Sparkplug Witwicky

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

Sparkplug is a human and friend to the Autobots from the Generation 1 continuity family.

I fought in WARS, kid.

William (or Irving, possibly William Irving or Irving William) "Sparkplug" Witwicky led a very very interesting life for a working-class guy with little formal education from Oregon.

He has an indeterminate number of sons (Spike, Buster and "Butch") which varies depending on the continuity.

Hungarian name: William “Gyertya” Witwicky

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

In his younger days, William "Sparkplug" Witwicky was a Sergeant in the US Marines. Later in life, he was a mechanic who owned his own service station.

A P.O.W. during the Korean War, Sparkplug was forced to repair the Koreans' equipment. However, he secretly sabotaged that same equipment, leading to personnel and material losses for the North Koreans. After being kidnapped by the Decepticons, he was instructed by Megatron to develop a process that would convert Earthen gasoline into fuel they could consume. Sparkplug drew on his memories of his time as a mechanic in the Korean War, recalling an instance where he had sabotaged the enemy vehicles' fuel and brake lines, and did the same to the Decepticons, poisoning their fuel and allowing the Autobots to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. However, before this heroic act could come to light, many of the Autobots believed that Sparkplug had betrayed them, and an over-reactive Jazz let loose with his flamethrower. Although Sparkplug wasn't injured by the weapon itself, he did suffer a heart attack. He was much less friendly with the Autobots thereafter. The Last Stand

Much later, his service station was destroyed by Ratbat and the Predacons. It is never established whether or not he rebuilt the station.

Sometimes Sparkplug identified himself as William Witwicky, but other times he identified himself as Irving Witwicky. The most likely answer is that his full name is William Irving Witwicky (or Irving William Witwicky).

Animated continuity

Voice actor: Chris Latta (US), Toshio Ishii (Japan)

At some unspecified point in the past Sparkplug worked as a ruby crystal miner in Burma, of all things.

When first seen in the present day he and and his son Spike were working on an off-shore oil rig. The rig was destroyed in battle by the Decepticons and the two quickly and happily latched on to the Autobots that saved them, offering up their expertise and knowledge about planet Earth in exchange for joining the team. More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1

Spike and Sparkplug seem to have moved into the Ark after this and are almost constantly seen hanging out with the Autobots, there or abroad on missions. While Spike enjoyed going out on missions frequently, Sparkplug tended to stay at the Ark and helped Wheeljack and Ratchet on any mechanical or engineering work they were doing. He was apparently good enough at Transformer technology to effect repairs on Transformers like Omega Supreme without aid or guidance. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2

He once managed to take spare Autobot parts and put them together to make a functioning robot called Autobot X; once activated, the creature immediately bashed in everything and everyone in sight. Autobot Spike

He is kidnapped by the Decepticons as a test subject for Doctor Arkeville and turned to their side by the doctor's mind control chips. This causes Spike much emotional pain until the Autobots eventually find a way to use sound waves to counter the chips and bring the true Sparkplug back.

Sparkplug was later seen operating a garage in New York. Man gets around. Make Tracks

Sparkplug appears throughout Seasons 1 and 2 of the cartoon, but does not appear in the Movie, set 20 years later, nor is he ever seen or mentioned after that. His fate remains unrevealed.

Find Your Fate Junior

Sparkplug discovered a critical weakness in the Decepticons' circuits that would allow the Autobots to destroy them once and for all. However, the Decepticons discovered this and came after Sparkplug, who fled to the hills to hide. This eventually led to an Alamo-like standoff with a small group of Autobots holding off the Decepticon army from the shelter of a cave for two days while they waited for relief to arrive, with Sparkplug performing the makeshift repair work to keep them running.

The paper Sparkplug had the specifics of the weakness on was ruined in the battle. He could re-create the research, but the Decepticons would be able to change the design of their circuits while they did so. Still, at least it would keep them out of trouble for awhile! Battle Drive

While tinkering in his lab, Sparkplug invented the Sun-Pak, a powerful solar battery that threatened to change the balance of power between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Insecticon spies forced them to flee the testing range through a series of caves, and Sparkplug later rescued Beachcomber from Kickback, using a gun that caused Kickback to short out and return to tiny size.

Sparkplug suffered memory damage, and was unable to re-create the Sun-Pak after the prototype was destroyed. Attack of the Insecticons

Dreamwave comics continuity

Sparkplug was one of the humans chosen to accompany the Autobots back to Cybertron, but was killed in 1999 when the Ark II exploded.

Trivia

Conspiracy?

• Although the Production Bible states that he is a widower, no mention ever seems to be made of him ever having had a wife.

• Sparkplug is mentioned in the Sunbow episode cast list for "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1". Whether this was in error or if he originally had a part in the episode is unknown.
  
  
  From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.