Creation
Glyph was created by Rob Gerbracht, along with fellow writer Glen Hallit and artist Dan Khanna. The decision to make Glyph a female Transformer came soon after her toy design was decided. Originally, the character was a written as a “male” Transformer named Archaix, a name which Rob Gerbracht later used as an inspiration for the planet Archa IX (Nine). She first appeared in 2002’s Botcon Comic Book Special Transformers: Universe Featuring the Wreckers #2.
Transformers Universe
Origin
After what was believed to be the defeat of Unicron – as well as the Decepticons – Rodimus Prime commissioned a team of scientists to embark on a journey of exploration. Her ship, the Sojourner’s Passage, set out and came across the planet Archa Nine. Glyph dismissed the planet as a survey point, but felt it might be worth investigating another time. Their ship however was suddenly hit by a high-powered data pulse that shorted out their systems and sent the ship crashing to the planet’s surface. Only Glyph and Tap-Out managed to survive.
Betrayal
Glyph and Tap-Out spent the next three hundred years among the native Akalouthans of the planet, who possessed a strange crystal called the Divine Light, an artifact that was able to provide power for the two Autobots during their stay. Glyph meanwhile spent her time researching the Akalouthan’s culture, mainly focusing on the arcane edict that stated the Divine Light must never fall into the hands of “the five-faced demons,” and the myth that a force would come to protect it. When the Wreckers arrived on Archa Nine, Glyph realized that what she had dismissed as superstition was in fact an unbelievably accurate prediction from over a millennium ago.
Disclosure
After Cyclonus stole the Divine Light, Glyph chose to remain on Archa Nine, believing that her place was to continue studying the Akalouthan culture and the Divine Light’s legends. She was joined by CatSCAN, who stayed behind in order to care for the seriously injured Fractyl and Rotorbolt. Glyph insisted though that Tap-Out go with the Wreckers, as his skills would be of more use to them, and she was sure that CatSCAN was more than capable of providing any protection she might need.
Powers & Abilities
Glyph’s advanced hermeneutic circuitry allows her to analyze and decipher even the most cryptic of language patterns and structures. She is exceptionally bright and highly skilled in her fields of study, but has no real combat capabilities and isn’t particularly strong or tough.