Alpha Trion/Generation 1
| The name or term "Alpha Trion" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Alpha Trion (disambiguation). |
- Alpha Trion is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Alpha Trion is one of the oldest living Transformers, and with that age comes a nuanced understanding of his race and their place within the universe. In his youth, he went by the name A-3, and in this time, he helped lead the enslaved Cybertronians in their rebellion against their cruel masters, the Quintessons. As a result, he was instrumental in first establishing Cybertron as an independent planet.
In his older years, he has found a comfortable role in serving as advisor to other Transformers. Though not taking part in the battles of the Great War, he is firmly on the side of the Autobots, serving as a mentor and guide, especially to Optimus Prime and Elita One. He is an enigmatic old robot, though he is known to be the guardian of Vector Sigma and the custodian of its circuit key. His sage-like manner paints him in almost a mystic tone, and possible connections between Alpha Trion, Primus, and the history of Cybertron itself have boosted him into legendary status.
Sometimes the Titan Master Sovereign becomes his head.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: John Stephenson (English), Corey Burton (English, "War Dawn"), Tony Pope (English, "Forever Is a Long Time Coming"), Osamu Saka (Japanese), Toshio Ishii (Japanese, "War Dawn"), Hiroshi Naka (Japanese, "The Rebirth"), Wolfgang Mascher (German, Season 3 & 4)
11 million years ago, a mechanoid named A-3 was part of the rebellion against the Quintessons on a factory world, creating a device called the Coder Remote that would stop their Dark Guardians. Due to a timerift created by Quintessons from the future, he was briefly pulled from his position in the Empty Lands into the year 2006. Fortunately, his partner Beta managed to start the rebellion as scheduled, and A-3 was soon returned by future Autobots to fulfill his role in Cybertronian history. Forever Is a Long Time Coming
Years later, he would be given the Matrix of Leadership by the dying Sentinel Prime, but Alpha Trion himself did not become Autobot leader. It would sit in his possession, unused, until the coming of the next Autobot leader. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4 In the meantime, Alpha Trion developed plans to rebuild Autobots to better combat the escalating Decepticon menace.
The next Autobot leader would actually come to him when a group of time-travelers lugged a dying youth named Orion Pax to his repair center. Reluctant at first, Alpha Trion sensed a strong spirit in Orion Pax, and decided to rebuild him entirely... into Optimus Prime. When Prime asked if Alpha Trion could rebuild his fallen girlfriend Ariel as well, Alpha Trion agreed, and mused that Elita One would be a good name for a female warrior. War Dawn
Over the intervening millennia, Alpha Trion's two greatest creations, whether by design or coincidence, forgot their relationship to the ancient Autobot. Five million years after his creation, Optimus Prime was lost when his spacecraft crash-landed on prehistoric Earth, but Alpha Trion kept in contact with Elita One, acting as a sagely advisor to her team of Female Autobots as they spent the following four million years stealing energon from Shockwave. Eventually, in the Earth year 1985, Shockwave caught the Female Autobots in the act and tracked them back to their headquarters, prompting Elita One to consult with Alpha Trion on a course of action. Trion suggested they move their headquarters, telling Elita to scout for a new location alone, but in the event that she encountered the Decepticons, warned her not to use her life-draining time-freezing power. Alas, Elita was captured, and used by the Decepticons to lure Optimus Prime into a trap. To save her beloved's life, Elita used her fatal power, and the Autobot leader was forced to track Alpha Trion to his secret base in hopes that he could save her. Alpha Trion repaired her to the best of his ability, but revealed to Optimus Prime that only Prime could save Elita by interfacing to her with his power filter. An astonished Optimus Prime stated that only his creator could know that! The Search for Alpha Trion
A short time later, while he was looking for a misplaced tool, Alpha Trion was attacked in his workshop by Megatron and his Decepticons, who demanded that he hand over the Key to Vector Sigma. Trion pled ignorance, but Megatron knew better, and the elderly Autobot was soon overpowered while the Decepticons made off with the key. Alpha Trion was rescued from the chunk of metal the Decepticons left him stuck in by Optimus Prime and the Autobots, and after his injuries were repaired by Wheeljack and Ratchet, he journeyed with them into Cybertron's depths, leading the way to Vector Sigma's chamber. Their way, however, was barred by Centurion droids that Megatron used the Key to command, and Alpha Trion helped reactivate some discarded worker robots to fight the droids off. The droids had done their job, however, and prevented the Autobots from reaching Megatron before he used Vector Sigma to bring his newest Decepticons, the Stunticons to life. To combat these new land-based Decepticons, Optimus Prime hit on the idea of creating some new aerial Autobots, and Alpha Trion set to work reconstructing some Cybertronian aircraft. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1 When the work was done, Alpha Trion professed that he had another key to Vector Sigma "on him," and he would use it to reactivate the computer so that it could bring the jets to life. His "key," however, was his own life force: as a first generation product of Vector Sigma, his computation matrix could interface with the computer and bring it back online, at the cost of his own continued existence. Optimus Prime tried to stop him, but Alpha Trion refused to listen, reminding Prime that he was his creator and insisting that the jets were more important that he was. Prime relented, and Alpha Trion merged with Vector Sigma, which activated and brought the new Aerialbots to life. Before Prime and the Autobots departed for Earth, Alpha Trion spoke to them through Vector Sigma, warning them of a fact merging with the computer had revealed to him: on Earth, the Key to Vector Sigma had even greater power. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2
Many years later, when the Hate Plague was raging throughout the universe in the year 2006, Optimus Prime entered the Matrix to consult the ancient Autobots within on a possible cure. Alpha Trion was the first Prime spoke to, but he had no information to give, save a warning that Prime should take care on his journey into the Matrix, lest he be unable to return. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2
The following year, after the Decepticons stole the Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber, Optimus Prime used the Matrix to reactivate Vector Sigma so that he could converse with Alpha Trion, hoping that the old sage knew something more about what was going on. Alpha Trion revealed to Prime that Vector Sigma had allowed Galvatron to become aware of the key's existence, as the chamber was key to the dawning of a new Golden Age for Cybertron... as was the merging of an Autobot's life with that of a human's. The Rebirth, Part 2 Alpha Trion appeared to Optimus one final time, urging him to preserve the key at all costs, as it would be vital in fulfilling Vector Sigma's prophecy. The Rebirth, Part 3
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Headmasters cartoon
- Voice actor: Masaharu Satō (Japanese)
In the year 2011, one year after Optimus Prime released the energy of the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague, Vector Sigma began to destabilize as a result. Optimus Prime voyaged into the planet's depths to try and bring the computer back under control, but the mission seemed doomed to failure, as he did not have the Matrix to help him. While the other Autobots searched Earth for the Matrix, which had been hidden away to recharge, the spectral form of Alpha Trion appeared to Optimus Prime to help lead him through the many dangers blocking the path to Vector Sigma's chamber. The Mystery of Planet Master When they finally reached their goal, however, it turned out the Decepticons had beaten them there. Hot Rod was not far behind, with the recovered Matrix in his grasp, and when the young Autobot arrived, Alpha Trion instructed him to hold the talisman aloft. Trion's ethereal form flowed into the Matrix, completing its recharging process and transforming Hot Rod back into Rodimus Prime, who joined Optimus in thrashing the Decepticons. Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime
Wars comics
The incorporeal Alpha Trion sensed a threat to Vector Sigma from inside the Matrix, and rematerialized on the physical plane to address the problem. He discovered the Fallen attempting to steal and assume the power of Vector Sigma for himself. Downplaying his own importance, Alpha Trion attempted to advise Shouki and the other Autobot defenders present. Train Wars
Upon recovering Vector Sigma from the Fallen, Alpha Trion once again sacrificed his physical form to merge with Vector Sigma, giving it the drive necessary to reformat Shouki into a "train bazooka" mode, powerful enough to defeat the Fallen. Train Wars 2
G-2 story pages
When Optimus Prime was fatally injured in battle with Megatron, the spirits of Alpha Trion and former leaders residing within the Matrix activated its Reconfiguration Matrix mechanism, reviving Prime as Battle Convoy. G-2 Part 5
Transformers Legends comic
Alpha Trion and the Matrix—possibly the Reconfiguration Matrix again—had a hand in Rodimus Prime's transformation into a Micromaster. Transformers 2015 Tailgate/G1 Micron Chapter
To counter the rise of Galvatron II, Battle Convoy contacted the spirit of Alpha Trion within the Matrix and requested his help in reviving Ultra Magnus. Locating Magnus among the spirits of former leaders residing in the Matrix, Trion convinced him he was needed in the world of the living and entered his chest, using his unique connection with the Matrix to act as a substitute Matrix and bring both himself and Magnus back to life. Trion was restored in a tiny body that popped out of Magnus's chest. Resurrection Chapter Granted the ability to predict the future by his merging with Vector Sigma, Alpha Trion then foresaw that Megatron would return to his evil ways in the Legends Universe he had settled in. Seeking to stop this, the sage himself traveled to this other universe, using his diminutive body to disguise himself as a janitor at the Axalon Trading Company while waiting for Megatron to make his move. Bonus Edition Vol. 14
When the employees of Axalon Co. got curious about Metroplex—who'd ended up as their new office building after getting summoned into the Legends Universe—Alpha Trion taught them about the city-bot's past. He accidentally blew his cover by explaining he knew this much because he was from "the other world", though fortunately(?) the employees wrongly assumed he meant the world of the dead. The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter Alpha Trion was present when Megatron made his move, teaming up with Armada Megatron to conquer the Legends world. The Autumn Megatron Festival Chapter In response, he cast his disguise aside and used an ultra-drill to summon Ultra Magnus from their home universe. At first Magnus told Trion to get back in his chest, but the sage assured him he no longer needed Trion's Matrix power but had to rely on his own strength. After the Megatrons were defeated by Magnus, Alpha Trion confirmed to a curious Rattrap that he could indeed predict the future, and had had a vision of the imminent arrival of Nightbird Shadow, Blackarachnia, and Slipstream as well. Bonus Edition Vol. 14
Alpha Trion later confirmed to a curious Rattrap that his new body was a Mini-Con-type one, though he got defensive when asked to display the third weapon mode Mini-Cons are supposed to have. Transforming into his hovercar mode, he claimed it was clearly a shield and displayed its usefulness by shielding Ultra Magnus from a barrage of lasers. Unfortunately his size meant he only took a fraction of the blasts, and Magnus was gunned down. Ultra Magnus Sequel Alpha Trion Chapter Armada Megatron later bought an Ultra Magnus toy in order to examine it for the Autobot's weaknesses, defending his purchase of a non-Mini-Con toy to Armada Starscream by pointing out the Alpha Trion accessory. Ultra Magnus Sequel Armada Megatron Chapter
Thanks to Alpha Trion's premonitions, the Autobots were prepared for Slipstream's arrival in the Legends Universe and easily defeated her. Bonus Edition Vol. 16 While doing janitor work at Tera-Kura Co., he overheard Megatron talk about his plan to steal energy from people, and summoned Chromia into the Legends Universe as reinforcement. Bonus Edition Vol. 17 When Armada Starscream attempted to sacrifice himself to prevent Windblade from destroying the Legends Universe, Alpha Trion opened a portal to Starscream's home universe and brought forth Alexis to stop him. Bonus Edition Vol. 18
Alpha Trion was later contacted by the Springer of his home universe, who requested to be brought to the Legends Universe. Sprung Prologue Part 2 Following Springer's arrival, Trion had his ultra-drill stolen by a jealous Tigatron. Bonus Edition Vol. 19
Wings Universe
After the Van De Graaff was shot down on Beta-Nine, the proemial Alpha Unit of the Elite Guard managed to retrieve its cargo. The mysterious item was then delivered by Magnum to its custodian, Alpha Trion. Wings of Honor
Over the next ten years, the Decepticon insurrection became more fierce. Councilor Magnum continued to champion his Elite Guard, a series of strike teams dedicated to hunting down the Decepticon Warlords to cut the many heads off the serpent. Councilor Alpha Trion, however, favored his own Prime Initiative, a general of sorts who would oversee the entire Autobot army as a unified force against the Decepticons. The Coming Storm: Part 2
Despite their political differences, Alpha Trion and Magnum worked together as the situation called for it. When a group of civilian scientists and historians needed demolitions assistance at a dig site in Median, Alpha Trion requested the help of Magnum's Elite Guard for the job. Of course, he neglected to mention some of the finer points of the mission, but such is politics. Flames of Yesterday
After Dion and Magnum were injured in a Decepticon attack, they were taken to Alpha Trion. He was only able to save one of them, rebuilding the survivor into Ultra Magnus. As the war drained Cybertron's energy to dangerously low levels, Optimus left the planet on a mission to find more energy. Alpha Trion prepared stasis pods within which most of the remaining Autobot population would hibernate. As they placed the other Autobots in the pods, he warned Kup that remaining online during periods of low energy as he intended to do would greatly accelerate the aging process. Battle Lines, Part 6
When Optimus Prime and the other Autobots aboard the Ark were considered lost, Alpha Trion set about uniting the divided Cybertronian through other means. Using the remains of a Decepticon deep-space shuttle, he built Jhiaxus and brought him to life with the power of Vector Sigma, instructing the super-computer to imbue him with a need to unite Cybertron under one banner. Jhiaxus's Wings of Honor profile
In 2984 C.E. as the sage of Cybertron Alpha Trizer engaged in combat against the Star Seekers, the faces of his mentor Optimus Primal and his predecessor Alpha Trion flashed through his mind. Hoist the Flag
Deviations
In an alternate timeline where Optimus Prime killed Megatron in the Battle of Autobot City, Rodimus Prime ended up sacrificing himself to defeat Megascream and Unicron. In the following Autobot celebration, Optimus Prime saw a vision of Alpha Trion and Rodimus Prime as equals within the Matrix and swore to never question its ways. Deviations
3H comics
In the distant past, during the Cybertronians' rebellion against their Quintesson oppressors, A-3's meddle was tested in an encounter with a Dark Guardian. Disclosure
During Megatron's rule of Cybertron, Alpha Trion was seemingly resurrected and/or reformatted as a lion by the Oracle to guide Primal Prime and his Wrecker in much the same way as he aided many previous Autobot leaders. Departure It is unclear whether this new form ever existed physically; its only appearance was as a vision in Primal Prime's head. Betrayal The ancient Autobot reached out and made contact with Primal Prime's spark, but his messages came through garbled and incomplete. Of the small amount of information he was able to transmit to Primal Prime was the fact that the Wreckers should believe in Primus's vision, and that their creator sometimes worked in mysterious ways... Wreckers: Finale Part II
Alpha Trion did not make a physical appearance after this enigmatic reintroduction until Unicron posed a new threat to the balance of the multiverse. Alpha Trion, though technically still merged with Primus/Vector Sigma/Whatever, was again in his original body (but now with a cape!). He/they pulled Cybertron's greatest hero, Optimus Primal, back from the dead in order to rescue recently abducted Cybertronians from the center of the Chaos Bringer. Abduction
Thoug Primal was at first taken aback by the enormity of the task he had been assigned, Alpha Trion's pontification goaded him on in accepting the mission. When Primal succeeded at this monumental task, Escape he confronted the Maximal Elders with one of his overblown speeches and was thrown in jail. Alpha Trion sent Snarl to stage a small rescue of his own, and Primal was returned to the center of Cybertron. Here, Alpha Trion presented Primal with a window into the past, present, and future of the Allspark, from which he could pluck any warrior, whether they be living or dead. Primal chose Depthcharge and Rhinox, the former of whom rejected Primal's calling. Alpha Trion quieted Primal's disappointment, letting Depthcharge go, expecting him to return of his own accord. To take his place, Alpha Trion pulled Omega Prime from a Viron universe. Homecoming
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
Eons ago, Alpha Trion kept watch over the Transformers when Primus entered his eternal sleep to hide Cybertron from Unicron. However, a nomadic alien race eventually conquered Cybertron, and Alpha Trion was forced into hiding. Thousands of Transformers were slaughtered, and Alpha Trion was unable to act. Transformers: The Ultimate Guide Alpha Trion performed actions that would make him known as the savior of his race. Cold War
Alpha Trion was attached to the supercomputer Vector Sigma, and was its caretaker from the Golden Age to the Great War. He was considered the only Transformer capable of accessing all of the computer's functions. In his position, he disagreed with the Council of Ancients' esoteric mysticism, wishing to make the Transformers' place in the cosmos more known. More than Meets the Eye #8 Despite this, he was a secret guiding force behind the Council and its selection of Primes. He was fond of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, both with whom he had a special bond. More than Meets the Eye #1
After the Great Shutdown, Shockwave was awakened. Soon after, he met Scourge, who somehow led the Decepticon to Alpha Trion. Alpha Trion was incapacitated and hung on a wall in Shockwave's laboratory for analysis, to assist Shockwave in his attempt to control Vector Sigma. The ancient Cybertronian constantly foiled his attempts to analyze him; nevertheless, Shockwave swore that the savior of their race would become its "greatest destroyer". Cold War As Shockwave's plans reached fruition, the last remaining "ancient program" for him to decode was Alpha Trion. However, Shockwave's machinations were foiled by his apparent and untimely demise. Revelation
Alpha Trion's last days were recorded to be deep within Cybertron, preparing the Transformers and Cybertron for their darkest hour. More than Meets the Eye #1
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
When Serpent O.R. downloaded some of Soundwave's memories, he saw Alpha Trion and his role in the rebellion against the Quintessons. The Art of War #1
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Countless ages ago, Alpha Trion explored the entire surface of Cybertron with the legendary Titan, Metroplex. Omega's Conundrum
Alpha Trion approached Galvatron during the 43rd Day of the Battle of Aegiax to propose that the Ancient Barbarian unite the Thirteen warring tribes of Cybertron. The Mind Bomb After approaching Galvatron, Alpha Trion led the Barbarian to the headquarters of Prima, the Citadel of Light. There, Alpha Trion stood by and watched as Galvatron and the only remaining survivor of Prima's clan, a young 'bot named Nova Major, single-handedly slaughtered the bestial forces of Onyx Prime. After the battle was over, Alpha Trion approached Nova and Galvatron. When Nova demanded to know who Alpha Trion was, Trion calmly revealed himself to be the last remaining member of the original thirteen Cybertronians.
Nova was not quick to believe Trion, but soon accepted the truth after being pummelled into submission by Trion, seemingly confirming the rumor that only a Prime could defeat another Prime. Alpha Trion was quick to correct him, claiming that although a Prime could be defeated by a non-Prime, they could only be killed by another Prime, and that there were no other Primes left on Cybertron. Nova, finding this hard to believe, suggested that they go to Onyx Prime's castle in Kalis to see if Onyx had disappeared as Trion claimed. When they arrived, they found their way into the castle blocked by Onyx Prime's last surviving follower and gatekeeper of his castle, Rhinox of the Mournsong. Although Rhinox tried to bar their way, he was quickly intimidated into submission by Galvatron, and let them pass, already knowing they would find Onyx gone. As Rhinox wondered aloud what would become of them, Nova announced his plan to take control, with a vision of a united Cybertron with no tribes dividing its people. Alpha Trion, feeling this was the best course of action for Cybertron's people, gladly stood aside and let Nova assume the title of Prime.
After taking control of Cybertron, Nova directed his attentions to decoding the secrets of the Thirteen; chiefly, Nexus Prime's Enigma of Combination. Galvatron was the only one of them who didn't want to uncover the Enigma, and continually insisted that the Enigma was gone, just like its creator. Trion became curious by Galvatron's claims, and questioned him, pointing out that everyone except Galvatron talked of the Enigma as if it were merely a concept, but Galvatron spoke of it as a physical object. One look in Galvatron's eyes provided Alpha with all the explanation he needed to arrive at the answer. The Crucible
He blessed Nova Prime's Ark before its departure from the planet six million years ago. Dark Dawn Following the disappearance of the vessel and its crew, memorial lectures were held in honor of Nova, during which Alpha Trion held a speech about Primus. Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations
Four million years ago, Alpha Trion attended the funerals of Bumper and Fastback. Megatron Origin #3 Because of Alpha Trion's intimate knowledge of Cybertron's surface, he accompanied Orion Pax and Nightbeat on a mission into the treacherous Rust Spot to swap Decepticon prisoners for the captured Ratchet. This was merely a ruse to draw out Alpha Trion, who the Decepticons wanted in order to help locate Metroplex. Due to Orion Pax's valiant actions, Alpha Trion and the other Autobots escaped with their lives. Omega's Conundrum The Autobots did get something out of Alpha Trion though; confirmation that the Titans were indeed real. The Hunting Party
Once Orion Pax had become Optimus Prime, he broadcast a message to all Cybertronians, asking them to join him in the fight against the Decepticon oppression. Alpha Trion watched this broadcast with interest from the archives of Kutanzuule. Broadcast He soon came in contact with the young Prime to offer him advice and guidance in his early days as Autobot leader. Derelicts When Optimus blamed himself for being unable to stop the Exodus, Alpha Trion assured him that sometimes a leader's role is to let their followers go and make their own decisions. The Illusion of Control Alpha Trion was surprised when Optimus rediscovered the long lost Omega Supreme, and advised him to accept that the ancient guardian would not easily reintegrate into society. Primacy #2
500,000 years ago, Alpha Trion chose to leave Cybertron together with Metroplex, partly to keep the Titan out of Decepticon hands, but also to investigate and stop whatever scheme Shockwave had put into motion out in space. Hello Cruel World They didn't return until after Cybertron had been rendered virtually uninhabitable by normal Transformers because of the war, so Alpha Trion began working to restore it all by himself. The isolation evidently did not do the wise old Autobot any good, as he seemed to have more than a few screws loose and had become tremendously self-aggrandizing by the year 2010.
Operating out of Metroplex, Trion spent "dozens of meta-cycles" processing the corrosive elements out of Cybertron's atmosphere, slowly making it habitable again, but was still faced with the problem of the monstrous Insecticon swarm that had overrun the planet. Requiring the toughest of the tough to obliterate the swarm, Alpha Trion selected Ironhide to do the job. That Ironhide was across the galaxy on Earth mattered little: Ironhide would eventually die some day, Trion rationalized, and so he built a duplicate body on Cybertron into which he could implant Ironhide's spark and memories once he passed on and returned to the "core". With Vector Sigma having been essentially erased in the event that devastated Cybertron, this took Alpha Trion years and pushed his skills to their limit, but once Ironhide died on Earth in 2010, the ancient Autobot's grand work was complete, and Ironhide returned to life on Cybertron in the new body constructed for him. Any Old Iron
Ironhide awoke in confusion, his memories incomplete due to damage he had suffered millions of years beforehand that had disrupted his link to the core, and wandered Cybertron's wastes until Alpha Trion dispatched his page to bring the befuddled warrior to the city mode Metroplex. Alpha Trion took umbrage at the fact Ironhide had never heard of his ancient greatness, and revealed his incredible powers over his own electromagnetic aura by using it to control Ironhide's actions when the ornery Autobot started to get a little rough. Ironhide further tested Trion's patience when he ignored his cautions and ventured out to track down the near-dead Sunstreaker (even if Sunstreaker had heard of him). Finally, Trion relented to Ironhide's constant questioning and explained the reason he had brought him back online: to exterminate the swarm. Ironing Out the Details While Ironhide took out of most of the swarm in a brutal battle, Trion busied himself repairing Sunstreaker. After Ironhide returned, Trion announced that he and Metroplex were leaving Cybertron for parts unknown while Ironhide mopped up the remaining Insecticons. Infuriated by the old 'bots condescending attitude, Ironhide slugged him one, but Alpha Trion let it slide, putting Ironhide in his place by telling him he was just a small playing piece in a very large game. Before departing, however, Alpha Trion softened, congratulating Ironhide on saving the entire planet. After all, the only other Autobot would could make that claim... was he. Any Old Iron
At some point, Alpha Trion left Metroplex's side to search for a "Holy Grail", a quest of such importance that he was unable to turn back and help when his Titan companion was infected with an alchemical virus. Coming across the Vis Vitalis, he convinced the Camiens, Cityspeaker Windblade and her compatriots Chromia and Nautica, to aid the injured Metroplex in his place. Burning BrightA 'Bot and Her City Alongside this task Alpha Trion tasked the three with delivering a single word message to Optimus Prime- Earth. Hello Cruel World Shockwave saw Alpha Trion in a vision of things that would come to pass during the Dark Cybertron prophecy. Dark Dawn
Concluding from Shockwave's plans that the Enigma of Combination had landed on Earth, Alpha Trion went to search for it only to be shot down and captured by the Earth Defense Command. The Crucible He was brought to their base on Bikini Atoll for study and discovered months later by Jazz during an investigation into the EDC's use of Cybertronian tech. Full Fathom Five Knowing he was hooked up to an alarm and that the EDC's "mind bomb" couldn't have been created from just his brain, Prowl stopped Jazz from rescuing Alpha Trion immediately in order to investigate further. After deactivating the alarms they took Alpha Trion and fled on Sky Lynx, where a merry Trion's reunion with Optimus Prime was cut short by a coughing fit, prompting Jetfire to take him away and have a look at his injuries. I Dream of Wires
Alpha Trion had Optimus Prime take him to the moon, away from prying ears, to share with him why Earth was so important. He told the story about how he brought Galvatron and Nova Prime together, shocking and angering Optimus with the fact that he was one of the Thirteen Primes and let Nova Prime's reign happen, before revealing the presence of the Enigma of Combination on Earth. The Crucible They subsequently returned to the Ark-7, where Jetfire found their trip had worsened Alpha Trion's condition and admonished Prime. When Prime then returned to Cybertron for what he claimed were political reasons, Trion poked fun at him until he admitted he also had a personal reason, namely the anniversary of him becoming Prime. Signals, Calls, and Marches
When the Ark-7 came under attack and the Autobots lost control of the ship, Alpha Trion recognized why—its computers had been infected with the source code of the Enigma of Combination. The Nothing Man Joining Sideswipe and Arcee as they fought their way through the ship's defenses towards its space bridge, Trion described the Enigma as one of the "metaphors made real" devised by the ancient Primes and that normal Transformers couldn't fight against it. Aphelion They reached their goal only to be greeted by a group of Decepticons who'd arrived through the space bridge to capture the ship, Lagrange prompting Sideswipe to hide the still injured Alpha Trion away from harm in a storage compartment. Perihelion
After the Decepticons had crashed the ship onto Earth, Trion and the others were recovered by Optimus Prime's forces. Once they'd relocated, he was shocked to hear that Optimus had started a war with Earth in an attempt to to annex it, and wondered what his plan was now. Once Upon a Time on Earth He was present when Optimus returned after an ill-fated confrontation between Aileron and the President of the United States. Edge of the Earth When the Autobots joined forces with Soundwave's Decepticons against Galvatron, Alpha Trion's status as another Prime distressed Soundwave. He remained at their Monument Valley base caring for Buster during the actual attack, but an attack on them by the humans caused the dog to run off with D.0.C. It's Beginning To And Back Again As the battle raged on, Alpha Trion encouraged Optimus Prime to search within himself for the reason he'd chosen this particular valley as their base, which led to Optimus realizing there was a Titan hidden beneath the earth and awakening it. As Above...So Below
Possible future
In a vision of the future seen by Ironhide and Jhiaxus during the reformatting of Cybertron, Alpha Trion lived on a prosperous Gorlam Prime fifteen million years from now, telling young Transformers the history of their race and their struggles. His closest friend at this time was an aged Ironhide, who Alpha frequently comforted as Ironhide struggled to find his place in the new civilization. Pax Cybertronia
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
As he lay dying, Alpha Trion passed the Matrix of Leadership down to Optimus Prime, an event that would later be plucked from Prime's memories and scrutinized during his Quintesson trial. Everybody Hates Metroplex His spirit passed into the Matrix, where it would later haunt Megatron after he'd stolen the artifact. Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 The spirits of Alpha Trion and other past Matrix holders manifested again when Optimus Prime took back the Matrix. The War Never Ends
Ask Vector Prime
When questioned if Alpha Trion was Solomus, Vector Prime just said that he went by many names. Make of that what you will. Ask Vector Prime, 1/8/2015
The Power of the Titan Masters
On the planet Eukaris, Alpha Trion and Clobber discovered an ancient artifact linked to the Titans and Titan Masters. They were attacked by a contingent of Decepticons intent on ambushing the two Autobots and stealing the artifact for themselves, but Apeface managed to blow their cover and give the Autobots time to fight back. Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters
Games
Transformers Legends
Alpha Trion was one of the oldest Transformers alive. Orion's Gambit
Sentinel Prime sent Alpha Trion out to investigate an uprising of working-class robots. Alpha Trion uncovered that Senator Ratbat has shut down a mine, which catapulted into motion the Decepticon movement. He reported his findings to Sentinel Prime, and Ratbat was forced to flee for his life. Megatron Origins
Alpha Trion, alongside Nightbeat and Orion Pax, was to escort the Decepticons Rack'n'Ruin in a prisoner exchange with the Decepticons. Though they encountered Slicers en route, the group eventually met up with Bludgeon. But instead of the agreed upon exchange, Bludgeon and the Decepticons ambushed the Autobots, leading to Alpha Trion's capture. He was rescued and returned to Zeta Prime's protective custody thanks to Nightbeat and Orion Pax's efforts. Orion's Gambit
When Orion Pax and Ariel were seriously injured by the Decepticons, the Aerialbots took the pair to Trion, who rebuilt them into Optimus Prime and Elita One. He also aided the Aerialbots in returning to their own time through the Chronogon portal. Golden Age
Toys
Timelines
- Alpha Trion/Weirdwolf (souvenir add-on, BotCon 2007)
- Accessories: Sword, missile, Cyber Key
- A bagged set of Alpha Trion, Beta Maxx, and Weirdwolf was released at BotCon 2007 as a souvenir set add-on, limited to 1400 pieces. Alpha Trion was a retool of Cybertron Vector Prime, redecoed in purple, white, and red, plus a new head.
- Alpha Trion transforms into a large Cybertronian space cruiser with "solar panel" wings. His nosecone has a spring-loaded missile launcher at the tip. Inserting his Cyber Key (painted gold to resemble the Key to Vector Sigma) does not activate any sounds, unlike Vector Prime's toy. Alpha Trion has the more flexible translucent plastic parts (for safety reasons) of the Hasbro version of the mold.
Kre-O
- Alpha Trion (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2014)
- Bag number: 33501 33
- Accessories: Stand brick, buildable sword/spear-thing
- Part of the fourth assortment of blind-bagged Kreon Micro-Changers, Alpha Trion can be rebuilt from a humanoid to a starship seemingly based on the BotCon 2007 Alpha Trion toy (above). His vehicle-mode bits are rebuilt into a massive spear/sword/thing weapon for robot mode.
- He uses the Jazz helmet... which covers his eyes when pushed all the way down on the noggin.
- Kreon Class of 1985 (Kreon figure set, 2015)
- Set number B5152
- Accessories: Longsword
- Voted "800th Year Senior", this version of Alpha Trion has more intricate, cartoon-accurate detailing, and uses the Age of Extinction Galvatron helmet. He also comes with the longsword accessory from the Kre-O Dungeons & Dragons series for... some reason.
- He was only available in the "Kreon Class of '85" 30-Kreon box set, a San Diego Comic-Con 2015 exclusive, also sold online through Hasbro Toy Shop following the convention.
Legends
- Ultra Magnus (9-19-2015)
- Japanese ID Number: LG-14
- The Transformers Legends release of Generations Combiner Wars Leader Class Ultra Magnus includes a small Alpha Trion figure, which is a redeco of the Minimus Ambus figure (as Minimus does not appear in any Japanese fiction). He transforms into a Cybertronian hovercar, which can tab onto three grooves on the lower level of Magnus's trailer. In robot mode, Alpha Trion can sit inside Ultra Magnus's robot mode torso, "wearing" the Magnus head like a helmet.
Generations
- Autobot Sovereign & Alpha Trion (Voyager class, 2016)
- Accessories: Sword
- Alpha Trion transforms from a robot to lion to spaceship. His head transforms into the Titan Master Sovereign, although his neck socket is compatible with any other Titan Master figure.
Unreleased
A redeco of Beast Machines Snarl was planned as Alpha Trion for the OTFCC Wreckers storyline, but this concept never made it past the paint mock-up stage.
A redecoed Lio Convoy was also considered by 3H for Alpha Trion around the same time, and it was sort of this version that briefly appeared in the comic book (see above). Though the toy mock-up used Snarl, 3H hoped they could finagle the use of the Lio Convoy mold. "Alpha Lion"'s wireframe appearance in Wreckers #1 used Lio Convoy's body, but Snarl's head, hopefully allowing 3H to fudge either way, should they come to a decision. They didn't!
 Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
Merchandise
Super Collection Figure
- Alpha Trin (2002)
- A three-inch-tall PVC figurine of Alpha Trion was available in "Act 8" of Takara's Super Collection Figure line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full-color figure and a metallic-silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve blindpacked figures. Additionally, the pewter version of Alpha Trion came packaged with the left leg of the Scorponok collectible "build-a-figure".
- Alpha Trion was not among the Super Collection Figures brought over to the West for Hasbro's Heroes of Cybertron line.
EX Gōkin
- Alpha Trin [sic] (2014)
- Accessories: Two fists, two open hands, two gripping hands, right pointing hand, A-3 head, two A-3 shoulders, display stand
- Produced by Art Storm as part of their EX Gōkin line, this Alpha Trion is a 6-inch tall posable figure based on his cartoon character model. He comes with a plethora of extra hands and has an articulated cape that splits in two pieces for easier posing. Alpha Trion can (sort of) be turned into his younger self, A-3, by use of an alternate head based on his appearance in "War Dawn" and two smaller, spike-less shoulderpads.
Notes
- Alpha Trion is one of the very few Cybertronians to show signs of aging and hair growth.
- According to a note in Japan's Comic Bom Bom magazine,[source needed] A-3 was the first successful Cybertronian, A1 and A2 being failures. However, the presence of Cybertronians within the Matrix of Leadership older than Alpha Trion (as seen in "The Return of Optimus Prime") makes the actual canonicity of this questionable.
- Alpha Trion may be named after the Triple-Alpha Process, the method through which carbon is created, which in turn is the reason (human) life came to be. Given that Alpha Trion essentially "created" Optimus Prime, who in turn formed the Autobots, this is actually quite fitting.
- Alpha Trion had a hover-craft alternate mode designed for his appearance in The Transformers: Ironhide, but ultimately didn't end up transforming in that mini-series. The vehicle mode was first revealed in the trade paperback's extras, and would eventually be used in-continuity as part of a flashback sequence in "The Mind Bomb" and in the Transformers Legends episode "Megatron Origins".
- A mock-up of an Alpha Trion toy in the form of a Generations Scourge redeco was shown in Transformers Generations 2014 Vol. 1 as one of ten potential exclusives for Vol. 2. During the fan poll held to determine which of the ten would be produced, Alpha Trion claimed 28.9% of the votes but ultimately came second place under Goshooter.[1]
Foreign names
- Japanese: Alpha Trin (アルファートリン Arufā Torin), Alpha Trion (The Rebirth, アルファ・トライオン Arufā Toraion)
- Hebrew: Alpha Trion (אלפא טריון, "Alpha Trion")
- Indonesian: Alfa Trion
- Mandarin: Alpha Tellion (Taiwan, 阿法特利昂 Ā Fǎ Tè Lì Áng), Tài Shīfù (China, 钛师傅, "Master Titanium")
References
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Alternate members
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