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Transformers The Game (console)

2012-01-08T21:03:18Z

Thrashmetal210: /* Synopsis */

{{nav-movie-game}}
[[Image:TransformersTheGame 2007 consolecovers.jpg|right|400px|thumb|One of these things is not like the others...]]
The console version of [[Transformers The Game]] follows several of the movie's robotic characters through an approximation of the movie's plot. The game has two campaigns, one for each faction. The [[Activision]]-published game was developed by [[Traveller's Tales]], with cinematic cut scenes animated by [[Blur Studio]].

==Versions==
*'''PlayStation 2'''
**The PS2 version is the highest-reviewed, despite limitations on draw distance, physics and damage persistence. In this version, Blackout, Starscream and Barricade start missions 1, 2 and 4 of the Decepticon campaign in their altmodes, while for some reason the PS3 version has them start as robots. Reviews noted it suffers from fewer frame rate issues than other versions.
*'''Nintendo Wii'''
**The Wii version is very similar to the PS2 version, with the addition of motion-sensor gimmicks that [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/transformersthegame?q=transformers reviewers were resoundingly unimpressed by].
*'''Xbox 360'''
**The PS3 and 360 version featured improved graphics, more persistent environmental damage, and more physics objects, including ridiculous clouds of rubble that eject themselves from buildings if you so much as look at them funny. The latter is generally annoying, since they get in the way when driving.
**The 360 version, as might be expected, also features Achievements, though calling them that is somewhat of an exaggeration. There's one for pressing the "transform" button once. This version suffers less from frame rate issues and has better lighting then the PS3 version.
**It was also available in a limited "Cybertron Edition" that featured exclusive packaging art, a "Making Of" DVD, codes that unlock the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] level and [[Movie Prequel issue 1|issue 1 of the ''Transformers'' movie prequel comic]] by [[Simon Furman]], [[Don Figueroa]] and [[Josh Burcham]]. It was exclusive to Gamestop/EB stores.
**For 500 Microsoft points, players can download an add-on that unlocks everything in the game. While this does not disable Achievements like the cheat codes do, a message that reads ''"This item has been unlocked by a downloadable content pack"'' appears below any bonus features that have not been earned through gameplay.
*'''PlayStation 3'''
**The PS3 version suffers from more frame rate issues than the 360 version, typical of lazy porting. For some reason, this includes frame rate issues in the FMV cinematics when the console itself ''isn't doing anything''.
**[[Cybernet Space Cube|SixAxis motion control]] is also added for Decepticons with aircraft altmodes [Blackout, Starscream and Megatron]. It's disabled by default.
*'''PC DVD-ROM'''
**The PC version is exactly like the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.

==Synopsis==
It can be surmised that the writers for the game had not seen the script for the movie. Or been allowed on the same continent as it.

[[Image:VGBlackoutE1M1intro.jpg|right|180px|thumb|[[Universal greeting|"You said they'd reciprocate!"]]]]
===Decepticons===

'''Mission 1: SOCCENT Military Base'''

[[Image:VGBlackoutE1M3Intro.jpg|thumb|left|"Time for a delicious, cool...What? Pepsi?!"]]
[[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] started things off by shooting down an MH-53; confusingly, this happened in [[Qatar]] right near the military base, rather than in Afghanistan as might reasonably be expected. At [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream's]] command, he then proceeded to the local puny human military base to wreck it because that's just how Starscream rolls.

[[Image:VGBlackoutE1M4Intro.gif|right|180px|thumb|"Damn it Scorponok, that is NOT my [[Powerlinx]] plug!"]]
Sadly, his plan to wreck stuff up all day was foiled by some human communication vehicles, and rather than destroy them himself he deployed [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]], as the slower, less powerful Decepticon would be much better equipped to deal with the situation. Blackout busied himself destroying some communication arrays in the meantime, hoping to steal their <s>vending machines</s> mainframes and grab some data.

Scorponok, having succeeded in destroying the communications trucks, returned to Blackout, whereupon Starscream revealed he had in fact failed to do that and some human reinforcements were on the way to make Blackout's life miserable. Blackout instead made their lives miserable, and the end of level screen helpfully explained the entire level had been pointless.

No, really.

'''Mission 2: The Hunt For [[wikipedia:Red October|Sam Witwicky]]'''

[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade's]] protoform landed near a local donut store, and he promptly copied the nearby Saleen S281 (a police car near a donut store, see what they did there?) and got in contact with Starscream. Starscream informed him he was there to find [[Sam Witwicky]], for some reason forgetting he was only supposed to know Sam's [[eBay]] username at this point. By finding Sam, Barricade would be able to get hold of a pair of glasses he owned that held the key to the [[AllSpark (Movie)|end of the game]]. You're better off forgetting about this conversation entirely, it'll prevent later [[Legion|sanity loss]].

[[Image:VGBarricadeE2M2Intro.jpg|right|180px|thumb|This is what is technically known as a bad idea.]]
Starscream's plan to find Sam's location entailed Barricade driving to a more or less random part of town, where he was set upon by [[Swindle (Movie)|Autobot]] [[Dropkick|Drones]], then driving to a different random part of town where he was set upon by [[Swindle (Movie)|Autobot]] [[Dropkick|Drones]] [[Longarm (Movie)|again]]. This incredibly important objective fulfilled, Barricade promptly teleported to a location he couldn't possibly get to during the actual mission, and was told to head to the power plant in order to find [[Frenzy (Movie)|an irritating little abomination]]. Upon arrival, Barricade found himself faced with humans armed with rocket launchers, so immediately did the most sane and sensible thing and hid behind a line of propane tanks, which for some reason actually worked. Finding himself dealing with a magic [[Sector Seven]] SUV which could somehow hide itself inside buildings, Barricade was forced to tear down all the nearby buildings in his search for Frenzy as the small Decepticon's energy decreased, which, presumably, meant the humans were torturing (?!) him. In an SUV. In a building.

After repeating this several times and watching the SUV at one point burst out of a non-existent building next to the local police station, Barricade cornered Frenzy's captors at the [[Metroplex (G1)|local shopping mall]], destroying the entire building and letting the cutscene gloss over how the hell Frenzy got out from under hundreds of tons of collapsed masonry. From this he determined that a human named Sam was in possession of a "pair of ocular lenses." Which both he and Starscream knew at the start of the level. Argh.

[[Image:VGBarricadeE2M4Gameplay.gif|left|180px|thumb|This is what you'll be doing for approximately 90% of the time you're in [[Tranquility]], so get used to it.]]
[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] then showed up heading for the police station, forcing Barricade to brave his abysmal driving controls in order to stop the Autobot. The heroic Bumblebee then resorted to using a ridiculous shockwave attack that destroyed a huge area of town every time he did it. Unperturbed by this inexplicable display of Autobot villainy, Barricade vanquished Bumblebee, then chased him down to the local [[Ruined FOREVER|Bay Demolition]] site, where he was ambushed by Swindle drones and Dropkick drones that were [[FIRRIB|blue in the cinematic, despite being red]]. Despite having no reason to stay there and every reason not to, Barricade defeated all of them.

This led him back to the Police Station, which had impishly decided to reassemble itself since being destroyed in the second mission, as police stations are noted to do from time to time. Here he cornered Sam, but failed to walk the required two steps straight forward before Bumblebee smacked into his legs, picked up Sam and [[Mikaela Banes|Mikaela]] and drove off. And then drove back or something, since the mission started with him in robot mode three hundred yards directly in front of Barricade.

Barricade fought with Bumblebee. Then Bumblebee drove off, Barricade followed, and they did it again. This happened several times, with Barricade at one point somehow ambushing Bumblebee despite the Autobot getting there before he did. After entirely too many identical fight sequences, Bumblebee lay defeated, Barricade recovered the glasses, and Sam, Bumblebee and Mikaela were surrounded by Sector Seven vehicles. It is again a good idea to forget that the Autobots no longer have the glasses and so have no idea where the All Spark is, as the game will forget this shortly.

'''Mission 3: A Gathering <s>Farce</s> Force'''

Starscream was next to take the reins, attacking a secret human airbase where Bonecrusher and Brawl had decided to hide out in a somewhat ill-advised manner. After discovering that he couldn't understand what the hell Frenzy was saying either, Starscream realised his radar was jammed by the local human communications equipment. A quick bout of destroying things later, this problem was solved, allowing him to locate Bonecrusher.

[[Image:VGStarscreamE3M4Gameplay.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Brawl! You're a tank! Use your tank parts!" "I can't, I'm shy." "What?!"]]
[[Image:VGStarscreamE3M3Intro.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"None shall stand in my way!" "Your talking privileges are hereby revoked, Bonecrusher."]]
Bonecrusher had stealthily hidden himself in the middle of a road surrounded by turrets firing weird electrical stuff at him, and proceeded to take a route through the airbase which cunningly didn't avoid any of the handful of checkpoints containing such turrets. Starscream, rather than reprimanding him for this idiocy, destroyed the checkpoints and escorted him onto the runway, then proceeded to a point near the runway for his next mission...Only to find himself standing next to Bonecrusher on the runway again. This somehow led to a mission to destroy drone aircraft, which upon careful inspection (which consisted of shooting down the aircraft, falling to the ground, picking it up and then throwing it away) had actually been made using technology based on Megatron's vehicle mode. Realizing this, Starscream no doubt viewed destroying these vehicles as useful practice.

Following on from this (somehow), Bonecrusher and Brawl moved out... Right into human gun batteries firing weird electricity. Since they had somehow forgotten what all their weapons were for, Starscream was once again called upon to do everything himself, flying back and forth using his strange rocket launcher to save his rather apathetic comrades from self-imposed doom. Since neither appeared to do anything in the game after this mission, you have to wonder why he bothered at all, really.

This was followed by an extended cutscene in which Starscream and Blackout arrived at the [[Hoover Dam]] and started trashing it, releasing [[Megatron (Movie)|Frank Welker's voice]] which declared they should probably stop screwing around and get to [[Mission City]] where the next mission was.

'''Mission 4: City of the Machines'''

Autobot forces arrived in Mission City despite having no idea of where the All Spark was (and Sam had it despite being arrested by Sector Seven), so, wary of stepping in any more plot holes, Megatron sent his Decepticons ahead of him. Except Starscream (who would not participate except at the very last battle in a cutscene), Brawl and Bonecrusher, who seemed to have gotten lost along the way.

[[Image:VGBlackoutE4M3Gameplay.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"I didn't touch anything!"]]
Barricade found [[Jazz (Movie)|a redshirt]] protecting Sam and Mikaela, and found, moreover, that he lacked a stupid attack that made him invincible, making him easy prey. However, he reckoned without the Autobot unleashing the most horrifying weapon in his arsenal, the dreaded '''checkpoint race!'''<ref>No, seriously, this actually happens.</ref>

[[Image:VGMegatronE4M4Guitar.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Megatron prepares to unleash his impression of [[Soundwave (Animated)|someone else]].]]
Somehow surmounting this horror, Barricade defeated Jazz again, leaving him dying at the foot of the large monument the race may or may not have ended somewhere near but probably didn't. Since Scorponok can't drill under roads and drilling is more or less his only ability, he was a clear logical choice to take over from the undamaged Barricade, and so did this, scuttling to [[Central Park]] (slowly) to kill a group of [[Energon drone|silly robotic crickets]] who were causing chaos, violence and confusion. Because that would interfere with the Decepticons' plans of causing chaos, violence and confusion. This somehow led him to Sam, who was about to hand over the All Spark when [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] rather uncharitably kicked Scorponok into the monument (which the dead Jazz had vanished from in the interval). Blackout was understandably angered by this mistreatment of his adorable pet evil robot, and vowed to give Ironhide the honor of dying by his blade.

Ironhide pulled out everything he had: every drone type except [[Mixmaster (Movie)|Mixmaster]] and [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] showed up to ruin Blackout's day, and Ironhide himself used the dastardly tactics of being invincible for most of the battle, unleashing a never-ending torrent of rockets which Blackout could do nothing about whenever he approached Ironhide too closely, ordering his troops to get stuck on the scenery behind him so they'd be impossible to reach, and making sure every energy-bearing human helicopter crash-landed on the roof of a building where Blackout couldn't get to it. Despite this, Blackout finally defeated him, allowing Megatron to return from whatever the hell he was doing all this time and commence the final battle. The penultimate final battle, as it turned out.

This consisted of Megatron trying to coax Optimus out of hiding by destroying things at random, which would make the brave Autobot leader not appear in person as was expected, but made some drones appear, Megatron destroying them at random, and then this cycle repeating, with Megatron being forced to move to sectors of the city which had not been previously destroyed by his reign of terror and destroying those buildings in what seemed to last forever. 80 (!) drones later, Megatron finally got fed up with this and climbed the tallest building in the city, whereupon the programmers realised they'd driven the player character to suicide and hurriedly ended the level.

'''Mission 5: Day of the Machines'''

Having been affected by the same Apathy Radiation from the All Spark that kept Megatron from doing anything in the previous mission, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Peter Cullen's voice]] finally got off his tin backside to have a final confrontation with Frank Welker's voice, just like the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|good old days]]. Logically, Optimus had decided the best way to confront the Decepticon leader was to wait for on top of the tallest building in Mission City.

Back on the ground, the battle began. This largely consisted of Optimus fighting Megatron for a while, then running away while Megatron fought some drones, then hiding while Megatron flew around in circles and a not-even-slightly-explained timer counted down, while Megatron tried desperately to quickly find the Allspark while dodging the buildings which had been coated with an unknown substance that made him automatically revert to robot mode. After an alarmingly large number of repetitions of this, Optimus finally keeled over out of sheer frustration, allowing Megatron to absorb the All Spark.

Megatron decided that the Lincoln Memorial would make a fine throne ([[Atlantis, Arise!|again]]) as Brawl (who had been absent previously), Starscream and Barricade joined together to watch the eradication of the human race. Oddly, Blackout and Bonecrusher were not with them. Feeling tired after such a long battle, Megatron sent his Decepticons to finish the planet, since he <s>never wanted to play again</s> felt like saving his strength for his glorious return to Cybertron. Barricade felt like doing more work (in preparation for his amazing role in the final battle of the actual movie) and promptly got up while the others watched.

'''Mission 6: Cybertron'''
It was now time for Megatron's triumphant return to Cybertron, which apparently consisted of fighting a bunch of Autobot drones in a big arena while the plot hid in a corner and pretended it wasn't there. Fans can hope that future game designers will have a more G1 inspired look for Cybertron, as this level doesn't even resemble the opening cinematic or the scenes from the movie. [[Transformers: War for Cybertron|Maybe next time.]]

===Autobots===
'''Mission 1: The Suburbs'''

A [[Bumblebee (Movie)|mysterious meteor]] crashed down to [[earth]], scanned a yellow Camaro, and was contacted by [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|his leader]], who told him to find an artifact, but warned him to beware [[Decepticon]] drones. The car, Bumblebee, zoomed off and defeated the drones, [[Scrapper (Movie)|Scrappers]] and [[Dropkick]]s.

[[Image:Shockwave_movie.jpg|thumb|Logic, etc etc.]]

Suddenly he saw [[Swindle (Movie)|Swindles]] and a Dropkick headed for [[Bobby Bolivia]]'s car shop. He stopped them and was purchased by [[Sam Witwicky]]. The next day [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] attacked Sam, but Bumblebee stopped him while racing from one place to another, defending Sam. When Barricade was defeated Bumblebee had to destroy Decepticon radio towers preventing the [[Autobot]]s from landing and clear a landing site. However, it seemed the Autobots had realized the highly explosive site they had chosen was not a good landing zone, so in the cinematic they all landed elsewhere.

'''Mission 2: More Than Meets the Eye'''

After a very brief explanation of what was going on, [[Sector Seven]] found the Autobots. In his new alt mode, Bumblebee took Sam and [[Mikaela Banes]] to safety, while [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] distracted S7. Showing total disregard for human life, Jazz drove like a mad-bot, zipping from destination to destination, distracting S7 by destroying gas stations and oil tankers all across the city. The casualties were not calculated.

Suddenly, Decepticon drones attacked. Jazz was damaged/held captive and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] had to rescue him. Then Jazz thanked his comrade and drove away, only to be attacked two more times.

Bumblebee was suddenly captured by a horrible human invention called the "net". A S7 helicopter paraded him around the city while Optimus desperately tried to follow in vehicle mode. Getting close enough, Optimus jumped and caught Bumblebee. Just as Optimus Prime was about to rescue his comrade however, a meteor knocked him off the dreaded net.

The meteor revealed itself to be the Decepticon [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]]. Finally, some real fighting. Finding Shockwave in his artillery mode, Optimus realized the city would soon be reduced to rubble if he could not stop the Decepticon. He tried in vain to shoot him but then gave up and threw cars around in frustration. Eventually enough cars hit and damaged Shockwave and the Decepticon transformed into his monstrous robot mode. They fought... and then Shockwave transformed and flew away, getting back to destroying the city. Optimus followed, damaged him some more... and then Shockwave flew away. Eventually Optimus killed him. Awesome.

'''Mission 3: Bumblebee in Hoover Dam'''

In Hoover Dam, Bumblebee was being held in a forcefield box, when it suddenly disappeared. While exploring, Bumblebee discovered the Allspark hidden behind a ridiculous laser grid. Commanded by Prime to shut off this annoyance, Bumblebee broke open the command center doors. But before he could continue, he had to stop some security robots from sounding an alarm. Apparently, an alien lifeform escaping his cage does not set off an alarm, but someone breaking down one of three doors to a computer room does. Bumblebee killed three waves of these and entered the command center. After destroyed a console, it was revealed that only SOME of the laser grid had been turned off. Now he had to destroy cooling fans. Little did Bumblebee know that destroying these fans would cause massive explosions, which he had to frantically run away from. Finally, he was instructed by Prime to destroy some generators. Gaining access to the [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]], Bumblebee shrunk it down while fighting off [[Energon drone]]s and [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]].

'''Mission 4: The Last Stand'''

Finally the war was coming to an end in [[Mission City]]. Ironhide rescued Bumblebee from the energon drones and Jazz killed [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]. Suddenly, [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] killed the small Autobot. Ironhide took revenge, however, by killing Brawl. Finally, Bumblebee killed Barricade. Conveniently enough, Megatron chose this moment to appear and effortlessly flicked Bumblebee aside. Before he could get to Sam and Mikaela, though, Optimus Prime showed up, conveniently enough.

'''Mission 5: The Ultimate Doom'''

Megatron and Optimus Prime throw down in the Mission City park. After a long and repetitive final showdown, Optimus killed Megatron... or did he? As Sam was handing the cube to Optimus, Megatron lept towards the heroes. Grabbing Megatron's flail, Optimus pulled the Decepticon towards him and shoved the cube into his chest, killing him.

That's one heck of a lot of killing.

Afterward, Optimus gave a speech about stuff while Bumblebee, Ironhide and Ratchet listened (Since the fighting was over, Ratchet had come out of hiding, just in time to get animated for another cinematic).

'''Mission 6: Cybertron'''

But the fighting wasn't over. Returning to Cybertron, Optimus needed to take out the remaining trash. The final Autobot mission consists of fighting various drones, including Shockwave, although this time he doesn't transform and is basically just a normal drone with more health. Victory at last!
{{stub}}

==Bonus Features==
===Unlocking===
Bonus features are separated in three sections: Movie clips (mostly commercials for the 2007 movie), character skins and an image gallery. These are unlocked by doing any of the following:
* Collecting 15 glowing yellow cubes (100 hidden per level). Technically some levels do contain only 95 cubes however, when playing the level 'A Gathering Force' the player is automatically awarded 5 cubes.
:Note: One does not need to collect 15 cubes in a single level to unlock a bonus feature, the game counts total cubes found and once 15 are collected, a bonus feature is unlocked. This explains why there are 100 cubes in each level even though bonus features are only unlocked ever 15 cubes.

* Collecting a hidden Autobot or Decepticon faction symbol (5 hidden per level)
* Completing a mission
* Completing a sub mission
* Completing a skill (the skills are: Heroic (for Autobots), Evil (for Decepticons), Protect (for Autobots), Destruction (for Decepticons), Speed (when in land vehicle mode), Throw, Jump (when in land vehicle mode) and Slide (when in land vehicle mode).

===Features===
====Character skins====
* Several toy-inspired "skins" can be unlocked, these include: [[Jazz (Movie)#Deluxe Class toys|Generation 1 Jazz]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Voyager Class toys|Robo-Vision Optimus Prime]] (minus flames) and [[Starscream (Movie)#Voyager Class toys|Generation 1 Starscream]] (minus the resculpted head).
* Similarly, one can unlock Generation 1 [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], replacing their movie counterparts with new 3D models (unlike the previous skin recolors). Optimus Prime converts into his original truck mode, but [[Transformers: Go-Bots (franchise)|fires from his fists]] rather than using his trademark [[ion blaster]], and Megatron cannot transform into his gun mode (instead he starts flying in robot mode when the "transform" button is pressed).

==Response==
The game's Metacritic scores [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/transformersthegame?q=transformers hover] [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/transformersthegame?q=transformers around] [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/transformersthegame?q=transformers fifty-five] [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps3/transformersthegame?q=transformers percent]. It was criticised for poor driving controls, blocky graphics, repetitive missions and dull combat; the only thing generally praised was the random destruction. So the Decepticons won.

==Technical errors and oddities==
* Transformer Protoforms have to [[Trans-scan|scan]] their altmodes after landing as per the movie; however, drones have an Earth vehicle altmode the instant they land; presumably, so does Shockwave, since Tranquility is a little light on purple Apaches or purple howitzers.
*In the second mission of the Autobot campaign, Swindle drones are ''walking down the street'' to Sam's house. '''WHY''' they even bother to have altmodes is not clear.
* The residents of Tranquility are apparently capable of rebuilding a power station's gas tank farm within less than an hour, then rebuilding the entire tank farm and three of the chimneys ''again'' within less than six.
* Autobots still have the "Destruction" unlock gauge appear, but it crosses out faction symbols rather than having them appear. If it's filled, a large red X goes to the left side of the screen instead of a faction symbol; however, whether by accident or design, this doesn't actually do ''anything'', and the Autobots are free to be as destructive as the Decepticons. It doesn't help that this gauge is filled by causing damage to ''any'' scenery and has to be maxed out multiple times while destroying, for example, the clamps that hold the All Spark.
* The final Autobot mission in Hoover Dam's depiction of the defrosting Megatron is all kinds of screwy:
**Before the mission is triggered, he's shown covered in a layer of ice.
**In the pre-mission cutscene, there's suddenly not a hint of ice on him at all. When Bumblebee walks near him, his head turns to look at the Autobot, despite the fact he's supposed to be frozen and immobile.
**As the mission starts, he's encased in ice again, save his left arm which is shifted to the left (his left) of the section of ice that should be around it, which is just kind of hanging there.
**When the cutscene plays during the mission, Megatron breaks the ice surrounding his left arm, and there's clearly none on his face.
**When gameplay resumes, there's ice on his face again.
**In the end of mission cutscene, he's suddenly defrosted right down to his hips.
**[[B.O.T. (episode)|Argh.]]
* The PS2 version sometimes features a bizarre error; in the opening cinematic to Barricade's first mission in Mission City, after Jazz's door slams there is no further post-recording sound work. This means Barricade's voice is completely unaltered. [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=4526629173767058122 He sounds like Sideshow Bob]. The Wii, PS3, and Xbox360 versions have the effects added correctly.
* In the final mission of Chapter 3 for the Decepticons, it's just this side of entirely possible to be ''[[Sky Lynx (G1)|too good]]'' at it. If the final set of gun turrets facing Bonecrusher is destroyed too fast, he'll reach the last checkpoint before Brawl does and transform. Unfortunately, the turrets' ability to actually take damage is pretexted on ''Brawl'' transforming, so all you can do is stand around waiting for Bonecrusher to drop dead. Bonecrusher hates poor bug testing.
*After the last mission of Chapter 3, a cut scene will trigger of Blackout and Starscream trashing Hoover Dam, Blackout tosses a gas tank at three defending Autobots who seem to be red Swindles. This color of drone does not exist in actual gameplay.
* In Decepticon Chapter 4, mission 2's intro cinematic has Scorponok firing from a Gatling gun in his tail. This weapon doesn't exist (although he can use it for melee attacks).
* Because the end of mission "mission complete" screens follow straight on from the game play, some very strange things can happen in them. A good example is the above mission; if Scorponok ends the mission firing at the ground in front of the statue at one end of the park, the "mission complete" screen will show ''his own bullets hitting him''.(The same thing can happen anywhere in the game.)
* Before the final battle in the Autobot campaign, spark drones are ''just lying around on the street'' waiting to be brought to life by the All Spark.
* Other cars are like cardboard. Jazz can ram in to a truck, and it will go ''flying in the air ''. However, Bumblebee, which should be much heavier doesn't knock them over with such ease.
* Guns are absolutely useless in this game. Anything that can be shot at can be destroyed five times faster if you punch it, throw something at it or whack it with a random piece of debris.
* Starscream sounds a lot like [[wikipedia:Grover|Grover]].
* Scorponok is the only playable character that can't jump, climb or pick up debris. This means that there are several Decepticon insignias and glowing yellow cubes that are unattainable when playing as him.
* In the opening cinematic for Blackout, the entire army personnel fires at him, without any consequence whatsoever. However, when playing as any character in Tranquility or Mission city, police officers with standard pistols can damage you.
* In Chapter 2 for Autobots in mission 2 a cutscene has a Dropkick and Swindle drone tossing Jazz next to a house. As they are about to finish him off, Ironhide attacks the two drones by slamming into them in vehicle mode. When he transforms the drones just magically disappear.
* For Chapter 4 for Autobots, Chapter 2 has Jazz beat the hell out of two dreadwings, Blackout, and Starscream. But in Chapter 2 mission 2, he has to ask Ironhide to assist him in defeating weak scrap drones.
* In the final level of Chapter 4 right before reaching the tallest building in Mission City, Megatron speaks in Starscream's voice. Maybe they switched bodies.
* Since ''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime is a skin of Optimus Prime, many would think ''Generation 1'' Megatron would be a skin of Megatron. Instead, he has Optimus Prime's moves and guns and even features a blue Autobot shield instead of a red Decepticon one, making him more like Optimus Prime who can fly. Weird.
*Frenzy has red eyes in gameplay, despite his movie version has blue eyes. Oh no...[[FIRRIB]]
*For Chapter 3 Level 3 Decpticon campaign has Starscream bring down air craft vehicles based on Megatron's vehicle mode, even though they don't know what he transforms into at all.
*In the game version optimus prime use ion blaster is small and it's color blue like G1 optimus prime gun .In the movie version,It's big and it's color silver
*G1 optimus prime has no gun.What's wrong with that.But still Movie version optimus prime still using G1 optimus prime guns.

==Notes==
* The Autobots ''really'' like transforming into robots. Optimus likes it so much, he jumps thirty feet into the air every time he does it.
* Rather than do the sane thing and pan away, we get to watch a robot-mode protoform Bumblebee grow kibble after scanning the Camaro. This looks roughly twice as ridiculous as what you're currently imagining.
* Punching your enemies in the face repeatedly is "heroic" when Autobots do it, but "evil" when Decepticons do it. Sounds like a double standard!
* Blackout is [[Show-accuracy|toy accurate]] in the game, in that his main rotor is his melee weapon, rather than his tail rotor as in the movie.
* Tranquility features a large number of Generation 1 references, with adverts for "[[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s Hotdogs," "[[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]]'s Fish and Chips," a [[Tranquility Mall|local mall]] called "[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]" and a fast food restaurant named "[[Chip Chase|Chip Chase's]]". As a more recent reference, there is also a building site belonging to "[[Bay Demolition]]". There is also a place called Frank & Peter's cafe.
* One Autobot isn't explicitly killed in the Decepticon campaign: Ratchet. Three Decepticons aren't killed in the Autobot campaign: Bonecrusher, Scorponok and Frenzy. The only character who dies in ''both'' campaigns is, unsurprisingly enough, Jazz. Even when every other bit of movie canon is thrown out the window he still can't make it out alive.
* Bumblebee uses some kind of [[axe]] when he fights with a three-punch combo.
* Ratchet, Bonecrusher, Brawl, and Frenzy aren't playable.
*Rather then damaging buildings nearly completely, throwing cars at buildings barely puts a dent in the building. Instead of making a hole in the building or even damaging it at all,cars thrown at buildings bounce off the building and hit you instead.
*G1 Megatron flies than turning into a gun

==Differences between the Game and Movie==

[[Image:VG-E3Allspark.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The Quarterspark.]]
* All plotlines relating to humans have been removed; the game has nothing involving [[William Lennox|GI Joes]] (replaced by a communication truck), [[Seymour Simmons|agents]] (replaced by guests [[Landmine (Movie)|Landmine]] and [[Stockade (Movie)|Stockade]]), or [[Glen Whitmann|comic relief]] (replaced by the cutscenes). Even Sam himself has barely any role beyond "holder of the MacGuffins."
* Video game Bumblebee breaks free inside Hoover Dam and has to deactivate a silly laser grid to get to the All Spark. Sam turns up at the end of the mission just in time to leave.
* The game's All Spark is tiny, only four or five times taller than Bumblebee as opposed to the movie's city block-sized cube. It's housed in the same room as Megatron (great idea, guys!) who's shoved into a little alcove rather than freestanding in his own room.
* Barricade is present at the Mission City battle. Same for Scorponok, in the Decepticon Campaign.
* In the Autobot campaign, Brawl kills Jazz after Jazz kills Blackout and beats the hell out of Starscream. In the Decepticon campaign, Barricade kills Jazz. Either way, Megatron doesn't.
* Autobot Campaign: Bumblebee kills Barricade in Mission City. In the movie, Barricade's fate <s>is</s> ''[[Dark of the Moon (film)|was]]'' uncertain.
* Autobot Campaign: Optimus, rather than Sam, kills Megatron with the All Spark.
* Decepticon Campaign: Shoving the All Spark cube into his ''own'' chest does not kill Megatron, apparently.
*Decepticon Campaign: Evil wins!

==References==

<references/>

==External links==

*[http://www.transformersgame.com Official website for Transformers: The Game]

{{nav-movie}}

[[Category:Movie video games]]

Hatchet (DOTM)

2012-01-08T20:49:18Z

Thrashmetal210: /* Notes */

{{factions|decepticon}}

:''Hatchet is a [[Decepticon]] [[Dread (subgroup)| Dread]] from the [[Dark of the Moon (franchise)|Dark of the Moon]] portion of the [[live-action film series]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:DOTM_Hatchet_concept.jpg|right|thumb|400px|When you meet anything that's going to be human and isn't yet, or used to be human once and isn't now, or ought to be human and isn't, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet.]]

Decepticon master strategist '''Hatchet''' is most famous for formulating devastating counter-attacks against [[Autobot]] defenses. Yet as a member of the Dreads infiltration and assassination team, he also plays another role, taking on the dirtiest jobs available personally and exterminating his targets with a brutal and efficient finality.

==Fiction==
===''Dark of the Moon'' novelization===

When [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] was being retrieved from [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], Hatchet, [[Crowbar]], and [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] surfaced quietly and secretly hitched a ride on the Autobots' shuttle back to Earth. {{storylink|Dark of the Moon (novel)}}

===''Dark of the Moon'' film===

[[Image:Dotm Hatchet highway.jpg|left|thumb|250px|An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.]]

After [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] was retrieved from [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] and reactivated, [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] put into motion the plan that had been waiting in the wings for hundreds of years. With the [[human]] [[Sam Witwicky]] believing that the Decepticons wished to capture Sentinel and force him to use the control pillar to activate his space bridge, Hatchet, [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] and [[Crowbar]] were sent to pursue the Autobots. [[Image:HatchetTF3.jpg|rigt|thumb|250px|Four legs good, two legs bad!]]After Crowbar disposed of [[Seymour Simmons]], Hatchet and Crankcase leaped to attack, only for the Autobots to break suddenly and deploy their [[Stealth Force]] mode. Hatchet was targeted by the Autobot [[Mirage (Movie)|Dino]], who embedded his anchored blades into the Decepticon's back, and corralled Hatchet into the firing line of [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]]. After Hatchet was pounded with Autobot ordnance, Dino tossed the Decepticon into the oncoming side of the highway, where he slammed into a passing car and was destroyed. {{storylink|Dark of the Moon (film)}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Dark of the Moon===
====Cyberverse====
[[Image:DOTM_CyberverseCommander_Hatchet.jpg|thumb|300px|Machines are worshipped because they are beautiful, and valued because they confer power; they are hated because they are hideous, and loathed because they impose slavery.]]
* '''Decepticon Hatchet''' (Cyberverse Commander, 2011)
**''ID number'': '''Series 1, 007'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''CV21'''
**''Accessories'': 2 attack drones/alpha-rez cannons

:Unlike his onscreen appearance, ''[[Cyberverse]]'' Hatchet transforms into a modified Eurofighter Typhoon jet. He includes two attack drones that can be carried under his wings in vehicle mode or transformed into two cannons, one single- and one multi-barreled. These cannons can then be combined end-to-end to form a larger two-handled rifle. Despite being a quadruped, his claws are still designed to be able to hold Cyberverse-scale weapons. He has sculpted "muscle" detailing on his torso, sculpted spine detailing on his back, and the jet exhaust around his neck resembles a collar. His jet mode has flip-out landing gear in the nose.

:Most likely to save space, his lower legs are not fully transformed in-package (the official photos also depict him mistransformed this way.). The instructions also don't mention it, but Hatchet can stand very well on two legs, being able to hold his weapons in his hands without balance issues.

:In an undocumented step of his transformation, the flap behind his cockpit (at the base of his robot mode tail) flips back to cover much of the open space in his torso. In a total design fluke, this cavity is large enough for a Human Alliance human figure, making Hatchet function like a Human Alliance toy.

==Notes==
* In early production, the [[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]] were announced to be a pair of modified Chevrolet Suburbans. Photos of only two prop vehicles were even taken on-set.<ref name="suburb">[http://screenrant.com/transformers-3-characters-dreads-rob-95462/ "Transformers 3 Characters: Meet The Dreads"]</ref> In the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|final movie]], all three Dreads use identical Chevrolet Suburbans as their [[alternate mode]]s, with individual robot modes between the three of them. For the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|toy line]], Hasbro decided to give them individual alternate modes as well, which is why only [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] turns into a Suburban.
* An early working name for him was "Dirtbag".<ref name="nizzi">[http://www.joshnizzi.com/TF3.htm Josh Nizzi DOTM concepts.]</ref>
*Several Dread Assaulters identical to Hatchet appear in the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|Dark of the Moon video game]].
*Three giant versions of Hatchet with back-mounted guns were present in the opening battle scene of Dark of the Moon.
*Hatchet rhymes with [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]. How about that?

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category: Cyberverse]]
[[Category: Dark of the Moon Decepticons]]
[[Category: Strategists]]

Hatchet (DOTM)

2012-01-08T20:47:26Z

Thrashmetal210: /* Notes */

{{factions|decepticon}}

:''Hatchet is a [[Decepticon]] [[Dread (subgroup)| Dread]] from the [[Dark of the Moon (franchise)|Dark of the Moon]] portion of the [[live-action film series]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:DOTM_Hatchet_concept.jpg|right|thumb|400px|When you meet anything that's going to be human and isn't yet, or used to be human once and isn't now, or ought to be human and isn't, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet.]]

Decepticon master strategist '''Hatchet''' is most famous for formulating devastating counter-attacks against [[Autobot]] defenses. Yet as a member of the Dreads infiltration and assassination team, he also plays another role, taking on the dirtiest jobs available personally and exterminating his targets with a brutal and efficient finality.

==Fiction==
===''Dark of the Moon'' novelization===

When [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] was being retrieved from [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], Hatchet, [[Crowbar]], and [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] surfaced quietly and secretly hitched a ride on the Autobots' shuttle back to Earth. {{storylink|Dark of the Moon (novel)}}

===''Dark of the Moon'' film===

[[Image:Dotm Hatchet highway.jpg|left|thumb|250px|An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.]]

After [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] was retrieved from [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] and reactivated, [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] put into motion the plan that had been waiting in the wings for hundreds of years. With the [[human]] [[Sam Witwicky]] believing that the Decepticons wished to capture Sentinel and force him to use the control pillar to activate his space bridge, Hatchet, [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] and [[Crowbar]] were sent to pursue the Autobots. [[Image:HatchetTF3.jpg|rigt|thumb|250px|Four legs good, two legs bad!]]After Crowbar disposed of [[Seymour Simmons]], Hatchet and Crankcase leaped to attack, only for the Autobots to break suddenly and deploy their [[Stealth Force]] mode. Hatchet was targeted by the Autobot [[Mirage (Movie)|Dino]], who embedded his anchored blades into the Decepticon's back, and corralled Hatchet into the firing line of [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]]. After Hatchet was pounded with Autobot ordnance, Dino tossed the Decepticon into the oncoming side of the highway, where he slammed into a passing car and was destroyed. {{storylink|Dark of the Moon (film)}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Dark of the Moon===
====Cyberverse====
[[Image:DOTM_CyberverseCommander_Hatchet.jpg|thumb|300px|Machines are worshipped because they are beautiful, and valued because they confer power; they are hated because they are hideous, and loathed because they impose slavery.]]
* '''Decepticon Hatchet''' (Cyberverse Commander, 2011)
**''ID number'': '''Series 1, 007'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''CV21'''
**''Accessories'': 2 attack drones/alpha-rez cannons

:Unlike his onscreen appearance, ''[[Cyberverse]]'' Hatchet transforms into a modified Eurofighter Typhoon jet. He includes two attack drones that can be carried under his wings in vehicle mode or transformed into two cannons, one single- and one multi-barreled. These cannons can then be combined end-to-end to form a larger two-handled rifle. Despite being a quadruped, his claws are still designed to be able to hold Cyberverse-scale weapons. He has sculpted "muscle" detailing on his torso, sculpted spine detailing on his back, and the jet exhaust around his neck resembles a collar. His jet mode has flip-out landing gear in the nose.

:Most likely to save space, his lower legs are not fully transformed in-package (the official photos also depict him mistransformed this way.). The instructions also don't mention it, but Hatchet can stand very well on two legs, being able to hold his weapons in his hands without balance issues.

:In an undocumented step of his transformation, the flap behind his cockpit (at the base of his robot mode tail) flips back to cover much of the open space in his torso. In a total design fluke, this cavity is large enough for a Human Alliance human figure, making Hatchet function like a Human Alliance toy.

==Notes==
* In early production, the [[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]] were announced to be a pair of modified Chevrolet Suburbans. Photos of only two prop vehicles were even taken on-set.<ref name="suburb">[http://screenrant.com/transformers-3-characters-dreads-rob-95462/ "Transformers 3 Characters: Meet The Dreads"]</ref> In the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|final movie]], all three Dreads use identical Chevrolet Suburbans as their [[alternate mode]]s, with individual robot modes between the three of them. For the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|toy line]], Hasbro decided to give them individual alternate modes as well, which is why only [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] turns into a Suburban.
* An early working name for him was "Dirtbag".<ref name="nizzi">[http://www.joshnizzi.com/TF3.htm Josh Nizzi DOTM concepts.]</ref>
*Several Dread Assaulters identical to Hatchet appear in the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|Dark of the Moon video game]].
*Three giant versions of Hatchet with back-mounted guns were present in the opening battle scene of Dark of the Moon.
*Hatchet rhymes with [[Ratchet (movie)|Ratchet]]. How about that?

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category: Cyberverse]]
[[Category: Dark of the Moon Decepticons]]
[[Category: Strategists]]

Soundwave (G1)

2012-01-06T01:39:22Z

Thrashmetal210: /* Notes */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Soundwave}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 character eventually upgraded to Soundblaster|the ''Cybertron'' character|Soundblaster (Cybertron)}}
{{suite}}
:''Soundwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Soundwave mixalot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Big butts: preferable. Lying: impossible."]]
'''Soundwave''' is one of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s most reliable troops, and he has positioned himself comfortably and irreplaceably in Megatron's upper command structure. He stands at the [[Decepticon leader]]'s side as a confidant. Though "only" Communications Officer, he is comparable to [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in rank and is the only one of the three to display consistent loyalty to Megatron. Soundwave guards his place in the hierarchy fiercely. Other Decepticons (except Megatron) see him as a two-faced snake, since, as Communications Officer, Soundwave hears all and doesn't hesitate to use blackmail to keep himself high in Megatron's esteem. The other Decepticons wouldn't mind abandoning him on the battlefield—if they thought Megatron would let them get away with it.

Soundwave commands [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|a legion of cassette troops]] to carry out tasks big and small. He has a symbiotic relationship with them, providing them transportation and a cheap, if cramped, place to live in his chest. Sometimes he lets them all out to watch impromptu gladiator games or takes them to discotheques. In return, they perform spy and recon missions for him and make sure no one calls him "un-krozzo-matic".

He usually has all the personality of a [[:Image:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|stump]] (as evidenced by his computer-style speech). He also has no imagination, sending the aforementioned cassettes on operations with mundane names.

As an [[Action Master]], he is [[Action Master partner|partnered]] with [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]].

Soundwave's scanning systems are so powerful that he can actually read and decode the electrical impulses that comprise "thoughts" in both organics and Cybertronians. This telepathic power is likely one of the reasons why he is so highly placed in Megatron's hierarchy.

In various universes, Soundwave is upgraded into '''Soundblaster''' (サウンドブラスター ''Saundoburasutā'').

{{quote|As you command, Megatron.|Soundwave, eternal loyalist|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Contentedfools.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Ravage, Megatron, and Soundwave, the first Decepticons.]]
Millions of years ago, Soundwave was one of the first members of the Decepticons; after sowing discontent amongst the masses, he, [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] began the war that tore the planet itself out of its orbit. The Decepticons, including Soundwave, attempted to hijack the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] four million years ago, only to fail and fall into deactivation sleep for four million years. In 1984, the detonation of the volcano, [[Mount St. Hilary]], reactivated the Autobots and Decepticons, unleashing their war on Earth. Learning the [[Human|inhabitants]] of this planet had access to its vast energy sources, Soundwave joined the Decepticons in raiding a drive-in movie theatre. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}} Soon after, Soundwave participated in a raid on [[Harrison Nuclear Power Plant]], and after helping the Decepticons make off with large chunks of its machinery, helped use their bounty to build a [[Fortress Sinister|new headquarters atop a cliffside]]. {{storylink|Power Play!}} After returning from [[S. Witwicky Auto Repairs & Tow Service]] with [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], a human the Decepticons kidnapped to help them convert human fuel to Transformer fuel, the Decepticons' headquarters were infiltrated by a rescue party of [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and the human superhero [[Spider-Man]]. While Spider-Man caused a diversion in front of Soundwave, Gears was able to suckerpunch him. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

[[Image:Laserbeakwarriorschool.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"Fly, my pretties, fly!"]]
''When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] nearly caused the death of Ravage, Megatron rallied the other Decepticons, including Soundwave, to enact vengeance for his treason. {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} Later, the Decepticons unleashed a surprise attack on the Ark. After Soundwave defeated [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], the battle was halted when [[Aunty]], the Ark's computer system, turned rogue. After the crisis was averted, Soundwave and the others were able to retreat. {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}'' Due to Sparkplug's efforts during his kidnapping, the Decepticons were able to refuel, and Soundwave and his comrades attacked the Autobots. However, Sparkplug had poisoned the fuel, and Soundwave shorted out along with the others. As Soundwave lay deactivated, it was only the surprise arrival of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] that turned the tide. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

Shockwave assumed command, and immediately began restoring Soundwave and the other poisoned Decepticons. Soundwave was ordered to prepare the bodies of the fallen Autobots to serve as spare parts for Shockwave's new army of Decepticons. {{storylink|The New Order}} Megatron objected to this new order and rebelled, but Shockwave quelled him quickly, and paraded Megatron's broken body in front of Soundwave and his peers as a warning to those who would cross him. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Under Shockwave's command, Soundwave attacked the [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]] and secured it for Decepticon use. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} The plant's facilities were used to create the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], who built a massive radio dish that Soundwave used to beam a message back to Cybertron. However, the radio dish was destroyed when Soundwave was defeated by [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and the human trucker [[Bomber Bill]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

[[Image:Soundwavedinobothunt.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"And you—YOU!—no longer exiiii... oh, wait."]]
''A short time later, during a brief period when both Megatron and Shockwave were missing in action, Soundwave assumed leadership of the Decepticons, happily slagging off [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s ambitions of leadership. His first attempt at manipulating Autobots into a trap failed. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}} The second, taking advantage of the "Dinobot Hunt", was a major success—six Autobots were badly injured, not counting two of the Dinobots, and a large amount of fuel was stolen while the Autobots tried to stop a Dinobot rampage in a human town. On the way out, Soundwave proudly declared their victory, a turn of events that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] did not enjoy.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}

When Megatron resurfaced, rendered immobile in a [[Wyoming]] [[Wyoming base|coal mine]] due to lack of fuel, Soundwave sped to his rescue, re-energizing him. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} ''Using the splintered state of the Decepticon forces to his advantage, Soundwave worked both sides of the field, reporting to both Megatron and the returned Shockwave, each without the other's knowledge. When Shockwave learned that the human [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] had begun to suffer [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced visions of the [[Combiner|next leap in Transformer evolution]], Soundwave reported this to Megatron, prompting him to battle Shockwave for leadership. The Decepticons' human ally, [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]], televised the battle, much to Soundwave's distaste, and in order to prevent the Decepticons from looking like fools, he interrupted the duel and insisted that they agree to a joint leadership.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

[[Image:Soundwavetarget2006.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You find: Insanity!]]
''When the Robot-Master hoax the Decepticons were perpetrating was threatened by the investigative work of [[Joy Meadows]], Soundwave was instrumental in ending the conflict that ensued between the Decepticons and the Dinobots by holding the reporter hostage and destroying her footage.'' {{storylink|In the National Interest}} ''Not long thereafter, when the deranged future Decepticon, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], traveled back in time, Soundwave was intrigued by the fact that he was unable to scan his mind to discern the truth of his identity. Siding with Megatron when conflict erupted, Soundwave and his leader were buried under an avalanche by Galvatron and then rescued by the Autobots in the name of forming an alliance to defeat their common enemy.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

''Soundwave's loyalty to Megatron was shaken when the latter became increasingly paranoid. Consequently he manipulated his leader into summoning the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to Earth as part of a scheme by Shockwave to ensure a weaponless Megatron was destroyed by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Prey!}} However Megatron survived and soon returned to the Decepticon leadership, albeit with his memories of the events lost. {{storylink|Resurrection!}} ''Soundwave ''again'' served as co-conspirator when Shockwave once more used the Predacons to destroy Megatron. In the process a deranged Megatron seemingly committed suicide on the [[space bridge]]. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}}

''Soundwave was now once again under Shockwave's command, and, while patrolling on the Decepticons' mobile island base, he found himself attacked and subdued by the time-traveling freelance peace-keeping agent, [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], and tricked into giving up information on the whereabouts of Galvatron.'' {{storylink|Hunters}} ''Although Death's Head's attempts to track down the Decepticon met with failure, Galvatron was ultimately entombed in lava, where he was later discovered by [[Susan Hoffman]]. Soundwave observed a televised broadcast of her discovery, and he and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] attempted to destroy Galvatron with explosives planted around the volcano in question. After a battle with the [[Throttlebot|Throttlebots]], Soundwave found that he was unable to remote-detonate the explosives thanks to [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] jamming his signal.'' {{storylink|Ladies' Night}}

[[Image:Soundwave uscomics.jpg|left|180px|thumb|G2 before it was cool.]]
When Shockwave was removed from power, Soundwave smoothly transitioned to serving under the new Decepticon leader, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and helped to operate his [[Realvision]] playback system to decode data from Autobot tapes [[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] and [[Raindance]]. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} The tapes, it was discovered, contained information on the [[Underbase]], the power of which was desired by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] so badly he sparked off a Decepticon-Decepticon war to cover himself. Soundwave ended up having his fuel pump torn into by [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]]. {{storylink|Cold War!}} When Starscream gained the Underbase's power and targeted the Earth, Soundwave co-led the defense of [[Buenos Aires]] alongside [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], but was temporarily deactivated by a blast of cosmic power from Starscream. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

''He was back on his feet by the time that Starscream, now a [[Pretender]], was busy doubting his self-worth. Soundwave was extremely scared of Starscream by this point.'' {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} He continued to operate under the command of the new Decepticon Earth commander, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], though like the other troops he was very unhappy about Starscream being allowed back in after trying to kill everyone. {{storylink|Primal Scream}} He was put in charge of guarding Optimus Prime after the Autobot leader surrendered his troops to Scorponok, hoping to elicit an alliance against the coming of [[Unicron]]. When Prime changed his mind about meekly waiting in a cell for Scorponok to make time for him, however, Soundwave provided little resistance in keeping him there. {{storylink|Surrender!}} After the Decepticon auxiliary army bombed Scorponok's base in New Jersey, Soundwave assumed temporary command of the active Decepticons in fighting back against the traitors, led by Starscream and Shockwave. This "[[Decepticon Civil War]]" didn't last long, though, as all the Autobots and Decepticons of Earth were summoned to Cybertron by [[Primus]] to deal with Unicron. {{storylink|Out of Time!}}

[[Image:TreadshotMarvel.jpg|right|150px|thumb|He's found a new gunformer to toady up with.]]
Soundwave survived the battle with Unicron, and attended a meeting between the briefly-allied Autobots and Decepticons with [[Treadshot (G1)|Treadshot]]. There Blaster announced the imminent end of their world, and an evacuation was called for. Soundwave was still hanging out with Treadshot when he witnessed a fight break out between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Fangry]]. [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], who had assumed command of the Decepticons, doublecrossed the Autobots by sabotaging their ships. Soundwave was last seen beside Bludgeon as the Decepticons left their self-destructing homeworld. {{storylink|Exodus!}}

In an alternate future of 2006, Soundwave was briefly seen participating in a battle on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. He didn't do much except retreat. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (US)}}

{{note|In the UK version of the story, the events of "The Big Broadcast of 2006" are a fabrication invented by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]].}}

{{-}}
=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''In 2008, Soundwave was under the command of Shockwave on Cybertron. When the bounty hunter named [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] arrived with the deactivated bodies of the renegades [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and demanded an audience, Shockwave had Soundwave wait nearby as a precautionary measure. Sure enough, Soundwave's monitoring abilities alerted Shockwave that the two Decepticons were not as dead as they seemed, and the three invaders began an assassination attempt on Shockwave. Soundwave summoned the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], hoping that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] could breach the sealed doors of the audience chamber in time, but wasn't swift enough. Death's Head killed Shockwave, and together the trio demanded that the Decepticons accept Scourge and Cyclonus as their new leaders. Faced with superior firepower and a hefty dose of explosives, Soundwave was reluctantly forced to accept on behalf of the Decepticons. ''

[[Image:SpacePiratesSoundwaveLeader.JPG|right|400px|thumb|Or, in short, "Soundwave: Superior".]]
''Wasting no time, Scourge and Cyclonus commanded the Decepticons to begin a full-scale assault on [[Autobase]]. This was effectively suicide, as the two armies were just about evenly matched. That, of course, was the point—Scourge and Cyclonus's true master, Unicron, wanted the children of Primus exhausted and depleted in number by the time of his glorious resurrection. After [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and Death's Head took the fight straight to the recuperating Unicron on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], however, he summoned his two minions back to his side. Seeing their "glorious leaders" abandon the battle, Soundwave and [[Hun-Gurrr|Hun-Grrr]] sounded a retreat. In the absence of Unicron's spawn, Soundwave became the new permanent leader of the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}} ''

''Aching to make a name for himself in Decepticon military history, Soundwave soon fell into a [[Quintesson]] trap. A lone Quintesson arrived at Decepticon headquarters, seeking an alliance against the Autobots, who supposedly had assembled most of their fleet and were on their way to [[Quintessa]]. Instead of helping the Quintessons, Soundwave saw this as an opportunity to invade and destroy the Autobot territory on Cybertron, when most of their warriors were off-world. He assembled his various sub-commanders and set out aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] to claim a glorious victory.''

[[Image:Soundwaveconsiders.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Too nostalgic to let go of the past? No wonder he's a fan-favorite.]]
''Instead, Soundwave and the Decepticons walked right into an ambush. There were no Autobots on Quintessa: it was a ruse to draw them out of their base, where legions of [[Allicon]]s and [[Trident Attack Craft]]s waited to overwhelm the Decepticons. Seeing the danger his troops were in, Soundwave was forced to call in the Autobots. Sending a garbled distress beacon to Autobase, Soundwave hoped to draw a suitable fighting force of Autobots to their location. He was successful, as [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and his men remained to fight even after learning who the distress call came from. Autobot and Decepticon fought side-by-side until the Quintesson invaders were either destroyed or driven off-world. In a moment of introspection, Soundwave realized how effective the two armies were when fighting as one instead of as enemies... but quickly brushed aside the idea. Simply too much had happened between the Autobots and Decepticons to ever hope for a peaceful end to the war. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

''In 2009, Soundwave and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] were on Earth, prepping a new energy extraction system to leech the planet dry. A surgical strike led by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and Ultra Magnus destroyed all their equipment, however, leaving their power cells empty of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]]. Looking for revenge, the Decepticons pursued the Autobots back to Autobot City, only to find an open [[Time-jump mechanism|trans-time dimensional portal]]. Realizing the Autobots had fled back to 1989 on a mission of unknown purpose, the vengeful Terrorcons wanted to pursue them. Giving in to popular opinion, Soundwave led his troops back through time and right into the midst of the Time Wars.''

''Recognizing that the uncontrolled timestorm could conceivably destroy all of existence, Soundwave chose to put aside vendettas for the moment, and added his men to the alliance of Autobots and Decepticons from two time periods against the unmatched power and evil of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron]] combined. Still, the alliance was far from perfect: Soundwave was more than willing to allow the Autobots to charge in first, letting them die in order to "soften up" the resistance. When things turned ugly, Soundwave and the Terrorcons then fled back to 2009, apparently without ever getting their hands dirty. Their final fate after reality restructured itself and the timestorm abated is unknown. {{storylink|Time Wars}}''

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[Image:Secrets Soundwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The Decepticons never got the hang of Internal Affairs.]]
''In an alternate timeline, Soundwave left [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s army and returned to serving at [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s side during the [[Decepticon Civil War]] against [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], helping him with the launch of a [[global warming satellite]]. {{storylink|Starting Over!}} He was not above exploiting the conflict for his own ends, however. When an energon shipment was hijacked by Shockwave's forces thanks to information Soundwave had given them, Megatron came to suspect the presence of a traitor in his ranks, but ironically assigned Soundwave to identify the culprit. To keep his own duplicity a secret, Soundwave set up [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] to take the fall, and Megatron destroyed the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]. Soundwave not only got away with his treachery, he went on to happily blackmail everyone he'd mind-scanned. Eat your heart out, Starscream! {{storylink|Secrets}}''

''Approached by Starscream with a plan to make them both Decepticon leaders, Soundwave joined forces with the schemer and lured Megatron and Shockwave to an airport, tipping off the Autobots to their location. With the two leaders thus occupied, Soundwave and Starscream took control of both factions. {{storylink|Internal Affairs!}} Subsequently, Soundwave led an all-out attack on the [[Earthbase|Earthforce base]] as a diversion, while Starscream attempted to plunder an oil tanker. Starscream met with failure, however, leading Soundwave to withdraw his forces and hint to them that maybe be should have sole command... {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}} Starscream was aware of Soundwave's goals, and when he was attacked by a [[Louisiana bounty hunters|group of alien assassins]], he suspected that Soundwave had ordered the hit and struck back at him. Soundwave was able to convince Starscream he was not responsible and that in actuality, it was the work of Megatron and Shockwave. {{storylink|External Forces!}}''

''Soon afterward, Soundwave learned that human reporter [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]] had secured an interview with the Autobots that could potentially resolve the public view of the Transformer war. Seeking to prevent this, he had the Stunticons capture the journalist. Although the Autobots were able to rescue him, a carefully planted [[cerebro-shell]] ensured that the story Irwin wrote was anything but accurate. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}''

====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Soundwave was present when the Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con' on New York and helped Megatron and Shockwave to set up a mine belt around the harbor. However Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|Transformers — Transforming Robots in Action: New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Soundwavemarvelg2.jpg|left|125px|thumb|He gave the "complete sentences" thing a decent go, but he never really got the hang of commas.]]
After Megatron deposed Bludgeon and reassumed control of the Decepticons, Soundwave once again served Megatron as a close adviser. One of his first acts was to ask, "Why revive Starscream?". Megatron shared Soundwave's concerns, and assured him the on-again-off-again traitor would be dealt with once Megatron had regrown his army. {{storylink|Tales of Earth Part Three}}

Megatron immediately drew his Decepticons to the moon of [[Tykos]] to violently acquire [[Rheanimum]] from the natives. However, things soured when Soundwave received a distress call from [[Skullgrin]]. In moments, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] was upon them. After several casualties, and Megatron missing in action, Soundwave led a party to discover if Megatron had survived and recover him if he had; when Mindwipe expressed doubts about the mission, Soundwave told him to shut up. He appeared to assume command when Megatron appeared dead, but ceased when Megatron turned out to still function. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

He was in command of the ''[[Warworld]]'' while Megatron was on Earth. When the Empire boarded the ship (thanks to Starscream's treachery) he and his bridge crew fled to Earth in escape pods. {{storylink|Total War!}} He was later seen standing by in the final battle against the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

{{-}}
====''Classics''====
Soundwave was apparently one of the first Decepticons to return to Megatron's side after the Decepticon leader re-emerged. He helped Megatron rebuild his power base on Earth in secret, using human proxies to covertly recover the remains of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and other Decepticons lost on Earth during the Underbase Saga. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14|Astrotrain's ''Classics'' profile}}

After the arrival of the mysterious Decepticon [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], Soundwave ran a neural scan on the Transformer to confirm his story of alternate dimensions and [[Unicron]] singularities. Soundwave confirmed that, at the very least, Landquake believed he was telling the truth. The Decepticons took off aboard Astrotrain to explore a new energy signature in the Southern Hemisphere...one which materialized at the same time as Landquake and possessed a similar resonance pattern. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2}} In South America, Soundwave engaged [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s troops alongside Megatron and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] on the ground. At Megatron's command, he dispatched [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to intercept the Autobot scouts who had been sent after the energy source. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}}

The Cassettes soon reported back that the energy had been discovered, and Megatron rallyed the Decepticons behind Soundwave to break for the source's location. [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] interferred with the Decepticons' progress, however, by hurling Constructicons like shotputs until he knocked Soundwave down. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5}}
Soundwave and Astrotrain got caught exchanging fire with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] until the latter Autobot turned invisible and snuck around behind the Decepticons, getting the drop on Soundwave. An explosion from below rocked the battlefield, however, and the Decepticons withdrew from combat. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}}

When [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] tried to assassinate Megatron, he used [[cerebro-shell]]s to take control of Soundwave and several other Megatron loyalists. The shells' effects were soon jammed by an attacking Autobot team, and in the chaos that followed, Soundwave noticed that the Autobots were targeting their [[Ark (G1)|base]]'s computers, but failed to stop them. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

Soundwave was stationed aboard Starscream's warship when Megatron orchestrated the downfall of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and his splinter faction. After their [[Seacon (G1)|inside men]] terminated Bludgeon, Soundwave informed Starscream he had received a transmission of surrender from the forces below. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
[[Image:Soundwave and company.jpg|right|thumb|220px]]
{{main|Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
Soundwave was one of the first Decepticons and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s most loyal soldier. Denoted by his eerie, echoing monotone, Soundwave regularly gathered vital intelligence for Megatron's numerous schemes with the aid of his faithful and ever-growing team of cassettes, but despite his primary role as a spy and communications officer, he never shied away the battlefield, and would regularly clash with the Autobot [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] before finding a true rival in his Autobot opposite number, [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. He survived the perilous events of 2005 that took the lives of many of his contemporaries, and continued serving under [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in the 21st century.

In a future timeline that branches off from this one, Soundwave ultimately met his end at the hands of Blaster, but even death could not stymie his loyalty to the Decepticon cause, as he was reborn as '''Soundblaster''' through the super-science of the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]].
{{-}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books continuity===
:''Voice actor:'' Unknown

According to Megatron, Soundwave is a "blundering, tape-filled idiot." While the veracity of this statement is subjective, Soundwave ''does'' whine a lot. {{storylink|When Continents Collide}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[Image:BW Agenda Pt3 Soundwave.jpg|right|180px|thumb|With one stroke I shall free my tiny dinosaur brethren, yesssss!"]]
Soundwave was among the many Transformers strewn about the bridge of the Ark when the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] infiltrated the ship on his mission to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}
{{-}}
====3H comics====
Soundwave is one of the ancient warriors who appears from [[J'nwan]] to help battle the warlord [[Shokaract]]. {{storylink|Terminus}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:Soundwavewarwithin.jpg|left|225px|thumb|Sound and ([[Ravage (G1)#3H Universe_comics|eventually]]) Furry.]]
Soundwave was chosen by Megatron to lead his second assassination team against the new Autobot supreme commander, Optimus Prime. With the aid of Soundwave's cassette troops, most notably [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], as well as [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]], it was assumed he would have no problem with a young, peace-loving Autobot. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} Soundwave, like many others, underestimated Prime's resolve and was quickly incapacitated. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} He was still out cold when [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] came by, {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} but recovered in time to rescue Megatron after the latter's own battle with Prime. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

When Megatron and Optimus Prime vanished in a [[space bridge]] accident, the Decepticons were fragmented and Soundwave joined [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s faction. He participated in the attack on [[The Fallen]]'s minions in an attempt to stop the [[Unbinding]]. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

Eventually, Shockwave attempted to call a truce with the Autobots for the good of the Transformer race, but the initial ceremony was interrupted by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s faction, the [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]]. Soundwave was quite mad about this, telling the Predacons to perish for their crimes against Cybertron as he attacked them alongside several Autobots. Shortly after the Predacons were defeated, Megatron returned to Cybertron with his [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] and reunited the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} After falling back under Megatron's command, Soundwave reported the progress on his leader's plan to dig a hole to the core of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

In the present day, Soundwave was among the Decepticons defeated by the Autobots and their human allies on Earth. The ''[[Ark II]]'', the spacecraft that would have taken the Transformers back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General [[Robert Hallo]] and [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], and it exploded upon liftoff, scattering the robots across the Arctic Ocean. Soundwave and the others were recovered, Autobot and Decepticon alike, and reprogrammed by Rook to accept commands and were leased to terrorist organisations and military juntas as powerful weapons of war. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}} After Megatron freed himself and the other Decepticons, Soundwave developed a 'metallic virus' that cyberformed Earth organics into cybertronic materials. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} During the subsequent battle with the Autobots in [[San Francisco]], Soundwave warned Megatron that a nuclear missile launched by Hallo was headed for the city. The Decepticons used the distraction to escape. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

[[Image:Soundwaveg1vol2.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Leader's pet.]]Soundwave was among the Decepticons who joined Shockwave's forces when the new ruler of Cybertron appeared on Earth. {{storylink|War and Peace}} When Shockwave brutally deposed Megatron, Soundwave stood by in silence and did nothing to help his former leader. Soundwave worked his way quietly into Shockwave's good graces, earning the ire of Starscream. However, it didn't take many words to bring Soundwave around to the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]'s point of view. Later, when interrogated by Shockwave, a single, silent look from Soundwave stopped [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] from revealing that Starscream was behind Megatron's disappearance during their voyage to Cybertron. As the battle between the Autobots and Shockwave's forces intensified, Soundwave followed Starscream's lead without a word, and helped him prepare for a return trip to Earth aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. Starscream rewarded him by giving him a [[Ratbat (G1)|present]]. Soundwave silently approved.

Though Soundwave feigned subservience to Starscream, it was later revealed that he had been serving Megatron the entire time in secret. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I.Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:Soundwavedevilsdue.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"Eject. Operation: Dynamic Group Shot."]]
Soundwave was among the Transformers on the ''Ark'' when it crashed long ago, and was discovered and reprogrammed by the human terrorist organization known as [[Cobra]] in the present. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1}} Arms dealer [[Destro]] made a visit to [[Cobra Island]] where [[Doctor Mindbender]] introduced him to Soundwave and his cassettes, who were under the complete control of Cobra's scientists. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}} While Destro liked what he saw, he wanted to run a test, and personally operated Soundwave's controls during an attack on the [[SPS Research Facility]].

Meanwhile, a picture of Soundwave was secretly sent out to hundreds of email boxes. The message turned out to be a [[Defense Matrix|secret signal]] from Optimus Prime, which alerted [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and Bumblebee to the location of Cobra's secret base where the rest of the Transformers were being held. When the two Autobots appeared to stop Destro's attack, the human brought Soundwave and himself back to Cobra Island. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}}

Soundwave was released from Cobra control thanks to Wheeljack and attacked his former human masters. With Megatron and the other Decepticons freed, Soundwave went to work making energon cubes. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} Just as things were going their way, Optimus Prime arrived, powered up using the energon, and punched his fist right through Soundwave's chest, taking him out of the battle. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}} After the Autobots left on a return voyage to Cybertron, Soundwave's head and remains were taken in secret by human scientists for study. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

Several years later, the scientists managed to use Megatron's technology to create the organic weapon [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], who plugged himself into Soundwave's deactivated head after getting free and downloaded data on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s history. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1|The Art of War #1}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Along with the rest of the Decepticons, Soundwave was buried in the [[Fera Islands]] until 1938, when [[Cobra]] accidentally awakened them and used them to conquer most of [[Europe]]. He sent Laserbeak to spy on the [[United States of America|United States]]' reaction to this, and learned that [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] had been created to battle the Cobra threat. Soundwave later helped Megatron and Starscream get rid of some Royal Air Force fighters above the English Channel, allowing Cobra to attack the [[United Kingdom]]. {{storylink|The Line}}

When G.I. Joe attacked the Fera Islands, Soundwave infiltrated [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]]'s unit in the form of a radio transmitter carried by a disguised [[Zartan]]. Flint noticed that it wasn't their radio, but that didn't stop Soundwave from capturing him and taking him back to Cobra HQ. {{storylink|Wolves}} However, the Joes had managed to awaken the Autobots also buried on the island, and Soundwave soon found himself facing down [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. He lost the fight, and either died at the hands of Grimlock or when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] was smashed to pieces. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

{{note|According to solicitations for ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front]]'', Soundwave was set to return by unknown means years later, but [[Dreamwave Productions]] bankrupted before the issues could be produced.}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Soundwave was extremely amused by the footage Laserbeak and Ravage gathered of Starscream falling on his head. He let Megatron know, and they went to pick up Starscream, only to find him gone, taken by the Autobots. The discovery that Starscream appeared to be working with the Autobots only amused Soundwave more, and the Decepticons went to retrieve their former comrade. When it turned out that Starscream wanted to stay with the Autobots, Megatron was enraged, and Soundwave reflected that it was the most fun he'd had in years. Starscream eventually returned to the Decepticons, claiming it was all an act, and Soundwave suggested he should be more careful while mountain climbing in future. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

Puzzled by the loss of much of their stock of weapons, Megatron assigned Soundwave to investigate. Using Laserbeak's spying abilities, Soundwave determined that [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] was selling the weapons on the black market, much to Megatron's outrage. {{storylink|Two for the Price of One}}

===IDW ''Hearts of Steel'' continuity===
Millions of years in the past, Soundwave was among the Decepticons who took on organic modes in order to battle the Autobots on prehistoric Earth. When an ice age approached, the Decepticons survived by powering down under what would eventually become the [[San Francisco]] Bay. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} Soundwave woke up in the mid-19th century, where he came under the command of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. Along with several other Decepticons, he stood by Starscream as he and [[Tobias Muldoon]] discussed where they would build their headquarters. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:MegatronOrigin4 Soundwave humbles Ratbat.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Ratbat, you shall be repurposed as the greatest mix tape ever to be given to Megatron."]]
Long before the war began, Soundwave was the personal assistant to Senator [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] caught Ratbat's eye as a champion of the illegal underground gladiatorial matches, Ratbat sent Soundwave to offer Megatron funding and weapons technology. When [[Bumper (G1)|two]] [[Fastback (G1)|Autobots]] were discovered listening in on their conversation, Soundwave dispatched [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to capture them. After their capture, he read Bumper's mind to see if there was any immediate threat to Megatron's activities. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}} Some time later, Soundwave was assigned to find a warrior with flight capabilities. He found the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]: Starscream, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. During a recruitment rally in which Megatron attempted to kill [[Decimus|Senator Decimus]], a raid by the Autobots under [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] resulted in the participants being arrested. Soundwave, however, was freed under [[Senate]] directive, something which greatly angered Sentinel Prime. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Soundwave had apparently switched loyalties at this time, becoming one of Megatron's own in not only helping Starscream exterminate [[Kaon]] senators but also to the extent that he destroyed Ratbat's original body, placing his spark into a relatively weak cassette form and thus forcing him into the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

Four million years ago, Soundwave and [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] were leading a Decepticon offensive to cover for [[Octane]]'s convoy of energon. When Optimus Prime slipped away to intercept the convoy, Soundwave went after him and got the drop on Prime from behind. Prime's bodyguard [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] turned the tables on him, though, taking out both Soundwave and his Mini-Cassettes. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

During the war, [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] contacted various scientists on both sides to discuss his startling findings that the conflict would create such devastation that would render the planet uninhabitable, and that the only way to survive was to adopt the [[Pretender|organic carapace]] idea he had come up with. Soundwave was among those scientists who refused to accept Thunderwing's findings and his proposal. {{Storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}}

After the end of the cataclysm brought by Thunderwing, as part of a plan to assassinate [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], a motivational speaker for the Autobots, Soundwave had [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] captured and used [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] to implement a [[cerebro-shell]] into him. While Beachcomber didn't outright kill Blaster, his motivational broadcast failed to air at precisely the moment the Decepticons began the big push. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[Image:SpotlightSoundwave infoispower.jpg|left|180px|thumb|He's just too busy being an eighties guy.]]

Centuries later, after [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] disappeared, Megatron assigned [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] to delve into Shockwave's research and relay all the information back to him. As the Decepticon leader did not fully trust Bludgeon, Megatron also assigned Soundwave to spy on him. Soundwave followed Bludgeon and his team as they left for Earth in 1984 and established a base within [[Mount St. Helens]], eventually discovering that they intended to resurrect [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. Though Soundwave tried to stop them, [[Iguanus (G1)|Iguanus]] used an experimental cannon from Shockwave's arsenal to lock him in his alt mode while they instigated a volcanic eruption. He was eventually recovered by a team of unwitting humans who sold him to a pawn shop. {{storylink|Spotlight: Soundwave}}

Soundwave was purchased by a human teenager named [[Jimmy]] and taken to his home. When Ravage and Laserbeak were reprogrammed by the American government agency [[Skywatch]] to find the other Transformers, Skywatch's control signal was blocked by a signal emanating from a functioning Soundwave, still in cassette-player mode. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} Sometime later on, Ravage and Laserbeak located the signal and reclaimed their master from Jimmy. Relocating to Mount St. Helens, Soundwave told them that he could barely keep blocking Skywatch's hold on them, due to his weakening state in cassette mode. Shockwave suddenly appeared from a cave entrance and said that the four could make a deal together. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 4|Maximum Dinobots #4}} Shockwave knew how Soundwave could unlock his robot mode, but would only tell him if he did Shockwave a favour in return, something which Soundwave agreed to. He was told that Skywatch had placed a bomb in Shockwave's head, and that he needed to intercept and copy its disarm code. The plan went off without a hitch, and after transmitting the code to Shockwave, Soundwave was finally freed from his alt mode. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}

After returning to his position as Megatron's right hand, Soundwave helped defeat the Autobot forces on Earth. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} He was present during the attack on [[New York City]], and detected the incoming human military jets. The planes fired, and on Megatron's orders, Soundwave calmly detonated the arsenal. He then launched Laserbeak to take out the human resistance. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}}

Soundwave reported that the humans had sent a sizable ground force after the Decepticons. Following Megatron's orders, he released [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and set him loose on the humans. The only being immune to Frenzy's infrasonic manipulation, he silently observed his minion's work. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2|All Hail Megatron #2}} With the conquest of New York complete, Soundwave listened to Megatron's victory speech. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} When a group of humans led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Cmdr. Spike Witwicky]] deactivated [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] with an experimental weapon which originated from Shockwave, Soundwave, sensing this, found Rumble's lifeless body, grieved, and took him away. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}}

During [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] attempt to take control of the Decepticons, Megatron revealed that Soundwave had been watching him all along, reporting his planned rebellion to Megatron. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} The infighting amongst the Decepticons stopped when jets from [[Europe]] arrived to take them all on, soon followed by the return of the Autobots. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} Megatron was defeated, and Soundwave escaped alongside the rest of the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} Whilst traveling away from Earth onboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Soundwave and his cassettes took care of their heavily injured leader. Starscream attempted to dissuade him from wasting energon on Megatron, all the while buttering him up with compliments about his loyalty, but all Soundwave said in response was "Negative. Megatron functions." {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

Three years later, Soundwave was still dutifully attending to Megatron's reconstruction. {{storylink|All His Engines}} He eventually came to the conclusion that his leader's body was beyond repair, and instead recruited Shockwave to build a new body for him. Once Megatron returned in a new and upgraded form, he hatched a plan to use parts of his old body to make Megatron gun replicas that would subconsciously influence humans. Alongside his cassettes and Shockwave, Soundwave helped produce these weapons. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon}} He was later present when Megatron got rid of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], and was ordered to gather everyone in the base so that their leader could address them. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}}

As part of Megatron's master plan, the Decepticons subsequently returned to Earth, where Soundwave led Rumble and Frenzy in an attack on the [[Skywatch]] base where several Decepticons were being held captive. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man}} Soundwave was then responsible for holding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] hostage while Megatron explained to Optimus Prime that he was the one turning the humans against the Autobots. In an attempt to throw off Megatron's concentration, and with it his influence over the gun-wielding humans, Prime fired on Soundwave, blowing off a large portion of his head. The plan worked: seeing his loyal soldier fall sent Megatron into a rage, and he picked up the barely living Soundwave and flew off. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome}} With his body in [[stasis lock]], Soundwave was brought to Shockwave, who was unsure if he could repair such an extensive injury with the limited resources at his disposal. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine}}

Soundwave was repaired by the time Megatron had surrendered himself to the Autobots, although half his face remained exposed and damaged from Optimus Prime's attack. Once on Cybertron and having freed himself, Megatron used the [[space bridge]] technology built into his new body to summon Soundwave and the rest of the Decepticons to him. At first, Soundwave and the others did battle with the Autobots, but were soon entranced by the [[D-Void]]. The Decepticons along with [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army of [[Sweeps]] combined into an [[Deceptigod|enormous monster]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings}}

{{spoiler|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|January 20, 2012}}

Following the defeat and fracturing of this "Deceptigod", Soundwave and the rest were left in a weakened state from the ordeal. This allowed the Autobots to round the Decepticons up, stick [[I/D chips]] in them, and place them in a holding pen. Prowl was eventually forced to sanction their release to quell a riot, leaving Soundwave and the others with a limited sort of freedom. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

{{note|The events of "Spotlight: Mirage" possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}

[[Image:SpotlightMirage Soundwavescorpse.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Not so superior now, are you?]]
In a dream set in an alternate universe wrapped in an enigma surrounded by a soft taco shell dreamt by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], Soundwave was part of the Decepticon strike force who attacked the last stronghold of the Autobots. Soundwave was attacked by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], who snapped his head off, killing him. But it was just a dream, so it didn't matter. Right? {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}
{{-}}

===''TransTech''===
Soundwave—[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#LaserCycle|in his Laser Cycle body]]—was seen among the inhabitants of the multiversal hub city of [[Axiom Nexus]]. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 4}}

===Timelines===
Soundwave was present with Megatron, [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]], and [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] when the topic about finding new ultimate weapon ideas changed to [[BotCon 2010]]. As Breakdown mentioned that one of the things he was looking forward to was the debut of the [[Transformers Hall of Fame]], Soundwave turned to Counterpunch and pointed to himself. {{storylink|BotCon 2010 Promo}}

===''Wings Universe''===
When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] captured [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s base, Soundwave was by his side. After defeating Deathsaurus in single combat, Megatron ordered Soundwave to check the computers for information on [[Combiner]] technology, and sent [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] with him. A week later, Soundwave was part of the Decepticon forces who entered [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] after [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] breached the city walls. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} He was still by Megatron's side when Devastator fell and took part in the subsequent retreat. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[Image:Soundwavecommercial.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Say hello to my leetle friend!"]]

Soundwave's [[commercial]] appearances include:

* An appearance in his very own 1984 commercial. This early animation featured a Soundwave model colored in lavender, versus the dark blue used later. Also, instead of the cassettes ejecting themselves from his chest, he reached into his chest compartment with his own fingers and threw the (tiny) tapes into the air. He wasn't properly introduced.

* He's more on-form in a commercial for the Dinobots, where he, Ravage and Laserbeak are driven back by the robotic monsters amid a thunderstorm.

* Soundwave has a speaking part in the commercial for Blaster. When Rumble strolls into his base carrying a radio, Soundwave immediately identifies it as an "Autobot intruder" and dispatches Ravage and Laserbeak to attack the Autobot. Soundwave is given his correct voice and modulation.

* He's seen grappling with Springer in a 1987 commercial for the ''Headmasters'' comic.

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Soundwave could intefere with Optimus Prime's progress, diverting him into areas of the Decepticons' maze-like base. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===''The Transformers'' (Commodore 64)===
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (Commodore 64)}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[image:TF PS2 Soundwave.jpg|thumb|250px]]
:''Voice actor'': [[Robert Belgrade]]

====Decepticon story====

Soundwave and Starscream were sent to investigate strange reports of space-time warps and UFOs on the planet Zel Samine, bringing a space bridge with them on their shuttle that they would use to transport Megatron to the plant once they had landed. Inexplicably, their ship wound up crashing, and when they attempted to use the space bridge, it malfunctioned, dumping Megatron some distance away. After reuniting with his leader, Soundwave deduced that powerful electromagnetic rays from Zel Samine's sun, Paradius, were responsible for scrambling the systems of the shuttle and the space bridge, and that the Decepticons themselves would be subject to similar catastrophic system disruption if they tried venturing off the planet without a ship. The Decepticons immediately set about raiding local energy sources for energon to repair their craft, starting with a wind power plant on [[Mount Jaad]]. Then, after successfully draining the [[Ranpas geothermal plant]]—in part thanks to Soundwave deploying Laserbeak to locate any Autobot guards around the facility—Megatron chose the [[Monogan hydroelectric power station]] for their next target. Soundwave pointed out the heavy Autobot fortifications that had been set up around the station and suggested a different target, but Megatron dismissed his concerns, and when the Decepticons did indeed emerge victorious, Soundwave apologized for speaking out of turn and doubting his leader.

Via Laserbeak, Soundwave soon discovered that the Autobots on the planet had made contact with the occupants of one of the strange UFOs, and suggested to Megatron that they send a task force to intercept them. In the process, the Decepticons wound up allying themselves with the ''other'' UFO's passengers: Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge, a trio of Decepticons from the future who had traveled back in time to locate and destroy the powerful [[Zel Quartz]], a weapon that threatened Galvatron's rule in their home time. Soundwave was teamed with Cyclonus to seek out possible locations of the quartz across the planet, and the communications officer stoically carried out his task, all the while struggling to keep Megatron and Galvatron from fighting with each other.

After failing to find the quartz at the [[Lazalt Ruins]], the Decepticons next decided to search the [[Karzite mine]]. Cyclonus informed Soundwave that he saw both him and Megatron as "worthless scrap", and warned the communications officer the mine yielded a similar lack of results, then he would be taking the blame, not Cyclonus. Soundwave agreed, but have a warning of his own: he charged a high price for being spoken to with disrespect. As it turned out, the quartz was not in the mine, and Soundwave accepted the blame as promised, only to then reveal his price: he had recorded his conversation with Cyclonus and played it back for Megatron, who did not take kindly to the future Decepticon's insults. At Megatron's command, Soundwave recorded Cyclonus's screams as the Decepticon leader subjected him to a vicious punishment.

{{charstubfiction}}

{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

====Autobot story====
Megatron had Soundwave send out a fake Autobot SOS transmission in an attempt to trick the Autobots into leaving their base. The plan was a success and Optimus Prime and his crew were lured out. When the Autobots realized that they had been deceived, Megatron sent a message through Soundwave's transmitter, gloating how he had tricked Prime and announced that his crew was going to steal the energon the Autobots had on their shuttle. When Megatron had finished his message, Soundwave returned to base. On the way back to their shuttle, the Autobots encountered Soundwave again, this time leading a hoard of Decepticon troops, and fought them. Despite his best efforts, Soundwave was overwhelmed and left to rejoin Megatron. Later, Soundwave fought the Autobots again while they were dealing with another swarm of enemies. He lost again, and left to fight another day.

Later on, Soundwave teamed up with his future self, Soundblaster, and with [[Full-Tilt]] as the final defense against the Autobots before they reached Megatron and Galvatron. When the Autobots arrived, Soundblaster started by expressing [[dull surprise]] at how the Autobots managed to survive up until the current point. Soundwave continued, warning the Autobots that he would not let them stand in Megatron's way. Both the present and future versions of the Communications Officer we all know and love put up the best fight they could, but even with Full-Tilt's help, the Autobots overpowered them.

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
{{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{charstubfiction}}

==Toys==
:''Main article: [[Soundwave (G1)/toys]]''
{{-}}
==Merchandise==
:''Main article: [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave (G1) toys#Merchandise]]''
{{-}}
==Notes==
[[Image:SoundwaveButtonUD3.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"When I think about you, I touch myself."]]

* The Decepticon faction insignia appears to be roughly based on Soundwave's head.

* Though Soundwave's toy is a microcassette recorder, his fictional appearances depict him as a stereo cassette deck or Walkman. (Likewise, his microcassette tapes are depicted as regular audio cassettes.)

* The Marvel U.S. comics chose a purple scheme for Soundwave. This could have been an attempt to distinguish him from the other Decepticons, who were mostly blue (especially since blacks also ended up as blues in the industry's then-limited color palette). Or it could have been a simple error. But very likely, it had something to do with his early animation model, which appeared lavender, rather than blue. (See Commercial Appearances.) Compounding this error, Marvel US Soundwave was drawn without a mouthplate by artist [[José Delbo]]. The Marvel UK comics colored him blue like everywhere else (partially due to using a more sophisticated coloring system) and always included his faceplate.

[[Image:Soundwave fly.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Hey, wait for me!"]]

* The G1 cartoon almost always depicted him as having to press all his own controls to eject minions or perform other functions even though these are actually part of him. This has led to many a shot of Soundwave pressing his own crotch. What will the children think?

* According to the original script<ref>http://boltax.blogspot.com/2011/02/ron-friedman-auctions-scripts-part-3-of.html</ref> for [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]], "Sound Wave" transformed into "a LIGHT STANDARD - identical to the one that exists a short distance away, the perfect camouflage". So... yes, he really ''did'' turn into a lamppost on Cybertron.

* Soundwave's distinctive voice proved to be one of Generation 1's most memorable aspects. The [[Wikipedia:Vocoder|highly processed voice]] (processed by [[Scott Brownlee]]) began with [[Frank Welker]] basically doing his "Dr. Claw" voice from ''[[Wikipedia:Inspector Gadget|Inspector Gadget]]''. Whether due to variations in the performance or the processing, the final result varied quite a bit across Soundwave's three seasons on the show. Occasionally, as in the episodes "[[Roll for It]]" and "[[Webworld]]", the processing was left out and Welker's actual voice can be heard. This Dr. Claw version of Soundwave's voice made a return when Welker reprised the [[Soundwave (ROTF)|role]] for ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' as the processing was, again, left out.

* Similarly, he often emphasizes words at random, such as his well-known "RavAAAAAGE", or "LAAZABEEK". This may be a side effect of the voice doctoring in the cartoon.

*In the Mandarin dub, Soundwave had a glorious, operatic voice.

[[Image:Bm soundwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Soundwave gets slagged by Vehicons, and Nightscream escapes. How's that for injustice?]]

* The typically emotionally-barren Soundwave actually ''laughs'' on two separate occasions in the Generation 1 cartoon ("[[Quest for Survival]]" and "[[Auto-Bop]]"), while he ''screams like a little girl'' only once ("[[Roll for It]]").

* Soundwave has flown in his [[alternate mode|alt mode]] one time, in the episode "[[Masquerade]]." In [[Atlus]]'s ''[[The Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' game, Soundwave can transform to tape deck mode and kind of bounces around to move in that form. No, really.

* In the Japanese dub of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], as well as the supporting [[manga]], all of Soundwave's cassette forces which could talk referred to him as "Anikii" (兄貴い) or "Big Brother." This is a fairly common way to refer to others you admire and such in Japanese. It's also a term that gang members use toward older, more experienced members who aren't actual gang bosses. Take it as you will. Whatever it says about his relationship with them, it does give new meaning to the phrase [[Wikipedia:Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|"Big Brother is watching over you"]].

* Soundwave was in charge of the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|UK letters page]] from issues 22 to 78, barring a few interruptions.

[[Image:Unused AHM Soundwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|What? You mean we don't use brick-sized microcassette recorders anymore?]]

* Soundwave's computer model was used for one of the [[generic]] Transformers in Beast Machines. It is seen in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]" during [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream's]] flashback being cornered by [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]] just before Nightscream flees into the lower levels of Cybertron. Though the model was recolored, it was still really 'Soundwavey,' causing much confusion among fans. His computer model as well as [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s continued to show up for the rest of the series, used to represent deactivated Transformer shells.

* Later, Soundwave's character model showed up numerous times in various color schemes as a generic background character in the ''[[Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' cartoon.

* [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] listened to music using a tape deck resembling Soundwave in the ''[[Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' episode "[[Memory]]". Later, after a new [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] was found, ''Cybertron'' [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]] held tape deck Soundwave in his arms. This caused a great disturbance in the [[force]]...

* IDW Publishing seems to be undecided on Soundwave's speech pattern. In ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'', he speaks in his classic cartoon-based monotone. However, in "[[Spotlight: Soundwave]]", he speaks in a normal fashion. Which is once again reverted to the classic speech in ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''.

* [[Guido Guidi]] made a concept drawing of Soundwave with a modern microcassette recorder as an alt-mode (which are still used by reporters and doctors today) for [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' maxi-series. This was also unused. Consequently, Soundwave may go down as the Transformers character with the most unused designs.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Soundwave''' (サウンドウェーブ ''Saundowēbu'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Jam Bo''' (音波, "Voice Wave")
*''English:'' '''New Soundwave''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub Soundblaster)
*''French:'' '''Radar''' (Canada), '''Sonore''' (Canada Action Master, "Sound")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Fülelő''' ("Listener")
*''Italian:'' '''Memor''', '''Vizar''' (Soundblaster)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Shēng-bō''' (Taiwan, 聲波, "Sound Wave"), '''Shēng Bàu''' (Taiwan Soundblaster, 聲爆, "Sound Blast")
*''Polish:'' '''Dźwiękofalowiec''' (''The Movie'', "Soundwaver")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Onda-Sonora''' (Portugal comics), '''Microonda''' (Brazil comics, "Microwave")
*''Russian:'' '''Barkhan''' (cartoon, Бархан, "Dune")<ref>Dubbers thought his name was "Sandwave".</ref>
*''Spanish:'' '''Sam''' (America ''The Headmasters'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Zvukohvyl''' (Звукохвил, "Soundwave")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Soundwave Soundwave's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Communications specialists]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Soundwave (G1)

2012-01-06T01:38:16Z

Thrashmetal210: /* Notes */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Soundwave}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 character eventually upgraded to Soundblaster|the ''Cybertron'' character|Soundblaster (Cybertron)}}
{{suite}}
:''Soundwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Soundwave mixalot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Big butts: preferable. Lying: impossible."]]
'''Soundwave''' is one of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s most reliable troops, and he has positioned himself comfortably and irreplaceably in Megatron's upper command structure. He stands at the [[Decepticon leader]]'s side as a confidant. Though "only" Communications Officer, he is comparable to [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in rank and is the only one of the three to display consistent loyalty to Megatron. Soundwave guards his place in the hierarchy fiercely. Other Decepticons (except Megatron) see him as a two-faced snake, since, as Communications Officer, Soundwave hears all and doesn't hesitate to use blackmail to keep himself high in Megatron's esteem. The other Decepticons wouldn't mind abandoning him on the battlefield—if they thought Megatron would let them get away with it.

Soundwave commands [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|a legion of cassette troops]] to carry out tasks big and small. He has a symbiotic relationship with them, providing them transportation and a cheap, if cramped, place to live in his chest. Sometimes he lets them all out to watch impromptu gladiator games or takes them to discotheques. In return, they perform spy and recon missions for him and make sure no one calls him "un-krozzo-matic".

He usually has all the personality of a [[:Image:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|stump]] (as evidenced by his computer-style speech). He also has no imagination, sending the aforementioned cassettes on operations with mundane names.

As an [[Action Master]], he is [[Action Master partner|partnered]] with [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]].

Soundwave's scanning systems are so powerful that he can actually read and decode the electrical impulses that comprise "thoughts" in both organics and Cybertronians. This telepathic power is likely one of the reasons why he is so highly placed in Megatron's hierarchy.

In various universes, Soundwave is upgraded into '''Soundblaster''' (サウンドブラスター ''Saundoburasutā'').

{{quote|As you command, Megatron.|Soundwave, eternal loyalist|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Contentedfools.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Ravage, Megatron, and Soundwave, the first Decepticons.]]
Millions of years ago, Soundwave was one of the first members of the Decepticons; after sowing discontent amongst the masses, he, [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] began the war that tore the planet itself out of its orbit. The Decepticons, including Soundwave, attempted to hijack the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] four million years ago, only to fail and fall into deactivation sleep for four million years. In 1984, the detonation of the volcano, [[Mount St. Hilary]], reactivated the Autobots and Decepticons, unleashing their war on Earth. Learning the [[Human|inhabitants]] of this planet had access to its vast energy sources, Soundwave joined the Decepticons in raiding a drive-in movie theatre. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}} Soon after, Soundwave participated in a raid on [[Harrison Nuclear Power Plant]], and after helping the Decepticons make off with large chunks of its machinery, helped use their bounty to build a [[Fortress Sinister|new headquarters atop a cliffside]]. {{storylink|Power Play!}} After returning from [[S. Witwicky Auto Repairs & Tow Service]] with [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], a human the Decepticons kidnapped to help them convert human fuel to Transformer fuel, the Decepticons' headquarters were infiltrated by a rescue party of [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and the human superhero [[Spider-Man]]. While Spider-Man caused a diversion in front of Soundwave, Gears was able to suckerpunch him. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

[[Image:Laserbeakwarriorschool.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"Fly, my pretties, fly!"]]
''When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] nearly caused the death of Ravage, Megatron rallied the other Decepticons, including Soundwave, to enact vengeance for his treason. {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} Later, the Decepticons unleashed a surprise attack on the Ark. After Soundwave defeated [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], the battle was halted when [[Aunty]], the Ark's computer system, turned rogue. After the crisis was averted, Soundwave and the others were able to retreat. {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}'' Due to Sparkplug's efforts during his kidnapping, the Decepticons were able to refuel, and Soundwave and his comrades attacked the Autobots. However, Sparkplug had poisoned the fuel, and Soundwave shorted out along with the others. As Soundwave lay deactivated, it was only the surprise arrival of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] that turned the tide. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

Shockwave assumed command, and immediately began restoring Soundwave and the other poisoned Decepticons. Soundwave was ordered to prepare the bodies of the fallen Autobots to serve as spare parts for Shockwave's new army of Decepticons. {{storylink|The New Order}} Megatron objected to this new order and rebelled, but Shockwave quelled him quickly, and paraded Megatron's broken body in front of Soundwave and his peers as a warning to those who would cross him. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Under Shockwave's command, Soundwave attacked the [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]] and secured it for Decepticon use. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} The plant's facilities were used to create the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], who built a massive radio dish that Soundwave used to beam a message back to Cybertron. However, the radio dish was destroyed when Soundwave was defeated by [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and the human trucker [[Bomber Bill]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

[[Image:Soundwavedinobothunt.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"And you—YOU!—no longer exiiii... oh, wait."]]
''A short time later, during a brief period when both Megatron and Shockwave were missing in action, Soundwave assumed leadership of the Decepticons, happily slagging off [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s ambitions of leadership. His first attempt at manipulating Autobots into a trap failed. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}} The second, taking advantage of the "Dinobot Hunt", was a major success—six Autobots were badly injured, not counting two of the Dinobots, and a large amount of fuel was stolen while the Autobots tried to stop a Dinobot rampage in a human town. On the way out, Soundwave proudly declared their victory, a turn of events that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] did not enjoy.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}

When Megatron resurfaced, rendered immobile in a [[Wyoming]] [[Wyoming base|coal mine]] due to lack of fuel, Soundwave sped to his rescue, re-energizing him. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} ''Using the splintered state of the Decepticon forces to his advantage, Soundwave worked both sides of the field, reporting to both Megatron and the returned Shockwave, each without the other's knowledge. When Shockwave learned that the human [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] had begun to suffer [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced visions of the [[Combiner|next leap in Transformer evolution]], Soundwave reported this to Megatron, prompting him to battle Shockwave for leadership. The Decepticons' human ally, [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]], televised the battle, much to Soundwave's distaste, and in order to prevent the Decepticons from looking like fools, he interrupted the duel and insisted that they agree to a joint leadership.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

[[Image:Soundwavetarget2006.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You find: Insanity!]]
''When the Robot-Master hoax the Decepticons were perpetrating was threatened by the investigative work of [[Joy Meadows]], Soundwave was instrumental in ending the conflict that ensued between the Decepticons and the Dinobots by holding the reporter hostage and destroying her footage.'' {{storylink|In the National Interest}} ''Not long thereafter, when the deranged future Decepticon, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], traveled back in time, Soundwave was intrigued by the fact that he was unable to scan his mind to discern the truth of his identity. Siding with Megatron when conflict erupted, Soundwave and his leader were buried under an avalanche by Galvatron and then rescued by the Autobots in the name of forming an alliance to defeat their common enemy.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

''Soundwave's loyalty to Megatron was shaken when the latter became increasingly paranoid. Consequently he manipulated his leader into summoning the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to Earth as part of a scheme by Shockwave to ensure a weaponless Megatron was destroyed by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Prey!}} However Megatron survived and soon returned to the Decepticon leadership, albeit with his memories of the events lost. {{storylink|Resurrection!}} ''Soundwave ''again'' served as co-conspirator when Shockwave once more used the Predacons to destroy Megatron. In the process a deranged Megatron seemingly committed suicide on the [[space bridge]]. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}}

''Soundwave was now once again under Shockwave's command, and, while patrolling on the Decepticons' mobile island base, he found himself attacked and subdued by the time-traveling freelance peace-keeping agent, [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], and tricked into giving up information on the whereabouts of Galvatron.'' {{storylink|Hunters}} ''Although Death's Head's attempts to track down the Decepticon met with failure, Galvatron was ultimately entombed in lava, where he was later discovered by [[Susan Hoffman]]. Soundwave observed a televised broadcast of her discovery, and he and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] attempted to destroy Galvatron with explosives planted around the volcano in question. After a battle with the [[Throttlebot|Throttlebots]], Soundwave found that he was unable to remote-detonate the explosives thanks to [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] jamming his signal.'' {{storylink|Ladies' Night}}

[[Image:Soundwave uscomics.jpg|left|180px|thumb|G2 before it was cool.]]
When Shockwave was removed from power, Soundwave smoothly transitioned to serving under the new Decepticon leader, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and helped to operate his [[Realvision]] playback system to decode data from Autobot tapes [[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] and [[Raindance]]. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} The tapes, it was discovered, contained information on the [[Underbase]], the power of which was desired by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] so badly he sparked off a Decepticon-Decepticon war to cover himself. Soundwave ended up having his fuel pump torn into by [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]]. {{storylink|Cold War!}} When Starscream gained the Underbase's power and targeted the Earth, Soundwave co-led the defense of [[Buenos Aires]] alongside [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], but was temporarily deactivated by a blast of cosmic power from Starscream. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

''He was back on his feet by the time that Starscream, now a [[Pretender]], was busy doubting his self-worth. Soundwave was extremely scared of Starscream by this point.'' {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} He continued to operate under the command of the new Decepticon Earth commander, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], though like the other troops he was very unhappy about Starscream being allowed back in after trying to kill everyone. {{storylink|Primal Scream}} He was put in charge of guarding Optimus Prime after the Autobot leader surrendered his troops to Scorponok, hoping to elicit an alliance against the coming of [[Unicron]]. When Prime changed his mind about meekly waiting in a cell for Scorponok to make time for him, however, Soundwave provided little resistance in keeping him there. {{storylink|Surrender!}} After the Decepticon auxiliary army bombed Scorponok's base in New Jersey, Soundwave assumed temporary command of the active Decepticons in fighting back against the traitors, led by Starscream and Shockwave. This "[[Decepticon Civil War]]" didn't last long, though, as all the Autobots and Decepticons of Earth were summoned to Cybertron by [[Primus]] to deal with Unicron. {{storylink|Out of Time!}}

[[Image:TreadshotMarvel.jpg|right|150px|thumb|He's found a new gunformer to toady up with.]]
Soundwave survived the battle with Unicron, and attended a meeting between the briefly-allied Autobots and Decepticons with [[Treadshot (G1)|Treadshot]]. There Blaster announced the imminent end of their world, and an evacuation was called for. Soundwave was still hanging out with Treadshot when he witnessed a fight break out between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Fangry]]. [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], who had assumed command of the Decepticons, doublecrossed the Autobots by sabotaging their ships. Soundwave was last seen beside Bludgeon as the Decepticons left their self-destructing homeworld. {{storylink|Exodus!}}

In an alternate future of 2006, Soundwave was briefly seen participating in a battle on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. He didn't do much except retreat. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (US)}}

{{note|In the UK version of the story, the events of "The Big Broadcast of 2006" are a fabrication invented by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]].}}

{{-}}
=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''In 2008, Soundwave was under the command of Shockwave on Cybertron. When the bounty hunter named [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] arrived with the deactivated bodies of the renegades [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and demanded an audience, Shockwave had Soundwave wait nearby as a precautionary measure. Sure enough, Soundwave's monitoring abilities alerted Shockwave that the two Decepticons were not as dead as they seemed, and the three invaders began an assassination attempt on Shockwave. Soundwave summoned the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], hoping that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] could breach the sealed doors of the audience chamber in time, but wasn't swift enough. Death's Head killed Shockwave, and together the trio demanded that the Decepticons accept Scourge and Cyclonus as their new leaders. Faced with superior firepower and a hefty dose of explosives, Soundwave was reluctantly forced to accept on behalf of the Decepticons. ''

[[Image:SpacePiratesSoundwaveLeader.JPG|right|400px|thumb|Or, in short, "Soundwave: Superior".]]
''Wasting no time, Scourge and Cyclonus commanded the Decepticons to begin a full-scale assault on [[Autobase]]. This was effectively suicide, as the two armies were just about evenly matched. That, of course, was the point—Scourge and Cyclonus's true master, Unicron, wanted the children of Primus exhausted and depleted in number by the time of his glorious resurrection. After [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and Death's Head took the fight straight to the recuperating Unicron on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], however, he summoned his two minions back to his side. Seeing their "glorious leaders" abandon the battle, Soundwave and [[Hun-Gurrr|Hun-Grrr]] sounded a retreat. In the absence of Unicron's spawn, Soundwave became the new permanent leader of the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}} ''

''Aching to make a name for himself in Decepticon military history, Soundwave soon fell into a [[Quintesson]] trap. A lone Quintesson arrived at Decepticon headquarters, seeking an alliance against the Autobots, who supposedly had assembled most of their fleet and were on their way to [[Quintessa]]. Instead of helping the Quintessons, Soundwave saw this as an opportunity to invade and destroy the Autobot territory on Cybertron, when most of their warriors were off-world. He assembled his various sub-commanders and set out aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] to claim a glorious victory.''

[[Image:Soundwaveconsiders.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Too nostalgic to let go of the past? No wonder he's a fan-favorite.]]
''Instead, Soundwave and the Decepticons walked right into an ambush. There were no Autobots on Quintessa: it was a ruse to draw them out of their base, where legions of [[Allicon]]s and [[Trident Attack Craft]]s waited to overwhelm the Decepticons. Seeing the danger his troops were in, Soundwave was forced to call in the Autobots. Sending a garbled distress beacon to Autobase, Soundwave hoped to draw a suitable fighting force of Autobots to their location. He was successful, as [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and his men remained to fight even after learning who the distress call came from. Autobot and Decepticon fought side-by-side until the Quintesson invaders were either destroyed or driven off-world. In a moment of introspection, Soundwave realized how effective the two armies were when fighting as one instead of as enemies... but quickly brushed aside the idea. Simply too much had happened between the Autobots and Decepticons to ever hope for a peaceful end to the war. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

''In 2009, Soundwave and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] were on Earth, prepping a new energy extraction system to leech the planet dry. A surgical strike led by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and Ultra Magnus destroyed all their equipment, however, leaving their power cells empty of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]]. Looking for revenge, the Decepticons pursued the Autobots back to Autobot City, only to find an open [[Time-jump mechanism|trans-time dimensional portal]]. Realizing the Autobots had fled back to 1989 on a mission of unknown purpose, the vengeful Terrorcons wanted to pursue them. Giving in to popular opinion, Soundwave led his troops back through time and right into the midst of the Time Wars.''

''Recognizing that the uncontrolled timestorm could conceivably destroy all of existence, Soundwave chose to put aside vendettas for the moment, and added his men to the alliance of Autobots and Decepticons from two time periods against the unmatched power and evil of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron]] combined. Still, the alliance was far from perfect: Soundwave was more than willing to allow the Autobots to charge in first, letting them die in order to "soften up" the resistance. When things turned ugly, Soundwave and the Terrorcons then fled back to 2009, apparently without ever getting their hands dirty. Their final fate after reality restructured itself and the timestorm abated is unknown. {{storylink|Time Wars}}''

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[Image:Secrets Soundwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The Decepticons never got the hang of Internal Affairs.]]
''In an alternate timeline, Soundwave left [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s army and returned to serving at [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s side during the [[Decepticon Civil War]] against [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], helping him with the launch of a [[global warming satellite]]. {{storylink|Starting Over!}} He was not above exploiting the conflict for his own ends, however. When an energon shipment was hijacked by Shockwave's forces thanks to information Soundwave had given them, Megatron came to suspect the presence of a traitor in his ranks, but ironically assigned Soundwave to identify the culprit. To keep his own duplicity a secret, Soundwave set up [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] to take the fall, and Megatron destroyed the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]. Soundwave not only got away with his treachery, he went on to happily blackmail everyone he'd mind-scanned. Eat your heart out, Starscream! {{storylink|Secrets}}''

''Approached by Starscream with a plan to make them both Decepticon leaders, Soundwave joined forces with the schemer and lured Megatron and Shockwave to an airport, tipping off the Autobots to their location. With the two leaders thus occupied, Soundwave and Starscream took control of both factions. {{storylink|Internal Affairs!}} Subsequently, Soundwave led an all-out attack on the [[Earthbase|Earthforce base]] as a diversion, while Starscream attempted to plunder an oil tanker. Starscream met with failure, however, leading Soundwave to withdraw his forces and hint to them that maybe be should have sole command... {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}} Starscream was aware of Soundwave's goals, and when he was attacked by a [[Louisiana bounty hunters|group of alien assassins]], he suspected that Soundwave had ordered the hit and struck back at him. Soundwave was able to convince Starscream he was not responsible and that in actuality, it was the work of Megatron and Shockwave. {{storylink|External Forces!}}''

''Soon afterward, Soundwave learned that human reporter [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]] had secured an interview with the Autobots that could potentially resolve the public view of the Transformer war. Seeking to prevent this, he had the Stunticons capture the journalist. Although the Autobots were able to rescue him, a carefully planted [[cerebro-shell]] ensured that the story Irwin wrote was anything but accurate. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}''

====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Soundwave was present when the Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con' on New York and helped Megatron and Shockwave to set up a mine belt around the harbor. However Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|Transformers — Transforming Robots in Action: New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Soundwavemarvelg2.jpg|left|125px|thumb|He gave the "complete sentences" thing a decent go, but he never really got the hang of commas.]]
After Megatron deposed Bludgeon and reassumed control of the Decepticons, Soundwave once again served Megatron as a close adviser. One of his first acts was to ask, "Why revive Starscream?". Megatron shared Soundwave's concerns, and assured him the on-again-off-again traitor would be dealt with once Megatron had regrown his army. {{storylink|Tales of Earth Part Three}}

Megatron immediately drew his Decepticons to the moon of [[Tykos]] to violently acquire [[Rheanimum]] from the natives. However, things soured when Soundwave received a distress call from [[Skullgrin]]. In moments, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] was upon them. After several casualties, and Megatron missing in action, Soundwave led a party to discover if Megatron had survived and recover him if he had; when Mindwipe expressed doubts about the mission, Soundwave told him to shut up. He appeared to assume command when Megatron appeared dead, but ceased when Megatron turned out to still function. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

He was in command of the ''[[Warworld]]'' while Megatron was on Earth. When the Empire boarded the ship (thanks to Starscream's treachery) he and his bridge crew fled to Earth in escape pods. {{storylink|Total War!}} He was later seen standing by in the final battle against the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

{{-}}
====''Classics''====
Soundwave was apparently one of the first Decepticons to return to Megatron's side after the Decepticon leader re-emerged. He helped Megatron rebuild his power base on Earth in secret, using human proxies to covertly recover the remains of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and other Decepticons lost on Earth during the Underbase Saga. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14|Astrotrain's ''Classics'' profile}}

After the arrival of the mysterious Decepticon [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], Soundwave ran a neural scan on the Transformer to confirm his story of alternate dimensions and [[Unicron]] singularities. Soundwave confirmed that, at the very least, Landquake believed he was telling the truth. The Decepticons took off aboard Astrotrain to explore a new energy signature in the Southern Hemisphere...one which materialized at the same time as Landquake and possessed a similar resonance pattern. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2}} In South America, Soundwave engaged [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s troops alongside Megatron and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] on the ground. At Megatron's command, he dispatched [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to intercept the Autobot scouts who had been sent after the energy source. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}}

The Cassettes soon reported back that the energy had been discovered, and Megatron rallyed the Decepticons behind Soundwave to break for the source's location. [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] interferred with the Decepticons' progress, however, by hurling Constructicons like shotputs until he knocked Soundwave down. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5}}
Soundwave and Astrotrain got caught exchanging fire with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] until the latter Autobot turned invisible and snuck around behind the Decepticons, getting the drop on Soundwave. An explosion from below rocked the battlefield, however, and the Decepticons withdrew from combat. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}}

When [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] tried to assassinate Megatron, he used [[cerebro-shell]]s to take control of Soundwave and several other Megatron loyalists. The shells' effects were soon jammed by an attacking Autobot team, and in the chaos that followed, Soundwave noticed that the Autobots were targeting their [[Ark (G1)|base]]'s computers, but failed to stop them. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

Soundwave was stationed aboard Starscream's warship when Megatron orchestrated the downfall of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and his splinter faction. After their [[Seacon (G1)|inside men]] terminated Bludgeon, Soundwave informed Starscream he had received a transmission of surrender from the forces below. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
[[Image:Soundwave and company.jpg|right|thumb|220px]]
{{main|Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
Soundwave was one of the first Decepticons and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s most loyal soldier. Denoted by his eerie, echoing monotone, Soundwave regularly gathered vital intelligence for Megatron's numerous schemes with the aid of his faithful and ever-growing team of cassettes, but despite his primary role as a spy and communications officer, he never shied away the battlefield, and would regularly clash with the Autobot [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] before finding a true rival in his Autobot opposite number, [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. He survived the perilous events of 2005 that took the lives of many of his contemporaries, and continued serving under [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in the 21st century.

In a future timeline that branches off from this one, Soundwave ultimately met his end at the hands of Blaster, but even death could not stymie his loyalty to the Decepticon cause, as he was reborn as '''Soundblaster''' through the super-science of the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]].
{{-}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books continuity===
:''Voice actor:'' Unknown

According to Megatron, Soundwave is a "blundering, tape-filled idiot." While the veracity of this statement is subjective, Soundwave ''does'' whine a lot. {{storylink|When Continents Collide}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[Image:BW Agenda Pt3 Soundwave.jpg|right|180px|thumb|With one stroke I shall free my tiny dinosaur brethren, yesssss!"]]
Soundwave was among the many Transformers strewn about the bridge of the Ark when the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] infiltrated the ship on his mission to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}
{{-}}
====3H comics====
Soundwave is one of the ancient warriors who appears from [[J'nwan]] to help battle the warlord [[Shokaract]]. {{storylink|Terminus}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:Soundwavewarwithin.jpg|left|225px|thumb|Sound and ([[Ravage (G1)#3H Universe_comics|eventually]]) Furry.]]
Soundwave was chosen by Megatron to lead his second assassination team against the new Autobot supreme commander, Optimus Prime. With the aid of Soundwave's cassette troops, most notably [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], as well as [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]], it was assumed he would have no problem with a young, peace-loving Autobot. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} Soundwave, like many others, underestimated Prime's resolve and was quickly incapacitated. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} He was still out cold when [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] came by, {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} but recovered in time to rescue Megatron after the latter's own battle with Prime. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

When Megatron and Optimus Prime vanished in a [[space bridge]] accident, the Decepticons were fragmented and Soundwave joined [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s faction. He participated in the attack on [[The Fallen]]'s minions in an attempt to stop the [[Unbinding]]. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

Eventually, Shockwave attempted to call a truce with the Autobots for the good of the Transformer race, but the initial ceremony was interrupted by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s faction, the [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]]. Soundwave was quite mad about this, telling the Predacons to perish for their crimes against Cybertron as he attacked them alongside several Autobots. Shortly after the Predacons were defeated, Megatron returned to Cybertron with his [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] and reunited the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} After falling back under Megatron's command, Soundwave reported the progress on his leader's plan to dig a hole to the core of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

In the present day, Soundwave was among the Decepticons defeated by the Autobots and their human allies on Earth. The ''[[Ark II]]'', the spacecraft that would have taken the Transformers back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General [[Robert Hallo]] and [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], and it exploded upon liftoff, scattering the robots across the Arctic Ocean. Soundwave and the others were recovered, Autobot and Decepticon alike, and reprogrammed by Rook to accept commands and were leased to terrorist organisations and military juntas as powerful weapons of war. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}} After Megatron freed himself and the other Decepticons, Soundwave developed a 'metallic virus' that cyberformed Earth organics into cybertronic materials. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} During the subsequent battle with the Autobots in [[San Francisco]], Soundwave warned Megatron that a nuclear missile launched by Hallo was headed for the city. The Decepticons used the distraction to escape. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

[[Image:Soundwaveg1vol2.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Leader's pet.]]Soundwave was among the Decepticons who joined Shockwave's forces when the new ruler of Cybertron appeared on Earth. {{storylink|War and Peace}} When Shockwave brutally deposed Megatron, Soundwave stood by in silence and did nothing to help his former leader. Soundwave worked his way quietly into Shockwave's good graces, earning the ire of Starscream. However, it didn't take many words to bring Soundwave around to the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]'s point of view. Later, when interrogated by Shockwave, a single, silent look from Soundwave stopped [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] from revealing that Starscream was behind Megatron's disappearance during their voyage to Cybertron. As the battle between the Autobots and Shockwave's forces intensified, Soundwave followed Starscream's lead without a word, and helped him prepare for a return trip to Earth aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. Starscream rewarded him by giving him a [[Ratbat (G1)|present]]. Soundwave silently approved.

Though Soundwave feigned subservience to Starscream, it was later revealed that he had been serving Megatron the entire time in secret. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I.Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:Soundwavedevilsdue.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"Eject. Operation: Dynamic Group Shot."]]
Soundwave was among the Transformers on the ''Ark'' when it crashed long ago, and was discovered and reprogrammed by the human terrorist organization known as [[Cobra]] in the present. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1}} Arms dealer [[Destro]] made a visit to [[Cobra Island]] where [[Doctor Mindbender]] introduced him to Soundwave and his cassettes, who were under the complete control of Cobra's scientists. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}} While Destro liked what he saw, he wanted to run a test, and personally operated Soundwave's controls during an attack on the [[SPS Research Facility]].

Meanwhile, a picture of Soundwave was secretly sent out to hundreds of email boxes. The message turned out to be a [[Defense Matrix|secret signal]] from Optimus Prime, which alerted [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and Bumblebee to the location of Cobra's secret base where the rest of the Transformers were being held. When the two Autobots appeared to stop Destro's attack, the human brought Soundwave and himself back to Cobra Island. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}}

Soundwave was released from Cobra control thanks to Wheeljack and attacked his former human masters. With Megatron and the other Decepticons freed, Soundwave went to work making energon cubes. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} Just as things were going their way, Optimus Prime arrived, powered up using the energon, and punched his fist right through Soundwave's chest, taking him out of the battle. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}} After the Autobots left on a return voyage to Cybertron, Soundwave's head and remains were taken in secret by human scientists for study. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

Several years later, the scientists managed to use Megatron's technology to create the organic weapon [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], who plugged himself into Soundwave's deactivated head after getting free and downloaded data on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s history. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1|The Art of War #1}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Along with the rest of the Decepticons, Soundwave was buried in the [[Fera Islands]] until 1938, when [[Cobra]] accidentally awakened them and used them to conquer most of [[Europe]]. He sent Laserbeak to spy on the [[United States of America|United States]]' reaction to this, and learned that [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] had been created to battle the Cobra threat. Soundwave later helped Megatron and Starscream get rid of some Royal Air Force fighters above the English Channel, allowing Cobra to attack the [[United Kingdom]]. {{storylink|The Line}}

When G.I. Joe attacked the Fera Islands, Soundwave infiltrated [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]]'s unit in the form of a radio transmitter carried by a disguised [[Zartan]]. Flint noticed that it wasn't their radio, but that didn't stop Soundwave from capturing him and taking him back to Cobra HQ. {{storylink|Wolves}} However, the Joes had managed to awaken the Autobots also buried on the island, and Soundwave soon found himself facing down [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. He lost the fight, and either died at the hands of Grimlock or when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] was smashed to pieces. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

{{note|According to solicitations for ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front]]'', Soundwave was set to return by unknown means years later, but [[Dreamwave Productions]] bankrupted before the issues could be produced.}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Soundwave was extremely amused by the footage Laserbeak and Ravage gathered of Starscream falling on his head. He let Megatron know, and they went to pick up Starscream, only to find him gone, taken by the Autobots. The discovery that Starscream appeared to be working with the Autobots only amused Soundwave more, and the Decepticons went to retrieve their former comrade. When it turned out that Starscream wanted to stay with the Autobots, Megatron was enraged, and Soundwave reflected that it was the most fun he'd had in years. Starscream eventually returned to the Decepticons, claiming it was all an act, and Soundwave suggested he should be more careful while mountain climbing in future. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

Puzzled by the loss of much of their stock of weapons, Megatron assigned Soundwave to investigate. Using Laserbeak's spying abilities, Soundwave determined that [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] was selling the weapons on the black market, much to Megatron's outrage. {{storylink|Two for the Price of One}}

===IDW ''Hearts of Steel'' continuity===
Millions of years in the past, Soundwave was among the Decepticons who took on organic modes in order to battle the Autobots on prehistoric Earth. When an ice age approached, the Decepticons survived by powering down under what would eventually become the [[San Francisco]] Bay. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} Soundwave woke up in the mid-19th century, where he came under the command of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. Along with several other Decepticons, he stood by Starscream as he and [[Tobias Muldoon]] discussed where they would build their headquarters. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:MegatronOrigin4 Soundwave humbles Ratbat.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Ratbat, you shall be repurposed as the greatest mix tape ever to be given to Megatron."]]
Long before the war began, Soundwave was the personal assistant to Senator [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] caught Ratbat's eye as a champion of the illegal underground gladiatorial matches, Ratbat sent Soundwave to offer Megatron funding and weapons technology. When [[Bumper (G1)|two]] [[Fastback (G1)|Autobots]] were discovered listening in on their conversation, Soundwave dispatched [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to capture them. After their capture, he read Bumper's mind to see if there was any immediate threat to Megatron's activities. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}} Some time later, Soundwave was assigned to find a warrior with flight capabilities. He found the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]: Starscream, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. During a recruitment rally in which Megatron attempted to kill [[Decimus|Senator Decimus]], a raid by the Autobots under [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] resulted in the participants being arrested. Soundwave, however, was freed under [[Senate]] directive, something which greatly angered Sentinel Prime. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Soundwave had apparently switched loyalties at this time, becoming one of Megatron's own in not only helping Starscream exterminate [[Kaon]] senators but also to the extent that he destroyed Ratbat's original body, placing his spark into a relatively weak cassette form and thus forcing him into the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

Four million years ago, Soundwave and [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] were leading a Decepticon offensive to cover for [[Octane]]'s convoy of energon. When Optimus Prime slipped away to intercept the convoy, Soundwave went after him and got the drop on Prime from behind. Prime's bodyguard [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] turned the tables on him, though, taking out both Soundwave and his Mini-Cassettes. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

During the war, [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] contacted various scientists on both sides to discuss his startling findings that the conflict would create such devastation that would render the planet uninhabitable, and that the only way to survive was to adopt the [[Pretender|organic carapace]] idea he had come up with. Soundwave was among those scientists who refused to accept Thunderwing's findings and his proposal. {{Storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}}

After the end of the cataclysm brought by Thunderwing, as part of a plan to assassinate [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], a motivational speaker for the Autobots, Soundwave had [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] captured and used [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] to implement a [[cerebro-shell]] into him. While Beachcomber didn't outright kill Blaster, his motivational broadcast failed to air at precisely the moment the Decepticons began the big push. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[Image:SpotlightSoundwave infoispower.jpg|left|180px|thumb|He's just too busy being an eighties guy.]]

Centuries later, after [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] disappeared, Megatron assigned [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] to delve into Shockwave's research and relay all the information back to him. As the Decepticon leader did not fully trust Bludgeon, Megatron also assigned Soundwave to spy on him. Soundwave followed Bludgeon and his team as they left for Earth in 1984 and established a base within [[Mount St. Helens]], eventually discovering that they intended to resurrect [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. Though Soundwave tried to stop them, [[Iguanus (G1)|Iguanus]] used an experimental cannon from Shockwave's arsenal to lock him in his alt mode while they instigated a volcanic eruption. He was eventually recovered by a team of unwitting humans who sold him to a pawn shop. {{storylink|Spotlight: Soundwave}}

Soundwave was purchased by a human teenager named [[Jimmy]] and taken to his home. When Ravage and Laserbeak were reprogrammed by the American government agency [[Skywatch]] to find the other Transformers, Skywatch's control signal was blocked by a signal emanating from a functioning Soundwave, still in cassette-player mode. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} Sometime later on, Ravage and Laserbeak located the signal and reclaimed their master from Jimmy. Relocating to Mount St. Helens, Soundwave told them that he could barely keep blocking Skywatch's hold on them, due to his weakening state in cassette mode. Shockwave suddenly appeared from a cave entrance and said that the four could make a deal together. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 4|Maximum Dinobots #4}} Shockwave knew how Soundwave could unlock his robot mode, but would only tell him if he did Shockwave a favour in return, something which Soundwave agreed to. He was told that Skywatch had placed a bomb in Shockwave's head, and that he needed to intercept and copy its disarm code. The plan went off without a hitch, and after transmitting the code to Shockwave, Soundwave was finally freed from his alt mode. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}

After returning to his position as Megatron's right hand, Soundwave helped defeat the Autobot forces on Earth. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} He was present during the attack on [[New York City]], and detected the incoming human military jets. The planes fired, and on Megatron's orders, Soundwave calmly detonated the arsenal. He then launched Laserbeak to take out the human resistance. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}}

Soundwave reported that the humans had sent a sizable ground force after the Decepticons. Following Megatron's orders, he released [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and set him loose on the humans. The only being immune to Frenzy's infrasonic manipulation, he silently observed his minion's work. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2|All Hail Megatron #2}} With the conquest of New York complete, Soundwave listened to Megatron's victory speech. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} When a group of humans led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Cmdr. Spike Witwicky]] deactivated [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] with an experimental weapon which originated from Shockwave, Soundwave, sensing this, found Rumble's lifeless body, grieved, and took him away. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}}

During [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] attempt to take control of the Decepticons, Megatron revealed that Soundwave had been watching him all along, reporting his planned rebellion to Megatron. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} The infighting amongst the Decepticons stopped when jets from [[Europe]] arrived to take them all on, soon followed by the return of the Autobots. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} Megatron was defeated, and Soundwave escaped alongside the rest of the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} Whilst traveling away from Earth onboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Soundwave and his cassettes took care of their heavily injured leader. Starscream attempted to dissuade him from wasting energon on Megatron, all the while buttering him up with compliments about his loyalty, but all Soundwave said in response was "Negative. Megatron functions." {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

Three years later, Soundwave was still dutifully attending to Megatron's reconstruction. {{storylink|All His Engines}} He eventually came to the conclusion that his leader's body was beyond repair, and instead recruited Shockwave to build a new body for him. Once Megatron returned in a new and upgraded form, he hatched a plan to use parts of his old body to make Megatron gun replicas that would subconsciously influence humans. Alongside his cassettes and Shockwave, Soundwave helped produce these weapons. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon}} He was later present when Megatron got rid of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], and was ordered to gather everyone in the base so that their leader could address them. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}}

As part of Megatron's master plan, the Decepticons subsequently returned to Earth, where Soundwave led Rumble and Frenzy in an attack on the [[Skywatch]] base where several Decepticons were being held captive. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man}} Soundwave was then responsible for holding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] hostage while Megatron explained to Optimus Prime that he was the one turning the humans against the Autobots. In an attempt to throw off Megatron's concentration, and with it his influence over the gun-wielding humans, Prime fired on Soundwave, blowing off a large portion of his head. The plan worked: seeing his loyal soldier fall sent Megatron into a rage, and he picked up the barely living Soundwave and flew off. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome}} With his body in [[stasis lock]], Soundwave was brought to Shockwave, who was unsure if he could repair such an extensive injury with the limited resources at his disposal. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine}}

Soundwave was repaired by the time Megatron had surrendered himself to the Autobots, although half his face remained exposed and damaged from Optimus Prime's attack. Once on Cybertron and having freed himself, Megatron used the [[space bridge]] technology built into his new body to summon Soundwave and the rest of the Decepticons to him. At first, Soundwave and the others did battle with the Autobots, but were soon entranced by the [[D-Void]]. The Decepticons along with [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army of [[Sweeps]] combined into an [[Deceptigod|enormous monster]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings}}

{{spoiler|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|January 20, 2012}}

Following the defeat and fracturing of this "Deceptigod", Soundwave and the rest were left in a weakened state from the ordeal. This allowed the Autobots to round the Decepticons up, stick [[I/D chips]] in them, and place them in a holding pen. Prowl was eventually forced to sanction their release to quell a riot, leaving Soundwave and the others with a limited sort of freedom. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

{{note|The events of "Spotlight: Mirage" possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}

[[Image:SpotlightMirage Soundwavescorpse.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Not so superior now, are you?]]
In a dream set in an alternate universe wrapped in an enigma surrounded by a soft taco shell dreamt by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], Soundwave was part of the Decepticon strike force who attacked the last stronghold of the Autobots. Soundwave was attacked by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], who snapped his head off, killing him. But it was just a dream, so it didn't matter. Right? {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}
{{-}}

===''TransTech''===
Soundwave—[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#LaserCycle|in his Laser Cycle body]]—was seen among the inhabitants of the multiversal hub city of [[Axiom Nexus]]. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 4}}

===Timelines===
Soundwave was present with Megatron, [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]], and [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] when the topic about finding new ultimate weapon ideas changed to [[BotCon 2010]]. As Breakdown mentioned that one of the things he was looking forward to was the debut of the [[Transformers Hall of Fame]], Soundwave turned to Counterpunch and pointed to himself. {{storylink|BotCon 2010 Promo}}

===''Wings Universe''===
When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] captured [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s base, Soundwave was by his side. After defeating Deathsaurus in single combat, Megatron ordered Soundwave to check the computers for information on [[Combiner]] technology, and sent [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] with him. A week later, Soundwave was part of the Decepticon forces who entered [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] after [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] breached the city walls. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} He was still by Megatron's side when Devastator fell and took part in the subsequent retreat. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[Image:Soundwavecommercial.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Say hello to my leetle friend!"]]

Soundwave's [[commercial]] appearances include:

* An appearance in his very own 1984 commercial. This early animation featured a Soundwave model colored in lavender, versus the dark blue used later. Also, instead of the cassettes ejecting themselves from his chest, he reached into his chest compartment with his own fingers and threw the (tiny) tapes into the air. He wasn't properly introduced.

* He's more on-form in a commercial for the Dinobots, where he, Ravage and Laserbeak are driven back by the robotic monsters amid a thunderstorm.

* Soundwave has a speaking part in the commercial for Blaster. When Rumble strolls into his base carrying a radio, Soundwave immediately identifies it as an "Autobot intruder" and dispatches Ravage and Laserbeak to attack the Autobot. Soundwave is given his correct voice and modulation.

* He's seen grappling with Springer in a 1987 commercial for the ''Headmasters'' comic.

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Soundwave could intefere with Optimus Prime's progress, diverting him into areas of the Decepticons' maze-like base. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===''The Transformers'' (Commodore 64)===
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (Commodore 64)}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[image:TF PS2 Soundwave.jpg|thumb|250px]]
:''Voice actor'': [[Robert Belgrade]]

====Decepticon story====

Soundwave and Starscream were sent to investigate strange reports of space-time warps and UFOs on the planet Zel Samine, bringing a space bridge with them on their shuttle that they would use to transport Megatron to the plant once they had landed. Inexplicably, their ship wound up crashing, and when they attempted to use the space bridge, it malfunctioned, dumping Megatron some distance away. After reuniting with his leader, Soundwave deduced that powerful electromagnetic rays from Zel Samine's sun, Paradius, were responsible for scrambling the systems of the shuttle and the space bridge, and that the Decepticons themselves would be subject to similar catastrophic system disruption if they tried venturing off the planet without a ship. The Decepticons immediately set about raiding local energy sources for energon to repair their craft, starting with a wind power plant on [[Mount Jaad]]. Then, after successfully draining the [[Ranpas geothermal plant]]—in part thanks to Soundwave deploying Laserbeak to locate any Autobot guards around the facility—Megatron chose the [[Monogan hydroelectric power station]] for their next target. Soundwave pointed out the heavy Autobot fortifications that had been set up around the station and suggested a different target, but Megatron dismissed his concerns, and when the Decepticons did indeed emerge victorious, Soundwave apologized for speaking out of turn and doubting his leader.

Via Laserbeak, Soundwave soon discovered that the Autobots on the planet had made contact with the occupants of one of the strange UFOs, and suggested to Megatron that they send a task force to intercept them. In the process, the Decepticons wound up allying themselves with the ''other'' UFO's passengers: Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge, a trio of Decepticons from the future who had traveled back in time to locate and destroy the powerful [[Zel Quartz]], a weapon that threatened Galvatron's rule in their home time. Soundwave was teamed with Cyclonus to seek out possible locations of the quartz across the planet, and the communications officer stoically carried out his task, all the while struggling to keep Megatron and Galvatron from fighting with each other.

After failing to find the quartz at the [[Lazalt Ruins]], the Decepticons next decided to search the [[Karzite mine]]. Cyclonus informed Soundwave that he saw both him and Megatron as "worthless scrap", and warned the communications officer the mine yielded a similar lack of results, then he would be taking the blame, not Cyclonus. Soundwave agreed, but have a warning of his own: he charged a high price for being spoken to with disrespect. As it turned out, the quartz was not in the mine, and Soundwave accepted the blame as promised, only to then reveal his price: he had recorded his conversation with Cyclonus and played it back for Megatron, who did not take kindly to the future Decepticon's insults. At Megatron's command, Soundwave recorded Cyclonus's screams as the Decepticon leader subjected him to a vicious punishment.

{{charstubfiction}}

{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

====Autobot story====
Megatron had Soundwave send out a fake Autobot SOS transmission in an attempt to trick the Autobots into leaving their base. The plan was a success and Optimus Prime and his crew were lured out. When the Autobots realized that they had been deceived, Megatron sent a message through Soundwave's transmitter, gloating how he had tricked Prime and announced that his crew was going to steal the energon the Autobots had on their shuttle. When Megatron had finished his message, Soundwave returned to base. On the way back to their shuttle, the Autobots encountered Soundwave again, this time leading a hoard of Decepticon troops, and fought them. Despite his best efforts, Soundwave was overwhelmed and left to rejoin Megatron. Later, Soundwave fought the Autobots again while they were dealing with another swarm of enemies. He lost again, and left to fight another day.

Later on, Soundwave teamed up with his future self, Soundblaster, and with [[Full-Tilt]] as the final defense against the Autobots before they reached Megatron and Galvatron. When the Autobots arrived, Soundblaster started by expressing [[dull surprise]] at how the Autobots managed to survive up until the current point. Soundwave continued, warning the Autobots that he would not let them stand in Megatron's way. Both the present and future versions of the Communications Officer we all know and love put up the best fight they could, but even with Full-Tilt's help, the Autobots overpowered them.

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
{{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{charstubfiction}}

==Toys==
:''Main article: [[Soundwave (G1)/toys]]''
{{-}}
==Merchandise==
:''Main article: [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave (G1) toys#Merchandise]]''
{{-}}
==Notes==
[[Image:SoundwaveButtonUD3.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"When I think about you, I touch myself."]]

* The Decepticon faction insignia appears to be roughly based on Soundwave's head.

* Though Soundwave's toy is a microcassette recorder, his fictional appearances depict him as a stereo cassette deck or Walkman. (Likewise, his microcassette tapes are depicted as regular audio cassettes.)

* The Marvel U.S. comics chose a purple scheme for Soundwave. This could have been an attempt to distinguish him from the other Decepticons, who were mostly blue (especially since blacks also ended up as blues in the industry's then-limited color palette). Or it could have been a simple error. But very likely, it had something to do with his early animation model, which appeared lavender, rather than blue. (See Commercial Appearances.) Compounding this error, Marvel US Soundwave was drawn without a mouthplate by artist [[José Delbo]]. The Marvel UK comics colored him blue like everywhere else (partially due to using a more sophisticated coloring system) and always included his faceplate.

[[Image:Soundwave fly.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Hey, wait for me!"]]

* The G1 cartoon almost always depicted him as having to press all his own controls to eject minions or perform other functions even though these are actually part of him. This has led to many a shot of Soundwave pressing his own crotch. What will the children think?

* According to the original script<ref>http://boltax.blogspot.com/2011/02/ron-friedman-auctions-scripts-part-3-of.html</ref> for [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]], "Sound Wave" transformed into "a LIGHT STANDARD - identical to the one that exists a short distance away, the perfect camouflage". So... yes, he really ''did'' turn into a lamppost on Cybertron.

* Soundwave's distinctive voice proved to be one of Generation 1's most memorable aspects. The [[Wikipedia:Vocoder|highly processed voice]] (processed by [[Scott Brownlee]]) began with [[Frank Welker]] basically doing his "Dr. Claw" voice from ''[[Wikipedia:Inspector Gadget|Inspector Gadget]]''. Whether due to variations in the performance or the processing, the final result varied quite a bit across Soundwave's three seasons on the show. Occasionally, as in the episodes "[[Roll for It]]" and "[[Webworld]]", the processing was left out and Welker's actual voice can be heard. This Dr. Claw version of Soundwave's voice made a return when Welker reprised the [[Soundwave (ROTF)|role]] for ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]] as the processing was, again, left out.

* Similarly, he often emphasizes words at random, such as his well-known "RavAAAAAGE", or "LAAZABEEK". This may be a side effect of the voice doctoring in the cartoon.

*In the Mandarin dub, Soundwave had a glorious, operatic voice.

[[Image:Bm soundwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Soundwave gets slagged by Vehicons, and Nightscream escapes. How's that for injustice?]]

* The typically emotionally-barren Soundwave actually ''laughs'' on two separate occasions in the Generation 1 cartoon ("[[Quest for Survival]]" and "[[Auto-Bop]]"), while he ''screams like a little girl'' only once ("[[Roll for It]]").

* Soundwave has flown in his [[alternate mode|alt mode]] one time, in the episode "[[Masquerade]]." In [[Atlus]]'s ''[[The Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' game, Soundwave can transform to tape deck mode and kind of bounces around to move in that form. No, really.

* In the Japanese dub of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], as well as the supporting [[manga]], all of Soundwave's cassette forces which could talk referred to him as "Anikii" (兄貴い) or "Big Brother." This is a fairly common way to refer to others you admire and such in Japanese. It's also a term that gang members use toward older, more experienced members who aren't actual gang bosses. Take it as you will. Whatever it says about his relationship with them, it does give new meaning to the phrase [[Wikipedia:Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|"Big Brother is watching over you"]].

* Soundwave was in charge of the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|UK letters page]] from issues 22 to 78, barring a few interruptions.

[[Image:Unused AHM Soundwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|What? You mean we don't use brick-sized microcassette recorders anymore?]]

* Soundwave's computer model was used for one of the [[generic]] Transformers in Beast Machines. It is seen in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]" during [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream's]] flashback being cornered by [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]] just before Nightscream flees into the lower levels of Cybertron. Though the model was recolored, it was still really 'Soundwavey,' causing much confusion among fans. His computer model as well as [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s continued to show up for the rest of the series, used to represent deactivated Transformer shells.

* Later, Soundwave's character model showed up numerous times in various color schemes as a generic background character in the ''[[Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' cartoon.

* [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] listened to music using a tape deck resembling Soundwave in the ''[[Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' episode "[[Memory]]". Later, after a new [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] was found, ''Cybertron'' [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]] held tape deck Soundwave in his arms. This caused a great disturbance in the [[force]]...

* IDW Publishing seems to be undecided on Soundwave's speech pattern. In ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'', he speaks in his classic cartoon-based monotone. However, in "[[Spotlight: Soundwave]]", he speaks in a normal fashion. Which is once again reverted to the classic speech in ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''.

* [[Guido Guidi]] made a concept drawing of Soundwave with a modern microcassette recorder as an alt-mode (which are still used by reporters and doctors today) for [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' maxi-series. This was also unused. Consequently, Soundwave may go down as the Transformers character with the most unused designs.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Soundwave''' (サウンドウェーブ ''Saundowēbu'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Jam Bo''' (音波, "Voice Wave")
*''English:'' '''New Soundwave''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub Soundblaster)
*''French:'' '''Radar''' (Canada), '''Sonore''' (Canada Action Master, "Sound")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Fülelő''' ("Listener")
*''Italian:'' '''Memor''', '''Vizar''' (Soundblaster)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Shēng-bō''' (Taiwan, 聲波, "Sound Wave"), '''Shēng Bàu''' (Taiwan Soundblaster, 聲爆, "Sound Blast")
*''Polish:'' '''Dźwiękofalowiec''' (''The Movie'', "Soundwaver")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Onda-Sonora''' (Portugal comics), '''Microonda''' (Brazil comics, "Microwave")
*''Russian:'' '''Barkhan''' (cartoon, Бархан, "Dune")<ref>Dubbers thought his name was "Sandwave".</ref>
*''Spanish:'' '''Sam''' (America ''The Headmasters'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Zvukohvyl''' (Звукохвил, "Soundwave")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Soundwave Soundwave's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Communications specialists]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)

2012-01-06T01:32:02Z

Thrashmetal210: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode
|image=Secret of Omega Supreme title shot.JPG
|caption=His real name is Ralph.
|series=G1toon
|ep=46
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=35
|prev2=Quest for Survival
|next2=The Gambler
|title="The Secret of Omega Supreme"
|written by=[[David Wise]]
|production code=700-45
|airdate=[[November 6]], 1985
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Unknown Filipino animation studio]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''When the Constructicons begin mining on a distant asteroid, Optimus Prime calls on Omega Supreme for assistance, only for a long-standing enmity between Omega and the villains to come to light.'''

:''Japanese name:'' オメガ・スプリームの秘密 (''Omega Supreme no Himitsu'', "The Secret of Omega Supreme")
:''Italian title, dub 1:'' '''Il segreto di Megarobot''' ("The secret of Omega Supreme")
:''Italian title, dub 2:'' '''Il segreto di Omega Supreme''' ("The secret of Omega Supreme")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Secretomegachatinwoods.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Paradise: visited. Self: Never visited."]]

A rocket ship bursts out of the ocean and travels into space. Guided by an unknown force, the rocket lands on an asteroid and then directs that hunk of rock into Earth orbit. A door on the rocket opens, revealing the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], who step out and signal [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] of their success. The Decepticon leader intends to mine the asteroid for the energy-rich ore inside.

During his own orbit of the Earth, [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] catches sight of the operation and reports in to Autobot headquarters. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] contacts [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] for help. During a one-on-one chat, Optimus senses that Omega is holding a grudge against the Constructicons and demands an explanation. Omega complies in normal speech.

[[Image:Omegadefendscrystalcity.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A rare instance of seeing his tank.]]

''On Cybertron, Omega Supreme is a good-natured, friendly [[Guardian Robots|Guardian Robot]]. One of his assignments is guarding the [[Crystal City]], the creation of his friends, the Constructicons. Unfortunately, they are altered by Megatron's [[Robo-Smasher]] and permanently changed into Decepticons. The Constructicons then trick Omega into leaving his post, and during his absence, they destroy the city. After losing his friends, his job and his city all in the same day, Omega swears he will first help his friends recover and then will get vengeance on Megatron.''

[[Image:Robo-Smasher and Omega Supreme.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Devastator and Robo-Smasher vs Omega. The 'Cons are doomed.]]

''For weeks, Omega tracks the Constructicons, until he captures them and tries to reprogram them. At first, it appears that they have been restored, but on their way home, the Robo-Smasher corners them. The Constructicons form [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and wrestle Omega into the Robo-Smasher's clutches. The machine goes to work at reprogramming Omega; he is able to pull away in the middle of the process, but the experience leaves him scarred and emotionally barren except for his desire for vengeance against his former friends. He chases after them for millions of years and finally finds them on Earth.''

Knowing that Omega's judgement might be clouded fighting the Constructicons, Optimus orders him to remain on Earth unless Prime himself gives the order to head to the asteroid. Omega acknowledges Prime's order.

[[Image:Secretomegafightscons.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Sure, fire at the rocket whose top half is a cannon.]]

In space, Cosmos gets a sample of the ore from the asteroid and brings it back to headquarters. [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] determines that the ore is organic in nature. Prime has just ordered Omega to destroy the asteroid, and now he regrets that decision. His further attempts to contact Omega fail because the huge Autobot is bent on revenge.

Once on the asteroid, the vengeful Omega immediately attacks his enemies, wildly smashing open a huge fissure. The entire asteroid breaks in two like an egg, hatching an [[Asteroid bird alien|alien creature]], which flies toward Earth. (Although it appears somewhat robotic, Teletraan I's claims that the asteroid was organic in nature imply that the creature is, in fact, biological.)

The creature heads straight toward Earth and begins to destroy [[San Francisco]]. Powerglide, Ironhide, Smokescreen, Tracks and Beachcomber move to stop it, but fail after several attempts.

[[Image:Omegasupreme%26creature.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Objective: Catch them all."]]

Omega is still attacking the Constructicons, their battle having moved from the asteroid to the Earth, when Prime tracks him down. He demands that Omega stop his attack and instead clean up the mess he created by releasing the creature. Prime tells Omega that only he can save Earth by luring the monster back to its food supply on the asteroid. When the Constructicons escape, Omega threatens Optimus, but the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] refuses to back down and reminds Omega of his past.

[[Image:Omega Supreme tears up.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Optical leak: imminent. Tissue: desired.]]

Finally, Omega concedes to Prime's authority and heads off. He confronts the creature and leads it back to the asteroid, where it eats its fill and then flies off into space, never to be seen again.

In the meantime, Prime uncovers Megatron's ore-processing facility and singlehandedly destroys it.

At the end of the day, Optimus thanks Omega for fulfilling his duty. Both Optimus and Omega express hope that he might one day regain some of the feelings that he lost.{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (8)
*[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] (11)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (12)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (13)
*[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (14)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (18)
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (20)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (21)
*[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (22)
*[[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (23)

|c2=
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (1)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (2)
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (3)
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (4)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (5)
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (6)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (9)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (10)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (17)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (24)

|c4=
*"[[Doc (G1)|Doc]]" (Cybertron doctor robot) (15)
*[[Robo-Smasher victim]] (16)
*[[Asteroid bird alien|Asteroid beast]] (19)
}}

==Notable quotes==
"Where are you going?" 
"To talk to the only other Autobot who can fly into outer space." 
"Omega Supreme! Sounds like a barrel of laughs."
:—'''Powerglide''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

"That asteroid may be new fuel for Megatron. The Constructicons are mining—" 
"Constructicons?! Constructicons: Enemies. Enemies die!" 
"This is a military mission, not a vendetta, Omega." 
"Results: Same!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Omega Supreme'''

"Quit squirming! This is for your own good! HAHAHAHHAHAHAH!"
:—'''Devastator''' parrots Omega's words back at him while holding him down for the Robo-Smasher to reprogram him.

"Megatron failed. I lived...but changed. Since then, I feel only hate for the Constructicons."
:—'''Omega Supreme''' reveals the results of his betrayal to Prime.

"Revenge: soon. Anticipation: high. Vengeance: GOOD!"
:—'''Omega Supreme''' after being ordered to remove the Constructicons from the asteroid in orbit of the planet.

"Keep San Francisco clean—leave!"
:—'''Tracks''' to the monster.

"What—eh—if we all just split up—" 
"Then he'd hunt us down one at a time." 
"Then I say we ''unite!''"
:—'''Hook''', '''Scrapper''' and '''Bonecrusher''' debate how to deal with Omega Supreme.

"Relax, man. Remember, we're all one with the universe." 
"We're about to become one with the pavement! Duck!"
:—'''Beachcomber''' and '''Tracks''', as the creature is attacking.

"Perhaps someday, you'll see that there are more important things in life than revenge." 
"Possibility: Growing."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Omega Supreme''' see a little hope for future therapy.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
* Near the beginning of the episode, when Hook is talking to Megatron, Sideswipe (an Autobot) is standing to his right. When the camera angle switches, he is replaced by Soundwave.
* After Optimus sends Cosmos back to the asteroid for the first time, the top of Powerglide's face is colored yellow instead of gray (and his faceplate doesn't move as he speaks). In a subsequent shot, Powerglide's right shoulder/wing is miscolored gray like his arm.
* In several shots during the episode, the bottom of Optimus' faceplate is triangular when it should be squared off.
* The Constructicons wear Decepticon insignias from the beginning, when they were still Omega Supreme's friends.
* Also, why do the Constructicons have Earth forms in the flashback?
* Throughout most of the flashback, Bonecrusher is missing.
* After the Constructicons get Robo-Smashed, there is a shot of Omega Supreme in front of the Crystal City, then a short panning shot of the Constructicons approaching the Crystal City without Omega Supreme in front of it.
* After Omega Supreme has reprogrammed the Constructicons back and encounters the Robot-Smasher again, the buildings on either side of them just sort of disappear into the orange background as they walk. They and the ground also continue to move when he and the Constructicons have stopped walking.
* The animation and backgrounds make it a bit unclear how far away Omega Supreme went from the Crystal City. It looks like he just went down the street and back, and he could have seen whether there was an attack from right where he was.
* When Omega Supreme is talking about Megatron giving the Constructicons a "new form", the sky behind him is the sky of Cybertron at the time.
* Several times when listening to Omega's story, the plate connected to Optimus' neck is blue when it should be red.
* When Omega Supreme is removing the Robo-smasher from his head, his left forearm is disconnected from his upper arm.
* When Megatron is talking to the newest victim of the Robo-Smasher, the gun barrel behind his shoulder is black.
* Hook is present on Earth when Megatron is testing the ore to see how much "energy juice" (!) can be extracted from it, despite appearing in the battle against Omega Supreme in the scenes immediately before and after this one.
* As he convinces Omega to stop the alien, Optimus is missing the Autobot logo on his shoulder.
* As he attacks the Decepticon base, Optimus fires off several shots which are heard but not animated (ie, no energy beam coming out of his rifle).
* In an establishing shot of San Francisco, nearly all of the cars are colored yellow on one side and green on the other. Plus, they're all the same models.
* As the Constructicons discuss splitting up or forming Devastator, almost the entirety of Scrapper's head is miscolored light gray.
* A cel layering error results in a tiny Omega Supreme rocket swooping the creature as Tracks and Beachcomber attempt to fend it off.
* While possibly large by asteroid standards, the creature's "egg" is depicted as having Earth-like gravity; enough so that Cosmos fell heavily when he slipped off Astrotrain's wing.

===Continuity errors===
*"The Secret of Omega Supreme" established an important (and contentious) second origin story for the Constructicons. According to Omega Supreme, millions of years ago, when he was the guardian of Crystal City on Cybertron, he befriended the then-benevolent Constructicons. Megatron subsequently rewrote the Constructicons' brainwaves, turning them into a combining force for evil, and they subsequently travelled to Earth via starship and joined up with Megatron there. This story contradicts Megatron's assertion (in "[[Heavy Metal War]]") that the Constructicons were built on Earth. It's not impossible to smooth the error down by conjecturing that he could have been referring to their current bodies, akin to what happened with the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], but that's certainly not what was originally intended. The Constructicons' origin would be further complicated by a flashback in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" in which the Constructicons are shown creating Megatron, which contradicts this episode's presentation of them as good guys. These different origins for the Constructicons have become notorious as one of the biggest continuity errors in the series.

*Optimus Prime refers to Omega Supreme as the only other Autobot capable of spaceflight, yet in season one, [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] made at least two interplanetary flights to Cybertron—one when it was in Earth's orbit, {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} and one millions of years previously, when it was very far away. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

*Prime shows a lapse in his leadership skills, as he sends Cosmos to the asteroid THREE times, without so much as an opportunity for a quick break in between. Furthermore, Cosmos himself suggests an all out assault which Prime rejects, and then later orders Omega to do exactly that! Lastly, as poor Cosmos is running back and forth, Prime is just chit-chatting with Omega. Couldn’t he have asked for the back-story after the threat had passed?

*Prime apparently doesn't hear Omega Supreme walk up to him until he's literally right next to him.

*According to both Omega Supreme and Optimus Prime, the reprogramming effects of Megatron's Robo-Smasher can never be reversed, but in "[[The Core]]", [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Chip Chase]] were able to sway the Constructicons to the Autobots' side with [[dominator disc]]s. This may have been yet another brainwash/override of previous programming rather than a "reversal", as such.

*Optimus Prime's surprise at Omega Supreme's post and function (MOS) back on Cybertron doesn't make sense, considering he had been given the Matrix and thus the rank of Autobot Commander about three million years before Omega's encounter with the Robo-Smasher.

*Optimus Prime knows that Megatron used the Robo-Smasher to "swell the ranks of the Decepticons," yet doesn't seem terribly concerned that the Decepticons he's been shooting at for millions of years may very well be mind-controlled slaves. If freedom is truly the right of all sentient beings, shouldn't he be trying to free them rather than kill them?

*By the same token, "the evil forces of the Decepticons" described in the theme doesn't seem much like a given if the forces are brainwashed.

* As usual in the series, major roadways are empty when the Autobots need to fight. Here, the Golden Gate Bridge has no cars on it throughout the episode, including at the end when Optimus and Omega have their little chat!

* Midway through the episode, Omega and the Constructicons battle on the asteroid, and it has plenty of area around them. At the end of the episode, Omega fills up the entire area on top of the asteroid by himself!

* Apparently Omega can consciously alter his speech patterns, and chooses to speak in his usual manner on his own accord. No other Autobot has shown to have this ability, or even [[Soundwave (G1)|a certain Decepticon]] for that matter.

*How does Prime get up to the asteroid? And how does he get back so fast?

*What were the Constructicons called even before Megatron's Robo-Smasher brainwashed them?

===Trivia===

*The uncharacteristic eloquence displayed by Omega Supreme in this episode was actually the result of an error by writer David Wise, who was unaware of Omega's normal speech pattern and scripted the episode with normal dialogue. Dialogue editors were forced to insert Optimus Prime's request for Omega to "talk like a normal Autobot" to make the script work.

*Cosmos clambers up Astrotrain to steal a rock, then slips and falls, jarring Astrotrain...who simply sits immobile while Cosmos makes his getaway.

*Megatron calls the creature a "mother beast." How does he know it's a mother, or even female for that matter?

* The previous episode had mechanical spores that grew into massive, nearly indestructible plants. This one has a giant robotic praying mantis that feeds on metallic minerals. Who created these creatures, and why? How did the mantis' asteroid get so close to Earth in the first place? And why is no one concerned when it goes flying off into space, presumably still hungry?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1986 — ''The Transformers'' — Volume 12: "The Secret of Omega Supreme", "War Dawn", "A Plague of Insecticons" ([[Family Home Entertainment]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2: Vol. 5 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 3: Series 2.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 05: Stagione Due Parte Terza ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part Two (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/the_secret_of_omega_supreme.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Secret of Omega Supreme}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

The Transformers: The Movie

2012-01-06T01:16:55Z

Thrashmetal210: /* Continuity errors */

{{disambig3|Transformers: The Movie}}

{{quote|Conceived in the epic tradition of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]''...|[[Victor Caroli]] ain't just whistling Dixie|[[The Transformers: The Movie promo|''The Transformers: The Movie'' promo]]}}

{{episode|
|seriess=[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]
|prev=B.O.T. (episode)
|next=Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1
|seriess2=[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]
|prev2=Scramble City: Mobilization
|title=''The Transformers: The Movie''
|image=Transformersanimatedfilmposter.jpg
|caption=Featuring the [[death]]s of all your favorite Transformers characters.
|production code=
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|writer=[[Ron Friedman]]
|directed by=[[Nelson Shin]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|release date=[[August 8]], [[1986]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''''The Transformers: The Movie''''' is an animated feature film based on the original Transformers toyline. It was released in the United States on Friday, August 8, 1986.

The film's storyline follows the same continuity as the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Transformers]]'' cartoon. It introduces a [[Scale|planet-sized Transformer]] called [[Unicron]] who eats other planets, and is approaching [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. As part of their continuing wars, the Autobots and Decepticons have a [[Battle of Autobot City|fierce battle]] on Earth which sees both Optimus Prime and Megatron mortally wounded. Prime passes the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to Ultra Magnus and dies, and Megatron is transformed by Unicron into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (briefly) assumes leadership of the Decepticons, but is killed when Galvatron arrives at Cybertron. Galvatron then chases the surviving Autobots on Earth across space, splitting them up and taking the Matrix. The Autobots find their way back to each other, and follow Galvatron to Cybertron just as Unicron transforms into robot mode and begins to eat their world. Travelling inside Unicron, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] recovers the Matrix, transforms into Rodimus Prime, and uses the Matrix to destroy Unicron.

Often referred to by fans simply as "the movie" or "TFTM", the movie was a step up in almost every area from the television series, with a more sophisticated plot, more serious treatment of war and violence, a hugely ambitious scope and a greatly increased animation budget with well-known celebrities providing voice work. For these reasons the film remains very popular with children of the 1980s.

The film opens with characters who had been featured in the first two years of the toyline and associated media (cartoons, comic books, etc.), but quickly introduces new characters and kills many of the old ones to make room. In particular, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] are all destroyed during the course of the film.

{{quote|The Japanese have funded a full-length animated cartoon about the doings of these toys, which is all bad outer-space stuff. I play a planet. I menace somebody called Something-or-other. Then I'm destroyed. My plan to destroy Whoever-it-is is thwarted and I tear myself apart on the screen.|Orson Welles<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=KlqsYy512WIC&source=gbs_navlinks_s "Orson Welles: A Biography"] page 522</ref>}}

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFTM_Unicron_Lithone.jpg|left|200px|thumb|That's no moon.]]

A mechanical planet travels through the depths of space, attacking [[Lithone (planet)|a metal planet]] which has [[Lithone (species)|robotic inhabitants]]. Robots, vehicles, buildings, and even large chunks of rock are sucked off the surface and devoured by the monstrous planet.

It is the year 2005, and the [[Decepticon]]s are now in control of Cybertron. The [[Autobot]]s are preparing to launch an assault to retake the planet from hidden bases on two of Cybertron's moons. The Autobots launch a [[Autobot shuttle|shuttle]] to pick up a final shipment of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] from [[Earth]] before they strike.

[[Image:Tftm1986a.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I have a bad feeling about this.]]

Plans for the attack are overheard by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], who reports back to [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. The Decepticons attack the Autobot shuttle en route to Earth, wiping out its crew (including [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]). Using the Autobots' own shuttle, the Decepticons are able to get very close to the Autobots' base on Earth, [[Autobot City]], before they are detected, and begin a devastating surprise attack on the unprepared city.

During the battle at Autobot City, both [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and Megatron suffer mortal injuries, and a number of others are also killed. Eventually the Decepticons retreat, but the damage suffered by the Autobots has been severe.

{{note|For an extensive synopsis of the battle, see [[Battle of Autobot City]].}}

[[Image:Tftm1986b.jpg|left|200px|thumb|If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.]]

Shortly after the battle, Prime lies on his deathbed. He passes the reins of leadership to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and gives him the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. (Though Hot Rod actually touches the Matrix before Magnus does.) Prime relates a prophecy: "One day, an Autobot shall rise from our ranks, and use the power of the Matrix to light our [[darkest hour]]." He then gives the oath, "[['Til all are one]]", and [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|dies]]. This sequence of events is observed remotely by Unicron, who appears unusually concerned by the survival of the Matrix.

The Decepticons are making their escape aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but are too heavy for him to get them all home under his own power. After putting the matter to a fair vote, the Decepticons decide to throw their injured members off the ship to better the chance of survival for the rest. One of the most severely injured Decepticons is Megatron. [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] tosses him out and claims leadership of the Decepticon army.

Megatron and the other adrift Decepticons then encounter Unicron in interstellar space. Unicron offers to rebuild Megatron and his minions in exchange for their service. Megatron agrees, and is [[Reformatting|reformatted]] into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. The other Decepticons are turned into [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and the [[Sweep]]s. Unicron provides them with a [[Revenge (G1)|ship]], and sends them to kill Ultra Magnus and destroy the Matrix, stating that the Matrix is the only thing which can stand in his way.

[[Image:Tftm1986c.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed.]]
Galvatron first stops at Cybertron to take his revenge by killing Starscream and reclaiming leadership of the Decepticons. Almost immediately afterwards, Unicron arrives in Cybertron's vicinity and devours at least two moons—both of the Autobots' moon bases are destroyed. Under coercion by Unicron, Galvatron finally heads to Earth to kill Ultra Magnus, but Magnus and the other surviving Autobots flee in a pair of shuttles. Eventually Galvatron manages to cause one shuttle to crash on yet another metal planet ([[Quintessa]]), and detonates the other with a volley of missiles. However, the Autobots in the second shuttle escape unnoticed by separating the front portion of their shuttle just before impact.

The Autobots in the crashed shuttle, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], find themselves separated and in a hostile environment. Hot Rod and Kup are captured by a squad of [[Allicon]]s and taken before a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson#Judges|judge]] and his court. While being held there, they learn the name and nature of Unicron from [[Kranix]], a survivor of the planet destroyed in the opening of the film, which he calls [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]]. Meanwhile, the Dinobots encounter and befriend a young, wild Autobot named [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] who has been living alone on Quintessa. Together, they crash the trial just as Hot Rod and Kup are fighting losing odds against the Quintessons' [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]]. The tide is turned, and the Autobots commandeer a [[Quintesson spacecraft#Quintesson_Cruiser|Quintesson Cruiser]].

[[Image:Tftm1986d.jpg|left|200px|thumb|What an incredible smell you've discovered!]]
The other group of Autobots has landed on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] to make repairs, but are attacked yet again by Galvatron, who was tipped off to their survival by Unicron. During the battle, Ultra Magnus tries to open the Matrix to use its power, but is unable to do so, and instead is killed. Galvatron absconds with the Matrix, taking it away to Unicron. The remaining Autobots—[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike's]] son [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]—are then ambushed by [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], the eponymous natives of Junkion, who are also giant transforming robots. This battle is cut short, however, by the arrival of Hot Rod's group in their Quintesson ship. After exchanging the [[universal greeting]] they all make friends, and the Junkions restore Ultra Magnus to life. Together, the whole group travels to Cybertron to try to recover the Matrix.

[[Image:TFTM Unicron smashes cybertron.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Rebel base in range. You may fire when ready.]]
Galvatron attempts to open the Matrix to use its power against Unicron, but is also unable to get it open. Unicron, not pleased with this attempted treachery, shocks Galvatron by transforming from a planet into a [[Scale|planet-sized robot]]. Unicron plucks Galvatron off his chest and swallows him, Matrix and all, and then begins attacking Cybertron itself. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] scrambles the Decepticon forces to defend the planet, but they are ineffective against so large an enemy. Shortly the Autobots arrive from Junkion, and fly the Quintesson ship straight through Unicron's eye. This impact destroys the ship, and the Autobots fall out inside Unicron. Hot Rod, separated from the others, eventually runs into Galvatron. During their fight, Hot Rod gets his hands on the Matrix and hears Optimus's voice speak the words, "Arise, Rodimus Prime." Hot Rod grows in stature, adopts a much sterner demeanor, and quickly dispatches Galvatron by tossing him through Unicron's hull out into space. He then opens the Matrix, which fills Unicron with light and begins destroying him.

[[Image:Tftm1986e.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Use the Force, Luke.]]
In the meantime, the other Autobots inside Unicron have located some of their comrades from the moon bases who had been presumed dead, including [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and Daniel's father, Spike. The Autobots, including Rodimus, escape through Unicron's remaining eye just as he begins to fall apart and explode. The scene then immediately shifts to the surface of Cybertron, where—for unclear reasons—the Autobots seem to be in charge again. Rodimus predicts an era of peace and prosperity, and the film closes with a shot of Unicron's severed head still floating in orbit around Cybertron.

[['Til all are one]].
{{-}}

==Quotes==
"Such heroic nonsense."
:—'''Megatron''' coldly finishes off Ironhide. The 'Cons always get the best lines.

"I've got better things to do tonight than die!"
:—'''Springer''', telling it like it is.

"One shall stand. One shall fall."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' uttering the most quoted line of the Movie. An ass kicker cometh.

"You, who are without mercy, now plead for it? I thought you were made of '''''sterner stuff'''''."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s trash talk is actually [http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/sterner-stuff a lot cooler than it sounds]

"Until that day...'til all are one..."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s final words

"Oh, how it ''pains'' me to do this." 
"Wait! I still function!" 
"Wanna ''bet''?"
:—'''Starscream''' fights back the tears as he throws '''Megatron''' out of Astrotrain.

"I have summoned you here for a purpose." 
"Nobody summons Megatron!" 
"Then it pleases me to be the first."
:—'''Unicron''' shows '''Megatron''' who's the boss.

"Who disrupts my coronation?" 
"Coronation, Starscream? This is bad comedy." 
"Megatron? Is that you?" 
"Here's a hint!"
:—'''Galvatron''' drops "hints" for '''Starscream''' like others drop anvils.

"Did we ''have'' to let them detonate three quarters of the ship?" 
"Seeing as how they would have detonated ''four'' quarters, I think it was a good choice."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Springer'''

"For a time... I considered ''sparing'' your wretched little planet Cybertron. But now... you shall witness... its ''dismemberment''!"
:—'''Unicron''' really needs to work on his anger management skills...

"Let this mark the end of the Cybertronian Wars as we march forward into a new era of peace and happiness! 'Til all are one!" 
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' announces the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]... yeah, right.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]/Rodimus Prime ([[Judd Nelson]])
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Robert Stack]])
*[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] ([[Lionel Stander]])
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] ([[Susan Blu]])
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] ([[John Moschitta]])
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] ([[Gregg Berger]])
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] ([[Paul Eiding]])
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] ([[Buster Jones]])
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] ([[Michael Bell]])
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] ([[Michael Bell]])
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] ([[Scatman Crothers]])
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] ([[Dan Gilvezan]])
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] ([[Casey Kasem]])
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] ([[Don Messick]])*
*[[Auto-combatant]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Eject]]
*[[Rewind]]
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]
*[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]]
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Grapple]]
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]]
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]** ([[Walker Edmiston]])
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] ([[Leonard Nimoy]])
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] ([[Chris Latta]])
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] ([[Roger C. Carmel]])
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] ([[Stan Jones]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] ([[Arthur Burghardt]])
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] ([[Michael Bell]])
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] ([[Don Messick]])
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] ([[Hal Rayle]])
*[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] ([[Clive Revill]])
*[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] ([[Jack Angel]])
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] ([[Bud Davis]])
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] ([[Ed Gilbert]])
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]
*[[Sweep]]s
*[[Cyclonus's Armada]]
|h3=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c3=
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] ([[Eric Idle]])
*[[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] ([[Michael Bell|Bell]] and/or [[Frank Welker|Welker]])
*[[Rubbish]] ([[Michael Bell|Bell]] and/or [[Frank Welker|Welker]])
*[[Re-Cycle]] ([[Michael Bell|Bell]] and/or [[Frank Welker|Welker]])
*[[Trashbin]] ([[Michael Bell|Bell]] and/or [[Frank Welker|Welker]])
*[[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] ([[Michael Bell|Bell]] and/or [[Frank Welker|Welker]])
*[[HAZMAT]] ([[Michael Bell|Bell]] and/or [[Frank Welker|Welker]])
*[[Ashtray]] ([[Michael Bell|Bell]] and/or [[Frank Welker|Welker]])
*[[Wasteoid Gamma]] ([[Michael Bell|Bell]] and/or [[Frank Welker|Welker]])
*[[Greasestain]] ([[Michael Bell|Bell]] and/or [[Frank Welker|Welker]])
|h4=Others|c4=
'''[[Human]]s'''
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] ([[David Mendenhall]])

'''[[Lithone (species)|Lithones]]'''
*[[Kranix]] ([[Norman Alden|Norm Alden]])
*[[Arblus]] ([[Norman Alden|Norm Alden]])

'''[[Quintesson]]s'''
*[[Quintesson]] leader ([[Roger C. Carmel]])
*[[Quintesson#Judges|Quintesson judge]] ([[Regis Cordic|Rege Cordic]])
*[[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Allicon]]s

'''Other'''
*[[Unicron]] ([[Orson Welles]])
*Unnamed Red Alien (in Tribunal Quintessa)
|nonumbering=true
}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Credited, but may or may not have appeared.

<nowiki>**</nowiki>Credited, but did not appear.

==Animation errors==
* When Unicron is approaching Lithone at the start of the movie, at the line "Look, it's Unicron!", a [[Animation error#Sizing errors|cel stacking error]] results in Unicron's ring appearing in front of a building arch, [[Distribution|making Unicron look very tiny]] in that shot. In the next shot, it is clear that Unicron is several times larger than the entire planet of Lithone.
* The inside of one of the Lithonian ships being devoured by Unicron is visible for a couple of frames. The pilot of the ship appears to be Kranix, even though he apparently screams out Kranix's name, and Kranix appears later in the Quintesson prison.
* When Optimus Prime asks Jazz to report security status, it shows both Jazz and Cliffjumper. Cliffjumper is seen twiddling knobs above the actual drawn computer, as if a section was supposed to be present.
*When the closeup of Cliffjumper doing his countdown is shown, his shoulders are blue (like his windows) instead of red.
* When the Decepticons blow a hole through the Autobot shuttle to get in, it is a clean break. However, Megatron is still shown ripping through random ship components to get in.
* Scavenger's head is white instead of black as he ducks from Prowl's shot.
* When the Decepticons are killing the Autobot shuttle crew, there is one of the common Starscream/Skywarp/Thundercracker miscolors. Megatron transforms into gun mode and Starscream catches him, killing Brawn. When they cut back to the Decepticons, Starscream is in front of the Constructicons without Megatron and is firing one of his arm rifles (this probably should have been Skywarp or Thundercracker). When they cut back to the Decepticons for the third time, Starscream has Megatron again and is finishing off the rest of the Autobots. In the shot of Starscream firing his own lasers, his wings are red instead of gray.
* When the Decepticons fly to the shuttle's controls, all of the Autobots have changed positions from when they fell—Brawn is now on his back, for example, while Prowl is now face-down. Ironhide's chest is also completely intact, despite having a bunch of holes blown in it.
* When Hot catches a fish, it is barely the size of his finger. When he releases it, it's [[Scale|suddenly huge]].
* Hot Rod has at least two totally different transformation schemes during the course of the film.
* When Kup and several Autobots at the roadblock react to Hot Rod's attack on the hijacked Autobot shuttle, Bluestreak is represented by Prowl's [[Character model|animation model]], in Bluestreak's grey and black colours.
* Sunstreaker appears with Kup's group on Earth as they observe Hot Rod firing on Ironhide's shuttle. Sunstreaker later appears as Optimus Prime's co-pilot when they arrive on Earth with the Dinobots, and is seen disembarking the shuttle along with Optimus Prime and Hound.
* In a wide aerial shot of the city under attack, a Reflector flies by in Ironhide's color scheme. Shockwave also makes his only appearance in the battle; considering both his role as Cybertron's guardian and his absence from any other scenes during the battle, his presence is probably an animation error. Rumble also flies past, despite being inside Soundwave at this point.
* Blaster's forehead is red instead of white after his "look out and shout!" line, and again after he returns to robot mode.
* A laser blast that should be behind Blaster is instead layered in front of him as he acknowledges Perceptor's orders.
* In the big lineup of firing Decepticons, Soundwave's cheek guards are blue instead of white.
* When [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] sends out his cassette troops, [[FIRRIB|Rumble is the same color as Frenzy]].
* Blaster first ejects what looks like Eject, who stays blue up until he gets to the edge of the screen. He then turns black like Rewind. Then Blaster ejects another blue cassette, which after about a second turns black. This one gets through half his transformation colored black, then turns blue for a split second then turns black again. Then, when the cassettes are fighting each other, Eject runs in from the left and jumps over Perceptor. And then he runs in from the left ''again'' to shoot Ravage.
* As Springer runs up to the launcher, Wheeljack's body is visible, but he's in red, white and blue colors.
* While Springer and Arcee are trying to move the launcher into place, Springer's face is the same color as his helmet.
* When Devastator forms in Autobot City, his chest plate is the same green as the rest of him. In the next shot, it's the usual purple. However, it promptly turns green again in the next shot.
* As Devastator lays into the walls, Shrapnel is white where he should be black.
* While Perceptor and Grapple are shooting, Swoop's lower half runs by in the foreground, long before the rest of him gets there.
* Megatron's pelvis is white instead of black as he gives the "let the slaughter begin!" order.
* Prime's dramatic transformation sequence far outlasts the transformation sound that's supposed to go with it. It's also the wrong sound (ascending pitch) for his robot-to-vehicle transformation. His trailer is also missing the Autobot logo, which reappears for the rest of the scene.
* When Prime drives up behind the Decepticons, Blitzwing's head is tan instead of purple. It becomes purple when he turns it, then goes back to tan again as he turns it back.
* Prime is missing the transformation sound as he blasts back to robot mode.
* The gun Megatron uses to fatally injure Optimus is blue and white for most of the shots it is seen in, but when Megatron screams "Fall! FALL!" while shooting Prime again, it is black.
* The gun Megatron fires uses the same sound effect as his fusion cannon.
* Prime's antennae are white as he tries to stand after knocking Megatron off the ledge.
* As he orders Astrotrain to take off, Starscream's face is gray instead of black.
* Starscream's whole nosecone, rather than just the canopy, is yellow as he looms over Megatron.
* When Optimus Prime takes the Matrix out of his chest to give to Ultra Magnus, there is another Matrix beneath it in his chest. (On which note, see also ''[[Matrix of Leadership#Universe|Matrix of Leadership, Universe comic]].'') Also, he initially grabs just the core of the Matrix, while the rest of the scene shows the entire assembly.
* When Ultra Magnus accepts the Matrix, he's seen inserting it into his chest twice, or at best readjusting its "fit".
* As the other Decepticons prepare to push him out, Bombshell's chest is rendered as a shapeless gray mass, rather than with its yellow canopy.
* The voice that says, "Brothers! Don't!" is nowhere close to the voices of any of the five Decepticons shown getting thrown out of Astrotrain.
* Starscream's got an extra yellow segment on his canopy as he nominates himself for leadership. Man, even the A-list animation team couldn't keep this straight.
* Most of Megatron's chest emblem isn't colored in as he first speaks to Unicron. It might pass for battle damage, but a few shots later it's fully purple.
[[Image:Coronation .jpg|thumb|right|250px| *''trumpet fanfare''* ]]
* Even after the [[Battle of Autobot City]], characters who are supposedly dead continue to appear in crowd shots and battles. Shrapnel's role in the fight on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]] is the most noticeable (and he was called for by name in the original script), but Thundercracker, Skywarp and Kickback can all be seen at Starscream's coronation. The two jets are later seen again, flying into Unicron's mouth.
* Hook has two eyes instead of a visor as he looks around in confusion during the trumpet scene.
* An early establishing shot clearly shows Cybertron with two and ''only'' two moons in low orbit. Yet a third moon is visible right after Unicron finishes eating the two Autobot bases.
* When Galvatron introduces himself to the Coronation party, Soundwave's chest window is drawn far too small.
* When Cyclonus is strafing the Autobot shuttle in space, he briefly flies offscreen, and during that time his laser blasts come from a point that in no way matches his flight path.
*During the wide shot of the Autobots in the crashed ship on Junk, Blurr's entire head is white.
* Daniel's lips don't purse when he whistles.
* Wreck-Gar's mouth doesn't move at all during his first lines, despite the camera pushing in all close on his face.
* The pistol Ultra Magnus fires uses the same sound effect as Optimus Prime's rifle.
* Shrapnel's lower legs are white when he lands on Junk, instead of black. Must be a side effect of being dead.
* During the Junkion chase scene, Trashbin attacks Arcee. When she fights him off his motorcycle, his model is switched for Junkyard's when he falls down.
* When Hot Rod tells the Junkions the universal greeting, the Autobot insignia on his chest is coloured black.
* When Grimlock gets kissed, his eyes are round instead of triangular.
* When Unicron transforms, the first hand we see (his right) is backwards relative to how the arm is shown on screen.
* After transforming, Unicron has all-white hands (instead of white with gold knuckles) and a white, rectangular chin (instead of the double-triangular chin with a goatee) he has later.
* As Hot Rod falls off one of Unicron's inner spikes, his lower body isn't drawn in. It looks like it should be blocked by our view of the spike, but is layered above it instead.
* Hot Rod's missing his Autobot symbol as he regains his footing inside Unicron.
* During the same sequence, we see a standard-looking control panel next to Hot Rod. It's unlikely Galvatron had time to create one inside Unicron, so where did it come from?
* As the Dinobots fly around Unicron, both his eyes are intact. (The left one had been shattered.)
* As the Dinobots fly away from Unicron, the spikes on Grimlock's right arm are gray instead of gold.
* The third smelting victim (who looks a lot like another Bumblebee) doesn't fall from the conveyor belt; he simply vanishes.

== Continuity errors ==
[[Image:G1TFTM Snarl cameo.JPG|thumb|right|250px|He used to bulls-eye womp-rats in his T16 back home.]]

* The Dinobot [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] is mysteriously absent from almost the entire movie, even though the Dinobots as a group are featured prominently. Copies of the script which have come into fans' hands repeatedly list the Dinobots, but never make mention of Snarl by name. In fact, at one point the script refers to "the four Dinobots". Despite this, Snarl does appear in three very brief shots{{m-}}in which at least one other Dinobot (Swoop in one, Sludge in another) is entirely absent. Hmm.
* Also curiously absent are the 1985 Autobot cars and Mini-Vehicles, such as Inferno, Smokescreen, Cosmos, Warpath, etc. It would seem that these characters were available at the time of the movie:
** Perceptor and Blaster both debuted at the same time in the cartoon as the 1985 cars, and both play prominent roles in the movie.
** Grapple is [[:Image:BattleAutobotCity.jpg|seen ''very'' briefly]] during the battle for Autobot City.
** The 1985 Decepticons (Astrotrain, Dirge, etc.) appear in the film.
** [[:Image:TFTM-SideswipeRedAlertTracks.jpg|Tracks]], [[:Image:TFTM-RedAlertDown.jpg|Red Alert]] and Smokescreen (who was supposed to be the corpse in place of Wheeljack next to Windcharger) all appeared in storyboards but not the finished film.
* Devastator is treated as ''the'' ultimate threat, while in the cartoon, his role (and apparent power) was already being [[Starscream's Brigade|severely diminished]], presumably because several other combiners had been introduced. In story terms, the absence of these newer combiners, not to mention the mighty Omega Supreme, is inexplicable. In real-life terms, those characters didn't exist when the film commenced production. (The [[Transformers: The Animated Movie]] adaptation shows Omega Supreme, Superion and Defensor guarding the Ark against an attack by Bruticus and Menasor, attempting to [[retcon]] the problem away.)
[[Image:Cyclonus armada tftf.jpg|thumb|right|250px|We'll be safe enough once we make the jump into lightspeed.]]
* The existence of Cybertron's moons is contentious ''at best''.
** On the one hand, in numerous close and distant shots of the planet throughout the first two seasons, not a single moon was seen. Ever. Even after it got knocked out of Earth's orbit.
** On the other hand, Megatron ''does'' refer to Cybertron as "land of the metal moon" (note the singular) during "[[Microbots]]", suggesting otherwise. The fact that he was overenergized at the time and lost consciousness in mid-sentence - just before he ''might'' have specified a plural number of moons, (in)conveniently enough - makes it unclear just how much credence we should lend this statement.
** The movie promptly introduces two (possibly three) moons over the planet. In continuity terms, they must either have highly elliptical orbits with periapsides (points in their orbits that bring them closest to the planet) that just happened to coincide with the timeframe of the movie or they were constructed sometime after 1986.
* During the Battle of Autobot City, Starscream gets his leg caught. He shoots downward and gets away while screaming "My foot!", but it's his shin that's smoking while his foot looks fine. Later he kicks Megatron with the same foot. Shouldn't that hurt, according to him? Note there is a time lapse between the "foot shooting" and the kicking, leaving the option of a battlefield repair.
* So Ultra Magnus just happens to have a ready-made Matrix chamber installed in his chest cavity? Is this standard issue for all Autobots?
* The cartoon had already established that Astrotrain increases his size when he transforms to shuttle mode, being large enough to carry a pair of Decepticons in his cockpit. However, within the movie itself, his size is [[scale|noticeably inconsistent]]: When he leaves Autobot City, he's just large enough for the Decepticon army to cram themselves in; later, he's so huge that the Constructicons can quite comfortably form Devastator inside him.
* Speaking of Astrotrain, his entire body flips over when he transforms from train to space shuttle to escape from Autobot City. The Decepticons inside must have ''loved'' that!
* Soundwave is loyal enough to pick up a wounded Megatron and save him, but when Starscream goes to throw Megatron out, Soundwave doesn't try to intervene. He even tries to steal the leadership once Megatron is gone. The "loyalty" attribute that has pertained so strongly to Soundwave seems to be alienated from the character in this scene.
* The number of minions created by Unicron changes throughout the film, with more Sweeps appearing as the story progresses. A second Cyclonus ("Cyclonus, the warrior, and [[Cyclonus's Armada|his armada]]") is shown being created but disappears shortly thereafter. At least ''seven'' new characters are shown at one point, created from only ''six'' Decepticons thrown from the shuttle.
*How can the Constructicons blow on those trumpets? Only [[Hook (G1)|three]] [[Bonecrusher (G1)|of]] [[Mixmaster (G1)|them]] have mouths. Do robots even ''need'' to breathe?
*Speaking of which, Galvatron was breathing hard when Unicron mentally tortured him.

[[Image:SSBQ.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"I've been looking forward to this for a long time." "Yes, I bet you have."]]
* [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] is capable of reducing [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] to ashes with a single shot from his cannon mode. Though in later episodes Galvatron is shown blowing up even small ''[[Thrull|planets]]'' with his cannon, his extraordinary killing power seems to be gone—like when he scores a direct hit in cannon mode on Ultra Magnus in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" and Magnus isn't especially hurt at all, or how a similar blast against Scourge in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]" only leaves the latter temporarily incapacitated. [[Marvel Comics]] bios explain this by suggesting that Galvatron had nearly limitless power through Unicron... but then again, Galvatron himself claims to be "more powerful than ever" after Unicron is dead in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]". [[To sell toys|Who knows.]]
* Why didn't anyone notice Unicron until he was within devouring distance of Cybertron's moons?
* Despite running out of energon goodies on Quintessa, Hot Rod has at least one to offer to the Junkions. Maybe he got some on the ship. It's also possible that, when he told the Allicons "No more," he meant that he wasn't going to ''feed'' them any more energon goodies, not that he didn't ''have'' anymore.
* Daniel, who was just learning how to use his exo-suit, had to knock down the acid cover inside Unicron to save his loved ones. Why couldn't the more experienced Spike do the same with his suit from above? He had both of his arms free and a clear shot at the cover. On the other hand, the clamp holding him may well disable his exo-suit's weapons and movement abilities-if it didn't, Unicron probably wouldn't have eaten half as many victims by now...
* It's not clear how Rodimus Prime (carrying two humans) and the other Autobots survived their jump out of Unicron's eye and their plunge towards the surface of Cybertron.
* It's also unclear just how the dozen or so Autobots (and one shipload of Junkions) managed to retake the whole planet of Cybertron. Did Unicron really wipe out ''that'' many Decepticons?
* When the Autobots are repairing Autobot City, Blaster is present, but a few minutes later, he's nowhere to be seen. And he isn't seen getting on one of the shuttles. It is possible that they took off without him, but Daniel noticed Arcee was not on board. Guess he cares more about Arcee than Blaster.
* Ultra Magnus blows up, but later his parts are just in individual sections. The Junkions place them together and shine him up, and he's fine! No welding or reprogramming, no replacing damaged parts...
* Makes you wonder why they couldn't fly Prime's body over and repair it, too. At the end of season three, we find out the Matrix can be given back to him, so that's not the issue...

===Not necessarily errors===
* Fans have noted throughout the years that Astrotrain, in his flight through zero-gravity space, should not have needed to "jettison some weight" in the literal sense. However, since the ejected Decepticons quickly fall behind Astrotrain instead of floating alongside him, he must still have been accelerating and thus would have needed to burn a greater amount of fuel in order to push a larger payload. Perhaps he should have said "jettison some ''mass''", but then again, just being a spaceship doesn't make him a rocket scientist.
* Starscream is shown just inside Astrotrain's cargo bay when he commands him to take off, but in the next shot (Astrotrain's door closing as his rocket engines ignite), Starscream is nowhere to be seen. It's possible that he walked further in, but he should still be at least partially visible.

==Continuity notes==
* The Movie has had a huge effect in shaping the mythos. Among the elements and characters which would reappear in many other iterations of Transformers are:
** The notion that Cybertron has moons
** The Matrix as a physical object, rather than the computer program previously depicted in the Marvel Comics. Even the Marvel Comics would eventually shoehorn this one in.
** Autobot City
** Unicron
** The notion of Megatron becoming Galvatron
** And it killed off Optimus Prime before it was cool!
* Gadgets and powers:
** Springer deploys a small flip-out twin laser from his wrist during the Autobot City battle.
** Arcee and Hot Rod both activate a long-distance scanner of some sort by lowering a red visor from under their helmets over their eyes.
** Hot Rod uses a saw blade that extends from his retracted wrist.
** Blurr has the same kind of hooked welding tip used by various Autobots as far back as "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".
** Arcee unleashes a nasty barbed post from her fender to fend off a Junkion.
** Grimlock shows the never-before seen ability to shoot lasers from his fists.
* '''[[The Revenge of Bruticus|< <]]''' What makes Starscream the leader? Megatron's <s>dead</s> almost dead!

==Real-world references and Easter eggs==
[[Image:TFTMUnicronSkyscrapers.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
* When the inside of Unicron is shown after he devours Lithone, the "blinking energy" effect of Unicron's innards was apparently achieved by recycling backgrounds from other animated TV shows or movies. A frame by frame viewing reveals what appear to be several images of post-apocalyptic buildings inside Unicron, some of which are upside-down.
* When Sludge gets haymakered by Devastator, his eyes pop out of their sockets in ''[[Wikipedia:Looney Tunes|Looney Tunes]]'' fashion.
* Kup's storytelling sequence aboard the shuttle is drawn from the novel ''[[Wikipedia:Of Mice and Men|Of Mice and Men]]'', complete with Grimlock in the Lenny role asking Kup to "tell Grimlock about petrorabbits again".

* The Quintesson jail cell includes robot debris ''strongly'' resembling the mobile suits [[Wikipedia:Gundam Mk-II|RX-178 Gundam MK II]] and the [[Wikipedia:Z Gundam|MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam]] from 1985 Japanese animation ''[[Wikipedia:Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam]]''.

* The Junkions speak almost entirely in pop culture quotes and pastiches. Littered among the generic phrases like "operators are standing by!", "Film at eleven" and "eliminate even the toughest stains" are more specific references, such as:
** "Don't look behind door #2, Monty!" - a reference to the game show ''[[Wikipedia:Let's Make a Deal|Let's Make a Deal]]'' and its host, [[Wikipedia:Monty Hall|Monty Hall]].
** "Ger-ronny-doo-ron-ron-ronny-mo!" - both the famous "[[Wikipedia:Geronimo (exclamation)|Geronimo!]]" war cry, and the 1963 hit "[[Wikipedia:Da Doo Ron Ron|Da Doo Ron Ron]]".
** "You check in, but you don't check out" - a parody of the tagline for [[Wikipedia:Roach Motel (insect trap)|Roach Motel]] insect traps.
** "Happy motoring!" - the slogan of gas company [[Wikipedia:Esso|Esso]].

* ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects (yes, even the high-budget Movie uses them):
** The ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst noise is used extensively throughout the film, over and over and over, almost any time a Decepticon takes flight.

** [[Luke Skywalker]]'s deactivating [[lightsaber]] is used as the sound of the Quintesson ship's ramp extending.
** Clashing lightsabers are used as Unicron fires eye-blasts at the attacking Transformers.

** An igniting lightsaber is used as Rodimus opens the Matrix.
* The ''Star Trek'' sliding door sound is used as Wreck-Gar pulls out his <s>iPhone</s> mini-TV.
* Also, the sound used for the communicators on Star Trek was used when Daniel was activating his blaster to save Spike

==Adaptations==
*[[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|A comic adaptation of the movie]] was published by [[Marvel Comics]] in 1986, concurrently with the movie's theater run. It was based off a non-finalized version of the script, and differs in many details from the final film. Additionally, most of the major character models (and possibly their unedited original character write-ups) appear in issue #4 of the ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Transformers Universe]]'' series.
* [[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|A storybook adaptation]] was released in the UK by [[Ladybird Books]].
*A four-part adaptation was released in 2006/2007 by [[IDW Publishing]], as part of the film's 20th anniversary celebration. It was titled ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' to differentiate it from the [[Michael Bay]] [[Transformers (2007)|live-action film]]. Unlike its predecessor, it adheres rigidly to the script and plot of the finished movie.

==Soundtrack==
{{main|The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack}}

==Promotions==
* Early in the movie's production, a [[The Transformers: The Movie promo|promotional trailer]] was made to sell the project to potential investors.
* The movie was advertised on related 1986 toy packages via the [[Decipher the Decepticon]] Sweepstakes, which included a pack-in poster and contest.
* The movie was heavily advertised directly by TV [[commercial]]s, and tail-end segments on Transformer toy ads. Portions of its story were also retold in altered fashion by animation segments of commercials for the movie character toys, such as a spot showing Springer doing battle with Wreck-Gar.

==In the comic continuity==
The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK comic]] made extensive use of the Movie as the basis for a series of stories involving the Transformers in the future. However there are several differences between the events seen on screen and those referenced in the comic:

*The comic always dates the movie to 2006, following the date given in a treatment that was all [[Simon Furman]] had when he wrote [[Target: 2006]].
*In Target: 2006, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] states that he was previously "[[Life Spark]]".
*The Matrix is always called the "Creation Matrix" in the comic, a name that predates the "Matrix of Leadership" but which is now used for the same physical object.
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] both survive the events, both later appearing in [[Space Pirates!]] (set in 2008).

In addition, Shockwave definitely survives the attack by Unicron.

The US comic almost completely ignored the events of the Movie, though later in the run an alternative future is briefly shown in "[[Rhythms of Darkness!]]" and "[[A Savage Circle]]". In this timeline at least some of the events of the Movie took place such as the creation of Galvatron from Megatron, which is dated to 2005, though Prowl's death was overlooked. [[Prowl II|Wouldn't be the first time. Or the last.]]
*The US version of the future story [[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]] implicitly has the events of the movie as part of its backstory. However, since the rest of the US series ignored the movie, this issue's place in the continuity is questionable.

==Edits==
Several English-language versions of the film exist, with the following differences in content from the American theatrical run:

* In some versions (notably the European version) the opening credits are replaced with a scrolling text ("''Star Wars'' style") which provides backstory.
* In some versions (notably the European version) the film ends with [[Victor Caroli|a narrator]] reassuring the audience that Optimus Prime will return.
* Instances of swearing in the film (there are two) were edited out; sometimes one, sometimes both. Those instances are: Spike yelling, "Oh shit, what are we gonna do now?" after the self-destructing Moon Base 2 fails to scratch Unicron, and Ultra Magnus growling, "Open, damn it, open!" while trying to open the Matrix to fend off Galvatron and the Sweeps on Junkion. The United Kingdom cinema version had the swearing included but, when it was released on VHS in the United Kingdom, Spike's line was cut ("damn" not being considered offensive in the UK). However it has been restored on all United Kingdom DVD releases.
* In some early FHE video releases, the shot of the Matrix falling out of Optimus Prime's hand and being caught by Hot Rod is edited so that it appears that Ultra Magnus simply takes the Matrix from Prime. Why this was done is not known, and the replay of the Hot Rod catch on Unicron's monitors was left intact.
*Instead of DEG, the [[wikipedia:Rank Organisation|Rank Film]] "gong man" appears before the film, as Rank were the United Kingdom distributors.

None of these edits significantly affect the story. They should not be confused with various other sequences which were changed before the film's final release:

* Originally, Ultra Magnus's "death sequence" on Junkion called for him to be lassoed and drawn and quartered by the Sweeps' energy beams, but this was deemed too graphic for audiences, hence the less disturbing "shot to death" sequence seen instead. There is evidence that the original sequence had been fully animated when the decision was made, however; the Sweeps still kept their solid energy lassos when they fire upon Magnus, and Magnus is seen visibly straining against what appears to be said lassos (edited out and replaced with laser fire) before exploding.
* A number of other sequences were illustrated as [[storyboard]]s but dropped, presumably without ever being animated. Among them were:
** A short scene showing Ironhide piloting the Autobot shuttle through ''huge chunks of ice'' from the tail of a passing comet, explaining how the Decepticons caught them unawares. In response to a reprimand by Prowl who prickishly disapproves of Ironhide's piloting shenanigans, Ironhide exclaims, "I can sure as shootin' dodge a couple of ice chunks". When the Autobots are suddenly jolted by the Decepticon strike force as Megatron and his troops attempt to enter the shuttle, Ironhide tells the others on board, "That was no ice chunk...". Heroic nonsense ensues...
** An extended sequence with Hot Rod and Daniel outside the city.
** A sequence of Mirage blasting Bombshell and being fired on by Megatron.
** The Autobots finally bringing down Devastator with a barrage of missiles (and the Constructicons subsequently shooting Red Alert in the back).
** The Decepticons dogpiling Optimus Prime, explaining why he seems to be standing up just before his fight with Megatron, and no longer holding his rifle. According to storyboards, Prime gets bum-rushed by Blitzwing (who causes Prime to drop his gun), Starscream, Astrotrain, and Skywarp. While it is not clear how Prime defeated the first four hand-to-hand combatants, Dirge is later shown attempting one final sneak attack (and gets his can handed back to him) as Prime is talking to Megatron before the two leaders' final fight.
** Trailbreaker is shown dead among the wreckage of Autobot City as the Decepticons begin their retreat.
:Some of these concepts were in earlier versions of the script, and hence made it into the comic adaptation.
* Rumors have occasionally circulated in the fandom of additional animated footage that was dropped from the film, such as ultra-violent battle scenes. No evidence has ever surfaced to back these claims; the only known edits are those listed in this section.
:{{see|Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#The Transformers: The Movie|Urban legends about ''The Transformers: The Movie''}}

==Reception==
{{quote|''The Transformers'', in which Orson Welles plays a planet, is pure headache material. Target audience of cartoon-watchers also will probably find the film unintelligible, noisy and unoriginal. Boxoffice prospects are dismal.|2=[http://books.google.com/books?id=DHNZAAAAMAAJ&q=Hasbro+Transformers&dq=Hasbro+Transformers&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=1983&as_maxm_is=12&as_maxy_is=2005&num=50&as_brr=0&cd=69 Variety's Film Reviews 1985-1986, Volume 19]}}

{{quote|Obnoxious animated feature about the title good guys, who defend the universe against an evil planet (which has a voice of its own... provided by Orson Welles.) That deafening rock score certainly doesn't help. Little more than a feature-length toy commercial.|Leonard Maltin, ''1987 Movie & Video Guide''}}

{{quote|While all this action may captivate young children, the animation is not spectacular enough to dazzle adults, and the Transformers have few truly human elements to lure parents along, even when their voices are supplied by well-known actors. |2=[http://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/09/movies/screen-transformers-animation-for-children.html The New York Times]}}

{{quote|Transformers -- The Movie, a feature-length animated film inspired by the syndicated TV cartoon series inspired by the Hasbro toy imported from Japan, is utterly uninspired entertainment. |2=[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED3CE8EA8D40CCA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM The Dallas Morning News]}}

{{quote|If you can swallow, without gagging, a large measure of sentimental and offensive religiosity - lines like "Do not grieve. Soon I will be one with the Matrix," whispered by a failing hunk of Autobot metal - then you have a better than even chance of leaving the theatre on your own two feet. |2=[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=01kiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W6gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2445,1286000&dq=transformers&hl=en The Montreal Gazette]}}

{{quote|Everything is poorly drawn and - when it's in focus - one dimensional. It is terribly hard to separate the robots from the backgrounds, and there is no easy way to tell the good guys from the bad guys. In an earlier movie based on the same sort of robot toys - "Go-Bots: The Battle of the Rock Lords" - the good guys were either white or colorful and the bad guys were dreary, and they had distinct personalities. Not this movie; everyone looks and sounds alike, except one pink robot who is a female good guy. Her tin voluptuousness makes her stand out. |2=[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kw4wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OgMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6957,6334152&dq=transformers&hl=en The Toledo Blade]}}

{{quote|Even with an all-star cast doing the voice overs... and a rock music score, this is still nothing more than a ripoff of a successful toy line. |2=[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AYckAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dtsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4192,1494652&dq=transformers&hl=en The Palm Beach Post]}}

{{quote|The great animated villains, like the Wicked Queen in Disney's "Snow White," had motivations as compelling as any live-action character. Unicron apparently destroys entire worlds because it has nothing else to do. |2=[http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/57996397.html?dids=57996397:57996397&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+8%2C+1986&author=CHARLES+SOLOMON&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=8&desc=%60THE+TRANSFORMERS%27%3A+STRETCHING+A+POINT The LA Times]}}

''The Transformers: The Movie'' was almost universally panned by professional critics upon its release.

Well-known film critic and animation enthusiast, Leonard Maltin, gave it a rating below 1 1/2 stars in his ''1987 Movie & Video Guide'', regarding it as a "bomb", then proceeded to write an unflattering blurb denouncing the film as a "feature-length toy commercial" (well, he was ''right'').

Caryn James of the ''New York Times'' admitted in the [[August 9]], 1986 edition of the paper that the film was intended for young children, pointing out that the kids in the audience were having a grand ole time with the ''Transformer'' toys and comics they brought with them to the theater, but derided the film as having little to no appeal to adults (''man-children'', on the other hand...).

''Variety's Film Reviews 1985-1986, Volume 19 '' was far less even-handed in their review, claiming the film had no appeal to adults ''or'' children. They predicted the film would perform poorly in the box office (and were correct, in that regard).

Carrie Rickey of the ''Dallas Morning News'' chided the film in the [[August 13]], 1986 issue of the paper, describing it as "essentially a cartoon ''Star Wars'' about robots from a toybox galaxy far, far away". She then went on to say that the film "never takes off" and derided it as "uninspired".

Janice Kennedy of the ''Montreal Gazette'' verbally disemboweled the film in the [[August 23]], 1986 edition of the paper, criticizing it as overly commercial, profane, loud, violent, humorless, heavy-handed in its religious messages and chaulk-full of gratuitous celebrity voice-overs. Her only compliment: "But ''The Transformers: The Movie'' does have at least one good thing going for it, a howlingly appropriate song by [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]. It's title? ''Dare to be Stupid''." ''Ouch''.

Nanciann Cherry in the August 13, 1986 edition of the ''Toledo Blade'' claimed the robots in the movie had little personality and faded into the background. She even went on to say that ''Challenge of the GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords'' was a superior film! Her review was filled with inaccuracies, however, citing characters such as "Unicon" and claiming that the destruction of Cybertron's moons by "Unicon" is what caused the Autobots to travel to Autobot City, at which point Megatron attacked. To be fair, she readily admits, "About 20 minutes into the film, I gave up on the plot and tried to count all the ideas that were stolen from other sources. Now that kept me busy." So she wasn't really paying attention, anyway.

Kathryn Buxton in the [[August 22]], 1986 edition of the ''Palm Beach Post'' gave the film a whopping ''one'' star, calling it "a ripoff of a successful toyline", whatever ''that'' means. In the same article, she also gave David Cronenberg's ''[[Fly|The Fly]]'' one star, just for reference.

In the August 8, 1986 edition of the ''LA Times'', critic Charles Solomon made clear his dislike for the film centered primarily on the fact that none of the characters had interesting or believable motivation. He stated, "Not even the best actor can create a character out of nothing. Not one of the robots has a reason for doing what he does." Solomon then pointed to Unicron specifically as an example of the lack of deep, multi-dimensional motivations in the characters.

Over time, however, the movie has acquired something of a cult following beyond the core base of [[fandom|Transformers fans]], particularly among children of the 80s. It is sometimes screened as a midnight movie at colleges. Online, it is not hard to find amateur reviews lauding everything about it as utterly awesome, from the premise to the soundtrack, and dismissing more critical views out of hand.

To date, the budget of the film has not been disclosed—at least, not in any place the [[fandom]] has found. According to most box office tracking sites,<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers.htm</ref><ref>http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1986/0TRTM.php</ref> ''The Transformers: The Movie'' made $5,849,647 in domestic (e.g., United States) theaters. Comparing this with other animated films of 1986, the results are not particularly charitable; while it did better financially than ''[[GoBots (franchise)|GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords]]''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gobots.htm</ref> ($1,338,264) and ''Heathcliff: The Movie''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=heathcliff.htm</ref> ($2,610,686), it performed worse than the ''[[My Little Pony]]'' movie<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mylittlepony.htm</ref> ($5,958,456) and the '''second''' ''Care Bears'' movie<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=carebearsmovie2.htm</ref> ($8,540,346). Bringing up ''The Great Mouse Detective''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=greatmousedetective.htm</ref> ($25,336,794) and ''An American Tail''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=americantail.htm</ref> ($47,483,002) would really just be overkill.

==Significance in Transfandom==
''The Transformers: The Movie'' remains one of the most important elements of the entire Transformers brand, both within the fiction and from the perspective of the brand's popularity and "mindshare".

Fictionally, it established several story concepts that have been used repeatedly in the years since 1986, some of which—such as Unicron and the Matrix—are now central to the entire Transformers mythos. The movie is also the centerpiece of the most well-known Transformers continuity: the Generation 1 animated universe. The ''Transformers'' cartoon is split into "pre-movie" and "post-movie" sections which feature different characters and settings, and even somewhat different visual styles. (Most pre-movie episodes were animated by the studio [[Toei]], while most post-movie episodes were animated by [[AKOM]].)

On a practical note, it was widely available on videotape, and remained so long after the ''The Transformers'' cartoon had gone off the air. Only a [[Family Home Entertainment|handful of series episodes]] were available on video, making ''The Transformers: The Movie'' the logical choice for someone looking to pick up a ''Transformers'' cartoon; this made it far more well-known among fans than any particular cartoon episode.

To an entire generation of young fans, the movie was the most visually spectacular and narratively epic ''Transformers'' experience of their entire youth. Events such as the death of Optimus Prime are widely reported to have reduced many kids to tears. It is hardly a surprise that these emotional experiences embedded themselves deeply in many fans' memories.

==Criticisms==
[[Image:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|180px|left|thumb|Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.]]

All this is not all to say that the movie is a "masterpiece", exactly. The film met with extremely harsh critical reviews on its release, and some of those criticisms still ring true today.

The film displays an arguably cynical attitude towards itself as [[To sell toys|a vehicle for advertising toys]], especially in the way beloved characters are killed—sometimes gratuitously—for sake of justifying the story's focus on a new group of toys. (Note that with the exception of Laserbeak and possibly Buzzsaw [http://www.flickr.com/photos/42232106@N06/3893688802] the poster at the top of this article features ''only'' new characters.)

Further, the two primary plot devices—[[Unicron]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]—have no prior establishment in the fiction. Unicron is given no backstory ([[Call of the Primitives|until season 3]]) or justification; he simply exists, is very dangerous, and is afraid of the Matrix, all for no adequately explained reason. The introduction of the Matrix itself is a heavy [[retcon]]. The story asks the audience to accept that this cosmically powerful artifact has been in Prime's possession all along (even though an X-ray of Optimus Prime's innards in the second season episode "[[A Prime Problem]]" show absolutely no signs of said Matrix), but has somehow never been relevant before. In fact, this lack of prior establishment is what led [[Simon Furman]] to develop the divinity backstory of Unicron and [[Primus]] in the UK comics run.

[[Image:Megatronlightsaber.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Your powers are weak, old man!]]
The movie bears many similarities to ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'': There are several character-parallels ([[Springer (G1)|Springer]] is a [[Han Solo]]-type and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] even has Princess Leia's hairdo!), the primary threat is similar (it's the [[Death Star]]... [[Unicron|but it transforms!]]), and both feature a climactic battle where the [[Hot Rod (G1)|young hero]] hears the voice of his [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|dead, wise mentor]] one last time before saving the day.

To be a bit more fair to ''The Transformers: The Movie'', however, most of these similarities are either superficial (Arcee's Leia-hair; Megatron's "lightsaber" he briefly uses in his duel against Optimus Prime) or can be seen as elements common to thousands of years worth of epic storytelling through human history, not just common to ''Star Wars''. As a simple example, the phenomenon of two charismatic leaders dealing each other mortal injuries in battle hearkens back to some versions of the "King Arthur" myth; in their final battle, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arthur]] and his arch-enemy [[Megatron (G1)|Sir Mordred]] deal one another lethal injuries and both apparently expire—though Arthur according to the legend will [[The Return of Optimus Prime|return]] when [[Cybertron (planet)|England's]] need [[Darkest hour|is greatest]].

==Formatting==
[[Image:Tftm widescreenesque.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The "widescreen" picture (left) actually ''cuts off'' the top and bottom of the fullscreen picture (right).]]
Although it was billed in some advertisements before its theatrical release as being "widescreen", the movie was in fact animated in a 4:3 (fullscreen) aspect ratio. For its theatrical screenings, the film was matted down in the projector by the projectionist to a 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen), chopping the top and bottom off the picture, but all video transfers of the movie were done without mattes, meaning that there was actually more picture visible in the fullscreen video and DVD releases than there would have been in theaters. Across 2006 and 2007, new editions of the DVD of the film were released by Sony BMG and [[Metrodome]] which applied the mattes in order to replicate the original theatrical presentation of the film for the first time in home entertainment. Some fans, however, didn't realize that the film wasn't actually ''animated'' in widescreen, and, hearing that the DVD was to be in widescreen, expected to see the fullscreen image with additional footage at the sides, causing them to complain that the top and bottom were cut off, thereby totally missing the point.

==International versions==
{{main|The Transformers: The Movie/dubs}}

==Commercial Releases==
[[Image:Tftm laserdisk cover.jpg|right|thumb|The cover image from the original Japanese home media release of the movie.]]
* The movie was originally released in North America on home video in 1987 by [[Family Home Entertainment]], minus Spike's swear. Not long after, it was released in the UK by [[Video Gems]]. This version featured the opening text crawl and closing narration inherent to the UK version of the film. In Australia, the film was released on video by RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts. In Japan, Hillcrane released a Laserdisc version alongside a VHS copy, both sporting a gorgeous painted cover that decorated many a fan's desktop back in the day.
*The movie was released spottily in the '90s, beginning with a budget VHS by Avid Home Entertainment in 1991. [[Malofilm]] released a VHS in Canada in 1995, notable for being the first home entertainment version to include Spike's swear. In 1998, Japanese company Pioneer produced another pair of Laserdisc and VHS releases. In 1999, things kicked off when American company [[Kid Rhino]] secured the Transformers license and released the film on VHS once again.
*The 21st century's flirtation with ''The Transformers: The Movie'' started with a UK budget VHS release of that country's version by [[Sony|Sony Wonder]], distributed by [[Maverick Entertainment]]. A Japanese company called CatCo followed this up with a VideoCD, and Malofilm—now Seville—were the first to release a DVD version of the film, though it was just a dump of their VHS version.
*In November 2000, ''The Transformers: The Movie'' got its first, full professional DVD release from Kid Rhino. This edition, labelled a "Special Collector's Edition", is the first to feature remastered video and audio, and several special features, including storyboards and an interview with [[Vince DiCola]]. Rhino concurrently released this version on VHS, sans extras.
*In 2001 in the UK, Sony Wonder released their own much-delayed DVD version of the film. It was the UK version of the film, but included Spike's swear. However, the release was burdened by badly interlaced video, though it notably included the [[Omni Productions]] dub version of the ''[[The Headmasters (cartoon)|Headmasters]]'' episode "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]" as an extra. This version (including the ''Headmasters'' episode) was simultaneously released on VHS.
*The movie was released on DVD in Australia in 2003 by [[Madman Entertainment]], using the same video as the Maverick version, but distinguished by some nifty new cover art by [[Don Figueroa]], and special features not seen on other editions, such as ''[[Stan Bush|The Touch]]'' music video and 80s TV spots.
[[Image:Tftm uk covers.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The UK poster art (left) has been the most common DVD and VHS cover in its home country, but the Ultimate Edition featured new art by Andy Wildman (right).]]
*After acquiring the license to release ''Transformers'' DVDs in the UK, [[Metrodome]] focused on completing their run of series box sets before turning their attention to the movie properly, releasing only a cheap budget DVD of the UK version through Prism Leisure with no extras, and a UMD of the same version.
*In 2005, Metrodome released ''Transformers: The Movie - Reconstructed'', a new version of the film designed to expose as much of the animated picture as possible. This, however, only resulted in exposing the rough, unfinished edges of the animation, and an overly pale remaster was compounded by excessive interlacing due to an unnecessary NTSC to PAL transfer. This, coupled with a 5.1 remix from [[Magno Sound & Video]], featuring the same extra sound effects that they added to Rhino's season box sets, made this release both controversial and disappointing to many. This was the first time that the US version of the movie was released in the UK, and the first to feature the US poster art as a cover (although a Silverscreen store exclusive version of the disc included a reversible cover with the UK poster art as well). Extras include trailers, TV spots, the character biographies from the Madman release, and a subtitled version of "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]".
[[Image:Tftm sony covers.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Sony's covers, by Don Figueroa.]]
*For the movie's 20th anniversary in 2006, new license holder [[Sony|Sony BMG]] released a two-disc special edition of the film, featuring both a high-quality widescreen remaster and the original fullscreen version, audio commentaries from crew and fans, several new featurettes interviewing those involved in the movie's production, storyboards, tv spots, American and Japanese commercials and more. Most notably, this version included the first Western release of "[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]", albeit silent and unsubtitled, featuring only audio commentary. This release featured two covers by Don Figueroa: one is of the '84-'85 cast that appear in the movie, and one is of the movie's new characters, available either as a lenticular hologram that switches between the two, or as a reversible sleeve with the images printed on either side.
[[Image:Tftm madman covers.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Madman's 2003 DVD cover (left), and their 2007 Special Edition cover (right).]]
*Delayed a bit to coincide with the hype for the 2007 [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]], Metrodome also released a two-disc "Ultimate Edition" with a different widescreen master. Like "Reconstructed", this version used the US edition of the film, but this time, the UK version was also included, in fullscreen, on the second disc. Extras include TV spots, commercials, the Madman biographies, storyboards, commentary, "Scramble City" (with audio and subtitles), featurettes with [[Flint Dille]] and [[Peter Cullen]], and more. The double-disc edition was sold in a steel case featuring new art by [[Andrew Wildman]], with the UK poster art adorning the standard case inside. Various store exclusives were available, including postcards from Play.Com, a reversible cover with the US poster art from HMV, art cards from Virgin Megastore and [[posters]] from Woolworths and [[Toys"R"Us]]. It was also available in an extra-less single-disc version. This version was premiered at the Mid Ulster Film Festival in Ireland which was the only cinema showing of the remastered version of the film to date.
*The film was released in Full HD 1080p on Blu-ray in the UK in October 2007. The Blu-ray is not region-locked, so it will play anywhere in the world. It features a 2.0 soundtrack, 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and a full bitrate DTS 5.1 track. The master used was the same used by Sony for their US DVD. The picture is quite stunning and the sound very good. Sadly, there are no extras on the DVD. The version of the film on the Blu-ray is the US one, complete with curse words.
*Madman produced their two-disc special edition through some collaboration with Metrodome, and consequently it features much of the same content, with additional extras taking the form of The Touch music video and a bonus episode of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''. This release again features cover artwork by Don Figueroa, specifically the cover of [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' adaptation.

==Television Broadcasts==
Following an airing during Season Five in parts, the feature film was only ever aired on American television in 1989 via the Fox stations. Air dates and times were June 17 at Noon, July 30 at 11 A.M. and September 2 at 10 A.M. Of course, this was the language-edited video release from Family Home Entertainment.

==Notes==
* According to [[Buzz Dixon]], Hasbro's decision to kill off Optimus Prime was actually an attempt to maintain some brand-storytelling parity with ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'', as Dixon had just convinced them to allow the death of [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] in ''[[wikipedia:G.I. Joe: The Movie|G.I. Joe: The Movie]]'' and both films were in production at the same time.<ref>http://www.joeheadquarters.com/interviews_dixon.shtml</ref>

* This film was the last professional performance by [[Orson Welles]], who died only a month later. According to production materials shown at [[BotCon 2000]] by Tim Finn, the voice recording sessions for ''The Transformers: The Movie'' were done on [[September 10]] and [[September 11|11]] of 1985. Welles died on [[October 10]] of that same year. It has often been speculated that Unicron's last line ("Destiny… you cannot destroy my destiny!") was recorded by another actor—possibly [[Leonard Nimoy|Nimoy]]—because it sounds different than the other lines. This speculation has been quashed by statements by Transformers voice director [[Wally Burr]].<ref>http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/60-astrominutes/wally-burr/wally_burr_3.html</ref>
[[Image:Windcharger wheeljack otp.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru!!]]

* With the exception of Starscream and possibly Shockwave, only the Autobots suffered fatalities in the movie. All of the other "dead" Decepticons from the Autobot City battle were rebuilt into Galvatron's new troops, and although more Decepticons were shown taking heavy damage and suffering huge casualties while fighting Unicron, their identities and their final condition are uncertain. Additionally, both Starscream and Unicron survived in the post-movie series in some form or another. Shockwave's death in the finished film is highly uncertain, although in the script it is fairly strongly implied. He does make some miscolored appearances in crowd shots in later cartoon episodes, but these are probably examples of the fairly common animation errors in those episodes.

* Somewhat ironically, though only three of the original eighteen Autobots - [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] - are definitively shown to have survived the movie, two would quite literally never be heard from again: [[Scatman Crothers]] passed away (though this didn't stop Jazz from making any number of background cameos) while Casey Kasem [[Casey Kasem#Notes|quit the show early in the third season]]. Fate's finger is fickle indeed.

*[[:Image:TFTM-MaybeBeachcomber.jpg|A robot resembling Beachcomber]] appears alongside Spike and the Autobots inside Unicron seconds before Daniel blasts the acid cover. Whether this was actually meant to be Beachcomber or just coincidental coloring is unknown, but regardless, Beachcomber shows up alive and well in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]".

==External links==
* [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers.htm ''The Transformers: The Movie'''s box office domestic gross.]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20080426020409/http://www.tftm.net/ ''The Transformers: The Movie'' "Unofficial Fansite", an extremely thorough site about the movie]
* [http://www.wombatking.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=4 ''The Transformers: The Movie'' deleted storyboards]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie}}

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 1 media]]
[[Category:MSTF]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

One Shall Rise, Part 3

2012-01-06T00:56:26Z

Thrashmetal210: /* Quotes */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 26
|prev=One Shall Rise, Part 2
|next=
|image=OneShallRise3-together.jpg
|caption=Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends?
|title="One Shall Rise, Part 3"
|airdate=[[October 15]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Jack learns more about Optimus Prime's history on Cybertron while the Autobots continue their battle at the Earth's core.'''

==Synopsis==

As he leads the [[Autobot]]s further toward [[Earth]]'s core, [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] is again seized by a vision of the planet exploding. He notes how [[Unicron]]'s strength grows ever greater and continues on. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] and [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] both voice their mistrust of the [[Decepticon]] leader, though they have no choice but to follow him. Unbeknownst to them, several strange, mechanical creatures observe the intruders into their dark domain.

Back at [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]], [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] and the [[human]]s watch a report that outlines how the planet's chaotic weather continues to spiral out of control. Despite [[June Darby|June]]'s efforts to lighten the mood, [[William Fowler|Fowler]] insists that something must be done—even if it means contacting his associates at the [[Pentagon]]. Fowler makes known his uneasiness about teaming up with Megatron, but Ratchet surprises the humans by explaining how such a situation has happened before. Ratchet relates how Optimus Prime and Megatron were once close friends, in the twilight hours of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s [[Golden Age]].

[[Image:OneShallRise3-corresponding.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Once, I called you "Brother".'' 
''Once, I thought the chance to make you laugh'' 
''Was all I ever wanted...'' 
''And even now,'' 
''I wish that [[Primus|God]] had chose another.'' 
''Serving as your foe on His behalf'' 
''Is the last thing that I wanted...!'']]
''The great Autobot leader was once named Orion Pax, a simple clerk in the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] Hall of Records. Learning of Cybertron's past, Orion grew concerned about the corruption affecting high places and the [[Caste system|state of inequity]] in society. He became inspired by the revolutionary words of Megatronus, a gladiator who took his name from [[The Fallen|one]] of the [[Thirteen|thirteen original Primes]]. Megatronus gained a loyal following through his radical and innovative actions, [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] chief among their number. Over time, Megatronus became a mentor figure to Orion Pax and chose to shorten his name as he left the gladiatorial arena for the political one. Megatron appeared before the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]], voicing his ideas for shaping a new Cybertron by violent means, and demanded to be named the next [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. Orion protested against Megatron's suggestions before the Council, moving their [[spark]]s and minds as he unknowingly revealed himself to be the one worthy of the title. Megatron severed his ties to Orion and the Council, taking his "Decepticon" followers to begin the [[Great War (Prime)|war]] that consumed Cybertron and vowing to claim the legendary [[Matrix of Leadership]] for himself. Hoping to reverse the damage that had poisoned the planet, Orion journeyed to Cybertron's [[Core]], where he found himself before the spark of [[Primus]], the creator of all [[Cybertronians]]. Primus sensed the purity of Orion's own spark and bestowed upon him the legendary Matrix, transforming him into Optimus Prime.''

In the present, [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] and [[Jack Darby|Jack]] question Optimus's plan to give the Matrix to the Earth's core, asking what could possibly stop Megatron from attempting to claim it for himself now. Ratchet darkly replies that Megatron only intends to save the Earth so that he may conquer it at a later date.

As they near Unicron's spark, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] begins to feel the draining effects of the [[Dark Energon]]. [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] and Arcee help him a short way across the catwalks, but Megatron soon comes to a halt ahead with the realization that Unicron is preparing to expel them. A huge number of Unicron's drones suddenly swarm into view, surrounding Megatron and the Autobots. They engage the drones in fierce battle, blasting and slashing through their attackers. Arcee is knocked to a lower level, not long before the Dark Energon clouds Bulkhead's vision. He stumbles from the catwalk but manages to grab hold of the edge, and is seized by Bumblebee before he can tumble to his death. Optimus and Megatron fight back-to-back, managing to hold their own against the drones in a spectacular display of effective—if uneasy—teamwork. Bumblebee struggles to hold onto Bulkhead, who insists that the scout lets him go. Optimus seizes Bulkhead just as Bumblebee loses his grip, and hauls him up to safety. As the group quickly becomes overwhelmed, Arcee hitches a ride on one of the drones to catch up with the others and beat a swift retreat with them.

[[Image:OneShallRise3-SoundwaveAirachnid.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Maybe Megatron should stop having seconds-in-command and just skip straight to thirds-in-command.]]
Aboard the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]], [[Airachnid]] outlines the questionable nature of their leader's recent behavior. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] asks whether she is suggesting that they abandon Lord Megatron. Airachnid explains how Megatron's undetectable signal implies that he is either offline or at the mercy of Unicron—neither scenario being in the best interests of the Decepticons. She suggests an exodus from Earth, and receives no protests from the surrounding [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]]. However, her order to retreat to [[Regulon Four]] is denied by Soundwave, who silently challenges her authority. When he refuses her demand to step aside, she leaps to attack him. Soundwave easily blocks every one of her blows, before lifting her clean into the air. He hurls her back, deploying [[Laserbeak (Prime)|Laserbeak]] to stun Airachnid in a sudden sneak attack. Pinned under Soundwave's foot, much to Knock Out's amusement, Airachnid relinquishes command to the intelligence officer.

Back in the Autobot base, Ratchet notes he has lost the others' communication links and life signals, most likely caused by interference from the electromagnetic anomalies. Miko asks how they are supposed to know when the others are ready for pickup if contact is impossible, but Ratchet is prevented from responding by the sound of Jack tapping the [[GroundBridge]] key against a railing. Ratchet reveals that the object is actually the [[Key to Vector Sigma]]—one of Cybertron's most precious relics. Ratchet then realizes that Optimus entrusted the key to Jack because he did not plan on returning from the planet's core.

Megatron is gripped by yet another painful vision of Unicron whilst he and the Autobots are backed into an enclosed chamber by the attacking drones. Unicron orders him to destroy Optimus. Instead, Megatron saves the Autobot leader by blasting an oncoming drone. He then indicates a closed doorway nearby, stating that Unicron's spark lies just beyond. He explains that, to pass through, they must fool Unicron into believing that they pose no danger, and moves his Dark Energon-infused chest up to the door. It opens in response, and Optimus orders the others to remain outside and provide cover fire while he and Megatron advance.

The passageway beyond leads directly into Unicron's spark chamber, where Optimus prepares to expose the Matrix within his chest. Unicron's spark reacts, striking both invaders with its energy. Unicron again orders Megatron to kill Optimus, forcing him to unsheathe his blade and approach the weakened Prime. Megatron struggles against him, declaring himself to be under the command of no-one. His resistance provokes only an onslaught of pain and a furious reaction from the Chaos Bringer.

The volcano outside erupts violently, and the ground enclosing the Autobot base begins to quake. Ratchet tells the humans to take cover, and he moves to shield them from falling debris.

[[Image:OneShallRise3-unleash.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Care Bear Stare!]]
Unicron's spark adopts the appearance of a face as Megatron is seemingly freed from his control. Optimus calls upon the power of the Matrix of Leadership, but hesitates as Unicron possesses Megatron's body in a veil of purple flame and declares his own invincibility. Optimus cuts short Unicron's desire to pull the Earth into chaos, and he rises to his feet as he becomes surrounded by a brilliant blue light. Optimus fires the power of the Matrix from his chest directly into Unicron's spark, the resulting wave of energy knocking Megatron back off his feet. His energy drained, Optimus falls to his knees, and Unicron's spark emits a final wail of pain before vanishing into oblivion.

The drones outside suddenly fall from the air, lifeless. The volcano, along with all of the Earth's other natural phenomena, subside back to normality. Ratchet and the humans watch as the monitors flicker online, rejoicing as their team's life signals are all safely re-established. Aboard the Nemesis, however, Soundwave also detects the signature of the Decepticon leader.

[[Image:OneShallRise3-hug.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"You smell like my mom." "I smell like ''his'' mom!"]]
Megatron rights himself in Unicron's now-empty spark chamber, inspecting Optimus's steaming body for a moment before unsheathing his blade. Optimus gazes blearily up at the approaching Decepticon, then addresses him as "Megatronus" and asks where they are. Surprised, Megatron retracts his weapon and helps the Autobot to his feet. Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee soon burst through the wall to assist, but Optimus does not recognise them. A GroundBridge suddenly opens nearby; Megatron claims that the Autobots are their sworn enemies and provides cover fire as Optimus heads for the vortex. Optimus blankly meets Bumblebee's devastated gaze for a split second before disappearing through the Bridge. Megatron follows, leaving the shocked Autobots alone in the empty chamber.

[[Image:Megatroncamehome.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I'm home, honey!]]

Ratchet GroundBridges the team back to base, but is anxious to see that Optimus is not with them. They explain that Optimus is still alive, but did not even know his own name. Ratchet realizes that surrendering the Matrix of Leadership caused their leader to lose not only the wisdom of the Primes, but his own memories as well.

Knock Out and the other Decepticons, minus Airachnid, welcome Megatron back aboard the Nemesis. Megatron steps aside to allow Optimus through, and [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] automatically moves to attack. Megatron halts him, insisting that this is no way to treat a "long-lost comrade", and declares that Orion Pax is one of them.

To be continued…

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (5)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (6)
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (9)
*[[Autobot High Council|High Council]] (14–16)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (13)
*[[Airachnid]] (18)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (19)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (20)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (21)
*[[Laserbeak (Prime)|Laserbeak]] (22)

|c3=
*[[June Darby]] (7)
*[[William Fowler]] (8)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (10)
*[[Jack Darby]] (11)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (12)

|c4=
*[[Unicron]] (4)
*[[Core]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Raf:''' Megatron was an Autobot? 
'''Miko:''' Optimus was a 'Con!? 
'''Rachet:''' No, on either count.
:—The kids get confused while Ratchet gets ready to tell a tale.

"Watch out for the quiet ones…"
:—'''Knock Out''' after witnessing Soundwave "veto" Airachnid's motion to leave Earth.

"'''''Megatron! Destroy the Prime! I command you!'''''" 
"Megatron is commanded by NO ONE!"
:—'''Unicron''' and '''Megatron'''. [[The Transformers: The Movie|Deja vu]].

"Where are we Megatronus?" 
"Don't you remember, old friend?"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron''' with an unexpected twist.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*All of the natural disasters around the world abruptly stop when Unicron is beaten. While it might make sense for the earthquakes to stop, tidal waves wouldn't just suddenly fall apart. Forward momentum doesn't just vanish. Similar problems occur with the tornadoes dissipating and the sky clearing.
*At the Earth's core, the Autobots should experience very little gravity, as the total mass of Earth would be reasonably equally distributed around them and therefore the pull of gravity would be cancelled out.
*Despite entering the tunnel to Unicron's spark chamber only a few seconds before Optimus, Megatron still manages a very hefty lead. By the time Optimus navigates the tunnel that leads into the spark chamber, Megatron is already inside, standing in front of Unicron's spark.
*After defeating Unicron, both Megatron and Optimus are knocked unconscious: Megatron on his back and Optimus on the ground facing away from the other. However, when we see them wake up later, Megatron is on his stomach and Optimus is facing him now.

===Continuity errors===
*Ratchet's statement that Megatron started the war after not being made Prime contradicts the history given in [[Darkness Rising, Part 1]], where Megatron is said to have split from Optimus ''during'' the war. It ''is'' more faithful to ''Exodus'', though.
*Bulkhead is the only Autobot visibly affected by the Dark Energon.

===Continuity notes===
*The entire backstory given by Ratchet is an adaptation of the first half of ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]''. Plot elements were changed, such as Orion Pax becoming Optimus when he found the Matrix of Leadership, as opposed to when he was assigned the position by the Cybertron High Council.
*Optimus's blade is still broken after the episode "[[One Shall Fall]]".

===Transformers references===
*Optimus Prime was originally known as Orion Pax, much like [[Optimus Prime (G1)|his namesake]] in the episode "[[War Dawn]]",
*The [[Key to Vector Sigma]] first appeared in ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]" and later featured prominently in the first season of ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''.
*Optimus calls upon the Matrix to "[[Darkest hour|light our darkest hour]]".
*For once, Optimus is the one who gets to say he "still functions", rather than Megatron.

===Foreign localization===
'''Korean'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Optimeosu ui Gwageo'''" (옵티머스의 과거, "Optimus's Past")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 22|22 November]] [[2011]]

===Trivia===
*This episode aired in Singapore on [[October 4]], 2011, again preceding its American showing.
*Jack is clearly taking very good care of that Key Optimus gave him...by idly tapping it against a railing.
*This is the first time we've seen Soundwave "get his hands dirty". With how easily he trounces Airachnid, that's probably a good thing for the Autobots.
*According to the flashbacks, Megatron's optics are blue, his fingers, eyebrows, and shoulders less pointy, and his feet are also rather flat, until he is rejected by the Council and storms out angrily, obtaining the sharp teeth and red eyes.
*Fowler hugs June. Make of that what you will.
*Once more, the Thirteen Original Primes make an appearance, this time as statue busts in the walls of the High Council's chamber.
*Unlike all other Autobots thus far in the cartoon, Optimus has a distinct Cybertronian robot form, with different kibble, in the flashbacks (along with Soundwave to an extent).
*A behind-scenes Internet video released by The Hub featured the voice actors recording the "Megatron was an Autobot? Optimus was a 'Con?" exchange, leading many (surprised) fans to believe this was actually the case.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Talk:Rattletrap

2012-01-06T00:51:55Z

Thrashmetal210:

He reminded me more of [[Wheezel]] than Rattrap (before I knew his name was Rattletrap). - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 16:33, 9 May 2009 (EDT)
::Was this name used in the episode itself? I don't recall hearing it.--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 15:30, 16 May 2009 (EDT)
:::The voice was listed in the credits as "Rattletrap." --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 15:33, 16 May 2009 (EDT)
::::Good enough. Thanks for including this info in the notes.--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 22:47, 16 May 2009 (EDT)

==Disambigs?==
So maybe we should disambiguate this guy - there's the obvious [[Rattrap]] but there's also [[Battletrap]]. [[User:Hooper X|Hooper_X]] 11:32, 9 May 2009 (EDT)

I doubt it. Rattletrap is a term often used when dealing with worn out automobiles, which makes more sense then Rattrap given how unlikely it is his altmode is a rat. --[[User:Back Alley|Back Alley]] 12:28, 10 May 2009 (EDT)

==Hearing is believing==
Last time I checked, Rattletrap's name actually ''was'' heard in the episode. I know. I watched the show myself. [[User:Thrashmetal210|Thrashmetal210]] 19:51, 5 January 2012 (EST)