Jetfire (Armada)

This article is about the field commander from the Unicron Trilogy. For the scientist from Generation 1, see Jetfire (G1).

The name or term "Sky Shadow" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Sky Shadow (disambiguation).

Jetfire is an Autobot in the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

"I'm as dry as a dead Dingo's donger!"

Jetfire is probably the best second-in-command Optimus Prime could conceivably have. Jetfire is more than a yes-man, he's the crucial link between Prime's role-necessitated distance and his troops. Though professional and businesslike, Jetfire infuses his interactions with a down-to-earth friendliness. And where Optimus Prime is cautious, Jetfire is more prone to tempered bursts of gusto and bravado. While Optimus Prime is your leader who's your leader, Jetfire is your leader who's your friend. Because of this, Jetfire is very popular among the Autobots.

But most importantly, Jetfire is one of the only Autobots who will tell Optimus Prime to his face when he thinks he's wrong. It is this trait that makes Jetfire indispensible.

Jetfire has a long-lost brother Overcast, and while the two are quite similar in many ways, Jetfire is far more willing and eager to jump into battle than Overcast.

He has a Decepticon alter-ego, Sky Shadow, which he affects when doing undercover missions. He found the name in history archives which referred to a Sky Shadow from the legendary Beast Wars. Nobody's really sure how that works. Maybe it's that bloody Unicron Singularity's doing.

Japanese name: Skyfire (Energon), Dreadrock (Cybertron)

Fiction

Animated Continuity

Armada

Voice actor: Scott McNeil (USA), Susumu Chiba (Japan)

Jetfire was one of the reinforcements from Cybertron that Optimus Prime requested. He was quickly installed as second in command, but as everybody who had never served with him discovered, he was very different to Optimus Prime. Where Optimus was cautious and analytical, Jetfire was brash and headstrong to the point of recklessness, jumping into the unknown without considering the consequeces. As a result, in his first major battle with the Decepticons, Jetfire decided to take all of their airforces on by himself, getting him into serious trouble.

Fortunately, Optimus Prime had recovered enough from his injuries to launch a surprise attack on the Decepticons and unleash his secret weapon - the ability to Powerlink with Jetfire, resulting in the powerful Jet Optimus.

Energon

Voice actor: Scott McNeil (USA), Nobuyuki Hiyama (Japan)

Lt. Commander of the Autobots and Powerlink partner with Ironhide, and eventually Cliffjumper. Jetfire served as a loyal soldier throughout the series, including nearly dying and being upgraded by Primus to finish the battle with Unicron.

Cybertron

Voice actor: Brian Drummond (USA), Hideo Ishikawa (Japan)

Special Attacks: Dread Cannon-Burst Attack, Jetstream (Japan)

Special Attacks: Afterburner Blast, Turbine Wave (USA)

Jetfire returned to his duties for the evacuation of Cybertron with a spiffy new accent he picked up on Nebulan while vacationing that mirrored Australian. He served as a devoted Lt. Commander until the start of the new space bridge project, where Optimus Prime promoted Jetfire to Commander of Cybertron.

Dreamwave comics continuity

Armada

Jetfire was initially unimpressed with Optimus Prime, feeling that Prime had abandoned the Autobots on Cybertron for affairs on Earth. He soon saw eye-to-eye with his commander once more when the stakes of Unicron's coming were revealed.

Toys

Armada

"May all your chooks turn to emus and kick your dunny door flat to the grass!"

• Jetfire with Comettor (Giga-Con, 2003)

Japanese ID number: MC-09

Jetfire is a futuristic space shuttle molded primarily in white and grey with red paint stripes resembling the stripes seen on the original G1 Jetfire. His Mini-Con Comettor serves as his front landing gear and forward gun in vehicle mode. When Comettor (or any other Mini-Con) connected to the Powerlinx ports on his wings, a large red missile/bomb is dropped. When connected to Jetfire's main engine, two small wings are deployed for atmospheric flight. In robot mode Jetfire's rear landing gear becomes a shield, and his main engine forms his rifle. Jetfire also combines with Optimus Prime to form Jet Optimus.

The Japanese release includes a much brighter white plastic, the removal battle wear and heat re-entry burn decos, and a more detailed shield.

This mold was also used to make the Transformers Collectors Club exclusive Astrotrain.

"Don't come the raw prawn with me, luv."

• Powerlinx Jetfire with Comettor (Giga-Con, 2003)

The Powerlinx redeco of Jetfire replaces much of the grey and red with blue, in a colour scheme very similar to the Macross/Robotech Valkyrie fighter jet flown by Maximillian Jenius/Sterling.

Energon

"If it was raining virgins I'd get washed down the drain with a poofta."

• Jetfire (Mega, 2004)

Japanese ID number: SC-05

Jetfire transforms again into a white and red futuristic space shuttle, this time in the smaller Mega sizeclass and with the ability to combine with most other Autobot Deluxe and Mega Energon toys. He features an electronic transforming sound effect that activates when another Autobot combines with him.

The Japanese version of this toy does not feature any of the electronics and has a sticker covering the now-absent battery compartment.

This mold was also used to make Energon Overcast.

• Skyfire and Roadbuster

Japanese ID number: SS-02

This was a Japan-only two-pack of both Jetfire and Ironhide. There are no differences between the toys in this pack and the individually packed japanese versions.

• Skyfire Sonic (Mega, 2004)

Japanese ID number: SC-25

This was the japanese release of Energon Overcast, though still portrayed as the same character of Skyfire. There are some differences in paint application, but the major difference is the inclusion of an orange Energon Spear, originally belonging Skyblast.

Cybertron

"Now listen mate, I need to splash the boots. You know, strain the potatoes. Water the horses. You know, go where the big knobs hang out..."

• Jetfire (Ultra class, 2005)

Japanese ID number: GC-04

Jetfire was once again Ultra-sized, but this time transformed into a green cargo plane of unknown origin. The toy features sound effects by pressing the portside aft engine nacelle. Inserting his Cyber Planet Key into his tail assembly in either vehicle or robot mode causes a pair of translucent red cannons to extend, and the compartment they are mounted on to raise. Pressing the portside aft engine now features a different sound effect.

The US version of this toy has a bar between the barrels of the translucent red tail cannons to provide structural integrity. The other differences between the US and Japanese versions are mostly cosmetic.

"...Shake hands with the wife's best friend? Drain the dragon? Siphon the python? Ring the rattlesnake? You know, unbutton the mutton? Like, point Percy at the porcelain?"

• Jetfire (Legends of Cybertron, 2005)

This is a much smaller version of the Ultra-sized toy, with limited articulation and detail. In the US market, LOC Jetfire was primarily sold in drug stores, though could be found in normal retailers in markets outside of the US, such as Australia.

This mold was redecoed to make Classics Fireflight

• Jetfire (Burger King Kids' Meal toy, 2005)

File:Cyb Sky Shadow toy.jpg

"He's a handsome wild colonial man He can beat the bloody world if Genghis Khan"

• Sky Shadow (Ultra class, 2006)

This was a tan/gold and black redeco of Cybertron Jetfire, posing as a Decepticon. It uses the same tooling as Cybertron Jetfire, so features the structurally stronger tail cannon. All other functions remain the same.

Trivia

• Originally when the tailfin of Armada Jetfire's engine/weapon was pressed downward, it activated the original G1 Autobot laser sound effect. Pressing the tailfin upwards (perhaps by placing the shuttle upright as if in launching mode) would activate a rather garbled blast-off countdown sequence. Much like Red Alert's 'Woo-woo-woo' sound effect, this briefly became something of an in-joke within the Transformers fan community.

External links

• Jetfire at TFU.info

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.