Mentor
Everyone needs a teacher, someone to help them understand the world and their place in it, and this is where mentors come in. Assigned to the newly-forged, their duty is to guide and support their mentee until they are ready to make their own way in the world, helping them decide what their alternate mode and vocation will be, and ideally with nothing but support and hope for who they will become.
Known mentors (and their charges) include:
- Termagax (Megatron)
- Codexa (Orion Pax)
- Bumblebee (Rubble)
- Wheeljack (Gears)
- Arcee (Gauge)
- Shutter (Bumblebee)
- Alpha Trion (Ultra Magnus)
- Big Wing (Trickdiamond)
- Cryak (Starscream)
Fiction
[edit]2019 comic continuity
[edit]
Mentorship was a highly esteemed and honored duty to be chosen for. The process involves both a nominator and an assessment council. Mentors were traditionally assumed to complete their duty in about two kilocycles, though in rare cases it could be extended. Mentoring Titans, by contrast, was a potentially life-long endeavor and required a very different approach. Wheeljack: Orbital Decay Mentors were selected before the bot was forged, and are introduced almost immediately after they exit the Pyramid. Wannabee, Part 2 Mentors shaped their wards, and it wasn't uncommon for them to follow in their footsteps: Orion Pax would work as an archivist like Codexa before becoming a senator, and Megatron not only worked as a miner based on what he learned from Termagax before his political career, but became the leader of the Ascenticon movement she founded. Orion Pax: Free Fall The Change In Your Nature Part Three In the wake of the War of the Threefold Spark, the Nominus Edict limited the frequency of forgings, making the position of mentor an incredibly rare one. The World In Your Eyes Part Five
In the present, Wheeljack had been mentoring the hapless Gears for far longer than expected (more than twice the traditional duration), though the engineer saw working with the persisting Gears to be an honor and an inspiration, maintaining a positive attitude in the face of his mentee's struggles. The Change In Your Nature Part Five Wheeljack: Orbital Decay
Bumblebee was selected to be the mentor of Rubble. The World In Your Eyes Part One Despite her having gone immersant, Orion still found himself seeking Codexa's guidance. The World In Your Eyes Part Three And Megatron would visit Termagax, claiming to seek her advice, but in fact making sure she wouldn't interfere with his plans. The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two
Arcee would be assigned to mentor Gauge, who also shared her duties with her partner Greenlight. The World In Your Eyes Part Four After Heretech imprisoned Arcee and Greenlight aboard his ship, he wiped the young bot's memories, allowing his servant Accelerator to falsely assume the role of Gauge's mentor. A Truth for a Truth
2021 Beast Wars comic
[edit]When Razorbeast emerged from his stasis pod, an observing trio of Vok noted that his obvious imprinting on Skold was similar to mentorship. Thicker Skin
Notes
[edit]- Mentorship bears some resemblance to the medieval European practice of [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}fosterage|{{#if:||fosterage}}]], where a child would be raised by someone outside of the family so they could be taught particular skills and knowledge, which was a great honor for the fostering individual.