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.
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.
Fiction
Japanese cartoon 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 #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
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.
Generation 1
- Ricochet with 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 Transformers 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.
- For this release, Takara fixed the mold degradation that had plagued the Jazz head sculpt ever since the days of the Generation 2 toy line, a distorted face that had gotten even worse, to the point of being an ugly grimace, with the Transformers Collection and Commemorative Series reissues of Jazz/Meister. With the Stepper/Ricochet reissue, the sculpt was given a restored head sculpt that resembled vintage Jazz and Stepper toys a lot more, and which was subsequently also used for the Encore reissue of Meister (Jazz).
- 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
- 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 gives 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.
United
- Stepper (Deluxe, 2011)
- Accessories: 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.
Merchandise
Robot Heroes
- Ricochet vs Predaking (2-pack, 2009)
- A redeco of Robot Heroes 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 national markets.
Notes
- 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 Robots in Disguise, was named Artfire in Japan, not Stepper.
- Unlike every other Generation 1 reissue, Ricochet was Hasbro's doing. Even the sticker sheet uses Hasbro's Transformers logo.
- Hasbro's Commemorative Series Ricochet "reissue" 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!
Foreign names
- Japanese: Stepper (ステッパー Suteppā)
