Precursor World

A handy chart

The Precursor World (前史世界 Zenshi Sekai, lit. "Prehistoric World") is precisely what it says on the tin: the reality immediately prior to the "Known World" (正史世界 Seishi Sekai, lit. "Official History World"), aka the G1 World of Optimus Prime, Megatron, and friends.

Here, the Primus Vanguard wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Specters. Or at least they did, before things got complicated...

Conceptual history

The seven Star Powers in their Matrices. (We know there are eight shut up.)

The exact nature of the Precursor World as a concept underwent some development over a number of comics from two major creators released by e-HOBBY and TakaraTomy. As presented in the Legends Spin Off comics by Shin Sasaki, the setting appeared to be a universe totally unconnected to previous stories. Characters like Straxus and Rollermaster were given new backstories, while Convobat’s function of "Amazon Warrior" implied that his pack-in comic took place on Earth. Blue Big Convoy’s comic would present the Vanguard as operating on a multiversal level similar to pre-existing groups while also pulling in Go Prime under the name "Master Black Lion", an Aligned continuity character previously established as being a multiversal traveller.

Under the Generations Selects line, Sasaki would show Optimus Prime and Galvatron being summoned from 2011 in the G1 World to an undescribed time and place to face off against a swarm of Novaroids and eventually the two teams of Seacons. Of particular note here is the third Seacon comic, Sasaki’s last work in the series, which shows Halfshell plotting on behalf of an unseen entity to create a new future, this being the earliest hint at this setting being in the distant past.

After this, Hayato Sakamoto would present the setting as the universe that existed before the JG1 universe, with multiple characters time-travelling back and forth between the two eras. Sakamoto would also elaborate on concepts introduced by Sasaki, such as seven varieties of Star Power being derived from The One.

It wouldn't be until the Generations Selects finale that Sakamoto would finally explicitly reconcile Spin Off and Generations Selects, and the mechanics of the transition to the G1 World would be fully elucidated:

The events of Spin Off were confirmed to occur after the events of Generations Selects but before the yet-to-be-depicted universal rebirth that produces the G1 World.

Meanwhile, in an extended dialogue between Primacron and Primus in the wee hours of G1 World prehistory, it was revealed that they would be the only two direct survivors from the Precursor World, with the "reincarnation" many characters anticipated throughout the narrative simply taking the form of a generalized life force making the journey within the Matrix of Leadership along with Primus.

Thus, the future is now wide open for new stories with the Primus Vanguard characters in the Precursor World setting, albeit with the threat of Ragnarok looming ever on the horizon.

Got it?

Good.

Fiction

Precursor World

It's a very well coordinated universe.

In the beginning, there was G One. From G One emanated the Seven Lights, and with them seven universes. G One tasked Primus with the protection of these worlds, who in turn created the seven Orders of the Primus Vanguard, one colored Order to protect each colored world. The leader of each Order had a unique Matrix, a vessel for the Star Power of their native universe. An eighth vessel existed, a Silver Matrix that could absorb the seven Star Powers and use them to recreate reality according to the bearer's will. It was kept in the possession of Primus himself.

When the Specters ("shadows" of the Light) threatened their multiverse, the leaders of the Primus Vanguard were forced to unleash their final option, and pooled the full Light of their Matrices to extinguish all shadows. This had the secondary effect of combining their seven universes into one peaceful, if chaotic, space. This "Precursor World" soon found itself under assault from a new threat: the Vok. Peering into the future, Primus saw that the Vok were evolved Specters from the next universe, seeking to restart reality to their designs. Shook by this revelation as well as his pet Primacron's pronouncement of his own plan to conquer the next world, Primus conceived of a strategy to instigate universal rebirth himself: using the power of the future to change it. Finale Part 1

Leading the Golden Age, an eighth corps, Primus implemented an elaborate plan. He traveled to the next world to retrieve the Silver Matrix, now empty at this point in its timeline. Abominus comic 2 Returning to the Precursor World, he summoned various warriors of the G1 World including the Optimus Prime and Galvatron of 2011, Star Convoy comic the Space Pirate Seacons, the Seacons of 2020, and the Dinobots God Neptune comic 2 of 2050 Volcanicus comic 1 to accomplish different facets of his scheme. Optimus was given the elder Silver Matrix to defeat the Vok. Star Convoy comic The Seacons relieved (most of) his uncooperative Vanguard of their Star Powers. God Neptune comic 2 The Dinobots were tasked with thwarting Primacron. Finally, when all of his pawns gathered as planned (including Primacron trying to destroy the universe with his gigantic Neo Primus robot), Primus collected the seven Star Powers from them and activated the Silver Matrix to begin the end of the Precursor World. Finale Part 1

Primus failed in this attempt, being reduced to his tiny true form, named Oracle, by Primacron. Megatron Omega seized on this window to absorb the Golden Power from Golden Age's envoy, evolving into Gold Megatron. Gold Megatron would make a last-ditch effort to merge all of creation by using the combined energies of the Golden Power and the Silver Matrix in the form of the Gold Matrix, but Star Convoy was able to defeat him before taking him back to their own time. Peace slowly returned to the Precursor World, but it eventually shattered when the Straxus twins were somehow able to capture Oracle and embark on a plot of universal domination. Finale Part 2 Over time, the inheritors of The One's Seven Lights would slowly awaken to their destiny, as observed by Bludgeon. Cybertron Magna Convoy

Eventually, those inheritors would come together to form a next-generation Primus Vanguard, defending the universe until its presumable natural end. Finale Part 2

Notes

• The Japanese term Zenshi Sekai more formally means "Prehistoric World". This is a label that exists in contrast with Seishi Sekai (lit. "Official History World"), which we've translated as "Known World". Those two terms are meant to emphasize the fact that this world exists prior to all history of the G1 World/Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity that is known to its characters and the reader.

See also

• Old realms