Soundblaster (G1)
| This article is about the clone. For the original Soundblaster from 1980s Japanese media, see Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity. For a list of other meanings, see Soundblaster (disambiguation). |
- Soundblaster is a Decepticon or Mercenary from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Soundblaster is a clone of Soundwave created by Shockwave. Soundblaster takes no pride in this, with others describing him as a failed experiment. Regardless, his respect from the underworld grows as he leads Energon trades, not for the Decepticons, but as a Mercenary.[1]
Fiction
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
Soundblaster was one of several clones created by Shockwave in the same program that produced Sunstorm. While in a tube, he was discovered by the Battlechargers, who released Sunstorm. The laboratory the clones were stored in was soon destroyed by Sunstorm. Night of the Combaticons Later, Prowl reviewed a recorded image of Soundblaster during his investigation of Shockwave's cloning experiments. The Omega Effect
Kre-O online comic
Soundblaster was present with the other Soundwave clones in an attempt to hypnotize the Autobot Kreons into slaves. Soundwave's Trap? Stop Operation Brainwash Humanity!
War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon
- Voice actor: Rafael Goldstein (English), Yōhei Tadano (Japanese), Jesús Maniega (Castilian Spanish), Osvaldo Trejo Rodríguez (Latin-American Spanish)
A clone of Soundwave, Soundblaster was created by Shockwave but was labeled as a failed experiment, a detail over which he continued to feel unease. Becoming a Mercenary, he frequently received energon from Bumblebee, who considered Soundblaster to be worse than a Decepticon and a bit unbalanced.
During one of these transactions, Soundblaster became suspicious of the bot's new company while one of his clients was being dealt with by local security. When Buzzsaw caught the Autobots trying to steal raw energon, Soundblaster and his Dome Guards surrounded the thieves, believing the Decepticons would pay a better price than the Energon that Arcee had. Siege episode 5
The Mercenaries' dome then fell victim to a Decepticon virus designed to destroy the Alpha Trion Protocols that was contained within Bumblebee, the sudden systems crash providing enough of a distraction for the Autobots to escape with their ill-gotten goods. Siege episode 6
2019 IDW continuity
When Shockwave needed raw materials for his cloning projects, he sent Soundblaster into space to gather the necessary resources. Encountering Alpha Trion, however, Soundblaster took an interest in the profit to be had by the sage's quest for ancient Cybertronian relics, plundering other planets for any artifacts and earning the ire of several alien races, while constantly altering his deal with Trion. Storm Horizon Part 3
Hiding in the territory of the Black Sphere, Soundblaster projected a hologram of himself and Trion to the planet Obsidar when Ultra Magnus came searching for his mentor. The conversation soon became a cry for help when an armada of vengeful Kworians arrived. Storm Horizon Part 2
Even as his vessel was torn apart by the aliens and the black hole, Soundblaster tried to keep his hold on Trion, fighting off Ultra Magnus when the craft entered the event horizon but was soundly defeated. Somehow managing to extradite himself from the situation, Soundblaster returned to Cybertron sixty-six cycles ahead of his foes where Shockwave decided that he'd performed adequately but warned his subordinate to never fail again. Storm Horizon Part 3
After repairing himself, Soundblaster bore witness to Shockwave chewing out the Insecticons. He stayed silent throughout the debate, chiming in afterward to note that Shockwave had neglected to tell the Insecticons that they were irrelevant to the cloning project's success. Shockwave simply answered that the Insecticons were a dangerous and unstable element, one that would have to be closely monitored. Escape Part Two
Games
Angry Birds Transformers
Soundblaster appears as one of the first unlockable characters. He is portrayed by Chef Pig. Angry Birds Transformers
Toys
- For more Soundblaster toys, see: Soundwave (G1)/toys
The Headmasters
- Soundblaster (Decepticon, 1987)
- ID number: D-101
- Accessories: Buzzsaw, tape case, rocket launcher, 3 rockets, "concussion blaster"
- As part of the Japanese The Headmasters series, Soundwave was redecoed in a new black and red color scheme, and his chest door was retooled so that he could now hold two cassettes at once. Soundblaster came packaged with Buzzsaw, who now sported a new sticker which would reveal the weak spot of Fortress Maximus when placed behind Soundblaster's translucent red chest door, in the same manner that Tech Specs decoders worked. The figure's stickers, however, retain Soundwave's blue coloration instead of being changed to work with Soundblaster's black.
Generations
(Hasbro version pictured, TakaraTomy version inset)
- Soundblaster (Voyager Class, 2019)
- A "Special Edition" figure for the 35th anniversary of the Transformers brand, Siege Soundblaster is a redeco and retool of the Voyager Class Soundwave from the same line, featuring a black paint job evoking his rebuilt form in The Headmasters. Soundblaster transforms from a heavily G1-inspired robot to an unfocused "Patrol Hovercraft" or, carried over from Soundwave, a “Cybertronian Sensor Lamp”[2] or boombox mode[3]. The figure retains the original's battle damage but has a red visor instead of yellow. Soundblaster also includes three weapons compatible with the C.O.M.B.A.T. System, two of which are based on his classic sonic blaster and shoulder cannon, and all three can combine to form the "M2 USW HF Sonic Compression Mega-Blaster".
- As a nod to the original Headmasters toy, Soundblaster's chest door was retooled so that he could now hold two "Drone Armors" (from the Micromaster Soundwave Spy Patrol sets) at once, though the increased storage space results in a very conspicuous chest protrusion. Soundblaster's retooled door avoids the problems people reported with fitting Ravage into Soundwave. His left index finger molded out so that he can be posed pressing his own 'eject' button, as well as slots on his arms for Laserbeak to (loosely) perch on.
- Soundblaster's "M2 EMTX Blitz Charge Blaster" can be slotted onto the back of the Siege Voyager Megatron figure, perfectly mimicking his G1 gun barrel placement. Whether this was intentional or not is unclear. There are also tabs on the sides of his chest, just in front of his arms, that appear to line up with the notches on the inside of his thruster blocks that seem to have been intended to allow them to fold flush against the sides of his vehicle mode, rather than being held above it by their struts. However, this is not possible as a result of the struts clashing against other parts even if they are modified to allow a wider range of movement.
- Soundblaster and fellow 35th anniversary figure Bluestreak were exclusive to Walmart in the United States. They were also available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets such as Taiwan and Singapore.
- The TakaraTomy release of the toy which came nearly two years later features a more show-accurate tape window, with a cleaner chest and Mercenary badge. Soundblaster (and the concurrent Rainmakers) are the first toys with a major difference between the Hasbro and TakaraTomy releases since the brand unification. This version was exclusive to TakaraTomy Mall in Japan and was also released under Generations Selects by Hasbro Pulse, whose product description explicitly refers to this Soundblaster as the Soundwave clone from the Dreamwave Productions comics and War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon.
- TakaraTomy's release of Soundblaster was originally slated for release on March 27, but was pushed back to May 29.
Merchandise
Transformers Trading Card Game
- Sergeant Soundblaster, Weapons-Arms Dealer (2019)
- Wave 4: War for Cybertron: Siege II
- Rarity: SRT
- Card Number: T45/T52
- Stars: 12
- Sergeant Soundblaster, Weapons-Arms Dealer is one of 52 character cards released in Wave 4 of the Transformers Trading Card Game, War for Cybertron: Siege II.
- The card's artwork is based on the Siege Soundblaster toy, with line-art for both modes by Andrew Griffith, Bot Mode colors by Marcus Reyno, and Alt Mode colors by Oliver Morit.
Notes
- Like other cameo Kreons, Kre-O Soundblaster is made from existing Kre-O. He uses the Soundwave helmet colored black. He is specifically an homage to the "Blaster Black Version" of Music Label Soundwave (since his chest is purple/lavender instead of red).
- Hasbro never specified whether the Siege Soundblaster toy was meant to represent an upgraded Soundwave or the separate character within the scope of Siege toy bios, though Soundblaster's packaging having a different military division points to the latter. By coincidence or design, the Trading Card Game, War for Cybertron Trilogy, and 2019 IDW continuities would follow suit.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Soundblaster (サウンドブラスター Saundoburasutā)
References
- ↑ Depiction in the Netflix War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon
- ↑ Official mention of the Cybertronian Sensor Lamp from John Warden for the original Siege Soundwave toy.
- ↑ Stop motion promoting the War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon, which includes a third boombox mode for Siege Soundwave.
