Pics of tanker truck toy surface.

[138 Scourge]

Plus, it seemed like Bumblebee's non-car-kibble robot parts were all old and beat-to-shit looking at first, too. Now, I don't remember for sure on that one, and I'm sure as hell not gonna go back and watch the movie again just to double-check, so whatever.

Anyway, even if whatever they do to rearrange their shapes only fixes cosmetic stuff, I'd think that a hole in one of these guys' face would fall under that category.

Ultimately, though, I know it's more a question of "Does this look cool in this moment?" than a question of "Does this fit with a tight internal consistency we've built up here?" And since the answer to that first question is "Yeah, it does look kinda cool." I figure that's probably enough.

So anyway. Truck. Not bad. Sort of cool robot, too.

[Sparky Prime]

Er, we don't *know* that. The TFs have been on Earth as early as the 1900s or so with Megatron--maybe Bumblebee arrived on Earth in 1978 and has been hiding on Earth the entire time?

Actually we do know that these Transformers haven't been on Earth for long. Near the beginning of the first film, one of the soldiers remarks that the "4500X" registry number on Blackout belonged to a helicopter shot down only 3 months prior. We even see 4 of the Autobots arriving during the film itself. As Optimus explains, they know all they do about Earth by scanning the internet. Aside from Megatron (who we know was the first to chase after the Allspark) the film presents all of these Transformers as recent arrivals, only needing a few months to gather all the information they were looking for.

I mean, you could point to some comic that says otherwise but we all know those aren't Movie Canon.

If anything, the comics reaffirm Bumblebee and the Decepticons in the first film arrive shortly before those events take place.

Plus, it seemed like Bumblebee's non-car-kibble robot parts were all old and beat-to-shit looking at first, too. Now, I don't remember for sure on that one, and I'm sure as hell not gonna go back and watch the movie again just to double-check, so whatever.

Bumblebee's robot mode parts look the same even after he changes alt modes... That was one of the criticisms I remember some people had about the film. They thought he should look newer once he scanned the new alt mode.

[138 Scourge]

Hm. Maybe I was thinking of how shiny Bumblebee looked at the beginning of the second movie. Well anyway.

And I suppose a case could be made for the rust and beat-to-shitness being like acne, where what was up with Megatron's face is more like...well, like getting a gunshot wound in the face.

Whether it's canon or not, I like the idea of 'Bee being around since the late '70's.

[Shockwave]

Yeah but that's almost like saying Boba Fett jumped out of Sarlac after Jedi. He didn't. Boba died like a bitch and bumblebee scanned a dirty Camaro.

[138 Scourge]

Yeah but that's almost like saying Boba Fett jumped out of Sarlac after Jedi. He didn't. Boba died like a bitch and bumblebee scanned a dirty Camaro.

Yes, yes he did.

But I'm just saying it would've been kind of cool and I like the idea. I know it didn't happen.

About Bumblebee, that is. Boba Fett I'd have to try hard to care less about.

[Shockwave]

Man, there were a lot of posts from the time I last read this and when I replied. I'm gonna be disappointed if they just reformat Megs into Shockwave. (Let's see... he's missing an eye and part of his arm. Hmm.... ).

[BWprowl]

Wait, I thought that the vehicle mode parts on Movie TFs were synthesized shell pieces that basically popped out whenever they scanned a new vehicle. Vehicle mode damage would be copied from whatever they happened to scan, and scanning a new vehicle would replicate that, old or new. This would explain why Bumblebee's robot parts still looked beat to shit even after he started turning into a shiny new Camaro, and why Megatron can't fix a gaping hole in his face just by scanning a truck.

[Onslaught Six]

Er, we don't *know* that. The TFs have been on Earth as early as the 1900s or so with Megatron--maybe Bumblebee arrived on Earth in 1978 and has been hiding on Earth the entire time?

Actually we do know that these Transformers haven't been on Earth for long. Near the beginning of the first film, one of the soldiers remarks that the "4500X" registry number on Blackout belonged to a helicopter shot down only 3 months prior. We even see 4 of the Autobots arriving during the film itself. As Optimus explains, they know all they do about Earth by scanning the internet. Aside from Megatron (who we know was the first to chase after the Allspark) the film presents all of these Transformers as recent arrivals, only needing a few months to gather all the information they were looking for.

That's Blackout--we don't know that Bumblebee hasn't been there for a long-ass time.

Look, it's obvious nobody working on the film gave a damn about stuff like this so why are we arguing? I was merely pointing out a possibility, without definite confirmation.

Wait, I thought that the vehicle mode parts on Movie TFs were synthesized shell pieces that basically popped out whenever they scanned a new vehicle. Vehicle mode damage would be copied from whatever they happened to scan, and scanning a new vehicle would replicate that, old or new. This would explain why Bumblebee's robot parts still looked beat to shit even after he started turning into a shiny new Camaro, and why Megatron can't fix a gaping hole in his face just by scanning a truck.

When has any of that shit been explained in the movies? They never said anything like that. (And don't pull that comics canon shit. Those don't count and you know it. Wreckage turning into Bludgeon proves that; the IDW guys just make stuff up and hope it fits. Nevermind that there's like two or three conflicting Movie prequel comics.)

Man, there were a lot of posts from the time I last read this and when I replied. I'm gonna be disappointed if they just reformat Megs into Shockwave. (Let's see... he's missing an eye and part of his arm. Hmm.... ).

I don't think anyone's considered that. I'm pretty sure they aren't going to do that, though, as Shockwave is scheduled to have a different voice actor (Rumour is it's David Warner right now, who Corey Burton based his Shockwave on--he was Sark and the Master Control Program in the original Tron) and it just...it really doesn't seem like something they'd do. Shockwave is the Megatron of the first film or The Fallen of ROTF--he's the Big Bad Motherfucker while Megatron is the secondary. Maybe they'll kill Megatron. Maybe Megatron will get fixed again and be awesome. But I'm positive they wouldn't make Megatron turn into Shockwave--it just wouldn't make any sense, especially when Bay stated the reason Megs didn't become Galvatron in ROTF was because audiences would get confused.

[Dominic]

We know, from the movies, that thecondition of the vehicle scanned does not effect the "health" of the robot wearing the disguise. Jetfire's SR-71 form is in good shape. Bumblebee "fakes" being a junker car more than once, despite being able to drive and move quickly.

The whole point of a disguise is to dissemble, so this makes sense. (And, being a junker car or ice cream truck makes more sense than being an attention getting sports car.)


Dom
-will see the movie for David Warner.

[Sparky Prime]

That's Blackout--we don't know that Bumblebee hasn't been there for a long-ass time.

Look, it's obvious nobody working on the film gave a damn about stuff like this so why are we arguing? I was merely pointing out a possibility, without definite confirmation.

You brought it up...

And Blackout gives us a time frame for how long they've been on the planet. It's more likely Bumblebee arrived around the same time seeing as how it doesn't take them very long to find the information they're looking for. Plus how quickly the other Autobots arrive after Bumblebee signals them. It all suggests they haven't been there long and that Bumblebee just scanned an old broken down Camaro.