Buzz Lightyear

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This article is about Buzz Lightyear. You may be looking for the alternate universe counterpart, or the child clone counterpart.

“To infinity... and beyond!”

—Buzz Lightyear's catchphrase

Buzz Lightyear is Star Command's most celebrated Space Ranger, having the reputation of always triumphing over evil. He is the leader of Team Lightyear, working alongside rookies Mira, Booster, and XR.

Physical description

Buzz is a well-built, muscular human possibly in his forties, with a broad chest, large feet, and a prominent chin marked by a swirl-like dimple. He always wears the purple hood of his uniform's undersuit, even when dressed casually. If he has hair, the natural color is likely blue.

History

Early life

Childhood

"Aggressively normal."

―Buzz describing his childhood to Dr. Animus

Buzz was born on the planet Morph, but was possibly raised on Capital Planet by his grandmother, Nana Lightyear, as she is the only relative he has ever mentioned.

From an early age, Buzz was interested in physics, such as oscillac wave formations and negative gravity fields. He was also surrounded by stories of Star Command, which fueled his lifelong dream of becoming a Space Ranger.^[source?] He attended PS -19³ for primary school.

File:Buzz in his youth.png

Buzz at 9 years old.

Growing up, he wanted toys that were rather dangerous for his age group. For his sixth birthday, he asked Nana Lightyear for a Ranger-X Big Blue Rocket that could shoot real flames, but much to his disappointment he received socks instead. At nine, he asked Santa Claus for a Retro Rocket Racer with real flashing lights and a working laser. However, Santa never gifted him the toy because Buzz had once injured his cat Fluffy with a blaster, proving that he was too careless with such toys at that age. As a result, he stopped believing in Santa.

Regardless of his behavior, Buzz joined the Junior Space Rangers, though he once skipped out on a meeting when he was twelve and didn't get his zero gravity rope tying merit badge. The empty space on his uniform sleeve was a wake-up call that encouraged him to shape up from that point onward.

His first summer job was as a stock boy at a local rocketarium, which he looks back on fondly as "good, honest work."

Joining Star Command

File:Buzz studying at Cosmo's.png

Buzz even studied at Cosmo's.

Eventually, Buzz enrolled in the Space Ranger Academy. During his time there, he underwent rigorous training and studied long hours, even doing his homework at places like Cosmo's. He trained alongside the likes of Ty Parsec and Warp Darkmatter. In time, Buzz's dedication and skill earned him a reputation as an Academy legend, and he graduated first in his class.

Temporarily resigning

However, when Buzz was still just coming up out of the Academy, he was once in hot pursuit of a criminal, and against direct orders to break off when entering Capital Planet's atmosphere, he continued the chase and blew up half of Alliance Plaza—and the evidence along with it—just to make the arrest. With no solid evidence to present in court, the criminal walked free and Buzz faced disciplinary charges for his "over-the-line" conduct. Disillusioned by the justice system, he decided to quit.

The incident left Buzz embittered by the justice system. Wandering aimlessly, he ended up traveling to the far edge of the Galactic Frontier. On a lone planet, he crash-landed on an arcadium gas farmstead and met Myka and his mother Zoey, who sheltered him during his stay. He also came into conflict with Vartkes, a ruthless gas baron who exploited gas harvesters through intimidation and deceit. Helping Myka and Zoey stand up to Vartkes reminded Buzz of what it truly meant to be a Space Ranger: to never give up on what you believe in. Reaffirmed in his purpose, he defeated Vartkes and his gang before returning to Star Command.

Life as a Space Ranger

Early career

Over the years, Buzz grew into an exemplary Space Ranger, renowned for his legendary exploits.^[source?] He even became a role model for young children, such as a young Booster Munchapper. His influence extended into official policies as well, as he wrote half of Star Command's current regulations and several training manuals and guide books, including most of the Space Ranger Mission Manual^[source?] and Discovering Hidden Escape Options.

File:Ty is unimpressed by Buzz.png

Buzz reuniting with Ty.

Even from early on in his career, Buzz developed a reputation for preferring to work alone. Still, there were several occasions when he went on rescue missions to provide backup for his fellow Space Rangers. One of these Space Rangers was Ty Parsec, whom Buzz saved multiple times, some examples including from a flesh-eating drill wasp, from the brain ticks of Betahart 4, and from the chest-bursting vipers of Motzroth. In total, Buzz saved Ty fifty times, and came to regard Ty as a close friend. Another Space Ranger Buzz would save on occasion was Rocket Crocket, though the two never got along. Additionally, when Buzz was a rookie, he once infiltrated the stronghold of a gaseous crime lord to save a friend, and managed to not only deodorize the crime lord but win a medal of honor.

File:Buzz and Warp grinning at each other.png

Buzz and Warp, before the latter's betrayal.

However, likely sometime within the last ten years, Buzz was assigned a permanent partner: Warp Darkmatter. They worked together until Warp's staged death and betrayal.^[source?]

Present

Twenty years after his encounter with the gas baron, Buzz Lightyear has become a renowned Space Ranger. He has become a household name by this point, and everyone knows him. After his partner Warp Darkmatter was revealed to be a traitor, Buzz teamed up with three rookies: Mira, Booster, and XR, and the four of them became known as Team Lightyear.

Future

At 150 years old, Buzz finishes inventing a time machine that enables him to travel back to the past. He does this to prevent Mira's death on a mission, an event that haunted him for decades after the fact.

Personality and traits

Buzz is a one-dimensional individual, being wholly devoted to the idea of the model Space Ranger. While this has made him a highly decorated and accomplished hero, this has left him with very little resemblance of a social life, and he often appears confused or lost when handling non-Star Command related activity. However, despite being socially awkward, he is an honest man and a hard worker. He believes that diligence pays off, and that taking shortcuts often leads to complications, although he doesn't mind hiding things under the rug sometimes, such as reports. Despite his insistence on honesty and strict moral guidelines, he is not above bending small rules once in a while, provided it is for the greater good. Buzz also gets "cranky" when he isn't the "center of attention", as once relayed by his future self.

Buzz has a tendency to fluctuate between basking in his achievements and being humble. He also seems to get tongue-tied when it comes to the ladies, most notably Dr. Ozma Furbanna, Sally and Bonnie Lepton. He is also known to occasionally hold grudges, such as a failed relationship with an unknown woman. He holds a strong dislike for his former friend and current enemy Warp Darkmatter for his betrayal.

He can also be very kind and caring to children.

When it comes to his favorite foods, Buzz seems to be fine with eating portions that have a single bug on them, nonchalantly flicking the offending creature off of a spoonful of Cosmic Chili in one instance. Speaking of, Buzz's favorite food is Cosmo's cosmic chili.

One of Buzz's hobbies includes studying up on Zurg's habits and weaknesses. He also enjoys exploring uncharted planets in his spare time.

Skills and abilities

Buzz is highly trained in multiple forms of martial arts and self-defense, which augment the abilities offered to him by his standard Space Ranger suit. He is excellent at flying, piloting all kinds of flying vehicles.

Equipment

Buzz's Space Ranger suit allows him to fly, utilize a wrist-mounted laser beam, and has a built-in communications system capable of contacting Star Command from distant locations. It also has a built-in environmental system, allowing him to survive in the vacuum of space. The suit is also highly modular, allowing for additional attachments and systems when necessary.

Buzz is also capable of using Star Command weapons, as well as creating his own.

Behind the scenes

"That was it—the ultimate cop, the last boy scout, the over-dramatic, too-good-to-be-true guy whose biggest character flaw is that he believes his own legends. Patrick pulled it off perfectly—right then we knew he was our Buzz Lightyear."

―Mark McCorkle

Initially, Tim Allen was meant to reprise his role as Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. However, when scheduling difficulties prevented him from doing so, executive producers Tad Stones, Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley went over their original notes and found comments from John Lasseter, the creator of Toy Story, stating that he had always envisioned Buzz as "the ultimate cop in space." This led the producers to eventually discover Patrick Warburton, who portrayed a police officer "engrossed in his own by-the-book world" in a Cadillac commercial, which perfectly encapsulated their vision for the character.

Warburton was pleased to have the opportunity to voice such an engaging and high profile role, and found it to be a lot of fun because it meant he could pretend to be a superhero. He praised both the writers and voice director, explaining that while there was no need to deviate from his dialogue there was still enough leeway for improvisation, providing him the opportunity to expand on the role. "I guess there's a bit of myself in Buzz, and there's a lot of Buzz in me," he stated. His favorite Buzz Lightyear moments were those that involved emotion rather than action due to Buzz's "fun [emotional] range" as a capable hero comfortable in just doing his job, but the complete opposite when it comes to "dealing with people on a human level," such as being flirted with.

He spent a total of two years recording lines. Unfortunately, without any animated footage to speak of during the time, even his own children began to doubt if he was truly voicing Buzz Lightyear for a new series. When the series was officially announced in 2000, their excitement was rejuvenated.

McCorkle described Warburton's portrayal of Buzz as a "cosmic combination" of Joe Friday and Maxwell Smart, and Schooley stated that Buzz himself is like "Joe Friday in a spacesuit."

When The Adventure Begins was scheduled for direct-to-video release, Tim Allen reprised his role as Buzz Lightyear to better connect the series to the Toy Story films. However, according to Stones, Allen found it difficult to dub over Warburton's lines due to the latter's cadence and rhythm.

Trivia

File:Personnel file - Buzz Lightyear.png

Buzz Lightyear's Star Command personnel file

• Buzz was named after Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, and his last name was intentionally space-related because of him being a Space Ranger.
• The inspirations for Buzz’s character were Toy Story's director, John Lasseter's old G.I. Joe action figure, as well as Lasseter himself, Rom the Space Knight, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo from the Star Wars franchise, and the DC Comics superhero Batman.^[source?]
• Buzz's house on Capital Planet is based off of an old Disneyland attraction from the 1960s called House of the Future.
• Buzz graduated first in his class.
• Buzz has received the following commendations:
  • Order of Galactic Merit. First Class
  • The Andromeda Cross
  • The Pleadiean Cluster
  • The Solar Wind Award for Courage
  • The Nebula Heart
  • Blue Medallion of Excellence
  • The Golden Ring of Jupiter
  • The Galactic Starburst
  • The Order of a Thousand Suns
  • The Cosmic Pulsar of Glory
• A total of four "clones" of Buzz appear at different points throughout the series:
  • A goatee-wearing Buzz Lightyear of an alternate universe where Buzz is a maniacal villain, who would later wind up trapped in Buzz's own universe to become an occasional threat.
  • An evil clone of Buzz named Zzub was created by Zurg in an attempt to combat Star Command, but ended up as a child due to the Emperor's impatience.
  • An elderly Buzz Lightyear from the future traveled back in time to warn his younger self about Mira Nova's death.
  • An animatronic statue of Buzz was created by Zurg to fool Buzz into thinking he had traveled into the future.
• He's ticklish in certain areas of his body.
• He seems to have a soft spot for cats.
• He has his own food brand called Buzz Bars.
• He was able to fly Santa's sleigh.
• He is the only member of Team Lightyear with an evil counterpart.

Appearances

Episodes

The Adventure Begins The Torque Armada Gravitina XL Little Secrets Inside Job NOS-4-A2 The Planet Destroyer The Beasts of Karn Tag Team The Main Event The Return of XL Lost in Time Strange Invasion The Taking of PC-7 Mindwarp Mira's Wedding Panic on Bathyos Shiv Katall Rookie of the Year Stress Test

A Zoo Out There Root of Evil Super Nova Downloaded The Plasma Monster Wirewolf The Crawling Flesh Dirty Work The Slayer The Lightyear Factor Clone Rangers Bunzel Fever Rescue Mission Devolutionaries Head Case The Yukari Imprint The Shape Stealer Star Crossed Haunted Moon Star Smasher Stranger Invasion

Eye of the Tempest Revenge of the Monsters Lone Wolf Planet of the Lost Revenge of the Raenoks Enemy Without a Face The Starthought Millennial Bugs Conspiracy At Large on a Small Planet Sunquake Good Ol' Buzz First Missions Large Target War and Peace and War Return to Karn Speed Trap Holiday Time Opposites Attract Ancient Evil 42

Books

• Attack of the Energy Vampire
• Blast Off
• Buzz vs. Torque: One-On-One
• The Good, the Bad, and the Robotic
• Infinity and Beyond
• Meet the Space Rangers
• Space Action
• Speed Trap
• Team Lightyear
• Trapped in Time

Comics

• The Emperor's New Throne
• Monday, Monday
• The Foolium Effect
• Three Cheers for Zurg
• Project G

Games

• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

Notes

To rewrite:

Warp Darkmatter

File:Buzz and Warp grinning at each other.png

Buzz with Warp

Back at the Academy, Buzz and Warp were almost considered legends.

One of the Space Rangers Buzz and Warp are often sent on rescue missions to find Little Green Men on Uncharted Moon Buzz opening his mission log about a gaseous planet he arrives on, having found no forms of any intelligent life when he gets blinded by light by his partner Warp Darkmatter. Buzz promptly puts on his visor for a bit before continuing his investigation on the planet. After finishing his search, Buzz rides with his partner in the buggy with three little green men coming along.
Buzz also believes the disappearance of the three aliens' friends was the work of his arch-nemesis Zurg, also the main foe of the Galactic Alliance. Just then Buzz and his partner were attacked by a trio of serpentine alien beasts called crater vipers, prompting them to take action against these monsters. However Buzz watches the little green men walk into a crater, much to his irritation. .

Later, when Buzz invades Planet Z, Agent Z battles Buzz, but Buzz manages to defeat Agent Z and hold him at laser point. It was then that Agent Z removes his helmet and reveals himself to be Warp Darkmatter, shocking Buzz long enough for the latter to punch him unconscious. When Buzz regains consciousness, Warp reveals that he had been working for Zurg ever since his training days at the academy, serving as a spy within Star Command until he had learned of the Uni-Mind's existence. Warp also revealed that the previous kidnapping of the LGMs and the self-destruction sequence were nothing but ruses to fake his death in order to sever his ties with Star Command, and that he finds the epitome of evil to be more fun and profitable. This leaves Buzz so shocked and furious of the fact that he considered Warp as a close friend. Zurg then taunted Lightyear on his naive friendship with Darkmatter, and then plans to use the corrupt Uni-Mind to enslave him as well.

File:Buzz reunites with Warp.png

Buzz is shocked to see Warp alive. But Warp is on Zurg's side over him?

Cargo Ship 99 is cleared for passage through the Gamma Quadrant when it is attacked by Warp Darkmatter (after he escaped from prison) and a group of Hornets. Before Warp can destroy the auto-pilot, Buzz Lightyear appears from a hole in the floor, which he creates via his wrist laser, and disintegrates Warp's weapon. Warp orders the Hornets to attack, but Booster (now a space ranger) drops down from a hole in the ceiling and crushes them. Before Booster can arrest him, Warp leaps over his head and activates his jet-pack, speeding down the corridor above. He contacts his back-up Hornets to rendezvous with him in the cargo hold, but is intercepted by XR. He knocks XR out of the air with the tip of one of his wings while the robot blathers, but his exit is blocked by Mira, who damages his jet-pack and sends him dropping to the ground. Taking advantage of Mira's stuttering attempt to arrest him, he fires two sticky bombs at her, but they pass through her.
She is less than impressed, until they explode behind her. Warp is amused at their feeble attempts, until Buzz appears behind him and activates his jet-pack, which sends Warp flying for the ceiling and getting stuck. He orders the Hornets to attack him, and they send Buzz hurtling down into the cargo hold.
As Booster and XR are following that order, Buzz and Mira end up in a bit of a snag with Warp, who is using a plasma cannon (which, as the two Space Rangers point out, is an outlawed weapon, and Buzz adds its use to Warp's criminal record) but just before that cannon can do the worst on them, they are saved by a mysterious force-field. At first, Buzz thinks it's one of Mira's powers and praises her for it, but she tells him that she isn't doing that and it's coming from a cargo-box that they are standing near... one that is labeled "NOS-4-A2". After that, that same box temporarily levitates while draining all the energy from the Hornets and disintegrating the plasma cannon. Warp is impressed, though slightly annoyed, saying that it might be what his master, Zurg, wanted from the Cargo Ship and, if not, there's no way he'll let such power belong to Star Command, and just to be sure, he sets the ship to self-destruct.

Ty Parsec

File:Ty is unimpressed by Buzz.png

Buzz reuniting with Ty.

Back at the Academy, Buzz and Ty were considered legends.

One of the Space Rangers Buzz was often sent on rescue missions to provide aid to was Ty Parsec. Buzz saved Tye multiple times throughout the years, some examples including from a flesh-eating drill wasp, from the brain ticks of Betahart 4, and from the chest-bursting vipers of Motzroth. In total, Buzz saved Ty fifty times, and came to regard Ty as a close friend.

Judging by most of the stories, Buzz had a reputation for saving Ty on a regular basis, something that the latter Space Ranger resented greatly. Although Buzz affectionately calls Ty his "buddy," completely oblivious to the latter's resentment, Ty felt that Buzz always overshadowed him, so when he was stationed at Canis Lunis he was more than happy to have an excuse to get away from Buzz. It is safe to say that they probably weren't partners.

Spoken by Buzz

Catchphrases

"To infinity... and beyond!"

―Buzz Lightyear

"Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!"

―Buzz Lightyear

"Not today, Zurg!"

―Buzz Lightyear

The Adventure Begins

The Plasma Monster

"Oh, it is... Until the day she says you're interfering with her career. Oh sure, you picked out the curtains and China pattern, but she doesn't care - she just needs her 'alone time'. ALONE TIME WITH HER ZERO-GRAV TENNIS INSTRUCTOR, FRANZ!! Next thing you know, she vaporizes your heart, flushes it out the airlock like so much space debris, and when it's all over, SHE HOPES YOU'LL STILL BE FRIENDS!! You know what friend means, Booster?! It means LOSER! LOSER, LOSER, LOOOOSER!!!"

―Buzz telling Booster about a former relationship of his

Lone Wolf

"The system might be stacked against us. That means we have to fight even harder for what is right. It's not easy, but name me one worthwhile thing that is."

―Buzz Lightyear

Spoken about Buzz

TBA