Jet pack

Cheat Commandos playset comes with Reinforcements' Justice Rocket Backpack Rocket Rocket.

Jet packs, or rocket packs are a type of back-mounted thruster system that allows Cybertronians to fly in their robot modes for extended periods of time. While these devices are normally found in the possession of Autobots with ground-based alternate modes, it is not uncommon to find them built into the frame of fliers, or created by rearranging kibble, allowing them to maintain aerial superiority even in robot mode.

Fiction

Generation 1 continuity family

The Transformers cartoon

"OK everyone, time to strap on these tanks of explosive rocket fuel!"

When the Decepticons blasted off in their space cruiser Optimus Prime ordered Sideswipe to fork over his rocket pack so he could give chase. The rocket pack fell short of matching the space cruiser's velocity and Optimus tumbled back down to Earth. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3

Bumblebee wore his own pack while he and Powerglide investigated strange energy readings which turned out to be an island in the middle of the ocean. Bumblebee was attacked by a flying dinosaur that damaged his jet pack. Powerglide was attempting to repair the jet pack when they were suddenly attacked by another larger dinosaur. After Powerglide abandoned the jet pack it was stepped on and crushed by the pursuing dinosaur. Dinobot Island, Part 1

After the energy tapping of Dinobot Island caused instability all across Earth, Optimus Prime and the Autobots used a number of jet packs to fly to the island. Dinobot Island, Part 2

Before the Autobots went flying out into space, Sky Lynx ordered to them, "Don your rocket packs!" They didn't appear to be wearing any rocket packs but they were flying anyway, so who the hell knows. The Face of the Nijika

Marvel The Transformers comics

Sideswipe's rocket back-pack can sustain him in the air for two minute spurts before refueling is necessary. Sideswipe's Universe profile

During the Transformers' second battle on Earth at the Witwicky garage, Sunstreaker fired at the incoming Decepticons with his electron pulse gun while Sideswipe took off with his rocket backpack to shoot Thundercracker with his flare gun. Power Play!

2005 IDW continuity

Sideswipe donned his jetpack to help Cosmos escape from the Earth Defense Command's missile swarm. Signals, Calls, and Marches Arcee later demanded the jetpack so she go chase down Prowl in Tokyo. Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs. When she tried to use it to escape the Decepticons, Galvatron quickly caught up to her. ONoffON

When Sideswipe was critically wounded, Sunstreaker properly bequeathed the jetpack to a rather ungrateful Arcee. It's Beginning To And Back Again When Galvatron tried to escape, Arcee used the jetpack to follow him to Jupiter, joined by Optimus Prime and Soundwave, the former having donned his own jetpack. No Fair Fights

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers manga

During a battle at Autobot Headquarters in Arizona, Sideswipe used his rocket pack to blast off into an aerial attack on the Decepticons. He was bombed out of the sky by Blitzwing. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2

Story of Binaltech

After taking serious damage from a Cosmic Rust attack, Sideswipe was rebuilt into a new Binaltech body. The new body dispensed with his rocket pack as a separate device, incorporating its booster capabilities directly into his back. Binaltech Is...

Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga

Sideswipe used his rocket pack in an attempt to catch up to Octane, who had stolen a payload of energon. Henkei! Henkei! volume 6

Animated

As a Christmas gift, Isaac Sumdac gave his daughter Sari a new scooter, which could transform into a jet pack with the push of a button. Excited to put it to use, she blasted out the open window and headed to the Autobot Earth Base to show the Autobots. Human Error, Part I When she found her friends to be trapped under Soundwave's control, sher used her jetpack to escape the planet and travel around Detroit to recruit the Substitute Autobots. Human Error, Part II

Prowl's sidecar functioned as a jetpack in his robot mode. A Fistful of Energon Five Servos of Doom Endgame, Part I Endgame, Part II

As a final confrontation with Megatron grew ever nearer, Ratchet pushed for Optimus Prime to take up the Magnus Hammer. Haunted by his past, Optimus refused the weapon and pushed for the creation of a flight upgrade. With help from the Sumdacs, and Prowl's own pack as a template, Ratchet built a jetpack for the Prime though the first test flight ended in his getting shot down by Slipstream. Endgame, Part I

Soon enough, Megatron's ultimate weapons, the Lugnut Supremes, arrived forcing Optimus to take to the skies alongside Prowl, his jetpack being heavily damaged by his duel with Megatron. When the triumphant Autobots returned to Cybertron, Sari used her jetpack to elevate herself to optic level with the cheering crowd. Endgame, Part II

Aligned continuity family

After the Aerialbots had destroyed his conversion cog, Trypticon was forced back to robot mode but immediately switched to using his jet pack to maintain orbit and continue the bombing. The Aerialbots, likewise undeterred, instantly opened fire on the pack, damaging it enough for Trypticon to fall into Cybertron's gravity well and crashing outside Iacon. Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)

When Optimus Prime was returned to life by the Forge of Solus Prime, his reformatting included a jetpack. Rebellion The jetpack was rendered non-functional by the Dark Star Saber in the Great War's final battle, Deadlock but it was repaired by the time of Cybertron's restoration. Predacons Rising

After Optimus, again, returned to life, this time from the Realm of the Primes in an upgraded form, his jetpack was likewise enhanced. Battlegrounds, Part 1

One film

Cogless miners such as Orion Pax, D-16, and Elita-1 did not have vehicle modes, so instead used jet packs to aid them in their mining operations. In one such mining operation gone wrong, Orion used his jet pack to provide extra force in pushing a boulder pinning Jazz's leg long enough to save the bot's life. Later, he and D-16 used their jet packs to participate in the Iacon 5000, though they were not durable enough to withstand the rigors of the race. Orion's jet pack was lost when he was kicked off the vehicle mode of an airborne racer he was trying to hitchhike on, and D-16's followed suit shortly after when another racer tackled him while leaping through a obstacle gate.

Much later, after Orion had returned to Iacon with the truth about Sentinel Prime and inspired the miners to rise up against the false Prime, they armed themselves with their mining equipment and used their jet packs to join the battle above, cutting a swath through Airachnid's army of Trackers attempting to prevent Elita and the High Guard from breaching Sentinel's tower. One

Toys

Universe (2008)

• Sideswipe (Deluxe, 2008)
  • Series: Classic Series

2008's Universe Deluxe Class Sideswipe included a "supercharger intake" accessory for his vehicle mode which, when plugged into his back in robot mode, could double as his rocket pack.

Despite directly homaging a scene from the Transformers cartoon, the supercharger intake piece wasn't included with the version of Sideswipe from TakaraTomy's show-accurate Henkei! Henkei! toyline, presumably because it wasn't a feature of his original vehicle mode.

The Universe Sunstreaker/Sideswipe mold was redecoed and retooled into many other characters, none of whom are particularly associated with jet packs, but there's nothing to stop an enterprising collector plugging the piece into their backs and swooshing them around.

Timelines

• Sideswipe (BotCon 2010 customization class Deluxe)

Universe Sideswipe was redecoed into his Generation 2 colours for BotCon 2010's customization class, still featuring the supercharger intake.

Rescue Bots

A rescue pack, coming to the rescue!

• Jack Tracker & Jet Pack (2011)
• Billy Blastoff & Jet Pack (2011)

A jet pack was included with the Rescue Bots toy of Jack Tracker which was also sold under the name Billy Blastoff.

Pressing the yellow button on the jet pack causes the thrusters to spin in opposite directions, simulating flight. The wings can be pushed in and a yellow tab lowered to transform the jet pack into a rescue tool of unclear type for Chase the Police Bot; pushing the yellow nose section in can cause the wings to pop back out.

Masterpiece

• Bumble G-2 Ver. (07-2015)

With bonus character that never used one!

This Masterpiece jetpack, as worn by Bumblebee in the cartoon episode "Dinobot Island, Part 1", comes with a redeco of Masterpiece Bumble in shiny Generation 2 gold. It is, of course, compatible with the other Masterpiece Bumblebees of the same mold.

• Convoy (08-2019)

Please be responsible swooshing around your $500 Optimus.

The third version of Masterpiece Convoy includes the jetpack Optimus borrowed from Sideswipe in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3", along with two clear orange plastic blast effect parts. The jetpack can be worn by Convoy himself (or additionally by MP-12 Lambor), or be plugged on top of his trailer.

War for Cybertron Trilogy

• Deluxe Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack (Deluxe Class with accessories pack, 2020)
  • ID number: WFC-E33

A Generations-scale version of Sideswipe's jet pack is included in the War for Cybertron Trilogy Deluxe Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack. It includes two 5 mm mounting posts compatible with any C.O.M.B.A.T.-ready figure; one post is positioned to fit Siege Deluxe Class Sideswipe, while the other is specifically to fit Earthrise Leader Class Optimus Prime, as per "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3" (though the latter connection will restrict Prime's waist rotation).

Buzzworthy Bumblebee

• Origin Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2021)
  • Series: War for Cybertron Trilogy

A Generations-scale version of Bumblebee's jet pack from "Dinobot Island, Part 1" is included with Buzzworthy Bumblebee Deluxe Class Origin Bumblebee.

LEGO

• Optimus Prime (06-2022)
  • Set Number: 10302

A completely brick-built version of Sideswipe's rocket pack from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3" is included with LEGO 10302 Optimus Prime, and can be attached to Prime's back in robot mode.

Notes

• Artwork provided by Studio OX for the magazine TV Magazine offered its own interpretation of the self-propulsion gimmick that thematically linked all members of the Throttlebots: Wicked sweet jet packs.
• Sideswipe is the single Transformers character most associated with wearing a jet pack, with its call-out in the production bible and his The Transformers Universe bio almost certainly leading to the device's inclusion in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3". In truth, this is a holdover from an earlier stage in production during which Sideswipe was made from Sunstreaker's mold – the idea being that the rocket backpack was an adaption of the New Countach vehicle mode's exposed engine.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Rocket Booster (ロケットブースター Roketto Būsutā)