Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.[1]
Contents |
| Autobot | |
|---|---|
| Japanese name | Bumblebee |
| Sub-group | Minicars, Throttlebots, Pretenders, Action Masters, Go-Bots, Deluxe machines |
| Function | Espionage, Espionage Director, Spy |
| Rank | 7 |
| Partner | Brawn, Optimus Prime, Spike Witwicky, Chip Chase, Pipes, Tailgate, Swerve, Warpath, Huffer, Cosmos, Powerglide, Gears, and Outback |
| Motto | "The least likely can be the most dangerous." (Bumblebee) "To know others you must know yourself first." (Goldbug) "Data is power." (Classic) |
| Alternate Modes | Cybertronian Car, Volkswagen Beetle, Suzuki Swift |
| Series | Transformers: Generation 1 Transformers: Generation 2 Transformers: Titanium Transformers: Classics Transformers: Attacktix Transformers: Universe Transformers: Alternity Transformers: Reveal the Shield |
| English voice actor | Dan Gilvezan |
| Japanese voice actor | Yoku Shioya (Generation 1) Michitaka Kobayashi (The Headmasters) |
Bumblebee (known as Bumble in Japan, Moscardo in Portugal, Űrdongó in Hungary, Maggiolino in Italy) is the "little brother" of the heroic or protagonistic Autobot faction and a mascot, constantly striving to prove himself in the eyes of the other robots - especially his leader, Optimus Prime. This often causes him to take risks that put him in danger. Although a bit of a wise-cracker, he is a capable and reliable messenger and spy, his small size allowing him to go places that his larger commanders cannot. He is highly fuel efficient, has great visual acuity, is particularly adaptable to undersea environments and transforms into a Volkswagen Beetle. He was later reconstructed into a stronger, more mature form as Goldbug.
Bumblebee is established as the smallest of the first year Autobots, but his actual size varies greatly in the various media, ranging from the same size as other Autobot cars to barely taller than a human. His only official height was in an early issue of the Marvel comics where it is stated he is 15 feet tall.
Bumblebee's primary function in the original Transformers animated series and comics was to serve as the "young" character with whom the young viewing audience could identify. To this end, he befriends the Autobots' primary human ally, the young son of the Witwicky family (Buster in the Marvel comic and Spike in the cartoon), a concept that persists into the 2007 live-action film. Although a well-known character because of this, Bumblebee is quite unusual in that, unlike many other Transformers, his name has not been re-used and applied to unrelated characters throughout the ensuing twenty years of Transformers media, due to the loss of the trademark until recently. His role as the "young yellow character", however, has inspired other Transformers characters with the same role such as Cheetor and Hot Shot.
Autobots and Decepticons awaken on Earth in 1984, Bumblebee is part of the first team of Autobots sent out to investigate the planet. Eager to be the first to encounter a local life-form, Bumblebee gets his wish when he is injured in a battle with the Decepticons at a drive-in movie theater, and - stuck in car mode - is found by the young human, Buster Witwicky. Buster takes him back to his family's automotive garage, where his father Sparkplug repairs the car, and is shocked when it transforms into a robot. Bumblebee arranges their first meeting with Optimus Prime, and his role as a liaison between the Autobots and humans continues as he participates in the first meetings with millionaire industrialist G. B. Blackrock, eventually leading to a deal between them in which Blackrock supplies the robots with fuel.
After some smaller roles showing new Autobot recruits around and searching for Decepticon activity, Bumblebee takes the spotlight again when he begins to question his usefulness to the Autobots, and abandons them without explanation. Unfortunately, this occurs just as Decepticon leader Shockwave has targeted Bumblebee as the weakest link in the Autobots, planning to use mind control on him and use him against his comrades. Taking refuge from Decepticon pursuit in a used car lot, Bumblebee is stolen by two teenagers. This attracts the attention of both Autobots and Decepticons, and after saving the teens from a Decepticon attack, Bumblebee himself is saved from them by the Autobots, convincing him of his worth to them.
When Bumblebee is assigned to watch over the launch of the mobile Power Station Alpha, also guarded by the daring special mission force G.I. Joe, a Decepticon attack prompts him to transform in order to save a civilian boy. The Joes mistake him for a Decepticon and destroy him. Learning of their mistake and allying with the Autobots, the Joes set about trying to rebuild Bumblebee. With the aid of Autobot medic Ratchet, Bumblebee is reconstructed as Goldbug.[2]
Charged with hunting down the petty criminal known as the Mechanic, who had stolen some Autobot equipment, Goldbug and Blaster opt instead to remove themselves from the tyrannical command of then-leader Grimlock. A run-in with the Decepticon Triple Changers leads to both robots becoming infected with the metal-eating disease known as the Scraplets, but with the help of human Charlie Fong and the Autobot Throttlebots, a cure is found in the form of water, and they are saved. Soon afterward, however, the group, low on fuel, is caught up to by the Protectobots, under Grimlock's command, and Blaster is captured. The abandoned, immobile Throttlebots, including Goldbug, are then captured by the government-sponsored Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team (RAAT), who intend their destruction. Sympathetic to their plight, RAAT operate Walter Barnett removes their brain components and installs them in toy cars while their bodies are destroyed.
After managing to escape the Predacons, Goldbug returns to the Autobots' volcano base, only to discover that the Ark had been restored and had blasted off. Blindsided by Decepticon leader Ratbat, Goldbug's toy body is blasted, but soon found by the Autobot Headmasters - freshly arrived from the planet Nebulos - who uses their technology to construct his body for him again. The group soon learns that the brain patterns of Optimus Prime (who died sometime before) have been preserved on computer disk by a human named Ethan Zachary. Goldbug takes the disk to Nebulos, where Prime is restored to life as a Powermaster.
Subsequently, Goldbug is part of a combined Autobot-Decepticon force who are deactivated while defending the Earth against the Underbase-powered Starscream. He falls along with other Autobots in defense of New York City.
Goldbug is seen among the Autobots being repaired on the Ark when Optimus Prime sends Landmine and Cloudburst on their mission to obtain computer chips to repair fellow Autobots in issue #52, "Guess Who The Mechannibals Are Having For Dinner?"
Bumblebee's body is seen among the deactivated Autobots Ratchet is trying to revive in Transformers #56, "Back from the Dead". While Ratchet works to restore the deactivated Autobots to life, his attempts consistently meet with failure. In the midst of his work, he is captured by believed-dead Decepticon leader Megatron, who demands that he rebuild Starscream as a Pretender. Ratchet succeeds in this task, but while Megatron leaves him unattended to observe Starscream's attack on Earth, he is able to use other prototype Pretender shells to restore to life Grimlock, Jazz, and Goldbug, who he restores to being Bumblebee out of personal preference.
During a battle with the Decepticon Mayhem Attack Squad, Bumblebee, Jazz, and Grimlock are transported to the center of Cybertron, where they discover the slumbering form of their creator and deity, Primus. The battle that follows causes Primus to briefly awake with a scream, alerting his ancient enemy Unicron to his location. Aware that Unicron was now bearing down on Cybertron, the Autobots begin a search for the Creation Matrix, the only force capable of stopping the chaos-bringer. Bumblebee, Jazz, and Grimlock follow a lead to VsQz, third moon of the planet Cameron, where they run afoul of both a monstrous creature created by the corrupted Matrix energy, and the mighty Decepticon Pretender, Thunderwing, who defeats them and claimed the Matrix for his own. They are later rescued by their fellow troops, and Thunderwing is defeated.
Bumblebee put in one further appearance in the U.S. Marvel comics. In a nightmare alternate universe where Unicron has destroyed Cybertron, and Galvatron and the Decepticons rule Earth, Bumblebee is shown in flashback as one of the casualties of the Decepticon conquest, being killed by Scourge.
In the expanded universe of the Transformers comic published exclusively in the U.K., which reprinted the American series with new stories spliced in between, Bumblebee had a lead role in several other stories. In one, he goes AWOL to track down and capture Ravage, in the process running into a Decepticon trap and needing rescuing. Later on, he is part of the Dinobot Hunt; on his own, he rescues three Autobot prisoners and disables the Decepticon's means of mentally controlling Sludge.
As the U.K. series did not reprint G.I. Joe and the Transformers (in which the above account of Bumblebee's transformation into Goldbug occurred) until much later, a new story was penned that re-imagined the change in a very different way, as part of the U.K.'s larger running time travel storyline. When the deranged future Decepticon leader Galvatron travels back in time to 1987, the bounty hunter Death's Head pursues him. The mass-shifting inherent in the time-travel process causes the Autobot First Aid to be displaced to limbo when Death's Head arrives, which alerts Bumblebee to his presence. Wanting to keep the fact that he was in the past a secret, Death's Head destroys Bumblebee, but his remains are soon happened upon by the Junkion, Wreck-Gar, also from the future. Putting his advanced mechanical skills to work, Wreck-Gar soon rebuilds Bumblebee as Goldbug and the upgraded Autobot joins in the battle against Galvatron, at one point facing him one-on-one (and losing) before Ultra Magnus intervenes. Goldbug has a few additional adventures dealing with Galvatron's threat in other U.K.-exclusive stories.
After the time-and-space-shattering events of the Time Wars, the U.K. comic introduced an alternate timeline that chronicled the adventures of the Autobot Earthforce, a group of pro-active Autobots under Grimlock's command, who are dedicated to safeguarding Earth while Optimus Prime's contingent deals with the threat of Unicron. Bumblebee is a member of the Earthforce, performing such notable missions as helping Ironhide stop the Decepticons' plan to rebuild Devastator as an individual being.
Bumblebee holds the distinction of being the second character to appear on-screen in the original Transformers animated series, while on a mission to recover a small clutch of energy conductors with Wheeljack, illustrating the energy crisis holding sway over their home planet of Cybertron. Bumblebee is subsequently among the Transformers aboard the Ark as it set off searching for new worlds and new energy sources, which crashed on Earth, causing the Transformers within to be trapped in stasis for four million years. Awakening in 1984, Bumblebee helps Ironhide quell a raging river and uses his small size to help Sparkplug Witwicky plant explosives in the midst of a Decepticon mining operation.
He later befriends Sparkplug's son Spike, but on their first adventure together they are both kidnapped by the Decepticons, and Bumblebee is brainwashed into luring the other Autobots into a trap.
As a regular character throughout the show's first two seasons, spanning 1984-1985, Bumblebee's escapades were almost always carried out alongside Spike. His adventures take him back to Cybertron, to the prehistoric Dinobot Island, the sunken city of Sub-Atlantica, a world of alien giants, a debaucherous gambling asteroid locale and more. He is scorched by acid rain, fights as a mindless gladiator, is mauled by a monstrous alien cat, quests for "robotic insecticide" and, in one of his most significant roles, is one of the few Autobots to survive a brainwashing scheme by the Decepticons, leaving it up to him to save his comrades.
In episode 51, "Prime Target", the big game hunter Lord Cholmondeley captures a secret Soviet jet, leading to panic of possible war. Cholmondeley then set his sights on the ultimate trophy, the head of Optimus Prime. In order to lure Optimus in, Cholmondeley captures Bumblebee and several other Autobots. Optimus Prime accepts Cholmondeley's challenge and defeats the big game hunter, freeing the Autobots.
In episode 59, "Trans-Europe Express", a charity auto race from Paris, France, to Istanbul, Turkey, is held. The Autobots Bluestreak, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Smokescreen, Sunstreaker, Tracks, and Wheeljack participate alongside several human racers including Augie Canay. Meanwhile, Megatron has discovered the whereabouts of the Pearl of Bahudine, the power core of a Cybertronian weather control machine. Megatron has the Stunticons eliminate the Autobots from the race while stealing Augie's car to use its experimental engine's metal to make a control device for the pearl. Bluestreak, Tracks, Bumblebee and Augie are able to stop the Decepticons by unleashing the power of the pearl, but to stop the pearl Bumblebee has to destroy it. Augie has the gold shell of the pearl sold and the money given to charity when he learns the race was a fake set up by the Decepticons merely to get his car.
By the time of The Transformers: The Movie, set in 2005, the Autobots have been forced off of Cybertron, and Bumblebee and Spike man Moonbase Two on one of the planet's satellites as the Autobots prepare a strike to take back the planet. The attack is scuppered by the sudden appearance of the giant planet-eating robot Unicron, who consumes Moonbase One. As Unicron turns on their moon, Spike and Bumblebee set a cache of explosives to detonate in his maw and abandon the base in a small shuttle, but the detonation fails to even scratch the chaos-bringer and he inhales their ship. Deep in his digestive system, the pair are trapped on a conveyor that threatens to drop them in an acid vat, but they are saved by Spike's son Daniel, and they and the other Autobots escape Unicron's body as it is destroyed through the power of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.
Bumblebee was one of the few characters from the beginning of the series to continue appearing in the show's third season, set in 2006, in which he could regularly be found performing duties in Autobot City on Earth. He and Spike are reunited for another adventure when the ghost of Starscream invades the city in order to steal the eyes of the giant Autobot Metroplex, but they are unable to stop the villain from accomplishing his task.
When the body of the deceased Optimus Prime is recovered from space by a pair of Transformer-hating human scientists who intend to use it to lure the Autobots into a trap, Bumblebee is part of the rescue team led by Rodimus Prime to recover it. Entering the lab, some of the Transformers are exposed to rage-inducing alien spores that cause them to run wild, and although Bumblebee avoids infection, he is seriously damaged by the rampaging Superion. A member of the alien race called the Quintessons subsequently repair and restore Optimus Prime to life, so he can stop the "Hate Plague" and repair Bumblebee. The little Autobot has been so severely damaged, however, that he requires an entire reconstruction. In his new, shiny body, he comments that he has gone beyond just being Bumblebee, and is now a "gold bug", prompting Optimus Prime to redub him "Goldbug." As Goldbug, Bumblebee travels with Optimus Prime to the planet of Chaar in order to secure a heat resistant alloy that can protect him from the plague, only to be infected on the mission and later cured when Prime uses the power of the Matrix to purge the plague.
Goldbug also makes a brief appearance in the fourth and final season of the series, defending Autobot City and Cybertron against a massive Decepticon attack. Because of a scene showing Bumblebee instead of Goldbug, it still makes him one of only nine characters to appear in all four seasons of the show.
After the animated series ended in the U.S., Bumblebee appeared in animated form in the commercial for the Classic Pretenders.
Bumblebee made a cameo in the pilot of the Transformers: Animated series on a historical video being viewed by Optimus Prime. This historical video was stock footage from the original animated series.
He made several further appearances in the Japanese-exclusive series, Transformers: The Headmasters, which supplanted the fourth American series, and appears to die while attempting to stop a metal-warping meteor from crashing into Cybertron, only to turn up alive and healthy later on in the series. The role of a young human and small Autobot friend in this series was taken over by Daniel and Wheelie. He appeared in a Generation 1 public service announcement teaching a young boy not to run a way from home.
Bumblebee appeared in the 1984 sticker and story book Return to Cybertron written by Suzanne Weyn and published by Marvel Books. Bumblebee appeared in the 1984 sticker and story book The Revenge of the Decepticons written by Suzanne Weyn and published by Marvel Books.
Bumblebee was featured in the 1985 Find Your Fate Junior book called Dinobots Strike Back by Casey Todd.
Bumblebee was featured in the 1985 Find Your Fate Junior book called Battle Drive by Barbara Siegel and Scott Siegel.
Bumblebee was featured in the 1985 audio and book adventure Satellite of Doom.
Bumblebee appeared in the 1986 story and coloring book The Lost Treasure of Cybertron by Marvel Books.
Bumblebee appeared in the 1986 Ladybird Books story Decepticon Hideout by John Grant.[3]
Bumblebee was featured in the 1993 Transformers: Generation 2 coloring book "Decepticon Madness" by Bud Simpson.[4]
In a story called "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!" from Transformers Comic-Magazin issue #12 by German comic publisher Condor Verlag Optimus Prime instructs Backstreet, Bumblebee and Ruckus on how to identify Autobots from Decepticons in battle using the Ark's computer. Pretender Bumblebee is one of those he displays to the Autobots.[5]
When Dreamwave Productions introduced their re-imagined version of Generation 1 continuity for the 21st Century, Bumblebee was present for the Autobots' new adventures once again. The War Within, set in Cybertron's past, chronicled Bumblebee's early adventures in the Battle of Altihex and the defense of Iacon in the face of an attack by Shockwave.
When Optimus Prime and Megatron vanish in an early spacebridge experiment, causing the Autobots and Decepticons to splinter into smaller factions, Bumblebee remains with the Autobots under Prowl's command.
As usual, Bumblebee is among the Transformers trapped in stasis aboard the crashed Ark who are reactivated on Earth in 1984. Although not depicted in fiction, the general events of the television series pilot seemed to take place in the Dreamwave continuity - with Bumblebee meeting and befriending Spike Witwicky.
The war on Earth ends in 1999, however, when the Autobots successfully defeat the Decepticons and attempt to transport them back to Cybertron aboard the Ark II. Thanks to sabotage orchestrated by American military general Robert Hallo, however, the Ark II explodes after exiting orbit, and the Transformers fall back to Earth. Hallo's plan to take control of them is foiled by his former partner Adam Rook, who rounds up several deactivated Transformers, Bumblebee among them, and puts them under his control, intending to sell them on the black market as weapons of mass destruction. During the auctions, Bumblebee is among the Transformers sent to attack the Smitco Oil Refinery as a demonstration of their power. Megatron liberates himself from Rook's control and soon does the same to the other Decepticons, who dismantle Bumblebee and the other Mini-Bots. Rescued by their reactivated Autobot comrades, Bumblebee and the others soon recover and are dispatched to stop Megatron's plan to cyber-form the Earth with a metallic virus.
A year later, Shockwave arrives on Earth, having successfully unified Cybertron and intending to arrest Prime and Megatron's forces as war criminals. Bumblebee is among the Transformers captured by Shockwave, and is later part of the team who join the underground Autobot resistance on Cybertron.
Following the liberation of Cybertron from Shockwave’s rule, Bumblebee is assigned to help reinforce Jazz’s team on Earth and is placed in command of the Autobot supply shuttle Orion, with a team under his command for the first time. Upon arriving in the Earth system from transwarp space, they witness the arrival of the deranged clone of Starscream, Sunstorm. When the resultant conflict with Sunstorm causes most of the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth to be knocked out of commission, Bumblebee and Jetfire track Sunstorm to beneath the Earth's surface, where Bumblebee is knocked out and saved by a begrudging Starscream. Jetfire subsequently seems to die battling Sunstorm, shaking Bumblebee's resolve so badly that he decides to leave the Autobots.
Turning to Spike for advice, the pair goes on a drive in Cincinnati, where they debate responsibility and save a woman from some muggers. Bumblebee apparently remains unconvinced, but Dreamwave's subsequent bankruptcy and closure left his story unfinished. The profile series, More Than Meets the Eye, featured entries for Bumblebee as both a Pretender and as Goldbug, but gave no in-story reason for his upgrades to these forms and they never appeared in the fiction of the series.
In the alternate Dreamwave Transformers/G.I. Joe storyline set in World War II, Bumblebee is formatted to turn into a motorcycle with sidecar.
In Devil's Due's first G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers crossover, the evil terrorist organization Cobra are the first to uncover the Ark and the Transformers slumbering within it, capturing and reformatting a large number of them to use them as war machines. Bumblebee and Wheeljack are able to avoid this fate, contact the team created to respond to the threat of Cobra, G.I. Joe, and help to free their fellow Autobots. Unlike most Autobots, who had new alternate modes, Bumblebee and Wheeljack had their original Generation 1 alternate modes in this series.
In the second crossover, Bumblebee is among the Autobots sent back in time due to an accident with the spacebridge computer Teletran-3. As part of a small group transported to the 1970s, Bumblebee is reformatted as a small economy car (this time, resembling an AMC Pacer) before the teamed-up Joes and Cobras return all the Transformers to present-day Cybertron.
Bumblebee takes center stage in the third crossover series, as he, Grimlock, Arcee, and Perceptor are sent to Earth to aid G.I. Joe in removing the influence of Cybertronian technology on the planet. Sporting his original alternate mode again, he is shown to have something of a crush on Arcee. When Cobra attacks the base, the Autobots help repel the Cobra Battle Android Trooper armies. Journeying to Cybertron to stop Serpentor, the mismatched group is ambushed first by Cannibalizers, then by Serpentor, Piranacon, Predaking and the Stunticons, with Bumblebee being badly injured as he runs right into Predaking's leg. He is then executed by Serpentor, who would later comment that Bumblebee's death is the only thing that ever really made him feel emotion. Despite the character being notoriously difficult to kill, it seems his death is permanent, as Serpentor comments that he felt something leave him, most likely his spark. A statue to his memory was seen in the final issue. His death would continue to have repercussions, as seen in the fourth series, in which Prime insists on journeying to Earth personally rather than expose any of his troops to the same fate.
Fall of 2005 was the third re-launch for the Transformers comic series, this time under the management of IDW Publishing.
IDW's core universe was introduced with the six-issue mini-series, The Transformers: Infiltration, making it clear that the company's take on the Generation 1 universe was radically different. Bumblebee appears as a member of a small team of Autobots under the command of Prowl, operating in secret on Earth out of Ark-19. Still a Volkswagen Beetle, he (like the other Autobots) possesses the added ability to generate a "holo-matter" avatar of a young female to masquerade as a driver and to otherwise interact with humans. Working with Ratchet and a trio of young humans to search an abandoned Decepticon base, Bumblebee is able to take down Skywarp during a Decepticon attack, out-thinking the Decepticon and shooting him out of the sky despite his teleportation system. After Blitzwing and Skywarp bring the base down, Bumblebee helps save the humans, despite commenting previously that they would be acceptable losses. As Megatron then engages the traitorous Starscream in battle, Bumblebee does what he does best by spying on the fight; almost shot by the Battlechargers, he is saved by Prowl and Jazz. In the follow-up, The Transformers: Escalation, he is left to run the Ark-19 on his own.
Bumblebee, Jazz, Optimus Prime, Prowl, and Ratchet appeared in the New Avengers/Transformers crossover by Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing that came out in 2007.
Optimus Prime leads Bumblebee, Drift, Kup, Prowl, Ratchet and Wheeljack in Las Vegas when a Cybertronian ship crashes containing Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and an infestation of zombies from another universe. Galvatron attempts to take command of the Autobots, and after fighting them explains his mission to stop an undead infestation. Wheeljack sets up an energy shield around the city to keep the infestation contained, but it will only last for 24 hours. Kup recognizes a Decepticon named Bayonet in Galvatron's command as not being right, and she is revealed to be the extradimensional vampire Britt.[6]
IDW has begun publishing of The Transformers: Evolutions, a series dedicated to featuring alternate-reality Elseworlds-style tales of the Transformers. The first installment, Hearts of Steel, places the Transformers in battle on Earth prior to the Ice Age with the forms of transmetal prehistoric beasts. The Ice Age forces them to enter hibernation beneath the surface of the planet when it begins.
In the 1800s, Bumblebee is awakened when a pounding from above showers dirt on him. Expecting Decepticon activity, he is surprised to find that the source is humans building a railway. Curious about their train, he is almost caught by the humans, but hides by adopting the train's form as his alternate mode. Among the humans is the legendary John Henry, who is concerned that the train - a spike-driving device designed to lay railroad - is intended to replace him. To placate his concerns, Bumblebee reveals his true form to him with the promise that he is only here to help. Through John Henry, Bumblebee learns that the Decepticons have reactivated and are pillaging trains as part of their newest plan. They plan to travel to New York and obtain an electrical generator in hopes it will make them all-powerful. After awakening some of his fellow Autobots, Henry and Bumblebee manage to thwart the Decepticons' plans, rerouting the rail track they are using, causing the Decepticon train convoy to plunge into a chasm. After this Bumblebee and the other Autobots return to stasis.
Bumblebee appeared in the voice actor play performed at BotCon 2004, in which a device built by Rhinox to stop Unicron from pulling victims from other dimensions inadvertently transports an Autobot shuttle under Bumblebee's command into the middle of a battle between Rattrap, Silverbolt, and Waspinator and a team of Unicron's agents. Bumblebee's shuttle is able to scoop up Rattrap and company when their ship is destroyed. After saving more of Unicron's victims from the Decepticons, Bumblebee's team returns to their own time.
In a possible future chronicled in the exclusive comic book available at BotCon 2005, Bumblebee featured as the espionage director of the Autobots. Having been on the trail of the Decepticon agent Flamewar for a long time, Bumblebee interrupts a communication between Flamewar and the Tripredacus Council and reveals that his agent, Ricochet, has installed a degenerative virus into Deathsaurus's clone army. With Flamewar now exposed, Bumblebee points out that she was nothing more than a liability to the Council, who blow her ship up.
Based on the Transformers Classics toy line, the Timelines 2007 story is set 15 years after the end of the Marvel Comics story (ignoring all events of the Marvel U.K. and Generation 2 comics). Megatron has survived the crash of the Ark on Earth, reformatted himself into a new form, and now leads Ramjet, Skywarp, Soundwave, Starscream, and the Constructicons. Optimus Prime has also returned to Earth commanding Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Grimlock, Jetfire, Mirage, and Rodimus (formerly Hot Rod).
In Crossing Over, when the Cybertronians Skyfall and Landquake arrive on Earth unexpectedly Megatron attempts to destroy them, but Optimus Prime and his Autobots are able to drive Megatron away.
Bumblebee appears in the story Generation 2: Redux in which he is among the reinforcements from Autobot City to respond to the Decepticon attack at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. Once there, the Autobots are able to defeat the Decepticons, but during the fight the Autobots are exposed to refined Forestonite, which enhances and mutates Cybertronian systems. He gets enhanced to his Generation 2 form.[7]
Bumblebee was one of eight playable characters in the 1986 Commodore 64 video game Transformers: The Battle to Save the Earth.
The Classic line appeared in a simple Flash-based video game on the Hasbro web site called Transformers Battle Circuit. In this one-on-one fighting game, players press the right and left arrow keys to try to overpower their opponent. Playable characters include Rodimus, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Jetfire, Starscream, Astrotrain, Trypticon, and Menasor. Optimus Prime and Megatron each appear as the boss the player must defeat to win the game.[8]
Bumblebee is one of the light blue robots in the 2010 card game Monopoly Deal Transformers.
A parody of the Generation 1 Transformers was aired in the December 23, 2008 episode of Frank TV, called "Frank the Halls". In the story, Optimus Prime and his Autobots (Bumblebee, Jazz, and Wheeljack) battle Megatron and his Decepticons (Soundwave and Starscream) when Optimus runs out of gas. Optimus becomes enraged at the price of gas, steals the fuel from the annoying hybrid Autobot Prius Maximus, then joins the Decepticons in destroying the city.[9]
Bumblebee appears in the Robot Chicken episode "Junk in the Trunk". In the segment he is in, he is whipped by a towel used by Grimlock in the locker room and later appears at Optimus' bedside before he dies of prostate cancer. Seth Green voices Bumblebee in the episode "Tell My Mom". Sam Witwicky finds him in Bobby Bolivia's used car lot and they go on an adventure, while Scooter is the only thing cheap in the lot. Bumblebee is portrayed as a fifth-generation Camaro instead of a yellow 1977 Camaro like in the beginning of the 2007 film.
Maggie Simpson appeared as Bumblebee in one opening sequence to The Simpsons alongside the rest of the Simpson family rendered as Autobots.
Classic Bumblebee was featured on the cover of Transformers Club Magazine #14.
Bumblebee appears among the characters in Re-Unification, the 2010 TFCon voice actor play prelude comic.[10]
At BotCon 2010, Hasbro named Bumblebee as one of the first five robot inductees in the Transformers Hall of Fame.[16]
Bumblebee joined the fight in armageddon by joining the Autobot's to defeat the Decepticon army, but somehow, along with all other Autobots he is killed during the war.
Bumblebee was the original name for the character Hot Shot. While Bumblebee himself did not appear, homages to Bumblebee do. The Armada character Perceptor is named Bumble (Bumblebee's Japanese name) in Japan. The Mini-Con Sparkplug is also a physical homage to the original Bumblebee.
Bumblebee's likeness has made brief appearances in Transformers: Energon. He is seen standing next to Rodimus in a picture with other members of Rodimus' group, with an Autobot flag in the background.
Bumblebee in the 2007 Transformers movie |
|
| Autobot | |
|---|---|
| Sub-group | Scout, Cyber Slammers, Deluxe Vehicles, Fast Action Battlers, Micro Vehicles, Supreme Vehicles, Human Alliance, Leaders |
| Function | Scout |
| Rank | 5 |
| Partner | Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Sam Witwicky, Skids, Mudflap, Sideswipe, Wheeljack, Mirage |
| Motto | "Don't worry about the size of the blaster-worry about the sting!"[17] |
| Alternate Modes | Entry mode protoform, 1977 Chevrolet Camaro, 2006 Chevrolet Camaro concept/2009 Chevrolet Camaro |
| Series | Transformers film series Transformers (2010) Transformers: Masterpiece |
| English voice actor | Mark Ryan (2007 film and 2009 video game), Bronco D. Jackson and Tony Gialluca II (Cyber Missions), Fred Tatasciore (2011 video game) |
Bumblebee makes an appearance as one of the Autobots in the live-action Transformers film trilogy. He retains some elements from his Generation 1 design, such as the iconic horn-like pieces in his head, which are articulated in the films. The cautious but brave Bumblebee was given a different alternate mode from his original G1 incarnation, instead of a Volkswagen Beetle, he transforms into a Chevrolet Camaro (the model year of which is upgraded in the first film). Director Michael Bay states in the special features of DVD 2 of the first film, that the change of Bumblebee's alternate mode was due to the fact that a Volkswagen Beetle reminded him of Herbie. Due to a battle injury, he is rendered effectively mute, and communicates through use of selected playback of radio and television signals. Though his original voice is restored at the end of the first Transformers film, he communicates solely through his radio in Revenge of the Fallen and alternates between his voice and his radio in Dark of the Moon. The biography for the Decepticon Hardtop figure states that he and Bumblebee are old rivals and it was not Megatron who damaged Bumblebee's vocal processor, but a shot from Hardtop's gun. This, however, is in almost direct opposition of the film's prequel.
Bay stated in an early interview that Bumblebee stands about 17 and a half feet tall,[18] but the official guide to the Transformers video game says he is 16 feet tall.
The vehicles used for Bumblebee, Ironhide, Jazz and Ratchet were put on display by General Motors at the 2007 Detroit River Walk Festival a little over a week before the U.S. release of the film.[19]
In Hot Rod magazine's Nov. 2006 issue, Bumblebee was a feature article. Originally a worn-out 1969 Camaro, producers settled on a 1977 model.[20] It is painted yellow with black stripes, primer and rust patches, riveted hood scoop, Cragar SS wheels up front, Eric Vaughn Real Wheels in the back, marine-grade vinyl seats, and even an eight-track player. The Camaro Concept model was built using a 2006 Pontiac GTO by Saleen, with the body built from the same GM R&D molds that were used in the original 2006 Camaro Concept. Early photos show that Bumblebee can transform his right arm into a plasma cannon and has missile launchers in his shoulders. In addition to his firearms, in the game Bumblebee can extend an axe-like "stinger" from his wrist, in a similar fashion to how Optimus releases his sword. Bumblebee uses this in close-quarters combat. This weapon was most notable in the video game. The 1977 Camaro movie vehicle was sold on eBay with a winning bid of U.S. $40,100.01.
As a tribute to the original form of Bumblebee, a yellow Volkswagen Beetle appears next to him at the car dealership. Bumblebee damages the Beetle in order to ensure that Sam purchases him. He also has a bee-shaped air freshener attached to his rear view mirror with the words "Bee-otch". The air freshener was the subject of a lawsuit for $850,000 due to its alleged resemblance to another design.[21]
Since his conversion from 1977 Camaro to 2006 Camaro Concept, Bumblebee's alternate mode continues to evolve throughout the film series. In Revenge of the Fallen, he sports a different set of alloy wheels (apparently, in the first two films are actually hubcaps made from composite to look like a set of wheel-disc brake [22] ) and a custom front bumper. For Transformers: Dark of the Moon, his color changes from yellow to amber with thicker black stripes that run across his hood, roof and trunk. In addition, he will have dark-colored rims and side mirrors, as well as a rear spoiler. Also, in Transformers Dark of the Moon, he has a sort of vehicle battle mode in which he can use his weapons in car mode without fully transforming and still being able to seat a driver and passengers.[23]
Bumblebee Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlZUoTp_jJU
IGN described Bumblebee's lubrication of Simmons as one of the worst moments of the Transformers movie.[24]
In Transformers: Defiance #1, back on ancient Cybertron, Bumblebee, and Cliffjumper are tasked to watch over the All Spark at the temple at Simfur. In issue #3, Megatron learns that Optimus has broken into his room and sends Bumblebee, Camshaft, Cliffjumper, Jazz, Prowl, and Smokescreen to arrest Optimus Prime for treason. Optimus demands to speak directly to Megatron, but while en route to Megatron's location, they are ambushed by Barricade, Brawl, Crankcase, Frenzy, Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker, under orders to kill them all. Smokescreen is able to cover Optimus and his group's retreat in the confusion of an explosion. In issue #4, Arcee, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Jazz, and Smokescreen ambush Ironhide, who they believed works for Megatron, but Ironhide instead joins Optimus Prime's Autobots. Arcee and Bumblebee later spy on the building of the Decepticon starship Nemesis.
The Transformers: Movie Prequel reveals that in the battle of Tyger Pax, Megatron's forces attack, searching for the All Spark. Bumblebee's squad (which includes Arcee) attempts to hold off the Decepticons, but are eventually overwhelmed. They are captured and tortured by Swindle, with Megatron intervening personally to torture Bumblebee for information. However, they refuse to speak long enough for Prime's secret plan to take effect - launching the All Spark into outer space. Megatron attempts to pursue it, but Bumblebee stops him. An enraged Megatron rips Bumblebee's arms off and crushes his voice capacitor, promising to seize the All Spark for himself eventually. Bumblebee recovers and is repaired, although his voice is damaged beyond repair. Bumblebee then volunteers to head into space to stop Megatron from acquiring the All Spark.
Eventually arriving on Mars in his protoform mode, Bumblebee then proceeds to Earth in 2003, his arrival tracked by the Hubble space telescope.
Upon landing in New York City, Bumblebee assumes the form of a beat-up Chevrolet Camaro, all the while avoiding the agents of the government organization known as Sector 7, who refer to him as NBE-2 (or Non-Biological Extraterrestrial 2). Bumblebee then downloads information on Captain Archibald Witwicky. Arriving at the asylum where he had once been incarcerated, he finds it now a dilapidated ruin. Damaged by a pursuing Barricade, he then finds All Spark-like emissions somewhere in New Mexico - unaware it is a trap set by Sector 7. However, their plan to capture him is thwarted when Starscream, Barricade and Blackout arrive. As the Decepticons shoot Sector 7's trap to pieces, Bumblebee escapes - unaware the Decepticons had let him go so that they could follow him and see what he knew about the All Spark. He is last seen in the series heading for Tranquility, Nevada - home of Captain Witwicky's descendant Sam.
In the comic adaptation of the film, Bumblebee downloads information on the internet about the Concept Camaro car and took on its form instead of driving past in a tunnel, as seen in the film.
He also appears in the official movie sequel comic called The Reign of Starscream.[25]
In Transformers: Alliance, the Autobots aid the human soldiers after the battle in Mission City, destroying the All Spark-powered machines that were created. After Ratchet finishes repairing Bumblebee's legs, a trailer is obtained for Optimus Prime to carry the remains of Jazz. The Autobots then leave Mission City before the Sector 7 personnel arrive to claim the remains of the Decepticons. About a month later, Epps and Lennox contact Optimus Prime, Ratchet and Ironhide about aiding them in escorting the remains of the Decepticons to the naval yard. Unknowingly they are spied on by Barricade, who transmitts the information to Starscream.
Bumblebee appears in Transformers: Tales of the Fallen #1, where Barricade kidnaps Sam in order to flush out Bumblebee and learn where the All Spark fragment is. Bumblebee saves Sam and fights Barricade, who escapes in the process.
Bumblebee appears in Transformers: Nefarious #1, set months after the events of the 2009 film. Bumblebee, Breakaway, Jolt, Knock Out and Dune Runner are sent to investigate spark fragments detected at Kingdom Petrochemicals. Arriving first, Breakaway is warned by Soundwave to leave, but unwilling to give in, the Autobot is swiftly defeated. Bumblebee and his team fire on Soundwave, who escapes.
The drone calling itself Brains runs into Bumblebee and Sam Witwicky in Philadelphia.[26]
Note: Events occurring in the alternate universe where Megatron won the battle of Mission City are in italics.
In "Twilight's Last Gleaming Part 3", Bumblebee attempts to take on Megatron in the Sector 7 base. Meanwhile, Mikaela attempts to free Optimus Prime, but she is attacked by Frenzy.
Bumblebee appears in issue #17 of the Titan Transformers Magazine, in a story called "Return to Cybertron Part 1". In this story, he is among the Autobots that go to Cybertron.
Bumblebee returns in issue #22 of the Titan Transformers Magazine series in a story called "The Decepticon who Haunted Himself."
Bumblebee also appears in the prequel novel Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday. Here, it is revealed he could still communicate with the other Autobots via digital link. Bumblebee is part of Prime's Autobot team searching for the All Spark, and is described as one of the Autobots' best scouts. He is sent after the human vessel Ghost-1 (reverse-engineered from studies of Megatron) to make contact, but is ambushed and forced underground by Starscream. Encountering giant rock-chewing worms, he is saved by Optimus Prime. Heading into the atmosphere once again, he and Ratchet took on Barricade, but are unable to stop Starscream from destroying the human vessel.
According to his extended biography from the Target store exclusive Robo-Vision web site, Hardtop came to Earth and discovered the Witwicky home before any of the other Decepticons, but was unable to attack the Witwickys because Bumblebee found him first and buried him under a hundred tons of rubble in the Rocky Mountains.
Bumblebee appears in the 2007 live-action Transformers movie, returning to his role as the friend of the Autobots' human ally - in this case, Sam Witwicky. Sam possesses the glasses of his great-great-grandfather Captain Archibald Witwicky, a famous explorer. Unknown to Sam, the glasses are engraved with the coordinates showing the location of the life-giving All Spark. Bumblebee is assigned to guard Sam from the Decepticons, and poses as a dilapidated 1977 Chevrolet Camaro as Sam and his father are buying a car for Sam. They eventually purchase Bumblebee, due in no small part to Bumblebee damaging every other car at the dealership to ensure his purchase. Later, Bumblebee drives away from Sam's home to summon the Autobots. Sam thinks Bumblebee is being stolen, and chases the car on his bike. Sam then witnesses Bumblebee transforming into robot mode and reports it to the police, who believe he is on drugs. Bumblebee returns to Sam and his crush Mikaela Banes and protects them from an attack by Barricade and Frenzy, earning Sam's trust. When Mikaela criticizes the poor condition of Bumblebee's vehicle mode, he scans a passing Camaro Concept and transforms into the same model. Bumblebee then drives Sam and Mikaela to an alley where they meet the other Autobots. They return to Sam's house and retrieve the glasses, but a secret government organization, Sector 7, arrests Sam and Mikaela. The Autobots attempt to rescue them but Bumblebee is captured and taken by Sector 7. There he is tested/tortured by the Sector 7 scientists using electric shocks that appear to hurt him. Sam eventually negotiates his release. Bumblebee survives the massive battle at the film's climax, although he loses the use of his legs after helping Ironhide deflect missiles from Starscream. With Mikaela's aid, he is able to rejoin the battle supported by a tow truck (later confirmed to be the Autobot Longarm), and destroys Brawl. After the battle, Bumblebee is fully repaired and asks to stay with Sam and is granted permission from both Sam and Optimus Prime. He is later seen alongside Ironhide, Ratchet, and Optimus watching the sunset while Sam and Mikaela recline on his hood at the end of the movie.
Bumblebee is voiced by Mark Ryan in the films, but he mostly speaks with his radio, having had his voice processor damaged (though his actual voice squeaks and whines laboriously through much of the movie). He also speaks with quotes from television shows and movies, in a way similar to Wreck-Gar from the 1986 film and season three of the G1 cartoon series. Screenwriter Roberto Orci explained Bumblebee regained his voice through the regenerative laser Ratchet fires at his neck as they meet, and it eventually works its magic by the end of the film. He agreed this was not made clear.[27] Frenzy is regenerated upon coming into contact with the All Spark, and so it is entirely plausible that Bumblebee's voice, along with his legs, is also healed by the All Spark, though no mention of this is made in the film. It was said that making Bumblebee mute was to show that his bond with Sam went beyond words.
Bumblebee also appears in the film's sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. When a fragment of the All Spark inadvertently turns the kitchen appliances in Sam's home into feral robots, Bumblebee intervenes to save him and his family. In doing so, he nearly destroys their house. He still uses his radio to speak, despite his vocal processors being repaired in the first film. However, he does respond half-way when Sam tells him to get in the garage by saying "whatever." Bumblebee shows excitement at the thought of going with Sam to college, only to be disappointed later when Sam tells him that he can not come. Because of the incident at the Witwickys' he is also forced to leave their garage. Soon after Sam begins his semester at college, Bumblebee follows him and tries to alert him to the Decepticon Pretender (named Alice) that is following Sam. As both Sam and Alice are riding inside Bumblebee, the Autobot attempts to warn Sam through his radio. Having failed at this, Bumblebee intentionally brakes hard multiple times and throws Alice around the interior in an attempt to damage the Pretender. Bumblebee then proceeds to spray lubricant over Alice, thereby embarrassing Sam and forcing Alice to flee.
Soon after Megatron and Scalpel begin to torture Sam, Bumblebee arrives alongside Optimus Prime to fight Megatron, Starscream and Grindor. After Optimus dies, Bumblebee arrives with Sideswipe, Ironhide and Ratchet to cover Sam's escape. As they mourn for Optimus, Sam tells Bumblebee that he has failed the Autobots, but Bumblebee tells Sam through his radio,..."You are the person I care for most in my life, and if there is anything you need I won't be far away..." After taking Sam, Mikaela, Leo and Simmons to the Smithsonian museum to reawaken Jetfire, Bumblebee then travels with the humans through a Space Bridge to Egypt (caused by Jetfire) along with Jetfire, the Twins Skids and Mudflap, and Wheelie to find the Matrix of Leadership. While the twins have a sibling argument (resulting in a fist fight) inside the ruins of Petra (which supposedly houses the Matrix when everyone thinks it is a dead end), Bumblebee breaks them up and tosses them out before seeing their fight. But once seeing the Tomb's entrance after the Twins' brawl reveals it, Bumblebee helps the humans enter it by blasting the rest of the wall off.
During the final confrontational battle, Sam and Mikaela inadvertently spring a trap set by Rampage (who uses Sam's parents as the bait). Bumblebee stays hidden from Rampage's sight, allowing Sam to put Rampage in a spot where Bumblebee can initiate a surprise attack. During the subsequent fight Ravage attacks him from behind and jumps on his back. After a brief struggle, Bumblebee gets a hold of Ravage and literally tears him apart with his hands, allowing him to finish off and kill Rampage. With Sam's parents free, Sam tells Bumblebee to take care of them, thus removing him from most of the final fight. After Sam is killed by Megatron, Bumblebee arrives with Sam's parents and sees Sam's body on the ground, he is heartbroken, overcome with sadness and stricken with sorrow, believing that he has failed in his duty to protect Sam, but is overjoyed to see him return. Bumblebee is among the remaining Autobots at the end of the film.
In Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Bumblebee no longer lives with Sam and goes on other missions with the Autobots such as dismantling a secret nuclear facility in the Middle East. When Sam arrives with Carly, Wheelie and Brains, Bumblebee saves them from the soldiers taking them captive. Bumblebee is reassigned to protect Sam and moves back in with him. Bumblebee later teams up with Dino/Mirage to take out Hatchet while trying to protect Sentinel Prime who later attacks him and the other Autobots. After Sentinel forces the Autobots' exile from Earth, Bumblebee sadly says goodbye to Sam and reunites with him in Chicago where he helps him rescue Carly and kill Laserbeak. After Sam kills Starscream, Bumblebee saves him and Lennox from a great fall. Bumblebee is captured by Soundwave and is nearly executed in front of Sam (telling Sam "we had a hell of a run") after Barricade executes Que before Wheelie and Brains save him at the cost of their own lives, allowing him to break free and attack Soundwave. Bumblebee battles Soundwave while the other Autobots fight the other Decepticons and proves more than a match for the Decepticon spy-master, even managing to kill another Decepticon during the fight. Finally Bumblebee knocks Soundwave off-balance with a shot to the leg, knocks his gun from his hand and uppercuts his cannon into his chest, firing at the same time, destroying Soundwave's head and killing him. Bumblebee fights Sentinel alongside the other Autobots and humans but is no match for him, but avoids injury. After Sam kills Dylan Gould, Bumblebee destroys the Control Pillar by crashing through it, shutting off the Space Bridge and destroying Cybertron and the remaining Decepticons. Bumblebee survives the battle and gives Sam a bunch of gaskets to use as rings while playing wedding music after Sam and Carly admit they love each other. Though Sam says to Bumblebee that he's thinking too fast. He replies by 'saying', "I'm just trying to help out."
In Cyber Missions 1, Bumblebee and Ironhide are protecting NEST Command when two Decepticons, Soundwave and Bludgeon invade the area. Ironhide goes outside to deal with Bludgeon, while Soundwave ambushes Bumblebee from inside. Bumblebee is easily thrown down by Soundwave. Bumblebee tries to fire a shot from his shoulder gun, but Soundwave redirects the acoustic energy back at him. Bumblebee deduces that he cannot deflect several rounds at once, and begins rapidly firing at Soundwave. The Decepticon is not able to take in so much, and finally falls. Later, Bumblebee traps Soundwave in a magnetically sealed bubble in Cyber Missions 2.
Bumblebee is a playable character, and is the most-used character in the Autobot campaign, where the character uses Bumblebee in nine missions in the Autobot campaign, out of the total 18. He is playable in both the old and new Camaro cars. Bumblebee also appears as a boss in the Decepticon campaign, with a radial blast attack.
Bumblebee is among the playable characters in the 2009 Revenge of the Fallen video game by Activision.[28]
The film version of Bumblebee is playable in Hasbro's Net Jet Transformers fighting game Transformers Battle Universe. Although other playable Transformers in the game have several incarnations featured, no other versions of Bumblebee are playable.
Bumblebee is among the characters who appear in the TRANSFORMERS CVBERVERSE Battle Builder Game.[29]
Bumblebee appears among the characters in Re-Unification, the 2010 TFCon voice actor play prelude comic.[30]
All toys of this character are officially licensed from General Motors.
This Bumblebee, later called Goldbug, is an evil alternate reality version of the Generation 1 Bumblebee.[101] Bumblebee was a young drifter. He survived on the streets of Polyhex with no real purpose. He became skilled at sneaking around, stealing, eavesdropping and blackmailing. He eagerly joined the Autobots in hopes of finding a place to belong and where his unsavory activities would be tolerated. When the war began, Bumblebee showed extreme bravery in battle and often sought ways to be noticed by command. In time, he worked his way up the ranks of the Autobots and when the Autobot Seeker Drench was destroyed, Bumblebee was offered to take his place. Bumblebee was then upgraded into Goldbug. Bumblebee would make no further appearances, however, an evil version of the Animated Bumblebee would appear at Botcon 2011, along with evil versions of Optimus Prime and Sari Sumdac.
Bumblebee in animated form |
|
| Autobot | |
|---|---|
| Sub-group | Activators, Deluxe Vehicles, Micro Vehicles |
| Function | Speedster |
| Rank | 6 (Hasbro), 5 (Takara) |
| Partner | Optimus Prime, Bulkhead, Grimlock |
| Motto | "Enough talk. It's time for action!" "Suh-weet!" "I'm so hot it hurts!" (Elite Guard) "I'm the fastest thing on wheels!" (Bumper Battlers) |
| Alternate Modes | Cybertronian car, Police modified Chevrolet Beat |
| Series | Transformers Animated Transformers: Universe |
| English voice actor | Bumper Robinson |
| Japanese voice actor | Daisuke Kishio |
Bumblebee appears in the Transformers Animated series in 2008 as a yellow Supermini police car (scanned from a vehicle driven by Detroit Police Captain Fanzone). The character of Bumblebee in Animated is described as a hot headed racing young Autobot who likes video games, making him more akin to Armada Hot Shot than the original Bumblebee. He does however retain the traditional warm-heartedness and human-friendly attitude of the original due to his friendship with Sari Sumdac and Bulkhead. Although considered childish and self-centered by many of his fellow Autobots, Bumblebee shows a loyal and caring side for his friends, and can be considered protective of Sari Sumdac, to the extent of blocking shots, blasts,and missiles from harming her. This was first shown in "Transform and Roll Out! Part 3" when he deflected a shot from Starscream that was aimed at Sari. The blast rendered him unconscious until Sari healed him with her Key. He is the kid-friendly character of the show.[102]
Bumblebee has a retractable face plate he uses when he goes into combat and a retractable weapon (called "energy stingers") in both hands. He can use the wheels on his feet in robot mode as motorized roller blades.
In the Japanese translation of Transformers Animated, the story has been changed to make it a prequel to the 2007 Transformers live-action film. This makes this version of Bumblebee an earlier version of the film character.
In the episode "Autoboot Camp", Bumblebee has flashbacks to his days as an Autobot trainee. During training, he met Bulkhead, Longarm, Ironhide, and Wasp. The group was under the command of Drill sergeant Sentinel Minor, who gave Bumblebee his name (after calling him a "bumbler"). Bumblebee would often say or do the wrong thing, resulting in the entire platoon receiving Transformation push-ups as a result, which made him unpopular with Wasp and Ironhide. One day, Bumblebee heard someone communicating with Megatron. Believing the traitor to be Wasp, Bumblebee (with help from Longarm) discovered evidence in Wasp's locker. For discovering the traitor, Sentinel was prepared to give Bumblebee Elite Guard membership. However, Bumblebee gave up that chance by taking the rap for Bulkhead, who had previously knocked a building onto Sentinel, and was about to be removed from training, joining his new friend as a Space Bridge technician. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were assigned to a Space Bridge repair ship under the command of Optimus Prime, along with Ratchet. Both he and Bulkhead were the first to encounter Prowl before he joins their group.
In the episode "Transform & Roll Out" the repair crew stumbled across the legendary Allspark, and were attacked by Megatron and his Decepticons. They barely escaped the Decepticons, but ended up crashing on Earth. Bumblebee and his fellow Autobots were stranded on Earth and he adopted an Earth car alternate mode. He met and became friends with the young human Sari Sumdac.
In episode five, "Total Meltdown", Bumblebee is coerced by Prometheus Black into fighting a bio-enhanced human, Cyrus "The Colossus" Rhodes. During the battle, some of his hydraulic fluid is spilled. Black experiments on the fluid, but accidentally spills it and breathes in the fumes, transforming him into the corrosive Meltdown.
In the episode "Nanosec", Bumblebee's self-proclaimed title as "fastest thing on wheels" is threatened by Nanosec, a super speedster crook on a deadly mission that could destroy all of Detroit. Bumblebee defeats him using new jet boosters, and some forward thinking.
In the episode "Along Came a Spider", Bumblebee is attacked by the Decepticon Blackarachnia, who absorbs his stinger powers for a brief period. (Also, in one of the Halloween scenes where Bulkhead and Bumblebee first see Halloween night, a boy can be seen walking in the far left-hand side wearing a Bumblebee costume.)
In episode 14, "Nature Calls", Prowl, Bumblebee and Sari get more than they bargained for when they head out to the remote woods to investigate a mysterious Cybertronian energy signal. The signal comes from some mutant space barnacles latched on to Megatron's body. Before the barnacles are defeated, they infect Prowl, turning him into a zombie-like Transformer. Prowl ends up scratching Bumblebee somehow and infecting him with the barnacles as well. They are both saved by Sari using a hot water hose.
In the season finale, "Megatron Rising", Bumblebee gets a serious lashing out from Optimus and runs away to find Sari, but not before telling Prime that he is not much of a good leader, then disobeying Optimus to take on Starscream alone. He is overpowered even when Megatron uses a mechanical arm to throw Starscream outside. Starscream hits Bumblebee with a laser and sends him hanging for his life. Bumblebee is rescued by his fellow Autobots, and in the subsequent battle with the Decepticons, uses his greatest weapon - his obnoxiousness - to trick Blitzwing into changing into tank mode in mid-air, causing him to fall into Lake Erie.
In episode 20, "Garbage In, Garbage Out", Bumblebee and Sari get stuck with the job of helping Ratchet act nicer to people, and eventually run into a couple who a bear a strong resemblance to Spike and Carly Witwicky from G1 season 3, and Wreck-Gar, who Bumblebee thought was actually an Autobot.
In the episode after, "Velocity", Bumblebee participates in underground races in hopes of beating a mysterious blue race car. When the Decepticon Blitzwing arrives to recover an Allspark fragment, Bumblebee is assisted by the Blue racer.
In episode 22, "Rise of the Constructicons", he is grabbed by Mixmaster, who threatens the Autobots that if they ever want Bumblebee back 'online', the Autobots must give them (Mixmaster and Scrapper) the fragments of the Allspark. Bulkhead complies, after which they throw Bumblebee on the ground, have a drink of oil, and run off. However, Bulkhead had given them explosive oil, and the Constructicons lost their memories. They ran off after Bulkhead threatened them, after which the Autbots retrieved the Allspark fragments.
In the episode "SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy", Bumblebee attempts to apprehend Detroit's new crime society, and the Decepticon Swindle by himself. When Swindle betrays the Society and freezes all technology in Detroit, Bumblebee is forced to team up with the criminals to stop him.
During "Autoboot Camp", he and Bulkhead try to find the source of a scrambled transmission sent by Issac Sumdac and nail Megatron and the double agent on Cybertron, whom Bumblebee thinks is Wasp. While searching, Bumblebee and Bulkhead have a fight, but they eventually make up later, even though they were close to Megatron's hideout. Then Bumblebee chats with Longarm about the transmission and is assured that Wasp would be found. However, in the "A Bridge Too Close" two-parter when the Autobots are captured by the Decepticons, Longarm reveals that he is actually the real double agent, assuming his true form while taunting Bumblebee with the realisation that Wasp was innocent, and therefore imprisoned for nothing. He also finds out that the blue race car in "Velocity" was actually an Autobot Elite Guard intelligence agent, Blurr, who was sent to keep watch on him and the rest of Optimus' crew.
In "Transwarped," Bumblebee is first seen traveling back to the plant, then going back to the mines to find some space bridge parts. After finding the plasma dynamic thruster, Bumblebee is sent to a dark part of some galaxy, then to a lighter part where meteor like aliens live, and one eats him. After he gets back to Earth, he and the other Autobots try to control a teenage Sari after she loses control of her new form. In an attempt to save her, he gets stabbed, but thankfully, she missed his spark chamber, but he gets severely damaged anyway. After a while, Ratchet gets him back on his feet. After that, Omega Supreme comes to Earth, under the control of Megatron. During the battle, Ratchet upgrades his stingers back to battle grade level to fight Megatron and Starscream. He then gets a boost from Bulkhead and using his boosters, gets the plasma dynamic thruster to Optimus and send Omega on a trip to several parts of space.
In "Where is Thy Sting?", Bumblebee is ambushed by Wasp, who ignores his explanation of why he thought he was the spy as he swaps their helmets, paint jobs, and voice synthesizers. When the Elite Guard arrive on earth, they try to arrest Bumblebee, believing him to be Wasp. However, Bumblebee is able to convince them of the truth, by playing against Wasp at a game of Ninja Gladiator, forcing Wasp to retreat. In "Predacons Rising", after losing Wasp when Swoop snatches him, Optimus explains to Bumblebee that he as responsible for Wasp as Shockwave is. Later, when the two Autobots arrive with Bumblebee crashing into the reformatted Waspinator, Bumblebee managed to apologize for his actions, though Waspinator yells he has no intention of ever forgiving him and attempts to kill him before he suffers the side effects of his evolution. Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots abandoned Blackarachnia's lab when Waspinator's transwarp energies grew to critical excess mass, seemingly expunging him and Blackarachnia.
In "Human Error", the Autobots celebrate Christmas Eve by drinking some oil-nog before going into stasis sleep. When they wake up, they discover that they have become humans. Bumblebee takes the form of a dark-skinned pre-teen boy. It is discovered later on the episode that this is an elaborate plot by Soundwave, Laserbeak and Ratbat to trap the Autobots into a virtual reality world and brainwash them to obey his command.
In the series finale, during a rescue mission to save Arcee, who was on the moon, Bumblebee manages to settle the score with Shockwave before he and Bulkhead put him under arrest. After the Autobots learn of Prowl's ultimate sacrifice, they take the sparkless body of Prowl and the captured Megatron, Lugnut, and Shockwave to Cybertron. On their arrival home, they are greeted and cheered on by the other Autobots for their victory over the evil and malevolent leader of the Decepticons.
Bumblebee appeared in the 2008 BotCon voice actor play "Bee in the City", voiced by Bumper Robinson. In this story Professor Sumdac attempted to create a teleportation system to get the Autobots to Cybertron, but an interaction with Sari's key ended up transporting Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Sari to Transtech Cybertron, where they met Flareup and his friends were detained by Shockwave while he was deemed not a threat. Bumblebee teamed up with transformer named "Joe" to help him and Flareup get their friends. But after Joe exposed himself as a Megatron and uses Sari's key to create an army to begin a reign of terror, Bumblebee pointed out the world's bureaucratic nature that resulted in a mutiny. Afterwards the Autobots and Sari returned to their own dimension.
Set shortly after the events of "Total Meltdown" is the Transformers: Animated comic issue #2 by IDW Publishing. In it, Bumblebee and Prowl apprehend the Angry Archer as the villain attempts to steal money from a used car salesman. In doing so, they reveal the holographic trickery of the Detroit super hero known as The Wraith. With the secret of his power revealed, The Wraith loses much of the respect he used to command in Detroit. The Wraith attempts to stop Cyrus "The Colossus" Rhodes from escaping prison, but is unable to fool the villain now that the secret is public, forcing the Autobots to stop Rhodes and making The Wraith look foolish. The Wraith then attempts to discredit Bumblebee at a college football game by trapping the Autobot with a car boot and using his holograms to make a fake Bumblebee attack the stadium. Bumblebee eventually escapes and the other Autobots help capture The Wraith before having him placed in a mental institution.
Bumblebee is one of the 5 playable characters in the 2008 Transformers Animated video game for the Nintendo DS.[103][104]
Generations Bumblebee toy |
|
| Autobot | |
|---|---|
| Sub-group | Deluxe Vehicles |
| Function | Autobot Scout |
| Rank | 5 |
| Partner | Arcee, Bulkhead, Raf Esquivel, Jack Darby |
| Alternate Modes | Cybertronian car, Earth muscle car |
| Series | Transformers: Generations Transformers: Prime |
| English voice actor | Johnny Yong Bosch (video game) |
Bumblebee is one of the main group of Autobots in the 2010 computer animated series Transformers: Prime.[123]
Being one of the smallest of the Autobots, Bumblebee uses his size for espionage and reconnaissance. Before he was the silent warrior he is today, Bumblebee was a nonstop chatterbox, charged with carrying the most vital Autobot communications. He was a fearless infiltrator of enemy lines who stuck to the shadows and faded into the background despite his bright yellow armor. His spirit was unbreakable and his friendly humor was invaluable during the first dark days of the war.
Bumblebee appears in the novels Transformers: Exodus and Transformers: Exiles.
Bumblebee losing his voice was the focus of the short story Bumblebee at Tyger Pax By Alex Irvine.[124]
Bumblebee appears as a playable character in the 2010 video game Transformers: War for Cybertron. In the Autobot campaign, he is first seen racing across the war-torn streets of Iacon in search of Optimus. Upon rendezvousing with Optimus, he relays the message of Zeta Prime's death at the hands of Megatron; after which, he joins Optimus and Ratchet in their resistance against the Decepticons on the planet.
Bumblebee will appear in the 2012 video game sequel Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.
Bumblebee appears in the pilot episode of the series responding too late to a call for help from Cliffjumper, who is captured by the Decepticons and killed.[125]
He was assigned to be the guardian of the human child Raf Esquivel.
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