Editing Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{suite}}
[[File:Soundwave and company.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Can't touch this.]]
If you only remember two things from the ''Transformers'' cartoon, odds are one of them is Optimus Prime, and the other is '''that tape guy with the cool voice'''.

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)|[[Lin Dongfu]] (Chinese), [[Albert Augier]] (French), [[Toni Orlandi]] (Italian, second movie dub), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Miroslav Bijelić]] (Serbian), [[Michael Rüth]] (German, Season 1 & 2), [[Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch]] (German, ''Roll For It'' & Generation 2 Dub of ''Fight or Flee''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, Most of Season 3), [[Gerhard Acktun]] (German, ''Webworld''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, The Movie TV Dub & Generation 2 Season 1), [[Christoph Jablonka]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''War of the Dinobots'', ''Atlantis, Arise!'' & ''Auto Berserk''), [[Christoph Lindert]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Kremzeek!''), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Starscreams Brigade''), [[János Bácskai]] (Hungarian, second movie dub)}}

[[File:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Before the tape recorder, he was a lamppost. It's hard to take him seriously sometimes.]]
Nine million years ago, during the [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Soundwave was one of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s first [[Decepticon]]s and was seen flying through the planet's skies alongside his leader and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}} When the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] with the [[Autobot]]s erupted not long after, Soundwave served as Megatron's intelligence officer and most loyal subordinate, and as keeper of the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette]]s, diminutive robots designed for espionage. While Soundwave was a nigh-constant battlefield presence, he would himself often play no major role in combat, more regularly being present merely to deploy his cassette minions, and, off the field of battle, to replay for his fellow Decepticons the information they would gather for him.

After five million years of war, Cybertron found itself in the throes of an energy crisis, and Soundwave was charged with spying on the Autobots to learn how they were dealing with it. Using his unconventional [[alternate mode]] as a space-age "lamp-post" to position himself on the street outside [[Great Dome|Iacon]], Soundwave was able to deploy [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] to snoop even closer. Laserbeak discovered that the Autobots were preparing to depart Cybertron to search for new sources of energy on other planets, and Soundwave quickly took this news back to Megatron, prompting the Decepticons to pursue the Autobots' [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]] when it left the planet. After navigating a treacherous meteor shower, the Decepticons intercepted and boarded the Autobots' ship, and battle erupted between the two factions, during which Soundwave displayed his prowess by holding his own against [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Sideswipe (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sideswipe]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] ''and'' [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]]. However, the fighting was soon cut short when the Autobot spacecraft was caught in the gravity of the nearby prehistoric planet [[Earth]] and crash-landed. The ship impacted with the side of a [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] in a collision so violent that all the Transformers on board, Soundwave included, were knocked off line.

[[File:Mtmte1 prepare the energon cubes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave auditions for a guest spot on Baywatch as Mitch's hot sister.]]
Four million years later, in the Earth year [[1984]], a volcanic eruption jarred the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I]] back on-line, and it reactivated and repaired the Transformers indiscriminately, reformatting Soundwave with the Earthly alternate mode of a portable cassette player. Before the Autobots were restored, the Decepticons pulled out of the ruined hulk of the ship, and Megatron immediately charged Soundwave with drawing up plans for a new [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]] to return the Decepticons to Cybertron. Soundwave then deployed [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] to help [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] ransack a power plant to gather materials for construction, sent [[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] to scare off humans who came to investigate, and dispatched Laserbeak to search the planet for sources of energy. Laserbeak soon returned to report his discovery of an offshore oil platform, which the Decepticons promptly attacked, gathering oil and storing it in the [[energon cube]]s Soundwave generated from his chest. The Autobots soon arrived to stop the Decepticons, but Megatron collapsed the rig, forcing the Autobots to save the human workers and allowing the Decepticons to escape. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

[[File:Mtmte2 soundwave and teletraan.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Ugh Megatron, there's no one here...they just left the TV on. Hello? Anyone?]] 
Seeking to exploit the data that Teletraan I had gathered on Earth in its short time on the planet, Soundwave positioned himself close to the Autobots' base, where he transformed into his cassette player mode and allowed himself to be found by the Autobots' new human friend, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]]. Unaware of the true nature of the unassuming tape player he had found, Spike brought Soundwave into the Autobot ship and then left him unattended, allowing the Decepticon communicator to release Ravage. The feline felon interfaced with Teletraan I and located the computer's data on energy sources, which Soundwave then recorded. Soundwave was soon caught in the act by Spike, but managed to escape to report to Megatron. Using the information Soundwave obtained, Megatron decided to attack [[Sherman Dam]], where Soundwave instructed Rumble to use his earthquake-generating powers to create a tidal wave that maximized the plant's energy output. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

The Decepticons' raids continued apace, until only one more theft was necessary. As Megatron put his plan to attack an Air Force base together, Starscream attempted another of his infamous coups by trying to shoot him in the back, but Soundwave proved his loyalty to Megatron by warning his leader of the attack. The subsequent raid on the [[Cape Carlson|Air Force base]] went smoothly, and the Decepticons were at last poised to return to Cybertron when the Autobots made one last-ditch attack on their launch site. Soundwave and his tapes went into action, but Megatron soon called the battle off and ordered the Decepticons to board the completed space cruiser. Soundwave served as the ship's helmsman as it blasted off from Earth, but the flight proved a short one, as Soundwave discovered that the Autobot spy [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] has used his invisibility powers to stow away. Before the Decepticons could react, Mirage had sabotaged the ship and sent it plummeting back towards Earth. With Soundwave unable to stop its descent, the ship crashed into the ocean, and the Autobots believed the Decepticons destroyed. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[File:RollForIt SoundwavescansChip.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave performs telepathy for children's birthday parties]]
In truth, however, Soundwave and the other Decepticons had survived the crash, and after months of working in secret, reconstructed their spaceship into a [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|undersea headquarters]]. The villains revealed their continued existence to the world when Soundwave again used his inconspicuous tape player form to infiltrate a solar power plant and proceeded to take control of it, allowing the Decepticons to harvest its energy that they planned to send back to Cybertron over their new intergalactic "[[space bridge]]" transport system. Soundwave repelled an Autobot counterattack by wielding Megatron in pistol mode, but ultimately, the plan backfired when Megatron himself was caught in the space bridge's pull and believed destroyed, leaving Starscream to take control of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion}} Soundwave chafed under Starscream's inept leadership, and their first sortie with the air commander in charge ended in a comical defeat that saw Soundwave bowled over by Prowl as he ran away. Thankfully, Megatron soon returned, with a scheme to steal [[Alcazar|Doctor Alcazar]]'s [[antimatter]] formula, and Soundwave happily latched back onto his master. After Alcazar deleted the formula from his own computer, Soundwave used his mind-reading talents to acquire the formula from the brain of [[Chip Chase]]. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[File:FireontheMountain SoundwaveMegsgun.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Soundwave was actually Starscream's understudy.]]
Soundwave participated in a Decepticon attack on Autobot Headquarters when Optimus Prime was mistakenly believed to be fatally wounded. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} Soon after, during a scheme to drain heat energy from the [[Earth's core]], the Decepticons unearthed the frozen body of Starscream's old friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] in the North Pole. Soundwave helped reactivate him by delivering a million-volt shock to his systems, but Skyfire ultimately sided with the Autobots to stop the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Later, Soundwave and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] were sent on a data-gathering mission, acquiring information about the [[Great Falls]] to facilitate a Decepticon attack on the hydro-electric plant there. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[File:Fireonthemountain soundwave vs brawn round1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave's conscience is his guide, and he's not taking no crap offa nobody.]]
On a mission to the Peruvian Andes, Soundwave successfully proved that the legend of the Incan [[Crystal of Power]] was true when he deduced that the pyramid containing the fabled gemstone rested on a shaft leading to the Earth's core. On a mission to gather steel for a weapon frame to channel the crystal's power, Soundwave and Reflector were ambushed by [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] in mid-air, and Soundwave found himself driven face-first into a mountain by the small Autobot in the first of several clashes that they would engage in over the years. Soundwave tried to fight back with his own rifle, and even tried blasting Brawn with Megatron in pistol mode, but the little Autobot took everything he had to give and escaped in one piece. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain}} Later, Soundwave's mind-reading abilities came into use again when he scanned the brains of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]], [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], in order to determine their weaknesses. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

[[File:Tud2 audio disruptor waves.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Come to me, jungle friends.]]
When Megatron schemed to use the space bridge to transport Cybertron into Earth's orbit, he required human slaves to gather the energy that would result from the massive natural catastrophes such an action would cause. Soundwave and his cassettes were dispatched to capture [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who served as a guinea pig for the mind-controlling [[hypno-chip]]s created by the Decepticons' new ally, [[Doctor Arkeville]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} The plan to transport Cybertron was subsequently accomplished despite Autobot interference, and Soundwave ensured that energy collection could begin quickly by forcing the Autobots to flee with a barrage of painful audio disruptor waves. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Soundwave later transported a cache of energon cubes to the orbiting Cybertron, and was still there when a group of Autobots arrived, searching for the hypno-chip master control. In another encounter with Brawn, Soundwave was taken down by a single blast from his undersized rival, and then alerted the Decepticon forces on the planet to the Autobots' escape. It did little good, as the heroes were able to evade capture, find the hypno-chip control, free the slaves and blast Cybertron out of orbit.{{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Megatron was briefly thought destroyed by the explosion that pushed Cybertron out of orbit, by the Decepticon leader soon returned to Earth, where Soundwave immediately informed him of Starscream's latest play for leadership. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} Soundwave later accompanied Megatron and [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] to [[Bali]], where they met the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} Later still, when Megatron challenged Optimus Prime to a one-on-one duel, Soundwave and the other Decepticons contributed their [[power chip rectifier]]s to a machine built by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] that would transfer all their powers into Megatron, so that he could win the fight with ease. While Megatron never used Soundwave's powers in the duel,<ref>In the finished episode, that is. A scene deleted from "Heavy Metal War" saw Megatron use Soundwave's mind-reading abilities to deduce Prime's next attack move.</ref> he still claimed victory, but when his breach of the rules was revealed, he, Soundwave and all the Decepticons were sent tumbling into a river of lava by the fighting-mad Autobots.{{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[File:Cityofsteel console destroyed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|God, I hate Vista so much!]]
As [[1985]] rolled in, Soundwave participated in a Decepticon attack on an Air Force base, {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} and helped in the construction of the [[Solar Needle]] in the jungles of [[South America]]. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} When Megatron sought to conquer [[New York City]], Soundwave, Rumble and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] battled a group of Autobots in [[Central Park]], and Soundwave was later put in charge of the weapons systems of the so-called "[[New Cybertron]]" that New York was being turned into. That control was soon lost, unfortunately, when a stray blast from an irate Megatron destroyed Soundwave's console. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}

Soundwave and his cassettes were next sent on a distraction mission, keeping the Autobots occupied while Megatron and Starscream snuck inside their base and sabotaged their [[recharging chamber]]s with a [[Personality destabilizer device]], narrowly avoiding another pounding from Brawn in the process. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots}} After helping to steal [[electro-cell]]s {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}} and the Autobots' new [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]] invention, {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Soundwave was appointed to guard the captive Autobots after Megatron succeeded in trapping them in vehicle mode with the [[Transfixatron]]. The communications officer put his skills to work disabling the Autobots' communicators, but neglected to disable [[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]]'s hologram projector, which the Autobot was able to use to summon the small number of his comrades who had not been affected by the Transfixatron. [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] and Ratchet developed a grenade to undo the device's effects, and together, Spike and [[Chip Chase]] outran Soundwave and Ravage to detonate it and restore the Autobots. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[File:Dayofthemachines espionage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Let's see. Guitar, sound system and suspiciously plain brown box.]]
When Laserbeak and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] stumbled upon the subaquatic city of [[Sub-Atlantica]], Soundwave immediately summoned Megatron to view their findings. Megatron and the Decepticons set out for the city at once, and forged an alliance with its leader, the boastful telepathic [[Nergill|King Nergill]], in order to conquer [[Washington, D.C.]] Starscream, however, did not trust the fish-man, and had Soundwave put his own telepathic powers to use to decrypt the scrambled messages Nergill repeatedly gave to his underlings. Soundwave discovered that Nergill was planning to betray the Decepticons, leading to the breakdown of their alliance. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

Soundwave and Megatron used their [[size changing|diminutive]] alternate modes to infiltrate [[Quantum Laboratories]] as part of a plan to take over the computer [[TORQ III]]. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} Later, Soundwave helped steal the human-made robot ninja [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] (finally getting one over on Brawn in the process by collapsing a balcony out from under him), and aided [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] in reprogramming the femme-bot to serve the Decepticons.{{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[File:Insecticonsyndrome soundwave cerebroshelled.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|He bears the mark!]]
When the Decepticons discovered strange energy emanations coming from a crevice, Soundwave dispatched the [[Autoscout]] to investigate, discovering the crevice was filled with [[Korlonium crystal]]s. Megatron schemed to create a [[Optimus Prime clone|clone of Optimus Prime]] as part of a plan to harness the crystals' power, and while the plan failed, the clone was at least impressive enough to completely fool Soundwave, and he was in on it! {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} Subsequently, Soundwave took part in the Decepticons' plan to drill to the Earth's core, {{storylink|The Core}} and was then made a mind-controlled pawn of the Insecticons, who used him to download data from the human military defense computer at [[Iron Mountain]]. Megatron and Optimus Prime were forced to team up to stop the Insecticons and destroy the [[cerebro-shell]] controlling Soundwave, erasing the data he had gathered in the process. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

While spying on Autobot Headquarters, Soundwave learned of the existence of the mysterious prehistoric [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], and sent Laserbeak to follow the Dinobots as they travelled there. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Soundwave proceeded to join the Decepticons in raiding the island's energy sources, before the Autobots, Dinobots and the island's native [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]] saw them off. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Using his alternate mode to infiltrate a military testing site, Soundwave and his cassettes made a hard-fought but ultimately failed attempt to steal the Autobots' new [[Negavator]] weapon. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} Later, when human archaeologists uncovered the wreckage of the Decepticons' old space cruiser in South America, Soundwave alerted Megatron to the news report about their findings, then accompanied him to the wreckage, where they removed the ship's power source, the [[Heart of Cybertron]]. Celebrating the new power that the Heart bestowed upon Megatron, Soundwave joined his fellow Decepticons in over-energizing on energon, leaving him too inebriated to do much of anything.{{storylink|Microbots}}

[[File:Masterplan2 disco dolly.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|All the ladies love Soundwave!]]
When Megatron framed the Autobots for energy theft and had them exiled from Earth, Soundwave took part in the Decepticons' pretense of being heroes. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Soundwave was quite popular among the humans: a young child was heard cheering for him by name, and when he and his cassettes attended a disco, he acquired many female admirers. After Megatron revealed his deception, however, Soundwave was made the slave-master of the work camp that [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] was turned into. Thankfully, the Autobots soon returned to Earth to clear their names and rout the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[File:Dotd1 sneakiest soundwave.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.2|He's ''good''.]]
In one of his most impressible displays of sneakitude, Soundwave was able to position himself, in tape player mode, ''inside'' Ironhide's vehicle mode, ''right next'' to [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]], and spy on the test run of the [[Ultra Plane]], with neither Autobot noticing until he deployed Ravage. While Blaster wrestled with Ravage, Soundwave escaped to report to Megatron, after which he and Starscream joined their leader in attacking the lab containing the blueprints for the plane. The Autobots saw them off, but during their flight away, the Decepticons' systems began to malfunction as a result of [[cybertonium]] degradation. Soundwave's cassettes began ejecting without his command, and his flight powers gave out, sending him crashing to the ground. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Once repaired with fresh cybertonium from Cybertron, Soundwave joined the Decepticons on a mission to [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]]. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}}

Soundwave was among the Decepticons who were granted invincible [[electrum]] coating by the "Golden Lagoon". With their new power, the Decepticons captured [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]], but when Starscream attempted to have the two Autobots fight each other for the villains' amusement, Soundwave immediately ran off and tattled on him to Megatron. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[File:Child's Play Nitro Soundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave forever regretted wearing the novelty cat pheromone spray.]]
Following the Decepticons' alliance with the [[Geddis brothers]], {{storylink|Make Tracks}} Soundwave joined in the Decepticon attempt to create a space bridge in a baseball stadium, where he wickedly delighted in playing catch with one of the players (literally!). The Autobots soon arrived, and another brawl between Soundwave and Brawn erupted, ending when the small Autobot threw Soundwave into the space bridge. When a stray blast then activated the bridge, Soundwave and a small group of Autobots and Decepticons were inadvertently hurled to a world of alien giants. After being menaced by the huge cat [[Nitro]] and trapped in a toybox by Nitro's owner [[Aron (G1)|Aron]], Soundwave was taken with the other Transformers to the planet's authorities for study and dissection. Ravage succeeded in freeing them, and the Decepticons all escaped back to Earth through a mock space bridge Perceptor created out of a telescope. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Upon his return, Soundwave was caught up in the menace of the [[Morphobot]]s, {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} analyzed the energy of an alien asteroid, {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} and helped operate the Decepticons' new [[energy magnet]]. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[File:Autobop soundwave vs blaster.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|That's not sound, it's Darkseid popping up in the wrong universe.]]
After joining Megatron on a mission to the planet of the [[Tlalakan]]s, {{storylink|Sea Change}} Soundwave embarked on one of his most notable misadventures when, under the command of Starscream, he set about brainwashing humans with ultrasonic vibrations inside the Decepticon-built nightclub [[Dancitron]] in New York City. This led to his first major confrontation with his Autobot communications officer counterpart, Blaster, with whom he engaged in a sonic duel. Soundwave had the upper hand in the violent jam session, until Blaster used the club's sound system to magnify his own sonic attacks and win the fight. {{storylink|Auto-Bop}}

When the Decepticons captured [[Hybrid Technologies]] heiress [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]], Soundwave tried to use the [[psycho-probe]] to read her mind, but her innate ability to jinx machines made it a challenge, and eventually led to Soundwave and Rumble being electrocuted. When [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] subsequently caused the Decepticons' new sub-orbital base to crash, it fell to Soundwave to inform Megatron that the base didn't have any forcefields. Whoops! {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}} 

[[File:Ktvs2 see you next fall.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Doesn't have the heart to tell Megatron it's just chocolate wrapped in gold foil.]]
On a mission to recover some incriminating footage taken by a movie studio of their activities, Soundwave showed up Starscream by pointing out that while the air commander had recovered the film reel, he had not destroyed the negative. Soundwave then helped Megatron track the negative down, but they were tricked into thinking it was destroyed by [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood}} Soon after, Soundwave accompanied Megatron to Cybertron to give life to his new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], helping him locate the [[Key to Vector Sigma|key]] to [[Vector Sigma]] and unlocking the door to the mega-computer's chamber. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} Upon their return to Earth with the now-living Stuncticons, Soundwave aided Megatron in analyzing the key to discover what other powers it possessed. By happenstance, its power to de-energize matter and turn it into metal was only discovered when Soundwave tripped and dropped it. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[File:TransEuropeExpress Galata Valley.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"Soundwave, why always rings? I demand a parallelogram or two!"]]
Soundwave soon returned to Cybertron to take part in Megatron's plan to trap the newest addition to the Autobot ranks, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s, in the distant past, {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}} then went back to Earth and used his scanning powers to help Megatron locate the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]]. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}} Soundwave later had Laserbeak monitor the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] infection spreading through the Autobot ranks, {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}, and had the cassette remove Starscream from Decepticon Headquarters after Megatron finally banished the perennial traitor from the Decepticon ranks. When Starscream returned with his own army, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], Soundwave was almost able to shoot the traitor in the back until [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] caused his shot to go wild. Soundwave tried to summon the Stunticons to help, and while they initially rebuffed him, they eventually arrived to tip the scales in Megatron's favor. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Suspecting the Autobots had tampered with Megatron's new ruby laser cannon, Soundwave advised his leader to abandon the weapon, but Megatron was caught up in a battle-frenzy and ignored him. Predictably, the weapon promptly exploded. {{storylink|Masquerade}} For his final recorded adventure in the 20th century, Soundwave invented a device to control the flow of Earth's tides. Before the Decepticons could use it, however, it was necessary to blast the moon out of orbit to remove its controlling influence, so they developed an [[orbit disruptor cannon]] to do the job. Unfortunately, the cannon would only be operated by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], and all the Combaticons save Swindle had been destroyed, so Soundwave installed a bomb in Swindle's head to give him the incentive to gather up their parts and rebuild them. Bruticus was restored, and Soundwave participated in the Decepticon attack upon Autobot Headquarters that served as a test run for the disruptor cannon, but the complex plot was foiled when three college students used [[B.O.T. (G1)|makeshift robot]] to destroy the cannon. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[File:Tftm dont leave me soundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Do you think I'd leave you dying, when there's room on my horse for two?]]
Over the course of the following twenty years, the Decepticons withdrew from Earth and focused all their efforts on conquering Cybertron entirely. By the year 2005, they had accomplished this goal, and the Autobots were consigned to their new "[[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]" on Earth, and to bases on two of Cybertron's moon. Thanks to Laserbeak and Soundwave, Megatron learned of an upcoming Autobot strike against Cybertron, and resolved to cripple their war effort by destroying Autobot City. During [[Battle of Autobot City|the subsequent battle]], Soundwave was instructed to jam a distress call to Optimus Prime from Blaster, so he sent Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to dismantle the communications array being used to broadcast it. Blaster's own team of cassettes fended Soundwave's off, and the call made it through, summoning Optimus Prime and a support team to aid the stricken city. A fateful final battle between Prime and Megatron ensued, which ended with Prime's death and Megatron mortally wounded. As the other Decepticons beat a hasty retreat, Soundwave demonstrated his loyalty to his leader by recovering his damaged body and carrying him aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but when it became necessary to jettison excess weight so that the Decepticons could safely make it back to Cybertron, Soundwave made no move to stop Starscream from setting Megatron adrift in space. In fact, with Megatron gone, Soundwave himself made a bid for leadership, declaring himself a superior choice to the Constructicons and deploying his cassettes to fight for his honor. Starscream ultimately emerged victorious in the fight for leadership, but during his coronation ceremony, Megatron returned, having been recreated by the giant transforming god-planet [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Galvatron promptly killed Starscream, and Soundwave started cheering for his returned leader.

[[File:Ffod1 cons on chaar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"I used to have [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|that guy's]] job ya know".<br> "Suuure, gramps, suuuuure".]]
Galvatron's leadership did not get off to a great start, however: Unicron soon attacked Cybertron, and while he was destroyed by the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]], Galvatron was lost to the depths of space, and the leaderless Decepticons, in a state of disarray after Unicron's attack, were easily routed and forced off Cybertron by the Autobots and their new leader, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Soundwave’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]” and the storybook “[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]."}}

Low on energy, Soundwave and the other Decepticons were forced to relocate to the burned-out planet [[Chaar]], where they eked out a miserable existence on the brink of death. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} When Rodimus Prime and Grimlock came to Chaar to investigate a mysterious attack on the [[Galactic Olympics]], Soundwave and the Decepticons attacked them, {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} and were then later approached by the true instigators of the Olympics attack, the alien [[Quintesson]]s, with the prospect of an alliance. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Under the Quintessons' instructions, Soundwave and the other Decepticons launched an attack on the Autobots on the planet [[Goo 8739B]], during which Galvatron returned, having been found by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} With Galvatron back in charge, Soundwave was amongst the Decepticons who were sent to Earth to try and stop [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[Transformation cog|transforming cog]] from being delivered. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Cminor soundwave white noise.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Disco! Disco!]]
In 2006, Soundwave went with Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] to search for [[isidrite]] in an asteroid belt. Soundwave dispatched Ratbat to search for the mineral, only for the cassette to discover that the Autobots were already mining it. {{storylink|Webworld}} Soon after, Soundwave accompanied Galvatron to the planet [[Eurythma]] to investigate a mysterious sonic weapon. They discovered that sound and music were the way of life on the planet, and Soundwave was entranced by the planet's perfect melodies, specifically the destructive [[harmony]] weapon, which was shared by three Eurythmans. One by one, Soundwave coerced from them each piece of the harmony, recording and combing them with the intention of turning the musical maelstrom upon Autobot City. He was defeated, however, when the Eurythmans countered the harmony with [[anti-sound]], and Blaster erased his recordings. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

Soundwave was among those transfixed by a hypnotic Quintesson signal {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}, then later aided in the Decepticon conquest of the peaceful planet [[Paradron]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}} Later still, during a battle on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]], Soundwave was shocked when his ejection system activated on its own, releasing Ravage, Ratbat, [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]], who departed with all the other "[[Primitive]]" Transformers present to follow a mysterious [[Oracle (G1)|voice]]. Mere moments later, the threat these Primitives had been summoned to fight, [[Tornedron]], arrived on the moon and drained the energy from all the Transformers present, Soundwave included. Thankfully, the Primitives succeeded in defeating Tornedron and restoring everyone's energy. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

For his final appearance, Soundwave was seen playing back the latest piece of information gathered by Ratbat: two human scientists had discovered the body of Optimus Prime, which Galvatron resolved to destroy once and for all. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
[[File:Madman comic Soundwave ejects tapes.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|He's a good guy. Animals like him.]]
In 2001, Soundwave and his squad of cassettes were deployed to the construction site of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] while the balance of the Autobot forces were engaged in an evacuation of Cybertron. He managed to record a secret conversation between Optimus Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] where the Autobot leaders discussed hiding the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] in a bunker at the build site, against the chance Prime would be captured or destroyed while off-world. Soundwave returned to the not-so-secret bunker and deployed his minions to dig up the Matrix. Just as the artifact had been secured and Soundwave was about to call for retrieval, the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] took the Matrix and defeated Soundwave's team. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of American cartoon continuity, as detailed above, occur in the Japanese timeline, except the events of 2006 are pushed back to 2010. The Japanese continuity proceeds to insert many new storylines and events in, around, before and after the events of the Generation 1 cartoon, as covered below.}}

[[File:Soundwave srlf manga.jpg|thumb|It's like if Power Rangers had really cheap zords.]]

===e-HOBBY comics===
Early during Megatron's attempted conquest of Cybertron, Soundwave was among his troops of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s and the [[Silver Company]], raiding Autobot energy warehouses. Their attack was cut short by the unexpected arrival of a [[Guardian robot]], who quickly trounced everybody. {{storylink|64 Cybertron Urban Defense Robot GADEP}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[Moonheart]] trained under Soundwave as a medic. {{storylink|Moonheart#Unite Warriors 2|''Unite Warriors'' Moonheart bio}}

===''Cloud''===
Soundwave was one of several Decepticons who wound up on the receiving end of a beating from a [[Megatron (G1)#Cloud|Megatron from another universe]], as he fought his way through them to get to [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Cloud|his world's Optimus]] and the super-powerful robot entity [[SARA]]. {{storylink|TFC-A01}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' cartoon===
{{main|Soundwave (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga===
In the late 1980s, while Megatron and the Decepticons engaged the Autobots in battle in Arizona, Soundwave and his cassettes were dispatched to do something unspecified (but likely ''evil'') in [[Tokyo]]. Optimus Prime dispatched a unit of Autobots led by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Kenji]] to track them down. He was ultimately defeated when Bumblebee got the drop on him with a patented "Bumble-Kick" and shattered his chest. This made it impossible for his cassette forces to return to him, leaving them to be captured as well. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}} When he next appeared, Soundwave hadn't quite got over his injuries, and was seen with bandages stuck to his chest-window. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages===
Soundwave was one of the Decepticons who attacked New York City early in their conflict with the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 1|Broadcasting on TV! Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers}}

When Soundwave learned that the Autobots were keeping themselves in shape by having a friendly race, he set up a trap within a narrow canyon, walling the Autobots in and opening fire on them. Luckily, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] arrived on the scene and delivered a powerful punch to Soundwave's chest, shattering his tape door once again. Soundwave immediately fled. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Anime Theater 2: Sic' Em, Hound!}}

Blaster battled Soundwave in what seemed to be the foothills of the Alps, while Perceptor kept the Decepticon communicator's cassettes busy. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story page #5}}
{{-}}

===Scramble City: Mobilization===
{{voiceactor|[[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:Soundwave scramblecity.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|"Soundwave...you do know there are laws against exposing yourself, right?"]]
Before the 1980s were over, the Decepticons detected some unusual magnetic field fluctuations, and Megatron ordered Soundwave to send Ratbat, Laserbeak and Ravage to investigate. The cassettes discovered a hidden cavern where the Autobots were constructing a mighty battle fortress named "[[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]", and Soundwave promptly took this information to Megatron. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}
{{-}}

===Full Throttle Scramble Power!===
[[File:Fullthrottle tape fight.jpg|right|thumb|My buddy!]]
Soundwave was present when the Decepticons terrorized the Earth with their new "[[Omega Whip]]" cannon and captured the Autobots' human allies [[Toru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]]. When the two humans tried to escape, Soundwave released Ravage to stop them, but Blaster then appeared to dispatch the cassette. Blaster and Soundwave proceeded to grapple as more Autobots arrived and the battle grew bigger and bigger, and when Metroplex arrived, he actually collided with Soundwave and knocked the Decepticon for a loop. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
[[File:Soundwave stargate battles.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Fear his [[Mickey Mouse]] ears.]]
In the 1990s, continued Autobot/human interaction led to a formal alliance being forged between the heroic robots and the American government and the construction of an interstellar teleport system called the ''[[Trigger]]''. Naturally, the ''Trigger'' space station was a prime target for the Decepticons, and Soundwave was instrumental in taking over the device, as he hacked into its systems and placed it under Decepticon control. Unfortunately for the Decepticons, the sole surviving member of the ''Trigger''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew, [[Makoto (Star Gate)|Makoto]], activated the system and blasted them into space before they could take control of it, and the Autobots soon arrived to send the Decepticons packing. {{storylink|First Contact (Star Gate)|First Contact}}

[[File:Stargatebattles soundwave and megs.jpg|right|thumb|275px|"You ever feel the magic has gone out of our relationship?" <br> "Shut up, Soundwave".]]
Three months later, while the ''Trigger'' was still undergoing repairs after the damage the previous battle had caused, Soundwave patched through a transmission from Laserbeak, who was spying on a test run of the new human-built [[C-X]] battle droid. When the droid ran amok during the test and tried to kill Optimus Prime, the amused Megatron thought Soundwave was responsible for hacking the robot's systems, but Soundwave denied it. {{storylink|Divided Views}} In truth, the drone had been possessed by the time-displaced ghost of Starscream from the future, and he was not yet through making mischief in the past. Starscream's ghost teamed up with his present day counterpart, and together, the two Starscreams took control of the repaired ''Trigger'' and possessed it, transforming it into a giant, twisted robot form. Soundwave was among the massive armada of Decepticons and Autobots who battled the giant Starscream-thing, which was ultimately defeated when Prime and Megatron combined their power to destroy the traitor's new body. Soundwave and all the other Transformers were caught in the backwash of the explosion and sent tumbling towards Earth in uncontrolled re-entry, not to be heard from again for many months. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}
{{-}}

===''Music Label''===
In 2007, Soundwave created a series of diminutive clones of himself, disguised as portable MP3 players, and disseminated them among the populace of Earth as part of a plan to brainwash the youth of the world with hypnotic music. 

{{note|While the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|2007 Takara timeline]] placed the events of the ''[[Transformers Music Label]]'' storyline in the Generation 1 cartoon continuity, this is not without confusion. According to the ''Music Label'' story, Soundwave was foiled in this plan by Optimus Prime, who added a pair of speakers to his trailer that broadcast a frequency to stop the Decepticon's brainwashing. As Prime was ''dead'' at this point in the timeline, this can't have been how things went down in this version of events. However, [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 36|"Bonus Edition Vol. 36" of ''Legends'']] made reference to this event, so...it did happen somehow?}}

===Controverse===
At the trial of [[Primacron]], Soundwave and the Decepticons interrupted the proceedings for their own gain. Soundwave battled [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] outside the Galactic Courts while sending his cassettes inside. {{storylink|Controverse}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)|[[John Culkin]] (English, Omni Productions dub), [[Jesús Brock]] (Latin-American Spanish)}}

[[File:MysteryPlanetMaster BlasterVsSoundwave.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|"Stop! I'm unarmed!"]]
The Decepticons went off the radar for the year that followed Optimus Prime's resurrection, but in 2011, they returned in full force. When Vector Sigma began to destabilize as a consequence of Optimus Prime releasing the energy of the Matrix, Galvatron led the Decepticons' newest troops, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], in an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to secure the computer and restore a Decepticon power balance to the planet. To prevent Autobot reinforcements from Earth reaching Cybertron, Soundwave and a legion of other Decepticons under the command of the faction's new Earth commander, [[Sixshot]], kept the Autobots on the planet busy in a large battle. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} In an attempt to learn the Autobots' plan of action, Soundwave and his cassettes infiltrated Autobot City, and although they were discovered by Blaster and his own cassettes, they were able to escape with the knowledge that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, and that the Autobots were preparing to search for it. Blaster and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] subsequently embarked on a search mission to the [[Arctic]], where Soundwave and his cassettes attacked them. Blaster covered Hot Rod's escape, and he and Soundwave engaged in a one-on-one battle, with shattered chests and severed limbs aplenty. It momentarily appeared that Soundwave had won the battle when Blaster collapsed, but seconds later, the fatal damage Blaster had inflicted upon him made itself apparent, as Soundwave's body exploded. His cassettes scooped up as much of his remains as they could and beat a retreat, but Soundwave was triumphant in death, as Blaster too died seconds later. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

[[File:ReturnImmortal Emperor Soundblaster.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|He's gone black. Will he go back?]]
Soundwave's remains were brought back to Chaar by his cassettes, where the Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] was able to use the super-science of planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] to restore him to life. Reborn in a new black body, Soundwave was rechristened '''Soundblaster''', and following a reunion with his delighted cassettes, immediately went straight back to working for the Decepticon cause. Soundblaster was, in fact, instrumental to the Decepticons' newest plan, as he used his broadcasting powers to send signals from a sonic control device implanted in his chest to direct the actions of the villains' newest weapon, the [[Madmachine]], in another attack on Cybertron. As coincidence would have it, Autobot Headmaster leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] had also used the science of Master to restore Blaster to life as "Twincast", and the two rivals clashed for the first time in their new lives when the Autobot destroyed Soundblaster's sonic control and foiled the Decepticons' plot. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Soundblaster was among the Decepticons who invaded and enslaved the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]]. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} Later, he dispatched Ratbat to spy on the Autobots and learn more about a mysterious blackmailer holding six countries to ransom, reporting his findings to Cyclonus and Scourge. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}} Later still, Soundblaster and his cassette force were able to infiltrate Cybertron's lowest levels and spy on Vector Sigma, discovering that the mega-computer had developed a powerful new alloy named [[cybertonuron]]. Acting on Soundblaster's information, Galvatron staged a massive attack on Cybertron, {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} but Scorponok plotted treachery, planting a bomb in Vector Sigma's chamber in order to destroy the alloy, rather than let Galvatron gain its power. When Galvatron discovered this, Soundblaster attempted to stop him from going to Vector Sigma's chamber, but Galvatron ignored him, and paid for his hubris when the bomb detonated in his face, destroying the cybertonuron and reducing Cybertron to a burnt out husk. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:Hm11 reporting to scorponok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Will the undead please stand up?]]
With Galvatron having disappeared in the destruction of Cybertron, Soundblaster met with the other senior Decepticons to discuss what should be done next. During their meeting, the shadowed figure of Galvatron appeared in the room, but Soundblaster quickly analyzed the newcomer's voice pattern, and realized it was not Galvatron, but Scorponok engaging in a bout of gallows humor. Shedding his disguise, Scorponok claimed that Galvatron was still alive, and that while he could not reveal where he was, he had commanded Scorponok to lead in his absence. None of the Decepticons were entirely convinced (in truth, it was a bold-faced lie), but Soundblaster, in need of a leader to follow, chose to accept it as truth, and followed Scorponok's command to send Ratbat to spy on the Autobot/human launch of the [[Sol 1]] satellite. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Soon after, when Scorponok began scheming to keep the Autobots occupied on Earth with various threads, Soundblaster and his cassettes kept an eye on the Autobots' movements and were able to inform their leader that his plans were working. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}{{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 soundblaster triggers bombs.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Hey diddle diddle, what's there in the middle?]]
Following Scorponok's instructions, Soundwave directed the planting of [[plasma energy]] bombs beneath the surface of [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], in order to destroy the planet and harvest even more of the energy. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} At Scorponok's command, Soundblaster then recalled all available Decepticons to Chaar, where they all witnessed their leader's dramatic unveiling of his gigantic new Transtector. With this powerful new body, Scorponok kept the Autobots occupied while Soundblaster himself pressed the fateful button that detonated the plasma bombs and destroyed Mars. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Soundblaster and his cassettes did not take kindly to the arrival of Scorponok's new intelligence officer, [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]], who irked Soundblaster with his remarkable ability to dig up information that Soundblaster couldn't. Of course, Soundblaster had no idea that Counterpunch was able to do this because he was really the Autobot spy, Punch, and so he and his cassettes set out to prove themselves by going to Earth to see what Autobots secrets they could unearth. Unable to find any information, Soundblaster was moping around the Decepticon Earth base when a story suddenly dropped itself right into his lap: a glowing UFO descended from the sky and abducted Sixshot right before his eyes! Soundblaster attempted to report his findings to Scorponok during a battle with the Autobots on Earth's moon, but there and then, the UFO reappeared, and its owner was revealed to be Galvatron, who had survived his appeared destruction and retook leadership of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} 

[[File:Hm23 soundblaster draws.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Sound doesn't travel in space, moron.]]
Soundblaster and the Decepticon Headmasters were manning the scanners at the Decepticon base on Chaar when the [[Horrorcon]]s arrived to join up with Galvatron's forces. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Soon after, Soundblaster joined the Decepticons on a series of interplanetary energy raids, helping to scan the spaceways and communications channels to keep his leader appraised of Autobot and alien activity as they went from planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]] {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} to [[Twin Star]] {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} to [[Daros]]. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The Decepticons' quest eventually brought them to [[Pirate Planet]], where they were stymied in their pursuit of the planet's fabled energy by their inability to enter the pyramid that held it. Soundblaster observed [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] departing for the field of debris near the planet, and, suspecting they knew something he didn't, followed them. Soundblaster proceeded to ambush the two heroes and demand they share their information, but Daniel was able to get the drop on the Decepticon with his video game light gun, which Highbrow had amped up into a real weapon. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

When the Decepticons returned to Earth, Sixshot proceeded to lead a series of major attacks upon the Autobot forces. Soundblaster reported to Galvatron on the departure of Fortress Maximus from Athenia, and suggested sending Scorponok to keep him busy. Galvatron was wary, knowing Scorponok had his own agenda, but Soundblaster vowed to follow him and keep an eye on him, and Galvatron agreed. However, Soundblaster was surprisingly lax in his duty, as Scorponok didn't bother engaging Fortress, and Soundblaster didn't report this at all! {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

[[File:Hm30 soundblaster in hiding.jpg||left|thumb|upright=1.2|Grand Cybertron Hide N'Seek Champion, 7 million years running.]]
Following Galvatron's death at the hands of the Headmasters and Scorponok's subsequent re-assumption of Decepticon leadership, Soundblaster was among the Decepticons who travelled with his new leader to the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}} When the Autobots followed them there, Soundblaster boldly infiltrated their spaceship, the ''Maximus'', and spied on them with Ratbat. When he was discovered, however, he leapt overboard and flew back to the surface of Master, inadvertently leading the Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] to the Decepticons' hidden subterranean base. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Soundblaster was able to repay them in kind after a later battle, though, when he stealthily followed the retreating Targetmasters and discovered that the Autobots had started working with the young warriors of Master. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

After Scorponok successfully completed construction of his new [[Zarak Shield]] weapon, the Decepticons headed back to Earth, but as they were passing through the asteroid belt, Soundblaster noticed a malfunction in their propulsion system that required them to set down for repairs. While they were resting there, Soundblaster detected the approach of an object, which turned out to be Sixshot, who had become separated from the Decepticons on an earlier leg of their journey. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

Finally, once the Decepticons returned to Earth, Scorponok began raising "[[Death Tower]]s" of [[crysmagnetal]] at strategic points around the Earth, intending to use them to tear the planet apart. While on patrol in the Alps, Soundblaster observed the passage of the Autobots' battleship, and radioed the Decepticons in Egypt to let them know of their enemies' approach. Subsequently, with all the Death Towers in place, Soundblaster participated in the climactic battle between the Autobot and Decepticons armies at the South Pole, which ended when Fortress Maximus destroyed Scorponok's Transtector and saved the planet. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

===''The Headmasters'' manga===
[[File:Hm manga8 master chrome hurricane.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
After their defeat at the North Pole, the Decepticons were preparing to retreat from Earth entirely when Scorponok instructed Soundblaster to remain on the planet in secret to act as a spy for the Decepticons. Soundblaster proved that he wasn't up to the challenge by making his presence and intentions known almost instantly when he kicked [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] square in the face and took the [[Witwicky]] family hostage. [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] was left powerless to do anything but surrender, as [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] brutalized [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and threatened [[Carly]]. Daniel was propelled into action by his family's peril, leaped onto Slugfest, and tricked him into charging into Overkill. This left Soundblaster open to Chromedome's poorly named "Master-Chrome Hurricane Throw to the End of Hell!" Chromedome chucked Soundblaster over the horizon, and when he recovered from his fall, he found Sixshot staring down at him. Demanding to know what Sixshot wanted, Soundblaster was informed that the six-changer was no longer affiliated with the Decepticons, and wanted to travel from planet to planet, learning new transformations. One day, Sixshot told him, he wanted to learn how to transform into a human! Soundblaster was left absolutely dumbfounded by this, unable to even compute such a concept, and wagering it would be a few million years before he could. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 8|The Headmasters #8}}

===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
In a flashback to the early days of the Transformers' war on Earth sometime between 1985 and 2004, Soundwave could be seen among Megatron's Decepticons, waging war against the Autobots. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 6|Bonus Edition Vol. 6}}

In the year 2021, Soundblaster joined the revived Scorponok in a scheme to use a [[black hole]] to create plasma energy. The scheme backfired thanks to the interference of Fortress Maximus and his Autobots, causing the black hole to release smaller black holes called "[[Blackball]]s". Soundblaster was among the Decepticons struck by a Blackball, which began causing his body to shrink. To avoid destruction, the afflicted Autobots and Decepticons traveled to the Legends Universe to receive new Headmaster upgrades. Soundblaster and the other Decepticons sought their upgrades from [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], who gladly cooperated, though he seemed to have ulterior motives. {{storylink|Headmasters Chapter Prologue}}

The Decepticons joined forces with Tarantulas's employer, [[Tera-Kura Co.]], creating a "Decepticon Tera-Kura Co." in which Soundblaster once more served as communications officer. He had Laserbeak spy on their rivals, the Autobot [[Axalon Trading Company]], and steal data the Decepticons could use to build [[transtector]]s. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 22|Bonus Edition Vol. 22}} After [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] went on a rampage in his new body, Soundblaster attended a meeting during which the company's chairman, Megatron from another time period, chewed them out for resorting to violence. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 23|Bonus Edition Vol. 23}}

Soundblaster continued his rivalry with Twincast in his universe, but fell behind when the Autobot acquired a transtector that let him become Blaster again. Noting that the [[Zodiac]] had let Blaster reshape his body into a base mode, Soundblaster established a new [[Dancitron]] and hypnotized the guests into attacking Blaster, distracting him while Soundblaster stole the Zodiac and used its powers in reverse to transform the Dancitron into a transtector based on his original body. Reclaiming the name of Soundwave, he revealed that since Blaster had left the Autobot army to become an artist, he saw no value in besting him in battle and vowed to defeat him on the battlefield of his choice—the music industry. [[Devil Z]] disapproved of his resignation from Decepticon Tera-Kura Co. and attacked him using a transtector powered by a captive Megatron, but Soundwave freed his leader and bested Devil Z with help from Blaster, who shared data on the [[harmony]] with him. Their alliance was temporary, however, as Soundwave was enraged to learn that Blaster had made the harmony playable only once. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 36|Bonus Edition Vol. 36}}

Upon learning from Laserbeak that the Decepticons loyal to Scorponok were trying to overthrow Megatron by rebuilding [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Soundwave reported his findings to Megatron. He fought with Megatron's troops to defend [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[transformation cog]] from the rival Decepticon faction, but they failed. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' manga===
Years later, the image of Soundwave was among the holograms of older Decepticons projected by [[King Poseidon]] to deceive and confuse the Autobots under [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]]'s command. {{storylink|Burn, Super Soul! The New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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}}

In [[2012]], Soundwave's face was on a computer screen in [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s laboratory as Jhiaxus was creating [[Soundwave (G2)|a clone of him]]. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 2}}

Circa [[2013]], Jhiaxus cloned Soundwave yet again to create [[Soundwave (MW)|a clone commander]] of him. {{storylink|Termination}}

[[Tornado]] disliked [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] because as Soundwave considered himself superior, they considered themselves superior by extension. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur, 2015/01/07}}

==''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''==
[[File:Mars Attacks The Transformers - Get him off me!.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Following a defeat at the hands of the Autobots, the Decepticons were [[stasis cuffs|stasis cuffed]] and taken away by humans. A [[Martian]] invasion gave them the opportunity to slip their bonds and attempt to form an alliance with the invasion, but when the Martians trapped them in a [[force field]], the Decepticons were forced to align with the Autobots instead. Soundwave and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] combined their power to bring the force field down. When Megatron was later reduced to the size of a toy by the Martians, Soundwave successfully reversed the effects of the shrink ray. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}
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==Ask Vector Prime==
In one iteration of the battle of Autobot City, those dimensional hoodlums [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and [[gbwiki:Gong|Gong]] decided to spice things up by throwing some [[GoBot]]s into the mix. Accordingly, the usual war for Autobot City became a contest for ''[[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]]'' City instead; in this version of the battle, Soundwave and his cassettes were responsible for offlining [[gbwiki:Hi-Way|Hi-Way]] and [[gbwiki:Street Heat|Street Heat]]. When Megatron fell in his duel against [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]], Soundwave, loyal as ever, carried him to safety. After history blipped again, Soundwave was replaced by [[Doctor Go|Dr. Go]] and [[gbwiki:Warpath|Warpath]] in the combined Decepticon-Renegade force. Thus aboard Astrotrain, it was Dr. Go who mocked [[gbwiki:Tic Tac|Tic Tac]]'s declaration of leadership, neutralized the gestalt [[Puzzler]], and was tackled by [[gbwiki:Snoop|Snoop]]. Later, after Galvatron killed the upstart [[Zero]], Warpath was asked by [[gbwiki:Clutch|Clutch]] what the new arrival called himself. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

==''Deviations''==
In an alternate universe where Megatron died at Autobot City, Soundwave was one of the many Decepticons who were forced to retreat aboard Astrotrain. 
Back on Cybertron, Soundwave was present to witness Starscream’s coronation. The ceremony was interrupted by Unicron, who chose to reformat Starscream into his new servant “Megascream.” As part of Starscream's bargain, Soundwave was one of the warriors who received enhancements.

During Unicron’s final attack on Cybertron, Soundwave accompanied Megascream when the Decepticon leader attacked Optimus, and merged with Megascream to form a massive combiner. Soundwave was presumably killed when Hot Rod opened the Matrix shortly afterwards. {{storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}

==Notes==
[[File:SoundwaveButtonUD3.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"When I think about you, I touch myself."]]
*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 resulted in many, many shots of Soundwave touching his 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]]", "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]" 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 ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers: 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 from China, Soundwave had a glorious, operatic voice.
[[File:Soundwave fly.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hey, wait for me!"]]
*The typically emotionally-barren Soundwave actually ''laughs'' on two separate occasions in the Generation 1 cartoon ("[[Quest for Survival]]" and "[[Auto-Bop]]"), while he is heard screaming 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)|original ''The Transformers'' 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]]".
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===Foreign names===
*''Czech:'' '''Kyber'''

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]