Ricochet (G1 Autobot)

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



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. How he manages to keep friendly with Fusion and the chatterbox Bluestreak is anyone's guess. In his favor, Ricochet has an uncommonly strong sense of justice, though when combined with his other traits that too can lead to trouble.

His Targetmaster partner is Nightstick.

Japanese names: Stepper

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 buidlings 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.

(Note: In Japanese continuity, Targetmasters were created by a one-time plasma explosion which fused small robots from the planet Master to the arms of larger Transformers. As Ricochet did not appear in the animated series to partcipate in this event, how he became a Targetmaster in this continuity is unknown, though one supposes that he could have appeared in the manga's off-panel alternate telling of events.)

Dreamwave Generation 1 comic
Though he was never activated, Ricochet was apparently one of several evil clones created by Shockwave in the same program that produced Sunstorm.

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

Generation 1



 * Stepper (Targetmaster, 1987)
 * Japanese ID number: C-109


 * A remold of the 1984 Autobot Jazz, Stepper transforms into a Porsche 935 Turbo "Moby Dick" race 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 Japanse Headmasters series and one of the earliest Japanese-only Transformers, though Stepper was not particularly rare, he was perceived as such in the west, and as such commanded top dollar on the secondary market for many years... until the reissue pretty much iced that.




 * Ricochet w/ Nightstick (Targetmaster, 2003)
 * Japanese ID number: TFC-15


 * Announced first by Hasbro but released almost simultaneously by both Hasbro and Takara, Stepper (now called Ricochet for his US debut) was released through Toys-R-Us in the US in Commemorative Series IX, and as part of Takara's "bookbox" reissue series. His arsenal was bolstered by the addition of Jazz's weapons, chromed gold where they had been silver for the Takara version, and solid black plastic for the Hasbro release. Additionally, Nightstick/Nebulon was retooled with a slender peg extension to allow Ricochet to actually hold him in his hand.


 * Amusingly enough, neither version sold all that well, and in the US was eventually sent to the "closeout" chain Tuesday Morning, where he could be purchased for $8 (original TRU price was $30). Japan saw similar clearance sales on the piece.

Alternators



 * Ricochet (Alternator, 2006)


 * 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.