Slipstream (Animated)

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

Slipstream is a Decepticon from the Animated continuity family.

You say "bitch" like it's a bad thing!

Slipstream, the Female Starscream, is the Starscream clone that raises the most questions. She possesses considerable strategic thinking, a biting sense of humor, and a short temper. Like all of the clones, she represents an aspect of the original Starscream's personality... though which aspect that is, he's better off not asking (or so she says).

Practically everything she ever says to the original Starscream is an insult of some form. Really makes you wonder about Starscream, doesn't it?

Sometimes she is known as Slipstrike.

Any leader has to be an improvement over you!Slipstream offers an opinion on her template, "A Bridge Too Close, Part II"

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

Animated cartoon

Voice actor: Tara Strong (English), Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese), Silvia Mißbach (German), Daniele Demma (Italian), Samira Fernandes (Portuguese), Jessica Toledo (Latin American Spanish, seasons 1 and 2), Minna Tasanto (Finnish), Anne Plumet (French)

"You're not those boring masculinists, are you?"

When his clones were brought online, Starscream was confronted with various personality issues. The female clone revealed that each one represented an aspect of his personality: megalomania, cowardice, bootlicking, and deception. When Starscream asked where she came from, Slipstream informed him that he was better off not knowing. Once they were ready to depart, Thundercracker pushed Starscream aside, and the original realized that he really was a pain in the gearshaft. Slipstream bitingly noted that he'd finally "arrived at the party", then childishly claimed that she wasn't starting anything. A Bridge Too Close, Part I

Slipstream proved to be a capable fighter, managing to get a pair of stasis cuffs on the massive Bulkhead. After the original Starscream was decapitated by Isaac Sumdac piloting a Headmaster unit, Slipstream promptly declared that she was better off being led by Megatron. When Omega Supreme joined the battle, she and the other Decepticons were blasted away. A Bridge Too Close, Part II

Slipstream apparently decided to lay low on Earth after the space bridge battle, managing to evade capture unlike her fellow clones (and several non-clone Decepticons). However, when she spotted a red figure flying through the sky, she mistook it for Starscream and chased after it in a rage. She shot at him, causing him to fall in a river. Seeing it wasn't Starscream, she promptly fled the scene. Endgame, Part I

Transformers Legends comic

In one of the Legends World's Tigatron's dreams, Slipstream led a group of the evil female Transformers in an attempt to kidnap him, fighting the heroic female Transformers guarding him in the process. Bonus Edition Vol. 11 Later, Alpha Trion saw Slipstream, Blackarachnia, and Nightbird Shadow in a vision of things to come. Bonus Edition Vol. 14

In her home universe, Slipstream became a fugitive on Cybertron following the defeat of the Decepticons. Learning of the Legends Universe from Swindle, she had the slippery salesman remodel her body to include interdimensional gyro-rotors that let her flee to this peaceful universe where she hoped to wreak havoc as she pleased. Unfortunately for her, since Alpha Trion had foreseen her arrival, she was immediately defeated by a group of Autobots and Maximals determined to protect the Legends Universe from intruders like her. While wandering the street wondering what went wrong, the damaged Slipstream was found by Megatron and offered a position at his side. She accepted, only to find that "at his side" meant "doing office work at Tera-Kura Co.". Bonus Edition Vol. 16

When Halloween came around, Megatron hatched a plan to gather energy by having his employees go trick-or-treating for it. Slipstream dressed up as a devil and went knocking on Tigatron's door alongside Blackarachnia and Nightbird Shadow, which attracted Autobot attention, though Blackarachnia was able to deal with them. Bonus Edition Vol. 17

At some point during the work day, male employees at Tera-Kura drooled over Slipstream and Blackarachnia, but their attentions quickly switched to Nightbird when she took off her mask. LG-15 Nightbird Shadow Sequel

While recapping the story of her arrival in the Legends Universe to Rattrap, Slipstream added that she'd also made her face look younger during her remodeling. As she was talking about her creation as a clone and how she'd lost track of the original Starscream, Rattrap pointed her in the direction of a Starscream he knew of. Angry over having been left to fend for herself, Slipstream began choking Starscream, brushing aside his claims that he was a different Starscream by arguing that he'd probably remodeled his body too. LG-16 Slipstream Sequel Slipstream later swooned over the foreign Springer with the other female Tera-Kura employees, LG19 Sprung Prologue driving Tigatron to envy. Bonus Edition Vol. 19

Slipstream and the other ladies were off visiting a hot spring with Megatron when Waspinator took over Tera-Kura Co., meaning no battle-capable employees were around to stop him. Bonus Edition Vol. EX She was later targeted by Skids, a dimensional investigator out to send all the Legends Universe's interdimensional visitors back to their homeworlds, and her pleas that she'd be arrested if she went home fell on deaf ears. She was saved by Megatron, and in the end Skids gave up and allowed them to stay. Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 20 After her company partnered with the Decepticon Headmasters, forming the Decepticon Tera-Kura Co., she was included on a chart detailing the employees as one of the "three office ladies". Bonus Edition Vol. 22 When Megatron went on a rampage as Galvatron, Slipstream pointed out that he was being a hypocrite, having previously said he wanted to conquer the Legends world peacefully. Galvatron didn't take kindly to being told what to do, and responded by blasting her and the other two. Bonus Edition Vol. 23 Slipstream was present for Scourge's failed attempt at usurping Megatron. Bonus Edition Vol. 26

Slipstream was hypnotized into being all over Mindwipe during his brief hypnotism-powered reign over the world, Bonus Edition Vol. 34 and was present in the office when Astrotrain confronted Megatron Bonus Edition Vol. 40 as well as when the Decepticons were forced to sit tight during a Dimensional Patrol invasion. Bonus Edition Vol. EX When the Headmaster faction betrayed Tera-Kura and came to steal Metroplex's transformation cog from them, Slipstream was defeated by Trickdiamond's earthquake powers. Decepticon Civil War She remained loyal to Megatron even after he quit his job to be mayor, and helped him reclaim Tera-Kura'office from the Concurrence by taking out their Vipers. Bonus Edition Vol. 63 Slipstream participated in the battle with Majin Zarak, a battle that ended with destruction and evacuation of the Legends World. Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two As such returned to her own universe, where she joined forces with Swindle and Starscream and infiltrated an Autobot prison. Epiloge

The Cool comic

"I do not think you're dreamy! That's an entirely different purple female Decepticon."

As the Autobots and Decepticons fought over the Space Bridge, Starscream chose that moment as the most opportune time to unleash his Clone Army on both factions. Slipstream was among them and seemed to fare best, as the other clones were being easily swatted by the joint efforts of Optimus Prime and Megatron. Slipstream managed to get a clear shot at Megatron and, after screaming an insult at him, sent a powerful energy blast headed his way. Megatron saw the attack coming, however, and quickly used Optimus as a living shield. The Cool Episode 7

Defeated, Slipstream was forced to follow Megatron's orders and attack the oncoming Omega Supreme. She and the other clones were greatly outmatched and taken out by a single blast from Omega's arm cannon. The Cool Episode 8

Kre-O online manga

Slipstrike attended Starscream's unveiling of a statue built in his image. Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!

Ask Vector Prime

When asked on his ANN Q&A column which aspect of Starscream's personality Slipstream represented, Vector Prime gave an answer that was cut out by the Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/31 Seriously, don't be an idiot who wastes your time asking.

Toys

Kre-O

• Slipstrike (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2014)
  • Collection: 4
  • Bag number: *****43
  • Accessories: Stand-brick, 2 clip-on rifles

Part of the fourth assortment of blind-bagged Kreon Micro-Changers, "Slipstrike" is a Kreon figurine that can be rebuilt into a jet. Initially, this Collection was basically only available at Walgreens drug stores.

Her stock photography shows her vehicle mode with the wings swept-forward, which matches the original Animated Slipstream. However, the instructions tell you to attach them so they swing back (as shown above).

Eventually, they saw release at other "dollar" stores and continued release through Walgreens up through 2016. Unfortunately, these later releases lack the individual-Kreon-identifying number stamps, which thanks to the gigantic thick instruction sheet this wave came with, makes finding the ones you want by the "bag feel" method much trickier. These releases all have the 2014 slight retooling to their arms, making the cuffs less rounded and better-suited to being used as studs. Some figures did get minor deco changes; this release of Slipstrike has much brighter lavender accent paint on her torso than the original.

She uses the Starscream helmet.

• More information on Slipstrike at TFU.info

Legends

• Slipstream (Deluxe Class, 2015-10-24)
  • ID number: LG16
  • Accessories: 2 guns

Legends Slipstream is a retool of Generations Windblade with a new head, chest, and forearms based on her cartoon design. She transforms into a jet with tilting, spinning VTOL fans and fold in front landing gear. She features new arm-mounted weapon instead of Windblade's sword and scabbard. She was packaged with volume 16 of the Legends manga.

This toy was repurposed as the Generation 1 version of Slipstream in Transformers: Earth Wars. This mold was also redecoed into BotCon 2016 souvenir Airazor, and served as the basis of the non-toy Beast Wars: Uprising incarnation of Stiletto.

Notes

• Where Slipstream got her colors from was debated within the fandom, with the most frequent guess being Generation 2 Ramjet. However, when contacted about it, Derrick J. Wyatt revealed that her color scheme was actually "loosely inspired" by the Godmaster Overlord. Unexpected! Still, half of Overlord was technically female.
• As her colors weren't closely based on any of the pre-existing Seekers, fans didn't have much of a clue what to call her, and created a lot of different nicknames. No official name had been created for her, either (she was just referred to as "Female Starscream" in the show's credits), a situation that writers Jim Sorenson and Bill Forster sought to rectify for her entry in Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac. Forster and Sorenson proposed "Slipstream" to Derrick J. Wyatt and Marty Isenberg, who both liked it, and the name was subsequently included in the first draft of the Almanac. Hasbro raised no objection to the idea, and publicly announced the name for the first time during the Hasbro panel at BotCon 2009.
• While the Transformers fandom has long mused upon the possibility of female "Seekers" (and produced countless self-insertion characters that are variants on the theme), Slipstream is the first canonical female character to share a body template with Starscream. This is either great or horrible, depending on your perspective. (Hasbro concept art of what appeared to be a female Seeker design did appear on the BotCon 2005-exclusive cover of Infiltration #0, but the idea doesn't seem to have been developed further than that at the time.)
• Slipstream's existence is, of course, a gag about the famously effeminate Starscream having a "feminine side," but the show holds back from making this joke outright; when Starscream asks Slipstream what side of him she represents, she responds only by saying "Don't ask," and a few pieces of media (like the AllSpark Almanac) would play up the gag by also never actually giving an answer. Transformers fandom, being the cluster of imagination-killing literalists that they are, summarily failed to get this, and have spent years trying to "solve" the "mystery" of what she represents, going so far as to repeatedly ask Derrick J. Wyatt over and over on his social media. Early on he tried to light-heartedly brush it off by saying "I try not to think about that one!" but the questions were so persistent that an exhausted Wyatt took to automatically agreeing with whatever theory was put to him, no matter how absurd.
• To make sure Slipstream was sufficiently Starscream-y during recording, Tara Strong would have Tom Kenny read her lines first, allowing his delivery and intonation to inform her own.
• In the Italian dubbing of Transformers Animated, the voice of Slipstream was provided by Daniele Demma, the same male voice actor that does Starscream and the other clones. This resulted in a more exaggerated representation of the character.
• In the Latin American Spanish dub of the third season, she is probably still a female. However, due to her voice being extremely grave, it's still unclear if she is either male or female.
• The War for Cybertron version of Slipstream is designed in homage of this one.
• Slipstream was originally intended to appear in "Endgame, Part II", in which she would revive Starscream after the Autobots left Earth, but the scene was cut for time.
• TFCC magazine, which went into greater details of the planned fourth season, indicated Slipstream would have led her own team of Decepticons on earth and allied with the Autobots in the final battle with Megatron.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Slipstream (スリップストリーム Surippusutorīmu)

See also

You look familiar...

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Versions of Slipstream have appeared in other continuity families, including:

• Slipstream, the Decepticon Seeker from the Aligned continuity family.
• Slipstream, the Decepticon from Generation 1.
• Slipstream, the Decepticon from Cyberverse.

For more information, see Slipstream (disambiguation).