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Megatron (G1)

2006-03-07T11:51:27Z

211.30.135.73: copied from wikipedia which I have editted before pasting here.

==Generation 1==
Megatron is incredibly powerful and ruthless. His primary weapon is his arm-mounted fusion cannon, capable of levelling a city block in one blast, which he can sub-dimensionally link to a black hole, generating even more powerful antimatter blasts. He has a secondary weapon barrel mounted on his back, and can retract and replace his right hand with an energy flail. Megatron transforms into a [[Walther P38]] [[pistol]], delivering more focused energy blasts. He can shrink as he transforms, assuming sizes that comfortably allow either another Transformer or a human to wield him. In one instance, he retained his full size and connected to jet-mode [[Starscream]]'s underside.

There have been several interpretations of this character; some see Megatron as a strategic leader who call the shots from afar, other takes see Megatron as a battlefield commander who leads by brutal example, but all agree on one thing - all versions of this character are cunning, ruthless and without mercy. Unlike many other villains in various fictional scenarios, Megatron was not generally depicted as overly chaotic or insane. He was highly aggressive and megalomaniacal, but there was usually a (at least internally) consistent rationale behind his actions.

According to his original [[tech spec]], Megatron has no known weaknesses. This does not, however, prevent him from losing the majority of the battles that he fights - for all his famed battle prowess and tactical ability, Megatron often overlooks some significant detail, and has a bad habit of ordering a retreat when tables start to turn against him. However, despite his lust for galactic domination, one of Megatron's key priorities remains the safety and health of Cybertron - and the best way to accomplish that is for him to conquer it.

===Animated series===
Megatron is a Decepticon, one of the lineal descendants of the military hardware robots created by the [[Quintessons]] on their factory world of [[Cybertron]]. Following a war between the Decepticons and the other robot race, the [[Autobots]], the Decepticons were defeated by the Autobots' invention of transformation, which allowed them the advantange of stealth. The Autobot victory in the war began the [[Golden Age of Cybertron]], but a viper lurked within this paradise, as the Decepticons too eventually developed transformation, eventually leading to the creation of Megatron. Gathering a small number of troops together, Megatron made a small strike on an outer city, killing the current Autobot leader. However, this event was not made public knowledge, and young robots like the naive [[Orion Pax]] still looked up to Megatron and his followers because of their new robot-mode flight powers. However, Pax soon learned the error of his ways when Megatron duped him into allowing him access to [[Energon (Power Source)|Energon]] warehouses, and Megatron fatally injured him in a scuffle. However, the ancient Autobot, [[Alpha Trion]], reconstructed Pax into a battle hardy configuration - now, he was [[Optimus Prime]], leader of the Autobots and Megatron's sworn opponent as the civil war erupted again.

Eventually, the war drained Cybertron of most of its energy, necessitating that both factions seek out new worlds and new sources of power. Megatron and his elite forces pursued the Autobots' craft, (referred to as the [[The Ark (Transformers)|Ark]] in Beast Wars, following the ship's name from the G1 Marvel Comics) in their star cruiser (referred to as the [[Nemesis (Transformers)|Nemesis]] in Beast Wars) and attacked and boarded the craft, causing it to crash on a prehistoric planet, entombing all on the ship in emergency stasis as it crashed into a dormant volcano.

Four million years later, a volcanic eruption reactivated the Transformers and the war began again on the energy-rich world they found themselves on; Earth. After their first series of battles, the Autobots believed Megatron and the Decepticons destroyed when their new space cruiser crashed into the [[Pacific Ocean]], but in reality they survived and reconstructed the cruiser to serve as a sub-oceanic staging base and bunker. Megatron re-established contact with Cybertron, and began construction of an intergalactic transport system called a "space bridge," although the early tests nearly resulted in his destruction when he was sucked into the portal and teleported to Cybertron. The technology was eventually stabilised, however, and used in a grand scheme to transport Cybertron through space into Earth's orbit, where the natural disasters its gravity wreaked created tremendous energy that Megatron and the Decepticons gathered. The Earth was saved, however, when Megatron's stockpiles of energy were detonated by the Autobots, the explosion forcing Cybertron out of orbit. Again, however, Megatron was able to cheat death, and was forced to team up with Optimus Prime in order to stop the machinations of his treacherous lieutenant, [[Starscream]].

In his next scheme, Megatron absorbed all the separate powers of the other Decepticons into himself, and challenged Optimus Prime to one-on-one combat. With the added abilities of all his minions, Megatron easily defeated Prime in the battle, but when his deception was revealed, he and his followers were defeated in a group attack.

Over the following years, Megatron's schemes to obtain Earth's energies continued. His assorted plans included various attempts to harness the power of Earth's core, thefts of several unstable energy devices from human scientists, the draining of energy from a time-lost prehistoric island, and partnership with a human politician that allowed him to force the Autobots off of Earth, and actually allowed him to conquer Central City among many, many others.

Eventually, however, Megatron turned his attention away from Earth, and succeeded in completely conquering Cybertron by the Earth year 2005. Learning the Autobots were preparing a strike against the planet, Megatron and the Decepticons intercepted the shuttle sent to Earth to acquire energy to power the raid, and unleashed a mighty assault on [[Autobot City]]. In the course of the conflict, word was sent to Optimus Prime, who arrived the following morning after the slaughter and confronted Megatron in another one-on-one struggle. Megatron appeared beaten, but spying a discarded pistol, stalled for time by pleading for mercy as he attempted to reach it. The young Autobot Hot Rod then intervened, tackling Megatron, but the Decepticon was too powerful for him, seizing him and using him as shield as he grabbed the pistol and opened fire on Prime. The wounds were fatal and sent Prime to the grave - but not before he delivered his own final blow to Megatron, seriously damaging him and forcing the Decepticons to flee.

On the return trip to Cybertron, it became necessary to jettison excess mass, or the Decepticons would be unable to reach the planet. The wounded Decepticons were voted out, and set adrift in space, including Megatron. But this was not to be the end for the great slag-maker, as the world-devourer, [[Unicron]], found him and recreated him into [[Galvatron]].

Megatron was voiced by prolific voice actor [[Frank Welker]] in the English version, and by [[Seizo Kato]] in the Japanese.

====Battlestars: Return of Convoy====
With his transformation into Galvatron, Megatron departed from the animated continuity, until five years later, in the Japanese-exclusive storyline, ''Battlestars: The Return of Convoy'', which, although not animated itself (told instead through one chapter of [[manga]] and colour magazine spreads), continues the tale of the cartoon universe. In the previous Japanese-exclusive animated series, ''[[Headmasters]]'', Galvatron had been apparently destroyed when he was buried on an iceberg. In the ''Return of Convoy'' storyline, a new evil force named Dark Nova recovers Galvatron's body, and restores him to life as '''Super Megatron''', pitting him against Star Convoy (the reborn Optimus Prime) and his Autobots. Super Megatron subsequently gets an upgrade to '''Ultra Megatron''', and for the final battle, merges with Dark Nova himself, becoming '''Star Giant'''.

===Marvel Comics===
Rising from his beginnings as a gladiator for the city-state of Tarn, Megatron and the Decepticons were the ones who developed transformation first, using it to begin the war against the Autobots, who fought back by mimicking the technology. In time, the war grew so fierce that Cybertron itself was shaken from its orbit, and set adrift in the cosmos. Eventually, four million years ago, the planet fell into the path of an asteroid cluster in the Sol system that threatened to destroy it, and so Optimus Prime led a contingent of his troops in the Ark to reduce the asteroids to rubble, saving Cybertron. The plan was a success, but immediately afterwards, Megatron and his troops attack, forcing Optimus Prime to crash the Ark into prehistoric Earth.

Four million years later, in 1984, the Transformers were reawakened, and Megatron immediately set about trying to locate a source of fuel for the Decepticons. Unable to ingest common Earth gasoline, the Decepticons kidnapped [[Witwicky Family|Sparkplug Witwicky]] and forced him to develop a conversion process, but this only afforded him the chance to poison their fuel, deactivating them all. The Autobots were not saved, however, as [[Shockwave (Transformers)|Shockwave]] then defeated them all and brought the Decepticons back online to serve him - including Megatron. Chafing under his command, Megatron battled Shockwave, but was soundly defeated, forcing him into an alliance with [[Ratchet (Transformers)|Ratchet]], who located and reactivated the [[Dinobots]], who had defeated Shockwave in the past. However, Ratchet loosed them on Megatron, and was willing to sacrifice himself to knock Megatron off a cliff. While Ratchet survived, Megatron disappeared for some time.

Soon, however, Megatron re-emerged, trapped in pistol mode, his higher brain functions disconnected. Used as a weapon by wannabe gangster, [[Joey Slick]], Megatron eventually restored himself, and was impressed enough with Slick for standing up to him that he allowed him to live. But at this point, Megatron was desperately low on fuel, and attacked a coal mine, attempting to locate some, when he eventually completely ran out, and froze in place. He was soon located by [[Soundwave (Transformers)|Soundwave]], who brought him back online, and they subsequently entered into an alliance with the human Donny Finkleberg, who used the alias of "[[Robot Master (Transformers)|Robot Master]]" to con humankind into thinking the Transformers worked for him. Shockwave and Megatron entered into a period of shared leadership, but when a two-pronged attack by the Autobots saw Megatron defeated by [[Omega Supreme]], and Shockwave allowing the Autobots to capture the secrets of [[Devastator]], Megatron was able to spin the situation and reclaim his leadership.

In order to attain possession of a new energy-generating device, the hydrothermacline, Megatron battled Optimus Prime in a [[video game]] duel, using a [[cheat code]] to continue the fight after he had lost. Prime defeated him again, but at the expense of some of the game's characters, and ruled himself the loser because he would not have committed such an act in real life. Prime was destroyed, and Megatron's elation soon turned into [[paranoia]], as he had not killed Prime with his own hands, and believed he could still be alive. Eventually descending into insanity, Megatron boarded the spacebridge to Cybertron and detonated it with his fusion cannon, apparently killing himself.

That would be all the US comics saw of Megatron for quite some time, but their sister title in the UK, which produced its own material, interspliced with the US stories, soon brought back the great slag-maker for more adventures. Prior to Megatron's seeming death, there had been a story which had seen both him and Prime transported to Cybertron, where the disembodied local Decepticon leader, [[Lord Straxus]], attempted to possess his body. The attempt failed, but Straxus made another attempt with a specially-crafted clone of Megatron, which was transported to Earth soon after the real Megatron vanished. The clone believed itself to be the real thing - as did the comics' readers, thinking that the spacebridge explosion had transported Megatron elsewhere on Earth - and after a battle with the mechanoid, Centurion, it was salvaged by Shockwave, who brainwashed it and unleashed it on [[Galvatron]], a recreated future version of Megatron who had travelled back in time from the year 2006 and posed a threat to Shockwave's leadership. The clone Megatron, however, saw a possible partner in Galvatron, and the two teamed up to battle Autobots and Decepticons from both present and future in the apocalyptic "Time Wars". Subsequently, the clone returned to Cybertron, where it defeated the ruling Decepticon Triumvirate, but was then confronted with the ''real'' Megatron - the Spacebridge explosion had deposited him in the Dead End region of Cybertron, where he had wandered, with no recollection of who he was, until he had saved a Decepticon from Autobots and regained his memories. The clone Megatron susbequently destroyed itself to prevent Straxus, buried inside its mind, from taking over. A toy of Megatron's clone was released in 2002 by [[Takara]]. Named '''Megaplex''' after Machine Wars Megatron's clone, the toy was a reissue of the Japanese G1 Megatron toy. Megaplex was exclusively sold via the online Japanese dealer, eHobby. Megaplex came with a recoloured Energon flail weapon which was also available with the Transformers Collection reissue of Megatron.

The stage was now set for Megatron's return in the US comics, as he had his [[Micromaster]] Sports Car patrol capture the Autobot medic, Ratchet, and forced him to recreate Starscream as a [[Pretender (Transformers)|Pretender)]]. Ratchet did so, but also restored [[Grimlock]], [[Jazz (Transformers)|Jazz]] and [[Bumblebee (Transformers)|Bumblebee]] in the same manner, thwarting his scheme. When Megatron then attempted to flee through a trans-time dimensional portal, Ratchet tackled him as his base then exploded around them, apparently killing them both.

Soon after, however, Autobot [[detective]] [[Nightbeat (Transformers)|Nightbeat]] discovered that the explosion had actually blown them through the portal, and he dispatched a probe to pull them back from the gaps between reality. However, when they rematerialised, it was revealed that the explosion had fused the two enemies together, into a hideous, twisted mockery of a being, which ran rampant through the Ark. The half that was Ratchet begged Optimus Prime to kill them, but Prime could not, and had the Micromaster, Fixit, separate their bodies. Unfortunately, Fixit could not separate their minds, as the two discovered when they were reactivated with [[Nucleon (Power Source)|Nucleon]] - sharing each other's thoughts, feeling, sensations and sights, Ratchet attempted to break the cycle by crashing the Ark on Earth.

====Generation 2====
A few years later, Transformers was given a shot in the arm with the launch of the ''Generation 2'' toyline and comic book series. Toy safety laws had changed, and it was now no longer legal to sell realistic toy guns, like the original Megatron figure, so for Generation 2, Megatron became an Abrams [[tank]], and Marvel Comics told the tale of how it happened.

Although thought dead for a year or two, Megatron had actually survived the Ark crash, and had quietly worked to repair it, concealing it beneath the ground (apparently, Ratchet died in the crash, as their shared mind does not come up in the story). Tracking a transforming signal mistakenly believing it was another Transformer, Megatron came across the shape-shifting castle of the terrorist organisation, [[COBRA Organisation|COBRA]], and entered into a bargain with its leader, [[Cobra Commander]], offering him the technology of the Ark in exchange for the new weapons his organisation was developing. Reconstructed into a new tank body, with a powerful rail gun, Megatron defeated a sqaud of Autobots sent to stop him, and then turned on COBRA, capturing the scientist who had developed his gun, [[Doctor Biggles-Jones]], and escaping in the airborne Ark. Following a climactic battle with [[Fortress Maximus]], Megatron then battled and soundly defeated Bludgeon, reclaiming leadership of the Decepticons and stealing the Matrix from Optimus Prime, using it to bring his newest warriors online - only to have his faction bested by the forces of [[Jhiaxus]] and his second-generation Cybertronians. Megatron then entered into an alliance with the Autobots to both defeat Starscream, who had seized control of the Decepticon ship, the Warworld, through the power of the Matrix, and stop Jhiaxus. The tale ended with the Autobots and Decepticons uniting.

While this was the only version of Generation 2 Megatron to appear in the comics, several other incarnations of the character were released in the toyline itself, including "Hero Megatron" - a smaller, purple tank with a bellows-operated missile launcher and articulated robot mode - and Go-Bot Megatron; the Go-Bots were Transformers made to the same scale as Hot Wheels toys and had free-spinning axles which conserved momentum, allowing these Transformers to be compatible with Hot Wheels launchers, race tracks etc. Go-Bot Megatron was a repaint of a previous figure named Blowout and transformed into a silver Porsche. There were also unreleased versions of Megatron which turned into an Advanced Tactical Bomber and a smaller fighter jet, which would be used for Megatron in the Machine Wars series.

====Other comic stories====
In the course of its run, the UK comics produced several stories which do not fit into the continuity of the G1/G2 storyline, branching off in their own direction. For example, after the first disappearance of Ratchet and Megatron, a disparate continuity of storylines based around the "Earthforce" - a team of Autobots based on Earth - began, which saw Megatron and Shockwave establishing a joint leadership of the Decepticons, only to have command usurped by Starscream and Soundwave.

Also, after the end of the G1 comics, the final UK annual printed a text story entitled "Another Time And Place", which followed up on the events of the Ark crash, and saw Bludgeon and his followers locate Megatron's body and revive it with Nucleon, only for him to be defeated by Optimus Prime and Grimlock. This, of course, clashes with the G2 comic - but it does ''not'' clash in with the rewritten ''UK'' G2 comic, in which Megatron simply attributes his new body to human scientists, with no further explanation to contradict the events of "Another Time and Place".

===Dreamwave Comics===
In the 21st Century reimagining of the Generation One universe by [[Dreamwave Productions]], Megatron was envisioned as an ancient gladiatorial combatant in the depths of Cybertron’s underworld. As victory upon victory mounted he began to realize that the games were nothing more than an elaborate attempt by the Cybertronian elders to hide the truth of Cybertron’s history from the masses. When Megatron attempted to gain access to that knowledge through exploration and research, the Cybertronian elders attempted to have him assassinated - a plan that only resulted in stirring up even more discontent among Cybertronians which allowed Megatron to begin recruiting for the Decepticon movement.

Megatron's forces began a civil war of Autobot against Decepticon in order to mask his reactivation of the ancient planetary engines buried beneath Cybertron’s surface, as part of this ultimate intent for the planet - it would transformed into a massive Warworld that would cut a swathe of destruction through the galaxy. This plan initially failed as during a conflict with Optimus Prime, Megatrons Lieutenant Starscream activated the planet mechaforming process too soon resulting in the destruction of the machinery.

Roughly 7.4 million years BCE, Megatron and Optimus Prime disappeared in an early test of the new unstable Spacebridge matter-transport system. Spending an undisclosed time on the planet Quintessa, Megatron returned with an overwhelming army of lifeless seeker clones, quickly subjugating Cybertron. However this story was never finished due to the closure of Dreamwave.

Four million years BCE, when Cybertron was threatened by a massive approaching asteroid, Optimus Prime led a contingent of Autobots aboard the Ark to blow the rock to fragments, which were transported away by an orbital Spacebridge network. When this task was completed, Megatron chose this moment to strike, attacking the Ark with his troops. Crippled, the craft flew through one of the Spacebridge portals, and was tarnsported to prehistoric Earth, where it crashed, entombing the occupants in stasis for four million years.

The Autobots and Decepticons were reactivated in 1984, but specific details of the battles were unrecorded until 1999, when a Autobot/Human military alliance succeeded in capturing and deactivating the Decepticons. However, the Ark II, spaceship carrying them back to Cybertron, exploded shortly after liftoff, and the Transformers were believed destroyed - but in actuality, they had been scattered back to Earth, where they lay in Stasis lock across the globe for three years. This slumber was brought to an end when Adam Rook, a rogue military scientist who had devised a method of controlling Transformers, salvaged many of the fallen Cybertronians and reprogrammed them as mass killing machines, which he then attempted to sell on the black market. Megatron was first to break free of the human's control, overriding the new programming and capturing Rook during an auction. Megatron forced Rook to watch as he unleashed a technorganic virus designed to transform all of Earth into a new Cybertron. It also served to lure Optimus Prime and the Autobots, also now reactivated, to his location, where Megatron, tired of the war, continuously asked Prime to join him. After his first failed attempt, Megatron unleashed [[Constructicons|Devastator]] on San Francisco in a mass slaughter, in an attempt to show Prime the humans were not worth fighting for. However, the selfless sacrifice of several firemen restored Prime's faith in humanity and allowed him and the Autobots to beat back Megatron.

Several months later. Megatron was subliminally summoned to a remote area in Alaska along with the other Earthbound Transformers. There they battled until Megatron's former second-in-command, Shockwave, arrived and revealed that in their absence, the war on Cybertron had ended, arresting Megatron, Prime and their troops as war criminals. Megatron, weakened by battle, was quickly defeated by Shockwave and loaded aboard his shuttle for return to Cybertron, only to have Starscream seize the opportunity to be rid of him by jettisoning him into space on the return trip. Megatron used the time floating in space in stasis lock to contemplate his existence and the Decpticon goal. Realizing that he had wasted millennia in his feud with Prime, Megatron absolved to once again conquer Cybertron as a means to enhancing the Transformer race and strengthening it from outside threats. It seemed as through he would not live to accomplish this goal, however, as death closed in on him... only for him to be retrieved by the Junkion Wreck-Gar, who took him to the planet of Junk and repaired and re-armed him, only to be killed in return.

Travelling to the Planet Beest, Megatron defeated the exiled Decepticon warlords, the Predacons, and rebuilt them into the mightiest of all combiners, Predaking, to server as his ace in the hole in his quest to reclaim leadership of the Decepticons. Moving in stealth on Cybertron, Megatron defeated Shockwave, severing his arm and forcing him into servitude. He then returned to Earth to collect the remaining Decepticons under Starscream's command, and to teach Starscream a lesson long in coming.

While it was alluded that Megatron had a grand goal in mind that also included the subjugation of the Quintessons, the remainder of the story has yet to be told due to the closure of Dreamwave. However it has been stated by representatives of IDW publishing, the current holders of the Transformer comic license, that once Dreamwave has exited bankruptcy court, they intend to finish the story.

===Other appearances===
In the exclusive Japanese toyline, ''[[Transformers: Robot Masters]],'' whose story began in the timeline of the G1 animated series, but branched off at some point i the twenty-year interim between seasons 2 and 3, Megatron was lost in an undisclosed accident, leaving his time-displaced ''Beast Wars'' descendant to take his place as Decepticon leader (the toyline applied the qualifying titles of "G1 Megatron" and "Beast Megatron" to the characters to distinguish them). As events progressed, it was revealed that G1 Megatron's consciousness took possession of the body of a "Convoy" (an Autobot leader) known as Reverse Convoy, leader of the planet [[Vehicon]], and then used it to pose as an ally to the Autobots, only to betray them by revealing himself as the aptly-named "Rebirth Megatron."

The Reverse Convoy/Rebirth Megatron toy is a remoulded version of the Generation 2 "Hero Megatron" figure, with a new cannon and gun, and two interchangeable heads - one Convoy, one Megatron.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Optimus Prime (G1)

2006-03-06T12:11:53Z

211.30.135.73: G2, MW added (text copy and pasted from wikipedia)

==Generation One==
Optimus Prime is the leader of the heroic Autobots, and it is not hard to understand why he is so suited to the task. Had he been born a human, he could have been a [[Physician|doctor]], a [[mechanic]], a [[scientist]] or a [[warrior]] - but on [[Cybertron]], there is no difference in these professions, and Prime puts all his talent to use to improve the world around him. Immensely kind and compassionate, Prime has dedicated himself to the protection of all life, particularly the inhabitants of Earth, and will battle his foes with unyielding resolve to uphold this belief. In power and intelligence, Optimus Prime has no equal.

Optimus Prime transforms into a 1980s style Cab-Over [[semi-trailer]], comprising three components. The truck's cab transforms into the robot mode of Prime himself, with vast strength and armed with a laser rifle. Within his chest is contained the mystic talisman known as the [[Creation Matrix]] or [[Autobot Matrix of Leadership]], carried by all Autobot leaders and passed down through the ages. The truck's trailer disconnects and transforms into the '''Combat Deck''', a mobile battle-station/command headquarters with an "Auto-Launcher" robot armed with assorted artillery and beam weapons. It can also serve as a radio antennae for battlefield communications between the Autobots. The Combat Deck can launch Prime's third component, '''Roller''', a mobile scout buggy that can easily slip behind enemy lines; when Roller is present somewhere, it is as if Prime is there himself. Injury to one component is felt by each of the others, and while Prime could survive the destruction of either, despite the slight degree of autonomy they possess, the Combat Deck and Roller would not be able to survive without him.

Additional powers included in the animated series (somewhat inconsistently) included short-range optic blasts and holographic map projections, and deployable hydro-foils designed by Wheeljack which allowed Prime and the other Autobots to traverse bodies of water with ease. Although used only once, one of Prime's more memorable abilities from the animated series was the ability to retract his right hand and replace it with a glowing energy axe, which has since been rendered in toy form for Super Collection Figures (including the Mega Super Collection Figure), the Transformers Collection #0 reissue of the original Convoy toy, and the Masterpiece Convoy and 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime toys.

Across the assorted continuities of the "Generation One" universe(s), there have been various interpretations of Optimus Prime; the cartoon leant towards Optimus Prime as a straightforward, wise and essentially upbeat battlefield general, while the [[Marvel Comics]] series, in addition to these more obvious characteristics, suggested a Prime secretly plagued by self-doubt and, more importantly, a conflicted sense of [[pacifism]]. One of Prime's most notable characteristics was his adamant commitment to leadership by example, and avoidance of any hypocrisy in his command.

The above mentioned pacifism was not always readily apparent, but Prime's craving for peace is generally palpable. He was an extremely reluctant warrior, and it was at times implied (particularly in the Movie, albeit in a subtle manner) that the conflict with the Decepticons lasted as long as it did primarily due to his unwillingness to take a more aggressive stance. Consistent with his appearance, he had an aura of tremendous size, strength, and authority, but which at the same time was overlaid with a sense of equally great compassion and benevolence, and at times, sorrow and fatigue. Archetypically speaking, Prime was a somewhat tragic [[paladin]] whose primary motivations were both his desire for peaceful existence, and his sacrificial concern for the welfare of those other than himself. Although his massive shoulders were able to carry it, the burden of his command weighed very heavily.

A tragic constant of the character is his predilection for self-sacrifice - across all continuities and depictions of him (and later, his modern namesakes), it is almost a certainty that Prime will meet his end and later return to life (sometimes to repeat the process).

The original toy that was to become Optimus Prime was originally released by [[Takara]] in October of 1983, and designed by [[Hiroyuki Obara]] as part of the [[Diaclone]] toyline, there named ''Battle Convoy''. The figure's definitive mouth-plate has become a constant design element in most incarnations and variants of Prime down the years (bar a few exceptions, noted individually below), although a 1984 children's book omitted it to what is now considered humorous effect. Integrated into the first year of the ''Transformers'' toyline, the toy was given its new name, Optimus Prime, by comic book writer/editor [[Dennis O'Neil]].

===Animated series===

[[Image:Optimus.jpg|thumb|left|Optimus Prime's robot mode in the animated series.]]
Optimus Prime began his life as a robot named [[Orion Pax]], a simple dock worker during the Golden Age of Cybertron nine million years ago, with a [[Female Transformers|girlfriend]] named Ariel, and a best friend named Dion. At the time, a new breed of robot had recently appeared on the planet - ones with new robot-mode flight powers that made Orion idolize them. Unfortunately for Orion, when [[Megatron]], the leader of these robots, approached him with inquiries about using one of the dock warehouses, Orion fell for the deception and he and Ariel were fatally wounded when [[Megatron]] and his forces then attacked in order to claim the energy stored there. Searching for someone to help them, the time-displaced [[Aerialbots]] took Orion and Ariel to the ancient Autobot, [[Alpha Trion]] (known then as A3), who used them as the first subjects for the new reconstruction process he had developed - rebuilding the frail Autobot frames into battle-hardy configurations. With this reconstruction, Orion Pax became Optimus Prime, the first of the Autobot warriors, who took the mantle of leadership as the civil war against Megatron and Decepticons erupted, while Ariel was rebuilt into [[Elita One]], the commander of the Autobot resistance on Cybertron.

[[Image:Optimus2.jpg|thumb|right|Optimus Prime's truck mode in the animated series.]]
As leader of the Autobots, Prime headed up the Autobots' shuttle (known in the Marvel Comics as the [[Ark (Transformers)|Ark]]; fans commonly assign this shuttle with this name, although it was never actually named in the cartoon series) mission to search out new worlds with new sources of energy to revitalise the depleted Cybertron. However, shortly after its launch, the Autobots' craft was attacked by the Decepticon space cruiser (never named in the G1 cartoon but later named the ''Nemesis'' in the Beast Wars cartoon), and boarded by Megatron and the Decepticons. In the ensuing struggle, the g-forces of a nearby planet pulled both crafts down, and the Autobots' ship crashed into a volcano, thrusting all the occupants of the ship into emergency stasis. Four million years later, in the Earth year [[1984]]C.E., a volcanic eruption jarred the ship's computer, [[Teletran One]] back to life, and it reactivated the Decepticons, programming them with new Earth-based disguise modes. As a petty parting gesture, [[Starscream]] fired upon the Autobot ship, creating a landslide that knocked Prime into the path of the computer's restoration beam, restoring him to life, and beginning the war anew on Earth.

Prime was perpetually at the forefront of the action throughout the early years of the war on Earth, usually confronting Megatron, and, in some rare instances, being forced to team up with him for the greater good (or the lesser evil). He has suffered his fair share of battlefield scrapes, almost meeting his end when his vital cosmotron component was critically damaged by the Decepticon jets and [[Laserbeak]], and suffering a severe - though unfair - defeat when Megatron challenged him to one-on-one comabt while imbued with the different powers of all the Decepticons.

Generally, Prime acting in a commanding role as part of larger battles and event, but played prominent and solo roles in a few, also. In 1985, Megatron created a perfect duplicate of him, leaving the Autobots unable to differentiate between the two until the clone disregarded the safety of their human companion, [[Spike Witwicky]], exposing the deception. Later in the same year, Prime's fame and prowess led him to become the target of the dementing big-game hunter, Lord Chumley, who sought his head to go along with his other rare trophies. Entering the hunter's estate alone, Prime defeated all the traps and beasts lying in wait and brought Chumley to justice. The same year also saw Elita One captured by the Decepticons on Cybertron and used to lure Prime there alone; although knowing it was a trap, he ventured in solo and was defeated by the Decepticons and nearly destroyed, until Elita's stasis-field powers froze time long enough for them to escape. Prime was forced to seek out Alpha Trion to save the wounded Elita's life, and in the process, rediscovered his forgotten connection to his creator.

Over the course of the next twenty years, the Decepticons succeeded in seizing control of all of Cybertron, forcing the Autobots to operate from their new city on Earth, and from two bases on Cybertron's moons. In the Earth year [[2005]]C.E., Prime was stationed on Moonbase One, and dispatched troops to Earth to acquire energy for an upcoming strike on Cybertron. The Decepticons, however, got wind of the plan and used the shuttle run to attack Autobot City; a distress call summoned Prime and support troops to Earth, and in the ensuing battle with Megatron, Optimus Prime sustained fatal injuries, but not before turning the tide of battle and forcing the Decepticon to flee. Despite the efforts of [[Perceptor]], Optimus Prime died. The Matrix, and with it leadership of the Autobots, fell into the hands of [[Ultra Magnus]], and subsequently to Rodimus Prime.

Prime's body was entombed in a massive deep-space mausoleum with the many other fallen Autobots, but his corpse was desecrated by the [[Quintessons]] in 2006, when they reanimated it as part of an attempt to destroy the Autobots by using Prime to lure their space fleet into a trap. However, the Matrix was able to purify Prime of the Quintesson influence, and he got the other Autobots clear while he piloted his flagship into the Quintessons' detonator, triggering the explosion of a nearby sun. Prime was believed to have been destroyed in the explosion, but in reality, before the flagship impacted with the detonator, his body was recovered from the craft by two human scientists, Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford. However, as their ship departed, it was coated in solar spores released by the explosion of the sun. Jessica's father, Mark Morgan, loathed the Autobots, and his hatred only grew when an attempt by the Decepticons to steal a heat-resistant alloy he had developed resulted in Jessica being paralysed. Swofford and Morgan reconstructed Optimus Prime's body in an attempt to use it as a delivery system for the spores, which induced hatred and madness, in order to destroy the Transformers. However, when they could not reanimate him, they used his body as a lure instead, bringing the Autobots to their lab, where they were infected. As this "[[Hate Plague]]" proceeded to spread across the galaxy, [[Sky Lynx]] retrieved a Quintesson, who fully restored Optimus Prime to life. Coating himself in Morgan's heat-resistant alloy, Prime reclaimed the Matrix from Rodimus and unleashed its concentrated wisdom to destroy the Hate Plague.

In 2007 - in the show's fourth season, consisting entirely of a three-part miniseries titled ''The Rebirth'' - Prime began to suffer visions following the release of the Matrix's energy, which foretold a great transformation for Cybertron. Events began with the Decepticons' theft of the key to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]], which forced Prime to consult Alpha Trion within [[Vector Sigma]], learning that the mega-computer had orchestrated events in order to restore Cybertron's Golden Age. When the Plasma Energy Chamber was opened and threatened to drive Earth's Sun supernova, [[Spike Witwicky]] and the other organic [[Nebulans]] who had become involved in the conflict as a result of these events were able to drain off the excess solar energy and revitalize Cybertron.

Optimus Prime was voiced by [[Peter Cullen]] in America, and by [[Tesshō Genda]] in Japan.

====Transformers: Headmasters====
While the ''Transformers'' animated series came to an end in America with "The Rebirth" in 1987, across the [[Pacific]], in Japan, it was decided to continue production of new, exclusive animated series to continue the story. The first of these series, ''[[Transformers: Headmasters]]'', supplanted the events of "The Rebirth", picking up one year after the events that saw Optimus Prime's return to life.

In the interim year, with the Decepticons not having been heard from, the Autobots had entered into an even closer relationship with Earth, and begun the colonization of other worlds, the first of which was the planet Athenia, where Optimus Prime was stationed. It soon became apparent, however, that when Prime had released the energy of the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague, the consequences were more far-reaching than he had anticipated - without the energy of the Matrix to act as a balancing factor, Vector Sigma had become destabilized, and the Decepticons suddenly returned to exploit this, assaulting Cybertron in order to seize control of the mega-computer. Prime took a squad of troops to aid in the battle on the planet, and when the arrival of the Autobot [[Headmasters]] tipped the battle in their favor, Prime broke off from the main attack and headed down into the depths of the planet, planning on stabilizing Vector Sigma at any cost.

Guided through the dangers of the planet's catacombs by the spirit of Alpha Trion while the other Autobots searched for the Matrix on Earth, Prime eventually arrived at the computer, only to find his way barred by [[Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (Transformers)|Scourge]]. Hot Rod then arrived with the Matrix, with which Alpha Trion merged, re-energizing it and transforming Hot Rod back into Rodimus Prime; for the first time, the two Primes fought side-by-side and defeated Galvatron.

Before Rodimus could implement the Matrix to stabilize Vector Sigma, however, Optimus Prime sacrificed himself to perform the task, merging with the computer and restoring its balance to save the planet - dying again only a few short episodes after his rebirth.

====Super-God Masterforce====
The second of the Japanese-exclusive ''Transformers'' series, 1988's ''Super God Masterforce'' did not actually feature Optimus Prime himself, but it did feature one of his bodies. This series sees human truck driver [[Ginrai]] merge with and control a Transtector ''(a lifeless Transformer body)'' which bears a striking resemblance to Optimus Prime - although not revealed in the main 42 episodes of the series, an additional clips episode produced after the fact explained that this was because the body was intended to be used by Prime, only to be stolen and hidden on Earth by the series antagonist, [[Devil Z]]. Ginrai can merge with his trailer, becoming '''Super Ginrai''', and can then merge again with his additional transforming drone trailer, Godbomber, becoming '''God Ginrai.''' This toy was released in America as '''Powermaster Optimus Prime''', with appropriately different accompanying fiction in the pages of Marvel Comics (see below). Godbomber, however, was not released outside of Japan until Powermaster Prime was reissued in [[2003]], and Godbomber - renamed Apex Bomber - came included.

====Battlestars: Return of Convoy====
Although this particular piece of Japanese-exclusive fiction was not actually an animated series, it remains part of the animated series continuity. Here, Optimus Prime is finally brought back to life through the use of [[Zone Energy]], as the mighty '''Star Convoy'''. As another truck/trailer combination, Star Convoy transforms into a Micromaster base, and can combine with fellow Autobots Grandus and Sky Garry. Prime can combine with Grandus and Sky Garry in base mode. Grandus can also attach to the back of Prime's trailer while the two are in vehicle mode; Sky Garry can then land on Grandus. This combination, similar to the vehicle combination of Armada Optimus Prime, Overload and Jetfire, is called the Battlestars.

===Marvel Comics===
In [[Marvel Comics]]' comic series, before the Great War broke out on Cybertron, the robot who would be Optimus Prime (his name before becoming the Prime Autobot remains unknown) was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the Infraformers Sharpshooting Competition. Subsequently, when the war began, Prime quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbots]] to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action, proved his wisdom and skill to the Autobot Council of Elders. The outbreak of the Great War saw Autobot territories falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of [[Iacon]]. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor Xaaron suggested that High Councillor Traachon step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.

Four million years ago, Cybertron - shaken from its orbit and drifting through space - came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the Ark, on a mission to destroy the asteroids, and although successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer (A.U.N.T.I.E.) from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. Shortly after this crash, Shockwave arrived from Cybertron in search of the Ark and A.U.N.T.I.E. Shockwave landed in the [[Savage Land]] - an island whose prehistoric nature survived well into the modern age. A.U.N.T.I.E. managed to reactivate a special team of five Autobots who were dispatched to battle Shockwave in the Savage Land (see [[Dinobots]]).

In 1984C.E., a volcanic eruption reactivated A.U.N.T.I.E., which in turn brought the Transformers back on-line. Prime led the Autobots in their opening battles to prevent the Decepticons from plundering Earth's resources, but following their initial victory, the Autobots were all deactivated by [[Shockwave (Transformers)|Shockwave]]. Prime was decapitated by Shockwave, and had the energy of the Creation Matrix leeched from his mind to give life to Shockwave's creations, the [[Constructicons]] (although Shockwave was unaware that the Matrix was not merely a program in Prime's mind, but a physical object in his chest). Before Shockwave could give life to his next Decepticon, [[Jetfire]], Prime transferred the Matrix energy into the mind of [[Witwicky Family|Buster Witwicky]], who used the energy to turn Jetfire on Shockwave, allowing Prime to reclaim his body and retake leadership of the Autobots, giving Jetfire true life as a reward.

After a period of effective leadership which saw the activation of several new Autobots including the [[Aerialbots]], who Prime infused with life using the Matrix, Prime engaged Megatron in a [[video game]] duel for possession of a super fuel. Prime was victorious, but Megatron implemented a cheat code, allowing him to re-enter the game. Prime was able to defeat him yet again, but in doing so, he also destroyed several of the game sprites, and refused to accept his victory, as he had performed an action that compromised his beliefs about the preservation of life, which he would never have done, had the duel been real. In accordance with the rules of the game, Prime's body exploded and he died. Autobot surgeon [[Ratchet (Transformers)|Ratchet]]'s subsequent efforts to restore him were unsuccessful, and his body was launched into space. The funeral barge eventually crashed on giant moon where it lay for untold time. At one stage, an alien ship crashed near the barge. The dying alien reached out toward the Matrix, with the Matrix choosing to revive the being as Death Bringer. Much later, the Matrix would revive a small predatory animal which would prove instrumental to the conclusion of the Matrix Quest.

Prime's personality had been copied onto a [[floppy disk]] by the technician running the game, [[Ethan Zachary]], who employed him in various video game scenarios he developed. Prime's damaged mind led him to belive that he himself was a video game character, and in an attempt to bring him back to life, [[Bumblebee (Transformers)|Goldbug]], Joyride, Slapdash and Getaway took the disk to the planet [[Nebulos]], where a new body was constructed for Prime. They built a new body for Optimus Prime, and even upgraded it with the ability to combine with the trailer to form a larger robot. In an effort to keep Transformers off their planet, however, the Nebulans had poisoned their fuel, and the sensation of dying convinced Prime that he was truly alive, and not a game character. To save his life, the Nebulan scientist Hi-Q [[binary-bonding|bonded]] with him, creating '''[[Powermasters (Transformers)|Powermaster]] Optimus Prime'''.

Powermaster Prime and his Autobots later battled Death Bringer. Optimus Prime immediately senseed Matrix energies eminating from Death Bringer, and realised that the undead reaper was a creation of the Matrix. Proving invulnerable, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat Death Bringer by convincing it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function. Prime salvaged a sliver of Matrix energy from Death Bringer's remains, which he later used to restore a rainforest destroyed during a battle between the Autobot Rescue Patrol and the Decepticon Air Strike Patrol member Whisper. The battle with Death Bringer alerted Optimus Prime to the fact that his old body was still out there somewhere in space, and more importantly, that the Matrix that it carried was also with it. With a war to win, the location of the Matrix was not a high priority.

With the subsequent threat of [[Unicron]] looming, priorites quickly changed and Prime began a quest to locate his old body and the physical Matrix object within it. When the Matrix was successfully reacquired, Prime sacrificed his life one more time to destroy Unicron by plunging the Matrix into his maw. However, the Powermaster process had been working to fully bond Prime and Hi-Q, and with Prime now destroyed, the process completed itself in Hi-Q's body, and the two minds and souls became one. Hi-Q's biomechanical body was stripped down and reconstructed by the Last Autobot, creating a brand new Optimus Prime (visually based on his [[Action Master]] toy).

===Dreamwave Comics===
In the 21st century reimaging of the ''Generation One'' continuity by [[Dreamwave]] Productions, Optimus Prime started life as Optronix (Orion to his friends), a data archivist. After taking note of a battle in which the Autobot leader [[Sentinel Prime]] had been defeated by Megatron, he was summoned to the council of elders and informed that the Matrix had chosen him to be the next leader of the Autobots. He received the Matrix of Leadership shortly thereafter, and almost arranged for the Autobot evacuation of Cybertron, intending to leave the Decepticons to their own devices, until a battle with Megatron beneath the planet's surface, accompanied by visions from the Matrix, stirred him on to fight for the safety of his homeworld. It is interesting to note that in this reimagining, Optimus actually ''was'' physically changed in appearance and size by the Matrix during the events of the first volume of ''War Within''.
Some time into his role as leader, Prime disappeared in a spacebridge experiment along with Megatron, but returned some time later, having spent a period of time on Quintessa. Events during this period have gone unrecorded as a result of Dreamwave's closure.

Following the awakening of the Transformers on Earth, the Autobots allied with humankind and eventually defeated the Decepticons at the turn of the century. They planned to return to Cybertron aboard the newly constructed "Ark II," but the ship was destroyed as part of a military conspiracy to take control of the Transformers. However, a terrorist organization run by the enigmatic Lazarus was able to seize control of several of the Transformers that fell back to Earth, while the U.S. military located Prime's body. Before his departure, Prime had entrusted a small portion of the Matrix to Spike Witwicky, who was forced by the product chief, General Hallo, to use it to reactivate Prime. Functional again, Prime used the Matrix to reactivate more of his fallen comrades, and then faced off against Megatron in [[San Francisco]].

Following this, Prime began to experience subconscious urgings, leading both the Autobots and the Decepticons to the Arctic Circle, where Shockwave arrived to greet them - and arrest them as war criminals. Shockwave had succeeded in ending the war on Cybertron, but Prime soon fell in with a rebel Autobot group that had discovered Shockwave had a greater agenda. Rallying Autobots across Cybertron to the cause, Prime faced Shockwave in battle but was defeated and had the Matrix ripped from him and used to activate Vector Sigma. Before Shockwave could make full use of the mega-computer's data, however, Ultra Magnus (in this continuity, Prime's brother) arrived and bested him. The injuries Prime took in this conflicted necessitated a prolonged restoration period in stasis but Dreamwave's closure meant that Prime never appeared in their pages again.

==Generation 2==
===Marvel Comics===
[[image:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|right|thumb|280px|Generation Two Optimus Prime from the Marvel Comics.]]
When the ''Transformers'' line was revived in the early '90s as ''[[Generation 2]]'', Marvel released an accompanying comic book series which followed on the events of the last issue from the original. Set an undisclosed period of time after his rebirth, Prime appeared in a form matching his original body - fitting, as the G2 toyline's first Prime figure was the original Prime toy, with added missile launchers and a recolored trailer. Prime was plagued by visions of the [[Swarm (Transformers)|Swarm]] - a destructive by-product of Transformer reproduction - entering into an alliance with Megatron against it and the forces of the second-generation Cybertronians led by [[Jhiaxus]]. [[image:csoptimusprimeg2g.jpg|left|thumb|Optimus Prime as a Generation 2 Go-Bot.]] Prime's body was destroyed yet again when he confronted the Swarm, but upon releasing the energy of the Matrix into it, purifying it, Prime was reborn by the repentant creature, recreated in a new body based on his Generation 2 "Hero Optimus Prime" figure. At the end of the battle, Prime’s dream of reuniting the two races of Transformers into a single force for good seemed to be a possibility when the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s fought side by side against a common foe.

===Generation 2 Toys===
Although these were the only two versions of Prime to appear in the ''Generation 2'' comics, the ''G2'' toyline featured additional Optimus Prime toys which did not appear in the comic book series. These included "Laser Optimus Prime", part of the "Laser Rod" subgroup who transformed into a tanker truck, and featured a light-up sword (later repainted for the ''Robots in Disguise'' line as [[Scourge (Transformers)|Scourge]]), and "Go-Bot Optimus Prime", part of another sub-group of smaller, simpler figures, who was a repaint of an earlier figure named Firecracker, who turned into a red [[Lamborghini]] (the first Prime toy to lack the character's definitive mouth-plate, being a repaint of another character). Additionally, there was an unreleased "General Optimus Prime" figure, a repaint of Dirtbag from the auto-transforming "Autorollers" subgroup, who turned into a dump truck. Go-Bot Prime's tech spec offered an explanation for Prime's numerous bodies, crediting an "internal reconfiguration matrix" as the reason behind his multiple forms.

==Machine Wars==
The short-lived ''[[Machine Wars]]'' toy line from Hasbro featured an Optimus Prime figure that was a recolored and retooled (missile launcher gimmick was completely changed) version of Thunderclash, a [[1992]] Turbomaster - part of a line of Transformers exclusive to [[Europe]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]]. As a repaint of an existing character, this incarnation of Prime also lacked the characteristic mouth-plate. No comic book or television series was ever produced for this toy line. Like most of the toys in this line, the box art was recycled. However, unlike the other mega and ultra Machine Wars releases, which recolored 1992 European box art, Prime had edited Laser Optimus Prime box art.

==Beast Wars==
It is important to note that [[Optimus Primal]], leader of the Maximal faction in the ''[[Beast Wars]]'' animated series and toyline, was not Optimus Prime - he was a descendant of his, who took the name to honor the Autobot leader. The same applies to the Megatron of this universe. However, before the animated series began, Hasbro did actually envision Prime and Megatron as their beast counterparts - design elements such as Prime's mouthplate (slitted to add an actual mouth for the animated series) suggest it, and the first mini-comic that came packaged with the toys makes it clear. However, once the animated series began, this was forgotten. Primal's characterization, though, remained generally consistent with the G1 depiction of Prime in terms of his explicit insistence on leading by example and avoiding issuing an order that he would not follow himself, and Prime's occasional self-doubt and sense of weariness. Overall, however, Primal is not and was never the battlefield leader that Prime was, as a scientist and explorer by nature, unaccustomed to waging a war.

The Beast Wars were raged on prehistoric Earth, eventually leading to the discovery of the buried [[The Ark (Transformers)|Ark]]. Megatron, in a desperate gambit, decided to attempt to change history by killing Optimus Prime, who was still laying in the Ark in Stasis Lock. Megatron hoped that this would result in the Decepticons winning the Great Wars and eventually the rule of Cybertron by the Predacons, the descendents of the Decepticons. Megatron unleashed a full-power weapon blast at Optimus Prime's face, near-fatally injuring him. However, Optimus Primal proceeded to take Prime's spark into his body to protect it from surgical trauma while his injuries were repaired. The subsequent power increase caused by Prime's spark's connection to the Matrix mutated Primal into an the large, Transmetal "Optimal Optimus" form with two additional transformations (jet and land vehicle). Then, with the repairs complete, Prime's spark was restored, and he briefly activated before sinking back into normal stasis.

When animating the scene in which Primal removes Prime's spark, Mainframe's animators consulted [[Transformers: The Movie]] for reference on the interior of Prime's chest. However, not realizing the importance of the Matrix of Leadership, they rendered it as a container for Prime's spark. Although Beast Wars writers Larry DiTillio and Bob Forward claimed that in their view, Prime had not received the Matrix from Alpha Trion at this point, one of the comics produced for [[Botcon]] indicated that the Matrix was in fact stored in a secondary compartment, hidden behind Prime's spark.

==Transformers: Universe==

''[[Transformers: Universe]]'' is a toyline that consists solely of "redecos", already-produced toys fitted with a different color schemes. A comic book series was produced to promote the line. Although the main Autobot leader in this series is [[Optimus Primal]], several versions of Optimus Prime exist in the toy line or have been seen in the comic book.

*A yellow repaint of the ''Robots in Disguise'' Optimus Prime toy, who, according to his biography, is the same character from the animated series and now heads a group of dimensional traveling Autobots, which includes a black repaint of [[Ultra Magnus]]. These two characters appeared in their combined form, [[Omega Prime]], in the Transformers: Universe comic book.
*In the same vein, a yellow repaint of the smaller version of ''Robots in Disguise'' Prime was also released. He appeared in the 2004 Botcon voice actor play, and was seemingly yet another new Optimus Prime taken from a parallel dimension to that of the ''Robots in Disguise'' fiction.
*A repaint of the smaller [[Scourge]] from the ''Robots in Disguise'' line, painted to resemble Generation One Optimus Prime. First released as part of an unnamed sub-line exclusive to KayBee toys, the figure was later integrated into Universe when it was released to other stores. His function is Leader and his motto is "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings" Dedicated to protecting all life, Optimus Prime leads the Autobots in unceasing battle against the evil Decepticons. His courage and wisdom know no bounds, and he is respected throughout the universe as a powerful champion of peace. Carries a blaster rifle as well as the ancient Autobot Matrix of Leadership.

Several Transformers: Universe toys use molds from older Optimus Prime toys. "Battle In a Box" [[Ultra Magnus]] is a white repaint of the deluxe-sized ''Armada'' Optimus Prime mold, while an unreleased Universe [[Hot Spot]] would have been a repaint of the ''Robots in Disguise'' Prime toy. Similarly, [[Nemesis Prime]] was a repaint of the Prime-themed Japanese [[Big Convoy]] toy, never having been released in the Hasbro markets before.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Optimus Prime (G1)

2006-03-06T12:05:08Z

211.30.135.73: text copy and pasted from wikipedia

==Generation One==
Optimus Prime is the leader of the heroic Autobots, and it is not hard to understand why he is so suited to the task. Had he been born a human, he could have been a [[Physician|doctor]], a [[mechanic]], a [[scientist]] or a [[warrior]] - but on [[Cybertron]], there is no difference in these professions, and Prime puts all his talent to use to improve the world around him. Immensely kind and compassionate, Prime has dedicated himself to the protection of all life, particularly the inhabitants of Earth, and will battle his foes with unyielding resolve to uphold this belief. In power and intelligence, Optimus Prime has no equal.

Optimus Prime transforms into a 1980s style Cab-Over [[semi-trailer]], comprising three components. The truck's cab transforms into the robot mode of Prime himself, with vast strength and armed with a laser rifle. Within his chest is contained the mystic talisman known as the [[Creation Matrix]] or [[Autobot Matrix of Leadership]], carried by all Autobot leaders and passed down through the ages. The truck's trailer disconnects and transforms into the '''Combat Deck''', a mobile battle-station/command headquarters with an "Auto-Launcher" robot armed with assorted artillery and beam weapons. It can also serve as a radio antennae for battlefield communications between the Autobots. The Combat Deck can launch Prime's third component, '''Roller''', a mobile scout buggy that can easily slip behind enemy lines; when Roller is present somewhere, it is as if Prime is there himself. Injury to one component is felt by each of the others, and while Prime could survive the destruction of either, despite the slight degree of autonomy they possess, the Combat Deck and Roller would not be able to survive without him.

Additional powers included in the animated series (somewhat inconsistently) included short-range optic blasts and holographic map projections, and deployable hydro-foils designed by Wheeljack which allowed Prime and the other Autobots to traverse bodies of water with ease. Although used only once, one of Prime's more memorable abilities from the animated series was the ability to retract his right hand and replace it with a glowing energy axe, which has since been rendered in toy form for Super Collection Figures (including the Mega Super Collection Figure), the Transformers Collection #0 reissue of the original Convoy toy, and the Masterpiece Convoy and 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime toys.

Across the assorted continuities of the "Generation One" universe(s), there have been various interpretations of Optimus Prime; the cartoon leant towards Optimus Prime as a straightforward, wise and essentially upbeat battlefield general, while the [[Marvel Comics]] series, in addition to these more obvious characteristics, suggested a Prime secretly plagued by self-doubt and, more importantly, a conflicted sense of [[pacifism]]. One of Prime's most notable characteristics was his adamant commitment to leadership by example, and avoidance of any hypocrisy in his command.

The above mentioned pacifism was not always readily apparent, but Prime's craving for peace is generally palpable. He was an extremely reluctant warrior, and it was at times implied (particularly in the Movie, albeit in a subtle manner) that the conflict with the Decepticons lasted as long as it did primarily due to his unwillingness to take a more aggressive stance. Consistent with his appearance, he had an aura of tremendous size, strength, and authority, but which at the same time was overlaid with a sense of equally great compassion and benevolence, and at times, sorrow and fatigue. Archetypically speaking, Prime was a somewhat tragic [[paladin]] whose primary motivations were both his desire for peaceful existence, and his sacrificial concern for the welfare of those other than himself. Although his massive shoulders were able to carry it, the burden of his command weighed very heavily.

A tragic constant of the character is his predilection for self-sacrifice - across all continuities and depictions of him (and later, his modern namesakes), it is almost a certainty that Prime will meet his end and later return to life (sometimes to repeat the process).

The original toy that was to become Optimus Prime was originally released by [[Takara]] in October of 1983, and designed by [[Hiroyuki Obara]] as part of the [[Diaclone]] toyline, there named ''Battle Convoy''. The figure's definitive mouth-plate has become a constant design element in most incarnations and variants of Prime down the years (bar a few exceptions, noted individually below), although a 1984 children's book omitted it to what is now considered humorous effect. Integrated into the first year of the ''Transformers'' toyline, the toy was given its new name, Optimus Prime, by comic book writer/editor [[Dennis O'Neil]].

===Animated series===

[[Image:Optimus.jpg|thumb|left|Optimus Prime's robot mode in the animated series.]]
Optimus Prime began his life as a robot named [[Orion Pax]], a simple dock worker during the Golden Age of Cybertron nine million years ago, with a [[Female Transformers|girlfriend]] named Ariel, and a best friend named Dion. At the time, a new breed of robot had recently appeared on the planet - ones with new robot-mode flight powers that made Orion idolize them. Unfortunately for Orion, when [[Megatron]], the leader of these robots, approached him with inquiries about using one of the dock warehouses, Orion fell for the deception and he and Ariel were fatally wounded when [[Megatron]] and his forces then attacked in order to claim the energy stored there. Searching for someone to help them, the time-displaced [[Aerialbots]] took Orion and Ariel to the ancient Autobot, [[Alpha Trion]] (known then as A3), who used them as the first subjects for the new reconstruction process he had developed - rebuilding the frail Autobot frames into battle-hardy configurations. With this reconstruction, Orion Pax became Optimus Prime, the first of the Autobot warriors, who took the mantle of leadership as the civil war against Megatron and Decepticons erupted, while Ariel was rebuilt into [[Elita One]], the commander of the Autobot resistance on Cybertron.

[[Image:Optimus2.jpg|thumb|right|Optimus Prime's truck mode in the animated series.]]
As leader of the Autobots, Prime headed up the Autobots' shuttle (known in the Marvel Comics as the [[Ark (Transformers)|Ark]]; fans commonly assign this shuttle with this name, although it was never actually named in the cartoon series) mission to search out new worlds with new sources of energy to revitalise the depleted Cybertron. However, shortly after its launch, the Autobots' craft was attacked by the Decepticon space cruiser (never named in the G1 cartoon but later named the ''Nemesis'' in the Beast Wars cartoon), and boarded by Megatron and the Decepticons. In the ensuing struggle, the g-forces of a nearby planet pulled both crafts down, and the Autobots' ship crashed into a volcano, thrusting all the occupants of the ship into emergency stasis. Four million years later, in the Earth year [[1984]]C.E., a volcanic eruption jarred the ship's computer, [[Teletran One]] back to life, and it reactivated the Decepticons, programming them with new Earth-based disguise modes. As a petty parting gesture, [[Starscream]] fired upon the Autobot ship, creating a landslide that knocked Prime into the path of the computer's restoration beam, restoring him to life, and beginning the war anew on Earth.

Prime was perpetually at the forefront of the action throughout the early years of the war on Earth, usually confronting Megatron, and, in some rare instances, being forced to team up with him for the greater good (or the lesser evil). He has suffered his fair share of battlefield scrapes, almost meeting his end when his vital cosmotron component was critically damaged by the Decepticon jets and [[Laserbeak]], and suffering a severe - though unfair - defeat when Megatron challenged him to one-on-one comabt while imbued with the different powers of all the Decepticons.

Generally, Prime acting in a commanding role as part of larger battles and event, but played prominent and solo roles in a few, also. In 1985, Megatron created a perfect duplicate of him, leaving the Autobots unable to differentiate between the two until the clone disregarded the safety of their human companion, [[Spike Witwicky]], exposing the deception. Later in the same year, Prime's fame and prowess led him to become the target of the dementing big-game hunter, Lord Chumley, who sought his head to go along with his other rare trophies. Entering the hunter's estate alone, Prime defeated all the traps and beasts lying in wait and brought Chumley to justice. The same year also saw Elita One captured by the Decepticons on Cybertron and used to lure Prime there alone; although knowing it was a trap, he ventured in solo and was defeated by the Decepticons and nearly destroyed, until Elita's stasis-field powers froze time long enough for them to escape. Prime was forced to seek out Alpha Trion to save the wounded Elita's life, and in the process, rediscovered his forgotten connection to his creator.

Over the course of the next twenty years, the Decepticons succeeded in seizing control of all of Cybertron, forcing the Autobots to operate from their new city on Earth, and from two bases on Cybertron's moons. In the Earth year [[2005]]C.E., Prime was stationed on Moonbase One, and dispatched troops to Earth to acquire energy for an upcoming strike on Cybertron. The Decepticons, however, got wind of the plan and used the shuttle run to attack Autobot City; a distress call summoned Prime and support troops to Earth, and in the ensuing battle with Megatron, Optimus Prime sustained fatal injuries, but not before turning the tide of battle and forcing the Decepticon to flee. Despite the efforts of [[Perceptor]], Optimus Prime died. The Matrix, and with it leadership of the Autobots, fell into the hands of [[Ultra Magnus]], and subsequently to Rodimus Prime.

Prime's body was entombed in a massive deep-space mausoleum with the many other fallen Autobots, but his corpse was desecrated by the [[Quintessons]] in 2006, when they reanimated it as part of an attempt to destroy the Autobots by using Prime to lure their space fleet into a trap. However, the Matrix was able to purify Prime of the Quintesson influence, and he got the other Autobots clear while he piloted his flagship into the Quintessons' detonator, triggering the explosion of a nearby sun. Prime was believed to have been destroyed in the explosion, but in reality, before the flagship impacted with the detonator, his body was recovered from the craft by two human scientists, Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford. However, as their ship departed, it was coated in solar spores released by the explosion of the sun. Jessica's father, Mark Morgan, loathed the Autobots, and his hatred only grew when an attempt by the Decepticons to steal a heat-resistant alloy he had developed resulted in Jessica being paralysed. Swofford and Morgan reconstructed Optimus Prime's body in an attempt to use it as a delivery system for the spores, which induced hatred and madness, in order to destroy the Transformers. However, when they could not reanimate him, they used his body as a lure instead, bringing the Autobots to their lab, where they were infected. As this "[[Hate Plague]]" proceeded to spread across the galaxy, [[Sky Lynx]] retrieved a Quintesson, who fully restored Optimus Prime to life. Coating himself in Morgan's heat-resistant alloy, Prime reclaimed the Matrix from Rodimus and unleashed its concentrated wisdom to destroy the Hate Plague.

In 2007 - in the show's fourth season, consisting entirely of a three-part miniseries titled ''The Rebirth'' - Prime began to suffer visions following the release of the Matrix's energy, which foretold a great transformation for Cybertron. Events began with the Decepticons' theft of the key to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]], which forced Prime to consult Alpha Trion within [[Vector Sigma]], learning that the mega-computer had orchestrated events in order to restore Cybertron's Golden Age. When the Plasma Energy Chamber was opened and threatened to drive Earth's Sun supernova, [[Spike Witwicky]] and the other organic [[Nebulans]] who had become involved in the conflict as a result of these events were able to drain off the excess solar energy and revitalize Cybertron.

Optimus Prime was voiced by [[Peter Cullen]] in America, and by [[Tesshō Genda]] in Japan.

====Transformers: Headmasters====
While the ''Transformers'' animated series came to an end in America with "The Rebirth" in 1987, across the [[Pacific]], in Japan, it was decided to continue production of new, exclusive animated series to continue the story. The first of these series, ''[[Transformers: Headmasters]]'', supplanted the events of "The Rebirth", picking up one year after the events that saw Optimus Prime's return to life.

In the interim year, with the Decepticons not having been heard from, the Autobots had entered into an even closer relationship with Earth, and begun the colonization of other worlds, the first of which was the planet Athenia, where Optimus Prime was stationed. It soon became apparent, however, that when Prime had released the energy of the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague, the consequences were more far-reaching than he had anticipated - without the energy of the Matrix to act as a balancing factor, Vector Sigma had become destabilized, and the Decepticons suddenly returned to exploit this, assaulting Cybertron in order to seize control of the mega-computer. Prime took a squad of troops to aid in the battle on the planet, and when the arrival of the Autobot [[Headmasters]] tipped the battle in their favor, Prime broke off from the main attack and headed down into the depths of the planet, planning on stabilizing Vector Sigma at any cost.

Guided through the dangers of the planet's catacombs by the spirit of Alpha Trion while the other Autobots searched for the Matrix on Earth, Prime eventually arrived at the computer, only to find his way barred by [[Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (Transformers)|Scourge]]. Hot Rod then arrived with the Matrix, with which Alpha Trion merged, re-energizing it and transforming Hot Rod back into Rodimus Prime; for the first time, the two Primes fought side-by-side and defeated Galvatron.

Before Rodimus could implement the Matrix to stabilize Vector Sigma, however, Optimus Prime sacrificed himself to perform the task, merging with the computer and restoring its balance to save the planet - dying again only a few short episodes after his rebirth.

====Super-God Masterforce====
The second of the Japanese-exclusive ''Transformers'' series, 1988's ''Super God Masterforce'' did not actually feature Optimus Prime himself, but it did feature one of his bodies. This series sees human truck driver [[Ginrai]] merge with and control a Transtector ''(a lifeless Transformer body)'' which bears a striking resemblance to Optimus Prime - although not revealed in the main 42 episodes of the series, an additional clips episode produced after the fact explained that this was because the body was intended to be used by Prime, only to be stolen and hidden on Earth by the series antagonist, [[Devil Z]]. Ginrai can merge with his trailer, becoming '''Super Ginrai''', and can then merge again with his additional transforming drone trailer, Godbomber, becoming '''God Ginrai.''' This toy was released in America as '''Powermaster Optimus Prime''', with appropriately different accompanying fiction in the pages of Marvel Comics (see below). Godbomber, however, was not released outside of Japan until Powermaster Prime was reissued in [[2003]], and Godbomber - renamed Apex Bomber - came included.

====Battlestars: Return of Convoy====
Although this particular piece of Japanese-exclusive fiction was not actually an animated series, it remains part of the animated series continuity. Here, Optimus Prime is finally brought back to life through the use of [[Zone Energy]], as the mighty '''Star Convoy'''. As another truck/trailer combination, Star Convoy transforms into a Micromaster base, and can combine with fellow Autobots Grandus and Sky Garry. Prime can combine with Grandus and Sky Garry in base mode. Grandus can also attach to the back of Prime's trailer while the two are in vehicle mode; Sky Garry can then land on Grandus. This combination, similar to the vehicle combination of Armada Optimus Prime, Overload and Jetfire, is called the Battlestars.

===Marvel Comics===
In [[Marvel Comics]]' comic series, before the Great War broke out on Cybertron, the robot who would be Optimus Prime (his name before becoming the Prime Autobot remains unknown) was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the Infraformers Sharpshooting Competition. Subsequently, when the war began, Prime quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbots]] to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action, proved his wisdom and skill to the Autobot Council of Elders. The outbreak of the Great War saw Autobot territories falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of [[Iacon]]. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor Xaaron suggested that High Councillor Traachon step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.

Four million years ago, Cybertron - shaken from its orbit and drifting through space - came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the Ark, on a mission to destroy the asteroids, and although successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer (A.U.N.T.I.E.) from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. Shortly after this crash, Shockwave arrived from Cybertron in search of the Ark and A.U.N.T.I.E. Shockwave landed in the [[Savage Land]] - an island whose prehistoric nature survived well into the modern age. A.U.N.T.I.E. managed to reactivate a special team of five Autobots who were dispatched to battle Shockwave in the Savage Land (see [[Dinobots]]).

In 1984C.E., a volcanic eruption reactivated A.U.N.T.I.E., which in turn brought the Transformers back on-line. Prime led the Autobots in their opening battles to prevent the Decepticons from plundering Earth's resources, but following their initial victory, the Autobots were all deactivated by [[Shockwave (Transformers)|Shockwave]]. Prime was decapitated by Shockwave, and had the energy of the Creation Matrix leeched from his mind to give life to Shockwave's creations, the [[Constructicons]] (although Shockwave was unaware that the Matrix was not merely a program in Prime's mind, but a physical object in his chest). Before Shockwave could give life to his next Decepticon, [[Jetfire]], Prime transferred the Matrix energy into the mind of [[Witwicky Family|Buster Witwicky]], who used the energy to turn Jetfire on Shockwave, allowing Prime to reclaim his body and retake leadership of the Autobots, giving Jetfire true life as a reward.

After a period of effective leadership which saw the activation of several new Autobots including the [[Aerialbots]], who Prime infused with life using the Matrix, Prime engaged Megatron in a [[video game]] duel for possession of a super fuel. Prime was victorious, but Megatron implemented a cheat code, allowing him to re-enter the game. Prime was able to defeat him yet again, but in doing so, he also destroyed several of the game sprites, and refused to accept his victory, as he had performed an action that compromised his beliefs about the preservation of life, which he would never have done, had the duel been real. In accordance with the rules of the game, Prime's body exploded and he died. Autobot surgeon [[Ratchet (Transformers)|Ratchet]]'s subsequent efforts to restore him were unsuccessful, and his body was launched into space. The funeral barge eventually crashed on giant moon where it lay for untold time. At one stage, an alien ship crashed near the barge. The dying alien reached out toward the Matrix, with the Matrix choosing to revive the being as Death Bringer. Much later, the Matrix would revive a small predatory animal which would prove instrumental to the conclusion of the Matrix Quest.

Prime's personality had been copied onto a [[floppy disk]] by the technician running the game, [[Ethan Zachary]], who employed him in various video game scenarios he developed. Prime's damaged mind led him to belive that he himself was a video game character, and in an attempt to bring him back to life, [[Bumblebee (Transformers)|Goldbug]], Joyride, Slapdash and Getaway took the disk to the planet [[Nebulos]], where a new body was constructed for Prime. They built a new body for Optimus Prime, and even upgraded it with the ability to combine with the trailer to form a larger robot. In an effort to keep Transformers off their planet, however, the Nebulans had poisoned their fuel, and the sensation of dying convinced Prime that he was truly alive, and not a game character. To save his life, the Nebulan scientist Hi-Q [[binary-bonding|bonded]] with him, creating '''[[Powermasters (Transformers)|Powermaster]] Optimus Prime'''.

Powermaster Prime and his Autobots later battled Death Bringer. Optimus Prime immediately senseed Matrix energies eminating from Death Bringer, and realised that the undead reaper was a creation of the Matrix. Proving invulnerable, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat Death Bringer by convincing it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function. Prime salvaged a sliver of Matrix energy from Death Bringer's remains, which he later used to restore a rainforest destroyed during a battle between the Autobot Rescue Patrol and the Decepticon Air Strike Patrol member Whisper. The battle with Death Bringer alerted Optimus Prime to the fact that his old body was still out there somewhere in space, and more importantly, that the Matrix that it carried was also with it. With a war to win, the location of the Matrix was not a high priority.

With the subsequent threat of [[Unicron]] looming, priorites quickly changed and Prime began a quest to locate his old body and the physical Matrix object within it. When the Matrix was successfully reacquired, Prime sacrificed his life one more time to destroy Unicron by plunging the Matrix into his maw. However, the Powermaster process had been working to fully bond Prime and Hi-Q, and with Prime now destroyed, the process completed itself in Hi-Q's body, and the two minds and souls became one. Hi-Q's biomechanical body was stripped down and reconstructed by the Last Autobot, creating a brand new Optimus Prime (visually based on his [[Action Master]] toy).

===Dreamwave Comics===
In the 21st century reimaging of the ''Generation One'' continuity by [[Dreamwave]] Productions, Optimus Prime started life as Optronix (Orion to his friends), a data archivist. After taking note of a battle in which the Autobot leader [[Sentinel Prime]] had been defeated by Megatron, he was summoned to the council of elders and informed that the Matrix had chosen him to be the next leader of the Autobots. He received the Matrix of Leadership shortly thereafter, and almost arranged for the Autobot evacuation of Cybertron, intending to leave the Decepticons to their own devices, until a battle with Megatron beneath the planet's surface, accompanied by visions from the Matrix, stirred him on to fight for the safety of his homeworld. It is interesting to note that in this reimagining, Optimus actually ''was'' physically changed in appearance and size by the Matrix during the events of the first volume of ''War Within''.
Some time into his role as leader, Prime disappeared in a spacebridge experiment along with Megatron, but returned some time later, having spent a period of time on Quintessa. Events during this period have gone unrecorded as a result of Dreamwave's closure.

Following the awakening of the Transformers on Earth, the Autobots allied with humankind and eventually defeated the Decepticons at the turn of the century. They planned to return to Cybertron aboard the newly constructed "Ark II," but the ship was destroyed as part of a military conspiracy to take control of the Transformers. However, a terrorist organization run by the enigmatic Lazarus was able to seize control of several of the Transformers that fell back to Earth, while the U.S. military located Prime's body. Before his departure, Prime had entrusted a small portion of the Matrix to Spike Witwicky, who was forced by the product chief, General Hallo, to use it to reactivate Prime. Functional again, Prime used the Matrix to reactivate more of his fallen comrades, and then faced off against Megatron in [[San Francisco]].

Following this, Prime began to experience subconscious urgings, leading both the Autobots and the Decepticons to the Arctic Circle, where Shockwave arrived to greet them - and arrest them as war criminals. Shockwave had succeeded in ending the war on Cybertron, but Prime soon fell in with a rebel Autobot group that had discovered Shockwave had a greater agenda. Rallying Autobots across Cybertron to the cause, Prime faced Shockwave in battle but was defeated and had the Matrix ripped from him and used to activate Vector Sigma. Before Shockwave could make full use of the mega-computer's data, however, Ultra Magnus (in this continuity, Prime's brother) arrived and bested him. The injuries Prime took in this conflicted necessitated a prolonged restoration period in stasis but Dreamwave's closure meant that Prime never appeared in their pages again.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>