AJ Gadgets

****AJ Gadgets****
**Appearances**
**Gallery**

AJ Gadgets

Hero

Name
Arnold Jasper Gadgets

Gender
**Male ♂**

Family
AJ's momAJ's dadAJ's grandmother

Friends
Benny Bubbles, Sara Snap, Lucita Sky, Mr. Sparks, Fur Blur, Jada

Powers
Thought projection

Birthday
August 9

Voiced by
Jadiel Dowlin

First Appearance
Saved From the Bell

**AJ Gadgets** is a student at Hero Elementary, and a member of the Sparks' Crew.

Autism
AJ is autistic, making him the fourth PBS character confirmed to be on the autism spectrum after *Carl Gould* from *Arthur*, Dennis from *Dinosaur Train* and Julia from *Sesame Street*.
* On June 30, 2020, the official *Hero Elementary* Twitter account, 30 tweeted that, he is "on the autism spectrum" in addition to being a "budding super student".
	+ On November 4, 2020, it was also tweeted he "embraces his autism"
* Like the 2018 counterpart of Entrapta, AJ is a gadget expert passionate about his interests. Entrapta is also on the spectrum

Etymology
   * His surname relates to his ability to make super gadgets.
* No episode has yet revealed what (if anything) the initialism "AJ" stands for.

Initially, he was called **AJ Gadget** as seen in his official profile but this was later pluralized to "Gadgets".

Official Profile
Partially copied from TPT:

AJ is a superhero obsessed with all things super! His own powers include thought projecting, which allows him to visualize his own thought process, and makes a great tool for the team to strategize. AJ also falls alongside some of the superhero greats, like Iron Man or Batman, who use their creativity and intelligence to create gadgets that help them help others. He never goes anywhere without his backpack, which houses all of his gadgets, and doubles as a jetpack!
If you want to see AJ really excited, just mention your interest in another superhero. He can likely tell you their entire biography within the blink of an eye, along with what tools they use most often. His knowledge of the subject can occasionally seem extremely hyper-focused, which is due to A being autistic.
Personality
AJ really dislikes the feeling of wearing wet clothing, which he mentions in several episodes. When he is overwhelmed, he flaps his hands, like when he learns that his backpack is missing in Track That Pack. Hand flapping is common stimulatory behavior for people on the autism spectrum. He also really dislikes loud noises, like the bell in Saved From the Bell or the dog (Houdini) barking in AJ's Extra Superpower, Part 1. He wears headphones to block the sounds.

Literalness
He also appears to not understand certain metaphors, taking comments literally. Literalness is a trait of autism.
* In AJ's Extra Superpower, Part 1, Benny says that AJ is a man of many talents. AJ then says "Man? I'm still a kid!"
* In Hatching a Plan, when Sara says "already a step ahead of you, AJ" he replies "You're actually a bit behind me."
* In Track That Pack, when Benny comments "AJ, You're the man." AJ replies "I'm not a man. I'm only 7" and a similar exchange happens later at the end when Benny says "AJ, you are the man." AJ then says, "I'm 7."
* In The Crew Who SNOWS What to Do when Sara mentions it would be "cool" to have it be summer year-round, AJ retorts that "Actually, it sounds warm."
* In The Right Stuff Sara said that her space suit outfit will look cool. AJ then says, "How can it be cool if it's supposed to keep you warm?" Sara then says that it'll look awesome. AJ then says, "Oh, cool."
* In Monumental Problem Sara says, "Hey, this is neat!" while AJ retorts, "Not neat, messy."

Body
AJ is an African-American boy with short curly hair, dark skin and black eyebrows.

Clothes
Hero
* Blue T with the Spark Crew logo on it
* Red glove
* Dark blue jewelry
* Blue sneaks
* Silver phones around his neck
* pack on his back

Civilian
* Cyan shirt
* Grey pants
* Silver headphones
* Grey shoes

Powers
Thought Projection
AJ's most obvious super-power is his ability to can project his thoughts for others to see. This aids in brainstorming for the creation of his gadgets, and also for formulating plans with his team. His projected thoughts have perfect memory recall, often being viewed as a snapshot of an event or holographic blueprints.

Super-Inventing
A subtler super-ability which might be mistaken as pure skill is his ability to make super-gadgets. Although he probably has some basic familiarity with technology, in Switcheroo-er he loses his ability to make super-gadget when Sara Snap temporarily gains them.

Skills
Invention
AJ can make "super gadgets". See category:gadgets for some which are known by name.
Much of this however may be due to his superpower, since when he loses them he isn't able to recreate the Switcheroo-er while Sara is.
His signature gadget is likely his jetpack which he uses to get around. It allows him to fly like Lucita, however it is noisy, a contrast highlighted in What You Don't See. This is likely modelled after Jetman Jones. His other hero Dr. Inventorman can also fly, but does so in a subtler way that does not cause jet exhaust, such as perhaps an antigravity belt.

Trivia* His birthday is August 9, which makes him a Leo.
* In "Switcheroo-er" AJ can't explain how to make super gadgets.

Background* He is based upon Dennis Taylor, Christine Ferraro's brother, who is also on the autism spectrum, and loves comic books.
* He is the *Hero Elementary* equivalent of Orbit from *Rob the Robot* in the following ways:
	+ Both are boys.
	+ Both have similar personalities. (In this case, AJ's autistic personality mirrors Orbit's clumsiness.)