BUMBLEBEE

"The least likely can be the most dangerous"
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Espionage

Special note: To the best of my recollection, there were 2 red and 2 yellow Volkswagon Beetles sold as Bumblebee and Cliffjumper.  >something to drive us "completist" collectors nuts!  :)  The way that I think of it (& this is by no means correct!) is as that the toy on the left (considering the pictures below this paragraph) was the "correct" mold, intended to be Bumblebee & the toy right is a variant colored Cliffjumper.  However, I believe that the toy shown right was also sold as Bumblebee.  For purposes of this 'character page. I'll show the yellow toys together as two versions of Bumblebee and you can think of these toys however you like!  

First Cartoon Appearance:
More than Meets The Eye, part 1

First Comics Appearance: 
(Marvel) Transformers #1

Profile:  Bumblebee is the Autobots little brother.  He's small, eager and at times can be a bit of a smart-mouth.  Yet for all his wisecracks, he obviously idolizes the bigger robots, especially Optimus and Prowl.  He is useful as a messenger and a spy; he can go where other vehicles would not dare because he does not look threatening.  And his relatively small size occasionally enables him to use routes not available to the others.   More than anything, Bumblebee wants to be accepted, and this sometimes causes him to take chances he shouldn't.

Abilities: As he can get up to 1.8 times more use out of a unit of fuel than the next  most efficient Autobot, Bumblebee is often called upon at times of low energy resources.  His visual acuity rates tops of all Autobots: he can spot a 10" x 10" object at a distance of 48 miles on a clear day.  His adaptability to water environments makes him a particularly important in undersea reconnaissance & salvage operations.

Weaknesses: Bumblebee is physically the weakest of the Autobots, and the most easily damaged.  His stealth more than compensates for this liability.

Other appearances:  His first 're-appearance' was a new-mold, new-name (same individual) Throttlebot in 1987 called Goldbug.  He later came back as a Pretender "Classic" in 1989 (sorry no character page available yet).  He appeared as an Action Master in 1990 and then a vacuum metalized G2 version in 1993 as part of the G2 Transformers line.  There was also the key chain in 2002.  In 2007 he was featured with many toys including Ultimate, deluxe 1970-something camaro, 2008 concept camero, a Bumblebee " Unleashed statue and several "Fast Action Battler" versions all based on the live action movie.  In 2008 he was among the " core character" Autobots to be featured in the Transformers: Animated series and received several recolors of his movie toy Stealth Bumblebee and Premium Bumblebee.  


Here's a picture of Bumblebee on Cybertron with his Cybertronian vehicle mode, before the Ark's fateful crash and resulting 'reformatting' w/ Earth-like alternate modes. 

 

 

Additional screen captures:
Bumblebee in robot mode 1
Bumblebee in robot mode 2
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Bumblebee in car mode 1
Bumblebee in car mode 2
Bumblebee in car mode 3

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Lukis Bros.
Transformers Collector Site