broke away to chart a [[Autobot|different path]]. {{storylink|Megatron Is My Hero}}

Circa 66 million years ago, the Decepticons launched a plan to use [[Vector Sigma]] to reprogram the [[AllSpark]], {{storylink|Megatron Is My Hero}} only for the Autobots to send it off Cybertron. {{storylink|Allspark (Cyberverse)|Allspark}} While the Autobots manually searched for the lost AllSpark in space, {{storylink|The Journey}} the Decepticons remained on Cybertron and tracked the artifact remotely. Once it had been tracked to Earth, [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] sent [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] to scout the planet, {{storylink| Fractured}} while he rallied the [[Decepticon fleet]], {{storylink|Siloed}} launching an invasion of the planet when the [[Ark (Cyberverse)|''Ark'']] crew had awoken. {{storylink|Eruption}}

When the Autobots acquired the AllSpark and made for Cybertron, the Decepticons returned home via the space bridge, {{storylink|Escape From Earth}} using [[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]] to bait a trap for their foes. {{storylink|The Crossroads}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers (2007)===
====Transformers Movie Screen Cleaners====
[[File:Movie Decepticon Screencleaner.jpg|105px|thumb|Transforms your dirty screen to a clean one and — well, actually just the first thing.]]
*'''Decepticon''' (2008)
:Released by Tomy Yujin on January, this dangler is a [[Insignia|faction logo]]-shaped screen cleaner for your cell phone, with a stock image of Decepticon insignia printed on the other side.
{{--}}

==Notes==
*In the western world, the Decepticons have always been serious opponents ([[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|mostly]]). In Japan, the Decepticons are a [[Dinoforce|bunch]] [[Cyclonus (Armada)|of]] [[Thrust (Armada)|loony]] [[Thundercracker (Armada)|toons]] ([[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|mostly]]).
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Destron''' (デストロン ''Desutoron''), '''Combatron''' (''Car Robots'', コンバットロン ''Konbatoron''), '''Decepticon''' (ディセプティコン ''Diseputikon'')
*''Armenian:'' '''Deseptikonner''' (Դեսեպտիկոններ, "Decepticons")
*''Cantonese:'' '''Kwòng Pāǐ''' (Hong Kong, 狂派, "Con Faction", literally "Mad Faction" or "Crazy Clan")
*''Danish'': '''Bedragerne''' (Marvel comic, "Betrayers"), '''Bedraonerne''' (''The Transformers'' cartoon)
*''French:'' '''Decepticans''' (France ''The Transformers'' cartoon, ''Armada'' cartoon)
*''Hebrew:'' '''Shekernikim''' (שקרניקים, "Lie-niks")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Álcák''' (Marvel comic, "Disguises"), '''Decepticonok''' (toy commercial, second ''The Movie'' dub), '''Varangyok''' (first ''The Movie'' dub, "Toads"), '''Robotikák''' (''Energon'', ''Cybertron'', "Roboticas")
*''Italian:'' '''Distructors'''
*''Korean:'' '''Destron''' (데스트론 ''Deseuteuron''), '''Decepticon''' (디셉티콘 ''Diseptikon'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Decepticon''' (Taiwan, 迪賽剛 ''Dísàigāng''), '''Bàtiānhǔ''' (China, 霸天虎, "Heavenly Tyrant Tiger")
*''Polish:'' '''Deceptikon''', '''Decepcjokon''' (first ''The Movie'' dub, "Deceptiocon"), '''Dezorientac''' (''Beast Wars'', Disorientator)
*''Portuguese:'' '''Decépticos''' (Portugal comic), '''Malignus''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Decepticon''' (Десептикон)
*''Serbian:'' '''Deseptikon'''
*''Swedish:'' '''Bedragar''' (Marvel comic, "Betrayer")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Obmanoyid''' (Обманоїд, "Deceitoid"), '''Decepticon''' (Десептикон)

==References==
<references/>

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Decepticon

2020-04-14T07:58:56Z

TailgatePrime: /* 2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ttdecepticon|sgDecepticon|ascenticon}}
{{disambig2|the Transformers faction|the ''Robots in Disguise'' episode|The Decepticons}}
[[File:Symbol decept reg.png|upright=1.4|thumb|Get this tattooed on you and all you'll need is a black trenchcoat and a long ponytail. Then people will love you.]]

{{quote|'''''Decepticon''' (di-sep-ti-con) A member of a subversive sect or society. From the noun — 'deception'; one who deceives.|the [[New Cybertronic Dictograph]]}}

The '''Decepticons''' are one of the primary factions in the ''[[Transformer]]s'' mythos. They are typically concerned with such things as conquering [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], defeating the [[Autobot]]s, amassing large quantities of [[energon]], developing powerful weaponry, and beating people up. Not necessarily in that order.

Unlike the Autobots, whose leader is a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] bearing a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], the Decepticons are led by the [[Decepticon leader|most powerful]] of their ranks. This tends to cause some conflict, given how generally ''every'' Decepticon thinks that they're the most powerful. Also, the Decepticons are not exactly the most compassionate beings in the universe, but not all fight for greed. More than a few have a [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|sense]] [[Scourge (Cybertron)|of]] [[Dreadwing (Prime)|honor]], while others believe that Cybertron would be better protected by [[Decepticon Empire|aggressive expansion]]. Ultimately, the Decepticons desire to protect their homeworld, even if it is at the expense of others. [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Usually]].

In at least [[2019 IDW continuity|one universe]], the faction starts off being named the '''Ascenticons''' before taking its more traditional appellation.

{{quote|The Decepticons are a malevolent race of robot warriors, brutal and merciless. The Decepticons are led by a single undeviating goal: total domination of the universe.|[[Narrator]]|[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]}}

==Generation 1 continuity family==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
[[File:Thelaststand-prepare.jpg|left|upright=1.95|thumb|MUSTER THE GOOMBAS! HAND OUT THE DE-EVOLUTION GUNS! PREPARE FOR DESTINY!]]
The Decepticons emerged from the gladiatorial [[Games|State Games]], which caused [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s rise to public prominence - in the aftermath of the destructive Vos-Tarn War, Megatron was able to use his fame and charisma to unite both the survivors and the planet's malcontents into a new army. His plan was to turn Cybertron into a mobile cosmic dreadnought and conquer the galaxy. {{storylink|State Games}} The Decepticons developed new technology to allow them to transform into attack vehicles and weaponry, launching a devastating attack that killed billions and shook the planet from its orbit before [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] turned the tide.

Megatron, Shockwave and others were lost on Earth for four million years; as Optimus was too, the Autobots swiftly lost ground to Decepticon leaders [[Trannis]] and [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]. Cybertron was devastated and conquered, causing the cream of the Decepticons to leave the burnt-out planet to form a [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] out in the stars, while Straxus threw all those he considered weak into the [[Smelting pool]]. The Empire would go on to slaughter and Cyberform planet after planet, their actions unknown on Cybertron.

Eventually the Earth-bound Decepticons would awaken in 1984, sparking off a new front in the war. After the presumed suicide of Megatron, an escalation in fighting would see Decepticon leadership fragment and change hands rapidly, with frequent clashes, plots and counter-plots between the primary leadership, namely [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], until most of them were killed in the [[Underbase]] conflict, leaving Scorponok the only surviving commander. A brief truce with the Autobots was held when [[Unicron]] attacked in 1991, but Scorponok was killed in the following conflict. Immediately after this, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] came to power. Charismatic and driven, Bludgeon turned the beaten Decepticons into a new army; after a defeat on [[Klo]], they regrouped and reorganised. ([[Another Time & Place|In one reality, they were immediately massacred afterward.]])

{{--}}

====Earthforce====
{{Earthforcefiction}}
In the side-continuity of [[Earthforce]], while Unicron continued on to Cybertron, Megatron and Shockwave continued a Decepticon civil war on Earth with a small handful of troops - wasting most of their time trying to take each other out. Eventually Soundwave and Starscream overthrew them, uniting both factions into a stronger Decepticon force. The two former leaders attempted to regain their position but never appeared to succeed.

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
Bludgeon invaded Earth with the intention of capturing the Matrix and making a new generation of Decepticons, but Megatron returned, killed Bludgeon in one-on-one combat, and stole this plan. However, the threat of the Cybertronian Empire forced an alliance between the Autobots and Decepticons again.

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
{{groupstub}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
Following Bludgeon's defeat on Klo, the Autobots turned their attention internally to Cybertron, repatriating Decepticons who chose to lay down their arms while leaving Bludgeon's faction free to conquer other planets and build up his [[Warworld]]. Having abandoned Earth to its own devices, the Autobots were unaware of Megatron's revival, and his subsequent devastation of the planet with the help of his horde of [[Zombie|zombified]] Decepticons (which included a few Autobots in its ranks by circumstance). The horde was stopped when Optimus Prime killed Megatron once and for all.

Meanwhile, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] used the Decepticons on Cybertron to subvert the Autobots' peace, destroying the [[Last Autobot]] and clearing the way for Bludgeon's eventual return. In the interim, [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] launched his own covert invasion of Cybertron, with the intent of using his [[Gene Key]] to overwrite the [[CNA]] of every Autobot on the planet, turning them into Decepticons. Scorponok's efforts were ultimately thwarted by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and Bludgeon's subsequent invasion was ultimately repelled by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]], but at the expense of leaving the Autobots virtually defenseless.

While Rodimus led an Autobot task force on a preemptive strike against the Cybertronian Empire's [[Hub (G2)|Hub network]], the [[Dark Matrix|Dark Matrix creature]], which had manipulated events on Cybertron, Earth, and [[Nebulos]], spread itself across Cybertron, turning every Transformer it could reach into [[Shadow-leech]]es. The last known surviving Decepticons were [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], who, facing extinction, renounced the ways of the Decepticons and became ambassadors for peace.

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:Ffod4 early soldiers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

The Decepticons began life as a line of military hardware robots created by the [[Quintesson]]s, alongside the consumer goods robots that would become the Autobots. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} It is unknown exactly what role the military hardware robots played in the eventual rebellion of the robots against their creators; the only ones seen to participate in the conflict were the Autobots' ancestors, led by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|A-3]], but given their fighting ability, the proto-Decepticons seem like they would have made logical soldiers in the fight. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

Following the defeat of the Quintessons and their exile from Cybertron, a brief period of peace descended, before the base differences between the two breeds of robot led to the outbreak of conflict. Lusting for power, the Decepticons, as they now called themselves, rallied under [[Trannis|a leader]] and began a war with the peaceful Autobots, who proved unable to match their inborn military skills. After the fall of several successive Autobot leaders, the heroic robots turned to stealth, and invented the art of [[transformation]]; with this edge, [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] defeated the Decepticons' leader, ending the war and ushering in the prosperous [[Golden Age]] of Cybertron. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}
[[File:Masterplan2 earth germ.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Excuse me, do you have seating for 3?"]]
Over time, the defeated Decepticons married transformation technology with [[robot mode]] flight powers, leading to the creation of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] around nine million years ago. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} Gathering like-minded warriors like the loyal [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], the emotionless [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and the young upstart [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], and brain-washing others into his service with the [[Robosmasher|Robo-Smasher]], {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} Megatron slew Sentinel Prime and reignited the war. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} Against the Autobots under the command of new leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], the protracted warfare ran for five million years, draining Cybertron dry of energy and forcing the Transformers to seek new power sources on other planets. When Optimus Prime's best and brightest departed on this quest aboard [[Ark (G1)|a spacecraft]], Megatron's elite followed them, and the battle that erupted led to a crash-landing on prehistoric Earth that entombed all the combatants in stasis for four million years. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

In 1984, a volcanic explosion led to the reactivation of the Transformers; the Decepticons were first to recover, and immediately set about plundering Earth's natural resources to build a [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]] that would take them back to Cybertron. Sabotaged in mid-flight, the ship crashed into one of Earth's oceans, {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}} but the Decepticons survived and rebuilt the crippled craft to serve as their new [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|headquarters]] for the continuing conflict on the planet. A [[space bridge]] was established between Earth and Cybertron, and any resources the villains could purloin would be sent back to the dying planet to secure their stranglehold over it. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion}}
[[File:FFOD5 Decepticons attack.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4]]
At some point over the next twenty years, the Decepticons focused their attentions away from Earth and managed to take complete control of Cybertron, forcing the Autobots to relocate to twin moonbases on Cybertron's two satellites, and to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth. In 2005, learning that the Autobots planned a major strike to retake Cybertron, the Decepticons launched an [[Battle of Autobot City|attack]] on Autobot City, with disastrous consequences for the Autobots. The battle saw one of the Decepticons' long held dreams achieved in the death of Optimus Prime, but Megatron was damaged, and left to rot in deep space, along with several of his wounded followers. Found by the monster planet [[Unicron]], Megatron was reformatted him into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], and the others into [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s, in return for their servitude. Soon after, while Unicron was attacking the Decepticon-controlled Cybertron, Galvatron duelled with the new Autobot leader [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], who triumphed and hurled him into the void of space. Their world and their forces devastated and their leader gone, the Decepticons were easily routed by the Autobots, who forced them into exile on the burned-out world of [[Chaar]] while they retook and restored Cybertron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{quote|Once the Decepticons held the quadrant through terror, now we scrap like [[Slaarg]]s over a few [[energon cube]]s.|[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]|[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]}}
[[File:Rebirth 2 Decepticon offerings.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
On Chaar, the Decepticons faced constant energy shortages and engaged in constant in-fighting over what little they did have. Determined to restore order, Cyclonus hatched a plan to locate the lost Galvatron, in hopes that he could lead the Decepticons to glory once more. Although they were successful, Galvatron proved to have been driven insane by his experiences, and while his return did herald the recommencement of hostilities with the Autobots, the Decepticons never quite recovered their old standing, continuing to operate on Chaar throughout 2006 and regularly entering into ill-fated alliances with the Quintessons. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness}}

Eventually, the Decepticons went into hiding following the resurrection of Optimus Prime. When they returned, it was in force, launching an attack on Autobot City in order to steal the key to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] on Cybertron, intending to use the chamber to overload the sun and destroy Earth and Cybertron together. The battle for the key carried several of their number to the planet [[Nebulos]], where they became [[binary bonding|binary bonded]] to the planet's evil rulers, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], as [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]]. They returned with the key to Cybertron, but Autobot intervention caused the energy of the chamber to backfire on them, hurling their battlestation [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], with the amassed forces of the Decepticons aboard, off into the far reaches of the universe. {{storylink|The Rebirth}}

{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|In Japanese cartoon continuity, the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur, and Headmasters and Targetmasters have a different origin.}}
[[File:FourWarriors Decepticon Headmasters flaming balls.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|There were more burning rocks in the Japanese continuity.]]

Following the return of Optimus Prime, the Decepticons consolidated their power base by heavily fortifying Chaar and turning it into an actual, functional base of operations. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Their ranks were swelled with the addition of the Decepticon Headmasters—Cybertronians who had fled their homeworld millions of years before and taken up residence on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], but who had been exiled by the local leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] for an attempted coup. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Headmaster commander [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] coveted leadership of the Decepticons for himself, and finally obtained it when the Autobot Headmasters entombed Galvatron in an iceberg. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} Under Scorponok's leadership, the Decepticons nearly succeeded in destroying the Earth with [[crysmagnetal]] and [[plasma energy]], but upon the destruction of Scorponok's [[Transtector]], the ultimately elected to finally withdraw from Earth once and for all. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
[[File:BirthHeadmasterJrs Decepticon Jrs in transtectors.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The Decepticons returned to Chaar, and over the next few years, fought the Autobots on [[Athenia]] in a series of space-based exchanges that became known as the [[Master Wars]]. Circumstances changed when the mysterious alien [[Devil Z]] was able to brainwash Scorponok, placing him and by extension, the entire Decepticon army, under his command. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}} While Scorponok, now known as "BlackZarak", continued to lead the Decepticons' space based forces, a small group of [[Pretender]]s operating under Devil Z's direct command on Earth furthered the evil alien's attempts to fuse human and Transformer life to create the ultimate lifeform by bringing about the rise of the [[Headmaster Junior]]s and the [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]]. {{storylink|Birth! Headmaster Jrs}} {{storylink|Super Warriors - The Godmaster Brothers}} A group of Autobot Pretenders worked to counter his schemes by doing the same, and the repeated failure of his human Transformers to triumph over their Autobot counterparts led Devil Z to conclude that he had been incorrect, and that humanity was of no use to him. He transformed the Headmaster Jr and Godmasters into full robotic lifeforms, but soon after, he and BlackZarak were destroyed by the Autobot leader [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]], and the Decepticons fled the Earth once more. {{storylink|A Battle... and Then...}}
[[File:Deathsaurus throne.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Leadership was briefly taken up by [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], but by the year 2025, the Decepticon army was reorganized under the new Emperor of Destruction, [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]], and began attacking numerous different planets all across the galaxy in pursuit of a world they could take for their own. {{storylink|The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber}} Deathsaurus led the [[Breastforce]] and [[Dinoforce]] in attack on Earth, seizing enough energy to reactive his [[Planet-Destroying Fortress]], but he was stopped by the new Autobot [[Supreme Commander]], [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification}}
[[File:TVMJuly1990Mashougun.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Deathsaurus' defeat marked a decline in Decepticon activity, but soon a more supernatural force seized command: [[Violen Jiger]], a being made up of the spirits of many defeated Decepticons, rallied together [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] from throughout Decepticon history to capture for him the Autobots' new [[Energon Z]], and the life-giving [[Zodiac]], which he would combine to create a "[[Decepticon Zone]]" from which he could conquer the universe. His plans were stopped by new Autobot leader [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]], {{storylink|Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone}} and the Zodiac was instead used to bring Optimus Prime back to life. This stood in the way of the plans of the mysterious alien [[Dark Nova]], so he used his powers to resurrect Galvatron from his Arctic tomb and transform him into Super Megatron. The Decepticon army was virtually non-existent under Dark Nova; Super Megatron had no actual Decepticon troops at his command, merely Dark Nova's [[Novaroid]] and [[Galaman]] warriors, though they did bear the Decepticon insignia. Dark Nova later upgraded Super Megatron into Ultra Megatron, then merged with him to become "Star Giant", but was destroyed by the resurrected Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Return of Convoy (franchise)|Return of Convoy}}

By the year 2035, Decepticon leadership had been taken up by the enigmatic [[Scrash (OC)|Scrash]], and fighting was primarily occurring in outer space once again. The development of [[Power Core Combination]] by the Autobots and their human allies on Earth drew Scrash's attention back to the planet, and he sent [[Battle Gaia]] and the [[Jet Corps]] to create distractions while a team of Decepticons reformatted to be able to take control of the Autobots' new inventions were sent to steal the combiner tech. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (franchise)|Operation Combination}} Some reports suggest that when his plans were foiled, Scrash himself made another attack on the planet along with his warriors [[Flashwing]], [[Deathplay]], [[Darkfly]] and [[Sharpedge]] which also met with failure. {{storylink|Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)#After_2025|2007 timeline}} [[File:G2 Humans killed Megatron's friend.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|There were also more gigantic plastic army men in the Japanese continuity.]] Following this, Megatron retook command of the Decepticons, but with his damaged sanity circuits repaired, he abandoned his evil ways and united the Decepticons with the Autobots as the [[Cybertron Alliance]]. This was not to last, unfortunately, when a misunderstanding led a human military unit to kill [[Kiloton|a Decepticon]], prompting Megatron to begin the war all over again. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|Autobots vs. Decepticons: Combat Secrets}}

Defeated by Optimus Prime in a duel in the [[Mirtonian constellation]], the badly wounded Megatron disappeared with the Decepticons into the far reaches of the universe, and the war appeared to be over once more. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|The Autobots Triumph in the Battle of Good Vs. Evil!}} Alas, it was not to be so, as a [[Galvatron II|parallel version of Galvatron from an alternate dimension]] appeared and took control of the Decepticon army, renewing hostilities {{storylink|Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version}} and bolstering their forces with the addition of biomechanically-engineered monsters. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
The Decepticons fought the Autobots in the Great War but were ultimately defeated and forced to sign the [[Pax Cybertronia]] which left them in a second class position. A small number of Decepticons were granted amnesty for their crimes but by the era of the [[Maximal]]s, most of these had retired. The Decepticons were succeeded by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] who shared their ancestors' dream of galactic conquest and schemed to quietly subvert the rule of the Maximals. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:DeceptLitho.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|"My Liege, when did you get that sw—" "CAN'T HEAR YOU, FANWANKING"]]
The Decepticons arose out of the [[Gladiatorial combat|underground fights]] that Megatron once partook in. After discovering certain secrets about Cybertron's origin, including massive [[planetary engine]]s, Megatron began using the games to recruit combatants. For nearly half a million years, they grew in numbers and trained, until they rebelled against the [[Council of Ancients]] and took [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] by force.

While the war raged on, the Constructicons repaired the engines and introduced a mecha-forming process, but what they really needed was a power source. Megatron became convinced that he could find one powerful enough within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which was in the possession of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. However, when Megatron finally killed the Prime, he discovered that it was not within him. Soon after, Optronix became Optimus Prime, and Megatron initiated a plan: an assassination team under Communications Officer [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would elimate the Prime and claim the Matrix, while Military Operations Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] would lay siege to Iacon, preventing the Autobots from coming to Prime's rescue.

However, Megatron made two mistakes: he informed Air Commander [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] of his intentions, and he underestimated Optimus Prime. The Prime managed to erase some of Megatron's memories of what he discovered, while Starscream activated the mechaforming process using energy from the planetary engines. The engines were destroyed before the process was complete, ruining both. {{storylink|Transformers: The War Within|The War Within}}

After Megatron disappeared with Optimus Prime in a space bridge test, Shockwave became Decepticon leader, though Starscream and High Auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] broke off with their own splinter factions shortly afterwards. The Decepticons allied with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s Autobots and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] (an Autobot splinter group), to stop the machinations of [[The Fallen]]. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}} Several thousand years later, Shockwave was prepared to sign a peace treaty with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], who had become Autobot leader, the LSC, and Ratbat's [[Ultracon]]. However, Megatron returned with the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]], an army of [[Quintesson]] created [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] drones, whose abilities allowed the Decepticons to fully conquer Cybertron and enslave the Autobots. The Decepticons' control over Cybertron was ended when Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron and the Air Warriors were defeated. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath|War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

When Megatron disappeared along with the ''Nemesis'' crew, Shockwave again emerged as Decepticon leader, this time as head of a triumvirate including Ratbat and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. With [[energon]] becoming scarce, Shockwave agreed to work with Ultra Magnus and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in the creation of the [[Micromaster]]s, Transformers who were downsized for better fuel efficiency. Shockwave suffered a rebellion when [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] overthrew him, using Shockwave's severed head as a tool. {{storylink|Transformers: Micromasters}} However, all Transformers on Cybertron entered [[stasis lock]] when the [[Great Shutdown]] occurred.

Around 1,000 B.C.E., Shockwave was reactivated by Scourge, and then defeated the Unicronian Transformer. Studying Scourge and discovering some of the secrets Megatron had learned, Shockwave made peace with the Autobots, installing himself as Head of State with an [[Autobot High Council]] as a legislature, while Ultra Magnus became his senior security officer. However, the High Councillors were unsuited for peace time government, and gradually gave Shockwave more and more power... which is exactly what he had planned.

On Earth, the ''Nemesis'' crew was reawakened in 1984. Cut off from Cybertron, the Decepticons concluded that they had no other choice but to conquer the planet. Megatron soon learned that others had come looking for them, including [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]]. The Decepticons captured Jetfire and the Dinobots except Grimlock, and used the hostage situation to force Grimlock to serve the Decepticons. Additionally, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] located Earth and served under Megatron. In 1998, the Autobots allied with humanity to defeat the Decepticons. They were to be returned to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]'', but Shockwave, through a human intermediary, sabotaged the ''Ark II'', causing the ship to crash and send the Transformers aboard into stasis lock.

Renegade members of the [[United States military]] managed to capture the Decepticons and a number of Autobots, intending to use them as instruments of war, but [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]] later stole them and set himself up as an arms dealer. Unfortunately, Megatron overwhelmed the programming that kept him a prisoner, and freed the other Decepticons. Megatron then intended to unleash a technovirus on Earth, but the Autobots defeated him. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

A year later, Shockwave arrived to tie up loose ends, quickly capturing Megatron and the ''Nemesis'' crew. Starscream ejected Megatron out of the ship carrying them to Cybertron, leaving him to die in space. The ''Nemesis'' crew were granted amnesty, but Starscream quickly recruited them into going back to Earth to conquer the planet, taking the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] with them. Shockwave was finally overthrown when Optimus Prime united the Autobot resistance groups, but he escaped with a small number of troops. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

Meanwhile, Megatron was rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], who repaired his memory loss. Using some recovered Air Warriors, Megatron located the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], who were used to take control of Shockwave's small army. On Earth, Starscream's failures during [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]'s rampage were reason enough to convince the ''Nemesis'' crew to mutiny against Starscream in Megatron's favor. With two combiner teams, an army of Seekers, Soundwave's cassettes, and knowledge of Earth's connection to Cybertron, Megatron prepared to lead the Decepticons on the conquests of Earth and Cybertron {{storylink|Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave) |G1 ongoing}}...

{{note|...At which point Dreamwave went bankrupt. Damn.}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
During the reign of [[Nominus Prime]], Cybertronian civilization was stratified by a [[Functionism|Functionist]] society that equated one's worth as an individual with the usefulness and uniqueness of one's altmode. Among the impoverished lower classes was a young, idealist miner named [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] who sought to peacefully end Functionism as an institution. His [[After the Ark: Nominus Prime and the Illusion of Progress|treatise]] gathered momentum among Cybertron's working class,{{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} but the Decepticon movement didn't come about until later, when an embittered and disillusioned Megatron began circulating more radical and violent samizdat writings. Indeed, the name Decepticon was taken from one of Megatron's favorite rallying cries: "You are being deceived." They soon began scaring people in high society. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}}

They really came into their own when Megatron led an uprising in Kaon, taking the city and killing a Prime. {{storylink|The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin}} The Decepticons soon began spreading across the planet, recruiting new people and carrying out terrorist strikes in advance of their main assaults. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}} Eventually they overthrew the Senate and yet another Prime, but by then it was clear they were going to install a brutal dictatorship of their own. {{storylink|Overthrown}} The Autobots of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] rose up against them and war began. {{storylink|Rise}}

The war they started proved ''too'' destructive for Cybertron to handle, and the Decepticons had to abandon it after the disastrous [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] incident. {{storylink|The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer}}

The Decepticons are spread across known space, following a strict [[Infiltration protocol]] to conquer worlds. Disguising themselves, the infiltration unit gathers intelligence and seeds [[Facsimile construct|facsimiles]] in key strategic places; Phase Two is to use their facsimiles to inflame global tensions and watch the locals to devastate themselves. By Phase Five, their base is in [[Infiltration protocol|Siege Mode]] and Phase 6 has open war on a burnt-out world. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration}} {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}} In extreme circumstances, when they ''really'' want a world destroyed, they'll send in a [[Phase Sixer]] like [[Sixshot]].

The Decepticon army is highly specialised: there's infiltration units for, er, infiltration; a [[Decepticon Secret Service]] handling spying and tech acquisitions; {{storylink|Spotlight: Hot Rod}} penal colonies like [[Styx]]; and Tactical Assault Units like the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] who carry out direct action.

This all got thrown out of the window in the early 21st Century, however, when it appeared the Decepticons had won. Whoops, they hadn't. Earth was lost, Megatron was defeated, and Starscream took control through a charade of wielding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron}} Some Decepticons were left behind on Earth while Starscream led the rest to a barren asteroid, where they accomplished nothing for three years until Megatron finally returned and took back his rightful position. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon|Altered Carbon}}

Later, Megatron allowed himself to be captured and brought to a mostly restored Cybertron, where he used a [[space bridge]] built into his body to summon the Decepticon army to him. Everyone but Megatron and [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] were brainwashed by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] and/or [[D-Void]] into combining with the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s to form a "[[Deceptigod]]". {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} Once the monster was defeated, the weakened Decepticons were all captured by the Autobots. They were imprisoned and kept under control using [[inhibitor/deterrence chip]]s in their heads, and the war was considered over. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} Megatron was believed dead after standing up to the creature.

Though many Decepticons returned to Cybertron, an even greater number of cells opted to remain in space, communicating with each other and waiting for an inevitable call to arms. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

The Decepticons were released and eventually, in the interests of peace, the chips were deactivated. An uneasy peace emerged between Decepticon, Autobots, and the [[NAIL|returning neutrals]], with Starscream rising to power as the Decepticon spokesman (after arranging the death of their previous spokesman, Ratbat, before he could start another war). {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} Out in space, however, the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] refused to accept the war was over and continued hunting down and murdering anyone on their 'list'. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} Megatron soon returned, having spent the intervening time in the wilds of Cybertron, learning about the "strange energies" that allowed the Deceptigod to form and communicating them with his inner circle of loyalists. Wielding a new [[Devastator (G1)|combiner]], he and his followers once again attempted an uprising, but the Autobots successfully quashed the conflict and managed to imprison Megatron once again. In the ensuring chaos, Starscream abandoned the Decepticons managed to convince the NAILs to support him as the sole leader of Cybertron; with their support, the remaining Autobots and Decepticons were exiled from Iacon. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

Following the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crisis, Megatron allowed himself to be put on trial on [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]], having supposedly abandoned the Decepticon cause. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} Thanks to a technicality in the Luna 2 legal system, Megatron was allowed to join the ''[[Lost Light]]'' crew in its quest for the [[Knights of Cybertron]], postponing his ultimate verdict until the Knights could judge him in person. However, in exchange for his continued freedom, Megatron was forced to recite a statement declaring his renouncement of all Decepticon ideals and ordering all remaining Decepticon forces to stand down and do the same. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} In the aftermath of Megatron's defection [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] took command of the Decepticons. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}} Galvatron led them to Earth where they forged an alliance with the EDC. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} According to Ravage, however, Galvatron would be instantly abandoned if Megatron gave the word. {{storylink|slaughterhouse}}

After Galvatron's demise, {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}} the Earth-based Decepticons fell under [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s command and worked, somewhat uneasily, alongside the Autobots within the [[Council of Worlds]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}} Out in space, [[Nickel]] assumed command of [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]' troops with the cell being caught in the crossfire of the [[Galactic Council]] and the [[Black Block Consortia]]. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}

Shortly before his fall from grace, Starscream sent [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] into space to rally all the scattered Decepticon cells into one massive fleet. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

The techno-geneticist [[Scorponok (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Scorponok]] had his own plans to revive the Decepticons (now hovering somewhere around 10,000 individuals) and finally achieve victory. Via a creature called the [[Firstborn]], Scorponok intended for the Decepticons to briefly become organic creatures and sexually reproduce so as to refresh their numbers. {{storylink|Kill All 'Cons}}

Upon [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]]'s return to Cybertron, he unveiled the truth about [[Horri-Bull]]'s death, turning the Decepticons against Soundwave. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}} As the leaderless faction clashed with the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] worshippers, they noticed Starscream sneaking around and asked him to become leader again. Though hesitant at first, {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} Starscream ultimately agreed and led his army away to draw up new plans of conquest. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|Unforgivable}} Shortly afterwards, Starscream visited the imprisoned Shockwave who revealed his master plan was to have [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] soften up the galaxy before killing him via the corrupted [[Vector Sigma]] and restoring the [[Decepticon Empire]]. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}}

Under Bludgeon's guidance, the scattered cells came together to form the "[[Decepticon Vengeance Division]]", being dispatched by Starscream to contain and destroy Unicron at [[G Nebula 89]]. Though the fleet's firepower was immense, Bludgeon himself was loyal to Unicron, the Decepticons subsequently being warped into Unicron's heralds. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}} When Unicron arrived at Cybertron, the Decepticon citizenry swarmed into [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], {{storylink|Our Finest}} before the entirety of the population was teleported to Earth by the [[magic]] of the [[Spectral Knight]]s. {{storylink|Road's End}}

Along with all other factions, the Earth-bound Decepticons joined in the attack on the DVD, {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} settling into a new life on Earth once Unicron had been defeated. {{storylink|Ceremony}} {{storylink|Post}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
After being reactivated in [[1984]], the Decepticons carried out operations on Earth, seemingly under the command of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}, before the war spread beyond Earth and turned increasingly violent, resulting in the [[Earth Defense Command]] banning all Transformers from their space. The Decepticons were the ones to finally sour all human/Transformer relations when they used a stolen Autobot shuttle to destroy the human colony of [[Xin Shanghai]]. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

At an unidentified point in the 21st century, [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] reformatted, or revived, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] into the powerful [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] who continued, or retook, Decepticon leadership. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} Both Autobots and Decepticons briefly joined forces to combat the Chaos Bringer, eventually destroying him. {{storylink|The Inexorable March}}

The Decepticons then invaded the planet [[Nebulos]] via [[infiltration protocol]] before the intervention of the [[Human Confederacy]] turned the war hot and ended in the [[Scouring of Nebulos]]. The enormous loss of life was the final straw for the [[human]]s, who restricted all Cybertronians to the [[Allowed Zone]], where the war could do no further harm to the galaxy. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}} {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} Galvatron did not take this threat lying down and quickly conquered the Allowed Zone to rebuild his army and destroy humanity in the [[Great Push]]. The battle ended in a humiliating defeat for the Decepticons, and resulted in the Allowed Zone being cut in half. Galvatron himself would eventually be executed via a [[Quintesson]] judgement. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

In the aftermath, [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took command of the Decepticons, {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} before [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] overthrew him. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}} Thunderwing led his troops to seize the [[Underbase]] on [[Moonbase Two|Artemis]] and bonded with the ancient artifact's power. Rendered insane, he cut a swath of destruction across Cybertron, forcing the Autobots and Decepticons to once again unite to combat their mutual foe. Thunderwing's defeat marked the technical end of both Autobots and Decepticons as both parties reorganized themselves into the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Not All Megatrons}}

Having created the [[Energon Matrix]] to substitute for the lost [[Vector Sigma]], [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] created the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] as the descendants of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Head Games}}
{{-}}

===''Star Trek vs. Transformers''===
Four million years ago, the Decepticons pursued the Autobots into the Sol [[asteroid belt]], their boarding of the ''Ark'' causing it to crash on prehistoric Earth and knocking all aboard into stasis lock. The Decepticons were reawakened in the 1980s and began a secret war over Earth's supply of [[energon]] before [[World War III]] forced them off the planet. Trailing the Autobots aboard [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], the Decepticons boarded [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in orbit of [[Cygnus Seven]], the act again causing all aboard to fall into stasis lock when the Autobot ship crashed. In the 23rd century, a [[Federation]] survey team unknowingly reactivated Maximus. Awakened first by the Titan's repair protocols, Megatron healed his troops and led an attack on the surface. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}}

While Decepticon firepower made quick work of the mining colony, they were unprepared for the intervention of the [[USS Enterprise|USS ''Enterprise'']], its [[photon torpedo]]s proving able to damage the Decepticons. Falling back to a nearby moon, the Decepticons found Trypticon being occupied by the [[Klingon]]s, Megatron soon smooth talking the aliens into an alliance. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part One}}

Though the Decepticon/Klingon alliance had initial successes, {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Three}} it soon collapsed when it was revealed that Starscream had manipulated the Klingon sense of honor to have [[Kuri]] give him a personal cloaking device. Enraged, Megatron ordered a retreat from Cygnus Seven to pursue Starscream. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}}

The Decepticons caught up with Starscream on [[Kronos]], within the chambers of the [[Klingon High Council]], and began conquering the planet. When the Autobots and [[Starfleet]] arrived to defend Kronos, Soundwave unleashed his audio disruptor waves on their foes, only to learn that the Klingons were deaf to the frequency he utilized. Caught off-guard, the Decepticons were subject to a surprise attack by a fleet of [[Warbird (Star Trek)|warbirds]]. By the terms of [[James Kirk]]'s peace with [[Gorkon]], the Decepticons were left behind in Klingon custody. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Five}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
[[File:Ascenticon rally.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|Look, we're not saying that that banner is just one accidental flag-hanging away from a Decepticon symbol. We're just implying it.]]

{{quote|Your life is yours to shape. In doing so, you owe nothing to those who came before you. But you owe everything to those as yet unforged. Let no shaping of yours, limit what they, in their turn, might yet be and achieve.|One of Termagax's writings|The World In Your Eyes Part One}}

The 'Ascenticon' faction began with [[Termagax]], noted Cybertronian engineer and philosopher, in the aftermath of the [[War of the Threefold Spark]]. Dissatisfied with the way Cybertron had developed in response to the [[Nominus Edict]], Termagax created the Ascenticon to become part of the Cybertronian senate and institute reforms, starting with scrapping the Edict. Termagax's student, a young firebrand named [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], became the first Senator of the Ascenticon faction. {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}} {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}}

Over time, Termagax's dissatisfaction with Cybertronian society grew more extreme, until she eventually recused herself from society entirely, leaving the Ascenticons in Megatron's hands... just as the senator wished. Megatron shared his mentor's desire to get rid of what he saw as the restrictions on Cybertron's growth, but not her grassroots approach. Megatron began a scheme to make sure the Ascenticons rose to power, even if by mass deception. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two}} {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}}

Megatron's scheme began with the creation of a sub-faction, called [[The Rise]], composed of those radically opposed to the Edict, and the Autobot hegemony. The intent was to have the Rise creation friction, which would turn the Autobots increasingly fascistic, and therefore drum up support for the Ascenticon way. Unknown to all, Megatron had Shockwave returned from exile to whip the Rise into suitable shape. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}}

In the senate, the Ascenticons proved contentious, siding against the Autobots and [[Reversionist]] factions. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Four}}

In public, Megatron began giving rallies, gaining popular support while condemning the violence of the Rise. As the cycles passed, their rallies grew harder and harder to control as support for their cause grew and grew, with the most recent rally having injured a dozen people. Senator [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] attempted to parley with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], seeking a delay of the latest Ascenticon rally in [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], but Megatron rebuffed these efforts, simply stating that he sought change on Cybertron, and as long as he was allowed to speak he would continue to do so. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part One}} At the rally in Tarn, Megatron's speech was supposedly interrupted by an assassination attempt. Megatron publicly vowed to catch whoever was responsible, {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Two}} while denouncing the Autobots and their attempts to keep the peace, declaring the formation of a new "Ascenticon Guard", {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}}

While the Guard was nominally under the command of Elita-1, it was Senator Soundwave who was in charge of recruitment, and the senator was extremely untrusting of any recruit with Autobot sympathies. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Five}} Meanwhile, the Guard took in such luminaires as Refraktor, Skytread, and unhinged war veteran Quake. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}}

The situation soon escalated after the Rise murdered Brainstorm, when the scientist stumbled onto their illegally siphoning energon, {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part One}}{{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part One}} an act witnessed by a Voin. Acting quickly, Soundwave contacted the Rise to deal with the situation. They sent Quake, {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}} who did silence the witness, but also murdered the young Cybertronian Rubble when he stumbled onto the scene. {{storylink
|The World In Your Eyes Part Five}}

In the ensuing investigation, the security services found evidence of the Rise's activities and armaments, and officer Barricade's connection to these events. Elsewhere, recruitment for the Guard began to surge, including Barricade. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One}}

Megatron, on learning of Soundwave's actions, was outraged at the decision. He quickly updated his plans, to accelerate events. Broadcasting a speech to Cybertron as a whole, Megatron declared the Ascenticons would no longer wait peacefully for change to come, but force it, before unveiling a revised version of the Ascenticon insignia. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

Soon after, Ascenticons began branding themselves with the new insignia. Elsewhere, Soundwave approached Sentinel Prime, stating the Ascenticon viewpoint that the planet's situation dictated an immediate, accelerated election, which Sentinel angrily refused. Meanwhile, Soundwave covered the Ascenticons' tracks, erasing the knowledge of when 'bots such as Quake and Barricade had joined up. On hearing of a fight between Risers and the security service, Soundwave ordered Elita and Bumblebee to intervene and show Cybertron the new face of the Ascenticons. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part One}}

===''Transformers/Ghostbusters''===
While the Autobots fled Cybertron at the end of the Great War, [[Decepticon High Command]] was visited by [[Gozer]] who proceeded to take Starscream's form and attack Cybertron. Though the Decepticons fought back, they found their power outmatched by the invader. Unable to flee, Megatron was approached by [[Kremzeek|Kremzeek the Scavenger]] who had come seeking the [[AllSpark]], shuttled off Cybertron by the recently departed Autobots. Bargaining with the Decepticon leader, Kremzeek turned Megatron and his inner retinue into [[ghost]]s, leaving the Decepticon army to be destroyed by Gozer along with their planet. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1}} {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}} {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}}

When Kremzeek was defeated on Earth, his Decepticon prisoners were freed. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}} Though Optimus offered to use the AllSpark to revive them, Megatron attacked his arch-foe in a vengeful fury, even dreaming of possessing Optimus and using the Autobots to rebuild the [[Decepticon Empire]], before he was detained in a [[ghost trap]]. Soundwave and Shockwave were likewise imprisoned by the [[Ghostbusters]] while Starscream fled the planet. In the aftermath, Optimus took the Decepticon ghosts with him, hoping to one day rehabilitate and resurrect them, while [[Ectotron]] opted to patrol the galaxy for any more Decepticon spectres that might be out there. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 5}}

==2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon==
{{note|Car Robots'', the Japanese version of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], is regarded as part of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]] and the [[Primax]] [[Universal stream|universal cluster]]. However, ''Robots in Disguise'' itself constitutes a different continuity family and is designated as the [[Viron]] universal cluster.}}

{{See also|Predacon (RID)}}

[[File:WedgesShortFuse Commandos firing in vehicle mode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|If you look closely, you can see Decepticons behind those laser beams.]]
In the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], the Decepticons were a brand new faction that came into being during the events of the story. Because there were so few Decepticons (only six or seven), and because they were a subset of the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] antagonists, they can almost be viewed as a [[subgroup]] rather than a proper faction. The Decepticons were created on Earth when [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]]'s forces captured a set of [[stasis pod]]s from an ancient Transformer spaceship that had been found on [[Earth]], leading to the birth of the [[Commando (RID)|Commandos]] and [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]. The toy version of [[Megatron (RID)|Galvatron]] was also labeled as a Decepticon, although this "change" in the character's faction was only mentioned once in the cartoon series.

{{note|In the Japanese version of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''Car Robots'', the Decepticons were known as Combatrons. This is the same name by which the [[Combaticon (G1)|Generation 1 Combaticons]] were called in Japan. For the [[Hasbro]] toyline, several other non-show Decepticons were added to the ranks to help fill out the line. It is currently unknown how many, if any, of the Decepticons unique to the toyline, share a similar origin to the show's Decepticons. In their scant portrayals, these Decepticons are simply portrayed as being around, though one of them, [[Axer (G1)|Axer]], is actually a dimension-hopper who arrived from [[Generation 1 continuity family|a Generation 1 universe]]. Meanwhile, the components of [[Devastator (Universe Ultra)|Devastator]] and [[Dominus Trannis]] are portrayed as Autobots brainwashed by the [[Robosmasher|Robo-Smasher]] and implanted with Predacon [[personality component]]s.}}

==Unicron Trilogy continuity family==
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Armada'' cartoon====
The ''exact'' origins of the Decepticon faction are a bit muddled. It is widely assumed, though never directly confirmed, that the movement was founded by [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Also, the enslavement of the power-enhancing [[Mini-Con]]s is considered to be the impetus to the Decepticons' rise to a massive multi-planet-spanning army, though at what point in the war this occurred is unclear; it's possible the Mini-Cons' arrival was what gave Megatron the opportunity to rise to power, or that they arrived after the war had already begun.

Either way, the Mini-Cons fueled the war machine for centuries, and the war with the [[Autobot]]s soon spread from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to other worlds. The self-imposed exile of the Mini-Cons to an unknown destination was seen as a major setback for the Decepticons (and something of a pyrrhic victory for the Autobots), but despite this, the war continued, as both sides had amassed a large enough power base to continue on without the little buggers.

The Autobots and Decepticons seemed to fight to a stalemate, neither able to gain a distinct advantage over the other. When a signal reached Cybertron centuries later that the Mini-Cons had landed on [[Earth]], it seemed neither side was capable of sending a full force to retrieve them, despite the power they contained. Though the Decepticon force sent to Earth was small in numbers, it was far from insignificant; Megatron himself led the squad, backed by some of his most trusted warriors.

[[File:Armada decepticons alliance.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

When Megatron returned to Cybertron, the overwhelming majority of the Mini-Cons were in the protective custody of the Autobots, but Megatron was unfazed; he had assembled the Mini-Cons required to make the three legendary weapons: the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] and [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]]. Bolstered by this new power and the apparent death of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], Megatron attempted to take Cybertron once and for all.

But Megatron's (now calling himself Galvatron) return to Cybertron was the beginning of the end of the Decepticon army. When [[Unicron]] revealed himself as a threat to both armies, fueled by the negative psychic energies from centuries of death and destruction, the two sides eventually joined together to beat back the planet-eater. Despite the truce, Galvatron and Prime engaged in a brutal duel on the surface of the weakened Unicron after the three legendary weapons had been removed from his core. Realizing their battle was keeping Unicron active, Galvatron sacrificed himself, and both Unicron and Galvatron disappeared into nothingness.

====''Energon'' cartoon====
[[File:Energon Decepticon insignia.jpg|left|127px|thumb|Now available with added purple!]]
Galvatron's final orders to his troops still stood: work ''with'' the Autobots. The Decepticons maintained a degree of autonomy, still wearing the faction sigil and often taking military/defensive positions in the growing number of [[energon]]-mining colonies, but they were ultimately answerable to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. There were, of course, dissenters, most of whom were captured and imprisoned. For a decade, Autobot and Decepticon worked side-by-side in a somewhat stable truce.

[[File:Decepticons Megatron Resurrected.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Both sides found themselves the target of attacks from Unicron again; hordes of [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon drones]], sent by [[Alpha Quintesson]] to steal energon ore with which to revive the now-shattered husk of Unicron. What the alien did not count on was that Galvatron's [[spark]] had survived within the remains, and was siphoning energon from Unicron's body. Soon the Decepticon leader revived himself in a new form,(calling himself Megatron again) drove off Alpha Quintesson, and along with an elite cadre of soldiers and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of mindless Terrorcon drones, began his ''new'' plans for conquest.

When news of Megatron's return reached Cybertron, hundreds of Decepticons rose up and rebelled, eager to get back to conquering. But having been joined to Unicron for so long apparently had given Megatron a taste of godhood; he had no more interest in amassing a galaxy-spanning army of troops. Countless Decepticons died in the resulting battles, with Megatron more than willing to sacrifice them without a thought to attain ultimate power for himself. As "the Powerlinx Battles" -as they came to be called- came to their climax, Megatron (calling himself Galvatron ''again'') found that his actions and thoughts were being influenced and controlled by the dark spark of Unicron. Unwilling to let Unicron stand in his way, Galvatron ultimately sacrificed himself (again) and seemingly destroyed Unicron's spark by plunging himself into a newly formed energon sun created by [[Primus]].

{{--}}

====''Cybertron'' cartoon====
What little remained of the once-mighty Decepticon army after [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron's]] loss was at best a loose association of criminals, thugs, and lunatics, with no real political or military power to speak of. For a decade, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was once again at peace, with the population overwhelmingly [[Autobot]] or neutral. The Transformers had withdrawn from [[Earth]] and its other colonies to focus on revitalizing their homeworld after the devastation of the Powerlinx Battles. However, two great catastrophes shattered this peace; the energon sun collapsed in on itself, forming the powerful black hole known as the [[Unicron Singularity]], which threatened to devour Cybertron and, if left unchecked, the entire universe... and the return yet once again of Megatron, who had absorbed much of what remained of Unicron's power.

Megatron's goal of attaining godhood was now at hand. By obtaining the legendary [[Omega Lock]] and the four [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, Megatron intended to accelerate the growth of the black hole, consuming the universe in a vast sea of nothingness that only he would survive, then use his powers to re-create the universe in his image.

To this end, he had no need of an army. He gathered a small group of allies and lackeys to seek the items he needed, but they were nothing more than pawns to him, to be used and discarded at a whim.

The Decepticons briefly regained their status as a mass army of individuals when [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who had long suffered at Megatron's hands since the beginning of the Decepticons, made his own bid for ultimate power with the help of the [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] agent [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]]. Having sealed Megatron and his troops in a trap, Starscream freed hundreds of criminal Transformers who had been locked up on [[Earth]] for millennia, and formed his own globe-spanning army. The Decepticon "Monsters" were tasked with finding the Omega Lock and Earth's Cyber Planet Key, which they eventually brought to their leader. However, numerous Decepticons were killed in the battles with the Autobots, and it soon became apparent that Starscream, like Megatron before him, didn't care. Most of these criminals soon abandoned Starscream and went into hiding.

As for Megatron, he too had deserters among his own considerably-small ranks. Most notably, the powerful [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], leader of the [[Animatron|Jungle Planet]] and the colossal [[Menasor (Cybertron)|Menasor]] from [[Gigantion]], both of whom eventually joined forces with their former enemies the Autobots.

This was not seen as a concern for Megatron, however, as by this time Starscream and his allies were seemingly destroyed on Gigantion, and Megatron (now calling himself "Galvatron" again) had the Omega Lock and all four Keys. What few Decepticons remained loyal to him were too stupid to see what Galvatron had planned, and made perfect distractions as he set his final plan in motion. If they weren't strong enough to survive the coming cataclysm, then so be it.

[[File:NewDecepticonArmy.jpg|thumb|The yutz, the ditz, the klutz, and the putz.]]
Ultimately, Galvatron's plan failed, and the Unicron Singularity was sealed. His remaining Decepticons quickly left him, realizing what was likely to have happened to them, and eventually joined the Autobots. After Galvatron's seemingly-final defeat and death in a one-on-one duel with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron's]] moon, the Decepticons, not knowing when to quit, rose again, albeit in a rather pathetic fashion. Having cobbled together a rather rickety rocket, [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] shanghaied the reluctant [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], who was ''really'' keen on being on the winning side for once, and flew off to parts unknown as the "[[New Decepticon Army]]".

They made it to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] before the rocket crash-landed.

Meanwhile, the Autobot [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] reported form a deep-space recon mission that he thought he had picked up traces of Starscream, seemingly backed up by Sideways and [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]]. [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] and the former Decepticon [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] raced off to join Wing Saber and investigate...

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' continuity===
====Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic====
Founded by Megatron, the exact number of the original Decepticons is unknown. Using the Mini-Cons as weapons, they were able to conquer Cybertron and force the Autobots underground. Eventually they were beaten due to the arrival of Unicron: his heralds slaughtered the entire Decepticon base on Cybertron, and the Chaos-Bringer's arrival forced them to join forces with the Autobots. With Megatron shot dead during the Unicron battle, the peace held for a period of years.

==Live-action film series==
{{note|In a departure from previous Transformers incarnations, Japan used the name "Decepticons" for this franchise, rather than "Destrons".<ref>[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/products/movie/decepticons.html Movie Decepticons toy listing on Takaratomy.com]</ref>}}

[[File:Defiance3 wearenowDECEPTICONS.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|LATER: Megatron realizes he blew his entire budget on the giant rotating wall symbol.]]
The origins of these Decepticons began when the Fallen turned on his [[Dynasty of Primes|brother Primes]] in an attempt to seize power at the cost of humanity's existence. One account has it that the Fallen gathered a small army of [[Constructicon (ROTF)|construction drones]] to assist him and named them Decepticons. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 3}} Either way, he would become known as the ''first'' Decepticon and would go on to become the [[Emperor Palpatine|Sidious]] to Megatron's [[Darth Vader|Vader]] {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}, tempting the latent aggressive edge in the Protector. Filled with dreams of power and paranoia of losing that power, Megatron reformed the Cybertron defense force into a massive engine of war, ready to wipe out entire alien species who would dare challenge them.

When science leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]'s opposition became known, Megatron branded them traitors and declared his followers to be the Decepticons. Soon after, The Fallen commanded Megatron to build the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'', a ship that would carry his sarcophagus and Decepticon soldiers in their search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] left on Earth. Megatron was commanded to remain on Cybertron, so [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] commanded the expedition. Most of the Decepticons left Cybertron, leaving Megatron with a reduced, but still potent, army. {{Storylink|Transformers: Defiance|Defiance}}

[[File:BBfilm-Decepticons-surround-the-Autobots.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|right|Company photo day.]]
The Decepticons began the war, destroying any who defied them. When the Allspark was thrown into space, Megatron followed after it, eventually landing on Earth, where he became frozen. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} Despite the absence of their supreme leader, the Decepticons were able to conquer Cybertron and drive the Autobots off-world while operating under the joint leadership of [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] and Soundwave. In [[1987]], [[Shatter]] and [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] learnt that Optimus Prime was planning to regroup the Autobots on Earth while torturing [[Bumblebee (Movie)|B-127 "Bumblebee"]], and attempted to summon the [[Decepticon fleet]] and bait a trap for the rebels, only to be slain before they could make the transmission. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}

[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] began a search for Megatron and the AllSpark. After a while, Starscream began to focus more on the AllSpark, hoping Megatron would remain lost, something the other Decepticons began to suspect. {{storylink|Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Ghosts of Yesterday}} In 2003, Starscream's retrieval team made their way to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], destroyed the [[Beagle 2 Rover]] and made their way to Earth. {{storylink|Transformers: Movie Prequel|Movie Prequel}}

In 2007, the Decepticons began to make their presence known, with [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] destroying [[SOCCENT Forward Operations Base]] in [[Qatar]], searching for information on Megatron and the AllSpark. A few days later, [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] hacked [[Air Force One]]'s computers. Although he was unable to find out the truth about [[Sector Seven]], he avoided detection and managed to get a clue in [[Sam Witwicky]], whose ancestor [[Archibald Witwicky]] had discovered Megatron a century earlier. His glasses had been marked with coordinates to the AllSpark's location, so [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and Frenzy attempted to confront the boy. Although they were defeated by Bumblebee and [[Mikaela Banes]], Frenzy hid in Mikaela's purse, and accompanied them to [[Hoover Dam]], where Megatron and the AllSpark were hidden. As Starscream ordered the Decepticons to mobilize, Frenzy shut down the temperature controls while Starscream destroyed the external generators. Megatron was freed, but Bumblebee took the Cube with a group of survivors from Blackout's attack to Mission City, meeting with Optimus Prime's Autobots along the way. In the Battle of Mission City, Megatron and most of the Decepticons were killed and the AllSpark believed destroyed. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}

After the battle of Mission City, Starscream, who had survived, stole Frenzy's remains to access whatever information the humans had on the AllSpark to build [[Replica AllSpark|his own AllSpark]]. Returning to Cybertron, Starscream proclaimed himself [[Decepticon leader]] and began building the replica. One month later, the replica was ready, but it didn't work properly and [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] made a coup attempt. Starscream barely survived and made his way back to Mars, questioning his purpose. {{storylink|Transformers: The Reign of Starscream|The Reign of Starscream}}

When he received word that the Autobots would be helping the humans destroy Megatron's remains, and hoping to destroy Prime, Megatron, and the traitor [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] all at once, Starscream returned to Earth. Although he managed to destroy Wreckage, Prime had already left with Megatron's body. Just as he defeated Bumblebee, Starscream received word from Soundwave, who had brought the ''Nemesis'' to Earth's solar system. After meeting up with Soundwave, Starscream explained the situation, and returned to the ''Nemesis'' to awaken the remaining Decepticons and oversee the spawning of more [[hatchling]]s while Soundwave lead a scout team to Earth. {{storylink|Transformers: Alliance}} Over the next two years, the Decepticons under Soundwave's command searched for the [[Tomb of the Primes]], which housed the Matrix needed to activate the solar harvester only to be opposed by the Autobot/human task force [[NEST]].

[[File:ROTF Fallen message.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|The Fallen performs what may be the greatest [[Rick Astley|Rick roll]] in history.]]
In 2009, Soundwave discovered Megatron's resting place in the [[Laurentian Abyss]] and the presence of an AllSpark shard on [[Diego Garcia]]. Dispatching [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] and the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s, the Decepticons managed to restore Megatron's [[Spark]] and bring him back to life. Returning to the Decepticon flagship, the ''Nemesis'', Megatron learned from the Fallen that the AllSpark's knowledge was now within Sam Witwicky's mind, who had destroyed the Cube when he killed Megatron. Further commanded to kill Optimus Prime, Megatron captured the boy. Although the boy escaped, Megatron, Starscream and Grindor battled Optimus, and Megatron eventually managed to kill the last Prime. Megatron then decided that a show of force was needed to compel the humans to turn Sam over to them. The Fallen lead Decepticon protoforms to Earth and then broadcast a message demanding the humans turn over Sam. Sam was eventually found in [[Egypt]], where the harvester was hidden under a pyramid. In Egypt, a battle took place around the pyramids. Although the Fallen managed to reclaim the Matrix, it had already been used to resurrect Optimus, who was then made super-powerful by being fused with Jetfire, a Decepticon-turned Autobot. Optimus Prime then destroyed the harvester and confronted the Fallen, slaying the ancient Decepticon after a short, but vicious fight with him. Seeing his master's demise, Megatron, who had been severely injured during the battle, retreated with Starscream, vowing revenge. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

[[File:DOTM-Moonspacebridge.jpg|upright=1.67|right|thumb|Fly me to the Earth.]]
After three years of relative quiet, the Decepticons returned to NEST's radar when they enacted a scheme decades in the making, luring Optimus to the crashed ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. Optimus revived [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]], who soon revealed that he had joined up with Megatron to restore Cybertron. Sentinel activated his space bridge, bringing forth an army of Decepticons who had hidden on the Moon. Sentinel issued an ultimatum to humanity: deport the Autobots from Earth or be destroyed. Humanity complied and the Autobots left in their spacecraft, but Starscream destroyed the ship once their human operative [[Dylan Gould]] learned they would leave without a fight. The Decepticons then stormed Chicago, slaughtering thousands of humans and made the city into a fortress impenetrable to the human military. Decepticons scattered across the globe to get Sentinel Prime's [[pillar]]s in place, so that they could create a space bridge large enough to bring Cybertron to Earth, enslaving humanity to reconstruct their home.

However, the Autobots had survived the destruction of their ship, foreseeing the Decepticons' treachery, and with the help of Sam Witwicky and a small crew of human allies, began a great battle to destroy Sentinel's space bridge. In the ensuing battle, the majority of the Decepticons' chain of command was killed off before the Autobots took the fight to Sentinel once the control pillar was temporarily disabled. After a brief duel with Optimus, Sentinel ordered the Decepticons' entire [[Orbital Assault Carrier]] fleet to attack his former pupil. With Sentinel battling the majority of the Autobots, the OAC's attacking Optimus, and the [[Wrecker]]s engaging the incoming terrestrial Decepticons, Gould was left to reactivate the control pillar. Though he succeeded, he was killed by Sam, and the pillar was destroyed, taking Cybertron, the Decepticons' remaining air force, and the space bridge with it. Sentinel attempted to escape, but was intercepted by Optimus and they fought once again. Although Sentinel managed to defeat Optimus, he was attacked and grievously wounded by Megatron, who sought to regain the power he had lost in the past few years. Megatron then asked for peace, but Optimus refused and seemingly killed the tyrant once and for all. Sentinel Prime was then executed by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}

[[File:AOE-Climb.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|left|HE STOLE MY LINE!!!]]
Unfortunately, this Autobot victory was quickly negated when [[Harold Attinger]] created [[Cemetery Wind]], a secret [[CIA]] cabal who began hunting down all Autobots and Decepticons left around the globe, with the help of [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], a Cybertronian bounty hunter. Five years later, less than a dozen Transformers from either faction had survived the hunt. Though both factions were being slaughtered, Attinger claimed he was only hunting Decepticons, and their remains were sent to [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated]] to be melted down to be made into new Transformers remote-controlled by humans. Megatron's head was recovered from Chicago, but no one except [[Brains]] discovered that the Decepticon leader had survived, and was biding his time by secretly worming his way into KSI's military prototype, Galvatron. Megatron also gave his new body operational control of the other fifty drones KSI had built. This was all in order to obtain the [[Seed]] that Lockdown would eventually pay Attinger and KSI with in exchange for help in apprehending Optimus Prime, so that Megatron could cyberform a large city to announce his return and build a massive army.

Optimus only became aware of Galvatron's true nature after doing battle with the drone, and passed the knowledge on to his human ally [[Cade Yeager]]. Yeager tried to warn [[Joshua Joyce]] of Galvatron's plot regarding the Seed, but it was too late, and Galvatron rebelled, christening the drones he took control of Decepticons. The Autobots came to rescue Joyce and the Seed in Hong Kong, but Galvatron set his army upon them, sparking a large battle. [[Hound (Movie)|Hound]] and Bumblebee were nearly overwhelmed by the Decepticons until Optimus arrived with the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobots]], decimating the majority of them. The last few Decepticons were killed when Optimus detonated one of Lockdown's grenades. Galvatron, having escaped the battle when the Dinobots arrived, headed off for parts unknown, his plans temporarily stymied. {{Storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

[[File:TLKDecepticonsRollOut.jpg|right|upright=1.6|thumb|I am the leader of the Decepticons... which is only like, one or two or three of them.]]
Over the next few years, new Decepticons continued to arrive on Earth, but soon fell into disarray without a leader. Several Decepticons were killed in skirmishes with humans and Autobots, while others were captured by the TRF. After years of anarchy, Galvatron returned to Earth with a new body and reverted to his Megatron persona, now serving Quintessa in her plan to restore Cybertron at the cost of destroying Earth. Megatron initially kept his existence a secret to all except Barricade, who he used as a scout.

Eventually, Megatron came out of hiding and reformed the Decepticon army, negotiating the release of his henchmen [[Mohawk]], [[Dreadbot]], [[Nitro Zeus]], and [[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]] (only settling for the latter when his request for the volatile-even by Decepticon standards-[[Berserker]] was denied). The Decepticons and [[Transformers Reaction Force]] attacked an Autobot [[Junkyard (TLK)|refugee camp]], but were forced into a retreat thanks to the efforts of Yeager's team of Autobots and Dinobots, with Mohawk, Onslaught, and Dreadbot perishing during the battle. Decepticons began making their way to Cybertron after Megatron retrieved the [[Staff of Merlin]]. However, practically all Decepticons-including Nitro and [[Infernocus]]-fell before the combined might of the Autobots, the [[Transformers Reaction Force]], Quintessa's former [[Guardian Knight]]s, and their other allies as well as the [[British Armed Forces]]. Seeing as how Megatron and Barricade's current statuses are unclear, the return of the Decepticons is uncertain. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

{{groupstub}}

===Titan movie comics===
[[File:Titan23 decepticonsmassing.JPG|upright=1.4|thumb|left|Company photo day.]]
War devastated Cybertron. While the Decepticons were heavily reliant on drone units to bolster their forces and were forced to automate many of their outposts, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5|Lost In Space 3: Ironhide}} the risk was still too high that they might claim the AllSpark, forcing Optimus Prime to make the desperate decision to launch the AllSpark into deep space. Megatron obsessively followed after it, and disappeared. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 1|Prelude: Optimus Prime}}
{{groupstub}}

====Alternate timeline====
{{groupstub}}

{{-}}

==''Animated'' continuity family==
Around 1 billion years ago, the [[Destron (Animated)|Destrons]] emerged as a new faction on the Protectobot governed Cybertron. Led by [[Devron (Animated)|Devron]], the [[Third Cybertronian War]] was fought between the Destrons and the Protectobots (who were led by the new leader [[Nova Magnus]]). ''The Destrons emerged victorious, though many Cybertronian records were forever lost due to the [[Great Purge]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

The Decepticons came to prominence as a sub-faction of the Destrons around 70 million years ago. They advocated the use of the AllSpark to bring Cybertron itself to life, that it might serve as a cosmic juggernaut that would allow the Transformers to return to the era of expansion and colonization of other worlds they had enjoyed nearly 700 million years beforehand. When the Decepticon leader [[Megazarak (Animated)|Megazarak]] was ousted by charismatic rhetorician named [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], tensions finally exploded, and the Autobots and Decepticons went to [[Great War (Animated)|war]] for possession of the AllSpark.

After something in the vicinity of six million years of civil war, things reached a crisis point when the Decepticons began a strategic bombing campaign on Cybertron, demanding the AllSpark be turned over in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}} Rather than give in to Megatron's demands, the Autobots instead sought to put the AllSpark beyond any Cybertronian's reach, launching it randomly through a [[space bridge]] to some distant corner of the galaxy, where it was hoped it would never be found. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}
The Autobots pulled a victory only due to their exclusive access to [[space bridge]]s, [[Project Omega]], and their decision to send the [[AllSpark]] into deep space. Defeated, the Decepticons dispersed, and, according to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], the only sight of them would be an occasional scout ship. In fact, they had been missing for so long, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] believed a Decepticon presence was a thing of the past. This was quickly reassessed upon encountering [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] crew. The ensuing confrontation over the newly rediscovered AllSpark took Megatron - injured from an assassination attempt by his lieutenant [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] - and the Autobots to Earth, where Megatron would be sent crashing to Earth. The Autobots' ship crash-landed in [[Lake Erie]], and during the next fifty years, [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] reverse-engineered technology from Megatron's severed head to build a robotic empire. Starscream would follow the AllSpark's trail to Earth, and the Autobots subsequently became heroes, though they were unaware of Sumdac's use of Megatron's technology. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

[[File:PayThePiper.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]
Megatron revived in Sumdac's lab and covertly manipulated the scientist into helping him build a new body, poising as an incapacitated Autobot. {{storylink|Home Is Where the Spark Is}} His loyal Decepticons [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] arrived on Earth to find him, {{storylink|Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found}} and when the time was right, helped restore him to a functioning body. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 1}} Megatron killed Starscream for his betrayal, but in the ensuing battle with the Autobots, the AllSpark was dispersed across the [[Detroit]] area. Though disheartened by the loss of the AllSpark, Megatron kidnapped Sumdac {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 2}} and downloaded a schematic of an Autobot space bridge, plotting to build one to invade Cybertron from within. The three Decepticons made camp in an abandoned mine that shielded their signals from the Autobots, {{storylink|The Elite Guard}}, but were surprised when Starscream was reanimated by an AllSpark fragment. Megatron reestablished contact with his double-agent on Cybertron, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], and ordered his troops around the galaxy to begin attacking the Autobots' space bridges. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished}}.

Megatron would have his troops go after AllSpark fragments {{storylink|Garbage In, Garbage Out}} or supplies for his space bridge {{storylink|Rise of the Constructicons}}. Megatron also ordered a large bounty on the rogue Starscream. {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon}} When the space bridge was completed, the Decepticons engaged in a fierce three-way battle with the Earthbound Autobots and Starscream's army of [[Starscream clone (Animated)|clones]]. Megatron would emerge victorious with the Autobots captured and the Starscream clones defected to his side, though the space bridge ended up malfunctioning and sucked in him and Starscream. A long night of bickering ensued. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

[[Team Chaar]] and other Decepticons around the galaxy began succeeding in taking the Autobots' space bridges, but were dismayed when Megatron failed to arrive on Cybertron to begin the invasion. Megatron and Starscream were found by the comatose [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]], and Megatron cut his losses and cancelled the invasion, seeking to use Omega to conquer Cybertron himself. He was able to bring the Autobot to Earth to attack Optimus Prime's crew, but [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s intervention trapped Megatron and Starscream inside Omega and sent them transwarping around the galaxy randomly. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

His cover about to be blown, Shockwave mortally injured Ultra Magnus before escaping with the [[Magnus Hammer]], putting Cybertron in disarray. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}} [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] had [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] capture Lugnut, Blitzwing, [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]], and the stasis-locked [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] for him. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}} However, Swindle would be revived en route to Cybertron, and freed his fellow prisoners, though only he and Lugnut would escape the ship and not be recaptured. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}} Lugnut found his way to Megatron, and Shockwave brought the group [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}} The Decepticons returned to Earth and constructed a group of [[Lugnut Supreme|dark clones]] of Omega Supremes with the codes in Arcee's processor, and attacked Earth. {{storylink|Endgame, Part I}} Autobots and Decepticons did battle; Ratchet led a team to rescue Arcee and Omega Supreme, while Bulkhead and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] defeated and captured Lugnut and Shockwave. Starscream took control of the Lugnut Supremes, rigging them to blow and destroy Detroit. [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] reconstructed the AllSpark, killing Starscream once and for all, and managed to use the power of the AllSpark to save Detroit. Megatron was captured by Optimus, and the Autobots returned to Cybertron with the Decepticon leader, Lugnut, and Shockwave as prisoners. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}

Megatron and his men would be incarcerated in [[Trypticon Prison]], and [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] took command of the Decepticons for the time being. She ordered [[Team Stunticon]] to break out Megatron, but when they failed, Strika led an invasion of Cybertron's Energon farms. {{storylink|The Stunti-Con Job}}

{{note|As with the movie Decepticons, the Animated Decepticons are not called Destrons in Japan.}}

==''Shattered Glass''==
[[File:Decepticon Shattered Glass.png|thumb|Decepticons wage their battles to destroy...]]
{{quote|Your tyranny ends here, Prime! Cybertronians will once again know the freedom which is their right!|Megatron|"[[Shattered Glass (issue)|Shattered Glass]]"}}
In this universe, the Decepticons are the good guys and a resistance group, intended to overthrow Autobot tyranny and their dastardly leader, [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]. Led by the heroic [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]], the 'Cons want to liberate Cybertron and preserve freedom and life across the galaxy, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|no matter the cost]]. But if they fail to stop the Autobots, not only will the Autobots conquer [[Earth]], they will also enslave the universe and all will be lost. {{storylink|Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass}}

{{-}}

==Aligned continuity family==
{{bigquote|Sometimes deception is necessary, when those who should listen to the truth will not, and will only understand once they have been lied to and forced to see their own lies.|[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]].}}

[[File:Megatroncamehome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"Breakdown! Assume the footrest position! Soundwave! Log into my Netflix! Knock Out, you... erm. Go make some popcorn or something."]]

[[The Fallen|Megatronus]], a member of the Thirteen, considered himself the first Decepticon. {{storylink|Lockout}} He killed [[Solus Prime]] {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 2}} and was imprisoned for it in an alternate dimension. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}}

The Decepticons originated from those in the [[caste system|lower castes]] of Cybertronian society in the [[Badlands (Cybertron)|Badlands]]. Megatron, a gladiator who seized control of all the gladiatorial pits and assumed the name of The Fallen, began preaching to the dispossessed on the Grid. He allowed them to bomb Cybertron and throw their society into chaos, for he rightly believed if he denied any connection to their extremist behavior, it would elevate him in the eyes of the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. Even the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] kidnapped [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]] for him. When the Council questioned Megatron about the movement's name, he denied he had heard of it, though he also accepted it for reasons outlined above.

When Halogen appointed Orion the new Prime, Megatron declared his Decepticons would continue to fight for freedom. During the war they conquered eighty-five percent of the planet, as well as occupying [[Moonbase One|Moon Base One]] and [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] Station, before poisoning the [[core]] itself with [[Dark Energon]]. When the Autobots left aboard the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'', Trypticon transformed into the ''Nemesis'' and followed them with Megatron, Starscream, [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]], and [[Lugnut (WFC)|Lugnut]] into unknown space, while [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] took control of the Cybertronian Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
Eons later, Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]], and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] were based on [[Earth]], with a mass-produced [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] army. During a three-year lull, Starscream was ordered to build a [[space bridge]] and to mine more Energon. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)}} Megatron returned, but not with the army Starscream had hoped for. Instead he tried to raise an army of [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcon]] [[zombie]]s to eradicate humanity, but failed and perished in a space bridge implosion, leaving Starscream in command once more. {{storylink|Darkness Rising}} It emerged he survived, and he was retrieved and placed in sickbay. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} Meanwhile, Starscream and Soundwave waited for opportunities to pounce on [[Team Prime]] with their Vehicons. {{storylink|Con Job}} {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}
[[File:DeusExMachina-fourcons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Starscream: "We're gonna go out there and catch those museum thieves red-handed!" Breakdown: "What color are their hands now?"]]

Megatron eventually returned to life, nearly killing Starscream for his part in his near-death in the space bridge explosion. {{storylink|Sick Mind}}{{storylink|Out of His Head}}{{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}} Despite his brush with death, Starscream continued to secretly operate against Megatron {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}}, which came to a grinding halt when Megatron forced him to beg for his life in an abandoned Energon mine. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}} Finding neither respect from Megatron following this incident nor mercy from the [[Arcee (WFC)|Autobots]], as well as seemingly being replaced by former rogue [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], Starscream abandoned the Decepticons, becoming neutral, and leaving Airachnid to take his place. {{storylink|Partners}}

Seeking to attain more Dark Energon to coincide with a prophecy that he interpreted as his own destiny in the [[Covenant of Primus]], Megatron raced to complete a second space bridge. Optimus Prime sought to stop this plot by finally ending the Decepticon leader's life{{storylink|One Shall Fall}}, but a larger problem became apparent. Following an explosion of Dark Energon from a volcano, it was surmised that [[Unicron]] was awakening at the [[Earth's core|core of Earth]]. Rejected from Unicron's service,{{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}} Megatron formed a shaky alliance with Optimus {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}} to defeat Unicron. During this time, acting Decepticon leader Airachnid attempted to abandon Megatron to Unicron's wrath, but following a humiliating defeat at the hands of Soundwave, relinquished command to the communications officer. With the power of the Matrix of Leadership, Optimus was able to defeat Unicron. However, Optimus' surrender of the Matrix's power also lost him his memories of being a Prime, and he took upon his old 'Orion Pax' persona. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}} Megatron took advantage of Orion's amnesia, setting him to work on [[Project Iacon]], to find various relics from Cybertron hidden on Earth. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} Eventually, however, the Autobots were successful in restoring Orion Pax to Optimus Prime, halting work on the project {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 3}}.

Former Seeker captain [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] arrived on Earth {{storylink|Loose Cannons}}, and was promoted to second in command following Airachnid's departure and murder of Breakdown (whose remains were recovered by human terrorist organization MECH). {{storylink|Crossfire}} Airachnid later sent her armada of [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] to kill Megatron, but following her defeat at the hands of Arcee, the Insecticons were freed from her control and then integrated into Megatron's forces. However, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead's]] actions caused the ''Nemesis'' to crash on Earth, {{storylink|Armada (episode)}} prompting Megatron to use Dark Energon to repair the ship. Unexpectedly, the Dark Energon enhanced Nemesis gained sentience, and disabled the Decepticons and worked to complete Project Iacon and collect the relics around the world. Through the efforts of [[Jack Darby|the]] [[William Fowler|Autobots]] [[Miko Nakadai|human]] [[Raf Esquivel|allies]], the ship's sentience was defeated, but had already located four Iacon relics. {{storylink|Flying Mind}} The Decepticon forces were sent to the four locations around the world: Knock Out and an Insecticon to New York City {{storylink|Tunnel Vision}}, Dreadwing to Antarctica {{storylink|Triangulation}}, Soundwave to a wooded area {{storylink|Triage (episode)|Triage}}, and [[Hardshell]] to a volcano around the equator. {{storylink|Toxicity}} Knock Out, Dreadwing, and Hardshell's endeavours all end in failure, Soundwave being the only victorious one. {{storylink|Triage (episode)|Triage}} After mistakenly reporting Bulkhead's destruction to Megatron, Hardshell was himself destroyed by a vengeful Wheeljack and Miko.{{storylink|Hurt}}

[[File:FlyingMind-DecepticonsOnDeck.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67|And the Decepticons always remembered this as the day Megatron said, [[Frank Welker|"Well it was either this or college!"]]]]
Breakdown's remains were used to save the mortally wounded {{storylink|Nemesis Prime (episode)}} MECH leader Silas - to Megatron and Knock Out's disgust - who attempted to join the Decepticon ranks, but when his offering of Project Damocles was destroyed by the Autobots, he was hauled away for dissection by Knock Out. The effort did bear fruit in that the location of Raf Esquivel's home was discovered,{{storylink|The Human Factor}} narrowing down the location of the Autobot base. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}}. The Decepticons lost the upper hand briefly when Optimus acquired the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] {{storylink|Legacy (episode)|Legacy}}, but the blade was destroyed by Megatron's knock-off [[Dark Star Saber]]. Additionally, the Decepticons found the existence of the [[Omega Key]]s on Earth, though they were unaware of their true function. {{storylink|Alpha/Omega}}. Knock Out successfully retrieved a Key, while Dreadwing lost one, but it turned out new Autobot recruit [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] is the final Key, and was promptly kidnapped by Soundwave. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} Megatron learned of the Omega Keys' ability to revive Cybertron, but Smokescreen made off with the two Keys the Decepticons possessed. However, the rogue Starscream was able to steal all three Autobot Keys, and proposed to use them as a bargaining chip to return to the Decepticons. {{storylink|Inside Job}}

Naturally, Megatron was less than convinced of Starscream's loyalty, and watched his memories via cortical psychic patch to find his true motives. While evidence of Starscream's treachery was rampant, Megatron allowed him to return since the Decepticons must be united to revive Cybertron. However, Dreadwing was enraged and disillusioned by Megatron's pardon, since his leader was apathetic to Skyquake becoming one of the undead, {{storylink|Patch (episode)}} but his attempt to murder Starscream was halted when Megatron killed him with his own blaster. Starscream returned to his position of second-in-command, and worked out the location of the Omega Lock on Cybertron. Megatron battled the Autobots on their home planet, lost the Keys, but Starscream, Knock Out and Soundwave kidnapped the Autobots' human allies and held them hostage. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)}} The Autobots handed over the Keys in exchange for the children, and Megatron turned the power of the Omega Lock on Earth to cyberform it. Optimus used the Star Saber to destroy the Omega Lock and all hope of restoring Cybertron, but Megatron launched a full-scale invasion of the Earth from his new fortress of [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]], with his first act of aggression being destroying the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]]. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}}

In the wake of the Autobots' defeat, and having found no corpses in the base's remains, the Decepticons increased global surveillance to find them - also dealing a similarly devastating blow against the United States military with its fusion cannons. Megatron feigned a desire for peace to the US government, a cover for his eventual violent conquest of Earth. A search on Cybertron for the missing relics turned up [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]], {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}} who is quickly reinstated into the Decepticon command structure as first lieutenant of all scientific endeavors, to Starscream's chagrin. Efforts to find the Autobots resulted only in failure, leading Shockwave to unleash the massive [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]] he cloned, [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] to hunt down the Autobots, {{storylink|Scattered}} only for it to come home empty-handed. {{storylink|Prey (episode)|Prey}} The Autobots were able to spread the Decepticon ranks thin and away from Darkmount, and the newly arrived [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] lead the regrouped team to assault the fortress. The attack was eventually halted and the Autobots were taken prisoner, only for an upgraded Optimus Prime to arrive and single-handedly turn the tide. Earth's military was able to bring Darkmount crumbling to the ground, forcing the Decepticons to go on the defense and return to using the ''Nemesis'' as their base of operations. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)}}

The Decepticons turned their efforts to cloning, and enjoyed a string of successful ventures to retrieve Predacon fossils to engineer an army of the extinct beasts thanks to the efforts of Shockwave and Soundwave, {{storylink|Project Predacon}} the Predacon, {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)}} and Knock Out. {{storylink|Plus One (Prime)|Plus One}} Jealous of Megatron's favoring Shockwave, Starscream coerced Knock Out to create an army of super soldiers with a mix of Dark and [[Synthetic Energon]], starting with the imprisoned Cylas. However, this only created a new form of Terrorcon that craved and drained Energon from a victim, starting a plague that threatened the entire ship. The Decepticons struggled to repel the infected, until Cylas freed Airachnid from her stasis pod. The former prisoner killed Cylas and called the Insecticons to rejoin her, but Airachnid's latest attempt to overthrow Megatron was put down by Soundwave, who bridged her and her army to a dead moon of Cybertron. The crisis weakened the Decepticons with the loss of the Insecticons and the infected Vehicons, having depleted more than half of their military strength. Shockwave subsequently speeded up progress on Project Predacon, {{storylink|Thirst}} but Predaking revealed his sentience and ability to transform on the verge of the project's completion. The former beast asked to lead the coming Predacons on Megatron's behalf, but the Decepticon leader and his command staff knew better than to give him control of a more powerful army than the depleted Decepticons. Following a plot engineered by Starscream, the Decepticons allowed the Autobots to destroy the Predacons before they escape their pods, to Predaking's horror and rage. The destruction of the lab, coupled with the presence of Synthetic Energon, resulted in the lab being filled with pure [[Living metal|Cybermatter]]. {{storylink|Evolution}}

[[File:Deadlock-Megatron-Decepticons-extinguished.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Megatron shouldn't have gone to Unicron for life insurance.]]
Shockwave realized the Cybermatter could cyberform entire worlds. Megatron resolved to restore the Omega Lock and rule a cyberformed Earth and a revived Cybertron, but found the synthetic Energon formula was incomplete, and had Ratchet delivered to him by the captured Soundwave, while his lieutenants gathered human technology to repair the Omega Lock. {{storylink|Minus One}} As the device was being restored, Megatron appealed to Ratchet to finish the synthetic Energon formula, playing on the medic's love for his home to outweigh his reservations about aiding the leader of the Decepticons. Ratchet eventually consented when he was shown the nearly completed Omega Lock {{storylink|Persuasion}} and soon completed the formula. In return, Megatron turned him over to the vengeful Predaking, but Ratchet - having learned the truth thanks to a slip up from Knock Out - revealed Megatron's plot to wipe out Project Predacon. Predaking turned on the Decepticons and slaughtered countless Vehicons, but was bested by Megatron in combat. Ratchet gave his comrades a way onto the warship, and Megatron mobilized his remaining army for their last stand. {{storylink|Synthesis}} While Megatron battled Optimus with the Dark Star Saber, Jack and Miko banished Soundwave to the [[shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]] on the bridge, while the other Autobots fought to capture the ship. Smokescreen and Bumblebee tried to get the Star Saber to Optimus, but Megatron killed Bumblebee as he tried to do so. However, the scout's corpse, having fallen info the Omega Lock, was revived by the Cybermatter, and ran Megatron through with the Star Saber, finally killing the leader of the Decepticons once and for all. Their leader dead, Shockwave, Starscream, and what few Vehicons remained abandoned ship, while Knock Out attempted to join the winning team. The ''Nemesis'' was used to fire the Omega Lock into the [[Well of All Sparks]], and Cybertron was restored. {{storylink|Deadlock}}

Most of the Vehicons had theoretically surrendered to the Autobots, and were part of an inept crew of construction workers under Bulkhead's watch. Though, not all hope was lost for the Decepticons. Shockwave & Starscream had been moving to the former's labs, cloning more Predacons to overthrow the Autobots in their newly restored home world. However, when Unicron took over Megatron's semi-lifeless body, the [[Skylynx (Prime)|two]] [[Darksteel (Prime)|Predacons]] they had cloned joined [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] in helping the Autobots save Cybertron from an army of Terrorcon-Predacons headed to corrupt the core once more, after Shockwave had been beaten up by the zombie dragons and encouraged the Predacons' decision. To make matters worse for them, Knock Out, who had been imprisoned by the Autobots, officially joined their side. When the Autobots put a stop to Unicron's plans and trapped Unicron in the [[AllSpark]]'s container, Megatron officially disbanded the Decepticons after being victim of Unicron's eternal torture and realized the true meaning of oppression. With Starscream all alone, he returned to his roots and decided to take command of the no longer functioning faction, but the Predacons had something in store for their former abuser... {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

===''Rescue Bots'' cartoon===
At some point during the Decepticons' campaign on Earth, [[Rescue Force Sigma-17]] arrive on the planet in response to message sent into space by [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]. Prime judges them as not ready to face the Decepticons, and instead stations them in the technologically advanced town of [[Griffin Rock]], [[Maine]] located on an island off the east coast of [[United States of America|America]]. There they must work undercover, posing as ordinary robots used as rescue vehicles by the island's "family of heroes", the Burns family.{{storylink|Family of Heroes}} For their protection, Optimus apparently kept their existence a secret from the Decepticons and seemingly the other Autobots, with the exception of Bumblebee and Ratchet. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue (RB)|Bumblebee to the Rescue}} While the Decepticon empire has never touched the island, Optimus and Bumblebee occasionally lend a hand whenever things get out of control by [[Doctor Morocco|other dangerous]] [[Quint Quarry|threats]]. {{storylink|It's a Bot Time}}

In an alternate timeline where [[Doctor Morocco]] ruled [[Griffin Rock]], Bumblebee mistook the [[MorBot]]s as Decepticons, only to have Heatwave correct him. {{storylink|Bot to the Future}}

===2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
{{Main|Alchemor (RID)#Prisoner manifest}}
[[File:RID-steeljawsgang.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|We're not getting a whole lot of toys, are we? Bumblebee and his damn army of toys, the fiend!]]
At some undetermined point, the Autobot prison ship ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]'' took off from Cybertron, its cargo of [[stasis pod]]s carrying several hundred of the most-wanted Decepticons, who [[To sell toys|for some unexplained reason]] all possessed robot or [[beast mode]]s based on Earth animals. At least some of them were simply members of naturally-occurring, animal-shaped Cybertronian sub-races, reminiscent of the Insecticons of the ''Prime'' cartoon. After Megatron disbanded the Decepticons, any remaining Decepticons seemed to have been forced into hiding or had defected after the planet repopulated with Autobots. Megatron apparently kept his promise about not inflicting any more oppression as he had remained unseen by the time Bumblebee traveled to Earth.

In the aftermath of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s restoration, the population was overwhelmingly Autobot. [[Cyclonus (WFC)|Cyclonus]] and his troops quickly worked to overthrow the High Council and take over Cybertron. With the planet under their control, the began making preparations for the rebirth of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

Years later, [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] caused the ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]'' to crash on [[Earth]] near [[Crown City]], its cargo being scattered around the countryside in the crash. {{storylink|Lockout}} The [[Mini-Con]] [[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]] sent a mayday, however on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], working as a street cop for the repopulated planet, was instead alerted by a vision of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]. Optimus gave Bumblebee a new mission on Earth, sending the young Autobot to the nearest [[space bridge]]. Bumblebee unwillingly found himself accompanied to Earth by his cop partner [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] and the delinquent [[Sideswipe (RID)|Sideswipe]]. Joined by the ex-Decepticon prisoner [[Grimlock (RID 2015)|Grimlock]] and two [[human]]s — [[Denny Clay]], owner of a vintage salvage depot for the discriminating nostalgist (a scrapyard) and his son [[Russell Clay|Russell]] — Bumblebee and his team were tasked with tracking down the escaped prisoners and prevent harm coming to Earth or its native population. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 1)}}

Chief among the threats poised by the Decepticons was the charismatic [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]], who sought to organize the escaped prisoners into an effective cabal to conquer the planet. {{storylink|Trust Exercises}} Steeljaw first teamed up with [[Minitron]], who took control of Grimlock and was able to snatch Underbite. Though Minitron was captured, Steeljaw made off with Underbite {{storylink|True Colors}} and made an alliance with the Decepticon criminal, [[Thunderhoof (RID)|Thunderhoof]]. {{storylink|As the Kospego Commands!}} Setting up a base in an abandoned factory, Steeljaw was eventually able to assemble a new team of Decepticons - consisting of [[Underbite]], [[Thunderhoof (RID)|Thunderhoof]], [[Clampdown (RID)|Clampdown]], the bounty hunter [[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]] (who had initially arrived on Earth to collect a bounty placed on Bumblebee by the High Council). {{storylink|Hunting Season}} and his Mini-Cons, [[Airazor (RID)|Airazor]] and [[Divebomb (RID)|Divebomb]]. After a short battle with Bumblebee's team, Steeljaw's gang were apprehended by the Autobots, however, Steeljaw was able to free everyone and the team escaped. {{storylink|Sideways (episode)|Sideways}}

Steeljaw and his "pack" went on to have a series of failed attempts at trying to free the captured Decepticons inside the [[Vintage Salvage Depot for the Discriminating Nostalgist|Autobot's base]]. Seeking access to the scrapyard, Steeljaw engineered a diversion by using [[Kickback (RID)|Kickback]] as bait. While Bumblebee's team was distracted, Steeljaw broke into the scrapyard, and his gang quickly took Fixit, Russell, and Denny hostage. Steeljaw also rigged up a sub-sonic pulse that would disable the Autobots and prevent them from gaining access. Steeljaw tried to get Fixit to free the other Decepticon convicts, Fixit managed to stall long enough for the Autobots to break in and deactivate the sonic weaponry; in the ensuing fight, Steeljaw was defeated yet again by Bumblebee. Back at the Decepticon hideout, Steeljaw exploded at his comrades and ordered them to leave. The arrival of a [[The Fallen|mysterious entity]] snapped him out of his funk, and Steeljaw reluctantly agreed to build him a gateway and serve as his minion for the time being. {{storylink|Lockout}}

Steeljaw and his "pack" searched for materials and constructed a doorway for Megatronus to enter the material world, however the Autobots arrived to stop him and Steeljaw's portal was destroyed by a resurrected Optimus Prime. Despite this, Megatronus successfully made it through {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}} and proceeded with his true plan: to merge the AllSpark and Anti-Spark together to destroy both Earth and Cybertron. With the revelation that the planet he intended to conquer would be destroyed, Steeljaw turned on Megatronus and attempted to fight him, only to be backhanded out of sight. The remaining members of his gang placed in stasis after the death of Megatronus, with Steeljaw and Kickback the only specific Decepticons known to be at large. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 2}}

After a Groundbridge accident at the scrapyard, [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (who was still trapped in the shadowzone after the end of the war) managed to escape, quickly dispatching the Bee Team. However, with a coordinated attack, he was sent back just as fast as he escaped. {{storylink|Portals}}

[[File:TRID S2 E12 DIP1 SC 4.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|]]
Steeljaw eventually managed to assume control of all Decepticons on Earth, intending to rebuild the [[Decepticon Empire]] on the planet, {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 1)}} before he was defeated and all the Decepticons were shipped back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 2)}} The High Council freed Steeljaw and a select few others to act as decoys for the [[Bee Team (RID)|Bee Team]] while they worked to continue their plans. {{storylink|Exiles}} {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

The High Council eventually sent a quartet of genetically-engineered Activator [[Mini-Con]]s to aid Soundwave in escaping from the Shadowzone so he could summon [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] back home. {{storylink|King of the Hill (Part 2)}} {{storylink|The Great Divide}} {{storylink|Railroad Rage}} {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}} Soundwave was defeated however and placed in [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s custody. {{storylink|Collateral Damage}} {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

When the Bee Team arrived on Cybertron, they discovered the High Council's true identities and, as a result of [[Cyberwarp]]'s hesitations, managed to defeat their combined form of [[Galvatronus (RID)|Galvatronus]], freeing Cybertron from Decepticon control. [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] took Cyberwarp's desire for peace as a hopeful sign that Autobots and Decepticons might one day peacefully co-exist on Cybertron. {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

{{note|It is currently unknown how many, if any, of the Decepticons or Dinobots unique to the Japanese ''Adventure'' series were prisoners on-board the ''Alchemor'', or just made their way to Earth on their own.}}

==''Cyberverse'' cartoon==
[[File:Cyberverse Decepticon Plankowners (Cyberverse - Megatron Is My Hero).jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm sure you're wondering why we're here...]]

[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] established the Decepticons as a political movement, opposing the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] status quo. Standing alongside the former gladiator as he declared his vision of a Cybertron where [['Til all are one|all would be one]] were [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]], [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus]], [[Soundwave (Cyberverse)|Soundwave]], [[Arcee (Cyberverse)|Arcee]], [[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]], and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadowstriker]]. Optimus, at least, would soon become disillusioned with Megatron's actions, finding his friend's chosen course too violent and power-hungry; after a final confrontation with his old friend where he failed to sway him from his course, he fully broke away to chart a [[Autobot|different path]]. {{storylink|Megatron Is My Hero}}

Circa 66 million years ago, the Decepticons launched a plan to use [[Vector Sigma]] to reprogram the [[AllSpark]], {{storylink|Megatron Is My Hero}} only for the Autobots to send it off Cybertron. {{storylink|Allspark (Cyberverse)|Allspark}} While the Autobots manually searched for the lost AllSpark in space, {{storylink|The Journey}} the Decepticons remained on Cybertron and tracked the artifact remotely. Once it had been tracked to Earth, [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] sent [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] to scout the planet, {{storylink| Fractured}} while he rallied the [[Decepticon fleet]], {{storylink|Siloed}} launching an invasion of the planet when the [[Ark (Cyberverse)|''Ark'']] crew had awoken. {{storylink|Eruption}}

When the Autobots acquired the AllSpark and made for Cybertron, the Decepticons returned home via the space bridge, {{storylink|Escape From Earth}} using [[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]] to bait a trap for their foes. {{storylink|The Crossroads}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers (2007)===
====Transformers Movie Screen Cleaners====
[[File:Movie Decepticon Screencleaner.jpg|105px|thumb|Transforms your dirty screen to a clean one and — well, actually just the first thing.]]
*'''Decepticon''' (2008)
:Released by Tomy Yujin on January, this dangler is a [[Insignia|faction logo]]-shaped screen cleaner for your cell phone, with a stock image of Decepticon insignia printed on the other side.
{{--}}

==Notes==
*In the western world, the Decepticons have always been serious opponents ([[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|mostly]]). In Japan, the Decepticons are a [[Dinoforce|bunch]] [[Cyclonus (Armada)|of]] [[Thrust (Armada)|loony]] [[Thundercracker (Armada)|toons]] ([[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|mostly]]).
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Destron''' (デストロン ''Desutoron''), '''Combatron''' (''Car Robots'', コンバットロン ''Konbatoron''), '''Decepticon''' (ディセプティコン ''Diseputikon'')
*''Armenian:'' '''Deseptikonner''' (Դեսեպտիկոններ, "Decepticons")
*''Cantonese:'' '''Kwòng Pāǐ''' (Hong Kong, 狂派, "Con Faction", literally "Mad Faction" or "Crazy Clan")
*''Danish'': '''Bedragerne''' (Marvel comic, "Betrayers"), '''Bedraonerne''' (''The Transformers'' cartoon)
*''French:'' '''Decepticans''' (France ''The Transformers'' cartoon, ''Armada'' cartoon)
*''Hebrew:'' '''Shekernikim''' (שקרניקים, "Lie-niks")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Álcák''' (Marvel comic, "Disguises"), '''Decepticonok''' (toy commercial, second ''The Movie'' dub), '''Varangyok''' (first ''The Movie'' dub, "Toads"), '''Robotikák''' (''Energon'', ''Cybertron'', "Roboticas")
*''Italian:'' '''Distructors'''
*''Korean:'' '''Destron''' (데스트론 ''Deseuteuron''), '''Decepticon''' (디셉티콘 ''Diseptikon'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Decepticon''' (Taiwan, 迪賽剛 ''Dísàigāng''), '''Bàtiānhǔ''' (China, 霸天虎, "Heavenly Tyrant Tiger")
*''Polish:'' '''Deceptikon''', '''Decepcjokon''' (first ''The Movie'' dub, "Deceptiocon"), '''Dezorientac''' (''Beast Wars'', Disorientator)
*''Portuguese:'' '''Decépticos''' (Portugal comic), '''Malignus''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Decepticon''' (Десептикон)
*''Serbian:'' '''Deseptikon'''
*''Swedish:'' '''Bedragar''' (Marvel comic, "Betrayer")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Obmanoyid''' (Обманоїд, "Deceitoid"), '''Decepticon''' (Десептикон)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Alternity]]
[[Category:Animated factions]]
[[Category:Armada]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising factions]]
[[Category:Beastformers franchise]]
[[Category:Cybertron franchise]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Energon franchise]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Generation 1 factions]]
[[Category:Generation 2]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) factions]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) factions]]
[[Category:Machine Wars]]
[[Category:Micromaster]]
[[Category:Movie]]
[[Category:Operation Combination]]
[[Category:Predacon subgroups]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]
[[Category:Robotmasters]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001)]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce]]
[[Category:The Headmasters]]
[[Category:Universe (2003)]]
[[Category:Victory]]
[[Category:Zone]]

Baron Karza

2020-03-02T06:48:07Z

TailgatePrime: /* 2005 IDW continuity */

{{disambig2|the Micronauts villain|the other evil, caped space warlord with a black suit of armor|Darth Vader}}

:''Baron Karza is an [[alien]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]]''

[[File:TheNewColossus-BaronKarza.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb."]]

A ruthless tactician and would-be universal conqueror from a [[Microspace|distant dimension]], few have underestimated Baron '''Hraal Karza''' and lived to regret their mistake. His ability to [[Enerchange]] makes him a formidable and unpredictable foe; his gadget-laden suit of shapeshifting armor only adds to his fearsome reputation among his allies ''and'' enemies. Karza sees himself as the only individual capable of saving the Microverse from itself, hoping to rule over the realm with his own iron fist. There's only one thing that stands between him and total subjugation over his home—the heroic [[Micronaut]]s.

==Fiction==
===''Unit:E'' comic===
While discussing the heroes of [[Earth]], [[Synergy]] warned the young [[Acroyear (Micronaut)|Acroyear]] that he wouldn't be able to stop Baron Karza without allies. {{storylink|Unit:E (issue)|Unit:E}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{mainIDW|Baron Karza}}
[[File:Informed-Karza.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate."]]

Born and raised on the desert world of {{i|Aegis-6}}, Hraal Karza grew up amongst the mercenaries known as the {{i|Sandmen}}, quickly climbing the ranks and becoming one of the best members of the planet's warrior caste. During a subsequent rebellion on the planet {{i|Kronos}}, the current {{i|Emperor}} of Microspace contracted the Sandmen as his private guards, and over the course of the campaign the ambitious and talented Karza caught the attention of this ruler. Before long, the young Karza carved out a role for himself as an elite guardsman and eventually rose through the ranks to become the Minister of Defense in the {{i|Council of Worlds}}, creating the first [[Acroyear (Micronaut)|Acroyear]] warriors by subjecting the Sandmen to extensive behavioral and genetic modifications.

During this time, Karza met and fell in love with [[Shazraella]], the woman who would become his future wife after the two colluded to assassinate the Emperor's son and her betrothed, the {{i|Red Falcon}}. This subterfuge would drive the Emperor himself into a grief-induced state of madness, however, which only grew worse when a destructive [[entropy cloud]] began expanding from the center of Microspace, threatening to destroy their dimension entirely. Correctly realizing that the Emperor was no longer fit to rule, Karza, Shazraella, and Minister of Science {{i|Baron Daegon|Daegon}} placed the Emperor in cryo-hibernation and ruled in his place—but as the energy storm continued to worsen, a disagreement on how best to deal with the threat divided Karza and Daegon, sparking a brutal civil war between the remains of the empire. {{storylink|Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 1|Baron Karza profile}} During one particularly heated battle, Karza told one of his {{i|Acroyear II|Acroyears}} that all information from the front lines be relayed to Shazraella... unaware that his wife was in the midst of interrogating the [[Transformer]] [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], who had had her consciousness cast across time and space to learn about the crisis that threatened Microspace. {{storylink|Informed}} At some point, Karza and Shazraella used artificial reproductive technologies to conceive an "heir," a cloned daughter named [[Larissa]]. {{storylink|Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 2|Larissa profile}}

[[File:TheDivineSourceOfLiberty-BaronKarza.jpg|thumb|right|200px|No, no, no. Go past this. Pass this part. In fact, never play this again."]]

Soon afterwards, Karza discovered a mysterious object that had fallen from the heart of the entropy cloud—an aged version of his own helmet. Karza quickly deduced that the threat was not what it seemed: rather, the storm was a rift in ''time'', rather than ''space''. {{storylink|Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 1|Baron Karza profile}} Though Karza eventually felled Daegon, {{istorylink|Micronauts issue 6|Micronauts #6}} a group of Daegon's supporters calling themselves the "[[Micronaut]]s" fled into the entropy cloud after clashing with Karza's forces, and the Baron followed them into the heart of the cloud in a last-ditch effort to save his realm. The journey proved Baron's suspicions correct; while only a few days passed for the Micronauts, the random distortions of time within the cloud meant that, while only a few days passed for the Micronauts, Karza spent years lost in the cloud before finally reaching the very center of their universe and discovering a vast mechanical form: the body of their progenitor, [[Micronus Prime]]. Karza turned the dormant Cybertronian into his new base of operations and learned to tap the [[space bridge|spacebridge]] that would allow him to communicate with other universes beyond Microspace. {{storylink|Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 1|Baron Karza profile}} Karza's efforts came to fruition when he eventually glimpsed a transmission—unbeknownst to Karza, beamed into space by the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]—from an [[Earth|alien planet]] beyond his dimension. {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}}

As Karza learned more and more about [[Earth]] and its occupants, he opened contact with [[human]] military leader [[Miles Mayhem|Miles "Mayhem" Manheim]], and learned of [[Ore-13]], a mineral whose effects could potentially counteract those of the entropy storm. The two villains cut a deal, {{storylink|O Ship of State}} and in exchange for helping Mayhem with his own plans for world domination and abetting the alien [[Dire Wraith]]s, Mayhem helped Karza transfer supplies of Ore-13 back into Microspace through the space bridge, but the process remained inefficient, with forty percent of the ore lost with every transfer and the unstable remainder threatening to annihilate Earth. {{storylink|The Divine Source of Liberty}} No longer content just to ''save'' his people, he now hoped to shepherd them into a new age of prosperity under his rule. {{storylink|Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 1|Baron Karza profile}} {{istorylink|Micronauts: Revolution}}

Only a few days later—from the perspective of the Micronauts—the starship ''[[Heliopolis]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> journey into the entropy cloud had brought them within communications distance of Micronus's body. Karza hailed the ship and spoke to their leader [[Oziron Rael|Oz Rael]], expressing disbelief that they had not been claimed by the cloud and its hostile occupants. When the ship's robot [[Microtron]] informed them that Karza's signal was coming from the same energy source that they had hoped could refuel their ailing vessel, Karza welcomed them to the grave of Micronus Prime. {{istorylink|Micronauts: Revolution}}

[[File:OShipOfState-BaronKarza.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"There's only one man who would ''dare'' give me the raspberry: Lone Star!"]]

Although Miles warned him that his actions had put Earth in danger of destruction, a frustrated Karza ignored his requests to put his plan on hold; now that he had the Micronauts in a position where they were willing to ''listen'' to their arch-enemy, he had pawns of his own. Unbeknownst to the Baron, the [[Space Knight]] [[Rom]] had opened Metrotitan's Space Bridge on Earth, hurling a mass of Ore-13 through the portal to put it out of reach of the Dire Wraiths and causing it to hurtle into Microspace. Its violent detonations caused Karza to misconstrue the incident as an attack from his human ally, but gave the Micronauts the opening to fly into the spacebridge and land on Earth. {{storylink|O Ship of State}}

Soon, Wraith leader [[Caleb Awan]] betrayed Miles Mayhem during the battle for [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Autobot City]]'s supplies of Ore-13, forcing the human to summon Karza through the Cybertronian technology within [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]'s spacebridge portal. Though Awan initially scoffed at the diminutive warlord, Karza soon got the upper hand by [[enerchange|enerchanging]] with the Dire Wraiths to become into a gigantic, monstrous fusion of Microspace, Transformer, and Dire Wraith. {{storylink|The New Colossus}}

[[File:ValleyForge-MonsterKarza.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"I knew it. I'm surrounded by assholes! Keep firing, assholes!"]]

Baron Karza unleashed his full power on the assembled heroes and villains, taking advantage of Mayhem's continued attempts to mislead the forces of [[M.A.S.K.]] into attacking the Transformers while absorbing the powerful Ore-13. When the combatants realized that Karza was the true enemy behind the madness, they refocused on Karza. The colossal Baron slugged it out with [[Victorion]], only to overwhelm her by unleashing several Wraiths from within his chest. [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] ordered Metrotitan into the air, but Karza managed to grab [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] in his hand before the Prime could be airlifted to safety. Realizing that he'd been betrayed, Mayhem rammed his [[Switchblade (M.A.S.K.)|Switchblade]] into the monster, loosening Karza's grip on the Autobot. Karza tumbled to the ground, where [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]], [[Rom]], the [[Micronaut]]s, [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]], and [[Matt Trakker]] used the exploding spacebridge to send the defeated villain back into Microspace. {{storylink|Valley Forge}}

A Microspacian year later, Shazraella convinced Karza to abandon Microspace in favour of colonizing Earth as a new home for Microspace's people. Though initially hesitant, Karza ultimately agreed sending advance strike forces that neutralized [[M.A.S.K.]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. While in the Entropy Cloud, Karza reflected on the cause of the Cloud before he decided to take the ultimate risk and enerchange with Micronus Prime. While the fusion granted Karza immense power, Micronus's formidable persona was also overpowering his own with the Baron feeling his own persona ebbing away. Returning to [[Monument Valley]], the site where he had last been defeated by Optimus and the united heroes of Earth, Karza easily dispatched the Autobot leader, [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]], and [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] before he set out to find the Micronauts. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 1|Wrath of Karza #1}}

[[File:WrathofKarza01-Karzacronus.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Say goodbye to your two best friends, and I ''don't'' mean your pals in the Winnebago!"]]

After placing the Autobots in a special prison, {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 4|Wrath of Karza #4}} Karza set up a base in [[New York City]]. From there he watched his military campaigns and confessed to his reluctance to exterminate humanity before a {{i|Repto}} reported in on [[Larissa]]'s demise. In a rage, Karza slew the beast and conceded Shazraella's point. {{istorylink|Wrath of Karza issue 2|Wrath of Karza #2}} Karza then contacted several of Earth's super-villains and offered them the chance to pledge their loyalty to him in exchange for him sparing human civilization. Not one agreed to his terms but Karza was unconcerned, confident that the power of Micronus Prime was superior to anything on Earth. {{istorylink|Wrath of Karza issue 3|Wrath of Karza #3}}

The Micronauts later came to confront Karza in New York but he held them off until the [[Autobot]]s arrived. At that point, he simply called forth his Acroyear army...which turned on him when [[Acroyear (Micronaut)|Acroyear]] overcame his conditioning. Unwilling to allow his foes such an advantage, Karza destroyed the army via a failsafe before Shazraella arrived, cloaked in armor reminiscent of his own and wreathed in {{i|Time Traveller}} energy. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 4|Wrath of Karza #4}} Despite his protests that Shazraella had overstepped her power, he was interrupted when Optimus Prime intervened, before Enerchanging with the body of Micronus once more to battle the Transformers. As Shazraella's new powers began warping time and space, however, Karza realized that they needed to refocus on the true threat: Shazraella's Time Traveller powers threatened to unleash another entropy storm on this universe.

Optimus agreed to a truce, and, as the Autobots swung into action against Shazraella, Karza made one last plea with his wife to stop what she was doing—unaware that Shazraella had merged with the mad Time Traveller ''responsible'' for the entropy storm in the first place, and now believed that their future lay within it. Using her power, she was able to forcibly separate Karza's body from Micronus, and though Karza was saved from immediate death by Larissa, he was powerless to stop his wife from bringing about the end of everything... until Oziron Rael, having recently ascended to become a Time Traveller himself, returned, splitting Shazraella and her Time Traveller apart and sealing both Karza and Shazraella within separate energy fields before repairing the damage caused by the entropy storm.

In the aftermath, Karza found himself on the outskirts of Smithton, [[Illinois]], where, despite everything, he still clung to the idea of saving Microspace... {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 5|Wrath of Karza #5}}
{{-}}

===''Aw Yeah Revolution!''===
[[File:AwYeah1-Karza.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Even in the ''future'', nothing works!"]]
Ruling over Microspace alongside his friend [[Andromeda (Micronauts)|Andromeda]], Baron Karza was an avid fan of various [[Hasbro]] characters, most notably his personal hero [[Snake-Eyes]], and collected comics detailing their adventures. On one occasion, the Baron opted to travel to Earth so as to steal the [[Orbsah Gem]] , kidnapping [[Rom]] and Snake-Eyes along the way. After stealing the gem, Karza absconded with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], planning to use the mysterious gem to claim their various powers for his own. {{storylink|Aw Yeah Revolution! issue 1|Aw Yeah Revolution! #1}} He was opposed by the Micronauts, who recognized that the presence of the comparatively gargantuan figures would destabilize their universe, and despite coopting Optimus Prime's powers to clobber [[Biotron]], his captives were freed; though Karza escaped through a nearby portal, Optimus caught him as he left, and the two wound up near a [[Cobra]] base. Karza promptly teamed up with the human supervillains, who defeated the Autobot leader and reprogrammed him into a Cobra warrior, and thanks to the temporal distortion between Microspace and the regular universe, the Micronauts arrived too late to stop him. {{storylink|Aw Yeah Revolution! issue 2|Aw Yeah Revolution! #2}}

Though Rom, [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and the Micronauts took on Optimus and were able to restore him to his senses, Karza used the Orbsah Gem to grow to a colossal size, unaware that this new shape put him directly in the path of an oncoming asteroid full of [[Dire Wraith]]s, knocking him flat on his back. Acroyear took advantage of this to seize the gem and return Karza to normal, and though Karza attempted to battle his foe they were both banished back to Microspace by [[Destro]], who had taken control of the Orbsah Gem in the interim. {{storylink|Aw Yeah Revolution! issue 3|Aw Yeah Revolution! #3}}

===When Worlds Collide===
Baron Karza was one of the many villains who joined [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] when the Decepticon leader stole the [[Matrix of Leadership]], facing off against Acroyear. {{storylink|When Worlds Collide}}

==External links==
*[http://www.innerspaceonline.com/bk.htm Baron Karza at Inner Space Online]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karza}}
[[Category:Generation 1 aliens]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) aliens]]
[[Category:Micronauts properties]]

Eagle Eye (G2)

2020-02-25T02:53:12Z

TailgatePrime: /* Wings Universe */

{{factions|decepticong2|decepticon|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 2 Decepticon Skyscorcher|the Generation 1 Autobot Micromaster who is sometimes the same character as this guy|Eagle Eye (G1)}}
{{disambig3|Hawk}}
:''Eagle Eye is a [[Decepticon]] [[Skyscorcher]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:EagleEyeG2-card.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Litter on the highway and he cries. Then shoots your ass.]]
The infiltrator of the [[Skyscorcher]] team, '''Eagle Eye''' (aka '''Hawk''') really, really hates those [[Autobot]]s. He likes nothing more than smashing them to bits or blowing them up from afar. Seems to be a recurring theme among Decepticons from that era.

==Fiction==
===Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic===
[[File:EagleEye-UKG2comic.jpg|left|thumb|DON'T TAKE HIM AWAY HE'S A GOOD MAAAAN!]]
Hawk was part of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon's]] forces sent to [[Earth]] to smash stuff as a ploy to draw out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}} When [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] appeared to take back Decepticon leadership, [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] retrieved Hawk and [[Terradive (G2)|Terradive]], who were attacking a squad of [[Autobot]]s, so they could tackle Megatron.

Things didn't go too well for Hawk then. He got shot down by [[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]], and taken prisoner by the Autobots. {{storylink|War Zone}}
{{-}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[File:G2Redux-EagleEyevsTurbofire.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
As a "second generation" of Transformers arose on Earth in the [[Cyberfactory]], Eagle Eye was one of many Transformers "born" as an official citizen of Earth. Despite being created with no faction in mind, Eagle Eye and many other Earth-born Cybertronians (including his fellow [[Skyscorcher]]s) chose to become a new faction of Decepticons, the Syndicate. Under the Texan [[Clench (G1)|Clench]]'s leadership, he was seen battling against the Autobot [[Turbofire]]. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

[[File:EagleEyeseesJhiaxus-ACommonFoe.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
During Jhiaxus’s invasion of Cybertron, Eagle Eyes stood by at the ready as part of a joint team of Autobots and Decepticons, awaiting Obsidian’s signal for their time to fight back. Once the signal came, they teleported to Cybertron and started beating on some drones. In the heat of the moment, he exclaimed "DIE, AUTOBOTS! DIE! DIE!!" He clarified he only meant the [[Prowl drone]]s when he was met with horrified looks by his Autobot allies. He was the one who managed to spot Jhiaxus on the battlefield, signalling his allies to his coordinates. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}
{{-}}

===''Regeneration One''===
[[File:Skyscorchers loose ends.jpg|right|thumb]]
With the team stuck in a siege inside the [[Pax Cybertronia Decommissioning Depot]] in [[Kalis]], [[Windrazor (G2)|Windrazor]] had Eagle Eye scan the cobalt-60 warhead of a [[Warbird (weapon)|Warbird]] missile to see if it would be possible to rig the detonator for a localised, diversionary explosion. Eagle-Eye confirmed it was and it would've been his job to trigger it if [[Venom (G1)|Venom]] hadn't ''WRUP''ped him to death, to create a "martyr" for the Neo-Decepticon cause. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}
{{-}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
[[File:Badlands Hawk Eagle Eye.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|It's not just ''Beast Wars'' guys who get retconned into upgrades!]]
{{main|Eagle Eye (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
{{note|In [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Japanese Generation 1 continuity]], Eagle Eye the Generation 1 Autobot and Eagle Eye the ''Generation 2'' Decepticon are one and the same individual. For full details of Eagle Eye's exploits in that continuity, see the above-linked article.}}
After leaving the Autobots in favor of [[Scrash (OC)|Scrash]]'s [[Decepticon]]s, Eagle Eye was upgraded into a new body and tasked with locating the Decepticon fugitive [[Magnificus (G1)|Magnificus]]. Using the alias of "Hawk", he located Magnificus in a fight with Oilmaster, and dispatched his opponent before inviting Magnificus to join Scrash's faction. {{storylink|Badlands (issue)|Badlands}}

Eagle Eye was later stationed on Metrotitan, and took part in an attack on Scramble City before being driven off by a reborn Metroplex. {{Storylink|Metrowars}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===The Transformers===
[[File:G2-toy EagleEye.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|From a brick with arms to a brick with a jet on top. Amazing.]]
*'''Hawk''' (Skyscorcher, 1993)
**''Accessories'': Radar array/rifle

:Hawk transforms into a Eurofighter Typhoon jet. His under-slung radar system becomes a non-firing handheld gun in robot mode.

:He was originally sold in the European market in 1993 as part of the "transitional" line that used the ''Generation 2'' [[insignia]]s, but lacked the new subline name. He was later released in the United States, with no notable changes beyond a new name, as part of the ''Generation 2'' line. He was then later ''re''-released in the European version of ''Generation 2'' in 1994.

:This toy is [[gang-molding|gang-molded]] with [[Terradive (G2)|Terradive]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Decepticon/EagleEye/eagleeye.htm More information on Hawk/Eagle Eye at TFU.info]''

===Generation 2===
*'''Eagle Eye'''/'''Hawk''' (Skyscorcher, 1993/1994)
**''Accessories'': Radar array/rifle

:Released in the United States in 1993, ''Generation 2'' Eagle Eye is identical to the concurrent European "Generation 1" Hawk toy. Hawk was re-released in the European ''Generation 2'' line the following year.
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Eagle Eye is the only Skyscorcher who has not been revealed as part of the canceled ''[[Block Town]]'' series from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. Since he is gang-molded with [[Terradive (G2)|Terradive]], a ''Block Town'' Eagle Eye would likely have been simply a lighter green, with a blue tailfin.
*Though Eagle Eye was never released in Japan, he did gain a Japanese name via a [[BotCon Japan 1997]] [[exclusive]] poster, which featured bios for all of the new ''Generation 2'' characters released in the U.S. who weren't part of the Japanese line: the [[Axelerator]]s, the [[Skyscorcher]]s, [[Rotor Force]], four of the [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]], and the [[Color Changer]]s.
*Eagle Eye's body in the ''Timelines'' comic "[[A Common Foe]]" uses the ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Starscream (Armada)#Generations|Armada Starscream]] mold with a head that matches his original design.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Hawking''' (ホーキング ''Hōkingu''), '''Hawk''' ("[[Badlands (issue)|Badlands]]", ホーク ''Hōku'')
*''Italian:'' '''Pyton''' ("Python")

[[Category:European-original Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

First Contact (IDW)

2019-10-13T04:45:15Z

TailgatePrime: /* Continuity notes */

{{disambig2|the [[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]] prologue from [[IDW Publishing]]|the first chapter of ''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate|The Battle of the Star Gate]]'' manga|First Contact (Star Gate)}}

{{Comicstory
|series=exrid|issueno=39
|seriesissue2=[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]] Opening Salvo
|prev=The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati
|next=The Possible Light
|next2=The Sum and Its Parts
|caption=
|image=TF39 regcvr.jpg
|title="First Contact"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 18]], [[2015]]
|coverdate=March 2015
|story by=[[Mairghread Scott]] and [[John Barber]]
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Livio Ramondelli]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}

'''Optimus Prime and Windblade make preparations to establish peaceful contact with Caminus, but Starscream has his own plans for the colony world... plans that involve the Enigma of Combination!'''

==Synopsis==
It's a hot night on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], as [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] returns from [[Earth]] to deliver the [[Enigma of Combination]] into [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]'s waiting hands...

Making their way through the [[Decepticon]] ghetto on the outskirts of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] are attacked by a group of malcontents, including the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], who are unhappy to see [[Autobot]]s on their territory. [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] watches the fight from nearby, enjoying the show, until [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] and [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] appear from the shadows behind him. A little show of force from Chromia ends the fight, and after Ironhide and Optimus reconnect, Windblade asks to speak to them all in private. Swindle watches them depart, only to then find himself surrounded by the Stunticons, who still hold a grudge over the time he forged them into a barely-functional combiner on Earth. Swindle brushes them off, and heads off to get a drink.

Windblade and the others take Prime to meet with [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] in the bowels of Metroplex, where they explain that Metroplex's [[space bridge]] is now functional and poised to re-established contact with [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] and the other lost colony worlds. Aware that Starscream has Wheeljack repairing [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], and concerned that he may exploit the space bridge to create a new Cybertronian empire by having the combiner ''conquer'' the stricken colony worlds rather than aid them, Prime appoints Chromia and Ironhide to guard the space bridge while he and Windblade talk to Starscream directly. Starscream, meanwhile, is spending time picking out a new body for himself, much to Scoop's annoyance, but is happy to talk with his two Autobot guests when they reveal to him that the space bridge is operational. Starscream insists that Superion's repairs be completed before contacting Caminus, in the name of "security", and although Windblade and Prime claim it unnecessary, he refuses to negotiate otherwise, highlighting the fact that Prime already has a combiner working for ''him'' by showing them footage of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] rampaging on Earth. An angry Optimus starts to warn Starscream that he has no right to issue orders to a Prime, but Starscream retorts that he was ''elected'' by his people, and that the Prime title—and, indeed, the very fact that that title was all it took to make him leader—are representative of the problematic old ways of Cybertronian society they are trying to move beyond. Unable to actually disagree, Prime relents, but insists that a council of representatives from each world must be formed once contact is made, and a constitution established for Cybertron.

Some time later, Starscream and Scoop visit Wheeljack as he continues his work on Superion, and present him with the Enigma of Combination to speed his work to conclusion. Not long after that, Starscream tracks down Swindle and brings him into the fold with a simple offer to make him rich. Entrusted with the Enigma, Swindle is sent to the Stunticons' bolt-hole, arriving just as they are trying to explain how different things are nowadays to their new teammate [[Offroad]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] is none too pleased to see the slimy [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]], but the sight of the Enigma changes things...

Optimus Prime contacts the ''[[Lost Light]]'' to invite [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] back to Cybertron for the momentous first contact with Caminus, but Rodimus is only annoyed by the prospect—after all, what sort of quest involves going home for a while and then starting up again?—and it is instead agreed that some representatives from the ship will return to their homeworld via shuttle. No sooner has the call ended, however, than Windblade detects a change in Metroplex's frequencies that alerts them to trouble: Ironhide and Chromia have been knocked unconscious, and someone has gone through the space bridge!

Across the galaxy, it's a hot night on Caminus... as Swindle emerges through the space bridge with the new and improved [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and prepares to rob the planet blind!

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (11)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (13)
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (17)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] (18)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] (19)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (hologram, 21)
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (22)
*[[Alpha Bravo]] (23)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (24)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (25)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] (26)
*[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] (27)

|c2=
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (4)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (5)
*[[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] (6)
*[[Blackjack]] (7)
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (8)
*[[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] (9)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (10)
*[[Battletrap]] (12)
*[[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] (14)
*[[Offroad]] (15)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (30)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] (2)
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (3)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (16)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (20)
*[[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]] (28)
*[[Hot Shot (Henkei!)|Hot Shot]] (29)
}}

==Quotes==
"They were '''like that''' when I '''found''' 'em! '''Optimus Prime''' and '''Windblade''' were talking down the street. A bunch o' '''Decepticons''' got in their faces. An' you know who wins in a fight like '''that'''? The '''viewer.'''"
:—'''Swindle'''

"I '''really''' thought you were going to beat Optimus Prime. I mean, I know literally '''millions''' of Decepticons have tried for literally '''millions''' of years, but I seriously thought '''tonight''' was the '''night''', bud."
:—'''Swindle''' gets sarcastic with '''Motormaster'''

"How can you '''waste time''' like this, Starscream?" 
"'''Scoop''', my friend, what '''am''' I?" 
"You know." 
"'''Say''' it." 
"''Grrr.'''" 
"'''Scoop...?" 
"The '''Chosen One'''." 
"I '''am''' the Chosen One. A '''Titan''' said so, and the people of Cybertron '''agreed'''. You don't get '''chosen''' without making good decision, ergo, '''choosing a fresh new me''' is by definition a good idea. Hey, nobody ever said you have to '''like''' the one you '''believe in''', right '''Scoopster'''?"
:—'''Scoop''' and '''Starscream'''

"'Saving the Aerialbots is a '''worthy goal.''' Do your best.' Thanks, Prime. '''I'm''' glad to see me alive and kicking, too."
:—'''Wheeljack''', muttering to himself

"'''Seriously?''' We, like, '''just left'''. We came home, we saved the '''universe''', you made '''Megatron''' an '''Autobot'''—remember '''that'''? That was probably a '''lot easier''' a thing to '''live with''' if you don't have to '''actually live with it''' because he's on a space ship half a galaxy away—and we '''resumed''' our '''quest'''. You '''get''' what a '''quest''' is, right? You don't '''start''' a quest, take a '''few days off''' and go home, then '''restart''' a '''quest'''. If you do '''that,''' the quest never '''ends.'''" 
"The quest never '''starts.'''" 
"'''The quest never starts!''' Thank you, '''Magnus'''."
:—'''Rodimus''' and '''Ultra Magnus'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This issue occurs directly after ''[[The Transformers: Punishment|Punishment]]''; Windblade and Optimus are returning from their visit to the site of Optimus's transformation from Pax to Prime.
*Ironhide reminisces about his time spent teaching Optimus, detailed back in [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|''All Hail Megatron'' #13]].
*A minor point, but it is finally revealed that Optimus still has both halves of the Matrix container. He was only ever shown giving away the crystal core halves in [[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|''The Death of Optimus Prime'']], and one half of the container abruptly reappeared in [[Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|issue #29]] when Prime reclaimed [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]]'s half.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] is revealed to have abandoned the Stunticons, his spot on the team having been filled by Offroad, because the [[Combiner Wars (toyline)|''Combiner Wars'' toy line]] featured a toy named "Offroad" in Wildrider's place, and this comic story's main purpose is [[to sell toys]].
*The Stunticons are still mad at Swindle over how badly their first combination into Menasor went, back in [[Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|issues #5]]-[[Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|6]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|2009-2011 ongoing series]].
*The activation of Metroplex's space bridge, the discovery of the colonies, and Chromia's "rash actions" all took place in [[Windblade issue 4|issue #4]] of the [[The Transformers: Windblade|first ''Windblade'' mini-series]].
*It is revealed that there were thirteen [[Titan (group)|Metrotitan]] colony ships, which implies a connection to the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]], and/or their [[Thirteen Tribes]], who were established in [[The Crucible|issue #34]] to have vanished from Cybertron. Though later issues will reveal that [[Solus Prime]] and [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]] apparently departed with two of the colony Titans, is evident that not ''all'' of the Thirteen each left with one of the Titans—the planets the Thirteen settled on were the worlds later seeded with [[Regenesis]] ores, and the Regensis worlds we have seen are separate from the colony worlds.
*This isn't the first time Starscream pretends not to remember [[Earth]]'s name; he did the same when Optimus arrived on Cybertron in ''Punishment''. Just like then, Optimus reminds Starscream that he knows the place—Starscream has spent quite an amount of time there, beginning all the way back in ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'' up until the end of ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''.
*Regarding the reason for Wildrider's departure from the Stunticons, Dead End refers to an incident when the Stunticons were all defeated by "one Autobot"—no surprise he doesn't mention ''which'' Autobot, since it was [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]], in ''[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]''!

===Transformers references===
[[File:TF39 starscream 5bodies evolution.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75]]
*Having already stolen [[Starscream (Armada)|''Armada'' Starscream]]'s look, Starscream's list of potential new bodies (pictured, right) consists of all the other major alternate [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscreams]]: [[Starscream (BWII)|''Beast Wars II'' Starscream]] (which is the one he seems to be referring to when he mentions a body having "bestial power", wink wink), [[Starscream (Animated)|''Animated'' Starscream]], [[Starscream (WFC)|''Prime'' Starscream]], and ''juuust'' poking in on the left-hand side, [[Starscream (Movie)|live-action movie Starscream]]. The design in the center, which had been revealed through solicitations for future issues as the one he'll end up going with, is Starscream's own ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Leader Class figure—a toy that hadn't actually been officially confirmed by [[Hasbro]] as existing at the time of this issue's publication.
*Menasor and the Stunticons all now appear with their new ''Generations Combiner Wars'' toy designs. While the Enigma could be blamed for Menasor's new form, no explanation is offered for how the Stunticons have changed their bodies—though that wouldn't have been an issue with IDW comics a few years prior, body changes ''are'' usually addressed in-story these days, and it's especially odd for a bunch of guys living in a ghetto to have been able to accomplish it.
*Among the crowd of Camiens at the end of this issue are a new Generation 1 incarnation of [[Lightbright (Animated)|''Animated'' Lightbright]], and the Generation 1 [[Hot Shot (Henkei!)|counterpart]] of [[Hot Shot (Armada)|''Armada'' Hot Shot]]. Hot Shot has appeared in 2005 IDW continuity before, dying in [[Drift issue 2|''Drift'' #2]] in an artist's Easter-egg cameo we can certainly write off at this point, and in the alternate timeline seen in [[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|''More than Meets the Eye'' #35]].

===Errors===
* The simplified summary of Chromia's actions from ''Windblade'' #4 on this issue's recap page claims she "inadvertently" killed innocent Cybertronians, when said issue made it perfectly clear she knew ''exactly'' what she was doing.

===Other notes===
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] is not in evidence at any point during the story, only appearing as Menasor's arm on the final page. It seems sort of like new member Blackjack has (accidentally?) been drawn in his place, given that he talks as if he was a regular member of the team around in the "old days", which he certainly wasn't. And speaking of Blackjack...
*Soooo... obviously, Blackjack's appearance in this story is a toy-mandated thing and unavoidable, but the character has previously appeared in IDW continuity in his original [[Micromaster]] form, as one of the [[Gorlam Prime|Gorlamites]] upgraded by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. This happened before when [[Dropshot (G1)|Dropshot]] appeared in [[All Hail Megatron issue 11|''All Hail Megatron'' #11]] and when [[Tailwind (G1)|Tailwind]] appeared in [[Before & After|''More than Meets the Eye'' #12]].

===Covers (10)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Menasor reaches for Optimus Prime, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Optimus and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] leg it as Superion gets ready for battle, by [[Livio Ramondelli]]; combines with subscription cover to [[The Sum and Its Parts|''Windblade'' #1]] to form a complete image.
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Swindle in Menasor's palm, by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
*'''Hasbro exclusive cover:''' Artwork of [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generations|Ironhide]] by [[Ken Christiansen]] and [[Volta]], based on his ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]] [[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Deluxe Class toy, available with said toy in the United States, Australia, and Asia. Rebranded as ''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]'' #15.
<gallery>
File:TF39 regcvr.jpg|I must break you!
File:TF39 subcvr.jpg|You don't wanna be here when these guys start fighting!
File:TF39 cvrRI.jpg|Swindle sold himself to Menasor.
File:CW Ironhide cvr.jpg|Hasbro exclusive cover available with Ironhide toy.
</gallery>

*A piece of art by [[Travis Sengaus]], with colors by [[Josh Burcham]], of Superion was used as the basis for a number of store-exclusive covers. Credits below reflect who illustrated the store on the cover:
:*'''BuyMeToys exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://buymetoys.com/catalog/ BuyMeToys] store; art by Sengaus, colors by Burcham
:*'''Giant Robot Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://www.giantrobotcomics.com/ Giant Robot Comics] store; art and colors by Burcham
:*'''Midtown Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://www.midtowncomics.com/ Midtown Comics] store; art by Sengaus, colors by Burcham
:*'''Midtown Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://www.4colorfantasies.com/ 4 Color Fantasies Comics] store; art and colors by Burcham
:*'''St. Mark's Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://www.stmarkscomics.com/ St. Mark's Comics] store; art by Sengaus, colors by Burcham
:*'''G & B Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://comic.com.sg G & B Comics] store; art and colors by Burcham
<gallery>
File:TF39 cvrRE A.jpg|Cover RE-A
File:TF39 cvrRE B.jpg|Cover RE-B
File:TF39 cvrRE C.jpg|Cover RE-C
File:TF39 cvrRE D.jpg|Cover RE-D
File:TF39 cvrRE E.jpg|Cover RE-E
File:TF39 cvrRE F.jpg|Cover RE-F
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' [[The Sum and Its Parts|#1 - Combiner Wars, Part 1]]
*''The Transformers'' [[The Possible Light|#40 - Combiner Wars, Part 2]]
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' [[Expelled from the Garden|#6]]
*''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection'' Vol. 1 (back cover)

===Reprints===
*'''''The Transformers: Combiner Wars''''' ([[August 12]], [[2015]]) ISBN 1631403869 / ISBN 978-1631403866
:*Contains issues #39 to #41, as well as the issues #1 to #3 of ''[[The Transformers: Windblade]]'' Volume 2.
:*Bonus material: cover gallery.

*'''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 65: Combiner Wars''''' ([[October 31]], [[2018]])
:*Hardcover collection of ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #39 to #42, as well as ''[[The Transformers: Windblade]]'' vol. 2 issues #1 to #4.
:*Bonus content includes an article on the [[Prime Wars Trilogy]].

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9]]''''' ([[June 19]], [[2019]]) ISBN 1684054842 / ISBN 978-1684054848
:*Contains issues #39 to #43, ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' issues #41 to #44, and ''Windblade'' vol. 2 issues #1 to #5

<gallery>
File:CW-TPB.jpg|'''''The Transformers: Combiner Wars'''; cover art by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v65.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 65: Combiner Wars'''''; cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Defensor) and [[Livio Ramondelli]] (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V9.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9'''''; cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*[http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/transformers-39-idw-2015 Preview]

[[Category:Combiner Wars issues]]

Brainstorm (G1)

2019-10-05T03:10:38Z

TailgatePrime: /* Regeneration One */

{{factions|autobot|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Brainstorm}}
{{suite}}
:''Brainstorm is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] and one of the most <s>famous</s> notorious inventors from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Brainstormg1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|If a job's worth doing, it's worth OVERDOING!]]
'''Brainstorm''' (aka '''Genitus'''<ref name="genitus">"Genitus" was Brainstorm's original name in the [[2005 IDW continuity]]. First alluded to in ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'' when [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] clarified that "Brainstorm" was essentially just a "nickname", it was eventually revealed in ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]] to be "Genitus of Operation: Solar Storm".</ref> and '''Charon'''<ref name="charon">"Charon" was a subsitute name for the ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Brainstorm toy from the "Titan Force" three-pack, which only affected the official Hasbro-approved United Kingdom release of the set through A1 Toys, via an applied sticker featuring the new name covering up the name "Brainstorm", because the latter was already [[trademark]]ed by an actual toy company named "Brainstorm" in the UK. The United States [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]/[[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2016 exclusive release and the Canadian and Asian market releases of the set didn't require a stickered up name, and just called the toy "Brainstorm" as originally intended.</ref>) is a never-ending font of ideas. Whether he's in the middle of a battle or consciously working on another of his projects, new ideas are the background noise of his mind, sometimes to such an extent that his brain will overheat. In his zeal to see these ideas realized, Brainstorm sometimes forgets about things like "basic safety" and "proper experimental procedure". He will happily hand out new and untested inventions to less-than-responsible comrades for field-testing. His inventions range from useful biotechnology, to [[Metafictional bomb|outlandish anti-personnel weaponry]], to [[Time case|devices that harness the bizarre and unthinkable]].

Brainstorm is at least partly responsible for developing the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] process. It's sometimes hard to tell how much of it was his doing and how much was his Headmaster partner [[Arcana]]'s, the two work together so seamlessly.

{{note|Brainstorm was quite different in Japan's [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|''The Headmasters'' animated series]]. See below for details.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Brainstormtrialbyfire.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|He's green, dammit! Green!]]
After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his troops aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] went missing, Brainstorm was one of several under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]]. Their faction was mired in a seemingly endless war with a band of [[Decepticon]]s led by [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]], in a struggle so pointless and self-perpetuating that Fortress Maximus decided to leave [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and its war and settle on the peaceful planet [[Nebulos]]. Brainstorm followed Fortress Maximus' lead, building the ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'' and departing their war-torn home.

It would not be so easy. The [[Nebulan]]s were xenophobic towards the strange robots which invaded their world, and after several missteps in communication, Fortress Maximus, Brainstorm, and a handful of others surrendered their heads as hopeful proof of their benevolence and compliance. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[File:Brainstormworldsapart.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Brainstorm would rather fight and die than live with the knowledge that he ran.]]
When the Decepticons arrived on Nebulos, Fortress Maximus and Brainstorm's heads convinced [[Galen]] to attempt the creation of hybrid warriors through a bio-mechanical engineering process. An experimental surgeon named [[Arcana]] constructed the necessary equipment based on the Autobots' theories and underwent the process himself along with several other Nebulans, [[binary bonding]] with Brainstorm. Together, the Autobots and their Nebulan partners were able to force the aggressors into a retreat, with Brainstorm and Arcana taking on Scorponok himself during the skirmish. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} ''During his recollection of this battle, [[Stylor]] pointed out that Arcana and Brainstorm had been especially effective thanks to their amazing speed.'' {{storylink|Stylor's Story}}

''During an adventure that happened at some unspecified point that was logically impossible given the circumstances, Brainstorm and the other Autobot Headmasters fought the Decepticon [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] while the Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] were held captive by the Decepticons. Mindwipe hypnotized Brainstorm, causing him to crash into [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], but the others were able to pick up the slack and overcome the enemy. Despite the victory coming a bit too easily, Brainstorm insisted they press on, as the Autobot Targetmasters were being held as Decepticon prisoners. The four attacked the Decepticons' [[Fortress of Despair]] where Brainstorm quickly located the captive Autobots, only to be ambushed by Scorponok and more of his lackeys. The Autobots learned that the Decepticons had thrown the earlier fight to lure them into Scorponok's trap; he was having trouble replicating the Headmaster process, and he planed to dissect them to work out its finer intricacies. Though overwhelmed at first, the Headmasters managed to free their brethren, bolstering their numbers. Because the Autobots learned to work together with their new Nebulan partners, they were able to send Scorponok fleeing.'' {{storylink|Worlds Apart!}}

The Decepticons continued to sow destruction across the globe, and next attacked the city-resort of [[Splendora]]. Brainstorm and Hardhead assisted the Technobots in defeating both the Terrorcons and Horrorcons there, though Splendora lay in ruins in the battle's aftermath. Following this pyrrhic victory, the Autobots came under heavy scrutiny from the Nebulan authorities. While Arcana and the others met with representatives from Nebulos's Council of Peers, they received a message alerting them that [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]] was among a group taken captive by the Decepticons. The Headmasters once more sped off to meet the Decepticons in battle and rescue their captives. Upon their arrival however, the Autobots realized that the "captives" had allied themselves with Scorponok, forming a new team of evil Headmasters! In the battle that ensued, Brainstorm was defeated by a shot to the chest. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}} The new Headmasters managed to drive off the Decepticons, but also inadvertently created a new "arms race", as the Decepticons later created Headmasters of their own, and both sides also implemented Targetmaster warriors as well. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Fortress Maximus once made a vid-phone call to Brainstorm and Arcana's workshop, and the two eggheads managed to invent a new, smaller, and more efficient vid-phone between the conversation's beginning and its end. They later worked together to design a fuel convertor to get the Autobots to Earth aboard ''Steelhaven''. However, this device was stolen through Decepticon trickery.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Fearing things could only get worse for Nebulos, Fortress Maximus and Galen took the excuse of an intercepted distress signal from Earth to abandon Nebulos and prevent the war from causing any further harm to the planet. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

On the way to Earth, Brainstorm and Chromedome worked together to re-engineer Fortress Maximus to be larger and stronger than ever before. Their leader now a veritable war machine, Brainstorm put Galen through the paces of testing out his new form. Then, he and Arcana managed to triangulate the Autobot signal to [[Mount St. Hilary]]. Meeting up with [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] there (who's mind had been transplanted into a [[Toy Soldiers!|toy car]]) and learning from him that his human friend had been captured by the Decepticons, Brainstorm suggested they rescue the "Earthen." But Maximus was eager to instead continue seeking out their fellow Autobots. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], the aforementioned human's older brother, emerged from a hiding spot, and implored the Autobots to help in finding his [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|younger sibling]]. Despite refusing him outright at first, Maximus fought to defend the boy from the Decepticons when they too arrived on Earth. This led to the death of Galen, and Spike taking over as controller of Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

As the ''Steelhaven'' orbited the Earth, Brainstorm was kept busy building [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] a new body and repairing the injured Fortress Maximus. Goldbug was completed first, and so Brainstorm advised him to head out into the field when the Autobots intercepted a call made on behalf of "Optimus Prime," the legendary Autobot leader long-thought dead. Goldbug reported more than just making contact with Optimus: he also beamed back data from the Decepticons' genetics lab, detailing how to create [[Pretender]] warriors. Brainstorm enlisted six volunteers to undergo the process, and with them created the Autobot Pretenders. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Unfortunately, Brainstorm's projects used up most of the group's available resources and prevented the proper recreation of Optimus Prime. The project proceeded despite Brainstorm's accurate warnings of failure. Afterwards, Maximus's crew made contact with another team of Autobots, under the leadership of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. The latter proved to be overtly hostile and eager to defend his position as supreme leader of the Autobots. Brainstorm was forced to watch as the cruel [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] took [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] prisoner, seeing as the little 'bot was considered a fugitive from his forces. But a challenger soon arose to contest Grimlock's position, and Brainstorm was audience to Blaster battling the Dinobot on the surface of the Earth's moon. The proceedings were interrupted by a Decepticon attack, which convinced the two duelists to momentarily put their differences aside to lead the troops together, allowing the Autobots to send [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s forces into a retreat. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:Tastybrainstorm.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Can Unicron detect how much cinnamon is packed into every bite of Brainstorm?]]
''Brainstorm was displaced to [[Limbo]] along with a handful of other Autobots when [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] traveled to the past with a group of Autobots of his own.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}} Later, he was one of the victims of a rogue Autobot [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]], which resulted in him being thrown from the Ark and landing at the feet of Optimus Prime. Brainstorm's flaming body helped contribute to the Autobot leader regaining his desire to fight. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Brainstorm was killed when [[Unicron]] ravaged Cybertron in [[1991]]. Even Brainstorm's vast intellect failed him when confronted with the devil himself, so he simply screamed and shot desperately until Unicron scooped him up and ate him. By Unicron's own admission, Brainstorm was quite tasty. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Brainstorm project lazarus loose ends.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"I've been asleep ''how long''?! Why did I even invent the alarm clock if no one's going to ''freaking set it''?!]]
Twenty-one years after the death of Arcana and destruction of Brainstorm's original body, Nebulos had signed an [[Interplanetary Trade Treaty]] with Cybertron, which included [[Project Lazarus]]—a project to build new bodies for the original heads of the now-deceased Headmasters. Grimlock reviewed transmissions in which Senior Scientist [[Borx]] explained that the initial attempts had led to extreme pain and complete rejection of the new bodies, including footage of a disastrous attempt at integrating Brainstorm's head with a new body, until data from Zarak's old files improved the process. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}}

[[File:Autobot headmasters natural selecton.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"They took off my faceplate and painted me blue."]]
However, this "unauthorised" decryption awakened the original head of Scorponok. Aided by knowledge gleaned from his binary bond with the deceased Zarak, he was able to enslave the Nebulans, complete Project Lazarus, and have them build a "mint replica of [his] original body". {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}} With the aid of Grimlock's [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]-soaked [[CNA]], who he had captured while seeking a new body for himself and the other Nucleon victims, he completed another project—to create a "[[Gene Key]]" which could mute the consciences of Autobots, turning them into "Decepticons". The rebuilt Brainstorm—whose faceplate had apparently been forcibly removed, leaving a discolored lower face—was one of the three subjects he demonstrated this on, along with [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], and as soon as they were freed, they proceeded to attack Grimlock for wearing an Autobot symbol. After Brainstorm had been chucked around a bit by Grimlock, Scorponok stopped them, as Grimlock was now working for him under blackmail anyway. They proceeded to travel to Cybertron to begin converting the populace into Decepticons. As soon as they landed at [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s [[Civil Defense Hub]], the twisted Autobots shot the shocked [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] in the face. Leaving him for dead, they then marched in and began killing [[Cybertronian Civil Defense|Civil Defense Force]] members until the coast was clear for Scorponok. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}}

[[File:Autobot headmasters destiny.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
Later, he stormed through Iacon, turning Autobots with the Gene Key, blindsiding [[Overdrive]] amongst others. As the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]] roared away, eager to cause chaos, Brainstorm turned on Grimlock, who had been wandering the city searching for the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], telling him that Scorponok had ordered him back to the Civil Defense Hub and escorting him there. Scorponok sought to assure himself of the Dinobot's loyaly, and so ordered Grimlock to execute [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], who was immune to the key's effect, while the others looked on. Ultimately, Grimlock found himself unable to go through with the deed. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Three}} Grimlock escaped, but was soon found again, now accompanied by the other Dinobots at the Nursery. Brainstorm, [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]], and [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] readied to execute them, but on their arrival, Grimlock shot open the containment capsule holding [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]. With his temperature spiking to dangerous levels, owing to his Nucleon exposure, Inferno begged them to get clear to no avail—as Grimlock intended, the resulting blast incapacitated Brainstorm and the two Decepticons. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

Ultimately, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] corrupted Scorponok's "master" Gene Key, intended to convert holdouts across the whole planet, and all the affected were converted back into "Autobots", including Brainstorm. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}} Though they wouldn't have been held accountable for their actions while altered by the Gene Key, the three former Headmasters turned themselves in to be tried as war criminals, unable to live with the thought of what they were capable of. {{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} Despite this, Brainstorm and the others stepped forward to defend Cybertron when Bludgeon and the Warworld attacked. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}}

Brainstorm later took part in the assault on Jhiaxus's [[Hub (G2)|Hub Network]] but was then captured and held at the [[Corral]], and later executed along with [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Sky High (Pretender)|Sky High]], and [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] when Rodimus couldn't call off the Wreckers. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Bell]] (English), [[Hiroshi Naka]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:Brainstormspike.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Okay, we'll become Headmasters, but you gotta take the old man."]]Brainstorm was first seen on Cybertron, touting his new theory that an integration of human and Autobot would dramatically enhance their fighting abilities. Most of the other Autobots, though, thought he was a crackpot. Things turned around when he and a group of Autobots met a band of freedom fighters while stranded on the planet Nebulos. With several comrades kidnapped and the safety of the <s>MacGuffin</s> [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber|key]] to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] in jeopardy, the Autobots arranged to bond with the Nebulan soldiers. Their heads were reconstructed to accommodate Nebulan passengers and then "transform" around their partners as personal battle armor. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

[[File:Brainstormrebirthvehicle.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Uh, Arcana, he has a cockpit.]]
With the help of their partners, the Autobot Headmasters freed their comrades and drove off the Decepticons. Unfortunately, their foes then joined forces with the freedom fighters' enemies, a group of evil machinesmiths called the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]]. Along with recreating the same Headmaster process performed by the Autobots, they also created a new form of binary bonding called Targetmasters. The revitalized Decepticons returned and engaged the Autobots in battle anew, resulting in an enraged Brainstorm declaring his intent to sue them for stealing his idea. [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] detected the key on Brainstorm and managed to disarm him. Several Hive agents then swarmed Brainstorm and removed the key from him, but he was able to run a full spectrum exo-scan on [[Nightstick (G1)|Nightstick]], one of the Targetmaster partners, before they got away. With that information, Brainstorm was able to recreate the Targetmaster process for the Autobots. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}

Returning to Cybertron in pursuit of the key and the new Decepticon city-base, Scorponok, Brainstorm and the others joined forces with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], and their partners were instrumental in reversing the chamber's power to usher in a new [[Golden Age]] for Cybertron. In the aftermath, Brainstorm and the Headmasters returned to Nebulos to clear out the Hive's machines and restore the planet to peace and prosperity. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:FlashForward3-Headmasters.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Brainstorm has a crippling fear of cows.]]
Following [[Hi-Q]]'s kidnapping, Brainstorm turned out with Highbrow, [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]], and Chromedome to brief [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]]'s team. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
{{note|In Japan, "Brainstorm" is the name for the combined small head-robot and [[transtector]] body. When separated from the large, lifeless robot body, the head unit is called '''Cana'''.}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Ryōichi Tanaka]] (Japanese)|[[John Culkin]] (English, Omni Productions dub)}}
[[File:Headmasters tf stuck.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
Four million years ago, Brainstorm was one of a number of [[Cyberdroid|small Cybertronians]] who left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in search of a new home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} they ended up crashlanding on [[Master (planet)|Master]], an inhospitable world with harsh weather conditions and a hostile environment, forcing them to rapidly advance in technology to survive. Brainstorm was among those to become a Headmaster, mastering the art of [[transformation|transforming]] so he could take control of a [[Transtector]]. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Unfortunately once they'd succeeded, a number of the Headmasters broke away from [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]]'s leadership under the command of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

[[File:HM3 Brainstorm.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"What do you mean 'shouldn't you have a mouthplate?'?"]]
In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Brainstorm and his fellow Autobot Headmasters travelled to the planet to help their comrades defend their homeworld. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} On arrival, they set about fighting the Decepticons. Brainstorm and Chromedome were able to overcome [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], despite the Decepticon's powers of hypnotism. Following the battle's conclusion, they traveled to [[Athenia]] on board Battleship Maximus to join the Autobot forces there. Though they volunteered to accompany [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] to [[Earth]] to help search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]], he insisted on sidelining them. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} After [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]'s death, the Headmasters joined Hot Rod anyway and helped him search. When the came under attack from [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]], they were able to hold the Decepticon off long enough for Hot Rod to dig up the Matrix. They accompanied him back to Cybertron, where Hot Rod once more became Rodimus Prime, but they failed to stabilize [[Vector Sigma]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was forced to do it himself by sacrificing his life. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

When the Decepticons created the [[Madmachine]], the four Headmasters were ready to storm over to [[Chaar]] and destroy it, but Rodimus intended instead to send the [[Autobot Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]. When the Cassettes refused the mission, Brainstorm blocked their way, wanting to know what their problem was. Daniel pointed out they were still upset about Blaster's death, however Fortress resurrected Blaster as Twincast. While Twincast went to Earth, the Headmasters were sent to Cybertron and helped [[Throttlebot]]s to destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} While on patrol in Battleship Maximus, the Headmasters encountered two [[Beastformer]]s, leading them to travel to planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] to thwart a Decepticon invasion. {{Storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} After failing to destroy a [[Metamorphose|strange meteor]], they aided the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s in a fight against Decepticons. Partway though, they were called back to Athenia so they could accompany Daniel on a mission to destroy the meteor, and Brainstorm and his fellows kept [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s men busy while Daniel completed said mission. {{Storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

[[File:HM8 Highbrow and Brainstorm sitting around.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"Brainstorm, it's okay. The cow can't hurt you." "No! Keep that thing away from me!"]]
The Headmasters were sent to [[Praum]] to investigate reports of a Decepticon attack. On arrival, they found the base had been devastated and the occupants apparently destroyed, moving Brainstorm to make the sign of the cross. It turned out to be a trap set by Scorponok, but the five Headmasters remembered their struggles back on Master and swapped Transtectors in order to escape. Brainstorm made great use of [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]'s Transtector during the ensuing battle against the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} While investigating a mysterious blackmailer, the Headmasters checked out the [[Statue of Liberty]]. They arrived in [[London]] with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], only to find the Decepticons had leveled the place. They similarly arrived back in [[New York City|New York]] too late, though Brainstorm spotted [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. They later aided the [[Trainbot]]s in catching up with and defeating [[Sixshot]], whom they'd encountered before on Master. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

The Headmasters continued to train, Brainstorm by lifting weights. When Decepticons were reported to be heading for Earth, he opted to remain on Athenia, and later traveled to Cybertron with Fortress when the Decepticons mounted an all-out attack on the planet. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} When the Decepticon Headmasters split mid-battle, Brainstorm figured they were up to something, and they eventually discovered the Decepticons were heading for Vector Sigma and gave pursuit. Unfortunately they failed to stop the Decepticons destroying Cybertron. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:HM12 Brainstorm vehicle mode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.3]]
During the launch of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, the Headmasters defended [[Sol System Center|the launch pad]]. Brainstorm took to the air to try and chase off Cyclonus and Scourge. They succeeded in launching the satellite, but when the Decepticons made another play for it, Sixshot kept the Autobot Headmasters busy. Brainstorm was ready to charge over to Chaar to get Sol 1 back, but Fortress had a better idea where it was. The Headmasters found the satellite near [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]], but were forced to destroy it to keep it out of Decepticon hands. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}}

The Headmasters went to Earth to assist when a Peruvian volcano erupted. While fighting [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Brainstorm used his whirlwind attack to draw hot ash from an ash cloud and blast the Decepticons with it. He also assisted during the evacuation of the village of [[Pan]] by rescuing [[Pipiro]]'s donkey, [[Koro]]. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} When they attacked a [[buridanka]] plant on Earth, Brainstorm boldly threw himself into one of the plant's mouths. The rest of the fight didn't go much better, and the Headmasters found themselves in danger of termination until Fortress broke out the [[Master Sword]] and cut the thing to shreds. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

When reports came in of the Decepticons being up to something on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], Brainstorm and the other Headmasters traveled there in [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]. After tangling with Predaking they rescued Daniel and found out that the Decepticons were planning to blow the entire planet up. Interrogating the Decepticons led them to a crater which naturally turned out to be a trap. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Both Brainstorm and Highbrow were injured enough that they had to undergo extensive repairs. They finally returned to the fight to save Mars in time to witness MegaZarak's arrival, and Brainstorm's jet mode was swatted out of the air by the titan. As Mars exploded, the four Headmasters joined Fortress aboard Maximus, and they were able to escape the planet thanks to the explosions recharging Maximus' power. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:HM17 Brainstorm works on transtector.jpg|thumb|upright=1.34|"Hey, listen up down there. That thing is called a 'cockpit'. Not a bathroom."]]
Brainstorm offered the opinion that a UFO Daniel saw might be aliens. He and the other Headmasters patrolled space near Chaar and came under attack from MegaZarak, but escaped thanks to another appearance by the mystery UFO. It wasn't until the Autobots gatecrashed Scorponok's coronation ceremony that the UFO was revealed to be the returned Galvatron, and they had to retreat. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} After an SOS was received from [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], the Headmasters prepared to take a shipment of energy to that world. The Decepticons set out to stop them, but Brainstorm and Highbrow kept them busy while Chromedome and Hardhead sneaked ahead with the energy. The Autobots arrived on Sandra in time to fight off the incoming Decepticons. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

As part of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]'s plan to negotiate with the Decepticon, the four Headmasters accompanied him to [[Shangri-La Island]] on Earth as an escort. When the Galvatron who met with Spike turned out to be an impostor, Brainstorm and the others rescued [[Carly]] and Daniel before attacking the Decepticons. During the escape, Sixshot destroyed the [[space bridge]] network, and the Autobots set out in pursuit in Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} When the Decepticons invaded [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], the Autobots attempted to go help, but were stopped by the Hive ships which opened fire on Maximus. Even Chromedome, Hardhead and Brainstorm going out to try to reason with them failed, and the trio returned to the ship. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}}

[[File:HM20 Brainstorm closeup.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"Black Mesa can eat my bankrupt-"]]
As Maximus neared the [[Twin Star]] system, Brainstorm got the other riled up by claiming battle was about brain over brawn. He volunteered to accompany Daniel, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] to the planet of Toruin while the others fought the Decepticons on Spherity. The four of them weren't on the barren planet for long before they stumbled on an underground city—the inhabitants of Spherity were using the planet as a refuge. Brainstorm returned to the battle on Spherity, using a head swap technique with the other Headmasters so he could reach Fortress and deliver the news that Spherity was an empty world. He later apologized to the other Headmasters for his earlier comments about warfare. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}}

An SOS led the Headmasters to the planet [[Daros]] where they fought the Decepticons again and overthrew the corrupt government. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} Brainstorm noticed that Battleship Maximus' weapons systems were malfunctioning and had Chromedome and Hardhead go to fix them. When Highbrow was captured by the Decepticons on the planet of [[Paradise]], the three other Headmasters were forced to go rescue him. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}}

[[File:HM26 Brainstorm shocked.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There was ''cow meat'' in [[BBQ Double Stackticon|that burger]]? Oh god, I've been contaminated! SOMEBODY GET ME SOAP! I HAVE TO CLEANSE MYSELF!"]]
Brainstorm was keen to take the fight to the Decepticons before their foe could return to Chaar. The Headmasters took part in a battle on the [[Pirate Planet]], though there turned out to be no energy there. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}} As the Decepticons returned to Chaar, the Autobot Headmasters returned to Athenia. They traveled to Earth to try to stem a Decepticon attack, but were too late to prevent [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s death at the hands of Sixshot. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

The Decepticons began striking at points across the Earth, but the Headmasters followed Galvatron to [[Alaska]], where they were able to use information passed on by Punch to defeat Galvatron, trapping him beneath the ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} New information pointed to the Decepticons trying to destroy Earth altogether. As Chromedome had become consumed with guilt over endangering Spike, Brainstorm was put in temporary charge of the Headmasters and sent to the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]] with Hardhead and Highbrow. They didn't fare well against the Decepticons there until Chromedome successfully completed Highbrow's research and arrived with the knowledge of MegaZarak's weak spot. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:HM29 Brainstorm transform dash!.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Sure, he thinks it's funny to use the ejector seat on Arcana ''now'', but he'll regret it when he tries to transform and realizes he has no head.]]
With Earth largely abandoned by the Decepticons, the Autobot Headmasters set about finding the bombs they'd planted. Brainstorm and Highbrow retrieved a bomb from a mine and returned it to Battleship Maximus. During the disposal of the bombs in space, an accident created the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] from a group of refugees from Master and some Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Brainstorm and Highbrow carried [[Pointblank]] back to the ship, though the newcomer dismissed their combat skills. Warned by the refugees, the Headmasters returned to their home world and fought the Decepticons. {{Storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

After the Decepticons ransomed Wheelie for information on the Master Sword, Brainstorm and the other Autobots were unsuccessful in keeping said information out of the Decepticons' hands, even after Wheelie was rescued. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Headmasters worked on finding Scorponok by searching for unique energy wavelengths and even found the cavern where he was constructing the [[Zarak Shield]], but were too late to prevent its completion. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Brainstorm went along with Chromedome's plan to rally the residents of Master against the Decepticons, but it went horribly wrong when Scorponok popped up in the middle of the city and defeated Fortress Maximus in combat. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Headmasters traced Daniel to planet [[Daira]] after he became separated from the ship, and were surprised to find he'd been looked after by Sixshot. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} When Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a duel and the other Headmasters failed to talk their friend out of it, Brainstorm offered to be Chromedome's second and got a punch in the mouth for his troubles. They were reluctant to let him go alone, but when it turned out the whole thing was a diversion while the other Decepticons headed for Earth, they had no choice but to let him go it alone. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

The Autobots hurried back to Earth, where the Decepticons were busy erecting [[Death Tower]]s. When they learned that Spike and Carly's plane had crashed in the [[Andes Mountains|Andes]], the four Headmasters went there with Daniel and Wheelie to rescue them. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} On their way to [[Egypt]] to deal with another Death Tower, the four Headmasters had to contend with Mindwipe, Skullcruncher and Weirdwolf, though the trio didn't present much of a threat in the end. After failing to stop the Death Tower from rising, the Autobots' entire army went to the [[Arctic|North Pole]] where they faced the Decepticons in a final battle to save Earth. As Fortress Maximus was caught in the energies preparing to tear the planet apart, Brainstorm and the other three Headmasters attempted a Head Formation to give him more power. It was only when the other Autobots joined in that they succeeded, and the Decepticons' satellite was destroyed. With the Decepticons having fled into space, the Autobots left Earth to pursue them. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''The Great Transformer War''====
Before the Headmasters joined the greater Transformer war, Brainstorm, as part of the [[Headmasters of Justice]], hunted down the [[Headmasters of Evil]] on a barren planet. Their ensuing battle was interrupted when [[Sixshot]] arrived to retrieve the Headmasters of Evil, as Galvatron had need of them. As they left, Fortress met up with the four Autobot Headmasters and they all boarded Battleship Maximus to pursue the Decepticons to Cybertron. {{Storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' manga====
On [[Athenia]], Brainstorm attended the unveiling of the [[Optimus Prime memorial]] statue. He and the other Headmasters of Justice also waylaid a Decepticon bombing attack on the planet. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Venturing to [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Brainstorm and the Headmasters of Justice investigated an SOS from their allies. On aerial recon, Brainstorm and Highbrow found [[Alligatron]] and Predaking attacking innocent Beasts. The Headmasters heroically bought time for the Beasts to flee, but were captured by the Decepticons. Luckily, Hardhead and Chromedome found reinforcements in [[Kane]] and the Autobot Beastformers. They provided a needed distraction for Highbrow and Brainstorm to break free from their captors. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Headmasters, [[Trainbot]]s, and Beastformers successfully drove the Decepticon forces off of Beest and back to Chaar. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

Brainstorm and the Headmasters next traveled to an Alaskan energy refinery, where the Headmasters of Evil managed to temporarily get the drop on them, separating the Masters from their [[Transtector]]s. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Autobot Headmasters reunited with their Transtectors and defeated the enemy. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

The Trainbots joined Brainstorm and the Headmasters on an undersea mission where they found [[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]], [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] and the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s stealing(?) energy from subaquatic vents. They also found a giant robot squid lying in wait. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Headmasters and Trainbots dismantled the squid and stopped the Decepticons' scheme. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 3|The Headmasters #3}}

In a battle with [[Sixshot]], Brainstorm and the Headmasters of Justice failed to prevent the Six Clan ninja from stealing food rations. And kidnapping [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]. By accident. Way to go, guys. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 4|The Headmasters #4}}

During the Christmas season, Brainstorm and his friends entertained the patients at a children's hospital until the Decepticons arrived. Through quick thinking and teamwork...aw, you get the picture. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 6|The Headmasters #6}}

On Earth, Brainstorm and the crew of the Battleship Maximus helped put out a fire so that [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire]] could concentrate on battling the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}
{{-}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon continuity====
=====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon=====
Archive footage of a battle in space involving Brainstorm was used to educate the future [[Headmaster Junior]]s about the [[Master Wars]]. {{storylink|Birth! Headmaster Jrs}}

=====''Unite Warriors''=====
Brainstorm and his comrades' involvement in Galvatron's defeat and icy entombment was recounted. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron Chapter}}

=====''Transformers Legends'' comic=====
[[File:LegendsManga BonusEdition9 BrainstormAndRattle.jpg|right|thumb]]

In one of [[Rattrap (BW)#Transformers Legends comic|Rattrap]]'s dreams wrought about by his size complex, he was sent into another dimension and met Cana, Brainstorm's head stage, who yelled at him to never feel bad about his small stature. He told the [[Maximal]] that anyone can grow bigger and stronger with practice, using his [[transtector]] as an example, then combined with it into Brainstorm and shared the story of how he and his compatriots ended up on [[Master (planet)|Master]]. His point was that despite their size and deadliness of the planet, they didn't just lay down and die, but fought back and became stronger—strong enough that Brainstorm could even defeat [[Scorponok (G1)|MegaZarak]]. When Rattrap woke up, Brainstorm's final words to keep training and never give up inspired him to go jogging. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 9|Bonus Edition Vol. 9}}

[[File:LegendsManga BonusEdition39 BrainstormAndRattle.jpg|left|thumb]]

Brainstorm was asked by Rattrap why he looked different from the old days, and he confirmed he'd trained hard and acquired a new version of his transtector. This bothered [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who found it unfair that out of all the [[Headmasters of Justice]] only ''he'' got an upgrade. Cana later woke up with his Transtector missing, only to find Rattrap had stolen it and was smugly claiming he too "trained hard" to get a bigger body. When Rattrap refused to return it, telling the Headmaster to just get a new one, an angry Cana combined with the body anyway, causing its flip-down [[Tech Spec]] to trap the rat. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Brainstorm Chapter|Brainstorm Chapter}}

Puzzled over how Rattrap's presence had powered him up enough to take out MegaZarak alone, Brainstorm began researching the phenomenon at the transtector factory in [[G Nebula 89]], which led to the development of [[Getmaster]] technology. While putting the finishing touches on a third new body for himself that was both a Headmaster and Getmaster, he was again visited by Rattrap through his dreams and shared with him the good news. When [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] attacked the factory, Brainstorm invited Rattrap to power him up like last time, and just like before the rat's [[Chōkon Power|Beast Power]] granted him the strength to defeat their foe. Brainstorm then traveled to the Legends Universe, where he was happily reunited with Rattrap and joined the [[Axalon Trading Company|Autobot Axalon Trading Company]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 39|Bonus Edition Vol. 39}}

One day, Brainstorm, Chromedome and Hardhead were attacked by three look-a-likes of themselves who locked them in their transtectors, explaining that they were battling [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] and needed robotic bodies to form heads for. The Headmasters agreed to help by controlling the transtectors from their cockpits, and Brainstorm let his counterpart [[Arcana]] form its head during the battle with Zarak. {{storylink|LGEX Headmaster Set Chapter}} He later helped with the construction of a new [[Godbomber]]. {{Storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 42|Bonus Edition Vol. 42}} When [[Scourge (RID)|Black Convoy]] and the [[Dimensional Patrol]] locked down everyone's transtectors, the Autobots resisted and took down some of his [[Black Convoy Mass Production Type Drone|drones]], which they then modified transtectors so they could fight back. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Black Convoy 2)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} During [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s attack on the city, Brainstorm and the other Headmasters attacked the Decepticon Headmasters who had rebuilt him, but were defeated by Trypticon himself. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' manga====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}} {{storylink|God Ginrai's Amazing Super-God Combination!}}}}

When [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] were about to be defeated while defending the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]] from [[Jin (Masterforce)|Jin]], [[Mirai]], and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], Brainstorm and the other Autobot Headmasters showed up with the Godcannon in tow. Using the cannon, they were able to defeat their opponents. {{Storylink|Headmasters VS Masterforce}}

===Swamp of the Scorpion===
{{notemultipath}}
Highbrow and Brainstorm once battled Cyclonus, using an [[electronic circuit jammer]] to prevent the Decepticon from taking flight.

Brainstorm was supposed to help Highbrow investigate Decepticon activity on the planet Nebulos. Before their mission was fully underway, however, his power-lines began to over-heat. Brainstorm and <s>Grot</s> Gort stopped at a nearby city to get repaired while Highbrow carried on with the mission. {{storylink|Swamp of the Scorpion}}
{{-}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
As the Decepticons built an energy interceptor at Nebulos's north pole, the Autobots learned their device risked wiping out the entire planet. After destroying the first energy interceptor, the Autobots were nonplussed to learn the Decepticons built a second, more heavily guarded interceptor in its place. Thinking creatively, Brainstorm worked with the Autobot Targetmasters to turn the Decepticon fortress Scorponok's strength against it. During a sabotage raid, the Targetmasters used thermal lasers to melt the ice underneath Scorponok and the interceptor installation, causing them to fall helplessly into the slush. {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole}}

[[File:Brainstorm-ASO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Green Needle]]
When the Autobots located a vast reservoir of oil on the planet, Brainstorm spearheaded the effort to create a major pipeline to pump the oil back to Autobot base. {{storylink|Autobots Strike Oil}}

Brainstorm later assisted Optimus Prime in charting a planet-wide search for Decepticon activity on Nebulos. {{storylink|Decepticons Underground}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{main|Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity}}
[[File:Brainstorm's final word Will Always Rhyme.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Brainy Smurf Storm.]]
Originally known as '''Genitus''', the cold-constructed 'bot who would become Brainstorm worked at [[Zeta Prime]]'s [[Institute|New Institute]], from where he got his head-themed nickname. He was infatuated with his co-worker [[Quark]], an unrequited love that would go on to have lasting repercussions. Following the outbreak of the Great War, Brainstorm joined the Autobots and became a double agent for the Decepticons, spinning old information in different ways to make it seem as if he was feeding the 'Cons intelligence about new advances. This job was a cover for a complicated plan to save Quark from his death at [[Grindcore (prison)|Grindcore]] prison, procuring parts to construct a paradox trap-exempt time machine with which he planned to save his love, at the cost of his own existence. This time machine took shape within in a [[Time case|briefcase]] that never left Brainstorm's care.

As the war ground on, he worked at [[Kimia Facility|Kimia]], producing all kinds of bizarre weapons that were mostly vetoed by the [[Ethics Committee]] as violations of the [[Non-Conventional Weapons Act]]. After the end of the war and the repopulation of Cybertron, Brainstorm was one of the 200 Autobots who volunteered to serve aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'' as part of the quest for the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. Over the course of this voyage, Brainstorm had all sorts of adventures, brieftly returning to Cybertron to thwart Shockwave's "Dark Cybertron" scheme. Brainstorm eventually deployed his time machine in a bid to talk Megatron out of starting the war altogether. Believing him to be an undercover mole for the Decepticons, the Autobots pursued him through space and time; although Brainstorm failed in his mission, the adventure created the existence of a [[Functionist Universe|parallel universe]] where Megatron had died before he had been activated. Following a mutiny aboard the ''Lost Light'', he was one of the Autobots identified as a Megatron sympathist by [[Getaway]] and [[Atomizer]], and was subsequently marooned on the [[Necroworld]] with his fellow loyalists.
{{-}}

===''TransTech''===
In [[Primax 806.30 Gamma]], Brainstorm was binary-bonded to the [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] weapons specialist [[Dynamite]] using reverse-engineered technology from [[Sgt. Savage]]. The binary-bonded Autobots joined up with the [[Screaming Eagles]] to battle the forces of [[S.K.A.R.]] The Autobots and Screaming Eagles ultimately emerged victorious from this destructive global conflict and ushered in a new Golden Age for Earth. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/05/01}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
[[File:TitansReturn Brainstorm CardArt.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1]]

When the [[Titan Master]]s joined the Autobot-Decepticon war, Brainstorm as partnered with [[Arcana|Teslor]], who enhanced Brainstorm's intelligence to make his inventions even more advanced. {{storylink|#TitansReturn|''Titans Return'' Teslor/Brainstorm toy bio}}
{{-}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
[[File:TheWorldInYourEyesPartOne RubbleFindsBrainstorm.jpg|left|upright=0.9|thumb|No "brief case", this one...]]

Brainstorm was an engineer and teacher with a fearsome reputation and a sharp temper. He was always ready to remind his peers of their past failings... even if he didn't bother to remember their names. However, when asked to mentor children or students, he took on a more kindly and indulgent nature, welcoming the opportunity to introduce young minds to engineering.

Brainstorm had an appointment with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to meet with newly-forged student [[Rubble]], who was trying to discover his calling. When he noticed some anomalies at a remote [[Energon Transmission Station]], he changed their meeting point so that he could investigate that at the same time, as well as summoning [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] for security in case the anomalies turned out to be sabotage by [[The Rise]]. Bumblebee, Windblade, and Rubble arrived at the Energon Transmission Station and discovered that it had been ransacked. While the other two searched the buildings, Rubble explored and stumbled upon Brainstorm's mangled corpse. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part One}}

Brainstorm's murder was the first in recorded memory, sending [[Security Operations]] into panicked frenzy, {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Two}} as they struggled to prevent a mass panic from breaking out and to round up suspects. After twenty Rise members had been rounded up, the leadership of the group went to ground, implicating them in Brainstorm's demise. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}} Brainstorm's funeral was overseen by a [[Reversionist]], something [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] felt he would be appalled by, where his body was vaporized by a [[plasma pyre]]. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Four}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Brainstorm, [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] awaited their [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] partners as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] sent out a Decepticon alert. Once [[Arcana]] was aboard his vehicle mode, Brainstorm sped off to come to blows against the Decepticon Headmasters. Brainstorm and Arcana transformed and combined to ward off their enemies! {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmasters|Headmasters commercial}}
*A stone sculpture of Brainstorm was savaged by [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] as part of his training. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Decepticon Headmasters|Decepticon Headmasters commercial}}
*After Brainstorm and Highbrow were dealt one too many defeats at the hands of the Decepticons, their latest in a battle against [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]], the Autobots conceived of a new breed of warriors: Autobot [[Pretender]]s! {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Pretenders|Pretenders commercial}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
Brainstorm was kidnapped by the Decepticons and held captive on the Jail planet by [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. He was rescued by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and his other comrades, and in turn helped rescue those who were still imprisoned. Once they had reunited, Brainstorm and the others met with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] for the last battle against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter von Gomm]]}}

====Autobot story====
{{note|Brainstorm was available as a playable character in the Autobot campaign during the second playthrough.}}

====Decepticon story====
Brainstorm, believing he was the match of the Decepticon leader, challenged [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s march on [[Zel Samine]] as his forces made their way through an array of wind turbines. They handed his aft to him, leaving Brainstorm shocked and confused; how could his frontal attack against superior forces have failed?

He retreated to formulate a new plan.

Later, at ELTA, Chromedome and Brainstorm joined forces to battle the Decepticons again, to no avail. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
The Autobot Headmasters led by Brainstorm hunted for [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s ghost by tracking the electro-magnetic spikes which signaled his manifestations. They were able to prevent him passing over into the physical world, and scattered the Decepticons who had aided him. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (Legends)|Ghost in the Machine}} When the Decepticons aimed to get hold of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]], Brainstorm and his fellow Headmasters made off with it but soon crashed on Earth. They were aided by the [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]], who patched them up and helped them fight off [[Apeface]] and [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Earth Defense Command}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsBrainstorm.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Seriously, Brainstorm once destroyed an entire village because he thought he saw a cow. And it turned out to be a washing machine.]]
Brainstorm participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Super Rare character who could be recruited for 300 units of Cybermetal, 95 units of Transmetal, 60 scout cores, and 5 cores of this character. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1-toy Brainstorm.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|No no...]]
*'''Brainstorm''' (Headmaster, [[1987]])
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-104'''
**''Accessories'': "Arcana" Headmaster pilot, left & right "High-Energy [[Photon pulse cannon|Photon Pulse Cannons]]"

:''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' Brainstorm transforms into a turquoise Cybertronic fighter craft. Both of Brainstorm's twin pistols attach to the front of his alt-mode's nosecone to extend it and augment it with two canard wings. As with all larger Headmaster toys, Brainstorm features both a cockpit suitable for his partner, [[Arcana#Toys|Arcana]], to sit in and an abbreviated [[Tech Spec]]s bar graph inside his chest hidden under a hinged panel. When a compatible Headmaster head is plugged into the socket on Brainstorm's [[robot mode]], the bars will show three of that head unit's Tech Specs.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/Brainstorm/brainstorm.htm More information on Brainstorm at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Generations''===
====''Thrilling 30''====
[[File:Generations 30 voyager Brainstorm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Briefcase sadly not included.]]
*'''Brainstorm''' (Voyager Class, [[2014]])
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #009'''
**''Accessories'': Head/pilot robot, left & right blasters

:Part of the eighth wave of 2012-onwards ''[[Transformers: Generations#T30|Generations]]'' Voyager Class toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' Brainstorm transforms into a turquoise Cybertronian aircraft based off of [[Nick Roche]]'s design for ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]''. He is notable for being the first "modern" retail release toy of an existing headmaster to retain the gimmick. He also holds the distinction of being the first Headmaster-style figure with an articulated neck. He comes with two pistols which can attach via [[5 mm post]] to his hands and the nosecone of the jet. [[Arcana#Generations|His head]] transforms into an unnamed robot that is most certainly Arcana, and can be inserted inside the cockpit to be used as a pilot. Putting the pilot robot into the neck socket will reveal Tech Specs like the G1 toy. The Tech Specs are based off the original figure, not the Tech Specs on the box.

:Exercise caution while using the Headmaster gimmick, as the main robot's neck socket is painted, making the pilot robot rather difficult to remove. Too much force could separate the pilot robot's own head from his body. However, there have been reports of a [[Variant#Running changes|running change]] in the toy that fixes the Headmaster gimmick; this is signified by a rubber band holding the head in place.

:Please take note that Arcana ''cannot'' connect to Brainstorm's Deluxe Class counterpart due to having different connectors, and any ''Titans Return'' Titan Master (including Teslor) is incompatible with Brainstorm's Voyager Class body.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/GenBrainstorm/brainstorm.htm More information on Generations Brainstorm on TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/fixed-headmaster-gimmick-variant-of-generations-brainstorm-released/32023/ Fixed Headmaster gimmick running change]''

====''Titans Return''====
{{anchor|TitanForce}}
[[File:TitansReturntoy-BrainstormTitanForce.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I'm Charon in London.]]
*'''Titan Force''' (Multi-pack, [[July 21]], 2016)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, vehicle nosecone/Titan Master sled, "Autobot Teslor" Titan Master, sticker sheet of multiple Autobot and Decepticon faction symbols

:This version of Brainstorm is a [[retool]] of ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' [[Blurr (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Blurr]], lacking the Titan Master pegs originally found on Blurr, and features a new face, shoulders, and vehicle mode parts, mostly inspired by his [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' design. As with all Deluxe-or-larger ''Titans Return'' toys, his [[Titan Master]] head, [[Arcana#TitanForce|Autobot Teslor]], can be freely swapped between figures, and transforms into a robot which can pilot or peg onto alternate modes.

:[[File:Brainstorm vs Charon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|A rarity: A trademark conflict in a specific non-US market.]]
:Brainstorm includes a foil sticker sheet, featuring a choice of Autobot or Decepticon symbols for the sculpted spot under his windscreen in robot mode and for his wings (either to cover the tampographed symbols already there or to go on the reverse side for robot mode).

:This initial release of Brainstorm was only available as part of the "Titan Force" [[giftset]], which also includes a translucent plastic redeco of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#TitanForce|''Titans Return'' Sentinel Prime]] and [[Windblade (G1)#TitanForce|Windblade]], a [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]-themed redeco of her ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Windblade (RID)#Warrior|counterpart's Warrior Class sculpt]]. In the United States, the "Titan Force" set was [[exclusive]] to [[Hasbro Toy Shop]], initially available at their booth at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2016, and later also via the Hasbro Toy Shop website. For the United Kingdom, [[A1 Toys]] acquired exclusive distribution rights, with the set initially available at their booth at London Film & Comic-Con 2016, and later also via their website and at other UK conventions. Due to trademark issues, A1 Toys' release had to rename Brainstorm into "'''Charon'''" via stickers applied to the outside of the box. Furthermore, the set was also sold at Cybertron Con Shanghai 2016, at the Hasbro booth at Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong 2016 and at the HasbroStore booth at Fan Expo 2016 in Canada, in each case retaining Brainstorm's original name.

:This retooled sculpt would've been redecoed as [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] with Titan Master [[Slizardo]] redecoed from [[Haywire#Generations|Hyperfire]] as a BotCon 2017 exclusive that never came to be.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitansReturnIndividual}}
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Brainstorm-(Individual-Release).jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|It's okay, [http://www.shortpacked.com/2005/comic/book-1-brings-back-the-80s/01-just-a-toy-store/batman-can-breathe-in-space/ Teslor can breathe in space.]]]
*'''Autobot Teslor & Brainstorm''' (Deluxe Class, 2016)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, vehicle nosecone/Titan Master sled, "Autobot Teslor" Titan Master

:A differently-decoed Brainstorm was also sold individually. Compared to the San Diego Comic-Con version, this one has a deco closer to the original G1 toy, including a yellow canopy. Although it has fewer paint apps than the Titan Force giftset version, it features more tampographed details instead. As with most ''Titans Return'' figures, Brainstorm also comes with a collectors' card based on his packaging art.

:Initial samples on display at conventions had his helmet left unpainted (showing the same darker gray as used on his wings and feet) and his Autobot symbol tampograph applied to the top of his canopy like on his Titan Force release. His stock photography, however, matches the version of the figure available at retail.

:In the United States, Brainstorm was available as the first ever exclusive to [[Walgreens]] drug stores. However, in late August 2016, before Brainstorm became widely available at Walgreens, a single case was discovered at a ''Walmart'' store in the United States, which ended up being an isolated incident.<ref name="walmart">http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/08/31/titans-return-walgreens-exclusive-brainstorm-found-wal-mart-324155</ref> In Hasbro's Asian markets, meanwhile, Brainstorm was available at general retail in a case all by himself, and ended up as a minor shelfwarmer at some stores.

:The packaging features the assortment number for the general retail ''Titans Return'' Deluxe Class, implying that the decision to make him an exclusive was a late one.
{{-}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG09-Brainstorm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Some say this deco is overdoing it.]]
*'''Brainstorm''' ([[January 24]], [[2015]])
**''ID number'': '''LG09'''
**''Accessories'': "Cana" Headmaster pilot, left & right weapons

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Brainstorm is a redeco of ''Generations'' Brainstorm with some minor changes in plastic, such as an orange canopy. He more noticeably features additional paint detail, including red and white highlights on his smaller wings, some white added to the red details on his chest, and a silver midriff. Brainstorm's bio is written from a ''The Headmasters'' perspective and as such names the Headmaster its Japanese name, Cana. He comes with the mini-comic ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 9|Bonus Edition Vol. 9]].

::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2421.html Legends Voyager Brainstorm at Alfes's Blog Part 1]''
::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2422.html Legends Voyager Brainstorm at Alfes's Blog Part 2]''

{{-}}{{anchor|LG39}}
[[File:LegendsTRBrainstorm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Yellow belly. (Well, close enough.)]]
*'''Brainstorm''' ([[December 28]], [[2016]])
**''ID number'': '''LG39'''
**''Accessories'': Gun, vehicle nosecone/Headmaster sled, gun, "[[Synapse (Legends)|Synapse]]" partner drone, "Cana" Headmaster component

:The second ''Legends'' Brainstorm is a slight retool and redeco of the tooling used for the previously mentioned ''Titans Return'' Brainstorm releases. This figure's deco is based directly off of Brainstorm's character model in ''The Headmasters'' cartoon, and the Headmaster partner himself is retooled to match—notably removing his faceplate in favor of a mouth. Also included is [[Synapse (Legends)#Toys|Synapse]], a redeco of Titan Master [[Brawn (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Brawn]]'s vehicle accessory, which is built to accommodate all Titan Masters/Headmasters. He comes with the mini-comic ''Legends'' [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 39|Bonus Edition Vol. 39]].

::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2736.html Legends Deluxe Brainstorm at Alfes's Blog]''
{{TRHyperfireMold}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1BrainstormOriginalHead.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Please find us clearer footage.]]
[[File:Brainstormpretenderscommercial.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|His blue period.]]
*In early planning stages, the Large Headmasters were to have differently styled heads that would be replaced by their more familiar heads during the Headmaster process. A [[commercial]] for [[Ring of Hate!|Headmasters #1]] featuring animation of Brainstorm and others is the only time these designs were used.
*The Headmasters appeared in a second commercial with much more sophisticated animation. In this entry, we see the Autobot Headmasters lined up in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s as their Nebulan partners run up into their cockpits and then launch into an attack. [http://youtube.com/watch?v=dDSemtc0JaU]
*Additional footage of the Headmasters featured in the animated introduction to the first commercial for the [[Pretender]]s. As Brainstorm battles [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], the narration claims that after a series of defeats, the Autobots are required to up the ante by developing Pretender technology.
*In all three of these commercials, Brainstorm is colored in his [[Marvel Comics]] colors rather than his color scheme seen in "[[The Rebirth]]", with his dark green and orange being replaced with cyan and yellow.
*Brainstorm is a Christian! In the [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|''Headmasters'' cartoon]] episode "[[The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery]]", when the Headmasters encounter a massacre on the planet [[Praum]], [[:File:HM7 Brainstorm sign of cross.jpg|he crosses himself]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cana''' (カーナ ''Kāna''), '''Brainstorm''' (ブレインストーム ''Bureinsutōmu'')
*''French:'' '''Cerveau''' (Canada, "Brain")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Agytröszt''' ("Genius", literally "Brain-Trust")
*''Italian:'' '''Goblin'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Burn''' (Taiwan, 伯恩 ''Bó Ēn''), '''Xiǎo Zhūgé''' (China, 小诸葛, "Little {{w|Zhuge Liang|Zhuge}}")
*''Russian:'' '''Fantazyor''' (Фантазёр, "Dreamer")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Engineers]]
[[Category:Exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Titans Return Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2019-09-14T07:43:56Z

TailgatePrime: /* Mission to Xetaxxis */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the yellow round Autobot|the IDW golden Throttlebot leader|Goldbug (IDW)}}
{{suite}}
[[File:BumblebeeIDW-fromDevastation1coverA.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Searching for a candle to brighten his dimness.]]
An espionage agent who demonstrated the {{w|Peter Principle}} in action when he became Autobot leader? That's [[2005 IDW continuity]]'s '''Bumblebee'''!

{{first|[[Infiltration issue 3|''Infiltration'' #3]]}}

{{quote|No, wait, '''''hang on''''', Prowl--I'm in '''''charge''''' here!"|quote2=What? Come '''''on'''''.|[[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] sums up Bumblebee's leadership in three words|"[[The Question]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Early days===
[[File:GhostStories-Bumblebeealtmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Put-put-put.]]

'''Bumblebee of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]''' was [[forged]], {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} {{storylink|The Not Knowing}} one of the last generation to be born before the [[hot spot]]s cooled. Given his nimble alternate mode, he worked as a courier while spending his leisure time with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] at the races. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

In the days of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], Bumblebee attended the joint funeral of Bumper and Fastback, who had been killed by Megatron and his goons. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

Seeing an altercation, Bumblebee (being the nice guy that he was) activated his headlights and tried to offer aid. [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] rudely brushed him off however. {{storylink|The Next Day, and the Next}}

[[File:GhostStories-BumblebeeVsSoundwave.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

One day, Bumblebee was plagued by nightmares of spirits demanding him to deliver a package. The nightmares lasted for a month before he delivered the package but to his dismay they resumed shortly after, one containing a bomb that destroyed the Tygun factory. Overcome with guilt, he immediately turned himself in where he first met [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] who managed to deduce that Bumblebee was being influenced by an outside signal that was being broadcasted into his processor. Despite being told to remain behind, Bumblebee followed Pax and Prowl to the Decepticon hideout. An enraged Bumblebee attacked [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] for the attack highlighting that Decepticons were supposed to fight ''for'' the people. In the aftermath, he asked to join Pax's squad. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

In the days of [[Zeta Prime]], Bumblebee was assigned to Orion Pax's Autobot security team. In a mission in [[Nyon]], Bumblebee stopped Orion before he could execute [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] in plain sight of civilians and berated him for almost killing a defenseless enemy. {{storylink|Law and Disorder}} After training with [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] at the shooting gallery, {{Storylink|Parasites}} Bumblebee was sent to pursue [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]], who had infiltrated a [[Senate]] meeting where Zeta Prime unveiled the [[vamparc ribbon]]. Bumblebee was taken down by [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] and taken hostage by the [[Decepticon]]s to assure Orion's cooperation. {{Storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} Both Orion and Bumblebee were able to escape the Decepticons when their comrades ambushed them at the [[Jump Joint]] and brought [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to carry them away. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}} Orion Pax's crew were soon sent on another mission to Nyon, this time to apprehend [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]. However, the Autobots were willing to listen to Hot Rod's argument. {{Storylink|Ruins}} When Zeta Prime's [[Guardian robot|Omega Destructor]]s attacked the city, Bumblebee and the others attempted to help defend the city, but Hot Rod was forced to detonate bombs scattered around the city, destroying it. Zeta savagely attacked Orion Pax, {{Storylink|Purge}} but [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons came to the rescue. The Autobots were taken to [[Kolkular]], where they witnessed Orion Pax agreeing to join forces with Megatron. {{storylink|Choices}} Together, the Autobots and Decepticons attacked Zeta Prime's forces. {{Storylink|Overthrown}}

[[File:Rise-BumblebeeHotRod.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]

With Zeta's defeat, Megatron betrayed the Autobots and began hunting them down, and Bumblebee went into hiding with Ironhide and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Before they could decide on a course of action, they were captured in a Decepticon raid on their safehouse. {{storylink|Transformation (issue)|Transformation}} After a violent interrogation, Bumblebee was set to be executed alongside his fellow Autobots. However, on witnessing the ruthless execution order, Hot Rod decided to join the Autobots and freed the prisoners. They then rendezvoused at Orion's ID signal and learned of his recent transformation into Optimus Prime and the awakening of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Rise}} When Optimus Prime made a rallying call for additional support for their cause against the Decepticon's tyranny, Bumblebee watched possible enemy positions. {{storylink|Broadcast}} Bumblebee participated in the battle at the [[Citadel]] and after the battle, was approached by the survivors of the attack on Nyon who told him that they would now be chroniclers. {{storylink|Endgame}}

In the earliest days of Optimus Prime's leadership, Bumblebee was his assistant during the meetings of the [[Grand Convocation]]. {{storylink|Derelicts}} He later helped defend the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]] from [[Scorponok (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Scorponok]]'s Decepticons. {{storylink|Rage (IDW)|Rage}} The battle ended in tragedy as the refinery exploded, killing many civilians as well as Autobots. Having survived, Bumblebee attended the memorial service held by Autobots to honor the lost lives. {{storylink|Fallout (issue)|Fallout}} During a subsequent Convocation meeting, he interrupted Prime with an emergency report from [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]. {{storylink|Massacre}} When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was unleashed upon Cybertron, Bumblebee stood by Prime's side as the Autobots worked to contain the beast and showed deep regret for the destruction of [[Harmonex]] that ensued. {{storylink|The Illusion of Control}} Their struggle didn't go well, and he had to pull a fellow Autobot to safety during Trypticon's rampage. {{storylink|Annihilation}} With the monster heading towards Iacon and Optimus Prime being unable to stop it, [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] was ready to give up, but Bumblebee urged him to hold onto hope. Indeed, Trypticon was finally felled by the combined efforts of [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] and Megatron, allowing the Autobots to return home and repair the injured Prime. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (issue)|Belly of the Beast}}

In one of the war's countless battles, Bumblebee witnessed [[Hot Shot (Henkei!)|a yellow Autobot]] get destroyed in a Decepticon-Autobot crossfire. {{storylink|Drift issue 2|Drift #2}}

[[File:HelloCruelWorld-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

Not long after Trypticon's defeat, Bumblebee detected a spacecraft on collision course with Iacon and reported it to Prime. Realizing it was Trypticon—now under Decepticon control—the Autobots had Metroplex transform into [[robot mode]] and fight the beast. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}} Once both giants had fallen, the Decepticons and their new [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]] allies invaded the city, forcing the Autobots into battle. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} Bumblebee tried to prevent Megatron from reaching Trypticon's fallen form, and though the Decepticon leader acknowledged his courage, he would not be deterred and impaled the young Autobot on a piece of debris. Once the Autobots had won the battle, Bumblebee was carried to safety and repaired by [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}} 500,000 years ago during the climactic battle over Metroplex, Bumblebee scouted the Decepticon forces and surmised their offensive wasn't going to end any time soon, prompting the Autobots to send Metroplex off into space for his own protection. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} As they watched the Titan leave, he listened to Prowl lament the stupidity of war. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

Always willing to lend an ear to others' problems, Bumblebee developed a reputation as something of a secret-keeper in the Autobot ranks: he was one of the few Autobots who would eventually learn that the modern [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] was an imposter, a diminutive Cybertronian piloting a [[Magnus Armor|suit of armor]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}

[[File:TheHuntingParty-BumblebeeNightbeat.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Hey, lookit me bein' this body in the past at some point now, I guess.]]

Some time after Metroplex's departure, Bumblebee, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], and [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] were in space pursuing [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Empirion|ship]] from a distance, trying to put a stop to them despite being vastly outmatched. When Bludgeon found a remote planet with a small civilization of [[Urtuskian]]s and his troops started blowing up the place, Bumblebee decided that there was no time to call for reinforcements and he and his two friends would have to make do. He ordered Jetfire to ram their ship into the Decepticons' and the three would fight the troops personally on the surface. Bumblebee took out [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and [[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]] before finding himself trapped below ground standing between the legendary, missing Metroplex and [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]]. Bumblebee was faring badly when a Urtuskian surprisingly lept to his defense. Deciding Bumblebee wasn't worth his time, and secretly feeling disillusioned about the Decepticons at the time, Thundercracker abandoned the mission. With their ship destroyed, Bumblebee and the others found themselves stuck on the planet for an unspecified amount of time until they were eventually found and rescued. Thankfully, this was another of those "Bumblebee makes a friend" stories, as Nightbeat put it, and so they had hospitable hosts for the duration. {{storylink|The Hunting Party (IDW)|The Hunting Party}}

Some 20,000 years ago, Optimus and Bumblebee attempted to contact Prowl aboard the ''[[Ark-19]]''. Their boosted message was intercepted by Shockwave over prehistoric [[Earth]], and inadvertently bounced it to the passing [[Maximal]] starship, ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. After [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] shot down the craft, [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]]—whose memories had been scrambled by a [[Talisman (G1)|mysterious artifact]], and who bore a passing resemblance to Bumblebee himself—glimpsed the message and wondered aloud if he ''was'' Bumblebee, which gave Shockwave an idea for an [[Ice Age Wars|illuminating experiment]]. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}
{{-}}

===Mission to Xetaxxis===
[[File:ShiningArmor2-Bumblebeeheadlight.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
In the mid-19th century, after Cybertron had been rendered uninhabitable, Bumblebee and [[Sky Blast (G1)|Sky Blast]] would work under one Ultra Magnus—a particularly hotheaded individual named [[Convoy (G1)|Convoy]]—on a deep space patrol. On their second month, the trio passed through the distant [[Zugzwang Cluster]] where they found some Decepticons investigating the remains of a [[Galactic Council]] shuttle. Magnus brought Bumblebee with him to make sure nobody had survived the attack, ignoring Bumblebee's sympathizing with the Council's fears about the Cybertronian race. Magnus correctly deduced that the Decepticons had deliberately tried to hide the attack and hacked into the ship's computer to learned that it had been headed to the frigid world of [[Xetaxxis]]... a planet that none of the Autobots had heard of. After another week of travel, the Autobots arrived at Xetaxxis to find that the Decepticons had beaten them there and besieged the [[Solstar Order]] space station ''[[Orchid Crossing]]''. Leaving Sky Blast in the ship, {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}} Bumblebee and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] made a dramatic entrance into [[Orchid Crossing|a space station]] and found themselves face to face with [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 1|Shining Armor #1}}

[[File:ShiningArmor2-wereintrouble.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Derp.]]

The fight quickly turned into chaos as [[Rom]] shot Magnus; Bumblebee tried to keep order before Magnus turned on the [[Space Knight]] and blew him and Starscream through a wall. Though Magnus ordered his subordinate to kill everyone on sight, Bumblebee managed to persuade him that the Solstar Order were on their side; as Ultra Magnus ploughed into the fray, Bumblebee tried to approach [[Stardrive]], a Cybertronian Space Knight, to figure out if she was a Decepticon... only for Stardrive to mistake him for an enemy and shoot him in the chest. When he recovered he was horrified to see Sky Blast had also joined the fight, but had been assimilated by a [[Dire Wraith]] and mutated into an out of control monster. Its rampage threatened the structural integrity of the already damaged space station, and Magnus shut down the ship's forcefields in the hopes that the beast would burn up in Xetaxxis' atmosphere. As their shuttle arrived, Bumblebee offered Stardrive a ride but his moment of mercy bought time for Starscream to snipe and destroy their ship.

Trapped aboard the burning space station, the two Autobots were rescued by Stardrive, who used her starfighter form to ferry the two Autobots down to the planet. All three Cybertronians made a rough landing on the planet and survive... at which point Magnus, to Bumblebee's horror, arrested Stardrive for violating the [[Tyrest Accord]]s. Stardrive complied if they helped her find her fellow Space Knights; though Bumblebee was sympathetic, Magnus was less so, and his anti-organic rant bought time for said Space Knights to arrive and shoot him. Faced with surrender at gunpoint, Bumblebee desperately tried to rouse a stunned Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}}

[[File:ShiningArmor3-wasteourtime.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

The two Autobots engaged the aliens, with Bumblebee grappling with a vengeful [[Sata]] before Stardrive broke up the fighting and properly introduced herself to Magnus and Bumblebee. Bumblebee and Magnus helped Rom to understand that the Cybertronians were unlike the pan-planetary socieites of the Solstar Order. Stardrive revealed the existence of her [[energon synthesizer]] to the group — the reason why Starscream had targeted her in the first place — and the threat that the device posed prompted the Autobots agree to a temporary truce with the Space Knights so that they could find and retrieve the artifact. The two Autobots and Sata rolled out after the fliers, but Bumblebee, compelled to help out the native [[Xetaxxan|Xetaxxians]], delayed the group so that he could use his lasers to superheat some rubble to help warm up the little organics. The two Autobots received a transmission from [[Livia]], who warned them that the Decepticons had beaten them to the space station — prompting Bumblebee's "Xetaxxian" friends to reveal themselves as Wraiths in disguise. Magnus then told Bumblebee to take Sata and head for the energon synthesizer while he held the off the Wraith horde. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 3|Shining Armor #3}}

[[File:ShiningArmor4-Bumblebeealtmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]

Zooming towards the wreckage, Sata and Bumblebee argued about going back to help Magnus; when the rookie Space Knight called Bumblebee an unfeeling machine, Bumblebee snapped that Magnus had been his friend and his sacrifice would be in vain if they didn't reach the energon synthesizer first. The two of them arrived in time to see Stardrive fighting her allies in the wake of another of Livia's increasingly amoral choices, threatening to leave the Space Knights entirely. Bumblebee, mistaking her for a Wraith imposter, attacked but was quickly swatted aside. The Autobot-Space Knight alliance managed to come to a tentative agreement regarding the sacrifice of innocents in their battle, which was immediately cut short when Ultra Magnus returned, now infected by the Wraith leader [[Vekktral]]... and who promptly betrayed his Decepticon allies of convenience to infect them as well. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 4|Shining Armor #4}}

[[File:ShiningArmor5-everyonevsmagnus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

With the situation spiraling out of control, Bumblebee tried to convince Magnus to fight the parasite from within as he helped blast the Wraiths off the Decepticons, but was promptly grabbed by the murderous fusion. Yet Bumblebee's last pleas managed to pierce Magnus' consciousness and give him the mental fortitude required to open his own chest compartment so that Rom could attack his [[Spark]]. Bumblebee briefly eulogized his fallen friend, and explained the inadvertent reveal of Convoy's existence to the aliens, before Starscream's parting sabotage of the energon synthesizer forced Bumblebee, carrying his fallen friend, and the Space Knights to flee aboard Stardrive's alternate mode. Safely in orbit as the planet below burned, Bumblebee sadly watched as Stardrive shed her metallic armor and renounced her Space Knight allegiance as she departed. Though Rom invited Bumblebee to join them on one of the ''Orchid Crossing's'' escape shuttles, Bumblebee used the recall switch inside the Magnus Armor to return home to the [[Autobot fleet]].

Back home, Bumblebee explained the circumstances behind Convoy's death to Optimus Prime, who commended the fallen Autobot as a hero. Bumblebee never told the other Autobots about the existence of the Solstar Order's energon synthesizer, out of fear that their species' thirst for energon would prove the prejudices of other races correct. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}
{{-}}

===Infiltration on Earth===
[[File:Infiltration3-BumblebeeEavesdropper.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Over a century later, Bumblebee was part of Prowl's secret counter-infiltration unit on [[Earth]]. When Ratchet broke cover by rescuing a [[Hunter O'Nion|trio]] [[Verity Carlo|of]] [[Jimmy Pink|humans]], {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0|Infiltation #0}} Bumblebee was the one Autobot who supported his efforts. He was true to his role as an espionage agent and ferreted out their plans to continue joint operations against orders and joined in. Verity thought his alternate form and his [[holomatter]] avatar was "coool!" {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}}

[[File:Infiltration4-BumblebeeAltmodeGun.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
He accompanied Ratchet and the humans to investigate an abandoned [[Decepticon]] bunker in [[Nebraska]]. When Ratchet mentioned how he hated putting their humans at risk, Bumblebee pragmatically commented that, given the need for evidence of unusual Decepticon activity and the consequences of Decepticon Siege Mode, the humans would be "acceptable losses". While the humans were exploring the bunker, two Decepticons attacked, and Bumblebee managed to take down [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]], but not before Ratchet was shot and run over by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4|Infiltration #4}}

As the bombardment by the Decepticons caused the bunker to collapse, Verity had trouble climbing out of the shaft through which they entered. Bumblebee leapt into action when the tree the rope was attached to buckled under the crumbling terrain. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5|Infiltration #5}} He left the humans with Ratchet and traveled to [[Oregon]], the location of the second Decepticon command bunker, observing the situation until the rest of the Autobot unit could arrive. After witnessing Megatron "disciplining" Starscream and subsequently downgrading the infiltration unit's status to [[Infiltration protocol|Phase Two]], Bumblebee departed Oregon with the rest of the unit. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

Bumblebee went with the Autobots to investigate Decepticon activity in the country of [[Latveria]]. There they discovered a heavily shielded "array" that the Decepticons were using as a base. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} There they skirmished with the humans that were assembled outside who were under the influence of the Decepticons' mind-altering [[Psycho-Prism]].

[[File:Bumblebee blasts LukeCage.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Oldest trick in the book.]]

Bumblebee used his holomatter avatar in a "damsel in distress" ruse that distracted [[Luke Cage]] long enough for Bumblebee to get a clear shot. Ratchet was able to attach an inhibitor device to [[Captain America]] which nullified the effects of the Psycho-Prism. He gave Captain America enough devices for everyone on his team. Now calmed down, the two groups teamed up to destroy the Psycho-Prism. They began attacking the array's defenses which caused the Decepticons to attack. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}}

As they fought, Ratchet, Prowl, and Luke Cage were able to slip into the array. Outside, Bumblebee, [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]], and Prime gave a power-boost to [[Iron Man]] in his Transformer-sized armor. After the battle quieted down, Megatron communicated via hologram from inside the array with his new ally [[Doctor Doom]]. They showed their captives, Ratchet, Prowl, Luke Cage, and [[Spider-Man]]. Megatron ordered their surrender or the captives would die. Optimus Prime ordered the quick destruction of the array. [[Falcon (superhero)|The Falcon]] objected because their teammates were still inside. Bumblebee argued that those few humans were expendable. There was a brief discussion, but Optimus Prime's orders won out and they all attacked the array. Megatron turned on Doctor Doom for being incorrect about them surrendering. Megatron didn't go through with his threat to kill his captives, instead he went outside to face his opponents and carrying Luke Cage. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}}

While Megatron was attacking, Bumblebee, Jazz, and [[Wolverine (superhero)|Wolverine]] [[orbital jump|orbital bounced]] into the array. They found that Doctor Doom switched sides and freed Spider-Man, so they went to find the Psycho-Prism. They found it guarded by [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], who wasn't in the mood to fight for Megatron's cause and left. Wolverine destroyed the Prism. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

[[File:Devastation4-Bumblebotdown.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]

He was present when Optimus Prime announced he was bringing in reinforcements from elsewhere to bolster the Earth unit's ranks, due to how pivotal Ore-13 had made the theatre {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}}, but did not take part in the subsequent mission to [[Brasnya]]. After that mission was complete, Bumblebee was tasked by one of those reinforcements, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], to check the area surrounding their base for surveillance. He found a great deal of it, prompting the decision to relocate the ''[[Ark-19]]''. He was aboard when the ship was attacked by [[Sixshot]] {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} and as the ship went down he reported that they were fully visible to human sensors at [[Robins Air Force Base]] {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} He survived but was injured in the subsequent battle with the living Decepticon weapon of mass destruction. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} He was presumably on the ''[[Ark-32]]'' when it left Earth. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

Bumblebee was present to hear Ratchet diagnose Sunstreaker after the latter's de-Headmasterification. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}}

[[File:AHM4BumblebeeWheeljack.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Slag it, Bumblebee, stop making our jokes for us!]]

Having returned to Earth, Bumblebee was among the Autobots who fell into a Decepticon trap and were soundly defeated by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} The Decepticons banished them all to Cybertron to be eaten by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}}

Frustrated at being stranded on Cybertron, he listened to [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks's]] story about how awesome and cool Jazz is to pass the time. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}}

Bumblebee and [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] were sent to search for energon by Jazz, but found the going rough in their Earth modes. Wheeljack suggested he whip up a polymer, but 'Bee very quickly pointed out the fact they hadn't the equipment. To make matters worse, the pair were being followed and their only hope of signaling for help was a million to one shot! Not willing to wait for back-up that wasn't coming, Bumblebee dragged Wheeljack along in an attempt to track the stranger down... when Hot Rod was knocked through a wall by Ironhide. Bumblebee was surprised to see Hot Rod, but more surprised to hear the other bot thought they were a rescue party! {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}

Later, while being chased by the Insecticon swarm, Bumblebee made a disparaging comment about [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], but [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] quickly put him in his place. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}} As tensions rose, he almost had a throw-down with [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} Along with the other Autobots, Bumblebee was rescued and transported back to Earth by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} Together with the rest of the Autobots, he fought the Decepticons and drove them off the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

After the departure of the Decepticons, the human military hunted down any remaining Transformer. Somehow Bumblebee got separated from his team in the ruins of New York. He managed to avoid detection until he was forced to reveal his location when a toppling building threatened the families inside. Bumblebee used his body to support the building, even as the nearby military fired into his body. Thankfully, Bumblebee was able to hold out until the humans inside had evacuated, and the timely arrival of Optimus Prime and the others kept the military from finishing him off. Once Bumblebee had been restored to working order, he asked Ratchet if they had heard his radio distress calls. No, Ratchet responded, Bumblebee's radio had been busted, but they heard about his plight on the humans' frequencies. Ratchet laughed, noting that was Optimus Prime's idea, who felt that it was only a matter of time before Bumblebee would have to save somebody and out himself. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 16|Hidden}}

===Leadership===
Following the resignation of Optimus Prime and his surrender to the human organization [[Skywatch]], Bumblebee was elected to the position of Autobot commander despite not putting himself forward for the role. Ratchet posited his trustworthiness and dependability as factors in his being chosen. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} {{storylink|Ride-Along}}

[[File:Bumblebee 1 Leader.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And there was much rejoicing.]]
Though at first there was jubilation at Bumblebee's rise to leadership, his diplomatic nature and desire to be nice to everybody eventually led to problems. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}} The first of many challenges in Bumblebee's new command was Ultra Magnus, who had arrived to investigate the death of [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]]. Magnus questioned Bumblebee's suitability for command in light of [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] leading his own group of Autobots away, and was not interested in helping Bumblebee with their current woes. Unfortunately, it was then that [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] decided to lead yet another exodus of Autobots (consisting of [[Blurr (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]) away from the main group. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}}

Wheeljack had little time or respect for Bumblebee's moping or his perceived lack of leadership ability, leading to several cutting remarks, much to the annoyance of Ratchet. Through some interference from Wheeljack, Bumblebee met with Skywatch rogue Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]] who gave them protection from Skywatch if the Autobots helped capture Decepticons. Unfortunately this "protection" could also lock them into [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] if they misbehaved, which Horiuchi did when Cliffjumper refused to capture Blurr. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

Tracking down Blurr, Bumblebee attempted to talk the fugitive Autobot over, to convince him to come quietly. Blurr was shocked that Bumblebee would agree to work with the humans, the people who had imprisoned others of their kind. When Bumblebee revealed that Blurr didn't have much of a choice, the latter decided to take his chances and shot Bumblebee at point blank range, which shorted out his kill-switch badge. Back at base, when Bumblebee refused to turn over Blurr, Horiuchi decided the Autobot needed a reminder of who was holding the leash and attempted to activate his kill-switch. Naturally, it didn't work, but Ratchet convinced Bumblebee to play along and pretend he was locked into vehicle mode. Seeing an opportunity, the Bumblebee concocted a plan where the reluctant Blurr would find a Volkswagen to take his place, allowing him to find a way to free the rest of the Autobots. Before leaving, Bumblebee gave the Autobots an inspiring speech that actually caused [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] to break character, surprising the Skywatch operatives who were listening in on those Autobots with functional kill-switch badges. Later, communicating with Ratchet via a text-only comm channel, Bumblebee located a large shipment of darmstadtium, the rare metal used in the kill-switches at a shipping port. As he was skulking around, he discovered the Constructicon [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]], who had repainted himself to disguise his identity from the humans, as well as the hope that he sneak onto one of the container ships. Bumblebee tried to convince him that they had to earn the respect of the humans, but Scavenger angrily scoffed at this, stating he would rather hide than work with them. Bumblebee left him in peace. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

[[File:TheGiftHorse Bumblebee Serena.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"As the gas was closing in, I looked up and saw God... And you know what? God is made of steel."]]
When Skywatch arrived to repair "Bumblebee's" kill-switch badge, they inadvertently revealed the identity of [[Sanjay Bharwaney]], a Skywatch researcher who was responsible for the secondary master control board for all of the badges. Bumblebee followed Bharwaney home, following Wheeljack's advice that altering the control board would short out the badges. Obviously unable to retrieve the control board directly, Bumblebee befriended Bharwaney's daughter, [[Serena Bharwaney|Serena]], in the hopes she could help him. Much to his distaste, Bumblebee had to lie to Serena, claiming that the control board would harm her father if he didn't "fix" it. He felt so bad about the whole thing that he believed doing this all but confirmed Humanity's opinion of the Transformers, a position that Wheeljack did not tolerate. Unfortunately, it was discovered the control board contained tracking devices, meaning Bumblebee would be unable to get it back to their hideout before Colonel Horiuchi would notice and disable all the Autobots. This forced Bumblebee to make the modifications himself, a task he scarcely completed before Bharwaney returned home. As his friend Serena took the item back into her house, Bumblebee hoped that one day, he could repay her for his betrayal of her trust. {{Storylink|The Gift Horse}}

However, as he was making his way back to the Autobot hideout, Bumblebee detected Skywarp heading towards the Bharwaney house. Arriving just in time to save Bharwaney and his daughter, Bumblebee discovered the scientist to be an embittered man whose wife had died during the Decepticon invasion, and who now saw all Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon alike, as the same destructive aliens. During their flight, Bharwaney decided to use the control board to destroy both Bumblebee and Skywarp, seeing Bumblebee as a traitor to Horiuchi. When Serena appealed to her father, Bharwaney forced Bumblebee to admit that he did use Serena to get to the control board, and 'Bee apologised to the young girl. Letting them both out, Bumblebee asked Bharwaney for the control board so he could free his fellow Autobots. As they argued, Skywatch lieutenant [[Daniel Klonowski]] appeared and saved the trio from Skywarp, but despite his interference, Skywarp cut off Bumblebee's escape. Declaring that, unlike Skywarp, he had friends who would fix him, Bumblebee activated the control board, which simultaneously destroyed the kill-switch badges on the Autobots and seriously damaged himself and Skywarp. Sometime later, after Klonowski paid a visit to the Autobot hideout, Bumblebee emerged with a brand new, more powerful body and a new confidence befitting his command of the Autobots. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

[[File:IDWBumblebeeDesignvsStyle.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|He's very picky about his looks.]]
Bumblebee's new confidence was tested when Ultra Magnus barged back into the Autobot caves, requisitioning a strike force to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Magnus forced Bumblebee and the others to go along with him almost by sheer force of personality, and they soon arrived at the launch site where Hot Rod and his Autobot & Decepticon allies were planning to leave the planet. Bumblebee and Hot Rod tried to debate the situation, but Ultra Magnus soon grew tired of listening to their concerns and laid down the line: "Right, wrong, I'm the guy with the badge." Any dissention in the Autobots ranks came to a sudden stop when [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] turned on his "friend" Hot Rod, unleashing the new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] combiner named [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|Enemies of the System}}

Most of the Decepticons joined Swindle and the Stunticons in turning against their Autobot comrades. [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] in particular took great joy in showing the Constructicons could still hack it in light of the new combiner robot, and tried to strangle Bumblebee one-handed. Bumblebee was saved by the timely but unexpected intervention of Thundercracker, who had grown just as tired of the war as many Autobots.

Watching the Stunticons at work as Menasor, Bumblebee noticed how poorly integrated their consciousnesses were, and devised a plan to break them apart. By directing the Autobots to focus their firepower first on [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], then [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], he successfully led the group in dismantling Menasor. Even Optimus Prime and the latecomers from Skywatch looked to him for direction. Afterwards, Prime blessed Bumblebee's leadership, and 'Bee decreed it was time for the Autobots to stop running. He faced [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] head on and made arrangements for a true peace with Skywatch. Bumblebee still had to deal with Ultra Magnus, however, who was insisting on arresting Rodimus for treason. Bumblebee finally told Magnus where he could stuff his statutes. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

[[File:1 Bumblebee Transformers Infestation 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
Bumblebee was one of the Autobots who helped fight back against the undead horde that came to Earth. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

Bumblebee and the Autobots then entered into a formal arrangement with Skywatch, and took up residence inside the organization's bunkers. {{storylink|All His Engines}} Despite his decision, some like Jetfire continued to question the idea of living among those who had hunted them for the last three years. Bumblebee earnestly defended his choice, however, stating essentially that trust had to begin somewhere or else they'd never survive on Earth. Spike soon alerted Bumblebee that [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and the Combaticons had made their presence known in North Korea along the demilitarized zone. Bumblebee quickly determined that, despite appearances, the Combaticons were not loyal mercenaries to the North Koreans, but were playing a larger game. With the President of the United States declaring all Transformers "illegal weapons of mass destruction", though, Spike and Bumblebee decided they would have to intervene...in disguise. {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"|The Land Ironclads}} [[File:Bumblebee car Hawk Among the Sparrows.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]] Bumblebee later stated to Optimus Prime he had a plan and asked Thundercracker to join the Autobots. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"|Ranks of Bronze}} Thundercracker turned down the offer but Bumblebee eventually convinced the Seeker to join, reminding him of his seeker heritage. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"|Hawk Among the Sparrows}} Bumblebee, unsure what to do, was back at base watching a full brawl between the Autobots, Combaticons, and Predacons with Kyle Pennington and Silverstreak. The brawl revealed the Autobots to the public and Bumblebee confronted the media to try to solve the already shaky alliance between humans and Autobots. He got blasted by a protester instead. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"|All My Sins Remembered}}

[[File:Bumblebee bad shape Altered Carbon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7]]
Bumblebee was severely wounded from the shot but managed to regain composure. Kyle Pennington told the Autobots not to hurt his would be assassin, but Brawn did not like the decision. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man|The Demolished Man}} In an interview, [[Ben Simpson]] stated Bumblebee's recent action was insane and he had no say in the US policy. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon|Altered Carbon}} The assassination was followed by a Decepticon attack on the Skywatch base, and though the Autobots attempted to evacuated, they were followed and defeated by a returned Megatron. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}} Dumped in a city in the middle of scared and armed humans, Bumblebee and the others ended up held at gunpoint by a [[John Powell|policeman]]. He attempted to talk the human down using reason, but before he could have any success Jazz arrived and, to his shock and horror, killed the human. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome|Burning Chrome}} The Autobots were able to escape from the city, escorting the shell-shocked Jazz back to Omega Supreme {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} where they began repairs on Bumblebee. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}

[[File:Bumblebee healed Orphans of the Helix.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
After a few weeks Bumblebee was back on his feet, though Ratchet couldn't find him a leg replacement joint, leaving him temporarily in need of a walking stick. While joking around with the similarly injured Pennington, they were interrupted by Bluestreak who informed the group that Rodimus was alive and had returned with Ironhide and Sunstreaker, who were also supposed to be dead. Informed by Rodimus that Cybertron was habitable again but occupied by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]], Optimus Prime rallied the Autobots to return home, which only served to remind poor Bumblebee that nobody listened to ''him'' even though he was supposed to be leader. While reassuring him he was still in charge, Prime told him Spike Witwicky was suspected of having lied to the Autobots and murdered [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] in cold blood, prompting Bumblebee to requisition some Autobots and remain on Earth to investigate Skywatch and track down remaining Decepticons. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} {{storylink|Police Action: Prologue}}

With Megatron having surrendered to the Autobots, Bumblebee appeared on Omega Supreme via hologram to discussing his sentence and voted for life imprisonment. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}}

[[File:Bumblebee The Question.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
Whilst Prowl focused on investigating their human allies, Bumblebee led the search for Decepticons, taking [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] on a fruitless night raid. After an argument with Prowl the next morning, {{storylink|The Question}} Bumblebee was asked by Jazz for permission to hunt down the remaining Decepticons, but was denied due to his murdering a human last time he was in the field. {{storylink|Police Action: Part 1|Police Action #1}} Realizing that he did know ''one'' Decepticon's location, Bumblebee paid a visit to Thundercracker, who after extended pestering surrendered a suspicion that Megatron's new body sported a [[space bridge]] and a bridge energy signature from his [[Titan Hunter|Titan hunting]] days. Searching for the signature with help from Sanjay Bharwaney, the Autobot leader was able to locate a veritable army of Decepticons preparing to enter a space bridge linked to Megatron, now on Cybertron with the other Autobots. Bumblebee's attempt to secretly disable the bridge was discovered, and he wound up in a battle with the Stunticons as their allies fled through the portal. Although severely outmatched, he was able to jam his cane into the bridge's cabling and trigger a massive electrical discharge, knocking his opponents unconscious. His captives in tow, Bumblebee returned to base with a renewed faith in himself. {{storylink|The Question}}

He and Ultra Magnus questioned Sandra about Spike Witwicky, and discovered that Spike murdered Scrapper. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward|Only Forward}} The Autobots later tried to bring in Ben Simpson. They found Simpson under the influence of one of the Megatron-guns and opened fire on him. Swindle was located at the scene, and he revealed he knocked out Brawl in order to keep his secrets. Swindle told the Autobots that Skywatch's advanced weapons technology came from him via a deal he made with Spike. After severing their ties with Skywatch and Earth, {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|A Second Chance at Eden}} the Autobots returned to Cybertron on a ship sent by their colleagues on their home planet.

{{-}}

===Rebuilding Society===
[[File:DoOP matrix bequeathed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Thanks for the, uh... paper-weight, Prime.]]
When Bumblebee's contingent arrived on Cybertron, they found the [[D-Void]]'s Chaos War ended, Galvatron defeated, and the planet somehow alive and primordial. Thousands of non-aligned Cybertronians began arriving back, and Bumblebee had his work cut out for him keeping the situation from inflaming. After Optimus returned with the Matrix, [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] discovered that it contained a map apparently to the [[Knights of Cybertron]], and Rodimus and Bumblebee disagreed on what their priorities should be. Optimus presented half of the Matrix to Bumblebee who intended to stay on Cybertron, and the other half to Rodimus, who intended to follow the map. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} To Bumblebee's disappointment, Ratchet was one of those who opted to leave on the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Bumblebee tried unsuccessfully to contact Rodimus immediately prior to the ship launch, and he and Prowl watched as the ship apparently exploded in the sky during take off. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

[[File:WorldAndEverythingInit-yikesBee.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Don't taze me, Bee!]]
Bumblebee and non-aligned leader [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] went to greet newly arrived [[Hipotank]], but Bumblebee found his point of view being drowned out by Metalhawk's anti-Autobot rhetoric. Prowl was using Decepticons to enforce the peace, and while Bumblebee was arranging a memorial for the ''Lost Light'' crew, some of them began exercising their authority a little too vigorously with [[Zetca]]. Consequently, Bumblebee had to activate [[Horri-Bull]]'s [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chip]], killing the Decepticon. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} When Starscream approached Autobot headquarters, Bumblebee stunned the Decepticon with his new modified cane and announced he was done trusting Decepticons. The memorial went ahead, with Bumblebee giving a speech, unaware that the Decepticons were planning to assassinate him. The plot was foiled, thanks to information from Starscream, who interrupted Bumblebee's speech to assert that he, Starscream, must be part of the government. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}}

After a mysterious explosion, Bumblebee called in Wheeljack to investigate, though he wasn't keen on being called "King Bee". He tried to suppress his suspicions that the Decepticons were behind the explosion, which turned out to be false anyway when Wheeljack discovered what was happening. As many Cybertronians were saved thanks to Starscream's help, Bumblebee agreed to let Starscream be part of the government, despite the idea angering [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] enough to knock Bumblebee down and depart with his team. {{storylink|Stick Together}} The three leaders held a speech, though to Bumblebee's dismay, Starscream dominated proceedings. He later found himself having to deal with an increasingly-paranoid Prowl. {{storylink|Devisive}} When [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] arrived, Bumblebee passed on turning out to greet the newcomer, as he knew Metalhawk and Starscream would be there to undermine him. Following a brawl and some persuasive words from Metalhawk and Ironhide, Bumblebee made the decision to have the I/D chips deactivated as a first step towards equality between Autobot and Decepticon. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

When a ship flying Decepticon colors materialized in Cybertron's sky, Bumblebee summoned Wheeljack to observe the ship's landing. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}} Metalhawk and Starscream began pressuring him to have an election to let the populace choose their leader, but he claimed not to be ready yet, mostly out of fear of what may happen if they elected Starscream. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt (IDW)|Dinobot Hunt}} When an injured [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] appeared from the wilderness outside the city borders claiming to have lost Ironhide and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], Bumblebee rejected Metalhawk and Starscream's offer for help, believing that the election would go in their favor if they found the missing 'bots. Instead he went to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] and convinced Blurr to aid in the search, but regretfully did so by playing to his emotions and asking him to do it for Ironhide's sake even though his true motives were political. To add to all this stress, [[Turmoil]]'s time-traveling ship then disappeared right under his nose. {{storylink|Night and the City}} Bumblebee was too busy investigating the disappearance to deal with the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] discovered by Blurr, Metalhawk and Starscream. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}} Starscream's popularity skyrocketed after the Titan declared him a conqueror who would unite all Cybertronians, causing Bumblebee to fear the results an election even more, even as he knew himself to be at the risk of looking like a dictator if he kept refusing to hold one. After Starscream's luck turned around due to an apparent Decepticon bombing that had crippled Omega Supreme, Bumblebee was surprised to find that Metalhawk trusted him enough to investigate the attack. This kind of honesty nudged him out of the political mindset, and he started an investigation to search for the truth rather than to blame the Decepticons. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}}

[[File:BeforeTheDawn-BumblebeeKRONCH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Yeah, this about sums up this page.]]
Shortly afterwards, Megatron wandered into Iacon from the wilderness, claiming to come in peace. Bumblebee refused to believe this and ordered the Autobots to kill him where he stood, but they were stopped in their tracks by the Decepticon population, who convinced him to take Megatron alive. While he did so, he refused to honor the Decepticon leader's requests to speak with him, knowing it never went anywhere when Optimus Prime tried. {{storylink|City on Fire}} The return of their leader caused the Decepticons to start rioting, with Bumblebee being unable to calm them down. Realizing that things were never going to be stable under his Autobot government, he finally decided to hold elections the next day and let Metalhawk win. {{storylink|The Verge}} This was put on ice when he was approached by Blurr and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who claimed that Prowl was working with Megatron and had been behind all the unrest since day one. While he didn't want to believe them, Bumblebee came with them and Metalhawk to investigate Prowl's quarters, where they indeed found him smack in the middle of believed-dead Decepticons, holding Wheeljack at gunpoint. To his horror, Prowl killed Wheeljack before he could tell him something important, then went on to explain that he was in fact under the control of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who had been using him to manipulate events anticipation of Megatron's return. As their plan came to fruition, a freed Megatron turned Prowl into the head of Devastator, crushed Bumblebee's head and prepared to conquer Cybertron. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}}

Heavily injured but defiant, Bumblebee asked Prowl's partner, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], what her role in the Decepticon plan was. This prompted her to reveal that she wasn't on the Decepticons' side at all and kill Bombshell, shutting off Devastator and giving the Autobots the chance to fight back. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} On Metalhawk's suggestion, Bumblebee and the others went after Megatron to save Starscream from his clutches, though as Dirge rightly pointed out, the Autobots were really just out to kill Megatron. When they reached him, the Decepticon leader was preparing to take Prowl's place as Devastator's head, but Bumblebee realized just in time that the "important" thing Wheeljack had mentioned was his trademark system bypass codeword. By using it, the Autobots activated a force field belt hidden inside Megatron by Wheeljack, incapacitating him and saving Cybertron. In the aftermath of the battle, Bumblebee was ready to rebuild, but with Metalhawk killed in battle, Starscream became leader of the NAILs and convinced them to banish Autobots, Decepticons and their war from Iacon. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

Out in space, where the ''Lost Light'' had survived, crew member [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] would used a recording of Bumblebee saying "so here" in his stitched-together final message to [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]]. {{storylink|The Gloaming}} When the crew finally got their communications back online, Rodimus contacted Cybertron hoping to see the planet united under Bumblebee's leadership, only to be met with a grinning Starscream instead. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

[[File:SecondExodus-GoldfireBumblebee.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Bumblebee thought he was safe, far from Death's Head and G.I. Joe, but nope!]]
Not wanting to cause further conflict with the NAILs, Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots agreed to leave, but an encounter with some friendly Constructicons led to the unfortunate revelation that not ''all'' of Prowl's unlawful manipulations had been Bombshell's fault—he had in fact been behind the assassination of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. This revelation, piled on top of his injuries and many regrets as a leader, was too much for Bumblebee, who collapsed on the spot. He was forced to receive an extensive repair job from [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]], who incorporated [[Goldfire shielding]] and parts of his second Earth mode in the process, resulting in a brand new body. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

As a bright light appeared, Bumblebee and the other Autobots approached it, only for a [[Quintessa (IDW)|Titan]] to emerge from the ground in front of them. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} While Bumblebee tried to organize his troops to surround the behemoth, it stayed motionless. Instead the Autobots found themselves under attach from Soundwave's Decepticons. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} Bumblebee tried fruitlessly to appeal to Soundwave to stop the fighting, however they were interrupted by Starscream approaching the Titan. The giant unleashed a wave of destructive energy that left the forces present in disarray. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} While Prowl thought they should press the attack Bumblebee favored a more logical approach, which was when Soundwave heard Megatron screaming. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}}

Following the sound, the combined force found Shockwave's lab, where Nova Prime and Galvatron were attempting to emerge from the Death Universe through a space bridge in Megatron's chest. Startled to find Metalhawk alive, Bumblebee appealed to him to help, but Metalhawk was not pleased at Starscream being handed control of the planet, and attacked Bumblebee. The fight abruptly ended when Shockwave called in the Titan. As Soundwave and Bumblebee's forces emerged to count their wounded, they were met by Megatron, who was promptly ripped in half by Galvatron. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}} Bumblebee later confronted Galvatron and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] in an attempt to retrieve Megatron's body, though he turned out to not be a match for Galvatron, only being saved by the fact that Megatron had been playing possum. With Galvatron down, Bumblebee picked up Megatron and headed for Iacon. {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}}

[[File:RID27 Bumblebee dies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Oh well, next body please!]]
Arriving back at the city, Megatron revealed his plan to evacuate to [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]], however Bumblebee refused to concede Cybertron, at which point [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and the ''Lost Light'' arrived via quantum jump to fight the Titan. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} Greeting the ''Lost Light'' crew as they disembarked, Bumblebee took Megatron aboard the ship to find Metroplex's thumb. Though wary of Megatron's motives, Bumblebee let him space bridge away with the thumb, and when nothing subsequently happened, assumed Megatron had simply cut and run. The ex-Decepticon leader did reunite the thumb with its owner however, allowing Metroplex to win the battle. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} Bumblebee insisted Megatron get the best of medical treatment. Once Megatron was repaired, he asked to see Bumblebee and admitted to the Autobot that he'd come to the realization that the war was a mistake. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}}

Unfortunately Shockwave's plans weren't as foiled as they'd thought, and as billions of [[Ammonite]]s poured down on Cybertron, Bumblebee tried to coordinate a retreat until Perceptor broke the news that the universe was literally ending. Bumblebee gathered together a team to return to Shockwave's lair, and used Skywarp's teleportation power to get there. While most of the team battled Shockwave's waiting forces, Megatron and Bumblebee went onwards and encountered Galvatron. Megatron was ready to end Galvatron's life, but Bumblebee managed to talk him out of it, shortly before Shockwave blew a hole through Bumblebee, critically wounding him. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} Moved by the death of his compatriot, Bumblebee's sacrifice led Megatron to take Bumblebee's insignia as his own, and he and Optimus subsequently talked Shockwave out of destroying the universe. Shockwave's [[chronal drive]] collapsed into a singularity, and though Megatron tried to save Bumblebee's body, it was swallowed up by the growing blackness. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

===Infraspace===
Wheeljack, thought dead since the Decepticon uprising, eventually recovered and was saddened to learn of Bumblebee's fate. The fact that he died saving the universe didn't make it feel any better. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} Thundercracker felt the universe was "overrated" and Bumblebee should have looked out for himself. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}}

Unbeknownst to the population of Cybertron, Bumblebee had ''survived'' his encounter with Shockwave, after a fashion. Though critically injured, Bumblebee's consciousness had survived the destruction of his physical body thanks to the properties of the singularity, coming to inhabit the transitional realm known to Cybertronians as [[infraspace]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} Though essentially trapped in the singularity, aimlessly wandering the ruins of the Crystal City, Bumblebee found a way to project his consciousness back into the living world, essentially becoming a virtual "ghost." {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} For reasons currently unknown, Bumblebee's disembodied consciousness remained invisible and intangible to all... all except [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], who found an unlikely companion and verbal sparring partner as he tried to keep order in the turbulent months following the formation of the [[Republic of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} {{storylink|The Transgressors}} Unaware of what was really happening, Starscream eventually came to believe that he was experiencing vivid hallucinations brought on by his own insecurities. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

[[File:ExRID 44 ghost bumblebee and starscream.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Thanks to [[Bumblebee (Movie)|him]], I matter even in death!]]

Following the formation of the [[Council of Worlds]], Bumblebee brought up the fact that nobody in Iacon wanted Starscream in control, pointing out that all they had on their side was [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] - who was not-so-subtly gunning for his boss's job. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} Even after bringing together five of Cybertron's lost colonies, Starscream still didn't feel any better about himself. Bumblebee suggested that if Starscream thought about others more, then he might be happier... a suggestion that Starscream misunderstood, believing that the "others" should all think about ''him''. {{storylink|Choose Me}} When the Decepticons hijacked the space bridge to Earth, Bumblebee brought up the fact that Cybertronians tended to repeat their history, and that another cataclysmic war was on the horizon. His needling prompted Starscream to open communications to [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and inform her about the situation. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}}

As the Cybertronians and colonists settled into their new lives, Bumblebee continued to wheedle at Starscream, accusing him of obsessing over the whereabouts of the supposedly-dead Swindle. {{storylink|07:00:00}} As an angry mob prepared to batter down the doors to Starscream's office, Bumblebee criticized Starscream's attitude and his handling of the situation thus far. {{storylink|Applicable Skills}}

Following Optimus Prime's controversial annexation of Earth, Starscream had a brief chat with Bumblebee as he gloated about Optimus's recent fall from grace. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}} Starscream sent [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] and [[Longtooth]] to Earth to ambush Optimus and provoke him into making risky moves; a ploy that Starscream gloated about to Bumblebee. Bumblebee suggested that Optimus's heroism in the face of adversity would only improve his ratings among the population of Iacon. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} When Optimus went ahead and raised a Titan from beneath Earth, Bumblebee smugly pointed out he had warned him about what would happen. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}}

[[Scarlett]] and [[Joe Colton]] remembered Bumblebee as they discussed the original Cybertronian conflict on Earth and the current threat they posed to the planet {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}}

When [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] remembered the launch of the ''Lost Light'', his subconscious warned him of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|danger]] by introducing 'continuity errors' into his memory which included Bumblebee boarding the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}

Fifteen minutes before the Titan apocalypse, Starscream spoke to Bumblebee about optimism in the face of impossible odds. When Metroplex fell, Bumblebee advised Starscream to seek reinforcements. {{storylink|Ping}} When Starscream prepared to conquer [[Vigilem|Carcer]], Bumblebee asked what he was going to tell the troops to which Starscream responded that he would simply tell them whatever it took. {{storylink|Desperate Times}} Bumblebee later commented to Starscream that if he and Windblade weren't adversaries, the two jets could get a lot accomplished. Starscream merely reminded Bumblebee what happened last time the Decepticon considered someone a friend. {{storylink|Desperate Measures (Till All Are One)|Desperate Measures}} After the undead Titans had all been felled, Bumblebee joined Starscream in cheering. {{storylink|Rubicon}} In the aftermath, Starscream was assaulted from all sides by the realm of politics Bumblebee pushed him to make the morally correct choices only for Starscream to relapse. {{storylink|Heavy}} Bumblebee later scolded Starscream over this only to vanish when [[Airachnid (G1)|Airachnid]] met with Starscream. {{storylink|The Price of You}}

[[File:GhostStories-CrystalCity.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Banished... to the Phantom Zone!]]
Starscream refusing to delegate the resources to help Windblade however was the final straw for Bumblebee who snapped and demanded why Starscream always felt the need to alienate everyone and push them all away. Starscream raged that every single time he let someone in or lowered his guard as the grand schemer, life (usually wearing Megatron's face) would give a really good trouncing with the Seeker telling Bumblebee to just leave if he found him so despicable. And leave Bumblebee did. Bumblebee reappeared days later when Starscream had succumbed to his conscience and decided to help Windblade. {{storylink|If I Know You}} Within Starscream's mind, a spectre of Bumblebee appeared as one of the Cybertronians who had a great impact on Starscream's life. {{storylink|Your First Mistake}}

When Starscream flew to the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] to spy on Optimus Prime and [[Pyra Magna]], Bumblebee provided him with advice on flying in hazardous conditions and commented on Starscream's ironic views on mental health. As the two listened to Optimus recount Bumblebee's origins, Bumblebee pointed out that it was good that Optimus had someone who questioned him. As the conversation moved on to [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]], Starscream dismissed the entire thing as figments of imagination created by guilt, fear and doubt like Bumblebee was to him, unaware that he stood only a few feet away from where Bumblebee's consciousness resided. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

As [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] used the [[Void Scepter]] to have [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] attack his allies, Bumblebee's "ghost" questioned the Decepticon's actions noting that he was no longer acting according to Starscream's plan. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}} Bumblebee then rushed to tell Starscream what was happening which prompted the Seeker to shatter the Void Scepter. In the aftermath, Starscream thanked Bumblebee for what he'd done, glad to have someone (even an "imaginary" someone) on his side. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}}

After Windblade had revealed [[Liege Maximo]]'s freedom to the public, Bumblebee commented on the public support for her before he cautioned Starscream that he wouldn't be able to lie and cheat his way out of the current crisis only for the Seeker to reveal he had no intent of doing so, intending to win by the strength of his argument. After Starscream outlined his power infrastructure plans to Bumblebee, Windblade arrived with his list of crimes. After failing to manipulate the Camien however, Starscream went on the offensive, looking for loopholes in his crimes only for Bumblebee to inform him he wouldn't help fight against Windblade. Though Starscream insisted he was the only logical choice for leadership and wanted only the best for Cybertron, Bumblebee said he had to decide how much his future expansion meant to him. Bumblebee appeared to Starscream one last time just before the Seeker was due to make his debate speech. {{storylink|The Chosen One}}

After Starscream had publicly confessed to his myriad of crimes and received a life sentence, Bumblebee continued to appear to him. When [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] came to visit however, Bumblebee stepped out to investigate a strange noise. He was shocked to find [[Nemesis (BWII)|a giant optic]] in the sky and ran back to inform Starscream. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes|Surfeit of Primes}} When Onyx Prime and [[Liege Maximo]] made planetfall, Bumblebee observed Optimus interacting with the former and the [[Cybertronian Security Force]] establishing a perimeter only to notice Starscream was angsting about his "true form". Bumblebee didn't buy the Seeker using his body dysmorphia as an excuse for his poor choices thinking everyone was defined by their life choices, not how they were born. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}} When Starscream was abducted by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], he screamed for Bumblebee to help him but the minibot could do nothing but watch. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}}

As Devastator carried Starscream to glory, both he and Bumblebee watched Optimus Prime be consumed by the Crystal City [[black hole]] before the combiner announced his theory that Starscream was [[the Fallen]] reborn. Though scoffing at the theory, Bumblebee's attention was soon drawn to Optimus appearing in his realm. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}} Though Bumblebee was eager to see his friend, Optimus only had enough energy to explain that they were in [[infraspace]] before he gave up. After Bumblebee voiced his theory on how he'd been able to speak to Starscream, he began to blame himself for the post-War mess. Optimus dissuaded that notion, stating the chaos of society was his fault for letting the title of Prime go to his head. Bumblebee scoffed at that, noting that, despite the innate power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], he was still just Orion Pax, with the talisman having only ever been an idea. Inspired, Optimus "opened the Matrix" in an attempt to use the artifact's metaphysical weight to punch open a hole back to the real world. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} When the pathway formed, Optimus told Bumblebee to go and leave him only for the scout to grab Prime and drag him along. The two emerged in the body of [[Pyra Magna]] with their minds in [[antespace]]. As one, the three of them captured Shockwave, taking him alive in spite of a mutual desire to see him dead. Once the Decepticon was brought before the Council, Optimus scolded him for throwing away his chance at redemption only for Shockwave to reveal all he had done was embrace the arrival of chaos. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|Unforgivable}}

===Back for the end===
After having his mind downloaded from Pyra's and placed in a new body, Bumblebee was properly introduced to [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] who caught up him up on recent events and the existential threat the Cybertronian race was now facing: [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. Once Optimus had awoken and been briefed on the threat, [[Rom]] arrived with the news that [[Elonia]] was under threat. Part of the ''[[Ark-Zero]]'' crew, Bumblebee travelled to Elonia to aid in the evacuation of the natives via a variant of [[space bridge]] technology. While Bumblebee was warped back to Cybertron with the [[Elonian]]s, the nature of the technology meant [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] had to stay behind, dying with the planet. When the [[Space Knight]]s caught up with the refugees, Bumblebee oversaw their settling and Rom's attempt at rallying his fellows. {{storylink|Our Darkest}} {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}} {{istorylink|Ad Infinitum}}

In the interim, Optimus had decided to lay a trap for Unicron at [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], allowing the monster to consume the planet while Optimus ventured within it and destroyed it. Part of the plan, Bumblebee boarded a one-bot ship which he rammed directly into [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]' starship mode when the Titan touched down on Unicron. When Optimus, Bumblebee, and Arcee ventured into the monster, they found an amalgamation of all the worlds it had consumed along with a ruined [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinel]]. As Bumblebee pondered whether or not Unicron truly was the uncreator, its [[Unicron's antibodies|antibodies]] attacked forcing them to teleport out. Once Caminus had died, the ''Ark-Zero'' quantum jumped back to Iacon, where Starscream dramatically announced the Decepticons would be saving Cybertron. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}} Inspired by Arcee's familiarity with the dead Sentinel, Bumblebee sought out [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] for answers on Unicron's past. Though only having come to check on the Sentinel's health, Bumblebee somehow mind melded with Omega Supreme, receiving a vision of Cybertron's invasion of [[Antilla]] and the world's refashioning into Unicron as a weapon to be used against the Cybertronian race. With this knowledge, Bumblebee ran to Optimus only to be greeted by the sight of Unicron having already arrived above Cybertron, now having gained a [[robot mode]]. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

When Bumblebee arrived in the war room, he explained his findings to the Council, with Arcee arriving to confirm the story. As Unicron began physically tearing into Cybertron, Optimus went to Shockwave for answers who simply encouraged everyone to join him on [[Earth]] to hep him rebuild their race. When Windblade flew off however, everyone decided to wait for her plan. {{storylink|Our Finest}} Winblade soon convinced the [[Spectral Knight]]s to teleport the population away, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] space bridged himself and his inhabitants to the [[Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park]] where Bumblebee told Starscream to stop whining. {{storylink|Road's End}}

[[File:Post-Great War Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2]]
As everyone took stock, Prowl arrived in the ''[[Peaceful Revolution]]'' with new information on Unicron and the threat it posed to the galaxy. As part of the distraction, Bumblebee joined in the fight on the [[Decepticon Vengeance Division]] where he told Rom that the Cybertronians were a bit more than just machines. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} As the Autobots fought, Bumblebee was unsurprised by Starscream's heroic sacrifice before Ironhide was raked to death. Soon enough, Optimus's gamble paid off and Unicron collapsed in on itself, Bumblebee joining [[Aileron]] in rescuing Arcee before they retreated to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] where he caught up [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] on what he'd missed. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

In the aftermath, Prowl arranged for Cybertron to open diplomatic ties with the [[Galactic Council]] with Bumblebee being chosen as their representative. The night before he was due to depart, Bumblebee spoke with the ghostly Starscream on a beach about legacies and the future before he attended Optimus Prime's funeral. {{storylink|Post}}
{{--}}

==Spotlight: Mirage==
Bumblebee was part of a unit heading towards the Pegasus Star Cluster to link up with the last remnants of the Autobots under Optimus Prime's command. He never made it, as the unit was ambushed as soon as it entered the cluster. The self-serving mercenary [[Mirage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Mirage]] took his form to fool the remaining Autobots to allow him to enter their base.

But it was all Mirage's dream... or was it? {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

==Notes==
[[File:Infiltration3-BackOfBumblebee.jpg|thumb|Hey! [[Michael Bay|Bay]]! [[Megan Fox|Stop filming]] [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley|my ass!]]]]
*Bumblebee appears on six different covers, plus two "foil enhanced" variants reusing art from another cover, during ''Infiltration''—of which only ''one'' (#5D) used [[E. J. Su]]'s redesign, which follows a different transformation schema that, amongst other things, places the roof of the car on his back rather than his chest as in his G1 character model. [[:File:IDWBumblebeeDesignvsStyle.jpg|Things would only get worse from there]].
<div style="float:right">[[File:Bumblebeeholomatter.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Hello! I am Lindsay Lohan!]]</div>
*According to [[E. J. Su]], Bumblebee's [[Holomatter]] avatar is modeled after {{w|Lindsay Lohan}}, an actress who plays a girl that drives [[Herbie]], a sentient Beetle. ''Um, well''.<ref>[http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>
*[[Mike Costa]] had originally intended to kill ''Bumblebee'' in "[[...For All Mankind]]", believing it was the most shocking death he could do. [[Hasbro]] said "NO".<ref>[http://moonbase2.libsyn.com/webpage/the-underbase-reviews-ongoing-31 Moonbase 2 interview with Mike Costa ("Special Guest")]</ref> <s>Not that it stopped him from dying later on (in ''Dark Cybertron''), anyway.</s> Never mind, [[Ghost Stories|he's still kicking]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]
[[Category:Spies]]

Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2019-09-12T04:48:48Z

TailgatePrime: /* Mission to Xetaxxis */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the yellow round Autobot|the IDW golden Throttlebot leader|Goldbug (IDW)}}
{{suite}}
[[File:BumblebeeIDW-fromDevastation1coverA.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Searching for a candle to brighten his dimness.]]
An espionage agent who demonstrated the {{w|Peter Principle}} in action when he became Autobot leader? That's [[2005 IDW continuity]]'s '''Bumblebee'''!

{{first|[[Infiltration issue 3|''Infiltration'' #3]]}}

{{quote|No, wait, '''''hang on''''', Prowl--I'm in '''''charge''''' here!"|quote2=What? Come '''''on'''''.|[[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] sums up Bumblebee's leadership in three words|"[[The Question]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Early days===
[[File:GhostStories-Bumblebeealtmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Put-put-put.]]

'''Bumblebee of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]''' was [[forged]], {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} {{storylink|The Not Knowing}} one of the last generation to be born before the [[hot spot]]s cooled. Given his nimble alternate mode, he worked as a courier while spending his leisure time with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] at the races. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

In the days of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], Bumblebee attended the joint funeral of Bumper and Fastback, who had been killed by Megatron and his goons. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

Seeing an altercation, Bumblebee (being the nice guy that he was) activated his headlights and tried to offer aid. [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] rudely brushed him off however. {{storylink|The Next Day, and the Next}}

[[File:GhostStories-BumblebeeVsSoundwave.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

One day, Bumblebee was plagued by nightmares of spirits demanding him to deliver a package. The nightmares lasted for a month before he delivered the package but to his dismay they resumed shortly after, one containing a bomb that destroyed the Tygun factory. Overcome with guilt, he immediately turned himself in where he first met [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] who managed to deduce that Bumblebee was being influenced by an outside signal that was being broadcasted into his processor. Despite being told to remain behind, Bumblebee followed Pax and Prowl to the Decepticon hideout. An enraged Bumblebee attacked [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] for the attack highlighting that Decepticons were supposed to fight ''for'' the people. In the aftermath, he asked to join Pax's squad. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

In the days of [[Zeta Prime]], Bumblebee was assigned to Orion Pax's Autobot security team. In a mission in [[Nyon]], Bumblebee stopped Orion before he could execute [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] in plain sight of civilians and berated him for almost killing a defenseless enemy. {{storylink|Law and Disorder}} After training with [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] at the shooting gallery, {{Storylink|Parasites}} Bumblebee was sent to pursue [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]], who had infiltrated a [[Senate]] meeting where Zeta Prime unveiled the [[vamparc ribbon]]. Bumblebee was taken down by [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] and taken hostage by the [[Decepticon]]s to assure Orion's cooperation. {{Storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} Both Orion and Bumblebee were able to escape the Decepticons when their comrades ambushed them at the [[Jump Joint]] and brought [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to carry them away. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}} Orion Pax's crew were soon sent on another mission to Nyon, this time to apprehend [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]. However, the Autobots were willing to listen to Hot Rod's argument. {{Storylink|Ruins}} When Zeta Prime's [[Guardian robot|Omega Destructor]]s attacked the city, Bumblebee and the others attempted to help defend the city, but Hot Rod was forced to detonate bombs scattered around the city, destroying it. Zeta savagely attacked Orion Pax, {{Storylink|Purge}} but [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons came to the rescue. The Autobots were taken to [[Kolkular]], where they witnessed Orion Pax agreeing to join forces with Megatron. {{storylink|Choices}} Together, the Autobots and Decepticons attacked Zeta Prime's forces. {{Storylink|Overthrown}}

[[File:Rise-BumblebeeHotRod.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]

With Zeta's defeat, Megatron betrayed the Autobots and began hunting them down, and Bumblebee went into hiding with Ironhide and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Before they could decide on a course of action, they were captured in a Decepticon raid on their safehouse. {{storylink|Transformation (issue)|Transformation}} After a violent interrogation, Bumblebee was set to be executed alongside his fellow Autobots. However, on witnessing the ruthless execution order, Hot Rod decided to join the Autobots and freed the prisoners. They then rendezvoused at Orion's ID signal and learned of his recent transformation into Optimus Prime and the awakening of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Rise}} When Optimus Prime made a rallying call for additional support for their cause against the Decepticon's tyranny, Bumblebee watched possible enemy positions. {{storylink|Broadcast}} Bumblebee participated in the battle at the [[Citadel]] and after the battle, was approached by the survivors of the attack on Nyon who told him that they would now be chroniclers. {{storylink|Endgame}}

In the earliest days of Optimus Prime's leadership, Bumblebee was his assistant during the meetings of the [[Grand Convocation]]. {{storylink|Derelicts}} He later helped defend the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]] from [[Scorponok (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Scorponok]]'s Decepticons. {{storylink|Rage (IDW)|Rage}} The battle ended in tragedy as the refinery exploded, killing many civilians as well as Autobots. Having survived, Bumblebee attended the memorial service held by Autobots to honor the lost lives. {{storylink|Fallout (issue)|Fallout}} During a subsequent Convocation meeting, he interrupted Prime with an emergency report from [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]. {{storylink|Massacre}} When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was unleashed upon Cybertron, Bumblebee stood by Prime's side as the Autobots worked to contain the beast and showed deep regret for the destruction of [[Harmonex]] that ensued. {{storylink|The Illusion of Control}} Their struggle didn't go well, and he had to pull a fellow Autobot to safety during Trypticon's rampage. {{storylink|Annihilation}} With the monster heading towards Iacon and Optimus Prime being unable to stop it, [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] was ready to give up, but Bumblebee urged him to hold onto hope. Indeed, Trypticon was finally felled by the combined efforts of [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] and Megatron, allowing the Autobots to return home and repair the injured Prime. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (issue)|Belly of the Beast}}

In one of the war's countless battles, Bumblebee witnessed [[Hot Shot (Henkei!)|a yellow Autobot]] get destroyed in a Decepticon-Autobot crossfire. {{storylink|Drift issue 2|Drift #2}}

[[File:HelloCruelWorld-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

Not long after Trypticon's defeat, Bumblebee detected a spacecraft on collision course with Iacon and reported it to Prime. Realizing it was Trypticon—now under Decepticon control—the Autobots had Metroplex transform into [[robot mode]] and fight the beast. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}} Once both giants had fallen, the Decepticons and their new [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]] allies invaded the city, forcing the Autobots into battle. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} Bumblebee tried to prevent Megatron from reaching Trypticon's fallen form, and though the Decepticon leader acknowledged his courage, he would not be deterred and impaled the young Autobot on a piece of debris. Once the Autobots had won the battle, Bumblebee was carried to safety and repaired by [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}} 500,000 years ago during the climactic battle over Metroplex, Bumblebee scouted the Decepticon forces and surmised their offensive wasn't going to end any time soon, prompting the Autobots to send Metroplex off into space for his own protection. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} As they watched the Titan leave, he listened to Prowl lament the stupidity of war. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

Always willing to lend an ear to others' problems, Bumblebee developed a reputation as something of a secret-keeper in the Autobot ranks: he was one of the few Autobots who would eventually learn that the modern [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] was an imposter, a diminutive Cybertronian piloting a [[Magnus Armor|suit of armor]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}

[[File:TheHuntingParty-BumblebeeNightbeat.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Hey, lookit me bein' this body in the past at some point now, I guess.]]

Some time after Metroplex's departure, Bumblebee, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], and [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] were in space pursuing [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Empirion|ship]] from a distance, trying to put a stop to them despite being vastly outmatched. When Bludgeon found a remote planet with a small civilization of [[Urtuskian]]s and his troops started blowing up the place, Bumblebee decided that there was no time to call for reinforcements and he and his two friends would have to make do. He ordered Jetfire to ram their ship into the Decepticons' and the three would fight the troops personally on the surface. Bumblebee took out [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and [[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]] before finding himself trapped below ground standing between the legendary, missing Metroplex and [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]]. Bumblebee was faring badly when a Urtuskian surprisingly lept to his defense. Deciding Bumblebee wasn't worth his time, and secretly feeling disillusioned about the Decepticons at the time, Thundercracker abandoned the mission. With their ship destroyed, Bumblebee and the others found themselves stuck on the planet for an unspecified amount of time until they were eventually found and rescued. Thankfully, this was another of those "Bumblebee makes a friend" stories, as Nightbeat put it, and so they had hospitable hosts for the duration. {{storylink|The Hunting Party (IDW)|The Hunting Party}}

Some 20,000 years ago, Optimus and Bumblebee attempted to contact Prowl aboard the ''[[Ark-19]]''. Their boosted message was intercepted by Shockwave over prehistoric [[Earth]], and inadvertently bounced it to the passing [[Maximal]] starship, ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. After [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] shot down the craft, [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]]—whose memories had been scrambled by a [[Talisman (G1)|mysterious artifact]], and who bore a passing resemblance to Bumblebee himself—glimpsed the message and wondered aloud if he ''was'' Bumblebee, which gave Shockwave an idea for an [[Ice Age Wars|illuminating experiment]]. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}
{{-}}

===Mission to Xetaxxis===
[[File:ShiningArmor2-Bumblebeeheadlight.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
In the mid-19th century, after Cybertron had been rendered uninhabitable, Bumblebee and [[Sky Blast (G1)|Sky Blast]] would work under one Ultra Magnus—a particularly hotheaded individual named [[Convoy (G1)|Convoy]]—on a deep space patrol. On their second month, the trio passed through the distant [[Zugzwang Cluster]] where they found some Decepticons investigating the remains of a [[Galactic Council]] shuttle. Magnus brought Bumblebee with him to make sure nobody had survived the attack, ignoring Bumblebee's sympathizing with the Council's fears about the Cybertronian race. Magnus correctly deduced that the Decepticons had deliberately tried to hide the attack and hacked into the ship's computer to learned that it had been headed to the frigid world of [[Xetaxxis]]... a planet that none of the Autobots had heard of. After another week of travel, the Autobots arrived at Xetaxxis to find that the Decepticons had beaten them there and besieged the [[Solstar Order]] space station ''[[Orchid Crossing]]''. Leaving Sky Blast in the ship, {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}} Bumblebee and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] made a dramatic entrance into [[Orchid Crossing|a space station]] and found themselves face to face with [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 1|Shining Armor #1}}

[[File:ShiningArmor2-wereintrouble.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Derp.]]

The fight quickly turned into chaos as [[Rom]] shot Magnus; Bumblebee tried to keep order before Magnus turned on the [[Space Knight]] and blew him and Starscream through a wall. Though Magnus ordered his subordinate to kill everyone on sight, Bumblebee managed to persuade him that the Solstar Order were on their side; as Ultra Magnus ploughed into the fray, Bumblebee tried to approach [[Stardrive]], a Cybertronian Space Knight, to figure out if she was a Decepticon... only for Stardrive to mistake him for an enemy and shoot him in the chest. When he recovered he was horrified to see Sky Blast had also joined the fight, but had been assimilated by a [[Dire Wraith]] and mutated into an out of control monster. Its rampage threatened the structural integrity of the already damaged space station, and Magnus shut down the ship's forcefields in the hopes that the beast would burn up in Xetaxxis' atmosphere. As their shuttle arrived, Bumblebee offered Stardrive a ride but his moment of mercy bought time for Starscream to snipe and destroy their ship.

Trapped aboard the burning space station, the two Autobots were rescued by Stardrive, who used her starfighter form to ferry the two Autobots down to the planet. All three Cybertronians made a rough landing on the planet and survive... at which point Magnus, to Bumblebee's horror, arrested Stardrive for violating the [[Tyrest Accord]]s. Stardrive complied if they helped her find her fellow Space Knights; though Bumblebee was sympathetic, Magnus was less so, and his anti-organic rant bought time for said Space Knights to arrive and shoot him. Faced with surrender at gunpoint, Bumblebee desperately tried to rouse a stunned Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}}

[[File:ShiningArmor3-wasteourtime.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

The two Autobots engaged the aliens, with Bumblebee grappling with a vengeful [[Sata]] before Stardrive broke up the fighting and properly introduced herself to Magnus and Bumblebee. Bumblebee and Magnus helped Rom to understand that the Cybertronians were unlike the pan-planetary socieites of the Solstar Order. Stardrive revealed the existence of her [[energon synthesizer]] to the group — the reason why Starscream had targeted her in the first place — and the threat that the device posed prompted the Autobots agree to a temporary truce with the Space Knights so that they could find and retrieve the artifact. The two Autobots and Sata rolled out after the fliers, but Bumblebee, compelled to help out the native [[Xetaxxan|Xetaxxians]], delayed the group so that he could use his lasers to superheat some rubble to help warm up the little organics. The two Autobots received a transmission from [[Livia]], who warned them that the Decepticons had beaten them to the space station — prompting Bumblebee's "Xetaxxian" friends to reveal themselves as Wraiths in disguise. Magnus then told Bumblebee to take Sata and head for the energon synthesizer while he held the off the Wraith horde. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 3|Shining Armor #3}}

[[File:ShiningArmor4-Bumblebeealtmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]

Zooming towards the wreckage, Sata and Bumblebee argued about going back to help Magnus; when the rookie Space Knight called Bumblebee an unfeeling machine, Bumblebee snapped that Magnus had been his friend and his sacrifice would be in vain if they didn't reach the energon synthesizer first. The two of them arrived in time to see Stardrive fighting her allies in the wake of another of Livia's increasingly amoral choices, threatening to leave the Space Knights entirely. Bumblebee, mistaking her for a Wraith imposter, attacked but was quickly swatted aside. The Autobot-Space Knight alliance anaged to come to a tentative agreement regarding the sacrifice of innocents in their battle, which was immediately cut short when Ultra Magnus returned, now infected by the Wraith leader [[Vekktral]]... and who promptly betrayed his Decepticon allies of convenience to infect them as well. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 4|Shining Armor #4}}

[[File:ShiningArmor5-everyonevsmagnus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

With the situation spiraling out of control, Bumblebee tried to convince Magnus to fight the parasite from within as he helped blast the Wraiths off the Decepticons, but was promptly grabbed by the murderous fusion. Yet Bumblebee's last pleas managed to pierce Magnus' consciousness and give him the mental fortitude required to open his own chest compartment so that Rom could attack his [[Spark]]. Bumblebee briefly eulogized his fallen friend, and explained the inadvertent reveal of Convoy's existence to the aliens, before Starscream's parting sabotage of the energon synthesizer forced Bumblebee, carrying his fallen friend, and the Space Knights to flee aboard Stardrive's alternate mode. Safely in orbit as the planet below burned, Bumblebee sadly watched as Stardrive shed her metallic armor and renounced her Space Knight allegiance as she departed. Though Rom invited Bumblebee to join them on one of the ''Orchid Crossing's'' escape shuttles, Bumblebee used the recall switch inside the Magnus Armor to return home to the [[Autobot fleet]].

Back home, Bumblebee explained the circumstances behind Convoy's death to Optimus Prime, who commended the fallen Autobot as a hero. Bumblebee never told the other Autobots about the existence of the Solstar Order's energon synthesizer, out of fear that their species' thirst for energon would prove the prejudices of other races correct. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}
{{-}}

===Infiltration on Earth===
[[File:Infiltration3-BumblebeeEavesdropper.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Over a century later, Bumblebee was part of Prowl's secret counter-infiltration unit on [[Earth]]. When Ratchet broke cover by rescuing a [[Hunter O'Nion|trio]] [[Verity Carlo|of]] [[Jimmy Pink|humans]], {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0|Infiltation #0}} Bumblebee was the one Autobot who supported his efforts. He was true to his role as an espionage agent and ferreted out their plans to continue joint operations against orders and joined in. Verity thought his alternate form and his [[holomatter]] avatar was "coool!" {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}}

[[File:Infiltration4-BumblebeeAltmodeGun.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
He accompanied Ratchet and the humans to investigate an abandoned [[Decepticon]] bunker in [[Nebraska]]. When Ratchet mentioned how he hated putting their humans at risk, Bumblebee pragmatically commented that, given the need for evidence of unusual Decepticon activity and the consequences of Decepticon Siege Mode, the humans would be "acceptable losses". While the humans were exploring the bunker, two Decepticons attacked, and Bumblebee managed to take down [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]], but not before Ratchet was shot and run over by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4|Infiltration #4}}

As the bombardment by the Decepticons caused the bunker to collapse, Verity had trouble climbing out of the shaft through which they entered. Bumblebee leapt into action when the tree the rope was attached to buckled under the crumbling terrain. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5|Infiltration #5}} He left the humans with Ratchet and traveled to [[Oregon]], the location of the second Decepticon command bunker, observing the situation until the rest of the Autobot unit could arrive. After witnessing Megatron "disciplining" Starscream and subsequently downgrading the infiltration unit's status to [[Infiltration protocol|Phase Two]], Bumblebee departed Oregon with the rest of the unit. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

Bumblebee went with the Autobots to investigate Decepticon activity in the country of [[Latveria]]. There they discovered a heavily shielded "array" that the Decepticons were using as a base. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} There they skirmished with the humans that were assembled outside who were under the influence of the Decepticons' mind-altering [[Psycho-Prism]].

[[File:Bumblebee blasts LukeCage.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Oldest trick in the book.]]

Bumblebee used his holomatter avatar in a "damsel in distress" ruse that distracted [[Luke Cage]] long enough for Bumblebee to get a clear shot. Ratchet was able to attach an inhibitor device to [[Captain America]] which nullified the effects of the Psycho-Prism. He gave Captain America enough devices for everyone on his team. Now calmed down, the two groups teamed up to destroy the Psycho-Prism. They began attacking the array's defenses which caused the Decepticons to attack. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}}

As they fought, Ratchet, Prowl, and Luke Cage were able to slip into the array. Outside, Bumblebee, [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]], and Prime gave a power-boost to [[Iron Man]] in his Transformer-sized armor. After the battle quieted down, Megatron communicated via hologram from inside the array with his new ally [[Doctor Doom]]. They showed their captives, Ratchet, Prowl, Luke Cage, and [[Spider-Man]]. Megatron ordered their surrender or the captives would die. Optimus Prime ordered the quick destruction of the array. [[Falcon (superhero)|The Falcon]] objected because their teammates were still inside. Bumblebee argued that those few humans were expendable. There was a brief discussion, but Optimus Prime's orders won out and they all attacked the array. Megatron turned on Doctor Doom for being incorrect about them surrendering. Megatron didn't go through with his threat to kill his captives, instead he went outside to face his opponents and carrying Luke Cage. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}}

While Megatron was attacking, Bumblebee, Jazz, and [[Wolverine (superhero)|Wolverine]] [[orbital jump|orbital bounced]] into the array. They found that Doctor Doom switched sides and freed Spider-Man, so they went to find the Psycho-Prism. They found it guarded by [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], who wasn't in the mood to fight for Megatron's cause and left. Wolverine destroyed the Prism. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

[[File:Devastation4-Bumblebotdown.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]

He was present when Optimus Prime announced he was bringing in reinforcements from elsewhere to bolster the Earth unit's ranks, due to how pivotal Ore-13 had made the theatre {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}}, but did not take part in the subsequent mission to [[Brasnya]]. After that mission was complete, Bumblebee was tasked by one of those reinforcements, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], to check the area surrounding their base for surveillance. He found a great deal of it, prompting the decision to relocate the ''[[Ark-19]]''. He was aboard when the ship was attacked by [[Sixshot]] {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} and as the ship went down he reported that they were fully visible to human sensors at [[Robins Air Force Base]] {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} He survived but was injured in the subsequent battle with the living Decepticon weapon of mass destruction. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} He was presumably on the ''[[Ark-32]]'' when it left Earth. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

Bumblebee was present to hear Ratchet diagnose Sunstreaker after the latter's de-Headmasterification. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}}

[[File:AHM4BumblebeeWheeljack.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Slag it, Bumblebee, stop making our jokes for us!]]

Having returned to Earth, Bumblebee was among the Autobots who fell into a Decepticon trap and were soundly defeated by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} The Decepticons banished them all to Cybertron to be eaten by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}}

Frustrated at being stranded on Cybertron, he listened to [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks's]] story about how awesome and cool Jazz is to pass the time. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}}

Bumblebee and [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] were sent to search for energon by Jazz, but found the going rough in their Earth modes. Wheeljack suggested he whip up a polymer, but 'Bee very quickly pointed out the fact they hadn't the equipment. To make matters worse, the pair were being followed and their only hope of signaling for help was a million to one shot! Not willing to wait for back-up that wasn't coming, Bumblebee dragged Wheeljack along in an attempt to track the stranger down... when Hot Rod was knocked through a wall by Ironhide. Bumblebee was surprised to see Hot Rod, but more surprised to hear the other bot thought they were a rescue party! {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}

Later, while being chased by the Insecticon swarm, Bumblebee made a disparaging comment about [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], but [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] quickly put him in his place. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}} As tensions rose, he almost had a throw-down with [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} Along with the other Autobots, Bumblebee was rescued and transported back to Earth by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} Together with the rest of the Autobots, he fought the Decepticons and drove them off the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

After the departure of the Decepticons, the human military hunted down any remaining Transformer. Somehow Bumblebee got separated from his team in the ruins of New York. He managed to avoid detection until he was forced to reveal his location when a toppling building threatened the families inside. Bumblebee used his body to support the building, even as the nearby military fired into his body. Thankfully, Bumblebee was able to hold out until the humans inside had evacuated, and the timely arrival of Optimus Prime and the others kept the military from finishing him off. Once Bumblebee had been restored to working order, he asked Ratchet if they had heard his radio distress calls. No, Ratchet responded, Bumblebee's radio had been busted, but they heard about his plight on the humans' frequencies. Ratchet laughed, noting that was Optimus Prime's idea, who felt that it was only a matter of time before Bumblebee would have to save somebody and out himself. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 16|Hidden}}

===Leadership===
Following the resignation of Optimus Prime and his surrender to the human organization [[Skywatch]], Bumblebee was elected to the position of Autobot commander despite not putting himself forward for the role. Ratchet posited his trustworthiness and dependability as factors in his being chosen. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} {{storylink|Ride-Along}}

[[File:Bumblebee 1 Leader.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And there was much rejoicing.]]
Though at first there was jubilation at Bumblebee's rise to leadership, his diplomatic nature and desire to be nice to everybody eventually led to problems. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}} The first of many challenges in Bumblebee's new command was Ultra Magnus, who had arrived to investigate the death of [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]]. Magnus questioned Bumblebee's suitability for command in light of [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] leading his own group of Autobots away, and was not interested in helping Bumblebee with their current woes. Unfortunately, it was then that [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] decided to lead yet another exodus of Autobots (consisting of [[Blurr (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]) away from the main group. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}}

Wheeljack had little time or respect for Bumblebee's moping or his perceived lack of leadership ability, leading to several cutting remarks, much to the annoyance of Ratchet. Through some interference from Wheeljack, Bumblebee met with Skywatch rogue Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]] who gave them protection from Skywatch if the Autobots helped capture Decepticons. Unfortunately this "protection" could also lock them into [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] if they misbehaved, which Horiuchi did when Cliffjumper refused to capture Blurr. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

Tracking down Blurr, Bumblebee attempted to talk the fugitive Autobot over, to convince him to come quietly. Blurr was shocked that Bumblebee would agree to work with the humans, the people who had imprisoned others of their kind. When Bumblebee revealed that Blurr didn't have much of a choice, the latter decided to take his chances and shot Bumblebee at point blank range, which shorted out his kill-switch badge. Back at base, when Bumblebee refused to turn over Blurr, Horiuchi decided the Autobot needed a reminder of who was holding the leash and attempted to activate his kill-switch. Naturally, it didn't work, but Ratchet convinced Bumblebee to play along and pretend he was locked into vehicle mode. Seeing an opportunity, the Bumblebee concocted a plan where the reluctant Blurr would find a Volkswagen to take his place, allowing him to find a way to free the rest of the Autobots. Before leaving, Bumblebee gave the Autobots an inspiring speech that actually caused [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] to break character, surprising the Skywatch operatives who were listening in on those Autobots with functional kill-switch badges. Later, communicating with Ratchet via a text-only comm channel, Bumblebee located a large shipment of darmstadtium, the rare metal used in the kill-switches at a shipping port. As he was skulking around, he discovered the Constructicon [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]], who had repainted himself to disguise his identity from the humans, as well as the hope that he sneak onto one of the container ships. Bumblebee tried to convince him that they had to earn the respect of the humans, but Scavenger angrily scoffed at this, stating he would rather hide than work with them. Bumblebee left him in peace. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

[[File:TheGiftHorse Bumblebee Serena.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"As the gas was closing in, I looked up and saw God... And you know what? God is made of steel."]]
When Skywatch arrived to repair "Bumblebee's" kill-switch badge, they inadvertently revealed the identity of [[Sanjay Bharwaney]], a Skywatch researcher who was responsible for the secondary master control board for all of the badges. Bumblebee followed Bharwaney home, following Wheeljack's advice that altering the control board would short out the badges. Obviously unable to retrieve the control board directly, Bumblebee befriended Bharwaney's daughter, [[Serena Bharwaney|Serena]], in the hopes she could help him. Much to his distaste, Bumblebee had to lie to Serena, claiming that the control board would harm her father if he didn't "fix" it. He felt so bad about the whole thing that he believed doing this all but confirmed Humanity's opinion of the Transformers, a position that Wheeljack did not tolerate. Unfortunately, it was discovered the control board contained tracking devices, meaning Bumblebee would be unable to get it back to their hideout before Colonel Horiuchi would notice and disable all the Autobots. This forced Bumblebee to make the modifications himself, a task he scarcely completed before Bharwaney returned home. As his friend Serena took the item back into her house, Bumblebee hoped that one day, he could repay her for his betrayal of her trust. {{Storylink|The Gift Horse}}

However, as he was making his way back to the Autobot hideout, Bumblebee detected Skywarp heading towards the Bharwaney house. Arriving just in time to save Bharwaney and his daughter, Bumblebee discovered the scientist to be an embittered man whose wife had died during the Decepticon invasion, and who now saw all Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon alike, as the same destructive aliens. During their flight, Bharwaney decided to use the control board to destroy both Bumblebee and Skywarp, seeing Bumblebee as a traitor to Horiuchi. When Serena appealed to her father, Bharwaney forced Bumblebee to admit that he did use Serena to get to the control board, and 'Bee apologised to the young girl. Letting them both out, Bumblebee asked Bharwaney for the control board so he could free his fellow Autobots. As they argued, Skywatch lieutenant [[Daniel Klonowski]] appeared and saved the trio from Skywarp, but despite his interference, Skywarp cut off Bumblebee's escape. Declaring that, unlike Skywarp, he had friends who would fix him, Bumblebee activated the control board, which simultaneously destroyed the kill-switch badges on the Autobots and seriously damaged himself and Skywarp. Sometime later, after Klonowski paid a visit to the Autobot hideout, Bumblebee emerged with a brand new, more powerful body and a new confidence befitting his command of the Autobots. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

[[File:IDWBumblebeeDesignvsStyle.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|He's very picky about his looks.]]
Bumblebee's new confidence was tested when Ultra Magnus barged back into the Autobot caves, requisitioning a strike force to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Magnus forced Bumblebee and the others to go along with him almost by sheer force of personality, and they soon arrived at the launch site where Hot Rod and his Autobot & Decepticon allies were planning to leave the planet. Bumblebee and Hot Rod tried to debate the situation, but Ultra Magnus soon grew tired of listening to their concerns and laid down the line: "Right, wrong, I'm the guy with the badge." Any dissention in the Autobots ranks came to a sudden stop when [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] turned on his "friend" Hot Rod, unleashing the new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] combiner named [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|Enemies of the System}}

Most of the Decepticons joined Swindle and the Stunticons in turning against their Autobot comrades. [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] in particular took great joy in showing the Constructicons could still hack it in light of the new combiner robot, and tried to strangle Bumblebee one-handed. Bumblebee was saved by the timely but unexpected intervention of Thundercracker, who had grown just as tired of the war as many Autobots.

Watching the Stunticons at work as Menasor, Bumblebee noticed how poorly integrated their consciousnesses were, and devised a plan to break them apart. By directing the Autobots to focus their firepower first on [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], then [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], he successfully led the group in dismantling Menasor. Even Optimus Prime and the latecomers from Skywatch looked to him for direction. Afterwards, Prime blessed Bumblebee's leadership, and 'Bee decreed it was time for the Autobots to stop running. He faced [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] head on and made arrangements for a true peace with Skywatch. Bumblebee still had to deal with Ultra Magnus, however, who was insisting on arresting Rodimus for treason. Bumblebee finally told Magnus where he could stuff his statutes. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

[[File:1 Bumblebee Transformers Infestation 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
Bumblebee was one of the Autobots who helped fight back against the undead horde that came to Earth. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

Bumblebee and the Autobots then entered into a formal arrangement with Skywatch, and took up residence inside the organization's bunkers. {{storylink|All His Engines}} Despite his decision, some like Jetfire continued to question the idea of living among those who had hunted them for the last three years. Bumblebee earnestly defended his choice, however, stating essentially that trust had to begin somewhere or else they'd never survive on Earth. Spike soon alerted Bumblebee that [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and the Combaticons had made their presence known in North Korea along the demilitarized zone. Bumblebee quickly determined that, despite appearances, the Combaticons were not loyal mercenaries to the North Koreans, but were playing a larger game. With the President of the United States declaring all Transformers "illegal weapons of mass destruction", though, Spike and Bumblebee decided they would have to intervene...in disguise. {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"|The Land Ironclads}} [[File:Bumblebee car Hawk Among the Sparrows.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]] Bumblebee later stated to Optimus Prime he had a plan and asked Thundercracker to join the Autobots. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"|Ranks of Bronze}} Thundercracker turned down the offer but Bumblebee eventually convinced the Seeker to join, reminding him of his seeker heritage. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"|Hawk Among the Sparrows}} Bumblebee, unsure what to do, was back at base watching a full brawl between the Autobots, Combaticons, and Predacons with Kyle Pennington and Silverstreak. The brawl revealed the Autobots to the public and Bumblebee confronted the media to try to solve the already shaky alliance between humans and Autobots. He got blasted by a protester instead. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"|All My Sins Remembered}}

[[File:Bumblebee bad shape Altered Carbon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7]]
Bumblebee was severely wounded from the shot but managed to regain composure. Kyle Pennington told the Autobots not to hurt his would be assassin, but Brawn did not like the decision. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man|The Demolished Man}} In an interview, [[Ben Simpson]] stated Bumblebee's recent action was insane and he had no say in the US policy. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon|Altered Carbon}} The assassination was followed by a Decepticon attack on the Skywatch base, and though the Autobots attempted to evacuated, they were followed and defeated by a returned Megatron. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}} Dumped in a city in the middle of scared and armed humans, Bumblebee and the others ended up held at gunpoint by a [[John Powell|policeman]]. He attempted to talk the human down using reason, but before he could have any success Jazz arrived and, to his shock and horror, killed the human. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome|Burning Chrome}} The Autobots were able to escape from the city, escorting the shell-shocked Jazz back to Omega Supreme {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} where they began repairs on Bumblebee. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}

[[File:Bumblebee healed Orphans of the Helix.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
After a few weeks Bumblebee was back on his feet, though Ratchet couldn't find him a leg replacement joint, leaving him temporarily in need of a walking stick. While joking around with the similarly injured Pennington, they were interrupted by Bluestreak who informed the group that Rodimus was alive and had returned with Ironhide and Sunstreaker, who were also supposed to be dead. Informed by Rodimus that Cybertron was habitable again but occupied by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]], Optimus Prime rallied the Autobots to return home, which only served to remind poor Bumblebee that nobody listened to ''him'' even though he was supposed to be leader. While reassuring him he was still in charge, Prime told him Spike Witwicky was suspected of having lied to the Autobots and murdered [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] in cold blood, prompting Bumblebee to requisition some Autobots and remain on Earth to investigate Skywatch and track down remaining Decepticons. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} {{storylink|Police Action: Prologue}}

With Megatron having surrendered to the Autobots, Bumblebee appeared on Omega Supreme via hologram to discussing his sentence and voted for life imprisonment. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}}

[[File:Bumblebee The Question.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
Whilst Prowl focused on investigating their human allies, Bumblebee led the search for Decepticons, taking [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] on a fruitless night raid. After an argument with Prowl the next morning, {{storylink|The Question}} Bumblebee was asked by Jazz for permission to hunt down the remaining Decepticons, but was denied due to his murdering a human last time he was in the field. {{storylink|Police Action: Part 1|Police Action #1}} Realizing that he did know ''one'' Decepticon's location, Bumblebee paid a visit to Thundercracker, who after extended pestering surrendered a suspicion that Megatron's new body sported a [[space bridge]] and a bridge energy signature from his [[Titan Hunter|Titan hunting]] days. Searching for the signature with help from Sanjay Bharwaney, the Autobot leader was able to locate a veritable army of Decepticons preparing to enter a space bridge linked to Megatron, now on Cybertron with the other Autobots. Bumblebee's attempt to secretly disable the bridge was discovered, and he wound up in a battle with the Stunticons as their allies fled through the portal. Although severely outmatched, he was able to jam his cane into the bridge's cabling and trigger a massive electrical discharge, knocking his opponents unconscious. His captives in tow, Bumblebee returned to base with a renewed faith in himself. {{storylink|The Question}}

He and Ultra Magnus questioned Sandra about Spike Witwicky, and discovered that Spike murdered Scrapper. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward|Only Forward}} The Autobots later tried to bring in Ben Simpson. They found Simpson under the influence of one of the Megatron-guns and opened fire on him. Swindle was located at the scene, and he revealed he knocked out Brawl in order to keep his secrets. Swindle told the Autobots that Skywatch's advanced weapons technology came from him via a deal he made with Spike. After severing their ties with Skywatch and Earth, {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|A Second Chance at Eden}} the Autobots returned to Cybertron on a ship sent by their colleagues on their home planet.

{{-}}

===Rebuilding Society===
[[File:DoOP matrix bequeathed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Thanks for the, uh... paper-weight, Prime.]]
When Bumblebee's contingent arrived on Cybertron, they found the [[D-Void]]'s Chaos War ended, Galvatron defeated, and the planet somehow alive and primordial. Thousands of non-aligned Cybertronians began arriving back, and Bumblebee had his work cut out for him keeping the situation from inflaming. After Optimus returned with the Matrix, [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] discovered that it contained a map apparently to the [[Knights of Cybertron]], and Rodimus and Bumblebee disagreed on what their priorities should be. Optimus presented half of the Matrix to Bumblebee who intended to stay on Cybertron, and the other half to Rodimus, who intended to follow the map. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} To Bumblebee's disappointment, Ratchet was one of those who opted to leave on the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Bumblebee tried unsuccessfully to contact Rodimus immediately prior to the ship launch, and he and Prowl watched as the ship apparently exploded in the sky during take off. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

[[File:WorldAndEverythingInit-yikesBee.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Don't taze me, Bee!]]
Bumblebee and non-aligned leader [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] went to greet newly arrived [[Hipotank]], but Bumblebee found his point of view being drowned out by Metalhawk's anti-Autobot rhetoric. Prowl was using Decepticons to enforce the peace, and while Bumblebee was arranging a memorial for the ''Lost Light'' crew, some of them began exercising their authority a little too vigorously with [[Zetca]]. Consequently, Bumblebee had to activate [[Horri-Bull]]'s [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chip]], killing the Decepticon. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} When Starscream approached Autobot headquarters, Bumblebee stunned the Decepticon with his new modified cane and announced he was done trusting Decepticons. The memorial went ahead, with Bumblebee giving a speech, unaware that the Decepticons were planning to assassinate him. The plot was foiled, thanks to information from Starscream, who interrupted Bumblebee's speech to assert that he, Starscream, must be part of the government. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}}

After a mysterious explosion, Bumblebee called in Wheeljack to investigate, though he wasn't keen on being called "King Bee". He tried to suppress his suspicions that the Decepticons were behind the explosion, which turned out to be false anyway when Wheeljack discovered what was happening. As many Cybertronians were saved thanks to Starscream's help, Bumblebee agreed to let Starscream be part of the government, despite the idea angering [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] enough to knock Bumblebee down and depart with his team. {{storylink|Stick Together}} The three leaders held a speech, though to Bumblebee's dismay, Starscream dominated proceedings. He later found himself having to deal with an increasingly-paranoid Prowl. {{storylink|Devisive}} When [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] arrived, Bumblebee passed on turning out to greet the newcomer, as he knew Metalhawk and Starscream would be there to undermine him. Following a brawl and some persuasive words from Metalhawk and Ironhide, Bumblebee made the decision to have the I/D chips deactivated as a first step towards equality between Autobot and Decepticon. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

When a ship flying Decepticon colors materialized in Cybertron's sky, Bumblebee summoned Wheeljack to observe the ship's landing. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}} Metalhawk and Starscream began pressuring him to have an election to let the populace choose their leader, but he claimed not to be ready yet, mostly out of fear of what may happen if they elected Starscream. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt (IDW)|Dinobot Hunt}} When an injured [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] appeared from the wilderness outside the city borders claiming to have lost Ironhide and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], Bumblebee rejected Metalhawk and Starscream's offer for help, believing that the election would go in their favor if they found the missing 'bots. Instead he went to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] and convinced Blurr to aid in the search, but regretfully did so by playing to his emotions and asking him to do it for Ironhide's sake even though his true motives were political. To add to all this stress, [[Turmoil]]'s time-traveling ship then disappeared right under his nose. {{storylink|Night and the City}} Bumblebee was too busy investigating the disappearance to deal with the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] discovered by Blurr, Metalhawk and Starscream. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}} Starscream's popularity skyrocketed after the Titan declared him a conqueror who would unite all Cybertronians, causing Bumblebee to fear the results an election even more, even as he knew himself to be at the risk of looking like a dictator if he kept refusing to hold one. After Starscream's luck turned around due to an apparent Decepticon bombing that had crippled Omega Supreme, Bumblebee was surprised to find that Metalhawk trusted him enough to investigate the attack. This kind of honesty nudged him out of the political mindset, and he started an investigation to search for the truth rather than to blame the Decepticons. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}}

[[File:BeforeTheDawn-BumblebeeKRONCH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Yeah, this about sums up this page.]]
Shortly afterwards, Megatron wandered into Iacon from the wilderness, claiming to come in peace. Bumblebee refused to believe this and ordered the Autobots to kill him where he stood, but they were stopped in their tracks by the Decepticon population, who convinced him to take Megatron alive. While he did so, he refused to honor the Decepticon leader's requests to speak with him, knowing it never went anywhere when Optimus Prime tried. {{storylink|City on Fire}} The return of their leader caused the Decepticons to start rioting, with Bumblebee being unable to calm them down. Realizing that things were never going to be stable under his Autobot government, he finally decided to hold elections the next day and let Metalhawk win. {{storylink|The Verge}} This was put on ice when he was approached by Blurr and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who claimed that Prowl was working with Megatron and had been behind all the unrest since day one. While he didn't want to believe them, Bumblebee came with them and Metalhawk to investigate Prowl's quarters, where they indeed found him smack in the middle of believed-dead Decepticons, holding Wheeljack at gunpoint. To his horror, Prowl killed Wheeljack before he could tell him something important, then went on to explain that he was in fact under the control of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who had been using him to manipulate events anticipation of Megatron's return. As their plan came to fruition, a freed Megatron turned Prowl into the head of Devastator, crushed Bumblebee's head and prepared to conquer Cybertron. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}}

Heavily injured but defiant, Bumblebee asked Prowl's partner, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], what her role in the Decepticon plan was. This prompted her to reveal that she wasn't on the Decepticons' side at all and kill Bombshell, shutting off Devastator and giving the Autobots the chance to fight back. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} On Metalhawk's suggestion, Bumblebee and the others went after Megatron to save Starscream from his clutches, though as Dirge rightly pointed out, the Autobots were really just out to kill Megatron. When they reached him, the Decepticon leader was preparing to take Prowl's place as Devastator's head, but Bumblebee realized just in time that the "important" thing Wheeljack had mentioned was his trademark system bypass codeword. By using it, the Autobots activated a force field belt hidden inside Megatron by Wheeljack, incapacitating him and saving Cybertron. In the aftermath of the battle, Bumblebee was ready to rebuild, but with Metalhawk killed in battle, Starscream became leader of the NAILs and convinced them to banish Autobots, Decepticons and their war from Iacon. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

Out in space, where the ''Lost Light'' had survived, crew member [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] would used a recording of Bumblebee saying "so here" in his stitched-together final message to [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]]. {{storylink|The Gloaming}} When the crew finally got their communications back online, Rodimus contacted Cybertron hoping to see the planet united under Bumblebee's leadership, only to be met with a grinning Starscream instead. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

[[File:SecondExodus-GoldfireBumblebee.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Bumblebee thought he was safe, far from Death's Head and G.I. Joe, but nope!]]
Not wanting to cause further conflict with the NAILs, Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots agreed to leave, but an encounter with some friendly Constructicons led to the unfortunate revelation that not ''all'' of Prowl's unlawful manipulations had been Bombshell's fault—he had in fact been behind the assassination of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. This revelation, piled on top of his injuries and many regrets as a leader, was too much for Bumblebee, who collapsed on the spot. He was forced to receive an extensive repair job from [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]], who incorporated [[Goldfire shielding]] and parts of his second Earth mode in the process, resulting in a brand new body. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

As a bright light appeared, Bumblebee and the other Autobots approached it, only for a [[Quintessa (IDW)|Titan]] to emerge from the ground in front of them. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} While Bumblebee tried to organize his troops to surround the behemoth, it stayed motionless. Instead the Autobots found themselves under attach from Soundwave's Decepticons. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} Bumblebee tried fruitlessly to appeal to Soundwave to stop the fighting, however they were interrupted by Starscream approaching the Titan. The giant unleashed a wave of destructive energy that left the forces present in disarray. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} While Prowl thought they should press the attack Bumblebee favored a more logical approach, which was when Soundwave heard Megatron screaming. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}}

Following the sound, the combined force found Shockwave's lab, where Nova Prime and Galvatron were attempting to emerge from the Death Universe through a space bridge in Megatron's chest. Startled to find Metalhawk alive, Bumblebee appealed to him to help, but Metalhawk was not pleased at Starscream being handed control of the planet, and attacked Bumblebee. The fight abruptly ended when Shockwave called in the Titan. As Soundwave and Bumblebee's forces emerged to count their wounded, they were met by Megatron, who was promptly ripped in half by Galvatron. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}} Bumblebee later confronted Galvatron and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] in an attempt to retrieve Megatron's body, though he turned out to not be a match for Galvatron, only being saved by the fact that Megatron had been playing possum. With Galvatron down, Bumblebee picked up Megatron and headed for Iacon. {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}}

[[File:RID27 Bumblebee dies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Oh well, next body please!]]
Arriving back at the city, Megatron revealed his plan to evacuate to [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]], however Bumblebee refused to concede Cybertron, at which point [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and the ''Lost Light'' arrived via quantum jump to fight the Titan. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} Greeting the ''Lost Light'' crew as they disembarked, Bumblebee took Megatron aboard the ship to find Metroplex's thumb. Though wary of Megatron's motives, Bumblebee let him space bridge away with the thumb, and when nothing subsequently happened, assumed Megatron had simply cut and run. The ex-Decepticon leader did reunite the thumb with its owner however, allowing Metroplex to win the battle. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} Bumblebee insisted Megatron get the best of medical treatment. Once Megatron was repaired, he asked to see Bumblebee and admitted to the Autobot that he'd come to the realization that the war was a mistake. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}}

Unfortunately Shockwave's plans weren't as foiled as they'd thought, and as billions of [[Ammonite]]s poured down on Cybertron, Bumblebee tried to coordinate a retreat until Perceptor broke the news that the universe was literally ending. Bumblebee gathered together a team to return to Shockwave's lair, and used Skywarp's teleportation power to get there. While most of the team battled Shockwave's waiting forces, Megatron and Bumblebee went onwards and encountered Galvatron. Megatron was ready to end Galvatron's life, but Bumblebee managed to talk him out of it, shortly before Shockwave blew a hole through Bumblebee, critically wounding him. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} Moved by the death of his compatriot, Bumblebee's sacrifice led Megatron to take Bumblebee's insignia as his own, and he and Optimus subsequently talked Shockwave out of destroying the universe. Shockwave's [[chronal drive]] collapsed into a singularity, and though Megatron tried to save Bumblebee's body, it was swallowed up by the growing blackness. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

===Infraspace===
Wheeljack, thought dead since the Decepticon uprising, eventually recovered and was saddened to learn of Bumblebee's fate. The fact that he died saving the universe didn't make it feel any better. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} Thundercracker felt the universe was "overrated" and Bumblebee should have looked out for himself. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}}

Unbeknownst to the population of Cybertron, Bumblebee had ''survived'' his encounter with Shockwave, after a fashion. Though critically injured, Bumblebee's consciousness had survived the destruction of his physical body thanks to the properties of the singularity, coming to inhabit the transitional realm known to Cybertronians as [[infraspace]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} Though essentially trapped in the singularity, aimlessly wandering the ruins of the Crystal City, Bumblebee found a way to project his consciousness back into the living world, essentially becoming a virtual "ghost." {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} For reasons currently unknown, Bumblebee's disembodied consciousness remained invisible and intangible to all... all except [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], who found an unlikely companion and verbal sparring partner as he tried to keep order in the turbulent months following the formation of the [[Republic of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} {{storylink|The Transgressors}} Unaware of what was really happening, Starscream eventually came to believe that he was experiencing vivid hallucinations brought on by his own insecurities. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

[[File:ExRID 44 ghost bumblebee and starscream.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Thanks to [[Bumblebee (Movie)|him]], I matter even in death!]]

Following the formation of the [[Council of Worlds]], Bumblebee brought up the fact that nobody in Iacon wanted Starscream in control, pointing out that all they had on their side was [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] - who was not-so-subtly gunning for his boss's job. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} Even after bringing together five of Cybertron's lost colonies, Starscream still didn't feel any better about himself. Bumblebee suggested that if Starscream thought about others more, then he might be happier... a suggestion that Starscream misunderstood, believing that the "others" should all think about ''him''. {{storylink|Choose Me}} When the Decepticons hijacked the space bridge to Earth, Bumblebee brought up the fact that Cybertronians tended to repeat their history, and that another cataclysmic war was on the horizon. His needling prompted Starscream to open communications to [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and inform her about the situation. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}}

As the Cybertronians and colonists settled into their new lives, Bumblebee continued to wheedle at Starscream, accusing him of obsessing over the whereabouts of the supposedly-dead Swindle. {{storylink|07:00:00}} As an angry mob prepared to batter down the doors to Starscream's office, Bumblebee criticized Starscream's attitude and his handling of the situation thus far. {{storylink|Applicable Skills}}

Following Optimus Prime's controversial annexation of Earth, Starscream had a brief chat with Bumblebee as he gloated about Optimus's recent fall from grace. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}} Starscream sent [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] and [[Longtooth]] to Earth to ambush Optimus and provoke him into making risky moves; a ploy that Starscream gloated about to Bumblebee. Bumblebee suggested that Optimus's heroism in the face of adversity would only improve his ratings among the population of Iacon. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} When Optimus went ahead and raised a Titan from beneath Earth, Bumblebee smugly pointed out he had warned him about what would happen. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}}

[[Scarlett]] and [[Joe Colton]] remembered Bumblebee as they discussed the original Cybertronian conflict on Earth and the current threat they posed to the planet {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}}

When [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] remembered the launch of the ''Lost Light'', his subconscious warned him of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|danger]] by introducing 'continuity errors' into his memory which included Bumblebee boarding the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}

Fifteen minutes before the Titan apocalypse, Starscream spoke to Bumblebee about optimism in the face of impossible odds. When Metroplex fell, Bumblebee advised Starscream to seek reinforcements. {{storylink|Ping}} When Starscream prepared to conquer [[Vigilem|Carcer]], Bumblebee asked what he was going to tell the troops to which Starscream responded that he would simply tell them whatever it took. {{storylink|Desperate Times}} Bumblebee later commented to Starscream that if he and Windblade weren't adversaries, the two jets could get a lot accomplished. Starscream merely reminded Bumblebee what happened last time the Decepticon considered someone a friend. {{storylink|Desperate Measures (Till All Are One)|Desperate Measures}} After the undead Titans had all been felled, Bumblebee joined Starscream in cheering. {{storylink|Rubicon}} In the aftermath, Starscream was assaulted from all sides by the realm of politics Bumblebee pushed him to make the morally correct choices only for Starscream to relapse. {{storylink|Heavy}} Bumblebee later scolded Starscream over this only to vanish when [[Airachnid (G1)|Airachnid]] met with Starscream. {{storylink|The Price of You}}

[[File:GhostStories-CrystalCity.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Banished... to the Phantom Zone!]]
Starscream refusing to delegate the resources to help Windblade however was the final straw for Bumblebee who snapped and demanded why Starscream always felt the need to alienate everyone and push them all away. Starscream raged that every single time he let someone in or lowered his guard as the grand schemer, life (usually wearing Megatron's face) would give a really good trouncing with the Seeker telling Bumblebee to just leave if he found him so despicable. And leave Bumblebee did. Bumblebee reappeared days later when Starscream had succumbed to his conscience and decided to help Windblade. {{storylink|If I Know You}} Within Starscream's mind, a spectre of Bumblebee appeared as one of the Cybertronians who had a great impact on Starscream's life. {{storylink|Your First Mistake}}

When Starscream flew to the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] to spy on Optimus Prime and [[Pyra Magna]], Bumblebee provided him with advice on flying in hazardous conditions and commented on Starscream's ironic views on mental health. As the two listened to Optimus recount Bumblebee's origins, Bumblebee pointed out that it was good that Optimus had someone who questioned him. As the conversation moved on to [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]], Starscream dismissed the entire thing as figments of imagination created by guilt, fear and doubt like Bumblebee was to him, unaware that he stood only a few feet away from where Bumblebee's consciousness resided. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

As [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] used the [[Void Scepter]] to have [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] attack his allies, Bumblebee's "ghost" questioned the Decepticon's actions noting that he was no longer acting according to Starscream's plan. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}} Bumblebee then rushed to tell Starscream what was happening which prompted the Seeker to shatter the Void Scepter. In the aftermath, Starscream thanked Bumblebee for what he'd done, glad to have someone (even an "imaginary" someone) on his side. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}}

After Windblade had revealed [[Liege Maximo]]'s freedom to the public, Bumblebee commented on the public support for her before he cautioned Starscream that he wouldn't be able to lie and cheat his way out of the current crisis only for the Seeker to reveal he had no intent of doing so, intending to win by the strength of his argument. After Starscream outlined his power infrastructure plans to Bumblebee, Windblade arrived with his list of crimes. After failing to manipulate the Camien however, Starscream went on the offensive, looking for loopholes in his crimes only for Bumblebee to inform him he wouldn't help fight against Windblade. Though Starscream insisted he was the only logical choice for leadership and wanted only the best for Cybertron, Bumblebee said he had to decide how much his future expansion meant to him. Bumblebee appeared to Starscream one last time just before the Seeker was due to make his debate speech. {{storylink|The Chosen One}}

After Starscream had publicly confessed to his myriad of crimes and received a life sentence, Bumblebee continued to appear to him. When [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] came to visit however, Bumblebee stepped out to investigate a strange noise. He was shocked to find [[Nemesis (BWII)|a giant optic]] in the sky and ran back to inform Starscream. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes|Surfeit of Primes}} When Onyx Prime and [[Liege Maximo]] made planetfall, Bumblebee observed Optimus interacting with the former and the [[Cybertronian Security Force]] establishing a perimeter only to notice Starscream was angsting about his "true form". Bumblebee didn't buy the Seeker using his body dysmorphia as an excuse for his poor choices thinking everyone was defined by their life choices, not how they were born. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}} When Starscream was abducted by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], he screamed for Bumblebee to help him but the minibot could do nothing but watch. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}}

As Devastator carried Starscream to glory, both he and Bumblebee watched Optimus Prime be consumed by the Crystal City [[black hole]] before the combiner announced his theory that Starscream was [[the Fallen]] reborn. Though scoffing at the theory, Bumblebee's attention was soon drawn to Optimus appearing in his realm. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}} Though Bumblebee was eager to see his friend, Optimus only had enough energy to explain that they were in [[infraspace]] before he gave up. After Bumblebee voiced his theory on how he'd been able to speak to Starscream, he began to blame himself for the post-War mess. Optimus dissuaded that notion, stating the chaos of society was his fault for letting the title of Prime go to his head. Bumblebee scoffed at that, noting that, despite the innate power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], he was still just Orion Pax, with the talisman having only ever been an idea. Inspired, Optimus "opened the Matrix" in an attempt to use the artifact's metaphysical weight to punch open a hole back to the real world. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} When the pathway formed, Optimus told Bumblebee to go and leave him only for the scout to grab Prime and drag him along. The two emerged in the body of [[Pyra Magna]] with their minds in [[antespace]]. As one, the three of them captured Shockwave, taking him alive in spite of a mutual desire to see him dead. Once the Decepticon was brought before the Council, Optimus scolded him for throwing away his chance at redemption only for Shockwave to reveal all he had done was embrace the arrival of chaos. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|Unforgivable}}

===Back for the end===
After having his mind downloaded from Pyra's and placed in a new body, Bumblebee was properly introduced to [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] who caught up him up on recent events and the existential threat the Cybertronian race was now facing: [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. Once Optimus had awoken and been briefed on the threat, [[Rom]] arrived with the news that [[Elonia]] was under threat. Part of the ''[[Ark-Zero]]'' crew, Bumblebee travelled to Elonia to aid in the evacuation of the natives via a variant of [[space bridge]] technology. While Bumblebee was warped back to Cybertron with the [[Elonian]]s, the nature of the technology meant [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] had to stay behind, dying with the planet. When the [[Space Knight]]s caught up with the refugees, Bumblebee oversaw their settling and Rom's attempt at rallying his fellows. {{storylink|Our Darkest}} {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}} {{istorylink|Ad Infinitum}}

In the interim, Optimus had decided to lay a trap for Unicron at [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], allowing the monster to consume the planet while Optimus ventured within it and destroyed it. Part of the plan, Bumblebee boarded a one-bot ship which he rammed directly into [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]' starship mode when the Titan touched down on Unicron. When Optimus, Bumblebee, and Arcee ventured into the monster, they found an amalgamation of all the worlds it had consumed along with a ruined [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinel]]. As Bumblebee pondered whether or not Unicron truly was the uncreator, its [[Unicron's antibodies|antibodies]] attacked forcing them to teleport out. Once Caminus had died, the ''Ark-Zero'' quantum jumped back to Iacon, where Starscream dramatically announced the Decepticons would be saving Cybertron. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}} Inspired by Arcee's familiarity with the dead Sentinel, Bumblebee sought out [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] for answers on Unicron's past. Though only having come to check on the Sentinel's health, Bumblebee somehow mind melded with Omega Supreme, receiving a vision of Cybertron's invasion of [[Antilla]] and the world's refashioning into Unicron as a weapon to be used against the Cybertronian race. With this knowledge, Bumblebee ran to Optimus only to be greeted by the sight of Unicron having already arrived above Cybertron, now having gained a [[robot mode]]. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

When Bumblebee arrived in the war room, he explained his findings to the Council, with Arcee arriving to confirm the story. As Unicron began physically tearing into Cybertron, Optimus went to Shockwave for answers who simply encouraged everyone to join him on [[Earth]] to hep him rebuild their race. When Windblade flew off however, everyone decided to wait for her plan. {{storylink|Our Finest}} Winblade soon convinced the [[Spectral Knight]]s to teleport the population away, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] space bridged himself and his inhabitants to the [[Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park]] where Bumblebee told Starscream to stop whining. {{storylink|Road's End}}

[[File:Post-Great War Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2]]
As everyone took stock, Prowl arrived in the ''[[Peaceful Revolution]]'' with new information on Unicron and the threat it posed to the galaxy. As part of the distraction, Bumblebee joined in the fight on the [[Decepticon Vengeance Division]] where he told Rom that the Cybertronians were a bit more than just machines. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} As the Autobots fought, Bumblebee was unsurprised by Starscream's heroic sacrifice before Ironhide was raked to death. Soon enough, Optimus's gamble paid off and Unicron collapsed in on itself, Bumblebee joining [[Aileron]] in rescuing Arcee before they retreated to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] where he caught up [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] on what he'd missed. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

In the aftermath, Prowl arranged for Cybertron to open diplomatic ties with the [[Galactic Council]] with Bumblebee being chosen as their representative. The night before he was due to depart, Bumblebee spoke with the ghostly Starscream on a beach about legacies and the future before he attended Optimus Prime's funeral. {{storylink|Post}}
{{--}}

==Spotlight: Mirage==
Bumblebee was part of a unit heading towards the Pegasus Star Cluster to link up with the last remnants of the Autobots under Optimus Prime's command. He never made it, as the unit was ambushed as soon as it entered the cluster. The self-serving mercenary [[Mirage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Mirage]] took his form to fool the remaining Autobots to allow him to enter their base.

But it was all Mirage's dream... or was it? {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

==Notes==
[[File:Infiltration3-BackOfBumblebee.jpg|thumb|Hey! [[Michael Bay|Bay]]! [[Megan Fox|Stop filming]] [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley|my ass!]]]]
*Bumblebee appears on six different covers, plus two "foil enhanced" variants reusing art from another cover, during ''Infiltration''—of which only ''one'' (#5D) used [[E. J. Su]]'s redesign, which follows a different transformation schema that, amongst other things, places the roof of the car on his back rather than his chest as in his G1 character model. [[:File:IDWBumblebeeDesignvsStyle.jpg|Things would only get worse from there]].
<div style="float:right">[[File:Bumblebeeholomatter.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Hello! I am Lindsay Lohan!]]</div>
*According to [[E. J. Su]], Bumblebee's [[Holomatter]] avatar is modeled after {{w|Lindsay Lohan}}, an actress who plays a girl that drives [[Herbie]], a sentient Beetle. ''Um, well''.<ref>[http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>
*[[Mike Costa]] had originally intended to kill ''Bumblebee'' in "[[...For All Mankind]]", believing it was the most shocking death he could do. [[Hasbro]] said "NO".<ref>[http://moonbase2.libsyn.com/webpage/the-underbase-reviews-ongoing-31 Moonbase 2 interview with Mike Costa ("Special Guest")]</ref> <s>Not that it stopped him from dying later on (in ''Dark Cybertron''), anyway.</s> Never mind, [[Ghost Stories|he's still kicking]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]
[[Category:Spies]]

Tailgate (G1)

2019-07-16T06:46:17Z

TailgatePrime:

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Tailgate}}
:''Tailgate is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:TFU Tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Shake harder, boy!]]
The naïve '''Tailgate''' needs to be liked. It's hardly the most unique of flaws, but he has an unfortunate, childlike tendency towards extremes. Placed in a situation with [[Autobot]]s who don't know him from [[Primon]], this sanitation 'Bot will spin a tall tale the height of a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] in an attempt to impress his fellows before it all comes crashing down. And it ultimately will—while he's a 'Bot with a spark of gold, he's broadly unfocused, frequently distracted and easily led, and often gets impulsive, irrational obsessions. And his timekeeping ''sucks''. In spite of this, he sometimes acts as a scout, with strict orders not to break cover for any reason. He is aided by a ridiculously powerful iron-cobalt magnet installed behind his bumper, which he can use to follow closely behind other vehicles and travel far into enemy territory on minimal fuel.

Easily his most distinctive mental issue is his occasional inability to tell the difference between a non-living [[Earth]] machine and sentient robotic life such as himself. While it's a [[:File:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|mistake many other Cybertronians have made at first]], typically they learn quickly and let it go. Not Tailgate. Once he gets it into his head, his compassion turns to rage against the "enslavers", and is quite vocal in his desire to "free" the machines of Earth.

[[Wheeljack's Bizarre Invention! Optimus Power Up!?|That boy ain't right]].

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Ted Schwartz]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:FFoD5 MiniVehicles.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|"That machine is alive I tell you! Aliv—" "WE KNOW, TAILGATE!"]]
Tailgate was one of a group of [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]] stationed at the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in 2006. When the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] built [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] out of a human city, [[Mount St. Hilary]] and the Ark were the first stop on his journey to destroy [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. Tailgate and the other Autobots on duty rolled out to defend the Ark with all the firepower at their disposal. It didn't go very well. The Ark was left devastated in Trypticon's mighty wake, and Tailgate's troops were beaten and scattered by the colossal dinosaur. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga=====
[[File:FSRLmanga7 Tailgate.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rumors help him grow. Paranoia nurtures him.]]
With the [[Autobot]]s being framed by the [[Decepticon Trailer Corps]] for numerous crimes, [[Kenji]] was feeling a bit dejected at how his schoolyard chums were suddenly turning on them. Tailgate appeared to give him a lift home from school and attempted to cheer him up, reminding him that as an [[Honorary Autobot]] he had nothing to worry about. Their drive was interrupted by a crowd gathering around a display put on by a pair of robed figures (secretly [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]), decrying the Autobots and preaching the heroism of the [[Decepticon]]s. The rest of the Autobots soon arrived to straighten things out. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7}}

Tailgate later responded to a distress signal sent from [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], who was fighting to rescue a [[Murdered puppy|puppy]] that was brimming over with [[Decepticon super science]] from the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. Dying from its wounds, the dog transferred the super science into Powerglide, giving him brief access to [[Scramble Power]]. Along with the other [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot]]s, Tailgate merged with Powerglide into a [[Minibot combiner]] and swiftly defeated [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
{{-}}

=====''Transformers Legends'' comic=====
[[File:Transformers Legends LG08 Tailgate and Swerve.jpg|thumb|]]
In [[2015]], Tailgate and Swerve fought [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] in a battle that went poorly, with Tailgate being easily kicked aside and Swerve stomped into the ground. As Tailgate picked Swerve back up using his Mini-Con partner, [[Groundshaker (Legends)|Groundshaker]], a [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] visiting from [[Legends World|another universe]] asked the two Minibots why they'd even taken on such a huge enemy. The Autobots responded that size has nothing to do with it, telling Rattrap that their Mini-Cons were just as small as him, but nevertheless valuable allies. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 8|Bonus Edition Vol. 8}} After Tailgate mentioned that his partnership with Groundshaker let him work with bomb disposal, Rattrap got curious about what Mini-Cons were, prompting Tailgate to explain the history behind the little 'bots. The enamored Rattrap then wanted to be a Mini-Con ''too'', and had an uncomfortable Tailgate wield him into battle with Trypticon. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter|Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter}} Eventually, the two heroic Minibots successfully defeated Trypticon. {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:BattleLines6-UltraMagnus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Tailgate was present at the first "meeting" of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] nine million years ago. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukexclusive|Tailgate}}
[[File:Underworld!-TailgateFlattopSubsea.jpg|thumb|"I'M NOT A COWARD!"]]
Tailgate was one of the Autobots working with [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s covert cell on Cybertron, and was briefly seen when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] came to Cybertron and rallied the troops for an assault on [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]]. {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

He eventually finished his training at the [[Autobot Military Academy]], but upon graduation was provoked into joining [[Flattop (Autobot)|Flattop]] and [[Subsea]] in venturing [[Underworld|underground]], in order to prove his courage. When a group of [[Mutant (G1)|Cybertronian Mutants]] attacked and slaughtered his fellow cadets, Tailgate stood his ground. A blast into [[Smeltdown]]'s chest-furnace obliterated most of the sewer-dwellers, leaving only the ape-like [[Rotgut]]. However, a little quick thinking, and Tailgate was able to use the larger machine's bulk against him, flipping Rotgut into the pyre left in Smeltdown's wake. Thus, he proved he was not a coward... and also not very good at watching his friends' backs in a fight. [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] and [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] eventually arrived as Tailgate surfaced and let them know of his fellow cadets' fate.

Unfortunately, Tailgate's actions inadvertently [[Demon|woke something ''worse'' than the Mutants]]... {{storylink|Underworld!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}
[[File:Decepticons attack destiny.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|It doesn't get much better than this. Sorry, Tailgate.]]
Tailgate participated in the defense of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] against the onslaught of the [[Blitz Engine]]s and the Decepticon crew of the [[Warworld]]. He didn't have time to do much of anything except get shot by [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]]. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}} He survived, and travelled to the [[Hub (G2)|Hub Network]] with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] to battle [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and survived that too. Almost immediately upon returning to Cybertron, however, he was attacked and killed by a [[shadow-leech]]. Ouch. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:BlackSunshine Autobot training failures.jpg|thumb|left]]
Tailgate was among the Autobot civilians who watched [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s anti-Optimus-Prime propaganda broadcasts. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} Didn't seem to do the trick, though, as he was later seen training alongside several Autobot recruits against [[auto-combatant]]s following Shockwave's defeat. None of them fared particularly well in training, however, much to [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'s dismay. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|''Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye'' #1]]
[[File:MTMTE1 tailgate damaged.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|It's a scratch, he'll just walk it off... oh, right.]]
'''Tailgate of [[Rivets Field]]''' was forged from a hot spot that ignited six million years ago, two weeks before the launch of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} During this time, he lived in an era of peace alongside the likes of [[Nova Prime]] and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} Assigned the role of fourth-class sanitation 'bot, he was tasked with cleaning out the craft's coolant tubes before take-off, {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} but ran late to the job and made the mistake of trying to make up the time by short-cutting across the fragile [[Mitteous Plateau]]. The terrain collapsed out from under him, leaving him badly damaged and trapped underground, but he soon hit upon the plan of detonating the trailer-full of [[energon]] rations he had brought with him in hopes of blasting his way out. Unfortunately for him, he kept repeatedly passing out as he set this up, and with his chronometer damaged had no way of measuring the passage of time. He finally succeeded ''six million years later'', and was dragged from his pit by a group of Autobots who were on their way to depart the planet on the starship ''[[Lost Light]]''. Suffering a panic attack and passing out when he saw his explosion had damaged [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], the unconscious Tailgate was brought aboard the ''Lost Light'' by the Autobots, since he'd mentioned "the launch" and they had no idea who he was. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

Due to an accident with the quantum engine, the ''Lost Light'' was duplicated and ''another'' Tailgate woke up to bond on a different ''Lost Light''. What did he do? We dunno because the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] showed up and killed everyone! {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

[[File:MTMTE2 Tailgate.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Just your average kick-boxing, bomb disposing, metaphysics and epistemology student, and I once caught a fish ''this big!'']]
[[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] soon discovered Tailgate's age when he studied his ancient systems, and called [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] in to carbon-date him. Tailgate woke up before that was necessary (happily observing that he hadn't killed "Nut-Job", as he mistakenly thought Whirl was called), so Swerve instead gleefully took it upon himself to inform him how long he'd been offline. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} Tailgate was horrified and heartbroken: by all rights, he should have been found in days, but the length of his absence made it clear he was so unimportant that nobody had noticed or ''cared'' he was missing. Since there was nobody around who knew the truth, and since he had always wanted to do something big and heroic with this life, Tailgate decided to make up a dramatic, overblown past for himself. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} He and Swerve went for a walk, during which he claimed that the damaged "Waste Disposal" decal on his arm actually read "Bomb Disposal", and that he had been part of the [[Primal Vanguard]], though Swerve was more interested in seeing his [[alternate mode]]. After Tailgate was introduced to [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] and [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]], the group were caught up in a battle between the amnesiac [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and some [[Legislator|strange robots]], in whose repeated chanting of "nineteen-eighty-four" Tailgate took an interest.

A little later, back on the ''Lost Light'', Swerve finally convinced Tailgate to attempt to transform, {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} but he wound up getting stuck halfway. It was at this inopportune moment that the crew were ordered back to their rooms, since a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] had been reported loose aboard the ship; spotting [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]], another Transformer from his time, Tailgate asked for some help getting to a room. Cyclonus carried the half-transformed Tailgate there and quite rudely dumped him on the ground. As the Sparkeater situation unfolded outside, the two ancient 'bots discussed the six million year gap in history they missed; Cyclonus described the [[Great War (G1)|Autobot-Decepticon conflict]] to Tailgate as he understood it, romanticizing the Decepticons' position enough that later, as Ratchet was unsticking his half-transformed body, Tailgate declared that he wanted to ''be'' a Decepticon! {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}}

[[File:Cyclonus Tailgate LifeAftertheBigBang.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Tailgate goes to see his KRAK dealer.]]
Learning of Tailgate's aims, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] insisted that ship's captain [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] set the "confirmed Decepticon sympathizer" straight, so Rodimus recruited Rewind to beam a compressed visual history of the war directly into Tailgate's head. Sobered by what he saw and realizing that the Decepticons were the "bad guys", Tailgate fumed at Cyclonus for misleading him and impotently struck him, leading his icy roommate to reciprocate with a vicious backhand. Leaving their room, Cyclonus kicked the downed Tailgate on his way out, leaving him cowering on the floor. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}

[[File:IDW MtMtE5 MagnusTailgateAttentionDirt.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Determined to be one of the "good guys", Tailgate requested that Ultra Magnus teach him the [[Autobot Code]]. By this point, Tailgate had edited his own [[Autopedia]] entry to reflect the false history he had created for himself—claiming he had studied metaphysics under [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], was a champion kick-boxer who graduated from the [[Ibex School of Epistemology]], helped invent the idealised heat engine, coordinated a search for the long-lost [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], and he was part of [[Nova Prime]]'s inner circle, encouraging him to explore space—and the impressed Magnus agreed to educate him. Alas, Tailgate was soon to discover this meant an excruciating slog through an intense analysis of ten thousand pages of text. He was briefly interested in section 19, subsection 80, paragraph four because it reminded him of the robots that attacked Skids, {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} but by and large the experience was a gruelling one, and he moaned long and loud about it in [[Swerve's|Swerve's bar]], especially once he discovered there was an ''abridged'' version of the Code. {{storylink|Interiors}}

After the ''Lost Light'' was impacted by a discarded thumb from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], and was subsequently repaired, Tailgate attended an award ceremony honoring [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], Chromedome and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] for their part in saving the ship. He chatted with Chromedome during the celebration, and noted how the three honored Autobots had head-related names. Later, Tailgate was having a conversation with [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] when they, along with nearly everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' were frozen in place due to one of Brainstorm's experimental weapons accidentally going off. After he recovered, he was awarded a [[Rodimus Star]] "for exceptional endurance in the face of adversity". {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

[[File:MTMTEannual rodimus writes on tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Ultimately, Tailgate passed his Autobot Code exam, though he professed it was not with "his best grades ever". Asking Cyclonus to attend his [[Act of Affiliation]], a step on the way to the full [[Rite of the Autobrand]], he was seemingly ignored - although his fellow Ancient Cybertronian would secretly attend. At the ceremony itself, however, Rodimus was briefly possessed by a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] and, rather than drawing his probationary Autobot symbol, scrawled "Set Me Free" in [[Cybertronian language#2005 IDW continuity|Old Cybertronian]] on his chest. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

Tailgate loved "Movie Night" in Rewind and Chromedome's quarters, where he watched such films as the old public information piece "[[Proteus's Promise]]", with several other members of the crew {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}} and would later recall it as the happiest time of his life. {{storylink|Before & After}} He was invited to listen in on Rewind's third communal storytelling session, part of an attempt to help the damaged [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] regain his memories; Tailgate had to interrupt Drift to ask what a [[Relinquishment Clinic]] was, {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} and was particularly impressed by the skills of one Orion Pax {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} even though he hadn't realized that Orion was actually [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], despite the notes he'd been making to keep track of all the characters. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:MTMTE12 panic keeps me focused.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Tailgate joined a mission to [[Temptoria]] to investigate the possibility that the [[Circle of Light]] were being held there. While the larger Autobots roughed up the occupying Decepticons, Tailgate and Rewind investigated the contents of [[Battery|The Battery]] only to find that the Decepticons didn't have the Circle and were merely converting the native life forms to [[energon]], and had rigged up a bomb. {{storylink|Before & After}} Now forced to actually dispose of a bomb, Tailgate tricked Rewind into telling him how to actually do it. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} Unfortunately he accidentally triggered a timer, and when he refused to stop work and escape, he had to be physically thrown from the room by Cyclonus. Cyclonus and Rewind were caught in the bomb's explosion, and Tailgate dragged the severely-damaged Cyclonus back to the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> medibay on his own. Observing the other Autobots leaving offerings of [[innermost energon]] for Rewind, Tailgate attempted to leave an offering for Cyclonus, only for it to be rebuked. Cyclonus did seem to have a change of heart after seeing Rewind's offerings, and helped Tailgate pick up the pieces of the shattered vial. {{storylink|Before & After}}

‎[[File:MtMtE13-BabyTailgate.jpg‎|thumb|"Congratulations! It's a beautiful baby boy... [[Tailgate (G1)#Notes|We think.]]]]
Some time later, he went to the bars on [[Hedonia]] with his usual crowd (his psycho-reactive [[holomatter|holomatter avatar]] taking the form of a human baby). {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} After abandoning Swerve with a drunken Ultra Magnus, Tailgate and the others explored a gift shop. Tailgate grew bored as Skids tried on hats but decided not to wait outside with Whirl, who was banging his head on a display case. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}} When Rewind was about to show a recording of the ''Ark-1'' opening ceremony that included the naming of its original crew, Cyclonus suddenly flew into a "drunken rage" that disrupted the proceedings. Tailgate ushered the others away so he could calm him down; after they had departed, it became clear Cyclonus had done this so the others wouldn't realize Tailgate wasn't part of the crew. Cyclonus revealed he had known from the start that Tailgate had been lying, and the little 'bot broke down and admitted to having falsified his past, and his grief over being a nobody. Cyclonus took pity on Tailgate and taught him how to sing an Old Cybertronian anthem. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}}

[[File:MTMTE22 tailgate altmode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
While lounging around in the ship's oil reservoir, Tailgate, Swerve, and Rewind took to discussing the cool alternate modes of their crew-mates, and entered into a wager to see who could be the first to solve the longstanding mystery of what Rung turned into. Tailgate tried to trick Rung into transforming by holding an "alt mode party", claiming they were all the rage back in his day, but since Rung hailed from the same time as him, it proved an unconvincing gambit. Interviewed by Rewind for a documentary movie about life on the ship not long thereafter, Tailgate continued making up accolades for himself, but openly admitted to never having been happier than he was on the ship, and looking to the future with glee. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

Tailgate and Cyclonus remained close after their experiences on Hedonia; Tailgate was in the ship's workshop crafting a new horn to replace Cyclonus's missing one when the 'bot in question angrily came storming in after learning that their quarters were to play host to "Movie Night". {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} That concern melted away in the face of [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]'s subsequent rampage through the ship; Cyclonus and Tailgate sat together during the funeral for the crewmembers who lost their lives in the chaos. After the ceremony, Tailgate went to help Ratchet to care for the dying Ultra Magnus, but accidentally scanned himself with Ratchet's "death clock", which announced that Tailgate had only three days to live. {{storylink|The Gloaming}}

[[File:Tailgate Cyclonus Hope Is A Lie.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.4|The Hope is a Lie]]
An examination by Ratchet revealed that he had a terminal case of [[cybercrosis]], and Tailgate elected to trust only Cyclonus with the news, though Cyclonus seemed almost disinterested in the tragic announcement. Tailgate went to Swerve's Bar to drink away his sorrows, oblivious to the massive portal that the ''Lost Light'' was about to travel through. When Luna 1 was discovered to lie on the other side of the portal, an evidently distressed Cyclonus made up for his behavior by inviting Tailgate onto the team who would explore the moon. He insisted it was just for the experience, with the caveat that despite Luna 1's reputation as a "Miracle Moon", Tailgate must not hope for a cure. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

On arrival on Luna 1, Tailgate was captured and imprisoned with most of the ''Lost Light'' away team, becoming separated from Cyclonus who remained free. As none of the others knew he had less than three days to live, Tailgate's claims of impatience and panic at being in captivity were dismissed. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}} Things looked brighter once their co-prisoner [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Minimus Ambus]] revealed that he was really a healed Ultra Magnus; when Tailgate asked how he could have cheated his impending death, Minimus declared that the [[Solomus|Chief Justice Tyrest]], who has using the moon as a base, had doctors that could apparently work miracles. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}}

[[File:MTMTE21 tailgate amends law.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Chekhov's [[semicolon]]!]]
Tailgate's clock was down to one day and twelve hours by the time [[Getaway]] sprang the group from the cell, by which time he could no longer walk and had to be carried by Rodimus, though he played off his paralysis as seized-up servos. Reuniting with Ratchet, Tailgate told him of the moons' "miracle medibay", but Ratchet solemnly informed him that only Tyrest's medical minion [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] could really use the tools within it. The group proceeded to confront Tyrest and were all apparently immobilized by a "thought weapon" that paralyzed their bodies. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} Tailgate's cybercrosis, however, had rendered him deaf to the frequency of the suggestion weapon. He managed to jump Tyrest and jab him in the head through the "cleansing" hole Tyrest drilled in his own brow. Tailgate deactivated the weapon while Tyrest was distracted, only to be taken hostage by the Chief Justice. Though he urged Rodimus to open fire, admitting his terminal condition, Tailgate was saved moments later by [[Minimus Ambus]]. As the room was swarmed by [[Legislator]]s responding to Tyrest's distress call, Tailgate put his knowledge of the Autobot Code to good use, using Tyrest's computer to amend and repeal the law in its totality. He barely had time to celebrate his achievement before collapsing.

[[File:Cyclonus SparkTransfusion ThisCalamitousLife.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Whomsoever pulls the sword from the Tailgate, they are the one]]
The next day, back on the ''[[Lost Light]]'', Tailgate asked Cyclonus to spare him a lingering death by terminating him, but Cyclonus refused. Though a cure was subsequently found, thanks to Tyrest's collection of esoteric medical equipment, Tailgate's spark had faded to a point where the process would no longer be viable. However, on Whirl's suggestion, Cyclonus used his [[Great Sword]] to directly transfuse energy into Tailgate's spark, boosting it to a condition that allowed the small 'bot's life to be saved. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} Tailgate underwent a period of recovery. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

After about six months, Tailgate was fully recovered from his cybercrosis, and could even fully transform again. He playfully charged Cyclonus when he first got out of the medbay, demonstrating his new signature move of "finger to the head". Tailgate was surprised by all that had gone on in his absence, including the new captain Megatron and ''Swerve's'' using [[Ten|one of the Legislators]] as a bouncer. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} He'd learned from his experiences ahahahaha just kidding, one of the first things he did was talk up his actions on Luna 1 at the bar. Getaway began talking to him, telling him his heroics were Prime-worthy and when Tailgate admitted to having lied about his old job, the agent bonded with him over his own dull past (Tailgate didn't notice Cyclonus storm out). {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} All of this was a trick: Getaway needed a patsy for Megatron to be tricked into assaulting or killing, as part of his plan to get the ex-Decepticon off the ship and in a prison cell. Tailgate was the ''easiest'' person to groom. {{storylink|The Lopsided Triangle}}

[[File:TwentyPlusOne-cyclonusscoldstailgate.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7]]
This was all interrupted when the ship had to be abandoned on account of ''vanishing'' {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} and Tailgate was stuck on a crowded [[Rodpod]] with twenty others. When they started vanishing too, Tailgate (pumped up from false bravado from his recent praising) immediately aimed his guns at an amused Megatron—causing a standoff that, to Tailgate's horror, included Cyclonus too. As the vanishings went on, erasing all the original crewmembers, Tailgate had time to see all the other escape ships disappear before he too was claimed. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}} The cause was identified as the ''Lost Light'' running across the duplicate ''Lost Light'' (where [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] came across the other Tailgate's corpse) and everything was fixed. And the quantum duplicate Rewind was back too! {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}} And then Getaway told him he thought he could ''be a [[Wrecker]]''! {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} Tailgate would've been really pleased about all this if he and everyone else hadn't been whacked unconscious by poisoned engex at Swerve's! {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

Tailgate was fixed up and made part of a time-travel team (due to a compatible spark), pursuing the poisoner Brainstorm before he could alter the timeline. That meant he got to meet ''ORION PAX OMG''. He squeed about how awesome he was for trying to save infant sparks (and tried to get Cyclonus to agree) and then actually got to ''work with him''! {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}} They went further back to pre-war [[Rodion]] and Tailgate had to take control of Cyclonus's comms while the ancient stared into the distance. When Tailgate babbled about the time-travel mechanics freaking him out, he found out Cyclonus was silent because of the chance to once again see an undamaged Cybertron.

Cyclonus then apologised for hitting him. "Noted", replied Tailgate.

[[File:Stet-curlystraw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
A further time-jump took them to Maccadam's New Oil House, waiting to see what happened. He listened to pre-war Megatron's poetry, had a drink, and asked for a [[curly straw]]. Rung getting him a curly straw started a bar fight that got Megatron arrested, so it's important to know that Tailgate is responsible for the Great War. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} Their final trip went to Megatron's birth and Tailgate was amused to see he was born in a Con facility (as in -structed Cold). During the whole time travel chaos, it was Tailgate who suggested "why don't we use time travel to send the ''Lost Light'' a message from the post telling them ''not'' to do all this bad stuff?". {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} That message made it to the day the ''Lost Light'' launched, but too late to stop them. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} A ticked off Cyclonus pointed out that ''all'' of those bad things turned out well, including that Tailgate himself ''didn't die of cybercrosis''.

Once back in the present day, Tailgate and the crew watched ''[[Back to the Future|Back to the Future Part II]]'' and it was so awesome {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} that he went and got his ''own'' [[hoverboard]] and annoyed the crap out of the ''Lost Light'' crew by zooming about on it inside.

[[File:Getaway's innocent conversation with Tailgate.jpg‎|left|upright=1.67|thumb|''Gaslight'', starring Tailgate of Rivets Field as Paula]]
He and Getaway got together to go Legislator fishing in the oil reservoir, starting with a friendly booze-up in Mirage's bar [["Visages"]]. After telling him a ''slight'' fabrication of their recent time travel escapades, Getaway just ''happened'' to ''accidentally'' mention that Cyclonus had been saying mean things about Tailgate behind his back. Tailgate was horrified to learn Cyclonus had been insulting him for being scared on his death bed but don't worry Tailgate, Getaway's got your back and another drink would help even if you don't want it and oh don't mention to Cyclonus that he told you this, eh? {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}}

At [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]'s pre-wake, Tailgate used the hoverboard to ''kill it'' on the dance floor! {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}} Afterwards, at a subsequent EarthDance party at "Swerve's", he had "The Power Of Love" requested and planned to ask Cyclonus to dance with him. When Cyclonus refused and said begging him would be embarrassing, Tailgate muttered "like I don't normally embarrass you" under his breath and went off to dance with Getaway (not noticing Cyclonus had changed his mind). {{storylink|The Frail Gaze}}

[[File:TheOneWhereTheyGoToEarth-tailgategetsmeta.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
Later, he presented First Aid with a farewell present from the crew despite the fact the medic's absence was only temporary. Soon after he was drafted into the team sent to 'Swearth' in order to save Swerve from an unknown illness and while on the strange sitcom world, he found a comic book series detailing the crew of the ''Lost Light'''s adventures. By the time the others had arrived back he was on issue #21 and pointed out that Swerve had opened Brainstorm's briefcase. For the benefit of the mission he skipped to issue #43 (The Swerve disappears story) and discovered a 'story so far page' by the bartender that explained everything. Rung realised the comic book was Swerve's way of reaching out to them and Tailgate witnessed the combination of the three neighbours into Swerve. When Swerve refused to say where the issue was, Tailgate deduced that he had found his happy place and didn't want to leave. After Cyclonus gave Swerve a moralising speech, Tailgate noticed Swerve's shoulder wound and he declared the story wrapped up. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

Tailgate was one of the dozen or so Autobots who landed on the [[Necroworld]], home of [[Mortilus|Censere]], hoping to find out more about the mysterious neutral Transformer. {{storylink|The Not Knowing}}

After months of {{w|Child grooming|grooming}}, Getaway began to start the [[Conjunx Endura|Conjunx Ritus]] and wow Tailgate, they could be [[Conjunx Endura]] and all it would take now is for him to do the "Act of Devotion", ''proving'' he really wanted it. Maybe he could, say, use those ''wicked cool [[mnemosurgery]] needles you totally said you wanted'' to put a special anti-villain virus in Megatron! But it's OKAY if you DON'T, I guess, they'd just have to start the whole ritual again, if they ''wanted'' to...

[[File:TheLopsidedTriangle-sparkspasm.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|Tailgate Mega Evolves after exposure to the Tailgatenite.]]
Tailgate duly broke into Megatron's hab-unit with no idea his 'Ravage detector' was a fake and he would have been killed if Whirl, Getaway's co-conspirator, hadn't had an attack of conscience and alerted Cyclonus. When saved, with Cyclonus risking his life against the ''Light'' security team, Tailgate realised that he'd unwittingly started the Conjunx Ritus on the Tetrahexian during his assumed death—holding his hand (Act of Intimacy), confessing his fear of death (Disclosure), giving him the gift of a replacement horn (Proferrence), and being saved with Cyclonus's own spark energy (Devotion). When Cyclonus was shot into stasis lock, a frightened and grieving Tailgate's glowing eyes, his constant tic, built into {{storylink|The Lopsided Triangle}} a wave of spark energy that unwittingly woke up Thunderclash but left Tailgate comatose. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}}

[[File:SpeakMemory2 TailgateThrowsRodpod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|It is I, Super Tailgate! (And I am cute, too!)]]
When he finally came round, the ship was under lockdown as the monstrous [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder, the Tetrahex Ripper]], a mnemosurgeon gone psychotic who could hack your mind on sight. While walking around the ship, he found Getaway's cell and was left furious about how the 'bot wouldn't even talk to him after all he'd done (unaware his mouth had been ''removed'' to stop him talking his way out of the cell) and punched the wall in anger.... shattering the windows. Tailgate found himself dragged into the fight against Sunder and showed another feat of strength when he ''hurled'' the [[Rodpod]] at the villain, crushing him! Which he had not expected. After the battle, [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] found that Tailgate was an [[Outlier (group)|outlier]]: his spark was "uniquely susceptible to mutation as a result of the background radiation generated by quantum travel," and a stress-caused mutation had made him super-strong and super-durable. All coming up Tailgate! {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

A time fissure had been discovered at Swerve's and allowed everyone to briefly look back at the past, seeing the departed. Tailgate chose to look back at [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] and Drift, where he learned, with visible sadness, that Drift had introduced Pipes to him because the other minibot had been looking for a romantic partner. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

During a movie night, Tailgate and some of the other ''Lost Light'' crewmembers watched a documentary about [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] and his death during the earliest days of the war. Brainstorm commented that the ruthless Sentinel was, in many ways, the first Decepticon - a comment that confused Tailgate, as he had only heard good things about the former Prime. {{storylink|The Last Autobot}}

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-powerpunch.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|If you're an evil 'con, I will punch you for fun!]]
With his great strength, Tailgate was a key player in the liberation of Millarium and '''POWER PUNCHED''' a [[Rust Giant]] that was threatening Rodimus. Shortly after, it all changed: Tailgate and a dozen others were hit by a psychic attack eminating from an unknown location, with Tailgate hearing Cyclonus in pain and blaming him for what happened with Getaway. The group and some others tracked the signal to the Necrobot's home planet, only to find a Decepticon attack force waiting for them... and when the ''Light'' was contacted, Tailgate and his comrades learned the rest of the crew had let Getaway out and had a mutiny against Megatron and anyone deemed a 'sympathiser'. To Tailgate's horror, the Decepticon Justice Division were on the planet and closing in. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}} He naively hoped that the 'fortress' they were in was stopping the Decepticons rushing in but it turned out to be a deliberate psyops tactic to let them stew. There was luckily a way out, the Necrobot's teleporter! Problem is, a search had found stasis pods of organics (Tailgate not believing it mattered ''why'' the Necrobot had had them) in the fortress and teleporting would abandon them. Megatron gave a stirring speech in favour of staying to guard the innocents and Tailgate, with all the others, agreed to stay. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|The Sun in Flight}}

[[File:AtCloseOfDay-tailgatedemolishes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When Ratchet returned, he investigated Velocity's description of Tailgate's unusual mutation, raising the concern that several other Transformers exposed to this pulse had experienced devastating system crashes. Meanwhile, Tailgate himself put his great strength to work as he began demolishing sections of the Necrobot's fortress to produce raw material for Brainstorm's inventions. Tailgate later re-convened with the other Autobots in the center of the fortress, where Whirl and Cyclonus revealed that the Necrobot's storm shield prevented them from firing the fortress's weapons. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|At Close of Day}} Instead, Velocity came up with the idea of triggering another mutagenic spark spasm, which would temporarily transform all the Cybertronians nearby into super-strong Outliers. Skids unwittingly sacrificed himself thanks to his traumatic memories, but as he perished the radiation from his spark super-charged the Autobots.

[[File:RageRage-wastedisposal.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Tailgate's developed a... ahem... punchier personality.]]
The Autobots charged forward to take down the Decepticons, although Tailgate found that his foes weren't willing to play along with his witty banter. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} The upgrade soon wore off, and Tailgate retreated back to the Necrobot's fortress with the other Autobots as Megatron took down the members of the DJD one by one. When that business as over, Tailgate was present to witness the return of [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]], [[Terminus (G1)|Terminus]], and several other Transformers who had vanished throughout history—in reality abducted by the time-travelling Necrobot and brought to the present day. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}

At daybreak, he showed off his superstrength by lifting Roller and boasted about his combat prowess to the time-scooped. Cyclonus pulled him aside to quietly inform him that it was wrong to grandstand when not everyone had made it out alive and he bore some responsibility for Skids' loss. That's when time-scooped Decepticon [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], irritated that Autobots were celebrating Decepticon deaths, 'oops! pardon me' bumped the two to start a fight. When Tailgate later found Cyclonus to be heavily damaged, he stormed off to batter Fangry, ignoring his partner's cries to leave it. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|Some Other Cybertron}} Tailgate found Fangry and proceeded to brutalize him finishing with throwing the Decepticon against the Memorial to the Disappeared with enough force to rupture the Decepticon's neural cluster an act which terrified the other Decepticons into fleeing. Cyclonus then showed Tailgate the corpses of the many Decepticons the minibot had killed to try and get him to better understand his new powers only for Tailgate to collapse from a lack of Energon. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|Anomie}} When Cyclonus arrived to help Whirl missing half his body, Whirl realized that Tailgate was responsible forcing Cyclonus to confess that, while recharging, Tailgate attempted to tear out his own Spark, forcing Cyclonus to intervene and becoming damaged as a result. Despite Cyclonus' protests, Whirl told Tailgate the truth behind Cyclonus' damages. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|Bad Moon Rising}} Tailgate and Whirl arrived in the main room where Tailgate stoically greeted Cyclonus. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production|Modes of Production}} When Necroworld returned to its own universe, Tailgate was the first to welcome back the group. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

When Rodimus hit on the (somewhat disturbing) plan to supersize the corpse of the Decepticon [[Skip]] to create a large enough spacecraft to escape Necroworld, Tailgate got to work manually converting the now giant Decepticon into starship mode. He was approached by Cyclonus who confessed his fear that Tailgate may be manipulated again as Getaway once did to him only for Tailgate to brush him off, insisting that no one would manipulate him again and invited Cyclonus to leave him alone. When the boarding call came, Tailgate informed Cyclonus that he was staying behind even trying to return the [[innermost energon]] that Cyclonus had donated as the minibot no longer believed the two had a future together. Once the ship launched, Tailgate confessed to [[Kaput]] his reasons for staying behind, namely not wanting to hurt Cyclonus anymore and asked if Kaput could make him normal once again. After days of study, Kaput hit on a possible answer. Seal Tailgate in an [[isolation chamber]] for six months and flood him with neutronic radiation to try and get his Spark back to normal. Despite the risks, Tailgate agreed yet no sooner had he entered the chamber did Fangry slay Kaput and reset the timer on the chamber as revenge for Tailgate humiliating him. Instead of six months, Fangry buried Tailgate for ''another'' six million years. Fangry promptly cut the communication line and buried the entrance to the chamber with the grass and flowers covering Tailgate's resting point. {{storylink|After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|After Megatron}}

When the [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]] Autobots arrived on [[Necroworld]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]] discovered the isolation chamber and summoned [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] to examine it. The group used [[Beak]]'s super-optics to glimpse inside the chamber and found evidence suggesting the minibot had succumbed to spontaneous Spark combustion. Maximus informed Rodimus of the grim news who then informed Cyclonus. News of Tailgate's demise proved the last straw before all the tensions aboard [[Skip]] came to a boil.
{{storylink|Sardines}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|Metastasis}} {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (2): The God War|The God War}} {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|A Dance Before Dying}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|Lūstrāre}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|Farsickness}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers|A Spark Among Embers}}}}
{{-}}

====Prevenge====
{{voiceactor|[[Susan Blu]] (English)}}
Tailgate was suffering through one of Ultra Magnus's lectures on the Autobot code when his teacher was suddenly whisked away through a trans-dimensional portal. Tailgate was left to ponder if he had caused the portal to open with his brain... for about six seconds, after which Ultra Magnus reappeared. Ultra Magnus told Tailgate that they could call it a day on the lecture, so long as Tailgate promised never to speak of what had just transpired. {{storylink|Prevenge}}

===''Power of the Primes'' marketing material===
The Autobot Tailgate could enhance his fuel efficiency by linking with [[Prime Master]]s. {{storylink|#Power of the Primes|''Power of the Primes'' Tailgate packaging bio}}
{{note|For a list of powers manifested by Tailgate, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this chart]].}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsTailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
Tailgate participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Common character that could be recruited for 16 units of Cybermetal. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1 Tailgate toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|White Rider.]]
*'''Tailgate''' (Mini Vehicle, [[1986]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-61'''

: Tailgate is a white-and-blue [[retool]]ing of the 1984 Autobot, [[Windcharger (G1)#Generation 1|Windcharger]], transforming into a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car. His head sculpt is much more elaborate than the earlier toy's (which shared the ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' sculpt), and his hood has been altered with an indent for a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]].

: The original version of this mold was used by [[Camaro]] and [[Rook (Universe)|Rook]]. Tailgate's toy was also used as the model for the comics-original character [[Wipe-Out]].

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-mini-vehicles-tailgate/1179/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Tailgate at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Tailgate/tailgate.htm More information on Tailgate at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|IGA}}
*'''Tailgate''' (Mini Vehicle, 1987)

: In the Mexican ''Transformers'' line produced by [[IGA]], Tailgate was released as a straight [[redeco]] of Windcharger, sold on Tailgate cards. He came in two different colors: white with metallic-blue, and yellow with metallic-blue. The reasoning for the yellow version may lie in the [[Toy Fair 1986]] catalog, which shows a prototype Tailgate in yellow.

: IGA appears to have done this old-mold-new-colors move with the other third-year retools ([[Hubcap (G1)#Toys|Hubcap]], [[Outback (G1)#Toys|Outback]], [[Pipes (G1)#Toys|Pipes]] and [[Swerve (G1)#Toys|Swerve]]), though so far Tailgate and Swerve are the only ones that have been confirmed with carded samples.

{{-}}

===Encore===
[[File:Encore Tailgate.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Immediately, something like scales fell from Tailgate's eyes, and he could see again.]]
*'''Bumble & Minibots''' (Multi-pack, [[2008]])
**''Encore number'': '''10'''

:In 2008, Tailgate was reissued in the ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line, bundled with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Encore|Bumblebee]], [[Pipes (G1)#Encore|Pipes]], [[Swerve (G1)#Encore|Swerve]], and [[Outback (G1)#Encore|Outback]]. This version of Tailgate has extra paint details on his face.
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-Tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm the one that loves the purple oni.]]
====Thrilling 30====
*'''Autobot Tailgate & Groundbuster''' (Legends Class, [[2014]])
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #008'''

:Part of the sixth wave of [[2012]]-onwards ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' "Autobot Tailgate" is a new mold that's roughly the size of a ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Commander Class toy. He transforms from a white muscle car into a [[robot mode]] largely based on [[Nick Roche]]'s design for [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' comic, with some blue flame-decals on his hood likely inspired by his ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' [[Tailgate (Prime)|counterpart]]. He comes with [[Neutro#Generations|Groundbuster]] (based on the [[Micromaster]] [[Neutro#Generation 1|Neutro]]), who transforms into a robot, a bomb disposal skid loader,<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/96686-generations-legends-targetmaster-moulds/?p=2423893 Designer Joe Kyde on "The Allspark" messageboard]</ref> and an extended claw for Tailgate to wield via its [[5mm post]], or mount onto the peg-hole on Tailgate's hood in vehicle mode.

:This mold was retooled into ''Generations'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Generations|Windcharger]] and ''Timelines'' [[Nightracer (G1)#Timelines|Nightracer]]. It also served as the basis of the non-toy ''Shattered Glass'' incarnation of [[Tailgate (SG)|Tailgate]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/GenTailgate/tailgate.htm More information on ''Generations'' Tailgate at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

====Power of the Primes====
[[File:POTPtoy-Tailgate.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Hi, it's me! I just think household electronics are people! What's a Cyclonus?]]
*'''Autobot Tailgate''' (Legends Class, 2017)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''PP-34'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[October 27]], 2018'''
:Part of the second wave of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Legends Class figures, "Autobot Tailgate" is a retool of ''Power of the Primes'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Power of the Primes|Windcharger]] with a new head. He transforms from a robot into a fictionalized Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car that is based on his [[#Generation 1|Generation 1 toy]]. He also features an opening canopy on his alternate mode to let any Titan/Prime Masters to ride in.

:Tailgate and the rest of his wave were released at retail in Singapore, and subsequently in the United Kingdom, and later, the United States, before Hasbro even acknowledged their existence, let alone before online retailers were permitted to sell their stock.
{{-}}

===Legends===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG-08-Tailgate.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|It makes your whites slightly darker, and your brights also slightly darker.]]
*'''Swerve & Tailgate''' (Multi-pack, 2015-[[January 24|01-24]])
**''ID number:'' '''LG08'''

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Tailgate is a redeco of ''Thrilling 30'' Legends Class Tailgate with a closer resemblance to his original toy, with changes such as a darker shade of teal, an Autobot sigil on his stomach and black car mode windows. He also lacks the flame deco on his hood but instead features a silver-painted grill. Tailgate and "Groundshaker" were sold exclusively in a two-pack with [[Swerve (G1)#Legends|Swerve]] and [[Phaser (G1)#Legends|Phaser]].
{{-}}

===Vintage G1===
[[File:Walmart-Vintage-G1-Tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Tailgate''' ("Legion Class" reissue, 2018)

: Part of the first wave of the ''[[Vintage G1]]'' line, this reissue of the Tailgate Mini Vehicle is very similar to the [[#Encore|''Encore'' release]], with the light blue visor, but has a few small changes in the [[sticker]]s. The vehicle mode [[rubsign]] has been replaced with a full-color approximation of a rubsign, and the [[insignia]] sticker on the robot mode is cut to the contours of the insignia, rather that the simple trapezoid fitting the plate it is attached to.

:Like all ''Vintage G1'' figures, Tailgate was [[exclusive]] to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, but has thus far only been available from the Walmart website in the US. He was also available at general retail in Hong Kong, and exclusive in Australia to the website of fashion chain Cotton On. Oddly, the Australian release came in [[multilingual packaging]] intended for the European market, a rare but not entirely unheard of occurrence. Unfortunately, due to the limited space on the back, the iconic [[Tech Spec]] card is omitted, replaced by parental warnings in 24 languages about the possibility of breakage due to excessive force, and that parts are not designed to reattach.

:Although originating from the 1986 range of Mini-Vehicles, ''Vintage G1'' Tailgate's [[package art#Back of the box art|back-of-card artwork]] features the original 1984 mural, rather than the 1986 "Metroplex" mural present on ''Vintage G1'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Vintage G1|Hot Rod's]] box.

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:ToyFair1986-TFpage01a-TailgateHubCap.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Little. Yellow. Different.]]
*In the pre-[[Toy Fair 1986]] catalog, Tailgate is featured with a yellow car body, a black chest/torso, and a red face. Fellow 1986 [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] is featured with a white car body. Hmmmmm.
*Fan speculation about Tailgate's gender—always presented as male—broke out across Tumblr when a ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' promo called him [[:File:MTMTEpromo tailgate.jpg|"The Ingenue"]], a term for a ''female'' stock character.<ref>As debated [http://konora.tumblr.com/post/84182229574 here], [http://konora.tumblr.com/post/84182229574 here], [http://raelling.tumblr.com/post/84200154095 here]...</ref> This was ''completely'' unintentional but Roberts was "pleased" to find out what he'd accidentally done.<ref>[http://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2015/02/26/james-roberts-on-idws-transformers-more-that-meets-the-eye/ Women Write About Comics: "James Roberts on IDW’s Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye" 18:00 - 18:08]</ref> He went on to approve of [[Susan Blu]] being cast as Tailgate in "[[Prevenge]]" when it was run by him pre-[[BotCon]], and said at an [[Unofficial conventions|Auto Assembly]] panel that he was convinced Tailgate's baby-holoform was a girl. It can happen even though it's not on [[Hub Network|the Hub]]!

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Tailgate''' (テイルゲイト ''Teirugeito'')
*''French:'' '''Hayon''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Dǎngbǎn''' (挡板, "Tailgate")

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Scouts]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]