| Anime | Live Action |
- "I detest being ignored!"
- ―Teddy Bomber[src]
Ted Bower, more commonly known as the "Teddy Bomber," was an activist and terrorist who used explosive teddy bears to destroy what he viewed as symbols of capitalism.
Appearance[]
Bower was a middle-aged man of average height, with a slightly-seedy build. He had a full head of hair and beard, both turning grey as he approached middle age.
In order to facilitate his bombing practices, Bower often wears disguises that fit the locations he is bombing. For his first target, he dons a security guard outfit, allowing him to move about the building without being questioned. The next target happens to be hosting a costume party, so Bower wears a fitting costume: a large teddy bear suit. While confronting Spike and Andy at City Hall, he wears normal clothes; a shirt and light jacket with shorts and boots.
Bower is also always seen wearing at least one watch on his wrist, which doubles as a remote for his explosives.
Personality[]
Bower viewed himself as an activist, trying to warn the public about the dangers of unchecked capitalism. He sees the tallest skyscrapers of Mars as symbols of these capitalistic dangers and has resolved to destroy them, starting with the tallest.
Despite claiming to be working for political ideals, the root of Bower's psyche is a desperate need for people to acknowledge both him and what he says. As the feud between Spike and Andy escalates, Bower becomes increasingly frustrated by their indifference to his mission. Every time he attempts to explain his goals, he is interrupted before he can finish. Bower even resorts to sending a letter directly to the hosts of Big Shot, the bounty hunter informational TV show. Even this message is cut off when the show runs out of time.
Fed up with being ignored, Bower arranges a final explosion at City Hall in an attempt to eliminate both Spike and Andy. This is an abandonment of one of his main ideals, having stated previously that he has never attempted to target human lives. His plan shows the effect that Spike and Andy's indifference has had on him, and how deeply he hates being ignored.
Abilities[]
As a bomber, Bower is highly skilled in making explosives. His bears are relatively small, but can create huge explosions, enough to create significant structural damage to large buildings. He also has skill with electronics, utilizing custom remote detonators in his bears, as well as hacking the elevator used to trap Spike and Andy at City Hall.
History[]
Bower started his bombing in 2071 and incurred a bounty of 3 million Woolong . As he left one of his bombing sites, one of the tallest buildings on Mars, he was stopped by Spike on the escalator. Spike had rendered one of his bombs useless and was ready for capture. However, just before being arrested, Andy crashed into the building and mistook Spike for the bomber. As they argued, Bower escaped and detonated two remaining bombs. A major portion of the building collapsed as Spike and Andy ran away.
Teddy Bomber in disguise
Bower's next target was another high rise building, this one playing host to a high-class costume party. Bower donned a large teddy bear outfit as a disguise and planted his bombs. Before being able to carry out his plan, however, Spike and Jet tracked him down using the ignition pin from one of the previous bombs. Once again, Andy interrupted and ruined a chance at an arrest. Frustrated that he can't be heard again, he detonated his bombs after loudly proclaiming that he hates being ignored. He escaped to a parking garage to his car, however, he had Andy at his heels. Driving wildly through the streets of Mars, he eventually crashed into a street vendor, however, looking back, Bower was surprised to see that Andy had completely forgotten about him, instead chasing Spike in his mono-racer.
Fed up with being laughed at and ignored, Bower sent a message directly to the Big Shot hosts. He claimed to be planning one final bombing that will be the end of both Spike and Andy.
The final target was City Hall, with bombs specifically placed to take out the two feuding bounty hunters and destroy City Hall in the process. He led them to an elevator which he rigged to go straight to the top with locked doors. They did manage to get out through the ceiling door. After witnessing what he thought were Spike's and Andy's last moments, Bower was easily knocked out by Faye Valentine and turned in for the bounty. In a police van on the way to prison, Bower was finally able to explain his true purpose to a single police guard. The moment was ruined again, however, by the appearance of Andy in his new samurai character, and Bower comically despaired that all his work was in vain.[1]
Trivia[]
The Teddy Bomber is most likely modeled after real life bomber Ted Kaczynski, also known as the "Unabomber".
Gallery[]
