Bumblebee (G1)

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

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Bumblebee is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family. He was known as Goldbug for a time in some continuities.

Ahoy oy!

Bumblebee is one of the smallest and physically weakest Autobots. While his stature allows him to do his job better than most Autobots could manage, he is self-conscious about his size. Maybe this is why he makes fast friends among the humans. He looks up (so to speak) to the other Autobots, especially Optimus Prime, but what he doesn't realize is that they look up to him. He may be small, but he's brave, and he's one of the most well-liked Autobots around. Bumblebee already has the respect he craves.

As Goldbug—his rebuilt and "matured" form—Bumblebee retains most of his earlier strengths and weaknesses, but without his crippling need for approval. (This is true of some "matured" versions of Bumblebee without new names or bodies, as well, but is quite markedly associated with the change to Goldbug).

His nicknames are Bee and Beeper.

Some of my best friends are humans.Bumblebee, on his kid-friendly nature, "Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1"

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Generation 1

Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.

Bumblebee's first appearance... anywhere.

Four million years ago, Optimus Prime led a crew of Autobots including Bumblebee aboard the Ark to clear a path through an asteroid belt for Cybertron to pass through. Once their objective was completed, they were attacked by Decepticons and both their ships crashed in a volcanic mountain on a primitive planet known as Earth. In 1984, the volcano erupted, awakening their ship, which rebuilt them. Bumblebee was reconfigured to transform into a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. The Transformers

Early on, Bumblebee suffered a few wardrobe malfunctions.

Prowl led a mission into a human city to investigate their new world. Bumblebee, anxious to be the first to meet the planet's inhabitants, rear-ended a car full of teenagers watching A Kiss for Us at the Community Drive-In. Before he could introduce himself, he was under attack by Decepticons and damaged badly. One of the teenagers, Buster Witwicky, brought the car back to his father's auto repair shop. Bumblebee weakly pleaded to them to fix him, for he was dying. Buster's father, Sparkplug Witwicky, fixed Bumblebee and offered to help the Autobots convert their native fuel resources into a form that Transformers could use. Bumblebee took Buster with him back towards the Ark to relay this message. Power Play!

After a seemingly final battle with the Decepticons, the long-lost Decepticon Shockwave arrived and reversed the Autobots' victory with a single blast. The Last Stand Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots were kept captive aboard the Ark until Ratchet managed to free the Ark from Decepticon control and repair them. DIS-Integrated Circuits! However, Buster had been entrusted with safeguarding the Creation Matrix, which the Decepticons discovered, so Bumblebee and Bluestreak were sent to protect him. Buster was attacked by the Decepticons' newly-built but lifeless Jetfire. Bumblebee and Bluestreak did their best to defend Buster, but it was Buster's use of the powers of the Creation Matrix which saved them all, disassembling Jetfire in mid-air. Bumblebee removed Jetfire's brain so Buster could reassemble and remote-control the body with his mind. Brainstorm!

Kid-appeal guys may seem annoying at first, but wait until we put them next to Bluestreak!

After the Creation Matrix was returned to a restored Optimus Prime, he was still somewhat disconcerted by his ordeal. When the Decepticon spy Ravage was briefly captured, only to escape again, Bumblebee saw how much this troubled his already upset leader and took it upon himself to chase down and capture the fleeing spy. Unfortunately, he got in over his head and was captured by Soundwave's Decepticons after being led into a box canyon. In order to show the Autobots they meant business, Soundwave had Laserbeak deliver Bumblebee's severed arm to the Ark as a message. Soundwave had learned from Ravage how low Prime's self-confidence was at that juncture, and planned to lure the despondent Autobot leader to his death. Instead, kidnapping Bumblebee just pissed Prime off, and he single-handedly bashed and battered his way through the entire Decepticon front, rescuing Bumblebee and restoring his confidence in the process. Crisis of Command!

During the Dinobot Hunt, Bumblebee went to Alaska with Optimus and Ratchet to reinforce the unit trying to overcome the rampaging Dinobots, Grimlock and Sludge. While scouting the perimeter, Bumblebee was shocked to discover a cloaked Autobot shuttlecraft and three of his comrades who had gone missing earlier in the Hunt. He also discovered a Decepticon-issue sonic lance (that was being used to drive Sludge "berserker mad") installed in the ship. Rightly suspecting a booby trap, instead of just turning the device off, Bumblebee instead evacuated his comrades and got a good distance away from the ship before using his gun to blow up the sonic lance. Good call — the shuttlecraft exploded violently the moment he did so. Dinobot Hunt!

RARR BUMBLEBEE SMASH

When the Autobots took steps to fill out their ranks, Bumblebee was charged with giving four new recruits (Hoist, Skids, Smokescreen, and Tracks) a tour of the planet. Bumblebee decided a Brick Springhorn concert would be a good destination, but the Decepticons had sabotaged the event to harvest energon. Bumblebee disobeyed orders and led the four into battle, saving the concert. Rock and Roll-Out! When Robot-Master appeared on television and claimed to control the Transformers, it was Bumblebee's job to ask their human business partner, G.B. Blackrock what the deal was. Robot-Master broadcast next in a coal mine next to a de-energized Megatron, but before Bumblebee and several other Autobots could investigate, they were pushed away by overwhelming Earth military forces. I, Robot-Master!

This event caused Bumblebee to question his usefulness to the Autobots, and he abandoned them without a word. The Decepticons, however, saw much use for him and attempted to apprehend him. Hiding in a used car lot, he was stolen by two humans, whom he adopted for a while. The Decepticons did not relent, and Bumblebee was ultimately rescued by the rest of the Autobots, an act which reminded him how valuable he was to them. Plight of the Bumblebee!

Later, the Autobots decided to create combiner robots of their own, to match the power of the Constructicons and their united form, Devastator. To accomplish this goal, Optimus Prime staged a frontal assault on the Decepticon quarry base as a cover for Bumblebee to infiltrate the area unnoticed. When the Decepticons inevitably unleashed Devastator to counter the Autobot offensive, Bumblebee was on hand to take a sensor recording of Devastator's transformation sequence, giving Wheeljack a blueprint to start from and improve upon. The Aerialbots were soon created as a result of Bumblebee's heroic efforts. Command Performances!

On Christmas Eve, Bumblebee and the Autobots investigated the loss of electricity in Midville. Discovering the source of the problem was Soundwave, Laserbeak, and their energy siphon, Bumblebee helped confront the Decepticons and shoo them away. The human child Megan Perry asked if he'd help them get to town so they could deliver presents to the needy, and Bumblebee did them one better: he wired the town's Christmas tree to his car's engine to power its lights. The Night the Transformers Saved Christmas

In his earlier appearances, Goldbug kept Bumblebee's body and color scheme.

Due to conflicting circumstances, Bumblebee was damaged and rebuilt into a stronger but similar form—Goldbug. Goldbug and Blaster were ordered by the new Autobot leader, Grimlock, to track down the Mechanic, who had stolen Autobot technology from the Ark. Grimlock was a terrible leader and had no regard for human life, so both Goldbug and Blaster exiled themselves from his command. Mechanical Difficulties! Goldbug and Blaster found themselves in the desert of the American Southwest and, thanks to a run-in with the Decepticon Triple Changers, were infested with the disease known as Scraplets. Goldbug and his human friend Charlie Fong left to get help and possibly a cure, but Blaster believed Goldbug had abandoned him to die. Crater Critters Near death himself, Goldbug arrived with Charlie at a gas station, where they met up with the Throttlebots, sent from Cybertron by Ratbat and armed with acid to contain the disease. Goldbug narrowly escaped extermination when it was discovered that the cure for Scraplets was none other than ordinary water. Goldbug called industrialist G.B. Blackrock (on a pay phone), and Blackrock trucked in tanks of water himself. Blaster was cured and his trust in Goldbug was restored. The Cure!

Goldbug finished his evolution into his own character model by the time the Throttlebots showed up. He kept Bumblebee's colors, though.

With the Throttlebots joining Goldbug and Blaster on their travels, the group discovered that the bodies of Galvatron and Ultra Magnus had been found. While they initially intended to let the Combaticons destroy Galvatron, they were forced to intervene to save human lives. Ladies' Night This unfortunately attracted the wrath of the Combaticons. The group found refuge in a used car lot owned by Big Steve. However, they were all badly in need of fuel. They attempted a deal with Big Steve, but he double-crossed them, filling them up with soda pop instead of gasoline. It was then that the Protectobots caught up with them, followed by the Combaticons. During the ensuing battle, the immobilized Throttlebots (including Goldbug) were carted away by the humans' anti-robot organization, RAAT. Used Autobots

Goldbug and the captured Throttlebots were interrogated by Triple-I, who eventually had their bodies crushed in a pointless threat to stop Decepticon raids. However, their brain modules were transplanted by Walter Barnett into remote-control cars owned by his son, who sought out Goldbug's old friend Buster at Goldbug's suggestion. After being attacked by the Predacons and separated from the others, Goldbug and Buster traveled to Mount St. Hilary and found the Ark gone. Using equipment left behind, Goldbug and Buster sent a distress call, just before Ratbat revealed he'd tagged along and crushed the Autobot's toy car body. Toy Soldiers!

Arriving in response to his distress call, the Autobot Headmasters rescued Goldbug's shattered form, Chromedome patching into his circuits to ease the pain of retelling the attack and capture of Buster. Trial by Fire! Taken back to their ship, Brainstorm built him a new body identical to his Throttlebot form. Goldbug used it on a mission that led to the discovery that Optimus Prime's mind was recorded on floppy disk and served as his leader's eyes in commanding the Autobot Pretenders. Pretender to the Throne!

Goldbug championed the reconstruction of his former leader's body, until his present allies suggested contacting the Ark to seek the resources to do it. Goldbug was quickly imprisoned by Grimlock, but this allowed him to convince Blaster to fight the Dinobot. After the Decepticons attacked during the pair's duel, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug to take the Steelhaven and its skeleton crew back to Nebulos to rebuild Optimus Prime. Totaled!

Arriving on Nebulos, Goldbug and the others were successful in rebuilding Optimus Prime despite the planet's now-toxic fuel. Goldbug avoided having to undergo the Powermaster process to survive like the other Autobots due to his high fuel efficiency. People Power! On the journey back, Optimus and Goldbug investigated word of Sky Lynx starring in the Cosmic Carnival, eventually rescuing the Autobot and his young human companions. The Cosmic Carnival

Ratchet cares not for your maturation and wishes you were more like 1984...

Goldbug was later destroyed by the Underbase-powered Starscream in New York. Dark Star Goldbug was repaired by Ratchet using Pretender technology... sort of. Instead of simply restoring Goldbug, Ratchet rebuilt him as a much larger Bumblebee, All the Familiar Faces! explaining that he'd always preferred Bumblebee's original form. Before they could discuss it further, Bumblebee had to help Jazz and Grimlock against Megatron and his minions. While the new Pretenders defeated the other Decepticons, Ratchet seemingly sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron and his base. Skin Deep

Afterward, the three Pretenders briefly joined the Autobot resistance movement on Cybertron. Thanks to his increased stature, Bumblebee experienced a big boost of confidence as he and the others rejuvenated the resistance. In response, Thunderwing ordered the Mayhem Attack Squad to assassinate them. As Bumblebee, Jazz, Grimlock and the Rescue Patrol prepared to teleport to Earth, the three Decepticons attacked Autobase, sabotaging the Trans-Time Dimensional Portal. All nine Transformers found themselves teleported into the heart of Cybertron, where the Autobots discovered the resting place of Primus. Yesterday's Heroes!

There, they encountered the Keeper and learned the secret origin of the Transformers, as well as of Primus's never-ending battle with Unicron. As the Keeper's tale ended, the Mayhem Attack Squad found the Autobots. Their initial attack destroyed the Keeper, but Bumblebee and the others handily defeated them. However, a stray blast woke Primus seconds before the repaired portal sent the Transformers back to Earth. Primal Scream

...just like Thunderwing, who killed your gimmick.

With Unicron undoubtedly on his way to devour Cybertron, Bumblebee and his fellow Pretenders embarked on a quest to find the lost Creation Matrix. The three traveled to VsQs, the last known location of Optimus Prime's funeral barge, to search for clues. Finding an abandoned science station, Bumblebee searched through its computer records. He confirmed that the scientists had found Prime's body and the Matrix, but also a strange creature that promptly attacked one of the scientists. Before they could investigate further, Thunderwing attacked, also seeking the Matrix. Bumblebee used his Pretender shell to combat the Decepticon, only for Thunderwing to destroy it. The feedback temporarily knocked Bumblebee unconscious, and it seemed Thunderwing would destroy all three Autobots, until the Matrixspawn attacked. While Thunderwing pursued the creature, Bumblebee and the other Autobots searched the science station for the Matrix. They recovered it, but were so low on Energon that they were becoming unable to compensate for the moon's heavy gravity. While they were attempting to reach their shuttle, Thunderwing overtook them, seizing the Matrix and leaving them for dead. Dark Creation Fortunately for Bumblebee, the Autobots sent a shuttle to rescue him and the others before they entered final shutdown. Eye of the Storm

Although it was not expressly stated on panel, the Classic Pretenders apparently lost their shells on VsQs.

Bumblebee survived the war with Unicron, and was one of many Autobots left on Cybertron afterwards. Exodus!

Marvel UK future timelines

In 2007, Bumblebee was stationed on Cybertron after Unicron destroyed Moonbase Two. Under the command of Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, he helped ambush a group of Decepticon attackers, catching them in a pre-planned crossfire. Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!

Earthforce

These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details.

When Optimus Prime left Grimlock in charge of protecting Earth, Bumblebee signed up for the new "Earthforce" along with many of his long-time comrades. Break-Away! After Prowl disappeared while riding an atmosphere-destroying missile through the stratosphere (long story), Bumblebee and Ironhide went looking for him. They picked up a set of Transformer lifesigns on a small island in the Bahamas, and took some speeder bikes to investigate. Instead of Prowl, what they found was a massive reconstructed version of Devastator, half-finished as the Constructicons attempted to recreate their combined form as an independent super-warrior. Luckily, Bumblebee had Ironhide along to disable the automated defense ring protecting the Devastator project, and they were able to destroy "him" before the Constructicons could activate their creation. Desert Island Risks!

Later, Bumblebee joined Jazz, Ironhide and Sunstreaker in infiltrating the Decepticon Enclave. Fearing an alliance between the two Decepticon factions would be bad news for the Autobots, Ironhide conceived a plan to throw a spanner into the proceedings. Using an unconscious Headstrong as a patsy, the Autobots staged a sniper shot at Megatron. When Megatron and his Decepticons unleashed their firepower at the rocks where the shot supposedly came from, Jazz and Bumblebee tossed down Headstrong's body, leading Megatron to conclude Shockwave had tried to have him killed. The peace talks quickly went downhill from there. The Bad Guy's Ball!

Bumblebee was present when Wheeljack showcased his brand-new defense grid to successfully protect Autobot Earthbase. Unfortunately, Wheels forgot that, once activated, the defense system could only be deactivated from inside the base... behind the various laser cannons and heat-seekers and Acidbats he had turned on. While Prowl ran the gauntlet to reach the control center, Bumblebee and Jazz watched his back, drawing fire and disabling what defenses they could. The House that Wheeljack Built! Later, Bumblebee and several other Autobots went in pursuit of Motormaster of the Stunticons, who had kidnapped their human ally, Irwin Spoon. Weaving their way through the various Stunticons who got in the way, Bumblebee and Tracks finally managed to trick two of Motormaster's own thugs into running him off the road themselves, giving Bumblebee a chance to rip off his cab door and retrieve Spoon. End of the Road!

Transformers Comic-Magazin

Bumblebee was present when Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots against the joint Decepticon leaders Shockwave and Megatron, who had tried to hijack the oil reserves of Alaska. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before Quickmix accidentally shot a Minibot because he turned off his targetting computer. Bumblebee argued that the Autobots should turn their targetting computers off because while they would be less accurate, they would be faster and more agile. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. Transformers in Action: Attack at Dawn

He attended a meeting in which Optimus Prime lectured the Autobots on the basics of their mission and existence, and applauded Slapdash's call for a one-world Autobot government. He notes that if the Autobots were like the Decepticons, they wouldn't have had to drift through space for an eternity and be entombed on Earth for four million years. Later, the Decepticons attack an oil tanker, and he helps the rescue effort as a Classic Pretender. Transformers in the Battle for Peace: A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime He was present when the Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con' on New York; however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings. Transformers — Transforming Robots in Action: New York — A City Sinking in Terror

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime ordered that Bumblebee, Jazz and Grimlock be given the power and abilities of Pretenders and sent to defeat the Decepticons. They arrived outside the Decepticon base, but were attacked by Pretender Starscream! Beating Starscream, they then chased off the Firecons in their Pretender shells, leaving Bumblebee to defeat Megatron one-on-one and stop the missile countdown. Transformers in Action: Megatron's Ultimatum

Conflicting Goldbug origins

One of these things never happened. You choose which! (left: US; right: UK)

In G.I. Joe and the Transformers, Bumblebee was destroyed by G.I. Joe due to a misunderstanding. They later rebuilt him as Goldbug with help from Ratchet. However, Marvel UK did not initially print the crossover, so an alternate origin for Goldbug was conceived. In the pages of the UK comic, Bumblebee was destroyed by a time-traveling Death's Head, yes? Then he was repaired by a time-traveling Wreck-Gar. (The Marvel Joe/TF crossover was published in the UK towards the end of the series.) The conflicting origins for Goldbug is the single largest difference between the American and British Marvel Transformers comics; most everything else kinda sorta meshes together, if you squint.

Generation 2

A friendly game of Bumblebowling, honest

Years after the battle on Klo, and the Autobots had returned to a renewed Cybertron, Bumblebee received a distress signal from G.I. Joe on Earth, notifying them of Megatron's return. He passed this information on to Optimus Prime. Goin' South He also accompanied Prime and a team of Autobots to an unnamed planet home to an ancient civilization which reportedly stored a cache of superweapons, and battled the Decepticons there until a monstrous native scared them away. Ghosts

Bumblebee was among the Autobot/Decepticon forces battling the Cybertronian Empire on Ethos. Escalation!

Generation 2 (UK)

Hey, look, it's G2 Elite Guard Bumblebee.

Millions of years ago, before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime participated in a furious battle against the forces of the Decepticons. War Without End

Classics

Bumblebee was among the Autobots who returned to Earth with Optimus Prime once word of Megatron's re-emergence reached them on Cybertron. They established a headquarters at Autobase Prima in the Pacific Northwest. Bumblebee remained behind at headquarters when Optimus and the Autobots helped Skyfall on his quest. Crossing Over: Part 3 He was present when they returned from the battlefield with injured soldiers. Games of Deception

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

I wonder if he wanted a job as a mechanic?

Bumblebee was one of the several Autobots who were searching for energy when the Decepticons attacked their spacecraft, forcing them to crash-land on Earth 4 million years ago. When Bumblebee and the others were awoken in 1984, Bumblebee quickly befriended the human teenager Spike Witwicky.

Bumblebee and Spike would remain friends up through Spike's adulthood, and were stationed on one of Cybertron's moons in 2005 after the Decepticons conquered Cybertron. Bumblebee survived Unicron's attack on Cybertron, and remained in action during the leadership of Rodimus Prime.

When Bumblebee was damaged badly during the Hate Plague outbreak in 2006, he had to be rebuilt into a new form, Goldbug. Goldbug would live to see the next Cybertronian Golden Age.

Legends anthology

Bumblebee, Spike, and Hound happened upon a badly damaged Starscream while out racing. Bumblebee convinced the others to bring Starscream back to the Ark for repairs, under the rationale that while Starscream wouldn't have done the same for them, they weren't Decepticons. Redemption Center

Hey, remember that time in the comics when a couple of guys stole Bumblebee? What if they were kind of jerks? What if Bumblebee decided to make them pee themselves? Joyride

Dreamwave comics continuity

Events from The Transformers Trilogy novels are in italics.

At the death of Sentinel Prime, Bumblebee was part of an Autobot unit defending Altihex from the Decepticons, but it was ultimately declared a lost cause. Trailbreaker had to pull him aboard the shuttle once they realized there was nothing left to do. Grimlock ordered him, Jazz, Prowl, and others to the ruins of Praxus, where Grimlock declared that if the new Prime was unable to lead successfully, they would take control of the war's leadership... and take out the Prime. Bumblebee was among the group that was present for the Matrix transfer ceremony, where Optronix became Optimus Prime. When a Decepticon assassination squad arrived and Optimus kicked some exhaust port, Bumblebee declared that he was "awesome". However, Prime then ordered the Autobots to prepare an evacuation of Cybertron. The War Within #1 When Prime went underground looking for Megatron, Bumblebee was surprised he'd gone alone, but the Autobots suddenly had bigger problems, as Shockwave attacked Iacon with a host of Decepticons. The War Within #2 During the attack, Bumblebee manned a turret in the Decagon. The War Within #3 Eventually, Prowl ordered the Autobots to take them on individually, and Bumblebee went out carrying a cannon that was as big as him. The War Within #5 Bumblebee survived the destruction of Iacon, and Prime reversed his order of evacuation. The War Within #6 During the Dark Ages and the disappearance of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee remained with Prowl's faction of Autobots, huddled in the ruins of Iacon. War Within: The Dark Ages

Someone has to pay for the little things.

Bumblebee was one of the Ark crew that crashed on Earth and awoke in 1984. During that time, he met Spike Witwicky, becoming close friends with the human. In 1999, the Autobots and humans allied and managed to capture the Decepticons, taking them in the Ark II back to Cybertron, along with seven humans, including Sparkplug Witwicky, Spike's father. However, the Ark II was sabotaged by rogue elements of the United States military (apparently as part of a plan by Shockwave). Prime Directive #1 The humans were all killed, but a number of Transformers, including Bumblebee, survived, but in stasis lock. Bumblebee's body was recovered by General Hallo and Adam Rook, but Rook stole Bumblebee and a number of other Transformers, selling them to various terrorists. Megatron broke free, and the Seekers, being dicks, disassembled and played with Bumblebee's various components. Prime Directive #3

Optimus Prime's team later rescued him and the remaining Autobots, and they were all put to work in combating Megatron's techno-virus. Prime Directive #5 Unfortunately, the Canadian military, skittish over the recent Transformer violence, attacked the Autobots. Despite this, Bumblebee tried to save as many of the soldiers as he could before the virus could kill them. Prime Directive #6

In the following weeks, the Autobots tried their best to re-establish good relations with the people of Earth, but had little luck. After Optimus Prime, Megatron, Jazz and Bluestreak vanished from the streets of Tokyo with roughly 200 human civilians, the public was understandably critical of the Transformers and their war. Bumblebee didn't help any when Chris Killah, a reporter for MNT, interviewed him on the scene while he and Prowl were looking for clues to the disappearance. Bumblebee's knowledge of Earth idioms and slang normally worked to the Autobots' benefit, but he got "stage fright" in front of the TV cameras and referred to the massive property damage and loss of human life as a "bummer". Duuuuude...no.

With both sides effectively leaderless at first, Bumblebee and Prowl did their best to contain the fallout of Megatron and Prime's disappearance. Acting on a tip, they tracked Thundercracker to an airport in Mesa Verde, Mexico, where he was running guns with some human terrorists. The battle was memorable, but brief, thanks largely to the arrival of the renegade Autobot known as Grimlock. Having heard the Starscream had taken over the human city of Las Vegas, Grimlock had commissioned a human black ops army and invited Bumblebee and Prowl to join him in assaulting the Decepticon position. Already frustrated at the United Nations' orders to stay out of Vegas, for fear of civilian casualties, Bumblebee and Prowl accepted the offer. After fighting their way through Bonecrusher and the other Constructicons on the outskirts of town, the Autobots managed to make it to the center of the Strip to confront Soundwave. Fortunately, the Autobots had long since developed internal jammers to prevent Soundwave from reading their thoughts during a battle, but that didn't make things easy. Fighting their way around the casinos, Bumblebee finally collapsed a massive neon sign on top of Soundwave, temporarily ending the fight. Bumblebee and Prowl's luck turned sour, though, with the arrival of Starscream and the mighty Devastator. The sudden appearance of a spatial gateway depositing Optimus and the other lost Transformers, along with their captors the Keepers, was just one set of complications on top of another. Hardwired

Sometime later, the Autobots received visitors from Cybertron. Representing a united Cybertronian government of both Autobots and Decepticons, they claimed the Transformers on Earth were a throwback to darker days, and wanted to take them into custody to prevent their "anachronistic" feud from upsetting Cybertron's populace. The Autobots under Optimus Prime split into two groups, with Bumblebee and several others joining their leader in surrendering to Ultra Magnus's forces, while Jazz led a small group away from the Ark to continue monitoring activities on Earth. Once they arrived on Cybertron, it became clear that there was a rotten core to the new government, namely Shockwave. Bumblebee and the other Autobots from Earth joined up with a resistance movement and helped overthrow Shockwave's reign, reinstating Autobot rule over Cybertron. War and Peace

25 years before someone realized his toy has no face.

After Cybertron settled down, Bumblebee commanded the Autobot Shuttle Orion and a small crew, travelling back to Earth with supplies for Jazz's team at the Ark. Starscream and the Combaticons were in the midst of an attack on the Ark when the Orion arrived. Night of the Combaticons The little ship managed to damage Bruticus significantly before the super-powerful zealot Sunstorm shorted out its engines and it crashed. Black Sunshine After Jetfire sacrificed himself to stop Sunstorm, Bumblebee deserted the Autobot army (for no stated reason). Atonement He headed to Spike's house, but Spike, resentful of the death of Sparkplug, lashed out at him. Afterward, Spike finally realized he was being harsh on his old friend, and the two went for a night on the town, where they stopped a mugging. Lost and Found

The closure of Dreamwave means we will never know if Bumblebee returned to the Autobots or if he and Spike formed a crime-fighting duo.

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Bumblebee was aboard the Ark when it crashed on Earth millions of years in the past, leaving its passengers deactivated. Along with Wheeljack, he was sealed off from the rest of the crew in the crash, and therefore avoided capture when Cobra broke into the ship and stole the dormant Transformers therein. Bumblebee and Wheeljack were eventually revived by Teletran-One, only to find their friends missing. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4

Attempting to find the missing Transformers, Bumblebee disguised himself as a Volkswagen Beetle, an altmode that really got on his nerves after months of fruitless searching. Eventually, Wheeljack came up with some leads on Cobra's next target, while Bumblebee just grumbled that Wheeljack got all the good holographic drivers. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2 When Cobra attacked the SPS Research Facility, the Autobots were waiting for them, and Bumblebee punched out a brainwashed Rumble before helping G.I. Joe's Laser Squad get out of some rubble. Unfortunately, the humans didn't quite trust the giant robots, and Cover Girl fired a missile at 'Bee, who grabbed the projectile in mid-air and threw it at Rumble instead. He and Wheeljack eventually convinced G.I. Joe they were good guys, and the humans provided them with the information needed to undo Cobra's reprogramming of the other Transformers. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3

As G.I. Joe prepared to attack Cobra Island, Bumblebee and Wheeljack came with them. However, the United States government preferred nuke the island and dissect the two aliens at Area 51, and Bumblebee was struck with a magnetic pulse and incapacitated. Luckily, Wheeljack convinced Duke that a nuclear strike on Cobra's energon stockpile would lead to worldwide devastation, so G.I. Joe broke orders and took the Autobots with them to attack Cobra Island anyway. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4 Upon arrival, Bumblebee watched as the SPS Satellite's energy beam struck an energy-gathering dish on the island, then helped G.I. Joe take down Devastator after the giant Decepticon killed Hound. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5

It soon transpired that the United States government were sending the nukes regardless of G.I. Joe's presence on the island, so the Autobots and humans made their way to the SPS Satellite's controls, where Bumblebee found a cowering Doctor Mindbender. While Mindbender was forced to calibrate the satellite's beams to shoot down the approaching nuclear warheads, the facility came under attack by Storm Shadow, Firefly and various Cobra troopers. During the battle, Bumblebee defeated Storm Shadow and his heavily damaged S.N.A.K.E. suit. He then cheered as Optimus Prime defeated Megatron and shot down the SPS Satellite, and he later returned to Cybertron aboard a new Ark. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6

Two years later, Bumblebee was sent back through time to 1970's San Francisco by a malfunctioning Teletran 3, and was left dormant in the form of a Ford Pinto. He was found and reactivated by several G.I. Joes and Cobra members sent to get him back to the future, but both Bumblebee and Zartan were disappointed with his altmode compared to the much fancier car his fellow time-lost Autobot Jazz turned into. After hunting down Hot Rod and Blitzwing in the same era, the team returned to their own time. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1 Back on present-day Cybertron, Bumblebee and the others had no choice but to wait inside Ultra Magnus's force field until the three other teams returned with more lost Transformers. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2 When the whole affair was over, Bumblebee curiously inspected Teletran 3. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4

An agreement was made between the Autobots and G.I. Joe to decommission any Cybertronian technology left on Earth, and Bumblebee was sent back to Earth along with Grimlock, Perceptor and Arcee, the last of whom he was very flirty with. When Area 52 came under attack from Cobra, Bumblebee noticed that Cobra Commander was using the attack as a diversion to infiltrate the facility's lower levels. He pursued the Commander, but was rendered unconscious when Zartan planted an electromagnetic scrambler on him. The Art of War #1 Just when Cobra Commander was about to smash the robot's face in with a lead pipe, the other Autobots and G.I. Joes arrived and saved him. While Arcee was worried about his low energy levels, Bumblebee assured her that seeing her was all the recharge he needed. However, it was soon revealed what Cobra Commander had come for: Serpent O.R., a biotechnological weapon created from Megatron's remains. He was also just as power-hungry as Megatron, and took control of G.I. Joe's battle suits and pitted them against the four Autobots to distract them while he warped to Cybertron. The Art of War #2

Crossovers are not kind to Bumblebee.

Here Lies 'Bee / Only Time He Had A Girl In Any Continui-ty

Along with a group of Joes, the Autobots followed Serpent O.R. to their home planet, and ended up getting attacked by cannibalizers in a junkyard. As they retreated to avoid human casualties, Bumblebee tried to extort a kiss from Arcee if he could outrace her, but she upped the bet by offering to rotate his tires if he could pull it off. Bumblebee accelerated in anticipation... and drove straight into Predaking, who stomped him unconscious. Serpent O.R., who had recruited Predaking alongside various other Decepticons, complimented the little Autobot's courage and resilience, noting that he could probably survive with the proper medical attention. Then he crushed Bumblebee to death with his tentacles. The Art of War #3 Following the defeat of Serpent O.R., a funeral was held for Bumblebee and a statue was built in his honor. The Art of War #5

Bumblebee's death had a large impact on Optimus Prime, who blamed himself for his friend's death. Unwilling to send anyone else to their death, he went on a dangerous mission on Earth all by himself. Black Horizon, Part 1 HE LIVESSSSS!!

Transformers/G.I. Joe

After laying dormant among the Fera Islands for three million years, Bumblebee and his friends were reactivated in 1939 when G.I. Joe attacked Cobra's headquarters in the archipelago. He was reformatted into a World War II-era motorcycle, complete with sidecar, and thought Optimus Prime was a bit pessimistic when he worried that Cybertron might no longer exist. Transformed The Autobots subsequently joined G.I. Joe on their mission to eliminate Cobra and their Decepticon allies. Bumblebee overheard Duke and Stalker discussing that Snake-Eyes had vanished, and tried to reassure Scarlett that the missing Joe would show up eventually. Before long, the group came under attack from Cobra paratroopers, but the bullets merely bounced off Bumblebee, who happily suggested that the Autobots should try out their new bodies in action. Trial by Fire

Upon entering combat, the Autobots were faced with Rumble, who was easily taking out the larger tank Autobots with his earthquakes. While Bumblebee was busy explaining who Rumble was, Scarlett commandeered him (noting how "sweet" it was that he had never been driven before) and drove into action, jumping above the Decepticon and destroying him with a grenade. Bumblebee felt that he and Scarlett made a nice team, and sheepishly told her that she could drive him anytime. How cheeky! Wolves When they reached Cobra's fortress, the Terrordrome, the Autobots were attacked by a raging Bruticus, whom Bumblebee noted that he had never seen before. In the end, the Matrix of Leadership had to be destroyed in order to stop Bruticus, which killed Bumblebee and all the other Transformers in the process. The Iron Fist

IDW comics continuity

For information pertaining to Goldbug, a separate individual in the IDW continuity, see Goldbug (IDW).

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.

Bumblebee finally passed the gun exam.

Bumblebee was part of Prowl's secret counter-infiltration unit on Earth. When Ratchet broke cover by rescuing a trio of humans, Infiltration issue 0 Bumblebee was the one Autobot who supported his efforts. He was true to his role as an espionage agent and ferreted out their plans to continue joint operations against orders and joined in. Verity thought his alternate form and his holomatter avatar was "coool!" Infiltration #3 He accompanied Ratchet and the humans to investigate an abandoned Decepticon bunker in Nebraska. When Ratchet mentioned how he hated putting their humans at risk, Bumblebee pragmatically commented that, given the need for evidence of unusual Decepticon activity and the consequences of Decepticon Siege Mode, the humans would be "acceptable losses". While the humans were exploring the bunker, two Decepticons attacked, and Bumblebee managed to take down Skywarp, but not before Ratchet was shot and run over by Blitzwing. Infiltration #4

As the bombardment by the Decepticons caused the bunker to collapse, Verity had trouble climbing out of the shaft through which they entered. Bumblebee leapt into action when the tree the rope was attached to buckled under the crumbling terrain. Infiltration #5 He left the humans with Ratchet and traveled to Oregon, the location of the second Decepticon command bunker, observing the situation until the rest of the Autobot unit could arrive. After witnessing Megatron "disciplining" Starscream and subsequently downgrading the infiltration unit's status to Phase Two, Bumblebee departed Oregon with the rest of the unit. Infiltration #6

Oldest trick in the book.

Bumblebee went with the Autobots to investigate Decepticon activity in the country of Latveria. There they discovered a heavily shielded "array" that the Decepticons were using as a base. Man and Machine #1 There they skirmished with the humans that were assembled outside who were under the influence of the Decepticons' mind-altering Psycho-Prism. Bumblebee used his holomatter avatar in a "damsel in distress" ruse that distracted Luke Cage long enough for Bumblebee to get a clear shot. Ratchet was able to attach an inhibitor device to Captain America which nullified the effects of the Psycho-Prism. He gave Captain America enough devices for everyone on his team. Now calmed down, the two groups teamed up to destroy the Psycho-Prism. They began attacking the array's defenses which caused the Decepticons to attack. Man and Machine #2

As they fought, Ratchet, Prowl, and Luke Cage were able to slip into the array. Outside, Bumblebee, Jazz, and Prime gave a power-boost to Iron Man in his Transformer-sized armor. After the battle quieted down, Megatron communicated via hologram from inside the array with his new ally Doctor Doom. They showed their captives, Ratchet, Prowl, Luke Cage, and Spider-Man. Megatron ordered their surrender or the captives would die. Optimus Prime ordered the quick destruction of the array. The Falcon objected because their teammates were still inside. Bumblebee argued that those few humans were expendable. There was a brief discussion, but Optimus Prime's orders won out and they all attacked the array. Megatron turned on Doctor Doom for being incorrect about them surrendering. Megatron didn't go through with his threat to kill his captives, instead he went outside to face his opponents and carrying Luke Cage. Man and Machine #3

While Megatron was attacking, Bumblebee, Jazz, and Wolverine orbital bounced into the array. They found that Doctor Doom switched sides and freed Spider-Man, so they went to find the Psycho-Prism. They found it guarded by Ramjet, who wasn't in the mood to fight for Megatron's cause and left. Wolverine destroyed the Prism. Man and Machine #4

Bumblebee was tasked by Nightbeat to check the area surrounding their base for surveillance. He found a great deal of it, prompting the decision to relocate the Ark-19. He was aboard when the ship was shot down by Sixshot. Devastation #1 He survived but was injured in the subsequent battle with the living Decepticon weapon of mass destruction. Devastation #4 He was presumably on the Ark-32 when it left Earth. Devastation #6

A year later, Bumblebee was hiding out with other Autobots on Cybertron. All Hail Megatron #1

Slag it, Bumblebee, stop making our jokes for us!

Bumblebee and Wheeljack were sent to search for energon by Jazz, but found the going rough in their Earth modes. Wheeljack suggested he whip up a polymer, but 'Bee very quickly pointed out the fact they hadn't the equipment. To make matters worse, the pair were being followed and their only hope of signaling for help was a million to one shot! Not willing to wait for back-up that wasn't coming, Bumblebee dragged Wheeljack along in an attempt to track the stranger down... when Hot Rod was knocked through a wall by Ironhide. Bumblebee was surprised to see Hot Rod, but more surprised to hear the other bot thought they were a rescue party! All Hail Megatron #4

Later, while being chased by the Insecticon swarm, Bumblebee made a disparaging comment about Drift, but Kup quickly put him in his place. All Hail Megatron #8 As tensions rose, he almost had a throw-down with Hot Rod. All Hail Megatron #9 Along with the other Autobots, Bumblebee was rescued and transported back to Earth by Omega Supreme. All Hail Megatron #11 Together with the rest of the Autobots, he fought the Decepticons and drove them off the planet. All Hail Megatron #12

After the departure of the Decepticons, the human military hunted down any remaining Transformer. Somehow Bumblebee got separated from his team in the ruins of New York. He managed to avoid detection until he was forced to reveal his location when a toppling building threatened the families inside. Bumblebee used his body to support the building, even as the nearby military fired into his body. Thankfully, Bumblebee was able to hold out until the humans inside had evacuated, and the timely arrival of Optimus Prime and the others kept the military from finishing him off. Once Bumblebee had been restored to working order, he asked Ratchet if they had heard his radio distress calls. No, Ratchet responded, Bumblebee's radio had been busted, but they heard about his plight on the humans' frequencies. Ratchet laughed, noting that was Optimus Prime's idea, who felt that it was only a matter of time before Bumblebee would have to save somebody and out himself. Hidden

Following the resignation of Optimus Prime and his surrender to the human organization Skywatch, Bumblebee was elected to the position of Autobot commander despite not putting himself forward for the role. Ratchet posited his trustworthiness and dependability as factors in his being chosen. New Arrivals, Old Encounters

And there was much rejoicing.

Though at first there was jubilation at Bumblebee's rise to leadership, his diplomatic nature and desire to be nice to everybody eventually led to problems. The Hanging Sword The first of many challenges in Bumblebee's new command was Ultra Magnus, who had arrived to investigate the death of Ironhide. Magnus questioned Bumblebee's suitability for command in light of Hot Rod leading his own group of Autobots away, and was not interested in helping Bumblebee with their current woes. Unfortunately, it was then that Hoist decided to lead yet another exodus of Autobots (consisting of Blurr, Tracks and Beachcomber) away from the main group. A Rude Awakening

Wheeljack had little time or respect for Bumblebee's moping or his perceived lack of leadership ability, leading to several cutting remarks, much to the annoyance of Ratchet. Through some interference from Wheeljack, Bumblebee met with Skywatch rogue Colonel Gordon Horiuchi who gave them protection from Skywatch if the Autobots helped capture Decepticons. Unfortunately this "protection" could also lock them into vehicle mode if they misbehaved, which Horiuchi did when Cliffjumper refused to capture Blurr. The Hanging Sword

Tracking down Blurr, Bumblebee attempted to talk the fugitive Autobot over, to convince him to come quietly. Blurr was shocked that Bumblebee would agree to work with the humans, the people who had imprisoned others of their kind. When Bumblebee revealed that Blurr didn't have much of a choice, the latter decided to take his chances and shot Bumblebee at point blank range, which shorted out his kill-switch badge. Back at base, when Bumblebee refused to turn over Blurr, Horiuchi decided the Autobot needed a reminder of who was holding the leash and attempted to activate his kill-switch. Naturally, it didn't work, but Ratchet convinced Bumblebee to play along and pretend he was locked into vehicle mode. Seeing an opportunity, the Bumblebee concocted a plan where the reluctant Blurr would find a Volkswagen to take his place, allowing him to find a way to free the rest of the Autobots. Before leaving, Bumblebee gave the Autobots an inspiring speech that actually caused Cliffjumper to break character, surprising the Skywatch operatives who were listening in on those Autobots with functional kill-switch badges. Later, communicating with Ratchet via a text-only comm channel, Bumblebee located a large shipment of darmstadtium, the rare metal used in the kill-switches at a shipping port. As he was skulking around, he discovered the Constructicon Scavenger, who had repainted himself to disguise his identity from the humans, as well as the hope that he sneak onto one of the container ships. Bumblebee tried to convince him that they had to earn the respect of the humans, but Scavenger angrily scoffed at this, stating he would rather hide than work with them. Bumblebee left him in peace. The Impossible Knot

When Skywatch arrived to repair "Bumblebee's" kill-switch badge, they inadvertently revealed the identity of Sanjay Bharwaney, a Skywatch researcher who was responsible for the secondary master control board for all of the badges. Bumblebee followed Bharwaney home, following Wheeljack's advice that altering the control board would short out the badges. Obviously unable to retrieve the control board directly, Bumblebee befriended Bharwaney's daughter, Serena, in the hopes she could help him. Much to his distaste, Bumblebee had to lie to Serena, claiming that the control board would harm her father if he didn't "fix" it. He felt so bad about the whole thing that he believed doing this all but confirmed Humanity's opinion of the Transformers, a position that Wheeljack did not tolerate. Unfortunately, it was discovered the control board contained tracking devices, meaning Bumblebee would be unable to get it back to their hideout before Colonel Horiuchi would notice and disable all the Autobots. This forced Bumblebee to make the modifications himself, a task he scarcely completed before Bharwaney returned home. As his friend Serena took the item back into her house, Bumblebee hoped that one day, he could repay her for his betrayal of her trust. The Gift Horse

However, as he was making his way back to the Autobot hideout, Bumblebee detected Skywarp heading towards the Bharwaney house. Arriving just in time to save Bharwaney and his daughter, Bumblebee discovered the scientist to be an embittered man whose wife had died during the Decepticon invasion, and who now saw all Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon alike, as the same destructive aliens. During their flight, Bharwaney decided to use the control board to destroy both Bumblebee and Skywarp, seeing Bumblebee as a traitor to Horiuchi. When Serena appealed to her father, Bharwaney forced Bumblebee to admit that he did use Serena to get to the control board, and 'Bee apologised to the young girl. Letting them both out, Bumblebee asked Bharwaney for the control board so he could free his fellow Autobots. As they argued, Skywatch lieutenant Daniel Klonowski appeared and saved the trio from Skywarp, but despite his interference, Skywarp cut off Bumblebee's escape. Declaring that, unlike Skywarp, he had friends who would fix him, Bumblebee activated the control board, which simultaneously destroyed the kill-switch badges on the Autobots and seriously damaged himself and Skywarp. Sometime later, after Klonowski paid a visit to the Autobot hideout, Bumblebee emerged with a brand new, more powerful body and a new confidence befitting his command of the Autobots. Wings of Wax

Bumblebee's new confidence was tested when Ultra Magnus barged back into the Autobot caves, requisitioning a strike force to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Magnus forced Bumblebee and the others to go along with him almost by sheer force of personality, and they soon arrived at the launch site where Hot Rod and his Autobot & Decepticon allies were planning to leave the planet. Bumblebee and Hot Rod tried to debate the situation, but Ultra Magnus soon grew tired of listening to their concerns and laid down the line: "Right, wrong, I'm the guy with the badge." Any dissention in the Autobots ranks came to a sudden stop when Swindle turned on his "friend" Hot Rod, unleashing the new Stunticon combiner named Menasor. Enemies of the System

Most of the Decepticons joined Swindle and the Stunticons in turning against their Autobot comrades. Scrapper in particular took great joy in showing the Constructicons could still hack it in light of the new combiner robot, and tried to strangle Bumblebee one-handed. Bumblebee was saved by the timely but unexpected intervention of Thundercracker, who had grown just as tired of the war as many Autobots.

Watching the Stunticons at work as Menasor, Bumblebee noticed how poorly integrated their consciousnesses were, and devised a plan to break them apart. By directing the Autobots to focus their firepower first on Dead End, then Motormaster, he successfully led the group in dismantling Menasor. Even Optimus Prime and the latecomers from Skywatch looked to him for direction. Afterwards, Prime blessed Bumblebee's leadership, and 'Bee decreed it was time for the Autobots to stop running. He faced Spike Witwicky head on and made arrangements for a true peace with Skywatch. Bumblebee still had to deal with Ultra Magnus, however, who was insisting on arresting Rodimus for treason. Bumblebee finally told Magnus where he could stuff his statutes. Earthworks

Bumblebee and the Autobots then entered into a formal arrangement with Skywatch, and took up residence inside the organization's bunkers. The Transformers issue 7 Despite his decision, some like Jetfire continued to question the idea of living among those who had hunted them for the last three years. Bumblebee earnestly defended his choice, however, stating essentially that trust had to begin somewhere or else they'd never survive on Earth. Spike soon alerted Bumblebee that Onslaught and the Combaticons had made their presence known in North Korea along the demilitarized zone. Bumblebee quickly determined that, despite appearances, the Combaticons were not loyal mercenaries to the North Koreans, but were playing a larger game. With the President of the United States declaring all Transformers "illegal weapons of mass destruction", though, Spike and Bumblebee decided they would have to intervene...in disguise. International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"

The events of "Spotlight: Mirage" possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.

Bumblebee was part of a unit heading towards the Pegasus Star Cluster to link up with the last remnants of the Autobots under Optimus Prime's command. He never made it, as the unit was ambushed as soon as it entered the cluster. The self-serving mercenary Mirage took his form to fool the remaining Autobots to allow him to enter their base. Spotlight: Mirage

Hearts of Steel

In an alternate universe, the Transformers landed on Earth before the Ice Age, taking on the forms of dinosaurs and giant insects. When the climate became too cold for the war to continue, Bumblebee and the other Autobots entered into stasis lock to prevent further damage. Thousands of years later, Bumblebee awoke to the age of humans from the noise of John Henry's hammering. Bumblebee was impressed by the humans' industriousness, and disguised himself as a small steam locomotive with no control cab, and a built in steam-hammer for driving spikes. Hearts of Steel #1 Initially, 'Bee directly competed with steel-driving legend John Henry. After Bumblebee revealed himself in robot form to Henry, Henry set aside his mistrust of automation after realizing that Bumblebee was a living being (not just a machine) who wanted to put in a fair day's work. Hearts of Steel #2

Bumblebee woke several of his fellow Autobots, who soon discovered that the Decepticons were also active in this era. After taking on locomotive alt modes themselves, Hearts of Steel #3 Bumblebee, the Autobots, and their new human friends worked together to prevent the Decepticons' mighty Astrotrain from reaching New York City. With the Decepticons defeated, Bumblebee and the Autobots returned to their slumber. Hearts of Steel #4

Bumblebee's pre-locomotive "Ice Age Wars" altmode appears to be a spiky dinosaur, possibly a Gastonia. He also has a transitional body, while he is preparing to take on his locomotive form, which is similar to his dinosaur body, but with no spikes.

Descent into Evil

You know you want me, baby.

Having been on the trail of the Decepticon agent Flamewar for a long, long time, now-espionage director Bumblebee made his move, interrupting a supposedly-secure secret communication between Flamewar and the Tripredacus Council. He revealed that his agent, Ricochet had installed a degenerating virus into Deathsaurus's clone army. Oh, and that since the Autobots now knew Flamewar's whereabouts and who she was working for, the Tripredacus Council would certainly consider her a liability. Which they did. So they blew her ship up. Descent into Evil

That's cold, Bee. Real cold.

Bumblebee appears in his unreleased Alternators body.

Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comics

When Megatron and the Decepticons attacked Earth in the 21st century, Bumblebee and the Autobots were there to stop them. During a battle in Tokyo, Bumblebee got the drop on Starscream, dousing him with a fire engine's hose and leaving him open for a thrashing from Grimlock. Henkei! Henkei! volume 1

Later, Bumblebee helped shield human bystanders from injury when Astrotrain went on a rampage, Henkei! Henkei! volume 2 and cheered when they were joined in their fight by Rodimus. Henkei! Henkei! volume 3

Bumblebee was last seen helping to once more project humans when the Decepticons attacked a power plant with their newest member, the reluctant Skyfire. Henkei! Henkei! volume 4

Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga

During Autobot gymnastics tryouts for the 2012 Olympics: DISQUALIFIED.

Bumblebee was part of a small Autobot team led by Optimus Prime who left Cybertron to pursue the Energon Cube through space. When the giant energy source crashed on Earth, in the Japanese town of Hoshinochō, it shattered into fragments that were scattered far and wide. Bumblebee and the other Autobots set up a subterranean base below the Cube's impact crater, and began their search for the shards, taking the forms of local vehicles to hide their activities. Despite their attempts at remaining unseen, glimpses of the Autobots only magnified the reputation the crash of the Cube (believed by humans to be a meteor) had given Hoshinochō: that of a hotbed of rumored alien and UFO activity, Japan's answer to America's Roswell.

20 years later, Wataru still has this hanging on his wall.

Eleven years later, the driverless vehicle-mode Bumblebee was spotted by a schoolchild in the vicinity of the Star Dome, a building since constructed over the Cube crater. Hearing the story from this witness, fame-seeking schoolboy Wataru Hoshinoumi ditched school to investigate the Star Dome, only for coincidence to lead him to step right in front of the speeding Bumblebee! Bumblebee was forced to transform and vault over the boy to prevent injuring him, but was able to make his escape before Wataru got a good look at him. Bumblebee hastily continued on his way to the Star Dome, and arrived to find it under attack by Starscream and Ramjet. Wataru, too, had made it to the Dome, and Bumblebee saved him from Starscream before realizing with surprise that he was the same boy from earlier. Enter! The Transformers The other Autobots soon arrived to join the fight, and Bumblebee tried to protect Wataru from injury by scooping him up and tossing him to the relative safety of the stands. For his trouble, the small Autobot was pinned by Starscream, but Wataru returned the favor by blinding the Decepticon with a fire extinguisher. The battle was then joined by the Decepticon leader Megatron, who attempted to make an example of Bumblebee and Wataru by blasting them with his fusion cannon, but at the last second, Optimus Prime was apparently able to deflect Megatron's shot with one of his own. Megatron covered the Decepticons' subsequent retreat by collapsing a part of the Star Dome, but Bumblebee protected Wataru from the rubble by shielding him with his own body. The pair then properly introduced themselves to one another, and Wataru was invited into the Autobots' base for an explanation. The Emperor of Destruction Appears!

Who knew alien-robots can be trypanophobic.

Bumblebee and Prime showed Wataru through their base on their way to the medical bay, where Bumblebee was to be treated for repairs. Bumblebee did not relish Optimus's medical ministrations, and the two Autobots were so busy trying to get through the process that they did not notice Wataru touching the large shard of the Energon Cube that they had recovered in their time on Earth. A bizarre energy discharge resulted that not only showed the Autobots images of another time and place, but also healed all of Bumblebee's wounds. Prime pulled Wataru away from the shard and things returned to normal, leaving Bumblebee and the boy to marvel over what had occurred, and Prime to ponder what it might mean. Bumblebee then took Wataru back to school, but when he nearly blabbed everything that had happened to him to the assembled teachers, students and police, Bumblebee was forced to bump into him from behind shut him up. Unfortunately for 'Bee, he then had to beat a hast retreat as the police came chasing after him for his "hit and run" offense! Kingdom of Giants

Bumblebee was next called into action when Starscream attacked a hydro-electric power plant with the help of his brainwashed comrade, Skyfire. The Enemy from the Arctic Once again, Bumblebee tried to save Wataru from the Decepticons and was blasted as a result. This time, however, the pair were both saved by Skyfire, who was struggling against the mind-controlling influence of the helmet Starscream had placed on his head. All the combatants were shocked when a surge of familiar surge of energy erupted from Wataru's body; again, Bumblebee's wounds were healed, and Skyfire was empowered to overcome the helmet. Skyfire helped fend the Decepticons off and joined the Autobots, returning with them to their base where Prime explained to Bumblebee what he had come to understand about Wataru: he was a being known as a "Booster", born with the ability to control the energies of the Energon Cube. Both Bumblebee and Wataru were very excited at the idea that Wataru would now be able to help the Autobots in their fight. Wataru's Power

Optimus Prime's Secret Time of Resurrection Creation! The New Emperor of Destruction!! The Threat of Galvatron Revenge A Nightmare, Once Again To the Sea of Stars

"Universe" cartoon

Is he Schwarzebee… or Bumblenegger?

Bumblebee and Optimus Prime were out for a drive when they discovered Megatron and Cyclonus mining fuel near an abandoned gas station. Bumblebee wanted to rush in but Optimus Prime suggested they create a diversion. They caused an explosion which distracted Cyclonus. Bumblebee attacked and kept him busy while Optimus Prime snuck up and hit him over the head with his energon-axe. Megatron chose to blow up the mining operation and retreat with Cyclonus. Optimus Prime and Bumblebee drove off leaving the flaming wreckage of the mining operation behind. Fight for Energon

Wings of Honor continuity

Wings of Honor continuity takes place in a variant Generation 1 cartoon continuity timestream.

Goldbug arrived with reinforcements from Autobot City to help Spark’s team fight Clench's Decepticon Syndicate which had taken over the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. After being exposed to the forestonite gas, he became a gold version of his original Bumblebee body, though now with the added ability to float and generate electrical stings from his fists. Generation 2: Redux

Games

Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons

Bumblebee was amongst the Autobots abducted and held captive by the Decepticons, prompting Optimus Prime to enter the Decepticons' maze-like base in a rescue operation. Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game

The Transformers (1985)

Bumblebee was among the few remaining Autobots in the wake of the Decepticon creation of ROBO-CLONING technology. With his energy-starved comrades, he desperately sought pieces of the Autobot Energon Cube before the Decepticons could get their hands on them. The Transformers

The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth

Along with his fellow Autobots, Bumblebee protected Earth from the menace of the Decepticons. He was ostensibly under the command of Rodimus Prime. The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth

3D Battle-Card Game

Bumblebee was one of Optimus Primal's many Autobot allies in a fight against Megatron's Decepticon army. Energon Wars Expansion Set

The Transformers (PS2)

Voice actor: Jack Merluzzi

The Transformers

Sector Seven game

Sector Seven (game)

Transformers G1: Awakening

Transformers G1: Awakening

Notes

• The original Bumblebee toy was taken from the Japanese Microchange line, where it was available in yellow, red, and blue versions.

• Bumblebee appeared in one of five Generation 1 public service announcements, informing children that they shouldn't run away from home because it's "mean". This from the guy who ditched the Autobots for no real reason.

Bumblebee's rarely-seen Classic Pretenders character model. (Optimus Prime wants Goldbug back.)

• When Bumblebee reappeared in the Marvel Comics as a Classic Pretender, he returned to his original toy's character model, rather than one based on his new form. A new character model did appear in various toy commercials, however. These included one which introduced him and the other Classic Pretenders, and one where he and Jazz stupidly drag Micromaster bases into Autobot headquarters, causing everyone to flee when they transform and attack.

• According to Battle for Cybertron, Bumblebee is a code-name.

• Bumblebee/Goldbug was clearly a "top-tier" character in the first decade of Transformers: he was the only 1984 Autobot still shipping in 1986; he received more toys during Generation 1 than any other character; he had a toy shipping during seven of Generation 1's eight-year run. However, Hasbro lost the right to use "Bumblebee" as a toy trademark during the Beast Wars and Beast Machines years, when Generation 1 names were in disuse. That's right, the name "Bumblebee" was lost during the years everyone turned into animals.

• The Armada Mini-Con, Sparkplug is pretty clearly an homage to Bumblebee, from the coloration, placement of car-parts in robot mode, segmented-pipe biceps and even the head design.

File:Hotbumblebee.jpg

Hey! Look at that hot brunette! No... not that one!

• A robot using Bumblebee's character model is shown in a still-shot flashback as a member of the Autobot group led by Rodimus. Whether this robot is an alternate-universe incarnation of Bumblebee or simply a similar-looking robot is—like all Unicron Trilogy character-model cameos—left to conjecture.

• According to EJ Su, Bumblebee's Holomatter avatar is modeled after Lindsay Lohan, an actress who plays a girl that drives Herbie, a sentient Beetle. Um, well.

• Goldbug was actually a preliminary name for Bumblebee during early treatments for the Marvel Comics!

• In the IDW Generation 1 continuity, Goldbug is a separate character who co-exists with Bumblebee. Yeah, it's slightly crazy.

• Bumblebee is the only member of the Transformers Hall of Fame who has not been killed in any of the Transformers cartoons.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Bumble (バンブル Banburu), Goldback (Goldbug, ゴールドバック Gōrudobakku)
• Cantonese: Daai Wong Fung (大黃蜂, "Bumblebee")
• Czech: Čmelák ("Bumblebee")
• French: Bourdon (Canada, "Bumblebee"), Coccinelle (Canada, "Ladybug" or "Beetle")
• Hungarian: Űrdongó ("Space-bumblebee"), Dongó (The Movie, "Bumblebee"), Aranybogár ("Goldbug")
• Italian: Maggiolino ("Beetle"), Wagenbot (Goldbug)
• Mandarin: Dà Huáng-fēng (大黃蜂, "Bumblebee")
• Polish: Trzmiel ("Bumblebee")
• Portuguese: Moscardo (Portugal comics, "Hornet"), Furão (Brazil comics, "Ferret")
• Russian: Shershen' (dub, Шершень, "Hornet")
• South American: Volks
• Ukrainian: Dzhmil" (ICTV, Джміль, "Bumblebee")

External links

• Bumblebee at TFU.info
• Bumblebee's Universe profile at NTFA.net
• Goldbug's Universe profile at NTFA.net
• White Mexican Bumblebee gallery at TF-1.com