Sky Spy

Kinda like a mini-satellite, except it doesn't fall.

The Sky Spy, a satellite-based technology designed for collection of information, is a component of Cybertronian expedition ships. It is responsible for data collection, such as the vehicle scans used to reformat the first generation of Transformers following their arrival on Earth.

Fiction

Generation 1 continuity family

The Transformers cartoon

After being reactivated by seismic activity from the volcano the Ark crashed into, Teletraan I deployed a Sky Spy to explore the area for suitable Earth-based alt modes for the stasis-locked Transformers. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 A Sky Spy was also used to scout the Arctic Circle for the cause of the global decline in temperature. During its pass, it spotted a large green crystal protruding out of the snow and ice. It also detected Decepticon activity in the area. Fire in the Sky One Sky Spy unit met its demise when it was shot out of the sky by Megatron using the ancient Crystal of Power. Fire on the Mountain That unit was later re-enabled, after Ratchet said that Teletraan I was debugged, and being "checked out". The unit then unveiled the largest Space Bridge the Decepticons had built up to that point. The Ultimate Doom

The Immobilizer

Some time later, Sky Spy was observing the coast of Japan when the electronic gremlin Kremzeek ran amok in Autobot Headquarters. It escaped by 'riding' Sky Spy's transmission beam and emerged in Japan. Kremzeek!

Auto-Bop

The Girl Who Loved Powerglide

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

If this were The Legend of Zelda, Sheikah involvement would be suspected.

Starscream deployed a Sky Spy to scan suitable alternate Earth-modes for his Combaticons. Black Sunshine

Transformers/G.I. Joe

A "repair drone" on the Fera Islands was activated by accident by members of G.I. Joe. It immediately flew up with a velocity greater than sound's and scanned the surrounding area to find suitable alternate modes for the Autobots. During its search, it was spotted by Starscream and Megatron, informing both the Decepticons it wouldn't be long before they'd face their old enemies again. Transformed

Transformers Legends anthology

Starscream shot down Sky Spy as it had the ability to shut down Megatron's weather control machine. Ratchet was sent to retrieve the Sky Spy, and ended up using it during a rescue to scan the mind of a human in order to gain the medical knowledge needed for an operation. The human, a veteran nicknamed Stitch, returned the favour by using the titanium from his prosthetic hand to complete repairs on Sky Spy, and the device was successfully used to shut down Megatron's machine. Healers, Fighters, and Transformers

2005 IDW continuity

During the Clampdown, the government used Sky Spies to keep an eye on the populace. For their own security, of course. Post Hoc Many were used to boost the security at the Primal Basilica, and one (Sky Spy 12-0815) recorded the destruction of Rodion's police headquarters. An Intimate Beheading

The Functionist Universe

After Team Rodimus had unknowingly teleported onto Functionist Cybertron, they found themselves in a "social exclusion zone" prompting a Sky-Spy to request their status symbols and submit to a chest cavity search. Twelve-of-Twelve then told them to ignore the drone but only because he was arresting them personally. Some Other Cybertron

Ask Vector Prime

In Primax 085.0 Eta, Perceptor sent a Sky Spy to Gargent 087.0 Kappa to collect data on the alternate universe. Optimus Prime and his team of Spy Changers used the returned technical readouts to modify their bodies to resemble the other universe's native cyborgs. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/30

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

A Sky Spy was buried aboard the Ark, which had crashed on a Scottish island. When the young boy who would become Destro investigated the ruins of the ship, he accidentally reactivated part of Teletraan 1, who deployed a Sky Spy probe. With no local machinery to scan, the probe scanned the native humans, and partially reconfigured a nearby Decepticon based on the schematics it had obtained. Stick To Your Guns

Transformers/Ghostbusters

After landing on earth, Ectronymous Diamatron hid himself from sight and waited for the Ghostbusters to step away from the Ecto-1. As soon as they had left, he used a Sky Spy to scan the car and take it on as his new alternate mode. Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1

Transformers vs. The Terminator

Moments after the eruption of Mount St. Hilary, the Ark deployed a Sky Spy probe to scan local machinery... at which point the T-800 Terminator, sent back in time to kill the Cybertronians before their war could jeopardize his future, blasted the little probe out of the air with a shotgun. Enemy of My Enemy Part One

After the T-800's intervention had allowed for the Autobots to be reactivated, Wheeljack reported the missing probe to Optimus. When Arcee, along with the T-800, was conducting a perimeter sweep, she found the missing probe, the T-800 defensively responding that it had scanned him when she queried if he had any role in grounding it. Enemy of My Enemy Part Three

2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon

When Koji Onishi wondered if they'd ever find his father, Midnight Express assured him that their Sky Spies were out searching for the Predacons 24/7. Hope for the Future

Animated cartoon

Optimus Prime deployed a Sky Spy probe shortly after the Autobots awoke on Earth. It scanned nearby vehicles as templates for local disguises. Transform and Roll Out

Games

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

As Autobot engineers were in the process of disassembling Teletraan-1 so they could later reinstall it on board the Ark, one of them questioned whether they needed the Sky Spy, to which his supervisor responded they would definitely need it. Fall of Cybertron

Toys

War for Cybertron: Kingdom

EXPLORE, EXPLORE!

• Autobot Ark (Titan Class, 2021)

• Known designers: John Warden and Lenny Panzica (Hasbro), Shogo Hasui and Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy), Hirofumi Ichikawa (detailing), Ken Christiansen (concept artist)

The Kingdom Titan-Class Autobot Ark includes a small Sky Spy accessory. It can slot into the backside of Mainframe's Teletraan I computer mode for storage by flipping up the side-panels.

Dramatic Capture Series

• Autobot Headquarters (Multi-pack, 2024)

• Release date: November 30, 2024
• Known designers: Hisashi Yuki (TakaraTomy)

A nigh-identical version of the Sky Spy, dubbed a "Scanning Satellite", was included in TakaraTomy's Dramatic Capture Series "Autobot Headquarters" set, once again coming with Mainframe. The gray panels are slightly lighter, and the silver paint is slightly more muted.

Exciting, we know, but we feel you should know these things.

Merchandise

Transformers Collectors Club

No, that's her hair. The Sky Spy is the thing on the ground.

• Autobot Warrior Code Name: Arcee (2016)

An accessory included with Arcee's synthoid human body figure, the Sky Spy, a redeco of the UAV drone that originally came with the 2013 G.I. Joe Retaliation Data-Viper figure, is a small jet drone which has wings that can fold down with a simple gear mechanism.

Despite being branded only as a Transformers product, this figure was exclusively available through both Fun Publications' G.I. Joe and Transformers Collectors' Club online stores.

Notes

• In the Marvel Generation 1 comic and Dreamwave's Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover comic, the satellite drone operated by the Ark's computer is not given a name.
• The first mention of the name "Sky Spy" was by Spike in the The Transformers cartoon episode "Fire in the Sky".

Foreign names

• Japanese: Scanning Satellite (スキャニングサテライト Sukyaningu Sateraito)

See also

• Shooting Star