Centurion (IDW)
| The name or term "Centurion" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Centurion (disambiguation). |
- Centurion is a Transformer from the IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
The mysterious Centurion sure looks like someone else we know.
Fiction
 Spoiler warning: Plot details for Strange Visitors follow. |
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Centurion was one of a number of Eukarians under the command of Domitius Major aboard the starship Axalon. Sent on a deep-space mission by Onyx Prime, Domitius' crew were drawn off-course by the need to replentish their energon source. They discovered prehistoric Earth, still locked in the Ice Age. As they approached the planet, they were confused by a broadcast of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, alerting the Eukarians to the presence of Shockwave, who had come to Earth to investigate his Regenesis project. The Decepticon scientist shot down their vessel, and, in the crash, the Talisman aboard the Axalon scrambled the memories of the crew.
Centurion was the first of them to awaken, and, disoriented, briefly glimpsed the transmission of Optimus he had seen earlier. His brief confusion over his identity - if he was Bumblebee- inspired Shockwave to use the amnesiac explorers for a twisted experiment. By replacing the lost memories of the Axalon crew with data on the Cybertronian Autobots and Decepticons, Shockwave convinced the stranded beast-bots that they were warriors in the Great War, and then pitted them against one another in a series of simulated wargames in order to study their tactics for his own use. After Shockwave was entombed in lava by the Dynobots, the Eukarians fought on amongst each other, until they finally ran low on Energon and went into stasis. Strange Visitors
"Bumblebee" awoke in the 19th century to the sound of human railroad workers. Shedding his original beast mode, he disguised himself as a small steam locomotive with no control cab and a built in steam-hammer for driving spikes. Hearts of Steel #1 Initially, Bumblebee directly competed with steel-driving legend John Henry. After Bumblebee revealed himself in robot form to Henry, Henry set aside his mistrust of automation after realizing that Bumblebee was a living being (not just a machine) who wanted to put in a fair day's work. Hearts of Steel #2
Bumblebee reactivated several other "Autobots", and after learning that the "Decepticons" had already awoken, adopted steam-powered alternate modes to stop their enemies from reaching New York City Hearts of Steel #3 With the help of their human allies, they succeeded in preventing them from doing so, and, with the Decepticons defeated, Bumblebee and the others returned to stasis. Hearts of Steel #4
Several years later, Bumblebee was one of a handful of Eukarians who awoke to warn his ally Tobias Muldoon about the threat of an Elder God. This threat required more firepower; as a result, the "Autobots", with the help of Nikola Tesla, awoke Domitius Major - his old commander, now conditioned into believing he was Optimus Prime. Infestation 2: The Transformers #1
By the time of World War I, the surviving Axalon crew members were beginning to die off, and several were beginning to shake off Shockwave's conditioning. Centurion was present when Domitius Major, still believing himself to be Prime, died, and afterwards he dedicated his life to tracking down the surviving Eukarians on Earth, battling IRON Soldiers created from the Talisman as he went. When World War II swept the world, only Centurion and "Shockwave" remained. The last two survivors battled one another in France, where their combat was observed by Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles. Centurion killed the false Shockwave and took his cannon arm as a trophy. As the last surviving member of the Axalon crew, Centurion requested the help of Savage and his men in finding the wreckage of his ship so that he could return to his ship to die in peace.
The strange alliance located the Axalon's remains in Brasnya, where they battled more IRON soldiers, but discovered that the Talisman had been removed from its old housing. Before Centurion could tell his comrades about the device, they were attacked by more of the drones - now animating Domitius' corpse to attack. Garrison Krieger watched, fascinated by the battle, until the Talisman's energy made the entire Axalon disappear - with Savage inside it. Centurion managed to defeat Domitius' animated corpse, but was upset at losing what he hoped to be his final resting place. Confused, angry, and psychologically vulnerable, Krieger offered to help him, not telling the erstwhile Autobot that he was planning to take the Talisman for his own. Strange Visitors
Centurion was present when Baron Ironblood and Doctor X visited Tomax, urging him to take up the mantle of Cobra Commander. The Secret of the Mummy's Tomb He later undertook a mission to San Francisco as part of the "Ice Man Protocols," which involved retrieving a steampunk doppelganger of Optimus Prime, frozen in ice, and relocating the body to a secure facility. The Iron Klaw
