Hasbro released Ricochet in the Transformers Generations Select series; some friends called the character Stepper; and some friends, who didn't know the character, simply referred to him as "Black Jazz."
"Transformers: Generation Selection" Tianyuan Divine Power Bounce
What is certain is that "Black Jazz" is not its real name, but every time it appears in the toy line, it is a change of color with Jazz. So which of the bouncing and dancers is the real name of "Black Jazz"? What kind of adventures did he have? And listen to me in detail for you.
Originally from the 1987 Japanese version of The Transformers: Boss Warrior toy series, Black Jazz was a target warrior. Let's first talk about what the target warrior really means.
Japanese version of the G1 toy Dancer's packaging illustration
Now, all Transformers toys that can transform into other characters holding weapons can be called target warriors. However, the original setting of the target warrior, the American version of Hasbro is not exactly the same as the Japanese version of Takara (now TAKARATOMY).
In the 80s american version of the G1 Transformers anime and Marvel comics, the Autobots and decepticons accidentally come to Nebulos to binary-bonded with aliens or alien creatures on nebulae, respectively. By combining organisms with inorganics, they created the Headmaster, the Targetmaster, and the Powermaster in the comics' sequels.
Target Warrior Berserk released in 1987 Target Warrior Berserk released in 1987 Image from TFW2005
Some of the Nebula People can transform into weapons held by ordinary Transformers, so that ordinary Transformers warriors have a partner in battle, two consciousnesses fight together, and Nebula People provide technical support for tactical arrangements and target locking, which is the target warrior.
The first few target warriors included the Autobots: Heat Break, Cup, Rattle, and Decepticons: Plague, Sling, who played the main role in the 1986 Transformers: The Big Movie and the third season of the TV anime; and the 1987 new Autobots Blanca, Xete, Kroos, and Decepticons.
Henkei! released in 2009 Henkei！ The new version of the target warrior rampage the weapon in hand is the "baton"
In the Japanese version of the original TV anime Transformers: Boss Warrior, the origins of the Leader Warrior and the Target Warrior come from the Planet Master. Millions of years ago, a group of small Transformers left Cybertron in a spaceship to reach the planet Mastad in order to escape the chaos of war. After millions of years, the Mastads are once again returning to the Interstellar Wars of the Transformers. Due to their small size, some of the Mastadites were trained to use "Transtectors"—huge bodies that could transform into vehicles and not have free will—and combine with them to become "Lead Warriors" of the same size as ordinary Transformers.
In the animated story, six Marstad refugees accidentally detonate while helping the Autobots deal with a bomb. In addition to the six Mastad refugees involved in the explosion, the Autobots Blanca, Schute, Kroos and the Decepticons were Fire, Trigger, and Slings. Due to the power of the explosion, the six Mastads transformed into weapons, made a binary connection with six Autobots and Decepticons, and the target warrior was born. Unlike the actual toy, in the Japanese TV anime, after the target warrior partner transforms into a weapon, it is not a handheld weapon, but a part of the wrist.
Repainted after the Japanese version of the exclusive G1 target warrior dancer
Transformers Jazz Toy, released in 1984, is based on TFW2005
In the Japanese version of Boss Warrior, released in 1987, in addition to the six target warriors who appeared in the anime, two new target warriors were created, namely Stepper and Artfire. Dancers and Fire Meteors were re-painted with toys for jazz and fire trucks released in 1984 and 1985, respectively. Both toys are complemented by a target warrior partner, the dancer's target warrior partner is called Nabulon, and the fire meteor's partner is called Nightstick (aka "night stick"). Neither of them appeared in that year's animated animation.
The dancers of the Japanese version of G1 used to be a god of great price, until one day...
So how did the name Bounce come about?
Because the dancer's toy was exclusive to the Japanese version in the 1980s, it was rare and expensive, and it was difficult for Transformers enthusiasts outside of Japan to collect this toy. On the 20th anniversary of Transformers, in 2004, the toy was republished in The Transformers Collection, commonly known as the "DW Series", by Trinity Japan.
As for why the Transformers Selection series, there is a common name for DW, and we will talk about it in the future.
Transformers: The Select series Number 15 dancer
Before the reproduction, it was a legendary artifact, and after the reproduction, it was a slow-selling product
The dancers of the "replica version" added accessories such as the previously cancelled jazz shoulder cannon
Also in 2004, Hasbro released the toys of the dancer's character for the first time in their "Commemorative Series", also known as the "American Restoration" and "American Edition Reproduction" series. However, the dancers released in the American version have some minor changes in the color of the livery compared with the Japanese version, and the accessories are also different, and the name has also been changed to Ricochet. The name of his target warrior partner was changed to Nightstick.
The baton is the name of the previous Japanese version of the G1 Fire Meteor target warrior partner, and it is also the name of the American version of the wild target warrior partner. Regarding the confusion caused by the name "baton", we will have a chance to talk about it later.
The bounce of Transformers: The Commemorative Series was first introduced to the U.S. version
Compared with the Japanese version, the "replica version" released in the US version has been redesigned and the electroplating has been abolished
According to the character profile of the American version of the commemorative series, Bounce is a Rapid Fire Strikeback Soldier of the Autobots, and he is very suitable for this position. Bouncer is also a first-class sharpshooter in the Autobots' ranks. When bouncing has a baton as a target warrior partner, he has improved his shooting skills and can accurately hit targets 10 kilometers away. For Bounce, he has an unusual, twice the average Autobot sense of justice. Unfortunately, bouncing has a hot temper and is very easy to be provoked. Other teammates had difficulty maintaining communication with Bounce, which alienated his friendships with other Autobot teammates.
In the Japanese version of the series, the hot-tempered dancer and the Blue Breaker are friends, although the latter is a famous idiot among the Autobots, it is hard to imagine how the two maintained their friendship. The dancer's metabolic system malfunctions, and Nebula, as an engineer from Mastad Star, voluntarily makes a binary link with the dancer and becomes the dancer's target warrior partner. When Nebula transforms into a weapon form, it is not handheld, but installed on the dancer's back, replacing his life support system.
In Dreamwave Comics' Transformers comic book, Bounce, like the famous solar wind, is one of many clones made by shock waves and is held in a stranded warehouse.
Black perceptrons, black sound waves, black jazz, concussive wave clones have a clear preference
Since then, the dancers have returned to the Japanese version of the Transformers series, and bouncing has officially entered the American version of the Transformers series, and a number of toys have been released in the past ten years.
Transformers: Reincarnation bounces packaging
In 2006, once released, it was a critically acclaimed, adult-oriented Transformers toy series , the Transformers: Reincarnation series
(Transformers Alternators), bounce was released again. This is a toy sold by Hasbro, the exclusive AMERICAN version. For the first time, bouncing did not use jazz toys for recoiling, but used molds from the same series of blue thunderbolts and smoke screens to recoil. The toy also doesn't come with a target warrior companion.
Reincarnation series bounce toy photos
In 2011, the United (hereinafter referred to as the UN series) released by the Japanese version of TAKARATOMY, which is commonly known in China as the "Japanese Classic 3.0", once again sold dancers' toys. The toy is a "Shikami Limited" in the second issue of Transformers Generation 2011, using a jazz repaint of the Japanese UN series, and the addition of the previous Japanese version of "Transformation!" deformation! "Series( Henkei! Henkei！ "Domestic commonly known as "Japanese classic 2.0") in the wild target warrior partner "baton", after repainting is still named Nebula.
A dancer in the UN series
In the second issue of Transformers Age 2011, a comic was published by the famous British screenwriter Simon Furman and the famous Transformers painter Guido Guidi. Many of the Autobot warriors in the story are infected with a deadly nanovirus, although the Autobots' target warriors and lead warriors are immune to the virus. The Autobots got in touch with Dr. Zera, Nebula's chief scientist, who successfully developed an antiviral serum. The dancer leads a squad of target warriors and lead warriors to the Nebula Star on a mission to retrieve the serum.
Italian painter Quedoquidi
Quiddo Quiddi is one of the best Transformers painters in the world
Dancers and Cup discover that the nanovirus is a conspiracy of decepticons. Upon reaching Nebula, the Autobot target warriors and lead warriors are trapped in a net of celestial nets laid down by the Decepticon warlord Stassab, whose goal is to capture the Autobots' Nebula companions. Cup leads the other Autobots to resist the Decepticons, and the Dancers go to Dr. Zera's lab to retrieve the serum. The Cup and the Autobow hit the fire, knocking down Stasas, and the other Decepticons scattered and fled. Upon returning to Earth, serum heals the Autobot warriors, and Optimus Prime personally congratulates the dancers on their successful completion of the mission.
In 2019, Hasbro released Bounce in the Generations Selection series, a repaint of the 2018 Transformers Power of the Primes series jazz. Like Sir Tianyuan Divine Force, bouncing can also participate in combinations, transforming into arms or calves. This toy doesn't come with a target warrior, and if you're looking for a target warrior partner for him, the Transformers: Siege of The Cybertron Trilogy series has sold multiple target warriors, or you can simply "lend" a soaring target warrior partner to bounce with.
The bounce of the Tianyuan Divine Force series retains the combined function
It is worth mentioning that bouncing is also one of the few, and there are double corresponding characters in the Transformers mirror universe.
Mirror universe bouncing toys
At the Transformers Annual Meeting, BotCon 2008, the Shattered Glass series released the Mirror Universe Evil Bounce, using a recoil of the smoke screen from the Transformers Cybertron series. In the setting, he has a target warrior partner named Baton. Bouncing crazy and vicious, he and the Jazz of the Mirror Universe are brothers, and both are the elite bodyguards of the evil Optimus Prime. Eventually, when a Group of Autobot rebels attempt to assassinate Optimus Prime, Bounce is used as a shield by Optimus Prime, forcing him to complete his mission as a bodyguard.
As a bodyguard, it seems that there is no problem in acting as a shield for the leader
At the Transformers Annual Meeting BotCon 2015, cybertron's Most Wanted series released the mirror world's evil dancer and his target warrior partner Nebula. The dancers and Nebula's toys use the same molds as the UN series dancers. The dancer is the brother of the mirror universe bounce, and after the bounce, the dancer also finds himself a target warrior partner, although this is only a low-skilled robot. Dancers and drifters of the Mirror Universe team up to hunt down otherworldly travelers who accidentally stumble into the Mirror Universe.
Mirror cosmic dancers and nebulae
Dancer illustration of the mirror universe
Now you know, when Black Jazz first appeared, his name was Stepper, a Japanese version of the original, only sold toys, not in the TV animation of the target warrior, his target warrior partner named Nabulon .
The American version was later renamed Ricochet after the release of the toy, and the target warrior partner was called Nightstick.
The japanese and American sides use the name of this character very accurately and have never been confused.
In short, "Black Jazz" is only because domestic Transformers enthusiasts are not familiar with him, coupled with the lack of knowledge of the original Japanese name, according to his toy prototype and a common name painted, whether it is bouncing, or dancers, his story is worthy of praise.
Images and references
Hasbro, Megali official website
tfwiki
tfw2005