Great War (Prime)

The name or term "Great War" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Great War (disambiguation).

The Great War is a historical event from the Aligned continuity family. The exact order of events in the war varies between sources due to the Aligned continuity family's "squint test", but events are outlined in order as best as they can be.

The Great War: 50% war of survival, 50% war of dynamic posing.

Taking place directly after the Age of Rust, the Great War was a violent outburst of fighting on the planet Cybertron, between the newly christened Autobots and Decepticons. After cycles of social stratification caused by the caste system, the bloated bureaucracy established during the Age of Wrath, and the trauma of the Rust Plague, two prominent individuals emerged in Cybertronian politics: a gladiator named Megatron from Kaon and an archivist from the Iacon Hall of Records named Orion Pax. While initially working together, Orion's ascension as Optimus Prime led to the two forces fighting for several million stellar cycles. Although the two warring factions would temporarily come together to face a common threat, such as the Quintessons and Unicron, these truces were often short-lived.

The Great War can be divided into four distinct eras:

• The War for Cybertron
• The Great Exodus, or the Fall of Cybertron
• The War Across the Stars (as depicted in Transformers: Exiles and Transformers: Retribution)
• The War on Modern-Day Earth (as depicted in Transformers: Prime)

Fiction

The Great War

The War for Cybertron

Early Decepticon Victories

"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night."

The Great War truly began with the High Council's decision that Orion Pax should be the next Prime. Transformers: Exodus One Shall Rise, Part 3 Megatron, furious, kills Halogen in anger, causing the first casualty in the war. While the Autobots maintain control of Iacon and Kalis, the Decepticons operate from the Badlands region, where Kaon and Slaughter City reside.

The war immediately begins in the Decepticon's favor, with Megatron and his Seekers (excluding Starscream) attacking Fort Scyk in Stanix, defeating the unprepared bots there. The spaceport at the Hydrax Plateau becomes the Decepticons' next target due to its proximity to Fort Scyk, the Sea of Rust, and the Badlands. Ultra Magnus and the Council Guardians that would later be known as the Wreckers fought on the eastern front, while Optimus Prime held off the southern advance in his first battle. Decepticons would ultimately prevail, taking control of the majority of Cybertron's eastern hemisphere for much of the war.

Polyhex and Crystal City would be the sites of the next Decepticon victories, with Shockwave unleashing the Constructicon combiner Devastator on Crystal City. Devastator loomed over the Refracting Gardens and smashed open the wall, allowing the Decepticons to flood in, destroying every trace of the city's once dazzling beauty. While the city is lost, many of its' scientists' research and treasures escape or survive the city's fall. Shockwave would begin to operate in the city's ruins, reviving Bruticus, Transformers: Exodus as the Decepticon Biological Warfare Program begins developing biological weapons such as the Cybonic plague. Sick Mind The Autobots abandon Crystal City and fall back to Kalis, recognizing that if the Decepticons gain control of the Energon resources at Kalis, the war is over. Transformers: Exodus

The Decepticons march onto Praxus, which had initially sympathized with the Decepticon ideology before eventually turning against Megatron. Prowl and Ironhide, citizens of Praxus, join the Autobot resistance, with the Autobots having their first all-out stand against the 'Cons. The city-state is ultimately leveled by the fighting, with heavy losses on all sides. Megatron in particular found the Decepticons vulnerable to the same supply chain issues experienced by the Autobots in the Battle for Hydrax Plateau. Angered by the Praxians' support for the Autobots, he begins acting more as a conqueror than a revolutionary, unleashing Bruticus Maximus to massacre Nova Cronum. Exodus

Kalis and Tyger Pax

The war comes for Kalis, but surprisingly Autobots have their first major victory. This occurs for three reasons: First, the absence of Decepticon seekers; Second: the defeat of Bruticus by Optimus Prime, Sideswipe, and Jazz, and Third; Autobots manage to drive off land-based Decepticons using long-range combat techniques. Meanwhile, Megatron pulls Shockwave out of Crystal City to control Tarn and Vos. Shockwave, upset at being taken away from Crystal City, suppresses any dissenters remaining in the cities, before manipulating the two cities into destroying each other. Shockwave's focus on Tarn and Vos allows Minicon saboteurs to steal and reverse-engineer Shockwave's secrets, and before long the Autobots create their own combiners. Exodus Optimus Prime assigns Ultra Magnus to lead the unruly squadron known as the Wreckers in the hopes of instilling discipline into their ranks Project Predacon and with the aid of the newly created Defensor the team defends the Tagan Heights against the Constructicons, although the fighting between Defensor and Devastator demolishes the area. Exodus

After centuries of stasis, the AllSpark creates a final generation of Transformers, most of whom side with the Autobots. Among them is the Autobot Bumblebee, who distinguishes himself on the battlefield and becomes one of Optimus Prime's closest compatriots. Exodus Another young Autobot named Smokescreen enters the boot camp of the Elite Guard with hopes of becoming a full-fledged soldier. New Recruit

As the war continues, the Autobots are gradually outnumbered and outgunned. Optimus Prime makes the painful decision to eject the AllSpark from Cybertron, so that Megatron cannot create more Transformers. The Battle of Tyger Pax occurs, with Bumblebee encountering Barricade and Megatron himself Bumblebee at Tyger Pax. The Allspark was fired into deep space Transformers: Exodus Bumblebee at Tyger Pax, and Megatron destroyed Bumblebee's voice box. A medic, Ratchet, would save Bumblebee's life, but his voice box was lost. Transformers: Exodus Bumblebee at Tyger Pax Operation Bumblebee, Part 1 A standstill ensues. Exodus Predacons Rising

Various events take place at unspecified times during the war: Optimus Prime survives an assassination attempt by Skyquake at the Battle of Technahar, Masters & Students while Arcee and her combat partner Tailgate serve in Delta Team for most of the war. After a raid on a Decepticon munitions depot, both of them are captured and interrogated by the Decepticon Airachnid. Although Arcee is rescued by Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, they are too late to save Tailgate. Predatory At least some battles take place off Cybertron with the Wreckers having an adventure on Sandokan. Loose Cannons Meanwhile, Autobots eject the data cylinders from Cybertron to prevent Decepticons from using the vital knowledge within, T.M.I. while Primus warns Windblade of a rising evil, and sent her to Earth after modifying her body and enhancing her sensors. The Buzz on Windblade

The Dark Energon Crisis

Allow me to introduce myself: I am the galactically feared and universally despised... they call me Ivan Ooze.

My shiny windows sparkle
Just like a Christmas tree!

Seeking a new edge in the war, Megatron storms Trypticon Station and wrests control of it from Starscream, empowering himself and other Decepticons with Dark Energon stored there. As part of their next strike, the Decepticon-allied Seekers travel deep underneath Cybertron in search of the long-abandoned Geosynchronous Energon Bridge beneath the ruins of Crystal City, which will allow the manufacture of new Dark Energon for the Decepticons' use.

Megatron leads a group of Decepticons into Iacon, to find a means of traveling to the very core of Cybertron to spread the Dark Energon. Though Sentinel Zeta Prime attempts to stand in his way, he is soon defeated by the vengeful Decepticon—but unbeknownst to Megatron, Omega Supreme is reactivated due to these events, and is intent on stopping the Decepticons. The Decepticon forces manage to cripple the Guardian's alternate mode, and Megatron and his troops soon defeat him on ground level. Because of this, the Decepticon leader manages to reach Cybertron's core and corrupt it with Dark Energon—a critical blow against the Autobots. Exodus War For Cybertron

The Autobots muster a counter-attack to rout the remaining Decepticons from Iacon. Sentinel, now imprisoned in Kaon, manages to send a transmission, and a small group of Autobots, lead by Optimus, soon launch an incursion into the prison to recover him. However, the former Prime perishes just as he has been rescued, and his body is returned to Iacon. Heading down through Cybertron's inner layers, Optimus finds much of the planet is thoroughly infected by Dark Energon. Exodus War For Cybertron

Primus, speaking to Optimus as the Core, tells Prime that Cybertron is so greatly corrupted that it will take millions of years of shutdown to undo the grievous damage done by Megatron's Dark Energon. Optimus is given the Matrix of Leadership by the Core, which contains a portion of Cybertron's spark. Exodus War For Cybertron One Shall Rise, Part 3 With the core's shutdown, Windblade is left in stasis on Earth. The Buzz on Windblade

The Fall of Cybertron

The Great Exodus Begins

Just a little while back

As soon as Prime reaches the surface, he orders that an exodus from Cybertron will take place immediately. Preparations are made to flee the planet, but many of the escaping galactic transports are shot down by Trypticon Station before they can leave Cybertron's orbit. Trypticon itself comes to life, thanks to multiple sparks implanted by Shockwave, and Optimus Prime leads his forces in a battle to knock it out of orbit. The ensuing battle results in Trypticon hurtling towards Cybertron's surface. However, Trypticon is not killed, and it transforms into its robot form. After another battle with it, Optimus and his forces regroup at the site of the Ark, a deep-space interceptor and the flagship of the makeshift Autobot fleet. Exodus War For Cybertron

The Dark Spark

Does this mean Megatron finally has The Touch?

With the Decepticons in control of most of Cybertron, the remaining Autobots begin fuelling the ship with scavenged Energon. Both factions develop an interest in the ancient, powerful artifact known as the Dark Spark, and the Decepticons manage to locate and open the vault below Crystal City that contains it. Shockwave makes contact with the Insecticons, subterranean creatures that have been driven to the surface after Cybertron's core shut down. The Decepticon scientist manages to form an alliance with these creatures, and their sentient representatives- Kickback, Hardshell, and Sharpshot- join the Decepticons, pledging the support of their numerous feral brethren.

However, the Decepticons and Insecticons are tailed by the Autobots, and a running battle ensues, with both groups trying to return the artifact to their respective strongholds. Eventually, the Decepticons succeed in bringing the Dark Spark to Megatron at Kolkular, where he places the artifact in his chest in imitation of the Matrix of Leadership. Optimus Prime arrives to confront the Decepticon leader, but is set upon by a horde of undead Autobots reanimated by the Dark Spark's power. The Autobot leader overcomes these corrupted foes and engages Megatron, and the two combatants unleash the powers of the artifacts in their chests. The power of the Matrix of Leadership wins out, violently ejecting the Dark Spark from the Decepticon leader and into space. With the artifact no longer a threat, Optimus orders the Autobots to fall back to Iacon and the Ark. Rise of the Dark Spark

Origin of the Dinobots and the Ark's Departure

While most of the Autobots ready the Ark for liftoff, the Lightning Strike Coalition warrior Swoop discovers a massive reserve of untainted Energon in the Sea of Rust. He tries to contact Grimlock and the other Autobots, but is captured by Shockwave before he can reveal the nature of his discovery. Grimlock and the rest of his squadron disobey Prime's orders and hijack an Autobot dropship to rescue him. Grimlock, Snarl, Slug, and Sludge reach the outskirts of Shockwave's tower, but are overwhelmed by Shockwave's Insecticons and taken captive by Shockwave, who has plans for the quintet of warriors. Inspired by alien lifeforms he has viewed with ancient Space Bridge technology, he begins experimenting on them. Transformers Hall of Fame Fall of Cybertron (game) Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)

Shockwave uses the critically injured Sludge as a test run, successfully rebuilding his alternate mode into a sauropod dinosaur, before ordering Kickback to dump his body in the tunnels underneath the Rust Sea. Beast Hunters #2 Shockwave rebuilds the rest into powerful berserkers with saurian alternate modes and imprisons them in his tower, intending to use them as his own personal warriors. Transformers Hall of Fame Fall of Cybertron (game) Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)

With Grimlock missing in action, Optimus leads his warriors to buy time for the Autobots to shut down Iacon and launch the Ark. Optimus discovers the existence of Metroplex, an enormous Autobot incorporated into Iacon's structure who has lain dormant for millions of years. Optimus and Metroplex team up to help fight the Decepticons, and despite suffering numerous injuries Metroplex manages to deal a lethal blow to Megatron, grievously injuring him. However, the attack depletes all of the Autobot's remaining supplies of energon. With Megatron out of commission, Starscream takes advantage of the situation and declares himself the new leader of the Decepticons.

Jazz and Cliffjumper go searching for Grimlock and his forces in the Sea of Rust, where they find Shockwave's tower, Sludge's body in stasis lock and the uncorrupted Energon Swoop had discovered earlier. However, on Starscream's orders, the Combaticons attack the Autobot convoy, then combine into Bruticus and crash the transport, recovering half of the Energon. Starscream is unimpressed with their performance and orders their imprisonment. Meanwhile, Soundwave has recovered Megatron's remains and rebuilds his body, using an infusion of Dark Energon to revive him. Megatron confronts Starscream and resumes control of the Decepticons. Seeking use of Trypticon, Megatron heads for his location in Iacon and successfully scavenges many of his components.

In Shockwave's lab, a disgraced Starscream discovers Grimlock, who he attempts to recruit to his cause. Grimlock throws Starscream into the wall and escapes. As he fights his way through Shockwave's cadre of Decepticons and Insecticons, Grimlock reunites with the surviving members of the Lightning Strike Coalition, although he believes Sludge is dead. Now operating as the "Dinobots", Grimlock confronts Shockwave and destroys his space bridge. Both are caught in the ensuing explosion.

Metroplex sacrifices his life to ensure that the Ark can launch. Optimus and many of the Autobots escape aboard the Ark. They are pursued, however, by Megatron aboard Trypticon, now a spacecraft dubbed the Nemesis. The two vehicles and their respective crews battle as they race for the space bridge above the planet, which explodes, scattering the two vessels across the galaxy. Exodus Fall of Cybertron Some stay behind on Cybertron, including Shockwave, the Dinobots, and Ultra Magnus and his Wreckers. Rage of the Dinobots

The War Across the Stars

A Tale of Two Autobot Groups

The Space Bridge detonation takes the Ark and Nemesis to the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy, where Optimus detects a faint signal left behind by the Allspark's passage. Prime and his crew are guided by the Matrix to nearby Velocitron, teetering on the brink of civil war. However, Makeshift, having infiltrated the crew, manages to provoke enough civil unrest among the Velocitronians that Ransack and his group of political malcontents attack Override, sparking a civil war. The Autobots manage to escape through a space bridge, Optimus having recovered two pieces of the Blades of Time on Velocitron's surface, though he mistakenly believes they are pieces of the Star Saber. The Autobots next travel to Junkion, where they befriend the native Junkions and begin repairs on the Ark. Makeshift once again sabotages the repair effort, but is caught. Exiles

Meanwhile, on Cybertron, Alpha Trion is put under house arrest by Shockwave, but manages to send the Autobot Chaindrive to Optimus with another piece of the Blades of Time. Exiles Armed with a hazy knowledge of the future from the Covenant of Primus that Optimus Prime would eventually end up on Earth, Alpha Trion launches the Star Saber, the Apex Armor, the Omega Keys, and other artifacts, relics, and weapons off Cybertron to ensure that Optimus would eventually find them. Alpha/Omega Smokescreen, having ended up on security detail for Alpha Trion, is taken by Decepticon forces during their attacking the Hall of Records, New Recruit but not before Alpha Trion secretly manages to hide one of the relics within the young Autobot. Hard Knocks

The Nemesis, following the trail of the Ark, lands on Velocitron and later Junkion. Axer, an ex-Decepticon, recovers the Requiem Blaster from the core of Junkion, causing the demi-planet to tear apart. Prime, meanwhile, manages to contact Vector Prime in his pocket dimension, who also helps to reunite five bots the Autobots have met (Chaindrive among them) into Nexus Prime. A climactic battle takes place on Junkion, with the Autobots triumphant and the Blaster destroyed. However, the Junkions themselves are enslaved by space-pirate expatriate Transformers called the Star Seekers and taken to places unknown. Exiles

Return of the Quintessons

With Autobot control over the planet steadily weakening, Shockwave and the remaining Decepticons take control of Iacon, forcing the Wreckers to retreat to Cybertron's comparatively barren polar regions to launch hit-and-run attacks on Decepticon convoys. Shockwave builds his newest tower in the center of Iacon and continues his experiments, studying the effects of Dark Energon on the city's beleaguered inhabitants. He eventually kidnaps Alpha Trion and tries to use him to access Vector Sigma to forge a Decepticon Matrix that will further enhance his control over Cybertron. The Wreckers team up with Omega Supreme to launch a rescue mission. Retribution

Simultaneously, out in space, Optimus Prime and company discover the seemingly utopic world of Aquatron, inhabited by friendly amphibious robots. In reality, the Aquatronians are subjugated servants of the Quintessons, and their leader Inquirata manipulates both Optimus Prime and Shockwave to further his own goals. The Nemesis arrives not long afterward, following a skirmish with Thundertron, but the two sides are forced into a temporary truce by the Quintessons. When the Quintessons reveal their true colours, Optimus Prime and Megatron are forced to work together to escape from the Quintesson's twisted courtrooms Thanks to Shockwave's experiments with Dark Energon on Vector Sigma, the Quintessons are able to launch a second invasion of Cybertron using their Sharkticon shock troops. Although the Wreckers manage to save Alpha Trion, they are too late to stop the invasion. General Tyrannicon storms Iacon, takes down both Omega Supreme and Devastator and allies with Senator Ratbat to gain access to the Hall of Records. The invasion is only stopped when Megatron, still on Aquatron, discovers the Sharkticon Matrix of Leadership and uses it to override Tyrannicon's command over his troops. The Wreckers manage to keep the Hall of Records in Cybertronian hands while Rack n' Ruin splits off from the group and rigs Shockwave's tower to explode. In the ensuing fight underneath Aquatron, Tyrannicon and Inquirata are killed, while Optimus and Megatron barely manage to escape the detonation of the Space Bridge. The two factions depart the now-freed Aquatron while Optimus continues his search for the Allspark. Retribution

Other Adventures

Cybertron's conditions continue to deteriorate, and eventually, Ultra Magnus puts out the call for the final Autobot evacuation of the planet. A convoy of ships escapes, but Magnus's personal craft is shot down, and the Wrecker leader is captured by the Forged, a faction of ex-Decepticons serving under Shockwave. Rage of the Dinobots #1 The Dinobots mount a rescue mission to a Forged prison in the Sea of Rust, where they find not only Magnus, but scores of other Autobot prisoners. They stage a prison break, but are confronted by the leader of the group, Ser-Ket, who has been altered with Predacon CNA in much the same way that they were altered with dinosaur DNA. Rage of the Dinobots #2 Grimlock is able to defeat her in battle, but Shockwave arrives soon afterward, Rage of the Dinobots #3 and Magnus and the Dinobots are recaptured.

The Decepticon scientist attempts to complete his work on Grimlock and erase the Dinobot's free will, but his teammates and Ultra Magnus are able to escape their cell in time to intervene, violently decapitating Shockwave. However, a hologram message reveals that Shockwave is in fact alive and well, and what the Dinobots just killed was merely a remote avatar. With the immediate threat passed, Magnus sets off to join the leaving fleet, whilst the Dinobots resolve to remain on Cybertron, seeking to hunt down their nemesis Shockwave and help the few Autobots that remain. Rage of the Dinobots #4

Eventually, energon shortages force Cybertron's remaining population into the tunnels under the surface, where they scavenge fuel from underground deposits and by hunting the planet's subterranean fauna. Survivors group together to establish underground cities, one of which is led by "king" Grimlock, and the surface is left desolate and ruined. Beast Hunters #1

Across the galaxy, the Great War continues on other planets. A battle sees the Decepticon Deadlock nearly destroyed before he is taken in by the Circle of Light and taught the ways of the warrior and blade. Retaking his original name, Drift abandons the Decepticon cause and defects. Drift's Samurai Showdown

At one time, the Ark encounters the Mutacons, communicating with their leader Mercury. Optimus shared with her the history of Cybertron since the Rust Plague, causing her to laugh at how dumb the Decepticons were. Prime promised to help the Mutacons locate Amalgamous Prime and solve their shape-changing problem caused by the Transformation Cog after the Decepticons were defeated. That was good enough for Mercury, and she happily returned to the others. Their combined ship form laughed in space and mischievously set about delaying the Autobots' pursuers so that the Ark could escape on their way. The Covenant of Primus

During Earth's Stone Age, a group of Autobots rescued a tribe of primitive humans from a meteor shower. Did You See What I Thaw?. A group of genetically engineered Predacons created by Shockwave appear on Earth, inspiring the human legends of dragons, although they eventually die, leaving behind remains. Project Predacon Other Transformers who end up on Earth include Skyquake, dispatched to Earth to guard its energon resources. Masters & Students and a group of Autobots who visit ancient Greece and leave behind an Energon Harvester. Deus ex Machina The Cybertronians on Earth eventually leave, die, or enter stasis lock, leaving Earth abandoned... for the time being.

The War on Earth

CRUUUUSSSHHHH
ZEUUUUUUUUSSSS

After several adventures through the cosmos, Optimus clashes with Megatron on Earth, following which, the Decepticon leader departs into space to search for an army. While the Autobots ally themselves with the United States of America, Starscream is left in command and lays low, leaving the smaller conflict stagnant until he kills Cliffjumper three years into their stay on Earth. Three human children, Jack Darby, Miko Nakadai, and Raf Esquivel are caught up in the conflict and become members of Optimus' unit. Megatron soon returns and brings Dark Energon to Earth, officially renewing the war. Darkness Rising

The Autobots and Decepticons ally to defeat Unicron, who is revealed to be Earth's core. One Shall Stand

After a lengthy arms race over relics scattered on Earth, both factions battle over the right to revive Cybertron through the Omega Lock, but when forced into a corner, Optimus destroys it, dooming Cybertron to remain lifeless. The Autobots are dealt a crushing defeat by Megatron in retaliation, Darkest Hour but eventually successfully regain lost ground when Ultra Magnus arrives on Earth. Rebellion

Well, at least I don't have to pay the power bill for this stupid insignia anymore!

On the verge of creating a new army of cloned Predacons, the Decepticons lose more than half of their military strength thanks to a mishap involving a Terrorcon infestation, severely weakening their war effort. Thirst This coupled with Predaking revealing his sentience causes Megatron to terminate the cloning scheme, and he resolves to repair the Omega Lock. Evolution Minus One

When the Omega Lock is completed, the Autobots attack the Nemesis, killing Megatron and reviving Cybertron, effectively ending the Great War with an Autobot victory. Deadlock After reclaiming the AllSpark, Optimus returns to Cybertron to find Unicron attacking the planet, and seals the Chaos Bringer away. Optimus sacrifices himself to restore the AllSpark to the Core of the planet, while a revived Megatron dissolves the Decepticon movement. Predacons Rising