Cliffjumper (Transformers Prime)

You mess with Cliffjumper, you get the horns.

Name: Cliffjumper
Allegiance: Autobots
Sub-group: Team Prime
Function: Warrior
Timeline: Aligned Continuity

Toyline: Transformers Prime

Profile:

Loud and brash, Cliffjumper is one of the newer members of Team Prime along with his partner, Arcee. Cliffjumper is the life and soul of the party, laughing and joking with his fellow Autobots and proving to be a dependable member of a fireteam on the battlefield. He’s still learning human customs, and has a lot of problems with traffic laws, often accidentally parking illegally and getting clamped for his troubles. Cliffjumper views this as a real inconvenience, but gets a bit of fun from giving humans a fright when he speeds away, leaving their road clamps at the kerbside. This frequently earns him cristicism from the Autobots' human allies in Unit-E and a lecture from Optimus Prime. Cliffjumper is likewise gung-ho when it comes to Decepticons, approaching encounters with an attitude of “leap, not look”.

Abilities:

Cliffjumper is the fastest member of Team Prime, a trait he uses to draw Decepticon fire for his fellow Autobots. Each of his arms can transform into a triple-barrelled ion cannon with an effective range of 400 metres. Cliffjumper can also use his arm cannons to fire a variety of other payloads including fragmentation rounds and his signature glass gas capsules, which weakens Decepticon armour to the point it is as fragile as glass.

Weaknesses:

Cliffjumper's gung-ho attitude often leads to him getting into situations that he cannot handle or taking reckless action that endangers him and those around him. Cliffjumper's unfamiliarity with Earth customs also endangers the Autobot directive to remain concealed on Earth.

Muscle car mode:

Additional images of Cliffjumper

More information on Cliffjumper at TFW2005

Author notes:

This is the First Edition version of Prime Cliffjumper, a toy who I really love playing about with and transforming. I'm in particular a fan of how his legs unfold into the car mode, as well as the inclusion of the arm cannons. I enjoyed this one so much I've ended up with a total of three versions of this Cliffjumper, the other two being the GDO and Takara Terrorcon versions.

The character himself doesn't have a lot to go on given his role in the plot was to die early on and establish the stakes. His portrayal seems to be largely as in Generation 1, so I did look at that version for a few ideas particularly for the abilities. 

Overall, Cliffjumper was a good character who could have done with more fleshing out in comics, and a great toy in this first edition release.