Clear Skies Team

"One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just DOESN'T belong..."

TheClear Skies Teamare a group ofAutobot-alliedMini-Conswho love to fly in the unpolluted air of a living planet. Should they encounter anyDecepticonsruining the ecosystem and stripping it of its resources, they go on the sickeningly self-righteous offensive! Their weapons are all the powers of Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Heart, and Spandau Ballet. Well, theyshouldbe.

The Clear Skies Team consists of...

• Steel Windthe A-10 Thunderbolt II bomber plane.
• Thunderwingthe F-14 Tomcat.

And either

• Nightscreamthe dragon.

or

• Noise Effect

Fiction

Classics

The Clear Skies Team were a group of flying Mini-Cons loyal toModus Primeand the Mini-Con way of life. They were performing aerial recon the dayBroadsidearranged an "accident" to stir up resentment in the Mini-Con population against the Autobots. Steel Wind did his best to put out the flames caused by Broadside's explosion, but even his fire retardant bombs couldn't quell the inferno. Modus Prime and several other Mini-Cons died in the conflagaration, allegedly caused by an Autobot attack.

In the aftermath, the Clear Skies Team were assembled byHacksawalong with the other Mini-Cons he trusted most. Meeting with theDinobotsand theNight Rescue Team,they tried to assess the situation in order to keep the population from rioting over rumors of a "madness plague". The discussion slowly raised suspicions about Broadside's involvement in the incident, but further discussion ceased when Steel Wind detected a change in the planet's broadcast signals — someone was tampering with thetrans-hyperwave caster tower.Steel Wind offered to investigate, but Hacksaw pointed out that Thunderwing's "investigations" tended to end with buildings collapsing. The Dinobot commander insisted on investigating alone, but he asked the Clear Skies Team to maintain a holding pattern around the tower as back-up.

The Team maintained their position, but recorded a video of Hacksaw's fatal battle with Broadside, and the Dinobot's subsequent death. With the eloquent Nightscream in the lead, the Clear Skies and Night Rescue Teams played back the video at Broadside's press conference later, implicating him in the deaths of Hacksaw and Modus Prime. Nightscream was ready to string him up right then and there, butDivebombinsisted Broadside be brought before the law for trial. Unfortunately, this gave Broadside and opportunity to state his case before the assembled Mini-Cons, and a new civil war began brewing on Cybertron.

Shoulda just slagged the glitchhead.The New World

Ask Vector Prime

InAurex 615.03 Epsilon,the Clear Skies Team was dispatched on board theHyperionto theBeast WarsofAlpha Q's universe.Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/23

Toys

Classics

• Clear Skies Team(Mini-Con Team, 2006)

Released in the second wave ofClassicsMini-Con three-packs, the Clear Skies Team are a trio of tiny bots with aerial alt-modes:Nightscreamthe dragon,Steel Windthe A-10 Thunderbolt II bomber plane, andThunderwingthe F-14 Tomcat. As Mini-Cons, each one has a "Powerlinx"socket that allows them to attach to larger toys that have compatible Powerlinx plugs.

This set of molds was used to make a large number of new characters, but not always together and not in equal amounts of redecoes; see the individual toys' pages for more information on those redecoes.

Notes

• The Team's unusual grouping of forms (well, mainly the dragon) is a result of theClassicsMini-Cons having been originally designed withCybertrontwo-packs in mind rather than three-packs, meaning they wouldn't necessarily have needed a consistent theme.
  • The Facebook edition ofAsk Vector Primewould attempt to rectify this incongruity by establishing a version of the team without Nightscream and replacing him with Noise Effect, a fighter jet.