Insecticons
Three (or seven) insect-based Decepticons. The three in the cartoon and
US comics are Bombshell (beetle/robot), Shrapnel
(lamellicorn/robot), and Kickback (grasshopper/robot). Four only
appeared in the UK comic. They are Venom (leader, fly/robot),
Chop Shop (beetle/robot), Ransack (locust/robot), and
Barrage (weevil/robot). The latter four are larger and more colorful
then the first three (who are all black and purple). Venom is the leader of
the second group ("Deluxe" Insecticons), but it is unclear who is the leader
of the first (although Kickback has the highest rank in the tech specs). Helvio Gabbardo points out that in their first US cartoon appearance, Shrapnel gives the order to attack the farm, so he may be the leader.
[Ed: Please correct me if you have any evidence to the contrary]
When Megatron attacked the Ark four million years ago, he left three Decepticons aboard his own ship,
just in case. During the mayhem of the battle, the Decepticon ship was also sent plummeting out of control
towards the Earth. Although the inhabitants got out in an escape pod, they too were damaged. Eventually, their escape pod was also able to repair them, changing their forms to match those of the surrounding insects and giving them the ability to extract energon from biomass. Unable to actually shrink to the size of insects, the three (calling themselves Insecticons) caused terror in the humans living nearby. Megatron eventually discovered them, and they rejoined the Decepticons. However, their long absence from the other Decepticons caused them to behave far more independently than most, aggravating Megatron.
The ability of the Insecticons to create clones of themselves and control them very dangerous to deal with. It also made it impossible to tell who was being controlled by whom. On the assumption that all three
Insecticons are indeed still alive, it was the clones who were, in 2005, crushed by Hot Rod and tossed out into space by the retreating Decepticons. The Insecticons also possessed the ability to ingest metallic matter.
The Insecticons were sent to Earth via the Space Bridge to reinforce the Decepticons there. Modified to resemble both the shape and the size of Terran insects, they had a brief scuffle with the newly-created Aerialbots before Bombshell stowed away on one of them. Inside the Ark, Bombshell inserted a cerebro-shell through an open wound on Prime. While it was unable to attach itself to his mind, the shell was able to transmit the signals going through Optimus's brain. As a result, Megatron was able to tap into the Creation Matrix to create the Stunticons when Optimus re-instilled life into the Aerialbots.
Eventually, the shell was located and Optimus used it to obtain Decepticons plans to steal a
hydrothermodyne from a research plant. Soon after, Prime was destroyed, and the
bug along with it. Bombshell later inserted a shell into a human, forcing Bumblebee to reveal his identity in front of G.I. Joe. In the ensuing confusion, Bombshell was able to take control of a nuclear generator and fly off with it. Events led to a shaky alliance between the Decepticons and Cobra, and Bombshell is assigned to keep watch over Dr. Mindbender. When the cerebro-shell was removed and experimented upon, Bombshell began losing conscious control over his transformations. Coincidentally, Mindbender discovered this after capturing Bombshell in insect mode. The Insecticons have not been seen since.
None submitted.
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