Silverbolt
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Silverbolt is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers Universes, the first being the leader of the Aerialbots, a sub-group of Autobots. There have been several characters known as Silverbolt in various Transformers series.
Generation One (1986)
Silverbolt is the largest of the five Autobot-allied Aerialbots.His function is Aeriabot Commander. His motto is "Don’t look down, look straight ahead!"
A brave and grimly determined warrior. Selected by Optimus Prime to command the Aerialbots, a task that keeps Silverbolt worrying more about his teammates than about himself. When transformin into a Concorde, he can reach speed of Mach 1.9 with range of 4500 miles. Carries electrostatic discharger rifle and expertly uses it to blast Decepticons. Forms Superion with fellow Aerialbots.
Television Series
Silverbolt was recreated from a "low-flying transport" (which is believed to be the cause of his fear of heights) and given life by Vector Sigma and Alpha Trion with the other Aerialbots to combat their Decepticon counterparts, the Stunticons.
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.
Silverbolt is played by Charlie Adler.
Marvel Comics
Silverbolt and the other Aerialbots were created on Earth by Wheeljack and given live by Optimus Prime using the Matrix.Beachcomber, Blaster, Cosmos, Perceptor, Powerglide, Seaspray and Warpath were part of an Autobot team on Cybertron in the Earth year 1986. They battled the Decepticons lead by Straxus over the Space Bridge and the Autobots were stranded on Earth (Transformers #18).
They were then captured by Circuit Breaker and her Rapid Anti-Robot Attack Team, She then took them to her laboratory and dismantled them for study. (Transformers #21-22).
Circuit Breaker then captured Autobots Air Raid, Fireflight, Silverbolt, Skids, Skydive and Slingshot. Using the parts from all the captured Autobots she created a giant Autobot with herself in control, striking a deal with them that if they would cooperate she would let them go. Circuit Breaker then used them to attack the Decepticon Battlechargers Runabout and Runamuck who were attacking the Statue of Liberty. After defeating the Decepticons with Circuit Breaker the Autobots were released (Transformers #23).
When Starscream returns 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.
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.
Dreamwave Comics
Unlike previous interpertations of the Generation One 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.(1994)
Released in the last year of the series, the Aerialbots from the G1 toyline 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.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.
There were two different characters named Silverbolt in the Beast Wars toy line. Neither are related in any way to the other.Magnaboss
Skywarp
The first to be released was a Maximal who transformed into a bald eagle and along with Prowl and Ironhide, one of the three characters who combined to form the giant robot, Magnaboss. Although he never appeared in the American television series, he did appear in the Japanese TV series Beast Wars II under his Japanese name Skywarp. As none of the Magnaboss trio came with any individual tech-specs, see the Beast Wars II character Skywarp for more information.
Fuzor
Silverbolt the Fuzor
The second toy named Silverbolt (Grifo in some European countries) did appear in the U.S. television series.
Season Two
Appearing after the apparent death of Optimus Primal, Silverbolt's scanner was damaged. Scanning a wolf and eagle, it combined them to create his beast mode: A wolf with the wings and claws (and ostensibly eyes) of an eagle that's partially Transmetal. Megatron immediately tried to recruit him due to his damaged memory banks, but Silverbolt quickly realized he didn't belong with the Predacons when he saw what kindness the Maximals offered to him. Rattrap often called him "Bird-Dog" while Waspinator had a habitual tendency to call him "Doggy-Bot". An honourable and courageous warrior, Silverbolt possessed a mental outlook much like a stereotypical Arthurian Knight, including his manner of speech and a firm belief in chivalry. His interpretation of Maximal honor made him something of a contrast, foil or the flip side of Dinobot, who represented the Predacon ideal of honor, which was very samurai like. Like Tigatron, Silverbolt was slow to anger but would not back down from a fight. Though unlike Tigatron and Airazor, Silverbolt did not seem to feel that the Earth was his home or place of birth. His fellow fuzor, Quickstrike, once vowed that they would have an all out brawl some day, but it never came to pass.
In the episode "Bad Spark", Optimus speaks of the "dark secret of Axalon's voyage", which is to dump the stasis pod containing Protoform X (aka Rampage) on a barren world so that he could cause no more destruction. When it is revealed that Rampage did survive when his stasis pod crashed, Optimus, Cheetor, Silverbolt and the Predacon Blackarachnia try to subdue the rampaging Transformer, only to have him captured and forced to join the Predacons by Megatron.
"Although attacking your own comrade is no doubt business as usual in Predacon guides of villainy it is simply... unacceptable behaviour... in my book." - Silverbolt (episode 35: Bad Spark)
Silverbolt eventally fell in love with the Blackarachnia.
Season Three
Silverbolt was instrumental in her changing sides to the Maximals before the series ended. The other Maximals often questioned and, in Rattrap's case, often mocked his affection for Blackarchnia, which Silverbolt usually ignored, but at least once or twice he became violently angry with Rattrap when it came to Blackarachnia (once for her honor, later for her well being).Among the Maximals, he was the most righteous and stood up for both the Transmutate and the formidable Predacon Blackarachnia. He was sort of a contrast to Dinobot (who embodied Predacon honor, similar to the Samurai code of bushido); Silverbolt embodied the Maximal version of honor which was like the chivalry of the medieval knights, which sometimes left his team mates feeling befuddled at just how seriously he took his ideals. Often, a cheesy theme would play whenever Silverbolt said or did something heroic (especially where a certain female Predacon was involved), sounding somewhat like an English fanfare for the Knights of old. Like Tigatron, Silverbolt was slow to anger but wouldn't back down from a fight. Rattrap often called him "Bird Dog" and, at one point, called him "Sir Drools-a-Lot". Waspinator often referred to Silverbolt as "Doggy-Bot", and Blackarachnia often called him "Bowser" in a tone that was often both mocking and affectionate at the same time. Silverbolt himself didn't seem to mind and generally let whatever criticisms people made of him roll off his back. Silverbolt fell in love with Blackarachnia, and had charmed her into grudgingly falling in love with him, at the end of Season 2; when Rattrap made a derogative remark about Blackarachnia's well being, Silverbolt threatened to harm him brutally.
Blackarachnia and Silverbolt in Beast Machines
At the start of Beast Wars Beast Machines, Silverbolt was captured by Megatron and his spark extracted, later to be used in the Vehicon General Jetstorm. Upon learning this, Blackarachnia finally managed to restore Silverbolt by turning him into a techno-organic condor. Unfortunately, Silverbolt's mind had been fully aware and conscious whilst Jetstorm was active, and the fact that he'd been able not only to commit such atrocities but also enjoy them had left him with a darker, more Ronin-like personality, no longer as close to his beloved as he had originally been out of mixed-guilt.
Already a controversial series, the change in Silverbolt's character angered a number of fans, who felt that his personality had been changed into a copy of Dinobot and Depth Charge, losing much of his previous charm. However, in the series finale he seemed to regain his old personality. In the audio commentary on the Beast Machines DVD, this change was said to have been inspired by the evolution of Batman's persona. The campy Batman's change into his current dark portrayal was used as a template for the evolution of Silverbolt. The creators stated that part of this reason was due to how much the Beast Wars Silverbolt reminded them of Adam West’s Batman.
Like most Beast Machines toys, the colors of the toy and show character of Silverbolt did not match. In the show, he was purple with yellow highlights, but as a toy he was red and blue with rainbow feathers. The Japanese release of this toy was colored more closely to the television series. Both versions suffer from being improperly scaled. They are far too small in comparison to most other figures in the line.
He was voiced by Scott McNeil (as Silverbolt), Brian Drummond (as Jetstorm), and Mitsuo Iwata (Japanese).
The appearance of Beast Machines Silverbolt is based on concept art provided to Hasbro by Draxhall Jump.
Transtech
After the Beast Machines line ended, Hasbro planned a follow-up series called Transtech. The Transtech concept was a line intended to take Transformers to their most futuristic. Hasbro commissioned sets of designs from Draxhall Jump. The series was supposedly to bring back some of the characters who died in Beast Wars along with some Generation 1 characters, all in new, techno-organic bodies, though with vehicle alternate modes instead of the animals used in Beast Machines. Many concept sketches and even a few toy prototypes were made, but Hasbro scrapped the idea in favor of bringing to their markets as .
Concept sketches or prototype toys have been seen for Blackarachnia, Cheetor, Depth Charge, Megatron, Nightscream, Optimus Prime, Scavenger, Shockwave, Silverbolt, Soundwave, Starscream and a new character called Immorticon.
In , Beast Machines Silverbolt is reformatted into a purple and yellow (the colors of his Beast Machines television series model) version of his Beast Wars body. He joins the Autobot faction (although he is still described as a Maximal in Universe stories), seeking to save the now Decepticon Blackarachnia.
Note: In the Transformers: Universe comics Silverbolt and the Autobot Trailbreaker briefly swapped bodies to escape Unicron's prisons.
His function is Aerial Assault/Tracker. His motto is "Even in the face of the darkest nights, justice will ultimately prevail."
Hailed as a Maximal hero by the general populace for his role in the liberation of Cybertron from the Megatron's rule, Silverbolt had finally been able to recover from the nightmare of the constant battle, and begin an idylllic life with his love, Blackarachnia. However, once Unicron, the ancient monster planet resurfaced to threaten the cosmos, this new dawn of peace and prosperity for the reborn Cybertron had abruptly been cut short as the planet's populace must again prepare for battle against the ultimate evil. Silverbolt exemplifies the finest qualities that one might expect from Primus' defenders: He is an honorable and brave fighter, righteous in his cause, and noble in his bearing. In his newly reformatted Fuzor body, Silverbolt has reverted to the powerful form he started out with in the beast wars. In beast mode Silverbolt possesses keen olfactory sensors enabling him to track his prey like a bloodhound. In both modes Silverbolt boasts both superior speed and agility. In robot mode his main weapons are bio-mechanically created feather weapondary that can be fashioned into swords or launched as explosive missiles. In the battle against Unicron, Silverbolt's primary goal is to save and recover Blackarachnia from the Chaos Bringer's corrupting influence. However, his feelings for her are even stronger than his own sense of preservation, and can easily be exploited by his enemies.
Silverbolt and Trailbreaker discover that each of their holding cells are attuned to the spark energy signature of it's occupant. In order to escape their prisons Trailbreaker and Silverbolt swap sparks for a brief time, and are able to break out of each others cells. Optimus Primal helps break free the slaves from various timelines which are held there and gets them to Cybertron (Transformers: Universe #2).
In the comic story found in issue 8 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine Cybertron/Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime told the story of the last battle he was in, set in the Transformers: Universe storyline. Alongside 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal they attacked the last of Unicron's forces when Unicron suddenly disappeared, and they barely escaped. Among the Autobot forces were Universe Fireflight, King Atlas, Universe Night Slash Cheetor, Universe Longhorn, Universe Prowl, Universe Repugnus, Rhinox, Universe Side burn, Sideswipe, Universe Silverbolt, Sunstreaker, Tap-Out, Trailbreaker, Cybertron/Robots in Disguise Ultra Magnus and Universe Whirl. Among the Decepticons were Universe Blackaracknia, Nemesis Strika, Universe Obsidian, Universe Razorclaw, Reptilion and Universe Skywarp.
Micromaster
A second Silverbolt later appeared in the Universe toyline in 2006, this time a Micromaster - a repaint of the Sixwing component, Falcon originally released during 1992 in Japan. Although widely believed to be a new form of the G1 character, this Micromaster may in fact be the Beast Wars character reformatted, the US name of Falcon, or a completely new character. With no profile from Hasbro to determine his identity, it is open to speculation and interpretion.A rough translation of Falcon's tech spec: The hardest worker on the Wing Team. Terse of speech, this soldier follows orders faithfully. However, he is also the only soldier among the Decepticons to wonder why he evolved into a Decepticon and not a Autobot, even as he continues fighting.
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