Engineer
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Engineer (real name Dell Conagher) |
| Occupation: | Engineer, inventor |
| Relationships: | Other mercs (coworkers) |
| Fandom: | Team Fortress 2 |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Engineer is one of the nine playable classes in Team Fortress 2.
Canon
Dell Conagher, AKA the Engineer, is an inventor from Texas with 11 PhDs. His grandfather Radigan invented life-extension devices for the owners of RED and BLU, setting the stage for the game’s story. Engineer spends much of his time in the official comics at the Administrator’s side.
Fandom
Engineer is a beloved character in the fandom, with numerous fanworks featuring or even centering around him. His relatively laid-back, kindly demeanor (at least compared to the other mercs) is often shown off in fanworks. He is often depicted as having a relatively close, even parental bond with Pyro.[1] This “father figure” description is sometimes applied to his relationship with Scout, and may be contrasted with the more strained relationship between Scout and Spy, his implied biological father. This interpretation of his character is common but not uncontroversial.[2][3]
Engineer's relationship with his inventions is another common subject in fanworks. Perhaps most notably, a humanization of one of the Engineer's buildings, dubbed "Mimi-Sentry", has gained popularity within the fandom, with a considerable amount of fanart and SFM videos featuring her.
Pairings
The most popular pairings featuring Engineer are Engineer/Spy (AKA Napoleon Complex) and Engineer/Soldier (AKA Helmet Party). The pairing of him and Pyro (AKA Texas Toast) is also relatively common.
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Art
Fics
- What’s it called, Engie? by RayClubs (Helmet Party)
Vids
- Engineer’s new inventions by Kostamoinen
- How I Unironically Play Engineer by Amnomidae
- out of touch engineers by The Average F2P
- Practical Problems by McVee
- Tiny Desk Engineer by Doctor Lalve. This video sparked a meme, and now many SFM animations feature the Tiny Desk Engineer in a cameo role.
- You give up a few things, Chasing a Dream! by Texlow, which uses audio from Treasure Planet
References
- ^ Art by technicalgator, Tumblr, dated July 9, 2023. This art and its caption is an example of the popular fanon of Engineer as a father figure to Pyro.
- ^ Post by butchhatred, Tumblr, dated Oct. 18, 2023. Relates to discontent within the fandom over the "Engineer as father figure" headcanon.
- ^ Post by buildacatboy, Tumblr, dated Aug. 10, 2021. Relates to the "woobificaton" of Engineer.