The Insecticons are among the most formidable characters in the Transformers Universe. What they may lack in intelligence, they more than make up for with their ability to clone themselves. Theoretically, they could make a billion clones of themselves, and truly overwhelm any adversary. Furthermore, every one of Bombshell's clones has "cerebro shells" that allow each of them to mind control whichever Autobot or Decepticon the device attaches to. What Megatron said is true: "If the Insecticons had brains, they'd be dangerous."
I honestly had no idea they could clone themselves. Are the clones their own individuals, or are they a hive mind where they all share a consciousness?
@@twistedyogert kinda implied to be a hive mind. the clones are created from scrap metal and act more like feral locusts when not directly commanded by one of the core three. although we do see in season 3 and the movie some insecticons after the original three were "killed". at worst a minor continuity error, at best possible confirmation the clones can have SOME level of intelligence or individuality. though when they do appear, these "insecticlones" just blend in with the other decepticons (filling the ranks) or partake in more "animalistic" actions/qualities like the confirmed clones from season 1-2. i like to think a few of the remaining clones had been created on cybertron, and while not individuals like the core three, still developed SOME free action, working with the other decepticons as "part of the ranks" or scavenging/fighting for energon when they needed to like the other decepticons (start of season 3). at minimum, the "independent" clones just aren't very bright but can follow orders well enough. the clones probably can transform, but because they usually just swarm, they rarely would do so.
Bombshell is my favorite, and I alike that you mentioned how he and Shrapnel kind of share leadership while Kickback kind of just goes along for the ride. A lot of people don’t see that, but I‘be always seen it that way too. I also have wanted to see more of the deluxe four ever since they were created.
the insecticons appearing after their death in the movie being leftover clones seems like a good excuse, they made a huge amount of them and the scenes they appear they don't even speak, what could probably mean they are not sentient and are just mindless clones, it's also possible that the original insecticons improved their way of making clones after the first time they attepted it.
Indeed he did. That is why I posted a picture of the original version of the Emperor with Clive Revill. I wonder if his voice would have been better suited for later movies.
@@RodimusPrimal Maybe he was a temporary choice until they got Ian McDiarmid to play him. Ian McDiarmid even replaced Revill for subsequent releases of Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back to maintain continuity.
Bombshell was my favourite out of the three Insecticons. He looked awesome, had a great voice and his mind-control ability had a lot of potential for story-telling purposes. I thought the other two looked too similar and as a Child I would get them mixed up, with Bombshell being the only one I could recognize instantly.
@@ratbat1072 correct, the number of protrons and electrons are 1:1 proportionate, neutrons are well, a bit more complex. Anyway, a little dense might be a better statement
@ugly looser I take it you must really be into insects, but I decided to do some research into it. Locusts are classified as a type of grasshopper. However, you are right that locusts are dangerous pests in comparison to standard grasshoppers. As for Kickback, US patent information for his G1 Transformers toy lists him as a robotic grasshopper. But his Japanese Diaclone toy was Insecter Robo Battas. The Japanese word for locust is battas. So we can fault Hasbro for marketing him incorrectly.
@ugly looser yes and no. They are the same species. A grasshopper can develop into a locust. www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-difference-between-grasshoppers-and-locusts.html
@@unstoppableExodia perhaps make there be no upper limit: buy as many toys as you want and create a massive combiner, also, I liked how rid chop shop combined, very unique
So RP my theory is the movie Insecticons are improved clones that took part of the fight. The reason there is a clue about their personalities. They would not have self sacrifice themselves for Megatron or the Decepticon cause. In most often would have jetted when the battle was getting to rough. The real insecticons are those we saw on cybertron and the planet of junk. Same goes for the insecticons on Charr. Plus they were part of the toy catalog for season 3.
@@mysterionlibrary maybe the origin three died years ago and Everytime a insecticon dies it's replaced by another Insecticon tech was weird like when shrapnel died and bombshell fixed him instantly
Here's my headcanon for the Insecticons after they were thrown into space and reformatted by Unicron: I'm going to ay that by the time of the movie Hardshell had upgraded his cerebro shells and their cloning ability, they could make permanent clones now, but maybe not as large a force, I like to think they then used the Shells to make a set of clones before the Battle of Autobot City, knowing they could die with how big the battle would be, they uploaded copies of their minds into the 3 clones, as well as give them parts of their sparks, and stored the clones on CYbertron, the idea being that should the OGs die in this or any future battle, a signal would be sent upon death, or in the case of the film reformatting, thus the clones were activated with the memories of the OGs and half their sparks. Thus we see them at Starscream's coronation and later on in the show.
I love the way that Bombshell outright admits that Megatron IS going to rob the Insecticons blind, but not at the moment. So, they've accepted that they are going to be betrayed, but why let a little thing like that spoil their friendship? Well, you have to look on the bright side sometimes. 🙂
LMAO the intro. That was great. Creepy Crawlers song redone. ;) Fun fact that picture at 3:26 voiced by Clive Revill was played by Marjorie Eaton. Yes that is a Lady playing the emperor dubbed over by the voice actor Clive Revill. If I remember correctly they re did this scene in for the special edition with Ian McDiarmid.
Thanks! Yes that certainly was a voice over with Clive Revill and the Emperor. As much as I appreciate them reshooting it, I kind of miss the original.
Always loved these guys. Had Kickback as a kid. I always saw them as the Decepticon answer to the Dinobots ( Yes, I know about the Predacons, but their rival was Sky Lynx). Their rebellious nature and penchant for betrayal make them a perfect foil for both factions. In actuality, the spark of Megatron and former Decepticon leaders were supposed to be Galvatron, Cyclonus and the rest in the original script. Hope we see more of them in the future.
I always thought the insecticons beat up by Hot Rod and Kup and later reformed into Cyclonus and Sweeps were the clones... and the real insecticons lived on into Season 3.
Great video, Rodimus Primal. Part of what adds to the confusion with the Insecticons is that they were still available in the post Transformers The Movie toy catalogs. This certainly didn't help with the confusion of the " who became Cyclonus" debates for that matter either. I think they were more than just an animation error, because they were still in the toy catalog lineup, and the animators worked in characters that part of the current toy catalogs, this would explain why we still saw the Insecticons making their occasional appearances throughout season 3.
Ah yes, this is a great topic, and I have an answer: not all clones are created equal. In their debut appearance, the insecticlones were created from a single large tractor (or at least only one was shown) that was blown apart by the insecti-Shell. Despite being smaller than most Decepticons, there wasn't enough material to make as many clones as they did, resulting in the clones being mostly energy with some matter dispersed throughout. When Trailbreaker's force field interrupted the control beams, it cut off the energy that enabled them to maintain their form. That is why they turned into small pieces of metal, as it was all the matter in them. However, as the series progressed, the Insecticons probably wanted to make sure they wouldn't be beaten twice the same way. Future Insecticlones were made completely of matter, enabling them to operate more like the originals and without needing control beams. Most were probably little more than animals, but some may have had more advanced mental abilities to help coordinate the swarm. I believe these were the ones scene after the originals were reformatted, with just enough of their originals copied to make them useful on the battlefield. I never picked a favorite Insecticon, as I was always torn between Bombshell's brilliance and Shrapnel's verbal issue, which I thought set him apart. Kickback always seemed to fade into the background to me, rarely standing out.
Kickback is underestimated. A swift kick from him would knock anyone to their feet. Don't forget that it's the Insectishells that turn the matter into Insecticon clones, which probably explains much of what you stated here! Still, they don't have the mental capacity the originals.
I'm not the biggest Transformers fan but these are very good video recaps of the classic animated series. The animated adventures of the Transformers in the 1980s (including the original theatrical film of 1986) are BY FAR the best version of these characters. Very good video series! This is what TH-cam is best at -- presentation of fans retrospectives and revivals of old TV shows and documentaries that just aren't shown on regular cable and streaming services anymore.
@@RodimusPrimal Personality wise his kleptomania makes him stand out the most. Venom's just a paranoid nutcase like Red Alert & Breakdown and Ransack & Barrage are your typical Deceptigoons: nasty, fuming, always ready to brawl. Still, they do look cool together.
Fun Fact: Hal Rayle, the voice of Shrapnel, also provided the sound effects for the Ghoulies in the 1988 film "Ghoulies II" A cool fun fact that seems fitting, since this is a Halloween special video.
my favorite one was Kickback. My theory is the Insecticons later on in the movie and season 3 where clones who got the trio memories . what i mean the reason for the clones was incase something happen to them the last of each Insecticon got the Original's Memories . and i also think the Sweeps had that same ability in season 3 they seem to remember stuff after one was killed . and that is where i get the theory from is the Sweeps seemed to be able to clone themselves like the Insecticons .Cyclonus i do believe is Skywarp and Armada was to be Bombshell and given the Ability to clone himself like the Sweeps . Sense Armada was scrapped so Bombshell then became a Sweep and that is why we see 3 in the Movie after we get more then 3 .
the sweeps went from 2+1 to 5+1 depending on the apparence, with at least 4 being visibly destoryed during the serie, and all of them sharing the same personality (which was subservient to scourge), so it does make sense for them to keep the ability to clone themselves
Skywarp becoming Cyclonus made total sense. Hasbro really were going for a cheap route to sell more toys for TFTM. Scourge and if anyone wanted the Sweeps, just buy more Scourge toys. Planned Armada of Cyclonus, then buy more Cyclonus toys. A lot of Sharkticons, so buy more toys of Gnaw. Honestly, the original Insecticons should have been turned into the Deluxe Insecticons. The idea that Unicron upgraded the Decepticons fallen in battle. I am sure you know who would have turned into who, with the exception of Venom.
Gotta show a little love and a shoutout to my boy, Kickback. Of the three, he kinda got the shaft when compared to how the other two were treated. So, underdog hero, er...villain. Plus he’s a grasshopper with a Tommy Gun, how cool is that?
God these dudes were so cool and interesting they absolutely captured my 10 yo imagination. No love lost to this very day and I am so fkn appreciative when you drop these kind of videos, thanks brother!
Awesome comment..........definately👍🏾....................but don't b late for school........the transformers will still b there when u get out of school at the end of the day
You know, in that scene during Starscream's coronation, The Constructicons are miscolored and Skywarp and Thundercracker are there. Obviously, that a mistake with the Constructicons. But, I believe that since it wasn't yet decided which Decepticons were getting an upgrade, that it really was those five Decepticons.
@@basedpota but the inscticons took a escape pod when the ark was going to crash so I thought that the Insecticons could be alive during the beast wars
I'd like to hear more about how they kept losing trademark names to all of these robots. Seems like there has been a lot that were lost over the years.
It depends on how often the names are used that the name can be maintained. Skyfire lost his name to Mattel and Erector lost his name to Meccano Ltd. Reflector and Shrapnel also lost their names after many years. Shockwave lost his name temporarily until Animated came and Shockblast went to a G. I. Joe character. Megatron and Galvatron were used in the Unicron Trilogy for one character to defend the trademarks. Trademark is very complicated (sometimes it's Hasbro's incompetence, sometimes it's a different company that quickly snatches the name after the trademark expires).
Sometimes they are changed purely because generic words can't be trademarked as names, but sometimes they change them because they have meanings that aren't family friendly. Take for instance the Dinobot Slag, slag is s byproduct of metal production but it is also an English name given to ladies with "loose hips". I imagine names like Shrapnel and Bombshell could be considered "not family friendly".
@@obiitom The same thing happened to Combiner Wars Liokaiser, where Hellbat and Killbison had their names changed for the same obvious reason. As for Slag, Hasbro was able to re-trademark his name unopposed as recently as 2007, until they realized it's a rude word in UK. So he was named Snarl in Animated and Slug in Fall of Cybertron, the latter becoming the G1 character's new name. Amusingly, the Animated toy shelfwarmed in the UK, lurking as late as 2011.
Huh I actually didn't know shrapnel was the leader of the insecticons until now I always thought bombshell was nice video keep up the amazing work. "Delicious eh shrapnel? "
Shrapnel is only the leader in the cartoons, one of the 3 deluxe insecticons (Venom) that never showed up in the cartoon is the real leader -- tfwiki.net/wiki/Venom_(G1)
Hooray a new TF discussion video from rodimus. The insecticons were such a menace in G1 that I found it very satisfying to see them get trashed in the movie. Even when I was a kid it never made a lot of sense for there to be giant robotic insects. But knowing that they were originally transforming piloted mechs makes more sense So good to see Flint Dille says Cyclonus is Skywarp. That should end the debate, even though he didn't state it authoritatively enough for it to be definitive that what was seen in the movie to be just an animation error.
What a mess - thanks for the post!!!! I loved these. I got Shrapnel as a kid for Xmas with Snarl. I wanted Chop Shop. I have a beautiful new Guttur from Giga Power and its restarted my love of Transformers....I have Hasbro Cyclonus, Scourge, Hot Rod, Blurr Studio Series as well as the remastered DVD 86 Movie...I hope we get toys of these insects in a G1 style but improved!!!! Keep up the great work. Love from New Zealand.
Great video, Rodimus! I am placing an order tomorrow for something to go in with your present. Then I just have to wait for that to come in and find out what all is entailed in sending a package and it'll be on its way!
My favorite Insecticon has always been Bombshell, when i was very young, I loved reading the Marvel Comics, along with the IDW comics, and Bombshell always stuck out to me, I loved his face, it reminded me of a medieval knight or a giant skull. I also loved the freaky things he'd do involving mind control. While Bombshell is not in my top 10 favorite Decepticons, he's definitely in the top 50 at least. Such a cool design.
I always likes bombshells design the most he looks kind of like a knight I love it. Also at least all three of them appeared in cyberverse and they did had a memorable scene going up against wildwheel
I guess from from the Transformers Generation 1 movie had one of the Decepticon see one of the Insecticons hide or live in Shockwave's lab and when Unicorn come to Cybertron and destroy Shockwave's lab some of the Insecticon leave or die with the lab too and some of them are still alive and to be fair I like three of the Insecticon Bombshells, Kickback and Shrapnel they are awesome together and I don't like Bombshells and Shrapnel name lost by no reason and I do like the Insecticon version Transformers Prime, RID 2015 and Generation 1 a lot thank you for the video and HAPPY HALLOWEEN. It's cool to hear David Kaye voice any Decepticon like Lugnut from Transformers Animated again thank you for the video. #Transformers #Decepticon #Insecticon #RodimusPrimal
The cloning idea was only seen in the cartoon. Nothing in the comics or toy bios suggests any kind of cloning ability. I think it was just an idea to sell more toys
Awesome video brother ! Very cool , now I learned some new things about them . And love the G1 footage , is like in HD or something like a good resolution ! Great video , liked again
You know I think Cyclonus was formed Skywarp? Because of Skywarp's loyalty to Megatron and likewise, Cyclonus is loyal to Galvatron. So there you have it. Bombshell was known be treterous!
hands down my fav insecticon was shrapnel. I think that after Plague of Insecticons, Bombshell figured out how to "upgrade" their cloning abilities so that the beams were no longer necessary. Perhaps they were upgraded further after that. In one of my fanfics, Hordak (from She-ra) has control over the Insecticons via Shadow Weaver's magic. He orders them to attack Whispering Woods by eating the trees, along with a myriad of (new) clones. My character (Sheba) has to use the magic spell Dispel to cancel out the clones, with the original three remaining.
The insecticons in season 3 even had spoken lines (with the voices of the originals). So I assume these were the originals. The insecticons reformatted by Unicron were probably (advanced) clones.
Fun fact: in Russian dub Shrapnel, considering fact that "shrapnel" feminine word because of how this language works, was voiced by a woman, so they gave us extra fembot lol
sometimes shrapnel repeats the last two or three syllables of what he's saying, rather than just a whole word (hence him repeating "for you" in Insecticon Syndrome - "What's the matter, Megatron? Weakling humans too tough for you, for you?")
@@RodimusPrimal Yeah I think making it variable syllable instead of fixed whole word makes it more dynamic, less predictable/tiresome than strictly sticking to one single word each and every time. (I've counted 1-3 syllables, maybe the rare occasion of 4, depending)
It was a travesty that Kickback and especially Glowstrike didn't get toys in RID and that all Saberhorn got was the Crash Combiner figure. Chop Shop would've been cool too but I can see why he didn't. I was so looking forward to Glowstrike and Filch toys though...and a new Airachnid when I seen her model used as a background character. Guess I just have to buy another Studio Series Helicopter Drift and customize it into Airachnid. Luckly I have a second PRID figure to take pieces from.
Perhaps Salvo, Shothole and Zaptrap are actually the inspections shown in the 86 movie and S3, but haven't received their red coloring at those points?
I always thought the Insecticons that Unicron transformed were clones. That’s why they were turned into Sweeps, clones of Scourge, and why the clone Bombshell didn’t take as Cyclonus... he didn’t have a spark and turned into another Sweep. Unicron allowed them to keep their cloning abilities, which explains why so many Sweeps could keep appearing. It was the original Insecticons that showed up at Starscream’s coronation and on Char.
While I don’t particularly like them, I guess Bombshell cause he’s transforms into a Rhinoceros Beetle I only like that insect because of a completely different bot, Metabee
You do know that in a season 3 episode there was an animation mistake where there was a skrapnel animation model when he was turned into a sweep member
Skrapnel doesn't exist in G1. It's a name used on the current toys because Shrapnel is currently trademarked by another company. As for the character, he became a Sweep. The Decepticon who attacked Daniel on Junk was a leftover clone.
I always assumed the Insecticons that Unicron changed were the clones. The Insecticons we see in the rest of the movie and Season 3 were the three originals: Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback. To me that is the only idea that really makes sense, if the Original 3 Insecticons where changed by Unicorn, the clones would be destroyed. Unicorn would have given full sparks to the clones I am assuming.
You gotta admit, the head drive for Kickback in the 86 movie was brutal
Then he was shot down by prime later
Talk about a headache...ouch.
Perhaps he shouldn't have stood in Prime's way.
Kup: The Insecticons are on our way
Hot Rod: Wrong, they are our way in
*Crushes Kickback's head*
@@thatOOM9 kicks Shrapnel out
The Insecticons are among the most formidable characters in the Transformers Universe. What they may lack in intelligence, they more than make up for with their ability to clone themselves. Theoretically, they could make a billion clones of themselves,
and truly overwhelm any adversary. Furthermore, every one of Bombshell's clones has "cerebro shells" that allow each of them to mind control whichever Autobot or Decepticon the device attaches to. What Megatron said is true: "If the Insecticons had brains, they'd be dangerous."
I honestly had no idea they could clone themselves. Are the clones their own individuals, or are they a hive mind where they all share a consciousness?
@@twistedyogert kinda implied to be a hive mind. the clones are created from scrap metal and act more like feral locusts when not directly commanded by one of the core three. although we do see in season 3 and the movie some insecticons after the original three were "killed". at worst a minor continuity error, at best possible confirmation the clones can have SOME level of intelligence or individuality. though when they do appear, these "insecticlones" just blend in with the other decepticons (filling the ranks) or partake in more "animalistic" actions/qualities like the confirmed clones from season 1-2. i like to think a few of the remaining clones had been created on cybertron, and while not individuals like the core three, still developed SOME free action, working with the other decepticons as "part of the ranks" or scavenging/fighting for energon when they needed to like the other decepticons (start of season 3). at minimum, the "independent" clones just aren't very bright but can follow orders well enough. the clones probably can transform, but because they usually just swarm, they rarely would do so.
Bombshell is my favorite, and I alike that you mentioned how he and Shrapnel kind of share leadership while Kickback kind of just goes along for the ride. A lot of people don’t see that, but I‘be always seen it that way too. I also have wanted to see more of the deluxe four ever since they were created.
the insecticons appearing after their death in the movie being leftover clones seems like a good excuse, they made a huge amount of them and the scenes they appear they don't even speak, what could probably mean they are not sentient and are just mindless clones, it's also possible that the original insecticons improved their way of making clones after the first time they attepted it.
Clive Revill also voiced the Emperor in Empire Strikes Back.
Indeed he did. That is why I posted a picture of the original version of the Emperor with Clive Revill. I wonder if his voice would have been better suited for later movies.
@@RodimusPrimal Maybe he was a temporary choice until they got Ian McDiarmid to play him. Ian McDiarmid even replaced Revill for subsequent releases of Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back to maintain continuity.
My favorite is Kickback because his antenna and insect eyes are cute
They went and made a locust really cool looking
I see that you are a man of culture as well
Mine is bombshell
I know right they are all cool 😎
Bombshell is actually one of my favorite transformers, but they are all pretty awesome
Bombshell was my favourite out of the three Insecticons. He looked awesome, had a great voice and his mind-control ability had a lot of potential for story-telling purposes. I thought the other two looked too similar and as a Child I would get them mixed up, with Bombshell being the only one I could recognize instantly.
Little heavy on the electrons, electrons - Shrapnel - Transformers the Movie.
Good one
Ha good one bro
But iron atoms only have 26 electrons
@@ratbat1072 correct, the number of protrons and electrons are 1:1 proportionate, neutrons are well, a bit more complex. Anyway, a little dense might be a better statement
These clowns are long gone. They appeared in Combiner Wars and that was it
I hope the The First three Insecticons appear in the new rebooted Live Action Transformers Movie.
Transformers had super cool names in general but Bombshell, Kickback and Shrapnel are some of the best!
"That's what I call going down to defeat from DE FEET!"
I repeated that line for YEARS!
So many quotable lines in G1 that I repeat all the time the time.
@@RodimusPrimal 9:37. CREEPY CANNIBAL CREW!!!! :P
@ugly looser locusts are swarming grasshoppers so I'm not wrong.
@ugly looser I take it you must really be into insects, but I decided to do some research into it. Locusts are classified as a type of grasshopper. However, you are right that locusts are dangerous pests in comparison to standard grasshoppers. As for Kickback, US patent information for his G1 Transformers toy lists him as a robotic grasshopper. But his Japanese Diaclone toy was Insecter Robo Battas. The Japanese word for locust is battas. So we can fault Hasbro for marketing him incorrectly.
@ugly looser yes and no. They are the same species. A grasshopper can develop into a locust. www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-difference-between-grasshoppers-and-locusts.html
I hope we get Deluxe Insecticons in Earthrise or part 3.
Are you referring to Shrapnel , Kickback, and Bombshell or , Venom , Ransack , Barrage , and Chop Shop?
@@omegamaximus1727 Sorry I meant Deluxe class toys of the original 3...but the others are not unwelcome!
Hell Hasbro should have all the insecticons from G1 come back in a new series. They could make them into a combiner. That could be cool if unnecessary
@@unstoppableExodia Can we add Waspinator to the combiner? I thought about this before, call him Hivemind, Hivelord or Hivemaster or something.
@@unstoppableExodia perhaps make there be no upper limit: buy as many toys as you want and create a massive combiner, also, I liked how rid chop shop combined, very unique
So RP my theory is the movie Insecticons are improved clones that took part of the fight. The reason there is a clue about their personalities. They would not have self sacrifice themselves for Megatron or the Decepticon cause. In most often would have jetted when the battle was getting to rough. The real insecticons are those we saw on cybertron and the planet of junk. Same goes for the insecticons on Charr. Plus they were part of the toy catalog for season 3.
They are clones
In fact, it's just an animation error, but this explain is very interesting and logical.
@@mysterionlibrary maybe the origin three died years ago and Everytime a insecticon dies it's replaced by another
Insecticon tech was weird like when shrapnel died and bombshell fixed him instantly
Here's my headcanon for the Insecticons after they were thrown into space and reformatted by Unicron: I'm going to ay that by the time of the movie Hardshell had upgraded his cerebro shells and their cloning ability, they could make permanent clones now, but maybe not as large a force, I like to think they then used the Shells to make a set of clones before the Battle of Autobot City, knowing they could die with how big the battle would be, they uploaded copies of their minds into the 3 clones, as well as give them parts of their sparks, and stored the clones on CYbertron, the idea being that should the OGs die in this or any future battle, a signal would be sent upon death, or in the case of the film reformatting, thus the clones were activated with the memories of the OGs and half their sparks. Thus we see them at Starscream's coronation and later on in the show.
I love the way that Bombshell outright admits that Megatron IS going to rob the Insecticons blind, but not at the moment. So, they've accepted that they are going to be betrayed, but why let a little thing like that spoil their friendship? Well, you have to look on the bright side sometimes. 🙂
LMAO the intro. That was great. Creepy Crawlers song redone. ;) Fun fact that picture at 3:26 voiced by Clive Revill was played by Marjorie Eaton. Yes that is a Lady playing the emperor dubbed over by the voice actor Clive Revill. If I remember correctly they re did this scene in for the special edition with Ian McDiarmid.
Thanks! Yes that certainly was a voice over with Clive Revill and the Emperor. As much as I appreciate them reshooting it, I kind of miss the original.
5:13 extremely RARE appearance of Buzzsaw.
Ah, yes. Laserbeak and Yellow Laserbeak
Red buzzsaw you mean?
Always loved these guys. Had Kickback as a kid. I always saw them as the Decepticon answer to the Dinobots ( Yes, I know about the Predacons, but their rival was Sky Lynx). Their rebellious nature and penchant for betrayal make them a perfect foil for both factions. In actuality, the spark of Megatron and former Decepticon leaders were supposed to be Galvatron, Cyclonus and the rest in the original script. Hope we see more of them in the future.
I would like to see more Insecticons than just the original three.
There were 6 released in total. However the next lot were never in the cartoon.
@@PaulDavies4 I know.
@@PaulDavies4Save for Chop Shop, who was in Transformers RID 2015..
I always thought the insecticons beat up by Hot Rod and Kup and later reformed into Cyclonus and Sweeps were the clones... and the real insecticons lived on into Season 3.
Shrapnel and kickback had speaking roles in five faces of darkness
The autobots need frogbots
Great video, Rodimus Primal. Part of what adds to the confusion with the Insecticons is that they were still available in the post Transformers The Movie toy catalogs. This certainly didn't help with the confusion of the " who became Cyclonus" debates for that matter either. I think they were more than just an animation error, because they were still in the toy catalog lineup, and the animators worked in characters that part of the current toy catalogs, this would explain why we still saw the Insecticons making their occasional appearances throughout season 3.
Pretend cyclonus was skyward
I always loved Shrapnel the most because of his voice. Just loved them as a kid but now I really appreciate all of g1.
Ah yes, this is a great topic, and I have an answer: not all clones are created equal. In their debut appearance, the insecticlones were created from a single large tractor (or at least only one was shown) that was blown apart by the insecti-Shell. Despite being smaller than most Decepticons, there wasn't enough material to make as many clones as they did, resulting in the clones being mostly energy with some matter dispersed throughout. When Trailbreaker's force field interrupted the control beams, it cut off the energy that enabled them to maintain their form. That is why they turned into small pieces of metal, as it was all the matter in them. However, as the series progressed, the Insecticons probably wanted to make sure they wouldn't be beaten twice the same way. Future Insecticlones were made completely of matter, enabling them to operate more like the originals and without needing control beams. Most were probably little more than animals, but some may have had more advanced mental abilities to help coordinate the swarm. I believe these were the ones scene after the originals were reformatted, with just enough of their originals copied to make them useful on the battlefield.
I never picked a favorite Insecticon, as I was always torn between Bombshell's brilliance and Shrapnel's verbal issue, which I thought set him apart. Kickback always seemed to fade into the background to me, rarely standing out.
Kickback is underestimated. A swift kick from him would knock anyone to their feet. Don't forget that it's the Insectishells that turn the matter into Insecticon clones, which probably explains much of what you stated here! Still, they don't have the mental capacity the originals.
I'm not the biggest Transformers fan but these are very good video recaps of the classic animated series.
The animated adventures of the Transformers in the 1980s (including the original theatrical film of 1986) are BY FAR the best version of these characters.
Very good video series! This is what TH-cam is best at -- presentation of fans retrospectives and revivals of old TV shows and documentaries that just aren't shown on regular cable and streaming services anymore.
One time, an Insecticon bit me right in the Shothole.
A person of TF culture, I see!
Wish the Deluxe boys (Chop Shop, Barrage, Randack & Venom) received more love.
Same here. It seems Chop Shop is the favorite to the folks at Hasbro for the big four.
👍😎
@@RodimusPrimal Personality wise his kleptomania makes him stand out the most. Venom's just a paranoid nutcase like Red Alert & Breakdown and Ransack & Barrage are your typical Deceptigoons: nasty, fuming, always ready to brawl. Still, they do look cool together.
@@TerryTurner Hey man.
Haven't heard from you since GooglePlus went X eyed. How you been?
@@alexlemonds2838 been doing well, I'm on MeWe and Facebook, you know how to find me. The Terry Turner with the Spider-Man profile picture. 👍
You should do a crossover with Chris McFeely's "the Basics".
They could do the Stunticons. :)
I'm willing to work with various Transformers creators. It's whether or not they are willing to work with me.
If Freddery and Thew could team up, you can with McFeely.
Didn’t you hear Chris is dead
Yup killed by a cosmic underbase powered starscream
Rp: Shrapnel Gives his Enemies a shock
Me: Get it because Stag Beetles bite you ^_^
Fun Fact: Hal Rayle, the voice of Shrapnel, also provided the sound effects for the Ghoulies in the 1988 film "Ghoulies II"
A cool fun fact that seems fitting, since this is a Halloween special video.
my favorite one was Kickback. My theory is the Insecticons later on in the movie and season 3 where clones who got the trio memories . what i mean the reason for the clones was incase something happen to them the last of each Insecticon got the Original's Memories . and i also think the Sweeps had that same ability in season 3 they seem to remember stuff after one was killed . and that is where i get the theory from is the Sweeps seemed to be able to clone themselves like the Insecticons .Cyclonus i do believe is Skywarp and Armada was to be Bombshell and given the Ability to clone himself like the Sweeps . Sense Armada was scrapped so Bombshell then became a Sweep and that is why we see 3 in the Movie after we get more then 3 .
I forget about the cloning abilities. Nice ideas you have there
the sweeps went from 2+1 to 5+1 depending on the apparence, with at least 4 being visibly destoryed during the serie, and all of them sharing the same personality (which was subservient to scourge), so it does make sense for them to keep the ability to clone themselves
Skywarp becoming Cyclonus made total sense. Hasbro really were going for a cheap route to sell more toys for TFTM.
Scourge and if anyone wanted the Sweeps, just buy more Scourge toys.
Planned Armada of Cyclonus, then buy more Cyclonus toys.
A lot of Sharkticons, so buy more toys of Gnaw.
Honestly, the original Insecticons should have been turned into the Deluxe Insecticons. The idea that Unicron upgraded the Decepticons fallen in battle.
I am sure you know who would have turned into who, with the exception of Venom.
Gotta show a little love and a shoutout to my boy, Kickback. Of the three, he kinda got the shaft when compared to how the other two were treated. So, underdog hero, er...villain. Plus he’s a grasshopper with a Tommy Gun, how cool is that?
I like the fact that some Decepticons give you the option to prepare for termination.
God these dudes were so cool and interesting they absolutely captured my 10 yo imagination. No love lost to this very day and I am so fkn appreciative when you drop these kind of videos, thanks brother!
Still have a mint G1 kickback.. Box is fairly battered and bruised but the figure itself is mint.
0:00 Me: *"realizing that i'm late for school"*
LOL!
Awesome comment..........definately👍🏾....................but don't b late for school........the transformers will still b there when u get out of school at the end of the day
Hope we get Deluxe Insecticons for the War for Cybertron trilogy.
It will most likely be at some point. Hopefully the Deluxe Insecticons.
RodimusPrimal are you referring to Kickback, Sharpnel , and Bombshell or Venom , Ransack , Chop Shop and Barrage?
@@omegamaximus1727 the Deluxe ones are the four.
Rodimus , you can you either or Omega or just Maximus , that’s it.
That's a pretty good toyline, hopefully we get bumblebee
G1 Kickback was always my favorite growing up in fact he's the only one of the insecticons that still survives to this day from my original collection
that song in the beginning tho (thanks)😆 😄 0:05
You know, in that scene during Starscream's coronation, The Constructicons are miscolored and Skywarp and Thundercracker are there. Obviously, that a mistake with the Constructicons. But, I believe that since it wasn't yet decided which Decepticons were getting an upgrade, that it really was those five Decepticons.
How cool whould it be if the insecticons showed up during beast wars
@@basedpota but the inscticons took a escape pod when the ark was going to crash so I thought that the Insecticons could be alive during the beast wars
I'd like to hear more about how they kept losing trademark names to all of these robots. Seems like there has been a lot that were lost over the years.
It depends on how often the names are used that the name can be maintained. Skyfire lost his name to Mattel and Erector lost his name to Meccano Ltd. Reflector and Shrapnel also lost their names after many years. Shockwave lost his name temporarily until Animated came and Shockblast went to a G. I. Joe character. Megatron and Galvatron were used in the Unicron Trilogy for one character to defend the trademarks. Trademark is very complicated (sometimes it's Hasbro's incompetence, sometimes it's a different company that quickly snatches the name after the trademark expires).
Sometimes they are changed purely because generic words can't be trademarked as names, but sometimes they change them because they have meanings that aren't family friendly. Take for instance the Dinobot Slag, slag is s byproduct of metal production but it is also an English name given to ladies with "loose hips". I imagine names like Shrapnel and Bombshell could be considered "not family friendly".
@@obiitom The same thing happened to Combiner Wars Liokaiser, where Hellbat and Killbison had their names changed for the same obvious reason. As for Slag, Hasbro was able to re-trademark his name unopposed as recently as 2007, until they realized it's a rude word in UK. So he was named Snarl in Animated and Slug in Fall of Cybertron, the latter becoming the G1 character's new name. Amusingly, the Animated toy shelfwarmed in the UK, lurking as late as 2011.
Huh I actually didn't know shrapnel was the leader of the insecticons until now I always thought bombshell was nice video keep up the amazing work. "Delicious eh shrapnel? "
Shrapnel is only the leader in the cartoons, one of the 3 deluxe insecticons (Venom) that never showed up in the cartoon is the real leader -- tfwiki.net/wiki/Venom_(G1)
@PurpleOwlAnimation galvatron took care of the deluxe insecticins in time wars
I guess you can call Shrapnel a Lightning bug
Hooray a new TF discussion video from rodimus. The insecticons were such a menace in G1 that I found it very satisfying to see them get trashed in the movie. Even when I was a kid it never made a lot of sense for there to be giant robotic insects. But knowing that they were originally transforming piloted mechs makes more sense
So good to see Flint Dille says Cyclonus is Skywarp. That should end the debate, even though he didn't state it authoritatively enough for it to be definitive that what was seen in the movie to be just an animation error.
Who'd have thought Papa Palpatine played as my favorite insecticon KickBack (robot chicken star wars reference)
What a mess - thanks for the post!!!! I loved these. I got Shrapnel as a kid for Xmas with Snarl. I wanted Chop Shop.
I have a beautiful new Guttur from Giga Power and its restarted my love of Transformers....I have Hasbro Cyclonus, Scourge, Hot Rod, Blurr Studio Series as well as the remastered DVD 86 Movie...I hope we get toys of these insects in a G1 style but improved!!!!
Keep up the great work.
Love from New Zealand.
Great video, Rodimus!
I am placing an order tomorrow for something to go in with your present. Then I just have to wait for that to come in and find out what all is entailed in sending a package and it'll be on its way!
Just rewatched this. Think we need an Autobot whose alt mode is a can of Raid.
A good can of Raid would take care of them. 😉😂😂😂😂😂
Yeah. But don't use a bunch of Raid bottles. We'd need a bunch of *HUGE* bottles of Raid, heck a Tsar Bomba-sized nuke filled with Raid!
My steel toe boots usually make short work of bugs. 😈
Or a Rustbug hoop tfwiki.net/wiki/Rustbug_hoop
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Kickback was always my favorite because of his look and when in robot mode he had at least Star Wars level articulation.
The speech tick that Shrapnel has, I also have it. People ask me all the time, “did you say something else?”
I always liked the grasshopper one the best. Perhaps because a kid I knew had him while growing up
Cool parody of the old creepy crawlers commercial song.
Thanks. I've done things like this in some of my previous videos.
@@RodimusPrimal You're very welcome. I love your videos!
Hardshell was wasted, he could’ve been the Transformers Prime version of Lugnut
There's always alot more going on with a character or set of characters than I'd expect!
My favorite Insecticon has always been Bombshell, when i was very young, I loved reading the Marvel Comics, along with the IDW comics, and Bombshell always stuck out to me, I loved his face, it reminded me of a medieval knight or a giant skull.
I also loved the freaky things he'd do involving mind control. While Bombshell is not in my top 10 favorite Decepticons, he's definitely in the top 50 at least. Such a cool design.
I always likes bombshells design the most he looks kind of like a knight I love it. Also at least all three of them appeared in cyberverse and they did had a memorable scene going up against wildwheel
Hey rodimus ,everytime I feel down I listen to one of your videos,they make me feel better
Alright. Take your thumbs up candy for that intro.
Thanks. Those Creepy Crawlers commercials inthr the 90s were very memorable.
👍🏾
When the Insecticons are terrorising the town,who do ya call?
Bug-busters!
I guess from from the Transformers Generation 1 movie had one of the Decepticon see one of the Insecticons hide or live in Shockwave's lab and when Unicorn come to Cybertron and destroy Shockwave's lab some of the Insecticon leave or die with the lab too and some of them are still alive and to be fair I like three of the Insecticon Bombshells, Kickback and Shrapnel they are awesome together and I don't like Bombshells and Shrapnel name lost by no reason and I do like the Insecticon version Transformers Prime, RID 2015 and Generation 1 a lot thank you for the video and HAPPY HALLOWEEN. It's cool to hear David Kaye voice any Decepticon like Lugnut from Transformers Animated again thank you for the video. #Transformers #Decepticon #Insecticon #RodimusPrimal
The cloning idea was only seen in the cartoon. Nothing in the comics or toy bios suggests any kind of cloning ability. I think it was just an idea to sell more toys
Awesome video brother ! Very cool , now I learned some new things about them . And love the G1 footage , is like in HD or something like a good resolution ! Great video , liked again
The reason for the endless horde of Sweeps: one of them inherited Shrapnel's cloning power, creating a lot of them for the Autobots to shoot down.
Those guys did creep me out as a kid because of the voices and bug modes.
Yes
A little Heavy on the electrons electrons-shrapnel
You know I think Cyclonus was formed Skywarp? Because of Skywarp's loyalty to Megatron and likewise, Cyclonus is loyal to Galvatron. So there you have it. Bombshell was known be treterous!
hands down my fav insecticon was shrapnel. I think that after Plague of Insecticons, Bombshell figured out how to "upgrade" their cloning abilities so that the beams were no longer necessary. Perhaps they were upgraded further after that. In one of my fanfics, Hordak (from She-ra) has control over the Insecticons via Shadow Weaver's magic. He orders them to attack Whispering Woods by eating the trees, along with a myriad of (new) clones. My character (Sheba) has to use the magic spell Dispel to cancel out the clones, with the original three remaining.
Imagine seeing insecticons under your couch
LOL!
We used to keep them there
The insecticons in season 3 even had spoken lines (with the voices of the originals). So I assume these were the originals. The insecticons reformatted by Unicron were probably (advanced) clones.
In which episode did they have spoken lines?
The deluxe insecticons were also part of the original mayhem attack squad and were quickly destroyed by Galvatron
Awesome video like always dude! I sorta want to get some figures of them now
Fun fact: in Russian dub Shrapnel, considering fact that "shrapnel" feminine word because of how this language works, was voiced by a woman, so they gave us extra fembot lol
KickBacks always been my personal favorite
He doesn't get that much appreciation and he is very strong.
@@RodimusPrimal so true
sometimes shrapnel repeats the last two or three syllables of what he's saying, rather than just a whole word (hence him repeating "for you" in Insecticon Syndrome - "What's the matter, Megatron? Weakling humans too tough for you, for you?")
Yeah. My mistake on that. Doesn't change the fact that he does it, does it.
@@RodimusPrimal Yeah I think making it variable syllable instead of fixed whole word makes it more dynamic, less predictable/tiresome than strictly sticking to one single word each and every time. (I've counted 1-3 syllables, maybe the rare occasion of 4, depending)
I like to think the insecticon clones became Sweeps, with the inherent ability to continue cloning new sweeps.
It was a travesty that Kickback and especially Glowstrike didn't get toys in RID and that all Saberhorn got was the Crash Combiner figure. Chop Shop would've been cool too but I can see why he didn't. I was so looking forward to Glowstrike and Filch toys though...and a new Airachnid when I seen her model used as a background character. Guess I just have to buy another Studio Series Helicopter Drift and customize it into Airachnid. Luckly I have a second PRID figure to take pieces from.
Perhaps Salvo, Shothole and Zaptrap are actually the inspections shown in the 86 movie and S3, but haven't received their red coloring at those points?
I still have my pristine toy of Bombshell ! That was awsome to remember thoses story many thanks !
I always thought the Insecticons that Unicron transformed were clones. That’s why they were turned into Sweeps, clones of Scourge, and why the clone Bombshell didn’t take as Cyclonus... he didn’t have a spark and turned into another Sweep. Unicron allowed them to keep their cloning abilities, which explains why so many Sweeps could keep appearing.
It was the original Insecticons that showed up at Starscream’s coronation and on Char.
I was thinking the exact same thing. That makes so much more sense!!
Transformers The Movie was made in fullscreen. A great video! Greatly enjoyed and appreciated.
11:03 waspinator be like “ I AM SHRAPNEL”
“DECEPTICON HERO-O-O-O-O-O-O”
This is the best hallolweed treat rodimus thanks and keep making more g1 transformers videos
Shrapnel for sure. Loved the voice and loved the toy
for all we know they were the ones flying the ship.
While I don’t particularly like them, I guess Bombshell cause he’s transforms into a Rhinoceros Beetle I only like that insect because of a completely different bot, Metabee
Just bought my very own legacy kickback action figure
You forgot the episode when the Insecticons, Dinobots, Predacons unite under the lead of Skylinx ....
Call of the Primitives. The Insecticons were not present in that episode.
In transformers rid 2015
Chopshop was a combine form of five insecticons that resembled ants
Awesome Review as always my friend! My Favorite insecticon was Bombshell... still Cyclonus is Skywarp!
Speaking of animation errors in regards to the clones, there's two Shrapnels at 18:30.
That is because AKOM makes mistakes mistakes.
@@RodimusPrimal ah yes. Good old AKOM lol
@@RodimusPrimal Oh yes, AKOM, the animating offender.
I just picked up these three for 15 bucks a piece at a local toy store, they're complete with some chrome wear, but I'm so happy to have these
You do know that in a season 3 episode there was an animation mistake where there was a skrapnel animation model when he was turned into a sweep member
Skrapnel doesn't exist in G1. It's a name used on the current toys because Shrapnel is currently trademarked by another company. As for the character, he became a Sweep. The Decepticon who attacked Daniel on Junk was a leftover clone.
@@RodimusPrimal no wonder thanks
I always assumed the Insecticons that Unicron changed were the clones. The Insecticons we see in the rest of the movie and Season 3 were the three originals: Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback. To me that is the only idea that really makes sense, if the Original 3 Insecticons where changed by Unicorn, the clones would be destroyed. Unicorn would have given full sparks to the clones I am assuming.
I always liked how Shrapnel always repeated the last word he'd say...It made him sound unique.
0:00 this is the best intro rodimusprimal good job the is going to the top 10 best anime intro and this is the number one best anime intro
In the early production of tf4 the insecticons shrapnel, bombshell, and kickback were gonna appear
Really?
then suddenly I remembered the creepy crawlers commercials.... wow.... time travel.
now you have to sneak in a spoof of that song from the commercial for the game "Crossfire"- or maybe Carzillas.