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Thirteen

2013-06-06T19:11:04Z

Backlash3906: /* Members */

{{disambig2|the group of ancient Transformers |the comic series that might never be published|Transformers: The Thirteen}}
[[Image:Original13.jpg|center|500px|thumb|Guess the one on fire!]]
{{quote|We are the 13, the first, the forgotten, each of us serving a function vital to the survival of the universe. Each of us designated a Prime and given a function to serve during the long march of infinity.|Vector Prime|"[[Vector Prime: In the Beginning]]"}}

The '''Thirteen''' are the first Transformers created by [[Primus]], in imitation of [[Unicron]]'s [[transformation]] abilities. Rightfully huge and powerful [[multiversal singularity|multiversal singularities]] like their creator, each was designated a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]],<ref>A Hasbro Q&A response would later try to alter this. See Notes above.</ref> and given an aspect of the [[multiverse]] to guide over, as well as manning Primus's physical form—planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. But power corrupts, and many of the Primes betrayed one another—with [[The Fallen|one]] even siding with Unicron—until few remained, secretly aiding or manipulating the next generations of [[Transformer]]s.

==Conceptual history==
[[Image:BW Covenant.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Covenant]] shares a very similar base concept with the Thirteen, and may have been the original inspiration for them.]] Despite how often their importance is trumpeted, the fact of the matter is, the concept of the Thirteen hasn't actually been around that long, hasn't been related in much detail, and hasn't been presented in a very linear manner. The development of the concept is described in this section to minimize confusion; for details of their history and actions in specific bits of fiction, see below.

The very earliest seeds of the Thirteen can probably be found in material produced by [[3H Productions]] for [[BotCon]], most notably 2000's "[[Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox|Covenant]]". This story introduces the undeniably similar concept of the [[Covenant]], a group of twelve zodiac-themed Transformers who are the first creations of [[Primus]], created as a test-run for the Transformer race. Despite the basic similarity between the Covenant and the Thirteen, though, the two groups have not been connected, and those same stories by 3H would ultimately contradict the later lore of the Thirteen by introducing [[Primon]], a Matrix-bearer who preceded [[Prima]], which should not be possible.
[[Image:Vectorprimeut.jpg|right|thumb|[[Fun Publications]] established [[Vector Prime]] to be a member of the Thirteen in 2005.]]
It was in the pages of 2004's ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' that the mysterious "Thirteen Original Transformers" were first spoken of, and their basic origin was laid down: they were the first Transformers created by Primus to battle Unicron, and their number included [[Prima]], the first Matrix bearer from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics series]] and [[The Fallen]], an enigmatic servant of Unicron from [[Dreamwave Productions]]' 2003 comic, ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages]]''. The book also noted that if ''[[Alignment]]'' had been published, the [[Liege Maximo]], an ancient evil Cybertronian from the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' comics]], would have been counted among them as well. Not surprisingly, it was the creator of all three of these characters, [[Simon Furman]], who both wrote the guide and conceived the idea of the Thirteen<ref>Simon Furman panel, BotCon 2012</ref>, which was later taken and run with by Hasbro. While it was Furman who also created the Covenant, it is not yet known whether or not he was deliberately drawing upon his old idea when he introduced the Thirteen in this book.

The concept of the Thirteen quietly bubbled under for the next year, until another element was added with the introduction of [[Vector Prime]] in 2005's ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' series. Although presented merely as a very ancient Autobot in the original Japanese version of the ''Cybertron'' cartoon, Hasbro envisioned him as one of the Thirteen, and writer [[Forest Lee]] made this explicit in [[Vector Prime: In the Beginning|the first story]] produced for the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. This story also introduced the idea that all of the Thirteen were Primes, and that each had a specific function or purpose; Vector Prime's was stewardship of time, while a 2007 [[bio]] written for The Fallen's ''[[Titanium Series]]'' toy would later reveal he was the overseer of entropy.
[[Image:NexusPrimeflankedbyotherPrimes.jpg|left|thumb|Fun Publications also introduced the first [[combiner]], [[Nexus Prime]].]]
While it was not immediately apparent, Hasbro had put a plan in motion for the Thirteen with the Collectors' Club comic: across the next five years, five separate robots were introduced who were gradually revealed to be components of a combiner, [[Nexus Prime]], who was one of the Thirteen. During this five-year span, the subject of the Thirteen often came up at BotCon Q&A sessions, during which the idea of them being [[multiversal singularity|multiversal singularities]] solidified.

Also during this time, current Transformers comic license holders [[IDW Publishing]] spoke often of a potential comic book mini-series about the Thirteen to be written by Simon Furman, but this was eventually nixed, with Furman noting in 2009 that this was because it had "become more of a Hasbro thing than an IDW thing."<ref>[http://hombreimaginario.deviantart.com/art/Interviews-10-Simon-Furman-130246343 Furman talks about the Thirteen in an interview on DeviantArt]</ref> Hasbro's desire to control and fully conceptualize the story of the Thirteen was further made evident when, after Fun Publications' [[Image:TransformersVault-Prima.jpg|right|thumb|The new design for [[Prima]] was revealed at [[BotCon 2010]].]] Nexus Prime story concluded in the same year, they effectively took "custody" of the character as part of their future plans. This control, however, was evidently not all-encompassing: also in 2009, the Fallen made a surprising appearance as the titular villain of the second-live action Transformers film, ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', where he was a member not of a group of thirteen, but only ''seven'' Primes. Hasbro's [[Hasbro_Q&A/October_2009#AllSpark.com|October 2009 online Q&A]] retroactively justified this by explaining that while all the Thirteen were Primes, only seven actually had the word "Prime" ''in their names''.

Eventually, in 2010, the grand scope of the new [[Aligned continuity family]] became the "delivery method" for Hasbro's long-percolating tale of the Thirteen. The novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'' revealed [[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]] to be one of the Thirteen, and although this proved a bit questionable, as he had previously been shown to have an alternate evil "[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]" self, which a multiversal singularity should not, it did confirm the earlier allegation that not all the Primes had "Prime" in their name. The novel also revealed the Fallen's real name to be Megatronus Prime, and his pre-Fallen design was revealed at [[BotCon 2010]], along with new designs for Prima, Vector Prime, Alpha Trion and the Liege Maximo, the latter now officially canonized as a member of the group. A year later, at [[BotCon 2011]], [[Solus Prime]] was also named and revealed, and it was explained that each of the Thirteen represented one aspect of the Transformer race, their ranks also including a beast-mode Transformer and a [[Minicon]]. Solus would later factor into the ''[[Transformers: Exiles]]'' novel, which also introduced [[Amalgamous Prime]] and [[Alchemist Prime]]. Right around this time, the story of the Thirteen finally made the leap to the small screen, when, after years of being consigned to fan-targeted comics and convention panels, their origin tale was told in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' episode, "[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]".

And that's the story... so far!
{{--}}

==Members==
[[Image:OneShallRise1-WellofAllSparks.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

*'''[[Prima]]''', the first [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix-bearer]] and first Transformer born from Cybertron, leader of the Thirteen.<ref>''Sentinel Prime was one of a dynasty of Primes, stretching back to the original '''13 Transformers''' and their leader, Prima.'' — ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' (2005) 1st ed p15, "Sentinel Prime"</ref> He was a warrior of light who used a [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] with the Matrix as its hilt.
*'''[[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]]''', the third and who can see the past, present, and future, and who holds the [[Covenant of Primus]] and the [[Quill]]. He maintains a close relationship with Primus through [[Vector Sigma]].
*'''[[Solus Prime]]''', the fourth and a [[female Transformer|female]] weaponsmith.
*'''[[Thirteen|Thirteen]], created last, and whose raised arm in greeting united the the Thirteen.
*'''[[Alchemist Prime]]''', co-founder of Cybertronian civilization.
*'''[[Amalgamous Prime]]''', the trickster.
*'''[[Liege Maximo]]''', the manipulator.<ref>Liege Maximo was confirmed in [[Simon Furman]]'s "[[Alignment]]" story as one of the Thirteen, but that story was "unofficial" and of debatable canonicity. He was later confirmed by Hasbro to be amongst the Thirteen, as part of their "Once Upon a Time on Cybertron" project at [[BotCon 2010]].</ref>
*'''Megatronus Prime''', formerly the guardian of entropy and warrior of darkness, now a [[herald of Unicron]] known as '''[[The Fallen]]'''.
*'''[[Micronus Prime]]''', the first Mini-Con.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2011-hasbro-story-building-panel-172316/ TFW coverage of Botcon 2011 Hasbro Story Building Panel]</ref>
*'''[[Nexus Prime]]''', the first and greatest combiner, unpredictable, fascinated by change, and a lighthearted prankster.
*'''[[Onyx Prime]]''', the first Transformer with a beast mode.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=79726 AllSpark.com live transcript of Archer and Alvarez's 2011 BotCon panel]</ref>
*'''[[Quintus Prime]]''', the scientist.
*'''[[Vector Prime]]''', the guardian of space and time who spent most of his life outside the multiverse, observing it and occasionally stepping in to help.

==Fiction==

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
[[Image:Thefallen.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]
[[The Fallen]] was thwarted in his attempt to sabotage Primus's physical form, and the Thirteen allegedly died after casting The Fallen and his master Unicron through a [[black hole]] into another dimension. In truth, The Fallen was imprisoned in another dimension, while [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] kept watch over the Transformers in the [[Well of All Sparks]] while Primus entered his eternal sleep to hide Cybertron from Unicron. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}}

===Fun Publications===
Vector Prime aided the Autobots in finding the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s to close the [[Unicron Singularity]]. He regularly reported their progress to [[Alpha Trion (Energon)|Alpha Trion]], but during one visit Unicron's servants [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] and [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)|Nemesis Prime]] attacked. {{storylink|Balancing Act}} [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] came to Cybertron looking for clues to his past, only to be attacked by [[Scorponok (Energon)|Dark Scorponok]], {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 2}} but his forcefield protected him. Ramjet offered him clues to his past in exchange for his <s>soul</s> service. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 3}} They went to Primus's spark core to destroy him with the [[Dead Matrix]], but Vector and [[Sentinel Maximus]] fought back. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 4}} Ramjet said he would stop trying to kill Primus if Vector aided them in restoring the balance by resurrecting Unicron, but he refused. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Pt 5}} Skyfall tried to save Ramjet but his forcefield only ignited an explosion that killed Ramjet. {{storylink|Revelations Part 1}} Vector had drones repair Skyfall and found [[Omega Prime]]—Trion's creation from a [[Viron]] universe—had helped Sentinel defeated Nemesis. Omega's presence saddened Vector, as it confirmed the multiverse was falling apart, and he left. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

Skyfall was helping Sentinel repair Vector Sigma, when [[Over-Run (Armada)|Over-Run]] informed him he had found a twenty million cycle old carving of him and another bot. {{storylink|Revelations Part 4}} Immediately during a battle between [[Mini-Con]] Autobots and Decepticons, Skyfall found Landquake. {{storylink|Revelations Part 5}} The two seemingly vanished when Unicron attacked, {{storylink|Revelations Part 6}} when they had been transported to [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]]'s universe, {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1}} and the trio and went through a [[space bridge]] {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}} to find [[Topspin (Classics)|Topspin]] in [[Axiom Nexus]]. [[Cheetor (TransTech)|Cheetor]] and [[Silverbolt (TransTech)|Silverbolt]] introduced the trio to [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]]. However, [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]] had Breakaway quietly subdued and taken to his laboratory. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 1}} Skyfall and Landquake realized Breakaway was gone, but Alpha Trion told them to come with him if they wanted to rescue their brother from the evil TransTechs. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 2}} He explained he was not from this dimension and was part of a resistance movement, introducing them to Topspin, whose job was to transfer their [[lowtech]] followers' sparks into their TransTech counterparts. Realizing Topspin was one of their kin, Skyfall and Landquake agreed to help. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 3}} [[Nightscream (TransTech)|Nightscream]] found Breakaway was being held near the portal to Alpha Trion's dimension, {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 4}} and his acolytes attacked, rescuing Breakaway {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 5}} and entering the transwarp device. Alpha Trion explained to Skyfall he was the key to the reunification, and stabbed and killed him as they entered his universe. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
[[Image:Reunification5-arisenexusprime.jpg|left|thumb|350px]]
Despite his claim his was a peaceful world, Alpha Trion shot [[Downshift (SG)|Downshift]], and Breakaway realized Skyfall had been killed by an energy blade rather than shot from behind as the old Autobot claimed. Alpha Trion's troops arrived, took the four components and he proclaimed he would kill them all—as reunification still worked with one of them dead—and that his reign would begin. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 1}} Landquake manipulated the raw energon and used smokebombs to escape with Topspin and Breakaway carrying Skyfall. Weeks later, after trying unsuccessfully to revive Skyfall, {{storylink|Reunification: Part 2}} the [[Quintesson]] [[Aquarius (SG)|Aquarius]] appeared to take them to [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 3}} Landquake explained their situation to the Decepticons, and Megatron asked [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]] to bring [[Heatwave (Timelines)|Heatwave]], but then Cyclonus, revealing himself to be an agent of Alpha Trion, assassinated Megatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}} Breakaway suggested they use their powers to revive Megatron, and found themselves in a white space with Skyfall and Primus. They made their choice: Nexus Prime was reborn. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus resurrected Megatron as Galvatron and defeated [[Omega Doom]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}} Using Galvatron's gift of the [[Stellar Spanner]], Nexus and Aquarius began dimension-hopping to find the shards of the [[Star Saber (Prima)|artifact]] he had been entrusted with, so he could complete his memories. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 1}}
{{-}}
===Live-action film series===
{{main|Dynasty of Primes}}
[[Image:ROTF-sixprimes.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Primes in the Matrix/Allspark/surreal part of Primus's imagination.]]
The Primes were the guardians of the [[AllSpark]], charged with replenishing it. They commanded [[Seeker (ROTF)|Seekers]] and [[Constructicon (ROTF)|workers]] to find stars and replenish the AllSpark with their energy. The Fallen began seeing himself as the AllSpark's chosen one and began destroying solar systems with sentient life to replenish the Cube. His brothers warned him not to do it again, so The Fallen tried it again on [[Earth]] to lure them. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 3|Tales of the Fallen #3}} The Fallen slaughtered all his brothers bar Prima himself, who gathered his brothers' lifeforce to trap The Fallen in his [[sarcophagus]]. Prima sacrificed himself to form a [[Tomb of the Primes|tomb]] with his brothers' bodies to hide the Matrix. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 4|Tales of the Fallen #4}}

A long time passed, and The Fallen was eventually dug up. From his prison, he pushed [[Megatron (Movie)|High Protector Megatron]] into forming the Decepticons. {{storylink|Defiance issue 2|Defiance #2}} Thousands of years later, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], the sole surviving descendant of the Primes to survive The Fallen's rampage, {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen issue 3|Revenge of the Fallen #3}} had been killed. The Primes appeared to [[Sam Witwicky]], giving him the Matrix to revive Optimus, and Optimus avenged The Fallen's brothers by killing him. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

{{note|The ''Revenge of the Fallen'' adaptations have thirteen Primes. While designs were made for twelve non-Fallen Prime heads, the finished film shows only seven Primes, and this change was followed in ''[[Transformers: Tales of the Fallen|Tales of the Fallen]]'' and [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|the Titan magazine]]. Prima's appearance was retconned by Hasbro at [[BotCon 2010]].}}

===Aligned continuity===

{{note|"Anything you know from past generations of the brand may or may not be factual in the new continuity."<ref>[[Hasbro Q&A/September 2010: Answers|Hasbro Q&A, September 2010: {{SITENAME SHORT}}]]</ref><ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=74182 Hasbro Q&A, September 2010: AllSpark.com]</ref>}}

[[Image:OneShallRise1-TheThirteen.jpg|left|thumb|400px|They're not a fan of direct lighting.]]

Legend says that [[Primus]] created the Thirteen to defeat [[Unicron]]. The Thirteen succeeded, and Unicron's defeated form was cast by them into space. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

Statues of the Thirteen were created at some point after they defeafed Unicron {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

What is known about the Primes is that their war made "enemies of brothers, murderers of lovers, heroes of the insignificant, and cowards of the mighty". Allegiances formed and broke apart: Megatronus refused to bow before his brothers, and he believed he would be vindicated someday despite his destructive methods. The murder of one sent them across the stars, to battle among themselves for billions of cycles. Finally, there came a time when Prima had to relinquish the Matrix. Afterwards, the [[Covenant of Primus]] decreed Cybertron could only have one Prime at a time.

[[Image:OneShallRise1-Thirteenattack.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Three seconds of one episode made up for a lifetime of lack of Thirteen images.]]

[[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]] remained on Cybertron, recording these events into the Covenant, and the Primes became myths doubted by [[Jazz (WFC)|some]]. Alpha Trion retreated into becoming the Archivist of the [[Hall of Records]] when [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]], the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]] and the [[Guilds of Cybertron]] ignored his protests about the [[caste system]]. The Matrix did not bestow itself onto another until the unworthy Sentinel died, and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] was imbued with it, while his nemesis had become known as [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], who like his namesake had come to destroy that he believed in. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}
{{--}}

==Notes==

*''Transformers: The Ultimate Guide'' asserts that all of the Thirteen were destroyed in the early battle between Primus and Unicron, but the statement was disproven by the book itself, since it recounted how The Fallen was not destroyed but exiled to a transdimensional prison from which he later escaped. Fun Publications comics would later depict Vector Prime as the sole surviving member of the Thirteen, and then go on to introduce Nexus Prime as a co-survivor alongside him.

* ''The Ultimate Guide'' made mention of a rumor on Cybertron that [[Maccadam]] — proprietor of [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] — was supposedly one of the 13 and that his bar existed outside the normal flow of space-time. The prose story "[[Prime Spark (story)|Prime Spark]]" confirms the latter half of that rumor, depicting the bar as a multiversal nexus of sorts, but it makes no revelations about Maccadam himself. [[Aaron Archer]] has declared that when the full identities of the Thirteen are revealed [[soon|in the foreseeable future]], Maccadam will not be among them. Moral of the story: rumors are dumb.

*According to the words the [[Last Autobot]] spoke "Since Cybertron's Creation, I have slumbered within the planet, awaiting a time long foreseen by your creator, Primus", it can be inferred that the Last Autobot might be one of the Thirteen.

* The ''[[Beast Wars Reborn]]'' text story establishes that [[Soundblaster (Cybertron)|Logos Prime]]—also known as Soundblaster—is an "ancient", has incredible powers over space and time, and is "one of [Vector Prime's] own", which all combine with his title to strongly suggest that he is one of the Thirteen. Additionally, the silhouetted image of the Thirteen produced by [[Yuji Kaida]] for [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[World of the Transformers]]'' web site (written by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], author of the ''Beast Wars Reborn'' story) includes a shadowed figure closely resembling Logos Prime, seemingly cementing TakaraTomy's (or at least Ichikawa's) intention that he be part of the group. However, a non-committal Hasbro Q and A [[Hasbro_Q%26A/May_2010:_Answers|answer]] suggests that they won't be including him in their definitive canonical list of Thirteen.

*In Hasbro Q&A on October, 2009 from [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=63609 ''The Allspark Forum''], The Thirteen are referred to as "the Original Epic Warriors of Cybertron" by Hasbro.

*The notion of the Primes being originally huge is similar to early ''Revenge of the Fallen'' concepts where the Fallen dwarfed Optimus and was almost the size of a pyramid, as evident from [[Defiance issue 4|''Defiance'' #4]] and the [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (novel)|novelization]].

*[[James Roberts]] came up with a completely different creation story for [[IDW Publishing]]'s Transformers, just because he ''can''. There is still [[Guiding Hand|an original group of Transformers]] and a war caused by treachery, but in that version the traitor is another god named [[Mortilus]]. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Classics subgroups]]
[[Category:Cybertron subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Prime subgroups]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass subgroups]]
[[Category:Subgroups]]
[[Category:Thirteen| ]]
[[Category:TransTech]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron subgroups]]

Thirteen

2013-06-06T19:10:24Z

Backlash3906: /* Members */ - Clarified name of Thirteenth Prime, and origin act.

{{disambig2|the group of ancient Transformers |the comic series that might never be published|Transformers: The Thirteen}}
[[Image:Original13.jpg|center|500px|thumb|Guess the one on fire!]]
{{quote|We are the 13, the first, the forgotten, each of us serving a function vital to the survival of the universe. Each of us designated a Prime and given a function to serve during the long march of infinity.|Vector Prime|"[[Vector Prime: In the Beginning]]"}}

The '''Thirteen''' are the first Transformers created by [[Primus]], in imitation of [[Unicron]]'s [[transformation]] abilities. Rightfully huge and powerful [[multiversal singularity|multiversal singularities]] like their creator, each was designated a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]],<ref>A Hasbro Q&A response would later try to alter this. See Notes above.</ref> and given an aspect of the [[multiverse]] to guide over, as well as manning Primus's physical form—planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. But power corrupts, and many of the Primes betrayed one another—with [[The Fallen|one]] even siding with Unicron—until few remained, secretly aiding or manipulating the next generations of [[Transformer]]s.

==Conceptual history==
[[Image:BW Covenant.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Covenant]] shares a very similar base concept with the Thirteen, and may have been the original inspiration for them.]] Despite how often their importance is trumpeted, the fact of the matter is, the concept of the Thirteen hasn't actually been around that long, hasn't been related in much detail, and hasn't been presented in a very linear manner. The development of the concept is described in this section to minimize confusion; for details of their history and actions in specific bits of fiction, see below.

The very earliest seeds of the Thirteen can probably be found in material produced by [[3H Productions]] for [[BotCon]], most notably 2000's "[[Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox|Covenant]]". This story introduces the undeniably similar concept of the [[Covenant]], a group of twelve zodiac-themed Transformers who are the first creations of [[Primus]], created as a test-run for the Transformer race. Despite the basic similarity between the Covenant and the Thirteen, though, the two groups have not been connected, and those same stories by 3H would ultimately contradict the later lore of the Thirteen by introducing [[Primon]], a Matrix-bearer who preceded [[Prima]], which should not be possible.
[[Image:Vectorprimeut.jpg|right|thumb|[[Fun Publications]] established [[Vector Prime]] to be a member of the Thirteen in 2005.]]
It was in the pages of 2004's ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' that the mysterious "Thirteen Original Transformers" were first spoken of, and their basic origin was laid down: they were the first Transformers created by Primus to battle Unicron, and their number included [[Prima]], the first Matrix bearer from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics series]] and [[The Fallen]], an enigmatic servant of Unicron from [[Dreamwave Productions]]' 2003 comic, ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages]]''. The book also noted that if ''[[Alignment]]'' had been published, the [[Liege Maximo]], an ancient evil Cybertronian from the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' comics]], would have been counted among them as well. Not surprisingly, it was the creator of all three of these characters, [[Simon Furman]], who both wrote the guide and conceived the idea of the Thirteen<ref>Simon Furman panel, BotCon 2012</ref>, which was later taken and run with by Hasbro. While it was Furman who also created the Covenant, it is not yet known whether or not he was deliberately drawing upon his old idea when he introduced the Thirteen in this book.

The concept of the Thirteen quietly bubbled under for the next year, until another element was added with the introduction of [[Vector Prime]] in 2005's ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' series. Although presented merely as a very ancient Autobot in the original Japanese version of the ''Cybertron'' cartoon, Hasbro envisioned him as one of the Thirteen, and writer [[Forest Lee]] made this explicit in [[Vector Prime: In the Beginning|the first story]] produced for the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. This story also introduced the idea that all of the Thirteen were Primes, and that each had a specific function or purpose; Vector Prime's was stewardship of time, while a 2007 [[bio]] written for The Fallen's ''[[Titanium Series]]'' toy would later reveal he was the overseer of entropy.
[[Image:NexusPrimeflankedbyotherPrimes.jpg|left|thumb|Fun Publications also introduced the first [[combiner]], [[Nexus Prime]].]]
While it was not immediately apparent, Hasbro had put a plan in motion for the Thirteen with the Collectors' Club comic: across the next five years, five separate robots were introduced who were gradually revealed to be components of a combiner, [[Nexus Prime]], who was one of the Thirteen. During this five-year span, the subject of the Thirteen often came up at BotCon Q&A sessions, during which the idea of them being [[multiversal singularity|multiversal singularities]] solidified.

Also during this time, current Transformers comic license holders [[IDW Publishing]] spoke often of a potential comic book mini-series about the Thirteen to be written by Simon Furman, but this was eventually nixed, with Furman noting in 2009 that this was because it had "become more of a Hasbro thing than an IDW thing."<ref>[http://hombreimaginario.deviantart.com/art/Interviews-10-Simon-Furman-130246343 Furman talks about the Thirteen in an interview on DeviantArt]</ref> Hasbro's desire to control and fully conceptualize the story of the Thirteen was further made evident when, after Fun Publications' [[Image:TransformersVault-Prima.jpg|right|thumb|The new design for [[Prima]] was revealed at [[BotCon 2010]].]] Nexus Prime story concluded in the same year, they effectively took "custody" of the character as part of their future plans. This control, however, was evidently not all-encompassing: also in 2009, the Fallen made a surprising appearance as the titular villain of the second-live action Transformers film, ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', where he was a member not of a group of thirteen, but only ''seven'' Primes. Hasbro's [[Hasbro_Q&A/October_2009#AllSpark.com|October 2009 online Q&A]] retroactively justified this by explaining that while all the Thirteen were Primes, only seven actually had the word "Prime" ''in their names''.

Eventually, in 2010, the grand scope of the new [[Aligned continuity family]] became the "delivery method" for Hasbro's long-percolating tale of the Thirteen. The novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'' revealed [[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]] to be one of the Thirteen, and although this proved a bit questionable, as he had previously been shown to have an alternate evil "[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]" self, which a multiversal singularity should not, it did confirm the earlier allegation that not all the Primes had "Prime" in their name. The novel also revealed the Fallen's real name to be Megatronus Prime, and his pre-Fallen design was revealed at [[BotCon 2010]], along with new designs for Prima, Vector Prime, Alpha Trion and the Liege Maximo, the latter now officially canonized as a member of the group. A year later, at [[BotCon 2011]], [[Solus Prime]] was also named and revealed, and it was explained that each of the Thirteen represented one aspect of the Transformer race, their ranks also including a beast-mode Transformer and a [[Minicon]]. Solus would later factor into the ''[[Transformers: Exiles]]'' novel, which also introduced [[Amalgamous Prime]] and [[Alchemist Prime]]. Right around this time, the story of the Thirteen finally made the leap to the small screen, when, after years of being consigned to fan-targeted comics and convention panels, their origin tale was told in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' episode, "[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]".

And that's the story... so far!
{{--}}

==Members==
[[Image:OneShallRise1-WellofAllSparks.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

*'''[[Prima]]''', the first [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix-bearer]] and first Transformer born from Cybertron, leader of the Thirteen.<ref>''Sentinel Prime was one of a dynasty of Primes, stretching back to the original '''13 Transformers''' and their leader, Prima.'' — ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' (2005) 1st ed p15, "Sentinel Prime"</ref> He was a warrior of light who used a [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] with the Matrix as its hilt.
*'''[[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]]''', the third and who can see the past, present, and future, and who holds the [[Covenant of Primus]] and the [[Quill]]. He maintains a close relationship with Primus through [[Vector Sigma]].
*'''[[Solus Prime]]''', the fourth and a [[female Transformer|female]] weaponsmith.
*'''[[Thirteen|Thirteenth Prime]], created last, and whose raised arm in greeting united the the Thirteen.
*'''[[Alchemist Prime]]''', co-founder of Cybertronian civilization.
*'''[[Amalgamous Prime]]''', the trickster.
*'''[[Liege Maximo]]''', the manipulator.<ref>Liege Maximo was confirmed in [[Simon Furman]]'s "[[Alignment]]" story as one of the Thirteen, but that story was "unofficial" and of debatable canonicity. He was later confirmed by Hasbro to be amongst the Thirteen, as part of their "Once Upon a Time on Cybertron" project at [[BotCon 2010]].</ref>
*'''Megatronus Prime''', formerly the guardian of entropy and warrior of darkness, now a [[herald of Unicron]] known as '''[[The Fallen]]'''.
*'''[[Micronus Prime]]''', the first Mini-Con.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2011-hasbro-story-building-panel-172316/ TFW coverage of Botcon 2011 Hasbro Story Building Panel]</ref>
*'''[[Nexus Prime]]''', the first and greatest combiner, unpredictable, fascinated by change, and a lighthearted prankster.
*'''[[Onyx Prime]]''', the first Transformer with a beast mode.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=79726 AllSpark.com live transcript of Archer and Alvarez's 2011 BotCon panel]</ref>
*'''[[Quintus Prime]]''', the scientist.
*'''[[Vector Prime]]''', the guardian of space and time who spent most of his life outside the multiverse, observing it and occasionally stepping in to help.

==Fiction==

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
[[Image:Thefallen.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]
[[The Fallen]] was thwarted in his attempt to sabotage Primus's physical form, and the Thirteen allegedly died after casting The Fallen and his master Unicron through a [[black hole]] into another dimension. In truth, The Fallen was imprisoned in another dimension, while [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] kept watch over the Transformers in the [[Well of All Sparks]] while Primus entered his eternal sleep to hide Cybertron from Unicron. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}}

===Fun Publications===
Vector Prime aided the Autobots in finding the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s to close the [[Unicron Singularity]]. He regularly reported their progress to [[Alpha Trion (Energon)|Alpha Trion]], but during one visit Unicron's servants [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] and [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)|Nemesis Prime]] attacked. {{storylink|Balancing Act}} [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] came to Cybertron looking for clues to his past, only to be attacked by [[Scorponok (Energon)|Dark Scorponok]], {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 2}} but his forcefield protected him. Ramjet offered him clues to his past in exchange for his <s>soul</s> service. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 3}} They went to Primus's spark core to destroy him with the [[Dead Matrix]], but Vector and [[Sentinel Maximus]] fought back. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 4}} Ramjet said he would stop trying to kill Primus if Vector aided them in restoring the balance by resurrecting Unicron, but he refused. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Pt 5}} Skyfall tried to save Ramjet but his forcefield only ignited an explosion that killed Ramjet. {{storylink|Revelations Part 1}} Vector had drones repair Skyfall and found [[Omega Prime]]—Trion's creation from a [[Viron]] universe—had helped Sentinel defeated Nemesis. Omega's presence saddened Vector, as it confirmed the multiverse was falling apart, and he left. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

Skyfall was helping Sentinel repair Vector Sigma, when [[Over-Run (Armada)|Over-Run]] informed him he had found a twenty million cycle old carving of him and another bot. {{storylink|Revelations Part 4}} Immediately during a battle between [[Mini-Con]] Autobots and Decepticons, Skyfall found Landquake. {{storylink|Revelations Part 5}} The two seemingly vanished when Unicron attacked, {{storylink|Revelations Part 6}} when they had been transported to [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]]'s universe, {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1}} and the trio and went through a [[space bridge]] {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}} to find [[Topspin (Classics)|Topspin]] in [[Axiom Nexus]]. [[Cheetor (TransTech)|Cheetor]] and [[Silverbolt (TransTech)|Silverbolt]] introduced the trio to [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]]. However, [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]] had Breakaway quietly subdued and taken to his laboratory. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 1}} Skyfall and Landquake realized Breakaway was gone, but Alpha Trion told them to come with him if they wanted to rescue their brother from the evil TransTechs. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 2}} He explained he was not from this dimension and was part of a resistance movement, introducing them to Topspin, whose job was to transfer their [[lowtech]] followers' sparks into their TransTech counterparts. Realizing Topspin was one of their kin, Skyfall and Landquake agreed to help. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 3}} [[Nightscream (TransTech)|Nightscream]] found Breakaway was being held near the portal to Alpha Trion's dimension, {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 4}} and his acolytes attacked, rescuing Breakaway {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 5}} and entering the transwarp device. Alpha Trion explained to Skyfall he was the key to the reunification, and stabbed and killed him as they entered his universe. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
[[Image:Reunification5-arisenexusprime.jpg|left|thumb|350px]]
Despite his claim his was a peaceful world, Alpha Trion shot [[Downshift (SG)|Downshift]], and Breakaway realized Skyfall had been killed by an energy blade rather than shot from behind as the old Autobot claimed. Alpha Trion's troops arrived, took the four components and he proclaimed he would kill them all—as reunification still worked with one of them dead—and that his reign would begin. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 1}} Landquake manipulated the raw energon and used smokebombs to escape with Topspin and Breakaway carrying Skyfall. Weeks later, after trying unsuccessfully to revive Skyfall, {{storylink|Reunification: Part 2}} the [[Quintesson]] [[Aquarius (SG)|Aquarius]] appeared to take them to [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 3}} Landquake explained their situation to the Decepticons, and Megatron asked [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]] to bring [[Heatwave (Timelines)|Heatwave]], but then Cyclonus, revealing himself to be an agent of Alpha Trion, assassinated Megatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}} Breakaway suggested they use their powers to revive Megatron, and found themselves in a white space with Skyfall and Primus. They made their choice: Nexus Prime was reborn. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus resurrected Megatron as Galvatron and defeated [[Omega Doom]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}} Using Galvatron's gift of the [[Stellar Spanner]], Nexus and Aquarius began dimension-hopping to find the shards of the [[Star Saber (Prima)|artifact]] he had been entrusted with, so he could complete his memories. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 1}}
{{-}}
===Live-action film series===
{{main|Dynasty of Primes}}
[[Image:ROTF-sixprimes.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Primes in the Matrix/Allspark/surreal part of Primus's imagination.]]
The Primes were the guardians of the [[AllSpark]], charged with replenishing it. They commanded [[Seeker (ROTF)|Seekers]] and [[Constructicon (ROTF)|workers]] to find stars and replenish the AllSpark with their energy. The Fallen began seeing himself as the AllSpark's chosen one and began destroying solar systems with sentient life to replenish the Cube. His brothers warned him not to do it again, so The Fallen tried it again on [[Earth]] to lure them. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 3|Tales of the Fallen #3}} The Fallen slaughtered all his brothers bar Prima himself, who gathered his brothers' lifeforce to trap The Fallen in his [[sarcophagus]]. Prima sacrificed himself to form a [[Tomb of the Primes|tomb]] with his brothers' bodies to hide the Matrix. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 4|Tales of the Fallen #4}}

A long time passed, and The Fallen was eventually dug up. From his prison, he pushed [[Megatron (Movie)|High Protector Megatron]] into forming the Decepticons. {{storylink|Defiance issue 2|Defiance #2}} Thousands of years later, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], the sole surviving descendant of the Primes to survive The Fallen's rampage, {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen issue 3|Revenge of the Fallen #3}} had been killed. The Primes appeared to [[Sam Witwicky]], giving him the Matrix to revive Optimus, and Optimus avenged The Fallen's brothers by killing him. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

{{note|The ''Revenge of the Fallen'' adaptations have thirteen Primes. While designs were made for twelve non-Fallen Prime heads, the finished film shows only seven Primes, and this change was followed in ''[[Transformers: Tales of the Fallen|Tales of the Fallen]]'' and [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|the Titan magazine]]. Prima's appearance was retconned by Hasbro at [[BotCon 2010]].}}

===Aligned continuity===

{{note|"Anything you know from past generations of the brand may or may not be factual in the new continuity."<ref>[[Hasbro Q&A/September 2010: Answers|Hasbro Q&A, September 2010: {{SITENAME SHORT}}]]</ref><ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=74182 Hasbro Q&A, September 2010: AllSpark.com]</ref>}}

[[Image:OneShallRise1-TheThirteen.jpg|left|thumb|400px|They're not a fan of direct lighting.]]

Legend says that [[Primus]] created the Thirteen to defeat [[Unicron]]. The Thirteen succeeded, and Unicron's defeated form was cast by them into space. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

Statues of the Thirteen were created at some point after they defeafed Unicron {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

What is known about the Primes is that their war made "enemies of brothers, murderers of lovers, heroes of the insignificant, and cowards of the mighty". Allegiances formed and broke apart: Megatronus refused to bow before his brothers, and he believed he would be vindicated someday despite his destructive methods. The murder of one sent them across the stars, to battle among themselves for billions of cycles. Finally, there came a time when Prima had to relinquish the Matrix. Afterwards, the [[Covenant of Primus]] decreed Cybertron could only have one Prime at a time.

[[Image:OneShallRise1-Thirteenattack.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Three seconds of one episode made up for a lifetime of lack of Thirteen images.]]

[[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]] remained on Cybertron, recording these events into the Covenant, and the Primes became myths doubted by [[Jazz (WFC)|some]]. Alpha Trion retreated into becoming the Archivist of the [[Hall of Records]] when [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]], the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]] and the [[Guilds of Cybertron]] ignored his protests about the [[caste system]]. The Matrix did not bestow itself onto another until the unworthy Sentinel died, and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] was imbued with it, while his nemesis had become known as [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], who like his namesake had come to destroy that he believed in. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}
{{--}}

==Notes==

*''Transformers: The Ultimate Guide'' asserts that all of the Thirteen were destroyed in the early battle between Primus and Unicron, but the statement was disproven by the book itself, since it recounted how The Fallen was not destroyed but exiled to a transdimensional prison from which he later escaped. Fun Publications comics would later depict Vector Prime as the sole surviving member of the Thirteen, and then go on to introduce Nexus Prime as a co-survivor alongside him.

* ''The Ultimate Guide'' made mention of a rumor on Cybertron that [[Maccadam]] — proprietor of [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] — was supposedly one of the 13 and that his bar existed outside the normal flow of space-time. The prose story "[[Prime Spark (story)|Prime Spark]]" confirms the latter half of that rumor, depicting the bar as a multiversal nexus of sorts, but it makes no revelations about Maccadam himself. [[Aaron Archer]] has declared that when the full identities of the Thirteen are revealed [[soon|in the foreseeable future]], Maccadam will not be among them. Moral of the story: rumors are dumb.

*According to the words the [[Last Autobot]] spoke "Since Cybertron's Creation, I have slumbered within the planet, awaiting a time long foreseen by your creator, Primus", it can be inferred that the Last Autobot might be one of the Thirteen.

* The ''[[Beast Wars Reborn]]'' text story establishes that [[Soundblaster (Cybertron)|Logos Prime]]—also known as Soundblaster—is an "ancient", has incredible powers over space and time, and is "one of [Vector Prime's] own", which all combine with his title to strongly suggest that he is one of the Thirteen. Additionally, the silhouetted image of the Thirteen produced by [[Yuji Kaida]] for [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[World of the Transformers]]'' web site (written by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], author of the ''Beast Wars Reborn'' story) includes a shadowed figure closely resembling Logos Prime, seemingly cementing TakaraTomy's (or at least Ichikawa's) intention that he be part of the group. However, a non-committal Hasbro Q and A [[Hasbro_Q%26A/May_2010:_Answers|answer]] suggests that they won't be including him in their definitive canonical list of Thirteen.

*In Hasbro Q&A on October, 2009 from [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=63609 ''The Allspark Forum''], The Thirteen are referred to as "the Original Epic Warriors of Cybertron" by Hasbro.

*The notion of the Primes being originally huge is similar to early ''Revenge of the Fallen'' concepts where the Fallen dwarfed Optimus and was almost the size of a pyramid, as evident from [[Defiance issue 4|''Defiance'' #4]] and the [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (novel)|novelization]].

*[[James Roberts]] came up with a completely different creation story for [[IDW Publishing]]'s Transformers, just because he ''can''. There is still [[Guiding Hand|an original group of Transformers]] and a war caused by treachery, but in that version the traitor is another god named [[Mortilus]]. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Classics subgroups]]
[[Category:Cybertron subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Prime subgroups]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass subgroups]]
[[Category:Subgroups]]
[[Category:Thirteen| ]]
[[Category:TransTech]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron subgroups]]

Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon

2013-05-29T23:53:10Z

Backlash3906: /* Notes */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=17
|prev=The Gloaming
|next=
|caption=''Damn you for ruining our class photo!''
|image=MTMTE17 cvrA.jpg
|title="Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[May 29]], [[2013]]
|coverdate=May 2013
|story by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editorial assistants=[[Toni Korde]] and [[Mariel Romero]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2013)]]
}}
'''Everything has built to this! As Rodimus leads the ''Lost Light'' crew on a quest straight out of Cybertronian myth, old enemies reappear, old friends return, and new life waits to be born...'''

==Synopsis==

''Somewhere, in a darkened room, Rodimus relates the grim tale of recent events to an unseen listener...''

[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] verifies the [[death clock]]'s scan of [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], sadly confirming that the little 'bot has a fatal case of [[cybercrosis]], brought about by nothing more than old age, which will kill him in just over three days. As the medic details the stages of the disease, including blindness, paralysis, and memory loss, Tailgate flees the medibay in a panic, racing back to his quarters, where he explains his news to [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]. Cyclonus stoically advises Tailgate to make his peace and face death boldly, but then leaves the room in silence, and stops in the hallway to observe his reflection... which he almost punches in a sudden, furious rage, only to stop and instead tear gouges in his own face with his claws.

Examining security footage to determine what has become of the missing [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]], [[Ambulon]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] observe as the comatose Magnus suddenly sits bolt upright with impossible speed and appears to ''float'' to the shuttle bay. [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] reports that the signal from the shuttle Magnus left in has been detected, and the ''[[Lost Light]]'' sets course after it, soon finding that it leads through a colossal wormhole. Rodimus informs the crew that the ship will be going through the portal, giving anyone who wishes the option not to come, but nobody takes it. The ship enters the portal, and what lurks on the other side proves beyond imagining: the lost satellite of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], alleged home to the answer to every question, found at last.

As Rodimus waits in his quarters, morosely examining unread messages from Ultra Magnus on his datapad, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] enters to report his preliminary findings: a lifesign scan, amazingly, suggests the moon is home to a billion lifeforms. Rodimus handpicks a small team to join him on the first expedition to the moon, confidentially informing them that all he really wants to do is find out what became of Ultra Magnus: [[Rung]] (to fill Magnus's role and tell him things he doesn't want to hear); [[Brainstorm]]; [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (in case there's any fighting to be done, though Whirl suspects it's positive discrimination); [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (who [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] urges to search the moon for a solution to his lost memories); Ratchet; and Cyclonus, for his familiarity with the creation myth that Luna 1 is part of. Cyclonus agrees to come only on the condition that Tailgate gets to accompany them, desiring to give his tiny friend a great experience before his death, but he cautions Tailgate to disabuse himself of the notion that the moon may hold a cure to his condition. [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] begs to come along, citing his metallurgical skills, but Rodimus refuses, accusing him of having abandoned that function to be a bartender.

Leaving the ''Lost Light'' under the stewardship of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], the Autobots head down to the moon and deploy in [[Mobile Autobot Repair Bay|M.A.R.B.]]s. They soon discover Magnus's shuttle, smashed open from the outside-in, but when Rodimus hops off the M.A.R.B. to examine it, his feet touching the moon's surface for the first time, the incredible happens: the entire moon lights up, as a billion [[spark]]s suddenly flare to life all over its surface. Luna 1, it transpires, is a gigantic "hot spot", a field where sparks are born, that has been fertilized after an ages-long wait when Rodimus touched it. As Rodimus wonders if the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-half he is carrying could have been responsible, the other Transformers look in wonder on the field, the like of which Chromedome remarks had mostly ceased to be by his lifetime, since he was "constructed cold". Tailgate has heard this term thrown around a lot without understanding it, and the others explain that Chromedome was created using the energy from an extant spark, as opposed to "forged", born in a hot spot (which Whirl is eager to point out ''he'' was). Cyclonus calls the group's attention to a spark glowing green, which Brainstorm recognizes as a "superspark"—a vanishingly rare, insanely powerful [[Point One Percenter]]—and immediately begins excavating it over Perceptor's horrified protestations. Everyone discusses whether or not this is the right thing to do, but moral debates are promptly tabled by an explosive, unexpected arrival: a platoon of Decepticons led by [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]], who descend from the sky, weapons blazing, decrying Rodimus's team as trespassers!

Back on the ''Lost Light'', the transmission from Rodimus's team is abruptly cut off, but Blaster and Maximus aren't sure if it's the moon or the ship that's being isolated. Down in the ship's oil reservoir, Skids is spending some time alone with this thoughts when suddenly, a familiar phrase gurgles out of the darkness: "Nineteen eighty-four". A platoon of the [[Legislator|giant golden warrior robots]] he last saw just before joining the ''Lost Light'' crew bursts out of the reservoir's black depths, chanting their familiar refrain... but that's not all. More of the robots appear all across the ship: in [[Swerve's]], which he has decided to close down; on the bridge; and everywhere in-between, these ones brandishing huge guns and declaring "Seventeen twenty-one".

''Rodimus pauses in his story, reflecting on how many impossible things happened in one day, and realizes he has not even asked the name of his mystery listener. The older bot introduces himself as [[Dominus Ambus|Ambus]]...''

On Luna 1, as Rodimus's team flees the Decepticon attack, Ratchet's M.A.R.B. is hit and explodes, throwing the medic to the ground. A figure appears before the fallen Ratchet and offers its hand... and Ratchet looks up to see [[Pharma]] looming over him!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (3)
*[[Ambulon]] (4)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (5)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (6)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (7)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (8)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (9)
*[[Rung]] (10)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (11)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (12)
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (13)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (14)
*[[Grapple]] (15)
*[[Brainstorm]] (16)
*[[Atomizer]] (17)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (18)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (19)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (20)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (21)
*[[Dominus Ambus]] (28)
*[[Pharma]] (30)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]] (22)
*[[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]] (23)
*[[Venom (G1)|Venom]] (24)
*[[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]] (25)
*[[Chop Shop]] (26)
*"[[Den-O]]" (27)
|c4=
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (1)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (2)
*[[Legislator]]s (29)

}}

==Quotes==

"You're visiting Luna 1 for the '''experience''', nothing else. This can't be about finding a '''cure.'''" 
"'Course not! 'Course it can't. ...'''why''' can't it?" 
"It just '''can't.'''" 
"Right. Fine. So I'm not allowed to '''hope.'''" 
"Listen to me. <big>'''Never. Hope.'''</big> Hope is a '''lie.'''"
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Tailgate'''

"Time to break out the '''[[M.A.A.B.]]s''' and play 'Hunt the Crewmember.'" 
"Wait—'''M.A.R.B.s''' or '''M.A.A.B.s'''"? 
"'M.A.R.B.s or M.A.A.B.s?' What?" 
"'''M'''obile '''A'''utobot '''R'''epair '''B'''ay, or '''M'''obile '''A'''nti-'''A'''ssault '''B'''attlesuit?" 
"The ones that turn into—the '''cool ones.''' The battlesuits." 
"Right. We don't have any of those."
:—'''Rodimus''' and '''Brainstorm'''

'''Brainstorm:''' "I was '''anti-apartheid.''' Went on the marches and everything. 'Equal rights for '''knock-offs!''''" 
'''Tailgate:''' "Eh?" 
'''Chromedome:''' "Ignore him—he thinks it's four million years ago and he's being '''progressive.'''"

"What are you—" 
"'''Harvesting''' it." 
"No, because harvesting takes '''skill'''. And '''patience.''' And '''time.''' You can't just—you can't just do '''precisely what you're doing now...!" 
:—'''Perceptor''' and '''Brainstorm'''

"Where are you going to put [the spark], Brainstorm? In your '''briefcase?'''" 
"I '''wasn't''', but if I '''did'''... oh, man. You've just '''blown by mind.'''"
:—'''Rodimus''' and '''Brainstorm

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Popular-but-unseen [[Spoke]] and [[Lockstock]], mentioned in issues [[Before & After|#12]] and [[The Gloaming|#16]], get another name-drop in this issue, where it turns out they're just as well-liked by the ship's medibot—the [[Diagnostic Drone]] seen floating around the ship in multiple past issues (perhaps most prominently [[Rules of Disengagement|issue #7]]—as they are by their crewmates.
*Rodimus likens himself, Magnus and Drift to [[Rossum's Trinity]], the principle of Transformer biology introduced in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]].
*Following last issue's surprise ending, Tailgate's looming death is revealed to be the result of [[cybercrosis]], a rotting disease first mentioned in [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|the ''More than Meets the Eye'' 2012 annual]]. Ratchet notes that it has likely curdled Tailgate's [[innermost energon]]; this is sure to be why it appeared a sickly green color when Tailgate was seen pouring some out in issue #12, compared to the traditional pink-purple of everyone else's in that same issue. It is also pointed out that Tailgate's [[transformation cog]] likely no longer works, which he has not noticed because he hasn't transformed in so long; in fact, we've never seen him ''successfully'' transform at all through the run of the series, as when he last attempted it in [[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|issue #2]] he got stuck halfway.
*It's not immediately clear what Rung might be referring to when he says he has a sense of ''déjà vu'' at the sight of the portal, but it's appropriate that he would be the one to feel it, as past issues have established him as a "historical constant" who has been around a ''long'' time and been present for nearly every major event in Cybertron history.
*The portal looks a heckuva lot like the one Skids and the gold robots flew out of all the way back in issue #2.
*Having lost his arm in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]], Chromedome is seen with a skeletal replacement on page 7 like that worn by Rodimus in issue #3, after he lost his own limbs. It has been built back up to a proper arm by page 10.
*Luna 1! This famous missing satellite of Cybertron's has been regularly mentioned across both ''More than Meets the Eye'' and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' since its legend was introduced in ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]''. Reference is made to the quests that Swerve and Rodimus both undertook for it, which were originally commented on in issue [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]] and the 2012 annual, respectively (though it's not clear if they were both on the ''same'' moonquest or not).
*Callbacks are made to the deaths of [[Polaris]] and [[Shock]] (both from issue #2), [[Animus]] (issue #3) and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (issue #15) .
*The origin of Luna 1's nickname, "The Seething Moon", is revealed, as it is "seething" with unborn life. We got our first hint toward the sheer scope of what we see here back in [[Remembrance Day|issue #14]], when we saw [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]'s spark emerge from Luna 2. That story saw Overlord's spark denoted as a "Point One Percenter" by its green coloration, which is how the Autobots identify another this issue.
*We get a clear explanation for terminology we've been hearing throughout ''More than Meets the Eye'' since [[Life After the Big Bang|issue #4]]: "Forged" Transformers are those whose sparks were grown naturally from the metal of Cybertron or one of its moons, while Transformers "constructed cold" were created using energy from another's spark. This process, in turn, is revealed to be another name for [[spark splicing]], a population-enhancement program introduced by [[Nova Prime]], mentioned in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|issue #11]].
*Skids is moping around in the ship's oil reservoir, where he was also seen ruminating in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]].
*The Decepticons who attack Rodimus's team are Lockdown's "Titan Hunters" from ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]''. Ransack was not seen among the group in that issue; his presence here marks the first time all four [[Insecticon (G1)|Deluxe Insecticons]] have appeared together in IDW continuity.
*Dominus Ambus is Rewind's old friend and master, seen in flashbacks in issue #12. He has a new color scheme here, appearing with a white helmet and green face, as opposed to the gold helmet and white face seen in his previous appearance.
*The giant gold robots previously appeared back in issue #2. They've not been named in-story as of yet, but concept art from the first ''More than Meets the Eye'' trade paperback and excerpts from the Monthly Solicitations has identified them as "Legislators".
*Bonkers Autobot doctor Pharma appeared in issues #4 and [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]], in which he got his hands lopped off. He's replaced one of them with a chainsaw. Groovy.

===Real-life references===
*''[[Wikipedia:Remain in Light|Remain in Light]]'' is the title of an album by the band [[Wikipedia:Talking Heads|Talking Heads]].
*For the language-fanciers among you, "fecund" means "fertile". The full moon is often described as "fecund" in literature, owing to its mythological connections to fertility; here, that figurative language is given a far more literal double-meaning, as the moon in this story is literally bursting with life waiting to be born.
*Brainstorm has a tiny model of [http://robocop.wikia.com/wiki/Enforcement_Droid_Series_209 ED-209] from ''[[Wikipedia: RoboCop|RoboCop]]'' on his desk.
*Continuing the trend started by "[[V3]]" from [[The Reluctant Specialist|''Spotlight: Trailcutter'']], another new member of the [[Titan Hunters]] appears to be based on one of the title characters from the Japanese tokusatsu franchise Kamen Rider, in this case [[wikipedia:Kamen Rider Den-O|''Kamen Rider Den-O'']].

===Transformers references===
*[[Pharma]] is now apparently working with [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]], and sporting a chainsaw accessory like his [[Lockdown (Animated)|''Transformers Animated'' counterpart]].

===Crew manifest===
*Tailgate discovers he is terminally ill.
*11 deaths, two crewmembers in terminal conditions, 5 new arrivals (plus 20 or so Faders), and one banishment since the launch.

===Soundtrack===

For all of "Remain in Light":
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjmGZfHHC80 A Dazzling End]'' from the ''[[Doctor|Doctor Who]]'' Series 4 soundtrack, by [[wikipedia:Murray Gold|Murray Gold]]
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPJAX7Cu-4k The Universal HD]'' by [[Wikipedia:Blur (band)|Blur]]

For this issue alone:
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zNdMc6wGtU Heaven]'' by the aforementioned Talking Heads
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4XHx_boqTI A Comet Appears]'' by [[Wikipedia:The Shins|The Shins]]

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' The ''[[Lost Light]]'' crew face an onslaught of [[Legislator]]s, art by [[Alex Milne]], colours by [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Cover B:''' Rodimus flees a Legislator, art by [[Sean Chen]], colours by [[Tom Chu]].
*'''Cover RI:''' A despondent Tailgate alone beside a porthole, art by [[Nick Roche]], colours by Josh Perez.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE17 cvrA.jpg|
File:MTMTE17 cvrB.jpg|
File:MTMTE17 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

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==External links==
*[http://www.fullmetalhero.com/content/more-than-meets-eye-17-full-preview-6586/ Preview]