Buster (IDW)

Buster is Thundercracker's pet dog from the 2005 IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

"We named the dog Indiana."

Buster is Thundercracker's dog, given to him by Marissa Faireborn of the EDC in return for him turning against the Decepticons...and possibly to make sure he has someone to talk to other than Marissa. Buster now serves as best friend, co-writer and sidekick all rolled into one while also forming an unusual friendship with Cybertronian companions Bob and D.0.C. But she'll always have eyes for TC first, and if there's one thing guaranteed to turn the former Seeker's temper against you, it's badmouthing his little girl.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

Buster was born in New Jersey to a male pug and a female beagle, making her and her litter-mates puggles. Marissa Faireborn presented her as a gift to Thundercracker in the hopes of providing the lonely and isolated Cybertronian refugee with a friend. Buster, Bob, and D.0.C. profiles

Buster managed to get out of Thundercracker's home due to Marissa Faireborn visiting him to ask for his services in helping Earth. Thundercracker was worried by this; Buster could have gotten eaten by bears or Sharkticons... maybe not Sharkticons. She was later with Marissa Faireborn when she threatened the Autobots, interrupting the flow of Marissa's speech with an adorable bark. Hello Cruel World

Buster remained with Marissa as the EDC director continued to threaten the Autobots. When the Autobots and Decepticons started to fight Buster was driven mad by Frenzy's sonic waves. She later returned to Thundercracker when the battle was taken elsewhere. Detonation Boulevard

She had a snooze on Thundercracker's wing. Full Fathom Five Thundercracker then brought her along when he flew Marissa to the Autobot-Decepticon battle on Bikini Atoll, staying out of the line of fire out of concern for the dog. After falling down a crevice he feared he may have crushed Buster, but she appeared safe and sound to lick his face. I Dream of Wires

Thundercracker was telling Buster about his latest screenplay when Soundwave arrived to meet with him, agitating the dog. Soundwave's offer to "silence" the barking animal sent Thundercracker into a defensive rage until he clarified he could feel Buster's emotions and hadn't meant it like that. Vs. Thundercracker left Buster in Sanjay Bharwaney's care before he left to battle the EDC's army of Ramjet and Thrust clones, and upon returning got another face-licking as a reward. The Obliterati

Buster later accompanied Thundercracker back to Bikini Atoll, as Blackrock was interviewing the EDC's prisoner, Spike Witwicky. The Nothing Man She encountered the Autobot drone, D.0.C., who had infiltrated the base. Lagrange She then played a crucial role in helping D.0.C rescue the captive Autobots by leading him to a data terminal and later freeing him from a drone transport truck.Helden Buster and D.0.C. rested with Jetfire while everyone compared notes. Perihelion

BUSTER IN A TINY SPACE SUIT REBLOG IF U AGREE

At one point, Thundercracker read a Christmas-based "children's story" he wrote to his friends at the E.D.C. Jones and Buster soon made tracks once T.C. and Faireborn got into another argument over his "writing". The Thirteenth Day of Christmas

When additional Autobots arrived at Bikini Atoll, Buster growled at Sunstreaker's Cybertronian pet, Bob, but hid behind Thundercracker when Bob growled back with a scariness several magnitudes higher. Once Upon a Time on Earth Undaunted, she continued to try to establish domination over Bob after Thundercracker joined the Autobots in helping humans across the globe. Edge of the Earth Buster came with Thundercracker and Optimus Prime when they visited Sanctuary Station, where she got to wear a tiny dog spacesuit. The Medium and the Message

After returning to Earth, she confronted Bob once more, and this time she was backed up by D.0.C until Thundercracker and Sunstreaker broke their pets up. When humans attacked and Bob got in trouble, however, Buster and D.0.C. both defended him from the People's Liberation Army Mecha Force. It's Beginning To And Back Again Their intervention forced Marissa to give specific orders not to harm the dog. As Above...So Below

When the very much alive Sentinel Prime showed up in Autobot City and destroyed their space bridge she joined Bob and D.0.C. in greeting him. The Last Autobot As a Titan Master, the Prime simply detached from his Transtector body and left it to fight the trio. They had very limited success before Arcee took over. White Light Once that was sorted out, she reunited with Thundercracker as Soundwave gave an inspirational speech.White Heat

Who needs the Space Knights when Buster's on the case?

A few months later, she was in Pittsburgh with Thundercracker, Bob and D.0.C. helping to evacuate people from a burning building before they got a call from Marissa Faireborn that the White House had been overrun by Dire Wraith. When they arrived, Buster proved able to sniff out who was a Wraith and who was a human. The Wraith tried to kill her only for Thundercracker to atomize it. Buster was then praised by Faireborn before she was ordered to guard the President. When Thundercracker and Marissa managed to kill all the Wraiths, she reunited with the Seeker who announced they were going on a road trip. Thundercracker & Buster Save the World

Buster appreciates Mike Costa's work.

Buster came along with Thundercracker and Marissa on a sightseeing tour in Egypt. A Lonely Pillar on the Plain She chowed down on a bowl of asparagus while Marissa met with her father Flint and got rather possessive over it when Chameleon got too close. After his talk with Marissa was done, Flint shooed a friendly Buster away and called her a "creature", the mean old crank. Behind My Bleeding Back

Thundercracker, Marissa, and Buster continued their tour of Egypt by visiting a Cairo marketplace, where Buster found all sorts of interesting knick-knacks on the ground to chew on. Marissa decided to give her father another chance and they flew in Thundercracker to catch up with Flint and Chameleon in Sicily. As father and daughter tried to talk again, Buster let Chameleon pet her. Dance Among the Shadows When the group was attacked by Sharkticons, Thundercracker fended them off and Buster gnawed on some remains. They next flew to the Matterhorn so Marissa could offer a solution to the situation currently unfolding with the Junkions, and soon Thundercracker and Buster found themselves helping to build a Junkion settlement on Earth. Feel Safe Without Regrets Buster found she would rather play with a big stuffed toy of D.0.C. than doing boring construction work, and Thundercracker got in trouble with Pyra Magna when he joined in. Thankfully, Marissa showed up to cover for her friends' slacking-off. The Next Day, and the Next

Friday nights on ABC Family!

When the President of the United States called Cybertron to unveil Earth's new representative on the Council of Worlds, Buster popped up first on the holographic feed, before Marissa quickly showed herself and clarified that it was HER, not the dog. Origin Myths Buster and Thundercracker were there to see Marissa off as she entered the space bridge to attend an inauguration ceremony on Cybertron.Primeless, Part 1 After contact with Cybertron was lost, Aileron had Buster and Thundercracker fly to Sanctuary Station and make sure no Decepticons were behind the problem. Buster needed to use the little doggie's room once they arrived, and Cosmos said that she could just go in a corner and someone would clean it up later. Primeless, Part 2

Just the way your mother likes it, Trebek!

Buster was present when Starscream asked Thundercracker to produce a biographical film about him. She didn't seem to care for Starscream, growling at him constantly. From interviewing subjects for research to being present on set to (literally) chew the scenery, Buster was at Thundercracker's side for every step of his filmmaking journey. When Thundercracker went to confide in Marissa about the difficulties he was having during the process, Buster got to play with Sideswipe and the other newborn Cybertronians within Trypticon. Buster's wariness of Starscream proved correct when he decided he didn't want the movie released and tried to have her and Thundercracker killed. The pair were set to go to Earth and deliver the finished film for distribution, but their space bridge was redirected to the dead world of Prion. Buster nearly suffocated upon arrival, but thankfully Thundercracker got her to safety inside his air-filled cockpit, then dispatched the Badgeless goons Starscream sent to ambush them. They made it to Earth, where Buster was happy to greet Aileron. Unfortunately, it turned out that Thundercracker's movie wouldn't see the larger release he had hoped, and Buster and him took a trip to the beach to mope about it. However, their fortures changed when Thundercracker got a call from J.J. Hackensack, who was interested in producing a NEW movie with him! Starscream: The Movie

Reflecting on recent events, Soundwave recalled the time Buster and Thundercracker accompanied Optimus Prime to Sanctuary Station to gain his assistance in defeating Galvatron. Another Mine

Buster and Thundercracker moved to Hollywood, where Thundercracker's new connections in the film industry allowed him to finally produce his dream project—a movie about the undercover G.I. Joe agent Chuckles. He was in the process of finishing the final edit of the film when Buster suddenly alerted him to a great menace in the skies. Unicron had arrived above the planet, and Buster and Thundercracker quickly sprung into action to protect those in their neighborhood, teaming-up with police officer Reggie Winslow. A Sunrise Dark

Bowties are cool.

While helping put out fires and evacuate people, Buster gave Thundercracker the idea that his next film should focus on the fate of a canine, instead of humans. People love cute little dogs, right? Starscream called Thundercracker and requested his assistance in fighting Unicron, and Thundercracker knew he couldn't take Buster along for the ride this time. He flew to Mount Rushmore to see Marissa and leave Buster in her care. Buster whined as Thundercracker apologized for leaving her behind and told her that he was doing so out of love. Assembly

As Thundercracker and the others fought Unicron in Earth's orbit, Marissa held a worried Buster close and promised that he'd return. After Soundwave came up with a plan to help using the Enigma of Combination, Buster and Marissa warned of Monstructor's arrival to stop them. When the Enigma's wild energies were unleashed, Buster was shielded from them by D.0.C. Ultimately, Unicron was defeated and Marissa held Buster again to comfort her in Thundercracker's absence, but Buster leaped from her arms and began barking at the sky. Sure enough, a sonic boom soon signaled the return of Thundercracker (with Skywarp in tow), and Buster shared a joyful reunion with him. In the aftermath, Buster frolicked with her old friends D.0.C. and Bob as the survivors gathered. Ceremony

After Thundercracker's new movie saw release, it was nominated for "Best Original Screenplay" and Buster and him went to the awards show. Buster proudly nuzzled her best friend (after tugging his giant bow tie off) as Thundercracker eagerly waited to hear if he had won. Post

Notes

• Buster is inspired by John Barber's real-life dog, Charlie, who passed away in 2023.^[1]

References