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Megaplex

2026-01-19T15:19:06Z

RyokoMocha: /* Wings Universe */ Changed "exact vengeance onto Jhiaxus" to the correct "exact vengeance on Jhiaxus."

{{factions|decepticon|cybEmpireG2}}
:''Megaplex is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:MegaplexArt1.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|I hear the new Cybertron Megaplex has over 30 screens!]]
'''Megaplex''' is one of a series of specially constructed clones of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. He exists to foment confusion in the [[Autobot]] ranks and protect against traitors among the Decepticons. He has led many battles in Megatron's stead.<ref>''Machine Wars'' Megaplex profile card</ref>

While Megaplex is ideally endowed with the same power as the original Megatron, the Decepticons' true leader is no fool. Realizing that a being based so closely on his own nature and with equal power would be quite likely to make a play to permanently replace him, Megatron thus had his clones constructed with a failsafe device that significantly restricts their abilities. Thus, though Megaplex is easily able to pass as Megatron for short periods of time, his intelligence, strength, firepower, and skill are capped at levels significantly below those of the ''real'' Megatron. The deception is likely to work best on the battlefield, from a distance, or when Megaplex is following a strict script set by the original.<ref>''Collector's Edition'' Megaplex profile card</ref>

Megaplex prefers close-quarters combat, tearing into his opponents with his electron sword and energy flail. For artillery he prefers liquid helium "Freeze Shells".

{{quote|His code is in my processor. His brain impulses are in my head. He is at my core. Megatron haunts me, and yet my very existence honors him.|Megaplex|"[[Termination]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Legends'' comic===
During the battle for the [[Transform Super Cog]] in the late 1980s, Megatron used Megaplex as a decoy on the battlefield. When the [[Jumpstarter]]s were fooled and blasted Megaplex, Megatron seized the opportunity and sicced [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] on the [[Autobot]]s. {{Storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[File:MegaplexandhisMegatronpersona-ACommonFoe.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]

Determined to ensure a peaceful [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by any means necessary, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] concluded that the old Cybertronian race needed to be wiped out in order to make way for a new, peaceful second generation. To achieve this goal, he created an army of clones governed by clone generals of some of the most effective warriors in Cybertronian history. Reluctantly, Jhiaxus realized his army would be most efficient if it were commanded by the greatest conqueror of all time: [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Working in his laboratory, Jhiaxus attempted to create a balanced clone general, possessing all of Megatron's valued aggression, cunning, and battlefield skill, but limiting the ego and bloodthirstiness that led him down the Decepticon path. Jhiaxus's final efforts created a divergent copy of Megatron, called Megaplex. {{storylink|Termination|Megaplex's Tech Specs profile}} When Megaplex first emerged from the cloning process, Jhiaxus found that the duplicate's persona did not fit his agenda, and so attempted to bury the “Megatron” within Megaplex with a more manageable personality. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

Megaplex proved a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. As the [[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]] began, his army cut a path through space, conquering Cybertronian outposts and colonies along the way. He even brought down [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] as the campaign carried him towards the homeworld. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 6}}

By the time the clone army lay siege to Cybertron itself and claimed the capital of Iacon, however, Megaplex had become conflicted in his attitudes. Although he knew his programming and his master Jhiaxus's will, Megaplex began to see the glories in war that once appealed to his template, Megatron. During a confrontation with the Autobot resistance general [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], Megaplex was repeatedly goaded by his resemblance to Megatron, bringing to the surface his true megalomaniacal personality. This outburst activated a sleeper agent in the Autobot forces: [[Sandstorm (MW)|Sandstorm]]. Secretly one of Jhiaxus's clones, Sandstorm declared that Megaplex had failed to overcome the burden of his template's personality, and Jhiaxus had now decreed Megaplex would be terminated with the other original Cybertronians. {{storylink|Termination}}

As the battle continued, Megaplex's "Megatron" personality resurfaced, immobilizing Megaplex. Haunted by his other self, and taunted by accusations of being weak, Megaplex lashed out and expunged Megatron's essence from his mind. Now freed from his split of consciousness, Megaplex proceeded to exact vengeance on Jhiaxus. He enacted said vengeance by impaling the Cybertronian leader through the chest, after Jhiaxus had already surrendered to the united Autobot-Decepticon army. Megaplex was then taken down by a squad representing both factions, the Decepticons within it ignoring his ramblings about a Decepticon-controlled Cybertron. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
[[File:Swindles-Megaplex.jpg|thumb|upright=.66]]
A grey-hued Transformer attended a [[skitter]] race at [[Swindle's]], enjoying a beverage and sitting next to [[Starscream (MW)|a black-hued acquaintance]]. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|Swindle's}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Machine Wars''===
[[File:MW-toy Megaplex.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|[[Doctor Doom]] will sue Megatron for stealing his idea.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d2|'''Megaplex''' (Basic Class, [[1997]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 2-piece rifle

:Megaplex was one of two original characters introduced in the [[KB Toys]] exclusive ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' line. His mold was originally designed, but unused, for the end of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''. He transforms from a [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor]] fighter jet to [[robot mode]] with a spring-loaded one-step transformation. The two halves of his rifle store in the back of his robot mode legs.

:The ''Machine Wars'' stock photos (and even the packaging art) have Megaplex as the blue jet and Megatron as the gray one, meaning either the package designers got ''everything'' wrong, or the toys were put on the wrong cards. The latter is more likely since gray is more associated with Megatron than blue is. But, well, that's how they were packaged, so that's how we list them.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Decepticon/Megaplex/megaplex.htm More information on ''Machine Wars'' Megaplex at TFU.info]''
{{MWMegaplexMold}}
{{--}}

===''Collector's Edition''===
{{anchor|Exclusive}}
[[File:G1-toy Megaplex.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Primus help us all when the Megaplex army clashes with Starscream's clones.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Megaplex''' ([[2003]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''93'''
:*''Release date'': December ??, 2003
:*''Accessories'': "Megasight" scope/"fusion cannon", two-part silencer ("focusing barrel" and "accelerator"), three-part stock ("death charge unit", "saddle", "cannon base"), "energy flail", "high-density infra-red ray laser gun", "electron sword", 20 "Freeze Shell/particle beam" bullets

:Released in the ''[[The Transformers: Collector's Edition|Collector's Edition]]'' line as an [[e-HOBBY]] [[exclusive]], Megaplex is a [[redeco]] of the original [[Megatron (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Megatron]] Walther P-38 pistol toy in the same colors as its original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' release (itself a coloration used in the ''[[Microman]]'' line the mold originated in), featuring blue plastic instead of the Hasbro red, and unchromed grey plastic. The spring-loaded firing mechanisms inside both the toy's main body and the stock have also been restored, letting the toy launch [[For safety reasons|choking-hazard-sized projectiles]] in both pistol and robot mode.

:Based on ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]] of Megatron, this version comes with ''all'' of Megatron's accessories. (The original Takara version lacked all of the gun's add-on parts, having only the chromed rifle and sword, and of course the flail is new to the "bookbox" Megatron.) His scope, stock, and silencer can combine to form a large "[[particle beam cannon]]" artillery mode (there is a variant configuration of this that seats a ''Microman'' figure, but that has been excluded from the instructions for obvious reasons), or attach to his robot mode to make a huge shoulder-mounted "telescopic laser cannon formation". Both of these modes can fire the small plastic bullets the toy comes with thanks to the spring-loaded "death charge unit" portion of his stock. This piece can also connect to the back of his pistol barrel in robot mode, letting him "shoot from the hip", as it were.

:Preorders for Megaplex closed on [[September 30]] of 2002. Orders were shipped out in December.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Destron/Megaplex/megaplex.htm More information on e-HOBBY Megaplex at TFU.info]''
{{G1MegatronMold}}
{{--}}

===''Timelines''===
[[File:TL-toy Megaplex-BC13.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He's got a new job!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Machine Wars: Termination''' (Box set, 2013)}}
:*''Accessories'': Sword

:''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' Megaplex is a [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime: Robots in Disguise]]'' Voyager Class [[Dreadwing (Prime)#Voyager|Dreadwing]], featuring an all-new color scheme strongly evoking his ''Machine Wars'' incarnation, which accurately includes a predominantly grey and green color scheme, all transparent bits being a cloudy-white like the original Megaplex's cockpit windows, even down to the pinstripes on his wings and tailfins. However, instead of stickers with random shapes used for faction symbols on either of his wings in jet mode, there are two modified Decepticon symbols prominently displayed in their place, presumably evoking the faction symbol of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus's]] [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]]. There are two more of these symbols on either side of his chest in robot mode. Other major differences from the original's color scheme include all the soft-plastic bits on the original Dreadwing mold being colored light blue on this version, and the face being painted white. The eyes are still a lovely shade of dead-cataract white, however.

:This version of the mold lacks the light-up blaster cannon accessory of the original, possibly due to cost-cutting reasons, but does include the sword, which can still be mounted (via [[5 mm post]]s) onto ports on his forearms, hands, wings, and back, as well as behind the cockpit canopy via the additional peg featured on its hilt. He comes in a [[BotCon 2013]] exclusive box set, with [[Hoist (G1)/toys#Timelines|Hoist]], [[Strika (BM)#Timelines|Strika]], [[Obsidian (BM)#Timelines|Obsidian]], and [[Skywarp (MW)#Timelines|Skywarp]].

:Megaplex, Skyquake, and Dreadwing's very similar looking left & right robot mode feet are notorious for being incorrectly added to the figure during factory assembly, resulting in a left foot on a right leg, a right foot on a left leg, two left feet, or two right feet. Not having the right foot on the right leg and left foot on the left leg causes him to not stand properly because each foot is designed on the bottom to sit at a specific slanted angle. Both feet look very similar to one another, however they can be identified by finding the corresponding "L" and "R" on each one. If placed on a flat surface to be viewed, one will notice that both feet have subtle slants to their stance.

:All versions of this mold have a spot that's very prone to breakage: the thruster/ stabilizer fin assembly which folds up onto his back has a joint that can crack and break the whole assembly off- even on brand new figures. This can be avoided by gluing it in vehicle mode configuration- while it loses functionality it is not detrimental to his robot mode.

:This mold was also redecoed into ''Prime: Robots in Disguise'' [[Skyquake (Prime)#Voyager|Skyquake]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/BCMegaplex/megaplex.htm More information on ''Timelines'' Megaplex at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreO-Toy MegaplexKreon.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Machine Wars''' (Kreon Souvenir Figure Set, 2013)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Clip-on cannon, jagged blade

:The ''Machine Wars'' five-pack was [[exclusive]] to [[BotCon 2013]], and includes [[Kreon]]s of [[Hoist (G1)/toys#BotCon2013|Hoist]], Megaplex, [[Obsidian (BM)#Kre-O|Obsidian]], [[Skywarp (MW)#Kre-O|Skywarp]], and [[Strika (BM)#Kre-O|Strika]]. They have generally more parts than the Kreons packed in with larger ''[[Kre-O]]'' sets, but do not have alternate vehicle builds like [[Micro-Changer]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/BCKre-OMegaplex/megaplex.htm More information on Megaplex at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
*Megaplex's ''Machine Wars'' packaging art is in fact a color-altered version of the card-art for the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] jet [[Falcon (G1)|Falcon]].
*The e-HOBBY Megaplex's "Particle Beam Cannon" accessory configuration can actually also be slightly adapted to yet another mode used in the original ''[[Microman]]'' line; the "saddle" extension that raises the cannon up to robot-height actually plugged into the ''back'' of the cannon vertically. This made a backed seat that Micromen figures could sit on, making it a (Micro-)manned piece of field artillery; the back of the scope even has little flip-out handles for them to hold. The seemingly-nonsensical peg on the side of the "saddle" piece plugs into the back of the ''New Microman''-era figures to secure them. (Modern Micromen are too big.)
*Megaplex's appearance in the 2019 comic issue [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|''Transformers'' #20]] is inspired by a "virtual redeco" of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Energon|Starscream]] by fan artist Air-Hammer, [https://www.deviantart.com/air-hammer/art/Machine-Wars-Megatron-and-Megaplex-Digibash-341964614 posted to DeviantArt in 2012.]

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Megaplex''' (メガプレックス ''Megapurekkusu'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:BotCon exclusives]]
[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]
[[Category:E-HOBBY exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Cybertronians]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Talk:Amalgamous Prime

2026-01-06T00:21:58Z

RyokoMocha:

I don't have Exiles yet - is there reason to believe AP isn't just Liege Maximo's real name, since LM is a title?
: It's not used in the book as a title. For example, it's always parsed "Liege Maximo," not "the Liege Maximo." Also, it was declared a title in G2, and Aligned continuity doesn't necessarily have to follow that. It could merely be his name now. It certainly didn't follow a lot of other stuff regarding the 13. (*coughcoughAlphaTrioncoughcough*) Either way, it's not our place to jump to such conclusions quite yet, not without more information. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 22:17, 4 October 2011 (EDT)

: Does "Exiles" state for sure that the guy with big horns is Amalgamous? People who have been to Botcon have mentioned Liege Maximo's new design as still having horns and looking just like Loki, so I find it a bit odd that there's apparently two Loki lookalikes in the Thirteen. --[[Special:Contributions/71.17.207.182|71.17.207.182]] 23:20, 4 October 2011 (EDT)
:: Liege Maximo at BotCon was a huge hulking, monstrous spikey dude. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:23, 4 October 2011 (EDT)
::: Huh. Wonder why he was said to look like Loki, then. --[[Special:Contributions/71.17.207.182|71.17.207.182]] 23:27, 4 October 2011 (EDT)
:::: If I were being catty, I'd mention that people at BotCon also said Hasbro claimed they were never ever making any Transformers Prime toys. Human memory is pretty bad. Furthermore, BotCon Prima and cartoon Prima don't match. There's some changes involved in the translation from Story Bible to Published Fiction, and these aren't changes we can readily examine, with the BotCon sneak peeks being exclusive to those in the room. Let's give more consideration to the aired cartoon and the published book. If it's revealed later that Amalgamous and Liege Maximo are the same, we'll deal with that later. As for now, that's too much guesswork. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:40, 4 October 2011 (EDT)
::::: I agree that we shouldn't be doing any guesswork, this site is all about officially released facts, no? I request that the images of specific character artwork be taken down from Amalgamous, Nexus, A3, Vector and the Fallen's pages. We know that Prima is the leader, so we guess that's the one who is in front of the group, and that he's to have the Star Saber sword, so it makes sense that character is charging into battle with a broadsword. Solus Prime we're told is the female, hence the only female would be Solus. The rest have literally been guesswork: Alpha Trion being the one with a beard, Vector being the one with a disc in his chest are guesses using previous incarnations as "likelihoods", which I don't believe we should be using; the whole "anything you know from past generations of the brand may or may not be factual in the new continuity" plays into that. It is entirely guessed that Amalgamous is the Loki-looking one (even though the design for the Liege Maximo at BotCon '11 was VERY Loki-like), Nexus has no basis except "I guess his limbs are kinda different?", and Megatronus' page has a shot of TWELVE of the Thirteen, it's likely he's not even in it (being the traitor and all)! Until we have something more concrete, I move that we should not have specific pictures of those characters on the pages. I quote fellow use Jeysie in saying "We're interesting solely in being right, not first." --[[User:Karhukjnsi|Karhukjnsi]] 05:46, 5 October 2011 (EDT)
:::::: Well if no one feels comfortable about it, then we should take them down. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 12:09, 5 October 2011 (EDT)

:::::: Yeah I think most of the images need to be held till we have some sort of official word on who's who. Anyone who has connections, feel free to see if you can get a lead or else we need to wait till/if Hasbro does another QandA... or Botcon. --[[Special:Contributions/76.28.76.206|76.28.76.206]] 13:02, 5 October 2011 (EDT)
:::::::I think Prima, Alpha Trion, and Vector are fine. Solus is borderline, and Amalgamous's and Nexus's images are too speculative. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 14:42, 5 October 2011 (EDT)
:::::::: Again, Prima is easily identifiable as the leader, and Solus by being the female, I don't believe the rest should have specifically matched images yet from that artwork. Too many people rely on this wiki for ''correct'' information, not "likely" guesses. Never in Transformers have I ever felt so strongly for anything apart from the Thirteen (as pathetic and nerdy it may sound), I stand by my request that the specific images be taken down from all members except for Prima and Solus Prime. --[[User:Karhukjnsi|Karhukjnsi]] 15:41, 5 October 2011 (EDT)
::::::::I'd even argue Vector Prime, since the only thing going for him is "he has a circle in his chest", and that other Thirteen in the background with the energy ball around him also has that. Prima, Alpha and Solus, IMO, are the only clear ones. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 17:01, 5 October 2011 (EDT)
:::::::::"Vector Prime"'s face is the Autobot symbol, so. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 17:17, 5 October 2011 (EDT)
::::::::::Unfortunately with both "Vector's" head and "A3"s beard, they both fall under that horrible "past generations...may not be factual" safety net that Hasbro set up as their own fiction-insurance, so even ''they'' may not be similar to previous incarnations, no matter the similarities. --[[User:Karhukjnsi|Karhukjnsi]] 05:22, 6 October 2011 (EDT)
:::::::::::Not to contradict myself above, but we have seen these guys at BotCon, and they retained these elements. I think willful ignorance is just as wrong as overstepping our bounds. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 11:15, 6 October 2011 (EDT)--[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 11:15, 6 October 2011 (EDT)
:::::::::::: Then would it be wrong to put the Loki-looking guy on the Liege Maximo's page? His art was very blatant concerning that, what with the horns and green. Both Alpha Trion and Vector Prime looked ''extremely'' similar to their previous incarnations (it seems Vector just got a new cape, an hourglass and went gold), unlike Nexus or Maximo. I'm fine if there's guessing, but let it be known to others outside this discussion that it is guessing rather than straight up fact (which I know you've done with the picture for "Alpha Trion"). Preventing misinformation (or, 'willful ignorance' as you put it) is not as bad as overstepping, as the latter action, more often than not, gets people into ''more'' trouble. Again, if you want to keep A3 and Vector Prime using the "likely from before" mindset (which I thought this wiki was against), then let the Liege Maximo page keep the art of the Loki-looking member. --[[User:Karhukjnsi|Karhukjnsi]] 16:20, 6 October 2011 (EDT)
:::::::::::::Unless there's a Liege Maximo design I'm unaware of... those horns on "Amalgamous" look ''nothing'' like Liege Maximo's roided up Satan horns. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 16:49, 6 October 2011 (EDT)
::::::::::::::There was a new design at BotCon '11 (likely also at '10), the horns were different. The design had him green primarily, and horns like Marvel's Loki. The Loki/"Amalgamous" design matches up with that nigh perfectly, at least in regards to similarities from Loki. --[[User:Karhukjnsi|Karhukjnsi]] 15:06, 7 October 2011 (EDT)
:::::::::::::::Walky says higher up this discussion "Liege Maximo at BotCon was a huge hulking, monstrous spikey dude." so I don't know that it's definite that the Loki-looking dude is him. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 17:15, 7 October 2011 (EDT)
::::::::::::::::I don't know about Walky, but I ''was'' at the Hasbro Story Building panel at BotCon'11, I did see the Liege Maximo design, and the two main characteristics that stuck out at me were: Huge Loki-horns, and he was primarily green. --[[User:Karhukjnsi|Karhukjnsi]] 18:59, 9 October 2011 (EDT)

==Merge Proposal ==
Given the current policy of handling the 13 as single pagers across universes this is a merge proposal to unite Adaptus and Amalgamous on one page. "Amalgamous also known as Adaptus..." etc. Similar to how we did Alpha Prime and Primon
[[User:Lush City|Lush City]] ([[User talk:Lush City|talk]]) 12:07, 8 January 2016 (EST)
:The IDW fiction is still ongoing, unlike the original cartoon. I think such a merge would be unwise. --[[User:Ascendron|Ascendron]] ([[User talk:Ascendron|talk]]) 12:09, 8 January 2016 (EST)
::I agree with Ascendron. They're best off as separate pages. -[[User:Foffy the Sheep|Foffy the Sheep]] ([[User talk:Foffy the Sheep|talk]]) 12:22, 8 January 2016 (EST)
I am aware the IDW fiction is ongoing, but how does that effect the fact that they have already been conflated as the same person/concept? This is like merging Megatronus from RiD with The Fallen from the film.
:This is literally the worst proposal I have ever read. Lush City, IDW contains both Adaptus and Amalgamous as separate characters, and I prioritise that over a Facebook page whose main priority is fanwank. This was already explained to you on the Allspark. Also, sign your damn posts. --[[User:Riptide|Riptide]] ([[User talk:Riptide|talk]]) 16:11, 10 January 2016 (EST)
::Vector Prime even noted right then and there that he was having difficulties because his memories were changing. That post should therefore be taken in the context. And this is different from Alpha Prime and Primon. Dreamwave G1 Alpha Prime had no detailed background of his own. And he wasn't in the context of Uniend opening up combined with the Shroud echoing backwards in time. [[User:S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 47|S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 47]] ([[User talk:S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 47|talk]]) 16:16, 10 January 2016 (EST)

==Amalgam?==
This guy's name is just a mess. I'm guessing whichever writer named him believed ''amalgam'' to mean change, and didn't understand it means to combine and blend together? I think the name has lead to some confusion over who Amalgamous Prime is supposed to be. Also; Amalgamous Prime rather than ''Amalgamus'' Prime? I really hope
"Optimous Prime" doesn't start showing up.
[[User:RyokoMocha|RyokoMocha]] ([[User talk:RyokoMocha|talk]]) 19:21, 5 January 2026 (EST)

War of the Threefold Spark

2025-12-28T20:50:58Z

RyokoMocha: /* 2019 IDW continuity */ Changed "amount of dead bodies" to *number* of dead bodies. If you can count it, it is *number*, never "amount."

[[File:TheWorldInYourEyesPartThree-ThreefoldSparkWar.jpg|thumb|right|350px]]

The '''War of the Threefold Spark''' was a protracted conflict that saw the citizens of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] take up arms to vanquish [[Exarchon]]—an existential threat to the Cybertronian race—and his followers.

==Fiction==
===2019 IDW continuity===
[[File:StormHorizonPart1-UltraMagnusThreefoldSpark.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

The war had its roots in Cybertron's [[Expansion|Age of Expansion]]. In this prosperous era, the respected explorer [[Exarchon]] travelled to a distant region of space, where he encountered an alien "quintessence" that altered him both mentally and physically; eventually, he returned as a mad warmonger intent on conquering Cybertron. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} {{storylink|War's End Part Two}} In response, [[Nominus Prime]], then-leader of Cybertron's ruling [[Autobot]] party, raised an army to stop him. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

Four "[[Great General]]s" coordinated the war against Exarchon's forces: the gung-ho [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], who led from the front and counted a young [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] among his ranks, {{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 1}}, [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], whose [[Strika's Heavies|heavy artillery battalion]] found renown as an elite team of line-breakers, {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Four}} [[Pyra Magna]], who commanded an [[Companion|honor guard]] of highly-trained warriors, {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}} and [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]]. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}}

The people of Cybertron found that Exarchon's spark now operated like a virus, capable of remotely extinguishing the sparks of other Transformers and turning them into new "iterations" of himself, extensions of his own tripartite mind. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} Exarchon could only control three bodies at a time in this way, but this talent made him extremely difficult to put down for good—so long as one of his "iterations" survived, he could quickly reconstitute himself. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} Toward the end of the conflict, scientists like [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] deduced that an unknown alien race had deliberately corrupted Exarchon and armed him with the weapons and exotic technologies required to effectively wage war against his homeworld. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} Many Cybertronians would come to believe that Exarchon had been deliberately unleashed on Cybertron in response to their expansionism. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}}

[[File:EscapePartFive-DaiAtlasvsclones.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

Some Cybertronians served Exarchon willingly. Among the most infamous would be [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who collaborated with Exarchon and built upon his caches of alien technology to develop a revolutionary form of [[cloning]]. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}} The capricious [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] also threw his lot in with Exarchon's forces—although Exarchon and Shockwave failed to mass-produce his unique [[teleportation]] power, they created a swarm of disposable "[[Skywarp drone|clone-drone]]"s who swept across Cybertron with their clone progenitor at the helm. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} In response, Nominus Prime authorized the creation of a massive [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] army. [[Turmoil]] melted the planet [[Neutronia]] as he returned to Cybertron and killed two-thirds of the planet's population before he joined forces with Exarchon and took numerous hostages throughout the war. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} The number of dead bodies the war produced allowed the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], who'd previously only worked in Cybertron's garbage-processing industry, to gorge themselves, developing a taste for living matter. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

Exarchon's forces operated out of a network of hidden, self-sufficient bunkers scattered across the planet and protected by automatic sentry turrets. Despite the loyalty of these nominal allies, Exarchon kept his best technologies to himself, and stored them in a secret location in the planet's [[Sonic Canyons]]. {{storylink|War's End Part One}}

[[File:DarknessOnceGazedUponPart1-Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

The war spread across Cybertron—notable battles included the [[Tagan Heights]], the [[Hydrax Plateau]], {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} and [[Yuss]], which saw the city completely levelled and marked the first time that Exarchon encountered Megatron. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} At one point, Exarchon attempted to usurp one of the planet's orbiting [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s and successfully took over [[Croaton (G1)|Croaton]]. This didn't last long, however, as his fellow Titan [[Citadel (Titan)|Citadel]] used an [[imploder]] to reduce Croaton to space dust. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} {{storylink|Light/Star}} As a result, Nominus kept the remaining Titans in reserve for the rest of the war for fear that Exarchon could do it again. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

It was not until towards the end of the war that Cybertron learned the specific nature of Exarchon's change. By this point, Exarchon's forces had begun to lose ground; most of those who'd followed him willingly had, like Skywarp, abandoned him and left only a handful of fanatics to carry on. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} From his hidden base in the Sonic Canyons, Exarchon began drawing up a new, last-ditch plan to win the war by infecting the [[AllSpark]] at the core of the planet itself, but the necessities of war forced his hand early before he could put it into play. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

[[File:DarknessOnceGazedUponPart1-Iacon.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

The last offensive of the war took place roughly two megacycles before the outbreak of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict, on the outskirts of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. Exarchon joined the battle personally, but nearly perished amidst the carnage. Thinking quickly, Exarchon transferred the final third of his spark into [[Provoke]]'s dying body, then allowed himself to be buried and consumed by Cybertron's crust as a massive explosion wiped out the last of Exarchon's forces and effectively ended the war. {{storylink|War's End Part One}}

The conflict left Cybertron badly damaged, to the point where major cities like Iacon had been almost entirely razed by years of constant war. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} In the immediate aftermath of the war, Nominus Prime implemented a system to deal with those who had served Exarchon: they would be granted amnesty for their crimes in exchange for permanent exile from Cybertron. Some would wind up on remote colonies like [[Mayalx]], where they performed menial labour for colonial workforces; others simply roamed the galaxy at random. The Insecticons, too, were exiled in fear that they would turn their appetites towards living Cybertronians. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

Not all Cybertronians agreed with Nominus's lenient policies, however—when Turmoil fled the planet with a cargo of hostages, Pyra Magna chased him down with the intent of bringing him to justice, but accidentally killed everyone aboard she'd hoped to rescue. {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}} Nominus's government attempted to sweep the planet and decommission every one of Exarchon's hidden fortresses; {{storylink|War's End Part One}} the Iacon crater would host a [[Memorial Crater|dedicated memorial]] to the war, inscribed with the names of everyone who'd died in battle. {{storylink|War World: Hunt}}

Nominus would go on to draft the [[Nominus Edict]], in an attempt to curtail Cybertron's expansionistic tendencies. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One}} Megatron's experiences in the war would go on to greatly shape his worldview. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} Dai Atlas, who'd only taken up arms reluctantly, went immersant to escape the horror he felt at what he had become. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}}
Two megacycles later, Exarchon returned in the midst of the outbreak of the Autobot-Decepticon war. {{storylink|War's End Part One}} Gathering some his old followers, he attempted to finish what he had begun by drilling into Cybertron's core and infecting it with his essence. However, a small group of Autobots and Decepticons led by Pyra Magna and [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] put their differences aside long enough to finally kill Exarchon and end the War of the Threefold Spark for good. {{storylink|War's End Part Four}}

[[Category:IDW (2019) history]]
[[Category:Wars]]

Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2024-04-19T22:46:38Z

RyokoMocha: /* Early days */ Changed "broadcasted" to "broadcast." The past tense of broadcast is still just broadcast; "broadcasted" isn't a proper word.

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the yellow round Autobot|the IDW golden Throttlebot leader|Goldbug (IDW)}}
{{suite}}
[[File:BumblebeeIDW-fromDevastation1coverA.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The name's Principle...{{w|Peter Principle}}.]]

Bumblebee was born on the precipice of a changing era. His youthful enthusiasm was tarnished but never entirely lost as war gripped his homeworld, forcing him to change professions from civilian courier to law enforcer, sniper, and scout. Bumblebee also never quite shook the image of youth itself and even after millennia of bitter conflict, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who didn't still look on him as a wide-eyed and likeable "kid brother".

So well-regarded was Bumblebee, that when the opportunity unexpectedly arose, he was democratically voted in as leader of the Autobots. It was a job Bumblebee didn't ask for or want, but one he still attempted to undertake to the best of his ability. He quickly learned that being liked wasn't the same as being respected, and his tenure as leader was marked by indecision, quagmire and crisis. Tragically, it may have been Bumblebee's newfound position of authority itself that interfered with his natural affinity for forging bonds and uniting others.

Indeed, it was Bumblebee's fellowship that eventually made even [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] start to truly question their lives of malice and deception. Despite all the hardships he's endured, Bumblebee's innate sincerity and heroic nature still shines through, and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s unshakeable faith in him was ultimately justified.

{{first|[[Infiltration issue 3|''Infiltration'' #3]]}}

{{quote|No, wait, '''''hang on''''', Prowl--I'm in '''''charge''''' here!"|quote2=What? Come '''''on'''''.|[[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] sums up Bumblebee's leadership in three words|"[[The Question]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Early days===
[[File:GhostStories-Bumblebeealtmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Put-put-put.]]

'''Bumblebee of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]''' was [[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|forged]], {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} {{storylink|The Not Knowing}} one of the last generation to be born before the [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]]s cooled. Given his nimble alternate mode, he worked as a courier while spending his leisure time with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] at the races. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} In the days of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], Bumblebee attended the joint funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]], who had been killed by [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] and his goons. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} During [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]]'s regime, Bumblebee saw [[Decepticon]]s beating [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] up in the street and being the nice guy that he was, managed to trick the assailants into retreating. He tried to offer aid, but the battered Jetfire rudely brushed him off. {{storylink|The Next Day, and the Next}}

[[File:GhostStories-BumblebeeVsSoundwave.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

One day, Bumblebee was plagued by nightmares of spirits demanding him to deliver a package. The nightmares lasted for a month before he delivered the package but to his dismay they resumed shortly after, one containing a bomb that destroyed the Tygun factory. Overcome with guilt, he immediately turned himself in where he first met [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] who managed to deduce that Bumblebee was being influenced by an outside signal that was being broadcast into his processor. Despite being told to remain behind, Bumblebee followed Pax and Prowl to the Decepticon hideout. An enraged Bumblebee attacked [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] for the attack highlighting that Decepticons were supposed to fight ''for'' the people. In the aftermath, he asked to join Pax's squad. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} Bumblebee was somewhat taken aback when he began to notice how the job was making Orion increasingly disillusioned and violent, as was evidenced when Pax was brutal with [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] during a raid on the criminal's illegal weapons-manufacturing operation. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}}

Bumblebee eventually became an experienced sharpshooter and key member of Pax's squad. In a mission in [[Nyon]], Bumblebee stopped Orion before he could execute the re-offending Swindle in plain sight of civilians and berated him for almost killing a defenseless enemy. {{storylink|Law and Disorder}} After training with [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] at the shooting range, {{Storylink|Parasites}} Bumblebee was sent to pursue [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]], who had infiltrated a [[Senate]] meeting where Zeta Prime unveiled the [[vamparc ribbon]]. Bumblebee was taken down by [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] in the ensuing battle and held at gunpoint by Decepticons who arrived to rescue Soundwave. {{storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} Given an offer by Megatron to speak privately at the [[Jump Joint]], Bumblebee felt Pax should accept it, although the rest of the team was against that notion. {{storylink|Post}} Bumblebee was taken hostage to force the issue and he and Orion were able to escape the Decepticons when their comrades bailed them out and brought [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] for evac. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}} Orion Pax's crew were soon sent on another mission to Nyon, this time to apprehend [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]. However, the Autobots were willing to listen to Hot Rod's argument. {{Storylink|Ruins}} When Zeta Prime's [[Guardian robot|Omega Destructor]]s attacked the city, Bumblebee and the others attempted to help defend the city, but Hot Rod was forced to detonate bombs scattered around the city, destroying it. Zeta savagely attacked Orion Pax, {{Storylink|Purge}} but [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons came to the rescue. The Autobots were taken to [[Kolkular]], where they witnessed Orion Pax agreeing to join forces with Megatron. {{storylink|Choices}} Together, the Autobots and Decepticons attacked Zeta Prime's forces. {{Storylink|Overthrown}}

[[File:Rise-BumblebeeHotRod.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]

With Zeta's defeat, Megatron betrayed the Autobots and began hunting them down, and Bumblebee went into hiding with Ironhide and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Before they could decide on a course of action, they were captured in a Decepticon raid on their safehouse. {{storylink|Transformation (issue)|Transformation}} After a violent interrogation, Bumblebee was set to be executed alongside his fellow Autobots. However, on witnessing the ruthless execution order, Hot Rod decided to join the Autobots and freed the prisoners. They then rendezvoused at Orion's ID signal and learned of his recent transformation into Optimus Prime and the awakening of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Rise}} When Optimus Prime made a rallying call for additional support for their cause against the Decepticon's tyranny, Bumblebee watched possible enemy positions. {{storylink|Broadcast}} Bumblebee participated in the battle at the [[Citadel]] and after the battle, was approached by the survivors of the attack on Nyon who told him that they would now be chroniclers. {{storylink|Endgame}}

In the earliest days of Optimus Prime's leadership, Bumblebee was his assistant during the meetings of the [[Grand Convocation]]. {{storylink|Derelicts}} He later helped defend the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]] from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Decepticons. {{storylink|Rage (IDW)|Rage}} The battle ended in tragedy as the refinery exploded, killing many civilians as well as Autobots. Having survived, Bumblebee attended the memorial service held by Autobots to honor the lost lives. {{storylink|Fallout (issue)|Fallout}} During a subsequent Convocation meeting, he interrupted Prime with an emergency report from [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]. {{storylink|Massacre}} When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was unleashed upon Cybertron, Bumblebee stood by Prime's side as the Autobots worked to contain the beast and showed deep regret for the destruction of [[Harmonex]] that ensued. {{storylink|The Illusion of Control}} Their struggle didn't go well, and he had to pull a fellow Autobot to safety during Trypticon's rampage. {{storylink|Annihilation}} With the monster heading towards Iacon and Optimus Prime being unable to stop it, [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] was ready to give up, but Bumblebee urged him to hold onto hope. Indeed, Trypticon was finally felled by the combined efforts of [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] and Megatron, allowing the Autobots to return home and repair the injured Prime. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (issue)|Belly of the Beast}}

In one of the war's countless battles, Bumblebee witnessed [[Hot Shot (Henkei!)|a yellow Autobot]] get destroyed in a Decepticon-Autobot crossfire. {{storylink|Drift issue 2|Drift #2}}

Not long after Trypticon's defeat, Bumblebee detected a spacecraft on collision course with Iacon and reported it to Prime. Realizing it was Trypticon—now under Decepticon control—the Autobots had Metroplex transform into [[robot mode]] and fight the beast. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}} Once both giants had fallen, the Decepticons and their new [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]] allies invaded the city, forcing the Autobots into battle. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} Bumblebee tried to prevent Megatron from reaching Trypticon's fallen form, and though the Decepticon leader acknowledged his courage, he would not be deterred and impaled the young Autobot on a piece of debris. Once the Autobots had won the battle, Bumblebee was carried to safety and repaired by [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}} Megatron was eventually defeated and captured by Optimus Prime, but soon rescued in a violent jailbreak. Bumblebee watched Prime and Prowl argue whether Megatron could still be reasoned with at this point in the conflict. {{storylink|Post}}

[[File:HelloCruelWorld-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
500,000 years ago during the climactic battle over Metroplex, Bumblebee scouted the Decepticon forces and surmised their offensive wasn't going to end any time soon, prompting the Autobots to send Metroplex off into space for his own protection. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} As they watched the Titan leave, he listened to Prowl lament the stupidity of war. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

Always willing to lend an ear to others' problems, Bumblebee developed a reputation as something of a secret-keeper in the Autobot ranks: he was one of the few Autobots who would eventually learn that the modern [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] was an imposter, a diminutive Cybertronian piloting a [[Magnus Armor|suit of armor]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}

[[File:TheHuntingParty-BumblebeeNightbeat.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Hey, lookit me bein' this body in the past at some point now, I guess.]]

Some time after Metroplex's departure, Bumblebee, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], and [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] were in space pursuing [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Empirion|ship]] from a distance, trying to put a stop to them despite being vastly outmatched. When Bludgeon found a remote planet with a small civilization of [[Urtuskian]]s and his troops started blowing up the place, Bumblebee decided that there was no time to call for reinforcements and he and his two friends would have to make do. He ordered Jetfire to ram their ship into the Decepticons' and the three would fight the troops personally on the surface. Bumblebee took out [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and [[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]] before finding himself trapped below ground standing between the legendary, missing Metroplex and [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]]. Bumblebee was faring badly when a Urtuskian surprisingly lept to his defense. Deciding Bumblebee wasn't worth his time, and secretly feeling disillusioned about the Decepticons at the time, Thundercracker abandoned the mission. With their ship destroyed, Bumblebee and the others found themselves stuck on the planet for an unspecified amount of time until they were eventually found and rescued. Thankfully, this was another of those "Bumblebee makes a friend" stories, as Nightbeat put it, and so they had hospitable hosts for the duration. {{storylink|The Hunting Party (IDW)|The Hunting Party}}

Some 20,000 years ago, Optimus and Bumblebee attempted to contact Prowl aboard the ''[[Ark-19]]''. Their boosted message was intercepted by Shockwave over prehistoric [[Earth]], and inadvertently bounced it to the passing [[Maximal]] starship, ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. After [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] shot down the craft, [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]]—whose memories had been scrambled by a [[Talisman (G1)|mysterious artifact]], and who bore a passing resemblance to Bumblebee himself—glimpsed the message and wondered aloud if he ''was'' Bumblebee, which gave Shockwave an idea for an [[Ice Age Wars|illuminating experiment]]. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}
{{-}}

===Mission to Xetaxxis===
[[File:ShiningArmor2-Bumblebeeheadlight.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
In the mid-19th century, after Cybertron had been rendered uninhabitable, Bumblebee and [[Sky Blast (G1)|Sky Blast]] would work under one Ultra Magnus—a particularly hotheaded individual named [[Convoy (G1)|Convoy]]—on a deep space patrol. On their second month, the trio passed through the distant [[Zugzwang Cluster]] where they found some Decepticons investigating the remains of a [[Galactic Council]] shuttle. Magnus brought Bumblebee with him to make sure nobody had survived the attack, ignoring Bumblebee's sympathizing with the Council's fears about the Cybertronian race. Magnus correctly deduced that the Decepticons had deliberately tried to hide the attack and hacked into the ship's computer to learned that it had been headed to the frigid world of [[Xetaxxis]]... a planet that none of the Autobots had heard of. After another week of travel, the Autobots arrived at Xetaxxis to find that the Decepticons had beaten them there and besieged the [[Solstar Order]] space station ''[[Orchid Crossing]]''. Leaving Sky Blast in the ship, {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}} Bumblebee and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] made a dramatic entrance into [[Orchid Crossing|a space station]] and found themselves face to face with [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 1|Shining Armor #1}}

[[File:ShiningArmor2-wereintrouble.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Derp.]]

The fight quickly turned into chaos as [[Rom]] shot Magnus; Bumblebee tried to keep order before Magnus turned on the [[Space Knight]] and blew him and Starscream through a wall. Though Magnus ordered his subordinate to kill everyone on sight, Bumblebee managed to persuade him that the Solstar Order were on their side; as Ultra Magnus ploughed into the fray, Bumblebee tried to approach [[Stardrive]], a Cybertronian Space Knight, to figure out if she was a Decepticon... only for Stardrive to mistake him for an enemy and shoot him in the chest. When he recovered he was horrified to see Sky Blast had also joined the fight, but had been assimilated by a [[Dire Wraith]] and mutated into an out of control monster. Its rampage threatened the structural integrity of the already damaged space station, and Magnus shut down the ship's forcefields in the hopes that the beast would burn up in Xetaxxis' atmosphere. As their shuttle arrived, Bumblebee offered Stardrive a ride but his moment of mercy bought time for Starscream to snipe and destroy their ship.

Trapped aboard the burning space station, the two Autobots were rescued by Stardrive, who used her starfighter form to ferry the two Autobots down to the planet. All three Cybertronians made a rough landing on the planet and survive... at which point Magnus, to Bumblebee's horror, arrested Stardrive for violating the [[Tyrest Accord]]s. Stardrive complied if they helped her find her fellow Space Knights; though Bumblebee was sympathetic, Magnus was less so, and his anti-organic rant bought time for said Space Knights to arrive and shoot him. Faced with surrender at gunpoint, Bumblebee desperately tried to rouse a stunned Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}}

[[File:ShiningArmor3-wasteourtime.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

The two Autobots engaged the aliens, with Bumblebee grappling with a vengeful [[Sata]] before Stardrive broke up the fighting and properly introduced herself to Magnus and Bumblebee. Bumblebee and Magnus helped Rom to understand that the Cybertronians were unlike the pan-planetary socieites of the Solstar Order. Stardrive revealed the existence of her [[energon synthesizer]] to the group — the reason why Starscream had targeted her in the first place — and the threat that the device posed prompted the Autobots agree to a temporary truce with the Space Knights so that they could find and retrieve the artifact. The two Autobots and Sata rolled out after the fliers, but Bumblebee, compelled to help out the native [[Xetaxxan|Xetaxxians]], delayed the group so that he could use his lasers to superheat some rubble to help warm up the little organics. The two Autobots received a transmission from [[Livia]], who warned them that the Decepticons had beaten them to the space station — prompting Bumblebee's "Xetaxxian" friends to reveal themselves as Wraiths in disguise. Magnus then told Bumblebee to take Sata and head for the energon synthesizer while he held the off the Wraith horde. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 3|Shining Armor #3}}

[[File:ShiningArmor4-Bumblebeealtmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]

Zooming towards the wreckage, Sata and Bumblebee argued about going back to help Magnus; when the rookie Space Knight called Bumblebee an unfeeling machine, Bumblebee snapped that Magnus had been his friend and his sacrifice would be in vain if they didn't reach the energon synthesizer first. The two of them arrived in time to see Stardrive fighting her allies in the wake of another of Livia's increasingly amoral choices, threatening to leave the Space Knights entirely. Bumblebee, mistaking her for a Wraith imposter, attacked but was quickly swatted aside. The Autobot-Space Knight alliance managed to come to a tentative agreement regarding the sacrifice of innocents in their battle, which was immediately cut short when Ultra Magnus returned, now infected by the Wraith leader [[Vekktral]]... and who promptly betrayed his Decepticon allies of convenience to infect them as well. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 4|Shining Armor #4}}

[[File:ShiningArmor5-everyonevsmagnus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]

With the situation spiraling out of control, Bumblebee tried to convince Magnus to fight the parasite from within as he helped blast the Wraiths off the Decepticons, but was promptly grabbed by the murderous fusion. Yet Bumblebee's last pleas managed to pierce Magnus' consciousness and give him the mental fortitude required to open his own chest compartment so that Rom could attack his [[Spark]]. Bumblebee briefly eulogized his fallen friend, and explained the inadvertent reveal of Convoy's existence to the aliens, before Starscream's parting sabotage of the energon synthesizer forced Bumblebee, carrying his fallen friend, and the Space Knights to flee aboard Stardrive's alternate mode. Safely in orbit as the planet below burned, Bumblebee sadly watched as Stardrive shed her metallic armor and renounced her Space Knight allegiance as she departed. Though Rom invited Bumblebee to join them on one of the ''Orchid Crossing's'' escape shuttles, Bumblebee used the recall switch inside the Magnus Armor to return home to the [[Autobot fleet]].

Back home, Bumblebee explained the circumstances behind Convoy's death to Optimus Prime, who commended the fallen Autobot as a hero. Bumblebee never told the other Autobots about the existence of the Solstar Order's energon synthesizer, out of fear that their species' thirst for energon would prove the prejudices of other races correct. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}
{{-}}

===Infiltration on Earth===
[[File:Infiltration3-BumblebeeEavesdropper.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Over a century later, Bumblebee was part of Prowl's secret counter-infiltration unit on [[Earth]]. When Ratchet broke cover by rescuing a [[Hunter O'Nion|trio]] [[Verity Carlo|of]] [[Jimmy Pink|humans]], {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0|Infiltation #0}} Bumblebee was the one Autobot who supported his efforts. He was true to his role as an espionage agent and ferreted out their plans to continue joint operations against orders and joined in. Verity thought his alternate form and his [[holomatter]] avatar was "coool!" {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}}

[[File:Infiltration4-BumblebeeAltmodeGun.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
He accompanied Ratchet and the humans to investigate an abandoned [[Decepticon]] bunker in [[Nebraska]]. When Ratchet mentioned how he hated putting their humans at risk, Bumblebee pragmatically commented that, given the need for evidence of unusual Decepticon activity and the consequences of Decepticon Siege Mode, the humans would be "acceptable losses". While the humans were exploring the bunker, two Decepticons attacked, and Bumblebee managed to take down [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]], but not before Ratchet was shot and run over by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4|Infiltration #4}}

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

Bumblebee went with the Autobots to investigate Decepticon activity in the country of [[Latveria]]. There they discovered a heavily shielded "array" that the Decepticons were using as a base. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} There they skirmished with the humans that were assembled outside who were under the influence of the Decepticons' mind-altering [[Psycho-Prism]].

[[File:Bumblebee blasts LukeCage.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Oldest trick in the book.]]

Bumblebee used his holomatter avatar in a "damsel in distress" ruse that distracted [[Luke Cage]] long enough for Bumblebee to get a clear shot. Ratchet was able to attach an inhibitor device to [[Captain America]] which nullified the effects of the Psycho-Prism. He gave Captain America enough devices for everyone on his team. Now calmed down, the two groups teamed up to destroy the Psycho-Prism. They began attacking the array's defenses which caused the Decepticons to attack. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}}

As they fought, Ratchet, Prowl, and Luke Cage were able to slip into the array. Outside, Bumblebee, [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]], and Prime gave a power-boost to [[Iron Man]] in his Transformer-sized armor. After the battle quieted down, Megatron communicated via hologram from inside the array with his new ally [[Doctor Doom]]. They showed their captives, Ratchet, Prowl, Luke Cage, and [[Spider-Man]]. Megatron ordered their surrender or the captives would die. Optimus Prime ordered the quick destruction of the array. [[Falcon (Marvel)|Falcon]] objected because their teammates were still inside. Bumblebee argued that those few humans were expendable. There was a brief discussion, but Optimus Prime's orders won out and they all attacked the array. Megatron turned on Doctor Doom for being incorrect about them surrendering. Megatron didn't go through with his threat to kill his captives, instead he went outside to face his opponents and carrying Luke Cage. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}}

While Megatron was attacking, Bumblebee, Jazz, and [[Wolverine (Marvel)|Wolverine]] [[orbital jump|orbital bounced]] into the array. They found that Doctor Doom switched sides and freed Spider-Man, so they went to find the Psycho-Prism. They found it guarded by [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], who wasn't in the mood to fight for Megatron's cause and left. Wolverine destroyed the Prism. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

[[File:Devastation4-Bumblebotdown.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]

He was present when Optimus Prime announced he was bringing in reinforcements from elsewhere to bolster the Earth unit's ranks, due to how pivotal Ore-13 had made the theatre {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}}, but did not take part in the subsequent mission to [[Brasnya]]. After that mission was complete, Bumblebee was tasked by one of those reinforcements, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], to check the area surrounding their base for surveillance. He found a great deal of it, prompting the decision to relocate the ''[[Ark-19]]''. He was aboard when the ship was attacked by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} and as the ship went down he reported that they were fully visible to human sensors at [[Robins Air Force Base]] {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} He survived but was injured in the subsequent battle with the living Decepticon weapon of mass destruction. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} He was presumably on the ''[[Ark-32]]'' when it left Earth. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

Bumblebee was present to hear Ratchet diagnose Sunstreaker after the latter's de-Headmasterification. {{storylink|Replay}}

[[File:AHM4BumblebeeWheeljack.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Slag it, Bumblebee, stop making our jokes for us!]]

Having returned to Earth, Bumblebee was among the Autobots who fell into a Decepticon trap and were soundly defeated by [[Devastator (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Devastator]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} The Decepticons banished them all to Cybertron to be eaten by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}}

Frustrated at being stranded on Cybertron, he listened to [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks's]] story about how awesome and cool Jazz is to pass the time. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}}

Bumblebee and [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] were sent to search for energon by Jazz, but found the going rough in their Earth modes. Wheeljack suggested he whip up a polymer, but 'Bee very quickly pointed out the fact they hadn't the equipment. To make matters worse, the pair were being followed and their only hope of signaling for help was a million to one shot! Not willing to wait for back-up that wasn't coming, Bumblebee dragged Wheeljack along in an attempt to track the stranger down... when Hot Rod was knocked through a wall by Ironhide. Bumblebee was surprised to see Hot Rod, but more surprised to hear the other bot thought they were a rescue party! {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}

Later, while being chased by the Insecticon swarm, Bumblebee made a disparaging comment about [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], but [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] quickly put him in his place. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}} As tensions rose, he almost had a throw-down with [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} Along with the other Autobots, Bumblebee was rescued and transported back to Earth by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} Together with the rest of the Autobots, he fought the Decepticons and drove them off the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

[[File:Hidden BumblebeeArm.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Bumblebee makes a wish on a monkey-bot's paw to be leader.]]
After the departure of the Decepticons, the human military hunted down any remaining Transformer. Somehow Bumblebee got separated from his team in the ruins of New York. He managed to avoid detection until he was forced to reveal his location when a toppling building threatened the families inside. Bumblebee used his body to support the building, even as the nearby military fired into his body. Thankfully, Bumblebee was able to hold out until the humans inside had evacuated, and the timely arrival of Optimus Prime and the others kept the military from finishing him off. Once Bumblebee had been restored to working order, he asked Ratchet if they had heard his radio distress calls. No, Ratchet responded, Bumblebee's radio had been busted, but they heard about his plight on the humans' frequencies. Ratchet laughed, noting that was Optimus Prime's idea, who felt that it was only a matter of time before Bumblebee would have to save somebody and out himself. {{storylink|Hidden (G1)|Hidden}}

===Leadership===
[[File:Bumblebee 1 Leader.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left|And there was much rejoicing.]]
Following the resignation of Optimus Prime and his surrender to the human organization [[Skywatch]], Bumblebee was elected to the position of Autobot commander despite not putting himself forward for the role. Ratchet posited his trustworthiness and dependability as factors in his being chosen. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} {{storylink|Ride-Along}}

Though at first there was jubilation at Bumblebee's rise to leadership, his diplomatic nature and desire to be nice to everybody eventually led to problems. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}} The first of many challenges in Bumblebee's new command was Ultra Magnus, who had arrived to investigate the death of [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]]. Magnus questioned Bumblebee's suitability for command in light of [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] leading his own group of Autobots away, and was not interested in helping Bumblebee with their current woes. Unfortunately, it was then that [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] decided to lead yet another exodus of Autobots (consisting of [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]) away from the main group. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}}

Wheeljack had little time or respect for Bumblebee's moping or his perceived lack of leadership ability, leading to several cutting remarks, much to the annoyance of Ratchet. Through some interference from Wheeljack, Bumblebee met with Skywatch rogue Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]] who gave them protection from Skywatch if the Autobots helped capture Decepticons. Unfortunately this "protection" could also lock them into [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] if they misbehaved, which Horiuchi did when Cliffjumper refused to capture Blurr. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

[[File:TheImpossibleKnot BumblebeeSpeech.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|"And y'know, saying this all out loud, I'm realizing that I AM making quite a hash of things. Anyone else want to take a swing at this leader stuff?"]]
Tracking down Blurr, Bumblebee attempted to talk the fugitive Autobot over, to convince him to come quietly. Blurr was shocked that Bumblebee would agree to work with the humans, the people who had imprisoned others of their kind. When Bumblebee revealed that Blurr didn't have much of a choice, the latter decided to take his chances and shot Bumblebee at point blank range, which shorted out his kill-switch badge. Back at base, when Bumblebee refused to turn over Blurr, Horiuchi decided the Autobot needed a reminder of who was holding the leash and attempted to activate his kill-switch. Naturally, it didn't work, but Ratchet convinced Bumblebee to play along and pretend he was locked into vehicle mode. Seeing an opportunity, the Bumblebee concocted a plan where the reluctant Blurr would find a Volkswagen to take his place, allowing him to find a way to free the rest of the Autobots. Before leaving, Bumblebee gave the Autobots an inspiring speech that actually caused [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] to break character, surprising the Skywatch operatives who were listening in on those Autobots with functional kill-switch badges. Later, communicating with Ratchet via a text-only comm channel, Bumblebee located a large shipment of darmstadtium, the rare metal used in the kill-switches at a shipping port. As he was skulking around, he discovered the Constructicon [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]], who had repainted himself to disguise his identity from the humans, as well as the hope that he sneak onto one of the container ships. Bumblebee tried to convince him that they had to earn the respect of the humans, but Scavenger angrily scoffed at this, stating he would rather hide than work with them. Bumblebee left him in peace. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

[[File:TheGiftHorse Bumblebee Serena.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55|"As the gas was closing in, I looked up and saw God... And you know what? God is made of steel."]]
When Skywatch arrived to repair "Bumblebee's" kill-switch badge, they inadvertently revealed the identity of [[Sanjay Bharwaney]], a Skywatch researcher who was responsible for the secondary master control board for all of the badges. Bumblebee followed Bharwaney home, following Wheeljack's advice that altering the control board would short out the badges. Obviously unable to retrieve the control board directly, Bumblebee befriended Bharwaney's daughter, [[Serena Bharwaney|Serena]], in the hopes she could help him. Much to his distaste, Bumblebee had to lie to Serena, claiming that the control board would harm her father if he didn't "fix" it. He felt so bad about the whole thing that he believed doing this all but confirmed Humanity's opinion of the Transformers, a position that Wheeljack did not tolerate. Unfortunately, it was discovered the control board contained tracking devices, meaning Bumblebee would be unable to get it back to their hideout before Colonel Horiuchi would notice and disable all the Autobots. This forced Bumblebee to make the modifications himself, a task he scarcely completed before Bharwaney returned home. As his friend Serena took the item back into her house, Bumblebee hoped that one day, he could repay her for his betrayal of her trust. {{Storylink|The Gift Horse}}

[[File:WingsOfWax BumblebeeSkywarp.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|right]]
However, as he was making his way back to the Autobot hideout, Bumblebee detected Skywarp heading towards the Bharwaney house. Arriving just in time to save Bharwaney and his daughter, Bumblebee discovered the scientist to be an embittered man whose wife had died during the Decepticon invasion, and who now saw all Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon alike, as the same destructive aliens. During their flight, Bharwaney decided to use the control board to destroy both Bumblebee and Skywarp, seeing Bumblebee as a traitor to Horiuchi. When Serena appealed to her father, Bharwaney forced Bumblebee to admit that he did use Serena to get to the control board, and 'Bee apologised to the young girl. Letting them both out, Bumblebee asked Bharwaney for the control board so he could free his fellow Autobots. As they argued, Skywatch lieutenant [[Daniel Klonowski]] appeared and saved the trio from Skywarp, but despite his interference, Skywarp cut off Bumblebee's escape. Declaring that, unlike Skywarp, he had friends who would fix him, Bumblebee activated the control board, which simultaneously destroyed the kill-switch badges on the Autobots and seriously damaged himself and Skywarp. Sometime later, after Klonowski paid a visit to the Autobot hideout, Bumblebee emerged with a brand new, more powerful body and a new confidence befitting his command of the Autobots. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

[[File:IDWBumblebeeDesignvsStyle.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|left|He's very picky about his looks.]]
Bumblebee's new confidence was tested when Ultra Magnus barged back into the Autobot caves, requisitioning a strike force to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Magnus forced Bumblebee and the others to go along with him almost by sheer force of personality, and they soon arrived at the launch site where Hot Rod and his Autobot & Decepticon allies were planning to leave the planet. Bumblebee and Hot Rod tried to debate the situation, but Ultra Magnus soon grew tired of listening to their concerns and laid down the line: "Right, wrong, I'm the guy with the badge." Any dissention in the Autobots ranks came to a sudden stop when [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] turned on his "friend" Hot Rod, unleashing the new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] combiner named [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|Enemies of the System}}

Most of the Decepticons joined Swindle and the Stunticons in turning against their Autobot comrades. [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] in particular took great joy in showing the Constructicons could still hack it in light of the new combiner robot, and tried to strangle Bumblebee one-handed. Bumblebee was saved by the timely but unexpected intervention of Thundercracker, who had grown just as tired of the war as many Autobots.

Watching the Stunticons at work as Menasor, Bumblebee noticed how poorly integrated their consciousnesses were, and devised a plan to break them apart. By directing the Autobots to focus their firepower first on [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], then [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], he successfully led the group in dismantling Menasor. Even Optimus Prime and the latecomers from Skywatch looked to him for direction. Afterwards, Prime blessed Bumblebee's leadership, and 'Bee decreed it was time for the Autobots to stop running. He faced [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] head on and made arrangements for a true peace with Skywatch. Bumblebee still had to deal with Ultra Magnus, however, who was insisting on arresting Rodimus for treason. Bumblebee finally told Magnus where he could stuff his statutes. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

[[File:1 Bumblebee Transformers Infestation 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]
Bumblebee was one of the Autobots who helped fight back against the undead horde that came to Earth. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} He and Spike noted the increased firepower that [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] was packing now. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

Bumblebee and the Autobots then entered into a formal arrangement with Skywatch, and took up residence inside the organization's bunkers. {{storylink|All His Engines}} Despite his decision, some like Jetfire continued to question the idea of living among those who had hunted them for the last three years. Bumblebee earnestly defended his choice, however, stating essentially that trust had to begin somewhere or else they'd never survive on Earth. Spike soon alerted Bumblebee that [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and the Combaticons had made their presence known in North Korea along the demilitarized zone. Bumblebee quickly determined that, despite appearances, the Combaticons were not loyal mercenaries to the North Koreans, but were playing a larger game. With the President of the United States declaring all Transformers "illegal weapons of mass destruction", though, Spike and Bumblebee decided they would have to intervene...in disguise. {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"|The Land Ironclads}}

[[File:Bumblebee car Hawk Among the Sparrows.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left]]
Bumblebee later stated to Optimus Prime he had a plan and asked Thundercracker to join the Autobots. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"|Ranks of Bronze}} Thundercracker turned down the offer but Bumblebee eventually convinced the Seeker to join, reminding him of his seeker heritage. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"|Hawk Among the Sparrows}} Bumblebee, unsure what to do, was back at base watching a full brawl between the Autobots, Combaticons, and Predacons with Kyle Pennington and Silverstreak. The brawl revealed the Autobots to the public and Bumblebee confronted the media to try to solve the already shaky alliance between humans and Autobots. He got blasted by a protester instead. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"|All My Sins Remembered}}

[[File:Bumblebee bad shape Altered Carbon.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.7]]
Bumblebee was severely wounded from the shot but managed to regain composure. Kyle Pennington told the Autobots not to hurt his would be assassin, but Brawn did not like the decision. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man|The Demolished Man}} In an interview, [[Ben Simpson]] stated Bumblebee's recent action was insane and he had no say in the US policy. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon|Altered Carbon}} The assassination was followed by a Decepticon attack on the Skywatch base, and though the Autobots attempted to evacuated, they were followed and defeated by a returned Megatron. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}} Dumped in a city in the middle of scared and armed humans, Bumblebee and the others ended up held at gunpoint by a [[John Powell|policeman]]. He attempted to talk the human down using reason, but before he could have any success Jazz arrived and, to his shock and horror, killed the human. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome|Burning Chrome}} The Autobots were able to escape from the city, escorting the shell-shocked Jazz back to Omega Supreme {{storylink|Earthfall Part 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} where they began repairs on Bumblebee. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}

[[File:Bumblebee healed Orphans of the Helix.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left]]
After a few weeks Bumblebee was back on his feet, though Ratchet couldn't find him a leg replacement joint, leaving him temporarily in need of a walking stick. While joking around with the similarly injured Pennington, they were interrupted by Bluestreak who informed the group that Rodimus was alive and had returned with Ironhide and Sunstreaker, who were also supposed to be dead. Informed by Rodimus that Cybertron was habitable again but occupied by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]], Optimus Prime rallied the Autobots to return home, which only served to remind poor Bumblebee that nobody listened to ''him'' even though he was supposed to be leader. While reassuring him he was still in charge, Prime told him Spike Witwicky was suspected of having lied to the Autobots and murdered [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] in cold blood, prompting Bumblebee to requisition some Autobots and remain on Earth to investigate Skywatch and track down remaining Decepticons. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} {{storylink|Police Action: Prologue}}

With Megatron having surrendered to the Autobots, Bumblebee appeared on Omega Supreme via hologram to discussing his sentence and voted for life imprisonment. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}}

[[File:Bumblebee The Question.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|He's a robot with the proportional agility of a bee.]]
Whilst Prowl focused on investigating their human allies, Bumblebee led the search for Decepticons, taking [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] on a fruitless night raid. After an argument with Prowl the next morning, {{storylink|The Question}} Bumblebee was asked by Jazz for permission to hunt down the remaining Decepticons, but was denied due to his murdering a human last time he was in the field. {{storylink|Police Action: Part 1|Police Action #1}} Realizing that he did know ''one'' Decepticon's location, Bumblebee paid a visit to Thundercracker, who after extended pestering surrendered a suspicion that Megatron's new body sported a [[space bridge]] and a bridge energy signature from his [[Titan Hunter|Titan hunting]] days. Searching for the signature with help from Sanjay Bharwaney, the Autobot leader was able to locate a veritable army of Decepticons preparing to enter a space bridge linked to Megatron, now on Cybertron with the other Autobots. Bumblebee's attempt to secretly disable the bridge was discovered, and he wound up in a battle with the Stunticons as their allies fled through the portal. Although severely outmatched, he was able to jam his cane into the bridge's cabling and trigger a massive electrical discharge, knocking his opponents unconscious. His captives in tow, Bumblebee returned to base with a renewed faith in himself. {{storylink|The Question}}

He and Ultra Magnus questioned Sandra about Spike Witwicky, and discovered that Spike murdered Scrapper. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward|Only Forward}} The Autobots later tried to bring in Ben Simpson. They found Simpson under the influence of one of the Megatron-guns and opened fire on him. Swindle was located at the scene, and he revealed he knocked out Brawl in order to keep his secrets. Swindle told the Autobots that Skywatch's advanced weapons technology came from him via a deal he made with Spike. After severing their ties with Skywatch and Earth, {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|A Second Chance at Eden}} the Autobots returned to Cybertron on a ship sent by their colleagues on their home planet.

{{-}}

===Rebuilding Society===
[[File:DoOP matrix bequeathed.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|left|Thanks for the, uh... paper-weight, Prime.]]
When Bumblebee's contingent arrived on Cybertron, they found the [[D-Void]]'s Chaos War ended, Galvatron defeated, and the planet somehow alive and primordial. Thousands of non-aligned Cybertronians began arriving back, and Bumblebee had his work cut out for him keeping the situation from inflaming. After Optimus returned with the Matrix, [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] discovered that it contained a map apparently to the [[Knights of Cybertron]], and Rodimus and Bumblebee disagreed on what their priorities should be. Optimus presented half of the Matrix to Bumblebee who intended to stay on Cybertron, and the other half to Rodimus, who intended to follow the map. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} To Bumblebee's disappointment, Ratchet was one of those who opted to leave on the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Bumblebee tried unsuccessfully to contact Rodimus immediately prior to the ship launch, and he and Prowl watched as the ship apparently exploded in the sky during takeoff. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

[[File:WorldAndEverythingInit-yikesBee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|Don't taze me, Bee!]]
Bumblebee and non-aligned leader [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] went to greet newly arrived [[Hipotank]], but Bumblebee found his point of view being drowned out by Metalhawk's anti-Autobot rhetoric. Prowl was using Decepticons to enforce the peace, and while Bumblebee was arranging a memorial for the ''Lost Light'' crew, some of them began exercising their authority a little too vigorously with [[Zetca]]. Consequently, Bumblebee had to activate [[Horri-Bull]]'s [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chip]], killing the Decepticon. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} When Starscream approached Autobot headquarters, Bumblebee stunned the Decepticon with his new modified cane and announced he was done trusting Decepticons. The memorial went ahead, with Bumblebee giving a speech, unaware that the Decepticons were planning to assassinate him. The plot was foiled, thanks to information from Starscream, who interrupted Bumblebee's speech to assert that he, Starscream, must be part of the government. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}}

After a mysterious explosion, Bumblebee called in Wheeljack to investigate, though he wasn't keen on being called "King Bee". He tried to suppress his suspicions that the Decepticons were behind the explosion, which turned out to be false anyway when Wheeljack discovered what was happening. As many Cybertronians were saved thanks to Starscream's help, Bumblebee agreed to let Starscream be part of the government, despite the idea angering [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] enough to knock Bumblebee down and depart with his team. {{storylink|Stick Together}} The three leaders held a speech, though to Bumblebee's dismay, Starscream dominated proceedings. He later found himself having to deal with an increasingly-paranoid Prowl. {{storylink|Devisive}} When [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] arrived, Bumblebee passed on turning out to greet the newcomer, as he knew Metalhawk and Starscream would be there to undermine him. Following a brawl and some persuasive words from Metalhawk and Ironhide, Bumblebee made the decision to have the I/D chips deactivated as a first step towards equality between Autobot and Decepticon. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

[[File:NightAndTheCity BumblebeeProblems.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|THIS IS MY LIFE NOW.]]
When a ship flying Decepticon colors materialized in Cybertron's sky, Bumblebee summoned Wheeljack to observe the ship's landing. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}} Metalhawk and Starscream began pressuring him to have an election to let the populace choose their leader, but he claimed not to be ready yet, mostly out of fear of what may happen if they elected Starscream. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt (IDW)|Dinobot Hunt}} When an injured [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] appeared from the wilderness outside the city borders claiming to have lost Ironhide and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], Bumblebee rejected Metalhawk and Starscream's offer for help, believing that the election would go in their favor if they found the missing 'bots. Instead he went to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] and convinced Blurr to aid in the search, but regretfully did so by playing to his emotions and asking him to do it for Ironhide's sake even though his true motives were political. To add to all this stress, [[Turmoil]]'s time-traveling ship then disappeared right under his nose. {{storylink|Night and the City}} Bumblebee was too busy investigating the disappearance to deal with the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] discovered by Blurr, Metalhawk and Starscream. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}} Starscream's popularity skyrocketed after the Titan declared him a conqueror who would unite all Cybertronians, causing Bumblebee to fear the results an election even more, even as he knew himself to be at the risk of looking like a dictator if he kept refusing to hold one. After Starscream's luck turned around due to an apparent Decepticon bombing that had crippled Omega Supreme, Bumblebee was surprised to find that Metalhawk trusted him enough to investigate the attack. This kind of honesty nudged him out of the political mindset, and he started an investigation to search for the truth rather than to blame the Decepticons. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}}

[[File:BeforeTheDawn-BumblebeeKRONCH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|right|Yeah, that about sums up this page.]]
Shortly afterwards, Megatron wandered into Iacon from the wilderness, claiming to come in peace. Bumblebee refused to believe this and ordered the Autobots to kill him where he stood, but they were stopped in their tracks by the Decepticon population, who convinced him to take Megatron alive. While he did so, he refused to honor the Decepticon leader's requests to speak with him, knowing it never went anywhere when Optimus Prime tried. {{storylink|City on Fire}} The return of their leader caused the Decepticons to start rioting, with Bumblebee being unable to calm them down. Realizing that things were never going to be stable under his Autobot government, he finally decided to hold elections the next day and let Metalhawk win. {{storylink|The Verge}} This was put on ice when he was approached by Blurr and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who claimed that Prowl was working with Megatron and had been behind all the unrest since day one. While he didn't want to believe them, Bumblebee came with them and Metalhawk to investigate Prowl's quarters, where they indeed found him smack in the middle of believed-dead Decepticons, holding Wheeljack at gunpoint. To his horror, Prowl killed Wheeljack before he could tell him something important, then went on to explain that he was in fact under the control of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who had been using him to manipulate events anticipation of Megatron's return. As their plan came to fruition, a freed Megatron turned Prowl into the head of Devastator, crushed Bumblebee's head and prepared to conquer Cybertron. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}}

[[File:HeavyIsTheHead BumblebeeVSMegatron.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55|"What are you doing?" "Taking care of business!"]]
Heavily injured but defiant, Bumblebee asked Prowl's partner, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], what her role in the Decepticon plan was. This prompted her to reveal that she wasn't on the Decepticons' side at all and kill Bombshell, shutting off Devastator and giving the Autobots the chance to fight back. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} On Metalhawk's suggestion, Bumblebee and the others went after Megatron to save Starscream from his clutches, though as Dirge rightly pointed out, the Autobots were really just out to kill Megatron. When they reached him, the Decepticon leader was preparing to take Prowl's place as Devastator's head, but Bumblebee realized just in time that the "important" thing Wheeljack had mentioned was his trademark system bypass codeword. By using it, the Autobots activated a force field belt hidden inside Megatron by Wheeljack, incapacitating him and saving Cybertron. In the aftermath of the battle, Bumblebee was ready to rebuild, but with Metalhawk killed in battle, Starscream became leader of the NAILs and convinced them to banish Autobots, Decepticons and their war from Iacon. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

[[File:SecondExodus-GoldfireBumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|Bumblebee thought he was safe, far from [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but nope!]]
Out in space, where the ''Lost Light'' had survived, crew member [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] would used a recording of Bumblebee saying "so here" in his stitched-together final message to [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]]. {{storylink|The Gloaming}} When the crew finally got their communications back online, Rodimus contacted Cybertron hoping to see the planet united under Bumblebee's leadership, only to be met with a grinning Starscream instead. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

Not wanting to cause further conflict with the NAILs, Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots agreed to leave, but an encounter with some friendly Constructicons led to the unfortunate revelation that not ''all'' of Prowl's unlawful manipulations had been Bombshell's fault—he had in fact been behind the assassination of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. This revelation, piled on top of his injuries and many regrets as a leader, was too much for Bumblebee, who collapsed on the spot. He was forced to receive an extensive repair job from [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]], who incorporated [[Goldfire shielding]] and parts of his second Earth mode in the process, resulting in a brand new body. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

As a bright light appeared, Bumblebee and the other Autobots approached it, only for a [[Quintessa (IDW)|Titan]] to emerge from the ground in front of them. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} While Bumblebee tried to organize his troops to surround the behemoth, it stayed motionless. Instead the Autobots found themselves under attach from Soundwave's Decepticons. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} Bumblebee tried fruitlessly to appeal to Soundwave to stop the fighting, however they were interrupted by Starscream approaching the Titan. The giant unleashed a wave of destructive energy that left the forces present in disarray. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} While Prowl thought they should press the attack Bumblebee favored a more logical approach, which was when Soundwave heard Megatron screaming. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}}

Following the sound, the combined force found Shockwave's lab, where Nova Prime and Galvatron were attempting to emerge from the Death Universe through a space bridge in Megatron's chest. Startled to find Metalhawk alive, Bumblebee appealed to him to help, but Metalhawk was not pleased at Starscream being handed control of the planet, and attacked Bumblebee. The fight abruptly ended when Shockwave called in the Titan. As Soundwave and Bumblebee's forces emerged to count their wounded, they were met by Megatron, who was promptly ripped in half by Galvatron. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}} Bumblebee later confronted Galvatron and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] in an attempt to retrieve Megatron's body, though he turned out to not be a match for Galvatron, only being saved by the fact that Megatron had been playing possum. With Galvatron down, Bumblebee picked up Megatron and headed for Iacon. {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}}

[[File:MTMTE26 megs and bee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|"Walk, Dragon, walk! Enter the room!"]]
Arriving back at the city, Megatron revealed his plan to evacuate to [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]], however Bumblebee refused to concede Cybertron, at which point [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and the ''Lost Light'' arrived via quantum jump to fight the Titan. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} Greeting the ''Lost Light'' crew as they disembarked, Bumblebee took Megatron aboard the ship to find Metroplex's thumb. Though wary of Megatron's motives, Bumblebee let him space bridge away with the thumb, and when nothing subsequently happened, assumed Megatron had simply cut and run. The ex-Decepticon leader did reunite the thumb with its owner however, allowing Metroplex to win the battle. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} Bumblebee insisted Megatron get the best of medical treatment. Once Megatron was repaired, he asked to see Bumblebee and admitted to the Autobot that he'd come to the realization that the war was a mistake. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}}

[[File:RID27 Bumblebee dies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|Oh well, next body please!]]
Unfortunately Shockwave's plans weren't as foiled as they'd thought, and as billions of [[Ammonite]]s poured down on Cybertron, Bumblebee tried to coordinate a retreat until Perceptor broke the news that the universe was literally ending. Bumblebee gathered together a team to return to Shockwave's lair, and used Skywarp's teleportation power to get there. While most of the team battled Shockwave's waiting forces, Megatron and Bumblebee went onwards and encountered Galvatron. Megatron was ready to end Galvatron's life, but Bumblebee managed to talk him out of it, shortly before Shockwave blew a hole through Bumblebee, critically wounding him. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} Moved by the death of his compatriot, Bumblebee's sacrifice led Megatron to take Bumblebee's insignia as his own, and he and Optimus subsequently talked Shockwave out of destroying the universe. Shockwave's [[chronal drive]] collapsed into a singularity, and though Megatron tried to save Bumblebee's body, it was swallowed up by the growing blackness. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

===Infraspace===
[[File:ExRID 44 ghost bumblebee and starscream.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7|Thanks to [[Bumblebee (Movie)|him]], I matter even in death!]]
Wheeljack, thought dead since the Decepticon uprising, eventually recovered and was saddened to learn of Bumblebee's fate. The fact that he died saving the universe didn't make it feel any better. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} Thundercracker felt the universe was "overrated" and Bumblebee should have looked out for himself. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}}

Unbeknownst to the population of Cybertron, Bumblebee had ''survived'' his encounter with Shockwave, after a fashion. Though critically injured, Bumblebee's consciousness had survived the destruction of his physical body thanks to the properties of the singularity, coming to inhabit the transitional realm known to Cybertronians as [[infraspace]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} Though essentially trapped in the singularity, aimlessly wandering the ruins of the Crystal City, Bumblebee found a way to project his consciousness back into the living world, essentially becoming a virtual "ghost." {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} For reasons unknown, Bumblebee's disembodied consciousness remained invisible and intangible to all... all except [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], who found an unlikely companion and verbal sparring partner as he tried to keep order in the turbulent months following the formation of the [[Republic of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} {{storylink|The Transgressors}} Unaware of what was really happening, Starscream eventually came to believe that he was experiencing vivid hallucinations brought on by his own insecurities, and Bumblebee accepted his new role as Starscream's "conscience" and sympathetic ear. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

[[File:ChooseMe DeadBumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2]]
Following the formation of the [[Council of Worlds]], Bumblebee brought up the fact that nobody in Iacon wanted Starscream in control, pointing out that all they had on their side was [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] - who was not-so-subtly gunning for his boss's job. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} Even after bringing together five of Cybertron's lost colonies, Starscream still didn't feel any better about himself. Bumblebee suggested that if Starscream thought about others more, then he might be happier... a suggestion that Starscream misunderstood, believing that the "others" should all think about ''him''. {{storylink|Choose Me}} When the Decepticons hijacked the space bridge to Earth, Bumblebee brought up the fact that Cybertronians tended to repeat their history, and that another cataclysmic war was on the horizon. His needling prompted Starscream to open communications to [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and inform her about the situation. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}}

As the Cybertronians and colonists settled into their new lives, Bumblebee continued to wheedle at Starscream, accusing him of obsessing over the whereabouts of the supposedly-dead Swindle. {{storylink|07:00:00}} As an angry mob prepared to batter down the doors to Starscream's office, Bumblebee criticized Starscream's attitude and his handling of the situation thus far. {{storylink|Applicable Skills}}

[[File:NoFairFights IToldYouSo.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7]]
Following Optimus Prime's controversial annexation of Earth, Starscream had a brief chat with Bumblebee as he gloated about Optimus's recent fall from grace. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}} Starscream sent [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] and [[Longtooth]] to Earth to ambush Optimus and provoke him into making risky moves; a ploy that Starscream gloated about to Bumblebee. Bumblebee suggested that Optimus's heroism in the face of adversity would only improve his ratings among the population of Iacon. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} When Optimus went ahead and raised a Titan from beneath Earth, Bumblebee smugly pointed out he had warned him about what would happen. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}}

[[Scarlett]] and [[Joe Colton]] remembered Bumblebee as they discussed the original Cybertronian conflict on Earth and the current threat they posed to the planet {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}}

When [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] remembered the launch of the ''Lost Light'', his subconscious warned him of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|danger]] by introducing 'continuity errors' into his memory which included Bumblebee boarding the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}

[[File:ThePriceOfYou-StarscreamBumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|"I'm from Wolfram & Hart." "I'm his date."]]
Fifteen minutes before the Titan apocalypse, Starscream spoke to Bumblebee about optimism in the face of impossible odds. When Metroplex fell, Bumblebee advised Starscream to seek reinforcements. {{storylink|Ping}} When Starscream prepared to conquer [[Vigilem|Carcer]], Bumblebee asked what he was going to tell the troops to which Starscream responded that he would simply tell them whatever it took. {{storylink|Desperate Times}} Bumblebee later commented to Starscream that if he and Windblade weren't adversaries, the two jets could get a lot accomplished. Starscream merely reminded Bumblebee what happened last time the Decepticon considered someone a friend. {{storylink|Desperate Measures (Till All Are One)|Desperate Measures}} After the undead Titans had all been felled, Bumblebee joined Starscream in cheering. {{storylink|Rubicon}} In the aftermath, Starscream was assaulted from all sides by the realm of politics Bumblebee pushed him to make the morally correct choices only for Starscream to relapse. {{storylink|Heavy}} Bumblebee later scolded Starscream over this only to vanish when [[Airachnid (G1)|Airachnid]] met with Starscream. {{storylink|The Price of You}}

Starscream refusing to delegate the resources to help Windblade however was the final straw for Bumblebee who snapped and demanded why Starscream always felt the need to alienate everyone and push them all away. Starscream raged that every single time he let someone in or lowered his guard as the grand schemer, life (usually wearing Megatron's face) would give a really good trouncing with the Seeker telling Bumblebee to just leave if he found him so despicable. And leave Bumblebee did. Bumblebee reappeared days later when Starscream had succumbed to his conscience and decided to help Windblade. {{storylink|If I Know You}} Within Starscream's mind, a spectre of Bumblebee appeared as one of the Cybertronians who had a great impact on Starscream's life. {{storylink|Your First Mistake}}

[[File:GhostStories-CrystalCity.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Banished... to the Phantom Zone!]]
When Starscream flew to the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] to spy on Optimus Prime and [[Pyra Magna]], Bumblebee provided him with advice on flying in hazardous conditions and commented on Starscream's ironic views on mental health. As the two listened to Optimus recount Bumblebee's origins, Bumblebee pointed out that it was good that Optimus had someone who questioned him. As the conversation moved on to [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]], Starscream dismissed the entire thing as figments of imagination created by guilt, fear and doubt like Bumblebee was to him, unaware that he stood only a few feet away from where Bumblebee's consciousness resided. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}

As [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] used the [[Void Scepter]] to have [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] attack his allies, Bumblebee's "ghost" questioned the Decepticon's actions noting that he was no longer acting according to Starscream's plan. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}} Bumblebee then rushed to tell Starscream what was happening which prompted the Seeker to shatter the Void Scepter. In the aftermath, Starscream thanked Bumblebee for what he'd done, glad to have someone (even an "imaginary" someone) on his side. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}}

[[File:TheChosenOne StarscreamPlans.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.75|They've graduated to the "tabletop games" stage of friendship.]]
After Windblade had revealed [[Liege Maximo]]'s freedom to the public, Bumblebee commented on the public support for her before he cautioned Starscream that he wouldn't be able to lie and cheat his way out of the current crisis only for the Seeker to reveal he had no intent of doing so, intending to win by the strength of his argument. After Starscream outlined his power infrastructure plans to Bumblebee, Windblade arrived with his list of crimes. After failing to manipulate the Camien however, Starscream went on the offensive, looking for loopholes in his crimes only for Bumblebee to inform him he wouldn't help fight against Windblade. Though Starscream insisted he was the only logical choice for leadership and wanted only the best for Cybertron, Bumblebee said he had to decide how much his future expansion meant to him. Bumblebee appeared to Starscream one last time just before the Seeker was due to make his debate speech. {{storylink|The Chosen One}}

[[File:TheHallowing BumblebeePrimeReunite.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55]]
After Starscream had publicly confessed to his myriad of crimes and received a life sentence, Bumblebee continued to appear to him. When [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] came to visit however, Bumblebee stepped out to investigate a strange noise. He was shocked to find [[Nemesis (BW)|a giant optic]] in the sky and ran back to inform Starscream. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes|Surfeit of Primes}} When Onyx Prime and [[Liege Maximo]] made planetfall, Bumblebee observed Optimus interacting with the former and the [[Cybertronian Security Force]] establishing a perimeter only to notice Starscream was angsting about his "true form". Bumblebee didn't buy the Seeker using his body dysmorphia as an excuse for his poor choices thinking everyone was defined by their life choices, not how they were born. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}} When Starscream was abducted by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], he screamed for Bumblebee to help him but the minibot could do nothing but watch. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}}

As Devastator carried Starscream to glory, both he and Bumblebee watched Optimus Prime be consumed by the Crystal City [[black hole]] before the combiner announced his theory that Starscream was [[the Fallen]] reborn. Though scoffing at the theory, Bumblebee's attention was soon drawn to Optimus appearing in his realm. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}} Though Bumblebee was eager to see his friend, Optimus only had enough energy to explain that they were in [[infraspace]] before he gave up. After Bumblebee voiced his theory on how he'd been able to speak to Starscream, he began to blame himself for the post-War mess. Optimus dissuaded that notion, stating the chaos of society was his fault for letting the title of Prime go to his head. Bumblebee scoffed at that, noting that, despite the innate power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], he was still just Orion Pax, with the talisman having only ever been an idea. Inspired, Optimus "opened the Matrix" in an attempt to use the artifact's metaphysical weight to punch open a hole back to the real world. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} When the pathway formed, Optimus told Bumblebee to go and leave him only for the scout to grab Prime and drag him along. The two emerged in the body of [[Pyra Magna]] with their minds in [[antespace]]. As one, the three of them captured Shockwave, taking him alive in spite of a mutual desire to see him dead. Once the Decepticon was brought before the Council, Optimus scolded him for throwing away his chance at redemption only for Shockwave to reveal all he had done was embrace the arrival of chaos. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|Unforgivable}}

===Back for the end===
[[File:UnstoppedAndUnstoppable-windbladebumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|"I think this is the [[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|start of a beautiful]] [[2019 IDW continuity|continuity-jumping friendship]]."]]
After having his mind downloaded from Pyra's and placed in a new body, Bumblebee was properly introduced to [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] who caught up him up on recent events and the existential threat the Cybertronian race was now facing: [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. Once Optimus had awoken and been briefed on the threat, [[Rom]] arrived with the news that [[Elonia]] was under threat. Part of the ''[[Ark-Zero]]'' crew, Bumblebee travelled to Elonia to aid in the evacuation of the natives via a variant of [[space bridge]] technology. While Bumblebee was warped back to Cybertron with the [[Elonian]]s, the nature of the technology meant [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] had to stay behind, dying with the planet. When the [[Space Knight]]s caught up with the refugees, Bumblebee oversaw their settling and Rom's attempt at rallying his fellows. {{storylink|Our Darkest}} {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}} {{storylink|Ad Infinitum}}

In the interim, Optimus had decided to lay a trap for Unicron at [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], allowing the monster to consume the planet while Optimus ventured within it and destroyed it. Part of the plan, Bumblebee boarded a one-bot ship which he rammed directly into [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]]' starship mode when the Titan touched down on Unicron. When Optimus, Bumblebee, and Arcee ventured into the monster, they found an amalgamation of all the worlds it had consumed along with a ruined [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinel]]. As Bumblebee pondered whether or not Unicron truly was the uncreator, its [[Unicron's antibodies|antibodies]] attacked forcing them to teleport out. Once Caminus had died, the ''Ark-Zero'' quantum jumped back to Iacon, where Starscream dramatically announced the Decepticons would be saving Cybertron. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}}

[[File:StrangerEons BumblebeeOmegaVision.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
Inspired by Arcee's familiarity with the dead Sentinel, Bumblebee sought out [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] for answers on Unicron's past. Though only having come to check on the Sentinel's health, Bumblebee somehow mind melded with Omega Supreme, receiving a vision of Cybertron's invasion of [[Antilla]] and the world's refashioning into Unicron as a weapon to be used against the Cybertronian race. With this knowledge, Bumblebee ran to Optimus only to be greeted by the sight of Unicron having already arrived above Cybertron, now having gained a [[robot mode]]. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

When Bumblebee arrived in the war room, he explained his findings to the Council, with Arcee arriving to confirm the story. As Unicron began physically tearing into Cybertron, Optimus went to Shockwave for answers who simply encouraged everyone to join him on [[Earth]] to hep him rebuild their race. When Windblade flew off however, everyone decided to wait for her plan. {{storylink|Our Finest}} Windblade soon convinced the [[Spectral Knight]]s to teleport the population away, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] space bridged himself and his inhabitants to the [[Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park]] where Bumblebee told Starscream to stop whining. {{storylink|Road's End}}

[[File:Post BumblebeeStarscreamSignOff.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|"''...and on rocky paths, there was but one set of footprints...because Starscream had long since buggered off by then.''"]]
As everyone took stock, Prowl arrived in the ''[[Peaceful Revolution]]'' with new information on Unicron and the threat it posed to the galaxy. As part of the distraction, Bumblebee joined in the fight on the [[Decepticon Vengeance Division]] where he told Rom that the Cybertronians were a bit more than just machines. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} As the Autobots fought, Bumblebee was unsurprised by Starscream's heroic sacrifice before Ironhide was raked to death. Soon enough, Optimus's gamble paid off and Unicron collapsed in on itself, Bumblebee joining [[Aileron]] in rescuing Arcee before they retreated to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] where he caught up [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] on what he'd missed. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

In the aftermath, Prowl arranged for Cybertron to open diplomatic ties with the [[Galactic Council]] with Bumblebee being chosen as their representative. The night before he was due to depart, Bumblebee spoke with the ghostly Starscream (now himself trapped in infraspace) on a beach about legacies and the future before he attended Optimus Prime's funeral. {{storylink|Post}}
{{--}}

==Spotlight: Mirage==
Bumblebee was part of a unit heading towards the Pegasus Star Cluster to link up with the last remnants of the Autobots under Optimus Prime's command. He never made it, as the unit was ambushed as soon as it entered the cluster. The self-serving mercenary [[Mirage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Mirage]] took his form to fool the remaining Autobots to allow him to enter their base.

But it was all Mirage's dream... or was it? {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

==Notes==
[[File:Infiltration3-BackOfBumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Hey! [[Michael Bay|Bay]]! Stop filming my ass!]]
[[File:Bumblebeeholomatter.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|Hello! I am Lindsay Lohan!]]
*Bumblebee appears on six different covers, plus two "foil enhanced" variants reusing art from another cover, during ''Infiltration''—of which only ''one'' (#5D) used [[E. J. Su]]'s redesign, which follows a different transformation schema that, amongst other things, places the roof of the car on his back rather than his chest as in his G1 character model. [[:File:IDWBumblebeeDesignvsStyle.jpg|Things would only get worse from there]].
*According to [[E. J. Su]], Bumblebee's [[Holomatter]] avatar is modeled after {{w|Lindsay Lohan}}, an actress who plays a girl that drives [[Herbie]], a sentient Beetle. ''Um, well''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160322111449/http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>
* Su would also confirm that Furman's script had asked for Bumblebee's avatar to be female.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=To answer a question in the article, the script called for a non-specified female avatar, I decided to make reference to Love Bug with Lindsay Lohan.|link=https://twitter.com/ejsu28/status/1350155055849082880|name=ejsu28|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=01|day=15|(defunct=)}}</ref>
*[[Mike Costa]] had originally intended to kill ''Bumblebee'' in "[[...For All Mankind]]", believing it was the most shocking death he could do. [[Hasbro]] said "'''NO'''".<ref>[http://moonbase2.libsyn.com/webpage/the-underbase-reviews-ongoing-31 Moonbase 2 interview with Mike Costa ("Special Guest")]</ref>
*Bumblebee [[:File:NightAndTheCity BumblebeeProblems.jpg|was redesigned]] by [[Andrew Griffith]] beginning in ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|#1]] based on [[Bumblebee (WFC)|his Aligned counterpart]]'s [[:File:WFC Bumblebee.jpg|video game model]] from [[High Moon Studios]].
*In ''[[Transformers: Unicron|Unicron]]'' [[Our Darkest|#0]], Bumblebee's new body is his [[evergreen]] design. 
==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]
[[Category:Spies]]

Primax

2024-04-04T18:48:03Z

RyokoMocha: /* TransTech */ Changed "disproportionate AMOUNT of known Primax universes" to the proper "disproportionate NUMBER." For example, "Number of dollars" and "amount of money" is proper, but never "amount of dollars" or "number of money."

[[Image:DW 20th Anniversary Lithograph image.jpg|right|400px|thumb|]]
'''Primax''' is a universal cluster. It is the largest one in the known [[multiverse]], comprising roughly half of the [[universal stream]]s in the [[Axiom Nexus]]' catalogue. Common features involve the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] clashing with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] for control of [[Earth]]'s resources.

In some Primax timelines, the Autobots and Decepticons are eventually replaced by their descendants: the [[Maximal]]s and the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s. These two factions usually continue the struggles of their ancestors in a conflict known as the "[[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]".

==Fiction==
===''TransTech''===
The Primax Cluster received its name from [[Vector Prime]] and [[Rhinox (TransTech)|Rhinox]]. Vector Prime theorized that the reason there are a disproportionate number of known Primax universes compared to other clusters is because the multiverse originated from a series of Primax universes, which mutated as they multiplied and spread out further. However, there was no direct evidence to prove this. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/11/01}}

In an interview with [[Axiom Nexus News]] journalist [[Rook (TransTech)|Rook]] a week after the [[Cybertron's Most Wanted|Waruder invasion of Cybertron]], Minister of Higher Dimensional Sciences [[Rhinox (TransTech)|Rhinox]] noted that over half of the universal streams in their database were Primax universes. {{storylink|Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist}}

The Primax Cluster was the final universal cluster which [[Axiom Nexus]] lost contact with circa [[Quadwal]] year [[2015]]. Two solar cycles after this event, [[Optimus Prime (TransTech)|High Chancellor Optimus Prime]] and [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Director Shockwave]] held a press conference to formally announce the [[Shroud]] to the public. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|ANN live coverage}}

==Notes==
*The Primax Cluster encompasses the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].
*The name "Primax" is quite obviously derived from the word [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]; on top of its obvious Transformers connotations, it means "First", which is appropriate for the origin point of the Transformers brand.

==See also==
*[[List of universal streams#Primax|List of Primax universal streams]]

[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Primax universes| ]]
[[Category:Universal clusters]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2024-02-07T08:01:47Z

RyokoMocha: /* Becoming Prime */ Changed "broadcasted" to "broadcast." The past tense of "cast" is still "cast," not "casted.

{{faction|autobot|{{factions/icons|custom=PotP-Thirteenth.png|cSize=30px|cLink=Thirteenth Prime}}}}
{{suite}}
[[File:OptimusPrime-OriginalIDWTransformersPromo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Meet the cop that can't be stopped.]]
Born as '''Orion Pax''', the robot eventually known as '''Optimus Prime''' would rise slowly but surely to fame–first as a law officer unafraid to stand up for justice, then as a great and powerful military leader who held the line against [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s Decepticons on Cybertron and across the galaxy. As the first legitimate Prime in many ages, heir to the [[Matrix of Leadership]], Optimus Prime is revered by many and reviled by some, but always a powerful presence, in or out of battle.

After the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] came to a close and Cybertron contacted its long-lost [[Cybertronian colonies#2005 IDW continuity|colonies]], Optimus discovered that these isolated worlds saw the [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] as living gods. While at first attempting to use this faith to keep Cybertron's dubiously elected ruler [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] in check, some close friends worry that the worship may be going to his head and is leading him to repeat his predecessors' corrupt deeds. Of particular note is his annexing the [[Earth]] into the [[Council of Worlds]], an act which he claims is for Earth's protection but which others view as the foundation of a new Cybertronian empire...

There is no one more aware of the contradictions inherent in his station and character than Optimus himself, but he cannot allow himself much room for hesitation or doubt in the moment. Optimus feels most in his element when he's taking bold action and forging ahead... even if the negative consequences left in his wake become yet more burdens on his noble spark.

{{first|[[Infiltration issue 6|''Infiltration'' #6]]}}

{{bigquote|What Prime had... what made him great, it wasn't that he was so strong — even though he was — it was that he could '''talk'''... and what he said, it made you feel as strong as he was.|[[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]]|[[Pax Cybertronia (issue)|Pax Cybertronia]]}}

==Fiction==
===Orion Pax: Supercop===
[[File:ChaosTheory2 sorry bunch.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.45|My name's Orion Pax, and I'm here to make Robocop look like a bitch!]]
Optimus Prime was forged under the name '''Orion Pax of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'''. Noted to be an unusually large newborn, his forging was witnessed by the storyteller [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] who felt the young 'bot would one day be the subject of great stories. Upon coming online, Orion's first sight was the [[blacksmith]] supervising his forging mistreating the [[Scrounge (G1)|smaller 'bot]] who transformed into his medical equipment. {{storylink|Post}} From a young age, Pax excelled in intellectual pursuits, graduating from the [[Institute for Higher Programming]] and enrolling in the [[Academy of Science and Technology]], while in the religious quarter he proved a skeptic, doubting the existence of the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2|Chaos Theory #2}} {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} He joined the Iacon police force, being trained by [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] and eventually partnered with [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]], with whom he patrolled the streets and learned the harsh realities of law enforcement. {{storylink|Post}} He quickly became a rising star who served as an inspiration to his fellow officers, eventually becoming captain of the [[Rodion]] precinct. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}} He was notably liberal in his duties, even convincing his old Academy friend [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] to run a free clinic in the city's [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]]. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}}

[[File:ChaosTheory2 orion addresses senate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"I see you've already arrested the whole planet." "...Not exactly."]]
When the manual class miner [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] was arrested for assault, Orion was intrigued by his treatise on non-violent resistance. After doing some investigation and discovering he wasn't guilty, Orion had Megatron released and told him that he had read his work and to keep working for change. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} In addition, Orion had his officer [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] locked up for abusing Megatron while he was in jail—an action that made the [[Senate]] ''very'' unhappy, as they had actually orchestrated Megatron's arrest in order to silence his voice of dissent. A gang of Senate thugs tried to coerce Orion into releasing Whirl, and when he refused, they returned to break Whirl out and kill Orion. Convinced now that Megatron's belief in the corruption of the Senate was true, Orion took his attackers down with a mix of righteous fury and tactical skills, and then forced his way into the [[Grand Imperium]]. There, he made a defiant speech to the Senate, saying his eyes had been opened by Megatron, only to be forcibly removed from the building. But Orion's speech had succeeded in reaching one of the Senate's members: [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Senator Shockwave]], who had for some time been searching for prospective new candidates to help free Cybertron from the Senate's corrupt stranglehold. Arranging for Orion's release, Shockwave had his injuries repaired and a cavity for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] added to his body, and the pair began working together in secret. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}

[[File:Shadowplay2 no frikkin way.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"You. Are ''over''. The ''SPEED LIMIT.'' NOW '''PULL OVER!'''"]]
In the dark times that followed, as the Senate initiated the [[Clampdown (event)|Clampdown]], and the [[Decepticon]] movement inspired by Megatron's writings grew in strength, Orion continued to do his duties the best he could. After saving the derelict [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] from some thugs and delivering him to Ratchet's clinic, Pax witnessed a news report on the death of the current Matrix bearer [[Nominus Prime]], allegedly the victim of a rust infection. Calling a meeting with Shockwave, Orion learned from him that the Senate were truly responsible for Nominus's death, and that a plan involving the Decepticons was currently in motion. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} With Decepticon sympathizer [[Sherma|Senator Sherma]] having recently been murdered, Shockwave feared that fellow sympathizer [[Momus]] was in danger, and Pax rushed into action. Unfortunately, he arrived too late, and found Momus dead and officers [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Tumbler]] fighting his [[Streaker|murderer]]. Pax took out the killer, and upon discovering that he had been using a borrowed body from a [[Relinquishment Clinic]], sent the other two officers to follow the lead. Pax himself, meanwhile, responded to a summons from [[Garrus-1]], where an imprisoned Whirl, seeking revenge against the Senate that had abandoned him, informed Orion of a bombing plot [[Proteus (G1)|Senator Proteus]] was masterminding. Regrouping with Prowl and Tumbler—who had discovered the [[Institute]] that the Senate was using to brainwash troublemakers—Pax and his allies realised that the Senate had planted a bomb inside Nominus Prime's corpse, intending to blame the destruction on the Decepticons, thereby allowing the Senate to send them all to The Institute to be corrected. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}
[[File:Shadowplay3 pax saves shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He likes to make an entrance...through your '''TORSO'''.]]
Recruiting some super-powered "[[Outlier (group)|outliers]]" from Shockwave's [[Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology|Academy of Advanced Technology]] to lend their powers to the effort, Pax led his team in removing the bomb—hidden in the form of a fake Matrix—from Nominus's body as it lay in state, though Pax had to defer to Ratchet in the actual bomb removal, which was wired in with complex locks. The theft successfully completed, the team departed, but, having not been contacted by [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] at the appointed time, Pax sped on ahead to investigate, returning just in time to find that Senate thugs [[Kroma]], [[Macabre]] and the [[Heavies]] had attacked their safehouse to capture Shockwave. Pax took out one of the Heavies, but Shockwave agreed to surrender when Kroma threatened Roller's life. The remaining Heavy, Anvil, stayed behind to finish off Pax, but Pax used the Matrix-bomb to destroy his attacker. Believing that Shockwave would have been taken to the Institute, Pax had Tumbler lead him there, but they discovered the facility deserted: merely one of many Institutes, with no way of knowing in which Shockwave was being held. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}} When next Orion saw Shockwave, he had undergone not only [[empurata]], but a complex form of [[Shadowplay]] that stripped him of his emotions. Though Pax believed that Shockwave could overcome what had been done to him, the "new" Shockwave told him that he was not the same 'bot who had befriended him, and to give up on him. It would take some time for the truth to sink in that Shockwave really didn't care any more. {{storylink|Shockwaves}}

===Orion and Zeta===
[[File:BirthsDeathsAndInterventions-OutlawPax.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]
[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], the Senate's chief enforcer and part of the senatorial faction who'd whacked Nominus, wanted Orion Pax dead for interfering. Pax, Roller, and the outliers went on the run. Luckily, he'd made contact with one of Shockwave's other allies and disciples: [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta of Sistex]], who became his newest mentor and backer. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}} {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

In 1st cycle 502, Zeta and Pax got wind of a new [[reproduction|spark "hot spot"]] in the [[Alyon]] region: one the Senate were keeping secret as it was in the shape of a [[Guiding Hand|''hand'']], the mythical digits of [[Primus]] pressing the planet into shape. Rather than allow the religious [[Functionist Council]] to use that for a power grab, the Senate were likely to kill the newborns. Pax and his crew fought to stop that, beating the snot out of the [[Elite Guard]] troops Sentinel kept sending. He requested reinforcements from Zeta and got... well, [[time travel]]ers pretending to be Zeta's men. In the process, Orion found himself unwittingly talking to a future Megatron. He was confused by the maudlin talk and, when asked why he didn't try to tear down the Senate he knew was corrupt, he told Megatron he believed reform was the answer of revolution: they needed to course-correct. (Megatron found that very funny)

Pax's "reinforcements" informed him that a Senate ship was bombarding the hot spot with radiation as part of an experiment (one that would kill many sparks). His team went out to prevent that and secretly transport the sparks to somewhere safe. In the process, Roller was badly wounded and MIA. An enraged Pax ended the threat by having Trailbreaker put a forcefield round him and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] ''throw him'' at the Senate ship. Unfortunately, when the time travelers erased everyone's short-term memories to cover their tracks Pax forgot that Roller had gone missing. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}}

[[File:AHM13 let him speak.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|You start wearing the blue and brown You're working for the clampdown!]]
After the Decepticons killed Sentinel and most of the Senate with him, {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}} Zeta became Zeta Prime and formed the New Senate. Orion Pax stood by him as a friend and loyal soldier: he believed things were slowly changing for the better under Zeta. Together, they reformed the former senate's security forces into an army to combat the Decepticon insurgency; Orion named them the "[[Autobot]]s", having previously decided to "reclaim" this pejorative term that other alien races used refer to Cybertronians. {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}} While reviewing new recruits gathered for the Autobot forces by Kup, Orion was called out by his old partner Ironhide, who didn't believe that a highly decorated police officer knew anything of ''real'' warfare, and had no business leading an army. Pax invited the old warhorse to teach him. {{storylink|Old Ways}}

[[File:SLOrionPax new body.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.45|"My face feels so... naked."]]
When Ratchet was captured by the Decepticons, Zeta had Orion upgraded into a new body so that he could carry out a prisoner exchange, though he lamented the loss of his [[mouthplate|lucky faceplate]]. Guided to the exchange point in the [[Rust Sea|Rust Spot]] by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Pax and hostage negotiator [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] fended off an attack by the [[Slicer (group)|Slicer]]s; the battle broke Pax's trailer open, revealing that the hostages they were carrying were two grunts named [[Rack'n'Ruin (G1)|Rack and Ruin]], who Orion encouraged to abandon the Decepticon cause. Proceeding to the Decepticon base, the team discovered that the whole exchange had been a ruse by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] to capture Alpha Trion. Pax fought back long enough for to allow the others to escape, and as punishment, Bludgeon strapped him to a shuttle and launched it at the nearest population center. Orion improvised by using an "instantaneous transformation" trick picked up from Rack and Ruin to break his bonds, allowing him to take control of the shuttle and crash it into an unpopulated area. {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} Despite Orion foiling their plot, the Decepticons did get something out of the whole ordeal: confirmation through Alpha Trion that the ancient Titans were real. {{storylink|The Hunting Party (IDW)|The Hunting Party}}

Some time later, still in his upgraded form, Orion Pax, Kup, Ironhide and their team were on a mission to thwart an assassination attempt on Zeta Prime. Disenchanted racer [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] stumbled into the midst of a firefight between the two units; as the Decepticon unit pulled out to continue its mission, Orion petitioned Blurr for help, asking him to use his speed to get word to Zeta before it was too late. The former celebrity balked, but ultimately the young soldier helped Blurr find what really drove him to race, and thus recruited him to the Autobot cause. Curiously, Kup was heard to refer to Orion as "Optimus" during this adventure. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}}

[[File:ToWalkAmongTheChosen OrionZetaChat.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|"With respect, sir, you can't just make people disappear." "Yyyyyes I can, I'm the Prime."]]
Back in his original body, Orion would be approached by [[Tappet]] over the alleged killing of [[Hefter]] by [[Outback (G1)|Outback]]. While Orion assured Tappet that the investigation would run its course and adhere to the law, the civilian disagreed. Orion was then approached by Zeta Prime and the two's subsequent discussion led Orion to wonder if Zeta was any different a Prime than his predecessors. Orion later confronted Outback in a bar, which produced no meaningful leads on the case. Orion then took Hefter's body to the [[Ultirex]] Technoversity for Ratchet to perform an examination, where the medic found that the corpse's injuries did not match the official report. When Ratchet introduced Pax to [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]], the jet attacked Pax who quickly subdued him and revealed his Decepticon badge. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}} Promptly arresting the scientist, Orion took him to [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] for an interrogation. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}} The trio went to see the one who had recruited Jetfire into the Decepticons: [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]. He refuted Pax's allegations and claimed that the Decepticons had made moral compromises for their goals but were not involved with off-world weapon imports. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back|Behind My Bleeding Back}}

[[File:FutureGloriesLost OrionMasksUp.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.45|"HEFTER WAS FRAKKING MURDERED!" *clink* "THANK YOU, BUMBLEBEE!"]]
Orion later watched a PSA with Zeta regarding the integrity of the police force, reaffirming Orion's doubt about his friend, who claimed Orion might one day bear the Matrix. Orion later met Prowl and Jetfire at the [[Cosmic Carnival]], where the latter gave Orion the weapon that ended Hefter's life and revealed he knew when the next shipment of guns would arrive from off-world. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|Dance Among the Shadows}} Fitting Jetfire with a wire, Pax and Prowl sent him on his way to gather the evidence they needed. Upon learning that Soundwave had lied to him, all sympathy Orion had for the Decepticons evaporated and he swore to bring them down. Whatever the cost. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}} The two cops broke in on the weapons trade, with Orion killing one of the Decepticons before all the weapons were remotely detonated by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. Orion and Prowl cordoned off the crime scene, only to be joined by Outback, whom Jetfire tried to attack before Orion stopped him. Jetfire then renounced his allegiance to the Decepticons and Orion invited him to join the police in stopping them. Jetfire declined, saying that not everything the Decepticons had done was bad. Orion disagreed, feeling violence was the only way to stop them, something which would leave a profound impact on Jetfire for years to come. {{storylink|New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|Feel Safe Without Regrets}} Orion later spoke to an angry Jetfire about the Decepticon philosophy and whether or not violence was a legitimate means of achieving change. {{storylink|What It's Really Like}}

The trio was soon approached by [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]], who confessed to bombing the Tygun factory after being assaulted by voices in his head. Jetfire discovered that a foreign signal was entering Bumblebee's processor and causing his dreams. Orion and Prowl tracked it to its source, followed by Bumblebee. The signal was the work of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], who was using Soundwave's telepathic abilities to broadcast hypnotic signals. Though the Decepticons escaped, Orion was impressed by Bumblebee's bravery. The young bot then requested to join Orion's unit. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}}
{{--}}

===Becoming Prime===
[[File:Autocracy1 pax security forces.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Orion soon became the commander of his own six-bot counter-insurgency unit working directly under Zeta Prime, though he had grown angry and detached from his experiences. During a mission to arrest the arms dealer [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] in [[Nyon]], he lost his temper and almost beat the Decepticon to death in front of horrified onlookers. {{storylink|Law and Disorder}} He later admitted to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] that he was frustrated with his own failures and uncertain if they were really on the right side, since so many civilians seemed to hate them and the government. {{storylink|Parasites}} Dispatched by Zeta Prime to hunt down the spy [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]], Orion succeeded in defeating the Decepticon in spite of [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]'s attempts to turn the fear and paranoia of bystanders against him. Before he could capture him, however, several other Decepticons arrived, taking his subordinate [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] hostage and telling him Megatron wanted an audience with him. {{storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} Brought to a [[Jump Joint|bar]] in [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]], Orion listened as Megatron tried to talk him into siding with the Decepticons, claiming that Zeta was planning to drain energon from civilians, and had only sent Orion's team into Nyon in the hopes that they would die, giving him an official reason to attack the city. Orion stalled the conversation long enough that his allies could break in and rescue him and Bumblebee, then returned to Iacon and confronted Zeta with Megatron's claims. Zeta only told him not to question his motives before sending him on his next mission to capture the insurgent [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}}

[[File:Autocracy6 pax vs zeta.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.45]]
Tracking Hot Rod to the [[Acropolex]] in Nyon, Orion Pax and his men followed him into the depths of the building, where they discovered tanks of energon drained from the city's population by Zeta Prime, just as Megatron had claimed. Having seen the truth with his own eyes, Orion decided to turn on the corrupt government just as Zeta began attacking Nyon with his [[Guardian robot|Omega Destructor]]s. {{storylink|Ruins}} Leaving Hot Rod to evacuate the city, he and his unit tried and failed to defeat one of the Destructors. As they tried to escape, Nyon began to explode, and Orion realized that Zeta had set everything up to force Hot Rod's insurgents into self-destructing their own city. As Zeta arrived in person, Orion tried to fight him but was quickly dispatched by his [[vamparc ribbon]]. {{storylink|Purge}} Before Zeta could execute them, Orion and his team were saved by none other than Megatron and his Decepticons, who brought them back to Kaon for repairs. Though he still didn't trust Megatron, Orion Pax now knew he had told the truth about Zeta and agreed to join forces against him. {{storylink|Choices}}

[[File:Autocracy9 pax becomes prime.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.45|"I've summoned you here for a purpose." "Nobody summons Orion Pax!!" "Then it pleases me to be the first."]]
As their soldiers invaded Zeta Prime's [[Citadel]], Orion Pax and Megatron were air-dropped into his [[Primacy Auditorium|chamber]] and confronted him in person. Though Orion lost an arm in the battle, he managed to destroy Zeta's weapon, and the corrupt Prime was finally killed by Megatron. As soon as everything was over, however, Megatron betrayed the Autobots and shot Orion in the back, casting him into the [[Undergrid]] beneath the citadel. {{storylink|Overthrown}} Left for dead, Orion was drawn towards a distant light which turned out to be the hiding place of the long-missing Matrix of Leadership. As a voice called out for him to take the artifact, he did so and was suddenly overcome with the pain, fear, and loneliness felt by all living Cybertronians. Imbued with new clarity and wisdom, he realized that the Autobots were not meant to fight for unity—since in the eyes of the Matrix, [['Til all are one|all were one]]—but rather for the freedom of all sapient beings. As the Matrix repaired his body, Orion Pax declared that he was giving up his identity for his people: he was now Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformation (issue)|Transformation}} Guided by the Matrix back to the ruins of Nyon, Optimus reunited with his allies amidst the wreckage. Revealing the Matrix and his new goals and desires to his friends, he then used talisman to awaken an ancient, slumbering life force he could sense beneath the city: [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Rise}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (IDW)|The Hunting Party}}

[[File:Autocracy12 prime vs megatron.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
To raise the army he needed to defeat Megatron—who had seized control of Cybertron in his absence—Optimus recruited the aid of news broadcaster [[Blaster (G1)/toys|Blaster]], who put out a rallying call for aid across [[Iaconian Newsfeed Service]]. Joined by thousands of freedom-seeking Transformers, Prime marched on Iacon. {{storylink|Broadcast}} While Metroplex handled Megatron's "vamparc annihilator" weapon, Optimus engaged Megatron himself in a [[The Transformers: The Movie|duel]] and emerged victorious with some timely aid from Hot Rod, though Megatron escaped with the vow that the war was just beginning. Vowing not to make the same mistakes as Zeta, Prime ordered a cache of illegal weapons discovered in the Undergrid destroyed, and thanked Hot Rod for his help. The younger 'bot was unsure if he deserved the gratitude, given his destruction of Nyon, but Prime assured him of his heroism, speculating that even he could bear the Matrix one day. {{storylink|Endgame}}

In the wake of the Decepticons' defeat, Optimus Prime inaugurated the [[Grand Convocation]], calling on representatives of all the planet's various guilds and groups to work together toward peace. Former senator [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] loudly objected to his leadership based on his past as a combatant, and a weary Optimus conferred with Alpha Trion on how best to proceed. {{storylink|Derelicts}} Pax called Dai Atlas to a private meeting to hash out their differences, {{storylink|Faces of Darkness}} but news of an attack on the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]] interrupted their discussion, and both 'bots responded to the alarm. At the refinery, they discovered [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]]'s [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] facing off against the Decepticons, now under the command of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. Losing control of his monstrous [[alternate mode]], Grimlock was ready to blow the entire refinery to destroy himself and all present, but Optimus was able to talk him down, only for Scorponok to trigger the explosion instead. {{storylink|Rage (IDW)|Rage}}

[[File:Monstrosity5 prime atlas argue.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Though Prime and his men survived the refinery explosion, thousands died in the blast. Prime delivered a eulogy for the fallen, but the catastrophe was a turning point for Cybertron, as, under Dai Atlas's leadership, huge portions of the planet's population evacuated to seek new worlds. Optimus refused to abandoned his homeworld, and sent a science team to explore the refinery blast crater in hopes of finding a new [[energon]] source. {{storylink|Fallout (issue)|Fallout}} Prime himself then called Kup in for information on the Dynobots, reviewing classified files that revealed that, on their last missions, they had adopted monstrous new alternate modes based on creatures they discovered in the caverns beneath Toraxxis. {{storylink|Underworld (IDW)|Underworld}} The science team soon returned to report their own meeting with these beasts, along with a reservoir of tainted energon and a [[Trypticon (G1)|colossal reptilian Transformer]] guarding it. {{storylink|Prey (issue)|Prey}} Prime presented these findings to the Grand Convocation upon their next meeting, they were not enough to sway Dai Atlas from his course. To make matters worse, a riot erupted amongst the evacuating civilians at [[Starsreach Spaceport]] that Prime had to quell in person; no sooner had he done so, and the exodus resumed, than the Decepticons launched an attack. {{storylink|Massacre}} The attack caused Grimlock, who had come to turn himself in to Prime, to loose control and adopt his feral beast form; after he drove the Decepticons back, Optimus calmed the Dinobot down and got him under control. The Dinobots were impressed with Optimus, but despite his pleas, they still insisted on leaving the planet. {{storylink|Unleashed}}

[[File:Monstrosity11 prime vs trypticon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Returning to his quarters to vent some of his anger, Optimus was soon summoned by Bumblebee with more bad news: the Decepticons had activated the giant beast from Toraxxis. Prime asked Metroplex for his aid, but the city-bot had become so long on energy that he could not transform, and could merely offer Prime information, such as the beast's name: Trypticon. Prime organized a heavy weapons assault against Trypticon, {{storylink|The Illusion of Control}} but the barrage failed, and when Prime tried to intimidate the giant with the sight of the Matrix itself, it simply stomped on him. As Prime watched, however, the Dynobots came dropping out of the sky to join the battle, followed quickly by Megatron, returning from a recent off-planet escapade of his own. Prime passed out before he could see Megatron and Grimlock be swallowed by Trypticon, {{storylink|Annihilation}} and so did not witness them deactivating it from within. During the battle, Bumblebee and Ultra Magnus went to Prime's aid, replacing the Matrix—knocked from him by Trypticon's attack—in his chest. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (issue)|Belly of the Beast}}

Taking advantage of a temporary lull in the war, Optimus Prime took a brief sabbatical and travelled to the Grav-Haraan glacier with Ironhide. They eventually picked up an unusual energy signature, and discovered that it belonged to an [[Guardian robot#2005 IDW continuity|Omega Sentinel]], who claimed to be awaiting the return of Nova Prime. Optimus revealed that Nova had long since vanished and that he now bore the Matrix. Although saddened, the Sentinel offered to carry the two Autobots back to civilization, and introduced himself as [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy #1}} Prime informed Alpha Trion about his discovery, but Trion warned him that Omega Supreme might feel out of place after spending so much time in isolation. Things took a turn for the worse after Optimus and the Autobots detected a mysterious object approaching Cybertron, which turned out to be a reinvigorated Trypticon, heading straight for Metroplex! Optimus ordered an evacuation and then commanded Metroplex to transform, so as to meet Trypticon head on. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}}

[[File:Primacy4 OpMegsFaceOff.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Cue "''Duel of the Fates''".]]
Although Metroplex was able to outfight Trypticon, the other Autobots were unprepared for the army of Junkions and a sudden flood of coolant, turning the battleground into a [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]-infested deathtrap. Optimus ordered Omega Supreme into battle; the Sentinel revealed that he was waiting to kill Nova Prime for disgracing the legacy of the Primes, but confided to Optimus that he would stand alongside him. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} Optimus rolled out to take on Megatron, and easily ran Motormaster off the road along the way. He finally confronted Megatron, who begged Optimus to kill him so as to spare him the mental torture of [[Pentius]], the Quintesson who had fused his spark to Megatron's. Optimus instead used the Matrix to purify Megatron's spark and destroy the Quintesson presence. Megatron swore that he still hated Prime even after the Autobot leader saved his life, forcing the saddened Autobot leader to knock out Megatron with a single punch. Megatron was left imprisoned as Optimus broadcast the news across Cybertron, calling for an end to the fighting and promising to hunt down the surviving Decepticon troops. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}} The victory was not to last however as Megatron's troops soon freed him. {{storylink|Post}}

===War without end===
Megatron would later incorrectly claim that his and Prime's first meeting took place during the [[Rorsha Campaign]], when they battled on [[Sherma Bridge]]. Prime's side lost 5000 men but he sliced off the tyrant's cannon arm with his energon axe before he lost and got thrown off the bridge. Every Autobot and Decepticon stopped fighting to witness their duel. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

[[File:TheIronAge i dont know.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
As the war bore on, Optimus and Ironhide's student-and-teacher relationship evolved. Prime grew willing to go against Ironhide's counsel, once doing so to save the Autobots from Trypticon waiting in ambush, while also learning the benefit of sticking to your guns like the stubborn old soldier did, once insisting on saving Ironhide's life after a booby-trap left them badly damaged and hanging over a cliff-edge. Down the years, Ironhide developed a respect and awe for his protege, {{storylink|Old Ways}} eventually taking on the position of his official bodyguard. It was in this capacity, four million years ago, that Ironhide saved Optimus when he was ambushed by Soundwave and his cassettes while attempting to stop a Decepticon energon convoy. With Ironhide covering him from afar, Prime then proceeded to talk the convoy into surrendering without having to fire a single shot. During a party to celebrate this win, Prime declined Prowl's request to address the troops, and went out to converse with Kup and Ironhide, privately confiding in them that he foresaw the war going on without end. As the party continued, Decepticon assassin [[Axer (G1)|Axer]] made an attempt on Prime's life, but Ironhide saved him, throwing himself in the path of the blast. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

[[File:ChaosTheory prime vs megatron montage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Prime's actions during the long course of the war were many. As the conflict spread across the galaxy, he commanded the Autobot armed forced from the [[Autobot Orbital Command Hub]]. {{Storylink|The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer}} He was part of the [[113th Battalion]] when they battled [[Black Shadow (G1)|Black Shadow]]. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} During the [[Simanzi Massacre]], he prevented over a thousand Autobots and neutrals from falling into [[Crucible|The Crucible]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Pyro's Autopedia entry}} He was also involved in preventing the [[Black Epoch]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}} At some point, Optimus had to berate Grimlock personally, insisting that the Dynobot let go of a grudge he had against Shockwave after the latter botched one of Grimlock's energon-gathering missions. Grimlock didn't listen. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}} Optimus battled Megatron many times, on multiple worlds: he lost half his face to Megatron's [[energon mace]] during the Battle for [[Hell's Point]] and retaliated by using [[Tremorcon]]s' [[Geo-Scoop]] to drop a city block on his opponent, and he was nearly destroyed during the Siege of [[Siege of Massunstrad|Massunstrad]] when Megatron trapped him in an anti-matter chamber. Optimus would get in his licks too, however; during the [[Vorsk Offensive]], he nearly sliced Megatron in half; at [[Rada Mor]], Prime nearly destroyed Megatron while defending some "sentient explosives". {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} At the war's zenith, Optimus sealed himself in an [[Omniglobe]] to absorb the relentless flood of data coming in from countless fronts. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

Some of Prime's other accomplishments of note throughout the war included battling shards of living rage, exorcising the [[Demonicon]]s, and performing Hot Rod's rite of the Autobrand. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} During Earth's ice age a transmission of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee was intercepted by the Eukarian starship ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' which served as the proximate cause for Shockwave rebuilding the ship's crew as Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

[[File:Stormbringer3-OptimusSpringerWreckers.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.45|Freedom is the right of all sentient and heavily armed beings.]]
700 stellar cycles ago, Prime and Megatron joined forces to battle [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. Driven by his belief that the already badly-degenerated Cybertron would soon become completely uninhabitable, Thunderwing had, through [[Pretender|polydermal grafting]], inadvertently turned himself into a monster whose subsequent rampage only accelerated the planet's collapse. In a final, futile stand at [[Thunderhead Pass]], Optimus could only watch as Cybertron itself swallowed Thunderwing. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}} Although this ultimately brought the planet to a point of no return, forcing all the Transformers to leave their world behind, Prime refused to allow Megatron to go through with his plan to destroy Cybertron itself to ensure Thunderwing was no more. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}}

In the mid-to-late 19th century, Bumblebee reported his adventure on [[Xetaxxis]] that ended in the death of [[Sky Blast (G1)|Sky Blast]] and [[Convoy (G1)|Convoy]] to Optimus. After arranging for [[Minimus Ambus]] to retake the mantle of Ultra Magnus, Optimus commended Bumblebee for his bravery and noted the need to remain ever vigilant against the Decepticons. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}

In 2005, while on the Orbital Command Hub, Prime received a communication from Ironhide, presently stationed on the planet [[Earth]] as part of a unit led by Prowl. Ironhide's message warned the local Decepticon infiltration cell under [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] had broken their infiltration methods and enacted [[Infiltration protocol|siege mode]] prematurely, and Prime ordered the situation to be monitored. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}}{{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}} Soon afterward, when the Autobot science vessel ''[[Calabi-Yau]]'' sent a distress signal from above Thunderhead Pass, Prime decided to investigate personally, upgrading himself additional armor and armaments and ordering the [[Wreckers]] to meet him on Cybertron. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}} Venturing into the planet's depths, Prime's team discovered that Thunderwing had been restored by Bludgeon and his followers. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} Faced with the planet-ravaging monster once again, Prime found himself willing to succumb to Megatron's way of thinking this time, and considered destroying Cybertron to remove the threat. Fortunately, it did not come to that: studying Bludgeon's files, [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] discovered that he had reanimated Thunderwing with an exceptionally powerful "[[Ore-13|Ultra-Energon]]" that would burn out in short order. His conscience still guilty over the past, Prime took on Thunderwing personally for the final exchange of the battle, unleashing massive amounts of firepower at monster, forcing it to exhaust its power reserves and ultimately, its life. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}
{{--}}

===Earth and back again===
[[File:Infiltration6 - OptimusPrime Earth mode.jpg|thumb|Don't crush the cameraman!]]
Continuing to investigate Bludgeon's files, Jetfire learned that the mysterious new Energon used to revive Thunderwing had originated on Earth. Linking this to Ironhide's message, Prime headed straight for the planet. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}} He arrived while most of Prowl's unit were out on a mission, and when they returned, they were met by their leader, freshly reformatted with a new Earth truck body. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}} After ordering that Ironhide and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] return the humans the Autobots had befriended to their homes, Prime took some time to take in reports from other Autobots elsewhere in the galaxy, and was beamed further findings by Jetfire that worryingly indicated Decepticons had been active on Earth for many years. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}}

[[File:NATF avengers vs autobots.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.95]]
It became apparent that the Decepticons had initiated Phase Two of their infiltration protocol when news reached Prime and the Autobots of suddenly accelerated unrest between the small European nations of [[Latveria]] and [[Symkaria]]. Tracing the cause to Decepticon array that was broadcasting an aggression-enhancing signal, Prime took his team into action, only to have them run into the superhero team known as the [[Avengers]]. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} With the human heroes also suffering the effects of the aggression wave, a short battle erupted between the two teams, which was halted by Ratchet and a quickly-created inhibitor device that brought the Avengers back to their senses. The united Autobot/Avenger team launched an attack on the array, but were soon met in combat by the Decepticons; Optimus was injured by a disproportionately powerful blast from [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]], unaware that the Decepticons had boosted their powers using energy drawn from the captive [[Spider-Man]]. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}} The super-charged Decepticons were beaten back when Prime, [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] linked their systems to [[Iron Man]]'s Transformer-sized armor, giving him the power necessary to end the fight. Megatron attempted to force Prime to surrender by revealing that he had captured several of the Avengers, but Prime instead ordered a quick destruction of the array, prompting Megatron to emerge to join the battle. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}} The Decepticon leader refrained from engaging Prime directly, however, electing to save their conflict for a more personal moment; Prime instead joined his Autobots and the Avengers in bombarding Megatron with an overwhelming barrage of firepower, finally taking him down. Megatron teleported out, and Prime led his Autobots in withdrawing. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

[[File:Escalation5 prime vs megs.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When word came in from Ironhide that Sunstreaker had been slain by an attack from an enigmatic human organization, Optimus Prime took Jazz and [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] to recover their comrade's car-form remains from the civilian impound lot they were being held in. They arrived just as Sunstreaker's attackers were attempting to remove his body; their vehicle did not survive a head-on collision with Prime's shin. Subsequent examination of Sunstreaker's body by Ratchet proved that the remains were, in fact, ''not'' Sunstreaker, but rather a facsimile the humans had created to throw Prime's team off the trail. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2|Escalation #2}} Ironhide was eager to hunt down Sunstreaker's attackers, but Prime refused to let him, instead calling in reinforcements in the form of Hot Rod, Nightbeat and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Nightbeat}} {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}}

[[File:Escalation5 Primedies enlightning.jpg|upright=1.66|left|thumb|Rule of thumb, Megs—if he don't turn gray, he's A-OK.]]
Soon after, Prowl discovered that the Decepticons were causing political instability in the breakaway Soviet state of [[Brasnya]] and Prime ordered the Autobots into action. {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}} While reconning the area, Prime left his [[Combat Deck (G1)|Combat Deck]] to monitor the surroundings; it picked up [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], who thought he had got the drop on Prime, and [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] took out the unsuspecting Decepticon with a single shot. Megatron proceeded to [[orbital jump|orbital bounce]] directly into Prime's path, at last ready for them to battle one-on-one. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} The fight went well at first, with Prime blowing Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] clean off, but the increased strength and stamina granted the Decepticon by Earth's Ultra-Energon allowed him to prevail, actually punching through Prime's body and crushing his [[spark]] casing. {{storylink|Escalation issue 5|Escalation #5}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Ramjet}} Prime only managing to survive by transferring his consciousness into his trailer, leaving Megatron to believe him dead. Recalling the circumstances of Thunderwing's defeat, Prime directed his troops to bombard Megatron with a hail of firepower, then returned to his body in time to deliver the final, point-blank blast that drained the last of the Decepticon leader's power reserves. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

[[File:SLOptimus prime vs monstructor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Prime's near-death experience left him somewhat unsettled; while his consciousness had been in transitional [[infraspace]] downloading to his trailer, he had sensed a presence of dread—the visage of his long-missing predecessor, [[Nova Prime]]. Looking for answers, Optimus Prime left Earth to visit Nova's contemporary, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. From Omega, he learned of Nova's belief that Transformers were a superior race that should remake the universe in their image, and he faced down the rampaging [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], a legacy of Nova's tenure seeking revenge against Omega Supreme for locking him away. Appalled at Omega's actions as much as he was Nova's, Prime attempted to appeal Monstructor, but the deranged beast refused to listen, and Prime took him down hard. {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}}

[[File:Devastation4 PrimeSixshot hyperbole.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.45|"And THAT'S for killing my brother in another timeline!"]]
After Prime returned to Earth, he organized the Autobots in proactive maneuvers against the [[Machination|mysterious human group]] that had been bedeviling them of late, permitting the relocation of their base the ''[[Ark-19]]'' and calling in further reinforcements from Cybertron in the form of a unit led by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. In mid-transit, however, the ''Ark-19'' was attacked by the latest addition to Megatron's forces, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} Prime co-ordinated the evacuation of their human allies and the self-destruction of the craft to ensure it didn't fall into enemy hands, and while it appeared that he and his Autobots did not make it out of the ship before it blew {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} they soon revealed they had survived and prepared to take on Sixshot. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} Optimus and the Autobots held Sixshot at bay, but battle ended in stalemate when both parties orbital jumped out to avoid an air strike from the U.S. military. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} {{Storylink|Spotlight: Grimlock}}

Regrouping on ''[[Ark-32]]'', Prime received a communication from Jetfire informing him that Monstructor had been liberated from the [[Garrus-9]] penitentiary. Considering the threat he posed if unleashed greater than that posed to Earth by the Decepticons, Prime ordered the Autobots to depart the planet to deal with this new crisis, {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} redirecting Hound's unit to meet his team at Garrus-9. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}[[File:SLDDealer optimus vs nova.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]] Upon arrival at the prison, Prime and Prowl conferred with Jetfire and warden [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], then received a worrying report from Ultra Magnus, who, along with Hound's crew, had encountered [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] and Thunderwing on [[Corata-Vaz]]. Recalling his out-of-body experience in Brasnya, Prime realized that recent events were somehow connected to Nova Prime; {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}} a theory that gained traction as more information began to come in from Jetfire and Omega Supreme. Seeking information, Prime dispatched Hot Rod and [[Doubledealer|Dealer]] to recover the all-knowing [[Epistemus|Magnificence]] from [[Ki-Aleta]], {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} but in their absence, Prime's speculation was proven accurate when Nova Prime himself attacked Garrus-9. Optimus engaged his predecessor personally, discovering that he was now "Nemesis Prime", having been transformed into an undead monster by the power of the [[Dead Universe]] and its, "Anti-Matrix", the [[Darkness (G1)|Darkness]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} In the course of their battle, however, Nova's secret fear proved true: like the Matrix, the Darkness sought to pass onto the current Prime. Nova refused to let the Darkness leave him and savagely attacked Optimus, but, just as victory seemed within his grasp, he was shot in the back and killed by his treacherous comrade [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]. With Nova's death, the Darkness leapt into Optimus, who struggled against its evil emanations. Galvatron offered Optimus a choice: kill himself by plunging into the prison's [[solar pool]], or pass on the Darkness to Galvatron, who had coveted it for so long. Optimus seemed to choose the later, taking Galvatron's hand and passing the Darkness to him, but after doing so, he did not release his grip on the villain, instead hurling him into the solar pool to his apparent destruction. Concurrent with this, the other Autobots using the information gained from the Magnificence to thwart Nova's plan to merge the living and dead universes, and as Optimus gazed upon Nova's dead body, he told himself he could not mourn the elder Prime's death, as Nova had truly died long ago. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}} {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 1|Heart of Darkness #1}}

When Ultra Magnus brought the human Hunter O'Nion and Sunstreaker aboard the Ark-32 (as well as many other bots and humans enrolled in their recent adventures) Optimus was present to witness Ratchet giving O'Nion a clean bill of health. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}
{{--}}

===Offline in exile===
[[File:AHM7 megs rips out matrix.jpg|left|thumb]]
In the weeks and months that followed, Optimus Prime led a larger squad of Autobots back to Earth to deal with the Decepticon threat they had left behind. {{storylink|Everything in Its Right Place}} Upon their return, however, they discovered that while they had been away, the Decepticons had become splintered following an apparent power struggle between Megatron and Starscream. After a prolonged period of searching, Prime led the Autobots to a location where Starscream's "group" was, only to be ambushed by a unified Decepticon force, including a brand new [[combiner|gestalt]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. The combiner sealed the Autobots' defeat, and Megatron tore the Matrix of Leadership from Prime's chest. The captured Autobots were led to a [[space bridge]] that would return to them to Cybertron, where they would be left to the mercies of the [[Insecticon swarm]] the Decepticons had populated the planet with. However, once his troops were through, Prime, last in line, quickly turned his weapons on the bridge machinery, destroying it. As the portal begin to close, Prime was hurled into it by a barrage of Decepticon fire, causing a catastrophic reaction that fried his circuits and knocked him offline. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Left stranded on Cybertron with their leader comatose, the Autobots were forced to leave Earth to the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}}

[[File:AHMPrimecritical.jpg|upright=1.7|thumb|So he's dying. [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This shouldn't be a problem by now]].]]
One year after Nova Prime's defeat, Prime's unit were joined on Cybertron by a team led by Kup, who brought with them enough energon for Ratchet to restore Prime to full functionality. He awoke just as Sideswipe was chastising the demoralized Autobots on the self-destructive nature of their war, and delivered a rousing speech affirming his pride in his warriors and his unfazed intent to win the war. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} Prime took a moment to reconnect in particular with his old teacher, Ironhide, who had been hit especially hard by his brush with death, and the reunited pair then joined the other Autobots in plunging into battle against the Insecticon swarm. The timely arrival of Omega Supreme saved the Autobots, and he then ferried them to Earth for a showdown with Megatron's forces. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}}

The Autobots returned to an Earth than had been devastated by the Decepticons in their absence, arriving at [[New York City]] just as the Decepticons were fending off attacks from a European air squad. Prime and Megatron faced off with each other once again, but rather than immediately clash, Megatron was puzzled by his old enemy's actions; both leaders had always maintained a policy of acceptable losses, and Prime had already abandoned Earth once, proving he held the planet in no particular regard. Prime claimed he had changed; no more would he allow their cold war to endanger innocent lifeforms. Megatron merely scoffed, revealing that the "innocents" Prime wanted to protect were about to drop a nuclear bomb on the city. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}}

[[File:AHM12 prime vs megs.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55]]
Battle then erupted between the two, with Megatron emerging victorious after a fierce exchange of blows, but just before he and the Decepticons departed, human soldier [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] landed a critical shot with an experimental weapon [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|made from a Transformer]]. Prime finished the job by slamming Megatron in the head with his own [[fusion cannon]], taking him offline. The Decepticons fled, leaving the Autobots to face nuclear destruction, until the bomb was stopped by the disenchanted Thundercracker. Prime then met with Spike, and proposed that the Autobots and human military work together to repair the damage done to the Earth. Spike was not confident that such an alliance was possible. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

Some time later, Optimus met with Ironhide to discuss the elder Autobot's resignation from Prime's forces. Ironhide no longer trusted his own judgement following some bad decisions made during Prime's time offline, and Prime respected Ironhide too much to argue. Instead, the pair shared a drink and some reminiscence, and with some honest, emotional confession of much the Autobots needed him and how much he would personally miss him, Optimus convinced Ironhide to stay. {{storylink|Old Ways}}

Optimus later took a moment to lament the state in which their war left the City of New York, before deciding to protect the Earth while in disguise. {{storylink|Ride-Along}} When Bumblebee got separated from the rest of the Autobots in the ruins of New York, and subsequently outed himself by rescuing some humans in danger, Optimus and the rest of the Autobots retrieved him. {{storylink|Hidden (G1)|Hidden}}
{{-}}

===Leader no more===
[[File:Ongoing Issue 1-Optimus Surrenders.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|His attempt to start the wave was not going down well.]]
Unable to work directly with humankind, and with Omega Supreme too low on energy to take the Autobots off-world, Optimus Prime had the Autobots go into hiding for the next two years. Many Autobots chafed under this order, and eventually, things erupted in an angry Hot Rod accusing Prime of allowing both his guilt and his need to protect something to trap the Autobots on a world that didn't want them anymore. Unable to defend against the claims, Prime was forced to allow Hot Rod to lead a mission to rescue the captive Prowl from the clutches of [[Skywatch]]; the mission went catastrophically wrong, resulting in Ironhide's death. Forced by this disastrous turn of events of re-evaluate his leadership in recent years, Prime concluded that he had led the Autobots down a self-destructive path, resigned his post as Autobot leader, surrendered himself to Skywatch. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

Prime was brought to Skywatch's base by incredulous troopers and placed in transformation stasis, but was shortly freed by Spike Witwicky, who wished to talk with him. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Suspicious of the questions Spike asked about the other Autobots and his supposed desire to help them, Prime refused to divulge any information about his comrades and was moved to a holding cell. As leverage, Spike captured and brought in [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], suggesting that Prime start talking to help ''them'', if not to help himself. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}} [[File:IDWOngoing5 my greatest hope.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]] Prime explained his motivations for abdicating as Autobot leader to the human, expressing his hope that, without him, his men would learn to evolve and move beyond his mistakes—something that he had observed humans possessed a much greater capacity for than Transformers. {{Storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|Enemies of the System}} Presently, news came in of a battle involving the other Autobots and the Decepticons' newest combiner, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. Spike convinced Optimus to help Skywatch prevent loss of innocent lives, and Prime heroically battled Menasor. After the combiner was defeated, however, the Autobots looked to him for leadership, only for him to declare that he was not retaking command, but returning himself to Skywatch's custody. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

The Autobots—now under Bumblebee's command—and Skywatch began working together to hunt down the Decepticons remaining on Earth. Spike's father, [[Sparkplug Witwicky|General Daniel Witwicky]], was skeptical of the plan, despite the thanks Optimus extended him for his work fighting the Decepticons three years prior. {{storylink|All His Engines}} In one of their earliest missions together, the united Autobot/Skywatch team responded to Transformer activity in [[Las Vegas]], discovering that Galvatron had returned, and had inadvertently brought an interdimensional zombie infestation with him. Prime had the Autobots seal off Las Vegas to prevent the spread of the plague, {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} but the zombie leader [[Britt]] then began infecting Prime and the others themselves with the zombie virus. It was through Kup's intervention that they were saved, as he dragged Britt through a portal to the Dead Universe. Galvatron then demanded the Autobots submit to his authority so they could ready for a coming battle against a much greater enemy; when they unsurprisingly refused, Galvatron departed, leaving Prime to worry about what was lurking in the future. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}} {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 4|Heart of Darkness #4}}
[[File:IDWongoing11 optimus decks onslaught.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|C'mon, Optimus! You could really [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|rip his face off]] if you tried.]]
A few months later, when the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] publicly allied themselves with [[North Korea]], Spike recruited Optimus and the Autobots to fight against them. {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"|The Land Ironclads}} Unfortunately due to an edict by the [[President of the United States]] forbidding any countries to collaborate with Cybertronians, the Transformers had to be transported to Korea in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], in shipping crates, so that their activities could remain hidden from the government. They even had to attempt battling the Combaticons in vehicle mode, which did not go well for them. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"|Ranks of Bronze}} After temporarily disabling the satellites watching the area, the Autobots were able to transform for their second engagement with the Combaticons, during which Prime smashed into Vortex and managed to bring the Combaticons' leader Onslaught to his knees. All was going well until the arrival of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], who had fallen in with the [[China|People's Republic of China]]. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"|Hawk among the Sparrows}} Prime tried the diplomatic approach, trying to convince the Predacons to stand down, and although they were insulted by his dismissive attitude towards their partnership with China, they agreed to move on... until Onslaught shot [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] in the back. A brawl between all parties ensued, but Prime took control of the situation by having Thundercracker, temporarily working with the Autobots again, destroy China and North Korea's energon production facilities, ensuring the Decepticons would have no reason to work with the humans any more. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"|All My Sins Remembered}}
[[File:IDWongoing18 why cant you ever die.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Living metal|Nanomachines]], son!]]
While they were still overseas, word reached Prime's team of an assassination attempt on Bumblebee by a human wielding an advanced weapon. As they raced back to America aboard a Skywatch jet, Prime quieted arguments between the anxious Autobots and their human comrades, but remained quietly angry himself, insisting that there were endemic problems that needed to be addressed. Moments later, their jet was blown out of the sky, {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man|The Demolished Man}} but Prime and company survived the crash and completed the last leg of the journey home underwater in their vehicle modes. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}} The team soon received a transmission that revealed the author of their current woes: Megatron had returned. Tracing Megatron and Soundwave to [[Albuquerque]], Prime confronted his old enemy alone, only to find that one-on-one combat was not Megatron's plan: instead, he had dumped the captive Autobots in Albuquerque and flooded the city with an arsenal of Cybertronian weapons that controlled the minds of the humans wielding them. Prime was able to outsmart Megatron by deducing that Soundwave was linked to the weapons and shot him in the head to disable that connection. Megatron withdrew, {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome|Burning Chrome}} but a tracking chip Ultra Magnus had planted on Soundwave allow Prime to follow them to their foxhole, air-dropping in and dramatically crashing through the roof. Prime proposed taking the fight outside as a means of allowing Skywatch to drop a [[kinetic harpoon]] on Megatron; alas, even this incredible weapon failed to do much damage to the Decepticon leader's powerful new body, and the resultant fistfight between the two ended badly for Prime, as Megatron incapacitated him and dumped him on the Autobots' doorstep. When Optimus awoke, however, it was to a surprising revelation: Megatron had surrendered himself to the Autobots' custody. Prime could fathom no reason for Megatron to have done this, and Megatron himself offered no answers, save for the taunting revelation that Spike Witwicky had secretly gone off-grid and executed [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]. A shaken Prime charged Prowl with investigating this claim, then retreated into his private quarters to contemplate the chaos he found himself facing. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}
[[File:IDWongoing21 optimus and rodimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
A short time later, Hot Rod returned from a sojourn in space, during which he had finally recovered the Matrix of Leadership from Decepticon clutches. He returned the talisman to Optimus, who in return dubbed him "Rodimus" as a sign of his maturation. But Rodimus also brought dread tidings: through the ministrations of Alpha Trion, Cybertron had become habitable again, but was being used as a staging base by Galvatron and his army. Refusing to see his homeworld conquered by the madman, Optimus announced to the Autobots that he was returning to Cybertron, and invited any who wished to accompany him. Most of the Autobots chose to join him, and they soon left aboard Omega Supreme's rocket with Megatron aboard; {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} just before departing, Prime gave Prowl "five minutes" to interrogate Megatron for information on his investigation into Spike. {{storylink|Police Action: Prologue}}

[[File:ChaosTheory1 take a seat.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
During their trip, Optimus questioned Megatron further about why he surrendered, even releasing him from his bonds and having a civil conversation with him recalling their many past encounters and dueling ideologies. The other Autobots were more concerned with coming to a decision on what to ''do'' with Megatron, and cast doubt on Optimus's ability to make the right choice after how "cozy" the pair had been during their talk. An angry Prime returned to speak to Megatron again, but this time, the Decepticon leader smugly goaded Prime into shocking him with the [[variable voltage harness]] he was strapped into. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} Disgusted by his own actions, Prime talked with Ratchet and Rodimus about the Matrix and the weight of expectation it placed upon him. To prove to himself that he still had the wisdom to make the right decision on his own, Prime removed the Matrix from his chest and left it in Ratchet's care so that he could reach his conclusion free of its influence. Prime decided to leave the choice between imprisonment or death up to Megatron himself; Megatron chose death. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}

[[File:Chaos4 purifying vector sigma.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|"Now...light our [[Livio Ramondelli|Livio-est]] hour!"]]
Arriving on Cybertron, Prime left Megatron to stew in his cell while he took his men out to approach Galvatron peacefully. As before, Galvatron proposed they put themselves under his command to battle a mysterious coming enemy, and when Prime refused, battle promptly began. {{storylink|Chaos Part One: Lamentations|Lamentations}} When Galvatron brought the captured [[Kimia Facility]] into play, turning its weapons on the planet from orbit, Prime flawlessly co-ordinated the Autobot response. When he realised that Galvatron was not shooting at the Autobots, but blasting a pathway ''into'' the planet, Prime rolled out to head him off at the pass. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}} Alongside Ironhide, Rodimus and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], Prime pursued Galvatron down into the planet's depths, but during the chase, the enemy Galvatron had warned of finally emerged: the Dead Universe entity known as the [[D-Void]]. This alien intelligence possessed Galvatron's army and the Decepticons (who had been teleported to Cybertron by Megatron, this being the reason he had surrendered) and merged them into a giant "[[Deceptigod]]". Galvatron intended to stop its emergence by feeding the Darkness into [[Vector Sigma]] and destroying the planet, {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} but upon doing so, discovered that he had been played by the D-Void all along—destroying Cybertron would allow it to ''complete'' its emergence into the living universe. Optimus Prime plunged himself into Vector Sigma and released the power of the Matrix of Leadership, purifying the mega-computer and stopping the D-Void in its tracks. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

===The return of Orion Pax===
[[File:DoOP matrix bequeathed.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.95|"And I won't come back until you two learn to share!"]]
Prime awoke in a barren wasteland, the Matrix lying before him, its crystal core split in two and its energies depleted. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}} After briefly believing that he had died and passed on to the [[Transformer afterlife|Afterspark]], Prime realised that he was on Cybertron, but a Cybertron surging with primordial energies. Trekking across the wilderness, Prime found a shanty town made of spaceships where Iacon should have been, where after an altercation with some unfamiliar Cybertronians, he was approached by Sideswipe and Whirl. The pair brought him to Rodimus and Bumblebee, who explained that the purification of Vector Sigma had "rebooted" Cybertron, reverting it to a primeval state and sending out a signal that summoned the many Cybertronians who had left the planet millions of years ago back home. Unfortunately, tensions were running high, as these so-called "[[NAIL]]s" look upon Prime and the Autobots as symbols of the war they had left the planet to escape. A full-blown riot soon consumed the city, which Prime quelled with a proclamation he delivered to the crowd: if the NAILs would allow the other Autobots to stay, he, the figurehead of the war, would leave the planet forever. Bestowing the two Matrix halves to Rodimus and Bumblebee, Prime departed at last truly feeling free and beholden to no-one. Optimus Prime was dead. Orion Pax was reborn. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

[[File:Syndromica1 pax and crew.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Uh, Pax? As a former cop, shouldn't you make sure to throw out [[Wheelie (G1)|the minor]]?]]

After voyaging through space for some time, Orion was contacted by Hardhead with some strange news: a distress signal from the planet [[Arduria]] had awoken Hardhead's formerly-catatonic prisoner, Jhiaxus, who began screaming Orion's name. Investigating the Ardurian signal, Orion and Hardhead found that they had been lured into a Decepticon trap when they were attacked by Monstructor. His knowledge of the combiner from their past fight availed Orion little, as the monster's weak spot had been removed, and Monstructor was able to keep them busy long enough for his new master Bludgeon to free Jhiaxus. Realizing that Jhiaxus and Bludgeon were intending to hunt down all the planets that had been targeted by Shockwave's [[Regenesis]] program, Orion and Hardhead set course for the [[Lenocinium Velnero System]] and gave chase. {{storylink|Syndromica (1)}}
[[File:Syndromica2 pax vs bludgeon.jpg|left|thumb]]

Arriving in the LV system, Pax's ship crossed paths with a Decepticon vessel that crashed on the world of [[LV-117]], a planet unhinged from the flow of linear time by [[Ore-1]], a product of Shockwave's [[Regenesis]] program. Following it down to the planet's surface, Pax's team explored the ship and discovered a mysterious sphere in its hold. Little did Pax realise that this sphere was a time machine, which, when he reached out to touch it, sent him on a confusing journey through LV-117's past and future. After briefly jumping into the near future, where he witnessed Jhiaxus, Bludgeon and Monstructor stealing the Decepticon ship and escaping, Pax was hurled into LV-117's past and began moving forward, heading back to the present day, encountering Bludgeon in each time period he arrived in. Pax encountered the Decepticon warmonger [[Turmoil]] abducting many of the planet's natives and rescued one, named [[Varta]], and then found himself facing the end of LV-117 itself, destroyed by forces unknown. In this time period, he encountered [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and an older Varta, and realized that he had been encountering Bludgeon in reverse-order, with the Decepticon traveling in the opposite direction through time to him. This meant since he had already ''seen'' Bludgeon and his comrades escape the planet, then it had already ''happened'' for them, so Pax could not stop it. His time-shifting journey at an end, Prime reappeared in the relative "present" after the villains had already departed, and gathered up his crew to follow them toward [[Gorlam Prime]]. {{storylink|Syndromica (2)}}
{{-}}

===Lineage of the Primes===
[[File:MTMTE24 a different approach.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
As they flew to Gorlam Prime, [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] was struck by a [[Universal killswitch|mysterious attack]]. Orion questioned what was happening but the attack halted soon enough.
{{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} Pax's team appeared to beat Jhiaxus to Gorlam Prime, and they ventured underground to explore the caverns that had previously held a portal to the Dead Universe, also coming upon a mysterious ruined city. Returning to the surface, the team were approached by [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], who was being pursued by the Monstructor Six, and came to his aid. Waspinator explained that they were after the subterranean city, which was, in fact, one of Metroplex's [[Titan (group)|Titan]] brethren. Pax awoke the [[Quintessa (IDW)|Titan]], but at that point, Waspinator revealed that he was actually ''working'' for Jhiaxus, and took control of the Titan, spiriting it away to Cybertron. Worse still, the giant's transformation had destabilized Gorlam Prime, causing the spread of the death-inducing [[Ore-2]] previously confined to the underground caverns. Their ship had been destroyed in the fight, seeming dooming Pax's team, but Pax revealed that his own ship, the ''[[Skyroller]]'', had been following in their wake all along. {{storylink|Homecoming (IDW)|Homecoming}} They quickly boarded the craft and blasted off, but seemed as though they would be unable to escape the gravity of the collapsing Gorlam Prime until the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the starship of misfits crewed by Rodimus, appeared to rescue them. Welcomed in eagerly, Pax was given a tour of the vessel, but arrived on the bridge just as bad news was coming in—Starscream, who had been elected leader of Cybertron in Pax's absence—reported that a portal to the Dead Universe was forming in the skies over their homeworld. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}}

[[File:MTMTE25 distraction.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Realizing that they would have to venture into the Dead Universe themselves to investigate, Pax tasked [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] with jury-rigging a method of protecting themselves from its ravages while he shared a drink and a moment of dark reflection with Rodimus and Ultra Magnus. Shielded by forcefields of Brainstorm's design, Pax then led Rodimus, Hardhead and Cyclonus into the Dead Universe through the portal that Gorlam Prime had collapsed into, where they were immediately set upon by some native [[cyberwraith]]s. The creatures fled when Cyclonus, claimed by the Dead Universe again thanks to his forcefield generator breaking, moved to confront them, {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} but the stoic ancient Cybertronian refused Pax's offer of medical aid and insisted they continue on their mission to find the point that the Dead Universe was contracting towards. On the way, the team were unexpectedly met by Nightbeat, who had perished during the original Dead Universe incident, and was revealed to have been sustained by the undead realm's power. Nightbeat volunteered to lead the group to the Dead Universe's contraction point, {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} but it soon transpired that he had been brainwashed by Nova Prime, who had secretly survived his previous clash with Pax, and had led Orion's team into a trap. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}} Sealed with a containment cube, Orion managed to crack their prison with a mighty punch, then pretended to lose his temper and staged a fight with Rodimus in order to distract Nightbeat from it. When Nova Prime subsequently arrived, Hardhead exploited the crack to smash his way out, but the cube re-sealed before Orion and the others could escape, and they could only watch as Nova destroyed Hardhead. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}}

[[File:RID26 my name is optimus prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"Optimus! Stop hitting yourself!!"]]
Transported by Nova to his citadel, Orion's team discovered that the evil Prime had Kup captive, and was in the process of turning him into a space bridge to escape to the living universe. Nova intended to use Orion and the others' sparks to energize the bridge, but fortunately, Rodimus was able to break Nightbeat's brainwashing with some odd numbers engraved into his palm, and he set them free. {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}} As they set about liberating Kup, Rodimus explained the significance of the numbers to the perplexed Orion: they were the number of ''Lost Light'' crewmembers who had voted to have him removed from captaincy after recent catastrophic misdeeds. Orion surprised the younger 'bot with the angry declaration that Rodimus should have resigned outright, rather than take a vote. Any further discussion was halted when Nova appeared and challenged Orion to a final battle. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} Nova taunted Pax psychologically by using his mastery of the Dead Universe to shape-shift into the forms of past Primes, before assuming the shape of Orion himself, professing to show him what he could become if he embraced the true legacy of the Primes. Orion was shaken, but a speech from Rodimus rallied him: though many had held the title before him, Orion had made the name of "Prime" synonymous with himself, and with goodness and decency, despite the evil actions of those who had come before him. Energized by Rodimus's words, Orion rechristened himself Optimus Prime once more, and slew Nova once and for all. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}}

[[File:DCFinale op and megs vs shockwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67]]
With the Dead Universe collapsing all around them, Optimus and his team were in dire need of a way out, and found one when they heard singing emerging from Nova Prime's corpse. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} Realizing that it was coming through from the living universe, they used Nova's technology to turn him into space bridge {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}} and travelled through it, back to Cybertron, emerging through the unsuspecting Brainstorm's chest. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} They arrived just in time to join the effort to stop Shockwave's plan to collapse all of reality into a black hole using his Regenesis ores; Optimus fought side by side with Megatron against the rogue scientist, and tried to reason with his old senator friend. His words had little effect, so Megatron opted for a more audacious method: recent experiences having opened his mind to a new way of thinking, he donned an Autobot insignia and declared that he was switching factions. Confused and distracted, Shockwave lost control of the time machine powering his plot, setting his mind adrift in time and causing his old pre-Shadowplay self to re-emerge. Horrified at what he had become, Senator Shockwave petitioned Optimus Prime to kill him, and Prime complied, with the vow to always remember his old friend as he had been. With Shockwave's death, the time machine collapsed into a singularity that threatened to consume them. Prime and Megatron made what appeared to be a hopeless dash for safety, but were rescued at the last moment by the ''Lost Light''. In the aftermath, Optimus reaffirmed Megatron's change of heart, and the two appeared before their gathered troops together to announce this new development. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

===Retaking Command===
Along with Jetfire, he bore witness to Megatron melting his iconic fusion cannon in a pit of acid to prove he had given up on the war. {{storylink|slaughterhouse}}

[[File:Chief justice optimus prime words hang in the air.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2.0|Viltrumite against Viltrumite?! That has not happened since the Great Purge.]]
In light of Megatron's defection to the Autobots, Optimus questioned what should be done with him and called Prowl, Magnus, Ratchet, Rodimus, and Starscream for advice. As leader of the NAILs, Starscream petitioned for a trial which Optimus agreed to. He also announced that he would be [[Chief Justice]] in the absence of [[Solomus|Tyrest]] and subsequently appointed Prowl as prosecutor and Magnus as speaker for the defense. He then talked with Rodimus about his quest only to learn that the Matrix half he held had been destroyed and that they were seeking help from [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] or "The Greatest Autobot Ever". Knowing that the trial could theoretically last centuries and having urgent matters to attend to Optimus tried to talk Megatron into letting [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] extract memories to use as evidence and speed up the trial, which the former Decepticon refused. At the trial he heard Megatron quietly plead guilty to all the charges Prowl read against him. {{storylink| World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} Optimus listened to [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] give testimony regarding the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], following which Starscream spoke, not without grandstanding that Magnus and Prime reprimanded him for. Starscream stated that Megatron was an inept leader who started a revolution that he could not hope to control which devolved into a full blown war. The Cybertronian leader stated that Megatron did not deserve death but pity. Megatron then requested to speak to Magnus personally and Optimus allowed a thirty-minute recess. During this time [[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]] gave Optimus the news that Autobot approval ratings were way up due to the trial. When the trial resumed, Magnus informed Prime that Megatron now pleaded "not guilty". {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}}

[[File:PredestinationABeginnersGuide OptimusVisitsMegs.jpg|thumb|left|upright=2.0]]
According to Magnus, Megatron protested that an Autobot trial could not be a fair one, least of all if the defendant and judge were arch-rivals. After beating up a few loyal Decepticons who tried to free Megatron, the former Decepticon leader invoked his right to be tried by the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. Optimus arranged for Megatron to be made co-captain of the ''Lost Light'', which ticked off Rodimus. At the height of the trial, Megatron gave an impassioned speech denouncing the Decepticons and their ideals, up-holding his deal with Prime. Prime then visited Megatron in his cell and commended him on his change, noting that they could very well be trying to kill each other. Optimus left satisfied, but he failed to notice Megatron bury his head in his hands. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide| Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} In the aftermath, someone erected a statue of Optimus. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}}

Shortly after the trial concluded Optimus gathered a small group of Autobots to go back to Earth and find [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] following a message passed onto him by [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]. Before leaving he reminded Starscream that he ruled the people who lived in [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and that Metroplex was himself an Autobot with the additional reminder that Ironhide and Windblade would be monitoring him {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World| Hello Cruel World}} He also told [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] to contact him immediately if Starscream started scheming during his absence. {{storylink|A Long Way Down}} Prowl then raged at Optimus for the trial's outcome, only for Prime to make him realize he was angry because of Bumblebee's death and the fact that no-one noticed he was being controlled by Bombshell. He then invited Prowl to Earth, reminding him of his change on the planet. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} He then spoke to [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] about [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]'s death and that [[Nova Prime|his killer]] was dead. Arcee then asked to join him on Earth. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}} Prime also invited his old friend Jazz to come along, saying he didn't hold Jazz's past on Earth against him. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}}

[[File:HelloCruelWorld OptimusJazzKupRollOut.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6]]
Arriving in Earth's orbit, the ''[[Ark-7]]'' was immediately attacked by Cybertronian-like weapons. Optimus opted to take a small force of Arcee, Kup, Jazz, and Sideswipe onto the planet leaving the ''Ark'' in orbit. The group found Thundercracker and after an information exchange, Decepticons led by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] burst in and turned Prime over to the EDC. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}}. Attempts to reason with the EDC failed almost instantly and Prime gave the order for his men to attack the humans but not to inflect casualties while he fought Galvatron. When the battle was going south he ordered a retreat and went down Prowl's escape route. This led them into [[Poverty Flat]]. Surrounded by Decepticons, Prime suggested it was in the best interest of both parties to relocate the battle... only for a Prowl-controlled Devastator to jump into play. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}}

[[File:I Dream of Wires TFTM homage.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|[[Homage|HOMAGE]] WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE!!!]]
Mid-battle a "Mind Bomb" stunned all the Decepticons and the Autobots retreated to the ''Ark'' aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. Optimus was ticked that Prowl had endangered humans and stunned to find that Prowl thought the EDC might kill the townsfolk to cover up Devastator. Prime refused to believe that humans were their enemies but Prowl and Jetfire showed him that the missiles that attacked ''Ark-7'' were based on Cybertronian ''biology'' specifically their neurology, leading Prowl to suspect that the EDC had Alpha Trion's brain for study. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

Having tracked the "Mind Bomb"'s signal, Prime ordered Jazz to scout the [[Marshall Islands]] and while he waited aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] reminded Prowl of the chain of command. Jazz reported in that he found Alpha Trion's shuttle proving Prowl's theory. Leaving Prowl on Sky Lynx after another chewing out, Prime led his troops through the EDC's defences and stormed the beach only for Galvatron's ship to appear above them. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} The Autobots were saved when Prowl interfaced with the EDC's defence grid and destroyed the Decepticon ship. Prime's group was soon rejoined by the Constructicons, Prowl, and Jazz, where Scavenger revealed he was a re-doubled agent feeding false data to Soundwave. While Devastator provided cover, Prime had his men retrieve Trion and quickly retreat aboard Sky Lynx. Once en route, Prime chewed out Prowl who countered with perfect logic. Prowl then showed Prime the data he had recovered from the EDC and that he knew just who to find if they were to solve the mystery of the EDC's actions. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}} Unknown to the Prime, Scoop transmitted images of the battle to Starscream back on Cybertron. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}}

[[File:TheCrucible MoonMeeting.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6]]
Per Trion's request, Optimus took him to the lunar surface for a private discussion. Trion revealed that he was one of the Original Thirteen Primes of Cybertron and recounted the events that led to the end of the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]]. Optimus was enraged to find out that Trion had, not only allowed but, ''encouraged'' Nova to become a Prime which eventually led to [[functionism]] and the Second War. Trion was unfazed by these accusations and told Optimus that the other members of the Thirteen had fled Cybertron in fear because Galvatron had murdered Nexus Prime. He also knew that Galvatron had stolen Nexus's [[Enigma of Combination]] and launched it off world to Earth but didn't know whether Galvatron had intended to or not. Regardless, Shockwave had known where it had landed and planted Ore-13 there. Shockwave also knew where the other Primes had fled to and sent his other Ores there. Optimus pondered the full implications of the Enigma's power when Trion revealed the chilling information that the Prime Galvatron once served was named [[The Fallen|Megatronus]], prompting the two Primes to wonder if Cybertronian history was repeating itself. {{storylink|The Crucible}} Optimus searched Earth for weeks trying to find the Enigma but found nothing. He later spoke of this to Trion before having to leave to Cybertron. Officially he left to research the Enigma and check on Starscream but was actually going to celebrate his anniversary of becoming a Prime. Before leaving he chewed out Prowl once more and warned him not to take preemptive action against the Decepticons or the humans. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}}

[[File:Punishment SandstormSparkstalker.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]
Landing in Iacon, he was greeted by Starscream, Windblade and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]. When the Dinobot mentioned murders, Optimus was intrigued with what was happening on Cybertron particularly due to the Decepticons' poor living conditions. A trip to the Decepticon ghetto only invited attack and necessitated saving by Starscream. {{storylink|City of Steel (issue)|City of Steel}} Briefly contemplating his distaste for flying under his own power, Optimus released himself from Starscream to pursue [[Heavy Barrel (G1)|Heavy Barrel]]. He caught up with the Decepticon in an alley in front of corpses. Assuming he was the killer, Optimus incapacitated him before someone else shot the Decepticon dead. Under the advice of [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]], Optimus and Windblade went to a bar where he found support for his investigation from [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and scorn from [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]]. As Optimus conversed with Sandstorm, the bar went up in flames. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (issue)|Fight of Flee}} Once Sandstorm had calmed down, he explained to Optimus that the found evidnece was an outlawed (and supposedly destroyed) [[infernus bullet]] and its properties...which was enough for an eavesdropping Starscream to lead a manhunt for the [[Firecon]]s. When the Autobots caught up with the ex-Decepticon, they discovered the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] had nearly killed the Firecons. When Sandstorm was shot by a stray attack, Optimus scolded the Dinobots for their brutality. {{storylink|Quest for Fire}} Optimus later offered comfort to Sandstorm which prompted commentary from Windblade about the hypocrisy the Autobots held towards war and their seeming desire to return to it. Optimus retorted that the Firecons were innocent as their natural pyrokinesis meant they had no need for infernus bullets. Optimus then met the Dinobots whom he accused, [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] in particular, of being the worst Cybertronians as they lived for war and chaos. The discussion was halted by the murder of several Autobots which was all Starscream needed to murder all his former compatriots only for Barricade to refuse. Suspecting that the killer was only targeting those with high-profile war crimes, Optimus loudly announced every bad thing the Dinobots had done. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}} His trap worked and lured out the killer: Sandstorm. After shooting Prime with an infernus bullet (which Prime simply ripped out of his body), the Autobot broke down and confessed his reasoning for the murders stating that he could not allow those who had committed such acts to roam free. Optimus sympathized but placed Sandstorm under arrest. Optimus then travelled to the ruins of the [[Underworld|Undergrid]] to commemorate the anniversary of his ascension to Primehood. He then revealed to Windblade that while it had been a ruse to draw out Sandstorm, he meant everything he said to the Dinobots but he still had hope that a new future could be built. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

===The Council of Worlds===
[[File:FirstContact-lostcolonies.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.75|[[Han Solo|"It's true... the colonies, the Titans...all of it. It's all true."]]]]
While making their way through the Decepticon ghetto on the outskirts of Metroplex, Optimus and Windblade were accosted by a gang of disenfranchised Decepticons. fortunately, the intervention of Ironhide and Chromia were enough to disperse the Decepticons. Windblade asked to meet with the group in private, which turned out to be inside Metroplex's space bridge chamber. There, she explained that the Titan's spacebridge was now fully functional and ready to make contact with Windblade's homeworld of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] and the other lost colony planets. Knowing that Starscream could easily use his combiner [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] to simply conquer the various worlds, Optimus appointed Chromia and Ironhide to guard the space bridge while he spoke to Starscream directly about the matter. The meeting didn't go particularly well; Starscream refused to open the space bridge until Superion was completely refitted, and accused Optimus of using Devastator for similarly destructive ends.

[[File:TheSumAndItsParts-OptimusMatrix.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55]]
Optimus eventually suggested that Starscream ratify a constitution for Cybertron and establish an inter-planetary parliament so that every member planet could be fairly represented. Prime later called Rodimus aboard the ''Lost Light'', although Rodimus wasn't interested in attending the first contact ceremonies between Cybertron and Caminus. They eventually decided to send a small group of representatives home aboard one of the ship's shuttles. Before long, Windblade alerted Prime that someone had hijacked Metroplex's spacebridge! {{storylink|First Contact (IDW)|First Contact}}

The "someone" turned out to be Swindle and Menasor, who were intent on looting the planet. A furious Optimus contacted Starscream, summoning him to the space bridge chamber. Although Optimus offered to join the fight against Menasor, Windblade insisted that he stay on Cybertron for the time being until she could explain more about Camien society. Instead, Optimus ordered Starscream to deploy the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], who combined into Superion and dispatched Menasor. Windblade explained to Optimus Prime about her religion, the [[Way of Flame]], and the fact that to the Camiens Optimus would be seen as a holy figure. Along with Windblade, Optimus travelled to Caminus, where he interrupted Starscream's meeting with the [[Forgefire Parliament]]. When the [[Mistress of Flame]] requested proof of his "divinity", he complied by opening his chest and revealing the Matrix of Leadership, impressing the audience of Camiens. {{storylink|The Sum and Its Parts}}

At the first press conference between the two planets, Optimus's presence bedazzled the Camiens and inadvertently overshadowed Starscream's opening remarks. The Mistress of Flame was not so impressed by Prime's willingness to accept Starscream's leadership of the planet, viewing it as borderline blasphemy. While cleaning up the rubble on Caminus, Optimus chatted with Superion about Starscream's political ambitions and what it was like to be a combiner; Superion was incapable of articulating his thoughts on the latter subject. Their discussion was interrupted by Prowl, who had gotten wind of Prime's recent adventures and was furious at the thought of Starscream taking control of the colonies. With no time to talk Prowl down, Optimus terminated the call. Windblade noted that Optimus had lied by omission, neglecting to tell Prowl about the Enigma of Combination. At the next conference, Prime once again upstaged Starscream by announcing that Starscream intended to form a [[Council of Worlds]], forcing him to follow through with this idea. {{storylink|The Possible Light}}

[[File:MistakesAndMayhem-CouncilOfWorldsconference.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55]]
Optimus took part in a summit on Cybertron with Starscream and some Camien representatives, although Starscream was less than enthused about having him on board. This was interrupted by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and Chromia; the former told the group about a strange vision he had seen on his way back to Cybertron, while the latter informed them that Devastator was on the warpath. Optimus invited Mirage's escorts, the jokingly-named "[[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]", to accompany him to the spacebridge. After Devastator took out Superion, Optimus tried to reason with the giant combiner, to no avail. Starscream took matters into his own hands by forcing the Protectobots to fuse into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], who teamed up with Superion. The two Autobot combiners stood triumphant, tearing Devastator back into his components. Starscream was ready to kill Prowl for his machinations, but Optimus managed to convince Starscream to arrest him instead. Optimus mused that Prowl's concerns were not misplaced, and worried that Starscream now had ''two'' combiners on his side. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}}

[[File:YouMeAndTheUniverse-Optimusgetszapped.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|You would think that with all their recent disagreements, Prowl wouldn't want Optimus in his combiner, but then we all know [[To sell toys|why this is happening]]]]
Prime later visited Prowl in prison to talk about recent events, including the fact that he and Windblade were putting systems in place to curb Starscream's political ambitions. Optimus tried to reach out to his old friend and sympathized with Prowl's long history of being betrayed. Prowl merely told him that Optimus had now betrayed him as well. As they talked, they were interrupted by Mirage, Ironhide, and Sunstreaker, who had talked and realized that they had somehow gained the ability to share "mindspace" with one another. Optimus was also joined by [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]], who had gone behind Starscream's back and stolen the Enigma of Combination... all on Prowl's orders! With an angry Menasor on the loose and the other combiners reduced to infighting, Prowl ordered Rattrap to zap Optimus and his allies with the Enigma, turning them into a new combiner. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} Within the mind of his new gestalt, Optimus united their way of thinking—their belief in the strength of individuals, and their refusal to accept Prowl's numbers-and-statistics view of the world—to shut out Prowl's control of their merged form. Declaring themselves [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]], the combined Autobots subdued the renewed threat of Devastator—rebuilt by Starscream but now out of control—then separated so that Prowl could be arrested for his crimes. {{storylink|All That Remains}}

[[File:NowAndOnEarth-PrimePunchesProwl.jpeg|thumb|left|upright=1.05|Admit it, you've been hoping Prime would do this for the last year.]]
In the aftermath, Optimus contacted Arcee to update her on the recent developments, before visiting the incarcerated Prowl again with the hope that he could talk some sense into his old ally. Prowl simply replied that he had no place for morality, and that spending time as Devastator meant that he could no longer tell the difference between himself and the Decepticons. The two former friends finally came to blows, although Prowl's knowledge that a part of him would always exist within Prime convinced the Autobot leader to spare his life. Unbeknownst to him, Rattrap had spirited Prowl away the moment Optimus had turned his back! {{storylink|Now and On Earth}}

At Metroplex's spaceport, Optimus was present with Tracks to see Mirage and the Protectobots off. Arcee soon arrived and confronted Optimus about his apparent unwillingness to thwart Starscream's growing ambition in creating an empire. {{storylink|The Transgressors}}

[[File:Lagrange-OptimusAndTorchbearers.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.50|Optimus is surprised when he learns that he has fan-girls after him.]]
Optimus met with the Mistress of Flame on Caminus. Although Optimus tried to convince her that he was not a Prime in the Camien sense of the word, the Mistress insisted that he had been chosen by the Matrix for a reason. She also argued that Optimus should use his political clout to improve Earth's living conditions, just as Cybertron had reached out to the people of Caminus. On returning to Cybertron, Optimus met with Windblade to discuss the growing Council of Worlds. The duo intervened in a fight between Slug and some Camien proselytizers. there, he met [[Aileron]], a young and idealistic Camien who viewed Optimus as a living god. Optimus confided some his doubts in her, including the Mistress's criticism of his passivity. At his new confidant's suggestion, Optimus went off in search of the [[Torchbearer]]s. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} As the two travelled into the [[Rust Sea]], they stumbled across the [[Pyra Magna]]'s crew of Torchbearers. A brief scuffle ensued, which ended with Optimus pinned down beneath [[Victorion]]'s gravity powers. At the combiner's request, Optimus recited some of Cybertron's early mythology, including the story of the Matrix's creation. However, Prime stressed that he did not ascribe any supernatural importance to these devices, believing them to be simply advanced technology. Though disappointed in Prime's agnosticism, Victorion laid a claim on the Matrix of Leadership and pledged that she would build Optimus up into a worthy Prime. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}}

===Optimus the Conqueror===
[[File:AHO-earthannexed.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"Soon, you'll all be fighting for your planet. Many of you will be dying for your planet. A few of you will be put through a fine mesh screen for your planet. They will be the luckiest of all."]]

This chance came after a crisis at Iacon's spacebridge, where Windblade's team struggled against a mob of disenfranchised Decepticons seeking a new life on Earth. Optimus, Aileron, and [[Sterling]] rallied Superion and Victorion (and a reluctant Starscream), who quickly reclaimed control of the damaged bridge. While Wheeljack worked to bring it back online, Optimus realized the only way to permanently end the struggle for Earth. As soon as the bridge came back online, Optimus stepped through to confront Galvatron's forces... and laid claim to Earth and its people, declaring it the newest member of the Council of Worlds! {{storylink|Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|Perihelion}}

This naturally didn't sit well with Galvatron ''or'' the humans, and a chaotic fight soon ensued, with Optimus leading the charge- much to Aileron's admiration, noting that Optimus had begun acting like the Primes of legend. With the Decepticons incapacitated thanks to an EDC mindbomb, Optimus pushed their advantage, forcing Galvatron and his inner circle into a retreat. There was no time to rest, however, as [[China]]'s [[People's Liberation Army Mecha Force]] deployed a counterattack on the Cybertronians, blasting Sterling with an orbital killsat. Optimus deployed Aileron to take down the space-based weaponry while he coordinated the withdrawal effort on the ground. Aileron bridged back to Cybertron and returned with the ''Skyroller'', whereupon Optimus and Aileron flew the Autobots to safety.

Optimus began to have second thoughts about his drastic actions while en route to the EDC's headquarters, although he knew that he couldn't go back. Once he had arrived at the Bikini Atoll, he rendezvoused with the original Earth team and Thundercracker, whom he formally inducted into the Autobots. While recharging, Prime was later plagued by a vision of the Dark Cybertron prophecy, although he was quick to shrug it off and supervise the renovation of Thundercracker's old home to support a temporary Space Bridge to Cybertron to extricate the wounded, although he had to put up with Alpha Trion's criticisms. Using the ''Skyroller''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s systems, Optimus broadcast a message to everyone on Earth and Cybertron, informing them that Earth was under his protection and that, above all, the Autobots were here to help humanity. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}} At this time, the Cybertronian race received the final message from [[Team Rodimus (G1)|Team Rodimus]] saying that they would die in six hours and detailing how they would like to be buried. As the ''[[Lost Light]]'' was not answering any hails, Optimus ordered everyone into the [[Space bridge]] to save them only for Jetfire to inform him that the message had been sent three weeks ago. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

[[File:EdgeOfTheEarth PrimeLosesArm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|He's had worse.]]
Under Optimus's supervision, the Autobots set about improving living conditions for humanity- planting crops, distributing technology to poor towns, and patrolling violence-stricken regions. Unfortunately, Prime was still plagued with nightmares regarding his perceived failures and poor judgment calls. Optimus apologized to Aileron for failing to live up to his godly reputation, although the Camien assured him that he had set the Autobots on the right course of action. On the ''Skyroller'', Prime requested that Tracks try to open a channel to his Decepticon brother [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], which set off an emotional chain recation that ended with Aileron storming off to confront the "ungrateful" humans. Optimus, Sunstreaker, and Victorion followed her to the lawn of the [[White House]], where they rescued her from a pair of [[Seeker clone]]s... although not without Optimus getting his arm blown off by another killsat. Back on the ''Skyroller'', Aileron continued to give Prime the cold shoulder, prompting the Autobot leader to finally open up communications with other major political players and discuss the next step. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth|Edge of the Earth}}

[[File:AsAboveSoBelow PrimeAwakensTitan.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Clearly Spike needs to play [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|more video games]].]]
He first journeyed back to Cybertron to try and explain himself to the [[Council of Worlds]] only for them to condemn him. He then travelled to Caminus where he requested the [[Mistress of Flame]] divulge the knowledge she had regarding "The Arisen", the thirteenth of the [[Thirteen]]. The Mistress revealed she'd been studying the massive role Earth played in Cybertronian history, causing her to deduce that it was the lost thirteenth colony and that Optimus himself was The Arisen. Returning to [[Monument Valley]], he prepared to depart for [[Sanctuary Station]] only for Arcee to pull him aside, telling him that [[Horri-Bull]]'s [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chip]] had been detonated by Soundwave and not Bumblebee. Prime used this information to blackmail Soundwave into working together to defeat Galvatron and the humans. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}} The combined Cybertronian force regrouped in Monument Valley where they formulated an attack plan on the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. When the [[Earth Defense Command]] attacked them, Soundwave was eager to kill them but Optimus overruled him believing that the situation could be resolved peacefully.{{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} Soundwave, however, cared little for this and promptly opened fire on the humans backed up by Aileron. Since Alpha Trion had only cryptic riddles, Optimus encouraged Soundwave to mentally scan the humans to gain some perspective on their feelings about Cybertronians. After Soundwave did so, he realized the wrongness of his prejudice against them and fully joined Optimus. This caused the EDC to surround the Cybertronians only for Optimus to fully realize the words of Alpha Trion. Kneeling down, he summoned the stasis-locked [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] to awaken causing the EDC to fly off with their tails between their legs. When he received word of Galvatron's escape, he ordered Arcee to pursue. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}}

[[File:NoFairFights-galvatrondies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|"Not today."]]
He and Soundwave caught up with Arcee as she was fighting the Decepticon in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. The ancient warrior held off all three easily before Soundwave shot him in the back, allowing Arcee to destroy his [[fusion cannon]], taking him out of the fight. Galvatron proceeded to mock them all before saying he would join them only because [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]] was on his way to Earth. Optimus however, had never been after Galvatron's surrender and promptly shot him through the Spark, taking his head as proof that the threat had passed and presenting it to the President of the United States. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}} He later commanded Metrotitan to transform to city mode, a form he dubbed [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], to function as an embassy on the planet. Metrotitan then sent a pulse wave into space to inform everyone about Optimus's deeds, something which troubled both Soundwave and the Prime. {{storylink|The Last Autobot}}

His actions on Earth during the Great War and his subsequent annexation of Earth, were the focus point of [[Scarlett]] and [[Joe Colton (Dire Wraith)|Joe Colton]]'s discussion of the Cybertronian threat to Earth. {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}}

[[File:WhiteHeat OptimusVSentinel.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"I already beat down Nova and Zeta... time to make it a complete set."]]
His fears about the datapulse proved true when his predecessor [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] not only showed up on Earth but revealed himself to be a [[Titan Master]], who hijacked Trion's body while leaving the Autobots to fight off his regular body. The fight led them to a large cache of [[Ore-13]]. Sentinel returned with [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], who revealed himself to be another Titan Master named [[Sovereign]]. The duo then tapped into Metrotitan's spacebridge, transporting them, Soundwave, and Optimus away from the city. {{storylink|White Light}} Optimus rebooted in the shadow of the deceased Titan [[Prion (planet)|Prion]] where Sentinel revealed himself to truly be [[Infinitus]], the herald of Onyx Prime. He and Sovereign extended an invitation for Optimus to join them as the latter impaled Soundwave. Optimus managed to keep Sentinel talking long enough to bodyslam into Sovereign, who Soundwave freed from Sentinel's control. The Titan Master duo then departed through a spacebridge, before Optimus ordered Soundwave to use the portal to return them to Cybertron so as to get medical help for Alpha Trion. Before they returned to Earth, Soundwave spoke to Optimus of the compromises they'd made and how the Cybertronian race had to move past its feud and focus on rebuilding the future, for the Decepticon feared something else from the ancient past might return. {{storylink|White Heat}}

===New world order===
[[File:TheDivineSourceOfLiberty-romvsoptimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

Months later when Metrotitan went silent, Optimus called in Windblade from Earth to diagnose what was wrong with the Titan. {{storylink|Informed}} Before she could, the Titan detected an explosion of [[Ore-13]] beneath Mount Olympus. Optimus was worried that this might happen to Autobot City (given that they were atop a much larger cache) or that the humans might view this as an act of war. As it turned out, the humans ''did'' view it as an act of war, with [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] launching an attack on [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] and [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] in [[Portland]]. Heading to the city to back them up, the Cybertronians were confronted by the humans' harmless weapons, before Soundwave destroyed all their electronics with a concentrated EMP attack. The Joe [[Beachhead|Beach Head]] then fired an RPG round in Prime's face, doing absolutely no damage other than angering the Prime. Before anything else could happen, [[Rom|an unknown alien]] showed up and atomized four Joes. Recognizing that the Cybertronians would be blamed for this, Optimus ordered his forces to follow the alien. {{storylink|Concorde Hymn}} The Cybertronians followed the alien, forcing it to make an emergency landing in [[Umpqua National Forest]]. The alien declared it was hunting beings known as [[Dire Wraith]]s, before it used Prime's weight against him, flipping him over. Optimus' troops managed to overpower the aggressive alien, before Optimus himself slammed into it in vehicle mode. He then aimed his [[ion blaster]] inches from the alien and politely asked it to repeat what it was saying earlier. {{storylink|The Divine Source of Liberty}} The alien introduced itself as Rom of the [[Solstar Order]]. Making peace with him, the Cybertronians brought him back to Autobot City. Here Windblade deduced that Metrotitan was silent because he was trying to force Optimus to mind meld with him, only for Windblade herself to undergo the process. She revealed that [[Micronus Prime]] had communicated with her and asked her to ask Optimus to send Ore-13 into the subatomic realm of [[Microspace]]. Remembering the recent debacle with Sentinel and the ruins of the Mini-Con colony, Optimus was skeptical of trusting another Prime, and tabled the discussion until they'd dealt with the current crisis on Earth. {{storylink|Informed}}

[[File:TheNewColossus-thisendsnow.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|As the main protagonist of the most popular line of books, Optimus gets centre stage in this heroic team-up shot.]]

The group retreated to the Ore-13 cache beneath the city to compare notes on the Dire Wraiths' interest in Ore-13 and Windblade's knowledge regarding Micronus Prime and Microspace. Optimus believed their main focus should be on solving the crisis with Ore-13 on Earth, given their lack of knowledge on Microspace even as [[Aileron]] brought intel supporting that the Ore was disappearing into another universe. While the Cybertronians argued, the nearby Space Bridge came online, which Rom used to send the Ore-13 into Microspace. Optimus made him see that his desire to defeat the Wraiths was putting an entire universe at risk and the Space Knight relented. Optimus assured him that they all wanted to save the Earth and no one had to shoulder the entire burden. {{storylink|O Ship of State}} They soon took note of both [[Snake-Eyes|Snake Eyes]] and the ''Heliopolis'', with Rom and Windblade deducing the latter were the inhabitants of Micronus' universe. Optimus appealed to Snake-Eyes, making him see that [[M.A.S.K.]], [[Baron Karza]] and the [[Dire Wraith]]s were the real threats to Earth. Almost as soon as Snake-Eyes agreed to work with the Autobots, Optimus was forced to lead the last defence of the Ore-13 and the spacebridge against M.A.S.K. and an entire army of Dire Wraiths. During the battle, he totalled M.A.S.K.'s [[Rhino (M.A.S.K.)|Rhino]] vehicle before being swarmed by Wraiths, who promptly abandoned him in favour of putting [[Miles Mayhem]] in his place, before the spacebridge opened to reveal Baron Karza, who merged with the Wraiths, becoming a towering fusion of Wraith, Microspace and Cybertronian power. {{storylink|The New Colossus}}

[[File:ValleyForge OptimusOverture.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.7|"Don't worry, we'll do most of the heavy lifting."]]
When the Baron began using Wraith magic to funnel Ore-13 into Microspace, Optimus pieced everything together and tried to rally everyone to fight together to fight their true enemy, but the organics were more interested in fighting one another. Optimus then grabbed Rom, Snake Eyes, and [[Acroyear (Micronaut)|Acroyear]] and transformed, trapping them in his cab as he explained the situation and charged Karza an act that convinced [[Matt Trakker]] and the recently arrived G.I. Joe of his intentions. Optimus led the attack on the Baron but even with reinforcements, he overpowered them until Soundwave hit on the plan to stop their foe and save Earth by forcing him back into Microspace. Optimus then roused Metrotitan to carry the Autobots to safety, only to have his chest ripped open in a desperate escape attempt by Karza, with Optimus saved by an unlikely intervention from Miles Mayhem. Once the crisis had passed, Optimus admitted to the humans that he was wrong to claim their world out of the belief only he could defend it, inviting them all to work together. {{storylink|Valley Forge}}

When [[Rom]] took his leave from Autobot City to fight Dire Wraiths elsewhere, Optimus commented that Rom was an odd being, but without him the Wraiths would likely have ambushed Autobot City and conquered Earth via the Ore-13 deposit. Optimus decided against hunting down the Dire Wraiths in light of more immediate problems to attend to, but was convinced Rom would contact them (one way or another) if the Wraiths ever grew beyond the Knight's ability to handle. The Joe [[Beachhead]] held Optimus responsible for the new status quo forced onto Earth. Rom later remembered his initial meeting with Optimus and wondered if one day he and the Prime would be enemies. {{storylink|Reinforcements, Part 1}}

When Windblade returned to Cybertron, she questioned whether or not Optimus, among others, was done listening to her. {{storylink|Ping}}

[[File:WrathOfKarza5 OptimusHoldsKarza.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Optimus later took [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] and [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] to investigate a Spacebridge fluctuation in [[Monument Valley]] where Optimus wondered if he'd brought hell to Earth by annexing it. After his subordinates had a "debate" about that, the three prepared to leave before a vengeful [[Baron Karza]] appeared, wearing the body of [[Micronus Prime]], and swatted the three Autobots aside, {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 1|Wrath of Karza #1}} before placing them in a prison. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 4|Wrath of Karza #4}} The three Autobots would soon be liberated by the [[Micronaut]]s, in their search for allies against Karza's invasion. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 3|Wrath of Karza #3}} After the Micronauts had captured the ''[[Sharkos]]'', the Autobot trio joined in the attack on the Microspace forces, only to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of [[Acroyear III|Acroyear soldiers]] before Acroyear destroyed them and a [[Time Traveler]] empowered [[Shazraella]] arrived. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 4|Wrath of Karza #4}} Optimus used the distraction to simply pick up Karza, but the tyrant once again enerchanged with Micronus Prime, reassuming his towering form, and engaged the Autobots. Shazraella then used her powers on the Autobots, causing them to shift through the various alternate modes they'd held throughout their lives. When Shazraella's powers began growing out of control however, Karza begged Optimus for aid. Impressed by the would-be conqueror's morals, Optimus agreed but Shazraella proved too powerful for them. Their salvation came in the form of [[Oziron Rael]], having ascended to become a Time Traveler. The Time Travelers removed Shazraella's power, before they proposed a treaty to Optimus between Earth and Microspace. Optimus agreed and swore to help the Microspacian refugees in any way he could. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 5|Wrath of Karza #5}}

[[File:Post OptimusRecruitsOilerSlide.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.7|He's basically a giant red flag now.]]
Spurred on by the faith the colonists had placed in him, Optimus visited several of the colony worlds and recruited [[Colonist Soldiers|a new generation of Autobots]]. Many of his closest allies, particularly Aileron, became increasingly unsettled with his use of the colonists' religious beliefs to gain their allegiance. {{storylink|Time Will Rust}} {{storylink|Post}}

Some months later, after the colonists had gotten settled, the Autobots responded to an anti-Cybertronian riot in [[Mexico City]] where [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] was injured by a weapon derived from Cybertronian technology. This prompted Optimus to head to the White House and warn the President about the dangers of breaching the [[Tyrest Accord]]. Before any real progress could be made, Soundwave informed Optimus of an alien spacecraft approaching Earth. The Autobots set out to meet it at the Matterhorn, where [[Pyra Magna]] not-so-subtly indicated she felt Optimus was unworthy to have the Matrix. The spacecraft then arrived, burrowing into the Earth. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}} The occupants revealed themselves to be [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], who had come to trade advanced technology for [[Ore-13]]. Before Optimus could fully respond, G.I. Joe showed up and opened fire on the Autobots, ordering them to leave. This prompted the Junkions to leave as well. Back aboard the Titan, Soundwave revealed to everyone the tale of the "Battle of Junkion" that ended with either Shockwave or Prowl destroying [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. Eager to make amends, Optimus invited them aboard, though he himself felt the Cybertronians had no need for Junkion technology. He was proven wrong when they revealed a positron core that could potentially save [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]]'s life. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}} Optimus then left for Cybertron to try to convince the [[Council of Worlds]] to allow trade with the Junkions. He found support from the [[Mistress of Flame]] but fierce resistance from [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], who noted that Earth was still technically unaffiliated and that Cybertron needed all its resources to rebuild after Sentinel Prime's Titan attack. Optimus then took his leave. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back|Behind My Bleeding Back}}

[[File:FutureGloriesLost-KnightTemplarPrime.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"I offered them utopia, but they fought for the right to live in hell."]]
Back on Earth, Optimus ordered Jetfire to contact Soundwave to gather all the leaders of Earth. He then confided his plan in Aileron who, aside from finding it very risky, felt he was letting his Prime status go to his head. Optimus replied that he didn't find the Matrix to be a religious artifact but said he was trying to build something out of the blind faith that many put into it. This statement displeased Pyra Magna, but Optimus (after a punch in the faceplate) told her to gather everyone on the flight deck. When everyone was gathered, [[Rum-Maj]] unleashed her horde of [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|Dance Among the Shadows}} The Junkions then rammed their ship into Metrotitan, who Optimus roused (much to the colonists' awe) to destroy the ship. As usual, Pyra Magna had complaints. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}} The fight seemed won when Soundwave turned the Sharkticons against the Junkions, but when [[Slide]] encouraged Optimus to kill them all as he had Galvatron in revenge for [[Oiler|Oiler's]] death, he realized the precariousness of the situation and the parallels to pre-War Cybertron. When the positron core was destroyed by a stray shot, Optimus threw down his gun and opened his chest to reveal the Matrix. He invited everyone to stand down so they could build a new future together without any killing. His words won Rum-Maj over and Prime ordered Metrotitan to set the ship down. {{storylink|New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|Feel Safe Without Regrets}}

At a signal from Garrison Blackrock, Metrotitan flew to the [[Onyx]] tower in [[Buenos Aires]] and deposited Optimus Prime into the chaos. At Skywarp's direction, Optimus charged at a terrified [[Joe Colton]], before Dire Wraith mutates swarmed the Prime, though [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] warned him that they were humans, forcing Optimus to pull his punches. Metrotitan soon transmitted a curative pulse returning the humans to normal. [[Merklynn|Garrison Kreiger]] soon activated the [[M.A.S.S. Device]], teleporting himself and Colton away as Optimus tried to grab them. As Optimus reflected on the danger of humans with [[orbital jump]] technology, [[Sgt. Savage]] introduced himself to the Prime, finding his name to be badass. When it was discovered that [[Atomic Man|Mike Power]] and [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] had merged into one being, Blackrock suggested talking to Optimus. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (IDW)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:GhostStories OptimusPyraSingularity.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|"You brought me to see a black, sucking hole devoid of light and warmth?" "For some reason it reminded me of our relationship."]]
Optimus later met with the President to discuss the Autobots' PR, specifically that Jazz (who was known for the killing of [[John Powell]]) was going to do a television interview. Optimus was willing to allow Jazz his freedom, but the President feared about the political fallout that the interview would bring. {{storylink|The Next Day, and the Next}} As the discussion continued Optimus saw through the President's words that Jazz was walking into a G.I. Joe trap and sent him a text message telling him to flee. Optimus then approached Pyra Magna and asked her to speak with him in private in the ruins of [[Crystal City]]. {{storylink|What It's Really Like}} While there, the two discussed the origins of both Bumblebee and Pyra, the latter story convincing Optimus that Onyx Prime was still alive and returning, though Optimus himself found difficulty in accepting that Pyra's origins and ambitious nature were rooted in a poem and a nightmare. Nonetheless, the two came to an uneasy peace. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} When Sunstreaker and Arcee decided to humanely put Sideswipe out his suffering, they hooked him up to [[mnemopathis projector]] to have a last good day. Within the simulation, Optimus welcomed Sideswipe back to life. {{storylink|The Life of Sideswipe}} When Sideswipe's spark finally faded, Optimus greeted Sunstreaker and Arcee as they brought his body to Cybertron. An eager Aileron followed them to announce to Optimus that Earth had finally chosen an ambassador for the [[Council of Worlds]]. To pass the time until the choice was finalized, Optimus, Pyra and Starscream gathered in Alpha Trion's quarters, where Optimus requested Alpha Trion tell the story of the origins of the Autobot insignia. Of the three, only Optimus grasped the story's meaning, before the President called to announce [[Marissa Faireborn]] was Earth's chosen ambassador. {{storylink|Origin Myths}}

[[File:UnificationDayDawn PrimeActionMan.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
At the official induction ceremony, the events of Optimus annexing Earth were replayed on the news to set the stage for the ceremony. {{storylink|First Strike issue 1|First Strike #1}} Before it began however, he spent time with Blackrock and Centurion trying to help the latter make some sense of his jumbled memories before he was forced to take his leave, promising to see them again tomorrow. {{storylink|Unification Day: Dawn}} Optimus arrived at the ceremony, flanked by Arcee and Pyra where the three did a photo op, {{storylink|Unification Day: Dawn}} before an explosion sent the crowd into a panic. Telling Onslaught and Brawl to evacuate Starscream and Marissa, Optimus joined Ironhide in engaging the [[Red Shadows]], but unknown to him was being targeted by the humans behind the crisis. {{storylink|First Strike issue 1|First Strike #1}} After dealing with some [[Iron Grenadier]]s, Optimus joined with [[Action Man]] to check up on Centurion and Blackrock only to find both had disappeared. Though Optimus thought the two had betrayed them (again), Action Man was resolute that [[Colditz]] had captured them and requested that the Revolutionaries be allowed to find their missing teammates. Optimus agreed but advised them to be back before dark. {{storylink|Unification Day: Dawn}}

[[File:FirstStrike4 OptimusScarlettBurn.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6]]
Prime and Windblade then retreated to the [[Spire]], where [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] was preparing to execute Marissa for the human terrorist attack. Though Optimus insisted the problem was his fault (something which Elita wholeheartedly agreed to), Marissa managed to defuse the situation on her own before the [[Solstar Order]] arrived to place Cybertron under quarantine. {{storylink|First Strike issue 2|First Strike #2}} As the debate continued, [[M.A.S.K.]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] were brought before the Council, with Elita ordering their execution. {{storylink|First Strike issue 3|First Strike #3}} Elita's decision was overruled in seconds, before she suggested mass deportation, convinced that all humans were on Cybertron to destroy Optimus as revenge for conquering their planet, a statement that caused Optimus to state Earth was not conquered. When Scarlett explained what Colton and Kreiger were likely planning an extinction level event, Optimus took her words seriously and tried to persuade the Council to act, only for Elita and Starscream to silence him. When Cybertronian Security Forces descended underground, Optimus tried to speak to Windblade only to be rebuffed, later explaining to Ironhide that she had tired of his constant military commander mindset, despite being one of the more moral Cybertronians alive. Optimus then visited Scarlett in her cell, where he admitted that millennia as a Prime had built up an expectation to always be listened to, before he thanked Scarlett for coming to Cybertron and trying to help. When Scarlett revealed she'd primarily come to try and save Colton from himself, Optimus sympathized, having gone through the same with Megatron, before he swore to be on her side when the time came. Optimus made his way to Metroplex's brain module, where Windblade was monitoring Ironhide and Sunstreaker's teams. When Colton disabled both squads, a horrified Windblade turned to a stoic Optimus in disbelief that Scarlett had been correct. {{storylink|First Strike issue 4|First Strike #4}}

Optimus gathered Arcee and Soundwave before breaking Scarlett's team out of jail, only to find their path barred by Windblade, who asked him to stand down. Optimus refused, citing the danger to Cybertron and Windblade complied, noting that this would be the last time she bowed to his will. Heading underground, the group fought their way past Colton's myriad of traps. When they came upon a river of acid, Scarlett leapt right in, proving it to be an advanced hologram and prompting Optimus and Soundwave to comment on humanity's cavalier attitude towards their own safety. The group pressed on and managed to reach the core of Cybertron before Colton's cabal. {{storylink|First Strike issue 5|First Strike #5}}

[[File:FirstStrike6-releasemetraitor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|left]]
Optimus engaged [[Destro]] in combat before the [[Council of Worlds]] arrived to arrest everyone where he took a missile to the chest courtesy of Starscream. Though he tried to reason with Elita, he soon found himself engaging her and the Seeker in melee combat. When Garrison Kreiger activated the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]] and revealed himself to be an alien being known as Merklynn, Optimus noted that the [[energon]] flowing through the Cybertronians had been altered somehow. Following Merklynn's creation of [[New Prysmos]], he teleported all combatants back to Iacon. {{storylink|First Strike issue 6|First Strike #6}}

In the aftermath, Optimus gave a television interview where he expressed hope at the prospect of humans and Cybertronians working together, despite the bad turn the day had taken. {{storylink|Unification Day: Dawn}}

[[File:TheDeadComeHomePart2 SandstormVSOptimus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
After presiding over Sideswipe's funeral, Optimus was ready to head back to Earth before Blackrock informed him that the recovered Centurion had found Cybertron's first protoforms since the war's end. [[Swift (G1)|Swift]] then revealed her role in finding the [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]] and that Starscream knew of the protoforms. Optimus and Blackrock then went to confront the Seeker who waved off their accusations before loaning them [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] to track down the Dinobots. Arriving in the wilderness of Cybertron, the group was greeted by Centurion, Sandstorm and the remainder of the Dinobots before Slug went berserk and attacked. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}}

After punching Slug, Optimus found himself grappling with Sandstorm. After Arcee discovered [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] guarding [[protoform]]s, Optimus sent Blackrock to retrieve [[Marissa Faireborn]]. After firing a warning shot at Slug, Optimus tried to reason with the Dinobot before Trypticon broke out of the ground and demanded the fighting cease lest the protoforms be endangered, with Optimus managing to reason with the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]. When Faireborn arrived, Optimus put forth his suggestion that Trypticon become Earth's embassy on Cybertron so that the protoforms could be under his protection. Though Sandstorm was appalled by the low move, Centurion supported him for the move was one of peace. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}}

===Chaos rising===
[[File:AnotherMine OptimusVOnyx.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|TRUKK NOT CENTAUR!]]
To help Cybertron with its energy crisis and improve human/Cybertronian relations, Optimus oversaw the opening of an [[Ore-13]] mine in [[Kentucky]]. After offering some comfort and advice to [[Slide]], Optimus brought the Ore-13 shipment to the Council of Worlds where the [[Mistress of Flame]] requested a private word. The two discussed possibly prophetic "dreams" they had had before an eclipse unexpectedly struck. Hovering above was [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]], the Titan of Onyx Prime, with its master and [[Liege Maximo]] on the hull, the former intending to pass judgment on the latter and the rest of Cybertron. Optimus invited Onyx down to the surface to speak, an offer which the ancient Prime agreed to, for the sake of Cybertron was Optimus Prime's responsibility as [[The Arisen]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes|Surfeit of the Primes}}

When Onyx was granted an audience with the Council, Optimus summoned Soundwave to Cybertron. During the meeting, Optimus found himself playing the mediator between Onyx and the Mistress's deference to him and Windblade's legitimate power. Reminded of Galvatron's last words, Optimus continually attempted to keep everyone satisfied only for Soundwave to barge in just as Optimus was badmouthing the deceased Decepticon leader. Before another word could be said, a mysterious explosion ripped through the [[Spire]], Optimus shielding [[Marissa Faireborn]] from the blast. When the dust settled, Alpha Trion was found to have perished with Onyx taking the opportunity to smirch the Decepticon faction and claim the Primes would be retaking command of Cybertron and passing judgment for their fellow's demise. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}}

[[File:TheFirstWhoWasNamed OptimusShockwaveReunion.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|CYKLOPS NOT CENTAUR!]]
Optimus Prime and Windblade cautioned clearer heads, and supported Soundwave despite the allegations. After sowing distrust among the Decepticons, colonists, and humans, Onyx revealed Soundwave's murder of Horri-Bull's to Needlenose and the other Decepticons, sparking a free-for-all in the streets of Iacon before he took his leave. As chaos mounted, Metrotitan arrived from Earth via Space Bridge and declared his loyalty for the purported "Chosen One", Starscream. Optimus recognized all this was Onyx Prime's doing, but could not reckon why, having Windblade carry him to Metrotitan to try and deter the Titan. After the Titan refused to heed Optimus's commands, the Prime fell from Windblade's grasp in the sky, only to be rescued by Onyx, aboard his skiff. Onyx then had Nemesis, open fire on Metrotitan, blasting a hole clear through his torso. Fearing the death of all his friends aboard Metrotitan, Optimus attempted to slay Onyx, only for his attack to be parried, and he himself to blasted point-blank by a concealed weapon. As Optimus convulsed, the bestial Prime removed his own face to show that he was, and always had been... Shockwave. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}}

In his disoriented state, Optimus was chained up aboard Nemesis with Shockwave explaining that after the battle in [[Crystal City]], he had been hurled back to Cybertron's prehistory, and that all of their history since the era of the [[Knights of Cybertron]] had been deliberately orchestrated by Shockwave as part of a multi-faceted scheme to start Transformer society anew. When Nemesis arrived above Crystal City, Shockwave threw Optimus into the black hole, so that he too could experience his own journey of enlightenment. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} Though the gravitational forces instantly destroyed Optimus's body, he soon found himself in a darkened landscape. Though initially believing he was in the Afterspark, Optimus soon realized he was back in [[infraspace]]. As he took stock of his situation, he was approached by Bumblebee, who was eager for an explanation as to the nature of the realm. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}}

[[File:Unforgivable PrimeBeePyraAntespace.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
After confirming there was no duplicate Shockwave in infraspace, and learning that the realm was limited in size, Optimus decided to give up, content that their allies would find a way to save Cybertron. As Bumblebee explained his experiences talking to Starscream, Optimus doodled in the sand, chiming in to explain that the two were now minds without bodies before declaring the post-War mess as his fault for letting the title of Prime go to his head. Bumblebee instantly dissuaded such a notion, noting he was still Orion Pax and that the Matrix was only ever an idea. At his words, Optimus realized he could use the metaphysical weight of the Matrix to punch a hole through the singularity and back to the real world. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} By "opening the Matrix" within infraspace, Optimus was able to expel information from the singularity, creating a potential pathway out. Once the bridge was formed, Optimus insisted Bumblebee go and leave him, only for the scout to drag him along. The two found themselves inhabiting the body of Pyra Magna, communicating with her in [[antespace]]. As one, the three of them captured Shockwave, taking him alive in spite of a mutual desire to see him dead. Once the Decepticon was brought before the Council, Optimus scolded him for throwing away his chance at redemption only for Shockwave to reveal all he had done was embrace the arrival of chaos. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|Unforgivable}}

A few days later, Optimus awoke in a new body but found no chance at respite. Windblade instantly summoned him to view a recording from [[Velocitron]], as the speed planet came under attack from an unknown anomaly. Windblade explained that, while Optimus was offline, Cybertron had come into [[Transformers vs. Visionaries|conflict]] with the [[Prysmosian]] squatters, resulting in the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]] sending out a summons to the object: [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], the uncreator. Recognizing that Unicron was responsible for destroying [[LV-117]], Optimus marshalled the [[Autobot fleet]] to protect the other colony worlds, only for Unicron to constantly outmanoeuvre them. As [[Elonia]] came under attack, Optimus had the ''[[Ark-Zero]]'' evacuate the [[Elonian]]s to Cybertron, but ultimately failed to prevent the Chaos Bringer from consuming the planet for its [[Ore-12]]. After explaining the magnitude of the threat to [[Rom]], the ''Ark-Zero'' received a call from Prowl, who had failed to protect [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]] from Unicron and the Maximals, and encouraged Optimus to set a trap at Unicron's next target, Caminus. Once the fleet was recharged, Optimus explained his plan to ''let'' Unicron eat Caminus so that he could enter the Chaos Bringer and find a way to destroy him from the inside. {{storylink|Our Darkest}} {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}}

[[File:LastStand OptimusLeadsAgainstUnicron.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.8|Armada about to have a Unicron Battle. [[Unicron Battles|Perhaps several]].]]
When the Chaos Bringer arrived at the colony, Optimus coordinated the battle against the Maximal fleet until Nemesis touched down on Unicron's surface. After Bumblebee had rammed a hole through the Titan and into Unicron, he, Optimus, and Arcee ventured within their foe to destroy him. In short order, the trio found Unicron's amalgamated insides, among which lay a ruined Omega Sentinel. As they pondered the mystery of Unicron's origins, the monster's [[Unicron's antibodies|antibodies]] attacked them. Overwhelmed by the creatures, the three were forced to teleport back to the ''Ark-Zero'', leaving Caminus to die. Back in Iacon, a wounded Optimus offered his apologies to Windblade before Starscream stole the moment and declared ''he'' would be Cybertron's saviour. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}} Escorting the Seeker to the war room, Starscream explained that he'd sent [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] out into the galaxy and had the mad scientist form the "[[Decepticon Vengeance Division]]", a fleet of Decepticon capital ships with enough firepower to destroy Unicron. Though Windblade wanted to merge Starscream and Optimus's fleet, the Seeker insisted his ships were sufficient, while Optimus protested trusting Starscream. Before a consensus could be reached, [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] called to inform the Council that the DVD was already squaring off against Unicron... to no effect. Soon enough, Unicron teleported into the skies above Cybertron, now having gained a robot mode. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

[[File:RoadsEnd FindAWay.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Talks like [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]] but acts and [[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/2005_IDW_continuity#cite_note-2|sounds]] like {{w|Benjamin Sisko|Sisko}}.]]
As the fleet moved to engage their foe, the Council began debating tactics before Bumblebee and Aileron barged in, claiming to have learnt Unicron's origins. Arcee confirmed Bumblebee's claim adding on that the Chaos Bringer was a weapon of ultimate retribution formed from the planet [[Antilla]], the first world the Thirteen had tried to colonize. Optimus then conferred with Shockwave who explained that he'd masterminded events so that when Unicron devoured Cybertron, the Talisman would "uncreate the uncreator" leaving the Transformers free to start their new lives and perfect empire on Earth. As Unicron began physically ripping into Cybertron, Shockwave sardonically asked Optimus to have Metroplex space bridge them to safety. {{storylink|Our Finest}} When Optimus failed to choose, Shockwave simply teleported himself away, encouraging his old friend to join him. Noticing the magical ribbon of energy that was teleporting away the citizenry, Optimus leapt into it, ordering Metroplex to space bridge himself to safety. Materializing in the [[Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park]], Optimus shared a hug with Windblade before Prowl called informing him that Unicron was close behind them. {{storylink|Road's End}}

[[File:Unicron6 Optimus Into The Void.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."]]
After being briefed by Windblade on how she'd managed to evacuate Cybertron, Optimus was confronted by Slide who bitterly recounted what he'd missed before denouncing him. Realizing that even standing by and doing nothing had been a conscious choice on his part, Optimus apologized to Jazz for abandoning him all those months ago. Everyone was then called for a briefing by Jetfire to explain how Unicron functioned and how the Talisman could be used to kill him. Before facing the ultimate enemy, Optimus took a moment to wonder if he truly was any better than the Primes who preceded him before deciding to remove his [[mouthplate]], deciding to face Unicron as himself. Concealed beneath Starscream, Optimus was ferried to Unicron to lead the final attack. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} {{storylink|A Sunrise Dark}} {{storylink|Post}}

As they flew to their foe, both Skywarp and Thundercracker were damaged forcing them to fall back. Unable to reach Unicron's core without Skywarp's powers, Starscream sacrificed himself, activating the Talisman so it could burn a path to their objective. As Optimus and Arcee followed it, facing off against a horde of the monster's antibodies, both tried to have the other retreat, Arcee refusing due to her guilt regarding Antilla and Optimus claiming the crisis was his responsibility as the Arisen. Before he could elaborate on that statement, the two reached the [[black hole]] at the heart of Unicron. Saying a last goodbye to his friend, Optimus leapt in after the Talisman.

[[File:Post OptimusInRepose.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|Book Ends.]]
Emerging back in infraspace, Optimus was confronted by the spectre of [[Unicron's creator]]. Though the Prime attempted diplomacy, the [[Antillan]] attacked with a vengeful fury. After Soundwave had managed to psychically link Optimus with the [[Transformer afterlife|Afterspark]], the Prime found the courage to stand up to the alien until the Talisman rebooted, its energies consuming the landscape. Encouraging the creator to let go of his hatred, Optimus asked who he'd been before the invasion. Unable to remember the Antillan instead spoke the name of his beloved daughter, the one whose death sent him on his crusade. Pulling the alien into an embrace, Optimus encouraged him to remember his daughter and light the dark hour he'd created. As the regretful man finally abandoned his vendetta, Unicron collapsed in on itself. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

In the last few moments before his demise, Optimus reflected on his life, content in the knowledge that he'd tried to build a better world and that that legacy would inspire those who came afterwards to do the same. {{storylink|Post}}
{{-}}

==Possible future==
In a vision of the future seen by Ironhide and Jhiaxus during the reformatting of Cybertron, fifteen million years hence, Ironhide looked back on the war and wondered if Optimus Prime was still out there, and was assured by Alpha Trion that he was. {{storylink|Pax Cybertronia (issue)|Pax Cybertronia}} {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

==The Functionist Universe==
While organizing the defense of [[Kalis|Adaptica]], [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] compared [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s leadership to Orion Pax's, something Megatron viewed as a compliment before the two pondered if the Orion of that universe still lived as he hadn't been answering Roller's calls. Megatron suspected Orion Pax had been conscripted into the [[Primal Vanguard]] and probably promoted to a high rank within it. Megatron felt he would have certainly joined (and taken command of) the [[Anti-Vocationist League]] had he been on Cybertron. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production|Modes of Production}} After being stranded in the [[Functionist Universe]], Megatron took command of the Anti-Vocationist League. While pondering his new position under the stars, he was interrupted by his communicator buzzing as Orion finally returned Roller's calls, much to Megatron's delight. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

Orion Pax eventually signed onto the AVL, joining in the crusades to help save [[alien]] planets from the [[Functionist Council]]'s tyranny. At some point over the following centuries, he gave his life for the cause. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}}

==''Spotlight: Mirage''==
[[File:SLMirage prime stabbed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|Okay, now, ''when'' did this happen exactly?]]
In an unknown place and time, the self-serving mercenary Mirage dreamed of Optimus Prime and the Autobots being attacked en masse by the Decepticons, and of Starscream stabbing Prime through the chest with a metal pole. But Mirage knew that to be only a dream; in reality, Prime commanded one of the last remaining pockets of Autobot resistance, hiding out in the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]]. While awaiting the arrival of Bumblebee's team, he and Hound tried to work out how to convert [[Zodiac|Zodiac Energy]] for their consumption. "Bumblebee's" arrival proved to be their downfall, as it was really Mirage, who destroyed the bunker security systems, allowing the Decepticons inside. Optimus Prime refused to surrender during the ensuing struggle, until Mirage used the critically injured Jetfire as a hostage, forcing Prime to back down. When Megatron refused to pay Mirage unless he killed the Autobots, Prime tried to reason with the mercenary, appealing to his former friendship with Hound...until Mirage killed Hound in defiance. Furious, Optimus Prime broke free of his captors and tackled Mirage into the Zodiac Energy chamber.

But it was all Mirage's dream... or was it? {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:AHM-13 Prime mouth.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Simon Furman]]'s original intent for IDW Optimus Prime was that he did ''not'' carry the [[Matrix of Leadership]], as the Matrix would have "been gone from the IDW/TF-verse for a long time".<ref name="IDWMatrixFurman">[http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2007/12/12/another-quick-qa/ Simon Furman, Dec 2007:] Well, we’ve yet to actually meet the Matrix in the IDW/TF-verse. So we may be getting ahead of ourselves here. What do we know about it so far? Well, according to Spotlight Galvatron, the Matrix was (and maybe is) “carried” by Nova Prime, and he (Nova Prime) disappeared into the Dead Universe (along with the Matrix, we assume). Nova describes a bottomless well and a resonant tug on the Matrix. What happened next we don’t know (yet). But what is the Matrix (hm, that sounds familiar somehow)? Not telling. Not yet. But ’08 holds the answers: what it is, where it came from, what is does (then and now!). The Matrix (and what it’s become) will figure large in all that happens post-Devastation. The Matrix has been gone from the IDW/TF-verse for a long time, and its return will not necessarily be a thing of celebration.</ref> Instead, [[Nova Prime]] was to have taken it to the [[Dead Universe]] (as [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] appears to note in [[Spotlight: Galvatron|his titular ''Spotlight'']]), where it would have become corrupted with the rechristened "Nemesis Prime," and its' return would "not necessarily be a thing of celebration".<ref name=IDWMatrixFurman /> This changed as a result of [[Shane McCarthy]] being hired as lead writer and promptly establishing the war was "all about the Matrix", which Optimus had always carried, resulting in the creation of the [[Darkness (G1)|Darkness]] to fill the same role in Furman's truncated ''[[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]''.
*Multiple writers have contributed details to Prime's backstory. This has led to a few glaring clashes, like Ironhide and Optimus meeting for the first time and the young Prime learning from him in "[[Old Ways]]", while ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'' has Ironhide as his happy subordinate in the pre-Prime days. But if you're not used to that by now, you've not read ''a'' comic. (The wiki has chosen to ignore one line of dialogue and just stick "Old Ways" before ''Autocracy'', screw you [[authorial intent]]!)
*Suitably, a robot clearly intended to be Orion Pax was drawn into [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]]'s funeral in [[Megatron Origin issue 3|''Megatron Origin'' #3]] ([[Alex Milne]] was drawing many [[Easter egg]]s at the time), but Orion's presence in this issue...remains unclear. Years later, [[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|''More than Meets the Eye'' #36]] established Pax to be opposed to Sentinel Prime's forces at that time, seemingly retconning away Pax's presence. On the other hand, [[The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|''Optimus Prime'' #13]] heavily implies that Orion Pax was in fact present for the funeral.
*According to [[E. J. Su]], Optimus Prime's [[holomatter]] avatar is modeled after {{w|Ulysses S. Grant}}.<ref>[http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>
*[[John Barber]] wrote Optimus Prime's dialogue with {{w|Avery Brooks}}'s voice in mind.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Avery Brooks is who I hear when I write Optimus Prime's dialog—no joke!|link=https://twitter.com/TheJohnBarber/status/890376925943812097|name=John Barber|site=Twitter|year=2017|month=07|day=26}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{i|Optimus Prime}} at the IDW Hasbro Wiki

{{IDWPrimes nav}}

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Law enforcement]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]
[[Category:Primes]]

The Touch

2024-02-07T02:42:13Z

RyokoMocha: Arrived at, not arrived to.

{{song
|title=The Touch
|image=Tftm1986e.jpg
|caption=If you don't know this song by heart, what the hell are you doing on this wiki?
|series=[[The Transformers: The Movie]]
|position=insert song
|genre=Hard Rock
|performer=[[Stan Bush]]
|written by=Stan Bush and [[Lenny Macaluso]]
|production=[[Richie Wise]]
|arrangement=
}}

"'''The Touch'''" is a song by [[Stan Bush]], featured on the 1986 album ''[[The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]]''. It is <s>possibly the pinnacle of human achievement</s> fondly remembered by many fans for being featured in two climactic battles in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

"The Touch" is first featured in ''The Transformers: The Movie'' when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], having just arrived at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], takes on several of the Decepticon forces by himself. It plays again, near the end of the feature, as [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] opens the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. The song was used again during the climactic scene of the cartoon episode "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]".

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
[[image:StanBushTheTouchMusicVideoRecordLabelNotes.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

At an undetermined time period following the creation of the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s and the seeming defeat of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], [[Powermaster]] Optimus Prime spent a good deal of time relating Transformers stories to the human schoolboy [[Tommy Kennedy]].

After a series of stories wherein he described the events of the battle with [[Unicron]], Optimus Prime had to depart to attend an interstellar peace conference in the midst of a barrage of questions from Tommy. As he was blasting off, Prime declared "But until I return, I leave you with 'The Touch'!"

Following this, the music video for "The Touch" began, although how Tommy was able to view it in the barren wasteland where his meetings with Prime typically took place is unknown. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie#Day Five|Season 5: Movie, Day Five}}

{{note|As Stan Bush could not have written the song for the 1986 theatrical ''The Transformers: The Movie'' within the context of the cartoon timeline (as the events of the movie had not happened at that point in continuity), it is possible that the song was simply a general release that Prime was personally fond of.

Another possibility is that a fictionalized film account of the events surrounding the battle with Unicron was created sometime after the year 2005, and that Stan Bush's music video was produced to accompany that feature. This theory is not out of the realm of plausibility; in the UK comics, resident letter answerer [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] reviewed a Transformers film in an article entitled ''[[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Film 2006 With Grimlock]]''. The movie was also mentioned as being a product of the Autobots in the [[S.T.A.R.S. continuity]] flyer ''[[The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:]]''.}}

===''War for Cybertron''===
Before the war spread to [[Earth]], and seemingly millions of years before Stan Bush would have even been born, the Decepticons were fighting the Autobots on Cybertron. [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] asked [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] to transform into his stationary music-playing mode and play a recording of "The Touch". The inspirational anthem emboldened Shockwave in battle, but annoyed [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. Shockwave informed Starscream that the Air Commander could select the music when his hit percentage exceeded Shockwave's. {{storylink|Commercial#War for Cybertron|GameStop's commercial for their Shockwave multiplayer exclusive}} {{-}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
While riding in his car on the way to a military base, [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] passed the time by listening to an instrumental version of "The Touch" and humming along to it. {{storylink|Nemesis Prime (episode)|Nemesis Prime}}

===''Fall of Cybertron''===
After the battles are fought and the credits roll, "The Touch (Power Mix)" is played until it abruptly ends and is replaced by the 2007 version. During which, the Autobots and Decepticons alike begin breakdancing and a forever alone [[Metroplex (FOC)|Metroplex]] plays with his Transformers toys. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}

===''Bumblebee'' film===
[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] played a snippet of "The Touch" to encourage [[Charlie Watson]] to accept [[Tripp Summers]]' challenge and dive from a high cliff. She declined. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}

===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
When [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto]] attempted to use the [[Emberstone]] to create more [[Terran]]s, [[Alex Malto|their father]] encouraged them, saying "[they've] got the touch." A few notes from the song could be heard as he did so. {{storylink|Age of Evolution, Part 1}}

==Single releases==
;7" single
#"The Touch"
#"[[Dare to Be Stupid]]"

'''Release date:''' August, [[1986]] 
'''Labels:''' [[Scotti Bros. Records]] (US/Canada), [[Epic Records]] (UK) 
'''Prod. codes:''' 7464-06207-7 (US), ZS4-06207 (Canada), A-7318 (UK)
{{-}}

----
;12" picture disc
#"The Touch"
#"Dare to Be Stupid"
#"[[The Transformers (Theme)]]"

'''Release date:''' 
'''Labels:''' [[Scotti Bros. Records]] (Germany), [[Epic Records]] (UK) 
'''Prod. codes:''' Int127.311 (Germany), WA-7318 (UK)
{{-}}

----

;"The Touch" - Sam's Theme
#"The Touch" - Sam's Theme

'''Release date:''' [[2009]] 
'''Labels:''' 
'''Prod. codes:''' Unknown (digital release via iTunes)

----
;"The Touch" (Power Mix) Single
#"The Touch" (Power Mix)
#"The Touch" (Epic Guitar Remix)

'''Release date:''' [[September 15]], [[2012]] 
'''Labels:''' self-released 
'''Prod. codes:''' Unknown (digital release via iTunes)

Note that although the Transformers franchise is not mentioned by name, the cover artwork [http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/activision/high-moon/transformers/fallofcybertron/gami_223_cov_front_v2.jpg is an early promotional image] for the [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]] game.

===Album releases===
*1986 — ''[[The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|The Transformers: The Movie — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]]'' ([[Scotti Bros. Records]])
*1987 — Stan Bush: ''Stan Bush & Barrage'' (Scotti Bros. Records)
*1997 — Stan Bush: ''[['Til All Are One: Featuring Stan Bush and Vince DiCola|Call to Action]]'' (LA Records/[[3H Productions]]) — 1997 Remix version.
*1998 — ''[[BotCon '97 - The Concert]]'' (3H Productions) — Live with [[Vince DiCola]].
*2007 — Stan Bush: ''In This Life'' (Frontiers Records) — New recording.
*2007 — ''The Transformers: The Movie — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: 20th Anniversary Edition'' ([[Legacy Recordings]])
*2017 — Stan Bush: ''Change the World''.
*2018 — ''[[Bumblebee (Motion Picture Soundtrack)|Bumblebee — Music from the Motion Picture]]'' ([[Republic Records]])

===Merchandise===
*2009 — ''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' — Bumblebee Plasma Cannon
:A role-playing toy based on [[Movie (franchise)|live-action movie]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]'s fist, transforming into a plasma cannon. When the Autobot insignia on the side of the cannon is pressed while the blaster is in its "Try Me" setting, the toy plays various sounds, including short clips from "The Touch".

==Notes==
{{quote|As [Prime] battles his way through the Decepticons, we HEAR an inspiring anthem of courage, strength and triumph, like "Eye of the Tiger". This theme will reprise during the film when the Autobots are battling at impossible odds.|The original movie script's request for the song that would be "The Touch".}}
*"The Touch" was originally inspired by a line from Louis Gossett Jr. in ''{{w|Iron Eagle}}'', and written for the 1986 Sylvester Stallone movie ''{{w|Cobra (1986 film)|Cobra}}'', but the record company decided to switch it to the Transformers movie instead.<ref>https://www.vulture.com/2014/06/transformers-song-history-the-touch-stan-bush-mark-wahlberg-boogie-nights.html</ref>
*In 2007, Bush recorded a new, updated version of "The Touch" together with "[[Till All Are One (Transformers Theme)|Till All Are One]]" in a bid to get them onto the [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]]'s soundtrack. [[Transformers: The Album|It didn't work]], but Bush released them both as bonus tracks on his own album ''In This Life''.
*In 2008, Bush launched a campaign to have the song included on one of the ''Guitar Hero'' or ''Rock Band'' games.<ref>http://kotaku.com/5059337/stan-bush-wants-the-touch-in-guitar-hero-rock-band</ref> It wasn't long before he announced the campaign's success, with the 2007 version of "The Touch" hitting ''{{w|Guitar Hero: World Tour}}'' as free downloadable content and Stan put the song into ''Rock Band'' himself through {{w|Rock Band Network}} in 2010.<ref>http://kotaku.com/5173693/stan-bush-thanks-kotaku-readers-for-their-support</ref>
*As part of the media hype building up to the release of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', Bush released another reworked version of the song, this time with a more contemporary [[Linkin Park]]-inspired sound, renamed "The Touch: Sam's Theme". This is notable because, while completely unsanctioned or unrequested by Hasbro or DreamWorks, it is [[Holger Fath|totally hilarious]].
*In 2010, Bush released his 11th album, 'Dream the Dream', which featured the song "Sam's Theme (The Touch)", a rap-less version of "The Touch: Sam's Theme".
*The showrunners of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' had hoped to license the song for use in the episode "[[The Alliance]]", with [[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]] even alluding to the song in his dialogue. Unfortunately, they were unable to do so, and the intended segment had to use a generic rock instrumental in its place.
*According to storyboard artist [[India Swift]], the last scene of the ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' episode "[[The Last Hope, Part 2]]" was timed to "The Touch" on the off chance they could license its use.<ref>https://www.tumblr.com/oldswifty/725026399658885120/here-is-pt3-of-the-earthspark-finale-big-spoilers</ref>
*"The Touch" has reappeared in numerous non-''Transformers'' productions over the years, including the film ''{{w|Boogie Nights}}'' (With the film's star [[Mark Wahlberg]] singing), the television series ''[[wikia:chuck-nbc:Episode 205: Chuck vs. Tom Sawyer|Chuck]]'', ''{{w|The Goldbergs (TV series)|The Goldbergs}}'', ''{{w|American Dad!}}'' and ''{{w|Regular Show}}'', the video games ''{{w|Shadow Warrior (2013 video game)|Shadow Warrior}}'' and ''{{w|Saints Row IV}}'' (which features the characters directly quoting ''The Transformers: The Movie'' during its use), and even ''{{w|WWE Raw|WWE Monday Night Raw}}''.

===Foreign names===

:''Japanese:'' '''ザ・タッチ''' ("The Touch")

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZKpByV5764 Video for "The Touch"]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A52--FKUQgU HD remaster of original video]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3_EXxwDpq0 Video for the 2009 remake of "The Touch"]
*[https://www.destructoid.com/amazing-war-for-cybertron-gamestop-commercial-is-amazing-175137.phtml Gamestop's ''WFC'' ad that includes "The Touch"]

{{picsneeded|Album covers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Touch, The}}
[[Category:Generation 1 songs]]
[[Category:Real-world songs]]
[[Category:Songs]]

Talk:Transformers: Alternators

2023-04-18T14:39:44Z

RyokoMocha: Both the names "Transformer" and "Alternator" are also terms for components of electrical devices.

nevermind --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 15:53, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

The "Pre-Release Development" is way too big, and contains way too many post-release items better-suited for individual character pages (and likely in the "Trivia" sections thereof). The pre-line stuff, like Jazz, Bumblebee, and Tracks all fits. But pretty much everything else is overkill. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 00:12, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

So, uh, some anonymous editor changed all instances of Binaltech to Binal Tech: [http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/index.php?title=Transformers%3A_Alternators&diff=1172&oldid=1162]. I don't think I've ever seen it spelled that way. Can somebody who pays attention to that sort of thing comment? --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 03:23, 8 April 2007 (UTC)

: While the standard logo uses exaggerated spacing, that spacing is all even. ie: "B I N A L T E C H". Secondly, the Binaltech Asterisk logo does not use the same spacing, and appears very specifically as "BINALTECH ASTERISK". Therefore we must accept that it is one word, not two (and not hypenated either). All the official printed material included with the figures that I've been through seems to represent the English-language word in upper-case, however this is within the context of a sentence. eg: "STORY OF BINALTECH", "THE TRANSFORMERS BINALTECH HOUND feat. Jeep Wrangler". From this material alone, exact capitalization is therefore unclear and it could be argued that it may be represented as "Binaltech", "BINALTECH" or "BinalTech", but certainly must not be represented as "Binal Tech" (or any similar two-word variation).

== Binaltech Fiction ==

Where's a good overall place to put the BT fiction on Character Pages? It's either a separate heading or a subheading under the cartoon sections right now. I'm looking for some input before I run around making it uniform in the wrong place. --[[User:Xaaron|Xaaron]] 03:40, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

FOLLOW UP: Okay, no responses, so I'm going to put it as a subheading for Japanese cartoon continuity everywhere. --[[User:Xaaron|Xaaron]] 21:56, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

Another question: How do I make a generic entry note for the BinalTech fiction, like the "earthforcefiction" one we use? I was thinking something like:

{{Note|These events occupy an alternate timeline, splintering off prior to [[The Transformers: The Movie]]. See [[Transformers: Alternators#Binaltech|Binaltech]] for details.}} --[[User:Xaaron|Xaaron]] 20:58, 8 June 2008 (UTC)

==Tidying Up ==

So as this page is very information dense but a bit scatterbrained at the moment, how would we feel about something like [[User:AzimuthAcolyte/Sandbox/Transformers: Alternators Reorganization Proposal|this layout?]] -[[User:AzimuthAcolyte|AzimuthAcolyte]] ([[User talk:AzimuthAcolyte|talk]]) 02:36, 9 July 2021 (EDT)
:Not hearing much in the way of pushback so I'm going for it. Feel free to revert. -[[User:AzimuthAcolyte|AzimuthAcolyte]] ([[User talk:AzimuthAcolyte|talk]]) 14:47, 9 July 2021 (EDT)

== Transformers and Alternators and Word Multiple Meanings ==
Has anyone ever made note of how the name "Alternator" is, like "Transformer" itself, also the name of a component of an electrical device? I remember back in the '80s when The Transformers first came out, and my grandmother told me that she was, at first, very confused when my little brother and I told her that we wanted Transformers because she knew that we weren't at all interested in model trains! (A transformer being integral component of a model train set.) Anyway, my point is that a transformer is an electrical component that "transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or to multiple circuits." Likewise, an alternator is an electrical component that "converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current." Has anyone ever noted this before, and does anyone know if the name "Alternator" was intentionally chosen because of this word association, making it a sort of stealth pun on the terms "Transformer" and "Alternator?" It seems to me to be far too good a play on words to have just happened unintentionally. [[User:RyokoMocha|RyokoMocha]] ([[User talk:RyokoMocha|talk]]) 10:39, 18 April 2023 (EDT)