Powerglide is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. He first appeared in 1985, and was voiced by Michael Chain in the animated The Transformers series.
Contents |
Powerglide in The Transformers |
|
| Autobot | |
|---|---|
| Sub-group | Mini-Vehicles, Ultra Vehicles |
| Function | Warrior |
| Rank | 5 |
| Partner | Cosmos, Bumblebee, Warpath, Gears, and Huffer |
| Motto | "To stop me, you have to catch me first." |
| Alternate Modes | A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support jet Cybertronian jet |
| Series | Transformers: Generation 1 Transformers: Universe |
| English voice actor | Michael Chain |
| Japanese voice actor | Hirotaka Suzuoki |
Powerglide (Jumbo in Italy)'s original bio characterized him as somewhat of a show-off. He is one of the few Autobots able to fly, and takes full advantage of this, using massive bursts of acceleration to outpace his opponents. He also frequently shows off to both his friends and foes, outwitting them with his great maneuverability. He transforms into an A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog airplane, but on the ground he is relatively weak. Powerglide's personality and speech pattern is based on the fictional character of Ralph Kramden.
Powerglide was named the 18th top unfortunately named Transformer by Topless Robot.[1]
Powerglide was originally part of an Autobot group in the "Dead End" region of Cybertron. When Blaster was captured by Straxus, Powerglide rescued him, although it was too late for Blaster's friend Scrounge. Later, he was part of the group that went to save the captive scientist Spanner. Accompanying the others to blow up the Decepticon base, they were horrified to discover that the Decepticons had built Spanner into the Space Bridge itself. Destroying the Bridge as a mercy-killing, Poweglide and his comrades (Beachcomber, Blaster, Cosmos, Perceptor, Seaspray and Warpath), with no chance of escaping to Cybertron, crossed the bridge to Earth.[2]
After an attack by Megatron, they were then captured by Circuit Breaker and her Rapid Anti-Robot Attack Team, taken to her lab and then dissected After capturing the Aerialbots she encountered a new problem - the Decepticon Battlechargers Runabout and Runamuck were causing mayhem across America. 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 co-operate she would let them go. Circuit Breaker then used them to battle the two Decepticons, who were attacking the Statue of Liberty. After defeating the Decepticons with Circuit Breaker the Autobots were released.
After a side-adventure in the UK comics in which they encountered (and were almost killed by) the future Decepticon Galvatron, Powerglide's group linked up with the main Autobots - only to learn of the death of Optimus Prime.
In a subsequent attack, he was injured by the giant Decepticon Trypticon.
When Grimlock's regime became ever more tyrannical, Powerglide was one of those who welcomed Blaster back to the fold.
Although Powerglide was not seen to be deactivated during the Underbase powered Starscream's rampage, he last appeared in issue 60, Yesterday's Heroes. (His appearance was on a viewscreen showing Autobots deactivated during an Underbase-powered Starscream's assault on the Earth.)
Powerglide first appeared in the episode "Dinobot Island, Part 1". In the episode "A Prime Problem", Powerglide was seen saving Spike after Megatron threw him from his ship, with no explanation of his origin. He went on to make regular appearances, seemingly replacing Skyfire as the Autobot aerial support. Powerglide seems to have a real superiority complex as he calls himself "Sophisticated", "Ace of the Air", and "Sultan of the Sky."
He had many adventures, including being shot down by a teleporting Skywarp ("The Master Builders"), acting as a "giant evil alien" in a Hollywood film ("Hoist Goes Hollywood"), delivering the miniaturized Perceptor, Brawn and Bumblebee to knock out the Heart of Cybertron within Megatron ("Micro-bots"), and travelling to Cybertron to save Optimus Prime and battle the Decepticons alongside the female Autobots, where he was reunited with his long lost love Moonracer ("The Search for Alpha Trion").
Powerglide's largest role was in episode 54, "The Girl Who Loved Powerglide", where he thwarts an attempted Decepticon kidnapping of a young CEO named Astoria Carlton Ritz, who falls for Powerglide. Powerglide despised the spoilt rich girl, as she soon proved her talent for jinxing machinery. However, after she revealed that she was only chairman due to her father's death after he inadvertently touched her locket, he began to warm to the human - only to have her kidnapped by Dirge, Thrust and Ramjet. Powerglide set off to rescue her, but ran into trouble with the Decepticons newest weapon, which could create energy storms. Seeing his plight, Astoria threw her locket (containing the formula Megatron was after) into the Decepticon beacon, causing their floating base to crash, although Powerglide managed to rescue Astoria and redirect the base onto the Decepticons' underwater headquarters. After the two parted ways following their adventure, Powerglide revealed in secrecy that the circuits inside his chest lit up in the shape of a heart.
He did not appear in The Transformers: The Movie, but did appear in several episodes of the television series set after the movie. His last appearance was in " The Ghost In The Machine".
The animation model for Powerglide is shown alongside Skyfire being destroyed in Dark Awakening. It's almost certain that those models were used as inspiration for generic Autobot aircraft, as the footage is accidentally used twice and given the fact that the size of the destroyed models is much bigger than Powerglide.
Interestingly, Powerglide is never seen in the any of the episodes that feature the Aerialbots.
Powerglide was featured in the 1985 Find Your Fate Junior book called Battle Drive by Barbara Siegel and Scott Siegel.[3]
When civil war broke out on the planet Cybertron between the Autobots and Decepticons, Powerglide joined the Autobot cause. When Autobot leader Sentinel Prime was killed by Decepticon leader Megatron, a new Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, was chosen. Optimus ordered the evacuation of Cybertron by the Autobots, and Powerglide was among those who reluctantly prepared for the evacuation (Transformers: War Within #2). When Shockwave led a force of Decepticons against the Autobot capitol of Iacon, Powerglide was among the Autobots who defended the capitol (Transformers: War Within #3).
After the Great Shutdown, Powerglide was reformatted in the form of an Earth jet. When Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron accused of crimes, Powerglide was among the Autobots who joined Optimus in overthrowing the rule of Shockwave.
Following the liberation of Cybertron from Shockwave’s rule, Bumblebee was assigned to help reinforce Jazz’s team on Earth. Bumblebee was placed in command of the Autobot supply shuttle Orion, with Powerglide, Seaspray, Cosmos, Warpath, Cliffjumper, Bumper and the Powerdashers assigned to him. Their mission was to aid the Autobots on Earth. Upon arriving in the Earth system from transwarp space, they witnessed the arrival of Sunstorm. (Transformers: Generation One III #1). They attempted to stop the rampaging Seeker clone, but Poweglide was among those deactivated by his power. He would not appear again before Dreamwave's bankruptcy.
| Autobot | |
|---|---|
| Alternate Modes | Jet |
| Series | Transformers: Timelines |
Powerglide is a mirror universe duplicate of the Generation 1 character. He is one of Optimus Prime's evil Autobots. He is a member of Remote Patrol Six, under the command of Kup.
Powerglide is afraid of heights and prefers to fly low to the ground.
Powerglide appears as a member of the Autobots in the story Do Over by Fun Publications.[10]
| Autobot | |
|---|---|
| Alternate Modes | Cybertronian ground vehicle |
| Series | Transformers Animated |
In Transformers Animated, a character resembling Powerglide appeared in a crowd scene at the end of "Decepticon Air". He was later confirmed to be Powerglide by the show's creators, who said he turns into a treaded ground vehicle, as most Autobots in this series do not fly.[11]
| Autobot | |
|---|---|
| Sub-group | Cyberverse Commander |
| Alternate Modes | Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II |
| Series | Transformers: Dark of the Moon |
This Powerglide is based on his Generation 1 character.