Afterburner (G2)

Snipe is a Decepticon Skyscorcher from the Generation 2 portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Our job: spray talc on that man's butt!

The tech master of the Skyscorchers, Snipe likes to think he’s above brute force, preferring to use clever tricks and technology to achieve his goals on his own time. While he is clever and quick-thinking at times, he’s also lazy and very independent, which often gets him into trouble with his superiors.

He is known as Afterburner in other places.

Toys

Generation 1

• Snipe (Skyscorcher, 1993)
  • Accessories: Radar array/rifle

Snipe transforms into a Lockheed F104G “Starfighter” jet. His undercarriage radar becomes a hand-held non-firing blaster weapon for robot mode.

He was originally sold in the European market in 1993 as part of the "transitional" line that used the Generation 2 insignias, but lacked the new subline name. He was later released in the United States, with no notable changes, as part of the Generation 2 line. He was then later re-released in the European version of Generation 2 in 1994.

This toy is gang-molded with Tornado.

• More information on Afterburner at TFU.info

Generation 2

• Afterburner (Skyscorcher, 1993)
  • Accessories: Radar array/rifle

Snipe was released in the United States in the Generation 2 toyline as "Afterburner".

• Snipe (Skyscorcher, 1994)
  • Accessories: Radar array/rifle

Snipe was rereleased in Generation 2 in Europe.

Block Town

RADAR and POOPIE SUIT together at last.

Afterburner's mold was one of several intended to be used in the post-G2 Takara Block Town line, as an Autobot. To be redecoed in light blue with black, he was to come with the TFBT-1 Radar Set, a building-block radar tower that could be rebuilt into a battle station of some form. This set ultimately never came to release.

In 2005, a supposed Takara "release" schedule listed the Block Town sets among several other future items coming out. Only the Galaxy Force items on that list saw release, however (and some only as store exclusives to boot).

Since very little information exists on the line's more fictional aspects, it is unknown if this toy was to be the same general character Afterburner, or a new character altogether, thought the whole "Autobot" thing leans heavily towards "new".

Your bargaining posture is highly dubious. Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Notes

Gray pride.

• Snipe's card-art, and the early toy shown in the original product flier, show him to have gray legs rather than the final version's blue.

• Snipe's card art also has a Generation 1 Decepticon insignia hidden in his cockpit.

• For some reason, Snipe is the only Skyscorcher not to appear in the Generation 2 UK comic in any capacity. He's not even in the toy-lists!