Artfire

This article is about the Japanese Targetmaster. For the Spy Changer known as "Artfire" in Japan, see Hot Shot (RID).

Artfire is an Autobot from the The Headmasters portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Reissue me. I'll sell well. Trust me. I won't kill Soundwave, I swear.

Artfire (アートファイアー Ātofaiā) is a Targetmaster sniper. He is patient, and thinks of his friends first, but there are times when he ignores orders because of that. His body can withstand temperatures of up to 8,000 degrees Celsius.

His primary Targetmaster companion is Nightstick, who transforms into a "space beam gun", though he sometimes allies himself with Sparks.

That's, uh, pretty much all there is to him.

Fiction

The Headmasters manga

Along with fellow Targetmaster Ricochet, Artfire joined Chromedome and Daniel in attending to a fire in a large metropolitan area. Artfire and Nightstick aided those trapped in buildings while Ricochet and Nightstick used his fire hose to quench the flames.

Slugslinger, Misfire, and Triggerhappy, the culprits of the blaze, arrived and made more trouble. The Autobots defeated the Decepticons quickly, and all was well. The Headmasters #7

United

Guido Guidi both loves you and hates you.

A devastating nano-virus plagued the Earthbound Autobots, a plague that Headmasters or Targetmasters like Ricochet were mysteriously immune from. Perceptor charged Ricochet with leading a team of unafflicted Autobots including Artfire to Nebulos, where the supreme scientist Zella had crafted an antidote.

As Ricochet's team arrived on Nebulos, an army of Decepticons led by Straxus appeared via an inter-dimensional portal. The nano-virus was part of a larger plot to draw out the Headmasters and Targetmasters so that their Nebulan partners could be collected. As Ricochet, Kup, and Chromedome concentrated their attacks on Straxus, Ricochet slipped through the battle to pick up Zella's antidote. With Straxus defeated, the Decepticons fled.

The antidote was successful, and Artfire was there as Optimus Prime personally thanked Ricochet for his brave efforts. The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos

Toys

The Headmasters

• Artfire (Targetmaster, 1987)
  • Japanese ID number: C-108
  • Accessories: 2 "wings", gun mount, left & right fists

Artfire is a retool of Inferno, transforming into a Mitsubishi Fuso fire engine. His ladder and robot mode fists were given new tooling to allow him to use any Targetmaster gun. He came with his Targetmaster partner Nightstick, and did not come with any of Inferno's other weapons (the rifle or missiles), just the removable fists and head-"wings".

This base mold is also used by Grapple and RoadHauler.

• More information on Artfire
• Translation of Artfire's tech-spec

United

Sure, but where's Hauler?

• Artfire (Voyager, 2012)
  • Accessories: Nightstick and Sparks Targetmaster partners

Available only as a mail-away exclusive offered through Transformers Generations 2012 Vol. 1, United Artfire is a white and red redeco of Universe Inferno, but with Transformers Solar Storm Grappel's extending crane arm. He comes with Nightstick, yet another redeco of Universe Nightstick, and Sparks, a redeco of Power Core Combiners Pinpoint. Artfire transforms into a fictional six-wheeled variant of the 2002-2007 Pierce Contender series of firetrucks.

This sculpt was also used to make Timelines Spark, Generations Protectobot Hot Spot and 2014 Transformers Protectobot Hot Spot.

Notes

• No explanation is given as to how Artfire became bonded with his Targetmaster buddy, as he certainly wasn't present when the Targetmaster process happened in the episode "Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)".
• According to Aaron Archer, Artfire was on the "short list" of potential reissue candidates had the Commemorative Series returned.
• Being one of the last figures from The Headmasters toy run and one of the few "originals" to the Japanese toyline at the time, Artfire commands ridiculous amounts of money on the secondary market (hence the clamor for a reissue).
• In the Generations 2011 comic, Artfire's form is based on a recolor of the Universe Inferno mold with a recolored Power Core Combiners Pinpoint as his Targetmaster partner. According to artist Guido Guidi on the Allspark message board, he made up this design on his own initiative, and there weren't any plans to release it as a toy by that point. Whether the toy that was announced a year later was based on Guido's rendition, or whether it was just a coincidence, is currently unknown.