Mikaela Banes
Encyclopedia
Mikaela Banes is a fictional character
from the Transformers
universe. She is differentiated from "typical" women in her age group, having inherited mechanical skills from her father, Cal, a grease monkey
and paroled car thief. The character is portrayed by Megan Fox
in the first and second films and serves the role of Sam Witwicky's first love interest.
.
In Rising Storm #2 Brains mentions that Sam just broke up with Mikaela.
. Sam offers her a ride home, as he has a crush on her, and Mikaela accepts Sam's offer. She inspects Sam's broken-down 1976 Chevrolet Camaro (nicknamed Bumblebee) in an empty lovers lane and is astonished at the various modifications present in the engine bay. Unfortunately, the visuals of the actual engine under the hood show a rather embarrassing discontinuity error on the part of the filmmakers: the shot shows that Bumblebee has a Kinsler crossram fuel injection intake manifold, as her character discusses a double-pumper
carburetor
.She also surprises Sam with her knowledge about cars which he finds more attractive than the popular shallow girl she acts like around others. When asked why she keeps her mechanical expertise a secret, she says, "guys don't like it when you know more about cars than they do." This scene is similar to Spike and Carly's first meeting in 1985, with Carly showing more interest in Bumblebee rather than in Spike. Mikaela criticizes the poor conditions of Bumblebee's vehicle mode, causing him to scan a passing 2007 Camaro Concept and transform into the same model. She fights in the Battle of Mission City, initially pulling the seriously injured Bumblebee out of battle, but is ultimately unable to leave them to fight alone. She tells Bumblebee that if he's willing to fight, she'll take him back in and navigate. He acquiesces and with her help, Bumblebee rejoins the battle and destroys Brawl. After the battle, she and Sam begin dating.
Mikaela returns in the 2009 sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
, carrying on a long-distance relationship with Sam. As he goes off to college, Sam entrusts her with a fragment of the Allspark, which he found in the jacket he was wearing when he killed Megatron. Mikaela hides the fragment in a safe at her father's motorcycle repair shop, but she is followed by the Decepticon spy Wheelie, who is intent on recovering the fragment. She catches the spy and interrogates him. After going to inform Sam, Mikaela saves him from the Decepticon Pretender Alice (whom she kills and also found kissing Sam), only to be captured by Grindor and taken to the recently repaired Megatron. Rescued by Optimus Prime, Mikaela and everyone escape, and on the recommendation of Sam's roommate Leo, they seek help from a man who runs a robot conspiracy website. He is later revealed to be Agent Simmons. Simmons and Wheelie lead them to Jetfire, who uses a Space Bridge
to transport the group to Egypt
, where the Autobots and their allies battle the Decepticons and The Fallen. She is devastated when Sam apparently dies, but is ecstatic when he is revived and finally tells her he loves her. She survives the battle and returns home. Seen in the credits Sam kisses Mikaela goodbye as he returns to college.
Mikaela does not appear in the 2011 sequel Transformers: Dark of the Moon due to Megan Fox being fired. Mikaela is said to have broken up with Sam. She apparently left Wheelie with Sam in Washington, and he retorted, saying she was "mean" and that he did not like her, which contradicts the previous film where he worshiped her as his "Warrior Goddess". Despite this, a photo of Mikaela appears on Sam's dresser.
and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
. In both games, she is a non playable character. Rather, several "missions" in the game revolve around the Transformers reaching her and Sam to either save them or get their help.
Mikaela was a member of the Autobot resistance to the Decepticon takeover in Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1 by Titan Magazines. She snuck into the Sector 7 page in an attempt to free the frozen Optimus Prime. In part 3, Bumblebee attempted to take on Megatron in the Sector 7 base as Mikaela attempted to free Optimus Prime, but she was attacked by Frenzy. In part 4 Mikaela frees Optimus Prime and freezes Frenzy just as Bumblebee gets some unexpected help fighting Megatron by the arrival of Elita One, Skyblast and Strongarm.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
universe. She is differentiated from "typical" women in her age group, having inherited mechanical skills from her father, Cal, a grease monkey
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
and paroled car thief. The character is portrayed by Megan Fox
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
in the first and second films and serves the role of Sam Witwicky's first love interest.
IDW Publishing
Mikaela was present shortly after the battle at Mission City in Transformers: Alliance #1 (December 2008) by IDW PublishingIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
.
In Rising Storm #2 Brains mentions that Sam just broke up with Mikaela.
Films
In the 2007 Transformers film, Mikaela is initially the girlfriend of football player Trent; however, she soon ditches him because of his snobbish attitude and because he treats her like a trophy wifeTrophy wife
Trophy wife is an expression used to describe a wife, usually young and attractive, who is regarded as a status symbol for the husband, who is often older and affluent.-History:The term's etymological origins are disputed...
. Sam offers her a ride home, as he has a crush on her, and Mikaela accepts Sam's offer. She inspects Sam's broken-down 1976 Chevrolet Camaro (nicknamed Bumblebee) in an empty lovers lane and is astonished at the various modifications present in the engine bay. Unfortunately, the visuals of the actual engine under the hood show a rather embarrassing discontinuity error on the part of the filmmakers: the shot shows that Bumblebee has a Kinsler crossram fuel injection intake manifold, as her character discusses a double-pumper
Holley Performance Products
Holley Performance Products is an automotive performance company based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Holley, when based in Michigan, was one of the major producers of carburetors, being supplied as standard equipment on many Detroit-built automobiles....
carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
.She also surprises Sam with her knowledge about cars which he finds more attractive than the popular shallow girl she acts like around others. When asked why she keeps her mechanical expertise a secret, she says, "guys don't like it when you know more about cars than they do." This scene is similar to Spike and Carly's first meeting in 1985, with Carly showing more interest in Bumblebee rather than in Spike. Mikaela criticizes the poor conditions of Bumblebee's vehicle mode, causing him to scan a passing 2007 Camaro Concept and transform into the same model. She fights in the Battle of Mission City, initially pulling the seriously injured Bumblebee out of battle, but is ultimately unable to leave them to fight alone. She tells Bumblebee that if he's willing to fight, she'll take him back in and navigate. He acquiesces and with her help, Bumblebee rejoins the battle and destroys Brawl. After the battle, she and Sam begin dating.
Mikaela returns in the 2009 sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
, carrying on a long-distance relationship with Sam. As he goes off to college, Sam entrusts her with a fragment of the Allspark, which he found in the jacket he was wearing when he killed Megatron. Mikaela hides the fragment in a safe at her father's motorcycle repair shop, but she is followed by the Decepticon spy Wheelie, who is intent on recovering the fragment. She catches the spy and interrogates him. After going to inform Sam, Mikaela saves him from the Decepticon Pretender Alice (whom she kills and also found kissing Sam), only to be captured by Grindor and taken to the recently repaired Megatron. Rescued by Optimus Prime, Mikaela and everyone escape, and on the recommendation of Sam's roommate Leo, they seek help from a man who runs a robot conspiracy website. He is later revealed to be Agent Simmons. Simmons and Wheelie lead them to Jetfire, who uses a Space Bridge
Space Bridge
In Marvel Comics' Transformers comic and cartoon, the Space Bridge is a device used by the Decepticons to travel between different planets, usually between Cybertron and Earth.-Generation One:...
to transport the group to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where the Autobots and their allies battle the Decepticons and The Fallen. She is devastated when Sam apparently dies, but is ecstatic when he is revived and finally tells her he loves her. She survives the battle and returns home. Seen in the credits Sam kisses Mikaela goodbye as he returns to college.
Mikaela does not appear in the 2011 sequel Transformers: Dark of the Moon due to Megan Fox being fired. Mikaela is said to have broken up with Sam. She apparently left Wheelie with Sam in Washington, and he retorted, saying she was "mean" and that he did not like her, which contradicts the previous film where he worshiped her as his "Warrior Goddess". Despite this, a photo of Mikaela appears on Sam's dresser.
Books
In the novelization for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Sam remembers being dumped by Mikaela, and fears the same will happen with his new girlfriend, Carly.Video games
Mikaela made appearances in Transformers: The GameTransformers: The Game
Transformers: The Game is the name of multiple versions of a video game based on the 2007 live action film Transformers, all of which were released in North America in June 2007. Home console and PC versions were developed by Traveller's Tales for the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3 and...
and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (video game)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: The Game is a 2009 third-person shooter video game based on the 2009 live action film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were developed by Luxoflux, and ported to the PC by Beenox Studios...
. In both games, she is a non playable character. Rather, several "missions" in the game revolve around the Transformers reaching her and Sam to either save them or get their help.
Titan Magazines
Note: The information in italics occurs in the alternate storyline where Megatron won the battle for the Allspark.Mikaela was a member of the Autobot resistance to the Decepticon takeover in Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1 by Titan Magazines. She snuck into the Sector 7 page in an attempt to free the frozen Optimus Prime. In part 3, Bumblebee attempted to take on Megatron in the Sector 7 base as Mikaela attempted to free Optimus Prime, but she was attacked by Frenzy. In part 4 Mikaela frees Optimus Prime and freezes Frenzy just as Bumblebee gets some unexpected help fighting Megatron by the arrival of Elita One, Skyblast and Strongarm.
Toys
- Transformers Deluxe Longarm and Bumblebee Screen Battle: Final Stand (2007)
- Deluxe Longarm comes packaged in this mini-diorama with a legless version of Robot Replicas Bumblebee. Unlike the regular packaged version, this version of Longarm is decorated with "Mike's Towing" labels as seen on the film instead of "Orson's Towing." It also has a little driver figure of Mikaela inside.
- Transformers Deluxe Barricade with Frenzy Screen Battles: First Encounter (2007)
- A gift set packaged as a mini-diorama with Deluxe Barricade and figurines of Sam and Mikaela, along with an extra, non-poseable Frenzy figure.
- Revenge of the Fallen Human Alliance Autobot Skids with Arcee and Mikaela Banes (2009)
- A 2-inch action figure of Mikaela comes with Human Alliance Skids and a small, transformable Arcee figure.
- Transformers Human Alliance Shadow Blade Sideswipe with Mikaela Banes (2010)
- A black/silver redeco of Human Alliance Sideswipe with a figure of Mikaela that wears a black leather jacket and blue jeans.