Skyhammer (Universe)

Skyhammer is a Mini-Con from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family (via the 2008 Universe line).

Crashing through the sky, comes the fearful cry...

Skyhammer is a member of the Decepticon-allied Overcast Team. His alt-mode bears an uncanny resemblance to a Cobra Rattler,^[1] but there is no evidence that Cobra even exists in Skyhammer's universe, so this may be a coincidence.

Toys

Universe (2008)

• Mini-Con Class 12 Pack (Multi-pack, 2008)

• Series: Armada Series
• Known designers: Joe Kyde (deco artist)

Universe Skyhammer is a redeco of Classics Steel Wind, transforming into an A-10 "Thunderbolt" ground attack plane. As a Mini-Con, he has a "Powerlinx" socket that allows him to attach to larger toys that have compatible Powerlinx plugs.

He was only available as part of a Kmart exclusive Mini-Con 12-pack, along with Backstop, Blight, Bodyblock, Boltflash, Brimstone, Cloudraker, Flatfoot, Heavytread, Knockdown, Makeshift, and Suppressor.

This mold was also used to make Skyglide and Universe Sky Shadow.

• More information on Skyhammer at TFU.info

• Skyhammer (Candy toy, 2010)

In the UK, all twelve Mini-Cons from the original "Mini-Con Class 12 Pack" set were released in individual blind-packed bags with "energon fizzy jellies" candies, distributed by The Little Factory Ltd.

This version of Skyhammer is actually a new tooling with numerous tiny differences from the original, but is functionally the same toy. These changes include a thicker Mini-Con sigil print, altered production stamping (removing "Hasbro China" and "Takara" from them in favor of just "Hasbro"), smaller pin-heads on the steel connector pins, and generally less crisp molding.

Notes

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, panic spreading far and wide...

• Skyhammer is not the only Transformers toy intended to look like a Rattler from G.I. Joe, but the character has no known connection to Cobra. Thundercracker and Skywarp have both spent time as Rattlers under Cobra's control, but those forms have never been made into toys. Someday, Hasbro?
• The official photography of Skyhammer's alternate mode shows the toy misassembled: his legs are on the wrong sides, with the effect that the back half of the plane is upside-down. On top of that, he is also mistransformed, his fists not having been retracted into his engines.
• Skyhammer's paint operations are also different between the package photos and the final product. The sample photos features a red Mini-Con faction symbol and off-white face, while the final toy has a black symbol and a white-painted helmet.

References