Silverbolt

"Silverbolt" is the name of several different fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.

Transformers: Generation 1

Transformers character
name = Silverbolt


caption =
affiliation =Autobot, later Maximal
subgroup = Aerialbots
Basic Beasts
function = Aeriabot Commander
partner =Prowl & Ironhide
motto = "Don’t look down, look straight ahead!"
"On a wing and a prayer."
alternatemodes = Concorde supersonic transport/Launch Ramp
Sukhoi Su-37
Giant bald Eagle.
series =

Beast Wars

engvoice = Charlie Adler
japanvoice = Tomomichi NishimuraSilverbolt is the largest of the five Autobot-allied Aerialbots. He forms the head and torso of Superion.

A brave and grimly determined warrior, Silverbolt was appointed by Optimus Prime to command the Aerialbots, a task that keeps Silverbolt worrying more about his teammates than about his acrophobia. When transforming into a jet, he can reach speed of Mach 1.9 with range of 4500 miles. He is armed with an electrostatic discharger rifle.

Animated series

Silverbolt was recreated from a "low-flying transport" (which is ironic because the Concorde was designed for high-altitude travel), which is believed to be the cause of his fear of heights. He was given life by Vector Sigma and Alpha Trion with the other Aerialbots to combat their Decepticon counterparts, the Stunticons. However, after defeating Menasor, Megatron, escaped with the Decepticons' latest superweapon, forcing Silverbolt to confront his fear of heights to chase him down. He is a very level-headed robot that uses common sense and compassion to make his decisions, which later led Optimus Prime to name him the Aerialbots' leader.

Despite his fear of flight and being less adventurous then the other Aerialbots, he proved to be a great leader. He was able to lead the Aerialbots to many victories against the Decepticons and other combiners, like defeating Menasor again ("Cosmic Rust"), stopping the Combaticons from controlling the eastern oil fields ("Aerial Assault"), saving Rodimus Prime and the others from Quintessa ("Five Faces of Darkness"), fought with Scourge and Cyclonus ("Fight or Flee"), blast Trypticon from the inside ("The Ultimate Weapon"), and was badly damage while spying on the Junkions.

In the three part season 4 episode, "The Rebirth", the Aerialbots were among those who tried to stop the Decepticons on Cybertron. However, Galvatron ordered Sixshot to take them out. He did so, using each of his alternate modes to defeat the entire team. The Decepticons then scavenged their parts to construct a super engine to move the planet Cybertron. It is unknown if they survived or not, though one does appear jumping up and down with Bumblebee indicating that they might have survived.

Marvel Comics

Silverbolt and the other Aerialbots were created on Earth by Wheeljack and given life by Optimus Prime using the Matrix. After their initial mission was deemed a failure due to only Silverbolt's personality being stabilized (with Superion nearly killing a human), Optimus Prime had their minds wiped clean and all five Aerialbots given life once again. Unbeknownst to Prime, the Insecticon Bombshell piggy-backed aboard Silverbolt, and attempted to inject a "cerebro-shell" into an open wound Prime incurred earlier. The shell allowed Bombshell to transmit Prime's thoughts -- and the Matrix's creation process -- to Megatron and Soundwave, allowing them to bring life to the Stunticons. (Transformers #21-22.)

The Aerialbots were subsequently captured by Circuit Breaker and her Rapid Anti-Robot Attack Team, She then took them to her laboratory and dismantled them for study. However, to combat the threat of the rampaging Decepticon Battlechargers Runabout and Runamuck a deal was struck - if they cooperated in stopping the Decepticons she would let them go. Circuit Breaker then created a massive robot out of their parts, piloted by herself. After defeating the Decepticons, Circuit Breaker released the Autobots.

In issue #27, "King of the Hill!", Perceptor summoned his fellow Autobots Blaster, Hot Spot, Jetfire, Omega Supreme, Ratchet and Silverbolt in order to decide who should take leadership of the Autobots. After an attack by the giant Decepticon Trypticon the leader was chosen - Grimlock.

When Starscream returned to Earth after absorbing the powers of the Underbase, Silverbolt and his Aerialbots were amongst those in New York first to attack... and also amongst the first to fall in battle. Later when Optimus Prime was deciding which one Autobot to restore life to, he considered Silverbolt but imagined that after a while, he would resent being chosen over others.

Silverbolt was finally restored to take part in the battle against Unicron thanks to Grimlock's supply of Nucleon. Fortunately, Silverbolt managed to purge his system of the Nucleon before it froze up his power to transform. He subsequently appeared in the Generation 2 comic as the Aerialbots were attacked from all sides by Jhiaxus' fliers - until Thundercracker and Skywarp unexpectedly bailed them out, leading a Decepticon armada into the fray.

Transformers: Generation 2

Although Silverbolt did make a short background appearance in the Transformers: Generation 2 comic, he was portrayed in his old colors rather than his new colors.

3H Enterprises

The first "Beast Wars" Silverbolt made appearance in Transformers: Universe #3 as part of Magnaboss. In this comic Optimus Primal pleads with Magnaboss and the Maximal High council (which oddly includes Bantor, Air Hammer, Corahda, Torca and Battle Unicorn) to take the threat of Unicron seriously, but they doubt his claims. Optimus Primal is detained, but Snarl breaks him out of the detention center.

Dreamwave Productions

Unlike previous interpretations of Generation 1 Silverbolt, Dreamwave comics had all the Aerialbots being made on Cybertron before the Autobots came to Earth. They were one of several teams that used the combiner technology first used to create Devastator to make their own combined form.

The Aerialbots came to be among the Autobots on Earth in the 1980s and gained the forms of Earth-style jets. Upon the awakening of Optimus Prime in Dreamwave's first mini-series of the original cartoon universe, the Aerialbots were among the Autobots summoned by Optimus to rescue the remaining Autobots, who had been turned into mind-controlled weapons of mass destruction by a human arms dealer. During a subsequent battle with the Decepticons in San Francisco, the Aerialbots, merged into Superion, sacrificed themselves to stop an incoming nuclear missile, launched by rogue elements in the U.S. military to eradicate both factions of Cybertronians in one fell swoop.

Later, it was revealed that parts of Superion, including his head, were recovered by the faction of the U.S. government that also recovered Scourge, hinting that they were possibly trying to rebuild him.

IDW Publishing

According to initial posts on the message board of IDW Publishing, the writers of their "Beast Wars" comics plan to make a profile of this Silverbolt in their comics which will give the character a background. He was later shown in the second volume of the "Beast Wars: The Ascending" miniseries to be part of the Maximal Imperium along with Ironhide and Prowl, with profile book writer Ben Yee later confirming that it is indeed a later incarnate of the G1 era character.

Toys

*Generation 1 Silverbolt (1986):A "Scramble City" style combiner toyso, Silverbolt had a third "launching pad" mode. He was available by himself or as part of an Aerialbot gift set. [http://www.seibertron.com/database/character.php?view=&char_id=74] :The Aerialbot 5-pack gift set is a common Transformers bootleg, being made of inferior plastic and having the 4 smaller robots handguns left out of the package. This toy is slightly smaller then the original toy, so accessories are diffifult to swap between a real toy and this fake.

*Generation 2 Silverbolt (1994):Released in the last year of the series, the Aerialbots made their second appearance in the Transformers series. As before, each were individually sold but this time Silverbolt was sold on a card rather than being boxed. Silverbolt was recolored blue. [http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/Silverbolt/silverbolt.htm]

*Beast Wars Magnaboss Silverbolt (1997):Basic sized Maximal who turns into a bald eagle. He was packaged together with his partners Ironhide and Prowl. [http://www.cobraislandtoys.com/tf/1997/silverbolt-maximal.html] :This toy was redecoed into Beast Wars Second Skywarp.

*Universe Classics Series Ultra-Class Silverbolt (2008):An Ultra Class toy designed to resemble the G1 Aerialbot Leader.

*Universe Legends Silverbolt (2008/unreleased):This toy is a redeco of "Cybertron" Legends Thundercracker. A Target store exclusive.

*Universe Classic Series Deluxe Silverbolt (2008/not released yet):Leaked pictures have made it to the internet of a redeco of the "Energon" Aerialbots done in the colors of the "Generation 1" Aerialbots, however their existence has not yet been confirmed by Hasbro. [http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/universe-superion-maximus-repaint-/13817/]

Beast Wars

Transformers: Universe

Transformers character
name =Silverbolt


caption =
affiliation =Autobot
subgroup =Aerialbots
Micromasters
rank =
function =
motto =
alternatemodes =Jet
series =
voiceby =A second Silverbolt later appeared in the "Universe" toyline in 2006, this time a Micromaster - It is unknown if this Siverbolt is a new version of any previous Silverbolt, the Micromaster Falcon, or a completely new character. With no profile from Hasbro to determine his identity, it is open to speculation and interpretation.

Toys

*Universe Micromaster Silverbolt:Silverbolt is a repaint of the Sixwing component, Falcon originally released during 1992 in Japan.:Micromaster Silverbolt was released in "Cybertron" packaging in European countries, as they didn't have the "Transformers: Universe" line.

Transtech

Transformers character
name =Silverbolt


caption =Transtech Silverbolt concept art
affiliation =Autobot
subgroup =
rank =
function =
motto =
alternatemodes =Cybertronian Jet
series =Transtech
voiceby =Transtech's form is based on concept art by by Draxall Jump. [http://www.behindthetoys.com/images/archive/rob/SILVERBOLTdone.jpg]

Silverbolt is is New Arrivals Coordinator in the city of Axiom Nexus on Transtech Cybertron.

Fun Publications

In "Transcendent" Breakaway, Landquake and Skyfall arrive on a parallel Transtech Cybertron, in the city of Axiom Nexus. They are greeted by that world's Cheetor and Silverbolt, and are worried that Cliffjumper has gone missing. The arrivals are told that they are among many to arrive on this world and are brought to "processing." Among those waiting in processing are Autoceptor, Bad Boy, Charger with Fire Beast, Cosmos, Cy-Kill, Pathfinder, "Universe" Repugnus, Sky-Byte, Smallfoot and Treads. After processing the three Autobots are greeted by the ancient Autobot Alpha Trion and taught in the ways of outworlders in Axiom Nexus. Breakaway is then abducted by Transtech Shockwave.

References