Bumblebee (WFC)
| The name or term "Bumblebee" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Bumblebee (disambiguation). |
- Bumblebee is an Autobot from the Transformers: Prime continuity family.
Bumblebee is a young and eager Autobot, one of the last generation to be created before the loss of the AllSpark. He's full of energy and determination to do the right thing, and can always be counted on to volunteer for action. His small size matched with his impressive speed make him an excellent scout and messenger.
He's been on Earth longer than any other Autobot, and he's grown to like and understand humans, particularly "Raf" Esquivel. If you're a Decepticon and you want to threaten any humans, you better not think you can get away with it just because Bumblebee's small and can't talk: he can't talk because his voicebox was destroyed in combat and he's still kept fighting, because Bumblebee will take any risk and make whatever sacrifice necessary to win the war.
Fiction
Exodus: The History of the War for Cybertron
Bumblebee was part of the last generation of Cybertronians that emerged from the Well of All Sparks after it had stopped producing life in a lull at the beginning of the Autobot-Decepticon war. Like all born during the war, he joined the Autobots. He became part of Optimus Prime's inner circle with Jazz, Ironhide and Prowl, and also befriended Ratchet, learning first aid skills from him in the few battles they fought together.
When Optimus ejected the AllSpark from the Well into space, Bumblebee distracted Megatron at Tyger Pax, and paid the ultimate price when the tyrant destroyed his vocoder. Ratchet repaired it, but Bumblebee was only able to speak from time to time. When Megatron stole the Plasma Energy Chamber underneath the High Council Tower, Bumblebee followed him to the Geosynchronous Energon Bridge below the ruins of Crystal City and witnessed him use it to corrupt Cybertron's core with Dark Energon.
Bumblebee informed Optimus of what he saw, but first he had to serve as part of the extraction unit in Optimus's rescue of Sentinel Prime from Kaon. Afterwards Optimus, Bumblebee and Jetfire journeyed to the core through the Well. Due to the heavy build up of Dark Energon, Bumblebee found it a distressing experience and lost it when they reached the core, silently tearing out the protruding Corruption Spikes. Though fearful of what would happen, Optimus was able to remove the Chamber and begin Cybertron's healing.
Back at Iacon, Optimus announced Project Generation One to evacuate Cybertron, for the planet could not sustain a fraction of the life it currently supported if it were to survive. Bumblebee boarded the Eight Track with the other elite Autobots and drew out and entered Trypticon. Avoiding Trypticon's corridor drones and Minicons they blew up the Dark Energon Facility, causing him to crash. Bumblebee boarded the Ark, which flew him and his friends through the last space bridge to a spiral galaxy with the AllSpark detected nearby. Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron
Prime comic
Bumblebee and Optimus were on Earth when they detected Cliffjumper and Arcee's arrival and went to their rescue. After Optimus crushed Starscream, Bumblebee sent the Decepticon flying with a single punch, and escorted the others back to base. Transformers: Prime (comic)
Prime cartoon
Bumblebee was patrolling a desert area when Optimus ordered everyone back to base so that they could use the ground bridge to provide Cliffjumper with backup. They did so, but arrived at the battle site too late — Cliffjumper had been taken by the Decepticons, and apparently killed. The Autobots held a brief memorial for their friend.
When Arcee and Jack Darby were pursued by Decepticons, Bumblebee joined in the chase as it moved onto the freeway. After a brief attempt to slow the Decepticons, he joined Arcee in facing the foe in a drainage canal, accidentally crushing a toy car belonging to Rafael Esquivel. During the fight Bumblebee was knocked to the ground, and only Raf's timely distraction allowed him to temporarily get the better of the Decepticons, until Bulkhead arrived and helped them scare the Decepticons off.
Optimus was disappointed that humans had gotten involved, and had Bumblebee and Arcee bring them back to the base. Darkness Rising, Part 1 When Ratchet detected Cliffjumper's signal, Bumblebee was part of the team that went to try and rescue their comrade. Though he and the others valiantly fought through the multitudes of Decepticons at an energon mine, their mission was ultimately a failure, and they had to return to base hastily as the mine exploded. Prime later assigned him to watch over Raf to keep the boy safe from the Decepticons. Darkness Rising, Part 2
The next day, Bumblebee discovered that he was a lot better than Raf at computer games, though Raf blamed it on Bumblebee's greater experience in driving. When they reached the base, Optimus and Ratchet left on a mission, placing Arcee in charge. Arcee promptly went out out on patrol, taking Bumblebee with her and leaving Bulkhead in charge. As they drove through the Nevada desert, Bulkhead reported that Fowler had been abducted by the Decepticons. When it turned out there was no one left at base to bridge them back, Arcee and Bumblebee were forced to drive there. Darkness Rising, Part 3
Bumblebee and Arcee arrived at the Decepticon ship in time to rescue Raf and Jack from a pair of Decepticons. They quickly located Bulkhead and Miko, also moving through the ship, but after it became obvious that the humans were in too much danger as they fought their way through the ship, the Autobots cleared out a room for them to hide out in. They eventually reached the brig where Fowler was being held, and Bumblebee and Bulkhead burst through the main door while Arcee slipped in through a top vent. A standoff ensued, until Fowler distracted Starscream long enough for the Autobots to start firing. Starscream thusly chased off, the Autobots took off with Fowler and rescued the kids on the way out. Darkness Rising, Part 4
Once the Autobots had located the whereabouts of the Deepticon space bridge — Earth orbit — Optimus, Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee used the ground bridge to reach it. They were spotted by Megatron and Starscream, who sent a force of flying Decepticons to attack them. While they battled, Ratchet determined a way to destroy the space bridge, so Bumblebee, Arcee and Bulkhead went to implement the plan. They committed the necessary act of sabotage before Megatron fired on them. Bumblebee collected Arcee on his way to jumping into the ground bridge and carried her back to base where she recovered enough to stand on her own. Darkness Rising, Part 5
Bumblebee helped Raf with his science project, building a small replica of a volcano while they discussed how Bumblebee had not yet risen to the rank of Warrior. As Optimus pointed out, Bumblebee still had much to learn before he could reach that level. Optimus subsequently picked Bumblebee to go on a mission to investigate Decepticon activity, but warned the smaller Autobot to hold back. When Optimus came to blows with Skyquake, Bumblebee decided to disregard the earlier order and charged into battle. Though he was no match for Skyquake, he and Optimus led the Decepticon into a trap and seemed victorious, until Skyquake scanned Fowler's jet. Bumblebee managed to end the fight by jumping onto Skyquake's jet form and causing critical damage, jumping to Fowler's jet as Skyquake crashed to the ground. After some repairs, Optimus commended him on his performance. Masters & Students
Bulkhead and Bumblebee discovered a strange pod in the Arctic which they brought back to base. When the kids arrived at base, Bumblebee was keen to play some videogames with Raf, but he and Bulkhead were roped into helping Ratchet repair the ground bridge, which broke shortly after Optimus and Arcee used it to go to the Arctic. The cause of the problem was revealed when Raf found a Scraplet, which started gnawing on Bumblebee. Raf killed it with a crowbar before it could do much more damage, but Bumblebee ended up having to search the base with Raf for more of the Scraplets. After finding quite a lot of Scraplets, they returned to the control room, where another mass of them overwhelmed Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Ratchet. Though the kids were able to get rid of the attacking Scraplets, Bumblebee was out of it for the rest of the incident, and ended up on a repair bed, being tended to by the kids. Scrapheap
Games
Transformers: War for Cybertron (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)
- Voice actor: Johnny Yong Bosch (English), Renato Novara (Italian)
During the Decepticons siege of Iacon City, Bumblebee volunteered to be a message courier when communications became unreliable. Bumblebee was searching for the one called Optimus when he was caught by a pair of Decepticons, only to be saved by Optimus and Ratchet. Informing Optimus of the death of Zeta Prime, Bumblebee accompanied Optimus and Ratchet to a command center where they were contacted by Jetfire, who was leading the aerial counterattack and wanted Zeta to activate the planetary guns. After informing Jetfire of Prime's death, Bumblebee helped Optimus and Ratchet make their way to the orbital defenses control room, where they activated the guns. Their next stop was the Decagon, where they could reestablish communications and coordinate Iacon's defense. They hit serious Decepticon resistance, including several Decepticon war machines, but ultimately, with help from Jetfire and Ironhide, the three made their way to the Decagon, where they faced the last obstacle: Sky Commander Starscream. Beating the traitorous Seeker, Bumblebee witnessed a desperate communication from Zeta Prime, who was being held in the Kaon Prison Complex. Optimus resolved to rescue Zeta, and Bumblebee accompanied him.
Bumblebee, Optimus, and Sideswipe allowed themselves to be captured raiding supplies outside Kaon, and taken to the prison within the city. Soundwave ordered them taken to recycling. Bumblebee didn't think that sounded bad, until Sideswipe told him to consider what they were recycling. As they made their way through the prison, Bumblebee's horror grew, until he was in a near panic when they placed against the firing wall. Fortunately, Air Raid finally arrived and killed the Heavy Soldiers about to execute them. Air Raid was forced to let himself be captured to let the others escape. Finally finding some weapons, the three made their way to a wall crawler and descended into the prison. Bumblebee asked if this was good or bad, and Optimus replied that it was purely a matter of perspective, while Sideswipe said he was enjoying himself. Soon, they reached a room where Megatron revealed that he had allowed Zeta's message to be broadcast simply to lure Optimus into a trap. After they fought off some Decepticons, Megatron simply teleported them to a prison cell without their weapons. Fortunately, Optimus managed to break the wall with his axe, freeing them. Optimus then explained he could not open the other prisoners' cells, despite Bumblebee's pleas. Heading to retrieve Air Raid, the three Autobots rescued the flier, who took them to the control which would open all the prison's hard locks. Unfortunately, Zeta was trapped under the facility, so the control wouldn't release him. While Air Raid took the freed Autobots back to Iacon, Bumblebee accompanied Optimus and Sideswipe underground to free Zeta, racing through the caverns as the Decepticons blew out the ground. Reaching Zeta Prime's cell, Optimus, Bumblebee, and Sideswipe had to fight through Soundwave's minions to rescue the Autobot leader, but Soundwave stole some of Zeta's life energy and fled, killing the Prime. Taking his body back to Iacon, Bumblebee and Sideswipe bore witness to the Autobot High Council declaring that Optimus was now Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots.
During the evacuation of Cybertron, Megatron used Trypticon Station to fire on the Autobots' escape pods. After the Aerialbots destroyed Trypticon's conversion cog and sent him plummeting to the planet's surface, Bumblebee accompanied Optimus Prime and Ironhide to look for the crash site. Once Trypticon was found to still function, Bumblebee assisted in fighting him, overloading his shoulder cannons with energon batteries and destroying his heat vents. After greatly damaging Trypticon, Oprimus Prime declared Trypticon had lost and knocked him into an energon lake with his axe. Afterward, Bumblebee was present at the unveiling of the Ark, where he reminded Optimus Prime that Megatron was "still out there". Transformers: War for Cybertron
Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)
Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)
Transformers: Cybertron Adventures
- Voice actor: Johnny Yong Bosch (English), Renato Novara (Italian)
Transformers: Cybertron Adventures
Toys
Generations
- Cybertronian Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2010)
- Accessories: handgun
- Based on his appearance in the video game Transformers: War for Cybertron, Bumblebee transforms from a yellow and black robot into a "Cybertronian courier mode." His toy comes with a handgun and features two wrist-mounted flip-out blades. The handgun (described in the packaging only as "weapon") can be stored inside his rear bumper in either robot or vehicle mode. Bumblebee's head appears to have Light-piping. However his eyes are painted over in blue, thus rendering the gimmick neutered. Due to the nature of his design, his legs are generally loose at the mid-thigh transformation joint.
- Bumblebee is part of the first wave of Generations Deluxes, but he and Cybertronian Optimus Prime shipped ahead of their two other wavemates in the United States via Toys"R"Us.
- This mold was redecoed into United Bumblebee Cybertron Mode and retooled into Generations Cliffjumper and United Cliffjumper Cybertron Mode. In fact, Bumblebee's instructions depict him with Cliffjumper's head, revealing the retool before it was officially announced.
Prime
- Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2011)
- Deluxe Class Bumblebee transforms from car to robot and back! He and the rest of his wave are due October, 2011.
