Thundercracker (Animated)

Thundercracker condescends to be a Decepticon from the Animated continuity family.

The greatest minds in Transformers history against me! Let's pray they're up to it.

Thundercracker, the Egomaniac Starscream, is completely awesome. You pin-headed, addle-pated morons haven't even got the tiniest inkling of what a grand and glorious robot this Starscream clone is. When it comes to Decepticons who are the best of everything, nobody can top this clone, and it comes as no surprise that you would doubt such a simple fact. His brilliance does tend to blind lesser beings... that is to say, everyone else ever. Even that inferior template, the original Starscream, cannot comprehend his majesty, mistaking his obvious superiority for simply being a pain in the crankcase.

Fiction

Animated cartoon

Voice actor: Himself Tom Kenny (English), Kare jishin Jin Yamanoi (Japanese), Sam Alexander Kovrizhnykh (Russian), Sich selbst Stefan Staudinger (German), lui stesso Daniele Demma (Italian), Él mismo Alexis Quiroz (Latin-American Spanish, season 1 and 2), Leonardo Salas (Latin-American Spanish, season 3), hän itse Kari Tamminen (Finnish), lui-même Sylvain Lemarié (French), ele mesmo Ricardo Sawaya (Portuguese, seasons 1 and 2), Armando Tiraboschi (Portuguese, season 3)

I'm the best!

Thundercracker quickly asserted his self-image in discussions with the other clones. When Starscream began his speech to lead them into battle, Thundercracker had the bearings to shove Starscream aside and lead the charge to Earth himself. A Bridge Too Close, Part I

Some would think he wasn't as hot as he knew he was, as Mixmaster effortlessly encased him in a gloopy mess early in the battle for the space bridge. As Thundercracker tried to break free, he caromed into Skywarp and Blurr, and all three were hurled into the space bridge, to an unknown destination. However, any discerning being would realize that this was all just part of Thundercracker's secret plan. A Bridge Too Close, Part II

This plan came to fruition shortly afterwards, when the inferior Autobot humbly suggested that Thundercracker use his incredible sonic powers to free them from the glue. As soon as he had done so, Blurr tried to make his escape; Thundercracker flew after him, but Blurr jumped off his face as he vaulted himself into space. He meant to do that. TransWarped

The Cool comic

Urgh, move over! You lot are obstructing my magnificence!

Thundercracker boldly arrived at the forefront of the Clone Army attack on the Decepticon space bridge. His unmatched skill proved a mighty challenge for Optimus Prime and Megatron, who were forced to team up just to fight back. The Cool Episode 7

The honorable and undefeated Thundercracker cleverly played roboto-possum as Megatron lorded his so-called "victory" over him. Thundercracker then followed Megatron's orders to attack Omega Supreme, but only because it was part of his plan! Then Omega Supreme blew Thundercracker away with a single blast from his arm cannon. Thundercracker knew what he was doing, any fool could see that.The Cool Episode 8

Toys

Animated

I'm an Activator and not a Voyager? This is a severe misrepresentation of my importance.
(Hasbro Version Pictured)

• Thundercracker (Activator, 2008 / 2010)

• TakaraTomy ID number: TA-24
• TakaraTomy release date: June 19, 2010
• Known designers: Bill Rawley (Hasbro)

Part of the third wave of Hasbro's Transformers Animated Activators, Thundercracker is a redeco of Starscream, transforming into a futuristic, forward-swept wing fighter jet based upon the Su-47 (S-37) Berkut Experimental Fighter and the YF-19 "Alpha One from the series Macross Plus. Like all Activators, he has a spring-loaded autotransformation from vehicle to robot mode, though to complete the change you need to manually swing his arm-mounted blasters around into a proper firing position that befits his magnificent form. Some things are simply too important to not be done by hand, you heathens.

The actual toy is closer to violet-purple than the production photos make him out to be, and the overall colour scheme is not very close to the animation model. However, it's STILL vastly superior to any other toy in the Activators line.

(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)

Thundercracker also had a release in Japan in 2010, in the fourth wave of TakaraTomy's Animated toyline. Other than the new and glorious packaging compared to the inferior Hasbro release, those foolish toymakers did not deck him out in some better-looking shiny metallic paint, but instead gave him a pair of ugly white-bordered classic Decepticon insignias, replacing the regal all-gold insignias.

This mold was also used to make Dirge, Skywarp and Ramjet, but their toys aren't nearly as worthy to be bought as Thundercracker's is.

• More information on Thundercracker at TFU.info

You dare to underestimate my power?!

• Thundercracker Clear Blue Ver. (EZ Collection, 2010)

• Release date: July 24, 2010

"Thundercracker Clear Blue Ver." is a glorious redeco of Legends Starscream in translucent blue plastic, with opaque-blue nylon parts.

Because he is so important, no mere single store could contain him as an exclusive. Thus, he was available from select Ishimaru, Edion, Deodeo, Bic Camera, Midori Electrical and Yodobashi Camera stores with toy sections in Japan, given away for free (how utterly beneficent!) to inferior customers who purchased a glorious amount of Animated merchandise totaling at least a princely 3,000 yen on July 24th.

This mold was also used to make other inferior versions: Starscream Clear Purple Version, Ramjet Clear White Version, Skywarp Clear Purple Version, Sunstorm Clear Orange Version, and Starscream Clone Black Version.

Because nobody wants Ramjet, apparently.

• Thundercracker (Voyager Class, 2010)

• Accessories: 2 missiles

You fools honestly didn't expect Thundercracker's superior form to be made into a toy? Shame on you! Of course, he is a (vastly superior) redeco of his inferior template, Starscream, and his fellow (and even more inferior) clones, that worthless coward Skywarp and that two-bit suck-up Sunstorm.

Thundercracker proved entirely too important to waste his time sullying inferior toy store shelves, and was cancelled before receiving a US release. However, unlike several other low-rent toys who this fate also claimed, like Blackout and Wingblade Optimus Prime, even TakaraTomy proved unable to handle just how amazing Thundercracker was, and found themselves unable to find any stores that could contain his magnificence in Japan, either. But it's not as if you're good enough to have the honor of owning a Voyager Thundercracker anyway, you peasants.

Thundercracker did deem at least one or two fans worthy of his magnificence and wound up in their hands, but whether they kept to his expectations is unknown.^[1][2]

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Notes

• Thundercracker is never named as such in the cartoon. He is simply referred to as "an egomaniac" by the female Starscream, and none of the male clones are given separate listings from Starscream in the voice credits. The scripts and animation model sheets simply refer to him as "Egomaniac Starscream". The toy was first to give him a name, and it was later reinforced by The AllSpark Almanac.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Thundercracker (サンダークラッカー Sandākurakkā)

References