One of the most significant aspects of Soundwave's personality is his unwavering loyalty to and close friendship with his leader Megatron. To watch them interact, one might imagine they had known each other forever; Megatron can rely on Soundwave without the slightest doubt or hesitation, while Soundwave seems to be able to read Megatron's moods and intentions so well as to almost be able to anticipate his orders. The truth is, however, that Soundwave first joined Megatron for purely self-preservational reasons.

During the time that Soundwave directed research at DeceptiTech Laboratories under the rule of Straxus, Megatron was an up-and-coming warlord that many didn't yet take as seriously as they should have. When DeceptiTech was bombed by the Autobots, killing nearly everyone inside - with the war having come full-force to Polyhex, and Straxus being an ineffective leader (in Soundwave's opinion), Soundwave weighed the options and took the surviving members of his family, Ravage and Selenia, and headed south to offer his services to Megatron. He chose Megatron from a number of minor warlords around at the time, because he assessed that Megatron had the greatest chance of taking over from Straxus, and he and his creations would be best served by being on the winning side. But on a personal level, Soundwave expected to find Megatron little better than a barbarian, someone who had clubbed his way to the top by sheer crude physical power, a cunning but basically uneducated individual.

Soundwave fully expected Megatron to have a sort of unrefined charisma about him with which he impressed the less discriminating troops, though he did not expect to be impressed by it himself. He was a bit surprised upon actually meeting the young warlord, to find not only the expected charisma and passion, the far-reaching ambition and active, dynamic leadership style, but also a genuine warmth, indomitable courage, and strong sense of personal honor underlying all the external flair. Additionally, he found Megatron highly intelligent; though he lacked any formal education in the ways of science and technology, he displayed an uncanny ability to pick up concepts and apply them in new ways. Many times Megatron pumped Soundwave for the scientific background on one weapon-idea or another, and Soundwave, while filling in the technical details, was amazed to see Megatron not only grasp the concept, but take it to new heights for experimental designs that educated scientists would not have dared. In these long planning sessions and conversations, while Megatron additionally discussed his plans for the future of the Decepticon empire, Soundwave came to have a grudging personal respect for the commander whom he'd viewed only as the least distasteful choice at first. He had to admit, as well, that comparing Megatron's leadership style to Straxus, left no question about who was more qualified - Megatron led his troops into battle personally, inspiring them with his mere presence and shunning no risk to himself, while Straxus sat back in the safety of his fortified headquarters and issued orders. By the time Megatron faced down Straxus in combat to claim leadership of the Decepticons, Soundwave counted himself as a fully committed supporter.

One incident in particular, sealed Soundwave's loyalty to Megatron. When Selenia died in the custody of the Autobots, Soundwave seemed outwardly little changed; while he did spend a great deal of time alone for a while, he had always been one to internalize his feelings, and most of his comrades felt that he hadn't really been affected much by the loss of his younger creation. Megatron was the only one insightful enough to realize this wasn't the case. He not only offered his personal sympathies, but allowed Soundwave the off-duty time he needed to be alone and come to terms with the loss in his own fashion. Soundwave has never forgotten his leader's understanding during that, one of the worst moments of his life, and would not hesitate to lay down his life for Megatron if necessary.

Soundwave is someone whose friendship is not easily won; while he does what he can to help other Decepticons, he keeps his own feelings greatly in reserve and seldom opens up to others. It takes a rare individual - someone with Megatron's combination of leadership skill, daring ambition, insight, and intelligence, to fully win his unconditional support and trust. But once that trust is won, nothing in the universe can displace it.

In Soundwave's Own Words (30k)