Photon rifle
From Transformers Wiki
Photon rifles are a common weapon used by both the Autobot and Decepticon armies. Jazz is among those Transformers who use photon rifles.[1]
Fortress Maximus has one as part of his arsenal, but his is fusion powered.
Rodimus Prime carries a photon eliminator rifle. The difference between a photon eliminator rifle and a regular photon rifle is unknown, but a photon eliminator rifle is probably designed for a different function.
Meanwhile, Jackpot carries a heat induced photon rifle that can be upgraded to a photon cannon by combining with his partner Sights.
Bugly also uses a pair of photon rifles on the off-chance his Circuit-Su isn't going to cut it.
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Fiction
Marvel The Transformers comics
Jazz could shoot his solar-powered photon rifle with deadly accuracy up to a distance of 0.9 miles from virtually any physical position he found himself in. Jazz's Universe profile Fortress Maximus carried a fusion-powered photon rifle alongside his other weapons. Fortress Maximus's Universe profile
On a mission to the UK, Jazz attempted to apprehend Zeke Heilmann but Starscream managed to spirit him away in jet mode, telling the human to get in unless he wanted to face Jazz's photon blaster. After shooting at Starscream (and inadvertently killing Heilmann) with a heat-seeking missile, Jazz shot the grounded Decepticon with his photon blaster before they were interrupted by the Red Arrows. To a Power Unknown!
When Hoist found himself trapped in a goldmine in the Yukon, he sent a signal on the Urgent Distress Frequency that was picked up by his comrade Jazz. As Jazz approached, he could only see Hoist's head sticking above the snowline and so, believing himself to be walking into a Decepticon trap, was extra cautious. When Hoist's apparently severed head then turned and spoke to him, Jazz totally lost his cool and discharged a concentrated gem of solar power from his photon-rifle, alerting the nearby Constructicons to their position. The Mission
When Scorponok encased Llyra in an anti-gravity bubble causing her to float away, Fortress Maximus shot her down with his photon rifle, saving her life. Love and Steel!
In a clash between Scorponok and Ratbat's forces at the Arctic, Bugly second-guessed Skywarp's teleportation abilities and blasted him with photon fire. Cold War!
Jazz fired "hot photons" at the Underbase-powered Starscream in New York City, though it had little or no effect and Jazz was immediately terminated by the vengeful Decepticon. Dark Star
Peril from the Stars
Jazz variously used his photon rifle to destroy one of Bombshell's cerebro-shells that was controlling your Aunt Sue, threaten Bombshell, and either destroy a boulder or not. Peril from the Stars
Battle Drive
This time, Jazz used his flamethrower to take down Bombshell, saving his photon rifle for Soundwave. Battle Drive
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
Jazz carried a photon rifle in robot mode Jazz's More than Meets the Eye profile which he could also deploy in vehicle mode after being upgraded to a Pretender. Pretender Jazz's More than Meets the Eye profile Sideswipe's photon rifle fired searing hot bursts of light energy. Sideswipe's More than Meets the Eye profile Sprocket rebuilt his Attack Cruiser to feature two photon rifles. Sprocket's More than Meets the Eye profile Wildfly wielded a specially designed photon rifle with laser-targeting that allowed him to lock onto ground based targets from the air. Wildfly's More than Meets the Eye profile
Games
Transformers: Earth Wars
Jetfire is armed with a standard issue photon rifle. Transformers: Earth Wars
Toys
The Transformers
- Accessories: photon rifle, missile launcher, 3 missiles
- The Transformers Jazz came with a chromed weapon labelled in his instructions and packaging bio as a photon rifle.
- This mold was reissued several times. It was also used to make (the originally Japanese-exclusive) Stepper, later renamed Ricochet for Hasbro's reissue; although the initial release of Stepper did not come with a redecoed photon rifle, subsequent reissues did.
- Fortress Maximus (Headmaster Base, 1987)
- Accessories: Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, Gasket, Grommet, photon rifle, dual laser blaster, Cerebros's mini-laser rifle, Cog's laser, radar scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)
- According to his instructions and packaging bio, Fort Max was equipped with a photon rifle. This mold was also used to make Super-God Masterforce Grand Maximus, Car Robots Brave Maximus, and Robotmasters "Cybertron Base".
- Accessories: Pretender shell, two photon rifles, 2 electro-stingers, belt
- Bugly came with two purple photon rifles that he could wield in all three modes.
- Wildfly (Pretender Monster, 1989)
- Accessories: photon rifle, shell, Monstructor fist
- Wildfly came with a photon rifle that he could hold in robot mode. This mold was also used to make Yokuryu.
- Jackpot with Sights (Action Master, 1990)
- Accessories: Sights partner, heat induced photon rifle
- Jackpot came with a blue weapon that either he or Sights can wield, or which can combine with Sights to form a photon cannon.
- Attack Cruiser with Action Master Sprocket (Action Master Autobot Vehicle, 1990)
- Accessories: Attack Cruiser vehicle, 2 missiles/rifles
- Sprocket's Attack Cruiser is armed with two photon rifles, according to his packaging bio.
Generation 2
- Jazz (Autobot Car, 1993)
- Accessories: photon rifle, missile launcher, 2 missiles
- Jazz and his photon rifle returned for Generation 2.
Studio Series
- Autobot Jazz (Deluxe Class, 2020)
- Accessories: photon rifle, "Moonbase One Destruction" backdrop
- A new version of the photon rifle was included with the Studio Series 86 edition of Jazz.
Merchandise
ReAction
- Stepper (2020)
- Accessories: photon rifle
- Released as a special wave of black redecos for Black Friday for Super7's line of multi-property 3.75 inch action figures, ReAction Stepper is a non-converting action figure with 5 points of articulation and is a redeco of Jazz from the same series. He comes with a blaster which can only be held in his right hand. As with all releases in the ReAction toyline, Stepper comes packaged in a small cardback that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of Kenner Star Wars action figures of the late 1970s.
Notes
- Despite Jazz's Universe profile stating that he carries a photon rifle and can also use an "overhead flame-thrower", clearly referring to the toy's missile launcher, it was left off his finished character model, leading Marvel artists to depict his photon rifle whenever the flame-thrower was called for - most notably in US issue #4 and again in UK issues #18 and #49. It wasn't until US issue #50 that Jazz's photon rifle made a verified appearance as itself, immediately before Jazz was taken offline.
