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Slipstream (RID)

From Transformers Wiki

The name or term "Slipstream" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, seeSlipstream (disambiguation).
Slipstream is anAutobotMini-Confrom theRobots in Disguiseportion of theAligned continuity family.
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Have you seen that video where the cat is playing Chopsticks with chopsticks?

Like his partnerJetstorm,Slipstreamis working with his masterDrift.Of the two Mini-Cons, Slipstream is the calmer one, preferring to follow Drift's lead on and off the battlefield. He is not above celebrating with Jetstorm though, and the two seem to have good synergy with how they fight. And fight they do, with Slipstream wielding a naginata to cut the enemy down to size. You may not be surprised to learn that in all his endeavours, Slipstream takes after his master quite a bit- a little more than Jetstorm does. Sometimes, Slipstream is aWeaponizer,which should impress his master one way or another.

Contents

Fiction

2015Robots in Disguisecartoon

Voice actor:Roger Craig Smith(English),Isamu Yusen(Japanese),Marco Benedetti(Italian),Petri Hanttu(Finnish, from episode 17),Frédéric Meaux(French, first voice),Yvan Reekmans(French, second voice),Peppino Capotondi(French,One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing),Patrick Keller(German),Julian Mau(German, 3 episodes),Tommy Rojas(Latin-American Spanish),Glauco Marques(Brazilian Portuguese),Paweł Krucz(Polish)
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Bossa Nova! Uh...Chevy Nova?

Slipstream and Jetstorm were once students of the DecepticonShadow Raker,who was primarily interested in teaching them to steal. When fellow student Deadlock left, the pair accompanied him.Out of the Shadows

Slipstream and Jetstorm accompanied Deadlock, now calling himself Drift, toEarthwhen he went to collect the bounty onBumblebeeand immediately found themselves tangling withFractureand his Mini-Cons. Slipstream tackledDivebombuntilSideswipestepped in. The Decepticons retreated and the Autobots returned to their scrapyard base, where the two Mini-Cons were kept entertained byRussellandFixit.They reattached themselves to Drift when Fixit detected a Cybertronian life signal, and later when Fracture attacked, Drift ordered the pair to protect Bumblebee. Despite their orders, the two Mini-Cons were drawn to protect Russell and Fixit from the Decepticon Mini-Cons, and during a distraction the pair hijacked Fracture's ship, freeing the captured Autobots and using it to threaten Fracture. Unfortunately they crashed the ship, but they did get some rare praise from Drift before they left the planet.Hunting Season

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After Jetstorm went missing, Drift and Slipstream followed his trail to Earth, where they found their companion insisting he wanted to be Russell's student. The trio aided Bumblebee's team during a run in withQuillfireandSpringloadwho had commandeered a giant tank, and afterwards Drift decided he and his wards would stay with Bumblebee's team to learn cooperation.One of Our Mini-Cons Is MissingThe two Mini-Cons and their master accompanied Bumblebee's team to a derelict ship at the bottom of the sea off the coast where they attempted to captureOctopunch.While moving through the ship's corridors, they became trapped with Sideswipe and attempted to spend their time in captivity meditating, until they were eventually able to escape.Deep Trouble

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Like, zoinks, Scoob!

During a hunt for Fixit, the two Mini-Cons had to deal with a bear and Slipstream managed to get it to run into a fallen tree. They were the first to be blasted when Fixit reverted to his original guard programming, and along with their master, were trapped in containment fields.The Trouble with FixitAfter the Autobots were trapped outside their own base using subsonics, Slipstream and Jetstorm were literally catapulted inside and kept Fracture's Mini-Cons busy until the base could be retaken.LockoutThe pair joined their master on the hunt forScowl,though their shenanigans at a resort spa resulted in Drift being clobbered by their Dinobot quarry,Similarly Differentand took part in the capture ofZizzaby turning off the power to the hangar the Decepticon was hiding out in.The Buzz on Windblade

A visit to the ghost town ofEdmondvilleresulted in the Mini-Cons being frightened of the place at first, but witnessing Drift's attempt to be scary, they cheered up. They were instrumental in capturingPseudo,both by being able to determine which Drift was the real thing, and when Grimlock hurled them both at the fleeing Decepticon.Ghosts and ImpostorsSlipstream and Jetstorm reattached themselves to Drift when the Autobots rolled out to rescue Sideswipe and Strongarm from the Decepticons.Battlegrounds, Part 1During the battle againstMegatronus,the two Mini-Cons almost faced off directly against the foe, but were interrupted byOptimus Prime,who took over while they tended to Drift. They later helped drop the arm of the colossal statue onto Megatronus.Battlegrounds, Part 2

Slipstream and Jetstorm listened to Optimus tell old war stories. When Drift was assigned to an "away team" to hunt Decepticons far from the scrapyard, the two Mini-Cons naturally went along as well — during the first mission to theArctic,they had to help Optimus after the Autobot, weakened after the Primes took away his extra power, was left clinging to a cliff.Overloaded, Part 1They were able to prevent Optimus from falling, but later became frozen to Drift's arms and unable to be deployed.Overloaded, Part 2

CoverMe-DesertSlipstream.jpg

Drift unleashed the pair onSwelterandGlacius,but the evil Mini-Cons turned out to be too much for them to handle. They accompanied the Autobots to a military base, where they were trapped in a metal cocoon with their master and Sideswipe.Cover Me

Investigating possible interference with one of Windblade's caches, Optimus's team found themselves up againstStockadeand his army of Mini-Cons. In a bid to act independently in the field, Jetstorm and Slipstream disregarded their master's order to link back up, indirectly resulting in Drift sustaining an injury. The guilty pair ended up trapped in an armory with Sideswipe, but realized they were able to link up with the Autobot. Using this newfound tactical advantage, the trio quickly took down the squadron surrounding them, and headed off to help the rest of their team. The Autobots' concerted efforts resulted in Stockade's defeat. Having seen them perform admirably in his absence, Drift told the two Mini-Cons that their training was complete. However the Mini-Cons insisted on remaining his students, apologizing for their earlier behavior. The stealth team then learned that the scrapyard's GroundBridge was once more operational, and returned to base to rejoin Bumblebee's forces.Graduation Exercises

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Slipstream and Jetstorm were present when the Autobots ran intoRatchet,who promptly joined the team. Drift carried them as the Autobots used a ruse to infiltrate the wreck of theAlchemor,which was being used as a base by a group of Decepticons.Decepticon Island (Part 1)As Drift and Ratchet attempted to rescue a captive Windblade, the two Mini-Cons were able to deploy and avoid being trapped in a stasis pod with their master. They freed their fellow Autobots, who were able to defeatOverload,and the group escaped from the ship before acryo-gasbomb put everyone on board in stasis. With the Decepticon threat now dealt with, several Autobots opted to return to their homeworld. Drift and his Mini-Cons decided instead to stay on Earth under Bumblebee's command to set up a permanent base of operations on the planet.Decepticon Island (Part 2)When news of the Bee Team's exploits reached Cybertron, Slipstream became one of the many Autobots blacklisted by theHigh Councilfor being a supporter of Optimus Prime.Enemy of My Enemy

During a visit toAutobot Outpost Omega One,Drift's students were deployed to assist in battling the automated defenses, and later attempted to assist in a fight againstParalonandBuzzstrike.History LessonsAfter a training exercise went wrong, Jetstorm and Slipstream bravely threatened thetraining drone's severed head.Strongarm's Big ScoreDuring a fight withTricerashot,Slipstream and Jetstorm charged at him from either side and were knocked out when he jumped out of their way and let them run into each other.Pretzel Logic

A mishap with ahigh energy pulse generatorprovoked a wisecrack from Sideswipe at the Mini-Cons' expense, leaving Fixit, Jetstorm and Slipstream angry at him. Following a temporary invasion of the scrapyard by the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, the trio were mistakenly captured byStarscream's men, and used as leverage to force Bumblebee to turn himself over.Mighty Big TroubleImprisoned aboardStarscream's ship,Slipstream and Fixit succeeded in getting Jetstorm out via a ceiling vent.Mini-Con MadnessHe returned to release his fellow Mini-Cons, and they freed Bumblebee as well. During the ensuing fight, Jetstorm and Slipstream took outShadelock,but were only saved from being zapped byRoughEdgewhen Sideswipe threw himself in front of the blast. Following Starscream's eventual defeat, the pair volunteered to team up with Sideswipe for a while.Worthy

Slipstream and Jetstorm helped Russell train for his championship game.King of the Hill (Part 1) During some training, Grimlock became impressed with the moves the Mini-Con were showing off, and asked to become Drift's pupil too. Slipstream and Jetstorm later watched as Drift resignedly agreed that Grimlock had graduated.Defrosted

DisorderedPersonalities piggyback ride.jpg

The two Mini-Cons successfully took downZorillorafter the Skunkticon sprayed Drift with blinding gunk. During a mission to capture Springload, the Mini-Cons were assigned the task of wrapping theSphere of Doradusin tin foil in an attempt to block its strange energies. Unfortunately this didn't work all that well.Sphere of InfluenceThe diminutive duo also helped save Bumblebee from a nasty fall during a fight againstDrag StripandWildbreak.Bee Cool

When Shadow Raker turned up on Earth seeking the return of Slipstream and Jetstorm, Drift forbade the pair from fighting. They came up with a plan of their own, and when Shadow Raker captured them, Slipstream pretended to be loyal to the Con, divulging the location of a stash ofShanixwhich kept the Con on Earth long enough to be defeated.Out of the ShadowsThe two Mini-Cons ran into problems working with Grimlock after the Dinobot was mind-swapped with Drift. Unable to link with him, they had to ride on his back during a mission to defeat the Stunticons.Disordered Personalities

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Drift deployed Jetstorm and Slipstream to attackBlastwave,but the pair were simply swatted aside by their opponent.Guilty As ChargedWhile cleaning Drift's katana, Slipstream accidentally shattered it by using the wrong cleaner. Sideswipe helped him cover it up, until Drift inevitably found out during their mission to prevent the Stunticons from stealing the power source of a maglev train. Seeing Sideswipe cop the blame forced Slipstream to confess.Railroad RageThe two Mini-Cons helped pull a crashed truck to safety after the Stunticons ran it off the road.Combine and ConquerWhen Optimus recruited Drift for a mission, his two students naturally accompanied him.Moon Breaker

During Bee Team's mission to expose the new council, Drift deployed Slipstream and Jetstorm, and they were able to disable theLight Bendersthe council were using, revealing them to be a group of Decepticons.Cyclonusordered the other Decepticons to take the two Mini-Cons prisoner, but ended up blasting the pair when they turned out to be too tricky to catch. They recovered in time to help Drift defeatRiotgear.In the aftermath of the battle, Optimus appointed Bee Team ambassadors to Earth. They returned to the scrapyard, where Drift told his students to observe Sideswipe and Strongarm as an example of how not to behave as members of a team.Freedom Fighters

2015Robots in Disguisebooks

FollowingFilch's escape, Slipstream and Jetstorm created sparks with their swords, luring her in so thatDennycould catch her with his electromagnet.Bumblebee Versus Scuzzard

After doubt was thrown on Drift's motives, Drift left the team and Bumblebee tried to interrogate Jetstorm and Slipstream to find out what they knew. The pair eventually opened up after Russell won them over and admitted they knew Drift used to be a Decepticon. A short time later the scrapyard was taken over byFoxtrotandStilts,who held Slipstream and Denny captive until Drift returned and stealthily freed them.Drift's Samurai Showdown

During the incident withSkinkbomb,Drift and his Mini-Cons were off on a scouting mission, and Fixit didn't have any luck contacting them.The Trials of Optimus Prime

The away team headed toMount Everestto huntAbominus.Slipstream became separated from the rest of the team due to an avalanche and encounteredLoren Fortean's film crew, secretly keeping them safe from the array of boobytraps set up by the Decepticon, and eventually managed to free the rest of the team who had been captured by Abominus himself. The team successfully captured Abominus and scared off the film crew.Autobot World Tour

Robots in Disguiseshorts

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Ignore the questions about how this even works and enjoy the cuteness of baby Slipstream.

Slipstream grew up onLuna 1.He led a happy childhood inHelpful Cityuntil he was attacked byCyclonesinSerenity Yard.They stole from him his first ball bearing. Emotionally wounded by the assault, he turned to a life of petty theft to fill the void left inside him.The Tragedy of Slipstream

When Slipstream and Jetstorm were getting ready to watch a movie, Sideswipe taught them about the concept of "dibs." Slipstream was quite impressed by Sideswipe's ability to have first claim to anything by uttering a single word, declaring him "most powerful." Fixit then detected that the CyclonesBacktrackandRansackwere on the loose and informed the entire Bee Team as much. Slipstream called "dibs" on recapturing the Cyclones. Though Bumblebee was concerned with letting him take on the job, Drift allowed Slipstream to take on such a heavy burden on his own.The Power of Dibs

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The Minicons needed some time to think after witnessing Drift/Fracture pictures on Tumblr.

Hearing someone following him, Slipstream turned and struck his stalker, discovering it to be Jetstorm, concerned for his friend. Slipstream explained that his need to bring the Cyclones to justice stemmed from his childhood trauma when Jetstorm insisted to go along with him.The Tragedy of SlipstreamThe pair soon crossed paths with their quarry, as well as the Decepticon Mini-Cons pursuing them. Though Slipstream informed them that he had already called "dibs" on the Cyclones, the Decepticons insisted on fighting over them nonetheless. Slipstream took on Airazor while Jetstorm battled Divebomb. But when Slipstream was accidentally knocked into a rock mound built by the Cyclones during the brawl, the unaligned Mini-Cons turned their firepower on the other four, forcing them to take cover together.A Level Playing FieldInsisting that the Decepticons find their own place to hide, Slipstream instigated a brawl with the Decepticons again, culminating into a slap-fight. Jetstorm put an end to it, telling Slipstream that while it was true he had called "dibs" on the Cyclones, his claim was meaningless if they were all in pieces. Working together, the four aligned Mini-Cons managed to take out the two unaligned ones. Though Slipstream and Jetstorm then informed Airazor and Divebomb that they were obligated to take them in, the Decepticons invoked the ancient Earth tradition of "Not it!" allowing them to walk away.

When Slipstream and Jetstorm returned to base with the Cyclones in hand, they were met with a surprise hug from Drift. Their teacher quickly regained his composure, though he admitted that he was glad his students had made it back safely.Two Plus Two Equals More

IDWRobots in Disguisecomic

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The two Mini-Cons took part in a fight atFort Tucker,attacking a flyingVehiconin the air.Robots in Disguise #5After the Autobots located Steeljaw's hideout, the pair got the imprisoned Fixit and Russell to safety while the rest of the team tackled the Decepticons.Robots in Disguise #6


Commercial appearances

Drift launched Slipstream and Jetstorm so that they could do battle against Fracture's own Mini-Con partners. The Autobots were victorious, and Slipstream high-fived Jetstorm as Drift loomed proudly over them.Robots in Disguise Deployers toy commercial

Games

Robots in Disguisemobile game

Version Unlock Cost (Energon) Unlock Cost (Ultra Sparks)
Buzzsaw 2000 40
Blizzard 2000 40
Weapon 2000 40
Stealth 2000 40

Slipstream could be recruited to help fight off theInsecticonclone army overrunningCrown City.Robots in Disguisemobile game

Transformers Super Mini-Con Striker

Slipstream acted as a field player in a soccer match between him,DriftandJetstorm;and the DecepticonsFracture,DivebombandAirazor.Transformers Super Mini-Con Striker

Power Up for Battle

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I'm sorry, WHAT?

During a battle, Bumblebee dropped astasis podcontaining what's supposed to be Slipstream for Optimus Prime to use as a weapon against Starscream. The Mini-Con provided the Autobot leader with bigger and stronger blaster bolts for a short period of time.Power Up for Battle

Toys

Robots in Disguise(2015)

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It's the circle of life...
(Hasbro version pictured)
  • Slipstream(Mini-Con, 2015)
  • TakaraTomy ID number:TMC02
  • TakaraTomy release date:April 29,2016
  • Accessories:Armor sprue (lion-head helmet, 2 swords, 2 shields, backpack, 2 flames)
Part of the first wave ofRobots in Disguisesingle-packed Mini-Cons, Slipstream transforms from a robot to a "buzzsaw" disk in a single simple step. In this mode, he is compatible with the launching mechanism on theDeployer Driftmold.
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(TakaraTomy version pictured)
He comes with a number of clear plastic accessories attached to an Autobot-insignia-shaped sprue, which can be attached to him using tabs and slots. While most of these pieces can remain on Slipstream when transforming him to buzzsaw mode, the swords need to be removed from his hands and re-tabbed into slots just above the shields. Some of these parts can combine with those of his wavematesDivebomb,DragonusandSawbackto forman energy lion... like, the uh, lion head. Kinda obvious there.
In Japan, the individual Slipstream was sold nearly a year later, in the first and only wave of TakaraTomy'sAdventure: Prime of Micronsingle-pack Microns. This release is much more extensively painted to make him more show-accurate... even moreso than his prior Takara release as a pack-in with Drift (see below). He also has a different scan-badge, which checks him off in theTransformers Chroniclephone app's toy checklist. In-package, the badge is covered by a dummy sticker that doesn't scan.


AdventureTAV27-Slipstream.jpg
  • Drift Micronshooter Set[sic](Mini-Con Deployer, 2015)
  • TakaraTomy ID number:TAV27
  • TakaraTomy release date:September 19,2015
  • Accessories:Armor sprue (lion-head helmet, 2 swords, 2 shields, backpack, 2 flames)
Released in the seventh wave of TakaraTomy'sAdventuretoyline, this version of Slipstream has a bit more detail paint than the Hasbro single-pack release, to give him a more show-accurate deco (but not themostshow-accurate deco, as seen above).
He only came packed in with the larger "Micron Shooter" Drift and his fellow studentJetstorm,where the Hasbro release of this Drift toyonlycame with Jetstorm.


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Am I blue? You would be too, If your sensei went to the Arctic circles too...
  • Blizzard Strike Slipstream(Mini-Con, 2016)
  • Accessories:Armor sprue (lion-head helmet, 2 swords, 2 shields, backpack, 2 flames)
Slipstream was redecoed for the third wave ofRobots in Disguisesingle-packed Mini-Cons, now colored in two shades of blue, to match the similarly-decoedBlizzard Strike Drifttoy.
He retains the same accessories as his original release, although his new wavematesSwelter,Hammer,andBackdon't include the right armor pieces to form the energy lion, or really anything else coherent.


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Showing an uncanny resemblance to a Convertors binocular...
  • Mini-Con 4-Pack(Multi-pack, 2016)
  • Accessories:Armor sprue (helmet, 2 gatling cannons, 2 barrel add-ons, 2 blast effects)
Released in the second of three Mini-Con 4-Packs, this "Weaponizer" version of Slipstream is an extensiveretoolingof his original toy, now transforming into a double-barreled blaster cannon that can be held via5 mm post.This means he's no longer compatible with Deployer Drift's launching mechanism.
He also includes a different armor sprue, featuring parts that turn him into a quadruple-barreled gun (or possiblysextupleif you think those parts that attach to his barrel-sides are also blasters), with two blast effects that plug into his large barrel muzzles. He can also equip the parts from the normal buzzsaw version, although not all at the same time as his new parts. And again, his hand-held weapons must be manually removed and repositioned when going from robot to weapon modes.
While his buzzsaw versions feature a determined look on his face, his Weaponizer toy has an enraged or battling expression.He will ruin you.
This Mini-Con 4-Pack also came withAnvil,Undertone,andHammer.


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...One that you would never want close to your eyes.
  • Slipstream(Weaponizer Mini-Con, 2016)
  • Accessories:Armor sprue (helmet, 2 gatling cannons, 2 barrel add-ons, 2 blast effects)
Weaponizer Slipstream was also released in the the fifth wave of single-pack Mini-Cons (the first wave of Weaponizer single-packs), now in an icy blue color, once again to match the various Arctic-themed Drift toys. His armor sprue is now orange.
Both waves of individual Weaponizer Mini-Cons ultimately went unreleased in the US, not even coming out through discounters. They did see release in various European and Asian markets.


Kre-O

KreO-Toy-Battle-Changer-Drift.jpg
  • Autobot Drift(Kreon Triple Changer,2015)
    • Accessories:2 swords, Slipstream & Jetstorm Kreons
Kreon Triple Changer Autobot Drift mooshes all the incarnations of Drift into one form! This built-up Kreon transforms from robot to sportscar to helicopter,withoutneeding to be disassmebled. His general appearance is based on Generation 1 Drift, his altmodes come fromAge of ExtinctionDrift,and of course his micro-Kreon Mini-Con partnersSlipstreamandJetstormhail fromRobots in DisguiseDrift.
Drift (along withBlitzwing) was shown atToy Fair 2015,but no accounts of it seeing release in any market have ever surfaced.
Your bargaining posture is highly dubious.

Proceed on your way to oblivion.
This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Merchandise

Dickie Toys

  • Optimus Prime Battle Truck(2016)
    • Accessories:Slipstream figure, Sawback figure, 2 Slipstream discs, 2 Sawback discs
A Non-transforming Slipstream figurine comes with the similarly non-transforming Optimus Prime truck, as well as a disc projectile with a sculpted image of Slipstream. The disc can be launched from Optimus Prime's truck front or both sides of the built-in pressure-firing launchers. The Slipstream figurine can be attached to the top of the truck or to the launchers, but does not activate any extra gimmicks.


  • Bumblebee(Mini-Con Deployer, 2016)
  • Sideswipe(Mini-Con Deployer, 2016)
The Slipstream disc, along with Sawback's, is also available with either Mini-Con Deployer Bumblebee or Sideswipe, which can be launched from his vehicle front.


Plastic Robots

  • Robots in Disguise 8-pack(2017)
  • Robots in Disguise 11-pack(2017)
Another non-transforming, but show-accurate Slipstream figurine is available in either of these gift sets.


Notes

  • In the Japanese dub of the series,Transformers Adventure,Slipstream and Jetstorm end every sentence withde gozaru(でござる), an archaic honorific associated with the samurai. Drift uses it, too, but a bit more reasonably; the Mini-Cons use it to comedic excess as their verbal tic.

Foreign names

  • Japanese:Slipstream(スリップストリームSurippusutorīmu)
  • Mandarin:Huá Liú(China, hoạt lưu, "Slip Flow" )
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