Jazz (G1)
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| The name or term "Jazz" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Jazz (disambiguation). |
This article is a featured article, and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.
- Jazz is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Jazz is Optimus Prime's right-hand man. Unlike Prowl, Prime's military strategist, Jazz responds well to change and improvisation. Whatever surprises the Decepticons spring, Jazz can deal with it. His position as Special Operations head calls for all the skills he possesses, yet he still has time to add some style to everything he does. Jazz's upbeat and outgoing personality makes him one of the most popular Autobots among the Ark's crew.
An admirer of Earth music of every kind, Jazz loves culture. More than most other Autobots, he has his finger on the pulse of Earth trends and lingo, effortlessly incorporating human slang into his vocabulary. Chances are, Jazz could tell you the status of almost any reality television show and each week's Top 40 list.
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
A veteran Autobot even before the crash of the Ark on Earth, Jazz's love of human culture led him on many adventures during his time on the planet; notable escapades included his encounter with the Man of Iron and a mission to rescue Optimus Prime from Decepticon custody, before he was taken offline by an Underbase-empowered Starscream. Eventually, however, Jazz would return to life, clad in a new Pretender body; it was in this form that he participated in the Matrix Quest, part of the mission to the planet VsQs where he and the other Pretenders fought the Matrixspawn. Eventually, Jazz would take part in the showdown against Unicron as part of the united Autobot-Decepticon alliance.
In an alternate universe, Jazz would become a leading member of Earthforce, clashing with foes such as the Mayhem Attack Squad and eventually having to confront his old foe Megadeath during a mission to Cybertron's Acid Wastes. In another timeline, Jazz returned to Earth to defend the planet from Jhiaxus and his Cybertronians, and in yet another divergent reality he took part in various battles against Bludgeon, Jhiaxus, and the Dark Matrix.
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Jazz was one of the original members of Optimus Prime's crew when their ship crash-landed on Earth. As such, he participated in many of the most important battles between the Autobots and the Decepticons throughout the 1980s. Jazz could be recognized by his love of music, his friendly nature, and his incredibly cool voice and disposition. In 2005, Jazz narrowly survived an encounter with Unicron, only to make scant appearances in battles afterward (though he did win an event in the Galactic Olympics).
In a splinter timeline, Jazz had many more adventures, including one in which he gained a new Binaltech body (only to lose it due to time travel). He continued serving on Cybertron, Earth and Athenia through 2011 before disappearing again. Jazz eventually turned back up in 2025, where he joined fellow Autobots Bumblebee and Grimlock in beating up Starscream in the far reaches of space.
Marvel coloring books
Jazz was one of the many Autobots who stopped the Decepticons from harming Sparkplug and Buster Witwicky. Later, he helped the Autobots in protecting Hoover Dam from the evil robots. The Deadly Fuel Shortage
Jazz discovered that fuel was vanishing from gas tanks all around the world. Quikcly deducing that the Decepticons were behind the thefts, Jazz joined that convoy that followed Optimus Prime into combat. En route to the Decepticons' stronghold, the convoy encountered a squad of flying Decepticons. Jazz saved Sunstreaker from an attack when he saw Laserbeak sneak up on the Autobot, and blasted the Decepticon with his flamethrower. As the Autobots were beginning to run low on fuel after this battle, Ironhide donated some of his fuel to the more fuel-efficient Jazz so that he could continue fighitng. Together with Optimus, Mirage, Hound and Bumblebee, Jazz infiltrated the Decepticons' stronghold and fought the guards guarding the Decepticons' molecular transfer device. Bumblebee managed to turn the device on the Decepticons, and Jazz and Prowl hoisted Bumblebee up on their shoulders in celebration. He then helped return the stolen fuel to its rightful owners after the Decepticons had been sent fleeing into the wilderness. Summertime Coloring Book
Jazz was on a vacation trip with the other Autobots when they encountered the Decepticons tearing up the place. The Autobots overpowered the Decepticons then restored the forest back to normal. Forest Rescue Mission
Jazz was part of a small strike team of Autobots assembled by Ultra Magnus to help the Dinobots, who were currently engaged in battle against the Decepticons just outside of Autobot City. After they defeated the Decepticons, Jazz and the others were cheered on by the nearby oil rig workers as they drove back to Autobot City. Battle at Oil Valley
Big Looker storybooks continuity
When the Cybertronian civil war had yet to leave the planet, Optimus asked his Autobots to join him in leaving their home world behind and travel out into space. When Bumblebee volunteered to join Optimus, Jazz and the rest of the Autobots jumped in as well. After crash-landing on Earth and being offline for about 65 million years, Jazz and the rest of the Autobots met Sparkplug and his son Spike. With the Decepticons still not in the know of what forms the Autobots had taken, Jazz was one of the troops that Optimus led into the desert in order to ambush their enemies. Though they successfully took by surprise a squadron of Decepticons, the Autobots had not anticipated a second group flying in from the opposite direction. Thanks to a warning from Spike and Sparkplug, the Autobots managed to fend off the Decepticons, and came to accept Earth as their new home. Battle for Cybertron
Jazz was among the Autobots who welcomed Grapple back to the fold after he shook off the Insecticons' cerebro-shell. Insecticon Attack!
Jazz was also present at Autobot City when Hot Rod warned Ultra Magnus about the Decepticon raid on the Coliseum. Car Show Blow Up
The Battle for Planet Earth
- Voice actor: Peter Marinker (English)
Jazz liked humans and their culture so much, the other Autobots suspected he'd probably stay on Earth when the time came to return to Cybertron. Bumblebee to the Rescue He was part of a mission to South America to look for energy sources. While they were examining Mount Sheelah, Jazz spotted the Decepticons incoming, giving the Autobots time to defend their position. Thanks to their human friends, they avoided being caught in the volcano's eruption. Terror of Mount Sheelah When the Decepticons started kidnapping humans as slaves, Jazz despaired at how they would deal with the problem. Bumblebee to the Rescue
The Decepticon conquest of Stanley Lake dam did not go unnoticed by the Autobots. When they encountered the dam's senior engineer by the lake, Jazz accompanied him back into the control room after the Autobots lured the Decepticons out, and they flooded the valley below the dam, washing away the Decepticons. When Ravage tried to corner them, Jazz used his sound and light show to dazzle the Decepticon until the other Autobots got back. Menace at the Dam When Starscream attempted to defect, Jazz thought the Decepticon wasn't his style at all. The defection was a trick, but the Autobots were too wily to fall for it and while they had Starscream send the other Decepticons on a wild goose chase, Jazz and the others leveled the Decepticon fortress. Espionage!!!!!
Ask Vector Prime
The Autobots subsequently returned to Cybertron aboard a refueled and repaired Ark with the defeated Decepticons, taking the Decepticons on Cybertron unawares and quickly capturing control Cybertron. Peace reigned for a time until a series of natural disasters began, the source of which was determined to be the planet Moebius in a parallel universe, designated the 22nd Strata. The Autobots assembled a team to travel to this alternate universe and stop the threat at its source; Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, Hoist, Jazz, Prowl, and Silverstreak made up the team; they dubbed themselves Spy Changers because they aimed to achieve their goal with stealth and diplomacy. The team modified their bodies to match the 22nd Strata's native cyborgs using data acquired from the Sky Spy and traveled to the 22nd Strata but were soon attacked by the local Guardians, who mistakenly presumed them to be Renegades. The Spy Changers were then rescued by the real Renegades, who presumed them to be potential allies and took them back to their flagship, the Rogue Star. Renegade leader Cy-Kill attempted to court the Spy Changers as allies, but Optimus saw through Cy-Kill's deception. Optimus sent Jazz to discover the truth of the situation, and the Renegade alliance with Gog of Moebius came to light. Eventually, the Autobots formed a secret alliance with the Guardians as well as discovered the cause of Cybertron's troubles: Renegade bases on Moebius were draining the planet's energy. The planet's geometry had turned it into a crude Dimensional Interfacer, and Moebius was tapping into Cybertron to sustain itself. Hoist was able to end the crisis by triggering the bases' remote detonation sequence. Cy-Kill was furious, but in the ensuing battle, the Autobot-Guardian alliance triumphed over the Renegades. Optimus Prime and Leader-1 shook hands, and the Spy Changers returned to their home reality, secure in the knowledge that they had allies in places as distant as alternate realities. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/30
Ladybird Books continuity
- Voice actor: Blain Fairman (English)
Jazz's "cool" was broken when he misunderstood his first lightning storm and rushed out to defend against Decepticon attackers. Autobots' Lightning Strike
Realizing the Decepticons had a secret construction project somewhere in an undeveloped area, the Autobots needed a way to search the terrain without alerting the Cons to their presence. Spike found a flyer for a car rally through the area, and he and Jazz volunteered to scout the terrain as part of the rally. They found some old abandoned mining tunnels where the Decepticons were constructing their ion drive. The Autobot cavalry got into a shoot out with the Decepticons until Spike had an idea using the old mining carts. After the brakes were disabled, Jazz shoved the carts at full force through the mineshafts, bowling over the Decepticons and destroying the ion drive. Autobots Fight Back
Listen 'n Play audiobooks continuity
- Voice actor: ? (English)
Out patrolling Arizona for Decepticon bases, Jazz stumbled on Steve Guymo lying by the side of the road, and took the delirious human back to base. The Autobots learned from Steve that the Decepticons were behind the recent abduction of humans from airports across the nation. They were able to locate and free the hostages, before defeating Starscream's squad. Sun Raid (Listen 'n Play)
Deadly Paradise storybook
Since Jazz is Autobot second-in-command, Optimus Prime needed him at base while Sideswipe was acccused of destroying the Nova Suspension Bridge. Optimus therefore had Prowl lead the mission to Carob Island instead. Deadly Paradise
Peril from the Stars
You met with Jazz while vacationing with your Uncle Jack and Aunt Sue at the Los Palmos observatory. Together, you set out to stop a plot devised by Starscream and Bombshell to acquire ancient Cybertronian weaponry orbiting the Sun. Jazz's fate, and your own, was up to you! Peril from the Stars
Find Your Fate Junior
Dinobots Strike Back
In one outcome, Jazz was part of the Autobots' attack on Mount Lomas, where the Decepticons were on the verge of converting the black coral in nearby Dolphin's Bay into a superfuel that would triple their war-making capacity. Jazz made it into the lab and sealed the Autobots' victory by using his flamethrower on the conversion equipment, starting a fire which gutted the entire mountain base and turned Operation Black Coral into Operation Black Ashes. (It's unknown if that joke was Jazz's idea) Dinobots Strike Back
Battle Drive
Jazz was amongst the Autobots that came to Bumblebee's rescue in certain versions of the events that came about when Sparkplug discovered a fatal flaw in the Decepticons' circuitry.
If events played out differently, Jazz was one of the many Autobots shocked by Bumblebee's report on the Decepticons' latest plot: they were planning to destroy acres of farmland in order to starve humanity into submission! He subsequently volunteered for the squad Optimus deployed to halt the Decepticons' efforts.
Although Jazz noticed the message you attempted to deliver to the Autobots about the Decepticons' plan being false information, he was unable to convince Optimus of this fact, and was destroyed along the rest of the other Autobots in one possible sequence of events.
In another possible path, Jazz and Optimus came to each other's rescue when they became wise to the Decepticons' plot to lure them into open farmland to ambush the Autobots, and made it safely back to Autobot headquarters following a mad rush to safety. Battle Drive
Attack of the Insecticons
Jazz was present, yet mostly uninvolved, in a number of possible adventures revolving around the Sun-Pak, a device invented by Sparkplug that would end the Autobots' energy woes. Attack of the Insecticons
Decepticon Poison
Jazz was amongst the Autobots about to be topped up with their latest batch of fuel when Red Alert burst into Autobot headquarters, warning everyone about Ramjet being spotted nearby. Red Alert's warning came in just in time, as the Autobots’ fuel had been poisoned, and Jazz would have been left unable to transform had he ingested any of it.
In one possible scenario that ensued, Jazz was part of the Autobots’ back-up squadron, as they attempted to defend the Autobot base against the Decepticons. In one version of the ensuing events, the Autobots were able to beat back the Decepticons, though not without receiving some grievous injuries themselves.
In another possible scenario, where Optimus followed a plan courtesy of Prowl, the Autobot leader instructed his troops to transform into vehicle mode and play dead. The Decepticons, believing the Autobots’ ruse, disarmed themselves in order to carry out the Autobots’ “carcasses.” Now with the element of surprise against unarmed opponent, the Autobots Transformed and were able to easily defeat the evil robots.
In another possible turn of events, Perceptor gave out too much of his antidote to cure each poisoned Autobot. The Autobots who received the antidote soon found themselves falling apart, leaving Jazz and the rest outmatched against the greater number of Decepticons.
In yet another possible scenario, Optimus opted to use the tainted fuel as a weapon against an encroaching Decepticon squadron. Jazz was tasked with lighting the fuel aflame once the Decepticons were near enough, creating a toxic smog that would poison the Decepticons. Igniting the pit at the last possible moment, Jazz and Optimus then retreated within the Autobot base while the approaching Decepticons got caught in the ensuing cloud of smoke. The plan went off without a hitch, and the Autobots celebrated another victory over the Decepticons.
In a completely different sequence of events, Optimus opted to go for a more aggressive angle after the Autobots had been poisoned, and led a small team of Autobots to retrieve the antidote from the Decepticons through force. Upon his return with the cure, Optimus informed his troops of the Decepticons’ newest plot. The evil robots planned to poison the humans’ nearby water supply.
If Optimus led his troops back to the Decepticons’ poison lab, Jazz was amongst the Autobot convoy that drove into action.
Happening upon Decepticons hauling drums of poison out of their base, the Autobots had to devise a plan to stop them. One such plan involved Windcharger using his magnetic powers to levitate the barrels above the Decepticons, and for Prowl to riddle them with holes with some quick shooting. Then came Jazz's part; using his flamethrower, Jazz ignited the poison, forcing the Decepticon to retreat into their base. Warpath finished off the job with his sonic boom, and the Autobots drove back to base victoriously. Decepticon Poison
Autobot Alert!
Jazz was in Metroplex city when an Autobot Alert sounded.
In one possible scenario, Jazz was selected alongside Mirage, Swoop, Powerglide and Prowl, to join Ultra Magnus on an orbital mission to both rescue Cosmos and halt a Decepticon plot to take over Earth's broadcast satellites. After donning special space gear for solar protection, the team took off and headed towards Cosmos's last coordinates. Jazz acted as the shuttle's pilot. Though they soon found Cosmos, so did they spot Galvatron's ship, Cyclonus, looming nearby. On Ultra Magnus's orders, Jazz maneuvered the shuttle to retrieve Cosmos quickly, before they could be spotted by the enemy. Ultra Magnus then ordered his troops to train all of their available weapons on Cyclonus for a full-frontal assault.
If the Autobots went along with Ultra Magnus's plan, Jazz was ordered to open fire onto Cyclonus as they came into range. He and the rest of the Autobots were horrorstruck when Galvatron himself emerged from Cyclonus, followed by an army of multiwing jet fighters. Jazz and the others were left drifting helplessly into space as the Decepticons tore their shuttle apart.
If instead Powerglide and Swoop went about their own way of defeating the Decepticons, Cyclonus's transmission device was successfully destroyed and the entire crew of the Autobot shuttle presumably returned to base safely. Autobot Alert!
Project Brain Drain
In one possible scenario, Jazz was out on patrol with Kup and Hot Rod when the three of them heard nearby commotion and went to investigate. Finding Wreck-Gar and Sparkplug being attacked by Thrust and Laserbeak, the Autobots moved in to rescue them and fended off the Decepticons. Jazz, Hot Rod and Kup were informed of the situation as it were; the Decepticons were going to drain the minds of hundreds of thousands of concert-goers with their Brain Drain device. The Autobots then decided whether they would launch a counter-attack on the Decepticons’ lab, or if they would send Hot Rod for reinforcements while the rest of them headed directly to the concert.
If the Autobots decided to storm the laboratory, the group attacked with such ferocity and suddenness that they scared off most of the Decepticons guarding the place. Finding their only opposition left being a small group of Decepticons, Jazz and the others successfully beat them back, until Soundwave attempted to escape with the Brain Drain device in hand.
If Hot Rod attempted to stop Soundwave, Laserbeak managed to grab hold of the device and flew off to meet Galvatron. The Autobots being too low on power to pursue meant that the Decepticons would ultimately be victorious.
If Jazz attempted to stop Soundwave, the Autobot used all of the sound equipment within his body to send a powerful sonic wave towards the fleeing Decepticon. Overwhelmed by the blast, Soundwave exploded, crushing the Brain Drain device in the process.
Alternatively, if Wreck-Gar, Sparkplug, Kup and Jazz headed towards the concert while Hot Rod headed back to Metroplex for reinforcements, the small group found themselves wondering how they could defend the huge sea of people by themselves upon their arrival. Hearing the Decepticons approaching, but uncertain from which direction they were coming from, the Autobots had to decide whether they would station themselves on the west side of the concert, or at its south.
If the Autobots decided to head for the west side of the concert, Jazz and the others positioned themselves just in time to see a whole squadron of Decepticons coming into view. Catching the Decepticons by surprise with a first volley, the Autobots managed to buy themselves a few minutes as the Decepticons regrouped before circling around for another pass. During the Decepticons’ second pass, Jazz was hit in the legs by a proton bomb. Despite his injury, he continued fighting. The Autobots were successful in driving away the Decepticons, thanks in no small part to Jazz and the others exhausting their forces, leaving their foes underpowered to deal with the new arrivals.
Alternatively, if the Autobots headed for the south side of the concert, they were unable to see the Decepticons coming from the other direction, and were destroyed in a surprise Decepticon attack. Project Brain Drain
The Invisibility Factor
In one possible scenario, the Autobots were informed by Kup and Hot Rod that the Decepticons had taken possession of an Invisibility Device, created by the human Sarah Sanders, and taken it into space to study it. Ultra Magnus put together a team of Autobots and took off in one of their shuttles to pursue them. Jazz was amongst the Autobots chosen. Once in space, however, the Autobots had difficulty pinpointing the Decepticons’ location. The ship's crew had to decided where to look next for the Decepticons.
If the Autobots decided to investigate the dark side of the moon, they found themselves unable to see anything on the satellite's shadowy surface. When Hot Rod suggested they fire down a shot to see if the Decepticons would fire back, Jazz chimed in that he thought the plan was too risky, and claimed he had a better plan in mind.
If Ultra Magnus decided to go through with Hot Rod's anyways, the Autobots succeeded only in making themselves an easy target for their enemies. The Decepticons blasted their shuttle to bits. Jazz and his friends were reduced to space junk.
If Ultra Magnus listened to Jazz's plan, he ordered his Autobots to remain silent, and to shut off all of the shuttle's lights and mechanisms. Launching a probe as a decoy, the Autobots successfully tricked the Decepticons into revealing their position when they mistook the probe as their shuttle and opened fire upon it. Firing back, the Autobots began crippling the Decepticons’ ship, until a lucky shot rocked their own shuttle. Though the Decepticons attempted to escape while the Autobots were off-balance, the Autobots were able to deliver the finishing blow, ending the Decepticons’ menace as the evil robots' ship exploded.
In an alternate scenario wherein the Autobots listened to Prowl's suggested and searched the Asteroid Belt beyond Mars, they soon found themselves struggling to get through the maze of floating rocks. Jazz was in favour of retreating from the asteroid field when it proved increasingly difficult to navigate it.
If the Autobots pushed on their search in the Asteroid Belt, they soon found themselves on a collision course with two enormous asteroids. If they only managed to blast one of asteroids, the Autobots were forced to retreat back to Earth after their shuttle took substantial damage. If the Autobots managed to blast neither of the Asteroids, they were all crushed between the giant pieces of space debris.
If they managed to blast away both asteroids, they reached a vast, empty expanse of space within the asteroid belt. Hot Rod confessed that he still felt uneasy, and Jazz agreed with his sentiment; it felt as though they were being watched. Their suspicions were confirmed when the Decepticons, now invisible, began opening fire onto the Autobots’ shuttle. Jazz suggested the Autobots retreat, as they could not fight an invisible opponent. The Autobots considered retreating, but Kup reminded them that Sarah Sanders had not perfected her device yet, and the Decepticons’ invisibility may yet wear off.
If the Autobots attempted to flee from the Decepticons’ attack, they found themselves at too much of a disadvantage to successfully make it out of the Asteroid Belt. They were blown into space junk before they could reach Earth.
If the Autobots held their ground, they were instructed by Ultra Magnus not to open fire upon the Decepticons until ordered to do so. Though things were tense as the Autobots were hit over and over again by their invisible opponents, soon the enemy ship came into view, just as Kup had predicted. The Autobots opened fire on the flimsier vessel, blowing it and the Decepticons within to smithereens.
If the Autobots did retreat out of the Asteroid Belt, they convinced one another that the Decepticons most likely perished within it. Then, a few days later, when the invisible Decepticons attacked Metroplex city, Jazz and the rest of the Autobots were reduced to scrap metal, unable to fight the unseen enemy.
In a completely different possible scenario, Springer was sent out with Jazz, Sunstreaker and Prowl to accompany Kup and Hot Rod when the latter two reported having seen the mysterious ship land in the middle of the desert.
If the Autobots gave up searching for the ship, Ultra Magnus and the rest of the Autobots within Metroplex were caught by surprise by a fleet of identical ships swooping down upon them. The Autobots were all destroyed as Galvatron gloated of his victory.
If Hot Rod and Kup convinced the other Autobots to keep on looking, Hot Rod eventually found trail marks, indicating that a heavy object the size of their spacecraft had indeed landed and had been dragged away. Jazz and the others followed the trail to a more rocky terrain, where tracking the ship would become more difficult. The trail seemingly lost, the Autobots then heard someone incoming, and took cover. From their hiding places, they saw the Decepticons Scavenger, a human captive within the grasp of his steam-shovel.
If the Autobots decided to rescue Sarah immediately, Scavenger dropped the woman, and cried for help while attempting to flee.
If the Autobots pursued Scavenger, they found him rejoining a whole squadron of Decepticons. Fighting the Decepticons immediately would cost them their lives. Otherwise, if the Autobots decided on a retreat when faced by the whole squadron of Decepticons, they managed to do so by blinding their enemies by their high beams and then splitting off into different direction. They later regrouped and found Sarah Sanders wandering in the desert.
If the Autobots asked Sarah to build them their own Invisibility Device, Sarah refused, stating she would not build weapons for war. Running away from the group Sarah was almost killed when Dirge passed overhead and dropped a missile on her position. After rescuing her from the Decepticon attack, Jazz and the others brought Sarah to safety within Metroplex. Grateful for the rescue, Sarah showed the Autobots how to create an Invisibility Scrambler to counteract the Decepticons’ Invisibility Device. Anticipating the Decepticons’ attack, the Autobots successfully defeated the evil robots when they came.
If instead of asking Sarah to build them an Invisibility Device, Jazz and the others attempted once more to retrieve her ship, the whole group snuck over to where the Decepticons were stationed. Once there, Hot Rod and Prowl argued over which plan of action would be the smartest to undertake next.
If the Autobots agreed with Hot Rod to try and take the Decepticons by surprise with a head-on attack, the Autobots manage to stun the Decepticons by dazzling them with their headlights. Jazz provided Hot Rod some cover fire while the young Autobot raced down and snatched the Invisibility Device from the Decepticons. The Autobots then successfully peeled back, congratulating one another on a job well done.
If the Autobots agreed with Prowl to take a moment to come up with a more detailed plan, Prowl instructed Hot Rod to taunt the Decepticons into following him. The plan worked, and the bulk of the Decepticons took off after the young Autobot. With only Scavenger, Shockwave and Galvatron left behind, Jazz and the others easily defeated the Decepticons still guarding the spaceship, and forced Galvatron to retreat. In one possible scenario that followed, Jazz helped destroy a hidden Decepticon base that Hot Rod found while the Decepticons gave him chase. In another, Jazz watched on as Sarah left in her spaceship in order to destroy it, vowing it would never be used to bring destruction.
In an alternate scenario where the Autobots silently trailed Scavenger while the Decepticon held Sarah Sanders captive, Jazz and the others followed him all the way to the Decepticons’ secret desert base. Inside, they spied upon Galvatron telling Sarah Sanders that the Decepticons would use Cerebro-Shells to control her mind, so that she would reveal to them to secret of invisibility. At this point, the Autobots decided to step in. A direct attack would only end in the Autobots’ defeat. In order to rescue Sarah, the Autobots would need to employ trickery. Using Jazz's special abilities, the Autobots could do just that. In this scenario, the Autobots grabbed Sarah while the Decepticons were too dazzled by the illusions that Jazz projected. Sarah directed the Autobots towards where the Decepticons had stored her ship. Upon following her directions, Jazz and the others came upon two doors, unable to tell behind which one they would find their means of escape. If the Autobots happened upon Sarah's ship as they were, they would be destroyed by the droids guarding it. However, if the Autobots first opened the door which lead to a closet filled with Decepticon spare parts, they found a pile of spare Decepticon emblems. Donning them, Jazz and the rest of his team were able to fool the Decepticon Droids guarding Sarah's ship. Escaping in the ship, despite the Decepticons best efforts to stop them, the Autobots returned to Metroplex. Sarah then gave the Autobots the secret to her Invisibility Device, ensuring the Autobots their victory in their war against the Decepticons. The Invisibility Factor
Frito-Lay posters
Jazz opened fire on Devastator during a desert battle between the Transformers. It is very likely his shoulders hurt. The Power Struggle
Jazz participated in a battle to defend Boulder Dam against the Decepticons. He and Trailbreaker worked in conjunction to back up Optimus Prime in his duel against Megatron. Ultimately, the Autobots were successful in defending the dam. Battle in the Desert Valley
Toy pack-in material
Jazz and Sideswipe were cruising through a desert when they crossed paths with the Constructicons. Sideswipe led the charge against the enemy robots, with Jazz acting as his back-up. Sweepstakes Offer!
The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual
Jazz served as Optimus Prime's second-in-command on Cybertron. He was instrumental in the defence of Iacon and saved his leader's life after a surprise attack rendered Prime non-functional. Jazz's The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual profile
Jazz, along with the rest of the Ark crew, crash-landed on Earth and awoke millions of years later to find that the war continued there. As part of a plan devised by Optimus Prime's new second-in-command Prowl, Jazz and the other Autobots were stationed at Table Mountain in Africa to defend a newly discovered spaceship with the power to return them to Cybertron. When the Decepticons arrived to take the ship by force, Jazz was easily swatted aside by Megatron, and the Autobots retreated to let the victors claim their prize. The doors of the ship slammed shut, and it began to hurtle uncontrollably away from the planet, leaving the Decepticons to realise they had walked into a trap and leaving Jazz back on Earth to ponder: If they'd conned the Decepticons, did that make them Deceptibots? Day of the Decepticons
Jazz was on duty at the Ark when one of its automatic sensors picked up a Transformer power emission emanating from Brazil, and he, Optimus Prime and Blaze drove there to investigate. Upon arrival in Brazil, Jazz was immediately knocked offline by Snarl and played no further part in the proceedings. The Dinobots!
Beast Wars cartoon
Four million years ago, Jazz, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Prowl, and Ironhide were on the bridge of the Ark when it was suddenly attacked by the Nemesis. It crashed in a dormant volcano for untold years until it was disturbed by the Predacon Megatron, who had traveled from the far future. Jazz's body was sprawled across a section of the navigation controls. Frozen in stasis lock as he was, Jazz was unable to stop the Predacon from assassinating the equally comatose Optimus Prime. The Agenda (Part III) This act would have rewritten history from that moment forward, but the ensuing time storm was stopped by Blackarachnia and some time-traveling Maximals. Optimal Situation
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
8.2 million years ago, Jazz and Prowl met Grimlock in the remains of Praxus's Helix Gardens to discuss the worthiness of Optronix to lead the Autobots. Jazz later attended the Matrix-transfer ceremony at the Chamber of the Ancients. He attempted to save Optronix—now Optimus Prime—when Prime was attacked by Decepticons, but was restrained by Grimlock. When Prime defeated the assassins, Jazz was convinced of his worth. The War Within #1
Soon afterward, Jazz questioned Prowl's decision to allow Prime to explore the depths of the planet alone, but was prevented from pressing the issue any further when Shockwave attacked Iacon with an army of Decepticons. The War Within #2 Jazz helped direct the battle from the Decagon, but the defenders were soon overwhelmed. The War Within #3 Jazz was forced to begin evacuating important artifacts and hardware from the city, but was unable to finish before the Decepticons overran the Decagon. The War Within #4 He and a handful of Autobots made a desperate last stand, The War Within #5 but narrowly avoided annihilation when Starscream activated Cybertron's planetary engines, devastating the city and forcing Shockwave's army to retreat. Iacon was reduced to a crater, but Jazz and the other Autobots safely made it out of the area. The War Within #6
7.4 million years ago, Jazz witnessed the space bridge explosion that seemingly killed Prime and Megatron. After the subsequent fragmentation of the Autobot faction, Jazz remained with the Prowl-led Autobots, though he longed for the days when the Autobots were a united force. Fragmentation He accompanied a group of Autobots to investigate a new mobile battle base at the Praetorus Wharf, only to learn that the base was fully operational. Devastation Despite the arrival of reinforcements, the titan was too much for Jazz and his cohorts; only when Trypticon received a message from the Neutral Territories, recalling him there, were they saved from certain doom. Revelation
Battered, Jazz and the others limped back to Iacon, only to be forced to repel an attack on Autobase by The Fallen. Although Jazz, Mirage, and Sunstreaker fought valiantly, the mysterious entity defeated them and achieved his objective: freeing Blitzwing from captivity. Confrontation The Fallen was in time defeated. Jazz would later aid Ultra Magnus in his struggle to re-unite Cybertron under the Autobot banner. The unification of their race nearly succeeded... only for Megatron to return. The Age of Wrath
Jazz was among the crew of the Ark when it crashed on Earth, and he awoke in 1984 to battle the Decepticons. After years of fighting, Jazz and the other Autobots took part in Operation Liberation in 1998, a joint human/Autobot operation that defeated and captured the Earth-bound Decepticons. However, the Ark II, which was meant to convey the Autobots, the captured Decepticons, and a number of humans back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General Robert Hallo, sending Jazz and his comrades to the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. Prime Directive #1
A few years later, Optimus Prime awoke Jazz and a number of other Autobots to combat the sinister Lazarus. Prime Directive #2 He aided in the cleanup of Lazarus's latest target, the SmitCo oil refinery, and then moved on to Lazarus's base, which had been taken over by a revived Megatron and his deadly "metal virus". Jazz and the others briefly battled the Decepticons, but were stopped in their tracks when Hallo dropped a nuclear bomb on them. Prime Directive #3 The virus absorbed most of the blast, leaving the Transformers unharmed, but continued to expand across the countryside. Jazz remained behind with a team to combat the virus, while Optimus Prime took a contingent of warriors to combat Megatron in San Francisco. Prime Directive #4 Armed with Wheeljack-designed blasters to combat the virus, Jazz and his squad fought bravely, despite the blasters draining their energy and the well-meaning interference of the Canadian Army. Prime Directive #5 But soon the virus overwhelmed them, forcing Wheeljack to sacrifice use the last of his energy reserves to destroy it. Jazz cradled Wheeljack's inert form afterwards. Prime Directive #6
Some time later, Jazz participated in a battle in Alaska over possession of an escape pod containing Scourge, only to be forced to flee with the other Autobots when Shockwave arrived from Cybertron, proclaiming a new era of peace, and all Earthbound Transformers to be war criminals. As the other Autobots bickered over what to do, Jazz told them to shut up, as they were making his head hurt. New World Order Jazz couldn't believe Ultra Magnus working as Shockwave's lieutenant, and almost got into a fight with Grimlock over the matter. Though he wasn't confident about his abilities, Jazz was left behind on Earth to command a small team of Autobots while Optimus and the rest of the Autobots surrendered to Magnus. Brothers' Burden After Magnus and Prime had departed, Jazz, Brawn, and Windcharger returned to the battlefield, but found no trace of the pod or Scourge. Cold War
After the end of Shockwave's despotic rule over Cybertron, the Autobots on Cybertron made contact with Jazz's crew for an update and promised to send supplies.Generation 1 #0 Unfortunately, Starscream returned to Earth with a small unit of Decepticons first. Jazz and his team fought back against them and managed to capture most of the invaders. Starscream's enforcer Bruticus, however, proved to be too much for them to handle, and Jazz was deactivated and left to rust at the bottom of a lake by the mighty super-robot. Night of the Combaticons He was eventually fished out by Warpath and Bumper (who had arrived from Cybertron with Bumblebee with supplies), but they were waylaid by Earth Defense Command, The Omega Effect who took them to an underground facility. Atonement The EDC completed the repairs on Jazz, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe themselves, and asked a favor in return: for the Autobots to accompany their agents in investigating a small town which had mysteriously gone off the grid a few days beforehand. With Marissa Faireborn and some EDC soldiers, they explored the deserted town, though Jazz had to contend with keeping the other Autobots in-line the whole time. After splitting into teams, tey found the cause of the problem — a swarm of techno-organic Insecticlones, which rose out of the ground and surrounded Jazz's squad. Infestation Jazz and Marissa escaped the swarm and found the hatching facility beneath a theater. Jazz torched the eggs, only to confronted by Shrapnel and Kickback, who were mighty annoyed that he'd destroyed the Insecticons' work. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker managed to cover Jazz and Marissa's escape back to the surface, where the Autobots were confronted by the towns people, rendered zombies by Bombshell's cerebro-shells. The Autobots were unwilling to fight against human foes, but thankfully Bumper was able to use a spare shell to disable Bombshell's control, saving them all. Extermination
Afterward, Jazz farewelled Marissa at the EDC base in Nevada, as the Autobot forces departed for Alaska in the Orion. Lost and Found In Alaska, they found Prowl's forces constructing Autobot City. The Route of All Evil
Some time in the future, Jazz was augmented with the Pretender technology. Bumblebee wrote in his personal datatracks that now that Jazz had a Pretender shell, the latter was even more likely to get involved with human affairs. He also questioned why Spike always said that the latter expected Jazz's shell to look a little different. Pretender Jazz's More Than Meets The Eye profile
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
Jazz was aboard the Ark when it crashed on Earth several million years in the past. The vessel was eventually discovered by the human terrorist organization Cobra, who decided to use its deactivated occupants for their own needs. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1 Jazz was reprogrammed to serve Cobra and rebuilt to transform into a three-wheeled Cobra Stun vehicle. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2
When the reprogramming was undone by Wheeljack, Jazz joined Ironhide, Mirage and Ratchet and continued the battle against the Decepticons, who had also been freed. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4 Jazz warned a damaged Optimus Prime about attacking Megatron head-on, but was rebuffed, as there was no other option. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5 The Decepticons on Earth were eventually defeated with help from G.I. Joe, and the Autobots returned to Cybertron aboard a new Ark. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6
Unfortunately, Shockwave had all but conquered the planet in their absence, and the Autobots became little more than a team of resistance fighters. After a successful mission to steal energon cubes from the Decepticons, Jazz was suddenly sent to 1970's Earth when a malfunctioning Teletran 3 cracked the timestream. As complicated issues with time travel threatened to destroy Earth, a number of G.I. Joe and Cobra members followed Jazz into the past in order to retrieve him. Finding Jazz trapped in the form of a car owned by a local pimp: a 1970s Cadillac Eldorado, Snake-Eyes planted a disruption unit on the Autobot, allowing him to reboot and help them find other trapped Transformers. Together the group located Bumblebee, Hot Rod and Blitzwing before returning to present-day Cybertron. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1
However, this mostly meant that Jazz had to sit tight inside a force field surrounded by the entire Decepticon army. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2 The Autobots were captured when the force field went down, but were soon saved by the Dinobots. The following day, Jazz joined Bumblebee and Optimus Prime in saying goodbye to the Joes and Cobras. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4
Transformers/G.I. Joe
Jazz was among the Autobots that lay dormant and buried somewhere on the Fera Islands for three million years until 1939, when G.I. Joe accidentally awakened them. After getting reformatted into a military jeep, Jazz voiced his gratitude to the humans for bringing him and his friends back online. Transformed
Though not clearly seen again during the following conflict with Cobra and the Decepticons, Jazz was presumably deactivated with all the other Transformers when Snake-Eyes shattered the Matrix. The Iron Fist
The Beast Within
Jazz was incapacitated early during a savage battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons, receiving a dehabilitating shoulder wound. Ratchet was able to get to him, and began repairs even as The Beast began rampaging across the battlefield, killing Autobots and Decepticons alike.The Beast Within
Jazz's unconscious body was later carried by Ratchet into Optimus Prime's trailer, as the Autobots attempted to outrun The Beast. Thankfully, Jetfire showed up just in time to rescue Prime's passengers, save Skids, who was crushed moments before Jetfire's arrival.The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences
Q-Robo Transformer
2005 IDW continuity
Mini Mayhem!
When a surprise party was thrown for Optimus in honor of the 20th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie, Jazz didn't wind up getting invited.
After being nominated two years in a row, Jazz was sure he'd be a shoo-in for 2011's Hall of Fame. He discussed the topic with Grimlock and Shockwave until Erector and Waspinator came along. The trio mistook Erector for Bumblebee, and so spared him any ridicule, but verbally tore into Waspinator. After insisting that the Predacon would never stand a chance against them, Jazz and the others walked off in a huff. Mini Mayhem!
Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-
Universe cartoon
Jazz was one of the many oppressed Cybertronians who sought freedom when their planet's halls of power grew dark with corruption, greed and malice. After the war had raged for some time, he was one of the few Autobots privileged with seeing Optimus insert the Matrix of Leadership into his chest for the first time. Action Blast 1
Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga
Kre-O cartoon
Jazz was in the audience of a tag battle pitting Optimus Prime and Bumblebee against Megatron and Starscream. Last Bot Standing He was in the audience of a dance competition too. Bot Stars
Jazz was also part of a crowd that waited at the finish line of a race between Optimus, Bumblebee and Megatron. He cheered for Bumblebee as he finished the race, though it turned out Optimus had already won the competition. The Big Race
Unit:E comic
Upon approaching the planet Earth, the artificial intelligence Synergy presented footage of the Autobots to her crew-mate, the young Acroyear, so that he could learn about his potential allies and enemies on the alien world. Jazz could be seen standing side by side with Arcee on one of Synergy's view-screens. Unit:E
Transformers: All Spark
BeCool shorts
Green Sports Car (緑のスポーツカー Midori no Supōtsu Kā) played in the Quiz! BeCool show as part of a team with Yellow Sports Car. Despite their best efforts, they ultimately lost. The Story of Quiz! BeCool He was part of Yellow Sports Car's explanations about the BeCool mark. The Story of What Do I Know About the BeCool Mark? Green Sports Car was later caught in a big traffic accident when Yellow Sports Car spun out of control after slipping on a banana peel. The Story of Protecting the Signal!
Green Sports Car watched the making a film that was interrupted by a fire brigade who thought the pyrotechnics were a real fire. The Story of the Fire Brigade Dispatch!
Kre-O online comic
Jazz was surprised when Optimus Prime brought a bunch of Decepticons to their picnic. Emergency! Hurry to the Base, Optimus! Together with Bluestreak he went looking for the legendary Red Bucket, only to encounter Bludgeon's Decepticons. Bludgeon tipped the bucket over on them, but Jazz was able to use the blocks in it to construct a Mega-Jazz robot and send the Decepticons packing. Treasure Competition! Defeat with Block Power! He was present when Megatron conquered Metroplex, having eaten some of Metroplex's blocks and thus contributed to his collapse. Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!
Jazz and the Autobots panicked when Optimus Prime was partially turned into an Alligaticon. Negligence Is the Greatest Enemy! Optimus Became a Monster!? When the Decepticons created Soundwave clones to brainwash humanity using hypnotic music, Jazz opposed them, offended by their use of music for evil. The ensuing musical battle between Jazz and Soundwave led to such good vibes that the Autobots and Decepticons actually stopped fighting and threw a party. Soundwave's Trap? Stop Operation Brainwash Humanity! Later, a space bridge accident sent Jazz and the other Autobots another world, where they scuffled with the Decepticons before returning home on a rocket. Robots in Disguise! The Transformers Are by Your Side!?
IDW Angry Birds Transformers comic
As part of the bridge crew on the ship carrying the AllSpark, Jazz initiated an emergency quantum jump in order to flee a Decepticon attack on the vessel. Unfortunately the AllSpark had fallen out of the ship at the time, and was sucked into the resulting quantum tunnel. Angry Birds Transformers #1 After a fruitless search by Jazz and the others, the relic suddenly came to them, flying back straight through a windshield together with a strange green pig. Hard Boiled
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
Jazz was among the Autobot and Joe forces defending Metroplex from an attack by the Decepticons and Cobra. Everybody Hates Metroplex
Q-Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Kōji Yusa (Japanese)
Timelines
In Primax 096.0 Beta during the Battle for Sherman Dam, the Laser Cycle Jazz attempted to evacuate the surrounding area, with fellow Laser Cycle Soundwave in pursuit. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06 In the final battle of the third Cybertronian war, special operations officer Jazz worked with Sergeant Hound to provide General Optimus Prime with vital intelligence that allowed the newly reconstituted Firestormers to successfully strike against Megatron's Decepticon Star Empire. BotCon 2015 Sgt. Hound profile card
When Worlds Collide
When trying to retrieve the stolen Matrix of Leadership, a Kreon version of Jazz and the Autobots joined forces with a variety of humans and other beings in their fight against Megatron and Cobra Commander's forces. When Worlds Collide
Prime Wars Trilogy marketing material
The Autobot special ops officer Jazz could wield powers of the Primes by linking with Prime Masters. Power of the Primes Jazz packaging bio
Star Trek vs. Transformers
A crew member aboard the Ark when the Autobot starship left Cybertron, Jazz was one of the Autobots who awoke on modern-day Earth to continue their secret war against the Decepticons. However, when the Eugenics Wars swept Earth, followed by the apocalyptic outbreak of World War III, Jazz and the other Autobots left the planet behind aboard Fortress Maximus in search of fuel elsewhere in the galaxy. Embittered and disappointed by the capacity for violence humans had displayed, Jazz was left with a particularly low opinion of the human race during their subsequent voyage. Eventually, the Autobots discovered a suitable fuel source over the distant moon of Cygnus Seven, only to learn that they had been tailed by the Decepticons aboard their own Titan, Trypticon. In the ensuing struggle, Megatron and his Decepticons boarded Maximus, but the disabled ship plummeted to the barren planetoid and knocked all of the combatants into stasis lock.
Centuries later, Cygnus Seven would be colonized by the Federation, and those colonists would inadvertently stumble upon the buried remains of Fortress Maximus while mining dilithium. First reactivating the Decepticons, then the Autobots, Jazz and the other Autobots awoke to find that Optimus had already vanished—unbeknownst to them, to stop the Decepticons from terrorizing the inhabitants of the colony—and found themselves confronted by Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise, who had arrived to investigate the distress signal. Prime's Directive, Part One Initially believing that the humans were responsible for Prime's disappearance, and briefly believing that the organics had killed Prime, the Autobots were eaisly able to subdue the humans before Kirk revealed that they had come in peace. Jazz had Bumblebee tell Kirk and the others their unusual story before the two parties decided to form a tentative alliance. Before they could head back to the surface and rescue the wounded Optimus, however, a Decepticon ambush caved in the mine and left the heroes trapped inside Fortress Maximus. Prime's Directive, Part Two
With Ratchet hatching a desperate plan to bring Fortress Maximus back online, Jazz watched as the medic prepared a device that would allow the wounded Titan to return to full functionality by scanning Kirk's own mind. Despite Jazz's skepticism that the gambit would succeed, Maximus was indeed roused back to life, reconfiguring his body into a Cybertronian-scaled copy of the Enterprise and promptly blasting free, with Jazz and the other Autobots rolling out to confront the Decepticons and their new Klingon allies. When Trypticon transformed out of his warbird disguise, Kirk and Maximus responded in kind to become "Fortress Tiberius," as the other Autobots watched on. Prime's Directive, Part Three
As the two Titans clashed, Jazz narrowly avoided being crushed by Trypticon; Hikaru Sulu observed that Jazz had just felt what humans always experienced around Cybertronians, and this comment helped to erode some of Jazz's own cynicism regarding humanity. Though the Autobots were able to rout and capture the Klingons, they were too late to stop Megatron and the other Decepticons from retreating to pursue Starscream, who had absconded with a load of stolen dilithium with the intention of conquering Kronos, the Klingon homeworld. Boarding Fortress Tiberius, the Autobots and Starfleet members rejoined the real Enterprise, with the Autobots helping to repair the damaged starship before the two set off in pursuit. Prime's Directive, Part Four
En route to Kronos, Kirk hit upon the idea of using the two ships' replicators to help engineer a series of armored battlesuits to bolster the Autobots; after arriving and discovering that Starscream had functionally conquered the planet, only to be immediately usurped by Megatron, the Autobot-Federation alliance took the fight to the Decepticons, joined by Kuri and his Klingons. Although the heroes initially had the upper hand, a paralyzing blast from Soundwave took them out of commission... all of them, that is, save for the Klingons, whose immunity to Soundwave's specific frequency allowed them to uncloak a flotilla of warbirds, who promptly incapacitated the Decepticons.
In the aftermath of the adventure, Jazz and the other Autobots parted ways with the crew of the Enterprise to continue roaming the stars aboard Fortress Tiberius, though Prime pledged to Kirk that the Autobots would remain on call to assist the Federation if their services were ever required. Prime's Directive, Part Five
Mazinger Z versus Transformers
Jazz was one of the many Autobots battling the Decepticons for control of a space bridge when a freak accident teleported both factions into the Japan of an alternate reality. After arriving, Baron Ashura initially misled the Autobots into helping the Iron Mask Army attack the Photonic Power Laboratory, but when the group fetched up against Kōji Kabuto's Mazinger Z super robot they soon realized that they'd been deceived and turned on their erstwhile allies.
When the Decepticons formed an alliance with the villains and made a second run on the building, Jazz took part in the battle and was present to witness the arrival of a Mazinger-powered Starscream. Ultimately, "Mazinscream's" destruction opened another dimensional rift that teleported Jazz and all of the remaining Cybertronians back to their home dimension. Mazinger Z versus Transformers
Transformers/Ghostbusters
When the Decepticons won the Great War, Jazz was one of the Autobots who fled the planet aboard the Ark, being spared the destruction of Cybertron and the near-extinction of the Cybertronian race by Gozer. A thousand years later, when Ectronymous Diamatron detected a Cybertronian beacon on the planet Earth, Ironhide opined that it was a Decepticon trick only for Jazz to wave this off as a paranoia. Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1
Transformers vs. The Terminator
One of the Autobots aboard the Ark, Jazz survived the Decepticons' ransacking of the ship but by 2029, he had been destroyed, his corpse littering Los Angeles. Enemy of My Enemy Part One To avert this timeline, the AI Skynet sent a lone T-800 back to 1984 to destroy the Cybertronians before they emerged. After the unit's interference had led to the Autobots surviving, Bumblebee and Arcee moved Jazz to the medical bay for repairs but this only wound up placing him at ground zero of one of the duplicitous T-800's pilfered bombs. Enemy of My Enemy Part Three
2019 IDW continuity
Jazz had connections with Cybertron's Colonial Security division and the Black Hub. Light/Star After Alpha Trion had gone missing, Jazz contacted Ultra Magnus, Trion's pupil, aboard the Fist of Iacon to inform him of this and covertly authorized a search and rescue mission. Given the political situation on Cybertron, Jazz felt it prudent to encrypt the relevant data. Storm Horizon Part 1
Precursor World
A Transformer resembling a particularly dazzling Jazz was a follower of Primus in the Golden Age. Like his fellows, he dutifully assisted Primus in his efforts to confiscate the Seven Lights from his dissenting army the Primus Vanguard and destroy the universe.
Jazz was present in the strike team Primus brought to bear against the Powered Masters in an expedition to the year 2050 of the next universe to capture its newly formed, empty Silver Matrix for his patsy Star Convoy. Abominus comic 2
When Star Convoy grew wise to his master's plan, Jazz helped restrain him as their master personally gathered the last two Star Powers from Megatron Omega and Purple Wicked Convoy. Finale Prelude
Primus's plan went real sideways after that, with Primus being reduced to his diminutive core form Oracle by the onslaught of the behemoth Neo Primus (no relation) and the Seven Lights being captured by malevolent future warrior Gold Megatron and used to create his own seven-part force, the New Primus Vanguard. Realizing the dire nature of the threat, Oracle reversed his orders, and Jazz and company freed Star Convoy and pooled their Golden Power into him. Star arose deputized into the Golden Age as Gold Primus Convoy, Primus's eighth and final champion! Finale
Transformers Go! Go!
Jazz was on patrol with Bumblebee when he decided to commemorate the peaceful evening by playing his bass guitar. The performance caught the attention of a local human band, who invited him onstage to perform with them, but Optimus caught wind of what they were up to and ordered Jazz to get back to work. Justice, Peace, and Rock 'n' Roll Jazz was one of several Autobots who travelled to a Planet of Games in search of energon, and was so excited by the adventure that he played a tune on his guitar before rolling out to stop the Decepticons. Great Adventure on the Planet of Games!
During a later battle against the Decepticons, Jazz asked Ratchet to fix his broken guitar, but Ratchet snapped at him to fix it himself. The Iron Man of Repair On Optimus Prime's birthday, Jazz wrote and performed a birthday song for his leader. The Commander's Birthday Jazz was present when Blaster gave a rap performance, and later helped organize a rap battle between Blaster and Soundwave when the two old rivals crossed paths. Although Blaster and Soundwave admitted a grudging respect for the other, the true was short-lived, much to Jazz's frustration. Go! Go! issue 13 Jazz took part in a battle against the Decepticons over the perfect spot to hold a barbecue. I Want to Protect This Place
Jazz took part in a snowball fight against the other Autobots until Wheeljack's snowball-making robot went haywire and sent everyone fleeing. Using their sonic powers, Jazz and Blaster laid down a barrage of covering fire so that Bumblebee could switch it off. Afterwards, Jazz and the other Autobots relaxed in an igloo they created using the excess snow. Go! Go! issue 18 On New Year's Day, Jazz had a peaceful day with the other Autobots until the Decepticons attacked, necessitating a battle that ended with them driving the villains off. The Transformers' Explosive New Years' Battle!
Later, Jazz joined Bumblebee and Arcee for a night of karaoke. The Trick to a Healthy Autobot Warrior
My Little Pony/Transformers
Jazz was one of the many Transformers who'd been brainwashed into a slave of the evil King Sombra. He and the other brainwashed Cybertronians fired on the Seekers and Wonderbolts when they launched a coordinated attack, but was incapacitated by Rainbow Dash's powerful "Sonic Rainboom" maneuver and captured in an energy net until a means of breaking the spell could be found. Stunt Flying
Transformers/Back to the Future
Jazz was one of the Autobots Gigawatt and Marty McFly pre-emptively reactivated in 1984 to prevent a time-travelling Rumble from altering history. Transformers/Back to the Future issue 4
Calm Sleep Stories
Jazz was Optimus Prime's intelligence officer. His sports car vehicle mode was able to go from 0 to 60 in 1.7 seconds, with a top speed of 400 mph.
Jazz stood watch one night as Optimus Prime and the rest of his Autobot team rested outside of the home of a generous human. He not only watched the local structures and vehicles, but also for meteors, in case they turned out to be Autobot starships.
One night on Earth, Jazz and the other Autobots visited a drive-in theater in Idaho. History of the Transformers
Legacy marketing material
Toxitron and his radioactive warriors Jazz, Grimlock and Cloudcover rose from the Toxic Sludge Swamps to unleash mayhem on Cybertron. Toxitron marketing material[1]
Energon Universe
Jazz was one of the many Autobots who fled Cybertron aboard the Ark following a 200 year war against the Decepticons Transformers #2 and among the Autobots who (unsuccessfully) engaged Megatron as the ship crashed. Transformers Energon Universe Special story
When Jetfire brought the vessel back online, Teletraan One first reconstructed Starscream who turned his null-rays on the Autobots. Before Starscream could execute Jazz, Optimus Prime was reactivated. Jazz's body was subsequently taken by Ratchet and Optimus Prime as they retreated from Starscream's superior force. Transformers #1
When Ratchet received a distress call from Optimus, Jazz was revived using the Autobots' remaining Energon in order to provide additional firepower. He and Ratchet arrived at the local hospital where the Decepticons had Optimus Prime and Cliffjumper at their mercy. Jazz quickly dispatched the larger Decepticons, shooting Starscream and slamming Soundwave into the ground. The Autobots rallied, prompting the Decepticons to retreat.
Jazz watched as Optimus used the last of the Matrix of Leadership's energy to restore power to the hospital and the subsequent argument between the Autobot leader and Ratchet for the use of the energy this way. However, he then ran out of power, as Ratchet only had enough Energon to sustain him for a short time. Jazz lamented that he had only been around for a short time, and Optimus encouraged him to rest as he slipped back offline. Transformers #4
Eventually, the Autobots were able to get the energy they needed by hooking up a makeshift turbine to a human dam, but the Decepticons caught wind of the scheme and launched an attack. Ratchet and a freshly revived Arcee had to rush to get Jazz out of stasis. The plan worked, and Jazz was brought back online just in time to save Cliffjumper from getting piledrived from behind by Rumble and back him up against Laserbeak and Thundercracker (and confuse Cliffjumper with some musical references). The battle was ended when Starscream managed to damage the turbine.
Prime chose that moment to lead a counterattack to retake the Ark. As they approached the Ark however, they were set upon by the Constructicons, and Jazz and Arcee were sent flying by Scrapper's bucket. Jazz and the others then looked on as the new arrivals formed Devastator. Transformers #5
Jazz had regained his footing by the time Prime had ordered the Autobots to retreat to the Ark. He laid cover fire against Devastator as Arcee dragged their leader inside the starship, the cover fire wasn't enough though as the Gestalt grabbed a hold of Ratchet. Jazz held onto Ratchet and closed the door, stopping the combiner, but at the cost of Ratchet's leg. Jazz and the others then got Optimus to a table to help the Autobot leader. He then faced off against Soundwave.Transformers #6
Jazz then consoled Cliffjumper before Wheeljack, in classic Wheeljack fashion, revealed he'd accidentally reactivated Skywarp locking them out of the repair systems. Transformers #7 When Decepticon activity was detected, Jazz would later join Prime, Cliffjumper, and Ratchet in boarding the partially revived Jetfire to head to the scene. Transformers #8 The Autobot assault was immediately put on the back foot as Jetfire was shot down by the energy of the Decepticon space bridge. It didn't get much better on the ground where a firefight began. Jazz attempted to help Optimus against the recently arrived Shockwave only to be run over by Scrapper.
After the battle, Jazz and Cliffjumper were dragged off by the Decepticons. Transformers #9 The pair were chained up in a dark room in the Decepticon's base, awakening just in time for Shockwave, Soundwave, and Thundercracker to arrive. Jazz offered some token resistance, but was still at the mercy of Shockwave's torture. Transformers #10 To Shockwave's annoyance, Jazz managed to keep his spirits up until the other Autobots arrived to rescue them. Shockwave took Cliffjumper hostage and called upon Devastator to attack the Autobots. Transformers #11 Jazz and the others held their ground in the ensuing firefight, and Carly's intervention gave the group the chance for a counterattack. Transformers #12
Games
Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' Minicar troops from the Decepticons, he could chance upon Jazz to navigate inside the Decepticons' maze-like base. Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game
The Transformers (1985)
Jazz was among the few remaining Autobots in the wake of the Decepticon creation of ROBO-CLONING technology. With his energy-starved comrades, he desperately sought pieces of the Autobot Energon Cube before the Decepticons could get their hands on them. The Transformers
The Transformers (PS2)
- Voice actor: Alex Easley (English)
In 2003, Jazz accompanied Optimus Prime and Wheeljack to the planet Zel Samine. A spacetime anomaly had recently occurred in the area, and an Autobot research team had lost contact with home base. Optimus and his lieutenants arrived to assess the situation. They soon learned that Megatron and the Decepticons were also on Zel Samine looking for the anomaly, and willing to help themselves to the planet's power supplies in the meantime.
Jazz and the Autobots thwarted Decepticon efforts to steal energy from the Zel Samine wind, geothermal and hydroelectric power plants. During the conflict, they were joined by Hound, Bumblebee and Highbrow of the research team, who provided them with more information about the UFO that fell to the planet after the spacetime anomaly.
While mulling over the new information, the Autobots received an SOS call from elsewhere on the planet, and raced to answer it. After fighting through the forces of Galvatron, Decepticon of the future, Jazz and his compatriots met up with Kup, Arcee, and the Autobot leader of 2010, Rodimus Prime. Rodimus explained that in their time, the Decepticon military commander Shockwave acquired a source of infinite power called Zel Quartz. It drove him to madness, and he destroyed Cybertron while threatening to lay waste to the rest of the galaxy. Rodimus Prime and the Autobots desperately coordinated with the Quintessons to use a timeslip device and travel back in time, preventing Shockwave from ever getting his hand on Zel Quartz. Unfortunately, Galvatron and the remaining Decepticons learned of the mission, and intercepted the Autobots on the way through the timeslip. Crashing in 2003 on Zel Samine, Rodimus was separated from his full team. Rodimus, Kup and Arcee joined up with Jazz and the present day Autobots to search for the Zel Quartz before the Decepticons could find it.
Wheeljack searched the planet for any records or power signatures that might be Zel Quartz. After three false leads, they finally located Zel Quartz at the Enormous Laser Transmission Array. After fighting through numerous Decepticon lieutenants, and facing the might of Megatron and Galvatron united, Jazz and the Autobots secured the Zel Quartz and ultimately disposed of it so that it could do no further harm. The Transformers
Kreon Chaos
Jazz specialized in demolition. He could lay down mines to destroy obstacles, which came in handy in the Autobots' mission to infiltrate the Decepticons' base to retrieve the Optimus Prime Kre-O kit parts held within. The Autobots eventually succeeded in their mission, and assembled the kit parts into a colossal Optimus Prime. Kreon Chaos
Bot Shots Battle Game!
Jazz participated in numerous one-on-one matches against other Autobots and Decepticons, using his fists, his sword, or his gun to defeat his opponents. Sometimes, he even faced off against himself! Bot Shots Battle Game!
Transformers Legends
Jazz was amongst the Autobots who fought back against the Decepticon Seekers when they went on a worldwide rampage. Robots in the Sky Jazz assembled a handpicked squad of Autobots for a mission to deliver energon to a hidden Autobot base. Unfortunately their plan was foiled by the interference of Rampage, Tantrum and Headstrong. Road to Ruin Jazz was among the Autobots to coat themselves in Electrum after finding a Golden Lagoon. The Golden Lagoon
Jazz was still fighting the good fight when the Aerialbots were sent back in time and helped Orion Pax and Ariel become Optimus Prime and Elita-One respectively. Golden Age After getting a new sound system, Jazz spent a night out with Bumblebee and Sparkplug testing it, only to return to base and find that the other Autobots had been turned evil thanks to Megatron's sabotage of the recharging chamber. While Sparkplug worked on an antidote, Bumblebee and Jazz went to halt the Autobot attack on Rutter Military Base. Attack of the Autobots
When Nightbird was reprogrammed to aid the Decepticons and stole the World Energy Chip from Autobot HQ, Jazz was among the Autobots who pursued her into the desert and successfully retrieved both her and the chip. Enter the Nightbird
Jazz took part in the defense of Autobot City during a Decepticon assault, but was unable to prevent their advance. One Shall Fall...
Angry Birds Transformers
Jazz appears as one of the first unlockable characters. He is portrayed by Bubbles. Angry Birds Transformers
Transformers: Battle Tactics
Jazz participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in multiple bodies:
- Jazz — This Rare character could be recruited by collecting 130 units of Cybermetal, 75 units of Transmetal, and 45 soldier cores.
- Jazz (G2) — This Epic character was available as a reward to 10 leagues (just 100 players!) in the G2-themed "Divide and Conquer" Medium event. Transformers: Battle Tactics
Transformers: Frontiers
Transformers Online (2017)
| “ | Have your own style of doing things or have none at all. | ” |
Before every battle, Jazz would decorate himself with tattoos to remind himself that no matter where he is, he's always a Cybertronian. However, Jazz does have an obsession with Earth's entertainment culture(s), such as break dance and ballet. His knowledge of Earth's environment and culture designated him as Optimus Prime's assistant. Even when given the most dangerous task to do, Jazz is able to complete the objective with an impeccable attitude and his own sense of swagger.
In battle, Jazz wielded a pair of "Static Shock Tonfas" and the "Arc Blaster". His active skill was "Gravitational Black Hole":
- Gravitational Black Hole — Jazz summons a black hole in a selected area. This black hole eradicates enemy shields, and all nearby enemies will be drawn into it for 1.5 seconds. Transformers Online [2]
Transformers: Earth Wars
Few assimilate local knowledge as readily and easily as chief scout Jazz, who devours alien culture with a hunger that can only be described as voracious. His knowledge of local terrain, geo-political nuances and customs makes him indispensable, and not only is he good at what he does - he does it with style. He may not be the biggest gun on the block, and he can get distracted, but he still pulls off the seemingly impossible with cool panache. Autobot Jazz bio
Jazz came to earth around the time the battle for the Codex key came to take place. With his special ability, Jazz destroyed many key targets, as did Mixmaster. Transformers: Earth Wars
- Class: Gunner
- Lowest Star Rating: 2 star
- Weapons: Jazz uses his signature "sound amplifier" grenade launcher. It doesn't do anything special, but it does create noise upon impact.
- Ability: Orbital strike: Call in an orbital strike dealing massive damage to a massive area.
- Cost: 9 ability points +3 for reuses.
Autobot Jazz at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki
Transformers: Forged to Fight
Jazz was one of the Autobots pulled from his universe by the Quintessons and forced to fight. He eventually joins the Commander. There are at least a few of him running around!
As a Scout, Jazz Confuses opponents, useful for baiting out their debuffed Special Attacks or Stunning themselves from Exhaustion. He can also take advantage of the combo meter and boost his Critical rate.
Transformers: Forged to Fight
Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive
Jazz took part in a series of attacks against multiple Decepticon bases, destroying them and defeating all enemies in the process. 1400 Armor, 1400 Blaster Strength, Score x36, Coins x5, Blaster Speed: Slow Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive
Transformers Roleplaying Game
Jazz was Optimus Prime's right-hand ‘bot. His laid-back personality, combined with a penchant for brilliant strategic tactics, made him a favorite of many Autobots; since coming to Earth, he developed a taste for human music. Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook
Commercial appearances
Jazz has appeared in numerous television commercials over the years. Commercials featuring original footage of Jazz include the following:
- Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp attacked a power plant; Jazz, Prowl, and Sideswipe drove out from their headquarters to counterattack. When Megatron joined the battle, the three Autobots flew away. The Transformers #1 commercial
- Jazz was briefly seen fighting alongside Optimus Prime in Earth's ubiquitous rocky deserts. Decepticon jets & Autobot cars commercial
- Jazz, Sideswipe and Prowl charged into battle alongside Optimus Prime. Optimus Prime and Megatron commercial
- Prowl, Jazz and Sideswipe were once more seen together, this time storming the Decepticon base. But unknown to them, the inconspicuous micro-cassette recorder lying nearby was the Decepticon communications officer, Soundwave! As soon as the Autobots stepped past him, Soundwave transformed and sic'ed Laserbeak on them. Soundwave commercial
- Jazz fought alongside Optimus when the Autobot leader summoned Smokescreen, Tracks, Hoist, Inferno, Red Alert, and Grapple to aid in defeating Megatron. Megatron responded by calling down Thrust and Dirge. Autobot cars plus Thrust and Dirge commercial
- When Starscream led an assault on the Autobots' launch base, Jazz followed Ultra Magnus in a counter-attack. Ultra Magnus commercial
- Jazz was being carried down a highway by Ultra Magnus when Galvatron and his troops came upon them. He, Tracks, Red Alert, and Smokescreen dealt with Starscream and Skywarp while their commander faced off against Galvatron. Ultra Magnus and Galvatron commercial
- Jazz was part of a troop of Autobots who interrupted a Decepticon Energon-gathering mission. Megatron ordered Runabout and Runamuck to deal with the meddlers. Battlechargers commercial
- When some humans approached an Autobot base, Jazz ordered Cosmos to shine their headlights on them, to reveal their allegiance. Jazz then declared that it was okay, since the humans were wearing Transformers reflective patches! Prizes in Disguise contest/reflective patches commercial
- Jazz was reunited with Optimus, emerging from his shell alongside Bumblebee and running up to help him fight Starscream in a darkened city. Prime gave them both a hug. Classic Pretenders commercial
- Jazz and Bumblebee managed to capture two of the Decepticons' Micromaster vehicles. They pulled the two vehicles into an Autobot base to show them to Optimus, only for a group of Micromaster Decepticons to transform them, and use the mini-bases to launch an attack! Micromaster micro bases commercial
- When Prime challenged a group of Autobots to give up their transforming powers to become "faster stronger more alive", Jazz was the first to volunteer. Action Masters commercial
- Jazz showed off the Hot Rod Patrol to Optimus Prime, telling him to check them out. Hot Rod and Construction Patrol commercial
- Jazz was seen driving down a ramp in a city and transforming, using his "robot ripping rocket launcher" to launch an attack against Ramjet and Starscream. Generation 2 jets and cars commercial
He also appeared in later promotional videos online:
- Jazz planned on attending BotCon 2009 alongside his fellow Autobots. BotCon 2009!
- For the Power of the Primes subline, Jazz appears driving across Cybertron to find a Prime Master before Starscream can. Micronus links to Jazz's Prime Armor to help him fight the Decepticon.
Toys
Notes
- Jazz's preliminary name was Jazzz.[3]
- In recent years, toys sporting the name "Jazz" require an additional prefix to make it easier to defend as a trademark. The most common prefix is "Autobot", hence making the toys' official name "Autobot Jazz". Other variants, most of them used for different-universe counterparts of Jazz, include "Final Battle Jazz", "Battle Jazz", "Stealth Ninja Jazz", "Freeway Jazz" and "Special Ops Jazz". For his Alternators toy, meanwhile, Hasbro used his traditional Japanese name, "Meister", which is the German word for "master" (used mostly in the "someone who excels in his field" sense). Ironically, Bob Budiansky's original version of the character's name had it spelled "Jazzz", with three "z"s, which might or might not have made it easier to defend as a trademark in recent years.
- Early in development, Bob Budiansky's original profiles for the Transformers characters also included nicknames by which they were known; Jazz went by "Coolsville". These nicknames were removed from the profiles when they were published as Marvel's Transformers Universe series, but some of them saw publication in The Transformers Comics Magazine.
- An actor in a Jazz costume was among "live" Transformers one could meet at the 1985 Universal Studios Tour.
- Jazz is in the unusual position of appearing a few times in season three of The Transformers without having a toy on the shelves at the time (the only other such characters were the iconic Optimus Prime, and a handful of probable animation errors.) He had no spoken lines, however; fans often claim that he was planned to have a larger role in the season which was cut following the death of his voice actor Scatman Crothers, but no real evidence exists to support this notion. Jazz is given speaking lines and more on-screen time, however, in the Japanese-exclusive Headmasters, a cartoon far less concerned than The Transformers about what toys were on the shelves.
- Scatman Crothers (as Jazz) is often credited as having coined the term "ginormous" (a portmanteau of "gigantic" and "enormous") when using it to describe Unicron in The Transformers: The Movie, a term which was officially added by the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary in 2007;[4] however, the term has actually been around for much longer, being listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as a "British informal" word that has existed since at least the mid-20th century.[5]
- Like a lot of other Generation 1 characters, Jazz's character model was subject to a few re-uses in the Unicron Trilogy, first appearing as a hapless victim of Unicron who had been absorbed into the chaos-bringer's body in the Armada episode, "Portent". Later, in the Cybertron episode, "Balance", Jazz turned up in a less-generic capacity, as one of the ancients who began the space bridge program—although he seemed a little like the odd 'bot out in the group, given that the others were Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime. Curiously, neither appearance adheres strictly to his original character model—"Portent" gives him individual eyes, rather than a visor, and "Balance" outfits him with toy-accurate shoulder-doors.
- Jazz's original form is the basis for the non-toy character Kawasaki Prime.
- Jazz's original Japanese name also works as a subtle play on words, as is common in Japan; "Meister" is a word describing a highly skilled person, and it also sounds similar to "Maestro"; a term often used to describe conductors of music.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Meister (マイスター Maisutā), Jazz (ジャズ Jazu)
- English: Marshall (Omni Productions dub)
- French: Saxo (Canada)
- Hebrew: Jazz (ג'אז, "Jazz")
- Italian: Tigre ("Tiger"), Folgore (Set Commandos four-pack), Bionic (Action Master)
- Mandarin: Juéshì (爵士, "Jazz" or "Sir")
- Portuguese: Lero-Lero (Brazil comics)
- Ukrainian: Dzhaz (Джаз, "Jazz")
- Korean: Jaejeu (재즈, "Jazz")
References
- ↑ "A collection of Transformers robots has risen out of the Toxic Sludge Swamps of Cybertron! Toxitron is unleashing radioactive mayhem with a team of toxic warriors"—Toxitron's product description, Hasbro Pulse, 2023/03/16
- ↑ Jazz on the Transformers Online website
- ↑ Post by Jim S on the Allspark Forums, 2007/12/25 (via the Internet Archive)
- ↑ Merriam-Webster adding the word "ginormous"
- ↑ Oxford dictionary entry for "ginormous"
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