Robert Edward O. Speedwagon (ロバート・E・O・スピードワゴン, Robāto Ī Ō Supīdowagon) is a character featured in Part I: Phantom Blood and Part II: Battle Tendency of the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He is depicted as a friend and ally to the Joestar Family and has continued to support them for the latter of the series via his organization, the Speedwagon Foundation.
Personality
Due to his ability to "smell out" the personality of people, he had recognized Jonathan's noble spirit during the events at Ogre Street and accompanies him on his further journey to defeat Dio. In the same manner, he helps Jonathan uncover Dio's plot and exposes Dio's self-pitying facade as a cover for his naturally evil behavior.
When it comes to battle, if he is not fighting, Speedwagon tends to go into detail explaining the current situation, and does so by yelling most of the time. When he feels it necessary, he will give aid to his allies without second thought, as shown when he helps Zeppeli defrost his arm during their first battle with Dio.
Equipped with a courteous nature, despite his original background as a thug, he is familiar with giving one's privacy; this is apparent when upon trying to enter Jonathan's room, he witnesses the nurse, Jonathan's former love Erina, nurse him back to health and leaves Jonathan to Erina's care.
During the events of Part I: Phantom Blood, Speedwagon had become Jonathan's most loyal friend and greatest ally of the Joestar Family.
Even after Jonathan's death, Speedwagon never sought Erina as a love interest and remained friends with her out of respect for Jonathan. Regardless, Speedwagon takes care of Erina and Joseph Joestar much like a father figure or close uncle.
Speedwagon even stipulates in his will that his foundation be used to fund medical and archaeological advancements, and his organization aids the Joestar family time and time again long after his death.
Synopsis
History
Robert Edward O. Speedwagon is a man who lived in the darkness ever since his birth. Growing up on the dangerous Ogre Street, he stole things to live and met all kinds of bad people in his life, to the point of telling apart a good person from a bad person just by their smell. He eventually became the leader of the thieves in Ogre Street, befriending a Kenpo Master and Tattoo.
Phantom Blood (1888-1889)
Speedwagon first appears as an Ogre Street thug boss attacking Jonathan Joestar, but soon realized the young man's worthiness and dedication, and becomes his good friend. He helps to uncover Dio Brando's plot to assassinate George Joestar and from that point onward remained by Jonathan's side, helping in whatever way he could to defeat Dio. According to Will Anthonio Zeppeli, Speedwagon could never master the art of hamon,
Battle Tendency (1938-9)
Speedwagon had traveled to America sometime in between the events of Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency, where he would discover oil and form the powerful Speedwagon Foundation. His team would discover the pillar man Santana, but during that discovery, Straizo would betray them and turn into a vampire himself, killing several researchers whose blood would awaken Santana. Speedwagon would have died from his wounds if it had not been for his rescue by Rudol von Stroheim, a Nazi general conducting experiments with the Stone Mask and Santana. After Joseph defeats Santana, Speedwagon spends most of the story accompanying Erina and Smokey, while withholding information about the Pillar Men from them at Joseph's request.
Legacy
Speedwagon dies of a heart attack at the age of 89. Even after his death, he would dedicate the Speedwagon Foundation to biochemical science and technology and use it to help the Joestar family throughout Parts 3-6. His men would go on to help Jotaro destroy the remains of Dio and create the prosthetic hand for Joseph Joestar, as well as study the Stand-creating Arrow, analyze Giorno Giovanna's Joestar bloodline, and maintain Jotaro's health after his Stand Discs are stolen by Whitesnake.
Steel Ball Run
Mountain Tim is most likely Speedwagon's counterpart, as they sport the same hairstyle and Tim later receives the same prominent scar across the face as the one Speedwagon has. This is further supported when comparing the possible unrequited relationship between Speedwagon and Erina and the one of Tim and Lucy Steel, who is considered one of Erina's SBR counterparts.
The Speedwagon Foundation is also mentioned as a sponsor of the race, but its origin is not revealed.
Abilities
It is said Speedwagon couldn't master the Hamon because he wasn't pressured enough, different from Jonathan and Zeppeli, both who carried the mission to stop Dio and the Stone Mask. Zeppeli tried to help him create small ripples by stimulating the muscles of his diaphragms that moves his lungs, but accidentally missed the right point and just managed to hurt Speedwagon. Due to his life on the street, he is however fairly resourceful and has mastered several useful techniques including the ability to determine someone's moral alignment based off their smell.
Saw-Hat: Speedwagon wore a bowler hat with a hidden buzz-saw built into it sharp enough to cut through bone. Speedwagon used it during his days as a thief, throwing the hat at his opponent as a projectile for a deadly attack. It was replaced with Zeppeli's hat towards the later half of Part I.
Hammer: Not being able to master the ripple didn't stop Speedwagon from helping in the fight. He used a sledgehammer powerful enough to kill zombies in just one strike by smashing their heads. In an anime filler, Speedwagon tried to smash one of Dio's severed hand with it.
Following the events of Part I, Speedwagon traveled to America and hit it rich in the oil industry. With his fortune he created the Speedwagon Foundation, an organization featuring studies in medical research, wild animal and plant protection, and secretly a Supernatural Research Department with the sole purpose of aiding the Joestar Family. As head of this company, Speedwagon has full power over all employees, including several leading scientists and workers. Speedwagon often employs resources in the organization, including transportation by helicopters, submarines, cars and planes, as well as development in weapons technology.
In Video Games
Famicom Jump: Hero Retsuden (NES)
Old Speedwagon appears in the game as one of the characters Joseph can talk with to obtain minor information during the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Story Part.
Phantom Blood (PS2)
Speedwagon makes his playable debut in the Phantom Blood PS2 game. Introduced as a boss alongside Kempo Master and Tattoo, the player fights them as Jonathan.
As a Boss character, Speedwagon uses punches and kicks as normal moves and can throw his bowler hat at Jonathan as a special move. After being beaten, Speedwagon becomes a playable character in some chapters, changing his moveset to allow him to fight using a hammer. His special move has him spin several times, hammering nearby enemies.
All-Star Battle (PS3)
Speedwagon appears as the main host character in the game, guiding the player in the Main Menu. He also appears in the 5th PV, introducing new characters and game mechanics.
Speedwagon also appears in the background and as part of the stage hazard in Dio's Castle. Where he notes when the chandelier is about to fall and warns both players.
Stardust Shooters (Android/iOS)
Speedwagon appears as one of several characters who possesses a Metal Striker. Both his Part I and Part II incarnations appear as a playable Metal Strikers.
His Part I incarnation Finishing Move throws his bowler hat at the opponent, while his Part II incarnation simply makes a "hit" effect appear on defeated opponents.
Eyes of Heaven (PS3/PS4)
Speedwagon was confirmed alongside Jonathan and Zeppeli in Eyes of Heaven.
His Style is titled 'Ogre Street Techniques', and his playstyle revolves around summoning his allies from Ogre Street to assist him in battle with his combos or act as shields, as hitting them temporarily takes them out of the battle. He also serves as a narrator for the 1st demo's and tutorial's battles, where he is referred to as 'The Interfering Speedwagon'.
He appears in the game's Story Mode as his Part I incarnation, stopping Joseph and Jotaro at the Cairo airport after the final battle with DIO.
Trivia
- There are several similarities between Speedwagon and Dio. Like Dio, he came from a poor family, fights with dirty moves, believes Jonathan to be a foolish man, and is named after a prominent rock group. However, unlike Dio, he had a change of heart and became a better person. Ironically enough, he obtained the level of success that Dio desired: discovering oil in America and becoming rich as a result, as well as becoming one of the most recognized people in the world through his organization.
- He never married, but Joseph believed him to have held some attraction to Erina. It was hinted that they remained separate due to their mutual respect for the deceased Jonathan.
- In the anime several of Speedwagon's attempts to help the group were cut or shortened for unknown reasons.
- Speedwagon is the subject of the infamous "Even Speedwagon is afraid!" meme. Said meme was spawned from Phantom Blood and it is when everyone in the Joestar mansion bears witness to Dio's resurrection as a vampire. One panel shows Speedwagon shrieking in terror whilst Jonathan, narrating, points out that even the hardy criminal Speedwagon is scared out of his wits. The line and panel are memetic not just for Speedwagon's almost comical reaction but for Jonathan's line being an example of stating the obvious.
- His name is reference to the rock band, R.E.O. Speedwagon.
Gallery
Concept Art for the Anime
Speedwagon's first appearance in Ogre Street
First appearance of TV Anime version
Speedwagon using his hammer to destroy the Stone Mask
Cover, Chapter_46; the "The Living Statue"
- GIMikeHarper.png
Mike Harper, a character from Gorgeous Irene, is a likely basis for Speedwagon.<ref>Gorgeous Irene Ch. 3
Speedwagon as he appears in All-Star Battle
Speedwagon in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven
Speedwagon fighting alongside Jonathan, in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure:Eyes of Heaven PS3/PS4
References
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