#idw Misfits | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

popculturebuffet · 8 months

Text

Transformers More than Meets the Eye Retrospective: Intermission: Robots in Disguise Season 1 Retrospective (Patreon Review for Brotoman.EXE)

Hello all you happy people and welcome back to my More than Meets the Eye retrospective. Kinda. For those of you just joining us for the past two years i've been doing a retrospective of the Transformers comic More than Meets the Eye, one of my faviorite comics ever. While it is as a patreon review i've been more than happy to and in december we hit the end of season 1.

So now.. we're in a weird in between place, as season 1 for MTMTE is over.. but we still have a big crossover event left. And to judge said event fairly.... I realzied I had to go back and re-read Robots in Disguise to properly gage said event.

Yeah i've never been a huge fan of the 2012 comic Robots in Disguise. See I first read RiD AFTER More than Meets the Eye, having loved what I could read of MTMTE and wanting more. This... wasn't the right mindset in hindsight as the two works are completely diffrent beasts: MTMTE is about a found family of disfunctional robots trying to move on from war, making quips, and dealing with their trauma. It is a LOT of things I love in fiction: a bunch of misfits who don't really fit into the society their a part of, clever jokes, spectacular world building, and minor characters given their day in the sun. It feels at times like the book was made for me, down to repadeatly homaging one of my faviorite covers of all time. It was easy to love it and it only grows as I dig into it.

RID in contrast.. is an attempt at a morally grey prestige drama that on paper is about the sacrifices and compromises the autobtos make trying to rebuild cybertron, and in practice is about a weak willed useless jackass, his jackbooted best friend, a well meaning non combatant who means well but also is judgey as fuck, and Starscream, who easily outmanuvers them because a sock full of quarters with googly eyes on it could out manuver them. Wheeljack and Blur are also there and they are delightful but not used nearly enough . I gave the book an honest chance and was badly disapointed, and I gave it a second chance despite utterly dreading this.. and was once again disapointed. RiD is just not very good.

Now i'll give some caveats: the book DOES get better in season 2, with a fresh cast and premise that work decently. It's not on MTMTE"s level.. but I respect writer John Barber and IDW for seeing what they fucked up and course correcting. Barber's work isn't my forte, but the guy isn't terrible an does have his fans for a reason, I just prefer More than Meets the Eye and Windblade more, with Windblade being a second, much more succesful stab at IDW doing an intrigue on cybertron book, one i'll defintely cover at some point. It helps Windblade got most of the standouts from this book as supporting cast, but it's genuinely good and worth your time. None of this makes season 1 GOOD, by any stretch, but I wanted to get it out of the way that YES the series gets better. But you can also largely skip season 1 or read the wiki without loosing much for either RiD Season 2 or Windblade.

That being said.. Season 1 is a mess. It wasn't that pleasant to re read despite it's bright spots and it took a while to get through, an utter chore to slog through this one. One of the only bright sides is it taught me I CAN review a whole series in one post again.. just probably in smaller doses than my last attempt with new teen titans, which was great but just about killed me. So other series I dislike like All New All Diffrent X-Men, Dan Slott's fantastic four or Jason Aaron's avengers are now more within my grasp to actually tear apart at some point.

For now though let's focus on THIS disapointing series, see why it is and also talk a lot about how much this version of Bumblbee sucks and this version of Starscream fucking slaps.

Do You Have Any Clue What Happens Now?

Like more than Meets the Eye, Robots in Disguise kicks off with the Death of Optimus Prime, a one shot setting up both series and dealing with the aftermath of Chaos, the big event that ended the previous era of IDW and allowed a soft reset for this one.

So as a quick recap since it's been a long time since I tackled this issue: The War is Over. At long lost the Autobots defeated the evil forces of the decpitcons after all of them were combined by an elder god into one giant deciptigod and Megatron disappeared after hyjacking it.

The problem is what comes next which is a great hook and part of what makes MTMTE works: the war is over.. but unlike most transformers stories that get to end the war, we see what happens now everyones free.

The Autobots take command.. but it's not going wella s Optimus Prime finds out: the planet has reverted to a primal state and thousands of civlians, dubbed nails by the autobots and something the nails aren't fond of, have arrived and the vast majority of them want the Autobots to fuck off their planet.

The Nails.. are one of the biggest wasted opportunities of Robots in Disguise. The IDEA is good: a bunch of bots who either fled one of the two sides or managed to opt out entirely return and aren't happy with the planet or military leadership. It's a concept with a lot of depth as on the one hand the autobots have a point

While the Nails had every right to nope out of a war they were tired of, the Autobots fought long hard and lost a lot to get to this point and blaming them for something that's objectively not their fault, the planet going bonkers, isn't remotely fair. On the other.. the nails have every right ot want the planet back and to want a part in it, and to want leadership that isn't just the autobots.

The problem is the conflict is handeled with the subtley of a sledgehammer and thus BOTH sides come off as assholes: The Autobots make up an embarassing faction name for them, push them around and Prowl goes into a creepy tirade about how this isn't "Their" planet and they didn't fight in the war and later sics the deciptcons on them afte rthey agree to get explosives put in their brains.

The Nails Meanwhile spend the start of the sreies, especially the death of optimus prime bitching at the autobots, treating them as facists, and treating them all like they were complicit in the senates corruption, which only gets more galling after season 1 of MTMTE as most were fully against it.. they just couldn't do anything about it. Neither could you guys. It dosen't help they HANG OPTIMUS PRIME IN EFFIGY for the crime of STAYING AROUND ON A PLANET HE JUST SAVED.

The lack of nuance makes me just.. not care about most of both sides: The Autobots come off like their trying to consolidate power and remain in charge because they feel owed it, while the Nails blame them for everything. We COULD have had a good story abotu trying to perserve the past while acknowldging it's flaws and making a better present, but instead it's just the nails either whining or making entirely valid points that the autobots, mostly prowl, try to police brutality away because they can't accept they shoudlnt' be running things.

In the middle of all this Perciptor examines the matrix and finds a map, with Drift seeing it as a map to the mythical knights of cybertron and wanting to go on a quest to find it. Rodimus agrees, while Bee wants them to stay here and be miserable dammit because he is. While on paper Rodimus is running away from his problems in practice.. he defintely is but makes a valid point: Why SHOULD he stay on a planet that doesn't want him. And when Ultra Magnus joins with them, he makes a valid point: finding the knights could find something to fix cybertron. While Rodimus' hopes finding the knights will fix everything is a pipe dream, those are Rodders faviorite kind, their not wrong to want to find a solution that isn't just "Try and make this work" and forcing people who genuinely dont' WANT to help you to do what you say isn't healthy. This isn't a war for all time: it's just a disagremeent about what you want to do now your free of the war.

Optimus ends their squabble by giving them each half the matrix and fucking off, deciding to shed his former mane and his planet. The Lost Light leave despite Bumblebee's bitch crying.. and then seemingly blow up.

And this is where RiD begins, our cast is barely holding Cybertron together, aren't adressing their problem and now they assume the lost light is dead. So what does this add up to?

Okay TECHNICALLY this isn't true: Bumblebee sets up a state funeral for the bots, which is Starscream's first big platform to worm his way into high command, and Wheeljack brings him up once... but really you could take this subplot out and replace the big shindig with something else and nothing would change.

In contrast the messy takeoff... is VITAL to More Than Meets The Eye: the explosion it causes sends a good chunk of lost lighters to the planet bellow, brings skids on board when they investigate the planet, and brings the sparkeater on board to set those up for much later. And that's not even getting into how the opening arc of season 2 follows up on it, which i'll save for when we get there. Here.. they just sorta assume their friends are dead, don't bother investigating or thinking that MAYBE a ship with a quantum engine did some weird shit. It's to the point that when Optimus is told during his sub plot, his response... is to not remotely buy Rodimus could be killed that easy and assume they'll find them eventually. Which.. they do.

There's also just.. legistics. I know this is a pair of comics about giant robots, science isn't strictly followed nor should it be. But if the lost light exploded.. there would be debris. And they HAVE plenty of ships. Someone could investigate. If the Nails think the autobots REALLY commited this sort of execution, as their said to outright suspect including their rep in the main cast metalhawk, then .. why would NONE of the thousands of bots with functioning space ships look into it. Or the deciptcons once their brain explode chips are turned off. It feels like an excuse to just have the two not interact.. which they already had being out of range and with Blaster spending the season getting coms up and running again.

Anyways the series proper mostly follows Autobot high command as they try to run this planet/prevent anyone else from doing so. Like the lost light exploision this is a possibly intresting hook... that's utterly bungled. They do do things with it.. but they don't do them well. And the best way to get into that is with the characters starting with their supreme leader

Bumblebee: He's Tried Nothing and He's All Out of Ideas

The idea of Bumblebee being forced to take charge of the autobots is a great one. Tranformers has gone to this well three times i'm aware of, and it's a concept worth exploring taking what's essentially the team's kid brother and forcing him to take the throne and see if he can make it.

IDW's last attempt before this wasn't great, with Bee making a deal with the goverment that backfired horribly, and generally acomplishing nothing. So trying AGAIN.. was a smart move. It was worth a second try.

Unfortunately... Barber entirely bungled that second attempt. Bumblebee is TECHNICALLY leader of cybertron.. but really dosen't try to lead. He lets prowl do whatever he wants and whatever prowl wants is usually some form of police brutality, he argues with metal hawk but tends not to have an argument other than "the autobots aren't all bad mkay" or "All decipticons deciptisuck", and he overworks poor sweet Wheeljack, fostering all their super science shit on him and being mad when the guy is doing work of his own. It's VERY transparent in every scene he's in Bumblebee wants peace with the Nails not because it's the right thing.. but simply so the autobots can hold onto the planet. While the Nails are often written as overreacting assholes, as the book goes on they mellow out and most of their actions are entirely... justifable. Their horrified Prowl put bombs in the decipticons brains, they don't want police brutality, they want to actually elect a leader.

Every move Bee makes is to keep himself in charge despite not having a single fucking idea what he's doing. I could buy him as a leader if he tried.. leading: Tried finding homes for the Nails, making actual negotations with the decpticons, send out a party to go tame the primal planet so they can expand iacon , actually hammer out a government. There's a LOT to building a whole new world after a war, it's the reason Hamilton got an entire, incredibly gripping act out of all the nation building. But instead RiD just ignores the intresting idea of rebuilding cybertron's goverment and how it governs itself from scratch and just focuses on Bee whining or various things that happen for the plot. And by doing so it makes Bumblbee and those loyal to him come off like power grabbing assholes who care more about being appricated for fighting the war and less about making a better world to live in or even making the world LIVEABLE.

What makes this so galling though is how the narrative treats bee: characters talk about his "great vision" failed or say he might win the election. That last part is Prowl/Bombshell playing Bee, more on that in a minute, but most of the cast talks his ass up when really he's just a guy way in over his head, which could be intresting to explore.. but they just.. DON'T. Instead we just follow a bland dithering jackass as he fucks up till eventually someone smarter, with more charisma and an actual plan takes his place. But before we can get to them.. let's talk about the most punchable face in Autobot high command

Fuck Prowl

Yeah I tried to make a clever title here, I really did.. but most attempts lead to a storm of profanity as I genuinely detest this version of Prowl. And as a reminder like bumblebee it's JUST the IDW comics version. Animated Prowl slaps. Prowl's G1 deisgn is great. I'm sure there are other prowls who don't suck all joy out of a page when they show up or are the poster boy for why we need police reform despite doing a police on a whole other planet. I"d like to meet them. But this prowl is one of my least faviorite characters in fiction. In fact I can't bleivei I didn't add him to my jjall before now.

Welcome Home Prick!

Now I will give one caveat to this character: Part of the problem is the multitude of writers: James Roberts, who wanted Prowl for his cast, wrote prowl as a giant asshole who could never let the war go and got two people killed with his overlord scheme. Nick Roche wrote prowl as a scheming asshole who paranoidly plots. And tha'ts not even getting into his asshole characterization in books BEFORE this era.

John Barber.. dosen't walk either of these back, but wants Prowl to be a complex symapthetic figure, someone who is a calculating draconian asshole.. but who was driven there by his betryal by spike in the previous ongoing, and who badly WANTS to do the right thing. The problem is rather than make prowl a layered intresting character.. he instead comes off as an asshat who constantly tries to justify the horrible shit he does as "for the greater good"

It's not helped that Prowl's first scenes in this era leave a truly terrible first impression: The first things we see from prowl are

Him bitching about the nails and being absolutely LIVID at their suggestion the autobots leave the planet, not because it's a stupid unfair suggestion, but because he feels OWED the planet and was also once nearly one himself.

Conscripting the Decipticons into his own private army he uses to try and supress a riot from the Nails, instead making it ten times worse and only not getting anyone killed because Optimus steps in.

In MTMTE, trying to convince Chromedome to stay so he can use his ex boyfriend to do mnemosurgery, something Chromedome VERY much dosen't want to do, mocking his current boyfriend and then flipping a table like a petulant teenager when Chromedome walks out on his ass.

Using Arcee as his own personal hit squad , having her assitnate ratbat then trying to act like he didn't ask her to do that.

It's.. nigh impossible to come back form all of that and Prowl really dosen't. He spends the season brainwashed by Bombshell, in part thanks to trying to blackmail Chromedome and forgetting "oh yeah he can do mind things to me".. and NO ONE notices. He's horrified by that fact, but it's VERY telling that the only action of his that was hintingly out of character.. was telling bumblebee he could win the election. GENUINELY supporting his friend instead of trying to talk over him... is something that was a HINT he was brainwashed and the only thing people felt off. Said brainwashing also feels like it came out of nowhere, with not the slightest hint, and feels like a way to soft reset the character... which then fails as he spends season 2 once again out of his head... and once again in a way that isn't remotely out of character. I don't blame prowl for what he did under bombshell for most of the sries, he was brainwashed. But it's DAMMING that he did enough in ONE VOLUME before being hypnotized to earn my ire. More than Meets the Eye dosen't HELP nad IS a diffrent writer.. but even under Barber he's just the worst and I don't look forward to seeing more of him during Dark Cybertron and beyond. I DO look forward to seeing him hurled off a cliff.

All Hail Starscream:

Taking a break from pure, unyielding rage for a second, let's talk about something the book does right. I may be giving John Barber a LOT of crap this review.. but I can't deny he writes the best Starscream. There are other great starscreams from the hilarously over the top unsubtle 84 version, to the compitent but still hilarously shady animated verison and i'm sure i'll only find more as I watch more shows. Starscream rocks. But this one takes all that and asks a question: What happens when you take Starscream out of war and put him where his lying and scheming are an asset and his bad past is a non factor if he can lie hard enough: Politics.

While the autobots drown post war, trying to find their place.. Star scream swims like a majestic dolphin. Granted he's a Majestic Dolphin who still gets shit on a lot as it's starscream and everyone knows not to trust him and he has to work hard for his schemes for the most part... but he's still FAR more at home here than he ever was trying to usurp megatron. With the Decpticons, might made right: Megatron was on top because he was a great tactician, sure, but he was also capable of kicking anyone's ass who dared defy him, and had a death squad just for making a gruesome example out of anyone who betrays or tries to leave the cause. While Starscream was strong he couldn't muslce out megs or the various destructive douchebags he hired.

In contrast on Cybertron post war... he simply has to outthink and outspeak his opponents, who even if they weren't mostly fuck ups, still aren't really public speakers. Starscream first weasles his way into command with a few simple moves: He goes to the autobots in good faith, which they rightfully don't buy, tells them about a planned false flag attack by ratbat.. then once he's foiled, steps onto the stage at the funeral the attack was taking place at and boldly offer shimself as a formerish decipticon representive. While Bee never trusts the guy, for good damn reason, from that point on it simply dosen't matter: he's in the room where it happens. And often.. he's somehow the voice of reason. He's always got an angle... but it dosen't change the fact he's right or he gives Metalhawk someone to back him up. Not only that some of the bonds he forms are genuine. Metalhawk genuinely warms up to screamer and Wheeljack is the only one to try and make amends, to the point that after my boy gets horribly injured, Starscream makes sure he's getting healed and genuinely feels bad the poor guy got hurt.

On top of that once the media is restored for iacon, Starscream plays to the cameras, with his biggest play since stepping on stage coming in the annual: The Autobots find a titan in the desert while looking for lost comrades, trying to keep starscream out of it as Bee is deathly aware finding them would be some very easy bipartisan points for Screamer. Screamer shows up anyway... and when Prowl's croney keeps a gun traind on him and metalhawk, Screamer easily turns the situation on them: He invites a TON of Nails to watch and essentially make it so if he gets shot, it's over for the autobots, then goes down himself. It's here he gets a stroke of pure luck: The titan they've found... deems Starscream as some kind of chosen one. This isn't necessarily a good thing long term... but it does mean a lot especailly to the religious. Now normally this would mean nothing or months of trying to find proof.. but because Screamer's crowd crawled down to witness the titan once it was safe.. they all heard it.

At this point.. Starscream's basically won. The only genuine compettion he'd have in an open election is metalhawk, but either way the Autobots have basically lost control and all that's left is to wait for the elections. Sadly for Screamer he soon has a no good very bad day as Megatron comes back and Starscream spends the next arc as a hostage after going to rant at his former boss, with Megatron not remotely interested in compromise.

That said Starscream has survivied being humilaited plenty and while the Autobots are autobusy dealing with Megatron and the decpeticons, not to mention prowl combining with devestator, Starscream reminds us who he is: He kills Metalhawk, later being genuinely regretful.. but acknowledging Metalhawk was, genuinely, the only thing in his way. He was the only oponent in his rise to power left: Megatron was dealt with, the autobots had shot themselves in the foot 87 times, he feels terrible about what he did.. but killing Metalhawk looses him a friend and someone who belivied in him.. but gains him a Martyr. In the aftermath Screamer basically declares himself LEADER OF THE DECPTEICONS.. ER CYBERTRON, everyone backs him and he gets rid of most of his major opposition by casting out anyone who won't revoke their faction. A few autobots like Blurr stay behind... but msot of the cast we know are cast into the wildnerness and it's their own damn fault.

We get one last issue with Screamer , a spotlight that shows this job will be hard as while speeching got him INTO the job, he has to solve actual problems. Three Monologues is the best issue of season 1 as Starscream rants at megatron in stasis, reflects to Metalhawk's corpse and genuinely opens up to an injured in stasis wheeljack. Not only that Starscream also gets his own starscream, Beast Wars Faviorite rattrap. I'm mixed on this version of him: the character is very well written, being a slimy weasel whose looking for an angle and who gets rid of a local altruist for star scream by framing the guy. It creates an intresting relationship too as Starscream recognizes the behavior of his own.. and takes Rattrap into his administration. As Screamer perfectly puts it the guy Rattrap framed.. was a liablity. He liked star scream, genuinely belivied in the titans... but as Starscream brilliantly puts it altrusim.. is unpredictable. Rattrap on the other hand is who Screamer used to be before he became god emperor of cybertron starscream the first: he can not only deal with that, but it gives him a minon.

Before we leave Screamer I also just want to say.. I fucking love that he put on the crown from transformers the movie. I've always loed that he just... had to have a little crown for himself and that even if this version is less of a joke, he's still starscream enough to need a crown. It's also a striking visual in this context: Starscream is in control of cybertron. Primus help us.

Metalhawk: Don't Let him Be Misunderstood

For any longtime fans of this series or MTMTE, this section is probably going to be controversial but on second read.. I didn't hate Metalhawk. He's still obnoxious at first, he is the one saying "oh well you should piss off the planet you just fought hard to save from a giant Decipticon monster god man". It's easy to hate him as he's constantly telling our heroes they shoudl fuck off.

Yet on reread.. him doing that is WHY he's entertaining. See when I first read the books it was a few years ago. When I can't remember, my memory catches a lot of things but some things are lost to the enternal bog that is the back of my head, but it was before 2020.. and thus before George Floyd's untimely murder. As a result a lot of what the autobots do read diffrentlY: what they did ALWAYS came off as awful: even when the protestors are slamming the doors down, sending out jackbooted thugs is NEVER a good look, and the way Prowl talks about nails and treats them as second class citzens for simply wanting a voice is ... all kinds of chilling. Prowl sees himself as a police officer, and he certainly is.. but the worst kind, the kind most are who will gladly do shady shit to persue what they think is justice and oppress civlians because their "above them. "

So while said realizations about policing and the various police beatings of innocnet protestors made Prowl somehow even worse.. they made Metalhawk better as a LOT of what he's asking.. comes off more resonable. His wanting the decpticons free was kinda bonkers to me when i first raed it.. but now I entirely get that maybe putting bombs in defeated enemy combatants is you know.. a war crime. If you really want to put decitpcons who are dangerous away.. use a jail. Give them a trial. It's not great but putting them int what's basically a gheto that also oused to be a gun is horrible.

Metalhawk simply wants a voice and change for his people. He grows out of throwing the autobots out, being far more willing to work with them than they are with him and making plenty of valid points. He evolves as a character from a whiny asshole who disrpescts the autobots to seeing them as fuckups.. but ones who, prowl aside, are GENUINELY trying, with Bee planning to basically let Metalhawk takeover after the big fight at the end of season 1 before Starscream put some holes in that plan and also metalhawk. He's often the only person speaking up for a bunch of people who greatly outnumber the people in charge yet have to listen to thir bullshit, something that's become more and mor erelevant as congress fucks up more and more . It's hard to boo him when he's right: the autobots probably SHOUDLN'T be running the planet. They shoudln't leave, but they shoudln't be in charge. They shoudlnt be using deciptcons as easy soldiers and shoudln't keep the bombs in their heads now their vastly outnumbered. He's the voice of reason in a calvlcade of jackasses and a schemeing asshole. He's still annoying at times.. but it's really hard to hate a guy who grows out of his most annoying traits and ends the comic betrayed by the most obvious cantidate, something he only didn't see coming.. because he genuinely thought his friend had changed.

Wheeljack and the Rest: Robots in Disguise has a large cast, but most of the best players are off to the side, Starscream excluded. So let's talk about them.

My easy faviorite is one I wish Roberts had gotten like he wanted, the man the myth, Wheeljack. now I like Wheeljack in general due to his design, a nice faceplate, a unique head, it helps him stand out among the standard faces most autobots have.

Wheeljack seems to be one of the few Autobots genuinely trying for a better tommorow: he tries to make peace with starscream, and is frequently working on other projects before bee yells at him for not being avaliable to put out all his fires. He's kind, considerate and also a genuius, getting a nice moment in the sun when he sneaks into a decipticon ship and fidns out their up to some shit, then escapes the horde. I mean Metalhawk DOES save him in the end, but the fact he did most of this himself and gets both of them out himself is impressive. Wheeljack sadly just dosen't appear a ton and ends the season getting his head crushed by megatron. He does come back during season 2 and quickly becomes besties with Windblade, something we'll get to eventually, so good for him.

Blurr is a close third in the characters I like and is the only one of the autobots to really explore the ideas MTMTE was, the idea of "what do you do with your life next". Blurr does help out at first but his mounting frustration with prowl leads to him noping out, only helping out to try and find Ironhide. He decides to open a bar, much like Swerve , and his is a nicely diffrent joint: while Swerves is basically the cheers of transformer,s a place to forget your worries, hang with pals and get into hyjinks, Macadams, a regular location in most transformers place is that.. but also a melting pot, as Blurr soon makes a bunch of former decepticon friends including Sky Byte, a nail who has a great outfit, with him gladly defending his patrons with his good buddy jazz, whose barely in this comic for some reason despite, as always, being fucking great.

Next up is Ironhide. Ironhide does get a pretty meaty roll, as his recent ressurection has convinced him he's immortal and he's getting flashes of a possible future.. .one where the autobots are gon by cybertron thrives. Naturally everyone assumes he needs help instead of you know.. remembering that they followed the matrix for so long because it had robot magic or the giant stygian being made out of a dark god and 80 decepticons they just fought a month ago. What i'm saying is "I can see the fuuuuuuttttttreeee" isn't that farfetched at this point. So Ironhide goes to explore the wilderness with my boys the dinobots who sadly are all kinda douchey here.. but they still kick plenty of ass. The group disappears for a while after a signal drives my dino boys mad... but naturally they show up just in time to be the calvary in the finale. Ironhide is great.. they just don't really focus on him and I wish they did. Same with the dinobots.

Finally out of the ones who actually do stuff we have Arcee. Arcee... is a lot to unpack despite her short screentime. If you'll recall, and if you don't i'm so sorry for reminding you, Simon Furman's approach to the most prominent female transformer.. was to make it so she was FORCED to become female by a mad scientest, a tonedeaf, transphobic take brought about because Simon Furman hates the very idea Cybertronians have a concept of gender.. despite writing male prounouns into this continuity, thus showing they do just .. all male.

So how did Barber tackle this transphobic mess Simon Furman had saddled him and other writers with?

Yeah he just straight up ignored tha tpart for the first 21 issues. Arcee does mention killing Jhiaxus, the mad scientest in question, again, and again and again, but otherwise as far as RiD is concerned, Arcee is just an autobot who was tortured a lot by Jihaxius and who Prowl uses as his hit squad. She gleefully agrees to this... but it's clear she has no real sense of purpose. She DOES get a well done spotlight issue after the Autobots are cast out, with her wondering if the endless violence is worth it and deciding to join the autobots, wether they want her or not. It's a BETTER characterizfation than Furman's, a person with clear trauma trying to find out "what now"... but that big black cloud of "I done a transphobia because I hate them girl robots" hangs over it. It's an elephant in the room no one wants to talk about. I don't FULLY fault barber for it as IDW could've wanted him not to and it was a subject that would need a through, out in the open exploration. IDW was clearly willing as they supported Chromedome and Rewind and would continue to support out and out queerness in this franchise, Barber just wasn't ready yet and thus kept Arcee out of focus. He'd TRY to deal with this later at least but it's still super uncomfortable for now.

Decepticon wise.. they don't really get to do much till the season finale of sorts: they mostly stand around in a gun barrel and plot. Ratbat, one of my faviorite casettes of Soundwaves, is very prominent, trying to weasle his way into power early on.. but then Prowl goes and kills him and i'm sad. Soundwave , my boy, does fuck all till the build up to dark cybertron while Shockwave is in the shadows preparing said event , mostly done in optimus primes subplot. It's a real waste too as having more deciptcons actually try to reform or at least integrate into society would be neat, instead their just mostly canon fodder after a whil ewith a subplot about one seeing what prowl did going nowhere.

So speaking of Prime

The Thrilling Tales of Orion Pax

I haven't mentiond it till now but RiD has it's own isolated subplot ala the scavengers, just one that only lasts this season. Optimus left after the one shot and while he calls himself orion pax as does this segment... i'm just calling him Optimus like everyone else: Optimus goes on his own thrilling space adventures with his crew of Garnak, an ork like alien, Wheelie, who met garnak while stuck on a planet where time was constantly in flux and is still traumatized from it and Hardhead, a minor character turned Optimus buddy.

The trio had captured Jhiaxus, the mad science guy but got some criptic info. Jhiaxus quickly breaks free and while Optimus intended to just soft retire, he can't deny the danger he or his apprentice turned master Shockwave presents, and thus teams up with this motely crew. The adventures are only across three issue but each is fun, the characterrs ar eintresting if underdevleoped and i'ts neat to see Optimus like this: Grappling with his past, unsure of his future, and unwilling to be Optimus again despite everything pulling him toward it. His characterization also takes a nice turn as he was a minor prick in the return of optimus, calling the circle of light a cult. Douchebags yes, cult no.

There's really.. not much to say here anyalis wwise: these adventures are well done and I wish they were the main focus, and clearly Barber agreed as Optimus takes over next season, if sadly not bringin most of these guys with him.

THey are vital for the build up to Dark Cybertron, with Jhiaxus and his goons being Shockwaves main minons and hinting at his mission.. which Shockwave happily outlines in a spotlight later.. well happy isn't an emotion he experinces but he still outlines it: He's been seeding 13 powerful ores, tying in previous things like super energon and such, and the final and 13th one.. is ressurection, bringing people back under his control. His plans feel vauge in theis build up, but involve jhiaxus taking a titan right to cybertron, the ores, and beating up soundwave, with Prime persuing.

The only complaint I really have is the art, which isn't bad, it's just dark, cold , and muted, and not really my forte, working better to represent the dark universe during the crossover. It's not bad it's just hard to make out the visuals at times is all.

So with that we have one last bit of pre-crossover buisnes sto attend to

THe Old Man's Back Again

I did mention Megatron came back right? Because he did. And since he has a big roll to play in the crossover and in MTMTE season 2, let's talk about where Megs has been. Megs was left half dead after becoming a giant pile of decpticons, coming back towards the end of season 1, having what's essnetially the season finale early and the rest of the issues are spotlights dealing with the aftermath.

Bumblebee's reaction is exactly what you'd expect

I mean it's not unwaranted: it's megatron. He was a walking death machine and a brilliant strategist. It's not wrong to expect that even shambling and half dead he's plotting something.. because that's EXACTLY what he was doing. Bee DOES decide to spare him for a trial after being talked into it, but reluctantly and with Megatron guarded to hell. Unfortuantely.. the person in charge of his security is prowl who has a bit of a brain bug at the moment, having taken out omega supreme.

Yeah turns out a LOT of the seasons events were Megatron

The field driving people into rages was him, bombshell was working for megs the whole time, and Shockwave was working with him.. if only till it was convient enough to bail and go work on his own scheme. It's a MILD stretch and I wish it'd been se tup better.. but like Starscream it's hard NOT to enjoy Meg's presence: he brings a genuine threat and meanace, pinning our heroess to the wall and barely being beaten. He's not as layered as he was about to become... but he's still a clever villian who scoffs at Starscream's bitch crying, not WANTING a compromised cybertron but an empire. He ends up loosing but barely does, having still caused a ton of damage and left enough of a gaping woom for Screamer to take the crown. While this Megs is pretty simplistic, he still serves as a good foundation for what's next: a man who genuinely THINKS he's doing the right thing and that peace really is possible if you throw away those pesky civil liberties and his plan and near victory underline HOW dangeorus he is, why the lost light needs to nerf him to put him on board... and why Cybertron will BADLY need his help in the mess to come.

So that was Robots in Disguise and this review.. was difficult to say the least. It's not a great book but it has flecks of greatness in it and later seasons of this side of transformers and other series would pick up on that

Next Time in March: DARK CYBERTRON BEGINS. Bumlbee and the Bumblefucks try to protect a cyberton that hates and fears them, Rodimus goes into a stygian hole in space time, and Shockwave's plan hopefully makes sense.

#transformers #optimus prime #idw #robots in disguise #prowl #bumblebee #wheeljack #megatron #starscream #meatalhawk #blurr #arcee

25 notes · View notes

clean-casual-analysis · 6 months

Text

Phase Three: Power of the Primes

For the final phase of my hypothetical Transformers series, the autobots and ascenticons have joined forces to stop the Unicron empowered decepticon empire. With a nearly bottomless supply of combat drones and an unquenchable thirst for conquest, the enemy will prove tough to defeat. The only hope for victory is gathering lost artifacts and weapons from the age of primes. And maybe the a few of the original thirteen as well. The majority of the story will focus on this galactic scavenger hunt, encountering factions and cybertronians of all shapes and sizes. All culminating in a final battle for Cybertron. I’d also include an epilogue miniseries of this hypothetical series to tie up any loose ends, like what happens to the Unicron Matrix and who’ll lead this new era of peace.

Here is the previous part:

The newest primes: After sustaining critical injuries by both Megatron and Galvatron, Optimus will need months in a CR chamber before he can fight again. He has passed the matrix of leadership to three young warriors to share. These New Primes, with aid of Starscream and his ascenticons, shall lead the charge for both the autobots and maximals against the decepticons.

Captain of the Lost Light: Rodimus Prime. It was easy to dismiss Hot Rod as the typical turbo revving young punk. Overly confidant in his abilities, impatient, and reckless. But behind the loud ego and daredevil antics lies a charismatic bot with genuine care for the lifeforms that the autobots defend. Often labled as ‘The common people’s autobot’ for the humanitarian aid he offers with his crew of misfit autobots, the one thing he loves more than fighting evil is helping the innocent. While the weight and responsibility that the title of prime brings has given him the most self-doubt of the three new primes, Rodimus pushes through and inspires all that are around him.

Alt mode: Futuristic sports car.

Inspiration: G1 and IDW Rodimus Prime

Notes: The Lost Light crew would be smaller in size, given that there are already a good number of characters already established.

Maximal commander: Optimal Primal. Despite having the least amount of experience in warfare and being captain of a mere exploration ship, the young Primal taken to the fight against evil with gusto. A more down-to-earth commander who respects both allies and enemies, he knows who’s best suited for certain missions and to never underestimate an opponent. His greatest weakness is a lack of patience, often becoming frustrated by the personality flaws of his comrades. But once he gets his temper cooled, Optimal Primal’s tenacity in combat and never-go-offline attitude is unmatched.

Alt mode: Bio mechanical gorilla

Inspiration: Beast Wars/Machines and Rise of the Beasts.

Notes: Unlike Optimus and Megatron’s past friendship being complicated and somewhat tragic, Primal and beast Megatron absolutely hate each other. (Even before the crew of the darksyde went rouge)

Scout and autobot recruit trainer: Goldbug. Despite being one of the youngest, Bumblebee was the golden standard for Autobots everywhere. Scrappy in a fight, brave in the face of danger, and even respectful towards his elders. Well-liked for his lighthearted and energetic personality, it was a shock to most when he decided to become a trainer for new recruits. While the scout sometimes feels irked that others still see him as a sparkling, he still gets along with others faster than any other friendly autobot can. Of course, becoming a prime as Goldbug helps out your self esteem too.

Alt mode: Cybertronian volkswagon beetle (Similar to his WFC/FOC alt mode)

Inspiration: G1 Goldbug and Earthspark Bumblebee

Notes: I’m honestly surprised we haven’t seen Goldbug in anything significant for a while.

The new decepticon empire: With a new clone drone army, the cosmic power of Unicron, and the planet Cybertron reformatted into a gargantuan battleship, the decepticon empire has reached new heights in their conquest for galactic tyranny.

Commander of Predacons and manipulator of the dark matrix: Megatron. Hailing from the future age of beast machines, the impressionable Galavar was completely radicalized by the writings and conquests of Megatron. Virtually unmatted in his hatred for organic life and his pride as a cybertronian, he has changed his name to that of his idol and wishes to work side-by-side with him. This Megatron is a master schemer and a boastful theatric, willing to rip apart space and time itself to ensure victory. After being upgraded by the dark matrix, his ego and wicked machinations have increased tenfold. While his tendency to overdramatize the war can come off as comedic, this bot is truly the legacy and epitome of all the original Megatron’s philosophies.

Alt mode: completely metal dragon. (Previously bio mechanical t-rex)

Inspiration: Beast Wars/Machines Megatron

Notes: A common theme in my hypothestical TF series would be radicalization. What happens when someone loses themselves to an ideal, especially if that ideal isn’t good to begin with. Beast Megatron would be the centerpiece of that, the logical extreme of the Original Megatron’s belief of Peace Through Tyranny.

Decepticon “leader” and commander of the drone armies: Galvatron. At first glance, Galvatron merely seems like an upgraded Megatron with a more powerful cannon and a sword made of dark energon. But a closer examination reveals something more unhinged. His manical laugher while tearing apart opponents resembles that of a giggling child. His expressions are that of pure, wide-eyed glee instead of hatred. It’s as if Megatron had turned into a toddler after Beast Megatron gave him his upgrade. The reason behind these changes in behavior is deceptively simple. After eons of trying to conquer the galaxy and to never again be a servant to another species, Megatron finally got the power he so desperately craved. Unlike Megatron, Galvatron is happy. He might still be the official leader of the decepticons, but he’s little more than a mad dog chasing his own tail while Beast Megatron rules over cybertron.

Alt mode: Cybertronian artillery cannon.

Inspiration: G1Galvatron.

Notes: Beast Megatron still sees Galvatron as his equal but understands to some extent that the power he bestowed upon him has altered his mind.

Lead scientist and Cybertron preservationist: Shockwave. Originally famous for being the cocreator of the cure for cosmic rust, Shockwave’s occupation as decepticon lead scientist has shown everyone his true colors. A being of pure logic, he views the cybertronian race as the most superior lifeforms in the galaxy and wholeheartedly agreed with Megatron’s philosophy of might makes right. While the scientist believes he could be a more pragmatic leader, he also understands that he was nowhere near strong enough to truly usurp Megatron. So, he plotted and bided his time, waiting for Optimus to kill him so that he could take command. He takes no remorse in those he experiments on and excels at designing devices of mass destruction. If there is one thing that outweighs his cold logic and disregard for life, it’s the preservation of Cybertron. Shockwave’s feelings on his home planet being turned into a battle station and a massive target are mixed. Perhaps his desire to protect Cybertron will outweigh his loyalty to his commanders.

Alt Mode: Cybertronian research aircraft. (Shockwave’s Siege toy)

Inspiration: G1, IDW, and aligned Shockwave

Notes: Very much at his peak “If you idiots don’t get your shit together, I’m gonna cause problems”. While he’s on thin ice with our heroes, his overall villainy would be turned down a peg here.

Scientist and social experimenter: Tarantulus. There are mad scientists with amoral experiments, and then then there’s Tarantulus. Depraved, cackling, and devoid of anything that resembles sympathy. He gleefully tests on anyone unfortunate enough to get trapped in his webs and even eats them once he’s finished. The cannibalistic spider sees everything as a social experiment, delighted to see what others do in extreme circumstances. While not loyal in the traditional sense, he’d gladly betray anyone just to see the resulting aftermath, he serves beast Megatron and Galvatron knowing that they are the ultimate extreme. Their wrath across the galaxy will create such interesting results.

Alt Mode: Bio mechanical Tarantula.

Inspiration: Beast wars and IDW Tarantulus.

Notes: The maddest of mad scientists. I enjoyed his role in Earthspark, but I think he works best in his original form.

Communicantions officer and spy master: Soundwave. The cold and stoic spy master of the decepticons is a mystery to most. No one knows where his unmatched loyalty to Megatron came from, though some claim it’s because he taught him to control his then-unstable mind reading powers. However it happened, he has become one of the most dreaded decepticons in existence. Blackmail towards would-be usurpers and whistleblowers, assassinations of high ranking autobots and organic leaders, the covert destruction of entire societies, nothing is too low for Soundwave. Not even his minicon subordinates are safe, any hint of treason is noted and scrutinized. No matter how vile his master becomes, Soundwave will be by his side and remove any obstacle that gets in his way.

Alt mode: Cybertronian Stealth bomber. (His Siege toy)

Inspiration: G1, Aligned and Bits of IDW Soundwave

Notes: Do you guys ever wonder what Soundwave would do to his cassettes if one or more of them betrayed Megatron? I’d explore that, and up his villainy, if given the chance.

Predacon lieutenant and stealth fighter: Terrorsaur. Of all the predacons that crewed thew darksyde, Terrorsaur was the most unliked. This isn’t because he’s more sadistic or ruthless than the others, although he does enjoy hurting and frightening his opponents. It’s because he’s a petty and mean-spirited bully. He delights in throwing his authority around and verbally insulting those below him. Whether it’s a failed mission or a physical abnormality, he will berate and belittle anyone that won’t fight back. While he prefers to rain fire down from above, Terrorsaur also specializes in stealth takedowns.

Alt mode: Bio-mechanical Pteranodon.

Inspiration: Beast wars/IDW Terrorsaur and original toy bio.

Notes: I loved the added jerkassery IDW added to his character in their short lived comic series, turning him from a Starscream wannabe to a bully you love to hate.

The Thirteen Primes: The first cybertronians ever created by Primus. Despite their power and reputation as worshipped beings, whose level of mythical qualities are often debated among cybertronians, they were as flawed and personable as any regular cybertronian. Most merged with Cybertron’s core and found peace in the Allspark. The remaining Primes are scattered throughout the stars, either hidden or aiding cybertronians under different aliases.

Warrior of light and the warrior spirit of Primus: Prima. The de facto leader of the thirteen primes and wielder of the star saber, Prima was a white knight in every sense of the term. Virtuous, noble, and self aware enough to not be pompous about it. While he trusted his siblings and appreciated their contributions, he always took too much weight on his shoulders. His greater good mindset and moral purity made him difficult to deal with, especially with his more emotionally flawed siblings. Despite this, he was one of the purest warriors and a dependable friend when needed.

Alt mode: Cybertronian muscle car.

Inspiration: Aligned Prima

Notes: Rejoined with the core of Cybertron. Gives off oldest-brother-in-big-family energy.

Guardian of time and the objectivity of Primus: Vector Prime. A serious and stoic personality given the unique artifact known as the blades of time, Vector understands the importance of his role and doesn’t take any of his duties with reluctance. Of all the original thirteen, he was the hardest to get along with due to his elitism and view of correctness. Primus was always right, so that must mean the thirteen could never be wrong. After the age of primes ended and his stubborn beliefs proved to be wrong, he made his duty of protecting the timeline and physical reality of their dimension into a full-time job. The years of isolation and fortification of the time-space continuum have softened his harder edges, and he even makes an effort to visit his siblings whenever he can.

Alt mode: Cybertronian hovercraft with clockwork detailing

Inspiration: Aligned Vector Prime

Notes: Vector is NOT happy with the time traveling maximals and predacons altering history. It takes a good deal of effort to keep the very fabric of reality from going nuts.

Records keeper and the memory of Primus: Alpha Trion. A calm and thoughtful soul, Alpha Trion is more of a thinker than a fighter. His wisdom can come off as enigmatic and even rebellious, but there’s no better mentor for a sparkling cybertronian. With his artifacts, the Covenant of Primus and the Vector Sigma supercomputer, he charts an objective history of the cybertronian race and all their endeavors. Being the only (known) original prime to stay on Cybertron, he has seen his world rise and fall throughout millennia. No matter who was the newest prime or what faction ruled, Alpha Trion will always choose the side of freedom and righteousness.

Alt mode: Cybertronian hovercraft

Inspiration: Most incarnations of Alpha Trion.

Notes: Alpha is the one who sets off the main quest to find the artifacts and living primes.

Forge master and the creativity of Primus: Solus Prime. Responsible for creating the many artifacts and weapons of the primes with her forge hammer, Solus Prime is beloved more for her practical advice and moral support. While she is usually a calm and confident bot, her temper quickly flares at any sign of injustice. At the end of the age of primes, the forge master was blasted by a maniplulated and furious Megatronus. Sobered and distraught, Megatronus used her hammer in a desperate attempt to save her. The result was her spark chamber fusing with her brain module and t-cog, inadvertently making Solus the first headmaster. After leaving Cybertron, Solus Prime took on a new alias known as Giftshop. Becoming a bit of an eccentric coot in her old age, Giftshop only creates cutesy knickknacks and tools for nonlethal subduing. Solus has sworn off creating weapons and makes no exceptions.

Alt mode: Cybertronian motorcycle with side car full of nicknacks.

Inspiration: Aligned Solus and a bit of my own added headcannon.

Notes: No longer will Solus be a historical footnote instead of a fully fledged character.

The first minicon and the conscience of Primus: Micronus Prime. Considered to be the moral center and the most light-hearted of the original thirteen, Micronus Prime had bouldless energy and a clever mind. He could impart a fraction of his energy upon the thirteen using his artifact, the Chimera Stone, directing his own energies into a form that suited their needs. Many have tried to replicate the energy transference of the chimera stone with little result, but this ability is found commonly among Micronus’ direct descendants, the minicons.

Alt Mode: Shield.

Inspiration: Aligned Micronus.

Notes: Rejoined with Cybertron’s core.

Master of the elements and the sympathy of Primus: Alchemist Prime. Straddling the line between science and mysticism, Alchemist Prime views himself as a humble student of the elements. He possesses the ability to transmute metals and temporarily alter the properties of any object, although he mostly uses this capability and his mastery over chemistry to create various intoxicating beverages. A friendly and compassionate bot, he couldn’t bear to leave Cybertron or rejoin its core like most of his other siblings. He believed that all cybertronians should have at least one place to rest and drink, despite what they might believe. Under a new alias, he opened up Maccadam’s Old Oil House. Even after the new decepticon empire took over the planet, the mysteriously mobile bar remains neutral ground for all who enter. Thanks to his artifact, the lenses, he understands every side to every story. Sympathetic, even-tempered, and a reliable shoulder to cry on.

Alt mode: Cybertronian tanker truck

Inspiration: Aligned Alchemist Prime and Cyberverse Maccadam.

Notes: Definitely one of my favorites of the thirteen.

The first combiner and free spirit of Primus: Nexus Prime. Made up of five component bots, all sharing the same mind, Nexus Prime was all about change and mutability. Despite his great power and towering height, the combiner was a jovial giant with a great wealth of psychological knowledge. He was fascinated with the mind and how people worked together for a shared cause. Despite joining Cybertron’s core, he lives on through the Enigma of Combination. This nomadic artifact wanders throughout the cosmos, seeking squads and close groups of cybertronians to make into combiners.

Alt mode: Something akin to a Legacy Menasor (Give me some slack, it’s five bots I’m dealing with here.)

Inspiration: Aligned Nexus Prime

Notes: Rejoined with Cybertron’s core. It would be revealed that the Enigma of Combination is not an artifact, but Nexus’ disembodied spark chamber.

The first beast-like cybertronian and the nature enthusiast of Primus: Onyx Prime. Due to his spiritual connection to nature and alien fauna, thanks to his artifact known as the Triptych Mask, Onyx Prime felt somewhat out of place on his mechanical world. While he had illogical and fanciful tendencies, his burning loyalty towards his siblings and allies made him well liked by nearly everyone who called him a friend. After the age of primes, he explored the galaxy to see firsthand the wondrous creatures he saw through his mask. After which, he rejoined the core of Cybertron and likely became the source of the more animal-like transformers.

Alt mode: Mechanical horse or pegasus.

Inspiration: Aligned Onyx Prime

Notes: Rejoined with Cybertron’s core. Closest friend to Megatronus, a fellow outsider among the thirteen.

The first true transformer and the humor of Primus: Amalgamous Prime. Cheeky and bright, Amalgamous Prime was the fun-loving joker of the thirteen. While his humorous nature could push comfort zones, with some of the more serious primes finding him borderline intolerable, he was a gentle and forgiving bot who never held a grudge. His artifact was the first transformation cog, which he used to bestow the ability of transformation onto others. Once the age of primes ended, he took his artifact with him when he rejoined with Cybertron’s core. Now, Transformation was a key aspect of all cybertronians.

Altmode: Cybertronian mine-clearing vehicle. (Bayverse Bonecrusher)

Inspiration: Aligned Amalgamous Prime

Notes: Rejoined with Cybertron’s core. Is it just me, or does his official artwork from the covenant of primus look like bayverse Bonecrusher if you squint?

The brilliant daydreamer and intelligence of Primus: Quintus Prime. While Onyx was the animal lover, Quintus was fully invested in sentient life. The first of Cybertron’s great scientific minds, he constantly sought to prove his theories correct through experimental invention. His perfectionism and active imagination made him hard to work with at times, his idealism of all life being a sacred thing that should flourish made him admired as well. When the age of primes ended, Quintus had Solus forge his artifact before he left Cybertron. With the emberstone, a powerful gemstone that could seed the explosion of living processes in base elements, he sought to create a spacefaring race to aid Cybertron in exploring the galaxy. Sadly, this race would evolve into the greed-fueled quintessons, who would imprison Their creator and set out to enslave his kind. Whether he is dead or not is a mystery.

Alt mode: Cybertronian crawler crane.

Inspiration: Aligned and Earthspark Quintus Prime

Notes: It would be revealed that a guilt-ridden Quintus escaped and went into hiding on earth, the cryptids of the present and mythical beasts of the past being his daydreamed creations. He’d get out of his depressed state thanks to another prime on this list.

The manipulator and the ego of Primus: Liege Maximo. The first cybertronian capable of natural flight and armed with his poisonous legion darts, Leige Maximo’s true power laid in his silver tongue. The epitome of charisma and negotiation, he could talk anyone into his way of thinking. While this ability was a key asset in distracting Unicron from detecting the other primes, it also brought on the end of the age of primes. Ego driven and ambitious, he was the first cybertronian to believe that their species should rule over the galaxy. One by one, he convinced his siblings to turn on one another or take his side. It all came to a head when Megatronus attempted to kill Solus in a fit of rage. His plots revealed and ambitions thwarted, he was forced into the core of Cybertron. While he was never evil at heart and only wanted Cybertron to prosper, his desire for control over things that were uncontrollable made him too much like Unicron for most people’s taste.

Alt mode: Cybertronian jet.

Inspiration: Aligned Liege Maximo

Notes: Rejoined with Cybertron’s core by force. It’s here I should mention that the original primes that rejoined with the core can communicate with the new primes through the matrix. Liege Maximo acts as a sort of devil-on-the-shoulder for new primes, tempting them to become more dominating rulers.

Warrior of darkness and the passion of Primus: Megatronus. While darkness is the opposite of light, that does not make darkness inherently evil. The most complex of the thirteen primes, Megatronus was emotionally volatile but passionate in the fight against evil and injustice. Due to his unstable nature and grim behavior, most of his siblings kept a distance away from him. This haunted him, and Liege Maximo used this to manipulate the dark warrior into the perfect warmonger for the manipulator’s future empire. But when Megatronus nearly took the life of his beloved sister, it opened his optics to the monster he was becoming. Once Liege Maximo was stopped and the dust settled, he became the self-declared fallen prime. He went into exile and has spent millions if years in meditation to control his rage.

Alt mode: Cybertronian tank. (which looks like an old oven)

Inspiration: Aligned Megatronus

Notes: Remember how in a previous post, I said Nova Prime and his crew went into self exile once they were infected with dark energon? It would be revealed that Megatronus mentored these bots in resisting Unicron’s influence and to control their emotions. Also, the fallen prime has SO MUCH secondhand embarrassment for inadvertently inspiring Megatron.

The mediator and the kindness of Primus: Thirteen. The meaning behind the last of the thirteen primes’ peculiar name was deceptively simple. Thirteen united all his siblings and strengthened their bonds without even trying. Quiet and dutiful, the mediator had a gentleness and dedication to helping others that was matched by no one. His artifact was the Matrix, a device that connected his siblings spiritually so that they could always aid each other, even if they were light years apart. Some theorize that Optimus Prime, the greatest of the Matrix bearers, is actually Thirteen reincarnated. But the leader of the autobots has denounced this, saying that he has no memory of being the last of the original thirteen.

Alt mode: Cybertronian Truck

Inspiration: Aligned Thirteen.

Notes: Rejoined with Cybertron’s core. It would be up in the air wether or not Optimus Prime is actually Thirteen for most of the series, or if being a reincarnation of a prime is the same as actually being the original prime.

#transformers #maccadam

5 notes · View notes