Onyx Prime

This article is a featured article, and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.

This subject of this article goes by multiple names that apply to other articles as well. See Onyx (disambiguation), Artemis (disambiguation).

Move over, Predaking!

Of the Thirteen, Onyx Prime, the "Lord of Beasts", is the most spiritually-minded of their number, in tune with both the creatures of the natural world and the intangible realm of the spirit. He alone has the ability to properly use the three-faced Triptych Mask given to him by Primus; this artifact allows him to cast his spirit across vast distances to commune with the dreams of far-off beings, or even track the journey of a Spark across the afterlife. Though some view these strange mental voyages across distant realms as mere flights of fancy, Onyx and his visions make him one of the most inspirational Primes.

Onyx Prime's spiritual aptitude allowed him to cultivate an inscrutable presence that made him appear mysterious and slightly intimidating at the best of times, even to the other members of the Thirteen. In spite of his powers, Onyx Prime is a kind-hearted and friendly individual at Spark, a trait that made him one of the most liked members of the Thirteen. Indeed, all of his siblings treated him as a fiercely loyal companion and a steadfast confidant—Micronus Prime, in particular, once regarded Onyx as his closest friend. As the first Transformer to possess a beast mode, those Transformers who revere him as the greatest of the Primes tend to eschew the vehicular alternate modes of other Transformers, preferring to wear the animalistic forms exemplified by their spiritual progenitor.

Fiction

Aligned continuity family

The Covenant of Primus

Onyx Prime was the eighth member of the Thirteen produced by Primus, to serve as his children and warriors against his opposite, Unicron. As one of the mid-level Thirteen spawned between the opposing warriors Prima and Megatronus, Onyx Prime had a more balanced and elemental quality. He was a fierce warrior and fought valiantly in the battle with Unicron, but also had a spiritual side that intrigued some of his fellows while flummoxing others. He was very close to Solus Prime (often to Megatronus's chagrin) and was perhaps best friends with Micronus Prime.

The death of Solus Prime hit Onyx harder than any other member of the Primes. It was Onyx who discovered her body in her workshop, and the cry he let loose chilled Alpha Trion to his very oil. He had to be physically restrained by Vector Prime's power after finding Solus, and held in that position to prevent him from seeking vengeance on Megatronus himself. When the division between Megatronus and Liege Maximo came to a head, all the remained Thirteen warred with one another in a battle lust that was divorced from all possible reason. When they regained their senses, the Thirteen found Maximo dead and Onyx Prime gravely injured.

As Megatronus declared himself "The Fallen" forevermore and exiled himself from Cybertron, the Thirteen questioned what to do next. Solus Prime's body had melted down to the core of Cybertron, creating a font of life that could potentially produce new Cybertronians. As his dying act, Onyx Prime volunteered to catalyze the process, journeying down into this Well of All Sparks with the power of his Triptych Mask reorganizing the thirteen patterns of the Thirteen into an endless variety of new Cybertronians. They believed the power of Primus would preserve Onyx Prime at the core forevermore, keeping him from the death awaiting his injuries. Quintus Prime, Alchemist Prime, and Amalgamous Prime each contributed some of their power and skills to this experiment as well, ensuring its success. In the end, Optimus Prime and Micronus Prime chose to journey down into the Well with Onyx. Optimus intended to be reincarnated among the new sparks, allowing him to live among them and learn from them. Micronus could not bear to be parted from Onyx, and chose to exile himself to the core with his mortally wounded friend as well.

The experiment was a success, and the Well of All Sparks soon erupted with an endless array of new lifeforms, brought into existence by Onyx Prime and the power of his brothers and sisters. The Predacons of the Age of Evolution certainly drew strongly from Onyx's pattern, as did the other beastformers that followed in their wake over time. The Covenant of Primus

Prime cartoon

I may have wings, four legs, and a lack of normal arms... but I am not Origin Forme Palkia!

According to legend, at the beginning of time, Unicron and Primus battled each other for eons, with neither side remaining victorious for long until Primus created the Thirteen. These Thirteen defeated Unicron and cast him into space. One Shall Rise, Part 1

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Robots in Disguise #34 (mentioned); Transformers Annual 2017 (Shockwave as Onyx Prime); Optimus Prime #18 (true Onyx)

Something happened on the day he died. Spirit rose a metre then stepped aside. Somebody else took his place, and then he cried...

In the barbarian age after the departure of the Knights of Cybertron, Onyx led a flock of wayward and mistreated beast mode Cybertronians as they scoured the wastelands for usable energon. One day, the group came across the time-lost Shockwave, transported twelve million years into the past as a result of the destruction of his chronal drive. The kindly Onyx offered the damaged Shockwave some of their energon and introduced himself; realizing the crucial role that Onyx would play in Cybertron's history, Shockwave took him up on his offer... after killing him and seizing control of his herd. The First Who Was Named

Disguising himself as "Onyx Prime", Shockwave used his future knowledge to steer history along its preordained course—and, along the way, deliberately established many of the myths and legends that would shape the beliefs of future Cybertronians, including the "Dark Cybertron" prophecy that his younger self would one day attempt to bring about. The Hallowing After shaping one of the real Onyx's followers into "Megatronus", "Onyx Prime" engineered the unification of the Thirteen, Origin Myths then manipulated both Megatronus and Liege Maximo into starting the First Cybertronian Civil War that ended the reign of the Primes. The First Who Was Named "Onyx Prime" and his Maximal followers left Cybertron and relocated to the dead planet of Antilla as part of Shockwave's long game—after excavating the Talisman that had been created on the planet, "Onyx" sent it to Earth aboard the starship Axalon, Strange Visitors where it remained for thousands of years until the Iron Ring brought it to Cybertron as part of their failed invasion. First Strike #6 In the meantime, "Onyx" continued his various manipulations, which included attacking a village on Caminus, Ghost Stories and sending a scout to Earth to search for the Enigma of Combination. White Light

In 2018, "Onyx Prime" returned to Cybertron to finally enact his ultimate plan: using the corrosive magical energies of the Talisman, he would sacrifice Cybertron itself to Unicron, rationalizing that with their homeworld destroyed he could unite what remained of the Cybertronian species under his own banner. Unforgivable Although "Onyx Prime" initially presented himself as a benevolent figure, Optimus Prime and the Council of Worlds soon realized something was amiss—shortly after his manipulations led to the death of Alpha Trion, "Onyx" was unmasked as Shockwave, who proceeded to explain the role he'd played in history to the bewildered Optimus before throwing him into infraspace. The First Who Was Named

Fun Publications

Vector Prime fondly remembered the time he spent with his siblings, including Onyx Prime, who Vector noted to be in tune with nature and especially the organic. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14 Vector also noted that both Liege and Onyx utilized female holomatter avatars when interacting with humans. Onyx's avatar inspired/co-opted the myth of Artemis. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/20 Vector Prime also noted that there were universal streams where Onyx went by the name Onyx Convoy. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/24

When Nexus Prime united the Terminus Blade and Star Saber with the intent of thickening the walls between realities to prevent dimensional travel, Onyx Prime and the other members of the "multiversal singularity" incarnation of the Thirteen gathered to witness this momentous event. When Nexus brought the blades together, Onyx and the Thirteen ceased to exist as singularities and were splintered into multiple different incarnations across the multiverse. Out of the One, Many

The individual Thirteen were not identified on-panel in "Out of the One, Many", but an orange, winged, vaguely bird-like Transformer depicted in the comic was possibly Onyx.

Power of the Primes toy bios

Onyx Prime's Spark passed into the possession of one of the twelve Prime Masters; hidden within a suit of decoy armor, they safeguarded the abilities of the Primes until the present day. By uniting with a larger Transformer, the Prime Master could channel the powers of Onyx's Spark and grant them unique abilities that varied with each new partner. Power of the Primes

For a list of every permutation of Onyx Prime's abilities, see this link.

Cyberverse cartoon

He was going through a biped phase.

Onyx Prime was one of the Thirteen. Dweller In The Depths Silent Strike The Other One

When the Primes ruled Cybertron, Onyx created many secrets hideouts and caches across the planet. In the Isle of Onyx Prime, he hid his Cortex Helm, entrusting the island's location only to his loyal knight Thunderhowl. The Perfect Decepticon

When Crystal City was created by the Crystalline King, Onyx Prime sent Thunderhowl to destroy the city, only for Thunderhowl to become trapped for millions of years. Thunderhowl

One film

This movie has TWO Shockwaves????

Onyx Prime was one of the original thirteen Primes created by Primus. When the Quintessons invaded Cybertron, Onyx fought with his fellow Primes against them. He would join the Primes in a secret meeting with the Primes' aide Sentinel, unaware that it was a trap. Onyx would be killed during the battle, with his brothers' and sisters' bodies resting in a hidden cave for fifty cycles before being rediscovered by miners Orion Pax, D-16, Elita, and B-127. A revived Alpha Trion would give Onyx's transformation cog to one of the miners, unlocking their lost ability to transform into an alternate form and providing a new, improved robot form.

A vision of Onyx Prime and the other Primes later appeared as Alpha Trion declared a damaged Orion Pax to be the next wielder of the Matrix of Leadership, Optimus Prime. Transformers One

Games

Transformers: Earth Wars

Onyx Prime Core

Onyx Prime's Prime Core (his "heart" as one of the primordial Thirteen Primes) fell to Earth under mysterious circumstances along with those of his siblings to become a hotly contested resource in the Earth Wars. Power of the Primes

• Effect: Dramatically boosts regular attack power. Reduces damage taken when HP is below 40% of max.

Onyx Prime Core at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Cybertronian mythology held that Onyx Prime, sometimes known as Onyx Primal, was a member of the Thirteen and the progenitor of all beast-formers. According to legend, he wielded the Triptych Mask and commanded the loyalty of the Titan Chela. Technorganic Secrets A mystically-minded 'bot, Onyx Prime's mask granted him insights into the realms of life and death; ancient humans venerated him as Artemis, god of the hunt. Transformers One Sourcebook

Mindwipe believed himself to be a true child of Onyx Prime, although Simacore vehemently disagreed. Technorganic Secrets

Toys

Power of the Primes

You've got a fire in your heart

• Predaking (Titan Class, 2018 / 2026)

• TakaraTomy name: Predaking (プレダキング)
• TakaraTomy ID number: PP-31
• TakaraTomy release date: September 29, 2018
• Accessories: Onyx Matrix frame
• Known designers: John Warden and Lynsey Urban (Hasbro), Hirofumi Ichikawa (detailing), Robby Musso (concept artist)

Power of the Primes Onyx Prime is a Prime Master, a small robot that turns into a "core" that can plug into the Prime Armor accessories that come with every Power of the Primes Deluxe and Voyager Class figure, as well as into the holders of Leader Class figures by replacing their central Matrix core. He comes with the frame for the Onyx Matrix; when connected to the frame, he can hide in Predaking's chest, under Razorclaw's beast head. He can of course also fit into the Decoy Armor that came with the standard Prime Master Class figures.

Having the same construction and capabilities as a Titan Master, he can ride inside compatible Legends Class figures, Titan Master vehicle modes and their weapons, and even plug into the neck sockets meant for head-mode Titan Masters.

He was only available packed in with the Titan Class Predaking. This set was reissued in 2026, with pre-orders going up on November 7, 2025.

Onyx Prime was repurposed as the Yellow Matrix wielded by Yellow Splendid Convoy in the Generations Selects Special Comic.

Age of the Primes

Leader class... optional six limbed mode... transforms into *shrug*... close enough, welcome back Siege Shockwave!

• The Thirteen Onyx Prime (Leader Class, 2025)

• TakaraTomy name: Onyx Prime (オニキスプライム)
• TakaraTomy ID number: AOTP-22
• TakaraTomy release date: January 31, 2026
• Accessories: "Triptych Mask"/spearhead, spear pole/arrow, tail/bow
• Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Shuhei Umezu (TakaraTomy), Marcelo Matere (concept artist), Aaron Archer and Ken Christiansen (original concept)

Age of the Primes Onyx Prime was released as part of the second wave of Leader Class figures in the line. He transforms from a bipedal robot mode into a winged centaur in 12 steps, into a hippogriff/dragon-type creature in 19 steps, and into a more traditional quadrupedal dragon in 8 steps (shown only in the instructions). Additionally, an undocumented feature allows the centaur forelegs to wrap over the robot mode shoulder pads, and its hooves to peg into the tabs on said shoulder pads when the robot mode arms are in the hippogriff configuration, allowing for a slimmer (albeit less stable) version of the quadrupedal beast mode, or whatever else your imagination can come up with.

For the bipedal robot mode or quadrupedal beast mode, there are two built-in configurations for the centaur forelegs slung over his shoulders. The first one involves tabbing the back of the legs into recesses sticking out of his back right underneath the wing hinges and then connecting the hooves to his chest, resulting in the hooves pointing at an inwards angle. This configuration has the disadvantage of hindering the arm articulation, as the shoulder pads get in the way. The second option involves pressing the centaur legs into dedicated tabs a little further towards the center, resulting in the hooves pointing straight down. This does not hinder articulation but is less secure.

His Triptych Mask has been re-imagined as a spearhead, which attaches to a brown pole, perhaps in reference to character's then-recent appearance in Transformers One, in which he wielded a similar weapon. All his accessories can be combined into a bow and arrow, with the spear doubling as an arrow and the beast mode tail converting into the accompanying bow. His robot mode face can be tucked up into the upper part of his helmet (shown in this position for the centaur mode), and his second set of legs can also be deployed in robot mode to mimic the “vestigial legs” look that was part of Shockwave’s Onyx Prime disguise as it appeared in the IDW comics.

Onyx was revealed at New York Toy Fair 2025.

• Designer commentary on Age of the Primes Onyx Prime from Mark Maher on Instagram
• Machine translation of Onyx Prime's TakaraTomy bio

Notes

• Like other members of the Thirteen, Onyx Prime was once as a multiversal singularity who existed as one being across all space and time, but that is no longer the case.
• The artwork of Onyx Prime in the Covenant of Primus (at the top of this article) is a little hard to decipher, which for a while led many fans to believe that he had been drawn incorrectly in IDW's comics. Onyx was originally conceived as a centaur, as can clearly (if briefly) be glimpsed in his Prime cartoon appearance. However, the Covenant artwork depicts him rearing up on his hind legs, obfuscating his forelegs and supposedly leading several IDW artists to misinterpret his design, either mis-drawing his forelegs or omitting them entirely, thereby drawing him as a normal two-legged 'bot. Optimus Prime #18 turned this into a subtle piece of foreshadowing: the real Onyx was a quadruped, but his natural stance was the one thing that the bipedal Shockwave could not replicate while impersonating him. In the years since, subsequent depictions of Onyx Prime—including Cyberverse, One, and an apparent cameo in EarthSpark—have shifted over to depicting him as a biped. His Age of the Primes toy splits the difference, and gives him both a bipedal robot mode and a centaur robot mode.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Onyx Prime (オニキスプライム Onikisu Puraimu)
• Mandarin: Ruì Tiān Xiāo (锐天骁)

Gallery

• 
  IDW "Onyx Prime"
  (alias Shockwave)
• 
  One film trading card art.
• 
  One film concept art.
• 
  Age of the Primes
  "biped" robot mode.
• 
  Age of the Primes
  "centaur" robot mode.
• 
  Age of the Primes
  "quadruped" beast mode.