Silverbolt (G1)/toys

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As the Aerialbot leader, Silverbolt typically receives larger toys than his compatriots. (Don't drop him from above!)

Toys

The Transformers

So afraid of heights he made himself a makeshift ground-based alternate mode.
(Chest plate not pictured)
  • Silverbolt (Aerialbot, 1986/1991)
    • Team ID number: A1
    • Takara ID number: C-50
    • Accessories: "Electrostatic Discharger Rifle", "Blast Shield" chest plate, Superion's head, 2 fists (left & right), 2 foot stands (left & right), ramp and "Blast Deflector" crotch-guard
Originally designed for the aborted Diaclone line Jizai Gattai (自在合体 "Limitless Combination") and then brought over to the Transformers toyline, The Transformers Silverbolt transforms into a Concorde SST jet liner, and also has a third launcher/base mode for use with other smaller Autobot toys. In Silverbolt's base mode, there are the remains of a launching mechanism, made to launch said smaller Autobot vehicles down the ramp, à la Optimus Prime's trailer—though, like most spring-powered gimmicks in the US Transformers market at the time, the springs were gutted, leaving a flopping piece in the center of his robot mode chest when the "Blast Shield" chest plate isn't attached. The Takara release of the figure features this missing spring-loaded action.
Completely undocumented from the instructions: the "Blast Shield" chest plate piece is also intended for Silverbolt's robot mode, not just Superion's combined mode, as evidenced by the molded crotch-guard, the designated sticker details that are covered up by Superion's own separate crotch-guard piece in combined mode, and his character model and package art. This—combined with the fact that all of the other combiner torso-bots don't use their respective combiner chest plate pieces as parts of their individual robot modes—has lead many to believe that Silverbolt's chest/torso is just a flat, detailless ramp. In another undocumented feature, Silverbolt's "Electrostatic Discharger Rifle" can also attach to a peg hole on the underside of the chest plate piece, presumably to create a drone of some kind to function with his ramp mode, much like Motormaster's "Roller car". As the original four "Scramble City" combiner teams were intended for the Diaclone toyline, it is entirely possible this was a left over feature from prototypes based directly on Diaclone concepts, in a similar vein to Powered Convoy's/Ultra Magnus's chest-plate-and-head vehicle intended for the pilot robots of the Diaclone toyline.
A particular weakness of Silverbolt's design is the way both his legs are connected to his hips by a long pin going through several very small (and weak) plastic hinges that are put under a lot of stress, as the immediate joint underneath this assembly is a swivel used during transformation.
Silverbolt's hands use rare 4 mm pegholes rather than the 3 mm holes standard on smaller robots or the 5mm holes of larger Transformers (including his fellow "Scramble City" torso robots), which limits him to wielding his own rifle or the weapons from the few other characters who share this size, these being Hot Rod, Blurr, Kup, Scourge, and Springer. Silverbolt was also available in a gift set with his Aerialbot teammates.
In Japan, the entire "Airbot" team were later offered (as individual purchases) as mail-order items in US packaging during Return of Convoy in 1991. Silverbolt cost 2000 yen and three Robot Points, and did not include the spring in the base mode launching mechanism, unlike the original Japanese release.


  • Superion (Gift set, 1986)
    • Takara ID number: C-55
Silverbolt was also available with the other Aerialbots as part of a Superion giftset. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases for the same markets (i.e., the Takara version of Silverbolt included the you-know-what).


  • Silverbolt (Classic, 1990)
    • Accessories: "Electrostatic Discharger Rifle", "Blast Shield" chest plate, Superion's head, 2 fists (left & right), 2 foot stands (left & right), ramp and "Blast Deflector" waist plate
Silverbolt was reissued as part of the European Classics toyline in 1990, with his base-mode launcher feature still removed.

Generation 2

  • Silverbolt (1994)
    • Team ID number: A5
    • Accessories: 2 Missile launchers, 2 missiles, chest plate, Superion's head, 2 fists (left & right), 2 feet (left & right), ramp and waist plate
For the Generation 2 toyline, Silverbolt's toy was redecoed in blue and orange, and his wings were retooled to hold a new pair of spring-loaded missile launchers (reused from the Generation 2 versions of Starscream and Ramjet).
Much like the "Generation 1" releases of the toy, the instructions neglect to show the chest plate being used for his individual robot mode. This version also lacks the spring in the launching mechanism.

Beast Wars

House the people living on the street. Shoe the children with no shoes on their feet.
  • Magnaboss (Ultra Class multi-pack, 1997)
The eagle Silverbolt toy represents both the original Autobot and a latter-day Maximal.
Beast Wars Silverbolt transforms from an eagle into a robot, with portions of his wings turning into a pair of swords. Each wing also contains a spring-loaded missile launcher. He is able to combine with Ironhide and Prowl, his package buddies, forming part of the torso and helmet to the giant robot Magnaboss.
This mold was used to make Beast Wars II Skywarp.
The Magnaboss toy included no information about its 3 components beyond their names. The toy was established in 2007 by IDW to represent the Generation 1 character Silverbolt a decade after its release. By contrast in 2016, Beast Wars: Uprising characterized this toy as an independent Maximal, Silver Bolt. In 2021, the Earth Wars mobile game would follow suit in depicting eagle Silverbolt as a separate individual from jetliner Silverbolt.
Silverbolt most certainly suffers from the dreaded Gold Plastic Syndrome. Thankfully he is not one of the more common cases and most Silverbolts have survived many years of playwear. Unlike, say, Slingshot.

Universe (2008)

Classic Series

Will the new size class solve his long-running scale problems? Only time will tell...
  • Silverbolt (Ultra Class, 2008)
    • Series: Classic Series
    • Accessories: "Electron Bolt Rifle", "Electron Bolt"
Part of the second wave of 2008 Universe Ultra-class toys, Silverbolt transforms into a stylized XB-70 Bomber.[1] As an Ultra Class toy, he comes with various light and sound gimmicks (exactly the same ones as Universe Powerglide), including a machine gun type sound when one presses the big red button on the fuselage, and different classic transformation sound effects depending on whether he is being transformed from vehicle mode to robot mode or vice versa. His spring-loaded missile-launching blaster features a B-2 Stealth bomber as a decorative shape. His BOLT-25 markings reference both his name and the twenty-fifth (silver) anniversary of the Transformers brand.
The Japanese TakaraTomy version of Silverbolt was released in American Universe packaging as a USA Edition toy. He is redecoed to more closely resemble the his appearance in the original The Transformers cartoon, with most of his grey plastic parts now cast in a bright shade of off-white. The red paint applications on his chest are now a match for his red plastic parts, resulting in a unified look as opposed to the two-tone chest of the Universe version.
This mold was also used to make Darkwind and Skyfall and was the basis of the non-toy Shattered Glass version of Thunderwing.


Let's see what you can see...

This article is in need of images.

Specifics: Japanese version


Silvercracker.
  • Special Team Leaders (Legends Class multi-pack, 2008)
    • Series: Classic Series
A redeco of the Legends Class Cybertron Thundercracker toy, Silverbolt transforms into a Sukhoi Su-37 fighter jet. He was only available in a Target-exclusive gift set along with Legends-class versions of Hot Zone, Scattorshot, Hun-Grrr, and Razorclaw.
This mold was also used to make Legends Class Classics Jetfire and 2008's Universe Starscream.


G1 Series

The other guys think I'm acrophobic, but I'm not scared of some guy in a wheelchair.
  • Superion (Multi-pack, 2008)
    • Series: G1 Series
Available only as a component of Universe Superion, this version of Silverbolt is a white and black redeco of Energon Storm Jet, transforming into a futuristic supersonic jet similar to an SR-71 Blackbird or Skyquake. As a toy derived from the Energon-series "Powerlinx Combiner"s, he can attach any Energon combiner limbs to the Powerlinx ports located on his arms and legs, though nominally he combines with his fellow Aerialbots to become Superion.
Like the Storm Jet version of the sculpt, Silverbolt features several instances of misassembly: The more obvious one affects his inside legs, which are swapped so that the knee joint faces the wrong way. Although a swap (involving tiny pieces and springs) fixes this, at least a few specimens reportedly had one leg assembled correctly, and the other one incorrectly, making repair impossible. Furthermore, his shoulders are also misassembled, since there is a sculpted chevron...in his armpit. A fix for this requires removing metal pins, which is at least easier than on the original Storm Jet version of the sculpt, since Silverbolt's pins have the ridged section on one end, rather than in the center.
The Superion five-pack, despite being initially intended as a Universe Target exclusive, was only released in Universe packaging in some non-American markets such as Australia and Singapore. Instead, American Target stores (and Zellers stores in Canada) received an unchanged version of the toy in Revenge of the Fallen packaging, still named Superion, with all the individual components, including Silverbolt, retaining their names as well.

Kre-O

Voted "Most Likely To Be Retooled Into Other Characters".
  • Superion (Micro-Changer Combiner, 2013)
    • Set number: A2226
    • Pieces: 75
    • Accessories: Rifle
Silverbolt comes as part of the Superion Micro-Changer combiner set, and can be rebuilt from his robot mode into something that isn't a robot. He can also contribute his bricks with Air Raid, Skydive, and Firestrike to form Superion.


  • Combiner Robot Mega Pack (3-pack, 2016)
    • Set number: ???
    • Pieces: 245
3 years later, the 3 Micro-Changer combiners Superion, Bruticus, and Menasor were reissued and released as a 3-pack. The toys were unchanged from their individual releases.

Bot Shots

Do I fly? I feel like I can! I believe I OH GOD I'M FALLING
  • Autobot Air Force (Five-pack, 2013)
    • Series: 2
    • Number: T011
      • Fist strength: 735
      • Blaster strength: 377
      • Sword strength: 508
Silverbolt is a redeco of the Jetfire mold. As such, he turns into a super-deformed jet with a spring-loaded transformation back into robot mode. He was available in a five-pack with Quickslinger, Skydive, Autobot Firestrike, and Air Raid.

Construct-Bots

If you tell him he's flying he'll fall to pieces.
  • Silverbolt (Scout, 2013)
    • Pieces: 39
Part of Wave 3 of Construct-Bots Scouts, Silverbolt can transform into a jet. All of his parts are from Construct-Bots Shockwave, minus his head which is a retool of Construct-Bots Wheeljack's head (which has a friendly grin molded in between his battle mask segments). Unlike Shockwave, he does not feature any cannon parts but instead comes with an opaque blue recolor of the sword included with Ultimate Optimus Prime.

Combiner Wars

...nope, obviously not.
  • Silverbolt (Voyager Class, 2015)
    • 3 OF 5: Superion
    • Accessories: rifle/shield
Released as part of the Combiner Wars subline, Generations Silverbolt transforms from a jet resembling a modified Concorde to a robot resembling his original form. He can combine with the Deluxe Class Alpha Bravo (or Quickslinger), Skydive, Firefly, and Air Raid to form Superion. Silverbolt includes a collector card featuring art from the "Nemesis Rising" episode of Transformers Legends.
Silverbolt includes a larger-scale version of the original toy's rifle, which can be held in Silverbolt's or Superion's hands, or mounted to the sides of Silverbolt's forearm or underneath his nosecone in jet mode. The winged rear section of the rifle can be detached and used by Silverbolt as a shield, which can also be separately either held in Silverbolt's hand or mounted to the side of his forearm. Due to the way the head of Superion flips out, as well as the thinness of the plastic making up that joint, it is easy to push the wrong area when folding the head back into the body. This may cause stress lines and fractures if not properly addressed, and in the worst-case scenario Superion's head can simply snap off. On the bright side, it's still possible to secure Superion's head inside Silverbolt's torso, and the combined mode's chest clamps can still hold the head in place for the combined mode.
Silverbolt can also form the torso of Combiner Wars Magnaboss. A sticker sheet was sold at BotCon 2016 to enhance Silverbolt's resemblance to the original Beast Wars figure.
Oddly, the hand-painted prototype on display at San Diego Comic-Con 2014 featured some coloring and detailing differences with the final product that are unique to that one sample. Even the hand painted prototype used for early stock photos is closer to the final figure. Notably, Silverbolt's shoulders (which become Superion's hips) were painted red, with the trapezoid sections in the center painted silver.
Though Silverbolt's wave was scheduled for a first quarter 2015 release, it arrived on U.S. store shelves in late 2014.
As a part of the first and second wave promotion in Hasbro's Asian markets, a free sticker sheet for the Aerialbots and Stunticons was given out when purchasing any four Deluxe Class toys from those waves. As such, Silverbolt was given Generation 1 toy-esque stickers for the owner to apply if they wanted.[2]
This mold was retooled into Combiner Wars Cyclonus and Scattershot, and BotCon 2016 General Sea Clamp. Despite sharing the same toy designer and transformation scheme, Power of the Primes Hun-Gurrr is not a retool of Combiner Wars Silverbolt.
Combiner Wars mold: Silverbolt

Version 1:

Version 2:

Version 3:


My head is fine in the clouds. It's just the combiner head you need to worry about!
  • Superion (Collection Pack, 2016)
    • Accessories: Rifle, individual Aerialbots guns/fists/feet
A G2-themed redeco of Combiner Wars Silverbolt was packed along with the other Aerialbots (including Powerglide), and sold as a giftset.
Most copies of this Silverbolt did not use the retooled and improved combiner head's joint, so care must be taken while transforming him into torso mode. At least one copy with the retooled and improved combiner head's joint does exist.
The Superion "Collection Pack" was (at least in theory) a "shared exclusive" between various online retailers (such as Hasbro Toy Shop, Amazon, BigBadToyStore, and Entertainment Earth) and the online storefronts of major "big box" retailers (such as Toys"R"Us, Walmart, Target, and Kmart). It was still available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets, though.
Combiner Wars mold: Silverbolt

Version 1:

Version 2:

Version 3:

Unite Warriors

Takara's Unite Warriors iteration of Superion features a redeco of Silverbolt with a more cartoon-accurate deco, which includes replacing the orange colors of the Hasbro release with a more golden yellow color. Strangely, this does not include replacing the cream-white color of the Combiner Wars release with the cartoon's grayish-white color. Due to the abundance of paint used in the deco, the Takara release features much tighter joints, which in some cases can prove inhibitive for articulation.
As with the Hasbro releases, this Silverbolt does not use the retooled and improved joint for the Combiner head. Unfortunately, the 2019 re-release did not fix this issue.
Combiner Wars mold: Silverbolt

Version 1:

Version 2:

Version 3:

Titans Return

  • Blunderbuss & Broadside (Voyager Class, 2017)
Titans Return Broadside comes with tiny Aerialbot jets (specifically in the alternate modes of their Combiner Wars figures) molded on a sprue; once cut off this sprue, the jets can be attached to his carrier and robot mode ports.
  • Siege on Cybertron (gift set, 2017)
This set includes Tidal Wave, a redeco of Broadside with a new head, who includes the sprue of mini Aerialbot jets previously included with Broadside, now painted black. It's unknown if those jets are supposed to represent evil versions of the Aerialbots or something else.

Legends

The Legends release of Broadside also includes a plastic sprue with five Airbot miniatures, though now cast in a different shade of gray to match Broadside's cartoon-accurate appearance, and unpainted, unlike the Hasbro release.

Merchandise

Transformers Gum

Essentially a downsized version of the original Silverbolt toy, the Transformers Gum kit is sculpted from black, red and grey plastic, features stickers rather than paint applications for details, and came with a stick of gum.

Transformers Trading Card Game

  • Silverbolt, Aerialbot Leader (2019)
    • Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners
    • Rarity: 2019
    • Card Number: T38/T46
    • Stars: 5
"Silverbolt, Aerialbot Leader" was released as part of the Transformers Trading Card Game Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners. Like all other members of combiner teams released in the set, "Silverbolt, Aerialbot Leader" is a folding card, with the Bot and Alt modes being depicted when the card is folded in half, and a holofoil portion of the the combined mode depicted when unfolded. The reverse of "Silverbolt, Aerialbot Leader" depicts Superion's head and torso, which (as usual) is formed by Silverbolt in the artwork.
The artwork for Bot Mode is reused from the Combiner Wars Silverbolt toys' packaging art, and is based on said figure.
"Silverbolt, Aerialbot Leader" can be used to form "Superion, Sky Protector" with the use of the Action card Aerialbot Enigma while he and the other Wave 2 Aerialbots are in Bot mode on the battlefield or KO area.


Notes

References

  1. ↑ The designation is derived from the markings on Silverbolt's redeco Skyfall, which are located in the same position the Generation 2 Skyjack toy (which represents the same character as Universe Skyfall), whose alternate mode is based on an F-117A Nighthawk, sported "FB-117" markings.
  2. ↑ Aerialbot and Stunticon sticker promotion on Seibertron.com
  3. ↑ BotCon 2014 attendee report
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