Afterburner (G2)

Afterburner is aDecepticonSkyscorcherfrom theGeneration 1 continuity family.

Our job: spray talc on that man's butt!

The tech master of theSkyscorchers,Afterburner(akaSnipe) likes to think he's above brute force, preferring to use clever tricks and technology to achieve his goals on his own time. While he is clever and quick-thinking at times, he's also lazy and very independent, which often gets him into trouble with his superiors.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

MarvelGeneration 2comic

Afterburner and the other Skyscorchers aidedMegatronandStarscreamagainstOptimus Primeand theDinobotsin a battle on an unidentified rocky planet.War Without End!

Regeneration One

After a raid on thePax Cybertronia Decommissioning DepotinKaliswent wrong and the Skyscorchers were left under siege, Afterburner beratedTerradivefor not listening to him and tripping every alarm in the place. His team-mate shot back that for all his "self-proclaimed genius," Afterburner's plans never got themanywhere.Still, it would've turned out alright if threeInsecticonshadn't arrived to make "martyrs" of them underSoundwave'sorders,Chop Shopkilling him even as he protested they planned to hand the weapons to the Neo-Decepticons...Loose Ends, Part 1

Transformers '84

WhenStraxustook over leadership of the Decepticons, Afterburner fell under his command and took part in a purge to eliminate every surviving Autobot on the planet.Secrets & Lies #3

Wings Universe

Afterburner was part of the "second generation" of Transformers created on Earth at theCyberfactory.Although created without a faction, Afterburner soon chose one anyways and joinedClench's Decepticon Syndicate.Generation 2: Redux

2005 IDW continuity

Pay no attention to the character write-up above.

Afterburner was part of the long-lost colony world ofCaminus,where he operated as a Commander within the planet's namesake with a team ofCityspeakers.When a disturbance and outbreaks of violence was reported, Commander Afterburner took theAlpha Squadronwith him to investigate, where they encounteredSwindle.Afterburner tried to arrest Swindle, but was interrupted whenMenasorappeared to menace the squadron. When he tried to arrestMenasorinstead, he got stomped on by thecombinerfor his troubles.The Sum and Its Parts

Legendscomic

In the year2038,Snipe was a member of the Decepticon faction led byGalvatron II.They attacked the planetBeastto steal its energy and became aware of the power of theThree Wise Ones' Gems. Snipe and the G-2 Decepticon jets strafed theMonsterbotsand theirLegends Worldallies so that Galvatron'sNemesiscould begin harvesting power. However, the Legends Beast Warriors assumed their Transformer bodies and wreaked havoc on boardNemesis,bringing down the ship.The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3Galvatron seized the Gem of Fire and attempted to wield it against his enemies, but the Monsterbots and localBeastformersproved better able to harness the Gems' power. Galvatron, Snipe, and the Decepticons were forced to retreat from Beast.Grotusque Chapter

Toys

The Transformers

You asked for more refueling, and we're giving it to you!

• Snipe(Skyscorcher,1993)

• Accessories:Radar array/rifle
• Known designers:Takio Ejima(TakaraTomy),Masakatsu Saito(concept artist)

The TransformersSnipe transforms into a Lockheed F-104G Starfighter jet. His undercarriage radar becomes a hand-held non-firing blaster weapon forrobot mode.

He was originally sold in the European market in 1993 as part of the "transitional" line that used theGeneration 2insignias,but lacked the new subline name. He was later released in the United States, with no notable changes beyond a new name, as part of theGeneration 2line. He was then laterre-released in the European version ofGeneration 2in 1994.

This toy isgang-moldedwithWindrazor.

• More information on Afterburner at TFU.info

Generation 2

• Afterburner(Decepticon Jet, 1993) /Snipe(Skyscorcher,1994)

• Accessories:Radar array/rifle

Released in the United States in 1993,Generation 2Afterburner is identical to the concurrent European "Generation 1" Snipe toy. Snipe was re-released in the EuropeanGeneration 2line the following year.

This mold was planned for use by Takara as theBlock TownAutobot characterSnipe,but that entire line was scrapped.

Notes

Gray pride.

• Afterburner's card-art, and the early toy shown in the original product flier, show him to have gray legs rather than the final version's blue.
• His card art also has a Generation 1 style Decepticoninsigniahidden in his cockpit.
• For some reason, Afterburner is the only Skyscorcher not to appear in theGeneration 2UK comicin any capacity. He's not even in the toy-lists!

Foreign names

• Japanese:Snipe(スナイプSunaipu)
• French:Canardeur(Canada, "Sniper" )