Afterburner (G2)

Afterburner is a Decepticon Skyscorcher from the Generation 1 continuity family.

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

The tech master of the Skyscorchers, Afterburner (aka Snipe) 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

Marvel Generation 2 comic

Afterburner and the other Skyscorchers aided Megatron and Starscream against Optimus Prime and the Dinobots in a battle on an unidentified rocky planet. War Without End!

Regeneration One

After a raid on the Pax Cybertronia Decommissioning Depot in Kalis went wrong and the Skyscorchers were left under siege, Afterburner berated Terradive for 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 them anywhere. Still, it would've turned out alright if three Insecticons hadn't arrived to make "martyrs" of them under Soundwave's orders, Chop Shop killing him even as he protested they planned to hand the weapons to the Neo-Decepticons... Loose Ends, Part 1

Transformers '84

When Straxus took 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 the Cyberfactory. Although created without a faction, Afterburner soon chose one anyways and joined Clench'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 of Caminus, where he operated as a Commander within the planet's namesake with a team of Cityspeakers. When a disturbance and outbreaks of violence was reported, Commander Afterburner took the Alpha Squadron with him to investigate, where they encountered Swindle. Afterburner tried to arrest Swindle, but was interrupted when Menasor appeared to menace the squadron. When he tried to arrest Menasor instead, he got stomped on by the combiner for his troubles. The Sum and Its Parts

Legends comic

In the year 2038, Snipe was a member of the Decepticon faction led by Galvatron II. They attacked the planet Beast to steal its energy and became aware of the power of the Three Wise Ones' Gems. Snipe and the G-2 Decepticon jets strafed the Monsterbots and their Legends World allies so that Galvatron's Nemesis could begin harvesting power. However, the Legends Beast Warriors assumed their Transformer bodies and wreaked havoc on board Nemesis, bringing down the ship. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3 Galvatron seized the Gem of Fire and attempted to wield it against his enemies, but the Monsterbots and local Beastformers proved 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 Transformers Snipe transforms into a Lockheed F-104G Starfighter jet. His undercarriage radar becomes a hand-held non-firing blaster weapon for robot mode.

He was originally sold in the European market in 1993 as part of the "transitional" line that used the Generation 2 insignias, 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 the Generation 2 line. He was then later re-released in the European version of Generation 2 in 1994.

This toy is gang-molded with Windrazor.

• 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 2 Afterburner is identical to the concurrent European "Generation 1" Snipe toy. Snipe was re-released in the European Generation 2 line the following year.

This mold was planned for use by Takara as the Block Town Autobot character Snipe, 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 Decepticon insignia hidden in his cockpit.
• For some reason, Afterburner is the only Skyscorcher not to appear in the Generation 2 UK comic in any capacity. He's not even in the toy-lists!

Foreign names

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