Skyhopper

Skyhopper is a Decepticon Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Where are my legs?"

Skyhopper (aka Slyhopper) thinks a lot about the symbolism and philosophy of fire. How it purifies, and transmutes. How it symbolizes both the destruction in a conflagration, and the creation one finds in a forge. How in the wild it can destroy a forest, only to leave fertile land for new growth.

Unfortunately, he's not too bright, so he mostly expresses this as, "Haw! That burned up real pretty. Let's burn something else."^[1]

Fiction

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

"Where are my physics?"

Originally a full-size Transformer, Skyhopper was among the few who chose to become Micromasters to be more energy-efficient. He served as Skystalker's aerial assault commander and right-hand man as he terrorized a variety of planets and clashed with Countdown. They eventually returned to their home planet Cybertron. The Gray Race They met with the Decepticon leader, Shockwave, requesting his help in tracking down Countdown and retrieving the Golden Disk he had found on Paradron. At the same time, Skyhopper and Skystalker plotted to overthrow Shockwave, who they considered to be arrogant, lacking in imagination, and incapable of recognizing real threats. With the long war having drained the "guzzlers" of most of their energon, Shockwave was easy prey for the two well-energized Micromasters. Recipe for Hate

Seeking to rid Cybertron of the resource-wasting guzzlers forever, Skystalker and Skyhopper used Shockwave's decapitated head to trick the weakened Decepticon troops into performing a full-scale assault on the Autobots, which would hopefully take both sides out in a massive battle. Countdown managed to rally the other Micromasters around him and put a stop to this plan, and Skyhopper presumably escaped with Skystalker in the aftermath. Victims of the Revolution

Beast Wars: Uprising

Skyhopper was one of the many Micromaster POWs in the Resistance-occupied city of Protihex. He and his fellow Builders were forced to participate in gladiatorial Games that aimed to replicate their old battles on Earth. In the first of these violent re-enactments, Skyhopper went up against Roadhandler. Although Skyhopper used his airborne alternate mode to launch a strafing run on the Autobots, he was overwhelmed by a coughing fit and Roadhandler took the opportunity to shoot him out of the sky. Safe Spaces

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

During the war for Cybertron, Slyhopper was an Air Force Infantry Raider. Siege toy packaging

Toys

The Transformers

Where is my articulation?

• Skyhopper (Micromaster Base, 1989)

• Accessories: Helicopter vehicle/base, 2 connector ramps, "deployer" ramp, radar dish, rotor blade, left & right missile launchers, front gun, figure stand.

Released in the sixth year of the The Transformers toyline (fifth year in the European line), Skyhopper is a redeco of Micromaster Storm Cloud, transforming into a gray and green Dassault Rafale fighter jet.

He was only available packed in with his military helicopter, which could transform into a battle base, and connect with other Micromaster stations via modular ramps.

This mold was also used to make Star Cloud. His helicopter's mold was later used to make the Sky Hyper.

• More information on Skyhopper at TFU.info

War for Cybertron: Siege

Where is my original name?

• Autobots vs. Decepticons (Micromaster multi-pack, 2019)

• ID number: WFC-S61

Siege "Slyhopper" is a redeco of Storm Cloud, transforming into a vaguely-Cybertronic jet. As part of the C.O.M.B.A.T. System, he can also form the hilt of the "Dual-Edged Soundbreaker Sword" when combined with his pack-in partner Nightflight (or any other iteration of that mold). Fire Blast effects can be attached to his wings and engines (and, in robot mode, his hands).

He was only available as part of a Target exclusive ten-pack of Micromasters, which includes the Autobots Ground Shaker, Irontread, Overair (who uses the same mold as Slyhopper), Ricon, Road-Police, and Wheel Blaze, and the Decepticons Cratermaker, Fireline, and Nightflight.

Notes

• As a redeco of Storm Cloud who was gang molded with Whisper, Generation 1 Skyhopper, by necessity, shares plastic colors with his fellow Micromaster Station toy Groundshaker. This was oddly not carried forward for their Siege counterparts, despite Siege Storm Cloud and Visper continuing to be gang molded; instead, Siege Slyhopper shares plastic colors with his combination partner Nightflight.

Foreign names

• French: Hélico (France, "Helicopter"), Airélio (Canada)
• Italian: Rotor

References