Proteus (G1)

2013-06-04T02:02:51Z

Gunrage:

{{factions|senator}}
:''Proteus is a [[Senate|Senator]] from the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:ChaosTheory2 Proteus.jpg|thumb|300px|''"Don't be the bunny! Don't be the shoe! You don't get stepped on! No, The one who steps is you!"'']]

'''Proteus''' is a member of the corrupt [[Senate]] on pre-war [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and a heavy supporter of the [[Functionism]] system segregating [[Transformer|Cybertronian]] society. While many Senators are rich jerks, he is one step above the rest, being known to manipulate events behind the scenes to benefit the Senate rather than the people and sway the influence of the other Senators to his cause. He may break a ton of laws in the process, but what does he care? Head of security [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel]] is on ''his'' payroll after all.

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{spoilers|Shockwaves|June 22}}
Proteus greeted [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] when he joined the Senate, but disturbed the new Senator by his violent treatment of a [[disposable class]] projector-bot, causing Shockwave to openly protest against his Functionist beliefs. Proteus was unimpressed by his emotional outburst, deeming it inappropriate for a Senator. {{storylink|Shockwaves}}

Seeking to gain more power and influence, Proteus created a faction within the Senate that conspired to get their hands on the [[Matrix of Leadership]] held by [[Nominus Prime]]. Together with Sentinel, he orchestrated an assassination attempt on Nominus, crippling him in a fake "terrorist attack" that also opened an opportunity to implement the [[Clampdown]], a time of heightened security that would place severe restrictions on Cybertron's inhabitants in order to (supposedly) weed out terrorists. When he first suggested the Clampdown during a Senate meeting, Senator [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] agreed with him, adding that they could use this opportunity to shut down some government-critical groups, even if it would forego "some of the freedoms" of the general populace. The speech was then suddenly interrupted by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]], who burst into the chamber to offer his own views on the Senate's selfish ways. After the intruder had gone on for a while, Proteus ordered Sentinel to have him removed, but forgot to note his name.

Shockwave later revealed to Orion Pax that the attack on Nominus Prime had been orchestrated by a faction within the Senate. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2|Chaos Theory #2}} He didn't name any names at the time, but knew the mastermind of the conspiracy to be Proteus. {{storylink|Shockwaves}}

[[File:Shadowyplay Proteus thumbsup.jpg|thumb|250px|What do ''you'' think of that offer, Ackbar?]]
During the Clampdown, he drafted the [[Decepticon Registration Act]] and said that if 10,000 [[Decepticon]]s came forward with their real names, he would legalise their movement as a political party. This was nicknamed "[[Proteus's Promise]]": [[Quark]] believed it would be fulfilled and would show whether he or [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] were right about the state of Cybertron, but Nightbeat didn't believe it would ever happen. Nightbeat was basically right, as the Decepticons were suspicious of an autocracy wanting their real names, and rightly so because Proteus wanted to know who to send to the [[Institute]] for brainwashing. In order to ensure they'd come forward, Proteus and his chums caused two pro-Decepticon senators to be murdered and the killers to be found and stopped by respected investigators, making him look trustworthy. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} A public information film called "Proteus's Promise" was made around this time. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

Together with Sentinel, Proteus planned to use a hidden bomb to blow up Nominus Prime's corpse during his funeral, killing thousands and destroying the [[Primal Basilica]]. The whole thing would officially be called a Decepticon terrorist act, allowing him to proceed with his plan of capturing and brainwashing everyone who registered under the Act, but Orion Pax foiled the plot by finding and removing the bomb. With his plan in ruins, Proteus was unwilling to hold up his end of the bargain and broke his Promise. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}} Fortunately he could take out his frustration on Shockwave, who had been revealed to be providing a safe haven for [[outlier]]s, Cybertronians persecuted by Functionists because of their special abilities. He had his fellow Senator sent to the Institute where he was punished with [[empurata]] and [[Shadowplay]], mutilating his body and erasing his ability to feel emotion. When Senator [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] later predicted an upcoming [[energon]] shortage, Proteus rejected it in his belief that [[Vector Sigma]] was an eternal source of energon. {{storylink|Shockwaves}}

While attending an emergency meeting in [[Kaon]], the Senate was caught in [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'s Decepticon uprising and most Senators were massacred. Proteus himself was executed by [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] during these events. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}}

[[Category:Comic-only Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Transformers]]
[[Category:Politicians]]

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Proteus (G1)