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Starscream (G1)

2009-07-27T12:26:35Z

78.134.67.85: /* Generation 1 cartoon */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2}}
{{disambig3|Starscream}}
:''Starscream is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Starscreamg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Let me guess. You're gonna attempt to overthrow Megatron, fail, cry, then repeat the cycle.]]
'''Starscream''' is the treacherous Decepticon [[Air Commander]] and the deadliest of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. The self-reported pride of the [[Cybertron War Academy]], he's famous not only for his incredible skill, but also for his limitless (and troublesome) ambition. Starscream believes that he is more suited for command than [[Decepticon leader]] [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Thankfully for Megatron, Starscream's mutinous, power-grabbing plots are almost always transparent, and he can never muster up enough patience to complete a grandiose power play. Even on the few times he has taken control of the Decepticons, he quickly loses control of a situation, but is too arrogant to realize when he's in over his head. He never learns from his mistakes, but then again, Megatron doesn't either, seeing as how he's never turned Starscream into [[Slag (slang)|slag]]. Despite his constant failures, Starscream believes it is only a matter of time before he prevails—his destiny is inevitable.

Starscream's never give up attitude extends even to the afterlife: unlike most Transformers, he has a mutant, indestructible [[Spark]]. His life-force cannot be destroyed and can persist even without a body to contain it. However, there is no indication that Starscream (or anybody else) was aware of this fact prior to his destruction.

{{bigquote|''Why?'' That's what they ''all'' asked me. Why him... why ''Starscream''? Why, of all the Decepticons, did I decide to revitalize the one whose record of deceit and betrayal is ''legend''? Because I'm an ''idiot'', that's why!|Megatron on Starscream|"[[Total War!]]"}}

:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Égo'''
:''Czech name:'' '''Hvězdolam''' ("Starbreak")
:''Euskera (Basque) name:'' '''Izaroihu'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Üstökös''' ("Comet")
:''Italian name:'' '''Astrum''', except for "Possession" in which he is called '''Scintillor'''
:''Polish name ("Cosmic Rust"):'' '''Gwiazdowrzask'''
:''Polish name ("Beast Wars"):'' '''Gwiezdny Krzyk'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Cometa'''
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Estrela-Estridente'''
:''Russian TV dub name:'' '''Scandalist''' ( Скандалист, "Troublemaker")
:''Spanish name:'' '''Grito de Estrella'''
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Hǒu Hsīng''' (吼星, "Roaring Star")
:''Chinese name (China):'' '''Hong Zhizhu''' (紅蜘蛛, "Red spider")
:''Cantonese name:'' '''Seng Seng Giu''' (星星叫, "Star Shouting")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Introdump decepticons marvelus01.jpg|left|300px|thumb|He's the nigh-identical jerk on the right.]]
''Millions of years ago, on the troubled planet Cybertron, Starscream acted as the figurehead leader for the controlling dictators of the city-state of [[Vos]]. Following a botched attempt at igniting war between [[Iacon]] and [[Tarn]], Vos itself went to war with Tarn, and both cities were destroyed by an exchange of [[Photon missile|photon missiles]]. The survivors of both cities—presumably including Starscream—were gathered together by the ex-gladiator [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], who used their bitterness towards Iacon to unite them under his control as the Decepticons. {{storylink|State Games}}''

Four million years ago, Starscream was part of Megatron's attack raid on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. After its crashlanding on [[Earth]], Starscream was revived and rebuilt into an Earthern form in 1984, along with the other survivors. After a Decepticon roll-call, they fled the Ark. When the Autobots were spotted near a native settlement, aka a drive-thru movie theater, Starscream and the other Decepticons were commanded to attack. While Starscream extolled the use of guile and stealth, [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] saturated him with his [[glass gas]] gun, which coated Starscream, making his metal brittle and breakable as glass. As his chassis shattered, Starscream ordered his fellow jets to flee. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

Megatron led his Decepticons to a perch above the half-constructed [[Harrison Nuclear Power Plant]], with intent to take it with brute force. Starscream suggested that [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] scout the area first. Megatron reluctantly agreed with Starscream, choosing [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] to scout in Buzzsaw's stead. It wasn't until Ravage's report that Megatron realized it was the [[Human|humans]] who created the machines in their midst, and thus they must have the technology to convert their fuel to a form they could use. Starscream quietly acknowledged Megatron's shrewdness, and felt that he must never let his eagerness to take over the Decepticons blind him to Megatron's cunning. The Decepticons attacked, and when they had achieved victory, Starscream and the others each hauled off chunks of the plant's machinery to construct their own [[Fortress Sinister|base of operations]] atop a harsh cliffside. Starscream and the other Decepticons next attacked the auto repair shop of [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], a friend of the Autobots whom the Decepticons suspected could convert fuel for them. Once Starscream abducted Sparkplug, the Decepticons retreated. {{storylink|Power Play!}}

[[Image:Addstarscreamtothedamagereport.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He'd better get used to this.]]
Starscream and the others returned to their cliffside headquarters with Sparkplug Witwicky, as Starscream found humor in the role reversal of this planet's human domination over machines. He continued to boast of his successful kidnapping in front of Megatron and the others, a ploy that did not go unnoticed by Megatron. Their captive, Sparkplug, needed materials to aid him in converting Earth fuel to Transformer fuel, so Starscream and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] were dispatched to bring back a tanker truck full of fuel for Sparkplug to work on. The Decepticons' actions did not go unnoticed, and the human media and military crowded around their headquarters. But it wasn't until the Autobots arrived that Starscream and the other two jets were unleashed upon the crowd. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Though the human escaped, it was not before he had successfully done their work for them. Regardless, Starscream berated Megatron for allowing the human to be rescued, to which Megatron responded to with a blast from his [[fusion cannon]]. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

''Starscream was one of a group of Decepticons who were sent to the [[United Kingdom]] to investigate tales of the [[Man of Iron]], who was in reality an Autobot sent from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to Earth to look for the missing Ark. Starscream destroyed him. {{storylink|Man of Iron!}} Meanwhile, Megatron had begun to grow weary of Starscream's constant attempts to undermine his authority, and he sent Ravage to follow Starscream, hoping he would uncover enough damning evidence to permit Megatron to destroy Starscream once and for all. But when Starscream failed to rally the Decepticons behind him by staging a conflict with the Autobots, he tried to kill [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] to keep this secret. When caught, he demanded a trial-by-combat and was pitted against [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], a fight which he won, until Starscream was shot down and deactivated by Ravage. {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}}''

When it was discovered that Sparkplug had failed to convert fuel for the Autobots, Megatron ordered an attack on the Ark to destroy them once and for all, showing them what lay in wait for those who dared to defy him. Starscream meekly agreed. Despite the Autobots' dangerously low fuel levels, Starscream was amazed at [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s commanding power. But just as victory was about to be handed to the Decepticons, Starscream and the others doubled over in pain. Sparkplug Witwicky had poisoned their converted fuel. If not for the sudden appearance and intervention by the long-lost [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], the Decepticons surely would have been defeated. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} Shockwave, having defeated the entire Autobot army, save the Autobots' medic [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], set up a base of operations inside the Ark and began rehabilitating Starscream and the others. {{storylink|The New Order}} When Megatron awoke and rebelled against Shockwave, the former Decepticon leader was humiliated in his still-weakened state, and paraded in front of Starscream and the others as a warning to those who would cross Shockwave. The Decepticons hailed Shockwave as their new leader. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

[[Image:Starscreamdisintegratedcircuits.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Starscream's treachery is a little more subtle when he's allowed to have thought balloons.]]
When Megatron went missing, leaving control of the Ark back in the hands of the Autobots, Starscream disparaged Megatron's failure in front of Shockwave. The Decepticons had in the meantime taken control of one of [[Blackrock Industries]]' aerospace plants, and [[G.B. Blackrock]] had constructed a superweapon to retaliate. Starscream convinced Shockwave to let him and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] destroy the weapon to boost morale (or maybe allow him to steal the superweapon and use it to destroy Shockwave and take command). There, Starscream and Frenzy not only encountered the Autobots [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] but also a super-powered human who was determined to destroy all robots, [[Circuit Breaker]]. Starscream suffered few injuries, but had to drag Frenzy's body from the conflict. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

''Shockwave went missing as well, and with both him and Megatron gone, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] assumed command. Soundwave wasted no time in telling Starscream why he would never lead the Decepticons -- he's just "a missile with a mouth". Soundwave orchestrated [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s capture, and challenged Optimus Prime to fight his way through the Decepticons to rescue him. Although Starscream loudly boasted of being a "leader killer", once he faced Optimus Prime alone, he stammered and hesitated, and was quickly defeated. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}''

Shockwave returned, and none too soon! Starscream and the other jets had been standing watch over their captured Blackrock Industries oil rig for weeks. Shockwave unveiled the [[power siphon]] he had built during his absence, which Starscream and the others would soon use to convert sound energy from a [[Brick Springstern]] concert into [[Energon cube|Energon cubes]]. Their plot was stopped abruptly when they were defeated by Bumblebee and a group of new Autobot recruits. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} Starscream soon agreed with Shockwave that Bumblebee would be a perfect candidate for them to add to their own ranks. They waited until Bumblebee was alone, and then hunted him relentlessly. It wasn't until human authorities and the Autobots arrived to rescue Bumblebee did the Decepticons abandon their hunt. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

Starscream, among others, escorted Megatron to the Space Bridge, where they were expecting reinforcements from Cybertron. Though only a team of Autobots had made it through the Space Bridge to Earth, their disappointment was brief. The Autobots had in the meantime launched a full-scale attack on the Decepticons' base, which Megatron reckoned meant that the Ark was unguarded. Indeed, the sole obstacle in their way to the entrance was a tank and a rocket. However, these elements soon combined into the impressive super robot [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. One by one, Megatron's troops fell before the titan, including Starscream. Only Megatron and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] survived. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''The Autobots gathered up Starscream and the other deactivated Decepticons and placed them in life support capsules within the Ark, holding them imprisoned in stasis. Not long afterward, the Autobots were plunged into a state of disarray by the violent arrival of the enigmatic time-travelling Decepticon, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and [[Grapple]] was in such a rush to depart the medical bay and attend a mission briefing that he failed to notice an alert signifying the malfunction of Starscream's capsule. Starscream awoke and punched his way out of the capsule, and proceeded to steal out of the medical area and listen in on the Autobots' briefing. He was shocked to overhear that the Autobots had teamed up with Megatron to defeat Galvatron, and Starscream immediately decided to sneak off to join forces with this powerhouse from the future. Galvatron went along with Starscream's toadying, as the irony amused him; Galvatron was, in fact, a recreated future incarnation of Megatron, and would go on to kill Starscream twenty years in the future! When Galvatron and his men faced Megatron once again, Starscream shot Megatron in the back, but had to be stopped short of killing him by Galvatron himself, who knocked Starscream unconscious in order to secure his own future existence. Starscream's body was placed back into its stasis capsule by the future Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], who then proceeded to trick Galvatron into returning to the future through a complicated plan that involved painting Skywarp to look like Starscream, and then duping Galvatron into destroying him. After killing "Starscream", Galvatron rationalized that he must have travelled back to a parallel timeline, since Starscream was not supposed to die until 2006, and returned to the future with his men. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}''

[[Image:Starscreammerrychristmas.jpg|left|150px|thumb|His heart grew three sizes that day.]]
''Rather than do the smart thing and return Starscream the Ark, the future Autobots rather unwisely left his capsule lying in the middle of a field. As happenstance would have it, Starscream lay there, undisturbed, until he awoke at [[Christmas]] the following year. Desolate, he wished he could go home again, and was in mid-mope when he was chanced upon by a [[Christmas kid|a human]] who sought to inform him of the meaning of Christmas. Urged to help a busload of elderly humans who had become stuck in a snowdrift, Starscream wanted to know what would be in it for him. As Starscream debated this good deed, he was suddenly attacked by [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]], who suspected him to be up to his usual do-baddery. After a brief battle, the human intervened to chastise Streetwise, and Starscream proceeded to show up the Protectobot by saving the bus, purely out of spite. {{storylink|Stargazing}}''

{{note|Starscream never awoke in the American stories—his deactivated body remained captive within the Ark for years, and was not rescued until the events of "[[Totaled!]]", when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s forces saved all the Decepticons aboard the craft. When this story was reprinted in the UK, Starscream's name was erased from the artwork. As far as the UK stories were concerned, Starscream sought out Ratbat's Decepticons to join up with them.}}

Starscream quickly ingratiated himself with Ratbat and helped run [[Club Con]], a human island resort that covered their attempt to uncover subterranean information on the legendary [[Underbase]]. {{storylink|Club Con!}} When a pair of Autobot audio and video tapes recording the loss of the Underbase were found, Starscream convinced Ratbat to let him watch the tapes with him. In the "[[Realvision]]" playback, he witnessed a young Optimus Prime thwart Megatron's early attempts to possess the Underbase by shooting the legendary database into space. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} Starscream then set about a chain of systematic betrayals in order to gain access to that power. He set loose [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], whom the Decepticons had been holding prisoner, with equipment that would lure the Autobots to the Decepticon's Antarctic base. The ensuing battle served to distract his fellow Decepticons as he then stole a ship from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] to look for the Underbase. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

[[Image:Underbaseallmine.jpg|right|250px|thumb|This is way more graphic than was needed.]]
Upon finding the ancient database, Starscream began absorbing its power but was unable to finish the task as he was blasted by Ratbat's ship, piloted by a temporary Autobot/Decepticon alliance. However, while the light of the Underbase had only shone on Starscream for a moment, that moment had been enough to fill him with its awesome power, and the now-cosmically-powered Air Commander survived the attack. Growing to monumental proportions, Starscream hurled his ship at Ratbat's craft, and promptly headed for Earth with the intention of proving his power by destroying [[New York City|New York]], [[Tokyo]] and [[Buenos Aires]]. The Autobots and Decepticons traveled to those locations to try and stop Starscream, but they ultimately failed, as a massive amount of the Transformers active on Earth were badly damaged and incapacitated by Starscream's Underbase-powered rampage. Starscream only stopped after intercepting a radio transmission between [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and Optimus Prime, and realized that the great Autobot leader was elsewhere, plotting against him. Starscream fled back out into space to find Prime, and rediscovered the Underbase. Starscream attempted to finish absorbing its power, only to have the absolute knowledge overwhelm him, which resulted in his destruction. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}

[[Image:ZombieScream1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Braaaiiiinnnssss!]]
''Starscream's corpse crashed in South America, but the Decepticon still clung to some semblance of life, as his shattered husk was reanimated by the residual energy of the Underbase that still saturated it, and driven by Starscream's own muderderous impulses into an insane rampage. After nearly killing [[Susan Hoffman]] and [[Susan Hoffman#Related characters|her Assistants]], the [[zombie]]-like Starscream was confronted by [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing]], who had been sent by Megatron to recover Starscream's body, and the Autobot [[Triggerbot|Triggerbots]]. Triggerbot [[Backstreet]] was able to appeal to the fraction of the Underbase that was still within Starscream and convinced it to try and regain control of itself, but as soon as it did, Dreadwind and Darkwing had their [[Powermaster]] partners [[Hi-Test]] and [[Throttle (G1)|Throttle]] siphoned all the Underbase's remaining power from the walking cadaver. Starscream's corpse returned to being an inanimate pile of scrap, which the pair quickly collected.'' {{storylink|Race with the Devil}}

Starscream's remains were delivered to Megatron on Cybertron, who kidnapped [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and forced him to rebuild Starscream with a powerful [[Pretender]] shell. Ratchet was shown three different shell prototypes, and a final design meant for Starscream. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} As Ratchet worked on repairing Starscream, he feigned a friendly attitude towards Megatron, but this was a facade to cover Ratchet's true motives. Though Megatron had some tweaks in mind for Starscream's personality, Ratchet had something else in mind. After the Pretender shell had finished healing the body inside, Megatron sent Starscream to Earth, where Scorponok and Optimus Prime had clashed over a misunderstanding. As they were about to peacefully discuss the machinations that had gathered them there, Starscream's shell appeared! The Transformers and Nebulans below gaped in horror as the shell opened up to reveal the treacherous Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

[[Image:Starscreamskindeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|These are the Delboest panels ever.]]
Starscream's new form was powerful, but what gave him his true edge was how much he spooked his victims. He was believed to be a ghost, an invincible force of revenge, and most of Scorponok's troops quickly fled the battlefield. It wasn't until Hot Rod manned up and shot their attacker did they realize that this was no ghost at all, but rather a physical being that could [[Furmanism|feel pain and be destroyed.]] This was further sold by Starscream's sudden display of cowardice. Ratchet had arranged for Starscream's true personality to eventually surface, and Hot Rod's blast had knocked it free. Completely outmatched, he surrendered and begged Scorponok for forgiveness. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

''Briefly after becoming a Pretender, Starscream began to wallow in self-pity, believing that all the other Decepticons considered him a joke for his many failed takeover attempts and defeats. His self-esteem crumbled every time the other Decepticons refused to speak to him or spoke about him behind his back. In reality, the other Decepticons were terribly frightened of Starscream (thanks to that whole Underbase thing) and were avoiding him so they wouldn't be killed. Starscream sulked about it for a while until he defeated and captured a few Autobots and his confidence began to return.'' {{storylink|Fallen Star!}}

[[Image:Ratchetjollies.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Ooooh, better leave this one off the resume.]]
Starscream was a source of dissention among the Decepticons, who were angry with Scorponok for letting him back in {{storylink|Primal Scream (issue)|Primal Scream}}—and it ''was'' pretty dumb, as Starscream tried to capture the mutant [[Dynamo]] and use him as a [[Powermaster]] so he could challenge Scorponok. He failed, but was then met by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], then believed to be dead. {{storylink|The Human Factor!}} Starscream joined his gang in a [[Decepticon Civil War]] against Scorponok, and pressganged [[Triggerhappy]] and [[Mindwipe]] into the group. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} Thanks to the Autobots and [[Neo-Knights]], it was a bust. {{storylink|Out of Time!}}

Starscream was transported to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to take part in the fight against [[Unicron]]. "Take part" as in "ran away". Along with Shockwave, he hijacked and repaired the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] so they could escape the dying planet. Shockwave and Starscream found Megatron and Ratchet awakening from the [[Nucleon]] on board the ship, both very confused and addled due to their mind-link. Starscream tried to kill Ratchet and got [[:Image:Ratchetjollies.jpg|totally beaten up]], before the medic directed one of Starscream's null-rays into the Nucleon storage tanks, causing enough of a chain reaction to send the Ark into a crash-landing on Earth, once again resulting in Starscream's deactivation. {{storylink|A Savage Circle}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''In an alternate series of events, Starscream and Shockwave's army grew much larger, and their main competition was not Scorponok, but a revived Megatron and his group of Decepticons. As Shockwave's second-in-command, Starscream had few responsibilities, and even less power. The final indignity came when he was assigned to mere monitor duty at their undersea base. Still, even that ignoble assignment presented an opportunity, as Starscream caught Megatron's spies, the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], trying to tune in to Shockwave's war room. After incapacitating the bugs, Starscream surprised them by offering to let them go free, if they would report back to Megatron that Shockwave would be alone at a certain spot the next day, ensuring that Megatron would go out to battle him alone. {{storylink|Bugged!}} With the trap baited, Starscream contacted his opposite number, Megatron's second-in-command Soundwave, and proposed an alliance. Soundwave had already been playing both sides by feeding information to him, and so the two of them conspired to join the Decepticon factions under their joint rule. Sure enough, after Megatron and Shockwave's private battle came under Autobot fire (Autobots who had been anonymously tipped off by Starscream), they radioed their respective bases only to hear that the Decepticons no longer considered the two of them leaders. {{storylink|Internal Affairs!}}''

''Starscream's first major action as Decepticon leader was the ol' "bait and switch" -- sending Soundwave and a Decepticon strike force to keep the Autobots busy at their Earthbase, while he personally attended to stealing a supply of oil from a tanker in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. It seemed, however, that Starscream's plan hadn't accounted for Earthforce's newest recruits: the [[Survivors]]. A quick 1-2-3 by [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] took the fight out of Starscream, and so he retreated, radioing his troops to do the same. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}''

''Sometime later, returning to the Decepticon base in the Louisiana bayous, Starscream suddenly found himself fighting for his life against several mismatched bounty hunters and mercenaries. Believing his co-commander Soundwave must have been responsible for the contract, Starscream stormed back to their headquarters to confront him. {{storylink|Assassins}} He wasted no words in confronting his "treacherous" partner, but fortunately Soundwave had had the foresight to prerecord an explanation. While trading blows and dodging laser fire in person, Soundwave's recording outlined how the situation was clearly a set-up to make them fight each other. Fortunately, Starscream believed him. Unfortunately, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] stormed in at that moment, having been paid by the true contractors, Megatron and Shockwave, to eliminate anyone left standing. {{storylink|External Forces!}} The two Decepticons would have been overwhelmed if they hadn't received aid from an unlikely source: Earthforce. It seemed the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] was dying of [[Corrodia Gravis]], a wasting disease which required an energy transfer from a compatible Transformer, and Starscream fit the bill. After driving off Megatron, Shockwave and the Mayhems, Starscream made a deal with Earthforce to help Snarl in exchange for their aid against any future uprising by the former Decepticon leaders. {{storylink|The Lesser Evil}}''

''Soon afterwards, Starscream and Soundwave engaged in Project: Smear, a campaign to ruin the Autobots' good name among the humans, and ensure they received no additional aid in the war. A straight-forward attempt to brainwash [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] into wrecking a human settlement didn't pan out, {{storylink|Inside Story!}} so a more subtle plan was engineered. Starscream had [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] use his [[Cerebro-shell|cerebro-shells]] to subvert the will of a human reporter, [[Irwin Spoon]], and compel him to write a story bashing the Autobots and portraying them as kidnappers, or worse. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}''

====''Generation 2''====
[[Image:Starscreamtongue.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Who have you been talking to, Starscream?]]
Starscream had been damaged to the point of stasis lock when the Ark crashed on Earth for a second time. Megatron, apparently the only one to recover from the crash more or less unscathed, decided to revive Starscream. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}} He would later question his own judgement in doing so, but in his defense, the only other Decepticons involved in the crash had been Shockwave and Galvatron (and Galvatron had walked away from the crash anyway), so his options for loyalty were slim.

[[Image:Starscream uscomics.png|right|150px|thumb|"I am only saving you so that I may punish you later."]]
Predictably, though, Starscream would indeed betray Megatron and the Decepticons once again, this time by giving [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his troops information that allowed them to take control of the Decepticon flagship ''[[Warworld]]''. {{storylink|Total War!}} Starscream then doublecrossed Jhiaxus, stole the [[Creation Matrix]] (which Megatron had stolen from Prime earlier) and used its powers to merge himself with the ''Warworld'', becoming an unstoppable force of destruction. As Optimus Prime and Megatron entered the possessed ship to try and stop him, Starscream exhibited a startling control over the physical nature of the vessel, turning the ''Warworld'' into an ever-shifting maze of horrors to torment the two leaders. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}} But when they confronted him face-to-face, he found that the Matrix was having a disagreeable effect on his own mind. He found himself wanting to be, in his own words, "good". He desperately gave the Matrix back to Prime in the hopes that the effect would be temporary. This reverted Starscream to his ordinary form, presumably severing his connection with the ship. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

====''Classics''====
{{note|The ''Classics'' comic takes place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a new timeline that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or ''Generation 2''.}}
Starscream reappears alongside several other Decepticons restored by Megatron fifteen years after the Ark crash-landed. He still appears to enjoy making snide remarks at Megatron's expense.

===Generation 1 cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Chris Latta]] (English), [[Hirotaka Suzuoki]] (Japanese), [[Jean-Louis Millette]] (Canadian French), [[Jacques Ferrière]] (French), [[José Sant'anna]] (Portuguese), [[Bernd Simon]] (German), [[Michael Chernyak]] (Russian), [[Leo Valeriano]] (Italian, 1st season and part of 2nd season)

[[Image:G1toon starscream bawled out.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Look at me when I'm threatening you!"]]
Shortly before the outbreak of the Autobot-Decepticon war nine million years ago, Starscream was not a warrior, but rather a scientist. He and his colleague and friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] were exploring an unnamed planet—the ancient [[Earth]]—when severe atmospheric conditions separated the two friends. Starscream circled the globe looking for Skyfire, but never found him. Upon his return to Cybertron, Starscream mostly abandoned his scientific pursuits, deciding that a career as a warrior would be much more exciting, {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} and instead enrolled in the Cybertron War Academy, of which he would later profess to be the pride. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

Starscream rose through the ranks of Megatron's Decepticons until he reached the position of second in command, but even this was not enough: Starscream saw Megatron as old and soft, and after five million years of war drained Cybertron of all its energy, Starscream came to believe that the Decepticons would have won the conflict eons beforehand if he had been in charge. Starscream was never afraid to let Megatron know this, but Megatron was always ready with a disparaging comeback, and the constant belief that while Starscream had the ambition, he did not have the ability to lead.

Starscream was among Megatron's forces aboard the [[Nemesis (G1)|space cruiser]] that pursued the Autobots' [[Ark (G1)|ship]] when it departed Cybertron to search for new energy sources on other planets. The Decepticons boarded the Autobot craft, and it subsequently crashed on Earth, entombing its occupants in stasis for four million years. When a volcanic eruption reawakened the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], in 1984, it indiscriminately brought the Decepticons back online, rebuilding their bodies to transform into contemporary Earth machines. Now outfitted with an F-15 [[alternate mode]], Starscream's first act on Earth was one of spitefulness, as he delivered a parting laser blast to the buried Autobot ship. The blast caused a tremor that inadvertently knocked [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] into the path of Teltraan I's restoration beam, and before long, all the Autobots were operational once more and ready to continue the war on Earth. Four million years of sleep hadn't improved Starscream's disposition any, as his thoughts immediately turned to leadership once more, and he discussed them with [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] when he and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] accompanied him on a mission to find materials to construct a temporary base. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream laser turret.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Umm, Megatron? I think there's something wrong with my leg."]]
The Decepticons quickly began gathering energy to build and fuel a [[Victory (ship)|new space cruiser]] that could return them to Cybertron. The work proceeded apace with the Autobots unable to do much to stop the villains, but Starscream wound up costing them time when he decided to test a clutch of [[Energon cube|energon cubes]] by powering a laser turret with them, thereby using them up and necessitating another energy raid. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} A little later, when Megtaron subjected Starscream to another bout of berating, the Air Commander decided he had had enough, and tried to shoot Megatron in the back. At Soundwave's warning, Megatron blocked the beam and returned fire with his [[fusion cannon]], bringing Starscream to his knees, quite literally begging for mercy. Luckily for him, he got it, but he didn't learn his lesson, since the first thing he did once the space cruiser was completed and airborne was to try for another coup. As it turned out, he only wound up distracting all the other Decepticons, allowing Autobot stowaway [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] to cripple the cruiser and send it crashing back to Earth. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

Now stranded on Earth and using the crashed hulk of their spaceship as a base, the Decepticons created a [[space bridge]] to transport energy back to Cybertron. When Megatron was apparently lost in an early test of the device, {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} Starscream leapt at the chance to take leadership, and led Thundercracker and Soundwave in an attack on a munitions plant. Unfortunately for Starscream, it soon transpired that Megatron had survived the space bridge journey, when he contacted Starscream from Cybertron and re-established his leadership. {{storylink|Roll for It}} Starscream was demoted to grunt work for his next mission, shipping energon cubes over the space bridge, but his merciless selection of a hapless warrior to pilot the craft on the dangerous journey proved to be a good one. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream and skyfire.jpg|left|225px|thumb|The fire is in the sky... but the heat is down here, baby.]]
When the Decepticons began drilling in the North Pole in order to tap the energy of the Earth's core, the excavation wound up unearthing the frozen body of Starscream's old friend, Skyfire. Starscream talked his friend into joining the Decepticons, but Skyfire could not put aside his peaceful scientific ways aside like Starscream had, and their friendship ended when he defected to the Autobots. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} After a battle with the Autobots newest warriors, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], including yet another failed attempt and taking leadership when Megatron fell (fell ''down'', that is), {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} Starscream met up with Skyfire again when the Autobot returned to stop a Decepticon plot in Peru. In the process, Starscream found himself on the other side of treachery, when he overheard Thundercracker contemplating letting Skyfire destroy the Decepticons' new weapon, in the hope that Megatron would blame Starscream himself. Starscream tried to shoot Thundercracker but missed and took out Skyfire, then blackmailed Thundercracker into obeying his every command with the threat of revealing his treachery to Megatron. Unsuprisingly, the whole scheme didn't really work. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

Not long after that Starscream proved he ''did'' still have some scientific leanings, as he was the only Decepticon who urged caution when Megatron pillaged energy from an unstable meteor. Starscream was ultimately correct about the volatile nature of the energy, and the resulting explosion nearly killed a number of Transformers, including Optimus Prime and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream and arkeville.jpg|right|225px|thumb|"Look at me when I'm threatening -- Oh God! I learned it at home! I learned it at hooome!"]]
After the Decepticons used a colossal space bridge to pull Cybertron into Earth's orbit in order to generate vast amounts of energy, {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Starscream took every opportunity he could to try and make it seem like the plan wasn't working. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} When the Decepticons' human ally [[Doctor Arkeville]] was abandoned by Megatron, Starscream abducted the scientist and made the rather outlandish attempt to create energon cubes by drawing on his mental energy. When Megatron caught him in the act, Starscream fled with Arkeville {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} back to the human's secret laboratory. There, Starscream discovered an [[Exponential Generator]] and destabilized with the intent of creating an explosion powerful enough to destroy the Earth. Starscream withdrew to Cybertron to watch the cosmic fireworks, but unbeknownst to him, Megatron and Optimus Prime had joined forces to launch the exponential generator into space. When the Earth failed to explode on schedule, Starscream headed back to the planet to investigate, but was knocked out of the sky by the passage of the exponential generator and crashed, right at the feet of a vengeful Megatron. Autobot Jazz wagered the Autobots had seen the last of Starscream for a while, {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} and he was right: Starscream was indeed nowhere to be seen during the Decepticons' next villainous escapade. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

Whatever revenge Megatron may have reaped on Starscream, the air commander survived the experience, and was seen again when he and the other Decepticons bestowed their [[power chip rectifier]]s upon Megatron. This process gave Megatron access to all the Decepticons' special powers, including Starscream's null rays and cluster bombs, so he could easily defeat Optimus Prime in a one-on-one battle. Starscream pointed out the sheer illegality of this scheme, but Megatron was above caring. As it turned out, Starscream was right again: although Megatron defeated Prime, when the Autobots discovered his breach of the rules, their revenge was swift. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:G1toon screamer megs invisible.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Apparently, the invisibility spray doesn't get into those hard-to-reach cracks and crevices.]]
Starscream eagerly took to action in the Decepticons' next battle, {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} but was somewhat more reserved in regards to Megatron' new [[Solar Needle]] weapon, fearing that it would destabilize the Earth. Told by Megatron not to concern himself with matters he did not understand, he instead passed the time threatening and bossing around the captive [[Gears]]. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} Later, when Megatron had the Decepticons transform New York into a new Cybertron, Starscream had to admit that he was impressed by the scheme despite himself. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

Starscream helped Megatron implant a [[personality destabilizer]] in the Autobots' [[Recharging chamber|recharging chambers]] by using [[invisibility spray]], {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} and then joined in the theft of [[Electro-cell|electro-cells]] from a human laboratory, only to wind up embarrassing himself by rushing to use them to create energon cubes, which exploded due to the cells' instability. {{storylink|Traitor}} Starscream was later part of the Decepticon team that stole the Autobots' [[Immobilizer]] weapon, and briefly tried to seize leadership when Megatron was felled by Optimus Prime during the Autobots' attempt to reclaim the device. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream and nergill.jpg|right|180px|thumb|]]
After serving as Megatron's unwilling guinea pig in the first test of the transformation-freezing [[Transfixatron]], {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Starscream's cautious side came to the fore again when the Decepticons allied themselves with the fish-people of [[Sub-Atlantica]]. Starscream did not trust the sub-aquatic kingdom's boastful leader [[Nergill]], and his suspicions were proven correct when Nergill shot him with an anti-Transformer disruptor ray. Starscream recovered in time to save Megatron from a blast of the ray, but Megatron did not believe Starscream's accusation of treachery until the fish-king went off the deep end and tried to destroy the Transformers, Sub-Atlantica and himself by detonating the city's energy stockpile. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

Starscream was less than impressed with Megatron's decision to steal the Earth-made robot ninja [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], but when Megatron threatened to replace the Air Commaner with the femme-bot, Starscream helped the Autobots take her down with a blast of his null ray. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} Soon after, when Megatron sought to dupe the Autobots with a clone of Optimus Prime, his plan necessitated the creation of a Starscream clone, that the Prime copy could convince the Autobots that it was the genuine article by destroying it. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

The scientist in Starscream saw danger in Megatron's plan to drill to the Earth's core, but Megatron placated him by revealing an emergency space bridge that could whisk them off to Cybertron if things went wrong. They never got the chance, though, as the Autobots destroyed the bridge, forcing the Decepticons to work with them to halt the drill and save the planet. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream and redalert.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"Uh, what's with the eyeliner?" "Inferno says it brings out my eyes." "...uh huh...just press the button".]]
Following a brief stint as mind-controlled minion of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} Starscream accompanied the Decepticons to the mysterious [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], where the strange waves of chronal energy surrounding the prehistoric paradise gave him cause for concern. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Starscream theorized that draining the delicate energies of the island could disrupt the fabric of time, and he was right: time warps began appearing all across the world, and the Autobots sprang into action to stop the Decepticons' scheme. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

[[Image:G1toon snakes on a plane.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Starscream has had it with this motherf@!king snake.]]
After shooting down [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and accusing the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] of treachery, {{storylink|The Master Builders}} Starscream proved just how much of a case of the pot calling the kettle black that was when he tricked the mentally-addled Autobot [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] into giving him access of the Autobots' new [[Negavator]] tank. Starscream planned to use the weapon to take control of the Decepticons, but when Megatron rumbled his scheme, he claimed that he had only been stealing the weapon for his leader. Realizing that Starscream meant to take the Negavator from him, Red Alert turned on him, and Starscream shot him with his null rays, which wound up stabilizing his logic circuits. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}}

Starscream had a nasty encounter with a snake in the jungles of South America when the Decepticons were searching for their lost original space cruiser and its power core, the [[Heart of Cybertron]], but his spirits were put right by a good bout of over-energizing with the other Decepticons that evening. {{storylink|Microbots}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream prime cosplay.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Starscream learned the true meaning of Halloween that night - sweets and plenty of them.]]
Later, Starscream donned an Optimus Prime costume as part of a plan to frame the Autobots for energy theft, which successfully resulted in the heroic robots being forced off Earth by humankind. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} In the Autobots' absence, the Decepticons conquered [[Central City (G1)|Central City]], and Starscream led the Decepticon jets in easily fending off attempted human military intervention, before the Autobots returned to clear their names and put things right. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

Seeking to sabotage the creation of [[Professor Greene]]'s [[ultra plane]], Starscream suggested blasting the new device out of the sky. Megatron advocated discretion, and instead had Starscream perform a fly-over and surreptitiously drop a small explosive on the Ultraplane. Starscream, Megatron and Soundwave then attempted to steal the plans for the ultra plane, but Starscream and Soundwave were tricked into retreating when [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] projected a hologram of Megatron fleeing. Soon after, [[cybertonium]] degradation began to impair the Decepticons functionality, and before he succumbed to it, Starscream took another grab for leadership when Megatron's vocal circuits were scrambled by the condition. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} After the Decepticons recovered, Starscream helped steal the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream king of the castle.jpg|right|230px|thumb|"Who put that caption down there?!"]]
While on a mission in [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], Starscream found himself low on energy, and with Autobots on all sides. Retreating into a cave with Rumble, Ravage and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] at his side, Starscream discovered that the cave was, in fact, a mystical time travel device, which thrust them back through the ages to 543 AD, with Autobots [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] hot on their heels. Seeing a primitive world that he could easily conquer laid out before him, Starscream allied himself with local ne'er-do-well [[Sir Wigend du Blackthorne]], but soon double-crossed him and took control of his castle and army. Starscream dismissed the chivalry of the age and abducted [[Nimue]], daughter of neighboring ruler [[Sir Aetheling the Red]], demanding that he surrender his kingdom in return for his progeny's safety. All the Transformers were low on energy, so Starscream put his scientific skills to use creating gunpowder and primitive electric dynamo, giving the Decepticons the ability to fight back against the Autobots and Sir Aetheling's armies when they marshalled against him. With aid from the wizard [[Beorht]], Hoist and Warpath overpowered Starscream and hauled him back to the present, where Starscream gleefully greeted Megatron by pouncing on top of him, ruining the shot he had lined up. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream electrum.jpg|left|235px|thumb|Seen shortly after sniveling with fear.]]
Starscream was the first Decepticon to test out a mysterious golden lagoon of [[electrum]] discovered on Earth, and was made invulnerable by the powerful alloy. The Decepticons were easily able to defeat the Autobots in battle thanks to their new invincible coating, but Megatron was not impressed when Starscream had captives [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] fight gladiator-style. As punishment, he had Starscream lead an attack on the giant Autobot Omega Supreme—a task Starscream was terrified at the prospect of, even with his newfound invulnerability. The attack succeeded, but when Starscream was left in charge of the prisoners, they escaped, and in the battle that resulted, the electrum effect wore off the Decepticons, and they were defeated. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

When Starscream, [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] pursued [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] to [[Saturn]]'s moon of [[Titan]], Starscream was less than impressed when the natives began worshipping Astrotrain as their supreme god. {{storylink|The God Gambit}} Starscream later encountered Cosmos again, along with Powerglide, in New York, inadvertently revealing the location of the Decepticons new base in the New Jersey Pine Barrens to the Autobots. {{storylink|Make Tracks}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream and aron.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Aron always wanted a Revoltech.]]
Starscream was among a small group of Autobots and Decepticons who were transported to an alien world of giants by a malfunctioning space bridge. Starscream was nearly dissected for study by the authorities of this planet, and when Autobot scientist [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] cobbled together a makeshift space bridge to send them home, he and the Decepticons were only too happy to make the trip back to Earth. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} After returning, Starscream was caught up in the menace of the [[Morphobot|morphobots]], {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} then helped operate the Decepticons' new "[[energy magnet]]". {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

Conspiring with Astrotrain and Blitzwing to overthrow Megatron by freezing him in a subterranean chamber full of absolute zero degree molecules, Starscream found himself betrayed by the two [[Triple Changer|Triple Changers]] and frozen in the chamber along with Megatron. Blitzwing and Astrotrain's subsequent rampage caused a tidal wave (among many other things) that freed the two frozen Decepticons, and Starscream pleaded ignorance of the betrayal. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}} Later, when eccentric big game hunter [[Lord Chumley]] began targeting the Autobots, Starscream smirkingly pointed out that he had achieved more in two days that Megatron had in two years. {{storylink|Prime Target}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream dancitron.jpg|left|225px|thumb|The name's Mix Master Festus, fool.]]
Using the [[Dancitron]] dance club, Starscream and Soundwave used hypnotic music signals to brainwash human beings into helping them build a new Decepticon headquarters in the heart of New York, but they were stopped by [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and the [[Bop Crew]]. {{storylink|Auto-Bop}} Later, he returned to Cybertron to aid Shockwave in the capture of Autobot resistance leader [[Elita One]], holding her to ransom to lure Optimus Prime into Decepticon clutches. The plan the succeeded, but when Starscream attempted to melt Optimus Prime down, Elita used her time-freezing powers to save the Autobot leader. When time unfroze, Starscream believed that Prime had been destroyed, so when the Autobot leader return to aid his troops in battle, Starscream was badly thrown and called retreat right away. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream thrashed.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Hands! HANDS!!!]]
When Dirge crashed in a movie studio back lot while returning to the Decepticon base with a secret cargo, Starscream was charged with recovering footage of the secret cargo that the filmmakers on-site had captured. Unfortunately for Starscream, Megatron was not in a forgiving mood that day, so when he neglected to steal the negatives as well, the Decepticon leader seized him, held him above his head, slammed him off a wall and tore a handful of wires out of his chest, knocking Starscream offline. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

When Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker's aerial skills wowed the impressionable new Autobots, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], Starscream used their naivety to lure them into a trap set by a Megatron that temporarily sent them nine million years back in time. {{storylink|War Dawn}} Later, Starscream accompanied Megatron, Astrotrain and Rumble on a mission to the planet [[Antilla]], during which Megatron was struck by a small asteroid that lodged itself in his armor. Starscream yanked the asteroid out of Megatron's shoulder, but too late: the Decepticon leader was already infected by [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]], necessitating the capture of Perceptor to find a cure. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:Starscreams brigade 5 letsgo.jpg|left|400px|thumb|To infinity... and beyond!]]
Starscream's next attempt at a coup was the last straw for Megatron. After Starscream attempted to shoot him in the back yet again, Megatron downed the Air Commander with a blast of his fusion cannon and banished him from the Decepticons, instructing [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to drop him on the island of [[Guadalcanal]]. Discovering the ruined hulks of several World War II vehicles on the island, Starscream was struck with the idea to create troops for himself. Overpowering Thundercracker and Skywarp, he hijacked the space bridge and liberated the [[Personality component|personality components]] of a group of dissident "[[Renegade Decepticon]]s" from the [[Decepticon Detention Center|detention center]] on Cybertron, which he placed into the war vehicles, creating the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. Starscream ensured the loyalty of the Combaticons by neglecting to install [[energy absorber]]s in their new bodies, meaning that they had to help him capture several Transformers so they could take theirs for their own. In a showdown with the Decepticon forces, Starscream's Combaticons combined into [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] to overpower [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and the giant robot then seized Megatron, as Starscream forced him to hand leadership over to him. Suddenly, Bruticus was ambushed by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and defeated, leaving Starscream without troops and at Megatron's mercy. Megatron had Astrotrain dump Starscream and the Combaticons on an asteroid, declaring them exiled from Earth forever. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream asteroid.jpg|right|225px|thumb|What did I do to deserve this?!... Oh right.]]
Unable to stand his imprisonment, Starscream eventually transformed to jet mode and flew off into space, despite not having enough power to make it back to Earth. The Combaticons, meanwhile, towed the asteroid to Cybertron, where they promptly overthrew Shockwave and took control of the planet. Shockwave was sent tumbling off into space and collided with Starscream, tipping the Seeker off to the fact that he was close to Cybertron. The pair returned to Cybertron, where they attempted to fool the Combaticons were holograms, but were ultimately captured and imprisoned. It took the team-up of Megatron and Optimus Prime's forces to save them and stop Bruticus. Starscream used the hologram projector to deceive the Autobots into thinking that Megatron had destroyed Bruticus, but in reality, the combiner survived and was reprogrammed by Megatron to serve him. For supplying him with this mighty new soldier, Megatron welcomed Starscream back into the Decepticon ranks. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

In his last recorded adventures in the 1980s, Starscream was his old snarky self, pouring doubt and scorn on Megatron's plans to have the [[Stunticon]]s steal the components to create a powerful laser weapon, {{storylink|Masquerade}} and to use a gravity-alerting device to blast the moon out of orbit. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream coronation.jpg|left|225px|thumb|My fellow Decepticons, it is with a heavy heart that I must declare you are all idiots!]]
Over the next twenty years, the Decepticons focused their efforts on conquering Cybertron entirely, driving the Autobots off the planet. In 2005, learning that the Autobots were readying for a major strike to take back the planet, Starscream accompanied Megatron and the Decepticons on a raid on [[Autobot City]] on Earth (although Starscream himself advocated hitting the Autobots' bases on Cybertron's moons first). During the [[Battle of Autobot City|battle]], Starscream narrowly avoided being crushed by the transforming city, and was the one to call retreat when Optimus Prime grievously wounded Megatron in a one-on-one duel. On the return flight to Cybertron, the Decepticons found it to reduce their mass so that Astrotrain could successfully make it back to the planet, and they chose to jettison the damaged passengers. Starscream, of course, wasted no time in setting Megatron adrift, grinning victoriously as his former leader screamed his name as he was swept off on the solar winds.

[[Image:SSBQ.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Starscream has a slight accident at the Decepticon barbeque.]]
Fighting immediately broke out amongst the Decepticons over who would become leader now, but Starscream eventually won out. Upon reaching Cybertron, he quickly arranged for a prodigious coronation ceremony complete with [[Constructicon (G1) | trumpeters]] and a [[crown]]. Starscream could not have known, of course, that Megatron would be found and reshaped by the godlike planet Transformer [[Unicron]], who recreated him as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. The reborn Megatron arrived on Cybertron in the midst of Starscream's coronation, declaring the whole affair "bad comedy". Starscream had barely a moment to realize that the being in front of him was Megatron before Galvatron transformed to cannon mode and killed him with a single, terrible blast. Frozen for a moment as his body crackled, blackened and fractured, Starscream crumbled to ash, and was seemingly no more. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

[[Image:G1toon starscreams ghost.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Frickin' fireflies get everywhere!]]
In truth, however, this was not the end for Starscream. When the turncoat Decepticon [[Octane]] was pursued by the revenge-seeking [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the [[Sweep]]s, he took refuge in the [[Decepticon Crypt]] in the lower levels of Cybertron, where he was confronted by the spectral form of Starscream, who had transcended death as a shimmering, ethereal "ghost". Starscream's ghost possessed Cyclonus, and he and Octane conspired to hand Galvatron over to Autobot leader [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]. Galvatron was able to escape the trap, and returned to the Decepticon base on [[Chaar]] in a state of unadulterated fury. He shot his second-in-command, not realizing Cyclonus had not been himself, but Starscream silently leapt into the body of a nearby Sweep, and began planning for the future. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

[[Image:G1toon starscreams last appearance.jpg|right|215px|thumb|In space, no one can hear you, Starscream.]]
Seeking to reactivate Unicron in the hope that the omnipotent being could restore his body, Starscream possessed Scourge and had him open fire on Galvatron, so that he would be branded a traitor and would have no option but to help him. Scourge was successfully able to bring Unicron's disembodied head back online, and the chaos-bringer gave Starscream three tasks he would have to complete in order to obtain his desire. Starscream stole the eyes of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and the [[transformation cog]] of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], and was then directed to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron itself so the planet could become his new body. Left without any hosts to possess, Starscream demanded that Unicron give him back his body so that he could complete the necessary connections... but as soon as the dark god complied, Starscream double-crossed him and tossed the cables to the ground, telling Unicron to do it himself! Just then, a payload of explosives planted by the Autobots went off, hurling both Starscream and Unicron's head off into space. Starscream was last seen soaring off through the cosmic void, out of control, as Galvatron fired upon him, and Cyclonus wondered how a ghost could tumble through space like that.{{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}
{{-}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
{{note|The events of the American animated series occur in Japanese continuity as noted above, except that the events of Season 3, which took place in 2006 in America, were moved back to 2010. Japanese animated continuity inserts a large number of additional storylines, told through various different media, into the timeline, as detailed below.}}
====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
[[Image:Starscream smokescreen manga.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]
In the late 1980s, Megatron began focusing the Decepticons' attacks on [[Japan]], rather than America. Starscream led the Decepticon jets' first attack on the country, although he wasn't happy about the fact that Megatron was commanding from afar while they did all the actual work. When the Autobots arrived to confront them, Starscream summoned up the [[Stunticon|Stunticons]], who combined into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. With the aid of a local boy named [[Kenji]], the Autobots were able to use a broken freeway ramp to launch themselves into the air and take the Decepticon down. [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] scored the hit that brought down Starscream. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

Starscream later joined in an attack on [[Autobot Headquarters]], {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}} then teamed up with Megatron and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] to terrorize [[Tokyo]], only to be defeated by a "Prime-Magnus Double Cross Kick" from Optimus Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}

Starscream was among the Decepticons who witnessed the test launch of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] on a peaceful island. When the Autobots arrived and defeated Trypticon with a [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] hologram, Starscream was first to retreat, suggesting the other Decepticons follow his lead. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

When Megatron instructed the Combaticons to hunt down a seemingly harmless [[Murdered puppy|dog]], Starscream inquired why the animal was so important. Megatron explained that the dog had been experimented on, and it's body how held enough energy to destroy Tokyo. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}

====''Scramble City'' cartoon====
[[Image:Scramble city seekers.jpg|left|180px|thumb|]]
When the Decepticons succeeded in locating the construction site of the Autobots' [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] project, Starscream stepped forward to lead Thundercracker, Skywarp and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] in an attack on the hidden facility. They were met by an Autobot contingent led by Optimus Prime and a firefight ensued, at which point Starscream instructed the Constructicons to combine. The [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] soon arrived to back up Prime's team, and a barrage of fire from them sent Starscream tumbling from his perch atop a cliff. Although Starscream tried to continue the fight, the Decepticons were badly outnumbered, and he eventually called retreat. {{storylink|Scramble City|Scramble City}}
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====''Full Throttle Scramble Power!''====
[[Image:StarscreamMangaHugs1.jpg|right|310px|thumb|God dammit, Japan.]]
To counter [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s latest evil scheme, a giant death-ray called the [[Omega Whip]], the Autobots dispatched [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Toru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]] to search for the Decepticons' hidden base. They found it, but were immediately captured by Starscream. Trapped within an energy cage, they were forced to watch as Megatron prepared to send his Decepticons out to plunder Earth's energy...some more.

Jenny hatched a clever plan and disassembled her communicator. This caught Starscream's attention and he plucked her out of the cage, violently threatening her. Turning on her feminine charms, Jenny begged for Starscream's mercy, giving him a big snuggly hug. As Starscream gleefully buried his face in her bosom, Jenny slyly slapped a device she had fashioned from her communicator onto Starscream's back. Content with a good hug, Starscream returned Jenny to her cage.

Jenny immediately activated the device, an override machine which she used to control Starscream's motor functions. Unloading Starscream's chest missiles, Jenny destroyed the Omega Whip and most of the Decepticon base. Starscream quickly recovered, unaware of what he'd just done, and was yelled at by Megatron. Almost immediately afterward, Starscream and all the other Decepticons fled when [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] arrived alongside the entire Autobot army. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
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====''The Stargate Battles''====
[[Image:Stargatebattles starscream and his ghost.jpg|left|225px|thumb|Me and my shadow.]]
In the late 1990s, Starscream was among the Decepticons who attacked the human-built interstellar teleport system known as "[[Warp Gate|The Trigger]]". The sole survivor of their attack on the space station, [[Makoto (Stargate Battles)|Makoto]], was able to activate the teleport system and send the Decepticons hurtling towards the portal, but Megatron blasted the portal and knocked it offline just as Starscream was about to fly through it. The Autobots soon arrived to stop the Decepticons, {{storylink|First Contact|First Contact}} but Megatron still had his sights set on the Trigger, and was content to wait until it was repaired so that he could make another play for it. Starscream advocated destroying the Trigger completely to stop the Autobots from using it, but Megatron dismissed the idea, mockingly suggesting that Starscream's passage through the Trigger had devolved him to its primitive level. Starscream stalked away, infuriated, and stared angrily at his own reflection… but while Megatron's assessment may not have been accurate, something clearly ''had'' happened, since Starscream's reflection was ''talking'' to him… {{storylink|Divided Views|Divided Views}}

Soon after, Starscream concocted a plan of his own to gather more energy, establishing a protection-racket style scam with the Prime Minister of Japan, promising no attacks against his country in return for free reign to gather energy. Of course, Starscream had a double-cross in play, as [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] were secretly creating earthquakes in Japan that the Decepticon could tap for energy, while the Japanese government was left to believe they were simply natural disasters. The Autobots soon got wise to the villain's schemes and headed for Japan to stop the Decepticons, but when a team of flying Autobots pursued the fleeing Starscream out over the ocean, none of them could have suspected that the Trigger's warp gate would suddenly burst out of the sea below them, accompanied by a mysterious ''second'' Starscream! {{storylink|Activation|Activation}}

[[Image:Stargatebattles starscream trigger.jpg|right|275px|thumb|Starscream auditions for the final boss of Final Fantasy XIII.]]
This second Starscream spirited the original, along with the energy he had gathered from Japan, back to the Trigger out in space, where the original Starscream demanded to know the identity of the strange, phantasmal doppelganger. The second Starscream revealed that he was, in fact, the ghost of Starscream's own future self, who had inadvertently been transported back in time by the Trigger after he was destroyed in the future. Both the Decepticons and Autobots soon tracked down the Starscreams to the Trigger, but before they could act, Starscream's ghost, determined to alter history and ensure his own survival, used the purloined energy to fuse both present and future Starscreams together with the Trigger. The space station transformed into a monstrous, misshapen robot of mammoth proportions, which tore through the Autobot and Decepticon ranks, until the Trigger's human staff—including Makoto—activated a system purge, disconnecting most of the armored hull from Starscream's new Trigger-body. Megatron exploited this vulnerability to cripple Starscream with a point-blank cannon blast, but Starscream had one last trick up his sleeve, twisting the remains of his body into a giant warp gate and threatening to suck all the Transformers into a [[black hole]] in the depths of space. It took the combination of Optimus Prime and Megatron's power to finally destroy Starscream. The Trigger was obliterated, and the fate of Starscream's ghost was unrevealed, but the present-day Starscream survived. {{storylink|The Stargate Battles (issue)|The Stargate Battles}}
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====''Robot Masters''====
After Megatron disappeared through unexplained circumstances in 2004, Starscream no doubt had the intention of seizing leadership of the Decepticons. Before he had the chance, however, another Transformer named [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] travelled through time via a dimensional fissure known the [[Blasty Zone]]. This "Beast Megatron" took control of the Decepticons, and led them against the Autobots for control of a new element discovered on Earth named [[solitarium]].

{{note|While ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' is explicitly placed in Japanese cartoon continuity, none of the various pieces of actual ''Robot Masters'' fiction tells the story of the line in its entirety, and each of them relate certain events in notably different ways. Precisely ''which'' of the iterations of the story—covered individually below—should be considered the [[canon]] one for the cartoon timeline is unknown.}}
=====Online comic=====
[[Image:Robotmasters starscream arsenalforce.jpg|left|275px|thumb|Buuble, bubble, toil and trouble...]]
When Starscream dared to challenge Beast Megatron's leadership, he was promptly blasted through a wall for his disobedience. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Robot Masters online comic #2}} Seeking a means to dethrone this new leader, Starscream turned his attention to manipulating solitarium, and forged four weapons from the new mineral, which could be combined to create the "[[Arsenal Force]]" super-weapon. Starscream combined the weapons and unleashed the power of the Arsenal Force on Megatron... which, despite some impressive pyrotechnics, completely failed to injure him. Starscream had his right arm blown off in retribution. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Robot Masters online comic #4}}

During a later battle, when [[Victory Leo]] was attempting to go to the aid of [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]], Starscream appeared with [[Air Hunter]] and [[Wing Stun]] to block his way. Fortunately, [[Optimus Primal]] and [[Bound Rogue]] leapt into the fray to keep the Decepticons busy while Leo carried on with his mission. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Robot Masters online comic #6}} Starscream, Wing Stun and new recruit [[X-Gunner]] later approached Optimus Primal, [[R-Blade]] and [[Delta Seeker]] while they were on patrol, and challenged them to a test of air-speed. The Decepticons took the lead, but R-Blade soon got ahead and blinded them with a smokescreen, allowing Delta Seeker to knock Starscream and the others out of the sky. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Over the Ocean: The World's Fastest Race}}

The original Megatron returned soon after, in the guise of "[[Reverse Convoy]]", {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} and joined back up with the Decepticons. Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker and the two Megatron then engaged Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal, Victory Saber and [[Lio Convoy]] in a mighty battle, but the heroes ultimately prevailed.

=====Cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Kunihiro Kawamoto]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Starscream robotmasterscartoon.jpg|right|180px|thumb|How Galaxy Force-esque.]]
Starscream attacked Star Saber when the Autobot ventured out on a solo mission to investigate a mysterious explosion, striking him with a sneak attack from behind and easily avoiding his return fire. Even when Star Saber summoned Victory Leo and the pair combined into Victory Saber, Starscream reigned supreme in the fight, until Optimus Prime arrived and blasted him out of the sky. As Starscream plummeted towards the ground, he was snatched out of the air by Megatron, who arrived riding atop [[Gigant Bomb]]. Megatron dismissed Starscream as useless, and tossed him away before turning his attention to Prime. {{storylink|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!}}

Later, Beast Megatron discovered a large deposit of solitarium beneath [[New York City]] and ordered the Decepticons to tear the city apart. Starscream, [[Smokesniper]], [[Gigant Bomb]] and [[Wing Stun]] did just that, blowing up buildings and razing a good portion of the Big Apple. Starscream was then shot out of the sky by another time-displaced Autobot, Reverse Convoy. Reverse Convoy quickly gained the trust of the other Autobots after being seen blasting Starscream, only to reveal that he was, in fact, the original Megatron in disguise. {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}

====''15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:Starscream teletraan15.jpg|left|215px|thumb|"I'm Starscream's girlfriend. Seriously."]]
Dispatched on a mission through time and space to discover the identity of a mysterious saboteur who damaged [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], the humanoid robot [[Teletraan 15]] was possessed by Starscream's ghost when the spectral Decepticon invaded her [[Transwarp cruiser]] in 2006. Starscream crashed the cruiser into the artificial satellite [[Nana]], where 15's superiors [[Teletraan 10]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Black Panther Man]] were stationed, and emerged from the wreckage to seize 10 about the throat. He introduced himself as the Decepticon Air Commander, prompting a shocked Black Panther Man to realize the true identity of the force possessing Teletraan 15. {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|15 Go! Go! Chapter 15}} Teletraan 10 tried fighting back in true slapstick anime style, but Starscream just blasted her with eyebeams. As it happened, Starscream didn't hang around for long; learning of the super-powered [[Kiss Player|Kiss Players]] that were currently operating on Earth, Starscream left Teletraan 15's body, and departed for [[Earth Defense Command]] Headquarters on Earth. {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|15 Go! Go! Chapter 16}}

[[Image:AtariScream.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Not his finest moment, but possibly his most fabulous.]]
The first Kiss Player Starscream discovered in the EDC headquarters was the young [[Atari Hitotonari]], who was using the ladies' room at the time. Starscream promptly possessed the girl, turning her EDC uniform black, but he couldn't understand why the giggling Kiss Players wouldn't take "Atari-scream"'s demands and threats seriously, even after he pulled a gun on them and fired into the air. The reason soon became apparent: unfortunately for the Air Commander, he had neglected to pull Atari's underwear back up when leaving the bathroom. {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|15 Go! Go! Chapter 17}}

Seriously.

====''Kiss Players'' radio drama====
Still possessing Atari, Starscream found himself unable to possess other Transformers that possessed [[Spark|sparks]], and forced her to seek out his old ally, the cybernetic scientist Doctor Arkeville. Arkeville built a [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|new body]] for Starscream converted from a stolen fighter jet, into which Atari transferred his spirit with a kiss. Starscream was reborn… for a couple of minutes, until a squad of [[Autrooper|Autroopers]] arrived to blow up his new body and send his ghost flying back into space. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #27}}
{{-}}

====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''====
[[Image:StarscreamGhost.jpg|left|170px|thumb|Starscream's Ghost being evicted by his landlord.]]
In 2010, Starscream's ghost teamed up with the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]], who built him a powerful new body. This new body, equipped with attacks such as "Right Arm Decepticon Gun" and the "Revolver Laser", was created using a combination of Optimus Prime's and Megatron's designs. The result was [[Guiltaur]].

Guiltaur joined the Decepticons and quickly became Galvatron's right-hand man (literally—in, like, 5 seconds). Galvatron tricked Rodimus Prime into engaging him in a one-on-one battle in which Guiltaur faked defeat. When Rodimus least suspected it, Guiltaur attacked and laid the smack down. Galvatron complimented Guiltaur on his power and loyalty, and instinctively, Guiltaur beat the crap out of Galvatron and declared his ambition to take over the Decepticons. Rodimus Prime and Galvatron called a truce and joined forces to defeat Guiltaur. They wrecked him something fierce, destroying his body and forcing out Starscream's ghost. They then ended the truce and went about their business. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}
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===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[Image:DecepticonsCarShow.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I have no idea what colors I am!]]
Starscream and his fellow Seekers performed a threatening flyby over the Autobots' headquarters in order to distract the heroic robots while the other Decepticons stole a tanker of oil that would give them the power to rule the world. Thanks to [[Shooting Star]], the Autobots got wise to the Decepticons' tactics and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] blew up the villains by dropping missiles on them. Starscream arrived on the scene to spitefully blow up the oil tanker so that no one could have it, then he and his fellow airborne Decepticons carried off the remains of their fallen comrades. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}

Starscream was part of the battle that resulted when the Autobots came to rescue the mind-controlled [[Grapple]] from the Decepticons' clutches. When Grapple was freed from the effects of the [[cerebro-shell]] controlling him, he kicked Megatron over on top of Starscream and Skywarp, winning the day. {{storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}

At some point in the future, when Galvatron had taken leadership of the Decepticons, Starscream suggested to his leader that he create a city of his own to gather energy, as the Autobots did with their Autobot City. Galvatron decided to go about it in the most circular way possible, by stealing a robot car on display at a car show that night and duplicating its circuitry to create an army of drones to build said city. While investigating the Decepticons' presence at the show, Kup was captured by Starscream. When the Autobots arrived in response, Starscream threatened Kup's life to stay their hands, but luckily, Hot Rod soon saved Kup, and the Decepticons were defeated. {{storylink|Car Show Blow Up}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[Image:Starscream ladybird books.jpg|right|215px|thumb|Toy-accurate art makes Starscream ANGRY!]]
A brash and aggressive character, Starscream is constantly running up against the older, smarter Megatron. He once convinced Rumble to help him attack and destroy an Autobot tower (believed to be for communications) against Megatron's orders. In the process, he caused Megatron and the other Decepticons to come get him back. (They arrived ''just'' as he was slagging off Megatron.) Since that tower was actually used for channeling lightning storms into power, the entire Decepticon team was viciously injured by an electric surge due to his disobedience. {{storylink|Autobots' Lightning Strike}}

Starscream later tried to overthrow Megatron when the commander was off on a mission and requested the other Decepticons rendezvous with him. Starscream's act of rebellion was to blow up the building he thought Megatron was in and declare himself leader. Megatron turned out to be standing behind him, and he gave Starscream a valuable lesson on leadership (i.e., told him how dumb that was whilst punching him). {{storylink|Megatron's Fight for Power}}

When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] time-travelled to the 20th Century and took command, Starscream served under him. He'd learnt his lesson since the early days, not trying to overthrow his commander ''once''. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}}
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===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[Image:Starscream pd type.jpg|left|190px|thumb|HaHA! I have caught the Golden Snitch!]]
As various [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] from across the timestream joined forces to track down the all-powerful [[Blackball|Blackballs]], Starscream proved most effective at the hunt. Discovering a Blackball, he immediately carried it over to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] for some praise. Unfortunately, the "Blackball" turned out to be a cartoon bomb, which promptly exploded in their faces. From a distance, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] were astounded that their plan actually worked. Inside the smoking crater, a badly singed Megatron strangled Starscream, frustrated at his consistent failures. {{storylink|Transformer PD Type|Don't Cry! Megatron!!}}

Later, Starscream uncovered another Blackball. For a moment he considered giving it to Megatron, but then decided that if he kept it for himself, he could use the power to seize command of the Decepticons. He then immediately became suspicious that the Blackball might be another bomb, but dismissed the suspicion just as quickly. Then it exploded. {{storylink|Transformer PD Type|Good Luck! Starscream!!}}
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===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Doug Parker]] (English), [[Kazuki Yao]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Starscream ghost BW.jpg|right|250px|thumb|EBENEZER SCROOGE...!]]
Little was known about Starscream among the [[Maximal|Maximals]], as the [[Maximal Elder|Maximal Elders]] had classified most of his information. However, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], a student of military history, was familiar with Starscream's record of deceit and betrayal. It is possible that [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] was also aware of his history, as he ordered [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] to keep an eye on Starscream.

Starscream's ghost traveled through time and space to the prehistoric earth of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], where he possessed [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]'s body during an electrical storm. He ingratiated himself with Megatron, claiming that he had been destroyed by [[Unicron]] while protecting [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. After leading a successful raid on the [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']], he was left in command of the captured Maximal ship, along with [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and Scorponok, the former of whom he took as his "protégé". When the defeated Maximals surrendered to him, he took Dinobot and [[Optimus Primal]] hostage and ordered the remaining Maximals to attack the ''[[Darksyde]]''. Scorponok objected, but he was very forcefully overruled. Shortly after the attack began, the two captive Maximals broke out and drove the Predacons out of the ''Axalon''. Starscream fled, pursued by Primal, and abandoned Blackarachnia to her fate. After a spirited chase, Primal cornered Starscream at an [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] deposit, paralyzing him. As he tried to bargain his way out of his predicament, his vengeful ex-partner Blackarachnia detonated the energon, blowing Waspinator to scrap and forcing Starscream's spark out of his body. Waspinator is restored back to normal by Megatron, and Blackarachnia explains her betrayal as an attempt to find Starscream's true motives, and at that point, Megatron pardons her.

Adrift in space once more, Starscream's ghost screamed vengeance into the void. {{storylink|Possession}}

===''Beast Wars: Transmetals''===
[[Image:N64Starscream.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Yes, that's Transmetal Waspinator in original Waspinator colors as Generation 1 Starscream. No, that's not normal.]]
Starscream returned to the Beast Wars following the [[quantum surge]], with a strange but powerful new [[Transmetal]] body. Fearing that the Beast Wars would alter history against his liking, Starscream set out to destroy any Maximal or Predacon that opposed him. After vanquishing his foes, Starscream entered the Ark and infused himself with the power of his old body, just as Megatron and Optimus Primal had increased their power. This fusion of old and new allowed Starscream to finally achieve his eons long goal of restoring his original body. Finally whole, Starscream undertook the long journey through transwarp back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals}}
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===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:Starscreamwarwithin.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Smirkier-than-thou.]]
Starscream was a competitor in [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s underground gladiatorial matches, the breeding ground for what would eventually become the Decepticons. He enjoyed baiting his fellow combatant, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]; in fact, he was a master at it. Once war broke out, he kept taunting his old friend, which eventually backfired when he told Grimlock exactly where the Seekers were going to attack, giving Grimlock time to set a massive bomb. Starscream's life was saved only by the fast action of Skywarp.

In typical fashion, Starscream tried to seize power. While Megatron was deep within the bowels of Cybertron, Starscream instructed [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] to initiate the planet's long-hidden transformation sequence, hoping Megatron would be crushed in the process. Some people never learn.

[[Image:Predaconstww.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My... people.]]
A few millennia later, after the apparent death of Megatron, Starscream created a splinter group of Decepticons called [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]]. However, when your smartest subordinates are [[Motormaster]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Octane]], you can't expect much of your forces.

Starscream was among the Decepticon boarding party that attacked the Autobot flagship Ark, causing its crash-landing on Earth and putting all Autobots and Decepticons alike in emergency stasis. In 1984 a volcanic eruption awakened the Ark's computer, Teletraan-I, and it repaired all on board. Starscream's actions over the next fifteen years are largely unrecorded, but he probably did what he did best: strafe the Autobots and fleshlings and attempt to betray Megatron, smirking all the while. In 1998, the combined forces of the Autobots and Earth defeated and captured the Decepticons. Starscream was secured on board the ''[[Ark II]]'' along with the other Decepticons when the ship exploded, killing the human crew and scattering the Transformers across the ocean. Arms dealer Adam Rook (aka. [[Lazarus]]) recovered several of the Autobots and Decepticons and used them as a reprogrammed weapons for hire for terrorists and despots. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} As part of a demonstration to prospective buyers, Rook had Starscream join an assault against the Smitco Oil Refinery alongside half a dozen Transformers. When Megatron eventually broke free of Rook's control, he freed the other Decepticons. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

The reactivated Starscream, along with his Seeker brothers Thundercracker and Skywarp, took a particular pleasure in dismantling the Autobot Minicars. When Megatron complained that he didn't rewire them so they could sit around and do nothing, Starscream playfully said they were only having some fun with their new "toys". Megatron ordered the three Decepticons to follow him, and when Skywarp asked Starscream what their leader's plan was this time, the air commander casually tossed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s head over his shoulder and said that he didn't care, as it was going to be evil, and evil is ''always'' fun. Soon afterwards, the Autobots arrived and attacked. As Starscream attempted to choke [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] paid him back with a nice throat punch. All the combatants were then bombed by rogue members of the U.S. military. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}

The Decepticons escaped and attacked [[San Francisco]]. When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] appeared to stop [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], Starscream led the other Seekers in bombing the Autobot giant, forcing the Aerialbots into their component team member forms and putting them at the mercy of Devastator. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} Starscream and the other Decepticons secured the Autobots after Optimus Prime defeated Devastator. The Autobot leader managed to free his comrades after humans distracted the Decepticons, and the battle was rejoined. Fellow F-15 [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] punched Starscream in the face, repaying him for the earlier defeat. After the Aerialbots, as Superion, sacrificed their lives to save San Francisco from [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo's]] unauthorized nuclear strike, Starscream and the other Decepticons escaped. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

[[Image:Starscreamshhhhhh.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Holy crap! Expressions!]]
Starscream led the Decepticons in joining Shockwave's Cybertronians after Megatron was defeated and was the first to recognize the mind-altering techniques being employed. Starscream escaped the CR chambers long enough almost to succeed in assassinating Megatron. Punishment didn't deter him, and Starscream was almost immediately creating a small sect of separatist Decepticons on Cybertron. He used the cover of Menasor's release to steal the incapacitated Combaticons to form his own army. If only he hadn't tried to hijack [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. Yet another rebellion defeated by bad planning. Some people never learn. {{storylink|War and Peace|War and Peace}}

[[Image:Starscreamdaydream.jpg|right|200px|thumb|There but for the grace of a fusion cannon go I.]]
After returning to Earth, Starscream unleashed the Decepticons on the Autobots under the leadership of [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. Unfortunately, most of the Decepticons were incapacitated. Worse, Starscream's clone [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] arrived on some bizarre mission. Starscream was forced to ally with the Autobots in exchange for getting his forces freed. After the misadventure, Starscream took the Combaticons for some practice against Sky Lynx. This also ended in disaster, for [[Predaking]] soon arrived, and Starscream discovered that Soundwave, his cassettes, and the other Seekers had allied with Predaking's master... Megatron! Starscream was again forced into a subservient position, with Megatron preparing to lead the Decepticons in the conquest of Earth... {{storylink|Generation One (Dreamwave comic)|Generation One (ongoing)}}

{{note|...at which point [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] self-destructed.}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:JoeVsTF1 Starscream transforms.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Even when Starscream's nothing more than a mindless drone, he still manages to smirk.]]
When the nascent terrorist organization known as [[Cobra]] uncovered the buried hulk of the Ark, they removed the bodies of numerous Transformers with the intention of using them as weapons of war to threaten America. Cobra scientist [[Doctor Mindbender]] hacked the brain functions of the captive Transformers, reducing them to the level of remote-controlled drones, and dubbed them "[[Battle Android Trooper|Battle Android Troopers]]". Starscream was reconfigured to transform into a jet plane known as a "Night Raven", and was selected for use by the [[Cobra Commander]] as his personal aircraft.

Starscream was among the Transformers deployed during Cobra's opening attack on world freedom, when they targeted the United Nations Headquarters. Starscream transformed to robot mode and was punching his way through the building when a U.S. Military soldier code-named [[Snake-Eyes]] opened fire on him with a machine gun. Although unharmed by the attack, Starscream returned fire with his lasers, blowing up the missile tank upon which the soldier was perched and horribly scarring his face. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1}} Returning to Cobra's island base, Cobra Commander began his meeting with [[Destro]] by having Starscream dramatically fly by overhead and transform, for no reason other than to impress the arms dealer. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2}}

Meanwhile, Autobot scientist Wheeljack had been able to avoid capture by Cobra, and had allied himself with America's newly-formed special mission force [[G.I. Joe]]. Hacking into Cobra's system, he was able to shut off the terrotists' control of the Transformers, liberating their minds and bodies. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3}} Naturally, the first thing Starscream did once he was free was to interrupt a battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron by shooting Megatron in the chest in a bid for leadership. Megatron returned the sentiment, blasting him with his fusion cannon, and Starscream slunk away as Megatron returned to more important matters. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4}}

[[Image:Starscream snakeeyes eye gouge.jpg|right|350px|thumb|"You've got something in your eye. Let me get it out."]]
Lurking in the island's jungle, Starscream crossed paths with Snake-Eyes, who took revenge for his disfigurement by shattering the unsuspecting Starscream's eye with his sword and shoving a grenade into the socket. Clawing at his face, Starscream tumbled over a cliff and was badly damaged in the fall. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5}} His still-operational body was soon happened across by Cobra Commander, who was attempting to flee the escalating battle between the Autobots, Decepticons, Joes and Cobras that was engulfing the island, and Starscream made the human proposition: help him remove the grenade, and he would get him off the island. Naturally, the commander agreed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6}}

[[Image:Starscream gijoe energyropes.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Starscream is allergic to glow stick ropes.]]
Starscream and Cobra Commander resurfaced two years later, when Cobra Commander learned that human scientists had created an interstellar wormhole to Cybertron. With Starscream forced to do his bidding (via unspecified means), he used the portal to travel to Cybertron with the intention of gaining control of the wormhole technology by stealing the super-computer [[Teletran 3]]. However, a G.I. Joe ambush that struck just as they were carrying out their plan caused a catastrophic malfunction in Teletran 3, scattering numerous Transformers through the wormhole network across space and time. Starscream was not among those scattered, but he was promptly bound with energy ropes by Perceptor and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] while they assessed the severity of the situation. It transpired that the chronal disruption caused by the time-lost Transformers would dsestroy the Earth, and teams of Joes and Cobras were soon dispatched through the timestream to retrieve the robots and save the planet. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1}}

While the Joes and Cobras were off on their time-tossed mission, the forcefield protecting Magnus, Perceptor and Teletran 3 collapsed, at which point Decepticon commander Shockwave struck. Shockwave freed Starscream and reprogrammed Teletran 3 to prevent Transformers from being able to return to their proper times, so that Earth would be destroyed and he could invade it, as he had always planned to—it was Shockwave who had leaked the wormhole technology to humans in the first place. {{storylink| {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3}} When a small team of Joes and Cobras that remained on Cybertron tried to undo his programming, Starscream spotted [[Lady Jaye]] modifying Teletran 3 and shouted a warning, but it came too late. The Transformers were returned, and Starscream escaped in the midst of the chaotic battle that resulted.

In the aftermath of the battle, Shockwave accused Starscream of deliberately trying to foil his scheme by trying to steal Teletran 3. Starscream denied any treacherousness on his part, and Shockwave was just starting to come around when a recording Cobra Commander had programmed into Starscream began to play, informing the Decepticon leader of Starscream's general uselessness. At that point, Starscream promptly exploded, taking out the Decepticon headquarters in the process, courtesy of forty-five pounds of plastic explosives that Cobra Commander had lined his housing with, in case the Decepticon had ever escaped his clutches. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
[[Image:Starscream gijoe ww2.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Pathetic fools! There's no escape!"]]
When the foundling terrorist organization known as Cobra discovered the Ark buried in the [[Fera Islands]] in 1938, they inadvertently awoke the Decepticons from their stasis. The evil robots entered into an alliance with the organization's leader, Cobra Commander, to conquer the world and strip it of its energy, but Megatron's true goal was to take the Matrix of Leadership—stolen from the body of Optimus Prime—from around Cobra Commander's neck. Starscream adopted the alternate form of a P-51 Mustang aeroplane.

One year later, in 1939, the American military formed a special mission force to counter the Cobra-Decepticon alliance named "G.I. Joe". Laserbeak spied upon the first meeting of this team and reported the information to Cobra; Starscream stood nearby as Cobra Commander vowed to kill the Joes, and opined that heroes were ''born'' to die. G.I. Joe's first attack came soon after, and Starscream distracted their aircraft in his jet mode while Megatron attacked them from above and downed them. {{storylink|The Line|The Line}} As it happened, the Joes bailed out and landed near to the buried Ark, where they wound up awakening the Autobots within the craft. Starscream watched as the ship sent out a repair drone to scan for alternate modes, aware of what it meant and seeing it as a threat to Megatron's leadership that he could exploit. Megatron happened upon Starscream as he was monologuing about taking the power of the Matrix for himself, and witnessed the drone going about its business. Knowing he would need the scheming Starscream for the coming battle, he ordered the Air Commander to help him move their stockpiled energon cubes to safer location. {{storylink|Transformed|Transformed}}

Megatron proceeded to mass the Decepticons for a major battle with the Autobots, save for Starscream, who was left to languish within their base. Unfortunately for Megatron, this merely left Starscream with an opportunity to conspire with Cobra Commander's own traitorous second, [[Destro]], and together the pair prepared to unleash the newly-constructed giant robot, Bruticus, upon everyone. {{storylink|Wolves|Wolves}}

[[Image:Starscream gijoe ww2 weakspot.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"I...will...keep reaching...uuuhh."]]
Even this conspiracy proved to be a deception on Destro's part, however, when he had his lover, the [[Baroness]], shoot Starscream in his weak spot: an inch below his right ear, just behind his jaw hinge. Starscream's head flared with electricity and he collapsed, while Destro loosed Bruticus upon all his assembled enemies. G.I. Joe member Snake-Eyes ended the threat when he plucked the Matrix from Cobra Commander's clutches, and at Optimus Prime's direction, hurled it at Bruticus. The resultant explosion of creation energy destroyed Bruticus, but apparently killed all the Transformers in the process. {{storylink|The Iron Fist|The Iron Fist}}

Forty-six years later, in 1985, Starscream was revealed to have survived his injuries and the destruction of the Matrix through unexplained means. Discarding his archaic alternate mode for the form of an F-15, Starscream was performing a flyby over Cobra Island, seeking a means to return to Cybertron, when he intercepted a communication about an alien starship (actually a Cybertronian craft containing Blaster and Perceptor) crashing in [[Oregon]]. Starscream saw the craft as his ticket home, and while he was too low on energon to claim the ship for himself, he was content to let Cobra take it and then steal it from them later. {{storylink|Targets of Opportunity|Targets of Opportunity}}

{{note|Due to Dreamwave's bankruptcy, how Starscream survived, and his subsequent actions, remain a mystery.}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
Starscream and his comrades, Skywarp and Thundercracker, were recruited by Soundwave when Megatron requested fliers. They believed they had been called to join Megatron's gladiatorial team, but accepted the offer to join the Decepticons. Starscream immediately proclaimed his allegiance and declared how much of an honor fighting alongside Megatron would be. After going through some upgrades to boost their firepower, the Seekers' first duty was to capture a senator, who would be executed at Megatron's recruitment rally. He was also informed by Megatron of confidential plans in which he would play a key role. When the security forces intervened, Starscream was captured, and—surprise, surprise—offered to reveal Megatron's plans to save his own neck. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} However, this turned out to have ''been'' Megatron's plan—Starscream, together with Soundwave, executed the council questioning him, then freed every prisoner in the building, solidifying his loyalty to Megatron... until such time as Starscream felt like betraying his leader. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

Starscream ended up as Megatron's bodyguard, a position largely for show, and developed a mutual hatred with Sixshot. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} He would also appear to settle with Megatron instead of carrying on being an attempted traitor. Megatron viewed this as them moving on from such things but it was actually because Starscream feared him—a fear he initially thought was respect. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

Another one of his duties appears to have been recruitment, as he made a very pointed effort to convince [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] to join the team {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}}

[[Image:Infiltration6 takeyourpunishment.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Starscream, seen here actually getting off easy!]]

{{bigquote|Thanks to Ore-13, Megatron, I have evolved... beyond you! I am the ''future!''|Starscream|[[Infiltration issue 6]]}}

Millions of years later, Starscream was the leader of a Decepticon [[Infiltration protocol|insurgent cell]] that had operated covertly on [[Earth]] for at least four years, working to destabilize Earth's governing organizations and create global anarchy. However, since the discovery of the mysterious, Energon-like substance known as [[Ultra-Energon|Ore-13]], Starscream had stepped outside standard procedure, establishing a second command bunker in [[Oregon]] above a richer seam of the ore than the one in [[Nebraska]]. Unfortunately, the abandoned Nebraska bunker had been infiltrated by a human named [[Stoker]], who had managed to obtain data on Starscream's operations, forcing Starscream to have the human eliminated, though he didn't count on [[Verity Carlo|another human]] obtaining Stoker's [[SM-40]] computer and an [[Ratchet (G1)|Autobot counter-insurgency agent]] bringing the evidence to the Autobots. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 1|Infiltration #1}} Meanwhile, Starscream had ordered [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] to cover his tracks by destroying all evidence of Stoker's travels and what remained of the Nebraska bunker. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5|Infiltration #5}} Starscream intended to use Ore-13 to challenge [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] for leadership of the Decepticons, but when the moment of truth finally arrived, the energy source proved insufficient to destroy the Decepticon leader, and Megatron blasted Starscream with his fusion cannon at point-blank range, virtually obliterating him. Megatron told the other Decepticons, "See to the remains. If he lives, then I'll decide what to do with him." {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

[[Image:Starcasm idw dev6.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Sarcasm from Starscream?? NO!]]
As it turns out, Starscream survived and was placed in a [[CR chamber]] for extensive repairs. The other Decepticons were worried that Megatron was jumping the gun by calling in [[Sixshot]] early, and Astrotrain realized Starscream might be the only one of them willing to tell Megatron this. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} During an attack on Decepticon headquarters by the [[Reaper|Reapers]], Starscream completed his recovery and was confident that he would prevail in the upcoming battle. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}}

[[Image:AHM3Starscream.JPG|right|150px|thumb|Hey, I just spotted the janitor from Futurama!]]
When [[Sixshot]] arrived, he initially attacked the Reapers, but they insisted he join them or die. Starscream then emerged from base calling out Sixshot—his hatred of Starscream caused the living weapon to decide to switch sides after all, at which point Starscream promptly activated Sixshot's shutdown command, sending him crashing to the ground. Screamer then proceeded to bomb the Reapers, causing Megatron to agree to take the fight to the Reapers. (Based on the timing of his emergence and his co-plotter Astrotrain immediately going "look at brave Starscream, Megatron!", it seems having an excuse to take out Sixshot and thus force Megatron to go against the Reapers was all planned by Starscream) {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} Starscream once again accepted Megatron as his liege, and together they teamed up to destroy the alien invaders. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

A year later, and Starscream (now an F-15 for [[Shane McCarthy|some]] [[GEEWUN|reasons]]) was back in a subordinate position under Megatron and getting increasingly annoyed with it. He joined in Megatron's attack on [[New York City]], quite enjoying that whole "killing humans who can't fight back" thing. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}}

Starscream personally shot down the fleeing Air Force One in [[Washington, D.C.]], after which he returned to join Megatron in New York City. Upon his arrival, Megatron mused that it was fitting to have Starscream beside him, as a Decepticon who had been with the cause since the start. Starscream, believing Megatron to be sarcastic, retorted that he'd been there before even Megatron. A somewhat weary Megatron clarified, congratulating him and complimenting his skills. He further explained that Starscream was very nearly the living embodiment of the Decepticon ideal, but a step short of realizing it. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 3|All Hail Megatron #3}}

With the conquest completed, Starscream stood at Megatron's side as he addressed the gathered Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} However, he soon reverted to type when he noticed Megatron didn't have a proper plan now that he'd won and the fun on Earth was a distraction for the troops. He taunted Megatron with the knowledge that he knew this and told him other Decepticons would start getting restless, so Megatron's position would soon be challenged by hordes of bored sociopaths whom Megatron had indoctrinated to be violent and take things. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
At the war's end, Starscream and a small team of Decepticons accompanied the mercenary [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] to the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]]. He led the Decepticons into the Autobot bunker after Mirage destroyed the Autobot security system, but stood back during the ensuing fight. After Megatron ordered the Autobot prisoners executed, Starscream held [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] back as Mirage prepared to kill [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[Image:Starscream HOS.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Ye olde Tyme treacherie.]]
Starscream is the nominal leader of the Decepticons on 19th-century Earth, while Megatron sleeps in [[stasis lock]]. He decides to conquer the Earth in this time, and use that power to overthrow Megatron when he should wake up. Posing as a benefactor to humanity, he enlists the help of inventor [[Tobias Muldoon]] to design new [[Alternate mode|altmodes]] for the Decepticons. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} In particular, Starscream builds (or reformats) [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] for an assault on [[New York City]], and the new electrical generators there. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}} It all ends badly. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

Starscream has three bodies through the course of these events. His initial "Ice Age Wars" body appears to be a prehistoric flying reptile. He then takes on two different biplane bodies, one with one engine per wing and bat-wing-shaped propellers (as seen at left), and one with two engines per wing and straight-bladed propellers<ref>[http://www.idwpublishing.com/titles/transformers/images/hos/decepticon_planes.jpg ''Hearts of Steel'' sketch at IDW Publishing]</ref>. No reason is given for him changing from one biplane body to the next. (The fact that planes are an anachronism in the 19th Century is lightly glossed over.)
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in mini-comics===
{{charstubfiction}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' comic===
{{charstubfiction}}

==Commercial appearances==
Starscream's [[commercial]] appearances include:

* An appearance in the first Transformers animation, a commercial for [[The Transformers (issue)|Issue #1]] of Marvel's ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' comic book. Alongside Thundercracker and Skywarp, Starscream attacks an Earth power plant, then defends himself against an Autobot counterattack.

* Starscream and Thundercracker are seen strafing three Autobots, then getting shot down, in the Jetfire/Shockwave commercial.

* A 1985 commercial for [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. Starscream leads Thrust over the desert to attack the Autobots' new defense base, brushing off Thrust's concerns about the whereabouts of the Autobots themselves. He is caught off-guard when the base transforms into [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. Good goin' there, Screamer. This is the only ad in which Starscream has a speaking part; he's given his usual cartoon voice.

* He makes a short appearance in the 1986 commercial for Hot Rod/Kup/Blurr.

* He is seen in jet mode leading an attack on the Autobots' power station in a commercial for Ultra Magnus.

* He can be glimpsed flying into battle alongside Galvatron - yes, Galvatron! - in the Galvatron/Magnus commercial.

* He and the other two standard Seekers are seen battling the Dinobots on the ground in a commercial for the Predacons.

* Starscream briefly features in the [[Pretender Classic]]s commercial. He's shown lurking in the dark of an Earth city as Optimus Prime is reunited with Jazz and Bumblebee. Narration from [[Victor Caroli]] leads the viewer to believe that his lurking is quite evil and also provides Starscream's voice.

* Still in his Pretender Classics body, Starscream is seen dunking [[Wildfly]] and company into colorful vats to create the [[Pretender Monster]]s in their commercial.

* He features alongside Prowl and [[Over-Run (G1)|Over-Run]] in a commercial for [[Action Master]] vehicles; he's shown battling Prowl aboard his [[Turbo Jet]] on Cybertron.

* His jet form is shown in an early ''Generation 2'' commercial, rendered in CGI and flying over a rocky landscape alongside Ramjet.

==Toys==
{{main|Starscream (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Starscreamg1early.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Confusing Nelson Yomtov since 1984.]]
* According to [[Bob Budiansky]], in [[Jim Shooter]] and [[Denny O'Neil|Denny O'Neil's]] original Transformers treatment, Starscream was named "Ulchtar".
* An early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style character profile published in ''[[The Transformers Comics Magazine]]'' gave Starscream the smirk-worthy nickname of "The Silver Snake".
* For the first half of the [[Marvel Comics]], Starscream's chest was colored dark blue, versus the red seen on the toy and in the cartoon. The apparent reason for this discrepancy is hinted at in animated segments in early [[commercial]] footage (see right), where Starscream's chest and forearms are black. Lack of color depth in comic books at the time required black to be represented by dark blue. Starscream's "true" colors began appearing in the Marvel Comics starting with issue 47, "[[Club Con!]]"
* In the French dub of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Starscream (along with [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]) inexplicably became a female. This change, however, was only for the movie, as it used a different dubbing team from the cartoon. Most likely, the movie's French dubbing team mistook Starscream's rather high-pitched voice for a woman's voice.

[[Image:StarscreamMW Genesis.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Bringing a [[Fusion Cannon|cannon]] to a [[canon]]-fight.]]
* The Generation 1 executive script consultant, [[Flint Dille]], has claimed in personal interviews that [[Chris Latta]] frequently had to be bailed out of jail by members of the production staff. This apparently caused so much annoyance that it was a major factor in phasing Starscream out of the series.
* According to the line art of Starscream by Studio OX, each side of his chest has a turbine mounted on it. This concept has influenced his [[Action Master]], [[Masterpiece]], and [[Classics (2006)|Classics]] toys and the [http://tfu.info/2004/Destron/RMStarscream/starscream.htm art of the Robot Master version].<ref>[[Transformers Visualworks]]</ref>
*In ''[[Genesis: The Art of Transformers]]'' is a picture by [[Matt Kuphaldt]] of [[Machine Wars]] Starscream wearing a purple cape and brandishing [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s torn-off arm cannon. To date, this remains the only canonical appearance of Starscream in this body—so far as the canonicity of art books can be placed.

* Starscream made 2 appearances in ''Beast Wars'', the first was when he was seen in [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]'s dream about slaggin' the entire Predacon facton all by himself (Who got eaten by [[Tarantulus (BW)|Tarantulus]], go figure), and the second appearing in his more famous debut, [[Posession]], seen in his robot mode for a split second, but if you got a quick eye, you'll notice 2 things about his head:his face is blue and his actual head is white.

*Right after he gets his crown in [[Transformers The Movie]], his wings are abnormally bigger than his body and are just colored grey, with no reds.

==Footnotes==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Starscream/starscream.htm Starscream at TFU.info]

*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Starscream Starscream's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/1784/Generation+2/Starscream.html Gallery of G2 Starscream with comparison to BW Starscream at Transformers At the Moon]

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Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2009-07-27T12:25:14Z

78.134.67.85: /* Generation 1 cartoon */

Whether it's throwing tantrums, building giant griffins, murdering puppies or licking humans, '''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]''' could never be accused of not keeping busy in the [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]!

==Generation 1 cartoon==
:''Voice actor:'' [[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese), [[José Santacruz]] (Portuguese), [[Carl Béchard]] (French Canadian), [[Gernot Duda]] (Generation 1, German), [[Manfred Erdmann]] (''The Movie'' TV dub and Generation 2 Season One, German), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (''Generation 2'' Season Two, German), [[Achim Barrenstein]] (''The Movie'' DVD dub, German), [[Gino Donato]] (Italian, 1st season and part of 2nd season)

[[Image:Megatronffod.jpg|right|250px|thumb|And then in 1984, Megatron creates the Constructicons. It all comes full circle.]]

Following the exile of the [[Quintesson]]s from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the two races of robots that they had created, the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s, went to war with each other. Although physically weaker, the Autobots claimed victory thanks to their development of a new ability: the art of [[transformation|transforming]]. The Autobots' victory began the [[Golden Age]] of Cybertron, but all was not well within this seeming paradise. After many centuries of Autobot rule, the Decepticons developed transformation as well, along with new robot-mode flight powers, leading to the creation of Megatron. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

Megatron quickly gathered a small group of like-minded warriors together beneath him, and he began his mission to restore the Decepticons to glory and overthrow the Autobots. In these early, shadowy days, Megatron is known to have attacked at least one of [[Iacon]]'s outer cities, {{storylink|War Dawn}} and was responsible for the death of the current [[U-Haul Robot|Autobot leader]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} Using a device called the [[Robo-Smasher]] to reprogram Autobots and Decepticons permanently into servitude of his cause, Megatron swelled the Decepticons' ranks into a true army. Among the robots forced into obedience were the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], whom he refashioned to have the ability to [[combiner|combine]]. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

[[Image:WarDawn Megs Orion.jpg|left|215px|thumb|"So what do you do here?"<br> "I cut steel with my voice!"]]

For whatever reason, the aggressive actions of Megatron and the Decepticons were not made public knowledge, and young robots like the naive [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]] still looked up to Megatron and his followers because of their flight powers. However, Pax soon learned the error of his ways when Megatron approached him about the possibility of using one of the local warehouses for storage, only to turn on Pax once he had gained access to the energy stored within the facility. Megatron fatally injured Orion in a scuffle and left the young robot to die while he set about pillaging and battling the [[guardian robot]]s who arrived to quash his uprising. Unbeknownst to Megatron, thanks to the actions of the time-displaced [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], Orion was rebuilt by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] into a new configuration that could truly stand up to Megatron's power—now, he was [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Prime and Megatron proceeded to face off on the battlefield for the first time, and, as Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] blasts splashed harmlessly off Prime's armor, the new Autobot leader declared himself Megatron's worst nightmare. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

[[Image:Mtmte1 megatron throne.jpg|right|thumb|225px|"What do you mean I'm destined to be an insert?"]]

Under Megatron's leadership, the Decepticons conquered a large portion of Cybertron, but the war drained the planet of most of its energy. Learning that the Autobots were planning a space voyage to search for new worlds and new sources of power, Megatron appointed [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] guardian of Cybertron in his absence while he and his elite forces–including the treacherous [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who considered Megatron a relic and sought leadership of the Decepticons for himself, and Megatron's most loyal subordinate, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]—boarded a [[Nemesis (G1)|space cruiser]] to pursue the Autobots' own [[Ark (G1)|craft]]. After navigating a treacherous meteor shower, the Decepticons attacked and boarded the Autobot craft, but during the battle that ensued, the ship was caught in the g-forces of the nearby planet [[Earth]] and crashed there, knocking all its occupants offline.

[[Image:Mtmte1 megatron pistol mode.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Pull my trigg... nah, too easy. OR lame. Yeah, too lame.]]

Four million years later, in 1984, the eruption of the volcano into which the ship had crashed jarred the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], back online. The computer restored the Decepticon [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] to life, and he immediately dragged Megatron into Teletraan's reconfiguration beam. Within moments, the Decepticon leader was restored, now outfitted with an Earthly [[alternate mode]] in the form of a Walther P.38 pistol, and he quickly set about reviving the rest of his troops. Realizing that they were on a planet far from Cybertron, Megatron immediately made plans to gather energy from Earth's resources and build a new space cruiser so they could return home...and perhaps he would have succeeded in this goal, if the Autobots had not been there to stop him. Unfortunately, Starscream proved petty enough to fire a few parting shots at the buried Autobot spacecraft as the Decepticons were leaving, causing a tremor that jostled Optimus Prime's body into the path of Teletraan I's beam. Thus, Optimus Prime was revived and the rest of the Autobots soon followed, and the war continued on Earth.

[[Image:Mtmte2 shermandam.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Megatron and his energy flail/mace/morning star/thingamajig.]]

For their first strike, Megatron led the Decepticons to an offshore oil rig. The Autobots followed, and Prime and Megatron found themselves in battle once again, but Megatron soon broke off the fight and covered his escape by collapsing the rig with a blast from his cannon. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Next, Megatron chose to attack [[Sherman Dam]], atop which he battled Optimus Prime with his [[energon mace]]. Megatron was on the losing end of that fight until Prime was distracted by the plight of the Autobots' new human ally, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], allowing Megatron to knock him off the dam and make good his escape. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

[[Image:MTMtE Part3 ExtinctiontoallTraitors.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Smoke 'em if you've got 'em.]]

After pillaging another clutch of energy from the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Megatron made preparations to attack a rocket base to acquire the last of the energy needed. Starscream took the opportunity to grouse about his leadership once more, and in a rather foolish move, attempted to shoot Megatron in the back. Responding to Soundwave's shout of warning, Megatron blocked the beam with a force field and returned fire, bringing Starscream to his knees. The following morning, the Decepticons attacked a rocket base, successfully foiling an attempt by the Autobots to dupe them with a holographic illusion, and obtained the required energy. The Autobots launched one final attack on the Decepticons before the villains could escape, during which Megatron faced the firepower of Prime's [[Combat Deck]], but ultimately, the Decepticons made it to their cruiser and blasted off. Once airborne, Starscream challenged Megatron for leadership once again, and Megatron was fully prepared to take on the traitor...until the Autobot stowaway [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] used the fight as a distraction to sabotage the ship and send it crashing back to Earth, where it submerged itself in the ocean. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:Trans to ob megs spacebridge.jpg|right|thumb|225px|No! I'm not meant to fly up swirling! I'm meant to stand in triumph!]]

Although the Autobots believed the Decepticons deceased, in reality, Megatron and his forces had survived, and in the intervening months, they repurposed the hulk of their spaceship as a sub-oceanic [[Decepticon Headquarters|headquarters]]. Megatron re-established contact with Shockwave on Cybertron, arranging for the joint construction of a new intergalactic transport system called a "[[space bridge]]". After revealing his continued existence to the Autobots in an attack on a solar power plant, Megatron captured Spike Witwicky for use in the first test of the space bridge and reprogrammed Spike's Autobot friend [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], causing the little Autobot to lure his comrades into an ambush. Despite his carefully-laid plans, everything backfired for Megatron when the Autobots disrupted the test and he was inadvertently sucked through the space bridge. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

[[Image:Roll4it megatron antimatter.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Maybe if I reduce the weight in my boobs...]]

While a lesser being might have been destroyed by the voyage, Megatron survived and re-materialized on Cybertron. He quickly had Shockwave send him back to Earth, where he led the Decepticons in stealing an [[antimatter]] formula from the scientist [[Doctor Alcazar]] and his student, [[Chip Chase]]. Using the formula, Megatron created antimatter cubes that he used to power himself, transforming his pistol mode into a devastating "antimatter gun". Regrettably, the plan was short-lived: During the ensuing battle, the antimatter reached ignition temperature, and he was forced to dispose of it and flee. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

When Optimus Prime was badly wounded in a battle with the Decepticon jets, a group of Autobots travelled to Cybertron to secure a replacement part to save him, prompting Megatron to order the [[Rainmaker]]s into battle to stop them with [[acid rain]]. Thinking this tactic a success, Megatron launched a major attack on [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]], but the Autobots returned from Cybertron in time to repair Prime, who thrashed Megatron soundly in one-on-one combat. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:Tud1 megatron cybertron.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Hahahaha! See? TRIUMPH! That's much better.]]

Megatron's scheme to drain heat energy from Earth's core was foiled by the Decepticon-turned-Autobot [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}, after which his attack on the [[Great Falls]] hydroelectric power plant was squashed by the powerful, newly created [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} His attempt to use the [[Crystal of Power]] as a weapon met with similar success, {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} so Megatron turned his attentions back to the Dinobots, using his charisma to confuse their simple minds and turn them against the Autobots. While the Dinobots were busy battling Optimus Prime, Megatron and the Decepticons stole an unstable meteorite and began draining its energy, but the meteor soon exploded, denying Megatron another success. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Megatron's next plan was his grandest yet, as he allied himself with the human scientist [[Doctor Arkeville]] for his mind-controlling [[hypno-chip]]s and constructed a colossal space bridge design to teleport Cybertron itself into Earth's orbit. Prime engaged Megatron in battle just before the Decepticon leader could activate the final pylon of the space bridge, but victory in this battle was Megatron's, as he revealed his scheme to Prime, forcing Optimus to activate the pylon himself or cause Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Megatron's forces and mind-controlled human slaves set about gathering the energy generated by the catastrophic forces unleashed by Cybertron's arrival, {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} until eventually, a huge transport full of energy cubes was ready. As Megatron personally flew the ship to Cybertron, but the Autobots opened fire on it, detonating the energon cubes and causing an explosion large enough to force Cybertron out of orbit, saving Earth. Megatron proved his preternatural durability yet again by surviving the blast, {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} and he quickly returned to Earth, only to discover that Starscream and Doctor Arkeville had formed an alliance.

[[Image:CountdownToExtinction.jpg|thumb|225px|left|thumb|Pull my tri... no, crap. We decided not to do that one.]]

To stop Starscream's plan to use an [[Exponential Generator]] to destroy the Earth, Megatron was forced to team up with Optimus Prime, transforming into pistol mode so that Prime could use him to fire the generator into space. When the generator exploded, it knocked the passing Starscream out the sky, and he crashed right at the vengeful Megatron's feet. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

Whatever revenge Megatron reaped upon Starscream, it was enough to put the Air Commander out of commission for the Decepticons' next mission to [[Bali]], where Megatron formed a partnership with a trio of Decepticon "[[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]" that had been living there. When an Autobot attack foiled their attempt to steal energy from an oil tanker, however, Megatron cut his losses and ordered the Decepticons to retreat with what energon cubes they had acquired, earning him the Insecticons' emnity. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:Heavymeatlwar megatron powers.jpg|right|thumb|225px|"I have all the powers of all the Decepticons! Wait... whose is the pink glowing, again?"]]

After the Decepticons were joined on Earth by the Constructicons, Megatron put the builders' skills to use constructing a device that would transfer the other Decepticons' powers into him. With these additional abilities in place, Megatron challenged Optimus Prime to a one-on-one duel according to Cybertronian law, in which the loser would be exiled from Earth forever. The law, however, dictated that combatants had to fight without additional reinforcement, so to hide the nature of his new powers, Megatron dispatched the Constructicons to destroy Teletraan I, so that the computer would be unable to scan him and realise his broach of the rules. Using the powers of his Decepticons, Megatron easily defeated Optimus Prime, but the Constructicons' were foiled in their mission by the Dinobots, and Megatron's deception stood revealed. Faced with a furious Optimus Prime, Megatron was hurled into a river of lava, but as the Autobots departed, his charred form bobbed to the surface, and he vowed the Decepticons would rise again. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:Autobotspike prime vs autobotx.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Secret weapon? Secret glinty weapon!]]

During a raid on an Air Force rocket base in 1985, Megatron covered the Decepticons' retreat by opening fire on Bumblebee and Spike, badly wounding the young human. While his body was being operated upon, Spike's mind was transferred into the Frankenstein-like body of "[[Autobot X]]", and Megatron was able to exploit the youth's resulting addled state and turn him against the Autobots, even allowing Spike to wield him in pistol mode. Unfortunately for Megatron, Spike got a hold of himself and turned Megatron's power on the other Decepticons, winning the day. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}}

[[Image:Atlantisarise megatron lincoln.jpg|right|thumb|225px|"Rumble, bring me a newspaper!"]]

After attempts to drain energy from the Earth's sun with his new [[Solar Needle]] {{storylink|Changing Gears}} and to conquer [[New York City]] and transform it into "[[New Cybertron]]", {{storylink|City of Steel}} Megatron decided to hit the Autobots where they lived, using [[invisibility spray]] to sneak into Autobot Headquarters and plant a [[personality destabilizer]] in Teletraan I's recharging systems. The device turned the Autobots into rampaging brutes, and while they were busy causing destruction, Megatron led the Decepticons in hijacking a solar satellite, only to be foiled at the last second when the Autobots were restored to their right minds. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}}

Wild and wonderful technology formed the basis of Megatron's next few schemes, as he formed another unstable alliance with the Insecticons to appropriate human-made [[electro-cell]]s, {{storylink|Traitor}} attempted to steal Wheeljack's new paralyzing [[Immobilizer]] weapon, {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} and had the Constructicons build the [[Transfixatron]], a device which froze the Autobots in their vehicle modes. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} When these plans met with failure, Megatron teamed up with King [[Nergill]] of the undersea fish-race of [[Sub-Atlantica]] and tried to conquer [[Washington, D.C.]] Megatron felt right at home sitting in a "throne" made from the [[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln Memorial]], but the plan fell apart when the insane Nergill betrayed Megatron. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

[[Image:Megatron and nightbird.jpg|left|thumb|"I got red, I got green, I got yellow... I'm out of purple, but I do have one Gold Circle coin left... the condom of champions... the one and only... nothin' is gettin' through this sucker. Whaddya say, hmm?"]]

Despite the failure of his plan to manipulate the Earth computer [[TORQ III]], {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} Megatron stuck to his guns and tried controlling Earth technology again, stealing the human-made robot ninja [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] and unleashing it upon the Autobots. Megatron was full of praise for Nightbird, describing "her" as "all he had ever wanted", and dubbed her "hot enough" to replace Starscream if he so chose. Threatened by this prospect, Starscream helped the Autobots defeat Nightbird. Needless to say, Megatron was not pleased. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:PrimeProblem Megatron prime splitscreen.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Memo to self: Bumblebee is the yellow one.]]

For his next plan, Megatron got very hands-on, creating a perfect [[Optimus Prime clone|clone]] of Optimus Prime that he controlled personally via a special helmet. Despite Megatron's inability to operate Teletraan I or even get the Autobots' names right, Prime's comrades failed to tell the difference between the clone and the genuine article. It was only when Megatron dismissed the safety of Spike during a battle for control of a crevasse of [[korlonium crystal]]s that his trickery was revealed and the clone was destroyed. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

Megatron's next run of plans went especially badly for the Decepticon leader. Another attempt to harness the power of the Earth's core nearly destroyed the planet, necessitating a team-up with the Autobots to save the world, {{storylink|The Core}} while another failed alliance with the Insecticons also led to a team-up, as Megatron was forced once again to allow Optimus Prime to wield him in pistol mode, so that he could shoot capsules into the over-energized Insecticons in order to bring them under control. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} No alliance resulted from Megatron's attempt to harness the energies of the time-lost [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} but his scheme nearly tore apart the fabric of space and time, until the Dinobots and the island's native dinosaurs stopped him. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

[[Image:Microbots Megatron energy blasts.JPG|left|thumb|225px|"I saw this trick on [[Tonka GoBots#Cartoon|some other TV show]]."]]

Next, Megatron tried stealing Autobot technology, going after [[Grapple]]'s [[Solar Power Tower]] {{storylink|The Master Builders}} and the [[Negavator]], {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} but failure on both accounts led him to try and rediscover a piece of lost technology, rather than steal a new one. Venturing into the jungles of South America, Megatron and the Decepticons uncovered the ruins of the space cruiser that had brought them to Earth, and Megatron had its power core, the [[Heart of Cybertron]], installed within his body. Now bestowed with incredible energy-blasting powers, Megatron would have destroyed the Autobots, had Bumblebee, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] not shrunk themselves to microscopic size and ventured inside his body to disconnect the Heart of Cybertron. {{storylink|Microbots}}

[[Image:Masterplan2 earth germ.jpg|right|thumb|225px|"...and two all beef patties on a sesame seed bun!" "Not that kind of burger!"]]

Seeking to exploit the gullibility of humankind, Megatron entered into a partnership with the human politician [[Shawn Berger]], promising him control of [[Central City (G1)|Central City]] if he would help Megatron "expose" the Autobots for the villains they truly were. Megatron tricked Berger into believing the Autobots had ransacked an oil field by disguising the Decepticons with costumes, and the tape "proving" the Autobots' evil deeds was unveiled to the public. Found guilty in a court of law, the Autobots were exiled from Earth, and Megatron secretly reprogrammed their ship's navigation computer to send them not back to Cybertron, but into the heart of the Sun. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Megatron played nice for a little while, joining in a parade and a television interview, but it was during the latter that he revealed his deception and announced his intention to conquer the planet. Central City immediately fell under his control and was turned into a huge work camp dubbed "Megatronia One", but soon, the Autobots (who had survived their plunge into the Sun thanks to [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s force field) returned to Earth to clear their names and stop Megatron's master plan. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[Image:Dotd1 cybertonium deficiency.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Oh no, I've fallen... Starscream is now leader!]]

The Decepticons' attempt to steal [[Professor Greene]]'s [[ultra-plane]] was foiled by depletion of their [[cybertonium]], which robbed Megatron of his ability to fly and shoot straight. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Megatron was not pleased to hear that Shockwave's attempts to transport some fresh cybertonium from Cybertron were stymied by Spike and his girlfriend [[Carly]]. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Once he was fully functional again, Megatron stole the [[Voltronic Galaxer]] and used it to disrupt communications signals all across Earth from a base on the Moon. Holding the world to ransom for energy in exchange for clear lines of communication, Megatron was ultimately defeated in a battle with Optimus Prime on the Moon's surface. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

[[Image:Megatron and kremzeek.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Megatron next led the Decepticons in a mission to [[United Kingdom|Britain]], {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}} after which he briefly gained the power of an [[electrum]] coating {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} and then turned his attention back to New York City, allying with the criminal [[Geddis brothers]] in order to make drone warriors out of the cars their crime ring stole. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} Later, an attempt to create a new space bridge in a baseball stadium went awry when Megatron accidentally blasted the bridge's controls, creating a disruption that transported several Autobots and Decepticons to a planet of alien giants. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Megatron was lucky enough to escape this fate, and once his followers had returned, he unleashed a series of schemes against the Autobots that saw them pitted against alien creatures like the [[Morphobot]]s {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} and a [[asteroid bird alien|creature from the heart of an asteroid]]. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

While conducting an experiment of his own, Megatron inadvertently wound up creating the demented energy imp known as [[Kremzeek]]. Megatron released Kremzeek into the Autobot base so that he could cause havoc, keeping the Autobots occupied while he tested the Decepticons' new [[energy magnet]] off the coast of [[Japan]]. However, Megatron had not anticipated that Kremzeek would follow him to Japan and wind up destroying their operation there. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[Image:Tripletakeover_megatron_frozen.jpg|left|thumb|225px|So... cold... need... blanket...]]

After a mission to the planet of the [[Tlalakan]]s at the behest of the neurotic Decepticon computer [[Deceptitran]], {{storylink|Sea Change}} Megatron fell victim to betrayal by Starscream, [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], and was frozen solid in a subterranean chamber by absolute zero degree molecules. As luck would have it, the chaos caused by the trio's attempts to take control of the Decepticons caused a flash flood that destroyed the chamber and freed Megatron, and he took on all comers to retake his leadership position. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}}

[[Image:G1toon starscream thrashed.jpg|right|thumb]]

Megatron then took a step back from the front lines for a while, delegating Astrotrain and Blitzwing to make contact with the big game hunter [[Lord Chumley]], {{storylink|Prime Target}}, placing Starscream in charge of missions to hypnotise humans with the [[Dancitron]] nightclub {{storylink|Auto-Bop}} and to capture [[Elita One]] on Cybertron, {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}, and appointing [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] to capture [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]]. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}} Megatron got proactive again when a movie studio captured footage of Dirge crash-landing in their back lot while carrying a secret cargo. Starscream's failure to recover the negatives of the footage enraged Megatron to such an extent that he slammed the Air Commander off a wall and tore wires out of his chest, knocking him offline. Megatron was tricked into believing the negative had been destroyed by [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], but as it turned out, the "secret cargo" was totally worthless anyway! {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

[[Image:Megatron and vector sigma.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

Seeking to challenge the Autobots' rule of the road, Megatron created the [[Stunticon]]s and brought them to Cybertron so that [[Vector Sigma]] could bring them to life. Stealing the mega-computer's key from [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Megatron succeeded in his goal, {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} and upon returning to Earth with the key, discovered that it possessed the additional power to de-energize matter and turn it into metal. Cutting a swathe through the [[Seattle]]-Tacoma area with the key, Megatron sought to transform Earth into a new Cybertron, but he was stopped by the Autobots' newest members, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

Megatron soon sought to dispose of the Aerialbots by sending them back to the dawn of time using the [[Kronosphere]] time machine, but an Autobot attack disrupted the process, and the Aerialbots wound up on Cybertron nine million years in the past. There, they saved Orion Pax from dying at Megatron's hands, making Megatron–who was the reason for the Aerialbots being sent back in time–unwittingly responsible for the creation of his greatest enemy. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

[[Image:Rusted megatron.jpg|right|thumb|225px|"Oh, I ''hope'' this is chocolate..."]]

Coercing the aid of [[Abdul Ben Faisal]] and [[Professor Teranova]], Megatron located the weather-controlling [[Pearl of Bahoudin]] and arranged the [[Europa 2000]] so that he could obtain the experimental metal of [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s car and use it to contain the pearl's power. An Autobot attack caused Megatron to lose control of the pearl, and he fled the massive storm that resulted. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

While investigating the planet [[Antilla]], Megatron discovered a new "[[Lightning Bug]]" weapon, but also fell victim to the deadly disease [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. Autobot scientist Perceptor was captured and brought to Decepticon Headquarters to diagnose him, and he offered a cure in the form of his newest invention, [[Corrostop]]. With the Decepticons protected by Corrostop, Megatron unleashed Cosmic Rust upon the Autobots, exacerbating its effects with the Lightning Bug. Events culminated at the [[Statue of Liberty]], where the stricken Autobots found the strength to overcome the Decepticons and destroy Megatron's new weapon. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:Starscreamsbrigade megatron grabbed.jpg|left|thumb|225px|"Hey, free Action Master!"]]

After another failed coup by Starscream, Megatron reached the end of his rope and dismissed the traitor from the Decepticon ranks. When news then came in from Shockwave that the [[personality component]]s of the political dissidents known as the "[[Renegade Decepticon]]s" had been freed from imprisonment on Cybertron, Megatron suspected the Autobots were responsible, but he soon learned that Starscream had done the deed and used the components to create an army of his own, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. Megatron could not stand up to the power of the Combaticons' combined form of [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], and he was forced to hand power over to Starscream...just before [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] blindsided Bruticus and saved Megatron at the last minute. Megatron exiled Starscream and the Combaticons to an asteroid in space, {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} but this merely made things worse, as the Combaticons towed the asteroid to Cybertro and took over the planet. While supervising an Insecticon rampage on Earth, Megatron received a communication from Starscream informing him that the Combaticons had rewired the space bridge and were using it to hurl the Earth into the Sun. Once again, Megatron and Optimus Prime were forced to join forces to stop the Combaticons, but first, both leaders had to donate some of their own parts to repair the damaged space bridge control panel. After a pitched battle on Cybertron, Bruticus was defeated, and Optimus Prime believed he witnessed Megatron destroying the giant warrior with a blast from his fusion cannon. In truth, the whole scene had been a holographic illusion masterminded by Starscream, who gave Megatron the defeated Bruticus's body. Planning to reprogram the Combaticons to be loyal to him, Megatron welcomed Starscream back into the Decepticon ranks as reward for his efforts. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[Image:Roop1 megatron flask.jpg|right|thumb]]

Megatron's final recorded schemes in the twentieth century were some of his most outlandish yet, as he used armies of drone planes and a fortress in the shape of a [[Giant Purple Griffin]] to pillage the oil fields of the Middle East, {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} created a giant laser out of a ruby, {{storylink|Masquerade}} and planned to blast the [[moon (moon)|Moon]] out of orbit so he could control the tides of the Earth and...flood one single canyon. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

Over the course of the next twenty years, Megatron turned his attention away from Earth and succeeded in conquering the entirety of Cybertron. The Autobots were forced off the planet and founded [[Autobot City]] on Earth, in addition to two staging bases on Cybertron's moons. At some point during this period of time, Megatron was known to have battled Optimus Prime in a laboratory on Earth, during which he hurled a flask of chemicals which exploded, scarring scientist [[Gregory Swofford]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

[[Image:TFTM Ironhide dies.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Ironhide should be thankful. He doesn't have to listen to the soundtrack any more after this.]]

In the year 2005, Megatron learned of the Autobots' plan to stage a major strike against him, and he responded by hijacking an Autobot shuttle on its way to Earth. After wiping out the occupants of the shuttle, Megatron announced his intention to wipe out the city and cripple the Autobot war effort, then looked down to see the wounded Ironhide crawling towards him. Deeming the action "heroic nonsense", Megatron delivered a point-blank fusion cannon blast to Ironhide's head, killing him.

When the shuttle began its approach to Autobot City, the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] was able to spot the Decepticons aboard from his vantage point on [[Lookout Mountain]] and opened fire, exposing the villains before they were actually able to penetrate Autobot City. Megatron was undeterred, and he initiated a massive siege of the armored fortress. After a night of combat, Devastator successfully breached the city walls, allowing Megatron to enter. Before Megatron could get too deeply into the city, however, Optimus Prime arrived and faced him in a final battle. Megatron fought fiercely, and although deprived of his fusion cannon, he tore into Prime with a laser sword and even hunks of rubble, threatening to rip out the Autobot leader's optics.

[[Image:Tftm_prime_megs_finalblow.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Ultimately, Optimus Prime prevailed, bringing Megatron to his knees and standing over him, ion blaster in hand, poised to deliver the killing blow. Spotting a discarded pistol lying nearby, Megatron stalled for time by begging for mercy, crawling ever closer to the weapon, until Hot Rod spotted what he was doing and jumped him. Hot Rod proved a much less formidable opponent for Megatron, even in his weakened state, and he seized the youth, using him as a shield while he grabbed the gun and opened fire on Prime. Prime was felled by the shots, and Megatron tossed Hot Rod aside, striding up to the fallen Prime and preparing to end their war once and for all. With his last ounce of strength, however, Prime caught Megatron off-guard with a double axe-handle blow and sent the Decepticon leader toppling over the edge of the overhang on which they were standing. Crippled by the fall, Megatron was carried to the safety of Astrotrain by Soundwave as the tide of battle turned and the Decepticons retreated. Although Megatron was defeated, he had not failed; the wounds Optimus Prime had suffered were mortal, and he died soon after.

[[Image:Megatron recreated.jpg|left|thumb|250px|What do you mean, my parts are showing?]]

On the journey back to Cybertron, it became necessary for the Decepticons to jettison excess mass in order to return home safely. The wounded Decepticons were voted out and set adrift in space, with Starscream taking great delight in personally jettisoning Megatron, despite Megatron's protestations that he still functioned. Before long, however, Megatron's drifting body was found by the planet-eating [[Unicron]], who offered to rebuild the Decepticon's body if he would destroy the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] for Unicron. Megatron professed that the Matrix had died with Optimus Prime, but Unicron revealed that it had been passed to the Autobots' new leader, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. Testing the waters, Megatron inquired what he would receive for doing Unicron's will, and despite his dubious bargaining posture, Unicron offered to recreate his wounded body and give him new troops. Megatron demanded more but was denied, as Unicron declared that Megatron now belonged to him. This was the final straw for Megatron, who refused to be anyone's servant, so Unicron simply began to consume him. In the throes of agony, Megatron accepted the chaos-bringer's offer and was recreated as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Later, while escaping [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the [[Sweep]]s, [[Octane]] fled into the [[Decepticon Crypt]], passing by a statue memorializing Megatron. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the American cartoon series occur in Japanese continuity as covered above. This timeline, however, inserts a large number of additional storylines, told through various different media, into the timeline, as detailed below.}}

===E-Hobby comics===
[[Image:Black megatron.jpg‎|right|thumb|]]
Early in his career as a ruthless tyrant on Cybertron, Megatron led Soundwave and a horde of [[Silver Soldier]]s in a raid on Autobot energon warehouses. Suddenly, his troops began to report sighting a giant Autobot shortly before having their transmissions cut off. Megatron then came face to face with the culprit: a Guardian Robot. {{storylink|64 Cybertron Urban Defense Robot GADEP}}

Millions of years later, during the battles between the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth, Megatron ordered an attack on Autobot Headquarters. He attacked the unarmed Optimus Prime, only to be immediately punched straight through a wall. This blow unhinged his gyrocompass stabilizers, which were keeping in check the [[quantum surge]] energy he had been exposed to during his four-million-year slumber, when the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] had been raging on prehistoric Earth. Now unleashed, the quantum energy changed Megatron's body into a powerful black metallic [[Transmetal]] form. Megatron believed the change to be divine intervention and decided to use it to his advantage in conquering the Autobots. {{storylink|Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.}}
{{-}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic===
[[Image:Megatron super robot life.jpg‎|left|240px|thumb]]
In the late 1980s, Megatron turned his attention away from North America and chose to focus on stealing the energy of [[Japan]]. Starscream was not particularly happy with the fact that Megatron chose to command the Decepticons' first attack on the country from the safety of Decepticon Headquarters while he and the jets did all the hard work. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

After leading yet another an attack on Autobot Headquarters, {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}} Megatron began the construction of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], which he would use to conquer Japan, as the first step to transforming the entire Earth into a robotic base from which the Decepticons would dominate the universe. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

Next, Megatron transformed himself into the gigantic "Super Megatron Gun" (a non-shrunken version of his pistol mode, operated by Starscream riding atop Blitzwing!) and began rampaging through Japan. Unable to stand up to the power of Optimus Prime's new "[[Scramble Power Buster]]" cannon, Megatron had his two comrades transform to jet mode, only for [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] to lead them a merry chase and cause them to crash right back into Megatron himself. Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] then finished off the three Decepticons with a "Prime-Magnus Double Cross Kick". {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}

With Trypticon successfully completed, Megatron led the Decepticons in taking over a small, unpopulated island to use as a staging base for the saurian city. The Autobots deceived Trypticon with a giant hologram of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (the robot mode of their own currently in-production battle fortress, "Scramble City") and Megatron and the Decepticons retreated. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

After expressing his discontent with the automobile Decepticons in his ranks, {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7}} Megatron began experimenting on a [[Murdered puppy|dog]], infusing it with the power of "[[Decepticon super science]]" so that it could be used to power the Decepticon war machine. When the dog escaped, Megatron dispatched the Combaticons to hunt it down, but they met with failure when the dog sacrificed itself to transfer the power in its body to the [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]] so that they could beat back the Combaticons. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
{{-}}

===''Scramble City'' cartoon===
[[Image:Scramble_city_megs_closeup.jpg|right|thumb|He's ready for his close-up!<br><small>(Seriously, this makes up, like, 75% of all the Megatron footage in this episode.)</small>]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)

To hide the continuing construction of their Scramble City from prying Decepticon optics, the Autobots moved the project to a concealed cavern. When the Decepticons detected magnetic fluctuations emanating from the caves, Megatron dispatched [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s cassettes to investigate, and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] discovered the facility. Hoping to destroy the fortress before it was completed, Megatron sent Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker and the Constructicons to attack the facility, but they were forced back by the Autobots. Incensed at their failure, Megatron ordered the Stunticons into action, then the Combaticons, leading to an all-out combiner brawl. Ultimately, Megatron's plan met with failure, as the Autobot combiners were able to hold off the Decepticons long enough for Scramble City to be completed and transformed into Metroplex. Metroplex dispatched the Decepticons, but Megatron then revealed his trump card: The ocean split, and from its depths rose Trypticon! {{storylink|Scramble City}}

{{note|This storyline was never concluded, as a second installment of "Scramble City" was never produced.}}
{{-}}
===Full Throttle Scramble Power!===
[[Image:MegatronMangaEnergonMace1.jpg|left|thumb]]

From a new Decepticon headquarters in [[Death Valley]], Megatron unleashed his newest weapon, the [[Omega Whip]], upon the world, blasting cities all over the globe. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], along with the Autobots' human allies, [[Toru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]], ventured into Death Valley to investigate, but were captured and forced to watch as Megatron ordered the Stunticons to begin pillaging energy amid the chaos the Omega Whip was causing. Jenny was able to use a [[fusion plate]] to get control of Starscream's motor functions, and she used him to destroy the Omega Whip controls, prompting Megatron to order a withdrawal. Before they could escape, however, the Decepticons were met with the full force of the Autobots, and Megatron unleashed his [[energon mace]] upon Optimus Prime once more. The tide of battle turned when Metroplex arrived and Superion defeated Menasor, forcing Megatron to call retreat. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

===''The Stargate Battles''===

[[Image:Stargatebattles megatron makoto.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

In the 1990s, the formal alliance between the Autobots and the American government led to a joint project to create the "[[Warp Gate|Trigger]]", an interstellar transportation system that almost immediately became a target for Megatron, who knew they could use it to ferry huge quantities of energon back to Cybertron. Exploiting other countries' dissatisfaction with the Autobots' decision to ally solely with America, Megatron forged a clandestine pact with another Western power, which installed one of its people, [[Trov]], as part of the small crew that manned the Trigger space station. Trov granted the Decepticons access to the station, but was promptly killed by a blast from Megatron's fusion cannon, as the Decepticon leader naturally had no intentions of sharing power. Unfortunately for the Decepticons, the one surviving member of the crew, [[Makoto (Stargate Battles)|Makoto]], was able to activate the Trigger and send the Decepticons hurtling towards its portal. At the last moment, Megatron was able to blast the portal and deactivate it, and he was about to kill Makoto in rage when the Autobots arrived to rout the Decepticons. {{storylink|First Contact}}

[[Image:Stargatebattles prime vs megs.jpg|250px|left|thumb]]

Megatron was content to wait the six months the humans would take to rebuild the Trigger so that they could make another attempt to take control of it, and he mocked Starscream's impetuous desire to destroy it outright, accusing his subordinate of being unable to grasp the concept of long-term development. {{storylink|Divided Views}} Seeking to prove his competence, Starscream took a leaf out of Megatron's book and arranged an alliance with the prime minister of Japan: The country would provide them with energy in return for a promise of non-aggression. Despite the huge amount of energon cubes that Starscream's plan brought in, Megatron was not impressed, and his reservations toward Starscream's plan only proved correct when the Autobots deduced what was going on and showed up to stop them. Optimus Prime tackled Megatron into the ocean, and they battled on the sea bed with their axe and mace, until Megatron had [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] trigger an earthquake that caused widespread devastation. Megatron revealed the prime minister's role and declared that this was a lesson for Prime not to trust humans, before sending his old foe tumbling into a chasm opened by the quake. {{storylink|Activation}}

[[Image:Stargatebattles giant megatron.jpg‎|right|thumb|250px]]

Discovering that Starscream had absconded with the energon cubes while he had been battling Prime, Megatron led the Decepticons back to the Trigger, where Starscream had returned. In actuality, Starscream's hand was being guided by the time-displaced ghost of his future self, and using the energon, both present and future Starscream merged with the Trigger to become a monstrous, misshapen robot. The Autobots arrived to protect the Trigger's crew, and a huge space-battle ensued, during which Optimus Prime returned from his apparent demise. To stop Starscream, Megatron was forced to transform into pistol mode and allow Optimus Prime to wield him. Prime channelled the power of the Matrix through Megatron's firing systems, shocking the Decepticon leader with its sheer power, before unleashing the blast that destroyed the Trigger. The Transformers, however, were all caught in the backwash of the explosion and send plummeting back to Earth in uncontrolled re-entry.

Neither Megatron nor any of the other Transformers were seen for several months, but somewhere, in a desert on Earth, Megatron and Prime survived and continued their battle... {{storylink|The Stargate Battles (issue)|The Stargate Battles}}

===Binaltech===
After the Autobots' Earth-based forces were decimated by a [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] plague unleashed by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] in 2003, Megatron made his big push to take over Cybertron fully in 2004. The vast majority of the Autobots were occupied battling Megatron's forces on Cybertron, leading to the creation of new "Binaltech" bodies for the injured Autobots on Earth to protect the planet.

In the midst of this Binaltech affair, the time-tossed Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] attempted to alter history by using the [[Kronosphere]] time-machine. In the middle of a decisive battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, Ravage used the Kronosphere to transport Megatron and the Decepticons through time, altering history so that the Autobots were left to face the looming threat of [[Unicron]] alone. This disruption of the natural order of time proved almost catastrophic, but reality was saved by the appearance of a mysterious entity known only as the "[[Optimus Primal|Protector]]", which restored the timeline as it should have been, but also preserved the altered "Binal-Time" timeline as an alternate universe.

In this alternate universe, Unicron was ultimately defeated, but the weakened Autobot forces were then overwhelmed by the fighting-fit Megatron and the Decepticons when they reappeared in 2006, and Cybertron was conquered by them once again. Megatron then turned his attention to the Sol system and launched an attack on the [[Earth Defense Command]] base on [[Mars]]. There, he was faced by [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]], a clone of Optimus Prime created by Doctor Arkeville, who desired to conquer Earth for himself and refused to allow Megatron to go any further. Outraged at the sight of an Earth machine wearing a Decepticon insignia, Megatron attacked.

At the same time, however, the Autobot spy Mirage had been dispatched to Cybertron, where he was instructed to locate and throw a [[large switch]] on which the Autobots had received information. This switch effectively froze every non-Binaltech Transformer throughout the entire universe, including Megatron, still in mid-battle. Nemesis Prime took control, ordering a full retreat while using drones to gather up as many of the frozen Decepticons as possible.

====Alternity====

[[Image:Alternity megatron auto avatars.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

Nemesis Prime was eventually destroyed by Optimus Prime, but when at last Megatron reawakened, he was horrified to discover that the Binaltech Autobots had attained a new stage of evolution, becoming the cross-dimensional hyper-race known as the [[Alternity (species)|Alternity]]. With his Decepticons now mere cavemen in comparison to these super-evolved Autobots, Megatron embarked on a journey across space and time, allying himself with the Megatrons of numerous other worlds in the multiverse and conducting exhausting research and training in order to perfect a scheme that would grant him power on the level of the Alternity.

[[Image:Alternity nemesis vs megatron.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

In 2009, Megatron lured the Alternity's natural enemy, the transdimensional time-eating god-beast known as [[Hytherion]], into the parallel world of [[universal stream|Primax 109.0 Beta]]. Watching as the Optimus Primes of the Alternity engaged the creature in battle, Megatron activated his new [[chaotizer]] device, successfully fusing himself with Hytherion and transforming himself into a hyper-dimensional entity of power on the level of the Alternity itself. Disappearing into a higher realm, Megatron revealed he had created [[auto-avatar]]s of his own to interact with the physical world the same way the Alternity had. As he engaged in battle with Optimus Prime through these avatars, he vowed to conquer the entire multiverse. {{storylink|To Mega Therion}}

Later, Megatron battled another member of the Alternity, [[Nemesis Prime (Universe 2003)|another version of Nemesis Prime]] from elsewhere in the multiverse, on a flame-scorched battlefield. Although still new to higher-dimensional battle, Megatron's attacks were powerful and deadly, as he managed to tear a gash in the moon overhead with his Tesseractal Sword. He mocked Nemesis Prime's turn to the side of good, thinking it had cost him his edge in battle, as the Alternity warrior had been continually missing him with the shots he fired. Unfortunately for Megatron, he soon discovered how wrong he was: Nemsis Prime had actually exploited his unfamiliarity with this new form of combat, and trapped him in a closed time loop, where he was repeatedly struck a single laser blast over and over again, until his Auto-avatar was reduced to scrap. {{storylink|Arch-Nemesis!}}
{{--}}

===''Robot Masters''===

[[Image:Rmrebirthmegatron.JPG|right|160px|thumb|HAH! I fooled you for all of five seconds!]]

In the year 2004, Megatron disappeared through unknown circumstances. His absence left the Decepticons leaderless, but before Starscream could seize power, the time-displaced [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] "[[Megatron (BW)|Beast Megatron]]" appeared in the present day and took his place as Decepticon leader in the battle for the mysterious element [[solitarium]].

Precisely what happened to Megatron was never explained, but he was later able to effect his return by using his inter-dimensional black hole uplink powers to possess the body of [[Reverse Convoy]] from the planet [[Vehicon (planet)|Vehicon]]. Eventually, the Autobots were able to defeat the Decepticons, and all the time-displaced members of the conflict were returned to their proper place in history.

{{note| ''Robot Masters'' is explicitly placed in the Japanese cartoon continuity by [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Takara's 2007 Transformers timeline]]. However, none of the individual pieces of ''Robot Masters'' fiction tells the story of the line in its entirety, and each of them relate certain events in notably different ways. Precisely ''which'' of the them—covered individually below—should be considered the [[canon]] one for the cartoon timeline is unknown.}}
{{-}}
====Cartoon====
[[Image:Reverse convoy cartoon copy.jpg|left|thumb|Yes, that is Megatron. There's nothing wrong with this image.]]

:''Voice actor:'' [[Jirō Saitō]] (Japanese)

Megatron returned to Earth in Reverse Convoy's body in the midst of a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons in a human city. Introducing himself to Optimus Primal as Reverse Convoy, he helped the [[Maximal]] leader defeat Starscream, and then (for reasons best known to himself) decided to abandon his deception completely, shooting down [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] and [[Victory Leo]] and revealing that he was truly "Rebirth Megatron". To stop the threat of two Megatrons, Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal unleashed their "Double Prime Tornado" technique, only for Rebirth Megatron and Beast Megatron to counter with a tornado of their own. The power struggle was broken by the Autobots' newest addition, [[Lio Convoy]], whose "Lio Typhoon Arrow" move tipped the scales and defeated the Megatrons. {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}
{{-}}

====Online comic====

[[Image:Reverse convoy manga.jpg‎|right|thumb|275px]]

In the guise of Reverse Convoy, Megatron appeared outside Autobot City and collapsed, correctly gambling that the Autobots would bring him within the city to recuperate. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} Megatron used their trust to capture Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal and Mirage, and held them captive at a dam. When Star Saber came to their rescue, he was shocked to be shot out of the sky by Reverse Convoy, who promptly shed his disguise and revealed himself to be "Rebirth Megatron". As Megatron pressed his cannon barrel against Prime's head, Lio Convoy came leaping onto the scene at the last moment. Realizing he was outnumbered, Megatron opted to blast the dam, leaving the Autobots struggling to hold it together while he made good his escape. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn}}

Rebirth Megatron later teamed up with Beast Megatron, and together with Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker, they engaged Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal, Lio Convoy and Victory Saber in a mighty battle. The two Megatrons charged Optimus Prime, but he used his energon axe to fend them both off. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|And Then}}

===''Kiss Players''===

[[Image:Legion_head_closeup.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Too much even for Gene Simmons.]]

When Galvatron was thrown from Unicron by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] in 2005, his body collided with the Earth, dispersing his Unicron-empowered cells into the atmosphere. When the cells fused with other beings, they created monstrous creatures known as "[[Legion]]", many of whom wore Megatron's face, with one particular long, sticky, throbbing modification. {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 1|Kiss Players #1}}

After she helped to stop the Legions by restoring Galvatron and shooting him off into space, [[Marissa Faireborn]] later travelled back in time to 1984, where she witnessed Megatron's famous battle atop Sherman Dam with Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #39}}
{{-}}

===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===

[[Image:Megatron military.jpg‎|right|215px|thumb]]

{{note|This comic takes place concurrently with the third season of the animated series, by which time Megatron had been transformed into Galvatron. However, while that series took place in 2006 in American continuity, in Japan, its events were moved forward to 2010.}}

At some point in 2010, Galvatron attempted to destroy the Autobots with a legion of Megatron clones dubbed the "[[Megatron Military]]". Each clone was equipped with its own unique fusion cannon, and they were capable of combining the blasts into an intense attack. As a unified force, the Megatron Military crushed [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]. Their victory was assured until Rodimus managed to deduce that the Megatron Military was being controlled by Galvatron, who was, as it turned out, actually disguised as one of the Megatron clones himself. Once Rodimus defeated Galvatron, all the Megatron clones lost power and were easily vanquished. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}}
{{-}}

===''The Battlestars'' story pages and comic===
{{note|With his transformation into Galvatron, Megatron departed from the animated continuity until this storyline, five years later.}}

[[Image:Battlestars_super_megatron_born.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

During his time as Galvatron, Megatron had been seemingly vanquished forever when he was crushed beneath an iceberg. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} Over fifteen years later, an evil force named [[Dark Nova]], hoping to eliminate the threat of the recently resurrected Optimus Prime as Star Convoy, beamed a blast of crazy energy down to Galvatron's icy tomb. Galvatron was instantly revived and reborn as '''[[:Image:SuperAndUltraMegatron.jpg|Super Megatron]]'''. Super Megatron erupted from the ice, horrifying Eskimos and polar bears everywhere. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 6}}

[[Image:Super megatron manga.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Taking command of a unit of [[Galaman]] drone warriors, Super Megatron attacked an oil rig, converting the oil into [[Energon cube]]s and taking the [[human]]s hostage. Realizing that human bio-energy is powerful and plentiful, he planned to ''eat'' the oil rig workers as snacks at his victory party. As he licked one up and down with his mighty tongue, he was suddenly attacked by [[Sixliner]]. Unimpressed, Super Megatron shrugged off Sixliner with a single blow, informing the runt he was a million years too young to challenge him. A worthy foe soon appeared in the form of Star Convoy, and the two eternal enemies threw down once more. Super Megatron transformed to his "gunjet" mode and proved a powerful enemy, but was tricked by Star Convoy into crashing into the side of an oil tank. Star Convoy then used his "Galaxy Bomber" attack to detonate the oil, sending the injured Super Megatron fleeing into space, swearing vengeance. {{storylink|The Battlestars|The Battlestars special}}

[[Image:Battlestars_ultra_megatron_fight.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

Super Megatron then returned with his upgraded forces, the [[Galaman|Great Galaman]] warriors, and took on the [[Battlestars]] in a space battle. He was swiftly defeated when they combined into their [[Triple Combination Battlestar Attack]] and shot him to pieces. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 7}}

Dark Nova then upgraded him into '''[[:Image:SuperAndUltraMegatron.jpg|Ultra Megatron]]''' and at last joined him in battle against the Battlestars. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 8}} When Megatron was again defeated, Dark Nova merged with his remains for the final confrontation, creating the massive [[Dark Nova|Star Giant]]. Ultra Megatron was mostly disassembled in the process, what was left of him being stored in Star Giant's head. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 9}}

Star Giant proved virtually invincible from the outside, so Star Convoy, [[Grandus (ROC)|Grandus]] and [[Sky Garry (G1)|Sky Garry]] traveled inside his body and began tearing up the joint. As soon as they'd inflicted enough damage, the trio escaped just as Star Giant detonated, leaving only his head somewhat intact...fortunately for Ultra Megatron. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 10}}
{{-}}

===''G-2'' story pages and mini-comics===

[[Image:BlasterG2.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Secretly working for Saruman]]

Recovering from the Star Giant incident, Megatron's formerly damaged sanity circuits were repaired, and he abandoned his evil ways. He then upgraded into a new [[Action Master]] body and joined with Optimus Prime to form the [[Cybertron Alliance]], ushering in the Second Generation of the Transformers. However, after human soldiers mistook and murdered one of his messengers and dearest comrades, he adopted a new tank body and began the war anew. This time, however, Megatron did not wish to conquer the universe for truly evil purposes, but under the belief that true peace could only be attained through tyranny and an iron fist. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|Autobots vs. Decepticons: Combat Secrets}}

During an early battle, Megatron threatened to destroy [[Volt]] and [[Electro]]. He was stopped by Optimus Prime in his new missile trailer body. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #1}} Megatron refused to retreat and was hit by an onslaught of attacks by the Autobots. Megatron emerged unscathed from the smoke and snatched up Electro by the head. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #2}} Volt then took Megatron from behind, stabbing him in the back with his Needle Saber, causing him to drop Electro. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #4}}

[[Image:JapG2Meg.jpg|left|250px|thumb|He hasn't lost his knack for monologuing in his old age.]]

Later, Megatron ordered [[Jolt (G2)|Jolt]] to follow Electro and Volt to locate Optimus Prime and the Autobots' field base. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #5}} Prime was eventually located by [[Skyjack]], who slipped past the Autobot radar and reported Prime's location to Megatron. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #7}}

Engaging Prime in battle, Megatron fell on the losing end as he ran low on power. Prime offered him one final chance to surrender, only to be interrupted by [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]] and his missile attack. The attack destroyed Prime's back-mounted weaponry unit, shifting the balance of the battle in Megatron's favor. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #9}} Megatron then ordered an airstrike from [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] and [[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]], who bombed Prime mercilessly, but stopped just short of killing him, as they wanted to save the honor for Megatron. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #10}} With scarcely a look of satisfaction, Megatron gunned down his adversary. As Prime died, he offered him one final prayer. However, Megatron's prayer was cut short, as the [[Reconfiguration Matrix]] within Prime's chest revived him in a new body as "Battle Convoy". Alive and more powerful than before, the two foes battled it out once again. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #13}} {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|Optimus Prime of the Autobots has Fallen!}} {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|Birth of the New Supreme Commander Battle Convoy!}}

[[Image:G2 manga megatron defeats prime.jpg‎|right|thumb|350px|For God's sake, we've got guests over.]]

Later, Megatron and the [[Cyberjet]]s had defeated a troop of Autobots, leaving only [[Volt]] standing. Megatron offered Volt a chance to surrender, but he refused. Luckily for Volt, [[Strafe (G2)|Strafe]] arrived on the scene just in time to belt Megatron in the jaw. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #15}} Megatron eventually captured Electro and took him back to Decepticon Headquarters. He attempted to persuade Electro to join him, but Electro politely declined the invitation, as his rescue had just arrived. Just then, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] burst out from the hall and to his friend's side. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #16}}

Megatron at last coordinated an all-out attack on the Autobots, eventually culminating in he and Prime agreeing to a one-on-one showdown following the "Law of Cybertron": complete banishment to the defeated and his followers. After a long and painful battle, Prime narrowly managed to defeat Megatron. Following the terms of the "Law of Cybertron", Megatron and the Decepticons fled back into deep space, ending the war. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|The Autobots Triumph in the Battle of Good Vs. Evil!}}

===''Beast Wars II'' cartoon===
Hundreds of thousands of years into the future, on the planet [[Gaea]], the Predacon [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] attempted to use a time-and-space-warping gate to summon a "Megatron" to his aid. It is unclear whether he was searching for the original Megatron or the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] who went by the [[Megatron (BW)|same name]], but regardless, Galvatron's brother [[Megastorm|Gigastorm]] screwed up the calculations and instead summoned the titanic [[Majin Zarak]], whom Galvatron proudly declared to be far superior to Megatron. Dissed! {{storylink|Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternity]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy characters]]
[[Category:Robot Masters characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]

Bumblebee (G1)

2009-07-27T12:20:47Z

78.134.67.85: /* Generation 1 cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{picsneeded|Fictional appearances.}}
{{disambig3|Bumblebee}}
{{disambigr|Goldbug (G1)|other uses of Goldbug|Goldbug (disambiguation)}}
:''Bumblebee is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. He was known as '''Goldbug''' for a time in some continuities.''
[[Image:BumblebeeRIC.jpg|right|275px|thumb|Ahoy oy!]]
'''Bumblebee''' is one of the smallest and physically weakest Autobots. While his stature allows him to do his job better than most Autobots could manage, he is self-conscious about his size. Maybe this is why he makes fast friends among the humans. He looks up (so to speak) to the other Autobots, especially [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], but what he doesn't realize is that ''they'' look up to ''him''. He may be small, but he's brave, and he's one of the most well-liked Autobots around. Bumblebee already has the respect he craves.

As '''Goldbug'''—his [[Renaming|rebuilt]] and "matured" form—Bumblebee retains most of his earlier strengths and weaknesses, but without his crippling need for approval. (This is true of some "matured" versions of Bumblebee without new names or bodies, as well, but is quite markedly associated with the change to Goldbug).

{{quote|Some of my best friends are humans.|Bumblebee, on his kid-friendly nature|"[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]"}}

:''Nicknames:'' '''Bee''', '''Beeper'''<ref>According to [[Jim Sorenson]], Bumblebee had these listed as his nicknames in [[Bob Budiansky]]'s personal Transformers comic bible. Nicknames for other characters could be found in in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comics Magazine]].</ref>
:''Japanese name:'' '''Bumble''' (バンブル ''Banburu'')
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Bourdon/Coccinelle''' (Bumblebee/Ladybug or Beetle <ref>The Volkswagen Beetle was called "Coccinelle" in French areas, which is the french word for ladybug.</ref>)
:''Czech name:'' '''Čmelák'''
:''Hungarian name (Bumblebee):'' '''Űrdongó''' ("Space-bumblebee")
:''Hungarian name (Bumblebee, Movie):'' '''Dongó''' ("Bumblebee")
:''Hungarian name (Goldbug):'' '''Aranybogár''' ("Goldbug")
:''Italian name (Bumblebee):'' '''Maggiolino'''
:''Italian name (Goldbug):'' '''Wagenbot'''
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Dà Huáng-fēng''' (大黃蜂, "Bumblebee")
:''Cantonese name:'' '''Daai Wong Fung''' (大黃蜂, "Bumblebee")
:''Polish name:'' '''Trzmiel'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Furão''' ("Ferret")
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Moscardo'''
:''Russian TV dub name:'' '''Shershen''' (Шершень, "Bumblebee")
:''South American name:'' '''Volks'''

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Bumblebeemarvel1.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Bumblebee's first appearance... anywhere.]]
Four million years ago, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] led a crew of [[Autobot|Autobots]] including Bumblebee aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] to clear a path through an asteroid belt for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to pass through. Once their objective was completed, they were attacked by [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] and both their ships crashed in a volcanic mountain on a primitive planet known as [[Earth]]. In 1984, [[Mount St. Hilary|the volcano]] erupted, awakening their ship, which rebuilt them. Bumblebee was reconfigured to transform into a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Bumblebeeg1earlymodels.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Early on, Bumblebee suffered a few wardrobe malfunctions.]]
[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] led a mission into a human city to investigate their new world. Bumblebee, anxious to be the first to meet the planet's inhabitants, rear-ended a car full of teenagers at a drive-in movie theater. Before he could introduce himself, he was under attack by Decepticons and damaged badly. One of the teenagers, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], brought the car back to his father's auto repair shop. Bumblebee weakly pleaded to them to fix him, for he was dying. Buster's father, [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], fixed Bumblebee and offered to help the Autobots convert their native fuel resources into a form that Transformers could use. Bumblebee took Buster with him back towards the Ark to relay this message. {{storylink|Power Play!}}

After a seemingly final battle with the Decepticons, the long-lost Decepticon [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived and reversed the Autobots' victory with a single blast. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots were kept captive aboard the Ark until [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] managed to free the Ark from Decepticon control and repair them. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}} However, Buster had been entrusted with safeguarding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], which the Decepticons discovered, so Bumblebee and [[Bluestreak]] were sent to protect him. Buster was attacked by the Decepticons' newly-built but lifeless [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. Bumblebee and Bluestreak did their best to defend Buster, but it was Buster's use of the powers of the Creation Matrix which saved them all, disassembling Jetfire in mid-air. Bumblebee removed Jetfire's brain so Buster could reassemble and remote-control the body with his mind. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}}

[[Image:Bumblebeebluestreakbrainstorm.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Kid-appeal guys may seem annoying at first, but wait until we put them next to Bluestreak!]]
''After the Creation Matrix was returned to a restored Optimus Prime, he was still somewhat disconcerted by his ordeal. When the Decepticon spy [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] was briefly captured, only to escape again, Bumblebee saw how much this troubled his already upset leader and took it upon himself to chase down and capture the fleeing spy. Unfortunately, he got in over his head and was captured by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s Decepticons after being led into a box canyon. In order to show the Autobots they meant business, Soundwave had [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] deliver Bumblebee's severed arm to the Ark as a message. Soundwave had learned from Ravage how low Prime's self-confidence was at that juncture, and planned to lure the despondent Autobot leader to his death. Instead, kidnapping Bumblebee just pissed Prime off, and he single-handedly bashed and battered his way through the entire Decepticon front, rescuing Bumblebee and restoring his confidence in the process. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}''

''During the Dinobot Hunt, Bumblebee went to Alaska with Optimus and Ratchet to reinforce the unit trying to overcome the rampaging [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]. While scouting the perimeter, Bumblebee was shocked to discover a cloaked Autobot shuttlecraft and three of his comrades who had gone missing earlier in the Hunt. He also discovered a Decepticon-issue sonic lance (that was being used to drive Sludge "berserker mad") installed in the ship. Rightly suspecting a booby trap, instead of just turning the device off, Bumblebee instead evacuated his comrades and got a good distance away from the ship before using his gun to blow up the sonic lance. Good call — the shuttlecraft exploded violently the moment he did so. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

[[Image:Bumblebeeplight.jpg|right|100px|thumb|RARR BUMBLEBEE SMASH]]
When the Autobots took steps to fill out their ranks, Bumblebee was charged with giving four new recruits ([[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]) a tour of the planet. Bumblebee decided a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert would be a good destination, but the Decepticons had sabotaged the event to harvest [[Energon (fuel)|energon]]. Bumblebee disobeyed orders and led the four into battle, saving the concert. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} When [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television and claimed to control the Transformers, it was Bumblebee's job to ask their human business partner, [[G.B. Blackrock]] what the deal was. Robot-Master broadcast next in a coal mine next to a de-energized [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], but before Bumblebee and several other Autobots could investigate, they were pushed away by overwhelming Earth military forces. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}}

This event caused Bumblebee to question his usefulness to the Autobots, and he abandoned them without a word. The Decepticons, however, saw much use for him and attempted to apprehend him. Hiding in a used car lot, he was stolen by [[Waldo and Ernest|two humans]], whom he adopted for a while. The Decepticons did not relent, and Bumblebee was ultimately rescued by the rest of the Autobots, an act which reminded him how valuable he was to them. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

Later, the Autobots decided to create combiner robots of their own, to match the power of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] and their united form, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. To accomplish this goal, Optimus Prime staged a frontal assault on the Decepticon quarry base as a cover for Bumblebee to infiltrate the area unnoticed. When the Decepticons inevitably unleashed Devastator to counter the Autobot offensive, Bumblebee was on hand to take a sensor recording of Devastator's transformation sequence, giving [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] a blueprint to start from and improve upon. The [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] were soon created as a result of Bumblebee's heroic efforts. {{storylink|Command Performances!|Command Performances!}}

[[Image:Goldbugmechanicaldifficulties.jpg|left|200px|thumb|In his earlier appearances, Goldbug kept Bumblebee's body and color scheme.]]
Due to [[#Conflicting Goldbug origins|conflicting circumstances]], Bumblebee was damaged and rebuilt into a stronger but similar form—Goldbug. Goldbug and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] were ordered by the new Autobot leader, Grimlock, to track down the [[Mechanic]], who had stolen Autobot technology from the Ark. Grimlock was a terrible leader and had no regard for human life, so both Goldbug and Blaster exiled themselves from his command. {{storylink|Mechanical Difficulties!}} Goldbug and Blaster found themselves in the desert of the American Southwest and, thanks to a run-in with the Decepticon [[Triple Changer|Triple Changers]], were infested with the disease known as [[Scraplets]]. Goldbug and his human friend [[Charlie Fong]] left to get help and possibly a cure, but Blaster believed Goldbug had abandoned him to die. {{storylink|Crater Critters}} Near death himself, Goldbug arrived with Charlie at a gas station, where they met up with the [[Throttlebot|Throttlebots]], sent from Cybertron by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] and armed with acid to contain the disease. Goldbug narrowly escaped extermination when it was discovered that the cure for Scraplets was none other than ordinary [[water]]. Goldbug called industrialist G.B. Blackrock (on a pay phone), and Blackrock trucked in tanks of water himself. Blaster was cured and his trust in Goldbug was restored. {{storylink|The Cure!}}

[[Image:Goldbugthecure.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Goldbug finished his evolution into his own character model by the time the Throttlebots showed up. He kept Bumblebee's colors, though.]]
''With the Throttlebots joining Goldbug and Blaster on their travels, the group discovered that the bodies of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] had been found. While they initially intended to let the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] destroy Galvatron, they were forced to intervene to save human lives. {{storylink|Ladies' Night}} This unfortunately attracted the wrath of the Combaticons.'' The group found refuge in a used car lot owned by [[Big Steve Ludwig|Big Steve]]. However, they were all badly in need of fuel. They attempted a deal with Big Steve, but he double-crossed them, filling them up with soda pop instead of gasoline. It was then that the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] caught up with them, followed by the Combaticons. During the ensuing battle, the immobilized Throttlebots (including Goldbug) were carted away by the humans' anti-robot organization, [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]]. {{storylink|Used Autobots}}

Goldbug and the captured Throttlebots were interrogated by [[Intelligence and Information Institute|Triple-I]], who eventually had their bodies crushed in a pointless threat to stop Decepticon raids. However, their brain modules were transplanted by [[Walter Barnett]] into remote-control cars owned by his son, who sought out Goldbug's old friend Buster at Goldbug's suggestion. After being attacked by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] and separated from the others, Goldbug and Buster traveled to Mount St. Hilary and found the Ark gone. Using equipment left behind, Goldbug and Buster sent a distress call, just before Ratbat revealed he'd tagged along and crushed the Autobot's toy car body. {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}

Arriving in response to his distress call, the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] rescued Goldbug's shattered form, [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] patching into his circuits to ease the pain of retelling the attack and capture of Buster. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}} Taken back to their ship, [[Brainstorm]] built him a new body identical to his Throttlebot form. Goldbug used it on a mission that led to the discovery that Optimus Prime's mind was recorded on [[floppy disk]] and served as his leader's eyes in commanding the Autobot [[Pretender|Pretenders]]. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

Goldbug championed the reconstruction of his former leader's body, until his present allies suggested contacting the Ark to seek the resources to do it. Goldbug was quickly imprisoned by Grimlock, but this allowed him to convince Blaster to fight the Dinobot. After the Decepticons attacked during the pair's duel, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug to take the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' and its skeleton crew back to [[Nebulos]] to rebuild Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Arriving on Nebulos, Goldbug and the others were successful in rebuilding Optimus Prime despite the planet's now-toxic fuel. Goldbug avoided having to undergo the [[Powermaster]] process to survive like the other Autobots due to his high fuel efficiency. {{storylink|People Power!}} On the journey back, Optimus and Goldbug investigated word of [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] starring in the [[Cosmic Carnival]], eventually rescuing the Autobot and his [[Spacehikers|young human companions]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival!}}

[[Image:Bumblebeeskindeep.jpg|left|175px|thumb|Ratchet cares not for your maturation and wishes you were more like 1984...]]
Goldbug was later destroyed by the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in [[New York City|New York]]. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}} Goldbug was repaired by Ratchet using Pretender technology... sort of. Instead of simply restoring Goldbug, Ratchet rebuilt him as a much larger Bumblebee, {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} explaining that he'd always preferred Bumblebee's original form. Before they could discuss it further, Bumblebee had to help [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Grimlock against Megatron and his minions. While the new Pretenders defeated the other Decepticons, Ratchet seemingly sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron and his base. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

Afterward, the three Pretenders briefly joined the Autobot resistance movement on Cybertron. Thanks to his increased stature, Bumblebee experienced a big boost of confidence as he and the others rejuvenated the resistance. In response, [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] ordered the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] to assassinate them. As Bumblebee, Jazz, Grimlock and the [[Rescue Patrol]] prepared to teleport to Earth, the three Decepticons attacked [[Autobase (G1)|Autobase]], sabotaging the [[Trans-Time Dimensional Portal|trans-time dimensional portal]]. All nine Transformers found themselves teleported into the heart of Cybertron, where the Autobots discovered the resting place of [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

There, they encountered the [[Keeper (Transformer)|Keeper]] and learned the secret origin of the Transformers, as well as of Primus's never-ending battle with [[Unicron]]. As the Keeper's tale ended, the Mayhem Attack Squad found the Autobots. Their initial attack destroyed the Keeper, but Bumblebee and the others handily defeated them. However, a stray blast woke Primus seconds before the repaired portal sent the Transformers back to Earth. {{storylink|Primal Scream (issue)|Primal Scream}}

[[Image:Bumblebeedarkcreation.jpg|right|200px|thumb|...just like Thunderwing, who killed your gimmick.]]
With Unicron undoubtedly on his way to devour Cybertron, Bumblebee and his fellow Pretenders embarked on a quest to find the lost [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. The three traveled to [[VsQs]], the last known location of Optimus Prime's funeral barge, to search for clues. Finding an abandoned science station, Bumblebee searched through its computer records. He confirmed that the scientists had found Prime's body and the Matrix, but also a strange [[Matrix Spawn|creature]] that promptly attacked one of the scientists. Before they could investigate further, Thunderwing attacked, also seeking the Matrix. Bumblebee used his Pretender shell to combat the Decepticon, only for Thunderwing to destroy it. The feedback temporarily knocked Bumblebee unconscious, and it seemed Thunderwing would destroy all three Autobots, until the Matrix Spawn attacked. While Thunderwing pursued the creature, Bumblebee and the other Autobots searched the science station for the Matrix. They recovered it, but were so low on Energon that they were becoming unable to compensate for the moon's heavy gravity. While they were attempting to reach their shuttle, Thunderwing overtook them, seizing the Matrix and leaving them for dead. {{storylink|Dark Creation}} Fortunately for Bumblebee, the Autobots sent a shuttle to rescue him and the others before they entered final shutdown. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}}

{{note|Although it was not expressly stated on panel, the Classic Pretenders apparently lost their shells on VsQs.}}
Bumblebee survived the war with Unicron, and was one of many Autobots left on Cybertron afterwards. {{storylink|Exodus!}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''In 2007, Bumblebee was stationed on Cybertron after [[Unicron]] destroyed [[Moonbase Two]]. Under the command of [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], he helped ambush a group of Decepticon attackers, catching them in a pre-planned crossfire. {{storylink|Wanted:Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}}''

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''When Optimus Prime left Grimlock in charge of protecting Earth, Bumblebee signed up for the new "Earthforce" along with many of his long-time comrades. {{storylink|Break-Away!}} After Prowl disappeared while riding an atmosphere-destroying missile through the stratosphere (long story), Bumblebee and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] went looking for him. They picked up a set of Transformer lifesigns on a small island in the Bahamas, and took some speeder bikes to investigate. Instead of Prowl, what they found was a massive reconstructed version of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], half-finished as the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] attempted to recreate their combined form as an independent super-warrior. Luckily, Bumblebee had Ironhide along to disable the automated defense ring protecting the Devastator project, and they were able to destroy "him" before the Constructicons could activate their creation. {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}}''

''Later, Bumblebee joined Jazz, Ironhide and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] in infiltrating the Decepticon [[Enclave]]. Fearing an alliance between the two Decepticon factions would be bad news for the Autobots, Ironhide conceived a plan to throw a spanner into the proceedings. Using an unconscious [[Headstrong]] as a patsy, the Autobots staged a sniper shot at Megatron. When Megatron and his Decepticons unleashed their firepower at the rocks where the shot supposedly came from, Jazz and Bumblebee tossed down Headstrong's body, leading Megatron to conclude Shockwave had tried to have him killed. The peace talks quickly went downhill from there. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}}''

''Bumblebee was present when Wheeljack showcased his brand-new defense grid to successfully protect Autobot Earthbase. Unfortunately, Wheels forgot that, once activated, the defense system could only be deactivated from inside the base... behind the various laser cannons and heat-seekers and Acidbats he had turned on. While Prowl ran the gauntlet to reach the control center, Bumblebee and Jazz watched his back, drawing fire and disabling what defenses they could. {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}} Later, Bumblebee and several other Autobots went in pursuit of [[Motormaster]] of the [[Stunticon|Stunticons]], who had kidnapped their human ally, [[Irwin Spoon]]. Weaving their way through the various Stunticons who got in the way, Bumblebee and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] finally managed to trick two of Motormaster's own thugs into running him off the road themselves, giving Bumblebee a chance to rip off his cab door and retrieve Spoon. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}''

=====Conflicting Goldbug origins=====
[[Image:Goldbugorigins.jpg|left|200px|thumb|One of these things never happened. You choose which! (left: US; right: UK)]]
In ''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]'', Bumblebee was destroyed by [[G.I. Joe]] due to a misunderstanding. They later rebuilt him as Goldbug with help from Ratchet. However, Marvel UK did not initially print the crossover, so an alternate origin for Goldbug was conceived. In the pages of the UK comic, Bumblebee was destroyed by a time-traveling [[Death's Head]] and repaired by a time-traveling [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]. (The Marvel Joe/TF crossover was published in the UK towards the end of the series.) The conflicting origins for Goldbug is the single largest difference between the American and British Marvel Transformers comics; ''most'' everything else kinda sorta meshes together, if you squint.
{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Fangrybumblebeeghosts.jpg|left|150px|thumb|A friendly game of Bumblebowling, honest]]
Years after the battle on [[Klo]], and the Autobots had returned to a renewed Cybertron, Bumblebee received a distress signal from G.I. Joe on Earth, notifying them of Megatron's return. He passed this information on to Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Goin' South}} He also accompanied Prime and a team of Autobots to an unnamed planet home to an ancient civilization which reportedly stored a cache of superweapons, and battled the Decepticons there until a monstrous native scared them away. {{storylink|Ghosts}}

Bumblebee was among the Autobot/Decepticon forces battling the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] on [[Ethos]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

{{-}}
====''Classics'' comic====
{{charstubfiction}}

===Cartoon continuity===
====Generation 1 cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Dan Gilvezan]] (English), [[Yoku Shioya]] (Japanese), [[Sandro Sardone]] (Italian)

[[Image:Bumblebee-CyberToon.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Bumblebee's Cybertronian form could give Cosmos a run for his money.]]
After pilfering [[energy conductors]] with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Bumblebee boarded the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] with several other Autobots under the leadership of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] to search for energy. After Decepticons attacked the Ark, Bumblebee, along with the battle's participants and their two ships, crash landed on [[Earth]] 4 million years ago. They all laid dormant until 1984 when the Ark's computers were shaken alive as the volcano it crashed into erupted. Bumblebee was rebuilt to transform into a Volkswagen Beetle. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} After befriending the humans [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and his father [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] after a Decepticon attack on an oil rig, {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} Bumblebee was part of the team of Autobots sent to stop [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the Decepticons from overpowering [[Sherman Dam]]. Bumblebee helped Ironhide carve out a new riverbed for the raging waters, saving a nearby neighborhood from being flooded. Such acts were one of the earliest that helped endear the Autobots to the humans. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

During the Decepticon development of their [[Space Bridge]] program, Megatron captured Bumblebee and altered a bank of his memory circuits to lure the Autobots into a trap. Bumblebee recovered in time to alert the Autobots to the true location of the Space Bridge. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

{{storylink|Roll for It}} {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

{{storylink|Autobot Spike}} {{storylink|Changing Gears}} {{storylink|City of Steel}} {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} {{storylink|The Core}} {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}} {{storylink|Microbots}} {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} {{storylink|Make Tracks}} {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} {{storylink|The Gambler}} {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} {{storylink|Kremzeek!}} {{storylink|Sea Change}} {{storylink|Prime Target}} {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}} {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}} {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} {{storylink|Masquerade}} {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In 2005, he and Spike were on [[Moonbase Two]] when it was eaten by [[Unicron]]. Luckily, Unicron takes some time to digest things, and the two (as well as [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]) were spared an acid-bath in Unicron's guts by the timely arrival of Spike's son [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}} {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

Bumblebee appeared very rarely afterwards, although he was stationed on Earth at [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] for a time, apparently under Blaster's command. He was present when [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and Starscream's ghost came to Metroplex in an attempt to steal the giant's eyes for Unicron. When the Decepticons' invasion set the city on red alert, Bumblebee and Spike teamed up to search the complex for the attackers, just like old times. Running across Scourge in Metroplex's brain, they managed a drive-by ramming that knocked the tracker off balance, but ended up crashing and locking themselves inside Metroplex's voice control room. Guess they were really out of practice with their teamwork. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

He was stationed on Cybertron when the energy creature [[Tornedron]] attacked the planet. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[Image:Goldbugtroop1.jpg|left|110px|thumb|See? He still looks sorta friendly.]]
[[Image:Goldbugtroop2.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Eeeyeeaaggh!]]
When the body of Optimus Prime was retrieved by [[Gregory Swofford]] and [[Jessica Morgan]], [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] led a team that included Bumblebee to investigate. However, Bumblebee and his teammates were attacked by a [[Hate Plague]]-infested [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and heavily damaged. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} After Optimus Prime was rebuilt by the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]], so too was Bumblebee into a more powerful but similar form. Bumblebee remarked that he now looked like a "gold bug". Optimus Prime decided this would be his new name.

Goldbug journeyed with Optimus Prime and the other survivors to [[Chaar]] in search of a heat-resistant alloy that could insulate Prime from the Hate Plague. However, infected Decepticon forces attacked and contaminated Goldbug as well. Goldbug and every other contaminated being were restored when Optimus Prime retrieved the Matrix and unleashed the remainder of its energy. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

{{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

Goldbug was among the cheering crowds after the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] ushers in a new Golden Age of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{note|In an animation error, Bumblebee was ''also'' among the cheering crowds. Oops.}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese animated continuity as described above, except that the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. Additionally, this continuity moves the events of 2006 forward to 2010, and inserts several additional events into the newly-created intervening years.}}

=====Fight! Super Robot Lifeform comic=====
While on patrol, Bumblebee and [[Kenji]] were stopped by the police for driving while underage. After Bumblebee transformed for the officers, everyone had a good laugh at the misconception. After resuming their patrol, the human and Autobot were attacked by Ravage. Kenji told Bumblebee to transform, but 'Bee gently informed his passenger that Kenji wouldn't survive the process if he did. Luckily, Powerglide swooped in just in time to whisk Kenji to safety, but he also left Bumblebee behind to face Soundwaves and his Cassettes alone. But Bumblebee had no fear -- he unleashed the awesome and terrifying [[Bumble Kick]]!, destroying Soundwave's chest compartment. After the Cassettes fruitlessly (and hilariously) bounced off Soundwave's chest while trying to hide from the arriving Autobot reinforcements, Bumblebee was congratulated for his victory. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

Bumblebee was also present when Optimus Prime gave Kenji a tour of the Autobot's Japanese base. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4}}

When Powerglide was trying to stop the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] from murdering an innocent [[murdered puppy|puppy]], Bumblebee and the Minibots arrived to back him up. By harnessing the amazing cyber-powers of the super-advanced puppy, the Minibots gained Scramble Combination Power, and powerdrilled straight through [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. The puppy died, but man -- what a rush! {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8}}

Bumblebee and the entire Autobot army once joined [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] in attacking the Decepticons. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====Scramble City=====
{{storylink|Scramble City}}

=====''Kiss Players''=====
[[Image:KPPrimeGoldbug.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Sometimes, toy-accuracy is a strange, strange thing.]]
In the year 2011, after the resurrection of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee's transformation into Goldbug, the two Autobots traveled to the planet [[Quintessa]] and rescued the [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]] and their partner [[Sparkbot|Sparkbots]] from the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] pit, also freeing their [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|spaceship]] from the Quintessons' trap. {{storylink|Kiss Players (manga)|Kiss Players}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Michitaka Kobayashi]] (Japanese)

In 2011, Goldbug and the Throttlebots tried to defend [[Vector Sigma]] from the Decepticon [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], but were defeated. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} They later failed to stop the [[Madmachine]]'s rampage across the planet, and were beaten up by the Headmasters again until Goldbug got it together and organized his team to fight properly. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Their only real action of note, however, was attempting to deal with a strange, metal-warping asteroid and being horribly twisted and warped by it. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} They were apparently retrieved and repaired, and much later, the whole Throttlebot team tried to stop a [[Predaking]] bent on sinking ships and raiding villages, but were again defeated. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}}

===''Legends'' anthology===
Bumblebee, Spike, and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] happened upon a badly damaged [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] while out racing. Bumblebee convinced the others to bring Starscream back to the Ark for repairs, under the rationale that while Starscream wouldn't have done the same for them, they weren't Decepticons. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

Hey, remember that time in the comics when a couple of guys stole Bumblebee? What if they were kind of jerks? What if Bumblebee decided to make them pee themselves? {{storylink|Joyride (story)|Joyride}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{note|Events from the [[Keepers Trilogy]] novels are in italics.}}
At the death of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], Bumblebee was part of an Autobot unit defending [[Altihex]] from the Decepticons, but it was ultimately declared a lost cause. [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] had to pull him aboard the shuttle once they realized there was nothing left to do. [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] ordered him, [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and others to the ruins of [[Praxus]], where Grimlock declared that if the new [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] was unable to lead successfully, they would take control of the war's leadership... and take out the Prime. Bumblebee was among the group that was present for the Matrix transfer ceremony, where Optronix became [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. When a Decepticon assassination squad arrived and Optimus kicked some exhaust port, Bumblebee declared that he was "awesome". However, Prime then ordered the Autobots to prepare an evacuation of Cybertron. During [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s attack on [[Iacon]], Bumblebee manned a turret in the [[Decagon]]. Eventually, Prowl ordered the Autobots to take them on individually, and Bumblebee went out carrying a cannon that was as [[Scale|big]] as him. Bumblebee survived the destruction of Iacon, and Prime reversed his order of evacuation. {{storylink|The War Within}} During the Dark Ages and the disappearance of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee remained with Prowl's faction of Autobots, huttled in the ruins of Iacon. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[Image:DWPrimeDirective2 Bumblebee destruction.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Someone has to pay for the little things.]]
Bumblebee was one of the Ark crew that crashed on Earth and awoke in 1984. During that time, he met Spike Witwicky, becoming close friends with the fleshie. In 1999, the Autobots and humans allied and managed to capture the Decepticons, taking them in the ''[[Ark II]]'' back to Cybertron, along with seven humans, including Sparkplug Witwicky, Spike's father. However, the ''Ark II'' was sabotaged by rogue elements of the United States military (apparently as part of a plan by Shockwave). {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1}} The humans were all killed, but a number of Transformers, including Bumblebee, survived, but in [[stasis lock]]. Bumblebee's body was recovered by [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]] and [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], but Rook stole Bumblebee and a number of other Transformers, selling them to various terrorists. Megatron broke free, and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], being dicks, disassembled and played with Bumblebee's various components. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3}}

Optimus Prime's team later rescued him and the remaining Autobots, and they were all put to work in combating Megatron's techno-virus. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5}} Unfortunately, the [[Canada|Canadian]] military, skittish over the recent Transformer violence, attacked the Autobots. Despite this, Bumblebee tried to save as many of the soldiers as he could before the virus could kill them. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6}}

''In the following weeks, the Autobots tried their best to re-establish good relations with the people of Earth, but had little luck. After Optimus Prime, Megatron, [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Bluestreak]] vanished from the streets of Tokyo with roughly 200 human civilians, the public was understandably critical of the Transformers and their war. Bumblebee didn't help any when [[Chris Killah]], a reporter for MNT, interviewed him on the scene while he and Prowl were looking for clues to the disappearance. Bumblebee's knowledge of Earth idioms and slang normally worked to the Autobots' benefit, but he got "stage fright" in front of the TV cameras and referred to the massive property damage and loss of human life as a "bummer". Duuuuude...no. ''

''With both sides effectively leaderless at first, Bumblebee and Prowl did their best to contain the fallout of Megatron and Prime's disappearance. Acting on a tip, they tracked [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] to an airport in [[Mesa Verde]], [[Mexico]], where he was running guns with some human terrorists. The battle was memorable, but brief, thanks largely to the arrival of the renegade Autobot known as Grimlock. Having heard the Starscream had taken over the human city of [[Las Vegas]], Grimlock had commissioned a human black ops army and invited Bumblebee and Prowl to join him in assaulting the Decepticon position. Already frusterated at the United Nations' orders to stay out of Vegas, for fear of civilian casualties, Bumblebee and Prowl accepted the offer. After fighting their way through [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] and the other [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] on the outskirts of town, the Autobots managed to make it to the center of the Strip to confront Soundwave. Fortunately, the Autobots had long since developed internal jammers to prevent Soundwave from reading their thoughts during a battle, but that didn't make things easy. Fighting their way around the casinos, Bumblebee finally collapsed a massive neon sign on top of Soundwave, temporarily ending the fight. Bumblebee and Prowl's luck turned sour, though, with the arrival of Starscream and the mighty Devastator. The sudden appearance of a spatial gateway depositing Optimus and the other lost Transformers, along with their captors the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]], was just one set of complications on top of another. {{storylink|Hardwired}}''

Sometime later, the Autobots received visitors from Cybertron. Representing a united Cybertronian government of both Autobots and Decepticons, they claimed the Transformers on Earth were a throwback to darker days, and wanted to take them into custody to prevent their "anachronistic" fued from upsetting Cybertron's populace. The Autobots under Optimus Prime split into two groups, with Bumblebee and several others joining their leader in surrendering to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s forces, while Jazz led a small group away from the Ark to continue monitoring activities on Earth. Once they arrived on Cybertron, it became clear that there was a rotten core to the new government, namely [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Bumblebee and the other Autobots from Earth joined up with a resistance movement and helped overthrow Shockwave's reign, reinstating Autobot rule over Cybertron. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

[[Image:Bumblebeebattlemask.jpg|right|200px|thumb|25 years before someone realized his toy has no face.]]
After Cybertron settled down, Bumblebee commanded the Autobot Shuttle ''[[Orion]]'' and a small crew, travelling back to Earth with supplies for Jazz's team at the Ark. Starscream and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] were in the midst of an attack on the Ark when the ''Orion'' arrived. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} The little ship managed to damage [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] significantly before the super-powerful zealot [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] shorted out its engines and it crashed. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} After [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] sacrificed himself to stop Sunstorm, Bumblebee deserted the Autobot army (for no stated reason). {{storylink|Atonement}} He headed to Spike's house, but Spike, resentful of the death of Sparkplug, lashed out at him. Afterward, Spike finally realized he was being harsh on his old friend, and the two went for a night on the town, where they stopped a mugging. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}

{{note|The closure of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] means we will never know if Bumblebee returned to the Autobots or if he and Spike formed a crime-fighting duo.}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Bumblebee transformed into a WWII-era motorcycle with side-car. During their joint efforts to stop the [[Cobra]]/Decepticon axis of power he teamed with the G.I. Joe member [[Scarlett]]. Bumblebee felt they made a good team and she could ride him any time—how cheeky!

Presumably he shut down with the other Transformers when the Matrix was destroyed.

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:JoeTFBumblebeeMemorial.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Here Lies 'Bee / Only Time He Had A Girl In Any Continui-ty]]
Bumblebee and Wheeljack were the only Transformers aboard the Ark to avoid capture and reprogramming by Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. After disguising themselves as a Volkswagen Beetle and Lancia Stratos, respectively, the two tried to work out a way to free their comrades. They joined forces with G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe turned on them, Bumblebee and Wheeljack saved them anyway, Bumblebee beat up [[Storm Shadow]]'s robotic armor, and they ultimately saved the Earth from nuclear holocaust. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6}}

Later, Bumblebee was sent back through time to 1970s Earth by a malfunctioning [[Teletran 3]], which also helpfully disguised him as a Ford Pinto. Bumblebee was unamused. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4}}

He may or may not have been on the way to getting his "tires rotated" by [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], but [[Serpent O.R.]] violated him to death with tentacles. Ew. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1}} {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2}} {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3}}

This made Optimus Prime sad. The dying, that is. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon|Black Horizon}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:Bumblebeeidw.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Artist E. J. Su redesigned Bumblebee for the IDW Infiltration series. Deal with it.]]
[[Image:Hotbumblebee.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Hey! Look at that hot brunette! No... not [[Mikaela Banes|that one]]!]]
Bumblebee was part of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl's]] secret counter-infiltration unit on [[Earth]]. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] broke cover by rescuing a [[Hunter O'Nion|trio]] [[Verity Carlo|of]] [[Jimmy Pink|humans]], {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0}} Bumblebee was the one Autobot who supported his efforts. He was true to his role as an espionage agent and ferreted out their plans to continue joint operations against orders and joined in. Verity thought his alternate form and his holomatter avatar was "coool!" {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3}} He accompanied Ratchet and the humans to investigate an abandoned [[Decepticon]] bunker in [[Nebraska]]. When Ratchet mentioned how he hated putting their humans at risk, Bumblebee pragmatically commented that, given the need for evidence of unusual Decepticon activity and the consequences of Decepticon Siege Mode, the humans would be "acceptable losses". While the humans were exploring the bunker, two Decepticons attacked, and Bumblebee managed to take down [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], but not before Ratchet was shot and run over by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4}}

As the bombardment by the Decepticons caused the bunker to collapse, Verity had trouble climbing out of the shaft through which they entered. Bumblebee leapt into action when the tree the rope was attached to buckled under the crumbling terrain. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5}} He left the humans with Ratchet and traveled to [[Oregon]], the location of the second Decepticon command bunker, observing the situation until the rest of the Autobot unit could arrive. After witnessing Megatron "disciplining" Starscream and subsequently downgrading the infiltration unit's status to [[Infiltration protocol|Phase Two]], Bumblebee departed Oregon with the rest of the unit. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6}}

Bumblebee was tasked by [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to check the area surrounding their base for surveillance. He found a great deal of it, prompting the decision to relocate the ''[[Ark-19]]''. He was aboard when the ship was shot down by [[Sixshot]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1}} He survived but was injured in the subsequent battle with the living Decepticon weapon of mass destruction. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4}} He was presumably on the ''[[Ark-32]]'' when it left Earth. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}

A year later, Bumblebee was hiding out with other Autobots on Cybertron. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1}}

[[Image:AHM4BumblebeeWheeljack.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Slag it, Bumblebee, stop making our jokes for us!]]
Bumblebee and Wheeljack were sent to search for energon by Jazz, but found the going rough in their Earth modes. Wheeljack suggested he whip up a polymer, but 'Bee very quickly pointed out the fact they hadn't the equipment. To make matters worse, the pair were being followed and their only hope of signaling for help was a million to one shot! Not willing to wait for back-up that wasn't coming, Bumblebee dragged Wheeljack along in an attempt to track the stranger down... when Hot Rod was knocked through a wall by Ironhide. Bumblebee was surprised to see Hot Rod, but more surprised to hear the other bot thought they were a rescue party! {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
Bumblebee was part of a unit heading towards the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]] to link up with the last remnants of the Autobots under Optimus Prime's command. He never made it, as the unit was ambushed as soon as it entered the cluster. The self-serving mercenary [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] took his form to fool the remaining Autobots to allow him to enter their base. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
In an alternate universe, the Transformers landed on Earth before the Ice Age, taking on the forms of dinosaurs and giant insects. When the climate became too cold for the war to continue, Bumblebee and the other Autobots entered into [[stasis lock]] to prevent further damage. Thousands of years later, Bumblebee awoke to the age of humans from the noise of John Henry's hammering. Bumblebee was impressed by the humans' industriousness, and disguised himself as a small steam locomotive with no control cab, and a built in steam-hammer for driving spikes. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} Initially, 'Bee directly competed with steel-driving legend [[John Henry]]. After Bumblebee revealed himself in robot form to Henry, Henry set aside his mistrust of automation after realizing that Bumblebee was a living being (not just a machine) who wanted to put in a fair day's work. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}}

Bumblebee woke several of his fellow Autobots, who soon discovered that the Decepticons were also active in this era. After taking on locomotive alt modes themselves, {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3}} Bumblebee, the Autobots, and their new human friends worked together to prevent the Decepticons' mighty [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] from reaching [[New York City]]. With the Decepticons defeated, Bumblebee and the Autobots returned to their slumber. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

{{note|Bumblebee's pre-locomotive "Ice Age Wars" [[Alternate mode|altmode]] appears to be a spiky dinosaur, possibly a [[Wikipedia:Gastonia (dinosaur)|Gastonia]]. He also has a transitional body, while he is preparing to take on his locomotive form, which is similar to his dinosaur body, but with no spikes.}}

===Balancing Act===
{{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}

===Descent into Evil===
[[Image:Timelines-Bumblebee.jpg|right|180px|thumb|You know you want me, baby.]]
Having been on the trail of the Decepticon agent [[Flamewar]] for a long, long time, now-[[espionage director]] Bumblebee made his move, interrupting a supposedly-secure secret communication between Flamewar and the [[Tripredacus Council]]. He revealed that his agent, [[Ricochet (Descent into Evil)|Ricochet]] had installed a degenerating virus into [[Deathsaurus]]'s [[Virulent Clone|clone army]]. Oh, and that since the Autobots now ''knew'' Flamewar's whereabouts and who she was working for, the Tripredacus Council would certainly consider her a liability. Which they did. So they blew her ship up. {{storylink|Descent into Evil}}

That's cold, Bee. Real cold.

{{note|Bumblebee appears in his unreleased [[Alternators]] body.}}

==Toys==
{{main|Bumblebee (G1)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Trivia==
* The original Bumblebee toy was taken from the Japanese ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' line, where it was available in yellow, red, and blue versions.

* Bumblebee appeared in one of five [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[public service announcements]], informing children that they shouldn't run away from home because it's "mean". This from the guy who ditched the Autobots for no real reason.

[[Image:PretenderBumblebeeModel.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Bumblebee's rarely-seen Classic Pretenders character model. (Optimus Prime wants Goldbug back.)]]
* When Bumblebee reappeared in the Marvel Comics as a [[Classic Pretender]], he returned to his original toy's [[character model]], rather than one based on his new form. A new character model did appear in various toy commercials, however. These included one which introduced him and the other Classic Pretenders, and one where he and Jazz stupidly drag [[Micromaster]] bases into Autobot headquarters, causing everyone to flee when they transform and attack.

* Bumblebee/Goldbug was clearly a "top-tier" character in the first decade of ''Transformers'': he was the only 1984 Autobot still shipping in 1986; he received more toys during Generation 1 than any other character; he had a toy shipping during seven of Generation 1's eight-year run. However, [[Hasbro]] lost the right to use "Bumblebee" as a toy [[trademark]] during the ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' years, when Generation 1 names were in disuse. That's right, the name "Bumblebee" was lost during the years everyone turned into animals.

* The ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]], [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] is pretty clearly an [[homage]] to Bumblebee, from the coloration, placement of car-parts in robot mode, segmented-pipe biceps and even the head design.

* A robot using Bumblebee's character model is shown in a still-shot flashback as a member of the Autobot group led by [[Rodimus (Energon)|Rodimus]]. Whether this robot is an alternate-universe incarnation of Bumblebee or simply a similar-looking robot is—like all [[Unicron Trilogy]] character-model cameos—left to conjecture.

* According to EJ Su, Bumblebee's [[Holomatter|Holomatter avatar]] is modeled after [[wikipedia:Lindsay_Lohan|Lindsay Lohan]], an actress who plays a girl that drives [[wikipedia:Herbie|Herbie]], a sentient Beetle. ''Um, well''.<ref>[http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Bumblebee/bumblebee.htm Bumblebee at TFU.info]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Bumblebee Bumblebee's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Goldbug Goldbug's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/mini_frame.php?art=whitemexbee White Mexican Bumblebee gallery at TF-1.com]

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternity characters]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Kmart exclusives]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2009-07-27T12:19:36Z

78.134.67.85: /* Generation 1 cartoon */

Come read the incredibly complex, convoluted, and competing accounts of '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s massive amount of appearances in the [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]!

==Generation 1 cartoon==
:''Voice actors:'' [[Peter Cullen]] (Optimus Prime, English), [[Laurie Faso]] (Orion Pax, English), [[Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese), [[Francis Lax]] (French), [[Hubert Gagnon]] (French Canadian), [[Willi Röbke]] (German), [[Thomas Rau]] (German ''Generation 2''), [[Diego Reggente]] (Italian - 1st season and part of 2nd season), [[Giorgio Melazzi]] (Italian, 3rd season).

[[Image:Orionpax.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Ariel spends a lot of time hanging around the docks.]]

Optimus Prime began his life as an Autobot named '''Orion Pax''' during the [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] nine million years ago. Together with his girlfriend [[Elita One|Ariel]] and his best friend [[Dion]], Orion was a dock-worker who had the simple job of unloading and storing shipments of energy that came from a power planet up-river. But the times in which Orion lived were strange ones: a new breed of robot had recently appeared on the planet, with strange robot-mode [[flight]] powers that led Orion and Dion to idolize them. Ariel wasn't so sure, having heard rumors that the flying robots' leader had recently perpetrated an attack on an outer city.

[[Image:Wardawn_orion_dies.jpg|left|210px|thumb|Better get used to dying horribly, buddy.]]

One day, Orion was going about work as usual when an unfamiliar group of [[Aerialbot (G1)|five robots]] arrived on the docks, and Orion, wondering if they were new workers, introduced himself and his friends. At that moment, all attentions turned skyward as a group of the flying robots soared by overhead. Both Ariel and the newcomers urged caution in dealing with the fliers, but Orion waved off their concerns, and returned to work. Before long, Orion was shocked when he was approached by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], leader of the flying robots, who claimed to be looking for a place to store his wares. Overcome, Orion showed Megatron around the warehouses and explained that they were used for story energy... at which point Megatron ordered his followers, the [[Decepticon]]s, to attack and steal it all! When Orion took a shot to the shoulder from the Decepticon leader, Ariel rushed to his defense, but was hit by another blast from Megatron. The enraged Orion lunged at Megatron, but was shot down by yet another blast from the Decepticon's cannon.

[[Image:Sfat prime and elita fb.jpg|right|thumb|"No girls allowed"]]

While Megatron and the Decepticons set about pillaging the warehouses, the five robots Orion had met earlier carried his body away, in hopes of finding someone to repair him. They came upon the Cybertronian machinesmith [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], who reluctantly decided to subject Orion to a new reconstruction process he had developed, which would rebuild the Autobots' frail bodies into battle-hardy configurations so that they could battle the Decepticons on even footing. Thus is was that Orion Pax became Optimus Prime, the new leader of the Autobots, and was given the [[Matrix of Leadership]], which Alpha Trion had kept safe since Megatron had killed its [[U-Haul Robot|previous holder]]. While Alpha Trion set to work on rebuilding Ariel into "[[Elita One]]" using Prime's schematics as a basis, Prime confronted Megatron, introducing himself as the Decepticon's "worst nightmare". A mighty battle ensued, which came to an end when the warehouse's fuel stockpiles were blown up by the five enigmatic Autobots, who disappeared. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

Over the following five million years, Optimus Prime led the Autobots in a steady war of attrition that gradually drained Cybertron of almost all of its energy. In order to continue the fight, Prime arranged for an interstellar expedition to search for energy on other planets. Loading his best and brightest aboard a huge [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]], Prime was the last to board, but was stopped by a cry from Elita One, who came running up to the launch platform. Prime told her that he would return for her as soon as he could, but Elita was intent on joining Prime on the mission. No debate was to be had, however, as a Decepticon attack on the platform caused an explosion that seemingly destroyed Elita. Crestfallen, Prime boarded the spacecraft and ordered a take-off, unaware that Elita had, in fact, survived. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}

[[Image:Mtmte1 prime controls.jpg|left|thumb|The Transformers spent four million years in stasis lock because Prime never learned to turn INTO the skid.]]

The Autobots' spacecraft had a troubled flight. After navigating a treacherous asteroid field, the ship was caught in a tractor beam from a [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon space cruiser]] that had been shadowing them, under the command of Megatron himself. Megatron's forces swarmed the Autobot ship, and the two leaders grappled until the G-force of the nearby planet [[Earth]] took hold of the craft, and dragged it down. Although Prime tried valiantly to pull the ship up, it collided with a [[Mount St. Hilary|mountain]] so violently that all the Autobots and Decepticons were knocked offline.

[[Image:Mtmte2_witiwickys_saved.jpg|215px|right|thumb|Water-boarding is unconstitutional]]

Four million years later, in 1984, a volcanic eruption jarred the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], back online, and it set about reviving the Transformers indiscriminately, beginning with the Decepticons. The evil robots soon departed the Ark, but thanks to tremor caused by a petty parting shot upon the ship from [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], the inactive form of Optimus Prime was jostled into the path of Teletraan I's restoration beam. Reconfigured by the computer to transform into a tractor trailer, Prime thanked Teletraan for its efforts with a thumbs-up, and quickly saw to the reactivation of all his fellow Autobots. Wasting no time, Prime led the Autobots in pursuing the Decepticons, who were in the process of attacking an oil rig. Prime and Megatron faced off, but Prime was promptly set upon by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], allowing Megatron to break off the fight and collapse the oil rig with a few well-placed blasts. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Prime quickly rescued a pair of rig workers—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]—and introduced himself and the Autobots to the two grateful humans, who volunteered to help the Autobots learn more about Earth.

[[Image:Mtmte2_shermandam.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Hey, Megatron! Lemme axe you a question!"]]

Next, the Decepticons targeted [[Sherman Dam]], and Prime led the Autobots in an attempt to stop them, battling Megatron atop the dam with his retractable [[energon-axe]]. Distracted by a cry for help from Spike, Prime was knocked off the dam by Megatron, and the Decepticons escaped to carry out their next raid, this time on the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]]. When the Autobots arrived at the mines, Sparkplug and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were sent in to plant an explosive charge that would entomb the Decepticons. When the pair did not return, Prime drove up to the mineshaft and deployed [[Roller]] to investigate. No sooner had Roller entered the mine, however, than the charge went off, and Prime was caught in the blast and hurled off the cliff. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} Prime and Roller both survived the explosion, but unfortunately, so did the Decepticons, who blasted their way free of the collapsed mine took to the air. Prime tried to stop [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] from pursuing the villains, but his old friend would not listen and was shot down. Prime was happy that Ironhide was okay, but reminded him that there was a thin line between being a hero, and being a memory.

[[Image:Mtmte3_prime_combatdeck.jpg|right|225px|thumb|In mere moments, the gun would be destroyed, but the finger would keep right on firing.]]

After the Autobots' attempt to use a phony holographic rocket base to dupe the Decepticons failed, Megatron stood poised to return to Cybertron. Prime called for volunteers for the dangerous mission to stop the Decepticons' blasting off in their new [[Decepticon Headquarters|space cruiser]], and all the Autobots stepped forward, including Spike and Sparkplug. With all his soldiers behind him, Prime led the Autobots into battle once more, and once again faced off with Megatron, this time using the additional firepower of his [[Combat Deck]] against his enemy. When the combat shifted to hand-to-hand, however, Prime was blindsided by [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], affording Megatron the opportunity to call of the fight and instruct the Decepticons to board the cruiser. As the craft took off, emotion got the better of Prime, and in a rare display of short-temperedness and anger, he roared at [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] to hand over his rocket pack. With the pack's additional boost, Prime achieved escape velocity and followed the cruiser into space, but a blast from its artillery hatch sent him plummeting back to Earth. His anger fading to despair, Prime declared that the Decepticons had won... before noticing that [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] was missing. In fact, the invisible Autobot had stowed away aboard the Decepticons' cruiser and sabotaged it from within, causing it to crash back to Earth, into the ocean. Believing the Decepticons aboard destroyed, Prime ordered the Autobots back to the ship, so that they could continue rebuilding it and return to Cybertron themselves. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:Too_prime_truckmode.jpg|left|thumb|225px|The smokestacks were filed down for your safety, kids.]]

One night, months later, before rebuilding was complete, Prime and Ironhide stood looking out at the ocean, and Prime confessed he was not entirely convinced that the Decepticons were gone for good. And he was right: before long, Teletraan I reported an emergency at a solar power plant, and Optimus discovered to his horror that Megatron still lived. Prime led a team of Autobots to drive the villains off, and while they were successful, the Decepticons escaped with a large quantity of energy to send to Cybertron with their new intergalactic "[[space bridge]]" transport system. Spike was captured and nearly sent across the bridge with the energy, but at the last moment, Prime blasted him free of the transport pod and then hurled Megatron into the bridge in his place. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} Megatron was not gone for long, however, and when Prime next faced his eternal enemy, it was for possession of an [[antimatter]] energy formula. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[Image:Divide and conquer.jpg|right|225px|thumb|He was recovering nicely until Bumblebee tripped while carrying his dynamite collection.]]

While searching for any trace of where the Decepticons' space bridge would next materialize, Prime received word of a Decepticon attack on a weapons factory and sped to the scene. In the battle that followed, Prime was badly injured by an exploding computer bank when he shielded the human workers with his body, and was taken back to Autobot Headquarters for repair. Alas, Laserbeak followed the Autobots back to their base, and while Prime was lying on a medical table with his internal mechanisms exposed, the crooked cassette struck, destroying Prime's vital [[cosmotron]] component. A team of Autobots were dispatched to Cybertron recover a replacement cosmotron, but in their absence, the Decepticons initiated an all-out attack on the Autobots. At the last moment, the cosmotron arrived, and the repaired Prime made a dramatic entrance onto the battlefield, challenging Megatron to one-on-one combat and soundly defeating him. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

After leading the Autobots on a mission to the Arctic to stop the Decepticons from draining the energy of the Earth's core, {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Optimus Prime okayed [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s project to create robotic dinosaurs to bolster their forces. Unfortuantely, when the three "[[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]" turned out to be dangerous, simple-minded monsters, Prime ordered them destroyed. Wheeljack was able to talk him down to merely deactivating the Dinobots and sealing them in a cavern in their volcano headquarters... and a good thing, too, since soon after, when Prime and the Autobots were defeated in battle with the Decepticons at the [[Great Falls]], Wheeljack was able to bring the Dinobots back online to save the day. Realizing that "even the wisest of men and machines can be in error", Prime overruled his previous order, and allowed the Dinobots to remain part of the Autobot ranks. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[Image:Grimlockapologize.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Someday, my large friend, [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|the tables will be turned]]."]]

Following a mission to Peru, {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Prime was so impressed with the Dinobot trio's improved performance that he ordered the creation of two more. Unfortunately, Prime would soon learn that the Dinobots were not perfect; left alone to guard a strange energy-rich meteorite, the Dinobots were approached by Megatron, who exploited their simple brains to turn them against Optimus Prime. Soon after, when Prime discovered that the meteorite was unstable and set to explode, he rushed out to warn the Dinobots, only to be attacked by them and taken to Megatron. The Decepticons had also stolen the meteorite, unaware of its impending detonation, and when the space-rock finally exploded, Prime dove into action and shoved the Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to safety. Realizing that Optimus Prime was on the side of the angels, Grimlock apologized, and he and Prime shook hands. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

[[Image:SurfsUp.jpg|right|225px|thumb|There is no way it could be cooler than this...]]

When the Decepticons constructed a massive "space pyramid" in order to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit, that they might exploit the energies released in the chaos that would ensue, Prime attempted to stop Megatron from activating the third and final pylon in the system. Megatron merely laughed, and informed Prime that ''he'' would be the one to activate the pylon – for if he did not, Cybertron would be utterly destroyed! {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Prime was forced to comply and brought the pylon online, but he did not linger on the moral repercussions of his decision, and instead led the Autobots in combating the environmental terrors that Cybertron's orbit unleashed. On top of all this mayhem, the Decepticons had also used [[hypno-chip]]s to mind-control human slaves into helping them gather energy, including Sparkplug Witwicky. Learning that Sparkplug had been taken to work on Cybertron, Prime felt that it would be best if Spike did not find out, only for the boy to overhear him discussing it. Prime permitted Spike to join a team of Autobots that were heading for Cybertron to investigate the source of the Decepticons' mind-control. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Prime then led another team of the Autobots on a mission to stop the construction of a Decepticon hydro-electric generator, cruising into battle on Transformer-sized surfboards. Things came to a head in a huge firefight on a tropical island, during which the Autobots returned from Cybertron with a device that undid the effects of the hypno-chips. Megatron cut his losses and fled with the energy he had gathered, but Prime then opened fire on his craft, blowing up the energy within and creating an explosion powerful enough to thrust Cybertron back out of orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

[[Image:CountdownToExtinction.jpg|left|thumb|... I stand corrected.]]

In the wake of Cybertron's orbit, Optimus Prime and the Autobots set about repairing the damage done to Earth, when an even greater threat emerged: Starscream set an [[Exponential Generator]] to overlord and destroy the planet. For the first time – but not the last – Prime and Megatron were forced to team up for the greater good (or the lesser evil), as Megatron transformed into pistol mode and allowed Prime to wield him so that they could shoot the exponential generator into space and save Earth. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:Tanker throw.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Eat your heart out, Superman.]]

Hearing reports of giant robotic insects in Bali, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots to investigate. The team discovered that the insects in questions were a trio of "[[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]" who had allied themselves with Megatron, and pursued them to an oil refinery the Decepticons were in the process of plundering. In one of his most impressive feats of strength ever recorded, Optimus Prime hoisted an entire oil tanker over his head and hurled it at Megatron. The Insecticons were so awed by this display of strength that they decided to consume the gathered energon and flee, earning them Megatron's ire. Although he considered the day a victory, Prime worried that the Insecticons would inevitable ally themselves with Megatron again. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:HeavyMetalWar Primedefeated.jpg|left|thumb|"I... fell on my keys.. ow."]]

When an unarmed Megatron appeared in front of Autobot Headquarters claiming that he had come only to talk, Optimus Prime agreed to hear him out, and found himself challenged to a one-on-one duel in accordance with Cybertron law. The loser of the duel and his troops would be forced to vacate Earth forever, but Prime confidently and honorably accepted the challenge. Little did Prime realize that Megatron had found a way to imbue himself with the different powers of all his Decepticon troops, and when the battle began, Prime was defeated with shocking speed. Believing that he had simply been unaware of the number of powers at Megatron's command, Prime sorrowfully agreed to leave Earth, much to the other Autobots' chagrin. When they returned to Autobot Headquarters to prepare for their departure, they discovered Megatron's newest warriors, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], in battle with the Dinobots, but Prime refused to get involved, citing the law despite Ironhide's protests. Spike friend [[Chip Chase]] had his suspicions about the battle and used Teletraan I to scan Prime's injuries, revealing Megatron's deception. As the battle had been unlawfully won, Prime was able to disregard the law and lead the Autobots into the battle raging outside. Prime was able to blast the Constructicons' merged form of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] apart with his laser rifle, and the Autobots ganged up on the Decepticons and forced them into a lava-filled crevasse. Prime and Megatron faced off once more, and Prime sent Megatron to join his troops in the magma below. Spike asked if the Decepticons were gone forever, prompting Optimus to wonder aloud... in the vast universe, was anything truly forever? {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:Autobotspike_prime_vs_autobotx.jpg|215px|right|thumb]]

As 1985 rolled in, Optimus Prime found himself on the receiving end of the fury of "Autobot Spike", as he struggled to bring the young Witwicky back to his right mind after his consciousness was implanted in a [[Autobot X|robot body]]. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} Later, when Megatron threatened the stability of the [[sun]] with his [[Solar Needle]], Prime was caught off guard by the Decepticon leader and wound up staring down his fusion cannon. Megatron ordered the other Autobots to lay down their weapons, but Prime told them to leave him to his fate and destroy the needle. Refusing to risk their commander's life, the Autobots complied with Megatron's wishes, but Prime found a way out of the situation by requesting a last wish: he asked [[Gears]], who had been rendered totally subservient by the removal of one of his circuit cards, to destroy the Solar Needle for him, and the deed was done before Megatron could do anything about it. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

[[Image:Cos prime disassembled.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"The seller promised he was mint!"]]

Responding to reports of Decepticon activity in New York City, Optimus Prime was captured by the evil robots and disassembled into his component parts by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]]. The Autobots were able to recover their leader's head, but the other parts of his body had been rebuilt into an [[alligatorcon]] that the Autobots were forced to defeat and disassemble in order to restore him. Even after his body was rebuilt, Prime was still missing his right arm, which had been mounted as a laser turret on the top of the [[Empire State Building]]. Luckily, Prime was able to remote-control his arm, and used it to blast Devastator off the building, after which the Autobots reclaimed and re-attached Prime's errant limb. {{storylink|City of Steel}} The Decepticons were not done trying to manipulate Prime for their own ends, however; for their next evil scheme, they attacked his mind instead of his body, using a [[personality destabilizer]] to turn Prime and his fellow Autobots to the side of evil. Sparkplug was able to rig up [[attitude exchanger]]s to restore the Autobots to normal, but Prime was able to avoid being tagged by the devices by splitting up into his three components and bedeviling the Autobots on three fronts. Finally, Bumblebee took it upon himself to charge into Prime, and succeeded in restoring his leader's mind. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}}

[[Image:Dotm_prime_vs_torq3.jpg|right|215px|thumb]]

Numerous crazy gadgets formed the backbone of Prime's next few adventures, as he battled the Decepticons for control of [[electro-cell]]s, {{storylink|Traitor}} had to convince Ironhide to remain with the Autobots when his old friend botched a mission involved Wheeljack's new [[Immobilizer]], {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} and found himself temporarily trapped in truck mode by the [[Transfixatron]] when he and the other Autobots participated in the "Autobot Run" charity race. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Later, when the Decepticons allied themselves with the [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns and attacked [[Washington, D.C.]], Prime was felled by a blast from an anti-Transformer disruptor ray created by the Sub-Atlantican king, [[Nergill]]. Prime's diodes were pulled out of the laser fire by the fortunate arrival of Grimlock and the Dinobots, and the Dinobot leader didn't hesitate to point out that fact. Prime then transported the Dinobots to Sub-Atlantica in his trailer, and unleashed them upon the fish-men with the order to "act prehistoric!" {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

When Megatron took control of the super computer [[TORQ III]], Prime gave a particularly good account of himself, duping and defeating the addled computer almost single-handedly, besting Megatron in hand-to-hand combat and destroying his remote control device, and saving [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] and Spike from a sinking oil platform. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} The Decepticons struck back with another plot that involved controlling an Earth machine; even Optimus Prime found himself outmatched by the robotic ninja [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], and his attempts to reason with the lifeless construct fell on deaf ears. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:Primeproblem prime and clone.jpg|left|215px|thumb|"Oh noes! If only there were some way to tell them apart! [[Matrix of Leadership|Sacred lifeforce]]? What?"]]

As part of a plot to lead the Autobots to their doom in a crevasse of [[korlonium crystal]]s, Megatron created a [[Optimus Prime clone|perfect clone of Optimus Prime]], which he could remote control from a distance. Despite the Prime clone's blatantly odd behavior, the Autobots were unable to tell the difference between the two Primes, so they staged several contests in hopes of identifying the true Prime through his skills. Unfortunately, a sharp-shooting test and a race yielded no results, and the Autobots were forced to table the debate and go into battle against the Decepticons with both Primes. To fully complete the illusion, Megatron proceeded to create a clone of Starscream, which his Prime clone then destroyed, convincing the Autobots that it was the genuine article. Unfortunately, Megatron promptly blew his ruse by dismissing Spike's safety as unimportant, and all of the Autobots immediately turned on the clone and blew it to smithereens. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

[[Image:Dinobotisland jetpacks.jpg|right|215px|thumb]]

Next, Prime found himself allying with Megatron on two separate occasions, first to prevent the destruction of the Earth with a Decepticon attempt to drill to the planet's core went awry {{storylink|The Core}}, and then again when the Insecticons drained the [[Nova Power Core|power core]] of the [[Nova Power Station]] and grew in size and power. In the latter instance, Prime again wielded Megatron in gun mode to shoot capsules of antidote into the Insecticons, shrinking them back to normal before they exploded. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

After another disastrous Dinobot rampage in Autobot Headquarters, Optimus Prime ordered the Dinobots to relocate to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], a strange prehistoric paradise the Autobots had just recently discovered. Unfortunately, the Decepticons followed the Dinobots there and began draining the island's rich sources of energy, disrupting the fabric of space and time and causing humans and other creatures from throughout time to materialize in the present day. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Prime put his trailer to use as a holding pen for a herd of woolly mammoths, and after the prehistoric pachyderms were returned to their home time, he donned a jetpack and led a team of Autobots to Dinobot Island to stop the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

[[Image:Master builders prime basketball.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Red bots can't jump.]]

In the midst of some basketball lessons from Spike, Prime was approached by [[Grapple]] with a design for a solar power tower, but was forced to forbid its construction on the basis that it had no means of defense against a Decepticon attack. Consumed with a desire to build the tower, Grapple and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] wound up allying with the Constructicons to construct the tower, only to be promptly turned on and entombed within it once it was complete. Prime and the Autobots rescued them, and while Prime accepted their apologies, he still had them clear up the wreckage of the tower as punishment. {{storylink|The Master Builders}}

Optimus Prime later helped test Wheeljack's new [[Negavator]] weapon and had to deal with a paranoid [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} then found himself faced with a super-powered Megatron when the Decepticon leader boosted his systems with the [[Heart of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Microbots}}

[[Image:Masterplan2_autobots_on_trial.jpg|right|215px|thumb|A collection of G1 Transformers toys, sold to the [[Megatron (G1)|psychotic robotic madman offscreen]].]]

After helping to save [[Central City (G1)|Central City]]'s new solar energy facility from Decepticon attack, Optimus Prime and the Autobots were honored at city hall, but the ceremony turned sour when the mayor's rival, [[Shawn Berger]], framed the Autobots for raiding an oil field using a video tape faked by the Decepticons (which featured a costumed Starscream playing the role of Prime). Prime and the Autobots were called to trial and found guilty of crimes against Earth, and Prime reluctantly accepted the court's ruling that they leave Earth and return to Cybertron aboard a craft supplied by Berger. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Prime soon regretted his decision and ordered [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] to turn the rocket around, only to discover that Megatron had set it to collide with the sun and destroy them all. Thanks to [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s force field, Prime and the Autobots survived the explosion of their rocket, and returned to Earth to clear their names. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

When Optimus Prime attended [[Professor Greene]]'s demonstration of his new [[Ultra-Plane]], the Decepticons attacked and destroyed the new weapon. In the battle that resulted, the Autobots and Decepticons began to suffer sudden system malfunctions that were quickly deduced to be a result of the [[cybertonium]] in their systems degenerating after four million years on Earth. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Spike and his girlfriend [[Carly]] braved a perilous journey to Cybertron, recovering enough cybertonium to repair the Autobots, and were appointed honorary Autobots by Prime for their efforts. {{Storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[Image:Goldenlagoon_prime_perceptor.jpg|left|225px|thumb| Rare [[Lucky Draw]] Optimus and Perceptor.]]

Optimus Prime was particularly exasperated with Blaster when he broadcast a rock concert back into the Autobot base, partially because of the ungodly noise, but mostly because it meant that the Autobots failed to receive a distress call from [[Professor Haley]], whose [[Voltronic Galaxer]] device had been stolen by the Decepticons. It was with Blaster's help, however, that Prime then bested Megatron in a battle on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], and so he allowed Blaster to turn Megatron's moonbase into a radio station that he could broadcast from. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

Prime later led the Autobots in battle for control of the [[electrum|golden lagoon]], {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} then found himself playing the role of tech-support as he talked [[Talaria]] through the activation of [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]'s signal beacon via a communications channel when the space-faring Autobot was stranded on [[Titan]]. Prime intended to go to Titan and rescue Cosmos himself, but Red Alert urged against it, and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] wound up going in his place.{{storylink|The God Gambit}} Prime later agreed to help the NYPD bust a carjacking ring headed up by the [[Geddis brothers]], leading to another confrontation with the Geddis's secret allies, the Decepticons. {{storylink|Make Tracks}}

[[Image:Childsplay_aron_and_prime.jpg|right|thumb| Aron just finished his cartoon accurate Optimus kitbash.]]

When the Decepticons attempted to turn a baseball stadium into a new space bridge, the mechanism malfunction, teleporting Prime, Bumblebee, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and a quartet of Decepticons to an alien planet inhabited by giants. Prime took the diplomatic approach, introducing himself and the Autobots to [[Aron]], the alien boy into whose room they had been transported, and Aron then helped his new friends evade capture and dissection by the planet's authorities. Following a riotous sewer-surfing journey back to Aron's house, the Autobots departed the planet in a toy rocket ship Perceptor had rewired. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} On the return journey to Earth, however, the Autobots were captured by the alien gambler [[Bosch]], who brainwashed them all, save Smokescreen, and sold them to [[Lord Gyconi]] on the asteroid resort of [[Monacus]]. Prime was pitted against an [[animalian]] in a gladiatorial battle for Gyconi's patrons' amusement before Smokescreen and Bosch secured the Autobots' freedom and restored their minds. {{storylink|The Gambler}} Upon his return to Earth, Optimus Prime faced the menace of the [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

When reports came in of the Constructicons mining an asteroid out in space, Optimus Prime requested that Omega Supreme investigate. The asteroid proved to be an egg containing an [[asteroid bird alien|alien bird monster]], which emerged and began attacking [[San Francisco]], but Omega ignored Prime's orders to intervene and shut off his communicator in mid-battle, preferring to seek revenge against the Constructicons. Prime was forced to intervene, getting between Omega and his quarry and finally convincing the giant Autobot to help dispose of the alien, on the basis that there were more important things in life in than revenge. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

Outfitted with a special coating of insulation to protect himself, Prime led a small team of Autobots to Japan to stop Megatron's latest creation, the demented energy imp known as [[Kremzeek]]. When the Autobots finally got the better of the crazy creature, Prime had to regretfully order his destruction. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[Image:Primetarget_beast_of_borneo.jpg|left|thumb|Bad touch!]]

After receiving a distress signal from the planet of [[Tlalakan]]s, Prime ordered a team of Autobots to investigate, but was unable to go himself as he was too large for Cosmos to carry. {{storylink|Sea Change}} Later, when Megatron, Starscream, [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] began feuding for Decepticon leadership, Prime was greatly amused by the whole thing, calling it a "domestic squabble" and taunting Megatron by dismissing him so he could fight the "real" leaders of the Decepticons. Prime kept the other Autobots from getting involved in the battle, and sure enough, the Decepticons wound up knocking the fight out of each other. The other Autobots agreed there was only one leader for them, and formed a throne out of their bodies for Prime to sit upon, but Prime said he preferred to roll. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}}

Optimus Prime's fame and prowess loon led him to become the target of the demented big-game hunter, [[Lord Chumley]], who sought Prime's head to go along with his other rare trophies. Chumley captured several Autobots in order to lure Prime to his estate, and of course, the Autobot leader no choice but to comply. Battling his way through a mock-up of Cybertron itself against all kind of bizarre traps and creatures, from a ferocious [[dragon]]-like beast, to several robotic arachnids, to the interfering Astrotrain and Blitzwing, Prime succeeded in freeing his Autobot comrades, capturing Chumley, and delivering him to the authorities. {{storylink|Prime Target}}

[[Image:G1 Prime Elita energy transfer.JPG|right|220px|thumb|Oh look. Optimus Prime is having robo-sex with his sister. Better get used to seei- whoa, wait a minute.]]

Prime received the shock of his life when Megatron contacted him to inform him that Elita One was still alive, and had been captured by his Decepticons on Cybertron. Prime immediately departed for Cybertron to rescue her, but walked straight into the trap that had been laid for him, and was trussed up by the Decepticons and dangled above a vat of acid. Just as Prime was dropped, Elita used her secret power to stop time, freezing Prime in mid-air and pulling him to safety. Unfortunately, the use of her power drained almost all of her life-force, leaving her on the brink of death, so Prime loaded her aboard his trailer and set out in search of Alpha Trion, in the hope that the ancient Autobot could heal her. In the process, Prime rediscovered his own forgotten connection to his creator, when Alpha Trion shocked him with intimate knowledge of his and Elita's systems by telling him that only his own power supply could properly interface with Elita's. Prime gave Elita the power transfusion necessary to save her life, and the two lovers then joined the other Autobots in fighting off the Decepticons. Prime regretted that they had to part ways again, but Elita knew that she had to continue the fight against the Decepticons on Cybertron. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}

[[Image:Ktvs_prime_and_trion.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Optimus was just in time to keep Alpha Trion from falling for the Nigerian e-mail scam.]]

Optimus Prime had little to do in the mission to rescue [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]] from the Decepticons, merely offering theories and passing along information to Powerglide, {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}} but took to the fore again when Megatron created the [[Stunticon]]s to combat the Autobots on the roads. Realizing that Megatron would have to use the Cybertronian mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] to bring the Stunticons to life, Prime took a team of Autobots to Cybertron, where they sought the aid of Alpha Trion in navigating the planet's catacombs to find the way to the computer. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} Unfortunately, Megatron made it to the computer first and brought the Stunticons online, so Prime proposed the creation of a team of jets known as the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] as a countermeasure. With Vector Sigma's [[Key to Vector Sigma|activation key]] in Megatron's clutches, Alpha Trion proposed that he merge with Vector Sigma to bring the computer back online. Prime refused, knowing it would mean the end of his creator's life, but Alpha Trion insisted that he be allowed to sacricice himself so that the Aerialbots could live. The Autobots and Aerialbots returned to Earth, where they stopped Megatron from using the key to Vector Sigma to convert the planet into a metal sphere. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:Cosmicrust_prime_and_perceptor.jpg|right|215px|thumb|"Perceptor, what happened?"
"It's... rust."
"But it looks like..."
"Rust."
"But it smells like..."
"RUST!"]]

When Megatron attempted to send the Aerialbots back to the dawn of time using the [[kronosphere]] time machine, Optimus Prime blasted the device before it could complete its evil work, depositing the Aerialbots nine million years in the past. Prime and the other Autobots fended off a Decepticon attack while Wheeljack rebuilt the kronosphere, and the five airborne Autobots were returned to the present just in time to turn the tide of battle. In the aftermath of the conflict, when the Aerialbots were able to refer to him with his old name of Orion Pax, Prime realised that it had been the time-tossed Aerialbots who have saved him from Megatron and brought him to Alpha Trion to be rebuilt all those millions of years ago. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

When Perceptor was kidnapped by the Decepticons and infected with the contagious [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] , Prime risked his own safety to single-handedly rescue the scientist, and wound up being infected in the process, just as Megatron had planned. Even infected, Prime met Megatron in battle while the Autobots retrieved the cure to the disease, and the Autobots won the day yet again. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:RevengeofBruticus Primefiringguns.jpg|left|thumb|Being a hero is all about dramatic lighting. And two-fisted violence.]]

When another power struggle between Megatron and Starscream erupted, Prime was once again quite happy to ignore the whole messy affair until Starscream and his newly-built [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] attacked the unveiling ceremony for a [[Optimus Prime Memorial|memorial]] to Optimus Prime himself (rather oddly being built while he was still alive) and kidnapped Jazz and Cliffjumper. In the midst of a battle between Megatron and Starscream's force, Prime led the Autobots in rescuing their teammates. Starscream and the Combaticons were subsequently defeated and exiled from Earth, {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} but that just made matters worse, as they headed for Cybertron, conquered the planet, and used the space bridge to alter Earth's orbit and send it spiralling towards the sun. Both Autobots and Decepticons needed to use the space bridge to travel to Cybertron and stop Starscream's plan, but the Insecticons damaged the control panel, requiring Prime to donate some of his own circuitry to the repair effort, on the condition that Megatron did the same. With the bridge restored, Prime and Megatron lead a united team of Autobots and Decepticons to stop Starscream and the Combaticons and save the Earth. Prime was led to believe that he had destroyed the Combaticons at the battle's end, but in reality, had been duped by a holographic projection so that Megatron could reprogram the new Decepticons to serve him. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[Image:Masquerade_prime_vs_mmaster.jpg|right|230px|thumb|You re-enacted this scene countless times as a kid. You know you did.]]

After leading a team of Autobots to save the Aerialbots from a Combaticon attack in the Middle East {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} Prime led another effort to stop the Stunticons from stealing the components Megatron needed for his latest super-weapon. Prime survived a head-on collision with [[Motormaster]] (although he definitely decided it was something he would prefer not to go through again) and then disguised himself as the Stunticon leader in an effort to learn what Megatron's plan was. Accompanied by a team of four other Autobots disguised as the other Stunticons, Prime was able to infiltrate the Decepticon camp, but had not counted on the real Stunticons escape Autobot capture and exposing their deception. The Autobots abandoned their disguises when Megatron assembled the components into his new laser weapon, but it turned out that Optimus had sabotaged the device, and it blew up in Megatron's face. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In his final recorded adventure in the 20th century, Prime dispatched Ironhide, Gears and Bumblebee to investigate a disturbance at [[Benjamin Franklin Pierce High School]], where a group of students had stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to attack the Autobots with a gravity disruptor beam. Prime rallied the Autobots to fight off the Decepticons, and thanked the humans for their help. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:Tftm_prime_megs_finalblow.jpg|left|260px|thumb]]

Over the course of the next twenty years, the Decepticons turned their attentions away from Earth, and succeeded in seizing control of all of Cybertron. The Autobots were forced off the planet and founded [[Autobot City]] on Earth, in addition to two staging bases on Cybertron's moons. At some point during this period of time, Prime was known to have battled Megatron in a laboratory on Earth, causing an explosion that scarred scientist [[Gregory Swofford]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

In the Earth year 2005, Optimus Prime was stationed on [[Moonbase One]], and dispatched troops to Earth to acquire energy for an upcoming strike to take back Cybertron. The Decepticons, however, got wind of the plan and attacked the shuttle, killing its occupants. Their scheme was to use the shuttle to stage a [[Battle of Autobot City|surprise attack on Autobot City]]; an attack which would have succeeded, if not for a distress call which summoned Optimus Prime and support troops to Earth. Declaring that Megatron would have to stopped, "no matter the cost", Prime bravely plowed through the remaining Decepticon ranks before confronting Megatron in a climactic one-on-one battle. Despite a gash being torn in his side, Prime gained the upper hand in the battle and was poised to deliver a killing blast when the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] leapt into the middle of the fight, having spotted that Megatron was reaching for a gun. Unfortunately, Megatron overpowered the youth and used him as a shield, preventing Prime from taking his shot, and opening fire with the gun, blasting Prime in his wound. Prime fell, and Megatron stood over him, about to deliver the final blow, but at the last moment, Prime summoned up all his strength and hurled Megatron off the platform on which they battling. With Megatron bested, the Decepticons fled, as the other Autobots flocked to the side of the wounded Prime.

[[Image:Optimusg1passingthematrix.jpg|right|thumb|"Oh, hey, I have this in me now, by the way."]]

Despite the efforts of Perceptor, Optimus Prime's wounds were fatal. Knowing his time had come, Prime passed the Matrix of Leadership, and with it leadership of the Autobots, into the hands of his old friend, the city's commander, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. With his last ounce of energy, he muttered "[['Til all are one]]", then died, his lifeforce becoming one with the ancient wisdom contained in the Matrix, joining the other formers bearers within it. Soon after, when Hot Rod opened the Matrix within the body of the planet-eater, [[Unicron]], Prime 's voice was heard once more, dubbing the transformed Hot Rod "Rodimus Prime", new leader of the Autobots. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

When Rodimus Prime voyaged into the Matrix in search of answers to the mysteries of the alien [[Quintesson]]s, Optimus Prime was among the "spirit guides" who appeared to him and led him on his journey through the origin and history of the Transformer race. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

[[Image:Optimusg1zombie.jpg|left|215px|thumb|"WHERE IS SARAH CONNOR?"]]
Optimus Prime's body was entombed in a massive deep-space mausoleum with the many other fallen Autobots, but his corpse was desecrated by the [[Quintesson]]s in 2006 when they reanimated it as part of an attempt to destroy the Autobots. Pursued by the Decepticons through space, a team of Autobots led by Rodimus Prime took refuge in the mausoleum, where they were confronted by the seemingly-reborn Optimus Prime. Optimus dispatched the pursuing Decepticons, and Rodimus – never truly comfortable with the burden of leadership – happily relinquished the Matrix to his predecessor. At that point, the reprogrammed Optimus turned on the Autobots, stranding them on the mausoleum and blowing it up. The zombie Prime returned to the main Autobot force and reassumed command, intending to lure the Autobot space fleet into a trap that would destroy them all. Hot Rod's Autobots, however, were revealed to have survived the explosion of the mausoleum, and Hot Rod engaged Prime in battle. In the course of the fight, the Matrix began to overpower the Quintesson influence in Prime's mind, and he returned the talisman to Hot Rod, then ordered the rest of the Autobots clear while he piloted his flagship into the Quintessons' trap. As the Autobots watched from a distance, the flagship collided with the booby-trap detonator the Quintessons had placed on an asteroid, triggering the explosion of a nearby sun that apparently took Optimus Prime from them once more. {{storylink|Dark Awakening|Dark Awakening}}

Prime's lifeforce returned to the Matrix, and he was among the spectral figures whose ethereal forms emerged from the talisman when it was stolen by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], warning him to return it to its rightful holder. Galvatron was suitably convinced. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[Image:Roop1_prime_revived.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Optimus Prime was reborn in the electric chair for our sins.]]

While the other Autobots believed that Prime's body had been destroyed in the supernova, in actuality, just before the flagship impacted with the detonator, his remains had been recovered from the craft by two human scientists, [[Jessica Morgan]] and Gregory Swofford, who still blamed Prime for the explosion that scarred him years beforehead. Jessica's father, [[Mark Morgan]], shared Swofford's loathing of the Autobots, and his hatred only grew when, some months later, an attempt by the Decepticons to steal a heat-resistant alloy he had developed resulted in Jessica being paralyzed. Seeking revenge, Swofford and Morgan reconstructed Optimus Prime's body in an attempt to use it as a delivery system for the mysterious spores that had been released from the exploding sun, which induced hatred and madness. However, when they could not reanimate Prime, they used his body as a lure instead, bringing the Autobots to their lab, where they were infected by the spores directly. Rodimus Prime was able to escape infection and made off with Optimus Prime's body, then ordered [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to find him a Quintesson to fully restored Prime to life. Rodimus succumbed to the "[[Hate Plague]]" before Sky Lynx returned, but the airborne Autbot succeeded in his mission, recovering a Quintesson who finally brought Optimus Prime back to life. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

[[Image:Roop2_prime_vs_prime.jpg|left|210px|thumb|Not [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] srsly.]]

The resurrected Prime led a team of Autobots to the Decepticons' base on [[Chaar]] to recover the heat-resistant alloy they had stolen, so that Prime could coat his body in it and make himself impervious to the Hate Plague. Thus protected, Optimus confronted Rodimus and defeated him in battle, reacquiring the Matrix so that he could consult the lifeforces of the ancient Autobots within it for a way to defeat the Hate Plague. Informed by "[[It]]" that the only way to cure the disease was with wisdom, Prime unleashed the concentrated wisdom of the Matrix itself to wipe out the plague. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

In 2007, Optimus Prime began to suffer visions following the release of the Matrix's energy, which foretold a great transformation for Cybertron. Prime realized that the events he had foreseen had begun when the Decepticons' theft of the key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} Prime was forced to consult the spirit of Alpha Trion within [[Vector Sigma]], who informed him that the mega-computer had set these very events in motion in order to restore Cybertron's Golden Age. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}} When the Plasma Energy Chamber was opened and threatened to drive Earth's Sun supernova, Spike Witwicky and the other organic [[Nebulos|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. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

[[Image:Puppetpmprime.jpg|right|thumb|Prime's legal troubles began after he gave Tommy "the Touch". Strangely, the prosecution never even noticed the double entendre.]]

At an undetermined point in time, through unknown circumstances, Optimus Prime was upgraded into a [[Powermaster]] body, and began associating with a human boy named [[Tommy Kennedy]]. Tommy, apparently a resident of Autobot City, interviewed Prime on a variety of topics related to Cybertronian history and lore, sometimes for school assignments, sometimes for historical reference, and sometimes simply for the heck of it. Prime regaled young Tommy with tales of the Autobots' greatest battles; [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|their arrival on Earth]], [[The Transformers: The Movie|Prime's own death and the struggle against Unicron]], [[Five Faces of Darkness|the return of Galvatron and the Quintessons' role in Transformer history]], Prime's [[Dark Awakening|brief revival at the hands of the Quintessons]] as well as his [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|return during the Hate Plague crisis]]. He also recounted the [[The Rebirth|the origins of the Headmasters and Targetmasters]] and, inexplicably, a tale of [[Surprise Party|Ultra Magnus's birthday]].

At this point in his career, Prime 's role seemed to be more of a goodwill ambassador, as he spent much of his time aiding fellow Autobots with minor tasks, like helping [[Joyride (Autobot)|Joyride]] repair a space bridge, refueling [[Sky High (Pretender)|Sky High]], and helping [[Cloudburst]] redesign his retro-rockets.

At one point, a problem with Prime's [[Memory chip|memory chip]] left him incapable of recalling specific details of various historical events. This issue was short-lived, as Tommy Kennedy managed to fix it with a small amount of effort and encouragement. Once, before leaving to attend an intergalactic peace conferences, Prime showed Tommy an informational [[The Touch|music video]] depicting the events surrounding the battle with Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers (cartoon)|Season 5}}
{{-}}

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
[[Image:Madman comic PrimeHotrod.jpg|left|200px|thumb|-Or maybe you're just hepped-up on goofballs, kid.]]
In 2001, Optimus Prime led the Autobot evacuation from the Decepticons' successful conquest of Cybertron, standing as the unflinching rearguard for his fleeing Autobots. Before he left, he secretly met with Ultra Magnus at the site of the future Autobot City to discuss hiding the Matrix of Leadership, against the possibility of Prime's capture or death. Unfortunately, Soundwave had secretly recorded this clandestine meeting and moved to capture the powerful Autobot relic. To the surprise of all, the young Hot Rod managed to defeat Soundwave and secure the Matrix. When the Autobots arrived back on Earth, Optimus Prime learned of Hot Rod's deeds, and as he was handed the Matrix, a mysterious energy from the artifact passed through both Autobots. However, Prime only cryptically stated that perhaps Hot Rod's destiny was greater than the young 'bot himself knew. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the American animated series occur in Japanese continuity as noted above, except that the events of Season 3, which took place in 2006 in America, were moved back to 2010, and "The Rebirth" and subsequent events do not occur. Japanese animated continuity inserts a large number of additional storylines, told through various different media, into the timeline (in particular, between Season 2 and the movie, and between the movie and Season 3), as detailed below.}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic===

[[Image:FightSuperRobotLifeTransformersManga.JPG|right|275px|thumb|From ''AMERICA!'']]

When the Decepticons turned their attention to pillaging the energies of Japan in the late 1980s, Optimus Prime and the Autobots met up with a young Japanese boy named [[Kenji]], whose inventive mind helped them to defeat [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] during an energy raid on [[Tokyo]]. As a token of thanks, Optimus Prime granted Kenji a special communications helmet and made him an official Autobot ally. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

During a Decepticon attack on Autobot Headquarters, Ratchet noticed that Soundwave and his cassettes were nowhere to be seen, so Prime dispatched a unit to Japan to search for them. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}} Not long after, Prime oversaw the early stages of the construction of the Autobots' new transforming battle fortress, [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

While showing Kenji around the Autobots' new Tokyo base, Optimus Prime lamented that he wished his "kid brother" [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] would hurry up and arrive with his trailer upgrade. As he pondered the whereabouts of his sibling, the Decepticons attacked Yokohama. The Autobots hurried to the scene only to encounter an over-powered Megatron in his newest form: the Super Megatron Gun. The Autobots' defeat seemed assured until Magnus arrived with Prime's trailer upgrade, the [[Scramble Power Buster]]. The Scramble Power Buster trumped the might of the Super Megatron Gun, leaving Prime and Magnus to vanquish the Decepticon forces with their combined attack: the Double Cross Kick (basically, them jump-kicking the Decepticons in the spine at the same time). {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}

When the Decepticons created their own counter to Scramble City, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Prime ordered the Aerilabots into battle against the monster on an island utopia. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}} Later, Prime and Magnus again teamed up again to battle the Stunticons and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] when the two Decepticons teams posed as Autobots and besmirched the two commanders' good names. Although Menasor and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]'s [[Decepticon Trailer Brigade|Decepticon Great Wheel]] attack proved a challenge, Prime and Magnus's "Finish Double" attack (suspiciously similar to their Double Cross Kick) soon won the day. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7}}

===Scramble City===

[[Image:Prime_magnus_scramblecity.jpg|left|thumb|"I'm a white you under here."]]

As the 1980s rolled on, the Autobots began an initiative to construct a new battle fortress known as [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]. The facility to construct the fortress was concealed within a cavern and overseen by Ultra Magnus, but when it was discovered by Decepticon spy [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], Megatron ordered the Decepticons to destroy it. Prime led an Autobot counter-offensive, and helped to blast [[Wildrider]] free when the evil Stunticon managed to link up to Superion in an attempt to disable the Aerialbot combiner, but things were looking bleak for the Autobots until the construction of Scramble City was completed. Ultra Magnus activated the battle fortress, which transformed into its robot mode of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to send the Decepticons fleeing. As Prime thanked Ultra Magnus for his quick work, however, Megatron unleashed Trypticon upon the assembled Autobots. {{storylink|Scramble City}}

{{note|This storyline was never concluded, as a second installment of "Scramble City" was never produced.}}
{{-}}

===Full Throttle Scramble Power!===
[[Image:MegatronMangaEnergonMace1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This is why you have that axe, Prime, remember?]]
After Megatron and the Decepticons threatened humanity with their latest death ray, the [[Omega Whip]], Optimus Prime dispatched [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and his human partners, [[Toru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]] to follow the electromagnetic trail and find the Decepticons' hidden base. Hound, Toru and Jenny were then swiftly captured.

Contemplating what to do next, Prime reluctantly dispatched the still-wet-behind-the-ears [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to deal with the [[Stunticon]]s, who were trashing a power plant. The burning justice of [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] ensured his victory.

Prime and a small unit of Autobots then stormed the Decepticon base to rescue their friends. As Hound, Toru and Jenny destroyed the Omega Whip and escaped, Prime and Megatron squared off yet again (with Megatron unleashing his seldomly seen [[energon mace]]). Megatron quickly gained the upper hand in battle...until [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and ''every single Autobot soldier'' arrived as back-up. Megatron and the Decepticons immediately fled.

Toru and Jenny celebrated their success with a public display of affection. Curious, Optimus began to ask them embarrassing questions, swatting Toru in the bottom with his mighty robot finger. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

===''The Stargate Battles''===

[[Image:Stargatebattles_prime_cx_slice.jpg|left|thumb|225px|right]]

In the late 1990s, continued interaction between the Autobots and humankind led to a formal alliance being forged with the American government. Using technology supplied by the Autobots, the government funded the creation of "[[Warp Gate|The Trigger]]", a huge interstellar teleportation system, and Prime participated in a goodwill press conference to announce the creation of the Trigger to the world. Unfortunately, the Trigger soon became a target for the Decepticons, who had allied with a foreign power and used a human agent to gain access to the station. The Autobots were quick to repel the Decepticon attack, but only one member of the Trigger's crew survived. This man, [[Makoto (Stargate Battles)|Makoto]], offered to help the Autobots in any way that he could, and Prime told him that his kind of strength was what the Autobots needed the most. {{storylink|First Contact}}

[[Image:Stargatebattles_prime_megs.jpg|right|225px|thumb]]

Three months later, Optimus Prime helped [[Professor Adle]] test his new [[C-X]] drone, which were designed to resemble Prime himself, by sparring with the remote-controlled robot so that the Professor could gather data on its performance. In the midst of the test, however, the C-X ran amok (in actuality, it had been possessed by the time-tossed ghost of Starscream), and Prime was forced to crush it beneath his trailer and sever its head with his energon-axe to stop it. The grisly scene did little to dissuade the mass of anti-Transformer protestors that had sprung up in recent months, but Prime attempted to placate the crowd by telling them that he did not ''want'' the power he wielded—he ''needed'' it, in order to protect those that could not protect themselves. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

When the Decepticons terrorized Japan with a series of powerful earthquakes, Optimus Prime confronted Megatron amdist the chaos caused by the most powerful tremor yet. The battle ended when a blast from Megatron's fusion cannon sent Prime plummetting to the depths of the ocean, apparently destroyed. {{storylink|Activation}} Subsequently, Starscream's ghost fused with the rebuilt Trigger in an attempted coup, and it was during the monumental space battle that resulted that Prime returned from his seeming demise, borne into space on [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]'s back. After saving Makoto's escape pod from burning up in re-entry, Prime was forced to join when Megatron to defeat the greater threat posed by Starscream, channelling the power of the Matrix through gun-mode Megatron to destroy Starscream and the Trigger in one mighty blast. The Transformers were all caught in the backwash of the explosion, and their flaming bodies were sent tumbling back down to Earth. Although they were not heard from again for many months, Prime and Megatron survived the experience, and their war continued. {{storylink|The Stargate Battles (issue)|The Stargate Battles}}
{{-}}
===''Binaltech''===
In 2003, the Decepticons attacked the Autobots on Earth with a plague of [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]], leaving many of them injured. Consequently, Earth was all but defenseless when Megatron made his big push to fully take over Cybertron in 2004, and Optimus Prime found that he could not spare any troops currently fighting by his side on the Transformers' home planet to send to Earth. To resolve this situation, the Autobots on Earth worked closely with the governments of the world and various car companies on the Binaltech Project, creating advanced new "Binaltech" bodies for the various Autobot warriors damaged by the Cosmic Rust.

In the midst of the Binaltech conflict, the time-travelling [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] attempted to alter history by using the [[Kronosphere]] to teleport Megatron and the Decepticon armada outside of time during a turning-point battle with Prime and the Autobots. This left the Autobots to face the looming threat of [[Unicron]] alone, but as Prime and Ultra Magnus coordinated a last-chance attack against the chaos bringer, Prime dispatched [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] into the past to undo the change made to the timeline. Although Skids was successful in his mission, and the original timeline was restored, the intervention of a mysterious time-travelling entity known as "[[Optimus Primal|the Protector]]" led to the altered, "Binal-Time" timeline also being preserved, as an alternate universe. This, the Protector attested, was due to the fact that the existence of the Binaltech warriors was necessary to preserve the future from which he came.

Unfortunately, this meant that the Autobots of this parallel timeline still had to deal with Unicron, and during the final showdown with the chaos-bringer, Optimus Prime was badly injured. Fearing that he would die, he passed the Matrix to Ultra Magnus, who used it to destroy Unicron, but as chance would have it, Prime recovered from his injuries and resumed leadership. Under the Protector's direction, the Autobots began conducting experiments that would ultimately lead to the future the Protector spoke of, where Transformers would evolve into multiversal-spanning abstract entities known as the "[[Alternity (species)|Alternity]]". When the Protector's spark was stolen by the new Decepticon leader—an evil clone of Optimus known as [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]—Prime engaged his evil doppelganger in battle in Australia. During the fight, the Protector's spark fused with Prime—an experience that Prime found [[Optimal Situation|strangely familiar]]—giving him the power to destroy Nemesis Prime.

===''Robot Masters''===
[[Image:Robotmasters_four_great_commanders.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Also in 2004, the Scramble City project was expanded through the use of the newly-discovered element [[Solitarium]] to involve the construction of a fully-fledged Autobot City on Earth. This coincided with the opening of a dimensional fissure known as the [[Blasty Zone]], which transported the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] through time to the present day. This "Beast Megatron" seized control of the Decepticons, left leaderless by the mysterious absence of the original Megatron, and went up against Optimus Prime and the Autobots for control of the world's solitarium. Uniting with a team of Autobot and Maximal leaders from throughout time and space who also came through the Blasty Zone, Optimus Prime gained the power of an [[Energon Matrix]] and eventually returned all the Transformers to their home time.

{{-}}
{{note|''Robot Masters'' is explicitly placed in the Japanese cartoon continuity by [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Takara's 2007 Transformers timeline]]. However, none of the three pieces of actual ''Robot Masters'' fiction tells the story of the line in its entirety, and each of them relate certain events in notably different ways. Precisely ''which'' of the three—covered individually below—should be considered the [[canon]] one for the cartoon timeline is unknown.}}

====Pack-in comic====

[[Image:Starsaber robotmasters minicomic.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When a creature that seemed to be a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' appeared just outside Autobot City, Optimus Prime and Mirage investigated, and were shocked when the dinosaur transformed into a robot mode and introduced itself as "Beast Megatron". Almost immediately, [[Optimus Primal]] appeared through the Blasty Zone, and he and Optimus Prime charged into battle against Megatron side-by-side. {{storylink|The New Battle Begins!}}

Later, the two Optimuses found themselves in battle against the huge Decepticon warrior, [[Gigant Bomb]], but were unable to hurt him because he had supercharged his armor with Solitarium. The two heroes were flattened by a powerful punch from Gigant Bomb, at which point [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and [[Victory Leo]] appeared to join the fray. The two future heroes merged into Victory Saber and defeated Gigant Bomb, after which Prime and Primal welcomed him to the fold. {{storylink|The Victory Warriors Enter!!}}

====Online comic====

When a mysterious purple dinosaur led the Decepticons in an attack against the Autobots, Optimus Prime demanded to know the identity of the foe he was facing. The creature transformed into robot mode and introduced itself as "Beast Megatron", but Prime did not falter, and bombarded the new villain with heavy fire. Declaring Prime to be "quite the monkey", Megatron announced that the battle had merely served as a introduction, and promptly departed. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Clash! The Two Leaders}}

Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal and [[Road Rocket (G2)|Road Rocket]] were later exploring a large crevase filled with Solitarium when they were attacked by Megatron and [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]]. The two villains detonated the crystals around the Autobots, and while Primal was able to shield them with a huge slab of rock, they were unable to stop the Decepticons escaping with a huge load of Solitarium. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Defend the Solitarium!}}

[[Image:Robotmasters_prime_vs_megses.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]

When new arrival [[Lio Convoy]] was tricked into battling Victory Saber by Megatron, it was Optimus Prime who got between the two combatants and convinced Lio Convoy that they were all on the same side by revealing his Energon Matrix, which glowed in tandem with Lio Convoy's own. The four great commanders teamed up to dispose of the Decepticons lurking nearby, and then they all welcome Lio Convoy to the team. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Together, the 4 Great Supreme Commanders}}

Discovering an unconsious robot outside Autobot City, Prime and the Autobots brought the enigmatic newcomer inside for medical attention. The robot introduced himself as [[Reverse Convoy]] of the planet [[Vehicon (planet)|Vehicon]]. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} Before long, however, Prime's goodwill proved to be misplaced when "Reverse Convoy" captured him, Mirage and Optimus Primal, and revealed himself to actually be the original Megatron, inhabiting Reverse Convoy's body by means of his black hole interlink system. Although the Autobots were saved from the clutches of "Rebirth Megatron" by Victory Saber and Lio Convoy, Prime's greatest enemy had returned. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn}}

Prime led Primal, Victory Saber and Lio Convoy in a mighty battle against the two Megatrons, Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker, during which he had much of his right forearm torn off by Beast Megatron. As both Megatron rushed the injured Prime, he summoned his energon-axe to take the place of his lost fist and slashed the two Decepticons, claiming victory. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|And}}
{{-}}
====Cartoon====

:''Voice actor:'' ? (Japanese)

[[Image:Robomasters g1convoy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Check out my taint!]]

Optimus Prime sped into action to help Victory Saber in battle against Starscream and [[Wingstun]], blasting Wingstun with a sneaky shot from below. Prime then transformed into robot mode and opened fire on Starscream, but was shocked when the plummetting form of the Air Commander was snatched out of the sky by a ''tyrannosaurus rex''. Transforming to robot mode, the dinosaur introduced himself as "Beast Megatron", and revealed that he came from a different dimension, causing Optimus Prime to fear for the integrity of the space-time continuum. Before he could fret any more on the subject, Prime came under attack from Gigant Bomb and [[Smokesniper]], but quickly took refuge in a nearly canyon while Victory Saber handled the twin troublemakers. Prime then engaged Megatron in battle, but was quickly laid low by the newcomer, who called for Gigant Bomb and Smokesniper to finish him off. Instead, however, another strange new Transformer descended from the sky: Optimus Primal! Following Primal's lead, Prime united his energy with Primal's own, and together, they created the powerful "Double Convoy Tornado", which sent Megatron flying. In the aftermath of the battle, Prime thanked Primal for his help, and told him that they would definitely need his power when the Decepticons next attacked. {{storylink|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!}}

Beast Megatron would not relent, and eventually discovered a massive deposit of solitarium beneath [[New York City]]. The Decepticons razed the city in search of the element until Prime and his forces arrived to save the day, this time aided by Lio Convoy and the enigmatic Reverse Convoy. Prime battled Gigant Bomb, Smoke Sniper and Megatron once more, with a little extra firepower courtesy of Victory Saber's V-Lock Cannon, and things were going smoothly until Reverse Convoy revealed himself to actually be the ''real'' Megatron in disguise. Now going by the name Rebirth Megatron, Prime's nemesis teamed with Beast Megatron to conquer their mutual foes. Again, Prime and Primal united their power in the Double Convoy Tornado, but the Megatrons countered it with a tornado of their own. It seemed that the Decepticons' power would overcome the heroes, until Lio Convoy added his energy to the mix, becoming a shining "Lio Typhoon Arrow" that took down the two Megatrons. While the battle was over, however, the war raged on... {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}

===''15 Go! Go!''===
[[Image:TGGStarConvoy.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Hot Rod?! Did you shrink in the wash?"]]
[[Image:TGGLaserPrime.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"How do you think I'd look in black?"]]
Shortly before the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005, an unknown saboteur badly damaged [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s databanks. Optimus Prime notified his Autobots of the attack and issued a command that the information be recovered as soon as possible. "[[Ravage (G1)|Black Panther Man]]", stationed on the artificial Earth satellite [[Nana]], volunteered for the important task and assigned [[Teletraan 15]] to the case.

Teletraan 15 proceeded to travel through time and space on her mission, and encountered future incarnation of Optimus Prime on several occasions. First, she travelled into the future, where [[Micromaster]] [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] saved her from a [[Novaroid]]. As Dark Nova and Ultra Megatron prepared to merge, Prime, in his "Star Convoy" form, arrived and asked Hot Rod to aid him in the coming fight. But before they could start the battle, an interruption came from an unexpected source: [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from a [[Transwarp]] portal and attacked!

On another mission even further into the future, Teletraan 15 and her companion [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] were aboard [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] as he was attacked by the [[Decepticon]] jets [[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]] and [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] on his way to his commander. Fortunately for them, Optimus Prime—now in his [[Laser Rod]] body—appeared and severed Dreadwing's wing with a single mighty slash of his sword. Teletraan 15 thought that he looked sad and wondered if he had learned his sword skills during his [[Kiss Player]] days.
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===''Kiss Players''===
{{note|[[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]] takes place between ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and the third season of the animated series. While there is no particularly large time-gap between these stories in American animated continuity, in Japan, since the third season was moved to 2010 but the movie remained set in 2005, there was a five-year milieu that made room for plenty of new stories to be told.}}

[[Image:Illust.jpg|left|225px|thumb|Optimus is the one on the left. With the dignity.]]

Following Optimus Prime's death in the Battle of Autobot City, Tokyo was devastated when [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] crash-landed on the city after being hurled out of Unicron's body by Rodimus Prime. The death and destruction that resulted caused a massive anti-Transformer sentiment to spring up, epitomized by the formation of the government organization known as the [[Earth Defense Command]], who forced any remaining Transformers on Earth off the planet. Dissatisfaction with the EDC's extreme actions resulted in the formation of an underground resistance group for whom the death of Optimus Prime was a rallying point. Among these commandoes was a young woman [[Marissa Faireborn]], who had been rescued by Optimus Prime back in 1996 when a mission that her [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|soldier father]] had been on had gone bad. Marissa had formed a great friendship with Prime in her childhood, and came to see him as a surrogate father figure, and perhaps a little bit more. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #34}}

[[Image:Kissplayers2 prime marissa.jpg|right|thumb]]

When Prime's corpse was covertly flown to Japan by the EDC, {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 1|Kiss Players #1}} Marissa's commandos attacked the convoy transporting the Autobot leader's body. Believing that they had secured Prime's body, the commandos were taken by surprise and slaughtered by the [[Ne squad]] [[Kiss Player]] [[Ringo Chikuma|Ringo]] and her [[Autrooper]] partner, who burst out of the torso of the decoy Prime body that had been atop the flatbed truck. As the sole surviving member of the squad, Marissa discovered that the true body was being transported within Prime's own trailer nearby. Slicing the trailer open, she was too late to prevent an EDC Autrooper from partially fusing with Prime. Reflecting on her childhood memories of playing with the kindly Autobot leader, Marissa lovingly kissed his faceplate. In an explosion of energy that destroyed the trailer, the two [[ParasiTech|fused]] and Prime was reborn in a new, living body. The pair had become Kiss Players! {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 2|Kiss Players #2}}

Marissa and Prime promptly made themselves scarce, and began travelling together, battling the monstrous creatures known as [[Legion]] that Galvatron's dispersed cells had also produced, while also eluding the EDC. Marissa thought of Prime as her boyfriend, {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #1}} and Prime himself certainly cared for the girl, unwilling as he was to put her in harm's way, despite the prodigious knife-wielding skills that she could share with him via their kiss-fusion. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #4}}

[[Image:Marissa convoy stack.jpg|left|150px|thumb|She prefers the Japanese version's longer stacks.]]

Prime had little use for Marissa's other great skill—surfing—given his own [[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3|experience in that area]], {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #7}} so instead, he found a better use for Marissa's surfboard by using his new powers to transform it into a knife so he could make use of the skills Marissa's fusion gave with him. Marissa was not very happy, {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #10}} but took it in stride, and dubbed the new weapon the "Surfblade". In response, Prime named her shirt "The Three Skulll Brothers," after the image on it. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #16}}

Prime and Marissa had a close relationship, as the girl washed Prime in "intimate" spots like his stick shift and gas tank, {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #19}} and they would go on "dates" together, at one point visiting the seaside, only to wind up in battle with a Legion created from the fusion of an octopus and a shipwreck. Prime regretted that these activites had to be carried out under the cover of night, and vowed that he and Marissa would visit the beach under the light of the sun. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)#CD_collections_and_special_episodes|Someday, Under the Sun}}

[[Image:PrimeKP.jpg|right|225px|thumb|"And THIS is for TRAILBREAKER, who DESERVED to have GOTTEN this MOLD INSTEAD!"]]

Soon, Optimus Prime found himself suffering from a recurring nightmare filled with visions of his old enemy, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. In the grip of one of these hallucinations, Prime lost control of himself and almost crushed Marissa in his fist, but was thankfully able to regain his senses before he hurt her. Marissa and Prime subsequently fused, and were able to corral a legion of Legion for an attack upon the EDC headquarters. They found their way barred by a pair of most unexpected opponents: [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] had returned to Earth and become Kiss Player partners with Marissa's old friend, Shaoshao. Hot Rod believed Prime to be an impostor, and Shaoshao wished to see him dead so that she might "reclaim" Marissa as her friend, having long hated Prime for "stealing" Marissa away from her. Prime and Hot Rod began battling, but EDC Kiss Player [[Atari Hitotonari]] soon entered the fold and broke up the battle. The attack on EDC headquarters was broken off, and Prime and Marissa now found they had to elude Hot Rod and Shaoshao as well as the EDC's force. {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 3|Kiss Players #3}}

[[Image:KPPrimeGoldbug.jpg|left|thumb]]

After viewing a seaside fireworks display for their "last date", {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #34}} Marissa and Prime again launched a Legion-backed attack upon the EDC. This time, however, Marissa, Shaoshao, Atari, Prime and Hot Rod all decided to set their differences aside in order to discover the true, dark secret lurking within the EDC. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #37}} Venturing into the mysterious [[Genital System]] facility hidden beneath the EDC headquarters, the team discovered a mad plot by EDC Comander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]] to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact. Thanks to the efforts of Marissa and her friends, the plan was foiled, the [[anti-electron]] field keeping Transformers off Earth was deactivated, and Galvatron's cells were extracted from the Legions and Kiss Players and reconstituted within his body, which was launched off into space. As a result, Marissa lost her Kiss Player powers, and Prime slipped back into death once more. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)#CD_collections_and_special_episodes|You, I and the Spinning Earth}}

Marissa did get a few chances to see her friend again, however. In 2007, she, Shaoshao and Atari were transported back through time by the [[Sparkbot]]s to 1984 where they witnessed Prime's battle with Megatron atop [[Sherman Dam]]. Although invisible to residents of the past, Marissa was instructed by the Sparkbots to kiss Prime, and when she did so, a piece of what the Sparkbots claimed was the "[[Allspark]]" emerged from within him. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio play #40}} While travelling on through time to search for more pieces of the Allspark, the girls accidentally crashed in 2010 and wound up in the clutches of the [[Quintesson]]s. Prime (and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]]) helped Marissa once more by rescuing her and her friends from death in the fangs of the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Tokyo Toy Festival 2007 live script-reading}} Later still, Shaoshao embarked on a marathon Prime-kissing session (much to her own disgust), quickly jumping through time to kiss Prime in his Star Convoy, "Nucleon Quest," [[Action Master]] and [[Laser Rod]] bodies successively. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio play #44}}
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===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===

[[Image:2010_manga_primes.jpg|right|thumb|300px|And eat your greens or no dessert!]]

After boarding a Decepticon spaceship, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] became trapped by the schemeing Galvatron. Galvatron quickly bested him in combat and Rodimus, badly injured, was ready to give up. Lucky for him, the spirit of Optimus Prime reached out to him from within the Matrix and encouraged him to get up and keep fighting. Inspired by his predecessor, Rodimus Prime outwitted Galvatron, escaped and destroyed their spaceship. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

When the Quintessons reactivated Optimus Prime as a rampaging zombie {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}, they made it a point to copy his schematics while they had the opportunity. Teaming with the Decepticons, they then obtained the schematics of Megatron. Combining the best aspects of both, they created the Colossal Cannon Soldier [[Guiltaur]]. {{storylink|Transformers 2010 (story page)|Transformers 2010 Part 4}}

Guiltaur was then unleashed upon Rodimus Prime and, eventually, Galvatron. The two enemies teamed up and defeated the powerful warrior, with Rodimus swearing to do it in the name of Optimus Prime's honor. With Guiltaur destroyed, it was revealed the behemoth had been controled by the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] all along. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}

===''The Great Transformer War''===

Following his resurrection, in the year 2011, Optimus Prime and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] engaged in a battle against [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and the Decepticons in deep space. Galvatron fled the battle, leaving Hot Rod to request pursuit. Optimus told him not to, and instead to regroup back at [[Athenia]], as he suspected the Decepticons had a much greater scheme in mind. Indeed, Optimus was correct, as Galvatron was preparing for his full-blown invasion of planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===

[[Image:Headmasters_prime_death.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Rodimus finally receives his Nemesis Prime RealDoll.]]

One year after Prime's resurrection, in 2011, the Autobots had entered into an even closer relationship with Earth and began 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. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Prime took a squad of troops to aid in the battle on the planet, and when the arrival of the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|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. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

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 (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|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. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

====''The Headmasters'' manga====
Following Prime's death, a great bronze statue was erected on planet [[Athenia]] in order to memorialize him. Oddly, only [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the [[Headmasters of Justice]] attended its unveiling. Speaking for all the Headmasters, [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] announced that Optimus Prime was the greatest warrior who ever lived. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' and ''Victory'' cartoons===

[[Image:Ginrai_1stapp.jpg|thumb|right|"Well tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be..."]]

Once they had defeated the Decepticons, the Autobots had planned to somehow resurrect their fallen leader, using the technology developed on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] to give him a new body. However, shortly after it had been built, the [[Transtector]] intended for Optimus was among those stolen by the self-proclaimed "Decepticon god" [[Devil Z]]. It was then hidden on Earth where it was eventually found by, and [[Godmaster|bonded with]], a human named [[Ginrai]]. {{storylink|You Too Use the Masterforce to Transform|Shūta and Grand's Masterforce Super Secrets}} The Transtector later gained sentience of its own, which meant that it ultimately could not be used for its intended purpose, {{storylink|A Battle... and Then...}} and later went on to be rebuilt into [[Victory Leo]]. {{storylink|Fight!! Victory Leo}}
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===''The Battlestars'' story pages and comic===
[[Image:PrimeZodiak.jpg|left|225px|thumb|''You got the—'' No, hang on... Nevermind.]]

Over 15 years after his merging with Vector Sigma, Optimus Prime's lifeless body was spirited away in a sinister plot to destroy the Autobots by [[Dark Nova]], the big bad guy du jour. Nova duplicated Prime's body, using the copy to create the evil [[False Convoy]]. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #3}} The elite Autobot team, the [[Battlestars]], defeated False Convoy and retrieved the real Prime's body from Planet [[Lucifer]], and then used the mysterious energy source known as the [[Zodiac]] to restore Prime to life. Transformed into '''Star Convoy''', Prime was also reunited with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], who became his [[Micromaster]] partner. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #4}}

[[Image:Starconvoy magami.jpg|right|thumb|"Occasionally you meet a nice one—Star Convoy, E.T. ... but usually they just turn out to be some kind of big lizard!"]]

After Star Convoy and [[Sixliner]] defeated a swarm of Dark Nova's [[Novaroid|Great Novaroid]] drone warriors, {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #5}} the mysterious creature decided to resurrect Prime's oldest nemesis, and plucked [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] from the icy grave he had been cast into years beforehand by the Autobot Headmasters, recreating him as [[Megatron (G1)|Super Megatron]]. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #6}} The two old foes clashed in battle at the North Pole, with Star Convoy emerging victorious {{storylink|The Battlestars}} but Super Megatron soon returned with an army of [[Galaman|Great Galaman]] drones to back him up. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #7}} Defeated by the "[[Triple Combination Battlestar Attack]]" that combined all the power of Star Convoy, [[Sky Garry (G1)|Sky Garry]] and [[Grandus (ROC)|Grandus]], Super Megatron was again upgraded by Dark Nova into Ultra Megatron. Star Convoy and the Battlestars met him in battle once again, and again, they claimed victory. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #8}}

His pawn having failed him, Dark Nova absorbed Ultra Megatron into his body, transforming them both into the gargantuan "Star Giant". {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #9}} Star Giant proved to be virtually indestructible from the outside until Star Convoy got the bright idea of giving the villain [[Furmanism|the worst case of indigestion he'd ever had]]. Holding Star Giant's massive mouth open, he ordered Sky Garry and Grandus to move in. After all three were swallowed, they began taking Star Giant down from the inside while simultaneously fighting off his various defensive systems. As soon as the trio escaped from Star Giant's interior, the monster exploded, leaving only his head slightly intact. As it happens, Megatron was housed inside Star Giant's noggin and survived the attack. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #10}}

===Nucleon Quest Convoy bio===
Following the defeat of Star Giant, the restoration of Cybertron (following its devastation in 2011) began, but the planet was in the throes of a chronic energy shortage. In order to re-energize the struggling planet, Optimus Prime upgraded himself into a Powermaster by fusing with the Nebulan scientist Hi-Q. Protecting his body with a Phase Modulation Shield, Prime ventured into a black hole to obtain the super-energy Nucleon, which was used to restore Cybertron to its former glory.
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===''G-2'' story pages and pack-in comic===
[[Image:BlasterG2.jpg|left|225px|thumb|The alliance would have lasted if they'd gotten more than one chair.]]
With Cybertron restored, Optimus Prime upgraded himself into a new [[Action Master]] body. Megatron eventually recovered from his defeat and with his sanity circuit fully restored at last, joined with Prime to form the [[Cybertron Alliance]]. Things were good for a little while, as Megatron's attempts at peace were genuinely sincere, and the alliance ushered in what would be called the Second Generation of the Transformers. However, after human soldiers killed one of his dearest comrades, Megatron adopted a new tank body and started the war anew, believing he could bring a more stable peace to the galaxy by ruling it with an iron fist. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|Autobots vs. Decepticons: Combat Secrets }}

[[Image:G2 manga hero prime.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
To counter Megatron, Optimus Prime upgraded his body into a new Missile Trailer mode. Rallying a new wave of Autobot warriors, Optimus diligently repelled Megatron and the Decepticons. In one early encounter, Prime managed to rescue [[Electro]] and [[Volt]] from Megatron by firing his "Matrix Saturn" attack. He immediately recommended that Megatron and all his Decepticons leave the area at once. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #1}} Megatron, of course, refused, and continued his attack. Prime, Electro and Volt combined their firepower, leaving Megatron in a smoke-filled crater. As Electro moved in to administer the killing blow, Megatron emerged from the smoke unscathed, effortlessly plucking Electro up by his head. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #2}} Against Prime's orders, Volt immediately rushed Megatron from behind to free his captured friend. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #4}}

At one point, the secrecy of the Autobot field base became a priority, leaving Megatron to order warriors such as [[Jolt (G2)|Jolt]] to tail other Autobots and locate Prime. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #5}} Prime's location was eventually compromised when [[Skyjack]] slipped past all Autobot radar. Astonished at the Decepticon's stealth, Prime was unable to stop Skyjack from returning to Megatron with his location. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #7}} Meanwhile, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] began to study the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and discovered a new property within it called the [[Reconfiguration Matrix]] which could grant Autobots new powers. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|Optimus Prime of the Autobots has Fallen!}}

[[Image:G2PrimeJustice.jpg|left|thumb|225px|"SHALOM!"]]
Prime and Megatron eventually met to do battle, with Prime coming out on top as Megatron slowly ran low on fuel. Prime offered Megatron one last chance to surrender, but was caught off-guard by [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]], who blasted him in the back with his missile attack, destroying Prime's back-mounted weaponry unit. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #9}} Megatron then ordered [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] and [[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]] to swoop in and finish Prime off before he could recover. The pair of Decepticons proceeded to bomb Prime mercilessly before turning him over to Megatron for the kill. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #10}} With a surprising lack of satisfaction, Megatron blasted Prime to pieces, killing his ancient foe at last. Victorious, Megatron offered Prime a final prayer, only to be interrupted by...Prime! The essences of the previous Autobot Supreme Commanders within the Matrix of Leadership activated the Reconfiguration Matrix to forge him a new body. Optimus Prime became '''Battle Convoy''' and easily trumped Megatron's power. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #13}} {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|Birth of the New Supreme Commander Battle Convoy!}}

Prime and Megatron then agreed to a one-on-one duel following the "Law of Cybertron": total banishment to the defeated and his forces. After a lengthy and painful battle, Prime narrowly managed to best Megatron, forcing him and the Decepticons to retreat into deep space. Prime was last seen wounded, being aided off the battlefield by Volt and Electro. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|The Autobots Triumph in the Battle of Good Vs. Evil!}}
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===e-Hobby ''Generation 2'' storyline===

[[Image:Black_hybrid_prime_manga.jpg|right|thumb]]

When the universe came under threat from an [[Galvatron II|alternate-reality incarnation of Galvatron]], Prime used his [[Reconfiguration Matrix|Reconfiguration Matrix]] to once again transform his body into a form resembling his original. Armed with powerful solar-powered missile launchers created by the Decepticons that were so energy-consumptive that Prime required a sunlight-absorbing [[wikipedia:Black_body|black body]] coating to operate them at full power, Prime put his new body to use rescuing Laser Ultra Magnus from Galvatron's clutches. {{storylink|Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
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[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2009-07-27T12:18:28Z

78.134.67.85: /* Generation 1 cartoon */

Come read the incredibly complex, convoluted, and competing accounts of '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s massive amount of appearances in the [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]!

==Generation 1 cartoon==
:''Voice actors:'' [[Peter Cullen]] (Optimus Prime, English), [[Laurie Faso]] (Orion Pax, English), [[Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese), [[Francis Lax]] (French), [[Hubert Gagnon]] (French Canadian), [[Willi Röbke]] (German), [[Thomas Rau]] (German ''Generation 2''), Diego Reggente (Italian - 1st season and part of 2nd season), Giorgio Melazzi (Italian, 3rd season).

[[Image:Orionpax.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Ariel spends a lot of time hanging around the docks.]]

Optimus Prime began his life as an Autobot named '''Orion Pax''' during the [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] nine million years ago. Together with his girlfriend [[Elita One|Ariel]] and his best friend [[Dion]], Orion was a dock-worker who had the simple job of unloading and storing shipments of energy that came from a power planet up-river. But the times in which Orion lived were strange ones: a new breed of robot had recently appeared on the planet, with strange robot-mode [[flight]] powers that led Orion and Dion to idolize them. Ariel wasn't so sure, having heard rumors that the flying robots' leader had recently perpetrated an attack on an outer city.

[[Image:Wardawn_orion_dies.jpg|left|210px|thumb|Better get used to dying horribly, buddy.]]

One day, Orion was going about work as usual when an unfamiliar group of [[Aerialbot (G1)|five robots]] arrived on the docks, and Orion, wondering if they were new workers, introduced himself and his friends. At that moment, all attentions turned skyward as a group of the flying robots soared by overhead. Both Ariel and the newcomers urged caution in dealing with the fliers, but Orion waved off their concerns, and returned to work. Before long, Orion was shocked when he was approached by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], leader of the flying robots, who claimed to be looking for a place to store his wares. Overcome, Orion showed Megatron around the warehouses and explained that they were used for story energy... at which point Megatron ordered his followers, the [[Decepticon]]s, to attack and steal it all! When Orion took a shot to the shoulder from the Decepticon leader, Ariel rushed to his defense, but was hit by another blast from Megatron. The enraged Orion lunged at Megatron, but was shot down by yet another blast from the Decepticon's cannon.

[[Image:Sfat prime and elita fb.jpg|right|thumb|"No girls allowed"]]

While Megatron and the Decepticons set about pillaging the warehouses, the five robots Orion had met earlier carried his body away, in hopes of finding someone to repair him. They came upon the Cybertronian machinesmith [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], who reluctantly decided to subject Orion to a new reconstruction process he had developed, which would rebuild the Autobots' frail bodies into battle-hardy configurations so that they could battle the Decepticons on even footing. Thus is was that Orion Pax became Optimus Prime, the new leader of the Autobots, and was given the [[Matrix of Leadership]], which Alpha Trion had kept safe since Megatron had killed its [[U-Haul Robot|previous holder]]. While Alpha Trion set to work on rebuilding Ariel into "[[Elita One]]" using Prime's schematics as a basis, Prime confronted Megatron, introducing himself as the Decepticon's "worst nightmare". A mighty battle ensued, which came to an end when the warehouse's fuel stockpiles were blown up by the five enigmatic Autobots, who disappeared. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

Over the following five million years, Optimus Prime led the Autobots in a steady war of attrition that gradually drained Cybertron of almost all of its energy. In order to continue the fight, Prime arranged for an interstellar expedition to search for energy on other planets. Loading his best and brightest aboard a huge [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]], Prime was the last to board, but was stopped by a cry from Elita One, who came running up to the launch platform. Prime told her that he would return for her as soon as he could, but Elita was intent on joining Prime on the mission. No debate was to be had, however, as a Decepticon attack on the platform caused an explosion that seemingly destroyed Elita. Crestfallen, Prime boarded the spacecraft and ordered a take-off, unaware that Elita had, in fact, survived. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}

[[Image:Mtmte1 prime controls.jpg|left|thumb|The Transformers spent four million years in stasis lock because Prime never learned to turn INTO the skid.]]

The Autobots' spacecraft had a troubled flight. After navigating a treacherous asteroid field, the ship was caught in a tractor beam from a [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon space cruiser]] that had been shadowing them, under the command of Megatron himself. Megatron's forces swarmed the Autobot ship, and the two leaders grappled until the G-force of the nearby planet [[Earth]] took hold of the craft, and dragged it down. Although Prime tried valiantly to pull the ship up, it collided with a [[Mount St. Hilary|mountain]] so violently that all the Autobots and Decepticons were knocked offline.

[[Image:Mtmte2_witiwickys_saved.jpg|215px|right|thumb|Water-boarding is unconstitutional]]

Four million years later, in 1984, a volcanic eruption jarred the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], back online, and it set about reviving the Transformers indiscriminately, beginning with the Decepticons. The evil robots soon departed the Ark, but thanks to tremor caused by a petty parting shot upon the ship from [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], the inactive form of Optimus Prime was jostled into the path of Teletraan I's restoration beam. Reconfigured by the computer to transform into a tractor trailer, Prime thanked Teletraan for its efforts with a thumbs-up, and quickly saw to the reactivation of all his fellow Autobots. Wasting no time, Prime led the Autobots in pursuing the Decepticons, who were in the process of attacking an oil rig. Prime and Megatron faced off, but Prime was promptly set upon by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], allowing Megatron to break off the fight and collapse the oil rig with a few well-placed blasts. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Prime quickly rescued a pair of rig workers—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]—and introduced himself and the Autobots to the two grateful humans, who volunteered to help the Autobots learn more about Earth.

[[Image:Mtmte2_shermandam.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Hey, Megatron! Lemme axe you a question!"]]

Next, the Decepticons targeted [[Sherman Dam]], and Prime led the Autobots in an attempt to stop them, battling Megatron atop the dam with his retractable [[energon-axe]]. Distracted by a cry for help from Spike, Prime was knocked off the dam by Megatron, and the Decepticons escaped to carry out their next raid, this time on the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]]. When the Autobots arrived at the mines, Sparkplug and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were sent in to plant an explosive charge that would entomb the Decepticons. When the pair did not return, Prime drove up to the mineshaft and deployed [[Roller]] to investigate. No sooner had Roller entered the mine, however, than the charge went off, and Prime was caught in the blast and hurled off the cliff. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} Prime and Roller both survived the explosion, but unfortunately, so did the Decepticons, who blasted their way free of the collapsed mine took to the air. Prime tried to stop [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] from pursuing the villains, but his old friend would not listen and was shot down. Prime was happy that Ironhide was okay, but reminded him that there was a thin line between being a hero, and being a memory.

[[Image:Mtmte3_prime_combatdeck.jpg|right|225px|thumb|In mere moments, the gun would be destroyed, but the finger would keep right on firing.]]

After the Autobots' attempt to use a phony holographic rocket base to dupe the Decepticons failed, Megatron stood poised to return to Cybertron. Prime called for volunteers for the dangerous mission to stop the Decepticons' blasting off in their new [[Decepticon Headquarters|space cruiser]], and all the Autobots stepped forward, including Spike and Sparkplug. With all his soldiers behind him, Prime led the Autobots into battle once more, and once again faced off with Megatron, this time using the additional firepower of his [[Combat Deck]] against his enemy. When the combat shifted to hand-to-hand, however, Prime was blindsided by [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], affording Megatron the opportunity to call of the fight and instruct the Decepticons to board the cruiser. As the craft took off, emotion got the better of Prime, and in a rare display of short-temperedness and anger, he roared at [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] to hand over his rocket pack. With the pack's additional boost, Prime achieved escape velocity and followed the cruiser into space, but a blast from its artillery hatch sent him plummeting back to Earth. His anger fading to despair, Prime declared that the Decepticons had won... before noticing that [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] was missing. In fact, the invisible Autobot had stowed away aboard the Decepticons' cruiser and sabotaged it from within, causing it to crash back to Earth, into the ocean. Believing the Decepticons aboard destroyed, Prime ordered the Autobots back to the ship, so that they could continue rebuilding it and return to Cybertron themselves. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:Too_prime_truckmode.jpg|left|thumb|225px|The smokestacks were filed down for your safety, kids.]]

One night, months later, before rebuilding was complete, Prime and Ironhide stood looking out at the ocean, and Prime confessed he was not entirely convinced that the Decepticons were gone for good. And he was right: before long, Teletraan I reported an emergency at a solar power plant, and Optimus discovered to his horror that Megatron still lived. Prime led a team of Autobots to drive the villains off, and while they were successful, the Decepticons escaped with a large quantity of energy to send to Cybertron with their new intergalactic "[[space bridge]]" transport system. Spike was captured and nearly sent across the bridge with the energy, but at the last moment, Prime blasted him free of the transport pod and then hurled Megatron into the bridge in his place. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} Megatron was not gone for long, however, and when Prime next faced his eternal enemy, it was for possession of an [[antimatter]] energy formula. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[Image:Divide and conquer.jpg|right|225px|thumb|He was recovering nicely until Bumblebee tripped while carrying his dynamite collection.]]

While searching for any trace of where the Decepticons' space bridge would next materialize, Prime received word of a Decepticon attack on a weapons factory and sped to the scene. In the battle that followed, Prime was badly injured by an exploding computer bank when he shielded the human workers with his body, and was taken back to Autobot Headquarters for repair. Alas, Laserbeak followed the Autobots back to their base, and while Prime was lying on a medical table with his internal mechanisms exposed, the crooked cassette struck, destroying Prime's vital [[cosmotron]] component. A team of Autobots were dispatched to Cybertron recover a replacement cosmotron, but in their absence, the Decepticons initiated an all-out attack on the Autobots. At the last moment, the cosmotron arrived, and the repaired Prime made a dramatic entrance onto the battlefield, challenging Megatron to one-on-one combat and soundly defeating him. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

After leading the Autobots on a mission to the Arctic to stop the Decepticons from draining the energy of the Earth's core, {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Optimus Prime okayed [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s project to create robotic dinosaurs to bolster their forces. Unfortuantely, when the three "[[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]" turned out to be dangerous, simple-minded monsters, Prime ordered them destroyed. Wheeljack was able to talk him down to merely deactivating the Dinobots and sealing them in a cavern in their volcano headquarters... and a good thing, too, since soon after, when Prime and the Autobots were defeated in battle with the Decepticons at the [[Great Falls]], Wheeljack was able to bring the Dinobots back online to save the day. Realizing that "even the wisest of men and machines can be in error", Prime overruled his previous order, and allowed the Dinobots to remain part of the Autobot ranks. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[Image:Grimlockapologize.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Someday, my large friend, [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|the tables will be turned]]."]]

Following a mission to Peru, {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Prime was so impressed with the Dinobot trio's improved performance that he ordered the creation of two more. Unfortunately, Prime would soon learn that the Dinobots were not perfect; left alone to guard a strange energy-rich meteorite, the Dinobots were approached by Megatron, who exploited their simple brains to turn them against Optimus Prime. Soon after, when Prime discovered that the meteorite was unstable and set to explode, he rushed out to warn the Dinobots, only to be attacked by them and taken to Megatron. The Decepticons had also stolen the meteorite, unaware of its impending detonation, and when the space-rock finally exploded, Prime dove into action and shoved the Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to safety. Realizing that Optimus Prime was on the side of the angels, Grimlock apologized, and he and Prime shook hands. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

[[Image:SurfsUp.jpg|right|225px|thumb|There is no way it could be cooler than this...]]

When the Decepticons constructed a massive "space pyramid" in order to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit, that they might exploit the energies released in the chaos that would ensue, Prime attempted to stop Megatron from activating the third and final pylon in the system. Megatron merely laughed, and informed Prime that ''he'' would be the one to activate the pylon – for if he did not, Cybertron would be utterly destroyed! {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Prime was forced to comply and brought the pylon online, but he did not linger on the moral repercussions of his decision, and instead led the Autobots in combating the environmental terrors that Cybertron's orbit unleashed. On top of all this mayhem, the Decepticons had also used [[hypno-chip]]s to mind-control human slaves into helping them gather energy, including Sparkplug Witwicky. Learning that Sparkplug had been taken to work on Cybertron, Prime felt that it would be best if Spike did not find out, only for the boy to overhear him discussing it. Prime permitted Spike to join a team of Autobots that were heading for Cybertron to investigate the source of the Decepticons' mind-control. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Prime then led another team of the Autobots on a mission to stop the construction of a Decepticon hydro-electric generator, cruising into battle on Transformer-sized surfboards. Things came to a head in a huge firefight on a tropical island, during which the Autobots returned from Cybertron with a device that undid the effects of the hypno-chips. Megatron cut his losses and fled with the energy he had gathered, but Prime then opened fire on his craft, blowing up the energy within and creating an explosion powerful enough to thrust Cybertron back out of orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

[[Image:CountdownToExtinction.jpg|left|thumb|... I stand corrected.]]

In the wake of Cybertron's orbit, Optimus Prime and the Autobots set about repairing the damage done to Earth, when an even greater threat emerged: Starscream set an [[Exponential Generator]] to overlord and destroy the planet. For the first time – but not the last – Prime and Megatron were forced to team up for the greater good (or the lesser evil), as Megatron transformed into pistol mode and allowed Prime to wield him so that they could shoot the exponential generator into space and save Earth. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:Tanker throw.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Eat your heart out, Superman.]]

Hearing reports of giant robotic insects in Bali, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots to investigate. The team discovered that the insects in questions were a trio of "[[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]" who had allied themselves with Megatron, and pursued them to an oil refinery the Decepticons were in the process of plundering. In one of his most impressive feats of strength ever recorded, Optimus Prime hoisted an entire oil tanker over his head and hurled it at Megatron. The Insecticons were so awed by this display of strength that they decided to consume the gathered energon and flee, earning them Megatron's ire. Although he considered the day a victory, Prime worried that the Insecticons would inevitable ally themselves with Megatron again. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:HeavyMetalWar Primedefeated.jpg|left|thumb|"I... fell on my keys.. ow."]]

When an unarmed Megatron appeared in front of Autobot Headquarters claiming that he had come only to talk, Optimus Prime agreed to hear him out, and found himself challenged to a one-on-one duel in accordance with Cybertron law. The loser of the duel and his troops would be forced to vacate Earth forever, but Prime confidently and honorably accepted the challenge. Little did Prime realize that Megatron had found a way to imbue himself with the different powers of all his Decepticon troops, and when the battle began, Prime was defeated with shocking speed. Believing that he had simply been unaware of the number of powers at Megatron's command, Prime sorrowfully agreed to leave Earth, much to the other Autobots' chagrin. When they returned to Autobot Headquarters to prepare for their departure, they discovered Megatron's newest warriors, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], in battle with the Dinobots, but Prime refused to get involved, citing the law despite Ironhide's protests. Spike friend [[Chip Chase]] had his suspicions about the battle and used Teletraan I to scan Prime's injuries, revealing Megatron's deception. As the battle had been unlawfully won, Prime was able to disregard the law and lead the Autobots into the battle raging outside. Prime was able to blast the Constructicons' merged form of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] apart with his laser rifle, and the Autobots ganged up on the Decepticons and forced them into a lava-filled crevasse. Prime and Megatron faced off once more, and Prime sent Megatron to join his troops in the magma below. Spike asked if the Decepticons were gone forever, prompting Optimus to wonder aloud... in the vast universe, was anything truly forever? {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:Autobotspike_prime_vs_autobotx.jpg|215px|right|thumb]]

As 1985 rolled in, Optimus Prime found himself on the receiving end of the fury of "Autobot Spike", as he struggled to bring the young Witwicky back to his right mind after his consciousness was implanted in a [[Autobot X|robot body]]. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} Later, when Megatron threatened the stability of the [[sun]] with his [[Solar Needle]], Prime was caught off guard by the Decepticon leader and wound up staring down his fusion cannon. Megatron ordered the other Autobots to lay down their weapons, but Prime told them to leave him to his fate and destroy the needle. Refusing to risk their commander's life, the Autobots complied with Megatron's wishes, but Prime found a way out of the situation by requesting a last wish: he asked [[Gears]], who had been rendered totally subservient by the removal of one of his circuit cards, to destroy the Solar Needle for him, and the deed was done before Megatron could do anything about it. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

[[Image:Cos prime disassembled.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"The seller promised he was mint!"]]

Responding to reports of Decepticon activity in New York City, Optimus Prime was captured by the evil robots and disassembled into his component parts by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]]. The Autobots were able to recover their leader's head, but the other parts of his body had been rebuilt into an [[alligatorcon]] that the Autobots were forced to defeat and disassemble in order to restore him. Even after his body was rebuilt, Prime was still missing his right arm, which had been mounted as a laser turret on the top of the [[Empire State Building]]. Luckily, Prime was able to remote-control his arm, and used it to blast Devastator off the building, after which the Autobots reclaimed and re-attached Prime's errant limb. {{storylink|City of Steel}} The Decepticons were not done trying to manipulate Prime for their own ends, however; for their next evil scheme, they attacked his mind instead of his body, using a [[personality destabilizer]] to turn Prime and his fellow Autobots to the side of evil. Sparkplug was able to rig up [[attitude exchanger]]s to restore the Autobots to normal, but Prime was able to avoid being tagged by the devices by splitting up into his three components and bedeviling the Autobots on three fronts. Finally, Bumblebee took it upon himself to charge into Prime, and succeeded in restoring his leader's mind. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}}

[[Image:Dotm_prime_vs_torq3.jpg|right|215px|thumb]]

Numerous crazy gadgets formed the backbone of Prime's next few adventures, as he battled the Decepticons for control of [[electro-cell]]s, {{storylink|Traitor}} had to convince Ironhide to remain with the Autobots when his old friend botched a mission involved Wheeljack's new [[Immobilizer]], {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} and found himself temporarily trapped in truck mode by the [[Transfixatron]] when he and the other Autobots participated in the "Autobot Run" charity race. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Later, when the Decepticons allied themselves with the [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns and attacked [[Washington, D.C.]], Prime was felled by a blast from an anti-Transformer disruptor ray created by the Sub-Atlantican king, [[Nergill]]. Prime's diodes were pulled out of the laser fire by the fortunate arrival of Grimlock and the Dinobots, and the Dinobot leader didn't hesitate to point out that fact. Prime then transported the Dinobots to Sub-Atlantica in his trailer, and unleashed them upon the fish-men with the order to "act prehistoric!" {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

When Megatron took control of the super computer [[TORQ III]], Prime gave a particularly good account of himself, duping and defeating the addled computer almost single-handedly, besting Megatron in hand-to-hand combat and destroying his remote control device, and saving [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] and Spike from a sinking oil platform. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} The Decepticons struck back with another plot that involved controlling an Earth machine; even Optimus Prime found himself outmatched by the robotic ninja [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], and his attempts to reason with the lifeless construct fell on deaf ears. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:Primeproblem prime and clone.jpg|left|215px|thumb|"Oh noes! If only there were some way to tell them apart! [[Matrix of Leadership|Sacred lifeforce]]? What?"]]

As part of a plot to lead the Autobots to their doom in a crevasse of [[korlonium crystal]]s, Megatron created a [[Optimus Prime clone|perfect clone of Optimus Prime]], which he could remote control from a distance. Despite the Prime clone's blatantly odd behavior, the Autobots were unable to tell the difference between the two Primes, so they staged several contests in hopes of identifying the true Prime through his skills. Unfortunately, a sharp-shooting test and a race yielded no results, and the Autobots were forced to table the debate and go into battle against the Decepticons with both Primes. To fully complete the illusion, Megatron proceeded to create a clone of Starscream, which his Prime clone then destroyed, convincing the Autobots that it was the genuine article. Unfortunately, Megatron promptly blew his ruse by dismissing Spike's safety as unimportant, and all of the Autobots immediately turned on the clone and blew it to smithereens. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

[[Image:Dinobotisland jetpacks.jpg|right|215px|thumb]]

Next, Prime found himself allying with Megatron on two separate occasions, first to prevent the destruction of the Earth with a Decepticon attempt to drill to the planet's core went awry {{storylink|The Core}}, and then again when the Insecticons drained the [[Nova Power Core|power core]] of the [[Nova Power Station]] and grew in size and power. In the latter instance, Prime again wielded Megatron in gun mode to shoot capsules of antidote into the Insecticons, shrinking them back to normal before they exploded. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

After another disastrous Dinobot rampage in Autobot Headquarters, Optimus Prime ordered the Dinobots to relocate to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], a strange prehistoric paradise the Autobots had just recently discovered. Unfortunately, the Decepticons followed the Dinobots there and began draining the island's rich sources of energy, disrupting the fabric of space and time and causing humans and other creatures from throughout time to materialize in the present day. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Prime put his trailer to use as a holding pen for a herd of woolly mammoths, and after the prehistoric pachyderms were returned to their home time, he donned a jetpack and led a team of Autobots to Dinobot Island to stop the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

[[Image:Master builders prime basketball.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Red bots can't jump.]]

In the midst of some basketball lessons from Spike, Prime was approached by [[Grapple]] with a design for a solar power tower, but was forced to forbid its construction on the basis that it had no means of defense against a Decepticon attack. Consumed with a desire to build the tower, Grapple and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] wound up allying with the Constructicons to construct the tower, only to be promptly turned on and entombed within it once it was complete. Prime and the Autobots rescued them, and while Prime accepted their apologies, he still had them clear up the wreckage of the tower as punishment. {{storylink|The Master Builders}}

Optimus Prime later helped test Wheeljack's new [[Negavator]] weapon and had to deal with a paranoid [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} then found himself faced with a super-powered Megatron when the Decepticon leader boosted his systems with the [[Heart of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Microbots}}

[[Image:Masterplan2_autobots_on_trial.jpg|right|215px|thumb|A collection of G1 Transformers toys, sold to the [[Megatron (G1)|psychotic robotic madman offscreen]].]]

After helping to save [[Central City (G1)|Central City]]'s new solar energy facility from Decepticon attack, Optimus Prime and the Autobots were honored at city hall, but the ceremony turned sour when the mayor's rival, [[Shawn Berger]], framed the Autobots for raiding an oil field using a video tape faked by the Decepticons (which featured a costumed Starscream playing the role of Prime). Prime and the Autobots were called to trial and found guilty of crimes against Earth, and Prime reluctantly accepted the court's ruling that they leave Earth and return to Cybertron aboard a craft supplied by Berger. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Prime soon regretted his decision and ordered [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] to turn the rocket around, only to discover that Megatron had set it to collide with the sun and destroy them all. Thanks to [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s force field, Prime and the Autobots survived the explosion of their rocket, and returned to Earth to clear their names. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

When Optimus Prime attended [[Professor Greene]]'s demonstration of his new [[Ultra-Plane]], the Decepticons attacked and destroyed the new weapon. In the battle that resulted, the Autobots and Decepticons began to suffer sudden system malfunctions that were quickly deduced to be a result of the [[cybertonium]] in their systems degenerating after four million years on Earth. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Spike and his girlfriend [[Carly]] braved a perilous journey to Cybertron, recovering enough cybertonium to repair the Autobots, and were appointed honorary Autobots by Prime for their efforts. {{Storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[Image:Goldenlagoon_prime_perceptor.jpg|left|225px|thumb| Rare [[Lucky Draw]] Optimus and Perceptor.]]

Optimus Prime was particularly exasperated with Blaster when he broadcast a rock concert back into the Autobot base, partially because of the ungodly noise, but mostly because it meant that the Autobots failed to receive a distress call from [[Professor Haley]], whose [[Voltronic Galaxer]] device had been stolen by the Decepticons. It was with Blaster's help, however, that Prime then bested Megatron in a battle on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], and so he allowed Blaster to turn Megatron's moonbase into a radio station that he could broadcast from. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

Prime later led the Autobots in battle for control of the [[electrum|golden lagoon]], {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} then found himself playing the role of tech-support as he talked [[Talaria]] through the activation of [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]'s signal beacon via a communications channel when the space-faring Autobot was stranded on [[Titan]]. Prime intended to go to Titan and rescue Cosmos himself, but Red Alert urged against it, and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] wound up going in his place.{{storylink|The God Gambit}} Prime later agreed to help the NYPD bust a carjacking ring headed up by the [[Geddis brothers]], leading to another confrontation with the Geddis's secret allies, the Decepticons. {{storylink|Make Tracks}}

[[Image:Childsplay_aron_and_prime.jpg|right|thumb| Aron just finished his cartoon accurate Optimus kitbash.]]

When the Decepticons attempted to turn a baseball stadium into a new space bridge, the mechanism malfunction, teleporting Prime, Bumblebee, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and a quartet of Decepticons to an alien planet inhabited by giants. Prime took the diplomatic approach, introducing himself and the Autobots to [[Aron]], the alien boy into whose room they had been transported, and Aron then helped his new friends evade capture and dissection by the planet's authorities. Following a riotous sewer-surfing journey back to Aron's house, the Autobots departed the planet in a toy rocket ship Perceptor had rewired. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} On the return journey to Earth, however, the Autobots were captured by the alien gambler [[Bosch]], who brainwashed them all, save Smokescreen, and sold them to [[Lord Gyconi]] on the asteroid resort of [[Monacus]]. Prime was pitted against an [[animalian]] in a gladiatorial battle for Gyconi's patrons' amusement before Smokescreen and Bosch secured the Autobots' freedom and restored their minds. {{storylink|The Gambler}} Upon his return to Earth, Optimus Prime faced the menace of the [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

When reports came in of the Constructicons mining an asteroid out in space, Optimus Prime requested that Omega Supreme investigate. The asteroid proved to be an egg containing an [[asteroid bird alien|alien bird monster]], which emerged and began attacking [[San Francisco]], but Omega ignored Prime's orders to intervene and shut off his communicator in mid-battle, preferring to seek revenge against the Constructicons. Prime was forced to intervene, getting between Omega and his quarry and finally convincing the giant Autobot to help dispose of the alien, on the basis that there were more important things in life in than revenge. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

Outfitted with a special coating of insulation to protect himself, Prime led a small team of Autobots to Japan to stop Megatron's latest creation, the demented energy imp known as [[Kremzeek]]. When the Autobots finally got the better of the crazy creature, Prime had to regretfully order his destruction. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[Image:Primetarget_beast_of_borneo.jpg|left|thumb|Bad touch!]]

After receiving a distress signal from the planet of [[Tlalakan]]s, Prime ordered a team of Autobots to investigate, but was unable to go himself as he was too large for Cosmos to carry. {{storylink|Sea Change}} Later, when Megatron, Starscream, [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] began feuding for Decepticon leadership, Prime was greatly amused by the whole thing, calling it a "domestic squabble" and taunting Megatron by dismissing him so he could fight the "real" leaders of the Decepticons. Prime kept the other Autobots from getting involved in the battle, and sure enough, the Decepticons wound up knocking the fight out of each other. The other Autobots agreed there was only one leader for them, and formed a throne out of their bodies for Prime to sit upon, but Prime said he preferred to roll. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}}

Optimus Prime's fame and prowess loon led him to become the target of the demented big-game hunter, [[Lord Chumley]], who sought Prime's head to go along with his other rare trophies. Chumley captured several Autobots in order to lure Prime to his estate, and of course, the Autobot leader no choice but to comply. Battling his way through a mock-up of Cybertron itself against all kind of bizarre traps and creatures, from a ferocious [[dragon]]-like beast, to several robotic arachnids, to the interfering Astrotrain and Blitzwing, Prime succeeded in freeing his Autobot comrades, capturing Chumley, and delivering him to the authorities. {{storylink|Prime Target}}

[[Image:G1 Prime Elita energy transfer.JPG|right|220px|thumb|Oh look. Optimus Prime is having robo-sex with his sister. Better get used to seei- whoa, wait a minute.]]

Prime received the shock of his life when Megatron contacted him to inform him that Elita One was still alive, and had been captured by his Decepticons on Cybertron. Prime immediately departed for Cybertron to rescue her, but walked straight into the trap that had been laid for him, and was trussed up by the Decepticons and dangled above a vat of acid. Just as Prime was dropped, Elita used her secret power to stop time, freezing Prime in mid-air and pulling him to safety. Unfortunately, the use of her power drained almost all of her life-force, leaving her on the brink of death, so Prime loaded her aboard his trailer and set out in search of Alpha Trion, in the hope that the ancient Autobot could heal her. In the process, Prime rediscovered his own forgotten connection to his creator, when Alpha Trion shocked him with intimate knowledge of his and Elita's systems by telling him that only his own power supply could properly interface with Elita's. Prime gave Elita the power transfusion necessary to save her life, and the two lovers then joined the other Autobots in fighting off the Decepticons. Prime regretted that they had to part ways again, but Elita knew that she had to continue the fight against the Decepticons on Cybertron. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}

[[Image:Ktvs_prime_and_trion.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Optimus was just in time to keep Alpha Trion from falling for the Nigerian e-mail scam.]]

Optimus Prime had little to do in the mission to rescue [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]] from the Decepticons, merely offering theories and passing along information to Powerglide, {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}} but took to the fore again when Megatron created the [[Stunticon]]s to combat the Autobots on the roads. Realizing that Megatron would have to use the Cybertronian mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] to bring the Stunticons to life, Prime took a team of Autobots to Cybertron, where they sought the aid of Alpha Trion in navigating the planet's catacombs to find the way to the computer. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} Unfortunately, Megatron made it to the computer first and brought the Stunticons online, so Prime proposed the creation of a team of jets known as the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] as a countermeasure. With Vector Sigma's [[Key to Vector Sigma|activation key]] in Megatron's clutches, Alpha Trion proposed that he merge with Vector Sigma to bring the computer back online. Prime refused, knowing it would mean the end of his creator's life, but Alpha Trion insisted that he be allowed to sacricice himself so that the Aerialbots could live. The Autobots and Aerialbots returned to Earth, where they stopped Megatron from using the key to Vector Sigma to convert the planet into a metal sphere. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:Cosmicrust_prime_and_perceptor.jpg|right|215px|thumb|"Perceptor, what happened?"
"It's... rust."
"But it looks like..."
"Rust."
"But it smells like..."
"RUST!"]]

When Megatron attempted to send the Aerialbots back to the dawn of time using the [[kronosphere]] time machine, Optimus Prime blasted the device before it could complete its evil work, depositing the Aerialbots nine million years in the past. Prime and the other Autobots fended off a Decepticon attack while Wheeljack rebuilt the kronosphere, and the five airborne Autobots were returned to the present just in time to turn the tide of battle. In the aftermath of the conflict, when the Aerialbots were able to refer to him with his old name of Orion Pax, Prime realised that it had been the time-tossed Aerialbots who have saved him from Megatron and brought him to Alpha Trion to be rebuilt all those millions of years ago. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

When Perceptor was kidnapped by the Decepticons and infected with the contagious [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] , Prime risked his own safety to single-handedly rescue the scientist, and wound up being infected in the process, just as Megatron had planned. Even infected, Prime met Megatron in battle while the Autobots retrieved the cure to the disease, and the Autobots won the day yet again. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:RevengeofBruticus Primefiringguns.jpg|left|thumb|Being a hero is all about dramatic lighting. And two-fisted violence.]]

When another power struggle between Megatron and Starscream erupted, Prime was once again quite happy to ignore the whole messy affair until Starscream and his newly-built [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] attacked the unveiling ceremony for a [[Optimus Prime Memorial|memorial]] to Optimus Prime himself (rather oddly being built while he was still alive) and kidnapped Jazz and Cliffjumper. In the midst of a battle between Megatron and Starscream's force, Prime led the Autobots in rescuing their teammates. Starscream and the Combaticons were subsequently defeated and exiled from Earth, {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} but that just made matters worse, as they headed for Cybertron, conquered the planet, and used the space bridge to alter Earth's orbit and send it spiralling towards the sun. Both Autobots and Decepticons needed to use the space bridge to travel to Cybertron and stop Starscream's plan, but the Insecticons damaged the control panel, requiring Prime to donate some of his own circuitry to the repair effort, on the condition that Megatron did the same. With the bridge restored, Prime and Megatron lead a united team of Autobots and Decepticons to stop Starscream and the Combaticons and save the Earth. Prime was led to believe that he had destroyed the Combaticons at the battle's end, but in reality, had been duped by a holographic projection so that Megatron could reprogram the new Decepticons to serve him. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[Image:Masquerade_prime_vs_mmaster.jpg|right|230px|thumb|You re-enacted this scene countless times as a kid. You know you did.]]

After leading a team of Autobots to save the Aerialbots from a Combaticon attack in the Middle East {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} Prime led another effort to stop the Stunticons from stealing the components Megatron needed for his latest super-weapon. Prime survived a head-on collision with [[Motormaster]] (although he definitely decided it was something he would prefer not to go through again) and then disguised himself as the Stunticon leader in an effort to learn what Megatron's plan was. Accompanied by a team of four other Autobots disguised as the other Stunticons, Prime was able to infiltrate the Decepticon camp, but had not counted on the real Stunticons escape Autobot capture and exposing their deception. The Autobots abandoned their disguises when Megatron assembled the components into his new laser weapon, but it turned out that Optimus had sabotaged the device, and it blew up in Megatron's face. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In his final recorded adventure in the 20th century, Prime dispatched Ironhide, Gears and Bumblebee to investigate a disturbance at [[Benjamin Franklin Pierce High School]], where a group of students had stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to attack the Autobots with a gravity disruptor beam. Prime rallied the Autobots to fight off the Decepticons, and thanked the humans for their help. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:Tftm_prime_megs_finalblow.jpg|left|260px|thumb]]

Over the course of the next twenty years, the Decepticons turned their attentions away from Earth, and succeeded in seizing control of all of Cybertron. The Autobots were forced off the planet and founded [[Autobot City]] on Earth, in addition to two staging bases on Cybertron's moons. At some point during this period of time, Prime was known to have battled Megatron in a laboratory on Earth, causing an explosion that scarred scientist [[Gregory Swofford]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

In the Earth year 2005, Optimus Prime was stationed on [[Moonbase One]], and dispatched troops to Earth to acquire energy for an upcoming strike to take back Cybertron. The Decepticons, however, got wind of the plan and attacked the shuttle, killing its occupants. Their scheme was to use the shuttle to stage a [[Battle of Autobot City|surprise attack on Autobot City]]; an attack which would have succeeded, if not for a distress call which summoned Optimus Prime and support troops to Earth. Declaring that Megatron would have to stopped, "no matter the cost", Prime bravely plowed through the remaining Decepticon ranks before confronting Megatron in a climactic one-on-one battle. Despite a gash being torn in his side, Prime gained the upper hand in the battle and was poised to deliver a killing blast when the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] leapt into the middle of the fight, having spotted that Megatron was reaching for a gun. Unfortunately, Megatron overpowered the youth and used him as a shield, preventing Prime from taking his shot, and opening fire with the gun, blasting Prime in his wound. Prime fell, and Megatron stood over him, about to deliver the final blow, but at the last moment, Prime summoned up all his strength and hurled Megatron off the platform on which they battling. With Megatron bested, the Decepticons fled, as the other Autobots flocked to the side of the wounded Prime.

[[Image:Optimusg1passingthematrix.jpg|right|thumb|"Oh, hey, I have this in me now, by the way."]]

Despite the efforts of Perceptor, Optimus Prime's wounds were fatal. Knowing his time had come, Prime passed the Matrix of Leadership, and with it leadership of the Autobots, into the hands of his old friend, the city's commander, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. With his last ounce of energy, he muttered "[['Til all are one]]", then died, his lifeforce becoming one with the ancient wisdom contained in the Matrix, joining the other formers bearers within it. Soon after, when Hot Rod opened the Matrix within the body of the planet-eater, [[Unicron]], Prime 's voice was heard once more, dubbing the transformed Hot Rod "Rodimus Prime", new leader of the Autobots. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

When Rodimus Prime voyaged into the Matrix in search of answers to the mysteries of the alien [[Quintesson]]s, Optimus Prime was among the "spirit guides" who appeared to him and led him on his journey through the origin and history of the Transformer race. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

[[Image:Optimusg1zombie.jpg|left|215px|thumb|"WHERE IS SARAH CONNOR?"]]
Optimus Prime's body was entombed in a massive deep-space mausoleum with the many other fallen Autobots, but his corpse was desecrated by the [[Quintesson]]s in 2006 when they reanimated it as part of an attempt to destroy the Autobots. Pursued by the Decepticons through space, a team of Autobots led by Rodimus Prime took refuge in the mausoleum, where they were confronted by the seemingly-reborn Optimus Prime. Optimus dispatched the pursuing Decepticons, and Rodimus – never truly comfortable with the burden of leadership – happily relinquished the Matrix to his predecessor. At that point, the reprogrammed Optimus turned on the Autobots, stranding them on the mausoleum and blowing it up. The zombie Prime returned to the main Autobot force and reassumed command, intending to lure the Autobot space fleet into a trap that would destroy them all. Hot Rod's Autobots, however, were revealed to have survived the explosion of the mausoleum, and Hot Rod engaged Prime in battle. In the course of the fight, the Matrix began to overpower the Quintesson influence in Prime's mind, and he returned the talisman to Hot Rod, then ordered the rest of the Autobots clear while he piloted his flagship into the Quintessons' trap. As the Autobots watched from a distance, the flagship collided with the booby-trap detonator the Quintessons had placed on an asteroid, triggering the explosion of a nearby sun that apparently took Optimus Prime from them once more. {{storylink|Dark Awakening|Dark Awakening}}

Prime's lifeforce returned to the Matrix, and he was among the spectral figures whose ethereal forms emerged from the talisman when it was stolen by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], warning him to return it to its rightful holder. Galvatron was suitably convinced. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[Image:Roop1_prime_revived.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Optimus Prime was reborn in the electric chair for our sins.]]

While the other Autobots believed that Prime's body had been destroyed in the supernova, in actuality, just before the flagship impacted with the detonator, his remains had been recovered from the craft by two human scientists, [[Jessica Morgan]] and Gregory Swofford, who still blamed Prime for the explosion that scarred him years beforehead. Jessica's father, [[Mark Morgan]], shared Swofford's loathing of the Autobots, and his hatred only grew when, some months later, an attempt by the Decepticons to steal a heat-resistant alloy he had developed resulted in Jessica being paralyzed. Seeking revenge, Swofford and Morgan reconstructed Optimus Prime's body in an attempt to use it as a delivery system for the mysterious spores that had been released from the exploding sun, which induced hatred and madness. However, when they could not reanimate Prime, they used his body as a lure instead, bringing the Autobots to their lab, where they were infected by the spores directly. Rodimus Prime was able to escape infection and made off with Optimus Prime's body, then ordered [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to find him a Quintesson to fully restored Prime to life. Rodimus succumbed to the "[[Hate Plague]]" before Sky Lynx returned, but the airborne Autbot succeeded in his mission, recovering a Quintesson who finally brought Optimus Prime back to life. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

[[Image:Roop2_prime_vs_prime.jpg|left|210px|thumb|Not [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] srsly.]]

The resurrected Prime led a team of Autobots to the Decepticons' base on [[Chaar]] to recover the heat-resistant alloy they had stolen, so that Prime could coat his body in it and make himself impervious to the Hate Plague. Thus protected, Optimus confronted Rodimus and defeated him in battle, reacquiring the Matrix so that he could consult the lifeforces of the ancient Autobots within it for a way to defeat the Hate Plague. Informed by "[[It]]" that the only way to cure the disease was with wisdom, Prime unleashed the concentrated wisdom of the Matrix itself to wipe out the plague. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

In 2007, Optimus Prime began to suffer visions following the release of the Matrix's energy, which foretold a great transformation for Cybertron. Prime realized that the events he had foreseen had begun when the Decepticons' theft of the key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} Prime was forced to consult the spirit of Alpha Trion within [[Vector Sigma]], who informed him that the mega-computer had set these very events in motion in order to restore Cybertron's Golden Age. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}} When the Plasma Energy Chamber was opened and threatened to drive Earth's Sun supernova, Spike Witwicky and the other organic [[Nebulos|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. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

[[Image:Puppetpmprime.jpg|right|thumb|Prime's legal troubles began after he gave Tommy "the Touch". Strangely, the prosecution never even noticed the double entendre.]]

At an undetermined point in time, through unknown circumstances, Optimus Prime was upgraded into a [[Powermaster]] body, and began associating with a human boy named [[Tommy Kennedy]]. Tommy, apparently a resident of Autobot City, interviewed Prime on a variety of topics related to Cybertronian history and lore, sometimes for school assignments, sometimes for historical reference, and sometimes simply for the heck of it. Prime regaled young Tommy with tales of the Autobots' greatest battles; [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|their arrival on Earth]], [[The Transformers: The Movie|Prime's own death and the struggle against Unicron]], [[Five Faces of Darkness|the return of Galvatron and the Quintessons' role in Transformer history]], Prime's [[Dark Awakening|brief revival at the hands of the Quintessons]] as well as his [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|return during the Hate Plague crisis]]. He also recounted the [[The Rebirth|the origins of the Headmasters and Targetmasters]] and, inexplicably, a tale of [[Surprise Party|Ultra Magnus's birthday]].

At this point in his career, Prime 's role seemed to be more of a goodwill ambassador, as he spent much of his time aiding fellow Autobots with minor tasks, like helping [[Joyride (Autobot)|Joyride]] repair a space bridge, refueling [[Sky High (Pretender)|Sky High]], and helping [[Cloudburst]] redesign his retro-rockets.

At one point, a problem with Prime's [[Memory chip|memory chip]] left him incapable of recalling specific details of various historical events. This issue was short-lived, as Tommy Kennedy managed to fix it with a small amount of effort and encouragement. Once, before leaving to attend an intergalactic peace conferences, Prime showed Tommy an informational [[The Touch|music video]] depicting the events surrounding the battle with Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers (cartoon)|Season 5}}
{{-}}

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
[[Image:Madman comic PrimeHotrod.jpg|left|200px|thumb|-Or maybe you're just hepped-up on goofballs, kid.]]
In 2001, Optimus Prime led the Autobot evacuation from the Decepticons' successful conquest of Cybertron, standing as the unflinching rearguard for his fleeing Autobots. Before he left, he secretly met with Ultra Magnus at the site of the future Autobot City to discuss hiding the Matrix of Leadership, against the possibility of Prime's capture or death. Unfortunately, Soundwave had secretly recorded this clandestine meeting and moved to capture the powerful Autobot relic. To the surprise of all, the young Hot Rod managed to defeat Soundwave and secure the Matrix. When the Autobots arrived back on Earth, Optimus Prime learned of Hot Rod's deeds, and as he was handed the Matrix, a mysterious energy from the artifact passed through both Autobots. However, Prime only cryptically stated that perhaps Hot Rod's destiny was greater than the young 'bot himself knew. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the American animated series occur in Japanese continuity as noted above, except that the events of Season 3, which took place in 2006 in America, were moved back to 2010, and "The Rebirth" and subsequent events do not occur. Japanese animated continuity inserts a large number of additional storylines, told through various different media, into the timeline (in particular, between Season 2 and the movie, and between the movie and Season 3), as detailed below.}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic===

[[Image:FightSuperRobotLifeTransformersManga.JPG|right|275px|thumb|From ''AMERICA!'']]

When the Decepticons turned their attention to pillaging the energies of Japan in the late 1980s, Optimus Prime and the Autobots met up with a young Japanese boy named [[Kenji]], whose inventive mind helped them to defeat [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] during an energy raid on [[Tokyo]]. As a token of thanks, Optimus Prime granted Kenji a special communications helmet and made him an official Autobot ally. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

During a Decepticon attack on Autobot Headquarters, Ratchet noticed that Soundwave and his cassettes were nowhere to be seen, so Prime dispatched a unit to Japan to search for them. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}} Not long after, Prime oversaw the early stages of the construction of the Autobots' new transforming battle fortress, [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

While showing Kenji around the Autobots' new Tokyo base, Optimus Prime lamented that he wished his "kid brother" [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] would hurry up and arrive with his trailer upgrade. As he pondered the whereabouts of his sibling, the Decepticons attacked Yokohama. The Autobots hurried to the scene only to encounter an over-powered Megatron in his newest form: the Super Megatron Gun. The Autobots' defeat seemed assured until Magnus arrived with Prime's trailer upgrade, the [[Scramble Power Buster]]. The Scramble Power Buster trumped the might of the Super Megatron Gun, leaving Prime and Magnus to vanquish the Decepticon forces with their combined attack: the Double Cross Kick (basically, them jump-kicking the Decepticons in the spine at the same time). {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}

When the Decepticons created their own counter to Scramble City, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Prime ordered the Aerilabots into battle against the monster on an island utopia. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}} Later, Prime and Magnus again teamed up again to battle the Stunticons and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] when the two Decepticons teams posed as Autobots and besmirched the two commanders' good names. Although Menasor and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]'s [[Decepticon Trailer Brigade|Decepticon Great Wheel]] attack proved a challenge, Prime and Magnus's "Finish Double" attack (suspiciously similar to their Double Cross Kick) soon won the day. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7}}

===Scramble City===

[[Image:Prime_magnus_scramblecity.jpg|left|thumb|"I'm a white you under here."]]

As the 1980s rolled on, the Autobots began an initiative to construct a new battle fortress known as [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]. The facility to construct the fortress was concealed within a cavern and overseen by Ultra Magnus, but when it was discovered by Decepticon spy [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], Megatron ordered the Decepticons to destroy it. Prime led an Autobot counter-offensive, and helped to blast [[Wildrider]] free when the evil Stunticon managed to link up to Superion in an attempt to disable the Aerialbot combiner, but things were looking bleak for the Autobots until the construction of Scramble City was completed. Ultra Magnus activated the battle fortress, which transformed into its robot mode of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to send the Decepticons fleeing. As Prime thanked Ultra Magnus for his quick work, however, Megatron unleashed Trypticon upon the assembled Autobots. {{storylink|Scramble City}}

{{note|This storyline was never concluded, as a second installment of "Scramble City" was never produced.}}
{{-}}

===Full Throttle Scramble Power!===
[[Image:MegatronMangaEnergonMace1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This is why you have that axe, Prime, remember?]]
After Megatron and the Decepticons threatened humanity with their latest death ray, the [[Omega Whip]], Optimus Prime dispatched [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and his human partners, [[Toru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]] to follow the electromagnetic trail and find the Decepticons' hidden base. Hound, Toru and Jenny were then swiftly captured.

Contemplating what to do next, Prime reluctantly dispatched the still-wet-behind-the-ears [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to deal with the [[Stunticon]]s, who were trashing a power plant. The burning justice of [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] ensured his victory.

Prime and a small unit of Autobots then stormed the Decepticon base to rescue their friends. As Hound, Toru and Jenny destroyed the Omega Whip and escaped, Prime and Megatron squared off yet again (with Megatron unleashing his seldomly seen [[energon mace]]). Megatron quickly gained the upper hand in battle...until [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and ''every single Autobot soldier'' arrived as back-up. Megatron and the Decepticons immediately fled.

Toru and Jenny celebrated their success with a public display of affection. Curious, Optimus began to ask them embarrassing questions, swatting Toru in the bottom with his mighty robot finger. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

===''The Stargate Battles''===

[[Image:Stargatebattles_prime_cx_slice.jpg|left|thumb|225px|right]]

In the late 1990s, continued interaction between the Autobots and humankind led to a formal alliance being forged with the American government. Using technology supplied by the Autobots, the government funded the creation of "[[Warp Gate|The Trigger]]", a huge interstellar teleportation system, and Prime participated in a goodwill press conference to announce the creation of the Trigger to the world. Unfortunately, the Trigger soon became a target for the Decepticons, who had allied with a foreign power and used a human agent to gain access to the station. The Autobots were quick to repel the Decepticon attack, but only one member of the Trigger's crew survived. This man, [[Makoto (Stargate Battles)|Makoto]], offered to help the Autobots in any way that he could, and Prime told him that his kind of strength was what the Autobots needed the most. {{storylink|First Contact}}

[[Image:Stargatebattles_prime_megs.jpg|right|225px|thumb]]

Three months later, Optimus Prime helped [[Professor Adle]] test his new [[C-X]] drone, which were designed to resemble Prime himself, by sparring with the remote-controlled robot so that the Professor could gather data on its performance. In the midst of the test, however, the C-X ran amok (in actuality, it had been possessed by the time-tossed ghost of Starscream), and Prime was forced to crush it beneath his trailer and sever its head with his energon-axe to stop it. The grisly scene did little to dissuade the mass of anti-Transformer protestors that had sprung up in recent months, but Prime attempted to placate the crowd by telling them that he did not ''want'' the power he wielded—he ''needed'' it, in order to protect those that could not protect themselves. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

When the Decepticons terrorized Japan with a series of powerful earthquakes, Optimus Prime confronted Megatron amdist the chaos caused by the most powerful tremor yet. The battle ended when a blast from Megatron's fusion cannon sent Prime plummetting to the depths of the ocean, apparently destroyed. {{storylink|Activation}} Subsequently, Starscream's ghost fused with the rebuilt Trigger in an attempted coup, and it was during the monumental space battle that resulted that Prime returned from his seeming demise, borne into space on [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]'s back. After saving Makoto's escape pod from burning up in re-entry, Prime was forced to join when Megatron to defeat the greater threat posed by Starscream, channelling the power of the Matrix through gun-mode Megatron to destroy Starscream and the Trigger in one mighty blast. The Transformers were all caught in the backwash of the explosion, and their flaming bodies were sent tumbling back down to Earth. Although they were not heard from again for many months, Prime and Megatron survived the experience, and their war continued. {{storylink|The Stargate Battles (issue)|The Stargate Battles}}
{{-}}
===''Binaltech''===
In 2003, the Decepticons attacked the Autobots on Earth with a plague of [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]], leaving many of them injured. Consequently, Earth was all but defenseless when Megatron made his big push to fully take over Cybertron in 2004, and Optimus Prime found that he could not spare any troops currently fighting by his side on the Transformers' home planet to send to Earth. To resolve this situation, the Autobots on Earth worked closely with the governments of the world and various car companies on the Binaltech Project, creating advanced new "Binaltech" bodies for the various Autobot warriors damaged by the Cosmic Rust.

In the midst of the Binaltech conflict, the time-travelling [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] attempted to alter history by using the [[Kronosphere]] to teleport Megatron and the Decepticon armada outside of time during a turning-point battle with Prime and the Autobots. This left the Autobots to face the looming threat of [[Unicron]] alone, but as Prime and Ultra Magnus coordinated a last-chance attack against the chaos bringer, Prime dispatched [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] into the past to undo the change made to the timeline. Although Skids was successful in his mission, and the original timeline was restored, the intervention of a mysterious time-travelling entity known as "[[Optimus Primal|the Protector]]" led to the altered, "Binal-Time" timeline also being preserved, as an alternate universe. This, the Protector attested, was due to the fact that the existence of the Binaltech warriors was necessary to preserve the future from which he came.

Unfortunately, this meant that the Autobots of this parallel timeline still had to deal with Unicron, and during the final showdown with the chaos-bringer, Optimus Prime was badly injured. Fearing that he would die, he passed the Matrix to Ultra Magnus, who used it to destroy Unicron, but as chance would have it, Prime recovered from his injuries and resumed leadership. Under the Protector's direction, the Autobots began conducting experiments that would ultimately lead to the future the Protector spoke of, where Transformers would evolve into multiversal-spanning abstract entities known as the "[[Alternity (species)|Alternity]]". When the Protector's spark was stolen by the new Decepticon leader—an evil clone of Optimus known as [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]—Prime engaged his evil doppelganger in battle in Australia. During the fight, the Protector's spark fused with Prime—an experience that Prime found [[Optimal Situation|strangely familiar]]—giving him the power to destroy Nemesis Prime.

===''Robot Masters''===
[[Image:Robotmasters_four_great_commanders.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Also in 2004, the Scramble City project was expanded through the use of the newly-discovered element [[Solitarium]] to involve the construction of a fully-fledged Autobot City on Earth. This coincided with the opening of a dimensional fissure known as the [[Blasty Zone]], which transported the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] through time to the present day. This "Beast Megatron" seized control of the Decepticons, left leaderless by the mysterious absence of the original Megatron, and went up against Optimus Prime and the Autobots for control of the world's solitarium. Uniting with a team of Autobot and Maximal leaders from throughout time and space who also came through the Blasty Zone, Optimus Prime gained the power of an [[Energon Matrix]] and eventually returned all the Transformers to their home time.

{{-}}
{{note|''Robot Masters'' is explicitly placed in the Japanese cartoon continuity by [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Takara's 2007 Transformers timeline]]. However, none of the three pieces of actual ''Robot Masters'' fiction tells the story of the line in its entirety, and each of them relate certain events in notably different ways. Precisely ''which'' of the three—covered individually below—should be considered the [[canon]] one for the cartoon timeline is unknown.}}

====Pack-in comic====

[[Image:Starsaber robotmasters minicomic.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When a creature that seemed to be a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' appeared just outside Autobot City, Optimus Prime and Mirage investigated, and were shocked when the dinosaur transformed into a robot mode and introduced itself as "Beast Megatron". Almost immediately, [[Optimus Primal]] appeared through the Blasty Zone, and he and Optimus Prime charged into battle against Megatron side-by-side. {{storylink|The New Battle Begins!}}

Later, the two Optimuses found themselves in battle against the huge Decepticon warrior, [[Gigant Bomb]], but were unable to hurt him because he had supercharged his armor with Solitarium. The two heroes were flattened by a powerful punch from Gigant Bomb, at which point [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and [[Victory Leo]] appeared to join the fray. The two future heroes merged into Victory Saber and defeated Gigant Bomb, after which Prime and Primal welcomed him to the fold. {{storylink|The Victory Warriors Enter!!}}

====Online comic====

When a mysterious purple dinosaur led the Decepticons in an attack against the Autobots, Optimus Prime demanded to know the identity of the foe he was facing. The creature transformed into robot mode and introduced itself as "Beast Megatron", but Prime did not falter, and bombarded the new villain with heavy fire. Declaring Prime to be "quite the monkey", Megatron announced that the battle had merely served as a introduction, and promptly departed. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Clash! The Two Leaders}}

Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal and [[Road Rocket (G2)|Road Rocket]] were later exploring a large crevase filled with Solitarium when they were attacked by Megatron and [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]]. The two villains detonated the crystals around the Autobots, and while Primal was able to shield them with a huge slab of rock, they were unable to stop the Decepticons escaping with a huge load of Solitarium. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Defend the Solitarium!}}

[[Image:Robotmasters_prime_vs_megses.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]

When new arrival [[Lio Convoy]] was tricked into battling Victory Saber by Megatron, it was Optimus Prime who got between the two combatants and convinced Lio Convoy that they were all on the same side by revealing his Energon Matrix, which glowed in tandem with Lio Convoy's own. The four great commanders teamed up to dispose of the Decepticons lurking nearby, and then they all welcome Lio Convoy to the team. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Together, the 4 Great Supreme Commanders}}

Discovering an unconsious robot outside Autobot City, Prime and the Autobots brought the enigmatic newcomer inside for medical attention. The robot introduced himself as [[Reverse Convoy]] of the planet [[Vehicon (planet)|Vehicon]]. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} Before long, however, Prime's goodwill proved to be misplaced when "Reverse Convoy" captured him, Mirage and Optimus Primal, and revealed himself to actually be the original Megatron, inhabiting Reverse Convoy's body by means of his black hole interlink system. Although the Autobots were saved from the clutches of "Rebirth Megatron" by Victory Saber and Lio Convoy, Prime's greatest enemy had returned. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn}}

Prime led Primal, Victory Saber and Lio Convoy in a mighty battle against the two Megatrons, Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker, during which he had much of his right forearm torn off by Beast Megatron. As both Megatron rushed the injured Prime, he summoned his energon-axe to take the place of his lost fist and slashed the two Decepticons, claiming victory. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|And}}
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====Cartoon====

:''Voice actor:'' ? (Japanese)

[[Image:Robomasters g1convoy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Check out my taint!]]

Optimus Prime sped into action to help Victory Saber in battle against Starscream and [[Wingstun]], blasting Wingstun with a sneaky shot from below. Prime then transformed into robot mode and opened fire on Starscream, but was shocked when the plummetting form of the Air Commander was snatched out of the sky by a ''tyrannosaurus rex''. Transforming to robot mode, the dinosaur introduced himself as "Beast Megatron", and revealed that he came from a different dimension, causing Optimus Prime to fear for the integrity of the space-time continuum. Before he could fret any more on the subject, Prime came under attack from Gigant Bomb and [[Smokesniper]], but quickly took refuge in a nearly canyon while Victory Saber handled the twin troublemakers. Prime then engaged Megatron in battle, but was quickly laid low by the newcomer, who called for Gigant Bomb and Smokesniper to finish him off. Instead, however, another strange new Transformer descended from the sky: Optimus Primal! Following Primal's lead, Prime united his energy with Primal's own, and together, they created the powerful "Double Convoy Tornado", which sent Megatron flying. In the aftermath of the battle, Prime thanked Primal for his help, and told him that they would definitely need his power when the Decepticons next attacked. {{storylink|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!}}

Beast Megatron would not relent, and eventually discovered a massive deposit of solitarium beneath [[New York City]]. The Decepticons razed the city in search of the element until Prime and his forces arrived to save the day, this time aided by Lio Convoy and the enigmatic Reverse Convoy. Prime battled Gigant Bomb, Smoke Sniper and Megatron once more, with a little extra firepower courtesy of Victory Saber's V-Lock Cannon, and things were going smoothly until Reverse Convoy revealed himself to actually be the ''real'' Megatron in disguise. Now going by the name Rebirth Megatron, Prime's nemesis teamed with Beast Megatron to conquer their mutual foes. Again, Prime and Primal united their power in the Double Convoy Tornado, but the Megatrons countered it with a tornado of their own. It seemed that the Decepticons' power would overcome the heroes, until Lio Convoy added his energy to the mix, becoming a shining "Lio Typhoon Arrow" that took down the two Megatrons. While the battle was over, however, the war raged on... {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}

===''15 Go! Go!''===
[[Image:TGGStarConvoy.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Hot Rod?! Did you shrink in the wash?"]]
[[Image:TGGLaserPrime.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"How do you think I'd look in black?"]]
Shortly before the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005, an unknown saboteur badly damaged [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s databanks. Optimus Prime notified his Autobots of the attack and issued a command that the information be recovered as soon as possible. "[[Ravage (G1)|Black Panther Man]]", stationed on the artificial Earth satellite [[Nana]], volunteered for the important task and assigned [[Teletraan 15]] to the case.

Teletraan 15 proceeded to travel through time and space on her mission, and encountered future incarnation of Optimus Prime on several occasions. First, she travelled into the future, where [[Micromaster]] [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] saved her from a [[Novaroid]]. As Dark Nova and Ultra Megatron prepared to merge, Prime, in his "Star Convoy" form, arrived and asked Hot Rod to aid him in the coming fight. But before they could start the battle, an interruption came from an unexpected source: [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from a [[Transwarp]] portal and attacked!

On another mission even further into the future, Teletraan 15 and her companion [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] were aboard [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] as he was attacked by the [[Decepticon]] jets [[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]] and [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] on his way to his commander. Fortunately for them, Optimus Prime—now in his [[Laser Rod]] body—appeared and severed Dreadwing's wing with a single mighty slash of his sword. Teletraan 15 thought that he looked sad and wondered if he had learned his sword skills during his [[Kiss Player]] days.
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===''Kiss Players''===
{{note|[[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]] takes place between ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and the third season of the animated series. While there is no particularly large time-gap between these stories in American animated continuity, in Japan, since the third season was moved to 2010 but the movie remained set in 2005, there was a five-year milieu that made room for plenty of new stories to be told.}}

[[Image:Illust.jpg|left|225px|thumb|Optimus is the one on the left. With the dignity.]]

Following Optimus Prime's death in the Battle of Autobot City, Tokyo was devastated when [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] crash-landed on the city after being hurled out of Unicron's body by Rodimus Prime. The death and destruction that resulted caused a massive anti-Transformer sentiment to spring up, epitomized by the formation of the government organization known as the [[Earth Defense Command]], who forced any remaining Transformers on Earth off the planet. Dissatisfaction with the EDC's extreme actions resulted in the formation of an underground resistance group for whom the death of Optimus Prime was a rallying point. Among these commandoes was a young woman [[Marissa Faireborn]], who had been rescued by Optimus Prime back in 1996 when a mission that her [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|soldier father]] had been on had gone bad. Marissa had formed a great friendship with Prime in her childhood, and came to see him as a surrogate father figure, and perhaps a little bit more. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #34}}

[[Image:Kissplayers2 prime marissa.jpg|right|thumb]]

When Prime's corpse was covertly flown to Japan by the EDC, {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 1|Kiss Players #1}} Marissa's commandos attacked the convoy transporting the Autobot leader's body. Believing that they had secured Prime's body, the commandos were taken by surprise and slaughtered by the [[Ne squad]] [[Kiss Player]] [[Ringo Chikuma|Ringo]] and her [[Autrooper]] partner, who burst out of the torso of the decoy Prime body that had been atop the flatbed truck. As the sole surviving member of the squad, Marissa discovered that the true body was being transported within Prime's own trailer nearby. Slicing the trailer open, she was too late to prevent an EDC Autrooper from partially fusing with Prime. Reflecting on her childhood memories of playing with the kindly Autobot leader, Marissa lovingly kissed his faceplate. In an explosion of energy that destroyed the trailer, the two [[ParasiTech|fused]] and Prime was reborn in a new, living body. The pair had become Kiss Players! {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 2|Kiss Players #2}}

Marissa and Prime promptly made themselves scarce, and began travelling together, battling the monstrous creatures known as [[Legion]] that Galvatron's dispersed cells had also produced, while also eluding the EDC. Marissa thought of Prime as her boyfriend, {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #1}} and Prime himself certainly cared for the girl, unwilling as he was to put her in harm's way, despite the prodigious knife-wielding skills that she could share with him via their kiss-fusion. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #4}}

[[Image:Marissa convoy stack.jpg|left|150px|thumb|She prefers the Japanese version's longer stacks.]]

Prime had little use for Marissa's other great skill—surfing—given his own [[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3|experience in that area]], {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #7}} so instead, he found a better use for Marissa's surfboard by using his new powers to transform it into a knife so he could make use of the skills Marissa's fusion gave with him. Marissa was not very happy, {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #10}} but took it in stride, and dubbed the new weapon the "Surfblade". In response, Prime named her shirt "The Three Skulll Brothers," after the image on it. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #16}}

Prime and Marissa had a close relationship, as the girl washed Prime in "intimate" spots like his stick shift and gas tank, {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #19}} and they would go on "dates" together, at one point visiting the seaside, only to wind up in battle with a Legion created from the fusion of an octopus and a shipwreck. Prime regretted that these activites had to be carried out under the cover of night, and vowed that he and Marissa would visit the beach under the light of the sun. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)#CD_collections_and_special_episodes|Someday, Under the Sun}}

[[Image:PrimeKP.jpg|right|225px|thumb|"And THIS is for TRAILBREAKER, who DESERVED to have GOTTEN this MOLD INSTEAD!"]]

Soon, Optimus Prime found himself suffering from a recurring nightmare filled with visions of his old enemy, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. In the grip of one of these hallucinations, Prime lost control of himself and almost crushed Marissa in his fist, but was thankfully able to regain his senses before he hurt her. Marissa and Prime subsequently fused, and were able to corral a legion of Legion for an attack upon the EDC headquarters. They found their way barred by a pair of most unexpected opponents: [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] had returned to Earth and become Kiss Player partners with Marissa's old friend, Shaoshao. Hot Rod believed Prime to be an impostor, and Shaoshao wished to see him dead so that she might "reclaim" Marissa as her friend, having long hated Prime for "stealing" Marissa away from her. Prime and Hot Rod began battling, but EDC Kiss Player [[Atari Hitotonari]] soon entered the fold and broke up the battle. The attack on EDC headquarters was broken off, and Prime and Marissa now found they had to elude Hot Rod and Shaoshao as well as the EDC's force. {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 3|Kiss Players #3}}

[[Image:KPPrimeGoldbug.jpg|left|thumb]]

After viewing a seaside fireworks display for their "last date", {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #34}} Marissa and Prime again launched a Legion-backed attack upon the EDC. This time, however, Marissa, Shaoshao, Atari, Prime and Hot Rod all decided to set their differences aside in order to discover the true, dark secret lurking within the EDC. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #37}} Venturing into the mysterious [[Genital System]] facility hidden beneath the EDC headquarters, the team discovered a mad plot by EDC Comander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]] to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact. Thanks to the efforts of Marissa and her friends, the plan was foiled, the [[anti-electron]] field keeping Transformers off Earth was deactivated, and Galvatron's cells were extracted from the Legions and Kiss Players and reconstituted within his body, which was launched off into space. As a result, Marissa lost her Kiss Player powers, and Prime slipped back into death once more. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)#CD_collections_and_special_episodes|You, I and the Spinning Earth}}

Marissa did get a few chances to see her friend again, however. In 2007, she, Shaoshao and Atari were transported back through time by the [[Sparkbot]]s to 1984 where they witnessed Prime's battle with Megatron atop [[Sherman Dam]]. Although invisible to residents of the past, Marissa was instructed by the Sparkbots to kiss Prime, and when she did so, a piece of what the Sparkbots claimed was the "[[Allspark]]" emerged from within him. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio play #40}} While travelling on through time to search for more pieces of the Allspark, the girls accidentally crashed in 2010 and wound up in the clutches of the [[Quintesson]]s. Prime (and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]]) helped Marissa once more by rescuing her and her friends from death in the fangs of the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Tokyo Toy Festival 2007 live script-reading}} Later still, Shaoshao embarked on a marathon Prime-kissing session (much to her own disgust), quickly jumping through time to kiss Prime in his Star Convoy, "Nucleon Quest," [[Action Master]] and [[Laser Rod]] bodies successively. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio play #44}}
{{-}}

===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===

[[Image:2010_manga_primes.jpg|right|thumb|300px|And eat your greens or no dessert!]]

After boarding a Decepticon spaceship, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] became trapped by the schemeing Galvatron. Galvatron quickly bested him in combat and Rodimus, badly injured, was ready to give up. Lucky for him, the spirit of Optimus Prime reached out to him from within the Matrix and encouraged him to get up and keep fighting. Inspired by his predecessor, Rodimus Prime outwitted Galvatron, escaped and destroyed their spaceship. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

When the Quintessons reactivated Optimus Prime as a rampaging zombie {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}, they made it a point to copy his schematics while they had the opportunity. Teaming with the Decepticons, they then obtained the schematics of Megatron. Combining the best aspects of both, they created the Colossal Cannon Soldier [[Guiltaur]]. {{storylink|Transformers 2010 (story page)|Transformers 2010 Part 4}}

Guiltaur was then unleashed upon Rodimus Prime and, eventually, Galvatron. The two enemies teamed up and defeated the powerful warrior, with Rodimus swearing to do it in the name of Optimus Prime's honor. With Guiltaur destroyed, it was revealed the behemoth had been controled by the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] all along. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}

===''The Great Transformer War''===

Following his resurrection, in the year 2011, Optimus Prime and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] engaged in a battle against [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and the Decepticons in deep space. Galvatron fled the battle, leaving Hot Rod to request pursuit. Optimus told him not to, and instead to regroup back at [[Athenia]], as he suspected the Decepticons had a much greater scheme in mind. Indeed, Optimus was correct, as Galvatron was preparing for his full-blown invasion of planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===

[[Image:Headmasters_prime_death.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Rodimus finally receives his Nemesis Prime RealDoll.]]

One year after Prime's resurrection, in 2011, the Autobots had entered into an even closer relationship with Earth and began 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. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Prime took a squad of troops to aid in the battle on the planet, and when the arrival of the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|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. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

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 (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|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. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

====''The Headmasters'' manga====
Following Prime's death, a great bronze statue was erected on planet [[Athenia]] in order to memorialize him. Oddly, only [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the [[Headmasters of Justice]] attended its unveiling. Speaking for all the Headmasters, [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] announced that Optimus Prime was the greatest warrior who ever lived. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' and ''Victory'' cartoons===

[[Image:Ginrai_1stapp.jpg|thumb|right|"Well tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be..."]]

Once they had defeated the Decepticons, the Autobots had planned to somehow resurrect their fallen leader, using the technology developed on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] to give him a new body. However, shortly after it had been built, the [[Transtector]] intended for Optimus was among those stolen by the self-proclaimed "Decepticon god" [[Devil Z]]. It was then hidden on Earth where it was eventually found by, and [[Godmaster|bonded with]], a human named [[Ginrai]]. {{storylink|You Too Use the Masterforce to Transform|Shūta and Grand's Masterforce Super Secrets}} The Transtector later gained sentience of its own, which meant that it ultimately could not be used for its intended purpose, {{storylink|A Battle... and Then...}} and later went on to be rebuilt into [[Victory Leo]]. {{storylink|Fight!! Victory Leo}}
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===''The Battlestars'' story pages and comic===
[[Image:PrimeZodiak.jpg|left|225px|thumb|''You got the—'' No, hang on... Nevermind.]]

Over 15 years after his merging with Vector Sigma, Optimus Prime's lifeless body was spirited away in a sinister plot to destroy the Autobots by [[Dark Nova]], the big bad guy du jour. Nova duplicated Prime's body, using the copy to create the evil [[False Convoy]]. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #3}} The elite Autobot team, the [[Battlestars]], defeated False Convoy and retrieved the real Prime's body from Planet [[Lucifer]], and then used the mysterious energy source known as the [[Zodiac]] to restore Prime to life. Transformed into '''Star Convoy''', Prime was also reunited with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], who became his [[Micromaster]] partner. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #4}}

[[Image:Starconvoy magami.jpg|right|thumb|"Occasionally you meet a nice one—Star Convoy, E.T. ... but usually they just turn out to be some kind of big lizard!"]]

After Star Convoy and [[Sixliner]] defeated a swarm of Dark Nova's [[Novaroid|Great Novaroid]] drone warriors, {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #5}} the mysterious creature decided to resurrect Prime's oldest nemesis, and plucked [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] from the icy grave he had been cast into years beforehand by the Autobot Headmasters, recreating him as [[Megatron (G1)|Super Megatron]]. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #6}} The two old foes clashed in battle at the North Pole, with Star Convoy emerging victorious {{storylink|The Battlestars}} but Super Megatron soon returned with an army of [[Galaman|Great Galaman]] drones to back him up. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #7}} Defeated by the "[[Triple Combination Battlestar Attack]]" that combined all the power of Star Convoy, [[Sky Garry (G1)|Sky Garry]] and [[Grandus (ROC)|Grandus]], Super Megatron was again upgraded by Dark Nova into Ultra Megatron. Star Convoy and the Battlestars met him in battle once again, and again, they claimed victory. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #8}}

His pawn having failed him, Dark Nova absorbed Ultra Megatron into his body, transforming them both into the gargantuan "Star Giant". {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #9}} Star Giant proved to be virtually indestructible from the outside until Star Convoy got the bright idea of giving the villain [[Furmanism|the worst case of indigestion he'd ever had]]. Holding Star Giant's massive mouth open, he ordered Sky Garry and Grandus to move in. After all three were swallowed, they began taking Star Giant down from the inside while simultaneously fighting off his various defensive systems. As soon as the trio escaped from Star Giant's interior, the monster exploded, leaving only his head slightly intact. As it happens, Megatron was housed inside Star Giant's noggin and survived the attack. {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars story page #10}}

===Nucleon Quest Convoy bio===
Following the defeat of Star Giant, the restoration of Cybertron (following its devastation in 2011) began, but the planet was in the throes of a chronic energy shortage. In order to re-energize the struggling planet, Optimus Prime upgraded himself into a Powermaster by fusing with the Nebulan scientist Hi-Q. Protecting his body with a Phase Modulation Shield, Prime ventured into a black hole to obtain the super-energy Nucleon, which was used to restore Cybertron to its former glory.
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===''G-2'' story pages and pack-in comic===
[[Image:BlasterG2.jpg|left|225px|thumb|The alliance would have lasted if they'd gotten more than one chair.]]
With Cybertron restored, Optimus Prime upgraded himself into a new [[Action Master]] body. Megatron eventually recovered from his defeat and with his sanity circuit fully restored at last, joined with Prime to form the [[Cybertron Alliance]]. Things were good for a little while, as Megatron's attempts at peace were genuinely sincere, and the alliance ushered in what would be called the Second Generation of the Transformers. However, after human soldiers killed one of his dearest comrades, Megatron adopted a new tank body and started the war anew, believing he could bring a more stable peace to the galaxy by ruling it with an iron fist. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|Autobots vs. Decepticons: Combat Secrets }}

[[Image:G2 manga hero prime.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
To counter Megatron, Optimus Prime upgraded his body into a new Missile Trailer mode. Rallying a new wave of Autobot warriors, Optimus diligently repelled Megatron and the Decepticons. In one early encounter, Prime managed to rescue [[Electro]] and [[Volt]] from Megatron by firing his "Matrix Saturn" attack. He immediately recommended that Megatron and all his Decepticons leave the area at once. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #1}} Megatron, of course, refused, and continued his attack. Prime, Electro and Volt combined their firepower, leaving Megatron in a smoke-filled crater. As Electro moved in to administer the killing blow, Megatron emerged from the smoke unscathed, effortlessly plucking Electro up by his head. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #2}} Against Prime's orders, Volt immediately rushed Megatron from behind to free his captured friend. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #4}}

At one point, the secrecy of the Autobot field base became a priority, leaving Megatron to order warriors such as [[Jolt (G2)|Jolt]] to tail other Autobots and locate Prime. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #5}} Prime's location was eventually compromised when [[Skyjack]] slipped past all Autobot radar. Astonished at the Decepticon's stealth, Prime was unable to stop Skyjack from returning to Megatron with his location. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #7}} Meanwhile, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] began to study the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and discovered a new property within it called the [[Reconfiguration Matrix]] which could grant Autobots new powers. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|Optimus Prime of the Autobots has Fallen!}}

[[Image:G2PrimeJustice.jpg|left|thumb|225px|"SHALOM!"]]
Prime and Megatron eventually met to do battle, with Prime coming out on top as Megatron slowly ran low on fuel. Prime offered Megatron one last chance to surrender, but was caught off-guard by [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]], who blasted him in the back with his missile attack, destroying Prime's back-mounted weaponry unit. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #9}} Megatron then ordered [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] and [[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]] to swoop in and finish Prime off before he could recover. The pair of Decepticons proceeded to bomb Prime mercilessly before turning him over to Megatron for the kill. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #10}} With a surprising lack of satisfaction, Megatron blasted Prime to pieces, killing his ancient foe at last. Victorious, Megatron offered Prime a final prayer, only to be interrupted by...Prime! The essences of the previous Autobot Supreme Commanders within the Matrix of Leadership activated the Reconfiguration Matrix to forge him a new body. Optimus Prime became '''Battle Convoy''' and easily trumped Megatron's power. {{storylink|G-2 (pack-in comic)|G-2 #13}} {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|Birth of the New Supreme Commander Battle Convoy!}}

Prime and Megatron then agreed to a one-on-one duel following the "Law of Cybertron": total banishment to the defeated and his forces. After a lengthy and painful battle, Prime narrowly managed to best Megatron, forcing him and the Decepticons to retreat into deep space. Prime was last seen wounded, being aided off the battlefield by Volt and Electro. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|The Autobots Triumph in the Battle of Good Vs. Evil!}}
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===e-Hobby ''Generation 2'' storyline===

[[Image:Black_hybrid_prime_manga.jpg|right|thumb]]

When the universe came under threat from an [[Galvatron II|alternate-reality incarnation of Galvatron]], Prime used his [[Reconfiguration Matrix|Reconfiguration Matrix]] to once again transform his body into a form resembling his original. Armed with powerful solar-powered missile launchers created by the Decepticons that were so energy-consumptive that Prime required a sunlight-absorbing [[wikipedia:Black_body|black body]] coating to operate them at full power, Prime put his new body to use rescuing Laser Ultra Magnus from Galvatron's clutches. {{storylink|Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
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