Great Dome
- The Great Dome is a structure on Cybertron from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Located in Iacon, the Great Dome is the city-state's center piece. It outlines Iacon Central, providing protection to the Celestial Spires. Unless there are no Spires, in which case the Great Dome functions as Autobot Headquarters. Because Iacon tends to be the place that the Autobots protect best, the Dome and the Spires are of symbolic importance to them and they often refer to them to signify amazement, surprise or exasperation.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
Iacon served as the headquarters of the Autobots under Optimus Prime's command. Access was only possible by an extendable bridge. Autobots needed to signal their approach before being allowed into Iacon. Iacon also contained a launch bay; The roof could be retracted to allow the starship to leave.
As the conflict dragged on, energy became scarce and much was invested in simply gathering what was still around. When then strategy reached its dead end, the Autobots decided to take a starship and look for energy off-planet. The Decepticons learnt of this plan and dispatched the duo of Soundwave and Laserbeak to Iacon to keep tabs on the Autobots. When the Autobots prepared for takeoff, Soundwave reported back to Decepticon Headquarters, where his faction had prepared the launch of a starship of their own. They took off mere moments after the Autobots did. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1
Alternatively, the Autobots prepared to launch their starship while Iacon's surroundings were burning as a consequence of a Decepticon assault. Optimus Prime was the last one to enter the vessel, but was momentarily halted by the arrival of Elita One and her soldiers, who wanted to board as well. Optimus Prime denied their request, stating it was totally safer to stay in the base while the Decepticon forces attacked it too dangerous. The words had barely left his mouth when Iacon was bombarded and missiles got in through the open roof, seemingly killing Elita One and the others. Though the starship also took some hits, the launch could supposedly proceed as planned. The Search for Alpha Trion
The Headmasters cartoon
When Cybertron was reconquered by the Autobots in 2010, Autobot Base (サイバトロン基地 Cybertron Kichi) was taken in use again. In 2011, Spike Witwicky and Carly were having tea inside Autobot Base when the base's alarms flared up due to a grand scale Decepticon attack on the planet. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Marvel Comics continuity
When the Decepticons launched their assault on Iacon, the Great Dome protected the Spires and the Autobots within from the violence. The Council of Autobot Elders held a hearing inside the Celestial Temple on how to solve their predicament and Xaaron's wish to grant Optimus Prime full control of the Autobot army was agreed to. Meanwhile, Optimus Prime had sent out Bluestreak and Fusion to get shatter bombs from across Iacon. Fusion perished along the way, but Bluestreak made it back to the Great Dome safely with the bomb. Xaaron then informed Optimus Prime about his new authority, the latter glad he could now continue his plan to force the Decepticons into retreat with the approval of the Council. And There Shall Come...a Leader!
As the war continued and Cybertron was knocked out of its orbit, an asteroid belt threated to destroy the planet. Optimus Prime and several other Autobots board a ship to reach and destroy the asteroids, but the ship and its crew were lost. Despite losing their finest soldiers, the Council managed to organize the remaining Autobots in a force that could still withstand the Decepticons' attempt to take over Iacon. This situation remained for hundreds of thousands of years, until Decepticon leader Trannis decided that utterly destroying Iacon would do just fine too. Cybertron: The Middle Years!
As the only surviving Council member, Xaaron became one of the Autobot resistance's leaders and set up his base under the remains of the Celestial Temple, within the still somewhat protective cover of the Great Dome. Target: 2006
In the meantime:
"By Iacon's Great Dome" was Prowl's response to learning that there was a high density thermo-nuclear bomb inside Autobot Headquarters. The Wrath of Guardian!
This was followed up with a "By the Great Dome!" when the high density thermo-nuclear bomb-carrying Guardian was standing right on the other side of the door. The Wrath of Grimlock!
Trailbreaker reacted with a "By Iacon's Great Dome" when the military base in Black Rock Desert exploded. Dinobot Hunt!
Upon seeing the Vrobians' true appearance, Backstreet let out a "By the Great Dome of Iacon!" Kings of the Wild Frontier.
As a Matrix-obsessed Thunderwing came running towards him, Bumblebee exclaimed: "By the Great Dome!" Dark Creation
Shattered Glass
Notes
- The Great Dome, including the Autobots's tendency to swear by it, is one of the Marvel UK details that Simon Furman brought over to the US comics when he began writing those.
- While the Marvel comics' first issue introduced Iacon as Cybertron's capital city, the Generation 1 cartoon presented Iacon as nothing more than the dome-shaped base of the Autobots. Simon Furman made use of the starter episode to get some ideas for the Cybertronian landscape he wanted to feature in "And There Shall Come...a Leader!". For the UK Marvel Comics continuity, he redefined the dome-shaped Autobot base as the Great Dome, the centerpiece of Iacon. As the Marvel Comics timeline progressed, the Great Dome was the only recognizable part of Iacon that remained, if severely damaged, and it and its contents were implied to have become synonymous with Iacon. Whether this context should retroactively be applied to the cartoon is a matter of personal canon, but the cartoon dome-shaped base gets an entry here anyway for completeness's sake.
- Yes, the structure has three different names: "Great Dome" in the Marvel comics, "Iacon" in the The Transformers cartoon and "Autobot Base" in the Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers cartoon and the The Headmasters cartoon.
