Megatron had Bombshell put in charge of upgrading ,and reprograming Nightbird in the G1 episode, "Enter The NIghtbird." Basically Bombshell was his go to brainwashing specialist.
When I was doing this one, I had some more details about the stories the Insecticons were part of in the cartoon and comics, but I realized that they were practically all Bombshel/Hardshell-driven, and that he could easily support an episode of his own, so I pulled 'em with a view to doing that sometime in the future. ;)
@@ChrisMcFeely This would be fantastic! In particular, his "sadistic puppeteer" G1 persona has all the trappings for a classic Transformers baddie, and I'm always stoked to see it get more exposure.
And robots in disguise ChopShop can detach parts of his body into separate small spiders while Hardshell looks like the normal Insectcons but has tattoos camo vibes all over his face and can speak differentiating him from the others in the hive
I was really bothered by how inconsistent the portrayal the Insecticons were in Prime. In their debut episode a single Insecticon is powerful enough to take on Megatron, but in the later episodes the Autobots can take out Insecticons in a single shot.
That show was always pretty inconsistent when it came to mooks IMHO. Vehicons were built up pretty big in the pilot, then before too long the autobots are just wading through them like runny custard. How many bloody steves are there on this ship?!
I kinda always thought of it (if I ever did) as a combination of at first not knowing just how hard they could hit and how much they could take, and not being able to dedicate that much Energon toward firepower at the time, as if I recall they were still in the energy crisis period of the series at introduction but worked their way out of it as mooks seemingly got easier. I guess a necessary sub-support of that would be presuming that higher-power blasts taking exponentially, rather than additively or multiplicatively, more Energon to sustain.
William Burgess presumably, but it's never mentioned. I'd love to see a show where characters are shown clearly upgrading their equipment as they go along like Link from Zelda, thus explaining mooks getting easier.
Something I kinda hoped with the introduction of more insect robots, was a combiner called Hivemind. Think about it! Chirper(Shrapnel), Hardshell, Kickback, Stinger(Waspanator), and Weblock(Arachnid) could all combine to form Hivemind. I was gonna say they combine to make Scorpinok but he isn’t a bug.
I had an idea for a Combiner with that same name. Venom forms the torso. Kickback forms the left arn, and his wings can be used as swords on Hivemind's wrist. Bombshell forms the right arm, and can use his antenna to fire his cerebro-shells. Chop shop forms the left leg. Skrapnel forms the right leg.
I like the direction you're thinking in. I would put Hardshell as the torso, Chirper/Sharpshot and Kickback as the arms, and Ransack and Chopshop as the legs (perhaps only the former limb bots as arms and the latter as legs, akin to G1 Technobots). The name Hivemind fits, but I would suggest "Exterminus."
"Destroy all Autobot-bot-bot-bot-bot!" "Waspinator, what are you buzzing about?!" "Waspinator? Negative negative negative! I am Shrapnel, Decepticon hero-o-o!" "Shrapnel? That was a Decepticon from the Great War three centuries ago! He's wacko..." "Wacko? No, Wonko! Wonko the Sane!"
They did! The result, you'd assume, of the fact that the toys were still available, and hence expected to be in the show, only the film had made the strange choice to kill them (which wasn't even consistent within itself, as Shrapnel makes a *scripted* appearance on Junkion later in the movie). I contemplated including that (and Shrapnel's not-appearance in "Fight or Flee") but the amount of behind the scenes explanation it required pushed it out.
I pretend that it's the clones that got thrown out of the shuttle while the originals were still on Cybertron, probably to keep guard of the strongholds along with the other season 2 Decepticons that weren't in the movie.
Clones the real.insecticins we're reinformatted by Unicron yes shrapnel's clone was with scavenger on junkion and the clones appeared on five faces of darkness
Fun fact: Barrage appeared in a short cutaway gag scene of a Family Guy episode which would make him the only Deluxe Insecticon to have a animated appearance.
I did like the original G1 versions of the Insecticons. The idea of them being ravenous feeding machines with their own agenda was a great addition to just a good vs evil diadum
Hi there, I would like to drop a message saying thank you for making countless efforts to make this a very good series of The basics of transformers. To be really honest after watching other videos explain on the origin of transformers I will always get confused, after watching a few of your videos you've earned a subscriber right here. I really enjoy your narrations as well as your explainations on how the Bots were originated, and what was their role and so on. You have satisfy and cleared most of my doubts about transformers that I eagerly wanted to know. Thank you for that and I hope more of it will come. I'd recommend this channel to any young kid who wants to learn and understand more about transformers and who are eager like me to understand the logics behind the creation of the transformers.
Thank you! Sometimes, from the "inside," it's hard to know if I'm explaining this stuff as clearly as possible, if I might be using too much nerdy terminology or assuming the audience's knowledge, so it's always a pleasure to hear from folks like yourself who say that I'm doing okay! :)
An animation error in the 1986 movie showed Shrapnel attacking Daniel on the planet of Junk alongside Scavenger...after the reformatting process had taken place...
I was a little bummed when we didn't get the video game versions of Bombshell and Sharpnel...you just made me realize I had all three insecticons through Beast Wars and Energon. Until the current legends versions. Thanks for pointing something I had missed.
My favorite incarnation of the Insecticons are from the Transformers Prime. In the series, they look more beastly than their insect modes. And their eyes look resemble to the alien kaiju Gigan (One of Godzilla's fiercest foes).
Kickback was always my favorite for his locust form, and the fact that he never really tried to be the leader. Like his name was a declaration of intent.
I like all the Insecticons introduced in G1, even the Deluxe ones. In my fanfiction, I'm going to introduce new ones and even an Autobot counterpart called the Autobugs.
I want to see insecticon combiner and news one base on manis, moth, centipede, dragonfly, scorpion,giant leaf insects and grass Hopper . I place beastformers in four category Predicon base on animal from stone age to present day, insecticon is arthropod base on extinct and modern day insects, Terracon appearance based on mystical or combination of creatures, and Dinobot is just base of dinosaurs
Avery there will most certainly be good ones, like lady bugs and fire flys for insecticons, a lot of insects are really helpful and not harmful. Same for the predicons and terracons. There are a lot of creatures, both real and mythological, that can be allies and not enemies.
Andres Marrero wouldn’t the allied Autobot Insecticons have to be called something different? Like swarmbots or just insectibots? Insecticons kind of implies insectoid decepticons.
Not really the insecticons are a type of species of cybertronian like dinobot compare it to dog and wolf. not like Autobot or Decepticons are two fractions group like knights and Samurai anyone can be.
Not really that’s like calling BW megatron a dinobot. You wouldn’t do it he’s a terrorcon. Subgroup names are inherently faction related (except in rid 2015, but I prefer to ignore that one). The autobots have the dinobots, aerialbots, protectobots, technobots, etc., while the decepticons have terrorcons, constructicons, Insecticons, combaticons, stunticons, etc.
I gotta say tfp series hardshell is my favorite. The Shrieking war cries they made that filled the air while they filled the sky like a wave of locusts made for a surprisingly scary visual given the ravenous and much more mindless nature of the insecticons in that incarnation
Shrapnel was my 4th Transformer, second large one, and my second favorite character after Prowl throughout my childhood. His characterization on the cartoon was excellent.
Seriously, i'm still amazed the Insecticons aren't still the dominant race on Cybertron, just look Airachnid or Blackarachnia they must be consider superior beings! Arachnids are one of the most powerful and deadly predators of our planets, if they are big enough they can be a real trat to the mankind itself. Besides, the fact they are semi-organic make them superior in any way to the normal Cybetronians, for example Insecticons and Hybrids don't need necessariliy Energon to continue to function and they can reproduce faster and better than any Cyebtronians or organic Aliens. If only Insecticons are write better instead of making simply, dumb animals they can be the ultimate enemies in any Transformers series.
You've spoiled me for other TF content. I watched The Toys That Made Us episode that just dropped, and it felt so meh in comparison to an episode of the Basics. I kept seeing all the subjects you've touched on in more detail that they whizzed past with scattered soundbytes and it felt underwhelming. So keep up the exemplary work sir.
David Thompson you realize that’s a 50 min episode that needs to cover about 30 years of history while being aimed at people with zero knowledge of TF right?
@@sunekoo and videos of the basics get to focus on a single aspect of the mythos itself, that netflix show is more focused on the brand and toys rather than the lore of their episode subjects
Kickback is my favorite, especially in the Aligned continuity, along w/ the fact that he was the only character from the trio to keep his original name (the "shell" in Bombshell/Hardshell was the only consistent part of his name)( "I remember u - Grimlock" "do u remember me? me? me? *laughter* " (Troy Baker) )
Barrage did actually get his time in the spotlight if only for a small scene; he was a prominent background character in a transformers gag on family guy
He wasn't! There were several other insect (and arachnid!) Transformers in Beast Wars and Beast Machines, but they weren't grouped under the "Insecticon" name, because it was being used by one guy (as talked about in the vid). Even over in Japan, Beast Wars II had a group called the "InsecTRONS," but it only had six members and didn't include every bug-bot in the toyline. It's like how not everyone who turns into a dinosaur is technically a Dinobot. (But, today, if there was an ALIGNED incarnation of Waspinator, I think he almost certainly WOULD be classed as an Insecticon!)
During an episode of Beast Wars, Waspinator got his bell rung (again) and went off on a rant claiming to be Shrapnel, leader of the Insecticons. Don't remember the particular episode, but it's there. Blackarachnia even commented on it.
My favourite Insecticon was Kickback. It may sound strange, but when I saw the commercial for the Transformer's Insecticons for the first time, I was actually excited to see the yellow farm vehicles transform into Autobots. But they were only in the commercial, rather than in the cartoon or as toys. Did Diaclone or any other company make transformable tractors, etc.? Considering how huge their toy line before Hasbro made a deal with them to market Transformers, it makes me wonder they actually existed.
Fun fact, barrage had a weird first appearance in animation. just like Chris said he wasn’t in the G1 cartoon so the first time he appeared on tv was in Family Guy. No joke he’s the yellow and green one next to Megatron th-cam.com/video/WpXsbuzTEY0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=de-uCrVgmKkDRXow
I really liked how they portrayed Chopshop (i hope i said that correctly) in RID. It fascinated me as a kid how he could transform into several tiny insects and I was disappointed that they didn’t have a toy for him 😂
I might be a prime fanboy but damnit if I don’t think the g1 versions where. A thousand times better. The prime version of the swarm was fun but pretty much just early predacons, but the predacons where much more interesting because they had individual personalities and appearances. In G1 they where so much more entertaining and thus weren’t just the same person copy pasted over an over.
I see the fall of cybertron and Prime hardshell as different characters The FoC version being the original bombshell and the prime versions being the real hardshell I believe prime hardshell would’ve made the best leader for the FoC trio
I like the Insecticon drone concept of Energon, but I also want to see all the Energon terrorcons updated and made into figures (hopefully deluxe class!).
Yes I think so to. Battle Ravage, Dive-bomb, Insecticon and Cruel Lock at deluxe class & Scorponok as a Voyager and see them as a Scramble city style combiner!
I always saw Bombshell as more of the leader than Shrapnel, or at least the two of them sort of sharing leadership of their trio with Kickback just going along for the ride. Perhaps the animators thought that too with the Bombshell becomes Cyclonus thing.
so if deluxe and small insecticon combine they would be the biggest faction ever surpassing constructicon and aerialbots with 7 members(i hope that to be real in the future)
My favorite version of the insecticons is the G1 version. My favorite insecticon however with bombshell I liked his twisted warped attitude. Plus I like his attitude of messing with somebody's mind. And frankly that's how I feel, because if you hurt the body the body heals but it's messing around with the mind it may never heal.
It's sad that both Insecticon and Wolfang never made it into Beast Wars. Although Class molds have long been established in Transformers, the season one cast (albeit understandably for budget reasons) was really lacking in variety with it's dual Cat and Spider bots.
I'd say that was the peak of transformers fandom ... G1 mini series, then the introduction of the Dinobots, Jetfire, Insecticons and Constructicons... I just remember the excitement each time new characters were introduced in the cartoons and the anticipation of waiting for them to come to toy stores. Not that i was able to purchase any... my parents only got me the mini bots. Everything else was too expensive. Lol.
Was hoping to hear more about Blackarachnia/ Airachnid, but technically, this is a close second. By the way, what series is the Aligned continuity composed of? Is it just the TV series of Prime and the 2015 RID? I'm planning on writing a fanfiction story within that universe, and it would be nice to know everything there is to know about it.
The big parts are the War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron video games, the novel trilogy of Exodus, Exiles, and Retribution, the Prime, Rescue Bots, and RID 2015 cartoons, and also the Covenant of Primus is key for backstory.
Oh right I forgot about the novels. Even though I’ve read exodus more than once now, I forgot it (along with the sequel books I haven’t read yet) are part of the aligned continuity.
For some reason I really Love the Insecticons, despite me hating normal insects. For some reason I’ve always wondered what a Combiner Of Insecticons would be like? Like have the main trio, Shrapnel, Kickback, And Bombshell, And Then either bring back 2 if the old Deluxe Insecticons or make entirely new ones and have a giant insect robot. You cannot tell me that would not be cool.
If they were to ever do a retool of Sea Clamp into Chop Shop and redeco Cicadacon & Ram Horn into Venom and Barrage respectively, you could have a Deluxe Insecticon Combiner. Redeco TM 2 Scourge into Ransack and you've got them all.
That could be neat but I was thinking maybe all 6 Insecticons combine devastator style, with 2 forming the torso and 4 forming the limbs. Would it be hard to figure out? Yes. Would it ever happen? Probably not. But it’s cool to think about. I’d say your idea is more likely to happen.
I just found your channel and wow i love it! Fantastic content. You deserve many more subs my man. Btw i loved the insecticons. Thought it was a great idea. It's a shame we didn't get more individual ones. I loved the concept of them being able to clone themselves to create a swarm.
We fans are too into this stuff. Your reference to the G1 cartoon fate of the Insecticons (overlooking appearances of them later that are presumably continuity errors) made me get all hot under the collar and want to shout "they should have lived and Reflector should have been thrown out of the shuttle!" Ah, the things that will never be...
9:33
In a franchise with strange names, there's always room for a Bob.
l like to think he was named after Budiansky, but I don't know if that's true or not!
Chris McFeely That was probably it.
But I prefer my explanation.
Only slightly more generic than "Randy" (the amazing exploding Maximal) in terms of names for robots from another planet.
Penningtontj Now I want to know if theres a transformer named "Joe".
He turns into a Super Hitachi bullet train engine, and the right leg of the Micromaster combiner Sixliner. I'm not joking, look it up.
I love the idea of the insecticons being ordinary animals on Cybertron until given robot modes by Shockwave. It seems so like him.
Megatron once said: "If the Insecticons had brains, they'd be dangerous."
Unlike them, Both of them (Megatron and Starscream) have brains.
@@usamazahid3882 starscream well his plan backfires.
Megatron had Bombshell put in charge of upgrading ,and reprograming Nightbird in the G1 episode, "Enter The NIghtbird." Basically Bombshell was his go to brainwashing specialist.
@guyverjay
Do not equate intelligence to ambition.
@bryan diaz varela you go too far this time. You cannot interfere.
I LOVE bombshell. Mostly becuase he looks like a robot wearing a leather jacket and a knights helmet. It's so Mad Max!
When I was doing this one, I had some more details about the stories the Insecticons were part of in the cartoon and comics, but I realized that they were practically all Bombshel/Hardshell-driven, and that he could easily support an episode of his own, so I pulled 'em with a view to doing that sometime in the future. ;)
@@ChrisMcFeely This would be fantastic! In particular, his "sadistic puppeteer" G1 persona has all the trappings for a classic Transformers baddie, and I'm always stoked to see it get more exposure.
@@ChrisMcFeely nice
@@ChrisMcFeely
Jose
@@ChrisMcFeely i have bombshell too the legion class version from 2015
The most recognizable insecticons Shrapnel,Bombshell,Kickback,and *Bob*
And robots in disguise ChopShop can detach parts of his body into separate small spiders while Hardshell looks like the normal Insectcons but has tattoos camo vibes all over his face and can speak differentiating him from the others in the hive
I love BOB
BOB
Hard shell?
We need a BOB comic and it’s just him doing random stuff on Cybertron
I view them as sort of this biker mercenary gang that Megatron hires out. Kind of like the dreadnouggts in G.I.Joe. I love em
Dreadnoks
I was really bothered by how inconsistent the portrayal the Insecticons were in Prime. In their debut episode a single Insecticon is powerful enough to take on Megatron, but in the later episodes the Autobots can take out Insecticons in a single shot.
"Conservation of Ninjutsu," as they say.
BattleUp Saber i think the first one was bombshock from the toyline
That show was always pretty inconsistent when it came to mooks IMHO. Vehicons were built up pretty big in the pilot, then before too long the autobots are just wading through them like runny custard. How many bloody steves are there on this ship?!
I kinda always thought of it (if I ever did) as a combination of at first not knowing just how hard they could hit and how much they could take, and not being able to dedicate that much Energon toward firepower at the time, as if I recall they were still in the energy crisis period of the series at introduction but worked their way out of it as mooks seemingly got easier. I guess a necessary sub-support of that would be presuming that higher-power blasts taking exponentially, rather than additively or multiplicatively, more Energon to sustain.
William Burgess presumably, but it's never mentioned. I'd love to see a show where characters are shown clearly upgrading their equipment as they go along like Link from Zelda, thus explaining mooks getting easier.
Shrapnel was always one of my favorites. As much as I liked Bombshell I'm team Skywarp when it comes to Cyclonus.
Same
Agreed bombshell was my favorite insecticon though
I think it makes much more sense for 2 Seekers to become Scourge and Cyclonus instead of 1 Seeker and 1 Insecticon
I like Skywarp to, and Thundercracker
Hasbro excutives have confirmed skywarp was intended to be cyclonous bombshell was most likley an animation error.
This really is a Netflix quality show! Great job!
Something I kinda hoped with the introduction of more insect robots, was a combiner called Hivemind.
Think about it! Chirper(Shrapnel), Hardshell, Kickback, Stinger(Waspanator), and Weblock(Arachnid) could all combine to form Hivemind. I was gonna say they combine to make Scorpinok but he isn’t a bug.
Neither is weblock then. Scorpion and spiders are both arachnids. Great idea otherwise.
I had an idea for a Combiner with that same name. Venom forms the torso. Kickback forms the left arn, and his wings can be used as swords on Hivemind's wrist. Bombshell forms the right arm, and can use his antenna to fire his cerebro-shells. Chop shop forms the left leg. Skrapnel forms the right leg.
@@Pon-PonG9 combiner's heads usually are integrated into the torso-bot
@@jonatasisraeldebastiane9646 Oh that's cool.
Also fight me!
I like the direction you're thinking in. I would put Hardshell as the torso, Chirper/Sharpshot and Kickback as the arms, and Ransack and Chopshop as the legs (perhaps only the former limb bots as arms and the latter as legs, akin to G1 Technobots). The name Hivemind fits, but I would suggest "Exterminus."
I watch a Chris Mcfeely and I get ready to immediately watch it again becuase it's sooo good. Thank you for doing what you do!
Remember when Evil Rhynox smacked Waspinator so hard, Waspinator though he was Shrapinal and he picked up the speech tic for all of a few moments?
"Destroy all Autobot-bot-bot-bot-bot!"
"Waspinator, what are you buzzing about?!"
"Waspinator? Negative negative negative! I am Shrapnel, Decepticon hero-o-o!"
"Shrapnel? That was a Decepticon from the Great War three centuries ago! He's wacko..."
"Wacko? No, Wonko! Wonko the Sane!"
The basics on Bludgeon or Overlord? Also my favourite insecticon would be Shrapnel
They did appear in Five faces of Darkness part 1 fighting over energon cubes Astrotrain brought back to Charr.
They did! The result, you'd assume, of the fact that the toys were still available, and hence expected to be in the show, only the film had made the strange choice to kill them (which wasn't even consistent within itself, as Shrapnel makes a *scripted* appearance on Junkion later in the movie). I contemplated including that (and Shrapnel's not-appearance in "Fight or Flee") but the amount of behind the scenes explanation it required pushed it out.
I pretend that it's the clones that got thrown out of the shuttle while the originals were still on Cybertron, probably to keep guard of the strongholds along with the other season 2 Decepticons that weren't in the movie.
Clones the real.insecticins we're reinformatted by Unicron yes shrapnel's clone was with scavenger on junkion and the clones appeared on five faces of darkness
@@ChrisMcFeely Does anyone just say they were an animation error? As is typical of Transformers G1?
@@phillipmoghaddam7240 Especially with AKOM, who animated most of season 3 and all of season 4.
I like the G1 bugs, bit also enjoy the Aligned's concept as well. I like to mix them both together
Fun fact: Barrage appeared in a short cutaway gag scene of a Family Guy episode which would make him the only Deluxe Insecticon to have a animated appearance.
Skywarp / Swedish Seacon REALLY?!
What?
@@dk_kd_1 th-cam.com/video/w1n0SVjZ_d8/w-d-xo.html
Skywarp / Swedish Seacon Transformers superior Family Guy inferior.
You can say that the Insecticons didn’t Kickback in their roles.
I always felt that the Insecticons were sort of a rival for the Dinobots.
I did like the original G1 versions of the Insecticons. The idea of them being ravenous feeding machines with their own agenda was a great addition to just a good vs evil diadum
Yet another amazing video by Chris.
PS: I find heressy in the lack of a "Basics on Starscream" video.
Hands down, Bob has ALWAYS been my favorite Insecticon
I'm with ya on that one, Bob's the best!
Nah, Nel is better
We need a toy of him now
@@NoahDaArk yeah
@@aagsmd #JusticeForBob
Hi there, I would like to drop a message saying thank you for making countless efforts to make this a very good series of The basics of transformers. To be really honest after watching other videos explain on the origin of transformers I will always get confused, after watching a few of your videos you've earned a subscriber right here. I really enjoy your narrations as well as your explainations on how the Bots were originated, and what was their role and so on. You have satisfy and cleared most of my doubts about transformers that I eagerly wanted to know. Thank you for that and I hope more of it will come. I'd recommend this channel to any young kid who wants to learn and understand more about transformers and who are eager like me to understand the logics behind the creation of the transformers.
Thank you! Sometimes, from the "inside," it's hard to know if I'm explaining this stuff as clearly as possible, if I might be using too much nerdy terminology or assuming the audience's knowledge, so it's always a pleasure to hear from folks like yourself who say that I'm doing okay! :)
An animation error in the 1986 movie showed Shrapnel attacking Daniel on the planet of Junk alongside Scavenger...after the reformatting process had taken place...
I was a little bummed when we didn't get the video game versions of Bombshell and Sharpnel...you just made me realize I had all three insecticons through Beast Wars and Energon. Until the current legends versions. Thanks for pointing something I had missed.
My favorite incarnation of the Insecticons are from the Transformers Prime. In the series, they look more beastly than their insect modes. And their eyes look resemble to the alien kaiju Gigan (One of Godzilla's fiercest foes).
Kickback was always my favorite for his locust form, and the fact that he never really tried to be the leader. Like his name was a declaration of intent.
A locust is just a grasshopper going super sayain mode
This video was good .. good
These dudes were tough in Transformers Devastation, especially when I had to fight all of them at once!
GOOD VIDEO CHRIS, CAN'T WAIT FOR THE FEMALE TRANSFORMERS VIDEO.
my fav INSECTICON is kickback
Please tell us about the transformers legion of superpets I need to know more.
Excellsion yes! Seconded
Yeah, third
Fourthed
The fun part is the deluxe Insecticons are some of the best characters in the new Transformers TCG. My own team runs Skrapnel, Barrage and Chopshop.
Wish we got actual updates of the Deluxe Insecticons. They have more interesting transformations than the originals at the time.
Really, it'd be nice to see them in major roles. I mean Venom's paranoia has story potential.
Weuejd!x!kxoxk! !xoskdmx. Kcooeld!d?c. Mm ocle!c. Ic! Vvm likes
Pretty hyped for the new Legacy Ransack figure in that new four-pack, I hope they get to the other Deluxe Insecticons.
Imagine if the insecticons became a combiner team just like the dinobots. That is a possibility…
Someone proposed the combiner be called Hivemind
That comment should be near the top of this comment section
@@mavericktjo4548 that’s a perfect name
Would be interesting what you could gather about the original toylines Transformers came from.
Some kind of "pre-Transformers" episode is definitely one I've been kicking around for a while, maybe as an "Episode 0" of the series.
Sweet!! Can't wait for its eventual release.
John Rhogan thats kinda what the Netflix episode on the toys that made us is about
Xx_nachosupreme69_xX I don't have Netflix.
@@ChrisMcFeely And 2 years later, its now a The Basics episode.
It like having a Saturday morning cartoon lol
I like all the Insecticons introduced in G1, even the Deluxe ones. In my fanfiction, I'm going to introduce new ones and even an Autobot counterpart called the Autobugs.
Bombshell was always my favorite, and him becoming Cyclonus... just makes me like both even more.
I want to see insecticon combiner and news one base on manis, moth, centipede, dragonfly, scorpion,giant leaf insects and grass Hopper . I place beastformers in four category Predicon base on animal from stone age to present day, insecticon is arthropod base on extinct and modern day insects, Terracon appearance based on mystical or combination of creatures, and Dinobot is just base of dinosaurs
As cool as that would be, I can't help but think of the terror and devastation it would cause. I don't think even Cybertron would withstand that.
Avery there will most certainly be good ones, like lady bugs and fire flys for insecticons, a lot of insects are really helpful and not harmful. Same for the predicons and terracons. There are a lot of creatures, both real and mythological, that can be allies and not enemies.
Andres Marrero wouldn’t the allied Autobot Insecticons have to be called something different? Like swarmbots or just insectibots? Insecticons kind of implies insectoid decepticons.
Not really the insecticons are a type of species of cybertronian like dinobot compare it to dog and wolf. not like Autobot or Decepticons are two fractions group like knights and Samurai anyone can be.
Not really that’s like calling BW megatron a dinobot. You wouldn’t do it he’s a terrorcon. Subgroup names are inherently faction related (except in rid 2015, but I prefer to ignore that one). The autobots have the dinobots, aerialbots, protectobots, technobots, etc., while the decepticons have terrorcons, constructicons, Insecticons, combaticons, stunticons, etc.
The puns...
Shrapnel: controls electricity
Bombshell: brainwashes his enemies
Kickback: 🦵
Great video! This makes me love them even more knowing all the powers and abilities they have. And the deluxe insecticons need more Love immediately!
I gotta say tfp series hardshell is my favorite. The Shrieking war cries they made that filled the air while they filled the sky like a wave of locusts made for a surprisingly scary visual given the ravenous and much more mindless nature of the insecticons in that incarnation
I liked the ones in the Prime series. They were neat.
Shrapnel was my 4th Transformer, second large one, and my second favorite character after Prowl throughout my childhood. His characterization on the cartoon was excellent.
Imagine being on the same planet as insecticons called Kickback and Bombshell and then someone just calls you Bob
I hope We get new Insecticons in the Transformers Earthrise toyline.
Seriously, i'm still amazed the Insecticons aren't still the dominant race on Cybertron, just look Airachnid or Blackarachnia they must be consider superior beings!
Arachnids are one of the most powerful and deadly predators of our planets, if they are big enough they can be a real trat to the mankind itself.
Besides, the fact they are semi-organic make them superior in any way to the normal Cybetronians, for example Insecticons and Hybrids don't need necessariliy Energon to continue to function and they can reproduce faster and better than any Cyebtronians or organic Aliens.
If only Insecticons are write better instead of making simply, dumb animals they can be the ultimate enemies in any Transformers series.
Will you be doing The Basics on Starscream?
Eventually! It'd be a big one!
Gen. 1 insecticons were my favorites. I had all three of the originals Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback
You've spoiled me for other TF content. I watched The Toys That Made Us episode that just dropped, and it felt so meh in comparison to an episode of the Basics. I kept seeing all the subjects you've touched on in more detail that they whizzed past with scattered soundbytes and it felt underwhelming. So keep up the exemplary work sir.
David Thompson you realize that’s a 50 min episode that needs to cover about 30 years of history while being aimed at people with zero knowledge of TF right?
@@sunekoo and videos of the basics get to focus on a single aspect of the mythos itself, that netflix show is more focused on the brand and toys rather than the lore of their episode subjects
Bombshell taking control of Grapple in the Insecticon Attack Big Looker storybook is what always comes to mind when I think of the team.
Kickback is my favorite, especially in the Aligned continuity, along w/ the fact that he was the only character from the trio to keep his original name (the "shell" in Bombshell/Hardshell was the only consistent part of his name)( "I remember u - Grimlock" "do u remember me? me? me? *laughter* " (Troy Baker) )
You have no idea how badly I want a Bob plush.
love this vid thank you
btw can you do ironhide please
You stole my trait kickback! (Kickback)
Can you make The Basics of Tidalwave? The big lug needs him time in the spotlight.
I always laughed when bombshell talked, he sounded exactly like grouchy smurf.
Doesn't Waspinator technically count as an Insecticon?
Barrage did actually get his time in the spotlight if only for a small scene; he was a prominent background character in a transformers gag on family guy
Bbbuutt wwwasss waspinator onne offf theze?
He wasn't! There were several other insect (and arachnid!) Transformers in Beast Wars and Beast Machines, but they weren't grouped under the "Insecticon" name, because it was being used by one guy (as talked about in the vid). Even over in Japan, Beast Wars II had a group called the "InsecTRONS," but it only had six members and didn't include every bug-bot in the toyline. It's like how not everyone who turns into a dinosaur is technically a Dinobot. (But, today, if there was an ALIGNED incarnation of Waspinator, I think he almost certainly WOULD be classed as an Insecticon!)
Wasn't he called an insecticon in Spotlight: Metroplex?
During an episode of Beast Wars, Waspinator got his bell rung (again) and went off on a rant claiming to be Shrapnel, leader of the Insecticons. Don't remember the particular episode, but it's there. Blackarachnia even commented on it.
My favourite Insecticon was Kickback.
It may sound strange, but when I saw the commercial for the Transformer's Insecticons for the first time, I was actually excited to see the yellow farm vehicles transform into Autobots. But they were only in the commercial, rather than in the cartoon or as toys.
Did Diaclone or any other company make transformable tractors, etc.? Considering how huge their toy line before Hasbro made a deal with them to market Transformers, it makes me wonder they actually existed.
Who's watching when there off from school cuz of COVID-19
Fun fact, barrage had a weird first appearance in animation. just like Chris said he wasn’t in the G1 cartoon so the first time he appeared on tv was in Family Guy. No joke he’s the yellow and green one next to Megatron
th-cam.com/video/WpXsbuzTEY0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=de-uCrVgmKkDRXow
I really liked how they portrayed Chopshop (i hope i said that correctly) in RID. It fascinated me as a kid how he could transform into several tiny insects and I was disappointed that they didn’t have a toy for him 😂
To be fair it’d be difficult to make that work
Yeh, I prefer Insectuicons as swarm-bots then some gimmicky individuals.
I might be a prime fanboy but damnit if I don’t think the g1 versions where. A thousand times better. The prime version of the swarm was fun but pretty much just early predacons, but the predacons where much more interesting because they had individual personalities and appearances. In G1 they where so much more entertaining and thus weren’t just the same person copy pasted over an over.
I see the fall of cybertron and Prime hardshell as different characters
The FoC version being the original bombshell and the prime versions being the real hardshell
I believe prime hardshell would’ve made the best leader for the FoC trio
Learning about the the insecticons is great but learning about the insecticon named Bob made me go "say what!" Like Sargent Johnson from halo
I like the Insecticon drone concept of Energon, but I also want to see all the Energon terrorcons updated and made into figures (hopefully deluxe class!).
It could possibly be interesting to see them as a combiner. With molds like that, you could see tons of new figures released!
Yes I think so to. Battle Ravage, Dive-bomb, Insecticon and Cruel Lock at deluxe class & Scorponok as a Voyager and see them as a Scramble city style combiner!
Yeah! I think that could work pretty well, all things considered!
I always saw Bombshell as more of the leader than Shrapnel, or at least the two of them sort of sharing leadership of their trio with Kickback just going along for the ride. Perhaps the animators thought that too with the Bombshell becomes Cyclonus thing.
I love the Insecticons’ various weapons and abilities! My sister doesn’t care.
so if deluxe and small insecticon combine they would be the biggest faction ever surpassing constructicon and aerialbots with 7 members(i hope that to be real in the future)
I hope with the announcment of wfc characters comign to the Studios series, we will finally get shrapnel and bombshell from that game as toys
We could’ve had Inferno in Animated and the fact that it was cancelled before we did makes me sad
Bombshell reminds me of Beefcake the mighty from the band GWAR
as a fan of Transformers i love your videos
The greatest sin Hasbro committed was not giving Bob a toy
All hail Bob
I love the original Insecticons from the G1 continuity because they had more personality.
Ask a fellow fan to name the Deluxe Insecticons. Come back to me if they can name one other than Chop Shop.
I wonder if we will get a true combiner Insecticon, like the three main guys together like other three combiners
My favorite version of the insecticons is the G1 version. My favorite insecticon however with bombshell I liked his twisted warped attitude. Plus I like his attitude of messing with somebody's mind. And frankly that's how I feel, because if you hurt the body the body heals but it's messing around with the mind it may never heal.
Another great video.. video! Thank you for your efforts... efforts.
It's sad that both Insecticon and Wolfang never made it into Beast Wars. Although Class molds have long been established in Transformers, the season one cast (albeit understandably for budget reasons) was really lacking in variety with it's dual Cat and Spider bots.
I'd say that was the peak of transformers fandom ... G1 mini series, then the introduction of the Dinobots, Jetfire, Insecticons and Constructicons... I just remember the excitement each time new characters were introduced in the cartoons and the anticipation of waiting for them to come to toy stores. Not that i was able to purchase any... my parents only got me the mini bots. Everything else was too expensive. Lol.
It's just BUGGING Me that I don't
Have the cash to buy there toys
My favorite insecticons are kickback and chop shop.
G1 is my faviorate and Bombshell all the way.
I love this channel
Can you please do a basic on the omnibots the mail order TransFormers????
Basics on Starscream anyone?
"All hail Starscream"
Lord Lucemon my 5th favorite character of transformers ever
Was hoping to hear more about Blackarachnia/ Airachnid, but technically, this is a close second.
By the way, what series is the Aligned continuity composed of? Is it just the TV series of Prime and the 2015 RID? I'm planning on writing a fanfiction story within that universe, and it would be nice to know everything there is to know about it.
grandadmiralthrawn92 it’s that (although I’d prefer not to mention rid 2015, personally), along with the WFC/FOC games.
The big parts are the War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron video games, the novel trilogy of Exodus, Exiles, and Retribution, the Prime, Rescue Bots, and RID 2015 cartoons, and also the Covenant of Primus is key for backstory.
Oh right I forgot about the novels. Even though I’ve read exodus more than once now, I forgot it (along with the sequel books I haven’t read yet) are part of the aligned continuity.
I'd stop there, Exiles is friggin' awful! XD
Oh okay thanks for the warning.
For some reason I really Love the Insecticons, despite me hating normal insects. For some reason I’ve always wondered what a Combiner Of Insecticons would be like? Like have the main trio, Shrapnel, Kickback, And Bombshell, And Then either bring back 2 if the old Deluxe Insecticons or make entirely new ones and have a giant insect robot. You cannot tell me that would not be cool.
Evan Artist that would not be cool! Kidding!
Hey Imagine If Shrinked 3 Main Incecticons Fight an Ant Colony 🐜 [Carpenter Colony]
I always thought it would be cool for there to be an Insecticon combiner. Maybe with a name like “hivemind” or “blighticus”
Notimus Crime beastwars had one if that counts.
No I know about him (Tripredacus). I was thinking traditional 5-6 bot combiner.
If they were to ever do a retool of Sea Clamp into Chop Shop and redeco Cicadacon & Ram Horn into Venom and Barrage respectively, you could have a Deluxe Insecticon Combiner. Redeco TM 2 Scourge into Ransack and you've got them all.
That could be neat but I was thinking maybe all 6 Insecticons combine devastator style, with 2 forming the torso and 4 forming the limbs. Would it be hard to figure out? Yes. Would it ever happen? Probably not. But it’s cool to think about. I’d say your idea is more likely to happen.
RID Chop shop.
I just found your channel and wow i love it! Fantastic content. You deserve many more subs my man. Btw i loved the insecticons. Thought it was a great idea. It's a shame we didn't get more individual ones. I loved the concept of them being able to clone themselves to create a swarm.
We fans are too into this stuff. Your reference to the G1 cartoon fate of the Insecticons (overlooking appearances of them later that are presumably continuity errors) made me get all hot under the collar and want to shout "they should have lived and Reflector should have been thrown out of the shuttle!" Ah, the things that will never be...
To be fair, Reflector vanished without a trace after The Movie.. so they might as well be included among the dead thrown out of Astrotrain.
I just go with the idea that it was the Insecticon clones that got thrown out into space. Hey, they don't see everything eye to eye with Megatron.
I wonder why the insecticons weren’t in beast wars
I love sharpshot, but the others really "bug" me a lot.... I'll see myself out.