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Bumblebee (Transformers)

Bumblebee is a fictional robot character appearing in the many continuities in the Transformers franchise. The character is a member of the Autobots, a group of sentient, self-configuring, modular extraterrestrial robotic lifeforms.

This article is about the character from the Transformers franchise. For the 2018 film, see Bumblebee (film).

Bumblebee/B-127

English:

Japanese:

Autobot

Bumble/Goldbug

Minicars, Throttlebots, Pretenders, Action Masters, Go-Bots, Deluxe machines

Espionage, Espionage Director, Spy, Scout

7

Brawn, Cliffjumper, Optimus Prime, Spike Witwicky, Chip Chase, Pipes, Tailgate, Swerve, Warpath, Huffer, Cosmos, Powerglide, Gears, Outback

  • "The least likely can be the most dangerous." (Bumblebee)
  • "To know others you must know yourself first." (Goldbug)
  • "Data is power." (Classic)
  • "Sting like a bee."

Cybertronian Car, Volkswagen Beetle, Suzuki Swift, muscle car

In the original line of toys and in the animated series, Bumblebee is a small yellow Volkswagen Beetle. In the live action movies, he has appeared as vehicles inspired by the Chevrolet American muscle cars – with the live-action film versions being a yellow Camaro with black racing stripes. The original vehicle-mode design was based on a classic European Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle.[1] The character is named after the bumblebee, a black-and-yellow striped insect which inspired his paint scheme. Bumblebee is a fan-favorite character and he appears in most of the series and later becomes the main protagonist in Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Bumblebee, and Transformers: Cyberverse. Bumblebee has also taken the form of a 1977 second generation Camaro, later appearing as fifth generation Camaro in the 2018 film, Bumblebee.

Transformers: Armada[edit]

Bumblebee is the Japanese name of Perceptor in Transformers: Armada. The Mini-Con Sparkplug was also based on the original Bumblebee, while Hot Shot was in fact going to be named Bumblebee but had his name changed due to trademark reasons.

Bumblebee

Autobot

Rodimus's crew

Car

English:

Japanese:

Autobot

Scout, Cyber Slammers, Deluxe Vehicles, Fast Action Battlers, Micro Vehicles, Supreme Vehicles, Human Alliance

Guardian, Scout, Second In Command (AOE), Autobot leader (TLK)

5

Optimus Prime, Hot Rod, Cliffjumper, Arcee, Jazz, Ratchet, NEST, Charlie Watson, Sam Witwicky, Mikaela Banes, Carly Spencer, Skids, Mudflap, Sideswipe, Jolt, Wheeljack, Mirage, Ironhide, Hound, Crosshairs, Strafe, Drift, Wheelie, Brains, Cade Yeager, Tessa Yeager, Shane Dyson, Izabella, Sir Edmund Burton, Viviane Wembley, Noah Díaz

"Don't worry about the size of the blaster-worry about the sting!",[15] "The least likely can be the most dangerous.", "I Sting like a bee!"

Entry mode protoform, Mercedes-Benz 770, Volkswagen Beetle, 1977 Chevrolet Camaro, 2006 Chevrolet Camaro concept/2009 Chevrolet Camaro / 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS/2014 Chevrolet Camaro concept/custom-built 2016 Camaro ZL1

IDW Publishing[edit]

In Transformers: Defiance #1, back on ancient Cybertron, Bumblebee, and Cliffjumper are tasked to watch over the AllSpark 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 AllSpark 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 AllSpark 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 AllSpark-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 transmits 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 AllSpark 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]

Titan Magazines[edit]

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."

Books[edit]

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.

Target Robo-Vision[edit]

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.

Video games[edit]

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.[27]


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 CYBERVERSE Battle Builder Game.[28]

Other media[edit]

Bumblebee is one of the Autobots featured in Transformers: The Ride 3D at Universal Studios theme parks. In the ride, Bumblebee disembodies Ravage while Evac escapes from the Decepticon attack on N.E.S.T. headquarters. Towards the end of the ride, Bumblebee saves Evac from falling off a building after Evac kills Megatron with the AllSpark shard.


Bumblebee appears in the episode of Robot Chicken called "Tell My Mom", voiced by Seth Green. Sam Witwicky finds Bumblebee 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.


During the final battle of the 2017 Power Rangers film, the Red Ranger, while piloting his T-Rex Zord, accidentally steps on a yellow Camaro of a similar model as the live-action Bumblebee. He throws the car at an army of Putties and shouts, "Sorry, Bumblebee!" as the car makes impact.

Bumblebee

Autobot

Activators, Deluxe Vehicles, Micro Vehicles

Speedster

6 (Hasbro), 5 (Takara)

Optimus Prime, Bulkhead, Grimlock

  • "Enough talk. Let's roll"
  • "Suh-weet!"
  • "I'm so hot it hurts!" (Elite Guard)
  • "I'm the fastest thing on wheels!" (Bumper Battlers)

Cybertronian car, Police modified Chevrolet Spark EV

Autobot

Convention Exclusives, Deluxe Vehicles

Espionage

8

Grimlock, Jazz and Optimus Prime

"The least likely is always the most dangerous."

Chrysler ME Four-Twelve

Lists of Transformers characters

10-foot (3 m) tall sculptures of Bumblebee and Optimus Prime in Washington, D.C.

Transformers (sculptures)

G1 Bumblebee on the Transformers Wiki