Darkest hour

The name or term "Darkest Hour" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Darkest Hour (disambiguation).

This is usually the time to get your Matrix ready.

The darkest hour is a foretold day where the Transformers will face the threat of utter extinction. In that time, it is said that a Prime will rise from the ranks of the Autobots and open the Matrix of Leadership, using its power to "light our darkest hour" and eliminate the threat once and for all.

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

As he lay dying in the aftermath of the battle of Autobot City, Optimus Prime, knowing his time had come, chose Ultra Magnus to be the new Autobot commander. Magnus at first resisted, feeling himself unworthy, but Prime sought to comfort Magnus by telling him of the prophecy of the Chosen One. As it turned out, the chosen one was in the room, and it was Hot Rod.

Much later, after taking the Matrix from Galvatron and becoming Rodimus Prime, he opened the Matrix of Leadership, asking it to "light our darkest hour." This caused Unicron to self-destruct and thus halted his attack on Cybertron, saving the Transformers. The Transformers: The Movie

The movie's closing theme also refers to this phrase: It describes division and separation leading to defeat, culminating in "our darkest hour, when the light will save us all."

A year later, Optimus Prime, who had been revived, used the Matrix to cure the galaxy of the Hate Plague, which had filled all beings with rage and caused them to attack others uncontrollably. As he did so, Prime also asked the Matrix to "light our darkest hour." The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

Beast Wars cartoon

At the close of the Beast Wars, when the Maximals emerged victorious, Optimus Primal reflected on Dinobot II's heroism with a quote from the Covenant of Primus: "In the spark of an enemy, there will be salvation. And in the darkest hour, there will be a light." Nemesis Part 2

2005 IDW continuity

When revelations by Onyx Prime (secretly a time-traveling Shockwave) resulted in the powderkeg of post-war Cybertron exploding, Devastator broke Starscream out of prison, imploring the "Chosen One" to light Cybertron's darkest hour. The Ground

Prime cartoon

When Optimus Prime confirmed that destroying the space bridge was necessary, Ratchet affirmed that they would "light [their] darkest hour." Darkness Rising, Part 5 When Megatron and Optimus Prime traveled into Unicron to defeat him, Optimus announced that "the power of the Matrix will light our darkest hour" before opening his chest and unleashing its energies. One Shall Rise, Part 3 When Optimus was restored from his Orion Pax persona and returned to the Autobots, Ratchet said it had been the Autobots' darkest hour without him. Orion Pax, Part 3 After Optimus acquired the Star Saber, Megatron remarked that the Decepticons faced their darkest hour. Legacy

Though no one stated it out loud, that time the Decepticons destroyed the Autobot base was probably also their darkest hour. Darkest Hour

See also

• 'Til all are one