Sparkplug Witwicky (SG)

The name or term Sparkplug refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Sparkplug (disambiguation).

• Name: SG-Sparkplug
• Faction: USA
• Species: Human
• Function: DEADBEAT
• Division: Witwicky Family
• Sub-Group: Dead
• Type: TP-Only

“

Git my belt.

”

William Irving "SPARKPLUG" WITWICKY was an incompetent mechanic who chose to fritter away his little inborn talent on a life of booze, broads, and bullying anyone within range of his fists or voice. A rough, rowdy guy, Sparkplug had a deep loathing for his sons, who he felt reminded him of his ex-wife. Sparkplug was a mean drunk, and seldom sober. He never rose out of a drunken stupor long enough to realize his son Spike had gotten involved with the evil Autobots – if he’d known, he’d have tried to exploit the connection for his own benefit. Never formally educated, Sparkplug relied on others to survive, harassing his sons to steal for him when he couldn’t be bothered to do it himself. Raised in an abusive household, Sparkplug played it forward, beating his own children and setting a good example for Spike’s future parenting skills. While able to act friendly and lucid for short periods of time (for instance, when Child Protective Services or the cops came by), it was only a matter of time before the real Sparkplug emerged once more in a violent rage.

History

Canonical/Pre-MUX/Theme History:

Born to a remote mother and a loving, but distracted father, Sparkplug intentionally avoided military service by downing a fifth of rum and falling down a fire escape. The fall did exactly what he hoped it would do: break his leg and thus keeping him from fighting.

Once his leg was healed, Sparkplug went from odd job to odd job, making just enough money to blow it at the bar at the end of the night. He eventually found a doctor willing to declare him disabled, and spent the rest of his life on the government's dime.

Sparkplug was surprised everyone by being charming (and sober) enough to land a wife, but the courtship still baffled even those semi-close to Sparkplug, who didn't know the marriage was a shotgun wedding to a trailer trash queen just out of her teens. Drunken ups and downs led to a second son before his wife, fed up with Sparkplug's continuing abuse, escaped the violent marriage. She half-promised herself that she would someday come back for Spike and Buster, but she never made good on that half-promise. Spike and Buster were then forced to live with a father who grew even more wrath-filled after the divorce.

Alias: "You fat sum' bitch" - from a younger Spike Witwicky (SG)

MUX History:

In the Shattered Glass universe, Sparkplug ruled his sons 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.

2011

January 23, 2011 - 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, his will states his meager life savings is to be donated soley to his eldest son, Spike Witwicky. 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 16. The entire was enheritance was spent in a month on alcohol, cocaine, and prostitutes.

Logs

1978

• "Gone Fishin'" - Seeing his available time with his grandchildren getting fewer and further between visits, Jeremiah decides to make the most of his time, encouraging his grandson to never give up.

1990

• April 27 - "Basement Dwellings" - Wettin' the bed and interrupting dad's wrestling programs? Oh, you bet that's a paddlin'...

1991 (SG)

• "Seeds of Betrayal" - Spike and Buster weren't always the screwups that they are/were today. For years, Spike and Buster had an inseparable bond, occasionally joking with one another in brotherly fashion, but usually, protecting one another from their tyrannical, violent, drunk father. Then one day, something changed.

2010

• December 14 - "Funeral For A ... Friend?" - DarkSpike gets the funeral he deserves

Players

Sparkplug is currently dead. In life he was alternately temped by BZero and SpikeWitwicky.

References

Transformers Production Bible