Ricochet (Headmasters)
| This subject of this article goes by multiple names that apply to other articles as well. See Ricochet (disambiguation), Stepper (disambiguation). |
- Ricochet is an Autobot from the Headmasters portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
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 Nebulon, and sometimes he is known as Stepper (ステッパー Suteppā).
Fiction
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
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." Nebulon, 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.
The Headmasters manga
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 #7
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
Ricochet was one of several clones created by Shockwave in the same program that produced Sunstorm. While in a tube, he was discovered by the Battlechargers, who released Sunstorm. The laboratory the clones were stored in was soon destroyed by Sunstorm. Night of the Combaticons
IDW Generation 1 continuity
When Nemesis Prime broke into the Garrus-9 penitentiary, Ricochet was among the Autobot guards who tried to hold him back in vain. Spotlight: Doubledealer
United
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 to Nebulos, where the supreme scientist Zella had crafted an antidote. Ricochet worried aloud that their departure would leave Autobot City vulnerable, but Perceptor assured him that it would be properly guarded.
As Ricochet's team arrived on Nebulos, Kup warned him he was having a bad feeling about all this. And sure enough, Kup's intuitions were correct, as 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 the Autobots concentrated their attacks on Straxus, Ricochet slipped through the battle to pick up Zella's antidote, blasting his way through Rumble and Frenzy in the process. By the time he returned with a cart full of the stuff, his Autobots had defeated the Decepticons.
The antidote was successful, and Optimus Prime personally thanked Ricochet for his brave efforts. The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos
Beast Wars: Uprising
Stepper was one of the Autobots present on the disastrous campaign on Nebulos. He was partners with the Targetmaster Nightstick, until Nightstick, along with Fracas, defected to the Decepticons. A Brush With Infamy–Prologue
Games
Transformers: Battle Tactics
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Ricochet (G1) participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Epic character available to 100 leagues in the "Disaster: Code Blue" event. Transformers: Battle Tactics
Toys
The Headmasters
- 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.
The Transformers Collection
- Stepper (2004)
- ID number: TFC-15
- Accessories: "Nebulon" Targetmaster partner, gun mount backpack, rifle, missile launcher backpack, 3 missiles
- Stepper was reissued as part of Takara's Transformers Collection series, and almost simultaneously by Hasbro in their Commemorative Series (see below). This version of the figure featured a bolstered arsenal that now included golden-chromed versions of Jazz's weapons; additionally, Nebulon was retooled with a slender peg extension to allow Stepper to actually hold him in his hand.
- The reissue also featured some small remolding, with the easily-broken plastic clasp that held Stepper's legs in being altered to a more sturdy pin and solid plastic holder combination. Also, the mold degradation that had plagued Jazz's head sculpt since the days of the Generation 2 toyline—which had reduced his face to a distorted grimace—was finally amended, restoring the figure's original appearance. This restored tooling was subsequently used for the Transformers Encore reissue of Jazz.
- Unlike every other Generation 1 reissue up to that point, Stepper was initiated by Hasbro, to be released alongside their Commemorative Series release (see below). Even the sticker sheet uses Hasbro's Transformers logo.
Commemorative Series
- Ricochet with Nightstick (2004)
- Accessories: "Nightstick" Targetmaster partner, gun mount backpack, rifle, missile launcher backpack, 3 missiles
- Hasbro actually announced their reissue of Stepper prior to Takara, finally christening him with the new English name of "Ricochet" seventeen years after his creation. Released as part of the ninth and final wave of Toys"R"Us exclusive Commemorative Series reissues, Ricochet shared all the modifications made to Takara's reissue, except that—as had previously been the case with Hasbro's Commemorative Series reissue of Jazz—his rifle and missiles were un-chromed black plastic, and both the missiles and launcher were elongated to standard safety-regulation length.
- Ricochet was initially listed as "Sunstreaker" in Canadian and Australian Toys"R"Us computers, leading to some confusion among fans. What's worse, the public Canadian Toys"R"Us website even illustrated their listing with a non-official photo of the Generation 1 Sunstreaker toy lifted straight off a fan's website, complete with watermark!
- Amusingly enough, after years of demand by the fandom, Ricochet didn't sell particularly well at all. He 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 its version.
Alternators
- Ricochet (Alternator, 2006)
- Alternator ID number: 20
- Accessories: Intercooler/gun
- Part of the Alternators line's second, relaunched assortment, Ricochet is a redeco of Alternators Silverstreak, who was retooled into Smokescreen (who in turn was released first for marketing reasons). Like Silverstreak, Ricochet's alternate mode is a licensed Subaru Impreza WRX featuring opening doors, hood and trunk and a detailed interior. The intercooler becomes a hand-held (non-firing) weapon. Ricochet was among the first Alternators figures to feature a state-specific license plate; Ricochet is registered in New Jersey. With his attitude, he'll fit right in.
- Though early official Hasbro stock photos (including those printed on the underside of the packaging) depict Ricochet with a fully-gold face, the final product's nose is white for unknown reasons. Contrary to popular belief, it was not left unpainted, as his head is made out of black plastic.
- This sculpt was also retooled to make Red Alert.
| Alternators mold: Smokescreen | ||
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United
- Stepper (Deluxe, 2011)
- Accessories: Blaster, two speakers, Nebulon Targetmaster
- Available only as a mail-away exclusive offered through Transformers Generations 2011 Vol. 1, Stepper is a redeco of Reveal the Shield Special Ops Jazz, and includes Nebulon, a redeco of Universe Nightstick. He transforms from robot into a "street rally" sports car that looks like his original Porsche front-end wearing Pontiac Solstice headlights for a hat. Stepper has deployable speakers in both robot and vehicle mode, which can combine with his rifle via clips to form a super rifle or be used on any other clip-compatible Transformers toy.
- Stepper and Nebulon are the only United figures that retain their original Japanese names rather than being sold under their Hasbro-market names.
- This sculpt was also used to make Shattered Glass Longarm and Stepper, and the mold's alternate head was used to make Treadshot. It was also retooled to make Generations Wheelie and Timelines Kick-Over.
| Transformers (2010) mold: Jazz | ||
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Merchandise
Robot Heroes
- Ricochet vs Predaking (2-pack, 2009)
- A redeco of Robot Heroes Autobot Jazz, Ricochet is a small super deformed figurine with articulated shoulders. He was only available in a two-pack with Predaking.
- The United States release of this two-pack was canceled, but it was released in other markets such as Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
Notes
- Ricochet is a very rare example of a character who existed in Japan for many years—under the name "Stepper"—before making the jump to Hasbro markets, only gaining an English name well after the fact. As is TFWiki's policy, we use his English-market name throughout this article, though we do admit that it can sometimes feel a little... dishonest? ...given that he was known as "Stepper" all throughout the world for nearly twenty years. We no longer do the same for his partner due to the unique complications with that matter.
- 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 Hot Shot, the Ricochet homage in the 2001 Robots in Disguise franchise, was named Artfire in Japan, not Stepper.
