Erector (G1)

Erector (giggle) is an Autobot Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Maybe I should form a support group with Heave and Discharge.

Erector is horrified by the destruction of war, and goes out of his way to construct battle plans that minimize loss of life and collateral damage. Indeed, he will sometimes put himself at risk to save beautiful buildings or scenery. As a result, his fellow Autobots respect his reticence, not least because of his immense durability and strength. They also admire the cunning plans he uses to trap Decepticons without gunfire (many of them involving his trailer's hydraulic crane, which can throw 'Cons into the next county). As a construction engineer, he specializes in fortifications.^[1]

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Transformers Comic-Magazin

When the Decepticons attempted to take control of a submarine transporting plutonium rods, Erector and his mini-base were one of the Autobots assets transported to the scene using a cargo ship. The Energon Trap

Regeneration One

After twenty-one years of peace, the resurrected Decepticon Scorponok returned to Cybertron and infected most of the Autobots with a Gene Key that turned them into Decepticons. Having undergone this process, Erector assisted Scorponok and Perceptor in creating a planet-scale version of the Gene Key in the Sonic Canyons. Natural Selection, Part Four Having recovered, Erector joined the Construction Patrol and Quickmix in building the Nebulan end of the space bridge network in the Clar Macro-jungle. This probably didn't end well, thanks to the Dark Matrix creature tainting Fortress Maximus and taking control of the space bridge network. The War to End All Wars, Part 1

Transformers '84

Erector was one of the Autobots present in Iacon during the construction of the Ark. '84 #0

Zone story pages

When the ocean-covered world of Wall was attacked by Oceanic Fish General King Poseidon and Dinosaur General Trypticon, Victory Saber charged into battle, but was quickly overwhelmed. Luckily, the four commanders, Overload, Erector (chuckle), Missile Bull, and Skywave arrived to save him. Commanding the Off Road, Jet, and Race Car Patrol Teams, they arrived in time to save the drowning citizens of Wall, rescue Victory Saber, and beat back the Decepticons. Zone Part 3

Lil Formers

Alpha Trion noted that Erector was 7660th in the line of succession to be Prime, just after Wheelie, but before Chip Chase. Lil Formers

Mini Mayhem!

Erector and Waspinator were walking along when they came across Grimlock, Jazz, and Shockwave, discussing the upcoming nomination for the 2011 Hall of Fame. The trio mistook Erector for Bumblebee, and so spared him any ridicule, but verbally tore into Waspinator. After insisting that the Predacon would never stand a chance against them, Grimlock and the others walked off, taking "Bumblebee" with them. Mini Mayhem!

Hall of Fame bio

"Ya Yellow Bellied Runt!".

Once a member of the Constructicons, Erector was rejected in favor of Hook because he wasn't green. After helping win the battle of Tyger Pax through the power of being a superlative bullet magnet, Erector became known as the top Autobot engineer, designing the Armada Laserbeak Surveillance System and the Real Gear Quick Action Weaponry. Transformers Hall of Fame

Wings Universe

Erector and Hauler were part of an Autobot taskforce who ambushed the Constructicons at Elevation Recostalus and succeeded in neutralizing the Decepticon team. Transformers I.Q. last issue review

TransTech

Cragun's List was presumably founded by a version of Erector. Rook - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/10/01

Beast Wars: Uprising

Having survived the Great War, Erector returned to the front lines in the 24th century to combat the Resistance when the Grand Uprising began. His new position in the Builder military saw him leading the 74th Division from Tesarus. Erector's forces clashed repeatedly with Steel Jaw's Pack, and soon the two leaders developed a grudging but healthy respect for the other's tactical acumen.

As the war drew to a close, Erector—already dissatisfied with their shrinking territory and the useless Cyberdroid recruits the Builder Assembly kept foisting on him—tried to buoy morale amongst his increasingly demoralized soldiers as they prepared fortifications for the next battle. They were caught unaware by the Pack, who, on Lio Convoy's orders, had gone in for a suicidal frontal assault against the 74th to capture and open the road to Iacon. Although the Dark Skies Patrol managed to seize the Resistance's artillery batteries and began a retaliatory bombardment on Erector's orders, the 74th Division fell that day; Erector himself was slain by the stealthy Maximal Diablo as the tattered but triumphant Pack overran their foes and seized the city. Derailment

2019 IDW continuity

Maybe I'll get Tumblr fanart if I stand next to the popular character.

Erector was a crew member on the starship Fist of Iacon under the command of Ultra Magnus, and accompanied his captain to the planet Kworia in the Decimus Sector while searching for Alpha Trion after shooting down an alien ship. Their initial sweep turned up nothing, he helped Chromedome track Magnus's signal before Spinister and his crew of splice-thieves ambushed their ship and took the crew hostage, collateral that would force Magnus into assisting them. Storm Horizon Part 1 As part of a conditional bargain, Spinister released Erector and several other members of the crew, who piloted their ship into the Black Sphere system to find Trion. Erector stood by with several other members of the crew as Magnus faced off against Spinister's crew, and watched as Victory Leo took on the villains. Storm Horizon Part 2

Commercials

He knows his place.

Erector was included in an army of Micromaster Autobots who swarmed and overwhelmed a Giant Decepticon Soldier. He was also part of a vast Micromaster city/society that could fit in the palm of Powermaster Optimus Prime's hand. Micromaster transports commercial

Games

Transformers Roleplaying Game

As a battlefield engineer, Erector specialized in building fortifications and xenoarchitecture—the study of alien engineering methods. Despite his imposing frame and great strength, he devoted his life to protecting buildings from pointless aggression. Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook Athough nominally an Autobot, the Constructicons regarded him as a stand-in member of the team. Decepticon Directive

Toys

The Transformers

Now that's a set.

• Erector (Micromaster Transport, 1989/1990)

• Takara name: Gragun
• Takara ID number: C-339
• Accessories: Crane trailer/battle station

Released in the sixth year of Hasbro's US The Transformers toyline (fifth in European markets), Erector transforms into a yellow and gray semi cab pulling a relatively huge crane trailer. Being asymmetrical, the cab does not resemble traditional semi cabs, instead looking like the front end of a (one-piece) mobile crane, such as this Kato model. His fifth wheel hitch nominally allows the cab to turn as it tows the trailer (out of the box, it's too tight a fit for this). The crane itself can be removed from the trailer, and connected directly to Erector's hitch.

His crane trailer transforms into a battle station, with a main gun and a smaller double-barreled gun that Erector can man (though he can't grasp the handles). He can man it either standing (there's a peg for his feet), or sitting (there's a circular indentation that fits the hitch on his calves).

Erector was sold in Japan a year later as Zone "Cragun"; this release is identical to the Hasbro release.

• More information on Erector at TFU.info

Notes

All those birds and animals, they just take from the land. But the beaver? He gives a dam.

• Erector's Japanese Generation 1 name, "Cragun", apparently comes from his trailer, which is a "crane-gun" (クレーンガン kurēn gan). His Takara portrayal is not far from the Hasbro one, where he leads the development and construction of fortifications.
• According to Hasbro designer Joe Kyde's design notes on Hasbro's Transformers website, Mudflap from the 2007 movie toyline was initially going to use the unreleased Cybertron Landslide deco, with the name "Sawtooth". It was decided that Landslide's deco wasn't realistic enough for a movieverse toy, so a new deco based on Erector was chosen. The names "Sawtooth" and "Erector" were unavailable, so he got stuck being Mudflap. We. Were. Robbed.
• As a Transformers Hall of Fame nominee, Erector's name was rendered as "Autobot Erector". This was something of an empty gesture, as putting "Autobot" in front of his name wouldn't actually allow Hasbro to use that trademark in the field of toys. (Granted, a write-up on a webpage isn't actually something that you can trademark...)
• Erector's Hall of Fame candidacy came about from a push by various Transformers message boards, starting with TFW2005. Though some board admins reported that many of Erector's Hall of Fame votes came from new users who signed up just to vote for him, the campaign nonetheless attracted a lot of followers. These dedicated fans even had badges produced and handed out for free at BotCon, business cards, vinyl banners, and an online store for Erector apparel, which donated all of its profits to charity. There were mixed feelings about Erector's candidacy, and when Erector fans carried a series of banners into the Hall of Fame auditorium, there was a lot of booing in response.
• Due to Erector's near-total lack of fictional appearances at the time, Hasbro had to take a different approach to Erector's Hall of Fame nomination video than has been used for other characters. The video is more analogous to the videos for human inductees, featuring a series of interviews, and describes a long history of instances of Erector almost, but not quite, turning up in later incarnations of the brand. Visuals include a Generation 2 redeco of his toy in colors reminiscent of the Seacons, a Beast Wars version with a beaver alternate mode^[2] (at right), an Animated Erector who would have formed the "pants" of an Animated Devastator, a movie Erector design, and an Erector-based All Hail Megatron cover. There was also a Prime-styled Erector designed by Jagex. All of this was, of course, completely fictional and invented for the video. Following the video, Aaron Archer noted that doing this was fun once, but asked the fandom to please not do a similar thing again.
• Josh Perez also recolored his and Casey Coller's artwork of Erector and Hauler confronting the Constructicons into an ultimately unpublished Shattered Glass version,^[3] with evil Erector taking Flattop's colors.^[4]
• As the word "Erector" in the domain of toys is trademarked by Meccano Ltd for Erector set construction toys—they even own it specifically for toy robots—the only chance of seeing it on a Transformers toy again would be if Meccano Ltd were to suddenly go out of business.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Cragun (クレーガン Kurēgan)
• French: Éregon
• Italian: Tractor

References