Darkwing (Transformers)

Darkwing (sometimes called Darkwind or Blackwing) is a fictional character from the various Transformers series. He is a Decepticon jet.

Transformers: Generation 1

Initially called Darkwing, the name was changed to Darkwind - possibly for trademark purposes. All his fictional appearances use his original Darkwing name, although the latest toy is officially called Blackwing.

Darkwing never has anything nice to say, but says it anyway. He believes life is pain, and it's his goal to make sure others suffer it more than he does. Darkwing combines with Dreadwind to form the super jet Dreadwing.

Reception

Darkwing and Dreadwind are considered highly collectible.^[1]

Marvel Comics

The peaceful planet of Nebulos had earlier been visited by the Autobots and Decepticons in Marvel Comics’ Transformers series, and when they departed, only ruin was left in their wake. To prevent such horrors from occurring again, Nebulan scientist Hi-Q detonated a bomb in the planet’s atmosphere which “poisoned” the planet’s various fuel supplies and resources – although harmless to Nebulans, the “poison” was toxic to Transformers. This was the fate which befell Dreadwind and Darkwing when they came to the planet looking for the departed Scorponok, and refueled from Nebulan resources, causing their bodies to cease functioning. Their rotting, immobile hulks soon became tourist attractions. Meanwhile, Hi-Q’s jealous partner, Hi-Test, had vowed to outdo his contemporary, and hired criminal Throttle to steal Hi-Q’s latest fuel conversion theories, which he had dubbed the “Powermaster Process.” Using this data, Hi-Test bio-engineered his and Throttle’s bodies, and offered partnership to Dreadwind and Darkwing, who accepted; the two Nebulans transformed into engines and connected to them, supplying them with untainted energy direct from their own bodies. The Powermasters ran roughshod over the planet, but were eventually defeated by a new team of Powermasters, including Hi-Q himself, bonded with Optimus Prime, and exiled from Nebulos.

Dreadwind and Darkwing soon entered into a partnership with the robot-eating Mecannibals, hiding their own robot nature by dealing through Hi-Test and Throttle, whose job it was to find other robots for the Mecannibals to feast upon. Setting their sights upon Autobot Pretenders Landmine and Cloudburst, the Decepticons lured them into the Mecannibals clutches, but in a strange twist of fate, the Pretenders were sent to gather spices to improve their flavour. Dreadwind and Darkwing pursued them to make things difficult, but when the fact that they were robots was revealed to the Mecannibals, Landmine and Cloudburst departed while Dreadwing and Darkwind fled.

The Mecannibals pursued the two Powermasters to Cybertron, where they took an assignment from Megatron to acquire the body of the deceased Decepticon, Starscream, hoping it would allow them to shake off their pursuers. Heading to Earth, they discovered that the energies of the Underbase that had destroyed Starscream continued to animate his corpse, but when Throttle and Hi-Test drained them away, they took the body back to Megatron for revival as a Pretender. Megatron’s subsequent apparent death put the duo out of work, however, and they drowned their sorrows at Maccadam’s Old Oil House, where they remained drunkenly unaware of some Mecannibals that had picked up their trail being dispatched by the Autobot Quickswitch.

Dreadwind and Darkwing participated in the attack on Unicron when the chaos-bringer assaulted Cybertron, and survived to serve under Bludgeon’s leadership.

Darkwing appeared in issue #77 "Exodus!" where he was among the Decepticons who backed Bludgeon's plan to conquor an inhabited world for the Decepticons once they abandoned Cybertron, rather than go with the Autobot plan to start from nothing on an uninhabited world.

He aided in the raid on planet Klo, where they seemingly killed the Autobot Getaway.

Darkwing started as one of Bludgeon's troops in the Generation 2 comics. He attempted to sneak up on the newly enhanced Megatron, but was shot out of the sky in issue #5, "The Power and the Glory".

In issue #6 Frenzy and Rumble worked to rebuild Darkwing.

In issue #7 Darkwing sent to steal Rheanimum, a potent substance Megatron intended to use in his quest for power, from the planet Tykos. Darkwing's rebuilt body based on the Generation 2 Dreadwing toy.

Animated series

The U.S. animated series was canceled before Darkwing was produced, so he did not appear in the series, however, the redeco of Darkwing, known as Hydra, appeared as a regular in the Masterforce series in Japan. Darkwing's only true appearance in animated form was in the commercials for Powermaster toys.^[2]

Books

Darkwing was among the Decepticons featured in the 1988 book and audio adventure Autobot Hostage by Ladybird books.^[3]

Dreamwave Productions

Although Darking and Throttle did not appear in any fiction by Dreamwave Productions they did get a full bio in their More Than Meets The Eye series.

IDW Publishing

Darkwing made his first IDW Publishing appearance in The Transformers: Stormbringer, where he led an infiltration cell on the planet Nebulos. When Thunderwing arrived, Darkwing and the other Decepticons did their best to stop him, but when Ruckus, Crankcase and Roadgrabber were destroyed by the monster, Dreadwind and Darkwing both fled.

Fun Publications

Darkwing (still called his original name, despite being described as his new Darkwind toy) was among the troops of Bludgeon in the Fun Publications story At War's End.

Toys

• Generation 1 Powermaster Darkwing (1988)

A Powermaster toy that came with Powermaster partner Throttle. He was later recolored into the Decepticon Godmaster Hydra.^[4][5]

Darkwing is a Panavia Tornado jet which is 16.72 meters long. The toy is 20 centimeters long, making it 1:84 scale. Toy robot mode is 17 centimeters tall, so the real life robot would stand 14.2 meters (46.6 feet) tall.

• Generation 2 Dreadwing (1988)

In the Marvel comics the toy of Generation 2 Dreadwing was the model for Darkwing's upgraded form.

• Universe Generation 1 Series Ultra Darkwind (2009)

A Toys "R" Us exclusive black/purple redeco of Universe Ultra Silverbolt, which turns into a 1/222 scale XB-70 Valkyrie jet. With this scale his robot mode would stand 178 feet 5 inches tall.^[6]

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Smokejumper was part of the Robots in Disguise who did not appear in the anime series, but was added to the toy line by Hasbro just prior to the Transformers: Universe line of redecos.

3H Enterprises

Smokejumper did not appear in any fiction, but he did get a biography in the 3H Enterprises club magazine. There were plans to make him part of the Decepticon forces under the command of Megazarak in the Transformers: Universe story, but when 3H lost the Transformers license, these plans were never realized.

Dreadwind is depicted as a merciless powerful one-robot juggernaut who uses Smokejumper's amazing targeting systems to rain down missiles on his opponents.

Toys

• Robots in Disguise Smokejumper (2003)

Dreadwind is a green redeco of Generation 2 Dreadwing; the same mold was used for ATB Megatron and Beast Wars Second BB. He came packaged with his partner Smokejumper.

^[7]

Shattered Glass

This version of Darkwind is the mirror universe version of the Generation 1 character and a member of Megatron's heroic Decepticon forces. Darkwind and Dreadwind are stand-up comedians. According to the author of the character he is based on classic comedians Oliver Hardy and Lou Costello.^[8]

He can become a stealth bomber or tank. In jet modes, he and Dreadwind combine into Dreadwing.

Fun Publications

Darkwind and Dreadwind are executed by the evil Autobots in Around Cybertron from issue #27 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine. According to the author, it's possible Darkwind and Dreadwind just flew away from their execution.

Toys

• Robot Masters' Gigant Bomb (2004)

A Takara exclusive recolor of Generation 2 Dreadwing. This toy was repurposed as Shattered Glass Darkwing.

References

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