Grabber

Grabber (グラバー) is a yellow-and-black spider-type badnik that is created by Doctor Robotnik, that make first appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Grabbers can be found hiding and moving on the ceiling with one wheel that as it is able to descend with saithe and hang on with it to grap (hence the name of the badnik) eight mechanical limbs to its target.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Grabbers first appear in the Chemical Plant Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Grabbers are located at hall sections of the zone, as there can be one or pair of these badniks hanging on ceilings and can also move back and forth slowly.

Their attack pattern is hanging on the wall, waiting for Sonic to come, and then the badnik graps the player and attacks it, causing Sonic to lose his rings / shield or even life without rings. When the badnik graps the the player it starts flashing for few seconds and after that, Grabber will activate self-destruction on itself. As the result, animal friend will also not got released from the badnik. Only way to escape from a Grabber's hold is pressing left and right alternately on the D-pad. The player can also destroy the badnik and release the animal friend by performing Spin Jump.

Sonic Generations
Grabbers make return appearance in console versions of Sonic Generations, as these badniks can be seen once again on the Chemical Plant. Grabbers have redesigned model in the game, although it has the same attack pattern and located in the hall sections of the zone.

However, Grabbers can now crawl on the ground as well as hang from the ceiling. If the player is grabbed, he can struggle free before it self-destructs. If the player destroy the badnik, there are no animal firend inside of it.

Physical Appearance
Grabbers are badniks, that have body resembling spiders. Its main body has yellow and black stripes, that starts flashing red and black during the self-destruct. On top of the body is connected wheel, which the badnik uses to move on ceilings. To descend, Grabber uses saithe to move lower. Its head is grey with eyes and tusks that It has eight long, mechanical limbs, four on each side that are connected to bottom section of the body.

In Sonic Generations, Grabbers got redesigned and appear to be larger than before. Grabbers have now black head and limbs. Grabbers also got cyan eyes with black pupils and two smaller eyes above normal eyes, like real spiders. Grabbers don't have wheel anymore to move on ceiling.

Abilities
Grabbers hang from ceilings on an incredibly strong and durable thread, waiting for prey to pass underneath it so it can drop down. It catches prey with its legs and then self-destructs, causing damage, and the organic battery inside dies so make sure this badnik is destroyed before it self-destructs.

Sonic the Comic
Grabbers are make several appearances in Fleetway's Sonic the Comic as being part of Robotnik's badnik army. Grabber is first seen in issue 10 as it keeps capturing Emerald Hill folk, although it only becomes short time trouble for Sonic, who is rescuing them from Chemical Plant Zone. He defeats the Grabber and releases animal that had been inside of it for ages.

In issue 74, Tails and Tantrum are caught by two Grabbers before falling to lava in cavern. The two Grabbers start arguing about the way how they eat their victims. Because of this, Tails and Tantrum manages to escape from them. After an long time, few Grabbers is seen with Crawltons, Caterkillers, Grounders, Burrobots and Flashers trying to attack to Holly in Sonic the Comic Online's issue 258. However, Tails manages to defeat them all alone.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
In Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog episode The Robots' Robot, Doctor Robotnik summons Grabbers (which he miscalled as Burrobots) but instead of grabbing Sonic they just run after him. They are defeated when Sonic spins around an ice platform and they fall in the water.

Sonic Underground
Grabbers appear in the episode The Price of Freedom of Sonic Underground. These badniks were used to disguise their self as watches to spy on the fighters.

Merchandise
With the announcement of Sonic Generations, Jazwares had made figures of the character from the Sonic series into figures. The characters would include a little figure with the package. A Grabber was included with a Classic Tails figure.

Trivia

 * A similar spider robot that is similar to Grabber, appears in the Flying Battery Zone of Sonic & Knuckles. Instead of self-destructing, these robots can grap the player, starts carry across large gaps and then releases the player off.
 * Secret Plant in Sonic Pocket Adventure is similar to the Chemical Plant Zone, even having Spiny badniks. Grabber however doesn't appear in the zone at all, making Spiny badniks only enemies in the zone.
 * It is stated in Sonic the Comic, that Grabbers can eat its victims as this is ramainded in issue 75 and since then it hasn't mentioned at no other point in the comic. However, it stands to reason that any badnik with a Mobian trapped inside would require sustenance in order to keep their organic batteries running.
 * In Sonic X in the episode "Unfair Ball", Doctor Eggman activates one of the E-21 Ballios that grab Sonic's head that will self-destruct similar to the Grabber.