Matrix of Conquest
| This article is about the vessel of Unicron's power. For the flim-flam perpetuated by the Quintessons, see Decepticon Matrix. |
- The Matrix of Conquest is a powerful artifact in the Beast Wars portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
The Matrix of Conquest, also called the Anti-Matrix or Matrix of Chaos, is the Matrix containing Unicron's lifeforce, the Dark Essence. It was created by and for Shokaract to bring him power beyond mortal comprehension. Unicron's gain from this contract is his own resurrection, which may happen at Shokaract's cost.
| “ | Step forward, step forward and claim the key to all possible futures. This is your destiny! | ” |
—Unicron's sales speech. | ||
Fiction
3H continuity
The Predacon known as the Hunter found himself hunted and cornered by Maximal forces at some point in the Beast Wars. Searching for a place to hide, he stumbled into a cave, where a dark whisper urged him onwards with promises of incredible power. In the depths of cavernous structure, the Hunter found the Dark Essence, the remnants of Unicron from after his defeat in 2005 that were displaced in time and space by the release of energy that came with the destruction of his corporeal form. Paradox Terminus
In short time after claiming the Dark Essence, from then on the Matrix of Conquest, the Hunter changed his name into Shokaract and took command of part of the Predacon forces. With their support and the powers bestowed by the Matrix of Conquest, Shokaract conquered Cybertron and established a reign his opponents found impossible to crack.
IDW Beast Wars comics
The Anti-Matrix was forged by Shokaract as a means to contain the raging Angolmois energy which had infected him after discovering the mysterious substance on a routine Predacon survey mission.
Shokaract believed that by partaking of quantities of Angolmois larger than any Cybertronian had ever attempted, as well as stoking the energy's infernal fires by plunging Cybertron into a bloody genocidal riot, the Anti-Matrix would "awaken" and facilitate his ascension as one of the "Masters of Misrule" while remaking the planet in his image. It was housed inside Shokaract's chest and apparently fully integrated into his systems. The consequences of this are such that when he rips it out of his chest he dies in a spectacular, explosive fashion. The Ascending #4
