User:AzimuthAcolyte/Sandbox/Alpha Trion/Conceptual History - Revision history

Broadside: /* Conceptual history */

2025-06-13T00:49:58Z

Conceptual history

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:49, 13 June 2025
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	That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.		That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.

	This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. Some would be quick to point out that the Thirteen at their original conception by brand founding father [[Simon Furman]] were described in the [[2004]] guidebook ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' as ''all'' having died out by the present day (something that went out the window nigh-immediately with [[Vector Prime]]'s debut in the pilot of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)\|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] a few months later) but the real point of contention takes us back to the convention circuit. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> ~~Not long after,~~ the storyline's [[2015]] finale ~~would do~~ away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.		This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. Some would be quick to point out that the Thirteen at their original conception by brand founding father [[Simon Furman]] were described in the [[2004]] guidebook ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' as ''all'' having died out by the present day (something that went out the window nigh-immediately with [[Vector Prime]]'s debut in the pilot of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)\|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] a few months later) but the real point of contention takes us back to the convention circuit. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up,<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> before the storyline's [[2015]] finale did away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.

	The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the late 2010s ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.		The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the late 2010s ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.

AzimuthAcolyte at 00:49, 13 June 2025

2025-06-13T00:49:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:49, 13 June 2025
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			{{delete\|made live}}

	This is a sandbox to draft a "Conceptual history" section for [[Alpha Trion]].		This is a sandbox to draft a "Conceptual history" section for [[Alpha Trion]].

AzimuthAcolyte: /* Conceptual history */

2025-06-13T00:32:33Z

Conceptual history

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:32, 13 June 2025
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	Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>		Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>

	It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of dialogue previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.		It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of dialogue previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy and always pretty much a bit part. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.

	[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]		[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]

AzimuthAcolyte: /* Conceptual history */

2025-06-13T00:27:45Z

Conceptual history

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:27, 13 June 2025
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	Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>		Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>

	It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of ~~cosmic twaddle~~ previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.		It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of dialogue previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.

	[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]		[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]

AzimuthAcolyte: /* Conceptual history */

2025-06-13T00:04:29Z

Conceptual history

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:04, 13 June 2025
Line 18:		Line 18:
	Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>		Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>

	It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.		It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of cosmic twaddle previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.

	[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]		[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]

AzimuthAcolyte: /* Conceptual history */ Some fandom history stuff from Sabrblade, thanks Sabrblade

2025-06-12T23:53:00Z

Conceptual history: Some fandom history stuff from Sabrblade, thanks Sabrblade

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:53, 12 June 2025
Line 24:		Line 24:
	That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.		That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.

	This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> Not long after, the storyline's [[2015]] finale would do away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.		This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. Some would be quick to point out that the Thirteen at their original conception by brand founding father [[Simon Furman]] were described in the [[2004]] guidebook ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' as ''all'' having died out by the present day (something that went out the window nigh-immediately with [[Vector Prime]]'s debut in the pilot of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)\|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] a few months later) but the real point of contention takes us back to the convention circuit. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> Not long after, the storyline's [[2015]] finale would do away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.

	The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the late 2010s ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.		The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the late 2010s ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.

AzimuthAcolyte: /* Conceptual history */ Breaking this up a bit

2025-06-12T23:21:06Z

Conceptual history: Breaking this up a bit

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:21, 12 June 2025
Line 16:		Line 16:
	==Conceptual history==		==Conceptual history==
	[[File:G1femmes.jpg\|thumb\|\|upright=1.5\|Illustration of Alpha Trion's first appearance from ''[[TV Magazine]]'''s [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)\|Generation 1 story pages.]]]]		[[File:G1femmes.jpg\|thumb\|\|upright=1.5\|Illustration of Alpha Trion's first appearance from ''[[TV Magazine]]'''s [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)\|Generation 1 story pages.]]]]
	Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of ~~Transformer~~ society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>		Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>

	It would ultimately be that second one that stuck; for much of the next twenty-five years~~, beginning with~~ [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction ~~couching him~~ as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma ~~in [[2001]]~~, ~~Trion found himself~~ backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.		It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.

	[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]		[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]

AzimuthAcolyte: /* Conceptual history */

2025-06-12T22:22:50Z

Conceptual history

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:22, 12 June 2025
Line 26:		Line 26:
	This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> Not long after, the storyline's [[2015]] finale would do away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.		This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> Not long after, the storyline's [[2015]] finale would do away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.

	The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.		The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the late 2010s ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.

	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist\|2}}		{{reflist\|2}}

AzimuthAcolyte: /* Conceptual history */

2025-06-12T22:15:27Z

Conceptual history

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:15, 12 June 2025
Line 16:		Line 16:
	==Conceptual history==		==Conceptual history==
	[[File:G1femmes.jpg\|thumb\|\|upright=1.5\|Illustration of Alpha Trion's first appearance from ''[[TV Magazine]]'''s [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)\|Generation 1 story pages.]]]]		[[File:G1femmes.jpg\|thumb\|\|upright=1.5\|Illustration of Alpha Trion's first appearance from ''[[TV Magazine]]'''s [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)\|Generation 1 story pages.]]]]
	Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] ~~of leadership~~ for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Transformer society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>		Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Transformer society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>

	It would ultimately be that second one that stuck; for much of the next twenty-five years, beginning with [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction couching him as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma in [[2001]], Trion found himself backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.		It would ultimately be that second one that stuck; for much of the next twenty-five years, beginning with [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction couching him as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma in [[2001]], Trion found himself backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.

AzimuthAcolyte: /* Conceptual history */

2025-06-12T21:50:48Z

Conceptual history

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:50, 12 June 2025
Line 24:		Line 24:
	That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.		That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.

	This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade ~~simutaneously~~ emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> Not long after, the storyline's [[2015]] finale would do away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.		This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> Not long after, the storyline's [[2015]] finale would do away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.

	The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.		The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:49, 13 June 2025
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	That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.		That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.

	This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. Some would be quick to point out that the Thirteen at their original conception by brand founding father [[Simon Furman]] were described in the [[2004]] guidebook ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' as ''all'' having died out by the present day (something that went out the window nigh-immediately with [[Vector Prime]]'s debut in the pilot of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)\|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] a few months later) but the real point of contention takes us back to the convention circuit. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> ~~Not long after,~~ the storyline's [[2015]] finale ~~would do~~ away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.		This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. Some would be quick to point out that the Thirteen at their original conception by brand founding father [[Simon Furman]] were described in the [[2004]] guidebook ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' as ''all'' having died out by the present day (something that went out the window nigh-immediately with [[Vector Prime]]'s debut in the pilot of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)\|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] a few months later) but the real point of contention takes us back to the convention circuit. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up,<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> before the storyline's [[2015]] finale did away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.

	The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the late 2010s ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.		The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the late 2010s ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:32, 13 June 2025
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	Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>		Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>

	It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of dialogue previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.		It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of dialogue previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy and always pretty much a bit part. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.

	[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]		[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:27, 13 June 2025
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	Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>		Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>

	It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of ~~cosmic twaddle~~ previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.		It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of dialogue previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.

	[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]		[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:04, 13 June 2025
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	Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>		Alpha Trion makes for quite the {{w\|exquisite corpse}} for a guy whose whole thing is being the last old fart very much alive. First created by writer [[Beth Bornstein]] and character designer [[Floro Dery]] for the eponymous [[1985]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]," he was initially presented as a thinly sketched hermit acting as a {{w\|deus ex machina}} of sorts for the debut adventure of [[Elita One (G1)\|Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]], described in the script as "implicitly the creator of several of the Autobots."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJ3OWlKLpIdhwykgyvFgFntqEZvJ9J4s/view Script], "The Search for Alpha Trion"</ref> Subsequent concentric retcons by a revolving door of writers throughout the cartoon would build up to make him comically vital to the entirety of Transformer history, making explicit his role in building [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Optimus Prime]] and Elita One,<ref>"[[War Dawn (episode)\|War Dawn]]"</ref> establishing him as a first-generation product (and subsequent guardian) of the [[Vector Sigma\|life-giving supercomputer]] at the heart of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]],<ref>"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"</ref> bearing (albeit not using) the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for generations before it found its way to Optimus,<ref>"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"</ref> and finally, proving pivotal to the founding of Cybertronian society itself as a co-leader of the [[Autobot Rebellion\|original rebellion]] against their [[Quintesson]] creators.<ref>"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)\|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"</ref>

	It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.		It would ultimately be that second one that stuck for much of the next twenty-five years. When [[BotCon]] purveyor [[3H Productions]]' post-''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' fiction picked Alpha Trion back up for the first time since Generation 1 in [[2001]], he was couched as the earthly representative of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]-derived creator deity [[Primus]] through his connection with aforementioned computer Vector Sigma and tasked with delivering the kind of cosmic twaddle previously reserved for [[Keeper (Transformer)\|various spooky generics]]. And so he would remain, backgrounded as the "mystical exposition" guy: appearing in several different [[continuity\|continuities]], but always pretty much the same guy. A conspicuous outlier during this time was his [[2009]] appearance in the more grounded [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)\|''Animated'' cartoon]], where the hermit thing was thrown out to depict him as a leading Cybertronian politician on the [[Autobot High Council]]. More obscure but significantly more divergent, [[2007]]'s [[Transformers Collectors' Club\|club-exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: TransTech\|TransTech]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)\|Shattered Glass]]'' fiction introduced a version of Alpha Trion who seemed to be the usual kindly old sage, only to be revealed as a cruel, scheming murderer from a negative-polarity "mirror" universe.

	[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]		[[File:COPAlphaTrion.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=0.95\|Alpha Trion's self-portrait(?) from the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|Covenant of Primus]].'']]

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	That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.		That long-forgotten stuff about his role in the founding of Cybertronian society and the lineage of the [[Prime (rank)\|Prime]]s would come roaring back in the 2010s when Alpha Trion was included in brand architect [[Aaron Archer]]'s finalized roster for the [[Thirteen\|Thirteen Original Transformers]] as part of the unified "[[Aligned continuity family\|Aligned continuity]]" project. Debuting in the [[2010]] novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', this Alpha Trion chucked much of the above in a blender, characterized as a demigod descended from Primus himself at the dawn of time, present for the entirety of Cybertronian history with the character hook of acting as the "chronicler" of the Thirteen and keeper of the holy text known as the "[[Covenant of Primus]]" (eventually published as an [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus\|actual factual book]] for fans to buy). This translated into a pre-eminent historian and academic leading [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]]'s [[Hall of Records]] in the present day, both echoing his ''Animated'' social status and positioning him to once again act as a young Optimus Prime's mentor.

	This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> Not long after, the storyline's [[2015]] finale would do away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.		This reveal that the existing mysterious sage from the first generation of Cybertronians was part of the ancient, mysterious first generation of Cybertronians may seem reasonable, but fandom at the time was baffled by the reveal. Some would be quick to point out that the Thirteen at their original conception by brand founding father [[Simon Furman]] were described in the [[2004]] guidebook ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' as ''all'' having died out by the present day (something that went out the window nigh-immediately with [[Vector Prime]]'s debut in the pilot of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)\|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] a few months later) but the real point of contention takes us back to the convention circuit. 2010s BotCon and Collectors' Club stewards [[Fun Publications]] had just spent the past decade emphatically establishing that [[multiversal singularity\|only one version]] of each member of the Thirteen existed throughout the [[Multiverse\|''Transformers'' multiverse]], and it seemed implausible that the eeeevil ''Shattered Glass'' version in particular was the exact same guy as found in the Generation 1 cartoon—something Hasbro explained away with the Aligned continuity being "separate" from the rest of the multiverse and not bound to existing lore. Subsequent events in the Club's Thirteen-centric storyline would see the Aligned continuity "leak" into the surrounding universes,<ref>[[Source:Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter#May 9, 2015\|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/09]]</ref> leading the consciousnesses of the various Trions to metaphysically "fuse" together from the bottom up.<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 14, 2015\|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14]]</ref> Not long after, the storyline's [[2015]] finale would do away with the one-per-customer policy entirely as the "[[Shroud]]" catastrophe shattered the multiverse (and conveniently freed up future writers from its limitations).<ref>"[[Out of the One, Many]]"</ref> Around the same time, [[IDW Publishing]] similarly pivoted the Alpha Trion of their [[2005 IDW continuity\|long-running Generation 1 continuity]] as they introduced the Thirteen for the first time, producing a rascally Trion prone to omissions and half-truths very selective about his own past.

	The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the late 2010s ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.		The subsequent decade of material has pretty thoroughly followed the Aligned continuity's lead, as Alpha Trion's big-screen debut in [[2024]]'s ''[[Transformers One (film)\|Transformers One]]'' kept the "last of the Thirteen and teller of their tales" thing pretty much verbatim. Most recently, [[2025]]'s Thirteen-centric ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes\|Age of the Primes]]'' toyline has taken pains to knit the Aligned characterization back to his classical Generation 1 cartoon look, replacing the fearsome "barbarian king" look of the Alpha Trion of the Thirteen in the late 2010s ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' family of franchises with a reproduction of his youthful appearance from those original cartoon flashbacks, while still maintaining his Thirteen schtick down to including the first mass-produced action figure accessory version of his Covenant.