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Character Information
Character Name: Soundwave
Fandom: Transformers (IDW)
Timeline: Upon his return to Megatron’s side; Before the events of All Hail Megatron
Source: As you command, Megatron.
Character History: Soundwave once served as the personal assistant to Autobot Senator Ratbat, in a time before the founding of the Decepticons.
When the Senator took an interest in the emergence of underground gladiatorial battles in Kaon, it was Soundwave who was selected to speak on his behalf. Of course, this act was ignoring the obviously illegal nature of these matches, as the corrupt Ratbat wished to use the power of the fighters to his own benefit; Soundwave’s mission was to offer Megatron, a warrior who appeared in nearly every recorded match, promises of funding and advanced technology and weaponry - so long as he ‘used them as he saw fit.’
However, his meeting with Megatron was rudely interrupted by two Autobot law enforcers, who Soundwave easily captured with the help of Laserbeak and Ravage, two of his smaller robot companions (often referred to as ‘Cassetticons’). After invading their processors and extracting the necessary information about their purpose there, he left them to their grisly fate at Megatron’s hands.
Following this incident, Soundwave continued to aid the gladiator as he would have the senator; even managing to find him three flight-capable warriors - Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp. It is unclear exactly when his allegiances shift, but starting at this point in the story, Soundwave sets himself up to be Megatron’s right hand, seen more often in his ranks than in the company of his original employer.
As Megatron plans a surprise attack on the Senate, he has two of the bots who worked with him at the Energon mine reformatted into cassette form, ordering them to work with Soundwave. The two are hidden away in his chest along with Ravage and Laserbeak, their presence unnoticed by all others - even when the gathering is taken into custody, by order of Sentinel Prime.
While the others are imprisoned under various criminal charges, Soundwave is released by order of the Senate - He is still considered to be Ratbat’s man, his alliances with Megatron thought to be feigned on his behalf. What they had not considered, was that this was another aspect of Megatron’s plan - and along with the seemingly traitorous Starscream, the pair devastated the Autobot senate.
After releasing the Decepticons and all others who were held imprisoned, Soundwave reunited with Senator Ratbat. After a brief conversation, he reveals his true allegiance - and shoots his former master through the chest, trapping his spark into one of his cassettes.
In the aftermath of Kaon, Soundwave can be seen at Megatron’s side - the beginning of a long career as Communications Officer for the Decepticons. He is considered one of Megatron’s most loyal, and often sent to spy on the others of his forces - such as Bludgeon.
When the Decepticon is ordered to follow up on all of Shockwave’s research projects, Soundwave is assigned to keep an optic on him. In 1984, he followed Bludgeon to Earth, where he had set up his new base, at the core of Mount St. Helen’s. Hiding in his alternate form of a cassette player, he kept close tabs on their operation at a construction site, discovering their plans to continue Shockwave’s project ‘Regenesis.’
Finally confronting them at their base of operations, Soundwave learned that his initial observations had been incorrect - What he had thought was a plan to harvest a new form of Energon was in fact a ploy to revive the fallen Thunderwing. Calling Ravage and Laserbeak to his aid, Soundwave is shot with an experimental weapon that forces him back into his cassette player form - effectively trapping him inside the mountain when it was detonated, and allowing the other Decepticons to escape.
Several years later, Ravage and Laserbeak are recovered by a team from Skywatch, and the seemingly useless old music technology is sold to a pawnshop. While the two Cassetticons are reprogrammed by the covert agency, Soundwave himself is purchased by an unwitting human body named Jimmy.
Skywatch attempted to use the pair in order to track other Transformers, so they might capture one - but their signal is blocked by the former Communications Officer, who is still trapped in his tape deck alt mode. When he is rescued by Ravage and Laserbeak, he informs them that he is hardly able to keep Skywatch from controlling them, thanks to his weakened state.
Hiding at the mountain where he was originally defeated, they are confronted by the missing Shockwave, who offers to make a deal with the trio - which one can assume is how Soundwave is returned to his proper form, as he is seen one year following at the side of Megatron once more.
Character Personality: At first glance, it is very easy to assume that Soundwave has no personality. He speaks entirely in monotone and has all the charisma of a nineties Mac desktop. He displays very little emotional reaction to anything - aside from the odd laugh (or even grieving, as he did for Rumble after she was deactivated in New York), and these instances are few and far between. For the most part, his no-nonsense, factual demeanour is reminiscent of a data computer - he delivers only the necessary information with formal efficiency.
However, if that were the only aspect of Soundwave, he would not be almost unanimously disliked by the Decepticon ranks.
Soundwave is recognized as one of Megatron’s most reliable and loyal soldiers; a position he works hard to maintain, even through less than honourable means. As a Communications Officer, he is sure to ‘overhear’ even the most treasonous of remarks, and records them for his own benefit. His amassed information is then used for blackmail purposes - not to mention, to keep himself in Megatron’s good graces. Most of his fellow Decepticons would love to leave him behind on the battlefield, if they didn’t already know that the wrath of Megatron would await them upon their return.
Powers: Soundwave has been gifted with possibly the most useless alternate form in the history of Cybertron. Originally a Cybertronian vehicle, he reformatted to an eighties style portable cassette player upon his arrival on Earth. Unlike his animated self, IDW!Soundwave’s alternate form does not seem capable of movement in this state, and relies on others - usually, his Cassetticons - to transport him.
Soundwave is a skilled hand to hand fighter, capable of holding off Autobots with or without weapons. He is equipped with a hand-held firearm and shoulder-mounted missile launcher, and is quite possibly one of the most competent of his faction; Soundwave could be considered something of a one bot army when he is in possession of his cassetticons. His chest appears to have near limitless low rent space, as he can hold several of these smaller robots at once.
He is an expert in communications, and is capable of blocking and tracking signals easily. In fact, his scanners are strong enough to pick up even the electrical impulses that create the thoughts of Cybertronians and organics alike. By decoding these signals, he is given skills equivalent to that of a telepath. As demonstrated with Autobot he capture in Kaon, Soundwave can read the thoughts of even unwilling targets.
Another skill he possesses, though it is used very rarely, is the ability to create new cassetticons. As with the case of Senator Ratbat, he is able to trap the spark of a destroyed mech, reformatting them into a smaller, weaker cassette robot form and forcing them into the employ of the Decepticons.
Samples
First person: [Encoded Signal to Decepticons]
Attention: Decepticons.
Designation: Soundwave, reporting.
Requesting current status. Who is present?
Top Priority: What is Megatron’s location?
Laserbeak, Ravage; acknowledge. What is your location?
Third Person:
There was no room for attachment in Soundwave’s processor.
It was a strict protocol that he bound himself to, to care for nothing but the attainment of information. When one cared only for the incorporeal, the intangible, one could feel no remorse. Information could not be betrayed, as a comrade might. He felt no guilt when he delivered information to Megatron, so that his fellow Decepticons might better remember where their true allegiances lay.
Then what was this unusual sensation now, this emptiness? Soundwave did not understand what he was experiencing now.
Since his transport to this place, he found himself without the constant accompaniment of his cassettes. One might have thought it would be a feeling of vulnerability, as he was without his typical line of defence. But he was still equipped with his cannon, and his firearm. That would not make sense, not to his logic-based processor.
The idea of ‘worry’ did not arise - It was foreign to him. One did not worry for information. Concern only occurred when one cared for another, when one had emotional attachment.
Soundwave did not have emotional attachment.
At least, not to his knowledge.
And so that cold, creeping feeling of concern was dismissed, as he silently wondered as to the whereabouts of Laserbeak and Ravage, Rumble and Frenzy... How long had it been, since he had been entirely alone? Laserbeak, Buzzsaw and Ravage had been a part of his unit since he was in the employ of the Senator, a force that could be relied upon.
It was natural that he should take notice of their absence. It was a logical conclusion, as he scanned his systems, that the lack of a weapon should cause some reaction in his processor.
It only left him to wonder why that pang of emptiness was so similar to what he might register in his pain receptors.
Character Name: Soundwave
Fandom: Transformers (IDW)
Timeline: Upon his return to Megatron’s side; Before the events of All Hail Megatron
Source: As you command, Megatron.
Character History: Soundwave once served as the personal assistant to Autobot Senator Ratbat, in a time before the founding of the Decepticons.
When the Senator took an interest in the emergence of underground gladiatorial battles in Kaon, it was Soundwave who was selected to speak on his behalf. Of course, this act was ignoring the obviously illegal nature of these matches, as the corrupt Ratbat wished to use the power of the fighters to his own benefit; Soundwave’s mission was to offer Megatron, a warrior who appeared in nearly every recorded match, promises of funding and advanced technology and weaponry - so long as he ‘used them as he saw fit.’
However, his meeting with Megatron was rudely interrupted by two Autobot law enforcers, who Soundwave easily captured with the help of Laserbeak and Ravage, two of his smaller robot companions (often referred to as ‘Cassetticons’). After invading their processors and extracting the necessary information about their purpose there, he left them to their grisly fate at Megatron’s hands.
Following this incident, Soundwave continued to aid the gladiator as he would have the senator; even managing to find him three flight-capable warriors - Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp. It is unclear exactly when his allegiances shift, but starting at this point in the story, Soundwave sets himself up to be Megatron’s right hand, seen more often in his ranks than in the company of his original employer.
As Megatron plans a surprise attack on the Senate, he has two of the bots who worked with him at the Energon mine reformatted into cassette form, ordering them to work with Soundwave. The two are hidden away in his chest along with Ravage and Laserbeak, their presence unnoticed by all others - even when the gathering is taken into custody, by order of Sentinel Prime.
While the others are imprisoned under various criminal charges, Soundwave is released by order of the Senate - He is still considered to be Ratbat’s man, his alliances with Megatron thought to be feigned on his behalf. What they had not considered, was that this was another aspect of Megatron’s plan - and along with the seemingly traitorous Starscream, the pair devastated the Autobot senate.
After releasing the Decepticons and all others who were held imprisoned, Soundwave reunited with Senator Ratbat. After a brief conversation, he reveals his true allegiance - and shoots his former master through the chest, trapping his spark into one of his cassettes.
In the aftermath of Kaon, Soundwave can be seen at Megatron’s side - the beginning of a long career as Communications Officer for the Decepticons. He is considered one of Megatron’s most loyal, and often sent to spy on the others of his forces - such as Bludgeon.
When the Decepticon is ordered to follow up on all of Shockwave’s research projects, Soundwave is assigned to keep an optic on him. In 1984, he followed Bludgeon to Earth, where he had set up his new base, at the core of Mount St. Helen’s. Hiding in his alternate form of a cassette player, he kept close tabs on their operation at a construction site, discovering their plans to continue Shockwave’s project ‘Regenesis.’
Finally confronting them at their base of operations, Soundwave learned that his initial observations had been incorrect - What he had thought was a plan to harvest a new form of Energon was in fact a ploy to revive the fallen Thunderwing. Calling Ravage and Laserbeak to his aid, Soundwave is shot with an experimental weapon that forces him back into his cassette player form - effectively trapping him inside the mountain when it was detonated, and allowing the other Decepticons to escape.
Several years later, Ravage and Laserbeak are recovered by a team from Skywatch, and the seemingly useless old music technology is sold to a pawnshop. While the two Cassetticons are reprogrammed by the covert agency, Soundwave himself is purchased by an unwitting human body named Jimmy.
Skywatch attempted to use the pair in order to track other Transformers, so they might capture one - but their signal is blocked by the former Communications Officer, who is still trapped in his tape deck alt mode. When he is rescued by Ravage and Laserbeak, he informs them that he is hardly able to keep Skywatch from controlling them, thanks to his weakened state.
Hiding at the mountain where he was originally defeated, they are confronted by the missing Shockwave, who offers to make a deal with the trio - which one can assume is how Soundwave is returned to his proper form, as he is seen one year following at the side of Megatron once more.
Character Personality: At first glance, it is very easy to assume that Soundwave has no personality. He speaks entirely in monotone and has all the charisma of a nineties Mac desktop. He displays very little emotional reaction to anything - aside from the odd laugh (or even grieving, as he did for Rumble after she was deactivated in New York), and these instances are few and far between. For the most part, his no-nonsense, factual demeanour is reminiscent of a data computer - he delivers only the necessary information with formal efficiency.
However, if that were the only aspect of Soundwave, he would not be almost unanimously disliked by the Decepticon ranks.
Soundwave is recognized as one of Megatron’s most reliable and loyal soldiers; a position he works hard to maintain, even through less than honourable means. As a Communications Officer, he is sure to ‘overhear’ even the most treasonous of remarks, and records them for his own benefit. His amassed information is then used for blackmail purposes - not to mention, to keep himself in Megatron’s good graces. Most of his fellow Decepticons would love to leave him behind on the battlefield, if they didn’t already know that the wrath of Megatron would await them upon their return.
Powers: Soundwave has been gifted with possibly the most useless alternate form in the history of Cybertron. Originally a Cybertronian vehicle, he reformatted to an eighties style portable cassette player upon his arrival on Earth. Unlike his animated self, IDW!Soundwave’s alternate form does not seem capable of movement in this state, and relies on others - usually, his Cassetticons - to transport him.
Soundwave is a skilled hand to hand fighter, capable of holding off Autobots with or without weapons. He is equipped with a hand-held firearm and shoulder-mounted missile launcher, and is quite possibly one of the most competent of his faction; Soundwave could be considered something of a one bot army when he is in possession of his cassetticons. His chest appears to have near limitless low rent space, as he can hold several of these smaller robots at once.
He is an expert in communications, and is capable of blocking and tracking signals easily. In fact, his scanners are strong enough to pick up even the electrical impulses that create the thoughts of Cybertronians and organics alike. By decoding these signals, he is given skills equivalent to that of a telepath. As demonstrated with Autobot he capture in Kaon, Soundwave can read the thoughts of even unwilling targets.
Another skill he possesses, though it is used very rarely, is the ability to create new cassetticons. As with the case of Senator Ratbat, he is able to trap the spark of a destroyed mech, reformatting them into a smaller, weaker cassette robot form and forcing them into the employ of the Decepticons.
Samples
First person: [Encoded Signal to Decepticons]
Attention: Decepticons.
Designation: Soundwave, reporting.
Requesting current status. Who is present?
Top Priority: What is Megatron’s location?
Laserbeak, Ravage; acknowledge. What is your location?
Third Person:
There was no room for attachment in Soundwave’s processor.
It was a strict protocol that he bound himself to, to care for nothing but the attainment of information. When one cared only for the incorporeal, the intangible, one could feel no remorse. Information could not be betrayed, as a comrade might. He felt no guilt when he delivered information to Megatron, so that his fellow Decepticons might better remember where their true allegiances lay.
Then what was this unusual sensation now, this emptiness? Soundwave did not understand what he was experiencing now.
Since his transport to this place, he found himself without the constant accompaniment of his cassettes. One might have thought it would be a feeling of vulnerability, as he was without his typical line of defence. But he was still equipped with his cannon, and his firearm. That would not make sense, not to his logic-based processor.
The idea of ‘worry’ did not arise - It was foreign to him. One did not worry for information. Concern only occurred when one cared for another, when one had emotional attachment.
Soundwave did not have emotional attachment.
At least, not to his knowledge.
And so that cold, creeping feeling of concern was dismissed, as he silently wondered as to the whereabouts of Laserbeak and Ravage, Rumble and Frenzy... How long had it been, since he had been entirely alone? Laserbeak, Buzzsaw and Ravage had been a part of his unit since he was in the employ of the Senator, a force that could be relied upon.
It was natural that he should take notice of their absence. It was a logical conclusion, as he scanned his systems, that the lack of a weapon should cause some reaction in his processor.
It only left him to wonder why that pang of emptiness was so similar to what he might register in his pain receptors.