The Aerialbots are an Autobots subgroup and recurring characters in the Transformers franchise. They transform into Earth-style aircrafts and are also the first Autobot combiner team. Made up of Silverbolt, Air Raid, Firelight, Skydive and Slingshot, they combine into Superion. They serves as the counter-force to the Stunticons - who are also their mortal enemies.
History
Cartoon
Slingshot and the Aerialbots being tricked by Starscream.
The Aerialbots were created on Cybertron around the same time as the Stunticons as a countermeasure to the new Decepticon car team after the mainly land based Autobots proved woefully inadequate as a counter. To do this, Optimus Prime journeyed to Cybertron, with along with his troops rebuilding old planes and shuttles into Aerialbots by name, Silverbolt, Skydive, Slingshot, Fireflight, and Air Raid as a combiner team to form into Superion.
In the Rebirth episodes the Aerialbots were quickly taken down all by the Decepticon Sixshot, who used all of his alternate mode for the sweeping
Comics
The Aerialbots featured in the Marvel UK story "Second Generation", where they were seen in a vision Optimus Prime and Buster Witwicky had of the future of the Transformers race, forming Superion to battle Menasor and Bruticus during an encounter at a stricken power station. This led into their first Marvel US appearance in Issue #21, where they were shown to have been created on Earth. When Megatron and his new reinforcements took control of a dam to harness its power, the Aerialbots were despatched to the scene as the only ones who could get there in time, even though only Silverbolt had a full personality programme. This meant the others needed to be specifically ordered to protect humans during a battle with the Coneheads, and when formed into Superion, they were prepared to kill Decepticon-controlled human Ricky Vasquez, leading to Silverbolt disconnecting the combiner as Ricky broke free and destroyed the Decepticons' machines.
After being given full life with the Creation Matrix, the Aerialbots were sent out again to deal with a rampage by the Stunticons. They formed Superion and Menasor in order to battle, with Superion being taken out by the anti-robot vigilante Circuit Breaker and her employers RAAT. The Aerialbots were among a number of Autobots dismantled by them but later released after helping defeat the Battlechargers. They were fully repaired for the G.I. Joe and the Transformers miniseries where they were sent to back up Bumblebee in observing Power Station Alpha but were instead attacked by the G.I. Joe team, who mistook Superion for a hostile. After the Autobots, G.I. Joe and Cobra teamed up to stop the Decepticons using the station to destroy Earth, the Aerialbots took part in a diversionary attack on the Decepticon base, forming Superion to battle Devastator.
The Aerialbots were largely reduced to background cameos for some time after, being present for Ratchet's failed attempt to revive Optimus Prime in Issue #26 and the duel between Grimlock and Blaster on the moon in Issue #41. Their final Marvel US appearance as a team came during the Underbase Saga in Issue #50, where they went to retrieve Buster from the arctic and ended up being ambushed by Decepticon flyers. After the Autobots and Decepticons teamed up to battle the Underbase-powered Starscream, the Aerialbots were part of the team led by Blaster and Ratbat sent to defend New York and were among those deactivated during the battle.
The Aerialbots would be reactivated during Marvel UK's Earthforce storyline. The only time they all appeared together was in "The House That Wheeljack Built", where they provided aerial cover for Prowl as he had to fight his way through the Earthforce base's defences after they were accidentally activated while everyone was outside.
Aligned Universe
- Main article: Aerialbots (Aligned)
