Glyph (Universe)
| This article is about the female Autobot from Generation 1. For the female Autobot from Transformers Animated, see Glyph (Animated). |
- Glyph is an Autobot from the Expanded Universe portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
One of the brightest minds of Cybertron, Glyph is an expert in data decryption, languages, and forensic science. She has a highly exacting eye for even the most minute detail, and, as an archaeometrist, a near-insatiable desire to learn more about alien cultures, current and past. To her, being stranded on an alien planet among its people is a boon, not a curse. She has a tendency to come across as bit stuffy, but she seems sociable enough.
She possesses little to nothing in the way of combat abilities, however, and as such is usually accompanied by her "bodyguard" Tap-Out or other more battle-oriented Autobots. Her vehicle mode also has trouble handling the rough terrain she usually finds herself in when on a research mission.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Glyph was one of the Transformers alive millions of years ago during the Quintessons' enslavement of their people. She and Strika stood in shock as a peer was destroyed for his insolence. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4
Universe: Featuring The Wreckers
Shortly after Unicron's defeat in 2005, and with the Decepticons believed to be defeated forever, Rodimus Prime commissioned a team of scientists to embark on a journey of exploration. Though Glyph was not the captain of the Sojourner's Passage, she was more or less the leader of the party of Autobots that manned it. She dismissed Archa Nine as a suitable location for a survey point, but felt the planet to be worth investigating at a later date. However, the ship was suddenly hit by a high-powered data pulse that shorted out its systems and sent the ship crashing to the planet's surface. Only Glyph and Tap-Out appeared to have survived.
The two spent the next three hundred years among the native Akalouthans of the planet, who had in their possession a crystal called the Divine Light, an artifact able to provide power for the two Autobots. Glyph spent that time researching the legends of the Akalouthan culture, focusing mainly on the arcane edict that the Divine Light must never fall into the hands of "the five-faced demons", and the myth that a force would arrive to protect it from them. When the Wreckers arrived on Archa Nine, Glyph realized that what she had dismissed as superstition was actually an accurate prediction from over a millennium before. Betrayal
When the Divine Light was stolen by Cyclonus, Glyph remained on Archa Nine, believing her place was with the Akalouthans, continuing to study their culture and the Divine Light's legends. She was joined by CatSCAN, who stayed behind as well to care for the seriously injured Predacons Fractyl and Rotorbolt. She said what may have been her final goodbye to Tap-Out, insisting that his skills were better employed with the Wreckers, and believing that CatSCAN would be able to provide any protection they might need, especially once his charges were fully repaired. Disclosure
Timelines: Wings of Honor continuity
Glyph was an archaeometrist associated with a team of historians in the early days of the war. She and her two proteges, Lancer and Greenlight, were working on a dig in Median under Flip Sides' supervision when they uncovered a spectacular find -- twin construction bays, designed for separate kinds of Cybertronian design, suggesting a parallel development of two Transformer races, rather than a single species. Furthermore, the dig team located a massive source of power known as the Heart of the Dragon which, according to the adorning symbols on its casing, contained the spark of a warrior with nigh-infinite power.
Realizing the potential threat these finds could represent, the dig team requested military support from the Autobot Elite Guard. Glyph had little interest in these matters, and barely looked up from her data-pad long enough to acknowledge the arrival of Metalhawk and Onslaught's Guard. Decepticon raiders inevitably came looking for this great power, and the Elite Guard attempted to fend off the attackers while Glyph and her compatriots remained hidden away with the Heart. Two of the marauding Stormtroopers, Rage and Aquablast, managed to penetrate the defenses, however, and reach the Heart's chamber. Despite her lack of combat training, Glyph fearlessly stood up to the Decepticons, and insisted they depart now that they had what they came for. Instead, Rage demanded Glyph turn over her personal notes and information she had accumulated in her studies of the Heart. Glyph refused to tell the Stormtrooper where her notes were, and pushed him away from her friends. This was all the excuse Aquablast needed, as he turned his chemical cannon on the archaeometrist, burning a hole through her chassis and leaving her for dead as the Decepticons departed. Flames of Yesterday
Toys
Expanded Universe
- Glyph (Mini Vehicle keychain, 2002)
- Accessories: Keychain.
- Expanded Universe Glyph was an exclusive to BotCon 2002, coming with an "Action Card"-styled bio and a "free" copy of The Wreckers comic issue #2 (as technically, 3H was not allowed to sell comics at the time). She uses the Fun4All keychain version of the Bumblebee mold, transforming into a "penny-racer"-proportioned Volkwagen Beetle. Her keychain attachment came in a separate heat-sealed baggie. She was later made available (still with copies of the comic) on 3H's website store.
Notes
- The decision to make Glyph a Female Transformer came soon after her toy design was decided. Originally, the character was a written as a "male" Transformer named Archaix, a name which the character's creator, Rob Gerbracht, would later use as an inspiration for the planet Archa IX.
- Glyph has appeared three times, each in a different (but distinct) variant of the original cartoon continuity. This makes this page annoyingly organized.
