Dead Universe
- The Dead Universe is an alternate universe from the IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family
The Dead Universe is a mysterious and malevolent realm, a universe that lurks on the far side of all living worlds. This lifeless plain is home only to the vast, undead intelligence known only as the D-Void, which preys upon those of the living universe, intent on using them as pawns to expand the borders of the Dead Universe, giving it new life to feed upon.
Various points of access to the Dead Universe exist, with regions of notable death and decay apparently serving as prime loci for the creation of portals between the worlds. Those who cross over from the living universe to the dead are said to become dead themselves, in both body and mind, left unable to survive outside the Dead Universe for more than short periods of time.
Fiction
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Using an aspect of itself known as the Heart of Darkness, the D-Void sought out catspaws within the living universe. Nova Prime felt its pull through the Matrix of Leadership, and so embarked with the crew of the original Ark to follow the sensation back to its source. When the Ark traced it to a cosmic anomaly within the Benzuli Expanse, crewmember Galvatron, against orders, plunged the vessel into the anomaly, transporting them to the mysterious dimension. Spotlight: Galvatron The crew were rendered undead upon entry, and Nova Prime came into possession of the Heart of Darkness, renaming himself "Nemesis Prime". Devastation #3
The Ark crew remained trapped in the Dead Universe for millions of years until a permanent gateway was opened between the universes on the planet Gorlam Prime, when the second of Shockwave's Regenesis ores struck the world and decayed an underground chamber, enabling a portal to form there. Homecoming In time, they also learned to use the Benzuli Expanse anomaly to travel back and forth between the worlds, and with access back to their universe of origin now at their fingertips, Nemesis Prime initiated a plan to cause the "Expansion", merging the living and dead universes into one ordered whole that he would rule. Though not explicitly stated, this merge was almost certainly the bidding of the D-Void, which Prime was unaware he was following.
Prime's chief scientist Jhiaxus oversaw the facets of the Expansion from a staging base on Gorlam Prime. Devices known as "Nega-Cores" were installed on Corata-Vaz, Rotan and the fourth moon of Bhul, which would accelerate the steady growth of the Benzuli Expanse anomaly, causing the living universe to be subsumed into the dead. Fortunately, the Autobots were able to occupy the guardians assigned to protect the Nega-Cores long enough for the cores to be removed and dumped into the Dead Universe itself by a team protected from its death-inducing effects by Pretender shells. With the cores' detonation, the Benzuli Expanse anomaly collapsed, sealing off the Dead Universe. Simultaneously, Galvatron betrayed Nemesis Prime, slaying him and stealing the Heart of Darkness, but was then cast into an energy reservoir by Optimus Prime. Revelation
Saved from destruction by the power of the Heart of Darkness, Galvatron emerged from the reservoir years later and travelled to Gorlam Prime, where he discovered that the portal there had been reactivated. Learning that the entire population of the planet had recently been lured through the portal by a mysterious force, Galvatron entered it himself, returning to the Dead Universe, where he watched as the Gorlamians were consumed by the D-Void, the existence of which was revealed to him at last. Escaping its clutches, Galvatron returned to the living universe, destroyed the portal, and set about forming an army in preparation to defend against the D-Void's coming, believing that the Heart of Darkness had chosen him to stop it. Heart of Darkness During his recruiting period, Galvatron traveled to Earth and ran into an interdimensional zombie infestation; at his suggestion, the infected Kup reprogrammed a teleport gate the zombie horde was planning to use to reach Cybertron, sending all the infected back in time to the dawn of the Dead Universe. The Transformers: Infestation
Told by the Heart that the D-Void would be able to emerge through Cybertron since it was a dead world, Galvatron attempted to stop it by feeding the Heart to Vector Sigma, the mega-computer at the planet's core. What he did not realize, however, was that he was enacting the D-Void's will, and that feeding the Heart to Vector Sigma would transform the planet into the portal that would allow it to fuse the living and death universes, consuming all life. Fortunately, Optimus Prime was able to open the Matrix and close the portal, sealing off the last known opening to the Dead Universe. Chaos
