Powerglide (G1)

Powerglide is an Autobot Mini Vehicle from the Generation 1 continuity family.

He's sick of getting the bronze medal in the Ego Olympics. Sunstreaker and Tracks never let him live it down.

Powerglide, unlike most Autobots, can fly under his own power, and it goes straight to his pointy head. Give him any excuse and awaa-aa-aay he goes, dashing off into the stratosphere at 500 mph—but not in a straight line. No, Powerglide is an aerial acrobat, able to perform stunts other Transformer planes would never dream of. Barrel rolls, tail stands, death spirals, screaming 3200-mph powerdives: none of these are too tough for this Autobot barnstormer, and if he has an audience, be they friendly or enemy, he is guaranteed to put on the air show of their lives.

Yet this seeming frivolity has saved his life countless times in combat. Powerglide is lightly armed with small concussion bombs and a nose-mounted thermal beam, and the former is practically useless in the air. Furthermore, his speed and power, impressive as they are, are vastly outclassed by most aerial Decepticons. Like the flying aces of World War I, Powerglide resorts to dogfighting maneuvers, using his flying skills to confuse and evade the enemy. This tactic works very well.

In fact, Powerglide's skill only aggravates his greatest weakness. He is good, and he knows it, and he misses no chance to show it. If this means he will seek out ever tougher foes to prove his mettle—then he'll do that, even if it kills him. Some day, it might.^[1]

Sometimes he is a member of the Aerialbots.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Michael Chain (English), Hirotaka Suzuoki (Japanese), Kenyū Horiuchi (Japanese, "A Prime Problem"), Masashi Ebara (Japanese, 2010), Yang Wenyuan (Chinese),Giorgio Locuratolo (Italian), Carlos Nieto (Latin-American Spanish, first voice), Javier Pontón (Latin-American Spanish, second voice), Peter Musäus (German, "The Girl Who Loved Powerglide"), Bernd Simon (German, "Hoist Goes Hollywood"), Reinhard Brock (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5"), Hans-Rainer Müller (German, "Ghost in the Machine"), Crock Krumbiegel (German, most of the Generation 2 dub), Christoph Jablonka (German, Generation 2 dub of "The Revenge of Bruticus"), Georges Atlas (European French), François Leccia (European French, "Blaster Blues", "The Golden Lagoon" & "Starscream's Brigade"), Unknown (European French, "Dinobot Island, Part 1" & "The Master Builders"), Jacques Ferrière (European French, "A Prime Problem"), Mário Jorge Andrade (Portuguese), Waldir Fiori (Portuguese, "The Revenge of Bruticus"), Paulo Flores (Portuguese, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5")

Where did I come from?! Where did YOU come from?! Yeah, what do you say to that?!"

Powerglide was a brash barnstormer with a penchant for spouting gung-ho sayings like "And awaaa-aaa-aay we go!". He literally appeared out of nowhere to save Spike Witwicky when the boy had been thrown overboard Megatron's spaceship, after the latter's plan to use a clone of Optimus Prime to destroy the Autobots failed. A Prime Problem

Bumblebee and Powerglide were sent on a reconnaissance mission to investigate some strange energy readings out at sea. Inside the temporal anomaly, they discovered a prehistoric island inhabited by dinosaurs. Powerglide had to save Bumblebee from an aggressive pterodactyl, then attempted to repair Bumblebee's damaged jet pack, before abandoning it and flying Bumblebee off the island. Later, after it was decided that the Dinobots should be relocated to the island, Powerglide led the large brutes and Spike to the island. After Spike unwittingly got himself into several dangerous situations, Powerglide flew him back home. Dinobot Island, Part 1

Called on to find Grapple and Hoist, Powerglide soon located the pair working on their Solar Power Tower with the Constructicons. He reported back to Optimus and later took part in the battle to destroy the tower, attacking Devastator and dogfighting with Ramjet. The Master Builders Though he was damaged during an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the Decepticons retrieving the Heart of Cybertron, Powerglide volunteered to carry Perceptor's miniaturised team and drop them off on Megatron's body. To his surprise, he found the Decepticons in a state of inebriation due to over-energizing. He dropped off his cargo and made a clean getaway, despite Megatron taking a shot at him. Microbots

Little known fact: Powerglide was the first Headmaster.

All of the Autobots were exiled from Earth after being framed by the Decepticons. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 They ended up being set on a collision course with the Sun, but at the last minute, were able to return to Earth and kick Decepticon tailpipe. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2 After a disastrous battle at an airport, Powerglide helped Ironhide and Grapple reconstruct a building, only for it to be demolished by Grapple's inaccurate placing of the roof. Ironhide and Powerglide had a laugh at their friend's expense, but it soon turned out that the problem was more serious than a minor glitch—the Autobots were suffering by Cybertonium depletion. Powerglide's symptoms included his head falling off. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1

When Megatron's latest plan blocked radio transmissions all over Earth, Powerglide, Spike and Carly helped Optimus guide commercial aircraft safely to the ground. They were attacked by Starscream and Thundercracker, leaving Prime incapacitated and Powerglide in danger of crashing. Spike used a spare rocket pack to stabilise Powerglide's flight, and the Autobot was able to pick up Optimus and carry him back to base. There, Carly made emergency repairs, and they took Omega Supreme to the Moon, where they watched Optimus and Megatron fight. Blaster Blues

Powerglide was part of a group of Autobots taking a walk along a beach when they were attacked by Decepticons. As the battle raged on, Thrust found a pool of Electrum and, once coated with the stuff, became impervious to the Autobot weapons. While Seaspray and Perceptor were captured, Powerglide and the others escaped. Powerglide was part of the retaliatory mission; however, the rest of the Decepticons had already coated themselves in Electrum, rendering anything the Autobots could do ineffective. Damaged, Powerglide washed up on the shore in time to spy the Decepticons utilising the pool of Electrum, enabling him to fly back to base and warn the Autobots. The Golden Lagoon

The Autobots set up a sting operation in New York City to apprehend car thieves, of which Powerglide was a part. He and Cosmos chased Starscream into a shopping mall, but the two Autobots were unable to prevent him from getting away. Make Tracks Cosmos suggested Powerglide lead an assault on the Constructicons, who were working on an asteroid, but, to Powerglide's disappointment, Prime went to talk to Omega Supreme instead. Powerglide later helped defend San Francisco from an alien creature unleashed from the asteroid. The Secret of Omega Supreme During a coup by Astrotrain and Blitzwing, Powerglide spied on what the triple changers were up to and was able to rescue Spike when the city was flooded. Triple Takeover

Their 4 million year reunion. And yes, he cheats on her the very next episode.

After Megatron demanded Optimus Prime's surrender in exchange for Elita One, Powerglide was among the Autobots who followed him to Cybertron. Once there, he was disbelieving of Starscream's claim that Optimus Prime had been destroyed. During their vengeful attack on the Decepticons, Powerglide met up with his old friend Moonracer. The Search for Alpha Trion

"Don't worry, I won't hug her too hard."

Soon after hooking up with Moonracer, he saved the fleshling female Astoria Carlton-Ritz from being kidnapped by Ramjet, Thrust and Dirge. He was assigned to escort her back to Autobot HQ, but they were again attacked by the coneheads, who injured Powerglide and snatched Astoria. After receiving some repairs from Ratchet, Powerglide set off for the Decepticon Sky Platform to rescue Astoria. Caught in the platform's security field, Powerglide was helped by Astoria herself, who destroyed an energy tower. Unfortunately the damage left the platform plummeting out of control, but Powerglide was able to rig it to crash into the Decepticon base.

Afterwards, it seemed as though Powerglide had developed feelings for Astoria, much to the amusement of the other Autobots. The only lasting result was a series of flashing lights under his chestplate in the form of a stylized heart. What purpose this served (other than being disturbing) is not immediately clear. The Girl Who Loved Powerglide

"Hey, human, when I'm in jet mode, you fit in my head."

After thoroughly embarrassing himself by accidentally destroying several sets and props in an attempt to show off, Powerglide was among several egotistical Autobots who demanded to be given a role in a movie that Hoist was starring in. Initially, his "role" amounted to crashing into a STORE while in jet mode (supposedly to stop "the crooks"). Soon afterwards, Powerglide and the other would-be-actor Autobots asked Hoist to talk to the director to get them some "real" acting roles. After reworking the movie into Attack of the Alien Robots, the director had the Autobots given cheesy alien face masks. Powerglide remarked that the role was "the pits", and that he would rather do the stunt crashes. In a later scene, Powerglide demonstrated his rather wooden acting "skills". Guess he was better suited for stunts. Hoist Goes Hollywood

Powerglide was one of the Autobots who volunteered to rescue Perceptor from the Decepticons. Cosmic Rust He took part in the defence of headquarters against another attack by the Decepticons, only to be puzzled when Megatron almost immediately called a retreat. After some investigation, it turned out Starscream had stolen some personality components to create the Combaticons. Powerglide set out to find the rebel Decepticons, and soon found them fighting Megatron's forces at the Amalgamated Water and Power Plant Starscream's Brigade During a massive attack on a human city by the Insecticons, Powerglide dropped Spike and Perceptor off in the battle zone, so the pair could warn the Autobot leader about strange signals coming from Cybertron. The Revenge of Bruticus

Powerglide and the rest of the Minibots tried to repel the Decepticons' new mobile assault base—and failed. When the colossal 'con took several direct hits and seemed to be falling apart, Powerglide cheerfully reported that they had destroyed it—then in his shock, just happened to narrate aloud that it had a reptilian mode too. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

Powerglide appeared to have been destroyed during a disastrous Autobot attack on the Quintessons led by a resurrected, reprogrammed Optimus Prime. Dark Awakening However, he was later among the Autobots who attempted to stop Scourge and Starscream's ghost from stealing Metroplex's eyes, so he must have gotten better. Unfortunately, a blind Metroplex accidentally shot him down, but Warpath saved him. Ghost in the Machine

The Transformers public service announcements

When three boys dismissed a girl who wanted to join them in skateboarding around a park, Powerglide flew down from above and admonished them for their sexist assumptions about the girl's skateboarding ability. He then urged her to show what she could do, as she demonstrated her impressive skills to the boys' amazement. Powerglide once again reminded them not to pass premature judgment on others. Don't Jump To Conclusions

TV Magazine comic continuity

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic

Arriving in Tokyo, Japan, Powerglide intervened on Ravage's attack on Bumblebee and the Autobots' human friend, Kenji. Instead of shooting the Decepticon from the air, Powerglide zoomed in close and decked Ravage with a partially transformed hand. PG then grabbed Kenji and flew off, leaving Bumblebee alone to face Soundwave and his cassettes. For some reason. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2 Later, Powerglide was also present when Optimus Prime was showing Kenji around the Autobots' base in Japan. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4

While surveying the desert, Powerglide came across the Combaticons hunting down an innocent dog. He interfered with their mission, but took heavy firepower shielding the animal with his own body. Seriously injured, Powerglide transformed in a desperate attempt to keep the dog alive just a little longer inside his cockpit. Surprisingly, the puppy managed to operate his control console and keep Powerglide moving long enough for a Minibot patrol to respond to his SOS. It seemed that Megatron had incorporated powerful energy inside the puppy as a plot to conquer Earth. In order to avoid being used by the Decepticons, the puppy sacrificed himself to channel massive amounts of Scramble Power into Powerglide. United as one, Powerglide and the Minibots used Scramble Power to deliver a mighty blow against Bruticus, defeating the Combaticons. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8

The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms comic

Powerglide was stationed at Autobot City in 2010. He welcomed a group of children visiting the Autobot base as they were being shown around by Ultra Magnus. The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #3

Full Throttle Scramble Power!

Powerglide accompanied the massive Autobot reinforcements called in to counter Megatron's nefarious Omega Wave Cannon. Full Throttle Scramble Power!

The Battle of the Star Gate

Powerglide was led to Japan by Optimus Prime, along with a small team of other Autobots, to stop the Decepticons' latest Energon-gathering scheme. Optimus ordered him to pursue Astrotrain to prevent the Decepticons from escaping with their loot. In the end, a duplicate Starscream appeared and took off with the Energon cache along with his other self. Activation

Powerglide was amongst the Autobots who once more confronted Megatron and his Decepticons at the Trigger in Earth orbit. When Starscream combined himself with the Trigger to create a powerful new body for himself, Powerglide had to contend with the volley of asteroids thrown towards both Autobots and Decepticons from Starscream's star gate. He was then almost sucked into a portal to a black hole when Starscream neared defeat, but was instead sent plummeting down to Earth when Optimus and Megatron worked together to defeat Starscream. The Battle of the Star Gate

Wings Universe

Powerglide was present at the first "meeting" of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus. Battle Lines, Part 6

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

We bet you are. Don't be crude, Powerglide.

Powerglide was a member of Perceptor's resistance cell on Cybertron during the reign of Straxus. Like most of his comrades, he found more inspiration in Blaster's bravado than the calculated caution of Perceptor. When their untrustworthy scout, Scrounge went missing, Powerglide and his peers fell in line with Blaster's plan to find and rescue him, overruling Perceptor. After much searching, all but Blaster had given up on Scrounge, but Powerglide had stayed to secretly shadow Blaster, allowing the air-capable Autobot to deliver him to safety out of the smelting pool (regrettably leaving Scrounge behind). This act gave Perceptor's small group of Autobots the first good news they had heard in eons, for Scrounge had handed them evidence that Optimus Prime lived. The Smelting Pool!

Cybertronic altmode: paper airplane

Further reconnaissance by Blaster and Powerglide revealed startling news—the Decepticons were building a space bridge! As this would spell certain doom for both Cybertron and Earth, a desperate raid on Straxus's Darkmount fortress was launched. This attack was mostly successful, as it leveled Darkmount and ended in Straxus's destruction, but Powerglide and the rest of his Autobot comrades had to retreat to Earth over the Space Bridge as it self-destructed. Here they were greeted immediately by a group of humans. The Bridge to Nowhere! Though Megatron and his troops spotted the Autobots upon their materialization on Earth, the Decepticons were distracted by a more pressing mission at the time, and left without attacking the new arrivals. Command Performances! However, the humans belonged to the anti-robot attack team, RAAT. While Powerglide and the other Autobots, unfamiliar with how things worked on Earth, tried to talk to their vehicles, RAAT deployed "electric snow" missiles to disorient the Transformers. Powerglide's group was then too dazed to fight back, and were captured with the help of Circuit Breaker. Heavy Traffic! Powerglide and his fellows were disassembled, with their heads getting mounted on the wall of RAAT's headquarters. Aerialbots over America! The Autobots were only given a chance at freedom after Circuit Breaker was forced to elicit their aid to defeat the Battlechargers. Powerglide and the other Autobots' components were combined to form a jury-rigged robot that Circuit Breaker used to stop the duo while they were defacing the status of liberty. After Runabout and Runamuck were sent packing, Powerglide and the Autobots were allowed to go free. Decepticon Graffiti!

Following Skids back to the Ark, Powerglide and the others got lost after their guide spontaneously vanished into limbo. Even worse was the reason for the disappearance—Galvatron had returned to the present. Unlike most of his fellows, Powerglide actually managed to get a good shot in before Galvatron knocked the circuits out of him. Fallen Angel After Galvatron was forced into retreat by the vagrant Dinobots, Perceptor's team finally managed to reach the Ark, where they learned of Optimus Prime's apparent demise at the hands of the Predacons. Powerglide attended Prime's funeral and assimilated into Earth's depleted Autobot forces, though it was soon revealed that Prime's death was a ruse. Resurrection!

"Is this the line for the mutiny?"

When Optimus Prime died (for real) after a digital battle with Megatron, Powerglide observed with the other Autobots as Ratchet failed to successfully repair their fallen leader. After attending Prime's (real) funeral, a criminal known as the Mechanic turned the Ark's new security systems on the mourning Autobots, with devastating results. Though Powerglide was counted among the wounded due to this incident, Ratchet was able to best the intruder and vowed to fix all of the Autobots post-haste afterwards. Funeral for a Friend! Powerglide was at the receiving end of massive firepower once more when Trypticon attacked the Ark. Had it not been for the Dinobots' timely intervention, the behemoth would have likely reduced all of the Autobots' forces to scrap. King of the Hill! Grimlock, Prime's successor in leadership, turned out to be a self-interested tyrant, but he did help get the Ark repaired and off of Earth, a large process that Powerglide contributed to by feeding Energon cubes to their new Geothermal Generator. Child's Play Nevertheless, Powerglide was among the Autobots who begged Blaster to overthrow him, but the mutiny didn't pan out, as the Dinobots were able to get Blaster to surrender to them after they endangered some of his human allies. Spacehikers! Later, Blaster and Grimlock battled for supremacy on Earth's Moon, as Powerglide and the other Autobots cheered Blaster on. Totaled!

Some time after Optimus Prime's return, Powerglide was among several Autobots who responded to Buster Witwicky's distress call near the Decepticons' arctic base. However, this was a trap, and Powerglide was shot down in battle by some Decepticon aerial aces, including Slugslinger and the ever-frightening Buzzsaw. Dark Star He was identified as deactivated several weeks later. Yesterday's Heroes!

Regeneration One

The Autobots came to regret watching the new G.I. Joe movies.

Following the final battle with the Decepticons, the Warworld and the Blitz Engines, Powerglide discovered Bludgeon's body on the surface of Cybertron and hurried over to notify the freshly minted Rodimus Prime. When they realised that the Decepticon leader was still alive Prime had Powerglide notify a medic, leaving the Minibot to marvel with Kup at their leader's new-found maturity. The War to End All Wars, Part 1 Later, Powerglide took part in the assault against Jhiaxus's forces at the Hub Network, as part of the crew of Lancer One alongside Scattershot, Blades and Groove under the command of Wheeljack. Although they successfully carried out their mission, Jhiaxus was prepared for them and the Autobots' attack fell to pieces shortly afterwards. The War to End All Wars, Part 3

Big Looker storybooks

Powerglide did a reconnaissance flight over Decepticon headquarters before the Autobots stormed the base to get the cerebro-shelled Grapple back. Insecticon Attack!

Find Your Fate Junior

Dinobots Strike Back

In one micro-continuity-nexus in which four of the Dinobots were taken over by Bombshell's cerebro-shells, Powerglide was part of the Autobot attack force if Optimus Prime chose to attack immediately. He dropped a small concussion bomb near Snarl, bringing the Stegosaurus to his knees. This prompted Slag to spew a jet of fire at Powerglide, which he managed to dodge.

In an alternate ending, Powerglide was part of a full-scale land, air, and sea assault on the Decepticons' secret base in Mount Lomas. With a little backup from Tracks, he apparently took down all of Megatron's warrior jets with his thermal beam, giving the ground force the cover they needed to storm the base and torch the superfuel lab. Dinobots Strike Back

Earthquake

While the rest of the Autobots were discussing how nice the recent lull in Decepticon activity was, the fidgety Powerglide longed for the evil robots to surface once more, so that he'd get a chance to "teach them a thing or two."

In one possible sequence of events, Powerglide got his wish when Beachcomber returned to Autobot base from his day off, having discovered a secret Decepticon fortress. Powerglide, Beachcomber and Windcharger were sent out to investigate whatever ploy the Decepticons were hatching. Once the three Autobots arrived at the cliff face that concealed the Decepticons' base, the three of them debated on which course of action they should take. Powerglide advocated for walking in through the front door.

If the three Autobots decided to walk through the main entrance, Windcharger was promptly crushed by the fortress's doors, which then let loose a swarm of Decepticons. Rumble was tricked into causing an earthquake, which brough down the Decepticons and their fortress in one fell swoop. Beahcomber and Powerglie then retrieved the damaged Windcharger.

If the trio decided instead to look for an alternate entrance into the Decepticon fortress, they discovered a narrow passageway hidden behind bushes and scrubs. Beachcomber's squad went into the passage and emerged in storage room. Leading out of the storage room was a passage not unlike the one from which they had just emerged, and a brightly lit corridor. Powerglide opted to investigate the brightly lit corridor.

In one possible sequence of events where Powerglide investigated the base on his own, he was captured by the Decepticons and reprogrammed to lead them to the Autobots’ headquarters. The Autobots, unprepared for a surprise attack were felled one by one.

If Beachcomber decided to explore the brightly lit corridor with Powerglide, the pair soon found the entire fortress to be eerily silent, until they heard Megatron expositing his plan to Soundwave. Beachcomber and Powerglide learned that the Decepticons planned to use a Destruction Beam to create a fault line near Center City, which would in turn be exploited by Rumble's earthquake-inducing abilities to destroy the entire area. With this knowledge, Powerglide and Beachcomber raced out of the fortress, meeting up with Windcharger en route, and returned to Autobot headquarters. The Autobots then decided to split up in two groups, one to attack the Decepticons’ fortress, the other to stop Rumble in Center city. Powerglide was assigned to the secondary team.

If the secondary team was tasked with attacking the Decepticons’ fortress, they were able to stealthily infiltrate the base and discover the Decepticon's lab. In one possible version of the events that followed, the Autobots were then able to redirect the Destruction Beam back to its source, destroying the Decepticons and their base.

In another version of these events, Megatron called his troops to him so they could all partake in Cosmos's dismemberment. Before the Decepticons were able to begin, Cosmos spotted the secondary team hiding nearby. Surrounding the Decepticons, the secondary team engaged their enemies. Though the Autobots defeated the Decepticons, they were unable to interfere with the Destruction beam. The beam reached its target, and Center City was destroyed. Though the Autobots were able to gain control of the Decepticon fortress and destroy the lab, they were not able to wipe out all of the evil robots, and enjoyed a pyrrhic victory at best.

Alternatively, if Beachcomber decided to have Windcharger, Powerglide and himself each investigate a different area of the Decepticons’ fortress, Beachcomber would get himself captured, leading to his teammate's capture. Powerglide was ordered executed by Buzzsaw while the Decepticons carried on with their evil deeds. Earthquake

Desert Flight

Powerglide was part of a group of the Autobots’ best scouts, led by Optimus on a fuel-finding mission. When the convoy came to a sudden halt, Powerglide's engines stalled an he nearly crashed before the Autobots’ newest adventure had even begun. Thankfully, Windcharger used his magnetic powers to halt Powerglide's decent. Back at a safe altitude, Powerglide offered to go check out the distant explosion that had caused the Autobots to suddenly halt in the first place. Optimus declined Powerglide's offer, opting to send Cosmos to investigate instead.

If Cosmos radioed his findings to Optimus immediately, Optimus's convoy moved in to investigate a nearby Decepticon base. As they approached it, the Autobots noted a nearby human settlement before their earthbound forces began floating in mid-air. Evidently, the phenomenon was caused by a Decepticon anti-gravity weapon.

If Optimus ordered his troops to come to the humans’ aid, they found themselves taking part in a struggle in futility, as the entire town was near-weightless, meaning they couldn't put the humans anywhere where they wouldn't float away once more. Then, the Autobots heard Decepticons approaching. Helpless in their current position, the Autobots were quickly eradicated by the Decepticons.

If Optimus ordered his troops to attack the Decepticon base, they soon reached an area free of the anti-gravity beam's influence. Flying ahead of the group, Powerglide was on the receiving end of Thrust's surprise attack. Undeterred, Powerglide charged Thrust, ready for a game of chicken. Having psyched out his opponent, Powerglide was able to quickly finish him off, before circling back and downing Ramjet. Losing their advantage quickly, the Decepticons retreated. But with the battle over, the Autobots noticed a small human boy at their feet. The Autobots then headed for the Decepticon base, with their stowaway. Megatron delivered an ultimatum; if the Autobots did not surrender Optimus Prime to the Decepticons immediately, he would use his gravity beam to have the nearby humans float off into space.

If the Autobots decided to continue with their initial plan to simply attack the Decepticon base, a decision Powerglide was all too happy to support, their advance was halted by a force field. Megatron then fired his beam in all directions, causing a ripple effect that sent everything not fastened down to the Earth's surface to float helplessly out into space.

Alternatively, the Autobots could concoct a plan where Optimus would pretend to allow himself to be taken prisoner, per Buddy's suggestion. In actuality, most of the Autobots were hidden away inside Optimus's trailer. Powerglide and Cosmos were themselves waiting outside the base for Windcharger to disable the forcefield from within.

In the event that Windcharger successfully turned the forcefield off, Powerglide burst into the base, guns ablaze, and foiled a sneak attack Megatron was about to perform upon Optimus. He then evaded an attack from both Ravage and Frenzy, causing the two Decepticons to crash into one another.

In the event that Buddy tampered with the gravity gun in the ensuing battle, the Autobots would emerge victorious.

In the event that Buddy instead entered a space-time anomaly created throughout the course of the battle, the Autobots would lose their fight against the Decepticons, and Powerglide wound up either injured or dead.

In a completely different possible sequence of events, wherein Cosmos had taken off to explore the Decepticon base on his own, The Autobot convoy were surprised to see two Cosmoses flying back towards them some time later. Both Cosmoses declared themselves to be the real one, and urged Optimus to destroy the other.

If Optimus destroyed the wrong Cosmos, the duplicate obliterated Smokescreen and the rest of the Autobots with the proton bomb it housed within its body.

If Optimus destroyed the duplicate Cosmos, the real one would inform the Autobots of the Decepticons’ schemes, and the convoy would roll out to take on their adversaries. They were soon met by a squad of flying Decepticons, but were at a strict disadvantage against their adversaries as their vehicle modes possessed no weapons. The Autobots nonetheless managed to fight their way to the Decepticons’ base, one way or another, and defeated the Decepticons by using their own gravity weapon against them. Desert Flight

Decepticon Poison

As the Autobots were refuelling, they were interrupted by Red Alert, who warned the others that he had spotted nearby. All Autobots who had taken their fill of their newest batch of fuel found themselves unable to Transform, and correctly deduced that the Decepticons had poisoned their fuel supply. In a possible sequence of events wherein Optimus returned from the Decepticons’ lab with the antidote to the poison, the Autobot leader informed his troops of the Decepticons’ next plot. The evil robots were planning poison a nearby water reservoir in order to turn humans into mindless slaves. If Optimus decided to end his troops to the water reservoir to prevent this attack, Powerglide was amongst the group of Autobots that found the reservoir swarmed by Decepticons upon their arrival.

Seeing an opportunity to show off his aerial skills, Powerglide took off, announcing that he would lead the Decepticons on a wild goose chase. Optimus protested, ordering Powerglide to stay with the group.

If Powerglide continued despite Optimus's orders, he effortlessly dodged enemy fire only to mess things up when he downed Frenzy with a cluster bomb, causing the barrels of poison the Decepticon was carrying to explode into the water reservoir.

If Powerglide did as he was told, he and the other Autobots attempted to lure the Decepticons away from the reservoir and into some nearby woods, where they would have some cover against the Decepticons. Decepticon Poison

Autobot Alert!

Powerglide was in Metroplex city when an Autobot Alert sounded.

In one possible scenario, Powerglide was selected alongside Mirage, Swoop, Jazz and Prowl, to join Ultra Magnus on an orbital mission to both rescue Cosmos and halt a Decepticon plot to take over Earth's broadcast satellites.After donning special space gear for solar protection, the team took off and headed towards Cosmos's last coordinates. Arriving in orbit, Powerglide was the first to spot Cosmos drifting in the blackness of space. But looming nearby was also Cyclonus, Galvatron's ship. Powerglide and Mirage retrieved the Autobot saucer with the help of magnetic cables. Ultra Magnus ordered his troops to train all of their weapons on Cyclonus for a full-frontal assault. Doubting the wisdom of this plan, Powerglide pulled Swoop aside and suggested that they instead attempt a sneak attack on Cyclonus.

If the Autobots went along with Ultra Magnus's plan, Powerglide and the rest of the Autobots were horrorstruck when Galvatron himself emerged from Cyclonus, followed by an army of multiwing jet fighters. Ppwerglide and the others were left drifting helplessly into space as the Decepticons tore their shuttle apart.

If Swoop and Powerglide went ahead with their own plan, Powerglide worked on distracting Cyclonus with his fancy maneuvers while Swoop moved in position to use his superior firepower. With all of Cyclonus's attention trained onto Powerglide, Swoop was successful in destroying the Decepticons’ transmission apparatus, bringing their plot to an end.

In a completely different possible scenario, wherein Ultra Magnus agreed to prioritize theft of the coded message, Powerglide was part of the captive audience that listened to Kup divulge information about an ancient Autobot formula. Powerglide took off towards the Autobots’ desert research centre along with a number of other Autobots. Once there, they learned from Springer that the Cybertite sphere containing the formula was discovered by humans during the 16th century. If the Decepticons had decoded Springer's message, they would be searching off the coast of California, where the ship containing the sphere had sunk. If they hadn't decoded the message, the Decepticons would still be digging in the nearby crater.

If Ultra Magnus decided to assume that the Decepticons had already decrypted the message, he ordered his forces to split up to more efficiently address the situation. Powerglide was sent ahead to scout out the California coast. Arriving ahead of the land-bound Autobots, Powerglide was able to quickly spot the sunken ship which held the cybertite sphere, and signalled the other Autobots about his find. The Autobots then needed to decide whether they would raise the ship themselves, or try and ambush the Decepticons after they had done so. Autobot Alert!

The Invisibility Factor

"Ultra Magnus, who stacked all that box art in the doorway?"

In one possible scenario, the Decepticons gained control of an Invisibility Device. When the invisible Decepticons attacked Metroplex city, Powerglide and the rest of the Autobots were reduced to scrap metal, unable to fight the unseen enemy.

In another scenario, where the Autobots gave up searching for a ship with invisibility capabilities, Powerglide and the rest of the Autobots within Metroplex were caught by surprise by a fleet of identical ships swooping down upon them. The Autobots were all destroyed as Galvatron gloated of his victory.

In yet another possible scenario, Powerglide participated in a battle against the Decepticons when the evil robots attacked Metroplex while using Invisibility Devices. Thanks to the Invisibility Device's inventor, Sarah Sanders, the Autobots were in possession of an Invisibility Scrambler to counteract the Decepticons’ Invisibility Device. Anticipating the Decepticons’ attack, the Autobots successfully defeated the evil robots when they came. The Invisibility Factor

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

The paper-airplaneness of his Dreamwave Cybertronic altmode is unknown.

Powerglide was operational during the early days of the war, and was seen in Iacon shortly after Sentinel Prime's demise. After Optimus had ordered an Autobot exodus from Cybertron, Powerglide helped load up some crates in preparation for their departure. The War Within #2 When the Decepticons attacked Iacon, Powerglide was advised by Skids mid-battle, who told him to target Blast Off's lateral fuel line to deliver maximum damage to his opponent. The War Within #3

In the modern era, Powerglide was a member of one of the later-formed Autobot resistance cells on Cybertron, in communication with Smokescreen and Tracks along with several other Minibots. Countdown to Extinction He participated in the final insurrection which threw Shockwave and his Decepticons out of power on Cybertron. Afterwards, he was assigned to Bumblebee's command and traveled to Earth on a supply run aboard the starship Orion. While en route, the Orion received an emergency transmission from the Ark: the Earthbound Autobots were under attack from the Decepticons! Night of the Combaticons

Bumblebee needs a smaller command chair.

The Orion' simple supply mission ended with heavy combat against the amazingly-powerful clone, Sunstorm, who overloaded the Orion with energy, causing it to crash. The Orion's crew walked away from their rough landing unharmed however, and Sunstorm left in pursuit of Starscream. Powerglide and his team set about repairing their ship, and accomplished the task in a few hours. The Autobots were getting ready for some well-earned rest when Starscream returned, now accompanied by Jetfire. Black Sunshine Recognizing the greater threat that Sunstorm posed, the Autobots agreed to ally themselves with Starscream in order to deal with him. Powerglide might have raised a complaint to being assigned to guard their new "partner", but Starscream betrayed them and deactivated Powerglide's unit so fast, it's hard to be sure he even had a chance to speak up. The Omega Effect

Ratchet presumably got him back online in time to help with the construction of Autobot City. The Route of All Evil

The Beast Within

Powerglide participated in a savage battle against the Decepticons, though he did not fare too well, and got blasted out of the sky by Astrotrain early during the conflict. The Beast Within

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Transformers vol. 1 #26

I was on the Lost Light?

Powerglide was among the Autobots poised to fight against Galvatron's army on Cybertron. Led by Silverbolt, he and the other Autobot fliers attacked Kimia Facility and fought with the many Sweeps defending it. Numbers

Once the battle was won and the war was over, Powerglide joined the crew of the Lost Light to participate in the search for the Knights of Cybertron. Hangers On The Chaos of Warm Things He spent some time in Swerve's bar where he was confused by Skids and Chromedome's drunken antics. Life After the Big Bang When Overlord was unleashed within the ship, Powerglide joined the rest of the crew in trying to defeat him. Under Cold Blue Stars After Swerve's bar was trashed by Legislators and Swerve was considering closing down, Powerglide and several other Autobots cheered him up and helped him rebuild. No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases

HE SAID THE THING.

Powerglide left the crew of the Lost Light after Dark Cybertron, and would later volunteer to act as a member of Superion in an effort to provide Starscream with a combiner to defend against Devastator. The World of Tomorrow

He was present when Wheeljack received the Enigma of Combination from Scoop. Alpha Bravo and Powerglide were both exposed to the energies of the artifact, granting them the power to combine with the other Aerialbots as part of the new Superion; in Powerglide's case, he gained the ability to transform into Superion's gun. First Contact

As part of Starscream's political maneuvers, Powerglide and the new Aerialbots were deployed to Caminus to stop Menasor. Superion was able to dispatch the Stunticon combiner, blasting him using gun-mode Powerglide. The Sum and Its Parts Following a clash with Devastator, Superion was briefly reduced to his components, although Starscream thought otherwise and forcibly reintegrated the Aerialbots back into Superion. Mistakes and Mayhem

Much to Optimus Prime's concern, Superion hadn't separated since the fight with Devastator; Prowl commented that for all intents and purposes Superion was the new default form for the Aerialbots. You, Me, and the Universe

As Superion joined Optimus Prime's Autobots on Earth, he disassembled into his individual Aerialbot components from time to time. Powerglide and the Aerialbots performed a "bombing" run in the arid desert, releasing payloads that caused dramatic botanical growth where they fell, providing food to support the local humans. Powerglide and the Aerialbots then fled the air resistance they faced, reluctantly holding to Prime's orders to not engage any human counter-strikes. Edge of the Earth

During a conflict with Galvatron, however, the ancient Decepticon manipulated the power of the Enigma of Combination through the Onyx Interface's source code, creating new combiners under his control and disrupting existing ones. As a natural-born combiner, uncreated by the Enigma, Superion had some immunity. He copied and isolated the Onyx code into his own core-processor then dismantled himself, neutralizing the Onyx code so long as the Aerialbots remained separated. As Above...So Below Powerglide and the other discombobulated Aerialbots were recovered from the site of the ocean battle White Light and returned to the newly established Autobot City to recover. White Heat

Powerglide and the Aerialbots returned to Cybertron and took to the skies when Onyx Prime descended on their homeworld aboard Nemesis. Another Mine During the battle with Unicron, he combined with his fellow Aerialbots into Superion to help defeat the planet-eater for good. Ceremony

BeCool shorts

Voice actor: Takanori Yagi (Japanese)

Red Jet (赤のジェット機 Aka no Jettoki) was a smug and self-assured flyer. The Self-Introduction Chapter Nevertheless, he managed to get lost in a forest, only to find Yellow Sports Car... who was also lost. Together, they agreed to find their way out. The observing Trailer wondered why Red Jet didn't just fly out. The Story of the Lost Plane!

Red Jet was later part of the audience for Quiz! BeCool, The Story of Quiz! BeCool and witness to the filming of a movie interrupted by the fire brigade thinking it was a real emergency. The Story of the Fire Brigade Dispatch!

Kre-O bio

Powerglide was a supersonic daredevil and aerial acrobatic ace, but also a huge attention-seeking showoff—he didn't see the point of pulling off his amazing stunts unless he had an audience. His dream was to appear on his favorite show, KREONS Have Talent!. Transformers: Kre-O Character Encyclopedia

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

Powerglide was stationed within Metroplex when both Trypticon and a mind-controlled Fortress Maximus attacked the Autobot city. He bore witness to Imhotep Rodimus seizing leadership from Grimlock in the middle of the siege. Everybody Hates Metroplex

2019 IDW continuity

First appearance: Transformers #25 (mentioned); #32 (full)

A former member of Strika's Heavies, Powerglide threw his lot in with the Autobots during the Decepticon uprising and was sent to rouse his former comrade Warpath from stasis. Prime

Alternate future

In the future ruled by Exarchon, Powerglide was one of the last resistors alongside Bumblebee, Swift, and Blackjack. Energon had run dry, forcing them to forfeit their alt modes to stay charged purely on nucleon. They discovered the temporally-displaced Jumpstream, but Powerglide was killed by Triggerhappy as Exarchon's loyalists descended on them. Test Flight II

Transformers vs. The Terminator

By the year 2029, the Decepticons had wiped out the Autobots and devastated the planet Earth, with Powerglide having died from a crash landing, his shattered wreckage half-buried beneath a collapsed Los Angeles freeway near other Cybertronian bodies. Enemy of My Enemy Part One

Commercial appearances

• Powerglide and Warpath were pinned down on the battlefield by the Decepticon triple-changers, Astrotrain and Blitzwing. Thankfully, the new recruits Broadside and Sandstorm arrived on the scene and were able to chase off the Decepticon aggressors. Sandstorm, Broadside, and Octane commercial
• Powerglide and the Aerialbots received a message from Optimus Prime alerting them that Menasor was wreaking havoc in a human city, and that the threat was "bigger than ever." The Aerialbots combined into Superion to better combat the Decepticon, with Powerglide delivering the first blow in his gun mode. Transformers Generations: Combiner Wars commercials

Games

Bot Shots Battle Game!

Powerglide participated in numerous one-on-one matches against other Autobots and Decepticons, using his fists, his sword, or his gun to defeat his opponents. Sometimes, he even faced off against himself! Bot Shots Battle Game!

Transformers Legends

Part of a small task force led by Hound, Powerglide took part in a kerfuffle against the Decepticons and Whirl. The outcome of the fight was unclear. By Land, Sea, or Air

Powerglide was injured, and had Grapple, Hoist, and Huffer come to his aid. The trio were delayed when they became friendly with the Constructicons, but after the sudden but inevitable betrayal, the three Autobots took him to safety. The Master Builders Powerglide fought against the combined Decepticon and Quintesson forces when they attacked Cybertron. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 3

Transformers: Battle Tactics

He has a Kre-O cannon and he's not afraid to use it!

Powerglide participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Common character that could be recruited by collecting 24 units of Cybermetal. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Transformers: Earth Wars

WHEEEEEEEEE!

To say Powerglide delights in his aerial prowess is a huge understatement. He loves showing off his dazzling airborne virtuosity, and isn't above a bit of gratuitous grandstanding. He's equally happy performing for friend or foe, as long as he gets the requisite appreciation. But deep down, Powerglide's bravado covers up for his lack of speed in aerial mode, and low strength in robot mode. Powerglide bio

When Silverbolt and the other Aerialbots came to earth, Powerglide combined with the others and formed the gun that Superion holds. He helped in destroying many Decepticon Headquarters. Combiner Wars Campaign

• Class: Aerial
• Lowest Star Rating: 1 star
• Weapons: Powerglide uses a flamethrower to burn defenses.
• Ability: Bombing Run: Drops 12 grenades in a line causing high damage to targets!
  • Cost: 4 ability points +1 for reuses.

Powerglide at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Powerglide was a substitute Aerialbot, who sometimes served as Superion's gun. The Enigma of Combination

Toys

The Transformers

Kids went nuts for this level of articulation in 1985.

• Powerglide (Mini-Vehicle, 1985)

• Takara ID number: C-62
• Known designers: Masaki Maruyama (TakaraTomy)

Released in the second year of Hasbro's The Transformers line, Mini Vehicle Powerglide transforms into an A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack jet (better known by its nickname "Warthog"), deformed to keep proportion with the previous year's "penny-racer" styled Mini Cars. He is notable for being one of the earliest Autobots with an aerial alternate mode. Due to his transformation, Powerglide has more robot mode articulation than any other Mini Vehicle. His head can turn, his shoulders have what amounts to universal joints, and his elbows bend.

There are some very minor variants of this toy, involving the company stamping on the back of his mono-leg: he can have "© Takara 1984 Japan", "© Takara Co. LTD 1984 Japan", or the latter with "© Hasbro 1984" added above the Takara info.

In the Takara line, Powerglide was not part of the initial 1985 "pre-movie" series (despite being in the pre-movie cartoon), but premiered in 1986's post-movie Transformers 2010 line. Like all of the smaller toys sold by Takara at the time, he was packaged in a small box and came with a collector's card inside, rather than on a bubble card.

This mold was also used to make Bad Boy.

• Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Powerglide at Transformerland.com
• More information on Powerglide at TFU.info

The Transformers Collection

The first Transformers toy that can stand with his arms akimbo. Appropriate!

• Minibot Team (Multi-pack, 2004)

• ID number: 12

In January of 2004, Powerglide was reissued in a Transformers Collection six-pack with Bumble, Adams, Gears, Drag, and Warpath.

The only notable difference between this release and the original is the addition of a factory-applied Autobot insignia sticker to the top of his chest, similar to the original box art depiction.

This entire set was redecoed to make the "G1 GoBots" set: Powerglide was used to make Bad Boy.

Universe (2008)

Someone's been eating their Wheaties. (Hasbro version pictured)

(TakaraTomy version pictured)

• Powerglide (Ultra Class, 2008)

• Series: Classic Series
• Accessories: Chaingun/missile launcher, "thermal beam" missile
• Known designers: Bill Rawley (Hasbro), Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Although now upsized to an Ultra Class toy with electronics, Universe Powerglide still transforms into a jet resembling an A-10. In order to preserve some semblance of realism in his altmode, however, he is mostly off-white in color, with red trim. His noggin, at least, is still entirely red, and even has an off-center cannon barrel sculpted into it in homage to his original toy, even though here, his head doesn't become the nosecone.

In vehicle mode, pressing the prominent orange button on the jet's fuselage triggers three electronic sound effects (an engine ignition, a swooping noise and a barrage of machine-gun fire that persists for as long as you hold down the button, the same ones are used for Universe Silverbolt), accompanied by red LEDs in the turbines and cockpit. During transformation to robot mode, the classic transformation sound effect is triggered as the torso is moved into place; it plays in reverse as he is transformed back to vehicle mode. In robot mode, pressing the orange button triggers the machine-gun sound effect only, with newly-exposed lights illuminating Powerglide's eyes as well as those seen in jet mode.

In robot mode, Powerglide features a wide range of articulation, and can wield in his hand the thermal missile launcher which mounts under his jet mode nosecone. In what can only be described as one of the most hilarious homages in Transformers history, Powerglide's chestplate can flip up to reveal the raised image of a heart.

Rather unfortunately, his small feet and top-heaviness make him difficult to pose and stand up.

His instructions omit a useful step: pulling the lower legs down to expose the knees and increase his height.

The Japanese TakaraTomy version of Powerglide was released in American Universe packaging as a USA Edition toy. He is redecoed in mostly red with white detailing, essentially reversing most of the colour layouts, to better match his appearance in the original The Transformers cartoon. He retains the same tampographed unit-markings as the Hasbro version.

This mold was also used to make Universe Stormcloud.

• More information on Universe Powerglide at TFU.info

More show-accurate than the Takara version!

• Powerglide (Ultra Class, 2009)

• Series: Generation 1 Series
• Accessories: Chaingun/missile launcher, "thermal beam" missile
• Known designers: Andrew Scribner (deco artist)

The second version of Universe Powerglide is a Walmart-exclusive red redeco similar to TakaraTomy's Japanese release of this sculpt, but with some significant differences in color layout. In an effort to make the toy more accurate to the cartoon, the arms are cast in light gray plastic, unlike the all-red arms on the Japanese version.

His tailfins sport tampographed "NA W4Y W3 60" markings, which reads "And away we go!"

• More information on Walmart Powerglide at TFU.info

Bot Shots

• Powerglide (2012)

• Series: 1
• Number: B013
  • Fist strength: 700
  • Blaster strength: 770
  • Sword strength: 150

Part of the fourth wave of Bot Shots Series 1 single-packs, Powerglide is a teeny little jet with a spring-loaded automatic transformation to robot mode triggered when his nosecone is pressed. He has a "spinner" in his chest that shows his three attack types and power levels. His head is similar to Dark of the Moon Powerglide.

This mold was redecoed into Skydive and Air Raid, and its chest and head pieces were used for BeCool Jinbu.

• More information on Powerglide at TFU.info

• Skyquake / Jetfire / Powerglide (Multi-pack, 2012)

• Series: 1
• Number: BP008
  • Fist strength: 740
  • Blaster strength: 345
  • Sword strength: 525

Part of the second wave of Bot Shots Series 1 three-packs, this is a redeco of Powerglide in a brighter shade of red, with silver paint details, a brighter blue for the canopy, and a darker blue for the eyes. He comes in a three-pack with Skyquake and Jetfire.

• More information on three-pack Powerglide at TFU.info

BeCool

• Red Jet (Powerglide) (2012)

• ID number: B05

BeCool "Red Jet" is practically identical to the multi-pack version of Bot Shots Powerglide, the only difference being that his stickers don't depict power levels but instead drawings of his vehicle mode, a travel bag and an airline pilot's hat.

Kre-O

• Powerglide (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2013)

• Collection: 2
• Bag number: ***** 73
• Accessories: Logo brick, 2 clip-on rifles
• Known designers: Ed Masiello (Hasbro)

As part of the second wave of blindpacked Kre-O Micro-Changers, Powerglide is a Kreon who can be rebuilt into an airplane. He reuses Mirage's helmet and Starscream's arm guns.

This Collection was still in circulation at "dollar" stores and drug stores up through 2015. They eventually lost the individual-identifying bag codes, but other changes were hidden inside the bag. The 2015 releases replaced the 2x4 logo stand-brick with a new 3x4 logo plate. The Kreon was also given the slight retooling to the arm seen in the 2014 Kreons, making the "cuff" parts more sharp-cornered and better adapted to being used as studs. Some of the add-on pieces may also be slightly off-color, possibly due to a change in factories in mid-production.

• More information on Kreo Powerglide at TFU.info

• Kreon Class of '85 (Kreon figure set, 2015)

• Set number B5152
• Voted: Will Do Anything on a Dare
• Accessories: Small pistol

Kreon Class of '85 Powerglide has his deco much more heavily based on the original Powerglide toy, plus his helmet is now the pointy jet-nosecone type. Like the rest of the set, he uses the almost-totally-retooled 2015 style of Kreon body.

This box set of thirty Kreons was a San Diego Comic-Con 2015 exclusive, with leftovers being sold on Hasbro Toy Shop online after the show.

• More information on SDCC Kreo Powerglide at TFU.info

• Powerglide (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2016)

• Collection: 2
• Accessories: Logo plate, 2 clip-on rifles

In 2016, Collection 2 was re-released in a whole new production run for Dollar General stores in the US as part of a large collection of re-released Kre-O sets. But where most of these releases are nigh-identical to the originals, the re-released Micro-Changer blind-bags use the almost-entirely-retooled 2015 Kreon, with slightly-differently-hued plastics than the originals. (It is possible for some of the add-on pieces to be in the older hues.) Powerglide's head has changed from light gray plastic to a metallic silver, and his light gray tampographs have similarly gone shiny silver.

Sadly, this release has no individual-identification code on the bag, requiring you to use the feel-through-the-bag method or just buy blind and hope.

Combiner Wars

• Autobot Powerglide (Legends Class, 2015)

• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

Released in the first wave of Combiner Wars Legends Class figures, Powerglide is a Triple Changer-Targetmaster, transforming into (what else?) a jet resembling an A-10 Thunderbolt II and some kind of "super gun" with rocket launchers on the sides. The back of his box shows him being held by Deluxe Class Skydive, but since he's very big to be handled by a Deluxe figure, it should be used by Superion (as suggested in his instructions), either of its own or stuck on the top of Silverbolt/Superion's own gun to make a bigger weapon.

Unfortunately, Powerglide's weight places a great deal of strain on Superion's (and every other combiner's) arms, making him virtually impossible to be held in a firing pose without drawing the arm or entire figure down. Because of the ball-in-socket joints in his hips and knees and the small size of the tabs that hold his legs together in jet and gun modes, his legs are extremely prone to flexing and separating in those modes. Lastly, Powerglide's ankles cannot fully unfold due to mold obstruction, which causes him to look as if he's always bending his knees forward.

Powerglide includes a collector card featuring art from the "By Land, Sea, or Air" episode of Transformers Legends.

Though Powerglide's wave was scheduled for a first quarter 2015 release, it arrived on U.S. store shelves in late 2014.

This mold was redecoed into Adventure Powerglide, and retooled into Viper and Adventure Dogfight.

• More information on Combiner Wars Powerglide at TFU.info

Now comes in more Grey instead of Red

• Superion (Collection Pack, 2016)

This version of Combiner Wars Powerglide sports a new, made-up Generation 2-like deco (basically his two main colors swapped, similar to the Generation 2 version of Sideswipe)... minus the vac-metal chrome, of course. Just imagine the silver is chromed. He does have a huge Generation 2 Autobot symbol in wicked-awesome bright orange and yellow though!

He was only available as part of a Generation 2-themed Superion giftset, officially dubbed a "Collection Pack", along with Silverbolt, Air Raid, Firefly, Quickslinger, and Skydive. The set was (at least in theory) a "shared exclusive" between various online retailers (such as Hasbro Toy Shop, Amazon, BigBadToyStore, and Entertainment Earth) and the online storefronts of major "big box" retailers (such as Toys"R"Us, Walmart, Target, and Kmart). It was still available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets, though.

• More information on Combiner Wars G2 Powerglide at TFU.info

Merchandise

Transformers Gum

• Sky Base + Powerglide (2012)
  • Accessories: Master Sword

Part of the first wave of the Transformers Gum DX series, the Sky Base is a snap-together model kit of a battle station with a turret, runway, and some kind of antenna – though in reality, it’s Fortress Maximus’s right arm and leg pegged together, and the antenna is the Master Sword. Also included is a small, partsforming figure of Powerglide, accurate to his original toy. The kit must be assembled from unpainted blue, gray, red, and white sprues, a spring, and customer-applied stickers to provide all of the non-molded details. It also comes with something that could charitably be called chewing gum.

The Sky Base has its own action feature: the small box at the far end of the runway is a springloaded launcher, and with a press of a button, Powerglide can be deployed along the runway. This kit can combine with the Command Base and the Launcher Base to create a fully transformable Fortress Maximus, with the Sky Base providing the Master Sword for use as an accessory.

G.I. Joe and the Transformers

Look! It's that guy! That flies that plane!

• Scarlet vs Zartan & Autobot Powerglide vs Soundwave (Box set, 2016)
  • Accessories: two engine covers, two additional battle damaged panels, six PL-MK48 wave-sensor cluster bombs, two cluster bomb racks, two LORADS constant scan ion-seeking missiles, two OE-119 electro-optical renegade missiles, four AEA-56 quick-thrust short-range missiles

Exclusive to the Hasbro Toy Shop booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2016 and the Hasbro Toy Shop website, "Autobot Powerglide" is a redeco of the Cobra Rattler vehicle first released in G.I. Joe back in 1984. As with many Joe vehicles, he is partially disassembled in box; the two covers on top of the engines and two panels on the fuselage are designed to be removable, revealing mechanical detailing underneath. Two replacement fuselage panels with sculpted battle damage are included, to simulate the plane having been shot to pieces. A total of fourteen missiles and bombs are included, with seven pegging underneath each wing. Also included is a sheet of decals for additional details, and a profile card featuring Powerglide's Combiner Wars card artwork.

Powerglide can seat two figures: one in his opening cockpit, and another in the rotating gunner seat midway down his fuselage. As a VTOL aircraft, Powerglide's wings feature a rotational joint at the engine. He also features a spinning Gatling gun in the nose cone, and fold-out landing gear.

The set also includes a redeco of an equally non-transforming Cobra HISS tank colored as Soundwave and figures of G.I. Joe characters Scarlett and Zartan.

• More information on Autobot Powerglide at YoJoe.com

Notes

"We need an adult!"
"I am an adult."

• In the episode "Dinobot Island, Part 1" Bumblebee tells Powerglide about the different types of dinosaurs, implying he wasn't on Earth when the Dinobots were constructed or just wasn't paying attention. Note that when and how most of the 1985 characters came to be on Earth was never explained in the cartoon.
• Powerglide has the honor of being the only Generation 1 character whose alternate mode was based on a specific make of a real life vehicle (airborne or ground-based) to have multiple new toys which all retain the same alternate mode (artistic license for the sake of circumventing licensing issues nonwithstanding), even extending to an alternate universe counterpart! This can also be considered a testament to the A-10 Thunderbolt II, which has been in service since 1976, despite repeated attempts at shutting down the A-10 program as a cost-cutting measure.
• The most progressive alteration to Powerglide's alternate mode thus far is the vehicle from the 2016 G.I. Joe and the Transformers set... which is a redecoed Cobra Rattler, itself a modified A-10 Thunderbolt II.
• Despite this, the original cartoon often interprets his alternate mode as a large civilian plane with a cargo hatch and a cockpit large enough to hold two seats.
• Powerglide makes an appearance in one of the five Transformers public service announcements, speaking out against gender discrimination.
• 3200 miles per hour is Mach 4.16, MUCH faster than ANY modern combat jet, let alone a real A-10 Thunderbolt II... not that jet-based alt modes are known for realism.
• Michael Chain based Powerglide's voice on the legendary Jackie Gleason, most specifically his performance as Ralph Kramden from The Honeymooners, the source of his recurring catchphrase. If that doesn't mean anything to you, then the sitcom character was also the inspiration for Fred Flintstone from The Flintstones.
  • The characterization would be reused in a more antagonistic fashion years later by Dragstrip in Transformers: Robots in Disguise, including the catchphrase.
• Powerglide was intended to have a leading role in IDW's More than Meets the Eye until he briefly appeared in "Chaos", making a "trapped underground for millions of years" story unworkable for him, and his place in the narrative was given to Tailgate instead.

• Classics Fireflight, a redeco of Legends of Cybertron Jetfire, was originally intended to be Powerglide, but Hasbro apparently could not secure the trademark at the time.
• The Takara Toys"R"Us Japan exclusive promotional Micron Skyglide, another red A-10, is seemingly an homage to Powerglide.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Powerglide (パワーグライド Pawāguraido)
• French: Survolo (Canada)
• Greek: Keravnόs (Κεραυνός, "Thunderbolt")
• Hungarian: Motorszárny ("Motorwing")
• Italian: Jumbo
• Mandarin: Tòng-lì Huá-Hsiáng (Taiwan, 動力滑翔, "Power Glide"), Huáxiángjī (China, 滑翔机, "Glider")
• Portuguese: Planador (Portugal comics), Planador (Brazil comics)
• Russian: Vetrorez (Ветрорез, "Windcut")

Gallery

• 

  IDW More than Meets the Eye robot mode concept art

• 

  IDW More than Meets the Eye vehicle mode concept art

• 

  Generation 2-themed skin on Combiner Wars-based robot mode in Earth Wars mobile game

References