Tonbot
- Tonbot is an Insectron from the Beast Wars II portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
Technically, the Insectron Tonbot (トンボット Tonbotto) is a spy, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a good spy. Spies are usually discreet and inconspicuous. Tonbot is neither of those things. Rather, Tonbot is hyper, excitable, flighty, weird, undisciplined and annoying. He may, in fact, be the worst spy in the history of espionage. Yes, even worse than Counterpunch.
Possibly because his mind is forever lost in a clouded, impenetrable fog, Tonbot's most useful ability is his power to drape the battlefield in a cloudy, impenetrable fog. With his foes lost in the mist, he can easily pick them off with his water cannon from the skies, assuming they don't hear him coming from a mile away.
Tonbot is positively despised by the Autoroller named Autojetter. The Predacon claims it's because dragonflies constantly gunk up his jet engines, but it's more likely because Tonbot just won't shut up.
Fiction
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Beast Wars II cartoon
- Voice actor: Kenichirō Tanabe (Japanese)
Tonbot joined the other Insectrons acting as recon for Lio Convoy. They reported to the Maximals when Majin Zarak arrived at Point B-2, a narrow box canyon that would put the behemoth Predacon at a strategic disadvantage. Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!
Beast Wars Neo cartoon
After the defeat of Unicron, Tonbot returned to Cybertron, where he helped with reconstruction. Graduation Ceremony!!
Beast Wars II manga
When the Predacons rampaged on Gaea with the Galvatron Dekazura Tank, Bigmos and Tonbot assisted the Maximals in stopping it. Tonbot in particular dropped Tasmania Kid onto the tank so he could enter it. Demolish the Superdreadnought Tank!
Tonbot was later part of an assembled Maximal force that took off in the Yukikaze to reach Nemesis. All hands survived the destruction of the ship by the Predacons and engaged their enemies in battle on the artificial planet's surface. All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet!
IDW Beast Wars comics
In the past, Tonbot travelled to hundreds of worlds and became well-versed in a wide variety of languages and cultures. His battle prowess also benefited from his travels, as he learned a wide array of martial arts and became familiar with a wide array of weapons from over a dozen different planets. Beast Wars Sourcebook #4
Tonbot was part of an Angolmois-infected crowd rioting on Cybertron. The Ascending #4
Toys
Beast Wars
- Tonbot (Deluxe, 1998)
- Japanese ID number: C-19
- Accessories: 2 missiles
- A redeco of the Predacon Jetstorm, Tonbot transforms into an organic dragonfly. His beast mode's inner head (which is his robot mode head) features a water-squirting gimmick with an internal bellows located in his tail. His dragonfly tail conceals a pair of spring-out spring-loaded missile launchers that swing forward at the push of a button. These launchers are available in robot mode as well, but due to their construction, fire mostly upwards.
- Tombot VS Autojetter (VS pack, 1998)
- Japanese ID number: VS-19
- Accessories: 2 missiles
- Tonbot was available both as an individual and in a two-pack with the Predacon Autojetter. Both toys are identical to their individual releases.
Notes
- "Tonbot" (トンボット Tonbotto) is a portmanteau of "tonbo" (蜻蛉 or トンボ), meaning dragonfly, and "bot" (ボット botto). An alternate romanization is Tombot, which is used by a Japanese trading card and closer to how it is pronounced in Japanese.
- To say that Tonbot speaks with an American accent wouldn't even be close to doing his speech quirk justice. Tonbot substitutes almost every other noun with an English language equivalent and constantly shouts out simple English phrases when descending into fits of silliness. It goes well beyond being an "accent" and winds up sounding like language salad.
