Springer (ROTF)

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

Springer is an Autobot from the Revenge of the Fallen franchise in the live-action film continuity family.

Up, up, and awaaaaaayyyy!

In a fight, Springer has formidable brute force he can rely on, which is good, since he is not one of the more skillful bots. Even so, he is smart, but has only risen to the middle of the Autobot ranks.

The man's got a reputation, one that makes him sound more monstrous and stubborn that he really is. Don't believe everything you hear though: he's not an ogre, he's just a soldier. A soldier's soldier, having a combat record to be proud of!

Fiction

Titan Magazines

Springer was summoned to Earth to finish training the cadets Jolt, Dune Runner, and Rollbar; he taught them his two ground rules, to know your enemy and to do the unexpected (as the enemy would know you!). While Rollbar and Dune Runner would be too intimidated to say anything, Jolt spoke up and requested they be given real combat duties, and Springer duly got them on some. When Tankor tried to raid a NEST facility at the Alamo, Springer headed for the area and brought the cadets with him.

Knowing Tankor wouldn't expect a direct assault when he had hostages, Springer duly made such an assault, giving the cadets cover to free hostages. However, he learnt too late that Tankor was partnered with Dirge and was badly crippled. He would've been shot down if Jolt hadn't disobeyed orders and attacked Tankor. Afterwards, Springer tried to chew out the cadet for disobeying orders... but Jolt just replied that he'd been doing the unexpected. Springer had expected him to follow orders, so he hadn't! The chopper could only sigh at this. Rules of Engagement

Toys

Revenge of the Fallen

Ditched to make room for a redeco.

• Autobot Springer (Legends Class, 2009)

Part of the second wave of Revenge of the Fallen Legends Class figures, Springer is an olive drab and dark gray V-22 Osprey helicopter. He has "5PR1N63R" printed on the tops of his wings. His twin engines do not pivot upward like a real Osprey, but the propellers themselves can be flipped up to approximate VTOL capability. In a surprising bit of attention to detail, the port and starboard rotors have opposite "handedness", just like a real aircraft.

The stock photography for this toy is considerably brighter in color, with a bright base green colors and rich forest green, instead of the final version's far more muted palette.

This mold was also used to make Blades from the Kmart-exclusive "War for the Skies" battlepack.

• More information on Springer at TFU.info

Merchandise

I'm in the first wave! I must be important!

Robot Heroes

• Autobot Springer / Starscream (2009)

Springer is part of the first wave of Revenge of the Fallen "Robot Heroes" figures, packaged with a new-mold version of Starscream. He has articulation at both shoulders.

Notes

I've got better things to do tonight than appear in the actual movie!

• According to Hasbro's Saturday panel at BotCon 2009, Springer was to be an on-screen character in Revenge of the Fallen, but was later dropped. Ben Procter designed his robot mode, which also strongly influenced Alex Milne's design for Incinerator (another Osprey Transformer) in IDW Publishing's Alliance comic, as well as toyline Autobot Blazemaster.

• Springer is the third Osprey Transformer in the movieverse, the other two being Incinerator and Ruination. (Only three Osprey helicopters were part of the United States Air Force inventory at the time of the first film's release, two of them appearing in the film itself. As of May 2009, there's four of 'em...but the Marines have, like, 150 of 'em.)

• Given that the real Osprey is 60 feet long, Springer (like most aircraft Transformers) would be rather large if scale was attended to. He's actually in pretty good scale with the Legends version of Devastator. Yet his only toys are in the smallest size classes.

• Until April 2010, he was the only NEW mold Legends Class Transformer to not appear in any fiction.