User:Locoman/Sandbox/Insecticon - Transformers Wiki

The name or term "Insecticon" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Insecticon (disambiguation).

Insecticons are a ravenous Cybertronian subspecies driven by perpetual hunger, a mindless urge that compels them to consume everything in sight. In their natural state, these simple creatures organise themselves into swarms under the control of a rudimentary gestalt consciousness. A single Insecticon is no match for a reasonably competent Cybertronian warrior—but the Insecticons never, ever come alone. Different Insecticons sport unique powers, but the vast majority share an unusual ability to self-replicate: given enough time and raw material, a single Insecticon can create a fully-autonomous clone (sometimes called an Insecticlone^[1]) of itself. Some Insecticons possess advanced intellects, and many share the ability to transform into humanoid robot modes, but each successive "generation" of cloned Insecticons are inferior to their predecessors and lack the intelligence and individual initiative needed to be effective without direct guidance.

Since most of their number are basically animals, Insecticons respond best to displays of power, and their swarms are normally dominated by the smartest and strongest among them. Nevertheless, a sufficiently strong or clever Cybertronian might wrest control of a swarm, and many morally-dubious scientists across the multiverse have experimented upon their natural cloning abilities for all kinds of nefarious purposes.

Fiction

Generation 1 continuity family

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

During their first encounter with the Autobots on the island of Bali, the Insecticons Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel defended themselves from the Autobots by breaking a combine harvester to bits, then using their "electronic clone beams" to reconstitute the scrap metal into an army of clones and drive the Autobots off.^[2] Later, after the Insecticons teamed up with Megatron, the Insecticons left their clones with the Decepticon leader, who used them to help take over an oil refinery. The clones had Bumblebee and Spike Witwicky surrounded until Trailbreaker used his force field to interrupt Shrapnel's control beam, which caused the clones to disintegrate to nothing. A Plague of Insecticons

On another occasion, the Insecticons created a vast army of clones who converted human crops to energy via an Energon Transfer Machine. The Insecticons proved too numerous for the Autobots to defeat in combat; instead, Optimus Prime sent Cosmos, Bumblebee, and Spike to Floron III to pick up some robotic insecticide. When Cosmos returned contaminated with Morphobot spores, the Insecticon swarm attacked the robotic creatures but were themselves devoured. Quest for Survival

Under the command of Megatron, the Insecticons and some clones invaded a human city. The Protectobots evacuated the area, allowing the Autobots to destroy all the clones. The Revenge of Bruticus

Wings Universe

Perceptor speculated that the natural cloning abilities of the Insecticons had been amplified through Decepticon experimentation. The Sweeps would go on to inherit a version of this ability, accounting for their near-limitless numbers. Menagerie #3

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Many thousands of years ago, Shockwave dispatched Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel to Earth, where they eventually established a hidden base of operations in California. Their new alternate modes, combined with the long period of isolation, took a toll on Bombshell's sanity, and he began operating outside of his preordained mission parameters. In time, he devised a new scheme to build an army of his own: using artificial growth pods, he created a legion of techno-organic clones that sheathed organic matter beneath a layer of Cybertronian armor. Individual clones gestated within their growth pods and grew from a larval stage into a fully-operational lifeform capable of consuming organic material. Extermination

As Bombshell slowly took over the nearby town of San Desto using his cerebro-shells, a group of Autobots and Earth Defense Command operatives came to investigate but rapidly found themselves outnumbered when Bombshell released the full might of his brood. Infestation It was bug-squashing time for the Autobots, who waded through dozens of Insecticlones looking for the real Bombshell. Jazz uncovered the central "nest" and torched the remaining larvae before any more could be hatched, but there were still plenty of bugs to go around. Ultimately, it was the rookie named Bumper who came up with the idea to send a disruptive pulse back through one of Bombshell's cerebro-shells, which disrupted his control over all the drones at once. Extermination

Descent into Evil

In the twilight of the Great War, the Insecticons had dwindled to a handful of individuals and somehow lost their ability to self-replicate. Buzzclaw's bio Deathsaurus experimented on the Insecticons Buzzclaw and Dirge, and used their latent genetic abilities to create the Virulent Clones. Virulent Clones' bio However, their first encounter with the Autobots led to the corruption of their genetic matrix and the destruction of Deathsaurus's cloning facility on Ceti Alpha Seven, ensuring that this first batch of clones would also be the last. Descent into Evil

2005 IDW continuity

The first Insecticons were a naturally-occurring race that dwelt deep beneath Cybertron, a mindless "swarm" that defended the core of the planet from subterranean threats. First Strike #5 Historia In the years leading up to the Surge, Deluge and a group of Decepticon scientists and launched a campaign to weaponize the creatures through extensive cloning and genetic modification programs. Historia Their project eventually led to the creation of Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel—but the highly inefficient process yielded but one sentient Insecticon for every thousand failures, however, and the Decepticons soon abandoned the three thousand deformed, aggressive mutants to their fate on the dead world. All Hail Megatron #7

Once the Decepticons had taken Earth, Megatron banished the defeated Autobots back to Cybertron, where they spent a great deal of time contending with the Swarm. When Hot Rod and his crew were shot down over the planet, they narrowly avoided the Insecticons; All Hail Megatron #5 a few days later, Drift and Perceptor dealt with two wayward members of the swarm. All Hail Megatron #6 Soon, however, the full might of the swarm descended upon them, and the Autobots retreated to a fallback position All Hail Megatron #7 needing only to destroy a bridge to keep the swarm at bay. The swarm took out Perceptor and forced Sunstreaker to sacrifice himself by manually blowing the bridge. All Hail Megatron #8 Replay

By the time that the Autobots had revived Optimus Prime, All Hail Megatron #9 the swarm had located another bridge and besieged the Autobots for a second time. Although emboldened by the return of their leader, the sheer numbers of the swarm began to overpower their defenses. Surrounded, outnumbered, and out-gunned, the Autobots were facing imminent death at the hands of the swarm until Omega Supreme arrived to help turn the tide. All Hail Megatron #10

When Alpha Trion returned to Cybertron some three years later, he found that the swarm was still active, and reactivated Ironhide to exterminate them as part of his plan to restore Cybertron to life. Ironing Out the Details Ironhide did what they could to thin out their numbers, but was eventually overwhelmed and requested Alpha Trion's assistance. Together, the pair baited the swarm towards Trion's ally Metroplex, who stomped the majority of the swarm underneath his foot. The battle marked the end of the majority of the swarm, though Alpha Trion charged Ironhide with wiping out the stragglers and rogue colonies across Cybertron. Iron in the Blood Any Old Iron Together with a repaired Sunstreaker, Ironhide found that separating a member from the swarm allowed it to become domesticated; Sunstreaker adopted one of the creatures and named him "Bob". By the time that Galvatron returned to the planet, the swarm had been mostly eliminated. Out of the Silent Planet

Though the Autobots had successfully driven the mutant clones extinct, the original Insecticon strain had survived the death and rebirth of Cybertron. One swarm attempted to stop Joe Colton and the other members of the Iron Ring during their attack on Cybertron, but the villains were able to outrun them and continue on their way to the core. First Strike #5

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

When Cybertron transformed into Primus, swarms of Insecticons fled the planet's shifting sub-levels in a mass migration. Escape from Primus

My Little Pony/Transformers

After arriving in Equestria, the Insecticons produced a number of clones, which helped the main trio eat their way through Sweet Apple Acres farm until Applejack and her family chased them off. Strength in Numbers

2019 IDW continuity

As part of a larger scheme, Shockwave set about cloning the three Insecticons using parts obtained from a series of offworld proxies, including a cell of organ-harvesting "splice-thieves" led by Spinister and Soundblaster. Although he was able to create a substantial army of Insecticon copies, Storm Horizon Part 3 Shockwave declined to inform the original three Insecticons of this scheme, however, for fear that the unstable trio didn't yet realize the full extent of their powers. Escape Part Two

Unicron Trilogy

According to legend, the verminous, fast-breeding Scrapmetals might have evolved from a race of insectoid Transformers who utilized clone minions.^[3]

Aligned continuity family

The Covenant of Primus

The Insecticons were among the first creatures to emerge from the Well of All Sparks during the earliest days of Cybertronian history; in this bountiful era, energon was plentiful, and the Insecticons established vast open-air "farms" where they would consume sediment and filter energon particles from the residue. They, in turn, were food for larger predators like the Predacons of old, who regularly preyed upon their farms. When the Great Cataclysm struck Cybertron, the Insecticons survived the devastating radiation storms by burrowing deep underground, entering a protective stasis lock, and emerging only when the cataclysm had passed—though the rise of Cybertronian civilization pushed them and many other survivors out into the wastelands.

During the Great War between the Autobots and Decepticons, the mad scientist Shockwave experimented upon the Insecticons by re-engineering the largest and strongest of their number into intelligent beings. The Covenant of Primus

Aligned novels

In the years before the Great War, Shockwave experimented on three Insecticons by turning them into combiners and entering them into the gladiator pits in Kaon. Although these re-engineered speciments proved canny, capable fighters in spite of their primitive intellects, they were no match for the gladiator Megatronus—when he encountered them in the Tournament of Champions, the future Decepticon leader was disgusted by their ability to combine and slaughtered them in a brutal three-on-one melee. Exodus

In the period after the Ark and Nemesis had left Cybertron, Shockwave commanded Insecticon soldiers, which Alpha Trion feared would be sent to capture the Hall of Records. Exiles Sure enough, Alpha Trion's neutrality was finally ignored when Shockwave had him arrested. The Insecticons served as guards for Shockwave as he attempted to hack Vector Sigma using Alpha Trion's circuitry. When the Wreckers arrived to stop Shockwave, the Insecticons confronted the Autobots long enough for Shockwave to escape. Retribution

Cartoon continuity

Prime cartoon

Voice actor: Frank Welker, Steven Blum, Kevin Michael Richardson, James Horan (English), Kensō Katō (Japanese), Miguel Ángel Pérez, Jaime Roca, Luis Vicente Ivars (Castilian Spanish), Raimund Krone (German)

During the Great War, the Decepticons employed swarms of mindless Insecticons as soldiers, Orion Pax, Part 2 though some, like the Decepticon Hardshell, were fully-sentient beings. Toxicity When the conflict spilled over to prehistoric Earth, an entire swarm of Insecticons established a subterranean hive and went dormant for millennia. Crossfire Though the Decepticons eventually left Cybertron entirely, they left at least one Insecticon sentry behind in the city of Kaon; Orion Pax, Part 2 when Jack and Arcee travelled to Cybertron, it pursued Jack into the planet's depths and into the chamber that held Vector Sigma. Jack was able to kill it by deliberately baiting the scraplet swarm that'd been feeding off of the ancient supercomputer into attacking the Insecticon and eating it alive. Orion Pax, Part 3

The rogue Decepticon Airachnid stumbled across a scout from the Earthbound Insecticon hive in an old mineshaft; claiming a relation to the creatures, she displayed the unusual power to exert control over the beings and her new follower to attack Starscream when he proposed an alliance. She used the Insecticon to lead Megatron into a trap, but the Decepticon leader easily bested the Insecticon and beheaded it. Airachnid soon discovered the rest of the slumbering hive, Crossfire and eventually awoke the entire swarm after detecting a signal from the Nemesis in the hopes of eliminating Megatron. A contingent of Insecticons stayed behind to defend her, but her encounter with the Autobots ended with her in stasis lock—with her control broken, the remaining Insecticons ceased their attack upon the Decepticon warship and swore loyalty to Megatron instead Armada

The Insecticons soon became foot soldiers on par with the many Vehicons in Megatron's employ, and saw use during several subsequent campaigns to find and recover the ancient Cybertronian relics scattered across the globe—one accompanied Knock Out to the subway tunnels underneath New York City, but perished after Arcee threw it onto the third rail and electrocuted it. Tunnel Vision Hardshell led three other Insecticons to the equator and vied with Bulkhead for control of a dangerous container of deadly Tox-En, but proved unable to seize the artifact before Bulkhead threw both Hardshell and the Tox-En into a volcano. Hardshell survived this encounter, however, and grievously wounded the Autobot as he retreated through the GroundBridge. Toxicity

Unhappy with the mission, Megatron dispatched Hardshell to deal with Wheeljack and almost bested his foe until Miko Nakadai killed him using the Jackhammer's weapons systems. The rest of the Insecticons pursued the ship until Wheeljack threw a bag of grenades at them, and the survivors dragged Hardshell's corpse back to the Nemesis to report his failure. Hurt Some Vehicons and Insecticons were sent to investigate a crashed Decepticon escape pod. Those that weren't killed by the Autobots perished when the pod exploded. New Recruit A few Insecticons were used as muscle when the Decepticons were digging up another Iacon relic, and lifted heavy rocks in their insect modes. They subsequently fought the Autobots and chased Jack around. Legacy Smokescreen phased through an Insecticon while escaping the Nemesis, much to its surprise. Inside Job The Insecticons took part in the attack on the Autobot base, though they dropped like flies during the battle. Darkest Hour

After the destruction of the Autobots’ base, several Insecticons helped shift through the rubble to unearth whatever Autobot corpses Megatron hoped to find there. They were unsuccessful. Later, they helped look for the Iacon artifacts left behind on Cybertron during the battle for the Omega Lock. Darkmount, NV A number of Insecticons arrived at an energon mine reported to be under attack, but encountered only confused miners. Rebellion A half-dozen Insecticons, including Bombshock, were sent to a cavern to find Predacon remains. Though they successfully find a Predacon skull, Optimus Prime arrived and slaughtered most of them, with only Bombshock escaping with one of the Predacon's horns. Project Predacon Four Insecticons were dispatched to help Knock Out against Arcee and Wheeljack. They died. Plus One

As a plague began to spread through the ship, the Insecticons joined in eradicating the sufferers, at least until Airachnid was brought back online. She soon retook mental control of them and instructed them to destroy all of the Decepticons, however she and the Insecticons were transported to one of Cybertron's moons by Soundwave. There, the plague took hold of Airachnid, and she began feeding on the Insecticons. Thirst

2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon

An Insecticon was among Glowstrike and Scorponok's crew of Alchemor escapees. Metal Meltdown Another, Razorhorn, worked as a bounty hunter alongside Shadelock and RoughEdge, employed by Starscream to track down the Weaponizers. Mighty Big Trouble Mini-Con Madness He eventually ran afoul of the Bee Team and was shipped back to Cybertron on Prime Force One as a prisoner. Worthy

Adventure toy bios

The interstellar bounty hunter Lockdown led an army of self-duplicating Insecticons, supposedly capable of razing cities to rubble with their sheer numbers. Adventure Lockdown toy bio

Titan Prime comic

The newly cloned Predacon Tantrum smashed his way through a group of Insecticons. Starscream's Beast

IDW Aligned comics

Shockwave discovered the Insecticons in the depths of Cybertron and was able to mutate them into loyal Decepticons who would aid the Decepticon empire as it broadened its reach beyond Cybertron. Fragmentation A nubmer of the creatures captured a spying Swoop in order to lure the rest of the Lightning Strike Coalition to his base; Secrets when the Autobot team arrived, they too were overwhelmed by a swarm of Insecticons Siege Mentality Rage of the Dinobots #4 and though Grimlock was able to fight them off, he was defeated by Shockwave and his team was captured. The swarm carted the Lightning Strike Coalition off to Shockwave's laboratory so the prisoners could be experimented upon. Last Stand

Many Insecticons were left on Cybertron as it was largely abandoned during the war, and remained a constant threat to the few surviving Autobots. When an unseen assailant began murdering people in Last Spark, Snarl and Sludge suspected the Insecticons had turned to cannibalism and investigated Kickback's lair, where they found corpses of Forged, another faction created by Shockwave. Beast Hunters #1 While fighting the two, Kickback denied their accusation, claiming the Insecticons had killed the Forged for trying to eat them. Though the Insecticons were proven innocent of this particular crime, Sludge still killed Kickback just in case. Beast Hunters #2

Kre-O bios

Airachnid once webbed Arcee to the floor so that an Insecticon could tickle her. Airachnid's bio

Kre-O online manga

Insecticon was hanging on a wall near a battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron. The Beautiful Flower Has Thorns? Temptation of the Female Soldier, Airachnid!

Commercial appearances

One of the Insecticons had direct orders from Megatron to send whoever put Christmas lights on the Nemesis to the North Pole. He and two of his fellow Insecticons walked right past the two Vehicons responsible. 30-Second Holiday Special: "Decepticon Holidays: Holiday Schmoliday"

Games

Rise of the Dark Spark

The Insecticons inhabited the deep underlevels of Cyberetron and dwelt in a primitive society that followed the strongest of their number. Megatron dispatched Shockwave, Soundwave and Starscream to the vaults that were rumored to hold the mythical relic known as the Dark Spark; there, they encountered an Insecticon swarm, and Shockwave managed to best Hardshell, Kickback, and Sharpshot and convinced them to join the Decepticons—although the feral creatures would only follow them so long at the behest of their leaders, and could very well turn on their new allies without them. When the Autobots Ironhide and Sideswipe recovered the Dark Spark, they attempted to flee with and fought off swarms of Insecticons as they went. Rise of the Dark Spark (console)

Fall of Cybertron

A subterrannean race, the Insecticons had been pushed to the upper levels after Cybertron's core had shut down to purge itself of Dark Energon. After making contact with the species, Shockwave began experimenting with their physiology—he created variants such as the Insecticon Bruisers by splicing Autobot source code into test subjectgs, and Insecticon Spitters, based on hsi studies of alien insects he'd viewed through the space bridge. The trio of Kickback, Sharpshot and Hardshell were intelligent enough to think for themselves and potentially guide the Insecticon swarms in a new direction, so Shockwave deliberately courted their favor. Shockwave's insecticons overran and abducted Grimlock and the other members of the Lightning Strike Coalition so that Shockwave could experiment upon them. Sludge was not as fortunate, however, and although Jazz discovered his body, he too was forced to contend with members of the swarm as he escaped.

After the Dinobot experiments, Shockwave employed the Insecticons to test Grimlock and his new skills. Hardshell used a massive battle mech to push Grimlock to his limits, Kickback taunted Grimlock in a game of turbofox-and-cybermouse through several conflicts, and Sharpshot tortured Snarl with his electrical equipment while taunting Grimlock into responding. Unfortunately for the Insecticons, Shockwave's work was a success and the Dinobots tore through their defenses, killing Sharpshot, Kickback, and countless numbers of lesser Insecticons in the process. Fall of Cybertron

Transformers: Prime - The Game

Voice actor: Steve Blum (English)

After Arcee fell from orbit and crashed outside Jasper, Nevada, Airachnid sent a swarm of Insecticons to terminate her. Arcee managed to kill the entire swarm before facing Airachnid herself.

Later, while fighting onto the Nemesis, Airachnid sent a few more Insecticons after Arcee. They were also dispatched with ease. However, the distraction they caused allowed Airachnid to escape. Transformers: Prime - The Game

Transformers: Devastation

Transformers: Robots in Disguise mobile app

A number of Insecticons were imprisoned on the Autobot ship Alchemor, and they and their stasis pods scattered across the countryside when the ship wrecked on Earth. When Steeljaw freed Barrage and his Mini-Con partner Needler, they were able to turn their stasis pod into a duplication machine. Steeljaw and Barrage quickly used the machine to transform a group of Insecticon criminals into a multitudinous army. The Decepticons attempted to use this army to assemble a space bridge with which to return to Cybertron, but Bumblebee and his team of Autobots were able to defeat the Insecticons and return them, including Barrage, to stasis. Robots in Disguise mobile game

Toys

Collector's Edition

• Insectron Clone Army (multi-pack, 2004)
  • Japanese ID number: 73, 74, 75 (individuals), 76 (clones set)

Salvo, Shothole, and Zaptrap are included in this e-HOBBY exclusive Collector's Edition set. They are redecos of the Insecticons Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel.

Kre-O

• Insecticon (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2012)
  • Bag number: 22851 46
  • Accessories: Logo brick, horn-blade

Part of the first normal wave of Micro-Changer Kreons, Insecticon is a blindpacked-bagged mini-figure, though a stamped ID number can be found on the back of the bag, top-right corner. He comes with extra bits including legs so he can lie on his tummy and look like some sort of insect.

Though the toy proper has a Decepticon insignia, his instructions label him with the Beast Wars Predacon symbol.

• Insecticon (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2016)
  • Collection: 1
  • Accessories: Logo plate, horn-blade

In 2016, Collection 1 was re-released in a whole new production run for Dollar General stores in the US as part of a large collection of re-released Kre-O sets. But where most of these releases are nigh-identical to the originals, the re-released Micro-Changer blind-bags use the almost-entirely-retooled 2015 Kreon, with slightly-differently-hued plastics than the originals. (It is possible for some of the add-on pieces to be in the older hues.) Insecticon's torso tampograph has also been reworked to be slightly more detailed, and the formerly-bare legs now have extra detail tampographing on them.

Sadly, this release has no individual-identification code on the bag, requiring you to use the feel-through-the-bag method or just buy blind and hope.

Prime

• Hardshell (Cyberverse Commander, 2013)

Part of the second wave of Prime: Beast Hunters Cyberverse Commander Class toys. Though packaged as Hardshell, the figure lacks the scars/warpaint that differentiate him from his nameless brethren, and so could easily be army-built.

• More information on Hardshell at TFU.info

• Bombshock & Shockwave (Commander 2-pack)
  • Accessories: Launcher, missile

A redeco of Hardshell, Bombshock transforms into a robotic horned beetle. For some reason, he's branded with a Predacon faction symbol. His missile launcher, which can be mounted on his back in beetle mode, fires its projectile via pressure-launch. Bombshock was only available as part of a "Predacons Rising" Commander Class 2-pack with Shockwave, which, as a second wave Predacons Rising release, was only available as a Target exclusive in the United States (and not in Canada, Australia or Europe), even though it was used in official advertising by BigW in Australia (who ultimately only stocked the wave 1 Optimus Prime vs Predaking two-pack).

Curiously, like all Predacons Rising multi-packs featuring redecoed Cyberverse figures, this set doesn't identify the figures as Cyberverse products anywhere on the packaging.

As shown by an official stock photo,^[4] the packaging in its original presentation featured the name "Shockwave" in front of Bombshock, who is placed on the left, and "Bombshock" in front of Shockwave, who is placed on the right. By the time the two-pack hit stores, this was remedied by stickers with the correct names covering up the wrong ones. However, the side panels retain the old names and the "wrong" set of tech specs.^[5]

• More information on Bombshock at TFU.info

Adventure

• Shrapnel (2015-05-30)
  • ID number: TAV17

Shrapnel is a redeco of Generations Skrapnel. It transforms into a robotic interpretation of a stag beetle.

• Bombshell (2015-05-30)
  • ID number: TAV18

Bombshell is a redeco of Combiner Wars Bombshell. It transforms into a robotic interpretation of a Japanese rhinoceros beetle.

Notes

Foreign names

• Japanese: Insectron Clone Army (インセクトロンクローンアーミ Insekutoron Kurōn Āmi), Insecticon (インセクティコン Insekutikon)

References

1. ↑ English Insecticon "Clone Army" bios at e-HOBBY
2. ↑ The dialog suggests Shrapnel is alone creating the clones with "his" clone beams, but the animation shows clone beams coming from Kickback's antennae as well.
3. ↑ Scrapmetal's Cyber Key Code
4. ↑ Target listing for the Shockwave/Bombshock set, depicting the packaging with mixed up names.
5. ↑ "Predacon Rising Bombshock and Shockwave found" thread at TFW2005, showing the stickers.