Shockwave/Cartoon continuity

Shockwave: The Guardian of Cybertron.

The Transformers cartoon
Shockwave was a highly ranked and staunchly loyal Decepticon, and with Soundwave, apparently one of the first at Megatron's side. Certainly he was one of Megatron's more favored troops, in that Megatron's constant praise of him seemed to annoy Starscream to no end.

Shockwave was entrusted with the stewardship of Cybertron by Megatron when the latter left to intercept an Autobot mission surveying for new forms of energy. Neither Decepticon suspected that Megatron's absence (and Shockwave's command) would last four million years. Little changed on Cybertron during those years, although Shockwave apparently lost his left hand and replaced it with a laser cannon.

He oversaw all Decepticon activity on the evidently near-empty Cybertron. His keen scientific mind resulted in several incredible devices, including the space bridge. Although he was able to keep Cybertron functional for the extended length of time, he continued to try to contact Megatron in hopes of finding an energy source to revitalize the planet. In 1984, he finally re-established contact with the Decepticon leader. The two coordinated the refinement of the space bridge, first to send energon cubes, and eventually as an easy method of transport for Decepticons. However, Autobots would also occasionally hijack use of the bridge, and Shockwave found himself having to repel stowaways on more than one occasion.

Eventually, Megatron and Shockwave developed a space bridge powerful enough to transport Cybertron itself to Earth. The close proximity of the two worlds caused horrible weather disturbances that the Decepticons were able to utilize as sources of energy which could easily be shipped back to their homeworld. It was during this affair that Shockwave and his men had to stop an attempt by several Autobots and Spike Witwicky to rescue Spike's father, who was being held on Cybertron as a slave. The Autobots were eventually able to escape with both Sparkplug and the data for Doctor Arkeville’s mind-control hypno chips.

Even though he partook in the near-destruction of the Earth, he could also be credited with helping save it shortly after. With Megatron presumed dead following an explosion on his star cruiser, Starscream assumed command on Cybertron. He rigged Dr. Arkeville's exponential generator to blow up the Earth so the Decepticons could harvest the release of energy. Despite Starscream's orders, Shockwave continued to make communications to Earth, finally reaching Megatron, who wasn’t dead after all, and warning him in time to disable the generator. He once came to Earth, but only for a short time.

When all the Earthbound Transformers began to malfunction due to the deterioration of the essential element Cybertonium in their bodies, Shockwave was tasked with having more mined from Cybertron to send to the Decepticons. The Autobots sent the Dinobots to attack the space bridge and snatch some Cybertonium for them. Instead, the rebellious Dinobots used the space bridge to travel to Cybertron, where they intended to stay. They were captured by Shockwave’s sentinels, rewired, and put to work in the Cybertonium mines. Spike and Carly were also captured when they attempted to rescue them, but Shockwave underestimated the two humans. Once they were put in the mines, Spike and Carly were able to fix Grimlock and the others. The Dinobots broke free and were able to escape Shockwave with enough Cybertonium to repair the Autobots.

Though he'd believed them to be extinct, Shockwave discovered a small group of Female Autobots when they attempted to raid his energon stockroom. Although they got away with some supplies, he was able to track them to their hidden hideout. He alerted Megatron, who devised the plan of kidnapping their leader, Elita One. Megatron knew she had a relationship with Optimus Prime. Sure enough, after her capture, Optimus raced to Cybertron to rescue her, only to be captured himself by Starscream. Thanks to Elita's special power, she and Optimus were able to escape. Meanwhile, Shockwave, Starscream, and the other Decepticons had to contend with Ironhide leading a small group of Autobots who had followed Optimus Prime. With the help of the Female Autobots team, they eventually cornered the Decepticons, until Shockwave blasted them off the bridge with his gun mode. He would’ve been able to finish them off had Prime and One not intervened at the last moment to save their comrades, send Starscream and the others running off, and blast Shockwave down into the pits of Cybertron.

He wasn’t out of action for long. After Megatron built his new combiner team, the Stunticons, Shockwave helped locate the key to Vector Sigma, the computer that gave life to all Transformers. He later learned and reported to Megatron that the key had other unknown properties on other worlds, which Megatron discovered meant turning organic matter into metal. Unfortunately for Megatron, Silverbolt was able to score a precise shot, blowing apart the key before Megatron could get away with it.

Another device built by Shockwave was the Kronosphere, a time machine that was used to dispose of the Aerialbots. When the Autobots were able to drive the Decepticons out of their hideout, Shockwave helped Megatron reactivate a fallen Guardian robot to try to take back the base. In the end, the Autobots were able to bring the Aerialbots back to the present, and with their help, drove the Decepticons away for good.

Later, Shockwave alerted Megatron to the theft of five personality components from the Decepticon Detention Center on Cybertron. These were stolen by Starscream to build his own force to defeat Megatron, the Combaticons.

This coup failed, and Starscream and the Combaticons were exiled to deep space. While Starscream went off on his own, the Combaticons instead made their way back to Cybertron, where they attacked Shockwave and his sentinels and succeeded in taking over Decepticon headquarters. Shockwave ran into Starscream, and the two teamed up to stop the Combaticons and their plan to use the space bridge to push the Earth into the Sun. However, Starscream saw an opportunity to assert power over Megatron, who was still on Earth. He turned against Shockwave, the two fought each other, and they were captured by the Combaticons. They were both eventually freed when Megatron and Optimus Prime came to Cybertron to defeat the Combaticons themselves.