Electro

Electro is an Autobot Laser Rod from the Generation 2 portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Not quite the Spider-Man villain.

Turbocharged and livin' large, Electro (aka Electrons) 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 this Laser Rod the confidence he needs to never back out of a race. Electro doesn't back down from a fight either, using an armor-slashing light saber to battle his Decepticon foes.

Fiction

Marvel Generation 2 comic

I serve no purpose, but I have a new toy in stores now!

Electro was one of the new Decepticon Laser Rods created by Megatron using the Creation Matrix, which he had stolen from Optimus Prime. However, Electro was curiously absent from the Laser Rods and Rotor Force's first mission on Tykos to capture the rheanimum. He was not seen until sometime later on Earth, after the Decepticons had joined forces with the Autobots and engaged in total war with Jhiaxus's Cybertronians. He and Volt happily used the energies of their swords to zap the Cybertronian soldiers to pieces. Total War!

Later, he and Hot Rod were scouting the enemy position for the alliance just as the Swarm arrived. A Rage in Heaven!

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

G-2 pack-in manga and story pages

Sucks to be Electro right about now.

During the great G-2 battles, Electro was teamed-up with his Laser Rod partner, Volt, and worked closely with Optimus Prime as one of his most trusted warriors, joining his commander in battle against Megatron. G-2 #1 After 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 #2 His buddy being held hostage, Volt immediately sprang to Electro's rescue. G-2 #4

Sucks to be Electro... pretty much all the time.

Electro then found himself pitted against the likes of Jolt and Sizzle, 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 ninja Road Rocket ignored 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 busting Hooligan's wing, forcing him to attempt to escape their pursuit on foot. Luckily for Hooligan, he managed to run into Road 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 by Jetfire. 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

Legends comic

You've got a Prime face, you've got that sword...I just thought you'd be black.

In the 2030s, Electro stood by Optimus Prime when Megatron disbanded the Cybertron Alliance and launched the G-2 battles. Bonus Edition Metroplex He was later amazed when Optimus Prime announced his plan to resurrect the legendary hero Ultra Magnus. Resurrection Chapter

In 2038, Electro was on Cybertron when Violengiguar attacked using the possessed bodies of the Powered Masters. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 2

G-2 Comic Bom Bom manga

"You wanna know how powerful I am? Well, I wanna know, too."

Electro was being pursued through space by Jolt, when he was forced to land on the Moon. 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 after Earth's forestonite.

Electro then traveled to Earth, confronting the Decepticon Cyberjets at an air show in Japan. He was briefly able to hold his own, but found himself preoccupied trying to keep a human boy named Junpei from getting killed. After sending Junpei to safety on a hoverboard, Electro was battered by Hooligan'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!!

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

"I'm afraid if I stand up my knees will explode."

Electro and Volt were with the Brainmasters on Cybertron after the fall of Shockwave's united government. Atonement

Wings Universe

"It's my birthday! Now it's time to light my candles!"

Electro was created on Earth using a combination of human and Nebulan science. By reverse-engineering the power of Vector Sigma, the humans were able to create a new generation of Transformers native to planet Earth. Electro and his partner Volt established 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 under Pyro's command.

During a mission to Switzerland, Clench and his Decepticon Syndicate seized control of the Large Hadron Collider and captured Pyro. Electro was part of a squad led by veteran Turbomaster rear guard Scorch who delayed the main Decepticon forces long enough for reinforcements to arrive from Autobot City and for Rapido and Streetwise to infiltrate the building secretly from the rear. Once the reinforcements arrived, Aquafend dispatched 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 Decepticons Sizzle and Jolt, they were exposed to the cyber-mutagenic forestonite gas accidentally set loose by Breakdown. 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, Cliffjumper made 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 2 He was a part of Pyro's team investigating the kidnapping of Hi-Q and Quantum Laboratories break-in. After they landed on Qre, they were assaulted by a training system and then captured by Jhiaxus and some Sharkticons. A Flash Forward, Part 4 After putting up with Jhiaxus's speeches, the Autobots escaped, rescued Hi-Q, and hightailed it back to Earth. A Flash Forward, Part 6

When Sizzle experienced 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 by Clamp Down on behalf of Cybertron Security.

"...I just wanted them to see me..."

Once the Machine Wars actually 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. Iacon was evacuated during the clone invasion, but Electro and Mirage were part of an advance team under General Obsidian prepared to retake the capital from Jhiaxus's new army. Mirage's electro-disruptor allowed them to sneak a small army into a tactical position against Megaplex, 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 the Skywarp clone, only for him to teleport away and send his drones after them. They were rescued by a squad of Decepticons. A Common Foe

By 2984, Electro had joined the Cybertronian Knights. In that year, he and Volt were standing in Knight headquarters when Apelinq and Flareup returned in response to Ginrai's recall. Hoist the Flag

2005 IDW continuity

My name's not Max! It's ELECTROOO!!!

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

Kre-O online manga

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

2019 IDW continuity

"I liked you better before."

Electrons was a native of the colony world Velocitron. The terrorist faction Mayhem believed he ran the Speedia 500 for wealth and glory rather than to help his people, which led to him being captured by them and executed by Octopunch during a live broadcast. Tread & Circuits Part 1

Commercial appearances

Hey, maybe he's Blaze.

• Dreadwing and Smokescreen fought Sizzle—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

Get a good look before he shatters.

• 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 of Generation 2, Laser Rod Electro transforms into a hot-rodded-out vintage Ford pickup truck hot rod. Much like on his fellow Laser Rods, pressing a button on his hood causes a red LED to light up, making his clear plastic engine glow red. In robot 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 first Transformers toys designed with increased articulation in mind, with extra hinges in his limbs and a waist/hip construction similar to those of G.I. Joe figures, giving him an impressively large range of motion for any action 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 of Gold 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 handled very 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

Hi. I'm the one that doesn't crumble in your hands!

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

• Accessories: Rifle

A retool of Generations Sergeant Kup with a new head (which he shares with mold-mate and fellow convention toy Hoist), Timelines "Autobot Electrons" (thanks, trademark!) transforms into a "retro"-styled Earth pickup truck. Electrons is covered in 3 mm rungs that are compatible with C joint clip-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 a factory 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 the vehicle mode.)

He was only available as a BotCon 2013 at-show exclusive, in a two-pack with Sandstorm, limited to 2000 pieces.

This toy was previously retooled to make Swerve.

• More information on Electrons at TFU.info

Notes

• Electro's packaging art accompanies a crossword in The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual, but he doesn't show up in any of the book's stories. The crossword clues indicate that he and Volt are brothers.
• Like all non-toy robot Kreons in the Kre-O manga, Electro is made from existing Kre-O parts. He uses the Soundwave helmet, 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 the Predaking components.

Foreign names

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