Energon cube

This article is about garden-variety cubes of energon. For the really big cube of energon, see Energon Cube.

The Energon Cube is the safest form of Energon, used for transportation and storage of the energy fuel.

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

NRG.

Energon Cubes could be created by Soundwave More than Meets the Eye, Part 1, who generated the empty cube framework from his similarly-shaped chest; several other Decepticons were able to produce them as well. Energon Cubes seem to be Decepticon technology going as far back as Cybertron's Golden Age. War Dawn, as Autobots such as Hound were apparently unaware of them until their reawakening on Earth in 1984. By 2005, however, the Autobots had begun to use energon cubes for power as well.

Exactly how an energon cube operates is unclear, especially as their framework appears to be some sort of self-sustaining force field with no internal mechanisms. Most frequently, the empty cube is simply attached to or placed near the energy source from which it is to drain power, and the energy in question is automatically converted into liquid energon that fills the cube. Energon cubes have proven able to transform a vast array of resources into energon, including electricity, magma, oil and steam. Energon seems to have a much higher energy potential than carbon-based fuel sources: 1000 barrels of oil are needed to fill a single energon cube, Thief in the Night and the electrical energy within the synapses of the human brain are insufficient to generate even a few drops. The Ultimate Doom, Part 3

The liquid energon within energon cubes is a glowing pink color, although the cubes could also be compressed for easy storage and transport, causing them to take on an iridescent rainbow effect.

Marvel The Transformers comics

Energon cubes come in Grande...

...and Tall!

Shockwave built an energy converter that was capable of converting both oil and the sonic energy from a Brick Springstern concert into large purple energon cubes. Unfortunately when these cubes were exposed to x-ray energy from Shockwave's weaponry, they detonated in a blinding flash of light. Rock and Roll-Out!

Wheeljack invented the Geothermal Generator which converted the Earth's underground heat into energon cubes. Used Autobots

Concentrated energon cubes are a highly valuable form of universally accepted currency among alien cultures. These tiny green non-glowing cubes measure approximately 6 inches (15.2 cm) on a side and are easily transportable, as well as being less combustible than normal energon cubes. Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?

Beast Wars cartoon

The naturally-occurring energon on prehistoric Earth appeared only in an unstable, highly-explosive raw crystalline form. However, after the Planet Buster baked Earth's surface, the crystals were all either incinerated or somehow "converted" into more stable cubes. These cubes no longer emitted the dangerous radiation which prompted the Beast Warriors to adopt their beast modes in the first place. They were significantly smaller than the cubes used by Transformers from before the Great Upgrade and colored blue.

Blackarachnia threatened to detonate an energon cube near her head if Tarantulas would not remove the mind-link he had with her. The explosion would have killed them both via the link, so Tarantulas did remove it. Tangled Web

Animated cartoon

Energon cubes are of a pink/purple colouration. During the Great War, the Decepticons hoarded them in mass quantities on their battleships. However many centuries of neglect they suffered left them unstable.

They are also apparently delicious and nutritious to newborn giant spiders. Along Came a Spider

Energon becomes unstable if cut in its cube form, which combined with an elevator makes for a handy bomb in tight quarters. It is suggested that one not stare down the shaft while attempting this. Decepticon Air

There also exists 'demolition-grade' energon, which appears as palm-sized cubes and utilizes the potentially explosive properties of full-size energon. When used properly, they are very useful in clearing away rubble from space bridges. But using them incorrectly could lead to a messy accident—say, like the destruction of a small spaceship. Endgame, Part I

Prime cartoon

Starscream and Soundwave inserted Energon, kept inside a metal cube, into Skyquake's stasis pod to revive him. Masters & Students

Later, when Megatron and his troops harvested Dark Energon from a volcano, they cut some of it into cubes. One Shall Rise, Part 1

Starscream sneaked on board the Nemesis in an attempt to steal a number of energon cubes. But he dropped them when he saw Optimus Prime working for Megatron, Orion Pax, Part 1 and was forced to leave without them after some Vehicons caught him. Orion Pax, Part 2

Bulkhead later discovered a stash of cubes ready for transport in a ditch but fell into the ditch by accident and was transported with the cubes onto the Nemesis, awakening in the energon storage vault. As he climbed through the ship's maintenance tubes, he found his way to its power core, where energon cubes into the ship's power core, and slammed into it, causing the warship to crash. Armada

To quickly repair the vessel, Megatron inserted a Dark Energon cube into its power core, quickly repairing all the damage. Unfortunately though, the Dark Energon had performed too well and brought Trypticon back online and until Jack Darby succeeded in extracting the Dark Energon cube from the core. Flying Mind

Beast Wars: Uprising

On post-war Cybertron, the manufacture of Energon cubes was handled by corporations, such as Dynamic Energon Distillery.

When Gnashteeth was betrayed by the D.E.D. administrator Double Punch, he and the programmer Scorponok hit upon the idea of taking surplus cubes manufactured by the plant and selling them on the side, starting their own criminal enterprise. After a vicious beating from rival "businessmech" Thunderhoof's goons, Gnashteeth had Scorponok overload the D.E.D.'s Iacon plant while they made off with a small hoard of cubes, which Gnashteeth used to buy off Thunderhoof's minions. Identity Politics

Mechanimals were able to process energon without the need of cubes, and it was thinking of this, via the example of the humble ant-droid, that inspired Gnashteeth, now renamed Megatron, to implement the Beast Upgrade, freeing the Proto-races from the need for Energon cubes, and by extension the control of the Builders. Not All Megatrons

Games

War for Cybertron

Both the Autobots and Decepticons used energon cubes to regain energy they had lost in the heat of battle. Soundwave was capable of producing energon cubes on the fly to heal his Decepticon brethren. Transformers: War for Cybertron

Battle for the Matrix

Battle for the Matrix is a simplified retelling of the events of Revenge of the Fallen. It can be played from the perspective of either Bumblebee or Optimus Prime.

Bumblebee and/or Optimus can collect Energon cubes in order to repair themselves. Transformers: Battle for the Matrix

Things that look like energon cubes but aren't

• Personality components for some reason look like small energon cubes. Starscream's Brigade
• Refined Cybertonium looks like a green colored energon cube. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
• The refined heat resistant alloy developed by Jessica Morgan's father resembles yellow colored energon cubes. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

The reason why all share the shape of energon cubes is a mystery that plagues us to this day....

Toys

The Transformers Collection

Rubik, the Amazing Cube!

• Insectrons (Multi-pack, 2004)
  • Japanese ID number: 16 (full set)

• Insectron Clone Army (Multi-pack, 2004)
  • Japanese ID number: 75 (individual), 76 (clones set)

Energon Cubes were available with Takara's "TF Collection" reissue of the Insecticons, and the set's redeco, the Collector's Edition Insectron Clone Army (Shothole, Salvo and Zaptrap) box set released in Japan in 2004.

European Energon McDonald's promotion

• Ironhide (Happy Meal, 2004)
• Megatron (Happy Meal, 2004)
• Optimus Prime (Happy Meal, 2004)
• Unicron (Happy Meal, 2004)

In 2004, McDonald's locations in various parts of Europe released four Energon-based Happy Meal toys of Ironhide, Megatron, Optimus Prime, and Unicron. These toys were united by a common feature of interchangeable light-up "energon cube" accessories.

These cubes were little more than a cheap, battery powered gimmick (the battery couldn't be replaced; the triangle-headed screws used by McDonald's are notoriously impossible to remove) that would make sound or light the toy up. The cubes were interchangeable, but not all of them were "compatible", so to speak—Unicron's light-up feature didn't work on the more opaque plastic of the other toys.

Masterpiece

• Soundwave (2013)
  • ID number: MP-13

• Soundwave (2013)
  • ID number: MP-02

Both the Takara and Hasbro releases of Masterpiece Soundwave included an Energon Cube accessory. A clear plastic box, one side could be removed so that the cube could be plugged into Soundwave's cassette door chest to simulate the cube production he performed on the Sunbow animated series. At least on the Hasbro release, the cube didn't attach so well, though it did connect firmly to the grid attachment for Soundwave's chest.

The edition purchased via Amazon.com in Japan came with two additional energon cubes.

• Soundblaster (March-14)
  • Japanese ID number: MP-13B

The Soundblaster retool includes the Energon Cube accessory, now cast in red plastic.

Platinum Edition

• Insecticons (Platinum Edition 3-pack, 2015)

The Energon cube accessories were available again for this release.

Merchandise

Live-Action Movies

Released along side the Movie Preview protoform figures, Energon now takes on the delicious form of candy! Held inside clear, plastic containers, the "energon" inside is more or less flavorless balls of condensed sugar with articial colors. The cubes are held together by stickers, depicting scenes from Generation 1. The larger cube, made of 8 smaller ones, can be open and folded, in one direction, until it returns to its original position.

Out of the eight cubes, only two have candy in them. Most of the art on the cube is taken from Dreamwave art by Superstar Funana, with the exception of two parts that feature art by Don Figueroa.

G.I. Joe and the Transformers

• Shockwave H.I.S.S. Tank with two figures & Energon (2012)

An exclusive release for San Diego Comic-Con 2012. Included in the set were three energon cubes inspired by the Generation 1 cartoon. They are clear pink plastic with inserts to make them appear to be partially filled with liquid. Also included was a trolly for the included Battle Android Trooper to transport the cubes.

Notes

• Thanks to the exalted leader of Carbombya in "Thief in the Night", we know 1000 barrels of oil makes a single energon cube. This means each cube contains the equivalent power of 42,000 U.S. gallons of crude oil. If refined into gasoline (with a conservative 30% yield ratio) that much oil would keep Bumblebee's Volkswagen alt mode (with a rough value of 40 miles/gallon) going for approximately half a million miles without needing to refuel! That's enough to circumnavigate the Earth over seventeen times without stopping! No wonder a few cubes of the stuff got ol' Megsy drunk off his rocker!
• Meanwhile, "Identity Politics" has a moment where Scorponok muses that a supply of fifty-four energon cubes would full him, an average sized Predacon, for anywhere between three orbital cycles (roughly a month in Uprising continuity) to a full stellar cycle (about a year), giving us a glimpse of the fuel economy for the Proto-races in that setting.

Foreign names

• English: Power pack (Omni Productions dub)
• Japanese Energon cube (エネルゴンキューブ Enerugon Kyūbu)