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 #1 (mentioned), Transformers #8 (full appearance)
Before the War of the Threefold Spark, Termagax was among those who witnessed the rampage of the monstrous first combiner. Constructicons Rising, Part 3 She would go on to take in at least one newly forged 'bot to be mentored as part of the young one's customary rite of passage: she had a profound effect on the young Transformer named Megatron, who came to embrace, then champion the values of idealism and self-determination that she held dear. The Change In Your Nature Part Three
An accomplished engineer and architect herself, Termagax was a major force behind the rebuilding of Iacon 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 do more than just rebuild, but to reshape the city into something better than that which had come before. To this end, she recruited six visionary young builders, the Constructicons, and allowed them to take the lead on the project—something that irritated the more conservative Wheeljack. The six builders stumbled across the Enigma of Combination buried beneath the ruins of Rivets Field, and Termagax saw the opportunity to push them to the next level, pooling their strength and intellect together as a new combiner. Constructicons Rising, Part 1 Although difficult and sometimes unstable, the team were able to use this new form as a powerful tool to rebuild vast swathes of the metropolis, despite Wheeljack's concerns over the safety of the huge Transformer. Constructicons Rising, Part 3 In the meantime, Termagax herself concieved of the Winged Moon, a re-engineered Cybertronian satellite that would distill fuel from spacetime itself, and the great Tether that would connect it to Iacon. The World In Your Eyes Part Two Constructicons Rising, Part 1
However, the ascension of Nominus Prime to the Senate and the ratification of the Nominus Edict quickly pushed Termagax into the political battleground to argue the Constructicons' case to the Senate when Wheeljack raised his concerns to the leader of Cybertron. Nominus Prime disagreed with her opinions, 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
Deprived of her promising students, Termagax made it her duty to become one of Nominus Prime's most ardent critics, decrying the increasing stultification of Cybertronian society under the Nominus Edict and pushing for a return of Cybertronian conquest and colonization. The Change In Your Nature Part Three The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two 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 Termagax would found the political party known as the Ascenticons, which adhered to her writings and idolized her as the first of their number. The World In Your Eyes Part One However, facing fierce political opposition from Nominus Prime and his Autobots, Termagax would eventually leave the political arena behind, and, eventually, Cybertronian society altogether, believing that her species had become too encumbered by rules and laws. 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, and she forced 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 in her place to take in the sight of her masterpiece. Orion Pax: Free Fall In time, Megatron himself would come to understand that Termagax had lacked conviction in her own ideas and a willingness to see them through; as the ex-miner grew more and more involved in the Ascenticon movement, he rationalized that only he had the strength to impose his will on Cybertron. The Change In Your Nature Part Three Thanks to Megatron's provocation tactics, the peaceful movement grew increasingly radicalized and violent. 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
