Flying Dragon

Flying Dragon is a Laser Beast from the Generation 1 continuity family.

From a scientist's point of view, this is a marvel of nature. From the mosquito's point of view, it's more like:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa sh*BLEEP* nom nom.

The Laser Beast Corps has more than its fair share of zealots, and Flying Dragon (フライングドラゴン Furaingu Doragon) definitely fits the bill. His belief in the righteousness of the Laser Beast cause is unshakable, and that sense of justice carries him through any adversity. In fact, he's so righteous that he hates dishonesty in any form, and will not hesitate to voice his distaste for such tactics if he sees them... which often leads to heated confrontations with his fellow soldiers. Despite these blow-ups, he still has a lot of the Corps' respect, as it's hard to fault his commitment to Laser Beast victory.

Ironically, for a being so painfully straight-and-narrow, his aerial tactics are anything but. Blessed with astounding maneuverability in flight, he can bob and weave with ease in midair, and his abnormally wide field of vision allows him to spot targets or threats others would miss and move accordingly, dodging and striking from unconventional angles. Making him even harder to track is his MVP Weapon, the Glass Flash Laser (グラスフラッシュレーザー Gurasu Furasshu Rēzā), which can produce bursts of light that cause their targets' vision to double up, leaving them swatting at nothing.

Fiction

Beastformers comic

Tigerburn ordered his aerial troops, including Flying Dragon, to attack the nation of Rabbihos while it was weakened. He was later seen among the Laser Beast troops who fought in the great war with the Beastformers. Beastformers VS Laser Beasts

Legends comic

Flying Dragon participated in the final battle between Beastformers and Laser Beasts on Beast in 2023. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1

In 2038, the then-peaceful Beast was invaded by Galvatron II's Decepticons. Flying Dragon was part of the joint Beastformer-Laser Beast alliance that fought against the invaders. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3

Toys

Beastformers

• Flying Dragon (Laser Beast, 1988)

• ID number: 107
• Accessories: "Glass Flash Laser" MVP Weapon (usually)

Part of the second—and rarer—assortment of Takara's Beastformers individually-boxed Laser Beasts, Flying Dragon is an anthropomorphic dragonfly in high-tech black armor. He comes with his "Glass Flash Laser" rifle, which can only be held in his right hand, as his left arm ends in an open pincer. He has a transparent orb in his torso, revealing the elemental power of Fire, Water, or Wood when you look through it into a light source.

Nominally, he comes with the dragonfly-themed "Glass Flash Laser" blaster. However, there is also a chance he could come with the weapon from one of the other 11 Laser Beasts in his shipping case; matching the Beasts with their same-numbered weapons was part of the "role-playing game" attached to the line, encouraging kids to buy more of the toys.

This toy was never released in Hasbro's Battle Beasts line, not even in the limited capacity most "Shadow Warriors" were. As such, it commands a high price on the secondary market.

Notes

• It is unknown what Flying Dragon's Hasbro Battle Beasts name would have been. He was slated to be released in one of twelve "motorized vehicle" (aka Battlecruiser) sets. The Pre-Toy Fair 1988 catalogue shows him on the red-and-yellow mole-type vehicle, but it's entirely possible he would have come with a different one; this assortment never made it to packaging sample stage.