Bumblebee (G1)

Bumblebee is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity.

Bumblebee, Espionage

Bumblebee is one of the smallest and weakest Autobots. While this does allow him to do his job better than most Autobots could manage, he is self-conscious about his size. He looks up (so to speak) to the other Autobots, but what he doesn't realize is that they look up to him. He may be small, but he's brave, and he's one of the most likeable Autobots around. Bumblebee already has the respect he craves.

Fiction

Animated Continuity

Voice Actor: Dan Gilvezan (US), ? (Japan)

IDW Continuity

Artist E.J. Su redesigned Bumblebee for the IDW "Infiltration" series.

Bumblebee is part of a secret Autobot outpost on Earth. When Ratchet blows their cover by rescuing a trio of humans, Bumblebee is the one Autobot who supports his efforts. He encompanies Ratchet and the humans to investigate an abandoned Decepticon bunker in Nebraska.

Toys

Generation 1

Bumblebee's original toy, released in 1984 and in Japan in 1985, transformed into a chibi VW Beetle. The toy, taken from the Japanese Microchange line, was released in both red and yellow versions in the US, and in many colors in South America. The toy was reissiued as a keychain in the US in 2001. The keychain form lacked the "Dunlop" text on the tires, and was released in Japan in 2003 as a 7-Eleven exclusive. The Japanese keychain also had a black "Chase" version. In 2004, Bumblebee was again reissiued alongside Huffer, Cosmos, Gears, Powerglide and Warpath, this time with a cartoon accurate face.

• The Throttlebot Goldbug was released in 1987, and like the other throttlebots had a pull-back motor and a simple transformation. This figure had a much more realisticly proportened vehicle mode.

• In 1989, Bumblebee was released as a Classic Pretender. Bumblebee was still a VW, but now had what looked like off-road tires. He came with a gun for his robot mode that could be mounted on his roof, and another for his Human shell. Oddly, the robot's head looked like Cliffjumper's cartoon head. The inner robot was sold without the shell as a K-Mart exclusive "Legends" figure. The "Legends" figure was also sold in a set with Legends Grimlock, Jazz and Starscream in Japan the same year.

• Bubmlebee was released in 2003 in the Japanese World's Smallest Transformers line as a scaled-down version of his original toy, in both yellow and a "chase" red color scheme.

• Bumblebee's Action Master release came with a helo-pack that transformed into a large gun.

Generation 2

• Bumblebee's first Generation 2 toy was a redeco of his original toy, but with gold chrome on the previously yellow parts.

• Bumblebee's second release in the Generation 2 line was as a recolor of the Gobot Highbeam.
  
  
  From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.