Downshift (Energon)




 * Downshift is an Autobot in the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

Japanese name: Wheeljack

Energon
Downshift was a rookie solder sent into the rift, along with his partner Cliffjumper, to locate Optimus Prime and his scattered crew. Characteristically gruff and headstrong. Cliffjumper and Downshift were both pupils of the teacher Bulkhead, and of the two, Downshift is easily the more irritated by Bulkhead's infectious laughter.

Confusingly, he is also known as Cliffjumper.

Fun Publications Cybertron comics
After the evacuation of Cybertron due to the threat of the Unicron Singularity, some soldiers chose to stay behind. Downshift was one of these brave souls, and he guarded the tunnels leading to the inner workings of Cybertron. While on duty, Downshift was attacked by the agent Nemesis Prime and impaled to a wall by one of his harpoon missiles. After these grave injuries, Downshift was repaired and reformatted by a worker drone into a new muscle car form.

During Downshift's maturation between the Powerlinx Battles and the arrival of the Unicron Singularity, Hot Shot has become his new mentor. Eventually, Downshift becomes a civilian on Earth, living with his unnamed life partner in Rhode Island.

Energon

 * Downshift (Deluxe, 2004)
 * Japanese ID number: SC-19




 * Downshift transforms into white rally-deco sports car of undetermined (possibly fictional) model with red and green stripes. He has a pair of clear-plastic guns, one a spring-loaded missile launcher, one non-firing. These can be hand-held or attached to Downshift in various ways in both modes. He can also form the top or bottom half of any silver or bronze "Powerlinx" combiner.


 * For his Takara releases, the pale-olive plastic of his robot parts was replaced with a medium silver.


 * Downshift's deco and sculpt is a clear homage to the Generation 1 Autobot Wheeljack. His robot mode has Wheeljack's head, a simulated car roof on his chest, and even the "Lancia" grill-feet.


 * Downshift was first released as part of the final wave of "normal" Energon black-backed cards, a shipment that appears to have been very brief, mostly showing up at Kohl's department stores. This naturally caused a panic. He was later released in much greater numbers in the "Powerlinx Battles" packaging.

Universe

 * Downshift (Deluxe, 2005)


 * For Universe, the original Energon Downshift was redecoed, with blue stripes and a large Autobot sigil on his car mode. Hoever, his robot mode as almost totally unchanged, save yellow plastic replacing the pale-olive.


 * A Kay-Bee stores exclusive alongside Snow Cat, the pair were released during a time when Kay-Bee was having great financial difficulty, closing multiple stores nationwide. Few Kay-Bees appear to have actually received these. The bulk of these exclusives appear to have been sent instead to "Kay-Bee Toy Works" outlet stores.

Cybertron

 * Downshift (Deluxe-Class, 2006)




 * Cybertron Downshift is a green sports car with styling heavily influenced by the Chrysler pony cars from 1970 through 1974. The car features a black hood and a texturing like vinyl roof applications from the 1960's and 70's. Inserting a Cyber Planet Key into a flip-up slot in his rear window activates a claw from the car's grill. This feature is also available in robot mode. He comes with two large spring-loaded missile launchers, which can be mounted on his side-panels in car mode, or be used in robot mode as handhled blasters or moutned on his shoulders.


 * While Downshift's Wheeljack-modled head in this form is not surprising, he still retains his Lancia-grill feet. Funky.

Trivia

 * As referenced above, the Energon cartoon constantly switched Cliffjumper and Downshift's names around. More often, the yellow-and-green robot would end up being called Downshift, in defiance of the toy names. It also seemed as if the two characters randomly switched voice actors from episode to episode.