Editing Air Raid (G1)

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{{disambig3|Air Raid}}
{{picsneeded|Everything, really}}

:''Air Raid is an [[Autobot]] [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:G1AirRaid TFU.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Danger? HA! I laugh at danger! LAUGH, I TELL YOU!!!]]
Some might call '''Air Raid''' reckless, the way he dives out of nowhere, charging enemy units head on. Air Raid would laugh at that. A rash and fearless young warrior who loves surprises (especially those that leave his foes too stunned to fight back), he has only one real goal in life: to have fun. Needless to say his attitude puts him in a lot of danger, but you can be sure he's enjoying himself the whole time.

Air Raid combines with his fellow [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].



:''Japanese name'': '''Air Rider'''
:''French-Canadian name'': '''Bombardo'''
:''Italian name'': '''Tornado'''
:''Russian name'': '''Naletchik''' (Налетчик, Raider)

== Fiction ==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
''Thanks to his previous connection to the [[Creation Matrix]], [[Buster Witwicky]] began experiencing dreams and visions of new Transformers, beginning with an etching of Superion he made without even being consciously aware of it. {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} By sharing his visions with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Buster was able to clarify the images and understand the future of the evolution of the Cybertronian race &mdash; amalgam model robots like the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]' [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], capable of a more-streamlined merging into a more powerful form. It was these visions which allowed Optimus Prime and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to conceive of and construct the Aerialbots. {{storylink|Second Generation!}}''

Working on a plan to reverse engineer the gestalt technology the Decepticons used to create Devastator, Optimus Prime and the Autobots staged a daring raid on the Decepticon base of operations, giving [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] enough time to digitally record the Constructicons' electrical transformation pattern for study.  {{storylink|Command Performances!}} Working off that blueprint, Wheeljack successfully created Air Raid and the Aerialbots. During the new warriors' testing phase, however, the Autobots were alerted to a Decepticon operation at Hoover Dam. Only the Aerialbots were fast enough to reach the location in time, and so Prime was forced to send them into battle before their programming was completed.

Air Raid proved to be the most effective of the new Aerialbots in battle. After his fellow jets took a few hits in battle with the Cybertronian [[Seeker]]s, Air Raid singlehandedly shook their formation and tore up [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]'s nosecone with his torque rifle, giving the other Aerialbots time to regroup. 

The Aerialbots eventually turned the tide on the Decepticons and drove them off, giving them time to focus on the energy siphon which was the core of the problem. At Silverbolt's command, they merged into Superion and began dismantling the drill device. A problem arose, however, when [[Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]] controlled pawn [[Ricky Vasquez]] pointed [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (in his gun mode) at the giant Autobot. Because the majority of the Aerialbots were not programmed specifically to protect human life, Superion only saw a potential threat that needed to be eliminated. As the human fought against the Decepticons' control, Silverbolt too fought inside Superion's gestalt mind to protect the human. In the end, Silverbolt was forced to disengage Superion to keep him from destroying the human. Luckily, Ricky was more successful and managed to break the cerebro-shell's hold long enough to point Megatron at the drill and destroy it, ending the threat. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

After the near disaster at Hoover Dam, Optimus Prime had the Aerialbots shut down and their programming completely erased. Returned to a blank slate, he then inputted fully-programmed personalities for them with the Matrix before their next mission. It, uh...didn't help. In battle with [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] as Superion, the Aerialbots were attacked by [[Circuit Breaker]], deactivated, and captured by [[RAAT]]. It was only a lucky break that they were eventually freed. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

As [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] took over the Autobots, Air Raid and the other Aerialbots took an extended leave of absence from the war, since the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] commander focused Autobot resources on repairing their fallen comrades and prepping the Ark to become spaceworthy again.

Sometime later, it was Air Raid, [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]], and [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] who were the first to respond to a distress call from Buster Witwicky, the Autobots' old human ally who had been prisoner to the Decepticons for nearly a year. This led the combined Autobot and Decepticon forces into battle with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had acquired the nigh-infinite power of the [[Underbase]] for himself. The Aerialbots were his first victims, wiped out in a single blast of cosmic power in the skies over New York City. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}

Along with the other deactivated Autobots aboard the Ark, Air Raid and the Aerialbots were eventually revived by the [[Nucleon]] super-energy Grimlock and the Dinobots recovered from [[Hydrus Four]].

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''One dark and stormy night, Air Raid heard a commotion in the halls of Earthforce's makeshift shuttle base, and turned on the lights to fight [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] struggling with each other in the dark. The story was, Skydive had come by to relieve Wheeljack from guard duty, only to find the post abandoned and signs of a serious struggle in place of his comrade. There was a smoldering patch of ground, a hastily discarded blaster, and animal tracks all over. Thinking quickly, Skydive concluded that one of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] had entered the base and ambushed Wheeljack where he sat. He rushed back to the shuttle and found the door had been forced. Seeing a shadowy figure carrying a heavy burden in the dark, Skydive figured it for the Predacon carrying Wheeljack's remains and LEAPT into action!''

''As it turned out, Wheeljack had just overheated the makeshift heating unit he had brought out to keep warm. Getting tangled in the smoking heater, Wheeljack knocked over his own table and broke the lamp. The noise brought an angry polar bear over, and a frantic Wheeljack tore out of there carrying the still smoldering heater, forcing the door to the shuttle when he reached it. Then some NUT jumped him from out of nowhere!''

''Air Raid suggested everyone go to bed and forget the incident ever happened. The motion carried. {{storylink|Mystery!}}''

''Air Raid was present with the entire Earthforce team outside Autobot Earthbase when Wheeljack unveiled his brand-new unbreachable defensive system. This was unfortunate, as Wheeljack had forgotten that, once activated, the system could only be turned off from the inside. [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] elected to run the gauntlet and reach the shutdown console inside, and the Aerialbots provided air support for him. Air Raid and his buddies gunned down the [[Acid Bats]] at the entryway, giving Prowl his chance to get through. {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}}''

{{note|Unlike the rest of Earthforce, the return of the Aerialbots (besides Silverbolt) was never explained on panel. Presumably, Wheeljack rebuilt them in the Bodyshop much like he did for [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]].}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''In 2008, Air Raid and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] rushed to defend [[Autobot City]] from [[Quintesson]] invaders. Their crew was quickly overwhelmed, however, and so were the duo when they ran to get some more help. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

=====''Another Time and Place''=====
Air Raid joined Silverbolt and Skydive in an assault on Hydrus Four, blasting open a medical center occupied by the Decepticons in order to rescue the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and prevent the resurrection of Megatron. {{storylink|Another Time and Place}}

====Generation 2====
After the defeat of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and his Decepticons on [[Klo]], the Autobots split into smaller combat units throughout the universe. Once Optimus Prime and Grimlock learned of the threat posed by the second generation [[Cybertronian]] army, though, the Autobot forces reconsolidated under their command. Air Raid and the other Aerialbots were first seen after the Autobots had retreated to an asteroid sanctuary for retraining. They were, um, outsmarted by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}} Later, he was rescued by the Decepticon [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in the skies over [[Ethos]] while battling G2 Cybertronians. {{storylink|Escalation!}} Still, he managed to do a little better against the Cybertronian Empire the second time around, popping jets out of the sky so that the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] could, ah...greet them on the ground below. {{storylink|Total War!}}

===Cartoon continuity===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Rob Paulsen]] (English), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese)

At one point during the eternal war with the Autobots on Earth, Megatron grew fed up with how his opponents ruled the roads and created a group of Decepticon cars known as the [[Stunticon|Stunticons]]. In order to give his new warriors life, he brought them to Cybertron and tracked down the ancient supercomputer, [[Vector Sigma]], to input cybernetic personalities into the Stunticons. Thanks to a series of traps and drones in their way, the Autobots failed to prevent Megatron from succeeding and returning to Earth. Seeking to even the playing field, Optimus Prime conceived of the idea of retrofitting several broken-down Cybertronian ships into Earthen jets, and bringing them to life as a team of Autobot flyers. With the help of his technical savvy soldiers, [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], Wheeljack, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and Prime's own creator, [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Optimus' plan was enacted and the Aerialbots were born.  {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

{{storylink|Aerial Assault}}
{{storylink|War Dawn}}
{{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}
{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}}
{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}
{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}
{{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}
{{storylink|Thief in the Night}}
{{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

On one occasion, Air Raid was buzzing too close to [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] during a battle on Earth, and the dinosaur city unleashed his full plasma breath. Air Raid's tail-fins were scorched and he had to set down in a small lake, but his sacrifice gave Silverbolt a chance to fly down Trypticon's throat now that his flame was temporarily used up. The Aerialbot leader was then able to cause serious internal damage to the giant Decepticon before flying back out again. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

{{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

He once willingly served as living bait, drawing [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] into chasing him with lasers blazing until he isolated them in an asteroid field, where the rest of the Aerialbots were waiting to ambush the Decepticons. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

{{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}
{{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
{{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}
{{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
Air Raid spent time as Superion's leg, then died.  Oh, in-between that, he punched Starscream. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

{{charstubfiction}}


==Toys==
===Generation 1===
* '''Air Raid''' (Aerialbot, 1986/1991)
**''Team ID number'': '''A5'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-54'''
**''Accessories'': "[[Torque rifle]]"

: Air Raid transforms from a black [[wikipedia:F-15 Eagle|F-15 Eagle]]. He can combine with his fellow Aerialbots to form Superion, and as a [[Combiner|Scramble City]]-style limb toy, he can also combine with any Scramble City team leader, though his nominal position is as Superion's left leg.

: In Japan, the Aerialbots were all made available again as mail-away items during ''[[Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''. The smaller toys cost 1000 yen (120 more than their original retail price!) and 2 [[robot points]].

*'''Superion''' (Gift set, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-55'''

: All five Aerialbots were also available in many markets as a gift set.

{{-}}


===Generation 2===
* '''Air Raid''' (Aerialbot, 1994)
**''Team ID number'': '''A2'''
**''Accessories'': "Torque Rifle"

: The first Generation 2 Air Raid was a [[redeco]] of the original. His plane mode was primarily blue and featured stickers with a pattern reminiscent of the costume of a [[human]] [[Spider-Man|superhero]]. His robot mode was mostly white and silver .

{{-}}<span id="Cyberjet"></span>
[[Image:AirRaidCybJet-AeroRaid-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
* '''Air Raid''' (Cyberjet, 1995)
**''Accessories'': 3 missiles

: Air Raid's second ''Generation 2'' appearance was a redeco of the [[Cyberjet]] [[Skyjack]], transforming into an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|F-117A Nighthawk]]. He features a pressure-launch missile launcher that becomes his right arm in robot mode. His non-loaded missiles can be stored in clips on the undersides of his wings. 

: This toy was sold in Japan without changes (though it did come with an extra decal sheet) as [[Aero Raid]]. This mold was also used to make the 2004 ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[#Universe (2003)|version of Air Raid]], and ''[[Robot Masters]]'' [[Delta Seeker]].

===Universe===
* '''Air Raid & Wind Sheer''' (Deluxe, 2004)
**''Accessories'': Missile

: For the ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, the Cyberjet Air Raid was redecoed again and released in a two-pack with the [[Decepticon]] [[Wind Sheer (Universe)|Wind Sheer]] at the Deluxe price point. The lack of [[Bio|bios]] for ''Universe'' characters leaves open the possibility that this is not the original Air Raid. Then again, there's nothing that says it ''isn't'', either.

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
*'''Aerial Rivals''' (multi-pack, 2008)

: A redeco of the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire's]] ''Legends of Cybertron'' figure, Air Raid's colorscheme is based upon his Cyberjet incarnation and was only available in a set with [[Blades]], [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]].

====G1 Series====
[[Image:Universe2008 AirRaid.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' 2 dual-barrel cannons, connector piece, Autobot-type [[energon star]]

:Available only as a component of Superion, this version of Air Raid is a dark grey and black [[redeco]] of [[Energon (toyline)|''Energon'']] [[Windrazor (Energon)|Windrazor]]/[[Treadshot (Energon)|Treadshot]], transforming into a small, futuristic fighter resembling an F-22 Raptor. He can also form a leg or arm to any ''Energon''-series "[[Powerlinx]] [[Combiner]]" super robot, though his nominal placement is as the left leg to Superion. He comes with two double-barreled guns and a connector piece, which can form hand-held weapons as well as become a footplate or "hand" for his combined mode, plus a blue "super energon" Autobot-style energon star that fits over his [[spark crystal]].

:Air Raid was released, along with the others in this box set, in ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' (2008) packaging in Australia and Singapore, but it is unknown if this version will be released anywhere else.  This set has recently been announced as a Target-[[exclusive]] set in ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Superion (ROTF)|Superion]] packaging for North America.  Thus, this toy doubles as [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] [[Air Raid (Movie)|Air Raid]].

:This mold was also used to make [[Fun Publications]] [[Transformers Collectors Club]]-[[exclusive]] [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]].

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm Air Raid at TFU.info]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&amp;char=Air_Raid Air Raid's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

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