Sonar (Armada)
| The name or term "Sonar" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Sonar (disambiguation). |
- Sonar is a Mini-Con from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.
Sonar feels he owes Runway his life and more, and so, he backs up his "leader" 100%. It's not that Sonar is any less intelligent than Runway or anything. He's just convinced he owes Runway that much. Of course, Runway, being Runway, always turns to Sonar and Jetstorm for advice and a pair of second opinions, though it seems he might not get the opinions he really needs out of either of them.
Still, Sonar is quick and technically proficient, always good qualities to have.
- Japanese name: Shuttler
Fiction
Armada cartoon
Dreamwave Armada comics
Sonar and his teammates were captured when the Decepticons attacked their hometown of Village B13, but they managed to escape. Taking refuge in the garbage disposal district, they salvaged an old starship which they planned to use to take all Mini-Cons to freedom. With some help from fellow escapee Sparkplug, they broke their fellow Mini-Cons out of the Decepticon base and made their way into space. Dreamwave Armada issue 2
While it was a good plan, the old ship malfunctioned and crashed on Earth, where the Mini-Cons lay dormant for a million years. Once a reactivation signal brought them back online, the Air Defense Team took up residence in Rapid City, where Sonar played chess with Runway while waiting for the latter to think of a new plan. Before long, they were found by the Decepticons, and Sonar made a run for it while frantically sending out an emergency signal to any other Mini-Cons out there. In the end, he was hunted down by Starscream, taken to the Decepticon base and forcibly combined with his teammates into the powerful Star Saber. Dreamwave Armada issue 6 Megatron used the sword to attack the Autobot base, but Optimus Prime took it from him and begged the Air Defense Team to fight Megatron's control and remember who they were. His pleas got through, and Sonar and his teammates separated and fought back against the Decepticons. They still didn't want to join the Autobots, though, and went back into hiding. Dreamwave Armada issue 7
Some time later, the Air Defense Team was summoned to a strange structure in Kansas. Mindlessly, they flew to to the structure and entered it, and it turned out to be a starship designed to bring them to the Moon. Dreamwave Armada issue 8 Sonar and Jetstorm were left imprisoned on Dualor's moonbase while Runway was taken on a tour around the place. Dreamwave Armada issue 9 Shortly after Runway was reunited with them, the Decepticons attacked the moonbase. Dreamwave Armada issue 10
Following the evacuation of the moonbase, Sonar and his teammates disappeared for a while. They returned when a larger threat than the Decepticons showed up in the form of a Herald of Unicron. Against their better judgment, the Air Defense Team came to Megatron's aid and combined into the Star Saber, allowing him to defeat his powerful opponent. Worlds Collide, Part 3 of 4 Thankfully, Megatron didn't get to keep his hold on the Star Saber, as the Land Military Mini-Con Team distracted him and allowed the Air Defense Team to separate and escape. Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4
The Herald of Unicron was soon followed by Unicron himself, so all the Mini-Cons on Earth gathered to join the fight against him. After returning to Cybertron, Sonar joined the rest of the Mini-Cons in channeling their energies through the Mini-Con Matrix and heavily damaging Unicron. The End
Panini Armada comics
After awakening on Earth, Sonar and his team began performing various heroic deeds around the United States of America, such as saving climbers. After diverting a falling satellite from crashing in Chicago, they found that it had just been bait set by Starscream to capture them. The Decepticon grabbed Jetstorm, and Sonar and Runway fired on him to no avail. Thankfully, a group of Autobots arrived to save the team, but they still refused to join the Autobots. Devices and Desires! Looking to get off Earth, the Air Defense Team regretfully decided that they had to steal human space technology. Sonar busted into a NASA facility, only to find several ERTD soldiers waiting for them. They quickly took out Runway, angering Sonar, but Jetstorm warned him against hurting the humans. Unwilling to fight back, the two remaining Mini-Cons were then incapacitated as well, and the Air Defense Team was moved to Area 54. Sonar woke up soon enough and rebooted Runway whilst Jetstorm hacked the ERTD's database. After learning that the humans had captured the Land Military Team as well, they escaped from Area 54. 'We Are Not Alone!'
Before long, Sonar and the others ran into Starscream again, and were promptly beaten up and captured. The Decepticon disengaged the team's personality chips and combined them into the legendary Star Saber, which he promptly used to assault the Street Action Team. However, Starscream didn't know only the will of the Air Defense Team members could keep the Star Saber's power in check, so without their personalities intact, the weapon quickly went out of control. As its power threatened to rip the Earth apart, Optimus Prime showed up and urged Sonar and the others to separate out of their own free will. His words reached them, and the planet was saved. The Two-Edged Blade! The Air Defense Team subsequently told the Autobots about the Mini-Cons captured by the ERTD and managed to track them down thanks to Amos Hume. They found that the humans were attempting to auction the Mini-Cons off, so Sonar and the others interrupted by disabling their technology with pulse disruptor beams. Sale of the Century!
Toys
Armada
- Air Defense Team (Mini-Con Team, 2002/2003)
- Japanese ID number: MM-02
- Sonar transforms into a VentureStar concept shuttle. He also forms the hilt to the Star Saber sword, which can be held by any other Transformer that has 5mm fist-holes. This version came with his partners Jetstorm and Runway.
- This mold was also used to make Shade. It was later retooled to make Energon Skyboom, Lens, and Cybertron Ramjet.
- Hot Rod and Jolt with Air Defense Micron (Multi-pack. 2003)
- Japanese ID number: MS-01
- For the Team's Takara release, they were available both as an individual set, and in a multi-pack with Hot Shot. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases.
- Air Defense Micron X-Dimension (Mini-Con Team, 2003)
- Japanese ID number: MM-07
- A redeco of the Air Defense Team was available in a shorter run in Japan. The X-Dimension Air Defense Team changed the opaque plastics to orange and red, and the paint trim to match. Though fans have dubbed the combined form the "Fire Saber", this name does not appear to be official.
- Shuttler (Change Micron, 2003)
- Available only in individual boxes each with a small bag of sugar-pellet candy, the Kabaya candy toy versions of the Team replaced the clear plastics with opaque white. This version is actually a completely new mold-set, with various small differences from the Hasbro/Takara releases.
- Shuttler (Micron Booster, 2003)
- Booster ID number: 5
- Part of the first Micron Booster set, sold only in individual blind-packed boxes, this version of the Air Defense Team is almost wholly identical to the normal retail release. The only difference is that this version is cast in slightly-sparkly plastic and uses slightly-sparkly paint. The difference is almost unnoticeable unless you look at the two versions side-by-side.
- Air Assault Team (Mini-Con Team, 2003)
- A "tainted by evil" redeco of the Team released by Hasbro, this version of the trio replaces the transparent plastic with opaque off-white, the other colors turning predominantly black and purple.
- This coloration was altered for the Takara version of the Air Assault Mini-Con Team, who are separate characters from the Air Defense Team.
- Air Defense Micron Anime Color (Mini-Con Team, 2003)
- Cast entirely in blue and clear-blue plastics, this incarnation of the Air Defense Team is supposed to represent the Star Saber as it appears in the cartoon, with a glowing blue "energy blade". It was only available as a pack-in with the CD single of the Micron Legend cartoon ending theme, "Never Ending Road", by Psychic Lover.
Notes
- The Air Defense Team is the only one of the three "legendary Mini-Con weapons" Teams to not appear in either of Armada's sequel-series.
