Ultra Magnus (G1)
| The name or term "Ultra Magnus" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Ultra Magnus (disambiguation). |
This article is a featured article, and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.
- Ultra Magnus is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Ultra Magnus feels he is a soldier and nothing more. He very much prefers taking orders to giving them, and even avoids opportunities for higher responsibility. But when he is forced into those opportunities, he betrays his real talent for the job. He's strong, resolute, dependable, selfless, and courageous. Sadly, Ultra Magnus is the only Autobot who doesn't realize this.
Believing he is nothing but a soldier, Ultra Magnus is perfectly willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good if need be. He knows he's more powerful than the average Autobot, and will throw himself at larger threats accordingly. He is respected by both the Autobots and Decepticons, due to his courage and self-sacrifice. There is a special enmity between him and Galvatron for this reason, for Galvatron may be the most deadly foe of all. (Also, Galvatron, given his mental state, probably doesn't approve of people he's had blown up getting back up afterward. This can be seen as a sore point for Magnus, too.)
He is sometimes Optimus Prime's brother, and occasionally goes by the name Ultra Mammoth.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Ultra Magnus was appointed Commander of Autobot City some time before 2005. During the Battle of Autobot City, he could not prevent many of his troops and the reinforcements being slaughtered, including Optimus Prime. Still, honoring Ultra Magnus for his efforts, Optimus handed him the Matrix of Leadership and command of the Autobots. The Matrix had other ideas though, choosing Rodimus Prime as its bearer instead. Ultra Magnus was okay with that and became Rodimus Prime's trustworthy second-in-command.
Despite not being the Prime, Ultra Magnus became a second archenemy to the Decepticon leader Galvatron. The two had many, many fights, and in between, Ultra Magnus also had to deal with the archrival he found in Galvatron's second-in-command Cyclonus.
During the Hate Plague outbreak in 2006, Ultra Magnus was one of the infected. He was cured when a revived Optimus Prime unleashed the energy of the Matrix. With everything back to normal and leadership passed back from Rodimus to Optimus, Ultra Magnus became somewhat of a second-in-command to the latter. He was taken out of commission by a grand scale Decepticon assault on Cybertron, but survived to see the next Cybertronian Golden Age.
Ladybird books continuity
?"]]
Following the mysterious disappearance of Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus travelled to Earth from Cybertron to take over leadership of the Autobots. Under his leadership, the Autobots established Metroplex as a city to live in, and yet were still able to keep their existence a secret from humanity at large. Nice work, Magnus!
With the Autobots' supply of cybernite running low, Ultra Magnus organized a salvage operation to potentially recover a supply of the material from wreckage strewn about an old battlefield that Kup would lead them to. Magnus's concerns grew when the Decepticons attacked the salvage team, apparently having known of their movements in advance, and the Autobots soon deduced that the villains had a network of spy satellites in orbit, watching them. Following Kup's advice, Magnus had Huffer and Wheeljack build a power generator that beamed false messages to the satellites, tricking them into colliding with each other and exploding. Magnus congratulated the Autobots on their team effort, declaring that teamwork was the only way to ultimately triumph over the Decepticons. Galvatron's Air Attack
When a small Decepticon attack force was able to penetrate Metroplex's security perimeter, Ultra Magnus had Bumblebee follow them upon their retreat in hopes of learning how the breach occurred. Bumblebee discovered that the Decepticons had been able to progressively sneak through the Autobots' spy screen and set up a base within a nearby industrial estate. Magnus led the Autobots in an attack on the Decepticon hideout, during which he faced off with Galvatron himself. Magnus stumbled and fell before the Decepticon leader, but Spike Witwicky saved him by downing Galvatron with a wrecking ball. Decepticon Hideout
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
The remaining Autobot elders spent years designing Ultra Magnus, a leader to lift the resistance out of a deep darkness. He was finally given life in or shortly before 1986[1] for Operation: Volcano. His role was to act as the crucial back-up needed for the Wreckers to successfully destroy their Decepticon targets and then escape in one piece. A serious complication arose when the Matrix Flame, the sacred and eternal blaze linked directly to the Creation Matrix itself, suddenly extinguished. Fearing that something catastrophic had occurred on Earth to the Matrix and its bearer, Optimus Prime, Emirate Xaaron made the decision to send Ultra Magnus to that planet to investigate, even though Operation: Volcano was unstoppably set to begin in ten cycles. Magnus traveled to Earth by way of space bridge, and found the Ark's crew engaged in a deadly conflict with three new, yet unspeakably powerful, Decepticon warriors just as their leaders Optimus Prime, Prowl, and Ratchet vanished before their optic sensors. Initially concerned only with his investigation of Prime's sudden disappearance, Ultra Magnus ignored the plight of his fellow Autobots until he learned the two situations were linked; Galvatron and his lieutenants were time travelers from 2006, having employed a mass substitution mechanism that sent the three Autobots into Limbo in order to accommodate their presence at this point in the timeline. This connection was revealed to him by three Autobots from 2006, who had traveled back in time themselves in order to stop Galvatron. They had a plan; they had the means; all they needed was for Ultra Magnus to keep him busy for, oh... an hour or two.
Easier said than done.
Magnus' battle with Galvatron carried them out of the isolated wilderness and onto a human freeway system. It ended when Ultra Magnus threw a tanker truck full of fuel into the path of Galvatron's particle cannon. Galvatron walked away from the blast — Magnus didn't. Still, the future Autobots succeeded in tricking Galvatron into returning to the future with his plan incomplete, and the timeline more-or-less preserved. Unfortunately, Magnus was out of time as Operation: Volcano proceeded without him, with disastrous results. Only one Decepticon was taken out, and the Wreckers' leader Impactor was killed protecting Xaaron. Target: 2006
Ultra Magnus would not meet his counterpart, Optimus Prime, until Prime was inadvertently transported back to Cybertron in battle with Megatron. Hooking up with Lord Straxus at Polyhex, Megatron quickly disseminated false information about a new Decepticon spy made over to look exactly like Optimus Prime, planning to infiltrate the Autobot forces. Having temporarily assumed control of the Wreckers until their new leader, Springer, was ready for command, Ultra Magnus led them in hunting down the "impostor". This Prime's behavior led Magnus to be suspicious of his information and, after summoning Emirate Xaaron, confirmed his suspicions and welcomed the true Optimus Prime back to Cybertron. Distant Thunder!
Prime wasted no time leading Magnus and the others on a series of successful raids and strike missions against Decepticon-controlled territory. When Optimus decided to return home to Earth, however, Ultra Magnus was caught up in the space bridge's energy discharge as well, arriving on Earth but some considerable distance away from where Prime materialized. Having been frustrated ever since Impactor's death, Magnus welcomed the "vacation" this trip to Earth would provide him, and he took his time trying to track down the Ark's location. Resurrection!
For months, Ultra Magnus enjoyed a peaceful life in the American forests and wilderness, alone with his thoughts. A sudden seismic disturbance brought him back to reality, though, and into contact with three human females whose vehicle had been overturned by the tremor. One in particular, Cindy, took quite a liking to Magnus. As they traveled together to explore a nearby volcano and its connection to the tremors, Magnus was forced back into combat thanks to the arrival of his old sparring partner, the future Decepticon known as Galvatron. Burning Sky! Galvatron had constructed a power siphon atop the volcano's peak, and planned to convert the raw power of a volcanic eruption into enough energy to transform him into a god. Ultra Magnus teamed up with several Autobots from the future, who were trying to bring Galvatron back with them to face justice. Once again, Magnus was used as a "distraction" (read: living punching bag) while the future Autobots set up their plan to override Galvatron's time-jump mechanism and send them all back where they came from. Despite Ultra Magnus successfully getting the slag beat out of him, the override proved unsuccessful, sending only the Autobots back to 2007 and leaving Magnus virtually alone to deal with the fighting-mad Galvatron. Fire on High! Barely managing to rally his courage, Ultra Magnus threw himself into combat with Galvatron one more time, keeping him busy until the volcano exploded, destroying the power siphon and encasing both warriors in molten lava. Vicious Circle!
Several months later, Ultra Magnus was dug out of the volcano by the Sparkler Mini-Bots. They had been sent to Earth by Springer to monitor the volcano in case Galvatron ever got free. When Galvatron DID free himself several days earlier, though, they found themselves hopelessly outmatched, and hoped Magnus would have better luck. Sadly, the severe beatings Galvatron had routinely handed out to Ultra Magnus, combined with the final excruciating submergence in molten lava, had nearly unhinged the Autobot's mind, leaving him with a pathological fear of his tormentor. Confronted with Galvatron, Magnus would probably have gone fetal if that pose had any meaning for his people. As the Sparklers heroically tried to stand up to Galvatron anyway, Ultra Magnus saw his rescuers in grave danger and finally managed to push his fear aside and reclaim enough confidence to batter the Decepticon into a temporary retreat. Salvage!
Having renewed his fighting spirit, Ultra Magnus arranged to return to Cybertron with his companions in order to report on Galvatron's activities and hopefully gather the Wreckers for a counter-offensive. Instead, they found the Autobot base in Kalis full of battle signs, and the entire surrounding city-state a virtual "ghost-town". City of Fear! After confronting a legion of robot zombies, the Autobots eventually learned that a crazed scientist named Flame was trying to re-engineer the entire planet as a giant spacecraft, setting off an unstable fusion reactor beneath the planet's surface as a power source. With the help of the Wreckers and the Decepticons Flywheels and Trypticon, Ultra Magnus and his team managed to put an end to Flame's maniacal scheme. Meltdown!
Ultra Magnus and the Wreckers then began preparations to return to Earth and confront the threat of Galvatron, finally, once and for all, but then the corpse of Chameleon was brought in to Autobase, missing an arm. Magnus and the Sparkler Mini-Bots went against Xaaron's orders and travelled to Tyrest to investigate, uncovering a plot between the Firecons and the alien Zabra to revive the old State Games at the Jekka Amphitheatre. Thrown into the arena, Magnus defeated the monstrous mechanoid Hooligan and Zabra himself, before giving the crowd an impassioned speech about why violence is wrong that was ultimately lost on most of them. This diversion cost both him and the Autobots dearly, as the Wreckers went to Earth alone and were mostly slaughtered, and Ultra Magnus was never seen nor heard from again. Deadly Games!
Marvel UK future timelines
In 2003, Ultra Magnus began plans for the construction of Autobot City on Earth, a transforming fortress that would better defend the Autobot secrets than the old Ark. In order to accomplish the construction, Magnus made agreements with the various Earth governments to acquire materials for the building and fortification of the city. To collect these materials, he assembled a massive convoy of Autobots to ride out to all corners of the world and acquire the necessary parts. In order to secure the secrecy of the city's plans, he had Blurr secretly transmit the necessary data to the Earth governments on a hyper-speeded signal, while Kup carried a dummy disk on a decoy mission. The Stunticons attacked Kup and stole the disk, thereby fooling the Decepticons into thinking they had access to the true specifications. Ark Duty A year later, Autobot City opened its doors and invited a delegation of human visitors to the ceremony. Despite a brief attack by Shockwave and the Decepticons, the opening went rather smoothly, and Autobot City became the new base of operations on Earth. Aspects of Evil!
In 2006, Ultra Magnus served as commander of Autobot City and directed the Autobots’ counter-offensive when the city came under attack from Megatron and the Decepticons. He directed Springer and Arcee to transform the city into battle station mode, and after a strenuous battle, Optimus Prime was mortally wounded. On his deathbed, Optimus passed the Autobot Leadership Matrix on to Ultra Magnus. Despite his own misgivings, Magnus took possession of Matrix and became the new leader of the Autobots. The Planet-Eater!
Magnus’s leadership did not get off to an easy start, when reports came in from the Autobots stationed on Cybertron’s moons of Unicron, a monster planet that was in the process of consuming them. Magnus quickly arranged for the Autobots to head to Cybertron aboard two shuttles, but en route to Cybertron, they were attacked by Decepticon forces led by Galvatron, the upgraded form of Megatron. In a last-ditch effort to lose the Decepticons, Magnus ordered an emergency separation of the shuttle. After Galvatron destroyed the jettisoned portion of the vessel (and declared the Matrix destroyed), Magnus and his crew landed their craft on the Planet of Junk for repairs. Judgment Day! Facing Galvatron solo, Magnus attempted to open the Matrix, but the talisman did not respond, and Magnus was torn to pieces by the Sweeps. Thankfully, Ultra Magnus was soon repaired by the native Junkions after they befriended the Autobots. Magnus joined the other Autobots in the battle with Unicron on Cybertron, which resulted in the young Autobot Hot Rod opening the Matrix to destroy Unicron, becoming Rodimus Prime. The Final Battle!
After the destruction of Unicron, Ultra Magnus became a top adviser to the Autobots' new commander, Rodimus Prime. As the war for territory on Cybertron continued, Magnus was seen leading Jazz, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper as a fighting unit during a Decepticon air strike. Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!
In 2008, he fought alongside the Autobots when a major Decepticon counter-offensive was initiated by Scourge and Cyclonus in the name of their master, Unicron. He and Kup continued to spearhead the Autobot battle effort on Cybertron when Rodimus Prime traveled to the Planet of Junk to confront Unicron, and the Decepticons were ultimately driven off. The Legacy of Unicron! Sometime later, Eject relayed a distress signal to Ultra Magnus at Autobase, requesting aid at certain coordinates against an alien attack. With Autobot City: Earth off-line and Rodimus out with a sizable portion of their troops to check on it, Magnus was reluctant to jump into such a potential trap. Still, his better nature ultimately won out, and Ultra Magnus led an Autobot troop assortment out to answer the call. Surprisingly, he found Soundwave and the Decepticons under heavy fire from the Quintessons, and ended up fighting side-by-side with his arch-rival for the good of the entire planet. Despite some signs of wavering by Soundwave, the peace ultimately didn't last, though, and the war would continue. Space Pirates!
In 2009, the long running loose-end of Galvatron being active in the past came back to haunt the Autobots, as a timestorm began raging at both 1989 and 2009, threatening all of existence. To deal with the problem, Ultra Magnus accompanied Rodimus Prime and several other Autobots back to 1989 to retrieve Galvatron...one way or another. Their mass-displacement caused confusion upon arrival, though, and led to a brief battle with their own 1989 Autobot counterparts. Ultra Magnus managed to fight off both Slag and Sludge of the Dinobots before he found someone willing to listen—1989's Goldbug, who had seen the mass-displacement effect before. Some late-coming Decepticons attempted to silence Goldbug before he could bring peace to the Autobot factions, but in the end the sight of Ultra Magnus carrying Goldbug's wounded body made an even MORE poignant appeal for peace. This ultimately led to an alliance between all four factions involved: the 1989 and 2009 Autobot and Decepticon factions. They were going to need it, as Galvatron had joined forces with his own "past self", Megatron. During the battle, Ultra Magnus traded fire with both Megatron and Galvatron, but Galvatron then used the oh-so-tenuous alliance against Magnus by tricking him into firing on Scorponok, leader of the 1989 Decepticons. Scorponok's henchmen (Mindwipe, Snapdragon and Triggerhappy) quickly forgot the alliance after seeing that, and tore into Ultra Magnus without any regards for the more serious consequences at stake. The damage Magnus suffered from their attack was severe and, after the battle was over and the timestorm abated, his deactivated body was seen being carried by his future Autobot comrades. Magnus's final fate is unknown. Time Wars
In an alternate future of 2510, the Decepticons were at last defeated, and Rodimus Prime planned to step down as Autobot leader. He announced Springer as his replacement, but an Autobot named Triton jumped in to contradict the decision, saying that Ultra Magnus was a much better choice to lead the Autobots in times of peace, not to mention the fact that he had already been chosen to carry the Matrix once before. Springer's combat unit, the Wreckers, didn't take kindly to Triton's comments, but then the Technobots jumped to the defense of Ultra Magnus and, as one thing led to another, shots were fired and fighting broke out among the Autobots. As the first bodies hit the floor, it became clear that a new war was beginning, and none of the Autobots were the wiser that Triton (the instigator of it all and one of the first casualties) had actually been a Decepticon deep-cover agent in disguise. Peace
The Big Broadcast of 2006
In an alternate 2006, Ultra Magnus, Rodimus Prime, and Blaster traveled in Omega Supreme to Junkion to investigate some strange goings-on there. Once there, the Autobots discover a chaotic scene where aliens from many worlds, including the Decepticons, had arrived and were all engaged in a deadly battle with one another while also attacking them. Blaster discovered a signal coming from space that seemed to be hypnotizing everyone. Ultra Magnus and Blaster hatched a plan which involved Blaster playing soothing music, while Omega Supreme carried him into the air. The music calmed the combatants and cleared Galvatron's mind long enough for him to blast the Junkions' television, which he recognized had influenced his mind. This broke the spell on everybody. The Junkions turned on the Decepticons, which caused them to retreat.
Ultra Magnus then expressed curiosity as to the source of the hypnotic messages, but Rodimus didn't care as long as they had ended for good. They never discovered that it was the work of the Quintessons. The Big Broadcast of 2006 (US)
Classics
Ultra Magnus commanded the crew of the Graviton, coming to Earth on the hunt for Bug Bite, one of Bludgeon's soldiers. Tracking the treacherous mechanoid, they assaulted the Ark, which Megatron was using as a base, and basically did nothing but show up in time to see Megatron take care of their quarry for them. The crew then left for space again, this time with Grimlock along for the ride. Games of Deception
While answering a distress call from the Earth-based Autobots, Ultra Mammoth's profile the Graviton was pulled into the Primax -408.24 Epsilon universe along with the Talon and ended up near that universe's native Earth during prehistoric times. While Magnus struggled to keep his crew focused, the ship was shot down. The Autobots soon found that the area was awash with energon radiation, and they were forced to take on beast forms. Magnus took on the form of a mammoth. Shattered Time While on the hunt for three missing stasis pods, the Autobots' Sky-sled was shot down, forcing them to continue on foot They soon discovered Megatron had beaten them to activating the three pods. Though Magnus thought the newly activated Transformers would be Autobots, they promptly blasted him. He recovered as Depth Charge arrived to lend a hand, and devastated the Decepticon forces with his Blue Bolts cannon, so the Autobots could retreat to safety. Shattered Expectations
With the Decepticons in hot pursuit, Magnus was prepared to try and delay them so the others could get away. As it happened, they'd reached a chasm with a thin rock bridge across it, and Magnus used the choke point as an opportunity to face Megatron in battle. Once the others were safely on the other side, he destroyed the bridge, blasted Megatron and used his new rocket thrusters to fly to safety. Back at the Graviton, Depth Charge gave the "Maximals" more of an explanation regarding his presence. Shattered Paths
Utilizing Depth Charge's probes, the Maximals located the ship's energy purifier, only to be soundly trounced by the Predacons, who made off with the device. Shattered Hope After discovering that food made for an excellent alternate energy source, the Maximals joined Depth Charge, who had found the Origin Matrix but was struggling with the security system protecting it. While the other Maximals fought off the security system, Magnus retrieved the Matrix. Moments later they were confronted by Megatron piloting a huge mech. Shattered Balance
Faced with Megatron's Gigastorm Armor, Magnus combined the Origin Matrix with his gun, enabling him to blast open a fissure in time and space, sucking Predacons and Maximals alike through. He invited Depth Charge to accompany them, but Depth Charge had other problems to deal with, and farewelled "Ultra Mammoth" as the Maximal leader departed through the rift. Shattered Destiny He ended up in the future, where he passed the Origin Matrix on to Aquarius, who needed it to complete the Star Saber. Transformers I.Q. trivia bonus #12
Regeneration One
Template:Noterg1 As the Autobots caught wind of dissident activity among the Decepticons, Kup accompanied Ultra Magnus to Nova Point, where Optimus Prime had sequestered himself to mentor Hot Rod, and asked for Prime's permission to mobilize the Wreckers in a preventative action. Optimus dismissed them, however, believing that to attack now would only further incite rebellion. Soundwave would prove Prime wrong, by hijacking one of Cybertron's orbital defense satellites to destroy the Last Autobot, which had stood guard over Iacon. Counterpoint
After learning that the Skyscorchers had holed up in a weapons decommissioning depot in Kalis, Kup prepared to mobilize the Wreckers, but Magnus reminded him that Prime's refusal to permit hostile action remained in effect. Windrazor contacted Magnus to offer their surrender, while planning to create a small explosion with a warhead detonation cap to cover their escape. Before terms can be arranged, however, the Insecticons Ransack, Chop Shop, and Venom infiltrated the facility under orders from Soundwave with the intention of blowing up a warhead, turning the Skyscorchers into martyrs. Before they could complete their mission, though, the Wreckers busted in, captured the Insecticons, and preventd the detonation of the warhead.
Ultra Magnus and Kup paid another visit to Optimus Prime, who grudgingly admitted the Wreckers' actions saved countless lives this day, and refrained from issuing any punishment. Magnus pressed the issue, citing that the Wreckers' war-hero reputation is influencing his cadets, but Prime, consumed by a vision of Unicron, does not hear him. Kup, meanwhile, came to the conclusion that the Autobots need to take a more proactive approach, following Grimlock's example in his quest for a cure for Nucleon. Kup gathered the Wreckers and they departed Cybertron, with their first stop being Earth. Loose Ends, Part 1
Ultra Magnus was notified of the Wreckers' departure by Trailbreaker, who informed Magnus that they stole a shuttle. Magnus ordered him to investigate the theft, and find out who aided them. After Trailbreaker left, Magnus punched out a monitor screen in frustration, lamenting that he wants to join Kup and the others, but he has to play by the rules of the new society in order for it to work. Loose Ends, Part 2
Upon discovering evidence that Kup and the Wreckers have gone to Earth, Ultra Magnus returned to Nova Point with Trailbreaker to inform Optimus. They revealed two transmissions originating from the planet: a distress call sent by Springer, and a message that has been repeating for years, from Megatron, calling for Prime to come see what he's done to Earth. Prime, no longer hesitant, ordered the Autobots to Earth. Magnus and Prime were the last to board the ship for Earth, as Prime ordered Hot Rod to remain behind. Loose Ends, Part 3
Ultra Magnus arriveed in the remains of Washington, D.C. alongside Optimus Prime, where Springer had been leading some of the Wreckers in an attempt to rescue a Scraplet-infected Kup. As Megatron was distracted by their arrival, Starscream, summoning up what little amount of free will Megatron had left him with, let Kup know that he must "kill Ratchet", as the Autobot medic, reduced to a head mounted on Megatron's battle sled, was still linked to the insane Decepticon. Loose Ends, Part 4 Megatron greeted his old nemesis by executing the captive Springer, enraging the Autobot leader into a one-on-one battle with the insane Decepticon. Magnus was left to coordinate the other Autobot's efforts against Megatron's army of zombie ex-Cons. Only Kup's mercy execution of Ratchet allowed Optimus the opening he needed to destroy Megatron once and for all, while Roadbuster's team of Wreckers and humans in the Yukon shut down the Ark's computer, Auntie, stopping Megatron's final gambit—the launch of all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons—and simultaneously deacivating Megatron's zombie army. Loose Ends, Part 5
Ultra Magnus returned to the orbiting Valiant while Optimus supervised the cleanup of the deactivated zombies. The surviving humans, led by Circuit-Smasher and G.B. Blackrock, informed Prime that they have unanimously voted for the Autobots to leave Earth immediately. As Prime prepared his troops to depart, Wheeljack radioed Magnus to vaporize the collected bodies from orbit. Starscream, however, was still alive, and managed to escape the beam before it hit. Natural Selection, Part One
Optimus informed Ultra Magnus of his intentions to remain on Earth, despite the humans' wishes to the contrary, believing that his time had passed, and that it was now Hot Rod's turn to assume the mantle of leadership. Natural Selection, Part Two
As the Valiant returned to Cybertronian space, Ultra Magnus made contact with the Iacon Central Defense Hub, requesting a landing flight plan. Unknown to anyone aboard the Valiant, however, Scorponok had infiltrated Cybertron with the help of Grimlock, and the Hub was being manned by the Decepticons Pounce and Wingspan. Scorponok ordered them to provide that landing plan, and then to use Cybertron's planetary defenses to blow the ship out of the sky! Natural Selection, Part Four
Fortunately for Ultra Magnus and everybody aboard the Valiant, Grimlock never intended to allow Scorponok to complete his plan to rewrite the CNA of every Autobot on the planet, and teaming up with Grapple's free Autobots, Grimlock helped retake the Hub. The missile launch against the Valiant had commenced, but Crosshairs convinced Pounce to provide the computer lockout code by shooting Wingspan dead, allowing Blurr to activate the missiles' self-destruct. Before the Valiant could land, however, Grimlock had already left for the Sonic Canyons to put an end to Scorponok once and for all. Natural Selection, Part Five
With the effects of the Gene Key undone, Ultra Magnus set about attempting to rally the depleted ranks of the Civil Defense Force, urging them on to do their best to protect the peace, but his reception is less than lukewarm. As Magnus dismissed the troops, Trailbreaker informed him of a communication from Optimus Prime on Earth. Magnus informed Prime that the Rescue Patrol had been sent to Nebulos to undo the damage Scorponok had done, but Prime was more concerned about the mysterious wildcard Galvatron, who had just left Earth aboard the Ark, and whom Prime was convinced is somehow Megatron reborn.
After a disastrous attempt at a rousing speech of his own, Hot Rod was convinced by Kup to step down and hand over the reins of command to Ultra Magnus. Before he could contact Magnus, though, the four remaining Dinobots arrived and asked to join Hot Rod on his search for Primus, as they believed they would find Grimlock as well, having faith that their commander survived the fall into the Sonic Canyons. Contacting Magnus by viewscreen, Hot Rod ordered him to have Iacon rebuilt and secure by the time he returns from his mission with the Dinobots. Destiny #1
Ultra Magnus coordinated the Wreckers in an attack on Fort Scyk in an effort to root out Soundwave's Neo-Decepticons after their recent open acts of hostility. Despite detecting multiple life-signs, though, the team finds the facility empty and booby-trapped, and they barely escape the exploding facility without any casualties. Kup reported in, and Magnus concluded that Soundwave's plans have moved into a new phase. Magnus contacted Prowl, who was in the middle of apprehending Runamuck, and the strategist confirmed that all key Decepticons had gone off-radar, leaving only low-level grunts like the Battlecharger visibly active. Magnus decided to recall the Aerialbots to base at that point, just before they would have run into Soundwave.
With the Autobots' early warning system still down, Magnus had Cosmos patrol the skies on watch, but just as Cosmos had radioed back to Magnus his doubts about being able to find anything, he was met by Bludgeon's Warworld, which then shot him down. Before Magnus could raise the alarm, however, he came under fire from Galvatron, who was descending to Cybertron after having been ejected from the Ark by Starscream! Destiny #3
Magnus was tackled by the incoming time-displaced Decepticon, and the two of them crashed through a building before plummeting into a traffic lane. As Galvatron attacked, he boasted of having destroyed Ultra Magnus before; unaware that Galvatron came from an alternate timeline, Magnus suspected that his opponent was insane, but nevertheless his strength and rage meant that Magnus's reputation as "Cybertron's greatest warrior" was about to face a difficult test.
Magnus finally got Galvatron off of him by firing one of his shoulder-rockets at point blank range, sending the Decepticon off the overpass they were fighting on. Blades then arrived on the scene, having been dispatched to locate Magnus when he didn't respond to the call-to-arms against the looming Warworld. Magnus transformed and rolled out to join the fight against the swarming Blitz Engines, but was again beset upon by Galvatron, who had broken out of the rubble and landed on top of Magnus's vehicle mode. As Magnus barreled down the A-19-61 thruway, he told Galvatron that he had no time to deal with him, what with the invasion, leading Galvatron to respond that he would simply destroy the invading Decepticons himself once he was done with Magnus. Having had enough, Magnus blasted the bridge ahead of him, and came to a hard stop at its broken edge, sending Galvatron falling. Galvatron, however, was able to grab Magnus's front bumper and drag him down as well.
Aboard the Warworld, Bludgeon expressed his reluctance to use the ship's weapons to obliterate the planet he wanted to rule, but he was convinced by his lieutenant, Krok, to fire a symbolic shot to demonstrate the vessel's power. Bludgeon chose the location where Ultra Magnus and Galvatron had fallen. The blast leveled several city blocks over a radius of several miles, and it seemed nothing could have survived, but Ultra Magnus emerged from the conflagration, having resolved that it was time to start living up to his own hype! Destiny #4
S.T.A.R.S. pack-in flyers
Ultra Magnus personally chose a new S.T.A.R.S. Commander, to whom he sent a message inviting him or her to take up the role. This message guided the recipient through an exercise using "the special power you humans call 'imagination'" to visualize what it would be like to be several different Transformers, Autobots and Decepticons included. After that, the recipient was given the opportunity to "requisition" those Transformers for his or her "Command" via a form marked with the following address:
ULTRA MAGNUS
P.O. Box 7050, Dept. T10
North Hollywood, CA 91609
Transformers in 3-D
Ultra Magnus left Hot Rod in charge of Cybertron while he took off in Fortress Maximus to check out a strange energon reading they'd detected on an asteroid. When Lightspeed discovered a small alien, Magnus reminded him that they were Autobots and sworn to protect all life. Lightspeed's tests determined that the creature converted its food into Energon, leading Magnus to send Searchlight out in search of more of the creatures. Not long after, the Autobots were found by Ratbat, and they pursued the small Decepticon until they ran into more Decepticons, resulting in a pitched battle. The Test
Following Galvatron's destruction of Cybertron's Energon supply, Optimus Prime contacted Ultra Magnus in Metroplex and ordered him to take a team to find Metascan Alpha. Magnus took Kup, Doublecross, Grotusque, and Repugnus with him, using Sky Lynx as transport. They eventually reached a desolate moon, on which they were attacked by Cyclonus and the Terrorcons, but Magnus insisted they ignore the Decepticons and continue with their mission. Retreating to Sky Lynx, they flew down to the planet to find a rapidly-evacuating city under attack from the Destructons.
The Autobots engaged the enemy, only to find themselves outclassed. Ultra Magnus was blasted by Lord Imperious Delirious and fought the confusion the Delirious Fire brought to his mind in order to sound a retreat. Kup sacrificed himself to allow the rest of the Autobots to escape, but Sky Lynx only had enough energy to reach the moon, and the Destructons were able to catch up. Faced with a superior foe, Ultra Magnus was forced to consider the unthinkable, and made an alliance with Cyclonus to attempt a combined attack. The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3
Transformers PD Type
Ultra Magnus and Optimus attempted to trick Starscream into thinking a bomb was a Blackball, and succeeded, much to their surprise. Don't Cry! Megatron!! Ultra Magnus later reported that the Autobots had run out of ammo, and as a result, they were forced to throw rocks at Deathsaurus instead. Good Job! Deathsaurus!! He also pointed out that God Ginrai's "Chōkon Fire Guts" attack was just a normal punch, and was asked to keep quiet because the Decepticons hadn't realised that yet and were still rolling around in agony. Now! Deliver the Finishing Blow! God Ginrai!! Magnus and Rodimus Prime enjoyed many victories against the Decepticons, but who was that in the background? No One Knows When he's Come or Gone. Greatshot...
At one point, the Blackball was left in the safekeeping of Ultra Magnus. Galvatron, catching Magnus by surprise, managed to blow him up with a powerful energy blast from his fusion cannon. Recovering the Blackball, Galvatron began to gloat about his victory. That's when Magnus' body hurled his head at Galvatron like a bowling ball, causing the Emperor of Destruction to fall over like a set of pins and drop the Blackball. That's using your head, Magnus! *sigh* Improve Yourself! Ultra Magnus!
Find Your Fate Junior
Autobot Alert!
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
6.5 million years ago, when his brother Optimus Prime and the Decepticon leader Megatron vanished in a space bridge incident, the Autobots looked to Ultra Magnus for leadership. Magnus fled and exiled himself, believing he wasn't ready.
But half a million years later, Magnus re-emerged, finding the Autobots had fragmented themselves into different camps. Despite his fears about his inadequacy, Magnus managed to reunite the Autobots and retake Cybertron city by city, until finally, the Autobots were all but assured victory. Shockwave's Decepticons and Ratbat's Ultracons were ready to surrender. The moments before a peace treaty was to be signed at Tyger Pax, Ultra Magnus brooded in his chambers, alone, cursing Optimus Prime for his "heroic" sacrifice that nonetheless left his race to carry the torch themselves. Starscream and his Predacons, however, wouldn't go so quietly, and they staged an insurrection. Though, regrettably, Starscream assassinated the surviving members of the Council of Ancients, Ultra Magnus was able to lead his Autobots, the Ultracons, and the Decepticons successfully against the Predacon insurrection. As the Predacons were arrested, Grimlock took an assassin's bullet meant for Ultra Magnus, apparently killing the Dynobot. Magnus, overcome with grief, cradled Grimlock's body in his arms and audibly mourned.
This would not be the day's only setback, to say the least. Amid the chaos of Grimlock's death, Megatron had somehow returned, backed up by the Aerospace Extermination Squadron. The Age of Wrath The peace Magnus had struggled for immediately crumbled. Ultra Magnus and the other Autobots were put to work as slaves, deep below Cybertron's surface. The Age of Wrath Pt.2
Fewer than four million years ago, after Optimus Prime and Megatron disappeared once again, this time with dozens of their best warriors on board the Ark and the Nemesis, Ultra Magnus and Shockwave worked together to replenish their armies in the Little Iacon incident. Many of the Micromasters created resented Ultra Magnus and Shockwave for bringing them into their war. Transformers: Micromasters
In the present day, Ultra Magnus was reactivated following the Great Shutdown, Revelation and begrudgingly took the role of security officer under Shockwave, who had ushered in a new peace. Though Magnus suspected Shockwave had some shady personal projects, he thought the threat of these were minimal compared to the greater promise of peace, and willingly helped Shockwave.
Ultimately, in 2003, Optimus Prime and the rest of the missing Autobots were discovered on a planet called Earth, where Prime and Megatron had awakened and rekindled the Transformer Civil War there. Ultra Magnus and a team of Decepticons traveled to Earth and approached Prime's Autobots, asking for their understanding and their surrender, lest they disrupt Cybertron's new peace. New World Order Though a few were willing to give in to Magnus, most were not. Optimus Prime sent a team of Autobots secretly out the back door, while the rest of his troops approached Magnus and submitted to his demands. Prime still harbored ill feelings towards his brother, and in moment of weakness, Prime punched Magnus to the floor, calling him a traitor.
Ultra Magnus transported his captives to Cybertron, where Shockwave announced that for the good of Cybertron, Prime and the others would be deactivated. Brothers' Burden Magnus, of course, disapproved, and he angrily confronted Shockwave. Shockwave showed Magnus footage of Optimus Prime and Megatron in a recent, heated battle in San Francisco, and this did not flatter the mental state of the combatants. Still, Magnus was not convinced, and he went to the High Council to address his fears of giving Shockwave too much control. His audience with the council was interrupted by grave news: the Stunticons had been unleashed from prison, and Menasor was tearing apart Iacon. In response, Ultra Magnus assembled the Wreckers. Cold War
Though casualties were high, Ultra Magnus was able to take down Menasor by turning his components against its team leader, Motormaster. While Menasor was confused, Magnus rammed into him in vehicle mode, separating the combiner. Suspecting Shockwave was somehow behind all this, Magnus left to confront him. On his way there, Magnus put a missile in Grimlock's head, quelling the Dinobots' own little rampage. Passive Aggression Magnus ordered Perceptor to put them into the CR chambers immediately.
Finally, Ultra Magnus arrived in Shockwave's throne room and ordered the former Decepticon to stand down. Shockwave had a different idea and shot him in the back. As Magnus staggered out, he met Prime, who was also on his way to tussle with Shockwave, and he apologized to his brother for going astray. Magnus collapsed. Countdown to Extinction A short time later, he got up to his feet and slowly made his way back into the throne room, though he was crumbling as he went. When he reached his destination, Magnus had shed his super robot form, leaving only his smaller inner robot. Seeing Prime had been defeated, Magnus attacked Shockwave. Though Ultra Magnus lost his arm to Shockwave's ruthlessness, Magnus was ultimately able to toss Shockwave into the pit in the center of the room. Grimlock carried both Prime and Magnus's heavily-damaged forms out of the throne room, but not without insulting them constantly. Magnus, like Prime, suspected that despite Shockwave's defeat, their hardships were only just beginning. Revelation
Optimus Prime was kept in stasis due to his minor injuries, while despite the complete destruction of his armor and the removal of his arm, Ultra Magnus was quickly reassembled and back on duty. Meanwhile, reports of a strange disturbance in a hidden Decepticon laboratory caught Magnus's attentions, but no one thought it was very significant. Black Sunshine In the wake of Shockwave's dethroning, Prowl was having trouble addressing public concerns, but Ultra Magnus was able to speak to the crowd empathetically. Skyfire Later, Magnus checked in on Prowl to see if he had any leads on the lab disturbance, and advised the overworked security officer to rest more. The Omega Effect Prowl and a team of Autobots soon left to construct an Autobot City on Earth, leaving Magnus to coordinate Autobot affairs on Cybertron. The Route of All Evil
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity
Ultra Magnus was among the Autobot forces resisting Shockwave's rule of Cybertron, and was shocked when he witnessed Wheeljack get zapped by energy and vanishing. Investigating the disappearance along with Perceptor, Magnus found that the powerful Teletran 3 computer had malfunctioned and sent various Cybertronians dispersed throughout various points in Earth's timeline. After erecting a force field around Teletran 3 to prevent Shockwave and his forces from taking control of it, Ultra Magnus made a plan together with the G.I. Joes and Cobra members whom had been transported to Cybertron by the computer. As he was feeding the force field with his own power and Perceptor was operating Teletran 3, it was up to the humans to travel back in time and retrieve the lost Transformers, or else time travel "feedback" would lead to the destruction of Earth. Unfortunately, his force field could only stay up for twelve hours at best. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1 Six hours later, only one of four teams had returned. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2 By the time the third team returned, Ultra Magnus's force field had dissipated and the Autobot had been gunned down by Shockwave's troops. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3
Fortunately his wounds weren't lethal, and some time later, Ultra Magnus joined a team of Autobots preparing to rescue Optimus Prime from Serpent O.R.'s imprisonment. The Art of War #4 After receiving reinforcements from G.I. Joe, they attacked, they attacked the Decepticon base and fought against Serpent O.R.'s army. While urging his comrades to never give up, Ultra Magnus helped with a barrage of weaponsfire against Trypticon's throat. After the defeat of Serpent O.R., he attended Bumblebee's funeral alongside Hot Rod and Arcee. The Art of War #5
A few months later, Ultra Magnus was put in control of Cybertron while Optimus Prime left for Earth to investigate a mysterious signal from outer space. When Hot Rod hurt Prime's feelings by accusing him of doing things himself because he felt guilty about Bumblebee's death, Magnus told the young Autobot that he really needed to learn when to stay quiet. Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2
Universe toy bio
Ultra Magnus was a promising young Autobot, but then his best friend Treadshot joined the Decepticons. Since that day, Magnus had been consumed with hunting down his former friend and beating six kinds of hell out of him, even to the point of disobeying direct orders.
His Mini-Con partner was Over-Run (or possibly an alternate-universe incarnation thereof); lord knows how he viewed the whole affair.
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Having fought alongside Orion Pax to contain the Decepticons since the early days of the war, Ultra Magnus rose in prominence to become one of the mightiest warriors in the Autobot ranks. During the Great War, Ultra Magnus served with distinction in many battles, sometimes taking seemingly-fatal damage and yet recovering to fight again.
This is a lie.
In reality, the real Ultra Magnus died early in the war, and various pretenders—including Blockus, Datum, Ramp and Suture—were subsequently appointed by Tyrest and given a suit of "Magnus Armor" to give the impression of an "immortal lawman".
Ultimately, the armor would be worn by a bot whose real name was Minimus Ambus, who would take a post somewhat external to the Autobot army on becoming a Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord, upholding the Code of Interplanetary Conflict, a treaty between Autobots, Decepticons and other alien races. As an enforcer of the Accord, Magnus hunted down any Transformers, Autobots and Decepticons alike, who illegally sold or distributed Cybertronian technology, handing them over to their superiors for prosecution.
After a stint on Earth, miscellaneous assistance to the Autobots in the wake of the Surge, and the defeat of D-Void and the Decepticons, "Ultra Magnus" accompanied Rodimus and crew aboard the Lost Light on their quest to find the Knights of Cybertron, serving as Rodimus's second-in-command. After a near-fatal encounter with Overlord, and an automated return to a now-insane Tyrest, Ambus's deception would be revealed, but he continued wearing the armor and serving the Lost Light as "Ultra Magnus" thereafter, although he would give up the role of Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord to Fortress Maximus.
IDW Beast Wars comics
The paranoid Predacon, Killer Punch, believed that Ultra Magnus was secretly a Decepticon agent. Beast Wars Sourcebook 2
Alternity
The Ultra Magnuses of various universal streams had different roles to play in the mind-bending cross-dimensional war between the hyper-evolved future Autobots known as the Alternity and the Megatron Aggregate.
When the universal stream of Primax 1286.3 Kappa was chosen by Diamond Black Megatron to play host to a "game full of death and suffering" of his own devising, Megatron's opponent, Ultimate Silver Optimus Prime, was allowed to pick one inhabitant of this universe to be his champion, and to battle the horde of Decepticons Megatron would empower. Loathe as he was to use him like a chess piece, Prime selected Ultra Magnus and imbued him with a portion of his power. Even with this added strength, though, Prime knew that Magnus's resilience and determination were truly his greatest weapons. To Die Game!
The Magnus of another, unknown universal stream also found himself pulled into the Alternity's war when the Megatron of his world joined the Aggregate and began razing his Cybertron with his increased power, forcing the Autobots to step up their efforts to protect the planet's citizens. While patrolling Sector 51, Administrative Official Magnus entered City #14, which had recently been freed from Decepticon occupation. Walking amidst the disheveled and displaced citizens, Magnus burned a huge Autobot brand into the ground, marking the city as Autobot territory.
Suddenly, a dazzling being of light appeared to him, referring to him by the military rank of "Ultra"; a rank he did not yet possess. Then, another Ultra Magnus who had joined the Alternity, sporting an auto-avatar looking very much like Optimus Prime, stepped through a glowing portal, asking Magnus to join him. Magnus then shook hands with Prime, joining the Alternity collective and sharing the consciousness of every Magnus across the multiverse. Magnus then vowed to use his newfound power to bring peace to Cybertron... as Ultra Magnus! Nissan GT-R / Ultra Magnus (Brilliant Pearl White)
Games
Mystery of Convoy
When Optimus Prime disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the year 2005, Ultra Magnus set out to find him. Magnus fought his way through a seemingly endless horde of Decepticon antagonists, including the Devilstar, the Double Devilstar, Bruticus, and Menasor, as well as attempting to recover seven energon cubes the Decepticons had stolen from Rodimus Prime. Finally, Magnus unveiled the truth—everything had been Megatron's doing all along! Besting the Decepticon leader, Magnus was then faced with a seemingly endless series of tunnels and time loops, leading him into a climactic battle with Trypticon. After Magnus dispatched the city-bot in a hard-fought battle, a new challenge rose its head, but with his energon cubes recovered through Magnus's heroism, Rodimus Prime was able to take up the fight in his stead. Transformers: Mystery of Convoy
Famicom How-to Manga: Transformers: Mystery of Convoy
Famicom How-to Manga: Transformers: Mystery of Convoy
Transformers (Mystery of Convoy)
Transformers (Mystery of Convoy) strategy guide comic
The Transformers (PS2)
- Voice actor: Barry Gjerde (English)
When Shockwave threatened the universe using Zel Quartz in 2010, Ultra Magnus was one of the Autobots warriors who travelled back in time to 2003 to prevent Zel Quartz from ever being cultivated for use by Cybertronians.
Decepticon story
While searching for Zel Quartz in the present, the Decepticons hunted down several leads, including the Gem of Mystery. Separated from the rest of his team in the crash, Ultra Magnus and Sky Lynx defended the Gem of Mystery from Decepticon raiders. They failed, but the Gem was not the fabled Zel Quartz in the end anyway.
Autobot story
Ultra Magnus rejoined the present and future Autobots in their campaign after the third false lead for the quartz on Zel Samine. The Transformers
Transformers Legends
Following Megatron's rebirth as Galvatron, Ultra Magnus was part of the Autobot forces led by Rodimus who scored a decisive victory over the Decepticons. All Hail Galvatron He returned to Earth to help in the rebuilding following a Decepticon assault, bringing with him Wreck-Gar and Wheelie from the planet Junkion. The trio fell victim to a surprise attack from the Insecticons. Junkion Reunion
Ultra Magnus was involved in an struggle for territory between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The battle against Galvatron and his troops ended in the Autobot's defeat, despite Ultra Magnus and Kup leading the final defences while Rodimus and Metroplex engaged Trypticon. The Colossus War Ultra Magnus, Kup and Spike were kidnapped by Skuxxoids during the Galactic Games. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1 Though the trio were sentenced to death by the Quints, the other Autobots arrived in time to save them. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 2
Following an Decepticon assault led by Galvatron, Ultra Magnus, alongside Rodimus Prime, Arcee, and Spike were forced into taking cover within the Autobot Mausoleum. This did little to improve their situation, however, as the Decepticons continued their advance. Unexpectedly, Optimus Prime rose from his tomb, providing hope that the tide may yet turn in the Autobots' favour. This was not to be, unfortunately, as the resurrected Autobot leader left the group stranded after having received the Matrix of leadership from Rodimus. After Optimus regained his senses, the Autobots were left to mourn their leader as he sacrificed himself once more to undo the Quintesson's trap. Dark Awakening
Toys
Notes
- It has been speculated by some fans that, in the animated continuity, Ultra Magnus may have been created from Orion Pax's friend Dion, the same way and at the same time Prime and Elita One were rebuilt by Alpha Trion. For further elaboration, see Who is Dion?.
- Ultra Magnus is Optimus Prime's brother in the Dreamwave continuity, and possibly also in IDW continuity. Additionally, Optimus Prime also was described as treating Ultra Magnus as his "kid brother" in TV Magazine's issue #4 of Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers manga.
- In the early promotional trailer/test footage for "The Transformers: The Movie", Ultra Magnus can be seen in alternate Autobot City sequences in his toy's original Diaclone color scheme, indicating the final coloration may have been a late change to the toy. This footage has appeared in various Transformers DVDs over the years.
- Simon Furman did have a rematch planned for Magnus and Galvatron in the Marvel UK comics, "but the imminent change to black & white 5-page stories meant that Time Wars pretty much had to wrap up everything, (and with two Primes in the mix, Ultra Magnus kind of got sidelined)".[2]
- This Ultra Magnus, along with the original Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime, and Jazz makes a cameo appearance as one of the four elders who began the space bridge project in the Cybertron episode "Balance".
- Ultra Magnus has the honor of being quoted in scientific literature.[3]
Foreign names
- Japanese: Ultra Magnus (ウルトラマグナス Urutora Magunasu)
- French: Ultramag (Canada)
- Italian: Convoy
- Mandarin: Tong Tian Xiao (China, 通天晓, "The One Who Knows Everything"), Mags (Taiwan, 馬格斯 Mǎ Gè Sz), Magnum (Taiwan Omni Productions dub, 麥農 Mài Núng)
- Portuguese: Ultra Magnum (Portugal comic)
References
- ↑ Ultra Magnus profile in Marvel UK #81
- ↑ IDW blog post
- ↑ James M Carpenter on Homology
External links
- Featured articles
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Character stubs missing fiction
- Alternity Autobots
- Autobot leaders
- Beast Wars Maximals
- Classics Autobots
- Decoys
- Generation 1 Autobots
- Generation 2 Autobots
- Hall of Fame
- Kiss Players Autobots
- Ladybird Books Autobots
- Matrix bearers
- Maximals
- Regeneration One Autobots
- Rulers of Cybertron
- Transformers with three modes
- United Autobots
- Universe Autobots
- Wreckers
