Showing Some Love for Bumblebee

Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, is most people's favorite Transformer. He is the most powerful Autobot, and has amazing battles with Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, the Autobots' sworn enemies.

But my personal favorite Transformer is Bumblebee. My affinity for Bumblebee comes from the recent "Transformers" movies directed by Michael Bay, of which the soon-to-be-released "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" will be the third installment. Bumblebee is assigned at the beginning of the first movie to protect Sam Witwicky, a human teenager played by Shia LaBeouf who possesses a piece of the All Spark.

Bumblebee and Sam quickly become close, as Bumblebee defends Sam from an attack by the Decepticons Barricade and Frenzy. The friendship between Sam and Bumblebee is what makes Bumblebee such a likeable character. Prime and Sam are certainly close, but the relationship between Sam and Bumblebee is much deeper.

My favorite Bumblebee scene comes in the second movie, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." Bumblebee and Prime come to Sam's aid after he is taken prisoner by Megatron and Scalpel, another Decepticon. Prime dies tragically in the battle, and the other Autobots come to mourn him. Sam feels that he has let the Autobots down, but Bumblebee says to him, "You are the person I care for most in my life, and if there is anything you need I won't be far away . . . " This quote is even more powerful because Bumblebee speaks through his radio because his voice processor is damaged. The powerful bond between Sam and Bumblebee is a key reason he is my favorite Transformer.

Bumblebee poses as a broken-down 1976 Camaro when he first meets Sam. When Sam's love interest Mikaela criticizes his condition, Bumblebee sees a new Camaro and converts himself to the same model. Not only does this show Bumblebee trying to help Sam, but it also turns Bumblebee into a sleek yellow car with black stripes. I am convinced that the Wiz Khalifa song "Black and Yellow" is actually an homage to Bumblebee. Bumblebee has the sleekest and coolest design of any Transformer.

Though I grew up in the 90s, I didn't know much about Transformers until the first movie was released. Bumblebee was the first Transformer I was really introduced to, and his friendship with Sam made him my favorite of the Transformers. His cool look didn't hurt either, of course.