This underrated Transformers character is possibly the evilest in the comics

Several names come to mind when it comes to the most evil villains in the Transformers franchise. They include, above all, the vile Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, and other characters such as the loyal Soundwave or the traitorous Starscream. In the comics, however, there is another legendary Cybertronian of Generation 1 who is just as evil as his comrades and far more logical.

Although he was a comparative footnote in the G1 cartoon, Shockwave was Transformers Comic books. Cold, calculating, and viciously brilliant, he was behind some of the greatest advances in Transformers technology, so his evil streak could outshine almost any other Decepticon, including Megatron.

G1 Shockwave was at his best in the Marvel comics

Related

Transformers: How a young fan named Shingo became a minor sensation

Discover how a mysterious young Transformers fan became a minor comic sensation in the latest issue of Comic Book Legends Revealed

In the classic cartoon The TransformersShockwave remained on Cybertron and was primarily there to operate the planet’s space bridges. Although he was recognizable to fans who grew up with the series, he ultimately didn’t do much. His planned death in Transformers: The Movie was left off-screen, making his exit from the series irrelevant. This was in the Transformers Comics by Marvel Comics, who have done much more with Shockwave in both the US and Marvel UK titles. There, he was one of the few survivors of the battle between Tarn and Iacon, with Shockwave ruling over the former. Incited to war and vengeful after the battle, Shockwave joins Megatron and becomes an official Decepticon warrior.

Shockwave came to Earth when the other Transformers were inactive. The Decepticon’s presence caused the Autobot ship The Ark to activate five Autobots and transform them into robotic versions of the native dinosaurs in the Savage Land. These were the violent and bestial Dinobots, undoubtedly some of the most popular G1 Transformers. All six combatants were trapped in tar, but were freed in the present day.

Shockwave effortlessly destroyed numerous nearby Autobots with his cunning and his own brute strength, and even kept Optimus Prime’s severed head and the power of his Creation Matrix to create more Decepticons. More effective in combat than Megatron, he soon challenged and soundly defeated his supposed superior. Shockwave was committed to cold logic and more than confident in his intellect and common sense. He posed an even greater threat to Megatron’s rule than Starscream.

Shockwave remained the leader of the Decepticons for quite a while, and even after Megatron came back into the picture, they were still rivals who only occasionally worked together. Shockwave truly believed in survival of the fittest and saw everyone else as inferior. If that included other Decepticons and he felt they needed to learn their place, then so be it. Shockwave was cruel and amoral, and it was almost impossible to reason with him.

Ironically, this led to him eventually coming under the command of Ratbat, one of Soundwave’s cassette minions. Otherwise, however, he refused to back down from a fight, even taking on the powerful headmaster Scorponok on his own. It wasn’t until the end of the series that Shockwave met his end in a spaceship crash, but the fact that he lasted so much longer than his animated counterpart said volumes.

Dreamwave extends the relevance of Shockwave

Related

New previews of Transformers and GI Joe projects released

Skybound, Image Comics and Hasbro Entertainment give readers a first glimpse into the future of the Transformers and GI Joe franchises.

The Dreamwave productions Transformers Comics were set in their own continuity, although this universe was a variant of G1. In these comics, Shockwave, like in the original cartoon, remained on Cybertron while the other main Transformers went to Earth. Years earlier, Optimus Prime had been warned by visions from the Matrix of Leadership that Shockwave would become one of his greatest enemies.

Not only did he personally lead several attacks on Autobot bases, but he was also involved in some of the leading technologies that shaped the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The most important of these were the Micromasters, tiny Transformers that consumed far less Energon than their larger counterparts. Unfortunately, he and his creations, as well as other Transformers, were caught in the Great Shutdown due to the Energon shortage on Cybertron.

Shockwave’s genius even led to the development of Triple Changer technology, which initially began with two insane Decepticons he created, the so-called Duocons. This happened after he mined technology from the time-traveling Scourge, despite the Herald of Unicron saving him. When he reactivated Cybertron and restored the species, he was only trying to gain more power for himself. This included making the entire Transformers species more inherently violent and sabotaging a potential return of Optimus Prime and Megatron to Cybertron.

Shockwave eventually captured her and her forces, and his desire to try them as war criminals only served to cement his own control over the planet. The result was the release of criminals like the Stunticons and even more heinous experiments with transformation, with no end to Shockwave’s dark, logical ambitions. These comics were by far the biggest push the character had seen in years, but unfortunately Dreamwave Productions went out of business before any more stories could be told.

IDW had the darkest version of Shockwave

Related

Transformers: Optimus Prime is Cybertron’s last hope in the new preview

In a special first look at Transformers #11, Earth and Cybertron are at the mercy of Optimus Prime.

Many iterations of Shockwave in the Transformers Franchises are evil, but the version in IDW Publishing’s comic books is truly amoral. He views all life as equal, although that value was not great given his disdain for it. He started out with a body similar to that of a Seeker, which made sense since the great Jhiaxus had trained him. He was always thinking ahead and feared the fate of the Transformers as a species due to the rapid spread of the Cybertronians. As such, he experimented with alternative fuel sources to replace Energon, but his later experiments had far less benign reasons.

Captured by enemies and subjected to an “Empurata”, his head was replaced with a one-eyed “mask” while his limbs were replaced with claws and weapons. This only made him a killing machine, and Shockwave later joined Megatron and the Decepticons due to the torturous experience. This removed any sense of illogical morality from his now completely different personality. Therefore, he used any means necessary to secure resources for himself and supposedly all Cybertronians, although many of his experiments were primarily based on combiner technology.

Even during the subsequent defeats suffered by Megatron and the Decepticons, Shockwave remained cold-hearted and always had ulterior motives. He later used the body of Onyx Prime (a predecessor of Optimus Prime) to enhance himself, becoming one of the penultimate villains in the original IDW Publishing Transformers Comics. He showed more resilience than Megatron or Starscream, and that was because, in the end, he had both a driving goal (the continuation of the Cybertronian species) and absolutely no morals holding him back.

The same thing happened with the second, much shorter-lived IDW. Transformers continuity where Shockwave was constantly conducting dangerous experiments to aid the Decepticon cause. However, he was more likely to be put in his place by Megatron. Likewise, the new Energon Universe comics take his style of experimentation to the next level, with Shockwave known to torture and dismantle Autobots for his own purposes.

With Decepticons like Megatron, his actions may be under the banner of war, with the faction’s leader having no other goal than warfare. Shockwave, on the other hand, is shown to constantly commit immoral acts to see if they are viable. This makes him worse in many ways, and since he is driven by logic – or at least his own idea of ​​it – it is impossible to reason with him. In this respect, his cold, cyclops-like appearance is a fitting visage for someone without emotions, with Shockwave representing a depravity that even his leader dares not approach.

Transformers

Transformers is a medium franchise produced by the American toy manufacturer Hasbro and the Japanese toy manufacturer Takara Tomy. It mainly revolves around the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms such as vehicles and animals.

First film

Transformers

Pour

Peter Cullen, Wil Wheaton, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Luna Lauren Velez, Dominique Fishback