Buzz Bomber

The Buzz Bombers, known as Beeton (ビートン) in Japan, are bee-type badniks created by Dr. Robotnik and made their first appearance in the original 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog as one of the most common enemies in the game. Buzz Bombers are able to hover in the air with its small but effective wings and can shoot energy projectiles to its target.

Buzz Bombers also have several upgraded models based on them. After the Buzz Bombers' first appearance, they or other similar bee-type badniks have become one of the most common enemies in the series.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
Buzz Bombers first appeared in the original 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog, as these badniks were the most common enemies in the game, as these badniks are featured specifically in Green Hill Zone, Marble Zone and Spring Yard Zone. In original 16-bit version, Buzz Bombers flies single or a couple of groups and fires circular, yellow energy projectiles and then flies away. The player has to avoid projectiles and use the Spin Jump to defeat them as the timing is right.

In 8-bit version of the game with same name, Buzz Bombers have same attack pattern and are featured in Green Hill Zone and Bridge Zone. Like many other badniks in the Game Gear and Master System titles, Buzz Bombers don't have animals inside as organic battery.

Sonic Chaos
Buzz Bombers reappeared in Sonic Chaos, although they are slightly redesigned and do not shoot projectiles. These variations appear in Turquoise Hill Zone, Gigalopolis Zone and Electric Egg Zone. They fly around in the first two zones, but are stationary in the latter zone. They are unnamed in English manuals, but the Japanese Game Gear manual identifies them as Beeton, which is their Japanese name.

Sonic Spinball
Similar looking, but possibly different bee-type badnik which resembles Buzz Bomber appears in Sonic Spinball as they are featured hovering around at The Showdown. It also looks more closely to Buzz Bomber from the animated series.

Sonic Adventure 2
Buzz Bombers made an appearance in the bonus stage Green Hill in Sonic Adventure 2, as these badniks mostly act like in its first appearance. Appearance of Buzz Bomber is almost the same but more cubic.

Sonic Generations
The Buzz Bombers reappeared in both console and 3DS versions of Sonic Generations, in three variations. The yellow ones hover in the air and attempt to shoot the player, appearing in their native Green Hill Zone and Modern Sonic's Planet Wisp.

The normal purple ones appears less commonly and only flies toward the player. There also exist giant purple at Knuckles' race challenge, which are similar to the regular purple, but can propel the character high in the air if struck by a Spin Attack at a certain height.

Sonic Jump
Yellow variations of Buzz Bombers appeared at Green Hill Zone in 2012 remake of Sonic Jump. It acts normally like it did like in Sonic Generations which shoots energy projectiles from its stinger. It can be easily destroyed by jumping under of it.

Sonic Lost World
Buzz Bombers will make another appearance in upcoming Sonic Lost World. This time around there exist only blue type of Buzz Bombers, which also have now cartoony appearance as well from original Sonic the Hedgehog. These badniks once again do have animal friends inside to free.

There are two types of Buzz Bombers, as normally they are seen flying around or floating at one place and shoot energy blasters toward the player when the badnik sees him. These badniks can be destroyed with Homing Attack, while on 3D sections, there can be chains of Buzz Bombers and Bladed Spinners, that the player is able to use in order to progress in the zone. These badniks appear in multiple zones in the game as Moto Bug does.

Physical Appearance
The Buzz Bomber resembles a mechanical wasp or similar species with a blue and black metal coloring. The stinger at the tip of its stripy colored tail stores energy for use in attacks. Two mechanical devices resembling pale wings give it the ability to hover. Two engines are installed at the bottom of the badnik, allowing it to travel at very high speeds.

In Sonic Generations, newer models are more detailed, having now four pink wings and are split to another models which have a yellow, orange, and black color scheme.

Abilities
Buzz Bombers glide across the landscapes of their territory, waiting for enemies to show themselves. When a Buzz Bomber targets an enemy, it will halt in mid-air, retract its stinger, and fire an orb of concentrated yellow energy projectiles at the target. Sonic exploited their halting programming to his advantage, destroying them before they were able to fire.

Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic
Buzz Bomber appears briefly in Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic manga. At the beginning of Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic Volume 3' story Sonic Rampage!!, Buzz Bomber can be seen in the background getting defeated by Sonic with his Spin Attack as Eggman keeps mentioning how his arch-nemesis is always getting his way.

Sonic the Comic
Buzz Bombers appeared in numerous issues of the Fleetway's Sonic the Comic, in which they occupied much the same role as in the games as part of Doctor Robotnik's badnik army. Buzz Bomber has appeared in pin-ups, Encyclopedia Badnika feature and few comic's covers.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
In the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog three Buzz Bombers chased Sonic and Tails at the beginning of the episode "The Mystery of the Missing Hi-tops". They looked a bit different in that they were green with red glowing eyes and had drills for noses. They were easily defeated by Sonic.

They made a cameo in Robotnikland on the Sonic Ride. These versions however, spat fire from their mouths.

Sonic the Hedgehog (animated series)
Buzz Bombers also appeared in the pilot episode of Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM), entitled "Heads or Tails". In this series, they possessed a more sinister design, although as with Buzz Bombers in other continuities they possessed both wings and rockets, and could fire lasers from the sting in their tails. The leader of a group of Buzz Bombers was called "Bomber One".

A single Buzz Bomber was first used to capture Tails, in an attempt to flush out Sonic the Hedgehog. It worked, but the Buzz Bomber was destroyed when its own laser ricocheted off a rock and rebounded back on the Buzz Bomber.

A larger group of Buzz Bombers were later used to carry Robotnik's new defoliating chemical, with the intention of spraying it over the Great Forest and killing all the trees. However, the chemical tanks were destroyed by Sonic, and the Buzz Bombers were then pelted by water balloons from the Freedom Fighters' catapults, short-circuiting them. Although Robotnik ordered them to press on with the attack, the Buzz Bombers fled. After the episode Buzz Bombers did not appear in the series.

Archie Comics
The Buzz Bombers appeared in the early issues of the Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comic series as as part of Robotnik's badnik army. Their appearance in the comics was based on closely to ones from the animated series. At first appearing, these badniks were seen alongside of Robotnik who tries to crush Sonic in mobile with giant checker ball. However he fails and retreats with Buzz Bomber caring on him. Buzz Bombers were later seen as taking Princess Sally to Robotnik, aiding Bat Brain in guarding a blimp and reporting to Robotnik of Sonic being Roboticized, which later becomes false information.

Buzz Bomber swarms were planned to attack anyone that tried to flee from the Krudzu, which eventually was destroyed by a thunder storm, aiding other badniks in attacking a concert hall, attack Antoine D'Coolette's balloon, getting mud dumped on them during a second assault, and ambush what they thought was a wedding between Sonic and Sally, until it was discovered just being really a play.

One Buzz Bomber accidentally enlarged a salamander into Universalamander, joined Orbinaut in using Tails as target practice, racing Antoine at the Olympics who was losing, but eventually won when Sonic confuses him with smoke, and attempting to sting Sonic and Sally at a toxic waste dump, which had them crash into a mountain, before ultimately winding up at the Robo-Hobo Jungle.

Single Buzz Bomber has seen as Sonic visits the Island of Misfit Badniks and fought badniks until Pseudo Sonic sunk the island down. Later on, Buzz Bomber along with other badniks fought against Forty Fathom Freedom Fighters while enlarging Pseudo Sonic as Buzz Bomber was part of Caterkiller's last wave of badniks. However its stinger couldn't pierce Bivalve's shell got pushed out by Pseudo Sonic's arm and a moment later got compacted into a cube with the island by Big Fluke.

In issue 226, the start of the Genesis arc, the single Buzz Bomber pops out off-screen at Marble Zone, as Boomer reprogram it, as it was now destroys other badniks. As Sally asked one of the Flickies to control, it joins to Sonic to proceed the fight against the other Buzz Bombers and after that the good one also saves Boomer and Antoine from lava. The good Buzz Bomber however gets later shot down by Doctor Eggman. In the story arc has an appearance similar to their video game counterparts, most likely because that issue featured the Archie universe being recreated to resemble the universe of the video games.

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
Buzz Bombers appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, when Sonic and Tails head towards Robotropolis in the Land of Darkness. These versions traveled in a swarm, as opposed to original pattern in the original Sonic the Hedgehog where they flight separably.

Merchandise
The toy company TOMY has released Buzz Bomber action figurine during the release of Sonic & Knuckles as it also includes a series of 21 Sonic figurines and these figurines came in packs of four under the Sonic & Knuckles label and were also released individually under a Sonic the Hedgehog label.

Related Badniks and Upgrades
After the first appearance of Buzz Bomber, Robotnik created different models of bee-type badniks through the series. The most well known and recurring one has been Buzzer.
 * Buzzer
 * Poh-Bee
 * Tonbo
 * Krondor

Trivia

 * The Buzz Bomber's names might have been based on a game for the Intellivision called "Buzz Bombers".
 * Buzz Bomber appears in Sonic and the Black Knight in winning Fan Art.
 * Buzz Bombers in Sonic Generations are simply recolors of the Buzzer that do not fire at Sonic. Before Sonic Generations this Buzzer model was used in Sonic Colors.