Sky Shadow (Transformers Cybertron Profiles)

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Name: Sky Shadow
Allegiance: Double Agents
Function: Commander-in-chief
Timeline: Unicron Trilogy

Soldiers wage wars, generals win them.

Profile:

For years, Sky Shadow has been an often-overlooked observer, lurking in the background of the Decepticon army, silent and unnoticed. He doesn't bully, boast, or plot against his fellow Decepticons. In his own words, he works for the good of the Decepticon cause in his own fashion, and claims to have done so since the earliest days of the Decepticon uprising. For ages, Sky Shadow has waited, watching, collecting information and laying plans. With the death of Megatron and the creation of a new Cybertronian republic, Sky Shadow has stepped out of the shadows to fill the power vacuum left by Megatron. His charismatic and cunning leadership has made him a natural fit for the fragmented Decepticon forces. His is a guiding, benevolent hand, nurturing the Decepticon remnant, rather than an iron fist squeezing it by the throat, something the few Decepticons remaining appreciate. In truth, Sky Shadow is unconcerned with what the Decepticons under his command do, so long as they don't stray too far from the parameters he has established for them - because in reality, he is the first senator of the new Cybertronian republic, Jetfire! Fearing the threat the Decepticon remnant might pose to the hard-won peace following Megatron's death, Jetfire decided to adopt a Decepticon persona to ensure the Decepticon remnant at worst remains a harmless nuisance, while hoping they can be fully rehabilitated and reintegrated into Cybertronian society. Jetfire chose his Decepticon identity from historical records, identifying a statesman who was a supporter and mentor of Megatron before the war. The only thing Jetfire didn't bargain for was that one of Sky Shadow's old political rivals might still be alive and leading his own Decepticon remnant. Now, Jetfire needs to walk the tightrope of maintaining his charade, deflect suspicions about his true identity, and above all, save the hard-won peace.

Cargo plane mode:

Author notes:

I always liked this guy's backstory - it's Jetfire undercover as a Decepticon, trying to bring the bad guys down from within! That's an awesome excuse for having a good guy redecoed as a bad guy, and it opens up some awesome story potential.

Ever since I got this one, I always felt that he'd come into the story after the conclusion of the main narrative of Transformers Cybertron / Galaxy Force - he's essentially filling the power vacuum left after the final defeat of Megatron / Galvatron, having recognised that there will always be Decepticons who won't fit into the peaceful Cybertron he's been left in charge of - so, what better way to manage these ex-Decepticons than setting yourself up as one of their leaders, ensuring that whatever the Decepticons get up to is ultimately little more than ineffectual mischief with an end goal of accomplishing full rehabilitation.

That storyline, I figured, would work out fairly well since the remaining Decepticons after Transformers Cybertron were Thunderblast, Thundercracker (who wasn't even sold on being evil anymore), Ransack and Crumplezone (who were both fairly juvenile in their approach). But a potential story then emerges from the way Jetfire has appropriated the identity of this Decepticon Sky Shadow to achieve this end - what if there are other Decepticons out there who knew Sky Shadow, and might expose the deception? Can Jetfire save the peace and keep his plan on track - or will be be exposed, compromising everything the Autobots have built? The story possibilities are endless, and can set the stage for a continuation of the Unicron Trilogy's world beyond those final episodes.

Toys of Transformers Cybertron Sky Shadow

Transformers Cybertron Sky Shadow

The Transformers Cybertron Jetfire / Galaxy Force Dreadlock is one of those toys that just clicked with me. Disclaimer: I love this toyline, it is among my favourites of all time because I feel Hasbro and Takara just got everything right. It really hits the sweet spot in terms of design, aesthetics, and fun for me - and in my eyes, the Jetfire / Sky Shadow mold epitomises everything that I love in the toyline. Sky Shadow continues that trend, with the added bonus of a more vibrant / eye-catching colour scheme.

Sky Shadow's alternate mode is one of the things I really like about him - he's a solid cargo plane, with no real mass of exposed robot parts. Everything tucks away neatly, and the plane is huge. This era of toys really made you feel like you got your money's worth. The transformation is simple and uncomplicated, but gives you a nicely executed, bulky robot form. I particularly like the way the cargo plane's nose folds onto the chest and had a spring loaded feature to make missile pods pop out. The robot mode feels suitably stocky and powerful, with an absolutely awesome headsculpt complete with clear visor. One negative is that the way the transformation works leaves a big gap in the body when viewed from the side - a couple of fold out panels could have helped to disguise the gap, although having these may have compromised the overall look of both modes.

Like most Transformers Cybertron toys, Sky Shadow has a gimmick unlocked by inserting a Cyber Key. In Sky Shadow's case, he has a cannon that pops up on his back. All it does is pop out slightly and extend a barrel, so it is quite an underwhelming gimmick, and the robot mode needs to lean forward to really make use of this extra weapon. There is an attack formation for the cargo plane mode which makes better use of the gimmick, but overall it's not one of the best executed Cyber Key gimmicks.

That being said, I really enjoy this toy because it just looks so awesome as a plane and it has a really nice robot mode. It is why I love the Transformers Cybertron line.

More information on Transformers Cybertron Sky Shadow at TFW2005

See more Transformers Cybertron toys in my collection.