Powerglide (Transformers)

Powerglide is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series.

Transformers: Generation 1

Powerglide

Powerglide in The Transformers
Autobot
Information
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.

Reception

Powerglide was named the 16th top unfortunately named Transformer by Topless Robot.^[1]

Animated series

Powerglide first appeared in the episode "Dinobot Island Pt. 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.

Books

Powerglide was featured in the 1985 Find Your Fate Junior book called Battle Drive by Barbara Siegel and Scott Siegel.^[2]

Comics

Dreamwave Productions

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.

Marvel Comics

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.^[3]

After an attack by Megatron, they were then captured by Circuit Breaker and her Rapid Anti-Robot Attack Team, taken to her lab and disassembled. 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.)

Toys

• Generation 1 Mini-Vehicle Powerglide (1985)

The toy version of Powerglide was released by Hasbro from 1985 through 1986 as a Mini-Vehicle, placing him in the same general size category as Bumblebee, Beachcomber, and Huffer.^[4]

This Mini-Bot sized toy was later redecoed into the eHobby exclusive Decepticon Bad Boy.

• Classic Legends Fireflight (2007)

The Micro series of Transformers contains a repaint of Micro Jetfire painted red and named Fireflight. According to Hasbro sources at BotCon 2006 this toy was originally intended to be called Powerglide, but they couldn't clear the Powerglide name with the legal department in time for release of the toy.

• Universe Classic Series Ultra Powerglide (2008)

An Ultra Class figure. Though the head and body highly resemble Generation 1 Powerglide, his color scheme has been changed to be more white/grey dominate with red details. The wingspan of this figure is 23.5 centimeters while a real A-10 has a wingspan of 1753 centimeters, placing the figure at 1/76 scale. With the robot mode standing at 21.5 centimeters tall, Powerglide in real life would stand about 1634 centimeters (53 feet 7 inches) tall. In an homage to the G1 episode "The Girl Who Loved Powerglide", Powerglide's chest plate can be flipped up to reveal the raised image of a heart.

The mold for this figure was also used for the Decepticon Stormcloud.^[5][6][7]

• Universe Classic Series Ultra Powerglide (Takara Tomy) (2008)

The Japanese version of the Universe Ultra figure by Takara Tomy is repainted in the cartoon accurate red while retaining the Hasbro version's decals. Released in Japan as a "USA Edition", retaining the original Hasbro packaging.^[8] The fact that the original toy was red with grey arms has led to the fan practice of purchasing both the Hasbro and Takara Tomy versions of the toys and putting the Universe arms on the Takara Tomy body, making a toy more accurate to the original than either one by itself. The remaining parts - a white/grey body with red arms - are often used to represent the Autobot Micromaster Hot House.

• Universe Generation 1 Series Ultra Powerglide (2009)

A Walmart exclusive red redeco of the Universe Ultra figure, making him more cartoon-accurate. This figure differs from the Japanese version, wherein the red color is in a brighter shade, the cockpit frame is painted in white instead of black and the decals are different.^[9]

Shattered Glass

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.

Fun Publications

Powerglide appears as a member of the Autobots in the story Do Over by Fun Publications.^[10]

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]

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

This Powerglide is based on his Generation 1 character.

Toys

• Dark of the Moon Cyberverse Commander Powerglide (2011)

A new Commander mold of Powerglide that comes with gun that forms missiles in vehicle mode.

References