#god i just needed to get that out there cuz woooooo boi does it bother me

[geek-antic]

so I started thinking about IDW1 soundwave again, and how he was blackmailed by optimus and how there was little to no resolution to that little subplot which is par for the course when it comes to the guy who wrote the robots in disguise comics at the time.

But I always keep jumping back to it because it bothers me that, from beginning to the end, it made no sense. the blackmail material that optimus had at his disposal hinges on a technicality. to summarize the situation: the autobots had the decepticons holed up in a camp with bombs in their head that would blow up at the push of a button if they ever stepped out of line or caused a threat.

bumblebee was the leader of the autobots at the time and held the remote detonator to those bombs.

unbeknownst to bumblebee and the autobots, Soundwave had discovered the frequency and made sure no decepticons got their heads blown off if the autobots ever were to use the detonator. the plan was to lay low and play along.

however, only a select few decepticons knew about this plan. most of the rank and file decepticons did not know about it. then a decepticon named horri-bull started causing trouble and bumblebee pushed the button to blow his head off. to play along as he was ordered to and to avoid rousing suspicion Soundwave had to either allow this to happen or had to send the detonation signal to the bomb in horri-bull's head to keep up the act.

but here's the thing, not only was it under orders that soundwave did it, it was still bumblebee who decided to push the damn button and kill horribull.

it's like... you know that saying that goes something like "you don't blame the gun you blame the guy who's pulling the trigger"? it's the exact same scenario! I just think this writer is bad, sure he has made some few good scenes and stories and dialogue that I genuinely appreciate but it doesn't make up for the majority of terrible stories and mischaracterization he's written for the sake of pushing the plot forward in a specific direction. it's just the worst way to write a story but I digress.

there is little to no resolution for this blackmailing subplot aside from some quick wrap up where horri-bull's romantic partner needlenose digs into soundwave when he finds out the truth. but the thing is: sure he can be pissed at Soundwave for going along with it, but bumblebee is still the one who decided to kill the guy, so it doesn't really make much of a difference. at worst it could've all been a minor dispute if they had talked it out but alas.

if I were to make a guess at anything out of that mess it would be that Soundwave allowed himself to get blackmailed because he probably felt tired, lost, and guilty all things considered. Because aside from soundwave all of the decepticon high command had gone off to fulfill their own goals, leaving the cause and the rest of the decepticons behind. Ravage who had pretty much raised Soundwave, was away to keep an eye on megatron who had not only given up but decided to change sides to the autobots, double whammy right there. the decepticons had lost the war so soundwave decides to pick up the pieces and tries to give the decepticon veterans a place where they can live in peace away from the rule of primes which happens to be earth of all places. but then he has to deal with galvatron who ended up joining them and he's looking to reignite the war all over again. god, it makes me tired just thinking about it.

point is: by the time thundercracker of all people, shows up at his doorstep with optimus prime in tow. Soundwave is probably like "yeah this might as well happen" this isn't even mentioning that ravage up and died at one point during lost light and soundwave felt that.

mostly i'm not counting that in because idk when it happened in robots in disguise on soundwaves end but whether it was before or after optimus blackmailed him makes little difference because either way the guy was already emotionally defeated at that point.