Termagax
- Termagax is an Ascenticon from the 2019 IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
Termagax used to be a major player in Cybertronian society. An accomplished bot-of-all-trades, the scientist, philosopher, teacher, engineer and historian took a keen interest in the development of Cybertron, and its newest members, encouraging her students to forge their own future, regardless of fear.
That was a long time ago. Now, the once brilliant mind has become a bitter, anti-social recluse, quite content to ignore and be ignored by the outside world, unconcerned as to the world she helped shape, and the monsters she has unwittingly helped create.
Fiction
2019 IDW continuity
- First appearance: Transformers #8
A well-known figure in contemporary Transformer society, Termagax's writings emphasized the importance of freedom and the right to be in charge of one's own destiny: by ignoring the traditions of the past, she opined, a 'bot could pave the way for a free and open future for the next generation. The World In Your Eyes Part One
Before the War of the Threefold Spark, Termagax was among those who witnessed the rampage of the monstrous first combiner. Constructicons Rising, Part 3
When Megatron was forged, Termagax was assigned to be his mentor, passing her beliefs onto the young 'bot and profoundly shaping his world view.
An accomplished engineer and scientist, Termagax helped lead the rebuilding of Cybertron in the aftermath of the War of the Threefold Spark. Where some, such as her colleague Wheeljack, saw only devastation, Termagax saw an opportunity to rebuild Cybertron however they wanted, which in Termagax's mind represented the next evolution of society. Constructicons Rising, Part 1 As Cybertron rebuilt itself, Termagax conceived of a moon-sized energon harvester capable of drawing the precious fuel from the very fabric of spacetime to forever fuel Cybertron. The World In Your Eyes Part Two Constructicons Rising, Part 1 As she was pondering where to begin building, Termagax was approached by the newly-forged Constructicons, who had stumbled upon the mythical Enigma of Combination while working in Rivets Field. As the six were united in purpose, the artifact caused them to merge into a combiner, and with Termagax's tuition, they learned to gain a semblance of control over their new form, using their power to quickly rebuild the devastated Iacon. While Wheeljack was concerned about the potential for the Constructicons' combined form to become a danger, Termagax was convinced that as long as they remained focused on building, everything would be fine. Constructicons Rising, Part 1
Termagax continued to watch her students as they rebuilt Iacon, dismissing Wheeljack's concerns about the combined form's proclivity for sudden violence, seeing it as something to be understood rather than feared. She encouraged the Constructicons to find a way to control their merged form, giving them another chance to rebuilt the city.
Soon after, she made an appearance at the Senate, interjecting as Wheeljack shared his concerns about the group, dismissing them as shortsighted and reactionary. Nominus Prime disagreed with her, but Termagax remained stubbornly supportive of her students, and eventually the Prime relented, and allowed them to continue with the rebuilding.
However, once the repairs were complete, Nominus suggested that the Constructicons make a noble sacrifice, leaving Cybertron behind to help alleviate the planet's energon burdens, a position Termagax reluctantly agreed with. Before they departed, she cautioned the team to be wary of those who had not left the planet for such noble reasons. Constructicons Rising, Part 3
Over many kilocycles, two thousand labourers turned her vision into a reality, constructing both the "Winged Moon" and the Tether that connected it to Cybertron three hundred kilocycles before the outbreak of the Great War. The World In Your Eyes Part Two
A fierce critic of Nominus Prime and the Nominus Edict that restricted Cybertron's ability to expand, Termagax would found a political movement known as the Ascenticons, dedicated to undoing the edict, which in turn idolized her as the first of their number. The World In Your Eyes Part One However, Termagax eventually came to believe that the Cybertronian race had become encumbered by rules and fearful of the past; until the nature of Cybertronian society changed, Termagax vowed to live a life of seclusion out in the wilderness, busying herself with a bohemian lifestyle and many projects. Starscream was known to pop by every few kilocycles to see if the visionary would return to society, her forcing him away on one occasion by detonating a shock drone beside his head. The World In Your Eyes Part Four The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two
When the Winged Moon came online, Termagax sent Megatron to take in the sight of her masterpiece. Orion Pax: Free Fall In time, the Ascenticons would become increasingly violent, a shift marked by the rise of Megatron as the active face of the movement. The World In Your Eyes Part One
At Brainstorm's funeral, Orion wondered how Termagax would view the recent surge in violent acts and if she might be open to giving a public statement denouncing the violence only for Megatron to remind him of the visionary's seclusion. The World In Your Eyes Part Four
After Rubble's death, Megatron went to visit Termagax to make an appraisal of her state and whether or not she would be coming out of seclusion anytime soon. Barely looking up from her work, Termagax saw her pupil out, dryly that noting she'd been right in saying that the government would never change. Once he'd left, Megatron contacted Soundwave and informed him that Termagax could be expected not to interfere with their upcoming plans. The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two
