ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: AERIALBOT
FUNCTION: AERIALBOT COMMANDER
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 21

“Don’t look down, look straight ahead.”

Profile: Silverbolt is scared of heights. It is this one trait, above
all else, that determines the rest of his behavior. He projects the image of
a brave, grimly determined warrior, befitting his role as Aerialbot Commander.
In truth, he is just that. But it is a constant struggle for him to maintain
this persona, to never falter or show any sign of emotional weakness to those
he leads. Helped by the sleek, aerodynamic jet form that makes him appear to
be a natural-born flyer, Silverbolt knows that everything about him belies even
a hint of the existence of his phobia. And, in fact, no one is aware he has
this problem, except Optimus Prime. It is for that reason the Autobot Commander
selected Silverbolt to lead the Aerialbots – Optimus figured if Silverbolt felt
responsible for the welfare of others, he’d have less time to worry about himself.
Given that Silverbolt is an excellent leader, Optimus was right.

Abilities: In jet mode, Silverbolt can reach Mach 1.9 and has a range
of 4500 miles. He carries on his underside an electrostatic battery, which allows
him to strip electrons from air molecules as he’s flying and store them. He
can then direct this stored charge through his nose cone as a powerful bolt
of electricity. He’s capable of storing and releasing up to 150,000 volts at
a time. He’s especially effective in lightning storms, due to their abundance
of charged particles. He carries an electrostatic discharger rifle in robot
mode that has the same capability. He combines with the other Aerialbots to
form the giant robot known as Superion.

Weaknesses: As long as Silverbolt is busy leading or fighting, he’s
fine, but when he’s simply flying, particularly by himself, his fear of heights
begins to manifest itself. The effect can be devastating; he might start flying
wildly, go into a tailspin or even crash.