Airazor

Airazor is the name of four fictional characters from the Transformers franchise. The original Airazor was introduced in 1997 as a main character in the Beast Wars television series, voiced by Pauline Newstone. All version of Airazor are depicted as heroic flying Transformers. She is also sometimes called Wing Saber. The toy company Hasbro has a Trademark on the name Airazor.^[1]

Beast Wars

The heroic Airazor has a dry wit in and out of battle and she has an affinity for the planet Earth.^[3][4] She has platinum coated claws.^[5]

Airazor is described as the smart and sassy pilot of the Chromia 10. She heads up one of the numerous Maximal squadrons assigned to prevent any rogue Predacon factions from operating outside the terms of the Pax Cybertronia.

When her stasis pod crashed, the locking chip of Airazor's protoform was damaged. Rhinox transplanted Cheetor's locking chip into Airazor's protoform and gave her a chance of survival. Because of this Airazor shares also a special bond with Cheetor, who allowed some of his circuitry to be used in keeping Airazor's protoform alive. This bond is a unique sibling relationship among the Maximals on Earth. Airazor also feels a special relationship to Rhinox who is sort of an "uncle" to her, due mostly in part to his large role in her rescue.

Airazor sees Earth as her home and feels more comfortable in her falcon mode. Fellow Maximal Tigatron shares this love, and together they have formed a bond to the planet and each other. She had a romantic relationship with Tigatron before being abducted by the Vok and fused into Tigerhawk (Tigatron: “Wherever you go, my spark shall find yours!” Airazor: "And mine, yours!").

Airazor is very fast and efficient in battle. Her wrist mounted missile blasters once tore Predacon warrior Terrorsaur to pieces and she is never one to back down from a challenge.

In Japan, Airazor was portrayed as being male, with his relationship with Tigatron being depicted (awkwardly) as mentor and protege.^[6]

Reception

Airazor was named the 3rd worst upgrade in Beast Wars history by Topless Robot when she combined by the Vok into Tigerhawk.^[7]

Animated series

In Beast Wars, Airazor was one of the protoforms from the Maximal ship called the Axalon commanded by Optimus Primal, which chased the Predacon criminal Megatron through transwarp space after the theft of the Golden Disk. The Maximals and Predacons crashed on prehistoric Earth, where high Energon levels threatened to destroy the crew unless they adopted organic alternate modes.^[8]

The Axalon's cargo of Maximal protoforms in stasis pods had been launched into orbit before the crash, but eventually Airazor's pod fell to Earth. Falling inside Predacon controlled territory, the pod was spotted by Tarantulas and Megatron, as well as by Rhinox and Cheetor. Cheetor contacted Tigatron and told the tiger to contact base with the news. Blackarachnia and Scorponok were sent by Megatron to retrieve the pod. Rhinox was the first to arrive at the crash site and discovered the pod was damaged and the protoform was dying. Cheetor then arrived to help Rhinox save the protoform. On his way back to base, Tigatron discovered Scorponok and disabled him, but was in turn ambushed by Blackarachnia. Rhinox replaced the damaged locking chip in the protoform with one donated by Cheetor. Cheetor confronted Blackarachnia, keeping her from getting to Rhinox and the protoform. Cheetor then tried to lure Waspinator and Terrorsaur away from the pod, but Terrorsaur got the best of him. Rhinox had to run the sequencer program for the protoform through his own processor to keep it alive. This knocked Rhinox into stasis lock, but started the DNA scanners for the stasis pod. The protoform was formatted to the form of a falcon which was flying overhead just as Terrorsaur arrived. The newly born Airazor was able to defeat Terrorsaur. Rhinox took her back to the Axalon, introducing her to Optimus Primal and Rattrap (“The Spark”).

In the Japanese dub of Beast Wars, Airazor was turned into a male as a means to (hopefully) increase toy-sales. The gender-dub was already set in place by the time the dubbers received the episodes where Tigatron and Airazor became more intimate, so Airazor's relationship with Tigatron was played off somewhat differently in order to avoid complaints of homosexuality. Tigatron was presented as a samurai retainer with protective feelings towards his young ward; their closeness addressed in a "brotherly" sort of way. Despite that, there was still enough innuendo left-over in their dialogue and body language for their relationship to have a romantic subtext.

When the Earth was hit by a Quantum Surge it transfigured several Cybertronians into Transmetal forms, but Airazor was mysteriously unaltered, presumably because she and Tigatron were 'born' on Earth, while the altered Maximals weren't (“Aftermath”).

It would be later discovered that they were captured by the alien race known as the Vok, who used the bodies and sparks of Tigatron and Airazor to form the powerful Vok emissary: Tigerhawk. Tigerhawk was destroyed by the Nemesis (“Nemesis Part 2”).

Comics

3H Enterprises

Airazor was one of the stars of the 1997 Botcon Convention Comics, a story set near the end of season one of the Beast Wars television series. In the Convention Comics plot, Inferno and Blackarachnia watched as the Predacon scientist Fractyl attempted to invent Energon Armor capable of protecting them from Energon build up. Although seemingly successful, the armor was stolen by the Maximal thief Packrat. Blackarachinia and Fractyl realized the energon armor was flawed and could destroy the planet if it came in contact with large amounts of energon. Inferno pursued Packrat, but since Packrat didn't need to assume beast mode with the armor on, he got the upper hand in the fight with Inferno. Hearing the battle, Airazor, Cheetor and Rhinox joined Packrat. Fractyl convinced Rhinox that the armor was a threat to them all. Rhinox was able to talk Packrat into giving up the armor, which Fractyl aided them in doing. When Blackarachnia arrived with Megatron, Packrat suggested that Fractyl pretend to be attacking the Maximals, who fled. Megatron was impressed with Fractyl's new found battle prowess.

Airazor returned from the dead in the pages of the Transformers: Universe Wreckers comic book series, as a transmetal. Airazor's function is Aerial Recon. A quantum surge has completely rearranged Airazor's structure to include a metal-armor coating and a pontoon plane substructure to provide the advantage of sea reconnaissance. Already quick as lightning, her jets furnish extra high-level acceleration and agility. Her optical matrix scanners can detect Predacon ground movement from 30,000 feet while her armor-ripping talons send fearful sparks through the Predacon army.

Airazor appeared as part of the Beast Wars: Primeval Dawn storyline, in which she and Tigatron were sent back to Earth to aid the newly born Maximal commander Primal Prime against the evil Tarantulas. The story arc's cancellation meant that Airazor's part in the final battles is unknown, and she was not among those Maximals who returned to Cybertron and became members of the Wreckers. Presumably, she was either destroyed on Earth or was one of the few who was not inoculated against Megatron's transformation virus by Apelinq before he was sent hurtling back in time by a battle with a Vehicon general.

Fun Publications

According to the Transformers Collectors Club exclusive fiction The Razor's Edge before the Beast Wars Airazor was known as Wing Saber. She came into conflict once with the Decepticon agent Flamewar.

The Predacons who stole the Golden Disk artifact were pursued by Unit 2, who was granted clearance from Maximal Defense Command to commandeer transport. The Maximal who would become Airazor was boarding her ship, the Chromia 10, when Unit 2 approached and demanded use of it. "Airazor" at first refused, but suggested she was open to "persuasion", as she put it. The call of adventure captured her interest, and instead of handing over the Chromia 10 to Unit 2, she allowed him to hitch a ride, piloting it herself. The Chromia 10 intercepted the Predacons' ship, the Darksyde , which was engaged in battle with the Axalon and guarded by a mysterious third ship. During the ensuing firefight, the Chromia 10 was badly damaged. Optimus Primal had their sparks remotely uploaded to blank protoforms in the Axalon's cargohold, which saved their lives, but severely damaged their core mainframes.^[9]

IDW Publishing

Airazor had a biography in the Beast Wars Sourcebook. In this version, it is the Vok who give Airazor her Transmetal form.

Manga

Much like the TV series, except that Airazor was TransMetalized herself. She searched for Tigatron while helping the others like the confrontation with Rampage, but when she found him, she was devastated to see him under Tarantulas' control. Airazor sacrificed herself to break Tigatron out of it, with her spark entering his body and merging onto Tigatron's spark, which had him evolve to Tigerhawk as a result. In this way, Airazor would remain with Tigerhawk.^[10][11]

Games

Airazor appears as a character in the Nintendo 64 version of the 1999 video game Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals.^[12]

Toys

• Beast Wars Basic Airazor (1997)

Japanese ID number: C-10

Part of the first wave of year-two Beast Wars product, Airazor transforms into a peregrine falcon. Unlike first-year Basics, Airazor's transformation is entirely manual, rather than spring-loaded: pulling on feathers near its tail activates a spring-loaded wing-movement gimmick. Each wing also has a flip-out blade. Its tail hides a non-firing blaster. This toy can sell for $30 still in the package as a collectors item.^[13][14]

The original Airazor figure has the honor of being the first mass-produced, US released female Transformer figure. All female figures made before her were either convention exclusives like Nightracer, were repaints of male figures, or only released in foreign markets like Minerva.

For its Takara release, it was available both as an individual and in an "Aerial Showdown" Vs-pack with Insecticon.

• Beast Wars Video Airazor (1997)

The original Airazor toy was given a similar but darker recolor, and packaged with a VHS tape containing the episodes "Aftermath" and "Coming of the Fuzors, Part 1".

• Beast Wars Transmetal Deluxe Airazor (1998)

Japanese ID number: C-44

Transmetal Airazor transforms into a mechanical falcon, with a third "seaplane" mold with fold-down pontoons. In robot mode, the chromed beast-mode back plates can fold around it for a "shield" mode.

This mold was also used to make Armada Airazor.

• Beast Wars Fox Kids Trasmetal Deluxe Airazor (2000)

One of the final releases of the normal Beast Wars line, Airazor's transmetal toy was given a slight recoloring and released as part of the so-called "Fox Kids" assortment of deluxe transmetal redecos. Again, its recoloring was not as drastic a change from the original as the others in the series.

This version of Airazor was made available in Japan as a toy-show exclusive along with the "Fox Kids" versions of TransMetal Cheetor and Rattrap.

• Timelines Deluxe Airazor (2007)

In November 2006 the Official Transformers Collectors Club announced a coming club exclusive Transformers: Timelines Airazor figure. This figure is a remold of Energon Slugslinger and is how she appeared in the Timelines 2006 comic book.

Transformers: Armada

Airazor is a professional in every sense of the word. She does not waste words or time, always opting to demonstrate her beliefs with action. Her top speed is 500 mph. She has excellent visual acuity for targeting her multiple laser cannons. She has below-average strength, and her wings are easily damaged.^[15]

In the later Transformers: Armada toyline, the transmetal Airazor toy was recolored and released as an Autobot. She was partnered with the Mini-Con Nightscream.

Dreamwave Productions

In the Dreamwave Productions Armada comic book series, this Airazor (who had once been an undercover spy in the Decepticon ranks) became Death, one of the Four Horsemen of Unicron. Armada Airazor appeared as a minion of Unicron in the Transformers: Energon comic book series. Armada Airazor also was set to appear in the unreleased issue #31 of the Transformers: Energon comic series.

Toys

• Armada Deluxe Airazor with Nightscream (2003)

A remold of Beast Wars Transmetal Airazor with new Powerlink ports and an added Mini-Con.

Transformers: Timelines

A third character named Airazor appeared in the Fun Publications fiction series, seemingly a parallel version to the pre-Beast Wars Airazor.

Fun Publications

Airazor appeared in Gone Too Far and Withered Hope by Fun Publications. She works for security in the city of Axiom Nexus.^[16][17]

Toys

• Timelines Deluxe Airazor (2007)

In November 2006 the Official Transformers Collectors Club announced a coming club exclusive Timelines Airazor figure. This figure is a remold of Transformers: Energon Slugslinger and is how she appeared in the Timelines 2006 comic book.^[18]

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Sold in a 5-pack with his fellow Aerialbots as part of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen toy line. They combine into Superion.

Toys

• Revenge of the Fallen Scout Airazor (2009)

A recolor of Energon Windrazor and Treadshot.

References

External links

• Hero 4th Edition role playing game character sheet for Beast Wars Airazor
• http://www.unicron.us/tf1997/toypics/airazor.htm