Runway (Armada)

Runway is a Mini-Con from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

File:Runway-AR-art.jpg

I wonder. I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder. Why. Why-why-why-why-why, she ran away.

Runway is the de facto leader of the Air Defense Mini-Con Team, and also the most talkative of the three. Though reluctant to enter battle, he's an incredibly skilled commander, quick-witted and given time, can come up with some truly bizarrely-genius ploys that look suicidal at first, but really work out. Even though he's the brains and mouth of the Team, Runway trusts his teammates implicitly, and always looks to them before acting.

(Note: In the Dreamwave comics, Runway and Jetstorm appear to have swapped bodies. However, every other source makes Runway out to be the middle jet of the trio.)

Japanese name: Mach

Toys

Armada

• Air Defense Team (Mini-Con Team, 2002/2003)

Japanese ID number: MM-02

Runway transforms into a concept-version of the Concorde Super Sonic Transport jet plane. He also forms the mid-section 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 Sonar.

This mold was also used to make Mad. It was later retooled to make Energon Scattor, Quantum, and Cybertron Thrust.

• Hot Rod and Jolt with Air Defense Micron (Multi-pack. 2003)

Japanese ID number: MS-02

For the Team's Takara release, they were available both as an individual set, and in a multi-pack with Hot Shot.

• 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.

• Mach (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.

• Mach (Micron Booster, 2003)

Booster ID number: 3

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 unnoticable 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 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.

Trivia

• 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.

External links

• Runway at TFU.info (Yes, we know it says "Jetstorm".)

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