ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: INSECTICON
FUNCTION: ELECTRONIC WARFARE
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 17

"Control electricity and you control the world."

Profile: The crackling sound of fused body parts short-circuiting is a sure sign of Shrapnel's work... and is music to his audio modules. In fact, whether he's scrambling microchips or shattering an armored torso, it is the noise of war, the scream of his victim that Shrapnel considers the true rewards of his work. He relishes these sounds much the same way an actor relishes applause. And he's not shy about showing his own evil glee - the piercing battle cry of this loathsome Insecticon can be heard up to 8 miles away.

Abilities: In insect mode, Shrapnel can use his twin antennae to generate an electric burst of up to 40,000 volts. He can also use his antennae with enough precision to control virtually any electrically run device - from a pocket calculator to a small factory. He can fly up to 50 miles. In robot mode, his antennae can, in the proper weather conditions, attract massive bolts of lightning from the sky to augment his own electrical generating capacity, and then release that power through his hands. He also carries a grenade launcher that shoots a 30 pound steel ball that splinters into thousands of razor-sharp spikes in mid-air. Needless to say, anything caught in their path would be sliced to ribbons.

Weaknesses: Insulating materials, such as rubber and glass, can be used to thwart Shrapnel's electronic assaults. Also, his habit of making his presence known audibly makes him an obvious target.