Post
by coppertop » Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:16 pm
Which brings us back to Soundwave.
From the Plumed Serpent:
Soundwave as a Parent
The other major personal interaction that defines Soundwave's character, is his relationship to his creations. Ravage, his oldest, was activated by the combined team of DeceptiTech scientists that brought this prototype spy to life, though Soundwave is, in any case, the only surviving creator. Selenia was a joint-creation between Soundwave and his late consort Celene. The remaining eleven are Soundwave's creations exclusively. While any number of Transformers, from one to a large group, can impart a newly-built robot with life-force, it's generally best if there are at least two, and recommended that there be at least one male and one female among the creators, in order to provide the offspring with the correct "energy-balance" that it will need to mature. Excessively rare is the Transformer who has enough intelligence and emotional balance to create a viable, normally functioning offspring entirely alone. Soundwave is one of these excessively rare Transformers. As a parent, Soundwave is an unusual mixture of permissiveness and protectiveness. He felt to some degree responsible for Selenia's fate in that he sheltered her too closely, rather than preparing her for the ugly realities of the world, and in response he has taken great care to train his subsequent creations in the ways of battle. He encourages them to gather experiences, explore the world around them, even to take chances and make their own mistakes. It takes a concentrated effort on the part of the tapes, to bring down any disciplinary action or strong reprimand from their creator, even when other Decepticons sometimes wish he would rein them in a bit more. There are boundaries which they know not to cross - actions that thoughtlessly endanger themselves or other Decepticons, for instance - but in general Soundwave views most of his creations' antics with an attitude of fond amusement and tolerant patience. At the same time, he is torn by the impulse to keep them safe from all harm, or to accompany them every step of the way - and when this isn't physically possible, to at least remain aware of their activities telepathically so that he can help them if needed. He realizes, however, that his constant monitoring would undermine the self-confidence that a young Decepticon warrior desperately needs, and so does his best to keep it to a minimum. Most Decepticons never guess to what extent Soundwave's thoughts are preoccupied with the whereabouts of his various creations when they're out of his sight. A few perceptive individuals have found it noteworthy that Soundwave designed each of his creations (after Selenia) to have a cassette alt mode which can fit safely inside the chest compartment designed specifically for that purpose. It has also been noted in passing that, after Selenia, Soundwave created no more daughters, only sons, though he could easily have chosen a more even gender-balance if he had wished. To the tapes themselves, Soundwave seems the very personification of wisdom and serenity - someone who always has the right answer, someone to whom they can always return when they grow weary of their independent adventures, someone from whom they can always draw strength and support, no matter how distant he may be - an unobtrusive yet comforting presence always in the background of their minds, who will without doubt be available to bail them out if they should ever really, really get into trouble. While there is an occasional flare-up of adolescent rebellion, the majority of Soundwave's creations at any given time are extraordinarily devoted to him. They converse with him nonverbally as often as verbally, a phenomenon that can unnerve bystanders who witness them switching back and forth from audible to telepathic communication without even seeming to be aware of it. As the far more powerful and skilled telepath, Soundwave can pick up any nuances, undercurrents, and emotional shadings to his creations' thoughts during the course of normal communication, while he himself can precisely filter the information that he sends to them. This being the case, the tapes usually have no idea of the concerns, worries, and sorrows that sometimes lurk in parts of his mind; he takes great care not to unneccessarily "burden them" with such things, as he feels very strongly that their lives should be as happy as possible under the circumstances. And the strategy seems to work - Soundwave's tapes as a group are generally carefree and content - with the one drawback that there is a great deal about their creator that they do not know.
Until they put Optimus Prime on a 5 and 1/4 floppy, Make Mine Marvel!!
While flying they clearly hold hands for no apparent reason.
. "Hawkeye's the best! Hawkeye's got the cutest eyes! Hawkeye's got some kinda butt! I swear, Ralph, ever since that blowhard joined up, all I hear is Hawkeye, Hawkeye, Hawk...."- Green Arrow, JLA/Avengers #3.
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