Ricochet (Headmasters)

The name or term "Ricochet" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Ricochet (disambiguation).

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

Jazz gets pimped.

Ricochet's function is Rapid-Fire Attack, and he's well suited to it. He is the most accurate marksman the Autobots have and a Targetmaster as well, further augmenting his incredible skill. Unfortunately he's also quick-tempered and very easily provoked. This leads to him having a hard time maintaining friendly relations or even conversations with his teammates. In his favor, Ricochet has an uncommonly strong sense of justice (exactly twice as strong as the ordinary Autobot).

His Targetmaster partner is Nightstick.

Japanese name: Stepper

Fiction

Japanese comic continuity

The Headmasters comic

Ricochet accompanied Artfire, Chromedome and Daniel Witwicky in responding to a building fire. While the Autobots attempted to rescue people and put out the flames, the Decepticon Targetmasters attacked. However, the arrival of Fortress Maximus, who dropped fire-retardant foam on the buildings in starship mode, gave the two Autobot Targetmasters the chance they needed to combine with their gun-partners and send the Decepticons flying away uncontrollably. The Headmasters issue 7

Transformers Collection reissue bio

On Cybertron, Ricochet often had marksmanship contests with his friends Fusion and Bluestreak. (It's anyone's guess how the hot-tempered Ricochet, who couldn't maintain friendly conversations with other Autobots, could be pals with the chatterbox Bluestreak.)

Ricochet's metabolic functions were damaged in an unspecified "incident." Nightstick, an engineer on the planet Master, volunteered to help him by undergoing a unique form of binary bonding. While ostensibly becoming a Targetmaster, Nightstick's gun mode wasn't merely hand-held. He instead plugged into Ricochet's robot-mode back, serving as a life-support system.

Dreamwave comics continuity

Though he was never activated, Ricochet was apparently one of several clones created by Shockwave in the same program that produced Sunstorm. Night of the Combaticons

This origin is at odds with what little else we know about Ricochet. Of course, Sunstorm wasn't a clone in most stories either...

Toys

The Headmasters

File:G1Stepper toy.jpg

Former holy grail.

• Stepper (Targetmaster, 1987)
  • Japanese ID number: C-109
  • Accessories: "Nebulon" Targetmaster partner, gun mount backpack

A retool and redeco of the 1984 Autobot Jazz, Stepper transforms into a 1976 Porsche 935 Turbo sports car. As a Targetmaster, he came with a smaller partner robot named Nebulon. In gun mode, Nebulon could peg into Stepper's car mode spoiler, or could attach to a separate bracket that mounted over his robot-mode shoulder. Stepper did not come with any of Jazz's accessories.

As a late addition to the Japanese Headmasters series (he was a tail-ender release and was unlikely to have been on shelves for very long as stores would reset for the new Super-God Masterforce toyline) and one of the earliest Japanese-only Transformers, though Stepper was not particularly rare, he was perceived as such in the West. As such, for several years Stepper commanded top dollar on the secondary market... until the reissue (see below) pretty much iced that.

Generation 1

Modern heavily-discounted shelfwarmer.

• Ricochet w/ Nightstick (2003)
  • Japanese ID number: TFC-15
  • Accessories: "Nightstick/Nebulon" Targetmaster partner, gun mount backpack, rifle, missile launcher backpack, 3 missiles

Announced first by Hasbro but released almost simultaneously by both Hasbro and Takara, Stepper (now called Ricochet for his Hasbro debut) was released through Toys "R" Us in the United States in Commemorative Series IX, and as part of Takara's T/F Collection reissue series. His arsenal was bolstered by the addition of Jazz's weapons, chromed gold for the Takara version, and solid black plastic for the Hasbro release. Additionally, Nightstick was retooled with a slender peg extension to allow Ricochet to actually hold him in his hand as well as changing the plastic clasp that held his legs in (this part was easily broken) to the more sturdy pin and solid plastic holder.

Amusingly enough, neither version sold all that well, and in the United States was eventually sent to the "closeout" chain Tuesday Morning, where he could be purchased for $8 (original TRU price: $35). Japan saw similar clearance sales on the piece.

Alternators

File:Alternators Ricochet toy.jpg

Sadly, Ricochet's brilliant plan to score fembots by becoming a lifeguard failed miserably.

• Ricochet (Alternator, 2006)
  • Alternator ID number: 20
  • Accessories: Intercooler/gun

A late-run Alternator, Ricochet is a redeco of the Subaru Impreza WRX mold used to make Silverstreak. He features opening doors, hood and trunk, has a detailed interior, and his intercooler becomes a hand-held (non-firing) weapon. He is one of the few Alternators with a state-specific license plate; Ricochet is registered in New Jersey. With his attitude, he'll fit right in.

Though publicity photography give Ricochet a fully-gold face, for unknown reasons the final product's nose was white. Contrary to popular belief, it was not left unpainted, as his head is made out of black plastic.

This mold was retooled to make Red Alert and Smokescreen.

Merchandise

Robot Heroes

• Ricochet vs Predaking (2-pack, 2009)

Finally, someone to redeco every Jazz into.

Trivia

• Stepper and Artfire's Targetmaster partners' names were switched from their English-language counterparts. There has been some speculation among fans that "Stepper" and "Artfire" may have been switched as well; this is fueled by the fact that the Robots in Disguise Ricochet homage Hot Shot's Japanese name was Artfire, not Stepper.

External links

• Ricochet at TFU.info
• Headmasters #7 translated in English