Cloudraker (G1)

Cloudraker is an Autobot Clone from the Generation 1 continuity family.

If ever there was a robot in need of years in therapy, Cloudraker is he. Nothing is good enough for him. He envies his younger clone brother Fastlane's popularity and social skills, wishes he was on the ground with people while simultaneously being terrifed of being grounded. In response to this fear he flies as high as possible, but then becomes frustrated by being bound in an atmosphere. Internal malfunctions lead him to feel claustrophobic at all times, even when flying in an empty sky. Simply a mass of crossed circuits, phobias and frustrations, it's a wonder he's able to function at all. On top of the psychological problems he can also suffer "mode-lock", trapping him in one form.

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Danny Mann (English), Ken Narita (Japanese), Bernd Simon (German, "The Rebirth, Part 2"), Albert Augier (European French)

Cloudraker used Photoshop to edit out Punch holding the 'V' sign up behind his head.

Upon arriving on Cybertron, Optimus Prime told Fastlane and Cloudraker to search for Kup and the rest of the Autobots who had travelled to the Plasma Energy Chamber. The Rebirth, Part 1 Since Kup's crew were on a plasma-charged rocket ship halfway to Nebulos by that point, the Clones had little luck finding them. The Rebirth, Part 2

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese)

Fastlane and Cloudraker were once friends with another pair of Cybertronian Clones named Pounce and Wingspan. The two duos lost contact with each other for some time, during which Pounce and Wingspan joined the Decepticons. Fastlane and Cloudraker were confronted by their old friends, who were looking to take a golden skull from their Autobot counterparts and use it to collect a unique energy source from the Pirate Planet. While trying to keep the skull from the Decepticon Clones, Cloudraker and his brother made contact with the Autobot Headmasters aboard the Battleship Maximus. Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship

The Clones accompanied the Headmasters back to Earth, and remained there allied with Metroplex and Spike Witwicky when Fortress took his men to defend the planet Master. As the Decepticons began a series of attacks around the globe, Spike dispatched Fastlane, Cloudraker and the Throttlebots to Santiago, Chile to investigate the emergence of one of Scorponok's Death Towers. They were thoroughly trounced by Predaking, who was guarding the tower. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)

Legends comic

In 2021, the Clones fled to the Legends World after Fastlane got targeted by the Universal Peace Alliance for stealing data proving their chairman, Spike Witwicky, was an impostor. Cloudraker was caught by the fake Spike and Hound when they mistook him for Fastlane, though they realized their mistake when his claustrophobia manifested and he started panicking about being cornered. Cloudraker accused "Spike" of his deception until Fastlane came to rescue his brother, and the two were able to uncover his true identity as the evil Old Snake before Hound's eyes. Bonus Edition Vol. 58 When Pounce and Wingspan arrived in the Legends World, Cloudraker sensed their presence and confronted them alongside his brother. Finding that their counterparts had stolen three Targetmasters and defeated Metroplex, the Autobot Clones battled them and successfully released the smaller robots from their grasp. They then remained at Metroplex to guard him, expressing hope that they'd be able to get along with their Decepticon brethren someday. Bonus Edition Vol. 61

Transformers in 3-D

Following the destruction of Cybertron's energon supply by Galvatron, Cloudraker and Fastlane were on Optimus Prime's team for a mission to destroy the Nullification Cannon. The two clones dealt with Blast Off by luring him through a door and then clocking him on the head with a metal bar. Once the coast was clear, Optimus insisted on going on alone. The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Spotlight: Arcee

Fastlane and Cloudraker served as security officers for Fortress Maximus inside the Garrus-9 penitentiary. When the Combaticons raided the facility, the clones fought alongside Jetfire and the Technobots, but ultimately failed to prevent the Decepticons from making off with the Monstructor Six. Spotlight: Doubledealer Cloudraker fell in battle along with several Technobots, but the extent of his injuries was unclear. Spotlight: Arcee He later got to go "oooh, shiny!" at a deactivated Bludgeon. Spotlight: Sideswipe

After the war, Fastlane and Cloudraker returned to Cybertron and were seen hanging out at the Blurr-run Maccadam's Old Oil House. Night and the City When the Autobots were banished from Iacon, Cloudraker went neutral and stayed behind to work as a reporter for the Iacon Communication Service. Three Monologues

When Unicron attacked Cybertron, Fastlane and Cloudraker were part of the Autobot fleet operating under Scattershot's command that scrambled to meet the Chaos Bringer, only to find their path barred by the mutated Decepticon Vengeance Division. Though they fought well, they were ultimately destroyed by the flagship Worldsweeper, their deaths prompting Victorion to try and kill Bludgeon. Our Finest

Later, Cloudraker's spirit appeared among the many dead glimpsed by Soundwave as he sacrificed his own life to help Optimus Prime defeat Unicron. Ceremony

Marvel Comics continuity

Transformers '84

Exploiting the Prime Directive's "smacking Vikings around" loophole

Fastlane and Cloudraker piloted the ship Mantlo in search of the missing Ark. Their quest took them to many worlds before arriving on Earth, where it was the year 1017 by the reckoning of the land they ended up crashing in due to atmospheric hazards. The two immediately disembarked and sped off to continue their search, unaware that a Decepticon party had been following them through the last six star systems and nineteen planets. This party included Counterpunch, who was under secret orders from Optimus Prime, given before the Arkʼs launch, to make sure Megatron remained isolated from Cybertron by any and all means. And those Decepticons weren't the only ones on the Mantloʼs tail: Its fiery atmospheric entry that night had been noticed by humans in the nearby Stansham Castle, a small group of whom investigated the crash site the next day. And those humans, in turn, were followed by soldiers from a Viking army that had been besieging the castle.

The human scouts discovered the Mantlo and had barely enough time to ponder what "devilry" was afoot before they were ambushed by their rivals. Fastlane and Cloudraker, on their way back to their ship, found their passage blocked by the battle. At first they stayed concealed in the trees, following Autobot non-engagement regulations. But as they observed the fight, they deemed it an uneven one in favor of the ambushers and decided to intervene on behalf of the "underdog" group. Emerging from the woods and smacking at least one of the soldiers terrified the Vikings, one of whom declared their cause lost if their enemy was in league with "Niflheim-spawned abominations". They ran away and the other humans immediately gave chase, but before the clones to could continue on their way to the ship, they were attacked by the Duocons and Counterpunch. Though outnumbered, the clones' gravity-rod and sonic boom rifles made short work of the Decepticons – but Cloudraker was critically wounded by one of Flywheels' missiles. Cradling his brother, Fastlane ran back to the Mantlo to give him CR treatment. He also took the ship airborne again, but as it lifted off, Counterpunch took a shot at it to prevent them from finding the Ark, per his mission. He scored a direct hit, and the craft plummeted. While Cloudraker lay unconscious on a medical table, Fastlane desperately tried to radio for aid. Then the ship crashed again, this time directly into Stansham Castle. '84 #0

Marvel The Transformers comics

Main article: Navigator (Autobot)

A cloudraker in the streets, a navigator in the sheets

For centuries Cloudraker remained unconscious within the Mantlo, stripped of his outer armor and lying on the medical table. The ship was submerged in the earth beneath Stansham Castle, unknown to anyone but Fastlane, who still occasionally emerged to scout and would become the stuff of legends as a terrifying and mysterious "man of iron".

Cloudraker continued to slumber even as in the modern day, the Ark inhabitants awoke of their own accord and traveled to Stansham in response to the distress call that had been continuously broadcasting since the Mantlo's final crash. An Autobot/Decepticon battle erupted that claimed Fastlane's life but ended with the Autobots victorious. This, however, was not good news for Cloudraker: Optimus immediately ordered the buried ship's destruction, in keeping with the mission he had given to Punch millions of years prior. Jazz dutifully vaporized the Mantlo in a massive implosion, not realizing he was killing Cloudraker within. Man of Iron

Regeneration One

There's no way he's not having panic attack right about now.

Some twenty-odd years after the war supposedly ended, Cloudraker joined Blades, Doubleheader, Skyhammer, Dogfight, Crossblades, Jetfire, and the Aerialbots in defending Cybertron against Bludgeon's Warworld, as a diversionary tactic devised by Prowl to allow the Wreckers to sneak aboard the Decepticon mothership. Destiny, Part Four Destiny, Part Five

Beast Wars: Uprising

During the campaign on Nebulos, the Autobot Clones were captured by the Decepticon/Hive alliance and subjected to horrific experiments by Fausto Borx and Zarak. A Brush With Infamy–Prologue

Transformers: All Spark

Cloudraker and Fastlane were part of an Autobot team led by God Ginrai who helped Bumblebee and Spike defeat Overlord. Looming Threat

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

After Cybertron fell, the Autobots left their homeworld aboard the Ark, traveling through space in pursuit of the AllSpark. Earthrise webpage^[1] When the ship detected energon on Biosfera, the Autobots dispatched Cloudraker and Fastlane to investigate. Unfortunately, after arriving they made contact with Pounce and Wingspan. Even worse, the Decepticons' beast modes gave them a distinct advantage in jungle warfare. Encounter 3: Biosfera Clones

Commercial appearances

Cloudraker and Fastlane encountered Pounce and Wingspan out in the wilderness and transformed into their vehicle modes to evade the Decepticon clones' weapons-fire. Punch/Counterpunch and Clones commercial

Games

Transformers Legends

Cloudraker was stationed at a Sun-Farming facility along with Fastline. When Thunderwing's forces attacked, Cloudraker was the first to attack, however the Decepticons triumphed, forcing Sideswipe's team to abandon the facility. Revalation

Toys

The Transformers

• Fastlane / Cloudraker (Autobot Clone, 1987)

• Takara ID number: C-112
• Accessories: Left & right "gravity-rod rifles"

Released in the fourth year of Hasbro's US The Transformers toyline (third year in Europe and in Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers line), Autobot Clone Cloudraker transforms into a futuristic jet fighter. His robot mode is (mostly) identical to his Clone brother Fastlane (from the front at least). Cloudraker also has two heat-sensitive rubsigns on his torso: the one on his groin reveals the traditional Autobot symbol, while the one on his chest reveals a jet image, indicating which Clone he is. This is especially useful for those times when you can't just turn him over and see the wings on the backs of his legs.

The Chinese release of Cloudraker, released in 1993, lacks the "jet" rubsign, which has been replaced with a foil Autobot insignia sticker.

There are two ways to store his "gravity-rod rifles" in vehicle mode: the first is the intended way, which is by plugging them into the ports located on the underside of the jet mode; the other is how he was depicted in the Headmasters anime, which requires you to leave the hands flipped out, and plugging the rifles into them, so that they are located up top.

He was only available in a two-pack with his brother/fellow Clone, Cloudraker.

• More information on Cloudraker at TFU.info

Titans Return

Looks like my brother was right.

• Wingspan / Cloudraker (Legends Class 2-pack, 2017)

Titans Return Cloudraker is a retool of his brother Fastclash (renamed thanks to trademark issues), transforming from robot to futuristic jet fighter, and is heavily based on his original Generation 1 toy. Any Titan Masters can ride in the vehicle mode by simply putting them onto the flip-up "seat" between his arms. As with all four of the clones in this line, Fastclash has a (non-heat-sensitive) painted symbol evoking his original "jet" rubsign. For some reason, Cloudraker's symbol is noticeably smaller than Fastclash's.

Cloudraker was only available in a 2-pack with Wingspan. In the United States, this set was exclusive to Walgreens pharmacies (officially called the "Clones 2-figure Pack" on their website), but it also saw numerous international releases, several of which even predated the US release: In Taiwan, it was available at general retail; in Canada, it was exclusive to EB Games stores; in Mexico, it was exclusive to Julio Cepeda stores; and in Colombia, it was exclusive to Falabella stores.

Legends

Aren't you glad you didn't go to Walgreens?

• Clonebot Set (Autobot Clones) (Multi-pack, 2018)

• Release date: January 27, 2018
• ID number: LG-58

Legends Cloudraker is a redeco of his Generations toy, with a color layout based more closely on his appearance in the Headmasters anime, with a lighter-red torso and head than his arms.

He was only available in a two-pack with, of course, Fastlane. The pack also includes the Legends comic Volume 58.

War for Cybertron: Earthrise

Ah yes, the Jungle Planet, known for its... twins. Very famous for 'em.

• Biosfera Autobot Clones (2-pack, 2020)

• Known designers: AJ Piejko-Brown (packaging)

Fastlane and Cloudraker were released as an Earthrise Amazon.com exclusive Galactic Odyssey Collection set, theoretically representing Biosfera, despite the two having exactly zero connections to the planet in any meaningful way or even vague thematic similarity. Oh well. The two are minor redecoes of their Titans Return toy color schemes.

The Titan Master seat goes undocumented in the instructions.

This set was labeled as "Encounter 3" of the Galactic Odyssey Collection, but was the second set to be officially revealed, and the first to actually ship out.

Notes

Foreign names

• Japanese: Cloudraker (クラウドレーカー Kuraudorēkā)
• French: Aéropro (Canada)
• Italian: Geminus
• Mandarin: Téng Yún (China, 腾云, "Prance onto the Cloud")
• Russian: Krushitel' (Крушитель, "Crasher")

References