Electro

Electro is anAutobotLaser Rodfrom theGeneration 2portion of theGeneration 1continuity family.

Turbocharged and livin' large,Electro(akaElectrons) defends the streets. That is, when he's not racing through them at excessive speeds that leave behind the tell-tale treadmarks of a vehicle equipped with posi-traction. This feature, combined with dual racing cams and a nitro-injected fuel supply, gives thisLaser Rodthe confidence he needs to never back out of a race. Electro doesn't back down from a fight either, using an armor-slashinglight saberto battle hisDecepticonfoes.

Contents 1Fiction 1.1MarvelGeneration 2comic 1.2Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity 1.2.1G-2pack-in manga and story pages 1.2.2Legendscomic 1.3G-2 Comic Bom Bommanga 1.4DreamwaveGeneration Onecontinuity 1.5Wings Universe 1.62005 IDW continuity 1.7Kre-Oonline manga 1.82019 IDW continuity 2Commercial appearances 3Toys 3.1Generation 2 3.2Timelines 4Notes 4.1Foreign names

Fiction

MarvelGeneration 2comic

Electro was one of the new Decepticon Laser Rods created byMegatronusing theCreation Matrix,which he had stolen fromOptimus Prime.However, Electro was curiously absent from the Laser Rods andRotor Force's first mission onTykosto capture therheanimum.He was not seen until sometime later on Earth, after the Decepticons had joined forces with the Autobots and engaged in total war withJhiaxus'sCybertronians.He andVolthappily used the energies of their swords to zap the Cybertronian soldiers to pieces.Total War!

Later, he andHot Rodwere scouting the enemy position for the alliance just as theSwarmarrived.A Rage in Heaven!

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

G-2pack-in manga and story pages

During the great G-2 battles, Electro was teamed-up with his Laser Rod partner,Volt,and worked closely withOptimus Primeas one of his most trusted warriors, joining his commander in battle againstMegatron.G-2 #1After Prime blasted Megatron with a "Matrix Saturn" attack, Electro had a lapse in judgment and moved into the smoking crater to finish their foe off. Megatron rose unharmed from the smoke, grabbing Electro's head with his hand.G-2 #2His buddy being held hostage, Volt immediately sprang to Electro's rescue.G-2 #4

Electro then found himself pitted against the likes ofJoltandSizzle,who declared their intent to turn him into Autobot scrap. Electro briskly defeated them with his "Knee Flash Kick" and declared that he'd turn them into Decepticon scrap.G-2 #3

Ganged up on in a later battle, Electro and Volt attempted to retreat. Megatron then ordered Jolt to follow them and locate Optimus Prime. Jolt caught up with them and knocked them both out with a powerful jump kick.G-2 #5

Eventually cornered by a horde of Decepticons, Electro and Volt ordered the troops not to break formation. The rebellious Autobot ninjaRoad Rocketignored that order and took on the entire horrified battalion of Decepticons on his own. Electro and Volt were left thinking their comrade was nuts.G-2 #11

Electro and Volt eventually succeeded in bustingHooligan's wing, forcing him to attempt to escape their pursuit on foot. Luckily for Hooligan, he managed to run intoRoad Pig.Road Pig and Hooligan then teamed up on the very surprised Electro and Volt.G-2 #12

Megatron later took Electro prisoner back to Decepticon headquarters. Admiring his skills in battle, Megatron attempted to turn him to the side of the Decepticons, but Electro refused. He was quickly rescued byJetfire.G-2 #16

Following Optimus Prime's final triumphant battle against Megatron, Electro and Volt helped their badly wounded commander onto his feet and carried him back to base for repairs.G-2 Part 6

Legendscomic

In the 2030s, Electro stood by Optimus Prime when Megatron disbanded theCybertron Allianceand launched the G-2 battles.Bonus Edition MetroplexHe was later amazed when Optimus Prime announced his plan to resurrect the legendary heroUltra Magnus.Resurrection Chapter

In2038,Electro was on Cybertron whenViolengiguarattacked using the possessed bodies of thePowered Masters.The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 2

G-2 Comic Bom Bommanga

Electro was being pursued through space by Jolt, when he was forced to land on theMoon.The two Laser Rods fought vigorously until Electro impaled his opponent on the tip of his sword. The crafty Decepticon then set off his engine's afterburners in Electro's face, trying to burn the Autobot away. Electro managed to escape as Jolt exploded and died, but not before the Decepticon revealed that they were afterEarth'sforestonite.

Electro then traveled to Earth, confronting the DecepticonCyberjetsat an air show inJapan.He was briefly able to hold his own, but found himself preoccupied trying to keep ahumanboy namedJunpeifrom getting killed. After sending Junpei to safety on ahoverboard,Electro was battered byHooligan's missile attack and suffered severe injury and severed limbs. He was only saved by the intervention of Optimus Prime and was later helped off of the battlefield by Volt.The New Battle!!

DreamwaveGeneration Onecontinuity

Electro and Volt were with theBrainmasterson Cybertron after the fall ofShockwave's united government.Atonement

Wings Universe

Electro was created onEarthusing a combination of human andNebulanscience. By reverse-engineering the power ofVector Sigma,the humans were able to create a new generation of Transformers native to planet Earth. Electro and his partnerVoltestablished themselves as energy specialists. Inevitably, conflict broke out on Earth as it once did on Cybertron, and the "second generation" Transformers chose sides. Electro and Volt became part of the Autobots underPyro's command.

During a mission toSwitzerland,Clenchand hisDecepticon Syndicateseized control of theLarge Hadron Colliderand captured Pyro. Electro was part of a squad led by veteranTurbomasterrear guardScorchwho delayed the main Decepticon forces long enough for reinforcements to arrive fromAutobot Cityand forRapidoandStreetwiseto infiltrate the building secretly from the rear. Once the reinforcements arrived,Aquafenddispatched Electro and Volt to locate the Collider's control systems and shut it down before the Decepticons could make use of its power. During the fight for the controls with DecepticonsSizzleandJolt,they were exposed to the cyber-mutagenicforestonitegas accidentally set loose byBreakdown.Electro developed a Laser Rod power, enabling him to charge his sword with lightning-like effects. The Autobots soon rallied around their new powers and drove the Decepticons away.Generation 2: Redux

Two years later, not trusting these strange "new" powers,Cliffjumpermade Electro demonstrate his electricity bolts on Decepticon dummy targets alongside a number of other Autobots on the outskirts of Autobot City.A Flash Forward, Part 2He was a part of Pyro's team investigating the kidnapping ofHi-QandQuantum Laboratoriesbreak-in. After they landed onQre,they were assaulted by a training system and then captured byJhiaxusand someSharkticons.A Flash Forward, Part 4After putting up with Jhiaxus's speeches, the Autobots escaped, rescued Hi-Q, and hightailed it back to Earth.A Flash Forward, Part 6

WhenSizzleexperienced a flash forward of war coming to Cybertron, Pyro and the Autobots of Earth tried to rally a pre-emptive response. For some reason, however, the Cybertron Security Council seemed unwilling to give merit to Sizzle's warnings. Electro came to Cybertron to prepare the planet for invasion anyway, working outside the law with his new partner,Mirage.Using smugglers and black market contacts, they provided armaments, body modifications, and even forestonite to the planet's citizens. They were eventually caught and imprisoned byClamp Downon behalf of Cybertron Security.

Once theMachine Warsactually came to Cybertron, Electro and Mirage were released to assist in the defense effort, although Clamp Down's adherence to regulations nearly kept them imprisoned even after their warnings were proven true. The security agent even refused to give Electro a sword, depriving him of his forestonite-derived lightning powers.Iaconwas evacuated during the clone invasion, but Electro and Mirage were part of an advance team under GeneralObsidianprepared to retake the capital from Jhiaxus's new army. Mirage'selectro-disruptorallowed them to sneak a small army into a tactical position againstMegaplex,and the battle for Iacon was joined. During the fighting, Electro managed to toss aside his pulse rifle and claim Megaplex's blade, calling upon his Laser Rod powers once more.Termination

Electro continued to fight back against Jhiaxus's clone army. He used his sword to chop up some drones. He and Mirage later attempted to ambush theSkywarp clone,only for him to teleport away and send his drones after them. They were rescued by a squad of Decepticons.A Common Foe

By2984,Electro had joined theCybertronian Knights.In that year, he andVoltwere standing in Knight headquarters whenApelinqandFlareupreturned in response toGinrai's recall.Hoist the Flag

2005 IDW continuity

Electro was part of an Autobot squad led bySunstreakerwhen they were attacked byDeadlockand his troops. He was shot in the back and killed while attempting to retreat.Drift #1

Kre-Oonline manga

Electro was one of several Autobots reeling from the appearance of the mightyDevastator.A New Menace! The Giant Soldier Devastator Appears!

2019 IDW continuity

Electrons was a native of the colony worldVelocitron.The terrorist factionMayhembelieved he ran theSpeedia 500for wealth and glory rather than to help his people, which led to him being captured by them and executed byOctopunchduring a live broadcast.Tread & Circuits Part 1

Commercial appearances

• DreadwingandSmokescreenfoughtSizzle—even though he's supposed to be a Decepticon—and a gold redeco of Sizzle who was presumably meant to be Electro. So that was strange.Dreadwing and Smokescreen commercial

Toys

Generation 2

• Electro(Laser Rod,1994)

• Takara name:Effectro
• Takara ID number:TRF-3
• Accessories:Sword
• Known designers:Takio Ejima(TakaraTomy),Masakatsu Saito(concept artist)

Released in the second year ofGeneration 2,Laser Rod Electro transforms into a hot-rodded-out vintage Ford pickup truck hot rod. Much like on his fellowLaser Rods,pressing a button on his hood causes a redLEDto light up, making his clear plastic engine glow red. Inrobot mode,this LED can be moved around at the end of a wire, and can plug into the bottom of either of his fists, allowing his light saber to be similarly illuminated. The saber stores under his truck mode, with the handle simulating a back bumper and tailpipe.

Also like other Laser Rods, he is one of the firstTransformerstoys designed with increasedarticulationin mind, with extra hinges in his limbs and a waist/hip construction similar to those ofG.I. Joefigures, giving him an impressively large range of motion foranyaction figure at the time. However, the Laser Rods are also generally hard to keep standing upright, being top-heavy and prone to loose hip joints.

Electro is also one of the more common victims ofGold Plastic Syndrome,meaning he is very prone to shattering/crumbling at the joints, most notably at the knees, where the gold plastic is much thinner. Mixed with the rubber-band-based "o-ring" waist construction, which can dry-rot over time, he's one of those toys best handledvery delicately.Securely prop him up with something if you're gonna display him in robot mode, just saying.

• More information on Electro at TFU.info

Timelines

• Autobot Electrons & Sandstorm(Souvenir 2-pack,2013)

• Accessories:Rifle

AretoolofGenerationsSergeant Kupwith a new head (which he shares with mold-mate and fellow convention toyHoist),Timelines"Autobot Electrons" (thanks,trademark!) transforms into a "retro" -styled Earth pickup truck. Electrons is covered in 3 mm rungs that are compatible withC jointclip-on weapons. There are two rungs on his backpack, plus two rungs each on his forearm kibble, and two on his lower back. The rifle can either plug into the underside of the truck, forming a second exhaust pipe, or clip onto the roof of the truck via a C joint. Interestingly, due to his transformation, Electrons's truck mode features a working tailgate.

Due to afactory error,Electrons and Hoist are not able to convert fully to robot mode thanks to a spring-held panel inside the torso. It is a fairly simple fix to open up the torso with a screwdriver and flip the spring-loaded panel 180 degrees, though the spring may fight you when re-inserting it into the slot. Once this fix is in, the torso will push fully into robot mode. (This misassembly does not affect thevehicle mode.)

He was only available as aBotCon 2013at-showexclusive,in a two-pack withSandstorm,limited to 2000 pieces.

This toy was previously retooled to makeSwerve.

• More information on Electrons at TFU.info

Generationsmold:Kup
Hasbro: GenerationsSergeant Kup Kup (Autobot Warriors) Swerve (GDO) Platinum EditionSergeant Kup (Autobot Heroes) Fun Publications TimelinesHoist Autobot Electrons TakaraTomy: UnitedUN-17Autobot Kup e-HOBBY: UnitedAutobot Kup Damage Version

Notes

• Electro's packaging art accompanies a crossword inThe Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual,but he doesn't show up in any of the book's stories. The crossword clues indicate that he andVoltare brothers.
• Like all non-toy robot Kreons in theKre-Omanga, Electro is made from existingKre-Oparts. He uses theSoundwavehelmet, and has a backpack of some stripe that's kinda hard to determine. Probably a 1x4 plate attached by a 2x4 harness. He carries a short-sword of the type most commonly carried by thePredakingcomponents.

Foreign names

• Japanese:Effectro(エフェクトロEfekutoro),Electro(エレクトロElekutoro)