Powerglide (G1)/toys
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If you have a Transformers toy that is an A-10 Thunderbolt, then odds are that it is one of Powerglide.
Toys
Generation 1
- Powerglide (Mini-Vehicle, 1985)
- Japanese ID number: C-62
- Powerglide transforms into an A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack jet (better known by its nickname "Warthog"), deformed to keep proportion with the previous year's "penny-racer" styled Mini Cars. He is notable for being one of the earliest Autobots with an aerial alternate mode. Due to his transformation, Powerglide has more robot mode articulation than any other Mini Vehicle. His head can turn, his shoulders have what amounts to universal joints, and his elbows bend. The box art depicts his robot mode mis-transformed; his wings stick out at an angle instead of being upright touching his body.
Transformers Collection
- Minibot Team (Multi-pack, 2004)
- Japanese ID number: TFC-12
- In January of 2004, Powerglide was reissued in a Transformers Collection six-pack with Bumblebee, Cosmos, Gears, Huffer and Warpath. With the exception of an added factory-applied insignia sticker, which necessitated the original sticker being moved down and rotated 180 degrees, there are no notable differences between the original and the reissue versions.
Universe (2008)
- Although now upsized to an Ultra class toy with electronics, Universe Powerglide still transforms into an A-10 (though the nose looks more like that of its canceled counterpart, the Northrop YA-9, probably for licensing reasons). In order to preserve some semblance of realism in his altmode, however, he is mostly off-white in color, with red trim. His noggin, at least, is still entirely red, and even has an off-center cannon barrel sculpted into it in homage to his original toy, even though here, his head doesn't become the nosecone.
- In vehicle mode, pressing the prominent orange button on the jet's fuselage triggers three electronic sound effects (an engine ignition, a swooping noise and a barrage of machine-gun fire that persists for as long as you hold down the button, the same ones are used for Universe Silverbolt), accompanied by red LEDs in the turbines and cockpit. During transformation to robot mode, the classic transformation sound effect is triggered as the torso is moved into place; it plays in reverse as he is transformed back to vehicle mode. In robot mode, pressing the orange button triggers the machine-gun sound effect only, with newly-exposed lights illuminating Powerglide's eyes as well as those seen in jet mode.
(Takara version pictured) - In robot mode, Powerglide features a wide range of articulation, and can wield in his hand the thermal missile launcher which mounts under his jet mode nosecone. In what can only be described as one of the most hilarious homages in Transformers history, Powerglide's chestplate can flip up to reveal the raised image of a heart.
- Rather unfortunately, his small feet and top-heaviness make him difficult to pose and stand up.
- His instructions omit a useful step: pulling the lower legs down to expose the knees and increase his height.
- The Japanese "USA Edition" release for Powerglide is colored in mostly red with white detailing, essentially reversing most of the colour layouts. He retains the same tampographed unit-markings as the Hasbro version.
- This mold was also used to make Universe Stormcloud.
- Powerglide (Ultra Class, 2009)
- Accessories: Chaingun/missile launcher, "thermal beam" missile
- The second version of Universe Powerglide is a Walmart-exclusive red redeco similar to TakaraTomy's Japanese release of this sculpt, but with some significant differences in color layout. In an effort to make the toy more accurate to the cartoon, the arms are cast in light gray plastic, unlike the all-red arms on the Japanese version.
- His tailfins sport tampographed "NA W4Y W3 60" markings, which reads "And away we go!"
Bot Shots
- Powerglide (2012)
- Series: 1
- Number: B013
- Fist strength: 700
- Blaster strength: 770
- Sword strength: 150
- Part of the fourth wave of Bot Shots Series 1 single-packs, Powerglide is a teeny little jet with a spring-loaded automatic transformation to robot mode triggered when his nosecone is pressed. He has a "spinner" in his chest that shows his three attack types and power levels. His head is similar to Dark of the Moon Powerglide.
- This mold was redecoed into Skydive and Air Raid, and its chest and head pieces were used for BeCool Jinbu.
- Skyquake / Jetfire / Powerglide (Multi-pack, 2012)
- Series: 1
- Number: BP006
- Fist strength: 740
- Blaster strength: 345
- Sword strength: 525
- Part of the second wave of Bot Shots Series 1 three-packs, this is a redeco of Powerglide in a brighter shade of red, with silver paint details, a brighter blue for the canopy, and a darker blue for the eyes. He comes in a three-pack with Skyquake and Jetfire.
BeCool
- Red Jet (Powerglide) (2012)
- ID number: B05
- BeCool "Red Jet" is practically identical to the multi-pack version of Bot Shots Powerglide, the only difference being that his stickers don't depict power levels but instead drawings of his vehicle mode, a travel bag and an airline pilot's hat.
Kre-O
- Powerglide (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2013)
- Collection: 2
- Bag number: ***** 73
- Accessories: Logo brick, 2 clip-on rifles
- As part of the second wave of blindpacked Kre-O Micro-Changers, Powerglide is a Kreon who can be rebuilt into an airplane. He reuses Mirage's helmet and Starscream's arm guns.
- This Collection was still in circulation at "dollar" stores and drug stores up through 2015. They eventually lost the individual-identifying bag codes, but other changes were hidden inside the bag. The 2015 releases replaced the 2x4 logo stand-brick with a new 3x4 logo plate. The Kreon was also given the slight retooling to the arm seen in the 2014 Kreons, making the "cuff" parts more sharp-cornered and better adapted to being used as studs. Some of the add-on pieces may also be slightly off-color, possibly due to a change in factories in mid-production.
- Kreon Class of '85 (Kreon figure set, 2015)
- Set number B5152
- Voted: Will Do Anything on a Dare
- Accessories: Small pistol
- Kreon Class of '85 Powerglide has his deco much more heavily based on the original Powerglide toy, plus his helmet is now the pointy jet-nosecone type. Like the rest of the set, he uses the almost-totally-retooled 2015 style of Kreon body.
- This box set of thirty Kreons was a San Diego Comic-Con 2015 exclusive, with leftovers being sold on Hasbro Toy Shop online after the show.
- Powerglide (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2016)
- Collection: 2
- Accessories: Logo plate, 2 clip-on rifles
- In 2016, Collection 2 was re-released in a whole new production run for Dollar General stores in the US as part of a large collection of re-released Kre-O sets. But where most of these releases are nigh-identical to the originals, the re-released Micro-Changer blind-bags use the almost-entirely-retooled 2015 Kreon, with slightly-differently-hued plastics than the originals. (It is possible for some of the add-on pieces to be in the older hues.) Powerglide's head has changed from light gray plastic to a metallic silver, and his light gray tampographs have similarly gone shiny silver.
- Sadly, this release has no individual-identification code on the bag, requiring you to use the feel-through-the-bag method or just buy blind and hope.
Generations
- Autobot Powerglide (Legends Class, 2015)
- A new Legends Class sculpt sold under the Combiner Wars banner, Powerglide is a Triple Changer-Targetmaster, transforming into (what else?) a jet resembling an A-10 Thunderbolt II and some kind of "super gun" with rocket launchers on the sides. The back of his box shows him being held by Deluxe Class Skydive, but since he's very big to be handled by a Deluxe figure, it should be used by Superion (as suggested in his instructions), either of its own or stuck on the top of Silverbolt/Superion's own gun to make a bigger weapon. Because of the ball-in-socket joints in his hips and knees and the small size of the tabs that hold his legs together in jet and gun modes, his legs are extremely prone to flexing and separating in those modes.
- Powerglide includes a collector card featuring art from the "By Land, Sea, or Air" episode of Transformers Legends.
- This mold was redecoed into Adventure Powerglide, and retooled into Viper and Adventure Dogfight.
- Superion (Box set, 2016)
- This version of Generations Powerglide sports a new, made-up Generation 2-like deco... minus the vac-metal chrome, of course. Just imagine the silver is chromed. He does have a huge Generation 2 Autobot symbol in wicked-awesome bright orange and yellow though!
- He was only available as part of a Generation 2-themed Superion box set, along with Silverbolt, Air Raid, Firefly, Quickslinger, and Skydive. The set was a "shared exclusive" through multiple online outlets, including Amazon.com and Entertainment Earth.
G.I. Joe and the Transformers
- Scarlet vs Zartan & Autobot Powerglide vs Soundwave (Box set, 2016)
- Exclusive to the Hasbro Toy Shop booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2016 and the Hasbro Toy Shop website, this set features a redeco of a (non-transforming) Cobra Rattler vehicle (a tooling first released in 1984, last used for a Target exclusive reissue available in 2008) colored as Powerglide.
- The set also includes a redeco of an equally non-transforming Cobra HISS tank colored as Soundwave and figures of G.I. Joe characters Scarlett and Zartan.
