Autobot Imperium

I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind, but now I see.

Under the rule of the evil Optimus Prime, Cybertron and the rest of the universe will bow before the Autobot Imperium (aka Autobot Empire). At least... as long as none of these guys have anything to say about it. Yeah, the ranks of the Imperium are not exactly filled with loyalty and selflessness. Oh, and then there's those pesky Decepticons to deal with.

The headquarters of the Imperium is located within the capital polity of Iacon. They like to decorate it with the corpses of their fallen foes and broadcast the many executions of enemies of the state, the smelting pool being a favourite. Viewership is mandatory, otherwise you might get a visit from the Secret Police.

Fiction

Fun Publications Shattered Glass continuity

Something is coming. You can feel it, can’t you? That we are creeping toward the edge… and there will be a reckoning.

Cybertron was once a venerated and peaceful world in pursuit of knowledge and harmony. However, a lowly librarian by the name of Optronix had grown dissatisfied with his mundane existence, coming to the realization that life had no meaning and the only meaningful impact one could leave was their own legacy. Coalescence Optronix then decided that he needed to reshape Cybertron in his own image through conquest and destruction, backstabbing and manipulating his way to the top of society. Preaching intolerance for Cybertron's current stale regime and a philosophy of might makes right, Optronix had amassed a large following of like-minded bots, also fed up with Cybertron's stagnant state.

Through this movement, the "Autobots" were born, considering themselves autonomous from the rest of the populace. The Autobots began upgrading themselves, reforging their bodies and manufacturing an arsenal of weaponry, the most powerful of which were reserved for Optronix himself, who had now rechristened himself as Optimus Prime. BotCon 2008 Optimus Prime profile card Without warning, the Autobot armies attacked, igniting the Second Cybertronian War. Anyone who refused to join this new empire was quickly destroyed. One day, Optimus' method of cold calculations stopped, and he became erratic and vicious, acting increasingly mad. No one knew the reason for this personality shift, but it did not stop the Autobots from conquering much of Cybertron, taking Iacon as the capital of the new Autobot Imperium. Shattered Glass

And behold, it was white horse… and Hell followed with him.

Resistance was futile. At least until a champion rose from the fires of Polyhex; named Megatron, he was equal in strength to the Autobot Emperor of Destruction. A former mathematician who had predicted that civil war was near and had retreated underground to prepare. Having developed the art of transformation, Megatron united the disparate resistance into the Decepticons and gained them a temporary upper hand against the Autobot Imperium. BotCon 2008 Megatron profile card However, ever the genius, Optimus Prime had managed to quickly recreate the technology for his own army, bringing the war back into his own favor. Shattered Glass

During the battle at Praxus-Delta, Optimus had hired the Wreckers, a mercenary group led by Rodimus, to assist the Autobots. All of them, save Rodimus, were killed in action. But Rodimus continued to fight and earned himself a spot in the ranks of the Autobots. BotCon 2008 Rodimus profile card At an unknown point in time, Optimus Prime's own brother, Ultra Magnus, led an unsuccessful coup against him. Rather than kill his brother, Optimus removed the traitor's face and had him imprisoned on Paradron. Invasion Later, Optimus' untrustworthy advisor, Alpha Trion, was banished to another universe. Shattered Glass However, he left behind a secret cadre of loyalists. Reunification: Part 1

Due to suspicions of conflicted loyalties, Optimus killed the leader of the elite Seeker unit and had his partner, Sideswipe, put on the short-list for a "friendly-fire" incident. However, Sideswipe escaped and defected to the Decepticons. Bumblebee was upgraded into the new leader of the unit, now renamed Goldbug, with Rodimus replacing Sideswipe. Ironically, Blurr, who had previously assisted in Ultra Magnus' failed coup, was the only Seeker left unharmed. BotCon 2008 Sideswipe profile card

After being captured by the Autobots, the Decepticon Rumble was paraded onto a plank above the smelting pool, where he was charged with several "crimes" against the Autobot Imperium. Upon being asked how he would plead, Rumble merely retorted, "Eat slag!". Shattered Glass

See also

• Decepticon Empire