Skywasp

Skywasp is a Predacon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

He's either Hellwarp's brother, or Waspscream's.

Skywasp is a cruel, petty Predacon Air Warrior who takes delight in playing cruel pranks on Maximals using his teleportation powers, stinging them from behind and teleporting away before being seen. He even attacks other Predacons for his personal amusement.

Sounds familiar.

Skywasp was partnered with the AI NAVI-Q to keep him in line, but being brought along while teleporting has scrambled her circuits and made her a willing participant in his pranks. His antics have attracted the attention of the Maximals Ultra Mammoth and Randy.

Fiction

Legacy VS500 Collection Special Comic

Skywasp was one of many spectators for the Speedia 500 race on Velocitron. Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 2

Toys

Timelines

I will puzhhh them down the stairs!

• Waruder Marauders (BotCon 2015)

• Accessories: stinger/gun

Parasite is a black, purple, red, and gold redeco of the Generations Deluxe Class Waspinator sculpt, based on the unreleased "Horrorcon" redeco of Transmetal Waspinator. He retains the original toy's wing-beating gimmick.

Parasite was available in a four-pack at BotCon 2015 that included the three other Waruder mechs (Paralyzer, Storm Rider, and Mudfighter) as well as the four Waruder troops (Buzzer, Ripper, Thrasher, and Crusher). He can wield any of the four Waruder troops in their weapon modes, but is nominally associated with the Ripper toy.

Buzzworthy Bumblebee

He's Skywasp, Parasite, and Horrorcon Waspinator all at once.

• Creatures Collide (4-pack, 2022)

• Series: Legacy
• Accessories: Stinger blaster, alternate head
• Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro)

Part of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee "Creatures Collide" 4-pack, Skywasp is a redeco of Kingdom Waspinator, transforming from a robot into a mostly black-and-purple wasp in 20 steps. Skywasp's blaster stores within his abdomen and is molded to resemble Waspinator's gun. Compared to his Timelines toy, Legacy Skywasp's translucent wings are a more saturated shade of red. Skywasp has far more 5 mm ports for the C.O.M.B.A.T. System/F.O.S.S.I.L. Technology compared to most other Beast Wars-styled characters released at the time. He also includes a copy of this mold's alternate head, which originally debuted with Legacy Buzzsaw, with the instructions encouraging buyers to swap and change the heads at the neck ball joint. Designer Mark Maher noted that this head was earmarked for use as Parasite, returning the favor of the original Parasite toy's repurposing.^[1]

Alongside Skywasp, the set also includes Autobot Goldbug, Ransack, and Predacon Scorponok. The Buzzworthy Bumblebee line was exclusive to Target in the U.S.

Notes

• Skywasp was conceived as part of an unrealised plan to produce new heads, based on the original Waspinator toy's non-mutant robot head, that could be included with the Transformers Collectors' Club's remaining unsold stock of the Waruder Marauders, allowing them to be sold as different characters. Skywasp was the new identity created for the Parasite toy, and the planned head deco was an homage to the original Skywarp toy and its unusual eye sticker: a black helmet with a dark grey face, with individual eyes tampographed onto a yellow visor.^[2][3] The plans for the new heads fell through, but the Club eventually published the bios that had been produced for the initiative on Twitter on its last day of operation.^[4] While the head deco is different from that planned for the Collectors' Club release, Skywasp's 2022 Buzzworthy Bumblebee toy would eventually provide the option of a non-mutant robot head for the character as had originally been intended.
• Skywasp being pursued by Ultra Mammoth and Randy is a nod to the profile's author Randy "Powered Convoy" Para, who is a Skywarp mega-fan. (Powered Convoy being the name of the Diaclone toy that became Ultra Magnus, who in turn inspired Ultra Mammoth... you get it, surely.)

References