Empire State Building
- The Empire State Building is a structure in the Generation 1 continuity family.
New York City's Empire State Building is apparently a structure of enormous strategic importance, considering how often the Decepticons mess with it. It figures in many Decepticon plans to rule the Earth or generate energy. They also like to climb it for various reasons. It is big and tall and pointy.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon
The Empire State Building sank beneath the city streets due to meddling by Megatron and the Constructicons. The human populace was understandably shocked by the disappearance and baffled as to the cause, but Optimus Prime immediately deduced the building-napper was his old enemy. Taking the building was the first step in Megatron's plan to rebuild New York City into New Cybertron.
Devastator climbed up the remodeled building in order to get "revenge" on Optimus Prime.
After the plot was foiled and the Decepticons retreated, Optimus declared that the rest of New York City had returned to normal. Presumably, that assessment included the restoration of the ESB to its original form. City of Steel
Marvel Comics continuity
Under Scorponok's command, the Decepticons planned to use the Empire State Building as a huge lightning rod. To this end, Iguanus scaled the building's side to place an electrostator atop it. Roadhandler and his Sports Car Patrol took the elevators up to the top instead, and they managed to get Iguanus electrocuted instead of Manhattan. King Con!