Cloudburst is a supporting character in Generation One of the Transformers franchise. He was based on a figure from the 1988 toyline.
Marvel Comics[]
Cloudburst first appeared in Issue #40 as one of six Autobots among Fortress Maximus' crew on the Steelhaven who were chosen to undergo the Pretender process which the Decepticons had just developed. The sextet guarded Alternate Reality Inc from the Decepticon Pretenders, defeating them with the aid of a computer recording of Optimus Prime.
In the UK annual story "The Chain Gang", Cloudburst was sent with Landmine and Splashdown to liberate an oil rig that had been captured by Decepticon Pretenders Skullgrin, Iguanus and Bomb-Burst. He convinced Bomb-Burst to help him stop a plane crashing into the rig and killing them all, after which he quickly took Bomb-Burst prisoners since the other Decepticons had already been defeated.
Cloudburst's most prominent appearance was in Issues #52 and #53, where he and Landmine were sent by Optimus Prime to retrieve microchips from a space station known to be hostile to robots, since their Pretender shells should function as an effective disguise. Cloudburst wanted to prioritise their mission but Landmine was intrigued by stories that Sky Lynx had disappeared on the station and insisted on investigating. They discovered Sky Lynx about to be consumed by the Meccannibals who ran the station and who gained the microchips by consuming robots. Although they freed him, their attempt to alert his human friend Berko saw them recognised by the Nebulans Hi-Test and Throttle, who betrayed them to the Meccanibals. Cloudburst managed to save them from being eaten by offering to get the ingredients for a sauce, with the Meccannibals holding Berko hostage. Cloudburst and Landmine headed to the planet Fermax, where Cloudburst charmed the leading queen so much she wanted him as a mate. Cloudburst revealing he was a robot enraged her enough to decapitate him but she eventually restored him and sent him on his way. The pair were then attacked by Dreadwind and Darkwing, Hi-Test and Throttle's Decepticon partners, but saved by Sky Lynx, and used the fact the Meccanibals unknowingly had Decepticons working for them as leverage to have them use the microchips to restore the robots they had destroyed.
In the UK-exclusive story "Deathbringer", Cloudburst was sent to Earth as part of a recon team to investigate the appearance of the Deathbringer. He was badly damaged during the encounter but managed to send a message to Optimus Prime on the Ark. He appeared prominently in the Marvel US Return of Megatron arc, accompanying Optimus Prime to Earth to confront the Air Strike Patrol and then among the Autobots who returned to the Ark to deal with the bombs left behind by the Sports Car Patrol. He co-ordinated with Ratchet to send the bombs to Megatron's base on Cybertron by dimensional portal just before they exploded.
In "Fallen Star", Cloudburst was sent with Getaway and Chainclaw to keep an eye on the recently returned Starscream only to receive a beating from him. He continued to make appearances in the US comic, being among the Autobots attacked by a Guardian droid as part of a plan to reinspire Optimus Prime in Issue #60, reporting Grimlock going AWOL in Issue #69, surrendering to Scorponok with the rest of Optimus Prime's crew in Issue #71 and among those gathered by Primus to fight Unicron in Issue #74. He took part in the battle with Unicron in Issue #75 and was destroyed when Highbrow caused him to swerve into Unicron's eye beams.
He appeared in Marvel UK's Earthforce storyline in "Break-Away" as one of the new Autobots attending a confrontation between Optimus Prime and Grimlock over the latter's violent methods.
