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Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2015-08-01T12:18:35Z

Viktorimus: /* Retaking Command */

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[[File:OptimusPrime-OriginalIDWTransformersPromo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Meet the cop that can't be stopped.]]
'''Optimus Prime''' did a lot of things to help shape the IDW Generation 1 continuity!

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==IDW Generation 1 continuity==
{{ongoing}}
===Orion Pax: Supercop===
[[File:ChaosTheory2 sorry bunch.jpg|left|thumb|225px|My name's Orion Pax, and I'm here to make Robocop look like a bitch!]]
Before the war, Optimus was known as Orion Pax of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. In intellectual pursuits he excelled, 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 went on to become a rising star in Cybertron's police force who served as an inspiration to his fellow officers, eventually becoming captain of the [[Rodion]] police force. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}} He was notably liberal in his duties, even convincing his old Academy friend [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|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|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]]
Recruiting some super-powered "[[Outlier]]s" 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 befriend 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===
[[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 [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] troops Sentinel kept sending. He requested reinforcements from Zeta and got... well, [[time travel]]lers 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 belived 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 Tailbreaker put a forcefield round him and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] ''throw him'' at the Senate ship. Unfortunately, the time travellers erased Pax's short term memories to cover their tracks and this meant he forgot Roller had gone missing. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}}

[[File:AHM13 let him speak.jpg|left|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}}, 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 (G1)|Kup]], Orion was called out by an ornery veteran civil militia soldier named [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}
[[File:SLOrionPax new body.jpg|thumb|225px|"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 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|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}}

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}}
{{--}}

===Becoming Prime===
[[File:Autocracy1 pax security forces.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Eventually, back in his original body once again, Orion 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 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]], 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}}

[[File:Autocracy6 pax vs zeta.jpg|thumb|225px]]
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|left|thumb|225px|"I've summoned you here for a purpose." "Nobody summons Orion Pax!!" "Then it please 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 ment 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}}

[[File:Autocracy12 prime vs megatron.jpg|thumb|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)|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 (Zone)|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)|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|left|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 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|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 [[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}} 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}} 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 (G1)|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 would stand alongside Optimus. {{storylink|Primacy issue 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 ahted 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 and 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}}

===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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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 (Victory)|Black Shadow]]. {{storylink|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 later 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}}

[[File:Stormbringer3-OptimusSpringerWreckers.jpg|thumb|left|225px|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 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[Wrecker]]s 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)|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)|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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Jazz (G1)|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)|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|225px|"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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[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)/IDW Generation 1 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 Sunstreak 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|All Hail Megatron issue 15|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|275px|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 chastizing 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.[[File:AHM12 prime vs megs.jpg|left|thumb|275px]] 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}} 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)|Spike Witwicky]] landed a critical shot with an experimental weapon [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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 (G1)|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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|All Hail Megatron issue 16|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|[[Transformium|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|225px]]
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 [[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 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 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 [[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]]
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 [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] brethren. Pax awoke the [[Necrotitan|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]] 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 Back}} 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. Confusion 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 dead, 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''. {{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}}

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 [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]] and subsequently appointed Prowl as prosecutor and Magnus as speaker for the defence. 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)|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}} 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. As Optimus, left satisfied 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}}

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| Windblade issue 2}} 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)|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}}

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)/IDW Generation 1 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}}.

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 Chapter 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}}

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' [[Enigma of Combination]] and launched it off world to Earth but didn't know whether he meant to or not. Regardless Shockwave had known where it had landed and planted Ore-13 there. Shockwave also knew where the 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 called [[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 pre-emptive action against the Decepticons or the humans.{{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}}
Optimus now has his own combiner form or rather, is a part of a [[Combiner]] team called [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]!

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}}

{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} {{storylink|The Gloaming}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt}} {{storylink|City of Steel (issue)|City of Steel}} {{storylink|Fight or Flee (issue)|Fight or Flee}} {{storylink|Quest for Fire}} {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}} {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}}}

===''Spotlight: Mirage''===
[[File:SLMirage prime stabbed.jpg|thumb|275px|Okay, now, ''when'' did this happen exactly?]]
{{noteSLMirage}}
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. {{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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|''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]]!)
*According to [[E. J. Su]], Optimus Prime's [[Holomatter|Holomatter avatar]] is modeled after {{w|Ulysses S. Grant}}.<ref>[http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>
*As of [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|All Hail Megatron #13]], Optimus has a mouth underneath that [[Mouthplate|faceplate]] of his.
*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]], but was retconned away years later when [[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. He's not unique in this regard—see [[Chromia (G1)#Notes|Chromia]]'s appearance in the same scene.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Law enforcement]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]
[[Category:Primes]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2015-08-01T12:16:00Z

Viktorimus: /* Retaking Command */

{{suite}}
[[File:OptimusPrime-OriginalIDWTransformersPromo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Meet the cop that can't be stopped.]]
'''Optimus Prime''' did a lot of things to help shape the IDW Generation 1 continuity!

{{TOCclear}}
==IDW Generation 1 continuity==
{{ongoing}}
===Orion Pax: Supercop===
[[File:ChaosTheory2 sorry bunch.jpg|left|thumb|225px|My name's Orion Pax, and I'm here to make Robocop look like a bitch!]]
Before the war, Optimus was known as Orion Pax of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. In intellectual pursuits he excelled, 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 went on to become a rising star in Cybertron's police force who served as an inspiration to his fellow officers, eventually becoming captain of the [[Rodion]] police force. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}} He was notably liberal in his duties, even convincing his old Academy friend [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|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|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]]
Recruiting some super-powered "[[Outlier]]s" 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 befriend 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===
[[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 [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] troops Sentinel kept sending. He requested reinforcements from Zeta and got... well, [[time travel]]lers 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 belived 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 Tailbreaker put a forcefield round him and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] ''throw him'' at the Senate ship. Unfortunately, the time travellers erased Pax's short term memories to cover their tracks and this meant he forgot Roller had gone missing. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}}

[[File:AHM13 let him speak.jpg|left|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}}, 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 (G1)|Kup]], Orion was called out by an ornery veteran civil militia soldier named [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}
[[File:SLOrionPax new body.jpg|thumb|225px|"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 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|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}}

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}}
{{--}}

===Becoming Prime===
[[File:Autocracy1 pax security forces.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Eventually, back in his original body once again, Orion 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 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]], 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}}

[[File:Autocracy6 pax vs zeta.jpg|thumb|225px]]
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|left|thumb|225px|"I've summoned you here for a purpose." "Nobody summons Orion Pax!!" "Then it please 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 ment 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}}

[[File:Autocracy12 prime vs megatron.jpg|thumb|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)|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 (Zone)|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)|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|left|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 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|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 [[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}} 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}} 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 (G1)|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 would stand alongside Optimus. {{storylink|Primacy issue 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 ahted 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 and 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}}

===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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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 (Victory)|Black Shadow]]. {{storylink|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 later 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}}

[[File:Stormbringer3-OptimusSpringerWreckers.jpg|thumb|left|225px|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 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[Wrecker]]s 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)|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)|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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Jazz (G1)|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)|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|225px|"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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[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)/IDW Generation 1 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 Sunstreak 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|All Hail Megatron issue 15|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|275px|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 chastizing 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.[[File:AHM12 prime vs megs.jpg|left|thumb|275px]] 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}} 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)|Spike Witwicky]] landed a critical shot with an experimental weapon [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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 (G1)|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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|All Hail Megatron issue 16|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|[[Transformium|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|225px]]
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 [[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 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 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 [[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]]
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 [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] brethren. Pax awoke the [[Necrotitan|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]] 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 Back}} 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. Confusion 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 dead, 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''. {{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}}

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 [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]] and subsequently appointed Prowl as prosecutor and Magnus as speaker for the defence. 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)|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}} 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. As Optimus, left satisfied 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}}

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| Windblade issue 2}} 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)|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}}

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)/IDW Generation 1 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}}.

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 Chapter 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}}

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' [[Enigma of Combination]] and launched it off world to Earth but didn't know whether he meant to or not. Regardless Shockwave had known where it had landed and planted Ore-13 there. Shockwave also knew where the 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 called [[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 pre-emptive action against the Decepticons or the humans.{{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}}
Optimus now has his own combiner form or rather, is a part of a [[Combiner]] team called [[Optimus Maximus(IDW)|Optimus Maximus]]!

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}}

{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} {{storylink|The Gloaming}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt}} {{storylink|City of Steel (issue)|City of Steel}} {{storylink|Fight or Flee (issue)|Fight or Flee}} {{storylink|Quest for Fire}} {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}} {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}}}

===''Spotlight: Mirage''===
[[File:SLMirage prime stabbed.jpg|thumb|275px|Okay, now, ''when'' did this happen exactly?]]
{{noteSLMirage}}
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. {{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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|''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]]!)
*According to [[E. J. Su]], Optimus Prime's [[Holomatter|Holomatter avatar]] is modeled after {{w|Ulysses S. Grant}}.<ref>[http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>
*As of [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|All Hail Megatron #13]], Optimus has a mouth underneath that [[Mouthplate|faceplate]] of his.
*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]], but was retconned away years later when [[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. He's not unique in this regard—see [[Chromia (G1)#Notes|Chromia]]'s appearance in the same scene.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Law enforcement]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]
[[Category:Primes]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2015-08-01T12:15:10Z

Viktorimus: /* Retaking Command */

{{suite}}
[[File:OptimusPrime-OriginalIDWTransformersPromo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Meet the cop that can't be stopped.]]
'''Optimus Prime''' did a lot of things to help shape the IDW Generation 1 continuity!

{{TOCclear}}
==IDW Generation 1 continuity==
{{ongoing}}
===Orion Pax: Supercop===
[[File:ChaosTheory2 sorry bunch.jpg|left|thumb|225px|My name's Orion Pax, and I'm here to make Robocop look like a bitch!]]
Before the war, Optimus was known as Orion Pax of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. In intellectual pursuits he excelled, 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 went on to become a rising star in Cybertron's police force who served as an inspiration to his fellow officers, eventually becoming captain of the [[Rodion]] police force. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}} He was notably liberal in his duties, even convincing his old Academy friend [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|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|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]]
Recruiting some super-powered "[[Outlier]]s" 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 befriend 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===
[[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 [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] troops Sentinel kept sending. He requested reinforcements from Zeta and got... well, [[time travel]]lers 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 belived 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 Tailbreaker put a forcefield round him and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] ''throw him'' at the Senate ship. Unfortunately, the time travellers erased Pax's short term memories to cover their tracks and this meant he forgot Roller had gone missing. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}}

[[File:AHM13 let him speak.jpg|left|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}}, 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 (G1)|Kup]], Orion was called out by an ornery veteran civil militia soldier named [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}
[[File:SLOrionPax new body.jpg|thumb|225px|"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 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|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}}

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}}
{{--}}

===Becoming Prime===
[[File:Autocracy1 pax security forces.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Eventually, back in his original body once again, Orion 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 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]], 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}}

[[File:Autocracy6 pax vs zeta.jpg|thumb|225px]]
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|left|thumb|225px|"I've summoned you here for a purpose." "Nobody summons Orion Pax!!" "Then it please 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 ment 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}}

[[File:Autocracy12 prime vs megatron.jpg|thumb|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)|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 (Zone)|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)|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|left|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 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|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 [[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}} 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}} 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 (G1)|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 would stand alongside Optimus. {{storylink|Primacy issue 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 ahted 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 and 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}}

===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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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 (Victory)|Black Shadow]]. {{storylink|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 later 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}}

[[File:Stormbringer3-OptimusSpringerWreckers.jpg|thumb|left|225px|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 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[Wrecker]]s 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)|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)|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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Jazz (G1)|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)|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|225px|"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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[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)/IDW Generation 1 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 Sunstreak 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|All Hail Megatron issue 15|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|275px|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 chastizing 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.[[File:AHM12 prime vs megs.jpg|left|thumb|275px]] 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}} 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)|Spike Witwicky]] landed a critical shot with an experimental weapon [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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 (G1)|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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|All Hail Megatron issue 16|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|[[Transformium|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|225px]]
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 [[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 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 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 [[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]]
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 [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] brethren. Pax awoke the [[Necrotitan|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]] 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 Back}} 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. Confusion 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 dead, 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''. {{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}}

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 [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]] and subsequently appointed Prowl as prosecutor and Magnus as speaker for the defence. 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)|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}} 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. As Optimus, left satisfied 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}}

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| Windblade issue 2}} 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)|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}}

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)/IDW Generation 1 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}}.

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 Chapter 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}}

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' [[Enigma of Combination]] and launched it off world to Earth but didn't know whether he meant to or not. Regardless Shockwave had known where it had landed and planted Ore-13 there. Shockwave also knew where the 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 called [[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 pre-emptive action against the Decepticons or the humans.{{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}}
Optimus now has his own combiner form or rather, is a part of a [[Combiner]] team called [[Optimus Maximus (IDW)|Optimus Maximus]]!

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}}

{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} {{storylink|The Gloaming}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt}} {{storylink|City of Steel (issue)|City of Steel}} {{storylink|Fight or Flee (issue)|Fight or Flee}} {{storylink|Quest for Fire}} {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}} {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}}}

===''Spotlight: Mirage''===
[[File:SLMirage prime stabbed.jpg|thumb|275px|Okay, now, ''when'' did this happen exactly?]]
{{noteSLMirage}}
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. {{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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|''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]]!)
*According to [[E. J. Su]], Optimus Prime's [[Holomatter|Holomatter avatar]] is modeled after {{w|Ulysses S. Grant}}.<ref>[http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>
*As of [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|All Hail Megatron #13]], Optimus has a mouth underneath that [[Mouthplate|faceplate]] of his.
*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]], but was retconned away years later when [[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. He's not unique in this regard—see [[Chromia (G1)#Notes|Chromia]]'s appearance in the same scene.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Law enforcement]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]
[[Category:Primes]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2015-08-01T12:13:22Z

Viktorimus: /* Retaking Command */

{{suite}}
[[File:OptimusPrime-OriginalIDWTransformersPromo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Meet the cop that can't be stopped.]]
'''Optimus Prime''' did a lot of things to help shape the IDW Generation 1 continuity!

{{TOCclear}}
==IDW Generation 1 continuity==
{{ongoing}}
===Orion Pax: Supercop===
[[File:ChaosTheory2 sorry bunch.jpg|left|thumb|225px|My name's Orion Pax, and I'm here to make Robocop look like a bitch!]]
Before the war, Optimus was known as Orion Pax of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. In intellectual pursuits he excelled, 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 went on to become a rising star in Cybertron's police force who served as an inspiration to his fellow officers, eventually becoming captain of the [[Rodion]] police force. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}} He was notably liberal in his duties, even convincing his old Academy friend [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|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|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]]
Recruiting some super-powered "[[Outlier]]s" 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 befriend 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===
[[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 [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] troops Sentinel kept sending. He requested reinforcements from Zeta and got... well, [[time travel]]lers 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 belived 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 Tailbreaker put a forcefield round him and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] ''throw him'' at the Senate ship. Unfortunately, the time travellers erased Pax's short term memories to cover their tracks and this meant he forgot Roller had gone missing. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}}

[[File:AHM13 let him speak.jpg|left|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}}, 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 (G1)|Kup]], Orion was called out by an ornery veteran civil militia soldier named [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}
[[File:SLOrionPax new body.jpg|thumb|225px|"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 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|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}}

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}}
{{--}}

===Becoming Prime===
[[File:Autocracy1 pax security forces.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Eventually, back in his original body once again, Orion 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 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]], 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}}

[[File:Autocracy6 pax vs zeta.jpg|thumb|225px]]
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|left|thumb|225px|"I've summoned you here for a purpose." "Nobody summons Orion Pax!!" "Then it please 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 ment 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}}

[[File:Autocracy12 prime vs megatron.jpg|thumb|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)|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 (Zone)|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)|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|left|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 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|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 [[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}} 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}} 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 (G1)|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 would stand alongside Optimus. {{storylink|Primacy issue 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 ahted 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 and 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}}

===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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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 (Victory)|Black Shadow]]. {{storylink|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 later 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}}

[[File:Stormbringer3-OptimusSpringerWreckers.jpg|thumb|left|225px|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 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[Wrecker]]s 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)|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)|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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Jazz (G1)|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)|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|225px|"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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[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)/IDW Generation 1 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 Sunstreak 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|All Hail Megatron issue 15|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|275px|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 chastizing 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.[[File:AHM12 prime vs megs.jpg|left|thumb|275px]] 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}} 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)|Spike Witwicky]] landed a critical shot with an experimental weapon [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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 (G1)|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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|All Hail Megatron issue 16|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|[[Transformium|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|225px]]
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 [[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 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 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 [[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]]
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 [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] brethren. Pax awoke the [[Necrotitan|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]] 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 Back}} 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. Confusion 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 dead, 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''. {{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}}

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 [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]] and subsequently appointed Prowl as prosecutor and Magnus as speaker for the defence. 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)|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}} 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. As Optimus, left satisfied 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}}

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| Windblade issue 2}} 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)|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}}

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)/IDW Generation 1 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}}.

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 Chapter 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}}

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' [[Enigma of Combination]] and launched it off world to Earth but didn't know whether he meant to or not. Regardless Shockwave had known where it had landed and planted Ore-13 there. Shockwave also knew where the 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 called [[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 pre-emptive action against the Decepticons or the humans.{{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}}
Optimus now has his own combiner form or rather, is a part of a [[Combiner]] team called [[Optimus Maximus|Optimus Maximus (IDW)]]!

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}}

{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} {{storylink|The Gloaming}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt}} {{storylink|City of Steel (issue)|City of Steel}} {{storylink|Fight or Flee (issue)|Fight or Flee}} {{storylink|Quest for Fire}} {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}} {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}}}

===''Spotlight: Mirage''===
[[File:SLMirage prime stabbed.jpg|thumb|275px|Okay, now, ''when'' did this happen exactly?]]
{{noteSLMirage}}
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. {{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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|''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]]!)
*According to [[E. J. Su]], Optimus Prime's [[Holomatter|Holomatter avatar]] is modeled after {{w|Ulysses S. Grant}}.<ref>[http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>
*As of [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|All Hail Megatron #13]], Optimus has a mouth underneath that [[Mouthplate|faceplate]] of his.
*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]], but was retconned away years later when [[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. He's not unique in this regard—see [[Chromia (G1)#Notes|Chromia]]'s appearance in the same scene.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Law enforcement]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]
[[Category:Primes]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2015-08-01T12:10:28Z

Viktorimus: /* Retaking Command */

{{suite}}
[[File:OptimusPrime-OriginalIDWTransformersPromo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Meet the cop that can't be stopped.]]
'''Optimus Prime''' did a lot of things to help shape the IDW Generation 1 continuity!

{{TOCclear}}
==IDW Generation 1 continuity==
{{ongoing}}
===Orion Pax: Supercop===
[[File:ChaosTheory2 sorry bunch.jpg|left|thumb|225px|My name's Orion Pax, and I'm here to make Robocop look like a bitch!]]
Before the war, Optimus was known as Orion Pax of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. In intellectual pursuits he excelled, 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 went on to become a rising star in Cybertron's police force who served as an inspiration to his fellow officers, eventually becoming captain of the [[Rodion]] police force. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}} He was notably liberal in his duties, even convincing his old Academy friend [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|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|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]]
Recruiting some super-powered "[[Outlier]]s" 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 befriend 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===
[[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 [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] troops Sentinel kept sending. He requested reinforcements from Zeta and got... well, [[time travel]]lers 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 belived 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 Tailbreaker put a forcefield round him and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] ''throw him'' at the Senate ship. Unfortunately, the time travellers erased Pax's short term memories to cover their tracks and this meant he forgot Roller had gone missing. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}}

[[File:AHM13 let him speak.jpg|left|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}}, 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 (G1)|Kup]], Orion was called out by an ornery veteran civil militia soldier named [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}
[[File:SLOrionPax new body.jpg|thumb|225px|"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 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|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}}

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}}
{{--}}

===Becoming Prime===
[[File:Autocracy1 pax security forces.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Eventually, back in his original body once again, Orion 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)/IDW Generation 1 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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 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]], 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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}}

[[File:Autocracy6 pax vs zeta.jpg|thumb|225px]]
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|left|thumb|225px|"I've summoned you here for a purpose." "Nobody summons Orion Pax!!" "Then it please 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 ment 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}}

[[File:Autocracy12 prime vs megatron.jpg|thumb|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)|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 (Zone)|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)|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|left|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 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|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 [[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}} 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}} 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 (G1)|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 would stand alongside Optimus. {{storylink|Primacy issue 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 ahted 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 and 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}}

===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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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 (Victory)|Black Shadow]]. {{storylink|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 later 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}}

[[File:Stormbringer3-OptimusSpringerWreckers.jpg|thumb|left|225px|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 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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[Wrecker]]s 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)|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)|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)|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)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Jazz (G1)|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)|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|225px|"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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[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)/IDW Generation 1 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 Sunstreak 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|All Hail Megatron issue 15|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|275px|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 chastizing 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.[[File:AHM12 prime vs megs.jpg|left|thumb|275px]] 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}} 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)|Spike Witwicky]] landed a critical shot with an experimental weapon [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 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 (G1)|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|All Hail Megatron issue 13|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|All Hail Megatron issue 16|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|[[Transformium|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|225px]]
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 [[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 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 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 [[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]]
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 [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] brethren. Pax awoke the [[Necrotitan|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]] 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 Back}} 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. Confusion 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 dead, 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''. {{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}}

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 [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]] and subsequently appointed Prowl as prosecutor and Magnus as speaker for the defence. 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)|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}} 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. As Optimus, left satisfied 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}}

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| Windblade issue 2}} 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)|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}}

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)/IDW Generation 1 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}}.

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 Chapter 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}}

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' [[Enigma of Combination]] and launched it off world to Earth but didn't know whether he meant to or not. Regardless Shockwave had known where it had landed and planted Ore-13 there. Shockwave also knew where the 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 called [[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 pre-emptive action against the Decepticons or the humans.{{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}}
Optimus now has his own combiner form or rather, is a part of a [[Combiner]] team called [[Optimus Maximus]]!

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}}

{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} {{storylink|The Gloaming}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt}} {{storylink|City of Steel (issue)|City of Steel}} {{storylink|Fight or Flee (issue)|Fight or Flee}} {{storylink|Quest for Fire}} {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}} {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}}}

===''Spotlight: Mirage''===
[[File:SLMirage prime stabbed.jpg|thumb|275px|Okay, now, ''when'' did this happen exactly?]]
{{noteSLMirage}}
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. {{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)/IDW Generation 1 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 [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|''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]]!)
*According to [[E. J. Su]], Optimus Prime's [[Holomatter|Holomatter avatar]] is modeled after {{w|Ulysses S. Grant}}.<ref>[http://www.protodepot.com/archive/2007_11_01_archive.html Idea: Holomatter Projection]</ref>
*As of [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|All Hail Megatron #13]], Optimus has a mouth underneath that [[Mouthplate|faceplate]] of his.
*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]], but was retconned away years later when [[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. He's not unique in this regard—see [[Chromia (G1)#Notes|Chromia]]'s appearance in the same scene.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Law enforcement]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]
[[Category:Primes]]

Battlegrounds, Part 1

2015-06-16T16:46:57Z

Viktorimus:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Transformers: Robots in Disguise]]'' (2015) ep 25
|image=
|caption=
|prev=Ghosts and Impostors
|next=Battlegrounds, Part 2
|title="Battlegrounds, Part 1"
|airdate=???, [[2015]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
|writer=[[David McDermott]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|director=[[Frank Marino]]
}}
'''As Optimus prepares to return to Earth to face the mysterious "evil" he's prophesized, the Bee Team must prevent Steeljaw's pack from teleporting that same threat onto Earth.'''

==Synopsis==
{{comingsoon}}
Does video come elsewhere before TV release?If so, inform me at [[Viktorimus]] , i'll see to editing the page-i've seen the episode.Date-16/05/2015.
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Sideswipe (WFC)|Sideswipe]] (1)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (2)
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (11)
*[[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]] (12)
*[[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] (13)
*[[Drift (RID)|Drift]] (14)
*[[Jetstorm (RID)|Jetstorm]] (17)
*[[Slipstream (RID)|Slipstream]] (18)
*[[Windblade (RID)|Windblade]] (19)

|c2=
*[[Underbite (RID)|Underbite]] (3)
*[[Thunderhoof]] (4)
*[[Airazor (RID)|Airazor]] (8)
*[[Divebomb (RID)|Divebomb]] (9)
*[[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]] (10)
*[[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]] (20)
*[[Clampdown (RID)|Clampdown]] (21)

|c3=
*Illusionary human (6)
*[[Russell Clay]] (15)
*[[Denny Clay]] (16)
*[[Hank]] (25)

|h4=[[Thirteen]]|c4=
*[[Micronus Prime|Micronus]] (7)
*[[Megatronus (WFC)|Megatronus]] (22)
*[[Vector Prime (WFC)|Vector Prime]] (23)
*Other Primes (24)
}}

==Quotes==

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
===Continuity notes===
===Prisoner manifest===
* ''In stasis'': Hammerstrike, Bisk, Chop Shop, Terrashock, Filch, Minitron, Springload, Ped, Quillfire, "that one with all the eyes", Malodor and the Skunkticons, Nightstrike, Vertebreak, Octopunch, Groundpounder, Headlock, Scowl, Razorpaw, Zizza
* ''Known at large'': Steeljaw, Thunderhoof, Underbite, Clampdown, Kickback
* ''Released'': Grimlock
* ''Countless others all missing, presumed at large''

===Transformers references===
* Bumblebee orders his team to "[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|roll to the rescue]]", but then remembers that "[[Heatwave (RB)|someone else]]" already used that catchphrase.

===Real-world references===
===Trivia===
===Foreign localization===

==Home video releases==
{{epstub}}

[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) episodes]]

Energon Matrix

2015-06-13T17:52:34Z

Viktorimus:

:''The Energon Matrix is a device from [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:PrimalLeadershipMatrix1.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|''Mmmmm, Matrixy...'']]
The '''Energon Matrix''' (エネルゴンマトリクス ''Enerugon Matorikusu''), also parsed '''energon matrix''', is a powerful device awarded only to high-ranking members of the [[Autobot]] or [[Maximal]] army, most often of [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] rank. During [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s time, there was only one [[Matrix of Leadership]], but by [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]]'s time, multiple Matrices had been constructed.

An Energon Matrix contains the courage and the wisdom of Convoys from different generations and amplifies the strength and power of the Convoy who wields it. They can summon the power of the Energon Matrix to energize their body and amplify their natural skills, or they can unleash the power of the Matrix in one magnificent blast. If two or more Convoys do it at once, they can combine the blasts to increase their effectiveness.Also, these are the ONLY basic and important functions of these Matrices, and why these come to be in the possession of [[Convoy (rank)|Optimus Prime like 'Convoy' Transformers]] like Prime himself is a bizzare coincidence.Also, whether these Matrices can match the power of the real Matrix and if so, how were they created, is currently unknown.

Additionally, [[Vector Sigma]] is capable of speaking through [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]]'s Matrix, whether he likes it to or not.

==Matrix bearers==
The following characters are known to have an Energon Matrix (exceptions are specifically noted).

*[[Optimus Primal]] ''(only in Japanese continuity)''
*[[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]]
*[[Lio Junior]] (a copy of Lio Convoy's)
*[[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]]
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)|Fire Convoy]] ''(see [[#Car Robots cartoon|Car Robots cartoon]])''

==Fiction==
===Japanese cartoon continuity===
====''United EX''====
Under the supervision of [[Chip Chase|Professor Chase]], Energon Matrix technology was created as a joint effort between the Autobots and [[human]]kind in the 21st century. The Energon Matrix was developed to power their newly created [[Power Core Combination]] technology, though Professor Chase had reservations regarding what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands. {{storylink|The Mighty Bolt}}

====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon====
When Lio Convoy and Optimus Primal teamed-up to take down [[Majin Zarak]], they displayed the various functions of their Energon Matrices. Lio Convoy used the power of his Matrix to upgrade his speed by transforming himself into Flash Lio Convoy. Optimus Primal did a similar move by upgrading his strength as Burning Convoy.

After that, they unleashed the power of their Matrices and combined the force into a "Double Matrix Blaster". This move sent a torrent of powerful energy directly into Majin Zarak, killing him. {{storylink|Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon====
One of the most skillful, yet most anti-social members of the Maximals, [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]], was shown to carry a Matrix. However, Vector Sigma took a more proactive approach with Big Convoy than with most others. After each battle, Vector Sigma would speak through Big Convoy and dispense wisdom to his new recruits who so desperately needed it.{{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}} Eventually, this sentimentality rubbed off on Big Convoy and he began dispensing wisdom all on his own.{{storylink|Dinosaur Combiner Magmatron}}

When [[Unicron]] attacked Cybertron and possessed Vector Sigma, ultimately turning Cybertron into his new body, Big Convoy's Matrix proved to be the only thing capable of stopping him. When Unicron briefly exited Vector Sigma to do battle with the Maximals, Big Convoy removed his Matrix and used it to power his Big Cannon, turning it into the [[Matrix Buster]]. Firing a powerful blast of Matrix energy into Unicron, the Chaos-bringer was seemingly destroyed and evicted from Vector Sigma.{{storylink|The Final Battle (BWN)}}

====''Car Robots'' cartoon====
{{note|The following only holds true to the Japanese version of the series, ''Car Robots''. For the English dub, ''Robots in Disguise'', Optimus Prime does not carry an Energon Matrix, but a version of the [[Matrix of Leadership]].}}

[[File:PowerToBurn prime matrix.jpg|left|225px|thumb]]

As leader of the Autobots, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Fire Convoy]] came equipped with an Energon Matrix. Less a physical object and more an energy that suffused his form, Fire Convoy could call on the power of the Matrix in moments of great emotion, at which point his body would glow with its green light. {{storylink|The Test (episode)|Awaken to Righteousness! Black Convoy}}

[[File:TwoFaces magnus matrix.jpg|right|215px|thumb]]

Unfortunately for Fire Convoy, his brother [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]] was furious at being passed over for the leadership role, and about halfway through Fire Convoy's campaign against [[Megatron (RID)|Gigatron]] on Earth, God Magnus arrived on the planet with the intent to take the Energon Matrix for himself. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus (episode)|Enter! God Magnus}} When he attempted to absorb the energy of the Matrix from Fire Convoy's body, however, a bizarre fusion occurred instead, merging the two brothers into [[Omega Prime|God Fire Convoy]] and revealing that the intention had always been for them to ''share'' the Energon Matrix between them. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!|Forced Fusion! God Fire Convoy}} God Magnus later inadvertently used this link to channel the energy of the Matrix into the [[Autobot Brothers|3 Car Robo Brothers]], supercharging them. {{storylink|The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus|Stalemate! 3 Car Robo Brothers}}

In the final battle against Devil Gigatron at the [[Earth's core]], [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]] channeled all his energy into God Fire Convoy to give his leader the power boost that he hoped would ensure triumph. The extra energy combined with that of the Energon Matrix and it burst forth, coalescing into the colossal [[Matrix Blade|Super God Sword]], which God Fire Convoy used in an attempt to claim victory. {{storylink|The Final Battle (RID)|The Final Battle}}

{{--}}

===''Beast Wars'' manga continuity===
====''Beast Wars II'' manga====

After being approved to be a [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] by a council, the Maximal who would become [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]] received an Energon Matrix. {{storylink|Free the Captured Matrix!}}

During a battle with [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] on the ruined land of [[Japan]], Lio Convoy refused to team up with Galvatron in the name of the Energon Matrix. Galvatron then used [[Angolmois]] to "pollute" Lio Convoy's Matrix, causing him lose his senses and grow into a giant. Lio Convoy violently defeated Galvatron with ease before attacking his fellow Maximals. Optimus Primal showed up and purged his Matrix via a single touch. {{storylink|Free the Captured Matrix!}}

Much later, Lio Convoy used his Energon Matrix to cure the mammoth [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big]], who was mortally wounded by a ''[[Magmatron|Giganotosaurus]]''. The power of Energon Matrix not only cured him, but made him become a [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]]-class [[Transformer]]. {{storylink|The Beast Wars "Neo" Begin!!!}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' manga====
After Big Convoy successfully destroyed Unicron's physical form by stabbing his right eye with [[Magma Blade]], Unicron's essence emerged from his eye and plastered itself on Big Convoy's body, trying to possess him. Big Convoy took the Matrix out from his chest and unleashed its power, sacrificing himself and successfully destroying Unicron once and for all. {{storylink|Return to Zero}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
The energon matrix was the source of life which the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders of Cybertron]] used to create the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s as proxy armies to continue a never-ending Autobot-Decepticon conflict. After the Builders deemed that enough new lives existed to supply gladiatorial cannon fodder for the [[Games]], they hid the energon matrix in the frame of [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]], who became the protege of [[Eject (G1)|Eject]], The Administrator of the Games. Upon explaining the purpose of their rebellion, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] broke Lio Convoy's windshield to reveal it to her fellow rebels, explaining to them and Lio Convoy that it was the key to freeing Cybertron from Builder rule. Thereafter, Lio Convoy interrupted a game in [[Dodecahex]] to publicly expose the Builders' lies, demonstrating his energon matrix as proof that the Builders had squandered their opportunity to create a better world.

After Lio Convoy initiated civil war, Eject avoided the death penalty by proposing a solution to the [[Builder Assembly]]: clone Lio Convoy's [[CNA]] to create an army of energon matrix-infused soldiers. The Assembly approved of this idea. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[File:Optimusprimaltoyultraape.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb]]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (Ultra, 1996/1997/1998)
* '''Burning Convoy''' (Ultra)

:The decoration at the center of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Optimus Primal/toys#FirstUltra|Optimus Primal]]'s chest is an ''ex post facto'' Energon Matrix.
:The [[Spontaneous recoloration|clear-red]] redeco of Optimus Primal, with gold "flame" markings represents Primal after unleashing the energy of his Energon Matrix and becoming Burning Convoy.

{{-}}

{{anchor|LioConvoy}}
[[File:LioConvoyMatrix1.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"Pssst! Hey, buddy! Wanna buy a McGuffin?"]]
* '''Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
* '''Black Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
* '''Flash Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)

:[[Lio Convoy (BWII)#Beast Wars|Lio Convoy]]'s Energon Matrix is built into his left breast and is revealed by opening a panel.
:The Flash Lio Convoy decoration represents Lio Convoy after unleashing his Energon Matrix energy.

[[File:BWII LioConvoy Flash.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb]]

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Neo===
{{anchor|BigConvoy}}
[[File:BWNtoy-BigConvoy-Matrix.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Pimp My Ribcage.]]
*'''Big Convoy''' (Ultra, 1999)
*'''Duel of the Universe: Big Convoy VS Magmatron''' (Vs pack, 1999)
*'''Gold Big Convoy''' (Ultra, 1999)
*'''Blue Big Convoy''' (Ultra, 1999)

: ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' [[Big Convoy (BWN)#Beast Wars Neo|Big Convoy]]'s Matrix is a separately molded piece that can be stored in his chest. It is a red orb with a gold, [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metalized]] shell, and it can be held with its [[5mm post|5mm handle]]s. Notably, this is the first removable "Matrix" accessory.

: This was [[redeco]]ed into [[Black Big Convoy]]'s Matrix, ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)#Universe|Nemesis Prime]]'s [[Dead Matrix]], and ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Timelines|Ultra Mammoth]]'s [[Reconfiguration Matrix]].

{{-}}

===Car Robots===
{{anchor|FireConvoy}}
[[File:RIDtoy primes matrix.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb]]
*'''Fire Convoy''' (Super, 2000)
*'''Black Super Fire Convoy ''' (Super, 2000/2001)
*'''Clear Super Fire Convoy''' (Super, 2000)
*'''Black God Fire Convoy''' (Giftset, 2000)
*'''Clear God Fire Convoy''' (Giftset, 2000)

: ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Optimus Prime (RID)#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Fire Convoy]] has a little door on his chest that hides a sculpted Matrix. It cannot be removed.

{{-}}
===Robotmasters===
{{anchor|LioConvoyRM}}
* '''Lio Convoy''' (Deluxe, 2005)
* '''Lio Convoy + DVD''' (Deluxe, 2005)

: ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'' [[Lio Convoy (BWII)#Robotmasters|Lio Convoy]] is a scaled-down, simplified, all-new, Deluxe-sized Lio Convoy. He retains his Energon Matrix, which is still built into his left breast and is revealed by opening a panel.
{{--}}

==See also==
*[[Matrix (disambiguation)|Other Matrices]]

[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo]]
[[Category:Energon|Matrix]]
[[Category:MacGuffins]]
[[Category:Matrices]]
[[Category:Robotmasters]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001)]]

Energon Matrix

2015-06-13T17:51:20Z

Viktorimus:

:''The Energon Matrix is a device from [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:PrimalLeadershipMatrix1.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|''Mmmmm, Matrixy...'']]
The '''Energon Matrix''' (エネルゴンマトリクス ''Enerugon Matorikusu''), also parsed '''energon matrix''', is a powerful device awarded only to high-ranking members of the [[Autobot]] or [[Maximal]] army, most often of [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] rank. During [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s time, there was only one [[Matrix of Leadership]], but by [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]]'s time, multiple Matrices had been constructed.

An Energon Matrix contains the courage and the wisdom of Convoys from different generations and amplifies the strength and power of the Convoy who wields it. They can summon the power of the Energon Matrix to energize their body and amplify their natural skills, or they can unleash the power of the Matrix in one magnificent blast. If two or more Convoys do it at once, they can combine the blasts to increase their effectiveness.Also, these are the ONLY basic and important functions of these Matrices, and why these come to be in the possession of [[Convoy|Optimus Prime like 'Convoy' Transformers]] like Prime himself is a bizzare coincidence.Also, whether these Matrices can match the power of the real Matrix and if so, how were they created, is currently unknown.

Additionally, [[Vector Sigma]] is capable of speaking through [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]]'s Matrix, whether he likes it to or not.

==Matrix bearers==
The following characters are known to have an Energon Matrix (exceptions are specifically noted).

*[[Optimus Primal]] ''(only in Japanese continuity)''
*[[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]]
*[[Lio Junior]] (a copy of Lio Convoy's)
*[[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]]
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)|Fire Convoy]] ''(see [[#Car Robots cartoon|Car Robots cartoon]])''

==Fiction==
===Japanese cartoon continuity===
====''United EX''====
Under the supervision of [[Chip Chase|Professor Chase]], Energon Matrix technology was created as a joint effort between the Autobots and [[human]]kind in the 21st century. The Energon Matrix was developed to power their newly created [[Power Core Combination]] technology, though Professor Chase had reservations regarding what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands. {{storylink|The Mighty Bolt}}

====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon====
When Lio Convoy and Optimus Primal teamed-up to take down [[Majin Zarak]], they displayed the various functions of their Energon Matrices. Lio Convoy used the power of his Matrix to upgrade his speed by transforming himself into Flash Lio Convoy. Optimus Primal did a similar move by upgrading his strength as Burning Convoy.

After that, they unleashed the power of their Matrices and combined the force into a "Double Matrix Blaster". This move sent a torrent of powerful energy directly into Majin Zarak, killing him. {{storylink|Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon====
One of the most skillful, yet most anti-social members of the Maximals, [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]], was shown to carry a Matrix. However, Vector Sigma took a more proactive approach with Big Convoy than with most others. After each battle, Vector Sigma would speak through Big Convoy and dispense wisdom to his new recruits who so desperately needed it.{{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}} Eventually, this sentimentality rubbed off on Big Convoy and he began dispensing wisdom all on his own.{{storylink|Dinosaur Combiner Magmatron}}

When [[Unicron]] attacked Cybertron and possessed Vector Sigma, ultimately turning Cybertron into his new body, Big Convoy's Matrix proved to be the only thing capable of stopping him. When Unicron briefly exited Vector Sigma to do battle with the Maximals, Big Convoy removed his Matrix and used it to power his Big Cannon, turning it into the [[Matrix Buster]]. Firing a powerful blast of Matrix energy into Unicron, the Chaos-bringer was seemingly destroyed and evicted from Vector Sigma.{{storylink|The Final Battle (BWN)}}

====''Car Robots'' cartoon====
{{note|The following only holds true to the Japanese version of the series, ''Car Robots''. For the English dub, ''Robots in Disguise'', Optimus Prime does not carry an Energon Matrix, but a version of the [[Matrix of Leadership]].}}

[[File:PowerToBurn prime matrix.jpg|left|225px|thumb]]

As leader of the Autobots, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Fire Convoy]] came equipped with an Energon Matrix. Less a physical object and more an energy that suffused his form, Fire Convoy could call on the power of the Matrix in moments of great emotion, at which point his body would glow with its green light. {{storylink|The Test (episode)|Awaken to Righteousness! Black Convoy}}

[[File:TwoFaces magnus matrix.jpg|right|215px|thumb]]

Unfortunately for Fire Convoy, his brother [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]] was furious at being passed over for the leadership role, and about halfway through Fire Convoy's campaign against [[Megatron (RID)|Gigatron]] on Earth, God Magnus arrived on the planet with the intent to take the Energon Matrix for himself. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus (episode)|Enter! God Magnus}} When he attempted to absorb the energy of the Matrix from Fire Convoy's body, however, a bizarre fusion occurred instead, merging the two brothers into [[Omega Prime|God Fire Convoy]] and revealing that the intention had always been for them to ''share'' the Energon Matrix between them. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!|Forced Fusion! God Fire Convoy}} God Magnus later inadvertently used this link to channel the energy of the Matrix into the [[Autobot Brothers|3 Car Robo Brothers]], supercharging them. {{storylink|The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus|Stalemate! 3 Car Robo Brothers}}

In the final battle against Devil Gigatron at the [[Earth's core]], [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]] channeled all his energy into God Fire Convoy to give his leader the power boost that he hoped would ensure triumph. The extra energy combined with that of the Energon Matrix and it burst forth, coalescing into the colossal [[Matrix Blade|Super God Sword]], which God Fire Convoy used in an attempt to claim victory. {{storylink|The Final Battle (RID)|The Final Battle}}

{{--}}

===''Beast Wars'' manga continuity===
====''Beast Wars II'' manga====

After being approved to be a [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] by a council, the Maximal who would become [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]] received an Energon Matrix. {{storylink|Free the Captured Matrix!}}

During a battle with [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] on the ruined land of [[Japan]], Lio Convoy refused to team up with Galvatron in the name of the Energon Matrix. Galvatron then used [[Angolmois]] to "pollute" Lio Convoy's Matrix, causing him lose his senses and grow into a giant. Lio Convoy violently defeated Galvatron with ease before attacking his fellow Maximals. Optimus Primal showed up and purged his Matrix via a single touch. {{storylink|Free the Captured Matrix!}}

Much later, Lio Convoy used his Energon Matrix to cure the mammoth [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big]], who was mortally wounded by a ''[[Magmatron|Giganotosaurus]]''. The power of Energon Matrix not only cured him, but made him become a [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]]-class [[Transformer]]. {{storylink|The Beast Wars "Neo" Begin!!!}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' manga====
After Big Convoy successfully destroyed Unicron's physical form by stabbing his right eye with [[Magma Blade]], Unicron's essence emerged from his eye and plastered itself on Big Convoy's body, trying to possess him. Big Convoy took the Matrix out from his chest and unleashed its power, sacrificing himself and successfully destroying Unicron once and for all. {{storylink|Return to Zero}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
The energon matrix was the source of life which the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders of Cybertron]] used to create the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s as proxy armies to continue a never-ending Autobot-Decepticon conflict. After the Builders deemed that enough new lives existed to supply gladiatorial cannon fodder for the [[Games]], they hid the energon matrix in the frame of [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]], who became the protege of [[Eject (G1)|Eject]], The Administrator of the Games. Upon explaining the purpose of their rebellion, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] broke Lio Convoy's windshield to reveal it to her fellow rebels, explaining to them and Lio Convoy that it was the key to freeing Cybertron from Builder rule. Thereafter, Lio Convoy interrupted a game in [[Dodecahex]] to publicly expose the Builders' lies, demonstrating his energon matrix as proof that the Builders had squandered their opportunity to create a better world.

After Lio Convoy initiated civil war, Eject avoided the death penalty by proposing a solution to the [[Builder Assembly]]: clone Lio Convoy's [[CNA]] to create an army of energon matrix-infused soldiers. The Assembly approved of this idea. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[File:Optimusprimaltoyultraape.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb]]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (Ultra, 1996/1997/1998)
* '''Burning Convoy''' (Ultra)

:The decoration at the center of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Optimus Primal/toys#FirstUltra|Optimus Primal]]'s chest is an ''ex post facto'' Energon Matrix.
:The [[Spontaneous recoloration|clear-red]] redeco of Optimus Primal, with gold "flame" markings represents Primal after unleashing the energy of his Energon Matrix and becoming Burning Convoy.

{{-}}

{{anchor|LioConvoy}}
[[File:LioConvoyMatrix1.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"Pssst! Hey, buddy! Wanna buy a McGuffin?"]]
* '''Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
* '''Black Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
* '''Flash Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)

:[[Lio Convoy (BWII)#Beast Wars|Lio Convoy]]'s Energon Matrix is built into his left breast and is revealed by opening a panel.
:The Flash Lio Convoy decoration represents Lio Convoy after unleashing his Energon Matrix energy.

[[File:BWII LioConvoy Flash.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb]]

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Neo===
{{anchor|BigConvoy}}
[[File:BWNtoy-BigConvoy-Matrix.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Pimp My Ribcage.]]
*'''Big Convoy''' (Ultra, 1999)
*'''Duel of the Universe: Big Convoy VS Magmatron''' (Vs pack, 1999)
*'''Gold Big Convoy''' (Ultra, 1999)
*'''Blue Big Convoy''' (Ultra, 1999)

: ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' [[Big Convoy (BWN)#Beast Wars Neo|Big Convoy]]'s Matrix is a separately molded piece that can be stored in his chest. It is a red orb with a gold, [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metalized]] shell, and it can be held with its [[5mm post|5mm handle]]s. Notably, this is the first removable "Matrix" accessory.

: This was [[redeco]]ed into [[Black Big Convoy]]'s Matrix, ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)#Universe|Nemesis Prime]]'s [[Dead Matrix]], and ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Timelines|Ultra Mammoth]]'s [[Reconfiguration Matrix]].

{{-}}

===Car Robots===
{{anchor|FireConvoy}}
[[File:RIDtoy primes matrix.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb]]
*'''Fire Convoy''' (Super, 2000)
*'''Black Super Fire Convoy ''' (Super, 2000/2001)
*'''Clear Super Fire Convoy''' (Super, 2000)
*'''Black God Fire Convoy''' (Giftset, 2000)
*'''Clear God Fire Convoy''' (Giftset, 2000)

: ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Optimus Prime (RID)#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Fire Convoy]] has a little door on his chest that hides a sculpted Matrix. It cannot be removed.

{{-}}
===Robotmasters===
{{anchor|LioConvoyRM}}
* '''Lio Convoy''' (Deluxe, 2005)
* '''Lio Convoy + DVD''' (Deluxe, 2005)

: ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'' [[Lio Convoy (BWII)#Robotmasters|Lio Convoy]] is a scaled-down, simplified, all-new, Deluxe-sized Lio Convoy. He retains his Energon Matrix, which is still built into his left breast and is revealed by opening a panel.
{{--}}

==See also==
*[[Matrix (disambiguation)|Other Matrices]]

[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo]]
[[Category:Energon|Matrix]]
[[Category:MacGuffins]]
[[Category:Matrices]]
[[Category:Robotmasters]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001)]]

Lio Convoy (BW)

2015-06-13T17:36:57Z

Viktorimus:

{{factions|maximal|predacon|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the ''Beast Wars II'' Maximal|the ''Kre-O'' Autobot|Lio Convoy (Kre-O)}}
:''Lio Convoy is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]]. He is sometimes known as '''Leo Prime'''.''

[[File:BWIILioConvoyColorModel.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He's no Leoric.]]

As he rose through the ranks of the Maximal Space Patrol, '''Lio Convoy''' (ライオコンボイ ''Raio Konboi'') and his honest nature, selfless dedication to duty and ability to lead by example quickly caught the attention, and earned the respect, of his superior officers. Now with his own crew of loyal Maximals, Lio Convoy continues to display those qualities in the heat of desperate combat.

While on the surface he appears to be a tough, exacting, career-military sort of robot, any Maximal who has served under him knows that there's a smile behind his face-plate and a gentleness at the core of his [[spark]]. Though he yearns for a universe forever at peace, Lio Convoy takes to the battlefield with precision, strength and cunning. He believes that combat, more than anything else, reveals an enemy's true character and it has been through combat that Lio Convoy has made both his bitterest rivals and most enduring friendships.All these qualities show him to be rightly called a descendant of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]].

Though compassionate by nature, Lio Convoy stumbles when it comes to expressing anything outside the perimeters of gruff military rhetoric. This attitude has strained his relationship with his "son", [[Lio Junior]], who wants only to obtain the approval of his "father".

==Fiction==
===''Beast Wars II'' toy catalog===
[[File:PrimalLioConvoyCatalog01.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb]]

As Lio Convoy advanced through the ranks of the Maximal Space Patrol, his progress was observed by an impressed [[Optimus Primal]]. When the time finally came, Primal chose him as his successor for his strength and bravery (though he felt he could be too straight-forward, at times). Lio Convoy happily shook Primal's hand and promised not to let his predecessor down. {{storylink|Catalog#Beast Wars II|The next stage of battle advances to the Second War... ...Beast Wars, Transform!}}

{{-}}

===Cartoon continuity===
{{cleanup|October 2009|Is lacking storylinks to relevant episodes}}

====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Hozumi Gōda]] (Japanese)|[[Jung Goo Lee]] (Korean)}}

[[File:Lioconvoy preformat.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"TRUKK NOT LYON!"]]
Receiving a mysterious SOS signal from within an asteroid field, Maximal Supreme Commander Convoy investigated alongside his deputy, [[Apache]]. Entering the field in small one-man reconnaissance crafts, the pair discovered that the signal was coming from a small planetoid that suddenly began bearing down on them in a collision course. Realising that the whole affair had been a trap laid by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] Emperor [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]], Convoy sprang into action and opened fire on the planetoid, which exploded dramatically. {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!|The New Forces Arrive!}} While the blast hurled Apache to safety, however, Convoy took the brunt of the explosion and was cast into the depths of the cosmos, eventually crash landing on the planet [[Gaea]]. When he regained consciousness, his body had already been weakened and corroded by the hazardous atmosphere of the planet, and he would surely have died had not a white lion come upon his prone form. The lion carried Convoy to a cave brimming with the power of [[Angolmois]] energy, which restored and revitalized Convoy. Convoy then scanned the lion's form for use as a [[beast mode]] to protect him from Gaea's atmosphere, and redubbed himself "Lio Convoy".

As coincidence would have it, Galvatron and his Predacons had also come to Gaea to harness its Angolmois energy, and Lio Convoy's unit had followed them, but wound up on the losing end of the battle that resulted. Staying in lion mode the whole time, Lio Convoy bounded onto the scene and freed his troops from the energy web that was paralyzing them, then led them back to the crashed wreck of their ship, the ''[[Yukikaze (BWII)|Yukikaze]]'', where he revealed his identity to them (although Apache had already figured it out). Stranded on Gaea, the team dedicated themselves to stopping Galvatron's evil plans for the Angolmois energy. {{storylink|White Lion, Run!|White Lion, Run!}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Bighorn's Rage}} {{storylink|The Lake Trap}} {{storylink|Galvatron Revived}} {{storylink|Mystery of the Ancient Ruins}} {{storylink|The Insect Corps Arrive}} {{storylink|Friend or Foe? The Insect Robos}} {{storylink|The Strongest Tag Team?}} {{storylink|Autorollers Roll Out!}} {{storylink|Danger! Scissor Boy}} {{storylink|Galvatron Rampages}} {{storylink|Predacon General Offensive!}} {{storylink|The Combined Giant, Tripledacus}} {{storylink|The Festive Jointrons}} {{storylink|A Fearsome Combination Plan?}} {{storylink|Who Is the Leader!?}} {{storylink|The Black Lio Convoy}} {{storylink|The Space Pirate Seacons!}} {{storylink|Who Is the Strongest Warrior!?}} {{storylink|The Tentacular Scuba}} {{storylink|Megastorm's Reckoning}} {{storylink|Showdown in the Sea}} {{storylink|Face the Setting Sun}} {{storylink|The Final Battle (BWII)|The Final Battle}}

Lio Convoy was later reunited with his "son", [[Lio Junior]]. While Lio Convoy was first recovering from Predacon attack, the Spirit of Gaea copied his Leadership Matrix and infused it within Lio Junior, resulting in Lio Junior's belief that he was Lio Convoy's offspring. Lio Convoy wasn't very eager to be weighed down by a son, and Lio Junior spent the bulk of the series trying desperately to earn his acceptance. {{storylink|Enter Lio Junior}}

[[File:Lioconvoyinemminentdomain.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Continuity migraine.]]
At one point, an alien machine that could warp time and space crashed onto Gaea. The Predacons used it to summon the unstoppable mobile fortress, [[Majin Zarak]], and quickly trashed most of the Maximals. [[Magnaboss II|Magnaboss]] (the combined form of Lio Junior, [[Santon]] and [[Skywarp (BWII)|Skywarp]]) managed to summon [[Optimus Primal]] to their aid with the machine.

Primal and Lio Convoy teamed up to battle Majin Zarak, who turned out to be a sentient robot and not just a battle station. Together, they combined the power of their Energon Matrices to [[Spontaneous recoloration|upgrade]] themselves into Burning Convoy and Flash Lio Convoy.

[[File:Flashlioconvoy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Ooh, shiny.]]

With Primal's enhanced strength and Lio Convoy's super speed, they weakened Majin Zarak. They then unleashed the power within their Matrices into a "Double Matrix Blast" which finished off the monster. {{storylink |Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!}}

Lio Convoy had many more wacky adventures on Gaea, including but not limited to: [[Black Lio Convoy|Evil Clones]], [[Seacon (BWII)|Space Pirates]], and [[Jointron|Feisty Mexican Robot Insects]]. Eventually, Galvatron summoned [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], an artificial planet, to suck all the Angolmois energy out of Gaea. The Maximals followed the Predacons to Nemesis and Lio Convoy managed to infiltrate Nemesis with the help of [[Scuba]] and the [[Tako Tank]]. Inside, Lio Convoy faced Galvatron but could not defeat the Predacon Emperor of Destruction, who was now powered by Angolmois energy. Lio Junior soon arrived to rescue his daddy and the pair, with the help of "good" Angolmois energy, merged into the [[Green Warrior]]. They did battle with Galvatron and eventually defeated him, sealing the Angolmois energy into capsules and firing them off into space. Galvatron then revealed his big surprise and used his [[Galva-Matrix]] to cause Nemesis to explode. Lio Convoy and the rest of the Maximals then fell into a wormhole.{{storylink|Megastorm Reborn}} {{storylink|The New Weapon, Tako Tank}} {{storylink|The Artificial Planet Nemesis}} {{storylink|Gigastorm's Treachery}} {{storylink|The End of Starscream}} {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Assassination Plot}} {{storylink|The Great Angolmois Freezing Tactic}} {{storylink|Knock Out Nemesis}} {{storylink|Lio Junior's Revolt!?}} {{storylink|Emissary of the Fourth Planet}} {{storylink|The Crisis of Planet Gaea}} {{storylink|Fly Out! Planet Gaea}} {{storylink|Assemble, Thirty-Nine Warriors}} {{storylink|Revenge of the Space Pirates}} {{storylink|Breaking into Nemesis}} {{storylink|Legend! The Green Warrior}} {{storylink|Farewell! Lio Convoy}}

====''The Maximal Brainwashing Operation''====
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Maximal Brainwashing Operation}}
{{-}}
====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Hozumi Gōda]] (Japanese)|[[Jung Goo Lee]] (Korean)}}
[[File:Neo35 greenwarrior.jpg|left|thumb|Maximals. Now flavored in mint.]]
{{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}}
After having their Angolmois capsules stolen by the [[Blendtron]]s, [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]] and his Maximal new recruits were sucked into a wormhole while chasing their enemies. They came across Lio Convoy (whom they all had presumed dead) who explained to them that the Angolmois energy was really the lifeforce of [[Unicron]]. Lio Convoy used all his power to free the Maximals from the wormhole, though he remained trapped inside.{{storylink|Illusion? Lio Convoy}}
Lio Convoy eventually escaped from the wormhole and aided Big Convoy, the Maximals and [[Magmatron]] in the final battle against Unicron. After Big Convoy blew Unicron away with his Matrix Buster, the Maximals and Predacons formed an alliance of true unity and worked together to restore Cybertron. All of Lio Convoy's Maximal troops who were trapped inside the wormhole with him were eventually released and joined in the restoration of their homeworld. {{storylink|Unicron Revived!?}} {{storylink|The Final Battle (BWN)|The Final Battle}} {{storylink|Graduation Ceremony!!}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{-}}

====''Robotmasters''====
{{note|While ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' is explicitly placed in cartoon continuity, none of the various pieces of actual ''Robotmasters'' fiction tells the story of the line in its entirety, and each of them relate certain events in notably different ways. Precisely ''which'' of the iterations of the story—covered individually below—should be considered the [[canon]] one for the cartoon timeline is unknown.}}

=====Cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Masayuki Katō]] (Japanese)}}

{{charstubfiction}}

{{storylink|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!}}
{{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}

=====Online comic=====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (issue)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}} {{storylink|Together, the 4 Great Supreme Commanders}} {{storylink|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} {{storylink|The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn}} {{storylink|And Then}}}}

=====3D diorama manga=====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Robotmasters Vol. 9}} {{storylink|Robotmasters Vol. 11}}}}

====''TransTech''====
[[File:InvasionPrologue-Primes.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Don't cross Leo Prime. He transforms into a lion the size of a fire truck.]]
At some point, Lio Convoy aka Leo Prime was gathered in [[Axiom Nexus]] by [[Optimus Prime (TransTech)|its Optimus Prime]], along with a roster of other Optimus Primes and [[Sentinel Maximus|their kin]] in a group known as the [[Convoy (group)|Convoy]]. A multiversal cataclysm in [[Primax 207.0 Epsilon|a universe]] seeded with [[Rarified Energon]] and an invasion by [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon|natives from the negative polarity universe]] had called them into action. Since Matrix bearers and their doppelgangers were usually never allowed into Axiom Nexus, this was a grave threat indeed! {{storylink|Invasion Prologue}}

His name was on a list of Convoy members given by [[Cheetor (TransTech)|Cheetor]] to [[Andromeda (TransTech)|Andromeda]]. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter}}
{{-}}

====''Prime'' toy bios====
Following the restoration of Cybertron, Lio Convoy ascended to the rank of [[Great Convoy]], and became a member of the ruling body of Cybertron. After a time, Great Lio Convoy sensed the [[One Shall Rise, Part 1|awakening of Unicron]] in another dimension, and travelled across the multiverse to this world. Finding that the native Autobots and Decepticons had already dealt with the threat of Unicron, Great Lio Convoy—now using the name "Leo Prime"—elected to stay on this world for a time to ensure that Unicron did not reawaken, refraining from involving himself in the combat between the native Transformers. In the new body he wears in this universe, he is armed with an ancient sword that draws power straight from his Energon Matrix, though apparently unbeknownst to him, it, like the weapons of many other Transformers in this universe, is secretly an [[Arms Micron]] named [[L.P.]]. {{storylink|#primetoy|''Arms Micron'' Leo Prime bio}} Using this weapon, Leo Prime carved up the remains of one of Unicron's rock-and-earth avatars to create the [[Gaia Armor]], using the power of his Energon Matrix to sever the avatar's link to Unicron himself, but allowing it to retain the power of [[Dark Energon]]. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (WFC)#Toys|''Arms Micron'' Optimus Prime + Gaia Unicron bio}}

===''Bom Bom'' manga continuity===
====''Beast Wars II'' comic====
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Demolish the Superdreadnought Tank!}} {{storylink|Infiltrate the Mystery Island!}} {{storylink|Free the Captured Matrix!}} {{storylink|Make a Surprise Attack on the Super Weapon Base!}}
He gets [[Humanization#Intoxication|drunk]] for drinking too much [[oil]] and ends up trashing [[Apache]]'s room. {{storylink|Recover the Bonds Lost!}} {{storylink|All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet!}}

During the final battle with [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] on the artificial planet ''[[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]'', Lio Convoy once again became corrupted by the [[Angolmois]] energy that the planet had collected. The energy quickly consumed him, transforming him into Black Lio Convoy, a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]. Lio Convoy was able to use his [[Energon Matrix]] to channel the true spiritual energy of [[Gaea]] through himself, dispelling the evil influences and restoring him to a Maximal. The energy then transformed him into the [[Green Warrior]] and he was able to defeat Galvatron once and for all. {{storylink|Win the Battle of Light and Darkness!}}

After the destruction of the [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], Lio Convoy and the members of his team were scattered across the time and space due to the blast of Angolmois energy. After awaking one night in a blizzard, Lio Convoy found he was alone on an unknown planet.

Lio Convoy then wandered in the snow field alone, wondering where the other members of his team were. He then ran into a gang of rampaging animals, consisting of a Quetzalcoatlus, an Elasmosaurus, a [[Guiledart|Triceratops]], a [[Saberback|Stegosaurus]], a [[Sling (BWN)|Dimetrodon]] and an [[Dead End (BWN)|Ammonite]]. The gang, led by a [[Magmatron|Giganotosaurus]], attacked other animals. At first, he thought it was a hunt, but it turned out to be a massacre instead. Lio Convoy saved a dear cab and fired Lio Missiles toward the Giganotosaurus. He was surprised to find the missile didn't killed the dinosaur —in fact, the Giganotosaurus was completely unharmed. The Giganotosaurus fought back by firing missiles. When it was about to kill Lio Convoy, he was saved by a [[Big Convoy (BWN)|mammoth]], who gave him and the dear cab a ride and helped them escape.

The mammoth, whose name was "Big", took Lio Convoy to a hot spring to heal his wounds. He then began to tell his story: His is the leader of a group of native wild animals. He told Lio Convoy that the Giganotosaurus's gang was a bunch of rowdies who became more vicious and killed his friends when he was absent after the mysterious "God's Stone" fell on the planet. He felt sorrow because he couldn't protect his friends. Lio Convoy asked Big to take him to the place where the "stone" fell.

Upon arriving at the cliff above the place mentioned by Big, Lio Convoy soon realized the "stone" is in fact an Angolmois energy capsule. He then descended into the valley to take an examination of the capsule. The energy restored his onboard computer and gave him the time-and-space coordinates. Lio Convoy was shocked when he learned he was on a distant planet located in the [[7th Cosmos]] in a time long before he was born.

While Lio Convoy was examining the capsule, Big was wondering what he's doing in the valley before the gang came to the spot and attacked him, claiming for the "God's Stone". Though wounded, Big pushed the gang into the valley after he told Lio Convoy to get out. The impact caused the capsule to explode and the two breathe a sigh of relief. In the pit, the gang evolved in the blast of Angolmois. The gang then rose out of the valley front of Lio Convoy and Big. Their leader, now named "[[Magmatron]]", thanked Big for his effort, which had made them stronger than ever before. The gang then transforms, ready to kill Big and Lio Convoy. Lio Convoy immediately transformed and fought the gang. He defeated the henchmen with ease, but Magmatron took him out with one blast.

Some time later, Lio Convoy crawled out of a thick snow layer and learned there was 90 percents of malfunctions within his body. Lio Convoy was sorry he got Big, who was mortally wounded, involved in this incident. Lio Convoy decided to use his [[Energon Matrix]] to cure Big. During the treatment, the only thought on his mind was curing Big, hoping he would carry on his will, and feeling concern about his teammates. After the action, the whereabouts of Lio Convoy was unknown. {{storylink|The Beast Wars "Neo" Begin!!!}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' comic====
At a certain point, the [[Unicron|Black Ball]] told Lio Convoy and his teammates' action to [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]] and his crew. Big Convoy felt the name "Lio Convoy" sound familiar, but he couldn't remember when he ever knew the name.{{storylink|There Are 7 Capsules}}

When fixing the ''[[Gung Ho]]'' on an asteroid near the planet [[Luxor]], Big Convoy asked [[NAVI (Gung Ho)|NAVI]] for information about Lio Convoy because he felt the name was familiar. NAVI gave Big Convoy the information and he learned that Lio Convoy was a rookie officer. In addition to that, they had never met each other, according to the official records. {{storylink|There Are 7 Capsules}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Double Cross}}
During his last breath, Big Convoy saw Lio Convoy come to take him to a place where his soul could rest in peace.{{storylink|Return to Zero}}

====''Beast Wars Metals'' comic====
The visage of Lio Convoy appeared alongside those of Big Convoy and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in a poetic montage overlooking the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] on [[Earth|Energoa]].
{{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
[[File:Lioconvoy gathering.jpg|thumb|Hey, look, he turns into Liger Zero!]]
There is a slight otherworldliness about Commander-in-Chief Lio Convoy, a sense that he is operating on a bigger picture and serving a higher power. Upon landing on a planet, he immediately becomes in tune with its natural harmonics and becomes determined to defend that world. He has sheer belief in his pre-ordained cause, backed up by a Matrix that gives him power from the very core of Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 17|Transformers Comic issue 17}}

Prior to the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], Lio Convoy commanded a crew of Maximals who traveled to the planet [[Gaea]] and battled [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] and his forces. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

Years later, during peace-time, the ever-vigilant Lio Convoy sat on the [[Bi-Partate Committee for State Affairs]], but was also a member of a secret black-ops intelligence unit known as the [[Pack]]. During a conversation with [[Razorbeast]] that was officially off-the-record, he reminded his fellow Maximal that their unit didn't exist and that the [[Maximal Imperium]] didn't sanction their operations. He warned Razorbeast that if he was caught while undercover in [[Magmatron]]'s command, he would be disavowed. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}}

[[File:BWAScendLioConvoyConventional.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]
Unfortunately, Lio Convoy believed that Magmatron was the true enemy, while [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] was just a loose cannon. (Real good job of threat assessment there.) After Razorbeast's transwarp booster-sent distress message was strengthened by Magmatron, it reached Lio Convoy, who, despite his earlier warning, mobilized the Pack at once to race to Razorbeast's rescue. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1|The Ascending #1}}

While Razorbeast's Maximals were fighting the Predacons to a standstill (in no small part thanks to the powerhouses [[Torca]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]), the Pack arrived and looked to turn the tide of battle quickly in the favor of all that is clean and fresh. Lio Convoy himself transformed and confronted [[Drill Bit (BW)|Drill Bit]] and some other Pred thugs, who were unimpressed by his unnervingly LARGE beast mode. Lio Convoy accepted this and whipped out his cannons. THEN they were impressed. When [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] revealed himself to the Maximals, Lio Convoy and Razorbeast were quick to turn their guns on him, right up until [[Rartorata]] showed his ugly mug. The [[Blendtron]] injected Razorbeast with a load of Angolmois, turning the Maximal into a raging berserker locked in beast mode. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2|The Ascending #2}}

[[File:Lio V Ravage.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Rumble (G1)|RUMBLE]]! WAS! [[FIRRIB|RED]]!]]
Reminding the Pack that they take care of their own and clean up their own messes, Lio Convoy engaged the enemy. Once they had subdued Razorbeast's mutated form with crude vines and stakes, Convoy discovered that his comrade was still within the monstrous beast and fighting a losing battle against the Angolmois that was corrupting his mind. Ravage informed the Maximal commander of the urgency of what Magmatron had showed him, and the Maximals prepared to board Lio Convoy's transwarp cruiser. The cruiser's takeoff was then threatened by the arrival of the other two Blendtrons. Razorbeast broke from his restraints and charged into battle against the servants of Unicron, telling Convoy to escape while he held the line. Setting the transwarp coordinates to the time and place Ravage had received from Magmatron, the cruiser emerged in the midst of [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]]'s battle with Shokaract. However it was shot down upon the arrival of [[Herald of Shokaract|Shokaract's Heralds]]. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 3|The Ascending #3}}

Luckily Lio and the rest of The Pack survived the crash and were able to join up with Big Convoy. After briefly explaining the seriousness of the situation to Big Convoy, Lio provided [[Bump]] with a sample of Angolmois so he could synthesize an antidote. After a brief spat of posturing by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and Ravage, Lio took part in a frontal assault on Shokaract to serve as a distraction while [[Snarl (BW)|Snarl]] and [[Prowl II|Prowl]] enacted the real plan. Once Shokaract decided to call it a day after his heart to heart talk with Magmatron and in the wake of the devastating battle Lio Convoy received the antidote from Bump and started on rebuilding a devastated Cybertron... just in time for Megatron to get back from the Beast Wars and release his [[transformation virus]] on the planet. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4|The Ascending #4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
Visiting the [[Axalon Trading Company]] to discuss business with [[Optimus Primal]], Lio Convoy found himself charmed by their office lady, [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]]. {{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)#The Gender Gap Part 2|The Gender Gap Part 2}}

Later, when he was out drinking sake, he was surprised by a speeding [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who was transporting her nephew [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] to work in her car mode. {{Storylink|Legends Comic: Business Trip Edition Vol. 10|Business Trip Edition Vol. 10}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Broken Windshields}} {{storylink|Head Games}}}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars''===
When a super-powerful [[energon crystal]] was discovered on [[Earth]], Lio Convoy was one of the several combatants to join the brawl to take possession of it.

Lio Convoy could also partake in various other tasks, such as a mission to break a boulder to reveal an energon crystal hidden within before sundown, using a block in a mission to defend himself against various incoming projectiles, and missions to run across a pit-riddled field, sometimes involving hideously large bacteria he had to fend off.

After defeating his final opponent, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], Lio Convoy decided to seal away the crystal forever, so that it would never fall into the hands of those who would abuse its power towards evil ends. {{storylink|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars}}

{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Lio Convoy's fate in those outcomes.}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[File:BWII LioConvoy toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight]]
* '''Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

: Lio Convoy transforms into an organic white lion articulated at the legs and head. In this mode, one can activate flip-out blades in each foreleg and spring-loaded missile launchers hidden in his mane. The head/mane can also open up and spin around via push-lever gear mechanism as part of a spinning attack gimmick ''thing''. A button on top of his head opens his [[beast mode]] jaw. He can only store two of his six missiles in beast mode...and they stick out of his mane, looking a little goofy.

[[File:LioConvoyMatrix1.jpg|right|100px|thumb|"Pssst! Hey, buddy! Wanna buy a MacGuffin?"]]
:In [[robot mode]], Lio Convoy's chest design and colours closely resemble ''Generation 1'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], even sporting a non-removable [[Energon Matrix]] sculpted into his chest, underneath his left chest panel (which also has a heat-sensitive Maximal [[rubsign]]). All of his flip-out beast mode weapons can be used in robot mode, and his missile launchers can be removed and held in either of his hands.

:Hasbro offered Lio Convoy as an [[exclusive]] on its now-defunct [[Hasbro Collectors]] website in 2000.

: This mold was used to make [[Black Lio Convoy]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/LioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm More information on Lio Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Black}}
* '''Black Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

: A [[redeco]] of Lio Convoy, Black Lio Convoy sports the now-familiar black, silver and teal color scheme which was later used for ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]], ''Armada'' [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]] and many, many other 'evil' Optimus Prime repaints. There is also a variant of this toy that comes with gold claws, which is harder to find than the normal version.

: Black Lio Convoy was a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] and came in a Lio Convoy box with a sticker indicating that it was "Black Lio Convoy". A [[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]] version was also released, which featured a number painted in white on his, uh, butt.

:This toy is also used to represent the separate character of [[Black Lio Convoy]].

{{-}}{{anchor|Flash}}
[[File:BWII LioConvoy Flash.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Blinged out and sparkly. Who are these toys marketed to again?]]
* '''Flash Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

:The first [[redeco]] of Lio Convoy in his "Flash" color scheme, which replaces most of his secondary colors with metal-flake gold and silver.
:He was released alongside Burning Convoy to promote the ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers|Beast Wars Special]]'' film.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/FlashLioConvoy/flashlioconvoy.htm More information on Flash Lio Convoy at TFU.info]''

*'''Galva-Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

:A [[Lucky Draw]] exclusive limited to only 50 units, Galva-Lio Convoy is a [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]]-themed recolor of Lio Convoy. This rare toy represents the ''Bom Bom'' manga story wherein Lio Convoy's spark was tainted by [[Angolmois]] energy.

:This toy was only made available as a prize offered through the December 1998 issue of [[Comic Bom Bom]].

::*''[http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/toy/gallery/review/galva+lio+convoy/886/galva+lio+convoy.html More information (and a photo gallery) on Galva-Lio Convoy at luckydrawtransformers.com ]''

===Robotmasters===
[[File:RMLioConvoy toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I'm adorable!]]
* '''Lio Convoy''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-22'''

: ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' Lio Convoy is a scaled-down, simplified, all-new, Deluxe-sized Lio Convoy. Though he retains most of the original Lio Convoy's articulation, he lacks the spring-loaded [[gimmick]]s such as his spinning mane and missile launchers, and is of lower sculpted detail.

: Instead of spring-loaded weapons, Lio Convoy comes with a whopping five non-firing blasters. His beast mode mane has peg-holes to attach four of the weapons, simulating his bigger toy's [[attack mode|attack beast mode]]. The smaller handgun has several mounting points on it for adding the other guns, resulting in a superweapon.

: This mold was also used to make the ''Robotmasters'' version of [[Black Lio Convoy]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/LioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm ''More information on ''Robotmasters'' Lio Convoy at TFU.info'']

{{-}}{{anchor|RMDVD}}
[[File:RMLioConvoy DVD toy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I'm unobtainable!]]
* '''Lio Convoy + DVD''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-23'''
**''Accessories'': 2 large cannons, 2 small cannons, handgun

: This more limited-edition (yet still normal retail) redeco of Lio Convoy features a shiny metallic paint deco for his red parts. He also comes with a DVD with the third part of the short ''Robotmasters'' CGI-animated storyline.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/DVDLioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm ''More information on ''Robotmasters'' Lio Convoy + DVD at TFU.info'']

{{-}}

===Classics===
[[File:Classics LeoPrime LOC.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|This toy has caused untold years of war.]]
* '''Leo Prime''' (Legends, 2007)
* '''Leo Prime''' (Legends, "Cybertron Collection", 2008)

: An unusual addition to the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' line, Leo Prime is a redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]''-series [[Legends Class|Legends of Cybertron]] [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] toy, transforming into a robotic lion (well, liger, really). He was originally part of the first wave of ''Classics'' Legends, then later re-released in a wave with—even more unusually—the ''Cybertron''-series characters [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]], all of whom (Leo Prime included) had the words "Cybertron Collection" added to the standard ''Classics'' package design.

: This mold was also used to make 2008's ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsLeoPrime/leoprime.htm ''More information on ''Classics'' Leo Prime at TFU.info'']

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Leoprimeuniversevoyager.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|In the same zoo as Primal Prime.]]
* '''Leo Prime''' (Voyager, 2009)
**''Series'': '''Beast Wars Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/"Jungle whip," Key

: A [[retool]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] with a new head and [[redeco]]ed in blue and red, Leo Prime transforms into a mechanical lion. Unlike previous releases of this mold, the electronics were removed and the battery cover is riveted closed. Each forelimb/arm has a Cyber-Key-released spring-loaded "snap-out robo-shredder claw," and his tail becomes a blade-whip for robot mode. He can still transform into a "Savage Claw Mode", becoming a massive clawed arm that can attach to the Leader-class ''Cybertron'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] toys, usable on either side of their torsos. He comes with a silver-bordered blue Jungle Planet-type Cyber Key. His packaging designates him a [[Maximal]] despite the Autobot symbol on his chest.

: The original version of this mold was also used to create [[Nemesis Breaker]] and retooled to make [[BotCon 2009]] [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Maximal/LeoPrime/leoprime.htm More information on ''Universe'' Leo Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{Anchor|Target}}
[[File:Universe2008toy-LeoPrimeTarget.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|He hangs out with Walmart's red ''Universe'' Powerglide.]]
* '''Leo Prime''' (Voyager, 2009, Target exclusive)
**''Series'': '''Beast Wars Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/"Jungle whip," Key

: A [[Target]]-[[exclusive]] [[redeco]] was produced of the first ''Universe'' Leo Prime in colors that homage Lio Convoy's original color scheme. Though he was in ''Universe'' packaging, his cross sells were for the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Voyager Class toys [[Stratosphere]], [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]], and [[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]]. Leo Prime's bio and call-outs remain the same.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Maximal/TargetLeoPrime/leoprime.htm More information on "Target" Leo Prime at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{-}}

===Prime===
{{anchor|primetoy}}
*'''Leo Prime''' (Voyager, [[December 15|12-15]]-2012)
**''ID number'': '''AM-28'''
**''Accessories'': Beast-leg/blade, "L.P." Arms Micron

: Part of the tenth wave of the [[TakaraTomy]] [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|''Prime'' toyline]], Leo Prime is a [[redeco]] of [[Thundertron#Toys|Thundertron]], transforming into a mechanical lion. His right robot mode foot can detach to reveal a bladed "peg-leg", with the original foot converting into a claw-weapon. Leo Prime comes with his [[Arms Micron]] partner, [[L.P.]], who transforms into a sword.
: Oddly enough, in the catalogue that comes with Leo Prime, he is called サンダートロン, or Thundertron.
: This mold was also used to make [[Go Prime]] and [[BotCon 2014]] [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Timelines|Knight Alpha Trizer]].

{{charstubtoys}}

===Legend Commander Collection===
*'''Lio Convoy''' (2014)
**''ID number:'' '''LC-03'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Gold Fangs", 2 "Laser Tonfa", "Lio Shot"
:Part of the ''[[Legend Commander Collection]]'' sold at [[Transformers Expo]], Lio Convoy is a redeco of ''Robotmasters'' Lio Convoy.
{{charstubtoys}}

===Timelines===
*'''Lio Convoy''' (Deluxe, 2015)
**''Accessories'': blaster, axe
: The [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] member incentive figure of 2015, Lio Convoy is a retool of ''Thrilling 30'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generations|Orion Pax]].

:Lio Convoy was redecoed into [[Nova Prime]].

{{comingsoontoy}}

==Notes==
[[File:LioConcept.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|Concept art]]
* In [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'', Lio Convoy's [[beast mode]], like [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s, is [[Scale|huge compared to the real thing]].
* Lio's beast mode is probably based on the main character of the classic manga, ''[[wikipedia:Jungle Emperor Leo|Jungle Emperor Leo]]'', better known to the English speaking world as ''Kimba the White Lion''.
* The fact that his Legends-class toy was repackaged into the "Cybertron Collection" could be interpreted to mean the character has some connection to the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. Odd as it is, there is a minor precedent: The Unicron Trilogy character [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] has adopted a disguise based on [[Sky Shadow (Cybertron)|a Decepticon hero who somehow took part in the Beast Wars]].
* The toy catalogue featured as the first piece of fiction in this article was essentially [[fandom]] gospel for many years when it came to understanding the relationship between ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Wars II'', and everyone operated under the assumption that the characters of both series were contemporaries who then went off time-travelling to visit past and future Earth, respectively. But this scenario is nowhere else to be found in Japanese fiction: in cartoon continuity, the ''Beast Wars II'' characters live in the future thousands of years after the ''Beast Wars'' characters' home-time, and employ no time-travel in getting to Gaea. English-speaking fans didn't know this until it was loudly and explicitly stated by a [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|timeline published in 2007]]; as such, IDW's 2006 comic ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|Beast Wars: The Gathering]]'' took the setting from the catalogue as its starting point and presented Lio Convoy and the other ''Beast Wars II'' (and ''Neo''!) characters as hailing from the same time period as the ''Beast Wars'' characters.

===Foreign names===
*''Korean:'' '''Lion Convoy''' (라이온콘보이 ''Raion Konboi'')

==External links==
* [http://tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/LioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm Lio Convoy at TFU.info]

[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Maximals]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Japanese-original Transformers]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
[[Category:Pack]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Prime Autobots]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:TransTech Maximals]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Lio Convoy (BW)

2015-06-13T17:36:29Z

Viktorimus:

{{factions|maximal|predacon|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the ''Beast Wars II'' Maximal|the ''Kre-O'' Autobot|Lio Convoy (Kre-O)}}
:''Lio Convoy is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]]. He is sometimes known as '''Leo Prime'''.''

[[File:BWIILioConvoyColorModel.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He's no Leoric.]]

As he rose through the ranks of the Maximal Space Patrol, '''Lio Convoy''' (ライオコンボイ ''Raio Konboi'') and his honest nature, selfless dedication to duty and ability to lead by example quickly caught the attention, and earned the respect, of his superior officers. Now with his own crew of loyal Maximals, Lio Convoy continues to display those qualities in the heat of desperate combat.

While on the surface he appears to be a tough, exacting, career-military sort of robot, any Maximal who has served under him knows that there's a smile behind his face-plate and a gentleness at the core of his [[spark]]. Though he yearns for a universe forever at peace, Lio Convoy takes to the battlefield with precision, strength and cunning. He believes that combat, more than anything else, reveals an enemy's true character and it has been through combat that Lio Convoy has made both his bitterest rivals and most enduring friendships.All these qualities show him to be rihtly called a descendant of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]].

Though compassionate by nature, Lio Convoy stumbles when it comes to expressing anything outside the perimeters of gruff military rhetoric. This attitude has strained his relationship with his "son", [[Lio Junior]], who wants only to obtain the approval of his "father".

==Fiction==
===''Beast Wars II'' toy catalog===
[[File:PrimalLioConvoyCatalog01.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb]]

As Lio Convoy advanced through the ranks of the Maximal Space Patrol, his progress was observed by an impressed [[Optimus Primal]]. When the time finally came, Primal chose him as his successor for his strength and bravery (though he felt he could be too straight-forward, at times). Lio Convoy happily shook Primal's hand and promised not to let his predecessor down. {{storylink|Catalog#Beast Wars II|The next stage of battle advances to the Second War... ...Beast Wars, Transform!}}

{{-}}

===Cartoon continuity===
{{cleanup|October 2009|Is lacking storylinks to relevant episodes}}

====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Hozumi Gōda]] (Japanese)|[[Jung Goo Lee]] (Korean)}}

[[File:Lioconvoy preformat.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"TRUKK NOT LYON!"]]
Receiving a mysterious SOS signal from within an asteroid field, Maximal Supreme Commander Convoy investigated alongside his deputy, [[Apache]]. Entering the field in small one-man reconnaissance crafts, the pair discovered that the signal was coming from a small planetoid that suddenly began bearing down on them in a collision course. Realising that the whole affair had been a trap laid by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] Emperor [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]], Convoy sprang into action and opened fire on the planetoid, which exploded dramatically. {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!|The New Forces Arrive!}} While the blast hurled Apache to safety, however, Convoy took the brunt of the explosion and was cast into the depths of the cosmos, eventually crash landing on the planet [[Gaea]]. When he regained consciousness, his body had already been weakened and corroded by the hazardous atmosphere of the planet, and he would surely have died had not a white lion come upon his prone form. The lion carried Convoy to a cave brimming with the power of [[Angolmois]] energy, which restored and revitalized Convoy. Convoy then scanned the lion's form for use as a [[beast mode]] to protect him from Gaea's atmosphere, and redubbed himself "Lio Convoy".

As coincidence would have it, Galvatron and his Predacons had also come to Gaea to harness its Angolmois energy, and Lio Convoy's unit had followed them, but wound up on the losing end of the battle that resulted. Staying in lion mode the whole time, Lio Convoy bounded onto the scene and freed his troops from the energy web that was paralyzing them, then led them back to the crashed wreck of their ship, the ''[[Yukikaze (BWII)|Yukikaze]]'', where he revealed his identity to them (although Apache had already figured it out). Stranded on Gaea, the team dedicated themselves to stopping Galvatron's evil plans for the Angolmois energy. {{storylink|White Lion, Run!|White Lion, Run!}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Bighorn's Rage}} {{storylink|The Lake Trap}} {{storylink|Galvatron Revived}} {{storylink|Mystery of the Ancient Ruins}} {{storylink|The Insect Corps Arrive}} {{storylink|Friend or Foe? The Insect Robos}} {{storylink|The Strongest Tag Team?}} {{storylink|Autorollers Roll Out!}} {{storylink|Danger! Scissor Boy}} {{storylink|Galvatron Rampages}} {{storylink|Predacon General Offensive!}} {{storylink|The Combined Giant, Tripledacus}} {{storylink|The Festive Jointrons}} {{storylink|A Fearsome Combination Plan?}} {{storylink|Who Is the Leader!?}} {{storylink|The Black Lio Convoy}} {{storylink|The Space Pirate Seacons!}} {{storylink|Who Is the Strongest Warrior!?}} {{storylink|The Tentacular Scuba}} {{storylink|Megastorm's Reckoning}} {{storylink|Showdown in the Sea}} {{storylink|Face the Setting Sun}} {{storylink|The Final Battle (BWII)|The Final Battle}}

Lio Convoy was later reunited with his "son", [[Lio Junior]]. While Lio Convoy was first recovering from Predacon attack, the Spirit of Gaea copied his Leadership Matrix and infused it within Lio Junior, resulting in Lio Junior's belief that he was Lio Convoy's offspring. Lio Convoy wasn't very eager to be weighed down by a son, and Lio Junior spent the bulk of the series trying desperately to earn his acceptance. {{storylink|Enter Lio Junior}}

[[File:Lioconvoyinemminentdomain.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Continuity migraine.]]
At one point, an alien machine that could warp time and space crashed onto Gaea. The Predacons used it to summon the unstoppable mobile fortress, [[Majin Zarak]], and quickly trashed most of the Maximals. [[Magnaboss II|Magnaboss]] (the combined form of Lio Junior, [[Santon]] and [[Skywarp (BWII)|Skywarp]]) managed to summon [[Optimus Primal]] to their aid with the machine.

Primal and Lio Convoy teamed up to battle Majin Zarak, who turned out to be a sentient robot and not just a battle station. Together, they combined the power of their Energon Matrices to [[Spontaneous recoloration|upgrade]] themselves into Burning Convoy and Flash Lio Convoy.

[[File:Flashlioconvoy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Ooh, shiny.]]

With Primal's enhanced strength and Lio Convoy's super speed, they weakened Majin Zarak. They then unleashed the power within their Matrices into a "Double Matrix Blast" which finished off the monster. {{storylink |Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!}}

Lio Convoy had many more wacky adventures on Gaea, including but not limited to: [[Black Lio Convoy|Evil Clones]], [[Seacon (BWII)|Space Pirates]], and [[Jointron|Feisty Mexican Robot Insects]]. Eventually, Galvatron summoned [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], an artificial planet, to suck all the Angolmois energy out of Gaea. The Maximals followed the Predacons to Nemesis and Lio Convoy managed to infiltrate Nemesis with the help of [[Scuba]] and the [[Tako Tank]]. Inside, Lio Convoy faced Galvatron but could not defeat the Predacon Emperor of Destruction, who was now powered by Angolmois energy. Lio Junior soon arrived to rescue his daddy and the pair, with the help of "good" Angolmois energy, merged into the [[Green Warrior]]. They did battle with Galvatron and eventually defeated him, sealing the Angolmois energy into capsules and firing them off into space. Galvatron then revealed his big surprise and used his [[Galva-Matrix]] to cause Nemesis to explode. Lio Convoy and the rest of the Maximals then fell into a wormhole.{{storylink|Megastorm Reborn}} {{storylink|The New Weapon, Tako Tank}} {{storylink|The Artificial Planet Nemesis}} {{storylink|Gigastorm's Treachery}} {{storylink|The End of Starscream}} {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Assassination Plot}} {{storylink|The Great Angolmois Freezing Tactic}} {{storylink|Knock Out Nemesis}} {{storylink|Lio Junior's Revolt!?}} {{storylink|Emissary of the Fourth Planet}} {{storylink|The Crisis of Planet Gaea}} {{storylink|Fly Out! Planet Gaea}} {{storylink|Assemble, Thirty-Nine Warriors}} {{storylink|Revenge of the Space Pirates}} {{storylink|Breaking into Nemesis}} {{storylink|Legend! The Green Warrior}} {{storylink|Farewell! Lio Convoy}}

====''The Maximal Brainwashing Operation''====
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Maximal Brainwashing Operation}}
{{-}}
====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Hozumi Gōda]] (Japanese)|[[Jung Goo Lee]] (Korean)}}
[[File:Neo35 greenwarrior.jpg|left|thumb|Maximals. Now flavored in mint.]]
{{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}}
After having their Angolmois capsules stolen by the [[Blendtron]]s, [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]] and his Maximal new recruits were sucked into a wormhole while chasing their enemies. They came across Lio Convoy (whom they all had presumed dead) who explained to them that the Angolmois energy was really the lifeforce of [[Unicron]]. Lio Convoy used all his power to free the Maximals from the wormhole, though he remained trapped inside.{{storylink|Illusion? Lio Convoy}}
Lio Convoy eventually escaped from the wormhole and aided Big Convoy, the Maximals and [[Magmatron]] in the final battle against Unicron. After Big Convoy blew Unicron away with his Matrix Buster, the Maximals and Predacons formed an alliance of true unity and worked together to restore Cybertron. All of Lio Convoy's Maximal troops who were trapped inside the wormhole with him were eventually released and joined in the restoration of their homeworld. {{storylink|Unicron Revived!?}} {{storylink|The Final Battle (BWN)|The Final Battle}} {{storylink|Graduation Ceremony!!}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{-}}

====''Robotmasters''====
{{note|While ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' is explicitly placed in cartoon continuity, none of the various pieces of actual ''Robotmasters'' fiction tells the story of the line in its entirety, and each of them relate certain events in notably different ways. Precisely ''which'' of the iterations of the story—covered individually below—should be considered the [[canon]] one for the cartoon timeline is unknown.}}

=====Cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Masayuki Katō]] (Japanese)}}

{{charstubfiction}}

{{storylink|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!}}
{{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}

=====Online comic=====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (issue)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}} {{storylink|Together, the 4 Great Supreme Commanders}} {{storylink|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} {{storylink|The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn}} {{storylink|And Then}}}}

=====3D diorama manga=====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Robotmasters Vol. 9}} {{storylink|Robotmasters Vol. 11}}}}

====''TransTech''====
[[File:InvasionPrologue-Primes.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Don't cross Leo Prime. He transforms into a lion the size of a fire truck.]]
At some point, Lio Convoy aka Leo Prime was gathered in [[Axiom Nexus]] by [[Optimus Prime (TransTech)|its Optimus Prime]], along with a roster of other Optimus Primes and [[Sentinel Maximus|their kin]] in a group known as the [[Convoy (group)|Convoy]]. A multiversal cataclysm in [[Primax 207.0 Epsilon|a universe]] seeded with [[Rarified Energon]] and an invasion by [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon|natives from the negative polarity universe]] had called them into action. Since Matrix bearers and their doppelgangers were usually never allowed into Axiom Nexus, this was a grave threat indeed! {{storylink|Invasion Prologue}}

His name was on a list of Convoy members given by [[Cheetor (TransTech)|Cheetor]] to [[Andromeda (TransTech)|Andromeda]]. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter}}
{{-}}

====''Prime'' toy bios====
Following the restoration of Cybertron, Lio Convoy ascended to the rank of [[Great Convoy]], and became a member of the ruling body of Cybertron. After a time, Great Lio Convoy sensed the [[One Shall Rise, Part 1|awakening of Unicron]] in another dimension, and travelled across the multiverse to this world. Finding that the native Autobots and Decepticons had already dealt with the threat of Unicron, Great Lio Convoy—now using the name "Leo Prime"—elected to stay on this world for a time to ensure that Unicron did not reawaken, refraining from involving himself in the combat between the native Transformers. In the new body he wears in this universe, he is armed with an ancient sword that draws power straight from his Energon Matrix, though apparently unbeknownst to him, it, like the weapons of many other Transformers in this universe, is secretly an [[Arms Micron]] named [[L.P.]]. {{storylink|#primetoy|''Arms Micron'' Leo Prime bio}} Using this weapon, Leo Prime carved up the remains of one of Unicron's rock-and-earth avatars to create the [[Gaia Armor]], using the power of his Energon Matrix to sever the avatar's link to Unicron himself, but allowing it to retain the power of [[Dark Energon]]. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (WFC)#Toys|''Arms Micron'' Optimus Prime + Gaia Unicron bio}}

===''Bom Bom'' manga continuity===
====''Beast Wars II'' comic====
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Demolish the Superdreadnought Tank!}} {{storylink|Infiltrate the Mystery Island!}} {{storylink|Free the Captured Matrix!}} {{storylink|Make a Surprise Attack on the Super Weapon Base!}}
He gets [[Humanization#Intoxication|drunk]] for drinking too much [[oil]] and ends up trashing [[Apache]]'s room. {{storylink|Recover the Bonds Lost!}} {{storylink|All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet!}}

During the final battle with [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] on the artificial planet ''[[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]'', Lio Convoy once again became corrupted by the [[Angolmois]] energy that the planet had collected. The energy quickly consumed him, transforming him into Black Lio Convoy, a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]. Lio Convoy was able to use his [[Energon Matrix]] to channel the true spiritual energy of [[Gaea]] through himself, dispelling the evil influences and restoring him to a Maximal. The energy then transformed him into the [[Green Warrior]] and he was able to defeat Galvatron once and for all. {{storylink|Win the Battle of Light and Darkness!}}

After the destruction of the [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], Lio Convoy and the members of his team were scattered across the time and space due to the blast of Angolmois energy. After awaking one night in a blizzard, Lio Convoy found he was alone on an unknown planet.

Lio Convoy then wandered in the snow field alone, wondering where the other members of his team were. He then ran into a gang of rampaging animals, consisting of a Quetzalcoatlus, an Elasmosaurus, a [[Guiledart|Triceratops]], a [[Saberback|Stegosaurus]], a [[Sling (BWN)|Dimetrodon]] and an [[Dead End (BWN)|Ammonite]]. The gang, led by a [[Magmatron|Giganotosaurus]], attacked other animals. At first, he thought it was a hunt, but it turned out to be a massacre instead. Lio Convoy saved a dear cab and fired Lio Missiles toward the Giganotosaurus. He was surprised to find the missile didn't killed the dinosaur —in fact, the Giganotosaurus was completely unharmed. The Giganotosaurus fought back by firing missiles. When it was about to kill Lio Convoy, he was saved by a [[Big Convoy (BWN)|mammoth]], who gave him and the dear cab a ride and helped them escape.

The mammoth, whose name was "Big", took Lio Convoy to a hot spring to heal his wounds. He then began to tell his story: His is the leader of a group of native wild animals. He told Lio Convoy that the Giganotosaurus's gang was a bunch of rowdies who became more vicious and killed his friends when he was absent after the mysterious "God's Stone" fell on the planet. He felt sorrow because he couldn't protect his friends. Lio Convoy asked Big to take him to the place where the "stone" fell.

Upon arriving at the cliff above the place mentioned by Big, Lio Convoy soon realized the "stone" is in fact an Angolmois energy capsule. He then descended into the valley to take an examination of the capsule. The energy restored his onboard computer and gave him the time-and-space coordinates. Lio Convoy was shocked when he learned he was on a distant planet located in the [[7th Cosmos]] in a time long before he was born.

While Lio Convoy was examining the capsule, Big was wondering what he's doing in the valley before the gang came to the spot and attacked him, claiming for the "God's Stone". Though wounded, Big pushed the gang into the valley after he told Lio Convoy to get out. The impact caused the capsule to explode and the two breathe a sigh of relief. In the pit, the gang evolved in the blast of Angolmois. The gang then rose out of the valley front of Lio Convoy and Big. Their leader, now named "[[Magmatron]]", thanked Big for his effort, which had made them stronger than ever before. The gang then transforms, ready to kill Big and Lio Convoy. Lio Convoy immediately transformed and fought the gang. He defeated the henchmen with ease, but Magmatron took him out with one blast.

Some time later, Lio Convoy crawled out of a thick snow layer and learned there was 90 percents of malfunctions within his body. Lio Convoy was sorry he got Big, who was mortally wounded, involved in this incident. Lio Convoy decided to use his [[Energon Matrix]] to cure Big. During the treatment, the only thought on his mind was curing Big, hoping he would carry on his will, and feeling concern about his teammates. After the action, the whereabouts of Lio Convoy was unknown. {{storylink|The Beast Wars "Neo" Begin!!!}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' comic====
At a certain point, the [[Unicron|Black Ball]] told Lio Convoy and his teammates' action to [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]] and his crew. Big Convoy felt the name "Lio Convoy" sound familiar, but he couldn't remember when he ever knew the name.{{storylink|There Are 7 Capsules}}

When fixing the ''[[Gung Ho]]'' on an asteroid near the planet [[Luxor]], Big Convoy asked [[NAVI (Gung Ho)|NAVI]] for information about Lio Convoy because he felt the name was familiar. NAVI gave Big Convoy the information and he learned that Lio Convoy was a rookie officer. In addition to that, they had never met each other, according to the official records. {{storylink|There Are 7 Capsules}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Double Cross}}
During his last breath, Big Convoy saw Lio Convoy come to take him to a place where his soul could rest in peace.{{storylink|Return to Zero}}

====''Beast Wars Metals'' comic====
The visage of Lio Convoy appeared alongside those of Big Convoy and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in a poetic montage overlooking the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] on [[Earth|Energoa]].
{{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
[[File:Lioconvoy gathering.jpg|thumb|Hey, look, he turns into Liger Zero!]]
There is a slight otherworldliness about Commander-in-Chief Lio Convoy, a sense that he is operating on a bigger picture and serving a higher power. Upon landing on a planet, he immediately becomes in tune with its natural harmonics and becomes determined to defend that world. He has sheer belief in his pre-ordained cause, backed up by a Matrix that gives him power from the very core of Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 17|Transformers Comic issue 17}}

Prior to the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], Lio Convoy commanded a crew of Maximals who traveled to the planet [[Gaea]] and battled [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] and his forces. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

Years later, during peace-time, the ever-vigilant Lio Convoy sat on the [[Bi-Partate Committee for State Affairs]], but was also a member of a secret black-ops intelligence unit known as the [[Pack]]. During a conversation with [[Razorbeast]] that was officially off-the-record, he reminded his fellow Maximal that their unit didn't exist and that the [[Maximal Imperium]] didn't sanction their operations. He warned Razorbeast that if he was caught while undercover in [[Magmatron]]'s command, he would be disavowed. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}}

[[File:BWAScendLioConvoyConventional.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]
Unfortunately, Lio Convoy believed that Magmatron was the true enemy, while [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] was just a loose cannon. (Real good job of threat assessment there.) After Razorbeast's transwarp booster-sent distress message was strengthened by Magmatron, it reached Lio Convoy, who, despite his earlier warning, mobilized the Pack at once to race to Razorbeast's rescue. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1|The Ascending #1}}

While Razorbeast's Maximals were fighting the Predacons to a standstill (in no small part thanks to the powerhouses [[Torca]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]), the Pack arrived and looked to turn the tide of battle quickly in the favor of all that is clean and fresh. Lio Convoy himself transformed and confronted [[Drill Bit (BW)|Drill Bit]] and some other Pred thugs, who were unimpressed by his unnervingly LARGE beast mode. Lio Convoy accepted this and whipped out his cannons. THEN they were impressed. When [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] revealed himself to the Maximals, Lio Convoy and Razorbeast were quick to turn their guns on him, right up until [[Rartorata]] showed his ugly mug. The [[Blendtron]] injected Razorbeast with a load of Angolmois, turning the Maximal into a raging berserker locked in beast mode. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2|The Ascending #2}}

[[File:Lio V Ravage.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Rumble (G1)|RUMBLE]]! WAS! [[FIRRIB|RED]]!]]
Reminding the Pack that they take care of their own and clean up their own messes, Lio Convoy engaged the enemy. Once they had subdued Razorbeast's mutated form with crude vines and stakes, Convoy discovered that his comrade was still within the monstrous beast and fighting a losing battle against the Angolmois that was corrupting his mind. Ravage informed the Maximal commander of the urgency of what Magmatron had showed him, and the Maximals prepared to board Lio Convoy's transwarp cruiser. The cruiser's takeoff was then threatened by the arrival of the other two Blendtrons. Razorbeast broke from his restraints and charged into battle against the servants of Unicron, telling Convoy to escape while he held the line. Setting the transwarp coordinates to the time and place Ravage had received from Magmatron, the cruiser emerged in the midst of [[Big Convoy (BWN)|Big Convoy]]'s battle with Shokaract. However it was shot down upon the arrival of [[Herald of Shokaract|Shokaract's Heralds]]. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 3|The Ascending #3}}

Luckily Lio and the rest of The Pack survived the crash and were able to join up with Big Convoy. After briefly explaining the seriousness of the situation to Big Convoy, Lio provided [[Bump]] with a sample of Angolmois so he could synthesize an antidote. After a brief spat of posturing by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and Ravage, Lio took part in a frontal assault on Shokaract to serve as a distraction while [[Snarl (BW)|Snarl]] and [[Prowl II|Prowl]] enacted the real plan. Once Shokaract decided to call it a day after his heart to heart talk with Magmatron and in the wake of the devastating battle Lio Convoy received the antidote from Bump and started on rebuilding a devastated Cybertron... just in time for Megatron to get back from the Beast Wars and release his [[transformation virus]] on the planet. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4|The Ascending #4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
Visiting the [[Axalon Trading Company]] to discuss business with [[Optimus Primal]], Lio Convoy found himself charmed by their office lady, [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]]. {{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)#The Gender Gap Part 2|The Gender Gap Part 2}}

Later, when he was out drinking sake, he was surprised by a speeding [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who was transporting her nephew [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] to work in her car mode. {{Storylink|Legends Comic: Business Trip Edition Vol. 10|Business Trip Edition Vol. 10}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Broken Windshields}} {{storylink|Head Games}}}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars''===
When a super-powerful [[energon crystal]] was discovered on [[Earth]], Lio Convoy was one of the several combatants to join the brawl to take possession of it.

Lio Convoy could also partake in various other tasks, such as a mission to break a boulder to reveal an energon crystal hidden within before sundown, using a block in a mission to defend himself against various incoming projectiles, and missions to run across a pit-riddled field, sometimes involving hideously large bacteria he had to fend off.

After defeating his final opponent, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], Lio Convoy decided to seal away the crystal forever, so that it would never fall into the hands of those who would abuse its power towards evil ends. {{storylink|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars}}

{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Lio Convoy's fate in those outcomes.}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[File:BWII LioConvoy toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight]]
* '''Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

: Lio Convoy transforms into an organic white lion articulated at the legs and head. In this mode, one can activate flip-out blades in each foreleg and spring-loaded missile launchers hidden in his mane. The head/mane can also open up and spin around via push-lever gear mechanism as part of a spinning attack gimmick ''thing''. A button on top of his head opens his [[beast mode]] jaw. He can only store two of his six missiles in beast mode...and they stick out of his mane, looking a little goofy.

[[File:LioConvoyMatrix1.jpg|right|100px|thumb|"Pssst! Hey, buddy! Wanna buy a MacGuffin?"]]
:In [[robot mode]], Lio Convoy's chest design and colours closely resemble ''Generation 1'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], even sporting a non-removable [[Energon Matrix]] sculpted into his chest, underneath his left chest panel (which also has a heat-sensitive Maximal [[rubsign]]). All of his flip-out beast mode weapons can be used in robot mode, and his missile launchers can be removed and held in either of his hands.

:Hasbro offered Lio Convoy as an [[exclusive]] on its now-defunct [[Hasbro Collectors]] website in 2000.

: This mold was used to make [[Black Lio Convoy]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/LioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm More information on Lio Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Black}}
* '''Black Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

: A [[redeco]] of Lio Convoy, Black Lio Convoy sports the now-familiar black, silver and teal color scheme which was later used for ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]], ''Armada'' [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]] and many, many other 'evil' Optimus Prime repaints. There is also a variant of this toy that comes with gold claws, which is harder to find than the normal version.

: Black Lio Convoy was a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] and came in a Lio Convoy box with a sticker indicating that it was "Black Lio Convoy". A [[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]] version was also released, which featured a number painted in white on his, uh, butt.

:This toy is also used to represent the separate character of [[Black Lio Convoy]].

{{-}}{{anchor|Flash}}
[[File:BWII LioConvoy Flash.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Blinged out and sparkly. Who are these toys marketed to again?]]
* '''Flash Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

:The first [[redeco]] of Lio Convoy in his "Flash" color scheme, which replaces most of his secondary colors with metal-flake gold and silver.
:He was released alongside Burning Convoy to promote the ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers|Beast Wars Special]]'' film.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/FlashLioConvoy/flashlioconvoy.htm More information on Flash Lio Convoy at TFU.info]''

*'''Galva-Lio Convoy''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Six missiles, two launchers

:A [[Lucky Draw]] exclusive limited to only 50 units, Galva-Lio Convoy is a [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]]-themed recolor of Lio Convoy. This rare toy represents the ''Bom Bom'' manga story wherein Lio Convoy's spark was tainted by [[Angolmois]] energy.

:This toy was only made available as a prize offered through the December 1998 issue of [[Comic Bom Bom]].

::*''[http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/toy/gallery/review/galva+lio+convoy/886/galva+lio+convoy.html More information (and a photo gallery) on Galva-Lio Convoy at luckydrawtransformers.com ]''

===Robotmasters===
[[File:RMLioConvoy toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I'm adorable!]]
* '''Lio Convoy''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-22'''

: ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' Lio Convoy is a scaled-down, simplified, all-new, Deluxe-sized Lio Convoy. Though he retains most of the original Lio Convoy's articulation, he lacks the spring-loaded [[gimmick]]s such as his spinning mane and missile launchers, and is of lower sculpted detail.

: Instead of spring-loaded weapons, Lio Convoy comes with a whopping five non-firing blasters. His beast mode mane has peg-holes to attach four of the weapons, simulating his bigger toy's [[attack mode|attack beast mode]]. The smaller handgun has several mounting points on it for adding the other guns, resulting in a superweapon.

: This mold was also used to make the ''Robotmasters'' version of [[Black Lio Convoy]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/LioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm ''More information on ''Robotmasters'' Lio Convoy at TFU.info'']

{{-}}{{anchor|RMDVD}}
[[File:RMLioConvoy DVD toy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I'm unobtainable!]]
* '''Lio Convoy + DVD''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-23'''
**''Accessories'': 2 large cannons, 2 small cannons, handgun

: This more limited-edition (yet still normal retail) redeco of Lio Convoy features a shiny metallic paint deco for his red parts. He also comes with a DVD with the third part of the short ''Robotmasters'' CGI-animated storyline.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/DVDLioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm ''More information on ''Robotmasters'' Lio Convoy + DVD at TFU.info'']

{{-}}

===Classics===
[[File:Classics LeoPrime LOC.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|This toy has caused untold years of war.]]
* '''Leo Prime''' (Legends, 2007)
* '''Leo Prime''' (Legends, "Cybertron Collection", 2008)

: An unusual addition to the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' line, Leo Prime is a redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]''-series [[Legends Class|Legends of Cybertron]] [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] toy, transforming into a robotic lion (well, liger, really). He was originally part of the first wave of ''Classics'' Legends, then later re-released in a wave with—even more unusually—the ''Cybertron''-series characters [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]], all of whom (Leo Prime included) had the words "Cybertron Collection" added to the standard ''Classics'' package design.

: This mold was also used to make 2008's ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsLeoPrime/leoprime.htm ''More information on ''Classics'' Leo Prime at TFU.info'']

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Leoprimeuniversevoyager.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|In the same zoo as Primal Prime.]]
* '''Leo Prime''' (Voyager, 2009)
**''Series'': '''Beast Wars Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/"Jungle whip," Key

: A [[retool]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] with a new head and [[redeco]]ed in blue and red, Leo Prime transforms into a mechanical lion. Unlike previous releases of this mold, the electronics were removed and the battery cover is riveted closed. Each forelimb/arm has a Cyber-Key-released spring-loaded "snap-out robo-shredder claw," and his tail becomes a blade-whip for robot mode. He can still transform into a "Savage Claw Mode", becoming a massive clawed arm that can attach to the Leader-class ''Cybertron'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] toys, usable on either side of their torsos. He comes with a silver-bordered blue Jungle Planet-type Cyber Key. His packaging designates him a [[Maximal]] despite the Autobot symbol on his chest.

: The original version of this mold was also used to create [[Nemesis Breaker]] and retooled to make [[BotCon 2009]] [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Maximal/LeoPrime/leoprime.htm More information on ''Universe'' Leo Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{Anchor|Target}}
[[File:Universe2008toy-LeoPrimeTarget.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|He hangs out with Walmart's red ''Universe'' Powerglide.]]
* '''Leo Prime''' (Voyager, 2009, Target exclusive)
**''Series'': '''Beast Wars Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/"Jungle whip," Key

: A [[Target]]-[[exclusive]] [[redeco]] was produced of the first ''Universe'' Leo Prime in colors that homage Lio Convoy's original color scheme. Though he was in ''Universe'' packaging, his cross sells were for the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Voyager Class toys [[Stratosphere]], [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]], and [[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]]. Leo Prime's bio and call-outs remain the same.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Maximal/TargetLeoPrime/leoprime.htm More information on "Target" Leo Prime at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{-}}

===Prime===
{{anchor|primetoy}}
*'''Leo Prime''' (Voyager, [[December 15|12-15]]-2012)
**''ID number'': '''AM-28'''
**''Accessories'': Beast-leg/blade, "L.P." Arms Micron

: Part of the tenth wave of the [[TakaraTomy]] [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|''Prime'' toyline]], Leo Prime is a [[redeco]] of [[Thundertron#Toys|Thundertron]], transforming into a mechanical lion. His right robot mode foot can detach to reveal a bladed "peg-leg", with the original foot converting into a claw-weapon. Leo Prime comes with his [[Arms Micron]] partner, [[L.P.]], who transforms into a sword.
: Oddly enough, in the catalogue that comes with Leo Prime, he is called サンダートロン, or Thundertron.
: This mold was also used to make [[Go Prime]] and [[BotCon 2014]] [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Timelines|Knight Alpha Trizer]].

{{charstubtoys}}

===Legend Commander Collection===
*'''Lio Convoy''' (2014)
**''ID number:'' '''LC-03'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Gold Fangs", 2 "Laser Tonfa", "Lio Shot"
:Part of the ''[[Legend Commander Collection]]'' sold at [[Transformers Expo]], Lio Convoy is a redeco of ''Robotmasters'' Lio Convoy.
{{charstubtoys}}

===Timelines===
*'''Lio Convoy''' (Deluxe, 2015)
**''Accessories'': blaster, axe
: The [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] member incentive figure of 2015, Lio Convoy is a retool of ''Thrilling 30'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generations|Orion Pax]].

:Lio Convoy was redecoed into [[Nova Prime]].

{{comingsoontoy}}

==Notes==
[[File:LioConcept.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|Concept art]]
* In [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'', Lio Convoy's [[beast mode]], like [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s, is [[Scale|huge compared to the real thing]].
* Lio's beast mode is probably based on the main character of the classic manga, ''[[wikipedia:Jungle Emperor Leo|Jungle Emperor Leo]]'', better known to the English speaking world as ''Kimba the White Lion''.
* The fact that his Legends-class toy was repackaged into the "Cybertron Collection" could be interpreted to mean the character has some connection to the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. Odd as it is, there is a minor precedent: The Unicron Trilogy character [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] has adopted a disguise based on [[Sky Shadow (Cybertron)|a Decepticon hero who somehow took part in the Beast Wars]].
* The toy catalogue featured as the first piece of fiction in this article was essentially [[fandom]] gospel for many years when it came to understanding the relationship between ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Wars II'', and everyone operated under the assumption that the characters of both series were contemporaries who then went off time-travelling to visit past and future Earth, respectively. But this scenario is nowhere else to be found in Japanese fiction: in cartoon continuity, the ''Beast Wars II'' characters live in the future thousands of years after the ''Beast Wars'' characters' home-time, and employ no time-travel in getting to Gaea. English-speaking fans didn't know this until it was loudly and explicitly stated by a [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|timeline published in 2007]]; as such, IDW's 2006 comic ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|Beast Wars: The Gathering]]'' took the setting from the catalogue as its starting point and presented Lio Convoy and the other ''Beast Wars II'' (and ''Neo''!) characters as hailing from the same time period as the ''Beast Wars'' characters.

===Foreign names===
*''Korean:'' '''Lion Convoy''' (라이온콘보이 ''Raion Konboi'')

==External links==
* [http://tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/LioConvoy/lioconvoy.htm Lio Convoy at TFU.info]

[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Maximals]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Japanese-original Transformers]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
[[Category:Pack]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Prime Autobots]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:TransTech Maximals]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-28T06:17:18Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]] telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].Later,he was almost killed by [[Spike Witwicky|Circuit Smasher]] but...yeah right!He oversaw a space bridge program connecting [[Earth]] to [[Nebulos]].Later he was requested by [[Hot Rod]],now 'Rodimus Prime', to make Rodimus acting leader and Optimus did so with full honours.He also consulted with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and the others on ongoing events.

When the space bridge program was almost complete,[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] came through and defeated the already wounded [[Prime]] and captured Spike and went back again.Optimus had to be hurriedly ushered in for repairs.

When Rodimus was journeying to [[Zero Space]], the Dark [[Matrix]] creature called on three different versions of Optimus from different points in this timeline.Of them was the wounded-'current'-Prime.The Dark Matrix creature commanded the Primes to attack Rodimus Prime who was carrying the [[Sword of Primus]].Rodimus couldn't even handle even one Prime and three Primes were too much for him.It was then that he called [[Rodimus|multiple Rodimuses from across the multiverse]].They managed to hold off Optimus long enough for him to shake himself back to control.

Back in control,Optimus headed with Rodimus in the greatest task of his and his lifetime,filling Rodimus in on [[Primus|Primus']] goal and to close Zero Space.Upon reaching Zero Space ,Optimus allowed Rodimus to close the crack in Zero Space with the Sword of Primus and when that happened ,the Dark Matrix creature disappeared and all the Rodimuses returned to their respective timelines.Finally,Optimus,Rodimus and Spike returned to [[Cybertron]] and all this thanks to Optimus Prime...okay-okay Rodimus did some heroic stuff too.

Optimus returned to Cybertron but this did not change the fact that Optimus was still wounded.Optimus passed away like a hero in the arms of Rodimus Prime.Optimus Prime left behind a great legacy, inspiring all that came after him and making readers miss him. That's all because he's Optimus Prime!!{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-28T06:12:13Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]] telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].Later,he was almost killed by [[Spike Witwicky|Circuit Smasher]] but...yeah right!He oversaw a space bridge program connecting [[Earth]] to [[Nebulos]].Later he was requested by [[Hot Rod]],now 'Rodimus Prime', to make Rodimus acting leader and Optimus did so with full honours.He also consulted with [[Ultra Magnus]], [[Bumblebee]] and the others on ongoing events.

When the space bridge program was almost complete,[[Fortress Maximus]] came through and defeated the already wounded [[Prime]] and captured Spike and went back again.Optimus had to be hurriedly ushered in for repairs.

When Rodimus was journeying to [[Zero Space]], the Dark [[Matrix]] creature called on three different versions of Optimus from different points in this timeline.Of them was the wounded-'current'-Prime.The Dark Matrix creature commanded the Primes to attack Rodimus Prime who was carrying the [[Sword of Primus]].Rodimus couldn't even handle even one Prime and three Primes were too much for him.It was then that he called [[Rodimus|multiple Rodimuses from across the multiverse]].They managed to hold off Optimus long enough for him to shake himself back to control.

Back in control,Optimus headed with Rodimus in the greatest task of his and his lifetime,filling Rodimus in on [[Primus|Primus']] goal and to close Zero Space.Upon reaching Zero Space ,Optimus allowed Rodimus to close the crack in Zero Space with the Sword of Primus and when that happened ,the Dark Matrix creature disappeared and all the Rodimuses returned to their respective timelines.Finally,Optimus,Rodimus and Spike returned to [[Cybertron]] and all this thanks to Optimus Prime...okay-okay Rodimus did some heroic stuff too.

Optimus returned to Cybertron but this did not change the fact that Optimus was still wounded.Optimus passed away like a hero in the arms of Rodimus Prime.Optimus Prime left behind a great legacy, inspiring all that came after him and making readers miss him. That's all because he's Optimus Prime!!{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-28T06:08:31Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]] telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].Later,he was almost killed by [[Spike Witwicky|Circuit Smasher]] but...yeah right!He oversaw a space bridge program connecting [[Earth]] to [[Nebulos]].Later he was requested by [[Hot Rod]],now 'Rodimus Prime', to make Rodimus acting leader and Optimus did so with full honours.He also consulted with [[Ultra Magnus]], [[Bumblebee]] and the others on ongoing events.

When the space bridge program was almost complete,[[Fortress Maximus]] came through and defeated the already wounded [[Prime]] and captured Spike and went back again.Optimus had to be hurriedly ushered in for repairs.

When Rodimus was journeying to [[Zero Space]], the Dark [[Matrix]] creature called on three different versions of Optimus from different points in this timeline.Of them was the wounded-'current'-Prime.The Dark Matrix creature commanded the Primes to attack Rodimus Prime who was carrying the [[Sword of Primus]].Rodimus couldn't even handle even one Prime and three Primes were too much for him.It was then that he called [[Rodimus|multiple Rodimuses from across the multiverse]].They managed to hold of Optimus long enough for him to shake himself back to control.

Back in control,Optimus headed with Rodimus in the greatest task of his and his lifetime,filling Rodimus in on [[Primus|Primus']] goal and to close Zero Space.Upon reaching Zero Space ,Optimus allowed Rodimus to close the crack in Zero Space with the Sword of Primus and when that happened ,the Dark Matrix creature disappeared and all the Rodimuses returned to their respective timelines.Finally,Optimus,Rodimus and Spike returned to [[Cybertron]] and all this thanks to Optimus Prime...okay-okay Rodimus did some heroic stuff too.

Optimus returned to Cybertron but this did not change the fact that Optimus was still wounded.Optimus passed away like a hero in the arms of Rodimus Prime.Optimus Prime left behind a great legacy, inspiring all that came after him and making readers miss him. That's all because he's Optimus Prime!!{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

User talk:Viktorimus

2015-05-28T06:06:15Z

Viktorimus:

{{Welcome}}
However, please read the [[Help:New Pages|help documentation]] on creating new articles. Thanks! [[User:Jalaguy|Jalaguy]] ([[User talk:Jalaguy|talk]]) 12:47, 23 May 2015 (EDT)
Thanks ,Jalaguy for your contribution.

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-26T16:55:58Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]] telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].Later,he was almost killed by [[Spike Witwicky|Circuit Smasher]] but...yeah right!He oversaw a space bridge program connecting [[Earth]] to [[Nebulos]].Later he was requested by [[Hot Rod]],now 'Rodimus Prime', to make Rodimus acting leader and Optimus did so with full honours.He also consulted with [[Ultra Magnus]], [[Bumblebee]] and the others on ongoing events.

When the space bridge program was almost complete,[[Fortress Maximus]] came through and defeated the already wounded [[Prime]] and captured Spike and went back again.Optimus had to be hurriedly ushered in for repairs.

When Rodimus was journeying to [[Zero Space]], the Dark [[Matrix]] creature called on three different versions of Optimus from different points in this timeline.Of them was the wounded-'current'-Prime.The Dark Matrix creature commanded the Primes to attack Rodimus Prime who was carrying the [[Sword of Primus]].Rodimus couldn't even handle even one Prime and three Primes were too much for him.It was then that he called [[Rodimus|multiple Rodimuses from across the multiverse]].They managed to hold of Optimus long enough for him to shake himself back to control.

Back in control,Optimus headed with Rodimus in the greatest task of his and his lifetime,filling Rodimus in on[[Primus|Primus']] goal and to close Zero Space.Upon reaching Zero Space ,Optimus allowed Rodimus to close the crack in Zero Spacewith the Sword of Primus and when that happened ,the Dark Matrix creature disappeared and all the Rodimuses returned to their respective timelines.Finally,Optimus,Rodimus and Spike returned to [[Cybertron]] and all this thanks to Optimus Prime...okay-okay Rodimus did some heroic stuff too.

Optimus returned to Cybertron but this did not change the fact that Optimus was still wounded.Optimus passed away like a hero in the arms of Rodimus Prime.Optimus Prime left behind a great legacy, inspiring all that came after him and making readers miss him. That's all because he's Optimus Prime!!{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-26T16:43:18Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]] telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].Later,he was almost killed by [[Spike Witwicky|Circuit Smasher]] but...yeah right!He oversaw a space bridge program connecting [[Earth]] to [[Nebulos]].Later he was requested by [[Hot Rod]],now 'Rodimus Prime', to make Rodimus acting leader and Optimus did so with full honours.He also consulted with [[Ultra Magnus]], [[Bumblebee]] and the others on ongoing events.

When the space bridge program was almost complete,[[Fortress Maximus]] came through and defeated the already wounded [[Prime]] and captured Spike and went back again.Optimus had to be hurriedly ushered in for repairs.

When Rodimus was journeying to [[Zero Space]], the Dark[[Matrix]] creature called on three different versions of Optimus from different points in this timeline.Of them was the wounded-'current'-Prime.The Dark Matrix creature commanded the Primes to attack Rodimus Prime who was carrying the [[Sword of Primus]].Rodimus couldn't even handle even one Prime and three Primes were too much for him.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-26T16:41:32Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]] telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].Later,he was almost killed by [[Spike Witwicky|Circuit Smasher]] but...yeah right!He oversaw a space bridge program connecting [[Earth]] to [[Nebulos]].Later he was requested by [[Hot Rod]],now 'Rodimus Prime', to make Rodimus acting leader and Optimus did so with full honours.He also consulted with [[Ultra Magnus]], [[Bumblebee]] and the others on ongoing events.

When the space bridge program was almost complete,[[Fortress Maximus]] came through and defeated the already wounded [[Prime]] and captured Spike and went back again.Optimus had to be hurriedly ushered in for repairs.

When Rodimus was journeying to [[Zero Space]], the [[Dark Matrix]] creature called on three different versions of Optimus from different points in this timeline.Of them was the wounded-'current'-Prime.The Dark Matrix creature commanded the Primes to attack Rodimus Prime who was carrying the [[Sword of Primus]].Rodimus couldn't even handle even one Prime and three Primes were too much for him.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-26T16:30:24Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]] telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].Later,he was almost killed by [[Spike Witwicky|Circuit Smasher]] but...yeah right!He oversaw a space bridge program connecting [[Earth]] to [[Nebulos]].Later he was requested by [[Hot Rod]],now 'Rodimus Prime', to make Rodimus acting leader and Optimus did so with full honours.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-26T16:28:15Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]] telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].Later,he was almost killed by [[Spike Witwicky|Circuit Smasher]] but...yeah right!He oversaw a space bridge program connecting [[Earth]] to [[Nebulos]].Later he was requested by [[Hot Rod]],now 'Rodimus Prime', to make Rodimus acting leader and Optimus did so with full honours.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to o End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

User:Viktorimus

2015-05-23T16:14:42Z

Viktorimus: Created page with "Aloha!I may not be a Prime but i am a Transformers Wiki user.Let's Roll Out!"

Aloha!I may not be a [[Prime]] but i am a Transformers Wiki user.Let's Roll Out!

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-14T08:35:16Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]] telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to o End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-14T08:33:39Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends a message to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]]telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's]] presence on the [[Ark]].{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to o End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity

2015-05-14T08:31:43Z

Viktorimus: /* Regeneration One */

{{suite}}
[[File:Muk306 tacitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Insert [[Furmanism]] here for humorous effect.]]
What did '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]''' do? Find out in [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marrrrrrrrvel Comics]]!

'''Hint:''' [[Wikipedia:Giri (Japanese)|Heavy is the head... and heavier the heart.]]

{{quote|With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.|[[Abraham Lincoln]]|[[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address|March 4, 1865]]}}

==Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics==
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Optimus Prime's Cybertronic truck mode, along with a Cybertronic Grumman X-29, a Cybertronic Suzuki touring motorcycle, and a Cybertronic Porsche 962.]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] broke out on Cybertron, Optimus Prime was a Transformer of note, displaying his skills in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]]. {{storylink|Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}} As a serious-minded individual, he also spoke out against [[Needlenose]]'s faddish "[[Chic Chips]]" line of hardware accessories. {{storylink|Needlenose|Needlenose's ''Transformers Universe'' entry}}

''Gladiatorial [[Games]] were commissioned between the city-states to increase good will as the planet's population outpaced its resources. Optimus was the gladiator champion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and he shared a sporting rivalry with a young champion from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]] called [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. But sabotage plunged Tarn and [[Vos]] into an inter-city war. An [[Overlord (rank)|Autobot Overlord]] was damaged while trying to sort it out, so Optimus Prime left to get help. However, the Overlord mysteriously perished while under the care of Megatron and Overlord's bodyguard, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].'' {{storylink|State Games}} ''Following the destruction of Tarn and Vos, Prime had planned to become a medical officer, but enrolled in the Autobot army as soon as the Decepticons declared war. He was immediately put in charge of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}}

''Optimus Prime saved the life of an Autobot named [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]] from another [[Divebomb (G1)|flying Decepticon]] who had previously beaten him and taken his name. "Divebomb" hated Prime with a passion, and was humiliated by his rescue, and so he kept this to himself.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}}

[[Lieutenant Commander]] Optimus Prime of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]] quickly made a name for himself as a combat leader. On a mission with the [[Triggerbot]]s to stop Megatron from claiming the [[Underbase]], Prime was forced to jettison the massive databank into space to prevent anyone acquiring its power, but with this action he first proved his wisdom and skill. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}} ''As Optimus Prime's reputation became known, he was promoted to field commander of the entire Autobot army, but regrettably, the [[Council of Autobot Elders]] still pulled the strings. Unknown to the Elders, Optimus Prime began orchestrating unsanctioned military actions.'' {{storylink|Transformers Annual 1987|Optimus Prime datafile}} ''As the Great War intensified, Autobot territories began falling under Decepticon dominion, one City-State at a time. The last City-State to be taken was the Autobot capital of Iacon. As Decepticons besieged Iacon, the Council of Elders prepared to surrender. Councillor [[Xaaron]] suggested that High Councillor [[Traachon]] step down and allow a military officer to assume Autobot leadership. Traachon then used his powers of veto and effectively elected himself out of office, allowing Optimus Prime to assume supreme command of the Autobots, becoming the first soldier to ever hold the mantle of Autobot leadership.'' {{storylink|And There Shall Come...a Leader!}}

[[File:Optimusprimeg1marvelfirst.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Prime had to go through an experimental "box with a gun on top" phase before he could commit to the truck thing.]]
After over a thousand years of war, Cybertron—shaken from its orbit and drifting through space—came under threat when it floated into the path of a massive asteroid swarm that could potentially devastate the planet. Prime led a group of his most powerful Autobot warriors on the Autobot starship, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], on a mission to destroy the asteroids. Although the Autobots were successful, in the aftermath of this mission the Ark was attacked by Decepticons, hoping to overcome their weakened foes. Intent on keeping the secrets of the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]], from the Decepticons, Prime set the craft on a suicide course, crashing it into the prehistoric planet Earth. After lying dormant for four million years, the Ark was awakened by the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]] in [[1984]], and Optimus Prime was rebuilt so that he could reconfigure his body into a semi truck. As the Decepticons fled, Optimus Prime called for a roll call of his own troops. Suspecting that after all this time, Cybertron probably no longer existed, Optimus Prime began studying the planet upon which they had landed; he was startled to realize that this planet did have sentient life! He swore that the Autobots would hide themselves from Earth's natives, so that they would be spared the horrors of the Transformers' war. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:PowerPlay-Optimustransforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|In the live-action movie's version of this scene, Sparkplug was replaced with some hot chick.]]
Optimus Prime and the other Autobots were all dangerously low on fuel, but thankfully [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had befriended some humans who could help—[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Leading the Autobots to Sparkplug's auto shop, Optimus Prime introduced himself to the humans. Unfortunately, the Decepticons had the same idea, and the warring factions met in battle. But while Prime was busy shooting Decepticons out of the air, Megatron grabbed Sparkplug, and so Prime was forced to face his nemesis one-on-one. Despite Prime's apparent victory, Sparkplug was snatched away by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and the Decepticons retreated. Optimus Prime acknowledged Buster's sorrow at the kidnapping of his father, but noted that without fuel, retrieving him would be impossible. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Carrying [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in his trailer, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned to the Ark, where [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] awaited. With the mysterious [[Spider-Man]]'s help, Sparkplug was rescued from the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|cliffside headquarters]], but not before Sparkplug had converted fuel for the Decepticons! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} Unfortunately, Optimus Prime couldn't stop the Autobots from overreacting to this bad news, and their actions caused Sparkplug Witwicky to suffer a heart attack. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Better get used to seeing this scene.]]
''When the Ark alerted Optimus Prime of a power surge at [[Sherman Dam]], he and his Autobots weren't surprised to find the Decepticons behind it. Afraid of the dam crumbling under the stress of the Decepticons' manipulations, he faced off against Megatron on the top of the dam, brandishing his energy ax. As he trash-talked Megatron, Prime was suddenly distracted by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s defeat. Megatron used this moment to his advantage, knocking Prime off the dam and firing his cannon into the dam itself. Prime quickly assembled his troops, directing them to divert the waves by digging trenches and elevating the neighboring humans. Mirage was angered when the humans still vilified them, despite their hard work, but Prime calmed him.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots to investigate the [[Man of Iron (Autobot)|Man of Iron]], a local legend in the [[United Kingdom]]. After befriending [[Sammy Harker]], and tangling with the Decepticons over the remains of the Man of Iron's ship, Optimus Prime and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were forced to destroy the ship and its inhabitants, not realizing that its [[Navigator]] knew the location of Cybertron. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}} ''Back at the Ark, after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suffered some sort of psychotic break and ran off, Optimus Prime decided that hunting Brawn down was crucial, before he could harm any humans! After Brawn was cornered, he threatened the Autobots with death, but he was quickly overwhelmed, and Optimus Prime carried Brawn's defeated body back to the Ark. In order to prove Brawn's loyalty, a showdown was orchestrated between him and the traitorous Decepticon, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. With the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s holograms, Brawn's death was faked once he had proved himself, and the two factions returned to their respective bases.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''The Decepticons did not stay there for long, and suddenly a full-scale attack was launched on the Ark! Unfortunately, the Ark's computer systems, "[[Aunty]]", went berserk, and it fell to Optimus and Megatron to team up against the malfunctioning program. Megatron used his [[Antimatter|ability to tap into the power of a black hole]], freeing them, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] destroyed Aunty, and the Decepticons were forcibly ejected from the Ark.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] alerted Optimus Prime to information that Ratchet had uncovered from the Ark's databanks: millions of years ago, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] battled [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to a standstill. This raised some questions, but there was little Optimus Prime could do with this knowledge now. With a Decepticon attack imminent, and the Autobots dangerously low on fuel, Optimus Prime had a desperate gamble. Using the [[Tubes of Transference]], the combined remaining fuel was compiled into five of the strongest Autobots, himself, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Huffer, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. Sure enough, the Decepticons descended quickly upon them, but even though Prime was still low on fuel, he was still quick enough to grab Starscream out of the air! It was not enough to defeat Megatron, however, and his nemesis hoisted Prime's body over his head in complete victory. ...That is, until Megatron and the other Decepticons doubled over in pain. Sparkplug had poisoned the Decepticons' fuel! Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's subsequent speech was short as he and the other Autobots were blasted into pieces. Shockwave had awakened and returned. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[File:NewOrder-OptimusPrimehead.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Buster regretted the low volume on his Optimus Prime voice changer helmet.]]
Though the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, Ratchet was able to sneak Buster Witwicky inside, and the young human was startled to find Optimus Prime's decapitated head attached to machinery. {{storylink|The New Order}} Optimus Prime, in this weakened state, pleaded with Buster to detach two power cords and attach them to either side of the human's head. This released a tremendous amount of energy, transferring Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to the human, and Buster blacked out. After Buster awoke, he returned to Ratchet to tell him of Optimus Prime's defeat. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Ratchet had to see this for himself, and he was saddened to find out that Buster was correct. The Autobots were defeated, even including the mighty Optimus Prime! But Optimus would not let Ratchet give up or despair. He pushed Ratchet to action, telling him that even though Ratchet was nothing more than a doctor, now was the time for him to learn to be a warrior. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Since Shockwave's return, he had wrested leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron, and so the former Decepticon leader was ordered by Shockwave to prepare to move Optimus Prime's head from the Ark to the Decepticons' base of operations within [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

Shockwave planned to use the Creation Matrix energies within Optimus Prime's head to give life to a new Decepticon army, despite Optimus Prime's obvious objections. Shockwave didn't know that he had transferred most of the energy to Buster Witwicky, so Optimus Prime took quiet solace in the fact that the last of his remaining energies would be used on only six new warriors. {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Primewantsyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's mad as hell, ain't he ain't gonna take your orders anymore!]]
Optimus Prime's head watched helplessly as Shockwave brought his [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to life using the rest of Prime's stored Creation Matrix energies. But Shockwave realized something was wrong when Prime failed to give life to his next creation, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave deduced what had happened, and so he sent Jetfire (who was still little more than a drone) out to capture Buster. Optimus Prime realized he had put Buster in tremendous danger, but thankfully Buster prevailed. However, with the Matrix energy spent, Prime was useless to Shockwave, and so the Decepticon leader made plans to dispose of the head. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} In actuality, the head Shockwave disposed of was an impostor. Shockwave had learned that his headquarters were bugged, and so when the Autobots came to retrieve the head from a nearby swamp, the impostor head took control of Prime's body and turned on the Autobots. The day was saved only by the efforts of Buster, who was able to wrest control of Jetfire so that he could deliver the real head to its body. Once again whole, Prime retaliated against the Decepticons battling at the swamp, and one by one, they were destroyed. Shockwave himself arrived to battle Prime, but after they grappled, Shockwave was thrown into the swamps and disappeared. Instead of delivering a final blow, Optimus Prime rushed back to the plant to assure Buster's safety. The nightmare over, Prime transferred the Creation Matrix energies from Buster back into himself. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

[[File:Arkchristmastree.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Prime may reconsider his return to the Autobots.]]
''Optimus Prime's dignity restored with his head once again reunited with his body, Prime immediately dressed as Santa Claus to appease Buster's strong sense of [[Christmas]] spirit.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Optimus Prime questioned his ability to lead after his recent series of trials when a fight broke out amongst the Autobots on whether to use the Creation Matrix to create an army of unstoppable robot monsters. His introspection was interrupted by the intrusion of Ravage. The spy was captured, but it was not known by the Autobots that this was part of a larger Decepticon plot. Ravage escaped easily, and when Bumblebee gave chase, the Autobot was captured by the Decepticons. His disembodied arm was dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], a gauntlet cast. Prime decided to go alone to Decepticon headquarters to rescue Bumblebee, despite the other Autobots' objections. Indeed, Prime bested the Decepticons one-by-one, felling them all, until he arrived, heavily damaged, in the chamber where Bumblebee was held. After making short work of Soundwave, Optimus Prime returned to the Autobots, determined to do things right from then on.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''After Optimus Prime visited Bumblebee in the repair bay, the Autobots were surprised to be attacked by the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who was thought to be dead. After Swoop's mind was reclaimed from [[Peter Anthony Morris|Professor Morris]], Swoop went berserk and left once more. After learning that the Dinobots all would suffer the same involuntary rage, Optimus Prime called for a Dinobot Hunt!'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''Optimus Prime briefed the Autobots on the Dinobots and their nature and sent them to find the Dinobots in groups. Later, Optimus Prime traveled via [[Ark shuttlecraft]] to put a stop to a fight between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and Sludge that had claimed several Autobot and human injuries. Prime neutralized the rampaging Dinobots, but was saddened to hear that the Decepticons had seized the opportunity to steal large quantities of energy from the humans while the Autobots were kept busy. With the Dinobots in ruin and the Decepticons fueled, Optimus Prime's Autobots had suffered a major defeat.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''Optimus Prime later checked in with Ratchet, who was monitoring the comatose Dinobots. He implored Ratchet to find a way to save them from their constant nightmares.'' {{storylink|Victory!}}

With the Autobot ranks drastically depleted, Optimus Prime gave life to Jetfire using the Creation Matrix, and performed on him the [[Rite of the Autobrand]]. He guided Jetfire through the Ark; first into Ratchet's repair bay, and next into [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab, where additional troops were being assembled. Optimus Prime assigned Bumblebee to train these new recruits, but ordered them not to engage the enemy. When the group stumbled onto a Decepticon plot to siphon energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, Optimus gathered every able Autobot to assist. However, Bumblebee had disobeyed orders and his rookies had successfully thwarted the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When a human named [[Donny Finkleberg|Robot-Master]] appeared on television, claiming he controlled all Transformers, Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots into the [[Powder River Basin]] to prevent the human from getting hurt. Megatron, who had frozen, deactivated, at the bottom of the basin, was subsequently re-energized by Soundwave and his minions, and the combined might of their firepower and the human military's drove away Optimus and the Autobots in defeat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}} Afterward, Bumblebee felt he had failed Optimus Prime due to his relative lack of size and strength, and so he ran away. When Optimus discovered that Bumblebee had become a target of interest for the Decepticons, Optimus hurriedly led another team of Autobots to the rescue, an act that helped prove Bumblebee's worth to himself. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

[[File:RobotBuster-outofyourminds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"There's ''no slaggin' way'' Mary-Kate is the cuter Olsen Twin!"]]
''Optimus Prime was absolutely appalled to discover that Wheeljack and Ratchet had built Buster Witwicky a [[battlesuit]] to aid him in the battle against the Decepticons, asking them outright if they had lost their minds. Though Buster protested, noting that since he was trusted with holding the Creation Matrix he should be trusted with the suit as well, Optimus Prime ordered the armored suit destroyed. But Buster stole the armored suit under cover of night and attacked the Decepticon headquarters, plowing through the Decepticons until he reached Shockwave. Shockwave bested the human, but the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobots convinced Shockwave to spare his life.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}} ''Following this incident, Buster began having strange nightmares, and Optimus Prime suspected that these nightmares were induced by the Creation Matrix.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Wanting to investigate these Creation Matrix-induced dreams, Optimus Prime and Buster were hooked up to machinery so that the human could share them. Optimus Prime and Buster witnessed strange five-robot combiners from each faction named [[Special Teams]], and awoke shouting their name. They had seen a vision of the next generation of Transformers...'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Meanwhile on Cybertron, a group of Autobots were happy to learn that Optimus Prime and his Autobots still lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Year Two toys, attack!"]]
In front of all the active Autobots, Optimus Prime and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] unveiled their secret project: [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]! Designed to be their last line of defense, Prime planned to leave Omega Supreme to guard the Ark while Prime led the Autobots to the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon river basin headquarters]] to steal combiner technology from Devastator and promptly leave. The Dinobots scoffed at this plan, refusing to start a battle they were required to run away from, and so Grimlock and his Dinobots seceded from the Autobots. Though [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] raised concerns, Optimus Prime maintained that he had allowed for this. In fact, he allowed for everything save the interference of the humans, and after the mission was successfully pulled off, one human came after Skids for revenge. Optimus Prime regretfully had to leave Skids behind. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Learning of the Dinobots' disastrous solo adventures, Optimus Prime wanted to disown them, but reluctantly acknowledged that they were necessary muscle for the team. Tragically, while speaking to the Autobots about their war thus far on Earth, he, [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], and Ratchet mysteriously vanished in a flash of light!'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''They found themselves in a strange dimension called [[Limbo]], where they joined a war between [[Cloran|crea]][[Zenag|tures]] whose behavior seemed rather familiar. They soon allied with Shockwave, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who were also shunted into this dimension. They found out the whole alien war was just an illusion created by [[Limbo parasite|native parasites]], who fed on their emotions.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Upon his return, Optimus learned that they had been displaced by Autobots and Decepticons traveling from the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

As Ratchet sealed up one of Prime's wounds, the Autobot commander was delighted to see Skids was alive, having returned to him along with [[Donny Finkleberg]] (previously the Robot-Master). They had news for him regarding the arrival of Autobot reinforcements from Cybertron, but they were interrupted by a news bulletin. [[Hoover Dam]] was being attacked by Decepticons, so Optimus Prime leapt from the repair bay despite Ratchet's objections to call the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into service. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Later Ratchet was able to finish sealing Prime's wound, but not before the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was able to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] within Prime's body. Through this link, the Decepticons would be able to share use of the Creation Matrix to give life to new troops! The Aerialbots hadn't done well on their first outing, so as Optimus Prime reformatted them, Megatron gave life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]! {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Optimus Prime observed the records of how poorly the Autobots performed in his absence in Limbo, specifically how they went so far as to seek leadership from Megatron out of sheer desperation. Optimus Prime began to consider whether he was too important to the Autobots, and if they could carry on should he fall. To alleviate his doubts, he and a reluctant [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] plotted to fake Prime's death to teach the Autobots how to fend for themselves. While Prime was setting up an impostor version of himself to leave behind destroyed for the Autobots to find, Megatron sent the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to attack Prime.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:HarderTheyDie-Iaconno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You can't go home again.]]
''During the scuffle, Optimus and Megatron were transported to Cybertron, while Prime's counterfeit body, torn apart, was found by the Autobots. Optimus Prime surveyed Cybertron for the first time in four million years, and he couldn't believe how terribly it had fallen. Cities and buildings were cut to the ground, and even his beloved Iacon was in shambles. After Prime saved [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] from a [[Well-armed Decepticon bully|roving Decepticon]], the tiny Autobot followed him despite Prime's wishes to be alone. Unfortunately, Megatron (in league with [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]) had spread rumors that an imposter Optimus Prime had infiltrated Cybertron, which were readily believed due to Prime's four-million-year absence. Before too long, Prime was surrounded and shackled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s!'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''With Outback's help, Prime was able to escape, but not without Outback suffering mortal wounds. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} As Outback began to die in his arms, Prime told Outback of the time he, Prowl, and Ratchet were stuck in Limbo. His words were overheard by the Wreckers, but hearing Prime's words convinced Emirate Xaaron that this was in fact the real Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

[[File:Primefuneralnumberone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|He approved of it ''so much'' that when he died for real the next day, they instead shot him into space.]]
''The return of Optimus Prime was a welcome boost to the Autobot underground resistance. Not only did Autobot morale increase, but Decepticons were spooked at his very appearance! But after a few [[Decepticon fuel store|strategic victories]], Prime knew he had to return to Earth. Prime and Ultra Magnus planned one last raid—they would besiege the [[Polyhex Decepticon stronghold|Decepticon stronghold]] in [[Polyhex]] and destroy Megatron! But Megatron's "eccentricities" had become too much for Cybertron's Decepticons to handle, and in the middle of their battle, all three were whisked away to Earth by the [[space bridge]]. Optimus Prime appeared before the Autobots just as they had finished their Earth-inspired burial of the impostor body he had left behind.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Game over, man! Game over!]]
The Autobots had been monitoring the humans' creation of [[Power Station Alpha]], and Optimus Prime, sensing its completion would need closer inspection, sent Bumblebee to its unveiling. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Optimus Prime met an anticlimactic end in a gambit for [[Energy Futures Industries]]' [[Hydrothermocline]]. He and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] agreed to fight Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in a simulated, virtual world named ''[[Multi-World]]''. They agreed whichever leader lost in the virtual world would be blown up in the real world. Originally virtual Megatron was killed. But when Megatron cheated using the Afterdeath code, Prime resorted to killing virtual beings to gain the upper hand, and despite his victory Prime believed he had truly lost. Before their eyes, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] detonated Optimus Prime's body, as was previously agreed. In secret, Ethan secured away a [[floppy disk]] that held a copy of Optimus Prime's mind. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Meanwhile, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] had been sent to investigate Bumblebee's destruction at the hands of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but he was recalled in the middle of this altercation when it was discovered that Optimus Prime had been "assassinated". {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Optimus Prime's death unhinged Megatron further. The Decepticon leader simply couldn't believe that his eternal foe was truly dead, and he began blowing up random trucks. Megatron's paranoia grew so much that he blew up the Space Bridge with himself on it. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} Ratchet's subsequent efforts to restore Optimus Prime were unsuccessful, and after much grieving, Optimus Prime's body was launched into space as per Cybertronian custom. Omega Supreme presided over his funeral, and both he and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] gave eulogies. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

In front of a holographic image of Optimus Prime's head, the surviving Autobots tried to choose a new leader. Optimus Prime's replacement would be like him: a great warrior, wise, compassionate, kind, and courageous. As luck would have it, Grimlock chose exactly that moment to show all of those qualities for the first and only time in his life. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Optimus Prime's funeral barge eventually crashed on a giant moon of [[VsQs]], where it lay for an untold time. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Ethanzacharypretendertothethrone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Reaching level 70 was a momentous occasion.]]
Years passed as [[Ethan Zachary]], who still possessed the floppy disk that contained a copy of Optimus Prime's mind, tried to coax it into full sentience. This copy of Optimus Prime believed he was a video game character and nothing more, despite Ethan Zachary's constant prodding. Ethan thought he finally had a chance to jolt Prime back to his old self when he was investigated by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. The two put Optimus Prime in charge of a real team of Autobots, the [[Pretender]]s, and the disk copy Prime led them in battle against Decepticon Pretenders. Prime's delusions were unshaken. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} Goldbug took the disk with him, and attempts to rebuild Optimus Prime ended in failure. An argument over supreme Autobot leadership erupted between Grimlock's earthbound Autobots and a group of Autobots who had just arrived from [[Nebulos]] under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Ultimately, Fortress Maximus realized that Optimus Prime was the true leader of the Autobots, not anyone else, and so he sent Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], and [[Getaway]] back to Nebulos where the technology existed to fully restore Optimus Prime to life. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Seriously, Prime's been playing WoW waaaay too long.]]
It wasn't quite so simple, however. Fortress Maximus's Autobots had left Nebulos in ruin, and the planet poisoned its fuel supply so that robots could never return and wage war. A loophole was found, however, in the [[Powermaster]] process, created by the scientist [[Hi-Q]]. As luck would have it, Hi-Q was the exact person Goldbug was searching for to rebuild Optimus Prime, but the scientist refused on the grounds that he would be reintroducing the war to his planet—and he didn't believe the Transformers were any more than clever yet unsentient machines. Optimus Prime was rebuilt anyway, even though he wouldn't live very long at all without unpoisoned fuel. Hi-Q changed his mind on the sentience of Transformers when he saw the rebuilt Optimus Prime (shocked out of his video game persona delusions) interact with Goldbug. Hi-Q underwent the Powermaster process himself to save Optimus Prime's life, and Powermaster Optimus Prime was able to defeat two Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]]. Optimus Prime and his crew left Nebulos with their new Nebulon partners. {{storylink|People Power!}}

Prime quickly proved himself to be a fool, for he dared to ignore [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III]]. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

''Before reuniting with the other Earthbound Autobots, Optimus Prime and the other Powermasters took a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to Earth on [[Christmas]] Day. Optimus Prime, seeing Earth's frozen wasteland, wondered why he even cared about the Earth in the first place, much less fought desperately to defend it. But after recalling the events that first brought him there, he remembered that it was his fault that the Ark crashed there four million years ago, and so any pain and suffering caused by the Transformers' war was his burden.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Returning to the Ark, Optimus easily assumed command of the Autobots there; while the Dinobots were initially unhappy, Prime quickly and effortlessly sweet-talked them into going along with it.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}} That done, he learned via television about the Decepticons' baffling island vacation resort, [[Club Con]]. Optimus Prime sent Blaster to investigate. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

[[File:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Enter a new challenger!]]
''Despite a mysterious disruption in time and space that threatened all reality, due to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s adventures in his own past (which was Prime's present), Optimus Prime halted a conference on the matter to rescue [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]. While Highbrow apologized for interrupting more important matters, he, Optimus Prime, and a few other Autobots were displaced to Limbo once again, allowing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and other Autobots from the future to investigate the mysterious disruption. The other present-day Autobots thought Optimus Prime and the others had been disintegrated, and so attacked the "impostor" Autobots under Rodimus Prime's command, but Optimus spoke to them through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and calmed them down. A crazed yet seemingly unbeatable Galvatron attacked them, and Optimus Prime debated whether he should leave Limbo and team up with Rodimus against him, even though two Matrix-bearers coexisting at the same time would accelerate the timestorm's destruction of reality. Eventually, Optimus decided to ignore the dangers, and he materialized through Rodimus Prime's Matrix and engaged Galvatron one-on-one. Finally, Galvatron himself was eaten by the timestorm, and Scourge and the body of Cyclonus were also fed to it, which caused the timestorm to subside temporarily. Rodimus Prime promised to Optimus Prime that he would destroy all time machines when he returned to the future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prime's not back five minutes and he's already using the previous leader as his personal boat.]]
Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus accompanied Blaster to where Club Con used to be located, but it had been relocated by then. Prime assured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] that the search for his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons, would continue. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Sure enough, a distress signal in the Arctic led the Autobots to Buster, but also to a Decepticon ambush! After several Autobots were incapacitated, the battle stopped when it was discovered that this had all been arranged by Starscream, who had launched into space to seize the powers of the long lost [[Underbase]]. As the Autobots and Decepticons formed a loose alliance to stop Starscream, Optimus Prime warned that he had learned when he was young that fully possessing the Underbase led madness or death. Starscream was stopped before he could absorb all of the Underbase, but he had absorbed enough of it to be able to destroy the Decepticons' island spacecraft in which the two factions were traveling. Thankfully, Optimus Prime had thought ahead and had the Ark follow them there in case of an emergency.

Several teams of allied Autobots and Decepticons followed Starscream to Earth to stop him, but Optimus Prime insisted that he stay behind on the Ark to work on a plan on his own. [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had growing suspicions that the Autobot leader was really trying to claim the rest of the Underbase for himself, and they snuck on board as the Transformers on Earth were being shut down en masse by Starscream. Unfortunately for Optimus, they caught him while Hi-Q was disconnected from him, and so he was drastically overpowered. Optimus revealed to Scorponok that he was not trying to possess the Underbase... rather, he had been working on a rocket to deflect the Underbase towards Earth. He knew Starscream would try to absorb the rest, and sure enough, Starscream did—growing in size and power before their eyes. But possession of the Underbase resulted in madness ''and'' death, and Starscream's massive body exploded. Scorponok apologized for his bad appraisal of Optimus Prime's intentions, and the two commanders resolved to cease fighting so that they could gather their wounded and resume the fight another day. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:People's Gas.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hell, let's just put the robot arms right there on the front of the trailer, why not.]]
Now that Buster had been reclaimed from the Decepticons, Spike told Optimus Prime that he felt his obligation to the Autobots was over. Prime reluctantly let Spike go, but told him that he was more attached to Fortress Maximus than he knew. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}} Not only was now Fortress Maximus out of commission, but the Autobots had suffered incredible losses at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream. Optimus Prime assigned [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] to purchase [[microchip]]s on the black market at [[Grand Central Space Station]], knowing their Pretender shells would allow them to hide their robotic forms from the robotophobic aliens there. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Cloudburst and Landmine reached an ethical impasse involving the microchips, and so Optimus Prime reached out to Cybertron for reinforcements. He called upon the [[Micromaster]]s, specifically the [[Race Car Patrol]] and [[Off Road Patrol]], to investigate some Decepticon-originated weather problems in [[New York City]]. Hi-Q worried that the Micromasters were unreliable punks, but they were able to prove themselves against the Decepticons in the end, though they refused to join the Autobots proper. {{storylink|King Con!}}

[[File:Doubledealerofthecentury.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus Prime is also corresponding with a cash-strapped Nicaraguan prince...]]
''The Race Car Patrol accompanied Prime on a more rural mission: receiving stolen Autobot resistance plans couriered by [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]]. But a Decepticon, [[Doubledealer|Dealer]], abducted Chainclaw before he could deliver them, and offered the plans back to Prime as a ransom. Optimus Prime accepted, and a new Autobot named [[Doubledealer|Double]] offered to deliver the Energon payment himself. But Double never made it, and he returned to Optimus defeated with Chainclaw's injured form, having been "ransacked" by "the Decepticons".'' {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}}

''Optimus Prime lamented that he could no longer use the Creation Matrix to heal his fallen troops, as the Matrix was inside his old body which had been shot into space; the Autobots did not know the Matrix was in Optimus Prime's chest to remove. On cue, a being who called himself [[Deathbringer (Marvel)|Deathbringer]] appeared on Earth, and it was seemingly powered by a piece of the Creation Matrix! Death Bringer proved to be invulnerable, but Optimus Prime couldn't bring himself to harm something that held the essence of the Matrix anyhow. But after enough destruction, Optimus Prime was finally able to defeat it with help from [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who convinced it to self-destruct in concordance with its primary function.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

''Thunderwing led a seemingly suicidal assault on the Ark, entirely for the purpose of seeking revenge against his defeat at the hands of Nightbeat, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]]. Optimus Prime took Thunderwing on, berating him for having more courage than sense. True to Prime's words, Thunderwing's own troops dragged him away.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet to get some downtime, fearing his overworked medic (and friend) was losing his grip on sanity. Soon after, Optimus Prime saw news reports of the Micromaster [[Air Strike Patrol]] holding [[MacDill Air Force Base]] hostage, so he took the largest ensemble of troops down to Earth he could muster, given the Autobots' depleted ranks. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} As he told the Micromasters to surrender or face the consequences, he received a transmission from Ratchet, back at the Ark, but [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] fired at Prime's communicator before the message could be completed. This enraged Optimus Prime, who began to suspect grander, more sinister things at work behind the scenes. Optimus Prime had been led to a staged battle, but before he could leave, Scorponok and his Decepticons also arrived, itching for a fight! But after the circumstances of the day, Optimus Prime wasn't about to deny them the opportunity, and he fought back with a shocking, cold fury that baffled even Scorponok. The humans at the Air Force base called out Prime on his reckless violence, and Prime apologized for his outburst. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}}

Since Optimus Prime knew the battle was staged, he scaled back his troops accordingly, and ordered them to return to the Ark and leave him behind. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] refused and stayed behind, helping Optimus Prime fend off the hordes of Decepticons who had attacked him. But Optimus Prime stopped Hot Rod short of firing on [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], as Optimus Prime had begun to appeal to his sense of logic. Someone was pulling the strings! Scorponok hesitated, but before an agreement could be reached, they were confronted by an old enemy thought defeated—Starscream! {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

Though Starscream's performance started out impressively, he soon began to show his true cowardly colors, and so both factions again parted ways. Once again Optimus Prime turned his thoughts towards Ratchet... {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:YesterdaysHeroes-Whyyyy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Meanwhile, nobody mourns poor [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].]]
...but it was too late! Ratchet had sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron, the orchestrator behind the events at MacDill Air Force Base. Optimus Prime was overcome with grief, and he decided to stop fighting altogether. After parking the Ark on Earth's moon, he walked out on its surface, apparently never to return again. This, of course, caused the Autobots to worry about the future of their cause, and Hot Rod quickly threw together a risky plan to win Prime back. He plotted a "rampage" by an "out-of-control" [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian droid]] to whisk Prime back into fighting shape, but when the droid truly went out of control, the plan worked just a little too well. Prime came to his senses, returned to the Ark, and destroyed the droid, but not before several Autobots suffered genuine injury. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Meanwhile, their creator, [[Primus]] had awakened within Cybertron, alerting his enemy [[Unicron]] to its location. Since the only thing that could stop Unicron was the Creation Matrix, and the Creation Matrix had been shot into space inside Optimus Prime's funeral barge, Prime and Emirate Xaaron assembled several teams of Autobots to scour a specific star system in which the funeral barge likely would have landed. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} Though Optimus Prime was never very comfortable with the mystical side of the Creation Matrix, he approached an altar aboard the Ark and was given a vision of a Matrix corrupted by evil and imminent oblivion! {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} After several dead ends, the Prime's funeral barge and the Creation Matrix were found on the barren moon of [[VsQs]]. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod went together to meet the [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] as it landed, but were shocked to realize that Autobots were not delivering the Matrix at all! No, they were face to face with Lord Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix's next vessel! {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-andweshallwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect!"]]
Powered by the corrupted energies of the Matrix, Thunderwing was unstoppable. Even so, Optimus Prime pleaded for his troops to avoid trying to damage Thunderwing, for the Matrix was their only chance to destroy Unicron! After numerous losses were incurred, however, Optimus Prime decided to forgo the soft touch, and the Autobot leader let loose his full fury on the possessed Decepticon leader. More and more, the Matrix assumed control of Thunderwing, even taking control of his mind, but Prime could not make Thunderwing notice he was losing control of his own body. Thunderwing was not stopped by Prime's strength or by logic or reason, but by the cunning of Nightbeat. Nightbeat harpooned Thunderwing to the All-Terrain Turbo-Transport, shut off the [[artificial gravity]] systems, and Thunderwing and the transport were flung out into space. Thunderwing and the Matrix were presumed destroyed when the transport's self-destruct activated. Despite this seemingly catastrophic loss, Optimus Prime vowed to never give hope or give in to evil. With good on their side, they would ultimately prevail! {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Optimus Prime is firmly against the Right to Die movement.]]
With the Matrix out of the picture, Optimus Prime fell to another prophecy, one that claimed that Unicron could be destroyed if all Transformers worked together as one. That would be impossible so long as the war continued, so Prime announced his intentions to surrender the Autobots to the Decepticons on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this was met with hostility. Optimus Prime was also still hung up on Ratchet's death, and had assigned Nightbeat to investigate it. Nightbeat suggested that Ratchet and Megatron might still be alive in [[Unspace]], the dimension that serves as a middleman between transdimensional portal openings. Nightbeat was correct, but there were complications. He was able to pull Ratchet out of Unspace, but Ratchet had been fused molecularly with Megatron into one frightening creature! {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Optimus Prime refused to let anyone harm the creature. This caused even more complications when the creature, unchecked, began to tear apart the Ark's engine systems. [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], Prime's security officer, warned him that if he didn't put the creature down, he would personally remove Prime from command. Optimus Prime reluctantly approached the creature, intending to kill it, but when the half that was Ratchet put the barrel of Prime's gun to its own head, begging Prime to kill it, Optimus Prime had second thoughts. He ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate the two, even though Megatron would survive. Worse, one could not survive without the other. This did not please Kup and the others. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

True to his word, Optimus Prime surrendered his Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons, stationed in the [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]] swamps. The Decepticons were enjoying this turn of events a little too much, which drew an outburst from Kup. Optimus Prime tried to tell Kup to have patience, but Kup reminded him that the Optimus Prime he knew would never back down, never surrender, no matter what the cost! But no matter, the deed was done, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots were escorted into cells. After a while, Optimus Prime began to suspect that Scorponok didn't really want to talk about an alliance against Unicron at all, and was ignoring the long term to satisfy his short term problems with commanding respect amongst his troops. Optimus Prime knocked aside Soundwave, his guard, and found Kup and Hot Rod. Unfortunately, Kup wouldn't be so easily rounded up, citing Prime's recent problems. But Prime pleaded to him at length, noting that for a warrior race, perhaps surrender took the most courage of all! Kup quietly admitted Prime was right, and the three Autobots burst into Scorponok's quarters, where Scorponok's body had been stowed, leaving Lord Zarak and Bludgeon mostly vulnerable. Zarak and Hot Rod grabbed a hostage each, but Prime ordered both sides to stand down. They had to begin trusting each other, if they were to team up against Unicron. Optimus Prime and Scorponok were once again about to reach an agreement when they were once again interrupted! A splinter team of Decepticons, led by Shockwave and Starscream, attacked the Decepticons' underground base, causing it to implode. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

Optimus Prime's immediate concern was damage control—and not just towards the humans in nearby New York City, but to the fragile alliance that was nearly formed! He and Nightbeat left to keep Scorponok and Shockwave's feud from reaching New York, but the fight was accelerated with the arrival of [[G.B. Blackrock]]'s new superhuman team, the [[Neo-Knights]]! {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Their best chance at securing the alliance was keeping Scorponok alive, but [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was making it very difficult. Finally, once Shockwave was out of the picture, Optimus Prime and Scorponok once again (again) went to shake hands... {{storylink|Out of Time!}} when all Earthbound Transformers were all whisked away by Primus to Cybertron. Primus spoke to them through the glowing body of Emirate Xaaron, telling them of the eternal conflict between himself and Unicron. Primus also selected Optimus Prime to be the Transformers' leader, which caught the attention of a hidden sect of [[Acolytes of Unicron|Unicron cultist]]s. While Scorponok confided in Prime that he was scared, the two were jumped by the cultists. Scorponok, the Autobots, and even the rest of the Decepticon army came to Prime's rescue, and it seemed the alliance was finally forged. ...Till, at least, Kup pointed out that Unicron himself was hovering over the planet, ready for attack. Prime took the opportunity to double over in debilitating pain, a condition he had been hiding from the Autobots for some time. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[File:EdgeofExtinction-sothatallmaylive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's been reading his [[Jesus|New Testament]].]]
Kup and Getaway tried to push Prime along, but the force of Unicron's claws punching into the surface of Cybertron sent them reeling. Just the sheer impossible size of Unicron paralyzed Optimus Prime and Scorponok with fear and awe. Primus, still using Emirate Xaaron's body as an avatar, tried to intervene, but was destroyed; Optimus Prime cried out in loss. Optimus Prime was not shaken into action until a [[Galvatron II|brave, unidentified soldier]] attacked Unicron singlehandedly and was swatted away. The Autobot leader charged into action, but their attacks had little effect. Scorponok was among the casualties, and Optimus Prime waited with the melted body of his former foe until death. Scorponok, having martyred himself, asked Optimus Prime if he "did good". Optimus Prime nodded, called him his friend, and finally Scorponok passed away. Unfortunately, it was Optimus Prime's turn. A Matrix-possessed Thunderwing had suddenly returned, but although Thunderwing's body was completely disintegrated by Unicron, that left the Matrix itself unaccounted for. Prime ejected Hi-Q from his chest, knowing this next act would kill him. He seized the Matrix, fought its corruption, and plunged himself and the Matrix into Unicron's maw. Unicron exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:EndOfTheRoad-itcanitis.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Gotta sell that one last toy!]]
The Transformers' ultimate battle was won, but the cost was high! What was left of Optimus Prime's body was found, and he was amazingly still holding on to life, thanks to the Matrix energy that he'd absorbed. But he hadn't much longer, so he pulled Prowl close to him and told him that Grimlock would lead the Autobots. Prime died (again), and Prowl screamed in agony. But before too long, after the Powermaster absorbed [[Nucleon]] energy from Grimlock, Hi-Q announced that ''he'' was Optimus Prime! {{storylink|Still Life!}} Since Cybertron was threatening to break apart after the stress of Unicron's attack, Hi-Q and the other Neo-Knights were packed up on a ship meant to escape the planet. But Hi-Q had other ideas. {{storylink|Exodus!}} He persuaded the Neo-Knights to stay on the dying planet and search for the [[Last Autobot]], explaining that the pains Optimus Prime were feeling before he died were the start of a larger metamorphosis. If Prime had lived, the Powermaster process would have eventually merged the two into one, but it continued on even with Prime dead. Thankfully for the Neo-Knights, Hi-Q was not crazy, and they stumbled across the storage chamber for the Last Autobot. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

The Last Autobot set in motion the planet's healing process and took an interest in Hi-Q. A new robotic body was forged around Hi-Q's, and he and Optimus Prime were truly combined into one being! Optimus Prime, fully reborn as an [[Action Master]], took the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot to [[Klo]], where the final battle was taking place. The Autobots had dwindled to just five of their number, and the Decepticons were approaching total victory, when Optimus Prime miraculously returned. Optimus Prime ushered in a new age of peace and harmony by shoving his fists through the Decepticons' heads and torsos, and with some resurrection help from the Last Autobot, the dead Autobots were restored and the Decepticons were forced to flee. The war finally over, Optimus Prime told his fellow Autobots that they'd help Klo rebuild... and then they'd finally go home! {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel UK future timelines===
In an alternate timeline, Optimus Prime still maintained his Powermaster body in 1995. When a [[Feminist mob|feminist group]] on Earth raised complaints that all the Autobots seemed to fit male archetypes, Optimus tried to appease them in the name of public relations. Unfortunately, his "appeasement" came in the form of a powder pink token Autobot female named [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. That... didn't go over well. {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}}

Years later, in [[2004]], Prime was back in his original Earthly appearance. While attending the grand opening of Autobot City on Earth, the Autobots came under fire from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime and the Autobots bravely used their bodies as shields to protect their human guests until the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

===Earthforce===
{{Earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Primevsgrimlockbreakaway.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's got to be therapeutic.]]
While dealing with the oncoming threat of Unicron, Optimus Prime came under a great deal of stress and began actively berating [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and his newly reactivated Dinobots for their more brutal methods of combating the enemy. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This reprimand prompted Grimlock to offer his resignation from the Autobot army. Tempers got heated, and the two Autobots actually started brawling with one another in the conference room. After a few minutes of furious fighting, however, Prime and Grimlock effectively beat some sense into each other. Optimus Prime decided to take the Ark and its crew out into space, leaving Grimlock behind to command an "Earthforce" of Autobots, dedicated to protecting the planet in his absence. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Optimus Prime returned briefly for an inspection after the Autobot [[Earthbase]] was completed, and the Dinobots barely managed to keep him from learning about the [[Emotional damper|berserker rages]] which plague [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] every few million years. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} He also oversaw the reconstruction of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in Wheeljack's repair bay, leaving the vain Autobot under Grimlock's command before returning to space. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
{{-}}

===Another Time & Place===
{{note|This text story was later [[retcon]]ned to [[Primax 1291.0 Zeta|a seperate]] [[splinter timeline]] by the events of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]].}}

[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They will each keep half in special BFF lockets.]]
After Klo, the Autobots returned to Cybertron in an effort to rebuild the planetary government and resources. Optimus Prime naturally took the lead in these endeavours, but matters weighed heavily on his spark. The [[Nucleon]]-soaked Hi-Q at the core of his new body was one thing, reducing Prime to a non-transforming "[[Action Master|Actionmaster]]" like many of his fellow Autobots. But more importantly, Optimus Prime feared that the newfound peace on Cybertron would not last. He desperately wanted his soldiers to stop being soldiers, yet was petrified that something might come along and disturb their inactivity. This trepidation kept Optimus from stopping Grimlock from jetting off on an ill-advised mission to [[Hydrus Four]] in search of a way to reverse the Nucleon process, and he even refused to listen to Prowl when he reported that Grimlock took off to Hydrus Four anyway. Prowl struck a chord, however, when he pointed out that if he could track Grimlock's destination, so could the Decepticons. Shamed by Prowl's rebuke, Optimus Prime soon pushed aside his recalcitrance and assembled a strike team to go after the Dinobots.

On Hydrus Four, the Autobots discovered the Decepticons had taken over the medical facility with the Nucleon supply, and taken the Dinobots hostage. It seemed Bludgeon had a plan for the Nucleon, using it to recreate Megatron himself. With a surgical strike, however, they managed to free the Dinobots and take the fight to the enemy. Optimus confronted Bludgeon himself in battle, but was saved when Grimlock suddenly charged through and struck the Decepticon leader in dino-mode. It turned out the Nucleon process could be reversed after all! After that, all Prime and Grimlock had to do was tear apart the zombie-like, half-revived Megatron. Piece o' cake. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|The Gift}} {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}} {{storylink|Salvage!}} {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}} {{Storylink|The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}} {{storylink|Whose Lifeforce Is It Anyway?}} {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}} {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} {{storylink|Robo-Capers issue 88}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Missing in Action}} {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}} {{storylink|Trigger-Happy!}} {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}} {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}} {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}}}

==''Transformers Comic-Magazin''==
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
Powermaster Optimus Prime led the Autobots when the joint Decepticon leaders [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] tried to hijack the oil reserves of [[Alaska]]. The Autobots drove off the Decepticons, but not before [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] shot a minibot because he turned off his targeting computer. Optimus then sat his troops down and explained to them the differences between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|Attack at Dawn}}

He was monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]]. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}}

Optimus Prime held a meeting in which he discussed with his fellow Autobots the importance of defending Earth's oil supply from the Decepticons in case they had forgotten, and applauded [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'s call for a one-world Autobot government. The Decepticons then attacked an oil tanker. Prime put [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in charge of the rescue mission, while he coordinated stopping the other raids that the Decepticons were systematically carrying out. At the end of a long night full of battles, he treats the Autobots to a stash of Energon.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 6|A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime}}

Optimus Prime requested that the [[Micromaster]]s take on Earth modes and join him on Earth. The [[Race Car Patrol]], [[Off Road Patrol]], [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] and [[Sports Car Patrol]] emerged from hyperspace at several hundred mach into the Ark. A day later, a huge battle took place in New York as the Autobots battled the Decepticons. The Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con', however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings.{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 7|New York — A City Sinking in Terror}}

When the Decepticons stole three nuclear missiles from the United State Federation to hold the world to ransom, Optimus Prime put the entire burden of discovering their whereabouts on the shoulders of the Double Targetmasters. Once the Decepticon base was located, he ordered that [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] be given the power and abilities of [[Pretender]]s and sent to defeat the Decepticons (and they did, hurrah!). {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|Megatron's Ultimatum}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|"Save Nevada Alpha"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 9|The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 10|Transformers in Action: Wanderer Between the Worlds}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12|Transformers in Action: "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!"}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 13|The Energon Trap}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 14|Transformers in Action: The Countdown to a New Space Age!}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 17|Transformers in the Battle for Peace: Powermaster Optimus Prime - a Robot, a Hero}}{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

==Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimusprime-g2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|More apocalyptic visions than you can shake a covenant at.]]
As time passed, with the Decepticons supposed in exile and Cybertron at peace, the Autobots functionally disbanded. They scattered across the galaxies, with many retiring in peace while others continued to fight for peace among other civilizations they came across. The time came when Optimus Prime was called back into the skirmish, alongside his honor guard of [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]], when Grimlock and his combat unit discovered a greater [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that had sprouted up without their noticing it. These next generation Decepticons, led by the Liege Centuro [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], would conquer world after world using terraforming and exo-structuring processes to remake raw materials into a new Cybertron for their use. Optimus Prime, Grimlock and their "Dirty Dozen" of Autobots began a small resistance movement against Jhiaxus and his people, but realized they were out of their depth. As the call went out to reassemble the Autobot army en masse, Prime worried that they were still missing some greater threat—he had begun experiencing visions of an unknown peril that was heading their way, and wasn't sure if even the united Autobots would be enough to deal with it. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Until he could identify this secondary threat, Prime ordered the Autobots to remain inactive at an Autobase built into a small asteroid belt. But certainly Grimlock was having none of that. He grabbed a sizeable percentage of their displaced warriors who had already arrived and headed out after Jhiaxus and his flagship, [[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]. Naturally, they got in over their heads. Prime grabbed some of his personal soldiers (Hot Rod, Kup, Prowl, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]) and hijacked a strike ship to get close enough to Twilight for a rescue mission. Once Grimlock and his men were sent out on a prison vessel, Optimus blasted the ship just enough to cause chaos, and give Grimlock enough time to overtake the crew. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Surprisingly enough, he gave Grimlock no rebuke once they met up again—in fact, Prime put the Dinobot commander in charge of the entire army! In order to fully understand the visions of impending doom he was receiving, Optimus Prime decided he needed to return to Cybertron itself, to help "cut through the static" that was garbling whatever message the Matrix was trying to send him. Engaging in a quasi-mystical ritual to expand his psychic boundaries, Optimus cast himself mentally back through time to witness the birth of the first Transformer, [[Prima (G1)|Prima]], as he rose from the living structure of Cybertron itself. What he saw next, however, was astonishing—Cybertronians birthing new Cybertronians themselves, causing living metal to burst forth from them in a bio-morphic reproduction process called "[[Reproduction#Budding|budding]]". Primus had apparently allowed this only up till a point, allowing the race to evolve in stages before discontinuing the ability and the memory of it from his progeny. Jhiaxus and his new Cybertronians, however, were the end result of some Decepticons somehow relearning the budding process. They were stronger, yes, and perhaps more evolved physically, but their souls, their sparks, were distilled too many times over. Optimus Prime awoke from his trance, believing he had come to understand the threat he sensed: the fractioning of his species. Little did he know that the threat was far less philosophical, and far more tangible, than he realized. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

When word reached Prime that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth, he jumped at the idea of joining forces with the original Decepticons to face off against the Cybertronians. Travelling to Earth alone, Optimus approached Megatron with the intent to talk. Instead, Megatron blasted him from behind, beat him to a pulp, ionized his every circuit, and then ripped out his chest and siphoned away the power of the Matrix. So no, the talking didn't go too well. Prime only survived due to Grimlock's talent for insubordination, as the Dinobot leader brought a massive strike team down to save their fallen leader before Megatron finished him off. Still, as the Autobots dragged Prime away to receive repair treatment, he knew Megatron would be back—Optimus had stuttered out enough information about "new Decepticons" to pique his old foe's interest, and once Megatron went after them and bit off more than he could chew, they'd meet again. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

In this, at least, Optimus Prime knew Megatron all too well. Only days later a heavily battered and bruised Megatron wandered into Autobase: Earth, looking for that alliance Prime had offered. {{storylink|Escalation!}} With new allies, things were looking up for Prime until the unthinkable happened. His visions of death and apocalypse finally came true as the Autobots came across a devastated world looking almost identical to the images he had been experiencing. Optimus now realized his visions were not metaphorical in nature, and almost drew the conclusion himself before [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s science team completed their analysis of the genocide—it was their fault. More specifically, some by-product of the Cybertronian race had been formed by the budding process which created Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians, an animate entity that scoured the cosmos of its own design. Before more data and analysis could be had, however, Jhiaxus and his troops arrived on Earth seeking to end their ancestors once and for all. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

[[File:Megatrong2idiot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, no, shoot at ''each other''!]]
Once again seeking compromise, Optimus Prime took Megatron in an attempt to reacquire the Decepticon [[Warworld]] and use it to force Jhiaxus to see reason, that they faced a common and perhaps unbeatable foe in this "[[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]". His efforts were more than a little delayed, however, by the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. That Decepticon schemer had sold them out to Jhiaxus in the first place, but then came aboard Warworld and merged with it and the power of the Creation Matrix Megatron had been housing there. {{storylink|Total War!}} Still, Optimus Prime managed to reach a communications console, and begged Jhiaxus for an audience to discuss the impending threat which was bearing down on them all. As badly as Prime's last attempt to "just talk" with an enemy had gone, this time it went much worse, as Jhiaxus responded by ordering the orbital bombardment and destruction of the human city of [[San Francisco]]. Millions of lives wiped out in an instant. And before Prime could even attempt to respond or try again, the Swarm itself arrived in orbit. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!}}

[[File:Jhiaxusyouhavedestroyedme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Do you like me? Check (yes) or (no)."]]
As bad as things were, a silver lining did develop—Starscream proved too much of a "pedestrian villain" to actually corrupt the Matrix as had happened in the past. Instead, it was actually turning him more heroic, giving him selfless and self-sacrificing urges! Not wanting to be a hero, much less a dead hero, Starscream willingly relinquished the Matrix to Optimus Prime. In yet another effort at unity and compromise, Prime took a skysled over to Jhiaxus's flagship, Twilight, in order to talk the Liege Centuro into working with the Autobots and Decepticons to commune with the Swarm.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|left|thumb|100px|He really does like to push the new toy at the last possible moment.]]
Instead, Jhiaxus tore off his face.

The formerly icy Cybertronian had been driven completely off his rocker by the extended conflict with his ancestors, and was now little more than a mad dog pounding away at Optimus Prime. The brutality only ended when the Swarm entered Twilight and consumed Jhiaxus utterly. At this point, Optimus had reasoned that the Swarm was merely a void, searching for something to complete the emptiness inside it. With desperate reasoning, Prime allowed the Swarm to assail him, hoping that he (and the Matrix inside him) would prove to be what it was searching for. His body ravaged to the point of total disintegration, Optimus Prime still managed to make mental contact with the Swarm as it consumed him, and expose it to the will of Primus. Having successfully purified the Swarm, Optimus Prime rematerialized in a new, more powerful body. In the aftermath, in front of the cheering masses, Prime declared a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Privately, however, Prime knew that [[Furmanism|it never ends]]... {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Goin' South}} {{storylink|Ghosts}} {{storylink|Primal Fear!}} {{storylink|New Dawn}}}}}}

==Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic==
[[File:Optimus megatron war without end.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the diabolical [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] launched an all-out attack on [[London]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] called in Optimus Prime who travelled to Earth with a small squad comprising [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]]. On their arrival, Grimlock was nowhere to be found, having been incapacitated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in a new body. Sending his troops to deal with the other Decepticons, Optimus sought out and confronted Bludgeon, blasting [[Windrazor (G2)|Tornado]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] out of the way and soundly beating the Decepticon leader in one-on-one combat. It was only then that the real threat revealed himself — Megatron! {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

Still weary from his battle with Bludgeon, Prime wasn't sure if he could beat Megatron and he was quickly proved correct as the Decepticon showed off the features of his new body, including the powerful [[Particle cannon|particle accelerator cannon]]. Fortunately for the Autobot leader, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] ordered his [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]] to attack Megatron, then Grimlock and his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] intervened and finally Jazz and the others arrived. Outnumbered, Megatron summoned [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and retreated.

Later at [[Autobase]], Grimlock filled Prime in on what had happened in his absence. Thousands, perhaps millions of [[Cybertronian (faction)|new Decepticons]] had shown up and were [[eco-structuring]] worlds into new Cybertrons all over the galaxy and Grimlock had even tussled with these Decepticons' leader, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. However disturbing this news, Optimus's visions had warned him that there was something much worse out there... {{storylink|War Zone}}

Prime was still having apocalyptic visions when Grimlock went against orders and attempted to destroy the Cybertronian flagship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]''. The mission went badly, leading to the deaths of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], until Prime showed up to save the day aboard the captured Cybertronian ship ''[[Sabre]]''. Afterwards, Optimus left Grimlock in charge of the Autobots as he went to investigate the source of his visions. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Deep beneath the surface of Cybertron, Prime was shown the creation of the Transformer race and learned of a previously-unknown method of [[reproduction]], that of budding. He also saw how the Cybertronian Empire had rediscovered this process to massively bolster their numbers. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}
{{-}}

==''Classics''==
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"All right, do-over. This time I'll skip the visions of doom, and you won't get yourself tangled up with Cobra. Deal?"]]
After the war ended on Klo, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron exhausted. Since the war had gone on for so long, Prime had all along resigned himself to an inevitable death, and so finding the war at an end, Prime simply withdrew from society. No civilian job satisfied him. Now that peace was finally here, he had no idea what to do! Fifteen years later, he was somewhat relieved that Megatron had resurfaced on Earth. Though it shamed him, he once again had a purpose. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 18|Optimus Prime's ''Classics'' profile}}

Optimus Prime returned to Earth commanding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]] (formerly Hot Rod) to counter the return of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. When Transformers from another reality, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], arrived on Earth unexpectedly, Megatron stumbled upon them, only to find himself under attack by Prime and his Autobots. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Overwhelmed, Megatron managed to escape with Landquake, while the Autobots returned to Autobot headquarters with Skyfall. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2|Crossing Over #2}}

Optimus Prime took his Autobots and Skyfall to [[South America]], where the Decepticons were investigating a mysterious energy source that was similar to the radiation readings of their new dimension-traveling companions. After Prime left Jetfire in mid-transit to help [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] fight the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], he and the remaining Autobots arrived at their destination and battled the rest of Megatron's forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3|Crossing Over #3}} As the battle raged, Optimus Prime took on Megatron in a one-on-one battle. Megatron tried repeatedly to escape Prime so that he could discover the location of the energy readings, but Prime made it difficult. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4|Crossing Over #4}} As Megatron's troops were eliminated from the fight, the Decepticon leader realized his gambit was up. He swore the next time he and Prime met, it would be different! Optimus Prime told him to leave before he lost his patience, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5|Crossing Over #5}}

The battle won, but the energy source still a mystery, Prime and his Autobots returned to their headquarters heavily damaged, and seemingly having lost Skyfall and Cliffjumper (along with Landquake). Later, he was pleased to have been visited (seemingly very quickly, if really at all) by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] when their paths crossed while the latter was hunting [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|At Fight's End}}}}

==''Regeneration One''==
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Optimus prime loose ends 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hot Rod's first action as Autobot leader was to order a more comfortable chair.]]
In the twenty-one years since defeating Bludgeon on Klo and returning to Cybertron, Optimus Prime had grown more distant, sequestering himself to [[Nova Point]], where he was mentoring [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], catching wind of some dissident Decepticon activity, visited Prime to ask him to send the [[Wrecker]]s in to stop a potential uprising before it began. Prime, believing that such an action would only galvanize the Decepticons, forbade it. However, shortly thereafter, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] was able to hijack a defense satellite and use it to destroy the [[Last Autobot]] where it stood in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

Kup defied the stand-down order and activated the Wreckers to stop a Neo-Decepticon raid on a weapons decommissioning facility in [[Kalis]], preventing the detonation of reclaimed warheads. Prime reluctantly conceded that the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives and chose not to punish Kup at this time, much to Magnus' concern due to the influence the Wreckers' war-hero status had had on his cadets. Prime didn't hear Magnus' concerns, however, as he was overcome with a vision of [[Unicron]], threatening to return and kill him again. Frustrated with Prime's lack of action, Kup decided to take a more proactive approach, and left with the Wreckers for [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

Kup's mission proved disastrous, as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had devastated the planet, and had been waiting for Prime to return for one more showdown—a fact he revealed to Kup when the Wrecker leader was captured. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s distress signal was received on Cybertron, at which time the Autobots discovered a repeating message from Megatron, calling for Prime and taunting him. Ultra Magnus and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] took these messages to Optimus. With the revelation of Megatron's survival, Prime had no choice but to mobilize the Autobots to Earth, though he ordered Hot Rod to stay behind to watch over Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Optimus arrived on Earth to find Megatron, along with an army of [[zombie]] Decepticons that he had revived and lobotomized, in the remains of [[Washington, D.C.]], about to destroy Springer. The insane Decepticon was thrilled to see that his nemesis had finally come. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} Prime realized that his inaction had resulted in Megatron's devastation of the planet, but did his best to contain himself as he ordered Megatron to let Springer go. Megatron proceeded to shoot Springer in the head with his [[fusion cannon]], and then sarcastically suggested that he misinterpreted Prime's meaning. This was enough to make the Autobot leader snap, and as the other Autobots engaged Megatron's zombie army, Prime and Megatron went head-to-head.

[[File:Prime megatron loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the battle commenced, Megatron revealed his dark designs — he had set this confrontation up to be their final battle. Being linked with [[Aunty|Auntie]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer, he had programmed her to launch all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons should he be terminated; should Megatron prevail over Prime, or should the two find themselves in a stalemate, he intended to fire the missiles anyway, ensuring that both would be destroyed, along with every remaining living thing on the planet!

During the battle, Kup destroyed Ratchet, sending Megatron into agony and providing Prime with the opening he needed to rip Megatron's spark from his chest, ending his old foe once and for all. Fortunately for Optimus, at about the same time, the group of Wreckers led by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] had reached the Ark, and Circuit Smasher was able to disable Auntie, not only preventing the nuclear launch, but deactivating the zombie Decepticons as well. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

Prime mournfully watched as the bodies of the fallen zombie army—which had even included Autobots that had been left in stasis on the Ark—were gathered up to be destroyed by orbital bombardment. He refused First Aid's offer of repairs, choosing to wear his battle scars in memory of the fallen. Prime offered an apology to Kup, who wasn't quick to forgive. He was then tersely confronted by Circuit Smasher, who informed Prime that he and his human allies had unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. Prime tried to ask his former ally to reconsider, believing that the Autobots could help humanity rebuild, but Spike rebuffed him, stating that they were far beyond "rebuilding" and had to start from scratch. Not wishing to bring further conflict upon the humans, Prime reluctantly chose to abide by their decision. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

At least, he would ensure the other Autobots abide by the humans' wishes, as he surprised Ultra Magnus with the revelation that he was staying behind to help rebuild. Prime also revealed to Magnus that he believed his own resurrection at the hands of the Last Autobot had been a mistake, that his own time had passed, and that it was time for Hot Rod to assume the mantle of leadership.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Optimus proceeds to drive to the Yukon, with the intent of destroying the Ark and its Cybertronian technology once and for all, though he is unable to decide whether this is out of altruism, or atonement.{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

However, when Optimus does arrive at the Ark, he is surprised to find it has started to take off... and with a Transformer aboard who Prime seems to recognize as Megatron... but if Megatron's dead, [[Galvatron II|who could that be?]] Later,Optimus sends assignable to the Autobots on [[Cybertron]]telling them of [[Galvatron II|Megatron like character's presence on the [[Ark]].{{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

{{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (G1)

2015-03-24T12:16:51Z

Viktorimus: /* Generation 1 cartoon continuity */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3.5|the Autobot leader|his evil counterpart|Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime}}
{{suite}}
:''Optimus Prime is the leader of the [[Autobot]]s from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Optimusg1.jpg|upright=1.95|thumb|I'm that guy everyone remembers. No, not the [[Soundwave (G1)|tape guy]], the ''other'' guy.]]
'''Optimus Prime''' is the awe-inspiring [[Prime (rank)|leader]] of the [[Autobot]] forces. Selfless and endlessly courageous, he is the complete opposite of his mortal enemy [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Originally a mere civilian, he was chosen by the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to command, the first in a number of heavy burdens he has been forced to bear. Another is his bringing of the [[Transformer]]s' conflict to Earth. Every casualty, [[human]] or [[Transformer|Cybertronian]], weighs heavily on his [[spark]]. He does not show this side to his soldiers, and he never succumbs to despair. The Autobots need a decisive, charismatic leader, and that is what he gives them. It was that leadership which turned the tide of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]].

On the battlefield, there are few who rival Optimus Prime's prowess. He is easily the strongest of any Autobot his [[Scale|size]], and his [[ion blaster]] and his [[energon-axe]] are deadly weapons. He would sacrifice his life to protect his fellow Autobots or those under their care, and [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|does so on a regular basis]]. His compassion for other sentient beings is his only real weakness, and one the Decepticons have taken advantage of time and again... though it's also the source of his strength!

Prime carries within him the [[Matrix of Leadership]].

Before being rebuilt into a [[Powermaster]], his [[robot mode]] split into three components:

*A sentient robot module, the [[Brain Center]].
*A wheeled drone module known as [[Roller (G1)|Roller]].
*A [[Combat Deck (G1)|Combat Deck]].

Although Optimus Prime can function as three independent modules, injury to any one module is felt by the other two.

{{bigquote|Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.|Optimus Prime's most common [[bio]] quote}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{main|Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity}}
[[File:CommandPerformances-Autobotsattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Don't worry, the multiple crises of conscience come soon enough.]]

Optimus Prime was a gladiator champion for [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] before quickly working his way up the Autobot ranks once [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] started the war. Four million years ago, when Decepticons attacked the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], he personally chose to crash it onto [[Earth]], a decision that caused him much remorse when the war restarted on Earth in the modern day.

Though Optimus allowed himself to be destroyed when he betrayed his own moral code while playing a video game, a copy of his mind survived on a [[floppy disk]]. Years later, he was restored as a [[Powermaster]], binary bonded to the [[Nebulan]], [[Hi-Q]]. Optimus Prime slowly earned the respect of Decepticon leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], mourned the loss of his friend [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and ultimately sacrificed everything to defeat [[Unicron]]. Though Optimus died again, his mind persisted in Hi-Q, and the [[Last Autobot]] was able to restore him as an [[Action Master]] in time to bring a temporary end to the war.

In [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|one universe]], Optimus Prime went on to battle [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], his [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian troops]], and the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. In [[Transformers: Classics|another]], fifteen years of peace passed before Megatron rose again.
{{-}}

===S.T.A.R.S. pack-in flyers===
[[File:PackIn RodimusPrimeRemembers Inside2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The fury of the "Road Warriors"... and Cosmos.]]
The Autobots were outnumbered and outgunned on Earth from the start, though Optimus was confident (and correct) that reinforcements from Cybertron would arrive. {{storylink|Reinforcements from Cybertron!}}

However, the situation was still so desperate that Optimus not only decided to recruit human allies {{storylink|The battle is far from over!}}, but aggressively tried to recruit and ''deputise'' human children, including giving them the power to co-ordinate Autobot teams in battles. He wouldn't even make a final move on the Decepticons until he had enough child soldiers on his side. {{storylink|Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!}} {{storylink|Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?}} In at least one case, this likely led to the ''death'' of a small boy at Decepticon hands. {{storylink|Can one boy, alone, hold back the evil Decepticons?}}

Optimus later led a convoy in search for a building site for [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], which ran into a Decepticon ambush. {{storylink|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.}} He sent off several Autobots to get help, knowing this was the only chance of victory. {{storylink|Transformers Combat Data}} Those several Autobots were seen again, but Prime... wasn't.
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
{{main|Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
[[File:Mtmte2 shermandam.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|He had this ax once. It was very memorable.]]
Before the war, Optimus Prime was originally '''Orion Pax''', a young dock worker with a girlfriend named [[Elita One|Ariel]]. But as the war began, Megatron destroyed them both, and [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] rebuilt them into more powerful warriors.

Four million years ago, Optimus Prime ended a Decepticon attack on the Ark by directing it towards prehistoric Earth. When both factions reawakened in [[1984]], Optimus Prime and the Autobots fought the Decepticons on numerous occasions until [[2005]]. During an attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth, Prime fell in battle against Megatron and passed the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]].

Optimus Prime eventually returned, once as a [[zombie]], and again when he was rebuilt by the [[Quintesson]]s to stop the spread of the [[Hate Plague]].

The details between these events differ between universes. Sometimes Optimus Prime merged with [[Vector Sigma]] soon after defeating the Hate Plague, and returned much, much later as Star Convoy. Sometimes Optimus Prime partnered up with [[Marissa Faireborn]] to receive upgrades through mutual [[kiss]]ing. Sometimes... look, he did a lot of weird stuff, okay? He later sacrifices himself to restore the [[Matrix of Leadership]].
{{-}}

===Sticker Adventures books===
During a Decepticon attack, Cliffjumper pleaded with Optimus to let him jump into the fray. Optimus denied his request, telling him that they already had the Decepticons on the run. In the battle’s aftermath, the Decepticon’s activity seem to vanish altogether. Grateful for the quiet, Optimus decided to head out and fetch extra fuel for the Autobots with Sparkplug. He returned just in time to find his Autobots in the middle of a battle with the Decepticons. With Sparkplug and Prowl’s help, Optimus refuelled his troops, and once more drove the Decepticons back. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons}}

Optimus Prime and the Autobots were repairing a ship in the hopes of using it to return to Cybertron, when the Decepticons attacked. He took a hit in the midst of the battle, and fell unconscious…

Then he dreamed of awakening, only to find his troops smashed. Realizing his only hope for survival lay with Cybertron, Optimus then boarded the ship the Autobots were repairing, and travelled back to his home planet. Arriving on Cybertron, he found it completely under Decepticon domination. Optimus then met an old Autobot codger who pleaded that he return to Earth to gather a force that could overthrow the Decepticon’s regime. Optimus remorsefully told the old Autobot that there could be no reinforcements from the planet Earth. The two Autobots were then swarmed by Decepticon police officers, who Optimus fought until his dying breath…

Only for Optimus to awaken for real, back on Earth and surrounded by his troops. Realizing that his trip to Cybertron was a dream, Optimus instructed his Autobots to redouble their efforts in fixing up their ship, certain that they would soon need to return to Cybertron. {{storylink|Return to Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Storybooks continuity===
When Optimus captained an Autobots spacecraft with the intent of clearing an asteroid field heade for Cybertron, he found his ship and crew attacked by the Decepticons. Rather than allow his Autobots to be taken prisoner, he deliberately crashed the Ark on Earth into a volcano.

Millions of years later, Optimus was one of the thirty-five Autobots rebuilt into modern machines by the ship"s computer. Some time later, Jazz reported that he had spotted Decepticon activity at a nearby construction site. Optimus decided to take a proactive angle to their war with the Decepticons, and led the entirety of his troops to the Decepticon base. Once there, they found themselves allowed in by Megatron, feigning a friendly demeanor. Not fooled by Megatron's claims that he was making an honest living heading a construction company, Optimus engaged the evil robots in combat, before being blasted out of the Decepticon base. Optimus and his troops were sent tumbling down the cliffside beneath their feet. The Autobots suffered only minor damage from the fall, and after getting patched up, moved out once more to stop Megatron's plan, now well under way. Megatron was holding millions of humans hostage in a bid to get the Earth to surrender unconditionally to the Decepticons.

The two sides found themselves equally matched until the Constructicons merged into The Devastator. The tables were turned once more when the Dinobots appeared, and mercilessly slaughtered the Constructicons. The Decepticons' plan foiled, Optimus decided that the Autobot-Decepticon war had come to an end, despite Megatron's protests to the contrary. He and his Autobots then drove away victorious. {{storylink|Battle for Earth}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Autobots' Secret Weapon}}}}
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===Marvel coloring books===
[[File:SummertimeColoring Optimus Prime combat deck.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|In lieu of solving the [[FIRRIB]] debate the hard way, Prime eliminates the problem at the source.]]
Alerted by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s latest plan, Optimus Prime led the mission on [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s ship to foil them. He sent Bumblebee on an underwater scouting mission, and took part in a pitched battle that ended in the Decepticon's being defeated. {{storylink|Search for Treasure Under the Sea}} When [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] dropped rocks on the Autobots, Optimus used [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] to eliminate most of them. Unfortunately he was forced to surrender when he saw the other Autobots had been captured by the Decepticons, and was placed in a [[special Autobot prison]]. Luckily Bumblebee remained free, and after he'd rescued the others, Optimus wrapped Megatron up with an iron bar. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue!}}

One peaceful day, Optimus decided it was ''too'' quiet, and sent Bumblebee and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] to find out what the Decepticons were up to. Sure enough, the Decepticons were looking for a factory, so Optimus had Mirage create a holographic factory as a trick, and ambushed the Decepticons. Optimus himself hurled Megatron into orbit. {{storylink|Decepticon Patrol}} Optimus and his Autobots rescued [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] when the pair were captured by Decepticons, and afterwards Prime was amazed when Sparkplug repaired [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. After Bumblebee and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] discovered that the Decepticons were attacking [[Hoover Dam]], Optimus and his team defeated them. {{storylink|The Deadly Fuel Shortage}}

[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] reported to Optimus that the Decepticons were stealing gas, and Optimus was able to use Roller to find out the Decepticons were using a [[molecular transfer device]]. The Autobots assaulted the Decepticon stronghold so they could take care of the device. {{storylink|Summertime Coloring Book}} After a rain storm, Optimus and most of the other Autobots went out on patrol. When the Decepticons used a fake message to lure Bumblebee out of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] so they could take it over, Optimus used the same gambit to retake the ship. {{storylink|A Message From Outer Space}}

[[File:Forestrescuemission-bunny.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Carrots are the right of all fluffy beings!]]
When the Decepticons turned up in the same forest that the Autobots were taking a vacation in, Optimus took great pleasure in stopping them and returning the forest to pristine condition. {{storylink|Forest Rescue Mission}} Optimus was undertaking some repairs when Bumblebee offered to help, but Prime told him the repairs were too hard for him. When later the other Autobots were dismissive of Bumblebee's report of a Decepticon attack, Optimus alone listened to him, and they subsequently defeated the Decepticons. {{storylink|Bumblebee's Dangerous Mission}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Big Book of Coloring Fun}}}}

[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] warned Optimus about a fuel plant the Decepticons were building, so Optimus took the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] in his trailer and, under the guise of having a delivery for [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], invaded the construction site and defeated the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Autobot Spy in the Sky}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Hot Rod's Escape}}}}

===Deadly Paradise===
When Sideswipe was accused and convicted of destroying the [[Nova Suspension Bridge]], Optimus was infuriated that one of his own Autobots could commit such a heinous act. Optimus was tasked to hunt down and deactivate Sideswipe, though the task proved to be easy as Sideswipe did not run, hide or resist. After Optimus had deactivated Sideswipe, he was approached by Prowl, who pointed out that Sideswipe's actions made little sense, as he had committed the crime in broad daylight before many witnesses. Agreeing that the Decepticons might be behind the situation, Optimus allowed Prowl to take a team of Autobots to [[Carob Island]] to clear Sideswipe's name while Optimus and Jazz stayed behind to continue working on human/Autobot relations. Prowl returned with evidence that it was indeed a Decepticon-controlled clone of Sideswipe that had committed the crime. Optimus then presumably reactivated Sideswipe when his name was cleared. {{storylink|Deadly Paradise}}
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===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
Optimus and Prowl received message from [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] of a coal transport in [[Africa]], and discovered Megatron was using human slaves. Megatron detonated his coal mines with the world's largest explosion, killing the humans and forging the world's largest diamond — that he would use to as a lens for a [[Crystal satellite|satellite]] to focus the Sun's beams, melting the [[Rocky Mountains]]! Prime ordered Skyfire to attack the satellite, and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] to build a square mile panel of metal to deflect the beam, blowing the satellite up. {{storylink|Satellite of Doom}} The Decepticons attempted to drain the [[Prudhoe Bay oil reservoir]], causing volcanic eruptions and Russia to approach America, accelerating tensions between the countries. Optimus ordered [[razon gas]] to be pumped into the reservoir, returning the [[oil]] below and raising the Decepticons' aquatic drill. {{storylink|When Continents Collide}}

Accompanied by Prowl, Optimus went to [[Sumatra]] and discovered much of the jungle had been destroyed. The Decepticons tried to destroy the [[Brazil]]ian jungle and take its oil, but once again the Autobots stopped them. {{storylink|Storms of Destruction}} Following a battle between the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s and the Decepticons, Optimus ordered [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] be repaired by Ratchet at their [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] oil supply. Tracking Slag, Megatron attempted to destroy the base with the [[Crusher]], slicing icebergs off the continent. Optimus ordered [[Autobot superjet]]s to counterattack, but the battle was won when Megatron unwittingly reawakened hundreds of dormant Dinobots beneath the ice. {{storylink|Jaws of Terror}} Optimus and Prowl were baffled by Megatron's next strategy, a series of hit-and-run attacks in the Pacific rim. It emerged it was a distraction from the enslavement of the population of [[Buru]]. Optimus, Prowl and the Dinobots arrived and fought off the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], foiling the scheme to drain the island's oil. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}} When Megatron planned to drain the world's largest [[oil tanker|supertanker]], Optimus had the oil tainted with a corrosive acid, sabotaging the Decepticon submersible. The Autobots flew the tanker to [[New York City]], and ordered the few witnesses' memory to be wiped. Wow. {{storylink|Attack of the Decepticons}}

===Big Looker Story Books===
[[File:KidsPrime1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|And the fluffy kitten played with that yarn all gosh-darn night.]]
After a thousand years of war on Cybertron, the planet was shaken from its orbit and risked being smashed to pieces by an asteroid field. Optimus decided to take a group of Autobots in the Ark and destroy the asteroids, but they were attacked by the Decepticons, and Optimus crashed the ship on Earth. Four million years later, the Ark repaired them, and they encountered [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]. Sparkplug suggested to Prime that the Autobots tap the volcano they'd crashed into for power. The two humans also warned the Autobots of an impending Decepticon attack, and Optimus laid a trap. Unfortunately the Decepticon forces attacked from all directions, and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s [[null-ray]] put Optimus out of commission. Luckily Sparkplug easily fixed him, and his fast recovery inspired the Autobots to chase the Decepticons off. Optimus vowed to protect this new world. {{storylink|Battle for Cybertron}}

When a two-part race was being held with a massive supply of oil and gasoline as the prize, both the Decepticons and the Autobots badly wanted to win it. Megatron entered the race by hiding himself inside a hollowed-out car and harassed [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] all throughout the contest. When Prime discovered the car was being driven by his arch foe, he swiftly pulled a telephone pole out from the ground and used it to bash the mortal hell out of the cheating Decepticon. Thanks to Prime's violent intervention, Cliffjumper was able to win the race. Afterward, Optimus Prime celebrated the Minibot's victory with a gargantuan smile as all the Decepticons starved to death. {{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

The morning after a particularly vicious battle, Optimus listened to birdsong and pondered life as a giant robot, before asking [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] for a damage report. The Autobots were puzzled when the Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s (and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]) did a flyby on their camp, as the Decepticons were similarly damaged after the battle, but [[Shooting Star]] reported that the Decepticons were trying to distract them while an attempt was made to secure a broken-down oil truck a few miles away. Optimus took a small group to investigate, and successfully aided the [[Abe Walters|humans]] in getting their truck moving. [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] was instrumental in stopping the Decepticon attack, and Optimus commended the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] for his valor. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}

On another beautiful day, Optimus sat under a tree with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], discussing the Decepticons. A while later, [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] reported that [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] had shot at him. Optimus smelled a Decepticon plot and led an assault on their headquarters, only to find that Grapple had been injected with a [[cerebro-shell]], placing him in Decepticon control. Battle commenced, during which Grapple was freed and helped them defeat the Decepticon. Afterward Optimus said it all had been worth it to get Grapple back. {{storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
[[File:Ladybird prime transforms.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|The ghost of Optimus Prime possesses...himself?]]
Upon witnessing the incredible power of a lightning storm for the first time, Optimus Prime had Sparkplug Witwicky explain the phenomenon to him. Intrigued by the potential of lightning, Prime put [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] to work finding a way to harness its energy, so they could use it to aid in the rebuilding of their spaceship. Huffer constructed a giant lightning rod, and Optimus Prime and the Autobots gathered to watch its first test. They were shocked, however, when a fleet of battered, damaged Decepticons flew out of the mountain housing the antenna and off into the night. The evil robots had attempted to discover the device's secrets and been seriously electrocuted! Once the lightning rod had been checked, Prime vowed to make the lightning-harnessing technology the Autobots' gift to Earth once they had left the planet. {{storylink|Autobots' Lightning Strike}}

When the Decepticons tried to take control of a solar energy station, Prime sent Roller in to investigate. {{storylink|Megatron's Fight for Power}} Later, Prime sent [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to spy on the Decepticons' latest misdeeds, and the Autobots discovered that they were having trouble with the ion drive of their starship. Prime led the Autobots in an attack on the mine the Decepticons were using to test their propulsion system and routed Megatron's force. {{storylink|Autobots Fight Back}}

Optimus Prime grew concerned when [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] picked up a communication from [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] that indicated the Decepticons had grown interested in a mysterious structure near a human village. Prime and a team of Autobots headed out to investigate, and they battled the Decepticons over the structure, which turned out to be a harmless windmill. {{storylink|Laserbeak's Fury}}

[[File:Ladybird powermaster prime.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Invisible keyboard solo!]]
At some point, Optimus Prime disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived from Cybertron to take his place as Autobot commander. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}} Prime eventually returned many centuries later, now sporting a [[Powermaster]] body, and rejoined the Transformers' war after it had moved from Earth to the alien planet of [[Nebulos]].

When [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] was captured by the Decepticon leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], Optimus Prime agreed to surrender himself to ensure his fellow Autobot's safety. Naturally, though, Prime did not expect Scorponok to hold up his end of the bargain, and he had [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]] and [[Fizzle]] rescue Highbrow while he allowed himself to be imprisoned. Their mission successful, Hosehead and Fizzle then sprang Prime from his cell, and the team beat a hasty retreat. {{storylink|Autobot Hostage}}

After weeks of Decepticon silence, Optimus Prime decided to get proactive and sent out patrols all over the planet to try and flush the villains out. None of the patrols reported back with any success, however, and Prime realized that there was one area of the planet that his troops had deliberately ignored: the mysterious "[[Nebulos Triangle]]". [[Quickswitch (G1)|Quickswitch]], [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] and [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] were sent into the Triangle, and they did indeed discover and foil the Decepticon plot going on in the area. {{storylink|Decepticons Underground}}
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===Listen 'n Fun audiobooks continuity===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
Optimus had [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and Huffer plant false information to mislead the Decepticons. As the Autobots were in need of a new power source, he sent [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] to find Doctor [[Heath Blaisedale]] and had to apologize to the doctor after Cliffjumper kidnapped her. Persuading her to help them, the Autobots traveled to the solar plant to make use of her solar reactor, only to find the Decepticons were already planning to attack it. While the other Autobots re-energized, Optimus protected them from an attack by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] abducted Blaisedale as a diversion, forcing Optimus to lead a team and rescue her. When the team returned, the plant was already under attack and Optimus helped the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] drive them off. Unfortunately the Dinobots totaled the plant in the process, and Optimus promised Blaisedale the Autobots would help her rebuild. In return, Blaisedale organized a meeting with the [[President of the United States]] so the Autobots could forge an alliance. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)}}

===Listen 'n Play audiobooks continuity===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
When [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] brought [[Steve Guymo]] to the Autobot base, Optimus and the other Autobots realized that the Decepticons were behind the abduction of humans from airports across the nation. They were able to find the captive humans, whom the Decepticons were intending to ransom to the US government, and free them before engaging Starscream and his squad in battle. With the Decepticons defeated, the Autobots returned to base where Optimus thanked Steve for his help. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Play)}}

===The Special Teams===
After crashing on Earth in the Ark and remaining dormant for millions of years, Optimus, along with Sideswipe and Ratchet, were the first Autobots to awaken after the Decepticons’ own resurrection. These three helped the other Autobots repair themselves with the aid of the Ark’s computer.

Some time later, as the war raged between Autobots and Decepticons on Earth, Optimus had requested the Aerialbots as reinforcements from Cybertron. Though they nearly defected to the Decepticons, Optimus was able to secure the Aerialbots as allies. Later, when a power plant had to be evacuated of its human workers due to the fear of landslides, Optimus posted Denfensor at the location to secure its protection. Optimus then drove off to check up on the rest of his troops who were aiding in the area’s evacuation. Though he passed a military convoy heading towards a plant, he thought nothing of it, unaware that they were the newly created Combaticons in disguise. Optimus then reached the Ark, and from there opened communications with the Aerialbots. Optimus had someone come into the know that the Decepticons were moving in towards the plant. He watched from afar as Defensor and Superion fought Menasor and Bruticus, wary to send more Autobots into the fray while these titans wrecked havoc onto the battlefield. Optimus allowed himself a smile when the Aerialbots and the Protectobots proved themselves superior teams to the Decepticons’, though at the back of his mind, he was wary. After all, Megatron himself had chosen not to add his considerably weight to the battle... {{storylink|The Special Teams}}
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===The Battle for Planet Earth===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
In search of new energy sources, Optimus led a team to central [[South America]]. When they spotted [[Mount Sheelah]], their two human friends [[John Gordon|John]] and [[Tim Gordon]] explained volcanoes, and, believing it to be of possible use, the Autobots went to examine it. During a battle with the Decepticons over the volcano, Optimus was convinced by the two humans to retreat, ultimately saving them when Mount Sheelah erupted. {{storylink|Terror of Mount Sheelah}} After discovering that the Decepticons were kidnapping humans, Optimus sent [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to scout the Decepticon base. When Bumblebee returned with the Decepticons' [[global crystal]], Optimus was able to use it to blackmail the Decepticons into letting the humans go. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue (G1)|Bumblebee to the Rescue}}

Using their network of human allies, the Autobots tracked the Decepticons to [[Stanley Lake]]. When Optimus learned that the Decepticons had taken over the hydro-plant, he lured them out into the valley in front of the dam so that [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and the humans could flood the valley, washing the Decepticons away. {{storylink|Menace at the Dam}} [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] attempted to defect as part of a ploy to get a spy into the Autobots' midst, but Optimus wasn't fooled at all. He and his men concocted a false plan which they shared with Starscream, and while the Decepticons were subsequently on [[Deuterium Orbital Laser Tracing System|a wild goose chase]], Optimus's team smashed the Decepticon base flat. As they let Starscream go, Optimus couldn't help mocking him. {{storylink|Espionage!!!!!}}

===Toy pack-in material===
While exploring Cybertron's hemisphere of darkness, Optimus Prime became several damaged, and unable to return to the hemisphere of light. Having been able to send out one last message before his memory was badly damaged, Optimus found himself unable to distinguish friend from foe, and would join (or rejoin) whichever faction found him first. {{storylink|Optimus Prime Is Back}}
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===''The Transformers'' Adventure Game Books===
{{Note|As the following stories are [[multipath adventure]]s, details will vary depending on the path taken. See individual pages for information on alternate paths.}}
====Highway Clash====
[[File:Highway Clash Optimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Optimus and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] secretly guarded a shipment of microchips that could be used to imbue sentience onto robots. Posing as the lorry transporting the precious cargo across the Yorkshire Dales, he was attacked by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] who sought the microchips to create an army of Decepticons. With [[you]]r help, Optimus may or may not have been successful in keeping the microchips out of the Decepticons' hands. {{storylink|Highway Clash}}
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===Find Your Fate Junior===
More than any other Transformer in these micro-continuity-nexuses, Optimus Prime had to make a ''lot'' of tough decisions. So tough in fact, that he usually needed help...from [[you]]!
{{Note|As the following stories are [[multipath adventure]]s, details will vary depending on the path taken. See individual pages for information on alternate paths.}}

====Dinobots Strike Back====
In the first nexus, when [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] reported back to Autobot HQ that the other [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were being controlled by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell's]] [[cerebro-shell]]s, Optimus had to decide whether to stop them with an immediate full-scale assault, or consult the Ark's computer. If he led an immediate attack, the cerebro-shells were jolted loose when his troops carried out his order to, "Bring them down fast and hard". If he consulted the computer, he then had to choose between its plan to have [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] remove the shells from a distance with his magnetic powers, or go with [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage's]] idea to lure the Dinobots over [[Bandit's Bluff]] with an Optimus Prime hologram. If he chose Mirage's plan, the Dinobots charged over the cliff and into the ocean, where they were salvaged for repairs back at base. If he let Windcharger lead operations at the bluff so he could confer with [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] about some strange activity near [[Dolphin's Bay]], it was out of his hands whether Windcharger accidentally tore the Dinobots to bits, or harmlessly removed the cerebro-shells. The latter outcome led to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] telling Optimus that Bombshell said controlling them was just part of a larger plan, and the Autobot leader realized that it might tie in to Skids's report. Skids and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] could investigate in [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack's]] new mini-sub, but should he send [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] along with them?

If he didn't send Sludge with them, the odds were 2 to 1 that the Autobots would all be destroyed as part of Operation Black Coral. The one possible positive outcome ended with Optimus fighting a duel against [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] atop [[Mount Lomas]] in which Prime (somehow) split into his three components to surround his archenemy. This provoked [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] into "assisting" his leader with an earthquake that destroyed the Decepticons' entire superfuel operation.

If Optimus ''did'' send Sludge to Dolphin's bay, he ensured the Autobots' triumph in four different outcomes! Three of these involved Optimus leading a full-scale assault on the Decepticon base hidden in Mount Lomas, and whether he followed [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl's]] or Windcharger's plan of attack, Operation Black Coral was terminated. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}
====Battle Drive====
[[File:Battledrivefightingatthebridge.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Suspicious at the lack of recent Decepticon activity, Optimus Prime sent Bumblebee out on a scouting mission. When Bumblebee did not return for some time, Optimus began to worry, and sent out Prowl, Hound and Swoop to check up on the little Autobot.

In several versions of the events that unfolded next, Swoop would return to the Autobots' headquarters, and inform Optimus and his troops that the rest of his group was under Decepticon attack, and Optimus would subsequently lead his troops to rescue them.

In an alternate version of the following events, Bumblebee would return to base, reporting that the Decepticons were planning to destroy the humans' farmlands in an attempt to starve mankind and force them into submission. Upon hearing these news, Optimus gathered a squad of Autobots and headed out to stop the evil robots. However, once they found themselves in the open country, they found themselves at the mercy of a Decepticon ambush; Bumblebee had been fed false information! In one iteration of the events that followed, Optimus could have avoided his death if only he had listened to [[you]]r warning! In another iteration, Optimus had to decide whether he should send his Autobots away to the safety of a nearby bridge while he fended off the encroaching Decepticon horde, or if he should remain by the side of his troops as they all made a break for the bridge. Remaining as a single unit would spell their doom, but by sticking together, the Autobots could make it back to the safety of their base. {{storylink|Battle Drive}}
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====Attack of the Insecticons====
[[File:AttackoftheInsecticonsattackStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
In the third nexus, Optimus oversaw [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] testing [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]'s latest invention, the [[Sun-Pak]], a miraculous device capable of fuelling a Transformer for an entire Earth day after being charged for only an hour in sunlight. As the trial-run wound down to an end, the Decepticons suddenly burst into the Autobots' secret underground testing facility, forcing Optimus to decide whether to order a tactical retreat, or have his Autobots fight the intruders despite his troops' low energy reserves. If he chose to stand and fight, he had the additional choice to either make the Autobots concentrate on Starscream, who is leading the charge against the Autobots, or divide his troops' attention onto all of the Decepticon assailants. If Optimus chose to attempt to eliminate Starscream once and for all, the Decepticon Seeker would beg for mercy, forcing Optimus into a choice yet again: accept the snivelling Decepticon's surrender, or continue his attempt to end Starscream's evil once and for all. Accepting Starscream's surrender spells victory for the Autobots, whereas ignoring Starscream pleas ultimately leads to Sparkplug being kidnapped by the Decepticons, necessitating Optimus to send Buster, Blaster and Bumblebee on a perilous retrieval mission while the other Autobots recharge at the Autobots' home base.

Alternatively, if Optimus chose to retreat either when initially confronted with the overwhelming Decepticon threat, or after realizing that his troops are too weak to fight after ordering them to concentrate their firepower equally amongst the intruding Decepticons, the ensuing underground adventure can have multiple outcomes; the Autobots become the captive of the Insecticons, forcing Optimus to either entrust Beachcomber with the fate of his troops, or to bargain with the Insecticons for the safe release of his Autobots; or dealing with the theft of the Sun-Pak by either duelling Megatron for the device's ownership, stealing the Sun-Pak back from the Decepticons or charging Mirage and Buster with the device's retrieval. If Optimus duels Megatron for the device, he either wins through brute force or by being more "cunning" than Megatron and destroying the device before the Decepticons can claim it as their victory prize. If Optimus attempts to steal the Sun-Pak under the Decepticons' noses, Optimus is shot by Megatron when the Decepticon leader notices Optimus and Smokescreen skulking towards the Sun-Pak. The Autobots nonetheless retrieve it when Smokescreen blots out the sun with his emission fumes, forcing Megatron to pass the Sun-Pak towards Buzzsaw in order to bypass the Autobots' smog cover, only for Optimus to intercept Megatron's pass and drive away with the Sun-Pak in Autobot possession. Finally, if Optimus has entrusted the Sun-Pak's retrieval to Mirage and Buster, the Autobot leader makes the duo swear not to engage the enemy for fear of their safety. If his Autobots keep their promise to him, Optimus is called in alongside the rest of the Autobots when the Insecticons are discovered, and Optimus leads a successful ambush towards the Insecticons, at the cost of the Sun-Pak itself. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

====Earthquake====
[[File:EarthquakeAutobotspanickingtownfolk.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Optimus was enjoying the lull in Decepticon activity along with the rest of his Autobots, when he recommended that Beachcomber take a vacation. Beachcomber gladly accepted.

In one possible scenario, Optimus was surprised to see Beachcomber return to Autobot headquarters soon after his departure. Beachcomber informed Optimus that he had uncovered the Decepticon's newest hidden fortress, and he suspected that the Decepticons were up to something big. Optimus sent out Beachcomber once more, this time along with Powerglide and Windcharger to investigate the Decepticons' plot further.

Optimus then stood at the ready to send over reinforcements when called upon by Beachcomber’s squad.

In one possible sequence of events, Powerglide was captured and reprogrammed by the Decepticons, leading their army to Autobot headquarters. Taken by surprised, the Autobots were felled one by one until only Optimus remained. As Megatron gloated that he would not kill Optimus, only alter him so as to make him the bane of humanity, Optimus activated the Ark’s self-destruct sequence, taking all of the Decepticons with him in a fiery explosion.

In another possible sequence of events, the trio returned to Autobot headquarters to relate their findings to Optimus Prime. The Decepticons planned to use a Destruction Beam to create a fault line near Center City, which would in turn be exploited by Rumble’s earthquake-inducing abilities to destroy the entire area. The Autobots then decided to split up in two groups, one to attack the Decepticons’ fortress, the other to stop Rumble in Center City. Optimus headed the lead team.

If Optimus decided to send the lead team to attack the Decepticon headquarters, the team managed to infiltrate the Decepticon headquarters by using Beachcomber’s knowledge of the secret doors’ location, and Brawn’s strength to keep the doors opened. The Autobots then stormed the fortress, and Optimus maimed Megatron himself with a shot of his rifle. He then grappled the Decepticon leader, and forced him to lead himself, Inferno and Beachcomber to the Decepticons’ lab. There, the Autobots disabled and destroyed the Destruction Beam device, captured Megatron, and left many Decepticons permanently maimed. Though they later traded Megatron back to the Decepticons for the safe relief of the Autobots captured in Center City, the Autobots were ultimately victorious that day.

If Optimus decided to send the lead team to defend Center City, he carries Cosmos in his trailer, so as not to cause a panic amongst the humans. Miserable in his current position, Cosmos asked Optimus to let him join the secondary team’s attack on the fortress, where he felt he would be more helpful.

If Optimus insisted that Cosmos stay with the group, the Autobots’ next objective would be to meet up with Sparkplug, with whom they consulted on whether the Autobots should enter Centre City in their [[robot mode]]s or in their [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s.

If Sparkplug suggested that the Autobots not worry about subtlety, the entire squad transformed and began prowling the streets in search of Decepticons. Oblivious to the panic they were causing, Optimus assumed that the Decepticons were spotted nearby when a police officer declared that the city was under siege by giant robots. Unable to restore order in time to halt the Decepticons’ plot, Optimus and the rest of his team were destroyed in the ensuing earthquake.

If Sparkplug suggested that the Autobots remained in their vehicle modes, he would concoct a plan where the Autobots would help evacuate the entire town in their vehicle modes. With no more than four trips in and out of the city, Optimus and the rest of the team carried out the plan without incident. The Autobots then transformed and engaged the approaching Decepticons, whom they easily dispatched. With the city safe, the Autobots moved out to help their comrades at the Decepticon fortress.

In an alternate scenario, wherein Beachcomber, Windcharger and Powerglide were captured by the Decepticons while snooping around the secret fortress, Optimus was tricked into leading his troops to their doom by a false S.O.S. sent out by Megatron.

In yet another possible scenario, Beachcomber returned from his day off early to inform Optimus that Jessie had been taken prisoner by the Decepticons. Optimus deployed a team of Autobots to go to the girl’s rescue. Shortly before arriving at their destination, the Autobots had to choose their next course of action; they could either storm the Decepticon fortress by force, or try to sneak in through a secret passage Buster had previously discovered.

If they decided to storm the fortress, Beachcomber would become nervous, and urge his fellow Autobots to find a more peaceful way to resolve the situation. Optimus sternly told him that this was not the time for one of his anti-war speeches. This moment of hesitation ultimately cost the Autobots the battle, and the Decepticons triumphed that day.

If they decided a stealthier approach, the Autobots quietly entered the Decepticon base, and set out to shoot down any Decepticons they encountered, save Megatron, whom they planned to capture. After encountering some resistance from their foes, the Autobots came upon branch in the passageway, and had to choose to go left or right.

If they took the right passageway, the group soon happened upon Jessie, whom they freed. Telling them she knew the location of the Decepticons’ lab, Jessie then led the group into a Decepticon trap; she had been brainwashed. The Autobots were captured and Megatron’s plan to destroy Center City came to fruition.

If they took the left passageway, the group happened upon Megatron’s lab. Though Megatron attempted to trick Optimus into activating the Fortress’s self-destruct sequence, Optimus was too clever to be duped. After deactivating both the Destruction beam and the Decepticons themselves, the Autobots found Jessie tied up in a cell. The Autobots then celebrated their victory by guzzling a few quarts of fine-grade oil.

In a final possible path, wherein the Decepticons attempted to turn Beachcomber into a Decepticon double agent but fumbled the process, Optimus made Beachcomber into an Autobot double agent. With his help, the Autobots hoped to soon win their war with the Decepticons. {{storylink|Earthquake (book)|Earthquake}}
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====Desert Flight====
[[File:DesertFlightHookandGravityGun.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left]]
When the Autobot-Decepticon civil war had yet to expand beyond Cybertron, Optimus had encountered a Decepticon weapon that weakened the gravitational pull within a confined area. The weapon being unreliable, Optimus had always assumed the Decepticons would not bother attempting to use it again.

Now on Earth, Optimus was leading a group of his best scouts on a fuel-finding mission when they heard a tremendous explosion go off nearby. Optimus recognized the sound of the explosion as being Dirge’s concussion missiles. Though Powerglide offered to go investigate the explosion, Optimus opted to send out Cosmos instead.

If Cosmos radioed his findings to Optimus immediately, Optimus’s convoy moved in to investigate a nearby Decepticon base. En route, the Autobots passed near a human town, but began floating in mid-air before being able to reach it. Optimus quickly deduced that this phenomenon was caused by an anti-gravity beam, courtesy of the Decepticons. Worried about the nearby humans also being affected by the lapse in gravity, Optimus had to decide whether he would order his troops to stop and help the townspeople, or to continue forward and attack the Decepticon base.

If Optimus ordered his troops to come to the humans’ aid, they found themselves taking part in a struggle in futility, as the entire town was near-weightless, meaning they couldn’t put the humans anywhere where they wouldn’t float away once more. Then, the Autobots heard Decepticons approaching. Helpless in their current position, the Autobots were quickly eradicated by the Decepticons.

If Optimus ordered his troops to attack the Decepticon base, they soon reached an area free of the anti-gravity beam’s influence. They were then attacked by a small fleet of Decepticons. Optimus targeted their squad leader, Dirge, knowing that by downing him, the Decepticons would be significantly demoralized. Dirge was forced to break-off his attack when his back-up was taken out, knowing he wouldn’t be able to take Optimus on without it. Losing their advantage quickly, the Decepticons retreated. But with the battle over, the Autobots noticed a small human boy at their feet. The boy was [[Buddy]], a stowaway from the nearby town, and though Optimus was displeased with the tag-along, the Autobots could not spare the time to bring him home. Arriving at the Decepticon base, Megatron delivered an ultimatum; if the Autobots did not surrender Optimus Prime to the Decepticons immediately, he would use his gravity beam to have the nearby humans float off into space.

If the Autobots decided to continue with their initial plan to simply attack the Decepticon base, their advance was halted by a force field. Megatron then fired his beam in all directions, causing a ripple effect that sent everything not fastened down to the Earth’s surface to float helplessly out into space.

Alternatively, the Autobots could concoct a plan where Optimus would pretend to allow himself to be taken prisoner, per Buddy’s suggestion. The Decepticons, fooled into thinking they’ve won, took Optimus Prime into their base. Having hidden his troops inside his trailer, Optimus and the Autobots then led a surprise attack on their unsuspecting foes.

In the event that Windcharger successfully turned the Decepticons’ forcefield off, reinforcements burst into the base just as Megatron was strike Optimus from behind. A wayward shot from Megatron then revealed the location of the gravity gun to the Autobots. Optimus ordered his troops to charge the weapon. Hook caught Optimus in the gravity gun’s sights, and sent the Autobot leader floating upwards.

If Buddy came to Optimus’s rescue and toyed with the gravity gun’s control panel just as Hook turned the weapon to full power, the weapon would swivel and catch Megatron in its beam, tearing the Decepticon leader to pieces instead of Optimus. The Autobots then proceeded to defeat the remaining Decepticons and claim victory.

If Buddy instead cowered away, Cosmos came to Optimus’s rescue. Optimus then instructed Cosmos to send him flying towards Hook; the pair took out the Constructicon, and gained control of the gravity beam.

If Buddy and Tracks entered a space-time anomaly created during the battle, the Autobots would lose their stand-off against the Decepticons, and Optimus would be taken prisoner by Megatron.

If Tracks decided that Beachcomber could wait, he helped Optimus overload the anti-gravity gun, starting a chain-reaction that would cause the weapon to explode in a tremendous explosion. Optimus instructed both Tracks and Buddy to run away as he finished tampering with the weapon.

If Buddy lingered in wait for Optimus Prime to finish his task, Dirge flew by and dropped a missile onto Optimus, damaging his leg. Thankfully, Buddy assisted Optimus in repairing his leg. The pair then ran to safety as the anti-gravity gun self-destructed, taking a number of Decepticons with it.

If Buddy ran off as Optimus sabotaged the anti-gravity gun, the boy was captured by Laserbeak, prompting Optimus to turn the gravity beam on the Decepticon to free Buddy.

In a completely different possible sequence of events, wherein Cosmos had taken off to explore the Decepticon base on his own, Optimus was surprised to see two Cosmoses flying back towards his convoy some time later. Both Cosmoses declared themselves to be the real one, and urged Optimus to destroy the other.

If Optimus destroyed the wrong Cosmos, the duplicate obliterated Optimus and his squad with the proton bomb it housed within its body.

If Optimus destroyed the duplicate Cosmos, the real one would inform the Autobots of the Decepticons’ schemes, and the convoy would roll out to take on their adversaries. They were soon met by a squad of flying Decepticons, but were at a strict disadvantage against their adversaries as their vehicle modes possessed no weapons. The Autobots nonetheless managed to fight their way to the Decepticons’ base, one way or another, and defeated the Decepticons by using their own gravity weapon against them. {{storylink|Desert Flight}}
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====Decepticon Poison====
[[File:DecepticonPoisonAutobotVictory.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Optimus was amongst the Autobots about to be topped up with their latest batch of fuel when Red Alert burst into Autobot headquarters, warning everyone about Ramjet being spotted nearby. Red Alert’s warning came in just in time, as the Autobots’ fuel had been poisoned, and Optimus would have been left unable to transform had he ingested any of it.

Optimus was advised of two plans; Perceptor suggested that the Autobots stay on the defensive while the scientist attempt to come up with a cure, while Prowl wanted the healthy Autobots to go out and try to find out what the Decepticons were up to.

If Optimus went along with Perceptor’s plan, he sent out Sparkplug to fetch the Autobots’ secret stash of emergency fuel. Putting all of his faith in the Autobot scientist to uncover a cure swiftly, Optimus attempted to comfort his troops as they all began to experience sickness pains. Then, Red Alert informed Optimus of a Decepticon attack force moving in on their position, prompting Optimus to ask Perceptor to dispense whatever cure he had been able to concoct, despite it being untested. Perceptor suggested another course of action to Optimus; the tainted fuel the Autobots had left untouched could be used to create a poisonous smog if lit aflame. The Autobots could attempt to poison the Decepticons with their own concoction, or they could risk the untested antidote, despite whatever side-effects it may have.

If Optimus decided to risk Perceptor’s antidote, he stood by as the Autobot scientist attempted to figure out how much antidote was a safe amount to give out to each Autobot.

If Perceptor gave out the right amount of an antidote, the poisoned Autobots were cured. Optimus ordered his troops to ready themselves for the incoming squadron of Decepticons. Perceptor’s antidote did have a side-effect on the Autobots, however; it gave them a fierce battle-fever, making them eager to take on the Decepticons head-on. Prowl suggested to Optimus that they instead opt for a more conniving counterstrike against the Decepticons, and ambush them instead.

If Optimus allowed the cured Autobots to charge headlong into battle, he and the rest of the Autobots who were still running low on fuel stayed behind as back-up to the main charge. The Autobots’ first wave of warriors were quickly overpowered by the arrival of Megatron, prompting Optimus to lead the energy-depleated Autobots into the fray. Optimus’s opening volley struck down Shockwave. Optimus and his troops soon found themselves running on empty, and Optimus called for a retreat. Thankfully, the Decepticons were damaged enough through the course of the battle, causing them to retreat as well.

If Optimus instead followed Prowl’s plan, he instructed his troops to transform into vehicle mode and play dead. The Decepticons, believing the Autobots’ ruse, disarmed themselves in order to carry out the Autobots’ “carcasses.” Now with the element of surprise against unarmed opponent, the Autobots Transformed and were able to easily defeat the evil robots.

In another possible turn of events, Perceptor gave out too much of his antidote to each Autobot. The Autobots who received the antidote soon found themselves falling apart, leaving Optimus and the rest outmatched against the greater number of Decepticons.

Alternatively, if Optimus chose to use the tainted fuel against the Decepticons, he ordered Grapple to carry out the vat outside of headquarters. He then instructed Grapple to lower the vat into a nearby pit, and instructed Jazz to torch the fuel with his flamethrower. He and Jazz waited until the last possible moment to carry out their plan, and once the fuel was lit, they dived to safety inside the Autobot base with the other Autobots. As the toxic cloud successfully turned away the Decepticons, Optimus was surprised to see Sunstreaker once more fully operational. Having been bought enough time, Perceptor was able to successfully cure the poisoned Autobots. Their ranks fully replenished and the Decepticons turning tail meant the Autobots had earned themselves another victory.

In a completely different scenario, Optimus agreed to Prowl’s plan to go on the offensive and try and discover the full extent of the Decepticons’ plans. Optimus nominated Prowl, Bumblebee and Mirage to go along with him on the mission. The group refuelled with the gas that Sparkplug brought back from the Autobots’ secret storage area, and took off. The group soon happened upon the Decepticons’ lab in the middle of a barren, polluted wasteland.

If all four Autobots ventured together into the Decepticons’ lab, they first encountered Laserbeak, only to quickly dispatch him. Venturing further into the lab, the group soon spotted the antidote they were after, and sent Mirage to fetch it. Mirage returned with the beaker and news; he had heard Ramjet and Starscream talking about using a new poison to turn humans into mindless slaves.

In light of this news, if Optimus decided to nonetheless head back directly to Autobot headquarters, his squad returned to find their comrades nearly dead from the poison. But with Ratchet’s help, the antidote was quickly distributed, and the Autobots sprung back to life. Now cured, the Autobots discussed their next course of action; they had to prevent the Decepticons from poisoning the nearby water reservoir.

If Optimus led his troops back to the Decepticons’ poison lab, the convoy happened upon the Decepticons hauling barrels of poison out of the poison lab. Windcharger and Ironhide suggested two different plans to Optimus: Windcharger wanted to use his magnetic powers to cause a confusion, while Ironhide wanted to simply go in for a full frontal assault.

Whether Optimus decided to go with Windcharger or Ironhide's plan, the Autobots successfully destroyed the Decepticons’ lab and returned to base victoriously.

Alternatively, if Optimus decided to head to the water reservoir instead of the Decepticons’ lab, the Autobots reached their destination only to find it already swarming with Decepticons. Powerglide then decided to go ahead on his own to lead the Decepticons away from the reservoir, but Optimus objected.

If Powerglide did not heed Optimus orders, he indadvertedly caused the water supply to be poisoned anyways. If however, Powerglide listened to Optimus’s orders, the Autobots attempted to lure the Decepticons away from the reservoir and into some nearby woods, where the Autobots would have some cover against the Decepticons. Finding themselves under heavy fire before they could reach the treeline, the Autobots were forced to fight back in the open. With Autobots falling beside him, Optimus gritted his teeth and took careful aim at the poison containers the Decepticons were carrying. After taking out both of the planes carrying the poison, Optimus continued to battle Megatron and his Decepticons until nightfall, until the Autobots were finally victorious.

If however Optimus ordered his troops to deal with the Decepticons before returning to base with the antidote, Prowl suggested that he use his incendiary missiles to destroy the poison first, but Optimus thought that course of action might be too risky. He considered dealing with Ramjet and Starscream first.

If the Autobots went along with Prowl’s strategy, the resulting heat from the explosion caused the Autobots’ circuits to overheat, rendering them unconscious. Upon reawakening, the Autobots found themselves captives of Megatron, who informed them that their fellow Autobots would soon perish, and that the humans would be conquered by the Decepticons shortly after.

If Optimus instead decided to deal with Ramjet and Starscream first, his troop easily overpowered the pair, and made them watch as they destroyed their work. Optimus then taunted Ramjet and Starscream, telling them that the Autobots would soon be at full fighting force, before returning to Autobot headquarters with the antidote.

If instead of all heading into the lab together, the Autobots had sent in Bumblebee alone, and Bumblebee subsequently managed to escape with the antidote to the Decepticons’ poison, the Autobots escaped from the [[Valley of Poison]] and returned to Autobot headquarters. Once the other Autobots were cured, they all drank a toast to Bumblebee, to celebrate his part in the mission {{storylink|Decepticon Poison}}
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===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Not long after his resurrection, Optimus was alerted by [[Monitorus]] to an attack on [[Tau-Ursa]]. Optimus's impending speech was interrupted by a Decepticon attack led by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. Prime soon discovered that the attack was a diversion, while Galvatron tried out his [[Nullification Cannon]] on Cybertron's Energon supplies. Optimus rushed to the Energon plant, but, after clouting [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] so hard that the Decepticon was left dangling over a precipice, Prime's morals forced him to rescue the Decepticon instead of stopping Galvatron from getting away.

Although Cybertron's Energon stocks were destroyed, the Autobots discovered a recording pointing to the [[Logicon]] planet [[Metascan Alpha]], which had Energon in abundance. Optimus ordered Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus to take a team each to find the planet. The Autobots discovered they were being spied on by the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clone]]s, and Optimus swore that Galvatron could pay. He led a team to the derelict space destroyer which the Decepticons were using for a base and fought their leader one-on-one. As he was about to destroy the Nullification Cannon, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] took a swing at him which connected instead with the Cannon, obliterating it. Optimus was helped away from the destruction by [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[File:PDtype-Matrixattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|This is the highlight of this entire page.]]
When a horde of time-displaced Decepticons joined forces to hunt down the five [[Blackball]]s, a super energy source, Optimus Prime gathered a team of time-displaced Autobots to help stop them.

In one encounter with his arch-foe [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], they reenacted their epic struggle from the [[Battle of Autobot City]]. However, this time around, Prime avoided dying by launching his "Matrix Attack"...''literally'' launching the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] from his chest, bonking Megatron on the head. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##1 "You're Great! Optimus Prime!"|You're Great! Optimus Prime!}}

Later, Optimus Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] concocted a cunning strategy. They disguised a round, black cartoon explosive as a Blackball and gave it to [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. Starscream promptly brought it to Megatron, where it blew both of them up. Optimus and Magnus were astounded their plan actually worked. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##3 "Don't Cry! Megatron!!"|Don't Cry! Megatron!!}}

In one of his less impressive moments, after running out of ammo during a battle with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]], Optimus Prime ordered his fellow Autobots to improvise and hurl everything that wasn't nailed down at their enemy. This included the Blackball, unfortunately. Catching it, Deathsaurus began to fantasize about his inevitable galactic conquest, all the while being pelted with rocks and litter. Frustrated, Deathsaurus accidentally hurled the Blackball back to the Autobots in a fit of rage. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##4 "Good Job! Deathsaurus!!"|Good Job! Deathsaurus!!}}
{{-}}

===The Official ''Transformers: Generation 2'' Annual===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual|Optimus Prime's ''The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual'' profile}} {{storylink|Day of the Decepticons}} {{storylink|The Dinobots!}} {{storylink|Moving Day Planet Earth}}}}

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===''Comic Bom Bom G-2'' comic===
[[File:G2Hero.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|HE'S LOOKING AT ME, ISN'T HE?]]
In the year 199X, the Decepticons had learned of a powerful new energy source known as [[forestonite]] which just happened to be located (surprise surprise) on [[Earth]]. Megatron sent his trio of [[Cyberjet]]s to Earth first to draw out the enemy Autobots. The Cyberjets made quick work of [[Electro (G2)|Electro]] but were soon halted by the appearance of Optimus Prime.

Megatron then entered the fray and fired his Black Hole Burn attack from his fusion cannon, narrowly missing Optimus Prime but vaporizing [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]] in the process. Prime fought fiercely but Megatron began to take the upper-hand in battle.

However, Prime was encouraged to keep fighting by the cheers of a human boy named [[Junpei]]. Megatron, surprised at Prime's resilience, attempted to finish his foe off with his Tornado Axe attack. Prime countered with his Double Wheel-Torque Mega-Ton, which trumped Megatron's attack and injured the Decepticon badly. Megatron teleported back to his ship and left Earth's atmosphere, vowing to return.

Optimus Prime addressed Junpei, asking if the boy was injured. Junpei revealed he was alright but presented concern about the Decepticons returning to Earth. Optimus Prime swore that the Autobots would remain on Earth until the threat of the Decepticons was finished and asked for Junpei's help in making that future a reality. {{storylink|The New Battle!!}}

===''TransTech''===
[[File:InvasionPrologue-Primes.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|This breaks caption protocol, we know, but "Not [[Sureshot (G2)|Sureshot]]."]]
Leaving [[Primax 895.0 Gamma|his home universe]], "Hero" Optimus Prime was gathered in [[Axiom Nexus]] by [[Optimus Prime (TransTech)|its Optimus Prime]], along with a roster of other Optimus Primes and [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|their kin]] in a group known as the [[Convoy (group)|Convoy]]. A multiversal cataclysm in [[Primax 207.0 Epsilon|a universe]] seeded with [[Rarified Energon]] and an invasion by [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon|natives from the negative polarity universe]] had called them into action. Since Matrix bearers were usually never allowed into Axiom Nexus, this was a grave threat indeed! {{storylink|Invasion Prologue}}

Seeking help to protect the [[Origin Matrix]], Optimus Prime and [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] disguised themselves using cloaks and sought out [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], hoping to make use of his hunting skills. {{storylink|Invasion: Epilogue}}
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===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[File:G1Prime BWMegs.jpg|left|thumb|You have to get up preeeeetty early in the timestream to beat Optimus Prime!]]
The [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] raged on prehistoric Earth, eventually leading to the discovery of the buried Ark sometime after its crash on prehistoric Earth. [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], following [[Megatron (G1)|his namesake's]] instructions in a desperate gambit, decided to attempt to change history by killing Prime, who was still lying in the Ark in [[stasis lock]]. Megatron hoped that this would result in the Decepticons winning the Great War and eventually [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] control of Cybertron. Megatron unleashed a full-power weapon blast at Optimus Prime's face, near-fatally injuring him. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} However, [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] proceeded to take Prime's spark into his body to protect it from surgical trauma while his injuries were repaired. The subsequent power increase caused by Prime's spark's connection to the Matrix mutated Primal into a large, [[Transmetal]] "Optimal Optimus" form. Then, with the repairs complete, Prime's spark was restored, and he briefly activated before sinking back into normal stasis. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

Sometime after the Autobots and Decepticons awoke in the 1980s, the original Megatron gained access to one of Earth's ''Voyager'' spacecraft and inscribed a message on the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|disk]] on board. In the event that he lost the War, Megatron left instructions for the descendants of the Decepticons to use [[transwarp]] technology to travel to Prehistoric Earth, locate the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and change history by killing Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}
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====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
[[File:Sparkwar2 Optimus hologram primal.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Holographic Optimus wants to grab you]]
{{voiceactor|[[Garry Chalk]] (English)|[[Tilo Schmitz]] (German), [[Alfonso Ramírez]] (Latin American)}}

Optimus appeared to have fallen in "the final battle" against the Decepticons. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}}

An enormous [[Optimus Prime memorial|statue]] of Optimus Prime, bearing two [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disks]], could be seen on Cybertron in front of the Hall of Archives. The statue was subsequently blown to pieces by the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon forces]]. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}} Later, Megatron beamed a hologram of Optimus Prime down to the ruins of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] to confront [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], claiming to contain the "essence" of the real Prime that had been stored here since the Final Battle. Primal was conned by this and was tricked by the hologram into accessing the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. Megatron seized control of the Oracle code and quickly revealed his ruse. Primal explained to his Maximals that he knew the image was fake, but he needed the location of the missing [[spark]]s from Megatron's mind. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}}
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====3H comics====
[[File:Sparkholderprimevaldawn.jpg|left|upright=1.05|thumb|"Oh, I also have this in me now, too."]]
After the Beast Wars had ended and the Maximals and Predacons that survived it had headed home, the Vok entered the Ark and removed the Matrix of Leadership from an unconscious Optimus Prime. They used it to create [[Primal Prime]], and then gave the Matrix to their new creation. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 1}}

{{note|''Primeval Dawn'' was never completed, but presumably the Matrix was returned to Optimus Prime's body before Primal Prime returned to Cybertron.}}

[[File:Jnwan.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Massive psychotic breaks with reality are the right of all sentient beings.]]
After the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], Optimus Prime disappeared with other legends into the mysterious location on Cybertron dubbed [[J'nwan]], where Optimus himself became the "Authority" who spoke on behalf of the others. [[Sandstorm (BW)|Sandstorm]], the leader of a rebellion in a 32nd-century firmly under the heel of the tyrannical [[Shokaract]], entered J'nwan to plead with the heroes of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s past for aid. He hoped to convince them to join the fight against the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] warlord. After a mind-crushing journey which left all of his companions dead or deranged, Sandstorm finally found an audience with the Authority and his brethren, but they declined to help, with the Authority stating that their time was past and the war was no longer their war. The Authority then in some way manipulated Sandstorm's trip out of J'nwan such that it was comparatively short and simple. {{storylink|Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox|Paradox}}

When the warlord [[Shokaract]], powered by [[Unicron]]'s [[Dark Essence]], traveled into the past to secure his own future, the occupants of J'nwan decided to act. Optimus Prime, Megatron, Soundwave, and Grimlock joined Sandstorm on prehistoric Earth during the time of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] where the battle with Shokaract had already begun. When the [[Covenant]] arrived to vanquish the Dark Essence and defeat Shokaract, Optimus Prime and the others escaped through portals as that timeline was erased from existence. {{storylink|Terminus (issue)|Terminus}}

As the [[Universe War]] began, [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] was shown a myriad of Transformers from across all timelines that he could choose to recruit into his [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]] in the battle against the [[Minion of Unicron|Minions of Unicron]]. One such possibility was a Transformer who was either [[Thunder Clash]] or Optimus Prime, but, regardless, Primal chose [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] instead. {{storylink|Homecoming (Universe)|Homecoming}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
While [[Magmatron]] was surveying the timestream, he witnessed several key moments taking place during the Beast Wars. Among them was [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] blasting a stasis-locked Optimus Prime in the face. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[File:CheetasManga1.jpg|upright=0.55|thumb|Cheetor, that's Prime's Spark, not a toy.]]
Optimus Prime was blasted into pieces by Dragon Megatron. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 5|Beast Wars Metals #5}} Fortunately, his spark remained perfectly intact—in the remains of his Matrix-shaped spark chamber. Megatron was going to destroy Prime's spark, but [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (now in his Transmetal body) saved it. Prime's spark was eventually swallowed by Optimus Primal, who was upgraded into Optimal Optimus by doing so.

After Megatron was killed by Optimal Optimus, Primal and his crew said it would be troublesome to fix Optimus Prime's body. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 6|Beast Wars Metals #6}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
When Bumblebee, Hound and Spike brought a badly-damaged Starscream back to the Ark, Optimus struggled with the ethical implications of allowing Wheeljack and Ratchet to mess with the Decepticon's logic circuits, but gave them the go ahead. Starscream proved to be amnesic, and Optimus was able to take the opportunity to help him as much as possible, even physically preventing Megatron from retrieving his former lieutenant when Starscream opted to stay with the Autobots. Though Starscream left as soon as he regained his memory, Prime reflected that they'd learned that maybe it was possible to reason with a Decepticon. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

After passing the Matrix to Ultra Magnus and expiring in the aftermath of the [[battle of Autobot City]], Optimus Prime found himself in [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. There he encountered Optimus Primal and another [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] from a [[Unicron Trilogy|different universe]]. Together, the four of them overcame the other Optimus Prime's doubts about his leadership, before returning to their respective time lines. {{storylink|Prime Spark (story)|Prime Spark}}

{{note|The following takes place in a version of Dreamwave Generation One continuity}}
While the Autobots were boarding the Ark, Optimus voiced his lack of confidence in his leadership, before welcoming aboard [[Geosensus]], who was incapable of transforming to [[robot mode]]. Four million years later, Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] found the Ark was under attack and defended it with deadly force. In examining the wreckage of the attackers, they realised that the robot Optimus had destroyed was not a Decepticon but Geosensus, who had forced himself to transform in an attempt to fight off the Decepticons. Though Prime was willing to take the rap, Prowl insisted on covering up the mistake to protect Optimus's image as a leader. {{storylink|Parts}}

===''Cybertron'' comic===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}}}
{{-}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Having been caught unaware by a surprise attack launched by the Decepticons, Optimus led his troops in a losing battle against their mortal enemies. Though Optimus managed to dispatch a few Decepticons, namely Thrust, whom he punched through the chest, he soon found himself crippled and surrounded by enemy forces. Praying to Primus as the Decepticons readied their weapons, Optimus heard Grimlock calling out to his fellow Dinobots to combine, prompting the Autobot leader to yell out a plead to Grimlock to stop. It was too late, however, and [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]] began rampaging, killing Autobots and Decepticons alike. Taking advantage of the situation nonetheless, Optimus tackled Megatron and began beating on the Decepticon leader. The tide of the battle now shifted, Optimus attempted to reach Grimlock’s consciousness within The Beast so that its mindless carnage could come to a halt. It didn't work. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

As the battle wore on, Optimus attempted to drive the Autobots too wounded to outrun the Beast themselves to safety, carrying them within his trailer. Jetfire showed up in time to rescue most of his passengers, leaving Optimus to deal with The Beast on his own. Seeing a city coming closer over the horizon, Optimus attempted to reach the Dinobots one last time from within The Beast. As his former troops remained unresponsive, Optimus led The Beast to its doom, blasting it a few more times before leading it to fall into a chasm. Optimus himself was rescued from the fall at the last possible moment by Jetfire’s timely return. As the two of them looked on at the Beast’s inert form, Optimus wondered out loud if their battles would truly ever come to an end. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
[[File:Optronix optimus.jpg|left|thumb|What? OPTRONIX is evolving!]]
Optimus Prime started life as '''Optronix''' ''('''Orion''' to his friends)'', {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}} a data archivist at the [[Vaults]]. After taking note of a battle in which the Autobot leader [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] had been defeated by Megatron, he was summoned to the [[Council of Ancients]] and informed that the Matrix had chosen him to be the next leader of the Autobots. He received the Matrix of Leadership shortly thereafter, gaining a powerful new body in the process. After dispatching a Decepticon assassination squad sent to, well, assassinate him, he ordered the Autobots to prepare to evacuate Cybertron, intending to leave the Decepticons to their own devices. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}}

As he and Prowl discussed the wisdom of evacuating, a huge explosion obliterated the [[Forum of Enlightenment]]. Optimus led a team there, realising that the destruction was a message from Megatron. Leaving his team, he ventured underground, encountering [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], who blasted him into a pit. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} Exploring the underground, Prime had a strange vision of a transparent version of himself, which warned that he must grasp Cybertron's significance. Then he was attacked by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s, whom he was able to easily best. As Optimus encountered [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in person for the first time, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] blasted the bridge they were standing on, plunging them into yet another chasm. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} Recovering, Prime heard another disembodied voice telling him about Cybertron. Before he could look for a way out, Megatron found him, and informed him about the true nature of the Matrix. This spurred Optimus to fight back, but before long, Megatron took control of the battle, smashing his fist into Prime's chest to get at the Matrix. A blaze of light enveloped the pair, who found themselves abruptly on 20th century [[Earth]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

As Megatron explained that the Matrix was giving them a vision of the future, they witnessed themselves battling on [[Sherman Dam]]. The nature of their surroundings established, Megatron resumed the scheduled beating, but a series of setting shifts ended with Optimus reunited with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. Grimlock handed Prime a [[sword]] and suggested he finish Megatron for good. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} Optimus found Megatron again, engaging him in combat and announcing that he was playing the game by Megatron's rules now—without mercy. A short time later, he joined the other Autobots in attacking the Decepticons who were trying to use Cybertron's giant engines. Grimlock was finally impressed with Prime. They arrived back at [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] to find it destroyed, but Optimus announced they were no longer evacuating the planet and threw away the [[Golden Disk (council)|Golden Disk]] full of the knowledge of his predecessors which the council had given him, saying he would choose his own course. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

Some time into his role as leader, Optimus Prime disappeared in a [[space bridge]] explosion along with Megatron, {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}} but returned some time later, having spent a period of time on [[Quintessa]].

{{note|Due to the closure of Dreamwave, Optimus's return to Cybertron was never depicted.}}

[[File:DWPrimeDirective1 Sparkplug newspaper.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]
Following the awakening of the Transformers on Earth, the Autobots protected the planet from the Decepticons. Over the next fifteen years, the Autobots befriended the humans, particularly the [[Witwicky|Witwicky family]]. The Autobots finally allied with humankind and eventually defeated the Decepticons at the turn of the century. They planned to return to Cybertron aboard the newly constructed ''[[Ark II]]'', along with [[Magnificent Seven|seven humans]], including Witwicky patriarch [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]. Before the ship departed, Prime gave a piece of the Matrix to [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], Sparkplug's son and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s closest human friend. But the ship was destroyed as part of a military conspiracy to take control of the Transformers.

Optimus Prime's body was hauled out of the Arctic Ocean by the US military. While a terrorist organization run by the enigmatic [[Lazarus (G1)|Lazarus]] was able to seize control of several of the other Transformers that fell back to Earth, the military worked unsuccessfully to reactivate Prime. They eventually called in Spike Witwicky. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} Spike was forced by the project chief, General [[Robert Hallo]], to use the piece of the Matrix to reactivate Prime. Functional again, Prime used the Matrix to reactivate more of his fallen comrades. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

The Autobots helped repair a [[Smitco Oil Refinery]] site which the Lazarus-controlled Transformers had attacked. Optimus had no answer for Spikes accusation that the Transformers' presence on Earth was responsible for the destruction. When Megatron's activities at Lazarus's base were spotted by the military, Optimus insisted on the Autobots going in without backup. They discovered Megatron in the middle of a plan to reformat Earth into a new Cybertron using a [[cyber-virus]]. Optimus rejected Megatron's suggestion he should just let it happen, but while the two factions fought, the human military unleashed [[Operation Clean-Up]], dropping a bomb on them. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}

The energy of the explosion absorbed by the virus, the Autobots dug themselves out and set about recovering their fellows whom Megatron had used to power the cyber-virus in its early stages. [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] passed on a message from Megatron — there was a surprise in store for the Autobot leader. Optimus and some Autobots including [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] sped to [[San Francisco]], where Megatron had unleashed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. As Prime battled Megatron, he took time to save three humans who were threatened by falling debris, only for the humans to turn on him. The defeat of Superion turned the tide of the battle against the Autobots. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}}

[[File:DWPrimeDirective6 Autobots wanttheirheads.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Optimus sets a [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|trend]].]]
Never one to give up, Optimus managed to down Devastator in return, only to find himself at Megatron's mercy. The Decepticon leader pointed out to him the humans' self-obsessed behavior in the face of the devastation, suggesting the fleshlings were worthless, and the Autobots should join the Decepticons in wiping them out. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} The heroic actions of a team of firefighters and other humans proved to Optimus that the humans were worth saving, and the Autobots delivered a smackdown on the Decepticons. The fight was interrupted by the news that a nuclear missile was inbound, and despite Prime's protests, Superion sacrificed himself intercepting it. Prime recovered from the shock wave to find that the Decepticons had fled. He appealed to Grimlock to return to the Autobot ranks, an offer turned down by the Dinobot. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

{{charstubfiction|[[The Transformers Trilogy]] ({{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}} / {{storylink|Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation}} / {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}})}}

Following this, Prime began to experience subconscious urgings, leading both the Autobots and the Decepticons to the Arctic Circle, where Shockwave arrived to greet them—and arrest them as war criminals. Shockwave had succeeded in ending the war on Cybertron, and brought a team of [[Triple Changer]]s to apprehend them. As Optimus stared down [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]'s cannon barrel, he was saved by Grimlock, though he subsequently had to order a retreat. Prowl convinced him to let a small team stay as recon while the others returned to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and discussed the change in situation. {{storylink|New World Order}} Though Optimus was puzzled by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] having fallen in with Shockwave, he had little other choice, and surrendered to Magnus. Despite being bound, he took the first opportunity he got to make his feelings clear. Prime and those of his Autobots who had also surrendered were put on a shuttle back to Cybertron, where Shockwave planned to have them deactivated. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}}

Stewing in a cell, Optimus blamed himself for their predicament, but he and the Autobots were soon rescued by [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]. Sandstorm and Optimus traveled through Cybertron's [[Old Slave Trails]], only to find themselves ambushed by [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]], who swiftly killed Sandstorm, and then the Decepticon was attacked by a [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]], which lunged at Prime. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} Prime recovered to find himself in the care of a group of Autobot rebels including [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]. They revealed to Optimus that Shockwave had been transmitting subliminal signals to increase Transformer aggression. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}

Optimus was able to rally Autobot factions from across Cybertron to the cause and launch an all-out attack on Shockwave's fortress. Shown the image of Shockwave blasting Ultra Magnus, Optimus charged in to confront the Decepticon, only to be overpowered and the Matrix ripped from his chest in order to activate Vector Sigma. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}} Stalling, Prime listened as Shockwave recounted the history of Cybertron, and eventually Ultra Magnus arrived, having recovered, to attack and defeat Shockwave. Prime and Grimlock helped him escape from the fortress as it crumbled to the ground. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}} The injuries Prime took in this conflict necessitated a prolonged restoration period in stasis. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}

{{note|...which turned out to be the remainder of Dreamwave's existence. Bummer.}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Volume 2 Preview}} {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
[[File:GIJoevsTFcobraprime.jpg|275px|thumb|G.1. Joe—the real universal hero!]]
In the early stages of the war, Optimus Prime was an archivist, watching the battles from afar and keeping records of them. This all changed when the [[Matrix of Leadership]] chose him to lead the Autobots in battle. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}} Shortly after he ascended to Primehood, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] tried to kill him, but failed. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}}

Several Autobots and Decepticons, including Optimus Prime, were reformatted into will-less war machines under the control of [[Cobra]]. During an initial attack on a human peace conference, Cobra's remote control of Optimus (whom they had nicknamed "[[HISS tank|HISS-14]]") mysteriously failed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1}} Later at Cobra's [[Cobra Island|island headquarters]] in the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]], Cobra scientists pulled Optimus apart to find out what was impeding their commands. As this analysis took place, Optimus reverse hacked into Cobra computers until they shut him down in a panic. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}} Despite this, Prime sent a viral message out to hundreds of email addresses that included the coordinates of Cobra's base. The message was intercepted by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] who teamed up with Wheeljack and Bumblebee. After Wheeljack broke the remote control over the Transformers, Prime went after [[Cobra Commander]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} More than a bit frightened of a giant robot gunning for him, the human released Megatron, who was trapped in gun mode. Megatron transformed and fought Prime to a standstill until other Autobots came to back him up. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

Although he was weak and low on [[energon]], Prime made a last-ditch effort to save the day when he rammed through the wall of Megatron's energon-producing lab. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}} After a quick recharge, Optimus single-handedly smashed the Decepticons, pounded Megatron to the ground, and ripped his [[fusion cannon]] off his arm. Prime then teamed up with the Joes and used Megatron's cannon to shoot down the [[SPS Satellite]] that had gone rogue and was destroying the island.

With the battle over, Prime and the Autobots boarded a new ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' ship built by G.I. Joe and returned to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

[[File:GIJoevstfIIprime1930s.jpg|left|upright=1.55|thumb|Retro Convoy: TRANSFORM!!!]]
On a Cybertron dominated by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and the Decepticons, Optimus Prime and the Autobots took on the roles of resistance fighters. Cobra experimentation transported a contingent of Cobras and G.I. Joes to Cybertron and destabilized [[Teletran 3]], which led to the computer sending several Transformers to [[Earth]] across different time periods. When Optimus Prime saw Jazz get zapped by Teletran 3, he leapt to rescue his soldier, only to be transported away as well. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}} A team made up of Joes and Cobra agents were sent back and found Optimus Prime and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] in 1930s-era Chicago, disguised as period cars and trucks. The Stunticons chased Prime and the Joes around the city until everything was wrapped up with bullets, a collapsed bridge and some dynamite. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

After the Transformers and humans were returned to present-day Cybertron and the Decepticons were vanquished by the recently arrived [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], Prime made an agreement with the Joes to destroy the technology that started the whole mess in order to protect Earth. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}

On Cybertron, Optimus Prime kicked back to do a little bit of paperwork and reminisce. With Shockwave defeated, Cybertron was enjoying a new era of peace. He was interrupted by Hot Rod, who reported that a group of "pesky humans with their peashooters" were giving an Autobot team on Earth a hard time. Prime suspected Cobra's involvement and counseled Hot Rod not to be so dismissive of the humans. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1|The Art of War #1}} When the team returned to Cybertron and mysteriously vanished in the [[Gladiator Zone]], Prime was prepared to go search for them, but was convinced by Hot Rod to stay behind and organize a peace ceremony. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}}

Later, at the peace celebration, Prime was watching a procession of Autobots when Decepticons attacked. Optimus ordered [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] into action but the huge Autobot was quickly overcome by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]] and [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} Prime hopped into the fray, saved a [[Optimus Prime's rescuees|civilian]] from getting smushed by the falling Omega, rode [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] into Piranacon's face, smashed [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] into the ground, and carried a [[Optimus Prime's rescuees|wounded civilian]] out of danger.

[[File:Primevsserpentor.jpg|thumb|Serpent O.R. soon realized that "This I command!" doesn't work on Optimus Prime.]]
Menasor cut off Prime's escape and handed him the [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] trio, who confronted Prime with a hologram of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] The new Decepticon leader carried Megatron's memories and information downloaded from Soundwave, from which he learned of the Matrix of Leadership. Serpent O.R. offered Optimus a trade: hostages and peace if he handed over the Matrix. Optimus agreed.

In his stronghold, Serpent O.R. questioned Prime about his own worthiness to carry the Matrix, but Optimus broke free of his chains and aggressively ordered him to surrender. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}} A group of Decepticons broke in and nearly took Prime apart, but not before Serpent O.R. took the Matrix for himself and changed into the massive Serpentor Prime. The Matrix showed Serpentor Prime the error of his ways but as he was about to commit suicide Cobra Commander tripped a device and took over Serpentor Prime's body. Moments before he crushed Arcee, a severely damaged Optimus Prime threw Hawk toward the Matrix but warned the human not to touch the artifact. Hawk did so anyway and through a quasi-mystical transfer of power Serpentor Prime was vanquished.

Later repaired by a [[Paradron Medic (G1)|female nursebot]], Optimus went back to finishing his paperwork. A leader's job is never done. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

Sensing a new, yet old, danger to planet Earth, Prime elected to send himself to earth on an investigation, and gave Hot Rod a glare when the young Autobot accused his leader of taking an unnecessary risk to atone for the death of a [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|close friend]].

Optimus Prime landed in the Himalayan Mountains with G.I. Joes [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] and [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]]. As they searched the area, the trio was attacked by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] in his [[Pretender]] shell. Prime whacked him with his [[energon-axe]] and in return Bludgeon bearhugged him and coated him in metal-eating slime. Hawk, still carrying power from the Matrix, helped Prime break free. Optimus then shot his way into the hidden kingdom of [[Cobra-La]].

While they wandered through the tunnels, the Joes and Prime found cave paintings that described the last visit to Earth by the planet-eating god [[Unicron]]. They were attacked again by Bludgeon and Cobra-La minions, but were led away by a ragged [[Joe Colton]], prisoner of Cobra-La for the last 25 years. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}} Bludgeon managed to find them again and during a second battle Prime tore open the Pretender's shell, revealing Bludgeon's robot form inside. Bludgeon tripped and dangled dangerously over a chasm, but rather than let Optimus Prime save him, Bludgeon forced Prime to drop him to his death laughing all the way down.

The Joes discovered a cavern where the people of Cobra-La were growing [[metal-eating spore]]s as a last defense against Unicron. Flint and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] took a load of the spores into space just as Unicron appeared in Earth orbit. Prime, Hawk and Colton headed deeper into Cobra-La to rescue [[Firewall]] and kick butt. Prime was tackled and pinned by a giant bug creature, but made a dramatic recovery and tossed the bug aside. He then took the machine-hating Cobra-La leader [[Golobulus]] to task with a single punch. Flint and Cosmos released the spores, which devoured Unicron from the inside and defeated the giant Transformer before he could harm [[Earth]].

With the threat of Unicron gone, Prime relaxed with [[Eject (G1)|Eject]] and Firewall by watching some reality TV, and sighed at the banality. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' comics===
[[File:Wc prime.jpg|thumb|What is it with Primes and weak stomachs?]]
After their own [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] disappeared, [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] and [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]] discovered an alternate version of Optimus Prime lying unconscious and barely alive in [[Autobase]] Earth. Though [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] did what he could, the mysterious Prime reactivated only long enough to utter a cryptic statement about the walls crumbling and the coming of chaos, then died. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4}}

[[Unicron]] later explained that he sent the alternate Optimus Prime into their universe as a "calling card", a terrifying warning of his imminent arrival. This was probably to tell the uninitiated that Unicron is a jerk. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Optimus Prime and his troops lay deactivated on the [[Fera Islands]] for three million years until [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] stumbled upon them one day in [[1939]]. {{storylink|The Line}} The Autobots were reactivated by a [[Sky Spy|repair drone]] and given new disguises, with Optimus Prime being reformatted into an unknown [[World War II]]-era human vehicle. He explained to [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] who they were, and learned that [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s Decepticons had been reactivated a year prior, and were currently wreaking havoc on [[Europe]] along with [[Cobra]]. While hesitant at first, Optimus Prime soon joined G.I. Joe in their mission to destroy Cobra and the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformed}} After commanding the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to get the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] out of the way, Prime advanced across the Fera Islands, but met resistance in the form of [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]. {{storylink|Trial by Fire}}

As the Autobots were having trouble with Rumble, Optimus Prime told them try to use his earthquakes to their advantage, which led to the end of the Decepticon. Prime subsequently ordered the Aerialbots to [[Superion (G1)|combine]] and save Grimlock and [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] from falling off a cliff. {{storylink|Wolves}} As they got closer to the Cobra [[Terrordrome]], however, Prime started regretting getting the Autobots involved with the humans' war. He offered to carry G.I. Joe across the water separating them from the Terrordrome, but told them that Autobots only fight if they have no choice, and they had no reason to fight anymore. Moments later, he saw that Cobra were using innocent prisoners as human shields, and Duke added that anyone who Cobra ''didn't'' enslave, they murdered. Filled with righteous anger, Optimus Prime ordered his troops to roll out. {{storylink|Trenches}}

Shortly after reaching the other shore and taking out [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], Prime witnessed the gigantic [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] bust out of the Terrordrome and attack everything around him. With Superion gone, Prime knew that there was only one way to stop this rampaging monster, and ordered his Autobots to evacuate the humans while he went looking for the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. He soon found that [[Snake-Eyes]] was in possession of the artifact, but was under attack from Megatron. Prime attacked Megatron, keeping him at bay while telling Snake-Eyes that destroying the Matrix would kill Bruticus. The ninja complied, only to learn that Optimus had left something out of the story: smashing the Matrix would kill ''all'' the Transformers, including Prime himself. Looking at the Autobot leader's body, the Joes knew that Prime had been aware of this, and had deemed it a necessary sacrifice to save the humans. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

Decades later, in 1986, Duke showed [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] and [[Spirit]] footage from the battle of the Fera Islands, including Optimus Prime's fight with Megatron. {{storylink|Targets of Opportunity}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{main|Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity}}
[[File:OrionridesSpringarm.jpg|thumb|I'm [[Batman]]!]]
Optimus Prime was originally known as Orion Pax, a police captain from [[Rodion]]. An encounter with a pre-[[Decepticon]] [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] would change the course of his life, teaching him that freedom was not just the right of all "civilised" beings, but of all ''sentient'' beings, and causing him to publicly reclaim the name "Autobot", previously used only at Cybertronians as a derogatory term, before the corrupt Senate.

After the rise of the Decepticons and the death of the merciless [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], he became the Prime, and entered what would become a millions-of-years-long war of attrition with the Decepticons, which would lead to the death of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the spreading of the Cybertronian civil war far beyond their homeworld in a push for resources. With the end of the war and the emptying of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to restart [[Vector Sigma]] and rebirth Cybertron, he found himself rejected by the returning civilian population, and - secretly gladly - abdicated his rank and returned to his original name of Orion Pax as he travelled through the galaxy.

Roughly two years later, however, [[Dark Cybertron|events]] would force him back into the Autobots. After killing [[Nova Prime]] he proudly retook the mantle of Prime, convinced by Rodimus that he had redeemed it, and euthanized Shockwave saving all of time and space. In the aftermath, he reassumed his role as leader of the Autobots.

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:HeartsofSteel 1 Prime Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|"I keep telling you Bumblebee, the Dinobots will never accept you into their clique!"]]
The Autobots and the Decepticons came to [[Earth|a distant world]] in the grip of an ice age. Assuming [[alternate mode]]s based upon the [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dominant (though doomed) indigenous creatures]] of this planet, they continued their [[Ice Age Wars|ancient, unending war]]. However, the Autobots, with their energy levels dangerously low, withdrew from combat as the world grew colder. They sought refuge in a deep cavern and entered [[stasis lock]], awaiting the day when surface conditions changed to better suit their operation. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} Optimus lay under the [[Mare Rurek Glacier]]. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} Millions of years later, Bumblebee was awoken by the hammering of humans working on a rail line. He briefly considered awakening Optimus Prime, but thought better of it. After discovering the world had changed significantly, Ratchet thought there was no reason to awaken Prime. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} When Bumblebee discovered the Decepticons were once again active on this world, Ratchet and Prowl agreed that the Autobots must intervene, but again decided out of rousing Optimus from his slumber. {{Storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}}

[[File:TFInfestation2.2 Optimus Prime vs Elder God.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|Once again, Optimus steals Rodimus Prime's thunder.]]
When a new threat, the [[Elder God]]s, appeared, a group of Autobots acquired the help of [[Tobias Muldoon]] and [[Nikola Tesla]] to travel to the glacier and waken Prime. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} Tesla's [[Tesla tower]] wasn't enough on its own, so [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailblazer]], and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] gave energy necessary to recharge Optimus Prime. Optimus awoke and revived the other Autobots with his [[energon]] reserves, before traveling to [[Port Cenotaph]], [[Nova Scotia]] where an Elder God had risen from the sea. Diving into the ocean, Optimus cleaved parts off the Elder God until it and its followers returned to the depths. Though Tobias asked if the creature was dead, Optimus wasn't sure, but promised the Autobots would be there to defend Earth if it ever returned. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}{{storylink|Infestation 2 issue 1|Infestation 2 #1}}

The Autobots continued to guard humanity in secret for many years, until one day in the 21st century when Ratchet was captured by a human group known as [[Skylogic Systems]]. Upon investigating the organization, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee came into contact with the [[Lone Gunmen]], three humans who were also on Skylogic's tail for their role in creating a dangerous virus. Learning from them that Ratchet's DNA was part of the concoction, the Autobots joined forces with the humans and helped track down [[David Simmons]], the man responsible for releasing the virus. One interrogation later and they had the address to the Skylogic base, though Prime's size prevented him from easily infiltrating the building, so he left the rescue mission up to Bumblebee and the Gunmen. Once Ratchet was saved, the Autobots parted company with their new human friends in an attempt to lure away any Skylogic pursuers. {{storylink|The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Transformers}}
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===''Music Label''===
In the year 2007, the Autobots discovered that the Decepticon communications officer [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] was attempting to control the minds of humans through hypnotic music broadcast through a series of tiny clones of himself. Optimus Prime upgraded his trailer with a huge pair of speakers, and proceeded to drive around, broadcasting a counter-frequency that undid the villain's brainwashing. {{storylink|Transformers Music Label}}

{{note|The [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|2007 Takara timeline]] placed the events of the ''[[Transformers Music Label|Music Label]]'' storyline in the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], but Optimus Prime's role in the story is therefore made impossible, as he was dead in that universe in 2007. However, given the way the timeline is unhelpfully laid out, it's not impossible that this adventure may take place not in the mainstream timeline, but in the branched-off parallel dimension of the ''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Binaltech|Binaltech]]'' storyline, where Optimus did not die.}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comics===
Optimus foiled Megatron's attack on 21st century [[Tokyo]]. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 1}} He and Bumblebee had to stop [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]'s attack on [[Shinjuku Station]], but it was actually a distraction from Megatron's gathering of energon cubes. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3}} {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 4}}}}
Megatron used one to transform into Galvatron, and would have killed Prime were it not for Ironhide's timely intervention, transforming him back into Megatron. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 7}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 11}}}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun manga===
When the legendary [[Energon Cube]] was lost to the reaches of space, Optimus Prime led a small team of Autobots in pursuit of it. The giant energy source crashed on Earth in the Japanese town of [[Hoshinochō]], where it shattered into fragments that were scattered far and wide. Prime and the other Autobots set up a subterranean base below the Cube's impact crater and began their search for the shards, taking the forms of local vehicles to hide their activities. Despite their attempts at remaining unseen, glimpses of the Autobots only magnified the reputation the crash of the Cube (believed by humans to be a meteor) had given Hoshinochō: that of a hotbed of rumored alien and UFO activity, Japan's answer to [[United States of America|America]]'s Roswell. {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}

The Autobots gained a human ally in their quest when they befriended Doctor [[Osamu Kihara]] of the Governmental Special Diplomatic Agency, who provided more assistance than they could have imagined when his son, [[Akira Kihara|Akira]], was discovered to be a "[[Booster]]", one of many legendary beings born with the ability to control and detect the energies of the Energon Cube. Alas, the Decepticons had followed Prime's Autobots to Earth, and [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Megatron]] sought the boy's powers for his own. To protect Optimus Prime and himself, Akira unleashed the full extent of his powers, driving Megatron back, but causing his body to burn out and disintegrate. Prime was wracked with guilt over what had occurred, and it would haunt him afterward. {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}}

Eleven years after their arrival on Earth, Prime and the Autobots made a new human ally in [[Wataru Hoshinoumi]] when he stumbled into the midst of a battle between Prime's team and [[Starscream (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Starscream]] and [[Ramjet (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Ramjet]]. {{storylink|Enter! The Transformers}} When Megatron joined the fight soon after, he held [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Bumblebee]] and Wataru hostage, daring Prime to make a move against him. Prime opened fire, but Megatron merely used the defeated Starscream for a shield, then turned his cannon on the younger duo. Prime unleashed his [[ion blaster]] and apparently deflected the blast with a shot of his own, saving Bumblebee and Wataru and prompting the Decepticons to retreat. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Appears!}}

Prime invited Wataru to visit the Autobots' subterranean base, and he gave the boy a personal tour as he carried the injured Bumblebee to the infirmary. Telling him the story of the Energon Cube and the Autobots' coming to Earth, Prime showed Wataru the large chunk of the cube that they had managed to recover. He then turned his attention to repairing Bumblebee's wounds, and as such, did not notice Wataru reaching out to touch the cube sliver. A bizarre energy discharge resulted that not only showed the Autobots images of [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Another Time & Place]], but also healed both Autobots' wounds. Prime dived at Wataru and hauled him away from the shard, returning things to normal, but leaving Prime with grave concerns over what the strange occurrence might mean. {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}

When Starscream attacked a power plant with the aid of his brainwashed ally, [[Jetfire (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Skyfire]], Prime carried [[Grimlock (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Grimlock]] to the scene of the battle on the back of his truck mode. {{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} During the conflict that followed, Prime's suspicions about Wataru were confirmed when the boy manifested a barrier to protect himself and Bumblebee and to help Skyfire overcome the influence of Starscream's mind-controlling helmet. Wataru was a Booster as well! {{storylink|Wataru's Power}} His past experiences naturally made Prime hesitant to put Wataru's power to use, but Osamu Kihara made the point that Wataru's power was invaluable for hunting down shards of the Energon Cube. Prime and Wataru headed out to investigate a local relic that Kihara suspected was a cube shard, and Wataru's powers soon confirmed the doctor's findings. Just as Prime was about to report back to Kihara, however, Megatron struck, demanding that Prime hand over both the shard and Wataru. Prime attempted to feign ignorance of Wataru's powers, but Megatron ignored his bluff and encouraged him to hand the boy over, lest he cost ''another'' Booster their life. Driven into a rage by the stinging barb, Prime violently attacked Megatron with his energon-axe, but as the duel raged, Megatron continued to question Prime's beliefs and his attitude. Unable to deny Megatron's accusation that he had hoped to use Wataru's power to defeat him, Prime lost his concentration and was taken down by the Decepticon leader. Despite what he had learned about a previous Booster dying, Wataru stayed true to Optimus and activated his powers, healing the Autobot's wounds and powering up his energon-axe into a huge sword. Summoning all his energy, Prime took down Megatron with one almighty slash, then collapsed into [[stasis lock]]. {{storylink|Optimus Prime's Secret}}

Prime was brought back to the Autobot base for treatment, but the Decepticons exploited the Autobots' lack of manpower and struck again before Prime recovered. With his men taking a pummeling, the unconscious Prime had a vision of Akira, who spurred him on to awaken and rejoin the battle. With another power boost from Wataru, Prime unleashed a super-charged shot from his ion blaster that took down the fleeing Decepticons. {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Creation! The New Emperor of Destruction!!}} {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}} {{storylink|Revenge (Henkei)|Revenge}} {{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}} {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}

===''Alternity''===
[[File:Alternity convoy boxart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|This might take some getting used to. Hand me the instructions again!]]
In 2007, the Optimus Prime of [[universal stream]] Primax 109.0 Beta encountered a mysterious messenger from another world: [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Alternity|another incarnation of himself]] from a parallel dimension who left him with a warning. Two years hence, Megatron would bring the terrifying super-dimensional lifeform known as the "Beast of Time", [[Hytherion]], into their dimension to destroy Earth. The only thing that could battle Hytherion was the power of the super-evolved multi-dimensional race of Cybertronians known as the [[Alternity]]. Prime agreed that when the danger appeared, he would join the Alternity in the fight.

Sure enough, in 2009, when Hytherion's colossal claw-marks appeared on planets throughout the solar system, Prime's other-dimensional incarnation returned, bringing with him a "Vibrant Red" Vector 109 [[auto-avatar]] with which Prime fused. In that instant, he was reborn as part of the Alternity, a manifold being who encompassed all the different incarnations of Optimus Prime through the multiverse at once. Prime reached his hands heavenward and peeled back the layers of reality, exposing the gargantuan fanged maw of Hytherion looming above the Autobots. {{storylink|From Here to Alternity}}

Optimus battled alongside the Alternity to fend off the beast, when unexpectedly, [[Megatron (G1)#Alternity|Megatron]] overwrote the beast's higher functions with his own. At first, it seemed that Hytherion had been killed, but a newly empowered Megatron (in two bodies) appeared and declared that, now possessing a power that rivaled the Alternity's, he challenged his opponents to take him on or see the multiverse itself burn. {{storylink|To Mega Therion}}

As battles between numerous different Primes and Megatrons erupted quite literally all across time and space, another member of the Convoy Corps was later seen battling [[Starscream (G1)#Alternity|Starscream]], who had been empowered by Megatron to serve as leader of his [[Questor]]s. This Prime was so surprised by Starscream's uncharacteristic sports car alternate mode that he left himself open for a blast from Starscream's Retroactive Nullifer cannon, which erased him from the timestream. As he faded out of existence, Prime responded to Starscream's taunts about the death of the Alternity by telling him that they were already well aware of their prophesied end and were well prepared. {{storylink|Foreshadows}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Alternation}}}}
{{note|Alternity beings are both individuals and a collective of separate entities. More fiction about Optimus Prime's Alternity collective can be found [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Alternity|here]].}}

===''Robot Heroes'' comic===
[[File:IDW I am Optimus Prime battle.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Adorobots VS. Decepticutes.]]
Optimus Prime was given the Matrix by [[Primus]] himself, and used to be friends with Megatron. Prowl is his closest friend and Ratchet is his oldest. Searching for Energon, the Autobots landed on Earth, but were followed by the Decepticons. With the help of their human allies, they bested off their foes, and knowing they would return, decided to stay and wait to defend the planet once more. Optimus Prime was proud to be an Autobot. {{storylink|I Am Optimus Prime (Robot Heroes)|I Am Optimus Prime}}
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===''Universe'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Ron Hayden]] (English)}}
[[File:Actionblast1matrix.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Anyone with a history of seizures should leave the room now.]]
Optimus Prime narrated the events of what happened before the Ark crashed on Earth. He became the new leader of a long line of Autobot leaders via the discovery of the Matrix. On their quest for more Energon, the Autobots were chased by Decepticons to the planet known as Earth and crashed on it. When they emerged from the Ark, Optimus Prime scanned his truck altmode, stating that the war would not end on Earth. {{Storylink|Action Blast 1}}

[[File:FfE Optimus Prime Cyclonus.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Don't get distracted by your own fist Cyclonus! Do you WANT to lose your face?]]
Both Optimus Prime and Bumblebee raced down a street in an unknown desert while having an argument about Energon. He ordered Bumblebee to scan the surroundings to find the location where the Decepticons were hiding, and to be careful for possible scouts. When Bumblebee noted what the Decepticons were doing, Prime speculated that they might be planning to convert the energy into Energon, and ordered Bumblebee to create a diversion. While Bumblebee and Cyclonus fought, Prime made a surprise attack and took out Cyclonus with his Ion-axe, before turning his attention to Megatron. When both Decepticons fled, Prime told Bumblebee they'd done a good job (in front of a burning Gas station), and both Autobots got back on the move. {{storylink|Fight for Energon}}
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===''Transformers United''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|A New Battle!}}}}

After the Autobot headmasters and targetmasters successfully retrieved a cure for a deadly nano-virus from the planet Nebulon, Optimus Prime commended them for their heroic efforts in a ceremony. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}
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===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
{{ongoing}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Golden Boys}} {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} {{storylink|Form Follows Function}} {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}}}}

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===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Another Episode, Part 1}} {{storylink|Another Episode, Part 2}} {{storylink|The Fated Rival, Once Again...}} {{storylink|To Earth}} {{storylink|Reunion and Parting}} {{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Revenge (All Spark)}} {{storylink|The False Power}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}} {{storylink|Conclusion}}

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===''Q-Robo Transformer''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Q-Robo Transformer}}}}
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===''Transformers GT: Mission GT-R''===
In a world where the Transformers' war settled into a series of friendly competitive races known as the [[Transformers GT]], Optimus Prime became the [[GT Transformer]] known as '''GT-R Prime'''. As a racer he was known for his serious but sometimes hot-blooded personality and his skillful use of the [[Impact Wrench Gun]], though he maintained an honorable policy never to fire directly at an opposing racer's body. Like other racers, GT-R Prime put a limit on his own strength by separating his Matrix into a [[GT Sister]], creating his partner [[Misaki]].

====Comic====
GT-R Prime was racing against [[Star Saber (Victory)|GT-R Saber]] and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|GT-R Maximus]] when they were rudely interrupted by [[Megatron (G1)|GT-R Megatron]], a ruthless racer out to prove his worth by defeating all others. A fight broke out, but Prime interrupted it and convinced Megatron that they all shared the same need for speed, persuading him to settle things with a race instead. {{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (comic)|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R}}

====Story pages====
{{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (story page)}}
{{charstubfiction}}

===Transformers ''Generations'' 2013===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Controverse}}}}
===‘’Transformers X Evangelion’’===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 1}} {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 2}} {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 3}} {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 4}}}}
{{-}}

===IDW ''Angry Birds'' Transformers comic===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}} {{storylink|Hard Boiled}}}}

===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)#Transformers Celebration 2014|Bonus Chapter: Transformers Celebration 2014}}}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Broken Windshields}}}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
Optimus Prime has appeared in more [[Commercial|television commercials]] than any other Transformer... just as with everything else. He has been voiced by [[Peter Cullen]] in every animation segment in which he's had a speaking role.

[[File:Toycommercial-firstPrime.jpg|thumb|My wheels don't disappear!]]
*He was one of the featured characters in the first ever appearance of the Transformers anywhere, an advertisement for the first issue of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Generation 1 comic]]. He arrives in the midst of a desert battle as the Decepticons attacked a power plant on Earth, driving to back up his troops in defending it. He strikes a rather iconic pose as he transforms and fires, which would be replicated and copied numerous times in the early years of the franchise. This first commercial used nonfinal versions of the characters' [[character model]]s; Optimus Prime, for example, still had wheels on his legs. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9-7RjhFzpM]
*In a commercial for the [[Triple Changer]]s, Optimus confronts Astrotrain on a desert battlefield, but the Triple-Changer escapes under fire from other Autobots. Shortly afterward, Prime uses Perceptor's microscope mode to examine a fragment of Decepticon battle armor. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WssZjIsUIU]
*Prime and Jazz are shown fighting Megatron in the desert in an ad for the 1985 cars, whom he summons to help out with the battle. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WssZjIsUIU]
*Prime narrates two commercials around the time of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', describing the action as [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] battles [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] take on the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]]. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X-10pud7DY]
[[File:Toycommercial-PowermasterOptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|An integral part of Powermaster Prime's transformation is Joyride shooting lightning bolts through his pointed finger.]]
*Prime was prominently featured in the ad for the first comic issue featuring the [[Powermaster]]s. On the rocky plains where practically every Transformer battle ever seems to happen, Prime arrives in his Powermaster body to back up three of his troops against Dreadwind and Darkwing. He's shown combining with [[Hi-Q]] and transforming, attacking with his trailer's battle station mode, then combining with the trailer to continue the attack. Who wins? Find out in [[People Power!|Marvel Comics]]! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voX_KNNxNCI]
[[File:OptimusQuickswitchCommercial.jpg|thumb|Optimus Prime is so giving, he even gives other Transformers time in his commercials.]]
*Prime also features briefly in [[Quickswitch (G1)|Quickswitch]]'s ad; in a battle on the moon, Quickswitch transforms to gun mode and is wielded by Powermaster Optimus Prime.
*An abbreviated ad for Powermaster Prime uses footage from both the Marvel Comic and Quickswitch commercials.
*Prime's Powermaster body shows up yet again in the [[Classic Pretender|Pretender Classic]]s ad. He comes under attack in the darkened streets of the city, prompting the [[narrator]] to explain that he needs the greatest Transformers ever! Prime then welcomes back Bumblebee and Jazz in their Pretender forms. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mahbq-FnSPY]
*Powermaster Prime and [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]] are the representatives from each faction that [[Doubledealer]] doublecrosses! Everyone wonders who that guy is that Prime's talking to... He looks kinda suspicious!
*Optimus features prominently in the first [[Action Master]] commercial; he's shown surrounded by a circle of his troops, and challenges them to give up their transforming powers to become faster, stronger, more alive! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeNf3jQ1zdw]
*A stock intro was used for several Micromaster commercials, with Optimus opening his fist to reveal a Micromaster city within.
[[File:Hotrodpatrolcommercial.jpg|thumb|Prime wants to know if they can transform, because he sure can't!]]
*A similar sequence in another Micromaster ad has Prime opening his fist to find the [[Hot Rod Patrol]] inside. He and Jazz check them out, and Optimus wonders if they can transform.
*In an ad for the Micromaster micro bases, a battle rages outside an Autobot base, and Prime watches impassively as Bumblebee and Jazz pull two [[Interstellar shuttle|captured]] [[Attack Copter|vehicles]] into the base. Prime is the first to notice that the vehicles are transforming and shooting things.
*Prime and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] are the stars of the first ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' commercial, animated with [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]]. Prime is shown driving down a road in his ''Generation 2'' colored truck mode. He rocket-launches up into the air to transform, then has a brutal fight with Ramjet. Despite getting a hole blasted in his chest, he wins the fight and fires his gun into the air in triumph. Non-speaking.
*Prime also is shown briefly in a commercial for the new Megatron tank toy. He transforms and finds his head in a target crosshairs. In the subsequent toy segment, Prime's toy is shown getting completely trashed by that of Megatron. Non-speaking.
*And finally, Prime got his own rap segment. He's shown in his Combat toy body, waiting for Megatron as he attacks a human subdivision. Prime converts to robot form, blows up Megatron's weapon at point blank range, and slugs it out with him. Apparently emerging victorious, is next shown sitting next to an identical truck, which the live-action kid mistakes for the real thing. The real Prime then transforms and picks up the kid, inspecting the human with his cold, lifeless, flashing red optics. Prime is once again voiced by Peter Cullen in this commercial.

Prime also appeared in commercials for ''Transformers'' products other than the toys themselves...

*In the ad for [[Coleco]]'s [[Power Cycle]], Optimus Prime shoots ''at'' a child riding the title cycle, but misses. This footage is recycled from the advertisement for the comic.
*Prime delivers a load of shoes to schoolchildren in a South American ad for [[Bata]]'s licensed ''Transformers'' footwear.
*Prime was referred to as the Autobot Commander in his debut commercial.

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Megatron and his Decepticons allies held captive the Autobot's [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops, Optimus Prime entered the Decepticon's maze-like base in order to rescue his friends. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===''The Transformers'' (1985)===
Optimus Prime was among the few remaining Autobots in the wake of the Decepticon creation of ROBO-CLONING technology. With his energy-starved comrades, he desperately sought pieces of the Autobot Energon Cube before the Decepticons could get their hands on them. {{storylink|The Transformers (Commodore 64)|The Transformers}}

===Transformers: Mystery of Convoy===

When a mysterious force killed Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus rose as Autobot Commander in his place, and went forth to find out what killed Optimus. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}

{{note|For an alternate interpretation of these events, see ''[[To Die Game!]]''}}

===''DreamMix TV World Fighters'' video game===
{{voiceactor|[[Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese)}}
As part of [[DreamMix TV]]'s attempt to pull in more ratings, Optimus Prime and his eternal rival Megatron were invited to battle bunches of other beings on the television show ''[[World Fighters]]''. {{storylink|DreamMix TV World Fighters}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Robert Belgrade]] (English)}}
{{charstubgame}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Revenge of the Fallen'' - The Game (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC)===
[[File:ROTF 360PS3 PC G1OptimusPrime DLC.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Freedom is the right of all downloadable beings"]]
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}

{{Note|On [[August 27]], [[2009]], Optimus Prime was one of a handful of downloadable characters in a DLC pack for Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3.}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
{{-}}

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
[[File:Gluawakening optimusprime.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb]]
Optimus Prime led a group of Autobots who left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], which was shot down over [[Earth]], sending them into stasis for four million years. Optimus was badly damaged in the crash, and the prognosis wasn't great, but he recovered in time to announce the Autobots had no choice but to involve the [[human]]s in their war. Following a battle at [[Dyson Dam]], Prime persuaded [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] to join the Autobot team. When the Decepticons headed through the [[space bridge]] to Cybertron, Optimus followed, only for him and his team to be ambushed and imprisoned.

He and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] were soon rescued by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and they promptly escaped back to Earth, just in time to rescue [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] from a Decepticon hit squad. After being misled by a phony distress call, Optimus and his team had to face an assault on the Ark. They repelled the Decepticon attack, but Prime decided that the time was right to go to Cybertron and liberate the Autobots whom [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] had enslaved. The Autobots again used the space bridge to reach Cybertron, and mounted an assault of their own on the Decepticon fortress. After fighting their way through the defenses, Optimus and Bumblebee faced down Shockwave himself, defeating the Decepticon with some help from Grimlock. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
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===Transformers Battle Universe===
At the edge of time, when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] needed a new host, Optimus Prime was among several warriors (and [[Optimus Prime|Prime]]s) summoned from the multiverse to battle for control of the prize. {{storylink|Transformers Battle Universe}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Early in the war, when he was still known by the name '''Orion Pax,''' the Autobot who would one day be known as Optimus Prime was ordered by Zeta Prime to escort the Decepticon Prisoners Wrack'n'Ruin in a prisoner exchange, while accompanied by Nightbeat and Alpha Trion. As the group made their way through the [[Rust Spot]], they encounter [[Slicer (group)|Slicers]] and had to fend them off. Orion Pax and his group eventually made it to their meeting spot with the Decepticon Bludgeon, only to be ambushed by the Decepticons. In the confusion, Alpha Trion was taken prisonner, and Orion Pax set off to rescue the elderly Autobot. He and Nightbeat succeeded in returning Alpha Trion under the protective custody of Zeta Prime, but Orion was himself captured in turn. Strapped to a shuttle aimed to crash into Iacon, Orion's fate seemed uncertain. {{storylink|Orion's Gambit}}

Later, Orion Pax worked as an archivist in the [[Iacon Archives]], and was friend to Ariel and [[Dion]]. Shortly after the trio encountered a group of time-traveling [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], the Archives were attacked by Decepticons, and Pax and Ariel were severely injured. The Aerialbots took them to [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], who rebuilt them into Optimus Prime and Elita One respectively. {{storylink|Golden Age (Legends)|Golden Age}} The [[Matrix of Leadership]] was passed to Optimus Prime following the death of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] at the hands of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|The War Within}} During the war on Cybertron, Optimus Prime came to the aid of [[Getaway]], [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]] and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], saving them right as the Decepticons [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] were on the verge of destroying them. {{storylink|End of the Road (Legends)|End of the Road}}

Optimus once considered having the unruly Dinobots shut down before they could accidentally cause damage, but they proved their worth during a sudden Decepticon attack. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots (Legends)|S.O.S. Dinobots}} When the Insecticons gained enough power that they'd be able to overrun [[Earth]] in seven days, Optimus Prime was forced to negotiate an alliance with the Decepticons in order to defeat them. {{storylink|Harvest of the Insecticons}} Following the disappearance of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], Optimus attempted to stop the other three Dinobots from attacking the Decepticon base, and was mauled for his trouble. The distraction at least allowed [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to take a scan of the rogue Dinobots. {{storylink|Day of the Dinobots - Part 1}}

Optimus was challenged to a duel by Megatron as a distraction while the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] attempted to strike against [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War - Part 1}} Concerned that the Decepticons might try to steal a new [[Energon]] related technology from a science facility, Optimus sent Blaster to infiltrate and protect the base. {{storylink|Espionage}} Optimus was impressed with [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]'s plans for a [[Solar Power Tower]], but thought it would be too difficult to defend from the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Master Builders (Legends)|The Master Builders}} Following the return of the Aerialbots from a trip to Cybertron, they told Optimus and Elita One about how they'd encountered Orion Pax and Ariel. {{storylink|Golden Age (Legends)|Golden Age}} Optimus was among the Autobots affected after Megatron sabotaged their [[recharging chamber]]. Turned evil, Optimus was sent to attack [[Rutter U.S. Military Base|Rutter Military Base]] and obtain a solar power satellite. He and the other Autobots were returned to normal by [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]'s [[attitude exchanger]], and Optimus promised to repair the base. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots (Legends)|Attack of the Autobots}}

Optimus and Wheeljack returned to Autobot HQ after an absence to find Grimlock had taken leadership. Though they failed to resist him, he soon bored with leading the Autobots and let Optimus take command again. {{storylink|Me, Grimlock, King}} Impressed with Bumblebee's success as team leader, Optimus assigned [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] to lead a team. {{storylink|The B-Team Part Deux}} With Optimus badly damaged and without the Matrix, the Autobots were driven off Earth and sought refuge on Cybertron. Once Optimus had recovered, he put together a team which returned to Earth and retook it from the Decepticons, with Optimus badly damaging Megatron in combat. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron (Legends)|All Hail Megatron}}

Optimus led the defenses as the Decepticons mounted a full assault on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. The assault proved overwhelming, and Megatron soon stood over Optimus's defeated form. {{storylink|One Shall Fall...}} Optimus passed on the [[Matrix of Leadership]] before perishing. {{storylink|The Battle for Autobot City}}

When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] took cover within the [[Autobot Mausoleum]], retreating from an attack led by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], they found Optimus having risen from the dead! Rodimus returned the Matrix of Leadership to Optimus, only for Optimus to abandon his Autobots, and flee back to Cybertron. Optimus, it seems, has returned to the world of the living [[zombie|changed]]. Once on Cybertron, Optimus orders a full-scale assault on the Quintesson base. Thankfully, Optimus managed to come to his senses when his memories of being revived by the Quintessons reemerged. After returning the Matrix to Hot Rod and ordering the Autobots to retreat, sacrificed himself once more by guiding the ship he's piloting into the Quintesson's trap. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (Legends)|Dark Awakening}}

Optimus at some point reverted to the name Orion Pax and searched the galaxy to investigate a growing anomaly related to the [[Dead Universe]]. His investigation took him to an unknown planet populated by [[Mini-Con]]s. {{storylink|Dark Cybertron (Legends)|Dark Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark''===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}
====Console====
While walking through the desert one day, Optimus noticed a purple meteor passing overhead. Recognizing the meteor for [[Dark Spark|what it was]], he stated his fear that this day had come. {{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Rise of the Dark Spark (console)}}
====3DS====
{{Charstubgames}}
{{Storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
{{charstubgame}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Optimus Prime (G1)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{Main|Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise}}

==Notes==
*According to [[Bob Budiansky]], longtime comics writer [[Denny O'Neil]] named Optimus Prime prior to Budiansky being brought on to the ''Transformers'' project. ("Optimus" is Latin for "best", therefore his name can be literally translated as "'''Best First'''".)
*Optimus Prime's Japanese name is "Convoy", which is named after his original name "Battle Convoy" in the ''[[Diaclone]]'' toyline, because the name "Optimus Prime" is difficult for Japanese kids to remember and pronounce.<ref>''[[Figure Ō]]'' No. 114</ref> All Optimus-inspired characters were called variations of Convoy in Japan up until the [[Transformers (film)|2007 ''Transformers'' film]], at which point [[TakaraTomy]] changed their minds and began using the name Optimus Prime as well. Presumably to avoid confusion, this change includes the Generation 1 version of the character as well, who is now called Optimus Prime in newer products and fiction such as ''[[Transformers United]]'' and ''[[Transformers: All Spark]]'', though his name remains Convoy in material aimed at adult collectors such as ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]''.
*"Orion Pax" is composed of "Orion", the huntsman from Greek mythology, and the Latin word "pax", meaning "peace". The original cartoon design for him appears to [[:File:UltraMagnus-FloroDery3rdConcept-OrionPax.jpg|be based on an early Ultra Magnus concept]].
*According to an early ''[[The Transformers Universe|Universe]]''-style profile published in ''[[The Transformers Comics Magazine]]'', Optimus Prime's "official" nicknames were at one point considered to be "Autobot Commander", "Chief", "Big Boss" and "Roller". As far as it is known, no piece of fiction has ever purposely addressed him using these nicknames, though it's a fair bet he's been called "chief" at least once or twice anyway. And technically ''part'' of him is called "[[Roller (G1)|Roller]]" with some frequency.
*Optimus Prime has fictionally shown a dislike of certain kinds of music and dance. For the [[Marvel Comics continuity]], the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] for [[Still Life!|issue 324]] mentions he hates the music of [[Mötley Crüe]]. In the cartoon continuity, "[[Blaster Blues]]" and "[[Quest for Survival]]" have Optimus react noticeably more passive-aggressively to Blaster's choice of music than the other Autobots. And in the [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity]], ''[[Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired]]'' features an uncalled for negative remark about Jazz's dance skills.
*According to the staff of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', Optimus Prime became a space explorer in the [[Beast Era]].<ref>Page 37, Guest Character and ''G1'' Icons, ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'' ISBN 978-4766938005</ref>
*Writer [[Bob Skir]] claims that neither the statue from "[[Fires of the Past]]" nor the golden disks in its hands were mentioned in the script. However, he suggested that they were either the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|disks]] from the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes, or that Optimus won them in the 2,395,989th Annual Cybertronian spelling bee.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Q&A from Bigbot's "bobskir.com"] (archive copy)</ref> We're betting on the latter.
[[File:Optimusprime-mom.jpg|125px|thumb|Prime's mom knows how to write in cursive.]]
*By the time Optimus Prime appeared in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', his 3D model from ''Beast Wars'' had apparently been lost, leading the animators to use a faceplated Optimus Primal head as a quick replacement to save time and budget.
*Aside from occasionally having Alpha Trion as a father figure, Optimus Prime may have a mother! In an advertisement for [[Pepsi Convoy]] that shows him in a refrigerator (along with [[Destron Pizza]]), a note attached to a nearby piece of Tupperware reads:

:''Dear Convoy''
:''Warm it before you eat''
:''Mom''

:Although the ad itself is for Pepsi Convoy, he is a separate character, and it can be assumed that the note was left for Convoy/Optimus Prime himself.

*The first wave of Dreamwave posters in 2001 identified Optimus Prime as [http://web.archive.org/web/20041220175419/http://www.comicden.com/merch/posters.htm "Captimus Primus"], which is tantalizingly close to making some sort of sense.
*The character model of G1 Optimus Prime makes a cameo appearance, along with the original [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], as one of the four elders who began the [[Space bridge]] project in the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' episode "[[Balance]]".
*As noted on [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=74382 this thread here], Optimus Prime made a surprising (and somewhat awkward) cameo in the [[Calendar|January]] [[2009]] issue of "P.S.: The Preventive Maintenance Monthly" (#674), a monthly magazine issued by the [[United States Army]] that discusses issues in regards to equipment maintenance (scan included in thread; look for post #5).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Convoy''' (コンボイ ''Konboi''), '''Orion Pax''' (オライオン・パックス ''Oraion Pakkusu''), '''Star Convoy''' (スターコンボイ ''Sutaa Konboi''), '''Battle Convoy''' (Laser Optimus Prime, バトルコンボイ ''Batoru Konboi''), '''Optimus Prime''' (オプティマスプライム ''Oputimasu Puraimu'')
*''Armenian:'' '''Optimus Prime''' (Օպտիմուս Փրայմ ''O'ptimows P'raym''; Օպտիմուս Պրայմ ''O'ptimows Praym'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''O Baak Man''' (Hong Kong, 柯柏文)
*''Czech:'' '''Optimus Prime''' or '''Optimuse Prima'''
*''Danish:'' '''Primus Optimus''' (first cartoon dub), '''Optimus Prime''' (all other media)
*''French:'' '''Optimus Prime''', '''Optimus Primus''' (Canada)
*''Hebrew:'' '''Optimus Prime''' (אופטימוס פריים ''Awpjimws Priim'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Optimusz Fővezér''', '''Optimusz Prájm''' ("Optimus Chief")
*''Italian:'' '''Commander'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jr-tsūn''' (Taiwan, 至尊, "Prime"), '''Orion Pax''' (奧萊安派斯 ''Àu Lái Ān Pài Sū''), '''Qíng Tīan Zhù''', '''Dà Gē''' (China, 擎天柱, 大哥, "Pillar that Supports the Sky", "the eldest brother")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Optimus Supremo''' (Portugal comics, "Optimus Supreme"), '''Líder Optimus''' (Brazil cartoon, "Leader Optimus"), '''Supremus Absolutus''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Optimus Prime''' (Оптимус Прайм ''Optimus Prajm''), '''Orion Peaceful''' (Орион Мирный ''Orion Mirnyy'')
*''Serbian:'' '''Optimus Prime''' (Оптимус Прајм ''Optimus Prajm'')
*''Taiwanese:'' '''Bô-Ti̍k Thīh-Gû''' (無敵鐵牛, "Invincible Iron Ox") / '''Thīh-Gû''' (鐵牛, "Iron Ox")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Optimus Najkrashchiy''' (Оптимус Найкращий, "Optimus the Best"), '''Optimus Prime''' (''The Movie'', Оптимус Прайм)

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Optimus_Prime Optimus Prime's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Optimus_Prime_PM Powermaster Optimus Prime's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Alternity Autobots]]
[[Category:Armada Autobots]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Autobots]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising characters]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:GT characters]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Autobots]]
[[Category:Ladybird Books Autobots]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Music Label]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Autobots]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen Autobots]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Optimus Prime (WFC)

2014-12-31T10:24:41Z

Viktorimus:

{{factions|autobot|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Optimus Prime}}{{suite}}
:''Optimus Prime is the leader of the [[Autobot]]s from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''

[[File:PrimeOptimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Megatron awakened within him a secret yearning. The slashfic writes itself.]]

'''Optimus Prime''' was the last born of the original [[Thirteen]] Transformers. His spark was the most like their progenitor Primus, its frequency nearly identical. He was the mediator and visionary of the group, passing among them all as a calm, inspiring, thoughtful, unifying and well-liked friend. It was his unique spark and his inspiring reassurance that "All are One" that allowed the Primes to rally and succeed in their battle against the Chaos Bringer [[Unicron]]. When tragedy at last ended the era of the Primes and brought forth the new race of lesser descendant Transformers he alone chose to be reborn in the [[Well of All Sparks]] as one of them, that he might know them and their needs more completely.

All memory of his past life gone, he took the name '''Orion Pax''' and sought his way like any other robot on the new world. Eventually he found his place as a simple data clerk, satisfied with his job. He was always anxious of the inequality amongst cybertronians and thus, after gaining inspiration from an outspoken gladiator named [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s call for an upheaval of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s society, took a stand to rid the oppressive [[caste system]] which hindered the freedom of all the sentient beings on Cybertron. Little did he realize that his instructor, the master archivist [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]], was also one of the Thirteen and knew of the secret within the data clerk. Once Pax and Megatron discovered they did not have as much in common as they once believed, the lowly data clerk was promoted by the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]] to be the next [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. With the claiming of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] Orion Pax became Optimus Prime once more, regaining his memory and rising to lead his people.

Over the centuries, loss and war have led Optimus to appear stern and serious to most. But scratch the surface, and you'll find an individual who greatly cares for his fellow living beings, with a warmth and kindness his closest friends can rely on. You'll also find regret over the loss of a comrade to darkness, and the faintest glimmer of hope that he can be saved.

He is sometimes partnered with Chief [[Charlie Burns]].

{{bigquote|We will [[Theme song|wage our battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons]] wherever it may take us. And one day, we will go home.|Optimus Prime|''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''The Covenant of Primus''===
Optimus Prime was created as the last of the [[Thirteen]], the first generation of Transformers, each created directly by Primus as a band of unique warriors to combat and defeat Unicron. Upon his creation, Optimus united the Thirteen by his greeting: "All are one." While all of the other members of the Thirteen each possessed unique abilities and artifacts, Optimus wielded no special powers or weapons. It was only through his vision and courage that allowed the Thirteen to finally defeat Unicron.

Optimus emerged mostly unharmed from the final conflict that split the Thirteen. However, upon the activation of the Well of All Sparks, Optimus chose to enter into it and be reborn as one of the lesser Transformers, in order to know them and their needs better. He did so, and was recreated as the simple Orion Pax. Alpha Trion recognized what had once been his fellow 'bot, and made a note to keep an eye on him later. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

===Aligned novels===

Orion Pax was put to work in the [[Hall of Records]] soon after emerging from the [[Well of All Sparks]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} At some point in the distant past, the first [[Quintesson]]s arrived on the planet in gigantic silver ships, the first alien life-forms ever to contact Cybertron. Orion Pax was present to see the first Quintessons emerge from these ships and give the gift of [[transformation]] to the assembled Cybertronians by reactivating their dormant [[transformation cog]]s. Throughout the [[Age of Wrath]], Orion Pax continued to work in the Hall of Records, but like many other Cybertronians he chafed under the Quintesson's increasingly oppressive rule and their vicious, circus-like courts that dispensed a twisted brand of justice. The Quintessons were eventually defeated by the incumbent [[Sentinel Zeta Prime]] of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] and an energon miner named D-16, and Orion—who had no part in the revolution—eventually suppressed his traumatic memories of the alien invasion. {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution|Retribution}}

During the era of the [[caste system]], Orion would read and index information in the [[Hall of Records]] from the [[Communication Grid]], but was forbidden to analyze it. That was [[Jazz (WFC)|Jazz]]'s job, and the two became friends. Orion began monitoring Megatron's transmissions, and began a secret correspondence with him because he agreed with his beliefs. They had intense but friendly debates over the nature of free will and the dangerousness of their ideals, and Megatron suggested Orion learn how to fight for his beliefs. Orion began training with Jazz, learning to fire an [[ion blaster|ion-cannon]] and to fashion his arms into an [[energon-axe|axe]] and a [[Dual Energon Swords|sword]].

Orion made his first trip to [[Kaon]] to meet Megatron in person at his base. Megatron was the only gladiator who gave Orion a warm welcome. Terrorists began bombings in Megatron's name, and he made his first public announcement on the Grid, stating he was not responsible for the attacks and would bring the perpetrators to justice. Orion followed him up with a speech of his own. Orion trusted Megatron, believing if he were responsible for the attacks, he would have wanted to be associated with them. Later, when [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] took him to meet Megatron at an arena beneath the [[Observatory of Iacon]], Orion was shocked to see Jazz in attendance, and that Megatron had heard rumors about the bombings but did nothing to prevent them.

[[File:War for Cybertron comic - Orion testimony.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Lookin' awful buff and armored for an insignificant young library clerk. One has to wonder if the [[Guilds of Cybertron|Guilds]] may have dropped the ball on this one.]]
When "[[Decepticon]]s" kidnapped [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]], Orion requested Alpha Trion arrange an audience with [[Autobot High Council|High Council]] for him and Megatron. During their hearing in the [[High Council Tower]], Orion rigorously defended their ideals, even reviving the ancient philosophical phrase "[[Autobot]]s" to describe the autonomy his brethren sought. It was then Councilor [[Halogen (WFC)|Halogen]] declared Orion the new [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]: Optimus Prime. An outraged Megatron accused his brother of treachery, and then murdered Halogen. When Optimus ordered the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] to not harm Megatron, Megatron declared Optimus had fallen into the trappings of power the High Council had foisted upon him, and those in attendance dispersed, with the planet forever divided into Autobots and Decepticons.

Optimus forgoed the first engagement of the war, allowing the Decepticons to take [[Fort Scyk]] so he would gain time to recruit more Autobots. Optimus learned from Jazz after the fall of Scyk that he would have to learn to not mourn every soldier. Optimus fought for the first time during the next battle, the siege of the [[Hydrax Plateau]]. The first Cybertronian he ever killed was a former industrial drone named [[Drixco]]. Afterwards Optimus confided to Alpha Trion that the act of killing alone made him feel he was on the wrong side. Despite the efforts of Optimus and [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] the Decepticons conquered the Hydrax Plateau. It was at the stalemate of [[Praxus]] that Optimus gained the indispensable allies [[Prowl (WFC)|Prowl]] and [[Ironhide (WFC)|Ironhide]]. The first Autobot victory was at [[Kalis]], a vital area due to its fusion reactor that powered Iacon. Optimus, Jazz and [[Sideswipe (WFC)|Sideswipe]] worked together to bring down the monstrous [[Bruticus (WFC)|Bruticus Maximus]], but the battle was mostly won due to the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s' absence. As Energon depleted, the war descended into a mere siege of Iacon lasting millions of cycles, and Optimus opted to eject the [[AllSpark]] itself into space: during this battle Optimus gained another great friend in [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]].

Following a lull in the war, the Decepticons began using [[Dark Energon]] and routed the Autobots, but Optimus wisely predicted it was an inefficient resource that would run out soon. To his horror, Megatron and Starscream infiltrated [[Teletraan-1]] to steal the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], and although Teletraan-1 awakened the legendary [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]] to ferry the Chamber to safety, the Dark Energon-powered Decepticons overpowered the Autobots and used the Chamber to corrupt the [[Core]] of Cybertron and infested the planet with Dark Energon. During the battle, Megatron revealed he had killed Sentinel Prime below the High Council Tower to gain access to the Chamber. Afterwards Prowl picked up a message from Sentinel on the Grid, and Optimus, realizing he had not found Sentinel's body in Iacon, deduced Sentinel was alive. When Optimus, Jazz and Prowl rescued him from Kaon Prison, they found the city strangely deserted. Optimus believed Dark Energon was having a severe effect on Decepticon morale. When they found Sentinel, he was dying. He regretted his overlong reign as Prime, and that the High Council had made the right decision in appointing Optimus a Prime. He finally told him he had to go to the Core and purge its corruption of Dark Energon.

After Sentinel's funeral in Iacon, where Optimus was officially appointed Prime after holding the de facto position for so long, he journeyed to the Core with Bumblebee and [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]] and removed the Plasma Energy Chamber. It was there that a voice from the Core told Optimus he was too late, and the Autobots would have to leave Cybertron as the planet healed itself. But it finally bestowed upon him the [[Matrix of Leadership]], the essence of [[Primus]], explaining that while Sentinel lived, he was still Prime, and that he had been unworthy of the Matrix. It told him that when the day came that they would return to Cybertron, the Core and the Matrix would restore the planet and Optimus would lead the Autobots in an "age of unimagined wonders". Afterwards, Optimus launched [[Ark (WFC)|Project Generation One]], to build a ship—that Jazz dubbed the ''Ark''—to take them to the stars, a plan some Autobots objected to.

But before their exodus, Optimus planned to fool Megatron by gathering every spaceworthy vessel and having them rendezvous at what was apparently the last remaining [[space bridge]] in orbit. Megatron ordered [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] fire on the ships, but Optimus ordered a fallback as he, Jetfire, Jazz, Ironhide, Prowl, Sideswipe and Bumblebee flew the ''[[Eight Track (WFC)|Eight Track]]'' to board the monster and knocked him from orbit by blasting his [[Spark]] containment field. Optimus's team returned to find the ''Ark'' ready at the Well of All Sparks, and bid goodbye to those—including Jetfire, Magnus and Omega—who stayed to fend off Trypticon as he transformed to attack. Optimus also bade farewell to Alpha Trion, who believed [[Vector Sigma]] would protect him when the rest of the planet would be unable to sustain life: it was then Optimus realized Alpha Trion was one of the [[Thirteen|thirteen original Transformers]].

Yet as the ''Ark'' took off the Decepticons overran Iacon and Megatron and his elite boarded Trypticon, who transformed into a ''Nemesis''-class cruiser and pursued the Autobots. Megatron used his and Orion's old frequency to inform Optimus that he would pursue him across the stars and eventually kill him. The ''Ark'' entered the last space bridge and emerged with the ''Nemesis'' gone. They were near a [[Milky Way|spiral galaxy]] and Prowl detected the AllSpark. Knowing the Matrix within would help them find a way home, Optimus vowed that the Autobots would continue to wage their battle across the stars. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

After passing through the unstable Space Bridge, Optimus Prime and his crew found themselves in the vicinity of the lost Cybertronian colony world of [[Velocitron]], and with the help of a starmap projected by the Matrix, the Autobots entered orbit above the planet. Optimus Prime led a small exploratory team to the planet's surface, where they met [[Blurr (Prime)|Blurr]], [[Override (Prime)|Override]] and [[Ransack (Prime)|Ransack]]. It was a time of great stress between Velocitron's rulers, and the Autobots' arrival from mythical Cybertron only exacerbated the situation. Worse still, active acts of sabotage on the Ark led the Autobots to the conclusion that one of their crew was actually a Decepticon agent. Optimus concluded there was little they could do at the moment other than remain on guard. Later, Optimus traveled with a young Velocitronian named [[Clocker (Prime)|Clocker]] to Velocitron's south pole, where he discovered a fragment of metal that he thought might belong to the mythical [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]]. His investigations were cut short by an attack of rebel Velocitronians, forcing him to return to the city of [[Delta]], where he discovered what he thought was another fragment. Although the Autobots secured an ally in Override, they left Velocitron on the brink of civil war during their departure, as Ransack's followers had been corrupted by the Decepticon rhetoric of "peace through tyranny" spread by the Ark's traitor.

The next leg of their journey through the Space Bridge brought the Autobots to fabled Junkion, a world composed entirely of space junk. Optimus Prime made contact with the leader of the planet's inhabitants, a scatterbrained robot named [[Wreck-Gar (Prime)|Wreck-Gar]], who was spurred to action by the appearance of the Matrix. The Autobots went to work repairing the Ark, with the relative assistance of the Junkions. Prime discovered another fragment in a forge, and barely managed to rescue it. When Prowl discovered the traitorous [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] was aboard, Optimus and Jazz managed to identify and trap the shifter in a stasis field, ending his threat to the Autobots. However, Optimus Prime's Matrix-induced visions led him on a quest through one of the four Space Bridge nodes surrounding Junkion, and he selected Bumblebee and Silverbolt to accompany him. Through the Bridge they came across the lonely tomb of Solus Prime, fabled artificer of the Thirteen. Her holographic spirit was called forth by the Matrix and informed the Autobots that the Requiem Blaster, most deadly of her creations, rested on Junkion and must be kept out of Decepticon hands. When the group returned to Junkion with Chaindrive in tow, Optimus assembled his findings, the [[Blades of Time]], and contacted the reclusive [[Vector Prime]].

The Decepticons eventually arrived on Junkion in force, and the two sides warred over a hidden treasure at the planet's core...the Requiem Blaster. A weapon capable of drawing infinite power from nearby stellar sources, the Requiem Blaster had its own gravity field, and had literally been the core around which Junkion's "junk" had formed. Optimus and Megatron dueled once more as the planet tore itself apart, but the arrival of the mythical hero [[Nexus Prime (Prime)|Nexus Prime]] helped to turn the tide. From him, Optimus received the [[Cyber Caliber]], a powerful sword that he used to fight Megatron to a standstill. The fighting over the Requiem Blaster ripped the planet apart, but both sides eventually called off the melee and abandoned the Blaster after learning the location of the Allspark itself. Optimus Prime and the Autobots boarded the Ark and began the long race to reach their civilization's greatest prize before Megatron could. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

Some time after the battle over Junkion, the Matrix of Leadership began to behave erratically, transmitting strange visions the further the ''Ark'' travelled into deep space and causing Optimus Prime to doubt his own leadership capabilities. The ''Ark'' eventually discovered the world of [[Aquatron]], rich with Energon. Prime ordered an away party to land and investigate the planet's surface. The friendly Aquatronians eventually invited Optimus himself to one of their cities, where he met the [[Inquirata (Prime)|Curator]], who claimed to speak on the behalf of all Aquatronians. Before Optimus could explore any further, he was struck with another vision of himself, in his Orion Pax state, being menaced by a sinister figure. Crying out Megatron's name, Optimus collapsed and was rushed to the nearest Aquatronian medical center for diagnostic investigations. Doctor [[Xeros]] took a particular interest in his Matrix and scanned it, clandestinely transmitting its schematics back to the Curator to further their own plan.

Later that evening, at yet another welcome celebration, Ratchet privately confided in Optimus that Optimus may be suppressing traumatic memories from his days as Orion Pax. Ironhide interrupted the conversation to tell him that [[Rodimus (WFC)|Rodimus]], [[Kup (WFC)|Kup]], and Bumblebee had gone missing somewhere beneath Aquatron's deep oceanic trenches. Optimus immediately ordered a search party to find the missing Autobots, even though the Curator warned Optimus that Aquatron's deepest depths were inhabited by vicious, less-evolved creatures. Before the search party could begin its task, Sideswipe warned Optimus of the approaching ''Nemesis'', who had been trailing the Ark and also chanced upon Aquatron. Optimus asked the Curator for help, worrying that the ''Ark'' would be shot down, and the Curator responded by cutting power to both ships, angered that the Cybertronians had chosen to fight their war over a neutral planet. He invited both Optimus and Megatron—forced into a temporary truce—to a peace talk, apparently in the hopes of forging a true peace treaty to permanently ending the war. When both sides had arrived and temporarily disarmed, the Curator revealed his true allegiance... that he was, in fact, a Quintesson. A sceptical Optimus, who had studied the Quintesson occupation of Cybertron (although he did not personally remember his own time under Quintesson rule) found it hard to trust the Curator, even when the Quintesson claimed that his formerly violent race had reformed into a peaceful federation.

The Curator visited Prime that night, promising him the current location of the Allspark if he cooperated the next morning, and also mentioning that the Aquatronians could subliminally influence Megatron's mind to make the Decepticon leader more suggestible and easier to manipulate—although Prime steadfastly refused the latter option. The following morning, however, Optimus and Megatron prepared to negotiate, only for Prime to be ambushed by six Vehicon troopers Megatron had secretly brought along with him. Before either side could finish their fight, Skywarp—acting on Starscream's orders—detonated a bomb beneath the building, flooding it. Optimus—who had to shut off his Matrix to quell the tide of Quintesson visions—and Megatron temporarily put aside their differences and helped one another to escape from the rapidly sinking building... only to be met with a horde of angry [[Sharkticon (Prime)|Sharkticon]]s and their general [[Tyrannicon]], who placed Optimus, Megatron, and all the other Autobots and Decepticons under arrest for public mayhem and blasphemy.

Transported underwater and by rail, the defeated party of Cybertronians eventually arrived at Aquatron's capital of Hydratron. Once there, the Quintessons sent Optimus to stand trial for his numerous crimes against the Quintesson Imperium, including treachery and blasphemy against his creators. The Quintessons claimed that they had colonized Cybertron long ago and built the first Transformers, who subsequently revolted against them. Optimus, initially swayed by the stories—and partially remembering his own time spent under Quintesson rule—sadly pleaded guilty to his imagined crimes. However, he suddenly recalled ''more'' memories, including his life before the Quintesson invasion, and denounced the Quintessons as self-serving and manipulative egotists. Even though his brainwashed troops decried him as a maniac and a warmonger, Megatron, his memories also jogged, corroborated Optimus's testimony. The Quintesson judges considered this, and eventually declared Optimus and the assembled Cybertronians innocent. Being Quintessons, they immediately began executing the Cybertronians by pushing them into a Pirhanacon pit, while forcing Optimus and Megatron to fight one another in hand-to-hand gladiatorial combat.

Unbeknownst to either party, the Quintessons harvested the energy exerted by Optimus to power up an abandoned space bridge located beneath Aquatron, from which they eventually launched a Sharkticon invasion force to retake Cybertron, intending to re-colonize it and enslave its inhabitants once more. With Optimus and Megatron no longer needed, they too were plunged into the execution pit. In the fight for survival, Optimus reactivated his Matrix, giving both him and Megatron additional power, even though the Quintessons once again launched a stream of propaganda to further destabilize him. The two managed to escape and came face-to-face with the [[Gamekeeper]] and a mysterious set of carvings depicting a Megatron-like being surrounded by Sharkticons. Megatron killed the Gamekeeper, but Optimus had doubts about the carving's veracity. The temporary alliance fractured as soon as Megatron discovered the decoy Matrix hidden in Xeros's inner sanctum. He plunged the [[Sharkticon Matrix of Leadership]] into his chest, transforming into a Sharkticon-like form, and throwing Optimus down the elevator shaft.

As Prime fell to certain death, he was briefly visited by [[Thirteen|thirteen mysterious figures]], who informed him that it was not yet his time to depart from this realm. Indeed, Optius's fall was broken by a [[Leviacon]], who carried him to the Curator's fortified command bubble hidden deep beneath the surface. Optimus arrived to find Megatron —who had usurped control over the Sharkticons—fighting Tyrannicon over control of the Matrix. Although Tyrannicon soon gained the upperhand and stole Megatron's new Matrix, he was eaten by Hydratron, who had transformed into a monstrous beast that the Curator intended to unleash on Cybertron. Even as the Curator attacked him with its powerful control wand, Optimus managed to ignite the Energon beneath the space bridge and cause a colossal explosion. Despite the Leviacon's misgivings, Optimus stopped to rescue the unconscious Megatron from the explosion as well, and the three of them headed up to the surface of the planet. With the Matrix free of Quintesson interference, Optimus and the Autobots departed to resume their search for the AllSpark. {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution|Retribution}}

===IDW ''Fall of Cybertron'' and ''Prime'' comics===
[[File:GoodIntentions-GrimlockOptimus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|The possibility of the Dinobots reacting negatively was a factor I allowed for in my planning.]]
During the war for Cybertron, Optimus Prime and the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] leader [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] didn't see eye to eye. Optimus preferred playing the long game, but Grimlock felt that caution would hinder their attempts at quick victory. During one of the Lightning Strike Coalition's missions, Optimus Prime ordered them to return to base and abandon their battle, lest they waste precious energon. Grimlock reluctantly obeyed. However, when it was discovered that [[Swoop (WFC)|Swoop]] was in Decepticon custody, the Lightning Strike Coalition ignored Optimus Prime's orders, broke ranks, and went after him on their own. {{storylink|Good Intentions}}

[[File:PrimeComicOptimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Manga is the right of all sentient beings.]]
In the modern day, Optimus sent an encrypted message from [[Earth]] directing the Autobots to their new world. When [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] landed, Optimus and Bumblebee detected them and came to retrieve them. For Optimus to find them under attack from [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] was no matter, for Optimus crushed the air commander and sent his brawny accomplice running. Optimus picked up the wounded Arcee, and took her through a [[GroundBridge]] to his base for [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] to repair her, while informing Cliffjumper that while his journey was over, their battle was just beginning. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)|Prime}}
{{-}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English), [[Toshiyuki Morikawa]] (Japanese)|[[Alfredo Martínez]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Wan-gyeong Seong]] (Korean), [[Marco Balzarotti]] (Italian), [[Reiner Schöne]] (German, Season One), [[Klaus-Dieter Klebsch]] (German, Season 2), [[Blas Garcia]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Dariusz Odija]] (Polish), [[César Marchetti]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Pekka Lehtosaari]] (Finnish)}}
[[File:OneShallRise3-corresponding.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|One does not simply see a strong friendship between a bully and a nerd.]]

In the waning years of the [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Orion Pax was a clerk in the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] [[Hall of Records]], {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}} mentored by [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]]. {{storylink|New Recruit}} His interests lay with the tales of ancient Cybertronian history, but the more he learned about the past, the more he grew concerned about the present. There was a disparity in freedom among the classes of his race, and the ruling class was corrupt and all-powerful. In seeking a solution to this inequity, he found inspiration in the words of a gladiator named [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatronus]], and the two joined forces to end corruption and bring equality to the masses. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}} Orion and Megatronus became close allies, almost like brothers. But soon Megatronus' ideals would become corrupted, and the two would become bitter enemies. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

[[File:OneShallRise3-cametobe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|If you squint, I look sort of like this in ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]''. Okay, that's a lie.]]

Both Megatronus — now "Megatron" — and Orion Pax appeared before the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]], and Megatron stated it was his intention to overthrow the High Council by force and instate himself as the next [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. But it was Orion's speech that drew their attention. Jealous, Megatron left angrily and began his conquest, which resulted in countless casualties and left the [[Core]] of Cybertron itself [[Dark Energon|poisoned]]. It was Orion's subsequent search for the Core that completed his transformation into Optimus Prime. The Core, the essence of their creator [[Primus]], relinquished the [[Matrix of Leadership]] into his chassis. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

During the war, Optimus encountered [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] at the [[Battle of Technahar]] when the Decepticon was sent by Megatron to kill him. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} With the help of Alpha Trion, Optimus fired the [[AllSpark]] into space to hide it from Megatron. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}} After Cybertron was abandoned, Optimus Prime's [[Team Prime|elite team]] of Autobots eventually made their way to Earth, where they allied themselves with the [[United States of America|United States]] government. The Autobots were assigned [[William Fowler]] as their liaison, and provided an [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|abandoned missile silo]] as a base in exchange for keeping the Decepticon threat contained. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}} Optimus then sent a message into space, calling any Autobot survivors to Earth. {{storylink|Out of the Past}}

[[File:DarknessRising1-fairquestion.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Do you have your grandfather's glasses—er, wait.]]

After three years of Decepticon absence, Prime was out on the road when word reached him that [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] was facing down an entire contingent of Decepticons. Arriving to the battlefield too late, Prime delivered a eulogy for their fallen comrade. Soon after, some humans were caught up in a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, and Optimus, knowing that they would now be targeted by the Decepticons, had them brought to the Autobot base. There, he told them about the Transformer war and assigned the Autobots to be their individual guardians. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}} Presently, the apparent reactivation of Cliffjumper's lifesigns was detected by the Autobots, and they tracked it to a Decepticon [[Energon]] mine, where they discovered that Megatron had returned to Earth with Dark Energon, used to revive Cliffjumper as a zombie [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcon]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}}

Realizing that Megatron's goal was to create an undead army, Optimus and [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] headed to the site of an ancient Transformer battleground on Earth, arriving just as Megatron used a sliver of Dark Energon to reanimate the corpses buried there into a Terrorcon legion. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} Struggling against the detrimental effects of Dark Energon, the pair cut their way through the Terrorcons, but Megatron escaped before Optimus could get his hands on him. Returning to base, Optimus was disappointed to find that [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] had let the kids go out into battle in his absence, but disturbing intel had been recovered in the process: the Decepticons were planning to use a [[space bridge]] to revive the dead of Cybertron with Dark Energon. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}} [[GroundBridge|GroundBridging]] to the Decepticon's space bridge in Earth orbit, Optimus faced Megatron down in a one-on-one battle while the other Autobots sabotage the bridge, causing it to explode and destroy the Terrorcons, and apparently, Megatron himself. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}}

[[File:DarknessRising5-OptimusPrimeguns.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Pssst, Prime, your barrel openings are just painted detail.]]

Despite the victory, Optimus regretted not having been able to turn Megatron to the path of peace, and Ratchet consoled the Autobot leader. When Decepticon activity was detected in an area of the desert, Optimus and Bumblebee went to investigate, discovering that Starscream had located and reactivated Skyquake from stasis. Optimus tried to appeal to the two Decepticons to consider a truce now that Megatron had gone, but Starscream merely mocked his request and Skyquake was determined to carry out his late master's wishes and terminate Prime. Optimus and Bumblebee found themselves forced to battle and destroy Skyquake, with some assistance from Fowler, but they respectfully buried their fallen foe and Prime lamented the circumstances. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

[[File:Scrapheap-cloudsbreak.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Okay, ''now'' I'm ready to call Bulkhead fat."]]
After Bulkhead and Bumblebee found a pod in the [[Arctic]] and brought it back to base, Optimus and Arcee went back to the Arctic to check for clues as to the pod's origin. After some time searching, the temperature sensors Ratchet had given them went off, so Optimus attempted to contact base, only to find the comms were down. The pair sought shelter, but as their temperatures slowly dropped, things looked grim. Just as they were losing hope, the GroundBridge opened and ejected Bulkhead and the swarm of [[Scraplet]]s that had been causing havoc at base. The three Autobots were subsequently able to return home, and Optimus paid tribute to their human friends who had helped eliminate the Scraplets. {{storylink|Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap}}

[[File:Convoy-Optimustrailer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"This here's [[Rubber Ducky|Rubber Duck]] and I'm about to put the hammer down."]]
When Bulkhead's old buddy [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] arrived on Earth, Optimus excused himself from the welcome party and went out on patrol, since "Primes don't party". As such, he missed all the fun when Wheeljack turned out to be a [[Makeshift (Prime)|Decepticon spy]], but he stuck around for the second part to welcome the real Wheeljack, telling the visiting Autobot that he'd always be welcome on Earth. {{storylink|Con Job}} Not long after, when the Autobots were contracted by Fowler to help transport the experimental [[Dynamic Nuclear Generation System]], Optimus carried the device in a [[trailer]] to the rendezvous point, where it was transferred to a train. Unfortunately, the D.N.G.S. became a target for both the Decepticons and the human terrorist organization [[MECH]], and Prime was forced to have his Autobots break cover to fight [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] while he dispatched MECH's leader [[Silas]]. A poor loser, Silas took out the train track ahead and Optimus went into [[maximum overdrive]], grabbing the train and physically halting it. {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}

[[File:Optimuselectrocuted.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] were right, I should've gone for this earlier!]]
Tracking an [[Energon Harvester]] to a museum, Optimus Prime and the Autobots were attacked by new Decepticons arrivals [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]], and Prime got the business end of Knock Out's [[Energon prod]], taking him out of the fight long enough for Soundwave to make off with the Harvester. Optimus led the Autobots in following the villains to Greece, and stopped their attempts to harvest an Energon seam there. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}} Prime had another clash with Knock Out soon after: when he discovered that Arcee and [[Jack Darby (Prime)|Jack]] had disobeyed his orders against using powers for personal gain by participating in illegal street races, Optimus intervened, and helped rescued a [[Vince|captive human]] from Knock Out's clutches by ripping the Decepticon's door off. {{storylink|Speed Metal}}

[[File:SickMind-OPinfected.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|I woke up late one morning with a black eye. Why the heck does everyone think I'm sick? I could've just been punched in the face. Really hard.]]
While investigating a [[Autobot plague ship|crashed Autobot spacecraft]], Optimus Prime's hopes of helping any survivors were dashed when the craft turned out to be a corpse-strewn plague ship from which he contracted [[Cybonic plague]], a pathogen engineered by Megatron himself. Arcee and Bumblebee boarded the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' in search of a cure, and, discovering that Megatron was still alive and in stasis, Bumblebee entered his mind via a [[cortical psychic patch]]. In his dreamworld, Megatron was constantly killing imaginary Optimus Primes, and Bumblebee played on Megatron's desire to kill Optimus himself, rather than have him succumb to the plague, to convince him to hand over the cure. {{storylink|Sick Mind}} After getting back up to full health, Optimus led the Autobots to the Arctic, where Starscream was using a heat ray to melt a glacier in order to access an energon deposit. Prime boldly ploughed through the weapon's beam in order to get close enough to destroy it, but the resultant explosion left him helpless before Starscream—until he was saved at the last moment when the resurrected Megatron arrived to haul Starscream away for punishment. {{Storylink|Out of His Head}}

[[File:Shadowzone HappymusPrime.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|:D]]

Optimus Prime led the Autobots in investigating a Dark Energon energy signature, and found Starscream using the substance to resurrect Skyquake. Fortunately, the additional power conveyed upon Starscream by the Dark Energon was not enough to prevent Optimus Prime from blasting his arm clean off. Presently, a GroundBridge accident catapulted Jack, [[Miko Nakadai (Prime)|Miko]] and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] into an alternate dimension, and when the Autobots opened a portal to bring them back, Prime took the Autobots back to the battlefield to protect them from Starscream. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}} Optimus's inimitable compassion even extended to Breakdown, when he was captured by the forces of MECH and Optimus determined they would rescue him. {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}} Later, Optimus was at the Autobot base when Jack and Arcee brought [[June Darby|Jack's mom]] in to introduce her to everyone. {{storylink|Crisscross}} He was out on a scouting mission with Bumblebee when Ratchet detected a strange magnetic signature that turned out to be a [[Polarity gauntlet]], {{storylink|Metal Attraction}} and also missed out on an adventure in a collapsed mine, but when he heard that Jack had shown mercy to an immobilized Megatron, he was proud of the boy. {{storylink|Raf's Notes#Note15|Raf's Notes}}


[[File:Partners-StiffOptimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We've replaced Optimus with a statue. Think anyone will notice?]]

Exploring the wreck of a crashed [[Harbinger|Decepticon ship]], Optimus Prime and his team fell victim to [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], who paralyzed Prime and Bulkhead with the ship's cargo: an experimental [[Immobilizer]]. Prime would have wound up handed over to Megatron and mounted on the bow of the ''Nemesis'' if not for Bumblebee, who saw the villainess off, and Ratchet, who repaired the damaged device and unfroze the pair. {{storylink|Partners}}

[[File:StrongerFaster-RatchetPrime.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Who will join me? Who will become stronger, faster, more insubordinate?]]

Lost Cybertronian technology continued to cause problems for Prime and the Autobots when a formula for [[Synthetic Energon]] was beamed from a [[Cybertronian data cylinder]] into Bulkhead's mind, putting his life at risk. Refusing to sacrifice Bulkhead despite the advantage the formula would give the Autobots, Prime petitioned Megatron for the return of the cylinder so they could extract the data. In exchange, he would hand it over to the Decepticons, but Megatron refused and destroyed the device after a battle. The formula was subsequently beamed out of Bulkhead's mind into space, {{storylink|T.M.I.}} but when Ratchet proceeded to generate a batch of "SynthEn" and was driven mentally unstable after testing it on himself, he and Optimus came to blows, and Optimus confined him to base. Ratchet instead took off to face Megatron, forcing Prime to lead a team into a Decepticon mine to rescue him. Cured of the SynthEn's effects, Optimus reminded Ratchet that he was a vital member of the team. {{storylink|Stronger, Faster}}

[[File:PrimeEp23-PrimeMegatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Slap slap.]]

Believing that a prophecy in the [[Covenant of Primus]] was soon to come true and that Megatron could regard it as his destiny, Optimus Prime was finally forced to abandon any illusions of turning his old foe to the path of good after the Decepticon leader grievously wounded Raf during a battle over a power source for the villain's new space bridge. Optimus boarded the ''Nemesis'' and called Megatron out for a one-on-one battle that he vowed would be their last. The two ancient enemies fought before a volcano, and Optimus managed to fell Megatron, but just before he could deliver the killing blow, the volcano erupted with Dark Energon. Megatron experienced an increase in power, and turned the tide, {{storylink|One Shall Fall}} but thankfully, the intervention of the other Autobots saved Optimus's life. Retreating to base to review this new nightmare scenario, Optimus recounting the tale of [[Primus]], [[Unicron]] and the [[Thirteen]] to the gathered humans and told them he believed that Earth had formed around the slumbering form of Unicron, who was now in the process of awakening. Examining areas of the planet struck by earthquakes at the moment of the eruption, Optimus soon found himself confronted by Unicron himself, in an avatar formed from rock and stone. He prostrated himself before the Chaos Bringer and tried to plead for the lives of the billions of [[human]]s who dwelt on Earth, but Unicron considered them parasites and attacked Prime with wave after wave of avatars. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

[[File:OneShallRise2-shake.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Kiss kiss.]]

He ordered the other Autobots ''not'' to come to his aid, so naturally they came anyway. After fighting increasingly larger Unicrons, they came up against one that was too much for them. Just as it was about to step on Optimus, help came in the unlikely form of Megatron, who offered his services in eliminating Unicron and revealed that only the [[Matrix of Leadership]] held by Optimus could achieve that aim. The Autobots returned to base, where the others were horrified that Prime was intending to take up Megatron's offer, but he was resolute that all care would be taken to make sure it was a safe as possible. When Megatron stepped into the base, Optimus and the other Autobots welcomed him appropriately. Before they left on their mission, Optimus presented Jack with the key to the GroundBridge power supply. Optimus, Megatron and the Autobots were soon stepping through the GroundBridge to Earth's core, Unicron himself. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}}

As they moved through Unicron's internal structure, they came under attack from [[Unicron's antibodies|antibodies]]. Optimus and Megatron fought back to back, though Optimus took time out to rescue Bulkhead from falling. When they reach Unicron's spark chamber, Optimus and Megatron went inside, and, though the dark god possessed Megatron, Optimus unleashed the Matrix, apparently extinguishing Unicron's spark. However the price was high—Optimus's memory was lost and he believed himself to be Orion Pax. Megatron played along, and took him back to the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

[[File:Orion-Pax-Part-1-OP-Megatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"You mean I can't just go [[Super Mode]] and kick your ass in this show? Crap."]]

Megatron wasted no time in convincing Orion that black was white and up was down. Branded with the Decepticon insignia by Knock Out, Orion was shown false history of Cybertron's destruction, and convinced that the Autobots were the aggressors. Angered at Cybertron's loss, Orion promised Megatron he would do his part to help. He was put to work decoding information stolen from the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] archives, and told Megatron they were of locations of Earth, and feared that they could be weapons of mass destruction. Later, there was a commotion in the corridors, and Orion decided to investigate despite being ordered to remain in his lab, however Soundwave managed to prevent him from seeing Arcee when the Autobot managed to get on board. Not long after, the long-absent Starscream sneaked onto the ship to steal [[energon cube]]s and ended up blundering into Orion's work room. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}}

Surprised to see Starscream, not least because Megatron had said he was dead, Orion's suspicions became aroused as Starscream noted Megatron would likely have told him many lies. Despite asking what he knew, Starscream was quick to depart when more Vehicon guards arrived and in spite of Orion attempting to convince them to hold their fire. After Megatron's subsequent covering of the incident, Orion decided to poke through the Decepticon database and learned that he was Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}}

[[File:OrionPax3 Optimus Decepticon insignia.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|What did I do last night?]]

Megatron, as it turned out, already knew he knew since his work was being monitored. Orion decided to delete his discoveries so that Megatron could not use them, however Megatron revealed he was also having his work copied. As Soundwave reported activity on Cybertron, Megatron had more Vehicon guards put at his back while he dealt with the matter, and threatened to kill him if he didn't continue his work. Orion tried to appeal to the guards to help him warn the Autobots, but they responded with a beating until he discovered he was armed and stopped them. Having realised he was meant to be an Autobot, Orion went to confront Megatron at the space bridge. However, he found he was no match for the Decepticon leader and was quickly overpowered. Just then, Arcee leapt through the space bridge from Cybertron and tackled Megatron. Behind her was Jack with the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], loaded with the information from the Matrix of Leadership. Orion questioned whether he was worthy, and Jack assured him he was. When his memory was restored, albeit minus his time as Orion, Optimus prevented Megatron from exterminating his comrades, and they returned to the Autobot base for a big reunion. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 3}}

Optimus and Ratchet followed an ancient signal, and found Megatron and his forces unearthing a Cybertronian artifact, the [[spark extractor|Spark Extractor]]. While the two Autobots fought the other Decepticons, Bumblebee snatched the extractor from Megatron inside the GroundBridge. Later at base, Optimus theorized that the Spark Extractor was among the many Decepticon weapons confiscated during the Great War, and worried that he couldn't remember what he had revealed to Megatron when he was suffering amnesia. To compound matters, a short time later, MECH stole Bumblebee's [[transformation cog|T-cog]], causing Prime more worry. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} Despite Optimus's misgivings, Ratchet talked him into approving a T-cog transplant between Ratchet and Bumblebee. When a signal indicating an artifact was detected, he cut the operation short to take Arcee and Bulkhead to secure it. Unfortunately, he and Arcee were unable to penetrate Knock Out's force field, and the Decepticons got away with the [[Forge of Solus Prime]]. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}

[[File:LooseCannons Optimus and Wheeljack in Jackhammer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|This scene is even funnier if you imagine "Mahna Mahna" playing on the radio.]]

When Wheeljack returned to Earth in pursuit of [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]], Optimus attempted to convince him to join the Autobot team. Wheeljack instead took Bulkhead to try and trap Dreadwing, only to fall into a trap themselves. Prime had to dig Wheeljack out of the resulting rubble, and joined him to rescue Bulkhead, who was strapped to one of Dreadwing's explosives. When Optimus managed to defeat the Decepticon and pin him, his gambit to make Dreadwing defuse the bomb worked, and Wheeljack gained a new respect for the Autobot leader. {{Storylink|Loose Cannons}}

After obtaining information on Airachnid's whereabouts from Starscream, Optimus led a mission to an abandoned energon mine in [[South America]], where they found Megatron fighting an [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]] under Airachnid's control. When the fight was finished, the Autobots surrounded the exhausted Megatron, but were prevented from finishing him off by the arrival of Dreadwing. Outnumbered, Optimus offered to allow Megatron go if Dreadwing extended the same courtesy. Though Dreadwing kept his word, Megatron ordered the Vehicons to attack while he and Dreadwing escaped, but luckily the Autobots trashed them. {{storylink|Crossfire}}

[[File:NemesisPrime Nemesis vs Optimus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"Optimus Prime, slavery is the right of all sentient beings!" "Wow, am I really that annoying?"]]
Optimus returned to base from an energon mine to find that MECH had created a clone of him and were using it to attack the military. He and the Autobots attempted to stop [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]] from attacking [[Alden Military Base]], but had to retreat under fire from the military. They began scouring the area, and located the MECH base, where Optimus fought one-on-one with Nemesis Prime, until a distraction by Fowler allowed him to finish off the Silas-controlled machine, dropping it on Silas himself. Optimus returned to base for repairs, and Fowler gave them the news that Silas had disappeared. {{storylink|Nemesis Prime (episode)|Nemesis Prime}} During Fowler's debriefing by [[Bryce|General Bryce]], Optimus revealed himself to the general to prove he was still alive and on the military's side. {{storylink|Grill}}

Optimus took Bumblebee and Arcee to investigate some activity and found Airachnid sending out a swarm of Insecticons to attack the ''Nemesis''. He and Bumblebee ended up having to fight a bunch of them and won. They got to return to base with Airachnid, whom Arcee had trapped in stasis-lock. {{storylink|Armada (episode)|Armada}} After the ''Nemesis'' crashed, and was reactivated with Dark Energon, Optimus took a team with the [[spark extractor|Spark Extractor]] to attack the warship, only for them to all be knocked into stasis lock by the ship's weapons. Ratchet took them back to base, where they recovered after the conscious ship was disabled by the kids. {{storylink|Flying Mind}}

With the locations of four relics now in their possession, Optimus dispatched Arcee and Bumblebee to [[New York City]] to find the first {{storylink|Tunnel Vision}} and warned Bulkhead to be careful in obtaining another near the equator. {{storylink|Toxicity}} Optimus himself went to [[Antarctica]], where he found the relic had already been taken, and Dreadwing had Starscream a prisoner. During the ensuing fight, Optimus brought tons of ice down on Dreadwing, before forcing Starscream to lead him to a human base where the relic was being kept. Dreadwing caught up with them, and while Optimus fought the Decepticon, Starscream obtained the [[Apex Armor (Prime)|Apex Armor]], forcing Optimus and Dreadwing to team up to defeat him. Though Dreadwing intended to fight him again, Optimus convinced him that there would be no point in continuing their fight, so Dreadwing left. {{storylink|Triangulation}}

Back at base, Prime found that Bulkhead had been critically wounded during the relic missions. Optimus refused to tell Wheeljack who was responsible, but the Wrecker rushed off anyway. When Wheeljack and Miko later returned having killed [[Hardshell (Prime)|Hardshell]], Optimus stopped Ratchet from preventing Miko from running to Bulkhead's side. {{storylink|Hurt}} Optimus began attempting to decode the Iacon database, though it was hard going with the Earth technology he was forced to use. {{storylink|Out of the Past}}

[[File:Legacy-PrimeStarSaber.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|By the power of Iacon, I HAVE THE POWER!]]
During a mission to investigate a crashed escape pod, the team encountered [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] whose tales of guarding [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] convinced Optimus that he was on the level. Optimus still believed Smokescreen was too green to go into combat, so the new Autobot was left at base when Prime took a team to recover some [[Red Energon]]. When they encountered Starscream, still in possession of the Apex Armor, Optimus took the Decepticon on himself, kicking Starscream off a crane. After Smokescreen used the [[phase shifter]] to separate Starscream from the armor, Optimus officially welcomed the new Autobot to the team. {{storylink|New Recruit}} When Fowler notified them that a [[Project Damocles]] satellite had been stolen by Breakdown and Silas, Optimus took a team to a military base in the hope of securing the satellite control codes before the Decepticons could get them. Instead they found themselves facing both Decepticon troopers and the orbital death ray itself, controlled by Soundwave. {{storylink|The Human Factor}} Optimus assigned Jack to help Smokescreen adapt to Earth. He had almost finished decoding another set of Iacon coordinates when a signal led him and his team on a wild goose chase. Despite this, they found the location of the real relic, the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]], and Optimus managed to wrest control of it off the Decepticons. Through the sword's power, he received a message from Alpha Trion. {{storylink|Legacy}}

[[File:AlphaOmega-ohmy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"You must not sacrifice a piece of the future to bring back the past." "But you flung all of the artifacts from the past onto Earth!" "... right, right, sorry. [[Five Servos of Doom|Wrong script]].]]
Trion told him of the existence of the [[Omega Key]]s on Earth, and Prime immediately set about decoding the four final coordinates from the Iacon database. After Arcee returned from the first set of coordinates with news that Megatron had invited Prime to come get the first key, Optimus went to [[Egypt]] to find that Megatron had grafted the arm of a Prime onto himself and forged the [[Dark Star Saber]]. Though Megatron's new weapon shattered the Star Saber, with Smokescreen's help Prime returned to base with the first Omega Key and resumed his decoding work. {{storylink|Alpha/Omega}}

He soon decoded more coordinates decoded though in both cases the Autobots failed to secure the Omega Keys. Smokescreen was hit hard by the failure, and Optimus told the other other Autobots to allow the upset rookie space. When the final coordinates he decoded turned out to be an image of Smokescreen, he took the team to find their comrade, only to arrive too late as Smokescreen was captured by Soundwave. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} After Smokescreen escaped the ''Nemesis'' with two of the keys, the Autobots received a message from Starscream offering the final key in exchange for surgical help. Optimus took Bulkhead and Ratchet out to Starscream's location, only to realize too late that they'd been tricked, and Starscream got away with all three of the Autobots' three Omega Keys. {{storylink|Inside Job}}

After Dreadwing returned the Forge of Solus Prime to the Autobots, Optimus used it to modify the GroundBridge into a space bridge. Believing that Megatron would use the keys to restore Cybertron for political points, Optimus took the Autobots to their home world, and kept Megatron busy with the reforged Star Saber while the others took back the keys. Though they succeeded, and reached the [[Omega Lock]], Megatron revealed he had taken the Autobots' human friends hostage. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}

[[File:PrimeDarkestHourOPArm.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"...Nothing ever dies we will rise again."]]
With no other choice, Optimus had everyone hand over the Omega Keys in exchange for the kids, however when it turned out Megatron intended to use the Omega Lock on Earth as well, Optimus was compelled to use the Star Saber to destroy the lock. He and his team returned to Earth, only to find that the Omega Lock had created a [[Darkmount (Earth)|Decepticon fortress]] on their doorstep, and he ordered the others to evacuate. Prime himself stayed behind to destroy the GroundBridge, and was caught in the explosion as the Decepticons destroyed the base. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}}

Optimus was salvaged from the wreckage by Smokescreen, who sheltered Prime in an underground cavern. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}} Though Smokescreen was unable to find any medical supplies for his badly-damaged leader, Optimus asked after the Forge of Solus Prime. {{storylink|Scattered}} Smokescreen retrieved the relic from the Decepticon warship, however Optimus refused to use it on himself, believing the power should be conserved for later use in repairing the Omega Lock, and that the Autobots needed a new leader—Smokescreen. {{storylink|Prey (episode)|Prey}}

[[File:Rebellion-prepunch.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Here's your damn beef!]]
As his life faded, Optimus had a vision of approaching Alpha Trion and the [[Allspark]]. His journey to the afterlife was cut short, as Smokescreen used the Forge to revive him, bestowing on him a new, more powerful body. He flew to [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]], where he rescued [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] from Megatron's tender mercies, and proceeded to throw the Decepticon leader into the power core for the fortress's [[fusion cannon]]s. His efforts allowed Fowler's squadron to destroy the fortress, and the Autobots reassembled at a military base. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}}

After [[scanning]] a new vehicle mode provided by Fowler, Optimus scouted some Decepticon activity and found some Insecticons digging up a skull. He managed to secure the skull, which turned out to be [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]] remains, leading the Autobots to conclude [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] was planning to clone more. After reports of Decepticon activity in [[Texas]], Optimus took Smokescreen and Bumblebee there, but faced with Shockwave and Soundwave, the trio proved unable to prevent the Decepticons obtaining more Predacon [[CNA]]. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

A lull in Decepticon activity made Optimus suspect that their enemy had collected sufficient fossils. He and the others went on a mission to secure more energon, only for Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack to find and destroy the Decepticon cloning laboratory. When the pair were attacked by the newly-intelligent [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]], Optimus arrived in the nick of time to save them from termination and flew them back to base. {{storylink|Evolution}}

[[File:MinusOne-staredown.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Imagine waking up to this one day... *squeals with excitement*]]
When the Decepticons started raiding technology from the humans again, Optimus wondered what they were up to this time. He led a team to one of the thefts, and though they were unable to prevent the Vehicons from getting away, Optimus managed to shoot down Soundwave and take the Decepticon captive. Their attempts to interrogate Soundwave were unsuccessful, and Optimus took his team to the [[Solaris particle collider]] in response to another Decepticon attack. He found himself facing Predaking, and though he initially gained the upper hand, Predaking turned the tables and sent Prime plunging to the ground. {{storylink|Minus One}} Optimus continued to fight, but was only saved by the fact that Predaking was called away to rescue Shockwave. He and the rest of the team returned to base to find Ratchet had been abducted by Soundwave. {{storylink|Persuasion}}

The Autobots launched [[Chip|a probe]] containing Laserbeak's transponder and Optimus followed it in the hopes it would lead him to the Decepticon warship. Unfortunately he was intercepted by Starscream and some Seekers along the way, and though he dealt with the Vehicons, Starscream destroyed the probe and escaped, leaving him none-the-wiser as to the warship's location. He continued to fly around until Ratchet contacted the Autobots to reveal the location of the warship, and Optimus ordered the others to storm the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Synthesis}}

[[File:PredaconsRisingOptimusPrimeFinalGlance.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|Um, Luna? Do you have time to sing a 'Goodbye Song' before you go?]]
Optimus himself reached the ship by air, only to be immediately attacked by Megatron wielding the Dark Star Saber. With his [[jet pack]] damaged, Optimus still managed to climb onto the ship and eventually make his way to the Omega Lock on its underside, allowing him to briefly attack Shockwave before Megatron caught up with him to resume their duel. After Bumblebee's death, Optimus found himself dangling from the ship. Before Megatron could deal a final blow, the warlord was terminated by Bumblebee, who'd been resurrected by the Omega Lock's power. Optimus took command of the warship and flew it to Cybertron, where they used the Omega Lock to resurrect their home world.

After a final visit back to Earth, and a farewell to both their human friends and Ratchet, Optimus and his team finally departed back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock}} Optimus held a ceremony to promote Bumblebee to the rank of warrior, shortly before taking [[Ultra Magnus's ship]] and heading off to find the AllSpark. He and Wheeljack located it near [[Theta Scorpii]], and managed to retrieve it, but arrived back on Cybertron to find Unicron had taken control of Megatron's body and was trying to destroy the planet. Optimus merged the AllSpark with the Matrix of Leadership, allowing him to use the container that had held it to trap Unicron's anti-spark. Unfortunately this also meant that his own spark was inextricably merged with the AllSpark, and he was forced to sacrifice his own life to restore the AllSpark to Cybertron. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}
{{--}}

===Eaglemoss ''Prime'' comics===
After dealing with a Decepticon incursion, Prime contacted Raf at base to request a GroundBridge. Unfortunately the bridge collapsed as the Autobots went through, scattering them to the four corners of the Earth. {{storylink|On Thin Ice}} Optimus landed up in an Amazon jungle, where he stumbled on a Vehicon sinking in quicksand, having been left there by Starscream. After rescuing the Vehicon, Optimus found himself webbed to a tree by Airachnid. She was about to start cutting him when the Vehicon saved him, and leaving Airachnid in the quicksand, Optimus took a GroundBridge back to base. {{storylink|Friend or Foe?}} When the Decepticons hijacked [[COMSAT-1]] so they could broadcast warning worldwide and terrify the earthlings, Optimus and his team GroundBridged up to stop them. {{storylink|Horrible TV}} When Bulkhead was hit mid-transformation, trapping Miko inside, Optimus said cutting him open to get her out would be a last resort, as he had confidence Ratchet could fix the problem. {{storylink|Cell}}
{{Charstubfiction}}

===Titan Comics ''Prime'' comics===
[[File:Titan4.2 Optimus and Miko.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|"Except when I'm making air-quotes."]]
As the Decepticons slowly conquered Cybertron, Optimus knew they'd try to attack [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and set up defences at the [[Iacon Energon Refinery]]. Sure enough, Megatron attacked with a small team of Decepticons but the Autobot gunners managed to take out all but Megatron. To Optimus's surprise, Megatron didn't abandon his men, instead rescuing them under heavy fire. When Optimus had the opportunity to take a shot, he hesitated and Megatron's team escaped. For that, Optimus took the blame and was even regarded as a traitor by some. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.2|War Story}}

Many years later, Optimus's team had settled on [[Earth]]. After Ratchet somewhat apologetically unveiled the [[Safe]], Optimus told him to have more confidence in his work. When Bulkhead managed to uncover a hidden nuclear missile and a scouting party of Vehicons neared the base, Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee went out to greet the Decepticons. While Bumblebee knocked the Vehicons into the air, Prime and Arcee blasted them. They reentered at the base in time to see Fowler arriving with some scientists, and Optimus had some stern words with their liaison about the mystery bomb and its intended purpose, insisting that Fowler take it with him when he left. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.1|The Safe and the Failsafe}}

During some downtime, Prime took the other Autobots and the kids to [[Valley of Fire State Park]]. At Miko's request, he told the story of his battle with Megatron in the Iacon Energon Refinery. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.2|War Story}}

[[File:Titan4.3 Optimus ready to roll out.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|MUNKY ARMS! MUNKY ARMS!]]
On [[Christmas]], Fowler reported to Optimus that Megatron and Starscream had taken control of the [[Yamal|NS ''Yamal'']], a nuclear-powered Russian icebreaker. Leaving Arcee and Bulkhead in charge of the base, Optimus took the other Autobots to the ship and attacked Megatron. As Optimus fought Megatron, the Decepticon leader outlined his plan to detonate the ship's reactors with a [[static lance]]. Bumblebee managed to wrest the lance off Starscream and threw it to Optimus who used it to hit Megatron. Once the Decepticons had been dealt with, Optimus's team returned to the base, where they found it had been turned into an impromptu ice skating rink. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.3|Ice Breaker}}

Optimus was surprised to find the GroundBridge active and asked Bulkhead what the problem was. Bulkhead's denials were undermined by the Vehicons pouring through the bridge, and Optimus led the counter-attack. While Optimus and the others kept the Decepticons busy, Raf and Bumblebee managed to shut down the bridge. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.4|Tinker, Tailor, Gamer, Spy!}} Optimus shared Jack's suspicions about some recently exploded schools, and had the Autobots check out the other schools in the area. Sure enough, the schools came under attack by [[MECH]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.5|School Is... Out!}}

After Starscream stole [[Air Force One]] and held the [[President of the United States]] ransom, demanding Optimus Prime be turned over bound and gagged, the Autobot leader worked out from the ransom note where Starscream was. While the other Autobots protected the plane and took on the Vehicons, Optimus rescued the President by cutting off Starscream's arm and catching her as she fell. After the Decepticon retreated, Optimus made sure the Autobots left before the aircraft's crew recovered consciousness. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.6|All the President's 'Bots!}}

[[File:Titan4.6 Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|left|240px]]
Lured into a trap in a scrap-metal facility in [[Zhejiang Province]], [[China]], Optimus found his mind had been zapped into a human by [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]'s [[neuron refractor]]. The Autobot leader mentally contacted the human, [[Lin-Che]], and guided him in fighting off the attacking Vehicons and reversing the refractor. Back in his own body, Optimus broke out of the crusher he'd been stuffed into, and fought off the Decepticons. He later returned Lin-Che home, to return the favor. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.8|The Mind Trap!}} After Miko was kidnapped by MECH agent [[Novo]], Optimus joined the hunt to find her. When Novo, now in a mechanoid body thanks to a MECH experiment, returned Miko to them, Optimus offered him the help of Ratchet and the Autobots' technical expertise, but Novo turned him down. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.9|The Novo Incident}}

Optimus led a team to the [[Deep Driller]] oil platform, and found not the expected environmental terrorists, but human soldiers in [[robotic battle suit]]s. After finding dealing with the humans in a non-lethal matter difficult, Optimus took Jack's suggestion of surrendering, and once [[Rufus Madison|General Madison]] realised his opponents were alien robots, he stopped fighting. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.10|Mad Dogs & Autobots}} After it turned out that the missing Bulkhead had been imprisoned on the Decepticon warship, Optimus took a team, including the three kids, to the ship to mount a rescue. During the course of freeing Bulkhead, he trashed at least two Decepticons and blew a hole through the side of the ship. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.11|The Battle for Bulkhead}}

Optimus and his team took part in a battle against the Decepticons in [[The Wave]]. Unsurprisingly, they survived and returned to base to find Bumblebee and Raf had made a mess in their absence. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.12|The Evil Shred}} Optimus and Bumblebee went on a stealth mission to stop Megatron attacking the [[Statue of Liberty]], though they found the Decepticon forces there to be more than they expected. Optimus pursued Megatron up the side of the statue, and managed to defeat the Decepticon leader, but did substantial damage to the statue in the process. He later promised Fowler that the Autobots would fix it. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.13|Protecting the Lady}}

Knock Out and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] specifically demanded Optimus and Bulkhead come after the two Decepticons took over a TV studio. The Autobots found themselves forced to run the ''[[Down and Out]]'' course, lest the Decepticons' hostages be harmed. Though Optimus was confused by the inaccurate nature of the ''Down and Out'' set, he and Bulkhead managed to get through the course and rescue the hostages, leading to Knock Out and Breakdown's defeat at the hands of Arcee. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.14|It's a Knock-Out}}

Upon hearing of strange seismic movements throughout the Northen hemisphere, Optimus ordered a mission to a military base which had been hit by a quake, and contained a Particle Accelerator, and travelled there along with Wheeljack, Bulkhead and Arcee. Upon discovering the Decepticons' intent to use the Particle Aceelerator to open a permanent [[space bridge]] to Cybertron, Optimus changed into his Beast Hunters body for no readily apparent reason and ordered Arcee to clear the area of humans. After failing to stop [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] from opening the space bridge and releasing [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]], Optimus flew up to the plant's reactor core with the intention of deactivating it, but Predaking blew it up instead. He, Bulkhead and Wheeljack then reflected on their chances of ever returning home. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.17|Collider-Scope}}

===''Rescue Bots'' pack-in storybooks===
Optimus Prime sent a special message to the [[Rescue Bot]]s on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], calling on them to come to [[Earth]]. He met them on arrival with the news they would be working with [[human]]s to improve inter-species relations. He accompanied them to [[Griffin Rock]] where he introduced them to his friend [[Charlie Burns|Chief Charlie]], before leaving to help other Transformers. {{storylink|Rescue Bots Roll Out}} After [[Cody Burns]] helped [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] put out a fire that had threatened [[Fire Station Prime|Prime Fire Station]], Optimus Prime spoke to them through a screen, asking if Cody would join the Rescue Bots. Cody accepted. {{storylink|Prime Alert}} Once [[Blades (RB)|Blades]] and [[Sawyer Storm]] joined the team, Chief Charlie asked Optimus about the other two Rescue Bots, but only got an enigmatic response. {{storylink|Rescue Bots Respond}} Following another rescue conducted by [[Chase (RB)|Chase]] and [[Boulder]], Optimus talked [[Walker Cleveland|Walker]] and [[Jack Tracker|Hunter]] into joining the team. {{storylink|Rapid Rescue}}

===''Rescue Bots'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)|[[Klaus-Dieter Klebsch]] (German), [[Jung Goo Lee]] (Korean), [[Jacek Mikołajczak]] (Polish), [[Blas Garcia]] (Latin American Spanish)}}
[[File:UnderPressure Optimus on monitor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Playskool]] is the right of all sentient beings.]]
Optimus Prime sent out a call to all Autobots to come to their new home on [[Earth]]. When a team of [[Rescue Bot]]s arrived at a military base, Optimus met them there and gave them their new mission: to team up with the Burns family and help them keep [[Griffin Rock]] safe. After presenting them with vehicles to [[scanning|scan]], he introduced them to [[Charlie Burns]] and left them to get acquainted. {{storylink|Family of Heroes}} The Rescue Bots had trouble learning to work with their new human friends, and they contacted Optimus to tell him as much, but he was confident that they and the humans would learn to work together. {{storylink|Under Pressure}}

After the Rescue Bots were fired by the Griffin Rock city council, [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] attempted, but failed, to contact Optimus Prime to request the reassignment of Rescue Force Sigma-17. The Rescue Bots were later reinstated. {{storylink|The Reign of Morocco}}

[[File:ItsABotTime Optimus vehicle mode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Optimus drops by Griffin Rock whenever he's in the mood for G1.]]
When [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] tracked a meteor to Griffin Rock, he used the Rescue Bots' comms screen to report in with Optimus, who commended [[Cody Burns]] on his work helping the Bots to acclimate. Three of the Rescue Bots were struck with a strange virus from the meteorite, and they consulted with Optimus and Ratchet on the best way to deal with it. Optimus was concerned that the virus could fall into [[Megatron (WFC)|evil]] [[Silas|hands]] and ordered they destroy the meteorite. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue (RB)|Bumblebee to the Rescue}}

[[File:BotToTheFuture Optimus steps forward.jpg|thumb|Guest starring in an all new ''Tiny Titans'' comic book.]]
Notified that the Rescue Bots had been inadvertently sent back in time, Optimus and Bumblebee returned to Griffin Rock. Optimus deduced that [[energon]] would be enough to power the [[Temporal Station|time machine]], so he and Bumblebee went back to 1939, arriving in time to rescue the Rescue Bots from [[Thaddeus Morocco|Doctor Morocco]]. The team returned to the present, only to find Griffin Rock overrun by [[MorBot]]s. {{storylink|It's a Bot Time}}

Optimus and Bumblebee were kept busy trashing MorBots while the Rescue Bots worked out what was going on. By the time the pair ran out of MorBots to destroy, the team was ready to return to 1939 where they rescued [[Dither]] and returned the timeline to normal. Back in the present, Optimus congratulated the Rescue Bots team for their work. {{storylink|Bot to the Future}}

Alerted to the presence of energon beneath the island of Griffin Rock, Optimus journeyed there with a trailer to retrieve the substance. When Chief Burns's brother [[Woodrow Burns|Woodrow]] became trapped in a cavern deep underground with Cody, it turned into a rescue mission, and Optimus carried the team to the cavern on his trailer. {{storylink|What Lies Below}} Separated from the rest of the team, Optimus and Heatwave discovered the main shaft of [[Mount Magma]], and nearby, a sizable deposit of energon. When they were later reunited with the rest of the team, they were able to ignite the energon in a plan to blast themselves out of the top of the volcano. Optimus later farewelled the Rescue Bots, informing Heatwave that he should prepare for greater responsibility some time soon. {{storylink|What Rises Above}}

The time eventually came, when Optimus ordered Heatwave to the mainland. Rendezvousing at a military base, Optimus trained Heatwave on focusing his energies, so that Heatwave could take on a second alternate mode. {{storylink|Changes}}

On a relic-finding mission, Optimus and Bumblebee searched near Griffin Rock for a [[Liquefier|liquefying relic]]. Optimus enlisted [[Blades (RB)|Blades]]'s help to reach the relic at sea, and successfully used the Matrix of Leadership to shut it down before it could destroy the island. {{storylink|Odd Bot Out}}

[[File:BigGame Dinoptimus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67|Just imagine the look on Megatron's face when he sees this coming at him.]]
Optimus made another routine inspection to Griffin Rock, and when a pterodactyl mysteriously appeared on the island, took the opportunity to observe the rescue team on an investigation mission to [[Wayward Island]]. When the Rescue Bots ran into trouble in the form of some [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]], Optimus was forced to intervene and ended up scanning robo-dino [[Trex]] to gain a third ''tyrannosaurus rex'' mode. With this, he was able to earn the trust of the dinosaurs and discover they were merely protecting their young. {{storylink|Land Before Prime (episode)|Land Before Prime}} Staying on at Griffin Rock to acclimatise to his new dino-mode, a lack of [[energon]] resulted in Optimus becoming feral. The out-of-control Autobot was abducted by big game hunter [[Quint Quarry|Colonel Quint Quarry]], who spirited Optimus away to [[Quarry Safariland]] and began hunting him through the jungle. With the help of Cody, Optimus evaded Quarry long enough for [[Boulder]] to manufacture a cure for his condition. Optimus was returned to normal, and helped Boulder rescue the rest of the rescue team from Quarry. {{storylink|Big Game}}

After capturing an [[Energon eater]], Chase and Boulder dropped it off with Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Unfinished Business}}
{{spoilers|Quarry's Quarry|January 27, 2015}}
Chief Burns again called in Optimus when Quarry kidnapped [[Anna Baranova|Professor Baranova]] and demanded five dinobots as ransom. Optimus and the four Rescue Bots were turned over to Quarry, who took them back to his island and subjected them to physical tests, before imprisoning them ready to be sold. Blades was able to knock out the Q-Drone restraining Optimus and the others, and Quarry was swiftly arrested. {{storylink|Quarry's Quarry}}
{{--}}

===''Tales of the Beast Hunters''===
As [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] and [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] hunted for weapons to combat [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]], they ran into trouble and sent a distress call. Optimus had [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] GroundBridge him into a derelict starship in the [[asteroid belt]]. On arrival, he attacked Predaking. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 5}} He managed to buy Bumblebee and Wheeljack the time they needed to get away with some of the weapons. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 6}}

With the Autobot forces falling before the Predacons, Optimus took the [[Firebreath Cyclocannons]] and set out into the desert in search of Predaking. He found his target, just as Ratchet managed to unlock the power of their new weapons. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 17}}

===''Go!'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Toshiyuki Morikawa]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:Go ep 1 Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|left|Hi, this is all of my frontal shots.]]
Optimus Prime was a warrior of justice who fought the Decepticons for many years. {{Storylink|Pursue! The Legendiscs!}} Somewhere off [[Earth]], Optimus Prime was alerted to the awakening of the [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]] [[Four Oni]]. He soon detected [[Swordbot|six individual signals]] that he recognized. {{storylink|Triple Combination! Swordbot - Samurai!}}

[[File:TFGoSamurai5 Optimus Exprime modes.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
Those six signals turned out to be the [[Swordbot]] [[Swordbot Samurai Team|Samurai]] and [[Swordbot Shinobi Team|Shinobi]] teams. Both teams came in contact with Optimus Prime, and the Autobot commander set to analyzing the [[Legendisc]]s. Optimus contacted both teams in the Samurai Team's newly-built base and let them know of the Legendiscs' number, locations, and their ability to travel through time. He tasked [[Isami Tatewaki (Go!)|Isami Tatewaki]] with acquiring the Legendiscs and protecting Earth at all costs. {{Storylink|Pursue! The Legendiscs!}}

When he detected Dragotron's awakening, he was spurred to adopt a new body with dragon and train alternate modes, and as '''Optimus Exprime''', head to Earth to help the Swordbots in battle against the Predacon leader. {{storylink|Depart! Optimus Exprime!}} {{storylink|Enter! The New Warrior!}} Even with him as added reinforcements, Dragotron proved too much for him. When the Predacon abducted [[Tobio Fūma (Go!)|Tobio Fūma]] and [[Isami Tatewaki (Go!)|Isami Tatewaki]], the young humans who had been helping the Swordbots, Optimus and the Swordbot teams pursued him to [[Mount Fuji]], only to find he had absorbed the boys and the Legendiscs, gaining the power to Cyberform the mountain. Though the two boys manage to resist and escape the Predacon, the power of the Legendisc and the Four Oni which Dragotron also absorbed meant Optimus and the Sword Bots had no chance of beating him.

Until, that is, it turned out that Tobio and Isami had duplicated the power of the Legendiscs in the [[burning justice|hearts of justice]], empowering Optimus to combine with [[Kenzan]] and [[Gekisoumaru]]. The Autobots' new combined form was powerful enough to take down Dragotron and use the Legendiscs to once again seal the Predacons away. The decombined Autobots promised that if the Predacons ever returned, they would be there to again defend the Earth. {{storylink|Final Battle! Link-Up Triple Combination DaiKenzan!}} {{storylink|Final Battle! Link-Up Triple Combination DaiGekisou!}}
{{note|The Samurai and Shinobi Go! series have near-identical finales, with differences such as Kenzen forming the top of the Optimus combiner in the Samurai volume and Gekisoumaru forming the top in the Shinobi volume. A generalized retelling of events is presented here for simplicity's sake.}}
{{--}}

===Full of Fire!===
[[File:FullOfFire Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|I'm [[Batman]].]]
Optimus joined Ratchet, Bumblebee and Bulkhead who were testing new Beast Hunters weapons in a [[New Mexico]] desert. When they were attacked by Predacons, Optimus took the opportunity to test out his [[Firebreath Cyclocannons|Dragon Cannons]], and successfully countered Predaking's flame, but as the Predacons retreated, Optimus told the others he believed this was just a test so the Predacons would know the Autobots' comparative strength. {{storylink|Full of Fire!}}
{{-}}

===2015 ''Robots In Disguise'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)|[[Marco Balzarotti]] (Italian), [[Andrei Yaroslavtsev]] (Russian), [[Alfredo Martínez]] (Spain-Spanish)}}

[[File:WFC-OptimusPrimeconcept.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Steroids are the right of all sentient beings.]]
In the waning days of the war for Cybertron, Optimus spotted a little yellow Autobot in trouble, and defeated the surrounding drone forces. [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] arrived on the scene, and Optimus helped up the Autobot scout, who revealed his name was [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]. Bumblebee informed Optimus that the Decepticons had taken control of communication relays, so that the only way to contact Optimus was by messenger. He also informed Optimus that their leader, [[Sentinel Zeta Prime]], was dead. Optimus suspected [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s hand, and was informed by Bumblebee that the [[Autobot High Council]] had gone into hiding because of this. Optimus believed that the Council would emerge during a safer time, and formed a team with Bumblebee and Ratchet.

They drove to the [[Decagon]], where they found [[Ironhide (WFC)|Ironhide]] battling the forces of [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. After assisting him in defeating Starscream's army, they confronted Starscream himself within the Decagon. After the trio combated and drove off Starscream, a hologram of Zeta Prime's face appeared in the center of the room, stating that he is being held in the [[Kaon]] prison complex. Optimus took Bumblebee and Sideswipe to the Kaon prison, allowing themselves to be captured so that they could infiltrate the facility. The Decepticons prepared to execute them, but [[Air Raid (WFC)|Air Raid]] lent a hand so they could escape, though he himself was captured. While sneaking through the corridors, the three managed to free Air Raid, [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]], and others. They continued through the hallways, and finally located the room where Zeta is being held, only to face [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]]. The Decepticon cowered behind a force field, sending [[Frenzy (WFC)|Frenzy]], [[Rumble (WFC)|Rumble]], and [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] out to fight for him, only venturing out to administer needed repairs to his minions. As Soundwave's energy became low, he attempted to drain Zeta Prime, only to be interrupted by Optimus, who took a shot meant for Zeta. Though Soundwave and his minions retreated, the damage was done, and Zeta Prime died before Optimus could free him.

Optimus brought Zeta's corpse to the site of the hiding High Council, where he lay the dead body in the center of the room. Optimus stated that the Autobots craved their guidance, but the Council stated that their mission was to choose the Primes, not to lead them. They then told him that Optimus himself is a Prime, and that he had changed the lives around him. Optimus was then told that Megatron had corrupted the core of Cybertron, and that he was the one that could remove this blight. He took this burden and responsibility, then was told by the Council that he was now Optimus ''Prime'', the last Prime.

[[File:WFC-OptimusPrimeAltmode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Welcome to the ''Twilight Zone'' Prime.]]
For a new mission, Optimus selected Ironhide and [[Warpath (WFC)|Warpath]], and the team ventured to the entrance of the core, where a corrupted [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]] was being tortured. After a prolonged battle, the Autobots defeated the torturers and freed Omega Supreme from the Dark Energon influence. Omega Supreme escaped, and the Autobots found some [[space slug]]s to use as steeds. One long journey later, they reached the core and defeated a corrupted slug. Unfortunately the core itself had become contaminated, and informed Optimus as much. The only solution was for the core to reboot, which would take millions of years, during which the planet would be unusable, and Optimus realized that the Autobots would have to leave their home. Before shutting down, the core revealed the [[Matrix of Leadership]], which it installed inside Optimus Prime's chest.

Optimus arrived back at Iacon, where he ordered all Autobots to evacuate the planet. Megatron announced that everyone must stay or face destruction, and fired a massive cannon installed in the Dark Energon space station. Optimus Prime ordered his Air Commander [[Silverbolt (WFC)|Silverbolt]] to shut down the cannon with his team. They succeeded, and the station crashed into Iacon. Optimus, Bumblebee, and Ironhide discovered that the "space station" wasn't a space station at all: it was the giant Decepticon, [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]]. They managed to defeat the heavily-armed menace, who plunged into a pool of energon. The Autobots celebrated their victory, but noticed that ''they'' have to evacuate as well. Optimus revealed a massive starship they would use called the [[Ark (WFC)|Ark]], a ship still under construction that would allow them to take a part of Cybertron with them across the galaxy. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}
[[File:WFCDS Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|124px|Origamimus Prime]]
Optimus was a dock worker who found himself caught up in the war against the Decepticons. With the Decepticons on the hunt for the Omega Key, Zeta Prime sent Optimus and his team to protect the library, knowing he could count on his old friend. When Zeta Prime was later captured by the Decepticons, he attempted to contact Optimus. The data links keeping him in contact with the Autobots were severed, so Bumblebee tracked down Optimus at an Autobot base. Optimus subsequently rescued an [[Autobot rookie]] from Starscream, chasing the Decepticon off before joining up with Jetfire and destroying other intruders at the base. Optimus was felled by a [[laser guard]], but revived with the help of Jetfire and Bumblebee. They completed clearing the base by defeating [[Dirge (WFC)|Dirge]], and Optimus announced that the next step was to retake Iacon.

He and his team entered Decepticon-occupied Iacon and destroyed the Dark Energon corruptors, allowing them to get the Decagon's defense systems back online. While they waited for Zeta Prime to make contact again, Optimus reminded Bumblebee that they couldn't let Megatron win just by giving up. Zeta let them know that he was being held in Kaon Prison, and Optimus's team infiltrated the prison in search of him. After an encounter with [[Onslaught (WFC)|Onslaught]], they ran into Megatron himself, who set more Decepticons on them. When they eventually found Zeta Prime, their leader expired. Optimus returned his body to the High Council, who appointed Optimus the new Prime.

Optimus Prime attempted to solicit [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]]'s help. Grimlock challenged him to a fight to decide whether to join up, but [[Swoop (WFC)|Swoop]]'s capture by Decepticons sent the Autobots off on a rescue mission instead. The Autobots tracked Swoop down to a Dark Energon laboratory on the outskirts of Iacon and freed him from Dark Energon contamination. Swoop's services were subsequently offered to the Autobots by Grimlock, who said he'd follow along to protect Swoop. Analysis of core samples by Jetfire and Ratchet indicated that they would need to disable to corrupters preventing it from repairing itself. To this end, Optimus's team traveled to the core and freed it after defeating [[Brawl (WFC)|Brawl]].

Realising that the core needed time to repair itself, Optimus ordered the Autobots to evacuate the planet in Arks. He and his team ascended the space bridge to attack the Trypticon space station and take out its main power core. They escaped during the station's plunge towards Cybertron, but as it fell, it transformed. Optimus rallied his men against this new threat, leading the way to the crash site, where the Autobots confronted Trypticon. After the titan's downfall, Optimus and his men left Cybertron in search of a new source of energy. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)}}

===''Transformers: Cybertron Adventures''===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)|[[Marco Balzarotti]] (Italian)}}

Optimus Prime coordinated many of the Autobot campaigns during the war. He dispatched Ironhide and Bumblebee to retrieve a datacore of information about Trypticon from Kaon. He later coordinated the evac measures for Cybertron, personally guarding a supply convoy while Bumblebee ran point and ensuring the safe launch of an airlift while the Aerialbots prevented Seekers from taking potshots at it. He also sent the Aerialbots up to Trypticon Station itself when its orbital weapon systems began annihilating the Autobot ranks.

When Trypticon itself fell to Cybertron after the Aerialbot assault, it transformed into a tremendous warbot, and Optimus Prime raced out to meet it. Bumblebee and Ironhide accompanied Prime to the blast site, fighting through numerous Decepticon embankments to reach the monster. Trypticon himself proved to be an implaccable foe, and Optimus coordinated both ground-based flanking attacks and strafing runs by the Aerialbots. Eventually, the mighty menace went down, and Prime saluted Trypticon on his way to extinction. {{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}
[[File:FOC-GameInformerPrimeBumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"No, not in the chest, you guys! The throat! The throat!"]]
As the Ark neared completion, Optimus was alerted to the fact that [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]]'s team had deserted their post and the Decepticons were consequently attacking with giant [[Warp Cannon]]s. He made haste back to Autobot City where he sent [[Sideswipe (WFC)|Sideswipe]], [[Jazz (WFC)|Jazz]] and [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] off in search of the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] before joining [[Warpath (WFC)|Warpath]] in fending off the Decepticons attacking the nerve center. When it turned out they didn't have enough energon for the defences, Optimus and [[Perceptor (Prime)|Perceptor]] decided to divert some of the energon from Ark. With Perceptor's help, Optimus got an old artillery piece working and reached the neutron cannon which he used to take out some of the attackers before running out of energon. At that point he was drawn to the city core, where he managed to awaken [[Metroplex (FOC)|Metroplex]]. Optimus guided the giant in destroying the Warp Cannons, but the last of them felled Metroplex, forcing Optimus to go inside it himself.

[[File:FOC-OptimusPrimetruckart.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|"WFC Optimus will be so jealous!"]]
He didn't get very far before encountering [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] and the [[Combaticon (WFC)|Combaticons]] who took him prisoner. Dragged before Megatron, Optimus was only saved by the timely reactivation of Metroplex. Once Megatron was a messy stain on the ground, Prime strongly recommended Starscream and the others leave. Some time later, Jazz and Cliffjumper reported that they'd found a massive [[energon lake]], and Optimus organized a transport to pick it up. During a Decepticon attack on [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]]'s crash site, Optimus was contacted by Autobots guarding the site who said that Megatron was alive. His request for confirmation was given by none other than Megatron himself, who killed the Autobots who contacted Prime. Recognizing that the Decepticons would only try to retrieve Trypticon's power core if their energon levels were dangerously low, Optimus offered a ceasefire to share what was left, but Megatron rejected his offer, saying that Optimus and the Autobots were responsible for Cybertron's death.

When he was contacted by Grimlock's team who reported [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]'s experiments, Optimus ordered them back to base, only for Grimlock to ignore him. The Ark was eventually launched thanks to a last-minute sacrifice by Metroplex, but didn't get far before the Decepticons caught up in the ''Nemesis'' and attacked it. Optimus headed to the engine room to assist with the defenses there, only to encounter Megatron himself. As the two fought, Bumblebee threw himself in front of a shot meant for Optimus, and the young bot's sacrifice sent an enraged Optimus back into battle against his nemesis. The pair's fight wasn't yet finished when both they and their ships were sucked into the space bridge portal. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}

{{note|Optimus Prime also appears in the game's 'Escalation' mode, on the 'Ignition' map. He fights alongside [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]], [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], and [[Warpath (WFC)|Warpath]]. Optimus serves as the team's [[Tank (FOC)|Tank]].}}

=== ''Transformers: Prime - The Game''===
[[File:Transformers prime the game optimus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Drop an' give me fifty. ''Now''.]]
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}

Optimus Prime and the Autobots detected a massive asteroid of Dark Energon headed towards Earth, and used the GroundBridge to intercept the Decepticons aboard the ''Nemesis'' as they tried to retrieve the asteroid. During the battle, the asteroid broke up and Prime fell to Earth from orbit, and his team was scattered.

Optimus was located by Ratchet via the GroundBridge, where he lay buried beneath Dark Energon debris. The secret of the asteroid was revealed, as a powerful Cybertronian named [[Thunderwing (Prime)|Thunderwing]] emerged, ready to claim the Matrix and destroy it on behalf of his master, Unicron. Optimus and Ratchet evaded the giant's attacks until the ''Nemesis'' intervened. Stray blaster fire sent Optimus through a GroundBridge to his rescue, but Ratchet was inadvertently left behind.

Learning that the Decepticons planned to full repair Thunderwing, Optimus and the Autobots raced to stop the 'Cons from collecting Thunderwing's missing pieces. Optimus and Bulkhead battled Megatron and Starscream for one of the pieces, but Megatron escaped with the prize, leaving Prime buried alive.

Prime rescued himself, and GroundBridged to join the other Autobots in finale battle with the repaired Thunderwing. Optimus Prime succeeded in fending off Megatron and, with the help of one of Ratchet's inventions, defeated Thunderwing as well. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime - The Game}}

===''Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark''===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}
{{charstubgame}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark}}

=== ''Transformers Universe'' ===
[[File:Tu-character-art optimus.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|left|Still no flames....]]
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}

At some point during the Great War, Optimus went missing. Although Megatron scoured the universe in search of his old enemy, the Autobots fought to keep their leader's location a secret.Optimus,however,does not appear as a playable character in the game. {{storylink|Transformers Universe}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys}}

===Merchandise===
{{main|Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Notes==
[[File:TFPrimeOptimustruck.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|So, it hasn't got [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|flames]]. [[Ruined FOREVER|It's still not a flat nose truck.]]]]
[[File:VectorSigmaBotBuilderOptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|It am [[#BHWeaponizer|BIZARRO OPTIMUS PRIME!]]]]
*''Exodus'' and ''War for Cybertron'' are different continuities within the same "continuity family", so their difference on Optimus Prime's pre-Prime name is not a real contradiction in and of itself. However [[Hasbro]]'s [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?guid=7fd5ecd9-19b9-f369-1041-a7635be83172 online timeline]—meant as prequel to ''War for Cybertron''—refers to Optimus's pre-Prime name as "Orion Pax" like ''Exodus''. To confuse matters even more, in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)|War for Cybertron]]'' comic, [[Alex Irvine]], in adapting scenes from his novel, still keeps the character's name as "Orion Pax", when it is also meant to occur prior the game's events. Also, ''Fall of Cybertron'', the sequel to ''War for Cybertron'', uses the name "Orion Pax".
*Optimus is rather forgetful in ''Exodus''. Alpha Trion tells him twice that he had suggested to the High Council that Orion might be the Prime foretold in the [[Covenant of Primus]]. Then he tells Jetfire that the Core told him of Project Generation One, when it was a contingency plan Trion told him about, put in place since the Breaking of the Primes. Then again, leading an army for thousands or millions of years may place a strain on a bot's memory servers.
*Optimus's CG model underwent modifications between "[[Darkness Rising]]" and the first season proper, with his chest windows lowered somewhat during scenes when he is not in battle.
*Optimus Prime's truck mode in ''Fall of Cybertron'' is described by [[High Moon Studios]] principal artist [[Mike Brown]] as a "fist with wheels attached to it." [http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/10/10/fall-of-cybertron-the-new-optimus-prime.aspx]
*At [[BotCon 2012]], High Moon Studios stated that [[Path Blaster|"Optimus Prime's weapon"]] was designed to look like an earlier version of the rifles he wields in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' television series.
* Optimus Prime's body parts are available to use in [[The Hub]] website's [[Vector Sigma Bot Builder]] online game. Normally, you cannot configure a generic 'bot using all Optimus Prime parts, but you can see what one would look like at right through the magic of Photoshop.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Optimus Prime''' (オプティマス・プライム ''Oputimasu Puraimu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Kē Bó Wén''' (Taiwan, 柯博文), '''Qíng Tīan Zhù''' (China, 擎天柱, "Pillar that Supports the Sky")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Optimus Prime''', '''Optimusz Vezér''' ("Optimus Leader", used in ''Rescue Bots'' intro and 2nd season)

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Thirteen}}
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Fall of Cybertron Autobots]]
[[Category:Go! Autobots]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Prime Autobots]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Primes]]
[[Category:Rescue Bots Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Autobots]]
[[Category:Thirteen]]
[[Category:Transformers Online Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers Universe game Autobots]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Autobots]]