Bumblebee (G1)

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

The name or term "Goldbug" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Goldbug (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, when that wasn't a different guy.

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

Bumblebee was one of the several Autobots who were carving a path through space for their planet Cybertron when the Decepticons attacked their spacecraft, the Ark, 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 Buster Witwicky.

A few years later, Bumblebee was destroyed either by G.I. Joe or Death's Head and rebuilt into a more formidable form, Goldbug. In this form he joined Blaster and the Throttlebots and exiled the Autobots while they were under the rule of Grimlock. After being destroyed by Starscream and the Underbase, Goldbug was rebuilt by Ratchet into a Pretender form and was restored as Bumblebee. He participated in the Matrix Quest and survived their race's united battle against the Chaos Bringer, Unicron.

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

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.

Marvel coloring books

Bumblebee overheard the Decepticons plotting to raid sunken ships and warned the Autobots. The Autobots headed out in a ship built by Wheeljack, and Bumblebee was sent on an underwater scouting mission. Unfortunately he ran into Soundwave and Rumble, who took him prisoner. The Autobots prevailed anyway. Search for Treasure Under the Sea On another occasion, Bumblebee was the only Autobot to escape being captured and put in a special Autobot prison. With Spike and Sparkplug's help, he created a diversion for the Decepticons in the form of a giant fake Autobot so he could rescue the others. Bumblebee to the Rescue!

Optimus sent Bumblebee and Mirage out scouting, and they spotted Laserbeak mistaking a factory for an Autobot production plant. Decepticon Patrol After rescuing Sparkplug and Buster Witwicky from the Decepticons, Bumblebee and Hound were sent scouting and spotted the Decepticons attacking Hoover Dam. The pair went and alerted the other Autobots, and the dam was eventually saved. The Deadly Fuel Shortage When the Decepticons started draining gasoline using their molecular transfer device, Bumblebee was one of the Autobots who broke into the Decepticon stronghold. He turned the weapon on the Decepticons, disabling them. Summertime Coloring Book

Bumblebee was left guarding the base one day when he had to respond to a call from a rescue mission soon to arrive on Earth, leaving the base unguarded. He discovered too late that it was a diversion so the Decepticons could conquer the Ark and had to get the other Autobots to help him retake the base. A Message From Outer Space Bumblebee and the other Autobots were on vacation in the forest when they stumbled on the Decepticons wrecking the place. After a short battle, including Bumblebee causing Ravage to plunge off a cliff, the Decepticons retreated and the Autobots started cleaning up the forest. Forest Rescue Mission

Upset at being dismissed by the other Autobots, Bumblebee drove into the nearby mountains. There, he spotted some incoming Decepticons who were using jet engine silencers, and rushed back to warn the others. Though Prowl ignored his worries, Optimus Prime paid attention and the Decepticon attack was routed. Bumblebee's Dangerous Mission

The Big Book of Coloring Fun The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp

Some Autobots, including Bumblebee and Daniel Witwicky, were out driving when they stopped for a break and Kup told a story about a lost shipment of energon cubes. The Lost Treasure of Cybertron

Hot Rod's Escape

Big Looker storybooks

When Optimus Prime called for volunteers to help save their endangered world of Cybertron, Bumblebee was the first to speak up. Their ship was attacked by Decepticons and crashed on Earth, where the Transformers lay dormant for four million years. When they were finally repaired by the Ark, Bumblebee ventured outside and ran into Sparkplug and Spike Witwicky and persuaded them to help repair the rest of the Autobots. When the Autobots subsequently had to go into battle, the two humans were left in Bumblebee's care. The trio were able to warn the other Autobots when the Decepticons tried to flank them. Battle for Cybertron

When the Autobots entered the Big Car Rally, Bumblebee and Optimus waited at the finish line. Bumblebee spotted the fact that Megatron was interfering with Cliffjumper, enabling the Autobot leader to lend a hand. The Great Car Rally Bumblebee was one of the Autobots who responded when the Decepticons tried to hi-jack a truck, and drove the confused drivers back to the city. Decepticon Hijack

Bumblebee saw some Decepticons driving through a mountain pass, but waited until the next day when he, Optimus and Hound were sitting under a tree to mention it. When Grapple was captured by the Decepticons, Bumnblebee was among the Autobots who attacked the Decepticon base. Afterwards he joked that the Decepticons must have worse headaches than Grapple. Insecticon Attack! Bumblebee and Windcharger took part in building work on Metroplex. When Hot Rod and Kup stumbled on a Decepticon plan, Bumblebee and the other Autobots entered a car show and turned the tables on their foe. Car Show Blow Up

Ladybird Books

Assigned a scouting mission by Optimus, Bumblebee sneaked into the Decepticon mountain stronghold and spied on them discussing plans to test their ion drive. Though he was spotted, he eluded Ravage by blinding the cat in his headlights and returned to base to report to Prime. Bumblebee's subsequent scouting mission revealed that the Decepticons had already relocated to a testing site. Autobots Fight Back After a Decepticon attack on Metroplex, Bumblebee and Spike tailed Onslaught as he carried away his wounded comrades. While spying on the Decepticons, Bumblebee had to evade Swindle by hiding in his Volkswagen form. While hiding, he was so deep in thought that he was almost picked up by a magnet, but Spike managed to save him and he reported back to Ultra Magnus. Decepticon Hideout

Colorforms audiobooks continuity

Optimus Prime ordered Bumblebee and Huffer to plant false information indicating that the Autobots had located a new source of energy in order to mislead the Decepticons. Unfortunately the Autobots were still left with the problem that they actually needed to locate a new source of energy. Sun Raid

The Battle for Planet Earth

Voice actor: Peter Marinker (English)

When the Autobots discovered that the Decepticons were kidnapping humans, Bumblebee volunteered to be the one to scout the enemy base. After sneaking inside thanks to the carelessness of Skywarp, he spotted the missing humans being used for slave labor, and also managed to steal the global crystal from the Decepticons' computer. He managed to escape the Decepticon base and hid at the bottom of a lake while the Decepticons searched fruitlessly. Bumblebee's report and the stolen global crystal allowed Optimus Prime to force the Decepticons to free their prisoners. Bumblebee to the Rescue

Bumblebee, along with Windcharger, Cliffjumper and Beachcomber maintained a 24-hour watch on the Decepticon base in shifts. Menace at the Dam He didn't like the very idea of Starscream defecting to the Autobots. Bumblebee spied on the Decepticon base until he saw Megatron's forces leaving on the wild goose chase which Optimus and Prowl had tricked Starscream into sending them on. The Autobots were then able to destroy the Decepticon base. Espionage!!!!!

Find Your Fate Junior

In a path where Mirage used a hologram of Optimus Prime to lure the four cerebro-shell-controlled Dinobots over the edge of Bandit's Bluff and into the ocean, Bumblebee was one of the Autobots crewing Seaspray's that helped haul the unconscious quartet aboard for safe transport back to the Ark.

In an alternate path, Optimus Prime assigned Skids and Bumblebee to investigate suspicious activity in Dolphin's Bay using Wheeljack's new mini-sub. Sludge, considering himself the best water-fighter, also wanted in on the mission, but Optimus could tell that Bumblebee and Skids didn't want him along.

If Optimus sent the pair without Sludge, they faced the option of detouring down a suspicious trail through the woods. If they did, a trap landed them in a cell in a supermodern lab, where Scrapper and Gravedigger disassembled them and used their remains as the first components of the Autobot Memorial Power Plant.

If they continued to Dolphin's Bay and the sub, they traced electromagnetic waves back to some black coral. Bumblebee exited the hatch to break a piece off, triggering an explosion which trapped him in a canyon beneath broken columns of crimson coral. Without underwater gear, Skids's only options were to use the computer to translate some nearby dolphins' language and ask them for help, or go back to the channel where he could radio Seaspray. If he went back for help, Seaspray used his laser to free Bumblebee, but then Starscream blew all three of them up with a cluster bomb. If Skids tried translating the dolphins' language, he succeeded in five minutes, talking the three largest dolphins into moving the broken coral. Bumblebee brought the black coral and his report back to Optimus Prime, ensuring an Autobot victory.

If Prime did include Sludge on Bumblebee and Skids's mission, Bumblebee used an underwater cave to infiltrate Mount Lomas, where he heard Megatron making a speech about Operation Black Coral vanquishing the Autobots in less than a day. He radioed the info to Skids, but Soundwave intercepted the transmission. Bumblebee dove back into the water, only to be paralyzed by the sonic attack of Frenzy. From that point, there are four possible endings, all of which include an Autobot victory and Bumblebee's rescue. Dinobots Strike Back

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

Bumblebee dropped Spike off at school and waited around in the carpark, where he was stolen by two car thieves, Jack and Rick. The Autobot let them have some fun for a while before taking control and giving them the ride of their lives. After letting them out, Bumblebee went back to pick up Spike, who wondered why the seat was wet. 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

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

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

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 Generation 1 continuity

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

Having been part of Orion Pax's team during the latter days of the Decepticon uprising and Zeta Prime's reign, millions of years later, Bumblebee was a member of Prowl's tactical response unit, stationed on Earth, and aided Ratchet in tracking down the original Decepticon infiltration bunker, while noting that the doctor's human friends were ultimately "acceptable losses" if it came to it.

After the Decepticon Surge and their subsequent retreat from Earth, Optimus Prime gave himself up to Skywatch and Hot Rod took a splinter group with the aim of getting off the planet by any means necessary, Bumblebee was elected leader by the remaining Autobots. What followed was a leadership in a constant state of crisis, as few respected his authority, with many continuing to defer to the returned Optimus Prime. After the Chaos War, Bumblebee found himself in nominal charge of the reborn Cybertron as Optimus Prime once again departed, this time in the face of a hostile civilian population, and the renamed "Rodimus" again took a splinter group of Autobots elsewhere, this time on a quixotic quest for the Knights of Cybertron. Played by all, an uprising led by Megatron proved the final straw for the civilian "NAILs" with both factions, and with Starscream renouncing his faction and grasping the opportunity, both Bumblebee's Autobots and the Decepticons were exiled to the Cybertronian wilderness.

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 later appeared before two children in a new trolley mode. He needed Tobias' help again for some electricity. Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1

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

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

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.

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!

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

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

Bee in the City 2: Electric Boogaloo

Voice actor: Dan Gilvezan

Bee in the City 2: Electric Boogaloo

Mars Attacks: The Transformers

In the aftermath of another battle, Bumblebee sat on Soundwave. When the city was abruptly invaded by Martians, he sought cover with Spike, but opted not to translate what the Martians were saying for his human friend. The Autobots and Decepticons formed an alliance to escape a Martian force field, during which Bumblebee suggested maybe Megatron could ease up on the attitude a tad. Once they'd seen off the Martian invaders, Bumblebee and the other Autobots quickly realized that the Decepticons regarded the truce as over. Mars Attacks: The Transformers

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

Transformers: Mystery of Convoy

Bumblebee could come to Ultra Magnus's (or Rodimus Prime's) aid under special circumstances at certain points during the mission to uncover Optimus Prime's whereabouts. Upon destroying a red, white and orange seeker, Ultra Magnus/Rodimus Prime would be escorted by Bumblebee to another location, allowing to bypass entire areas that the Autobot would have to otherwise battled their way through. The first possible instance of this occurring is in the Temple Ruins, with Bumblebee leading the Autobot warrior to the Subspace Zone. Bumblebee could come to the Autobot's aid once more in the Glacier Zone, leading them directly to the Underground Machine City.Transformers: Mystery of Convoy

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

Bumblebee was one of the Autobots present on Zel Samine during the Decepticon attacks. He joined up with Optimus Prime's party after they secured the wind power plant from the Decepticons. 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.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Bumble (バンブル Banburu), Bumblebee (バンブルビー Banburubī), Goldback (Goldbug, ゴールドバック Gōrudobakku), Goldbug (ゴールドバグ Gōrudobagu)
• Cantonese: Daai Wong Fung (大黃蜂, "Bumblebee")
• Czech: Čmelák ("Bumblebee")
• French: Bourdon (Canada, "Bumblebee"), Coccinelle (Canada, "Ladybug" or "Beetle")
• Hebrew: Dabúr (דבור, "Hornet")
• Hungarian: Űrdongó ("Space-bumblebee"), Dongó (The Movie, "Bumblebee"), Aranybogár ("Goldbug")
• Italian: Maggiolino ("Beetle"), Wagenbot (Goldbug), Saetta ("Set Commandos" four-pack)
• 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