CNA
- CNA is the fundamental genetic material of the Transformer species in some continuities.
CNA, or Cyber/Nano Algorithms[1], are the genetic material that determines what Transformers are like. Tinkering with it can be dangerous and can have long-lasting, negative effects.
References to it, however, are very scarce in fiction, and thus like the far more commonly-referenced sparks can only be said to definitively exist in continuities where it is actually mentioned. To date, the specific nomenclature "CNA" has only been used in two continuity. CNA contains a Transformers' hard-coded design schematics[2][3], which like genetic data appear to be stored in the spark itself.
Fiction
Generation 2
The existence of Transformer genetic material is mentioned and seen when Perceptor and others are analyzing the Swarm. They note that its genetic material and cellular structure are identical to that of the Transformers species.
Beast Wars
Megatron was able to create a sapient clone of Dinobot with simply "a spec of [his] DNA", seemingly indicating that both the robotic and organic "genetics" were present in the DNA sample. Although the clone possessed a semblance of the original Dinobot's personality, his voice and possibly his memories, the clone did not however have a robot mode it was capable of transforming into, a fact which has unclear implications.
Beast Machines
After being reformatted by the Oracle, the Maximals in Beast Machines became Technorganic Cybertronians. What effect this had on their genetics specifically is unknown, but was doubtlessly profound.
IDW
Out of malevolent curiosity, Jhiaxus altered the CNA of Arcee to introduce gender to the species. That's not going to come back to haunt him, no siree... Spotlight: Arcee
Animated
Starscream used the CNA of Perceptor as a template to make Magnificus as a part of Operation: Doppleganger. Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2 Later, Starscream created many clones of himself. A Fistful of EnergonA Bridge Too Close, Part I
References
- ↑ See Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2 pages 18.
- ↑ Devcon was reformatted and Maximized along his "Hard-coded designs schematics," resulting in a body much like his original.
- ↑ See Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2 pages 61.
