Hot Shot (RID)

Hot Shot is the leader of the Autobot Spychangers from the Robots in Disguise continuity family.

The heat is on. It's on the street.

Hot Shot has served with Optimus Prime for many years. The leader of the ninja-like Spychangers, Hot Shot lives up to his name by using his special pyrokinetic abilities to make fire dance at his will. Though he puts on a show of being a gruff, no-nonsense duty-first sort, in the end it's the safety of those under his command that push him in his fight against the Predacons.

Fiction

2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon

Voice actor: Michael McConnohie (English), Eiji Takemoto (Japanese), Mikhail Tihonov (Russian), Alfredo Martins (Brazilian Portuguese)

This Hot Shot looks in anger, watching the bot who took his name.

When the Predacons stole the Plutonium Energy Generator, T-AI called in the Spychangers. Hot Shot, Crosswise and R.E.V. responded first, pursuing the Predacons onto the beach where they were joined by the other three Spychangers. Hot Shot suggested a spot of "cyber-jousting", and climbed onto W.A.R.S.. The Predacons eventually escaped with a fake generator which the Spychangers had swapped for the real one. Spychangers to the Rescue

After Optimus was captured and tortured by Megatron, the Spychangers joined the Autobot Brothers in rescuing their leader and seeing off the Predacons. Sideburn's Obsession

Later, the team tried to protect a ruby from Predacon theft, Hot Shot ordering Mirage onto a nearby roof to shoot the Predacons if all else failed. Mirage failed to take the shot and the Predacons got away. Though Hot Shot personally felt responsible, he was disturbed by Mirage's actions, especially when the Autobot failed to explain why he hadn't fired and even moreso when he appeared to have joined the Predacons. As it turned out, Mirage was undertaking a deception as he'd been bugged by Sky-Byte, and Hot Shot welcomed him back to the team. Mirage's Betrayal

The Spychangers also took part in the International Grand Prix in an attempt to find Skid-Z. Hot Shot was saved from Megatron's blinding blast by a warning from Optimus Prime, and attempted to tackle Megatron on his own, but failed. Skid Z's Choice On another occasion, the Spychangers were called back to base to watch footage of various battles, but had to wrap up a fight with the Predacons first. Hope for the Future

Hey, my toy can do that!

The Spychangers accompanied Optimus Prime to Montrose Island where Predacon activity was causing the volcano to become violent. They attempted to keep Scourge and Sky-Byte busy while Optimus went to use his blizzard storm on the volcano. When the volcano was ruptured and lava threatened the nearby resort, the Spychangers used their Inferno Blast to divert its path. Volcano

In between all their adventures, the Autobots still had to perform some of the more menial tasks, such as regularly testing out the global space bridge. Lessons of the Past

Sent to stop the Decepticons from finding Fortress Maximus, the Spychangers jumped out in front of the foe and were soundly trounced by Armorhide and Rollbar. Fortress Maximus

The Spychangers took part in the ambush of the Decepticons after the Autobot base was discovered. Surprise Attack! After Galvatron's defeat, they celebrated by racing with Skid-Z. The Final Battle

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Super Spychangers Lottery

With God Magnus having departed Earth aboard Brave Maximus, the Autobots were unable to call upon his power when a new menace, suddenly arose to challenge them. In order to combat this threat, a plan was put into motion to upgrade the Spychangers with Spark Engines, granting them Super Modes.

Super Art Fire gained the ability to manipulate blue, high-temperature flames and carried a more dignified presence of leadership. The Secret of the Birth of the Super Spychangers

Ask Vector Prime

According to a story heard by Vector Prime at Axiom Nexus, the threat was Chainsaw and his Mutants. Super Art Fire used his pyrokinesis to thwart Meathook on Kilimanjaro, then used his enhanced leadership when Chainsaw and the rest of his Mutants attempted to overrun the Autobot base. Using the power of teamwork, the Super Spychangers defeated and captured the villains. Though the Go-Brillium which powered them was used up and they were no longer Super, they retained new color schemes. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/01

Legends comic

When Scourge and his Combatrons attacked the Dimensional Patrol's Neo Brave Maximus to rescue Devil Gigatron, the Super Spychangers were sent out to the front lines. Their damage to the Combatrons' ship led to it crashing into the base. LGEX Scourge Prologue

Prevenge

Voice actor: Michael McConnohie (English)

Hot Shot and Ironhide fought against Wind Sheer, who was attempting to take hold of an O-part hidden away within a breakfast cereal box at a packing-plant. During the fight, a storage tank was ruptured, and thirty tons of Shredded Wheat poured out over the two Autobots. Ironhide was sucked away into a trans-dimensional portal during the confusion, and he yelled out to Hot Shot to avenge him, should he not return in time for the "third act". Prevenge

Toys

Robots in Disguise (2001)

The incredibly Stepper-looking Art Fire.

• Art Fire (Spychanger, March 2000)

• ID number: C-005
• Accessories: Rifle
• Known designers: Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

Released in the first wave of Car Robots product, "Art Fire" is a redeco of the Generation 2 Go-Bots Blowout mold, transforming into a sports car styled similarly to the Porsche 959. He features a through-axle construction that allows him to zip quickly along smooth surfaces in car mode, and is compatible with many "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox" racetracks. His roof has heat-sensitive paint that reveals an Autobot insignia, in a method similar to the original rubsigns.

This mold was also used to make the Generation 2 Go-Bot versions of Frenzy and Megatron.

• Fire/Art Fire.htm More information on Art Fire at TFU.info

• Spychanger DX 6-Piece Set (Multi-pack, March 2000)

• ID number: C-011
• Accessories: Rifle

All six Spychangers were not only sold as individuals in Japan, but in a six-piece giftset as well, also released in the first wave of the line. All of the toys within are identical to their individual releases, including their individual bio cards.

Sonokong also released this giftset in Korean markets in new windowless packaging, with each member lacking the heat-sensitive insignia.

• Korean blog post detailing the Sonokong release

• Art Fire (Original Spychanger, August 2000)

• Accessories: Rifle

An exclusive "Original Spychanger" redeco of Art Fire in clear-red and clear-green plastics, this version was only available from JUSCO stores in Japan as a direct-mail premium to members of their "Peppy Kids Republic" (元気キッズ共和国, Genki Kidzu Kyōwakoku), a sort of subsidiary/offshoot for selling baby goods and children's clothing. Since membership was open only to kids 12 and under and this version was shipped blind-packed, getting the entire set of six was extremely difficult.

• More information on JUSCO clear Art Fire at TFU.info

Ability to stick to any surface not included.

• Hot Shot / R.E.V. (Basic Class two-pack, July 2001)

• Accessories: Rifle

The Hasbro Robots in Disguise version of "Hot Shot" was available only in a two-pack with R.E.V., released in the first wave of "Basic" toys. This version replaces the heat-sensitive insignia with a normal Autobot insignia tampograph on the roof of the car. The window-paint changed to metallic blue, plus the toy was slighty retooled to have a locking tab on the windshield bottom to keep the car front end in place.

The initial releases of this set have Hot Shot packaged in robot mode with R.E.V. in vehicle mode, pointed straight upward. Later releases have both toys in vehicle mode, tilted to a 1 o'clock position.

• More information on Hot Shot at TFU.info

That moment when someone who took your name is more popular than you are.

• Hot Shot (Spy Changer, August 2002)

• Accessories: Rifle

All six original Spychangers were redecoed using clear versions of their normal plastic colors (keeping their normal paint applications, though), and released on individual cards through KB Toys and Target chains as exclusives. This packaging was the first to identify the team as "Spy Changers" in Hasbro's markets.

• More information on KB Toys clear Hot Shot at TFU.info

Would be invisible if not for the fact that he's on fire.

• Hot Shot (Spy Changer, June 2003)

• Accessories: Rifle

A second round of clear-plastic KB Toys-exclusive "Spy Changers" was released on individual Armada-style cards. This time around, Hot Shot was done in colorless, blue and red clear-plastics.

• More information on KB Toys clear white Hot Shot at TFU.info

• Hot Shot (Tiny Tins, July 2003)

• Accessories: Rifle, carrying tin

The normal Hasbro version of Hot Shot was rereleased as part of the first assortment of Tiny Tins Transformers, coming with a carrying tin. There are no notable changes to the actual toy from the normal Hasbro release.

Super Spychanger Lottery

One of these Hot Shots was washed in Tide.

• Super Art Fire (Spychanger, March 2003)

• Accessories: Rifle

Three years after the Car Robots line ended in Japan, Takara put out individually blind-boxed redecoes of the Spychangers, this time as part of the Super Spychanger Lottery line. These particular redecos represented Super Mode versions of the Spychangers. Art Fire was given a reversed white and black deco, with clear-green inner robot parts. His flames are painted a shiny metallic blue.

In each case of twelve Super Spychangers, two were all-clear-plastic versions (but keeping their paint applications). All six Spychangers had a clear variant, but there was no way to tell which two were clear without opening the boxes and opaque plastic bags within.

• More information on Super Art Fire at TFU.info
• More information on clear Super Art Fire at TFU.info

Notes

Brother from another toyline.

• The color scheme and deco of the original Spychanger toy is an homage to Stepper, an originally Japanese exclusive Targetmaster redeco of the 1984 Jazz toy that's now better known as "Ricochet" outside Japan. Hot Shot's Car Robots name is "Art Fire" (アートファイヤー Ātofaiyā), similar to Stepper's fellow Japan-exclusive Targetmaster, Artfire (アートファイアー Ātofaiā), although their names are spelled and pronounced differently in Japanese. (Art Fire's particular pronunciation may just be consistency with the pronunciation of "fire" in Fire Convoy's name.)
• In Japan, Art Fire is a relative of Fire Convoy. The exact nature of the relation is unknown; Hasbro sources have made no such connections between Hot Shot and Optimus Prime.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Art Fire (アートファイヤー Āto Faiyā)
• Korean: Art Fire (아트파이어 Ateu Paieo)
• Russian: Sorvigolova (Сорвиголова, "Daredevil")