Bumblebee (G1)/toys
From Transformers Wiki
Bumblebee gots lots of toys!
Toys
The Transformers
- Takara name: Bumble
- Takara ID number: 11, C-56
- Known designers: Masaki Maruyama (TakaraTomy)
- Bumblebee's original toy, released in 1984 and in Japan in 1985, originally hails from the Micro Change series, transforming into a "penny-racer"-proportioned Volkswagen Type 1. He was available through the first three years of the Transformers series, the entire duration of the Mini Vehicle assortment, the only 1984 Mini Vehicle to do so.
- 'Bee has a lot of minor variations. Throughout 1984 and 1985, Bumblebee was produced in both yellow and red (as was Cliffjumper), a move meant to "make the line look bigger" according to former Hasbro R&D Vice President George Dunsay.[1] For his 1984 release, both color versions had an Autobot sigil on the roof/chest. In 1985, this was replaced by a rubsign. The rubsign remained on the 1986 release, though he was only released in yellow that year. The original version of Bumblebee also features the "Dunlop" brand name stamped on his tires.
- Packaging-wise, there are several more variations. In 1984, the Mini Vehicles were packaged in vehicle mode. Come 1985, a picture of the toy in vehicle mode was added to the front of the card, and later the toys proper were packaged in robot mode. From this point on, the Mini Vehicles were also part of two different pack-in promotions; the Mini-spies and iron-on reflective patches. The Mini-spies packed in with Bumblebee and Cliffjumper only came in white, one of the three possible colors for the add-ons.
- For his 1985 Japanese release, Bumblebee came in a small box rather than on a card. He was available in both red and yellow, both versions having the rubsign rather than the foil faction symbol. He was also released in the 1986 assortment, but only in yellow. This is why he has two ID numbers in Japan; in 1986, the line switched from a single-series number listing to splitting it up between "C" (Cybertron/Autobot) and "D" (Destron/Decepticon) groupings.
- Bumblebee was released in a wide variety of colors in markets south of the border, which will be covered in separate entries below (as to not make this entry unreadably long; there's a ton of variants and more keep popping up!).
- In the early 1990s, Bumblebee was one of many Transformers finally released in China. He comes on a card nigh-identical to the original Hasbro packaging, with a few Chinese-language stickers added. The toy itself has some notable differences from the original, however: aside from an unpainted rear bumper (the most obvious difference), this Bumblebee has a paler, less-saturated yellow plastic. He also only came in yellow, and only came with a rubsign. This toy, along with many other Chinese-market Transformers at the time, somehow made their way to UK stores, most notably Woolworths.
- This mold was later retooled into a keychain version of Bumblebee, as well as for a Transformers Collection multipack (see below).
- The original mold is also used by the Optimus-faction Volks. Later retoolings of this mold were used to make Glyph and Bug Bite.
| The Transformers mold: Bumblebee | ||
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- Bumblebee (Mini Vehicle, 1985)
- When he was released in Mexico by IGA, Bumblebee came in five decoes: both the original red and yellow, as well as blue, silver, and white. The silver and white versions are particularly notable (and significantly rarer), as they have red-painted faces (similar to that of probably-Hubcap). The sticker on the back of Mexican Bumblebee's head is also slightly different from the Hasbro/Takara release, being the same general design, but smaller and with thicker, simpler lines.
- Years later, large numbers of Mexican Transformers somehow made it to various European markets.
- Volks (Robocar, 1985)
- Bumblebee was released in Brazil by Estrela in 1985 as the Robocar "Volks", initially available in two color schemes: his original yellow and black, and slick-looking silver and black with a gold face, both decorated with a new thin tech-detailing sticker on their chests based on the original Micro Change decals. The design of the sticker on the back of his head was also changed to a more complex grid pattern. The raised "DUNLOP" branding on the tires was also removed.
- Later, Estrela released red and orange versions of Volks sporting the new "Optimus" faction insignia; given this new factional alignment, for the purposes of this wiki, the Optimus-aligned Volks is considered a separate character from Bumblebee.
- Volks (Robocar, 1985)
- The aforementioned red and orange versions of Volks were released in Argentina by Antex in 1985, both sporting the Estrela stickers and "DUNLOP"-less tires. Later releases of the orange version have been found with different paper stickers: the one on his chest/roof being one that was originally applied to Salt-Man Z's groin. (The back-of-the-head decal was probably also changed, but right now we don't know for sure.)
- The card's toy photography depicts the Estrela yellow and silver versions, but it is believed this was merely a holdover from the Estrela-designed packaging, and that neither coloration was ever sold in Argentina.
- These toys are more readily available on the secondary market than their Estrela predecessors. They also have lower quality control.
- Bumblebee (Mini Vehicle, 1985)
- As far as foreign Mini Vehicle variants go, the Venezuelan release of Bumblebee by Rubiplas is pretty tame. He came in both the Hasbro yellow and red versions, and retains the Hasbro stickers. However, his head lacks both the silver paint on his face, and the chrome silver on the "plate" part of the head, leaving it as black plastic.
- Bumblebee (Mini Vehicle, 1986)
- Manufactured by Argentine company Lynsa but sold in Peru, this version of Bumblebee is similar to the Rubiplas release, lacking any paint or chrome, but this version also has plastic tires instead of rubber. So far, three different colorations have been confirmed: the original yellow-and-black, red-and-black, and peachy-orange-and-black. It is claimed that there may be six different versions of Peruvian Bumblebee all told, with the three others being unique to that market, but no-one has been able to find and confirm the others so far.
Peruvian company BASA (which eventually changed to HUDE) apparently also (briefly) sold Transformers in Peru, but these were straight imports of Hasbro Mini Vehicles with a company sticker applied to the packaging.
- Goldbug (Throttlebot, 1987)
- Takara name: Goldback
- Takara ID number: C-97
- Known designers: Takayuki Ishizawa (TakaraTomy), Takashi Matsuda (initial concept)
- The Throttlebot Goldbug was released in 1987, and like the other Throttlebots, he has a pull-back motor and a simple transformation. The vehicle mode was not designed to look like a penny racer, as the original toy was, so its variation on the Volkswagen Type 1 was much more realistically-proportioned. Though the other Throttlebots seem to have always been intended to be new characters, Goldbug's head was based directly on that of Bumblebee's original toy. Bumblebee was the second Transformer to be given a second toy (as both Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime had been released the previous year).
- The Throttlebots were part of the Decoy promotion in 1987, where the carded toys came with a soft-rubber figurine. The Throttlebots were the only team to come with either Autobot or Decepticon Decoys; the other toys in the promotion only came with Decoys of the same faction they belonged to.
- In Japan, they were also the focus of the "Throttlebot Promotional Sales Campaign", where buying a Throttlebot at select Japanese retailers (sadly, we do not know which retailers these were) got the buyer one of six random all-white Autobot Master Warriors free. These promotional toys are now among the most expensive Transformers toys ever "mass"-released, if not the most expensive (especially when size is taken into account).
- This toy also doubles as the Beast Wars: Uprising incarnation of Goldbug.
- Bumblebee (Classic Pretender, 1989)
- Accessories: Pretender shell, helmet, sonic blaster, laser pistol
- Known designers: Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
- As part of the sixth year of Transformers, Bumblebee was released as a "Classic Pretender", expanding the range of Pretenders toys. This version of Bumblebee is still a Volkswagen Type 1, but now has what look like off-road tires. His vehicle mode has a realistically-proportioned front end, but the cab area is more relatively compact than on the Goldbug toy (though not quite as deformed as the original Bumblebee). He came with a gun for his robot mode that could be mounted on his roof and another gun for his human shell.
- Oddly, the robot's head is modeled after Cliffjumper's toy head.
- Bumblebee (Legends, 1989)
- Accessories: Laser pistol
- The inner robot to Pretender Classics Bumblebee was sold without the shell in the Kmart exclusive Legends figure assortment, the first store-exclusive Transformers in the Hasbro line. Oddly, he came with the inner-robot gun to his teammate Jazz, who had Bumblebee's small gun in exchange.
- Hero Set (Multi-pack, 1989)
- Accessories: Laser pistol
- In Japan, Legends Bumblebee was only available in a boxed "Hero Set" with the Legends versions of Jazz, Grimlock and Starscream. Bumblebee was identical to the Hasbro release.
- In Italy, GiG released their own version of the Hero Set, named "Set Commandos", instead of the Classic Pretender versions of the toys. Bumblebee was given the name "Saetta", which was originally the Italian name of Wheeljack. The "Set Commandos" toys were identical to the Japanese "Hero Set" versions.
- Bumblebee with Heli-pack (Action Master, 1990)
- Accessories: Heli-pack, astral exploder rifle
- Known designers: Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
- Part of the second wave of single-carded Action Master figures in the line's final year (in the US, at least), Bumblebee is a non-transforming action figure that mixed his cartoon model with toy-based detailing. His construction is broadly similar to that used by the G.I. Joe figures of the time, having a swivel neck, shoulders and knees, plus ball-jointed hips attached via a steel rod internally secured by a rubber "o-ring". His hands have standard 3 mm holes which allow him to hold any other accessory in the Action Master line, plus his feet have holes in the bottom to secure him to larger vehicles.
- He comes with the Heli-pack, which transforms into a large "high-powered air rifle" with spring-loaded deploying barrel. Bumblebee and his Heli-pack are cross-compatible with any other Action Master figure, vehicle or accessory; plus the hole in his back is compatible with 5 mm posts.
- This release makes Bumblebee the only character to have a toy of some kind available throughout the entire original Transformers production run, from 1984 up to 1990.
- Goldbug (Classic Throttlebot, 1991)
- Goldbug, and the rest of the Throttlebots, were reissued in Europe in 1991 as part of the Classics reissues.
- It was retooled to remove the rubsign indent, and the heat-sensitive decal was replaced with a glossy-paper faction symbol.
- Bumblebee (Keychain, 2001/2003/2007)
- A keychain version of Bumblebee was released by Fun4All under license from Hasbro in the US in 2001. Though based on the original toy, this is an entirely new set of molds, with a number of small differences throughout (minor proportion differences and generally softer edges), but the most immediately obvious one is the small plastic ring added to the rear bumper to accommodate the chain. The toy also returned to its original sticker set-up, doing away with the rubsign and restoring the Autobot symbol on his chest.
- In 2003, Takara released all four of the keychain Minibots (Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Windcharger, and Brawn) as 7-Eleven exclusives. They came in blind-packed boxes so you don't know which one you got until you open 'er up, plus each one could also come in a "chase" all-black version exclusive to this release. The black deco was later repurposed as an evil clone of Bumblebee.
- All four keychains were re-released in 2007 under the Heroes of Cybertron banner by Basic Fun (Fun4All having gone bankrupt in 2004). Sold on new cardbacks with the Heroes look, these releases are functionally identical to the originals (just the company stamping has changed) except for the actual chain part, which is a different style with an additional black plastic tab attached.
- This mold was also used to make Glyph.
| The Transformers mold: Bumblebee | ||
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- SonicBlue Bumble & Exo Suit Chama[sic] (2019)
- Released as part of the collaboration between the Transformers franchise, the Bump of Chicken rock group, and Studio Trigger's Sushio, this Bumblebee is a redeco of the Legends release of the Titans Return Bumblebee mold (see below), complete with translucent windows. He transforms into a sports coupe of made-up model, which features an opening canopy for his cockpit, which allows any Titan Master/Prime Master figure to ride inside him; in this case, the included Headmaster of Bump of Chicken's bassist Chama.
- Also included is a pack-in mini-comic, "Transformers × Bump of Chicken EX Episode", written by Chama himself and illustrated by Akira Amemiya.
- The figure was exclusively released as one of the band's online shop items, though customers had to register as an EMTG (Entertainment Music Ticket Guard) member to purchase it. Collectors first had an opportunity to purchase the figure in-person at an event at Tokyo Dome from November 3–4, 2019, starting at 8:30 AM JST. In-person purchasers needed to have a ticket to the band's concert in order to purchase the figure. Online orders were also available at noon on November 8, 2019, and quickly sold out. Due to demand, a second run of the toy was made available on November 11, 2019, with the second run shipping in March 2020.
Generation 2
- Bumblebee (Mini Autobot, 1993)
- Bumblebee's first Generation 2 toy was a redeco of his original toy, transforming into a "Penny Racer"-proportioned Volkswagen Type 1. However, this version has yellow chrome on the previously matte-yellow plastics. Thankfully, there seem to be few to no reports of chrome flaking on any of the Generation 2 Mini Vehicles.
- The only symbol on the figure is the Generation 2 Autobot insignia stamped on the bottom of his foot, followed by the word "Autobot".
| The Transformers mold: Bumblebee | ||
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- Bumblebee (Go-Bot, 1995)
- Accessories: Rifle
- Known designers: Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
- Part of the third wave of Generation 2 Go-Bots, this version of Bumblebee is a redeco of wave 1's High Beam, transforming into a concept race car with exposed rear engine... that looks exactly like the "Speed Blaster" car from Mattel's Hot Wheels line that was first released in 1991 under the names "Back Burner" and "Sonic Special". He features through-axle construction for incredibly fast zipping on flat, smooth surfaces, and is compatible with many tracks and playsets from Hot Wheels and Matchbox.
- This mold was also used to make Robots in Disguise Crosswise and Nightracer. It was later repurposed to be a "next-generation" clone of Bumblebee.
| Generation 2 mold: High Beam | ||
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Smallest Transforming Transformers
- Bumble (2003)
- ID number: GTF 04
- Not much more than an inch tall, Smallest Transforming Transformers Bumblebee is a scaled-down version of his original toy, retaining the larger figure's transformation scheme but losing its rolling wheels by sheer necessity of size. Bumblebee was sold as part of the line's first wave and, like all the figures, came blindpacked.
- Bumble (Red) (2003)
- Japanese ID number: GTF X-2
- Bumblebee also came in red! A red variant of the toy was one of two chase figures sold in the first Smallest Transforming Transformers wave.
The Transformers Collection
- Minibot Team (6-pack, 2004)
- ID number: 12
- "Bumble" was again reissued in Japan as part of The Transformers Collection "bookbox" series in a six-toy multi-pack, with Drag, Adams, Gears, Powerglide, and Warpath. This time around, Bumblebee was retooled to have a new cartoon-accurate head. Additionally, this version of the figure gave Bumblebee both an Autobot symbol and a rubsign, keeping the former in its traditional placement on his chest, and relocating the rubsign to the back of his head, replacing the original tech-detailing sticker that had previously been there.
- The entire set was redecoed to make the "G1 GoBots" set; this version of Bumblebee became Bug Bite.
| The Transformers mold: Bumblebee | ||
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Alternators/Binaltech
- One of the earliest proposals in the Alternators/Binaltech line was for Bumblebee as a Volkswagen New Beetle, with Cliffjumper as the redeco. Unfortunately, VW evidently did not want to be associated with "war toys" at that time, and therefore the design never made it past the control drawing stage. Control drawings for both Bumblebee and Cliffjumper have been published in the Japanese The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide book. The design did, however, end up appearing fictionally as Bumblebee's form in the "Descent into Evil" comic.
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Titanium Series
- War Within Bumblebee (Cybertron Hero, unreleased)
- Accessories: Unknown, likely display stand
- Prior to the line's cancellation, a 6-inch resin copy depicting a transformable Bumblebee was seen at BotCon 2006. His alternate mode was the saucer-like car seen the Dreamwave's The War Within (which was itself based on the first cartoon appearance of Bumblebee). An alternate head of Cliffjumper was seen as well, indicating a retool. Unfortunately these never made it into production.
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Classics
- Bumblebee (Deluxe, 2006)
- Accessories: Wave Crusher trailer/backpack
- Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro), Alex Kubalsky (TakaraTomy)
- The Deluxe Classics Bumblebee transforms into a yellow hatchback sports car (labeled as a "cruiser" on the package) that's basically Hasbro's typical cross between several existing car models: The car closely resembles a Peugeot 206 WRC, however some people see strong cues from other vehicles, such as the general shape of the car being based on a heavily customized one-of-a-kind 1992-1995 fifth generation Honda Civic hatchback with lots of aftermarket add-ons (such as a large front bumper, large fenders and a large rear wing).[2] The front section takes some design cues from various models of the Subaru Impreza WRX, namely the hood vent present on all models, the front grille of the 2004-05 WRX and the headlights and the midsection of the front bumper from the 2006-07 WRX STi.[3] The shape of the rear fenders is also vaguely inspired by the Volkswagen New Beetle.
- Bumblebee comes with a single accessory, a jet ski called "Wave Crusher" on a trailer. This is a bit similar to his Action Master toy's transforming heli-pack. His robot mode is designed to look like a typical teenager, dressed in a hoodie with pockets and wearing big chunky trainers.[4] He is articulated with ball joints at the head, shoulders, elbows, hips, and has hinge knees. Wave Crusher converts into a jet pack that mounts onto his back.
- This retooled version of this mold was also used to make Classics Bug Bite, Cliffjumper, and an unreleased blue deco.
| Classics mold: Bumblebee | ||
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- Bumblebee (Legends, 2007)
- Known designers: Joe Kyde (deco artist)
- This Classics Bumblebee toy is a redeco of Legends of Cybertron Hot Shot, transforming into a modified Chrysler ME Four Twelve concept car. In either mode he has flip-out "wings". We have gone full circle.
Transformers (2007)
- Legacy of Bumblebee (Deluxe class multi-pack, 2008)
- Accessories: Wave Crusher trailer/backpack
- Known designers: Joe Kyde (deco artist)
- A Walmart exclusive three pack, the Legacy of Bumblebee collector's set comes with Classics, Premium Series live-action movie, and Animated Bumblebee figures. While the Movie and Animated Bumblebees are identical to their original, single carded releases, the "Classic Bumblebee" [sic] has been redecoed to more closely resemble his Movie and Animated counterparts, changing his white stripes to black, his gray/silver plastic to yellow (similarly to Henkei! Henkei! Bumble, see immediately below), and the clear parts from a very faint blue-ish tint to deeply saturated clear blue plastic. In addition, the shoulder straps are no longer painted yellow, instead showing the clear blue plastic they are cast in; the head is no longer painted over in yellow, due to the change of the plastic color from gray to yellow; and the Wave Crusher replaces the white paint with black paint for the upper half and an unpainted yellow lower half, and the orange stripe with a yellow one.
- This three-pack was available in Movie style packaging.
| Classics mold: Bumblebee | ||
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Henkei! Henkei!
- Bumble (Deluxe, 2008-03-13)
- ID number: C-02
- Accessories: Wave Crusher trailer/backpack
- Henkei! Henkei! Bumblebee is a redeco of Classics Bumblebee. Bumblebee swaps some of his black plastic for dark gray, and his light gray plastic for yellow. His yellow plastic is almost entirely covered in yellow paint to deal with the common problem of yellow plastic being near-translucent against darker plastics and the inconsistency between bare plastic parts and painted clear parts. His eyes are painted blue despite being molded in translucent plastic. As with all Henkei toys, he lacks the Classics heat-sensitive rubsign, but has some vacuum-metallized parts: his hood-mounted scoop and his spoiler.
- This mold was also used to make Classics Bug Bite and Cliffjumper.
| Classics mold: Bumblebee | ||
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- Bumble? (Deluxe Class, unreleased)
- A redeco of Classic Deluxe Bumblebee in a color scheme very reminiscent of the blue variant of the original Micro Change Volkswagen. Several samples of this figure were leaked in 2010, with fans arguing over whether it was a legitimate Hasbro or TakaraTomy product (with the chromed spoiler and hood vent strongly hinting towards TakaraTomy) or a knockoff. At least one eBay seller claimed it was a very rare lucky draw figure.[5][6][7] At BotCon 2010, Hasbro representatives stated that the figure was "not a Hasbro product".[8] Ultimately, the toy was never officially acknowledged by TakaraTomy until 2014, when it was included in an exhibit at Transformers Expo, albeit this time with the hood vent covered in gold rather than silver chrome.[9][10][11]
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Encore
- Bumble & Minibots (5-pack, 2008)
- ID number: 10
- The Transformers Encore series of reissues featured a set similar to the 2004 The Transformers Collection Minibots set; this time, rather than a mix of 1984 and 1985 Mini-Vehicles, it included mostly figures from 1986 plus Bumblebee (whose original toy had still shipped in 1986), bundling him with Outback, Pipes, Swerve, and Tailgate. Encore Bumblebee retains the show-accurate head sculpt from the Transformers Collection release, but now sports several additional paint operations: his eyes are blue, his brake lights are red, and his bumpers and headlights are silver.
| The Transformers mold: Bumblebee | ||
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Universe (2008)
- Bumblebee (Legends, 2008)
- Known designers: Bill Rawley (Hasbro)
- Universe Legends class Bumblebee has a vehicle mode that is something of an amalgamation of the vehicle forms recent Bumblebees have adopted. While he forms a modern hatchback like the Classics Bumblebee and Animated Bumblebee toys, the more aggressive design with large flared wheel arches, and small windows evoke the look of the live-action movie version of Bumblebee. He transforms similarly to, but not exactly the same as, his Generation 1 toy.
- Care must be taken while rolling the vehicle: pushing down while moving the vehicle forward can chip the paint underneath the hip section.
- This mold was redecoed into a whole swarm of Bumblebees, as well as a couple of Cliffjumpers. See the box below for more information.
| Universe (2008) mold: Bumblebee (Legends Class) | ||
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Alternity
- Bumble [Champion Yellow] (2009)
- ID number: A-03
- Accessories: 2 "chrono-venom stinger guns"
- Alternity Bumble transforms into a licensed 1:32 scale Suzuki Swift Sport featuring die-cast metal parts and rubber tires, as well as an opening hood, trunk and doors. In robot mode, the figure can hold twin pistols that are normally stored in the legs, and features light-piped eyes.
- Bumblebee was retooled to make Alternity "Cliff [Supreme Red Pearl]".
- Gold Bug [Throttle Gold] (2011/2012)
- ID number: A-03G
- Accessories: 2 guns
- Alternity Gold Bug is a redeco of the above mold. He features an extensive glittery metallic gold paint scheme for his vehicle parts and knee panels, and has blue arms, hands, legs, and head. He comes packaged in a box that is similar to the one used by Alternity Ultra Magnus.
Transformers (2010)
- Gold Bumblebee (Legends Class, 2011)
- Released in the first wave of 2010's Transformers: Reveal the Shield Legends Class toys, "Gold Bumblebee" is a redeco of Universe Legends Class Bumblebee, now in very Goldbuggy colors. As part of the "Reveal the Shield" promotion, he sports a heat-sensitive rubsign.
- The sample used for Hasbro's official stock photos sported unpainted gold legs, but the final toy has the legs painted over in blue. So far, no gold-legged specimens have been found in the wild. Conversely, the vehicle mode stock photo on the back of his packaging implies that the entire leg pieces (or at least his ankle joints) have been painted blue, as there are two very obvious blue patches on his hood.
| Universe (2008) mold: Bumblebee (Legends Class) | ||
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- Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2011)
- Accessories: Wave Crusher trailer/backpack
- Released in the second (and final) wave of Reveal the Shield Deluxes, this Bumblebee is a redeco of Classics Deluxe Class Bumblebee in a live-action movie-inspired paint scheme. He also features a rubsign, this time on his roof/chest.
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- Bumblebee (Legends Class, 2012)
- A minor redeco of "Cybertronian Bumblebee" from the Dark of the Moon Cyberverse Bumblebee/Starscream four-pack (itself a redeco of Universe Legends Class Bumblebee) was released as a "dollar store" exclusive (available at stores such as Dollar General and Big Lots!) in generic 2010 Transformers packaging alongside Optimus Prime, Starscream and Megatron.
- While the overall deco is similar to that of Dark of the Moon Cybertronian Bumblebee, some of the paint operations are different: The Autobot logo is now placed on the side of his right arm/passenger door of his vehicle mode (the official stock photos on the back of the packaging are flipped, depicting it on the opposite side instead) rather than on the robot mode's chest/vehicle mode's roof, and the red stripes on the "running boards" on the sides of his vehicle mode have been omitted.
- In addition, this release of the sculpt also sports a very minor retool compared to all previous releases, namely additional pegs and holes that allow for his arms to attach more securely to the torso in vehicle mode.[12]
| Universe (2008) mold: Bumblebee (Legends Class) | ||
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United
- Bumblebee Cybertron Mode (Deluxe, 2010-12-15)
- ID number: UN-02
- Accessories: "Energy gun"
- Part of the first wave of United product, Bumblebee is a redeco of the War for Cybertron Bumblebee toy, transforming into a "Cybertronian courier." He comes with a handgun and features two wrist-mounted flip-out blades. The handgun can be stored inside his rear bumper in either robot or vehicle mode. Like the original mold, His legs are generally loose at the mid-thigh joint due to being used for transformation.
- TakaraTomy's release features an extensive metallic paint job on the car mode panels as well as some of the robot's parts (such as the head and forearms). In addition to some painted detail differences from the Hasbro release, United Bumblebee features a lighter gray as well as a brighter pink than the Hasbro version.
- This mold was also used to make War For Cybertron Cliffjumper and United Cliffjumper Cybertron Mode.
- Bumblebee (Deluxe, 2010-12-25)
- ID number: UN-07
- Accessories: Wave Crusher trailer/backpack
- Another redeco of the Classics Deluxe toy, United Bumblebee is painted mainly in chromed golden yellow with silver bumpers. He was sold alongside his Cybertron Mode (see above) in the first assortment of United product.
- While very similar in appearance, this version of Bumblebee is cast in a lighter yellow plastic than the Henkei release, with most of his car mode parts (along with his robot mode head and forearms) painted over in gold. As noted above, he also features a silver front bumper and other painted details different from his previous TakaraTomy release.
- Unfortunately, because he is packaged in robot mode and his vehicle shell is entirely coated in paint, quite a number of Bumblebees have the gold paint between their jointed leg/hood panels and feet scratched off out of the box, resulting in ugly scored lines on the hood in vehicle mode.
| Classics mold: Bumblebee | ||
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Chronicle
- Bumble (EZ Collection, 2011)
- Chronicle EZ Collection Bumble is a redeco of the Universe Legends Class Bumblebee toy, featuring sky blue windows, and his inner arms are entirely painted black. His vehicle front grill and the lower robot legs' paint applications are also removed. Like other Chronicle Legends toys, he was sold in a blindpacked box.
| Universe (2008) mold: Bumblebee (Legends Class) | ||
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Kre-O
This section only lists Generation 1-inspired Bumblebee Kre-O toys.
- Bumblebee (2011)
- Set number: 36421
- Pieces: 336
- Kreons: Bumblebee, Red Alert, Driver
- Accessories: Small pistol
- While the larger Bumblebee Kre-O kit is mostly based on the live-action movie version of the character (though the noggin is a moosh of movie and Generation 1), the accompanying Bumblebee Kreon is unquestionably based on the Generation 1 Bumblebee.
- Bumblebee (2011)
- Set number: 31144
- Japanese release date: 2013-03-20
- Pieces: 74
- The smaller Bumblebee Kre-O kit is loosely based on the original Bumblebee, with a head that's a straight copy of that Bumblebee's Classics toy head. He can be rebuilt into a hatchback and comes with no Kreons. Since his vehicle mode is basically a solid brick that can't hold any Kreons, this isn't such a big thing.
- Energon Bumblebee (2012, NYCC Exclusive)
- Accessories: Small pistol
- A redeco of the Bumblebee Kreon in clear blue plastic, exclusive to New York Comic Con 2012, Energon Bumblebee comes in its own special little window box with an outer sleeve.
- Kreon Figure Pack (2013)
- Set number: A4642
- Accessories: Small pistol
- A boxed set of five Kreons, with Bumblebee, Red Alert, Mirage, Jazz and a fifth "mystery" Kreon; a randomly-packed robot Kreon from the first year of the line.
- Bumblebee (Custom Kreon, 2013)
- Set number: A6087
- Pieces: 40
- Accessories: Rack, rifle, large gun, axe, rocket-pack
- Part of the first assortment of "Custom Kreons", this version of Bumblebee comes with a buildable parts rack on which to hang/store his many many extra pieces. His tampographs are much more heavily-detailed than the original Kreon, based on the original Bumblebee toy. His "normal" helmet and large rifle are chromed, plus he comes with an extra clear-plastic helmet, torso and legs. He also has a pair of extra arms (originally from the Kre-O Battleship aliens), plus a buildable hand-cannon, rocket-pack and energon axe.
- Bumblebee's tampos were also used to make Custom Kreon Cliffjumper.
- Kreon Class of 1984 (Kreon figure set, 2014)
- Voted: Best Spark
- Accessories: Scoped pistol
- This version of Bumblebee, part of the Kreon Class of 1984, has much more toy-based tampographs than his prior versions, including visored-and-masked face. He uses the Prowl style door-wings, which is really odd considering the toy he's based on does not have said feature.
- He was only available in a pack of 30 Kreons dubbed "Class of 1984", exclusive to San Diego Comic-Con 2014. Remaining stock was be sold at Hasbro Toy Shop online, but the set actually sold out at the show.
- Brick Box
- Set number: B2962
- Pieces: 77
- Accessories: Scoped pistol
- Sold only at discount chains like Family Dollar, this version of Bumblebee uses the new 2015 style of Kreon hips and torso, with a hollow hip-peg and a central post inside the torso for increased grip... which also makes the torso incompatible with about four years' worth of Kreons. Nice. His face tampograph is new, but his torso uses the "Class of '84" deco.
- The set comes with two bags of Kre-O parts, one coming from the first-year large Bumblebee (mostly all the small bits and the now-useless neck joint), the other "new" with some basic bricks and plates, as well as a set of axles, rims and tires. The set has no instructions, as it's just a box of bricks to makes whatever with.
- Bumblebee (Battle Changers, 2014)
- Set number: B0716
- Pieces: 81
- Accessories: 2 pistols
- Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro)[13]
- Part of the new Battle Changers line, Battle Changers Bumblebee transforms from a vehicle that vaguely resembles a sports car with a proportions of a Volkswagen Beetle into a robot and back without removing any parts!
- All of the 2015 Transformers Kre-O product was skipped by retailers in the US (at first), seeing release in Canada, Australia and various Asian markets. In late 2015, much of the line was finally released at discount in the US through TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores, including this set. The CG render noticeably features a windshield sticker on Bumblebee's chest, which was removed from the final toy for unknown reasons.
- Bumblebee (Mini-Con Combiners, unreleased)
- Accessories: Rifle, scoped pistol, grenade launcher, clip-on gatling gun, blaster
- "Mini-Con Combiner"' Bumblebee comes with one standard Kreon and four Cityville-syle mini-Kreons of the same character, each one a different incarnation from various franchises. With some extra parts, the mini-Kreons become limbs to make a larger combiner-bot.
- The torso-Kreon and one Mini-Con are based on versions of Generation 1 Bumblebee: Classics (with an arm-cannon instead of a hand-held blaster, oddly) and "Thrilling 30" Bumblebee (Prowl helmet) respectively. The remaining three Mini-Con Bumblebees are based on "Aligned" Bumblebee bodies: War for Cybertron (Bumblebee helmet), Prime (Ratchet helmet), and Rescue Bots (Jazz helmet).
- First shown at New York Toy Fair 2015, the Mini-Con Combiners were apparently cancelled without fanfare... a decision that must have come late in the day, as they went on to star in their own promotional animation, "Stuck in a Tree", released about eight months after the trade show.
Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
Bot Shots
- Bumblebee (2012)
- Series: 1
- Number: B001
- Known designers: Hisao Nishimoto (TakaraTomy)
- Fist strength: 110
- Blaster strength: 630
- Sword strength: 970
- Part of the first wave of Bot Shots Series 1 single-packs, Bumblebee is a teeny little sports car vaguely like a Camaro, with a spring-loaded automatic transformation to robot mode triggered when his front bumper is pressed. He has a "spinner" in his chest that shows his three attack types and power levels. He is heavily based on the live-action movie Bumblebee, with his head based on the Classics version of Generation 1 Bumblebee.
- Bumblebee's main car body, arms, and legs are also used by many many other car Bot Shots, such as Barricade, Mirage, Lockdown, Autobot Topspin, Autobot Jazz, Leadfoot, Roadbuster, Go! BeCool Kenzan, and their numerous redecos.
- Bumblebee (2012)
- Series: 1
- Number: Super Bot 002
- Fist strength: 910
- Blaster strength: 460
- Sword strength: 270
- Part of the second wave of Bot Shots Series 1 single-packs, this redeco of Bumblebee is cast in clear-orangey-yellow plastics with minimal paint. As this wave's Super Bot, he has more lopsided stats, but is shortpacked to one a case.
- Sentinel Prime / Prowl / Bumblebee (Multi-pack, 2012)
- Series: 1
- Number: BP001
- Fist strength: 765
- Blaster strength: 530
- Sword strength: 325
- Part of the first wave of Bot Shots Series 1 three-packs, this version of Bumblebee has a metallic shade of orange-yellow plastic, black painted windows instead of blue, light gray tires, and extra silver paint on his torso and grill. He comes with Sentinel Prime and Prowl.
- Battle for the Matrix (Ultimate Battle Set, 2012)
- Series: 1
- Number: UB002
- Fist strength: 200
- Blaster strength: 640
- Sword strength: 780
- Part of a large multi-pack, this Bumblebee is redecoed in lighter yellow plastic and gray tires compared to his original release, features a painted grille on both his chest and bumper, and has silver windows.
- The set also comes with Megatron with his launcher, Decepticon Brawl, Optimus Prime with his launcher, as well as a Matrix prize.
- Bumblebee (2012)
- Series: 1
- Number: B019
- Fist strength: 610
- Blaster strength: 390
- Sword strength: 620
- Part of the fifth wave of Bot Shots Series 1 single-packs, this retool of Bumblebee features a remolded head to give him a battle mask not dissimilar to the face of the original Bumblebee's toy, rather than the one based on that Bumblebee's character model.
- Bumblebee (2013)
- Series: 2
- Number: B001
- Known designers: Hisao Nishimoto (TakaraTomy)
- Fist strength: 160
- Blaster strength: 705
- Sword strength: 740
- Part of the first wave of Bot Shots Series 2 single-packs, Bumblebee transforms into a muscle car. As a Flip Shot, an impact to the front of his vehicle mode causes him to flip up when autotransforming. This mold was redecoed into Flip Shot Cliffjumper.
- Bumblebee Launcher (Launcher, 2013)
- Series: 2
- Number: BL002
- Accessories: Launcher, 3 Cyber pin targets
- Fist strength: 380
- Blaster strength: 745
- Sword strength: 480
- Part of the first wave of Bot Shots Series 2 launchers, this version of Bumblebee is a Jump Shot, and an impact to the front of his vehicle mode causes him to spring up and autotransform into a robot armed with a pistol. He comes with a launcher used to propel him to great speeds, as well as three targets for him to knock over. The targets feature an assortment of pegs and peg-holes, allowing them to peg into each other to form various structures, although since you only get three of them, there's not a lot to make out of them.
- This version of the Bumblebee mold was retooled into Super Bot Cliffjumper.
- Bumblebee / Shockwave / Skyquake (Multi-pack, 2013)
- Series: 2
- Number: BP004
- Fist strength: 795
- Blaster strength: 335
- Sword strength: 485
- Part of the first wave of Bot Shots Series 2 three-packs, Bumblebee is a redeco of Super Bot Cliffjumper in the same shade of orange-yellow as the original Jump Shot Bumblebee toy (see above). He features purple windows, black robot details, and a painted spoiler. He comes with Jump Shot Shockwave and Super Bot Skyquake.
- Polar Assault Team (Multi-pack, 2013)
- Series: 2
- Number: T002
- Fist strength: 595
- Blaster strength: 615
- Sword strength: 410
- Part of the first wave of Bot Shots Series 2 five-packs, this is a redeco of the original Bumblebee toy in white with blue details that resembles Bug Bite's colors. He comes with similarly-themed redecos of Optimus Prime, Mirage, Ironhide, and Jetfire.
- Twinstrike / Skystalker / Bumblebee (Multi-pack, 2013)
- Series: 2
- Number: Super Bot 010
- Fist strength: 438
- Blaster strength: 984
- Sword strength: 199
- Part of the third wave of Bot Shots Series 2 three-packs, the second Super Bot Bumblebee is another redeco of the original Bumblebee toy, this time cast in clear-golden-yellow plastics. He comes in a three-pack with Flip Shot Twinstrike and Jump Shot Skystalker.
BeCool
- Yellow Sports Car (Bumblebee) (2012)
- ID number: B04
- BeCool "Yellow Sports Car" is a slight repaint of the Bot Shots battle-masked Bumblebee toy, featuring silver paint on his grill and windshield instead of black. Rather than power levels, the stickers in his chest spinner feature drawings of his vehicle mode racing, a checkered flag and a crying face.
- Special Sports Car (Bumblebee Clear Color) (2012)
- ID number: B12
- "Special Sports Car" is practically identical to the first Bot Shots Super Bot Bumblebee, the only difference being that his chest stickers are now pictures of his vehicle mode, a star and a parking sign. This toy was only available for purchase for three months, during which it was sold at a lower price than other BeCool toys as an incentive. After getting taken off shelves it was replaced by Garbage Truck, a new, full-price B12.
Generations
- Bumblebee & Blazemaster (Legends Class, 2013)
- Series / Number: 02 / #002
- Accessories: Rotors
- Known designers: Joe Kyde (Hasbro)
- Part of the third wave of 2012-onwards Generations Legends Class toys, Thrilling 30 Bumblebee is roughly the same size as a Cyberverse Commander Class toy. He transforms from an Earth-style car into a robot styled after Andrew Griffith's design for the character in IDW's Robots in Disguise (which is in turn modified from War for Cybertron Bumblebee), and features 5 mm-compatible front wheels, back/roof, and hands.
- He comes with Blazemaster, who can transform into a helicopter, a robot with 3 mm-compatible hands, and a weapon with a 5 mm handle. In weapon mode, his rotors detach and mount onto Bumblebee's forearm wheel peg-holes.
- There are two packaging variants of this two-pack: One version (which is also reflected by the official stock photo of the toy in packaging) features the same layout for the cardboard name insert as its wavemate Optimus Prime & Autobot Roller, while the other version has various texts and logos rearranged and relocated, and is lacking both the difficulty level and the Hasbro company logo.[14]
- This mold was also used to make Generations Legends Class Cliffjumper.
- Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2013)
- Series / Number: 02 / #004
- Accessories: 2 stinger blasters
- Known designers: Joe Kyde (Hasbro)
- Part of the fifth wave of 2012-onwards Generations Deluxe Class toys, this Thrilling 30 Bumblebee is based on the character's body from IDW's The Transformers vol. 1 ongoing series; more specifically, it is the version used by Guido Guidi in issue #21. He transforms into a muscle car that resembles a fifth generation Ford Mustang, and comes with two "stinger blasters" which peg via 5 mm post into his hands, forearms, and rear vehicle sides, and can also combine into a large weapon.
- The American release is packed in with a copy of Spotlight: Bumblebee, with a cropped version of the Clayton Crain RI cover that is called out as a 'Hasbro Exclusive Cover'. In European and Canadian markets the figure is packed without the comic.
- For some reason, Hasbro's official stock photos provided to retailers which depict a (pre-)production sample, including a photo of the toy in packaging, feature a Bumblebee that lacks the painted stripes on the fake car hood on his robot mode chest. The same applied to the packaged sample on display at BotCon 2013. Fortunately, the final toy sports the stripes after all. For their own official website, Hasbro remedied this with a new set of stock photos that are more representative of the final product... which were later replaced with the inaccurate photos.
- Metroplex (Titan Class, 2013)
- 01 OF 30
- An exclusive version of Titan Class Metroplex was made available at San Diego Comic-Con 2013. He comes with 12 small, non-transforming figurines of Orion Pax, Megatron, Bumblebee, Thundercracker, Trailcutter, and Hoist, all in both modes. The figurines are based on their Thrilling 30 Deluxe Class toys, and similarly to Decoys, the Autobot figurines are cast in red plastic, and the Decepticons in purple.
- Metroplex (Titan Class, 2013)
- 05 OF 30
- Another exclusive version of Titan Class Metroplex was made available at Anime-Comic-Game Hong Kong 2013. This Metroplex also has the 12 figurines of Orion Pax, Megatron, Bumblebee, Thundercracker, Trailcutter, and Hoist, but casts the Autobot figurines in gold plastic, and the Decepticons in silver.
- Goldfire (Deluxe, 2013)
- Series / Number: 02 / #010
- Accessories: 2 hand-held blasters
- Known designers: Joe Kyde (Hasbro)
- Part of the seventh wave of 2012-onwards Generations Deluxe Class toys, Thrilling 30 Goldfire is a retool of Generations Bumblebee in Goldbug-inspired colors, using a new head that draws upon both Bumblebee/Goldbug's original faceplated design and the "speaker mouth" of the modern movie and Prime versions of the character.
- He is packed in with a copy of Robots in Disguise #18.
Construct-Bots
- Bumblebee (Triple-Changer, 2013)
- Pieces: 69
- Part of Wave 1 of Construct-Bots Triple-Changers, Bumblebee can transform into a sports car-like thing or a jet-like thing. He is heavily armed with two large shoulder-mounted launchers, a third launcher hidden in his jet mode nosecone as well as two large swords.
- Many of his parts were used to make himself again (see below) as well as Cliffjumper.
- Bumblebee (Scout, 2013)
- Pieces: 45
- Part of Wave 2 of Construct-Bots Scouts, Bumblebee can transform into a car. He uses largely the same part scheme as Triple Changer Bumblebee, except his head is remolded to have his battle mask up, and he uses Ironhide's shoulder and thigh armor pieces. He also lacks the two shoulder-mounted launchers as well as his rear wheel wells and spoiler attachments, making his vehicle mode appear much smaller. He swaps out his dual longswords for the fork blade originally included with Optimus Prime. His color scheme changes the original's orange to a neon yellow and most of his black details to a lighter blue.
- Arsenal Pack Bumblebee (Scout, 2014)
- Pieces: 51
- Arsenal Pack Bumblebee turns into a car. He is almost identical to the previous Scout release, but would have included several additional armor and weapon pieces. Like all Arsenal Pack toys it was canceled and you'll never own one.
Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
EZ Collection (2013)
- Bumblebee (EZ Collection, April 27, 2013)
- ID number: EG-02
- Another redeco of the Universe Legends Class Bumblebee, this individual carded release of EZ Collection (2014) Bumblebee features slightly darker yellow plastic and black windows while retaining most of the paint applications from the Chronicle release. While his stock photography retains the G1 Autobot symbol and the original arms, though the toy proper has the movie variant, and also uses the retooled arm pegs used for the Transformers (2010) release.
| Universe (2008) mold: Bumblebee (Legends Class) | ||
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Generations (Japan)
- Optimus Prime & Bumblebee (Multi-pack, September 28, 2013)
- ID number: TG-24
- Accessories: Rotors
- The Japanese Generations release of Thrilling 30 Legends Class Bumblebee redecoes him in an extensive metallic gold paint job. He comes in a TakaraTomy four-pack with Blazemaster, as well as Optimus Prime and Roller.
- Bumblebee Goldbug (November 30, 2013)
- ID number: TG-26
- Accessories: 2 stinger blasters
- Part of the eleventh wave of TakaraTomy's Generations line, "Bumblebee Goldbug" is a redeco of the Hasbro Generations Deluxe Bumblebee in a more orange shade of yellow, with blue translucent plastic and black limbs. His head is painted metallic blue in homage to Goldbug (though it's still Bumblebee's head instead of Goldfire's), and he also features metallic gold paint on his bumper, torso, forearms, and feet.
Age of Extinction
- Bumblebee (Evolution 2-Pack, 2014)
- 22 OF 30
- TakaraTomy Release Date: August 3, 2014
- Accessories: Blaster/Hand Cannon
- Available only at Toys"R"Us stores in the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany, this two-pack includes a "Classic" Bumblebee redecoed from the Generations Legends Class Bumblebee, cast in a slightly lighter yellow with blue headlights and taillights and armed with a black and yellow redeco of Dark of the Moon Deluxe Jolt's MechTech weapon that turns into a hand cannon when the scope is pulled. This weapon can either be plugged via 5 mm post on his roof/back or held in hand. As with almost all other MechTech Deluxe weapon accessories, the converted weapon cannot lock into place.
- The two-pack was one of the three Evolution 2-packs available as a Toys"R"Us exclusive in Japan, with no changes on the figures with an exception of the packaging, which the front box features Japanese translated versions of the English text, and a sticker on the back confirming that this was a Japanese release.
Hero Mashers
- Bumblebee (Basic, 2014)
- Pieces: 9
- Accessories: Blaster
- Part of the first wave of Transformers Hero Mashers basic Action Figures, Bumblebee is a non-transforming action figure with ratchet-joints, about six inches tall. His robot mode takes many design cues from his Deluxe Class Generations Thrilling 30 toy. He has multiple peg-holes all over that can be used to mount any Hero Mashers accessory. As a first-wave figure, he has extra ankle articulation that is not present in later waves (a cut that was made to all Hero Mashers lines, not just the Transformers-branded ones).
- He is designed with a removable head, forearms, thighs, and lower legs, all of which use the same clip-peg/hole joint. This means his pieces can be swapped around in any order, as well as swapped with any other Hero Mashers figure... which includes figures from Marvel Comics, Star Wars, and Jurassic World, meaning you can make some pretty freaky combinations.
- His left forearm was redecoed to make Cliffjumper's arm in the Battle Upgrade Bulkhead set.
- Bumblebee & Strafe Team Pack (Team Pack, 2014)
- Pieces: 23
- Accessories: Jetpack, axe/missile launcher, 2 "Dino Claw Missiles", buzzsaw, 2 twin-blasters
- Part of a "Team Pack" with Strafe, this release of Bumblebee is basically identical to his individual release, but lacking his silver blaster. Instead, he can be equipped with any of the pack's various accessories (which can be argued also belonging to Strafe but whatever), including a winged jetpack and a spring-loaded "Dino Claw Missile" launcher that doubles as an axe. The spare missile can be pegged to any standard Hero Mashers peg-hole, though it sits pretty shallowly.
- There are two different releases of this set, each one containing the same parts, but arranged differently. One has Strafe much more visibly pulled apart, with the resulting part-spread meaning the jetpack ends up hidden under the packaging photo on the lower-left corner under Bumblebee's feet.
Transformers (2014)
- Bumblebee (Legion Class, 2014/2015/2017)
- Another release of the 2014 Universe sculpt, this version's deco is a hybrid between the Toys"R"Us exclusive Dark of the Moon Cybertronian Bumblebee release of the sculpt and the Transformers release from 2012: The Autobot insignia is placed on the chest/roof again (like on the Dark of the Moon version), but the "running boards" on the sides of the vehicle mode are still unpainted (like on the 2012 release). The toy also now sports a large "CE" mark and number on the soles of its feet, declaring the toy meets European product safety requirements. Bizarrely, the package art is lifted directly from the Generations Legends Class Bumblebee/Blazemaster two-pack's packaging, whereas the stock photos depicted on the back of the packaging are taken from Universe Bumblebee's packaging and only slightly altered, sporting a highly inaccurate deco and even advertising a "Reveal the Shield" rubsign gimmick the toy doesn't actually have. Meanwhile, Hasbro's official stock photos provided to online retailers (including an in-packaging photo) depict the sculpt's 2012 release's deco.
2014 packaging left, 2015 packaging right.
- Legion Class Bumblebee has been found at Family Dollar and Dollar General stores in the United States. A later variant replaced the red Autobot insignia with a black version. This later version was also released at general retail in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. In addition, the version with a black insignia was later re-released in 2015, this time in packaging mimicking the then-current Generations packaging design, but replacing the name "Generations" with "Authentic Transformers". It was also given a new Hasbro product code number and UPC barcode, thereby technically making it a separate product. In 2017 (or 2016?), it was re-released again, this time in a minor variant of the 2014 version's packaging (including the original product code number and barcode) that now lacked the reference to the non-existing "Reveal the Shield" gimmick.
- Like Optimus Prime and Starscream, the black insignia variant of the toy (in the later packaging variant lacking the "Reveal the Shield" call-out) ended up being dumped to some hobby shop dealers in Asia, and even returned to discount stores like Five Below and 99 Cents Only in the US in 2020. For unknown reasons, most of them were mistransformed in packaging.
| Universe (2008) mold: Bumblebee (Legends Class) | ||
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Bearbrick
- Bumblebee (2014)
- A special edition Bearbrick released in celebration of the Transformers 30th anniversary, Bumblebee is a retool of the Bearbrick Optimus Prime/Megatron mold with a new chest and head, transforming from a Bearbrick painted up like himself to a bear-eared robot. He has no accessories, but holes in his robot mode hands can accommodate other toys' weapons.
- The chest used for this mold was also used to make the simultaneously released Bearbrick Starscream. This mold with the alternate chest was also used to make Nemesis Prime.
Masterpiece
- Bumble (November 29, 2014)
- ID number: MP-21
- Accessories: "Laser Gun" pistol, rear-view mirrors, Excelsuit, spare tire cover, license plate, neutral face, smiling face, "Battle Face" (Amazon.co.jp exclusive)
- Known designers: Shogo Hasui and Yūya Ōnishi (TakaraTomy)
- Masterpiece Bumble transforms into an officially-licensed Volkswagen Type 1. As with other figures in the Masterpiece line, he is intended to be an accurate representation of his cartoon model. Roughly as tall as a Deluxe Class figure, he is also in scale with MP-10 Optimus Prime in robot mode (making his car mode very out of proportions with the other Masterpiece cars), and can fit inside Prime's trailer in vehicle mode. In contrast to larger entries in this line, Bumblebee lacks die-cast parts, and his tires are cast in hard, non-rubberized plastic. Additionally, following the trend started with Wheeljack, his side mirrors come detached out of the box, and can be found separately packaged inside the instruction bag. Accurate to the real-life Type 1, he only has one mirror, on the driver's side; an extra is included in case of loss or breakage.
- For accessories, he comes with his gun (called Lazer Gun [sic] in the instructions), a second interchangeable face with an open-mouth smile to replace his regular neutral face, and a spare tire cover that can be plugged on the rear of his vehicle mode by pulling away the license plate, which then fits inside the cover. The cover mounts on his back in robot mode; indeed, it only exists in order to replicate the large yellow circle on the back of Bumblebee's character model, a visual adaptation of some molded circular detail on his original toy. Illustrating its non-essential vehicle mode role, it can also be stored out of view on the car's underside.
- To make up for the smaller size of Bumblebee when compared to other figures in the Masterpiece line (and to keep up with the price tag), MP-21 comes with an Exosuit figure, which can transform into its vehicle mode as seen in The Movie. The figure itself is referred to only as "Excelsuit" (the Japanese G1 dub name) on the instruction book, but according to the line-art included in The Transformers Masterpiece Official Guide, it's supposed to be Daniel Witwicky, though the back of the box refers to it as Spike.
- If purchased in Japan through Amazon.co.jp, one additionally gets an interchangeable "Battle Face" based on the original G1 toy's one. If purchased in other Asian markets outside of Japan, a collector coin is included instead of or in addition to the face. The coin package is shaped like his head, and identifies him as "Bumblebee Autobot".
| Masterpiece mold: Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle | ||
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- Bumble G-2 Ver. (July 25, 2015)
- ID number: MP-21G
- Accessories: Laser gun, spare left-side rearview mirror, 3-piece jetpack, spare tire cover, "normal" and "smile" extra faces
- A redeco of Masterpiece Bumble in shiny Generation 2 gold, this version does not come with an Exosuit figure. Instead, he comes with a three-piece jetpack, as worn by Bumblebee in the cartoon episode "Dinobot Island, Part 1". The toy-inspired "battle face" from the normal version's Amazon Japan special release is included as the default face, along with the two cartoon-based faces from the original release.
- He also comes with an extra sticker sheet for customization. The sheet includes both Generation 1 and Generation 2 style Autobot insignias in two different sizes, two yellow Generation 2 style "AUTOBOT" logos (as was stamped on the original toys), 180 Deceps and I♥Cybertron (from his appearance in the Marvel Comics adaptation of Transformers: The Movie), and the "I♥NY" license plate decal as seen in the episode "City of Steel".
- The non-Japanese Asian market version came with a special collector's coin. The coin package is once again shaped like Bumblebee's head (with the "battle face" faceplate on the front), but actually identifies him as Goldbug. Go figure.
- Bumble Red Body (December 26, 2015)
- ID number: MP-21R
- Accessories: pistol, rear-view mirrors, spare tire cover, license plate, neutral face, smiling face
- Another redeco of Masterpiece Bumble, in red colors (based on his original G1 toy variant) and chromed bumpers. Masterpiece Bumble Red Body was released as a Cybertron Satellite exclusive.
- As usual, the version supplied from Hasbro Asia came with a special collector's coin. This time, the package is shaped like the Type 1's front hood, and the coin identifies him as "Bumblebee Red Boby". [sic]
- Bumblebee & Exosuit Spike Witwicky (2016)
- ID Number: MP-08
- Accessories: Blaster, rear-view mirrors, Spike Witwicky (Exosuit), spare tire cover, license plate, neutral face, smiling face
- This Hasbro version of Masterpiece MP-21 Bumblebee is virtually unchanged from its Takara counterpart. All accessories included with the MP-21 version (minus the retailer-exclusive battle mask) are present in this release. Unlike the Takara version which (confusingly) identifies the Exosuit figure as Spike or Daniel, this version identifies him as just Spike.
- Oddly, the instruction manual and package have a couple of quirks—first, stock photos of Bumblebee's robot mode show his hood vent flap exposed and his backpack untransformed, where the flap should be tucked into its compartment in his pelvis and the backpack rotated, then the bumper folded in. The instructions also show this, but they show the steps for tucking in the flap and transforming the backpack. Second, the instructions for the swappable face gimmick have two errors: The regular face is shown twice instead of the smiling face being swapped, and the battle mask is shown in the instructions, despite not being included with the actual toy.
- Bumble (Ver. 2.0) (November 23, 2019)
- ID number: MP-45
- Hasbro release name: Bumblebee and Spike 2.0
- Accessories: 2 faces, firing effect, small blaster, Spike Witwicky figure, I (heart) NY license plate
- The second version of Masterpiece Bumble transforms from a show-accurate robot into a show-and-toy-accurate Penny Racer-proportioned Volkswagen Type 1. He comes with his handgun, now with its own blast effect, 2 faces, a license plate from the episode "City of Steel", and a small posable figure of Spike, which can fit in his vehicle mode. While the car mode can be displayed with the doors open, sitting the mini-figure in requires separating its front halves and folding up the windscreen/car hood assembly. Like the other Masterpiece Autobot cars, Bumble can fit in Convoy's (MP-10 and MP-44) Trailer. Bumble comes with a sheet of optional stickers: Two hearts for his license plate, the ice cream splotches for his shoulders seen in "Child's Play", the brown disease patches seen in "Cosmic Rust", and the Morphobot tentacle seen in "Quest for Survival".
- Unfortunately, due to the sake of show-accuracy, this Bumblebee ends up having most of his kibble present on his rear ankles and a glaring backpack when viewed at any angle other than his front, which also collides with his lower waist, effectively neutering the usage of his waist swivel.
- After the official images' reveal, Hasbro requested a number of sites (including a few listings like Amazon Japan) to take down the pictures, until they were allowed to post them again, several hours later. Initially set for a late September release, Bumblebee was pushed back to late November.
- Bumble comes with a die-cast token modeled after the Matrix of Leadership, and like the collector coins, the token had Bumblebee's head, the Masterpiece logo and the ID number engraved on it. Strangely enough, the box used for imported releases omits Bumble's name and just refers him as "Cybertron Espionage" while the box itself retains Bumble's (Japanese) name.
Nanoblock Motion Choro-Q
- Bumble (December 11, 2014)
- Produced as a collaboration between toylines Nanoblock and Choro-Q, this Bumblebee is a building block toy providing pieces to build both Bumblebee's super deformed robot mode and, separately, his car mode (or something else, given it's blocks and all). His car mode is built on a generic Choro-Q chassis outfitted with an electric motor and can be remote-controlled using a smartphone app. While the chassis is physically generic, its firmware identifies it as belonging to the Bumblebee kit, and the smartphone app's controls adopt a yellow and black theme to match, complete with Autobot logo on the steering wheel hub.
Q-Transformers
- Bumble (December 26, 2014)
- ID number: QT-08
- Q-Transformers Bumble transforms from a licensed super deformed Daihatsu Copen to a cute little robot. In spite of his new vehicle mode, molded detail on his feet still evoke the traditional Volkswagen Type 1 hood. He comes with a code for unlocking Generation 1 Bumblebee as a playable character in the Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns game.
- Bumblebee was retooled into Q-Transformers Cliff.
Cyber Series
- Bumblebee (Cyber Battalion, 2015)
- Part of the first wave of Generations: Cyber Series Cyber Battalion figures, Bumblebee is a roughly Voyager-sized figure that changes from muscle car to robot in just 5 simple steps. The figure's transformation engineering takes cues from the Prime Cyberverse Bumblebee figure. Bumblebee also features 5 mm-compatible hands.
- Like every Cyber Series figures, Bumblebee was available in limited quantities from online retailer BigBadToyStore.com, initially not hitting mass retail anywhere besides Asia and Latin America. However, alongside Starscream and Optimus Prime, it eventually saw a limited release in the Universal Studios Theme Park, and was later widely available as a Walgreens exclusive.
- Bumblebee (Cyber Commander, 2015)
- Released in the first wave of Cyber Commander figures, Bumblebee changes from muscle car to robot in a few easy steps. His transformation scheme is largely based on that of Robots in Disguise Legion Bumblebee. His arms feature a decent range of articulation as well as 5 mm-compatible hands. His robot mode stands taller than most modern Leader class figures.
- Bumblebee / Starscream (Heroes & Villains, 2021)
- In 2021, the Cyber Series Batallion Bumblebee and Starscream figure were reissued as a 2-pack exclusive to Amazon.com.
Alt-Modes
- Bumblebee (Alt-Modes, 2016)
- Series: 1, 2
- Collection: 2, 3 (Series 1), 1 (Series 2)
- Alt-Modes Bumblebee is a super deformed toy whose body transforms into a car when the Autobot faction symbol on his head is flipped. He was blind-boxed and available in two cases of the first series and the only case of the second series.
- This mold was redecoed into Alt-Modes Cliffjumper.
Titans Return
- Bumblebee (Legends Class, 2016)
- Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)
- Titans Return Bumblebee is a Legends Class mold who transforms from a robot to car, with a vehicle mode based on his alt mode in Transformers: Earth Wars. As with some of the Titans Return Legends Class figures, Bumblebee features an opening canopy for his cockpit, which allows any Titan Master figures to ride inside him. He also features 5 mm-compatible hands, although the yellow piece can prevent any weapon's slightly longer posts to peg down through his hands. Also, take note that the vehicle back wings/shoulder kibble can sometimes block the way for wielding weapons; however the shoulder parts can be swapped for better tolerance, but prevents him from fully transforming into vehicle mode. Oddly, his molded license plate reads "100 STRA" which is a variation of his movie counterpart's "900 STRA" plate.
- Although the instructions tell you to immediately swing down the chest/vehicle roof to his shoulders/vehicle rear, you have to give a slight opening gap on the shoulder parts in vehicle form before you swing the roof piece down, and squeeze the shoulders against the piece until it clicks properly (make sure the rear vehicle's pegs and the shoulder's rectangle holes are in place first). Take note that the tail-end of the chest/roof hinge piece is prone to paint chipping due to the friction between both hinged vehicle rear pieces.
- This mold was also used to make Roadburn.
Legends
- Bumble & Excelsuit Spike (Bumblebee & Exo-suit Spike) (December 30, 2017)
- ID Number: LG-54
- Legends Bumble is an extensive redeco of the Titans Return Legends Class figure, with most of the yellow parts now recast in transparent plastic with yellow paint applied. This allows his windows to be transparent.
- Bumble comes with Excelsuit Spike. This version of the mold was redecoed into The Transformers SonicBlue Bumble (see above).
au x Transformers
- INFOBAR Bumblebee (ICHIMATSU) (2017)
- Accessories: Mini flip-phone, display stand, swappable display cards
- Known designers: Yūya Ōnishi (TakaraTomy)
- Released in conjunction with Japanese cellphone maker au,[15] au x Transformers INFOBAR Bumblebee is a retool of the same line's INFOBAR Optimus Prime, with a new head and decoed in black and yellow.
- The INFOBAR figures celebrate 15 years since the 2002 au Design Project that resulted in the INFOBAR cellphone, as well as the 10th anniversary of the live-action films. He transforms into a (non-functional) scaled-down replica of the 2002 au INFOBAR, and in lieu of cellphone functions, the figure can be paired via Bluetooth with a smartphone, such as an iPhone, to act as a notification alarm in either robot or INFOBAR mode. The screen is also non-functional, but pre-printed cards are included which can be slid into the screen to show an Autobot logo, Decepticon logo, a mockup of a cellphone home screen, or a technical "Transformers INFOBAR" design. He features articulated hands for grasping the included tiny flip-phone accessory (which can flip open) that is stored in the bottom of the cell phone mode. The figure also includes a display stand.
- The project was crowdfunded through Japanese crowdfunding site Makuake.[16] Both Bumblebee and Megatron could only be obtained by contributing 16,200 yen to the project to receive a package of all three INFOBAR figures; at the 5,400 yen level, contributors received only INFOBAR Optimus Prime. The project received one million yen in the first 24 hours, ultimately topping out at over 32 million yen.
- This figure was differently retooled, with another head, and redecoed into INFOBAR Megatron.
Authentics
- Autobot Bumblebee (Bravo, 2017)
- Known designers: Emiliano Santalucia (concept artist)
- Released in the first wave of the Authentics toyline, "Autobot Bumblebee" is the size of a 2015 Robots in Disguise Battle Pack toy. In just four steps, he changes from an evergreen-inspired robot into a car reminiscent of his Classics iteration, and he features very limited articulation consisting of his head and his shoulders.
- Bumblebee (Bravo, 2024)
- Released in the seventh wave of Authentics Bravo figures, Bumblebee transforms into a sports car, with molding and details based off his Titan Changer toy from the same line. Unlike the prior 2017 figure, this version of Bumblebee has ball-jointed hips.
- This figure was first listed by the Chilean Hasbro store website without prior announcements.
- Autobot Bumblebee (Alpha, 2017)
- Around the height of the average Voyager figure, "Autobot Bumblebee" is nigh-identical to his smaller equivalent. He features the same four-step transformation, while adding some sideways-oriented elbows and additional paint. His legs are stiff as ever.
- Super Bumblebee (20 Inch, 2018)
- 4 inches below the size of a Titan Class figure, "Super Bumblebee" is a retool of the Super Bumblebee toy from the Robots in Disguise (2015) line, with a new upper body and head with the arms, legs, and vehicle body unchanged. He is packed with 15 sounds and phrases that activate when his Autobot symbol is pushed on his chest. He transforms in 3...no, just a single step by pulling his arms.
- Bumblebee (Titan Changer, 2019)
- This Bumblebee is a Titan Hero-sized mold, utilizing a different transformation scheme compared to his previous Authentics figures.
- Bumblebee (Mini Bot Racers, 2022)
- Authentics Mini Bot Racers Bumblebee is a package refresh of the Rescue Bots Academy Mini Bot Racers Bumblebee toy. He features no changes from his original release.
- He comes packaged with similarly unchanged rerelases of Mini Bot Racers Hoist and Optimus Prime, along with new characters Arcee and Trailbreaker.
Vintage G1
- Bumblebee ("Legion Class" reissue, 2018)
- Part of the first wave of the Vintage G1 line, Bumblebee is a largely-identical reissue of Encore Bumble, using the "newly"-tooled head introduced in The Transformers Collection and also sharing many of the deco alterations.
- There are a number of small differences between the Encore and Vintage G1 versions, though:
- The screw in the center of Bumblebee's back; now replaced with a pin, much like the original toy. This is also likely down to Hasbro's current stance on using pins in place of screws as much as possible.
- He has extra production information tampographed on the sole of his right foot—something that has become fairly common on Transformers products that wasn't around during his last reissue.
- The original sticker detail on the back of his head has also returned, whereas the Encore version had a rubsign placed there instead. This also happens to be the only Vintage G1 Minibot to not have a rubsign.
- Despite these differences from the original, card still displays the original toy-based package art. Of particular note is that this is the first ever release of this figure that's identified on its packaging as being an "official licensed product" approved by Volkswagen.
- Like all Vintage G1 figures, Bumblebee was exclusive to Walmart in the United States and Canada. He was also available at general retail in Hong Kong, and exclusive to the website of Australian fashion chain Cotton On. Oddly, the Australian release came in multilingual packaging intended for the European market, a rare but not entirely unheard of occurrence. Due to the limited space on the back, this, unfortunately, means the iconic Tech Spec card is omitted, replaced by parental warnings in 24 languages about the possibility of breakage due to excessive force, and that parts are not designed to reattach. In Singapore, Bumblebee was released as a giveaway for their screenings of the Bumblebee live-action movie.
| The Transformers mold: Bumblebee | ||
|---|---|---|
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Version 1:
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War for Cybertron Trilogy
- Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2020)
- TakaraTomy ID number: WFC-09
- TakaraTomy release date: January 20, 2021
- Accessories: Three-piece blaster, 2 skis, car trunk/shield
- Part of the second wave of War for Cybertron Trilogy Deluxe Class toys, concurrent with the Earthrise toyline and season of the Netflix cartoon, Bumblebee is a retool of Earthrise Cliffjumper, having all of the original figure's vehicle mode parts replaced with those of a licensed Volkswagen Type 1 without the "penny racer" proportions, along with a new head sculpt. Almost all of Bumblebee's yellow coloring is painted, with only his head and forearms being bare yellow plastic, which avoids color disparity, particularly in vehicle mode. On both of his ends, the bumpers/fenders are made of soft rubbery plastic. Bumblebee also has molded high-performance brake discs. Much like Cliffjumper's other mold-mates, Bumblebee's depiction as being rather small in most Transformers media means this figure is much shorter than a typical Deluxe-priced figure and is closer to being a particularly large Legends-priced figure. Like all Deluxe Class figures of the War for Cybertron subline, Bumblebee includes numerous 3 mm posts and 5 mm ports for attaching other accessories as part of the C.O.M.B.A.T. System, but due to his small size he cannot easily accommodate an entire Weaponizer or Modulator figure. Additionally, he is highly articulated for a mainline Legends-sized Transformer, with over 90-degree ankles and two-way elbows, and a complex transformation scheme. Undocumented in the instructions, Bumblebee's neck is actually mounted on a ball-joint, and when popped out of its housing offers a larger range of articulation. The housing has also been updated for seemingly no reason, with a taller "collar" section compared to Cliffjumper and Hubcap.
- The rest of his price-point is made up for with Cliffjumper's bazooka, now painted in slightly darker gunmetal color and lacking the paint on the rear piece. The entire cannon can split into two smaller blasters and a pair of skis that can attach under his front wheels. The backend of the cannon folds out to fit in his car mode's underside to help balance when skis are deployed. It can also mount on either his thigh or on the side or top of his shoulder meaning you can put the entire cannon in these spots. Unlike his mold-mates, 5 mm port holes are absent in Bumblebee's vehicle parts, meaning displaying the bazooka in vehicle mode requires the rear of the car mode to be transformed differently so the car trunk post has space to flip out and connect to the back-end of the cannon. Despite what the instructions tell you, the bazooka will pop off from the upper shoulder gap if you move the arm horizontally or vertically.
- Similarly, his detaching car back-end can either be put onto the robot mode's back or be used as a shield with help of a flip-out peg. This peg and the backend of the cannon use a unique post and port to connect to each other. Also unlike his mold-mates, the pegs that connect the car trunk with the robot fists in vehicle mode are now complete circles instead of half circles. These larger pegs are a very tight fit in the fists; detaching the trunk requires using excessive force on a small, thin, painted plastic piece. Filing or sanding the pegs down can make transformation more feasible.
- As per the norm, the stock renders depict him with sharp head-horns, but the final product has them rounded off.
- Like the rest of the Netflix-branded subset of the War for Cybertron Trilogy toyline, Bumblebee is exclusive to Walmart in Canada and the US but was released at standard retail in Asia.
- His G1 cartoon-accurate blaster is sold separately as part of the War for Cybertron Trilogy Deluxe Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack. However, there is no way to store this blaster while Bumblebee is in vehicle mode.
- This contained a portion of a cardstock background of Teletraan I. Bumblebee's part has tab N and slot A.
- Bumblebee is one of two puzzling Netflix-branded figures that have become extra rare and valuable for a mutual set of confusing reasons; the other is Soundwave. Most Netflix figures try to depict characters as they appeared on the War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon, favoring Cybertronian alt modes and extra battle damage, but that was not the goal for Bumblebee and Soundwave. Instead, with clean paint jobs and never-seen-on-Netflix Earth alt modes, they might be the most G1-faithful available versions of their characters in the Generations toyline era.
- If you actually want a toy that resembles Bumblebee from Netflix TV, then you might be looking for one of the Buzzworthy Bumblebees.
- The original Cliffjumper version of the mold was given two new head toolings to make Generations Selects Hubcap and Shattered Glass Collection Goldbug respectively, and was also given Bumblebee's head to make Selects Bug Bite.
| Earthrise mold: Cliffjumper | ||
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Version 1 (1980s sports coupe):
Version 2 (Volkswagen):
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Buzzworthy Bumblebee
- Bumblebee / Spike Witwicky (Core Class, 2021)
- Series: War for Cybertron Trilogy
- Accessories: Blaster
- Part of the cross-franchise Buzzworthy Bumblebee subline, and among its very first releases, this iteration of War for Cybertron Trilogy Bumblebee is a Core Class mold that converts from a robot into a car based upon Bumper's Choro-Q Mazda Familia alt-mode (complete with rear plate detailing!). He comes with a cartoon-inspired blaster that he holds via a 3 mm post which stores in his vehicle mode's rear underside, doubling as an exhaust pipe of sorts. Unlike most of the figures on this page, this Bumblebee features a matte finish on his vehicle tires and his gun.
- As seen in the rear packaging's stock render, Bumblebee's "wing" kibble/back fenders can be folded back for a cleaner robot appearance. As a result of sharing similarities to the original toy's transformation scheme, Bumblebee's arms sit slightly lower in robot mode.
- Bumblebee also comes with a (minimally-)transforming exosuit Spike Witwicky figure, although the exosuit features a silver-painted head dome with no indications of whoever may be inside, making it more a generic exosuit figure than any specific human character. This raised the MSRP from Core Class's normal ten to fifteen US dollars, though some Target stores seemingly at random charged seventeen for the set. Despite the store exclusivity, the set became a pegwarmer, often leaving entire pegs full of unsold stock.
- Much like the rest of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee toys, the box is in the style of the 2018 Bumblebee toyline, with additional renders of the evergreen Bumblebee design. Additionally, the toy features Kingdom-style package art with the War for Cybertron logo present.
- Origin Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2021)
- Series: War for Cybertron Trilogy
- Accessories: Blaster, jet pack, five conductors
- Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), John Warden (initial concept), Ken Christiansen (concept art)[17]
- Buzzworthy Bumblebee's second all-new mold, "Origin Bumblebee" is a diminutive Deluxe Class figure, once again branded as part of the War for Cybertron Trilogy. For the first time in toy form, Bumblebee transforms into the "flying saucer" vehicle seen in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1" in 23 steps. His robot mode is based on concept art by Ken Christiansen, which had earlier influenced Bumblebee's look in the 2019 IDW comic series and the War for Cybertron Trilogy animated series.
- As part of the War for Cybertron play pattern, Bumblebee features multiple 5 mm ports and 3 mm posts compatible with the C.O.M.B.A.T. System/F.O.S.S.I.L. Technology and "fire blast" effects. Being a modern, smaller-scale Deluxe Class figure, Bumblebee includes multiple accessories to fill out the price point, consisting of a 5 mm handheld blaster, five conductor rods as seen in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1" that Bumblebee cannot actually hold (and in reality, Bumblebee only holds four of these rods in the episode), and a jet pack as seen in "Dinobot Island, Part 1". The jet pack is 5 mm compatible but is also specifically shaped to fit the back kibble of the Earthrise Cliffjumper mold. Kunihiro originally wanted to have slots on the jetpack for the rods to slide into, but Maher cut it out due to it affecting the visual look of the jetpack. Despite appearing to be silver on the box, both Bumblebee's gun and jetpack are molded in unpainted black plastic.
- Origin Bumblebee is a victim of photodegradation; His unpaintable parts can discolor into either a very pale yellow or outright light brown.
- A 2024 Wheeljack toy was eventually made as a companion to this figure, featuring a storage bay for Bumblebee to fit inside, and clips to hold Bumblebee’s conductor rods.
- Worlds Collide (4-pack, 2021)
- Series: War for Cybertron Trilogy
- Accessories: Three-piece blaster, 2 skis, car trunk, Allspark
- Released as part of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee "Worlds Collide" 4-pack, this Bumblebee features the body of Earthrise Cliffjumper, while retaining the Bumblebee head from the Netflix-branded War for Cybertron Trilogy toy. Essentially a redeco of War for Cybertron Trilogy Bug Bite, Bumblebee transforms into a custom 1980s sports coupe; hybridizing the Porsche 924 Turbo and Mitsubishi Starion models. He retains the bazooka included with all versions of the mold, this time painted green to resemble the bazooka Ironhide used in "Transport to Oblivion." He also comes with the Allspark, redecoed from the War for Cybertron Trilogy Megatron/Fossilizer Skelivore Spoiler Pack.
- Included in the set alongside Bumblebee is Nemesis Primal, Blackarachnia, and Fangry with Brisko. While outwardly branded as part of the War for Cybertron Trilogy on the packaging, the instructions label the set as part of Studio Series, under the 2007 Transformers movie. The instructions also show the Cliffjumper head instead of the Bumblebee version.
- The set was found in a Walmart in the U.S.[18] before an official reveal from Hasbro, possibly due to a shipment error. As with other Buzzworthy Bumblebee toys, it is exclusive to Target in the U.S.
| Earthrise mold: Cliffjumper | ||
|---|---|---|
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Version 1 (1980s sports coupe):
Version 2 (Volkswagen):
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- Creatures Collide (4-pack, 2022)
- Series: Legacy
- Accessories: Three-piece blaster, 2 skis, car trunk/shield
- Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro)
- Part of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee "Creatures Collide" 4-pack, "Autobot Goldbug" is a chimera of molds, matching the vehicle mode parts from War for Cybertron Trilogy Bumblebee with the headsculpt from Shattered Glass Collection Goldbug; it also makes use of the interior chest parts from the original Earthrise Cliffjumper, as the "popped collar" of the Bumblebee version of the toy would cause clearance issues with the shape of the Goldbug head. All this results in a robot loosely accurate to Goldbug's original character model that transforms into a licensed, goldy-caramel-coloured Volkswagen Type 1. He retains the same accessories and functionality as his prior War for Cybertron Trilogy release.
- Alongside Goldbug, the set also includes Predacon Scorponok, Ransack, and Skywasp. The Buzzworthy Bumblebee line was exclusive to Target in the U.S.
| Earthrise mold: Cliffjumper | ||
|---|---|---|
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Version 1 (1980s sports coupe):
Version 2 (Volkswagen):
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Classic Heroes Team
- Bumblebee (All Star Rescan, 2022)
- Known designers: Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)
- A redeco of the Rescue Bots Rescan Series car-mode Bumblebee figure, Classic Heroes Team Bumblebee features a slightly different deco from the original release, including new black paint applications on the crotch and legs, altered silver highlights on the chest, and a little less black paint on the hands. The vehicle mode resembles the 2018 redeco of the same figure, with two stripes on the hood instead of just one, but also features a new Autobot insignia at the center of the hood.
- This toy was also released in a Rescue Bots Academy packaging with the Classic Heroes Team branding as a subline, arguably making it into another incarnation of the character.
Collaborative
- Bumblebee A.W.E. Striker with Sgt. Stalker (2023)
- Accessories: Sgt. Stalker, turret, rifle, two antennae
- Known designers: Evan Brooks (original concept),[19] Mario Carreiro (packaging)[20]
- The eleventh figure released in the Transformers Collaborative line, "A.W.E Striker Bumblebee" is a 9-inch figure that transforms into the A.W.E. Striker vehicle used by the Joes (which in itself resembles a 1982 M1040 Chenowth "Hellfire" Fast Attack Vehicle, aka Beachcomber's vehicle mode), serving as a counterpart to the H.I.S.S Tank Megatron released beforehand. He includes a blaster that can be attached to the top of the alt mode as well as over Bumblebee's head. He requires mild assembly out of box, as his roll cage and antennae must be attached to his body to complete his alternate mode. His stock photography depicts his thighs and fists as green, though the final toy has those parts cast in black. Some details on his chest, as well as his leg transformation and wheel placements in robot mode, are similar to Beachcomber's original toy.
- The set also includes a reproduction of the vintage Sgt. Stalker figure that can ride in Bumblebee's alternate mode or operate the aforementioned blaster in Bumblebee's robot mode. This figure comes packaged on a G.I. Joe Retro Collection style card included in the set.
Legacy
- Optimus Prime & Bumblebee (2-pack, 2023)
- TakaraTomy ID Number: TL-EX
- Accessories: Pistol, "Stinger Blaster" pistol
- Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro), Ittoku Kuwazu (TakaraTomy)[21]
- Packaged with his fellow Core Class Optimus Prime and his trailer, this Bumblebee is a redeco of the above Buzzworthy Bumblebee Core Class figure, featuring a more orange-y shade of yellow plastic, and the unpaintable black-plastic parts are now dark gray. In addition, the headlights are now painted with mustard gold, his black front bumper is now the same shade of grey used for the unpaintable joints, and his pair of sculpted hands are now painted. While he retains the same small blaster from before, Bumblebee also comes with his additional "Stinger Blaster" molded after a generic Autobot pistol.
- This 2-pack was revealed and put up for preorder on the June 20 Fanstream, exclusively on Hasbro Pulse. The set is also sold as a TakaraTomy Mall exclusive.
- Origin Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2025)
- Accessories: Blaster, jet pack, five conductors
- Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), John Warden (initial concept), Ken Christiansen (concept art)[17]
- The Buzzworthy Bumblebee "Origin Bumblebee" toy was repacked and re-released in the fifth and final wave of Legacy: United Deluxes, in order to kinda-sorta coincide with the Target-exclusive Legacy "Origin Wheeljack" toy (which had left shelves long before this toy made it out, but still, a lot closer than before!).
- There are no notable differences between the two releases other than packaging. Oddly enough, this figure was incorrectly listed as a Voyager Class in the promotional pictures posted to the Hasbro Pulse social media accounts.
Robosen
- Bumblebee G1 Performance (2023)
- Accessories: blaster, wall charger, USB-C to USB 2.0 cable
- Robosen's follow-up to their auto-converting G1 Optimus Primes, "Bumblebee G1 Performance" is a highly-interactive, programmable robot based on Bumblebee's appearance in the G1 cartoon. Unlike the two Optimus Primes, Bumblebee does not transform, leaving him stuck in robot mode... though this does contribute to his significantly lower $399 price point. He's nevertheless still a vague in-between of "toy" and "high-end showroom tech", with 45 custom microchips, 17 servo motors, LEDs in his eyes, foot headlights, and his blaster accessory, 69 classic soundbytes on top of newly-recorded voice lines by Dan Gilvezan (or a very good impersonator), and his own dedicated iOS/Android bluetooth app interface (separate from either of the two Optimus Primes' apps). Bumblebee stands at 13.5 inches in height, meaning he scales a bit better with the taller "Flagship" Optimus Prime.
- Bumblebee is primarily powered by an internal rechargable lithium ion battery, with his USB-C port located in an added notch on his lower back. His speaker/vent is located just above that, on a raised circular outdent on the center of his back.
- There are a variety of ways to interact with Bumblebee, including pre-programmed voice commands, pre-programmed app controls, and user-created movement scripts. The former two have a long list of scripted actions to pull from, including action poses, fighting scenes, greetings, and a variety of silly actions; if Robosen's continual rollout of new actions for Prime months after his release is anything to go by, Bumblebee will likely have more actions added in the months to come. New to Bumblebee is a "Mini-Theater" mode, essentially longer pre-programmed action sequences with appropriate backing music, sound effects, and voice lines, with scenes featuring Bumblebee by himself and alongside Optimus Prime available to pick from. And if all that weren't enough, you can program any number of poses and movement sequences using the app.
- The lack of transformation allowed Robosen to slightly beef up Bumblebee's flexibility and movement compared to Prime, with them advertising a state-of-the-art gait algorithm that allow's Bumblebee's two walking speeds to appropriately match your movements, as well as a built-in 6-axis IMU (internal measuring unit) to detect your posture, enabling Bumblebee to perform more difficult poses and automatically stand back up if he falls. Although he still lacks wrist and foot rotation like Prime, Bumblebee does have partial neck rotation, allowing him to look to his left or right without rotating his body. He can also stand up without being powered on; although he will hunch forward a bit on his knees when powering off, his legs can be straightened out a bit more with no worry of him falling over afterwards, likely thanks to his large feet.
- Bumblebee was first shown off at the Middle East Film and Comic Con in March 2023, with Robosen later uploading a promotional video to Weibo in May. He was made available to buy from Robosen's online store on June 20, 2023 without any advance warning, with orders shipping out from that date on.
Reactivate
- Starscream & Bumblebee (Multi-pack, 2024)
- Accessories: 2 submachine guns
- Known designers: Lenny Panzica (Hasbro), Ittoku Kuwazu (TakaraTomy)[22]
- Reactivate Bumblebee is a Deluxe-sized figure that transforms into an armored post-apocalyptic buggy. He comes with a pair of handheld submachine guns, which can, in either mode, be plugged into his shoulders/hood or stored underneath his forearms/undercarriage.
- There are a few transformation steps that are not clear in the instructions: The tops of his doors need to be pushed underneath his windows to lock into place. There are tabs on his forearms that go into the black armatures between the wheels to help secure them. The front bumper should be slid down for robot mode. Also, be careful not to push the windshield/neck area too far back in robot mode as it can get stuck and cause paint chipping in the corners.
- Bumblebee was packaged with Starscream. This boxset was abruptly revealed by Toys"R"Us Canada on October 18, 2023, after nearly ten months of silence regarding the upcoming Transformers: Reactivate online game. Notably, stock photography of the box and the official product copy use "Rise", an earlier name for the game. The game's final name was shown on the box during the Hasbro Pulse Fanstream on November 14th, 2023. The figure itself is molded with the year 2020, suggesting it was meant for an even earlier release date, delayed by the game's troubled production.
Studio Series
- Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2024)
- Movie: The Transformers: The Movie
- Hasbro ID number: 86-29
- Accessories: blaster, "The Depths Of Unicron" backdrop
- Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro)[23], Shogo Hasui (TakaraTomy)[24], Mario Carreiro, Christina Murphy and Amy Bence (packaging), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)[25]
- Released as part of the Studio Series A-Level distribution, Bumblebee transforms into a vaguely VW Type 1-ish, Penny Racer proportioned car (with the roof and rear of a Mazda Familia 1500XG) in 23 steps. He includes a blaster which can be pegged onto the back of both modes.
- As with other Studio Series toys, the interior of the package forms a diorama display for the figure. In this case, it is the movie's ending scene, where Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots escape from the depths of Unicron.
- Due to portions of his windows being made of black unpaintable plastic parts, the rest of the windows were also colored black for consistency instead of a screen-accurate blue. But hey, now it's an original toy reference!
- Gamer Edition Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2024)
- Game: Transformers: Reactivate
- Hasbro ID number: +10
- Accessories: 2 submachine guns, "Humanity's Last Hope" backdrop
- Known designers: Lenny Panzica (Hasbro), Ittoku Kuwazu (TakaraTomy)[22]
- The Reactivate Deluxe class Bumblebee was re-released individually as part of the Studio Series Gamer Edition subline with no known changes. He includes a backdrop depicting an unknown setting from the still unreleased game.
- Bumble (2024)
- ID Number: C-03
- Accessories: laser pistol
- Known designers: Hidetsugu Yoshioka (packaging artist)
- Commemorating the 40th anniversary of The Transformers brand, Missing Link Bumble is a direct recreation of the original The Transformers figure. Though near-identical to the original on the surface (complete with "battle-mask" face!), this figure uses modern toy engineering advances to give the toy a mechanical overhaul, granting it a significantly wider range of articulation, including shoulders, elbows, knees, "neck" rotation, outward leg motion, and an ankle tilt. In terms of weaponry, Bumble wields a metallic chrome laser pistol, styled after his weapon from the cartoon, which can be stowed away in his (officially-licensed) "penny-racer" style Volkswagen Type 1 alt-mode. Bumble also comes with a collector's card and a sticker sheet, with both the standard Autobot insignia and a pair of stickers designed to make Bumble resemble his original The Transformers package art available to use. As with Missing Link Convoy, Bumble and all his pack-ins are neatly inserted into a polystyrene tray.
- Missing Link Bumble was officially revealed in early May 2024, and shortly afterwards went up for pre-order on Japanese retail sites for a November 2024 release.
- As you might expect, the tooling for this figure was also used to make a simultaneously-released Missing Link Cliffjumper.
- Bumblebee (Lego Icons set, 2024)
- Release date: July 4, 2024
- Set Number: 10338
- Pieces: 950
- Accessories: blaster, display plaque, 2 license plates, brick separator
- Known designers: Samuel Liltorp Johnson (LEGO), Nathan Davis and Ashwin Visser (prints/stickers), Yoel Mazur (new elements), Joe Kyde (initial concept)[26]
- Bumblebee is the second collaboration between Hasbro and LEGO released under LEGO's Icons subtheme, following 10302 Optimus Prime, and is designed to be in scale with the aforementioned model of the Autobot leader. Like Optimus, he can transform from a fully brick-built G1-style robot to a vaguely-Type 1-esque car with opening doors (but no interior) without needing to be disassembled and reassembled... mostly, as his front windshield must be removed for transformation. The removed windshield can be folded in half and stored by pegging onto the studs on the spare tire on Bee's back, like a little winged jetpack that can arguably serve as a homage to the door-wing design seen on the live-action and Aligned versions of the character. In addition to optional stickers depicting "I ♡ Cybertron" and "ROLL OUT" bumper stickers, Bumblebee includes two choices of stickered license plates, each reading "BMBL84" and "GLDBUG". Both license plates include a tiny, simplified illustration of the Ark and a small reference to the premiere date of the G1 cartoon: September 17, 1984. The optional "Roll Out" sticker also homages the booster rocket sticker of Bumblebee's original toy.
- He is armed with a likewise brick-built blaster (which cannot be stored or attached in vehicle mode, sadly), and just like Optimus, also includes an Ultimate Collector's Series-styled display plaque featuring Bumblebee's name (in both English and Ancient Autobot), function, motto, and Tech Specs. The display plaque is designed to have exposed studs on its backside, allowing the unused license plate to be stored there.
- Unfortunately, also like Optimus, stability concerns over Bumblebee's top-heavy robot mode mean that he too lacks any knee articulation... but unlike Optimus, Bee doesn't have any thigh swivels or ankle tilt either. Also, his crotch plate cannot hinge up if assembled as designed, which heavily restricts any forward motion of his legs unless the torso is creatively mistransformed or modified. Bummer.
- Transformers Fan Book 2024 (TV-Magazine Mook, 2024)
- Release Date: July 19, 2024
- Accessories: Blaster
- The fifth Transformers Fan Book comes with the "Bumblebee Shining Thunder Ver" toy, another redeco of the above Buzzworthy Bumblebee Core Class mold, now run in translucent yellow for a lightning-charged super mode, as dramatized in the included comic.
- Autobot Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2025)
- Accessories: 3-piece bazooka, 2 skis, car trunk / shield
- Unusually for the Transformers Retro line, Bumblebee is not a reissue of his original toy, but a redeco of War For Cybertron Trilogy Bumblebee, aiming for G1 toy accuracy. While the nostalgic card-back packaging depicts the original G1 Bumblebee toy with masked head in place, the toy features the cartoon-derived head from prior uses of the mold.
- The figure went up for pre-order on the Walmart website on October 10, 2024, for release in March 2025.
- ↑ Interview with George Dunsay at TFArchive.com
- ↑ Photos of 1992-1995 Honda Civic, photos taken from an eBay auction posted before September 2005.
- ↑ 2006-2007 Subaru WRX STi, officially unveiled in September 2005.
- ↑ Interview with Alex Kubalsky
- ↑ "Unknown Classics Bumblebee Repaint - Glyph?" at TFW2005.
- ↑ "Classics Bumblebee Repainted Blue For...Something - UPDATED" at TFormers.com.
- ↑ Review of the blue Bumblebee repaint
- ↑ Botcon 2010 Hasbro Designers Panel at TFW2005.
- ↑ "TF Expo Pics - Masterpiece Star Saber In Color and More!" at TFW2005.
- ↑ "TF Expo Pics Part 2 - G1 Prototypes, Movie Props, and More Masterpiece!" at TFW2005.
- ↑ "TF Expo Pics Part 4 - Prototypes and Figure Displays from Diaclone, G1, G2, Beast Wars" at TFW2005.
- ↑ Comparison of Reveal the Shield Legends Class Gold Bumblebee and Generations Legends Class Bumblebee, with newly-sculpted pegs.
- ↑ Interview with Hasbro designer Evan Brooks on the Triple Takeover podcast, from their YouTube channel
- ↑ Comparison between both variants of Generations Bumblebee & Blaze Master's packaging
- ↑ TakaraTomy au x Transformers Project press release
- ↑ Transformers x au Transforming Phones Launch Crowdfunding Campaign at TFW2005.com
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Design notes on Origin Bumblebee from Hasbro designer Mark Maher on Instagram
- ↑ Buzzworthy Bumblebee Worlds Collide found at Walmart by Seibertron.com
- ↑ "As for the A.W.E. striker, it was based off a sketch I did but handled by a different designer who works on our collabs."—Evan Brooks, Instagram in correspondence with Onyxstrike, 2023/03/07
- ↑ The Hasbro Transformers Panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 with Mario Carreiro, John Warden, Evan Brooks and Nate Purswell, recorded at the "Memo's Collection" YouTube channel.
- ↑ June 20, 2023's Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fanstream on YouTube, with Ben MacCrae, Mark Maher, Evan Brooks, and Rich Pellegrino
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 November 14, 2023's Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fanstream on YouTube, with Ben MacCrae, Mark Maher, and Evan Brooks
- ↑ April 25, 2024's Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fanstream | April 2024 on YouTube, with Ben MacCrae, Mark Maher, and Evan Brooks.
- ↑ May 14, 2024's Hasbro Pulse | Transformers Fanstream | May 2024 on YouTube, with Ben MacCrae, Evan Brooks, and Kelly Rose.
- ↑ Transformers Panel at Hasbro Pulse Con 2024 with Ben MacCrae, Evan Brooks, Mark Maher, Marcelo Matere, and Nate Purswell.
- ↑ Credit reel for LEGO Bumblebee from LEGO designer Samuel Liltorp Johnson on Twitter
Missing Link
LEGO
Transformers Fan Book
Transformers Retro
Fictional toys
Marvel The Transformers comics
Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.
Anthony Duranti's toy Bumblebee was articulated in the knees and probably the shoulders and elbows. Power Struggle
At the 1989 Transformers' Christmas party, Bumblebee was given a box containing a toy of himself in his alternate mode. The Transformers #250 cover
References
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