Sentinel Prime (G1)
| The name or term "Sentinel Prime" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Sentinel Prime (disambiguation). |
- Sentinel Prime is an Autobot leader from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Sentinel Prime is an imposing figure, standing head and shoulders over the average Autobot. Bristling with some of the most heavy-duty weapons and armor available to the Autobot army has instilled in Sentinel Prime a supreme confidence in his own abilities as both a leader and a fighter. Unfortunately such pride usually precedes a fall, and there will always be someone out there keen to prove a point, or who merely sees Sentinel Prime as an obstacle on the path to a bigger destiny.
Sentinel Prime was Optimus Prime's immediate predecessor as Autobot leader. (Except when he isn't.)
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Jack Angel (English), Takurō Kitagawa (Japanese)
Sentinel Major was originally one of the Quintessons' slave robots on Cybertron around twelve million years ago. Unusual among his consumer goods brethren, Sentinel Major was equipped for combat and was forced to participate in gladiatorial games for the Quintessons' amusement, wielding a spiked ball-and-chain weapon and a tire-shaped shield. He was once defeated in battle by Prima, who attacked their Quintesson masters when their match was over, only to be destroyed himself.
Subsequently, the consumer goods robots rose up against the Quintessons in a rebellion that ultimately forced the aliens off the planet. Sentinel Major survived this clash, but he and the rest of his race—now dubbed "Autobots"—were robbed of any chance of peace when the military hardware robots, now known as "Decepticons", set their sights on conquering Cybertron for themselves. Two Autobot leaders fell during the war that ensued, and Sentinel Major inherited the Matrix of Leadership and became Sentinel Prime, leader of the Autobots. Under his leadership, the Autobots realized that they would never be able to defeat the Decepticons with firepower, and they turned instead to stealth, reconfiguring their bodies to be able to transform into other forms. With the power of his new ability, Sentinel Prime defeated the Decepticons' leader, and the Autobots won the war.
The ensuing period of peace was known as the Golden Age of Cybertron, but, around nine million years BCE, the Decepticon threat re-emerged when they too adopted transformation, and coupled it with robot-mode flight powers. One of the first of this new breed of Decepticons, the malevolent Megatron, killed Sentinel Prime in combat. As he died, Sentinel Prime handed off the Matrix to Alpha Trion, who kept it safe until the emergence of the next Autobot leader, Optimus Prime.
When Rodimus Prime journeyed into the Matrix in 2005, Sentinel Prime was the sixth guide he encountered. Sentinel Prime recounted the development of transformation, the Autobot victory in the war and the rise of Megatron. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4
Transformers Legends comic
Sentinel Prime's spirit was present within the Matrix alongside It and Ultra Magnus when Alpha Trion approached Magnus with an offer to bring him back to life. Resurrection Chapter
Wings Universe
Sentinel Prime was presumably a descendant of the first of the Sentinel line, Sentinel EnN. A Team Effort Before ascending to the rank of Prime, Sentinel Prime was known as Sentinel Major. Ask Vector Prime Sentinel Prime's legacy lived on in other 'bots who took on the "Sentinel" name, including another Sentinel Major. Sentinel Major's Wings Universe profile
Marvel The Transformers comics
Sentinel Prime was mentioned in a recitation of Primes, after Prime Nova and before Optimus Prime, by the Creation Matrix. Dark Creation He passed it on during a violent situation. The Legacy of Unicron!
3H comics
The Matrix was passed from Prime Nova unto Sentinel Prime, who subsequently bequeathed it to Optimus Prime. Covenant
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
Sentinel Prime was Autobot leader for the first 500,000 years of the Great War. With trithyllium alloy armor, an electro-disrupter and a large variety of other weapons, including various forms of artillery shell, a solar energy rifle and energon-charged sword, Sentinel Prime was a giant among giants. Hardwired
8.2 million years ago, Sentinel Prime went to reason with Megatron, seeking to reach him with sermon and doctrine. He failed and was tortured and destroyed by Megatron on the battlefields of Tyrest. The Ultimate Guide Megatron was chagrined to discover that Sentinel Prime (suspecting he might be killed) had not brought the Matrix with him into battle. The War Within #1
The Matrix used a vision of Sentinel Prime to strengthen Optimus Prime's resolve during a battle with Megatron by confronting him with the claim that Megatron had chosen Optimus to be Prime, knowing that he was weak. Megatron's alleged influence over the Prime selection process was never substantiated.
The Keepers subsequently created a robotic duplicate of Sentinel Prime to confuse Optimus and undermine his confidence. Though possessing all of Sentinel Prime's considerable abilities, Optimus eventually realized that the duplicate had been created from his own memories of Sentinel Prime, and was incapable of doing anything new. Optimus destroyed the duplicate of Sentinel Prime, having largely overcome his own doubts about his fitness to be Autobot leader. Hardwired
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Before the war, Sentinel was head of security for the Senate. One of the duties of his security force was to go around threatening and killing people who got in the Senate's way or might embarrass it. Shortly after an assassination attempt on Nominus Prime, he eagerly watched Senator Proteus announcing the implementation of the "Clampdown", which would improve security at the cost of "some of the freedoms" of the populace. He was constantly interrupted by reports that an intruder was fighting his way into the Grand Imperium, defeating all the security squadrons Sentinel sent at him. Interested in seeing how things would play out, he stood by as Orion Pax entered the Senate's chamber and confronted them over their corruption and detached relation to the populace. Proteus eventually ordered Sentinel to have him removed. Chaos Theory Part 2
As the Clampdown began, the Senate, who were behind the attack on Nominus Prime to begin with, had Sentinel try to tap into the powers of the Matrix of Leadership in the Prime's chest. Post Hoc The Chaos of Warm Things In the process, Sentinel discovered that the Matrix was merely a fake, and with this revelation the Senate decided they had no more use for Nominus and had him killed. They went on to spread rumours that Sentinel was showing signs of affinity for being a Prime Post Hoc while he got to work on planning a "Decepticon terrorist attack" that would give him an excuse to round up all proto-Decepticons and send them off for brainwashing. Patternism While Orion Pax thwarted this, Sentinel's men were still able to discover that Senator Shockwave was quietly forming an army of dissident outliers. Sentinel ordered Shockwave's academy destroyed in an "accident" and Shockwave himself taken into custody. The rebellious Senator confronted Sentinel and Proteus with his knowledge of their illegal takeover of the Senate, but they were nonplussed and had him subjected to empurata and brainwashing. An Intimate Beheading Shockwaves Orion Pax and his team had a Dead Or Alive warrant put on their heads. All Our Parlous Yesterdays
Upon assuming office, Sentinel Prime operated out of the Security Services Headquarters in Kaon, generally regarded as "the worst place on Cybertron." By this point Sentinel had developed great disdain for government authority, irritated that they kept telling him how to do things instead of just giving him what he asked for. Megatron Origin #1 He would even claim he didn't get to set policy. Megatron Origin #3 Years later, Whirl would say Sentinel took the bad Senate and made it get worse. The Last Autobot He worked alongside Prowl, his lieutenant, and didn't seem that keen on him either. Megatron Origin #1 He also formed an Elite Guard for all the important work he wanted done and not known about, like secretly capturing a spark hot spot so it could be experimented on and the Functionist Council couldn't use it.
The Guard clashed with Orion Pax's outlaws over the hot spot and, well, turned out not to be that elite: Sentinel hired bruisers, not people with brains. He lost the hot spot to Pax. All Our Parlous Yesterdays
At some point, he did something later remembered as "lay[ing] claim to a populated world". New Worlds Order
When Senator Decimus was badly injured in a riot, Sentinel ordered Prowl to handle the situation as he didn't "have the struts to deal with another whining senator": if only they gave him "what I need"! Megatron Origin #1 After a surge in illegal gladiatorial bloodsports where Megatron's rose to prominence, he personally took charge of the investigation from Prowl, ordered tactical recon teams ("Panorama") to watch eight potential venues and intelligence officers to watch everything, and a core strike team ("Hammer") to hit Megatron's "cult" when the venue was identified. Officers Bumper and Fastback did indeed find a venue but unfortunately, both were murdered before they could report in. Megatron Origin #2
Sentinel Prime vowed not to let their deaths be in vain, and at their funeral, the Autobot leader urged others to let their deaths be a call to arms. Eventually, after Senator Decimus was kidnapped by the Seekers at Megatron's orders, Sentinel Prime led a raid on Megatron's base. They captured Megatron and most of the others, but were forced to free Soundwave per Senate directive, much to Prime's frustration. Megatron Origin #3 Unfortunately for Sentinel, this had been Megatron's plan all along and a "defecting" Starscream released all the prisoners in the Security Services' HQ!
As chaos broke out across Kaon, Sentinel Prime held the line until he decided to take things to the next level. Thus, Prime returned with his massive "Apex" mode, a battle-armor/super-powerful/more-firepower-than-god mode. Megatron Origin #4 His ensuing duel with Megatron was watched from behind the scenes by Soundwave and Shockwave. Soundwaves The additional firepower didn't make much of a difference, seeing as Megatron tore into it and pulled Prime off a cliff. Sentinel was defeated by Megatron. Afterwards, the former Prime's barely functional body was dumped into the middle of the Autobot forces. Prowl ordered a retreat. We would too.
The next morning, Megatron discussed his next moves with Soundwave... sitting on a throne made out of Prime's Apex armor. Megatron Origin #4
Rumours spread that Sentinel had survived his battle until the replacement Senate put out footage of the body being retrieved. Sentinel's body was subsequently laid to rest, and received a state funeral at the Primal Basilica in which grieving crowds lined the streets. Shortly after the ceremony, Sentinel's body was mutilated, with his head stolen and never recovered. The Decepticons were blamed for the deed, but Megatron denied any responsibility. The Last Autobot
Sentinel Prime was immediately succeeded by Zeta Prime. Spotlight: Blurr
Over the millions of years since his death, Sentinel's many issues would be remembered but having stood up to Megatron meant people remembered him more as someone heroic by comparison. The Last Autobot Shortly before the Dead Universe invasion, Optimus Prime would recall Sentinel Prime as he ruminated on the supposed infallibility of a Prime versus the depressing reality. Spotlight: Optimus Prime
Prowl would mention Sentinel's militarism as part of the lineage of 'false Primes' and their failings four million years later, expressing that while the Decepticons may have had noble intentions back then, they were long lost by the modern era. Dinobot Hunt Nova Prime briefly took on the appearance of Sentinel Prime as he battled Optimus within the Dead Universe. Finis Temporis
Over a year later, an irate Starscream, now running Cybertron, was left spitting teeth at the idea anyone might give Optimus a pass for annexing Earth. He compared the action to Sentinel, saying he'd been the last Prime to lay claim to a populated world. New Worlds Order
Crew on the Lost Light discussed Sentinel frankly as a dangerous ideologue with Brainstorm calling him the first Decepticon. Since everyone usually referred to Sentinel Prime in heroic terms, Tailgate was left confused; Chromedome said that he'd "lived badly but died well".
You didn't? Well somebody did.
Months later, the emergence of Metrotitan on Earth prompted the creation of Autobot City, which was accompanied by a burst of energy immortalizing the deeds of Optimus Prime. This burst awoke Sentinel Prime- who had been in an indeterminable state beneath Kaon. The former leader viewed Metrotitan's transmission... only to be disgusted by the sight of Autobots fraternizing with Decepticons and the "malformed" colonists from the Titan colonies - signs of compromise that he could not abide. Sentinel headed to the Decepticon ghetto outside of Metroplex, vowing to purge his planet of "inferiors" The Last Autobot Trouncing Ironhide's security forces, Sentinel opened fire indiscriminately and killed 23 individuals before attacking Starscream with a spark disruptor. Ten to Midnight The Last Autobot Windblade managed to save Starscream's life by taking the weapon into her own Spark chamber, but the two were unable to stop Sentinel from bridging to Earth. After arriving outside Autobot City, he took down Aileron and destroyed the Space Bridge behind him. Sentinel took a moment to appreciate Optimus Prime's imperialistic spirit... a moment that was cut short when Sentinel's head transformed into Infinitus, vowing to burn down everything that his successor had created. The Last Autobot
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
Among others, Sentinel Prime appeared to haunt Megatron through the Matrix. Sentinel in particular mocked the Decepticon's gladiatorial origins and the fact the he considered himself an emperor. Megatron, however, refused to break and continued with his plans. Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12
The Power of the Titan Masters
When Scourge and Crashbash attacked Velocitron during the planet's biggest race, Sentinel Prime fought alongside Hardhead and Optimus Prime to repulse the invaders, defending Hyperfire from Decepticon abduction. Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters
Games
Transformers Legends
Following an uprising of working-class robots, Sentinel Prime sent Alpha Trion to investigate the gladiatorial pit fights in Kaon, and the emergence of the Decepticon movement. Alpha Trion uncovered Senator Ratbat's involvement in the whole affair, and reported his findings to Sentinel Prime. Megatron Origins
As Megatron's forces made their way to activate Cybertron's planetary engines in order to wipe out the Autobots, Sentinel Prime went to meet with the Decepticon leader in Tyrest, believing Megatron could be reasoned with. Instead Megatron ambushed Sentinel Prime's group and slew the Prime. Sadly for Megatron, Sentinel was not carrying the coveted Matrix of Leadership, having sensibly left it behind. The War Within
Toys
Generations
- Sentinel Prime (Voyager Class, 2016)
- Accessories: 2 Guns, Infinitus Titan Master
- Sentinel Prime is part of the first wave of Titans Return Voyager Class toys. He transforms from robot to shuttle to battle tank-which-looks-a-lot-like-a-train. Both vehicle modes make use of lots of flip-out panels to fill in his vehicle mode, leaving very little robo-kibble visible. His Titan Master partner Infinitus transforms into his head (but any Titan Master-class figure is compatible), and he features spring-loaded pylons that pop out of his shoulders on either side of his head to "bulk up" his noggin, like all Titans Return Voyager-class figures. Despite restricting the articulation for his neck, the pylons themselves are in an assembly which can be rotated for better range of motion.
- He includes two hand-held, non-firing blasters which can be combined to form a larger double-barreled weapon. The larger gun or the combined mode can be piloted by a Titan Master. Each weapon has multiple pegs which can be mounted on the wing struts, wing tips, knees, or shoulder slots. Sentinel himself can be piloted from a translucent yellow cabin between his rear stabilizers.
- The computer-generated promo art and additional stock photos for this figure is apparently inaccurate, depicting Sentinel with the ends of his train mode for feet, while his instructions use the the nose cone portion of shuttle mode. The train engine ends can be used as feet, but they sit at an awkward angle that makes it hard for Sentinel to stand upright. He also appears to be a darker, less saturated orange than the final product.
- Sentinel also comes with a collector card based on his packaging art.
- He will also be retooled into Astrotrain.
- Titan Force (gift set, 2016)
- Accessories: 2 Guns, Head
- This recolored version of Sentinel Prime with translucent orange parts was only available in a gift set together with Titan Force redecoes of Brainstorm and Windblade, each with unique decoration. In the U.S., this set is slated to be exclusive to the Hasbro Toy Shop website and the Hasbro Toy Shop booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2016. Rather than being marked as an Autobot, he instead bears the symbol of the Security Forces that his troops wore in the Megatron Origin comic.
Notes
- In a few instances throughout the third season of the Generation 1 animated series, the Constructicon Long Haul appears in the U-Haul Robot's color scheme. Guess AKOM got their "Hauls" mixed up!
- Any similarities between U-Haul Robot and Spartacus are purely coincidental. No, really.
- The retelling of Unicron's origin in the UK comics included a brief glimpse of a dying Matrix bearer passing the Matrix of Leadership to Optimus Prime. However, as he is unnamed, the only way we can presume this being is Sentinel Prime is because, as we are told later, Sentinel Prime was the leader before Optimus. Fun fact: "State Games" calling Optimus Prime "Optimus Prime" mean Sentinel does this pre-war!
- The original IDW Sentinel Prime sketch included in "Spotlight: Optimus Prime" was clearly based on his first (and otherwise only) appearance in the Marvel comics panel shown above. Though his resemblance as drawn in Megatron Origin is less distinctly similar due to artistic interpretation and the helmet Alex Milne draws him wearing. He also definitely resembles, by and large, the Keepers description of the character, in that he is quite heavily armed. However the keen interest he shows in the use of those weapons and combat in general seem a stark contrast to the "peacetime leader unsuitable for war" portrayed in that continuity. IDW Sentinel is more likely to smash you with his Apex Armor than try to ply you with doctrine.
- Sentinel Prime didn't receive a proper toy until 2016, but he did come close once. As revealed in the Transformers Collectors' Club roundtable panel at BotCon 2007, the original concept for the convention-exclusive redeco of Cybertron Defense Hot Shot was Sentinel Prime. The mold DOES bear a decent resemblance to his IDW appearance, but in the end it was decided that Springer was a better choice for the mold (and likely for the ongoing club comic story).
- The resurrected Sentinel at IDW appears to be wearing modular, black armor over his toy design, rather than having the toy design itself.
- According to ABN in Recordicons #9, Vector Prime "always lies about Five Faces of Darkness". If true, this would mean that the guy from Five Faces isn't necessarily Sentinel Prime; we're keeping this page as-is because there's no objective evidence either way, and Sentinel Prime is more convenient as a page title than "U-Haul Robot".
| "Five Faces of Darkness" spirit guides | |||
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