Editing Optimus Prime (WFC)

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:''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''===
[[File:TheVisionary.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
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 encouraging words that allowed the Thirteen to finally defeat Unicron.

In the era that followed, Optimus served as the mediator and voice of reason among the increasingly argumentative group of Primes. When these conflicts and power plays finally boiled over after the death of [[Solus Prime (Prime)|Solus Prime]], the Primes descended into full on conflict against one another. 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 the Well and be reborn as a lesser Cybertronian, in order to know them and their needs better. Before doing so, he asked [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] to remove all references to his name from the [[Covenant of Primus]], so that he could not be found unless in the most dire of circumstances. 

[[File:COP-OrionPax.jpg|right|upright=0.8|thumb]]
Carrying the damaged body of [[Onyx Prime (Prime)|Onyx Prime]] and accompanied by [[Micronus Prime]], Optimus bid farewell to his brothers, and announced that the era of the Primes had ended. The three of them entered and activated the Well, which began producing new mechanical life. Among the many humanoid Cybertronians that emerged from the Well was Orion Pax, a humble bot with no memories of his previous life. Alpha Trion recognized what had once been his fellow Prime, and made a note to keep an eye on him later. 

Orion eventually moved to the city of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], where he found work as an archivist in the newly established [[Hall of Records]], under Alpha Trion's watchful eye. During the [[Age of Wrath]], Orion Pax became Alpha Trion's aide. Orion eventually became friends with [[Jazz (WFC)|Jazz]], a member of the underground resistance movement that had formed against the [[Quintesson]]s. When the Cybertronians finally rebelled against the Quintessons, Orion confided to Alpha Trion that there may be more than one variety of Quintesson. Alpha Trion told him that he needed to keep this knowledge a secret to aid the war effort, and that he needed to pass on these orders to every officer in person. [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] served as his bodyguard. Although the duo faced many hardships along the way, Orion Pax eventually fulfilled his mission. 

When the Quintessons were finally routed from the system, Orion was present to witness the activation of the first [[Space bridge|Space Bridge]]s, which heralded the arrival of Cybertron's [[Golden Age]].

After the Golden Age, [[Sentinel Zeta Prime]]'s [[caste system]] became increasingly oppressive and stifling. Orion developed a friendship with a [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]]ian gladiator named [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. The two sought to revitalize Cybertron's rigid caste system, although they differed in their ideals. They remained friends until a fateful meeting with the High Council, in which Orion was named the next Prime- "Optimus Prime". Consumed by jealousy, Megatron and his "[[Decepticon]]s" declared war on Optimus and his "[[Autobot]]" followers. 

Over the course of the war, Optimus eventually discovered the [[Matrix of Leadership]] after Megatron poisoned Cybertron with [[Dark Energon]]. The Matrix cast all doubt from Optimus's mind about his worthiness as a Prime, and once on the surface he asked Alpha Trion to help build a starship- the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'' so that the Autobots could evacuate the planet while it recovered. They were pursued by Megatron aboard his own ship, and the two factions traveled through the last working space bridge, scattering them across the galaxy.

Over the course of the journey, Optimus's crew visited several lost Cybertronian colonies, and ran afoul of the Quintessons once again. They also encountered a tribe of nomadic Cybertronian mutants named [[Mutacon]]s; their leader [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]] temporarily aided the Autobots in battle against both the Decepticons and the [[Star Seeker]]s. 

Eventually, the ''Ark'' reached an organic planet known as [[Earth]], where Optimus and a small group of Autobots took up residence. The Autobots secretly allied themselves with the [[United States of America|United States]] government and set up a permanent base in [[Nevada]]. {{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 Quintessons arrived 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 "Decepticons" 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 "Autobots" 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 (WFC)|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. Even so, Optimus decided to play along until he could find some way to escape.

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. Optimus and Megatron prepared to negotiate the next morning. However, Megatron took the opportunity to backstab Prime by siccing six Vehicon troopers on 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, transformed into a Sharkticon-like form, and hurled 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 recently freed [[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 Aligned 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. Optimus attempted to reign in Grimlock when the latter attempted to defend Autobot City by himself. {{storylink|Fall}}. On another one of the Lightning Strike Coalition's reckless 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. {{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:OperationBreakdown-GroundBridge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I get to lead 'cuz I'm the tallest!]]-->
[[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!" <br>"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 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."<br> "But you flung all of the artifacts from the past onto Earth!"<br> "... 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 [[alternate mode|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|Deadlock}} Optimus held a ceremony to promote Bumblebee to the rank of warrior, shortly before taking the [[Iron Will]] 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'' comic===
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}}

===Titan ''Prime'' comic===
[[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}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.18|Power Outage}}}}

===''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), [[Pekka Lehtosaari]] (Finnish)}}
[[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|upright=1.3|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}}

[[File:OddBotOut Optimus Matrix.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8]]
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}}

When Doctor Morocco kidnapped the Rescue Bots, he showed them some photos of Optimus and claimed that Optimus had assigned him as the Rescue Bots liaison on Earth. {{storylink|Double Villainy}} The amnesiac Rescue Bots later tried to contact Optimus but received no response. {{storylink|Rise of the Heroes}}

[[File:BigGame Dinoptimus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|Just imagine the look on [[Megatron (BW)|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}} 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}} Optimus alerted the Rescue Bots to a faint energon signal on Wayward Island. {{storylink|Did You See What I Thaw?}}

When some water rescues were imminent, Optimus called [[High Tide]] to Earth to train the Rescue Bots. Later, after High Tide and Heatwave had a fight, Heatwave contacted Optimus to inform him that he was dropping out. Optimus encouraged him to return and he did. After the mission was complete, High Tide contacted Optimus informing him of the mission's success and Optimus requested that High Tide stay on the island to help out, following the destruction of [[Doc Greene]]'s [[floating lab]]. {{storylink|Turning the Tide}}

When the Autobots [[Salvage (RB)|Salvage]] and [[Blurr (Prime)|Blurr]] were discovered on Wayward Island, Optimus visited Griffin Rock to welcome them to Earth and assign them to be trained by Heatwave's team. With Doc Greene's help, he uncovered the fact that Blurr had been less than truthful about his past. {{storylink|The New Recruits}} Optimus was disappointed to hear that Blurr had stolen the ''[[Sigma]]'' and tried to contact the ship. After Blurr saved the day in Griffin Rock, Prime presented him and Salvage with Rescue Bots insignias, announcing that they would be assigned to a location elsewhere on Earth. {{storylink|A New Hero}}

After being contacted by High Tide, {{storylink|Now and Then}} Optimus Prime rushed to the location where Griffin Rock had been and helped clear the crater so the island could be flown back from where it had teleported in the [[Arctic]]. He, Blurr and Salvage helped it fly the remaining distance after the rocket engine gave out, and Optimus later decided that the Rescue Bots could let the whole town know that they were Cybertronians. {{storylink|Today and Forever}}

===''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!}} {{storylink|Triple Combination! Swordbot - Ninja!}}

[[File:TFGoSamurai5 Optimus Exprime modes.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]
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 their newly-built bases and let them know of the Legendiscs' number, locations, and their ability to travel through time. He tasked [[Isami Tatewaki (Go!)|Isami Tatewaki]] and [[Tobio Fūma (Go!)|Tobio Fūma]] with acquiring the Legendiscs and protecting Earth at all costs. {{Storylink|Pursue! The Legendiscs!}} {{storylink|Discover! The Legendiscs!}} He later warned the Samurai teams that it was only a matter of time before Dragotron awoke, and they needed to find all the Legendiscs. {{storylink|The Invincible Swordsman - Ryōma Sakamoto!?}}

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 and 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 Swordbots had no chance of beating him.

Until, that is, it turned out that Tobio and Isami had duplicated the power of the Legendiscs in their [[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 Kenzan 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!}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
Once known as Orion Pax, Optimus is now inspirational leader and friend to the Autobots under his command. He carries within him the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}

{{--}}

===2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English), [[Taitem Kusunoki]] (Japanese)|[[Klaus-Dieter Klebsch]] (German), [[Blas Garcia]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Marco Balzarotti]] (Italian)}}
[[File:RID2015Optimusreturns.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]

At some point after the restoration of Cybertron, a statue commemorating Optimus Prime was constructed. One day, while Bumblebee and [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] were chasing down [[Sideswipe (WFC)|Sideswipe]], Optimus appeared to Bumblebee in a vision in an [[Energon]] pool pointing to a map of Earth inscribed at the nearby [[Cybertron History Museum]]. He later appeared again to Bumblebee, directing him to a decommissioned Space Bridge with Earth's coordinates already programmed in.  {{storylink|Pilot (Part 1)}} When Bumblebee and his makeshift crew cornered the Decepticon [[Underbite (RID)|Underbite]], they were forced to fall back after Underbite unwittingly took a hostage in the form of [[Denny Clay]]. Before Underbite could devour the truck that Denny was trapped in, Optimus Prime manifested himself to the entire group, then easily trounced the Decepticon and rescued Denny. After complimenting Bumblebee's team, Optimus admitted he wasn't sure whether he was alive or not, nor what fate had in store for him, and then disappeared. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 2)}}

Bumblebee continued to worry about his inability to control his troops when compared to Optimus's own command style, and tried calling upon him for guidance- to no avail. Bumblebee later tried to emulate Optimus's authoritative leadership approach while his team tracked down the Decepticon [[Terrashock]], which failed to impress anyone. Eventually, Optimus appeared to Bumblebee in another vision, though Prime disappeared before he could clarify his statement that Bumblebee was not him. {{storylink|W.W.O.D.?}} [[Russell Clay]] bluffed a mind-controlled Grimlock into thinking Optimus Prime was about to turn up, resulting in Grimlock fleeing. {{storylink|True Colors}}

[[File:OutOfFocus Optimus and Micronus.jpg|thumb|left|250px|]]

Optimus began training with the other Primes in the [[Realm of the Primes]], who began testing him in preparation for a new mission on Earth. In one such test, [[Micronus Prime|Micronus]] served as Optimus Prime's mentor, and Micronus challenged Optimus to climb a hill. At the same time, Micronus also manifested a group of humans and a threatening robot to attack them. Optimus tried to defend the humans and begged Micronus to help, although Micronus declined. Eventually, Optimus realized that he needed to climb the hill first, which would activate his Prime Decepticon hunter and allow him to defeat the robot. At the end of the test, Micronus revealed that the humans were merely illusions, and the Minicon congratulated Optimus for his accomplishments. {{storylink|Out of Focus}}

When suffering nightmares as the result of [[Nightstrike]]'s abilities, Bumblebee saw Optimus Prime being disappointed in him. {{storylink|Even Robots Have Nightmares}} The real Optimus made a brief appearance to Bumblebee to warn him of an evil soon to appear. {{storylink|The Trouble with Fixit}}

[[File:Battlegrounds1 Optimus has arrived.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Guess who's back. Back again.]]
Optimus continued his training in the Realm of the Primes with Micronus but still wasn't meeting the skill level Micronus expected of him, to make matters worse the realm was shrouded in darkness which signaled that the threat he was training for was finally about to arrive and he was not ready. Regardless Micronus took Optimus to the ones who ordered his training, the [[Thirteen|Primes]], where [[Vector Prime (WFC)|Vector Prime]] expressed dissapointment to learn the "chosen champion" wasn't. Optimus however stated that if innocents are threatened preparation was meaningless compared to action but Mirconus elaborated that for him to face the challenge, he was to be given a small portion of each of their sparks increasing his power immensely but if he isn't ready he won't survive. Optimus however asked them to proceed anyway and after a few minutes of pain Optimus was reformatted into a new body and sent to Earth, arriving in time to save Denny, Russell and Fixit from [[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]]. After learning that Bumblebee had already left to free his friends from [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]]'s pack Optimus proceeded to follow but the humans insisted on going with him to handle interference with the authorities, but despite his initial hesitation Optimus eventually agreed. Optimus arrived at the [[Crown City Colossus]] in time to see Steeljaw finish and activate the gateway and saw the threat arriving and attempted to destroy the gateway before it arrived, despite resistance from Steeljaw, and succeeded in destroying it but it was too late. The evil had arrived and revealed himself to be [[Megatronus (WFC)|Megatronus]]. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}} 

Optimus engaged Megatronus but he proved to have nearly invincible armor and even telekinesis before swiftly pinning Optimus down, declaring his intention to destroy Earth and Cybertron as he blamed them both for his exile, and attempted to kill Optimus with his arm drill. However [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] intervened allowing Optimus to reclaim his sword and battle Megatronus and bladed combat but again Megatronus proved too strong for Optimus and he took a fatal blow to Optimus and knocked him unconscious. Optimus eventually came around in time to see Megatronus and Steeljaw battle but was shocked to see Megatronus holding a spark-fuser and already secured what remained of the Anti-Spark from Earth's core.

[[File:Battlegrounds2 Optimus and Megatronus fight.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Prime is back. Tell a friend.]]
Optimus returned but again found himself pinned down by a constant laser beam from Megatronus' arm cannon until a combined blast from Bumblebee, [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] and Sideswipe and their new forms given by the Decepticon Hunters distracted Megatronus long enough for Optimus to force him back into bladed combat. Optimus was then contacted by Bumblebee asking him to move Megatronus in front of the statue but at that moment the AllSpark begun it's arrival to Earth which Megatronus intended to merge with the Anti-Spark to destroy both Earth and Cybertron. However before he could succeed Optimus use his blade to destroy the spark-fuser and save both worlds but this greatly enraged Megatronus who angrily attacked all the Autobots but Optimus did as Bumblebee asked and he and Grimlock distracted Megatronus, even managing to destroy his battle staff, long enough for the others to break the arm of the statue and cause it to fall on Megatronus trapping him long enough for Bumblebee, Strongarm and Sideswipe to destroy him. Despite Bumblebee's worries that Megatronus could have survived Optimus assured him that if he did survive they would be there to counter him. 

Back at the Salvage Depot, the other Autobots elected to remain on Earth to continue hunting down Steeljaw and the rogue Decepticons. Optimus initially decided to leave Earth as he did see why he was needed since Bumblebee had become a great leader in his own right. However Bumblebee argued that Optimus had saved both worlds and was still needed; Optimus agreed to stay but as Bumblebee's equal rather than his leader. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 2}}

===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
[[File:LegendsBizTrip5 TFs of today.jpg|thumb|right]]
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 5}} {{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)|TAV21 Optimus Prime Now on Sale!}}}}

===2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' books===
As Bumblebee looked into the sea while at the docks, Optimus Prime momentarily appeared to give him an inspirational speech. After his team captured [[Slink]] and her gang, Optimus appeared briefly to give Bumblebee a proud smile. {{storylink|Sideswipe Versus Thunderhoof}}

===IDW ''Robots in Disguise'' comic===
While struggling to get his team to work together, Bumblebee recalled happier times under Optimus's leadership. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 1|Robots in Disguise #1}} Optimus later appeared to Bumblebee in a vision to tell him to trust his instincts about the visit by Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 2|Robots in Disguise #2}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 5|Robots in Disguise #5}}}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
Optimus Prime and the [[Earth Protection Taskforce]] unsuccessfully attempted to capture [[Starquest]] and [[Thundertron]]. {{Storylink|Ask Vector Prime}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Bumblebee at Tyger Pax}}}}

==Commercial appearances==

{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]]}}

Bulkhead received a phone call from [[wikipedia:Strawberry Shortcake|Strawberry Shortcake]], juvenile provider of baked goods, inviting him to the Berryfest Princess Parade in which he would by extremely glittered. When Optimus asked who the caller was, Bulkhead stated that it was for Optimus. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|Strawberry Shortcake and Bulkhead}}

Optimus participated in a conference call with Fowler, who informed the Autobots that [[Batman]] was to backup the team for a mission. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|Mission: Impossibly Awesome Marathon}}

Optimus was lifted by an ant who had engaged in a proper nutrition regiment, yet eats Happy Meals. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|McDonald's Happy Meal}}

Optimus, Bumblebee, and [[Boulder]] attended a pool party with various entities from other universes. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|Hub Network Summer Pool Party}}

At a [[Toys"R"Us]] somewhere in a [[Quadwal]] universe, sentient versions of toy baby [[wikipedia:Baby Alive|Snackin' Sara]] and [[Optimus_Prime_(WFC)/toys#Robots_in_Disguise|toy Optimus]] have a discussion involving the store's Price Match guarantee that concludes with toy Optimus getting distraught at the existence of an entire shelf with clones of himself. {{storylink|Commercial#2015_2|Toys"R"Us Commercial}}

==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|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)|War for Cybertron - Autobots/Decepticons}}

===''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: Battle For Energon''===
Optimus sent Bulkhead on multiple missions within a Decepticon Dark Energon Mine, the Nemesis Battle Cruiser and back to Autobot Headquarters after it had been infiltrated by Megatron himself. He would warn Bulkhead before he would face off against a particularly dangerous Decepticon foe. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Battle For Energon}}

===''Transformers Prime: Terrorcon Defense''===
Optimus Prime helped Arcee in stopping Starscream and his horde of Vehicons from escaping from an abandoned military outpost. Upon Megatron's arrival to the battlefield, he and Arcee defended Autobot headquarters. Though they were victorious, the Autobots swore to remain vigilant, as the future might bring innumerable threats yet!

Optimus Prime could deploy "Cannon Turrets," "Freeze Turrets," and "Missile Turrets" through the Ground Bridge to aid in destroying Vehicons. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Terrorcon Defense}}

===''Transformers Prime: Decepticon Strike''===
In the aftermath of a devastating Decepticon attack, the Autobots' home base was destroyed and Optimus was left in critical condition. Thankfully, Alpha Trion intervened, healed Optimus and granted him new flight capabilities. With renewed strength and resolved, Optimus fought his way through Megatron's troops until finally squaring off against the Decepticon leader himself. Once he defeated Megatron, Optimus returned to the other Autobots, and together they rebuilt their base in anticipation to the next Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Decepticon Strike|Decepticon Strike}}

=== ''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 Online''===
{{charstubgame}}
{{storylink|Transformers Online}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark''===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}
====Console====
{{charstubgame}}  
{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)}}
====3DS====
{{Charstubgames}}
{{Storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)}}

===''Transformers Prime: Pulsar Defense''===
When the Decepticons constructed an [[Energon Drain]] in an asteroid field, Optimus had the Autobots counter it by building a [[Pulsar Dish]] from debris, and defended the construction using the Star Saber. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Pulsar Defense}}
{{-}}

=== ''Transformers Universe'' ===
[[File:Tu-character-art optimus.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|right]]
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English)}}

During the journey back to Cybertron the ''[[Arclight (ship)|Arclight]]'' was ambushed by the Decepticons. Ultimately the ''Arclight'' was destroyed, but Optimus along with the Autobots escaped the destruction of the ship and took refuge on Earth. Optimus Prime called upon [[General Freeman]] to provide his fellow Autobots with a base of operations and to hide Optimus Prime himself, just as Megatron ordered the Decepticons to search Earth for Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers Universe}}
<gallery widths=200px>
File:TFUniverseJagex-Optimus Prime hologram.jpg|This is probably the most you'll ever see of him in-game
File:TFUniverseJagex-OptimusPrimeVehicle.jpg|The Flameless 379. It won't just rock your logistics, it'll transform them.
</gallery>
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' mobile game===
*''unlock Starter'' — 500 Energon Cubes or 10 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Pumpkin'' — 500 Energon Cubes or 10 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Desert'' — 500 Energon Cubes or 10 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Titan Guardian'' — 1000 Energon Cubes or 20 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Legion'' — 1500 Energon Cubes or 30 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Ultra Magnus'' — 1500 Energon Cubes or 30 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Legion Clash'' — 1500 Energon Cubes or 30 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock 1-Step'' — 2000 Energon Cubes or 40 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Titan Hero'' — 3000 Energon Cubes or 60 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Warrior'' — 4000 Energon Cubes or 80 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Warrior Clash'' — 4000 Energon Cubes or 80 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Titan Changer'' — 4000 Energon Cubes or 80 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Hero'' — 6000 Energon Cubes or 120 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Hero Clash'' — 6000 Energon Cubes or 120 Ultra Sparks
*''unlock Mega'' — 8000 Energon Cubes or 140 Ultra Sparks
When Crown City was overrun by Decepticons as a result of a stasis pod modified to clone an army, the Autobots were forced to battle them throughout the city and surrounding landscape. They eventually found that Steeljaw and another Decepticon had constructed a [[space bridge]] and defeated the pair. {{storylink|Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|Robots in Disguise}}

===Transformers Super Mini-Con Striker===
Optimus Prime was a spectator for a  soccer match between Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Super Mini-Con Striker}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
Optimus Prime participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

==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 [[Hub Network|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 characters]]
[[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]]
[[Category:Rise of the Dark Spark Autobots]]