Sunstreaker (G1)
| The name or term "Sunstreaker" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Sunstreaker (disambiguation). |
- Sunstreaker is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Sunstreaker knows to the core of his spark that he is better than any other Autobot, and he makes sure everyone else knows it, too. His sociopathic tendencies, combined with his incredible vanity and arrogance, usually result in tension between himself and the other Autobots. He is generally unwilling to help those who are having trouble keeping up, and is quite audible when it comes to complaining about the shortcomings of everyone else. The only Autobot he truly gets along with is his twin brother, Sideswipe, and even that can seem strained at times.
The main reason Optimus Prime keeps him around is most likely Sunstreaker's effectiveness in the battlefield. Ruthless and skilled in all forms of combat, there is not much Sunstreaker cannot handle. As a front-line warrior, Sunstreaker is a great asset for the Autobot army. If a rather scary one.
- Preliminary name: Spinout
- Italian name: Lince ("Lynx")
- Hungarian name: Napcsillantó/Napvillantó ("Sun-flasher")
- Portuguese name (Brazil comics): Raiado
- Portuguese name (Portugal comics): Raio Solar
- French-Canadian name: Solo
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Prior to the outbreak of Cybertron's planet-wide civil war, Sunstreaker was a gladiator in the games held between the city-states. He was once brutally beaten by Megatron in combat, and would have been killed if Optimus Prime had not stepped in. State Games
Early into the Autobot-Decepticon war, Sunstreaker was a member of the Magnificent Six. While they were on a mission to the Stanix region of Cybertron, he made a remarkably callous joke that convinced their allies to turn them over to the Decepticons. The entire unit was tortured for a week, and Stampede was killed. Nice. The Magnificent Six!
Sunstreaker was among the crew of the Ark that crashed on Earth four million years ago and woke up in 1984. In the first few days on Earth, Sunstreaker abandoned Jazz and diverted an attack by Thundercracker and Skywarp towards a human military camp so as to keep himself from harm. Perchance to Dream He engaged the Decepticons in battle at the Witwicky garage alongside his brother, Sideswipe, but ultimately failed to keep them from kidnapping Sparkplug Witwicky. Power Play! Sunstreaker was relatively low on fuel after this, and so gave up his remaining power in the transference chambers to power up Prime, Huffer, Ironhide, Bluestreak and Mirage for combat against the Decepticons.... but then joined them for the battle anyway. The Last Stand
When Shockwave took control over the Decepticons and possession of the Ark, he destroyed Sunstreaker's body as a demonstration and warning to the deposed Megatron. The New Order Because of this, Sunstreaker's body was in disrepair for a very long time; at one point, when G.B. Blackrock asked about him in the med bay, Jazz told him that Ratchet wasn't even sure if Sunstreaker would ever be operational again. The Next Best Thing to Being There!
However, Sunstreaker was fully repaired in time to view the duel between Blaster and Grimlock on the moon. Totaled! He was badly damaged again, and he wound up in stasis aboard the Ark again, to be revived by Nucleon in 1990, when he and the other newly revived Autobots joined the attack on Unicron. On the Edge of Extinction! Surprisingly, he survived that battle as he was able to attend the first meeting of the shaky Autobot-Decepticon alliance. Exodus!
Earthforce
An injured Sunstreaker, along with several other Autobots, was awakened not by Nucleon, but by Galvatron's Dream-Inducing Bug. Galvatron had studied their dreams in the aim of finding dissenting members of the Autobots that he hoped to put into his own employ, but after a short skirmish, Galvatron's device was placed on himself. Amusingly enough, Sunstreaker had been off-line so much while on Earth, he needed the others to explain who Galvatron was to him. Perchance to Dream
Sunstreaker and the others would go on to join the Earthforce unit, under Grimlock's command. Break-Away! After Skydive foolishly broadcast Prowl's location over an open channel, Jazz and Sunstreaker had to race to beat the Decepticons to the site. Prowl had just disabled an atmosphere-destroying bomb of Megatron's before it reached apex, but the poison on board was still a viable threat. They didn't beat the Decepticons to the landing site, but before they could jump into the fray, Prowl pulled Jazz and Sunstreaker aside. He had already cleared out the poison, so the two Decepticon factions were fighting over nothing! Life in the Slow Lane Later, Sunstreaker helped Jazz, Ironhide and Bumblebee ruin the Decepticon Enclave and any chance of peace between Megatron and Shockwave. The Bad Guys' Ball!
When Motormaster kidnapped the Autobots' ally, Irwin Spoon, Sunstreaker joined the other Autobot cars for an impromptu chase scene. He negotiated his way through the various Stunticon attacks and delaying tactics, but finally hit the wall (literally) when Motormaster detached his cab segment and left his trailer jackknifed across the highway. 'Streaker hit it head-on, and wound up with a legitimate complaint about his bodywork. End of the Road!
Much later, Sunstreaker was sent on a new mission to the Stanix region of Cybertron with Silverbolt, Prowl, Wheeljack, Jazz, and Inferno by Optimus Prime. While there, he overcame the ghosts of the past and helped defeat the mad Decepticon Megadeath. Of course, he was the only member of the team that didn't seem particularly haunted by those events in the first place, but the others overcame them, and wasn't that nice for them? The Magnificent Six!
Another Time and Place
Sunstreaker stormed the Hydrus Four facility with his fellow Autobots to rescue Grimlock and the Dinobots. He almost took a shot in the back from a Decepticon, but Prime took out his attacker. Another Time and Place
Cartoon continuity
Generation 1 cartoon
- Voice Actor: Corey Burton (US), Kenyu Horiuchi (Japan)
| “ | I knew the humans would turn on us some day. They're such undependable creatures. Inferior lifeforms. | ” |
—Sunstreaker on humans, Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 | ||
Sunstreaker was part of the original crew of Autobots aboard the Ark that crashed on Earth four million years ago. When reawakened in 1984, he and his brother Sideswipe were reformatted into Lamborghini sports cars. They were both deployed during the Autobot counter-attack on a human oil rig, but didn't really do very much. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 After the Autobots' defeat at Sherman Dam, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe came to the rescue of Trailbreaker and their new human allies, Spike Witwicky and his father Sparkplug when they were attacked by Decepticon jets. One of the Decepticons managed to graze Sunstreaker and damage his new paint job, infuriating the vainer of the two Autobot brothers. After he forced the Decepticons to break off for repairs, Sunstreaker was still grousing about his scuffed paint, to which his brother suggested that nobody would notice if he just made left turns. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2 The Autobot brothers were among those that volunteered to attack and totally fail to stop the Decepticon space cruiser. Sunstreaker celebrated the apparent demise of the Decepticons when their ship crashed and cheered Mirage's role in it's sabotage. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3
When Chip Chase was kidnapped by the Decepticons and brought to the recently conquered antimatter laboratory of Dr. Alcazar, the Autobots successfully staged a rescue operation to get him back. Sunstreaker then led a second team of Autobots into the lab, declaring that they had to get the antimatter cubes before it was too late, smashing a Sunstreaker-shaped hole in the wall. Unfortunately, he and the other Autobots were damaged when Megatron threw an antimatter cube at them. After returning to the Ark, Sunstreaker was heard to complain about a 'very sensitive junction' in his elbow, but was soon repaired quickly enough to arm wrestle with Sideswipe. When the antimatter-fueled Decepticons attacked the Ark, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker took to the air to battle with the incoming Seeker jets, in a rambunctious — if ultimately ineffective — display of "jet judo." After the Decepticons were defeated, Sunstreaker congratulated Chip, declaring him a hero and gave him a ride on his shoulder. Roll For It
| “ | Hey, not the face, okay? I just had it chromed! | ” |
—Sunstreaker, SOS Dinobots | ||
When the munitions factory was attacked by the Decepticon jets, Sunstreaker transformed to roll out with the Autobots in Autobot Headquarters, but never actually bothered showing up. Later, while watching Ratchet and Wheeljack attempt to repair the severely damaged Optimus Prime, Sunstreaker and the remaining Autobots were rallied into repulsing a Decepticon attack by Spike. Sunstreaker was shot by Skywarp before recovering, only to be buried in a landslide by Rumble. Divide and Conquer Sunstreaker complained about Trailbreaker's force field deflecting Slag and Sludge's flame breaths into his face when the newly-constructed Dinobots went haywire. SOS Dinobots
Later, when responding to a Decepticon diversionary attack on India's coast, Sunstreaker complained about the fact his newly-installed water skis clashed with his base coat, to which Optimus Prime told him to redecorate himself later as they had Decepticons to worry about. When Starscream and the Decepticons escaped without taking any energy, Sunstreaker realized they had been set up. Soon after, the Autobots attacked the Decepticon undersea headquarters to rescue the captive Sparkplug, during which Sunstreaker was concerned that the salt water would damage his body enamel. After returning to base for repairs, Sunstreaker fidgeted as Ratchet attempted to repair him, worried that the medic would scorch his selenium shin guards. The Ultimate Doom, Part 1 When Cybertron was brought into Earth's orbit as part of Megatron's latest scheme, Sunstreaker retreated with the other Autobots due to audio disruptor waves generated by Soundwave. The Ultimate Doom, Part 2
Sunstreaker was part of an Autobot unit sent to investigate reports of giant insect monsters attacking Bali, Indonesia. When the road to the coordinates of the attack was blocked by a local village celebration, Sunstreaker questioned his brother's knowledge of the local area, a criticism warranted when Sideswipe led them into a dead end canyon. Sunstreaker continued to criticize Sideswipe's sense of direction as Sideswipe very slowly tunneled underneath the villagers. As the Autobots made their way to a nearby oil refinery under attack from the Decepticons, Shrapnel used his Override Waves on both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, taking control of their driving mechanisms and forcing them to drive headfirst into the other Autobots. Sunstreaker implored the other Autobots to shoot our their tires, but fortunately Trailbreaker was able to interrupt the Override Waves. During the ensuing battle at the oil refinery, Sunstreaker was more concerned about his enamel being damaged by Wheeljack during a counterattack than enemy fire. A Plague of Insecticons
After Spike was critically injured in a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, his consciousness was transferred into the body of Autobot X. However, this process proved too stressful for his mind to take, and so he lashed out in blind anger. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe attempted to restrain him, only to be tossed aside by "Autobot Spike's" enormous strength. Autobot Spike During a Decepticon attack on a mining camp as part of an plot to capture Gears, Sunstreaker was among the Autobots who rolled out to confront them. He was hit by a boulder "energized" by Megatrom (instead of just being shot, or something a logical enemy would do). When it was discovered Megatron was tapping into the Sun with his Solar Needle, the Autobots drove to the "geographical center of Africa", only to be hindered by the dense jungle, which Optimus Prime ordered Jazz and Sunstreaker to blast their way through. Jerks. Changing Gears Sunstreaker got to use his jet skis again when the Autobots were sent to investigate the disappearance of the Empire State Building in New York City. Sadly, the skis still clashed with his base coat. He was rather pessimistic about their chances against the Constructicons' remote-controlled taxi cabs. Wimp. City of Steel
| “ | When they built me, they broke the mold! | ” |
—Sunstreaker on how fantastic he is, not on how his toy will never be reissued, The Autobot Run | ||
In the aftermath of Ironhide firing randomly at a hologram of Laserbeak during a demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the Immobilizer, Sunstreaker had to help Bluestreak vacuum up the rubble. The Immobilizer When the Autobots agreed to a charity race/stunt show, Sunstreaker was sure that a large audience would appreciate his performance. During the race, Sunstreaker arrogantly shoved his way past the slower Autobots, but despite all of his bluster, he was slower than Jazz and Mirage. He didn't seem to mind too much, as he was the star of a car jump stunt over the other Autobots... until he failed to finish that, as well. However, during the race, the Autobots had unwittingly been locked into their alternate modes, which freaked out Sunstreaker, as he couldn't transform back into his handsome robot form. However, after Chip Chase and the unaffected Autobots reversed the effects via a special grenade, Sunstreaker was the first to regain the ability to transform and was very pleased to see his true beauty. The Autobot Run When the Decepticons allied themselves with the underwater kingdom of Sub-Atlantica, Sunstreaker was present during the battle in Washington, D.C. and on the sub-sea city itself, but didn't actually do anything. Jerk. Atlantis, Arise!
Enter the Nightbird A Prime Problem The Core Dinobot Island, Part 1 Dinobot Island, Part 2
After the humans of Central City were duped into believing that the Autobots were evil, Sunstreaker commented that he always knew that they would turn on the Autobots, and declared them an inferior lifeform... right as Chip, Spike, and Sparkplug Witwicky were in the control room. They probably shouldn't have been too insulted, as Sunstreaker considers everyone else an inferior lifeform. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2 Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2 Blaster Blues The Golden Lagoon Prime Target
Sunstreaker was one of several Autobots who glommed onto Hoist's job as a Hollywood extra in the hopes of becoming a movie star. This mainly resulted in him wearing a ridiculous alien mask and spouting out stilted, wooden dialog. Hoist Goes Hollywood Trans-Europe Express Cosmic Rust The Revenge of Bruticus
Before the Decepticon attack on Autobot City in the year 2005, Sunstreaker was helping Kup move a roadblock. He was knocked over when Hot Rod and Daniel drove through it.
Meanwhile, he was also on Moon Base One and helped pilot the shuttle that flew Optimus Prime and the Dinobots to Autobot City.
Seriously. He's THAT good. The Transformers: The Movie
Japanese cartoon continuity
Headmasters cartoon
Before the Headmasters even arrived, Sunstreaker appeared very briefly in vehicle mode evading jet-mode Blitzwing's attacks. Sunstreaker escaped into a tunnel, and Blitzwing bounced off its exterior and crashed. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Binaltech
Sunstreaker was to be rebuilt as a Dodge Viper like his brother Sideswipe, but the Decepticons infiltrated the operation and put the Stunticon Dead End inside the new body instead.
Sunstreaker was present at the Earth Defense Command Antarctic base, shortly after the Protector's spark manipulated the timelines.
Binaltech Asterisk
Sunstreaker is a member of the Cybertron (Autobot) Race Team, which may or may not have any other Transformers on it. He's sort of a mascot for them, and the team doesn't actually use him in races. He resents that people pay more attention to him as a promotional image than as a race car.
Sunstreaker is partnered with — for unknown reasons — the human "race queen" model Junko Shiragami, and acts as her car. Once, Sunstreaker got into a race with a human-driven sports car, much to Junko's dismay. He used his transformation ability to take a particularly sharp curve, destroying a road sign in the process, for which Junko chewed him out.
It is said that Sunstreaker drives faster when he smells Junko's marigold-scented hair. Make of that what you will.
3H Universe comics
After the Pax Cybertronia, Sunstreaker left Cybertron with four other survivors of the Great War (Sideswipe, Roulette, Shadow Striker, and Trailbreaker). One year after Cybertron was reformatted into a technorganic planet, they returned. They were greeted by many of the Maximal and Predacon inhabitants and with vast media coverage.
However, what appeared to be celebratory fireworks struck the five Autobots and also the Maximals Silverbolt and Blackarachnia. They were transported to a fiery cauldron deep within Unicron, where all but Trailbreaker were rebuilt painfully into new bodies.
Seeing an arena up ahead, the seven moved towards it, only to be attacked by a swarm of shape-shifting, lava-like creatures. Sunstreaker and the others were overwhelmed and taken into the arena (or, the Cauldron), where they were caged along with a multitude of Transformers kidnapped from across the multiverse. Abduction
The Unicron-influenced ambience of the place was slowly driving the more violent of the group mad. This, of course, included Sunstreaker. He and Sideswipe were forced into combat in the arena (each wielding spiffy Energon weapons), but were rescued by a reborn Optimus Primal. The group, sans a corrupted Blackarachnia and Shadow Striker, fled back to Cybertron. Escape
Dreamwave comics continuity
| “ | Why, you arrogant - yow! I should rewire that smug mug of yours right here - blaw! - right now! | ” |
—Warpath | ||
| “ | Don't kid yourself - this face is worth more than you are. | ” |
—Sunstreaker, Infestation | ||
Sunstreaker was aboard the Ark when it crashed on Earth millions of years ago. He and the other Autobots awoke in 1984 to restart their war with the Decepticons. He was part of Operation Liberation in 1998, a joint human-Autobot effort to defeat the Earth-bound Decepticons. At the end it was a success, and the captured Decepticons, along with the Autobots and a human crew, departed Earth en route to Cybertron in the Ark II. The ship, however, was sabotaged and exploded upon liftoff.
A few years later Megatron and other Transformers, including Autobots, were seen causing havoc. It was discovered that Lazarus, a scientist who participated in the Ark II project, was responsible for the sabotage of the Ark II and the resurrection of several Transformers under his control via technological tampering. Prime Directive issue 1
General Hallo of the U.S. Military contacted Spike Witwicky to ask him if he could do something to help them reactivate Optimus Prime, whom they had recovered locked in a state of stasis. Spike managed to reactivate Optimus with a portion of the Matrix that Optimus had given him prior the ill-fated journey of the Ark II. Optimus subsequently went to the Arctic and used the Matrix to reactivate several Transformers, including Sunstreaker and his brother Sideswipe. Prime Directive issue 2
Sunstreaker accepted the new task at hand and fought alongside his brother when the Autobots faced the Decepticons at Lazarus' ruined base, before Hallo betrayed the Autobots by attempting to destroy both factions with a nuclear weapon. Prime Directive issue 3 The Autobots survived when Megatron's technovirus absorbed the blast, and Sunstreaker helped his comrades recover the captive Autobots imprisoned inside the base. Prime Directive issue 4
As Jazz's unit worked on Megatron's virus, Sunstreaker followed Optimus Prime to San Francisco for the last battle against Megatron and his Decepticons. When Superion was taken down, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe heroically (though foolishly) charged at Devastator rather than, say, shoot him; they were surprisingly beaten up. After Optimus Prime destroyed Devastator's head, Sunstreaker was restrained by the surviving Decepticons. Prime Directive issue 5 However, through human intervention, Optimus Prime freed his Autobots and the battle was rejoined. Sunstreaker tag-teamed with his brother to pummel Soundwave, though the Decepticons eventually escaped when Superion sacrificed his life to save the city from General Hallo's unauthorized nuclear missile launch. After Optimus Prime came back online, Sunstreaker and Trailbreaker discovered the traitorous Grimlock buried under rubble. Prime Directive issue 6
During the conflict with the Keepers, Sunstreaker was one of the Autobots chosen by Optimus Prime to join the strike on occupied Las Vegas. Sunstreaker was edgy about having to work with Megatron and the Decepticons, and was ready to draw his rifle at a moment's notice during the groups' meeting. Still, he remained sensitive enough to Spike's feelings to comfort his human friend when he was feeling useless, letting Spike know he always did his very best. (WHAT?!) In Las Vegas, Sunstreaker and the other Autobots lent their energies to Optimus Prime for his Matrix inspired Finishing Move against the Keepers. Annihilation Later, Sunstreaker and the Autobots battled alongside the Decepticons again, against the treacherous forces of the American military. Sunstreaker and several other Autobots fell before the processor-eating power of the President's new toy, the deconstructionites. Fusion
When Ultra Magnus arrived on Earth to enforce Shockwave's edict that the Earth-bound Autobots surrender themselves to the Cybertronian alliance, Optimus Prime ordered a portion of his troops into hiding in Portland, Oregon. This group, led by Jazz, included Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Ratchet, Brawn, Wheeljack, and Windcharger. Brothers' Burden However, Starscream, Soundwave, and his cassettes soon escaped to Earth with Bruticus. Attacking the Ark, they defeated all of Jazz's group minus Ratchet and Brawn. Sunstreaker and the others were left in a swamp, deactivated. Night of the Combaticons
A ship crewed by Minibots (led by Bumblebee) arrived on Earth with supplies, and Warpath and Bumper pulled the deactivated from their would-be swampy grave. They were promptly arrested by Commander Marissa Faireborn of the Earth Defense Command and her armored troops. The damaged Autobots were repaired, and Commander Faireborn came to Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Jazz with a mission. The American city of San Desto was under attack by Cybertronian creatures. Infestation Sunstreaker spent the entire mission either putting down the humans, Bumper or, when he wasn't around, Sideswipe. He didn't think any of them would make it out alive, but nevertheless tore through the Insecticon clones like they were paper! After they were captured by the real Insecticons, Sunstreaker was not too happy to be rescued by Bumper. When Bombshell activated the cerebro shelled human population of San Desto to attack the Autobots, Sunstreaker was also all-too-ready to kill the lot of them, until Bumper saved them all again. Extermination The Orion picked up Sunstreaker and the other Autobots from the EDC's Nevada base shortly after saving San Desto. Lost and Found
IDW comics continuity
| “ | Sunstreaker - speed limit. | ” |
—Ironhide | ||
| “ | Oh, c'mon! Bad enough I gotta share my upholstery with a species that sheds its skin on a regular basis, but now I gotta super-size the experience? | ” |
—Sunstreaker driving Hunter O'Nion home, Infiltration issue | ||
Long ago, before the war, Sunstreaker was a patron of illegal underground death matches in the Forge, where he cheered on Megatron in his first victory there. He returned several times more, including to watch Megatron's 54th battle in the arena, this time apparently alongside Sideswipe. Megatron Origin issue 2
When Megatron, rising in power and influence, put on a recruitment call to all-comers, Sunstreaker happily answered his call. Sideswipe tried to talk him out of joining the fights, to no avail. Sunstreaker apparently thought the call was for participation in the illegal gladiatorial games, but it was actually the first recruitment call for the Decepticon army. How they took Megatron's announcement, the apparent murder of a Senator, and how they fared when Autobot security forces raided the meeting is unknown. Megatron Origin issue 3 Neither he, nor any of the other Autobots-to-be that were present at the "rally", were seen again in prison or upon the Decepticons' escape and ravaging of Kaon. Megatron Origin issue 4
At some point during the war that followed Megatron's Decepticon rebellion, Sunstreaker was one of many Autobots trained by Kup. Spotlight: Kup He himself was Sideswipe's P-3 Training Officer and strike partner, and spent the whole time looking down on him as a subpar rookie. Spotlight: Sideswipe
In the modern era, Sunstreaker was part of a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. Being stationed on Earth did little to alter Sunstreaker's arrogance, with him dismissing the three humans which Ratchet saved as "noisy creatures". Infiltration issue 3 Later, Sunstreaker and the other Autobots observed Megatron's brutal disciplining of the treacherous Starscream. Despite 'Streaker's high opinion of himself and his own skills, he was visibly relieved when Prowl decided to leave the Decepticons alone. After returning to the Ark-19, he complained about the humans running around loose in their headquarters. Infiltration issue 6
To keep the noisy creatures occupied, he created a video game starring himself. Soon afterwards, Sunstreaker, along with Ironhide, were assigned the task of escorting the humans back to the big wild world, Tulsa, Oklahoma. On a road in the vicinity of Lebanon, Missouri, Sunstreaker and company were ambushed by the Machination. He and Hunter became separated from Ironhide and were seemingly destroyed. Escalation issue 1 However, it was soon revealed that it was not the case; the debris recovered by Optimus Prime was revealed by Ratchet to be an elaborate fake. Escalation issue 2 After re-awakening in a Machination stronghold, Hunter was horrified to find an unidentified being, possibly Cybertronian, had been creating a series of Sunstreaker clones. Escalation issue 6
Having been able to dupe the Machination into believing that he was catatonic, Hunter went exploring in their headquarters. Eventually, he discovered Sunstreaker's own decapitated head, which was still functioning. Tortured, Sunstreaker begged the human to kill him. Meanwhile, Hot Rod and Wheeljack ran afoul of the Sunstreaker clones... piloted by Headmasters — humans who could transform into the robots' heads. Devastation issue 2 It turned out all of the Headmasters were mentally connected to the original Sunstreaker and leeched knowledge from him, a process that was extremely painful. However, this had its disadvantage — Sunstreaker doesn't read Autobot memos so the Machination had less inside knowledge than they thought; Hot Rod and Wheeljack escaped by using a weapon that Sunstreaker didn't know about. Hunter, rather than kill the Autobot, asked for his help to become a Headmaster himself so he could pilot one of the Machination's spare clones. Devastation issue 3 After downloading the necessary information from Sunstreaker, Hunter headed to the body shop, where more clone bodies were being stored. Devastation issue 5 Just as a freshly-restored Scorponok, head of the Machination, broke through a wall to kill him, Hunter was able to transform into Sunstreaker's head and linked to the real Sunstreaker's mind. Speaking as Sunstreaker, Hunter attached himself to a clone body, but commented that everything felt slow (as a result of Machination scientists cutting all connections to the real Sunstreaker, with devastating effects for the Headmasters). Hunter transformed to vehicle mode, blasted a hole in the wall and escaped. Devastation issue 6
After that, the new Sunstreaker began raiding Machination front organisations across America, looking for his original head. He wanted Hunter out of his head and gone forever so he didn't have to talk to the human—not that he meant any offense by that, oh no. On one raid, he became aware that the Machination had plans involving the Dynobots and sped off to Dallas to get involved Maximum Dinobots issue 1 The Dynobots were actually sent to Fallon but Sunstreaker carried on to Dallas anyway, reasoning that getting his old head back would offline all the Headmasters—and that whatever the Dynobots were up to was merely collateral damage. (Nice chap...) Maximum Dinobots issue 2 When they arrived in Dallas, seeing that the facility was far bigger than anything they had come across before, Hunter realised they needed a plan and forced Sunstreaker to sit it out while they watched and waited, citing that he was the more level-headed of the pair and that it was nice to just be Hunter O'Nion every now and then. Maximum Dinobots issue 3 When the time came, Sunstreaker reconnected with Hunter and barged into the Machination, having a short talk with Hot Rod as he blasted two of his clones. He found his original head, but Scorponok was waiting and blasted a hole through his chest. Hunter escaped and, reluctantly and remorsefully, deactivated Sunstreaker's original head. {Maximum Dinobots issue 4Later, he was put into the CR chamber on Ark-32 for heavy repairs (he was seen in transition into his Universe body.). Maximum Dinobots issue 5
But he turned his back on Hunter (probably cos' Hunter deactivated him), and never wanted to speak about it again. He was never the same, though All Hail Megatron issue 7, as the Headmaster incident left Sunstreaker with a hatred for humans. Eventually, he secretly met with Starscream and made a deal with him; kill Megatron and let the Autobots return to Cybertron, with the added premise for the Decepticons to kill every single human on the planet. All Hail Megatron issue 8
One year later, he was reunited with Sideswipe when Optimus Prime combined his squad with Hound's. Using false information that Sunstreaker planted, the Autobots were ambushed by the strongly united Decepticons (Starscream ended up reigning his part of the deal). Eventually, the Autobots were defeated and were sent to Cybertron, via an experimental space bridge, which Prime destroyed. All Hail Megatron issue 7 With Prime suffering in critical condition, Sunsteaker brooded unhappily. All Hail Megatron issue 1 As the Autobots were relocating, Sideswipe attempted to talk to him, both about the strain between them and the hatred for Mirage he shared with Ironhide. Sunstreaker had apparently learned of Sideswipe's little sojourn to Earth while he was with the Machination, and he didn't want to hear any of it. He blew up when Sideswipe tried to talk to him about Hunter and his experience as a Headmaster. Unfortunately, he stormed past Ironhide, who, in response to Sideswipe's call for restraint, promptly dragged Mirage into a corner and beat him half to death. Sunstreaker offered only some rather halfhearted protests. All Hail Megatron issue 7 When the Autobots were trying to outwit the Swarm with the energon needed to save Optimus Prime, Perceptor was taken out by one of the Swarm. A bridge that the Autobots crossed was lined with explosives needed to take it out, but with Perceptor down, Sunstreaker stood on the bridge. When Ironhide asked if he wanted to kill himself, he said "yes" and revealed himself as the traitor. After finishing his story, he and Ironhide got attacked by the Swarm, but Ironhide managed to flee (with the help of Drift). With that out of the way, Sunstreaker, pounced by the Swarm, fired his weapon at one of the explosives to blow the bridge up, sacrificing himself to save the Autobots. All Hail Megatron issue 8
Hail and Farewell
Sunstreaker accompanied Hunter on a visit home as the Headmaster reminisced on the events in his life since meeting the Transformers. Hail and Farewell
Toys
Generation 1
- Sunstreaker (Autobot, 1984/1986/1990)
- Accessories: Left & right fists, 2 "rocket boosters", 3 rockets
- Sunstreaker was released as part of the first year of the Transformers line in the US. He transforms into a "Super Tuning" customized Lamborghini Countach LP500S with an exposed rear-mounted engine. Each robot-mode arm has a spring-launching mechanism to fire his fists, his chrome missiles, or his "rocket boosters" (once the boosters' main body was pushed forward to lengthen the connection peg), but the springs were severely neutered in the US for safety reasons. The boosters fit very very loosely in the pegs in his rear bumper/robot shoulders, making them pretty dubious additions to either mode.
- In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves), several different promotions, among them a "Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction" flier packed with most boxed Transformers toys. He cost $8 and two robot points.
- In 1990 he was re-released in Europe as part of the "Classics" line of reissues.
- Sunstreaker is generally considered to be one of the harder early Generation 1 toys to find complete and unbroken. There also appears to be little chance of a reissue of the toy, as this mold has been stated by Hasbro and Takara representatives to be one of several whose original molding has been either lost or in a state of disrepair too extensive to justify the cost of re-casting.
- VS-Z Set (Multi-pack, 1985)
- Accessories: Left & right fists, 2 "rocket boosters", 3 rockets
- Sunstreaker's only release in Japan was in the VS-Z set, along with Buzzsaw and Skids. This sounds unfair, but then one must remember Buzzsaw is an unstoppable killing machine.
- Transform Block
- Only available in Japan, this small, monochrome representation of Sunstreaker transformed by disassembling and reassembling his component parts. Hence, the name "Transform Block". The toy was first released as part of the Diaclone line alongside another toy representing the Diaclone version of Skids. The toy was simply put in new packaging for its Transformers release, which resembles that of Transform Jr toys.
Universe
- Sunstreaker (Deluxe, 2003)
- Accessories: Left & right rocket boosters, 2 flame-missiles
- A retool of the Robots in Disguise Prowl mold, Sunstreaker transforms into a Lamborghini Diablo. Unusually for non-vintage transformers at the time, he has rubber tires. In either mode, he is armed with two pressure-launch missile launchers with two flame-shaped projectiles. These launchers are mounted upon his right arm in robot mode. In vehicle mode, they can be mounted on two pegs located on his spoiler as "rocket boosters". It is notable that the part that connects the toy's windshield to the main body uses a yellow decal rather than paint, as that part is made out of unpaintable plastic. The police lights from the original mold were removed, leaving this area bare.
- Sunstreaker was the "hotel exclusive" toy from OTFCC 2003, available only to those who booked their room at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare at the convention rate, the official hotel for the convention.
Alternators/Binaltech Asterisk
- Sunstreaker meets Junko (Autobot, 2005)
- Japanese ID number: BTA-02
- Accessories: "Junko" driver/figurine, engine-block rifle
- In 2005, Takara and Hasbro released near-simultaneous and similar, but significantly different takes on Sunstreaker. The first to the market was the Binaltech Asterisk version of the toy, including with a PVC driver figurine, a girl named Junko. A redeco of the Dead End Alternator (itself a retool of Alternator Sideswipe), Sunstreaker transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed "street performance" Dodge Viper with opening doors and hood, and an open passengers' compartment. His engine block becomes a rifle for his robot mode. Like the rest of the Binaltech Asterisk line, he was packaged in robot mode instead of vehicle.
- Sunstreaker (Autobot, 2005)
- Alternator ID number: 18
- Accessories: Engine-block rifle
- A few months later, the Hasbro Alternators version was released as part of the standard Alternators line, in the redesigned "bubble" packaging (the third version of Alternators packaging). Though both are yellow redecos of the mold, the detailing between the two is very different, with the Hasbro version being a direct color-swap of the paint mask previously used for Dead End, adding red to the robot-mode parts as well as a pair of black racing stripes in car mode. Drastically put, the only two details virtually identical on both versions at first sight are the paint mask for the head and the license plate layout.
Universe (2008)
Classic Series
- Sunstreaker (Deluxe, 2008)
- Accessories: "Electron Pulse Blaster", engine supercharger intakes
- Part of the first wave of 2008 Universe Deluxes, Sunstreaker transforms into a modified Lamborghini Gallardo. Though the car is mostly based upon the Gallardo, to avoid legal problems it also incorporates details from other cars such as the rear end of the Lamborghini Diablo. Like the original Sunstreaker's Lamborghini Countach form, the 2008 Universe vehicle mode features a customized engine supercharger intakes mounted just behind the roof of the car. Sunstreaker's license plate is tampographed "WE R 84", referring to the year the Transformers franchise was launched.
- Like many other new-mold Universe toys, Sunstreaker has a "dramatic head reveal" when transforming him to robot mode: when his chest is rotated into place, his head rises into position and his ears to spring out. In robot mode, his engine intakes attach onto his back, though in an undocumented feature, they can also fold down over the widest part of the "electron blaster" and click in place. The gun can also be attached to the holes in Sunstreaker's shoulders, though his "ears" get in the way.
- Sunstreaker shares most of his design with Universe Sideswipe, differing in headsculpt and an altered transformation sequence. Sunstreaker is considered the original toy, as Sideswipe did not appear until a later wave of the toyline.
- Though not specifically a quality control issue, the yellow paint used for Sunstreaker's roof does not precisely match the bright yellow plastic used for his car body panel parts. The dark tinted windows causes the yellow paint to take on a greenish tinge.
Henkei! Henkei!
- Sunstreaker (Deluxe, 2008)
- Japanese ID number: C-07
- Accessories: "Electron Pulse Blaster", engine supercharger intakes
- TakaraTomy's Henkei! Henkei! version of Universe Sunstreaker is a redeco of Hasbro's release, featuring a deeper shade of yellow with a much greater consistency between the painted yellow roof and the yellow plastic than seen on Universe Sunstreaker. He also replaces some of the Universe figure's gray paint with black. The orange paint is replaced with red, and the maroon Autobot symbol is now the more standard red. As with all of the Henkei toys, he has vacuum-metallized silver on his Electron Pulse Blaster, his supercharger and his spoiler.
Merchandise
- Cybertron Hero Collection 22 (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)
- In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Sunstreaker was available in part of a massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his tech spec ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of Transformers board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something. Sunstreaker mixes the cartoon model with elements from the original toy.
- Sunstreaker (Decoy, 1987)
- Decoy number: 11
- The Hasbro Decoy release of the Sunstreaker game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded Throttlebots, Aerialbots, Protectobots and Technobots.
Titanium Series
- Sunstreaker (Robot Master, unreleased)
- Accessories: Engine-blaster, display stand
- A planned redeco of Titanium Series Side Swipe, which was based on Sideswipe's Alternators toy. Sunstreaker would have been partially constructed of die cast metal with limited articulation located in his shoulders and neck. His accessories would have been a removable engine blaster and an Autobot symbol display stand.
 Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
Robot Heroes
- Sunstreaker vs. Galvatron (2-pack, 2008)
- Part of the first wave of Universe Robot Heroes toys, Sunstreaker is an adorably sociopathic non-transforming figure articulated at the neck and shoulders. He was available only in a two-pack with Galvatron, making this the most mentally-unbalanced Robot Heroes set ever.
Trivia
- The red Diaclone version of Sunstreaker was sold by Takara in North America as the Diakron "DK-1" Car/Robot in 1983, seemingly just a few months before he would be rebranded as a Transformer.
- The pre-Transformers Diaclone version of Sunstreaker is the Lamborghini Countach LP500S "Super Tuning" toy. The Diaclone version was originally painted only in red or police deco; this is one of several items that have led to the fan speculation that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's coloration and bio text were swapped around before their final release (another being that, in his bio, Sunstreaker feels that Sideswipe's car-mode lines are ruined by his rear-mounted engine, when in fact Sunstreaker is the one with said engine.) This would also explain Sunstreaker's inexplicable red shoulders/car panel decals, which were originally used to cover up the black plastic on the red Diaclone version. The statistics, however, are correct.
- In the Transformers series bible entry for his brother Sideswipe, Sunstreaker is referred to by a different name, Spinout [1]. "Nearly the equal of his twin brother, Spinout, in combat, but less cold-blooded." The same name (spelled "Spin-Out") is also used in a Marvel Age article[2] from 1984 that announced the Marvel comic series.
- Alternators Sunstreaker was originally planned as the first retool of the Side Swipe Dodge Viper toy. Early prototypes that were leaked to the public sported a sculpted Autobot logo, and development concept art and color maps detailed in the Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide show a black-decoed figure, labelled as "Blackstreaker". This suggests he was still intended to be Sunstreaker but, like Tracks, Meister and Prowl, sporting the manufacturer's preferred coloring. A listing for "Blackstreaker" even appeared for a short time in the Wal-Mart computers. For reasons unknown, however, the toy was ultimately released as the Decepticon Dead End instead, possibly to satisfy fan demands for Decepticons in the line, but this is mere supposition. It took a couple of years until Sunstreaker would see shelves as originally intended.
References
External links
- Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls
- Pages with broken file links
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Character stubs missing fiction
- Unreleased toys
- Alternators
- Autobots
- Classics characters
- Convention exclusives
- Generation 1 characters
- Headmasters
- Headmasters characters
- Mail order items
- Robot Heroes
- Titanium Series
- Universe (2008)
