Aunty
- Aunty is the Ark's brain manifested as a disembodied head from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Aunty (or Auntie) is the visual AI interface for the Ark's computer systems. Therefore, she is in complete and near-sole control of all of the ship's functions, including its Guardians. She's a kind personality, but also dutiful and coldly logical in her actions. That is, until the crash and/or Megatron's fusion cannon fried her circuitry, changing her from benign into an untrustworthy, raging megalomaniac.
She does not run Bartertown.
Fiction
Marvel comics continuity
Generation 1
When the Decepticons attacked the Ark, Auntie reached the conclusion that the Autobots could not possibly come out of the fight victoriously. Thus, she prompted Optimus Prime to crash the Ark onto Earth so that at least the Decepticons would be taken down with them. Raiders of the Last Ark
Once the restoration of most of the crew after their subsequent four million year slumber was completed, Huffer fixed up Aunty as well as he could for the time being. This so that she could collect data of the planet they were stranded on. Aunty did, though wrongfully presented human machinery as the native lifeform instead of anything actually alive. The Transformers
It wasn't until another attack by the Decepticons that Auntie was fully reawakened. Though the Autobots fought bravely, Optimus Prime realized they were not going to make it and pondered about their odds if Auntie would've been online. He did not know how badly the crash had damaged Auntie, but figured trying to bring her back was the only chance they had and so fled the battlefield to reactivate her. This didn't occur without Megatron's notice however, who deduced his nemesis had to have a plan in mind. Thus, as Optimus pleaded for Auntie to wake up, Megatron blasted the terminal with his fusion cannon. Hope seemed lost for merely a moment, as Auntie still escaped her slumber. Yet unfortunately, she did so with her circuits scrambled a lot worse than initially feared. Her first act upon awakening was to magnetize the Ark's walls in order to stop the fighting, her second to tell the two leaders she would listen to both their sides of the story and destroy the less deserving group. Optimus tried to reason with her and remind her of her original identity, but she refuted his claims and insisted on her solution to the conflict. This amused Megatron slightly at first, until Optimus explained to him Auntie was playing with them and that no matter her judgement, she would destroy them all if not stopped. Considering his chances, Megatron opted to take down the glitching computer. As Auntie was distracted in consideration of her verdict, Megatron tapped into the energy of a black hole to power up for one devastating attack. It didn't come to that though, as Windcharger and Ravage, who had been able to get past all the traps and defences set up by Auntie, came stumbling in. While Windcharger took care of the last obstacle, Ravage aimed for Auntie. Just a little slower than the Mini-Cassette, Auntie died her second death.
After chasing the Decepticons out of the Ark, Optimus Prime and Windcharger had a talk about the day's events. Optimus sourly noted it would take a long time to repair Auntie, if they even dared to take that risk again. Raiders of the Last Ark
The Ark's computer automated the Autobots' use of the Tubes of Transference. The Last Stand
Upset at the presumed death of Ratchet, Optimus Prime talked things over with the Ark's computer, simply referred to as "computer". When Prime asked what he could do to best reduce death and tragedy, the computer logically answered that he should stop fighting. Later, when Prime got his fighting spirit back, the computer agreed that past heroes can motivate tomorrow's heroes. Yesterday's Heroes!
Generation 2
The Ark was destroyed, putting an end to whatever may have been left of Aunty. All or Nothing!
Regeneration One
Megatron reactivated Aunty to use to his own benefit. The Wreckers and a handfull of humans tried to reach the Ark and shut her down, and she deployed the Ark's defenses, and a number of Guardian robots to defend her. Loose Ends, Part 4 She was instructed by Megatron to launch the Ark's nuclear missiles at his and Optimus Prime's forces no matter the outcome of the battle, ensuring all combatants perished. She prepared to fire the Ark's missiles per Megatron's orders, but detected Circuit Smasher entering the Ark. Despite detaining him, he still managed to overload her systems and shut her down before she could launch the missiles. Loose Ends, Part 5
Toys
Titanium Series
- Autobot Starship Ark (3-inch Robot Masters, 2006)
- One could put forth the case that this is Aunty.
Notes
- According to details about the development of the Marvel storyline provided at BotCon 2010, "Aunty" was originally going to be the name of the entire ship.[1]
- While the summary-story "In the Beginning..." maintains that Aunty is a living computer, it refers to her only as "it".
- No, she is not Jocasta.
