Stasis lock

Stasis lock is a critical state of being for Transformers. Stasis lock is a sort of coma that allows a Transformer to stay alive, running at the lowest level of power despite massive energy loss or traumatic damage. It is comparable to the sleep mode of the computer on which you are currently reading this. Stasis lock can come about in a few different ways.

The first way is implemented by a Transformer's locking chip after a shock from massive damage. When the Ark crashed on Earth all of the occupants on board were retconned into emergency stasis lock. At various times during the Beast Wars combatants had to be returned to their respective bases due to going into stasis lock after being badly damaged.

The second way seems to be a more gradual process and can come about from damage and energy depletion over a longer period of time. Dinobot was told by his internal computer to go into stasis lock or risk losing his spark. This method is either an unconscious or conscious decision and the Transformer (in most of the Transformers' universe sub-universes) is not able to override stasis lock on purpose (which is proven to be an unconscious action by the Transformer's on-board computer though it may be dangerous to do so).

The concept of stasis lock was first introduced in the Beast Wars television series. Stasis lock was retconned into being a Generation 1 term and has since been applied to nearly all subsequent versions of Transformers stories.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

Stasis lock to a Cybertronian was analogous to unconsciousness in humans. I Dream of Wires

A group of Maximal explorers brainwashed by Shockwave into thinking they were Autobots and Decepticons fell into stasis as a result of Earth's increasingly hostile weather and a lack of energon. Strange Visitors Their tormentor was likewise entombed after being at ground-zero of an exploding volcano. Spotlight: Shockwave

After suffering extensive torture at the hands of Scorponok, The Ties That Bind Grimlock was left within a stasis pod. Rules of Disengagement

After Garrison Kreiger triggered the Talisman energy within him Centurion managed to channel and suppress the energies but at the cost of falling into deep stasis. Unification Day: Dusk He regained consciousness after the Talisman had been activated. The Dead Come Home, Part 1

Live-action films continuity

Megatron went into stasis lock while frozen in the Arctic.<ref>Hasbro's online Transformers glossary.</ref>

In the novelization of Revenge of the Fallen, instead of being outright killed by Megatron's attack Optimus Prime was put into a state of deep stasis lock though his body was so damaged it could take thousands of years for it to repair itself, so he may as well have been dead.

Sentinel Prime was discovered on Earth's moon in a similar state before being revived via the energies of the Matrix of Leadership. Dark of the Moon

Optimus Prime went into stasis after an encounter with Lockdown and Cemetery Wind in Mexico City before Cade Yeager's tampering with his internal mechanics reactivated him. Age of Extinction

Upon leaving Earth Optimus exhausted his Energon reserves and fell into stasis in the vicinity of Jupiter. When Cybertron entered the Sol system Optimus was caught in its gravity well with his homeworld's atmosphere rousing him. The Guardian Knights had willingly gone into stasis to safeguard the Staff of Merlin and awoke when their ship was breached. The Last Knight

Animated continuity

In Transformers Animated "stasis lock" is used in a different sense—through the use of stasis cuffs a Transformer can be prevented from moving or using any special powers they possess without being rendered unconscious or incapable of speech. Sentinel Prime, when placed in this condition by Optimus Prime was the first character to refer to this as "stasis lock". Mission Accomplished Skywarp was likewise placed in this state and also identified it as "stasis lock" while professing his irrational fear of the condition. A Bridge Too Close, Part II

Aligned continuity

To defeat Unicron, the Thirteen concocted a plan where the youngest of their number, Optimus Prime, would enter the Chaos-Bringer and expose his Primus-like spark to Unicron's anti-spark, the resulting interaction knocking both into stasis lock. While Optimus was revived by Quintus Prime's Emberstone, Vector Prime created a time-loop around Unicron with the intent of leaving him comatose forever.

When the Great Cataclysm struck Cybertron the few Primes left rounded up as many survivors as they could and led them underground to wait out the out cataclysm in protective caves where they instructed their followers on how to enter stasis. Left on the surface by Prima, the Predacons attempted to fly to safety before vague instinctual knowledge of stasis lock kicked in and they attempted to seek shelter underground. The Covenant of Primus

After being attacked by a swarm of Insecticons, Sludge was badly damaged and forced to enter stasis lock. His body was discovered by Jazz and Cliffjumper. Fall of Cybertron An Autobot clean-up team eventually found and revived the Dinobot. Beast Hunters #2

Megatron was later heavily injured after a space bridge explosion, Darkness Rising, Part 5 and was put in stasis aboard the Nemesis after Starscream and Soundwave located him. Masters & Students

During a perfect alignment of forty-seven celestial bodies, the magnetic and gravitational forces acted on Unicron's inert body and he finally emerged from stasis. One Shall Fall One Shall Rise, Part 1 Exposure to the energies of the Matrix of Leadership returned him to stasis. One Shall Rise, Part 3

After Bumblebee crash-landed at the Rescue Bot Training Center a baby Energon eater that had attached to the ship escaped into the facility and began to drain the Energon from each of the Autobots leaving them in stasis comas. Uninvited Guest

In certain situations stasis is used as a form of anesthesia complete with slurred speech going under and coming out of it. Operation Bumblebee, Part 2 Additionally, there seem to be multiple types as Ratchet stated that he had never encountered a particular form of stasis lock before. Flying Mind

In the post-war era the criminals aboard the prison ship Alchemor were kept within stasis pods utilizing cryo-gas Pilot (Part 1) Decepticon Island (Part 1) In order to retake the ship's drive section from the Decepticon convicts the Autobots detonated a stasis bomb that rendered all those onboard into stasis. Decepticon Island (Part 2)

Wings Universe

When the Cybertronian Knights were called in for a dreaded mandatory lecture and meditation session from Alpha Trizer, Devcon quipped to Flare-Up that 'bots had been bored into stasis lock by such sessions. Apelinq pointed out the story must have been a rumor. Apelinq's personal logs

References

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