Cliffjumper (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity
An also-ran for eighty issues who found his calling in a parallel universe, Cliffjumper in the Marvel Comics continuity had one weird career.
Marvel The Transformers comics
Cliffjumper was a part of the crew on board the Ark when it crashed into Earth four million years ago while clearing an asteroid field in the path of Cybertron. Upon reviving in 1984, Cliffjumper was chosen as part of the first field expedition into the world under Prowl's command. Their simple recon mission to a drive-in movie theatre quickly turned into a battle when the Decepticons arrived. Cliffjumper acquitted himself well in combat, single-handedly driving off Starscream and Thundercracker with his glass gas. The Transformers Ravage and Megatron reviewed this battle when they learned of the existence of humans. Power Play!
Later, Cliffjumper joined Optimus Prime on the mission to rescue their human friend Sparkplug Witwicky from the Decepticons' fortress. Unfortunately, the human military got in the way, distracting Cliffjumper and Huffer long enough for Rumble's earthquakes to throw them for a loop. Prisoner of War! Whether because of this or just a general lack of fuel, Cliffjumper was unable to stand up and fight against the Decepticons in the next battle at the Ark. The Last Stand He was deactivated and strung up from the ceiling when Shockwave subsequently occupied the Ark, The New Order on full display for Ratchet to see when he managed to infiltrate the now Decepticon-controlled ship. Ratchet managed to reclaim the Ark for the crew, Warrior School! and Cliffjumper and most of the other Autobots were quickly repaired and restored to operational status. DIS-Integrated Circuits! However, the head of Optimus Prime was still missing and during an attempt to retrieve it an impostor head took control of Prime's body, firing on Cliffjumper. Prime Time!
Presumably repaired, Cliffjumper was at the Ark when the Autobots came under attack from the Dinobot Swoop, who was under the control of the human Professor Morris. The Icarus Theory Consequently, he participated in the Dinobot Hunt, forming the "A-Team" along with Gears and Windcharger. Although they found Sludge in the swamps of Littlewood, California, all three were immediately thereafter ambushed and captured by the Decepticons. Held captive aboard their own booby-trapped shuttle in Doonstown while Grimlock and Sludge rampaged outside, they were ultimately rescued by Bumblebee. Dinobot Hunt!
Shortly after Jetfire joined the Autobots, Cliffjumper was lying on a slab in Ratchet's repair bay. Although Ratchet vowed to try and help the wounded Autobots, he was not optimistic about being able to revive all of them. Rock and Roll-Out!
Presumably repaired, Cliffjumper was present when Blaster and Serpentor forged an alliance between Cobra and the Autobots against the Decepticons. Shortly afterwards, G.I. Joe joined them as well. Ashes, Ashes...
Much later, he was one of the observers to Blaster and Grimlock's battle for Autobot leadership on the moon. How he fared in the following Decepticon attack is unknown, but he was not seen again in the present day. Totaled!
Marvel UK future timelines
In one future timeline, Cliffjumper was serving alongside Optimus Prime on one of Cybertron's moons. Lacking the energon cubes to power a full-scale assault on the Decepticon-controlled planet, they sent Ironhide and a team of Autobots to make a run to Autobot City on Earth to get some. The Planet-Eater! Not long afterwards, a "gi-normous, weird-lookin' planet" showed up and consumed the moon, along with Jazz and Cliffjumper's escape craft. Judgment Day!
After surviving the destruction of Moonbase One, Cliffjumper had returned to the Autobot combat movement on Cybertron by 2007. He joined Ultra Magnus in a concerted effort to surprise a group of Decepticon skyraiders, using Rodimus Prime as bait to draw them in close for a crossfire. Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!
Classics
After Cliffjumper was nearly killed by an Underbase-powered Starscream, the Autobots, lacking the resources on Earth to repair him, shipped his body to Cybertron, where he languished on life support for fifteen years. After the war, newly freed resources allowed techs to revive him once again, though when he first woke up he immediately flatlined again when they told him the war was over. Consoled by the idea that some Decepticons were still left in the universe, Cliffjumper was sadly too late to join Grimlock's crew on the Graviton, so when reports of Megatron's return reached Cybertron, Cliffjumper was the first to join Optimus Prime in returning to Earth to vanquish him. Cliffjumper's profile in Club magazine #17
Cliffjumper and the Autobots encountered the dimension-hopping Velocitronian known as Skyfall shortly after he and the Decepticon Landquake crash-materialized in their universe. They traveled to the Southern Hemisphere to locate the source of a mysterious energy signature that resonated on the same wavelength as Skyfall's own emanations. The fact that Skyfall was traveling with a Decepticon, however inadvertently, set Cliffjumper's "traitor sense" a'tingling, setting them at odds with one another. Unfortunately for CJ, Prime assigned him to explore the energy site alone with Skyfall, away from the battle with the arriving Decepticons. They were the only two small enough to fit through the crevice the energy signals were coming from. Cliffjumper reluctantly agreed to keep an eye on Skyfall. With the battle raging overhead, a cave-in caused by Devastator's stomping around sent Landquake toppling into the caverns below. Eager for the chance to scrap a Decepticon, Cliffjumper gleefully leveled his pistol at Landquake as Skyfall tried to stop him. Crossing Over: Part 3
Protecting a 'Con was all the proof Cliffjumper needed to turn on Skyfall too, but another cave-in sent the robots tumbling deeper underground before anyone could get shot. Cliffjumper's leg was crushed under a falling boulder, but that didn't stop him from trying to blast the other two from where he lay on the ground. His shot disturbed the pool of Rarified Energon they landed next to, and awakened a curiously-similar robot known as Breakaway. Using his own unique abilities, the pacifistic Breakaway healed Cliffjumper's leg in moments just by laying hands on him. As the Decepticon Cassettes arrived in search of the energon, Cliffjumper and the others drove them back while retreating further into the caverns. Crossing Over: Part 4
Allowing a temporary cease fire due to the strangeness of the situation, Cliffjumper started looking for a way to protect the Rarified Energon from the robots he KNEW were evil. Skyfall accidentally triggered a secret passage, though, and he, Landquake and Breakaway felt compelled to respond to the voice of the "Caretaker" emanating from the passage, who claimed to speak for Primus himself. Cliffjumper felt the "purity" of the place as well, but his basic nature still warned him it could all be a trap. Skyfall pleaded with CJ to see the grandeur of their situation however and, after checking his WWOPD? bracelet, Cliffjumper agreed to follow them down the passage...once he "set something up" first. Crossing Over: Part 5 The Caretaker spoke to Skyfall, Landquake and Breakaway about the greater destiny that awaited them on other worlds, and beckoned them to pass through the dimensional barriers to the next leg of their journey. Skyfall balked at the idea more than the others, but ultimately he and Cliffjumper passed through the dimensional space bridge together. Meanwhile, Ramjet arrived at the Rarified Energon pool and set off the laser-trip wire Cliffjumper had left behind, detonating the entrance and burying the chambers behind them. Crossing Over: Part 6
Cliffjumper was diverted away from his fellow travellers, and ended up in the Primax -408.24 Epsilon universe, where he was found by Ruckus and Rodimus. They were surprised to see him, as the native Cliffjumper had been thought dead for some time. Rodimus took Cliffjumper to see Optimus Prime, who was pleased to see him and had him witness Rumble's execution. Cliffjumper was shocked and protested against the execution, which surprised and angered Optimus, as the native Cliffjumper had enjoyed killing prisoners. Prime blew several holes in Cliffjumper as punishment and had him dumped in the Rad Zone, where he was discovered by Cyclonus, Scrapper and Long Haul and taken to the Decepticon base. There, Scrapper and Hook repaired him and found that he had numerous anomalies, thus discovering he was not this universe's Cliffjumper.
Towards the end of the repairs, Cliffjumper woke up and shoved the medics aside to escape, only to run into Megatron and Sideswipe. Sideswipe explained that Cliffjumper likely was from another universe and elaborated on this universe's history; How the war started, what happened to this universe's Cliffjumper, and finally why Sideswipe had become a Decepticon.
Later, Starscream and Megatron were discussing the Ark's status, when Cliffjumper and Sideswipe walked into the room. Megatron informed Cliffjumper that Prime planned to use the Ark to conquer other worlds, and Cliffjumper exclaimed "By Primus, he can't be allowed to do that!", leaving everyone confused. Cliffjumper then provided a highly condensed version of the Transformers' origins. Megatron thought that being created by a benevolent god was a comforting idea, but everyone else was amused by Cliffjumper's strange beliefs.
Starscream came up with a plan to use Cliffjumper's glass gas to weaken the Ark's launch platform, making it vulnerable to normal weapons. Cliffjumper agreed to help Starscream duplicate the formula as Megatron and the others planned the attack.
After Razorclaw and Rampage dispatched the Autobot guards, and Starscream, Divebomb, and Whisper dropped the "glass gas bombs" on the Ark, Cliffjumper and the others attacked the launch platform. However, their weapons failed to destroy the platform, resulting in an all-out brawl between the two sides. When Optimus spotted Cliffjumper, he attempted to destroy the "traitor", but Megatron took the hit instead. This spurred Cliffjumper into destroying the launch platform. The Decepticons retreated, and Cliffjumper decided to go with them. Shattered Glass
Cliffjumper helped the Decepticons battle the Autobots for control of the Arch-Ayr fuel dump by firing large amounts of both artillery and insults at Optimus Prime, with his enthusiasm disturbing Starscream and Megatron. When Soundwave called in the Mayhem Suppression Squad, Cliffjumper helped the Squad succeed in forcing the Autobots to fall back.
Just then the ground started trembling and sent Cliffjumper sprawling. He accused Crasher of doing it, but it was actually Wheeljack and his army of Dinobots, which Cliffjumper recognized.
The Dinobots eventually turned on each other and scattered, and Cliffjumper was among those ordered by Megatron to capture some of them for reprogramming. He and Sideswipe located and subdued Slugfest, only for the hulking Goryu to come to Slugfest's aid. Cliffjumper jumped onto and rode Goryu as he chased after Sideswipe, eventually managing to trick Goryu into knocking himself out.
The two then noticed Huffer on the horizon and cornered him. Sideswipe "convinced" Huffer to admit what he was up to by warning that Cliffjumper was insane because he believed in Primus. Huffer offered to talk if they gave him three energon rods, but Cliffjumper threatened him down to one. Huffer admitted he had been tracking Grimlock and where, then escaped from the two.
Sideswipe and Cliffjumper used the information to track Grimlock to an old bunker. Sideswipe was hesitant, since the area was where he had been ambushed and his universe's Cliffjumper had died, but Cliffjumper wasn't fazed by Sideswipe's guilt nor by possibly seeing his double's corpse.
While the two examined hieroglyphics just inside the bunker's entrance, a booming voice ordered them to get out. The two were more than willing to comply, but found they couldn't, as the tunnels around them had changed. They continued on their journey instead, and encountered several traps, one of which injured Cliffjumper's leg.
Later, the two met up with Rodimus and Blurr. Cliffjumper and Rodimus tumbled into a hidden passage, activating yet another trap. Rodimus deactivated the trap before it could crush them by yanking out and using the spear that had become embedded in Cliffjumper's leg earlier. They were ejected into a room full of debris. Rodimus recognized they were in the Omega Terminus chambers, and told Cliffjumper they could use it to create their own army to take down Prime, but Cliffjumper wasn't interested. Rodimus then found a vial of scraplets and offered to have Cliffjumper drink some. Cliffjumper was horrified, until Rodimus explained how scraplets worked as a healing potion, and took a swig to prove it. Cliffjumper reluctantly accepted some to heal his leg, and they escaped out a hatch.
They met back up with Blurr and Sideswipe on a narrow bridge overlooking a deep chasm. Rodimus tried again to recruit the others into a new team of Wreckers, but was interrupted by the arrival of Grimlock, who explained he had been guided there by a strange voice that didn't want the others there.
The Omega Terminus started spinning and shot a bolt of energy at Grimlock, giving him an ember and the ability to transform. After doing so, he started to explain their situation, but Cliffjumper grew impatient and challenged him. As a response, additional lights came from the Omega Terminus and reanimated four corpses, including Drench and the native Cliffjumper. Grimlock further explained the Omega Terminus's powers, and a battle ensued.
The corpses put up a fight, but the living Cliffjumper eventually destroyed his double's corpse by throwing scraplets at it. Rodimus then rammed the Cliffjumper corpse into another of the corpses while Cliffjumper ripped off his dead twin's arm and used it to "infect" the Drench corpse. All of the corpses were quickly devoured by the scraplets and reduced to dust.
Grimlock then swept the four off a ledge, where they hung on for dear life. Blurr managed to distract Grimlock enough for Cliffjumper and Sideswipe to knock him off the cliff. They all pulled themselves back up, and the Terminus told them to leave, which they promptly did. Dungeons & Dinobots
A short time later, Megatron asked Sideswipe and Cliffjumper if the Dinocons' recently discovered transformation ability had something to do with their recent adventure, but they found they couldn't recall exactly what had happened.
The Decepticons then gathered to discuss Optimus Prime's latest plan: rebuilding the Ark for a second launch. This caused Cliffjumper to get upset, thinking all of his hard work had been for nothing. Megatron reassured him that, on the contrary, it had been valuable, and had given them enough time to build the Nemesis as a counter to the Ark. When Sideswipe asked why he was so bothered, Cliffjumper explained that he was used to the enemy leader always thinking up new plans.
Megatron appointed Cliffjumper as the mech for all Nemesis crew volunteers to report to, as he was already familiar with Earth. Among the troops he interviewed was Demolishor, who gave him pause, since he'd never seen the Decepticon before. Demolishor retorted that Cliffjumper might not have known everyone on his home planet. After hearing that Demolishor wanted to bust up Autobots and figured Earth must be better than Cybertron, Cliffjumper let him through. But when he found himself dealing next with Heatwave, another Decepticon he'd never heard of before, Cliffjumper gave up and waved him on without an interview.
Later, when the Decepticons received word of Ricochet kidnapping Megatron, Starscream wanted to mount a full raid. Cliffjumper told him that, while it felt weird being responsible instead of running off himself, they needed to instead send a small task force, as prepping and launching the Nemesis was top priority. Starscream reluctantly agreed.
Cliffjumper was on board the Nemesis when it eventually followed the Ark to Earth, and aided in the resulting firefight. When they were hit by a nuke from the humans, Cliffjumper was amazed by Heatwave's ability to "talk" to their damaged ship afterwards. He then volunteered to remain with Starscream while everyone else escaped, in order to steer the crash-landing ship away from any major population centers. Do Over
Cliffjumper and Starscream survived the crash intact, and were found by Heatwave, Soundwave, Frenzy, Ravage, and some humans who had discovered the Nemesis. As they all discussed their current situation, Cliffjumper was suspicious of the humans—especially Arkeville, who bothered him for some reason he couldn't place. He was also confused by the absence of California, which caused Arkeville to be fascinated by learning Cliffjumper hailed from another universe, and explain about the hard times his own universe had been through.
When Starscream figured that the Autobots had bought it and they should concentrate on going home, Cliffjumper was skeptical and wanted to be absolutely sure. Starscream decided he was right, and then sent Cliffjumper out with the others to look for their crewmembers. When Cliffjumper found Crasher's stasis pod in a junkyard, he booted her back online, and became very flustered when part of their conversation afterwards involved him trying to explain his unfamiliarity with fembots.
After Rodimus broadcast a message saying he was holding the Earth hostage with their own defense satellite, Cliffjumper helped with the mission to liberate the hijacked base and satellite. He mediated the brainstorming about the information from the initial scouting mission, then set everyone to their respective parts of the resulting plan, remaining with the group outside as others infiltrated the base.
When the base was evacuated and destroyed due to Heatwave turning the satellite on it, Cliffjumper comforted the larger mech, who was mournful that he had to also destroy the transmitter. Eye in the Sky
After rescuing Blitzwing from the Autobots and their new Stellar spanner, Cliffjumper wondered why Blitzwing hadn't been captured or killed after they incapacitated him. Blitzwing revealed that he had fused with an oPod and disrupted them with its signal, and Cliffjumper found Arkeville's comparison to human bodies being able to make bone out of coral to be creepy.
As Blitzwing's new disruptive signal ability eventually spread from the Autobots' emergency frequency to the Decepticons', Cliffjumper was irritated that his normal-universe Autobot emergency frequency just happened to be the same as the Decepticons' in this universe. When Starscream suggested everyone but Soundwave (who was unaffected) going into emergency stasis lock to protect them from being damaged by the signal, and the humans protecting them until Soundwave could find Blitzwing and cure his broadcasting, Cliffjumper was paranoid about both ideas, but his concerns were overruled.
When Soundwave was successful and everything was back to normal, Cliffjumper was also glad that they could now build their own space brid... er...Stellar Spanner, with the schematics Blitzwing had stolen. Blitzwing Bop
Once the Decepticons got their Stellar Spanner working, they were joined on Earth by Shockwave, whom Cliffjumper was surprised to learn was interested in hearing more about Primus. Cliffjumper attended an unveiling ceremony with the other Decepticons as R.J. Blackrock presented his new Mega-Rig, and got an opportunity to fight the Autobots when they attacked it. When Sephie Beller had herself augmented with Cybertronian technology, Cliffjumper announced he had seen this happen before and they needed to stick Sephie in cryo so they could work on a cure. She went off to fight the Autobots on her own, and Cliffjumper stopped Rick from going after her, suggesting they build a Nebulan-esque exosuit for the boy first.
A team of Decepticons, plus Cliffjumper, went to try and help Sephie, but instead found themselves captured by the Autobots. Bound, they only avoided being terminated when Blackrock arrived in his Centurion battle mech and started attacking the Autobots. Unfortunately Blackrock also regarded the Decepticons as viable targets, and Cliffjumper's leg was damaged by stray fire. Sephie freed Cliffjumper, knowing he would feel compelled to unchain his comrades rather than stop her from going after Blackrock. He was forced to concede and began releasing Starscream. Sephie, meanwhile, put the Centurion into overload and flew it a safe distance, saving Cliffjumper and the Decepticons. Back at base, he apologized for doubting her and said she would have a place on the Decepticon team if she wanted it, though she turned it down. Transhuman
At some point, Cliffjumper either witnessed or otherwise learned of the ultimate fate of the Underbase-linked 'bots Demolishor and Side Burn. Falling into Place
Months later, Cliffjumper was present at the Decepticon base when Landquake, Breakaway, Topspin, and Aquarius arrived with Skyfall's corpse. He said that, though he never thought he'd say such to a Decepticon, he was glad to see Landquake, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. Reunification: Part 4
After Landquake and his gestalt members were reborn into Nexus Prime, Nexus offered to take Cliffjumper along on the next leg of his interdimensional journey, but Cliffjumper decided to stay and continue fighting the evil Optimus Prime instead. He bid the Landquake and Skyfall parts of Nexus Prime goodbye as the gestalt stepped through the Decepticons' Stellar Spanner. Reunification: Part 6 The Coming Storm: Part 1
Cliffjumper had no love for traitors, and he fumed at the idea of Megatron's intended assassin, Cyclonus, being pardoned by the newly reborn Galvatron. When Cyclonus brought the Annex on a supply mission to Earth, Cliffjumper insisted on keeping the 'Con in his sights at all times. Coalescence
When Cliffjumper's home universe was invaded by evil Autobots, he and Galvatron sent a squad of heroic Decepticons to back up Cliffjumper's comrades. Unfortunately, his universe was destroyed thanks to a relic of the Thirteen, the Terminus Blade. Only the Earth and the humans and Transformers living on it at the time were saved, transported into a dual orbit around negative-Cybertron. Invasion
As the Decepticon Broadcasting Network sought a statement from the heroic Autobot refugees, Cliffjumper made the pushy reporter Counterpunch back the scrap off. Solar Requiem
Cliffjumper caught the GoBots' Interdimensional Exploration Team outside the Ironworks after a conflict with the evil Autobot, Stepper. High Noon He reluctantly brought them inside for conference with Metalhawk after the insistence of the Autobot leader. The GoBots explained that their universe was decaying due to an inter-dimensional transference effect between this universe and theirs. After Wheeljack confirmed their idea that Rarified Energon could be used to reverse the process if a powerful enough supercomputer monitored the process, Cliffjumper proposed they use the Caretaker node he once encountered. Journey's Eve
By the time Ultra Mammoth and a team of late-coming positive-Autobots arrived on negative-Cybertron, Cliffjumper was tired of explaining the negative polarity universe to newcomers, and just provided them the "Cliff's Notes" version on a data pack. Falling into Place
