Insecticon (G1)

The Insecticons are a Decepticon subgroup from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Just another bug hunt.

The Insecticons are a group of insectoid troublemakers that Megatron trusts as far as he can throw Devastator. Aside from their individual talents, as a group, the Insecticons also display a wide array of unique abilities: eating both organic and inorganic matter for energy, creating clones of themselves, and controlling the weather.

The most commonly-seen group of Insecticons includes:

• Shrapnel (stag beetle)—a sadist with power over electricity
• Bombshell (rhinoceros beetle)—the master of the mind-warping cerebro-shells
• Kickback (grasshopper)—a smooth-talker with powerful legs

Their ranks can also include:

• Venom (cicada)—the paranoid leader of the team
• Chop Shop (stag beetle)—an ambitious thief
• Barrage (rhinoceros beetle)—a cruel berserker
• Ransack (grasshopper)—an unstoppable scourge

Some of the Insecticon clones have individual names:

• Zaptrap—the clone of Shrapnel
• Salvo—the clone of Bombshell
• Shothole—the clone of Kickback

The army of Virulent Clones created by Deathsaurus were spawned from two vestiges of the Insecticons:

• Buzzclaw
• Dirge

A failed batch of Insecticons became known as the Swarm. A lone member of the Swarm was domesticated and given the name Bob.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Now I passed up all the chain franchise joints on Hamburger Row, and stopped at a little greasy spoon place I always eat at, called EAT.

Individualistic, greedy, and arrogant, the Insecticons consider themselves a species unto themselves and have only a tentative on-again/off-again alliance with the main Decepticon forces, mainly when Megatron can bribe them with the energon they need to maintain their clone hordes.

Shrapnel, Kickback, and Bombshell arrived on Earth in an escape pod millions of years ago. Landing in a swamp, their idento-computers gave them new alternate modes based on local insects. Eventually their food-raiding activities attracted the attention of both the Autobots and Decepticons, the latter approaching them with offers of alliance and shared purpose.

Reunited with their Decepticon comrades, the three warriors happily accepted an alliance, driving off the Autobots and participating in a raid on an oil refinery. They displayed the full range of their powers... as well as their willingness to clear out as soon as the tide of battle turned against the Decepticons. Devouring a batch of energon cubes, they abandoned the fight, prompting Megatron to pursue them into the distance, swearing vengeance. A Plague of Insecticons

You wanna know where paradise lies, I call it two triple cheeseburger, side order fries.

The Insecticons somehow survived, and were in the area when Megatron decided to pursue the electro-cells. The Insecticons aided the Decepticons in battle... and received a measly three energon cubes as a reward. The Autobot Mirage took advantage of their discontent, stealing the cubes and leaving a Decepticon insignia in their place. Soon, the Insecticons attacked the Decepticons in retribution. Mirage was injured in the battle, and cerebro-shelled into being an Insecticon slave. Megatron and Bombshell eventually worked out Mirage's deception, and used him to lure several Autobots into a trap. When the battle turned against them, Megatron destroyed the electro-cells, resulting in massive explosions which convinced the Insecticons to flee into the distance. Traitor

In an unusual instance of an Insecticon working solo, Bombshell joined Megatron's forces after they had captured the human-made Nightbird robot. He performed brain work on the robot to turn it into a Decepticon ally, and was quite impressed with its abilities. He later participated in a battle with the Autobots over the World Energy Chip. When Starscream disabled Nightbird with an energy blast to the back, Bombshell joined Megatron and the Decepticons in pursuing Starscream into the distance. Enter the Nightbird

Well don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan, so EAT IT, just EAT IT.

The Insecticons had been devouring trees in a National Park, prompting the Autobots to investigate. Megatron and his troops arrived in time to observe as the trio defeated Bumblebee, Hound and Beachcomber. Megatron approached them and proposed a temporary alliance to capture the data storage facility at Iron Mountain. As a reward, the Insecticons were first allowed to feast on the Nova Power Core, which allowed them to grow to great size and power. Quickly seizing the initiative, they cerebro-shelled Soundwave, taking control of him. Through him they learned of Megatron's plan to dispose of them after Iron Mountain's data was secure. Thus they covertly cerebro-shelled the rest of the Decepticons; when Megatron emerged from Iron Mountain, he found himself facing the guns of his own troops. The Autobots, meanwhile, had discovered that the Nova Power Core was unstable and would eventually cause the Insecticons to explode. They developed an antidote, and allied with Megatron to deliver it into the Insecticons. Bombshell and Kickback were cured and returned to their normal size, but Shrapnel exploded before the antidote could take full effect. The explosion also released the Decepticons from Bombshell's control. Bombshell was able to instantly reconstruct Shrapnel's shattered pieces. With an infuriated Megatron in hot pursuit, the Insecticons fled into the distance. The Insecticon Syndrome

I'm a hungry man, till somebody feeds me / my appetite is large, 'cause me so hungry!

The Insecticons went on a cloning spree, creating thousands of clones and raiding farmland to harvest energy. After driving off an Autobot attack led by Smokescreen, the Insecticons and their clone hordes flew to Decepticon Headquarters for energy processing. Megatron gave them their cut, consisting of three tiny energon cubes, while privately processing scads of full-sized cubes behind the scenes.

When the Autobots acquired a robotic insecticide to deal with the swarm, Megatron sent Thrust to warn his erstwhile allies, but the Insecticons suspected that they were being deceived, and instead flew directly to the valley where the insecticide (along with the Autobot Cosmos), lay stranded. They gleefully ignored Megatron's Decepticons, who were being overwhelmed by the Autobots, and instead turned their attention to a delicious-looking forest, which Megatron was clearly trying to hoard for himself. Flying into the "forest", the Insecticons quickly discovered that it consisted of ravenous Morphobots, which promptly devoured the entire Insecticon army. Only the three originals escaped unharmed, though just barely; they fled, flying away into the distance. Quest for Survival

Jettison Weight, Step 1: Remove those who eat the most

Another horde of Insecticon clones was ravaging a city when the Autobots rolled into town. After the Protectobots evacuated the city, the Autobots blasted the clones to scrap. When the Autobots attempted to seize control of the space bridge, Megatron had the Insecticons steal the bridge's control module. Later, faced with an Earth-destroying crisis that required cooperation with the Autobots as well as a trip to Cybertron, the Autobots and Decepticons tracked the Insecticons down to a parking garage. Shrapnel panicked at the sight of Megatron; the trio transformed and burrowed into the ground, leaving the control module behind and fleeing into the... ground. The Revenge of Bruticus

At some point, the Insecticons appeared to have joined Megatron's regular forces; they were on Cybertron after he conquered the planet, and joined in the raid on Autobot City, where they ate a lot of doors and armor, and got bashed around and run over quite a bit.

After the Battle of Autobot City, the three Insecticons found themselves battered and broken, and on the wrong end of the "weight" jettisoned from Astrotrain. All three appeared to be reformatted by Unicron into new bodies, though Shrapnel later menaced Daniel on the planet Junkion. The Transformers: The Movie

Kickback and Shrapnel were among the Decepticons seen struggling for energon on Chaar after the destruction of Unicron. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 Later, all three Insecticons were among the Decepticons on Earth who assisted Trypticon in his assault on Metroplex. They got flattened by Sky Lynx. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

Japanese Generation 1 continuity family

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers cartoon

The Insecticons arrived on Earth via their vessel long before the other Decepticons and the Autobots arrived. The Mystery of the Insectrons^[1]

Story of Binaltech

Bombshell's cerebro-shell technology was combined with Doctor Arkeville's hypno-chip to create a new form of brainwashing. Using this technique, Starscream's Decepticons and their human allies the Concurrence infiltrated the Binaltech Project to steal the advanced bodies planned for the Autobots for themselves. Arise! Evil Binaltechs

Wars manga

Somewhere beyond the year 2025, Kickback piloted the Thunder Arrow to extract Metrobomb after he'd stolen vital secrets from Metroplex. Before he and Metrobomb could escape, however, a manipulator arm from Metroplex caught the ship and used an energy surge to fry the stolen data. Metrowars 2

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic

The Insecticons took part in an attack on Kyushu that attracted the attention of the Autobots. The Four-Wheel Drive Corps responded, but the attack turned out to be an ambush as the Insecticons trapped the Autobots in a volcanic crater. Luckily, the Four-Wheel Drive Corps was able to "combine" and perform the fearsome "Four-Wheel Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack. The blast of energy was so powerful that it sent the Insecticons fleeing in terror. issue #3

Mars Attacks: The Transformers

Shrapnel, Kickback, and Bombshell were among the Decepticon forces who formed an alliance with the Autobots during a Martian invasion. They saved Ironhide and Jazz from some of the Martians' giant ants. Mars Attacks: The Transformers

Ask Vector Prime

In Primax 1185.04 Alpha, the Insecticons were among the few allies Megatron found in his campaign against Cobra-controlled Earth. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/13

In a strange 'amalgam' universe created by the machinations of Sideways and Gong, the Insecticons were replaced by several Renegades during the events of the Unicron War. Echoes and Fragments

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

The Decepticon warriors Bombshell, Shrapnel, Kickback, Dirge, Thrust, and Ramjet were seemingly high-ranking officers under the command of Lord Straxus, Lord High Governor of Polyhex. Shrapnel served as Straxus's Executive Officer, and was presented as a cruel, sadistic being, with no notable sign of a speech impediment. It was he that supervised the technicians who received—and eventually decoded—a transmission from Soundwave on Earth, and later he who was given the distinctly thankless task of assisting Straxus in the management of the space bridge project.

The six appeared to serve as Darkmount's security in some fashion, since Shrapnel personally captured the Autobot Scrounge and brought him to Straxus—and, later, after Blaster had been deliberately taken prisoner, it was Shrapnel who brought him before the tyrant in the space bridge construction hangar—only to be assaulted by a less-than-grateful Decepticon leader. Later, all six were observed flying into battle against Autobot intruders. The Smelting Pool! The Bridge to Nowhere!

At this point, the Insecticon trio transformed into forms which appeared to very closely resemble their later Earthen modes—albeit without any visible shifting of mass (i.e. Shrapnel is still the same size as in his robotic mode, as evidenced when he seizes hold of Scrounge). Later, during the attempt to assassinate Emirate Xaaron (itself in reality bait for the Wreckers' Operation: Volcano), Kickback does apparently reduce in size, so it's possible that the Insecticons already have this ability, but that it is optional, in the same way that Soundwave appears able to decide on a whim what size he wishes his alt mode to be on any given day.

After the fall of Darkmount and the crippling of Straxus, the trio continued to be influential figures in the Cybertronian Decepticon Army, and were part of a battle unit regarded by the Autobots as being some of the Decepticons' Ten Deadliest Killers—specifically, Bombshell, Shrapnel, Kickback, Dirge, Thrust, Ramjet, Blitzwing, Octane, and Macabre—so much so, in fact, that Emirate Xaaron planned the dangerous Operation: Volcano to lure them into a deadly trap, believing that the extermination of this group would deliver a great psychological blow for the Resistance.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on one's allegiance, after Roadbuster had tricked a doomed Autobot traitor into passing on fake information to a typically murderous Shrapnel, Operation: Volcano began to fall apart as a result of events on Earth. First, Ultra Magnus was removed from the Wreckers' strike force to travel to Earth, and second, after Kickback had completed reconnaissance, Megatron himself contacted the Decepticon attack group and ordered the Insecticons to report to Earth—immediately. Unwilling to risk disobeying Megatron, everyone but Macabre returned to Polyhex. Target: 2006

Significantly, during these events, the trio are twice referred to as Insecticons by name, suggesting both that Cybertron does possess insect life, and that their forms are indeed already based upon it—an implication absent in the US strip.

The three Insecticons were sent to Earth via a repaired or rebuilt space bridge, where they fell under the command of Megatron, who altered them making minor modifications in order to allow them to transform into the likenesses of Earthside insects. Megatron intended to make use of the space bridge to revitalise Cybertron, by connecting a vast drilling pipe transdimensionally between Earth and a massive turbine and generator complex constructed on Cybertron, and drilling through Hoover Dam to do it. To this end, he utilised the Insecticons' unique talents—Bombshell used one of his Cerebro-shells to take the mind of one of the Dam's technical staff, Ricky Vasquez, Shrapnel's electrical powers were used to remote-operate the Dam's electrical machinery, and Kickback... kicked a door down.

When the Aerialbots on their first mission intervened, both the Insecticons and their three Strike Plane comrades, also having travelled to Earth, fared badly against them. Shrapnel's antennae were twisted, courtesy of Air Raid's torque rifle, and ultimately Ricky Vasquez's free will and love of his daughter were enough to allow him to overcome Bombshell's cerebro-shell entirely, pulling Megatron's trigger and destroying the drill. Battered, Shrapnel and Kickback somewhat unceremoniously carried a still fulminating Megatron off into the distance. Meanwhile, however, Bombshell, having seen an opportunity in his small insect-size, attached himself to the Aerialbot leader Silverbolt, and returned with him to the Ark in secret. Aerialbots over America!

Bombshell planted a cerebro-shell in the head of Optimus Prime, current head of the Earthbound Autobots. The shell failed to take full effect for unknown reasons, but did permit Megatron and Soundwave to tap into and monitor Optimus' thoughts—including the Creation Matrix. Thus, Bombshell was indirectly responsible for Megatron being able to give life to the Stunticons, and presumably (though it is never stated) the Combaticons as well. Heavy Traffic!

The point at which he left the Ark is unknown, but the trio continued to make sporadic appearances amongst the Decepticon forces until the Underbase Saga. Shrapnel notably used his electrical powers to remote-control the bridge of a cargo ship at one point, but beyond that, the trio seem to have faded into the background. Although not shown being deactivated or destroyed by Starscream during this conflict, they were still never seen again. They may have been taken out of action at this point, or possibly during the preceding inter-faction fighting. It is also possible that they simply chose to lie low for a while.

The Insecticons Chop Shop and Venom, although not specifically identified as Insecticons at any point in this continuity, were part of the Decepticons' original Mayhem Attack Squad, which was sent to Earth in fragile alliance with the Wreckers to hunt down and destroy Galvatron in late 1988-early 1989. Predictably, few of either group survived the encounter with the future Decepticon, and these Insecticons were apparently slaughtered—either by Galvatron or by the clone of Megatron with whom he had formed an alliance. As the story never presents a full roster of the Mayhem Attack Squad, it is possible that Ransack and Barrage were also members, but the numbers given make it impossible for them to have been also present and killed off-panel. Time Wars

During one alternate future, Shrapnel and Scavenger attempted to kill Daniel Witwicky on the planet of Junk in the year 2006,The Final Battle! but this particular timeline was rewritten when Galvatron time-travelled back to 1987 to escape Rodimus Prime. Target: 2006

Earthforce

Om nom nom.

The three original Insecticons were among the Decepticons recruited—and possibly reactivated—by Megatron on Earth during the Decepticon Civil War there, while Optimus Prime was focused on the approaching threat of Unicron. Although initially loyal to Megatron, they were bested in combat by Starscream—then theoretically under Shockwave's command—when he infiltrated Megatron's base. Starscream subdued the trio using an electrically charged flyswat known as a rustbug hoop—thereby proving the existence of Cybertronian insect life—and more or less blackmailed them into joining forces with himself and Soundwave in their plans to reunite both Earthbound Decepticon factions by disposing of Megatron and Shockwave and taking their place. Bugged!

Bombshell's cerebro-shells, now apparently grown somewhat more reliable, were used at least twice during this period—once to drive the Aerialbot gestalt Superion into running amok, Inside Story! and later to rewrite the memories of journalist Irwin Spoon, ensuring the continued success of Soundwave and Starscream's smear campaign against the Autobots. End of the Road!

Regeneration One

Soundwave should really spray in there.

Twenty-one years after the regeneration of Cybertron, Soundwave ordered Venom, Ransack and Chop Shop to assassinate the insurgents Windrazor, Afterburner, Terradive and Eagle Eye, who were holed up in a Kalis weapons-decommissioning depot, threatening to detonate a clutch of reclaimed warheads. The Insecticons executed their mission with ease but were surprised in turn by the arrival of the "all-new, all-cuddly" Wreckers, who quickly restrained them inside a detention-sphere. Loose Ends, Part 1

Transformers '84

In the early days of the war on Cybertron, the Insecticons fell under the command of Lord Straxus. Chop Shop was seen participating in a Decepticon assault alongside Barrage, Ransack, and Venom Secrets & Lies #1 and later took part in attacking an Autobot fort in Iacon's Border Regions alongside Bombshell, Shrapnel, and Kickback. Secrets & Lies #2 The latter three subsequently joined Straxus in watching Autobot prisoners being executed in Darkmount's smelting pool. Secrets & Lies #3

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback, along with Soundwave and Ravage, were sent by Megatron to assassinate the new Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. The War Within #2 They failed when Optimus royally kicked their asses. The War Within #3 In their Cybertronian modes, Shrapnel transformed into a jet, and while the others were not seen to transform, Bombshell appeared to have the parts to become a tank while Kickback looked to possibly transform into a type of dragster. The remaining Insecticons caused terror throughout Cybertron and joined Shockwave's attack on Iacon. Chop Shop was seen to transform into a wheeled vehicle (with pincers) while Venom became a jet. The War Within #3 The War Within #4 The War Within #5

During the Dark Ages, the Insecticons split among the Decepticon splinter groups. Venom, Chop Shop, Ransack and Barrage joined the Ultracons, Escalation while Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback remained with the Decepticons under Shockwave. Conflagration Although the Decepticon forces were eventually reunited, The Age of Wrath the former Ultracon Insecticons were reduced to vampirism, capturing Micromasters and draining them of energon. By this point, they looked to transform into their Earthen modes somehow. Recipe for Hate Victims of the Revolution

Meanwhile, Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback sent to Earth by Shockwave after the Ark crash-landed on the planet. They were to guide Earth's development and prepare it for conquest (real logical choice there, Shockwave) but were followed by the Dynobots. We're not entirely sure of the sequence of events, but it appears that the Insecticons played dead until Grimlock and Slag got bored and wandered off. It's assumed they gained their insect forms around this time. Extermination

In the present day, after the fall of Shockwave's regime on Cybertron, War and Peace the Earthen Insecticons resurfaced in San Desto, taking control of the town and growing an army of Insecticon clones. Infestation A team of Autobots assisted by the Earth Defense Command managed to defeat them. Extermination

Descent into Evil

The remnants of the Insecticons had been widely dispersed, apparently lacking access to their cloning abilities. The Decepticon general Deathsaurus, seeking to provide the Decepticon/Predacon Alliance with the means to return the balance of power to their favor, established a research facility on Ceti Alpha Seven. In this lab, the surviving Insecticons Buzzclaw and Dirge were analyzed, and their genetic cloning ability unlocked once more. The resultant Virulent Clones fought against an Autobot team sent to destroy the base, but were ultimately destroyed along with their base, and possibly Buzzclaw. Descent into Evil

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Kickback was seen among Shockwave's troops as they waited for Ultra Magnus's force field to run out of power so they could capture the Autobots. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2

When a team of G.I. Joes and Cobra members were sent to a dark future where the Decepticons had conquered Earth, they were attacked by a swarm of Insecticon clones. Torch managed to deactivate them using an EMP grenade. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3

Later in the normal timeline, Shrapnel, Venom, Ransack and Barrage were seen under Serpent O.R.'s command, fighting back against a combined Autobot/G.I. Joe assault. The Art of War #5

2005 IDW continuity

"We've got to get organized. We should not be losing to grasshoppers, people."

The first Insecticons dwelt deep beneath Cybertron, a mindless "swarm" that defended the core of the planet from subterranean threats. First Strike #5 Historia An erroneous account places Kickback during the early days of the Decepticon movement, while Soundwave later used a thing called "Bombshell" to brainwash Beachcomber. Spotlight: Blaster Venom, Barrage, Chop Shop, and Ransack do not appear to have any connections to this swarm; the first three members of the group hunted for the Titan Metroplex under Bludgeon's command, The Hunting Party while Ransack was stationed elsewhere. Spotlight: Sixshot

In the years leading up to the Surge, a group of Decepticon scientists launched an ambitious campaign to clone the primitive creatures in great numbers. Historia However, the inefficient process yielded only three successes—Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel—and approximately three thousand of mutant failures. All Hail Megatron #7 These three Insecticons joined the Decepticon force on Earth, taking part in both the defeat and banishment of the Autobot forces there, All Hail Megatron #7 the conquest of New York, All Hail Megatron #1 and having to listen to Megatron waffle. All Hail Megatron #4 Assaulting Beijing with Skywarp and Thundercracker, they quickly agitated Skywarp by telling him the Seekers were no longer the elite warriors of the Decepticons, replaced by newer warriors, like the Constructicons. This nearly caused Skywarp, and by proxy Thundercracker, to attack them. All Hail Megatron #6 The Decepticons left the mutant swarm behind on the dead planet; All Hail Megatron #6 they menaced the exiled Autobots there for some time until Omega Supreme eventually returned and destroyed the majority of their forces. All Hail Megatron #10

In New York, Starscream recruited the Insecticons to help overthrow Megatron. All Hail Megatron #8 When they acted on this betrayal, however, Megatron defeated all three of them with little effort. All Hail Megatron #10 The Insecticons battled the European military and the newly returned Autobots, All Hail Megatron #11 but fled the planet along with Starscream and his troops when Optimus Prime defeated Megatron. All Hail Megatron #12 Uneasy Lies the Head

Man, Kickback and Shrapnel are letting just anybody join the Insecticons these days.

Over the next few years, Ironhide and Sunstreaker—with Metroplex's assistance—exterminated the remainder of mutant clones on Cybertron, save for a friendly member of the swarm that Sunstreaker named "Bob". By that point, the three main Insecticons had set up residence on a desolate asteroid base along with Starscream's Decepticon remnant; while their leader did nothing, his followers cannibalized each other for fuel and parts, and Shrapnel and Kickback killed Dreadwind for this reason. All His Engines Bombshell and Shrapnel later unsuccessfully tried to defend the base from Hot Rod's infiltration. Heart Like a Wheel Galvatron's return to the planet caused whatever remained of the mutant swarm to transform into Sweeps. Buster, Bob, and D.0.C. profiles Once Megatron was back in command, he summoned the Insecticons and his other troops to Cybertron, where D-Void brainwashed them into serving as components of the "Deceptigod". Kings

The defeat of the Deceptigod also marked the end of the war; as the postwar world took shape, Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Ransack, ended up having to work for the Autobots. Stick Together City on Fire Bombshell became a major player in Megatron's new plan to conquer Cybertron and used his cerebro-shells to take control of Prowl as part of a bid to create a new version of Devastator; Devisive Before the Dawn however, during the subsequent battle for Iacon, Arcee stabbed him through the head and killed him. Plan for Everything By this point, Venom, Barrage, and Chop Shop had become members of Lockdown's Titan Hunters, The Reluctant Specialist and were later joined by Ransack. The Fecund Moon

Many years later, the terrorists of the Iron Ring briefly encountered a swarm of subterranean Insecticons during their attack on Cybertron, but quickly outran the monsters as they pushed deeper towards the planet's core. First Strike #5

Hearts of Steel

"Bugs thrive on carnage, tiger. They consume, infest, destroy, live off the death and destruction of other species."

Kickback, Bombshell and Shrapnel fought the Autobots on Earth in ancient times, then went into stasis to avoid an Ice Age and didn't wake up until the 19th century. They fell under the command of Starscream. Hearts of Steel #1 In order to get Tobias Muldoon the funding he needed to build the Decepticons a base, Starscream sent the Insecticons to rob a train carrying cash and bullion from the Denver Mint. Taking on a combined train mode, they knocked the train off the rails and stole the money, although they didn't see the value in weak metal and sheets of paper. They delivered the stolen property to Starscream and Muldoon the following morning. Hearts of Steel #2 The Insecticons were later seen aiding in the construction of more Decepticons, including the Astrotrain, in preparation of the Decepticons' master plan. Hearts of Steel #3

Transformers: All Spark

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Another Episode, Part 1 The False Power Ray of Hope Great Aspirations

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

The Insecticon trio of Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel worked for Megatron as bounty hunters, and captured some of the recently arrived humans of G.I. Joe. Targetmasters Other Insecticons lived underground; when Cybertron transformed into Primus, they fled the sub-levels in a mass migration. Escape from Primus

2019 IDW continuity

YUM YUM EAT EM UP

Bombshell, Skrapnel and Kickback emerged from the Forge Pyramid with a unique hunger for materials that could never be sated. Shortly after their first meal, it transpired they could metabolize what they ate into an ultra-powerful form of energon, dubbed Ultra-Energon. The trio were studied extensively, and painfully, by the scientific elite of Cybertron, who failed to glean the secrets of their biology. With no answers to be found, the three were set to work, consuming the waste of Cybertron to turn it into energon, receiving great, though irrelevant to them, praise for their contributions. Constructicons Rising, Part 2

When the War of the Threefold Spark broke out, the trio took to the battlefields and began consuming the dead and the dying. Constructicons Rising, Part 2 As Cybertronians scrambled to the front lines, nobody kept tabs on the Insecticons; eventually, the trio approached Exarchon's minion Shockwave, who had begun a series of cloning experiments. Escape Part Two Shockwave's cloning machinery ran on the ultra-energon the Insecticons could produce in large quantities, and eventually Bombshell cut a deal with the scientist: in exchange for their services, Shockwave would clone them. Although Shockwave ran some preliminary tests and discovered that the three were well-suited for the rigorous cloning process, he ultimately withheld this information from them for fear that they had only just begun testing the limits of their destructive potential. Escape Part Two After the end of the war, the trio were banished from Cybertron and eventually wound up on the planet Mayalx. Bombshell claimed that the Cybertronian government had grown wary of their powers and wondered if they would ever develop a taste for living Cybertronians; because of this, the government rebranded them as the lowly "Insecticons" and put them to work far from Cybertron. Constructicons Rising, Part 2

Eventually, Bombshell and the other Insecticons re-established contact with Shockwave and joined The Rise, which had begun recruiting disaffected Cybertronians from the colonies and turning them into potential Ascenticon operatives. When the team discovered the similarly disgraced Constructicons on Mayalx, Bombshell saw a valuable set of catspaws that could be manipulated to help the Insecticons gather energon for their cause. Constructicons Rising, Part 1 After first feasting on a dead worker Hook killed by accident, the Insecticons confronted the builders during one of Scrapper's regular sparring matches. Bombshell had explained their own history and encouraged Scrapper and his friends to embrace their full potential by taking revenge on the society that had scorned their talents. Constructicons Rising, Part 2

After the Constructicons had agreed to attack, using their combined form, the Insecticons consumed three workers, their living sparks giving the Insecticons the extra juice to produce a particularly volatile variety of energon. Once the Constructicons had over-fuelled on their energon cubes and ravaged the colony as the newly christened Devastator, Bombshell delivered a grisly, ironic toast to Nominus Prime: the bot who'd made this all possible. Many cycles later, after the Insecticons had devoured and processed everything—and everyone—Devastator had destroyed, Onslaught's unit arrived to pick up their energon cube shipment to take back to Cybertron. Constructicons Rising, Part 4

Following the fall of the Tether, the Insecticons had returned to Cybertron, feasting on the inhabitants of the A'ovan habitat before Hound, Nautica and Road Rage chased them out. As they flew off, Bombshell noted that they needed more life to sustain themselves, knowing where they could find a supplier. Escape Part One That supplier was Shockwave. The Insecticons confronted him inside one of his bases, angry at the mere handouts they had been given, and regarding his promises as empty. Shockwave assuaged them that the clone army they sought would take time, and the three stormed off. Unwilling to wait on their ally any longer, they set their own plan in motion. Using Bombshell's cerebro-shells, they made Skystalker their inside man, an agent to 'procure' cloning machinery while they acquired the fuel. Namely, living Cybertronians. Setting out, they attacked a caravan of Autobots protecting a convoy of organics. Escape Part Two The Autobots fought back, and ultimately the Insecticons made off with only one of them, but this was enough for their needs. Returning to their base, an immersant Titan, they began the process, vowing to show everyone on Cybertron what they were capable of. Escape Part Three Their swarm of clones soon broke free and swarmed to Darkmount, devouring two Arks in the process. On return to the Titan, the Insecticons promptly devoured their progeny, so they could use the resultant Ultra Energon to make more clones, and continue their cycle of feeding. Escape Part Five

Over the next forty cycles, swarms of feral Insecticon clones continued to menace Darkmount and the surrounding regions. Test Flight I The clones became a regular nuisance to the remaining defenders of Darkmount and the organic refugees they protected, and the city's Autobot defenders continually repelled their assaults upon the city as their reserves dwindled. The Landscape of Fear Eventually, Shockwave and the Insecticons agreed to a truce; as a result, when the Decepticons caught wind of Termagax's mobile fortress near the Sea of Rust, Shockwave contacted Bombshell and ordered him to take out the fortress—safe in the knowledge that the task would significantly weaken Bombshell's clone army. The full might of the Insecticon swarm exhausted Termagax's ammunition reserves, but the clones could not penetrate the walls of the building before Autobot reinforcements arrived and eliminated the swarm. Sea of Rust II

Still eager to feast on Darkmount, the Insecticons continued to attack the settlement but were consistently pushed back. With their reserves dwindling, Termagax observed an Insecticon carrying a rust worm, which gave her an idea on how to defeat them The Landscape of Fear While Blaster and Glyph worked to create a high-density data-bomb, Hound secured a specimen while Novastar's team tracked the Insecticons to their primary nest in the Cybertronian Mountains. Radical Time After taking out the majority of the swarm by sacrificing House, Termagax and the Autobots were able to reprogram the Insecticons to feast on the rust worms and end two threats to the planet at once. End of Time

Transformers vs. the Terminator

Awakening aboard the Ark in 1984, the Insecticons took part in the Decepticon conquest of Earth. Enemy of My Enemy Part Two In the year 2029, they reinforced the Seekers' attack on Skynet's Omega Base and emerged triumphant, failing to notice that their enemy had sent a T-800 back in time to prevent this future from ever coming to pass. Enemy of My Enemy Part One

In the new timeline, the T-800 arrived at the Ark just before the Insecticons could be revived by the other Decepticons. The interference of the Terminator, along with its unwilling companion Sarah Connor, caused the repair beams meant for the Insecticons to revive Optimus Prime and Bumblebee instead. Despite this setback, the Insecticons were soon brought back online and retreated with the other Decepticons. Megatron sent them and Refraktor to scout the surrounding regions for energy sources; they found a Cyberdyne Systems facility and directed Megatron and the other Decepticons to attack the building for its nuclear reactor. Enemy of My Enemy Part Two

The Decepticons deduced a connection between the robotics lab and the Terminator which had attacked them; however, they did not realize that the robot hailed from the future, and so Megatron ordered the trio to tear the building apart in search of more Terminator robots before the Autobots arrived. Enemy of My Enemy Part Three

The Insecticons took part in the ensuing battle that would ultimately mark the end of the war; though Arcee killed Kickback, Bumblebee and Velocity were able to incapacitate Skrapnel and Bombshell by tricking them into shooting each other. The Autobots took the pair prisoner after Megatron perished, but when the Autobots returned to Mount St. Hillary they discovered that the T-800 had destroyed the ship. Bombshell suggested that he and Skrapnel could leave no trace of the Ark or its occupants, but Optimus decided against it until the lava had cooled. Instead, he proposed a truce between all the remaining Cybertronians on Earth, one that the four remaining Decepticons agreed to. Enemy of My Enemy Part Four

My Little Pony/Transformers

These bloody things are everywhere. They're in the lift, in the lorry, in the bond wizard, and all over the malonga gilderchuck!

The Insecticons were among the many Transformers teleported to Equestria, and frightened some rabbits when they arrived. Transformation Is Magic The rapacious trio and their clones soon invaded the neighboring Sweet Apple Acres farm and devoured their way through Applejack's apple orchard. Although Applejack's initial attempts to shoo them away proved ineffective, she and her many family members were eventually able to see them off. Strength in Numbers The three original Insecticons joined Megatron during their attack on the Crystal Empire but were eventually banished back to Cybertron along with all of the other defeated Decepticons. Finale

Commercial appearances

Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback led an enormous swarm of Insecticons to attack a farm. Insecticons commercial

Games

Transformers Legends

Kickback, Hardshell, and Sharpshot rebelled from Megatron's rule and began consuming GM crops. Their imminent clone army threatened to spell doom for Earth until their plan was foiled by an alliance of Autobots and Decepticons. Harvest of the Insecticons Venom, Barrage, and Chop Shop attempted to thwart the secret Autobot commando unit known as the Bee Team. The Bee Team Sharpshot, Hardshell, and Kickback attacked Ultra Magnus after the Autobot commander brought Wreck-Gar and Wheelie to Earth. Junkion Reunion

Transformers: Devastation

The ancient starship Proudstar contained a swarm of Insecticons as part of its terraforming system. Upon encountering a potential world, the swarm would work in concert with the ship's plasma energy to transform the world into one capable of supporting mechanical life. While Nova Prime initially only terraformed barren worlds, after a stop on a strangely sinister planet, a dark influence led him to begin wiping out populated worlds to reshape into copies of Cybertron.

When Megatron activated the Proudstar's systems, he unleashed the swarm upon the Earth, who spread out and . The Autobots were forced to venture into the crashed ship, where they defeated three large Insecticons and accessed the ship's systems to shut down the swarm.

Transformers Roleplaying Game

The Insecticons were a group of ancient Cybertronians that took the form of various arthropods, which they considered to be their natural shape. Their primal hunger for energon led them to ally with the Decepticons. The Insecticons also commanded ”The Swarm”, a massive army of clones and copies that obeyed the dominant “Alpha Insecticons”. Decepticon Directive

Toys

The Transformers

Shrapnel, Shrapnel

• Insecticons (1985)
  • Bombshell
  • Kickback
  • Shrapnel

• Known designers: Takashi Matsuda (TakaraTomy)

The Insecticons were sold in small boxed packages at the $6 price point in 1985 and 1986. They are Diaclone-origin toys, retaining the vestigial "cockpits" common to such toys. They are decorated in a standard color scheme dominated by black, with purple, yellow, and silver chrome hightlights.

Barrage

• Deluxe Insecticons (1985)
  • Barrage
  • Chop Shop
  • Ransack
  • Venom

• Known designers: Shinji Aramaki (concept artist)

The four Deluxe Insecticons were originally designed by Artmic and released in the Armored Insect Corps Beetras toyline by Takatoku Toys, likely explaining their near-total absence from vintage Generation 1 fiction. They feature larger size and greater complexity than the standard Insecticons. Their color scheme is not unified.

• Decoys (1987)
  • Bombshell
  • Kickback
  • Shrapnel

• Action Masters (1990)
  • Bombshell

• Known designers: Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy)

• e-HOBBY (2004)
  • Salvo
  • Shothole
  • Zaptrap

e-HOBBY exclusive redecos of Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel, respectively.

The Transformers Collection

• Insectrons (2004)

Kickback, Shrapnel, and Bombshell were offered as a giftset in the "book-box" line of reissues. This set design would be the basis of multiple further reissues listed below.

Timelines

A Virulent Clone

• Descent into Evil (2005)
  • Buzzclaw
  • Dirge

• Convention attendee bonus toys (2005)
  • Virulent Clone

All the Timelines Insecticons are redecos of the Beast Wars Buzzclaw mold, manufactured for BotCon 2005.

Universe (2008)

• Insecticons (Commemorative Edition three-pack, 2009)

Includes the Insecticons Hardshell, Kickback, and Sharpshot. These are reissues of the original Insecticons Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel.

Generations

Notably, all three of the original Insecticons received new toys under the Generations branding, all of them as part of the Legends Class price point. However, each of them was released under a different subline imprint, each incorporating that subline's gimmick for the Legends Class. In addition, one of the Deluxe Insecticons received two different toys as well.

Thrilling 30

One letter away from his original name, name.

• Megatron & Chop Shop (Legends Class two-pack, 2013)

• Known designers: Joe Kyde (Hasbro)

A small companion figure for the Legends Class figure of Megatron released under the Thrilling 30 subline imprint, Chop Shop features a minimal transformation (he basically transforms into a stag beetle by lying down on the ground). He also features a 5 mm handle in his chest that allows Megatron (or any other figure with hands supporting 5mm handles) to hold him in insect mode and use him as a claw. On top of that, he can be transformed into a mine plow that can be attached to the front end of Megatron's tank mode.

• Skrapnel & Reflector (Legends Class two-pack, 2014)

• Known designers: Joe Kyde and John Warden (Hasbro)

A Legends Class figure of "Skrapnel" (so named for trademark purposes, just like the figure from the Platinum Edition set listed below) released under the Thrilling 30 subline imprint, including a small figure of Reflector that can be used by Skrapnel (or any other figure with hands supporting 5mm handles) not only in camera mode, but also in an additional weapon mode. Additionally, Reflector can also be mounted on Skrapnel's back in insect mode.

Platinum Edition

• Insecticons (Platinum Edition three-pack, 2015)

The original Insecticons were once again reissued for the Platinum Edition 3-pack, under the Generations line. Each figure comes with an extra Energon Cube accessory. Shrapnel is now named "Skrapnel", whereas Bombshell got his original name back, albeit with an "Insecticon" prefix.

This set was releaed as a Kmart exclusive in the United States. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers BigBadToyStore and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Singapore, the Philippines and China; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In Canada and Australia, it was sold at Toys"R"Us stores, whereas in the United Kingdom, it was officially available via the UK division of Amazon and A1Toys. In Germany, it was originally available via Bankroft, an online retailer that otherwise specializes in Nerf blasters and accessories, as part of a special "Fan Edition" arrangement through Hasbro Germany, with the help of several German fan sites. Due to low sales, the unsold stock was later sold to Actionfiguren24, a German online retailer that specializes in imported toys, who was able to lower its price for its existing stock of imported Insecticon sets as a result.

Combiner Wars

Bombshell, featuring an "abandoned" gun mode.

• Bombshell (Legends Class, 2014)

• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

A Legends Class figure of Bombshell (simply named "Bombshell" again, without a prefix unlike the figure from the Platinum Edition set listed above) released under the Combiner Wars subline imprint. In addition to his robot and insect modes, he also sports additional 5 mm handles that allow him to be held by combiner figures (or any other figure with hands supporting 5mm handles) in what's presumed to be a third "weapon mode", although such a mode is not officially depicted in the instructions or any of the stock photos for the figure. Bombshell's purple plastic color does not match up with Skrapnel's, and on top of that, he features orange instead of yellow paint operations.

• Chop Shop (Legends Class, 2015)

A redeco (and minor retool) of Thrilling 30 Skrapnel sporting a new head sculpt, resembling the Deluxe Insecticon Chop Shop. Unlike with Skrapnel, no companion figure was included.

Titans Return

Completing the set.

• Kickback (Legends Class, 2016)

• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

A Legends Class figure of Kickback released under the Titans Return subline imprint. He features a cockpit that can house a Titan Master figure, similar to the original Generation 1 figure's cockpit originally designed for Diaclone pilots. Kickback's colors are once again different from Thrilling 30 Skrapnel and Combiner Wars Bombshell; notably, his yellow parts are made out of translucent plastic.

Power of the Primes

• Skrapnel (Legends Class, 2017)

• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

Power of the Primes Skrapnel is a slight redeco of Thrilling 30 Skrapnel without Reflector, sporting darker purple plastic, slightly lighter yellow paint, and a barely different paint application pattern on the legs. This means he features no retooling, which also means Prime Masters can't interact with him the same way they can with other Legends Class figures.

Legacy

A Deluxe Insecticon, but not a Deluxe Insecticon.

• Kickback (Deluxe Class, 2022)
• Shrapnel (Deluxe Class, 2023)
• Bombshell (Deluxe Class, 2023)
• Chop Shop (Deluxe Class, 2024)
• Barrage (Deluxe Class, 2024)

• Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), Ken Christiansen and Emiliano Santalucia (concept art)^[2]

After several years of being confined to the Legends Class scale, Legacy Kickback is the first Generations Insecticon made at the Deluxe Class scale. Legacy: Evolution, the second year branding of Legacy, would complete the trio with Shrapnel and Bombshell's addition to the line. The third year, Legacy: United, retooled Shrapnel and Bombshell into new versions of Chop Shop and Barrage, sold as part of an Amazon-exclusive three-pack.

Buzzworthy Bumblebee

A Deluxe Deluxe Insecticon.

• Creatures Collide (4-pack, 2022)

• Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), Ken Christiansen and Emiliano Santalucia (concept art)

A new toy of Ransack, retooled from the Kickback figure mentioned above, was included in a Buzzworthy Bumblebee box set alongside Goldbug,Skywasp and Predacon Scorponok.

As with other products under the line, it was a Target Exclusive.

Merchandise

Robot Heroes

The mind is his playpen, and now he's IN the playpen.

• Rodimus vs. Insecticon (Shrapnel, renamed due to trademark issues) (2007)
• Ironhide vs. Kickback (2008)
• Perceptor vs. Hardshell (Bombshell, renamed due to trademark issues) (2008)

Notes

• The command structure of the Insecticons is a little fraught.
  • Per the original profiles written by Bob Budiansky, Venom is the group's leader. His bio notes that he fears his position as leader being usurped, and he has the highest "rank" number on his Tech Specs out of all seven original Insecticon toys. However, the Deluxe Insecticons' profiles are not included in Marvel's Universe series. It isn't until Dreamwave's More than Meets the Eye series that the Insecticons receive bios actively referencing Shrapnel scheming to replace the overall Insecticon leader, Venom.
  • Because Venom and the other deluxe Insecticons do not appear in the animated series, he does not fulfill that role for the cartoon. The cartoon tends to present the three Insecticons who do appear—Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback—as being fairly equal to one another, but when circumstances demand, Shrapnel serves as the leader of the group, speaking for the others and issuing instructions.
  • It is Bombshell who receives the most attention on the show, as his creepy personality and mind-control powers hold more story potential. This, along with the occasional instance where he utters the "attack" order for the group, led to the belief in early online fandom that he was in charge of the team. That, in turn, has influenced some official media; it is implied he is seeking to usurp command of the Insecticons from Shrapnel in Dreamwave's comics books, and he is the spokesperson for the team in the 2005 and 2019 IDW continuities.
  • Going by Tech Spec numbers, Kickback is the one with the highest rank, "7" in comparison to Bombshell and Shrapnel's "6". Though the original Kickback never displays leadership skills, his counterpart from the Aligned continuity is depicted as the leader of his universe's version of the Insecticons in his toy bio, and that bio would in turn be recycled for the original Kickback by the Transformers Legends mobile game. It's still influencing things years later, as Legacy Kickback was referred to as being the Insecticon leader in Hasbro Pulse Con 2021.
• The exact meaning of the scene explaining the Insecticons' origin in the cartoon is not clear. Megatron says that the Insecticons' escape pod was launched "before our own ship crashed here millions of years ago". One might reasonably take this to mean that the Insecticons were aboard Megatron's ship; however, upon meeting Megatron a few scenes later, Shrapnel says to him "I don't know you", implying that they weren't aboard Megatron's ship. The summary of the episode in the production bible clarifies this, saying the pod "... was originally part of the Decepticon spacecraft that jettisoned away just before the Autobots and Decepticons crash landed on Earth".^[3] Guess Shrapnel was feeling conveniently forgetful-forgetful that day.
• The Insecticons' appearances in both The Movie and season 3 are the subject of much fan debate. In most cases, the Insecticons are specifically called for, by name, in the episode scripts, while the script for The Movie does not specifically call for them to be recreated by Unicron, indicating that it is the movie, rather than all subsequent material, that is at fault in its depiction of the fates of the characters. In an attempt to make some sense of things, many fans turn to the Insecticons' cloning abilities for a possible explanation, suggesting it is either clones that were transformed, or clones that are seen later. Neither theory really works: only the original three Insecticons are seen during the battle at Autobot City, and the Insecticon clones never display any sentience (as did the Insecticons on Astrotrain prior to being jettisoned, and the Insecticons that were shown later on). The idea does provide a cute fanon explanation for the seemingly-endless supply of Sweeps, though.
• According to the data unlocked with their Cyber Key Code, the Terrorcon Scrapmetal have a connection to the Insecticons. What this connection is, however, is unknown.
• In the commentary for You Can Draw Transformers, Simon Furman notes that the Insecticons have acid-secreting powers. This has yet to show up in any fiction.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Insectron (インセクトロン Insekutoron), Insecticon (インセクティコン Insekutikon)
• Hebrew: Ḥereknikim (חרקניקים, "Insectniks")
• Hungarian: Álcarovarok ("Decepticon-insects"), Rovarángok ("Insectarangs", animated movie's 1st dub)
• Italian: Mini-Insector
• Mandarin: Jīqì Kūnchóng (机器昆虫, "Machine Insects")
• Portuguese: Insecticus (Brazil comic), Inseticons (Brazil comic)

References