- Springer is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
In the Special Edition Wreck-Gar shoots first.
Springer is the archetypical action hero; great in a fight, unselfconsciously brave, confident, and always ready with a dead-pan sarcastic quip to lighten the moment. Someone you can depend on to ride in, save the day and be smug about it.
Springer prefers fighting solo ("Ha!") and lending a hand to friends where he can. Though his easy self-confidence is one of his most notable features, actually being responsible for others weighs heavily upon his otherwise jocular personality. Nonetheless, Springer ascended to lead the Wreckers in many continuities. He has twice been named as Rodimus Prime's successor to take the matrix and lead the Autobots, though neither one actually came to pass.
Springer combines the thrusting power of his legs with his retro thrusters to move rapidly through the battlefield, leaping tall structures in a single bound. Although he is quite speedy, he is not faster than a speeding bullet.
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
(Events from UK-only stories are in italics.)
Springer was first a member of, and following the death of Impactor, leader of the Wreckers. They dealt with Operation Volcano without Magnus's help, fought armies of robot zombies, chased Galvatron all around Earth, and eventually got their tailpipes kicked in by said Galvatron. The survivors of all that eventually ended up members of the Survivors.
Generation 2
Hey, Marvel US, it's me!
When the Cybertronian Empire ambushed the Autobots on the planet Ethos, Springer was in charge of a squad consisting of former Wreckers buddies Inferno and Broadside, Inferno's buddy Smokescreen, and Ironhide. Although Springer warned his squad to stay close together, Smokescreen broke formation, resulting in his death and the injuring of Ironhide. Smokescreen's death caused Inferno to lose his temper, who subsequently also died despite Springer's warnings. Escalation!
Classics
- (Note: The Classics story takes place in a post-Marvel Generation 1 comics universe where the UK Marvel Comics and the Generation 2 mini-series did not happen, thus negating all of Springer's previous appearences in comic continuity. For all effects and purposes he gets a totally fresh start.)
Classics Springer seems to be much more of a loner than previous incarnations, never having been part of the Wreckers, and having mainly worked alone against the Decepticons until after Bludgeon's defeat on Klo. Fearing the end of the conflict that was so important to him he was eager to sign on with Grimlock's crew.
Springer is head of security for Grimlock's Decepticon hunters on the Graviton. Games of Deception!
Animated continuity
- Voice actor: Neil Ross (US), Kenyu Horiuchi (Japan)
Little is known about Springer's life prior to the Battle of Autobot City in 2005. He fought bravely in the conflict, helping transform the city into its heavily-armed, armored fortress configuration, and later using an oversized piece of artillery to bombard Devastator. Afterwards, when Unicron made his existence known to the Autobots by destroying two of Cybertron's moons, Springer was among those who left Earth aboard a shuttle to stop the Chaos-Bringer somehow. The ship Springer was aboard crashlanded on the planet Junk, where a battle erupted between the Autobots and the native Junkions, during which Springer dueled with the Junkion chieftain, Wreck-Gar. Later still, he and the other Autobots wound up inside Unicron himself, where Springer and the others desperately fought off Unicron's internal defenses. Luckily, Hot Rod opened the Matrix of Leadership just in time, destroying Unicron and becoming Rodimus Prime.
A year later, Springer attended the first Galactic Olympics alongside his fellow Autobots. Unfortunately, the festivities were interrupted by an alien mercenary who turned the Olympic torch into a giant flash/smoke grenade, and then a batallion of Sharkticons attacked. Springer was able to douse the torch from the air, but by then, the attackers had already fled, having captured Ultra Magnus, Kup and Spike Witwicky. Springer immediately volunteered to track the escaped alien saboteur, and was joined by Arcee. They followed their quarry to his strange base ship, an asteroid-like spacecraft referred to as a "Rockaroid". The mercenary fled after misleading his pursuers into believing that the Decepticons were behind the attack, and Springer was fortunately able to pilot his ship (barely). Springer flew the Rockaroid to the distant planet Chaar, where he arrived just in time to save Rodimus Prime and Grimlock from being beaten to scrap by a mob of Decepticons.
Later, a badly-damaged Rodimus prepared to pass the Matrix on to Springer in anticipation of his imminent demise. Fortunately, the Autobot leader did not die, but rather experienced the Cybertronian equivalent of a near-death experience, wherein his "life force" left his body to embark on a very trippy (and poorly animated) trip into the Matrix itself. Immediately afterwards, Springer participated in a daring rescue mission to save Ultra Magnus and the others, before winding up on Goo#8379B, where he was disassembled by the planet's mobile garbage disposal unit. Fortunately, he was rebuilt and restored to life by the Junkions later on.
IDW Comics continuity
Springer is the leader of the Wreckers. Despite admitting that they usually fight for planets that have become lost causes, he seems keen to stand up for such causes against overwhelming odds. This belief even extends to his fellow Autobots, as seen when he leads a mission to rescue Kup, even though the old warrior, driven half-mad by the crystals covering the surface of the planet he and his team crash-landed on, is killing his rescuers under the delusion that they are "zombots".
Universe: The Wreckers
In this continuity, Springer is apparently at least a member of the Wreckers, as he is seen bearing their distinctive insignia in his brief appearance. Not long after the signing of the Pax Cybertronia, Springer attempted (fruitlessly) to cheer up Arcee, who had become severely depressed following the death of her surrogate son and Headmaster companion Daniel Witwicky. Afterwards, he and Hot Rod, now called simply "Rodimus", both checked out and later underwent the Maximal Upgrade.
Toys
Generation 1
- Springer (1986/1991)
- Japanese ID number: C-84
External links
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