Recon Team
The Recon Team is the name of a group of several fictional characters from Transformers: Cybertron.
Transformers: Cybertron
Just as many Mini-Cons do, its members form a specialized team - in this case, to back up the Autobots and perform reconnaissance. They are also the counterparts and friends of the humans Coby, Bud, and Lori. It was revealed that the MIni-cons seem more human than Transformer which explains their childish ways.
The Recon Team's members are Jolt, Reverb, and Six-Speed. Safeguard, Vector Prime's personal Mini-Con partner, is not technically a member of the group, but they share the same origins, and is closely associated with them anyway.
Animated series
In the first episode of the Cybertron cartoon, Jolt introduced the group as the Mini-Con Data Retrieval Team.
The Recon Team were originally four Transformers from the planet Gigantion, and were cut off from their people after the planet fell into a spatial warp. Rescued by Vector Prime, they began to travel with him, becoming his friends and partners.
Later, after Vector Prime joined the Autobots, they scanned several pictures from one of Coby's magazines, adopting the form of a compact helicopter (Jolt), a race car (Six-Speed), and a pick-up truck (Reverb). Because they were naturally childlike themselves, they developed a close friendship with the humans.
The Recon Team would go on to aid the Autobots on numerous occasions, Jolt in particular due to his ability to speak the language of humans and other Transformers, rather than the natural language of Mini-Cons, which seems to be a series of computerized beeps.[1]
Jolt
- Hop in Japan
Of all the Mini-Cons, Jolt more than anyone seems to be the leader. In addition to his aforementioned ability to speak English, he is very childlike and curious about all things. He is also proper, to a default, and referred to Bud as "Master Bud" for a while after they met. He is prone to making bad decisions, especially when under the influence of his human friends.
In addition to transforming into a helicopter, Jolt can open dimension gates and teleport people, just like Vector Prime. This seems to be more taxing on him than it is on the larger transformer, though. He and his team-mates also claim to be able to mimic Vector Prime's time manipulation powers.
In Cybertron, Jolt is voiced by Brian Drummond. In Galaxy Force, he is voiced by Houko Kuwashima.
Reverb
- Bumper in Japan
Reverb, due to being unable to speak English in the television series, is not as prominent as Jolt. Nevertheless, he is often seen with his team-mates. He seems to be subject to the same flights of fancy as Jolt and Bud, as he once theorized that the kids' human friend, Dr. Lucy Suzuki, was actually an "alien cyborg in disguise."
Six-Speed
- Blit in Japan (also pronounced Bullet)
Six-Speed, like Reverb, is unable to speak English in the television series, and not as prominent as Jolt. Along with Reverb and Jolt, he serves as a method of transportation for the humans. As a point of interest, he figuratively cried over the story of the "The Little Match Girl."
Safeguard
- Roots in Japan
Again, he is not technically a member of the Recon Team. Nevertheless, if there are any Transformers he can be affiliated with other than Vector Prime, it's these three. He was with them after being cut off from Gigantion, and became Vector Prime's personal Mini-Con partner. Though he has little personal screen time, he constantly appears with Vector Prime, either helping him with data analysis, serving as a scout, or attached to his arm in weapon mode. Seeing as how Vector Prime is like unto a knight, Safeguard can be seen as his squire.
Safeguard was saddened by Vector Prime's untimely sacrifice towards the end of the series. In the final episode, he joined Optimus Prime, who was seemingly Vector Prime's closest friend among the Autobots.
Safeguard also had a role in the Transformers: Cybertron comic tie-ins published by the Collector's Club comic.
Other information
- Though they claim to have never been to Earth before arriving with Vector Prime, their unlocked bios on the official Transformers web-site, describe how Reverb was accidentally stranded on Earth in 1955. The same bio also describes how Jolt enjoys television (incorporated somewhat into the show), and an instance where Six-Speed attempted a hands on approach to figuring out why humans wear clothing.
- The Recon Team, sans Safeguard, has been recolored twice, both times in Japan. One set was part of Takara's "Micron Booster" set of releases, where Jolt became Bit, Reverb became Plier, and Six-Speed became Socket. The other recolors were promotional give-aways as part of the "Platinum Micron Campaign", with the members being named Factor, Material, and Element.
- Six-Speed's Japanese name has been subject to numerous romanizations. These include "Bullet", "Brit" and "Burrito." Brit is what is listed on TV Aichi's Galaxy Force page.
- Though Cybertron is technically in the same universe as Transformers Armada, Jolt is most likely not the same character as the Mini-Con from that series, who also transformed into a red helicopter.
References
- ↑ "Transformers - Galaxy Force Secret Special DVD!". TV Magazine. February 2006.
