Sky-Byte (G2)

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

Sky-Byte is a Predacon from the Generation 2: Redux portion of the Generation 1 continuity family via Timelines.

Put your best knee forward.

Created as an agent of the Quintessons, Sky-Byte is the commander of the new generation of Sharkticons. Unlike his dim-witted troops, Sky-Byte exhibits a scientific and creative nature, whether it be by making new advances in technology or writing haiku to express himself during tense and exciting moments.

He's a wild card, but will Sky-Byte truly be the "greatest shark around", as he's so fond of claiming?

Fiction

Timelines: Generation 2 Redux

In 2010, Sky-Byte was sent to Earth by the Quintessons as part of an alliance with the Decepticon outlaw Clench. His army of next-generation Sharkticons successfully empowered Clench’s Decepticon Syndicate, and they were able to take control of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

There, Sky-Byte worked with Clench to realize the potential of the low-grade fuel forestonite. He determined that bombarding the forestonite with high-energy particles allowed it to alter Transformers, granting them extraordinary power. Pyro teased Clench for hanging around with Quintesson flunkies, and Sky-Byte responded with pride about how his new forestonite fuel would tip the balance of power. Sky-Byte may have oversold the stuff, however, as Clench impulsively fed some to Cindersaur—and it wasn't meant to be taken orally!—and then insisted that Sky-Byte himself be one of the next round of test subjects.

When the Autobots burst into the facility in an attempt to rescue Spark, Sky-Byte taunted them with a haiku and, when that was poorly received, then tried to zap them all with his "Tsunami Blaster", a new and deadly ability bestowed upon him by the forestonite. The battle was ultimately decided when a nervous Breakdown shot the canisters of forestonite, thinking they would explode. Instead, the chemical spread out in gaseous form all over the remaining Transformers, equaling the balance of power for the Autobots. Rapido gained the power to outrun Sky-Byte's shark missile attack, and soon the Decepticons were thoroughly routed. At this point, Sky-Byte fled the scene with his Sharkticons. Without his additional muscle, Clench was forced to retreat as well.

And, yes, even while running for his life, he had the frame of mind to write a pretty haiku. Generation 2: Redux

Toys

This mold's not for Scourge?
At the time we were confused.
Now we understand.

Timelines

• Generation 2: Redux (BotCon 2010 box set)
  • Accessories: 2 missiles

Sky-Byte is a retool of Energon Sharkticon with a new head, transforming into a Cybertronic submarine/battleship with dimly animalistic styling. His colors and head sculpt are heavily based on Robots in Disguise Sky-Byte. His small gun turrets are movable, plus his side panels can extend outward to reveal spring-loaded missile launchers. The area where Sharkticon's spark crystal once resided is now considered Sky-Byte's "Tsunami Blaster".

Sky-Byte is part of the BotCon 2010 boxed set, alongside Breakdown, Spark, Streetstar and Clench.

The original version of this mold was also used to make Sky-Byte's fellow BotCon 2010 exclusives, the Sharkticons.

Trivia

• The identity of Sky-Byte was the subject of the "Who is the Wildcard?" contest held by Fun Publications on their Transformers Collectors' Club forums, with Revenge of the Fallen Voyager Megatron and Breakaway as prizes to who guessed the character first. Other than the "wildcard" hint, the only other hint given was that the character was "never seen in Generation 2". TCC board member EmeraldBeacon guessed Sky-Byte soon thereafter, ending the contest, but whose among all the guesses that day was the correct guess was not known until the BotCon 2010 brochure went online.