Electrum

Electrum is a substance is in the Generation 1 and Movie continuity families.

Electrum causes Transformers to break out in Dance Fever.

Electrum is a golden liquid with the special property of bonding to metal and rendering it virtually indestructible.

This property is a result of its unique nature; electrum is an element with a molecular structure. It's also considered an alloy when in its bonded form.

Liquid electrum is combustible, but it has a considerably higher spark-point than liquid energon — a stray blaster shot will not ignite it, but a direct high-power shot will.

Electrum-augmented Transformers turn a golden color.

In the real world, electrum is an alloy of gold and silver. See: wikipedia:Electrum for more information. It is also the ancient Greek word for amber.

Fiction

Generation 1

Cartoon continuity

Beachcomber discovered an isolated 'lagoon' full of electrum in a natural preserve, which was promptly seized by the Decepticons. Megatron destroyed the electrum rather than let the Autobots have it. The Golden Lagoon

Most Transformers were unfamiliar with electrum, and the scientist Starscream was apprehensive about its properties. Electrum seems to possess an almost 'mythical' status.

Dreamwave comics continuity

Jetfire noted that Sunstorm's body was constructed of a substance similar to electrum, a by-product of Cybertronian bio-mechanics.

In this continuity electrum was grafted only onto inanimate material. It's possible that the material of which Sunstorm was constructed is simply the form electrum takes when bonded to living material.

Transformers (2007) movie continuity

Decepticon drones erected a series of blockades fortified with the Cybertronian alloy electrum.

Ironhide can use nova spray to turn the blockades brittle and destroy them. Mobile phone game

The electrum-augmented blockades in this game are not gold, as is typical of electrum, but are instead a warm gray. (The color of real-world electrum.)

Toys

Generation 1

• Meister (2003)
  • Japanese ID number: C-06
  • Accessories: Photon Rifle, Missile launcher, 3 missiles

Has/Tak's rejected submission to the Academy Award's "Update the Oscars Statue" contest.

This version of reissue Jazz is almost entirely constructed of vacuum-metallized gold plastic, based on Jazz's incredibly brief, non-speaking appearance in The Golden Lagoon. This re-issue is a homage to special gold-colored toys 20 years earlier which was declared 'electrum' to give it a stronger tie to Transformers continuity. A silver edition of Bluestreak received no such explanation.

e-Hobby exclusive, sold with Streak (anime version)

Trivia

• When Optimus Prime was submerged in liquid energon in the Keepers Trilogy, he was covered with an invulnerable 'silver coat.' This appears completely unrelated to the way electrum works (the matrix was involved, to begin with...).