Laserbeak (DOTM)

Laserbeak is a Decepticon from the Dark of the Moon portion of the live-action continuity family.

Spy. Assassin. Invisible tea enthusiast.

An example of a mechanimal re-engineered to serve Transformers, Laserbeak serves the Decepticons primarily as a scout and spy for Soundwave. But that doesn't mean he isn't capable of other tasks, such as hunting down targets for capture, be they human or Autobot.^[1] Despite his small size, Laserbeak is one of the most competent Decepticons around, and is a highly skilled assassin. He knows how to deftly manipulate someone's fear and trust to his benefit simultaneously, and takes wicked glee in slaughter, especially when it comes to the innocent.

Perhaps the most useful of his abilities is to transform into almost any type of alternate mode, even those who aren't alternate modes.

Fiction

Dark of the Moon film

Voice actor: Keith Szarabajka (English), Masao Komaya (Japanese), Tang Shuiyu (Chinese), Ernesto Lezama (Latin American-Spanish), Alessandro Quarta (Italian), Jean-Baptiste Marcenac (European French), Hans-Jürgen Dittberner (German), Airam Pinheiro (Portuguese)

With the Star Harvester destroyed, Megatron sought to revive Sentinel. Voskhod's nephew Alexi led Optimus Prime, Ratchet and NEST to Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where they would find an Ark fuel cell. Laserbeak watched, silently intimidating Voskhod when he was about to say too much about their mission. Shockwave and the Driller attacked the NEST forces, and the Autobots retrieved the fuel cell, unaware that the whole thing had been a set up. The mission completed, Laserbeak killed Voskhod as he tried to drive away in his white limo, sarcastically telling his corpse it had been a pleasure to work with him.

Bird, Bird, Bird, Bird's the Word!

Laserbeak soon arrived in Africa, shooting up a vulture as he descended to perch on Soundwave's hand. He reported to Megatron of the success of the Chernobyl mission, which had in turn led to Optimus retrieving Sentinel from the moon. He was then ordered to kill all of the Decepticons's human collaborators. During one of his attacks, he shape-shifted into a small pink version of Bumblebee (albeit with some parts missing), and met Madeline, who presumably mistook him for the friendly robot. When her parents came in, Laserbeak transformed into his normal self and killed her father.

Oh! Does this mean that I can get a billion toys made of me too?

Laserbeak's "favourite" contact Jerry Wang was next, who had passed on articles pertaining to the assassinations and cover-ups to fellow employee Sam Witwicky. Laserbeak confronted Wang at his office, ordering him to do some saboutage work relating to the moon. When Sam came into Wang's office asking about the notes he had been given, Laserbeak forced Wang to send him away. He then demanded to know what he had told Sam. Wang feigned despair, saying he would do anything, but was able to surprise the sadistic Decepticon by pulling out two guns. However Laserbeak quickly disarmed him with his tail and "suicided" Wang by swinging him out the window, sending him falling to his death. Laserbeak took disguise as a photo copier and waited for Sam to come closer, but an employee trying to use him forced Laserbeak into action, chasing Sam through the office. Unfortunately he was not very nimble in the cramped spaces, and Sam managed to escape when Laserbeak clipped his wing.

Laserbeak reappeared with Soundwave after Sam and Carly Spencer had realised that the one human ally that they did not kill, Dylan Gould, was working for the Decepticons in place of his father before him. Laserbeak perched himself on a fountain and watched as Dylan and Soundwave forced Sam into agreeing to find out the Autobot's plans.

I AM THE LIVING LASERBEAK!

Laserbeak later participated in the invasion of the city of Chicago, and waited for Sentinel to activate his space bridge Pillars in Dylan's penthouse. When Sam was arrived to rescue Carly, Laserbeak transformed out of his CD player mode and grabbed Sam with his talons and threw him out of the window. But Sam was saved by Bumblebee and his newly acquired Decepticon fighter. Laserbeak tried knocking a military drone into the fighter to jam its engines, and struggled with Sam on top of the fighter. Sam managed to hold Laserbeak's head in front of one of the fighter's guns and had Bumblebee fire, decapitating and killing Laserbeak. Dark of the Moon

IDW movie comics

Laserbeak crewed the Nemesis with Soundwave and his other minions. He informed Soundwave the energy reading they detected was growing stronger and more distinct as they approached: it was the AllSpark. When another ship crashed into the Nemesis, Laserbeak bit Fracture's leg, preventing her from falling into space as the bridge decompressed. Laserbeak then searched their records for the ship's identity, but found nothing, though he noticed the ship appeared damaged.

Soundwave parked the Nemesis on a dead ringed world, and took his crew aboard the Longshot to follow the ship via the wormhole it left behind. As they emerged in the far future, they witnessed the ship crash on to the moon below, orbiting the planet containing the AllSpark's energon signature. Convergence chapter 1

The lifeforms of the native planet soon explored the ship, which contained Sentinel Prime. Laserbeak was sent to persuade the Soviet scientist Dr. Voskhod to pull the plug on their manned mission in 1972. In 1979, Soundwave and Laserbeak met with their American contact Gould—whose creative accounting prevented further trips to the moon—for the last time, as well as Gould's son Dylan. Convergence chapter 4

Sector 7 Adventures

ALL LASEBEAKS MUST HAVE SMOOTH AND FLAT WINGS!!!

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. The Battle at Half Dome

Commercial appearances

Laserbeak, in disguise as an office copy machine, got upset when he was jammed by office workers who were using low quality paper. He transformed and shot the place up until a woman went and got Double A paper. He then went back to making copies. Double A transforming paper

Games

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - The Game

Xbox 360/PS3

Laserbeak played a vital role during Soundwave's mission to a former Sector Seven data archive. While Soundwave was able to fight his way to the base, he was unable to break in and so launched Laserbeak to infiltrate it instead.

Armed with a machine gun, the small but vicious Decepticon could not last long in an all-out firefight with the Autobots inside, so he had to rely on stealth. Using his abilities to take the form of holographic items and fixtures within the base, Laserbeak was able to ambush and slay numerous Autobots as he sought a way to allow Soundwave entry.

Throughout the course of this operation, Laserbeak encountered numerous defense drones, autoturrets and Autobots. He also learned that the base, while still containing useful data, was now used as a workshop by the Autobot scientist Wheeljack. Worse, Wheeljack was working with human scientists to develop MechTech weaponry.

Realizing the threat, Soundwave now changed objectives from data retrieval to outright destruction. As the base was built in a volcano in order to take advantage of geothermal energy, he had Laserbeak damage several of the seismic dampeners that prevented the volcano from erupting. Laserbeak also managed to hack the gates, finally allowing Soundwave to enter the base personally and complete both objectives.

As the base was consumed in flames, Laserbeak flew overhead before landing on his master's arm, screeching in victory. Dark of the Moon

Transformers: Human Alliance

The Game Full of Death and Suffering...! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their video game appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Transformers: Human Alliance

Toys

Dark of the Moon

It's like some sort of vast... wait, that's what it is.

• Laserbeak (MechTech Deluxe Class, 2011)

• TakaraTomy ID number: DD07
• Accessories: MechTech Cybertronian Cannon A, Cybertronian Cannon B

Part of the fourth wave of Dark of the Moon Deluxes, Laserbeak transforms from a VTOL aircraft (similar to the G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Dragonhawk vehicle) to a Cybertronian bird thing. There are a total of eight MechTech weapon holes, from the top and bottom of both wings, to the bottom of both feet, as well as above and below the cockpit in vehicle mode. The red upper portion of his propellers can also be spun.

The two weapons included have Gatling-style barrels, with one gun being static while the other having a MechTech swapping feature. Pulling the lever on the latter will make the barrel repeatedly spin forward to eventually reveal a second, different cannon barrel. The static gun can plug into the back of the MechTech gun to create a giant cannon. Both guns also include a C joint bar on top.

The beast mode's mouth can open, and the heels are actually 5mm pegs. Along with the peg-holes on the soles of his feet, this allows the toy to perch on the arm of any toy with the compatible holes or pegs. The cockpit/helmet of the vehicle mode has a stylized bird head painted on both sides.

The red paint application on the larger weapon as shown on the packaging was left off on the actual toy.

The instructions show a different head than the final toy, one which evokes an eagle design rather than a vulture. The instructions also fail to mention that the black plastic flap on his tail can be swiveled over and pegged onto a small grey tab on the tail's base, covering up his tail in vehicle mode and making him look just a bit more convincing as an aircraft, as shown in the stock photos. Care should be taken however, as the small tab is prone to stress marks and may eventually snap off.

Laserbeak was initially packaged with the toy pointing diagonally to the left (like all Dark of the Moon Deluxe Class toys), with his guns placed to the right, pointing in the same direction as Laserbeak. A later variant saw Laserbeak pointing diagonally to the right, with the guns placed to the left, pointing straight up.^[2]

His MechTech weapons were redecoed as the weapons for Streetside Bot Brawl Optimus Prime.

• More information on Laserbeak at TFU.info

Just in case you want a Laserbeak who's not the same size class as your Soundwave.

• Soundwave / Mr. Gould with Laserbeak (Human Alliance, 2011)

• TakaraTomy ID number: DD09
• Accessories: Missile

Coming with Soundwave and Dylan Gould, Human Alliance Laserbeak is a smaller figure that can transform into a spring-loaded missile-firing cannon that Gould (or any other "driver" figure) can man. The cannon itself can be pegged into any of Soundwave's six MechTech ports: two ports on his shoulders (his right shoulder is the nominal choice, as per the instructions), a port on top of each of his upper arms, and (rather awkwardly) a port on the sonic cannons on each of his lower arms. In bird mode, Laserbeak can also perch on either of the (flipped out) seats on Soundwave's lower arms via a molded-in C joint bar on the seats themselves and the bar clips on Laserbeak's heels.

As with many late-wave DOTM products, this toy had no US release.

• More information on Human Alliance Laserbeak at TFU.info

Asia Premium Series

• Barricade & Soundwave (Human Alliance 2-pack, 2015)

• ID number:: APS-03
• Accessories: Decepticon Frenzy figure, Laserbeak figure, Mr. Gould figure, Soundwave's missile

Asia Premium Series Laserbeak is a rerelease of the Dark of the Moon Human Alliance figure above and retains all of the features of the original. He is packed with his unchanged partners Soundwave and Mr. Gould, a redeco of Revenge of the Fallen Human Alliance Barricade and, by extension, an unchanged Frenzy.

Buying this pack from certain retailers will include a die-cast Frenzy in his boombox mode.

Movie The Best

Is your daddy home?

• Laserbeak (Wonder Festival 2017 exclusive, July 13, 2017)

• ID number: MB-EX
• Accessories: Gatling Cannon

Released as a Wonder Festival 2017 Summer exclusive, Laserbeak is a redeco of Movie The Best Bumblebee (which is also a redeco of the first MechTech Deluxe Class figure) in pink plastic to resemble his human-sized Bumblebee disguise seen in the third film. The back of his head is molded in transparent pink plastic to allow for some sinister-looking light-piping. He includes one of the small gatling guns that originally came with Dark of the Moon deluxe class Leadfoot. Instead of a new Decepticon-themed instruction booklet with his name, he comes with unchanged versions of MB-02 Bumblebee's instructions.

Laserbeak was reissued as a TakaraTomy Mall exclusive on September 30, 2017.

Studio Series

I'm a sneaky bird. Sneaked into your office. Interrogated you. Murked you. Then blew up the office.

• Soundwave (Deluxe Class, 2019)

• Movie: Dark of the Moon
• Hasbro ID number: 51
• TakaraTomy ID number: SS-42
• TakaraTomy release date: January 25, 2020

A non-transforming figure of Laserbeak is included with Studio Series Deluxe Class Soundwave. He is cast of out soft plastic, likely for safety reasons. He features articulation at his hips and has a notch sculpted into his feet which allows him to perch onto a bar on either of Soundwave's arms. Additionally, if you fold his legs down, he has a small tab on his knees which can peg into the roof of Soundwave's vehicle mode. Aside from red painted optics, he has no paint applications.

Images taken seconds before disaster.

• Laserbeak (Core Class, 2022)

• Movie: Dark of the Moon
• TakaraTomy ID number: SS-101
• Accessory: Cannon
• Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro), Shuhei Umezu (TakaraTomy)

Part of the fourth wave of Studio Series Core Class figures, Laserbeak is, surprisingly enough, based on his pink child-sized Bumblebee disguise and transforms into a licensed 2011 Concept Camaro. He includes a Fire Blast effect compatible cannon that can be hand held or placed on the roof/robot's back. The shade of pink used is noticeably darker than that of his on-screen appearance and the Movie The Best figure above. He sports a tiny little Autobot insignia on his forehead.

It would appear that Laserbeak was partially based on the model of Deluxe Class Studio Series Bumblebee, as he retains the two slots on his rear bumper meant for the Deluxe's blaster, though at this scale they aren't compatible with anything.

His chest does not lock securely; moving his arms will likely detach it from the torso if the chest isn't held down.

While the Core Class lacks the backdrops included with all other Studio Series size classes, the outside and insert of Laserbeak's packaging is decorated with artwork depicting the tea party he crashes in the film. The box also uses a pink recolored render of Bumblebee, though it's his Revenge of the Fallen design rather than his Dark of the Moon one.

This mold was also used to make an actual Bumblebee.

Notes

• Laserbeak was in an early draft of The Reign of Starscream, but was dropped at Hasbro's request.^[3]
• Just as in the case with Reign, Laserbeak was present in early drafts for Revenge of the Fallen, but was cut from the film.^[4]
• Previous beast-like robots didn't talk because the production team thought it would be "weird". Apparently, they changed their minds when it came Laserbeak's turn, but Laserbeak was mute for the Dark of the Moon video game.
• Alternate modes that Laserbeak has been known to assume include a hover jet, a photocopier/printer, an LCD television screen, a wall-mounted CD player, and a child-sized fuchsia Bumblebee.
• According to some concept art, he was supposed to transform from what looks like an electronic plush penguin to a penguin/condor/dragon-hybrid robot with VTOL wings. The robot mode is both ridiculous and freaky.
• Laserbeak is unique among the playable characters in the Dark of the Moon game in that he breaks from the standard third-person shooter gameplay style. Instead, the player flies around and relies heavily on stealth tactics during Laserbeak's section of Soundwave's level.
• Surprisingly, his Vector Sigma database claims he has no vehicle modes, despite also having a picture of him in vehicle mode. Someone clearly didn't pay attention to the merchandise.
• Though it is implied that Laserbeak was the one torturing Jerry Wang as an evil computer and mouse, when Sam leaves the room Laserbeak transforms from the television on the other side of the office while the mouse that had been clamped around Jerry's hand just stays on the desk.
• Although referred to in the movie as a photocopier, Laserbeak's second alternate mode is a Canon ImageClass MF8350Cdn Multifunction Printer. It was presumably colored black to better match Laserbeak's robot mode.
• The wall-mounted CD player that served as Laserbeak's final alternate mode is a Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 9000.
• While it's left ambiguous in the film itself, in the novelization Laserbeak is implied to kill not just the "human collaborators" but their families as well. Chilling.
• Laserbeak's design in The Battle at Half Dome is heavily inspired by his Generation 1 namesake, right down to the cassette tape mode. He also has a touch of his Dark of the Moon design with realistic feather-like details on his wings.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Laserbeak (レーザービーク Rēzābīku)
• Mandarin: Jīgūang Niăo (China, 激光鸟, "Laser Bird")

References