Wasp (TFA)


 * Wasp is an Autobot from the Transformers Animated continuity family.



Wasp is a lot like Bumblebee... physically, at least. Built from the same chassis and sharing many of the same specifications and subroutines, the two Autobots attended boot camp together. Wasp's pompous, smarmy personality leaves something to be desired, but he had a lot going for him as a soldier, being highly skilled in the use of his stingers and knowing just how to toe the line with the drill sergeant. In a better life, he might have been Cybertronian Elite Guard commander material.

Might have.

"Looks like the hybrid found himself a new friend... a total mudflap!"

- Wasp lets the world know his high opinion of Bumblebee and Bulkhead

Animated cartoon

 * Voice actor: Tom Kenny (English)

Wasp was a cadet in the same group as Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Ironhide and Longarm. Right away, Wasp took an instant disliking to Bumblebee, insulting him out of the blue as the yellow bot mused to himself about his future in the Elite Guard. He also dubbed Bulkhead a "mudflap", much to the amusement of his fellow cadets. The loud-mouthed drill sergeant Sentinel Minor took an immediate liking to "Wasp", as he dubbed him. Wasp and Ironhide quickly became close friends, often competing in little tests of strength, usually involving Wasp hitting or stinging Ironhide while the latter was in armor mode.

After Bumblebee "bumbled" several times, leading to many transform-ups for the whole group, Wasp and Ironhide decided to take matters into their own hands, unscrewing Bumblebee's lower legs and leaving them out of reach even before they dumped the rest of him in a locker.

Unbeknownst to Wasp, however, the reason for Bumblebee's foul-ups was that he was trying to out a traitor in the groupand had pegged Wasp as the likely culprit after seeing him walk out of a hangar in which someone had contacted Megatron. (Plus, let's face it, he was a complete jerk. And Decepticons are jerks, right?) At Longarm's prompting, Bumblebee eventually found evidence incriminating Wasp as a spy. Wasp was stripped of his Autobot insignia and wheeled away, protesting his innocence and swearing revenge on Bumblebee.



Many years later, Wasp escaped from Autobot custody and apparently eluded the now-Sentinel Prime by jumping through a space bridge. What was left of Wasp hid beneath the bridge as Sentinel left, buzzing and twittering to himself, still swearing revenge on "Bumblebot". In reality, however, the innocent botbroken mentally by his years of imprisonmenthad been set up with evidence planted by "Longarm", who had also arranged Wasp's "escape" to divert suspicion from himself.

Needless to say, when the truth was revealed to Bumblebee by his old "friend" Longarm Prime (aka the Decepticon Shockwave), he took it pretty hard.

Trivia

 * A wasp and a bee, sharing the same mold? How preposterous!


 * Wasp's time in prison seems to have shattered his mind and transformed him into a character akin to Waspinator of Beast Wars fame. Both of these people get misfortune sprung on them, but this character's misfortune is in a more serious vein than slapstick violence. The role of whipping boy is another's.


 * In the present day, after Wasp escapes, his gold is now lime green and his eyes are now purple.


 * We certainly hope Hasbro recognizes the redeco/retool potential here.


 * David Kaye hinted before the debut of the show that Waspinator would make an appearance. Perhaps this is what he meant.