Soundwave (Transformers Animated)



Soundwave is a recurring antagonist in Transformers Animated.

Season 1
In Sound and Fury, Soundwave was created as a toy by Megatron, who asked Isaac Sumdac to give it as a toy to his daughter Sari as a birthday present. Megatron knew Sari would use her AllSpark key on Soundwav,e which would allow him to upgrade, to become Megatron's new body. However, the upgrades actually made Soundwave self-aware, and he concluded that machines should be the masters of the world and humans would be an ideal slave force. Megatron decided to recruit Soundwave. Megatron convinced Soundwave to join the Decepticons, asking him to take control of the machines in Detroit and steal the AllSpark Key, and told him the Autobots' sympathy to humans made them enemies.

Once convinced, Soundwave upgraded himself into a transforming body using controlled robots, proclaiming himself to be a Decepticon, and began his task. He started taking over all the robots in Detroit, using Tutor Bot to kidnap Sari. The revolution of the robots was quickly opposed by the Autobots. When Bulkhead came to rescue Sari, Soundwave blasted him with a sonic blast. Soundwave then appealed to Bulkhead to join the revolution, reminding him how Bulkhead had been replaced by Soundwave himself. Bulkhead played along, then used his wrecking ball to shatter Soundwave.

Unknown to all others, Soundwave still functioned as a small piece.

Season 3
Soundwave returns again in Human Error, accompanied by Laserbeak and Ratbat, and gained control of an army of Sound Wave toys. One such toy was among the wrapped gifts at the Autobot base. This toy freed himself from his packaging where he proceeded to poison the Autobots' oilnog which made the Autobots eager to take a stasis nap. Hoping to reprogram them into Decepticons, Soundwave plugged the sleeping Autobots into a virtual world where they were led to believe they had been turned into humans and facing the Decepticons. After the Autobots realised the illusion, Soundwave accelerated the process, despite Sari's interference.

While Sari's intterference had impeded the reprogramming, Soundwave deployed a back-up plan: using the toys, Soundwave brainwashed every human in Detroit, ordering them to destroy the techno-organic Sari. Soundwave then turned his attention back to the Autobots, however Prowl had freed himself using his "processor-over-matter" technique but Soundwave quickly rectified this and returned the virtual Autobots into their human bodies. Exploiting their desire to escape from his trap, Soundwave entered the virtual world with an oddly-coloured avatar and led them into another trap where their reprogramming was completed.

Facing Sari's "Substitute Autobots", Soundwave was at an advantage against the outmatched group using the reprogrammed Autobots. However, when they changed tactics and focused on individual attacks, Soundwave found himself disoriented as he tried to control five at once. Soundwave was able to regain the upper hand when the substitute Autobots took out all but one of the reprogrammed Autobots: leaving him with full control over Optimus Prime. However, Prowl broke free of Soundwave's control using processor-over-matter and disabled Soundwave's control over his comrades. Soundwave then deployed Ratbat to deal with Prowl and fought with Optimus Prime, who then grabbed Laserbeak and forced him to transform back into keytar mode. Soundwave called Ratbat back to him in keytar mode and the two tried to counter each other's harmonics. Optimus then destroyed Soundwave and Ratbat with his own guitar. Laserbeak rescued Soundwave's remaining functional piece and flew off.

Trivia

 * Sousnwave's control of machines bares resemblance to the Matrix series episode, "The Second Renaissance".