Ironworks (Micromaster)

Ironworks is an Autobot Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Yes, my chest is, in fact, asymmetrical, it's a very tender subject, thank you so much for bringing it up. Jeez, why not just pour some sugar in my gas tank while you're at it? [grumble]

Ironworks (aka Iron Works^[1] and Irontread) is an eccentric hermit, guarding and maintaining his construction station, far from the front lines. He indulges his artistic side by building bizarre devices on the land around his station.^[2]

Fiction

Zone cartoon, comic, and story pages

Upon the creation of the Zone Base, Ironworks was put in charge of the Build Base. Zone Part 4 However, when the Nine Great Demon Generals attacked, Zone Base was unable to prevent them from stealing the Energon Z. Zone Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

Later, when Violengiguar kidnapped Galaxy Rocket and fled to the Tenth Planet, all the Micromasters (Ironworks included) promised to keep Zone safe while Dai Atlas and the Powered Masters pursued the villain. Zone Part 10

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Ironworks was seen at the Micros-only bar in Little Iacon. He tried to warn Trip-Up that the chair he was going for belonged to Roller Force. Trip-Up responded by taking the chair anyway, and pushing Ironworks out of his own chair for good measure. The Gray Race He was later seen trying to fight off a group of Decepticons who invaded the Micros' territory. Recipe for Hate

Beast Wars: Uprising

Ironworks had the Micro-Weight Boxing Championship till Caliburn took it from him. Broken Windshields

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

During the war for Cybertron, Irontread was a Ground Command Transport Private. Siege toy packaging

Commercial appearances

When Zarak Maximus attempted to stomp Micropolis, Ironworks was among innumerable Autobot and Decepticon Micromasters that swarmed and toppled the colossus. Micromaster transports commercial

Toys

The Transformers

• Ironworks (Micromaster Station, 1989/1990)

• Takara name: Build Base
• Takara ID number: C-344
• Accessories: Construction station, crane/rocket launcher, crane staging, ramp, rocket

Released in the sixth year of Hasbro's US Transformers toyline (fifth year in European markets), Ironworks is a redeco of the Off Road Patrol member Powertrain, transforming into a longnosed semi truck cab of undetermined, possibly-made-up model. As the Powertrain mold he is recolored from is "gang-molded" with its Off Road Patrol teammate Mudslinger, Ironworks and his fellow Micromaster Station recolor Greasepit by necessity share plastic colors.

He came with a "communications bay", a construction station that unfolds into a communications tower with a (non-firing) missile launcher.

In Takara's markets, this set was released as the "Build Base", released in the Zone portion of Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers toyline. The toys are physically identical to their Hasbro counterparts.

• More information on Ironworks at TFU.info

War for Cybertron: Siege

"I notice a passing resemblance to the Pokémon known as Donphan, yet differences such as its texture and the way it moves suggest it is biologically separate—to say nothing of its treads of iron."

• Autobots vs. Decepticons (Micromaster multi-pack, 2019)

• ID number: WFC-S60

Siege "Irontread" is a redeco and retool of Powertrain, featuring a new head and torso based on Generation 1 Big Hauler. He transforms into a barely-Cybertronian long-nosed semi truck cab.

As part of the C.O.M.B.A.T. System, he can also combine with Ricon (or any iteration of that mold) to form the "Dual-Port Scrapegrinder" double-barreled blaster. Or mix him up with other toys to make something ridiculous. Go nuts.

He was only available as part of a Target exclusive ten-pack of Micromasters, which includes the Autobots Ground Shaker, Overair, Ricon, Road-Police, and Wheel Blaze, and the Decepticons Cratermaker, Fireline, Nightflight, and Slyhopper.

Notes

• As construction station originally had no special name of its own, Fun Publications' Classics stories reassigned the Micromaster's name to the facility without the accompanying Micromaster. Hasbro would follow this pattern for the Siege Modulator.
• The "RI" on the "RI Construction" decal on Ironworks' trailer hitch most likely stands for Rhode Island, the location of Hasbro's headquarters. Decades later, "Ricon" would become a character name in War for Cybertron: Siege.
• The Siege Ironworks toy is presumably renamed "Irontread" due to the Earthrise Ironworks toy, based on the original construction station, being released a few months later.
  • The name "Irontread" was previously used in 2004 for Demolishor's new dump truck body in the Japanese Super Link edition of Transformers: Energon.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Ironworks (アイアンワークス Aianwākusu)
• French: Chantier (France, "Construction Site"), Cuirassé (Canada, "Armored")
• Italian: Radar

References