Insecticon swarm

This subject of this article goes by multiple names that apply to other articles as well. See Insecticon (disambiguation), Swarm (disambiguation).

The Insecticon swarm is a Decepticon abomination of science from the 2005 IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Hasbro, will we get these as Robot Heroes? Pleeeeease?

The Insecticon swarm is a horde of horribly mutated insect-like robots created by the Decepticons, stalking about the surface of Cybertron looking for victims to devour.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

The Insecticons were a Cybertronian sub-species that lived deep underground, Buster, Bob, and D.0.C profiles existing near Cybertron's core and defended it from threats. First Strike #5

The Insecticon swarm was a side-effect of the Decepticons' attempts to create the Insecticons, and their existence was seen as horrific torture by Thundercracker. The process created one successful Insecticon for every thousand swarm clones, with the swarm growing to be three thousand strong All Hail Megatron #7 before being dumped to scamper around on Cybertron.

Hot Rod stated he and his crashed crew were lucky to avoid the swarm. All Hail Megatron #5 Bowing to narrative effect, two of the swarm chose that very day to walk over to the Autobots' temporary base, allowing Drift and Perceptor to show how cool and violent they were. All Hail Megatron #6

The Autobots retreated to a fallback position, All Hail Megatron #7 needing only to destroy a bridge to keep the swarm at bay. The swarm took out Perceptor, forcing Sunstreaker to sacrifice himself manually blowing the bridge. All Hail Megatron #8 Replay

During the time the Autobots managed to revive Optimus Prime, All Hail Megatron #9 the swarm managed to locate another bridge and besiege the Autobots. Although emboldened by the return of their leader, the swarm's sheer numbers began to whittle the Autobot defenses down. Surrounded, outnumbered, and out-gunned, the Autobots were facing imminent death at the hands of the swarm.

And then this happened:

We were important to the plot, honest!

All Hail Megatron #10

With Cybertron still overrun by the swarm three years later, it was posited by Alpha Trion that they had to be exterminated before the planet could be restored. Ironing Out the Details

Ironhide made it his mission to exterminate the swarm, though eventually he was overwhelmed by sheer numbers and requested Alpha Trion's assistance. The mysterious bot ordered Ironhide to retreat. As the swarm followed close behind Ironhide, both camps ran into Metroplex, who proceeded to stomp on the buggers. Alpha Trion later reported there were still rogue colonies of the swarm across Cybertron and charged Ironhide to exterminate them as well. Iron in the Blood Any Old Iron

Together with a repaired Sunstreaker, Ironhide found that if you separate a member from the swarm, they could be easily domesticated. This is how they got their new pet, Bob. By the time the two got off Cybertron, most of the swarm was gone and replaced with a new menace. Out of the Silent Planet

When Joe Colton's alliance neared Cybertron's core, the Insecticons swarmed to the defense of their homeworld but the villains were ultimately able to push past them and reach the core chamber. First Strike #5

Games

Transformers Legends

As the Autobots prepared a ship so that they could return to Earth, the Insecticon swarm attacked, but was driven off by Sideswipe and his team. All Hail Megatron

Notes

• The Insecticon swarm has no definitive design beyond a randomized hodge-podge of parts recognized as typical of the Generation 1 Insecticons, owing to their origin as failures to produce said Insecticons in the IDW continuity. As a result, no two members of the Insecticon Swarm share a design. Additionally, they appear to lack the ability to transform, being stuck between robot mode and insect mode.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Swarm (スワーム Suwāmu)