Editing Bombshell (G1)

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{Disambigm|Bombshell (disambiguation)|Hardshell (disambiguation)}}
:''Bombshell is a [[Decepticon]] [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:GenesisBombshell.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Not a hot blonde like the name implies.]]
A master of mind-controlling "[[cerebro-shell]]s", the twisted '''Bombshell''' plays with the minds of others as a child would a new toy, enthusiastically and recklessly. But there is nothing childlike about the gleeful malice he exposes in forcing his victims into more and more humiliating and destructive acts. Bombshell takes such sadistic joy in the destruction of his victims that even the other Decepticons can be put off, wondering if he wouldn't be just as pleased to play those same "games" with them...

His [[Action Master partner]] is [[Needler (G1)|Needler]]. He is sometimes known as '''Hardshell'''.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Bell]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese)|[[Edgar Wald]] (American Spanish), [[Gianluca Crisafi]] (Italian, second dub)}}
[[File:G1 PlagueofInsecticons Bombshell blast.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|Whoa, that usually doesn't happen to me, I swear.]]
Bombshell and the rest of the Insecticons jettisoned themselves out the [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon cruiser]] when it and the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot ship]] crashed on [[Earth|Prehistoric Earth]]. Landing in what would become modern [[Bali]] off of [[Indonesia]], the Insecticons were altered by their [[idento-computer]]s to possess insectoid [[beast mode]]s, and had the ability to convert organic matter into [[energon]]. The Insecticons were largely communal in nature, though Bombshell often alternated leadership with [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] ([[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] was out of luck).

Reactivating around the same time as those aboard the Ark, the Insecticons formed a small nest for themselves in [[Demon Swamp]] before being tracked down by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons. They formed an alliance for the purpose of collecting energon and vanquishing the Autobots. In their first encounter with the enemy, Bombshell demonstrated one of the most unique of the trio's abilities—after firing an "insecti-shell" at a farming machine to blow it into pieces, he and the other Insecticons used "clone beams" to somehow convert those fragments of metal into [[Insecticon clone|duplicates of the Insecticons]] in their insect modes, a virtual swarm of Insecticlones created nearly out of thin air.

The initial alliance between Decepticons and Insecticons broke down after the greedy insects attempted to gorge themselves on the cache of energon cubes Megatron had created, and then abandoned the Decepticons to the Autobots. After that, the two groups operated independently, only joining forces as a matter on convenience on rare occasions. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[File:G1 Traitor Bombshell captures Mirage.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|Bombshell approaching with something long and pointy. Mirage's exhaust port was sore for a month after they did this scene.]]
Bombshell and the Insecticons next hired out their services to Megatron during his experimentation with the [[electro-cell]]s as on-call guards, in exchange for a share of the profits. The Autobot [[Mirage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Mirage]] attempted to turn them against each other, however, by stealing the Insecticons' reward and framing the Decepticons for it. Bombshell and the others staged an assault on the electro cell station and their Decepticon "comrades". During a spray of one of Shrapnel's grenades, Mirage was inadvertently caught in the blast while invisible. Bombshell seized upon the opportunity to implant one of his cerebro-shells in the fallen Autobot and turn him into a slave. What he DIDN'T do, however, is question what an Autobot counter-intelligence agent was doing sneaking around Decepticon camp just then. Megatron had to force Bombshell to think at gunpoint before he realized that Megatron wouldn't rob them while [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and the Autobots still lived. Maybe after, but not before. The united Decepticons then attempted to set a trap for the Autobots using Mirage, but ultimately Mirage was set free and the electro-cells were destroyed. {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}}

[[File:G1 EntertheNightbird Bombshell Nightbird.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|Bombshell is disappointed with Nightbird's neck articulation.]]
Next, Bombshell's aid was commissioned to upgrade the human-built female ninja robot known as [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] for Megatron, converting her into a functional assassin. His engineering skills shown here were rather remarkable for someone with no table manners. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

On their next joint venture, Megatron arranged for Bombshell and the Insecticons to have access to the [[Nova Power Core]], a meal that filled them with raw energy and caused them to increase in size dramatically. In exchange, they aided the Decepticons in raiding the armored installation known as [[Iron Mountain]] to gain control of the defense computer being housed there. Their new power went to their heads, however, and the Insecticons were overheard plotting against Megatron by his spy [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]]. Soundwave didn't get far, however, before Bombshell captured the Decepticon and turned him with the help of a cerebro-shell.

[[File:G1 InsecticonSyndrome Bombshell Soundwave.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|A communications officer with a stethoscope...and he didn't hear THAT!?!?]]
He then systematically "bugged" the rest of Megatron's troops; by the time Iron Mountain was successfully infiltrated, Megatron was the only Decepticon left. The nova power proved to be too unstable for the Insecticons to synthesize, however, and an antidote was administered to rob Bombshell and Kickback of their additional mass and power. Shrapnel, however, exploded into pieces before the antidote could be properly administered. Somehow, though, Bombshell was able to completely reconstruct his fallen comrade in a matter of seconds, using a special insecti-shell to reunify the pieces. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

[[File:G1 QuestforSurvival Bombshell Kickback.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|Seriously, tell me what isn't wrong with this picture.]]
In another scheme, Megatron convinced the Insecticons that he had a new energon processing system that could draw power from their organic-conversion process far more efficiently than their bodies normally could. The Insecticons would gather vast amounts of power through their clone armies, and then return to Decepticon headquarters to refine their amassed energies into energon cubes. Little did they know that the refinement process was far more effective than Megatron presented—Bombshell and the others were given scraps while dozens of cubes were being produced by their efforts. They slowly began to wise up to Megatron's duplicity and, when his henchman [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] attempted to warn them away from a certain valley, the Insecticons took it as a sign there was something valuable there. In fact there was: a can of [[robotic insecticide]] the Autobots had planned to use against the Insecticlones, and an ever-growing number of [[Morphobot]]s, techno-organic plants that fed on robot insects. Bombshell and the Insecticons attempted to feed on the plants, only to have their food "bite back" and their entire clone army destroyed in a matter of minutes. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

During the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]' attempt at destroying Earth by sending it into the sun, the Insecticons were seen in large numbers again and were responsible for taking apart the [[space bridge|Space Bridge]] controls. They would later be tracked by the combined Autobots and Decepticons after which they relinquished the controls. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Bombshell would ultimately be mortally wounded during the battle of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] and was ejected alongside many other fallen Decepticon warriors (Megatron included), into deep space, where [[Unicron]] reformatted him into [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] or [[Cyclonus's Armada|the other guy]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Bombshell’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]].”}}

Either he got better or that was an identical clone, because all three Insecticons, along with the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], were later seen on Earth trying to stop [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Marissa Faireborn]] and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] from delivering the [[Transformation cog]] to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. They were trampled by Sky Lynx. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga=====
Bombshell along with the other Insecticons took part in an attack on [[Kyushu]] that attracted the attention of the Autobots. The [[Four-Wheel Drive Corps]] responded, but the attack turned out to be an ambush as the Insecticons trapped the Autobots in a volcanic crater. Luckily, the Four-Wheel Drive Corps was able to "combine" and perform the fearsome "Four-Wheel Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack. The blast of energy was so powerful that it sent the Insecticons fleeing in terror. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
Bombshell's cerebro-shell technology was combined with [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s [[hypno-chip]] to create a new form of brainwashing. Using this technique, Starscream's Decepticons and their human allies the [[Concurrence]] infiltrated the Binaltech Project to steal the advanced bodies planned for the Autobots for themselves. {{storylink|Arise! Evil Binaltechs}}

====''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''====
[[File:Mars attacks the insecticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The three Insecticons were among Decepticon forces who formed an alliance with the Autobots during a [[Martian]] invasion. They saved [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] from some of the Martians' giant ants. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}
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====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Primax 1185.04 Alpha]], the Insecticons were among the few allies [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] found in his campaign against [[Cobra]]-controlled Earth. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/13}}

In an unstable [[Iocus]] reality engineered by the machinations of [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and [[Renegade#Gong|Gong]], Bombshell and Skywarp were replaced by [[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] and [[Renegade#slicks|Slicks]] as the villains thrown out of Astrotrain and reformatted by Unicron into [[Fracture (Movie)|a warrior]] and [[Cyclonus's Armada#Ask Vector Prime|her armada]]. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}
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====''Deviations''====
In an alternate timeline where [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] killed [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] in the [[Battle of Autobot City]], Bombshell was thrown out of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] with other weakened Decepticons in the aftermath of the battle. They drifted through space till they were consumed by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{Storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}
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===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Straxusholdscourt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
Bombshell was one of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s warriors operating out of [[Polyhex]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} At some point during the war, he encountered [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] in battle, but he was unable to get the better of his opponent. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} Along with his fellow Insecticons and the [[conehead]]s, he pursued another sextet of Autobots who had just carried out some sort of raid on the [[smelting pool]], only to be forced to retreat by a torrent of liquid metal that had just been siphoned off of it. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} He later attended Straxus's trial run of his newly-constructed Space Bridge. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}

''Bombshell was one of the Decepticon warriors targeted for termination by the [[Wrecker]]s in [[Operation: Volcano]]. A last minute change in orders prevented Bombshell and his cronies from walking into the Autobot trap, though.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} After Straxus began an alliance with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons of Earth, Bombshell was transported to our solar system by way of the [[space bridge]]. He, Kickback, and Shrapnel were then reformatted into the Insecticons, and granted impressive [[Size changing|mass shifting]] powers that enabled them to shrink down to the size of actual insects when transforming.

[[File:Bombshell marvel-21.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|All he's missing is a leather halter top and a whip.]]
The Insecticons' first mission on Earth was to set up a conduit between Cybertron and Hoover Dam, stealing the hydro-electrical power. Bombshell tracked down the assistant chief engineer, [[Ricky Vasquez]], and implanted him with a cerebro-shell so that the Decepticons could infiltrate the plant clandestinely. With Megatron and the Insecticons riding shotgun, Vasquez snuck them into the control room where Shrapnel was able to take electronic control of the dam. Vasquez eventually managed to reassert his free will however and, with the interference of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], the Decepticon operation proved ineffective.

Still, Bombshell took advantage of the opportunity to infiltrate the Ark by riding atop Silverbolt back to the Autobot base. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} While inside, he seized a chance to fire one of his cerebro-shell inside [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] during a medical exam where Ratchet was cleaning a recent wound. He was unable to actually control Prime, but managed something almost as good—by piping in a radio connection to Megatron through Soundwave, Bombshell's implant was able to divert some of the Creation Matrix to the Decepticons, bringing life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] just as Prime was finalizing the life-sparks of the Aerialbots. Bombshell's implant was eventually discovered, but the damage was done. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Just before [[Christmas]] [[1986]], Bombshell accompanied [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] in a raid on a [[Blackrock Enterprises|Blackrock]] [[Blackrock's chemical plant|chemical plant]] as [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]] were taking delivery of a consignment of [[Transformer fuel|fuel]]. Though Bombshell managed to incapacitate Jazz easily, Thrust did not do such a good job with Jetfire as the Autobot quickly recovered and shot Bombshell down. Only the threat of an impending explosion allowed the Decepticons to retreat.'' {{storylink|The Gift}}

{{GIJoeTransformersfiction}}
[[File:Bomshell marvel-41.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|Bombshell learns that you don't have to be in the background to be block-colored by Nel Yomtov.]]
Later, Megatron commissioned Bombshell and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] to take control of the human creation known as [[Power Station Alpha]]. Sighting [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] casing the installation, Bombshell blasted a human boy with a cerebro-shell as a distraction, sending him off into danger while the Decepticon infiltrated Alpha and placed a specially-modified shell inside. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Things were too hot to retrieve it then, with the [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] team taking hostile action against Bumblebee and then being confronted themselves by [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], but later that night the remote control was triggered and Power Station Alpha sprung to life. Surprisingly for the Decepticons, though, it did NOT come to their base as programmed—[[Doctor Mindbender]] of [[Cobra]] was able to lock onto the electronic frequency of Bombshell's shell and bring Alpha to [[Cobra Island]] instead. Dirge and Bombshell were therefore forced into the position of emissaries for the Decepticon cause, proposing an alliance between them and Cobra in order to share Power Station Alpha's potential. {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Bombshell was privy to Shockwave's plan of using Command Station Alpha to syphon tremendous amount of energy from the Earth, effectively destroying the planet in the process. When Serpentor and his troops arrived at the Decepticon base to deliver the device, Bombshell and his fellow Cybertronians maintained a facade of camaraderie with their human “allies.” While Mindbender was acting as Cobra's "ambassador", he uncovered the severity of their plans for Alpha, and the devastating effect it would have on the Earth. As Bombshell was giving the doctor a tour of the Decepticons' base, the Decepticon suddenly began to convulse and transform involuntarily... the result of one of his Cerebro-Shells being probed elsewhere. Bombshell excused himself to check his systems over. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

[[File:Insecticons carwash of doom.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
Once Cobra switched sides and joined in an alliance with the Joes and the Autobots, Mindbender was deemed "surplus parts" and Bombshell attempted to execute him. Instead, the Insecticon was disabled by a blast from one of the [[Baroness]]'s cannon weapons. As the two Cobra agents left to join [[Serpentor]] in conference with their new "friends", Mindbender scooped up the unconscious Bombshell (who had reverted to his tiny insect mode) in the hopes of dissecting his circuitry later. Only after arriving at the Joe base did they discover the connection between Bombshell and his cerebro-shells, as the Joe technical expert [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] prodded the shell which had been surgically retrieved from the boy Bombshell blasted days earlier, causing the still-inactive Insecticon to spontaneously transform out of his own control. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

How Bombshell eventually regained control of his systems and returned to the Decepticons is unknown, but he did and was later seen participating in a raid on an [[oil tanker]]. He used his cerebro-shells to quickly locate the vessel's control room. Unfortunately, the tanker turned out to be dry.{{storylink|Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom}} When Decepticon leadership eventually passed to [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], Bombshell was seen among his troops, and participated on an attack against the crews of both the ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'' and the Ark, at the time parked on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. Bombshell was blasted by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] early in the assault. {{storylink|Totaled!}}
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====Transformers Annual 1986====
{{note|Due to being published early in the franchise, these stories are out of continuity with the above.<ref>"Plague of the Insecticons!" was later designated as [[universal stream]] [[Primax 1285.0 Gamma]] by [[Vector Prime]].</ref>}}
[[File:Plague of the insecticons.jpg|thumb|left]]
Upon learning that the Autobots were secretly planning to open a dialogue with the [[Ronald Reagan|President of the United States]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] awakened the Insecticons to undermine the potential alliance. The trio were too new to be in full control of themselves, and needed to be remote-controlled to be of any use on the battlefield. To this end, [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] was selected to guide them on their test-run.

The Insecticons interrupted the peace talk, Bombshell making his presence known by ordering his teammates to "'''KILL THE HUMANS!'''" The Insecticons then proclaimed themselves to be Autobots working under Optimus, and blasted their surroundings with abandon, leading the humans to believe the Autobots had always planned on betraying them. Having put on enough of a show for the President himself, Bombshell and his teammates then zoomed off to unleash further firepower on downtown [[Washington, D.C.]]. Warpath and Prowl both tried to put an end to the Insecticons' rampage, but found it difficult to get a bead on their flying opponents. Optimus, however, had deduced that the Insecticons were being controlled by someone else, and tracked down Ravage in short order. The cat ordered Bombshell to double back and come to his aid. Bombshell launched a [[cerebro-shell]] towards the Autobot leader, just as [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] destroyed his [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] drone. The drone's destruction caused Optimus to keel over in pain at just the right moment, making the cerebro-shell miss its mark and imbed itself into Ravage instead. Bombshell gained control of Ravage mind, but since Ravage was already in control of Bombshell's mind, the end result was two Decepticons left mindless and immobile. {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}}
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====Movie future timeline====
When Megatron launched a major offensive against [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in the year [[2005]], Bombshell was among the troops who attacked the fortress. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}

====Earthforce====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Earthforce insecticons.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|Dinner and a show, huh?]]
Bombshell and the Insecticons were allied with Megatron during the [[Decepticon Civil War]] against Shockwave. He attended the [[Enclave]] held by the two factions, but it didn't go well and Bombshell was later seen among the massive melee between the Decepticon armies. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} Bombshell and the Insecticons were later tasked by Megatron to infiltrate Shockwave's base and spy on his war room to gain secret intelligence. Bombshell had tapped into the room with a listening prong right before [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] arrived, and caught the tiny intruders with a [[rustbug hoop]]. Forced to submit, the Insecticons were surprised that Starscream wasn't going to torture or kill them: instead, he offered them a juicy bit of gossip that Shockwave would be off alone on a mission soon. Bombshell realized that Starscream was setting his leader up for a fall, arranging for both Megatron and Shockwave to be disposed of in one felt swoop. He seemed okay with it. {{storylink|Bugged!}}

Sure enough, Megatron and Shockwave were soon excommunicated from their respective armies, and the Decepticons united under the command of Starscream and [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]. Bombshell was present at the latter two's public announcement of their takeover, {{storylink|Internal Affairs!}} and for the united Decepticons' first major military action, an attack on Autobot Earthbase. The Decepticons' goal was to kill some Autobots, while also distracting them as [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] looted a human oil tanker in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. Both goals proved fruitless, and the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

Soon, however, Bombshell turned his talents to less overt and more deceitful activities. At his leaders' request, Bombshell implanted the mighty warrior [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] with one of his cerebro-shells, turning the giant against the human populace in order to smear the Autobots' image. A human reporter named [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]] managed to get inside Superion at the Autobots' request, however, and remove the shell before any permanent damage was done. {{storylink|Inside Story!}} Bombshell's follow-up surveillance revealed that the Autobots had offered the reporter an exclusive interview in exchange for his assistance. Such a positive "puff-piece" would go a long way towards improving the Autobots' image among the humans, and could not be allowed by the Decepticons. So, Soundwave and Starscream arranged for the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to kidnap Spoon. {{storylink|Front Line! (issue)|Front Line!}} Trapping him inside [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]'s cabin, the Stunticons led the Autobots on a merry chase through the highways until they finally forced Motormaster off the road and recovered Spoon. The damage had been done, however; unknown to the Autobots, Bombshell had been hiding inside Motormaster's cab, and implanted the reporter with a cerebro-shell before losing custody of the human. Irwin Spoon therefore wrote exactly the piece the Decepticons wanted, painting the Autobots as evil kidnappers set to destroy mankind. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
Bombshell and the rest of the Insecticons had enslaved the people of the island of [[Buru]] when the Decepticons had discovered that within the island was a plentiful supply of oil. He and the other Insecticons were eventually beaten back by the Dinobots. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}}
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===Marvel coloring books===
{{charstubfiction| {{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}}}
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===''Big Looker'' storybooks===
Megatron's plan to steal an oil truck involved Bombshell using cerebro-shells on the drivers. However, the Autobots interrupted the plan, foiling the theft. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}

[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] and Bombshell were looking for a way to gain favor with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] when they came across [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], the Autobots' architect. Bombshell infected him with a cerebro-shell to use the Autobots for his own evil deeds. After the mind-controlled Grapple chased off his friend [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], Bombshell brought his new toy back to Megatron. When the Autobots attacked Decepticon headquarters to get Grapple back, the diminutive Bombshell was too frazzled by the explosions to keep focus on Grapple, and the Autobots managed to rescue him. {{storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}
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===Listen 'n Play audiobooks continuity===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
Bombshell aided Starscream in enacting Megatron's plan to abduct humans for ransom. When they reached [[Phoenix International]], they found the airport deserted, so instead went to check on the already-obtained hostages. Unfortunately the Autobots had found the warehouse already and liberated the prisoners, so Starscream's squad instead found an Autobot welcoming committee. With Starscream unable to transform and Bombshell injured, the Decepticons retreated. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Play)}}

===Peril from the Stars===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:Bombshell starscream uncle jack aunt sue peril from the stars.jpg|100px|thumb]]
Bombshell was recruited by Starscream, behind the backs of the other Decepticons, to help him capture the [[Los Palmos observatory]] and its staff [[Jack Richards|Jack]] and [[Sue Richards]] in order to track a weapons pod that had been launched from Cybertron. After implanting Sue Richards with a cerebro-shell and tangling with [[you]] and the Autobot [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], Bombshell ultimately retreated after Starscream left him to face Jazz alone. {{storylink|Peril from the Stars}}

{{note|As "Peril from the Stars" is a [[multipath adventure]], Bombshell doesn't necessarily implant Sue with a cerebro-shell. Depending on the choices you make, at that point in the book he could be blowing you and Jazz to pieces with an explosive shell instead.}}
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===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Dinobots Strike Back====
With his buddy Kickback, Bombshell snuck into [[Hidden Valley]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were supposed to be on lookout duty. Seeing their inattentiveness, he was able to get close enough to launch a mortar which knocked them all out except Swoop, who dodged but got a wing injured in the explosion. Bombshell quickly transformed into insect mode and injected the four unconscious Dinobots with cerebro-shells, ordered them to transform, and sent Kickback back to Megatron to report his triumph. {{note|The preceding actions hold true for every path of this micro-continuity-nexus.}}

What happened next depended on Swoop's actions: if Swoop stayed and fought Bombshell, the Insecticon responded by hovering over the other Dinobots, making it too risky for him to take a shot from his position. If Swoop flew below him, it opened up two paths with basically the same result for Bombshell: hit with a missile, then threatened until he removed the four cerebro-shells. He flew off in defeat, apparently not damaged too badly in either outcome.

If Swoop tried to lure him higher, Bombshell ordered the other Dinobots to attack the Ark and level everything in their path, raising a dust cloud that obscured Swoop's vision. Bombshell saw his opportunity to sneak up on Swoop, and injected him with a poison that shrank him down to the size of a hummingbird, then flew off and left the Dinobot bombardier to his fate. The poison eventually wore off, allowing Swoop to go down the same path as if he'd just flown back to the Ark instead of trying to fight Bombshell in the first place.

Either way, Bombshell never figured back into this micro-continuity-nexus save for one path in which Windcharger popped the cerebro-shells off with his magnetism, allowing [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to remember picking up a careless thought from Bombshell about his actions merely being a distraction from Operation Black Coral, spurring the Autobots to investigate [[Dolphin's Bay]]. One possible subsequent outcome involved the Dinobots foiling this plan by pretending to still be under the cerebro-shells' influence, indicating that Bombshell wasn't actively controlling their actions at all after giving the initial order, and that the mind-link with his victims is only one-way. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

====Battle Drive====
[[File:Battledrivefightingatthebridge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
In one possible scenario, when Starscream believed himself ambushed by a whole squadron of Autobots, he radioed Bombshell for back-up. Upon his arrival, the Decepticons realized they were only up against Bumblebee, and the pair ganged up on the little Autobot. If Bumblebee attempted to flee from this battle through a nearby cornfield, Bombshell would put the little Autobot out of commission by puncturing his tires after Starscream used his [[null-ray]]s on Bumblebee. In another possible sequence of events, Bumblebee is able to lose Bombshell through a smokescreen produced by a nearby burning field.

In another possible version of these events, Bombshell was amongst a squadron of Decepticons attacking Sparkplug as the human attempted to hide in a cave in the mountains. Bombshell and the rest of the Decepticons were defeated if Swoop managed to take out Megatron subsequently. Otherwise, he was amongst the Decepticons who stayed at the cave entrance after Swoop headed back to Autobot headquarters after the Dinobot's initial assault. In one of the possible following events, Bombshell has his wings blasted off when Prowl makes a mad dash back for Autobot headquarters, leaving him unable to pursue.

In a completely different version of these events, Bombshell is amongst the fleet of Decepticons who attack Optimus Prime and his small squad of Autobots when they are lured out in the open farmland. Whether or not the Decepticons triumphed depended on which decisions Optimus Prime made from that point on. In one possible scenario, Bombshell was scorched by Jazz's flamethrower after he and at least nine other Decepticons attempted to gang up on Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Battle Drive}}
{{-}}

====Attack of the Insecticons====
[[File:AttackoftheInsecticonstheSunPak.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
In one possible adventure, Bombshell was complicit in one of Starscream's schemes of overthrowing Megatron. Holding the recently kidnapped Sparkplug in his custody for the Seeker, Bombshell was instructed to use his Cerebro-Shells on the human in order to force him into creating a Sun-Pak for them, a device that would provide them with great energy reserves. Unknown to the duo, Buster and Blaster were hiding nearby.

If the two of them decided to contact Megatron, two possible outcomes were possible. First, if Buster provided Megatron proof that Starscream was planning to usurp the Decepticon leader, Megatron would arrive shortly and threaten Starscream for his duplicity. Not wanting to share Starscream's fate, Bombshell refused to collaborate Starscream's lies to Megatron. Though Bombshell managed to avoid punishment, this came at the cost of having to release Sparkplug, and keeping the existence of the Sun-Pak a secret. Second, if Buster refused to provide Megatron with proof of Starscream's treachery, Megatron turned up anyways, but allowed Bombshell to use his mind control device on Sparkplug. Unfrotunately for the Decepticons, the device caused memory damage in the human, rendering Sparkplug unable to create more Sun-Paks for the Decepticons.

If Blaster and Buster decided to seek Bumblebee's aid in confronting the Decepticons, the three of them would hatch a plan, which ultimately led to Bombshell accidentally hitting Starscream with his Cerebro-Shell in-lieu of Sparkplug. A fuming Bombshell was then forced to deal with the Seeker who was convinced by the Autobots that they were his masters, and was prevented from stopping both humans and both Autobots from escaping by the newly brainwashed Starscream.

In another possible adventure, the Autobots had become Bombshell and Shrapnel's prisoners, thanks to the Insecticons' Electro-Disrupter. While the Autobots are paralyzed by the device, Bombshell prepared Cerebro-Shell to make slaves of all do-gooders present. Little did the Decepticons know that the disrupter left the humans unaffected, giving them the opportunity to turn the device on the Insecticons, allowing the Autobots to escape.

In yet another possible adventure, Bombshell and Kickback were present when Shrapnel, in possession of the Sun-Pak, gloated that using the device's power they would overthrow Megatron as leader of the Decepticons. However, nearby hid Buster and Mirage spying on the trio. If Buster and Mirage decided to confront the Insecticons themselves, Mirage used his holographic powers to disorient the Insecticons, allowing Buster the opening to steal the device from the Insecticons. If Buster and Mirage decided to call for reinforcements, Bombshell and the other two Insecticons would be around long enough for Megatron, himself having found out about Shrapnel's ploy, to arrive in the rotting forest where the Insecticons were hiding, and blast Shrapnel for his treachery, warning the other two Insecticons that a similar punish would await them should they try to betray him as well. Bombshell was subsequently sprayed by [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide's]] acid spray, alongside the other Decepticons, when Megatron's plan to ambush the Autobot reinforcements backfired. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}
{{-}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
Bombshell was stationed in the Decepticons’ secret desert base. In one possible scenario, the Decepticons captured Sarah Sanders, a scientist who had discovered a way to make machinery invisible with her [[Invisibility Device]]. When she would not give up her secrets willingly, Galvatron ordered Bombshell to use his Cerebro-Shells to control her mind. Bombshell stepped forth from the shadows and greedily anticipated taking over a fresh mind. In one possible scenario, Bombshell succeeded despite the Autobots’ brief interference, and the Decepticons conquered the Earth. In another possible scenario, Bombshell was dazzled at the last second by a series of holographic projections, giving the Autobots the time to scoop up Sarah and run. Whether Bombshell recaptured Sarah or if she escaped the Insecticon’s clutches was a matter of chance from this point forward. {{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Bombshell kickback shrapnel soundwave ravage war within 1-2.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|Oh, shut up.]]
Bombshell, sporting a spiffy tank mode, was on Cybertron millions of years ago as part of a commando group being directed by Soundwave, sent to track down Optimus while the bulk of the Decepticon forces participated in a raid on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} But the newly inaugurated Prime proved to be more trouble that Bombshell's team initially anticipated. The Autobot leader lost his pursuers in Cybertron's labyrinthine underground, and then ambushed them by using the environment to his advantage. Optimus knocked out Bombshell after delivering a solid right-hook to his face. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] came across Bombshell's sputtering, sparking body while on his own search for the Prime. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

During the Dark Ages, Bombshell and his fellow future Insecticons served under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] as part of the primary Decepticon faction. At one point, they assaulted [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the [[Chaos Trinity]] in [[Altihex]] to stop the chaos unleashed by [[the Fallen]]. {{storylink|Conflagration}} Bombshell was also present at [[Tyger Pax]] during the aborted peace treaty between the Autobots, Decepticons and [[Ultracon]]s. Megatron's sudden arrival with the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] put a quick stop to those peace talks. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} After Megatron took control of the planet, Bombshell got to guard Autobot prisoners within [[Internment Camp Pi]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2|The Age of Wrath #2}}

Prior to the [[Great Shutdown]], Shockwave uncovered the crash location of the missing ships the Ark and ''Nemesis'': Earth. He sent Kickback, Shrapnel and Bombshell to the planet as part of some vast, incomprehensible scheme he'd been perfecting for millennia. They initially encountered resistance from the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]], but gave them the slip and went undercover on Earth for 48 thousand [[Units of time|vorns]]. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues|The Rules of Extinction}} {{storylink|Extermination}}

{{note|Bombshell and the Insecticons made a brief appearance in the second ''[[The Transformers Trilogy|Transformers Trilogy]]'' novel, ''[[Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation]]'', as troops under Starscream's command on Earth. This appearance is contradicted by later Dreamwave stories. Also, in the novel the Insecticons shrink down to insect-size as they did in Marvel Comics, whereas later Dreamwave issues showed them retaining their full size, like their cartoon versions.}}

In modern times, however, Bombshell seemed to have developed a few loose screws and begun operating outside his mission parameters. Having taken over a small town in rural America, Bombshell had begun mass production of techno-organic Insecticlones being grown from special pods. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}} He also went about abducting cattle and their human handlers in order to feed his larvae and build a mind-controlled army. His actions drew the attention of [[Earth Defense Command]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s Autobot faction, leading to an investigation of the town. Shockwave contacted the Insecticons, berating them for allowing to be found out, though Bombshell thought the Autobots to be of little concern; he had already captured one of them, [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]], and begun tinkering about with the Autobot's head. He ended Shockwave's call, and his experiment, to go feed his hatchlings... only to find Sunstreaker and Sideswipe already running amuck in the hatchery. These two were captured as well, only for Bumper to turn up missing by the time the brothers were brought back to Bombshell's lab. Heading up to the surface in the hopes of finding him, Bombshell observed from a distance as the rest of his squad took on Jazz and his troops. As the Autobots gained the advantage on the battlefield, Bombshell sent the mind-controlled townspeople against them, knowing they would hesitate to harm the fleshlings. While his attentions was focused on this, Bumper managed to sneak up on Bombshell and took him out, signaling an Autobot victory... though this victory seemed to have come about easily. Perhaps, too much so...? {{storylink|Extermination}} In any case, Bombshell was taken into Autobot custody after his defeat. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Bad Future Insecticons GIJoevsTFsII3.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Bombshell-type Insecticons were part of the dreaded Insecticon swarms on an alternate future Earth ruled by the Decepticons. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}
{{-}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Bombshell participated in a savage all-out Decepticon offensive against the Autobots. With the Decepticons maintaining the advantage throughout the battle, Bombshell was amongst those who approached a crippled Optimus Prime, ready to dispatch the Autobot leader. Before they could deliver the finishing blow, the Dinobots combined into [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], shifting the Decepticons’ priorities. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:Bombshell beachcomber spotlight blaster.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|Cybertronian creature feature.]]
Shortly after [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s apocalyptic assault across Cybertron, a tiny mechanoid insect called Bombshell injected a cerebro-shell into [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] on [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]]'s behalf. The shell enabled Soundwave to make Beachcomber into an assassin, sending him after [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], the inspirational broadcaster for the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

{{note|Bombshell in "Spotlight: Blaster" was later considered as a different, earlier insect Decepticon that just so happened to be called Bombshell. In a later interview,<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC3b5epypnA</ref> Shane McCarthy confirmed that the earlier Bombshell was a prototype for the later Insecticons, and this was eventually confirmed in-universe in [[Shockpoint|''Robots in Disguise'' #21]].}}

Several hundred years later, Bombshell was created on Cybertron as the first [[Insecticon swarm|non-insane]] Insecticon. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Soundwave would later refer to him as a "different Bombshell", separate from the one he had used against Blaster. One of this new Bombshell's first tasks was to finish [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s research on [[combiner]]s, resulting in the creation of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} After Devastator had defeated the Autobots on [[Earth]], Bombshell constructed a [[space bridge]] between Cybertron and Earth, which the Decepticons used to dump their defeated enemies in. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} After using the bridge to get rid of the Autobots on Earth, the Decepticons attacked [[New York City]]. During the assault, Bombshell tore apart [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] jets in his giant beetle mode. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} [[Marissa Faireborn]] watched this in horror. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} He later attended [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'s glorious victory speech in the ruins of the city, but the line about the Decepticons being "united in our cause" clearly wasn't quite true. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 3|All Hail Megatron #3}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}

[[File:AllHailMegatron8-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
Battle lines started being drawn between the Insecticons and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. In [[Beijing]], Bombshell began openly mocking [[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]] and the Seekers as "Yesterday's news", ignored by their flight commander and cast aside by Megatron in favor of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. Despite his mind games, though, Bombshell and the united Insecticons quickly scurried off when both Skywarp and [[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] stood up against them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} After returning to New York, Bombshell was approached by [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]], who apologized for the behavior of his fellow Seekers, and told the Insecticons about how he envisioned the future of the Decepticon Empire—a vision which incidentally included Starscream as the leader. At some point during the conquest of Earth, Bombshell also captured former [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[Hunter O'Nion]] and started performing twisted experiments on him. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

Bombshell would go on to create another space bridge in New York and use Hunter to create a "hub" of some sort, which the Decepticons used to find Autobots all across the galaxy and deactivate their defenses. When Megatron complimented his work, Bombshell explained that human minds intrigued him, and that he found experimenting on them to be quite "delicious". He then promptly betrayed Megatron, as he had been sucked in by Starscream's words earlier and took the Seeker's side in his rebellion. In response, Megatron threw Kickback at him. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} Not long afterwards, the Autobots returned to Earth, and a massive battle broke out in New York. Bombshell jumped [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe]] and taunted the Autobot by claiming to have toyed with [[Sunstreaker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|his brother]]'s mind with information he had extracted from Hunter. He was punched out by [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] before he could kill Sideswipe, however, and the Decepticons soon found themselves defeated. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} As the Decepticons fled the planet aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Bombshell cheered for Starscream when he revealed that he was in possession of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

[[File:Bombshell All His Engines.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
Despite Starscream's "ascension", however, the Decepticon army began to crumble without clear direction. Bombshell and the rest of Starscream's followers eventually retreated to a lifeless planetoid in a distant solar system. Refugees from the broken Decepticon war machine began to trickle in over the next three years until nearly 100 were cowering together in the dark. Starscream ordered Bombshell to find some way to strengthen their meager energon reserves and keep what remained of the army properly fueled. Bombshell regarded this as a fool's errand, and left the Decepticons to reach "population saturation" on their own, as the strong cannibalized the weak for resources. Instead, he chose to work on perfecting cerebro-shell technology, and cobbled together a prototype to present to Starscream. It proved highly effective against the dissident [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], who attacked Starscream at that moment for reasons of his own. Bombshell's little toy incapacitated Quake long enough for Starscream to eliminate the mutineer. Intrigued, Starscream requested Bombshell begin production of ''more'' cerebro-shells. {{storylink|All His Engines}} Later, Bombshell reported to an uninterested Starscream that an approaching Autobot ship had crashed into their defenses. Tempted by the Matrix, he made an offer to take care of the relic, but Starscream violently repulsed him. Together with Shrapnel and [[Acid Storm]], he went to scavenge the ship's wreckage for anything useful, only to be attacked by the pilot, [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]]. Bombshell tried to fire one of his new cerebro-shells at the intruder, who blocked it with a piece of metal and defeated him. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}}

[[File:Bombshell Soundwave Shockwave Starscream The Death of Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]
Megatron would later use space bridge technology built into in his new body to summon Bombshell and the rest of the Decepticons to him on Cybertron. At first they did battle with the Autobots, but were soon mind-controlled by [[D-Void]] into combining with [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron's]] [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] army and forming a [[Deceptigod|huge monster]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings}} Once this monster was defeated, all Decepticons but Megatron were left weakened and easily captured by the Autobots, but Bombshell, Soundwave and Shockwave secretly remained in contact with their leader in preparation for his return. Bombshell's task was to perfect combiner technology, granting Megatron a warrior powerful enough to conquer the newly restored Cybertron. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} After three weeks in captivity, the Decepticons were released to help the Autobots beat down a [[NAIL]] riot, though with [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chip]] implants to keep them from going overboard. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

[[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], unaware of their machinations and fed up with working as an enforcer for the Autobots, accused Bombshell, Soundwave and Shockwave of just sitting around instead of doing something about the Decepticons' situation. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} The three aided [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s plan to take control of the I/D chips, assassinate the [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Autobot leader]] and rise up against their captors, but only because it served as a good distraction from their own activities. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} When Ratbat was then mysteriously found dead, the Autobots claimed it was suicide, but Bombshell and the other Decepticons didn't believe them. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

[[File:Prowl Bombshell Devisive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0]]
Following Ratbat's death, Bombshell began experimenting with using cerebro-shells to repress the wills of individuals and turn them into components of the perfect combiner, a concept he referred to as "[['Til all are one|all-who-are-one]]". Among his test subjects were [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] and [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]], but he was forced to murder the latter after he proved "divisive" and unsuitable for the experiments. As [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] found the body, Bombshell placed another cerebro-shell on him to prevent him from telling anyone he was responsible, but [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] found the device and tracked him back to his lair. Ordering Sunstorm to keep Prowl and [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] busy, he fled into the [[reclamation tunnel]]s and recruited the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]' help, but it was all in vain as Prowl eventually cornered him and demanded to know what he was doing and who he was working with. When Bombshell refused to answer, Prowl prepared to execute him on the spot by shooting him in the head. {{storylink|Devisive}} However, using a tiny cerebro-shell masked by the larger one Prowl had found, Bombshell took control of his mind and made him miss at the last second. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}}

Now believed dead, Bombshell was able to go into hiding and use Prowl to manipulate events in anticipation of Megatron's return. This way, he was able to spirit away the Constructicons and modify them into a new Devastator, as well as take out [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], the only Autobot capable of defeating a combiner. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Starscream expressed great shock at seeing Bombshell and other believed dead Decepticons alive when he was taken into the [[Black Room]]. {{storylink|The Verge}} When Megatron finally returned, they enacted the final part of their plan by having Prowl form Devastator's head, causing the giant to be completely under Bombshell's control. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} However, the Decepticons were betrayed by Arcee who, knowing the only way of defeating the new Devastator would be to take out one controlling him, killed Bombshell by stabbing him in the head. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}}
{{-}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:HeartsofSteel2 Insecticons.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Along with several other Decepticons, Bombshell awoke in the late 19th century when a sunken human submarine crashed onto their submerged ship. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} He spent some time helping his comrades construct things underwater before being ordered by [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] to obtain "money" for their human ally, [[Tobias Muldoon]]. Taking on a new [[alternate mode]] alongside Kickback and Shrapnel, Bombshell transformed into the middle portion of the "[[Insectrain]]", which used his head-mounted cannon as a turret. The Insecticons attacked a train carrying money and gold from the Denver Mint, shrugging off the primitive weaponry of its human guards. Although he didn't see the value in tiny sheets of paper, Bombshell followed orders and delivered the loot to Starscream and Muldoon by the next morning. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} He was later present when Starscream announced to his troops that the Autobots had awakened as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}}
{{--}}

===''Lil Formers''===
Bombshell was interviewed and claimed, to put all debates to rest, that it was indeed him who became Cyclonus after being reformatted by Unicron. Skywarp made the exact same claim. {{storylink|Lil Formers}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
Bombshell asked [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] what was the point of his [[Pretender]] shell, since he couldn't blend in human society as a skeleton. Bludgeon explained that his Pretender shell once looked human, but its face was melted off after witnessing [[w:Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade|the opening of the Ark of the Covenant]]. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:Targetmasters-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|left|350px]]
Bombshell, Shrapnel, and Kickback acted as bounty hunters for Megatron. The Insecticon trio brought their king four of the human invaders that had recently been pestering him, after picking them up in the middle of a firefight between G.I. Joe and the Decepticons. The fleshlings escaped, along with a couple of Autobot captives, when [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] tricked Megatron with a holographic projection of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}}}

==Commercial appearances==
Bombshell, Shrapnel, and Kickback led an enormous swarm of Insecticons to attack a farm. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Insecticons|Insecticons commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{Note|Bombshell is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Hardshell and his Insecticons once captured [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] of the Lightning Strike Coalition, and delivered the prisoners to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s lab, for the Decepticon scientist to experiment on them. {{storylink|Rescue the King}}

Chafing under Megatron's rule, Hardshell and his fellow Insecticons began raiding energy storage and high-energy research facilities worldwide. The energy gave them increased size and power, and it was only when the Autobots and Decepticons formed an alliance that they were able to be stopped. {{storylink|Harvest of the Insecticons}} When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] returned to Earth with new troops in the form of [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], the Insecticons managed to ambush them. {{storylink|Junkion Reunion}} The Decepticons managed to steal [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], and Megatron had Hardshell reprogram her to serve the Decepticon cause. Though she succeeded in stealing the [[World Energy Chip]] from Autobot HQ, the Decepticons were forced to come to her aid and failed to prevent her falling back into Autobot hands. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird (Legends)|Enter the Nightbird}} Bombshell was among the Decepticons who attacked Cybertron during an alliance with the Quintessons. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 3}}

At some point he was reformatted into [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsBombshell.jpg|thumb|left|400px]]
Bombshell participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Super Rare character who could be acquired as a reward in the "Insecticons HUNGER!" event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[file:BombshellEarthWars.jpg|thumb]]
Bombshell is one of the more elite warriors that arrived on Earth at the same time with [[Huffer (G1)]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Transformers: Earth Wars}}

*'''Class:''' Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 3 star (2 star in Beta)
* '''Weapons:''' Bombshell  wields duel plasma-emitting pistols.
*'''Ability: Defense Attack'''- Bombshell can hack enemy defense for a given amount of time (depending on upgraded ability) making it attack other defenses.
**'''First use cost:'''
**'''Range:''' 16

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:bombshell| Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki Bombshell Page]

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Bombshell toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|One not-so-big, bad, beetle 'borg]]
*'''Bombshell ''' (Insecticon, [[1985]])
**''Japanese ID number'': '''41'''
**''Accessories'': "Twin Ion Impulse Blaster"

:Bombshell is a redeco of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' Waruder Insecter Robo "Kabutron" toy. Bombshell transforms into a robotic rhinoceros beetle and doesn't do a whole lot more than that. There is a variation on the mold's insect mode horn; some versions have a rounded indent on the "top" part near the base-joint, allowing it to fold down further in [[robot mode]]. As a legacy of his past as a mold from the ''[[Diaclone]]'' toyline, he has an opening canopy which can seat a ''Diaclone'' driver figure.

:In Japan, Bombshell and the other Insecticons were "re-released" as mail-order items from 1987 through 1988. They each cost 880 yen (their normal retail price) and two [[Robot Point|robot points]].

:This mold was used to make the [[Salvo]] drones.

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-insecticons-bombshell/856/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Bombshell at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Decepticon/Bombshell/bombshell.htm More information on Bombshell at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{Anchor|ActionMaster}}
[[File:G1-toy BombshellAM.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"We don't rent, we don't borrow, we don't share—we TAKE the mind."]]
*'''Bombshell''' ([[Action Master]], [[1991]])
**''Accessories'': "Needler" partner, "short burst stinger rifle"

:[[Action Master]] Bombshell is a non-transforming action figure that combines the cartoon model with a few toy-based elements. Interestingly enough, his distinctive head-cannon is no longer on his skull, but his hand-held blaster bears a similar design.

:He comes with his robot scarab [[Action Master partner|partner]] [[Needler (G1)|Needler]], who forms a backpack/battle helmet for Bombshell. He was only available in the European markets.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Decepticon/Bombshell/bombshell.htm More information on Action Master Bombshell at tfu.info.]''
{{-}}

===''The Transformers Collection''===
*'''Insectrons''' (multi-pack, [[2004]])
**''Japanese ID number'': '''16''' (full set)

:Bombshell was released as part of ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' in a set with [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] and [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]. This set also included three [[energon cube]] accessories that fit inside their chest compartments.

:The Bombshell in this set not only lacks the horn-indent of later variations, but has a couple other minor mold-differences to boot, with the horn lacking the "bumps" near the tip and base.

===''Universe'' (2008)===
*'''Insecticons''' (Toys"R"Us exclusive multi-pack, [[2009]])

:Bombshell was released as part of the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]], in a set with his Insecticon pals. Like with his 2008 ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' incarnation (see below), Bombshell has been renamed Hardshell for [[trademark]] reasons. Likewise [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] has had his name changed to "Sharpshot".

:This Bombshell uses the slightly [[retool]]ed "Transformers Collection" version of the horn. The tiny insect mode legs on the middle of his arms have also been retooled to be detachable, owing to breakage issues.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/CSHardshell/hardshell.htm More information on Hardshell at TFU.info.]''

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===Kre-O===
[[File:KreO-Toy HardshellKreon.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Maybe a [[Cerebro-shell]] from him will turn you into the Kre-O Maniac.]]
*'''Hardshell''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2013)
**''Collection'': '''2'''
**''Bag number'': '''***** 67'''
**''Accessories'': Logo brick, large rifle

:As part of the second Collection of [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] [[Micro-Changer]]s, Hardshell is a Kreon that can be rebuilt from robot mode into a rhinoceros beetle of some sort. He uses the [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]] style helmet.

: This Collection was still in circulation at "dollar" stores and drug stores up through 2015. They eventually lost the individual-identifying bag codes, but other changes were hidden inside the bag. The 2015 releases replaced the 2x4 logo stand-brick with a new 3x4 logo plate. The Kreon was also given the slight [[retool]]ing to the arm seen in the 2014 Kreons, making the "cuff" parts more sharp-cornered and better adapted to being used as studs. Some of the add-on pieces may also be slightly off-color, possibly due to a change in factories in mid-production.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Kre-OHardshell/hardshell.htm More information on Hardshell at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2015}}
*'''Kreon Class of 1985''' (Kreon figure set, 2015)
**''Accessories'': Blaster

:Voted "Best at Convincing Someone Else to Do His Homework" by the [[Kreon Class of '85]], "Insecticon Bombshell" has a deco much more heavily based on the [[Bombshell (G1)#Toys|original Bombshell toy]]. Like the rest of the set, he uses the almost-totally-[[retool]]ed 2015 style of Kreon body.

:This box set of thirty Kreons was a [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2015 [[exclusive]], with leftovers being sold on [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online after the show.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Decepticon/SDCCKre-OBombshell/bombshell.htm More information on Class of 1985 Bombshell at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{Anchor|2016}}
* '''Hardshell''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2016)
**''Collection'': '''2'''
**''Accessories'': Logo plate, large rifle

:In 2016, Collection 2 was re-released in a whole new production run for Dollar General stores in the US as part of a large collection of re-released ''Kre-O'' sets. But where most of these releases are nigh-identical to the originals, the re-released Micro-Changer blind-bags use the almost-entirely-retooled 2015 Kreon, with slightly-differently-hued plastics than the originals. (It is possible for some of the add-on pieces to be in the older hues.) Hardshell's [[tampograph]]s are almost totally unchanged, basically his Decepticon symbol now has a white outline and that's it.

:Sadly, this release has no individual-identification code on the bag, requiring you to use the feel-through-the-bag method or just buy blind and hope.

{{-}}

===''Generations''===
[[File:Generationstoy-Bombshell.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Well, The Mind Taker, it seems that you have me tied up!]]
*'''Bombshell''' (Legends Class, [[2015]])

:''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Bombshell is a new mold based on his Generation 1 character model, still transforming into a robotic rhinoceros beetle. Plus he got his name back! Bombshell includes a collector card featuring art from the "[[Junkion Reunion]]" episode of ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]''. Like other ''Combiner Wars'' Legends, he is meant to have a third mode where he can be used as a weapon. However, instructions for this mode have not been included.

:Bombshell was redecoed into ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Adventure]]'' [[Bombshell (Adventure)|Bombshell]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Decepticon/CWLegBombshell/bombshell.htm More information on ''Generations'' Bombshell at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|Platinum}}
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Bombshell.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Insecticons''' (Platinum Edition 3-pack, 2015)
**''Accessories'': "Twin Ion Impulse Blaster", Energon cube

:Part of the ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Insecticon 3-pack along with Shrapnel and Kickback, this Bombshell figure is yet another reissue of the Generation 1 toy. He also includes an Energon cube accessory from ''The Transformers Collection'' release.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Bombshell''' (Decoy, [[1987]])

:Bombshell was one of the Decepticon [[Decoy]]s packed in with smaller carded ''Transformers'' toys. While the normal purple version could come on any Decepticon toy, the rarer red version was available ''only'' on [[Throttlebot]] cards and only for a short while before the switch to purple.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Decoys/Bombshell/bombshell.htm More information on Decoy Bombshell at TFU.info.]''

*'''Destron Hero Collection-22 Set''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1987)

:The entire run of twenty-two Decepticon Decoys were sold as a single boxed set in Japan, only in purple.

===Hard Hero===
[[File:HardHero Bombshell statue.JPG|upright=0.85|thumb]]
*'''Bombshell''' (Hard Hero statue, [[2003]])

:Number 3 in [[Hard Hero]]'s "Insecticon Series", Bombshell is a 9-inch cold-cast porcelain statue sculpted by [[Jason Ray]]. Only a thousand pieces of the statue were produced.
{{-}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
*'''Perceptor Vs. Hardshell''' ([[2008]])

[[File:Robotheroesperceptorhardshell.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|]]
: Another victim of trademark losses, Bombshell's ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' figurine goes by the name "Hardshell". Part of the fourth wave of ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]] Robot Heroes'', he's packed versus [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] as part of the "Generation 1 Series". His sculpt and colors are based mostly on his [[character model]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/RHHardshell/hardshell.htm More information on Robot Heroes Hardshell at tfu.info.]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Bombshell—like the other Insecticons—was originally a ''[[Diaclone]]'' "[[Waruder]] Kabutron" evil alien piloted mech in different colors... which were eventually used when the trio were [[redeco]]ed for [[e-HOBBY]] release. This is also the genesis of those opening chest compartments.
[[File:TFTM Storyboards - Mirage goes Boom.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|I'll be back!]]
*Bombshell was initially to have been shot from behind by Mirage in the Battle of Autobot City, and would have been shown as dead before being thrown out of the shuttle in the movie; early storyboards show Thundercracker carrying Bombshell's corpse into Astrotrain, explaining why Bombshell was one of the ones thrown out of Astrotrain.
*A proposed [[Fun Publications]] [[BotCon]] [[exclusive]] was a redeco of [[Straxus (G1)#Generations|''Generations'' Darkmount]] into Generation 1 Bombshell/Hardshell.<ref>[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/bc14br.html BotCon 2014 attendee report]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Bombshell''' (ボンブシェル ''Bonbusheru'')
*''French:'' '''Obus''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Prudox'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Zhàdàn''' (炸弹, "Bomb")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Granada''' (Portugal comic), '''Bomba''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Bombomjot''' (cartoon, Бомбомёт, "Bomber")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Hranata''' (ICTV, Граната, "Grenade")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Insecticons]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]