Character discussion : This Week 'Shockwave'

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:32 pm

Old one eye then!

Illogical bore or super bot?

Better left on the bottom of death heads boots or trying to take over the earth?

Shockwave is a heavy weight TF, so whats his greatest moment, who likes him, who doesnt and why TF into a giant flying gun, which no-one we have seen can hold?

Death's Head · Post by **Death's Head** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:39 pm

...Twixt thumb and forefinger, actually...

Ahem. Oh come on, he's the best Decepticon ever (apart from maybe Soundwave, at least in terms of success: Soundwave is still alive, for instance)!

Greatest moment? His first appearance, I feel, right up to the "...Are All Dead" cover. Taught Megatron who was the governor right away, and then proceeded to do the same to the Autobots, predating the Quintessons' crucifxion of Blaster and co. by some twenty years, stringing the do-gooding bores up like pheasants on Tony Martin's door.

As for why he turns into a giant flying gun....maybe, with his purple colour scheme, he felt somewhat less of a robot next to Megatron, and therefore proceeded to 'compensate'...?

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 1:01 pm

Certainly his triumph over the 'bots in The Last Stand will remain one of his greatest highlights. For me there are many others... his duel with Death's Head, his saving the day in Time Wars, his nuttiness in Robot Buster, and his squashing of a hume in Dark Creation.

Low point.... I think Budiansky did the character quite a disservice when Ratbat came along.

He's always best value when he contradicts his cold calculated emotionless exterior - on some occasions he's come across as quite the basket case.

Post by **snarl** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 2:38 pm

Shockwave is quality - but did he get pasted by megsy and Galvatron or what?

Chances of survival from that episode are highly unlikely, I calculate only a tiny 3.07% chance

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 2:42 pm

spiderfrommars wrote:He's always best value when he contradicts his cold calculated emotionless exterior - on some occasions he's come across as quite the basket case.

Yeah, his role in Robot Buster was what made me love him.

The calm analytical genius going absolutely stark raving obsessed due to the actions of an insignificant squishie.

Money.

Dreamwave ballsed him up big style. He is not Mr Sinister.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 2:54 pm

Brendocon wrote:
Dreamwave ballsed him up big style.

Valid point. They turned a great character into a Bond-style irritant.

They messed up Prime as well.

And Megsy.

And Magnus.

And Grimlock.

And... ah sod it.

Stormwolf · Post by **Stormwolf** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 3:34 pm

Let's describe Shockwave in his various continuities:

G1 Marvel: Kickass, he deserved to be leader.

G1 Cartoon: Suckass, did this guy ever do anything cool?

G1 DW: Shockwave did it, this is a step up from his cartoon personality, unfortunately he's become to repetative.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 3:36 pm

Stormwolf wrote:G1 Cartoon: Suckass, did this guy ever do anything cool?

He tried to kill Spike and Carly in Desertion of the Dinobots (or whatever episode it was). He gets points for that.

"Humans!"
*zap!*

Stormwolf · Post by **Stormwolf** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 3:48 pm

Brendocon wrote:
Stormwolf wrote:G1 Cartoon: Suckass, did this guy ever do anything cool?
He tried to kill Spike and Carly in Desertion of the Dinobots (or whatever episode it was). He gets points for that.

"Humans!"
*zap!*

But he missed

Bouncelot · Post by **Bouncelot** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:02 pm

Yeah, Robot Buster is his best story. I think the whole arc between his first appearance and Prime Time was good Shockwave stuff. After that Budiansky did, indeed, muck him up - particularly once Ratbat arrived on the scene.

G1 Cartoon, he did indeed suck. Though do you really think the cartoon writers would let him kill off a central human character?

Dreamwave, well I think we pretty much all agree that their "Shockwave did it" plot device was far too predictable by the end,

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:11 pm

Stormwolf wrote:But he missed

Points for intent, though.

Stormwolf · Post by **Stormwolf** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:00 pm

Brendocon wrote:
Stormwolf wrote:But he missed
Points for intent, though.

Oh very well then......

Dead Head · Post by **Dead Head** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:41 pm

Bouncelot wrote:Yeah, Robot Buster is his best story. I think the whole arc between his first appearance and Prime Time was good Shockwave stuff.

Robot Buster is a classic tale. I like that the story limits the amount of characters that it features. The old Decepticon base feels more creepy because of that, and the few robots/human featured are brought more into focus too. It says a lot of good about the writing when a 'faceless' robot can get such good characterisation like in Robot Buster. I still have a mental image of Shockwave angrily screaming that the mere fleshling creature has caused him such grief (clutching to his "eye").

Another great highlight for Shockwave is in Ressurrection, where he's cacking himself (as far as robots can) at the return of a Megatron he believes to be very angry with him.

"Oh but the logic is all but a front."

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:08 pm

Anyone think DH got the better of old shockers to easily?

but wasnt that death just one of the best moments of the TF Comic?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:18 pm

High Points of his career: Arriving at the volcano just in time to sour the Autobots' victory, using Prime's body to decimate the Autobots, turning Roddy's victory into stalemate.

Low Points of his career: Getting blinded by his own discharge, tackled by Hot Rod...

I estimate a 57.3% probability that there are too many to calculate efficiently.

ShadowSonic · Post by **ShadowSonic** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:22 pm

I don't think Shockers got THAT shafter when Ratabt showed up, I mean Ratbat was pretty much his superior (he controlled their fuel and supplies) or equal. And the only reason Shockers was taken out for some 30-odd issues was because he fought FORT MAX at full power.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:31 pm

Well, you know what Megatron said in G2 #12: Re-entry without a shuttlecraft is definitely not recommended.

Shockers survived it twice!

First time, he controlled it, but didn't account for the magnetic field, so went a little astray. Second time, it was less controlled.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:40 pm

ShadowSonic wrote:I don't think Shockers got THAT shafter when Ratabt showed up, I mean Ratbat was pretty much his superior (he controlled their fuel and supplies) or equal. And the only reason Shockers was taken out for some 30-odd issues was because he fought FORT MAX at full power.

On several occasions he was portrayed as the bafoon to Ratbat's clever dick. Shockwave should be able to hold his own intellectually against Ratbat but that wasn't the case.

I don't have a problem with Ratbat being leader, but the way the power shifted was contrived.

ShadowSonic · Post by **ShadowSonic** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:20 pm

Rebis wrote:Well, you know what Megatron said in G2 #12: Re-entry without a shuttlecraft is definitely not recommended.

Shockers survived it twice!

First time, he controlled it, but didn't account for the magnetic field, so went a little astray. Second time, it was less controlled.

Well yeah, the second time his re-entry thrusters were destroyed, if it wasn't for the fact that whatever the heck TFs are made of happens to be heat-proof (or close to it) he's have been slagged.

And Shockwave's intelligence wasn't really downplayed when Ratbat showed up, he just had spectacular bad luck at the time.

Post by **snarl** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:58 pm

He was the bacon to Ratbat's egg, so to speak.

It seems perverse to hold bacon as a negatiev value...

Post by **Best First** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:59 pm

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:Anyone think DH got the better of old shockers to easily?

No.

but wasnt that death just one of the best moments of the TF Comic?

Yes.

Shockers is class. Well, Marvel Shockers is class.

I was actually reading Robot Buster last night - one thing i noted is shockave has a massive head, like Bryan MacFadden.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:02 pm

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:

If anyone knows what a Road Toad is...

Post by **snarl** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:12 pm

I'm still sure that there was a story - maybe letters page - explaining that Shockwave legged off screen during the fight with DH and left a facsimile construct in his place, hence 'boom death', knowing that he was in a slight bit of **** thanks to Cyclonus and Scourge in Dry Run.

But imagine if somebody told you how you were going to die, you could proper take the piss, like if somebody told me I was dfo going to get run over in 15 years, I'd just keep washing my hands and sticking my fingers into plug sockets...

Hang on, what if I got 3rd degree burns from doing that but only actually died 15 years later whilst suffering in agony from the original injury but being wheelchaired across the road...

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:22 pm

do u think shockers would have somehow changed his future? - I mean how different could Leagacy have been if Shockers had stopped Cyc and Scourge rise to power.

And how smug he would feel knowing that when DH brings in cyc and Scourge on that gravity platform, they are both concious... oh the possibilitys are enough to rip the very fabric of time and space itself.... hang-on...

Osku · Post by **Osku** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:36 pm

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:Anyone think DH got the better of old shockers to easily?

Me. Not in a way that Death's Head couldn't win Shockwave in a fair fight, but how Shockwave got into a situation. Though Shockwave claimed to be prepared for treachery, he acted illogically. Why allow DH enter the same room as him before Soundwave checked him, and especially why not have guards that could actually defeat Death's Head, Cyclonus & Scourge?

I still remember that I was really glad to see Shockwave rise from the river in "Dark Creation" (Matrix Quest). In Finland they printed US edition and I hadn't seen Shockwave since he was defeated by Fortress Maximus.

jboyler · Post by **jboyler** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:31 pm

Shockwave is a great character, but he doesn't get carried far enough. I always see him as having a sort of Hannibal Lecter mentality... At rest he is detached, coldly remote, and fiendishly analytical, but when it comes time to set his plan in motion he is heartlessly ruthless and brutally aggressive.

It would be interesting if he started to become unhinged. What if his 'logic' became an obsession, and then irrational. Serial killers have a very specific (and completely demented) pattern which they believe to be logical, and I think Shockwave would be the most frightening Decepticon of all if he fell into this sort of derangement.

Shockwave occupies a very unique role because he acts according to logic where others act according to feelings of greed, revenge, or egoism. In a way he is more formidable because he is more cautious and thorough than other 'Cons, but in another way an insane villain's randomness can make them more terrifying than a sane one.

(Go watch 'Hostage' and tell me who the scarier villain is: The cool and professional mafia guys, or the sadistic 'Crow' reject.)

And by the way, I hope you guys don't think I'm some kind of Goth freak who watched 'Silence of the Lambs' too many times. Remember, a despicable villain just makes the hero look all the more noble. Although I advocate scarier bad guys, I root for Optimus Prime.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:05 pm

Y'know, J, you could always stick that image in your signature, then you wouldn't have to type it in each time.

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:19 am

Shockwave was class, pure and simple! how many times did he smite the autobots? how many times did he smite Megatron come to mention it? Him and Soundwave had very similar leadership abilities, although soundwave was more sneeky and deceptive that old Shockers, Shockers was, of course, far more logical (not always in a good way). He had great plans but didn't always have the instinct to carry them out.
Just imagine how differently everything would have turned out if Buster hadn't ballsed up his plan in Prime Time and used the Matrix to reprogram Jetfire?

As for DW Shockers, I was kinda looking forward to see what they were going to do with him after hearing about his role in G1V2... but then i started reading it... Nice idea, abysmal execution!

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 1:00 pm

The other great part about marvel Shockwave was that he was fundamanetal to the development of Megatrons character that we all love. From that point of view his greatest moments were the early days where he continually kicked Megatrons butt and generally wound him up.

He was the straight man to megatrons loony spiral of decent into barking madness - which was fun

Shockwave was the TF Ernie Wise to Megatrons Eric Morcomb

(no one outside the UK will know what the hell I'm on about, will they......)

Bouncelot · Post by **Bouncelot** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:20 pm

snarl wrote:I'm still sure that there was a story - maybe letters page - explaining that Shockwave legged off screen during the fight with DH and left a facsimile construct in his place, hence 'boom death', knowing that he was in a slight bit of **** thanks to Cyclonus and Scourge in Dry Run.

I've not come across it. Officially speaking, he died, because Soundwave was Decepticon leader in all subsequent future stories (well, up until Time Wars).

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Character discussion : This Week 'Shockwave'

Re: Character discussion : This Week 'Shockwave'