TRANSFORMERS: Revisiting the Characters of Generation 1 - SOUNDWAVE

 TRANSFORMERS:  Revisiting the Characters of Generation 1

"Cries and screams are music to my ears." - Soundwave, 1984.

DECEPTICON

Name - SOUNDWAVE

Function - Communications

Series Debut - 1984 / Wave 1

Sub-Group - None(1984), Action Master(1990)

"Hey... someone left their radio at the beach."

BACKGROUND...

    Marooned on Earth long ago after a Decepticon raid on an Autobot ship went awry, Soundwave was reactivated with both his allies and enemies in 1984.  The computer aboard the Autobot ship gave him the alt-mode of a Walkman cassette player, which was a very common accessory back then.  Soundwave used this form many times to infiltrate several various locations, including Autobot Headquarters.

    As the Decepticon's Communicator, Soundwave's audio receptors are extremely powerful which has lead to the belief that he can "hear a fly sneeze".  By scanning electrical brain impulses, Soundwave can also read minds.  He used this ability to discover the different weaknesses of the Dinobots.

    His abilities allow him to easily overhear conversations, including that of his Decepticon brothers.  He then can use such gathered information against them if he chooses.  This, along with his monotone demeanor, makes him quite unpopular.

    Soundwave commands and sometimes transports smaller Decepticons with cassette alt-modes.  He can dispatch them for various needs or functions.  Those under his command includes - Laserbeak, Rumble, Frenzy, Ratbat, Overkill, Buzzsaw, Ravage, Slugfest, Beastbox and Squalktalk.  He can call upon them for various functions.

    Soundwave's Tech-Spec gives him a bad reputation referring to him as an opportunist and saying he often blackmails his teammates to advance himself.  Yet, despite that, Soundwave appears pretty content with his status and role among the Decepticon forces.  In 2005, when his teammates were fleeing the Battle of Autobot City, Soundwave stopped and picked up the beaten Megatron.  As the others passed by their fallen Decepticon Leader, Soundwave personally carried him to the escape shuttle.

    A few years later, Soundwave was exposed to the mysterious chemical - Nucleon!  This chemical gives Transformers more power, but takes away their ability to convert.  In addition to his enhanced strength,  transmission range has increased and now can reach up to 2000 miles.  It was around this time that Soundwave teamed up with the Decepticon Wingthing, who transformed into his Concussion Cannon.

MY THOUGHTS...

    I still remember getting Soundwave (with Buzzsaw) as a gift Christmas morning in 1984.  It was a snowy, cold December that year in the midwest, yet I recall taking my figure outside.  My neighbor had just got Wheeljack, so the two had a brief battle in the snow.  That freaks my "collector mind" out to think about it now!  Ha ha!

    I didn't have many Transformers at the time, but I did have Frenzy and Laserbeak.  So it was cool to have Soundwave dispatching his minions or just deciding which one to store in him in cassette mode.

    Back then a cakemaker told my Mom she could put "anything" on a cake.  So for my birthday, I chose Soundwave!  I gave the lady the picture I had cut out from the front of the package.  I must have found her creative limit though as she only put Buzzsaw.  Still cool though!

    Soundwave may not have won any popularity contests with his comrades, but to us kids - he was the BEST!  One time, I remember a friend going to get something out of his locker at school.  He opened it up and he had Soundwave in Walkman mode, sitting on the top shelf.  It reminded me of the cartoon where the worker has him in his locker!  Maybe I'm silly, but I just thought that was cool!  Soundwave's awesomeness just grew as over the next few years, they kept adding new cassettes to build your Decepticon army.  What a fun Transformer, you couldn't go wrong with Soundwave!!!  

    Standing in for the original G1 figure is Soundwave from the R.E.D. Series and Kingdom Series!

Soundwave in the original G! Series catalog!

    (Information on the character's lore was taken from the Sunbow Transformers cartoon series, including the Movie and the figure's original Tech-Spec.)