Sky-Byte (G2)

The name or term "Sky-Byte" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Sky-Byte (disambiguation).

Sky-Byte is a Predacon or Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Put your best knee forward.

Sky-Byte is a storyteller. A poet. In times of peace, he loves nothing more than to perform on stage in front of an adoring crowd. When things aren't so peaceful, Sky-Byte is a capable and ferocious fighter with a strong sense of loyalty to his allies, though sometimes he falls on the side of the Decepticons merely because of an existing rivalry he's maintaining with an Autobot. Even in battle, he doesn't miss a chance to regale those present with his latest haiku.

Fiction

Car Robots cartoon

While the 2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon is considered to be the basis of its own continuity family, the Japanese cartoon it adapts, Car Robots, is part of the Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity. See the 2001 Robots in Disguise Sky-Byte's article for details of Car Robots Gelshark.

Wings Universe

Here to you Dantes! This is for Pushkin!

Created as an agent of the Quintessons, Sky-Byte was the commander of the new generation of Sharkticons. Unlike his dim-witted troops, Sky-Byte exhibited a scientific and creative nature, whether it be by making new advances in technology or writing haiku to express himself during tense and exciting moments.

In 2010, Sky-Byte was sent to Earth by the Quintessons as part of an alliance with the Decepticon outlaw Clench. His army of next-generation Sharkticons successfully empowered Clench's Decepticon Syndicate, and they were able to take control of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

There, Sky-Byte worked with Clench to realize the potential of the low-grade fuel forestonite. He determined that bombarding the forestonite with high-energy particles allowed it to alter Transformers, granting them extraordinary power. Pyro teased Clench for hanging around with Quintesson flunkies, and Sky-Byte responded with pride about how his new forestonite fuel would tip the balance of power. Sky-Byte may have oversold the stuff, however, as Clench impulsively fed some to Cindersaur—and it wasn't meant to be taken orally!—and then insisted that Sky-Byte himself be one of the next round of test subjects.

When the Autobots burst into the facility in an attempt to rescue Spark, Sky-Byte taunted them with a haiku and, when that was poorly received, then tried to zap them all with his "Tsunami Blaster", a new and deadly ability bestowed upon him by the forestonite. The battle was ultimately decided when a nervous Breakdown shot the canisters of forestonite, thinking they would explode. Instead, the chemical spread out in gaseous form all over the remaining Transformers, equaling the balance of power for the Autobots. Rapido gained the power to outrun Sky-Byte's shark missile attack, and soon the Decepticons were thoroughly routed. At this point, Sky-Byte fled the scene with his Sharkticons and a sample of forestonite. Without his additional muscle, Clench was forced to retreat as well.

And, yes, even while running for his life, Sky-Byte had the frame of mind to write a pretty haiku. Generation 2: Redux

Two years later, Sky-Byte teamed up with Jhiaxus, providing the Decepticon with large quantities of forestonite. A Flash Forward, Part 2 His duties included preparing the ship for takeoff to Nebulos. A Flash Forward, Part 3

He was almost run down by Side Burn as the latter drove through the base, prompting him to shoot a furious haiku at the Autobot. A Flash Forward, Part 5 Following the destruction of Jhiaxus's base on Qre, Sky-Byte and his associate watched the Autobots leave with several of the clones, and Jhiaxus confided in him that the whole experience had been a test. A Flash Forward, Part 6

At some point, Sky-Byte secretly joined forces with the Predacons. A Common Foe After the construction of a massive clone army and its prolonged siege on Cybertron, Sky-Byte accompanied Jhiaxus when he arrived on the planet to offer the native Autobot-Decepticon resistance and his wayward clone commander a final choice. Termination Despite Sky-Byte's assistance, the Cybertronian invasion lost the following battle. The Predacon fled and raided Jhiaxus's secondary laboratory of its stasis pods before the laboratory could be discovered by the Autobots and the Decepticons. The stasis pods were brought to the other Predacons so they could create their own army in the aftermath of the peace treaty between the Autobots, Decepticons, and Jhiaxus's clones. Included in the batch were four mysterious capsules, one of which included Tarantulas. A Common Foe

IDW Generation 1 continuity

Who's the most moderate shark in town?

More than four million years ago, Sky-Byte was a Decepticon, but atrocities committed by the Constructicons on Varas Centralus convinced him to flee the war and his homeworld. Before Sky-Byte's retreat, he had a rivalry with Ironhide. A Better Tomorrow At some point during the war, a statue of Sky-Byte was made by the Necrobot. The Not Knowing

In the current era, Cybertron was rebooted into a primordial state and Vector Sigma sent out a signal to its planet's scattered people to return. Sky-Byte heeded this call, but had reservations about the uneasy politics between the Autobots, the Decepticons, and the nonaffiliated. The ex-Decepticon poet pursued some solitude, musing over a decapitated Sweep, when he was interrupted by Ironhide. Sky-Byte expected a fight from his old rival, but Ironhide surprised him with his ease and candor. Still, Sky-Byte expressed his suspicions towards the Autobots, and so Ironhide suggested he check out the Decepticons as well to see if they were any better. Sky-Byte followed Ironhide's suggestion and met with the Decepticons, but he was followed by Prowl's Autobots so that they could make arrests. Things quickly got out of hand and a battle erupted until Ironhide settled everyone down.

Kids these days and their music!

Later, Sky-Byte joined Prowl for a drink at Maccadam's Old Oil House, which Ironhide and Blurr had re-opened as a place where Transformers could meet in peace regardless of affiliation. Ironhide explained to them why he had changed -- he had seen a vision of the distant future where he was alive but the war was dead... because so were Sky-Byte, Prowl, and the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons. A Better Tomorrow Sky-Byte was later performing a musical/poetic duet with Jazz at Maccadam's Old Oil House. Interference Patterns Some time after sharing some poetry with Starscream, Sky-Byte joined a crowd of neutrals and Decepticons recruited by him in an attempt to pressure Prowl into revealing one of his secret discoveries below ground on Cybertron. When they followed Starscream and Prowl into the cave, they witnessed a Metrotitan declare that Starscream was the Cybertronian destined to unite their whole race. Primus: All Good Things

When the Decepticon population began rioting in the wake of Megatron's return, Sky-Byte holed up inside Maccadam's alongside Jazz and some other neutrals. City on Fire They were eventually forced to abandon their hideout after the rioters burned it down, The Verge and relocated to Fixit's med-center. Before the Dawn During Megatron's subsequent conquest of the city, the med-center was the attacked by Devastator, and Sky-Byte offered to help his partner Jazz fight the giant. Jazz turned him down, telling him to get the injured to safety instead. Plan for Everything Together with some of his neutral friends, he later prevented Needlenose from killing Swindle for helping injured Autobots. Heavy Is the Head

After the battle ended with Starscream claiming leadership of the neutrals and banishing both Autobots and Decepticons, Sky-Byte returned to Maccadam's to help rebuild it. Three Monologues When the Necrotitan unleashed a destructive energy wave upon Iacon, Starscream used his body to shield several of his citizens, including Sky-Byte. Winners & Losers In the wake of the destruction, the poet listened to Scoop accuse Starscream of embodying a dark prophecy that would destroy them all. Into the Abyss He was then injured during the Necrotitan's assault on the city and had to be carried to safety by Scoop and Rattrap. Burning Bright He recovered in time to celebrate the Titan's defeat alongside other survivors. The Becoming

TURN AROUND BRIIIIGHT EYES

Six months later, Sky-Byte was still hanging out at Blurr's bar. Windblade didn't know what to make of him. A 'Bot and Her City When Windblade and several neutrals were imprisoned by Starscream, he and Swindle aided Chromia in breaking them out. Windblade vol. 1 #3 Around that time, having returned to a life of war, Jazz would fondly remember his duets with Sky-Byte. Full Fathom Five

Sky-Byte continued frequenting Maccadam's and helped celebrate Wheeljack's return there. He and Waspinator shared a song. The World of Tomorrow A statue of Sky-Byte was present on the Necrobot's world when the Lost Light stopped there. The Not Knowing After the establishment of a Decepticon commune near Jupiter, Sky-Byte traveled there on the Peace Without Tyranny. Aphelion When Cosmos came aboard the commune and voiced his anger at Soundwave and Galvatron's plans, Sky-Byte did not join his fellow Decepticons in aiming their weapons at the Autobot and merely looked on. After Soundwave ordered the Decepticons to stand down, Sky-Byte voiced his approval, stating that they would win because of their ideals and not because of their firepower. Lagrange When Sky-Byte learned the other Decepticons had raided the Ark-7, possibly killed everyone on board, and pointed it at Earth to begin a new Decepticon invasion, he was...not as approving. Perihelion

Games

Transformers Legends

Sky-Byte was part of a group of Decepticons who were sent to investigate a mysterious enemy. They teamed up with Nightbeat and Windblade to fight the Ammonites, but soon fell out with their Autobot allies. Defeated by the pair, the Decepticons returned to their own starship. Into the Abyss

Toys

Robots in Disguise (2001)

File:RID Sky-Byte Toy.jpg

Sing of happy - not sad! Sing of good sharks - not bad!

• Sky-Byte (Mega, 2000/2001)
  • Japanese ID Number: D-005
  • Accessories: Launcher, 2 missiles

Robots in Disguise Sky-Byte was repurposed as Sky-Byte by Transformers Legends.

An extensive redeco of the Transmetal 2 Maximal Cybershark, Sky-Byte transforms into a large, monstrous, bio-mechanical great white shark. His tail has a gear system that spins the fins like a propeller when a wheel in his side is turned. This system becomes his left arm, forming a spinning claw weapon. He also has a double spring-loaded missile launcher concealed in his shark mouth that also serves as a hand weapon.

First available as part of the Car Robots line in Japan, there are no noteworthy differences between the Takara and Hasbro versions.

• More information on Sky-Byte at TFU.info

Timelines

This mold's not for Scourge?
At the time we were confused.
Now we understand.

• Generation 2: Redux (BotCon 2010 box set)
  • Accessories: 2 missiles

Sky-Byte is a retool of Energon Sharkticon with a new head, transforming into a Cybertronic submarine/battleship with dimly animalistic styling. His colors and head sculpt are heavily based on Robots in Disguise (2001) Sky-Byte. His small gun turrets are movable, plus his side panels can extend outward to reveal spring-loaded missile launchers. The area where Sharkticon's spark crystal once resided is now considered Sky-Byte's "Tsunami Blaster".

Sky-Byte is part of the BotCon 2010 boxed set, alongside Breakdown, Spark, Streetstar, and Clench.

The original version of this mold was also used to make Sky-Byte's fellow BotCon 2010 exclusives, the Sharkticons, as well as United Axalon.

• More information on Sky-Byte at TFU.info

Generations

File:TFGenerations Voyager Sky-Byte.jpg

Under the sea, under the sea!

• Sky-Byte (Voyager, 2014)
  • Series / Number: 02 / 007
  • Accessories: 1 missile

This toy was repurposed to represent Sky-Byte on the cover of issue #10 of Dark Cybertron.

A new-mold toy released in wave 5 of the Voyager Class Thrilling 30 series of the Generations toyline, Sky-Byte once again transforms into a bio-mechanical great white shark. He lacks the mouth-based missile launcher of his previous toy, instead having a single missile firing from the center of his (still gear-activated) spinning claw weapon. His beast mode articulation consists of an opening mouth and a tail that moves up and down. There is a hexagonal peghole underneath him which is compatible with some collector display stands.

In robot mode the missile launcher in his claw weapon still functions. Sky-Byte is much less of a shellformer than his original form, with many parts of his robot mode actually becoming parts of the shark mode, though much of it still piles up on his back. These parts can be arranged in a variety of ways to form a more show-accurate or cleaner robot mode.

This mold was used by Cloud Hellwarp.

• More information on Generations Sky-Byte at TFU.info

Notes

• Car Robots, the Japanese version of the 2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon, is regarded as part of the Generation 1 continuity family and the Primax universal cluster. However, Robots in Disguise itself constitutes a different continuity family and is designated as the Viron universal cluster. To prevent duplication of information, see Sky-Byte (RID)#2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon for "Generation 1" Sky-Byte/Gelshark's exploits in the cartoon.
• The identity of Sky-Byte was the subject of the "Who is the Wildcard?" contest held by Fun Publications on their Transformers Collectors' Club forums, with Revenge of the Fallen Voyager Megatron and Breakaway as prizes to who guessed the character first. Other than the "wildcard" hint, the only other hint given was that the character was "never seen in Generation 2". TCC board member EmeraldBeacon guessed Sky-Byte soon thereafter, ending the contest, but whose among all the guesses that day was the correct guess was not known until the BotCon 2010 brochure went online.
• Although Sky-Byte's design in the IDW G1 Robots in Disguise comic is not exactly the same as his namesake's, it is based on it.