Sparkplug Witwicky
| This article is about the human Generation 1 character. For the Armada Mini-Con, see Sparkplug (Armada). |
- Sparkplug is a human and friend to the Autobots in the Generation 1 continuity family.
William (or Irving, possibly William Irving or Irving William) "Sparkplug" Witwicky led a very very interesting life for a working-class guy from Oregon.
He has an indeterminate number of sons (Spike, Buster and "Butch") which varies depending on the continuity. No mention ever seems to be made of him ever having had a wife.
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
William "Sparkplug" Witwicky was a Sergeant in the US Marines. A P.O.W. during the Korean War, he was forced to repair the Koreans' equipment. However, he secretly sabotaged that same equipment, leading to personnel and materiel losses for the North Koreans. He was a mechanic and owned his own service station until it was destroyed by Ratbat and the Predacons. It is never established whether or not he rebuilt the station.
Sparkplug suffered a heart attack as a result of the Autobots TLS, and was much less friendly with them thereafter.
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
Both he and and his son Spike seemed to be oil rig workers. The rig was destroyed MTMTE1 and later Sparkplug was seen operating a garage in New York. In the past he had worked as a ruby crystal miner in Burma, of all things.
Find Your Fate Junior
Battle Drive 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, eventualy leading to an Alamo-liek standoff with a small group fo 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 coudl 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!
AOTI
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.
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.
