Hoist (G1)
| The name or term "Hoist" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Hoist (disambiguation). |
- Hoist is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
If Ratchet is the Autobots' chief surgeon, then Hoist is their family doctor. Everyone reports to Hoist for routine check-ups and maintenance, no exceptions! A jovial, friendly robot, the up-beat Hoist enjoys his job and it shows. He speaks with a cultured British-sounding accent and can usually be found playing "Dr. Watson" to his friend Grapple's troubled artist in his off-hours.
- Preliminary name: Winch[1]
- French-Canadian name: Treuil
- Hungarian name: Csörlő
- Italian name: Bufalo ("Buffalo")
- Portuguese name (Brazil comic): Guindaste
- Portuguese name (Portugal comic): Roldana
- Russian name: Tyagatch (Тягач, "Tractor")
Fiction
Cartoon continuity
- Voice actor: Michael Chain (English), Kōki Kataoka (Japanese), Roberto Alexander (Latin American)
Hoist was among those at Autobot headquarters when the Dinobots attempted to show off how civilized they'd become. During the ensuing destruction, he watched Red Alert and Inferno rush to put out the fires. Dinobot Island, Part 1
Hoist and Grapple proposed the construction of an enormous Solar Power Tower to Optimus Prime, even showing him a darling little functioning model. Prime rejected the idea, and Hoist tried to console his friend, but Grapple was determined to find some way to built it. They encountered the Constructicons, who claimed to have left Megatron's cause and wanted to help them construct the tower. Though Hoist worried that it was a trick, he and Grapple let the Decepticons help them build the tower, at which point Megatron turned up and had the pair of them sealed into a sheet of metal and installed in the tower. It wasn't until after the other Autobots had demolished the tower that Hoist and Grapple were broken out of their improvised prison. Hoist assured Grapple that there would be other towers to build. The Master Builders
Hoist was present for the first demonstration of the Negavator. When Soundwave attacked the bunker and trapped the Autobots inside, Hoist and Grapple cleared the entrance so they could retaliate. As Hoist surveyed the damage, he heard Red Alert calling out and dug the security officer out from under some rubble. Hoist began to drive the Negavator back to headquarters with an Autobot escort, but the Decepticons made another attempt to grab the weapon, and this time Hoist and Grapple were forced to dig Optimus and Ironhide out from a rock slide. The Autobots realized something was wrong with Red Alert, but lost him on the city streets. Hoist drove the Negavator back to the bunker, and eventually, Red Alert turned up again. Auto Berserk
When Megatron located the Heart of Cybertron, Hoist was among the Autobots who traveled to South America to stop him obtaining the artifact. Unfortunately, they were too late, and they received a pounding courtesy of the powers granted to the Decepticon leader. They returned to base in a rather battered condition. Microbots Along with the rest of the Autobots, Hoist was banished from Earth on a spaceship after Megatron framed the Autobots using a faked video recording. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 Though the spaceship was locked on course for the Sun, the Autobots were able to abandon it and, with the help of Cosmos and one of Trailbreaker's force fields, return to Earth. There they fought back against the Decepticons and freed the enslaved humans. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
Following a disastrous battle at an airport, Hoist, Red Alert and Inferno turned up to drag the damaged Dinobots back to base for repairs. No sooner were said repairs done than the Dinobots up and left. Hoist was on the subsequent mission during which the effects of Cybertonium depletion became apparent, but like the other Autobots, he managed to limp back to base, where he remained until fresh Cybertonium could be fetched. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 Blaster's loud music resulted in Hoist being too late to prevent the theft of the Voltronic Galaxer. Megatron subsequently used the device to jam radio transmissions across the planet, and Hoist, Prowl, Ratchet and Trailbreaker had to help a bunch of snowed-in motorists. Hoist caught one hapless fellow whose car plunged off a cliff. Blaster Blues
During a spot of gosh and bother with some frightfully rambunctious ruffians, Hoist and Warpath were transported backwards in time to medieval England, and they hadn't the foggiest idea of how to return home or how to take a brief respite for their exhausted energy supplies. A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court
He also drove the lorry Huffer once (how he fit in the cab is perhaps a question best left unasked), and he was jolly well cross at a ghastly traffic jam. Make Tracks
Hoist and Grapple had their mitts full with repair work after the Autobots suffered frightful injuries against the fully fed Insecticons. At least he got to spend some time with Skids. (That poor boy does seem to vanish ever so often.) Hoist later went along with Prime's rescue party to recover Cosmos and the robotic insecticide he recovered to deal with those awful creatures. The poor chap was in bad shape, so Hoist offered to give him the best overhaul he ever had. Cheers to that, old bean! Quest for Survival
As Megatron unleashed the dreadful little Kremzeek on the Autobots, Hoist and Jazz were the first overloaded by the beastly thing. Kremzeek! Triple Takeover Prime Target
Following these misadventures, Hoist and some of his fellow Autobot chums were cast in a dubiously written and directed motion picture. Our boy was repeatedly referred to as "Moist". Certainly not fit for viewing by Her Majesty. Hoist Goes Hollywood
Hoist was also one of the Autobots who created the Aerialbots on Cybertron. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1
The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2
Hoist was briefly seen assembled with the rest of the Autobots before they drove off to rescue Perceptor from Fox Creek Canyon. Cosmic Rust
Hoist assisted in the capture of Breakdown and Wildrider while the Stunticons were assembling Megatron's latest new weapon. His laser cannon brought the chaotic Wildrider to a screeching halt. When reporting in to Optimus Prime, Hoist gleefully remarked how patching them up wouldn't be his job! Masquerade
In the Middle East, Hoist and a squad of Autobots backed up the Aerialbots against Combaticon activities in the area. The Decepticons fled, but Slingshot was trapped behind an avalanche. Thanks to Skydive's knack for engineering, Hoist was able to get through the rocky debris and pull Slingshot to safety. He and Ratchet then patched him up at the nearby air field. Aerial Assault
Marvel Comics continuity
Hoist was one of a group of Autobots who allowed their brainwave patterns to be encoded on crystals and stored aboard the Ark in case more warriors were needed. Despite the fact that the Ark did come under attack during that mission, these warriors were not taken out of storage until after the Ark crash-landed on Earth and spent four million years collecting dust before reawakening in 1984. However, once the Autobots got their act together, Hoist and his crystal-stored friends were reactivated and sent with Bumblebee on a training mission. Rock and Roll-Out!
Later, Hoist was sent to Alaska to track the Constructicons. While sneaking up on their base, he fell into an old snow-covered mineshaft, and became wedged in place, requiring rescue. But when Jazz came to his aid, he was shot in the head, and Hoist had to wrangle his brain-damaged teammate to safety while being hunted by the Constructicons. The Mission
When an Underbase-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of New York, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires," Hoist was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to New York City. As Starscream approached, Goldbug led a team of Autobots which included Hoist, and the entire team was destroyed with a "single wave of Starscream's hand"! Oops. Dark Star
Marvel UK future timelines
Hoist was stationed at the Ark in 2003. He was present to hear Ultra Magnus's vision of a new, transforming Autobot City. Ark Duty
Transformers in 3-D
After Optimus Prime's resurrection, Hoist and First Aid bugged Prime to undergo a full checkup, though he felt fine. Hot Rod believed this was just their way of saying it was good to have their leader back. A short time later, a Decepticon strike force led by Sixshot attacked, and Hoist took part in trying to fight them off. It turned out to be a diversion while Galvatron used his Nullification Cannon on Cybertron's Energon stocks, and Hoist could only watch as the strike force promptly fled once the deception was uncovered. The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3
Dreamwave comics continuity
Nine million years ago, Hoist was allied with the Autobot cause when Optronix first rose to become Optimus Prime. He was briefly seen helping make the preparations to abandon Cybertron, in response to the new Prime's orders. The War Within issue 2
After the Great Shutdown, Hoist was one of several Autobots Shockwave "helped" into a position of power as the Autobot High Council. Ostensibly, Shockwave was to rule beside the Council as the Unified Cybertronian government. In fact, however, Shockwave arranged for the council to be composed of Autobots whom he could easily manipulate, and so slowly amassed the majority of true political power for himself, leaving Hoist and his comrades as little more than figureheads. When Optimus Prime and the crew of the Ark returned to Cybertron and helped lead the various Autobot resistance cells in outright insurrection, Hoist and the rest of the High Council finally got the wake-up call, and took to the streets alongside their fellow Autobots, overthrowing Shockwave entirely. Revelation
There were several victims of the revolution, however, including Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus. Hoist personally attended to their recuperation cycles. Black Sunshine Later, he accompanied Prowl and the Ark's crew back to Earth, where they set up camp and prepared for the construction of Autobot City. He was last seen going over Hound's holographic blueprints with Grapple. The Route of All Evil
Timelines
Hoist (in his Universe body) is a member of the Axiom Nexus Security Administration. He was part of the group investigating the discovery of Comet's body. Later, Airazor called him to pick up Escargon's body from the Widow's Cafe Cybertronian. Withered Hope
IDW comics continuity
Hoist joined Optimus Prime's troops on Earth at some point after the failed Decepticon conquest of the planet, but following Prime's surrender, he decided to get out before Ultra Magnus started arresting people. Bumblebee tried to get him to stay, but Hoist calmly explained his reasoning and apologized before driving off with Blurr, Tracks and Beachcomber to join Hot Rod's team of defectors, who were currently attempting to get off the planet. As Hoist led his comrades in Hot Rod's general direction, the four Autobots were attacked by the human organization Skywatch, who quickly took out Beachcomber. Hoist only had time to stop Tracks from opening fire on humans before he too was offlined and stuck in vehicle mode. A Rude Awakening
Toys
Generation 1
- Hoist (Autobot, 1985/2001/2003/2008)
- Japanese ID number: 46
- Accessories: Left & right fists, left & right "Radar Panels", "Full Spectrum Multi-Sensor", 2 "Twin Blasters", 2 missiles
- A retool of 1984's Trailbreaker featuring a new head and an orange towing apparatus to replace Trailbreaker's canopy, Hoist transforms into a green Toyota Hi-Lux pickup. The truck has blue tinted windows and black and yellow caution decals running the length of the body side. In robot mode, Hoist is mostly green with chrome legs and orange trim. The toy comes equipped with two plug in fists, but Hoist is usually depicted with one hand and one weapon. The spring-launchers in his forearms were severely neutered for all US releases of the toy.
- In Mexico, Hoist retained the original Trailbreaker head, but cast in green plastic. Weird. The Mexican version has no white outlines on the caution stripes on the sides.
- Hoist was re-issued in Japan in 2001 as part of some damn one-day convention deal. He was later re-re-issued in 2003 by Hasbro as part of the Toys 'R' Us exclusive Commemorative Series.
- Hoist was re-issued again in Japan in 2008 as part of the Transformers Encore line. Of note, his eyes were changed to blue, and similar to the Mexican version, he has no white outlines on the caution stripes on the sides.
Machine Wars
- Hoist (Basic, 1997)
- Accessories: Grill/rifle
- A mold originally designed for — but never released in — Generation 2, Machine Wars Hoist shares a mold with Machine Wars Hubcap, transforming into a Kenworth W900 wrecker truck. He is a "flipchanger", meaning most of his transformation sequence is an autotransform, springing into robot mode by lifting a catch (in his case, his towing hook). His rifle is made up of his front grill and bumper.
- This mold was also used to make Robots in Disguise Tow-Line and Robot Masters Wrecker Hook.
Universe (2003)
- Hoist (Spy Changer, 2003)
- Universe Hoist is a redeco of the Robots in Disguise Spychanger version of X-Brawn, transforming into a Mercedes-Benz ML320 SUV. He features through-axle wheels to allow for super-fast rolling on smooth surfaces. Like the other toys in his assortment, Hoist uses factory-applied decals for a lot of his vehicle-mode deco, a rarity for toys released since the Generation 2 toyline.
- Originally a Kay-Bee stores exclusive, the first release of this toy (and the others in the assortment) did not have any sub-line designation at all, but later releases for other chains, most notably "budget" chains like Family Dollar, marked them as Universe product.
- Hoist (Spy Changer, 2006)
- Accessories: Rifle
- This version of Hoist is identical to the last KB Toys exclusive redeco of Robots In Disguise Ironhide, transforming into a translucent blue Ford F150 Flareside pickup truck. Being at roughly 1:64 scale and featuring through-axle construction, he is largely compatible with "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox" brand race tracks and playsets. He was available only on an individual card from discount chains like The Dollar Store.
- This mold was also used to make Motormouth, the Go-Bots version of Generation 1 Ironhide and Universe Ironhide.
Notes
- Like all of the other 1984~1985 Autobot "cars", the first Hoist toy was originally from the Japanese Diaclone toyline as a piloted mecha. The "4WD Hi-Lux Wrecker-type" came in two different color schemes: red with black kneecaps and yellow wrecker-rig, or in blue with red kneecaps and yellow rig, which was available in a two-pack with the Diaclone toy that would become Crosscut. Yes, the green-and-orange coloration was made up specifically for Transformers.
