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What happens when someone must give something up in order to protect it?
Does his resolve falter?
Does he crumble underneath the weight of sacrifice?
Or does his spark remain strong ready to do whatever is necessary?
These are strong questions pertaining to 1 of the most conflicted, but fierce robots.
His name is Bumblebee,
this is his origin story.
(Epic Music)
What's up you guys? My name is RBG and welcome to my video segment, Transformers Movie Universe History.
In a previous episode did a video covering the origins of Jazz.
We're close to 20K views on that video so I have to say thanks to all who took time to watch and even rate.
That really motivates me to do more.
As mentioned in all my videos that I myself am well aware of the hate the Bay films receive and have to agree that most of it is warranted.
But I wanna take you guys on a journey and show you some of the positives this universe has to offer
because if we're gonna be honest there are certain characters in the films that don't get their just due.
Just a heads up if you haven't seen the movies or read the comic book material used in this video, it will come off a bit spoilerish.
So be advised.
In today's episode we'll be uncovering the origins of our cautious but brace little Autobot, Bumblebee.
This is a video that I've been getting requests on the most and I've been a little hesitant on if I wanted to drop it due the major retcons Hasbro have been giving the films.
Since them and Paramount have been going on about having their own expanded Transformers Cinematic Universe,
I know it'll inevitably be changed going into Bumblebee's solo movie.
But hey what continuity isn't screwed around in the live action movies nowadays?
Anyways I'm excited to talk about our favorite Autobot scout because the movies seem to be his hot spot.
For the longest time 1 could not simply not mention THE Optimus Prime when talking about Transformers.
That's essentially still the case when it comes to the popular franchise but nowadays fans and even casuals sing a different tune when the series is brought up.
And that's the fact that you can't talk about Transformers without mentioning Bumblebee.
As bad as the Bayverse was and for the most part still is, it's single handlely changed the infrastructure for not only the character of Bumblebee
but also the way the franchise will be presented going forward.
Now I'm not saying that the little bug that could didn't already have a pretty substantial following during his original G1 run.
It's obvious that his fan base was strong enough to keep him from being offed in the 86 movie
since the corporate heads at Hasbro wanted to wiped out the original cast just to usher in new toys.
But it's just something about live action movies that takes what we already like about our favorite comic book/cartoon characters and dials them up to 1000.
For example, take Iron Man.
He was always a pretty cool superhero who garnered a lot of attention but he wasn't on the level of more known Marvel compatriot, Spider-Man.
But due to the overwhelming response he's gotten in the films, he's become 1 of if not the most popular superheros and has even become the face of Marvel.
This has boosted his comic book sales and it seems like every iteration can't go without giving a little splash of Robert Downey Jr. to his personality.
This lightning in a bottle effect can be said for Bee.
He's gotten so big that his toy sales have gone on to rival that of his Autobot captain.
The Bay film version of this character just brought a huge gust of fresh air that's pretty much become apart of who he is going into other incarnations.
From the now sportier look. To the car doors creating the illusion that he has Bee wings in his robot mode.
To the radio communicator voice box.
These new additions have transitioned over smoothly into other Transformers lore,
most noticeably in Aligned Continuity like the TF Prime series and onward.
Not only that but the movies for the most part helped secure the name Bumblebee
because for the longest time fans hadn't anything about him since his G1 run in the show and comics.
And that's because Hasbro originally lost the rights to the name.
But thanks in part to Hasbro and Paramount the trademark was resecured and the rest was history.
But anyways we have a lot to be thankful for with this rendition because a newer version can always take what made this 1 great and add on something potentially greater.
I think that's what makes the TF franchise unique as a whole because each version is able to utilize certain assets from each iteration.
1 thing that I know for sure is that the movies have done a fine job of keeping that mystical appeal between man and machine, and best friend.
In my opinion Bee plays as a sort of avatar of a kid and how they'd react to certain situations if they were a giant *** kicking robot.
But anyways let's stop wasting time and go ahead & jump into the mysterious past of our little Transformer that could.
For my references I'll be using the IDW movie based comics.
This includes the Transformers: Movie Prequel & Defiance issues.
I'll also be using the Foundation & Alliance comics to flesh out some of the smaller details.
Bumblebee was born over 10,000 years ago, one of the second generation of Cybertronians spawned by the AllSpark since its rediscovery and the revitalization of Cybertron.
The AllSpark was responsible for creating the planet Cybertron and the first entities that inhabited it,
a race of massively powerful trans-dimensional beings that became known as the Dynasty of Primes.
As the millennia rolled by, the Transformers would form a new society, and the tales of the Primes and the AllSpark would slip into legend.
The cube itself was forgotten, lost beneath the surface of the planet,
and without a supply of energy regularly being harvested for it, Cybertron's energy began to diminish,
leading to factionalization and tribal warfare amongst the Transformers.
Eventually, one of the Primes' descendants, Sentinel Prime, gathered a small group of loyal followers, including Optimus and Megatron, and together, they scoured the depths of Cybertron for the cube.
The AllSpark was discovered beneath the city of Simfur and unearthed, prompting an attack by Sentinel's most violent opponents, the Thetacons.
During the battle, technical genius Wheeljack used a device to warp space and time, teleporting a sun from across the galaxy into Cybertronic space.
Rather than sacrifice the sun as the legends claimed was required,
Sentinel gambled that mere proximity to the star would be enough for the cube to re-energize itself... and he was correct.
The AllSpark was revitalized, and new life flooded into Cybertron as hostilities came to an end in the face of the truth that Sentinel had been right all along.
The Thetacons constructed a temple around the AllSpark, as a way of making amends for their aggression.
Evidently, the Transformers declined to plumb the depths of the AllSpark's knowledge; it was said to contain the only recorded history of Cybertron,
but to the Transformers, the AllSpark was the source of life, and that was all that mattered.
Some time later, by which point leadership of Cybertron had shifted to an uneasy joint rulership between Optimus and Megatron,
the Simfur Temple had come to be guarded by Bumblebee and his longtime buddy and lookalike, Cliffjumper.
"So let me get this straight, Cliffjumper. Optimus and the Big Bots would rather dig up something than figure out why the Allspark is freaking out?"
"They're called energy spikes, Bumblebee. They've happened before, just not with this frequency."
"Besides, whatever it is that they've found, it must be important."
"Yeah, important. Right. More than this?"
Bumblebee was troubled by the fact that planetary leaders Optimus and Lord High Protector Megatron were more concerned with a nearby archaeological excavation than with the source of the spikes.
Cliffjumper tried to get him to calm down when the he got anxious from just sitting around.
"Are you mad that you're not there? Is that what this all about? Not all of us can fight alongside the others. We're tasked to Optimus' group, and we'll carry out our orders. Do you understand?"
"Guess I'm just nervous."
Cliffjumper wraps his arm around his comrade and says
"What, you don't think you and I can handle anything that may come our way? We're just about ready to join the defense forces if you ask me."
"But you might be just as bored there. Unless you like patrol duty, nothing much happens."
"I'd just say be patient..and let the action come to you."
However Cliffjumper would regret his words, as hostile aliens attacked Cybertron, and the pair were quickly pinned down under heavy fire.
"Let action come to me"...I didn't realize you could see the future." says Bumblebee
"I can't, otherwise I'd tell you how you were going to get out of this."
"What about Ironhide? He knows what to do."
"You could send cosmos, and I'd be happy. Just get us somebody!"
Relief finally came in the form of Megatron, who quickly slagged several of the attacking craft.
"You call yourselves guardians, yet you cower in fear, unwilling to take the fight to the enemy. You disgrace your very names."
Megatron proceeded to berate the two Autobots
"No wonder Optim-..."
and WHAM! he's blasted in the chest by an incoming tank missile.
And in a blind rage he retaliates and rams the alien vessle, tearing it to pieces with his mace.
Instructed to stay out of the military's way, Bumblebee was concerned
His ambition ignited by the mysterious relic discovered at the archaeological dig, a power-hungry Megatron sought to have Optimus disposed of
and sent a team led by Prowl—including Bumblebee—to apprehend him on charges of treason.
"Optimus! Optimus, stand down!"
yells Prowl
"You're to be detained. Per orders from Megatron."
As he notices he's outnumbered Optimus looks up and asks
"Detained?! For what?"
"For treason."
Optimus Primes moves closer to the lieutenant and asks
"How can that be, Prowl? How have I committed treason against my brothers? Tell me!"
"Ease back, Optimus"
says Bumblebee as he points his blaster at the newly anointed Prime.
"We're just following orders."
"You're right um--"
"Bumblebee, Sir"
"You're right, Bumblebee. My quarrel is NOT with you. Take ME to Megatron then."
What 'Bee and the other security officers didn't know, however, was they were being led into a trap;
on the way to the city of Metrotitan, they were ambushed by soldiers loyal to Megatron, who had been ordered to kill them all, save Optimus.
"Bumblebee, you all right?"
"I'm okay, Smokescreen. What hit us?"
"It was an explosive round."
says Optimus Prime
"There are a number of energy lines that were damaged in the invasion. This city is unstable-and the perfect spot for an ambush. We have to get out of here. Now."
Bumblebee helped haul Arcee to safety after the group was hit and Optimus ordered them all to withdraw to Burthov while he took care of their attackers personally.
After it was learned that Megatron had rebuilt his Defense Force as an army known as the "Decepticons",
Optimus organized Bumblebee and the others loyal to him to stand against Megatron's forces as the "Autobots".
While on an apparent scouting mission, Bumblebee and Arcee discovered the Decepticon starship Nemesis while it was under construction;
it's new to me but I figured you might have guarded it nope
never did I've never seen that before I'm getting a lot of images of it though
it's the biggest thing I've ever seen on this planet by far we better tell Prime
I'm glad the new name is sticking I swear there's got to be something
special about him sometime later when the vessel was complete they also
observed that the majority of Decepticon forces boarded returning to the camp at
berth table they and all the Assemble Autobots watch to see nemesis took off
with the bulk of the Decepticons gone the Autobots launched their first strike
against two former Defence Force and the war between the two faxes truly began at
the years of war with no end in sight how much longer can our planet Endor
said Optimus the war it's killing Cybertron I believe I have
a solution my experiments have come to fruition and I have created something
that would guarantee an end to this war Sentinel Prime revealed to Optimus Prime
Ironhide and their leader one that he had created a golden orb that would
decisively win the war Optimus went through with the idea as Sentinel said
he would allow for ending the war without more casualties the torch
required the Allspark to activate it so Ironhide led an assault on sentry temple
unfortunately Starscream blew up Sentinel ship and bumblebee retreated
with the rest of the Autobots however the battle had weakened Decepticon
forces to the extent that the Autobots were soon able to steal the Allspark
after moving the relic around the planet Optimus Prime finally made the desperate
decision to launch the Allspark into space to put it beyond Metatron's reach
this decision took bumblebee by surprise you
do what our ship has been ready for some time now
luckily the Decepticons never found it but now it's the time we use it now is
the time we take control of our destiny unfortunately the ship cannot hold us
all some will have to stay behind that is because of this situation that I must
ask for volunteers we are the remaining Autobots of
Cybertron we cannot fail we must win in three solar cycles we will make our move
our final move bumblebee was placed in a command of a small Autobot unit at the
auto Sparks hiding place in tiger pax on the assumption that the Decepticons will
focus their attention on SEM fer his mission was to delay Megatron while the
others made preparations none of our lives matter the Allspark is
all says Optimus with the Allspark new life can arise whether here or elsewhere
only a trusted few notice but preparations are underway to send the
Allspark into deep space better that then allow Lord Megatron to possess it
and corrupt it and you must do anything you can to give us the time we need to
make this happen anything remember as long as there is hope there is life
Megatron since - all sparks true location and bumblebee and his men found
themselves under attack by the Decepticon leader in his troops there's
no end to them they keep coming we've got to keep pushing forward last thing
we want us to get pinned down in there entrenchment says Arcee she's right
let's take the fight to them or let's make me fall back to a safer position
justice bee and his unit try to secure a safe spot they're knocked off carbide
missile yeah everyone's head still attached s1 will be he led two survivors
into a building and plan to lead the Decepticons in and sacrifice two
remaining Autobots to take out as many Decepticons
as possible let as many of them follow us in here as possible and then when all
seems lost target and check out the roof supports what yells Inferno you heard me
we have to stop the Decepticons and if it cost us our lives so be it I'm sorry
but we're out of options and out of time they take out the roofs of parts and it
collapses but the Decepticons survive they torch the remaining Autobots to
find out the Allspark location swindle begins his interrogation
u-unless she was to share his fate tell us what the Allspark is we know it's
here somewhere Lord Megatron since did the destruction
had severed my for lesser beings but not he I've got nothing to say to you
traitors you talk or your head put on a spike says a shadowy figure Megatron
oh no swinger nervously mutters Lord Megatron we almost had the icebox
location we go reverse Megatron says he picks Lee Scout up by his local
capacitor we have much to discuss the Allspark it calls to me with or
without your help I will have it now where is the old spark I I don't know I
couldn't tell you if I wanted to so I'm afraid your threats mean nothing what's
what me do I help with threats Megatron yells as he breaks off B's arm
and throws him across the room now talk or die I've tarried here long enough
the Allspark beckons to me sooner or later I'll find it it's just a matter of
time before Megatron could do war he hears the grumbling sound of the
Allspark being shot into space what's happening what is this the Allspark
prime you amazing fool even now you underestimate me in my interstellar jet
mode I can still reach the Allspark before it enters that Wormold I shall
prevail before Megatron can transform into his jet mode and follow one will be
trips him allowing the Allspark to speed away no not on my watch you you have
caused me the Allspark my job is done the Allspark is finally beyond your
reach for now perhaps rest assured though of this small ferret victory of
yours no word shall ever be uttered at Megatron questions bumblebees voice
capacitor and transforms to follow the Allspark although the young bot survived
and was dubbed a hero for his actions he feared that all the Autobots had done
was potentially spread their war to other worlds in time the Autobots left
Cybertron aboard the ark and searches the Allspark
after years of questing in 2003 bumblebee traced the Allspark to earth
solar system first touching down on Mars where his image was captured by the
Hubble Space Telescope and past a human organisation sector 7 landing on earth
in the state of Virginia be quickly invaded sector 7 by scanning a battered
old Camaro and making for st. Louis Missouri there he used a remote link to
a coffee shop computer to search swickle for any signs of extraterrestrial
sightings and discovered the story of Captain Archibald Witwicky who claimed
to have seen an Iceman that one will be recognized as a frozen Megatron having
thus obtained a list of wiki's descendants bumblebee set course for
Springfield Missouri in search of his son clearance evading an attack by
sector 7 along the way in Springfield he found records of Clarence's children and
started out to track him down starting with the eldest son Ben in Denver
Colorado Ben proved to be a dead end sobye took
off for tuscan only to be again attacked by sector 7 evading their helicopters by
blinding them and rocketing off at high speed not long after he learned that the
Decepticons that follow him to earth when he was attacked by barricade in the
desert escaping his various pursuers a damaged and smoky mom will be stopped by
the roadside on the way out of Colorado to rest and recover
suddenly detecting a burst of Allspark energy he traced the source to New
Mexico where barricade tracked him down and attacked once again other
Decepticons meanwhile attacked the energy source and found it to be a
sector 7 ruse consequently assuming bumblebee would have further lease they
could exploit Burk a let's one will be escaped so that they could be able to
covertly track his movements eventually be searched took him to
tranquility Nevada where he would soon encounter sound Witwicky whom he
befriended and allied with during the subsequent battle for the Allspark and
that my friends is where we'll have to end this origin story if you watched the
first movie in homeward you pretty much know how the rest of these adventure
unfolds I really enjoyed reading about what he was up to during the events on
Cybertron who was an awesome robot who wants to take action
actually make a difference this is something that I hope the future films
adapt as I mentioned earlier in the video I'm not sure if we'll even get a
fraction of what the movie prequel comics have set in stone since it's now
been revealed that he has this military background and went by the codename zb7
I'm thinking we could be going into a totally different direction but hey this
origin was nice while it lasts I just hope they continue to make the
character even more popular and actually show him getting his voice box destroyed
in some form of capacity but anyways what do you think of bumblebee his
origin story do you find it interesting does it help you appreciate the
expanding universe that debate films that present it let me know in the
comment section below as always I ask that you like or dislike the video it
doesn't have to be a thumbs up it can be a thumbs down any feedback is good
feedback and will only help me improve on future content and if you're
interested in more Transformers history videos like this one or just
transformers videos in general subscribe and hit that notification button to stay
updated I'm open for some more suggestions on transformers origins
stories so leave a comment but anyways this ship war RBG signing out on another
video I'll catch you guys later peace out