William Irving "SPARKPLUG" WITWICKY is a widower and a natural born mechanic who loves to take things apart or put them back together, and can fix anything. A rough, rowdy guy, Sparkplug has a deep, unspoken affection for hissons but cannot understand why his boys don't share his interest for the practical things in life. Sparkplug sees the Autobots as ultimate machines and is amazed by their abilities. He supports them in their battle against the Decepticons, although he is just as impressed by the evil robots' technical structures. Never formally educated, Sparkplug relies on his instincts and basic mechanical knowledge to survive.
William Irving "Sparkplug" Witwicky was born August 30, 1936, in Chicago, IL, to Margaret and Jeremiah Witwicky. Sparkplug was raised in a strict, fundamentalist household. Sparkplug was so eager to escape the hands of his strict, devout father that he lied about his age and joined the Marines in 1952 during the Korean War, where he earned the nickname "Sparkplug" and attained the rank of Sergeant while working as a mechanic on military vehicles. Captured by the North Koreans and detained as a POW, Sparkplug was forced to repair enemy equipment. However, he secretly sabotaged that same equipment, leading to personnel and material losses for the North Koreans. He was released after the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953.
Honorably discharged from the Marines in 1957,
Sparkplug worked many different jobs around the world, including a stint as a ruby crystal miner in Burma until the coup d'état in 1962.
In 1969, Sparkplug married a lovely woman named Susan, and a year later his first son, Spike, was born. In 1975, five years later, their second son Buster Witwicky was born. For more than five years, the Witwicky family led an unassuming and altogether normal family life, replete with financial squabbles, late nights tending to nasty ear infections, and the occasional date night, babysitter pending. During this stretch, Sparkplug joked that he wanted an additional seven boys to make up an entire sports team. However, raising two boys five years apart quickly stamped out Sparkplug's half-joking dream. As Buster progressed from being a toddler to a kindergartner, Sparkplug found himself becoming more and more confounded by his younger son's eccentricities. Instead of devoting all of his energies to understanding his younger son's quirks, he usually found himself spending time with his more relate-able (and rambunctious) son - and letting Susan be with Buster. As the '80s dawned, the Witwickys were poised to live in middle class anonymity.
However, the Witwicky family was dealt a shattering blow in 1981 when Sparkplug's wife Susan died unexpectedly in a car crash, leaving Sparkplug a widower and single father. When Spike got older, Sparkplug worked out special arrangements to bring his teen son to job sites with him. Buster, however, too young to safely spend six months on an oil rig, stayed behind with Sparkplug's brother Ron and Ron's wife Judy. Even with little means at his disposal, he made a deliberate attempt to minimize the interaction between Spike, Buster, and their grandfather as he routinely chastised Susan and Sparkplug for being weak role models and for making their sons "soft" by their lack of physical discipline and their repeated encouragements for both sons to pursue their love of reading to its fullest extent. Sparkplug and his father's relationship grew increasingly strained when his (Sparkplug's) father chastised his grieving son after Susan's funeral, claiming Susan's death was a punishment from God for Sparkplug and Susan not imposing a stricter biblical code on their sons. He also warned Sparkplug against his continued closeness with his brother Ron, claiming Ron was deliberately defying god with his career path in stage and sound management for jazz and rock music acts.
The year 1983 was especially brutal for Sparkplug and his family, financially. That summer, the engine block in their family car cracked, forcing Sparkplug to purchase a new car. That winter, both Spike and Buster had multiple medical bills for colds, respiratory infections, and a broken arm. The final straw was reached when their furnace died. The mounting debts eventually came to head in early 1984 when the bank began foreclosure proceedings on Sparkplug's house. Desperate for money, Sparkplug took the only job he could find that would enable him to recoup the losses from the past year: as a rig worker for an offshore oil company. Young Buster was sent to live with his aunt and uncle while Sparkplug managed to "smuggle" Spike aboard, convincing the lead foreman that the 14-year-old Spike was 16.
More than Meets the Eye[]
In 1984, Sparkplug and his son Spike were working on an offshore oil rig. The day was like any other day, with Sparkplug asking his son to help him flush out a drill bit. Before they could carry out their task, giant robots descended from the sky and landed on the oil rig, and with no provocation, were almost immediately attacked by Sparkplug's coworkers. Regardless, their intentions became clear when Sparkplug himself was pinned against a wall by a small purple robot, who then threw Spike overboard when he tried to help his father. Freeing himself from the robot's clutches, Sparkplug dived into the water after his son. While the rig workers hid in the ocean, another group of giant robots arrived and fought with the group of robots who were stealing oil from the rig. The leader of the evil robots destroyed the rig and set fire to the oil tanks as a diversion while he escaped.
The good robots, calling themselves the Autobots, saved the oil rig workers from a fate exactly the same as death. Grateful, Sparkplug and Spike happily latched on to the friendly alien robots, offering up their expertise and knowledge about planet Earth in exchange for joining the team. After the Autobots failed to stop the evil Decepticons at Sherman Dam, Sparkplug, Spike and Trailbreaker had a tea party in the woods, ostensibly so they could eavesdrop on the nearby Decepticon base. After finding out that the evil robots intended to attack the Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma, Sparkplug opined that he preferred being a spy to his old job at the oil rig, which was just as well, given the fact he was now unemployed. Later, Sparkplug's prior experience in the Burma mines came in handy when the Autobots needed to plant an explosive device inside the mine. As he left with Bumblebee, Sparkplug declared that their mission was for both the fortunes of Cybertron and Earth. Moments later, they were caught in the explosion and buried alive. Oops.
Fortunately, they were saved. Later, both father and son volunteered for the Autobot attack on the Decepticon space cruiser. After Optimus Prime failed to stop the cruiser, Sparkplug tried to reassure the Autobot leader that he'd done all that anybody could do. Subsequently, the Decepticons were defeated when their ship crashed into the sea, so Sparkplug and Spike were to join the Autobots as they went home to Cybertron, with fuel from the grateful nations of Earth.
Long-Term Impacts[]
The reawakening of the Autobots and Decepticons had a profound effect on every single living Witwicky (and some dead). Sparkplug made the sole decision to help the Autobots. The decision eventually cost him his house as he and his son moved into the Ark to assist the Autobots full-time. Sparkplug's brother and siter-in-law took on the responsibility of caring for Sparkplug's youngest son, Buster. At first, this was going to be a short-term solution, but it eventually went to a long-term living situation. This later caused Buster to harbor a nasty resentment toward both his father and brother. It was a grudge that would take almost 20 years to resolve.
Transport to Oblivion[]
For some reason, this did not pan out, and neither the Autobots nor Sparkplug and his son went anywhere. As their livelihoods had been destroyed, the Witwickys seemed to move into the Ark and were almost constantly hanging out with the Autobots. After the Autobots failed to stop the Decepticons at the local solar power station, Sparkplug helped Ratchet repair the stubborn old Ironhide. Later, Sparkplug stopped the trigger-happy Ironhide from blowing up a shuttle full of Decepticon energon cubes, as he was the only one who bothered to remember the fact that Spike had been captured to pilot the shuttle through the space bridge.
Long-Term Impacts[]
The development of a Space Bridge poses a challenge to Sparkplug and the rest of the Autobots as the Decepticons can easily travel back and forth to Cybertron while the Autobots are forced to rely on much slower methods of traveling back and forth from their homeland. In addition, Sparkplug begins to see that his son may have a bad habit of being con bait as he's captured by Soundwave. It will not be the first time where he's captured.
War of the Dinobots[]
While traveling back to the Ark, Optimus tells Spike and Chip that he's happy with the Dinobots and plans to have Ratchet and Wheeljack build two more. Chip and Spike eagerly volunteer their services. Chip lays out the Autobots' needs and decides a stegosaurus and a pteranodon is the way to go. Sparkplug slightly embarrasses himself as he marvels at Chip's genius because the boy genius can identify two basic dinosaur forms ("Stego-whatsis, Pterano-whosis? Is there anything you don't know about, Chip?"). To his credit, his father was a stern creationist. Their efforts pay off as the newly-constructed Dinobots are able to fight their Dinobot brothers to a stalemate, giving Optimus Prime enough time to recover from his injuries and save Grimlock from certain death.
Long-Term Impacts[]
Sparkplug gets a close-up, hands-on education on how to build Autobots from scratch. The experience proves invaluable as he later assists and sometimes leads on doing complete rebuilds on critically injured Autobots.
The Ultimate Doom[]
Sparkplug was kidnapped by the Decepticons as a test subject for Doctor Arkeville and turned to their side by the doctor's mind control chips. The Decepticons allowed the Autobots to free Sparkplug so he could sabotage Teletraan I, which gave them an easy means to attack the Autobot headquarters. Spike confronted his father over the apparent betrayal, and Sparkplug appealed to his son to join the Decepticons. When Spike refused, Sparkplug declared that the next time they met, it would be as enemies.
This caused Spike much emotional pain, until the Autobots found a way to use sound waves to counter the chips and bring the true Sparkplug back.
Long-Term Impacts[]
You're captured by an alien race, have a mind control device inserted in your head by a psychopath, and you almost gun down your son. You be the judge if that would leave an emotional scar or two.
Autobot Spike[]
In an effort to show his friend Wheeljack that the Autobot wasn't the only inventor in the Ark, Sparkplug once managed to take spare Autobot parts and put them together to make a functioning robot called Autobot X. Once activated, the mindless robot immediately bashed in everything and everyone in sight. After Spike was injured in a battle with the Decepticons, they formulated a plan to transfer Spike's mind into Autobot X while his human body was worked upon by surgeons. Sparkplug regretted this decision, as it drove Spike insane. Only the love Sparkplug had for his son prevented "Autobot Spike" from joining the Decepticons.
Editor's note: the following events were played as a flashback on the MUX and were not part of the cartoon plot.
In the subsequent days following the events that led to Spike's injuries, Sparkplug reassessed his decision to bring him and his son into joining the Autobot cause. Sparkplug still felt a purpose unlike any other in his life when it came to helping an alien species prevent the world domination of an invading alien force. But seeing his son precariously come within inches of death caused Sparkplug to consider other options. Some where unrealistic (Sparkplug's brother admitting that he and his wife would not be able to raise both younger Witwickys), and some were downright humiliating (government-assisted housing and food stamps while Sparkplug tried to find employment). The least painful option was sending his oldest son to military school until he turned 18 - an age old enough to serve alongside his father with the Autobots.
However, Prowl's rather evenhanded argument of keeping Spike in the Ark caused Sparkplug to change his mind at the last minute, much to Spike's great delight. Prowl's argument centered on the argument that despite it being a military complex, the Ark was the only place that could virtually guarantee Spike and Sparkplug's safety as opposed to being out in the open in a place like the military school). Spike promised his father he'd be more careful and also promised that would be the last time his carelessness would lead to a hospital stay.
Long-Term Impacts[]
Sparkplug's son is turned into a brutish monster who almost kills his father. Not to mention, his son almost dies during a routine Decepticon/Autobot scuffle. These two events cause Sparkplug to continuously question if he made the right decision to join the Autobot struggle.
Attack of the Autobots[]
The Decepticons stage a raid on the Ark, but it's only a distraction to draw the Autobots outside while Megatron gets sprayed with an invisibility spray, enabling him to enter Autobot headquarters undetected. He manages to insert a personality destabilizer in all of the Autobot recharging stations. The next morning, the Autobots wake from their recharging station feeling a bit funny. Their eyes turn red and soon they are under Megatron's control. Megatron orders Prime to smash Teletraan One, which he dutifully does.
Attitude Exchanger
Meanwhile, Jazz, Bumblebee, Spike, and Sparkplug are out testing Jazz's new speakers. The speakers emit a volume so shredding that even Spike complains about the noise. When the four return to the Ark, they realize that Teletraan One has been smashed. Jazz is attacked by Bluestreak, but manages to fend off his attack. Sparkplug quickly deduces that the problem was the Autobots' rest chambers were sabotaged and he manages to cook up an "attitude exchanger" that will restabalize their moods (technically "drain evil and recharge good"). The device is successfully tested on Bluestreak.
Bluestreak, Bumblebee, and Jazz begin to pick off Autobot by Autobot at at rocket base, where the Autobots are gleefully smashing away human ingenuity. With one attitude exchanger back, Bumblebee carefully approaches Optimus Prime and begs him to fight Megatron's control. Prime briefly regains his bearings and begs Bumblebee to help. Bumblebee takes advantage of Prime's hesitation and plants the device on Prime's leg, re-infusing Prime with "good".
With their bearings intact, the Autobots make a last-ditch effort to atone for their brief "evilness" and board a Decepticon-occupied rocket that contains a solar satellite. Jazz's speakers break up the rocket, forcing the Decepticons to retreat. Skyfire takes Optimus Prime into outer space where he throws the satellite into orbit.
Back on Earth, a few Autobots bicker about who was most responsible for the Autobot victory. Prime said whoever is responsible, all Autobots will need to chip in to repair the rockets they destroyed. Spike makes a bad joke to Sparkplug and everyone laughs.
Long-Term Impacts[]
Sparkplug singlehandedly is responsible for preventing the Autobots from turning into mindless Decepticon slaves. This act alone begins to make Sparkplug a name of note not only for the Autobots on Earth, but more than a few Autobots on Cybetron.
The Immobilizer[]
Sparkplug was pleased as punch when his son went out with Carly, because she was clearly out of Spike's league. However, he had a few reservations as he saw his son, who still wasn't old enough to get a driver's license ride off with an impossibly hot MIT college student.
Long-Term Impacts[]
One word: Daniel.
Desertion of the Dinobots[]
Later, Sparkplug briefly to appear on an episode of Donahue. Upon his return arrival at the airport, he was greeted by Spike, Carly and Bumblebee. He quickly changed from the rare suit back into his more comfortable work clothes.
Sparkplug's canny skills were called into use again when he ego-stroked the arrogant Dinobots into helping the Autobots secure their much-needed Cybertonium from the Decepticons.
Long-Term Impacts[]
Sparkplug had to buy a suit. In addition, Sparkplug was exposed to a situation where humans were alone tasked with caring for the Autobots when all of them were incapacitated. He would use this knowledge in subsequent scenarios.
A Decepticon Raider In King Arthur's Court[]
Though his son's time-traveling adventure was relatively harmless in terms of injury or peril, for Sparkplug, he reached a "critical mass" in his concern that his son was spending far too much time with the Autobots and not enough time with school and with people his age. After Spike returned, Sparkplug gave a "non-negotiable" demand that Spike spend less time with the Autobots and more time hitting the books and with kids his own age.
Long-Term Impacts[]
Though Sparkplug could order his son to limit his involvement with the Autobots, Sparkplug continued his near full-time devotion to the Autobots. Why is Spike's situation different from his father's? "Because I said so - " was Sparkplug's response.
Make Tracks[]
As the Autobots expanded their operations, they installed a small urban base in New York City, concealed behind an auto-repair garage operated by Sparkplug. In the aftermath of the failed Decepticon plan to use stolen cars as robot drones, Sparkplug bemoaned the fact it would take weeks for himself, Hoist, Ratchet and Wheeljack to return the cars to normal functionality.
Long-Term Impacts[]
Spark Plugs (Sparkplug's New York-based auto mechanic shop) continued to be a modest financial success - and an effective East Coast residence for the Autobots. Sparkplug eventually hires a good-natured, but law-troubled teen to help out with the shop. Eventually with mounting medical bills nearly two decades later, Sparkplug sold the garage and used the money for his retirement.
Kremzeek![]
When Megatron unleashed Kremzeek onto the Autobots, Sparkplug was the first to realize the electrically-based creature scrambled Autobot circuits and would thus be repelled by an insulating compound sprayed on the remaining Autobots. Sparkplug's quick thinking enabled the Autobots to go into a chaotic situation with their leader intact. While those few left for Japan to chase after the creature, the hapless Sparkplug was left with the unenviable task of reactivating the other Autobots left behind.
The elder Witwicky's quick-thinking was offset by the somewhat thick-headed decision of trying to physically restrain a creature made of pure electrical energy. That left some burn marks.
Long-Term Impacts[]
Unknown. But since that event, Sparkplug began to assume a far less prominant role in the Autobot adventures.
The Key To Vector Sigma []
To combat the new "land-based" Decepticon threat The Stunticons, the Autobots create their own team of air-based fighters called The Aerialbots. However, once on Earth, the Aerialbots rebel against Optimus Prime and refuse their orders, citing that humans aren't worth endangering their exo-skins for. However, Silverbolt points out Sparkplug's efforts as he continues to work on a near-destroyed Omega Supreme while Ratchet recharges. Sparkplug's display of badassness helps to sway the Aerialbots' opinions and they quickly rejoin the Autobots.
Long-Term Impacts[]
Sparkplug's legendary status among the Autobots gets another footnote.
Cosmic Rust[]
Sparkplug again faces his fashion deamons and dons a suit to attend a ceremony honoring Perceptor, who created an invention that preserves landmarks. The invention later saves the Autobots on Earth from being wiped out from a cosmic rust plague.
Trivia[]
Cosmic Rust marks Sparkplug's last appearance in the Generation One series.
MUX History:[]
Since the 80s, Sparkplug has continued to help the Autobots. During the heyday of public curiosity/hype, Sparkplug was able to make enough money on talk show appearances and public speaking events to buy a run-down auto-repair place in New York City. Dubbing the place Spark Plugs, the place also doubled as a small Autobot outpost on the East Coast. However, as he's gotten older, his son Spike has become concerned about his ability to keep working in a dangerous environment like the Ark and Autobot City.
In 1994, at age 58, Sparkplug collapsed in the Ark and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and a fractured skull. He was hospitalized for weeks and spent a few months in rehabilitation therapy. Subsequently, Spike got his way and Sparkplug was forced to limit his work with the Autobots as well as transfer the operational responsibilities of his auto-repair shop to Roland and Raoul. Sparkplug's other son, Buster, went into the military.
In the early part of the new century, Sparkplug's health continued to decline as he suffered a mild heart attack and continued to deal with the aftermath of his aneurysm. Around this time, he began showing signs of dementia. He was eventually committed to a hospital full-time, partially against his wishes. Sparkplug made the staff miserable and yearned to return to working for a living.
In September of 2009, Sparkplug disappeared from his hospital residence without a trace... However, it was discovered he'd just taken a day trip with Slipstream and was fine.
In 2010, after a back-and-forth struggle to find a compromise in dealing with Sparkplug's declining health and his personal freedom, Spike and Buster relented and allowed Sparkplug to move back into his house, provided a nurse check in a few times a week to monitor his health and medications. Spike and Buster would then carry the slack, checking in on their dad from time to time, which is a great setup, unless such improbable events as an increased school work load, or a new addition to the family, would cut down on both brothers' availability.
This arrangement worked out smoothly until the summer of 2011 when Sparkplug went for a short nighttime walk and wound up getting lost. Three hours later, he was found by a neighbor in an agitated and confused state. Sparkplug insists this was a freak occurance. However, the incident forced Sparkplug to undergo a few days of tests from his doctors. A few weeks later, Sparkplug was diagnosed with early onset dementia. As for Buster and Spike, the situation poses a challenge to both brothers to continue to try to give their father the independence he deserves, but at the same time, ensure his safety. The stress of caring for the elder Witwicky also threatens to reopen old resentments shared between the two brothers. Due to world-wide flooding, Sparkplug has recently been relocated to the Ark for safety, where he's itching to work again alongside Ratchet and Spike.
Sparkplug in 2012
In the summer of 2012 , Sparkplug was found disoriented and shirtless near his home. He was hospitalized due to dehydration and a second-degree sunburn. After a bevy of lab, MRI, PET, and cognitive tests, it was determined that he suffered another dementia-related episode. His third such incident of the year. The incidents led Sparkplug's physician to recommend he return to the nursing home where he initially recovered from his complications surrounding his cerebral hemorrhage. Spike and Buster fought back - promising Sparkplug would receive round-the-clock care, first at a senior care assisted living center then later in Autobot City. Sparkplug's insurance bought the Witwicky brothers 2 months to work with First Aid, Ratchet, and other Autobots to prepare Autobot City for the return of the elder Witwicky. In the meantime, Sparkplug enjoyed the perks of being a minor celebrity at Seattle Memorial hospital, obtaining more than a few admirers of his past achievements with the 'bots.
In August, Sparkplug was transferred to a rehabilitation center to continue recovering from his injuries and to undergo treatment for his dementia symptoms. During this time, Sparkplug has worked with Spike, Buster and Blaster in developing an assistant to help him around Autobot City. The skilled rehab center has provided expert physical therapy facilities and engaging social activites, such as hosting various writers and authors about American History (mainly focusing on the Great Depression, World War II, and the Korean War).
In October, Sparkplug agreed to be interviewed by a University of Oregon graduate student about his time spent as a POW in the Korean War as part of the student's thesis about how POWs have been treated throughout the major wars in the 20th and 21st century. While these improvements were miles ahead of the resources provided by the nursing home that Sparkplug previously stayed in, Sparkplug occasionally endured minor bouts of boredom and depression as he waited for the Autobots and his sons to complete his new living quarters in Autobot City.
That complacency, however, quickly eroded in October when Decepticons and Autobots started to succumb to an unidentified virus strain. Armed with the data Crosscut and Jetfire were able to obtain regarding the virus, Sparkplug began work with Spike on determining a possible cure for this virus. His dedication to finding a cure came at a cost - skipping sleep and occasionally feigning illess to skip out on a physical therapy session or two to continue working on the unknown virus strain. Though Spike and Buster were elated to see their father tackle this crisis with the vigor of his younger self, both have expressed concern that their father's lack of sleep and occasional skipping of physical therapy may make him vulnerable for another dementia-related attack.
That same month, Sparkplug's much-beloved pet-project, Spark Plugs, was destroyed during Super Storm Sandy. Realizing he was no longer able to live without assistance, he took the insurance money he received from the damage to supplement his retirement income.
In November 2012, Sparkplug was finally cleared by his physician to move into Autobot City, alongside Spike and Buster, making it the first time all three Witwickys were under one roof since 1984 - the year of Sparkplug's fated encounter with the Autobots.
Before leaving for Cybertron, Blaster built a helperbot to assist Buster and Spike in taking care of Sparkplug in Autobot City.
Helperbot
Snoop assisted by giving Helperbot a Santa hat and teaching it how to dance.
In July of 2013, Buster and Spike took Sparkplug to the doctor for a full workup, concerned about his sudden weight loss. They were relieved to discover the problem was just mild depression and a malabsorption problem, both of which can be treated with medication.
On April 7, 2014, Sparkplug attended the handfasting of his son
Buster Witwicky to Jesse Macchio.
In 2015, Sparkplug's health continued to decline. Like most people of Sparkplug's age, he has his good days and bad.His good days are usually spent helping his son in the repair bay and answering questions from new Autobot arrivals. On his bad days, he oftentimes gets confused and agitated as his memory slips fluidly in and out of his past. In November, a newly-opened medical facility on Cybertron was named in Sparkplug's honor. He became the first human to have a building named after him on Cybertron.
In 2016, a dip in Sparkplug's health brought him very close to death. When he recovered, he took what might be his last trip to Cybertron, to visit the building named in his honor.
Sparkplug in 2017
OOC Notes[]
Favorite Books of All Time[]
Johnny Cash - The Autobiography - Johnny Cash
How To Test Almost Everything Electronic - Delton Horn
Truman - David McCullough
Chilton Auto Repair Manual
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea - Jules Verne
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig
Favorite Albums of All Time[]
Time Out - Dave Brubeck
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash
Conway Twitty Collection - Conway Twitty
The Definitive Collection - Chuck Berry
On the MUX, Sparkplug's real name is William Irving Witwicky. Right now, being playerless, he's alternately temped by Bzero and SpikeWitwicky.
Logs[]
1946[]
"Childhood Memories" - Jeremiah Witwicky forces his son William to burn his great-grandfather Archibald's relics.
1958[]
"Sparkplug's War" - Sparkplug manages to sneak into the military to avoid the hells of his home, only to encounter the hells of life as a POW.
1967[]
"How I Met Your Mom, Part 1" - After breaking down on the side of the road, Susan meets an insufferably arrogant stranger...
1975[]
"How I Met Your Mom, Part 2" - A stressed-out Sparkplug deals with the stress of family life.
"Sick Day" - An early glimpse into the Witwicky family life. A 10-year-old Spike comes down with a case of strep throat. Susan, who usually spends most of her time tending to her younger, needier son, Buster, ends up finally spending some one-on-one time with her eldest son. During this time, Susan privately goes through all that she's sacrificed for her own career to be a stay-at-home mom. She also spends some time both doting over her eldest son, and occasionally wishing she could sell him to the circus - just as most every mom does with a ten-year-old.
Sep 1 - "A Hellish Education": As if he needed any more reason, Sparkplug's father provides one more reason for his son to avoid his presence.
September 4 - "Counseling" - Sparkplug and Susan discuss what to do about Buster's continuing silence.
November - "The Struggle Is Real" - Spike and Buster watch Sunday morning cartoons.
March 28 - "Flashback 1981" - Sparkplug decides Buster is finally ready for camping.
March 28 - "Fishing Interruptus" - Sparkplug takes his sons Buster and Spike camping. It doesn't end well.
March 28 - "Soothing Buster" - Susan tries to comfort her distraught son.
March 28 - "Lost Without Susan" - Sparkplug and Spike leave on their camping and fishing trip.
March 31 - "One Morning": The Autobots rescuing Spike and Sparkplug will go down in history as the second-biggest event to forever alter their family. This one's the first.
April - "A Slow Recovery" - Four weeks after the funeral of Sparkplug's wife, Susan, the Witwicky house falls into neglect with an 11-year-old Spike having to tend to both his grieving father and his shell-shocked little brother. Desperate and hungry, Spike takes Buster and heads to his aunt and uncle's house for a hot meal.
1984[]
"Seeds of Destiny" - Disconnect notices and foreclosure proceedings force Sparkplug to take some drastic actions to keep a roof over his family's head. Unkown to Sparkplug, however, the cliche "when one door closes, another opens" will become true in ways that the single father can only imagine.
"Day 1 " - A sympathetic Sparkplug watches as his son goes through the typical "baptism through fire" rituals that come with the first day on a new job.
"College Dreams Deferred" - Sparkplug has always had dreams of his eldest son going to college. But his son's unexpected good performance on the oil rig, plus a possible offer from an investor to fulfill a lifelong dream complicates Sparkplug's feelings about his son's future.
July - "College Dreams Deferred - Part II" - An elated Sparkplug begins to draft a career after this oil rig job ends, one that will hopefully ensure economic stability for his family. His son believes that if he's going to be a mechanic, he's going to have to stop being a writer.
"Heyday" - Sparkplug and Spike find their niche on the Ark.
1985[]
"Adjustments" - Shortly after Spike was severely injured from Megatron's direct hit on Bumblebee, Sparkplug begins to question whether he made the right decision bringing his son into the Autobot's intergalactic war with the Decepticons. Only problem - with a house in foreclosure, few options are left for the stressed-out single father.
Tiger Beat Temptation: Spike and Sparkplug's association with the Autobots attracts media attention. Sparkplug frets about whether this is a good thing.
November 26 - "Angsty Thanksgiving" - Sparkplug tries to support his eldest son, Spike, as he faces divorce. Sparkplug also tries to tell Buster that books alone won't make him successful.
"Spike's Reckoning" - Before amicably departing the Autobots to forge a life on his own terms, Spike has a youthful slip of judgment and kicks frequent human bully Frenzy while he's down. For Spike, that brief lapse, which sent Frenzy to the repair bay for a few hours, resulted in a payback that nearly cost the human ally his life - and put him on a yearlong recovery path.
"Quiz" - Sparkplug works lifesaving first aid on Cliffjumper while Ratchet and Wheeljack are in route. The action may have saved Cliffjumper's life, but it further harms his relationship with his youngest son.
1993[]
"Repairing Relations" - A distressed Sparkplug continues to repair the perpetually injured Sunstreaker and finally vents his frustrations with a team that was once invincible in his eyes.
"This Isn't Working Out" - Not too far from Spike's mind is how his father saw him through his own difficult recovery after emerging from a coma at the hands of Frenzy.
"Spike's Recovery" - Sparkplug visits Buster during Spike's recovery.
2000[]
August 27 - "Flashback 2000" - Spike asks Trailbreaker to CONSIDER taking Dust Devil under his wing.
November 26 - "Turkey Day Dinner – Daniel POV" - The Witwickys enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner in Autobot City - with some surprise Autobot guests.
2010[]
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": While visiting his father, Buster relives his not-so memorable high school graduation party.
2012[]
September 22 - "This Isn't Working Out" - Sparkplug's mild to moderate dementia proves almost fatal to the Witwicky patriarch as he's hospitalized after he collapsed outside his home in 90-plus degree weather. This proves the last straw for Sparkplug's doctor as he forces Buster and Spike to make some tough choices about the future care of their father.
March 25 - "Ron and Judy" - Concerned about Sparkplug's health, Judy and Ron Witwicky travel to Autobot City to visit Ron's brother, possibly for the last time.
April 03 - "Time to Go" - After the ordeal in Trion Square, The Witwickys headed home after given a full salute by the Autobots present for Sparkplug’s possibly-last sendoff.
April 10 - "Wiped Out" - Back from Cybertron, Sparkplug starts to succumb to illness.
April 11 - "Life is But a Dream" - Ill and feverish, Sparkplug dreams of his dead wife.
May 01 - "Home Again" - Sparkplug returns home from the hospital.
November 10 - "Emptiness" - Sparkplug and Spike stop and appreciate the new quiet of Autobot City.
In the Shattered Glass universe, Sparkplug ruled hissons with terror and a belt. A raging, violent drunk, his wife left him for another man (a recurrence in their family). In his later years, he was finally sent to a state-run nursing home. His sons occasionally visited to steal from him. After years of physical and verbal abuse on his sons and years more of physical abuse on his own body, Sparkplug met his maker in the most anticlimactic of ways. Much to Buster's disappointment, Sparkplug died peacefully in his sleep on January 23, 2011 after a lengthy battle with heart disease and chronic liver disease. So far no family and friends seem to miss him.
Per Sparkplug's wishes, Buster was left out of his will, citing his repeated disappointments with him as well as his inability to produce an offspring. After his debts were paid and the nursing home settled for taking his house, the paltry sum of $5,000 was left to his sole benefactor, Spike. Ironically enough, Sparkplug didn't change his will in time, so the money went to the now-departed estate of Spike Witwicky, which has yet to be settled. In Spike's will, all remaining assets (which at the time, is just his dad's $5,000) were to be split evenly between his son Daniel and Buster. As Daniel's a minor, Buster opted to "oversee" Daniel's share until he reaches the age of 18.
In Joe World, Sparkplug was recruited after the Korean War to join a growing team of globe-trotting special forces experts focusing in developing universal peace and security. In the 60s Sparkplug worked as a saboteur and developed spy gear for Colton's G.I. Joe forces, and in the 70s joined the Adventure Team as the group's resident mechanic while fathering two sons with beautiful fellow agent Susan Witwicky.
Tragedy struck in 1981 was Susan was killed in the line of duty by enemy agents. Grief-stricken, Sparkplug retired from field work in 1984, focusing his energies on raising his two young sons. While Buster proved to be remarkably resilient, Sparkplug grew increasingly worried as his oldest son, Spike, spiraled further and further into a deep depression. Finally, in 1986, Sparkplug admitted Spike to a mental hospital, where he remained for years. During this time, Sparkplug balanced his family life and work life by seeing Buster through college, visiting Spike while at the same time rebuilding and recruiting the alien robots found in a giant ship in Oregon. Seeing this as an opportunity, Major Sparkplug recruited Spike Witwicky to help him in this endeavor, despite strong opposition from Spike's doctors.
Sparkplug's gamble paid off as Spike began to prosper in his new role of teaching the awakened Transformers about Earth.
Logs[]
Seven Year Stay - Spike's crippling depression as a teenager reaches a breaking point in the Witwicky household as his father finally decides to commit his son to a psychiatric hospital. Seven years later, Sparkplug takes a risk and takes Spike out of the hospital that he hasn't left since he was 16 to help on a new assignment in the Ark.
Witwicky What-If Universe[]
Patriarch William "Sparkplug" Witwicky and son Spike Witwicky witnessed world history when their oil rig was attacked by the Decepticons. Sparkplug briefly thought about volunteering to help the Autobots, but the fear of losing another family member a mere three years after losing his wife led him to let someone else handle the new alien visitors.
Logs[]
"What If...Sparkplug said "No"?": Sparkplug makes a quick decision to not help the Autobots after getting rescued by the Autobots. Sparkplug stands by the decision, but his decision has lifetime implications for Spike.
"The Author and the Mechanic": The repercussions of Sparkplug's decision not to help the Autobots comes fast and furious in the Witwicky household. Spike drifts away from his dad, and begins to mess up at his father's work, which gets him in hot water with Sparkplug. Years pass, Spike gets his act together, successfully continues his father's business, but a book signing shows Spike's accomplishments pale in comparison to his little brother.
Con World[]
Shortly after the Decepticons successfully conquered Earth, millions of humans were put into labor camps to either harvest energon or build new Decepticons. Sparkplug was abducted and sent to one of the labor camps. Separated from his sons Spike and Buster, Sparkplug worked tirelessly in the camps in hopes that a stray chance to sabotage the Decepticons would come up. Sparkplug is the oldest human working in his labor camp, and he has become a beloved fixture, using his experience as a Korean War POW to avoid death and keep morale up.
In 2013, Sparkplug suffered a hairline fracture of his right tibia. Having no choice but to work through the pain, knowing full and well he would be executed if he is perceived to have no further value to the Decepticon army. Sparkplug finally met a kind doctor who tended to his wounds, but once he was given a bed and medication, all the adrenaline he had relied upon to keep him working seemed to leave his body. Now, utterly exhausted and weak, Sparkplug was given 48 hours to return to his workstation (an efficiency rule imposed by Ratbat) before he faces being "offlined" permanently. Sparkplug's one wish before being offlined was to at least hear that both of his sons are still alive, but with a worldwide ban on the Internet, Sparkplug's doctor had no way of knowing the fate of Spike and Buster.
Realizing there was no way Sparkplug could recover in time, Sparkplug's doctor administered a light anesthesia, which put him in a deep sleep. She then informed Rumble that Sparkplug didn't survive surgery. A cold-blooded Rumble told Sparkplug's doctor to dispose of the body "like any other slave." However, Sparkplug's doctor had a member of the resistance pick him up in an ambulance. When Sparkplug awakened, he was dropped off at the side of a rural road. He was then picked up by the son and daughter of the doctor who helped Sparkplug escape. After a few days, Sparkplug helped the son and daughter sneak into the labor camp and retrieve their mother.
Now, the four live in an isolated cabin. As Sparkplug continues to mend, he spends his time repairing their cabin.
When Spike's team of anti-Transformer resistance fighters hacked into the labor camp's computers, he discovered the forged log, which stated Sparkplug died in the labor camp - and believed the log to be true. While both Spike and Buster were grief-stricken, the event only pushed Spike further into his Circuit Smasher alter-ego. A few weeks later, he located Rumble's associate, Frenzy and was able to wound him thanks to Blackrock's weaponry. Circuit Smasher then demanded a media crew appear, and on live television, he executed the mini-con by using all his energy components to overload Frenzy's laser core. Circuit Smasher angrily declared Frenzy was the first of many Decepticons that will meet this fate. Buster refused to watch the event, knowing no amount of revenge would bring his father back, preferring to grieve in peace and try to live a life devoid of any robotic interference.
Sparkplug and his doctor were able to watch the execution from a hacked signal. Though he was relieved Frenzy would not be able to torment any other humans, the sight of his son, transformed by hate and bloodlust filled him with a deep shame.
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