Movie timeline

After a while, the "is Bumblebee a reboot" debate got out of hand...

The Transformers live-action film series has what could charitably be described as an uneven continuity at best, with each new film in the series only barely acknowledging the history established by the previous ones. This timeline of the movie universe includes only information from the films themselves, meaning that there are many vague, overlapping, seemingly-contradictory elements at play.

A vast array of tie-in media was published in conjunction with the release of the first three films in the series, many of which help to expand, explain, and contextualize confusing aspects of the films themselves. However, following that trilogy of films, such tie-ins generally ceased production, and plot elements introduced in Age of Extinction and The Last Knight have rendered much of the information they contained impossible to reconcile with the history as presented in the movies themselves. For a timeline of this "expanded universe," see Alternate timelines below.

“	We were once a peaceful race of intelligent mechanical beings. But then came the war... between the Autobots who fought for freedom, and the Decepticons who dreamt of tyranny.	”
—Optimus Prime, Transformers: Dark of the Moon

This timeline currently ignores the events of Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts as they do not fit in with the historical events given in The Last Knight. Readers can expect to see this change as more information is given in future movies.

Prehistory

The Very Beginning

Before time began, the AllSpark is created from unknown origins. Transformers

Under unrevealed circumstances, the planet Earth forms around the entity known as Unicron. The Last Knight

It was "definitely" an asteroid

65 million years ago, a race of mysterious bio-mechanical beings known only as the Creators uses "seeds" to cyberform many organic planets, converting their matter into a shapeshifting metal that would come to be known as Transformium. Prehistoric Earth is among the planets sown with the metal; the cyberforming of the planet triggers the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, wiping out the planet's native dinosaurs. The creators harvest the metal and take it to the planet that would become Cybertron, where they use it to create a robotic race known as "Transformers," who they intend to be explorers. Age of Extinction The sorceress Quintessa will later purport to have been involved in the robots' creation, but her truthfulness remains in question. The Last Knight

Subsequent events are unclear. The creators somehow lose control of the Transformers, and most modern Cybertronians appear to have no knowledge of the aliens, instead deifying the AllSpark and crediting it as the creator of their race. Transformers Seven Primes rise to become the leaders of the Transformer race, and set out across the universe as explorers searching for energy to harvest to keep their race from dying. The Primes construct Star Harvesters on distant worlds to drain the energy from suns to create Energon. The Primes set out with one rule: “never destroy a planet with life.” The Primes use the legendary Matrix of Leadership as a key to power these harvesters. Revenge of the Fallen

Also in existence around this time is a pantheon of great Cybertronian knights, many of whom owe their forms to the dinosaurs of Earth, while several others are blessed with the ability to combine into a single three-headed dragon. These knights, either knowingly or unknowingly, fulfil the mandate of their creators and set out exploring the universe. Among their number is a direct descendant of the Primes known as Optimus. Age of Extinction The Last Knight

17,000 BC

Circa 17,000 BC, the seven Primes and their followers arrive on Earth, intending to harvest the planet's sun. Upon discovering that Earth is inhabited by the human race, they cease their plans, but one of their number, disgusted by humans, rebels and seeks to take the power of the sun for himself. For this betrayal, the treacherous Prime and those loyal to him become the first Decepticons. War breaks out between these "Decepticons" and the other six Primes and their followers—known as the "Autobots"—over possession of the Matrix. The evil Prime loses the battle and has the Matrix stolen from him by his six brother Primes. Those Primes then create a tomb out of their own bodies to hide the Matrix from their brother, who, for his betrayal, had his name stricken from history, and was branded only 'The Fallen'.

The earliest human civilizations on Earth build their monuments over remains of Transformer activity on the planet. Around 2560 BC, construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza around the Star Harvester is completed, then later, in 1200 BC, the Tomb of the Primes is hidden beneath El Deir in Petra. A riddle is crafted to mark the tomb's location: "When dawn alights the dagger's tip, three kings will reveal the doorway." Seekers sent by The Fallen to hunt for the Matrix learn of the riddle, but fail in their search for the tomb and The Fallen abandons them, leaving them to run out of Energon and eventually die. Revenge of the Fallen

In an unspecified era

Ages pass, and the Fallen retreats to the shadows, his existence unknown to modern Autobots.Revenge of the Fallen Peace reigns on Cybertron, until the Fallen tempts a young warrior named Megatron to the side of evil, and he begins a war to acquire the power of the AllSpark. Transformers The Autobots are initially led in this conflict by Sentinel Prime, but as time wears on, the rise in casualties and the devastation of Cybertron becomes too great for Sentinel to bear. Knowing that his fellow Autobots will not tolerate the drastic action necessary to save their world, Sentinel strikes a secret deal with Megatron to harvest the resources of Earth to repair their dying world. Sentinel Prime invents hundreds of Pillars to create a spacebridge big enough to transport Cybertron to Earth for the repairs, lying to the Autobots and telling them they are a means to transport troops and supplies for the war effort. Sentinel Prime boards the Ark with the Pillars, intending to leave Cybertron and rendezvous with Megatron on Earth to set up the spacebridge, but the Ark is shot down by Decepticons unaware of the two leaders' secret deal. The Ark is left floating through space, believed destroyed. This results in the young knight, Optimus—Sentinel Prime's pupil and Megatron's oldest friend before he turned to evil, to whom he was considered a brother—taking leadership over the Autobots, becoming Optimus Prime. Dark of the Moon

The AllSpark is eventually lost to the far reaches of space, due to unspecified circumstances and Cybertron eventually dies from the extensive damages. This causes both the Autobots and the Decepticons to leave Cybertron searching for it. Transformers

10,000 BC onwards

The AllSpark crash lands on Earth in 10,000 BC.

At some point, the Decepticon vessel Nemesis crashes on an unidentified celestial body with The Fallen aboard.

Around 1,000 BC, Megatron discovers the AllSpark's location on Earth and ventures to the planet alone. Transformers Revenge of the Fallen

5th Century

Dungeons & Dragons - Transformers edition.

Quintessa seeks to restore the damage done to Cybertron by the war and the loss of the AllSpark by draining the life force of Unicron/Earth. Realizing that she is not as beneficent as they had believed, her twelve Guardian Knights steal the control staff required to carry out the procedure, and go into hiding on Earth. In time, during the Dark Ages, they are discovered by the human "wizard" Merlin, who promises to keep their existence a secret. In 484 AD, however, Merlin calls upon the knights' aid to help the forces of King Arthur defeat the Saxon hordes. The knights agree, and bestow ownership of the staff upon Merlin, coding it to his DNA.

When Merlin passes away, the knights entomb his body, with the staff still in hand, in their ship, which they relocate to the bottom of the ocean, standing guard over it in stasis. Knowing that someday, Quintessa will come for her staff, and that that day will be marked by the emergence of a thirteenth and last knight, the Order of the Witwiccans is founded to watch over Merlin's descendants. Over the following centuries, more and more Transformers will arrive on Earth and interact with humanity, but their presence is covered up by the Witwiccans. The Last Knight

16th Century

In an unknown point in the 1500s, Leonardo da Vinci meets a "Machine Man", inspiring many of his inventions and sketches. He would later join the Order of the Witwiccans.

Around the 1560s, Shockwave makes his first recorded appearance. Both events were covered up by the Witwiccans. The Last Knight

18th Century

In the 1700s, Hound allied himself with General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. The Last Knight

19th Century

In the early 1800s, Optimus Prime and Ironhide had made their way to Earth and participated in the Napoleonic Wars. Ironhide would be recorded participating in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, while Optimus Prime was recorded battling during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Both of these events were covered up by the Order of the Witwiccans.

In the 1860s, Drift and another 'bot had been residing in Japan. There, the pair joined a group of samurai and presumably learnt their ancient traditions.

In 1883, Megatron was present during the eruption of Krakatoa, but his presence was covered up by the Order of the Witwiccans. The Last Knight At some point after this, he found his way to the Arctic, where he would crash and becoming frozen beneath the ice. Transformers

In the year 1897, Captain Archibald Witwicky of the National Arctic Circle Expedition discovers Megatron when the Arctic ice gives way under his feet and he tumbles into the cavern that holds the Decepticon's frozen form. Witwicky's inadvertent entry into the cave triggers Megatron's navigation system, causing the release of a beam of light that imprints the AllSpark's co-ordinates onto Witwicky's spectacles. Witwicky is rescued by his crew, and eventually seems to slip into insanity, only seeing and drawing Cybertronian hieroglyphs. He is locked up in a mental institution and the full extent of the beam eventually renders him completely blind. Megatron's discovery would be kept classified for some years under the US government as Project: Iceman. Transformers

20th Century

1900s

In 1901, Hot Rod is recorded in a photograph as a member of the Order of the Witwiccans. The Last Knight

1910s

Around the early 1910s, many more Autobots and Decepticons would find their way to Earth and would participate in World War I. Aiding the British and US military forces were the Autobots, Ironhide and Bulldog, while the Decepticons, Starscream and Shockwave aided the Germans. Their participation in the war would be covered up by the Order of the Witwiccans.

Following the war, Ironhide presumably leaves Earth, while Bulldog stays behind, eventually retiring at Castle Folgan with a sad case of “robot dementia”. The Last Knight

In 1913, almost 12,000 years after the AllSpark's estimated crash, it is discovered by The First Seven. Transformers

1920s

The discovery of the AllSpark leads to the formation of Sector Seven in 1927, under the US government. Transformers

1930s

The most puzzling Rubik's cube to date.

In order to prevent alien forces from discovering the AllSpark, President Herbert Hoover believed it would be best to hide it. So in 1931 the construction of Hoover Dam around the AllSpark's location begins. The walls of the dam are made extra thick with concrete to stop any energy signatures from being detected from the outside. Transformers

I WAS FROZEN TODAY!

In 1932, archaeologists find strange symbols in ancient ruins all across the globe, specifically Egypt. These symbols are later discovered in 2009 to be the Language of the Primes. Revenge of the Fallen

At some point, Sector Seven transports Megatron/N.B.E.-01's body to Hoover Dam, and they continue to keep him frozen there from 1935. At some unknown point after this, scientific breakthroughs are made while studying N.B.E.-01, which begins the technological advancement of the modern age. Transformers

In an unspecified time frame, Sector Seven discovers strange energy readings from various vehicles and forms of technology all across the globe. These readings don't appear to prove any essence of life hiding within them, so Project: Black Knife ceases operation and Sector Seven switches its focus onto other classified research. These energy readings were actually from the ancient Seekers that The Fallen abandoned in his search for the Matrix. Agent Seymour Simmons would eventually beg Sector Seven in later years to continue their research into Project: Black Knife, but his superiors would believe him to be obsessed and ignore his wishes. Revenge of the Fallen

1940s

During World War II, many Autobots join in the battle alongside the Allies. Hound joins the United States Medical Services Corps, while Lieutenant and the HMS Alliance join the British Armed Forces and Royal Navy, respectively. Around this time, Bumblebee (also known as "ZB-7"), makes his first historical appearance on Earth. He joins Witwiccan member Hot Rod in fighting alongside the Allies in the Devil’s Brigade, and befriends a young Sir Edmund Burton. On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler dies at the hands of his own watch. After World War II is over, Bumblebee parts ways with Burton and Hot Rod, continuing his search for the AllSpark and forgetting entirely his participation in the war. The Last Knight Transformers

1960s

"...then we'll really have to land on the moon! Invent NASA and tell them to get off their fannies!"

Around mid-1961, the Ark, which had been lost to time and space, finally meets its fate. As it makes impact on Earth's moon, it is discovered via satellite in New Mexico, thus sparking the space race of the 1960s. In April 1963 the USSR sends the Luna 4 probe to the moon to take pictures, discovering drag marks on the surface and strange looking rocks. These rocks are actually hundreds of Pillars being taken from the Ark by the Decepticons after they too had discovered its location. The USSR sends another unmanned probe to the moon and it returns with the Ark's fuel cell. July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 departs from Earth and makes its first landing on the moon's surface four days later on July 20. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin successfully step foot on the Ark and begin their top secret investigation. A strategic twenty-one-minute blackout is staged by Sector Seven at NASA command to keep the true purpose of the moon landing a secret. A second American manned moon landing is carried out in November 1969, to continue excavation and research of the remains of the Ark. Dark of the Moon

1970s

From 1970 to 1972, the United States stages three further manned missions to the moon to continue plundering the Ark. Soundwave and Laserbeak scout for viable agents within the American space program, and make contact with a NASA accountant named Gould. By tapping the stock market to provide Gould with all the money he desires, Soundwave procures his services to manipulate the NASA budget and make further moon missions financially unfeasible. Consequently, the sixth and final mission launches in December 1972. Also in 1972, Soundwave employs Soviet agents to ensure that the first Russian manned mission is cancelled. Soundwave spends the remainder of the decade manipulating his pawns, and "recruiting" more and more human agents in various areas of the American and Soviet government to ensure the Ark is never re-discovered. Dark of the Moon

1980s

April 20, 1986, after years of tests in Chernobyl, the fuel cell extracted from the Ark finally blows up, causing the Chernobyl disaster. It was covered up as a nuclear malfunction. Dark of the Moon

1990s

"Alien bad news magnet," Sam Witwicky is born to Ronald and Judy Witwicky.

21st Century

2003

December 25, 2003, the Beagle 2 Rover transmits 13 seconds of footage revealing alien activity on Mars. The event is classified top secret under Sector Seven order and the mission is classed as a total failure as reports are made of the rover going missing.

2007

In February of 2007, Blackout makes his way to Afghanistan, where he shoots down a military helicopter and takes its form. Three months after this, he stages an attack on the SOCCENT Forward Operations Base in Qatar in an attempt to gain more information on Sector Seven and Project: Iceman. Where he fails, Frenzy succeeds, hacking into Air Force One and learning of the Witwicky family and Archibald's glasses. To protect Sam from the Decepticons closing in around him, Bumblebee positions himself in a used car lot to ensure that he will be purchased as the boy's first car. After summoning Optimus Prime's team to Earth, he is forced to reveal himself to Sam and Mikaela to protect them from Barricade, following which Sam agrees to help the Autobots in their quest. A clash with Sector Seven ensues, which results in Bumblebee, Sam and Mikaela being taken to their Hoover Dam base as captives. The Autobots then use Archibald Witwicky's glasses to track the AllSpark and their captive friends to Hoover Dam. Unfortunately, in the process, they inadvertently lead the way for Starscream's Decepticons, who attack the base and bring Megatron back online. A truce is orchestrated between the Autobots and Sector Seven with help from soldiers William Lennox and Robert Epps, and they ally to battle their common foes.

Heartburn. Just another thing humans have to force us into for their entertainment.

Events culminate in a colossal battle over the AllSpark in Mission City, which ends when Sam plunges the cube into Megatron's chest, killing him and leaving only a small fragment of the cube behind. With the majority of the Decepticons destroyed or otherwise routed in the battle, Starscream and Barricade are forced into retreat. Bumblebee regains his voice temporarily, wishing to stay and protect Sam. Transformers With no one left to lead the Decepticons, Starscream flies off into space back to the Nemesis crash site to regroup with The Fallen. Optimus Prime later hands over the fragment of the AllSpark he collected from Megatron's corpse to the US military for safekeeping where it'll get stored in the Diego Garcia. Revenge of the Fallen With the AllSpark destroyed and all hope for the revival of Cybertron lost, the Autobots are granted asylum on Earth. Now calling Earth home, Optimus Prime sends a message into space to invite any other Autobots taking refuge among the stars, to their new home. The US Government disbands Sector Seven and covers up the battle in Mission City. The dead Decepticons are dropped into the Laurentian Abyss and are kept under the watchful eye of a full-time US Navy deployment. Transformers

Exclusive footage of America burying the body of the world's greatest terrorist.

Presumably in late 2007, a classified strike team made up of Autobots and the US Military called NEST would eventually be assigned by the US Government to track down any other remaining Decepticon activity and put an end to their meddling. Revenge of the Fallen

2007 to 2009

Within the years that followed a small group of Autobots, after receiving Prime's message, gather together aboard the Wreckers' ship, Xantium. When they arrive on Earth, the Wreckers are considered too violent to be allowed to join Optimus Prime and the NEST Team, so they are kept in charge of working on the Xantium under NASA's watch. Revenge of the Fallen Dark of the Moon

More Decepticons make their way to Earth under new orders from The Fallen and Starscream, in search of the Star Harvester and the Matrix that were left behind thousands of years ago. At this point Shockwave is discovered for the third time. A newspaper article is written up, but it's uncertain if anyone believed this article to be true or not as Transformers still haven't been made public knowledge. Soundwave continues his close watchful eye over Earth's atmosphere, reporting anything he deems worthy of note.

During this point, Sam finishes high school and gets ready to start college in 2009.

2009

"...Hi, yeah, I would like to make a complaint about a sharp metallic object I found in my cornflakes..."

Word reaches NEST of a sighting of the Decepticon fugitive, Demolishor, hiding out in Shanghai. A strike team is able to successfully destroy both him and his companion Sideways. However, the massive amounts of collateral damage and the fact that both targets escaped quarantine offends NEST's government liaison, the officious bureaucrat Theodore Galloway. Simultaneously, Sam Witwicky discovers a second surviving sliver of the AllSpark embedded in his old clothes, and upon touching it, the knowledge of the cube floods into his mind, giving him visions of Cybertronian symbols. The sliver also brings to life the Appliancebots, which are quickly destroyed by Bumblebee. Sam entrusts the sliver to Mikaela before departing for college, making her a target for Wheelie, but she is able to overpower and capture the little scrap drone, eventually convincing him to switch sides to the Autobots.

Heartburn. Am I right?

Soundwave dispatches Ravage to recover the AllSpark fragment from Diego Garcia, after which Scalpel and the Constructicons put it to use restoring Megatron to life. Knowing that the knowledge of the AllSpark—including the location of the Matrix and the harvester—has entered Sam's mind, The Fallen directs Megatron to abduct the boy, leading to a ferocious forest battle that climaxes with the death of Optimus Prime at Megatron's hands. With the last Prime's death, The Fallen believes his victory assured, and addresses Earth with the demand that Sam be handed over, forcing the youth to go on the run with Mikaela, his roommate Leo Spitz, Bumblebee and the Twins.

Well, I've got your face! Nya-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!

Leo is able to lead the group to Seymour Simmons, who shares with them various purloined Sector Seven documents that Wheelie explains pinpoint the locations of the long-abandoned Seekers on Earth. The four humans break into the Smithsonian and locate Jetfire, reviving him with the second AllSpark fragment. Jetfire teleports them to Egypt and explains the story of the Primes, The Fallen, the Matrix and the harvester, giving them the knowledge necessary to locate the Tomb of the Primes. While NEST and the Decepticons gather at the great pyramid of Giza, which Devastator tears open to reveal the harvester, Sam recovers the Matrix, only for it to disintegrate into dust at his touch. Undeterred, he heads into the battle erupting in Giza, but a blast from Megatron kills him, leading his soul to commune with the Dynasty of Primes in the afterlife. They return him to life, in the process transferring the AllSpark knowledge from his mind into the Matrix, reconstructing it. Sam successfully uses it to bring Optimus back to life, but The Fallen claims the Matrix immediately thereafter and activates the harvester. An injured Jetfire sacrifices his own life so that Optimus can bond with his parts, which gives the Autobot leader the necessary power to destroy both The Fallen and the harvester. As a consequence of The Fallen's attack on Earth, the existence of Transformers becomes public knowledge. Revenge of the Fallen

Megatron, badly injured and humiliated in his final encounter with Prime, goes into hiding in Nambia, Africa in a small camp with the other remaining Decepticons, finally adopting an Earth form and caring for Hatchlings, while tending to his wounds. Dark of the Moon

2009 to 2012

While being awarded a medal for his heroism by President Barack Obama at the White House, Sam Witwicky has a brief encounter with Carly Spencer, an administrative assistant from the British Embassy. Either before or after this, Mikaela breaks up with him for reasons unknown; Wheelie stays with Sam. Seymour Simmons writes a book about his experiences, which soon makes him fabulously wealthy. Epps retires from active duty and takes a consulting job, working with NASA and the Wreckers. National Security Director Charlotte Mearing is appointed the new director of NEST in place of Galloway, and quickly brings firm order to the organization, revoking Bumblebee's permission to live with Sam and arranging for the establishment of a network of Energon detectors around the globe to warn of any Decepticon threats. The Diego Garcia NEST base is decommissioned, and the group moves its headquarters to its new Washington, D.C. base, under the alias "Department of Human Health and Services."

While Decepticon high command remains hidden in Nambia, the vast majority of the villains' forces gather in seclusion on Earth's moon in preparation for Megatron's final plan. With this drastic reduction in Decepticon activity on Earth, NEST begins helping to resolve human disputes, though not always with government sanction. Carly gets a new job working for Dylan Gould. After Sam graduates college, he and Carly move to Washington D.C., with Wheelie and Brains in tow. Sam applies to work with NEST, but is turned down by Mearing, and spends three months struggling to both find a job, and to deal with his sudden lack of importance. Dark of the Moon

2013

Exploiting Sam's lack of importance, and seeking to use Sam as a mole through his connection to the Autobots, Dylan Gould begins an attempt at currying his favour by arranging a job for him at Accuretta Systems.

Requiring the Autobots to learn of the Ark's resting place, Megatron has Soundwave call upon Alexi Voskhod to request NEST's investigation into some "alien activity" in the ruins of Chernobyl. There, as planned, the Autobots discover the fuel cell from the Ark, which leads them to the craft on the moon. Shockwave makes an appearance in Chernobyl to stray any suspicions the Autobots may have had. Optimus and Ratchet recover Sentinel Prime's body from the Ark's wreckage, as well as five of his Pillars. Optimus Prime uses the Matrix of Leadership to restore his mentor to life, just as Megatron intended.

Sentinel Prime's attempt to find the Honeycomb Hideout went sadly awry.

Another of Soundwave's pawns, Sam's Accuretta co-worker Jerry Wang, manages to alert Sam to the Decepticon's plans, but is himself executed by Laserbeak. With the help of Wheelie, Brains and Seymour Simmons, Sam tracks down the cosmonauts from the cancelled Russian mission and learns of the hundreds of space bridge pillars the Decepticons removed from the ship. Believing that the Decepticons will come for Sentinel because they require him to activate the space bridge, Sam alerts the Autobots, only for Sentinel to reveal his ancient betrayal, killing Ironhide in the process. Joining with Megatron, Sentinel triggers the space bridge, teleporting the Decepticon forces on the moon into the heart of Washington, D.C. to devastate the city. Sentinel addresses the United Nations, demanding the exile of Optimus Prime's Autobots from Earth. Sam learns that Dylan Gould is working for the Decepticons, but with Carly as his prisoner, he is unable to warn the Autobots of the conspiracy. Optimus's team departs aboard the Xantium, but the ship is attacked by Starscream moments after launch and explodes.

"It's all over, okay?. We won the war, there's nothing more to see... at least until summer 2014."

With the Autobot threat apparently gone, the Decepticons invade Chicago, enslaving the human populace and setting up space bridge pillars across the world to teleport Cybertron into the Solar System. Sam teams up with Robert Epps and his ex-NEST comrades to enter the city and save Carly from Dylan, but they soon learn they will not be fighting alone when the Autobots return, their seeming deaths a ruse to catch the Decepticons off guard. An apocalyptic battle ensues in the streets and skies of Chicago that culminates in the destruction of the space bridge control pillar, causing the space bridge to collapse in upon itself, ravaging Cybertron and destroying the Decepticon fleet. Optimus and Sentinel battle one-on-one until Megatron, convinced by Carly that Sentinel will take Decepticon leadership from him, intervenes. Megatron wounds Sentinel, but this does not stop Optimus from finally killing Megatron by tearing off his head. Optimus summarily executes the weakened Sentinel and the Autobots know that with Cybertron apparently gone for good, Earth is now their only home. Dark of the Moon

2013 to 2018

"We're back, baby!"

Over the next five years, the destruction and political fallout caused by the Battle of Chicago turns a large portion of humanity against the Transformers, and as a result NEST and all other human-Autobot cooperation programs are shut down. During this period Hound, Crosshairs and Drift make their way to Earth. Taking advantage of the turn in public opinion, CIA agent Harold Attinger forms Cemetery Wind to hunt down all Transformers, regardless of faction, though the public believes he is working with the Autobots to hunt Decepticons. Attinger also conspires with the head of Kinetic Solutions Incorporated, Joshua Joyce, delivering him the remains of all the slain Transformers to break down into Transformium for use in the creation of KSI's own man-made transforming robots. KSI also takes Brains captive, using him to decode information from the severed heads of Megatron and Sentinel Prime to aid in the construction process.

The Creators task the bounty hunter Lockdown with capturing Optimus Prime for them. To this end, Lockdown enters into an alliance with Attinger and Joyce, promising them a cyberforming Seed with which they will be able to create a century's worth of Transformium in return for their help tracking and capturing Optimus. Realizing that they are being hunted by humanity, Optimus orders the Autobots into hiding, and is badly damaged himself in an encounter with Lockdown and Cemetery Wind in Mexico City. Adopting a new alternate mode as disguise, Optimus flees to Texas and takes refuge in an abandoned movie theater, where his injuries lead him to go offline. Bumblebee takes up temporary command over the remaining Autobots on Earth, much to the displeasure of some other Autobots, such as Drift. Age of Extinction

2018

This is for 2009! Have a taste of your own...Wait...Wha?...

Eventually, struggling inventor and single father, Cade Yeager purchases Optimus, intending to gut the "truck" for parts, only to instead reawaken and befriend the Autobot leader. Cemetery Wind tracks Optimus down to Cade's home, but Optimus is able to escape with Cade, his daughter Tessa and her boyfriend Shane, and regroups with Bumblebee, Drift, Hound, and Crosshairs. Learning of KSI's involvement in their misfortunes, the group launches an attack on the organization's Chicago headquarters. They rescue Brains, but wind up in battle with two of their man-made Transformers, Galvatron and Stinger. During the fight, Lockdown ambushes Optimus and takes him captive. Thinking the deal done, Lockdown gives Attinger and Joyce the promised Seed, but the Autobots are able to rescue Optimus without Lockdown's knowledge.

Brains reveals that Galvatron is Megatron reborn, who has been manipulating KSI all along. Galvatron brings the other KSI drones to life as his new Decepticon army, and a titanic battle ensues in the streets of Hong Kong as the Autobots try to keep the Seed out of the villain's hands. Optimus recruits Lockdown's other rescued captives, the Dinobots, to aid the Autobots in the fight, but during the mayhem, a furious Lockdown returns to recapture the Autobot leader. With the aid of Bumblebee and the Yeager family, Optimus kills Lockdown and Attinger, but Galvatron escapes. Optimus departs Earth with the Seed to confront the Creators, assigning the Autobots to guard Cade and his family in his absence. Age of Extinction

2018 to 2023

And flying into space alone with no aid of a ship was a good idea because?

In the years that follow, most nations of Earth declare Transformers illegal and form the military Transformers Reaction Force to deal with their threat, forcing the robots to either go into hiding, or relocate to friendlier nations like Cuba. Since humans aiding Transformers is also considered illegal, former Agent Seymour Simmons moves to the beaches of Cuba too. Cade Yeager continues aiding the Autobots, which causes him to become a fugitive. He, alongside Optimus's Autobot team and the Dinobots hide out in a South Dakota junkyard. Tessa goes off to college and loses contact with her father as he is now a wanted criminal. More and more new Transformers arrive on the planet regularly.

Meanwhile, deducing that her staff lies hidden on Earth, Quintessa takes control of the shattered remains of Cybertron and moves the planet toward Earth's solar system. In advance of her coming, she recruits Galvatron (now going by "Megatron" once again) to locate the staff for her, so she can complete her ancient plan. The Last Knight

2023

Yeah, look how well that turned out...

Investigating the newest arrival, who lands in Chicago, Cade and Bumblebee encounter Izabella (orphaned in the Battle of Chicago) and her Transformer companion Sqweeks and rescue them from the TRF. They are unable to save the life of the newly arrived Transformer, but before dying, the robot gives Cade a talisman that marks him as the legendary "last knight." In time, Optimus Prime crosses paths with the approaching Cybertron while on his own space journey, and he too becomes Quintessa's pawn when she takes control of his mind, redubbing him "Nemesis Prime."

Believing the talisman will lead him to the staff, Megatron allies with the TRF to expediently hunt Cade down, but with the aid of Edmund Burton and Cogman, Cade is able to elude their pursuit. Together with Bumblebee and Merlin's last living descendant Viviane Wembly, Cade locates the knights' ship at the bottom of the ocean and retrieves the staff, only for the mind-controlled Optimus Prime to arrive and attempt to take it for his own. Bumblebee is able to break Quintessa's control over Prime, but Megatron then steals the staff and delivers it to his mistress just as Cybertron arrives at Earth. The knights reawaken and attack Optimus for his perceived betrayal, but Cade saves him when his talisman activates and becomes a sword. Recognizing Cade as the last knight, the knights join forces with the Autobots.

Quintessa begins draining Unicron's lifeforce via Stonehenge, but together, the united Autobots, knights, and TRF storm her base, where Viviane is able to use her genetic link to Merlin to deactivate the staff and stop the drain. After the battle, Earth and Cybertron are left physically intertwined and the Autobots make their way back to their home planet. Quintessa, once again deceiving her enemies, fakes her death and adopts a human form, beginning a new plot to kill Unicron. The Last Knight

Alternate timelines

• Movie expanded universe timeline—The secondary chronology of the movie universe that also includes the "expanded universe" of interlocking novels, comic books and other media.
• Sector Seven ARG timeline—Detailing the history of the "alternate reality" that presents Transformers as real beings, and the fiction associated with them a cover story propagated by Sector Seven.
• Titan Magazines movie timeline—Covering the UK take on the live-action movie universe, which diverges following the events of the first film. Also includes a timeline of the parallel universe where the events of the movie turned out differently.