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Jetfire (G1)

2010-07-29T04:54:05Z

74.226.58.59: /* Notes */

{{factions|autobot|decepticon|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Jetfire}}
{{disambig3|Skyfire}}
:''Jetfire is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. In the cartoon continuity, he was known as '''Skyfire'''.''

[[Image:G1Jetfire MarvelTFU.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Science means that not all dreams can come true.]]
'''Jetfire''' is a bot of science, literally. Not only is his mind dedicated towards scientific pursuits, but his body is a testament to the technology he studies so intensely. (Some would say "religiously", but not in his presence.) Every inch of his chassis is cutting-edge and kept up-to-date. However, he does not have the trust of his teammates; it was not so long ago that he was a Decepticon. Jetfire is compassionate, so some Autobots feel that he could be soft on their enemies or, even worse, he may turn on them after realizing his "cold calculations" swing the other way.

Jetfire would find their misconceptions about science appalling. After all, is not science just the pursuit of truth? And truth, he maintains, walks hand-in-hand with liberty.

{{bigquote|I don't '''believe''' in destiny|Jetfire, [[Atonement]]}}

:''Preliminary name:'' '''Fireball'''
:''Alternative name:'' '''Skyfire'''
:''Japanese name (cartoon):'' '''Skyfire'''
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Tīen Hǔo''' (天火, "Sky Fire")
:''Cantonese name:'' '''Tin Fo''' (天火, "Sky Fire")
:''French name (Canada):'' '''Bolide''' ("Meteor")
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Röptűz''' ("Fly Fire")
:''Italian name:'' '''Aquila''' ("Eagle")
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Jacto''' ("Jet")
:''Russian name:'' '''Istrebitel''' (Истребитель, "Fighter")

==Fiction==
===American cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Gregg Berger]] (English), [[Osamu Saka]] (Japanese)

{{note|In the cartoon series, Jetfire went by the name '''Skyfire'''. His character model was significantly altered from the toy, as was his appearance in nearly all media. See [[#Why "Skyfire"?|Why "Skyfire"?]], below.}}

[[Image:Jetfireskyfire.jpg|left|230px|thumb|They dug him out of the Arctic to be their taxi.]]

[[MYA|Millions of years ago]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], before the war, Skyfire and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] were good friends and fellow scientists. On a mission of exploration to prehistoric [[Earth]], Skyfire was lost in a storm. Starscream searched, but there was no sign of his comrade. He returned home.

Millions of years later, after the Autobots and [[Decepticon|Decepticon]]s had crashed and awoken on Earth, the Decepticons found Skyfire encased in a block of Arctic ice and revived him. Skyfire joined them due to his past friendship with Starscream, though he expressed discomfort with their methods. When Skyfire's compassion for [[human]]s and, later on, several Autobot prisoners led to his disobeying orders, Starscream, who had changed much in the intervening millennia, turned on his friend. Skyfire left the Decepticons and joined the Autobots, sacrificing himself to be buried beneath the ice again to stop the Decepticons' plans. The Autobots held a memorial service for him at the location of his involuntary burial. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[Image:FireontheMountain Optimus pats Skyfire.jpg|thumb|right|200px| Good boy, Skyfire. Wanna Snausage?]]
[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] returned later to dig him up when the Autobots needed a ride down to South America. [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and his Decepticons were in [[Peru]] seeking the [[Crystal of Power]], which was kept in an Incan temple. He dropped off [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] so they could see what the Decepticons were up to, but a short time later had to go back and rescue them—intercepting them mid-jump—to return to [[Ark (G1)|Headquarters]]. Collecting the other Autobots, he took them all to Peru and earned a pat on his nosecone from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Scouting ahead, he arrived at the temple, only to be shot and disabled by Starscream. Skyfire was dumped inside the temple, where [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Luisa]] found him and effected emergency repairs while under attack from [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Reactivated, Skyfire dealt with Ravage before giving the Autobots outside some much-needed aerial support as they attacked the Decepticon positions. He destroyed Megatron's cannon in a strafing attack and later helped Wheeljack cap the energy geyser that remained. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[Image:TUD2 Skyfire catches Autobots.jpg|thumb|left|280px|I am ''sick'' of these motherfragging cars on this motherfragging plane!]]
When the energies unleashed by Cybertron's presence in Earth's orbit caused activity in the volcano in which Headquarters was embedded, Skyfire evacuated the base with most of the rest of the Autobots. [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], Windcharger and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were ejected from the top of the mountain in a violent eruption, and Skyfire swooped in to save them. Spike learned that [[Sparkplug Witwicky|his father]] had been taken to Cybertron, and Skyfire volunteered his services to fly the boy and several Autobots there. After some deft flying, they landed on the other planet, but Skyfire, Wheeljack and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] were separated from their smaller companions, who fell into a trap. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} The trio caught up with their fellows in time to rescue them from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Skyfire thanked Shockwave for blasting a hole in the wall large enough for him to fly through. He provided air support against some [[Seeker (body-type)|tetrajets]], allowing the ground-based Autobots to reach [[Wheeljack's workshop]]. Once Wheeljack worked out a way to counteract the [[hypno-chip]]s which the Decepticons were using to control humans, Skyfire ferried everyone back to Earth to put the invention to good use. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

[[Image:PlagueofInsecticons Skyfire sitting in puddle.jpg|thumb|right|220px|"I'm perfectly all right, Susan."]]
Following strange reports of giant robotic insects in [[Bali]], Skyfire carried Brawn, Windcharger and Spike there, only to discover a field being consumed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s. Despite believing the trio would be a pushover, the Autobots found themselves outnumbered by clones, and the arrival of Megatron and a couple of his goons didn't improve the odds. Fortunately, the rest of the Autobots arrived and, after a brief fight, the Decepticons departed for an oil refinery. Some quick repairs were made on Skyfire to fix his ability to transform, and the Autobots began the pursuit. The Insecticons latched on to Skyfire's wings until Wheeljack was able to lend a hand, or rather, a couple of missiles. A short time later, Skyfire caught Brawn after the latter's failed attempt at a mid-air brawl. When they reached the refinery, he kicked the battle off by physically knocking the Insecticons off the [[oil tanker]] they were drinking from. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:AttackOTAutobots Jazz on Skyfire.jpg|thumb|left|240px|"I have an inside, you know."]]
Skyfire and most of the Autobots were distorted by Megatron’s [[personality destabilizer]], turning them evil. As Skyfire was hunting down and blowing up human aircraft, Autobots who had been reverted to good by Sparkplug’s [[attitude exchanger]]s arrived on scene and changed Skyfire back. He then flew the Autobots and humans to save Optimus Prime and the others. The Decepticons managed to launch a rocket they'd commandeered, so Skyfire dropped Optimus and Ratchet off on it so they could steal its cargo. As the Decepticons attempted to fight off the boarders, Jazz climbed on Skyfire's nose and used his [[sound and light show]] to provide a distraction. Finally, Skyfire flew them up into space, so the satellite from the rocket could be properly placed in orbit. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} When [[Carly]] was captured by the Decepticons, Ironhide blamed himself, but was persuaded by Sparkplug to try and rescue her. Hitching a lift with Skyfire, Ironhide located Bumblebee and Spike before bailing out so he could tell them what had happened to Carly. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[Image:Skyfire Gerwalk.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Mid-transformation, or a reference to the toy's "third mode"? CHOOSE WISELY.]]
Skyfire ferried Spike and Hound to the middle of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] to investigate an unexplained change to oil tanker shipping patterns that converged suspiciously close to [[Decepticon Headquarters]]. Flying overhead, the trio discovered that the bad bots were stealing the oil using a platform docking structure secured by a force field. Skyfire, Hound and Spike hid aboard one of the tankers and attacked Megatron and Hook as they siphoned the oil. As usual, Spike was captured by the Decepticons and held hostage, forcing Skyfire and Hound to surrender. Confined to a cell on a lower deck, Skyfire warned Spike to be careful of an [[electromagnet]] he found as the human put his escape plan into action. With Rumble and Ravage incapacitated by the magnet, Skyfire punched through the cell door. The three rushed to the control room for the force field generator. Skyfire and Spike kept [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] distracted as Hound blew up the generator, causing the force field dome to collapse. Facing defeat, Megatron activated the platform’s self-destruct function, which left Skyfire and his two friends stuck inside as the structure began to sink. Optimus Prime ripped through the bulkhead above them, and the three were able to climb out. Skyfire then flew them all to safety. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}}

In 2006, Skyfire (or a very similar space vehicle) was briefly seen as part of the Autobot fleet attacking the [[Quintesson]]s. He was shot along with [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and several [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. The Aerialbots survived, so Skyfire might have survived as well. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

{{Note|Due to the number of [[animation error]]s in this episode, it is highly unlikely that Skyfire or Powerglide perished in this episode.}}

{{-}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
{{Note|The events of the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Japanese cartoon continuity]] are more or less the same as the American cartoon continuity, until the ''Headmasters'' series in 1987, where the Japanese continuity veers off into a different direction.}}
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
Skyfire was present at [[Autobot City]] (alongside [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]) while the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] were repairing [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

====''Generation 2'' manga and story pages====
{{note|While in the English continuity, ''Generation 2'' Jetfire was the same character as ''Generation 1'' Jetfire/Skyfire, the same would not appear to have initially been the case in Japan. In Japan, the ''Generation 1'' character was called "Skyfire" in the cartoon, which was the only Japanese media he appeared in, as his toy was never released in Japan. The "Jetfire" that appears in the ''Generation 2'' manga probably would have originally been a different character, though ''[[Robot Masters]]'' backstory and the character's appearance in the ''15 Go! Go!'' comics seemed to consolidate the two retroactively.}}

[[Image:G2StoryPageWheeljackPerceptor1.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Ten points if you can find Wheeljack and Perceptor in this picture!]]

Jetfire was once friends with the Decepticon [[Cyberjet]]s during his days back on Cybertron. However, after the war had raged on for centuries, two of his Cyberjet friends ([[Strafe (G2)|Strafe]] and [[Aero Raid]]) began to have their doubts about the Decepticon cause. Taking Jetfire's advice, the two Cyberjets switched sides and became Autobots. This act forever earned Jetfire, Strafe and Aero Raid the hatred of the remaining loyal Decepticon Cyberjets. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}

At one point, Megatron kidnapped the Autobot [[Laser Rod]], [[Electro]]. While Megatron attempted to persuade Electro into joining the Decepticons, Jetfire infiltrated the headquarters. Busting-in at full-force, Jetfire took the Decepticons by surprise and managed to successfully rescue his fellow Autobot. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #16}}

Jetfire was also the head of a research team staffed by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] that discovered a [[Reconfiguration Matrix|new attribute]] of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. This discovery allowed Optimus Prime to survive a fatal attack from Megatron and form a newer, more powerful body. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}

{{-}}

====''15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:TGGJetfire1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Whoever he is, he looks awesome.]]
[[Image:TGGJetfire2.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Bandai's gonna suuuuue.]]

On a trip into the future with her companion [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], the humanoid computer [[Teletraan 15]] encountered the Autobot scientist Jetfire. He immediately realized that they had come from a different time and cautioned them that the area was about to become a war zone. Recognizing Jetfire's scent despite the unfamiliar body, Steeljaw asked if he was the same being as his old warrior acquaintance.

Concerned for the pair's safety, Jetfire offered to take them to his commander, unaware that the Decepticons [[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]] and [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] were following. Under heavy attack, Jetfire and his passengers were saved by the intervention of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Battle Convoy]].

After the battle, Teletraan 15 recorded Jetfire's information and announced that her mission to restore [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I's]] damaged databanks was at last complete. Before she and Steeljaw returned to their own era, Jetfire asked 15 to tell him something: in her travels through time, had she ever discovered when the fighting would end? When would the progress of science finally bring about peace? {{storylink|15 Go! Go!#Jetfire|Jetfire}}

{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Jetfireg1marvel1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Brainless Jetfire brings home small mammals.]]

Early in the war on [[Earth]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] held the head of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] captive, hoping to use the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] he possessed to create a new army of Decepticons. Optimus Prime had secretly passed the energies of the Matrix onto the teenaged [[human]], [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], so Shockwave was stopped short of giving Jetfire's constructed body life. Shockwave soon learned of the human's involvement, so he sent Jetfire after the human anyway, though the lifeless robot could do nothing more than follow orders. When Jetfire found Buster, he was accompanied by the Autobots [[Bluestreak]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] for his protection, but it was Buster's Creation Matrix powers that ultimately disassembled Jetfire before their eyes. Buster reassembled Jetfire, and with Bumblebee's help, changes were made to allow Buster to directly control him. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}}

[[Image:Jetfireisafunnyguy.jpg|left|150px|thumb|A sense of humor that borders on murderous negligence.]]

However, Jetfire's programming reasserted itself, and maneuvered so wildly that Buster, riding in the cockpit, blacked out. Buster woke up inside Shockwave's base at [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]], strapped to a machine ready to drill the Creation Matrix out of him. In the meantime, knowing that the Autobots were eavesdropping on him, Shockwave sent Jetfire to drop a fake Optimus Prime head at a disclosed location for the Autobots to find. The fake head attached itself to Optimus Prime's body and began attacking the Autobots, causing many injuries. At the last moment, Buster was able to control Jetfire once again, knocking out Shockwave, and delivering the true Optimus Prime head to the Autobots, allowing them a costly victory. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

With Optimus Prime fully restored, Jetfire was quickly given life and joined the Autobots. ''He was briefly mistrusted due to his Decepticon origin, and during the Dinobot Hunt Ironhide resented being given orders by someone with a Decepticon badge; Jetfire proved himself by restraining [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], and had his Decepticon badge torn off in the process. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], who still didn't trust Jetfire, almost deactivated him and returned him to the Decepticons as part of a deal for technology with Ravage, but decided against it at the last minute.'' {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}}

Having proven himself, he was granted the [[Rite of the Autobrand]] marking him as one of their rank. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} When Bumblebee, depressed, had left the Autobots and gotten himself attacked by the Decepticons, Jetfire eagerly came to his rescue. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}} Later, Jetfire helped the Autobots approach the Decepticon base to steal information that would allow them to build their own [[combiner]]s. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

[[Image:Jetfireyourehit.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Naw, you think?]]

''When Optimus Prime and Prowl were lost in Limbo and Galvatron assumed command of the Decepticons, Jetfire became acting leader. His headstrong tactics got the Autobots defeated several times, and out of desperation he even formed an alliance with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. He also mistrusted Ultra Magnus, thinking his arrival too convenient. However, after seeing Magnus be beaten half to death trying to stop Galvatron, Jetfire realised he was wrong and came to his aid. When the future Decepticon was driven off, Jetfire thanked Magnus for all he'd done. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}''

[[Image:Skalorjetfiredie.jpg|left|150px|thumb|At least look at him when you're killing him, Starscream!]]

Jetfire accompanied [[Donny Finkleberg]] to the spot where Finkleberg claimed seven Autobots had crossed over from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], though they found nothing but traces of oil. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} ''Soon afterwards, several missions made Jetfire worry that his response time was quicker when humans were in danger than Autobots were, and he talked with Buster Witwicky to come to terms with this; he came to realise that it was because he viewed Earth as his home, as he'd been built there.'' {{storylink|The Gift}}

After the death of Optimus Prime, Jetfire voted for the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to take command. He later seemed to regret this decision, offering to help [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] usurp him, and when the rivalry ended in a duel staged on Earth's moon, he was among the Autobots who watched. When the Autobots were ambushed by the entire Decepticon army, he was blasted out of the sky by both [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] absorbed the power of the [[Underbase]], Jetfire led the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] in the first attack against him in [[New York City|New York]]. Only Jetfire managed to evade Starscream's lethal retaliation, but a second shot following the death of the [[Skalor|last]] [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] was not as easily avoidable. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}
{{-}}

===See & Read Video===
He went on a lot of suicide missions.

{{charstubfiction}}

===Transformers Pop-Up Book===
Jetfire was one of many to participate in the battle at [[Castle Decepticon]]. He may have in fact been a Decepticon himself. {{Storylink|Transformers Pop-Up Book}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:Jetfiredarkages.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I bet Skywarp pulled that mask over his face a lot in junior high.]]
Before the war, the scientist Jetfire and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] were friends. But when Starscream joined the Decepticons in their assault on outlying city-states, Jetfire was torn. If he followed his beliefs and upheld justice and life, he would end up facing his dearest friend on the battlefield. Jetfire did end up with the Autobots, but not before a barrier of distrust had been built between them due to his inaction and his past loyalties.

These loyalties came to a head during a period when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] were presumed lost forever, the two factions splintered into five. Events conspired behind the scenes, building up to an unknown crescendo, and Jetfire was suspicious. Putting his already-shaky trustworthiness on the line, he met up with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in secret to discuss the looming front of darkness. However, the source of these machinations, [[The Fallen]], had leaked their correspondence to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who held a grudge against the scientist. {{storylink|Devastation (Dreamwave)|Devastation}}

[[Image:Jetfireg1dw.jpg|left|180px|thumb|I've always said there's nothing an agnostic can't do if he really doesn't know whether he believes in anything or not.]]

Grimlock assaulted Jetfire at his intended meeting place, but both were overwhelmed by The Fallen and dragged far inside [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and strapped to a four-paneled contraption in the [[Well of All Sparks]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}} Jetfire, Grimlock, [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]], and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] were the "[[Angles of Dissolution]]," four "unique sparks" which could catalyze the breach of the [[Seal of Primus]]. Combined forces from several factions penetrated The Fallen's operation, but despite Jetfire and Grimlock's teamwork, The Fallen was destroyed only by his own scheme — the hand of [[Primus]] reached out, awakened from his slumber, and smote the enigmatic being to pieces. Jetfire, a skeptic towards things supernatural, began to wonder if there might be something bigger than them going on, something no one could comprehend. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

Long after, Jetfire and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] were sent out into space to search for the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Arriving on [[Earth]], they were attacked by [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], but Jetfire disabled him with an EM pulse from their ship. When he ventured outside to identify his assailant, he was caught in an avalanche and buried in ice.

[[Image:DWAtonement Jetfire Sunstorm.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The power of Primus compels you!]]

Millions of years later he was found by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and stored aboard the [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]], still encased in a block of ice. When the zealot [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] arrived on Earth, Starscream freed Jetfire from his icy prison to stop him. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} An uneasy alliance formed between Jetfire, Starscream, and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s team of Autobots as they tried to come up with a plan to stop the unbelievably powerful [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]], but Sunstorm was unstoppable. Jetfire started to consider that Sunstorm might be supernatural, despite his natural skepticism. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} During their encounter, Jetfire realized that Sunstorm's internal fusion reactor was about to go critical, and flew him up into space where he could explode without risk to the Earth. Jetfire was seemingly annihilated in the explosion. His demise caused Bumblebee to throw down his arms and quit the war. {{storylink|Atonement}}

{{Note|It was revealed long after the demise of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] that an issue was planned that involved the return of both Jetfire and The Fallen, meaning his "death" would not have been final.}}
{{-}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
During a Decepticon attack on an Autobot peace ceremony, Jetfire fought back and fired on [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], only to be ordered to cease fire as Optimus Prime was using the Decepticon to negotiate with [[Serpent O.R.]] When it turned out that the negotiations involved Prime giving himself up to the Decepticons, Jetfire joined a team of Autobots led by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] who were planning on rescuing him. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4}} Together with [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], they fought and defeated Serpent O.R.'s Decepticon army. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:Jetfireclassics.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"I'm a scientist, Ranger Brad. I don't believe in anything."]]
Years of war had put the Transformers' home world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] through too much punishment, meaning a spiral into planet-wide cataclysm, a consequence the scientist [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] had foreseen. Jetfire and other Transformers scientists ignored his warning, until it was too late. Thunderwing underwent the [[Pretender|polydermal grafting]] process he had developed, and was driven insane, forcing the Autobots and Decepticons to unite and try to stop him. Jetfire spent the battle trying to figure out a way to effectively counter Thunderwing, but Cybertron itself swallowed Thunderwing before he could find a way. Cybertron was abandoned as a result.

Seven hundred stellar cycles later, and against regulations, Jetfire and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s traveled to the supposedly-abandoned husk of Cybertron from their science vessel, the ''[[Calabi-Yau]]'', to investigate a strange energy reading. Though it violated several command directives, Jetfire decided to lead a recon mission to the surface. Despite the misgivings everyone had, Jetfire remained adamant that they investigate, saying that a failure to investigate was what doomed Cybertron to begin with. Upon arriving on the dead surface of the planet near [[Thunderhead Pass]], Jetfire, [[Scattershot]], [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] were ambushed by a mysterious group of robots with stealth abilities. The Technobots were badly damaged and Jetfire was captured. When he revived, he found his [[Pretender|captors]] worshiping the reanimated corpse of Thunderwing. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1}}

[[Image:Stormbringer4 JetfirePrime plainlanguage.jpg|left|300px|thumb|I just plumb don't understand alla' yer fancy talkin'...]]

Their leader, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], wished to revisit the mad scientist's plot and harness the power that accelerated the planet's death in a apocalyptic torrent all those years ago. Jetfire pleaded with Bludgeon not to again unleash the powers that destroyed their planet, but he was ignored, and his attempts to escape were thwarted. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2}} Thanks to a distress signal sent by the remaining Technobots in the ''Calabi-Yau'', [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Wrecker]]s soon arrived, released Jetfire, and defeated his captors, just before an alert system announced the arrival of Thunderwing, newly reborn. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3}}

Fortunately Jetfire was able to figure out that the [[Ultra-Energon]] powering Thunderwing would be depleted in a prolonged struggle. This allowed Optimus Prime, the Wreckers, and the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to stop the monstrosity without destroying Cybertron. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4}}

Jetfire was later called in to take the [[Pretender Monster]]s to the [[Garrus-9]] prison and attempt to cure them. {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} Every previous attempt had failed, but whether he may have found a cure to their combined minds was then rendered moot when the Decepticons attacked and abducted the Monsters. He convinced [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] to let [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] "escape" to hunt the Monsters down, and they would invent some story afterward. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime arrived on Garrus-9, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] activated the [[Nega-Core]] and its guardian, Thunderwing, on [[Corata-Vaz]]. Prime ordered Jetfire to summon the Wreckers to face off against Thunderwing again. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}} Unfortunately the Wreckers proved to be little more than an annoyance to the guardian, and Jetfire, believing he had ironed out the bugs, received permission to test Thunderwing's experiment on four Autobots, deciding things couldn't really get much worse. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}}

With the experiments taking a while, Jetfire decided to re-use Bludgeon's Axis Cradle and use it to take control of, and shut down, Thunderwing. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} This saw him marked for death by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], who took remote mental control of Bludgeon's body on Garrus-9. Faced with a hideous monster about to kill and his own inability to move, Jetfire... calmly noticed how slowly Bludgeon was moving, worked out Jhiaxus was trying to control the monster ''and'' monitor pan-galactic fronts, and baited him with the imminent collapse of his strategy, causing Jhiaxus to freeze in panic.

After the crisis was over, Jetfire covertly monitored [[Gorlam Prime]] in its transformation into a new Cybertron. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Three years later, Jetfire arrived on Earth after the Decepticons leveled the infrastructure of the Autobot war machine. Along with [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], he was taken in by Optimus Prime's unit as a refugee from the devastation. {{storylink|Spotlight: Prowl}} When Prime abandoned the Autobots and surrendered to Skywatch, Jetfire joined Hot Rod when he decided to leave the planet, as just sitting in a cave absorbing the humans' primitive wireless signals was driving him nuts. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} The group needed all the help they could get in getting off Earth, Hot Rod liberated several Decepticons from [[Skywatch]] and told Jetfire to undo their restraints using technology acquired from [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]. Jetfire was hesitant about helping the enemy, but Hot Rod assured him that were no sides anymore. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

Well, Hot Rod was wrong. [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and his Decepticons turned on Jetfire and the others after the starship was complete. Swindle even used some of the 'Cons Jetfire reactivated to create a new gestalt, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. With the help of Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s crew and the humans of Skywatch, Menasor was dismantled. As Rodimus fled the planet, Jetfire and the rest of the Autobots rejoined Bumblebee's command. {{storylink|Earthworks}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Transformers issue 7}}

{{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
With most of the Autobots defeated, the severely damaged Jetfire was with Optimus Prime's crew in the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]], the last pocket of Autobot resistance in the galaxy. After the treacherous [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] conned his way into their bunker and allowed the Decepticons in, he used Jetfire's life as a bargaining chip (despite [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet's]] best efforts to protect him) to get Optimus Prime to surrender. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] refused to give up fighting until he realized just how badly Jetfire needed repairs. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===Classics Toy Bio===
The first Cybertronian to travel to the black depths of deep space, Jetfire encountered the [[Star pirates]] of the blot nebula, and is the only one to ever have faced and defeated them. He was known as a famous hero for these deeds, but he disappeared millions of years ago, much to the dismay of Cybertron's populace. However, once he was uncovered from inside a glacier, he rose to challenge the treat of the Decepticons immediately. {{storylink|Jetfire (G1)#Classics|Voyager class Classics Jetfire toy bio}}
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
====Dark Skyfire bio====
In an era millions of years before the establishment of the Decepticon faction’s army, Skyfire was specialized for outer space exploration, his entire body coated with a substance that protected it against unknown viruses, magnetic storms, and the like. Although he had a strong scientific curiosity, he agonized over it being at odds with his great combat skills.

====''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic====
[[Image:Henkei 04 autobot skyfire.jpg|left|200px|thumb|No magic insignia-swapping stickers this time.]]
[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] questioned [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] about the new mech they'd found frozen in a glacier up in the Arctic Circle, but Starscream had ''unsavory'' plans for it involving a mask/helmet thing.

Back in [[Japan]], the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] raided an energy plant, revealing the newcomer as Skyfire. Amidst the plundering, Skyfire pleaded with Starscream to stop shooting at the [[human]] workers, but to no avail. Luckily, the Autobots showed up to save the workers. Skyfire's pleas caused Starscream to yell at him, exclaiming that Skyfire's reason for living was to be a soldier. Just before getting shot at, Skyfire finally ripped off the control helmet and declared himself a scientist (with a sweet new Autobot symbol, too). However, he said he ''would'' become a soldier, if only to defend humans from those like his old friend. Watching the Seekers retreat, Skyfire wistfully reminisced that he and Starscream never really got along that well in the past, anyway. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 4}}
{{-}}

====''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun manga====
{{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} {{storylink|Wataru's Power}} {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}} {{storylink|Revenge (issue)|Revenge}} {{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}} {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}

{{charstubfiction}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
{{picsneeded|"Alternate transformation".}}
[[Image:Jetfireg1toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Don't expect Takara to reissue this toy any time soon.]]
* '''Jetfire''' (1985)
**''Accessories:'' "Photon Missile Launcher", rifle mounting pod, "Turbo Thruster" booster pack, 2 leg guards (left & right), 2 arm guards, 2 fenders

:A [[redeco]] of the [[Takatoku Toys|Takatoku Toys]] ''Macross'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie, Jetfire features three modes: robot, jet, and an "alternate transformation" (Called "Gerwalk" form in ''Macross'') that deploys his arms and legs in jet mode. Additionally, Jetfire comes with several red pieces of armor and rocket booster backpack that can snap onto his arms, legs, and back in any mode. He has noticeably more articulation than the other ''Transformers'' in the line at the time.

:The shoulder assembly where the jet mode folds in half for robot mode is one of the more commonly broken parts in the early ''Transformers'' toy line. The more rigid plastic used on the armor pieces also means that it's not uncommon for their attachment clips to have snapped off. And finally, the small black clip-piece that attaches Jetfire's rifle to his jet mode is possibly one of the most commonly missing accessories on secondhand Jetfires, if not secondhand Transformers all around. The fact that the instructions don't tell you what to do with it doesn't help. The piece is used to hold Jetfire's rifle via the clip attached to the arm, as well as under the jetmode as a belly gun.

:There were main two variations of the toy: one featuring the ''Macross'' UN Spacy logo on the wings, and one without the logo. The Macross logo was either painted on or came as a sticker. The logo-less variant has a continuous red strip along the length of the wing, whilst both logo versions have a slight gap in the paint apps surrounding the logo.

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:Jetfire-G2toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I'm not a traitor!]]
* '''Jetfire''' (Cyberjet, 1995)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TRF-16'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 missiles
: Jetfire was released in ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' as one of the Autobot [[Cyberjet]]s, a [[redeco]] of the Decepticon [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]]. He transforms into a proposed swing-wing naval variant of the F-22 Raptor. He is armed with a pressure-launched missile fired from his right arm, which also forms a weapon in fighter mode.

: Interestingly enough, his toy has Decepticon [[Insignia|faction symbol]] stickers, despite being released as an Autobot.

: The Japanese release of Jetfire came with an [[:Image:Jetfire-JG2decal.jpg|extra decal sheet]], featuring white tiger markings, extra ''Generation 2'' Autobot symbols (presumably to cover the Decepticon ones that were factory-applied), and "battle damage" markings.

:[[R-Blade]]'s expanded bio in the ''[[Robot Masters]]'' sourcebook specifically mentions Jetfire as the leader of the Autobot Cyberjets, even though no mention of this is made in Jetfire's ''Generation 2'' bio, in the US ''or'' Japan.

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Jetfiretitaniumwarwithin.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Unfortunate landing gear placement.]]
* '''Jetfire''' (6-inch Cybertron Heroes, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' 2 cannons, display stand with removable nameplate

: Jetfire is based on [[Don Figueroa]]'s design as seen in [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s ''The War Within'' miniseries, which in turn was based on Figueroa's [[Kitbashing|scratch-build custom]] Transformer, [http://www.tfarchive.com/fandom/kitbashes/Don_Figueroa/Kitbash_Retrospective/?dgallery_show=./strikefire_2.jpg Strikefire]. He transforms into a Cybertronic fighter plane with armor add-ons.

: As with all ''Titanium Series'' figures, Jetfire's toy is constructed of both die-cast metal and molded plastic, and it comes with a plastic display stand featuring his name and his faction logo. In jet mode, landing gear can be deployed from underneath the fuselage and both legs. In robot mode, the two wing cannons can be removed to be held by the robot either separately or combined together into a single weapon.

{{-}}

===Classics===
[[Image:Jetfireclassicsvoyager.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We're getting almost as many Jetfires as we are Optimus Primes.]]
* '''Jetfire''' (Voyager, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Rocket Booster pack, rifle, 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles, helmet

: ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' Jetfire's design is an amalgam of the original cartoon/comic model for Jetfire/Skyfire and the original toy. It not only features removable armor like the original toy, but the toy-inspired head can be removed like a helmet to reveal a cartoon/comic-inspired head. The jet mode pays [[homage]] to ''Generation 2'' Jetfire in being a [[wikipedia:Variable geometry wing|swing wing]] aircraft, but while the body resembles the design of an F-14 Tomcat, which is the model of the [[wikipedia:VF-1 Valkyrie|VF-1 Valkyrie]], but with the nosecone squared off to resemble the cartoon/comic renditions. The toy's add-on booster packs have flip-out reveal cannons, and it also features arm-mounted spring-loaded missile launchers. Somewhat uselessly, the arms rotate below the elbows and at the wrists, but don't rotate above the elbows.

: An unexpected level of detail can be found on the black non-firing rifle; when it is assembled, the gun's "sight" comes together in a way that would be functional on a full-size weapon.

: The toy's design was first featured on the solicited cover to [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] ''[[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]]'' #1. Contrary to popular opinion, it was not designed by [[Don Figueroa]].

: A "ghost" [[redeco]] of this toy, with black plastic and silvery electric paint deco, was shown by [[Hasbro]] in a news broadcast about their attempts to cheer up a Rhode Island orphan. Sadly, this version was never released.

: This mold was [[Retool|retooled]] to make the [[BotCon 2007]] version of [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]], and [[redeco]]ed to make the ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' version of [[Tread Bolt]].



[[Image:Jetfireclassicslegends.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Jetfire''' (Legends, 2006)

: This toy is a [[redeco]] of [[Legends Class|Legends of Cybertron]]-class [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], transforming into an SU-37 fighter jet.

:This mold was later redecoed into ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], and then ''Universe'' [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] from the Target-[[exclusive]] "Special Team Leaders" Legends-class figure pack.

{{-}}

===Attacktix===
*'''Jetfire''' (unreleased)

:''[[Attacktix]]'' Jetfire was heavily based on his ''Titanium Series'' toy, and would've featured an oversized gun from which he fired a single missile. He was displayed at various conventions, but was ultimately canceled alongside the entire ''Attacktix'' line.

{{canceledtoy}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Jetfire toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Comes packaged in a block of ice for "show-accuracy".]]
*'''Skyfire''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Hydrogen-fuel Turbo Thruster Pack, rifle, 2 photon missile launchers, 2 infrared homing missiles, helmet

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Skyfire is a redeco of ''Classics'' Jetfire. The primary changes to his deco are mainly for better resemblance to Skyfire's Generation 1 cartoon model's appearance (in particular painting most of the canopy to make it appear smaller), rather than the Jetfire/''Macross'' design. Of amusement is the fact the fighter's airbrake has been painted blue to be a faux secondary canopy. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, he lacks the heat-sensitive rubsign seen on the ''Classics'' release, but instead has several [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] parts (his jetpack's exhaust nozzles). It also includes a [[Henkei! Henkei! (pack-in comic)|mini-manga]] detailing the events that lead to Skyfire's appearance in the Henkei universe (mini-manga universe, that is).
{{-}}

===Gentei! Gentei!===
[[Image:gentei-darkskyfire-toy.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A [[Repurposing|potential]] figure for ''Shattered Glass'' Jetfire.]]

*'''Dark Skyfire''' (Voyager, 2010)
**''Japanese ID number:''
**''Accessories:'' Hydrogen-fuel Turbo Thruster Pack, rifle, 2 photon missile launchers, 2 infrared homing missiles, helmet
:''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Gentei! Gentei!]]'' Dark Skyfire is a [[Toy Hobby Market]] [[exclusive]] [[black repaint]] of ''Classics'' Jetfire. The primary changes to his deco are mainly for making him, uh, darker. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, he lacks the heat-sensitive rubsign seen on the ''Classics'' release, but instead has two vacuum-metallized parts (his jetpack's exhaust nozzles). The backpack cannons have also been significantly remolded to make the barrels and stalks on which they are mounted a single piece with a new joint. This change is likely to make the barrels more durable under the constant spring-loaded strain of being hidden.

:The extent of Dark Skyfire's 'Dark' varies from image to image, early pre-production mockup images showed a dark matte grey similar to e-Hobby [[Astrotrain (G1)#Toys|Astrotrain]], whilst later images appeared gloss black with high-contrast silver details, leading to speculation that this redeco is the previously unreleased 'ghost' Classics Jetfire. Some possible hints of this remain, such as the Hasbro Classics-styled open cockpit instead of the Henkei version's half-painted version, as well as entirely new paint operations such as the added stripes on the body near shoulders.

: Pre-orders for Dark Skyfire opened up on [[November 12]]th and closed on [[December 11]]th 2009, with the toys finally shipping sometime in March of 2010.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers - Mini Bust===
*'''Jetfire''' (2009)

[[Image:DiamondSelect G1Jetfirebust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|How ironic. Two more days and I would have completed my helmet.]]
:Released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2009, Jetfire was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. He is wielding his photon missile launcher but it uses the double-barreled cartoon design instead of the single-barreled version that came with the toy. The rest of the character design is a mixture of his cartoon/comic body. Having not been frozen in a block of ice when the Great War broke out; Jetfire was unsure of which side he should take in the conflict. He ultimately joined the Autobots after being betrayed by his friend Starscream.

{{-}}

[[Image:AFX ArmoredJetfire bust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Uh-oh, move along, nothing to see here...]]
*'''Battle Armor Jetfire Bust''' (2009)

: An exclusive to AFX, this version of the Jetfire bust features an interchangeable ''Macross''-inspired head design based upon his original ''Generation 1'' toy, two booster packs on his back and a "battle damaged" sculpt.
{{-}}

==Why "Skyfire"?==
[[Image:Jetfire-SkyfireModels.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I went from 98-ton weakling to muscle-bot on...the Dery plan!]]
We may never be certain of the exact circumstances behind the change from Jetfire to Skyfire. There are, however, a few known factors, and a lot of theories.

* Not all of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' product originated with [[Takara]]. Among others, the ''Macross'' Super Valkyrie, the toy that would become Jetfire, came from a company called [[Takatoku Toys]]. Why did Hasbro market non-Takara product? [[Bob Prupis]], one of the original members of the Transformers marketing team, would frequently go to Toy Fairs in Asia, where ''"any product that really looked good that was exciting we didn't care where it came from. We did some work with Bandai, who had been working with other people, and took a few products that looked right for our line"''.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/94f5cb70b08a646d G1 Hasbro marketing executives panel]</ref> The Super Valkyrie, then, must have met their criteria for inclusion.

* As a larger toy, it would follow that Hasbro would want to sell Jetfire by including him in the Transformers animated series. However, even though Hasbro had the rights to release Takatoku's Super Valkyrie in the US ''Transformers'' toyline, Hasbro's chief collaborator on ''Transformers'' was still Takara. It may have been that Takara always had plans to air the Transformer animated series in their own market (as it featured a majority of their products), and objected to the inclusion of a competitor's product on the show. This may also be why no other Takatoku-designed toys appeared in the series, although their relatively smaller sizes as compared to Jetfire may have been a factor in Hasbro not including them.

* As the theory goes, the Jetfire animation model was adjusted to look less like the toy as a compromise to Takara. However - perhaps because it now failed to look like the product it was supposed to be advertising - the character became "Skyfire".

* Conversely, it is possible that licensing issues played in to the decisions to change Jetfire to Skyfire; the [[Production bible|story bible]] for G1 writers mentions how Jetfire had been "transformed" into Skyfire for "legal reasons". See also [[#Notes|Notes]].

* The evidence of ''Robotech'' influencing Jetfire-related decisions is murky. That show began airing in syndication in March of 1985, whereas ''"Fire In The Sky"'', the first episode with Skyfire, aired December 8th, 1984 - and would have had to have been written and animated much before then. Statements indicate that it took nine months to edit Robotech together, placing the start of production somewhere around July of 1984. So... who knows. All that's certain is that Hasbro licensing the Super Valkyrie seemingly '''did''' prevent the use of that toy in Matchbox's ''Robotech'' toyline.

Beyond Prupis's statement and the notes in the story bible, however, nothing supporting (or denying) any of the previous statements have come out.

==Notes==
[[Image:TakatokuSuperValkyrie.jpg|thumb|250px|C'mon, Hasbro. You '''know''' you want to make a "Skull Squadron" version of ''some'' [[Jetfire (disambiguation)|Jetfire]]. What's [[Bandai]] going to do? Sic the Power Rangers on you?]]

*As mentioned above, unlike most of the early ''Transformers'' range, the Jetfire toy was designed by [[Takatoku Toys|Takatoku Toys]], being a [[redeco]] (with a minor retool to blunt the nosecone) of their 1/55 [http://1501bc.com/pretf/macross.html ''Macross'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie]. Naturally, because he was not designed by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], Jetfire was not released in Japan, since the toy (or, at least, a dozen variations of it) was released by one of Takara's rival toy companies.

* The story bible for the original animated series contains a different character model for Jetfire, one clearly based on the actual toy. This model did appear three times "fictionally," once as a miscolored, partially-obscured background character in the [[The Last Stand|fourth Marvel Comics issue]], again in the Marvel Comics as a [[Ashes, Ashes...|spectator at Optimus Prime's funeral]] (right next to his "Skyfire" model), and a third time in the animated portion of the commercial for Jetfire and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. It would also occasionally crop up in secondary media, such as coloring books.

[[Image:Jetfireg1commercial.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Lawsuit!]]

* In fact, the Transformers story bible offers seemingly contradictory statements on Jetfire. An early page notes how ''"JETFIRE has been "transformed" into SKYFIRE — with a different model — due to legal reasons. Do not use this character unless necessary"'',<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#012 Transformers Production Bible at Tfarchive.com]</ref> whereas a subsequent page on new Season 2 characters notes that ''"Although Reflector should no longer be used as a character in the series, JETFIRE will be redesigned and reintroduced in the near future"''.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#090 Transformers Production Bible at Tfarchive.com]</ref> As the Valkyrie-derived animation model never appeared in the cartoon, and Skyfire was never redesigned, it's uncertain just what these notes refer to.

* "Jetfire" is listed as a "Special Guest Star from Cybertron" on the [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for "Fire in the Sky". Later, on the cast list entry for "Fire on the Mountain", "Skyfire" is typewritten as part of the main cast list, but a drawn dash pointing to (or from) it leads to the handwritten name "Jetfire". From there on out, Skyfire is referred to as Jetfire in the listings.

* In the aforementioned Jetfire commercial, it claims that the ''Autobots'' created Jetfire, the "ultimate robot jet," to counter the Decepticon planes. As Sunstreaker, Hound, and Prowl are under attack, the trio release Jetfire from within an opening cliffside, revealing their new creation. (See image above.)

[[Image:Jetfire-Dutch.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Crazy moonman language!]]
* It's believed that there were some [[trademark]] issues with the name "Optimus Prime" in the Netherlands due to a manufacturer of kitchen utensils named "Optimus".<ref>[http://www.reocities.com/futuristgroup/veuro2.html Jetfire vs Optimus]</ref> Whether or not this was actually the case, Milton Bradley did not initially release Optimus Prime's toy, referred to Jetfire as the Autobot leader, and called Optimus "Jetfire" in the Dutch translation of the Marvel comic! Whatever the problem was, it was later rectified, as the Optimus Prime toy was later released and they stopped calling him "Jetfire" in the comic.

* The ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Omnicon]] [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] was created as a [[homage]] to Skyfire. He [[Blastification|would have been given the name "Skyfire" as well]], but the [[trademark]] had been secured (and registered) by Hasbro rival Mattel. Also on the homage front, ''Robot Masters'' [[R-Blade]] features a very Jetfirey deco.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Jetfire/jetfire.htm Jetfire at TFU.info]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Jetfire Jetfire's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/japanese/g2scans/G2Trans16.jpg English translation of Japan G2 minicomic #16]
*[http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/japanese/g2storypages.php?dgallery_show=g2story/G2StoryPage4a.jpg Japan G2 story page with English annotations]

[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics characters]]
[[Category:Cyberjets]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]

Jetfire (G1)

2010-07-29T04:47:31Z

74.226.58.59: /* The Transformers cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|decepticon|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Jetfire}}
{{disambig3|Skyfire}}
:''Jetfire is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. In the cartoon continuity, he was known as '''Skyfire'''.''

[[Image:G1Jetfire MarvelTFU.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Science means that not all dreams can come true.]]
'''Jetfire''' is a bot of science, literally. Not only is his mind dedicated towards scientific pursuits, but his body is a testament to the technology he studies so intensely. (Some would say "religiously", but not in his presence.) Every inch of his chassis is cutting-edge and kept up-to-date. However, he does not have the trust of his teammates; it was not so long ago that he was a Decepticon. Jetfire is compassionate, so some Autobots feel that he could be soft on their enemies or, even worse, he may turn on them after realizing his "cold calculations" swing the other way.

Jetfire would find their misconceptions about science appalling. After all, is not science just the pursuit of truth? And truth, he maintains, walks hand-in-hand with liberty.

{{bigquote|I don't '''believe''' in destiny|Jetfire, [[Atonement]]}}

:''Preliminary name:'' '''Fireball'''
:''Alternative name:'' '''Skyfire'''
:''Japanese name (cartoon):'' '''Skyfire'''
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Tīen Hǔo''' (天火, "Sky Fire")
:''Cantonese name:'' '''Tin Fo''' (天火, "Sky Fire")
:''French name (Canada):'' '''Bolide''' ("Meteor")
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Röptűz''' ("Fly Fire")
:''Italian name:'' '''Aquila''' ("Eagle")
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Jacto''' ("Jet")
:''Russian name:'' '''Istrebitel''' (Истребитель, "Fighter")

==Fiction==
===American cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Gregg Berger]] (English), [[Osamu Saka]] (Japanese)

{{note|In the cartoon series, Jetfire went by the name '''Skyfire'''. His character model was significantly altered from the toy, as was his appearance in nearly all media. See [[#Why "Skyfire"?|Why "Skyfire"?]], below.}}

[[Image:Jetfireskyfire.jpg|left|230px|thumb|They dug him out of the Arctic to be their taxi.]]

[[MYA|Millions of years ago]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], before the war, Skyfire and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] were good friends and fellow scientists. On a mission of exploration to prehistoric [[Earth]], Skyfire was lost in a storm. Starscream searched, but there was no sign of his comrade. He returned home.

Millions of years later, after the Autobots and [[Decepticon|Decepticon]]s had crashed and awoken on Earth, the Decepticons found Skyfire encased in a block of Arctic ice and revived him. Skyfire joined them due to his past friendship with Starscream, though he expressed discomfort with their methods. When Skyfire's compassion for [[human]]s and, later on, several Autobot prisoners led to his disobeying orders, Starscream, who had changed much in the intervening millennia, turned on his friend. Skyfire left the Decepticons and joined the Autobots, sacrificing himself to be buried beneath the ice again to stop the Decepticons' plans. The Autobots held a memorial service for him at the location of his involuntary burial. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[Image:FireontheMountain Optimus pats Skyfire.jpg|thumb|right|200px| Good boy, Skyfire. Wanna Snausage?]]
[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] returned later to dig him up when the Autobots needed a ride down to South America. [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and his Decepticons were in [[Peru]] seeking the [[Crystal of Power]], which was kept in an Incan temple. He dropped off [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] so they could see what the Decepticons were up to, but a short time later had to go back and rescue them—intercepting them mid-jump—to return to [[Ark (G1)|Headquarters]]. Collecting the other Autobots, he took them all to Peru and earned a pat on his nosecone from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Scouting ahead, he arrived at the temple, only to be shot and disabled by Starscream. Skyfire was dumped inside the temple, where [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Luisa]] found him and effected emergency repairs while under attack from [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Reactivated, Skyfire dealt with Ravage before giving the Autobots outside some much-needed aerial support as they attacked the Decepticon positions. He destroyed Megatron's cannon in a strafing attack and later helped Wheeljack cap the energy geyser that remained. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[Image:TUD2 Skyfire catches Autobots.jpg|thumb|left|280px|I am ''sick'' of these motherfragging cars on this motherfragging plane!]]
When the energies unleashed by Cybertron's presence in Earth's orbit caused activity in the volcano in which Headquarters was embedded, Skyfire evacuated the base with most of the rest of the Autobots. [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], Windcharger and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were ejected from the top of the mountain in a violent eruption, and Skyfire swooped in to save them. Spike learned that [[Sparkplug Witwicky|his father]] had been taken to Cybertron, and Skyfire volunteered his services to fly the boy and several Autobots there. After some deft flying, they landed on the other planet, but Skyfire, Wheeljack and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] were separated from their smaller companions, who fell into a trap. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} The trio caught up with their fellows in time to rescue them from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Skyfire thanked Shockwave for blasting a hole in the wall large enough for him to fly through. He provided air support against some [[Seeker (body-type)|tetrajets]], allowing the ground-based Autobots to reach [[Wheeljack's workshop]]. Once Wheeljack worked out a way to counteract the [[hypno-chip]]s which the Decepticons were using to control humans, Skyfire ferried everyone back to Earth to put the invention to good use. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

[[Image:PlagueofInsecticons Skyfire sitting in puddle.jpg|thumb|right|220px|"I'm perfectly all right, Susan."]]
Following strange reports of giant robotic insects in [[Bali]], Skyfire carried Brawn, Windcharger and Spike there, only to discover a field being consumed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s. Despite believing the trio would be a pushover, the Autobots found themselves outnumbered by clones, and the arrival of Megatron and a couple of his goons didn't improve the odds. Fortunately, the rest of the Autobots arrived and, after a brief fight, the Decepticons departed for an oil refinery. Some quick repairs were made on Skyfire to fix his ability to transform, and the Autobots began the pursuit. The Insecticons latched on to Skyfire's wings until Wheeljack was able to lend a hand, or rather, a couple of missiles. A short time later, Skyfire caught Brawn after the latter's failed attempt at a mid-air brawl. When they reached the refinery, he kicked the battle off by physically knocking the Insecticons off the [[oil tanker]] they were drinking from. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:AttackOTAutobots Jazz on Skyfire.jpg|thumb|left|240px|"I have an inside, you know."]]
Skyfire and most of the Autobots were distorted by Megatron’s [[personality destabilizer]], turning them evil. As Skyfire was hunting down and blowing up human aircraft, Autobots who had been reverted to good by Sparkplug’s [[attitude exchanger]]s arrived on scene and changed Skyfire back. He then flew the Autobots and humans to save Optimus Prime and the others. The Decepticons managed to launch a rocket they'd commandeered, so Skyfire dropped Optimus and Ratchet off on it so they could steal its cargo. As the Decepticons attempted to fight off the boarders, Jazz climbed on Skyfire's nose and used his [[sound and light show]] to provide a distraction. Finally, Skyfire flew them up into space, so the satellite from the rocket could be properly placed in orbit. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} When [[Carly]] was captured by the Decepticons, Ironhide blamed himself, but was persuaded by Sparkplug to try and rescue her. Hitching a lift with Skyfire, Ironhide located Bumblebee and Spike before bailing out so he could tell them what had happened to Carly. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[Image:Skyfire Gerwalk.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Mid-transformation, or a reference to the toy's "third mode"? CHOOSE WISELY.]]
Skyfire ferried Spike and Hound to the middle of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] to investigate an unexplained change to oil tanker shipping patterns that converged suspiciously close to [[Decepticon Headquarters]]. Flying overhead, the trio discovered that the bad bots were stealing the oil using a platform docking structure secured by a force field. Skyfire, Hound and Spike hid aboard one of the tankers and attacked Megatron and Hook as they siphoned the oil. As usual, Spike was captured by the Decepticons and held hostage, forcing Skyfire and Hound to surrender. Confined to a cell on a lower deck, Skyfire warned Spike to be careful of an [[electromagnet]] he found as the human put his escape plan into action. With Rumble and Ravage incapacitated by the magnet, Skyfire punched through the cell door. The three rushed to the control room for the force field generator. Skyfire and Spike kept [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] distracted as Hound blew up the generator, causing the force field dome to collapse. Facing defeat, Megatron activated the platform’s self-destruct function, which left Skyfire and his two friends stuck inside as the structure began to sink. Optimus Prime ripped through the bulkhead above them, and the three were able to climb out. Skyfire then flew them all to safety. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}}

In 2006, Skyfire (or a very similar space vehicle) was briefly seen as part of the Autobot fleet attacking the [[Quintesson]]s. He was shot along with [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and several [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. The Aerialbots survived, so Skyfire might have survived as well. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

{{Note|Due to the number of [[animation error]]s in this episode, it is highly unlikely that Skyfire or Powerglide perished in this episode.}}

{{-}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
{{Note|The events of the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Japanese cartoon continuity]] are more or less the same as the American cartoon continuity, until the ''Headmasters'' series in 1987, where the Japanese continuity veers off into a different direction.}}
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
Skyfire was present at [[Autobot City]] (alongside [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]) while the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] were repairing [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

====''Generation 2'' manga and story pages====
{{note|While in the English continuity, ''Generation 2'' Jetfire was the same character as ''Generation 1'' Jetfire/Skyfire, the same would not appear to have initially been the case in Japan. In Japan, the ''Generation 1'' character was called "Skyfire" in the cartoon, which was the only Japanese media he appeared in, as his toy was never released in Japan. The "Jetfire" that appears in the ''Generation 2'' manga probably would have originally been a different character, though ''[[Robot Masters]]'' backstory and the character's appearance in the ''15 Go! Go!'' comics seemed to consolidate the two retroactively.}}

[[Image:G2StoryPageWheeljackPerceptor1.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Ten points if you can find Wheeljack and Perceptor in this picture!]]

Jetfire was once friends with the Decepticon [[Cyberjet]]s during his days back on Cybertron. However, after the war had raged on for centuries, two of his Cyberjet friends ([[Strafe (G2)|Strafe]] and [[Aero Raid]]) began to have their doubts about the Decepticon cause. Taking Jetfire's advice, the two Cyberjets switched sides and became Autobots. This act forever earned Jetfire, Strafe and Aero Raid the hatred of the remaining loyal Decepticon Cyberjets. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}

At one point, Megatron kidnapped the Autobot [[Laser Rod]], [[Electro]]. While Megatron attempted to persuade Electro into joining the Decepticons, Jetfire infiltrated the headquarters. Busting-in at full-force, Jetfire took the Decepticons by surprise and managed to successfully rescue his fellow Autobot. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #16}}

Jetfire was also the head of a research team staffed by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] that discovered a [[Reconfiguration Matrix|new attribute]] of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. This discovery allowed Optimus Prime to survive a fatal attack from Megatron and form a newer, more powerful body. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}

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====''15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:TGGJetfire1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Whoever he is, he looks awesome.]]
[[Image:TGGJetfire2.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Bandai's gonna suuuuue.]]

On a trip into the future with her companion [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], the humanoid computer [[Teletraan 15]] encountered the Autobot scientist Jetfire. He immediately realized that they had come from a different time and cautioned them that the area was about to become a war zone. Recognizing Jetfire's scent despite the unfamiliar body, Steeljaw asked if he was the same being as his old warrior acquaintance.

Concerned for the pair's safety, Jetfire offered to take them to his commander, unaware that the Decepticons [[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]] and [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] were following. Under heavy attack, Jetfire and his passengers were saved by the intervention of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Battle Convoy]].

After the battle, Teletraan 15 recorded Jetfire's information and announced that her mission to restore [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I's]] damaged databanks was at last complete. Before she and Steeljaw returned to their own era, Jetfire asked 15 to tell him something: in her travels through time, had she ever discovered when the fighting would end? When would the progress of science finally bring about peace? {{storylink|15 Go! Go!#Jetfire|Jetfire}}

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===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Jetfireg1marvel1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Brainless Jetfire brings home small mammals.]]

Early in the war on [[Earth]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] held the head of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] captive, hoping to use the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] he possessed to create a new army of Decepticons. Optimus Prime had secretly passed the energies of the Matrix onto the teenaged [[human]], [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], so Shockwave was stopped short of giving Jetfire's constructed body life. Shockwave soon learned of the human's involvement, so he sent Jetfire after the human anyway, though the lifeless robot could do nothing more than follow orders. When Jetfire found Buster, he was accompanied by the Autobots [[Bluestreak]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] for his protection, but it was Buster's Creation Matrix powers that ultimately disassembled Jetfire before their eyes. Buster reassembled Jetfire, and with Bumblebee's help, changes were made to allow Buster to directly control him. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}}

[[Image:Jetfireisafunnyguy.jpg|left|150px|thumb|A sense of humor that borders on murderous negligence.]]

However, Jetfire's programming reasserted itself, and maneuvered so wildly that Buster, riding in the cockpit, blacked out. Buster woke up inside Shockwave's base at [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]], strapped to a machine ready to drill the Creation Matrix out of him. In the meantime, knowing that the Autobots were eavesdropping on him, Shockwave sent Jetfire to drop a fake Optimus Prime head at a disclosed location for the Autobots to find. The fake head attached itself to Optimus Prime's body and began attacking the Autobots, causing many injuries. At the last moment, Buster was able to control Jetfire once again, knocking out Shockwave, and delivering the true Optimus Prime head to the Autobots, allowing them a costly victory. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

With Optimus Prime fully restored, Jetfire was quickly given life and joined the Autobots. ''He was briefly mistrusted due to his Decepticon origin, and during the Dinobot Hunt Ironhide resented being given orders by someone with a Decepticon badge; Jetfire proved himself by restraining [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], and had his Decepticon badge torn off in the process. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], who still didn't trust Jetfire, almost deactivated him and returned him to the Decepticons as part of a deal for technology with Ravage, but decided against it at the last minute.'' {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}}

Having proven himself, he was granted the [[Rite of the Autobrand]] marking him as one of their rank. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} When Bumblebee, depressed, had left the Autobots and gotten himself attacked by the Decepticons, Jetfire eagerly came to his rescue. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}} Later, Jetfire helped the Autobots approach the Decepticon base to steal information that would allow them to build their own [[combiner]]s. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

[[Image:Jetfireyourehit.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Naw, you think?]]

''When Optimus Prime and Prowl were lost in Limbo and Galvatron assumed command of the Decepticons, Jetfire became acting leader. His headstrong tactics got the Autobots defeated several times, and out of desperation he even formed an alliance with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. He also mistrusted Ultra Magnus, thinking his arrival too convenient. However, after seeing Magnus be beaten half to death trying to stop Galvatron, Jetfire realised he was wrong and came to his aid. When the future Decepticon was driven off, Jetfire thanked Magnus for all he'd done. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}''

[[Image:Skalorjetfiredie.jpg|left|150px|thumb|At least look at him when you're killing him, Starscream!]]

Jetfire accompanied [[Donny Finkleberg]] to the spot where Finkleberg claimed seven Autobots had crossed over from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], though they found nothing but traces of oil. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} ''Soon afterwards, several missions made Jetfire worry that his response time was quicker when humans were in danger than Autobots were, and he talked with Buster Witwicky to come to terms with this; he came to realise that it was because he viewed Earth as his home, as he'd been built there.'' {{storylink|The Gift}}

After the death of Optimus Prime, Jetfire voted for the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to take command. He later seemed to regret this decision, offering to help [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] usurp him, and when the rivalry ended in a duel staged on Earth's moon, he was among the Autobots who watched. When the Autobots were ambushed by the entire Decepticon army, he was blasted out of the sky by both [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] absorbed the power of the [[Underbase]], Jetfire led the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] in the first attack against him in [[New York City|New York]]. Only Jetfire managed to evade Starscream's lethal retaliation, but a second shot following the death of the [[Skalor|last]] [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] was not as easily avoidable. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}
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===See & Read Video===
He went on a lot of suicide missions.

{{charstubfiction}}

===Transformers Pop-Up Book===
Jetfire was one of many to participate in the battle at [[Castle Decepticon]]. He may have in fact been a Decepticon himself. {{Storylink|Transformers Pop-Up Book}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:Jetfiredarkages.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I bet Skywarp pulled that mask over his face a lot in junior high.]]
Before the war, the scientist Jetfire and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] were friends. But when Starscream joined the Decepticons in their assault on outlying city-states, Jetfire was torn. If he followed his beliefs and upheld justice and life, he would end up facing his dearest friend on the battlefield. Jetfire did end up with the Autobots, but not before a barrier of distrust had been built between them due to his inaction and his past loyalties.

These loyalties came to a head during a period when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] were presumed lost forever, the two factions splintered into five. Events conspired behind the scenes, building up to an unknown crescendo, and Jetfire was suspicious. Putting his already-shaky trustworthiness on the line, he met up with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in secret to discuss the looming front of darkness. However, the source of these machinations, [[The Fallen]], had leaked their correspondence to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who held a grudge against the scientist. {{storylink|Devastation (Dreamwave)|Devastation}}

[[Image:Jetfireg1dw.jpg|left|180px|thumb|I've always said there's nothing an agnostic can't do if he really doesn't know whether he believes in anything or not.]]

Grimlock assaulted Jetfire at his intended meeting place, but both were overwhelmed by The Fallen and dragged far inside [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and strapped to a four-paneled contraption in the [[Well of All Sparks]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}} Jetfire, Grimlock, [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]], and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] were the "[[Angles of Dissolution]]," four "unique sparks" which could catalyze the breach of the [[Seal of Primus]]. Combined forces from several factions penetrated The Fallen's operation, but despite Jetfire and Grimlock's teamwork, The Fallen was destroyed only by his own scheme — the hand of [[Primus]] reached out, awakened from his slumber, and smote the enigmatic being to pieces. Jetfire, a skeptic towards things supernatural, began to wonder if there might be something bigger than them going on, something no one could comprehend. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

Long after, Jetfire and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] were sent out into space to search for the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Arriving on [[Earth]], they were attacked by [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], but Jetfire disabled him with an EM pulse from their ship. When he ventured outside to identify his assailant, he was caught in an avalanche and buried in ice.

[[Image:DWAtonement Jetfire Sunstorm.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The power of Primus compels you!]]

Millions of years later he was found by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and stored aboard the [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]], still encased in a block of ice. When the zealot [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] arrived on Earth, Starscream freed Jetfire from his icy prison to stop him. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} An uneasy alliance formed between Jetfire, Starscream, and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s team of Autobots as they tried to come up with a plan to stop the unbelievably powerful [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]], but Sunstorm was unstoppable. Jetfire started to consider that Sunstorm might be supernatural, despite his natural skepticism. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} During their encounter, Jetfire realized that Sunstorm's internal fusion reactor was about to go critical, and flew him up into space where he could explode without risk to the Earth. Jetfire was seemingly annihilated in the explosion. His demise caused Bumblebee to throw down his arms and quit the war. {{storylink|Atonement}}

{{Note|It was revealed long after the demise of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] that an issue was planned that involved the return of both Jetfire and The Fallen, meaning his "death" would not have been final.}}
{{-}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
During a Decepticon attack on an Autobot peace ceremony, Jetfire fought back and fired on [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], only to be ordered to cease fire as Optimus Prime was using the Decepticon to negotiate with [[Serpent O.R.]] When it turned out that the negotiations involved Prime giving himself up to the Decepticons, Jetfire joined a team of Autobots led by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] who were planning on rescuing him. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4}} Together with [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], they fought and defeated Serpent O.R.'s Decepticon army. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:Jetfireclassics.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"I'm a scientist, Ranger Brad. I don't believe in anything."]]
Years of war had put the Transformers' home world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] through too much punishment, meaning a spiral into planet-wide cataclysm, a consequence the scientist [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] had foreseen. Jetfire and other Transformers scientists ignored his warning, until it was too late. Thunderwing underwent the [[Pretender|polydermal grafting]] process he had developed, and was driven insane, forcing the Autobots and Decepticons to unite and try to stop him. Jetfire spent the battle trying to figure out a way to effectively counter Thunderwing, but Cybertron itself swallowed Thunderwing before he could find a way. Cybertron was abandoned as a result.

Seven hundred stellar cycles later, and against regulations, Jetfire and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s traveled to the supposedly-abandoned husk of Cybertron from their science vessel, the ''[[Calabi-Yau]]'', to investigate a strange energy reading. Though it violated several command directives, Jetfire decided to lead a recon mission to the surface. Despite the misgivings everyone had, Jetfire remained adamant that they investigate, saying that a failure to investigate was what doomed Cybertron to begin with. Upon arriving on the dead surface of the planet near [[Thunderhead Pass]], Jetfire, [[Scattershot]], [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] were ambushed by a mysterious group of robots with stealth abilities. The Technobots were badly damaged and Jetfire was captured. When he revived, he found his [[Pretender|captors]] worshiping the reanimated corpse of Thunderwing. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1}}

[[Image:Stormbringer4 JetfirePrime plainlanguage.jpg|left|300px|thumb|I just plumb don't understand alla' yer fancy talkin'...]]

Their leader, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], wished to revisit the mad scientist's plot and harness the power that accelerated the planet's death in a apocalyptic torrent all those years ago. Jetfire pleaded with Bludgeon not to again unleash the powers that destroyed their planet, but he was ignored, and his attempts to escape were thwarted. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2}} Thanks to a distress signal sent by the remaining Technobots in the ''Calabi-Yau'', [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Wrecker]]s soon arrived, released Jetfire, and defeated his captors, just before an alert system announced the arrival of Thunderwing, newly reborn. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3}}

Fortunately Jetfire was able to figure out that the [[Ultra-Energon]] powering Thunderwing would be depleted in a prolonged struggle. This allowed Optimus Prime, the Wreckers, and the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to stop the monstrosity without destroying Cybertron. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4}}

Jetfire was later called in to take the [[Pretender Monster]]s to the [[Garrus-9]] prison and attempt to cure them. {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} Every previous attempt had failed, but whether he may have found a cure to their combined minds was then rendered moot when the Decepticons attacked and abducted the Monsters. He convinced [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] to let [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] "escape" to hunt the Monsters down, and they would invent some story afterward. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime arrived on Garrus-9, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] activated the [[Nega-Core]] and its guardian, Thunderwing, on [[Corata-Vaz]]. Prime ordered Jetfire to summon the Wreckers to face off against Thunderwing again. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}} Unfortunately the Wreckers proved to be little more than an annoyance to the guardian, and Jetfire, believing he had ironed out the bugs, received permission to test Thunderwing's experiment on four Autobots, deciding things couldn't really get much worse. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}}

With the experiments taking a while, Jetfire decided to re-use Bludgeon's Axis Cradle and use it to take control of, and shut down, Thunderwing. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} This saw him marked for death by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], who took remote mental control of Bludgeon's body on Garrus-9. Faced with a hideous monster about to kill and his own inability to move, Jetfire... calmly noticed how slowly Bludgeon was moving, worked out Jhiaxus was trying to control the monster ''and'' monitor pan-galactic fronts, and baited him with the imminent collapse of his strategy, causing Jhiaxus to freeze in panic.

After the crisis was over, Jetfire covertly monitored [[Gorlam Prime]] in its transformation into a new Cybertron. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Three years later, Jetfire arrived on Earth after the Decepticons leveled the infrastructure of the Autobot war machine. Along with [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], he was taken in by Optimus Prime's unit as a refugee from the devastation. {{storylink|Spotlight: Prowl}} When Prime abandoned the Autobots and surrendered to Skywatch, Jetfire joined Hot Rod when he decided to leave the planet, as just sitting in a cave absorbing the humans' primitive wireless signals was driving him nuts. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} The group needed all the help they could get in getting off Earth, Hot Rod liberated several Decepticons from [[Skywatch]] and told Jetfire to undo their restraints using technology acquired from [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]. Jetfire was hesitant about helping the enemy, but Hot Rod assured him that were no sides anymore. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

Well, Hot Rod was wrong. [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and his Decepticons turned on Jetfire and the others after the starship was complete. Swindle even used some of the 'Cons Jetfire reactivated to create a new gestalt, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. With the help of Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s crew and the humans of Skywatch, Menasor was dismantled. As Rodimus fled the planet, Jetfire and the rest of the Autobots rejoined Bumblebee's command. {{storylink|Earthworks}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Transformers issue 7}}

{{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
With most of the Autobots defeated, the severely damaged Jetfire was with Optimus Prime's crew in the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]], the last pocket of Autobot resistance in the galaxy. After the treacherous [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] conned his way into their bunker and allowed the Decepticons in, he used Jetfire's life as a bargaining chip (despite [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet's]] best efforts to protect him) to get Optimus Prime to surrender. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] refused to give up fighting until he realized just how badly Jetfire needed repairs. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===Classics Toy Bio===
The first Cybertronian to travel to the black depths of deep space, Jetfire encountered the [[Star pirates]] of the blot nebula, and is the only one to ever have faced and defeated them. He was known as a famous hero for these deeds, but he disappeared millions of years ago, much to the dismay of Cybertron's populace. However, once he was uncovered from inside a glacier, he rose to challenge the treat of the Decepticons immediately. {{storylink|Jetfire (G1)#Classics|Voyager class Classics Jetfire toy bio}}
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===Henkei! Henkei!===
====Dark Skyfire bio====
In an era millions of years before the establishment of the Decepticon faction’s army, Skyfire was specialized for outer space exploration, his entire body coated with a substance that protected it against unknown viruses, magnetic storms, and the like. Although he had a strong scientific curiosity, he agonized over it being at odds with his great combat skills.

====''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic====
[[Image:Henkei 04 autobot skyfire.jpg|left|200px|thumb|No magic insignia-swapping stickers this time.]]
[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] questioned [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] about the new mech they'd found frozen in a glacier up in the Arctic Circle, but Starscream had ''unsavory'' plans for it involving a mask/helmet thing.

Back in [[Japan]], the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] raided an energy plant, revealing the newcomer as Skyfire. Amidst the plundering, Skyfire pleaded with Starscream to stop shooting at the [[human]] workers, but to no avail. Luckily, the Autobots showed up to save the workers. Skyfire's pleas caused Starscream to yell at him, exclaiming that Skyfire's reason for living was to be a soldier. Just before getting shot at, Skyfire finally ripped off the control helmet and declared himself a scientist (with a sweet new Autobot symbol, too). However, he said he ''would'' become a soldier, if only to defend humans from those like his old friend. Watching the Seekers retreat, Skyfire wistfully reminisced that he and Starscream never really got along that well in the past, anyway. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 4}}
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====''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun manga====
{{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} {{storylink|Wataru's Power}} {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}} {{storylink|Revenge (issue)|Revenge}} {{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}} {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}

{{charstubfiction}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
{{picsneeded|"Alternate transformation".}}
[[Image:Jetfireg1toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Don't expect Takara to reissue this toy any time soon.]]
* '''Jetfire''' (1985)
**''Accessories:'' "Photon Missile Launcher", rifle mounting pod, "Turbo Thruster" booster pack, 2 leg guards (left & right), 2 arm guards, 2 fenders

:A [[redeco]] of the [[Takatoku Toys|Takatoku Toys]] ''Macross'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie, Jetfire features three modes: robot, jet, and an "alternate transformation" (Called "Gerwalk" form in ''Macross'') that deploys his arms and legs in jet mode. Additionally, Jetfire comes with several red pieces of armor and rocket booster backpack that can snap onto his arms, legs, and back in any mode. He has noticeably more articulation than the other ''Transformers'' in the line at the time.

:The shoulder assembly where the jet mode folds in half for robot mode is one of the more commonly broken parts in the early ''Transformers'' toy line. The more rigid plastic used on the armor pieces also means that it's not uncommon for their attachment clips to have snapped off. And finally, the small black clip-piece that attaches Jetfire's rifle to his jet mode is possibly one of the most commonly missing accessories on secondhand Jetfires, if not secondhand Transformers all around. The fact that the instructions don't tell you what to do with it doesn't help. The piece is used to hold Jetfire's rifle via the clip attached to the arm, as well as under the jetmode as a belly gun.

:There were main two variations of the toy: one featuring the ''Macross'' UN Spacy logo on the wings, and one without the logo. The Macross logo was either painted on or came as a sticker. The logo-less variant has a continuous red strip along the length of the wing, whilst both logo versions have a slight gap in the paint apps surrounding the logo.

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:Jetfire-G2toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I'm not a traitor!]]
* '''Jetfire''' (Cyberjet, 1995)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TRF-16'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 missiles
: Jetfire was released in ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' as one of the Autobot [[Cyberjet]]s, a [[redeco]] of the Decepticon [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]]. He transforms into a proposed swing-wing naval variant of the F-22 Raptor. He is armed with a pressure-launched missile fired from his right arm, which also forms a weapon in fighter mode.

: Interestingly enough, his toy has Decepticon [[Insignia|faction symbol]] stickers, despite being released as an Autobot.

: The Japanese release of Jetfire came with an [[:Image:Jetfire-JG2decal.jpg|extra decal sheet]], featuring white tiger markings, extra ''Generation 2'' Autobot symbols (presumably to cover the Decepticon ones that were factory-applied), and "battle damage" markings.

:[[R-Blade]]'s expanded bio in the ''[[Robot Masters]]'' sourcebook specifically mentions Jetfire as the leader of the Autobot Cyberjets, even though no mention of this is made in Jetfire's ''Generation 2'' bio, in the US ''or'' Japan.

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Jetfiretitaniumwarwithin.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Unfortunate landing gear placement.]]
* '''Jetfire''' (6-inch Cybertron Heroes, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' 2 cannons, display stand with removable nameplate

: Jetfire is based on [[Don Figueroa]]'s design as seen in [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s ''The War Within'' miniseries, which in turn was based on Figueroa's [[Kitbashing|scratch-build custom]] Transformer, [http://www.tfarchive.com/fandom/kitbashes/Don_Figueroa/Kitbash_Retrospective/?dgallery_show=./strikefire_2.jpg Strikefire]. He transforms into a Cybertronic fighter plane with armor add-ons.

: As with all ''Titanium Series'' figures, Jetfire's toy is constructed of both die-cast metal and molded plastic, and it comes with a plastic display stand featuring his name and his faction logo. In jet mode, landing gear can be deployed from underneath the fuselage and both legs. In robot mode, the two wing cannons can be removed to be held by the robot either separately or combined together into a single weapon.

{{-}}

===Classics===
[[Image:Jetfireclassicsvoyager.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We're getting almost as many Jetfires as we are Optimus Primes.]]
* '''Jetfire''' (Voyager, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Rocket Booster pack, rifle, 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles, helmet

: ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' Jetfire's design is an amalgam of the original cartoon/comic model for Jetfire/Skyfire and the original toy. It not only features removable armor like the original toy, but the toy-inspired head can be removed like a helmet to reveal a cartoon/comic-inspired head. The jet mode pays [[homage]] to ''Generation 2'' Jetfire in being a [[wikipedia:Variable geometry wing|swing wing]] aircraft, but while the body resembles the design of an F-14 Tomcat, which is the model of the [[wikipedia:VF-1 Valkyrie|VF-1 Valkyrie]], but with the nosecone squared off to resemble the cartoon/comic renditions. The toy's add-on booster packs have flip-out reveal cannons, and it also features arm-mounted spring-loaded missile launchers. Somewhat uselessly, the arms rotate below the elbows and at the wrists, but don't rotate above the elbows.

: An unexpected level of detail can be found on the black non-firing rifle; when it is assembled, the gun's "sight" comes together in a way that would be functional on a full-size weapon.

: The toy's design was first featured on the solicited cover to [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] ''[[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]]'' #1. Contrary to popular opinion, it was not designed by [[Don Figueroa]].

: A "ghost" [[redeco]] of this toy, with black plastic and silvery electric paint deco, was shown by [[Hasbro]] in a news broadcast about their attempts to cheer up a Rhode Island orphan. Sadly, this version was never released.

: This mold was [[Retool|retooled]] to make the [[BotCon 2007]] version of [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]], and [[redeco]]ed to make the ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' version of [[Tread Bolt]].



[[Image:Jetfireclassicslegends.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Jetfire''' (Legends, 2006)

: This toy is a [[redeco]] of [[Legends Class|Legends of Cybertron]]-class [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], transforming into an SU-37 fighter jet.

:This mold was later redecoed into ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], and then ''Universe'' [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] from the Target-[[exclusive]] "Special Team Leaders" Legends-class figure pack.

{{-}}

===Attacktix===
*'''Jetfire''' (unreleased)

:''[[Attacktix]]'' Jetfire was heavily based on his ''Titanium Series'' toy, and would've featured an oversized gun from which he fired a single missile. He was displayed at various conventions, but was ultimately canceled alongside the entire ''Attacktix'' line.

{{canceledtoy}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Jetfire toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Comes packaged in a block of ice for "show-accuracy".]]
*'''Skyfire''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Hydrogen-fuel Turbo Thruster Pack, rifle, 2 photon missile launchers, 2 infrared homing missiles, helmet

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Skyfire is a redeco of ''Classics'' Jetfire. The primary changes to his deco are mainly for better resemblance to Skyfire's Generation 1 cartoon model's appearance (in particular painting most of the canopy to make it appear smaller), rather than the Jetfire/''Macross'' design. Of amusement is the fact the fighter's airbrake has been painted blue to be a faux secondary canopy. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, he lacks the heat-sensitive rubsign seen on the ''Classics'' release, but instead has several [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] parts (his jetpack's exhaust nozzles). It also includes a [[Henkei! Henkei! (pack-in comic)|mini-manga]] detailing the events that lead to Skyfire's appearance in the Henkei universe (mini-manga universe, that is).
{{-}}

===Gentei! Gentei!===
[[Image:gentei-darkskyfire-toy.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A [[Repurposing|potential]] figure for ''Shattered Glass'' Jetfire.]]

*'''Dark Skyfire''' (Voyager, 2010)
**''Japanese ID number:''
**''Accessories:'' Hydrogen-fuel Turbo Thruster Pack, rifle, 2 photon missile launchers, 2 infrared homing missiles, helmet
:''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Gentei! Gentei!]]'' Dark Skyfire is a [[Toy Hobby Market]] [[exclusive]] [[black repaint]] of ''Classics'' Jetfire. The primary changes to his deco are mainly for making him, uh, darker. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, he lacks the heat-sensitive rubsign seen on the ''Classics'' release, but instead has two vacuum-metallized parts (his jetpack's exhaust nozzles). The backpack cannons have also been significantly remolded to make the barrels and stalks on which they are mounted a single piece with a new joint. This change is likely to make the barrels more durable under the constant spring-loaded strain of being hidden.

:The extent of Dark Skyfire's 'Dark' varies from image to image, early pre-production mockup images showed a dark matte grey similar to e-Hobby [[Astrotrain (G1)#Toys|Astrotrain]], whilst later images appeared gloss black with high-contrast silver details, leading to speculation that this redeco is the previously unreleased 'ghost' Classics Jetfire. Some possible hints of this remain, such as the Hasbro Classics-styled open cockpit instead of the Henkei version's half-painted version, as well as entirely new paint operations such as the added stripes on the body near shoulders.

: Pre-orders for Dark Skyfire opened up on [[November 12]]th and closed on [[December 11]]th 2009, with the toys finally shipping sometime in March of 2010.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers - Mini Bust===
*'''Jetfire''' (2009)

[[Image:DiamondSelect G1Jetfirebust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|How ironic. Two more days and I would have completed my helmet.]]
:Released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2009, Jetfire was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. He is wielding his photon missile launcher but it uses the double-barreled cartoon design instead of the single-barreled version that came with the toy. The rest of the character design is a mixture of his cartoon/comic body. Having not been frozen in a block of ice when the Great War broke out; Jetfire was unsure of which side he should take in the conflict. He ultimately joined the Autobots after being betrayed by his friend Starscream.

{{-}}

[[Image:AFX ArmoredJetfire bust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Uh-oh, move along, nothing to see here...]]
*'''Battle Armor Jetfire Bust''' (2009)

: An exclusive to AFX, this version of the Jetfire bust features an interchangeable ''Macross''-inspired head design based upon his original ''Generation 1'' toy, two booster packs on his back and a "battle damaged" sculpt.
{{-}}

==Why "Skyfire"?==
[[Image:Jetfire-SkyfireModels.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I went from 98-ton weakling to muscle-bot on...the Dery plan!]]
We may never be certain of the exact circumstances behind the change from Jetfire to Skyfire. There are, however, a few known factors, and a lot of theories.

* Not all of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' product originated with [[Takara]]. Among others, the ''Macross'' Super Valkyrie, the toy that would become Jetfire, came from a company called [[Takatoku Toys]]. Why did Hasbro market non-Takara product? [[Bob Prupis]], one of the original members of the Transformers marketing team, would frequently go to Toy Fairs in Asia, where ''"any product that really looked good that was exciting we didn't care where it came from. We did some work with Bandai, who had been working with other people, and took a few products that looked right for our line"''.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/94f5cb70b08a646d G1 Hasbro marketing executives panel]</ref> The Super Valkyrie, then, must have met their criteria for inclusion.

* As a larger toy, it would follow that Hasbro would want to sell Jetfire by including him in the Transformers animated series. However, even though Hasbro had the rights to release Takatoku's Super Valkyrie in the US ''Transformers'' toyline, Hasbro's chief collaborator on ''Transformers'' was still Takara. It may have been that Takara always had plans to air the Transformer animated series in their own market (as it featured a majority of their products), and objected to the inclusion of a competitor's product on the show. This may also be why no other Takatoku-designed toys appeared in the series, although their relatively smaller sizes as compared to Jetfire may have been a factor in Hasbro not including them.

* As the theory goes, the Jetfire animation model was adjusted to look less like the toy as a compromise to Takara. However - perhaps because it now failed to look like the product it was supposed to be advertising - the character became "Skyfire".

* Conversely, it is possible that licensing issues played in to the decisions to change Jetfire to Skyfire; the [[Production bible|story bible]] for G1 writers mentions how Jetfire had been "transformed" into Skyfire for "legal reasons". See also [[#Notes|Notes]].

* The evidence of ''Robotech'' influencing Jetfire-related decisions is murky. That show began airing in syndication in March of 1985, whereas ''"Fire In The Sky"'', the first episode with Skyfire, aired December 8th, 1984 - and would have had to have been written and animated much before then. Statements indicate that it took nine months to edit Robotech together, placing the start of production somewhere around July of 1984. So... who knows. All that's certain is that Hasbro licensing the Super Valkyrie seemingly '''did''' prevent the use of that toy in Matchbox's ''Robotech'' toyline.

Beyond Prupis's statement and the notes in the story bible, however, nothing supporting (or denying) any of the previous statements have come out.

==Notes==
[[Image:TakatokuSuperValkyrie.jpg|thumb|250px|C'mon, Hasbro. You '''know''' you want to make a "Skull Squadron" version of ''some'' [[Jetfire (disambiguation)|Jetfire]]. What's [[Bandai]] going to do? Sic the Power Rangers on you?]]

*As mentioned above, unlike most of the early ''Transformers'' range, the Jetfire toy was designed by [[Takatoku Toys|Takatoku Toys]], being a [[redeco]] (with a minor retool to blunt the nosecone) of their 1/55 [http://1501bc.com/pretf/macross.html ''Macross'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie]. Naturally, because he was not designed by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], Jetfire was not released in Japan, since the toy (or, at least, a dozen variations of it) was released by one of Takara's rival toy companies.

* The story bible for the original animated series contains a different character model for Jetfire, one clearly based on the actual toy. This model did appear three times "fictionally," once as a miscolored, partially-obscured background character in the [[The Last Stand|fourth Marvel Comics issue]], again in the Marvel Comics as a [[Ashes, Ashes...|spectator at Optimus Prime's funeral]] (right next to his "Skyfire" model), and a third time in the animated portion of the commercial for Jetfire and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. It would also occasionally crop up in secondary media, such as coloring books.

[[Image:Jetfireg1commercial.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Lawsuit!]]

* In fact, the Transformers story bible offers seemingly contradictory statements on Jetfire. An early page notes how ''"JETFIRE has been "transformed" into SKYFIRE — with a different model — due to legal reasons. Do not use this character unless necessary"'',<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#012 Transformers Production Bible at Tfarchive.com]</ref> whereas a subsequent page on new Season 2 characters notes that ''"Although Reflector should no longer be used as a character in the series, JETFIRE will be redesigned and reintroduced in the near future"''.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#090 Transformers Production Bible at Tfarchive.com]</ref> As the Valkyrie-derived animation model never appeared in the cartoon, and Skyfire was never redesigned, it's uncertain just what these notes refer to.

* "Jetfire" is listed as a "Special Guest Star from Cybertron" on the [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for "Fire in the Sky". Later, on the cast list entry for "Fire on the Mountain", "Skyfire" is typewritten as part of the main cast list, but a drawn dash pointing to (or from) it leads to the handwritten name "Jetfire". From there on out, Skyfire is referred to as Jetfire in the listings.

* In the aforementioned Jetfire commercial, it claims that the ''Autobots'' created Jetfire, the "ultimate robot jet," to counter the Decepticon planes. As Sunstreaker, Hound, and Prowl are under attack, the trio release Jetfire from within an opening cliffside, revealing their new creation. (See image above.)

[[Image:Jetfire-Dutch.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Crazy moonman language!]]
* It's believed that there were some [[trademark]] issues with the name "Optimus Prime" in the Netherlands due to a manufacturer of kitchen utensils named "Optimus".<ref>[http://www.reocities.com/futuristgroup/veuro2.html Jetfire vs Optimus]</ref> Whether or not this was actually the case, Milton Bradley did not initially release Optimus Prime's toy, referred to Jetfire as the Autobot leader, and called Optimus "Jetfire" in the Dutch translation of the Marvel comic! Whatever the problem was, it was later rectified, as the Optimus Prime toy was later released and they stopped calling him "Jetfire" in the comic.

* The ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Omnicon]] [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] was created as an [[homage]] to Skyfire. He [[Blastification|would have been given the name "Skyfire" as well]], but the [[trademark]] had been secured (and registered) by Hasbro rival Mattel. Also on the homage front, ''Robot Masters'' [[R-Blade]] features a very Jetfirey deco.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Jetfire/jetfire.htm Jetfire at TFU.info]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Jetfire Jetfire's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/japanese/g2scans/G2Trans16.jpg English translation of Japan G2 minicomic #16]
*[http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/japanese/g2storypages.php?dgallery_show=g2story/G2StoryPage4a.jpg Japan G2 story page with English annotations]

[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics characters]]
[[Category:Cyberjets]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]

The Secret of the Ruins

2010-07-29T04:04:15Z

74.226.58.59: /* Synopsis */

{{episode|
|series=RiD
|ep=6
|title="The Secret of the Ruins"
|japanese=ギガトロンの襲撃!
|romaji=Gigatron no Shūgeki!
|translation=Gigatron's Raid!
|image=Thesecretoftheruins titlecard.jpg
|caption=This looks familiar...
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]], [[Studio Gallop]]
|airdate=[[May 10]], [[2000]] (Japanese) [[October 11]], [[2001]] (English)
|director=[[Yoshiaki Tsutsui]]
|animation studio=Studio Gallop
|written by=[[Junki Takegami]] (Japanese) [[Tom Wyner]] (English)
}}
'''Predacons attack.''' 
'''Invasion of the city.''' 
'''Sky-Byte finds ruins.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Secret of the Ruins Bullettrain in city.jpg|left|200px|thumb|I'm telling you the cafe is right around here!]]
In daylight, in the middle of [[Metro City]], [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] and his [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] attack, hoping to draw out the [[Autobot]]s. [[T-AI]] contacts the [[Autobot Brothers]], but can only find [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] and [[X-Brawn]], who report they're busy looking for [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] and [[Koji Onishi|Koji]], who've gone to explore some old ruins. T-AI orders [[Team Bullet Train]] into the city instead. The three trainbots transform and walk through the city towards the Predacons, who immediately attack with [[Gas Skunk]]'s acid breath. [[Railspike (RID)|Railspike]] uses missiles to ignite Gas Skunk's breath, and the incompetent skunk runs around, frying his two teammates. From the base, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] notes that the Predacons apparently aren't trying to heist some energy supply, and he is suspicious that the attack might be more than meets the eye.

[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], who wasn't at Megatron's attack on the city, explores a mountain range, looking for [[Payuma ruins|mysterious ruins]], which the Predacons learned about by using the [[psycho-probe]] to take the information from the mind of [[Kenneth Onishi|Dr. Onishi]]. Sky-Byte spies Side Burn, who is in the area with Koji to search for the same ruins, which Koji explains were left by the "Piyuma" Native Americans.

[[Image:Secret of the Ruins Sideburnkoji.jpg|right|200px|thumb|No, Koji, don't go into the light!]]
Koji and Side Burn find the ruins and enter inside on foot. Sky-Byte, who has followed the pair, fires missiles inside after them, trying to trap them inside. Side Burn detects the missiles in advance, and he tries to race through the cave (passing by [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]], who also happened to be exploring the ruins). After he eventually dodges the missiles, Side Burn radios a mayday message to base for help.

The Predacon Trio continue to get beaten by Team Bullet Train. Megatron, tired of waiting for Prime, engages the Autobots. Instead of helping out in the city, Prime goes to aid Side Burn.

[[Image:Secret of the Ruins Skybyteoptimus.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Jaws V: The Reconciliation]]
Sky-Byte, unaware that he's failed to kill Side Burn and his human friend, and also unaware that more Autobots are on the way, voyages into the ruins to find whatever made them so important to Dr. Onishi, assuming that it must be a source of power. Prime arrives and uses his [[Flying Fist]] to knock Sky-Byte down some stairs. Rather than fight Prime, Sky-Byte grabs the chest that holds the ruins' prize and races outside.

Megatron, hearing that Sky-Byte has completed his mission, calls off the urban attack. Instead of letting him escape unharmed, Team Bullet Train combine into [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]] and deliver a solid punch. The wounded Megatron retreats in his jet mode.

Exiting the ruins, Sky-Byte runs into the Autobot Brothers. The three blast Sky-Byte, who drops the chest in defeat. Prime catches the chest. With both Predacon attacks over, the Autobots open the chest and discover the prize: a photo of Koji and Dr. Onishi that the doctor stashed in the caves last time he and his son visited them. But more importantly, in the frame of the picture, the Autobots find a [[Doctor Onishi's microchip|microchip]] that could advance the plot.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
*[[T-AI]] (7)
*[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] (8)
*[[X-Brawn]] (9)
*[[Railspike (RID)|Railspike]] (10)
*[[Rapid Run (RID)|Rapid Run]] (11)
*[[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (12)
*[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] (13)
*[[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]] (16)

|h2=[[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]]
|c2=
*[[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Dark Scream]] (2)
*[[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] (3)
*[[Gas Skunk]] (4)

|c3=
*[[Dorie Dutton]] (5)
*[[Koji Onishi]] (14)
*[[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==
"It's the talking car. And guided missiles—but they didn't talk."
:—'''Kelly'''

"Now, Autobots... Let's see how you do against a real opponent. You'll soon discover that all your powers combined won't be enough to defeat me." 
"Do you talk this much all the time, or only when you've got two mouths?"
:—'''Megatron''' fails to intimidate '''Rapid Run'''.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Car Robots''===
This episode's ''Robots in Disguise'' dub was completed prior to 9/11, but it was not set to air until a few days after the tragedy. Due to several scenes involving the mass destruction of buildings by the Predacons, the episode was promptly pulled before it reached air and underwent extensive re-editing and re-dubbing to make it appropriate for broadcast. Consequently, the episode did not air until much later, well into the multiple-episodes-per-week schedule the show was keeping at the time. The original English version of the episode has never been released in any form; this list notes all the differences between the original ''Car Robots'' episode and the heavily-modified second ''Robots in Disguise'' version.
[[Image:Rid_ep6_deletedscenes.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
* The changes begin right away. The whole opening scene of the ''Car Robots'' version of this episode is original animation, depicting Megatron crashing through a building in [[Wikipedia:Shinjuku|Shinjuku]] late at night. Crowds of terrified onlookers watch as he declares that he will make them all kneel at his feet, after which the Predacon trio pop up on the roof of a building, then leap down. Gas Skunk unleashes a gas attack, melting and corroding a building, and the scene ends on a shot of the city's skyline, as black smoke rises up from it. This scene was almost entirely replaced for ''Robots in Disguise'', and a new opening was created by recycling clips of Megatron's arrival from "[[Battle Protocol!]]", sans any destruction. The only pieces of footage to survive from the ''Car Robots'' version of the episode are the cityscape, the Preadacons leaping down and Gas Skunk attacking; even the end of his attack is cut short, so as not to reveal the damaged building.
*In ''Car Robots'', Gas Skunk implies he ''could'' shoot gas out his butt if he wanted to, but chooses not to for decency's sake. ''Robots in Disguise'' plays it as him forgetting he's not a real skunk for a second.
*''Robots in Disguise'' once again replaces the Japanese toy ID numbers of the Autobot Brothers and Team Bullet Train with their names. The Spy Changers are briefly seen scrolling past, and ''Robots in Disguise'' just deletes their ID numbers without bothering to replace them.
*Everyone is just sort of... more... ''pissy'' in ''Car Robots''. Prowl is annoyed at Side Burn's disappearance, X-Brawn thinks he's chasing red sports cars, Optimus laments "I can't do anything with these guys!" and T-AI moans that the brothers' timekeeping is poor. In ''Robots in Disguise'', they have the decency to be ''worried'' about Side Burn, and Prowl suggests calling up Team Bullet Train to stand in for them while they search.
*As Team Bullet Train is summoned, ''Robots in Disguise'' adds a quick shot of the member select program screen before each character appears, with their names flashing. Got to remind the kids at home which toys to ask for!
[[Image:Rid_ep6_rockpaperscissors.jpg|right|thumb]]
*Railspike's intro scene is mirrored in ''Robots in Disguise'', which him driving across the screen from right to left, instead of left to right as we was in ''Car Robots''. The same is true of the scenes of the Predacons gathering on a rooftop, and Dark Scream spotting the Bullet Trains approaching.
*''Robots in Disguise'' adds one of its CGI POV targeting shots as Gas Skunk prepares to fire on the trains, and another as Railspike fires back.
*After Rapid Run and Railspike give each other a thumbs-up, ''Robots in Disguise'' cuts out a short scene in which Midnight Express mistakenly believes they're playing rock-paper-scissors, and gets yelled at by the others. The joke is repeated a little later into the episode, after the trains take down the Predacon trio, and is again cut from ''Robots in Disguise''.
*The first rock-paper-scissors gag is followed by a [[scene transition]] that involves an Autobot symbol quickly filling up the scene and receding; it's the first time it has been used in ''Car Robots'', but it will be seen again. ''Robots in Disguise'' mostly excises these and uses its own CGI scene transitions, as it has been doing since the first episode.
*In ''Car Robots'', Sky-Byte perches himself on a rocky peak and scans the horizon. ''Robots in Disguise'' added a commercial break just before this, so the panning shot of the skyline is moved to ''before'' Sky-Byte sits down, to serve as an establishing shot for anyone just joining the show after the break, rather than as Sky-Byte's POV.
[[Image:Rid_ep6_kappa.jpg|right|thumb]]
* ''Robots in Disguise'' cuts a short scene of Japanese wordplay when Sky-Byte first sights the entrance to the ruins. In ''Car Robots'', the Payuma ruins are known as the real-life "[[Wikipedia:Cappadocia|Cappadocia]] ruins", and Sky-Byte takes the name at face value, beliving it must have some connection to the mythical Japanese water monster knwn as the [[Wikipedia:Kappa (folklore)|Kappa]]. In two deleted shots, he mistakenly recalls the name as "Kappa's Navel" and "Kappa's Plate", imagining them in his patented comedy thought bubbles. The gag runs on into his flashback, where Megatron believes it's called "Kappa's Bellybutton", causing Sky-Byte to facefault, a brief action also cut from ''Robots in Disguise''.
* Sky-Byte's flashback to Megatron giving him orders is also quite heavily altered for ''Robots in Disguise''. In ''Car Robots'', Sky-Byte asks Megatron why he is attempting to conquer an insignificant planet like Earth, prompting Megatron to tell him that there is [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|something important]] hidden somewhere on it (thought the implication is that even Megatron doesn't know exactly what it is). In ''Robots in Disguise'', they just talk about prying "secret information" from Doctor Onishi's brain. The flashback is also shortened for ''Robots in Disguise'', as a long downward panning shot of the Megastar is removed.
* Side Burn and Koji's conversation about the ruins is shortened down for ''Robots in Disguise''. The ''Car Robots'' version also carried on the "kappa" gag, as Side Burn mispronounces "Cappadocia" as "[[wikipedia:sushi#Makizushi|Kappamaki]]", a kind of sushi roll with cucumber (he says he prefers tekkamaki, literally an "iron roll"). For ''Robots in Disguise'', this was changed to him mispronouncing "Payuma" as "pie humor," which he considers his preferred style of comedy.
[[Image:Rid_ep6_POV.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*Yet more POV shots! ''Car Robots'' includes some POV shots of its own, one when Sky-Byte watches Side Burn and Koji, and two more as his missiles track them. ''Robots in Disguise'' replaces them with their now-standard CGI efforts.
*Yet ''another'' POV shot is added to ''Robots in Disguise'' a minute later when Midnight Express targets Gas Skunk with his rifle. After he successfully blasts the Predacons, ''Car Robots'' has Midnight Express be very happy with himself, as it's his "first win". Railspike and Rapid Run give him a thumbs-up, and he sags, believing he has lost another round of rock-paper-scissors. The sag is cut from ''Robots in Disguise''.
*In a rather obvious cock-up, ''Robots in Disguise'' takes shots of Megatron's shadow looming over the Bullet Trains, and of the trains looking up at the villain in claw mode, and moves them to ''after'' he transforms into dragon mode, creating a visual continuity error.
*In ''Car Robots'', Optimus thinks that the mayday signal causing his chest to glow is chest pains caused by worrying! Ha!
*One last time for now: ''Robots in Disguise'' adds a CGI POV targeting shot as the Autobot Brothers prepare to fire on Sky-Byte.
*Scenes that ''Robots in Disguise'' extends with looped and repeated footage include:
**Optimus asking T-AI to activate the member select program.
**T-AI doing so.
**Prowl telling T-AI they can't find Side Burn.
**Prime telling T-AI to call up Team Bullet Train.
**Railspike and Rapid Run watching as Midnight Express stumbles through traffic.
**Rapid Run and Railspike's banter about Railspike's aiming abilities.
**Rapid Run giving Railspike a thumbs-up.
**Prime remarking that something smells bad.

===Animation or technical errors===
* After Side Burn ditches the missiles and transforms, the smoke around his feet appears to move backwards and forwards.

===Continuity errors===
* Optimus Prime describes Sky-Byte as "very clever."
* Dark Scream's "center laser" acts as a freeze-ray whereas it's never been used as such before.
* Speaking of Dr. Onishi, he has his glasses back — they were left behind when Megatron kidnapped him back in [[Battle Protocol!]].

===Transformers references===
*Doctor Onishi is subjected to the mind-reading psycho-probe, a callback to the mind-reading device from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Girl Who Loved Powerglide]]". It is even noted to run at 90,000 volts per scan, as the original did.

===Real-world references===
* Images in Dr. Onishi's mind include the Statue of Liberty, Arc de Triomphe and London's Tower Bridge.

===Trivia===
*One of the few factoids known about the original dub of this episode was that it featured Dorrie Dutton making a reference to "robo-terrorism of the mid-1980s". Dorrie's dialogue had to be re-recorded to remove this line when the episode was redubbed, but evidently regular actress [[Tifanie Christun]] wasn't available, as T-AI's voice actress [[Sandy Fox]] is performing the role.
*This episode shows one of the only times a Transformer has switched to robot mode while carrying a human passenger. Rather than being squished to death, Koji is ejected. The same thing happens in "[[The Human Element]]".

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Transformers: Car Robots'' — Vol. 2 ([[Pony Canyon]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Volume One ([[Maximum Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Three-Disc Box Set: Part 1 of 2 (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Evil Intent (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise / Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation / Action Man'' (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Season One (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Ultimate Collection (Maximum Entertainment)

==External links==
*[http://www.ridforever.info/transformers-transcripts/rid-episode-06-the-secret-of-the-ruins.php "The Secret of the Ruins" on RiDForever.info]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Secret of the Ruins}}
[[Category:Robots in Disguise episodes]]

Spychangers to the Rescue

2010-07-29T04:02:36Z

74.226.58.59: /* Synopsis */

{{episode|
|series=RiD
|ep=4
|title="Spychangers to the Rescue"
|japanese=忍者ロボ! スパイチェンジャー参上
|romaji=Ninja Robo! Spychanger Sanjō
|translation=Ninja Robo! Enter the Spychangers
|image=Spychangers_Rescue_Spychangers_Hit.jpg
|caption=OK, who had the chili?
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], NAS, Studio Gallop
|writer=[[Kazuhiko Gōdo]] (Japanese) [[Richard Epcar]] (English)
|director=[[Yoshiaki Tsutsui]]
|animation studio=Studio Gallop
|airdate=[[April 26]], [[2000]] (Japanese) [[September 13]], [[2001]] (English)
|continuity=
}}

'''Hot Shot, Crosswise, W.A.R.S.,''' 
'''Race Exertion Vehicle''', 
'''Ironhide, Mirage'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Spychangers Rescue Koji and Karl morning.jpg|left|thumb|200px|My glasses! I can't see without my glasses!]]
Under the cover of darkness, the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] trio try to steal the [[Plutonium Energy Generator]], but [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Autobot Brothers|Autobot brothers]] are there to stop them. During the battle, Optimus admonishes [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] for his reckless behaviour—if the generator is damaged, it may leak deadly [[zirconium gas]]. Fortunately at this point the Predacons retreat. (Don't worry, there's more to the episode than just that.)

[[Koji Onishi|Koji]] wakes up to the sound of a honking horn. He rushes outside and greets his friend [[Karl]] and Karl's father. The three leave for a biking trip.

[[Image:Spychangers_Rescue_Generator.jpg|right|thumb|200px|We'll try to kill him with a forklift...]]
The plutonium energy generator is loaded onto a truck and transported across the city. The Autobot brothers follow closely behind the generator. Side Burn develops a mild fear of the elements inside the generator that would be harmful to Transformers, but [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] keeps his brother in line. Traffic slows down due to [[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]]'s hacking the systems used to control the highways. The [[Autobot]]s suspect something is afoot, but stay in position.

Koji and company are also stuck in traffic, as is [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]].

The Predacons leap through traffic, approaching the truck carrying the precious generator and chasing off the driver. The Predacons steal the energy generator off of the truck while the present Autobots are busy transforming. Because the traffic prevents the Autobots from firing, [[T-AI]] deploys three of the [[Spy Changer|Spychangers]]. [[Hot Shot (RID)|Hot Shot]], [[R.E.V.]] and [[Crosswise (RID)|Crosswise]] reveal themselves to the Predacons, who decide to retreat with the generator rather than to stay and fight. Naturally, the Spychangers give chase.

[[Image:Spychangers_Rescue_Skybytegenerator.jpg|left|thumb|200px|da dun da dun...]]
The Predacons leap off the highway and into the water, and the three Spychangers follow and transform on the beach. The Predacons knock the three down using their lasers, but help comes to the three Autobots in the form of [[W.A.R.S.]], [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]], and [[Mirage (RID)|Mirage]]. The six soldiers dizzy the Predacons by literally running circles around them. But in the fight, the generator is dropped and rolls out of the sea into the grasp of [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]]. Slapper and [[Gas Skunk]] retreat with the generator, but the battle escalates further with the arrival of Prime and the Autobot brothers. However, Prime decides to let the Spychangers handle the Predacons on their own.

[[Image:Spychangers Rescue Statue.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Nyeh!]]
On the verge of being beaten, Sky-Byte decides that he can at least prevent the Autobots from getting the generator—by destroying it. The Spychangers leap to block his Tsunami Blaster. With all six Spychangers harmed by the blast, the Predacons grab the generator and get away. As the four regular Autobots regret the loss, the Spychangers laugh and reveal that in the confusion, they replaced the generator with a decoy, disguising the real one as a rock by draping a cloth over it.

In the Predacon base, [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] is pleased. But his pleasure turns sour when he tries to activate the decoy generator and it bursts open to reveal a mocking statue.

Koji and Karl, having finally gotten out of traffic, enjoy a bike race together. Optimus watches, glad that Koji is still able to enjoy himself despite the fact that the Predacons still hold his father, and promises again that they'll get [[Doctor Kenneth Onishi|Dr. Onishi]] back.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[X-Brawn]] (5)
* [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] (6)
* [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] (7)
* [[T-AI]] (15)
* [[Hot Shot (RID)|Hot Shot]] (16)
* [[R.E.V.]] (17)
* [[Crosswise (RID)|Crosswise]] (18)
* [[W.A.R.S.]] (19)
* [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]] (20)
* [[Mirage (RID)|Mirage]] (21)

|h2=[[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]]|c2=
* [[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] (1)
* [[Gas Skunk]] (2)
* [[Dark Scream]] (3)
* [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] (12)
* [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] (13)

|c3=
* [[Koji Onishi]] (8)
* [[Karl]] (9)
* Karl's father (10)
* [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] (11)
* Truck driver (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"You know, sometimes that Autobot worries me."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' regarding Side Burn.

'''Side Burn''': Listen, bro, I'm not feeling very well. I have to go see my mechanic. 
''(Prowl rear-ends Side Burn)'' 
'''Prowl''': You'll feel a lot worse if you don't get back in line! 
'''Side Burn''': Hey, cut it out! Can I go return a video now? Otherwise they'll charge me a late fee. 
'''Prowl''' and '''X-Brawn''': The answer is no!!
:—Side Burn fails miserably at getting out of his assignment.

"They don't pay us enough for this!"
:—A '''truck driver''' reacts to his truck being attacked by giant robotic animals.

"You Autobots oughta be more careful. You just might hurt some innocent bystanders if you keep that up."
:—'''Slapper'''

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Car Robots''===
*In ''Robots in Disguise'', the factory that the Predacons target is constructing a plutonium energy generator. In ''Car Robots'', it is just a vaguely-defined "powerful energy". ''Car Robots'' mentions several times that the Predacons want it to power their base; ''Robots in Disguise'' doesn't say why they want it.
*When Side Burn nearly shoots the factory by accident and Optimus deflects his shot with a Blaze Blaster, ''Robots in Disguise'' adds a shot of Prime actually firing the attack, which in ''Car Robots'' came from off-screen. The shot is created by taking the piece of footage that follows this scene, Prime ''completing'' the attack and standing back upright, and playing it backwards.
*After Side Burn leaves to pursue a red sports car, ''Robots in Disguise'' has Prime and X-Brawn worry about him, while in ''Car Robots'', they are just thinking about assigning escorts for the transport of the generator.
*''Robots in Disguise'' slightly shortens the scene of Koji being woken by Karl and his dad; in ''Car Robots'', the first honk of the horn doesn't wake him, and they have to honk again.
*''Car Robots'' has Karl simply comment on the traffic, where ''Robots in Disguise'' has him request that his dad take them to a construction site to cycle.
[[Image:Rid_ep4_comparisons.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]
*In ''Robots in Disguise'', Koji's flashback to his father's abduction is prompted by Karl's dad specifically inquiring after Doctor Onishi, but in ''Car Robots'', it's merely the kindly actions of Karl's father that cause Koji to remember his own parent. ''Robots in Disguise'' also adds some ripple effects to the beginning and end of the flashback.
*In ''Car Robots'', the Autobot Brothers are unable to pursue the Predacons because the streets are clogged by Slapper's traffic jam. In ''Robots in Disguise'', this specious reason is changed to their being unable to shoot because of the preponderance of innocent bystanders.
*T-AI's computer readouts on the Spy Changers are digitally altered in ''Robots in Disguise'' to replace the characters' Japanese toy ID numbers with their names (pictured). The entire sequence is further altered and reordered to add shots of the characters flashing on T-AI's screens before the scenes showing them rolling into action. In ''Car Robots'', the characters roll out in the order: Hot Shot, Crosswise, R.E.V.; but ''Robots in Disguise'' changes it to: Hot Shot, R.E.V, Crosswise, in accordance with the order they appear on T-AI's screen.
*''Robots in Disguise'' wildly reorders the frenetic scene of all the Spychangers shooting at the three Predacons. It also adds two CGI POV overlay to shots of Slapper and Darkscream as the Autobots target them (pictured).
[[Image:Rid_ep4_questionmarks.jpg|right|thumb]]
*When Sky-Byte finds he can't transform with the generator in his mouth, ''Robots in Disguise'' cuts out a shot of three cartoonish question marks appearing above his head (pictured).
*In ''Car Robots'', Prime refers to the Spy Changers crafty slight of hand with the generator as a "Ninja Substitution Technique", as they're portrayed as ninjas in Japan.
*After the Spy Changers deception is revealed, ''Car Robots'' has Sky-Byte quietly respect the ninjas' skills, while ''Robots in Disguise'' has him blame Slapper and company for the goof.
*Scenes that ''Robots in Disguise'' extends with looped and repeated footage include:
**Optimus telling Side Burn not to pursue the fleeing Predacons
**Prime and the Autobot Brothers' conversation about the danger of the energy generator as they escort it
**X-Brawn warning his brothers to stay alert just before the Predacons attack the truck
**X-Brawn alerting Optimus Prime to the Preacons' theft of the generator
**R.E.V. going into stealth mode
**The Spy Changers getting back up after the Predacons blast them
**Prime telling the Autobot Brothers to leave the battle to the Spy Changers
**Sky-Byte reacting to the generator still being intact
**Prowl lamenting the Predacons' apparent theft of the generator

====Second English dub====
[[Image:Rid_ep4_deletedshots.jpg|right|thumb|150px]]
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, this was one of several ''Robots in Disguise'' episodes that were pulled from rotation in order to be redubbed to remove content that was deemed unsuitable at the time. In the case of this episode, all references to the plutonium energy generator exploding if hit were removed, and replaced instead with the generator threatening to crack open, releasing zirconium gas that will corrode the Autobots' circuitry. The redubbed version is the only one included on [[Maximum Entertainment]]'s R2 DVD release of the series, and not even YouTube has the original version available. A transcript of the original broadcast version of the episode is available at [http://www.ridforever.info/transformers-transcripts/rid-episode-04-spychangers-to-the-rescue.php RID Forever]. Additional changes include:
*When Slapper transforms upon attacking the truck, the original broadcast version featured him uttering an incorrect transformation code phrase, "Robot Mode!" The redub replaces it with the correct "Terrorize!" and furthermore, splices in his transformation stock footage sequence.
*Two shots of panicked commuters fleeing as the Predacons attack the truck (pictured) are removed, replaced with a close-up of Slapper delivering some new dialogue about Megatron being pleased with them.
*A scene in which Prowl launches one of his flamethrowers (here called a "Jet Claw") after the Predacons, only to have it blasted by Slapper, causing it to crash into a truck and explode, is deleted outright. Slapper's dialogue immediately following this is also changed to reflect the scene's removal.
{{--}}

===Animation or technical errors===
* When Karl's dad's car pulls up, it has a green bicycle on the roof. When Koji emerges from his house, he's pushing a green bicycle, and the bike on the car is now yellow (and they swap colours again for the next shot too).
* The member select for Crosswise erroneously reads "CROSSWIRE", and Hot Shot's name is displayed as one word.
* A shot at the beach has Sky-Byte being drawn with a different mouth [[Bullet Train to the Rescue#Animation_or_technical_errors|again]].

===Real-world references===
* X-Brawn mentions that he's traveling down "Osaka Boulevard".

===Trivia===
* The [[Spy Changer|Spychangers]], unlike the other Autobots, don't recognize [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]].
* Before the member select for Hot Shot, R.E.V. and Crosswise comes up, a bunch of strangely irrelevant English text about design management scrolls past. It seems to mention Ikea a lot.
* Among the abilities displayed by the Spychangers are: camouflage; driving on any flat surface, no matter the angle; driving on water; and somehow producing a statue disguised as a plutonium energy generator out of nowhere.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Transformers: Car Robots'' — Vol. 1 ([[Pony Canyon]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Volume One ([[Maximum Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Three-Disc Box Set: Part 1 of 2 (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Evil Intent (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise / Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation / Action Man'' (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Season One (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Ultimate Collection (Maximum Entertainment)

==External links==
*[http://www.ridforever.info/transformers-transcripts/rid-episode-04-spychangers-to-the-rescue.php "Spychangers to the Rescue" transcript on RiDForever.info]

[[Category: Robots in Disguise episodes]]

Bullet Train to the Rescue

2010-07-29T04:00:47Z

74.226.58.59: /* Differences with Car Robots */

{{episode|
|series=RiD
|ep=3
|title="Bullet Train to the Rescue"
|japanese=合体せよ! 新幹線ロボ
|romaji=Gattai seyo! Shinkansen Robo
|translation=Unite! Bullet Train Robo
|image=Bullet Train Rescue Bullettrains.jpg
|caption=It's pink, so it's a girl, right?
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]], [[Studio Gallop]]
|written by=[[Yukiyoshi Ōhashi]] (Japanese) [[Steve Kramer]] (English)
|director=[[Akira Katō]]
|animation studio=Studio Gallop
|airdate=[[April 19]], [[2000]] (Japanese) [[September 11]], [[2001]] (English, limited markets) [[September 12]], 2001 (English)
|continuity=
}}

'''Railspike, (the gruff train)''' 
'''Midnight Express (fancy train)''' 
'''Rapid Run, (cool train)'''

==Synopsis==
[[Gas Skunk]] destroys an unmanned freight train and is promptly told by [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] that he's wasting his time and should be searching for energy. [[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] also takes out an unmanned freight train and is given the same lecture by the shark.

[[Image:Bullet Train Rescue Dutton Linear RFG.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Don't tell me the batteries died again!]]
The [[Autobot|Autobots]] watch a news report of the launch of the [[Linear RFG]], an automated train set to make its first run today. [[Koji Onishi|Koji]] is excited to be able to ride on the train, but [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Prime]], aware of the recent railroad incidents, keeps a watchful eye. He brings the three [[Autobot Brothers|Autobot brothers]], planning on following the train in case the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] try some shenanigans.

As anticipated, the Predacons are up to their regular hijinx and plant a [[pulsar bomb]] to sabotage the train's track where the tracks cross over a bridge. [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] and [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] engage the Predacons, while Prime radios the train's command center in hopes of halting the train before it reaches the scene of the battle. But because of [[Dark Scream]]'s meddling, communication with the train is shut off. To save the day, the Autobots need to call on the help of [[Team Bullet Train]].

[[Image:Bullet Train Rescue Bridgeexplode.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Improper usage of demolitions!]]
[[T-AI]] radios the three members of the team. Each of them abandons his human passengers (Much to [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]]'s annoyance, as [[Rapid Run (RID)|Rapid Run]] disrupts her commute to work) and rushes across the space bridge to meet with Optimus and the Linear RFG. Prime leaves the three to their own affairs so he can assist in fighting off the Predacons planting a bomb on the track ahead. Team Bullet Train radios Koji and asks him to request that the driver use the manual override to slow down the train, but the brakes aren't working and the train is speeding up, scaring the passengers. With the easy solution unavailable, [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] has the brilliant idea of coating the track with glue! [[Railspike (RID)|Railspike]] has a better solution, however: slow the train down by linking up with it.

[[Image:Bullet Train Rescue Optimusrailracer.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Their secret handshake took [[Units of time|vorns]] to perfect.]]
Ahead, the bomb explodes, taking out the bridge. The Predacons withdraw from the conflict, standing back to watch the anticipated carnage and leaving the Autobots to deal with the oncoming train. The Linear RFG rolls towards the gap, despite the additional weight of the three Bullet Trains trying to anchor it. So Optimus converts into his super mode and attempts literally to catch the trains to block them from derailing. Prime is successful, and the train comes to a stop before anything goes into the chasm. Sky-Byte tries one last chance to ruin the day, but Side Burn wrecks Sky-Byte's footing and aim.

Finally [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] arrives and begins battling the Autobots. Team Bullet Train returns, having moved the Linear RFG safely away from the destroyed bridge, and combine into [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]]. Overpowered by the force of Rail Racer's attacks, Megatron flees with his troops in tow. The menace defeated, Team Bullet Train gets back to work, and the Linear RFG completes its inaugural run watched over by Optimus.
{{--}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
*[[T-AI]] (7)
*[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] (8)
*[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] (9)
*[[X-Brawn]] (10)
*[[Railspike (RID)|Railspike]] (12)
*[[Rapid Run (RID)|Rapid Run]] (13)
*[[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (15)
*[[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]] (17)

|h2=[[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]]
|c2=
*[[Gas Skunk]] (1)
*[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] (2)
*[[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] (3)
*[[Dark Scream]] (11)
*[[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] (16)

|c3=
*[[Dorie Dutton]] (4)
*[[Koji Onishi]] (5)
*[[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"There's nothing going on here that would concern you."
:—'''Gas Skunk''' attempts the [[wikipedia:Jedi_Mind_Trick|Jedi mind trick]] on [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]].

"How about coating the entire track with glue! That would slow it up." 
"Dude, I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that."
:—'''Midnight Express''' fails to impress '''Rapid Run''' with his problem-solving abilities.

"Don't you even bother to say hello anymore?"
:—'''Optimus''' is disappointed at Megatron's lack of social graces.

'''Side Burn:''' Wow, how come we can't do that? 
'''Prowl:''' I don't know, I think they're double-jointed. 
'''Side Burn:''' Maybe they can teach us how to do that. 
'''X-Brawn:''' I was never a good student. 
'''Side Burn:''' Come to think of it, I wouldn't want to fuse with you guys anyway.
:—The '''Autobot Brothers''', after watching Team Bullet Train combine into Rail Racer.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Car Robots''===
[[Image:Rid_ep3_deleted_shots.jpg|right|thumb|175px|[[Dull surprise]]!]]
*In ''Car Robots'', Sky-Byte berates Slapper for attacking an empty train because it does nothing to show humanity the Predacons' ruthlessness. In ''Robots in Disguise'', he considers it a waste of time that's keeping him from searching for [[energon (fuel)|energon]]. This change leads into a general alteration to the plot of the episode: in ''Robots in Disguise'', Sky-Byte wants to steal energy from the Linear RFG, while in ''Car Robots'', he simply wants to destroy the train to prove the Predacons' power to mankind.
*''Car Robots'' specifically notes that Koji was able to get on the Linear RFG thanks to the influence of one of his father's friends.
*''Robots in Disguise'' cuts out a shot of a distressed engineer (pictured) reacting to Railspike's decision to go off on his own.
*As they arrive to join Optimus Prime, ''Robots in Disguise'' has Railspike and Rapid Run discuss the urgency of the mission. ''Car Robots'', meanwhile, has Railspike criticize Rapid Run for disregarding the priority of their passengers' safety.
*Where ''Robots in Disguise'' has Midnight Express simply comment on the time-saving nature of the Global Space Bridge, ''Car Robots'' has him bring up one of the characteristics from his Japanese toy [[bio]], a preference for driving through cold areas. As Rapid Run points out, this fondness for the cold is the reason for his perspiration when he arrives late to join his team-mates in warmer climes; in ''Robots in Disguise'', it's just plain old exertion.
*In ''Car Robots'', Railspike wants to alert the passengers on board the Liner RFG to the situation, but in ''Robots in Disguise'', he ''doesn't'' want to let them know.
*On discussing how to stop the Linear RFG, ''Car Robots'' has Midnight Express suggests using a big cushion, where ''Robots in Disguise'' has him propose coating the track with glue.
*After Rapid Run gets in front of the Linear RFG, ''Robots in Disguise'' cuts out a shot of Railspike and Mindnight Express moving behind it.
*A still reaction shot of Prowl (pictured) watching as the Linear RFG is about to slam into Prime is cut from ''Robots in Disguise''.
[[Image:Rid_ep3_blizzardstorm_vs_opticallaserstrike.jpg|right|thumb|275px|This reminds me of [[Kup (G1)|that old guy]] with the laser-shootin' Acid Musket!]]
*In ''Car Robots'', Optimus Prime uses his Blizzard Storm attack to explode the cliff out from under the Predacons. As this is done only through a pretty bizarre-looking shot of something that is not readily apparent as a jet of water shooting across the screen (pictured; Prime is shown with his cannon deployed after the cliff has exploded to explain the visual), coupled with the general oddness of water exploding a cliff, ''Robots in Disguise'' does away with it, and inserts some footage of Side Burn performing an "Optical Laser Strike" attack instead. This "attack" is actually a clip taken from the end of his transformation [[stock footage]] (also pictured), which features a flare of red energy erupting from his eyes and running across his visor.
*Scenes extended in ''Robots in Disguise'' by looped and repeated footage include:
**Slapper's dialogue just before he attacks the train
**Various bits of conversation between Prime, Koji and the Autobot Brothers in the Autobots
**Prowl's argument with Slappper and Gas Skunk
**Prime's conversation with the train technicians
**T-AI's selection of Team Bullet Train
**Railspike and Rapid Run's discussion about the Linear RFG
**Koji's discussion with Railspike
**Prime announcing that he must do something, before transforming into Super Mode
**Rapid Run requesting that they be allowed to move the Linear RFG back to a safe distance
**Prime's threat to the Predacons, and Sky-Byte's response

===Animation or technical errors===
* At one point Sky-Byte's mouth is drawn with a mouth interior behind it rather than the usual all-white.

===Continuity errors===
* While following alongside the train, Optimus says he'd "better get back to headquarters", but the next time we cut to him, he's still with the train.

===Trivia===
* The combined form of [[Team Bullet Train]], [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]], refers to himself in the plural.
* The humans seem to be quite familiar with Optimus Prime and who he is.
* It would appear that this episode was originally to be titled "Bullet Train Rescue", as this was the title offered by various sources before the episode aired. The error has not entirely gone away, as this title was used on the R2 DVD menus. That said, it might have been ''better'' if this title had been used, since the [[Spychangers to the Rescue|very next episode]] has a title that is almost exactly the same. This would not be the [[The Test (episode)|last time]] this [[The Fish Test|would happen]] in ''Robots in Disguise''.
* Rail Racer's "Super Turbo Punch!" consists of ''punching his opponent in the face''. Awesome!
* In some markets which aired cartoons in the morning rather than in the afternoon, this episode premiered on September 11th, 2001.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Transformers: Car Robots'' — Vol. 1 ([[Pony Canyon]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Volume One ([[Maximum Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Three-Disc Box Set: Part 1 of 2 (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Battle Protocol (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise / RoboCop: The Animated Series / M.A.S.K.'' (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Season One (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Ultimate Collection (Maximum Entertainment)

==External links==
*[http://www.ridforever.info/transformers-transcripts/rid-episode-03-bullet-train-to-the-rescue.php "Bullet Train to the Rescue" transcript on RiDForever.info]

[[Category:Robots in Disguise episodes]]

An Explosive Situation

2010-07-29T03:48:44Z

74.226.58.59: /* Differences with Car Robots */

{{episode|
|series=RiD
|ep=2
|title="An Explosive Situation"
|japanese=高速バトル! ゲルシャーク
|romaji=Kōsoku Battle! Gelshark
|translation=High Speed Battle! Gelshark
|image=Explosive Situation Skybyte bomb.jpg
|caption=Nom nom nom
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]], [[Studio Gallop]]
|written by=[[Junki Takegami]] (Japanese) [[Tom Wyner]] (English)
|director=[[Yoshiaki Tsutsui]], [[Akira Katō]]
|animation studio=Studio Gallop
|airdate=[[April 12]], [[2000]] (Japanese) [[September 10]], [[2001]] (English)
|continuity=
}}
'''Predacons need fuel.''' 
'''So they steal it from a car.''' 
'''[[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|Sound familiar?]]'''

==Synopsis==
A nighttime delivery of a power cell is ruined by [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], who devours the truck and steals away the cargo. But the energy he consumes doesn't satiate the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]]'s hunger.

[[Image:Explosive Situation Kojitai.jpg|left|200px|thumb|No Koji, this doesn't count as sex.]]
[[Koji Onishi]] receives a message from [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and rushes outside to be retrieved by the [[Autobot]] leader, who brings Koji to the Autobots' secret underground headquarters. Prime introduces Koji to the "proactive cybernetic interface program" called [[T-AI]], the Tactical Artificial Intelligence. The two become quick friends, despite T-AI's lack of a solid body. Optimus explains that the Predacons have been responsible for various battery thefts. The three [[Autobot Brothers|Autobot brothers]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], and [[X-Brawn]], patrol around in hopes of discovering a crime in progress (although Side Burn is easily distracted by his need to "rev up his engine").

[[Image:Explosive Situation Predaconbatteries.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They had to visit five Wal-Marts to collect this many.]]
Underwater, in his own hidden base, [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] mulls over his energy concerns. The Predacon trio arrives with a proposed solution: flashlight batteries. Megatron is unimpressed at how small his henchmen have been thinking. Sky-Byte uncloaks and presents his own, much better idea for powering the Predacons' base: They simply need to recover an energy bomb that some terrorists have hidden in a red sports car in [[Metro City]].

[[Image:Explosive Situation Kellyprowl.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Have you considered buying a hybrid?]]
At the docks, [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] is taking delivery of the last red sports car, which naturally contains the bomb. She takes it for a test drive, and before long is located by Sky-Byte. Unsurprisingly, Side Burn quickly arrives to hit on the car, prompting Sky-Byte to begin his attack. Prowl and Side Burn block the fish, but he swims/flies away and meets with the Predacon trio, who are trying to take the credit for recovering the bomb for themselves. Sky-Byte bites into the car to take it from [[Dark Scream]], shattering the car's structure. Trying to save the automobile, Side Burn unintentionally saves Kelly from certain death. Prowl apologizes to Kelly for letting the Predacons ruin her day.

With the explosive device in his teeth, Sky-Byte gradually floats back towards the Predacon command center, but X-Brawn steals the bomb right out of Sky-Byte's mouth. The rough handling causes the device to arm, and Sky-Byte warns X-Brawn of the impending explosion. Koji suggests taking the bomb somewhere high up, and X-Brawn uses his grappling hook to swing from building to building to the radio tower where he begins his ascent.

[[Image:Explosive Situation Skybyteinspace.jpg|right|200px|thumb|His bosses didn't like him so they shot him into space!]]
Realizing that the blast radius would be larger than the tower is tall, Optimus Prime rushes out of the base. In the city, X-Brawn tosses the bomb from the top of the tower as far upwards as he can. Using his "Power Stream" attack, Prime fires a blast of water at the bomb, carrying the explosive (and Sky-Byte) out of the Earth's atmosphere. Miles above the Earth, Sky-Byte triggers the explosive. The explosion fills the city's sky with a yellow glow, but no buildings are destroyed.

Once he's recovered, Sky-Byte begins a study of human culture but is frustrated by the combined power of the works of [[wikipedia:Charles_Dickens|Charles Dickens]] and [[wikipedia:William_Shakespeare|William Shakespeare]].

{{--}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[T-AI]] (6)
*[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] (7)
*[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] (9)
*[[X-Brawn]] (10)

|h2=[[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]]
|c2=
*[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] (3)
*[[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] (11)
*[[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] (12)
*[[Dark Scream]] (13)
*[[Gas Skunk]] (14)

|c3=
*Truck Driver (1)
*Truck Passenger (2)
*[[Koji Onishi]] (4)
*[[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] (8)
*[[Dorie Dutton]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==
"Here's a tip for you: Never ignore a warning from a shark!"
:—'''Sky-Byte'''

"Sorry, ma'am. I do apologize for the inconvenience. Are you all right?" 
"For someone who's been attacked by a giant flying squirrel and a huge toad, a maniacal shark and a monstrous skunk...sure, I'm just fine."
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Kelly'''

"What sort of nonsense is this? 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'? Best or worst, make up your mind!"
:—The subtleties of human literature are lost on '''Sky-Byte'''.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Car Robots''===
*As Koji comes running out of his house at the start of the episode, ''Car Robots'' has him calling Optimus Prime on his communicator, while ''Robots in Disguise'' flips the scene, and has Koji responding to a summons from Prime.
*''Car Robots'' is set in [[Tokyo]], while ''Robots in Disguise'' is set in the fictional [[Metro City]]. As such, ''Robots in Disguise'' has to refrain from naming the tower X-Brawn scales, which is quite plainly the famous [[wikipedia:Tokyo Tower|Tokyo Tower]]. Later in the episode, T-AI gives the tower's height as 500 feet; Tokyo Tower is actually 1093 feet tall (333 meters).
*In ''Robots in Disguise'', X-Brawn merely scales the tower to get a better vantage point, and grumbles about his shocks as he takes the stairs in vehicle mode. In ''Car Robots'', on the other hand, he is actually just goofing around, and ''enjoys'' the "rough terrain" of the stairs. This is just how X-Brawn is in ''Car Robots'', as shown as early as last episode.
*''Car Robots'' explicitly identifies the nationality of the terrorists. They're Korean.
*In ''Car Robots'', Slapper, Gas Skunk and Darkscream are worried about human police. In ''Robots in Disguise'', they're more concerned with the bomb going off prematurely.
[[Image:Rid_ep2_cutscene.jpg|right|thumb|200px|G-G-G-G-Ghost shark!]]
*''Robots in Disguise'' cuts out two shots of Sky-Byte pursuing Kelly, probably because they involve the slightly confusing use of a "ghostly" image of Sky-Byte, to show the audience that he is underneath the bridge. A few moments later, though, the show extends the chase scene by repeating footage of him chomping at Kelly's car's tail.
*In ''Car Robots'', Sky-Byte doesn't realize Prowl and Side Burn are Autobots until they transform. In ''Robots in Disguise'', he recognizes them on sight.
*In ''Car Robots'', Side Burn extends his arm to catch Kelly and her sportscar ''before'' they fall. ''Robots in Disguise'' reorders the scene to place this shot after the she starts plummeting.
*''Robots in Disguise'' combines some pieces of footage to create a new scene of Prowl telling X-Brawn to take the bomb to the top of the tower; in ''Car Robots'', X-Brawn comes up with this plan on his own initiative.
*''Car Robots'' has X-Brawn turn his head and spot Optimus Prime just after Prime rolls up. ''Robots in Disguise'' moves the scene to just before the audience sees Prime arrive.
*In ''Robots in Disguise'', the Predacons make fun of Sky-Byte for reading human books and not understanding them. In ''Car Robots'', however, they're actually quietly impressed at his ability to survive the explosion, but they then giggle when Darkscream points out he's still a show-off (the implication being that Sky-Byte reading books is nothing new, and the failure to comprehend them being a creation of the dub). ''Robots in Disguise'' also extends the scene by repeating the shot of Sky-Byte leaning over his book and grumbling in the middle of the Predacons' whispered exchange.
*Scenes lengthened in ''Robots in Disguise'' by looped and repeated footage include:
**Koji's introduction to T-AI, allowing the show to make its well-known "daughter of [[Teletraan I (RID)|Teletraan I]]" reference
**Sky-Byte's explanation before he plays Dorrie Dutton's news report
**Slapper and company's worries about the bomb
**Sky-Byte's warning to Prowl
**Kelly and Prowl's exchange after he catches her
**X-Brawn and Sky-Byte's argument over the bomb

===Animation or technical errors===
* Megatron pronounces the Transformers' preferred [[energon (fuel)|fuel source]] as "ener-gone."
* The colors of most of Prowl's Autobot [[insignia]] are inverted when he catches Kelly, and full-on miscolored yellow-orange when tries to think what to do about the bomb.

===Real-world references===
*As Sky-Byte approaches the rear of the truck and begins to take bites out of it, the soundtrack starts playing ''Jaws'' music.
* The book Sky-Byte reads from is ''A Tale of Two Cities'' by Charles Dickens. It's also ''Hamlet'' by William Shakespeare. Even the book can't make up its mind!

===Transformers references===
* T-AI introduces herself as the daughter of the [[Teletraan I (RID)|Teletraan I]] program. She mispronounces it "Teletron" in typical [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'']] style.
* The Predacon base is powered by [[Transwarp]] cells.
* Megatron requests that the batteries be converted into [[Energon cube|Energon cubes]].

===Trivia===
* This episode about terrorist bombs in cities first aired the day before 9/11. It SO never aired again.
* Sky-Byte's dramatic entrance inside the Predacon base suggests a power of invisibility or teleportation, or both. Whatever it was, he never used it again.
* The truck delivering the fuel cell has a license plate G39-20.
* Kelly's car which is destroyed at the beginning of the episode has a license plate J38-57.
* Kelly's custom XZ-12 sportscar, which she seems surprisingly willing to drive considering it's "the only one left that hasn't been searched" for a bomb, has a plate number J-68-85 (and sometimes J68-85).
* Side Burn is able to extend his arm while in vehicle mode.
* Optimus Prime's "[[Super Mode|battle mode]]" debuts in this episode, though he announces "Optimus Prime, Optimize!". For future episodes it's standardised to "Battle mode!"
*The highway damaged by Sky-Byte's entrance mysteriously disappears.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Transformers: Car Robots'' — Vol. 1 ([[Pony Canyon]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Volume One ([[Maximum Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Three-Disc Box Set: Part 1 of 2 (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Battle Protocol (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise / RoboCop: The Animated Series / M.A.S.K.'' (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Season One (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Ultimate Collection (Maximum Entertainment)

==External links==
*[http://www.ridforever.info/transformers-transcripts/rid-episode-02-an-explosive-situation.php "An Explosive Situation" transcript on RiDForever.info]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Explosive Situation}}
[[Category:Robots in Disguise episodes]]

Springer (G1)

2010-07-29T00:25:03Z

74.226.58.59: /* War Within Series */

{{factions|autobot|wreckers|autobotg2}}

{{disambig3|Springer}}
:''Springer is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Springer-decipherthedecepticon.jpg|right|300px|thumb|One of these days, Alice... POW!!!]]
'''Springer''' is the archetypical action hero: great in a fight, unselfconsciously brave, confident, and always ready with a dead-pan sarcastic quip to lighten the moment. Someone you can depend on to ride in, save the day and be smug about it.

Springer prefers fighting solo (''Ha!'') and lending a hand to friends where he can. Though his easy self-confidence is one of his most notable features, actually being responsible for others weighs heavily upon his otherwise jocular personality. Nonetheless, Springer ascended to lead the [[Wrecker]]s in many continuities. He has twice been named as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime's]] successor to take the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and lead the Autobots, though neither one actually came to pass.

Springer combines the thrusting power of his legs with his retro thrusters to move rapidly through the battlefield, leaping tall structures in a single bound. Although he is quite speedy, he is not faster than a speeding bullet.

{{quote|I've got better things to do tonight than die.|Springer in the defense of [[Autobot City]]|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

:''Italian name'': '''Bora'''
:''French-Canadian name'': '''Ricochet'''
:''Japanese name'': '''Sprang''' or '''Sprung'''<ref>Both are acceptable transliterations.</ref>(スプラング ''Supurangu'')
:''Hungarian name'': '''Szökkenő''' (exact translation)

== Fiction ==
===Cartoon continuity===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Neil Ross]] (English), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese), [[Willi Röbke]] (German), [[Frank Muth]] (German, ''The Transformers: The Movie''), [[Pierre Hatet]] (French, ''The Transformers: The Movie'')

[[Image:Springerarceecmonwoman.jpg|left|200px|thumb|C'mon, woman!]]
Springer was among the first Autobots to leap into the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005. He helped [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] transform the city into its heavily-armed, armored fortress configuration, and later used an oversized piece of artillery to bombard [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]].

When [[Unicron]] made his existence known to the Autobots by destroying two of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron's]] moons, Springer was among those who left Earth aboard a shuttle to stop the Chaos-Bringer somehow. The ship Springer was aboard crashlanded on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], where a battle erupted between the Autobots and the native [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], during which Springer dueled with the Junkion chieftain, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]].

After arriving at Cybertron, Springer and the other Autobots wound up inside Unicron himself, where they desperately fought off Unicron's internal defenses. Luckily, just as one of the defensive claws was about to crush him, Hot Rod opened the Matrix of Leadership, destroying Unicron and becoming Rodimus Prime. Springer and the rest escaped the monster by driving out through its eye and into space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

[[Image:Springerfivefacescopter.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The physics of this makes no sense.]]

A year later, Springer attended the first [[Galactic Olympics]] alongside his fellow Autobots. Unfortunately, the festivities were interrupted by an [[Skuxxoid|alien mercenary]] who turned the Olympic torch into a giant flash/smoke grenade, and then a battalion of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] attacked. Springer was able to douse the torch from the air, but by then, the attackers had already fled, having captured [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]. Springer immediately volunteered to track the escaped alien saboteur, and was joined by Arcee. They followed their quarry to his strange base ship, an asteroid-like spacecraft referred to as a "Rockeroid". The mercenary fled after misleading his pursuers into believing that the Decepticons were behind the attack, and Springer was fortunately able to pilot his ship (barely). {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

Springer flew the Rockeroid to the distant planet [[Chaar]], where he arrived just in time to save Rodimus Prime and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] from being beaten to scrap by a mob of Decepticons. Later, a badly-damaged Rodimus prepared to pass the Matrix on to Springer in anticipation of his imminent demise. Fortunately, the Autobot leader did not die, but rather experienced the Cybertronian equivalent of a near-death experience, wherein his [[Spark|"life force"]] left his body to embark on a very trippy (and poorly animated) journey into the Matrix itself. Immediately afterwards, Springer participated in a daring rescue mission to save Ultra Magnus and the others from the [[Quintesson]]s, only for the groups' ship to get caught in the explosion of [[Quintessa]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}}

Before long, they all wound up on [[Goo|Goo#8379B]], where Springer was disassembled by the planet's mobile garbage disposal unit. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Fortunately, he was rebuilt and restored to life by the Junkions. As Rodimus contemplated the mysteries of the Quintessons, Springer advised the others to leave him alone, give him some room to think, and trust him not to do anything rash. When he found that Rodimus had scrambled his own circuitry to enter the Matrix, Springer expressed his disapproval to his commanding officer in a calm and respectful manner. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

{{quote|Are you CRAZY?! Why'd you short-circuit yourself?! Get up, you... you moron!|Springer}}

Springer and the others returned to Cybertron in time to defend against a major Decepticon offensive. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

Sometime later, Springer, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], Grimlock and [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] were on-hand when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] miraculously returned from the dead, telling tales of how Rodimus, Arcee and an Autobot shuttle crew gave their lives against the Quintessons so that he could escape, and return to Cybertron. Springer eagerly jumped on the bandwagon to follow Optimus and the entire Autobot fleet to hunt down the Quintessons and avenge Arcee and his friends. ''Especially'' Arcee. He was on-board the flagship when Rodimus and the others, alive and well, intercepted the fleet and stopped the Quintesson trap from being sprung. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

When a strange unidentified ship entered Cybertronian air space, Rodimus Prime sent [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and Springer out to rescue the occupant before he crash-landed. Inside, they found the long-lost Autobot Triple Changer known as [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], who now lived on a peaceful planet called [[Paradron]] which had just been invaded by the Decepticons. As the Autobots returned to Paradron to overthrow the Decepticon oppressors, Springer teamed up with Rodimus and Sandstorm to free the captive Paradronians. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

[[Image:NightmarePlanetSteed.jpg|left|200px|thumb|For Narnia!]]

Springer and Ultra Magnus picked up an electromagnetic disturbance in a remote region of Cybertron, and drove out with Rodimus Prime to investigate. They were ambushed by a [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]] assassination squad, but ''all'' the Transformers were ambushed again by the Quintessons' latest toy: a device which turned the nightmarish dreams of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] into physical reality. Springer and the Predacon commander [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] were kidnapped by a massive [[dragon]] and flown off to an isolated castle. Tossed into the dungeon, Springer and Razorclaw met a [[Damsel in Distress]] being held captive by the dragon. Going with the flow, Springer took up her quest to defeat the dragon and return the Damsel to her father. Knight Springer and his faithful steed Razorclaw (the imaginary Damsel had promised him imaginary gold to satisfy his imaginary greed) escaped the dungeon and took up the search for the "magic lance" necessary to kill the dragon. Riding into battle atop the Predacon's back, Springer plunged the lance into the dragon's chest and then followed the yellow brick road back to his friends. {{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

While on monitor duty on Cybertron, Springer and Blurr caught sight of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] on what appeared to be an attack vector. After the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] shot him down, the Autobots learned his "assault" was just the latest in a series of recent events involving [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream's ghost]], who had stolen the eyes of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] for Unicron. Springer joined Ultra Magnus and the Protectobots on a spy mission to Unicron's head in order to investigate further, but they were violently repulsed by the Planet-Eater's internal defenses. Things got even more complicated once Scourge turned on his "partners" and reported to the Autobots that Unicron planned to use Trypticon's transforming cog to connect himself to Cybertron, and convert the entire planet into his new body. Luckily, Springer and the others were able to <s>casually chuck</s> plant energon explosives at the base of Unicron's head as he touched down, blasting him back out into space before he could connect with the planet. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

On a geological survey to uncover [[isodrite]] for their weaponry, Springer and the Autobots were attacked by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron's]] forces, seeking the mineral for their own purposes. Luckily, Galvatron beat up most of his own troops for them, giving the Autobots a chance to depart. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[Image:VampireDepth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Coooookiiiieeees.]]

When Perceptor finished construction of a new experimental power core for Cybertron, Springer used his helicopter mode to lower the core into place. Naturally, the Decepticons attempted to acquire the power core for themselves, but were led astray by their Quintesson "allies" who instead directed them towards the [[Hibernation Chamber]] of the [[Trans-Organic]]s. Springer and the other Autobots caught up with the 'Cons just in time to find them in pitched battle with the unleashed Trans-Organics, including the massive and monstrous power-sapping [[Dweller]]. The Dweller drained the energy from its victims on contact, then placed them inside incubation tubes on its back. [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and three [[Sweep]]s were among its first victims. Springer valiantly scaled the creature and tore open its rear casing to free his friend and renew his series for another season. No good deed goes unpunished, though, for the creature had transformed Wreck-Gar into a vampiric extension of itself, an undead robot who drained energy from others to feed it back into the Dweller itself. Springer became a victim of the very robot he tried to save. Luckily, Perceptor was able to concoct a method of correcting their power imbalance, restoring Springer, Wreck-Gar and the other victims to normal. The Dweller was launched into space once it latched onto the power core, thanks to Perceptor's bizarre security measures which allowed him to jettison the entire unit with the pull of a lever. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[Image:SpringerOnlyHuman.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Surprise, he's the green one!]]

Somewhere on Earth (it doesn't really matter where) a crime spree was raging, and the Autobots were called in to help. Springer lent his helicopter mode to rescue civilians trapped in burning buildings during a series of bombings. Springer, Arcee, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime were called in by an anonymous tip that would be their "big break in the case." Springer laughed off the police chief when he suggested it might be a dangerous trap, but he stopped laughing when [[Victor Drath]] and "[[Cobra Commander|Old Snake]]" captured the Autobots inside of a minute. Not one to waste resources, Drath eliminated his enemies and developed powerful new weapons at the same time by converting the four Autobots' mental essence into synthetic organic forms. He ordered the organic material destroyed but, surprisingly, it seemed to form itself into four genuinely human bodies for the Autobots. Springer and the "Autobots" escaped Drath's thugs in the scrapyard where they were being disposed of, and sought cover in a nearby shed. In the sort of plot contrivance not revived until ''Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers'' years later, the Autobots found four matching jumpsuits inside, each perfectly replicating their individual color schemes. As a human, Springer faced some tough lessons, like shaving and dealing with sidewalk preachers.

After finding Drath's men test-driving the Autobots' now-inanimate bodies in the city, Springer ingratiated himself with the gang due to his ability to "pilot" the Autobot like a pro. The gang was set to infiltrate Autobot City inside their robot drones and then detonate Metroplex from the inside-out. After learning the plan, Springer carjacked himself (rescuing the captured Ultra Magnus in the process) and then flew to intercept the other Autobots before they reached Autobot City. Desperate to keep the Autobots from innocently letting their "friends" inside, Springer opened fire on Autobot City himself in order to force the Autobots to raise their defenses before the explosive-laden vehicles got too close. He succeeded in getting himself shot out of the sky, but at least Metroplex was put on alert and the bombing of Autobot City was stopped. Perceptor whipped up a reversal-transference doodad, and Springer and the others were returned to their rightful bodies. {{storylink|Only Human}}

After Galvatron's goons sabotaged the master power generator on Cybertron with [[anti-electron]]s, the Autobots began experiencing system irregularities. In Springer's case, he was attempted to fly [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to the repair bay when he transformed in mid-air and crashed instead. The problem was eventually corrected, but surely Springer missed out on a good opportunity to tease Sky Lynx about tarnishing his "oh so perfect" flight record. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[Image:CotP-BlasterEject.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Blaster, please, this isn't the time for this!]]

On a barren planetoid, Springer was fighting alongside Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] against the Decepticons. They were pinned down in the trenches, waiting for "[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Commander Modesty]]" to arrive and lend some air support. Once he arrived, though, Sky Lynx and the other "[[primitive]]s" on both sides were called into space by a signal only they could hear. Before either side could fully comprehend what had happened, a massive energy creature known as [[Tornedron]] arrived, draining them dry of their energy. Luckily, Grimlock and the primitives eventually managed to save the universe and undo the power loss suffered by Springer and the others. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

During a skirmish in [[Japan]], Springer was present when Rodimus temporarily reverted back to Hot Rod. He and the other Autobots held off an attack by the Decepticons when Scourge briefly took control of them and the Matrix of Leadership. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

{{-}}
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
Alongside [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Springer was sent from [[Athenia]] to Cybertron in order to defend against a major Decepticon assault. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} The Triple Changers then travelled to Earth, where they helped [[Blaster (G1)|Twincast]] sneak into [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] by keeping their Decepticon counterparts busy with a dogfight. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

=== Marvel Comics continuity ===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Triplechangerstarget2006.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This trinity's going to war!]]
''Springer was a member of the Wreckers commando squad, originally meant (with the other Triple Changers) to substitute for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] in [[Operation: Volcano]], and could 'spring' forwards really far. He first met the squad leader [[Impactor]] by beating him up while pretending to be a Decepticon, [[Emirate Xaaron]] feeling this would be the best way to sell Springer's skills to Impactor. {{storylink|Target: 2006}} It appears to have made an impact, as when Impactor died it was discovered he had named Springer as his successor.''

''He felt unworthy of the role and suffered from worries that he couldn't handle it, worries made worse when [[Kalis]] was overrun by the undead, the Wreckers were captured, and Springer had to face Impactor's zombie! Unable to blast his old comrade, Springer instead succeeded in getting Impactor's mind to resurface, allowing him to carry on to meet up with Ultra Magnus' team. {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} Alongside a host of allies, Springer helped end the zombie threat. {{storylink|Meltdown!}}''

[[Image:Uk203 cover detail.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"See Springer, that's the difference between you and me. Forward thinking—careful planning— organisation. That's why I sleep in the arms of a beautiful woman, while you lie in your bedsit with [[Kiss Players|''cheap porn'']]."]]
''That done, it was time for the main mission: Take the Wreckers to Earth to face [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Unfortunately, by accident they found themselves sent by the [[Space bridge|Space Bridge]] to a human city, and the fight against Galvatron began causing major destruction and endangerment of human life. Springer quickly decided to take the fight out of the city, pretending he'd captured Galvatron's time-jump device and leading Scourge and Cyclonus away from the humans. Springer led the Wreckers back to Cybertron with the intent of returning for Galvatron later. {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}} Unfortunately, that "later" was the Time Wars. Even with the support of the Decepticon [[Mayhem Attack Squad]], the Wreckers were massacred, with Springer's order to retreat and fight a running battle doing nothing to stop the slaughter. However, Springer's heroism impressed Mayhem leader [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] so much he disobeyed his orders to kill the surviving Autobots; the two also saved each other's life during the battle. {{storylink|Time Wars}}''

''Left stranded on Earth, Springer and the other Time Wars survivors decided to band together as the eponymous [[Survivors]] after a proposal from Carnivac. Springer was originally reluctant but soon became the leader of that group too. {{storylink|Survivors!}} Carnivac eventually chafed under his leadership, whacked Springer one, and then left—right when the new Mayhems were arriving to kill him! {{storylink|Way of the Warrior}} Springer was convinced by the others to go to Carnivac's aid, but while Carnivac was saved, [[Catilla]] was killed. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}''

{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Springer.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Grrrrr. >:( ]]''Springer wanted to wait for the Mayhem Attack Squad to make the first mistake before seeking vengeance for Catilla, but Carnivac couldn't wait. He set off on his own to enact his revenge. Without time to formulate a decent plan, Springer realized the Survivors would need raw numbers to defeat the Mayhems, and that meant dealing with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Earthforce]]. Asking for help to save a Decepticon...Springer ruminated that Grimlock was likely to declare them all traitors on the spot. {{storylink|Wolf in the Fold!}} Still, they went to Earthforce, pledging the Survivors' allegiance in return for them helping rescue Carnivac. They were successful, and half the Mayhems were captured while the other half died at Carnivac's hands. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}} Soon thereafter, Springer led his men against [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], protecting a human oil tanker in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}''

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[Image:Peace Rodimus Springer.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Springimus Prime?]]''In 2008, Springer was briefly seen among a massive melee between the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}''

''In one future, set in the year 2510, the war with the Decepticons finally came to a conclusion. Springer led his Wreckers into battle in Cybertron's northern hemisphere, wiping out the last of the remaining Decepticon warriors. When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] officially declared the war over, he decided to nominate Springer to carry on the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] for him. Tragically, however, things wouldn't be that simple. A deep-cover Decepticon named [[Triton]] stirred up trouble at the meeting by declaring Ultra Magnus a better choice for the new Autobot leader. His antics led to a brawl between Springer's Wreckers and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s, who favored Ultra Magnus. Although Triton was killed in the fight, it was too late: the war began again, this time with Autobot vs. Autobot. {{storylink|Peace}}''

=====Another Time and Place=====
When Grimlock and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] rushed off half-cocked searching for a cure for [[Nucleon]] on [[Hydrus Four]], it was up to the Autobots to bail them out of trouble when they were caught by the Decepticons. Working with a small group (including [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]), Springer caught the Decepticon [[Fangry]] alone and pulled him into the sea. Before he could fight back, Springer used a thermal knife to amputate both of his arms, leaving the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] helpless against his Autobot attackers.

Cold, Springer. Awesome, but cold. {{storylink|Another Time and Place}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Springerg2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Hey, Marvel US, it's me!]]
When the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] ambushed the [[Autobot]]s on the planet [[Ethos]], Springer was in charge of a squad consisting of former [[Wrecker]]s buddies [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Inferno's buddy [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]. Although Springer warned his squad to stay close together, Smokescreen broke formation, resulting in his death and the injuring of Ironhide. Smokescreen's death caused Inferno to lose his temper, and he subsequently also died despite Springer's warnings. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

Springer later helped lay [[Sky Sniper]] mines on Earth, in preparation for a final stand against the coming of the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

{{-}}
====''Classics''====
{{note|The ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' story takes place in a post-Marvel Generation 1 comics universe where the UK Marvel Comics and the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2 mini-series]] did not happen, thus negating all of Springer's previous appearances in comic continuity. For all effects and purposes he gets a totally fresh start.}}
[[Image:Classics Ultramagnus Springer Grimlock comic.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Springer's the one who doesn't know how binoculars work. Well, one of them, anyway.]]
Springer seems to be much more of a loner, never having been part of the Wreckers, and having mainly worked alone against the Decepticons until after [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon's]] defeat on [[Klo]]. Fearing the end of the conflict that was so important to him, he was eager to sign on with Grimlock's crew.

Fifteen years after the Autobot/Decepticon war ended on Klo, Springer was head of security under Substitute Commander Ultra Magnus aboard the ''[[Graviton (Classics)|Graviton]]'' as it tracked [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] to Earth. Springer was looking forwards to seeing Grimlock again. Once on Earth, Springer and Ultra Magnus were spying on a meeting between the Decepticons that had followed Bludgeon and those that had thrown their lot in with Starscream. After observing Mirage get captured and Bug Bite using modified [[Cerebro-shell|cerebro-shells]] to control some of the assembled Decepticons, they withdrew. Later using modified cerebro-shell jammers, Springer was part of the Autobot force that disrupted Bug Bite's meeting with Megatron. The disrupted meeting led to Decepticon firing on Decepticon and in the chaos that followed, Springer disabled the Decepticon computers, allowing the raiding party to withdraw with a rescued Mirage.{{storylink|Games of Deception}}

[[Image:AtFightsEnd-OverkillDragstripAcidStorm.jpg|left|thumb|250px|And then there was a fight. We guess.]]

Later, [[Acid Storm]], [[Drag Strip]], and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] were waiting on a dusty planet when Springer's rogue team of Autobots attempted to hunt them down. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

{{-}}

===Sticker Adventures===
[[Image:Springer botjp.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the Special Edition, Wreck-Gar shoots first.]]
Springer was one of four Autobots working on mapping out the universe when their shuttle is hit by a meteor. Forced into an emergency landing on the [[Junkion (planet)|Junk Planet]], and are attacked by [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s until Hot Rod & Kup arrive to save their skidplates.{{storylink|Battle on the Junk Planet}}
{{-}}

===''Universe: The Wreckers''===
Not long after the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], Springer attempted (fruitlessly) to cheer up [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who had become severely depressed following the death of her surrogate son and Headmaster companion [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. Afterward, he and Hot Rod, now called simply "Rodimus", both checked out and later underwent the [[Maximal Upgrade]]. {{storylink|Departure}}

{{note|In this continuity, Springer is apparently at least a member of the Wreckers, as he is seen bearing their distinctive insignia in his brief appearance.}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===

[[Image:TWW Escalation Springer.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Spring-heeled jerk.]]After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] disappeared along with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in a test of the [[space bridge]]{{storylink|Fragmentation}}, Springer broke off from the Autobot army and formed the Wreckers. Springer was leading the Wreckers into an investigation of the [[Tagan Heights]] Industrial Quadrant East, but they were discoved by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who unleashed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] upon them. Springer, alongside his fellow Wreckers, attacked the Ultracon Combiner but ended up tangled in cabling. This gave Ratbat the chance to gloat at Springer. Once news of Devastator aligning with the [[Ultracon]]s reached [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], they moved in to aid the Wreckers, combining into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and battling Devastator.{{storylink|Escalation (Dreamwave)|Escalation}}

Freed in the confusion, Springer leapt at Ratbat, screaming at the Ultracon leader for violating the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]]. The Combiner teams were downgraded from combat status and monitored for a reason. Ratbat mocks Springers newfound concern for treaties. Springer states that there's enough destructive potential in the Tagan Heights to knock Cybertron out of orbit, and an accident in the Combiner throwdown would light the fuse. A stray blast from Defensor in fact, did just that. Springer chastised the Protectobots for taking such a huge risk. The Protectobots vacated the area leaving Springer alone against the Ultracon Combiner. Fortunately, the individual Protectobots managed to overload and defeat Devastator, saving Springer.{{storylink|Devastation (Dreamwave)|Devastation}}

[[Image:DW Countdown to Extinction Springer.jpg|thumb|left|200px|]]
Millions of years later, after the [[Great Shutdown]], Springer, together with Hot Rod and Blurr, spotted a Decepticon shuttle emerging from [[transwarp]] over the [[Wastelands]] of Cybertron.{{storylink|Cold War}} Springer reported to Optimus Prime that the situation in [[Iacon]] had become worse and that the [[Guardian robot]]s had been reactivated. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} Whilst fighting the Guardian robots outside of Shockwave's fortress, Springer saw the matrix fire a beam of light towards an [[Unicron|unknown entity]]. {{storylink|countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

Later still, whilst Hot Rod and Kup were training, Springer took the opportunity to hang out with Arcee on Landing Patform A as they observed Prowl and his group of Autobots heading back to Earth.{{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}

{{-}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:ArtofWar3_Sandstorm_Springer.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Get to the Choppah!]]
Springer accompanied [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] in searching for a missing team of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]]. However, their radars were jammed by [[Serpent O.R.]], so their search was fruitless. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3}}

{{-}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}

Soon after Optimus became Optimus '''''Prime''''', Springer participated in a battle that the Autobots couldn't win. [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] suggested they counter-attack from the west, but the young Autobot leader realised that it was a trap,and advocated falling back to [[Polyhex]]. Optimus was proven right when Springer, acting as aerial support, spotted [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] arriving to the west. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers5 Springer arrives too late.jpg|left|250px|thumb|You monster! THEY WERE FANWANK!!!]]

Sometime later, after chasing [[Squadron X]] across the galaxy, the Wreckers' rivalry with them came to an end on the planet [[Pova]]. The Wreckers, however, found themselves in a bad way after [[Impactor]]'s first officer, Springer, was trapped under some collapsed rubble. Despite Springer's pleas, Impactor used Springer's own body as a shield against Squadron X's advancing troops, firing through it. This helped turn the tide, and the Wreckers rounded up all of Squadron X for transport offworld. Unfortunately, Impactor snapped when [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] told him that Pova was neutral territory, and that he was ordered to set them free or else the Autobots would face diplomatic repercussions. Impactor locked himself in their ship, and as Springer tried to break through the door, personally executed every member of Squadron X while they were restrained. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5}}

Springer testified against Impactor, and the disgraced Wreckers leader was sentenced to be imprisoned on [[Garrus-9]]. A cover story for what happened on Pova was released which involved Springer suggesting Impactor fire through his torso and Squadron X later escaping their restraints, necessitating their execution. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}} As Impactor was dragged to his cell, Springer told his former commander something he didn't want to hear, something he would dwell upon for the length of his incarceration: Squadron X deserved to die for their crimes, but Impactor didn't have the right to kill them. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5}}

[[Image:Stormbringer2 Springer.jpg|right|350px|thumb|The Wreckers don't half go on about that, do they?]]

Years later on the planet [[Varas Centralus]], Springer, now commander of the Wreckers, was coordinating the counter-offensive against a [[infiltration protocol|Phase Six Decepticon siege bunker]] when he got the call from Optimus Prime that [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] might be active again on Cybertron. Pulling the Wreckers out of Varas Centralus, Springer was of the opinion that if Thunderwing was still alive, they should nuke Cybertron and take the monster with it. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2}} After [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] and [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] were rescued, the Wreckers prepared to breach [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s cultist liar at [[Thunderhead Pass]]. Springer tried to persuade Optimus Prime from joining the battle, but the Autobot leader was not to be deterred. After routing the cultists, a new problem arose: Thunderwing, sent off to wreck havoc on [[Nebulos]], was returning. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3}} The Wreckers gave it their all against Thunderwing, but were seriously outmatched, with Springer's rotors being destroyed by the monstrous titan. As Thunderwing bore down on him, unexpected help came from the Decepticon battleship ''[[Thanatos]]'', and the combined efforts managed to stagger the giant, forcing it to draw more [[Ultra-Energon]] from the environment, whose side effects eventually forced it to shut down. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4}}

[[Image:SpotlightKup Springersholograph.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Ebeneezer Kup!]]

Not long thereafter, Springer excused himself from actively leading the Wreckers when he heard his old mentor Kup had finally been found, after being MIA for some time. Rescue conditions were hardly ideal, however: the planet the old warhorse was stuck on was permeated with highly unstable energy crystals which produced massive amounts of debilitating radiation and a single spark might set off an explosive chain reaction that would destroy the planet. Kup, meanwhile, had somehow survived exposure to this environment, yet had gone over the brink of madness, attacking the Autobot teams that beamed down to retrieve him because their thick radiation armors made them appear monstrous to his eyes. Despite these complications, Springer insisted rescue efforts continue, even after many Autobots were destroyed in the attempt. Finally, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] arrived as a defensive specialist, and used his force field to block the radiation and get Kup to recognize him. Kup was brought in for repairs, and Springer returned to the Wreckers. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

Later, Springer, along with Autobots across the galaxy, watched an Autobot news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

When the denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] stepped up their plans to merge the living and unliving universes together, Springer and the Wreckers were called in once again to battle Thunderwing when he was found guarding a cave on planet [[Corata-Vaz]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} They didn't have much luck. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} However, once [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] managed to take control of Thunderwing, Springer and the Wreckers snuck past it and into the cave to retrieve one of the [[Nega-Core]]s, which were crucial to the Dead Universe plans. Unfortunately, as they were doing so, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] regained control of Thunderwing, and the Wreckers were forced to hold the line until the Nega-Core could be removed and deposited back into the Dead Universe via a portable [[space bridge]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

[[Image:AHM15_SpringerpunchesProwl.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Why should [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] get [[All Hail Megatron issue 4|all the fun?]]]]
Springer was making regular trips to the ''[[Ark-17]]'' to check up on Kup, but one day found that the old warrior had been transferred to the [[Kimia Facility]] without his knowledge. Filled with rage, Springer traveled to the facility and delivered an uppercut to [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s chin, only to learn that Kup had been fully repaired using [[Pretender]] technology. While he was skeptic at first, Springer's spirits were soon lifted when he got to meet the rejuvenated Kup. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Everything in Its Right Place}}

Led by Kup, Springer later helped rescue a number of Wreckers who had been captured by the Decepticon [[Turmoil]]. Following this mission, Springer and his fellow Wrecker [[Roadbuster]] joined Kup's personal strike force onboard the starship ''[[Trion]]''. He argued against letting [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] into the team, but Kup felt that everyone deserves a second chance. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}} Shortly afterwards, the team caught a distress call from [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], who was being chased by Decepticons. Kup's team went to his aid, but unfortunately their opponent was the abominable [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], who melted Springer's rotor blades with acid. Eventually, the giant was toppled by [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s new sniping skills. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Lost & Found}}

While chasing the Decepticon cruiser ''[[Torment]]'', the ''Trion'' was lured into a trap and shot down above the planet Cybertron. The crew was "bonded" with the ship at the time, and Springer refused to disconnect from the doomed vessel as he attempted to steer it into a crash landing. He succeeded, and later met with another Autobot unit that had also ended up on the abandoned planet. Kup's team decided to show the others how badass they were, a showcase which ended with Springer being wrestled to the floor by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and his weapon being used to hold Kup at gunpoint. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}} After this little show of force, the two groups teamed up to fight off the [[Insecticon swarm]] that was inhabiting the planet along with them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers1 Springer introduction.jpg|left|250px|thumb|]]
When the Autobots relocated to another base, Springer participated in the caravan in his ground vehicle mode. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7}} At the new base, Springer helped set up a large defensive cannon to use against the incoming swarm. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9}} Despite Springer's best use of fisticuffs, the Autobots were overrun by the thousands of Insecticons, and only saved by the intervention of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10}} Omega took everyone to [[New York City]] on [[Earth]], where Megatron and his forces were located. During the great battle, Springer shoved his knee hard in [[Viewfinder]]'s abdomen. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11}}

After Megatron's defeat on Earth and the general collapse of the Decepticon war effort, the Autobots formulated a desperate plan to use the Wreckers to retake the [[Garrus-9]] prison facility from the Decepticons and retrieve the potentially damaging war criminal trial data from supercomputer [[Aequitas]]. On [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s ship Springer introduced himself to the new team members: [[Rotorstorm]], [[Ironfist]], [[Pyro]], and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]]. He told them that their first mission was to clean up [[Garrus-9]] and warned them that their first day as a Wrecker could be their last. When Ironfist fainted, Springer felt he needed to keep an eye on him. Afterward he spoke with [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and shared thoughts about Impactor until Ultra Magnus called for him to return to the bridge. He arrived just in time to see a Decepticon starship explode, revealing the former Wrecker. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers2 SpringerImpactorReunion.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Reunited and it feeeels so bad!]]
Once Impactor was aboard, Springer asked him how he got out of Garrus-9. After hearing Impactor's tale of escape and the revelation that infamous [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] was now the death camp warden, Springer felt that the mission was finally getting interesting. He then shared words with Impactor about the incident on [[Pova]]. Impactor stormed out, but Springer still felt it would be a good idea to use him on the team. Ultra Magnus then relayed something that Prowl wanted done, but only revealed the name: [[Aequitas]].

While nearing Garrus-9 orbit, Springer assisted Ultra Magnus with the mission briefing. He outlined the mission, dividing them into two teams to penetrate the [[lattice forcefield]] via [[drop pod]]s. He took control of one of the pods before relaying control over to Rotorstorm for a simultaneous hit against the forcefield. Once through the pod came under instand attack, but Springer managed a crash landing. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2|Last Stand of the Wreckers #2}}

Upon planetfall, Springer's team ran from an oncoming horde of Decepticons. He took a look at [[Twin Twist]]'s wounds while Guzzle, Kup, and Impactor held off the Decepticons. Springer ordered Guzzle into tank mode to bring down the ceiling, granting them an moment's reprieve. He then sent Kup and Guzzle to get backup while Twin Twist drilled through the floor. He drilled into an open area, but was saved by Springer, who jumped through and quickly transformed into helicoptor mode. On the ground they found they demolished remains of [[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]], but Twin Twist warned them that they had just set off a defense mechanism. Springer attempted to escape but was zapped unconscious, ending up in [[Stalker (G1)|Stalker]]'s Spark Extinction Chamber. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers4 faceshot.jpg|thumb|left|200px||Right in the kissah!]]

Springer came to after a torturing round from Stalker and began arguing with Impactor about the events that led to the former Wreckers command to be imprisoned on Garrus-9. Springer expressed the desire to forgive Impactor and himself for what happened on Pova, but this couldn't happen until Impactor admitted that what he did was wrong. They were interrupted by the return of Stalker, who had retrieved his latest instrument of torture, the [[endoscopic claw]]. After Twin Twist died as a result of [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]'s sacrifice to activate Aequitas, Stalker was about to move onto the others when help arrived in the form of Guzzle, Kup and [[Snare]]. Kup sprang Springer, who brought a quick end to Stalker with the torturer's own endoscopic claw. This respite didn't last long, as [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] blasted through the wall having been radioed by Stalker. The large Decepticon simply asked if the Wreckers were ready, with Springer replying affirmative. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers SpringerOverlordFaceoff.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Give me your- [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Oh, you know.]]]]
The battle with Overlord took the combatants to Garrus-9's roof, but it soon became apparent that Springer's team were fighting a losing battle. After Impactor was seemingly defeated, Ironfist, Perceptor and Verity arrived with a large rotary cannon for Springer to use that would supposedly turn the tide. The Wreckers commander emptied the massive weapon into Overlord, who at merely seemed annoyed at the attack, knocked the weapon away and tore Springer's face off. As he advanced on Ironfist, the diminutive Autobot detonated the payload of [[deterrence chip]]s that the Springer had fired into Overlord, and Verity broke his will by revealing that Megatron had since died, robbing the insane Overlord of his obsessive desire to face the Decepticon leader in combat. After Impactor disabled Overlord, he refused to kill him, stating that it was not what Springer wanted. With G-9's liberation, Ultra Magnus took the survivors back to [[Earth]], where Springer was still alive but on life-support, with Kup by his bedside.{{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}
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==Commercial appearances==
* Springer featured in his own 1986 [[commercial]] alongside [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]. In an animation sequence narrated by Optimus Prime and loosely based on the events of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Springer's shuttle is shot down over the planet of Junk, where he does battle with an aggressive Wreck-Gar (introduced by Megatron). Prime describes him as "the toughest of the Autobot [[Triple Changer]]s."

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:SpringerG1Toy.JPG|right|150px|thumb|Three totally different modes]]
*'''Springer''' (1986/1991)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-84'''
**''Accessories'': "Light saber" rotor blade, "laser" rifle

: Springer was one of three Autobot Triple Changers. He transforms from a robot to a futuristic armored car to a helicopter that doesn't look terribly different from the car. In robot mode, his articulation is limited entirely to his arms. His copter rotor blades snap together to form a sword.

:Very early releases of Springer had a [[die-cast]] metal chestplate which was then changed to plastic in subsequent releases. When he was released in the European [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line in 1991, he retained the plastic chest.
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===Timelines===
*'''Springer''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Sword, Cybertron-planet Autobot Cyber Key

[[Image:Springerbotcontoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Suffers from vestigial JaAm cravings.]]

:Sold together in a bag with [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and their instructions, keys and bio cards, Springer is a ''Classics''-themed [[BotCon 2007]] attendee exclusive. A paint-heavy [[redeco]] of the [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Cybertron Defense Hot Shot]] toy using green and grey as the base colors, Springer transforms into a modified [[Wikipedia:M1117 Armored Security Vehicle|M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle]]. When Springer's [[Cyber Planet Key]] is inserted into the back of the turret, the two gun barrels open up into dual (non-firing) missile launchers. Compartments on his shoulders and his thighs can also open up to reveal additional missile launchers. He also comes with a dagger that stows between his legs in vehicle mode; when he's in robot mode, the dagger can be hand-held, pegged into the front of his fist, or stored in a sheath on his leg.

:Springer is assembled differently from the other uses of this mold. The panels covering the missile racks on each shoulder are swapped.

:The mold was later used as ''[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Roadbuster]] in the Target-exclusive Autobot Ambush Comic 2-Pack.

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===Universe (2008)===
====War Within Series====
*'''Battle Beneath the Streets''' (Voyager-Deluxe Comic 2-Pack, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, Cyber Planet Key

[[Image:Universe2008 Springer comicpack toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Whatever happened to the whole Triple Changer angle...?]]
: A Target-exclusive redeco of ''Cybertron'' [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]], Springer transforms into a Eurocopter Dauphin rescue helicopter. His rotor blades spin using a geared push-button, which becomes a spinning-blade weapon mounted on his robot mode's left arm. He has an adjustable tow-hook on a string, which retracts with the push of a button: this gimmick ends up on his right robot-mode arm. Inserting a Cyber Planet Key into his back end (backpack in robot mode) swings around a pair of spring-loaded missile launchers. He was available only with [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]].

: This mold was also used to make [[Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'']] [[Blades (G1)|Blades]].

: Packaging Springer with Ratbat is a [[homage]] to their rivalry in ''[[War Within: The Dark Ages|The Dark Ages]]''. Likewise, Springer's deco is directly inspired by his color layout in ''The Dark Ages'', down to the blue "cockpit" painted on his chest, and that he does not have three modes (yet). This connection is further enhanced by having Ratbat possess a humanoid robot mode and jet-like altmode. See [[#Dreamwave_comics_continuity|above]].

: In its first release in Canada, the set did not include a comic (in spite of the ''INCLUDES COMIC!'' marking on the package), and in the US, the set included the ''wrong'' comic. The right comic was to be ''[[War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages]]'' issue "[[Escalation (Dreamwave)|Escalation]]". The comic that was included was a reprint of "[[Target: 2006]] parts 5 & 6".

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==Notes==
* The Hasbro design team chose the ''Cybertron'' [[Evac (Cybertron)| Evac]] mold for Universe Springer, because the BotCon 2007 version already had the ground vehicle [[alternate mode]] of the original covered, and they wanted to give some attention to the original's helicopter mode.
* Fun Publications' [[Jesse Wittenrich]] used an unwanted [[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe (2008)]] Springer to come up with [[Megatron (SG)|Shattered Glass Galvatron]].
* Springer's name comes from his ability to jump good. Jump real good. As you'd expect from someone who has a flying alt-mode, it's not an ability he uses much.
* According to the [[Transformers: Mosaic]] story ''[[Dead Men's Boots]]'', Springer was personally approached by Impactor for recruitment into the Wreckers, a role that Springer later assumed when Impactor was imprisoned at Garrus-9. Springer noted that the main difference was that he actually offered his potential recruits a chance to back out, and although sometimes they did, some changed their minds. However, the canonicity of this story is disputable given the Mosaic's status as unofficial fiction.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Springer/springer.htm Springer at TFU.info]

*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Springer Springer's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Defense specialists]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category:Security officers]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]