- Bumblebee is an Autobot from the Movie continuity family.
"Groovy."
Bumblebee is one of Optimus Prime's most trusted lieutenants. Though not the strongest or most powerful of the Autobots, Bumblebee more than makes up for this with a bottomless well of pluck and determination. He would gladly give his life to protect others and stop the Decepticons.
Badly damaged in a conflict with Megatron, Bumblebee lost the ability to speak verbally, though he can still communicate over inter-Autobot frequencies (in a fashion that seems somewhat akin to instant messaging, a useable but more distant and less personal means of interaction).
Fiction
 Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. |
IDW The Official Movie Prequel comics
Bumblebee commanded the Autobot forces at Tyger Pax attempting to hold the Decepticons off while the Allspark was launched off-planet. He succeeded, but Megatron crushed his voice box, and he lost his ability to speak in the process. Ratchet has been having trouble fixing it ever since. Later he was the first to track the Allspark to Earth, where he learned to express his emotions by tuning in appropriately emotive music on his car radio. Awww...
Ghosts of Yesterday prequel novel
In-between Tyger Pax and his arrival on Earth Bumblebee and the rest of the Ark crew encountered some humans in deep space and got their first clues to where Megatron and the All Spark rest.
Transformers (2007 film)
- Voice actor: Mark Ryan
"Gimme some sugar, baby."
Bumblebee is Sam Witwicky's first car. After an initial misunderstanding, Bumblebee came to Sam's aid when Barricade attacked Sam. Mikaela Banes commented that his car mode was a piece of crap, prompting Bumblebee to turn into a sleeker version. Taking them to meet the rest of the Autobots, Optimus Prime explained their mission. When Sam and Mikaela were captured by Sector Seven, Bumblebee helped rescue them, eventually releasing lubricant on a particularly hostile agent. A backup team arrived, attempting to capture them. Prime took Sam and Mikaela, but they nearly fell to their deaths while hiding. Bumblebee saved them, but Sector Seven captured and the children. Unwilling to use deadly force, Prime was forced to leave Bumblebee, something Jazz and Ironhide particularly disputed.
"You bastards! Why are you torturing me like this? Why?"
Taken to Hoover Dam, Bumblebee was constantly doused with cryoblasts to prevent him from attacking. Sam and Mikaela (with some armed persuasion from Captain Lennox) convinced Sector Seven to release Bumblebee. Seriously pissed, Bumblebee prepared to slag anything between him and the door, but Sam informed him of the presence of the All Spark and Megatron. Switching it to a more portable version, Bumblebee and a military escort fled to Mission City, meeting the Autobots enroute. After arriving at the city, Starscream launched a sortie, and Bumblebee's legs were damaged. He gave Sam the All Spark, to keep it safe from Megatron, and Mikaela strapped him to an abandoned towtruck. Mikaela, feeling guilty for leaving Sam, drove the truck as Bumblebee provided coverfire, resulting in the destruction of Brawl.
After the destruction of Megatron and the All Spark, Bumblebee (who had regained his voice, presumably from the All Spark) requested permission to remain with Sam, to which the young man agreed. After his legs were repaired, he allowed Sam and Mikaela to make out on top of him, as the other Autobots watched.
It was the best day ever.
Toys
Transformers (2007)
- Bumblebee (Deluxe, 2007)
- Japanese ID number: MA-03
These used cars are fully loaded!
- Movie Bumblebee transforms into a yellow 1976 Chevrolet Camaro with a quite reasonable level of sculpted detail. In contrast to the other Deluxe-class car Transformers in the Movie toyline, he does not have clear windows, instead opting for opaque yellow plastic with painted metallic blue.
Never seen so much translucent plastic in all my life.
- In robot mode, Bumblebee does not quite accurately replicate his movie appearance due to his chest remaining mostly unchanged and the sparse yellow paint applications render his limbs largely colourless. Due to the extensive use of ball joints, he features an excellent range of articulation. Unusually for an all-new sculpt in the Movie toyline, he features traditional-styled fists with 5mm holes. Bumblebee is armed with two shoulder-mounted spring-loaded missile launchers, which also double as hand-held weapons or can be mounted on ports on the undersides of his elbows. His legs and chest Automorph during transformation. Press the button or you'll break him. Seriously.
- Packaging photos and early test shots of Bumblebee featured transparent blue plastic windows and missile parts. However, the final Hasbro production toy has opaque yellow plastic. The Japanese TakaraTomy release of Bumblebee retains the transparent blue plastic parts.
- Bumblebee vs. Barricade: First Encounter (Multi-pack, 2007)
"Go ahead, make my day!"
- This battle pack contains the 1976 Camaro deluxe-class Bumblebee and the deluxe-class Barricade figures, based upon their confrontation as seen in the movie. The box features a diorama-style background from a movie scene, but toys themselves are unchanged from their original carded releases.
- Bumblebee (Legends, 2007)
It's 4 bucks. Whatcha gonna do?
- Legends Bumblebee transforms into a yellow 1976 Camaro. Being a highly simplified toy of a highly complex design, Legends-class Bumblebee does not replicate the appearance of the robot mode very well, and has very limited articulation, detail and paint application.
- Ultimate Bumblebee (Ultimate, 2007)
Ironically less accurate than the Deluxe-class toy.
- Ultimate Bumblebee transforms into the concept vehicle for the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro. He is very expensive and very vaguely animatronic.
- Bumblebee (Camaro Concept) (Deluxe, 2007)
- Japanese ID number: MA-10
Don't call him Goldbug.
- Similar in appearance to the Ultimate toy, albiet much smaller, this second Deluxe class version of Bumblebee also transforms into a concept vehicle of the 2009 Camaro. Maintaining the high standard for car accuracy in the movie line, Bumblebee is very faithful to the real-life vehicle, featuring clear blue windows in contrast to the opaque windows seen in both his previous Deluxe class toy and the Ultimate Bumblebee toy.
- Bumblebee features two Automorphing gimmicks during transformation: (a) swinging his hood down into robot mode position also moves his arms up and (b), swinging his feet down will move the rear fenders up and behind his calves. Unusually, this version of Bumblebee is much more accurate to the CGI design than either the older-model deluxe OR the Ultimate figures, with the chest properly articulating in a fairly Movie-accurate manner. He's also slightly taller than the other Deluxe figure, which makes Jazz very sad.
- Bumblebee features a surperb range of articulation, with ball joints in his shoulders, neck, torso, wrists and upper legs, with ratcheting and swivles making up the remaining joints. Instead of the rather inaccurate missile launchers from the 1976 Camaro toy, 09 Bumblebee somes with a mostly accurate version of his plasma cannon as it appears in the movie, but for added play value can Automorph into an energy blade by opening up the halves of the gun barrel and swinging them back. The cannon can be held in either of his hands.
- Care should be taken when removing the cannon from Bumblebee's hands, as excessive force can damage the wrist ball joint socket.
Cyber Slammers
- Bumblebee (2007)
A Battlecharger for the new millennium.
- Bumblebee, like other Cyber Slammers, has motorized action. When you push down on the car, it zooms forward and slowly pops into robot mode! Sure to please the toddler you brought with you to the PG-13 movie.
- Bumblebee (Camaro Concept) (2007)
Fast Action Battlers
- Plasma Punch Bumblebee (2007)
The hood becomes the chest? Well, that's new!
Cyber Stompin' Robots
- Bumblebee (2007)
These boots were made for -- you know the rest.
- He's got electronic lights and sounds up the whazzoo, and fires missiles and a fist. He totally plays the original theme song.
Robot Replicas
- Bumblebee (2007)
Titanium Series
- Bumblebee (Robot Masters, 2007)
Special feature: Can't talk, just like the real Bumblebee!
- This Bumblebee is a three-inch tall painted mini-statue of his 1976 Camaro bodyform. He features die-cast in his torso and thighs, and he has swivel-joints at the shoulders, head and waist. Oh, and he comes with a Movie-style Autobot logo base to stand on.
Micro IR Transformers Cars
- Made by Radio Shack under license from Hasbro and Dreamworks. Three-function infrared remote, in Bumblebee's signature colors, gives you control of the car with forward and reverse turn movement. More than just a car styled after the Movie character, the car also transforms to robot mode. The top of the gun-shaped IR remote's barrel serves as a display stand.
Merchandise
Transformers (2007)
- Beatmix Bumblebee (2007)
- Beatmix Bumblebee is a device that hooks up to a music device, similarly to an iDog. Like the aforementioned product, Beatmix Bumblebee reacts to the music being played (outputed via a speaker within him). With a touch, he can also sample the owner's music tracks and replays them with sound effects from the movie. His arms are posable, but Bumblebee cannot transform.
What are YOU lookin at?
Unleashed
- Bumblebee (2007)
Robot Heroes
- Galactic Bumblebee vs. Barricade (2007)
XMODS® Evolution Transformers
- Model Number: 60-186
- Bumblebee is one of the first Transformers characters to be licensed by Radio Shack from Hasbro and Dreamworks for their XMODS Evolution line of radio control cars. "The maximum in modification", Bumblebee is a base kit that can be upgraded with a weapons and light kit featuring the weapons he uses in car mode (Model Number: 60-191), as well as any of the optional motor upgrades, body kits, steering and suspension upgrades, and more available for the brand.
ZipZaps® Micro RC
- Model Number: 60-180
- Bumblebee is also one of the first Transformers characters licensed by Radio Shack for their ZipZaps line of pocket-size radio control cars. As a ZipZap, Bumblebee can be customized, trimmed, and tuned with any other accessories available for the brand. He has working headlights and requires four "AAA" batteries for the charger.
Trivia
- According to an article on Edmunds.com, the filmmakers wanted Bumblebee's original Earth form to be the 1976 iteration of the Camaro because it was the worst Camaro possible that also had chrome bumpers.
- The same article indicates that the 1976 Camaros used in the film were all purchased via online auction for under $6000 each, one for less than $2000. That one didn't run.
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