Cosmic Rust (disease)
Cosmic Rust is one of the few ailments capable of affecting Transformers. The affected Transformer starts growing a rust-like substance all over their body. Eventually, the corrosion causes the Transformer to waste away to nothing.
Animated Continuity
It was first discovered in the ruins of an ancient Autobot colony in deep space, on the planet Antilla. The Decepticons who visited the planet were accidentally infected by the rust courtesy of a stray meteor. The radiation provided from a weapon found on the planet (known as The Lightning Bug) caused the virus to accelerate substantially.
The only cure for Cosmic Rust was a substance called Corr-o-Stop, invented by Perceptor to remove corrosion of any form and protect substances from future corrosion.
Binaltech
This 'Cosmic Rust' disease once again surfaced in the backstory for the Japanese toyline, Binaltech. Here, the Decepticons flood the Earth with it, destroying the Autobot's original bodies - before apparently backfiring on the Decepticons once again. The Rust itself is never cured, but humans build new bodies for the Transformers in the 'Binaltech' project.
