Thundercracker (G1)
| The name or term "Thundercracker" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Thundercracker (disambiguation). |
- Thundercracker is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Thundercracker claims the skies as his arena. He looks down in contempt on those who cannot leave the ground — he considers them lesser beings. He will often attack the flightless beings below him for no other reason than to satisfy his scorn.
His superiority in this realm is the only thing he is sure of. Thundercracker is not entirely committed to the Decepticon cause, and even has some seemingly contradictory sympathy for the humans they terrorize. Fear of retribution from Megatron and the influence of his peers is usually enough to bury these doubts. Regardless, he needs constant reassurance from Skywarp and Starscream (which occasionally take the form of threats) that he's where he needs to be. Sometimes, his heart's just not in the job.
| “ | These creatures were never worthy adversaries. The Decepticons are forged through combat, not slaughter. | ” |
—Thundercracker, All Hail Megatron #12 | ||
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Marvel The Transformers comics
Thundercracker was one of Megatron's troops who attacked the Ark during its mission to clear a path for Cybertron through an asteroid field. Deactivated when the Ark crashed on Earth, Thundercracker lay dormant for four million years until the Transformers awoke in 1984, at which point he was given the new alternate mode of an Earth jet. Soon after their revival, Thundercracker joined his fellow Decepticon fliers in battling the Autobots at a drive-in movie theater, but he and Starscream were sent packing when they got a taste of Cliffjumper's glass gas. The Transformers Thundercracker then participated in the Decepticon strike on the Harrison Nuclear Power Plant, heralding the assault with one of his ear-splitting sonic booms. After the villains constructed a base of operations from stolen portions of the power plant, they learned that the Autobots' new human ally Sparkplug Witwicky had developed a conversion process that would allow Earth fuels to be used by the Transformers. Thundercracker took part in the attack on Sparkplug's auto repair shop, and although he didn't fare too well in the battle, being blinded by one of Sideswipe's flares, the skirmish ended with the successful abduction of the human. Power Play!
While Sparkplug was put to work brewing his conversion formula for the Decepticons, Thundercracker, Starscream, and Skywarp were dispatched to England to investigate a Cybertronian signal that they soon discovered was emanating from an spaceship that had crashed there centuries before. Reports of this mission are contradictory; one account had Thundercracker seriously wounded by a bomb from Bluestreak during an early attack on the Autobots, but another stated that Thundercracker crashed to the ground after his sensors were scrambled by the Autobot Mirage, and still another identified him as the killer of the craft's occupant, the Man of Iron. Man of Iron Returning to America, the three jets were then unleashed upon the human military forces who attempted a hopeless attack on the Decepticons' base. The Autobots soon joined the fray, but while Thundercracker and his comrades took potshots at them, they failed to realise that Gears and Spider-Man were using the battle as cover to sneak through and rescue Sparkplug. Prisoner of War!
When Starscream fired upon his teammate Ravage for eavesdropping on his plot to overthrow Megatron, Thundercracker teamed up with Skywarp to capture the Decepticon Air Commander. Starscream argued for a trial by a combat, and subsequently manipulated the proceedings to suggest treachery by the Autobots, prompting the Decepticons to forget his misdoings and launch a vengeful attack on the Ark. The Enemy Within! That battle was ended prematurely when Auntie, the Ark's computer system, magnetized the walls, immobilizing both factions. Raiders of the Last Ark Also around this time, Thundercracker helped transport energy gathered from a Decepticon raid on Boulder Dam Decepticon Dam-Busters! and joined Skywarp in making a strafing run on Autobot spies Jazz and Sunstreaker as they attempted to scout the Decepticons' base. Jazz was deafened and blasted off the road, but Sunstreaker led them into the human military encampment around the base, prompting Megatron to call them off, not wanting the humans' to interfere with his operations just yet. ...Perchance to Dream
Refuelled with fuel created through Sparkplug's conversion formula, Thundercracker was one of the first Decepticons to enter what promised to be the final battle with the Autobots, jetting into their volcano headquarters and using his sonic booms to bring parts of the mountain down around them. Little did Thundercracker and his fellows know, Sparkplug had poisoned the formula, causing them all to collapse at the climax of fight. The Last Stand Decepticon logician Shockwave then took command of the crippled Decepticon forces and the Ark shortly thereafter and nursed Thundercracker and his comrades back to full health. The New Order They all swore loyalty to Shockwave after he defeated Megatron in combat. The Worse of Two Evils!
Following the disappearance of both Megatron and Shockwave, the Decepticons fell under Soundwave's leadership, and Thundercracker aided in his plan to capture Bumblebee for use as bait in a trap for Optimus Prime. Though Thundercracker's initial sonic attack disoriented Prime, Autobot leader soon overpowered all three Decepticon jets. Crisis of Command! Breaking away from Soundwave, Thundercracker and his fellow jets returned to the Blackrock oil rig, but soon found their makeshift base surrounded by government forces, leaving them trapped for weeks. Shockwave returned to help them make their getaway, then charged the trio with using a power siphon to convert sound energy from a Brick Springhorn concert into more cubes. They were bested in the attempt by the Autobots. Rock and Roll-Out! Later, Thundercracker may have helped Shockwave attempt to capture and brainwash Bumblebee into a Decepticon, or it might have been Skywarp. It's hard to tell. Plight of the Bumblebee!
The scattered Decepticon forces were then re-integrated when Thundercracker, his fellow jets, and Shockwave were brought to the new base the returned Megatron had established in Wyoming. The Bridge to Nowhere! Back together, they all staged a petty attack on a human settlement, during which they found their circuits affected by the personality-reversing PARD. To a Power Unknown! At Megatron's command, Thundercracker was part of a Decepticon unit who headed out to welcome new troops who had crossed the space bridge from Cybertron. No sooner had they discovered that the new arrivals were actually Autobots than they were alerted by Shockwave to a full-scale Autobot attack on their base. Believing that this meant the Ark was undefended, Megatron had his unit attack it instead, only for them to run afoul of the Ark's powerful new guardian, Omega Supreme. The mighty Omega deactivated most of the Decepticons, Thundercracker included, and their bodies were imprisoned in stasis by the Autobots. Command Performances! Thundercracker's imprisonment did not last too long, however; a malfunction in Starscream's stasis capsule allow him to escape, and before fleeing the Ark, he set Thundercracker and Frenzy's capsules to revive them. Awakening to find themselves in a nearly-empty Ark, the confused pair wandered back to the Decepticon base, which they found to be just as deserted, save for an ill-tempered Shockwave. Before the three could take stock of the situation, they were temporarily mass-displaced to the interdimensional realm of Limbo when Hot Rod, Kup and Blurr time-jumped from 2006. Target: 2006 During their brief stay in this strange twilight realm, the three Decepticons—along with Optimus Prime, Prowl, and Ratchet— were drawn into a conflict between the peaceful Cloran and the forces of the evil Zenag, which was ultimately revealed to be only an illusion created by Limbo's native parasites. Distant Thunder!
Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Starscream took over a power station near the Charlton hotel on the East Coast, imprisoning the plant's workers and converting its output into energon cubes with a power siphon. They were interrupted in this endeavour by Danny Phillips, who had encountered Transformers before and believed that they were all as good as the Autobots. Danny was disabused of this notion when Skywarp seized him and was about to put him in the energy cage with the others when he was interrupted by the arrival of Jetfire and the Aerialbots. Firing into the stack of energon cubes before teleporting out of the power plant, Thundercracker and Skywarp escaped back to the Decepticon fortress in the confusion caused by the ensuing explosion. The Return of the Transformers
Years later, Thundercracker was serving under the new leader of the Earth-based Decepticons, Ratbat. He was part of the large platoon of Decepticons that assumed battle stations in response to the approach of rival Decepticon leader Scorponok's faction upon their iceberg base. Cold War! Ratbat and Scorponok soon had to put their difference aside and join their forces with the Autobots to combat the Underbase-powered Starscream; Thundercracker and Skywarp confronted Starscream in Tokyo, but their former flying partner destroyed them with a wave of his cosmically-empowered hand. Dark Star
Marvel Generation 2 comic
Thundercracker had been reactivated by the time Megatron returned to resume leadership of the Decepticons, and participated in a major offensive against Earth's human population, destroying military jets with his sonic booms and putting up with Starscream's chattering. Tales of Earth, Part Three The Decepticons subsequently raided the planet Tykos, where Megatron ordered Starscream and Thundercracker to begin loading stolen canisters of the planets Rheanimum gas. Thundercracker was happy to oblige, but Starscream silently mocked his obsequence. New Dawn
The Autobots and the Decepticons later forged an alliance against the Cybertronian Empire, but the Deceptions initially declined to help when the Autobots went to the planet Ethos to battle a Cybertronian raiding party there. The Autobots were almost defeated, until Thudercracker and the rest of the Decepticon army arrrived to help. For Thundercracker's part, he and the rest of the Decepticons' fliers aided the Aerialbots in the skies above the battlefield. Escalation!
As the united Autobots and Decepticons gathered on Earth to face the approaching Swarm, a Seeker that may or may not have been Thundercracker appeared among the throng of 'bots. A Rage in Heaven!
Classics
His body recovered from Tokyo by Megatron, Thundercracker was restored to life and upgraded using Seeker schematics designed by Shockwave. Unable to bring himself to serve among Megatron's Earth-based Decepticons alongside Starscream, the bot who had killed him, Thundercracker contemplated abandoning the war all together, but ultimately decided to join Bludgeon's space-based Decepticon faction, along with his fellow fliers Dirge and Thrust. Though the hatred he bore Starscream was without question, against his better nature, Thundercracker did occasionally find himself feeling nostlagic for the old days when he, Starscream, and Skywarp fought side-by-side. Classics Thundercracker's bio
Thundercracker soon fell victim to a mind-controlling cerebro-shell, which placed him under the control of Bug Bite alongside several other unfortunate Decepticons (including Weirdwolf, whose odd manner of speech Thundercracker found extremely frustrating). Bug Bite brought his thralls to Earth, deliberately allowing Megatron's Decepticons to detect their arrival; when Starscream, Skywarp, and Ramjet approached them, Thundercracker and the others were puppeteered into firing more cerebro-shells at them, allowing Bug Bite to take control of them as well. Bug Bite used his small army in an attempt to control Megatron, but interference courtesy of a team of Autobots led by Ultra Magnus resulted in Thundercracker and the others all being freed him from his influence. Games of Deception
Subsequently, Thundercracker was apparently willing to put aside his animosity towards Starscream in order to serve under his glorious leader once more. When Megatron staged an attack on Bludgeon, he placed Thundercracker in command of one of the three warships. At Fight's End
Regeneration One
Following his demise at Starscream's hands, Thundercracker was resurrected as part of Megatron's zombie army of "Ex-Bots" and put to work conquering the Earth. As Buster and Jessie attempted to escape the slaughter, Thundercracker hunted them down; they evaded his fire and took cover in a car wash, where Ratbat found and exterminated them. Less Than Zero
In 2012, when the Wreckers Sandstorm, Springer and Whirl attempted to rescue the captive Kup from Megatron, Skywarp teleported himself and Thundercracker onto the scene to ambush the Autobots. Loose Ends, Part 4 After Megatron's defeat, all of the deactivated zombies were piled into a large pit by the Autobots and obliterated from orbit. Natural Selection, Part One
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: John Stephenson (English), Wally Burr (English, "War Dawn"), Yutaka Shimaka (Japanese), Minoru Inaba (Japanese, The Movie), Liu Qin (Chinese), Jacques Ferrière (French), Isidro Olace (American Spanish), Peter Musäus (German, Season 1), Imo Heite (German, Season 2), Thomas Albus (German, Generation 2 Season 1), Willy Schäfer (German, Generation 2, "Atlantis, Arise!"), Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch (German, Generation 2, "Roll for It")
In the early days of the Decepticon rebellion, Thundercracker and Skywarp both faced the powerful protectors of Cybertron's cities, the Guardian robots. According to Thundercracker, he was often not very successful. War Dawn
Thundercracker was one of Megatron's elite warriors, participating in the attack on the Autobot spacecraft and joining the rest of the Earth-bound Transformers in their several-million-year nap under an inactive volcano. He awoke when the rest of the Decepticons did, and took part in their attempts to gather energon and escape the planet Earth, which he loathed for being too "flat". While keeping watch around the Decepticon encampement, he and Reflector spotted what they thought was an approaching Autobot, though in actuality, they had only spied two of the planet's native inhabitants, in a non-sentient vehicle. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1
Following a raid on an oil platform to obtain the energy needed for a new space cruiser, Thundercracker took part in the Decepticon attack on Sherman Dam, where he and Skywarp tussled with Mirage and Cliffjumper and were knocked off the walkway they were fighting on by the aristocratic Autobot. Later, while pillaging the ruby crystal mines of Burma, Thundercracker was complaining to Skywarp about his dislike for Earth when they stumbled across the Autobot Bumblebee and his ally Sparkplug Witwicky. They immediately stated beating them up, but unbeknownst to the two jets, the pair had planted a bomb in the mines which promptly went off and buried them all. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2 Megatron soon blasted the Decepticons free, and Thundercracker then help steal rocket fuel from Cape Carlson air base, making his his mark by destroying a couple of tanks. The fuel stolen provided the Decepticons with enough energy to launch their new space cruiser, but the Autobots arrived to stop them; during the brawl, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Laserbeak unleashed an aerial assault upon Cliffjumper and Wheeljack. The Decepticon soon broke off the fight to board their ship, but sabotage courtesy of Mirage grounded their plans, literally and metaphorically. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3
The Decepticons' rebuilt their crashed space cruiser into an undersea headquarters, and soon attempted to established a space bridge between Earth and Cybertron. Thundercracker was seen flying away after the Decepticons trapped the Autobots in a cave to keep them out of the way, but the Autobots soon freed themselves, and their interference resulted in Megatron disappearing through the bridge. Transport to Oblivion Starscream declared himself leader in Megatrons absence, and Thundercracker and Soundwave attacked a hydroelectric power plant alongside him, despite Thundercracker's lack of confidence in his leadership abilities. Opposed by the Autobots again, Thundercracker bashed the charging Cliffjumper with a pillar from the building, but when the energon cubes they were making were destroyed, they fled. As they escaped, they were contacted by the still-living Megatron, and Thundercracker happily put himself back under his true leader's command. To repair the damage they took in the fight, the Decepticons struck at an airplane factory for spare parts, but while Thundercracker was having his wings reattached, Bluestreak and Prowl crashed the party. The jets shot at the Autobots, but Chip Chase took control of the injured Prowl and had him unleash a spectacular assault forcing Starscream's squad to escape. They proceeded to abduct young genius Chip Chase and brought him to the laboratory where the other Decepticons were waiting, where they extracted an antimatter formula from his brain. Thundercracker was just about to "get rid" of the now-useless Chip when the Autobots burst in and saved him, but with the antimatter successfully synthesized, the Decepticons soon staged an attack on Autobot Headquarters. After being saved from Sunstreaker "jet judo" by Starscream, Thundercracker handed Megatron the antimatter cubes they had synthesized, massively increasingly his power. Thanks to Chip's ingenuity, however, the Decepticons were foiled and had no choice but to retreat. Roll for It
While raiding a munitions factory alongside Skywarp and Starscream, Thundercracker was confronted by Optimus Prime, who the three jets were together able to heavily damage. Though Megatron had them escape rather than face the other Autobots who soon turned up, Thundercracker was soon back on the battlefield when the Decepticons attacked the demoralized Autobots outside their own headquarters at sunset that day, though he was immediately clobbered by Huffer as soon as he landed. When Megatron suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of a recovered Optimus Prime, Starscream smugly instructed everybody to take Megatron back for repairs. Divide and Conquer Following this, Thundercracker witnessed the rebirth of Starscream's former colleague Skyfire Fire in the Sky and was shot down by Slag during a mission at the Great Falls. S.O.S. Dinobots
When Thundercracker and Starscream were instructed to obtain steel for Megatron, Thundercracker insisted that no Earth-made metal would be strong enough for their purposes. Naturally, Starscream refused to listen, and when the weapon frame they constructed from the purloined steel proved unable to handle the energies of the Crystal of Power Megatron had obtained, Starscream deflected all blame onto Thundercracker. Stuck with guard duty as a result, Thundercracker caught Skyfire snooping around, but actually contemplated letting the Autobot destroy the crystal so that he could make "that geeky Starscream" take the blame. Unfortunately for Thundercracker, Starscream caught him in the act, and blackmailed him into obeying his orders, otherwise he would reveal his treachery to Megatron. The Autobots soon destroyed the crystal themselves, and as the Decepticos withdrew, Thundercracker rather boldly chose to openly mock Megatron and Starscream for underestimating their enemies. Fire on the Mountain Thundercracker and the other jets hauled an unstable meteor off for the Decepticons, War of the Dinobots then later attacked a solar plant located in India as a diversion so Megatron could put his current plan into motion by orchestrating the capture of Sparkplug Witwicky. The Autobots assaulted Decepticon Headquarters to rescue Sparkplug, and during this underwater battle, Thundercracker got hit by one of his own missiles when Bumblebee redirected it back at him. The rescue of Sparkplug was all part of Megtron's plan, however; equipped with a mind-controlling hypno-chip, Sparkplug crippled the Autobots' defense systems and weapons from within, allowing Thundercracker and the Decepticons to invade their base. Although they were driven off by a deluge of fire-retardant foam, they then went to work assembling a gigantic space bridge, which Megatron used to transport Cybertron itself into Erth's orbit. The Ultimate Doom, Part 1
The appearance of Cybertron threw Earth's atmosphere into chaos; the storm winds the planet's gravity created blew Thundercracker's flamethrower blasts right back into his and Starscream's face when the air commander insisted he fire on the Autobots. Thundercracker was later loaded with energon cubes to transport to the orbiting Cybertron, but didn't even get the opportunity to life off before Earth tremors caused by the disrupted gravity toppled him and his cargo all over Decepticon Headquarters. The Ultimate Doom, Part 2 During a later battle on a tropical island, Thundercracker was shot down by Optimus Prime, then fought hand-to-hand with Ironhide. When they noticed Megatron departing for Cybertron by himself, Thundercracker and Skywarp broke off the fight to follow him. The Ultimate Doom, Part 3 Megatron subsequently disappeared for a shot time when the Autobots blew up his shuttle craft, and Thundercracker took something resembling command, though really, he was just trying to get everyone to stop arguing and finish repairing their damaged headquarters. Luckily, Megatron soon returned, and Thundercracker and the rest of the Decepticons went with him when he set out to deal with Starscream and Dr. Arkeville. Countdown to Extinction
Thundercracker accompanied Megatron and Soundwave to Bali to investigate sightings of giant robot insects, which Thundercracker soon deduced were, in fact, Decepticons whose idento-computers had given them insect alternate modes. Joining forces with these "Insecticons", the Decepticons battled a group of Autobots who had also come to investigate, then raided an oil refinery, where Thundercracker helped Rumble make energon cubes. The Autobots followed, so Thundercracker ignited an oil spill to try and incinerate them, only for the Autobots to swim under then push up the dock he was standing on, hurling him into the blaze he had created. When the Insecticons cut and ran, Thundercracker followed Megatron's lead and left to pursue the treacherous bugs. A Plague of Insecticons
Like all the other Decepticons, Thundercracker donated his power chip rectifier to Megatron in order to increase his leader's powers for a one-on-one battle with Optimus Prime. This allowed Megatron to use Thundercracker's sonic boom power, deafening and disorienting Optimus and leaving him open to the blast that ended the duel. The Autobots were poised to leave Earth in accordance with the agreement they had made with their enemies, until they learned of Megatron's illegal enhancements; overpowered by the Autobot counterattack, Thundercracker and his comrades were sent toppling into a crevice filled with lava. Heavy Metal War
Thundercracker survived his fall with the rest of his group, and later joined in attacks on Air Force rocket bases, and the hunt for Autobot X. Autobot Spike During the Decepticons' solar needle scheme in Africa, he was sent flying into a tree by a kick from Ratchet, and was subsequently the first to beat retreat when the needle threatened to destroy the sun. Changing Gears When the Decepticons took over New York City, Thundercracker was part of an aerial strike force that bombarded the Autobots as they attempted to recover Optimus Prime's stolen right arm from the Decepticons' fortress. City of Steel
Thundercracker participated in a diversionary attack on Autobot Headquarters, causing a landslide with his blasts that stopped Prowl in his tracks. Later, he and the other Decepticons boarded a rocket they intended to take back to Cybertron, but the Autobots damaged the fuel tanks and forced them to jump ship. Attack of the Autobots Thundercracker tried to fend off Optimus Prime when he came seeking to retrieve electro-cells the Decepticon had stolen, Traitor and was among the party who came to steal Wheeljack's Immobilizer. The Immobilizer When the Decepticons trapped the Autobots in their vehicle modes with the transfixatron, Thundercracker used his incendiary guns to overheat the Autobots' engines and immobilize them, then helped demonstrate the crushing machine the Decepticons planned to use to destroy their impaired enemies. The few Autobots who had escaped transfixation then arrived to rescue their comrades; Thundercracker tried and failed to stop them, and the outnumbered Decepticons retreated. The Autobot Run
Thundercracker disliked the idea of sharing power with the fish-men of the underwater city of Sub-Atlantica, but went along with the plan anyway, working on the mechanisms to raise the city to the ocean's surface and dealing with the Autobots who attempted to stop their plan to take over Washington, D.C.. While strafing the Autobots from the air during a battle in the city, however, Thundercracker was ensnared by a grappling line fired by Brawn and leashed to the Washington Monument, allowing Optimus Prime to blast him out of the sky. Atlantis, Arise! Later, Thundercracker and Starscream snatched Dr. Fujiyama, the famous scientist's creation Nightbird, and had to help restrain the hysterical Starscream when Megatron threatened to replace him with the robot ninja. Enter the Nightbird
Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Starscream all tried taking on Optimus Prime together when the Autobots were investigating a mysterious new energy source in a crevice, but all three were taken down by the Autobot leader. Unbeknownst to Thundercracker, Megatron was putting a complicated plan into motion that involved clones of Prime and Starscream; as such, he was surprised to hear "Starscream" announce for everybody to hold their fire, given that had an Autobot right in his hands. Nevertheless, when Starscream explained his plan to fight "Optimus Prime", Thundercracker went along with it and was the one who announced the start of the match. A Prime Problem On a later mission, he ambushed the Autobots from above, only to be swatted away by an Autobot-controlled Devastator. The Core He was subsequently around at the mission to Nova Power Plant, firing at the Autobots and a group of helicopter-piloting humans. Soon after, he was one of the Decepticons enslaved by the Insecticons at Iron Mountain, but they were freed from their mind-controlling cerebro-shells when the Nova-powered Insecticons were defeated. The Insecticon Syndrome Later, Thundercracker gathered energon cubes from Dinobots Island, Dinobot Island, Part 1 where he also assisted in repelling Autobots before being trampled by a stampede of the island's native dinosaurs. Dinobot Island, Part 2
Thundercracker and the other jets took a few shots at the Autobots when they were caught in a ravine, but were foiled when Smokescreen used his eponymous ability to blind them. Auto Berserk Next, he assisted in the recovery of the wreck of the Decepticons' original space cruiser in South America; that mission went so well, he and the other Decepticons went on an energon binge and got completely smashed. Microbots He also disguised himself as an Autobot as part of a Decepticon plan to frame the Autobots and have them banished from Earth. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 With the Autobots gone, the Decepticons took over Central City, where Thundercracker and Skywarp supervised human slaves filling up energon cubes at a power plant. He and the other Decepticon fliers fended off a squad of fighter jets that attempted to liberate the city, but soon, they were overwhelmed by the Autobots, who had returned from their banishment. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
Spotted landing at a commercial airport by Spike Witwicky, Thundercracker and Thrust were inadvertently responsible for alerting the Autobots to the location of the base the Decepticons had hidden on the airfield. Thundercracker and the jets were royally thrashed by the Dinobots, and things only got worse when, soon after, the Decepticons all began malfunctioning due to cybertonium deterioration. Unaware of the cause of their breakdown, they went on an energy raid to get some fresh energon; met in battle by the similarly-impaired Autobots, Thundercracker was able to easily shoot Mirage when the Autobot's invisibility power failed to work. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 Thundercracker helped steal Professor Haley's Voltronic Galaxer and took it to the moon, where Megatron used it to disrupt Earth's communications. While the Autobots were struggling with the resultant chaos, Thundercracker and Ramjet launched a surprise assault that damaged Powerglide and Prime. Blaster Blues
After going on a mission to the Great Britain, A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court, Thundercracker served as a guard alongside Skywarp, ensuring that the captive Perceptor and Seaspray stayed in line. Rendered invulnerable by a coat of electrum, Thundercracker took part in the mission to topple Omega Supreme, but when he and Skywarp went to go retrieve another captive Autobot, Beachcomber, from his cell at the base, the tricky Autobot geologist managed to knock them both out. The Decepticons attempted to attack the now electrum-powered Autobots at the lagoon, but their electrum began to wear off and Thundercracker was shot down and they were forced to retreat. The Golden Lagoon Thundercracker assisted in guarding the Decepticons' base in the Pine Barrens, Make Tracks and went with the other Decepticons to a valley that was full of Morphobots, where he didn't do much of anything except hide when an Autobot convoy arrived, then retreat. Quest for Survival When Astrotrain declared himself leader of the Decepticons, Thundercracker snarked at the idea, and it certainly didn't help when Astrotrain's "troops" got themselves in a mess. He barely escaped with his fellow jets when one of the troops accidentally created a flood. He later made a bet with Thrust and Ramjet (three energon cubes!) over whether or not Megatron would prevail over the rebellious Triple Changers and Devastator. Triple Takeover
Thundercracker, Starscream, and Skywarp found themselves pursued by the newest Autobots, the Aerialbots, when they captured several human dignitaries. Though Thundercracker came out a loser in his dogfight with Fireflight and Slingshot, the Aerialbots were all impressed by the Decepticons jets' flying skills—something that allowed the three Decepticons to lure the naive young Autobots into a trap on Cybertron by offering to talk with them. The Aerialbots were sent nine million years into the past by the Kronosphere time machine, and the Decepticons tried to keep the other Autobots from rescuing them by reanimating a dormant Guardian robot—though the mere sight of the huge sentinel gave Thundercracker the shivers, as he remembered his encounters with them back in the "old days". The Aerialbots soon returned and formed Superion to destroy the Guardian. War Dawn
Thundercracker and Skywarp were guarding a space bridge when Starscream flew in and requested to go to Cybertron. The two of them refused to let anybody through without proper authorization, but soon decided that Starscream's gun aimed directly into their faces was authorization enough. Using personality components he liberated on his trip to Cybertron, Starscream created the Combaticons, who Thundercracker then battled against along with the other Decepticons. Starscream's Brigade Once Starscream was dealt with, the Decepticons got back to energy-gathering, and Thundercracker and Dirge were charged with transporting some freshly-made cubes to the space bridge. When Starscream and the Combaticons returned to threaten Earth and Cybertron, Thundercracker was part of the allied Autobot-Decepticon group who headed to Cybertron to stop their plot. The Revenge of Bruticus Soon after, he took part attacking Autobot Headquarters and Defensor. B.O.T.
In the year 2005, Thundercracker was present for the Decepticon assault on Autobot City, and was among the Decepticons gunned down by Optimus Prime. After the battle, Astrotrain transported the Decepticons away, but requested that some dead weight should be jettisoned. The injured Thundercracker, along with Megatron, Skywarp and the Insecticons, were tossed out of Astrotrain following a decidedly stacked vote. However, that was not entirely the end of Thundercracker's story: his and the other Decepticons' remains were gathered up by the monster planet Unicron, and transformed by his power into new warriors. Megatron was reborn as Galvatron, and Thundercracker became Scourge, the tracker. The Transformers: The Movie
The Decepticons had the decorum to set up a marker for the "deceased" Thundercracker in their crypt on Cybertron. In 2006, Octane would seek refuge in the crypt, and apologised to the marker for trying to hide behind it. Starscream's Ghost
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Cloud
Thundercracker was one of several Decepticons who wound up on the receiving end of a beating from a Megatron from another universe, as he fought his way through them to get to his world's Optimus and the super-powerful robot entity SARA. TFC-A01
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story pages
Thundercracker was one of the Decepticons who attacked New York City in the early days of their war on Earth. When the Autobots arrived, the jets took on Jazz while Inferno and Ratchet tried to fight the fire they had started. Broadcasting on TV! Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers
When Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Reflector raided a human space center to steal energy from a shuttle launch, their efforts were impeded by Sideswipe, Red Alert and Inferno. While Reflector made off with a few cubes, Thundercracker and buddy engaged the two Lamborghini Autobots in mid-air combat. Story page #3 Thundercracker and the other Decepticons jets later battled Optimus Prime and the Aerialbots in Egypt. Story page #10
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers manga
Under orders from Megatron, Thundercracker accompanied Starscream and Skywarp in an energy raid on Tokyo. They succeeded in bombing pedestrians and children until Optimus Prime and a unit of Autobot vehicles arrived. Though a Decepticon victory seemed assured when they unleashed Menasor on their foes, their strategy was undone when the Autobots drove up a ramp at top speed, transformed to vehicle mode and punched everybody in the face. Thundercracker was forced to retreat. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1
Thundercracker later took part in an all-out assault on Autobot Headquarters in Arizona. The attack was nothing more than a diversion so Soundwave could go do unspecified stuff in Japan and the Decepticons were eventually defeated and driven off. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2
Scramble City: Mobilization
When the Decepticons succeeded in locating the construction site of the Autobots' Scramble City project, Thundercracker joined Starscream, Skywarp and the Constructicons in an attack on the hidden facility. They were met by an Autobot contingent led by Optimus Prime and a firefight ensued. The Aerialbots soon arrived to back up Prime's team, and a barrage of fire from them sent Thundercracker and the rest into retreat. Scramble City: Mobilization
Full Throttle Scramble Power!
When Megatron held the world hostage with his Omega Whip cannon, Thundercracker joined numerous other Decepticons in raiding the Earth's various energy resources. Full Throttle Scramble Power!
The Battle of the Star Gate
In the mid-1990s, Thundercracker was amongst the Decepticons who attacked the human warp gate space station known as the Trigger as it neared completion. They took it over easily, thanks in part to their human collaborator, Trov, but one of the station's staff, Makoto, had been overlooked. He managed to pin down Thundercracker and the rest of the group under Megatron’s command in the Trigger's rail room with a powerful electromagnetic field. Thundercracker was almost sent hurdling to the farthest side of the galaxy by the Trigger, but a blast from Megatron's fusion cannon disabled the portal. Then the Autobots showed up, and the two factions began their battle aboard the space station. The Decepticons lost the fight and fled. First Contact
Thundercracker was one the Decepticons Megatron brought back to the Trigger to confront Starscream, who was in the middle of conspiring against the Decepticon leader with the aid of his own future self, who had come back in time via the Trigger. When Starscream combined with the Trigger to create a powerful new body for himself, Thundercracker had to contend with the volley of asteroids thrown towards both Autobots and Decepticons from Starscream’s star gate. He was then almost sucked into a portal to a black hole when Starscream neared defeat, but was instead sent plummeting down to Earth when Optimus and Megatron worked together to defeat Starscream. The Battle of the Star Gate
Robotmasters online comic
When a variety of time-displaced Autobots and Decepticons arrived on Earth in 2004, Thundercracker took part in the three-day final battle at Autobot Headquarters over the last of the solitarium on the planet. He, Skywarp, and Starscream took on Lio Convoy during the fight, but the Autobots ultimately triumphed. And Then
The Headmasters cartoon
In a flashback to the early days of the Transformers' war on Earth, Thundercracker joined his comrades in an attack on the Autobots that resulted in the death of Optimus Prime. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Macrocosmic Seekers
In 2010, Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge were captured by the alien Seeker, who used his powers over space and time to revert them to the moment of their transformation by Unicron, intending to freeze them in this transitional state and study their recreation. Inadvertently liberated by the Junkion Scrapheap, the Decepticons' remained in this flux-state for a period of time; in Scourge's case, he was partially reverted to being Thundercracker. Time to Move His body took on the form of a shuttle-like spacecraft, and he regained his sonic boom power. Those Who Resist After destroying the Seeker's ship to escape, the space-time energies faded away, and their bodies returned to normal. A Treasure's True Worth
Wings Universe
At the dawn of the war, as Devastator breached Iacon's walls, Thundercracker was there with the rest of Megatron's forces. Battle Lines, Part 5
Mars Attacks: The Transformers
Thundercracker was among the Decepticons who found themselves in the middle of a Martian invasion after being defeated by the Autobots. After an abortive attempt to team up with the invaders, Thundercracker and the other Decepticons instead formed an alliance with the Autobots and helped see off the Martians; when Cliffjumper observed that Megatron was taking all the credit for the success of their team-up, Thundercracker rolled his eyes and remarked that it was "a thing". Mars Attacks: The Transformers
S.T.A.R.S. pack-in flyers
A series of recruitment messages sent by the Autobots to human allies featured Thundercracker as a recurrent bogeyman. He first appeared in the story of Johnny, a member of S.T.A.R.S. who spotted Thundercracker draining the energy from the boy's town. Despite all other power being knocked out, Johnny was able to activate his Command Center and summon an Autobot squad. Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all? However, even they were somewhat affected by Thundercracker's siphoning, and just as Johnny was preparing to issue orders, his Command Center went dead and the walls around him began to shake. Can one boy, alone, hold back the evil Decepticons?
Using the human power known as "imagination," S.T.A.R.S. recruits could perceive what it was like to be Thundercracker. You Have Been Chosen.
The Autobot messages ended that story there, leaving the outcome unknown. But in later messages, Rodimus Prime would recall what he considered the Transformers' greatest battle on Earth, in which the only enemy combatants were Megatron and Thundercracker. The two Decepticons set up an ambush for an Autobot convoy searching for a site on which to build Autobot City. As the battle erupted, Thundercracker again employed his energy-draining attack (described here as a "force field"). Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth. Optimus Prime ordered Cliffjumper, Cosmos, and Warpath to retreat out of the weapon's range and get help, but as they left, Thundercracker pursued. Transformers Combat Data
Again, the story was cut short, but it would not be the last time Thundercracker was said to tangle with that particular group of Autobots. The final S.T.A.R.S. recruitment message told of Reflector discovering that the squad was out scouting for new energy sources, and Thundercracker was sent on a sneak-attack run. The message warned that if the recipient failed to help out by joining S.T.A.R.S., the Autobots might be destroyed. The Autobots Are Under Attack!
Kid Stuff Talking Story Books
- Voice actor: ? (English)
Thundercracker led a Decepticon attack on an oil storage dump within the Arabian peninsula. Though he carried out his mission with excitement and savagery, Thundercracker's attack was little more than a distraction to keep the Autobots occupied while Megatron stole crude oil from super tankers off the coast of Africa. Attack of the Decepticons
Sticker Adventures books
Thundercracker (or Skywarp) participated in a Decepticon assault on the Autobots, only to be once more beaten back. Under Megatron’s orders, the Decepticons then lay low for several days, lulling the Autobots into a false sense of security. The Decepticons then stole the entirety of the Autobots’ fuel supply and attacked them once more. But Optimus, having anticipated a trick on the Decepticons’ part, arrived at the battlefield with a new supply of fuel for his troops. After sustaining too much damage, the Decepticons were forced to retreat once again. Revenge of the Decepticons
Thundercracker attacked an Autobot construction site that Optimus and his troops were using to fix up a spaceship. He received a nasty blow courtesy of Cliffjumper. Return to Cybertron
Marvel Storybooks continuity
Thundercracker is one of Megatron's most vicious fighters. He was involved in Megatron's scheme to take over the Earth by holding millions of humans hostage. When Megatron feigned a friendly demeanor after the Autobots had invaded the Decepticon base, Thundercracker stood by his leader's side. Battle for Earth
After having captured a group of Autobots, the Decepticons were awaiting the Autobots' surrender. The morning the Autobots' surrender was due, the Decepticons found a statue of Devastator on their doorstep, with a note attached to it, explaining the monument to be a peace offering from the Autobots. Thundercracker was amongst the Decepticons present that were surprised to see the Autobots burst forth from within the statue, catching the evil robots by surprise. In response to the Autobot fighter planes attacking from the skies, Megatron deployed Thundercracker and the other Decepticon jets to combat them. The Decepticons ultimately lost the fight nonetheless. The Autobots' Secret Weapon
Marvel coloring books
Megatron considered Thundercracker to be one of his "secret weapons" alongside Starscream. Thundercracker was in attendance at the Decepticons' latest meeting in their war room. There, Megatron explained his latest scheme; by salvaging sunken treasure in the waters near Alaska, the Decepticons would finance factories that would build a Decepticon army. Thundercracker and Starscream maintained a high altitude above the other Decepticons as they retrieved the treasure. Megatron called upon them when a squad of Autobots attempted to ambush the Decepticons. Thundercracker engaged Cliffjumper, who retaliated with a blast of glass gas. Rendered brittle by the chemical weapon, Thundercracker attempted to retreat. He and the other Decepticons were ultimately defeated when one of Rumble's earthquakes backfired, and swallowed up all of them (yes, even the flying ones...) Search for Treasure Under the Sea
After Megatron has constructed his own prison for the Autobots, Thundercracker and the other Decepticons were tasked with rounding their enemies up. He and Starscream employed Sleep Nets to capture Bluestreak and Sideswipe. Once nearly all of the Autobots had been captured, Bumblebee tricked the Decepticons into leaving the prison unattended, and freed his comrades. Thundercracker and Starscream were shot out of the sky by Sideswipe and Bluestreak upon the Autobots' escape. Bumblebee to the Rescue!
Megatron ordered Thundercracker to patrol "every inch of the Earth" in order to find a factory suitable for constructing a Decepticon army. Thundercracker wound up iabove some mountains, and found no factories, only ice and snow. Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp then happened upon an "Autobot Factory," and began attacking it. After repeatedly bombing the factory yielded no results, an enraged Megatron led his troops to tare the factory down with their bare hands. As it turns out, the factory had been a hologram all along, and the Decepticons barely avoided tumbling down the hole it concealed when Ravage attacked Mirage, who was projecting the illusion. The Decepticons then battled the Autobots, and Thundercracker was caught in Huffer's crushing grip. He surrendered to the Autobot immediately. Decepticon Patrol
Thundercracker was one of the Decepticons who attempted to harm Sparkplug and Buster Witwicky, only for their plan to be foiled by the Autobots. Later, the Decepticons attacked the Hoover Dam. Thundercracker fought and defeated Spin-Out Sunstreaker, only for the Autobot to be repaired by his human allies. Thundercracker and the other Decepticons were shortly after driven away from the dam by the autobots. The Deadly Fuel Shortage
Thundercracker was one of the many Decepticons who defended the Decepticons' stronghold when an Autobot convoy mobilized against them. He and the rest of the Decepticons were defeated when the Autobots managed to turn the Decepticons' own Molecular transfer device against them. Summertime Coloring Book
Thundercracker was ordered once more by Megatron to patrol every inch of the Earth in order to search for the ideal location for a Decepticon factory. Then Megatron claimed the forest they were already in would be the ideal location for said factory, and Thundercracker didn't go anywhere. Thundercracker helped Megatron tear the place up, until the Autobots arrived. The Decepticons were forced to flee after a brief battle. Forest Rescue Mission
Thundercracker asked Soundwave, Ravage and Rumble to join him in a plot that would put an end to the Autobots once and for all. He led his fellow Decepticons to a scrap yard, where he showed them a car compactor. The four of them then built a fake rest stop which concealed the car compactor beneath its benign exterior. They managed to trap and crush Gears, only for Mirage, Ratchet and Sideswipe to show up instantly afterwards. Thundercracker's circuits were jammed in mid-air by Mirage, sending him plummeting down. The Autobot Smasher!
Big Looker storybooks continuity
Thundercracker was part of the ambush party that boarded the Ark during the Cretaceous period, which led to Optimus Prime crashing his ship in a volcano and shutting everyone on board offline. The Decepticons then raided a nearby nuclear power to gain the additional power necessary to destroy the Autobots. The Decepticons and the Autobots battled afterwards, but with the Decepticons running low on fuel once more, the evil robots were forced to retreat. Battle for Cybertron
Thundercracker was one of the Decepticons who sabotaged the Autobots’ chance at winning a cross-country car rally. During the final heat of the race, Thundercracker attacked Cliffjumper just as the Autobot was leaving the starting line. Thundercracker planed to blow Cliffjumper to bits, but he did not expect Hound to jump in the way of his projectiles. Thundercracker did not stick around after his botched attempt on the race. The Great Car Rally
Skywarp participated a fierce battle against the Autobots. The next morning, Thundercracker, Starscream and Skywarp flew menacingly over the Autobots' headquarters in an attempt to intimidate and distract them. Their attempt to draw the Autobots' attention away from Blitzwing, on a separate mission to steal oil nearby, was unsuccessful.Decepticon Hijack
Thundercracker was present when Megatron threatened his troops into coming up with a battle plan for him. Insecticon Attack!
Listen 'n Fun audiobooks continuity
- Voice actor: ??? (English)
Under Starscream's leadership, Thundercracker and Skywarp attacked a solar plant. After Starscream was hit by Optimus, Thundercracker asked if he was still functional. The trio retreated after Megatron furiously ordered them to withdraw lest they damage the solar reactor. They rendezvoused with the rest of Megatron's forces a mile away, and Thundercracker admitted they had been wrong to follow Starscream's orders. Megatron let him and Skywarp take part in the subsequent attack on the solar plant. Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)
Find Your Fate Junior
Battle Drive
In one possible scenario, where Megatron and his troops had tracked down Sparkplug to a cave in the mountains, Thundercracker was amongst the Decepticons present, ready to pounce on the human. Then a small squadron of Autobots arrived to rescue Sparkplug. In the event that Megatron was destroyed by Swoop, Thundercracker, along with the rest of the Decepticons, were easily defeated by the Autobots. In the event that Swoop retreated, Thundercracker was amongst the Decepticons who remained at the cave instead of pursuing the Dinobot. Thundercracker stood next to Megatron in a military formation, along with Buzzsaw, Ransack, Shockwave, Frenzy and Skywarp, while Megatron delivered his sanction to the Autobots in the cave; "Prepare to die!" Thundercracker was soon knocked back by a blast courtesy of Hound. The battle that ensued lasted for two full days before the Decepticons were ready to move in for the kill. In the event that Swoop returned in time with reinforcements, Thundercracker and the rest of the Decepticons were forced to retreat.
In another possible scenario, Thundercracker was likely part of a large Decepticon army that Megatron led once the Autobots had been lured out in the open farmland. Thundercracker didn't perform any feats of note in the ensuing battle, save for being blasted out of the sky Optimus in a scenario where the Autobot leader and Jazz made for a mad dash towards a bridge for cover. In this scenario, the Autobots were victorious. Battle Drive
Attack of the Insecticons
When Starscream learned that the Autobots had in their possession an energy device called the Sun-Pak, he planned to steal the device for himself, and gathered a posse of Decepticons to accomplish this task, with Thundercracker among the chosen. If Starscream's plan lead to the Autobots concentrating their fire upon him, causing the Decepticon jet to beg for mercy, Thundercracker would react differently depending on the Optimus Prime's retort. If the Autobots accepted Starscream's surrender, Thundercracker would decry Starscream as a coward and terminate his superior officer himself. He would nonetheless thereafter acknowledge Starscream's surrender, and leave the Autobots to their own devices. If the Autobots ignored Starscream's surrender, Thundercracker would prove to be Starscream's salvation instead, as one of his sonic booms would provide Starscream the opening he needed to kidnap Sparkplug and then hastily retreat. Attack of the Insecticons
Earthquake
Thundercracker acted as an advance scout for the Decepticons. In the event that Megatron’s plot to destroy Center City with an artificial earthquake was successful, Thundercracker was sent ahead to make sure there were no survivors at ground zero.Earthquake
Desert Flight
Thundercracker was part of a Decepticon deployment stationed in a desert base. The Decepticons plotted to lure the Autobots in a trap through the use of an anti-gravity beam. Using the beam on a nearby human settlement, the Autobots would be duped into coming to the fleshliness’ rescue, only to be themselves trapped by the effects of the beam.
If the Autobots bypassed the anti-gravity field, Thundercracker was part of the squad that intercepted the Autobot convoy headed for the Decepticon base. Desert Flight
Decepticon Poison
In a possible scenario, Thundercracker was one of the many Decepticons present at the water supply facility, about to poison it when the Autobots arrived on-scene. In one possible scenario that followed, he was shot down by the Autobots, creating his own grave in the charred earth bellow. Decepticon Poison
Project Brain Drain
In one possible scenario, Thundercracker was one of the Decepticons who was to keep a crowd of humans cornered while Galvatron used a “Brain Drain device” to drain their intelligence. As the Decepticons arrived at the open-air concert they had targeted, Thundercracker was caught off-guard by a small group of Autobots. A blast caught his wing, ripping it off and sending him tumbling to the ground. Project Brain Drain
Machine Wars toy bio
The mysterious Machine Wars were a tumultuous time for Thundercracker. At long last he was convinced of and committed to the truth of the Decepticon cause, but Thundercracker now ironically found himself in open rebellion against Megatron's leadership of the faction. It is unknown what events lead to his reversal of heart about the Decepticons and his being branded a "Rebel Warrior."
Beast Wars cartoon continuity
Beast Wars cartoon
Thundercracker was among the many Decepticons trapped in stasis lock on board the Ark when the Maximals defended the ship from Predacon attack. The Agenda (Part III)
3H comics
During the Quintesson invasion of Cybertron a week after the Great Reformatting, Overseer Rexian and his forces came upon a non-reformatted section of Cybertron and several fully-mechanical Cybertronians who claimed to be Decepticon prisoners freed by the upheaval to their homeworld. The 'bots argued over who was the big-shot Thundercracker as they tore Rexian and his troops apart. Wreckers: Finale Part II
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
One of the first Decepticons recruited by Megatron, Thundercracker assisted Skywarp in massacring a number of neutrals in Altihex early in the war. The War Within #1 Some time later, he was sent to destroy an Autobot base in Sector Zero-Six alongside Skywarp and Starscream, but on the way Starscream leaked the plan to Grimlock in an attempt to bait him into joining the Decepticons. It didn't exactly work out like that: when the Seekers arrived, Grimlock had evacuated the base and planted a bomb to greet them. The War Within Preview Once Skywarp was done berating Starscream for being an idiot, he and Thundercracker returned to base without him. The War Within #3 Thundercracker also appeared in a battle on Earth in a vision of a possible future viewed by Megatron and Optimus Prime. The War Within #5
Following the disappearance of Megatron and Optimus Prime and the beginning of the Dark Ages, Thundercracker served under Shockwave. He was part of the troops sent to the Well of All Sparks to put a stop to The Fallen's plans. Conflagration
Thundercracker was one of several Decepticon invaders on board the Ark when it crashed into Earth four million years ago while the Autobot ship was clearing an asteroid in the path of Cybertron. He was reactivated in 1984 with the rest of the Transformers, and fought at Megatron's side until the Decepticons were ultimately defeated. In 2002, he was captured and reprogrammed by arms dealer Adam 'Lazarus' Rook alongside many other Cybertronians. Lazarus intended to rent out the services of the enslaved robots to various terrorist groups. In a demonstration of their power to a group of prospective clients, Thundercracker participated in an attack on the Arctic division of the Smitco Oil Refinery by blowing something up. Prime Directive #2
After Megatron reactivated himself, he freed his Decepticon subordinates in order to put forward his plans to infect Earth with a metallic virus of doom. To pass the time while this happened, Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp busied themselves by tearing apart the Autobot Mini Vehicle team. Prime Directive #3 Thundercracker later participated in Megatron's attack on San Francisco, where he followed Starscream's orders to maintain formation and drop cluster bombs on the Autobot giant Superion, forcing the Aerialbots to split into their separate component robots. Prime Directive #4 Thundercracker stood watch over the defeated Autobots while Megatron tried to persuade Optimus Prime to help the Decepticons conquer Earth. After some human firefighters distracted the Decepticons long enough for Optimus Prime to free the Autobots, Thundercracker was presumably beaten up and escaped when Superion sacrificed himself to stop a nuclear missile launched by rogue US General Robert Hallo. Prime Directive #5 Prime Directive #6
Oddly enough, Thundercracker turned to weapons smuggling after Megatron vanished and the Decepticons were left leaderless, working with Mexican arms dealers south of the border. He was moored at Atahulpa Aeropuerto de Mesa Verde, getting his cargo hold loaded with guns, when Prowl and Bumblebee sieged the tiny airport. As his human allies scattered, Thundercracker transformed and engaged the Autobots with his drone missile launchers. One of the guided projectiles nearly blasted Prowl in the back, but Bumblebee knocked it off course... right into a tanker filled with jet fuel. The resulting explosion was catastrophic, and threw the Autobots for a loop. Thundercracker was prepared to finish off Prowl when the renegade Dinobot Grimlock arrived on the scene. Fresh for battle, Grimlock easily defeated Thundercracker, battering him from head to toe before knocking him into the airport terminal. Hardwired
Recovering from his injuries, Thundercracker joined up with Starscream and his forces in "New Centurion" (formerly Las Vegas) some time before Megatron returned to Earth with the nigh-invincible aliens known as the Keepers in tow. He got another chance at Prowl and Bumblebee while fighting on the Strip, but the Autobots were better prepared this time and Thundercracker was brought down by Prowl's wire-guided missiles and crashed in front of Caesar's Palace. He revived in time to join Soundwave in double-teaming Grimlock, who had also come in the assault on Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Thundercracker once again fell before the Dinobot's superior might after only a few blows. He stayed under Starscream's command after Megatron returned, remaining in Las Vegas while the former Decepticon leader and those loyal to him quit the city. This only led to Thundercracker being captured with the rest of Starscream's Decepticons when their leader was killed by the Keepers and reanimated as a host body for their awesome power. Thundercracker, Skywarp and the others were trapped beneath a massive energy field, like mice in a cage to the god-like aliens.
The Constructicons eventually dug a tunnel to freedom, and Thundercracker's group of Decepticons reunited with Megatron, working with the Autobots against the Keepers. Thundercracker joined Laserbeak and the Autobot Wheeljack on air patrol during the fight with the Keepers, strafing the aliens and their puppets, Bluestreak and Starscream. He survived the battle with the Keepers (not to mention the nuclear missile launched by the American government) thanks to Optimus Prime super-charging the Matrix with a pool of newly discovered energon. Annihilation
Thundercracker began working for Megatron again, and was present in the Nevada desert when the Autobots and Decepticons confronted the United States military. Thanks to their airborne tactics, Thundercracker and Skywarp did significant injury to the troops and survived the deconstructionite assault virtually unscathed. Fusion
After Shockwave had defeated Megatron and brought the Decepticons back to Cybertron, Thundercracker and Skywarp spent their time relaxing and bathing, though Thundercracker was skeptical of Shockwave's new order, and compared its promised benefits to the benefits originally promised by Megatron. Cold War
Starscream eventually brought the Nemesis crew back to Earth and led them in a battle against the Autobots who had stayed behind there. Night of the Combaticons Thundercracker was among those captured by the Autobots, but was eventually freed in exchange for Starscream's assistance in fighting against Sunstorm. They were only given half-power, though, and had to stumble out of the Autobot camp in an extremely weakened condition. Skyfire Hardly the sort of leadership they had in mind, Thundercracker and the other Decepticons eagerly re-accepted Megatron as their leader when he returned to Earth and chastised Starscream for his incompetence and treachery. The Route of All Evil
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity
Thundercracker was one of the many Transformers found dormant aboard the Ark by Cobra, who reprogrammed the alien robots to serve them. After rebuilding Thundercracker and Skywarp into Rattler planes, Cobra sent them to attack a peace ceremony at Washington, D.C., where one of the Seekers was the first of the attackers to reveal their transformation ability before punching Ace out of the sky. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1
Eventually, the Decepticons were freed from Cobra's control, and Thundercracker and Skywarp started fighting against the newly freed Autobots. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5 When the SPS Satellite went out of control and sent energy beams raining down on Cobra Island, the two Seekers were caught in its blasts and deactivated. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6
Transformers Legends anthology
Thundercracker and Skywarp were getting bawled out by Megatron when the news came in that Starscream had injured himself. When they went to retrieve Starscream, the Seeker was gone, and Thundercracker pointed out the Autobot tire-marks leading away from the area. He later totally bought Starscream's story that he'd been feigning amnesia to gain access to the Autobot base. Redemption Center
The Beast Within
During an all-out offensive against the Autobots, Thundercracker attempted to take down Grimlock by himself, only to have his face crushed for his troubles. The Beast Within
Thundercracker’s corpse was left to lie in a smouldering heap, within the mass grave the battlefield had become, as the remaining Decepticons retreated from the conflict. The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences
Q-Robo Transformer
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Thundercracker and his fellow Seekers were recruited into Megatron's underground fights when Soundwave was sent to recruit flight capable warriors. However, Megatron did not intend for them to be pit fighters, but his new warriors. After being given weapons systems by Hook, the Seekers went and kidnapped Senator Decimus, who was to be executed at Megatron's recruitment rally. However, Sentinel Prime and the Autobots arrived and arrested the whole of them. Megatron Origin #3 After Starscream killed the Kaon Council and liberated them, Megatron launched his new "Decepticons" in an "Everything burns" offensive on Kaon. Thundercracker and Skywarp were sent to target a ship carrying the wealthy and elite. Thundercracker expressed some reservations about attacking the ship, but Skywarp gave him simple advice: "Don't think. Just do it." Megatron Origin #4
As the Decepticon uprising spread across the planet, Thundercracker came under the command of Bludgeon and participated in his plan to capture Alpha Trion. He protested against Bludgeon's idea to strap a captive Orion Pax to a shuttle and launch it at the nearest settlement, disturbed by the needless civilian casualties it'd cause. Omega's Conundrum Alongside Starscream and Overlord, he participated in an attack on Zeta Prime's New Institute. Remembrance Day
Led by Megatron, Thundercracker and several other Decepticons saved Orion Pax from Zeta Prime so that they could join forces with him against Zeta. He didn't enjoy having to spend time with Orion's Autobots, and almost came to blows with Ironhide. Choices He participated in their combined attack on Zeta Prime's Citadel, working with Blitzwing to take out the building's defensive vamparc cannons. Overthrown After Zeta was dead, Megatron betrayed Orion, declared himself ruler of Cybertron and began capturing Autobots. During this time, Thundercracker brought Hot Rod to the Decepticon-controlled Citadel before going on to guard an Autobot detention cell, only to be punched out by Ironhide when Hot Rod broke the prisoners out. Rise Megatron ordered Starscream and the other Seekers, including Thundercracker to defend the Citadel from the assaulting Autobots but they were intercepted by the newly recruited Aerialbots. Broadcast
After Megatron's short-lived rule of Cybertron was ended by Optimus Prime (formerly Orion Pax), Thundercracker watched Scorponok take control of the Decepticons. Wreckage Scorponok's first move was to lead the Seekers in an attack on the Toraxxis mega-refinery. Faces of Darkness
In one of the war's countless battles, Ironhide witnessed a yellow Autobot get destroyed in a Decepticon-Autobot crossfire. Drift #2
Millions of years later, Thundercracker operated as part of a Decepticon insurgent cell that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, working to destabilize Earth's governing organizations and create global anarchy. He was known to the Autobots as a professional soldier, in contrast to the likes of the Battlechargers.
He, Runabout and Runamuck were assigned by Starscream to intercept the human Stoker and retrieve his SM-40 palmtop PC, containing data on their Nebraska operation. The team caught up with and killed Stoker outside Phoenix, AZ, but the SM-40 was missing. Thundercracker tracked the device to Hunter O'Nion and Verity Carlo, but was driven off by Ratchet, Infiltration #0 who managed to temporarily lose him and the two Battlechargers. Infiltration #1 After picking Ratchet up again, Thundercracker was later shot down by Prowl, Sunstreaker and Ironhide. Infiltration #2 When Megatron arrived on Earth to take command of Starscream's infiltration team, Thundercracker, along with the other Decepticons, were unwilling to stand against him when the Decepticon leader ordered them to stand down. Infiltration #6
After Megatron trashed Starscream, Thundercracker and the other Decepticons were only all too willing to accept Megatron's leadership once again. The Decepticons took up temporary residence in an array structure in Latveria. Man and Machine, Part One There, Megatron activated the Psycho-Prism he had stolen from Doctor Doom. The Psycho-Prism emitted an aggression wave that acted on humans, increasing international tensions in the area. Megatron sent Thundercracker an Skywarp to bomb the neighboring country of Symkaria so they would blame Latveria and start a war. After their return the Decepticon array was being besieged by Autobots and Avengers. Along with the other Decepticons (except Ramjet), Thundercracker powered-up with the captured Spider-Man's super powers as part of mirror response mode. Thundercracker, Runabout, and Runamuck left the array to confront the Autobots and Avengers outside. Thundercracker shot and injured Optimus Prime. Man and Machine, Part Two
After shooting Ms. Marvel and getting chased by Captain America in the Quinjet, Thundercracker was brought down by a blast from Iron Man in Transformer-sized armor. Man and Machine, Part Three He laid there until Megatron called for a retreat via emergency warp-out. Man and Machine, Part Four
Thundercracker and Skywarp were sent to destroy the El Jira power plant in the middle east to inflame global tensions and spark a global energy shortage. Escalation #1 Escalation #2 During the battle of Brasnya, the sorely-pressed Skywarp teleported Thundercracker in to try and stop Hot Rod from escaping with the Georgi Koska facsimile. Escalation #6
Thundercracker was among the concerned Decepticons who feared that Megatron had made a serious error in judgement by bringing the destructive Sixshot to Earth, and so conspired to bring Starscream back into the fold to talk some sense into their leader. Devastation #1 Though outnumbered and outgunned, the Decepticons fought valiantly when the Reapers attacked, and with a little help from a mysterious combatant, they managed to defeat the alien invaders. Devastation #5 Devastation #6
Sometime after that (we think), Thundercracker was on Cybertron watching the experiments to create Insecticons. He was outraged by the existence of the swarm, freakish monsters created as a side-effect, and demanded Megatron euthanise them rather than allow fellow Decepticons to endure such torturous existence. Megatron, shockingly, didn't give a toss. A while later, Thundercracker helped defeat the Autobots staying on Earth. All Hail Megatron #7
A year on from the Reaper battle, Thundercracker was part of the Decepticon attack on New York City. Unlike his comrades, he showed no enthusiasm for mindless slaughter and could be seen staring at the devastation Megatron left in his wake. All Hail Megatron #1 All Hail Megatron #2 When Megatron later made his propaganda speech, Thundercracker looked unimpressed. (Having to stand outside when it was pissing down probably didn't help.) All Hail Megatron #4
Thundercracker came to the aid of Skywarp when the latter was being threatened by Bombshell. While Skywarp enjoyed working with his pal Thundercracker again, he also noted that Thundercracker hadn't actually participated in any of the fighting since the initial strike. Thundercracker for his part looked about as depressed as a robot CAN look, suggesting he was unhappy about the invasion plan, or at least the gratuitous death and destruction some of the others had caused. All Hail Megatron #6 When Starscream betrayed Megatron and sent the Insecticons and Constructicons to attack him, Thundercracker merely stood back and watched. All Hail Megatron #10 He was later seen fighting back against human jets sent from Europe. All Hail Megatron #11
When Megatron ordered Tankor to destroy New York City using a nuclear bomb, Thundercracker volunteered himself to redirect it. When questioned, he said that in his opinion, the Decepticons had lost their way, and the mass slaughter of unworthy foes was dishonorable. He succeeded in redirecting the bomb, but was then confronted by a furious Skywarp, who was outraged at the idea of a Seeker "betrayer" and, despite Thundercracker's attempts to explain his position, blasted him point-blank in the head. All Hail Megatron #12
Thundercracker survived, albeit heavily injured and incapable of traveling far. As he made his way to a ruined New York skyscraper which human cleanup crews likely wouldn't reach for months, he reflected on how life on Earth was always changing and always finding a way to survive. He eventually managed to construct a distress beacon, and as he waited for his fellow Decepticons to find him, he also got a television working. For the next one and a half years, Thundercracker spent his time watching human programs and growing increasingly fascinated with their ever-changing world and society. Eventually, he was found by a ragtag team of 'cons left behind on the planet, who repaired him and hoped that he, as an elite Seeker, would lead them. Thundercracker refused, as he saw no point in a warrior leading the team, since the war was over for them. Seasons in Flight
Instead, Swindle took command, and led Thundercracker and the others for a revenge attack on Omega Supreme. After some quick battlefield thinking by Swindle, the Decepticons changed their tunes and instead offered to help Hot Rod and his group leave Earth. New Arrivals, Old Encounters As Thundercracker helped them construct a ship, he thought about how Swindle had to be planning something, and how he felt remorse for the Autobots and how lost they were. His thoughts strayed back to the humans and their ever-changing world, comparing them to his own so-called "transforming" race that had remained the same for millions of years. While Thundercracker used to laugh at it, he now saw the beauty of Earth, where every act of destruction was also an act of creation. He knew that they had a lot to learn from the humans, but all his fellow Transformers wanted to do was to run away. Seasons in Flight
Thundercracker watched from the sidelines as Ultra Magnus confronted Hot Rod's group for a second time, and witnessed Swindle's unveiling of Menasor. Enemies of the System While the other Decepticons turned on their Autobot "comrades", Thundercracker remained true to his honor. He saved Bumblebee during a scrap with Scrapper, and proceeded to help Rodimus as well. Earthworks
Months later, Bumblebee contacted Thundercracker, asking him for help in getting the Combaticons out of North Korea. Ranks of Bronze While he had left the Decepticons, Thundercracker was uninterested in rejoining the war, having found a new hobby in studying humanity from a hideout filled with televisions. After Bumblebee's attempts to befriend him were rebuffed, the Autobot confronted him with the fact that despite his admirable attempts at changing, Thundercracker was a warrior at heart, and would get back in the action sooner or later. Realizing that he was right, Thundercracker agreed to aid Bumblebee's Autobots, and traveled to North Korea where he knocked Vortex out of the sky. Hawk Among the Sparrows The Combaticons were defeated, only for the Autobots to get attacked by the Predacons instead. Thundercracker faced off against Divebomb before personally blowing up the energon plants in North Korea and China, thus ending the Combaticons' and Predacons' alliances with those nations. All My Sins Remembered
Returning home from Asia, Thundercracker found his hideout trashed—the humans had discovered it while he was away. And if that wasn't bad enough, Starscream was there, asking for his help. Altered Carbon He had recently been ousted from his position of Decepticon leader by Megatron, and tried to convince Thundercracker to return to the Decepticons and help him overthrow Megatron again. Thundercracker reacted with the same disinterest as he had shown Bumblebee's proposition, reminding Starscream that the Decepticons had left him to rot and that he couldn't care less about galactic conquest. His attitude only served to anger Starscream, who shot him in the back repeatedly. Woken Furies Thundercracker's life was saved by Brawn, sent by the Autobots to again request his help against the returning Decepticon army, who defeated Starscream and carried the injured Seeker to safety. Burning Chrome
At the Autobot base, Thundercracker got medical attention from Wheeljack (and complained that he wasn't Ratchet). In exchange for his repairs, Optimus Prime wanted him to tell the Autobots where Megatron could have brought the recently injured Soundwave, but having had no contact with the main Decepticon force for years, Thundercracker couldn't tell him anything. Enemy Mine With his repairs done, Thundercracker left the Autobots' base, calling them "sentimental" for wanting to return to Cybertron and electing not to come with them. Prowl tried to stop him, but he only warned the Autobot against provoking him before flying off. Police Action: Prologue
He returned to his hideout to pack up his televisions and find a new place to live, only to be approached once again by Bumblebee, who was now looking for help with finding Decepticons currently on Earth. Thundercracker reminded the Autobot he had no contact with the other Decepticons anymore, wishing only to live in peace on Earth, and questioned his ability to lead the Autobots. When the subject of returning to Cybertron with a space bridge came up, he remembered that earlier Megatron had been grilling him about the time he and Bumblebee met Metroplex, suggesting that he was looking for a way to generate space bridges using his own body much like the titan. Thundercracker let Bumblebee have his records of Metroplex's space bridge radiation signature to follow up on this theory, but refused to get involved with the fight himself. The Question
Later, when Starscream was expressing interest in getting the Seekers back together, Wheeljack responded by listing off dead, arrested, or MIA members of the squad and noted that nobody knew where Thundercracker was. Mentioning Thundercracker's name caused him to have a flash of genius as he realized that the recent explosions on Cybertron were reminiscent of ball lightning. Stick Together
As years passed, Thundercracker's interest in TV dramas evolved into a desire to become a scriptwriter himself, though his attempts to write from a human perspective were... interesting. He came in contact with Earth Defense Command, who recognized his neutrality and provided him with a new hideout, a source of energon and a friendly dog named Buster, and in return he agreed to act as bait to lure in a team of Autobots. Noting that Bumblebee wasn't among them, Thundercracker was a bit bummed to learn the Autobot had died, but this was overridden by the shock of hearing the war was had ended with Megatron joining the Autobots. Hello Cruel World As the EDC and their new Decepticon allies ambushed the Autobots, Thundercracker stayed out of the line of fire, worrying over Buster. Detonation Boulevard He then accompanied—and annoyed—his EDC liaison Marissa Faireborn as she cleaned up the mess after the battle. Full Fathom Five
The EDC base on Bikini Atoll was next to be attacked by Autobots, so Thundercracker took Marissa there, though he refused to get too close to the battle out of worry for Buster. While escaping the destruction, he slipped and fell into a cavern where, to his horror, he discovered an EDC facility full of clones of his old comrades, Ramjet and Thrust. I Dream of Wires
Following the drones over the Pacific Ocean, Thundercracker contacted Soundwave, who was taking in the sights at Mikumi National Park in Tanzania. Aghast to hear of the drone army's existence, Soundwave was conflicted; he feared the outbreak of war once again, which would surely be the result if the drones engaged Galvatron, but at the same time, was disgusted at the prospect of keeping their existence a secret and allowing the humans' duplicitous behavior to stand. He was leaning toward letting humanity suffer for their deception, but Thundercracker besought him to help save Earth not for the humans, but in spite of them, so that it could be a world for the Decepticons as well. Soundwave reluctantly agreed, and easily cracked the control signal for the drones, deactivating them and letting them fall out of the sky... but warned Thundercracker not to contact him again.
Later Thundercracker happily reunited with his dog Buster on the beaches of Bikini Atoll. The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati
Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga
Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-
Robot Heroes
Alternity
Transformers: All Spark
The Fated Rival, Once Again... Revenge (All Spark) Great Aspirations
Cloud
Angry Birds comic
Thundercracker was part of a group of Decepticons who attacked an Autobot shuttle in a failed attempt to steal the AllSpark. Angry Birds Transformers #1
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
Aided by a number of Cobra troops, Thundercracker guarded the temple constructed by Megatron on Primus's face. He detected the arrival of a group of Autobots and Joes, and entered a firefight with them. Expelled from the Garden
TransTech
A couple of Thundercrackers were two of many offworlders in Axiom Nexus's Under City. They were part of a crowd in Seeker-Shinai that C-81 attempted to disperse through intimidation. Unfortunately, all the Seekers present were too stunned to see a "Megatron" in Axiom Nexus to budge. Cybertron's Most Wanted
Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe
Thundercracker followed Megatron to Earth in pursuit of the Allspark. His specialty amongst the Seekers was maneuverability. He was enhanced by forestonite and participated in a large battle against the Autobots in a human settlement. The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe
Commercial appearances
Thundercracker snuck his way into several bits of original commercial animation:
- He appears in the first Transformers animation, a 1984 commercial advertising the Marvel comic. He is animated with an early model featuring a black face.
- He appears alongside Starscream in a commercial for Jetfire, strafing three Autobot cars. Later Jetfire shoots him down, forcing him and Starscream to transform and land.
- Thundercracker and the other two jets get beat up by the Dinobots in a commercial for the Predacons.
- A commercial for Transformers reflective iron-on patches advertised the "Prizes in Disguise" competition. When the iron-on patch was used, it was possible to find instead an instant win ticket for a Transformers voice changer (of the Enemy variety)—or to have a party with "life-size" Transformers! Among the "life-size" Transformers shown were Jazz and Thundercracker. In all likelihood, you did not party with them.
Games
Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' Minicar troops from the Decepticons, Thundercracker could hinder Optimus Prime's progress, by attacking him, temporarilly breaking down the Autobots' leader. Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game
The Transformers (PS2)
Transformers G1: Awakening
Thundercracker was among the Decepticons who pursued and boarded the Autobot Ark. When the ship crashed on Earth, all inside were sent into stasis, but the Decepticons woke up four million years later and resumed their conquering ways. Picking up Jetfire, whom they tricked into becoming a Decepticon, Thundercracker took part in an attack on Dyson Dam. He and the other Seekers picked a fight with Grimlock and were soundly trounced by the Dinobot. He also took part in a disastrous assault on the Ark, which ended with the Decepticons in retreat. Transformers G1: Awakening
Bot Shots Battle Game!
Thundercracker participated in numerous one-on-one matches against other Autobots and Decepticons, using his fists, his sword, or his gun to defeat his opponents. Sometimes, he even faced off against himself! Bot Shots Battle Game!
Transformers: Construct-Bots
Transformers Legends
Thundercracker was among the Seekers who went on a worldwide rampage, until they were thwarted by the Autobots. Robots in the Sky During a Decepticon attack on a major human city, Thundercracker and Dirge used their sonic powers to make things difficult for the Autobot rescue team of Ratchet, Inferno and the Protectobots. To the Rescue Thundercracker took part in a major battle in Autobot City, but his taunting of the Dinobots resulted in Swoop dragging him out of the air for a beating. S.O.S. Dinobots
Thundercracker was among the Decepticons who came to the aid of the reprogrammed Nightbird, but failed to prevent her falling back into Autobot hands. Enter the Nightbird
When the Autobots were driven from Earth, Thundercracker fought against his Decepticon comrades. All Hail Megatron
At some point, he was reformatted into Scourge. The Coronation of Starscream
Thundercracker was caught up somehow in a Quintesson plot to kidnap several Autobots during the Galactic Games. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1
Transformers: Battle Tactics
Thundercracker participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! Transformers: Battle Tactics
Transformers: Devastation
Toys
Notes
- A handful of Marvel Books coloring books (among them Decepticon Patrol) depict Skywarp and Thundercracker with original head designs. It's possible these were developed so kids could tell the characters apart in black and white, but the numerous character model oddities in these books make any kind of certain judgment difficult.
- In the Generation 1 cartoon, Thundercracker was never shown using his sonic boom attack (though he does make "a thunder noise" in "Fire on the Mountain"). Megatron, however, was shown utilizing the ability (after taking Thundercracker's power chip rectifier) during his battle with Optimus Prime in "Heavy Metal War". Incidentally, in the Japanese dub of that episode, Megatron announces the name of Thundercracker's attack: "Sonic Beam!" (yes, "beam", not "boom".)
Foreign names
- Japanese: Thundercracker (サンダークラッカー Sandākurakkā)
- French: Coup de Tonnerre (Canada, "Thunderclap")
- Hebrew: Méfatsé'ach Raám (מפצח רעם, "Thunder Cracker")
- Hungarian: Villámcsapás ("Lightning strike")
- Italian: Vampiro ("Vampire")
- Mandarin: Lìe Léi (Taiwan, 裂雷, "Cracking Thunder"), Léi Gōng (Taiwan, 雷公, "Lord of Thunder"), Jīngtiān Léi (China, 惊天雷, "Sky-shocking Thunder")
- Portuguese: Grande Trovão (Portugal comics, "Big Thunder"), Arrasador (Brazil comics, "Destroyer")
- Russian: Gromoverzhec (Громовержец, "Thunderer")
References
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Articles in need of images
- Character stubs missing fiction
- Character stubs missing video games
- Action Masters
- Alternity Decepticons
- Beast Wars Decepticons
- Classics Decepticons
- Cloud Decepticons
- Generation 1 Decepticons
- Generation 2 Decepticons
- Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons
- Machine Wars Decepticons
- Regeneration One Decepticons
- Regeneration One zombies
- Robotmasters Decepticons
- Seekers
- TransTech Decepticons
- Universe Decepticons
- Wings Universe Decepticons
