Four million years ago, Skyfire was a Decepticon, and best friend of the then-explorer Starscream. While the two were exploring an uncharted planet far from Cybertron, Starscream suggested they go back, as he detected no intelligent life, but Skyfire insisted that they look harder. However, a storm separated the two Decepticons, and when Starscream recovered, he circled half the globe looking for Skyfire, but failed to find him. He returned to Cybertron, and became Decepticon Air Commander in the Great Wars against the Autobots.

Four million years later, when the Autobots and Decepticons were reactivated on Earth, the Decepticons found Skyfire, buried in a mountain of ice, frozen solid, perfectly preserved. They reactivated him, and he temporarily sided with them, and his old friend Starscream, until he realised that they planned to steal Earth's energy. Turning on them and their evil ways, he sided with the Autobots. The result of the conflict left Skyfire buried in ice again.

Not long thereafter, Wheeljack and Sideswipe dug him out, and he aided the Autobots in stopping the Decepticons from stealing the Peruvian Crystal of Power. He remained with the Autobots after the battle.

Un-reconstructed by Teletran One, Skyfire transforms into a large Cybertronian jet fighter. In this mode, he can transport his fellow Autobots in both vehicle and robot modes. In robot mode, he is at least twice as tall as his former comrade Starscream, with immense strength.

Skyfire was not seen very much during the latter battles of the Great War, and it is unknown if he was present at the Autobot City Massacre of 2005, although it seems unlikely. He was not seen thereafter, and his final fate remains unknown.