This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Autobot | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics, Dreamwave Productions, Fun Publications, Titan Magazines, IDW Publishing, and Devil's Due Publishing |
First appearance | The Transformers #1 (September 1984) |
In-story information | |
Base(s) | Cybertron, Earth, Iacon, Autobot City (G1), the Ark , Cybertron Base (RID), Diego Garcia (ROTF), Washington, D.C. (DOTM), and Autobot Omega Outpost One (Prime) |
Leader(s) | Primus, Dynasty of Primes, Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime, Sentinel Prime, Ultra Magnus, Bumblebee |
The Autobots are a fictional faction of sentient robots in the Transformers multimedia franchise. The Autobots are living robots from the planet Cybertron who, like most Transformers, are each imbued with a unique "life force" known as a "spark." [1] [2] Led by Optimus Prime in most stories, the Autobots believe "freedom is the right of all sentient life" [1] [3] and are often engaged in a civil war with the Decepticons, a faction of transformers dedicated to military conquest and usually headed by Megatron. [4] [5] [6] In a mirror universe portrayed in Transformers: Shattered Glass , the Autobots are villains opposed by the heroic Decepticons.
The transformation cog ("T-cog") and the living metal of each transformer's body allows them to change from their natural robotic body into an "alternate mode" based on something a form of technology or life form that they've observed and scanned. When first introduced, most Autobots transformed into cars, trucks and other road vehicles. [7] Over time, Autobots have been introduced with alternate modes that include aircraft, weapons, robotic animals, or a variety of devices (such as music equipment or microscopes). In most Transformers media, the Autobots originally transform into alien-style vehicles and technology native to their home planet Cybertron, but they later adopt alternate forms based on human technology after journeying to Earth. [7]
In the live action films series, as well as in the CGI-animated series Transformers: Prime , the title Autobots is explained to be the short version of the title "Autonomous Robotic Organisms." In Japan, the Autobots are called "Cybertrons" (サイバトロン, Saibatoron) [8] but are referred to as Autobots (オートボット, Ōtobotto) in the film series Transformers Animated and Transformers: Prime . In Italy, they are called "Autorobot." The Autobot insignia is also sometimes referred to as an "Autobrand", a term that first appeared in issue #14 of the Marvel Comics series. The descendants of the Autobots, the Maximals from Transformers: Beast Wars, are also known as Cybertrons in Japan.
Autobots are living beings, sometimes referred to as "bio-mechanical" and often depicted as being forged from the same "living metal" that makes up their home planet Cybertron. This living metal can heal, grow, and regenerate like organic cell structures. [5] Autobots, like all transformers, need to regularly feed on Energon (a form of energy they can produce from certain fuel sources) or they will grow weaker in health and eventually die. [5] [6] [7] Autobots can also age, just much slower than humans, for example Optimus Prime is approximately 9 million years old, which is 2 million earlier than the evolution of humans. These beings' aging has outlasted entire human civilizations.
Since the airing of the animated series Transformers: Beast Wars , the franchise has consistently portrayed that what distinguishes a transformer as "living" is that each of them is imbued with a "spark", a charged mass of positrons that acts as a "life force" (said to be equivalent to a soul) [2] [9] and is unique to each transformer, granting them their basic personality and influencing certain physical traits. [2] If a transformer dies, either from injury or a lack of Energon, their spark fades and might never be recovered again, as their spark typically returns to the source of positronic energy it originally came from. [5] Some media portrays the source of these sparks as a pool of positronic energy located on Cybertron that is called the Well of All Sparks, [10] while other media portrays the source to be an ancient artifact simply called the Allspark. [11] [12] Some stories have shown characters being able to preserve a dead transformer's spark under the right circumstances, allowing that fallen transformer to return in a repaired body (though this possibility involves great risk and becomes more unlikely as more time passes). [7] [10]
When a transformer is first forged, they are in a "Proto-form" state that resembles either a featureless, mannequin-like robot [2] or a being of liquid, shifting metal. [11] As the transformer's consciousness develops, the proto-form takes shape into a robotic form and an alternate mode is soon determined afterward. How long this process takes varies between different Transformers media. In some media, a Transformer can physically revert to a proto-form to make long space travel easier. [2] [11]
Along with their spark, each transformer has a mechanical "brain module" that houses their memories and regulates sensory input, as well as the transformation cog (or "T-cog") which regulates and stabilizes their transformations. A transformer can have several parts of their body replaced or upgraded, but damage to the brain module or T-cog, as well as other more sensitive internal mechanics (such as eyes and voice boxes), [13] [11] are unique, difficult to upgrade, and can permanently affect or disable a transformer, as well as threaten their life, if seriously damaged. [5]
Some transformers, including several Autobots, have traits that make them part of a subset of their species. Transformers who are so massive in size they are able to convert into fortresses or cities are known as Titans, some of whom (such as Metroplex) have allied themselves with the Autobots. [7] "City-speakers" are transformers able to uniquely commune with Titans, such as the Autobot called Windblade. Like the Decepticons, the Autobots include "combiners" in their ranks, transformers who are able to merge with other specific transformers and become a gestalt, super-robot with greater power and its own distinct personality. [7] In some stories, transformers are given the ability to become combiners by an ancient artifact called the Enigma of Combination. [1] [10] In Cybertron's past, the Guardian Robots were large scale Transformers (though not as large as the Titans) who enforced authority and peace on their planet. While most Guardians are gone, one known as Omega Supreme serves alongside the Autobots. [7] Mini-Cons (sometimes spelled Minicons) are small, human-sized transformers and, in some stories, are able to increase the power of larger transformers with whom they merge.
Due to their biological and sentient nature, Autobots are people, although humans constantly fail to acknowledge this due to their metal composition.
In all Transformers stories, the Autobots and their adversaries, the Decepticons, originated on the planet Cybertron. The planet is almost always depicted as a metallic sphere covered in multi-level cities and structures. [14] The capital of Cybertron is Iacon. [7] Although there is no animal or plant life on Cybertron, animated cartoons have depicted it as having an atmosphere that human visitors can breathe, [7] and some stories have shown the planet to experience weather, such as rainfall and storms. [10] [15]
Starting with the original series The Transformers, Cybertron is shown to house a seemingly living super-computer called Vector Sigma. [7] At first, Vector Sigma is depicted to be the source of life for new transformers, imbuing the robots with life and personality. [7] Later, media consistently portrays that Vector Sigma harnesses the power of another source known as the Allspark to imbue a transformer with its individual soul or "spark." [1] Different versions of Transformers media have also shown the life-giving energy of the Allspark to be an ancient artifact (either called the Allspark or the Cube) or have shown it to be a pool of positronic energy located on Cybertron known as the Well of AllSpark or Well of AllSparks. [10]
The UK comic books written by Simon Furman established that Cybertron was once a god-like being named Primus. [1] Following a battle with another god-like being called Unicron , Primus transforms into Cybertron, a planet of "living metal", and eventually uses his energies to grant life to living robots. In some stories, Primus does this in the hopes that these robots will become warriors who will defeat Unicron and similar threats. [1] Following the introduction of Primus, it is said in some media that it is his mind that acts as the will of the super-computer Vector Sigma. Various stories depict the first living creations of Primus to be a group known as the "original thirteen Primes" or simply "the Thirteen." Eventually, each of the thirteen Primes grants a copy of their nature and schematics into the Allspark energy source that will imbue later Cybetronians with life, making all later transformers their "descendants" who each inherit a unique combination of traits from at least some of the original Thirteen. [10] [11]
Although the transformer race originated on Cybertron, different groups of Cybertronians later left the planet and colonized other worlds. This has led to different factions of transformers with their own cultures and beliefs, some of whom become Autobots while others have no desire to involve themselves in Cybertron's civil war. [1] [10] [16]
In the original toyline and animated series The Transformers , Optimus Prime (called Big Convoy in Japan) is shown as the leader. [7] His label of "Prime" is indicated to simply be part of the name he adopted when he became a soldier (his original name being Orion Pax). Since the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie however, US and UK Transformers media have depicted "prime" as a title and rank given to the leader of the Autobots and sometimes all government of Cybertron (while Japanese media has portrayed "convoy" as a rank of military leadership in transformer society). [16] Later media depicted earlier leaders of Cybertron to have names such as Nova Prime, Nominus Prime, and Sentinel Prime, along with others. [10]
In several comics and cartoon stories, the Prime is a figurehead of a ruling council that governs Cybetron (or the entire transformer race that is scattered across different planets). Each Prime is chosen by and bonded to a powerful artifact called the Matrix of Leadership. [7] [16] The origin and nature of the Matrix differs across Transformers media, but it is consistently shown to be a powerful object that houses the memories and wisdom of previous Autobot leaders who wielded it. [1] [7] [16] Often, the Matrix is shown to have a direct connection to Primus, a god-like being who became the planet Cybertron itself and created its race of living robots. [1] [10] Some media portray it as a conduit to the energy source of all transformer life and/or an access point to a dimension that acts as an afterlife for transformers. [1] In some stories, being chosen by the Matrix of Leadership causes an immediate power enhancement and physical change in a transformer. [16]
In several branches of the Transformers franchise, the title of "Prime" is a reference to Prima, a heroic warrior of Cybertron's past. [1] In these versions of canon, Prima is one of "the original thirteen Primes (or "the Thirteen") who are ancestors of the transformer race and direct creations of Primus, the god-like being who became Cybertron. [10] Across Transformers media, Prima is the first to wield the Matrix of Leadership and his wisdom and essence are absorbed into it after he dies in battle with another ancient Prime known as Megatronus. [1]
In some media, Optimus Prime eventually gives up his connection to the Matrix of Leadership and it is passed on to a new leader such as the Autobot soldier Ultra Magnus, [16] the young Autobot fighter called Hot Rod (who becomes Rodimus Prime), [16] or eventually Optimus Primal, a Maximal. [10]
The Autobot faction includes several small, specialized teams that often have the suffix "-bot" at the end (while Decepticon groups and subsets often have names ending in "-con"). The name of these groups refers to members of that specific team of Autobots and not simply other transformers who may share traits with the members of that team. For instance, while the Autobot named Sky Lynx has a dinosaur-like form, he is not considered part of the strike force known as the Dinobots nor does he answer directly to their team leader. [7] Likewise, the animated show Transformers: Beast Wars introduced a character called Dinobot, but he is not part of the Autobot team of Dinobots nor is he a contemporary of the Autobot faction. Instead, he is a Predacon, a transformer forged many generations after the age of Decepticons and Autobots.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2023) |
Team Prime | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Titan Magazines, IDW Publishing, Del Rey Books |
First appearance | "Darkness Rising, Part 1" |
Created by | Hasbro |
In-story information | |
Base(s) | Omega Outpost One, Hangar E, the Nemesis , Fire Station Prime |
Member(s) | Autobots: Optimus Prime (leader), Ratchet, Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Smokescreen, Wheeljack, Ultra Magnus and Cliffjumper (deceased). Decepticons: Knock Out Predacons: Predaking, Skylynx and Darksteel. Humans: Jack Darby, Miko Nakadai, Raf Esquivel, William Fowler and June Darby. Rescue Bots: Heatwave, Chase, Boulder, Blades, Hoist and Medix |
A group of Autobots (referred to as Team Prime) appear in the 2010 computer-animated series Transformers: Prime , led by Optimus Prime. [19] The video game Transformers: War for Cybertron give a backstory to the Autobots days on Cybertron.
Set within an alternate timeline that parallels the show's second season, the Autobots (Team Prime) appear in Transformers: Prime – The Game . Optimus Prime, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Jack, Miko and Raf embark on a journey to defeat the villainous Megatron and the Decepticons [20] in his plan to use his secret new weapon. [21] [22] The Decepticons intercept a mysterious meteor approaching the Earth, and the Autobots arrive to try and thwart the Decepticons' plans. A massive eruption of power during the battle on the meteor breaks out, and the Autobots become separated from Jack, Miko and Raf, who are monitoring them at base. Unknown to the Autobots and their human friends, the Decepticons have uncovered Thunderwing, an ancient power that they will use to try to take over the Earth. [23]
In Transformers: Prime , with Cybertron dead, the Autobots scattered across the universe. A group landed on Earth consisting of Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead and which Arcee and Cliffjumper join later. This small team of Autobots led by Optimus is rechristened Team Prime. During the final four episodes of the season, the Autobots unwillingly team up with Megatron to battle a legendary threat to Earth's existence, [24] Unicron. [25]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2023) |
Megatron is a fictional character who serves as the main antagonist of the Transformers media franchise produced by toy companies Hasbro and Takara Tomy. He is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, a faction of sentient, war-mongering robotic lifeforms that seeks to conquer their home planet of Cybertron and the rest of the known universe. He serves as the archenemy of Optimus Prime, the leader of the rival Autobot faction. As with all Cybertronians, Megatron has the ability to transform between his robot form and various vehicles or weapons. His alternate modes have ranged from a Walther P38 handgun, a particle-beam weapon, a telescopic laser cannon, and a Cybertronian jet, depending on which continuity he is depicted in.
Unicron is a fictional villain from the Transformers media franchise. Designed by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie and has since reappeared in Transformers: Armada, Transformers: Energon, Transformers: Cybertron, Transformers: Prime, Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising, Transformers: The Last Knight, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Atari's 2004 Transformers video game. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also able to transform into a giant planet. Unicron's origin has expanded over the years from simply being a large robot to being a god of chaos who devours realities. He often employs the help of Decepticons in his work, and in some stories is considered part of the origin of the Decepticon forces.
Grimlock is the name of several fictional robot characters in the Transformers robot franchise. He is usually portrayed as the leader of the Dinobots, which are a subfaction of Autobots who can transform into metal dinosaurs. Grimlock is known for his dialogues being spoken in third person. He appeared on screen along with other Dinobots in the fourth installment of the Transformers film series.
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream is generally depicted as the second-in-command of the Decepticon leader Megatron who transforms into a jet fighter and leads the Seekers, a group of Decepticons who share his body type. Across most continuities, Starscream's defining trait is his obsessive desire to overthrow Megatron and assume command of the Decepticons. This is usually out of greed and selfishness, though in some continuities, Starscream has been shown to genuinely care about the Decepticon cause and wish to bring it back on the right path, perceiving Megatron as a corrupt leader who led the Decepticons astray. Alternatively, other incarnations of Starscream have been portrayed as unquestionably loyal to Megatron or as an antihero who has tried to make peace with the Decepticons' arch-enemies, the Autobots.
Transformers is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, such as vehicles and animals. The franchise encompasses toys, animation, comic books, video games and films. As of 2011, it generated more than ¥2 trillion in revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
Ultra Magnus is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise.
Soundwave is a fictional robot character appearing in various Transformers continuity lines within the Transformers franchises. His most well-known disguise is that of a micro cassette recorder. Throughout most of his incarnations, he is an underlying loyal lieutenant of the Decepticon leader Megatron. He is commonly depicted as Megatron's communications officer and in some interpretations, only speaks when mocking the Autobots.
Jazz is a fictional robot character from the Transformers franchise. He is usually portrayed as a music-loving robot who speaks Black Vernacular English. In certain continuities he is shown as Optimus Prime's good friend and right-hand man.
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers franchise. He is almost always depicted as an Autobot with flight capabilities and a jet or space shuttle as an alternate mode. In some continuities he is a former Decepticon.
Transformers: Energon, known in Japan as Transformer: Superlink, is a Japanese anime series which debuted on January 9, 2004. It is a direct sequel to Transformers: Armada. It is also the first Japanese Transformers show where the Transformers are computer-generated (CG), in a cel-shaded technique similar to the Zoids anime, which was a trend that would continue into the next series, Transformers: Cybertron. In the United States, KidsClick started airing reruns of the show from August 27, 2018, until November 3, 2018. Along with Transformers: Armada and Transformers: Cybertron, Transformers: Energon is a part of a saga in the Transformers series known as the "Unicron Trilogy". In this series, the Transformers' primary gimmicks are the Autobots' ability to combine with partners of the same size, the Decepticons' ability to use powered up forms, and the addition of Energon weapons and stars that can be placed on any Transformer. Mini-Cons, from the previous line, are still present, but all Mini-Con pegs are "dummy" pegs as they do not activate a function on the toy.
Transformers: Cybertron, known as Transformers: Galaxy Force in Japan and Asia, is an anime series which debuted on January 8, 2005. It is set in the Transformers universe. Produced by TV Aichi, We've, Tokyu Agency and animated by Gonzo, the series is directed by Hiroyuki Kakudō and Manabu Ono, with Hiro Masaki handling series composition, Takashi Kumazen designing the characters, Mitsuru Ōwa serving as the mechanical and prop designer and Megumi Ōhashi composing the music. A corresponding toy line was released with the series.
Bumblebee is a fictional robot character appearing in the many continuities in the Transformers franchise. The character is a member of the Autobots, a group of sentient, self-configuring, modular extraterrestrial robotic lifeforms.
The Fallen, formerly known as Megatronus, is a fictional robot supervillain in the Transformers robot superhero franchise. The Fallen has been given different origin stories in several of the different iterations in which he has appeared.
Cliffjumper is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers franchise. His name is usually associated with an Autobot whose toys are often red repaints or remold of Bumblebee toys.
Optimus Prime, also known in Japan as Convoy, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Transformers franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were modified and the coloring was changed; notably, Optimus Prime was colored red, chrome, and dark blue. The popularity of the Transformers toys resulted in comics, movies, and even a TV series.
Transformers Animated is an American-Japanese superhero animated television series based on the Transformers toy line. It was produced by Cartoon Network Studios and Hasbro Entertainment and animated by The Answer Studio, Mook Animation, and Studio 4°C (shorts). The series debuted on Cartoon Network on December 26, 2007, and ended on May 23, 2009; running for 42 episodes across three seasons. In Japan, the show debuted on April 3, 2010, on both TV Aichi and TV Tokyo.
Windblade is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers continuities in the Transformers robot superhero franchise. She is always depicted as a female Autobot that can turn into a VTOL jet.
Dinobot is a fictional character from Beast Wars in the Transformers universe. He debuted in the series premiere as a subordinate of Megatron, leader of the villainous Predacons. However, Dinobot challenges Megatron's leadership, and is shortly expelled from his crew. He eventually joins the ranks of Optimus Primal and the Maximals. He is driven by a code of honor somewhat modeled on samurai bushido. He fights alongside the Maximals as part of their crew before ultimately sacrificing himself to save a group of primates from a Predacon onslaught. In the following season, Megatron creates a new Dinobot with the show’s transmetal technology, who is completely loyal to Megatron before rebelling against him once more. Outside of the television series, Dinobot's likeness was used to create several toys. The character was one of the most complex in the series and proved to be a much bigger hit than the creators expected.