Autobot Imperium

I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind, but now I see.

Under the rule of the evil Optimus Prime, Cybertron and the rest of the universe will bow before the Autobot Imperium (aka Autobot Empire). At least... as long as none of these guys have anything to say about it. Yeah, the ranks of the Imperium are not exactly filled with loyalty and selflessness. Oh, and then there's those pesky Decepticons to deal with.

The headquarters of the Imperium is located within the capital polity of Iacon. They like to decorate it with the corpses of their fallen foes and broadcast the many executions of enemies of the state, the smelting pool being a favourite. Viewership is mandatory, otherwise you might get a visit from the Secret Police.

Fiction

Fun Publications Shattered Glass continuity

Something is coming. You can feel it, can’t you? That we are creeping toward the edge… and there will be a reckoning.

Cybertron was once a venerated and peaceful world in pursuit of knowledge and harmony. However, a lowly librarian by the name of Optronix had grown dissatisfied with his mundane existence, coming to the realization that life had no meaning and the only meaningful impact one could leave was their own legacy. Coalescence Optronix then decided that he needed to reshape Cybertron in his own image through conquest and destruction, backstabbing and manipulating his way to the top of society. Preaching intolerance for Cybertron's current stale regime and a philosophy of might makes right, Optronix had amassed a large following of like-minded bots, also fed up with Cybertron's stagnant state.

Through this movement, the "Autobots" were born, considering themselves autonomous from the rest of the populace. The Autobots began upgrading themselves, reforging their bodies and manufacturing an arsenal of weaponry, the most powerful of which were reserved for Optronix himself, who had now rechristened himself as Optimus Prime. BotCon 2008 Optimus Prime profile card Without warning, the Autobot armies attacked, igniting the Second Cybertronian War. Anyone who refused to join this new empire was quickly destroyed. One day, Optimus' method of cold calculations stopped, and he became erratic and vicious, acting increasingly mad. No one knew the reason for this personality shift, but it did not stop the Autobots from conquering much of Cybertron, taking Iacon as the capital of the new Autobot Imperium. Shattered Glass

And behold, it was white horse… and Hell followed with him.

Resistance was futile. At least until a champion rose from the fires of Polyhex; named Megatron, he was equal in strength to the Autobot Emperor of Destruction. A former mathematician who had predicted that civil war was near and had retreated underground to prepare. Having developed the art of transformation, Megatron united the disparate resistance into the Decepticons and gained them a temporary upper hand against the Autobot Imperium, taking back several key strongholds. BotCon 2008 Megatron profile card However, ever the genius, Optimus Prime had managed to quickly recreate the technology for his own army, bringing the war back into his own favor.

The Autobot Imperium would engage the Decepticons in numerous battles, including a series of battles in the Torus Heights, where the Autobot Cliffjumper saved the life of Optimus Prime. This earned him a high-standing position within the Imperium. Shattered Glass Part of the Autobots' success as things began to escalate was thanks to their numerous combiner teams. Abominus profile During the battle at Praxus-Delta, Optimus had hired the Wreckers, a mercenary group led by Rodimus, to assist the Autobots. All of them, save Rodimus, were killed in action. But Rodimus continued to fight and earned himself a spot in the ranks of the Autobots. BotCon 2008 Rodimus profile card After the loss of the Wreckers, the Elite Guard, a pre-war law-enforcement group, had risen to fill their shoes. BotCon 2009 Thunderclash bio

At an unknown point in time, Optimus Prime's own brother, Ultra Magnus, led an unsuccessful coup against him. Rather than kill his brother, Optimus removed the traitor's face and had him imprisoned on Paradron. Invasion Later, Optimus' untrustworthy advisor, Alpha Trion, was banished to another universe. Shattered Glass However, he left behind a secret cadre of loyalists. Reunification: Part 1

Due to suspicions of conflicted loyalties, Optimus killed the leader of the elite Seeker unit and had his partner, Sideswipe, put on the short-list for a "friendly-fire" incident near the battle at Darkmount. However, Sideswipe escaped and defected to the Decepticons. Bumblebee was upgraded into the new leader of the unit, now renamed Goldbug, with Rodimus replacing Sideswipe. Ironically, Blurr, who had previously assisted in Ultra Magnus' failed coup, was the only Seeker left unharmed. BotCon 2008 Sideswipe profile card BotCon 2008 Goldbug profile card

With most of Cybertron under their rule, Optimus set the Imperium's sights on the rest of the galaxy, intending to conquer other worlds and plunder their resources to support Cybertron and the Imperium's operations. First target on the list: Earth. In order to achieve this, Optimus ordered the construction of the Ark, a powerful warship capable of transporting an invading army. The soldiers of the Imperium had also taken on Earth-based vehicle modes to aid in stealth.

One fateful day, three stellar cycles after the Darkmount Massacre, the Cliffjumper of Primax 207.0 Epsilon wound up being transported to the Imperium's own universe. He was found by Rodimus, who had been sent to investigate a strange energy build-up in the area. Mistaking him for the deceased Cliffjumper native to this universe, Rodimus brought him to Iacon to "reunite" with Optimus. When Optimus saw him, he swore by the Imperium in glee. Cliffjumper was then brought to witness the execution of Rumble, who had been charged with several crimes against the Autobot Imperium. When he objected to everything, Optimus opened fire on him and had him dumped in the Rad Zone, where he was discovered by the Decepticons. Cliffjumper's arrival had set in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the downfall of the Imperium. Shattered Glass

See also

• Decepticon Empire