. ▁ ▁The ▁companies ▁operate ▁a ▁research ▁labor atory ▁in ▁the ▁S weet ▁A ub urn ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁Atlanta . ▁ ▁Johnson ▁is ▁a ▁" part ▁of ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁African - American ▁invent ors ▁whose ▁work ▁accounts ▁for ▁ 6 ▁percent ▁of ▁all ▁U . S . ▁pat ent ▁applications ." ▁ ▁Super ▁So aker ▁Johnson ▁conce ived ▁the ▁Super ▁So aker ▁while ▁doing ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁US ▁Air ▁Force . ▁Initial ly ▁it ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁“ Power ▁D rench er ” ▁when ▁it ▁appeared ▁in ▁to y ▁sh ops ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁but ▁after ▁some ▁twe aks ▁and ▁remark eting , ▁it ▁got ▁its ▁name . ▁S elling ▁between ▁$ 1 0 ▁to ▁$ 6 0 ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁model , ▁the ▁Super ▁So aker ▁took ▁off , ▁generating ▁$ 2 0 0 ▁million ▁in ▁sales ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁making ▁the ▁deal ▁for ▁the ▁Super ▁So aker ▁with ▁the ▁Lar ami ▁Corporation , ▁Lar ami ▁became ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁Has bro ▁Inc . ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁▁ ▁Johnson ▁twe aked ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁water ▁gun , ▁replacing ▁the ▁water ▁in ▁the ▁Super ▁So aker ▁with ▁a ▁" to y ▁[ N er f ] ▁project ile ." ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Johnson ▁received ▁pat ent ▁US 5 5 5 3 5 9 8 ▁A ▁for ▁" P neum atic ▁launch er ▁for ▁a ▁to y ▁project ile