Magic
Magic is a mysterious supernatural force, wielded by members of numerous species to accomplish various things.
It should not be confused with dark science, a perfectly quantifiable means of summoning extradimensional horrors.
| “ | Foolish human. Magic can never defeat science! | ” |
—Starscream, just before getting beaten with the help of magic, "A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court" | ||
Fiction
Generation 1 continuity
The Transformers cartoon
Millions of years ago, the Quintesson Mara-Al-Utha was convicted of the crime of sorcery, and exiled to the dimension of Menonia. Here, magic was commonplace, and the exile's power grew under the tutelage of the Golden One, whose place as ruler he eventually usurped. Madman's Paradise
On the planet Earth, during the 6th century, there lived a wizard called Beorht. He helped the time-traveling Hoist and Warpath recharge their energy reserves by magically calling down lightning from the sky. However, one of his concoctions he claimed to be magical, the substance known as Dragon's Bane, had a clear scientific explanation. A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court
Beast Wars Neo
The Predacon Saberback is said to be an expert in black magic. Beast Wars Neo
IDW Generation 1 continuity
In ages past, magic was regarded as a fundamental truth of the universe, a force that could be harnessed and wielded for good or evil. The planet Prysmos was one such adherent to this belief — an arcane planet where magic ruled supreme over science and technology, and whose inhabitants looked down on machinery as crude imitations of true power, First Strike #0 First Strike #6 before they developed increasingly advanced technology that made magic all but redundant. The only known sorcerer who survived this transition was Merklynn who schemed to return Prysmos to its arcane state. By doing so however, he laid the foundations for Prysmos' eventual destruction. In the aftermath, a handful of Prysmosians escaped their world's destruction and fled into space. Schismatic
In the earliest days of the Transformer race, some Transformers professed a belief in magic. The barbarian warrior Galvatron once believed that the Thirteen had magic powers. The Crucible The truth was more complex: according to Alpha Trion, the powerful artifacts that the Thirteen had once wielded were akin to "metaphors made real". Aphelion Other, more rationally-minded Transformers such as Jhiaxus held their powers were simply advanced science. The Crucible
Unbeknownst to most Cybertronians, true magic — of the Prysmosian variety — did exist on prehistoric Cybertron, in the form of the artifact that humans would eventually code-name the "Talisman." Origin Myths Originally belonging to Onyx Prime, the device found its way into the care of Domitius Major, who would accidentally bring it to Earth during the Ice Age. Strange Visitors
By the modern day, the galaxy at large had mostly forgotten about magic. One notable exception was the monstrous Dire Wraiths, who wielded powerful dark magic that allowed them shapeshift, teleport, and infect other living creatures with their mutative energies. Shining Armor #1 Their magic could even be combined with Cybertronian techno-biology to produce monstrous techno-organic fusions, a risky but powerful maneuver. Shining Armor #2 Shining Armor #4 When the Dire Wraiths discovered Earth and its supplies of Ore-13, they found that their various arcane powers were significantly amplified by exposure to the synthetic element. Thundercracker & Buster Save the World
By the modern day, Cybertron had largely shed its old superstitions. When asked about the Thirteen, Optimus Prime agreed with Jhiaxus's beliefs, to Victorion's wry amusement. Lagrange Rodimus sardonically defined "magic" as science that he didn't understand. Towards Peace Wheeljack also defined magic as unexplained science. Schismatic
Merklynn eventually found his way to Earth before World War II and disguised himself as "Garrison Kreiger". When a chance encounter with Cybertronians led him to the wreckage of Domitius' ship, he discovered that the vessel had once held the Talisman and dedicated the rest of his life to finding it so that he could harness its power to recreate his lost homeworld. Strange Visitors First Strike #6 He would succeed in 2017, where, during the Iron Ring's attack on Cybertron, Merkylnn shed his human disguise and used the Talisman's magical powers to transform the planet's energon into a supernatural substance and magically remaking a fraction of the planet into New Prysmos. First Strike #6
In the aftermath of the attack, the Cybertronians discovered that their systems were unable to process the magically-tainted energon, forcing them to rely on artificial human derivatives. The Dead Come Home, Part 1
Wheeljack and Breakdown were eventually sent to New Prysmos to examine the Talisman before a portion of its energy withered and decayed the latter's arm. Cindarr and Virulina realized this meant the Cybertronians were vulnerable to magic. Virulina subsequently used hers as a show of power by killing Kup. Schismatic
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
After Megatron teleported from a black hole in an attempt to escape from the core of Earth's sun, his charred body ended up in a dimension where magic is a scientific given and is imbued with the power of friendship. The War Never Ends
Alternity
Magic was considered taboo even by the higher-dimensional Alternity; as a mystical and ancient craft, their advanced technology had no defenses against it. Megatron used this weak point to his advantage when he acquired a magical tablet, a sort of universal control board, and destroyed the Alternity aggregate with its power. Casting spells with the tablet came at a price, however; each time the artifact's power was used, it drained the life-force of Planicrons, lower-dimensional beings whose universe was being accessed through the tablet. Thundercracker became disgusted by the reckless loss of life that ensued from the Planicrons' exploitation, and used another tablet to set them free from Megatron's control. Alternation
Beast Wars: Uprising
A statue of Amenhotep III held at the British Museum was rumoured to have magical powers. Starscream led a raid to seize the statue to harness its supposed powers. Cultural Appropriation
Prime cartoon
The Forge of Solus Prime was one of many ancient devices that operated through the convergence of magic and science. Regeneration
Transformers Legends comics
Mindwipe used "ghost magic" to bring Devil Z back from the dead. Bonus Edition Vol. 34
The Last Knight
The magic of the Staff of Merlin was in actuality just advanced Cybertronian technology. When Edmund Burton explained this to Viviane Wembly and Cade Yeager, the former scoffed at the notion of magic while the latter was more believing noting Hot Rod changing from a Citroen to a Lamborghini in seconds and also quoting Clarke's Third Law impressing Viviane that he knew of it. The Last Knight
Merchandise
Transformers (2007)
- Magic Washcloths (2006)
- Magic Washcloths were made available that allegedly could "magically unfold".
