Ectotron

Ectotron is an Autobot and Ghostbuster from the Generation 1 continuity family (via Collaborative).

I ain’t afraid of no sleep. I ain’t afraid of no bed.

Ectronymous Diamatron (nicknamed Ectotron) has learned that sometimes, you just have to roll with what life throws at you. A bit of a stuffy, fussy bot by nature, he's learned that whether it's dealing with beings who can't pronounce his full name (or just don't want to) or getting splattered with spectral marshmallow goop, better to just go with it and soldier on.

It's how he's ended up working with the Ghostbusters, a team of human paranormal investigators. Now in the guise of their (semi)reliable Ecto-1 vehicle, this theoretical physicist finds himself in the company of a group who don't think he's really all that weird, given what they've been through. Plus, now he's got a Cybertronian-sized ion-throwing proton pack and neutrona wand, which is pretty dang useful against foes both physical and ectoplasmic.

Fiction

Transformers/Ghostbusters

"...Funkytown."

A theoretical physicist by trade, Ghosts of Cybertron Part 3 Ectronymous Diamatron was one of the many Autobots who fled the Decepticon-occupied Cybertron aboard the Ark, moments before the planet's destruction at the hands of Gozer. Although Ectronymous had worked hard to achieve his scientific credentials, Ectronymous felt overlooked by his shipmates, and chafed at their impromptu nickname, "Eck." Believing that the Autobots aboard the ship were the last of their kind after the loss of their homeworld, Ectronymous was shocked when—during one of his shifts on the Ark's communication console—his homemade scanner detected a Cybertronian signal from a nearby world, and news of this strange reading eventually found its way up to Autobot leader Optimus Prime. Though the other Autobots doubted the veracity of his findings, Ectronymous's conviction moved Prime, and the Autobot leader decided to allow the scientist to travel to the planet to investigate: a planet the natives called "Earth."

"That was your whole plan? "Get her!"?"

Arriving just outside Prospect Park in New York City, Ectronymous scanned the first vehicle he could find: the Ecto-1, incapacitated after a run-in with a particularly aggressive ghost. It was in this form that he first encountered humans, scaring off a pair of police officers who had attempted to ticket the illegally parked vehicle, before he was discovered by the Ghostbusters, confused at the presence of two cars. It was not until the arrival of Starscream's own ghost, however, that Ectronymous realized the true source of the signal; though Ray Stantz easily captured Starscream's ghost, Winston Zeddemore's confusion over what an "Autobot" was prompted Ectronymous to reveal his true form to the Ghostbusters. Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1

Though Ectronymous initially believed that he could simply intimidate the four men into handing over the ghost trap in question, he found that the Ghostbusters were far more difficult to intimidate than he initially believed, and Ectronymous was forced to zap the trap out of Peter Venkman's hands, releasing the furious Air Commander. Despite initial hostilities, Starscream was able to persuade the heroes of his good intentions, claiming that he had been reduced to this ghostly state by a supernatural being that called itself "Kremzeek"—a story that was seemingly borne out moments later, when an electrically charged imp materialized nearby. Unable to restrain the creature with their normal technology, Ectronymous helped ground the manifestation and instantaneously dispelled it. Entering into an uneasy truce with Starscream, the group returned to the firehouse so that Ectronymous could repair his communications, which had been damaged during atmospheric entry, and contact Optimus Prime. Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2

Wait a minute, what did you do to my uncle's hearse?!

After meeting Janine Melnitz, and grudgingly accepting the nickname "Ectotron", Ectronymous was able to reestablish contact with the Ark and inform Prime of the strange proceedings; while waiting for the Autobot leader to join them on Earth, however, the Ghostbusters accepted a job in Brooklyn and, with their main vehicle disabled, Ectotron was pressed into service as their substitute ride. While investigating an abandoned power plant in Brooklyn, the team ran afoul of another electrical ghost; thanks to Ectotron modifying a ghost trap beforehand to handle the increased wattage, and tackling a nearby telephone line after realizing that the ghost was feeding off the city's energy grid, the Ghostbusters were able to safely capture the ghost.

On returning to the firehouse, Ectotron connected with Optimus—who had, in the meantime, gotten acquainted with New York City's graffiti culture firsthand—and prepared to show him the trap where Starscream had been imprisoned in after returning to the firehouse... only for Peter to reveal that Starscream had vanished. Ghosts of Cybertron Part 3 After relocating to the Ghostbusters' offsite Red Hook warehouse, the Cybertronians both received a set of massively upscaled proton packs designed to tackle Cybertronian threats; after a brief and unsuccessful practice run, however, Egon detected Starscream's PKE signature in Queens, and the team headed out.

But one day you find out there is a rat man inside the basement and you call the cops But the cops don't take it seriously. So you call the Ghöüstbusteirs™ instead!

While investigating Grosbeak Generating Station, the team encountered Starscream... and, moments later, his ghostly "master" Kremzeek, who promptly swallowed his disloyal minion and launched an attack on the Ghostbusters and Autobots. While Peter cut the power and Optimus took on Kremzeek, Ray hit on the bright idea to unleash the electrical ghost that they had captured the previous night. After Ectotron procured the ghost trap in question, the team unleashed the ghost, who promptly devoured Keemzeek and, in the process, cancelled itself out. However, Kremzeek's destruction also unleashed the ghosts of the Decepticons that Kremzeek had captured and enslaved... including Megatron! Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4

In the ensuing battle, Ectotron was able to restrain and trap Shockwave's ghost, but was taken off guard when Megatron used his ghostly powers to possess Ectotron's body, using him to momentarily overpower Optimus Prime. However, the Autobot leader was able to quickly pin down the possessed Autobot, long enough for Ray to use some mood slime to expel Megatron from his body. Though the Decepticon leader then considered possessing Optimus himself, he found himself restrained by Ectotron's neutrona wand, being summarily detained within a ghost trap.

In the aftermath, Ectotron decided to leave Earth along with Optimus Prime, but decided that he would not return to the Ark; rather, he would continue to travel the universe and search for more Cybertronian ghosts in the hopes that they could one day be returned to life and rehabilitated. As the first "intergalactic Ghostbuster", the scientist generated a new nametag for himself, and—after helping to repair both the firehouse and the real Ecto-1—left Earth aboard his shuttle... unaware that his departure was being watched by Starscream's ghost. Ghosts of Cybertron Part 5

Toys

Collaborative

Oh baby! You're my number one Christmas boutique gift item!

It's technical. It's one of our little toys.

• Ectotron (2019, 2024)
  • TakaraTomy name: Ectotron-1 (エレクトロン1)
  • Accessories: Proton pack, neutrona wand, Slimer figurine

• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro), Ken Christiansen (concept artist)

The first figure announced for the Collaborative line, Ectotron turns into a General Motors licensed custom 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, representing Ecto-1 from the Ghostbusters franchise. His vehicle mode features extensive paint applications to allow a mostly accurate appearance, including a lot of silver over translucent plastic to allow clear head, tail, and roof lights. The mass of machinery up top pulls out from the vehicle mode to form a "proton pack" in robot mode, with the connecting cable for the neutrona wand formed by the blue rubberized hose on the driver's side. This hose can be a bit of a pain to get back into position when transforming back to vehicle mode, so be careful. In robot mode, he features several design cues based on the Ghostbusters' uniforms, including the tan of their jumpsuits, his own nametag, and goggles.

He comes with a 5 mm-compatible neutrona wand accessory (which mounts on the side of the roof-gear in vehicle mode), and a delicious-looking soft translucent figurine of Slimer. The neutrona wand has a tip compatible with C.O.M.B.A.T. System blast effects, and Slimer similarly has a compatible port on his underside. While it is likely to allow for mounting on an action figure "flight" stand, it also allows Slimer to be mounted on the roof of the vehicle mode or on the end of the weapon.

Ectotron shares several parts with the Combiner Wars Voyager Class Hot Spot/Onslaught mold, most evidently the upper arms and legs.

Ectotron is packaged in a nostalgic Generation 1-styled box in vehicle mode, much like the contemporaneous Vintage G1 line.

The stock photography shows Ectotron holding his weapon by the peg used to mount it on the car mode roof machinery, while the instructions instead show it held by the grip that the cable plugs into. While the latter is more accurate to the device's operation in the film, the former allows it to be aimed forward without shooting from the hip.

Announced in the run-up to Toy Fair 2019, preorders for Ectotron went up on Hasbro Pulse on February 15, 2019, selling out within six hours. Ectotron was also sold online through GameStop in the United States, EB Games in Canada, and Zing and EB Games in Australia. In 2020, additional online retailers offered this product for sale.

This version of Ectotron was later reissued in 2024 to tie-in with the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Curiously, however, the version of the Collaborative logo used on the instructions lists the year as 2023, despite the year being correctly listed everywhere else — including the copyright information written in the instructions! As Frozen Empire was originally slated to be released in December 2023, but had to be pushed back due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes, this version of the logo might indicate that this reissue was originally meant to happen within the film's original 2023 release window... or it's just a simple typo and we're thinking about this a bit too hard.

• Collaborative Ectotron at Alfes's Blog
• Collaborative Ectotron at Reflector@TFW2005

You don't look good. Well, you've looked better. You didn't used to look like this.

• Ectotron (2021)
  • Accessories: Proton pack, neutrona wand, Slimer figurine, Muncher figurine

• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

A redeco and minor retool of the original figure, the second version of Ectotron is based on the Ecto-1's worn-down appearance in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, with rust and cracked Ghostbusters logos. The Ecto-1's ladder has been moved from the right side of the car to the left, and in robot mode Ectotron features a new head sculpt with lowered goggles and a raised face shield. Despite the prototype having painted eyes and mouth, the Slimer figurine remains unpainted on the final product and a second ghost, Muncher, is included as an unpainted translucent blue figurine.

This version of Ectotron is packaged with a copy of Transformers/Ghostbusters #1. To accommodate the comic, the packaging has been changed from the original release's box to a blister card.

Ectotron was released as a Target exclusive, going up for preorder on November 13, 2020 and later made available as a Toyworld exclusive, in New Zealand.

Notes

"This is not a bulldozer! This is not a fudgesicle! And how is this Ghostbusters II?!?"

• Ectotron went through several prototype designs settling on the final version of the character. The earliest concept art depicted Ectotron with an entirely different transformation scheme, which featured a chest formed from the hood of the Ecto-1, and slightly different legs. A second revision (pictured right), produced in 2018 in association with Dan Schoening and Luis Antonio Delgado,^[1] possessed a slightly different head, a Shockwave-esque hand-mounted proton weapon, and a hazard stripe deco—apparently based off the Ecto-1a from Ghostbusters II—rather than the beige "jumpsuit" pattern as seen on the final toy.
• Ectotron's Tech Spec include the normal strength, intelligence, speed, and fireblast categories, as well as two new categories representing ghost trapping and “ghostbustability”.^[2]
• Ectotron's code name was "Project Mullet". That name appears in listings at UK wholesaler NDA Toys^[3] and several international Amazon divisions.^[4][5]
• According to Erik Burnham and Dan Schoening, Ectotron's dialogue in Transformers/Ghostbusters was written with the voice of David Hyde Pierce in mind.^[6]
• As part of Hasbro's promotional efforts prior to its release, Ectotron's toy appeared on The Goldbergs, in the season 6 episode "There Can Be Only One Highlander Club".^[7] (Which shouldn't have been possible since the show takes place over 30 years before the toy was created, but we digress.)

Foreign names

• Japanese: Ectotron-1 (エレクトロン1 Erekutoron Wan)

References

External links

• Ectotron at the Ghostbusters Wiki