Personal tools

Darkwing (G1)

From Transformers Wiki

Jump to: navigation, search
The name or term "Darkwing" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Darkwing (disambiguation).
Darkwing is a Decepticon Powermaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.
(thumbnail)
I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the rain that ruins your picnic!

Darkwing (aka Darkwind[1] or Blackwing[2]) has just as dim a view of existence as his partner Dreadwind, he's simply more proactive about it. After all, he figures if everything is pointless, depressing, and inevitably leads to a life of painful and ceaseless suffering anyway, he might at least make sure others are getting it a lot worse than he is. You can always count on Darkwing to attempt to make a bad situation worse for everyone involved, and to complain about it all loudly while he's at it. He's binary-bonded to the hot-headed Nebulan thief Throttle, and can combine with Dreadwind to form the superjet Dreadwing.

Contents

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Although Darkwing never appears in an episode of The Transformers, he was verbally referenced in new live-action sequences created for the show's fifth season.

Darkwing and Dreadwind fought Optimus Prime, but were forced to retreat due to Optimus's superior power. They soon returned and Optimus set out to fight them again, this time with Tommy Kennedy in tow. Season 5: FFOD, Part 5

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.
(thumbnail)
It's guy love between two guys.

Darkwing and Dreadwind were Decepticon mercenaries, affiliated with no army or unit full-time. For their own reasons, however, they were interested in finding the location of Scorponok and his crew of Decepticon warriors. Tracking the group to the planet Nebulos, Darkwing demanded the Nebulans give them the information on Scorponok's whereabouts. When they refused, Darkwing and Dreadwind began a campaign of terror on the planet that only stopped due to precautions the Nebulans had taken to poison their fuel supplies, a measure of foresight to prevent Transformers from returning to their world after the last war. Darkwing and Dreadwind froze up, becoming little more than a curiosity and tourist attraction in an open square.

Their luck changed thanks to a jealous and vindictive scientist named Hi-Test, who had worked on the fuel-tainting process but received none of the glory. Working with a thief named Throttle, Hi-Test stole information from his former boss Hi-Q, and used it to create a new form of bio-mechanical engineering called the Powermaster Process, which would cybernetically enable him and Throttle to binary bond with the Decepticons, becoming their engines to restore their ability to move and intake energy. Reaching an agreement with the Nebulans, Darkwing agreed to become binary bonded to Throttle, and the new Decepticon Powermasters began ransacking Nebulos once again. Now, however, many of their heists involved busting into restaurants and food courts so their Nebulan partners could gorge themselves, restocking their energy supplies and continuing to fuel their larger partners. Their antics were eventually interrupted when a group of Autobots arrived on Nebulos. Darkwing and Dreadwind were threatening the Council of Peers when Goldbug, Getaway, Joyride and Slapdash charged them. Though the Decepticons held their own, Darkwing called for a retreat rather than face the enemy's superior numbers.

Darkwing and his allies went on to hassle the Council of Peers once more, this time to obtain the Autobots' location. By this time however, the Autobots had underwent the Powermaster binary bonding procedure with Hi-Q and his staff. Atop of this, the Decepticons had to contend with a reborn and upgraded Optimus Prime! Caught unawares by their enemies' power, Darkwing, Dreadwind and their partners were soundly defeated. It was decreed then that Hi-Test and Throttle were to be banished from Nebulos, and the pair blasted off-planet within Darkwing and Dreadwind's combined form, Dreadwing. People Power! These events were observed by the time travelling Dicet Alpha-zero. The Quest!

Darkwing, Dreadwind, and their Powermaster partners eventually found themselves working for the Mecannibals at Grand Central Space Station, wrangling not only clients, but robots for the Mecannibals to devour. They discovered that two of their clients, Landmine and Cloudburst, were actually robots disguised as humans, and turned them in to their hungry bosses. Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner? The Autobots-in-disguise made a savory deal with the Mecannibals, and so Darkwing and Dreadwind followed them to Femax. In the process, however, they were not only beaten up by Sky Lynx, but Hi-Test and Throttle's ship was discovered to be Darkwing and Dreadwind, robots themselves. Cloudburst and Landmine snitched, and the Powermasters found themselves on the run from their former bosses. Recipe for Disaster!

At some point, the pair ended up on Earth, working for Scorponok. Darkwing and Dreadwind served, in their combined form, as Throttle's getaway vehicle after the Nebulan stole an Autobot-made power cell. In its flight from the crime scene, the Dreadwing was shot down, and sent heading for the ocean. Though Dreadwind pleaded with Darkwing to disengage so that he wouldn't be taken down along with the latter, the pair found their combination mechanism fused, and so both wound up plunging into the drink. They remained nonoperational on the ocean floor while the Autobots retrieved their loot. Dreadwing Down!

On Scorponok's orders, Darkwing and Dreadwind attacked Alternate Reality, Inc., where Optimus Prime had left behind a floppy disk containing a copy of his mind. They found the facility being guarded by Getaway, Slapdash, and Joyride. Dreadwind kept them busy with strafing runs while Darkwing made his way inside. Throttle found the disk post-haste, but on his way out, he and Darkwing were met by Getaway and Rev, who had managed to slip past Dreadwind. Getaway got a shot off with his plasma-shell shotgun, badly injuring Darkwing's leg. Retaliating with his electro-kinetic blasters, Darkwing disarmed his opponent. With his opponent weaponless, Darkwing turned to the scuffle between their respective Nebulan partners. Forcing Rev to stand down at gun-point, the Decepticons resumed their exit. Though Darkwing's injury made it difficult for him to transform, he managed the effort, and reconvened with Dreadwind to combine into their Dreadwing form. Though Getaway caught back up to the Decepticons, his efforts only resulted in his hand getting stuck in their combination joint. Dreadwing blasted off, with the hapless Autobot getting tugged along for the ride.

After Getaway was stashed in a holding cell, Darkwing and Dreadwind were sent out by Scorponok once more. This time, they were carrying a smart missile that their leader had programmed to track Optimus wherever he went. After launching the payload, equipped with a camera so the Decepticons could witness Optimus's demise, the duo doubled back to base, hoping to make it back in time for the show. It wound up never coming about, as Getaway managed to escape and reprogram the missile into a dud. Prime Bomb!

(thumbnail)
And when I say, "I love you Dread," it's not what it implies.

Returning to Cybertron, they took a job working for deposed Decepticon leader Megatron, who hired them to retrieve a special cargo from Earth: the deactivated body of Starscream. En-route to Earth, the Powermaster duo crossed paths with an Autobot shuttle and decided to shoot it down for sport, managing to do so after a chase over the Moon's surface. Believing that bit of fun to be done with, they then headed down planet-side, unaware that the Autobots had managed to ditch their ship at the last moment, and were now covertly following them. Upon arriving in southern Peru, Darkwing and his allies found that Starscream was NOT so deactivated after all: his zombie body stalked the Earth, somehow animated past death by the remainder of the Underbase's energies. After the Decepticons were trounced by the zombie, their Autobot pursuers caught up to them, and were themselves attacked by Starscream. This distraction allowed for Hi-Test and Throttle to link up with their larger partners, re-energizing them into working condition. The Nebulans then managed to siphon the Underbase power directly from Starscream's corpse, causing him to crupple down into a heap. Before the Autobots could properly react to the situation, Darkwing and Dreadwind gathered up Starscream's parts, and flew off to meet with their employer. Race with the Devil The corpse was delivered to Megatron on Cybertron, who had recently abducted the Autobot medical officer Ratchet to exhort him into rebuilding Starscream using Pretender technology. The Resurrection Gambit! Megatron was impressed enough to offer Dreadwind and Darkwing full-time positions working for him, which they gratefully accepted as they weren't entirely sure that they had lost their Mecannibal pursuers. All the Familiar Faces! Darkwing and Dreadwind were soon put to task, helping the Sports Car Patrol deal with Grimlock, Bumblebee, and Jazz, recently revived as Pretenders by Ratchet under Megatron's nose. The battle spread outside Megatron's base, moments before the headquarters detonated with Ratchet and Megatron still inside. With Megatron seemingly deceased, Darkwing and Dreadwind found themselves out of work again. Skin Deep

The two wandered rather aimlessly after that. They apparently spent quite a bit of time over-energizing at Maccadam's Old Oil House while complaining about their lot in life. Unbeknownst to the pair, a couple of Mecannibals had managed to track them down. Blissfully unaware of what was going on around them due to their inebriation, Darkwind and Dreadwind were rescued by Quickswitch, who used his tunneling mode to bury the Mecannibals alive deep underground. Out to Lunch! Subsequently Darkwing and Dreadwind attended the 1989 Transformers' Christmas party where they monopolised the sofa, much to the annoyance of Omega Supreme, Kup and Grimlock. The Transformers #250 cover

When Primus gathered all his children to do battle with Unicron on Cybertron, Darkwing marked this solemn occasion by guffawing loudly at something Dreadwind was telling him and thus pissing off several Autobots. The Void! Despite this frivolity, when the battle began Darkwing and Dreadwind were front and center. They joined the Autobots Highbrow and Cloudburst in taking the fight right into Unicron's face, and Darkwing was quite eager to bash him up. On the Edge of Extinction! After the planet-eater was destroyed, Darkwing was among those who found Optimus's ruined form on the battlefield, still clinging to life despite being at ground zero when Unicron detonated. Prime named his successor, Grimlock before finally expiring. Still Life!

But the Transformers' troubles were far from over, even after Unicron's demise. With Primus's consciousness sundered during the apocalyptic battle, Cybertron could no longer hold itself together, and the planet slowly began ripping itself apart. On his way to an "emergency meeting" alongside Dreadwind, Darkwing complained how it was typical that their lives seemed to be a never-ending series of misfortunes. Upset that he couldn't vent his frustration towards anyone directly responsible for his current predicament, Darkwing decided that that Autobots were to blame. Thus, Darkwing and Dreadwind joined up with the Decepticons conspirators operating under Bludgeon's command, and departed the planet in search of new worlds to conquer. The Autobots were left behind, their ships sabotaged so that they would be unable to escape Cybertron's destruction as the Decepticons had. Exodus! Darkwing looked on while Bludgeon randomly chose what world the Decepticons would wage war upon next, selecting Klo by stabbing his sword on a galactic map. A Savage Circle Darkwing and Dreadwind combined into their Dreadwing form to partake in the carnage, The Last Autobot? and were responsible for killing off their old sparring partner, Getaway, in this form. Neither were seen for the rest of the battle, but they presumably went into exile with the rest of the Decepticons after the return of Optimus Prime turned the tide on that planet. End of the Road!

Transformers Comic-Magazin

Darkwing was present when Megatron made peaceful gestures to Humanity in New York City. Darkwing and Dreadwind delivered a "statue" of Snaptrap as a gift to the city. Unsurprisingly, once Humanity was off-guard, the Decepticons struck, and the Autobots barely stopped them. The Troy Principle Those events were recorded on a videotape that was later found and watched by Autobots on Cybertron after a nuclear disaster in Kalis. In Memory of Earth

In 1973, Powermaster Optimus Prime - A Robot, a Hero Darkwing, Needlenose, and Dreadwind were hiding in an airbase in Nevada, before revealing their liquid crystal Decepticon insignia and flying off. They then used the distraction of a hijacked tanker to attack oil fields and refineries. A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime Those events would later be observed via log recording by Autobots in the year 2008. Powermaster Optimus Prime - A Robot, a Hero


Rad-sm.gif
I want to tell you about the Transformers!

This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it.

Megatron's Ultimatum Save Nevada Alpha Headmaster of the Dimensions Wanderer Between the Worlds The Countdown to a New Space Age!

Marvel Generation 2 comic

(thumbnail)
Dreadwind probably complained about this too.

Bludgeon led Darkwing and the Decepticons to raid an ancient race's weapons cache, but they were driven off by a monstrous entity, guardian of said weapons. Ghosts

When Bludgeon orchestrated a siege on planet Earth to antagonize Optimus Prime out into the open, Darkwing operated as the Decepticons' air support. Tales of Earth Part One Darkwing was badly damaged while defending his commander against the returning Megatron. Tales of Earth Part Two

After resuming leadership of the Decepticons, Megatron allowed repairs to be performed on Darkwing. Tales of Earth Part Three The Decepticon jet was rebuilt in a much larger and more powerful form. Darkwing made his debut with the new body by obliterating the inoffensive Rheanimum miners of Tykos. New Dawn

Classics

Classics continues from the Marvel US series, and does not include the UK stories or any subsequently published stories.

After the Decepticons' defeat on Klo, Darkwing and Dreadwind retreated with Bludgeon to the corners of the galaxy, where the Decepticons regrouped. Fifteen years later, both had reverse-engineered the Powermaster process on their bodies, and separated from Hi-Test and Throttle. Dreadwind had left Darkwing behind to join Bug Bite's team, and Dreadwind complained about it constantly. Games of Deception

Darkwing remained at Bludgeon's command, and was one of his top aides in preparing for a counter-strike from the recently reactivated Megatron. At Darkwing's suggestion, Bludgeon hired the best of the techno-guilds to reinforce their computer systems with firewalls and cyber-traps to protect their tactical layouts. And yet, Bludgeon's battle-plans were still compromised. Darkwing had uncovered a traitor among Bludgeon's crew. By backtracking the electronic imprint of the Decepticon who transmitted the information to Megatron, Darkwing fingered Hun-Grrr of the Terrorcons as the culprit. Bludgeon and the Seacons confronted Hun-Grrr and, after a brief but brutal brawl between Abominus and Piranacon, Hun-Grrr was taken off-line. The traitor defeated.

Then the Seacons killed Bludgeon and surrendered the faction to Megatron. Given Darkwing's involvement in identifying the problem and branding the so-called traitor, it is unknown if he was also in on the Seacons' betrayal. At Fight's End

Regeneration One

Regeneration One continues from the Marvel US series, and does not include the UK stories or any subsequently published stories.
(thumbnail)
"Should we tell him we're just here for the free pizza?"
"Shhh, shhh!"

More than twenty-one years after the final conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons, Darkwing and Dreadwind teamed up with Scorponok after observing the effect of his Gene Key on Cybertron's Autobots. Natural Selection, Part Three They joined the corrupted Headmasters, Brainstorm and Highbrow, in hunting down Grimlock, but were caught in a flash-bomb effect when Grimlock unleashed the nucleon-augmented Inferno on them. Natural Selection, Part Four Later in Zero Space, the Dark Matrix creature admitted to Rodimus Prime that it had been insinuating itself into the very substance of Cybertron since the planet began reformatting itself and Dreadwind and Darkwing were forced to run from its seismic effects. The War to End All Wars, Part 5

Ladybird Books continuity

When Optimus Prime was forced to turn himself over to the Decepticon in exchange for their prisoner Highbrow, Darkwing and Dreadwind acted as armed escorts bringing Prime before Scorponok. Autobot Hostage

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Darkwing and Dreadwind were members of the Predacon faction during the Dark Ages, working under the command of Starscream. Poor saps. War Within: The Age of Wrath

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Stormbringer #2
(thumbnail)
"Launchpad, Megavolt's on the loose!"

A few hundred years ago, Darkwing and Dreadwind were part of the last "big push" for control of Cybertron. Shortly after the Battle of Thunderhead Pass, they were led into battle by Razorclaw and the Predacons. Spotlight: Blaster

Years later, Darkwing was commander of the Decepticon Infiltration Unit on Nebulos, alongside his partner Dreadwind, Thrust, Skullcruncher, Crankcase, Ruckus and Roadgrabber. Their infiltration was apparently still in the early stages when the rogue Decepticon juggernaut known as Thunderwing came crashing down on the planet. Stormbringer #2 Darkwing sent most of his troops into battle, knowing the show of resistance was futile but necessary to convince Megatron later that they fought for their territory. Still, he and Dreadwind remained and participated in the fight, but quickly departed after the last of their comrades was deactivated. Stormbringer #3

A few years later, after Megatron was defeated on Earth, Dreadwind and Darkwing were among the Decepticons who had heard the (self-proclaimed) Decepticon leader Starscream's rallying call and gathered on a desolate asteroid that was now their new headquarters. However, with the lack of resources, poor morale, and Starscream's weak leadership, the Decepticons largely collapsed into anarchy and resorted to cannibalism with not enough energon to go around. Darkwing apparently got sick of this and had the lugnuts to leave. When Dreadwind took more than his fair share of energon and was hunted down, he tried to blame the theft on Darkwing. After Dreadwind was killed, Needlenose opined that Darkwing was a thief, as well. All His Engines

Kre-O online manga

(thumbnail)
Darkwing is the little blue guy.

Darkwing was among the Decepticons present when Megatron revealed the existence of the Predacons. Behemoth Combination! But They're Cute? The Predacon Unit

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

Stationed in Megatron's throne room in Trypticon, Darkwing reported that a "transmission" from Earth was not a message but a transfer of matter, namely Destro teleporting himself to Trypticon using the M.A.S.S. Device. Funeral for a Friend

Power of the Primes marketing material

The combining Duocon Blackwing could wield powers of the Primes by linking with Prime Masters. Power of the Primes Blackwing packaging bio

For a list of powers manifested by Blackwing, see this chart.

Commercial appearances

Dreadwind and Darkwing show up in several commercials:

(thumbnail)
Hello, hello, hello!
  • Darkwing and Dreadwind startled the Autobot Powermasters by revealing that the Decepticons had been able to develop Powermasters of their own! They used their Nebulan partners to transform before raining down destruction upon their earth-bound foes. Then, Optimus Prime joined the battle, and made a display of his considerable firepower against the Decepticons. Powermasters commercial
  • After a series of defeats forced the Autobots to develop Pretender technology, Dreadwind and Darkwing broke into the Autobots' research lab and approached the new Autobot warriors. The Decepticon duo was quickly forced to retreat as the Pretenders' ability to fight alongside their shells proved overwhelming. Pretenders commercial
  • Later, Darkwing and Dreadwind were the victims of the new Autobot Micromasters. Optimus Prime unleashes an army of the miniature robots upon a Decepticon base, who slipped past the guard. Once inside, they crawled up both Dreadwind and Darkwing and overwhelmed them. Micromaster Patrols commercial
Footage from the first commercial, depicting Dreadwind and Darkwing in vehicle mode chasing Getaway and Joyride in vehicle mode, was used at the beginning of the commercial for the Triggerbots and Triggercons. This animation seemed to be meant to represent these other toys. Don't pay too close attention, kids!

Games

Transformers Legends

During a battle eons ago, Dreadwind and Darkwing defeated Getaway, Slapdash, and Joyride. They were on the verge of destroying the three Autobots when Optimus Prime arrived. No match for the Autobot leader, the pair were forced to retreat. End of the Road Bludgeon and Darkwing attempted to revive Thunderwing, but when Thunderwing proved uncontrollable, the pair had to cooperate with the Wreckers to defeat him. Stormbringer

The two Powermasters crossed paths with their Autobot counterparts once again, and this time the Decepticons were victorious. End of the Road Darkwing was among a group of Decepticons who joined a time-displaced Galvatron in attacking the fused-together Ratchet and Megatron, but were fought off by some Autobots. Savage Circle

Toys

The Transformers

(thumbnail)
When you're in trouble, it's 'cuz of DW.
  • Darkwing (Powermaster, 1988)
Released in the fifth year of the original Transformers toyline (fourth in the European line), Darkwing transforms into a Panavia Tornado GR1 fighter jet. He is locked in this mode until a Decepticon Powermaster engine is placed into the engine socket on his back... or until you push down the relevant buttons in said socket. (He can fit an Autobot engine into the socket, but they will not unlock his transformation.) Once unlocked, he can also form the back half of the "Dreadwing" super-jet along with Dreadwind.
Use caution when transforming him from jet to robot mode: the large clip inside the jet nosecone is famously prone to growing large stress marks, before breaking off entirely. You really have to make sure the Powermaster feature's release buttons are being pushed firmly in - and may have more luck doing it with your fingertips than with an engine.
He comes with the Powermaster Nebulan Throttle
This mold was used to make the Godmaster Hydra.


Generation 2

(thumbnail)
Let's get dangerous.
  • Dreadwing (Leader, 1994)
  • Takara ID number: TRF-10
  • Accessories: 12 missiles
The Generation 2 Dreadwing toy was officially repurposed as Generation 1 Darkwing's upgraded form via the Marvel Comics continuity.
Released in the third and final year of the Generation 2 toyline, Dreadwing transforms into a "flying wing" style stealth bomber with an under-slung six-missile Gatling cannon. He can also transform into a treaded "tank" mode. In jet form, he can combine with his packed-in partner Smokescreen's jet mode to make a complete aircraft.
The same mold is used by BB, the 2001 Robots in Disguise Dreadwind, and Gigant Bomb. The mold was also used for Megatron in Generation 2, albeit only in a limited test market release.
The toy's American and Japanese bios leave pretty wide open the possibility of this Dreadwing being a separate character.


Universe (2008)

(thumbnail)
Now you can have fun kludging him together with Timelines Dreadwind. Well, 1500 of you can.
  • Darkwind (Ultra Class, 2009)
  • Series: Generation 1 Series
  • Accessories: "Kinetic Blaster" launcher, projectile
  • Known designers: Andrew Scribner (deco artist)
Darkwind (renamed from Darkwing apparently due to trademark reasons) is an extensive redeco of the Ultra Class Universe Silverbolt toy. He transforms into a (fictional) FB-129 supersonic fighter-bomber. As an Ultra-scale toy, he comes with various light and sound gimmicks (exactly the same ones as Universe Powerglide and Silverbolt), including a machinegun-type sound when one presses the big blue button on the fuselage, and different classic transformation sound effects depending on whether he is being transformed from vehicle mode or vice versa.
He and his casemate Countdown were "stealth" exclusives to Toys"R"Us, meaning he appeared in stores before Hasbro bothered to tell anybody about it. Their boxes advertise Hasbro's included battery brand, Pow-R-Fuel.
This mold was also used to make Universe Skyfall.


Power of the Primes

(thumbnail)
More descriptively, Purple-with-yellow-lightning-bolts-wing.
  • Blackwing (Deluxe Class, 2018)
  • TakaraTomy ID number: PP-18
  • TakaraTomy release date: July 28, 2018
  • Accessories: Two blasters, Prime Armor/combiner hand, Prime Master gap filler/gun
  • Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)
Released in the second wave of Power of the Primes Deluxe-class toys, "Blackwing" (again renamed for trademark reasons) is a heavy retooling of Combiner Wars Air Raid, transforming into a swing-wing F-14 Tomcat fighter jet. On top of that, part of his retooling allows him to combine with his old partner Dreadwind (released in the prior wave) to form the Dreadwing superjet just like they did in the old days. Awww.
He is also capable of transforming into an arm or leg compatible with any Combiner Wars-style torso; he does not have an "assigned" specific combiner, instead his instructions show him joining with him with Hun-Gurrr, Dreadwind, Rippersnapper, and Sinnertwin. Like all other Power of the Primes Deluxe Class figures, he comes with Prime Armor (redecoed from Dreadwind's and sculpted to look like a combination of the detail on Hi-Test and Throttle in their engine modes) with a place for a Prime Master, Enigma, or Matrix core. This massive chunk of machinery can transform into a combiner hand for use with him in arm mode, be attached to his robot mode as chest armor (after flipping down a central panel in his robot mode), or be attached to his jet mode as a very non-aerodynamic engine. He also comes with a piece that can fill the Master/core gap, andcan also function as a small handgun.
Combiner Wars mold: Skydive

Version 1:

Version 2:

Other versions:

  • HasbroCombiner Wars Strafe
  • Hasbro/TakaraTomyPower of the Primes Dreadwind
  • Hasbro/TakaraTomyPower of the Primes Blackwing


Merchandise

Transformers Trading Card Game

W2Blackwing.jpg
  • Blackwing, Aerial Attacker (2019)
    • Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners
    • Rarity: CT
    • Card Number: T08/T46
    • Stars: 8
Blackwing, Aerial Attacker was released as part of the Transformers Trading Card Game Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners. Like all other members of combiner teams released in the set, Blackwing, Aerial Attacker is a folding card, with the Bot and Alt modes being depicted when the card is folded in half, and a holofoil portion of the combined mode depicted when unfolded.
The card's Bot and Alt Mode art is reused from the Transformers Legends mobile game.
Blackwing, Aerial Attacker can combine with Dreadwind, Air Defense to form Dreadwing, Sky Destroyer when the player discards three cards from their hand while the character cards are in bot mode on the battlefield and/or the KO area.


Notes

  • In the Marvel continuity, several UK Annual stories depict Darkwing and Dreadwind as working for different Decepticon groups on Earth, but the continuity of these stories is difficult to wrangle. In "Prime Bomb!", they work for Scorponok, along with the Combaticons. This can only happen after Scorponok takes full control of the Decepticons of Earth after the Underbase Saga but, while the Combaticons are not destroyed on-panel by Starscream, it is generally believed that all non-organic enhanced Transformers are disabled. "Dreadwing Down!" from the next year's annual stars the two Powermasters alongside the Seacons, so it can only have taken place before the Underbase Saga, but also the Targetmaster Quake, who is on Cybertron under the Triumverate's command at that time. While some creative massaging of the facts can put these stories in continuity, it's probably best to consider Darkwing and Dreadwind officially unaffiliated with any army until after the war with Unicron. Their sudden appearances in "The Void!" among the various Autobots and Decepticons summoned by Primus does indicate they are on either Earth or Cybertron immediately prior, though.
  • Like most manga-original Kreons, Darkwing is made up of existing Kreon parts. He wears Jazz's helmet and the Wheeljack backpack to replicate wings, and wields the small pistol first used by Bumblebee.
  • Darkwing is one of few Generation 1 characters to have more than one Shattered Glass counterpart, being mirrored by both Darkwing and Darkwind.

Foreign names

  • Japanese: Blackwing (ブラックウイング Burakkuuingu)
  • French: Ailenoire (Canada)

References

  1. "Darkwind" was a substitute name for Darkwing (differing only by the final letter) for a Toys"R"Us exclusive Ultra Class toy from the 2008 Universe toy line, because the name "Darkwing" was not available as a trademark at the time.
  2. "Blackwing" was a substitute name for Darkwing for a Deluxe Class toy from the Generations toy line's Power of the Primes subline imprint, because the "Darkwing" trademark was still not available to Hasbro nearly a decade after Universe "Darkwind".
Advertisement
TFsource.com - Your Source for Everything Transformers!