Shockwave (TFA)


 * Shockwave is a Decepticon from the Transformers Animated continuity family.



Shockwave is a covert agent in service to Megatron. A master of disguise, he represents Megatron's long-term plans, if outright military conquest proves unfeasible. He's been in deep cover on Cybertron for so long that even he probably doesn't know who he really is, but he provides the inside scoop on what the Autobots are doing.

"Well done, my loyal servant."

- Megatron, actually offering praise. Autoboot Camp

Animated cartoon

 * Voice actor: Corey Burton (English)

Shockwave was recruited by Megatron because his mass-shifting abilities allowed him to impersonate effectively a wide variety of Transformer shapes and sizes, making it difficult for Autobots to track him accurately during missions of infiltration and sabotage. It was these traits which led to Megatron sending him to enlist in the Autobot armed services as a means of climbing the ranks and eventually taking the organization down from within.

Unfortunately, during his initial boot camp training, Shockwave slipped up and was overheard reporting to Megatron by the black sheep recruit Bumblebee. Seeing his fellow recruit Wasp leaving the building shortly afterwards, Bumblebee was aware there was a traitor in their midst and suspected Wasp. Turning to the espionage-savvy Longarm, the young Autobot set out to expose the traitor as a means to ensuring his career in the Cybertron Elite Guard. As Bumblebee got closer to the truth, Shockwave had to take matters into his own hands and switched the training equipment to live ammo in an attempt to offline the Autobot.

When that failed to get the annoying Autobot off his track, Shockwave planted a communicator in Wasp's footlocker to frame Wasp as a traitor. In the end, Wasp was dragged off to prison, and Longarm commended Bumblebee for his deductive work which. Years later, Wasp, now criminally insane, escaped from prison, and Megatron started receiving transmissions from his double agent on Cybertron. Bumblebee again suspected Wasp and informed his old friend Longarm, now Longarm Prime, head of Cybertron Intelligence. Longarm Prime expressed his pleasure at hearing from Bumblebee and Bulkhead again and promised to deal with the matter of the traitor personally. Indeed, he dealt with it very personally, as he reported back to Megatron that the Autobots didn't suspect a thing and that Wasp's jailbreak had been the perfect distraction. Megatron's plan had succeeded, and in the guise of Longarm Prime, Shockwave was ready to take the Autobots down from the inside.

Shockwave later recontacts Megatron so the two can converse over the plan's progress. After Megatron tells him to find the top space bridge specialist on Cybertron to help with their broken space bridge, Shockwave is shocked to find out that the specialist is already on Earth; and it's Bulkhead! He then goes into detail about Bulkhead's surprising genuis in space bridges and idiocy everywhere else, but Megatron doesn't care.

After Megatron defeats the Autobots, Shockwave reveals his alterego of Longarm Prime to the Autobots, revealing that he already given Megatron an appropriate access code and forcing Bumblebee to feel the shame of sending an innocent Wasp to prison. When Megatron tries to test the space bridge by sending Optimus Prime through it, Shockwave assures his master that he awaits the "test subject" on the other side. Unfortunately, an attempt by Megatron to boost power caused the space bridge to overload, deleting the access code and sending the space bridge to random coordinates. With Megatron's defeat, Shockwave's status is unknown. Odds are he is hauling aft out of Cybertron to avoid arrest.

Trivia

 * Shockwave's body appears to be largely patterned after Armada Megatron; he transforms into an "H-tank", the front treads end up on his shoulders, and his helmet features large, serrated blades of the kind found on Megatron's Armada-body helmet. However, he retains the classic Shockwave window-chest and face that is little more than a single, round optic. It is unknown at this time if one of his hands retracts to reveal a blaster-cannon.


 * Actor Corey Burton reprises the role of Shockwave from Generation One.


 * Despite not having a face, Shockwave still manages to have a chin. Granted, it is not as outlandishly large as some others are.


 * Shockwave has been entrusted to remain on Cybertron with the mission to prepare a place for Megatron's return. Déjà vu?


 * Shockwave's disguise as Longarm Prime has some similarities to his real form, including the red light on his forehead (Shockwave's eye), a similar color scheme, and the tread arms & legs, although the upper part of his face more resembles Lugnut.


 * When disguised as Longarm, Shockwave's accent changes too. In his true form, he speaks with a slight British accent, just like his Generation One counterpart, whereas Longarm speaks with an American accent. Perhaps he uses a fake accent to make his disguise more realistic.


 * Although Shockwave and Longarm are one and the same, their robot modes are actually different, as well as their alt-modes.  Unlike Shockwave, Longarm's alt-mode is a futuristic rough terrain crane vehicle.   However, only Shockwave's color schemes are retained.


 * Shockwave's real alt-mode is still yet to be shown, quite possibly in Season 3.