Superion

Superion is the name given to three different characters in the Transformers universe.

Transformers: Generation 1
Superion is the first Autobot special team to be created, and is the Autobots' first combiner, formed from five smaller robots who are able to transform into fighter-jets and planes.

Members:
 * Silverbolt - Team leader.
 * Air Raid
 * Fireflight
 * Skydive
 * Slingshot (replaced with Airazor for Universe)

A "Scramble City" combiner, or scrambler for short) Superion has one leader who is able to form the body and four smaller limbs, which can form either an arm or a leg. While the four members who make up the limbs are interchangeable with each other, in various Transformers fiction, Superion is traditionally portrayed with having Fireflight forming the right arm, Slingshot as the left arm, Skydive is the right leg and Air Raid is the left leg. In the Marvel Comics and Superion's original and Generation 2 instructions, the positions of Fireflight and Slingshot as arms and Air Raid and Skydive as legs are swapped, with the latter making up the arms.

Superion has two simple goals that dominate his every action: one, to destroy the Decepticons and two, to protect others. His thoughts are a combination of all five Aerialbots distilled to their respective cores, with anything not relating to his primary function being suppressed. Because of his single-minded attitude, the other Autobots find Superion to be distant and unfeeling. In reality, he acts this way because he cares so much about his mission that he is willing to sacrifice everything else for it.

Superion utilizes combiner technology to merge all five Aerialbots' bodies and minds into a single super-robot. He is able to fly at speeds of 800 miles per hour for a distance of 5,800 miles. Immensely strong, a single blow from his fist can crush a full-size battleship. He carries Silverbolt's electrostatic discharger rifle, which emits blasts of 150,000 volts of electricity. He is resistant to most Earth and Cybertronian artillery.

The seams where the five Aerialbots merge are Superion's primary physical weaknesses, while his stripped-down thought process makes it difficult for him to think creatively or adapt during combat.

Marvel Comics
The Aerialbots were created on Earth by Wheeljack and given life by Optimus Prime using the Creation Matrix. After their initial mission was deemed a failure due to only Silverbolt's personality being stabilized (with Superion nearly killing a human), Optimus Prime had their minds wiped clean and all five Aerialbots given life once again. Unbeknownst to Prime, the Insecticon Bombshell piggy-backed aboard Silverbolt, and attempted to inject a cerebro-shell into an open wound Prime incurred earlier. The shell allowed Bombshell to transmit Prime's thoughts—and the Matrix's creation process—to Megatron and Soundwave, allowing them to bring life to the Stunticons. (Transformers #21-22.)

Animated series
They 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. Their first appearance came in the two-parter Key to Vector Sigma, pts: 1 & 2. They were created to combat the Stunticons, after the latter had run rampant over the Autobot cars. To do this, Optimus Prime journeyed to Cybertron, with his troops rebuilding old planes and shuttles into the Aerialbots. Alpha Trion sacrificed himself, merging with Vector Sigma itself to give them life. On Earth, while the Aerialbots quickly proved themselves competent warriors, they also became overconfident and arrogant, with leader Silverbolt failing to keep them in line due to his fear of heights. After a heated discussion over whether they should stay with the Autobots, they battled the Stunticons as they tried to use the key to Vector Sigma that could turn organic matter into metal. The two teams battled as Superion and Menasor. The Decepticon combiner gained the upper hand, but was eventually defeated when Omega Supreme intervened. Silverbolt conquered his fear of heights to keep Megatron from escaping with the Key

The Aerialbots and Stunticons squared-off again, later in the episode Cosmic Rust, where Superion defeated Menasor in a Combiner v.s. Combiner rivalry. Later on, in the episode War Dawn, they were sent back in time 9 million years ago by the Decepticons in an attempt to lose the Aerialbots forever in the dawn of time. Thankfully, Optimus managed to halt their displacement to the Golden age of Cybertron. At first, they question the motives of the early Autobots. But after a series of events, and seeing Megatron's cruelty in the past, they witnessed death of a young Autobot named Orion Pax, who was rebuilt by Alpha Trion as their leader, Optimus Prime. They become convinced, and finally accept the ways of the Autobots. A subsequent appearance saw them battling the Combaticons, and later their combined form of Bruticus, in the Middle East.

Although the Aerialbots did not appear in The Transformers: The Movie, they continued to put in regular appearances in the third season (unlike many of the season 1-2 cast, who were either killed in the Movie or phased out). In "Five Faces of Darkness", they arrived in a shuttle to save Rodimus Prime-who took the matrixes wisdom after Optimus Prime died from Megatron's challenge- and his group from the destruction of the planet Quintessa. They later went time-travelling once again, when they discovered a Quintesson time machine, and a young Autobot named A-3. Due to time distortions, Superion ended up battling alongside a second Superion, routing the Quintessons. It was then the truth was revealed - A-3 was a young Alpha Trion, and they had just won the first battle in the Transformer rebellion against their masters.

The Aerialbots had many other adventures, returning to the Middle East alongside Prime to investigate the schemes of Octane and Trypticon, thwarting a Quintesson attempt to drive the Transformers into a blood rage using a special transmitter, and going on a solo attack against Trypticon. They were among the first infected by the Hate Plague when a trap was sent for them and Ultra Magnus when they attempted to retrieve the body of Optimus Prime. As a maddened Superion, they engaged the Protectobots in a running battle, with the latter desperately trying not to get infected. However, when merged as Defensor and trying to evacuate a bridge of human civilians, Superion managed to infect them. A small group of Autobots attempted to curtail Superion's rampage, including Blurr, Bumblebee, Kup, Wheelie, and Steeljaw, but were quickly defeated by him, needing extensive repairs before any of them were operational again. Luckily, when the resurrected Optimus Prime released the power of the Matrix, the Aerialbots were cured along with everyone else

The Aerialbots were among those who reappeared in season 4, in the three part episode "The Rebirth". When the Decepticons once again invaded Cybertron, the Aerialbots were among those who tried to stop them, the Aerialbots fired upon the Decepticons upon their arrival on Cybertron, but unfortunately Galvatron ordered his newest "one robot army" SixShot to take them out. He did so, using each of his alternate modes to defeat the entire team with ease. The Decepticons then later on after the Combaticons had made sure they were defeated, under Galvatron's orders scavenged their parts to construct a super engine to move the planet Cybertron. It is unknown if they survived or not, though one does appear jumping up and down with Bumblebee indicating that they might have survived.

Manga
In the Transformers Manga #5 Galvatron and his Decepticons attacked the Prime Energy Tower. Galvatron ordered the Decepticons to form Menasor, Devastator and Bruticus and attack. Rodimus Prime counted this move by ordering in Superion, Omega Supreme and Defensor. Galvatron then ordered in Predaking, knowing that Sky Lynx was elsewhere and couldn't counter them. Rodimus ordered the Omnibots to attack Predaking's legs. Tripping up the giant he fell into the other Decepticon giants, winning the day for the Autobots.

Toys
Besides there being a recolor of Generation One Superion, there is a rare Generation Two Superion produced which turned into a watch.

Transformers: Energon
The name Superion was modified to become Superion Maximus (still simply Superion in Japan) to match the other two combiners - Bruticus Maximus and Constructicon Maximus. As with the original Superion, these combiners consisted of a team of five with one Deluxe leader and four Basic limbs.

Although Superion Maximus did appear in the Energon anime series, the limbs were seemingly portrayed as just non-sentient drones without any ability to transform, and only served as armor for Storm Jet.

Members:
 * Storm Jet
 * Sky Shadow
 * Terradive
 * Treadshot
 * Windrazor

Transformers: Universe
The Japanese Micromaster combiner known as Sixwing was repainted and released as a set of Autobots who could merge to become Superion. Unlike the Generation One Superion, this Micromaster version is made up of six Autobots.

According to the story for Berserker Sixwing, a computer virus briefly turned the Sixwing team into Decepticons.


 * Silverbolt - Jet - redeco of Falcon.
 * Air Raid - Jet - redeco of Missile Run.
 * Fireflight - Jet
 * Skydive - Jet - Redeco of Supersonic.
 * Ro-Tor - Helicopter - redeco of Chaingun.
 * Storm Jet - Space shuttle - redeco of Raker.

Although four of the individual team members’ names are from the original Aerialbot team, they may not be the same characters. It is also possible they are these are just US names for the Japanese Sixwing characters.

Energon Aerialbots Storm Jet and Windrazor were repackaged into the Universe line in 2005.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
A redeco of the Energon toy, Superion was released as part of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen toy line.


 * Revenge of the Fallen Superion (2009)
 * A combiner gift set that includes Silverbolt, Airazor, Air Raid, Fireflight and Skydive.