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Predacon (BW)

2021-07-05T23:27:26Z

Evedawalrus: /* Beast Wars cartoon */

{{factions|predacon|{{factions/icons|custom=Timelines_Predacon_Symbol.png|cSize=33px|cLink=Predacon (BW)|cPretty=Predacon}}}}
{{merge|Predacon (RID)|Same symbol, 2/3 of the RID members are BW toys, and this would be in the same vein as G1 content being on RID character pages. Conflicting origin has not stopped other faction pages, such as the BW and IDW'06 Maximals.}}
{{disambig3|Predacon}}
:''The Predacons are a faction from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Predacon symbol.png|thumb|You know they're evil because their icon could poke out an optic.]]
Arising from the ashes of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the '''Predacons''' are, at least in part, descendants of the [[Decepticon]]s. Some sources suggest that they were born from what remained of the original five [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]].<ref>http://botconarchives.com/brochurelex.cfm. Additionally, this was also implied to be the case in the [[Beast Wars (comic)|IDW Beast Wars]] continuity.</ref> By order of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], they exist as something of an underclass, appearing to be equals, but firmly under the [[Maximal]]s in the social order. This has led many Predacons to hold bitter grudges against the Maximals.

Predacons tend to take reptilian or arthropod [[beast mode]]s, although this is not a hard-and-fast rule. They can also turn into [[Seacon (BWII)|sea]] [[Dead End (BWN)|creatures]] and [[Megastorm|military]] [[Combatron (BWII)|vehicles]].

The adjective for "of or pertaining to the Predacons" is '''Predaconial''',<ref><tt>A [Maximal] strategic specialist, [[Stinkbomb]] is fascinated with the study of Predaconial psychology.</tt> — [http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Stinkbomb/stinkbomb.htm Stinkbomb's Tech-Spec], 1999</ref> though it is ''extremely common'' to simply substitute 'Predacon'.

{{quote|You do not know the Predacons. We—they ''live'' for the glory of conquest.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] to [[Tigatron]]|"[[Law of the Jungle]]"}}

{{stub}}

==Fiction==
===Toy bios===
{{stub}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
{{stub}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
The Predacons are the descendants of the Decepticons. Both sides have seperate leaderships, governments (the [[Predacon Alliance]] in this case), and space forces, with an uneasy alliance. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} As the Decepticons lost the Great War, the Preds consider the Maximals to "rule us" {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and in a particularly melodramatic snarl, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] called his race "slaves". {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}} ''Officially'', there is peace between the two factions and has been for three centuries, but a number of Predacons chafe under this status and wish to raise the banner again. The [[Tripredacus Council]] is seen as cowtowing too much to the Maximals. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

What the Predacons are unaware of is not just that the Tripredacus Council ''is'' preparing its own war plans, but that they are ''not'' Decepticon descendants in the same way as the average Pred. They have some mysterious different origin all of their own.{{storylink|Other Victories}}

Megatron recruited a crew of Predacon criminals to steal the Golden Disk under cover that it led to energon deposits that would allow them to reignite the Great War. What he (and [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] knew it contained was information on how to alter the timeline, to ensure the Great War never ended with Autobot victory. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} His theft pissed off the Council something fierce: it caused them severe diplomatic repercussions. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} They clearly intended to make use of the Disk's information themselves, however, as they had [[Tarantulas]] snuck into his team and when the spider got the chance, he tried twice to destroy the [[Ark (G1)|ancient Ark]] and change time in the Council's favour. {{storylink|Master Blaster}} {{storylink|Other Victories}}

Maximal protoforms can be reprogrammed into Predacons via [[shell program]]. What this means, besides showing up on scans as Predacons, is unclear. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] was briefly transformed into a Predacon and became a highly aggressive schemer and sadist, saying he felt the entire time like he had "three gigabytes of attitude on a two-gig hard drive". {{storylink|Dark Designs}} [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] certainly believed that removing her shell program would change her and she was against it. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}} However, Blackarachnia would be de-programmed back into a Maximal and was still pretty much the same after {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}} while Maximal protoform [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] was ''never'' given a shell program, he was just a nasty bastard. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} Further, in the following cartoon, [[Rhinox (BW)#Beast Machines cartoon|Rhinox would become a highly aggressive schemer...!]]

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
All the Predacons would be taken out by Megatron's virus but Primal's crew would never acknowledge this, except the one time [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] sarcastically said it was a good thing [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] was made from Rhinox's spark and not a Predacon's. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon=====
{{stub}}

=====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon=====
{{stub}}

====3H comics====
{{stub}}

====Descent into Evil====
{{stub}}

====2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity====
{{stub}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
{{stub}}

===''Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe''===
Predacons existed alongside Autobots, Decepticons, and Maximals in the 21st century CE. In the aftermath of the Earth / Cybertronian war, they co-habitated the plains of [[Uranus]] with the Maximals. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

==Origin==
[[File:BW Predacons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
We do not know the origin of the Predacons beyond the fact that they are descendants of the Decepticons, at least in part. They were in existence and at war with the [[Maximal]]s prior to the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], at which time most laid down their arms but a few went rogue.

Different continuities present differing, sometimes conflicting accounts. One account says that [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] founded the Predacons ([[Predacon (G1)|reusing his old team's name]]) after the Decepticons' defeat, and that they took the fight to Cybertron and could have won if the [[Tripredacus Council]] hadn't stolen control for themselves. {{storylink|BotCon 2009|Timelines Razorclaw's bio card}} Other continuities have the Predacons and Decepticons co-existing for a time. {{storylink|The Razor's Edge}} {{storylink|Descent into Evil}} {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}} When [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was in a bad mood, he's said the Predacons came ''after'' the Great War. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} Meanwhile, another continuity depicts the Predacons being formed in 2013 C.E. in the wake of the Pax Cybertronia by the Decepticon Predacon team as well as their fellow Quintesson creation [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]]. Their new forces initially comprised Transformers from stasis pods looted from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s secondary laboratory, including [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and the future Tripredacus Council. {{storylink|A Common Foe}} However, the Decepticons also continued to exist for some time. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Apelinq's personal logs}} {{storylink|BotCon 2014|Apelinq's profile card}}

In at least one [[Micro-continuity]] the Predacons existed as far back as the 1990s, operating on human inhabited Earth under ''a'' [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Optimus Primal vs Megatron!}} {{storylink|Tarantulas (BW)#Toy Bio|Tarantulas toy bio}} It has been recorded that their way of life was to prosper or perish, and their leader swore they'd do this by driving the Maximals into extinction! {{storylink|Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Megatron (1996) bio}} Of course, this may be [[Maximal Elder]] propaganda.

==Organization==
[[File:TripredacusCouncil1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|"Got any threes?" "Go fish."]]
The Predacons, although apparently governed by an organization known as the [[Predacon Alliance]], appear to be a rather splintered faction. One of the major ruling bodies is the [[Tripredacus Council]], but it is possible they represent only one political voice within the Alliance. As Predacons are known to look down on a [[Democracy|democratic]] system of governance and appear able to accept power plays and treachery if it ''succeeds'', {{storylink|Master Blaster}} Predacon government can be assumed as autocratic and based on whoever can hold on to power successfully.

The Tripredacus Council keeps its followers pacified under the Pax Cybertronia with the promise of a slow, sly return to power, whispering of a long-term plan to overthrow the Maximals when the time is right. A number of Predacons have expressed dissatisfaction with this approach, leading renegades such as [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]], and [[Magmatron]] to recruit private armies of followers and, either covertly or overtly, strike out against the Maximals on their own. Nearly all known Beast Wars-era Predacons tend to fall within the arms of these criminal renegade militias, with the exceptions of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], with the [[Predacon Secret Police]], and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], a Covert Agent who reported directly to the Tripredacus Council. (Tarantulas was a direct agent too but this appears to have been just ''him'', rather than standard for officers) It is unknown whether the Predacons have any sort of official standing army or defense force other than the internal Secret Police and the Covert Agent secret service.

[[File:Bwneo1 predacons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Our names are better than the [[Dinoforce]]!]]
In one continuity, following the [[Great Transformation]], a revived Predacon force under Razorclaw (along with Divebomb and the descendants of Headstrong, Rampage, and Tantrum) was preparing for war. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

In another continuity, thousands of years after Beast Machines, the Predacons have been shown to be actively at war with the Maximals across the galaxy {{storylink|Autorollers Roll Out!}} {{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}} and have an [[Dead End (BWN)|official army with a military academy]]. The top military rank at this time is "[[Emperor of Destruction]]", and any governing force beyond that is unknown.

Oddly enough, all the Predacons in Beast Wars II (apart from Galvatron, of course) have [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s rather than [[beast mode]]s, but the Japanese never heard of Vehicons then, so... it doesn't matter.

{{--}}

==Society==
We don't know much about the Predacons' general lifestyle. All evidence suggests a very militant warrior culture, with power grabs endemic. This is even enshrined for some in an [[Dinobot (BW)|honour system]], where seizing control by force if you think you could do a better job was seen as an honourable, proper act. Predacon honour also put great stock in bravery in battle, a glorious end, and paying off your debts. The fact that the honour system allows for treachery has left Maximals confused. We do not know how widespread this honour system actually ''is'', as the majority of Beast Wars (admittedly criminal renegade) combatants were happy to ignore it.

A number of Predacons are scientists. Academic knowledge and expertise seems respected as long as you can also fight; if you can't, [[Fractyl|you get looked down on]], but if you've got both skill sets, [[Tarantulas (BW)|this will often be sufficient to excuse your bad habits, personality quirks, or minor crimes]].

Some Predacons have gone for more esoteric skills, such as [[Saberback|magic]].

Unsurprisingly, Predacon society has a strong criminal element. Both [[Crazybolt (BWN)|individual thieves]] and organised gangs are known. Some gangsters, such as [[Cryotek (Universe)|Cryotek]], have become hideously powerful and bold enough to attack the Maximal government.

==Social status==
The exact social status of the Predacons appears to be a second-class one, but there's no specifics. Megatron has referred to the Maximals as ''ruling'' the Predacons on several occasions {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and once, in a melodramatic moment, said that they were slaves. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} Dinobot, meanwhile, thinks little of Maximal justice {{storylink|The Probe}} and believes that the Maximals use [[Maximal Torture Chamber|torture devices]] on Predacons. {{storylink|Chain of Command (BW)|Chain of Command}}

Some Maximals, like [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], consider there to be a long-standing peace between the two races, apparently unaware of Predacon frustrations. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} Optimus has also been willing to offer a hand of friendship, {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}} or show respect, {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} to individual Predacons. Many of the ''other'' Maximals we've seen, by contrast, appear to view the ''entirety'' of the Predacon population as inherently untrustworthy and dangerous (especially if that Maximal is [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]]). {{storylink|Dark Designs}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Maximal soldiers on Cybertron have expressed ''enjoyment'' in finally being allowed to beat up on insurgent Predacons. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2}}

That all said, the Predacons co-run the important governing body, the [[Bi-Partate Committee for State Affairs]]. {{storylink|Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering}}

==Bases of operation==
[[File:Commandoutpostone-exterior.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
It is even unknown where exactly the Predacons are based.

The Tripredacus Council holds meetings aboard a space station, [[Predacon Command Outpost One]].

While one would presume the Predacons also had some sort of presence on Cybertron itself, after the Beast Warriors' return to Cybertron following the events of Beast Wars, they refer frequently to the missing population as Maximals only.

{{note|When asked about the Predacons (and Autobots and Decepticons) being absent in [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]], story editor and head writer [[Bob Skir]] said "We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes *all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron *was* populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned." <ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 6 November 1999]</ref>}}
{{-}}

==Variations==
*'''[[Transmetal]]s''': When exposed to the exotic radiation produced by a [[quantum surge]] or a [[Super Energon]] explosion, some Maximals and Predacons develop a "mutated superstructure," granting them purely mechanical beast modes while their [[robot mode]]s take on additional organic traits. In most instances, Transmetals develop a tertiary "transport mode". Such robots are undetectable to [[Vok]] technology.
*'''[[Fuzor]]s''': An alternate evolution also stemming from said radiation, Fuzors possess a single [[beast mode]] based off two or more creatures, mashed together into a single chimeric form. Fuzors possess a degree of Transmetallization that also renders them invisible to Vok sensors.
*'''[[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]]''': When exposed to a [[transformation virus]], Fuzors may react to the infection by losing their robot form, instead developing the power to switch between two beast modes at will. Paranormal abilities such as telepathy frequently manifest.
*'''[[Transmetal 2|Transmetals 2]]''': The power of the [[Transmetal driver]] has the ability to upgrade Cybertronian lifeform one step beyond the initial Transmetal mutation. Transmetal 2 Maximals are recognizable by their asymmetrical and frequently monstrous appearances, incorporating a patchwork of organic and mechanical components in both modes. In some instances, Transmetal 2 Transformers develop supernatural powers such as telekinesis or rapid healing.
*'''[[Technorganic]]s''': When [[reformatting|reformatted]] by the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], Maximals become an entirely new type of being, one that merges true organic life with Cybertronian construction at the cellular level. Considered to be the "perfect" fusion of the mechanical and the technological, technorganics transform via fluid shapeshifting and manifest a variety of energy-based powers.

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Destron''' (デストロン ''Desutoron'')
*''Dutch:'' '''Predator''' (toyline)
*''French:'' '''Predator''' (cartoon dub and France toyline), '''Prédator''' (Canada)
*''German:'' '''Predator''' (toyline)
*''Latvian:'' '''Predakoni'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Yuánshǐ Shòu''' (原始兽, "Primeval Beast")
*''Polish:'' '''Predatony'''
*''Russian:'' '''Khishcherony''' (Хищероны, "Predatorcons")

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising factions]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Predacons| Predacon (BW)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe]]

Predacon (BW)

2021-07-05T23:25:44Z

Evedawalrus: /* Beast Machines cartoon */

{{factions|predacon|{{factions/icons|custom=Timelines_Predacon_Symbol.png|cSize=33px|cLink=Predacon (BW)|cPretty=Predacon}}}}
{{merge|Predacon (RID)|Same symbol, 2/3 of the RID members are BW toys, and this would be in the same vein as G1 content being on RID character pages. Conflicting origin has not stopped other faction pages, such as the BW and IDW'06 Maximals.}}
{{disambig3|Predacon}}
:''The Predacons are a faction from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Predacon symbol.png|thumb|You know they're evil because their icon could poke out an optic.]]
Arising from the ashes of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the '''Predacons''' are, at least in part, descendants of the [[Decepticon]]s. Some sources suggest that they were born from what remained of the original five [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]].<ref>http://botconarchives.com/brochurelex.cfm. Additionally, this was also implied to be the case in the [[Beast Wars (comic)|IDW Beast Wars]] continuity.</ref> By order of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], they exist as something of an underclass, appearing to be equals, but firmly under the [[Maximal]]s in the social order. This has led many Predacons to hold bitter grudges against the Maximals.

Predacons tend to take reptilian or arthropod [[beast mode]]s, although this is not a hard-and-fast rule. They can also turn into [[Seacon (BWII)|sea]] [[Dead End (BWN)|creatures]] and [[Megastorm|military]] [[Combatron (BWII)|vehicles]].

The adjective for "of or pertaining to the Predacons" is '''Predaconial''',<ref><tt>A [Maximal] strategic specialist, [[Stinkbomb]] is fascinated with the study of Predaconial psychology.</tt> — [http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Stinkbomb/stinkbomb.htm Stinkbomb's Tech-Spec], 1999</ref> though it is ''extremely common'' to simply substitute 'Predacon'.

{{quote|You do not know the Predacons. We—they ''live'' for the glory of conquest.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] to [[Tigatron]]|"[[Law of the Jungle]]"}}

{{stub}}

==Fiction==
===Toy bios===
{{stub}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
{{stub}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
The Predacons are the descendants of the Decepticons. Both sides have seperate leaderships, governments (the [[Predacon Alliance]] in this case), and space forces, with an uneasy alliance. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} As the Decepticons lost the Great War, the Preds consider the Maximals "rule us" {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and in a particularly melodramatic snarl, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] called his race "slaves". {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}} ''Officially'', there is peace between the two factions and has been for three centuries, but a number of Predacons chafe under this status and wish to raise the banner again. The [[Tripredacus Council]] is seen as cowtowing too much to the Maximals. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

What the Predacons are unaware of is not just that the Tripredacus Council ''is'' preparing its own war plans, but that they are ''not'' Decepticon descendants in the same way as the average Pred. They have some mysterious different origin all of their own.{{storylink|Other Victories}}

Megatron recruited a crew of Predacon criminals to steal the Golden Disk under cover that it led to energon deposits that would allow them to reignite the Great War. What he (and [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] knew it contained was information on how to alter the timeline, to ensure the Great War never ended with Autobot victory. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} His theft pissed off the Council something fierce: it caused them severe diplomatic repercussions. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} They clearly intended to make use of the Disk's information themselves, however, as they had [[Tarantulas]] snuck into his team and when the spider got the chance, he tried twice to destroy the [[Ark (G1)|ancient Ark]] and change time in the Council's favour. {{storylink|Master Blaster}} {{storylink|Other Victories}}

Maximal protoforms can be reprogrammed into Predacons via [[shell program]]. What this means, besides showing up on scans as Predacons, is unclear. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] was briefly transformed into a Predacon and became a highly aggressive schemer and sadist, saying he felt the entire time like he had "three gigabytes of attitude on a two-gig hard drive". {{storylink|Dark Designs}} [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] certainly believed that removing her shell program would change her and she was against it. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}} However, Blackarachnia would be de-programmed back into a Maximal and was still pretty much the same after {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}} while Maximal protoform [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] was ''never'' given a shell program, he was just a nasty bastard. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} Further, in the following cartoon, [[Rhinox (BW)#Beast Machines cartoon|Rhinox would become a highly aggressive schemer...!]]

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
All the Predacons would be taken out by Megatron's virus but Primal's crew would never acknowledge this, except the one time [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] sarcastically said it was a good thing [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] was made from Rhinox's spark and not a Predacon's. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon=====
{{stub}}

=====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon=====
{{stub}}

====3H comics====
{{stub}}

====Descent into Evil====
{{stub}}

====2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity====
{{stub}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
{{stub}}

===''Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe''===
Predacons existed alongside Autobots, Decepticons, and Maximals in the 21st century CE. In the aftermath of the Earth / Cybertronian war, they co-habitated the plains of [[Uranus]] with the Maximals. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

==Origin==
[[File:BW Predacons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
We do not know the origin of the Predacons beyond the fact that they are descendants of the Decepticons, at least in part. They were in existence and at war with the [[Maximal]]s prior to the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], at which time most laid down their arms but a few went rogue.

Different continuities present differing, sometimes conflicting accounts. One account says that [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] founded the Predacons ([[Predacon (G1)|reusing his old team's name]]) after the Decepticons' defeat, and that they took the fight to Cybertron and could have won if the [[Tripredacus Council]] hadn't stolen control for themselves. {{storylink|BotCon 2009|Timelines Razorclaw's bio card}} Other continuities have the Predacons and Decepticons co-existing for a time. {{storylink|The Razor's Edge}} {{storylink|Descent into Evil}} {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}} When [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was in a bad mood, he's said the Predacons came ''after'' the Great War. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} Meanwhile, another continuity depicts the Predacons being formed in 2013 C.E. in the wake of the Pax Cybertronia by the Decepticon Predacon team as well as their fellow Quintesson creation [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]]. Their new forces initially comprised Transformers from stasis pods looted from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s secondary laboratory, including [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and the future Tripredacus Council. {{storylink|A Common Foe}} However, the Decepticons also continued to exist for some time. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Apelinq's personal logs}} {{storylink|BotCon 2014|Apelinq's profile card}}

In at least one [[Micro-continuity]] the Predacons existed as far back as the 1990s, operating on human inhabited Earth under ''a'' [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Optimus Primal vs Megatron!}} {{storylink|Tarantulas (BW)#Toy Bio|Tarantulas toy bio}} It has been recorded that their way of life was to prosper or perish, and their leader swore they'd do this by driving the Maximals into extinction! {{storylink|Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Megatron (1996) bio}} Of course, this may be [[Maximal Elder]] propaganda.

==Organization==
[[File:TripredacusCouncil1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|"Got any threes?" "Go fish."]]
The Predacons, although apparently governed by an organization known as the [[Predacon Alliance]], appear to be a rather splintered faction. One of the major ruling bodies is the [[Tripredacus Council]], but it is possible they represent only one political voice within the Alliance. As Predacons are known to look down on a [[Democracy|democratic]] system of governance and appear able to accept power plays and treachery if it ''succeeds'', {{storylink|Master Blaster}} Predacon government can be assumed as autocratic and based on whoever can hold on to power successfully.

The Tripredacus Council keeps its followers pacified under the Pax Cybertronia with the promise of a slow, sly return to power, whispering of a long-term plan to overthrow the Maximals when the time is right. A number of Predacons have expressed dissatisfaction with this approach, leading renegades such as [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]], and [[Magmatron]] to recruit private armies of followers and, either covertly or overtly, strike out against the Maximals on their own. Nearly all known Beast Wars-era Predacons tend to fall within the arms of these criminal renegade militias, with the exceptions of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], with the [[Predacon Secret Police]], and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], a Covert Agent who reported directly to the Tripredacus Council. (Tarantulas was a direct agent too but this appears to have been just ''him'', rather than standard for officers) It is unknown whether the Predacons have any sort of official standing army or defense force other than the internal Secret Police and the Covert Agent secret service.

[[File:Bwneo1 predacons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Our names are better than the [[Dinoforce]]!]]
In one continuity, following the [[Great Transformation]], a revived Predacon force under Razorclaw (along with Divebomb and the descendants of Headstrong, Rampage, and Tantrum) was preparing for war. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

In another continuity, thousands of years after Beast Machines, the Predacons have been shown to be actively at war with the Maximals across the galaxy {{storylink|Autorollers Roll Out!}} {{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}} and have an [[Dead End (BWN)|official army with a military academy]]. The top military rank at this time is "[[Emperor of Destruction]]", and any governing force beyond that is unknown.

Oddly enough, all the Predacons in Beast Wars II (apart from Galvatron, of course) have [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s rather than [[beast mode]]s, but the Japanese never heard of Vehicons then, so... it doesn't matter.

{{--}}

==Society==
We don't know much about the Predacons' general lifestyle. All evidence suggests a very militant warrior culture, with power grabs endemic. This is even enshrined for some in an [[Dinobot (BW)|honour system]], where seizing control by force if you think you could do a better job was seen as an honourable, proper act. Predacon honour also put great stock in bravery in battle, a glorious end, and paying off your debts. The fact that the honour system allows for treachery has left Maximals confused. We do not know how widespread this honour system actually ''is'', as the majority of Beast Wars (admittedly criminal renegade) combatants were happy to ignore it.

A number of Predacons are scientists. Academic knowledge and expertise seems respected as long as you can also fight; if you can't, [[Fractyl|you get looked down on]], but if you've got both skill sets, [[Tarantulas (BW)|this will often be sufficient to excuse your bad habits, personality quirks, or minor crimes]].

Some Predacons have gone for more esoteric skills, such as [[Saberback|magic]].

Unsurprisingly, Predacon society has a strong criminal element. Both [[Crazybolt (BWN)|individual thieves]] and organised gangs are known. Some gangsters, such as [[Cryotek (Universe)|Cryotek]], have become hideously powerful and bold enough to attack the Maximal government.

==Social status==
The exact social status of the Predacons appears to be a second-class one, but there's no specifics. Megatron has referred to the Maximals as ''ruling'' the Predacons on several occasions {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and once, in a melodramatic moment, said that they were slaves. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} Dinobot, meanwhile, thinks little of Maximal justice {{storylink|The Probe}} and believes that the Maximals use [[Maximal Torture Chamber|torture devices]] on Predacons. {{storylink|Chain of Command (BW)|Chain of Command}}

Some Maximals, like [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], consider there to be a long-standing peace between the two races, apparently unaware of Predacon frustrations. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} Optimus has also been willing to offer a hand of friendship, {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}} or show respect, {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} to individual Predacons. Many of the ''other'' Maximals we've seen, by contrast, appear to view the ''entirety'' of the Predacon population as inherently untrustworthy and dangerous (especially if that Maximal is [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]]). {{storylink|Dark Designs}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Maximal soldiers on Cybertron have expressed ''enjoyment'' in finally being allowed to beat up on insurgent Predacons. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2}}

That all said, the Predacons co-run the important governing body, the [[Bi-Partate Committee for State Affairs]]. {{storylink|Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering}}

==Bases of operation==
[[File:Commandoutpostone-exterior.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
It is even unknown where exactly the Predacons are based.

The Tripredacus Council holds meetings aboard a space station, [[Predacon Command Outpost One]].

While one would presume the Predacons also had some sort of presence on Cybertron itself, after the Beast Warriors' return to Cybertron following the events of Beast Wars, they refer frequently to the missing population as Maximals only.

{{note|When asked about the Predacons (and Autobots and Decepticons) being absent in [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]], story editor and head writer [[Bob Skir]] said "We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes *all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron *was* populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned." <ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 6 November 1999]</ref>}}
{{-}}

==Variations==
*'''[[Transmetal]]s''': When exposed to the exotic radiation produced by a [[quantum surge]] or a [[Super Energon]] explosion, some Maximals and Predacons develop a "mutated superstructure," granting them purely mechanical beast modes while their [[robot mode]]s take on additional organic traits. In most instances, Transmetals develop a tertiary "transport mode". Such robots are undetectable to [[Vok]] technology.
*'''[[Fuzor]]s''': An alternate evolution also stemming from said radiation, Fuzors possess a single [[beast mode]] based off two or more creatures, mashed together into a single chimeric form. Fuzors possess a degree of Transmetallization that also renders them invisible to Vok sensors.
*'''[[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]]''': When exposed to a [[transformation virus]], Fuzors may react to the infection by losing their robot form, instead developing the power to switch between two beast modes at will. Paranormal abilities such as telepathy frequently manifest.
*'''[[Transmetal 2|Transmetals 2]]''': The power of the [[Transmetal driver]] has the ability to upgrade Cybertronian lifeform one step beyond the initial Transmetal mutation. Transmetal 2 Maximals are recognizable by their asymmetrical and frequently monstrous appearances, incorporating a patchwork of organic and mechanical components in both modes. In some instances, Transmetal 2 Transformers develop supernatural powers such as telekinesis or rapid healing.
*'''[[Technorganic]]s''': When [[reformatting|reformatted]] by the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], Maximals become an entirely new type of being, one that merges true organic life with Cybertronian construction at the cellular level. Considered to be the "perfect" fusion of the mechanical and the technological, technorganics transform via fluid shapeshifting and manifest a variety of energy-based powers.

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Destron''' (デストロン ''Desutoron'')
*''Dutch:'' '''Predator''' (toyline)
*''French:'' '''Predator''' (cartoon dub and France toyline), '''Prédator''' (Canada)
*''German:'' '''Predator''' (toyline)
*''Latvian:'' '''Predakoni'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Yuánshǐ Shòu''' (原始兽, "Primeval Beast")
*''Polish:'' '''Predatony'''
*''Russian:'' '''Khishcherony''' (Хищероны, "Predatorcons")

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising factions]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Predacons| Predacon (BW)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe]]

File:Megatron Head at KSI.jpg

2020-08-25T04:11:44Z

Evedawalrus:

{{AOEcap|[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron's]] decapitated head at KSI}}

The Transformers: Robots in Disguise

2020-08-23T21:42:14Z

Evedawalrus: removed "ongoing" as it is no longer such

{{disambig3|Robots in Disguise}}
[[File:RID vol1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Ironhide, GoBots ahead!" "ATTACK!"]]
'''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise''''' was a comic series begun by [[IDW Publishing]] in [[2012]]. The series initially focused on [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] and the [[Autobots]] trying to organize peace among the [[NAIL|NAILs]] and [[Decepticons]] and bring [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to a new [[Golden Age]]. Later issues follow the adventures of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] as he reassumes command, the further exploits of the Transformers on [[Earth]] and the resurgence of [[Combiner|combination]] technology that ultimately culminates in Earth choosing to join the galactic community.

The series picks off from ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'', the final issue of the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and intertwines with events from the first new series for 2012, ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', forming with it the fourth major "act" of IDW's then ongoing [[2005 IDW continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

The series dropped its subtitle with issue #35, becoming simply '''''The Transformers''''' to avoid confusion with the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'']] franchise. The series concluded with issue #57 and after a ''[[Revolution]]'' one-shot, was relaunched as ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' in November 2016.

{{chapters|title=''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise''/''The Transformers'' vol. 2 issues:|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Optimus Prime (comic)|align=left|content=
*[[The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|#1]]
*[[The World & Everything in It|#2]]
*[[Stick Together|#3]]
*[[Devisive|#4]]
*[[A Better Tomorrow|#5]]
*[[Syndromica (1)|#6]]
*[[Interference Patterns|#7]]
*[[Dinobot Hunt (IDW)|#8]]
*[[Night and the City|#9]]
*[[Primus: All Good Things|Annual 2012]]
*[[Syndromica (2)|#10]]
*[[The End of the Beginning of the World|#11]]
*[[City on Fire|#12]]
*[[The Verge|#13]]
*[[Before the Dawn|#14]]
*[[Plan for Everything|#15]]
*[[Heavy Is the Head|#16]]
*[[Shockwaves|#17]]
*[[Second Exodus|#18]]
*[[Homecoming (IDW)|#19]]
*[[Three Monologues|#20]]
*[[Shockpoint|#21]]
*[[Soundwaves (issue)|#22]]
*[[Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|#23]]
*[[Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|#24]]
*[[The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|#25]]
*[[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|#26]]
*[[Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|#27]]
*[[Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|#28]]
*[[Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|#29]]
*[[Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|#30]]
*[[Earthfall Chapter 4: Full Fathom Five|#31]]
*[[Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|#32]]
*[[The World of Tomorrow|#33]]
*[[The Crucible|#34]]
*[[Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|#35]]
*[[Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|#36]]
*[[Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|#37]]
*[[The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati|#38]]
*[[First Contact (IDW)|#39]]
*[[The Possible Light|#40]]
*[[You, Me, and the Universe|#41]]
*[[Now and On Earth|#42]]
*[[South of Heaven|#43]]
*[[The Transgressors|#44]]
*[[The Nothing Man|#45]]
*[[Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|#46]]
*[[Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|#47]]
*[[Conquerors Part 3: Helden|#48]]
*[[Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|#49]]
*[[The Transformers issue 50|#50]]
*[[All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth|#51]]
*[[All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|#52]]
*[[All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|#53]]
*[[All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|#54]]
*[[All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|#55]]
*[[White Light|#56]]
*[[White Heat|#57]]
*[[Thundercracker & Buster Save the World|Revolution]]
}}

==Overview==
Based on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the series focuses on [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]]'s new government, and their attempts to lead and rebuild the primordial planet. They must deal with new arrivals daily —[[NAIL]]s, ex-[[Autobot]]s, and ex-[[Decepticon]]s, along with the Decepticons left around after [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s disappearance— and attempt to unify them all. The series employs consistent use of first-person narrative captions, with each issue being narrated by one of the central characters of the series: Bumblebee himself, ineffective in his leadership role and struggling to do anything about it; sanctimonious NAIL representative [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]]; [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], trying his hand at legitimately gaining power through political manipulations; security chief [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]], slowly turning to the dark side as his past weighs down on him; under-appreciated but perennially upbeat [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]]; and [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]], who has seen a vision of the future and is trying to balance its meaning with present-day reality. Major supporting cast members include [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], now employed as a secret assassin by Prowl with plans of her own; [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], the former hoping that the war may be truly over and he can have a life of his own, the latter there to temper his optimism; and a retired [[Blurr (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]], now running [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. A small circle of Autobots, Decepticons and NAILS make up a recurring group of tertiary characters that includes [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], [[Zetca]], and others.

[[File:RID28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|left|"Optimus, Kiss-Players ahead!" "ATTACK!"]]
===Season 1===
Tensions run high following the apparent destruction of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] plots to have [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] assassinate Bumblebee during a memorial for the ship. Prowl and Arcee foil the attempted murder thanks to Starscream, who sees no benefit to restarting the war, and begins to work with Bumblebee and Metalhawk to form a new united government for Cybertron. Though many Decepticons are provided with jobs and fall into line, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] continues with mysterious experiments that result in Prowl, at the end of his tether and increasingly emotionally closed-off, executing him. Fortunately, Ironhide is able to prevent events snowballing into chaos by successfully petitioning to have the [[inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chips]] installed in the Decepticons turned off, restoring a sense of equality to the Transformer race. Ironhide then recruits the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] to join him in venturing into the wilderness to searching for the missing [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], only to go missing themselves. The other Autobots, Decepticons, and NAILs search for them, but discover a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] has returned to Cybertron. [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] briefly awakens, to dub Starscream the "Chosen One" - destined leader of the Transformer race. Before Starscream can exploit this new standing to any great extent, Megatron makes a surprising return and is taken into custody, causing the Decepticons to riot in the streets. Megatron has secretly been working with a small team of Decepticons in Iacon to perfect the combination process, and he creates a new, more-powerful [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] out of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] and Prowl, who has been under the mind-control of the still-living Bombshell. Ironhide and the Dinobots return with the Aerialbots— now a combiner named [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]— and battle Devastator, while Megatron himself is neutralized by a failsafe created by Wheeljack. In the chaos, however, Starscream kills Metalhawk and uses his death to secure his position as sole ruler of Iacon, casting the Autobots and Decepticons out into the wilderness.

Simultaneously with this story arc, the adventures of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] are chronicled in a few side-story issues narrated by Orion himself. Alongside [[Garnak]], [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], Orion discovers that [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], and [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] are carrying out a plan of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s that involves using the different ores of the [[Regenesis]] program to alter the future. With Megatron's defeat on Cybertron, Shockwave turns all his attention to his part of this plan, paving the way for the "[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]" crossover event.

===Season 2===
[[File:TF48 cvrRI.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|right|"Starscream, nervous breakdown ahead!" "ATTACK!"]]
The setting shifts from Cybertron to Earth, Orion reclaims the name Optimus Prime and resumes leadership of the Autobots following Bumblebee's death, while [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] becomes the new Decepticon leader. New additions to the main cast of Autobots include [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]], [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]], [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]], [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], while the Constructicons start working for Prowl. More of Galvatron's backstory is explored, harkening back to his role in the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]] against the Headmasters. The opening story of "Earthfall" chronicles Optimus and Galvatron's attempts to find the missing [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], who was absent after Metroplex returned to Cybertron.

Entering Earth's orbit, the crew of ''[[Ark-7]]'' is attacked by human-built missiles derived from Cybertronian technology. Unwilling to risk the ship, Optimus takes Arcee, Jazz, Sideswipe, Kup, and Prowl down to Earth in Sky Lynx, while Jetfire steers the ship into the Moon's orbit. When they arrive, Optimus, Kup, and Jazz meet the ex-Seeker [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]], who has been living a quiet life on Earth since before Cybertron's resoration. Once in the open, the three Autobots are placed under arrest by the [[Earth Defense Command]], who allied with the Decepticons shortly after "Dark Cybertron". The Autobots escape the EDC's custody and return to their ship, where they manage to track the signal of the "Mind Bomb" —a device which scrambles a Cybertronian's brainwaves— to an EDC base on [[Marshall Islands|Bikini Atoll]]. Optimus leads an assault on the facility, and the Autobots rescue Alpha Trion, whom the EDC was holding captive. Trion explains that he was on Earth looking for the [[Enigma of Combination]], the artefact of [[Nexus Prime]], which allows for the creation of [[combiner]]s. The Autobots, Decepticons, and humans fight over the Enigma, which is in the possession of [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], the CEO of the Onyx Corporation. The Decepticons finally acquire it, but Starscream's spy [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] steals it. Optimus returns to Cybertron, leading into the "[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]" crossover event.

Cybertron prepares to make formal first contact with [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] —one of the thirteen colony planets— via Metroplex's [[Space bridge|Spacebridge]]. Once he acquires the Enigma of Combination, Starscream uses Combiners, including the repaired Superion, the reformed [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and the newly created [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], as pawns in a plot to manipulate the Camiens into forming an alliance with Cybertron. Caminus' [[Forgefire Parliament]] see Optimus as a living god, and he soon convinces them to unite with Cybertron. Receiving word of this alliance through his double agent [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]], Prowl returns to Cybertron with the Constructicons via the Spacebridge stolen from Onyx. Determined to prevent Starscream from forming an empire, Prowl forms Devastator and goes on a destructive rampage. Superion and Defensor stop Devastator and Prowl is arrested, but Starscream later uses the Enigma to integrate Scoop into the Constructicon Combiner. Rattrap betrays Starscream, frees the imprisoned Menasor and brings the Enigma of Combination to Prowl, who uses it to merge himself, Optimus, Ironhide, [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] and [[Mirage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Mirage]] into another Combiner: [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]. After Optimus Maximus emerges victorious in a final battle with the other four Combiners, Prowl is re-arrested, but he soon escapes custody and goes on the run.

[[File:TF50 regcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|left|"Optimus, messiah complex ahead!" "ATTACK!"]]

In the aftermath of the Combiner Wars, Starscream and [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] reopen diplomatic relations with more lost colonies, paving the way for the interplanetary [[Council of Worlds]]. A fresh wave of immigration reveals that Caminus is not the only religiously inclined civilization, and that the Transformers from other worlds also deify the [[Thirteen]] and Optimus Prime, much to his chagrin. Unsure of his place in this rapidly changing society, Optimus and his persistent agnosticism runs up against the [[Mistress of Flame]] and the [[Torchbearer]]s, who encourage him to use his status as a Prime to help those in need – including the population of Earth, supposedly one of the legendary thirteen colonies. Between Galvatron's attempts to conquer Earth and the machinations of the not-quite-human Blackrock, Optimus Prime uses his clout to make the unilateral – and controversial – decision to annex Earth into the Council of Worlds, sending ructions across Earth and Cybertron. In spite of many setbacks – including an increasingly paranoid and frazzled Starscream's attempts to undermine his authority using the Council of Worlds – Optimus attempts to mediate between Cybertronians and humans to prove his goodwill, culminating in blackmailing Soundwave into forming an alliance with the express intention of putting down Galvatron for good. Only his discovery of [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], slumbering beneath [[Monument Valley]], "proves" his supposed divinity and prompts the Council to reconsider their decisions. Metrotitan subsequently transforms into [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], a new Cybertronian embassy.

The creation of Autobot City kicks off the "[[Titans Return (comic)|Titans Return]]" crossover, as Metrotitan's transmissions across space awaken [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], the former Autobot leader thought dead since the early days of the Great War. Disgusted by the postwar order, Sentinel goes on a rampage across Cybertron and Earth, and in the process reveals his true identity as [[Infinitus]]: an ancient [[Titan Master]] from the bygone era of the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]]. Proclaiming himself and [[Sovereign]] as the heralds of [[Onyx Prime]]'s return, the two Titan Masters attempt to convince Optimus to stand with them, but Optimus and Soundwave fight back. In the aftermath, Prime and Soundwave rejoin the Autobots in Monument Valley, convinced that if the Autobots, Decepticons, NAILs, and colonists alike stand united, then together they will be enough to defeat the ancient menace.

Unbeknownst to Prime and his allies, however, an entirely different [[Baron Karza|alien threat]] stands poised to imperil the Earth, setting the stage for the ''[[Revolution]]'' crossover event. The final issue of the series, a ''Revolution''-tie in, sees aspiring scriptwriter Thundercracker and some unlikely allies defend the [[White House]] from [[Dire Wraith]]s.

==Creative team==
[[File:Barber and griffith.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|Series writer [[John Barber]] (left) and artist [[Andrew Griffith]] (right).]]
The series is written by [[John Barber]], bringing to the book the eye for intricate continuity-handling and first-person-narrative flow that he implemented during his time on IDW's [[Dark of the Moon (comics)|''Dark of the Moon'' comics]]. Barber's ''[[Transformers: Foundation|Foundation]]'' co-creator [[Andrew Griffith]] is the regular artist, basing his depictions of many characters on the designs used for their [[Aligned continuity family]] counterparts in the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' video games, with [[Josh Perez]] on colors.

[[Livio Ramondelli]] is the regular artist for the Orion Pax side-story issues, drawing and coloring in his unique painterly style. [[Casey Coller]] provides "B" covers for the series, and has stepped in to provide occasional interior pages throughout the series, as have [[Brendan Cahill]] and [[Guido Guidi]], who also illustrated the 2012 annual. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]] have also contributed colors. [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series.

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 1''''' ([[July 25]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772912 / ISBN 978-1613772911
:*Contains issues #1 to 5.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers and notes on issue #3 by the author/artists.

*'''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 2''''' ([[January 2]], [[2013]] ) ISBN 1613775415 / ISBN 978-1613775417
:*Contains issues #6 to 9.
:*Bonus material: cover gallery.

*'''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 3''''' ([[April 17]], 2013) ISBN 1613776268 / ISBN 978-1613776261
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #10 and #11.
:*Bonus material includes cover gallery, and Barber's script notes and Guidi's sketches for the Annual.

*'''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 4''''' ([[September 18]], 2013) ISBN 1613777655 / ISBN 978-1613777657
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material: cover gallery.

*'''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 5''''' ([[December 4]], 2013) ISBN 1613778368 / ISBN 978-1613778364
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material: cover gallery.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 1]]''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 and #24, as well as ''[[Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Cybertron Chapter 1]]'' and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23 to #25.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

<gallery>
File:RID vol1.jpg|'''Volume 1'''; cover art by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:RID vol2.jpg|'''Volume 2'''; cover art by Andrew Griffith and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:RID vol3.jpg|'''Volume 3'''; cover art by [[Brendan Cahill]] and Josh Perez
File:RID vol4.jpg|'''Volume 4'''; cover art by Andrew Griffith and Josh Perez
File:RID vol5.jpg|'''Volume 5'''; cover art by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC vol1.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron'' Volume 1'''; cover art by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
</gallery>

*'''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 161377964X / ISBN 978-1613779644
:*Contains issues #1 to #5.
:*New cover by Livio Ramondelli.
:*Bonus material: cover gallery and notes on issue 3 by Barber, Griffith, and Josh Perez

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains issues #25 to #27, as well as ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26 and #27, and ''[[...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|Dark Cybertron Finale]]''.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Contains issues #1 to #6, as well as "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", and ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1 to #5.

*'''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 6''''' ([[November 19]], 2014) ISBN 1631401645 / ISBN 978-1631401640
:*Contains issues #28 to #32
:*Bonus content includes covers of. each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''[[Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Cybertron Chapter 1]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23 to #27 and ''[[...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|Dark Cybertron Finale]]''.
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers Volume 7: Combiner Wars First Strike''''' ([[April 8]], 2015) ISBN 1631402854 / ISBN 978-1631402852
:*Contains issues #33 to #38.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

<gallery>
File:RID vol1 reissue.jpg|'''Volume 1 reissue'''; cover art by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron'' Volume 2'''; cover art by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|'''''IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol. 1'''''; cover art by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:RID vol6.jpg|'''Volume 6'''; cover art by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron'' Hardcover'''; cover art by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:RID vol7.jpg|'''Volume 7: ''Combiner Wars First Strike'''''; cover art by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
</gallery>

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 4]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Contains issues #7 to #9, the ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'' series, ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''.
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: Combiner Wars''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403869 / ISBN 978-1631403866
:*Contains issues #39 to #41, as well as the issues #1 to #3 of ''[[The Transformers: Windblade]]'' Volume 2.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: Robots in Disguise Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404261 / ISBN 978-1631404269
:*Contains ''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' Volumes 1 to 5.
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes the Annual 2012 and issues #10 and #11, as well as ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9 to #13, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", and "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers Volume 8''''' ([[March 16]], 2016) ISBN 1631405853 / ISBN 978-1631405853
:*Contains issues #42 to #45.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers Volume 9''''' ([[June 29]], 2016) ISBN 163140668X / ISBN 978-1631406683
:*Contains issues #46 to #49.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

<gallery>
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2'''''; cover art by Sarah Stone
File:CW-TPB.jpg|'''''The Transformers: Combiner Wars'''''; cover art by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:RID-Box-Set.jpg|'''''Robots in Disguise Box Set'' slipcase'''; cover art by ???
File:IDWCollectionP2V3.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3'''''; cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Tom B. Long]]
File:RID vol8.jpg|'''Volume 8'''; cover art by Andrew Griffith and Josh Perez
File:RID vol9.jpg|'''Volume 9'''; cover art by Andrew Griffith and [[Klaus Scherwinski]]
</gallery>

*'''''The Transformers Volume 10''''' ([[October 5]], 2016) ISBN 1631407481 / ISBN 978-1631407482
:*Contains issues #50 to #55.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 4|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 4]]''''' ([[October 12]], 2016) ISBN 1631407155 / ISBN 978-1631407154
:* Includes issues #12 to #18, as well as the ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'' series, and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #14 to #16.

*'''''The Transformers: Titans Return''''' ([[January 14]], [[2017]]) ISBN 1631408216 / ISBN 978-1631408212
:*Contains issues #56 and #57, as well as the ''[[The Last Autobot|Titans Return]]'' one-shot, and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #56 and #57.
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 5|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 5]]''''' ([[February 22]], 2017) ISBN 1631408445 / ISBN 978-1631408441
:* Contains issues #19 to #22, as well as the ''[[The Transformers: Primacy|Primacy]]'' series, and ''More than Meets the Eye'' #17 to #22.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 59: Dark Cybertron, Part 1''''' ([[June 14]], [[2017]])
:*Hardcover collection of ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23–25, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–24.
:*Bonus content includes a bio on the Titans and the making of Dark Cybertron with John Barber and James Roberts.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 64: Windblade''''' ([[August 9]], 2017)
:*Contains issues #35 to #38, as well as ''[[The Transformers: Windblade]]'' issues #1 to #4.
:*Includes a bio for Windblade, an overview of her conception, pictures of her ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' toy, and early design sketches by Hasbro.

<gallery>
File:RID vol10.jpg|'''Volume 10'''; cover art by Casey Coller and [[John-Paul Bove]]
File:IDWCollectionP2V4.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 4'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
File:TitansReturn TPBcvr.jpg|'''''Titans Return'' TBD'''; cover art by [[Priscilla Tramontano]]
File:IDWCollectionP2V5.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 5'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v59.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Vol. 59: Dark Cybertron, Part 1'''''; cover art by [[Guido Guidi]] (Ratchet) and [[Phil Jimenez]]/[[Andrew Griffith]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v64.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Vol. 64: Windblade'''''; cover art by Guido Guidi and [[Sarah Stone]]
</gallery>

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 6|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 6]]''''' ([[October 18]], 2017) ISBN 1684050855 / ISBN 978-1684050857
:* Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''[[Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Cybertron Chapter 1]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23 to #27, ''[[...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|Dark Cybertron Finale]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Windblade]]'' issues #1 to #4.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 75: Titans Return, Part 1''''' ([[February 7]], [[2018]])
:* Hardcover collection of ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One]]'' issues #1 to #4, ''[[The Last Autobot|Titans Return]]'' one-shot, ''The Transformers vol. 2'' issues #56 to #57, and ''More than Meets the Eye'' #56 to #57.
:* Bonus content '''unknown'''.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 60: Dark Cybertron, Part 2''''' ([[February 21]], 2018)
:* Hardcover collection of ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25 to #27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26 to #27 and ''Dark Cybertron: Finale'' one-shot.
:* Bonus content '''unknown'''.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 71: All Hail Optimus''''' ([[March 7]], 2018)
:* Hardcover collection of ''The Transformers vol. 2'' issues #50 to #55.
:* Bonus content '''unknown'''.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 7|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 7]]''''' ([[March 21]], 2018) ISBN 1684051495 / ISBN 978-1684051496
:* Contains issues #28 to 34, and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #28 to #34.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 62: Earthfall''''' ([[August 8]], 2018)
:* Hardcover collection of ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #28 to #34.
:* Bonus content '''unknown'''.

<gallery>
File:IDWCollectionP2V6.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 6'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v75.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Vol. 75: Titans Return, Part 1'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Arcee) and [[Livio Ramondelli]] (retro)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v60.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Vol. 60: Dark Cybertron, Part 2'''''; cover art by [[Mark Brooks]] (Brainstorm) and [[Andrew Griffith]] (retro)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v71.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Vol. 71: All Hail Optimus'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Sky Lynx) and Livio Ramondelli (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V7.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 7'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v62.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Vol. 62: Earthfall'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Galvatron) and [[Andrew Griffith]] (retro)
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 65: Combiner Wars''''' ([[October 31]], 2018)
:* Hardcover collection of ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #39 to #42 and ''Windblade'' vol. 2 issues #1 to #4.
:* Bonus content '''unknown'''.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 8|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 8]]''''' ([[December 5]], 2018) ISBN 1684053722 / ISBN 978-1684053728
:* Contains issues #35 to #38, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #35 to #40, ''[[The Transformers: Punishment]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone|Drift - Empire of Stone]]''

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 54: A Better Tomorrow''''' ([[April 3]], [[2019]])
:*Collects ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #1 to #7
:*Bonus material includes a new interview from by John Barber.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 58: Shockpoint''''' ([[May 15]], 2019)
:*Collects ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #15 to #22
:*Bonus material includes a 2-page history of IDW Shockwave's history-setting plans.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9]]''''' ([[June 19]], 2019) ISBN 1684054842 / ISBN 978-1684054848
:* Contains issues #39 to #43, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #41 to #44, and ''Windblade'' vol. 2 issues #1 to #5.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 67: Conquerors''''' ([[July 24]], 2019)
:*Collects ''The Transformers vol. 2'' issues #43 to #49 and the ''[[An Uneventful Night|Combiner Hunters]]'' one-shot
:*Bonus material includes development art by Andrew Griffith, a cover gallery and an intro by Simon Furman.

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v65.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Vol. 65: Combiner Wars'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Defensor) and Livio Ramondelli (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V8.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 8'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v54.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 54: A Better Tomorrow'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa and [[Andrew Griffith]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v58.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 58: Shockpoint'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa and Livio Ramondelli
File:IDWCollectionP2V9.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v67.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 67: Conquerors'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa and Andrew Griffith
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 56: City On Fire''''' ([[October 2]], 2019)
:*Collects ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #8 to #14 and the 2012 Annual.
:*Bonus material includes a cover gallery and an intro by Simon Furman.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 10|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 10]]''''' ([[January 1]], [[2020]]) ISBN 1684055849 / ISBN 978-1684055845
:* Contains issues #44 to #45, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #45 to #49, and ''Windblade'' vol. 2 issues #6 to #7, the ''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]'' miniseries, the ''[[An Uneventful Night|Combiner Hunters]]'' one-shot and "[[Choose Me]]" and "[[The Thirteenth Day of Christmas]]" from ''[[The Transformers Holiday Special]]''.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 11|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 11]]''''' ([[June 17]], [[2020]]) ISBN 1684056403 / ISBN 978-1684056408
:* Contains "[[Silent Light]]" from ''[[The Transformers Holiday Special]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Redemption]]'', ''The Transformers'' vol. 2 issues #46 to #50, and ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' issues [[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]] to [[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]].

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v56.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Vol. 56: City On Fire'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Sludge) and Andrew Griffith (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V10.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 10'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere
File:IDWCollectionP2V11.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 11'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere
</gallery>

===Japanese Reprints===
The Japanese reprints has been published from [[Villagebooks]]. Bonus material includes: art from all covers, appearance character commentary, includes a booklet with a commentary written by [[Akihisa Koike]] and [[Yūjin Ishikawa]].

* '''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 1''''' ([[September 28]], [[2019]])
** Collects issues #1-5.
** Translated by Yūjin Ishikawa and [[Ken Rose]].
** There are two covers, regular and exclusive. Produced exclusively for the [https://www.amazon.co.jp/ Amazon.co.jp], [http://versecomics.jp/ verse COMICS], [https://www.shosen.co.jp/ Shosen book tower], [http://blistercomics.jp/?mode=grp&gid=2006960 BLISTER comics] and [https://mamegyorai.jp/net/default.aspx Mamegyorai].

* '''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 2''''' ([[March 28]], [[2020]])
** Collects issues #6-10 and the 2012 Annual.
** Translated by Yūjin Ishikawa and [[Shiori Miyo]].

* '''''The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 3''''' ([[November 28]], [[2020]])

<gallery>
File:Villagebooks RID vol1 regular cover.jpg|'''''Volume 1 regular cover'''''; cover art by [[Kazumasa Yasukuni]]. [[Media:Unite Cover.jpg|Unite MTMTE vol.1 cover]].
File:Villagebooks RID vol1 exclusive cover.jpg|'''''Volume 1 exclusive cover'''''; cover art by [[DAI-XT]].
File:Villagebooks RID vol2 regular cover.jpg|'''''Volume 2 regular cover'''''; cover art by [[Yuki Ohshima]].
File:Villagebooks RID vol3 regular cover.jpg|'''''Volume 3 regular cover'''''; cover art by [[Hidetsugu Yoshioka]].
</gallery>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robots in Disguise}}
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2020-08-23T21:39:38Z

Evedawalrus:

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is a comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] (so they tell themselves) and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'', the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's then-ongoing [[2005 IDW continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

Critics in wider comic and sci-fi fandom have praised it, with many a gushing article<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/02/transformers-lost-light-comic-same-sex-partnerships The Guardian (2nd December 2016): "Kiss me, Chromedome: how the Transformers found peace and same-sex partnerships"]</ref><ref>[http://comicsalliance.com/transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-lost-light/ Comics Alliance, July 26 2016: "The End Of 'Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye,' And Why It Was (And Probably Will Be) The Best Book On The Stands"]</ref> and [[#Recognition|award nomination]]. The politics, the plotting, and the gender and sexual politics have all come in for favoured nods. Most of fandom holds up 'season 1' as one of the top ''Transformers'' stories ever, though 'season 2' had more criticism and claims of shark-jumping from ''Transformers'' fans (though not critics) after the "Elegant Chaos" storyline.

The series concluded with issue #57, followed by a ''[[Revolution]]''-branded one-shot (which was a truly Marmite comic as fans either loved the barbed satire about crossover events or really didn't), before relaunching with a new artistic creative team as ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=The Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[Ten to Midnight|#56]]
*[[Last Light (issue)|#57]]
*[[Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!|Revolution]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. The book occasionally takes breaks from the main cast to focus on the misadventures of the [[Scavenger (group)|Scavenger]]s: a group of bungling Decepticon misfits trying to start a new life in the post-war galaxy. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Solomus|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise''. The ''Lost Light'' crew initially investigate a previous find that leads them to the Titan Metroplex, and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]

===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, the cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], as well as several newcomers, become the story's focus: [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], recently-resurrected detective; Skids' escapologist partner [[Getaway]], who takes an immediate shine to Tailgate; [[Caminus (planet)|Camien]] bibliophile and quantum mechanic [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]; and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]], a neurotic [[M.T.O.]] Aquabot. The season kicks off with Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between ''Dark Cybertron'' and Season 2. In the present day, the resumed voyage does not start well, with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]], disappearing objects on the ship, and a chilling addendum to [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, including the events foreshadowed in season 1's ominous message from the future.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues, in a madcap adventure on a holomatter Earth. Following its directions to the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Meanwhile, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world.
[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-LostLightmutiny.jpg|thumb|left|250px|All of your childhood's favourite heroes betraying your childhood's other favourite heroes.]] Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', Getaway and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Unfortunately, the Decepticon Justice Division is also there to hunt Megatron. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

And elsewhere in space, ''Light'' alumni [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], the ''Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s constant shadow in [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]], and just-got-here [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] face a threat from the past as [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] comes for Luna 1's dormant Titan army!

The finale issue, a ''[[Revolution]]'' tie-in, eclipses them all in stakes as [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] has an awkward first date with someone he met on the internet.

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]''.<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by {{w|Okkervil River}} — an overall anthem for the series
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB5KeLb01CU "I've Got a Plan"] by {{w|My Friend the Chocolate Cake}} — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by {{w|Kenickie}} — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by {{w|Jon DeRosa}} — theme song for Ultra Magnus<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/394985192760569857 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2013/10/29]</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by {{w|Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker}} — theme song for Megatron<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/424300595055300608 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2014/01/17] — "Okay, so I caved in."</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by {{w|Morrissey}} — another theme song for Megatron<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/424312246374633472 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2014/01/17] — "here's another tune that I associate with Megatron"</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by {{w|Dexys Midnight Runners}} — anthem for the series' second season<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/438091877402050560 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2014/02/24] — "The tagline for MTMTE Season 2 (from April, w/#28) is: Let's Make This Precious"</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuTM2f1PgQc "Fiction"] by {{w|The Lucksmiths}} — theme song for Nautica<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/533899614730989568 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2014/11/16] — "She could be the singer or the sung-about."</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDjwqqFj9_0 "Left to My Own Devices"] by {{w|Pet Shop Boys}} — theme song for Brainstorm<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/536665913660309506 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2014/11/23] — "It's 8:21 'cos it needs to be. Play it all and play it *loud*"</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F-4PomdZgU "Meaningless"] by The Ballet — theme song for the Scavengers<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/646461474915938306 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2015/09/22] — "This *isn't* twinned with #MTMTE45. It's the Scavengers' Theme (mainly for the opening sample, but it all works)."</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by {{w|Sufjan Stevens}} — theme song for Cyclonus<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/668546134206504961 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2015/11/22] — "It's been *ages* since I posted a MTMTE character song. With #47 around the corner, it's time we had Cyclonus' theme"</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlg3Y7Z7zDU "Hello Cruel World"] by {{w|Mark Oliver Everett}} — theme song for Tailgate<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/675065838823677953 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2015/12/10] — "Tailgate's Theme - the song that plays on the radio after you've woken up from a 6 million year sleep"</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by {{w|James (band)|James}} — theme song for Whirl<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/707169351661707265 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2016/03/08]</ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mimLpZCO5k8 "I Spy"] by {{w|Pulp (band)|Pulp}} — theme song for Getaway<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/800862760724729858 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2016/11/22]</ref>

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], 2012) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], 2013) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], 2013) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.
<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|'''Volume 1'''; cover art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|'''Volume 2'''; cover art by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|'''Volume 3'''; cover art by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|'''Volume 4'''; cover art by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|'''Volume 5'''; cover art by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 1'''''; cover art by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
</gallery>

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, and ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains issues #26 and #27, ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25 to #27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 to #27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|'''Volume 1 reissue'''; cover art by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 2'''''; cover art by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two Vol. 1'''''; cover art by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|'''Volume 6'''; cover art by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron'' Hardcover'''; cover art by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|'''Volume 7'''; cover art by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
</gallery>

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Contains issues #6 to 8, as well as ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''Robots in Disguise'' #7 to 9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Contains ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5.
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Contains the Annual 2012 and issues #9 to 13, as well as ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' ([[October 5]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

<gallery>
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two Vol. 2'''''; cover art by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|'''Volume 8'''; cover art by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE boxset.jpg|'''Box Set'''; cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]]
File:IDWCollectionP2V3.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two Vol. 3'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere and [[Tom B. Long]]
File:MTMTE vol9.jpg|'''Volume 9'''; cover art by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol10.jpg|'''Volume 10'''; cover art by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
</gallery>

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 4|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 4]]''''' ([[October 12]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631407155 / ISBN 978-1631407154
:* Contains issues #14 to #16, ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'' series, and ''Robots in Disguise'' #12 to #18.

* '''''The Transformers: Titans Return''''' ([[January 14]], [[2017]]) ISBN 1631408216 / ISBN 978-1631408212
:*Contains issues #56 and #57, the ''[[The Last Autobot|Titans Return]]'' one-shot, and ''The Transformers'' issues #56 and #57.
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 5|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 5]]''''' ([[February 22]], 2017) ISBN 1631408445 / ISBN 978-1631408441
:* Contains the issues #17 to #22, as well as the ''[[The Transformers: Primacy|Primacy]]'' series, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #19 to #22.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 59: Dark Cybertron, Part 1''''' ([[June 14]], 2017)
:*Hardcover collection of ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23 to #25, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–24.
:* Bonus content includes a bio on the [[Titan (group)|Titans]], the making of ''Dark Cybertron'' with [[John Barber]] and [[James Roberts]], a cover gallery and a forward by [[Simon Furman]].

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 6|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 6]]''''' ([[October 18]], 2017) ISBN 1684050855 / ISBN 978-1684050857
:* Contains the full ''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]'' series as well as the first ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' series.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 7|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 7]]''''' ([[March 21]], [[2018]]) ISBN 1684051495 / ISBN 978-1684051496
:* Contains issues #28 to #34, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #28 to #34.

<gallery>
File:IDWCollectionP2V4.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two Vol. 4'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
File:TitansReturn TPBcvr.jpg|'''''Titans Return'' TPB'''; cover art by [[Priscilla Tramontano]]
File:IDWCollectionP2V5.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Vol. 5'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v59.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 59: Dark Cybertron, Part 1'''''; cover art by [[Guido Guidi]] (Ratchet) and Phil Jimenez/[[Andrew Griffith]] (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V6.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Vol. 6'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
File:IDWCollectionP2V7.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Vol. 7'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 72: The Dying of the Light''''' ([[January 24]], 2018)
:* Hardcover collection of ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #50 to #55.
:* Bonus content includes the bonus story "[[No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases]]", essential background material on the DJD, a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 75: Titans Return, Part 1''''' ([[February 7]], 2018)
:* Hardcover collection of ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One]]'' #1 to #4, ''[[The Last Autobot|Titans Return]]'' one-shot, ''The Transformers vol. 2'' #56 to #57, and ''More than Meets the Eye'' #56 to #57.
:* Bonus content includes a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 60: Dark Cybertron, Part 2''''' ([[February 21]], 2018)
:* Hardcover collection of ''Robots in Disguise'' #25 to #27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' #26 to #27 and ''Dark Cybertron: Finale'' one-shot.
:* Bonus content includes a "blow-by-blow account of Dark Cybertron's hidden secrets", a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 8|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 8]]''''' ([[December 19]], [[2018]]) ISBN 1684053722 / ISBN 978-1684053728
:* Contains ''More than Meets the Eye'' #35 to #40, ''Robots in Disguise'' #35 to #38, ''[[The Transformers: Punishment]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone]]''.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 53: Liars, A to D''''' ([[December 26]], 2018)
:* Hardcover collection of ''Robots in Disguise'' #25 to #27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1 to #6, ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'' and ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]''.
:* Bonus content includes an all-new interview with James Roberts, rare archive material from the dawn of ''More than Meets the Eye'', Alex Milne's sketchbook, a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 55: Shadowplay''''' ([[January 9]], [[2019]])
:* Hardcover collection of ''More than Meets the Eye'' #7 to #13, plus the 2012 Annual.
:* Bonus content includes the second of a new three-part interview with Roberts, early pages of scripts, design sketches from Alex Milne, a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v72.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 72: The Dying of the Light'''''; cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Cyclonus) and Alex Milne (retro)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v75.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 75: Titans Return, Part 1'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Arcee) and [[Livio Ramondelli]] (retro)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v60.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 60: Dark Cybertron, Part 2'''''; cover art by [[Mark Brooks]] (Brainstorm) and [[Andrew Griffith]] (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V8.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Vol. 8'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v53.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 53: Liars, A to D'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Whirl) and Alex Milne (retro)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v55.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 55: Shadowplay'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Chromedome) and Alex Milne (retro)
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 63: Elegant Chaos''''' ([[June 12]], 2019)
:* Hardcover collection of ''More than Meets the Eye'' #35 to #42.
:* Bonus content includes a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9]]''''' ([[June 19]], 2019) ISBN 1684054842 / ISBN 978-1684054848
:* Contains ''More than Meets the Eye'' #41 to #44, ''Robots in Disguise'' #39 to #43, and ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade vol.2]]'' #1 to #5.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 57: Remain in Light''''' ([[August 21]], 2019)
:* Hardcover collection of ''More than Meets the Eye'' #14 to #21 along with the prose stories "[[Signal to Noise]]" and "[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]".
:* Bonus content includes a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 66: Speak, Memory''''' ([[December 25]], 2019)
:* Hardcover collection of ''More than Meets the Eye'' #43 to #49.
:* Bonus content includes a one-page article about the [[Scavenger (group)|Scavengers]], a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 10|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 10]]''''' ([[January 1]], [[2020]]) ISBN 1684055849 / ISBN 978-1684055845
:* Contains ''More than Meets the Eye'' #45 to #49, ''The Transformers vol 2'' #44 to #45, ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade vol.2]]'' #6 to #7, ''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'' miniseries, the ''[[An Uneventful Night|Combiner Hunters]]'' one-shot and "[[Choose Me]]" and "[[The Thirteenth Day of Christmas]]" from ''[[The Transformers Holiday Special]]''.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 61: World Shut Your Mouth''''' ([[January 8]], 2020)
:* Hardcover collection of ''More than Meets the Eye'' #28 to #34.
:* Bonus content includes "Season 2" character poster art, a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v63.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 63: Elegant Chaos'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Trailbreaker) and Alex Milne (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V9.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Vol. 9'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v57.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 57: Remain in Light'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Skids) and Alex Milne (retro)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v66.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 66: Speak, Memory'''''; cover art by [[Dan Khanna]] (Getaway) and Alex Milne (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V10.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Vol. 10'''''; cover art by Marcelo Matere
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v61.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 61: World Shut Your Mouth'''''; cover art by Don Figueroa (Hoist) and Alex Milne (retro)
</gallery>

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 11|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 11]]''''' ([[June 17]], 2020) ISBN 1684056403 / ISBN 978-1684056408
:* Contains "[[Silent Light]]" from ''[[The Transformers Holiday Special]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Redemption]]'', [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''The Transformers'' vol. 2]] issues [[Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|#46]] to [[The Transformers issue 50|#50]], and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #50 to #55.

<gallery>
File:IDWCollectionP2V11.jpg|'''''IDW Collection Phase Two: Vol. 11''''' cover by Marcelo Matere
</gallery>

===Japanese Reprints===
The Japanese reprints has been published from [[Villagebooks]], translated by [[Akihisa Koike]]. Bonus material includes: art from all covers, appearance character commentary, includes a booklet with a commentary written by Akihisa Koike and [[Yūjin Ishikawa]].

* '''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[September 28]], [[2019]])
** Collects issues #1–5 and "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime]]".
** There are two covers, regular and exclusive. Produced exclusively for the [https://www.amazon.co.jp/ Amazon.co.jp], [http://versecomics.jp/ verse COMICS], [https://www.shosen.co.jp/ Shosen book tower], [http://blistercomics.jp/?mode=grp&gid=2006960 BLISTER comics] and [https://mamegyorai.jp/net/default.aspx Mamegyorai].

* '''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[February 28]], [[2020]])
** Collects issues #6–11 and the [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|2012 Annual]].

* '''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[August 28]], [[2020]])
** Collects issues #12-16
** [[Signal to Noise|Prose story]] translated by [[Kēsuke Tsubono]].

<gallery>
File:Villagebooks MTMTE vol1 regular cover.jpg|'''''Volume 1 regular cover'''''; cover art by [[Kazumasa Yasukuni]]. [[Media:Unite Cover.jpg|Unite RID vol.1 cover]].
File:Villagebooks MTMTE vol1 exclusive cover.jpg|'''''Volume 1 exclusive cover'''''; cover art by [[Takahiro Yamada]] and Kazumasa Yasukuni.
File:Villagebooks MTMTE vol2 regular cover.jpg|'''''Volume 2 regular cover'''''; cover art by [[Naoyuki Fujisawa]].
File:Villagebooks MTMTE vol3 regular cover.jpg|'''''Volume 3 regular cover'''''; cover art by [[Tasuku Tajima]].
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
*Three nominations for the 2014 True Believers Awards: Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story ("Remain in Light").<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics] (beating ''Saga''!!)
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/best-sci-fi-comic-2016/ Best of 2016: The Best Sci-Fi Comic of 2016] (beating ''Saga'' again!!)

==Other notes==
*James Roberts has stated that he wrote the series in mind with the characters in general all having his English accent.<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/1024666474500313089 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2018/08/01]</ref>
*Roberts made [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2kyAylUOecLScdHEmzVhef a Spotify playlist of thirteen Morrissey songs he associates with Megatron].<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/629791825058996224 James Roberts (@jroberts332) on Twitter, 2015/08/18] — "When we make the MTMTE musical, these are the songs Megatron will sing"</ref> Make of that what you will.

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]

Dirt Boss (ROTF)

2020-08-23T04:09:02Z

Evedawalrus:

{{factions|decepticonfilm}}
{{disambig3|Dirt Boss}}
:''Dirt Boss is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]] portion of the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]] [[continuity family]].''
[[Image:Nefarious2 Dirt Boss surrenders.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Look out, we got us a badass over here.]]

'''Dirt Boss''' has ''plans''. His small size has condemned him to the role of a lowly underling, but he's a master manipulator, and takes every opportunity to out-maneuver and undermine his rivals and superiors. He's a skilled and agile warrior as well, making it likely that he'll fulfill his ambitions—eventually.

{{quote|Y'know what? In a fair fight, I figure you've got the edge, but me...I fight '''dirty'''!|Dirt Boss, [[Nefarious issue 2|Nefarious #2]]}}

==Fiction==
===IDW movie comics===
As part of [[Strike Team Ursa]], Dirt Boss (alongside [[Brakedown (ROTF)|Brakedown]] and [[Reverb (ROTF)|Reverb]]) was dispatched to [[Wendover]], [[Utah]] by [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] to investigate the [[Initiative|mysterious organization]] that had resurrected [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]]. They discovered a hidden base beneath a garbage dump, but fled after they accidentally activated its self-destruct mechanism. While fleeing, they were intercepted by the [[Autobot]]s [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] and [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]], who promptly destroyed both of Dirt Boss' teammates. Dirt Boss pretended to surrender, buying him a few moments until Soundwave and Ravage swooped in and attacked the Autobots. Although Soundwave was soon captured, Dirt Boss made a clean getaway. {{storylink|Nefarious issue 2|Nefarious #2}}

[[Image:Nefarious2 DirtBosstransforms.JPG|left|thumb|250px]]
He later joined [[Rumble (ROTF)|Rumble]], [[Ratbat (ROTF)|Ratbat]], [[Buzzsaw (ROTF)|Buzzsaw]], and [[Beastbox (ROTF)|Beastbox]] in attempting to rescue the captured Soundwave from an [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]-led Autobot convoy in [[New Mexico]]. Dirt Boss battled [[Dune Runner (ROTF)|Dune Runner]] until Bumblebee, seeing his team being overwhelmed, fled, allowing the Decepticons to recover Soundwave. {{storylink|Nefarious issue 3|Nefarious #3}} Soundwave tracked Ravage to the [[Initiative]] base in eastern [[California]]. Dirt Boss was dismissive of their human opponents and, announcing he was going to show them who was boss, charged straight in. He was taken out by the base's outer perimeter defenses. {{storylink|Nefarious issue 4|Nefarious #4}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Revenge of the Fallen===
[[Image:ROTF-toy DirtBoss.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"[[wikia:marvel-movies:X-Men Origins: Wolverine|Wade, is that you?]]"]]
*'''Dirt Boss''' (Scout, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RD-08'''
[[Image:ROTF DirtBoss stockphotos.jpg|thumb|left|200px| He tried to kill me '''as''' a forklift ]]

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' Scout Class toys, Dirt Boss transforms into a bright-green and grey forklift. The loading mast cannot raise or lower, but it can tilt at a hinge near the carriage. Inside the cab, there is a seat and a (non-functional) distinctive forklift steering wheel. In robot mode, Dirt Boss' vehicle forks are mounted on his arms as blades.

:Dirt Boss's Hasbro [[stock photography]] shows him sporting grey forearms and hands with green forks, but on the toy itself, these colors are reversed. The stock photos also sport more red on the chest.

:This mold was also used for "[[N.E.S.T. Global Alliance]]" [[Deadlift]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/DirtBoss/dirtboss.htm More information on Dirt Boss at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
* Dirt Boss is quite possibly the most contradictory character in recent years. He appears alongside [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s, and shares a name, color, and [[alternate mode]] with [[Dirt Boss (Animated)|a Constructicon]] appearing in ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'', but is ''not'' a Constructicon. His body design is nearly identical to [[Scrapper (Movie)|Scrapper]] from [[Transformers The Game (console)|the first movie's video game]], but, well, he's not that Scrapper. He also has absolutely nothing to do with dirt, bossing, or even ''em''bossing. Huh.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Dirt Boss''' (ダートボス ''Dāto Bosu'')

[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen Decepticons]]

Aunty

2020-08-04T05:04:57Z

Evedawalrus: /* Marvel The Transformers comics */

{{factions|autobot}}
:''Aunty is the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s [[List of computers|brain]] manifested as a disembodied head from the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Auntie.jpg|thumb|If [[Teletraan I]] was [[T-AI]]'s dad, is Aunty her mom?]]
'''Aunty''' (or '''Auntie''') is the visual AI interface for the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer systems. Therefore, she is in complete and near-sole control of all of the ship's functions, including its [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardians]]. She's a kind personality, but also dutiful and coldly logical in her actions. That is, until the crash and/or [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s [[fusion cannon]] fried her circuitry, changing her from benign into an untrustworthy, raging megalomaniac.

She does not run {{w|Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome|Bartertown}}.

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:AuntieTransmitsSignals.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
''When the [[Decepticon]]s attacked the Ark, Aunty reached the conclusion that the [[Autobot]]s could not possibly come out of the fight victoriously. Thus, she prompted [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to crash the Ark onto [[Earth]] so that at least the Decepticons would be taken down with them.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

''All combatants within the Ark were rendered offline, but Aunty detected Cybertronian life outside. Dispatching a probe, she learned that [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] had come to Earth and was wandering the [[Savage Land]]. Aunty used data gathered from the Savage Land to convert five of the dormant Autobots into the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. They traveled to fight Shockwave, but their battle reached a stalemate when all combatants became trapped in a tar pit and buried under a collapsing cliff side. Aunty then shut down as well.'' {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}} {{storylink|In the Beginning...}} <ref>Though the Ark's computer isn't specifically called out as being Aunty in "Repeat Performance!", "In the Beginning..." recounts these events while identifying Aunty by name.</ref>

Once the restoration of most of the crew after their subsequent four million year slumber was completed, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] fixed up Aunty as well as he could for the time being. This so that she could [[Sky Spy|collect data]] of the planet they were stranded on. Aunty did, though wrongfully presented human machinery as the native lifeform instead of anything actually alive. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

''It wasn't until another attack by the Decepticons that Auntie was fully reawakened. Though the Autobots fought bravely, Optimus Prime realized they were not going to make it and pondered about their odds if Auntie would've been online. He did not know how badly the crash had damaged Auntie, but figured trying to bring her back was the only chance they had and so fled the battlefield to reactivate her. This didn't occur without Megatron's notice however, who deduced his nemesis had to have a plan in mind. Thus, as Optimus pleaded for Auntie to wake up, Megatron blasted the terminal with his fusion cannon. Hope seemed lost for merely a moment, as Auntie still escaped her slumber. Yet unfortunately, she did so with her [[circuits]] scrambled a lot worse than initially feared. Her first act upon awakening was to magnetize the Ark's walls in order to stop the fighting, her second to tell the two leaders she would listen to both their sides of the story and destroy the less deserving group. Optimus tried to reason with her and remind her of her original identity, but she refuted his claims and insisted on her solution to the conflict. This amused Megatron slightly at first, until Optimus explained to him Auntie was playing with them and that no matter her judgement, she would destroy them all if not stopped. Considering his chances, Megatron opted to take down the glitching computer. As Auntie was distracted in consideration of her verdict, Megatron tapped into the energy of a [[black hole]] to power up for one devastating attack. It didn't come to that though, as [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], who had been able to get past all the traps and defences set up by Auntie, came stumbling in. While Windcharger took care of the [[Guardian (Marvel)|last obstacle]], Ravage aimed for Auntie. Just a little slower than the [[Mini-Cassette]], Auntie died her second death.''

''After chasing the Decepticons out of the Ark, Optimus Prime and Windcharger had a talk about the day's events. Optimus sourly noted it would take a long time to repair Auntie, if they even dared to take that risk again.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

{{note|Aunty is not explicitly mentioned by name after this, but the Ark and its systems had many more appearances. {{storylink|Letters page (Marvel UK)|Dread Tidings #277}}}}

The Ark's computer automated the Autobots' use of the [[Tubes of Transference]]. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

Upset at the presumed death of [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]], Optimus Prime talked things over with the Ark's computer, simply referred to as "computer". When Prime asked what he could do to best reduce death and tragedy, the computer logically answered that he should stop fighting. Later, when Prime got his fighting spirit back, the computer agreed that past heroes can motivate tomorrow's heroes. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

===''Regeneration One''===
{{NoteRG1}}
Following his revival after the Ark's second Earthbound crash, Megatron reactivated Auntie to use to his own benefit. The computer was able to constantly formulate counter-plans and strategies to any task-force that sought to dethrone Megatron from his seat of power, resulting in many human casualties. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} The Wreckers and a handful of humans tried to reach the Ark and shut her down, and she deployed the Ark's defenses including a number of Guardian robots to defend her. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} She was instructed by Megatron to launch the Ark's nuclear missiles at his and Optimus Prime's forces no matter the outcome of the battle, ensuring all combatants perished. She prepared to fire the Ark's missiles per Megatron's orders, but detected [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] entering the Ark. Despite detaining him, he still managed to overload her systems and shut her down before she could launch the missiles. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

==Notes==
*According to details about the development of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel storyline]] provided at [[BotCon 2010]], "Aunty" was originally going to be the name of the entire ship.<ref name="BC10">[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc10/bc10bb.html griffin's 2010 BotCon report]</ref>
*While the summary-story "[[In the Beginning...]]" maintains that Aunty is a living computer, it refers to her only as "it".
*No, she is not [http://marvel.com/universe/Jocasta Jocasta].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://transfans.co.uk/media/2KX/media/comics/the_transformers_uk/dreadtidings/Issue277.jpg Transformers #277 Letters Page on Transfans.co.uk]

[[Category:Comic-only characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 computers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]

Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2020-07-03T06:13:07Z

Evedawalrus: Added a caption to an image.

{{factions|autobot}}
{{suite}}
[[File:SpotlightUltraMagnus-HisWayOrTheHardWay.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Aww, betcha say that to all the treaty-breaking weapons dealers."]]
Even in war, there are laws. '''Ultra Magnus''', Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]], is the thin blue line that enforces those laws. Whether Autobot or Decepticon, break them and you can do things his way... or the hard way.

He's so popular that people just love to cosplay as him!

{{quote|But is it enough to make me "bend"? In my book, one compromise leads to another... and '''''another'''''... and pretty soon... you've '''''crossed''''' the line you're supposed to be holding.|Ultra Magnus|''[[Spotlight: Ultra Magnus]]''}}

:*''First Appearance:'' [[Escalation issue 1|''Transformers: Escalation'' #1]] (Minimus Ambus, as Ultra Magnus)
:**[[Parasites|''Transformers: Autocracy'' #2]] (the original Ultra Magnus)
:**[[The Gloaming|''Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye'' #16]] (Datum, as Ultra Magnus)
:**[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|''Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye'' #17]] (Minimus Ambus, as himself)
:**[[Shining Armor issue 1|''Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor'' #1]] (Convoy, as Ultra Magnus)

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===The original Magnus===
[[File:Parasites-OrionPaxUltraMagnusSparring.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Foreshadowing!]]
The legend of Ultra Magnus began with the first 'bot to bear the name: a stern, no-nonsense Autobot who, during the early years of the war, fought alongside [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]], [[Skids (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skids]] and the legendary [[Delta Magnus]] to contain the Decepticons. {{storylink|Parasites}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} When Orion sided with [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] to overthrow [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]]'s corrupt government, Magnus and his security forces stood with them, {{storylink|Overthrown}} but when Zeta was deposed, Megatron betrayed Orion and took over the planet, sending Magnus, [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] into hiding. They were captured when their safehouse was raided by the Decepticons, {{storylink|Transformation (issue)|Transformation}} but were soon liberated by [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] and met back up with Orion, who had been transformed into [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] and awoken the dormant [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Rise}} Alongside the entire Autobot army, Ultra Magnus then marched on the [[Citadel]] to fight Megatron for the control of Cybertron. {{storylink|Broadcast}} After the Decepticons had been chased out of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Magnus aided Optimus Prime in inspecting the remains of Zeta Prime's cache of outlawed weaponry. {{storylink|Endgame}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime's rise to leadership, Ultra Magnus was part of a unit sent to defend the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]] from [[Scorponok (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Scorponok]]'s Decepticons. {{storylink|Rage (IDW)|Rage}} During the Autobots' attempts at stopping a rampaging [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Magnus was responsible for bringing out the strongest weapons in the Autobot arsenal {{storylink|The Illusion of Control}} and subsequently fought at Prime's side during the battle with the beast in [[Harmonex]]. {{storylink|Annihilation}} Following the defeat of Trypticon at the hands of Megatron and [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]], Ultra Magnus saw the calm as a chance to arrest Megatron, but was discouraged from doing so when the rest of the Decepticon army arrived. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (issue)|Belly of the Beast}} He went on to oversee the process of cleansing Grimlock's systems of Trypticon's corrupted energon, {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy #1}} and witness the epic battle between Trypticon and Metroplex. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} Once Trypticon's attack turned out to be the first phase of a Decepticon invasion, Ultra Magnus stood with the other Autobots in defense of Iacon. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

===The immortal lawman===
[[File:MTMTE19 magnus armor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"I've never seen anything so awesome in the entire galaxy...Alright, give me the bomb."]]
But all beings have a fixed lifespan, and Ultra Magnus was no different. When he passed away (under unrevealed circumstances), the legend he left in his wake inspired Chief Justice [[Solomus|Tyrest]] to ensure that he lived on. Circulating a rumor that Magnus had merely faked his death, Tyrest fashioned a suit of [[Magnus Armor|armor]] cast in Magnus's image and bestowed it upon a succession of other 'bots—the first being '''[[Suture (G1)|Suture]]''', with later successors including '''[[Datum]]''', '''[[Ramp]]''' and '''[[Blockus]]'''—who took on Magnus's name and reputation, and served Tyrest as a Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]], upholding the [[Code of Interplanetary Conflict]], a treaty between Autobots, Decepticons and other alien races. Each wearer was a "loadbearer", a kind of [[Point One Percenter]] possessing a [[spark]] with an animating force strong enough to integrate the Magnus armor. Upon the passing of each wearer, a trigger in the armor would return it to Tyrest wherever he was in the galaxy, so that it could be passed on to his next chosen enforcer. The Cybertronian public only ever believed that there was a solitary Ultra Magnus who flouted death at every turn; {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} the "freak recoveries" he made only enhanced Magnus's reputation, and he would later be cited by [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] as an example of a larger sized bot whose Spark could recover from the kind of damage suffered by [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]]. {{storylink|Before & After}}

[[File:MTMTE16 magnus on simanzi.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|You know Magnus, you don't need this much firepower just to fix a leak in your basement.]]
As such, it becomes hard to know exactly which Magnus was involved in which of his recorded appearances, such as his battle against [[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]] as part of the [[113th Battalion]]. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} One bearer of the Magnus Armor perished on [[Simanzi]], 1st Cycle 3718, when he was caught offguard by a [[Cybernought|Cybernaught]] while heading toward the [[Crucible]] with [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]]. Later, during the 2nd Cycle, another Magnus fell when he took a direct hit from the [[K-Class]] Decepticon [[Torque (G1)|Torque]] while giving orders during a battle on [[Clemency]] over the [[Nightmare Engine]]. In the 3rd Cycle, the statistician Datum was wearing the Magnus Armor and took part in the [[Battle for Hell's Point]], during which he blocked the exhaust vent of [[Hell's Point|the ship in question]] with his body, trusting that the [[Warriors Elite]] wouldn't risk destroying it by blasting him off without Megatron's permission. Unfortunately, he hadn't realized Megatron was right there, hiding in plain sight in his new gun alternate mode, which [[Heretech]] used to blast him. {{storylink|The Gloaming}} Legend held that the smirk Magnus had given the warriors when he thought he had them beaten was the only time he ever smiled in his life. {{Storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} One Magnus would fall victim to the Spark affliction known as a [[zero point]], {{storylink|Zero Point}} and another to the [[Fast-Folding Sun]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}}

One of the Ultra Magnuses had Wheelie work under him, who supplied him with reserve ammunition. Unfortunately, due to Wheelie's small size, Magnus had a tendency to overlook the little bot. {{storylink|Spotlight: Wheelie}}

Only a few Autobots ever knew the truth of Magnus's identity; by the time of the 19th century, they included Optimus Prime, [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]], {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}} [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]], {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}} and [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]], the latter only aware because people tended to tell him their secrets. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}} However, the secret did leak in the form of a conspiracy theory claiming that Ultra Magnus was "just a little guy in armor", though it wasn't widely believed. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}}

[[File:MTMTE18 minimus ambus.jpg|thumb|And then Takara saw this and were all like, "Oh, hmmm. We need to do a [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Legends|redeco]], don't we?"]]
After burning through several other load bearers, '''[[Minimus Ambus]]''', spark brother to the noted Autobot philanthropist [[Dominus Ambus]], took up the mantle of Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} Minimus found his overachieving brother difficult to get along with, but loved him all the same; he was off-planet when Dominus mysteriously disappeared, but the connection the brothers shared led Minimus to believe his brother had died. His physical resemblance to Dominus (including the shared "facial insignia" moustache of the [[House of Ambus]]) pained Minimus, so when Tyrest chose him to be the next Ultra Magnus—to become a different person—Minimus was happy to take on the role. He aspired to be the kind of no-nonsense lawman the original had been. {{storylink|The Not Knowing}}

Renowned for his stalwart personality and his commitment to the job, Minimus became the longest serving wearer of the Magnus Armor. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} As Magnus, Minimus had many adventures in his duties as enforcer of the Tyrest Accord, including the arrests of both a Decepticon peddling miniaturization technology who infected him with [[Nanocon]]s, {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} and wannabe [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] [[Blip]]. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}} When [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s renegade "patient" [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] cut a swathe of destruction across the galaxy, Magnus hunted her down, using a combination of holographic trickery and shock grenades to subdue her so she could be sent to the [[Garrus-9]] penitentiary. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

In his leisure time, Minimus began writing ''[[Terms of Peace]]'', a book that detailed every law for every conceivable scenario and would ensure everlasting peace and prosperity if followed. He ran into trouble, however, when he failed to find a politically correct way of phrasing "punishable by death" as the penalty for breaking many of the rules. {{storylink|Sardines}}
{{-}}

===Xetaxxis and back===
[[File:ShiningArmor2-spacewalk.jpg|thumb||left|upright=1.4]]

Some three hundred years ago, Minimus Ambus was gravely wounded and opted to take a sabbatical from his duties. In his place, Tyrest appointed '''[[Convoy (G1)|Convoy]]''' as the next Point One Percenter to don the armor. Convoy brought his own unique spin on Ultra Magnus to the table: eschewing his predecessor's stern, measured approach, Convoy was hotheaded, triggerhappy, and prejudiced against organics. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}

In the mid-19th century, Ultra Magnus and his crew of [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Sky Blast (G1)|Sky Blast]] were patrolling the [[Zugzwang Cluster]] when they came across a pair of Decepticons assaulting a [[Galactic Council]] shuttle. They quickly overwhelmed their foes and, at Magnus' urging, investigated the wreckage to ensure that nobody had survived. The two found that the Decepticons had been trying to destroy the Council ship to cover up their tracks; smelling a conspiracy, Magnus hacked into the shuttle's security and discovered the Council had been bound for the backwater planet of [[Xetaxxis]]. The Autobots followed, and eventually caught up with them over the [[Solstar Order]] space station ''[[Orchid Crossing]]''; leaving Sky Blast to watch the ship, {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}} the pair made a dramatic entrance by blasting their way in through a wall. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 1|Shining Armor #1}}

[[File:ShiningArmor2-wereintrouble.jpg|thumb||right|upright=1.4]]

The two Autobots were immediately attacked by four [[Space Knight]]s; misreading the situation, Magnus mistook the Cybertronian orphan [[Stardrive]] for a Decepticon operative and opened fire on Starscream and the Knights as the chaotic battle began tearing the space station apart. Sky Blast joined the fight, but was jumped by one of the Decepticon's [[Dire Wraith]] allies and subsequently mutated into an out-of-control monster.

Deciding the battle was lost, Magnus hacked into the space station's systems and disabled everything, sending ''Orchid Crossing'' plummeting into Xetaxxis in the hopes that atmospheric reentry would burn the hybrid up with them. Stardrive - hoping to rescue the Cybertronians - used her starfighter configuration to rescue them, and all three Transformers plummeted onto the icy surface of the planet. Quickly recovering form his ordeal, Magnus placed her under arrest for violating the [[Tyrest Accord]]s; Stardrive agreed to go with Magnus under the condition that they find her Space Knight comrades. Irked at the idea of helping organics, Magnus didn't get far into his argument before Rom, [[Livia]], and [[Sata]] arrived and shot him. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}}

[[File:ShiningArmor4-MagnusVsWraiths.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

Recovering from the blast, the two Autobots engaged the Space Knights in a brief shootout as he shielded Stardrive from [[Neutralizer]] fire. Stardrive managed to break up the fighting and properly introduced herself to the two feuding factions. Rom was left confused by talk of the Decepticons, prompting Ultra Magnus to explain the nature of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and the factionalized state of the Cybertronian species. When Stardrive revealed the existence of her energon synthesizer, the Autobots and Knights agreed to a temporary teamup and rolled out to find the synthesizer before the Decepticons could. The ground-bound Autobots and Sata were delayed when Bumblebee stopped to help the native [[Xetaxxan|Xetaxxians]] cope with the extreme cold, a violation of the Tyrest Accord which earned the ire of Ultra Magnus. It didn't take long before the "Xetaxxians" revealed themselves as Dire Wraith imposters as [[Astrotrain (G1)/toys|Astrotrain]] and [[Vekktral]] attacked. Magnus ordered his two comrades to join the others while he stayed behind to hold off the horde. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 3|Shining Armor #3}}

Using the superheated rock as an improvised weapon, Magnus fought wave after wave of Wraiths, shrugging off their blows before he began to tire. After dispatching a hundred of the aliens, an exhausted Magnus was slowly worn down by their onslaught and pinned to the ground as Vekktral approached, boasting that he now understood how to properly control Cybertronian biology. Possessed by Vekktral, the Wraith-Magnus regrouped with the Decepticons and, using his new knowledge, immediately turned on Starscream and the other Decepticons. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 4|Shining Armor #4}}

[[File:ShiningArmor4-UltraMonster.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|[https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Guzzlord_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Guzzlord], is that you?]]

Decepticons, Autobots, and Space Knights formed a strange alliance against Vekktral and his body-snatching forces, Vekktral losing an arm from their combined attack. Within his mind, Magnus continued to struggle against Vekktral before Convoy realized that the Wraith had made a crucial oversight; unaware of the nature of the [[Magnus Armor]], Vekktral had failed to account for the inner robot. Convoy was thus able to stop Vekktral by forcing Ultra Magnus's chest open, giving Rom opening he needed to end the threat by allowing Rom to shoot him.

Following the sterilization of Xetaxxis, Bumblebee used the armor's recall switch to return to the Autobot fleet and inform Optimus Prime about Convoy's passing. Optimus Prime briefly eulogizied Convoy as he laid the fallen Autobot to rest; after a century of recuperation, Minimus Ambus returned to active duty and donned the repaired armor to become Ultra Magnus once more. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}
{{-}}

===The hunt for Scorponok===
[[File:SpotlightUltraMagnus shoots Scorpie.jpg|upright=1.4|left|thumb]]
Tracking down Decepticon wheeler-dealer [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] on the planet [[Zull]], Magnus was convinced to let the criminal go in exchange for information on the current whereabouts of an even greater offender: [[Scorponok (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Scorponok]], against whom Magnus bore a personal grudge. Magnus followed Swindle's lead to the planet [[Nebulos]], and although he disrupted Scorponok's operations, the Decepticon was able to escape. {{storylink|Spotlight: Ultra Magnus}} The cycle repeated years later when Magnus caught up to Swindle again, arresting him for yet another violation, only to wind up once again letting him go in return for a fresh lead on Scorponok's new location. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}}

While en route to help deal with the fallout of a [[Spotlight: Arcee|break-in at Garrus-9]], Magnus changed course in response to a distress call from [[Hound (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hound]]'s crew, who were under attack by [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]]. After Magnus drove Cyclonus off, he teamed with Hound's crew to track him to [[Corata-Vaz]] and stage an ambush, only to be beaten back when he unleashed [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] on them. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} After obtaining further intel on the plot being orchestrated by Cyclonus and his fellow [[Dead Universe]] Transformers, {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} Magnus co-ordinated a simultaneous strike against their various [[Nega-Core]] installations. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

[[File:MaxDinos5 Grimlock Magnus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|It's now my job to jail all the interesting guys.]]
Sometime after the foiling of the Dead Universe [[Expansion]], Ultra Magnus received a signal from a battered Hot Rod, requesting some backup for [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]], who was in the process of confronting Scorponok on Earth. Determined to put an end to his old quarry once and for all, Magnus headed for Earth. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 1|Maximum Dinobots #1}} {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 4|Maximum Dinobots #4}} Scorponok had already been defeated by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] by the time Magnus arrived, though he made it in time to stop them from killing him, intent on seeing Scorponok punished by the law. After stripping Scorponok's [[Machination]] facility of Cybertronian tech and providing Optimus Prime with a report on the events, Magnus departed for Garrus-9 with Scorponok, [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] and Grimlock, who had surrendered to Magnus in exchange for his rescinding the warrants on the other Dynobots. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}

===Taking charge===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-trysomethinghilarious.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Ultra Magnus uses sarcasm quotes to remind you he doesn't find ''anything'' hilarious.]]
Magnus was soon to discover that he had picked up a stowaway when he left Earth: human runaway [[Verity Carlo]]. Surprisingly, Magnus warmed to Verity in his own way and allowed her to stay with him; she, in return, affectionately dubbed him "Uncle Magnus". After about four years of adventuring together, Magnus and Verity were called upon by Prowl to transport the Autobot commando squad known as the [[Wrecker]]s to Garrus-9, which had been overrun by Decepticons during a [[Surge (G1)|galaxy-wide uprising]] a few years before. En route, the group picked up former Wreckers leader and Garrus-9 escapee [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], {{Storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}} who Magnus encouraged the recalcitrant [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] to take on the mission with them. Magnus proceeded to brief the Wreckers and sent them on their way, but refrained from participating in the mission himself, both to turn a blind eye to the Wreckers' often-brutal methods, and because Prowl had requested his presence back on Earth to investigate the murder of Ironhide. {{Storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2|Last Stand of the Wreckers #2}} The mission was a disaster at best, with many Wreckers dying at the hands of [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]; Magnus would go on to carry great guilt over his non-participation. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} Further, on the return trip, Magnus discovered that Verity had also left him, having stolen away with the Wreckers on their mission; {{storylink|In Word and Deed}} despite appearances, he would dearly miss her. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}}

[[File:SeasonsInFlight-RodimusMagnus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]
Arriving on Earth, {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Magnus discovered the Autobots in disarray, Ironhide's death having caused Optimus Prime to surrender to human agency [[Skywatch]], leaving Bumblebee in charge. Magnus called for the Autobots' full cooperation, but after performing an autopsy of Ironhide's body and learning that the 'bot who had led the mission on which he died, Hot Rod, had broken away from Bumblebee's group, he elected to search Hot Rod out for questioning. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}} Discovering that Hot Rod—now calling himself "Rodimus Prime"—had begun to construct a rocket to leave Earth, and had allied himself with Decepticons in order to do so, including Magnus's old stoolie Swindle, Magnus attempted to arrest Rodimus under charges of treason. Prowl stood up for Rodimus, and, unable to arrest ''everyone'', the furious Magnus returned to Bumblebee's cave. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|Seasons in Flight}} In short order, he forcibly recruited a team of Autobots to arrest Rodimus and his followers, but when they returned to Rodimus's launch site, they were confronted by Swindle's secret weapon: the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] [[combiner]] [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], who was ordered to kill Magnus first. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|Enemies of the System}} Magnus fared poorly in the battle, but was saved from death at Menasor's hands by Optimus Prime, who had brokered an alliance with Skywatch. Repaired after the battle, Magnus was furious to find Swindle had slipped through his fingers again, and took out his frustrations on Rodimus. When Bumblebee tried to defuse the situation, Magnus attempted to cite his greater authority of his legal jurisdiction, but was put in his place when the younger Autobot pointed out that on Earth, ''he'' was in charge. However, as this was going on, Rodimus took off in Ultra Magnus' shuttle, leaving him stuck on Earth with the other Autobots. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

Temporarily provided with a ship by Skywatch, {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"|The Land Ironclads}} Magnus recovered the surviving Wreckers from Garrus-9, and delivered the fruit of their mission to Prowl: a [[data slug]] containing complete records of Autobot war crimes from the [[Aequitas]] computer. Knowing that it would be disastrous if the data got out, Magnus maintained his plausible deniability and left it in Prowl's hands. {{Storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

[[File:IDW16 magnus under fire.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.95|Eastbound and Down.]]
Some time later, when Bumblebee was the victim of an attempted assassination, Magnus lost patience with [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]'s raging and threatened to have him restrained. He was interrupted by the news that the plane carrying Optimus Prime's team back from [[North Korea]] had been blown out of the sky, but before he and [[Kyle Pennington|Pennington]] could get any real information about the attack, the Decepticons launched an attack on the base. Ultra Magnus was incapacitated by [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]'s sonic powers, allowing the Decepticons to free their captive comrades and escape. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man|The Demolished Man}} In the aftermath of the attack, Magnus took command and relocated everyone to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s location, but not before leaving Brawn with a mission to find and recruit the aid of the disenfranchised Decepticon [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]]. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon|Altered Carbon}} On the way to Omega, the Autobots were attacked by humans who didn't want them on their planet, and Pennington had to talk Ultra Magnus out of retaliating. Unfortunately, things got worse when Megatron himself showed up and easily dispatched Ultra Magnus and his troops. Assuming that he was out to destroy the Autobots as usual, Magnus tried to distract Megatron from killing the Skywatch soldiers, but the Decepticon made it clear that the humans were just as important targets for his revenge. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}} The injured Magnus was held hostage by Megatron and [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] and used as leverage to get Optimus Prime to meet with them. This meeting ended with Megatron retreating with a [[stasis lock]]ed Soundwave, and Ultra Magnus was brought to safety. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome|Burning Chrome}} As he awaited repairs, Magnus told Prime that he had managed to place a tracking chip on Soundwave, allowing the Autobots to find Megatron's hideout. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}

Six weeks later, Ultra Magnus watched as Rodimus returned to Earth with the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and several lost Autobots in tow. He brought news that Galvatron had built an army and taken control of Cybertron, prompting Optimus Prime to lead his Autobots back to their home planet. On Bumblebee's orders, Ultra Magnus remained on Earth with him, Prowl and a few others to investigate charges brought against [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] for the supposed murder of [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} He still participated in talks of what would be done with Megatron, who had surrendered himself and been taken into space with Prime's Autobots. When [[Xaaron]] explained that they needed a neutral third party to judge the Decepticon leader for his crimes, Magnus suggested [[Solomus|Chief Justice Tyrest]], and opined that they should aim for a death sentence. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}}

[[File:IDW29 magnus arrests swindle.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.95|"Don't worry, Swindle. I kept your room the way you left it."]]
Magnus chewed out Prowl and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] after the latter had broken protocol and transformed into [[robot mode]] during a mission to spy on Witwicky. Prowl brought up his suspicions of anti-Transformer pundit [[Ben Simpson]] and of a deeper Decepticon conspiracy, but Magnus ordered him to stick to the case at hand. {{storylink|Police Action: Part 1|Police Action #1}} The Autobots then brought in [[Sandra (G1)|Sandra]], a former Skywatch agent who abandoned Spike's unit once it started breaking too many rules. Ultra Magnus commended her for sticking to military protocol before questioning her on Spike's past. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward|Only Forward}} Around this time, Ultra Magnus was on hand to witness Bumblebee bring all five Stunticons into custody to everyone's surprise. {{storylink|The Question}} Then, after learning the whereabouts of Ben Simpson from Sandra, Bumblebee and Magnus agreed to circumvent the slow human legal system and rolled out with Skywatch to confront Simpson, discovering him to be a [[facsimile construct]] controlled by none other than Swindle. The Decepticon tried to escape again, but Ultra Magnus dismembered him and dragged him back to base, where he admitted under interrogation that he had been supplying Spike Witwicky and Skywatch with Cybertronian technology from the start. This revelation caused the Autobots to sever their ties with Skywatch. {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|A Second Chance at Eden}}
{{--}}

===The problem with peace===
[[File:LiarsAtoD1-MagnusVision.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Risk of criminal activity: None. Practically perfect in every way.]]
The Autobots on Earth returned to Cybertron once Optimus Prime's team had defeated Galvatron, the [[D-Void]], and the Decepticons. Feeling that the Autobots were no longer wanted on post-war Cybertron, Ultra Magnus decided to accompany Rodimus and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] on their quest to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} He joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' as Rodimus's second-in-command, but soon started to become increasingly petty about minor infractions and had many, ''many'' reservations about those who had signed up for the quest. Magnus's troubles on the ''Lost Light'' started when an accident at launch caused the ship to [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] to a random point in space. {{Storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} A ruptured hull led to a portion of the crew being sucked out into space, so Rodimus and Ultra Magnus set the ''Lost Light'' down on a nearby planet and went out searching for them. {{Storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} The ship was soon repaired and took off again, only for a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] to be discovered on board, reminding Ultra Magnus of Blip. Magnus heavily disapproved of Rodimus using [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] as bait to lure the creature in to be killed, and told Rodimus that he had to call him out on that because nobody else would, but Rodimus brushed off the lecture, stating that ''he'' was in charge now. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}}

As time went on, Magnus became increasingly anal about ''everything'', especially minor, pointless things like dirt {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}, Autobrands at angles, lighting problems, and so on—an inability to cope with peacetime had led to a full-blown nervous breakdown for Magnus that saw him try to append as much weight to the everyday rules of life as he had to the rules of war. {{storylink|Parasites}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} He made life hell for just about everyone of the ship with his obsessive-compulsive tendencies and relentless attempts to enforce petty, pointless standards of conduct that the entire crew did their best to defy, Rodimus most of all, who simply started ignoring his many, many memos. He started to question why he'd joined the quest and tried to leave several times, but Rodimus would keep talking him into staying. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}}

[[File:IDW MtMtE5 MagnusTailgateAttentionDirt.jpg|Cleanitallitmustbecleaned...|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]
Discovering that the naive [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], who had been offline for the duration of the war, wanted to be a Decepticon Magnus reported him to Rodimus. A history lesson courtesy of Rewind quickly disabused Tailgate of this notion, and he decided to be an Autobot instead {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} so Magnus began educating him in the [[Autobot Code]]—a long tortuous process that saw Magnus pore over the unabridged version and go over it in [[Semicolon|excruciating detail]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

After attending a ceremony honoring [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]], [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] and [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], Ultra Magnus was among the crew members temporarily frozen in place by one of Brainstorm's backfiring weapons. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}} Learning of the [[Swerve's|bar]] that [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] had set up, he promptly arrested the big-mouthed 'bot, and sent him to join Rewind replacing rivets on the ship's hull. When Fortress Maximus took Rung and [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] hostage, Magnus listened in on his threats. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:MtMtEAnn2012-Magnus smile.jpg|If looks could kill.|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
The infestation of Nanocons, long thought eradicated, became active within Ultra Magnus, so a team of hardy Autobots were miniaturized and implanted inside him to try to fight the creatures. The Nanocons eventually ended up at Magnus's mouth pistons, and he was forced to destroy them by smiling—not without great effort, as those mechanisms had become rusted with disuse. Though he was greatly embarrassed by it and the crew consequently mocked him for it, Rodimus assured him that it meant they were beginning to accept him. When the ''Lost Light'' encountered the [[Galactic Council]] ship ''[[The Benign Intervention]]'', Magnus was able to use his bureaucratic skills to talk [[K'gard|Captain K'gard]] into allowing a delegation of Autobots to visit Crystal City. He himself was beamed aboard the Council ship, where K'gard told him that he was trusted by the Council and tried unsuccessfully to talk him into joining them—he even smiled at the idea the other Autobots might influence him to be less strict in his outlook. When the Council ship came under apparent attack from the surface, Magnus was beamed back aboard the ''Lost Light'' before K'gard began the process of destroying the Autobot ship with an incineration shell. Fortunately the ship had a last-minute save, courtesy of a freed [[Titan (group)|Titan]]. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

[[File:MTMTE12 magnus in action.jpg|right|Okay, Rewind. Together, we're gonna punch these guys so hard, words describing the impact are gonna spontaneously materialize out of thin air.|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Following a reconnaissance mission to [[Temptoria]], {{storylink|Before & After}} Magnus returned to the ''Lost Light'' to find Cyclonus had been blamed for an attack on [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], and was forced to restrain Cyclonus after Drift's attempted interrogation turned violent. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} When it turned out Red Alert's decapitation was self-inflicted, Magnus suggested putting him into cold storage, something Rodimus reluctantly agreed with. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}} This matter dealt with, the Autobots were able to follow up on Magnus's information from Temptoria, which pointed to the missing [[Circle of Light]] possibly being held there by Decepticons. Magnus joined a task force of Autobots in an attack on the Decepticon base on the planet, his prowess in the subsequent battle particularly impressing Tailgate. Though they liberated Temptoria's capital, they failed to find the Circle of Light. {{storylink|Before & After}}

[[File:MtMtE13-VerityMagnus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Fire exits. Important stuff.]]
Having been ordered by Rodimus to go on shore leave to Hedonia, Magnus joined Swerve's social group and debuted his holomatter avatar: a copy of Verity. Slipped a [[Nucleon (substance)|nucleon]] mickey by Whirl, Magnus fell unconscious, awakening just long enough to break down in front of Swerve, admitting that he hated the quest, was upset that nobody liked him, and believed everything had gone wrong when he'd accepted Tyrest's offer. Passing out once more, his unconscious body was hauled out into the street by Swerve and friends, where they jumped up and down on him until he reflexively transformed, allowing them to drive him back to the shuttle. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} Afterwards, he tried to socialise with Rung and even tried jokes, to toe-curlingly embarrassing failure. Despite that, they got on quite well. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

[[File:LittleVictories MagnusThunderclashHug.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|]]
Magnus was among those interviewed for Rewind's documentary about life on the ship, "Little Victories". He used his authority to censor the parts that made him look silly. Magnus later joined Rodimus and Drift in welcoming [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] to the ''Lost Light''. Rodimus tried to use Ultra Magnus to impress Thunderclash, pointing out how the Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord was his first officer. Thunderclash ignored Rodimus' petty oneupsmanship and instead complimented Ultra Magnus on an article he had written about millitary typography, eagerly wanting to discuss its finer points. Thunderclash quickly apologized for coming on too strong, but Magnus responded to the praise by giving Thunderclash a spontaneous hug. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

===Identity revealed===
[[File:MTMTE15 overlord stabs magnus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left]]
Unbeknownst to Magnus, the captive Overlord was being held in a secret cell on the ''Lost Light''. When he was accidentally allowed to escape, Magnus was the first one to charge against the loose Decepticon, still carrying the guilt after the Garrus-9 fiasco. He managed to briefly beat Overlord into submission until the Decepticon stabbed him through the spark with Drift's [[Great Sword]]. While the rest of the crew dealt with dispatching Overlord, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] tended to Magnus's injuries, only to discover that he would be unable to prevent the collapse of his spark. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} The comatose Magnus was given only ten days to live, but before his end could come, within the Magnus Armor, Ambus reflexively tripped the recall switch. Under its own power, the armor levitated from the med-slab, carrying Ambus within it, appropriating a shuttle that would take him to Tyrest, who currently dwelt on Cybertron's lost moon, [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]]. {{storylink|The Gloaming}} The switch normally functioned as a teleporter, but Ambus deliberately chose to activate the manual recall, which he knew would allow the ''Lost Light'' to follow him, in hopes that Tyrest would properly discipline Rodimus for the reckless leadership that Magnus had been unable to curb. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}}

[[File:Ambus Unveiled.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|right|Do not remove from packaging!]]
Upon arrival, Magnus's body was recovered by Tyrest and taken to [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], who was able to use Tyrest's collection of bleeding-edge tech to save his life. While the doctor worked, however, Tyrest reviewed Magnus's journals, and was appalled to see how he had become reduced to an officious, bureaucratic ''joke''. He angrily deactivated the Magnus Armor, stripping Minimus Ambus of the role he had played for years and made his very life. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} Presently, when Rodimus and a contingent of ''Lost Light''ers arrived on Luna 1 as Magnus had expected, they were promptly captured by Tyrest's forces. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} Learning from Tyrest that they were to be put to death for harboring a criminal—amnesiac crewmember [[Skids (G1)|Skids]]—Ambus requested that he be placed in a cell alongside them. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} He pretended to be an energon trader in order to get them to tell him about their recent escapades, hoping to prove to Tyrest that they, like he, had no knowledge of Skids's criminal past. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} That went wrong when Rung was able to recognize the personal tics of Magnus in Ambus, and he forced Ambus to come clean about his identity and explain his life story to Rodimus and the others. Rodimus's story also had its share of surprises for Ambus, as he learned that Tyrest was working with the Decepticon [[Titan Hunter]]s and had amassed a graveyard of [[Titan (group)|Titan]] remains. Determined to find out what was going on, and why the ''Lost Light''ers were being charged with "crimes against creation", he confronted Tyrest for answers. The revelations were shocking: Tyrest believed that all Transformers "constructed cold" were abominations and he intended to exterminate them all with a [[universal killswitch]]. Ambus refused to allow him to go through with his plans, so Tyrest initiated the newest amendment to his accord—pre-emptive execution—and had one of his [[Legislator]] robots crush Ambus's head. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}}

[[File:Minimus ambus rodimus this calamitous life.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|left|You're nothing but a dirty carbuncle, festering in the corner!]]
Soon after, Rodimus and the others escaped their cell burst into Tyrest's control room. Tyrest warned them against interfering, gesturing at Ambus's fallen body as an example of what happened to those who opposed him. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} Fortunately, the Magnus Armor was not the only load that Ambus was capable of carrying: the head that was crushed by the Legislator belonged to ''another'' layer of augmentation around his irreducible core. After Tyrest activated the killswitch, Minimus awoke and punched his way clear of his intermediate body's remains and, grabbing one of the Legislators' guns, shot Tyrest in the back. Along with [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]], he devised a way to use Rodimus's half of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to reverse the effects of Tyrest's killswitch, though at great risk to Rodimus's own life. Before it was put into operation Rodimus and Ambus took the opportunity to clear the air between them, with Minimus revealing that he didn't consider Rodimus a fit captain and Rodimus revealing that he had done far worse, but promising to make amends. Though their plan was successful and Rodimus survived, they were quickly overrun with Legislators and Ambus had to take up his gun once again to fight them off before [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] managed to use everything Magnus had taught him about the Autobot Code to re-write Tyrest's laws and shut them all down. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}}

In the aftermath of the battle, Ambus retrieved his outer shell and reintegrated with it. Later in the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s medbay, [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] helped him put the Magnus Armor back on, revealing that he had known about it all along, right back to the original Ultra Magnus, but since he had known Minimus the longest he considered him to be the ''true'' Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}} With his armor reattached, Magnus met with Rodimus to take stock of recent events, then, upon learning that Cyclonus and had saved Tailgate's life, formally welcomed the ancient Transformer on board. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}}

===Seeing justice done===
[[File:RID23 captain magnus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.85]]
After the ''Lost Light'' rescued Orion Pax from the destruction of the planet [[Gorlam Prime]], Magnus accompanied him and Rodimus on a tour of the ship, {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} and later joined them for a drink in Swerve's to discuss the current state of affairs. Having learned that a portal to the Dead Universe had appeared on Cybertron, Rodimus and Pax ventured through the portal that had consumed Gorlam Prime to investigate the mystery from the other side, while Magnus was left in charge of the ''Lost Light'' and given orders to track down Jhiaxus, who Prime suspected was responsible. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} Before long, however, the ''Lost Light'' found itself pushed off-course by Metroplex's thumb, which they had previously recovered. After conferring with the crew, Magnus made the decision to follow the thumb's pull and go in search of Metroplex. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}}

Locking on to the thumb's signal and quantum-jumping to the ocean world of [[Hydrophena]], the ship was attacked by [[Ammonite]]s. Magnus's group took to the sea in the [[Rodpod]] and soon found Metroplex, {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} only to discover that the giant's brain module was missing. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}} While searching Metroplex's interior, they learned that Shockwave was the architect of their recent misfortunes, and encountered the [[Caminus (planet)|Camiens]] [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] and [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]. {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}} Their companion [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] was able to fill the group in on Metroplex's status, and Magnus had the idea to jumpstart Metroplex with the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> quantum engines. This successfully allowed Metroplex to quantum jump back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} From Metroplex, Ultra Magnus and the others had a front row seat as the giant defeated the [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]] that had been battering [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}}

[[File:MTMTE27 magnus vs prowl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
In the aftermath, Ultra Magnus tried to learn more from Metroplex about the Knights of Cybertron, but could glean nothing. Receiving word of a fight between Chromedome and Prowl, he left to break the scuffle up; Prowl took offense at his intrusion, prompting Magnus to offer some choice words for the police 'bot regarding his underhanded tactics and how they harmed people. A fight seemed like it might break out between the two, until the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], who had become fond of Prowl, stepped in, and Magnus left Prowl with his new "friends". {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} As an army of seventy billion Ammonites descended upon Cybertron, Magnus joined a team led by Bumblebee to confront Shockwave in his [[Crystal City]] headquarters, though Magnus became sidetracked fighting [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] with Skids and Brainstorm while the others went on. Bludgeon was about to stab him through the chest when Optimus Prime's team suddenly emerged through a wormhole inside Brainstorm and saved him. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} Prime, Magnus and Megatron confronted Shockwave, but Magnus was blasted by Shockwave and taken out of the fight early. He was fortunately intact enough to escape after Shockwave's time drive collapsed into a black hole. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

As a direct outcome of Shockwave's defeat, Megatron decided to lay down his arms and become an Autobot. When the public of Cybertron demanded that the ex-Decepticon be placed on trial, Optimus appointed Ultra Magnus as the defense, a position he accepted, albeit not without a brief hesitation. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}}

[[File:MTMTE30 magnus hammer.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2.1|[[Diedrich Bader|HAMMER OF JUSTICE!!!]]]]

Following testimony from Starscream—which Magnus had to interrupt to object to the former air commander's granstanding—Megatron asked Magnus to change his plea to not guilty. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} After Magnus resignedly read Megatron's statement to the crowd, however, a group of Decepticons attacked the proceedings, and Magnus grabbed a giant hammer from one of the arena's statues to beat them back. Subsequently, during a recess, Megatron explained that this change of plea was a ploy to evoke an ancient legal loophole that permitted him to be tried not by his peers, but by the Knights of Cybertron. To that end, Optimus Prime assigned him co-captaincy of the ''Lost Light'' alongside Rodimus, and Ultra Magnus rejoined the ship's crew as it left Cybertron to resume its quest. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}}
{{--}}

===A change in perspective===
[[File:MTMTE29 magnus objects.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Some time into the journey, the ''Lost Light'' encountered an object in space which turned out to be a coffin. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} Magnus objected to Megatron's decision to bring it on board, but was relieved that he was at least willing to follow proper quarantine protocols. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} Following the discovery that the coffin contained a dead second Rodimus and that the ''Lost Light'' was disappearing piece by piece, the crew were forced to abandon ship, with Magnus and Rodimus escaping in the ''[[Leading Light]]''. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} As crew members began disappearing as well, Magnus used his holomatter avatar to communicate with Megatron on the Rodpod, only to disappear mid-conversation. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}} The remaining crew discovered that these disappearances were the result of their coming into proximity with a quantum duplicate of the ''Lost Light'', created in the original quantum jump launch accident, which was "overwriting" theirs. Investigating the wreckage of the duplicate, the small group of survivors discovered that the entire duplicate crew, including Ultra Magnus, had been slaughtered by the [[Decepticon Justice Division]]. {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} Fortunately, they were soon able to shut down the duplicate ship's quantum engines, causing it to disappear and the other ship and crew to reappear. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

[[File:MTMTE35 disaggregator gun.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.8|[[Bob Budiansky#Budianskyisms|Have some armor removal, courtesy of my disaggregator gun!]]]]
As everyone gathered in Swerve's to celebrate their survival, Brainstorm—revealed to be an undercover Decepticon—made his move, triggering a poison he had laced the bar's drinks with that incapacitated the whole crew. Only Magnus, as a teetotaler, remained to confront him, but Brainstorm had prepared for that eventuality and blasted Magnus with a [[disaggregator gun]], which ripped the armor off Minimus. By the time he pulled himself together, Brainstorm had escaped via his [[Time case|time-machine briefcase]]; Megatron found the whole situation so ridiculous that he lost his temper, but Magnus reassured him that having a mental breakdown on the ''Lost Light'' was perfectly normal. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}} Believing that Brainstorm intended to alter history by killing Orion Pax, Rodimus took a team back in time after him; Magnus remained in the present, though he questioned Rodimus's wisdom in taking Whirl along on the mission. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}} Things did not go well; when Megatron vanished from Magnus's internal database, they realized that they had made a mistake, and that it was the Decepticon leader himself, not Orion Pax, who was Brainstorm's target. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} Megatron took this as well as could be expected, forcing Magnus to physically restrain him as he tried to force Perceptor to send him back in time to save himself. After Megatron was calmed down, Magnus tried to lighten the mood by comparing [[Rodimus Star]]s; he won his for "Neatest Handwriting". Ultimately, the time-travellers were able to keep history from being altered, and when they returned to their present, Magnus joined the rest of the crew in Swerve's for celebrations. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}}

[[File:MTMTE40 minimus and ten.jpg|thumb|upright=1.65|left]]
The [[Lost Light Internal Legal Affairs Committee]] was subsequently convened to decide upon Brainstorm's fate, overseen by Rodimus, Magnus, and [[Xaaron]], where it was decided that since Brainstorm was not actually a Decepticon, but had only been using them for their resources to accomplish what he thought would be to the betterment of history, he would not be kicked off the ship. Following the verdict, Magnus visited Megatron in his quarters, suspecting he had stolen a datapad that had vanished from Magnus's quarters, but found nothing. Called in to see Ratchet for a checkup, Magnus admitted to the medic that his irritation stemmed from the fact he was feeling "enfeebled"; now that everyone on the ship knew he was really Minimus Ambus, he believed they no longer respected him, and he had even found a little figurine of Minimus outside his door that he felt sure had been left there to mock him. Ratchet soon discovered, however, that it was just the opposite: the figurine had been sculpted by Swerve's bouncer [[Ten]], who thought Magnus was the bee's knees and had taken his missing datapad, leaving the figurine as a trade. Discovering the that datapad contained ''poetry'' that Magnus had been trying to write, Ratchet wrote a message for him on it advising him to be more open, and told Ten to deliver it. Encouraged by Ratchet's words, Magnus accepted Ten as a friend, and removed his armor to get a drink with him at Swerve's as Minimus Ambus. {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}}

When the ''Lost Light'' crew attended a pre-wake for Thunderclash, Minimus Ambus attended sans armor, and studied the supposed map to [[Cyberutopia]] that Thunderclash had carved into a wall. {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}} Unfortunately, his lack of armor left him defenseless when the crew were attacked by the [[personality tick]]s that had brought Thunderclash to the brink of death, but the combined charisma of Rodimus and Megatron proved enough to "overdose" the psychic monsters. A little later, back in his armor on the ''Lost Light'', Magnus informed [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] that [[Skater]], [[Flex]], and [[Borer]] had solved the mystery of the ticks before him and were much more humble in doing it. {{storylink|The Frail Gaze}} Shortly thereafter, the ''Lost Light'' was contacted by Optimus Prime on Cybertron, inviting them to return to their homeworld in order to be present for the historic first contact with the colony world of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]. Unwilling to pause their quest again, they agreed to send an ambassador on their behalf; Magnus tried to tell Prime about recent events, but Rodimus cut him off. {{storylink|First Contact (IDW)|First Contact}}

[[File:MTMTE44 a lot of banter.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75|Getting a little close there, aren't you Magnus?]]
When Swerve's mind retreated to [[Swearth|holomatter duplicate of Earth]], Magnus (along with the rest of the crew) sent a holomatter avatar to help search for the minibot's mind, in the process recreating ''[[Community]]'' with Chromedome and Rewind. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}} Later, as Swerve was recuperating, Magnus, having had enough of Rodimus's dirty office, took it upon himself to clean it up, but in the process he discovered that the doodles Rodimus had carved into his desk were a map to Cyberutopia. Another revelation followed hot on the heels of this one; Swerve's condition had been caused by an infection resulting from a message bullet lodged in his shoulder by the Autobot spy [[Dominus Ambus|Agent 113]]. Magnus and Megatron examined the contents of the bullet together, which contained co-ordinate pointing the way to the home base of the supposedly-mythical "[[Mortilus|Necrobot]]". Magnus objected to exploring this tangent rather than following the Cyberutopia map, but was overruled by Megatron. Consequently, Magnus shed his armor and took Rewind aside; the little archivist was a former [[Conjunx Endura]] of his missing spark brother Dominus, and Minimus cautioned him against being too hopeful that they would find evidence that Dominus still lived. {{storylink|The Not Knowing}}

After an altercation involving Cyclonus and Tailgate, which ended with the latter hospitalized, Rodimus had Chromedome use his mnemosurgery abilities to discover just what had happened, revealing Getaway had been conspiring to get Megatron killed or arrested, at the cost of Tailgate's life. So Ultra Magnus went to arrest him, at which point Getaway's co-conspirator Atomizer took offense and tried attacking him, for all the good that did. Shortly thereafter, noted psychiatrist [[Froid]] arrived on board, in a ship containing the infamous murderer Sunder. For some reason this made Ultra Magnus incredibly unwelcoming toward Froid. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}} And that was before Sunder got free and started make people tear themselves inside out, Rodimus included. Fortunately, everything turned out fine thanks to Tailgate. In the aftermath, Ultra Magnus helped Megatron make witty comments at his re-covered co-captain. {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

[[File:SilentLight MagnusArmorAlive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|left]]
Around late December of that year, Rodimus took off for three days to go surfing on comets, much to Minimus and Megatron's shared exasperation. By the time he returned, the ship had started moving close to Mauler territory, and in order to protect the crew they had to hide their spark energy signatures in Biometric Envelopment Devices, while Brainstorm's cloaking device hid the ship. Rodimus returned just in time to find Megatron helping Minimus put the last finishing touches on the device.

A short while later, as he crooned merrily to himself, Minimus found Swerve, Nautica and Whirl looking stiff and humorless outside his office, rather than in their B.E.Ds. Before he could finish lecturing them, he got a call from Rewind, who was finding the concept of "one bot to a B.E.D." difficult to grasp. Then, as he entered his office Minimus was set upon by his own armor, which had apparently come to life. Before he could react, Minimus was knocked unconscious by a stray wrench. {{storylink|Silent Light}} Of course, the armor had just been taken over by a swarm of scraplets, and in the aftermath Minimus spent several days fumigating it, just to be sure, distracting him from being concerned about Perceptor's experiments with space-time fissures in ''Swerve's'', though he did join the crew in a toast to surprises. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

===Lost in time and space===
[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-rollout.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Some weeks after Sunder's rampage, Magnus was part of the Autobot force that heroically defended the people of [[Miliarium]], fighting alongside Thunderclash. Later, on board the Lost Light, Minimus was present for Megatron's lecture on the Knights of Cybertron, and what the crew had learnt about them. As Mimimus praised for the discipline and focus he was bringing, Megatron started having spasms. When Mimimus tried approaching him, Megatron lashed out. Later, Velocity noted that if Megatron hadn't been taking Fool's Energon, the blow would've likely killed Minimus.

That night, at thirty-one oh-seven hours, several members of the crew were subject to a psychological assault. Rodimus, ever the beacon of rationality, suggested tracking it to its source, distracting Magnus from his concerns with a grammatical slip. Magnus then joined the expedition, which wound up with the Rodpod inside a planet, which soon turned out to be the Necrobot's. Before the crew could dwell on that one, they were attacked. As they fled toward the Necrobot's compound, the Rodpod was shot down and destroyed, Magnus losing an arm in his effort to shield Swerve from the destruction.

Once inside, the bad news just kept on coming. It turned out the crew had been lured to the planet thanks to Getaway, and his fellow conspirators. As in, the rest of the crew, who had gotten fed up with Megatron being in charge, and Rodimus's leadership. So they arranged for them to be stranded there, with no means of getting off the planet and no means of contacting the Lost Light, their punishment for daring to side with the enemy. And just to round off the bad news, the D.J.D. were there too. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}} The Autobots were given until sundown before the enemy would storm them, in a bit of psychological warfare, but Magnus and the others learned that the Necrobot's teleportation chamber was still active and they could escape. Problem was, that would mean abandoning dozens of slumbering organics in stasis pods that the Necrobot had been keeping. Magnus, along with the others, decided to stay and ensure the organics wouldn't be murdered after Megatron gave a rousing speech. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|The Sun in Flight}}

[[File:mtmte50 minimus funeral request.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left]]
A surprise appearance by Ratchet and Drift, taking the DJD's [[turbofox]] "Pet" as a hostage, gave them a titchy edge, undone by Megatron being near-killed by [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] when trying to negotiate. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|Your Fierce Tears}} The crew began to fortify the place while Magnus, in Ambus form, was measured for a new suit of armour by Brainstorm. The ''biggest possible'' suit Brainstorm could fit on his loadbearing self! MiniMagnus was clear they were all going to die and that was the be all end all (and he had a [http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/poets/mccraearticle.htm poem about poppies] to read out for it), and told Nightbeat that to get him to ''stop talking'' about this unimportant hollow bit of the Necroworld; just to keep him quiet, he told Nightbeat he could go investigate as long as it wasn't alone. Mid-measurement, Rewind arranged it so the crew could broadcast into space how they wanted their corpses to be disposed of.
{{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|At Close of Day}} Minimus Ambus, blaming himself for having fun instead of stopping all of this, requested to be buried in his armour at the Luna-1 hot spot. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

[[File:AtCloseOfDay-MaximusAmbus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.8|He's bigger, faster, and stronger too. He's the first member of the ''Lost Light'' crew.]]
While berating Rewind for searching the Necrobot's files, Minimus casually mentioned that his brother Dominus had also been a loadbearer, something Rewind hadn't known. This upset Rewind and he wanted to know what Dominus really looked like... and Minimus showed him Dominus' turbofox form, unaware that the "Pet" they'd captured was ''his brother, lobotimised and "domesticated"'', and left unaware when Rewind killed Dominus to prevent Chromedome's own death while fixing the man. He was still blissfully unaware when he arrived in his new '''MAXIMUS AMBUS''' armour, courtesy of Brainstorm; armour he remarked was "tasty". In the end, after Rodimus thanked everyone for travelling with him, Magnus and his friends charged the Decepticon guns, {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|At Close of Day}} but not before everyone received a power boost from Skids. Ambus was one of the most ferocious opponents to face the Decepticons, knocking the daylights out of [[Helex (DJD)|Helex]] during the battle's opening stages. Soon, however, the power boost wore off and the Autobots were surrounded. Megatron joined the battle and covered the crew's retreat back into the fortress. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} After Megatron emerged victorious and the DJD were defeated, Minimus was present with the old command trio of him, Rodimus, and Drift at the Momument to the [[Disappeared]], as Rewind explained how several missing 'bots were rescued by the Necrobot, and Rewind paid a last tribute to his deceased brother. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}

The ''Lost Light'' crew were now joined by dozens of disoriented Cybertronians yanked from across time and space, and so Ultra Magnus took it upon himself to bring the new arrivals up to speed with the help of an extremely long slideshow. His audiovisual presentation did little to impress new arrival [[Anode]]. Minimus Ambus subsequently shed his outer armor to travel back to Cybertron with Rodimus and a small crew of other Autobots to pick up a new ship, using a jury-rigged [[Teleport chamber|teleporter]]. They discovered, however, that their entire world had been shunted into an [[Functionist Universe|alternate reality]] thanks to a rogue Galactic Council [[geobomb]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|Some Other Cybertron}}

[[File:Anomie-arrested.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.9]]
The entire group was arrested by [[Twelve-of-Twelve]], believing them to be rogue members of the [[Anti-Vocationist League]], and paraded through the streets in a public spectacle; when Rodimus looked to Minimus for consolation, the tiny Autobot only succeeded in making Rodimus feel worse about their predicament. That's when the real AVL showed up to free the captives, but their prowess left something to be desired and resulted in Megatron taking command of the battle. In the aftermath, [[Clicker]] offered to take the group back to [[Kalis|Adaptica]], their base of operations.{{storylink|Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|Anomie}} The group met up with rogue [[Functionist Council]] member [[Nine-of-Twelve]], from whom they learned more about the history of the Functionist Universe. Their history lesson was overshadowed when [[Six-of-Twelve]] announced "Revelation Day" and unveiled Rung's supposed alternate mode: a gigantic mining tank that left Minimus suspicious. Before the Autobots, could coordinate their next move, they were interrupted by the sudden return of [[Moonbase Two|Luna Two]], thought lost after a string of wars against the greater galaxy. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 3: A World Misplaced|A World Misplaced}}

The moon, as it turned out, had been weaponized into a gigantic [[harvester unit]] and began laying siege to the city, dragging buildings and their occupants into the air to be stripped down and processed. Having learned of a way to return to their own universe, Rodimus and Megatron butted heads as they argued about whether to save this Cybertron or flee back to their home reality, forcing Minimus to step in. Ultimately, Minimus stayed behind in Adaptica with Megatron while Rodimus's crew went off to rescue Rung, helping to coordinate the evacuation as Cybertronians fled the city. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|Bad Moon Rising}} {{storylink|Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production|Modes of Production}}

With time running out, Minimus relayed an urgent communique from Brainstorm back on the dimensionally-displaced Necroworld, warning the Autobots that they had less than twenty minutes before it would be impossible for them to return home. With Rung laying down his life to fight the moon, the Autobots hatched a new plan where they would teleport the entire moon away from Cybertron, saving the planet and allowing them to return home. Clicker led the group to a [[matter transporter]], which turned out to be a dud, and then to a second device, which worked. Frustrated that Megatron and Terminus had yet to return, Minimus warned Rodimus that they couldn't let the ex-Decepticon "get away"... which provoked Rodimus into leaving the two behind. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

[[File:AfterMegatron MagnusBetrayed.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.9]]
In the wake of their adventure, Minimus donned his old, repaired Magnus Armor once again, only to discover that it wasn't working properly. Unbeknownst to the tiny Autobot, this hardware failure was a result of his internal cognitive dissonance after letting Megatron escape, unable to reconcile the murderous Decepticon with the odd friendship he had formed with the ex-Decepticon leader. Realizing that he was uncharacteristically late for an inspection, Minimus Ambus headed off to check up on [[Skip]]'s makeshift starship form. Once more ensconced in his malfunctioning armor, Ultra Magnus sadly mused on Rodimus's leadership versus Megatron's own stint as captain. Rodimus admitted that he had come to accept Megatron's change of heart... which prompted Ultra Magnus to snap at Rodimus, decrying his captain's judgement and denouncing Megatron as an abuser and manipulator. This tirade snapped Ultra Magnus's armor back to normal, and he promptly stomped off to conduct a proper inspection before takeoff. {{storylink|After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|After Megatron}}

Three weeks after the mutiny and the adventure in the Functionist Universe, the funerary broadcast reached Cybertron and Earth. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

At some unspecified point after this, a message reached Ultra Magnus and Whirl via the holographic [[Shimmer]]—Springer, sending out a message to those he trusted, asking them to destroy the legacy of the Wreckers and make a better future. {{storylink|Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers|Requiem of the Wreckers}}

===Road's End===
[[File:Sardines TermsofPeace.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7|]]
Aboard Skip's cramped alternate mode, Magnus attempted to continue his work on ''Terms of Peace'' only to be suddenly magnetized to Anode as part of an increasingly ridiculous prank war between her and Swerve. While [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] managed to pull her conjunx off Magnus, this only led to all the tensions erupting, a situation made even worse by Ratchet succumbing to [[aggressive depigmentation]], despite being alive, and turning intangible, all while the mass-displacement began to wear off. {{storylink|Sardines}}

Salvation came at the hands of an unusually lucid [[Ten]] who told everyone that they needed to get to a [[Mederi]] facility via the [[Warren]]. Though the crew managed to access the cosmic structure, Skip's mass-displacement finally gave out and everyone was forced to "abandon Skip", their bodies being ravaged by the effects of super-compressed space. They'd managed to come within spitting distance of the original Mederi however, now in the year [[2018]], and fell into its gravity well. The moon's systems repaired them and, based off Cyclonus's powerful desire to reach the [[Transformer afterlife|Afterspark]] and reunite with Tailgate, presented itself as the [[Clavis Aurea]]n interpretation of the realm. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|Metastasis}} {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}}

Magnus awoke on a mortuary slab to a deserted landscape being contacted by Rodimus who asked him to meet him under the giant [[Matrix of Leadership]] and name the planet. Unable to do the latter (given the sheer amount of planets in the galaxy), he met with the group under the artifact. When the more religious among them decided that they were in the next life, the [[ghost]]s of Trailcutter and Pipes arrived to confirm the belief. After Rodimus had a brief mental breakdown, he angrily demanded an audience with Primus before being blasted by divine lighting. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|Metastasis}}

[[File:TheGodWar MagnusQuestions.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right]]
As Magnus examined the scorch mark where Rodimus had once stood, he was approached by [[Dominus Ambus]]'s spectre who declared his pride for his younger brother and apologized for the distance between them. Finally at peace, Magnus began to ascend into the full Afterspark... only to be snatched away by the Guiding Hand to serve as legal counsel in their plea for resurrection. While Magnus quickly established that the Hand ''could'' revive them, doing so would bare them from the second life when they inevitably perished again. Ultimately, it was [[Adaptus]] who decided that, since Rodimus' main objective was his crew's happiness, they had no need to be revived and sent them back limbo. Satisfied, Magnus drove off to speak with Dominus again. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (2): The God War|The God War}}

[[File:YouAreHere MagnusRodimusFastball.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|He's great at combo maneuvers...]]
Rightly suspecting that Rodimus wouldn't leave well enough alone, Magnus turned back and caught up with him as he, Drift, and Ratchet were fighting a group of [[Omega Guardian]]s, though a batch notably weaker than those on [[Ki-Aleta]]. After Magnus performed a [[Fastball Special]] with Rodimus, Ratchet turned his attention to the cylinder of "trapped light", the seeming power source of the afterlife, while Whirl called Magnus to relay his suspicions that everyone else was going to be murdered. Ratchet then shattered the cylinder causing the afterspark to fade away and revealing them Mederi to them. As Magnus told Whirl to inform the others, and to never call him "chunky" ever again, Rodimus deduced that Mederi was [[Cyberutopia]], the Knights having contracted [[atrophosia]] and come here for treatment. With the quest wrapped up, and joined by the Decepticon [[Scavenger (group)|Scavengers]], the group prepared to leave Mederi and head back to Cybertron before the crew of the ''Lost Light'' arrived, now mutated into [[Sparkeater (group)|sparkeaters]]. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}}

[[File:ADanceBeforeDying CrankcaseUsedByMagnus.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|right|-even ''unwilling'' combo maneuvers.]]
After a failed attempt to reason with the infected, the group retreated before [[Wipe-Out's ship]] arrived, dropping Grimlock into battle, who began hacking apart the sparkeaters. Using [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] as a makeshift gun, Magnus reigned in Grimlock before [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] caught Rodimus up on [[Getaway]]'s depravity. When the ''Lost Light'' was sighted, Magnus boarded the Q-Ship, Magnus ordered Crankcase to dock in Shuttle Bay Four. No sooner had the ship landed did Getaway blow the ceiling above them, flooding the bay with the contents of the [[oil]] reservoir, including the [[Scraplet]]s. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|A Dance Before Dying}}

As Magnus lectured on the biology of the Scraplet [[combiner]], Grimlock cleaved it in twain only for it to quickly reform into a serpentine form before they lunged at Whirl. Rather than devour the Wrecker however, the predators gently brushed up against him. Recognizing that the Luna 1 Scraplets he'd domesticated on [[Christmas]] Eve were part of the swarm, Whirl broke them free of the flooded bay and set off to aid Rodimus. No sooner had the ship been retaken did a massive tear in the Warren open above the moon. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|Lūstrāre}} The ''Lost Light'' was quickly brought down to Mederi's surface, and the crew loaded aboard, but it was soon found that, despite Magnus' monstrously intimidating glare, that the gravity of the rift was too much for the ship's engines, dragging them to the [[Benzene Cluster]]. When they arrived, they were taken captive by the forces of the [[Adaptus|Grand Architect]]. When [[Froid]] and [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder]] reunited with the group, they informed them of what little they knew about the Architect and his plans for the [[God Gun]]. As the weapon began drilling into the void between universes, a war fleet emerged from the portal with [[Last Light (ship)|a duplicate]] ''Lost Light'' flying point. Its captain then called Magnus and Rodimus, revealing himself to be Megatron. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|Farsickness}}

[[File:TheReturnOfTheKing MagnusMegatronReunite.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|]]
Though the Autobot duo thought Megatron was invading the universe once more, that theory was soon disproven when the [[Functionist Universe]]'s Cybertron itself appeared, now cast in the likeness of Primus and controlled by the [[Functionist Council]]. After he'd shaken off the [[Functionary]] ships, Megatron flew to the [[Worldsweeper]] and caused a hull breach to free his friends. While the Architect managed to seal the hull breach, Magnus was brought aboard the ''Last Light'' where Megatron brought them up to speed on the Council's plans. When the [[Epistemus|Magnificence]] opined that they destroy "Primus", Megatron overruled it on the basis that "Primus" was inhabited. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}}

[[File:LL24 Magnus Explodes.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
Once Rodimus' group had freed themselves, and brought news that ''Rung'' was the ''real'' Primus, everyone met on the ''Lost Light'' to compare notes. It was decided that Rung would manufacture twelve duplicates of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] and their energy would be unleashed on every one of Functionist Cybertron's [[hot spot|hot spots]] to overload [[Vector Sigma]]. At this, the Omega Guardians, speaking from the [[Higher Realms]] via the Magnificence, flew into an unholy rage and demanded that the false "Primus" be destroyed so that they could return. That problem was quickly handled however by [[Nickel]] crushing the Magnificence. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}} Magnus was given a Matrix and he and Whirl were sent to the hot spot at [[Mesmerica]], quickly being surrounded by Functionist soldiers. Magnus was unable to open the Matrix and distracted as he was, was hit by a Functionary's missile, knocking him out of both layers of his armor. With Minimus Ambus now unconscious, Whirl managed to open the Matrix and ultimately, the Functionists were defeated. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers|A Spark Among Embers}}

[[File:LL25 MagnusToast.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|left|]]
As the crew took stock, [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] arrived to inspect "New Cybertron" before declaring that, since the [[Knights of Cybertron]] didn't exist, Megatron would once again have to stand trial, this time with the [[Galactic Council]] presiding. Over Rodimus's protests, Megatron agreed to go quietly but was nonetheless allowed to join the ''Lost Light'' for one last "victory lap" cruise. As the crew prepared to quantum jump home, the science team proposed the risky gamble of recreating the malfunctioning launch, thereby quantum duplicating themselves before then shunting the duplicates into a parallel universe to ensure that the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s adventures would never truly end. When the time to jump came, the crew simply wound up back on Cybertron.

As they all settled into ''Swerve's'' for a last drink, Magnus recited his favorite poem, Afterlight, which Megatron revealed to have written under a pseudonym. Adding that it was Impactor's favorite too, Megatron lamented that he'd wasted his life. Not wanting to leave it at that, Magnus gave a toast to all the friendships and bonds they'd forged... before construction cranes killed the moment and began disassembling the ship.

[[File:LL25 MagnusMegatronFarewell.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right]]
When Megatron was tried again, Magnus again acted as his defense orator. As the jury debated between infinite imprisonment and outright execution, Magnus allowed Rodimus and Megatron had one last discussion, with Megatron revealing he'd always held onto his [[Rodimus Star]], before they were called back to the sentencing chamber. On their way, Magnus revealed he was going to follow Megatron's advice and destroy the [[Magnus Armor]].

Following through on his words, Minimus Ambus dedicated his life to helping bring the [[Lunarian]]s, the generation born on Luna 1's hot spot, to term, never quite getting around to finishing ''Terms of Peace''. Years later, when Ratchet had passed, Minimus had overseen the rearing of half the new generation.

And far away, in some distant corner of the multiverse, the duplicate ''Lost Light'' materialized, ready to set sail for an infinity of new adventures. {{storylink|How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2}}

[[File:Theadventureisforever.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|center|]]
{{--}}

==Prevenge==
{{voiceactor|[[Jack Angel]] (English)}}
Ultra Magnus was lecturing Tailgate on the Autobot Code when he was suddenly transported away from the Lost Light through a trans-dimensional portal. He found himself in a metal corridor, accompanied by a reverse-polarity [[Ravage (SG)|Ravage]]. The recordicon's speech mannerisms soon began to annoy Ultra Magnus, but "thankfully," auto-cannons popped out from the corridor, giving Ultra Magnus something to blast. The two of them made their way through the labyrinth they found themselves in, eventually meeting with six other abductees from different universes: [[Blades (RB)|Blades]], [[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]], [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]], and [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]]. Despite Sureshock's protests, Ultra Magnus established himself as being in charge, stating that it was his business to be the ranking officer in any given situation.

A menacing voice then made itself heard, saying that it was responsible for bringing everyone together inside its death trap. After rather embarrassingly unleashing a sick and rusted [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] against the group, the voice commanded the lot to fight one another to the death. The group (for the most part) refused, and forced the [[Skuxxoid]] to reveal himself as the architect behind the whole plot. The villain was disposed of in short order, leaving the abductees to devise a way to get themselves back home. Sonar suggested that since the place they were in was governed inherently ridiculous laws, an equally ridiculous solution was called for. Ultra Magnus went along with the idea, despite it going against everything he held dear in life. The group settled on all laughing together, as characters in a cheesy cartoon are prone to do when an episode comes to an end. Surprisingly enough, this worked, and Ultra Magnus found himself on the Lost Light once more. Shaken by his adventure, he made Tailgate promise to never speak of what had just happened, and dismissed him from his lessons for the day. {{storylink|Prevenge}}

==Notes==
*Magnus here is very different to the previous G1 takes. [[Simon Furman]] stated this was out of his 2005-06 desire to be different and not repeat things; rather than be uncertain of his role as he was in [[Marvel Comics]], this character would be utterly certain and unwavering.<ref>[http://insidepulse.com/2006/08/04/50140/ Comics Nexus: "Caught in the Nexus: Simon Furman"]</ref>
*Furman spent some time teasing an Ultra Magnus/[[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] fight in homage to the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel UK]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Transformers'' comic]], but had abandoned it by the time he wrote ''Revelation''.<ref>[http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/its-qa-time-again/ IT’S Q&A TIME AGAIN! | simon furman] ''
''20. You previously mentioned that we’d see Ultra Magnus vs Galvatron. Is this still going to happen?
SF) This was where my plans for Revelation/Expansion really did change, and not just because of the shift in format. Originally, I really wanted to have an Ultra Magnus/Galvatron smackdown in the tradition of the one from Target: 2006, but once I'd arranged all the players in Revelation I realised it just wasn’t going to work.</ref>
*Optimus Prime's unnamed Senator friend wandered around the "Shadowplay" 3-parter in not only a Magnus-style design, but in Ultra Magnus' colours. This was deliberate, making us believe that this was going to be the origin of Ultra Magnus rather than the origin of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]].<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-comics-discussion/716601-transformers-more-than-meets-eye-11-discussion-spoilers-29.html#post8649838 Forum post by Alex Milne]</ref>
[[File:Ultra Magnus alt-Alex Milne-MtMtE.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
*James Roberts had carefully seeded some clues of Ultra Magnus's true identities in issues of ''More Than Meets The Eye'':
**In "[[Interiors]]", Skids mentions that Magnus used to do wisecracks.
**In the [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|2012 annual]], he prescriptively describes himself using the third person. Twice.
**Magnus refers to Tyrest giving him everything he wanted in "[[Cybertronian Homesick Blues]]".
**The fatal damage done to Magnus in "[[Under Cold Blue Stars]]", the damage First Aid says can't be fixed? It's exactly the same type of damage First Aid says Magnus survived once before in "[[Before & After]]".
**"[[The Gloaming]]" flashbacks showed Ultra Magnus dirty, with a crooked badge, and wise-cracking, all things his present self could never do, and each flashback ended with damage that Magnus would be really lucky to survive.
*Tragically, Ultra Magnus is the best hugger on the ''Lost Light''.<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/799406382181220353 James Roberts during a whiskey-induced Q&A on Twitter]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Law enforcement]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]