Buster Witwicky


 * This is for the regular universe Buster Witwicky. For his evil mirror counterpart, see Buster Witwicky (SG).

"Yes, my name is Witwicky. No, I won't introduce you to Bumblebee."

BUSTER WITWICKY has inherited none of his family's mechanical aptitude, much to the disappointment of his father, Sparkplug. He lives in the shadow of his older, more accomplished brother, Spike. Buster is highly intelligent, but dangerously inept when it comes to repairing mechanical or electrical devises. He can ruin a VCR just trying to set the clock, and when it comes to his beat-up jalopy, he doesn't even trust himself to check the oil. He attends college in Oregon, studying comparative literature, a major he has to constantly defend to his brother and father, who don't understand how it could possibly be useful in the real world. He enjoys visiting his brother and being an uncle to Daniel, but he is sometimes jealous of his perception of his older brother's success and exciting adventures with the Autobots. Buster has yet to find a comfortable niche of his own.

Canonical/Pre-MUX/Theme History:
In 1984, when Spike and Sparkplug were rescued from certain death on a collapsing oil rig by the Autobots, Buster was left to the care of his aunt and uncle, Judy and Ron Witwicky. However, as Spike and his father became closer with the Autobots, Sparkplug asked Ron to care for Buster a few more weeks, which turned to months, which turned to years. Ron and Judy later took on the responsibility of raising Buster full-time while he went to junior high. Sparkplug, concerned that letting Buster live with the Autobots at such a young age would be a risk on his life, felt leaving Buster in the care of his brother and sister-in-law was the best solution to a problem that offered no easy alternatives.

Though this decision was made for Buster's safety, it caused a tremendous rift within the Witwicky family. For Ron and Judy, the addition of Buster to their family affected their own plans on starting their own family. Judy, knowing that Buster barely knew his mother before she died, took pains in protecting and nurturing Buster. Ron, an English teacher, also tried his hardest to make Buster feel more like a family member rather than an extended houseguest.

Still, the situation for Buster and his brother forced Sparkplug to side with one son. Realizing his earnings as an oil rig worker could never provide Spike and Buster the near limitless opportunities (mostly educational, but he hoped financial as well) that befriending the Autobots would offer, he allowed Spike the chance to befriend the Autobots, so long as he was close by to protect his occasionally reckless son. By doing this, Sparkplug hoped that when Buster was older (around 14 or 15), he would join the family at the Ark and help the Autobots defeat the Decepticons. Unbeknownst to Sparkplug, Buster showed little to no interest in following their footsteps as he slowly developed some deep friendships in high school that would extend well into college. For Buster, the friendships formed with Alan, 'O,' Barry and especially Jesse, would replace the void left by the absense of his brother and father throughout the most turbulent years in his life.

When Buster graduated high school in June of 1994, a number of colleges expessed interest in him due to his high test scores, but his low grades during his rebellious years prevented him from getting the scholarships needed to attend any decent colleges without bankrupting Judy and Ron (not to mention the fact that Buster didn't want to take anything from his real dad Sparkplug, nor dip into the small college fund Ron and Judy had set up for their son Sam).

When Buster took his SATs, he checked a small box asking if he would be interested in possible military assistance with college tuition. He didn't realize that as soon as he turned 18 this would lead to several branches of the military contacting him, each trying to hard-sell him on military service. However, as the son of a Marine (even an estranged son), there was only one branch Buster would consider, even if he certainly didn't look the type or fit the stereotype.

When Buster walked into the Marine recruitment office, jaws hit the floor. He tested far above anyone who'd every applied there, and the recruiters immediately began to salivate and talk to Buster about military intelligence. Working with Buster to help him (barely) pass the physical requirements, Buster slogged his way through boot camp, getting the first tan in his life, and was immediately trained in Arabic and sent to the Middle East.

In the Middle East, Buster worked as a translator for the Marines. With his skill in languages, he was soon writing local dispatches as well. At first Buster enjoyed his work, seeking to help the situation through non-violent means, but eventually he became disillusioned, feeling he was contributing more to a propaganda machine than actually dispensing truth and easing tensions. When his four-year tour of duty was over, Buster left the Marines for civilian life.

Returning to the states, Buster was quickly able to turn his military experience into a PR job at a major corporation. However, he sooned learned that he felt as unsatisfied writing spin for a company as he did creating dispatches on behalf of the US government. Risking the disapproval of his father, he quit his safe corporate job with benefits, and entered the life of academia.

MUX History:
In 1999, Buster enrolled at the University of Oregon in hopes of completing an accelerated three-and-a-half year plan to obtain his bachelor's degree, becoming the first Witwicky in known memory to graduate college. In 2003, Buster completed his bachelor degree and enrolled in the graduate program.

In 2009, Spike and Buster slowly began to repair their straining relationship after Spike's mindswap with Motormaster and with their father being in a nursing home. Buster's uncle, Ron, paid for two tickets for Buster and his girlfriend to go to New York City. The only catch: he wanted Buster to make a stop to White Plains, NY, where Spike was receiving extensive rehabilitation for the after-effects from the mindswap. Ron didn't want, nor expected Buster to put years of strained ties behind him, but with Spike's condition, Ron eventually convinced Buster that if any change were to happen in their relationship, Buster would have to make the first move since Spike was almost literally incapable of making the first move. The main reasoning behind Ron's generous offer was the fact that with their dad in a nursing home and Sam taking up more of their time, Spike was the only fully-functioning member of Buster's immediate family. Initially it was a "one step up and two steps back" type of reunion as the Autobots inevitably factored in with Buster and Spike's meetings.

However, recent disasters have forged a closer bond between the two. In the fall of 2009, Megatron's weather-altering device resulted in the near-catastrophic flooding of Buster's college home. He was forced to stay in his university's dorm building, sleeping with other disaster victims on cots in study rooms while continuing to take classes.

Over Thanksgiving in 2009, Buster announced his plans to Sparkplug and Spike that he would be seeking either a doctorate or another master's degree, guaranteeing another four or five years of college for the professional student.

In 2010, Spike arranged for Buster's landlord and her husband to fix up the house Buster once shared with his roommates. Spike chipped in insurance money from the destruction of his own house to help Buster's landlord afford the repairs. As Spike anticipates living in the Ark soon when it returns to Oregon, the brothers should soon be living in close proximity once again.

In May, Buster became the proud owner of a 1997 Chevy Cavalier with 196,000 miles on the odometer and a questionable transmission. Spike is under the impression Buster bought it for a $1, and thinks it was worth every penny. Sadly enough, Buster actually paid $1000 for it, and just listed "$1" on the title to avoid paying taxes on it.

OOC Notes
Buster is a character from Marvel comics. None of his comic history is explicitly canon, but some of his personality is the same. On the MUX, Buster was born in 1975, and is 5 years younger than his older brother Spike. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Oregon, studying Comparative Literature.

Due to the effects of the Timewarp TP, Buster seems much younger than he is.

2009

 * November 26 - An Autobot City Thanksgiving

2010

 * March 8 - Visiting Hours: Buster pays a visit to his injured brother and debates paying a visit to his darkUniverse sibling.
 * March 18 - B-Boys: While Buster tends to Spike's injuries, the site of a basketball hoop brings back ugly memories of a one-on-one game.
 * March 22 - Choices: Buster's stressin'. First, a flashback to when his dad finally offered him a chance to live with him and Spike at the Ark. Then, he is chosen to deliver a speech in front of thousands for his class.
 * May 31- Memorial Day - Spike and Buster tag along as their father attends a Korean War Memorial ceremony on Memorial day.
 * June 7 - Graduation Day : Visiting his father, Buster relives his high school graduation.

Players
Buster is currently temped by Bzero, but is available for application.