Crankcase (Movie)

Crankcase is a Decepticon from the Transformers portion of the movie continuity family.

Crankcase hates everything and everyone. He hates Autobot and Decepticon alike, hates his job, and hates that he works with the Decepticons because he was feeling really mad at the Autobots the day he signed up. Sound familiar at all?

What Crankcase does not realize is that the feeling is pretty well mutual among his own allies. He may have more enemies among the Decepticons than he ever will among the Autobots, as his attitude does not lend itself to making fast friends. Everyone Decepticon Crankcase has ever served has been perplexed with him being too busy complaining about his orders to effectively follow them. And that's assuming he even feels like following them. When those orders do get carried out, the end result is usually poor quality.^[1] Needless to say, Crankcase's superiors wear their patience thinner by the astro-second as they try to find a job where he is actually useful for a change.

Much as is the case with Over-Run, Crankcase's assignment as Destron commander may be in lieu of having to locate non-drone Decepticons willing to work with him.

Fiction

IDW movie comics

Many years in the past, Crankcase was a member of Cybertron's Defense Force, under the command of Protector Megatron. After the discovery of a mysterious relic and an alien attack, Defiance #1 Megatron changed significantly, altering the military's mission from one of protection of Cybertron to making war upon the hostile aliens and anybody who would stand in their way. Crankcase was present at Megatron's war rally in Trypticon, where the military leader demanded the control of all of Cybertron's forces in his vengeful attack on the aliens from the Eshems Nebula. Defiance #2

Crankcase was sent on a mission to capture science division leader (and thorn in Megatron's side) Optimus and eliminate his fellow scientists and the unwitting security team sent to arrest him. He and Barricade observed Brawl nailing the "traitors" with an explosive round, and Crankcase was eager to get into the fight. He was ordered back by the glory-hound Starscream, but Crankcase had the last laugh when the wily Optimus managed to bury the aerial forces under a mountain of rubble. After they were dug out, they all joined the rest of Megatron's new "Decepticon" faction. Defiance #3

Many years later, after Megatron had been killed on the distant world of Earth and the AllSpark destroyed, Crankcase helped deliver a massive generator to Starscream's replica AllSpark at Simfur as part of Payload's work detail. He made the mistake of complaining about this in front of Starscream, who promptly smashed his vocal processor and had him thrown in with the Autobot prisoners. The Reign of Starscream #4 Not long after, he was strapped to the cube, and his Spark was extinguished to bring the new AllSpark to life. However, the replica failed to work as planned. The Reign of Starscream #5

Titan movie comics

In a divergent timeline, the Decepticons succeeded at Mission City and conquered the United States. Crankcase's illustrious career in the Decepticons included:

• Standing around in Savannah.
• Getting weirded out by Starscream talking to people who weren't there, along with his mate Swindle.
• Optimus Prime in protoform form landing on him. The Decepticon Who Haunted Himself
• Being one guy in a big gathering-of-forces pose. Revolution Part 1

We can't all be major characters.

Toy bios

As far as Crankcase was concerned, everything was pointless and stupid. Seeing no reason why anyone else should be enjoying things when he was so miserable, he grumpily ruined things for Autobots and Decepticons alike. Because he was not much of a warrior, Crankcase specialized in just being inconvenient given how his blaster arm caused metal to rust instantly. Transformers Deluxe Crankcase

When the Power Core Combiner process came along, it transformed Crankcase into a classic schoolyard bully. He used his newfound power to take his own misery out on anyone around him. Luckily for everyone (except Crankcase), the high was short-lived and the burst of happiness he would feel in using his new might against the helpless quickly faded. In turn, this reverted Crankcase back into his old miserable self once more. Power Core Combiners Crankcase with Destrons

Toys

Transformers (2007)

• Crankcase (Deluxe Class, 2008)

• Accessories: Clamp attachment, hammer attachment, key
• Known designers: Joe Kyde (deco artist)

Crankcase is a Wal-Mart exclusive redeco of Cybertron Red Alert with a color scheme inspired by the Generation 1 character of the same name. In line with his original incarnation's janitorial occupation, he transforms into an unlicensed Dodge Magnum "haz-mat operations" emergency vehicle, and his Triggercon ability is reflected in the non-firing blasters that flip out from his rear side-panels when his Cyber Planet Key is plugged into the back of his car mode.^[2] This gimmick is retained in robot mode, where they become over-shoulder blasters. He features an unusual transformation sequence in which both the front and rear halves of the vehicle mode come together to form his legs. His hood halves open to reveal storage space for extra tools (a hammer head and an opening claw) that can be attached onto his left arm blaster.

This toy was also sold exclusively at The Warehouse in New Zealand.

This mold was also used to make Cybertron Cannonball and was retooled to make Timelines Kup. The Kup tooling was also the basis of the non-toy Shattered Glass Kup.

• More info on Crankcase at TFU.info

Power Core Combiners

• Crankcase with Destrons (Commander Class, 2010)

• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro)

Crankcase is a black redeco of Power Core Combiners Huffer, transforming into a long-nose truck or a combiner torso with a strong resemblance to Menasor. He comes with his team of four Destrons (redecos of two Aerialbots and two Combaticons) that automatically transform from vehicles to limbs using Automorph Technology when clipped onto Crankcase's torso mode. When detached, they transform back to vehicle mode. Like all Commanders, Crankcase is also compatible with Mini-Cons.

This mold was also used to make Assaultmaster.

• More information on Crankcase at TFU.info

• Power Core Combiners Special Value Offer (Value Pack, 2011)

Crankcase and the Destrons were also released as part of a Walmart-exclusive Black Friday value pack, combining a 5-pack team with a Commander 2-pack via packaging tape and a couple of stickers, and costing all of ten dollars. Wow.

Crankcase has been found packed with the Salvage/Bomb-Burst, Skyhammer/Airlift, Sledge/Throttler, and Undertow/Waterlog 2-packs.

Notes

• "Movie" Crankcase was originally designed for the 2008 Universe toyline as a new version of Generation 1 Crankcase.^[3]
• Crankcase's "hazmat" deco scheme was designed as an homage to his G1 counterpart's The Transformers Universe profile, which gave him an origin as a fuel-spill janitor.
• Due to the vague continuity of the Power Core Combiners line, the case for Movie Crankcase and Power Core Combiners Crankcase being the same guy is not airtight. In fact, it's not entirely out of the question that Power Core Combiners Crankcase is a new body for Generation 1 Crankcase, upon whom both Crankcases' bios are heavily based. TFWiki.net has gone with the simplest explanation.
• A robot in a design clearly based on Crankcase (in his Cybertron Red Alert body), albeit slightly miscolored, could be seen in a preview art page for issue 2 of New Avengers/Transformers. In the published issue, he was replaced by Thundercracker, whose presence made considerably more sense in-story.

References