Protoform: Difference between revisions
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A crashed P-6 [[Worldsweeper]] on the planet [[Clemency]] contained malformed and warped protoforms inside tanks. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} A mass of [[Scraplet]]s attempted to sneak onto the ''[[Lost Light]]'' disguised as a helpless protoform, although [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] was able to deal with the infestation before anyone was injured. {{storylink|Silent Light}} | A crashed P-6 [[Worldsweeper]] on the planet [[Clemency]] contained malformed and warped protoforms inside tanks. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} A mass of [[Scraplet]]s attempted to sneak onto the ''[[Lost Light]]'' disguised as a helpless protoform, although [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] was able to deal with the infestation before anyone was injured. {{storylink|Silent Light}} | ||
[[Anode]] was able to combine a "snowflake" of sentio metallico with the last lingering spark energy of the deceased [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]], harvested from one of the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s "flowers", creating a protoform that was a clone-resurrection of Lug. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}} | |||
[[File:Salvation - Trypticon's Protoforms.jpg|thumb|right|Protoforms Rising.]] | |||
Sparks harvested by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] from the [[Alyon]] [[hot spot]] were rescued by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], the beast-Titan submerging himself in Cybertron's crust to allow the sparks to draw on his metal as he replenished it from the planet itself, allowing a sea of living metal to form inside him, from which protoforms began to emerge before the Dinobots' wondering eyes. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}} | |||
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===''Cybertron'' cartoon=== | ===''Cybertron'' cartoon=== | ||
Revision as of 09:52, 18 June 2017
- Protoforms are part of a Transformer's life cycle in many Transformers continuities.
Protoforms consist of an unspecified, free-flowing, metallic matter layered over basic robotic systems. In many universes, a protoform is the first stage in a Transformer's life cycle. These protoforms only await a life-giving spark and the alt-form information necessary to transform them into fully functional, living Transformer beings. Often, protoform modes are used to transport Transformers on intergalactic journeys.
Protoforms are transported or stored in stasis lock, in which state they look like smooth, robotic humanoids. When not in stasis lock, protoforms are a roiling mass of liquid metal around their internal frame.<ref>Protoform states seen in "The Spark".</ref>
In some universes, existing Transformers can place their sparks in a newly created protoform in order to assume a new form, or to recreate their old one. This is one way of rapidly repairing even the most extreme damage, by virtue of totally replacing the body.
Fiction
Beast Wars cartoon continuity
Beast Wars cartoon
Protoforms are often contained within stasis pods and dropped into unexplored worlds. The Axalon carried many such stasis pods for exploration reasons, and also Protoform X, a failed attempt to create an immortal spark, which was intended for dumping somewhere barren. When the ship was shot down over prehistoric Earth, Optimus Primal ordered the protoforms on board ejected into space. Beast Wars (Part 1) A while later, when the first stasis pod crashed to the ground, Dinobot was able to use a laser link to activate the pod's DNA scanner, allowing it to scan for compatible life-forms and reformat the protoform inside into Tigatron. Fallen Comrades
While Blackarachnia was in her protoform state, Tarantulas was able to install a Predacon shell program, turning her against the Maximals. Double Jeopardy On a later occasion, Rhinox worked frantically to save another protoform and the spark it contained, ultimately succeeding and bringing forth Airazor. The Spark Another attempt on Tarantulas's part to create a third spider Predacon failed when it turned out that the stasis pod had already scanned a life form, and metamorphosed the protoform into Inferno. Spider's Game
The destruction of the Vok Planet Buster knocked the remaining stasis pods out of orbit. Two were damaged on impact, reformatting the protoforms within into Fuzors. A third pod found by the Maximals contained a "blank" — a protoform with no spark. Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1) Rhinox was able to bring back Optimus Primal from the dead using the blank protoform. Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2) Protoform X also turned up, crashed in a swamp, and was able to be converted into a Predacon by Megatron. Bad Spark One protoform was twisted by a badly malfunctioning pod into the being which became known as Transmutate. Transmutate
A blank protoform was used by Megatron in a grand experiment, the ultimate fruit of which was a Transmetal 2 recreation of Dinobot. Feral Scream Part 1
3H comics
When Primal Prime's team awoke Ramulus, Ramulus was furious to discover that Optimus Primal had left him and the other Axalon protoforms behind on Earth. Primeval Dawn Part 2
IDW Beast Wars comics
Tasked by the Tripredacus Council with apprehending Megatron in where Ravage had failed, Magmatron made a secret plan to gather an army by reprogramming the remaining protoforms from the Axalon into Predacons via a shell code in an activation signal sent to each pod by a transmitter array. After the protoforms had each scanned a compatible lifeform template, their protomatter began to coalesce, their sparks integrated, and their reanimator plugs fired, completing the nano-regeneration process. However, this plan was only partially successful as undercover Maximal Razorbeast sabotaged the shell signal to allow some of the protoforms to retain their Maximal allegiance. The Gathering #1 Later, Magmatron's team recovered Ravage's intact spark and implanted it into a blank protoform, which had already been affected by the Transmetal 2 Driver. The Gathering #2
After the Beast Wars ended, the Vok revived Airazor by giving her spark a new, Transmetal body by utilizing a blank protoform. Beast Wars Sourcebook #1
Beast Wars II cartoon
Predacon warriors, who resembled protoforms, were shown moving about the Predacon warship using their own power, though they were not shown to speak or have any kind of personality. After the Predacons had gathered enough information about the machines of Gaea's past, they then fed the information into the protoforms via energy waves. The protoforms were then altered into the Autorollers. White Lion, Run!
The atmosphere of the Planet Gaea could have caused the protoforms to rust. The New Forces Arrive! Despite this, a protoform was seen on the bridge of the Galvaburg II well into their visit to the planet. The Insect Corps Arrive
2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon
Autobots (and possibly Predacons) can change into a protoform state during long journeys, presumably to conserve energy. Attributes of an Autobot's original form remain in whatever new form the being takes. For instance, Scourge retained the ability to detect O-Parts.
A downside to the protoform process is that it leaves the Autobots vulnerable to tampering. Megatron was able to use his spark's energy to turn Autobot protoforms into malevolent entities. The Decepticons
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
Protoforms are the first step in most (if not all) Transformer life. Convicted criminals are sometimes reduced to Protoform state, such as the Combaticons. Revelation
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
A traditional Cybertronian song features the lines "Protoform/ Protoform/ What will you be?" Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Protoforms are formed from sentio metallico, the living metal of Cybertron. Newborn protoforms initially resemble simple geometric shapes such as circles or cones, although they quickly develop more humanoid features through a process known as "deep-coding". Within a few hours, protoforms will even begin to take on extra features related to their future alternate modes. They seem to be able to imprint on any other form nearby in the development process, including Cybertronians themselves.Silent Light
A crashed P-6 Worldsweeper on the planet Clemency contained malformed and warped protoforms inside tanks. Rules of Disengagement A mass of Scraplets attempted to sneak onto the Lost Light disguised as a helpless protoform, although Nautica was able to deal with the infestation before anyone was injured. Silent Light
Anode was able to combine a "snowflake" of sentio metallico with the last lingering spark energy of the deceased Lug, harvested from one of the Necrobot's "flowers", creating a protoform that was a clone-resurrection of Lug. This Machine Kills Fascists
Sparks harvested by Bludgeon from the Alyon hot spot were rescued by the Dinobots, Sandstorm, and Trypticon, the beast-Titan submerging himself in Cybertron's crust to allow the sparks to draw on his metal as he replenished it from the planet itself, allowing a sea of living metal to form inside him, from which protoforms began to emerge before the Dinobots' wondering eyes. Salvation
Cybertron cartoon
Protoforms are the first stage of Transformer life, which is usually followed by primary programming.
Live-action film series
Protoforms grow and survive by feeding inside energon wombs. Revenge of the Fallen Protoforms are more than just the first stage of a Transformer's life, they are the "base" form that exists inside each robot. Protoforms are formed of an ultra-dense liquid metal and are extremely hard to damage.
In the rare case they are not actively practicing their natural proclivity for chameleon-like disguise (usually only when engaged in interstellar travel), Transformers shed their exo-structure and return to their protoform state. This protoform is capable of transforming into its transition form: an armored, cometary shape capable of interstellar travel. Upon landing on a new world and transforming back into a protoform, the Transformer immediately begins trans-scanning for new alternate forms to adopt. When one is chosen, the protoform draws on its own ultra-dense substance and any extraneous matter nearby to generate a new exostructure disguise. Transformers: The Movie Guide
Starscream's attempts to breed a new army were met with failure because of low energon supplies, and the "hatchlings", as they were affectionately termed, were dying. When many Decepticons arrived on Earth with The Fallen to claim the Sun, they did not bother assuming alternate modes, and remained in their protoforms. They assisted in attacking NEST forces in Egypt where many were killed in a fire fight with the Autobots and Human troops. The remaining ones were killed by a U.S. military air strike. Revenge of the Fallen
Many Decepticon protoforms were hidden on the Moon, and came to Earth via the space bridge activated by Sentinel Prime.
When Sentinel gave the command for the Decepticons to isolate Chicago, many protoforms (some airborne) assisted in the occupation. One particular protoform pilot came and fired upon Sam Witwicky, Robert Epps and the other NEST soldiers, but they were saved when the protoform's ship was shot down by Optimus Prime. The Wreckers came along and ripped the pilot apart, telling him that it would hurt a lot. Ouch. (Owie!)
Later, under the command of Soundwave, another protoform aided in rounding up several Autobots that had infiltrated the city. At the advice of the human collaborator Dylan Gould, Soundwave ordered the Autobot prisoners executed, starting with Que. Barricade pushed the Autobot scientist forward despite his pleas for mercy, and the protoform delivered the first shot while Barricade killed Que by shooting him in the back, laughing derisively as his victim fell. He then looked on as Soundwave prepared to execute Bumblebee, but before Soundwave could kill him, Wheelie and Brains caused Decepticon fighters, as well as some of the Decepticon crew, to crash down from a Decepticon battleship. This caused a distraction that allowed Bumblebee and the other captive Autobots to break free, resulting in Soundwave's and the protoform's death. The remaining Protoforms were pushed back by the joint Autobot/NEST attack, and Optimus Prime downed many when he charged down the main battle field, including two very large protoforms. Nearly all of the troops present in the city were defeated, while many remained active around the Earth. Dark of the Moon
Footage of several Decepticon Protoforms at the Battle of Chicago was shown by the Government as anti-Transformer propaganda. Age of Extinction
Animated cartoon
Protoforms are created from "protomatter", mined from Cybertron's Sonic Canyons. The AllSpark Almanac II In their pre-life state, they resemble featureless grey mannequins, and are stored in pods that line the walls of the secret Matrix Chamber hidden in the dojo of their assigned protectors, the venerable Autobot Cyber-Ninja Corps. Five Servos of Doom Customarily, prior to being brought on line, protoforms are placed into "moulds", pre-built robot shells, which their protomatter expands to fill. Endgame, Part I Following this, either the AllSpark or the mega-computer Vector Sigma is used to bestow them with a spark. The AllSpark Almanac II It is possible, however, to forego the use of a mould and place a spark in a protoform directly. Five Servos of Doom The same basic mould can be used for multiple protoforms, leading to similarities in body-type and transformation schemes; the 65356-9292-346 type is particularly popular and widely used. Autoboot Camp Where humans would describe themselves as being "born", Transformers are "protoformed". Additionally, "protoform" is sometimes used pejoratively in Cybertronian society as a mocking name for the young or inexperienced.
In the closing stages of the Great War, Cyber-Ninja sensei Yoketron revealed the Matrix Chamber and its legion of protoforms to his student Prowl, lamenting that while they should be Cybertron's next great generation, they would wind up being used as an army of last resort if Project Omega failed to bring the war to an end. Subsequently, while Prowl was absent on a quest to commune with the AllSpark, Lockdown, another former student of Yoketron's, attacked the dojo and stole nearly all of the protoforms for Megatron. Five Servos of Doom As luck would have it, Project Omega did succeed in ending the war, and when the Decepticons were exiled from the planet, they secretly took the stolen protoforms with them. However, without the AllSpark (which had been launched into space by the Autobots to keep it out of his clutches), Megatron had no means of bringing the protoforms to life, and so they remained in storage aboard the space cruiser Nemesis for millions of years. Endgame, Part I
Some time in the 22nd century, a protoform which had been granted a spark through means unknown, in a highly atypical foetus-like form, somehow materialized on Earth, in the laboratory of human scientist Isaac Sumdac. When Sumdac touched the protoform, it scanned his DNA, and reconfigured itself into a techno-organic form resembling a human baby. Sumdac "adopted" the strange little creature, naming it Sari, and raising her as his daughter, never telling her of her true origins. TransWarped
Eight years after Sumdac found Sari, the quest for the AllSpark brought the Transformers' war to Earth, and Sari and her father became allies of Optimus Prime's Autobots. To forge a power base for himself, treacherous Decepticon lieutenant Starscream set up base in the Nemesis (which he had crashed on Earth's moon), using the protoforms that still remained in its hold to create an army of clones of himself. A Fistful of Energon Starscream himself had previously died, but was being sustained through a sliver of the AllSpark wedged in his forehead, and so by breaking off tiny chips of it, he was able to give his clones—Skywarp, Slipstream, Sunstorm, Thundercracker, and Ramjet—the spark of life. A Bridge Too Close, Part I
Later, Megatron followed Starscream's example, using three protoforms and three AllSpark fragments to create giant cross-breed clones of Lugnut and Omega Supreme, the Lugnut Supremes. While Megatron readied his new war machines, Starscream—who had by this point spent a protracted period of time as a decapitated head—used a protoform to create a new body for himself, but it didn't last long: to prevent Starscream from betraying him again, Megatron destroyed his new body, and all the remaining protoforms, save three. Endgame, Part I These three protoforms were then recovered by Optimus Prime's Autobots during their battle with the Lugnut Supremes. Sari believed that she was originally one of the protoforms who had been aboard the Nemesis, but her unusual shape and form while in protoform state, and the unanswered question of how she wound up in her father's lab, left the matter lacking in a definitive resolution. Endgame, Part II
Shattered Glass Animated
As with the main Animated universe, Isaac Sumdac mysteriously discovered a protoform in his lab. He touched it, and it absorbed his DNA to become his daughter Sari Sumdac. However, unlike in the main universe, Sari was a violent being who proceeded to rip out Isaac's left eye before Isaac, also an evil person, locked her in a cage and made her his personal slave for science experiments.
Aligned continuity family
Aligned novels
Protoforms were created by the AllSpark in the Well of All Sparks. In the past, protoforms would escape from the Underworld to the Cybertronian surface, but in the era of the caste system, they would be taught to transform, assume their most natural alternate mode, and be put to work. Protoforms remained the standard name for one's robot mode. Transformers: Exodus
Prime cartoon
Five protoforms were stored in a laboratory aboard the Harbinger. When Starscream found them, he turned them into clones of himself. These clones, linked to Starscream's very spark and will, were sent on a mission to assassinate Megatron. Of the five, only one escaped, and was later killed by Starscream himself when it attempted to terminate him. Armada
Classics
Scylla, Autolauncher, and Autojetter were stored as protoforms in stasis pods aboard the Graviton but were ejected when the ship crashed on Earth of an alternate universe. The Autobots tried to retrieve the stasis pods, but Megatron beat the Autobots and converted the trio into Decepticons. Shattered Expectations
Beast Wars: Uprising
Maximals and Predacons were born as protoforms. For that reason, they were frequently referred to as the "proto-races", distinguishing them from the archaic Builders of Cybertron. Broken Windshields
Knights of Unicron
Vector Prime saw the Knights of Unicron perform at the Lithone stop of their 2014 Till All Are One tour. He was not impressed although he recognized that the protoforms in the audience were. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/05/13
Wings Universe
When Apelinq was a protoform, he was told stories about Alpha Trizer once being a member of a team of ancients whose battles crossed time in space.
In the late 30th century C.E., a Cybertronic reference text was Land Powered's King Atlas for Protoforms. Apelinq's personal logs
Toys
Toys representing transitional protoform modes have been made for several characters from the live-action Movie universe:
Transformers (2007)
- Protoform Optimus Prime (Deluxe Class, 2007), later redecorated as Protoform Optimus Prime Fusion Cluster Edition. This form is usually Optimus Prime's pre-Earth body in IDW Publishing's Transformers movie prequel comics.
- Protoform Starscream (Deluxe, 2007), later redecorated as Protoform Starscream Fusion Cluster Edition. This form is usually Starscream's pre-Earth body in IDW's Transformers movie prequel comics.
- Trans Scanning Bumblebee (2008)
- Trans Scanning Optimus Prime (2008)
- Both Trans-Scanning Bumblebee and Optimus Prime feature a highly articulated protoform robot mode that can transform into its comet-like transition mode. Snap-on armour based on their Earth robot and vehicle modes represent the characters after they have trans-scanned vehicles.
Robot Heroes
Notes
- Optimus Prime's Cybertronian form depicted in movieverse comics and toys greatly resembles a protoform, presumably because it was Hasbro's only reference for an alien Autobot appearance.
- In Beast Wars, nanites are the fundamental component of a protoform.<ref name=BWU>Page 99, Beast Wars: Transformers Glossary, Beast Wars Universe ISBN 978-4766938005</ref>
Foreign names
- Japanese: Prototype (プロトタイプ, Purototaipu, Beast Wars), Cyberdrone (サイバドローン, Saibadorōn, Car Robots), Protoform (プロトフォーム, Purotofōmu, Live-action film series, Animated, Prime)
References
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