Editing Spotlight: Soundwave

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Spotlight]]''&nbsp;#6
|prev=Spotlight: Ultra Magnus
|next=Spotlight: Kup
|image=Spotlight_Soundwave_a.jpg
|caption=Soundwave commands his cassettes with the Finger of Doom!
|title="The Transformers: Spotlight Soundwave"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 21]], [[2007]]
|coverdate=March 2007
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[Marcelo Matere]]
|colors by=[[Rob Ruffolo]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|edits by=[[Chris Ryall]] & [[Dan Taylor (IDW)|Dan Taylor]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline#1984|1984]]/[[IDW timeline#Infiltration|Infiltration]]
}}

'''Soundwave is keeping tabs on a group of rogue Decepticons... but who is keeping an eye on Soundwave?'''

==Synopsis==
[[Spotlight: Shockwave|Several stellar spans ago]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] assigned [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] to delve into [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s research and relay all the information back to him. As the Decepticon leader did not fully trust Bludgeon, he also assigned [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] to spy on him. Soundwave watches and observes, relaying information back to Megatron as he does so. He notes that one of Shockwave's projects called [[Regenesis]] is of particular interest to Bludgeon. Bludgeon never mentions it in his reports to Megatron, and, by the same token, neither does Soundwave. He continues watching as something is recovered from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s depths, sealed up, and guarded around the clock. He continues watching as, long after Cybertron is quarantined, Bludgeon, [[Iguanus (G1)|Iguanus]], and [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]] leave for [[Earth]] in [[1984]]. Soundwave, of course, follows. Taking on his cassette deck [[alternate mode]], he allows himself to fall into the possession of a construction worker in order to spy on the two foremen, who had been replaced with [[Facsimile construct|facsimiles]] by Bludgeon. Soundwave records their conversations, and learns that they discovered [[Ultra-Energon]] below the construction site.

When the foremen leave to report to Bludgeon, Soundwave sends [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to track them. Listening in via Laserbeak, Soundwave overhears Bludgeon's plan: the foremen will plant [[Plasma-density charge|explosive charges]] to destroy the construction site, and then Bludgeon's team will remove the Ultra-Energon ore they need. That night, Laserbeak "liberates" Soundwave from his "owner" and flies him to Bludgeon's base within [[Mount St. Helens]]. He allows events at the construction site to run their course; the site is destroyed, the [[energon]] is claimed, and the Decepticons return to their base. While they are still disoriented from the [[Orbital jump|orbital bounce]], Soundwave announces his presence and tells Bludgeon that he wants a cut of the profits. Bludgeon sneers at him and tells him that they are not motivated by avarice or ambition; rather, they have seen the truth, and their goal is the resurrection of [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] himself!

Soundwave, remembering Thunderwing's previous devastation of Cybertron, decides that the only recourse is to destroy them: for once, he remarks, he's working for the greatest good instead of his own! He looses Ravage and Laserbeak, who take out Iguanus and Bomb-Burst but are easily dispatched by Bludgeon. Soundwave hesitates for a moment before remembering the apocalypse that was nearly perpetrated by Thunderwing and renewing his resolve. Unfortunately, that one moment is all it took: Iguanus recovers and blasts Soundwave with one of Shockwave's experimental weapons, overriding his transformation circuits and forcing Soundwave back into his alternate mode. Bludgeon remarks on how much of an inconvenience that must be for him, before dropping an explosive charge into the lava below and transporting his team and the energon away as the volcano erupts.  A year later, Laserbeak and Ravage are extracted from Mt. St. Helens by an [[Skywatch|unknown team of humans]]. However, they don't realize the true nature of the cassette deck buried amongst the rubble and Soundwave ultimately finds his way to a pawn shop, where he was purchased by a teenager.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (1)
* [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (4)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (5)
* [[Skullgrin]] (6)
* [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]] (7)
* [[Iguanus (G1)|Iguanus]] (8)
* [[Finback]] (9)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (12)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (13)
|c3=
* [[Bud]] (10)
* [[Hiro]] (11)
* [[Joshua Red]] (14)
* [[Jimmy]] (15)

|h4=[[Facsimile construct]]s|c4=
*[[Fleming]] (2)
*[[Markham]] (3)
}}

==Notes==
* The eruption of Mount Saint Helens in this story does not appear to correspond with an actual historical event. The most famous eruption of the real world volcano took place on [[May 18]], [[1980]]. Although there have been many smaller eruptions since then, according to a [http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/fs036-00/ US Geological Survey Fact Sheet], none of the three eruptions recorded in [[1984]] included any "explosive activity," which the eruption in this story certainly does.
* Ravage and Laserbeak's story would be followed up on in [[Escalation issue 6|''Escalation'' #6]], while Soundwave would be seen in [[Devastation issue 4|''Devastation'' #4]].  All 3 would be visited again in ''[[The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]'', which would also identify Soundwave's "owner" as "Jimmy".
* The issue pays homage to some events in the cartoon, such as the term [[transformation cog]] and "[[The Autobot Run]]"—the episode where the [[Autobot]]s were locked into their alternate modes.

===Errors===
[[Image:SpotlightSoundwaveScale.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Skywatch? More like Skydwarf.]]
* Rob Ruffolo is credited as Rob Ruff'''a'''lo; this seems to be a fairly common misspelling.
* In the panel introducing the two facsimiles, the one with a goatee is shown with a beard that covers his lips instead of the beard he wears for the rest of the issue. If this isn't an illustration error, then that means he has super ''hair-ingesting'' powers. Ew.
* In the scene depicting the two facsimiles arriving to receive orders from Bludgeon, Skullgrin can be seen in the background, despite the fact that Soundwave had previously stated that only Bludgeon, Iguanus, and Bomb-Burst journeyed to Earth.
* [[Scale]] is pretty wonky in this issue: When [[Hiro]] picks up Soundwave in his alternate mode on page 6, the tape deck mode is smaller than a thick comic book slipcase. When Laserbeak picks up Soundwave out of Hiro's hands on page 11, he can barely hold the tape deck in his mouth, making Laserbeak about the size of a large dog (not counting the wings). Yet when Skywatch discovers Laserbeak on page 22, his ''head'' alone is suddenly the size of an adult human.

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Soundwave and cassettes at night; art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]] (colors).
* '''Cover B:''' Soundwave and cassettes with blasted wall; art by [[Marcelo Matere]] and Josh Burcham (colors).
* '''Cover RI-A:''' Uncolored cover A
* '''Cover RI-B:''' Uncolored cover B
<gallery>
Image:Spotlight Soundwave a.jpg|
Image:Spotlight Soundwave b.jpg|Does this make Soundwave Decepticon leader?
Image:Spotlight Soundwave ria.jpg|Cover RI-A
Image:Spotlight Soundwave rib.jpg|Cover RI-B
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Manga editions of ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer |Stormbringer]]''
* [[Transformers: Movie Prequel |Movie Prequel]] comic, issues 2, 3 and 4, plus a 6-page preview of the first issue
* Transformers posters
* ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD
* IDW trade paperbacks (''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'', ''Stormbringer'', ''The Gathering'', ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'', ''[[War and Peace]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'') (back cover)

===Reprints===
*[[2008]] — ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|The Transformers: Spotlight Volume 2]]''
*[[2009]] — ''[[The Transformers: The Premiere Collection Volume 2]]''
*[[2010]] — ''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume One]]''


[[Category:Spotlight issues|Soundwave]]