TFtember: Jetfire

Jetfire 

Or Skyfire, if you prefer

A figure that in all likelyhood will NEVER be reissued. It began life as a VF-1S Super Valkyrie from Macross and it was made by Takatoku Toys. As best as I can tell the whole thing came about for two reasons. 1) Hasbro was in dire need of need toys for Series 2 2) Takatoku was in dire need of money thus they lent the molds to Hasbro. The figure is a real beauty, going from robot to jet to a 'guardian mode' which you'd be familiar with if you caught any episodes of Robotech.  

The filecard doesn't go in a whole of detail. He's the fastest and seems interested in science but there's nothing to suggest he's a proper scientist. He's also so high tech he can prone to mechanical failure. 

The comics painted a different picture. He started out as a Decepticon but also a mindless one. Yeah, he was built at the same time as the Constructicons but unlike them he had no personality. Thankfully Buster, when he briefly had Creation Matrix powers, and Bumblebee managed to alter Jetfire's programing and give him free will. He later would be used pretty much anytime the Autobots needed air support until he was blown up by Starscream, although later materiel suggested he was simply injured and not dead. 

The cartoon, where he was voiced by Gregg Berger, was a sort of blend of the comic and the filecard. In the show, Skyfire (can't seem to find a reason for the name change) was originally a scientist alongside Starscream. In fact they were the closest of chums but during a scouting mission to what would become Earth, Skyfire was lost in a storm and crashed, only being thawed out millions of years later. 

He would at first be a loyal Decepticon but after seeing how they acted he switched sides to the Autobots. He was then buried again but got thawed later. He also acted as their air support/taxi for the rest of the series. He was later seen being shot (but not overtly killed) in the episode "Dark Awakening". 

All told, disappointing waste of a character. Lots of potential, especially his past with Starscream but they barely did anything aside from using him as transport.