Bumblevivisector wrote:But the real question is, will "Soundwave"'s future installments explain how the Vehicons are just randomly-sentient whenever the a story calls for it? Being the most talkative Vehicon so far, I'm guessing he'd be the one to ask...
...OR...is it actually regular Soundwave using his cable-thing to manipulate this jet-guy like a puppet to compensate for his lack of speech, proving Vehicons are just drones?! ARRRGH! This is driving me nuts! Every time a TF cartoon actually handles a specific story element WORSE THAN BEAST MACHINES DID, in this case explaining why only a few Vehicons are actually living things, it causes a paradox rift somewhere in the greater continuity stream, threatening the integrity of the franchise. If they ARE sentient, as implied when Ratchet tortured that mining guy plus every time one talks, then why do the Autobots randomly slaughter them while agonizing over the repercussions of killing Megatron or Starscream?!?!?!?!?
Yes, I'm so frustrated over this aspect of Prime that I'm analyzing this stupid short for insight. Add in the Insecticons' 'it might be okay to kill beast-formers cuz they only have dumb-animal sentience, even though that could just imply alt-mode racism like in The Rebirth' factor, and...sigh. Why did you have to leave us, Animated?
You'rethinking about this too hard. I see no reason for any vehicon in PRIME to be classed as a drone. Case in point, the scene where Breakdown calls the portal, and Fowler answers, asking how Breakdown is, breakdown is alarmed by the compassion or at least the consideration, from a fellow Decepticon. What was it Breakdown said, "i know its tough, keep up the good work, soldier?" not that a Vehicon was tLking. The Vehicons may not get a lot of characterization, but they're red shirts, their not supposed to get the characterization. Maybe they all have the same alt mode because as individuals, they don't have the drive to stand out and be their own soldier like Starscream or Knock Out. But more likely, its just a uniform for them. But they're grunts, soldiers, not drones.
As to why the autobots slaughter, them, war dies funny things when its the only culture you have left. And I mean that seriously, if the autobots and Deceptidons stopped shooting, and went back to their old lives, most of the rank and file wouldn't even have an old life, they were born into war. Even our own soldiers didn't really think about the men they killed until after the fog of battle lifted. I'm not sure we've seen the autobts agonize over killing another con,they've just proven too hard to kill. Well, Prime, byt he's a psycho nutjob looney. The reason they didn't kill screamer is he's a con who had something they wanted. Not for compassion. I think they should've blown Airachnid's head off, but ghere's something in store for her I suspect...