Nova Storm (G1)

Nova Storm is a Decepticon Seeker from the Generation 1 continuity family.

They call me mellow yellow (Quite rightly)

One of the formidable Rainmakers, Nova Storm is equipped with armor that enables survival in volcanic environments or even the chromosphere of a star for short periods of time.^[1]

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

The yellow Tetrajet at the back.

When a group of Autobots (and Chip Chase) journeyed to Cybertron to fetch a cosmitron for a wounded Optimus Prime, Megatron sent the Rainmaker trio to make things difficult for our heroes with some acid rain.

Guess what? They failed. Divide and Conquer

Ask Vector Prime

The Rainmakers were among the deadliest subordinates of Shockwave on Cybertron and Earth in many universal streams.

The Primax 509.28 Epsilon iteration of Nova Storm once nearly hit Vector Prime with his Trilithium Crystal Cannons. This Nova was one of the few bots able to withstand the presence of Sunstorm. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/13

Generations Selects Special Comic

In 2050, Nova Storm was one of the Decepticons supporting the Selector revolt at Neo Scramble City. Volcanicus comic 1 When the Dinobots arrived, Nova Storm and the other Rainmakers fought Swoop, who blew their Acid Rain back into their own faces. This forced their systems to falter and made them fall to the ground. Volcanicus comic 2

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

During the war for Cybertron, Nova Storm was an Air Force Infantry Raider. Siege toy packaging

2019 IDW continuity

First appearance: Transformers #19

During the War of the Threefold Spark, the Rainmakers were a military unit that included Nova Storm. When the Ascenticon Guard chose to swell their ranks in the modern era, she and Ion Storm reconnected with existing guardsman Acid Storm, a reunion that would be seen as foreboding to some. All Fall Down When the Ascenticons, now rebranded as the Decepticons, took over the Senate building, the Rainmakers attacked from above and breached the ceiling. After a supercharged Ion Storm used his powers to disable all the senators, Nova Storm was seen tending to him. We Have Deceived You

After seizing full control of the governing body, Megatron introduced the Rainmakers to his fellow Senators before Clench reported that Sentinel Prime had escaped, the Rainmakers being deployed to down and recapture him. Catching up to the Prime, Nova Storm delivered the killing blow after Sentinel was shocked by Ion Storm and blasted by Acid Storm. Touching down, the trio regarded the Prime's dying cries for aid before retreating when Chromia opened fire on them. Prime Though the Rainmakers' murder prompted a mixed reception in the Decepticon ranks, Nova Storm was present at the gladiatorial arena when Termagax returned to denounce the Decepticons, bearing witness to Megatron contemptuously opening fire on his mentor. Awakenings

Nova Storm joined Strika's Heavies and other Decepticons in an assault on the Forge Pyramid, the last major institution in Iacon unclaimed by their forces. They found the Autobots meeting with Perceptor already and tried to storm the building. Nova Storm's invulnerable hide allowed her to forcibly smash her way inside ahead of the other Decepticons. Once there, however, Optimus Prime warned her they were evacuating as the Pyramid's plasma reactors were failing. Those Decepticons that had breached the defenses fled along with the Autobots as the Pyramid melted in on itself. Titans

Nova Storm and the Rainmakers were present when Megatron learned Optimus Prime and the Autobots had abandoned Iacon entirely. We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness Megatron later had Nova Storm with him when the unpredictable Skywarp made a surprise reappearance on Cybertron. Sea of Rust I

Sixshot brought forth the Rainmakers when the Decepticons journeyed out to the Sea of Rust. They had been alerted that Termagax was there, in possession of the Enigma of Combination. The Decepticons had begun to rely on the Rainmakers too much, though, as Pyra Magna had snipers on the roof of Termagax's house, prepared for their approach. Arcee and Sureshot shot down Ion Storm and Acid Storm, while Windcharger used his magnetic powers to snare Nova Storm. He was unable to harm her outsides, but her insides proved vulnerable to his magnetic manipulations. Sea of Rust II Nova Storm was brought down, and struggled to recover as a full battle erupted between the Autobots and Decepticons. When the Enigma fell into the Sea of Rust, the Autobots noted that it might be possible for Nova Storm to retrieve it. Enigmatic

The Rainmakers later accompanied Megatron to his meeting with Exarchon. Eager for a third body, the Threefold Spark had released Sunstorm only to be melted by his irradiated touch. As she was immune, Megatron ordered Nova Storm to put Sunstorm back in his cage. War's End Part Three The Rainmakers flew with Megatron to intercept Optimus Prime and the Autobots before they reached Darkmount. End of Time Nova Storm and many other Seekers later fought Sky Lynx during the battle of Darkmount. Fate of Cybertron

War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon

Nova Storm was among the Seekers who showed up for Starscream's assault on the Ark, alongside another yellowish Seeker that showed up a bunch earlier. This was rather handy, because the Nova-Storm-lookalike got cut into pieces by Jetfire just a few moments later! You're safe for now, Nova Storm! Siege episode 6

My Little Pony/Transformers

Nova Storm was among the many Decepticons transported to Equestria. Intent on proving their supriority over the Autobots and ponies, the Rainmakers and Misfire attacked Windblade and Rainbow Dash during a race. However, Rainbow Dash was able to bait them into a trap before both she and Windblade used their "Flyin' Fox Trot" maneuver to turn the Rainmaker's own heat-seeking missiles against them and blow them out of the sky. The Decepticons wound up piled in a defeated heap while the two heroes shared their victory at the finish line. The Flyin' Fox Trot

Games

Transformers: Heavy Metal

Nova Storm was among the Decepticons under Starscream's command who invaded Earth in search of Energon. Transformers: Heavy Metal

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Nova Storm was a Seeker scientist who’d been specially modified to be extremely durable, and was one of the few Transformers capable of withstanding Sunstorm’s radiation. As a member of the Rainmakers, he was able to continue the mission even after his teammates rendered the area inhospitable. Decepticon Directive

Toys

War for Cybertron: Siege

Am I Sunstorm or not?

• Seeker Acid Storm / Seeker Ion Storm / Seeker Nova Storm (Multi-pack, 2019)
  • Hasbro ID number: WFC-S54
  • TakaraTomy ID number: SG-EX
  • TakaraTomy release date: March 27, 2021
  • Accessories: 2 "RM Storm Range Null-Ray Laser Launchers"

Siege "Seeker Nova Storm" is a redeco of Voyager Class Starscream from the same line, transforming from a heavily Generation 1-inspired robot to a Cybertronian "tetrajet" based on the Seekers' appearance in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1" and back. Noticeably, said jet mode has the robot legs sticking out from the undercarriage.

Fitting with the rest of Siege, Nova Storm has 5 mm posts on his biceps, forearms, shins, under his feet (thrusters), and wings. The 3 mm pegs on his shins, forearms, left bicep, and the tips of his Null-Rays can accommodate effects parts sold separately. Like the rest of Siege, his robot mode focuses on articulation, with double-jointed elbows, knees that bend at nearly 180 degrees, ankle rockers, and waist articulation, being notable articulation points for a Seeker toy. Being a rather heavy shellformer, he can be separated into both a wingless robot mode and a nearly complete tetrajet easily, via a friction hinge.

Nova Storm comes in a three-pack with "Seeker Acid Storm" and "Seeker Ion Storm", based on their cartoon appearance in "Divide and Conquer". All three feature battle damage (the exact same layouts across all three) and the smirkless head sculpt used by Starscream.

This set was made available at general retail in U.S. Target stores without a prior announcement from Hasbro, then much later Entertainment Earth got a run of them in 2021.

Interestingly, not only was this set was not released in other Hasbro markets, but TakaraTomy would eventually schedule it for release in Japan nearly two full years later. Further, the toys stock photography used versions of the toys with slightly different paint applications based on a screenshot from the original cartoon: but of the trio, Nova Storm is the only one to go unchanged in these "prototypes".

Merchandise

The Loyal Subjects

Make it Rain. (Nova Storm is on the left)

• Rainmakers (2013)
  • Accessories: Pegged wings, blasters

The Loyal Subjects Nova Storm (though they had not yet received their name) is a 3-inch non-transforming vinyl figure designed by Les Schetkoe. They come in the "Rainmakers" set alongside Acid Storm and Ion Storm. The set comes in a retro box and was released in a limited run of 500 pieces.

Transformers Trading Card Game

• Raider Nova Storm, Infantry-Combustion Specialist (2019)
  • Wave 4: War for Cybertron: Siege II
  • Rarity: CT
  • Card Number: T36/T52
  • Stars: 7

Raider Nova Storm, Infantry-Combustion Specialist is one of 52 character cards released in Wave 4 of the Transformers Trading Card Game, War for Cybertron: Siege II.

The card features original artwork based on the Siege Nova Storm toy, with line-art by Sara Pitre-Durocher and colors by María Ana Paolo.

Jada Toys

• Transformers Series 2 18-pack (4cm Die Cast Figure Multipack, 2022)

Released by Jada Toys, Nano Metalfigs Series 2 Nova Storm is a redeco of the Series 1 Starscream/Thundercracker mold, an incredibly small die-cast figurine molded with his hands on his waist. He has a little base attached to his feet for balancing reasons.

Nova Storm also shares the same mold as Series 2 Acid Storm and comes in an impressive multipack with him and sixteen other figurines.

Notes

• Despite the many different designations thought up by fans, the yellow Rainmaker went officially unnamed for over 30 years until Brandy Dixon gave the name "Nova Storm" in a 2015 entry of the Facebook edition of "Ask Vector Prime".
• The term "rainmakers" was originally used by Bluestreak as a colloquial description of their actions. However, repeated fan usage turned this into a widely accepted name for the group, which was eventually made official as such by Hasbro's bio for Universe Acid Storm.
• A common piece of fanon identified the yellow Rainmaker as a partially yellow Sunstorm. However, even taking into consideration the haphazard coloring typically given to generic Seekers, chances were in favor of their not being the same bot. After being asked the question during the August 2010 Q&A, Hasbro confirmed that the yellow Rainmaker was not Sunstorm, but did not give them a name at that time.^[2]
• Nova Storm's first named appearance in Ask Vector Prime presented the character as male. Both the Trading Card Game and 2019 IDW continuity present Nova Storm as female, likely in reference to the character's Cyberverse counterpart. Their original and most reliable role remains as unremarked-upon background filler, so this can be considered something of a choose-your-own-adventure situation.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Nova Storm (ノヴァストーム Nova Sutōmu)

References

External links

• DeviantArt commentary by Brandy Dixon