Reboost

Reboost is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family (via Masterpiece).

For a guaranteed ratings smash, dig it up out of the trash; c'mon, just Reboost it!

Assigned to Autobot City, citadel guardian^[1] Reboost (リブースト Ribūsuto) is known for his outgoing attitude and many hobbies, including giving rides around town to humans, multispectrum landscape photography, and cy-fiber weaving. The only Autobot who doesn't seem to like him is Tailgate. Unlike most Transformers, Reboost didn't scan his beloved Honda City R vehicle mode, but physically merged his life core with one, after being reduced to his personality component by Marlboor, which reads to the machine-loving little Autobot as a kind of bodyjacking. Reboost is quite familiar with that kind invasion of privacy, though. The story behind his coming to Earth is a tragic tale of love lost, but you wouldn't know it by talking to him.

Reboost can separate his consciousness into his autonomous Component X drone, allowing it to run interference using his holomatter avatars, but his most impressive power is his Boost Key special ability. Reboost can power up the life force of any organism, organic or metallic, granting them increased power and even regenerative properties. Its only downside is Reboost's own lack of medical knowledge: there's no guarantee he'll restore what needs restoring, limiting its potential uses.

Fiction

Masterpiece toy bios

Reboost originally transformed into a surveillance satellite, and put his long-range reconnaissance talents to good use as a member of the Autobot Outer Planetary Support Squad. Eventually, however, Reboost successfully petitioned to join the Autobot defense force on the planet Engali, a world known for its complicated octuple-gender marriage rituals. To cement the alliance between Engali and Cybertron, it was decided that Reboost would marry Merai, heir to one of Engali's most powerful families.

Although Reboost and Merai got on well, Reboost soon realized that the planet's ruling houses were after his unique abilities, and he became embroiled in a dispute between two feuding princes. When a group of traitorous Engalians attacked him, Reboost lost consciousness, and was transferred to an offworld research facility. Upon reawakening, Reboost found that he'd been disassembled, with his life core transferred into his Component X drone; worse, he discovered that his assailants had entered into an alliance with the sinister Marlboor Dynamic megacorporation, and that in his absence the other members of his marriage had married into other families. Upon discovering data regarding a red Honda City R from Earth, Reboost distracted his captor using holomatter avatars long enough for him to rebuild his Component X drone into an ambulatory unit, then smuggled himself through a warp gate to the Sol system and hitched a ride on an Earth-bound cargo ship.

After arriving on Earth, Reboost landed in a city under threat from the Decepticons. Fortunately, he was able to transplant his life core into a nearby Honda City R, reshaping the car into a new Autobot body for himself! Reborn in a stronger form, Reboost saw off the Decepticon invaders and became the city's new defender. Masterpiece Reboost bio

Toys

Masterpiece

• Reboost (November 20, 2021)

• ID number: MP-54
• Accessories: "Laser Gun", "Rocket Pod", "Double Laser Gauntlet", "Component X", "Holomatter Avatar"
• Known designers: Kōjin Ōno and Yūya Ōnishi (TakaraTomy)

Masterpiece Reboost is a redeco and retooling of the simultaneously-released MP-53 Skids, based on the red version of Diaclone No. 6 Honda City R. Reboost transforms into an officially-licensed 1st generation Honda City R vehicle mode, and he also features the same alt mode functionalities that other versions of the mold have such as opening front doors, an opening hood with engine detailing underneath, an openable rear trunk that can store some of his accessories, and a basic interior.

For accessories, Reboost comes included with a "Laser Gun" that can be folded into a more compact form for storage in Reboost's vehicle mode rear trunk, a "Rocket Pod", and a "Double Laser Gauntlet" which shares tooling with Skids's twin electron blaster. Reboost also comes with Component X, based on the fold-out motocompo included with real-life Honda subcompact cars. In addition, Reboost includes a Holomatter Avatar driver that can ride inside Reboost's interior in vehicle mode, which is a transparent version of the Spike Witwicky figure included with Hound.

This tooling, complete with scooter, was redecoed into fellow Diaclone alumnus Crosscut, then further retooled to make Dia Burnout.

• Masterpiece Reboost bio translation

Notes

Team Diaclone Honda City. Back row: Crosscut, Skids, Burn Out. Front row: Screech, Reboost.

• Legendary Diaclone veteran and current Masterpiece designer Kōjin Ōno happened to own just such a red City R himself. It's not just anyone who gets to make their car into a Transformer. Twice!
• Reboost was created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Honda City R (ホンダ・シティR (アール)) in its iconic red color scheme, the car itself being significantly more famous than Skids in Japan.^[2]
• Reboost's Diaclone-based red colouration often lends to confusion with the burnt orange form of Skids known as Screech, himself inspired by Revenge of the Fallen Mudflap. Remember, Reboost has the blue head, hands, and feet while Screech has dark grey hands and feet.
• The Crosscut/Reboost tooling was considered for inclusion in the Generation 1 line long enough for the Reboost colouration to be used by Takara in a preliminary 1985 packaging mural.^[3] (Said mural featured other oddities, such as Skids in the black deco as well as the distinctive prototype version of Superion.)
• The Honda City R received its own bio in Reboost's Masterpiece release and even got top billing over Reboost himself!^[4]

References