These figures are a re-issue set from 2008. The originals were from 1985.
The instinctive thing about the Insecticons are that they always repeat the last word at the end of a sentence. Shrapnel was referred to in Beastwars when in "dark Designs" where Waspernator got whacked by evil Rinox. With concussion Waspinator took on Shrapnel's personality which was a nice touch including peach impediment.
I like to think that Shrapnel was the leader of the insecticons. He seemed to order the other two around and had awesome electrical powers.
The Insecticons were basically the insecticons equivelent to the Dinobots. In the way that tye were the special forces for Decepticons. They did the dirty work for them. The Decticons used them for energon which Megatron could turn into energon cubes from the raw energon in their stomachs
This set was released as a Toys R Us commemorative 25th Anniversary set. They first appeared in series 1 " A plague of insecticons" When the Disputation's boarded the Arc the Pre Insecticons Bombshell, Kickback and Shrapnel where left in charge of the Nemesis. Both ships were left without crews to control them so started to dive towards earth locked together When the ship crashed into the earth the Pre Insecticons escaped in a pod that crashed into the earth. They crashed into Demons swamp in Bali during prehistoric times. I like to think that they were re activated and scanned the local insects becoming the Insecticons. There were no vehicles in prehistoric earth.
They remained there, eating and attacked humans who dared to venture there when millions of years had gone by and modern times came. They attacked farms eating the crops.
The Autobots arrived and fought the Insecticons. Bombshell blew apart a combine and Shrapnel turned them into clones to help them.
The Decepticons arrived as Laserbeak in formed them what was going on. He was spying on them. Megatron, Soundwave and Thundercracker. The Autobots had to retreat as the clones kicked their butts. The Decepticons did find the escape pod though in the swamp and wanted the Insecticons to rejoin them. At first they did co-operate and help the Decepticons. They drained a oil refinery of energy. Shrapnel unleashed his secret weapon. He summoned the power of a storm and blasted the Autobots when they turned up to stop them. Bumble Bee and Spike they discovered that in vehicle mode the Autobots cannot be hurt because of the rubber tires so they were able to beat Shrapnel.
The Insecticons turned on Megatron stabbing him in the back by steeling the energon cubes and flying off. they wanted to be there own group and serve no-one.
They appeared again in series 2 In "Traitor" In this the Insecticons were working with the Decepticons. Autobot Cliffjumper thought that Mirage was a traitor. Power cells that were made by the humans were stolen when guarded by Mirage. He thought this was odd and that he had let them be taken. There was a battle and Mirage fought Skywarp and ripped the Decepticon insignia off his wing. The Autobots were worried about fighting so close to the power source so they retreated back to their base. Mirage hatched a plan . He went to the Insecticon base with his invisibility shield on. He stole the energon cubes that Megatron gave them for helping and left the Decepticon insignia that he had ripped off Skywarp in its place. the Insecticons presumed that it was the Decepticons. his plan had worked. Mirage went back to the power plant with his invisibility shield. The Decepticons were there but the Insecticons wee on his tail. To them it looked like the two allies were shooting at each other. Cliffjumper saw mirage with the cubes and Cliffjumper thought he was giving it to the Decepticons. Shrapnel hit Mirage with a shrapnel grenade. Bombshell then hit him with a cebro shell in which Mirage could then be controlled.
The Insecticons then discovered it was Mirage as his invisibility had slipped. They had been deceived. Megatron wanted to use Mirage in this state to lure in the Autobots. He was then released back to the Arc. Cliffjumper questioned him and called him a traitor. he told the Autobots just what Megatron told him too. They were told to get the energon cubes as they were undefended but it was a trap. The Cebro cell was discovered and Cliffjumper apologised to Mirage. The Insecticns ran off in battle and the Decepticons lost.
In the next episode they were in " The Insecticon Syndrome" The Insecticons were in a forest hanging out and eating the trees. The Autobots found out were they were. The Decepticons needed the Insecticons help to take the energy form a base run by humans "Nova Power Core" The Insecticons broke into the base and ate the power which made them grow in size. Soundwave was eavesdropping and heard that the Insecticons wanted to overthrow Megatron. they caught him and planted a Cebro shell in him. They did this with a few of them to control them. At this point all the Decepticons had them except Megatron and Starscream. they eventually got Starscream but Megatron caught his when fired at him. He was safe in the Iron mountain base.
The Autobots back at the Arc discovered that the Nova power was not compatible with the insecticons and where they were in a base in a mountain they had to get to them or they would explode and take the mountain with it. Wheeljack made the cure for it so all they had to do was give it to them to save them.
Megatron actually teamed up with the Autobots to take down the Insecticons. Megatron changed into gun mode so the nova cure could be fired int them. They got two but not Shrapnel. he did explode but until the cure was thrown art him and it was cured. Shrapnel did not die though but was put back together. They went back to there original size. Everyone parted ways.
In "A quest for survival. The insecticons where eating everything in their path with their clones. they where back with the Decepticons. Everything they ate was turned to power so the Decepticons drained them to make energon cubes. That was the deal.
The Autobots knew they had to do something so Spike, Bumble Bee and Cosmos left earth to find an Insecticide to kill the insecticons. On the way back they wee killed by a strange plant on a planet which turned out to be a Morphabot. It grew all over Cosmos and he managed to reach earth then crashed but this meant the plant spread on earth. M
Megatron heard about the insecticide and told tyhe insecticons to stay away from the place they lived. They did not believe them.
Cosmos was rescued by Blaster. . He used load noise to kill the plant and get the insecticide. the decepticons attacked and destroyed the insecticide. The Insecticons turned up and seeing the plants thought the Megatron did not want them to eat these lush plants. They would not listen to reason and died when they ate them. only the original three escaped bombshell. Shrapnel and Kickback.
The Autobots packed all the morphabot plants up in a rocket and sent them to a planet inhabited by insects.
The key episode they appeared in was called " The Insecticons" The insecticons and their clones were eating everything. This is the episode that followed on from " Starscreams Brigade" When he built the Combaticons.
The Conbaticons were on Cybertron. and Onslaught modified the space bridge so it would push the earth into the sun with Megatron on it.
The Autobots had to go to Cybertron to stop this but Shrapnel stole the bridge remote control panel. They managed to get it back and save earth.
They also had a small part in the G1 movie. Eating again.! Shrapnel bombshell and Kickback were eating the door to Autobot city. Hotrod and Kup knocked the Insecticons down and ran over the Insecticons. They were there occasionally.
What appears to be the insecticons but could have been clones.Were ejected in to space by Starscream. Along with Megatron , Skywarp and Thundercracker they were reformatted by Unicron. Bobshell became the Armada or Cyclonus which is debatable. Kickback and Shrapnel became Sweeps.
You saw them very very little in series three.
Insecticons flying in the G1 cartoon.
BOMBSHELL
FUNCTION; Psychological Warfare
MOTTO; "The Mind is my playpen"
TECH SPEC; " Can turn foes into helpless accomplices by injecting cerebro-shells into their head ( Robot or Human) with his stinger. this gives him control of their minds. Has a cruel sense of humour. he arms himself by having his victims debase themselves. In Insect mode this insecticon can fly 5.7 miles. In robot mode wears head mounted mortar which throws 50 pound explosive shell 8 miles. Cerebro shells can be used against him if removed from victims head."
SPEC; Strength 5, Intelligence 8, Speed 5, Endurance 5, Rank 6, Courage 5, Firepower 6, Skill 9
Side view Bombshell
Front view
Robot mode
KICKBACK
FUNCTION; Espionage
MOTTO; "Friend is another friend for fool."
TECH SPEC " Charming but cruelly clever..makes friends so he can influence them to do his bidding by digging up facts he can hold against them. Humans particularly susceptible to this insecticon. In insect mode can jump 40ft for a distance of 1 mile. Kick a hole in quarter inch steel. In robot mode can fly 30mph up to 100 miles. Sub machine gun fires 300 rounds per minute. Very vulnerable as insect and flying in high winds."
SPEC; Strength 3, Intelligence 9, Speed 4, Endurance 4, Rank 7, Courage 6, Firepower 5, Skill 8
Kickback side view
Front view
Robot mode
SHRAPNEL
FUNCTION; " Electronic Warfare
MOTTO; " Control electricity and you can control the world."
TECH SPEC " The noise of war and the scream of his foes are music to this loathsome insecticons audio modules. he has piercing battle cry which can be heard 8 miles away. In insect mode can use antennae to control almost any electrical device. In robot mode can attract lightening bolts to antennae and shooot them out of hands. Grenade launcher shoots 30 pound steel balls that splinter into razor sharp spikes. Insulation stops his electrical blasts"
SPEC; Strength 9, Intelligence 6, Speed 4, Endurance 7, Rank 6, Courage 6, Firepower 8, Skill 9
Shrapnel side view
Front view
Robot mode
Bombshell is a Japanese rino beetle. he has this cannon on his horn which is articulated.
He has some die cast on his body
He has wheels on his feet to wheel him along
The mode is really nice.
All three insecticons have cockpit lids that open as they were part of the Diaclone line to fit a pilot.
They are translucent yellow on their chests.
He has more articulation in this mode. His legs are hollow and look backwards.
This looks a bit odd.
He has a gun which he can hols in his hand
His horn, gun and legs are chrome.
he has a mouth plate and eyes but his eyes are unpainted.
The stickers on this set are cheap and do not stick. We had to use glue. Bombshell is really effected by this.
Kickback is a Grasshopper.
He is my favourite bug mode out of the three.
He has chrome wings which are thin so you have to be careful.
They can come loose after repeated transformation as with his antennae.
His antennae are his guns.
His robot head is his Grasshopper head.
His visor becomes his Grasshopper mouth so technically he is eating with his eyes.
The front legs are well articulated.
He has wheels so you can drive him along.
He is very simple to transform as his bug form is his robot lying down.
Just have to move some stuff around.
Nice looking robot mode.
He has some die cast to the body
He has some articulation in robot mode. You can pose him to some extent. Bug mode is better.
His gun just slides on
He did not have much screen time but was in the background
Shrapnel is a Stag Beetle.
He has some pincer action.
He has guns at the end of his pincers.
He has lightening conductors in his pincers as well.
Bombshell in theory has the best bug mode as with Kickback Shrapnel is just lying down again.
His pincers and legs are chrome. His visor is unpainted.
He has some die cast and wheels to move him along as with the others.
In robot mode Shrapnel had big pincers on his shoulders which conduct lightening. I often wonder what would happen if he can to a narrow doorway. Clunk!
His articulation is OK.
He has a waist swivel
His gun is silver chrome and it clips on to his arm
His gun is quite interesting to look at.
His eyes are unpainted but he does look like he is smiling.
I am not sure which is the best out of this set. They are all good in their own ways.
I think they are really worth getting but don't over pay for them as they are quite small.
Make sure the G1 toys are not broken if you go for the originals as they can be delicate.
Try to get them all if you can't get the set.
If you are a fan then try and get this re issue set.
They were repainted by E Hobby and were red and they called them the Insecticon clones.
