Sunrunner (G1)

Sunrunner is an Autobot Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Hi, I'm better than you. And smaller.

Sunrunner, as one of the relatively scarce flying Autobots, has a bit of an (ahem) air superiority complex. Warriors who can't fly are barely even warriors in his optics. "Groundhogs", he calls them. This attitude does nothing to endear him to his fellow Battle Patrol members, but he doesn't care—after all, he knows he contributes more than his fair share as the only flying member of the team. This can create tension between him and Flak, however. The team strategist wants credit for his brilliant tactical layouts, yet Sunrunner is always there to remind them how indispensable his air support is to the plan. He may be right, but that only makes Sunrunner's self-congratulations that much more irritating.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

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

Sunrunner and the Battle Patrol were among the first dozen or so Autobot Micromasters created by Emirate Xaaron on Cybertron to replenish the Autobot ranks. Considered walking, talking top-secret technology, the Micromasters were each implanted with a suicide switch that would utterly destroy them if they were ever captured by the Decepticons. On a routine scouting mission, though, Sunrunner and his Patrol were ambushed by Thunderwing in an attempt to gain access to their secrets. Following their leader, Big Shot, the Battle Patrol chose to go down fighting like Autobots instead of blowing themselves up. Noble, perhaps, but they were still captured in the end, and the Decepticons pilfered the secrets of Micromaster technology from their bodies before the Battle Patrol were rescued by the other Autobot Micromasters. A Small War!

Marvel UK future timelines

In 2009, after the Time Wars, Galvatron and the Decepticons had assumed near total control over Cybertron. Sunrunner was part of a small band of Autobots under the command of Rodimus Prime attempting to mount a resistance against the Decepticon rule. After Galvatron and the Triggercons dismantled one of their outposts and all the Autobots inside it, however, the Autobots went into retreat, fleeing for Earth. Aspects of Evil! Sunrunner and the rest of the Battle Patrol were seen on the bridge of the Autobot shuttlecraft with Kup and Red Alert, as more than 400 Autobots fled their homeworld in defeat. The Void!

Sunrunner was a full-size Transformer during "Aspects of Evil!", but drawn as a normally-sized Micromaster by the time of "The Void!".

Zone cartoon, comic, and story pages

Voice actor: Yūki Satō (Japanese)

When Victory Saber initiated the "Zone Project", the Battle Patrol helped rebuild planet Micro into planet Zone. To counter this threat, Violen Jiger began conquering planets in order to create his own Decepticon Zone. The Race Car Patrol and all other Micromaster teams were then sent on patrol across the galaxy, specifically to planets where their unique skills could do the most good. Zone Part 1

When Bruticus attacked the planet Feminia, the Battle Patrol were among several units of Micromasters deployed to stop him. Through teamwork, they proved triumphant. Zone Part 2

After the Nine Great Demon Generals had devastated the Planet Zone Base and stolen the Energon Z energy source, Sunrunner and his fellow comrades of the Battle Team boarded Moonradar’s rocket to chase after them and, with the help of Sunrunner’s radar, tracked them down somewhere in space and pursued them to Earth. There, the Battle Team among other Micromasters faced off against Trypticon and Predaking, but found themselves at the receiving end of the beating. Luckily, Sonic Bomber and Dai Atlas arrived just in time and saved the day.

Later on, Sunrunner could be seen amongst the crowd cheering and applauding to the newly appointed Autobot Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas. Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas! Zone

When the Powered Masters flew off to the Tenth Planet for their showdown with Violen Jiger, all the Micromaster teams took command of Zone and vowed to keep it safe in their Commander's absence. Zone Part 10

In Japan, the "Micro Transformers" were uniformly depicted as precocious and childlike, with virtually no attention paid to individual personalities save a very select few characters.

Dreamwave comics continuity

Sunrunner and Sidetrack made up the obnoxious duo of the "Rank-'N'-File Brigade", as Big Daddy called them. These two Battle Patrol members were all cylinders hot for the Autobot cause, and more than willing to berate any Micromasters who they felt weren't living up to the Auto-brand. After Big Daddy and his team lost one of their own rescuing the guzzler Roadbuster from the Decepticons, he was in no mood to get flak from Sunrunner and Sidetrack about how they didn't do it efficiently enough. B.I.G. decked Sunrunner onto the floor of the barracks, and then cut out on the Autobots with his Hot Rod Patrol. Destined for Nothing

Sunrunner hadn't forgotten that little episode sometime later, when Big Daddy and his team came back to the base looking for support after the Insecticons tore up Little Iacon looking for them. After they had left, Sunrunner and Sidetrack took the liberty of changing the passwords and deactivating the signal-identifiers in their Auto-brands, leaving the Hot Rods up the mercury creek without a paddle. Recipe for Hate

Toys

Generation 1

• Battle Patrol (Micromaster Patrol, 1989)

Sunrunner transforms into a modified E-2C Hawkeye AEW (Airborne Early Warning) plane, with the real aircraft's distinctive circular radar antenna dome replaced with a hulking great missile rack. His robot mode features an unusual design where the shoulders (being the engines) are topped by propellers, and by comparison with many Micromasters he has a better proportioned robot mode due to his engines/arms being separate from his fuselage/body.

He was only available as part of the Battle Patrol, along with his teammates Big Shot, Sidetrack and Flak.

• More information on Sunrunner at TFU.info

Zone

• Battle Patrol Team (Micro Transformer team, 1990)
  • Japanese ID number: C-332

This release was a redeco of the US release, with blue replacing the olive green and the yellow parts changed to white. The red paint applications, on the other hand, remain red.

Sunrunner is the only member of the Battle Patrol Team without a yellow-plastic variation.

• More information on Zone Sunrunner at TFU.info

Battlestars

• Battle Patrol Team (Micro Trailer team, 1991)
  • Japanese ID number: C-374
  • Accessories: Micro Trailer #11

The Micromasters in this set were identical to their Zone release, but came with Micro Trailer # 11.

Notes

• Sunrunner is gang molded with his teammate Flak causing the two toys to share plastic colors.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Sunrunner (サンランナー Sanrannā)
• French: Sol-Air (Canada)
• Italian: Sirio