Fireflight (G1)

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

Fireflight is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Hey guys! I was off on a mission somewhere while you were fighting the Giant Purple Griffin. Hope that wasn't a problem!"

Fireflight combines a childlike sense of wonder with the soul of a daydreamer, resulting, unfortunately, in one major menace to airborne navigation. Near collisions and crashes come fast and frequent when he's around. If Aerialbots had to be certified to take to the air he'd have been grounded for life long ago. Fireflight means well and has a good heart, he just can't help losing himself in the beauty of the world when seen from the sky. It's hard for his teammates to get too mad at someone so filled with wonder and innocence, but at the same time it's also hard to fly next to someone who's never paying any attention to where he's going.

Fireflight combines with his fellow Aerialbots to form Superion.

When I'm flying, no enemy is safe - nor friendFireflight's motto

French-Canadian name: Boule de Feu

Japanese name: Firebolt

Italian name: Optor

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Generation 1

Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.

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. Devastation Derby! By sharing his visions with Optimus Prime, Buster was able to clarify the images and understand the future of the evolution of the Cybertronian race — amalgam model robots like the Constructicons' Devastator, capable of a more-streamlined merging into a more powerful form. It was these visions which allowed Optimus Prime and Wheeljack to conceive of and construct the Aerialbots. 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 enough time to digitally record the Constructicon's electrical transformation pattern for study. Command Performances! Working off that blueprint, Wheeljack successfully created Fireflight 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.

The unfinished programming quickly proved to be an issue, however — only Silverbolt had received the personality directives that made human safety a top priority. When Fireflight's dogfighting with Dirge very nearly caused a deadly avalanche, the Aerialbot leader needed to directly order Fireflight to blast the rocks with his fire-fog missiles before anyone was killed.

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 (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. 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 inputed fully-programmed personalities for them with the Matrix before their next mission. It, uh...didn't help. In battle with 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. Heavy Traffic!

As Grimlock took over the Autobots, Fireflight and the other Aerialbots took an extended leave of absence from the war, since the Dinobot commander focused Autobot resources on repairing their fallen comrades and prepping the Ark to become spaceworthy again.

Sometime later, it was Fireflight, Air Raid, Skydive 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, 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. Dark Star

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

Earthforce

These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details.

Fireflight 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 elected to run the gauntlet and reach the shutdown console inside, and the Aerialbots provided air support for him. Fireflight and his buddies gunned down the Acid Bats at the entryway, giving Prowl his chance to get through. The House that Wheeljack Built!

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.

Generation 2

After the defeat of 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. Fireflight 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. The Power and the Glory

Later on, Fireflight was fighting with his fellow Aerialbots in the skies of Ethos, defending the planet against genocide by the Cybertronian Empire. Even Skydive's battle plans weren't doing any good, however, and Fireflight was about to give up the fight when the cavalry arrived, in the form of the Decepticon Seekers and Rotor Force. Escalation! The Autobot/Decepticon alliance soon stood against the Cybertronian Empire at Autobase on Earth. Fireflight was seen working a one-two combo with Slag — he'd knock jets out of the sky, and the Dinobot would roast 'em when they hit the ground. Total War!

Cartoon continuity

Voice actor: Jeff Mackay (English), Yoku Shioya (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 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 bring them to life as a team of Autobot flyers. With the help of his technical savvy soldiers, Hoist, Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Prime's own creator, Alpha Trion, Optimus's plan was enacted and the Aerialbots were born. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2

Fireflight's spacey demeanor got his partners in trouble from time to time. As the Aerialbots were searching the Middle East for a squadron of stolen jets, Slingshot and Skydive found the jets being reprogrammed by Megatron and the Decepticons as a remote-controlled air force. The two Aerialbots summoned their fellow flyers, but while Silverbolt and Air Raid turned up quickly, Fireflight was lost out somewhere in the sands for a good portion of the battle with the Giant Purple Griffin, leaving his teammates vulnerable and unable to combine and form Superion. Only after he finally got his head together and followed up on Skydive's signal did the Aerialbots manage to gain the upper hand. Aerial Assault

War Dawn Cosmic Rust

After the death of Megatron and the retaking of Cybertron, Fireflight and the Aerialbots became part of the Autobot Fleet. When Ultra Magnus, Kup and Spike were kidnapped to Quintessa, the rescue party alerted the Aerialbots to swoop by for covering fire and pick-up. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2 When the Quintessons destroyed their own planet to get at the Autobots, the resulting blast wave destroyed the Aerialbots' ship, sending Fireflight and the rest hurtling through space. Although they clearly survived, Skydive, Fireflight and Slingshot were not seen after the explosion. They eventually impacted on Goo #8739B, and were rescued by Wreck-Gar and the Junkions. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3

In the episode Dark Awakening, several jets in the Autobot Fleet resembling the Aerialbots' alt modes were destroyed by the Quintessons. Repeatedly. Since the Aerialbots unquestionably survived the attack, it would seem their character models were merely used to build up the size of the fleet, and the casualty figures.

Before long, history repeated itself (literally) as Fireflight and the Aerialbots had another time travel adventure involving Alpha Trion, only this time it involved the ancient Autobot himself traveling into the present from the past, back from when he was merely A3. The Quintessons were experimenting with Time Window technology when Perceptor and a group of Autobots came across their work. Summoned for reinforcements, Rodimus Prime arrived with Superion and the other Autobots to drive the Quintessons off the asteroid. As the time window was left open, a robot named A3 materialized on the asteroid. It wasn't until after the Quintessons convinced the Autobots that the window needed to be closed for the sake of the universe, and A3 returned to his own time, that Fireflight and the Aerialbots realized they had once again been in the presence of "the father of the Autobots". Forever Is a Long Time Coming

Once, Air Raid led the Decepticon duo of Scourge and Cyclonus into an asteroid field where Fireflight and his fellow Aerialbots were waiting to spring an ambush. The Aerialbots messed the Decepticons up pretty badly, especially after they transformed into Superion. Eventually, Fireflight and the others chased the Decepticons through a strange warp in space. This proceeded to have no consequences for anyone whatsoever. Fight or Flee

Fireflight and the Aerialbots were spending a relaxing day watching home movies on Teletraan II when things suddenly get serious, as the Autobots' computer off-handedly informed them Trypticon was never destroyed in his last battle with Metroplex. When they tracked Trypticon to his new staging grounds, Fireflight and the Aerialbots launched from Broadside, but the Decepticon presence in Carbombya was more than they had anticipated. The Aerialbots made a hasty retreat when confronted with overwhelming firepower, but soon returned with reinforcements and drove the Decepticons from Carbombya. Thief in the Night

During a battle in space, Fireflight and the Aerialbots may or may not have been present. Superion, at least, was surely there on the planet Eurythma...sometimes. Carnage in C-Minor

After Sky Lynx took some hostile fire over the planet of Junk, Rodimus Prime dispatched Fireflight and the Aerialbots to investigate. They were caught in a crossfire between the brain-addled Junkions and the Quintessons, who were responsible for messing with the Junkions' air waves, and their minds. Even after becoming Superion, the Aerialbots took heavy fire and had to be brought back to First Aid on Cybertron for repairs. The Big Broadcast of 2006 Later, Fireflight and the Aerialbots were working with Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus in Europe to fend off the latest wave of Decepticon attacks. When Trypticon arrived, they played the bi-planes to his King Kong. The Ultimate Weapon

During the Decepticon invasion of Japan, the Aerialbots fought against Astrotrain when he tried to derail a bullet train full of passengers. The Burden Hardest to Bear Sometime thereafter, Fireflight and the Aerialbots were recruited by Rodimus Prime to rescue the body of Optimus Prime from Swofford and Morgan. Unfortunately, this only meant they were among the first Autobots exposed to the hate plague. Despite the madness induced by the red dust, the Aerialbots were apparently still willing to form Superion. Superion ran amok, causing serious property damage, infecting Defensor, and taking several other Autobots out of action. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1

When the Decepticons invaded Cybertron searching for the Plasma Energy Chamber, the Aerialbots tried to stop them. Unfortunately, they didn't reckon with Sixshot. Fireflight was knocked out of the sky when Sixshot turned into a winged wolf and tore his wings right off. The Rebirth, Part 1 The Combaticons then took his power pack to use as fuel for the giant rocket engine they were constructing for Galvatron. The Rebirth, Part 3

Dreamwave comics continuity

At some point in the late 20th century, Fireflight and the Aerialbots joined the crew of the Ark in fighting the Decepticons on Earth. They were rendered inactive when the Ark II exploded in mid-air on its journey back to Cybertron. Prime Directive issue 1 Fireflight and the Aerialbots were revived by Optimus Prime in 2002 using the Autobot Matrix of Leadership Prime Directive issue 2 and, in their Superion form, battled the Decepticons in the Northwest Territories of Canada Prime Directive issue 3 and again in San Francisco. When the insane General Robert Hallo launched a nuclear missile at the city, intending to destroy all of the Transformers, the Aerialbots as Superion sacrificed their lives to destroy the missile. Prime Directive issue 6 The remains of the Aerialbots were gathered up and studied by Earth Defense Command. Generation One issue 0

Toys

Generation 1

• Fireflight (Aerialbot, 1986)
  • Team ID number: A3
  • Japanese ID number: C-52
  • Accessories: "Photon displacer gun"

Fireflight transformed into a red F-4 Phantom II with white wings. He could combine with his fellow Aerialbots to form Superion. As a Scramble City-style combiner, he could form the arm or leg of Superion, or any other compatible combiner, though his nominal location was as Superion's right arm.

• Superion (Multi-pack, 1986)
  • Japanese ID number: C-55
  • Accessories: "Photon displacer gun"

Fireflight was available by himself or as part of the Superion giftset.

Generation 2

• Fireflight (Aerialbot, 1994)
  • Team ID number: A3
  • Accessories:

One of the few actual repaints of the line, Fireflight retains the same colors as his G1 predecessor, but features more silver paint (primarily on the chest), an Autobot tampograph and different stickers.

Classics

• Fireflight (Legends, 2006)

Fireflight is a red and beige redeco of Legends of Cybertron Jetfire. He was going to be named Powerglide, but the trademark was unavailable, so his name and identity was changed.

The redeco was also once conceived as Sky Lynx, but there was too much white already in the toyline, thus it was changed to Powerglide. And then Fireflight. Identity crisis, anyone?

Universe (2008)

G1 Series

• Superion (Multi-pack, 2008)
  • Accessories: Shield/double-cannon, Autobot-type energon star

Available only as a component of Universe Superion, this version of Fireflight is a dark brown and grey redeco of the Energon Sky Shadow/Terradive mold, transforming into an A-10 "Thunderbolt" plane. He can also form a leg or arm to any Energon-series "Powerlinx Combiner" super robot, though his nominal placement is as the right leg to Superion. He comes with a shield/double cannon that can become a footplate or "hand" for his combined mode, plus a blue "super energon" Autobot-style energon star that fits over his spark crystal.

He shares his mold with fellow Superion pack-mate Skydive.

Fireflight was released, along with the others in this box set, in 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 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Superion packaging for North America. Thus, this toy doubles as Movie Fireflight.

This mold was also used to make Fun Publications Transformers Collectors Club-exclusive Cybertron Skyfall.

• More information on Fireflight at TFU.info

External links

• Fireflight at TFU.info
• Fireflight's Universe profile at NFTA.net