Soundwave (G1)

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

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Soundwave is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Ravage! Laserbeak! I choose you!

Soundwave (aka Soundblaster) 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.

As you command, Megatron.Soundwave, eternal loyalist, Dinobot Island, Part 1

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 complained 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 Machu Picchu 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!!!!!

Renegade Rhetoric

Soundwave was a member of the Decepticons led by Megatron who fled to another dimensional Strata, pursued by the Autobot Spy Changers. They gathered an assortment of technologies from the human world, including Unit: E's Project: Chimera files. Soundwave also guided Crash Test and Rumble in stealing the Brainwave Scanner from Metro City. Megatron and Soundwave combined their new advancements to become Go-Bots, augmenting their body-types to be more powerful than the Spy Changers.

Unfortunately for Megatron, his parallel scheme to use the Brainwave Scanner to corrupt Optimus Prime proved too successful. The rechristened "Nemesis Prime" was power-hungry and a threat to Megatron's leadership, taking half the Go-Bots as his own separate Decepticon faction. Soundwave led Nightracer and Rumble on behalf of Megatron to steal some equipment from China, but they were opposed by the Spy Changers and the People's Liberation Army Paranormal Taskforce. Soundwave was captured by the Chinese authorities. Renegade Rhetoric (2)

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

The following summarizes one or more multipath adventures. Details vary depending on the paths taken in-story. See the book's page 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

The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual

Back on Cybertron, Soundwave was tasked with keeping Megatron's army efficient and well-informed. It was largely thanks to him that the Decepticons learned of the Autobots' plan to leave the planet aboard the Ark. Soundwave's The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual profile

After awakening on Earth, the Decepticons remained in a prolonged stalemate against the Autobots. A chance to shift the balance of power came to the Decepticons' attention when Starscream reported that their enemies had uncovered an ancient Cybertronian ship, one which contained a star map pointing the way back to their homeworld. Soundwave partook in the Decepticons' offensive to take the ship for themselves, and they found it surprisingly easy to send the Autobots into a retreat. They learned why upon entering the vessel; it was a trap! The door shut behind Soundwave and the others, and the Decepticons were sent hurtling blindly out into space. The Autobots knew they hadn't rid themselves of the Decepticons permanently, but were content with not having to deal with them for however long it took them to find their way back planet-side. Day of the Decepticons

Megatron brought Soundwave along to ambush Optimus and a couple of his soldiers while they were investigating Transformer power emissions in Brazil. After Megatron had taken out all opposition, Soundwave moved in to capture the two newly-detected robots, a couple of savage mechanical dinosaurs. But the plasma net he used on the creatures had an uexpected effect; negative ion feedback triggered their Transformer circuitry and restored their personalities along with their robot modes. Soundwave was blasted by the newly-restored Grimlock and Snarl, and chose to flee rather than face the Dinobots' awesome power. The Dinobots!

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 the rest of his team, underestimated Prime and lost track of him early in the mission. He reported back to Megatron, who reminded his troops not to toy with Optimus and to slay him at the first opportunity given. Using Ravage to follow the Prime's scent, the Decepticons resumed their pursuit, only to be all incapacitated when Optimus used the environment to his advantage and ambushed them. The War Within #3 Soundwave 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

At some point, Soundwave silently witnessed Megatron angrily confront Starscream for highjacking his plans while he was away, and enacting revenge against the council of elders. The Omega Effect

When Megatron and Optimus Prime vanished in a space bridge accident, the Decepticons were fragmented and Soundwave joined Shockwave's faction. Conflagration While footage of a brawl between Defensor and Devastator was caught on-camera by Prowl's computers in his Autobase, Soundwave was also spotted by one of the hub's screens. Escalation Soundwave later 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 year 1999, 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. Prime Directive #2 Three years later, Soundwave was unearthed by Rook (now calling himself "Lazarus") in the arctic. Seeing the Decepticon's inert form convinced a potential investor, Mr. Ratzenberg, to fund Lazarus's black market organization. Prime Directive Preview Several more Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon alike, were recovered and reprogrammed by Rook to accept commands and were leased to terrorist organisations and military juntas as powerful weapons of war. As part of a demonstration to prospective buyers, Rook had Soundwave join an assault against the Smitco Oil Refinery alongside half a dozen Transformers. Prime Directive #2 After Megatron freed himself and the other Decepticons from the human's command, Soundwave developed a 'metallic virus' that cyberformed Earth organics into cybertronic materials. Once this doomsday device was completed, Megatron had Soundwave unleash it onto the unsuspecting world. The Decepticons then met the Autobots outside, and the battle between the two factions began anew. Their brawl was briefly interrupted when General Robert Hallo dropped a low-yield nuclear weapon on the Transformers. Prime Directive #3 But the previously unleashed virus absorbed most of the bomb's blast, leaving the Decepticons relatively unharmed. They recovered before the Autobots, and set off towards San Francisco to bring carnage upon the human city. Prime Directive #4 The Autobots soon caught up, and during the Decepticons' subsequent battle against them, Devastator was felled. Despite this, the Decepticons overpowered their foes, and secured them with steel girders. Soundwave stood at Megatron's side as the Decepticon leader tried to convince Optimus to join forces with him, purporting that humans were too morally bankrupt to be worth his efforts. Prime Directive #5 But with the humans' help, the Autobots were able to once more turn the tide of battle. Soundwave then detected a nuclear missile launched by Hallo heading for the city. He warned Megatron of the incoming payload, and the Decepticons used the distraction to escape. Prime Directive #6

Leader's pet.

The Decepticons were battling Optimus Prime's forces on the shores of Alaska when Shockwave and his followers ambushed both factions, denouncing them all as war criminals. Shockwave claimed that in the Earthbound Transformers' absence, the civil war had ended on Cybertron, and those who followed either Optimus or Megatron were now considered enemies of peace. Shockwave brutally deposed Megatron while Soundwave stood by in silence and did nothing to help his former leader. Though the Autobots escaped, the Decepticons who agreed to yield to Shockwave's regime were granted amnesty, among these Soundwave. Shockwave then had his new recruits go within his ship's CR Chambers while he made his way back to their homeworld. New World Order

Soundwave worked his way quietly into Shockwave's good graces, earning the ire of Starscream. After Shockwave offered Soundwave a position as his lieutenant, the latter was accosted by Starscream. Brothers' Burden 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 confirming that Starscream was behind Megatron's disappearance during their voyage to Cybertron. With this bit of non-verbal communication, Rumble and Frenzy understood they were to play along with whatever orders Shockwave issued them. Cold War Soundwave aided Starscream in crippling Shockwave's surveillance systems, by delaying the video feeds being transmitted to his monitor womb. With this delay in place, Starscream was able to sneak up on the Reflector trio posted within the surveillance center, and assassinate them. In thanks for his contribution, Starscream rewarded Soundwave by reuniting him with Ratbat. Countdown to Extinction 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. Unfortunately, the shuttle they hijacked turned out to be the Autobot Sky Lynx, who took off of his own volition, trapping the Decepticons within himself. Revelation

But Soundwave managed to hack into Sky Lynx's neural processor, forcing him to take the Decepticons to Earth. The Decepticons made their way back to the Nemesis and set about scavenging parts to restore the ship to working order. Black Sunshine To this end, Soundwave was part of Starscream's initial salvo against the Ark, a decoy to be deliberately taken prisoner in order to draw out the remaining Autobots where the newly reformatted Combaticons could get at them in their combined form. Night of the Combaticons Bruticus freed Soundwave from captivity, only for Sunstorm, a derange and super-powered clone of Starscream, to arrive and disrupt the Decepticons' raid. Sunstorm's "purifying light" induced an energon overload in the Decepticons' systems, knocking them into stasis lock. Black Sunshine Soundwave and the other Decepticons were made the Autobots' prisoners once more, until Starscream negotiated a deal for their release in exchange for his aid against Sunstorm. Skyfire Afterwards, Soundwave began to take steps to re-establish Megatron as the head of their troupe; though he had feigned subservience to Starscream, he had never stopped serving Megatron in secret. The Route of All Evil One of his communiques with the true leader of the Decepticons was almost discovered by Starscream when the Seeker unexpectedly returned from his final confrontation against Sunstorm, though Frenzy managed to warn Soundwave of his approach. Infestation

Soon thereafter, Megatron traveled to Earth, with Soundwave granting him access to the Decepticons' base while Starscream was out training with the Combaticons. Upon Starscream's return, Soundwave wielded Megatron in his gun mode, and blasted Starscream through the chest before the true leader of the Decepticons revealed himself to his usurper. 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

Divided Front ceased publication before the story could conclude. The following would have taken place in unpublished issues.

By 1985, Soundwave had returned by some unknown means. At some point, he and Starscream uncovered information about a "terrible secret" buried beneath Cobra Island, and set out to destroy Cobra Commander should the terrorist refuse to allow them access to it. Divided Front #5

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

Another Con

Soundwave was present when Megatron was remade into the form of a small electrical rodent. Another Con

Hearts of Steel

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

"Strange Visitors" establishes that events identical to those of Hearts of Steel and Infestation 2 occur in the 2005 IDW continuity; however, they happened to Maximal explorers brainwashed by Shockwave into believing they were the Autobots and Decepticons of the Great War.

IDW Generation 1 continuity

Don't you hate it when your codpiece rides up to your collarbone?

Lil Formers

Soundwave ejected all of his minions from his chest compartment, only for the last in line, Rumble, to refuse to come out; with all the extra leg room he now had, he was too comfortable to relinquish his spot. Lil Formers

Mini Mayhem!

Soundwave participated in an infiltration of BotCon to track down next year's toy designs, and use them to conquer the Autobots once and for all!

Later, Soundwave used the Autoscout to deliver a love-letter to Blackarachnia. Mini Mayhem!

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

Robot Heroes

Soundwave was one of the Decepticons who traveled to Earth to bring its people peace... through tyranny! He lay in wait until it was the moment to strike, at which time he unleashed Laserbeak and Ravage from his chest compartment. I Am Optimus Prime

United

After Megatron thought that Optimus had been vanquished once and for all, he declared himself Cybertron's "Emperor of Destruction". Soundwave was present for this proclamation. A New Battle!

Kre-O cartoon

Soundwave was in the audience of a tag battle pitting Optimus Prime and Bumblebee against Megatron and Starscream. Oddly enough, he cheered when it seemed that the Autobots were going to win the match... Last Bot Standing

Soundwave, Skywarp, and Shockwave enjoyed a picnic by the side of a road. When Bumblebee and Megatron raced by them, the picnickers waved at them. The Big Race

He was among the minions who passed Megatron his presents during the holiday season. A Gift For Megatron

Soundwave helped Megatron get back into shape after a string of humiliating defeats by standing on top of him while the Decepticon leader did some push-ups, and holding on to his weights while he did some reps. Megatron's Revenge

Soundwave participated in an enormous battle against the Autobots... until Optimus Prime began talking about the plot of the live-action film series to the audience. Soundwave operated the boom-mike for the "recap" segments Optimus recounted until Grimlock's attempt to order a pizza on the phone started bleeping out Optimus's lines. Take Us to the Movies Take Us Through the Movies

Kre-O online manga

Soundwave was one of the Decepticons who joined Megatron in the Nemesis to chase the Autobots in the Ark. After they boarded the Ark, it crashed to Earth and the Transformers fell to a four million year-long sleep. They woke up to a world filled with blocks. Kreon Story

Soundwave was part of a massive Decepticon invasion force intended to ruin the Autobots' picnic. However, Optimus Prime plowed through them with his truck and left them scattered... and then left. Returning to the scene after.. ahem, taking care of some pressing business, Optimus gathered up the still-wiped-out Kreons, bound them up on a flatbed trailer, and took them to the picnic. Emergency! Hurry to the Base, Optimus!

Soundwave infiltrated into Autobot City as an inconspicuous music player. Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight! Soundwave witnessed the combiners Devastator, Bruticus, and Menasor trying to add the last piece of the Decepticons' new solar tower. Megatron's Ambition!? The Solar Tower Is Built!

Soundwave had his clones sold as music players to brainwash humans into slaves using hypnotic music. Jazz opposed Soundwave, so Soundwave and his many clones unleashed a musical sound attack upon the Autobots, but Jazz and the others countered with a session of their own. Soundwave's Trap? Stop Operation Brainwash Humanity!

Soundwave was seen flying into battle with Laserbeak in some kid's living room. Robots in Disguise! The Transformers Are by Your Side!?

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

Soundwave was a warm and emotional Decepticon with a sonorous musical voice and a love for life, the latter of which put him at odds with the brutality of other Decepticons. Black Cybertron He hooked Bumblebee's head up to a machine after Starscream had brought it to Megatron. The Golden Boys Soundwave was opposed to the invasion of Earth, only for Megatron to coldly select him and his cassette children for the leading invasion force instead. Black Cybertron Together with Starscream and his brother Shockwave, Soundwave and his cassettes 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 his head. I Saw Three Ships

Yummy yummy yummy, I've got Joes in my tummy.

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

Reclaiming Soundwave's remains and collecting the shards of his head, Shockwave brought them to Kalis in hopes that Flame could resurrect his brother. However, Flame's twisted miracle brought him back not as his old, impassioned self, but as an emotionless, monotonous machine who denied any brotherly relation to Shockwave and only demanded to know the parameters of his next mission. When Snake-Eyes arrived in Kalis with a rebellious Ravage, Soundwave fought them both and reclaimed Ravage, who he manually transformed and inserted in his chest for reprogramming. Black Cybertron

Regrouping with the rest of the Decepticons, Soundwave and his minions participated in the battle to defend Trypticon from the united "Jotobot" army. Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 When Optimus Prime returned from the afterlife and defeated Megatron, Soundwave ordered Laserbeak to snatch the Matrix away from Starscream. The War Never Ends

Cloud

Construct-Bots cartoon

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. Intro!

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

According to rumor in the 24th century, Soundwave sat at the center of the Mandala in Iacon for several centuries during one of the times Iacon was under Decepticon control. Trigger Warnings

In 1984, Soundwave participated in a battle in England, infiltrating the British Museum by pretending to be Noah Acton's tape recorder and helping to steal the Rosetta Stone. Cultural Appropriation When Galvatron upgraded into a Triple-Threat Master in the early 2030s, Soundwave estimated that he cut hundreds of thoudsands of solar cycles from his lifespan. Not All Megatrons

Soundwave died at some point after this, as 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 Soundwave was of such renown that his face adorned the 100 denomination of cyber planet key, a unit considered a symbol of wealth on 24th century Cybertron. Not All Megatrons

Timelines

In Primax 096.0 Beta, Soundwave chased fellow Laser Cycle Jazz during the obligatory Battle of Sherman Dam. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06 Later, 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 profile card

Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy cartoon

Voice actor: Nobuhiko Okamoto (Japanese)

Titans Return marketing material

Bolstered by the Titan Masters, Soundwave spearheaded an all-out Decepticon attack on Cybertron, only to be routed by Fortress Maximus. Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters

Commercial appearances

"Say hello to my leetle friend!"

Original footage of Soundwave featured in several commercials:

• When Sideswipe, Prowl, and Jazz infiltrated the Decepticons' base, Soundwave reached into his chest compartment with his own fingers and threw out a (tiny) tape into the air. The tape transformed into Laserbeak, and Soundwave sic'ed on the three Autobots. Soundwave commercial

Soundwave wasn't properly introduced in this commercial, only referred to as the "Decepticons' communications officer." This early animation featured a Soundwave model colored in lavender, versus the dark blue used later.

• Soundwave, Ravage, and Laserbeak were driven back by the Dinobots amid a thunderstorm. Dinobots commercial
• When Rumble strolled into his base carrying a radio, Soundwave immediately identified it as an "Autobot intruder" and dispatched Ravage and Laserbeak to attack Blaster. Blaster commercial
• Soundwave was seen grappling with Springer during a vicious battle on Cybertron. While some fought, others left Cybertron behind to expand the Transformers' war to the planet Nebulos. Headmaster comic book commercial

Soundwave also appeared in online promotional videos:

• After Megatron learned about BotCon 2009 from Optimus Prime, he led a small group of Decepticon representatives to the convention, including Soundwave. BotCon 2009!
• 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
• Soundwave, Rumble, and Frenzy had a dance-off against Blaster, Cosmos, and Perceptor. Blaster VS Soundwave 2013

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 (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: Devastation

The only character that can literally play his own boss battle theme.

Voice actor: Frank Welker

Transformers: Battle Tactics

Epic Soundwave Superior, but still inferior

Soundwave participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Epic character first available as a reward in the "Guess Who?" contest held on the Transformers: Battle Tactics' Facebook page. Then he was available as a reward in the delayed "Sonic Clash" event. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Transformers: Earth Wars

Operation: Invasion

Soundwave was in contact with the Decepticons on Earth, saying that it would be beneficial if Starscream and Bludgeon, the only two cons on Earth at the time, to upgrade their HQ. Get Megatron! Campaign

Soundwave came to earth during the battle for the Fractal Map and helped out in the battle for the Codex Key too. Codex Showdown Campaign

Soundwave also witnessed the creation of Devastator. Combiner Wars Campaign

• Class: Special
• Lowest Star Rating: 3 star, (2 star in beta)
• Weapons: Soundwave uses a gun of the same make as the traitor and the Aerialbots to blast targets from medium range. He then closes in on the target and smashes it with his fists.
• Ability: Deploy Minions: Deploys Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, and Buzzsaw to attack targets for Soundwave. They will take damage like any other normal Con, just at less health. They all have unique attacks.
  • Cost: 3 ability points. +3 for every reuse.

Soundwave is one of two characters that has a special character victory pose, in which Soundwave has a chance to perform "the moonwalk".

Soundwave at Transformers: Earths Wars Wiki

Transformers Online (2016 video game)

"Oh lets break it DOWN!"

“

The cries and screams of my victims are music to my audio receptors.

”

As early as 900 million years ago, Soundwave was already Megatron's loyal lieutenant when war broke out on ancient Cybertron. Often silent, but deadly, Soundwave amassed a regiment of Decepticons to gain intel from the Autobots. He would often take on the role of mediating quarrels, but Soundwave is not without his sense of intellect. If anyone were to threaten his position, Soundwave could blackmail his perpetrator with the latter's database. As a result of his greed, Soundwave was often hated. As long as knowledge is (within his) power, Soundwave always gets the last laugh.

In battle, Soundwave wielded the "Quantum Cutter" buzzsaw and a semi-auto "Super Annihilator Rifle" that comes equipped with two ammo mags. His active skill was "Sonic Shield":

• Sonic Shield — Soundwave projects a force field that reduces incoming damage by 50% to himself and his allies. Transformers Online

Transformers: Forged to Fight

Definitely Superior now. (Just don't tell him about Windblade)

Soundwave was one of the Decepticons pulled from his universe by the Quintessons and forced to fight. He eventually joins the Commander. There are at least a few of him running around! Transformers: Forged to Fight

• Class: Tech
• Basic Abilities
  • Heavy Attack:
    • Generates 14-17% of a Power Bar per second until a Special Attack is activated or upon gaining 2 bars of Power.
    • 100% chance to inflict Shock, dealing Shock Damage for 49% Attack over 6 seconds.
• Signature Ability: Sonic Shield – When filling a Power Bar, Soundwave projects a Sonic Shield that grants him Energy Resistance and a chance to Reflect incoming Ranged Attacks, dealing 140% of their original damage.
• Special Attacks
  • Special 1 – Sonic Cannon - Listen to this and your ears will be burning. - 50% chance to Stun for 1.5 seconds, and a 75% chance to Power Leak, consuming 60-90% of a Power Bar over 4 seconds.
  • Special 2 – Ravage - Ravage. Prepare for battle. Eject! - Deals Shock Damage for 70% Attack over 6 seconds, and generates 15.4-19% of a Power Bar per second until a Special Attack is activated or upon gaining 3 bars of Power.
  • Special 3 – Eject - Turn it up to 11 with the ultimate mixtape, featuring appearances by Lazerbeak and Ravage. - 40% chance to Stun for 2.5 seconds, and 70% chance to Power Lock, severing the target’s flow of Power for 8 seconds.
• Synergy Bonuses
  • Enemies with Optimus Prime - Optimus Prime receives increased 1-8% Attack Rating.
  • Shield Amp with Mirage and Rhinox - Amplified Shielding grants Mirage and Rhinox 2-10% damage reduction when Shielded.

• Strong Match-ups:
  • Ironhide -Soundwave’s Sonic Shield is extremely effective against Iron Hide’s Special Attacks, Reflecting his Ranged Attacks back at him.
  • Grindor - Grindor heavily relies on having Power in order to maximize his damage output. Soundwave’s Special 1 can drain the opponent’s Power very effectively, limiting Grindor’s ability to inflict damage.
  • Hound - Soundwave has the ability to reflect Autobot Hound’s powerful Signature Ability right back into his bearded face.
• Weak Match-ups:
  • Windblade - Windblade can neutralize Soundwave’s Power Gain and inflict extra damage with her Special 1. Soundwave’s Heavy Attack is also very ineffective when Windblade is using her own Heavy Attack because of her ability evade Ranged Attacks.
  • Bumnblebee (GS) - Bee can Shield Break with both Ranged and Melee his, ensuring even the mighty Soundwave can’t Reflect Ranged attacks for long.
  • Blaster - Blaster is able to Repair himself with his own Reflected Projectiles. Let the Rivalry Begin.
  • Jazz - Soundwave has to connect with his second Special Attack, but Autobot Jazz will ensure that moment comes at a time of this speedy scout’s choosing.
• Recommended Modules for Soundwave
  • Laser Guidance Module - When Soundwave Reflects the opponent’s Ranged Attacks, the Laser Guidance Module will enhance its damage.
  • Robot Resource Module & Superconductor-2000 - The synergy between Soundwave’s Power Gain plus the Power Gain from those modules can stack. This will create a deadly combination in your base.

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.

Ha ha ha, stop poking me, that tickles!

• 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. During the ongoing series he has lost the ability to speak completely due to damage done to his face. Finally, during Robots In Diguse he has regained the ability to speak, and does so in a normal fashion.
• Guido Guidi made a concept drawing of Soundwave with a Sony M-200MC, the modern equivalent of a Walkman 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), Soundblaster (The Headmasters, サウンドブラスター Saundoburasutā)
• Cantonese: Jam Bo (音波, "Voice Wave")
• Czecj: Kyber
• 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"),Yīnbǎn (China, The Headmasters, 音板, "Soundboard") 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")