| “ | Optimus Prime: It has been a while, Skyquake. Skyquake: Optimus Prime. I haven't seen you since the battle of Technar. Megatron ordered me to annihilate you. Optimus Prime: That was a long time ago. Skyquake: That may be, Prime, but my orders still stand. |
„ |
| ~ Skyquake encountering Optimus Prime again shortly after awakening. |
| “ | I will never side with a Prime! | „ |
| ~ Skyquake before attacking Optimus. |
Skyquake is a minor antagonist in Season 1 of Transformers: Prime. He is a powerful Decepticon completely loyal to Megatron who during the War on Cybertron was placed in stasis on Earth for years until he was awakened. He is also Dreadwing's twin brother.
He was voiced by Richard Green, who also voiced Lord Orm in Justice League and Hugo Strange and Toyman in The Batman.
Personality[]
Skyquake is a brutal and merciless soldier, yet completely loyal to Megatron. His loyalty is so great that he could not conceive that his master could have perished while Skyquake had just awakened. He remained devoted, however, to Megatron's order to eliminate Optimus Prime as he had already been ordered years before. When Optimus offered to bury the hatchet, Skyquake immediately refused, refusing to be an ally of a Prime. Likewise, he considers it his duty to eliminate the Autobots, no matter how insignificant. According to Megatron, Skyquake, like his twin brother Dreadwing, has a sense of honor.
Skyquake also has a short temper and violent personality, quickly becoming exasperated by Starscream's arrogance and self-importance to the point of lashing out at him with a punch. In combat, Skyquake is mostly abrupt and destructive, with no real ability to strategize.
Like a Terrorcon, Skyquake no longer has any personality, only the behavior of a mindless creature destroying everything living in its path. Although he had some degree of intelligence as chasing the human kids and attempting to try on Starscream's arm.
History[]
Background[]
Skyquake and his twin brother Dreadwing each shared half of a Spark, allowing the other to sense the other's presence no matter the distance. Both brothers later joined the Decepticon cause under Megatron's command, participating in the Cybertron War for centuries. At some point during the Battle of Technahar, Skyquake was tasked by Megatron with eliminating the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, but failed. Skyquake was later among the Decepticons sent into stasis on Earth.
Season 1[]
In Masters & Students, following Megatron's apparent death, Starscream attempts to recruit dormant Decepticons to swell his ranks and also to try to gain more loyalty, locating Skyquake's stasis pods in a canyon with the help of Soundwave. As Skyquake's stasis pod opens, Starscream prattles on about awakening the warrior who will serve his new master, to which Skyquake replies that he has only ever served one master. When Starscream misinterprets the statement, Skyquake corrects him that his loyalty lies only with Megatron, to which Starscream reveals that Megatron is dead, but Skyquake cannot believe it. As Starscream arrogantly reasserts his position as leader, Skyquake nearly attacks him until Optimus suddenly arrives. Recalling their last encounter at Technahar, Skyquake recalls Megatron's order to kill Optimus and that he intends to finish it now. Once Starscream leaves, Optimus tries to reason with Skyquake to put the conflict of the past behind them, but Skyquake refuses, stating that he would never ally with a Prime before attacking Optimus.
As Skyquake gains the upper hand, Bumblebee joins the fight, re-leveling the score. The two Autobots realize that Skyquake does not yet have a vehicle mode, so they use theirs to their advantage, outrunning Skyquake across the canyon to better take him by surprise. Just as he corners Bumblebee at a dead end, Skyquake is attacked from behind by Optimus, and ends up embedded in the rock wall. The Decepticon tries to continue the fight, clawing at Optimus, but is knocked back to the ground by a punch to the face. The arrival of Agent Fowler in a fighter jet gives Skyquake the opportunity to scan the aerial vehicle and thus unlock a flying vehicle mode. With Skyquake's threat redoubled, Fowler comes to Skyquake's aid by shooting at Skyquake, only for Skyquake to target him as well. Eventually, Bumblebee manages to latch onto Skyquake and cause severe damage, causing him to crash to the ground. Skyquake dies as Optimus returns to the crash site. Despite Skyquake's actions and refusal to abandon the path left by Megatron, Optimus decides to bury him.
| “ | Ah, the gravesite of the mighty Skyquake. So quick to reject my authority while you lived, but as the first of my reanimated warriors, you shall bow to my command. | „ |
| ~ Starscream about to revive Skyquake with Dark Energon. |
In Shadowzone, following Megatron's return to command of the Decepticons, Starscream attempts to resurrect Skyquake with a fragment of Dark Energon, only for his ongoing attempt to be disrupted by the Autobots' ambush. In his escape, Starscream's GroundBridge inadvertently fuses with the Autobots', creating a chain reaction that engulfs Skyquake's tomb. After the storm passes, Skyquake is revealed to have been transformed into Terrorcon, a Cybertronian zombie. He then tries to attack Bulkhead from behind but his blow only goes through the Autobot, the explosion of the GroundBriges having moved the Terrorcon into a parallel dimension, the Shadowzone. He spots Jack, Miko and Raf also stuck in the dimension and chases them. The kids find the arm Starscream lost in the battle and use it against Skyquake, severing one of his arms. Unfortunately for them, the arm becomes sentient and chases them at a speed greater than Skyquake. The Autobots eventually manage to bring the children back, with Skyquake's arm also passing through. Still stuck in the Shadowzone, Skyquake finds Starscream's arm and tries to fit it in, but when it doesn't fit, Skyquake throws it away and continues on his way, seemingly ending up in the Shadowzone forever.
Season 2[]
| “ | My twin and I shared a split Spark. We're metal, but two halves of the same life force. Even across the galaxy, I sensed when he emerged from stasis on this planet and when his Spark was no more. | „ |
| ~ Dreadwing about his brother's death. |
Due to being still stuck in the Shadowzone, Skyquake makes no physical appearances, but he is referenced a lot, especially by his brother.
In Loose Cannons, Dreadwing arrives on Earth, with the Autobots mistaking him for Skyquake until Optimus corrects them on the Decepticon's identity. Later, Dreadwing explains to Megatron that he had come to Earth partly to discover the truth about his brother's fate, having sensed the moment he came out of stasis and subsequently perished. Megatron and Soundwave confirmed Skyquake's death by showing him the recording Starscream had Soundwave do.
In Alpha/Omega, Dreadwing mentions Skyquake when he and Megatron broke into a tomb and retrieved the arm of Liege Maximo. Dreadwing has an adverse to desecration due to his twin's fate and tells Megatron that the tomb invokes powerful emotions for him considering what happen to his twin, but Megatron convinces him that in order to avenge Skyquake and their fallen brethren they must do what needs to be done.
In Triangulation, upon seeing Dreadwing, Starscream mistakes him for Skyquake, to which Dreadwing corrects him while revealing that Starscream was partially responsible for Skyquake's death. After Starscream dons the Apex Armor, he threatens Dreadwing to join his twin in death. Shortly after Starscream's defeat, Optimus admits to Dreadwing that he has no grievance against Skyquake, as much as he regrets having to kill him and offers Dreadwing the same as he did his brother, to no avail.
In Patch, Megatron discovers the truth about the Terrorcon Skyquake while searching Starscream's mind, but decides not to reveal the information to Dreadwing due to his decision to reinstate Starscream to the Decepticon fold. Unbeknownst to Megatron, Dreadwing had heard everything.
In Regeneration, Outraged by Megatron's cover-up, Dreadwing secretly betrays the Decepticons, giving the Solus Prime Forge to the Autobots and planning to leave the Decepticons once he has settled his score with Starscream for desecrating Skyquake's death. Before Dreadwing can finish Starscream, Megatron orders him to stand down, to which Dreadwing dares to disobey and as a result, is killed by Megatron.
Abilities & Weapons[]
- Cybertronian Physiology: As a robotic organism, Skyquake is a robotic-looking being, much larger, stronger, and more dangerous than any other life form.
- Superhuman Strength: Skyquake is on par with Optimus Prime. He was able to send Starscream flying against a rock wall with a single blow.
- Superhuman Durability: Skyquake's body can take heavy damage, both energetic and physical. However, he had weak points that Bumblebee was able to exploit while he was in airplane mode, tearing out vital organs.
- Transformation: Skyquake has an internal organ called the T-Cog which he uses to copy data from any vehicle and then transform himself into it. He gained the ability to transform into an airplane after scanning Agent Fowler's own plane.
- Combat Expert: Skyquake was able to put pressure on Optimus and Bumblebee single-handedly.
- Claws: The tips of Skyquake's fingers are equipped with claws capable of slashing even Optimus.
- Machine gun: Skyquake's main weapon, is a giant laser cannon that is similar to a machine gun capable of firing volleys of bullets.
Quotes[]
| “ | Starscream: Awaken, warrior. Rise and serve your new master! Skyquake: Skyquake serves only one master. Starscream: Excellent. Your loyalty and devotion will set a fine example for the troops. No need to be timid, Skyquake - you may bow. Skyquake: You fail to grasp my meaning. I am here on a mission, assigned to me by my one master: Megatron. Starscream: Yes...him. Sadly, Megatron is...no longer with us. Skyquake: Impossible! |
„ |
| ~ Skyquake's awakening. |
| “ | Again?! Bow to this! | „ |
| ~ Skyquake hits Starscream. |
| “ | So, time has made you a coward, Prime?! | „ |
| ~ Skyquake to Optimus. |
| “ | It will be a shame to crush you, bug, but it is my duty. | „ |
| ~ Skyquake to Bumblebee. |
Trivia[]
- Skyquake is the polar opposite of his twin brother in many ways. While both are capable of great anger and are fierce in combat, Dreadwing is more petty and has better control over his anger than Skyquake. Dreadwing has also shown to be an effective lieutenant and strategist for Megatron, unlike Skyquake who during his only fight in the series has mostly shown to be an impulsive brute. Both, however, still practice some form of basic decency even to their enemies, a stark contrast to Starscream's constant gloating and dismissal of those he sees as beneath him.
- Starscream was revealed to be aware of Skyquate's current state in Patch despite never witnessing it in Shadowzone.
- Skyquake does not have the Decepticon emblem.
- Skyquake was originally planned to be Skywarp at one point.
- Unlike G1 Skyquake, Prime Skyquake is a warrior, while G1 is the leader of the Predators.
Gallery[]
