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| Autobot | |
|---|---|
 Autobot insignia | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics,Dreamwave Productions,Fun Publications,Titan Magazines,IDW Publishing, andDevil's Due Publishing |
| First appearance | The Transformers #1 (May, 1984) |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | Cybertron, Earth, Iacon, Autobot City (G1), theArk, 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 |
TheAutobots are a fictional faction ofsentient robots in theTransformers 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 byOptimus Prime in most stories, the Autobots believe that "freedom is the right of all sentient life"[1][3] and are often engaged in acivil war with theDecepticons, a faction of Transformers dedicated to military conquest and usually headed byMegatron.[4][5][6] In amirror universe portrayed inTransformers: 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 some form of technology or life that they have scanned. When they were first introduced, most Autobots transformed intocars,trucks and other road vehicles.[7] Over time, Autobots have been introduced with alternate modes that includeaircraft,weapons, roboticanimals, or a variety of devices (such as music equipment or microscopes). In mostTransformers 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 thelive action films series, as well as in the CGI-animated seriesTransformers: Prime, the titleAutobots is explained to be the short version of the title "Autonomous Robotic Organisms." InJapan, 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 seriesTransformers: Animated andTransformers: 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 theMarvel Comics series. The descendants of the Autobots, theMaximals fromTransformers: Beast Wars, are also known as Cybertrons in Japan.
Autobots areliving 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. Whereas the firsthomo sapiens evolved 300,000 years ago.
Since the airing of the animated seriesTransformers: 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 theWell of All Sparks,[10] while other media portrays the source to be an ancient artifact simply called theAllspark.[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 asMetroplex) have allied themselves with the Autobots.[7] "City-speakers" are transformers able to uniquely commune with Titans, such as the Autobot calledWindblade. 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 asOmega 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 allTransformers stories, the Autobots and their adversaries, theDecepticons, originated on theplanet 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 seriesThe 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 known asUnicron, 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 Cybertronians 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 seriesThe Transformers, Optimus Prime (known as Convoy in Japan) is shown as the leader.[7] Formerly named Orion Pax, his label of "Prime" is indicated to simply be part of the name he adopted when he became a soldier. Since the 1986 animated filmThe Transformers: The Movie however, US and UKTransformers 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, andSentinel Prime, along with others.[10]
In several comics and cartoon stories, the Prime is a figurehead of a ruling council that governs Cybertron (or the entire transformer race that is scattered across different planets). Each Prime is chosen by and bonded to a powerful artifact called theMatrix 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 toPrima, 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 calledHot Rod (who becomes Rodimus Prime),[16] or eventuallyOptimus Primal, aMaximal.[10]
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| 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, theNemesis, Fire Station Prime |
| Member(s) | Autobots:Optimus Prime (leader), Ratchet,Arcee,Bumblebee,Bulkhead,Smokescreen, Wheeljack,Ultra Magnus andCliffjumper (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 asTeam Prime) appear in the 2010 animated seriesTransformers: Prime, led byOptimus Prime.[17] The video gameTransformers: 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 inTransformers: Prime – The Game.Optimus Prime,Arcee,Bulkhead,Bumblebee, Ratchet, Jack, Miko and Raf embark on a journey to defeat the villainousMegatron and theDecepticons[18] in his plan to use his secret new weapon.[19][20] 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.[21]
InTransformers: 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 rechristenedTeam 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,[22]Unicron.[23]
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(December 2023) |
Many years after the end of the war, the Autobots, now working with Megatron and the secret human organization G.H.O.S.T. to protect Earth from the remaining rogue Decepticons, reach out to the Malto family and offer the Terrans the chance to be mentored by Bumblebee. With new threats on the horizon, such as the mad scientist Dr. Meridian (Mandroid) and the various Decepticons still at large, the Autobots and Maltos work together to keep each other safe and find their place in the world while learning what it truly means to be a family.
One year after the successful defeat and death of Mandroid, a group of Decepticons led by Starscream goes rogue sometime after the shattering of the Emberstone. It is up to the Terrans, the Autobots, the humans, and those Decepticons on their side (namely Megatron) to collect the shards before those Decepticons that sided with Starscream do. This leads to the creation of the Chaos Terrans and the discovery of some secrets about Witwicky itself; the secret includes an Earth-born female Titan Terran named Terratronus whose body was covered by mounds of rocks and soil that would later become the site of Witwicky.
The stakes eventually get higher when the Quintessons get involved and threaten the Maltos, the Autobots, and Earth following the Decepticons' departure from Earth on Prowl's ship. Luckily the Autobots, and the Maltos along with the Chaos Terrans readily team up with Terratronus and successfully destroy the Quintessons for good so that the Quintessons would never harm anybody or anything on the planet Earth anymore.
The Autobots were merely a group of Cybertronian miners without transformation cogs who mined Energon for the Quintessons, and they and all Cybertronians are led by their leader Sentinel Prime, having him as their trust. After discovering the truth about Sentinel by Orion Pax, they follow him to help him expose the truth against Sentinel's crimes. Pax's former friend D-16, kills Sentinel after letting Pax fall to his demise into the core of Iacon City, rechristening himself as Megatron. At the city's core, Pax is blessed by the thirteen Primes and bestowed the Matrix of Leadership, becoming reborn as Optimus Prime. Prime returns to the city's surface and successfully defeats Megatron and members of the High Guard who defect to his side, eventually banishing them for attempting to destroy Iacon. The miners are given their transformation cogs by Optimus Prime, who officially reforms them as the Autobots to protect Cybertron against the threat of the Quintessons, and promising they will maintain peace, order and will fight for justice throughout the galaxy.
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