Rocket Jo

The jet pack takes off without Rocket Jo! He stares up at the sky, a dazed look on his face. A few seconds later, various pieces of the dismantled jet pack start raining down, one by one - the engine, then the turbine blades, next the reactor, then the steering levers.

It’s Rocket Jo’s lucky day - or so it would seem! The reactor ignition phase is wrinkle-free and now he’s taking off! The blades are spinning optimally, taking him soaring up into the sky. RJ is beaming with triumphant delight! But suddenly, there’s a dull explosion and the jet pack is violently shaken!

Rocket Jo is standing in front of us, ready to embark on a new trial. True to his obsessive perfectionism, he adjusts his rearview mirror one last time. The lamp’s articulated arm lowers unexpectedly, with a plaintive metallic whine.

Rocket Jo tugs the wire and - quite astonishingly - disappears! (author's note: this action is accompanied by a “Pop!” sound) Barely two seconds later, he reappears in the background. Jo is baffled. He pulls on the “starter” wire again, only to find himself projected back to where he started originally!

Rocket Jo shows the camera his jet pack, fitted with two solar panels. The experiment seems to be proceeding beautifully: Rocket Jo takes off! But a cloud drifts over, gradually blocking out the sunlight; the pilot lowers gradually down until he finally reaches the ground.

Rocket Jo tugs at the starter wire then gets into “take-off position”. A blank expression adorns his face as he waits for the reactor to start up. All of a sudden, the character dislocates into a pile of spare parts.