Transformer Title Fights: Soundwave!
Transformers… more than meets the eye. This, we know. But what happens when the mighty all-spark malfunctions and sends the Michael Bay Monstrosities to wage war against the Autobots and Decepticons of our shared youth? We’ve got a few battles in our back pocket ComicMixers… let’s let em duke it out, shall we?
Round One: Satellite Scoundrel or Baneful Boombox?
We know him collectively as Soundwave. Always loyal. Always awesome. As the Decepticon Comununications Officer, he’s known as the vocoder-voiced master of sonics. Whether he’s deploying his evil tapes-in-diguise (Ravage, Laserbeak, Ratbat, Rumble, just to name a few…) or spying on unsuspecting Autobots in his tape-deck form, he’s always the evil bot in-the-know. A warrior thru and thru, Soundwave is never one to shy away from a fight. And with his shoulder mounted blaster, he’s packing enough punch by himself to lay waste without need for calling in backup. But let’s say he wants to bring a few friends to the party? Well then, Soundwave is the one-man band. His battalion of tape sized Decepticons can take to the skies, or shake the ground. They can hide in plain site, or join their Blue Boss for any fracas that he may take apart in.
Fans clamored that Soundwave didn’t make it into Bay’s movie in the first go-round. Deciding that he’d actually listen to the fans, Michael Bay made sure Soundwave would make it into Transformers: Rise of the Fallen. Given that Bay thought the “size-altering” Transformers of the cartoon was “too detached from reality” (So you can’t buy that they can’t alter their size Michael, but you’ve no problem with high school kids being able to outrun an alien overlord who fought Optimus Prime to a standstill? Just wondering.) Soundwave would be given a new form for the movie. Taking shape as a satellite, Soundwave hovers in Earth’s orbit… perhaps to jam communications? Maybe he’ll be influential in sending more Decepticons down to Earth to free his master Megatron? We’ll have to catch the flick to find out, but in the mean time… we might as well ring the bell!
Who would win in a battle to the end? Would it be the blue-hued tape-deck of doom (with small battalion of smaller-still tapes-of-doom)? Or would it be the Bay-born Satellite of Spite? Only you, the cosmically-conscious ComicMix commenters can conclude! Now cast your votes!
As a longtime Trans-fangirl, I have to say this is a TOTALLY AWESOME premise for an article! I am old-school — I was way into the G1 Transformers back in the 80's. (I am also just old — I was already in HIGH SCHOOL then…long story. :-) ) Anyway, my favorite Transformer is Starscream. I love fighter jets and I was really into F-15's. I have a collection of toy F-15s and I still have my original G1 Starscream from the 80's, as well as an original Japanese version. I collect other Starscream stuff too — I have some cold-cast porcelain figures, etc. (I really want to get that gigantic G1 Starscream that came out a few years ago around the time of the first film — there was a version that was only available from Wal-Mart but there was another version without "battle damage.")Anyway, if Classic 1980's Starscream were to go up against his modern self, the F-22 Raptor, it would be no contest. :-( In actual Air Force war games, F-22s have systematically wiped the floor with F-15s. Which makes me sad (I really love F-15s.) But that's progress for you. F-22s are also really cool, but I will always have a spot in my heart for the Screamin' Eagle! God, I am such a cartoon geek. :-) KimI
Thanks Kim! But todays vote is totally for Soundwave, not Starscream. There's more Transformer Title Fights to come… will one by Starscream? Well, come back and see! But in the mean time, vote for your fave Soundwave!
Whoops! I got so amused by just the premise of this article that I started free-associating. Anyway, I saw the first Transformers movie, but I would like to wait until I see the new one until I feel confident in making the comparison. As an old-school fan, I would vote for G1, but that would be purely for sentimental reasons without enough info on the newer model. :-) Kim
G1 all the way baby!!! Bay's version looks interesting and I'm more interested to see how he works/functions in the movie. But you can't beat a guy's original form. Especially since he brings all his own crew with him!
I have heard through my friend Brian (who will probably also comment on this) that the movie Soundwave's job is to hang out in orbit and coordinate Decepticon strategy… telling new protoforms what vehicle modes to scan, where they should deploy, etc. If that's true that's kind of cool.To the question at hand! Are we asking "who's cooler," or "who would win in a fight?". Because to me no Soundwave will ever top the 1984 tape deck for pop culture sweetness. He was just such a neat character in that show, and I can't even describe why… something about his face, his voice, and his attitude makes him, I feel, one of the most iconic Transformers. And he turns into a tape deck, which is at once both a stupid disguise (how many times in the cartoon did we hear "hey, someone left this radio here… I better take it into this top-secret military area!!") and an amazingly cool one (he's a casette player, dude. Those make music and stuff!). But as far as which character is stronger… I must admit the Michael Bay robots do tend to appear and be more powerful than their 80s brethren. I honestly think it has something to do with the fact that their designs are more fluid… it makes them appear as they would be more effective in a fight. It's like a ninja versus a UFC guy on roids, you know? They are both powerful but I'm gonna give the fight to the ninja.So my verdict? Awesomeness: original. In a fight: Bay's.
See, I say G1 for coolness and in a fight for now. Michael Bay's designs ARE fluid, but they seem to pack far less firepower then the G1s, who always had laser fire emitting from everywhere. :)
Well, I know what Soundwave generally does in the movie, because I read the movie adaptation comic and I have the toy, which gives away another little secret. His function in the movie makes sense to me, though I don't know how his personality will come through, if it does at all.Now, unless Soundwave turns out to be unexpectedly awesome in the movie, G1 Soundwave will definitely be the better of the two. I especially like his portrayal in the IDW comics. The best part was when he was tired of working for Senator Ratbat and decided to tear out his spark and put it in a cassette. That guy kicks ass.Though for alt mode, spaceship/satellite might beat Walkman. I'd have to think about that. The only thing I know for sure is that spaceship/satellite beats Soundwave-shaped lamp post.
Hmm, hanging around in Earth's orbit would definitely have some awesome advantages…Blocking things from satellites around Earth would be a great way to fight back, now wouldn't it? You have to admit, being so far away and seeing the big picture would be the best attack. Sounds awesome.
I rather like the design they gave him in the new Transformers Animated series, that of a boomer car, one of those custom jobs with the massive speakers in the back. A logical progression from the boom box. http://www.unicron.us/tf2008/toypix/soundwave.htm
Personally, I hated the Scion look, but I LOVED that they made Laserbreak a Flying V guitar.
"Here's my idea for the new Soundwave that I think will work. First of all, cassette tapes, nobody uses them anymore. Hell, my son doesn't even know what a cassette is. At first I though, iPod transformer. Think of the money we'd make from that! Then I was thinking about the size and what better than to make a GIANT TRANSFORMING IPOD! Then I realized that it wouldn't make any sense and not to mention Apple didn't want it's bread and butter associated with destroying humanity. Then I just said fuck it and made the giant iPod into a satellite out in space. What do you mean that doesn't make sense because soundwaves don't travel through space? THEY DO IF I SAY THEY DO! I'M MICHAEL FUCKING BAY! Yeah yeah… it looks, sounds, or does nothing that any other incarnation of Soundwave does, but its name is Soundwave and he's in my movie? What more do you fucking nerds want, huh? I'll just shake my camera at it twice as much and the motion sickness will make you forget about the whole thing, you fucking babies. Oh yeah… Unicron will now be a transforming unicorn that has no powers or anything but he'll be in the movie so you jerks will stop bugging me."-Michael Bay, interview from New York Times, December 2008
I gotta go with classic Soundwave. Just basing this on cool factor. Plus the fact that the new one looks like hes wearing a robe.
Since G1 Soundwave is my all time favorite Transformer (Optimus dose not count) I say Tape player all the way man! think about it he is deadly and can be the size of an outdated devise from the 80's! Movie sound wave is clunking about and what is that on the table is that a Walkman? oh man I should see what tape is in there… WHAM! Gotcha! So G1 Soundwave wins hands down.
G1 was SO much better, he stays in satalitte mode in ROTF, not as good.He's still cool since he's still in charge of reconesence & gathering intel, only this time as a satalitte.G1
We really didn't get to see much of what Soundwave can do as a Bay character, so I'm going to have to base my decision on what each of them can launch. Movie Ravage fighting against G1 Ravage alone would make me go for Bay's Soundwave, but if we throw Rumble, Laserbeak, and Frenzy in? G1 all the way (even if we were to squint and throw Bay's Frenzy in on movie Soundwave's side. He was, after all, kinda worthless.)