Soundwave (G1)

The name or term "Soundwave" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Soundwave (disambiguation).

The name or term "Soundblaster" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Soundblaster (disambiguation).

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Soundwave is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Ravage! Laserbeak! I choose you!

Soundwave is one of Megatron's most reliable troops, and he has positioned himself comfortably and irreplaceably in the Decepticon upper command structure. Though "only" Communications Officer, Soundwave stands at Megatron's side as a confidant, comparable in rank to Starscream and Shockwave, but unlike them, entirely loyal to his leader. Though stoic and possessed of little outward personality (as evidenced by his monotone computer-style speech), Soundwave is not without drives: he has worked hard to get where he is, and he guards his place in the Decepticon hierarchy fiercely. On top of hearing all in his role as Communications Officer and Decepticon spy-master, he is actually capable of "reading minds" by scanning and decoding the electrical impulses that carry "thoughts" in both organics and Cybertronians, and he will not hesitate to use what he learns as blackmail to keep himself high in Megatron's esteem. As such, Soundwave is not popular among the rank-and-file Decepticons, who see him as a two-faced snake and wouldn't mind abandoning him on the battlefield—if they thought Megatron would let them get away with it.

Soundwave commands an ever-growing legion of cassette troops to carry out tasks big and small. Stored within his signature chest compartment and called forth on Soundwave's whim with a push of a button, these miniature menaces are most commonly employed as spies for either the Decepticon cause or Soundwave's personal objectives, but are just as effective as warriors, and are entirely devoted to their master. They are also not Soundwave's only diminutive partners: as an Action Master, he is partnered with Wingthing.

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

As you command, Megatron.Soundwave, eternal loyalist, The Transformers: The Movie

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

In Soviet Russia, tape commands you!

Millions of years ago, Soundwave was one of the first members of the Decepticons; after sowing discontent amongst the masses, he, Megatron and Ravage began the war that tore the planet itself out of its orbit. After joining the failed Decepticon attempt to hijack the Ark four million years ago, he fell into stasis lock with the rest of the crews after the ship crashed until 1984, when a volcanic eruption, reactivated the Autobots and Decepticons, unleashing their war on Earth. Soundwave would prove one of the most useful troops, though not one of the most loyal, covertly running blackmail schemes and happily hitching his wagon to whichever Decepticon leader was currently in the ascendency, until - in many splinter timelines - becoming leader of the Decepticons himself.

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

"Get out of mah BELL-AY!"

Soundwave was one of the first Decepticons and Megatron's most loyal soldier. Denoted by his eerie, echoing monotone, Soundwave regularly gathered vital intelligence for Megatron's numerous schemes with the aid of his faithful and ever-growing team of cassettes, but despite his primary role as a spy and communications officer, he never shied away the battlefield, and would regularly clash with the Autobot Brawn before finding a true rival in his Autobot opposite number, Blaster. He survived the perilous events of 2005 that took the lives of many of his contemporaries, and continued serving under Galvatron in the 21st century.

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

Sticker Adventures books

Soundwave was an Autobot. He stood by Optimus after he had reawakened following being knocked offline by a Decepticon attack. Return to Cybertron

Marvel Storybooks continuity

Soundwave is a Decepticon so horrible that even the other Decepticons hate him. During Megatron's latest scheme to take over the planet Earth, Soundwave attempted to blast Windcharger with his deadly concussion blaster gun, only to be repelled by Windcharger's magnetic powers. Battle for Earth

After the Decepticons had captured Sunstreaker, Megatron ordered Soundwave to send a transmission to Autobot headquarters, informing them of the hostage situation. When a rescue party of Autobots attempted to free Sunstreaker, but wound up captured as well, Megatron presumably used Soundwave once more to send another message to the Autobots, informing them of the situation. Soundwave was later present when the Autobot wheeled their peace offering before the Decepticons' headquarters. He and the other Decepticons cheered when Devastator came to admire the peace offering, a life-size statue of the gestalt. The Autobots' surrender turned out to be a ruse, however, and a platoon of Autobots burst forth from within the statue once the Decepticons had their guard down. In the battle that followed, Soundwave inadvertently fell into a fissure created by Rumble's earthquake-inducing powers. The Autobots' Secret Weapon

Marvel coloring books

Soundwave was in attendance at the Decepticons' latest meeting in their war room. As Megatron discussed his latest plan to finance the construction of a Decepticon army, Soundwave noticed Bumblebee spying on them through a window. Megatron assured Soundwave that this would be used to their advantage, and they would soon both secure the sunken treasures in the waters of Alaska and capture the Autobots.

Disguised in his cassette player mode, Soundwave awaited Bumblebee's arrival underwater. Unable to pass up a free cassette player for his friend Buster, Bumblebee headed right for Soundwave, who captured the little Autobot. The Autobots soon came to Bumblebee's rescue, and the Decepticons were defeated when one of Rumble's earthquakes backfired and swallowed up all of the Decepticons. Search for Treasure Under the Sea

Megatron sent Soundwave and the other Decepticons out to capture the Autobots so that they could be incarcerated in their newly built prison. Soundwave managed to capture Gears by sneaking up on him and pulling a plug within the Autobot's back. The Autobots later escaped, and Soundwave was trapped inside one of Trailbreaker's forcefield as they broke out of the Decepticon's prison. Bumblebee to the Rescue!

Soundwave was one of the many Decepticons who attempted to harm Sparkplug and Buster Witwicky, only to be thwarted by the Autobots' timely intervention. The Deadly Fuel Shortage

Soundwave was one of the Decepticons posted within the Decepticons' stronghold to prevent the Autobots from reaching their molecular transfer device. He failed, and was drained of his energy when Bumblebee managed to turn the machine against the Decepticons themselves. Summertime Coloring Book

Soundwave helped Megatron tear down a forest in order to make room for a Decepticon factory. Then didn't do much damage before the Autobots showed up and forced them to flee. Forest Rescue Mission

Together with Thundercracker, Rumble and Ravage, Soundwave concocted a dastardly trap for unsuspecting Autobots. They constructed a rest-stop that was in truth a car-compactor in disguise! Soundwave successfully crushed Gears in it, only for Mirage, Ratchet and Sideswipe to arrive on the scene instantly afterwards. In the battle that ensued, Rumble attempted to fight back with his earthquake-inducing abilities, only to create chasm in which both he and Soundwave fell into. Way to go Rumble. The Autobot Smasher!

Soundwave was on a mission with Galvatron to steal oil from Oil Valley when they spotted Hot Rod nearby. When they gave chase, Soundwave detected that more Autobots, the Dinobots to be precise, were in the area. The Decepticon fliers went ahead to ambush the heroic robots. When Soundwave and the other ground-bound Decepticons caught up to them, Soundwave managed to land a shot on Swoop. The Decepticons were soon driven away when further Autobot reinforcements arrived on the battlefield. Battle at Oil Valley

When the Decepticons learned that the Autobots had long ago lost a large shipment of Energon cubes at the Ark's original crash site, Galvatron ordered them to head to Mt. St. Hillary to uncover it. There, Soundwave fought the Autobots over possession of it. The brawl ended when Starscream scarfed down all of the Energon, and proceeded to pick a fight with Galvatron. The Lost Treasure of Cybertron

Ladybird Books continuity

When Laserbeak spotted the Autobots working on some sort of device, Soundwave believed it to be a radio mast, and followed Laserbeak to the site. He was unable to detect any radio signals, and the intrigued Megatron wanted to investigate further. First they had to stop Starscream and Rumble from destroying the device. While they were there, the device, in actuality a lightning collector, emitted a pulse of energy that caused the Decepticons to malfunction wildly, and they were forced to retreat. Autobots' Lightning Strike

Soundwave sent out Buzzsaw to scout for energy sources, and the buzzard's mission resulted in Megatron and Soundwave locating an experimental solar energy plant. They signaled for the rest of the Decepticons and, after a minor insurrection on Starscream's part was squelched, set about collecting the energy in cubes. When Spike Witwicky entered the plant, Soundwave detected him and raised the alarm, but it was too late to prevent the sabotage of the solar machinery and the energon cubes were destroyed. Megatron's Fight for Power

Ever loyal, Soundwave backed up Megatron's opinion that they needed to test the ion-drive for their new space cruiser. When they located a suitable abandoned mine, Soundwave was momentarily distracted by the railway lines, but they soon got to work testing the rig. Unfortunately the Autobots found them and though Soundwave raised the alarm, Spike used mine carts to destroy the ion-drive, bringing the tunnel down on the Decepticons. Autobots Fight Back At Megatron's command, Soundwave deployed Laserbeak to seek information on humans. When this led the Decepticons to a windmill, Megatron believed the structure was a new Autobot weapon that they needed to capture. Soundwave deployed Rumble, with the theory that the structure might prove susceptible to shockwaves. He was right, and the structure promptly fell on top of the Decepticons as Megatron protested he wanted it captured, not destroyed. Laserbeak's Fury

Under the leadership of Galvatron, Soundwave was responsible for coordinating communications with three cloaked Decepticon spy satellites. On discovering the existence of the satellites, the Autobots set up equipment to block Soundwave's transmissions. Hound impersonated Soundwave perfectly, ordering the satellites to enter a collision course with each other, and Soundwave was unable to cut through the interference before the satellites collided. Galvatron's Air Attack

Big Looker storybooks continuity

Soundwave was part of the ambush party that boarded the Ark during the Cretaceous period, which led to Optimus Prime crashing his ship in a volcano and shutting everyone on board offline. The Decepticons then raided a nearby nuclear power to gain the additional power necessary to destroy the Autobots. Frustrated over his lack of progress as the Decepticons still could not penetrate the Ark’s shields, Megatron called Soundwave over to tune in on the inside of the ship. As Megatron suspected, Soundwave confirmed that the Autobots had left it behind in the Decepticons’ absence. Soundwave also reported that the Ark’s computer was laughing at them. Eventually finding one another, the Decepticons and the Autobots battled, but with the Decepticons running low on fuel once more, the evil robots were forced to retreat. Battle for Cybertron

Soundwave was spying on the Autobots Mirage and Cliffjumper. Listening in on the conversation, he learned of a cross-country car rally that offered a year’s worth of gas and oil to whoever won the competition. Soundwave headed off to share this information with Megatron. The Great Car Rally

While the Decepticons looked on in jealousy over the Autobots' city Metroplex, Soundwave tuned in on the conversations going on within. He learned that Kup and Hot Rod were planning to see a car show which would showcase a new type of robot car. He informed Galvatron of this, who in turn was excited over the possibility of stealing the car to create a series of robot slaves. Soundwave, Galvatron, Starscream and Rumble then sneaked into the Colosseum that would soon be showing the car robot, and waited behind the scenes for their opportunity to steal it. The old Autobot Kup stumbled in on them, but was promptly captured. He nevertheless foiled the Decepticons' plan to create a blackout during the show, and Soundwave was forced to fight the Autobots, who had disguised themselves as being part of the show. Soundwave and the rest of the Decepticons were soon defeated and chased off by the Autobots afterwards. Car Show Blow Up

Kid Stuff Talking Story Books continuity

Voice actor: Unknown

Soundwave accompanied Megatron to the Kalahari Desert, where they both overlooked their human slaves piling unimaginable amounts of coal into an underground cave. There, he complain about the desert sand getting into his cassette drives and fouling his transmissions, only to be berated by Megatron for his whining. Amidst Megatron’s constant bullying, Soundwave assured his leader that their plan would soon come to fruition; the cave would be cocooned in a layer of lectonite, which upon exploding would convert the charcoal into a diamond of enormous proportions, ready to be used in the next phase of Megatron’s plan.

Soundwave and Megatron blasted off in their ship as Megatron detonated the lectonite, converting the coal and the human slaves left behind in the cave into the largest diamond lens in the universe. The task complete, Soundwave used the ship’s anti-gravity lifters to tow the lens all the way to Mato Grosso, in Brazil. There, Soundwave finalized cutting the diamond lens, while complaining about the rain forest’s humidity. The Decepticons then attacked the Diamond lens to a satellite. As the satellite launched, Soundwave and Megatron retreated to a control station in northeast America. They then unleashed the satellite’s power, and began melting down the Rockies.

Both Megatron and Soundwave looked on as Skyfire attempted to destroy the satellite in orbit. When the Autobot failed and fell back to Earth, burning up on reentry, both Decepticons had a good laugh at his expense. Their tone changed when the Autobots managed to destroy their satellite with a secondary plan, and launched an attack on Soundwave and Megatron’s location. Soundwave and Megatron escaped the Autobot’s attack in a turbine mole machine. Satellite of Doom

Soundwave accompanied Megatron on his next scheme to procure oil; using a hovercraft oil transporter to steal Prudhoe Bay crude oil. They were attacked by Skyfire afterwards, but Soundwave managed to escape their attacked by activating their ship’s hyper-thrust afterburners. The Decepticons then abandoned their badly damaged ship and ran off into the frozen wastelands of the north. Soundwave then helped Megatron steal another machine to secure oil, this time around a deep-sea oil transporter. Travelling close to the sea bed, Soundwave piloted the machine to the oil reservoir’s lowest point, and began syphoning the oil once more. Unfortunately, the Autobots had somehow concocted a plan that filled the Decepticons’ transport’s tanks with razon gas and returned the crude oil to its proper spot. With their submersible being forced to surface due to the gas, Megatron and Soundwave abandoned ship, though they did leave a booby-trap behind in case any Autobots boarded the ship.

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

Soundwave once more accompanied Megatron to the jungles of Mato Grosso in Brazil, where they revisited their old satellite launch complex. He was so moved by Megatron’s speech on destroying the Autobots that he began to cry, only to be berated once more by Megatron for displaying emotion. He and Megatron then used their turbo mole machine to drill under the jungle to get at the oil beneath it. Their first attempt failed when their tunnel collapsed on itself (taking Macu Pichu and part of the Andes Mountains with it) and Soundwave was forced to have the mole machine surface. Once they were in the open, Optimus and his Autobots began attacking them. Soundwave and Megatron managed to escape, and attempted once more to drill beneath the jungle. This attempt was more successful, and Soundwave watched on as the underground oil reserves gushed out into the jungle. He and Megatron then transferred themselves to their defoliator craft to better witness nature’s ruin. When Skyfire screeched overhead, Soundwave assured his leader that he was scrambling his communications… only to realize that his wiring was loose, and it was his headset that was garbled, not the Autobots’ network. Optimus and his troops arrived shortly, and forced the Decepticons to retreat once more. Storms of Destruction

When Soundwave found Megatron destroy facsimiles of Shockwave, he was informed by his leader that he planned to kill Shockwave due to suspicions that he was luring Decepticons away from his leadership with promises of oil. Soundwave suggested that Megatron instead find a way to supply his Decepticons with enough oil to secure their loyalties. Soundwave and Megatron planned to steal the Dinobots’ fuel supply to accomplish this goal. After Slag was damaged in a Decepticon attack, Megatron and Soundwave followed him back to the Dinobots’ secret base in their Thermo-borer. Upon penetrating the Dinobot base however, Soundwave accidentally tripped an alarm. He and Megatron immediately retreated. Although Ratchet had planted a Memory Scrambler Mine on the Thermo-borer’s hull, Soundwave had installed a Beta Blocker Shield on the machine, allowing the Decepticons to retain the coordinates they had acquired. Despite Soundwave’s insistence that he and Megatron should attempt to sneakily siphon away the Autobots’ oil supply, Megatron ordered that they use the Crusher. Though it seemed at first that they were about to succeed for once, Soundwave soon realized that their machine had inadvertently freed hundreds of Dinobots from their tar cocoons. He and Megatron then had to fight off hundreds of enemy robots before presumably retreating once more. Jaws of Terror

Soundwave accompanied Megatron on an a trip to the island of Buru, where the Insecticons had turned the natives into mindless slaves to collect oil for them. Though Megatron insisted on the oil drilling operation, to increase its speed Venom refused, telling Soundwave that such a thing was impossible. Megatron and Soundwave met with the leader of the Insecticons. There, Megatron forced Soundwave to do all the talking, as he found himself intimidated by Venom. Their meeting was interrupted by Prowl and Optimus’s arrival on the island. While Venom and his Insecticons dealt with the Autobots, Soundwave and Megatron went off to drill additional oil behind his back. Due to Megatron’s greed, however, the Decepticons’ drilling machine became overstuff with oil. When Optimus Prime and the Dinobots headed for them, Soundwave and Megatron were forced to retreat once more without procuring any oil. Slaves of the Insecticons

From his submersible near Madagascar, Soundwave helped Megatron sink six oil tankers. Attacking another, Megatron's submersible was completely wrecked when it emerged the oil he drained was tainted by the Autobots with corrosive acid. As the submersible's systems failed one by one, Soundwave deduced that they had fallen for an Autobot trap. The two Decepticons escaped during the subsequent Autobot attack. Attack of the Decepticons

Listen 'n Fun audiobooks continuity

Soundwave recorded a broadcast of Doctor Heath Blaisedale receiving an award from the President of the United States and reported it to Megatron. Megatron dubbed him a "King of Communication". Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)

Listen 'n Play audiobooks continuity

Voice actor: ? (English)

While enacting a plan to abduct humans and ransom them to the US government for fuel, Megatron ordered Soundwave to contact the President of the United States once Starscream returned from his current mission kidnapping people. Unfortunately Starscream failed and the humans were all freed by the Autobots, so presumably Soundwave never got to make the call. Sun Raid (Listen 'n Play)

The Battle for Planet Earth

Voice actor: Peter Marinker (English)

Soundwave was among the Decepticons who followed the Autobots to South America and attacked them atop Mount Sheelah. The Decepticons were caught in the volcano's erupt and became trapped in lava. Terror of Mount Sheelah Despite his ability to hear a fly sneeze, he completely missed Bumblebee infiltrating the Decepticon base to find out where the humans the Decepticons had been kidnapping had gone. He later discovered that the Autobot had stolen their global crystal. Bumblebee to the Rescue Soundwave was part of a Decepticon mission to take over Stanley Lake dam, which ended in the Decepticons being washed away in a torrent of water by the Autobots. Menace at the Dam When Starscream planned to infiltrate the Autobots, Soundwave supplied him with a midget radio transmitter with which to report back. Unfortunately while the Decepticons were acting on the information Starscream gathered, the Autobots destroyed their base. Espionage!!!!!

Milton Bradley mini-comic

Megatron organized an ambush for the Autobots' new ark as it tried to clear a path through an asteroid belt. As Jetfire sent the ship hurtling towards Earth, Megatron ordered Soundwave to jump out just before the crash. Soundwave found himself battling strange organic creatures. It wasn't long before he found himself against the Dinobots, whom the ark had repaired. Though the four Autobots weren't anywhere near a match for Soundwave, Grimlock used his tail to bash a nearby cliff, bringing tons of rock down on top of both the Dinobots and Soundwave, knocking them all offline. In the Transformers

Find Your Fate Junior

As the following stories are multipath adventures, details will vary depending on the path taken. See individual pages for information on alternate paths.

Dinobots Strike Back

In one path, Soundwave was one of many Decepticons in their secret base in Mount Lomas, listening to Megatron's speech about how the black coral in nearby Dolphin's Bay would produce enough superfuel to triple their war-making capacity and crush the Autobots in just a few hours. As the speech wrapped up, he intercepted a radio transmission containing details on Operation Black Coral which Megatron just mentioned, and it seemed to be coming from just outside a doorway leading to one of the base's underwater access tunnels! He rushed through the doorway and told the Autobot spy, in a booming voice, "Don't move! The game is over!" But when the intruder turned around and he saw it was just Bumblebee, he let Frenzy deal with him, paralyzing the Autobot with a sonic attack and leaving him in the water.

If Skids tried to radio Bumblebee from his mini-sub afterwards, Frenzy nailed it with a long range sonic attack as well, presumably because Soundwave also intercepted that transmission and told the mini cassette where to aim.

In an alternate path in which the Decepticons foolishly invited four of the Dinobots to a premature mountaintop victory party, thinking they were still being controlled by cerebro shells, Grimlock suddenly broke cover and ordered them to attack. Sludge responded first, stomping Soundwave who was nearest to him. It's unknown how badly this injured Soundwave, but he surely didn't fare much worse than the other Dectpticons as the ensuing Autobot assault totaled their base. Dinobots Strike Back

Battle Drive

In one of the possible scenarios that took place, Soundwave was able to spy on a small squad of Autobots out in open farmland. There, he alternatively discovered if the Autobots were planning a ruse to trick the Decepticons into thinking the whole Autobot army was posed to attack them, or he discovered the location of Sparkplug Witwicky, who held schematics which detailed a fatal flaw in the Decepticons' circuits. In either case, he reported his findings back to Megatron.

In another possible series of scenarios, Soundwave is amongst Megatron's troops who ambush Optimus Prime once he is lured out in open farmland, without any nearby cover. In one version of these events, Soundwave attempts to stop Optimus from reaching the cover of a nearby bridge, only for Optimus to shrug off his blasts and plow past him, forcing Soundwave off the road. In this scenario, the Decepticons succeed in eliminating the Autobots. In an alternate scenario, Soundwave is taken out by Jazz's photon rifle, and the Autobots succeed in escaping the Decepticons' clutches. Battle Drive

Attack of the Insecticons

Soundwave was present, yet mostly uninvolved, in a number of possible adventures revolving around the Sun-Pak, a device invented by the Autobots' human ally Sparkplug. Attack of the Insecticons

Earthquake

Soundwave was one of the Decepticons involved in Megatron’s latest ploy, the wipe out humanity through the use of a Destruction Beam and Rumble’s earthquake-inducing abilities. Soundwave and Megatron were in the habit of explaining the plot to one another out loud, oblivious to the risk of Autobots wandering nearby and catching wind of their machinations.

In one possible sequence of events, Soundwave plotted with Starscream to overthrow Megatron, and become joint leaders of the Decepticons. Unbeknownst to him, Soundwave was spied upon by the Autobot Cosmos.

In the event that Cosmos relayed this information to Megatron, the Decepticon leader became enraged and confronted the pair. The Decepticons subsequently began fighting amongst themselves, leaving the Autobots to their own devices.

In a completely different possible series of events, Soundwave was handed the human girl Jessie, who had been discovered snooping around the Decepticons’ secret fortress. He and Thrust put the girl in a holding cell within the fortress. Earthquake

Desert Flight

Soundwave was part of a Decepticon deployment stationed in a desert base. The Decepticons plotted to lure the Autobots in a trap through the use of an anti-gravity beam. Using the beam on a nearby human settlement, the Autobots would be duped into coming to the fleshliness’ rescue, only to be themselves trapped by the effects of the beam.

In the event that the Autobots used a trojan ruse to infiltrate the Decepticon base, Soundwave was one of the many Decepticons who had been prematurely celebrating their victory, and was thus too drunk to fight off the subsequent Autobot attack. Desert Flight

Decepticon Poison

Soundwave possessed a fighter jet alternate mode. In one possible scenario, Soundwave was one of the many Decepticons present at the water supply facility, about to poison it when the Autobots arrived on-scene. In one possible scenario that followed, he was shot down by the Autobots, creating his own grave in the charred earth bellow. Decepticon Poison

Project Brain Drain

Soundwave reported to Galvatron that the Brain Drain device, capable of syphoning away the brainpower of humans and convert it to energy, had been completed and was ready to be put to use for the Decepticon cause. He became giddy over the idea of rendering humans “incredibly stupid,” until Galvatron sternly instructed him to simply inform him of the bare facts when reporting to him. After Soundwave elaborated further on the number of humans the Decepticons would need to “drain,” Soundwave was instructed to guard the device while the Decepticons prepared to use it later in the day at a concert in Heywood Heights.

In one possible scenario, Galvatron had to recall his troops from the concert at the last minute when Ultra Magnus and his troops began a timely assault on the Decepticons’ headquarters. Soundwave participated in the battle that ensued, which ended in a loss for the Decepticons when Ultra Magnus triggered an avalanche, burying Galvatron and shattering the Brain Drain device.

In another possible scenario, Soundwave and the rest of the Decepticons were surprised to find the Autobots hiding amidst the parked vehicles surrounding the concert just as they were about to put their plan into action. The two factions began battling as the scared concert-goers got caught in the middle.

In one scenario that ensued, Soundwave had to remind his leader to stop fighting and employ the Brain Drain device and complete their mission. Passing the device on to Galvatron, either Bumblebee or Hot Rod attempted to intercept the device.

If Hot Rod interfered, the young Autobot successfully plucked the device out of Soundwave hands and made his getaway through the nearby ring of fire.

In a completely different sequence of events, Soundwave was exiting the Decepticons’ lab, Brain Drain device in hand, when he spotted Sparkplug Witwicky and Wreck-Gar attempting to sneak in. Soundwave promptly sounded an alarm and open fire on the pair. As other Decepticons came to his aid and surrounded the human and the Junkion, Soundwave instructed the pair to surrender, promising their safety if they did so. Soundwave was lying of course, and blew Wreck-Gar and Sparkplug to smithereens if they gave themselves up. If the pair instead made a run for it, they escaped the Decepticons’ clutches.

In one possible scenario that followed, the Autobots returned to storm the lab shortly after. Soundwave was one of the few Decepticons too afraid of Galvatron’s wrath to desert his post, and attempted to fend off the Autobot aggressors. Finding himself on the losing side, Soundwave grabbed the Brain Drain device, and attempted to flee with it.

If Hot Rod attempted to shoot the device out of Soundwave’s hands, Soundwave tripped at the last moment over the fallen body of a Decepticon. Hot Rod’s blast his Soundwave’s shoulder, causing him to fling the Brain Drain device up in the air. Laserbeak managed to catch the device in mid-air, and flew off to rendezvous with Galvatron, ensuring the Decepticons’ victory.

If Jazz attempted to stop Soundwave, the Autobot used all of the sound equipment within his body to send a powerful sonic wave towards the fleeing Decepticon. Overwhelmed by the blast, Soundwave exploded, crushing the Brain Drain device in the process. Project Brain Drain

Frito-Lay posters

Soundwave was amongst a squad of Decepticons who attempted to get to the power source within Boulder Dam. While Megatron dueled Optimus, Soundwave joined Starscream, Buzzsaw and Ravage in an attack formation. The Decepticons were ultimately unsuccessful in gathering the data they were after. Battle in the Desert Valley

Beast Wars cartoon continuity

Beast Wars cartoon

With one stroke I shall free my tiny dinosaur brethren, yesssss!"

Soundwave was among the many Transformers strewn about the bridge of the Ark when the Predacon Megatron infiltrated the ship on his mission to destroy Optimus Prime. The Agenda (Part III)

3H comics

Soundwave was one of the ancient warriors who appeared from J'nwan to help battle the warlord Shokaract. Terminus Departure

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Events from The Transformers Trilogy novels are in italics.

Sound and (eventually) Furry.

Soundwave was chosen by Megatron to lead his second assassination team against the new Autobot supreme commander, Optimus Prime. With the aid of Soundwave's cassette troops, most notably Ravage, as well as Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback, it was assumed he would have no problem with a young, peace-loving Autobot. The War Within #2 Soundwave, like many others, underestimated Prime's resolve and was quickly incapacitated. The War Within #3 He was still out cold when Grimlock came by, The War Within #5 but recovered in time to rescue Megatron after the latter's own battle with Prime. The War Within #6

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

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

In the present day, Soundwave was among the Decepticons defeated by the Autobots and their human allies on Earth. The Ark II, the spacecraft that would have taken the Transformers back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General Robert Hallo and Adam Rook, and it exploded upon liftoff, scattering the robots across the Arctic Ocean. Soundwave and the others were recovered, Autobot and Decepticon alike, and reprogrammed by Rook to accept commands and were leased to terrorist organisations and military juntas as powerful weapons of war. Prime Directive #2 After Megatron freed himself and the other Decepticons, Soundwave developed a 'metallic virus' that cyberformed Earth organics into cybertronic materials. Prime Directive #3 During the subsequent battle with the Autobots in San Francisco, Soundwave warned Megatron that a nuclear missile launched by Hallo was headed for the city. The Decepticons used the distraction to escape. Prime Directive #4 Prime Directive #5 Prime Directive #6

Leader's pet.

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

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

G.I.Joe vs. the Transformers

"Eject. Operation: Dynamic Group Shot."

Soundwave was among the Transformers on the Ark when it crashed long ago, and was discovered and reprogrammed by the human terrorist organization known as Cobra in the present. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1 Arms dealer Destro made a visit to Cobra Island where Doctor Mindbender introduced him to Soundwave and his cassettes, who were under the complete control of Cobra's scientists. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2 While Destro liked what he saw, he wanted to run a test, and personally operated Soundwave's controls during an attack on the SPS Research Facility.

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

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

Several years later, the scientists managed to use Megatron's technology to create the organic weapon Serpent O.R., who plugged himself into Soundwave's deactivated head after getting free and downloaded data on Cybertron's history. The Art of War #1

Transformers/G.I. Joe

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

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

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

Transformers Legends anthology

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

Puzzled by the loss of much of their stock of weapons, Megatron assigned Soundwave to investigate. Using Laserbeak's spying abilities, Soundwave determined that Swindle was selling the weapons on the black market, much to Megatron's outrage. Two for the Price of One

The Beast Within

Soundwave participated in an all-out Decepticon offensive against the Autobots. In its initial stages, the battle swayed in the Decepticons’ favour, and Soundwave defeated Twin Twist. The Beast Within

IDW Hearts of Steel continuity

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

IDW Generation 1 continuity

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

Gaddangit, Soundwave, the answer that question is always "I'm Batman!"

Soundwave was found living on the streets by Ravage, Buzzsaw, and Laserbeak, a barely-coherent derelict driven to the brink of insanity by his uncontrolled mind-reading powers, which bombarded him with the thoughts and emotions of all around him. "Smelling" some decency within him, Ravage elected to share with Soundwave the secrets of control he had learned years of mastering his own enhancing olfactory senses, teaching him the art of focus. The quartet lived together on the streets for some time, until Soundwave, slowly gaining control over his abilities, was approached by Senator Ratbat with an offer of employment. The senator saw a political use for Soundwave's mind-reading, and while Soundwave was disgusted by Ratbat's Functionist attitude toward his beast-form companions, he accepted the offer for the position it would afford him. While in Ratbat's employ, Soundwave and his three companions were refitted so that they could store within his chest as cassettes. Soundwaves

When the ex-miner and revolutionary rhetorician Megatron caught Ratbat's eye as a champion of the illegal underground gladiatorial matches, the senator sent Soundwave to offer Megatron funding and weapons technology, seeking to foster political instability for his own profit. When two Autobots were discovered listening in on their conversation, Soundwave dispatched his three cassette partners to capture them. After their capture, he read Bumper's mind to see if there was any immediate threat to Megatron's activities. Megatron Origin #2

Brought to the gladiator arenas, Soundwave was questioned by Megatron over his opinions on Ratbat's activities, but Soundwave—assaulted by the thoughts of the huge throng of gladiators around him—struggled to answer. Impressed by the way in which Soundwave viewed his cassette partners as equals in outright contradiction to the Functionist standards of his employer, Megatron permitted him to read his mind, and there, Soundwave saw Megatron's genuine desire for all Cybertronians to be equal. The strength of his desire became something for Soundwave to focus upon, and his dedication to the Decepticon ideal of equality allowed him to finally master his mind-reading powers, shutting out all other distractions and making Megatron the stillpoint his life revolved around. Soundwaves

Some time later, Soundwave was assigned to find a warrior with flight capabilities, and recruited the Seekers: Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker. Megatron Origin #3 Megatron's next new recruit was senator Shockwave, who Soundwave hated on sight: the Shadowplay Shockwave had been subjected had removed his emotions, leaving Soundwave completely unable to read his thoughts. Though awed by this terrible perfection, Soundwave believed that one day, he would have to kill Shockwave. Soundwaves

"Ratbat, you shall be repurposed as the greatest mix tape ever to be given to Megatron."

His mind now finally clear for the first time in his life, Soundwave turned against Ratbat and formulated for Megatron a plan that would allow the Decepticons to make a formal statement of their intent that could not be ignored. Soundwaves Per Soundwave's plan, the Decepticons allowed themselves to be arrested during a recruitment rally, when Megatron provoked an Autobot response by making an attempt on the life of Senator Decimus, resulting in an emergency convening of the Senate in Kaon. Megatron Origin #3 Soundwave and his cassettes—now joined by Rumble and Frenzy, refitted by Shockwave—were freed on an unwitting Ratbat's orders, and then helped Starscream murder the entire Senate. Attacking Ratbat himself, Soundwave took his former employer offline and placed his spark into a new cassette body. Megatron Origin #4 Shockwave entered just as Soundwave was removing his brain module, and the pair had a terse conversation about means and ends before Shockwave changed the subject to designing Ratbat's new body as a flyer. Soundwaves

After Zeta Prime was made leader of the Autobots, Soundwave was captured and taken to the New Institute to be lobotomized, but was saved in the nick of time by Overlord. Remembrance Day Later in the war with Zeta, Soundwave was sent to spy on him and gather information on what he planned to do about the growing Decepticon movement. Smuggled into a Senate security meeting by Starscream, he overheard Zeta announce his plan to drain civilians of their energy in order to power the Omega Destructors' weaponry, but was forced to make a break for it when Starscream revealed his presence in order to ease suspicion against himself. Fearing what would happen if the populace found out about his plans, Zeta Prime sent Orion Pax to hunt Soundwave down. Parasites As Soundwave fled towards the safety of Kaon, he was continuously set upon by Orion Pax's Autobots, but got away every time by ejecting one of his many cassettes to defeat or distract them. When he finally reached the border of Kaon, Orion himself caught up and put a stop to his minions by crushing his chest window before defeating him in hand-to-hand combat. The Hunt for Soundwave Luckily, a squad of Decepticons showed up before the Autobots could arrest Soundwave, and his findings were delivered to Megatron. Cause and Effect

Soundwave was present when Megatron and Orion Pax formed an alliance to overthrow Zeta Prime. Choices He then participated in their troops' combined assault on Zeta's Citadel. Overthrown After Megatron betrayed Orion and declared himself the new ruler of Cybertron, Soundwave stood by him as he attempted to recruit Hot Rod to the Decepticons. Rise Soundwave was also present when Megatron rechristened Drift as "Deadlock". Drift #2 Soundwave tracked down the location of the anti-Decepticon pirate news broadcaster, Blaster, and had Wildrider and Breakdown sent to assassinate him. He was then present when the Autobots made an assault on the Decepticon-held Citadel. Broadcast Megatron was defeated by Orion, now Optimus Prime, but Soundwave swept past on Astrotrain and rescued his leader before he could be captured. Endgame

A short time after Megatron's defeat, Soundwave watched in silence as Scorponok declared himself Decepticon leader, having exiled Megatron for his failure. Wreckage He participated in Scorponok's assault on the Toraxxis mega-refinery, a battle which ended with the destruction of the facility. Rage Having survived the destruction, he then returned to Kolkular where Scorponok urged him and the other Decepticons to cannibalize parts from those who had perished. Fallout On Scorponok's orders, Soundwave and Shockwave then led an attack on the Starsreach Spaceport to kill the neutrals evacuating Cybertron, a mission they both believed to be a waste of resources. Massacre After getting driven into a retreat by a raging Grimlock, they were relocated to the Toraxxis Plains to bear witness to Scorponok's new plan: the awakening of Trypticon. Unleashed At this point the Decepticons were thoroughly fed up with his leadership, and thus quick to return to Megatron's side when he returned from his exile. The Illusion of Control Soundwave was later present when Megatron was able to turn Trypticon to the Decepticon side, Belly of the Beast and was subsequently among the Decepticons who left Cybertron on Trypticon to gather their forces. Primacy #1

Four million years ago, Soundwave and Hook were leading a Decepticon offensive to cover for Tankor's convoy of energon. When Optimus Prime slipped away to intercept the convoy, Soundwave went after him and got the drop on Prime from behind. Prime's bodyguard Ironhide turned the tables on him, though, taking out both Soundwave and his Mini-Cassettes. The Iron Age As the war went on, Soundwave organized a number of anti-neutral pogroms. Life After the Big Bang At another point he had one of his arms sliced off by Springer using a sword that would later end up Ironfist's collection. Bullets

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

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

At some point in time Soundwave fought against the Dynobots alongside Runamuck and Ravage. They were thoroughly trounced for their efforts. Spotlight: Grimlock

He's just too busy being an eighties guy.

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

Soundwave was purchased by a human teenager named Jimmy and taken to his home. When Ravage and Laserbeak were reprogrammed by the American government agency Skywatch to find the other Transformers, Skywatch's control signal was blocked by a signal emanating from a functioning Soundwave, still in cassette-player mode. Devastation #4 Sometime later on, Ravage and Laserbeak located the signal and reclaimed their master from Jimmy. Relocating to Mount St. Helens, Soundwave told them that he could barely keep blocking Skywatch's hold on them, due to his weakening state in cassette mode. Shockwave suddenly appeared from a cave entrance and said that the four could make a deal together. Maximum Dinobots #3 Maximum Dinobots #4 Shockwave knew how Soundwave could unlock his robot mode, but would only tell him if he did Shockwave a favour in return, something which Soundwave agreed to. He was told that Skywatch had placed a bomb in Shockwave's head, and that he needed to intercept and copy its disarm code. The plan went off without a hitch, and after transmitting the code to Shockwave, Soundwave was finally freed from his alt mode. Maximum Dinobots #5

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

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

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

Three years later, Soundwave was still dutifully attending to Megatron's reconstruction. All His Engines He eventually came to the conclusion that his leader's body was beyond repair, and instead recruited Shockwave to build a new body for him. Once Megatron returned in a new and upgraded form, he hatched a plan to use parts of his old body to make Megatron gun replicas that would subconsciously influence humans. Alongside his cassettes and Shockwave, Soundwave helped produce these weapons. Altered Carbon He was later present when Megatron got rid of Hot Rod and the Matrix, and was ordered to gather everyone in the base so that their leader could address them. Heart Like a Wheel He accompanied Megatron until his confrontation with Starscream, at which point Megatron had him leave... but knew he'd be listening in from afar as he always did. Megatron overall didn't think much of Soundwave's apparent loyalty, believing he'd only assisted in his revival because it suited his own needs. Spotlight: Megatron

"Right between the optics..."

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

Soundwave was mostly repaired by the time Megatron had surrendered himself to the Autobots, although half his face remained exposed and damaged from Optimus Prime's attack. The damage caused to his vocal processors rendered him completely mute. The World & Everything in It Once on Cybertron and having freed himself, Megatron used the space bridge technology built into his new body to summon Soundwave and the rest of the Decepticons on Earth to him. The Question At first, Soundwave and the others did battle with the Autobots, but were soon entranced by D-Void. The Decepticons along with Galvatron's army of Sweeps combined into an enormous monster. Chaos Part Three: Kings

Following the defeat and fracturing of this "Deceptigod", Soundwave and the rest were left in a weakened state from the ordeal. This allowed the Autobots to round the Decepticons up, stick I/D chips in them, and place them in a holding pen. Prowl was eventually forced to sanction their release to quell a riot, leaving Soundwave and the others with a limited sort of freedom. The Death of Optimus Prime Needlenose, fed up with working as an enforcer for the Autobots, accused Soundwave, Shockwave and Bombshell of just sitting around instead of doing something about the Decepticons' situation. The Autonomy Lesson Little did Needlenose know that Soundwave and Shockwave had actually been working together to take control of the I/D chips on the orders of Ratbat, who was trying to reassert his authority in Megatron's absence. The World & Everything in It

Even after Ratbat was killed, Soundwave continued working with Shockwave, who apparently had his own ideas about what to do about the Autobots. When Starscream found out about that they were plotting something, he and Prowl had Arcee capture the two and fake their deaths. The End of the Beginning of the World However, Prowl was in fact under Decepticon control, and instead had the captured Decepticons upgraded in anticipation of Megatron's return. His voice restored, Soundwave helped explain to the captured Bumblebee that the Decepticons had been planning this all along in a bid to conquer Cybertron. The Verge Before the Dawn During the ensuing battle with the Autobots, he reported to Megatron that Shockwave had gone off somewhere and that their new and improved Devastator had seemingly gained sentience. Plan for Everything In the end, Megatron was defeated yet again, after which Starscream used the influence of the neutral population to exile all Autobots and Deceptions who would not renounce their factions, including Soundwave. Heavy Is the Head

Somewhere, right now, the "Justice League Unlimited" theme is playing.

While out in the wilderness, Soundwave was alarmed to find Ravage was suffering from intense pain, and in a rare emotional moment ran to the other Decepticons pleading for help. Arm the Lonely Soundwave eavesdropped on Shockwave and Jhiaxus as the pair communicated. As the other Decepticons became disgruntled, he declared his leadership and immediately came under attack by Astrotrain and Blitzwing though in the end Needlenose told him if he wanted to destroy Shockwave, he'd have to do it alone. Soundwave journeyed into Crystal City to confront Shockwave, and discovered when he killed Dreadwing that the Ore-14 in the city promptly brought him back to life. Shockpoint Discovering that Shockwave had betrayed the Decepticon cause, Soundwave unleashed his cassettes, only to discover that the Ore-14 made anything but a stalemate impossible. He returned to the other Decepticons as Shockwave's plan commenced. Soundwaves

After the appearance of Shockwave's Metrotitan, Soundwave and his men attacked the Autobots who had approached it, Black Metal but were unable to prevent Starscream approaching the giant. The combined group was hit moments later by a shockwave of energy. Winners & Losers In the aftermath, as the survivors discussed what to do next, Soundwave heard something he had never heard before: Megatron screaming. Into the Abyss They reached Shockwave's lab to find the scientist using the space bridge in Megatron's chest to extract Nova Prime and Galvatron from the Dead Universe. Soundwave assaulted Shockwave, but ultimately Shockwave triumphed and called in the Metrotitan, which forced the Autobots and Decepticons to retreat. Finest Hour

Fleeing in the direction of Iacon in front of the giant, Soundwave and Frenzy carried Ironhide and Ravage between them. No Exit They eventually made it back to Iacon and found Starscream feeling sorry for himself. Prowl took control, with Soundwave supplying communications. As things went from bad to worse, he told Prowl he had little idea what Shockwave's plans were but believed they would be able to stop the Metrotitan. Moments later Bumblebee arrived with Megatron, the latter of whom had a plan to evacuate Cybertron. While Bumblebee was still objecting, Metroplex and the Lost Light quantum jumped in to lend a hand. Burning Bright Soundwave was among those to greet the Lost Lighters as they disembarked. Finis Temporis

Following the defeat of the Necrotitan, Soundwave busied himself seeing to Megatron's repairs. It wasn't long before the remainder of Shockwave's plan came into play and billions of Ammonites invaded the planet. The Becoming As Megatron joined in a plan to defeat Shockwave, Soundwave told him that he saw the wisdom in using the Autobots' help, however Megatron responded that Bumblebee had command and that a new approach was needed. While Bumblebee's team went to Shockwave's laboratory, Soundwave and his cassettes joined the rest of the population in fighting the Ammonites. Black Planet As the battle concluded in victory, Soundwave was shocked to discover that Megatron had taken on the sigil of the Autobots. Reeling from this betrayal, Soundwave and the other Decepticons were approached by Galvatron, who believed he had an alternative for them. ...And the Damage Done

Questioned by Galvatron on what he truly wanted, Soundwave told the ancient Transformer of the Decepticons' origins and his dream for a community where they could all be equals, ruled by nobody. With Cybertron now ruled by the Autobots, he instead turned his eyes back to Earth, recalling the existence of energon there. Galvatron followed, hoping to conquer the planet, but Soundwave rejected his proposal, telling him they were returning to the Decepticons' true path—peace. Full Fathom Five Retaining some hope that Megatron's defection was merely a ruse, he left Ravage behind to keep an eye on their former leader. slaughterhouse Arriving on Earth, Soundwave approached Earth Defense Command with a peace offer, telling them—and reminding Galvatron—of the Decepticons' change of heart since their invasion. The humans were skeptical up until Soundwave revealed that Megatron had left them for the Autobots, causing the EDC to turn on the Autobots instead. Detonation Boulevard The EDC agreed to construct a community for the Decepticons in the form of a space station around Jupiter in exchange for the Decepticons' aid in capturing a team of Autobots bound for Earth. Full Fathom Five

When the Autobots arrived, the Decepticons ambushed them together with EDC forces. Hello Cruel World While pursuing the Autobots to the town of Poverty Flat, Soundwave blocked their communications, keeping them from contacting their allies in space. Detonation Boulevard As the battle escalated and bystanders witnessed the combatants' robot modes, the EDC was forced to teleport the Decepticons away, though they had to activate their secret "mind bomb" weapon to knock Soundwave and his comm block out first. Galvatron immediately demanded revenge, but Soundwave insisted on sticking to the plan and calmed him with the information that they had found the location of Galvatron's own goal on Earth—Alpha Trion. The Mind Bomb Warping to the coordinates, Soundwave arrived at the EDC's Marshall Islands base along with Galvatron, who he once again had to talk out of resorting to violence. Full Fathom Five Interrupted by an Autobot attack on the base, Soundwave detected an intruder and set out to take care of them, locating Jazz and an unconscious Prowl. He attempted to capture them, but was blasted out of the way by the EDC's stash of tanks and V.T.O.L.s, the machines having been hacked by Prowl. I Dream of Wires

Spotlight: Mirage

Not so superior now, are you?

In a dream set in an alternate universe wrapped in an enigma surrounded by a soft taco shell dreamt by Mirage, Soundwave was part of the Decepticon strike force who attacked the last stronghold of the Autobots. Soundwave was attacked by Hound, who snapped his head off, killing him. But it was just a dream, so it didn't matter. Right? Spotlight: Mirage

Universe cartoon

Soundwave was one of the many Cybertronians caught up in a civil war that emerged due to greed, corruption and malice emerging in their planet’s halls of power. During the early days of the war, he took part in a battle alongside Thrust. Soundwave was one of the first Decepticons to travel to Earth, and looked on as the Autobots took on alternate forms to disguise themselves amongst its populace. Action Blast 1

TransTech

Soundwave—in his Laser Cycle body—was seen among the inhabitants of the multiversal hub city of Axiom Nexus. Transcendent: Part 4

Timelines

Soundwave was present with Megatron, Counterpunch, and Breakdown when the topic about finding new ultimate weapon ideas changed to BotCon 2010. As Breakdown mentioned that one of the things he was looking forward to was the debut of the Transformers Hall of Fame, Soundwave turned to Counterpunch and pointed to himself. BotCon 2010 Promo

Transformers: All Spark

Another Episode, Part 1 Another Episode, Part 2 The Fated Rival, Once Again... To Earth Plans of the Emperor of Destruction Revenge (All Spark) Ray of Hope Great Aspirations Conclusion

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

Soundwave hooked Bumblebee's head up to a machine after Starscream had brought it to Megatron. The Golden Boys Together with Starscream and his brother Shockwave, Soundwave and his cassettes then traveled from Cybertron to Earth to demand the humans submit to Megatron. Their welcomers, G.I. Joe, were unwilling to surrender and attacked the Decepticons, prompting Soundwave to capture a bunch of the humans and imprison them in his chest cavity where they were attacked by metal tentacles. After Flash cut open his chest window to allow their escape, the Joes unleashed their Coltonbolt orbital weapon upon Soundwave, destroying him. I Saw Three Ships

The headless body of Soundwave was brought to T.H.E. P.I.T., where Doctor Venom was tasked with repurposing it as a weapon for the Joes. Funeral for a Friend Using arcane knowledge, Venom sacrificed several Joe soldiers to turn Bumblebee's body into a robotic suit that could binary bond with Soundwave's remains, becoming its head. Form Follows Function Taking control of Soundwave's body, Venom deployed his new weapon to defend T.H.E. P.I.T. from Optimus Prime, catching the attention of Shockwave who demanded the return of his brother. As Optimus Prime and Shockwave grappled over Soundwave, Prime was able to pry Venom and Bumblebee from his shoulders, deactivating his body once again. Expelled from the Garden

Cloud

Construct-Bots

Soundwave was playing cards with Megatron and Starscream when Predaking attacked. He was upgraded using Ironhide's torso and some other parts thanks to Megatron and his Construct-Bots terminal. He cringed when Megatron slipped and fell on some gumballs. Construct-Bot Lab

Angry Birds comic

Soundwave was among the Decepticon forces that attacked the Autobot ship in search of AllSpark only to be blasted back out into space by Heatwave's water blasts. Angry Birds Transformers #1

Beast Wars: Uprising

Eject lamented that all the great and famous Cybertronians, including Soundwave, were long gone by the time Cybertron was under the control of the Builder Assembly. Broken Windshields

Timelines

In one reality, communications officer Soundwave fought at Mirtonia in the final battle of the Third Cybertronian War. Ultimately, however, General Optimus Prime led the Autobots to victory over the Decepticon Star Empire. A stray missile blew up an experimental energon refinery, taking Megatron, Starscream, and Soundwave with it. General Optimus Prime's profile card

Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy cartoon

Voice actor: Nobuhiko Okamoto (Japanese)

The Road to More Popularity than Autobots

Commercial appearances

"Say hello to my leetle friend!"

Soundwave's commercial appearances include:

• An appearance in his very own 1984 commercial. This early animation featured a Soundwave model colored in lavender, versus the dark blue used later. Also, instead of the cassettes ejecting themselves from his chest, he reached into his chest compartment with his own fingers and threw the (tiny) tapes into the air. He wasn't properly introduced.
• He's more on-form in a commercial for the Dinobots, where he, Ravage and Laserbeak are driven back by the robotic monsters amid a thunderstorm.
• Soundwave has a speaking part in the commercial for Blaster. When Rumble strolls into his base carrying a radio, Soundwave immediately identifies it as an "Autobot intruder" and dispatches Ravage and Laserbeak to attack the Autobot. Soundwave is given his correct voice and modulation.
• He's seen grappling with Springer in a 1987 commercial for the Headmasters comic.

Games

Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons

When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' Minicar troops from the Decepticons, Soundwave could interfere with Optimus Prime's progress, diverting him into areas of the Decepticons' maze-like base. Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game

The Transformers (Commodore 64)

The Transformers (Commodore 64)

The Transformers (PS2)

Voice actor: Robert Belgrade (English)

Decepticon story

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

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

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

The Transformers

Autobot story

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

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

Transformers G1: Awakening

Soundwave was among the Decepticons who pursued and boarded the Autobot Ark. When the ship crashed on Earth, all inside were sent into stasis, but the Decepticons woke up four million years later and resumed their conquering ways. When the Autobots began waking up as well, Soundwave was hot on their trail, and Ratchet and Bumblebee had to silence him before he could alert Megatron. After a series of skirmishes, Soundwave was among the Decepticons who failed to prevent the Autobots from finding the Decepticon space bridge. He accompanied Megatron back to Cybertron to lay a trap for the Autobots, but was equally unsuccessful as a prison guard. Trailing the Autobots to Earth, Soundwave was beaten up by Grimlock, took part in a disastrous assault on the Ark, and was unable to stop an Autobot attack on the Decepticon's Cybertron fortress. Transformers G1: Awakening

Construct-Bots Builder

The components necessary for building "Construct-Bot" Soundwave were accessible within the Cybertron construction zone. Despite it being against protocol, you could mix his parts with those of Autobots! (gasp!) Construct-Bots Builder

Transformers Legends

Soundwave and his tapes conducted a covert infiltration of the Autobot base, allowing them to pass information back to the Decepticons and ensure a string of Decepticon victories. He was eventually uncovered by Blaster, Prowl and Nightbeat, who sent him packing. Covert Operations On another occasion, Soundwave infiltrated a human science facility with Frenzy and Beastbox to gain access to a technology to increase Energon production. The trio were faced by Blaster and his tapes. Espionage

After Megatron and his men, including Soundwave, found a Lightning Bug on an old Autobot colony world, they found they'd contracted Cosmic Rust. Back on Earth, they stole corrostop and cured themselves, before inflicting the disease on the Autobots. The Decepticons were unable to stop the Autobots getting a sample of corrostop from the Statue of Liberty and curing themselves, however. Cosmic Rust The Decepticons manage to drive the Autobots off Earth, and proceeded to set about conquering the planet. Unfortunately for them, the Autobots soon returned and succeeded in badly damaging Megatron, resulting in Soundwave and the other Decepticons retreating with their wounded leader. All Hail Megatron

Soundwave was among those who supported Starscream's bid for leadership. The Coronation of Starscream

When humans unlocked the secrets of Gravitronic Energy, Soundwave and his minions attempted to take possession of the data, but were foiled by Bumblebee and Sunstreaker. Box Trap

Transformers: Battle Tactics

Soundwave participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! Transformers: Battle Tactics

Notes

• The Decepticon faction insignia appears to be roughly based on Soundwave's head.
• Though Soundwave's toy is a microcassette recorder, his fictional appearances depict him as a stereo cassette deck or Walkman. (Likewise, his microcassette tapes are depicted as regular audio cassettes.)

Soundwave gets slagged by Vehicons, and Nightscream escapes. How's that for injustice?

• A 1986 Panini stickerbook sold in Belgium and the Netherlands gave Soundwave the alternate French language name "Stacar". Whether this name was used in any other media made for French-speaking regions is unknown.
• Soundwave's computer model was used for one of the generic Transformers in Beast Machines. It is seen in "Forbidden Fruit" during Nightscream's flashback being cornered by Vehicon drones just before Nightscream flees into the lower levels of Cybertron. Though the model was recolored, it was still really 'Soundwavey,' causing much confusion among fans. His computer model as well as Prowl's continued to show up for the rest of the series, used to represent deactivated Transformer shells.
• Later, Soundwave's character model showed up numerous times in various color schemes as a generic background character in the Armada cartoon.
• Sideways listened to music using a tape deck resembling Soundwave in the Cybertron episode "Memory". Later, after a new Planet X was found, Cybertron Soundwave held tape deck Soundwave in his arms. This caused a great disturbance in the force...

What? You mean we don't use brick-sized microcassette recorders anymore?

• IDW Publishing seems to be undecided on Soundwave's speech pattern. In Megatron Origin, he speaks in his classic cartoon-based monotone. However, in "Spotlight: Soundwave", he speaks in a normal fashion. Which is once again reverted to the classic speech in All Hail Megatron.
• Guido Guidi made a concept drawing of Soundwave with a modern microcassette recorder as an alt mode (which are still used by reporters and doctors today) for IDW Publishing's All Hail Megatron maxi-series. This was also unused. Consequently, Soundwave may go down as the Transformers character with the most unused designs.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Soundwave (サウンドウェーブ Saundowēbu)
• Cantonese: Jam Bo (音波, "Voice Wave")
• English: New Soundwave (Omni Productions dub Soundblaster)
• French: Radar (Canada), Sonore (Canada Action Master, "Sound")
• Hebrew: Gal Kól (גל קול, "Sound Wave")
• Hungarian: Fülelő ("Listener"), Fürkész ("Seeker", The Movie 1st dub)
• Indonesian: Gelombang Suara ("Soundwave")
• Italian: Memor, Vizar (Soundblaster)
• Mandarin: Shēng-pō (Taiwan, 聲波, "Soundwave"), Yīng-pō (Taiwan, 音波, "Soundwave"), Shēngbō (China, 声波, "Soundwave"), Shēng Pàu (Taiwan Soundblaster, 聲爆, "Sound Blast")
• Polish: Dźwiękofalowiec (The Movie, "Soundwaver")
• Portuguese: Onda-Sonora (Portugal comics), Microonda (Brazil comics, "Microwave")
• Russian: Barkhan (cartoon, Бархан, "Dune")
• Spanish: Sam (America The Headmasters)
• Ukrainian: Zvukohvyl (Звукохвил, "Soundwave")