Optimus Prime

Origin

Optimus Prime has appeared in several Transformers continuities. In each and every one, he is the heroic and fearless leader of the Autobots and views all life in the universe as sacred, whether they’re Human or Transformer. Another common theme throughout the continuities is that Optimus had humble beginnings before the war with the Decepticons had started and had leadership thrust upon him. In nearly every continuity, Prime transforms into a semi-truck. In the Generation 1 incarnations, his trailer would separate when he was in robot mode. His trailer can act independently from Optimus and can transform into a combat deck with a sentient robot called Brain Center and a wheeled drone called Roller.

Creation

Although Bob Budiansky came up with most of the English names for the Transformers characters, it was comic writer Dennis “Denny” O’Neil who came up with the name of Optimus Prime.

Major Story Arcs

Generation 1 Continuity

Marvel Comics

Before the war, Orion Pax was the gladiator champion of the Cybertronian city-state of Iacon. He had a fierce but sporting rivalry with the city-state champion of Tam, called Megatron. Inter-city war broke out between Tam and Vos, after Vos saboteurs blew up a Tam power plant. Whilst trying to broker peace between the two cities, an Autobot Overlord was badly damaged. The Overlord, being frail and in constant need of energon, had his two body guards, Ravage and Nightstalker, along with the two gladiator champions, Prime and Megatron, attempt to escort him across the battlefield to Iacon. As the battle grew more fierce and dangerous, Prime carried on ahead to bring back reinforcements. While he was gone, Nightstalker sacrificed himself defending his master but the Overlord was already dying and in desperate need for energon. Megatron turned his back on the Autobot and left, Ravage believing that Megatron would one day be leader of Cybertron, refused the Overlord any of his energy and followed Megatron.

After the war between Vos and Tam had finished, Megatron persuaded the survivors to join his new faction, the Decepticons. Optimus Prime was planning to become a medic but once the Decepticons had declared war, he joined the Autobot ranks. The Great War was not going well for the Autobots, as city-state after city-state fell into Decepticon hands until only the Autobot capital of Iacon remained. As the Decepticons began to besiege the city, the Council of Autobot Elders prepared for surrender but Councillor Xaaron suggested instead that the High Councillor Traachor step down and allow a military officer to take charge. Listening to reason, Traachor did so and made Optimus Prime the Supreme Leader of the Autobots.

Over one thousand years later, Cybertron floated through an asteroid belt. With the entire planet facing destruction, Optimus Prime and his best warriors boarded the Ark to blast a safe path through the rocks. With their mission successful, the Ark was attacked by Megatron and the Decepticons, hoping to catch Prime off-guard. With vitally important secrets which could turn the tide of the war held in the Ark’s computers, Prime set the spacecraft on a suicide course, crashing it into an unknown planet which would later be called Earth. After 4 million years of dormancy, the Ark’s computer was awakened by the eruption of a nearby volcano. It set about rebuilding Optimus Prime, giving him the vehicle mode of a semi-truck. After the Decepticons fled the Ark, Optimus Prime discovered sentient life on the planet and swore to protect them.

IDW Publishing

Regeneration 1

IDW Continuity

Autocracy

Autobot Officer Orion Pax and a team of Autobots head to Nyon to take in Swindle – a known Decepticon arms dealer. After a brief battle Swindle, Orion manages to capture him but Swindle tells him they can’t destroy what the Decepticons represent – a new age for Cybertron – and then further provokes him, prompting Orion to nearly kill Swindle until Bumblebee stops him. Afterwards, the Autobots are attacked by a mystery bomber but Oroin decides not to pursue him and just returns to Zeta Prime with Swindle. After arriving at the citadel and turning in Swindle, Orion begins questioning if they are on the right side when Soundwave is caught spying on Zeta Prime, who then sends Orion to capture him before the information he gained leaks out. Orion and his team go after Soundwave and Orion manages to take Soundwave down after a brief scuffle, but Decepticons arrive with Bumblebee held captive and force him to release Soundwave and then take Orion to Megatron. When they meet, Megatron tells Orion that he knows that he has been challenging the senate’s authority and reveals the info Soundwave procured about Zeta Prime’s plan to steal energon from the populace to power his Vamparc weapons and how Zeta had set them up back in Nyon. He tries to convince Orion to join him, but Orion rejects the offer and escapes with assistance from an Autobot ambush.

Back at the base, Orion is scolded by Zeta for falling into another ambush but Orion tells him he thinks they were set up and says he saw what Zeta is planning. Zeta just calls his claims conspiracies and orders his team to capture Hot Rod – the mystery bomber who had attacked them back in Nyon. Upon arriving in Nyon, Orion and his team encounter Hot Rod and chase after him and are eventually led to an Acropolex where they hear about the legend of the Matrix of Leadership and of the Knights of Cybertron. They also realize that Hot Rod had been leaving a trail on purpose and that he could have actually killed them all at any time with plasma mines he had displaced. As they proceed further, they find several bots feeding off of whatever energon they can get out of several energon containers. Orion realizes this is all Zeta’s doing and Hot Rod tells him there are places like this all over Cybertron and it’s why they fight against their government. Orion then asks him why he’s showing them all this when he could have just killed them and Hot Rod says that it’s because he and many others had seen that Orion is different as he has stood up to the senate and still seems to believe in justice. After seeing all this, Orion begins question who the real problem is when Zeta Prime begins attacking Nyon.

Orion rallies his team against Zeta’s forces so Hot Rod can evacuate the city. However, the situation soon seemed hopeless so Hot Rod detonated phase chargers he had placed throughout the city, taking out most of Zeta’s forces. Orion then encounters Zeta Prime and is easily overpowered by his Vamparc weapons. Zeta then prepares to kill Orion when Megatron and his Decepticons arrive and force Zeta to retreat. The Decepticons then take the wounded Autobots back to their base where they are repaired. Orion tells Megatron that he feels he was right about everything and that he’s still not sure if he can fully trust Megatron, he also feels he has no other choice and ultimately decides to join forces with him. The combined Autobot and Decepticon forces then invade the Iacon Citadel and Orion and Megatron confront Zeta Prime. After a tough battle, Megatron kills Zeta Prime but then betrays Orion, telling him his purpose had been served and left him for dead. However, Orion survives and begins hearing a voice deep underneath the citadel. Despite his injuries, he moves towards the energy source calling out to him and the Matrix of Leadership is revealed to him. As he approaches the Matrix, Orion is filled with many emotions and has many visions. Orion is then rebuilt by the Matrix and also realizes the Autobots must change what they are fighting for as he is reborn as Optimus Prime.

From within the Matrix, Optimus feels something pulling him towards Nyon and as he heads there he feels something living deep within the ruins. He is then met by the Autobots, who escaped from Megatron’s clutches and tracked Optimus’ signature to Nyon. Optimus then reveals to them that he now has the Matrix, has become a Prime, and tells them they had lost their way but now they must enforce a system of freedom and justice. Optimus then begins enlisting the help of every Autobot he can get, including Metroplex, a giant who lived underneath the ruins of Nyon, and a broadcaster named Blaster. With Blaster’s help, Optimus sends a message across Cybertron to rally the people of Cybertron to march against Megatron at the Iacon Citadel. As they march at Iacon, they begin battling with Decepticon forces. During the battle, Megatron unleashes the Vamparc Annihilator – the ultimate weapon created by Zeta Prime as part of the Citadel itself – and begins using it against the people of Cybertron. However, prior to sending the message across Cybertron Optimus had called for Metroplex who then arrives to destroy the weapon and tearing down the Citadel in the process. Optimus then confronts Megatron and after a brief battle, Optimus defeats Megatron, who then retreats while telling Optimus that he’s just started a war the likes of which their world had never seen before. Later, as the Autobots are rebuilding, Prowl informs Optimus of a secret weapons stash Zeta Prime had stored and Optimus orders it to be destroyed. Soon after, Optimus meets with Hot Rod and thanks him for everything and tells him that he’s a true hero and that he might someday hold the Matrix.

Stormbringer

Optimus is in contact with what Autobots are doing on Earth and other planets while remembering when Thunderwing had attacked Cybertron. He feels guilty about it because they all ignored the signs that Cybertron was being destroyed by their war and ultimately Thunderwing tried to stop it but his efforts would destroy Cybertron and that if they had paid more heed, their home planet would not be a barren wasteland. An Autobot vessel – the Calabi-Yau – is shot down and Optimus and the wreckers then go to Thunderhead Pass – the place where Thunderwing was stopped when Cybertron swallowed him whole. Here, they face off with Bludgeon’s forces and also find Bludgeon and others tried to use the grafting process which Thunderwing used on himself and were now all prisoners of themselves. Jetfire does research there and learns more about Thunderwing such as how Bludgeon re-powered him with something called ultra-energon. They destroy the axis cradle which is guiding Thunderwing, which then causes Thunderwing to leave Nebulos and return to Cybertron. After learning about ultra-energon, Jetfire learns one of its weaknesses is that it is only suitable for short, intense hits so the more effort, the faster it is consumed. Knowing this, a large assault is lead against Thunderwing who then goes into a secondary ultra-mode. Optimus then continuously fires at Thunderwing while telling him that he may have seen that what they were doing was destroying the planet but his actions only helped to facilitate that. He also feels that returning to Cybertron and helping take down Thunderwing helped him face the mistakes he made long ago which led to the planet’s demise and that now the planet can begin healing. However, despite having taken down Thunderwing for good, Optimus still has many questions such as where ultra-energon came from. After learning about how Bludgeon came across something called “regenesis”, he plots a course for Earth.

Escalation

Optimus has Prowl get rid of Hunter, Verity, and Jimmy because he wants to maintain a healthy distance from the humans in case they can’t save them or their world. He also learns from partially deconstructed files from Bludgeon’s data well on Cybertron that Shockwave and Soundwave had come to Earth long before but their locations are unknown. Later, Optimus learns from Ironhide that when they were escorting the humans away, they were attacked by humans with highly sophisticated weaponry and that Sunstreaker and Hunter were seemingly killed and Sunstreaker’s remains were taken to a police compound. Optimus says they shouldn’t strike back if it was the Decepticons because that could be what they want and then has Ironhide take Jimmy and Verity back to the base while he, Jazz, and Wheeljack head to the compound to retrieve Sunstreaker’s remains . But after returning to the base, the remains are observed and they realize it isn’t Sunstreaker and that this whole thing was staged. Optimus states that whoever was responsible for the attack had done this because they knew they’d only stop looking for Sunstreaker if they knew he was dead and that he hopes the Decepticons are behind this because if it was just humans, then they are more exposed than they have ever been before. Because of the heightened tension of the situation, Optimus calls for reinforcements to come to Earth and then has Prowl continue monitoring for signs of Decepticon agitation. Prowl later informs Optimus of activity going on in Brasnya and also believes that Megatron has taken on the alt form of a gun being wielded by a human, based off of the discharges given off by the gun. Optimus realizes he used mass-displacement to shrink to that size and the he must be using ore-13 because of the large energy expenditure. Believing the human wielding Megatron to be a facsimile, Optimus leads a team of Autobots to Brasnya to obtain the facsimile intact as its cellular template is the key to every other facsimile currently on Earth. While driving along, a camouflaged Blitzwing tries to shoot Optimus down but he had detected him earlier with his remote tactical and uses his Roller to take Blitzwing out. As the other Autobots manage to separate Megatron from the facsimile, Megatron transforms and challenges Optimus to battle. Prime and Megatron battle and at first they seem evenly matched but the ore-13 powering Megatron gives him an edge and he ultimately defeats Prime and seemingly kills him. However, Prime wasn’t killed and survived by downloading his higher functions into his trailer’s ancillary systems. But as his mind travels through the infraspace, he senses a presence observing everything and Optimus realizes that he knows this presence and that it knows him. After making it to his trailer’s ancillary systems, he messages Prowl that their only chance to defeat Megatron is to take advantage of the weakness of ore-13 which was discovered back when they were fighting Thunderwing on Cybertron. As the Autobots lead an all-out assault on Megatron, Optimus strikes Megatron from behind, leaving him badly damaged. After Megatron retreats, he asks about the facsimile and learns from Nightbeat that it had perished.

Spotlight: Optimus Prime

Optimus finishes healing from the wounds he received from his battle with Megatron in Brasnya, but he is still thinking about the presence of the Prime he felt when his mind was in infraspace, as Prowl is trying to inform him of all the events on Earth at the moment. Optimus then takes Ark-32 and heads off to the Muta-Gaath Nebula to speak with Omega Supreme as he is the only one he can confide in. He asks Omega Supreme about the truth about the first Ark and Nova Prime because he believes he is still alive but changed as his presence filled him with dread when he encountered it. Omega Supreme then tells him about how he and Nova were complete opposites as he believed in isolation and inner growth, whereas Nova Prime wished to expand as he believed Cybertronians were above all other forms of life in the universe and so thought that the universe should be somewhat molded in their image. Optimus then asks if the first Ark was actually about expansion and not exploration, and Omega Supreme says that it’s possible he’s still alive as the fate of the Ark was never actually determined. However, at that moment, Monstructor arrives and attacks Omega Supreme. Although Optimus still had many questions, he realized that they’d have to wait until after Monstructor was stopped. Monstructor proves too powerful, so Optimus works to help himself and Omega Supreme escape. Omega Supreme then tells Optimus about how they were part of an experiment by Jhiaxus to create the ultimate fusion of mind and body but turned into a monster. He then says that after Nova Prime and Jhiaxus disappeared, he took it upon himself to trap them in another dimension where he hoped they’d stay forever. Monstructor then arrives and Omega Supreme tells Optimus that it only has one weakness – striking it with enough force in a connective filament below its mid-torso would send it into spasm. Optimus then tries to tell Monstructor that he can help him, but when he just attacks him, Optimus strikes his weak point and takes him down, and says that he will be helped. Later, Omega Supreme tells Optimus not to let the gestalt technology fall into the Decepticons’ hands or they will face Armageddon. Optimus puts the individual parts of Monstructor in Jetfire’s hands while he then heads back to Earth, knowing that the Prime lineage he looked up to was corrupt.

Devastation

After Nightbeat learns that their position is compromised, he suggests to Optimus that they should move Ark-19 and he also has Bumblebee make a counter-offensive so that they can strike back. Later, Optimus receives a message from Hound and Sideswipe and tells them his squad is to come to Earth. Soon, the Autobots take off in Ark-19 and head towards the Gulf of Mexico, but shortly after they are engaged by Sixshot who shoots it down. As the Ark is about to crash, Optimus works quickly to get everyone to do the best they can to avoid landing in a civilian area and making sure that nothing remains when it crashes. They manage to launch an escape pond containing the humans and Ratchet, while Ark-19 crashes in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the Autobots managed to survive and as Ratchet approaches the Florida coast, they fire at Sixshot and save him. The Autobots then engage in battle with Sixshot but find that he’s ultimately too powerful and soon learn that the military is about to arrive and are going to bomb the area. Optimus orders Nightbeat to orbital jump everyone save for himself back to Ark-32, while he stays to face with Sixshot. After a short scuffle, Megatron recalls Sixshot and Optimus has Nightbeat orbital jump him as well, right before the military strikes the area with missiles. While on Ark-32, Optimus learns that the facility on Garrus-9 had been breached and ultimately decided that they would have to temporarily leave Earth to deal with the situation there.

Revelation

As Optimus and his team reach Garrus-9, they find that the Monstructor-Six are gone and now in the hands of the enemy. He then puts Fortress Maximus in charge while he and Prowl head to Ark-32 where Optimus then begins to tell Prowl about how he felt this would happen since his near-death experience in Brasnya and that this is somehow connected to Nova Prime and the first Ark. He then gets Prowl to summon the Wreckers to Corata-vaz to take on Thunderwing. As this happens, Jetfire informs him that there seems to be an energy spike from the cavern Thunderwing is guarding and that he learned from Omega Supreme that two mystery Cybertronians that attacked Hound’s team earlier were Galvatron and Cyclonus – both crew members on the first Ark with Nova Prime. As everything seems to go back to Nova Prime, and because the Ark’s destination was the Benzuli expanse, Optimus believes they should begin a search there. An Autobot team sent to the expanse learn that everything that passes the event horizon ceases to function and presume the same would happen to them should they try to pass it. However, Jetfire thinks that they could use the pretender process Bludgeon used on himself earlier to protect themselves as they probe it, and without many options Optimus approves. He then gets a message from Dealer saying that he believes all their answers lie within the Magnificence. Meanwhile, on Gorlam Prime Nightbeat is killed, and so Nemesis Prime realizes that he has to now kill Optimus himself. Nemesis Prime then arrives on Garrus-9, and Optimus senses him and heads to the sub-level of the penitentiary to face him. As he confronts him, he tries to tell Nova that it doesn’t have to be this way but Nova tells him he has evolved from Nova Prime into Nemesis Prime. Optimus asks what caused him to turn into what he is now, and Nemesis Prime reveals to him the Heart of darkness, which he discovered in the Dead universe, and describes how it has power like the Matrix but unlike the Matrix there are no limits to the usage of its power. After severely damaging Optimus with it, he then proceeds towards Optimus to finish him. However, as Nova approaches him, the darkness passes to Optimus and Optimus explains that it seems to be more like the Matrix than he thought as it seeks to pass from Prime to Prime and views Nova as yesterday’s Prime. Nemesis Prime is angered by this, and he then tries to kill Optimus from afar. Optimus tries to tell him to stop because despite all that’s happened to him he’s still a Prime, But Nova tells him that it’s the destiny of Cybertronians to become the template for a new universe. Optimus tells Nova that he is just playing God and that he has sullied the Prime lineage and he will set things right. As Nova scoffs at Optimus’ response, Galvatron, who had secretly been observing the confrontation between Optimus and Nova, no longer sees any reason to serve Nemesis Prime any longer because he no longer possesses the Heart of Darkness so he shoots him in the back, killing him. As the Heart of Darkness continues to consume Optimus, Galvatron confronts him and tells him that if he doesn’t want it to consume him he can either hurl himself into the nearby solar pool and kill himself, or he can give it to him. He then tells Optimus that he heard the Darkness calling to him from the Dead Universe but it ultimately chose Nova over himself because of the Matrix vacuum within him and that he believes it is the key to unlocking his destiny. Optimus then gives the darkness to Galvatron, but while Galvatron revels in the Darkness’ power, Optimus grabs him and tosses him into the solar pool, seemingly killing him. Afterwards, Optimus goes to Nova’s corpse and says that he wishes he could mourn for his death but feels that he had truly died long ago when he chose to shun the light and embrace the darkness.

All Hail Megatron!

The Autobots see that the Decepticons weren’t using their usual strategies, and, from intel gained by Mirage, they learn that there was a power struggle between Megatron and Starscream and that the Decepticons are now split up. Seeing this as an opening, the Autobots planned an attack on the Decepticons, expecting only Starscream and a handful of others but when the got there, they found themselves ambushed and outnumbered by the Decepticons, who had been actually been unified and had a purpose – something not seen in a long time. The Autobots then fought back valiantly, but the Decepticons revealed their new gestalt – Devastator – who tipped the balance in their favor. The Autobots were defeated, and Megatron tore the Matrix from Optimus. Afterwards, the Decepticons revealed that one of the Autobots there had worked willingly with Starscream to plant the false information that ultimately lead to this. Afterwards, the Autobots were taken to a portal that the Insecticons had built, and were dropped through, with the Decepticons intending to feed them to the swarm afterwards. However, just as Optimus is about to go through, he fights back and destroys the portal as he goes through it – saving the Autobots who were on the other side, but nearly killing himself in the process. While stranded on Cybertron, the Autobots try to use all their resources to keep Optimus alive. As time passes, the Autobot team begins falling apart, Sunstreaker is revealed as the traitor, and the Autobots are attacked by the swarm. After all this, Sideswipe begins questioning what the difference is between the Autobots and Decepticons considering how similar their methods are, and then Optimus Prime, now fully revived, appears and states that his questions are fair because they too have cast aside the weak and have allowed others to suffer as they strove to end what they claimed was evil. He then states that he will stay and fight and he intends on winning the war. The Autobots are then attacked by the Swarm again, but then Omega Supreme, who had received a message sent out by Rodimus earlier, arrives and helps fight them off. Optimus then has Omega take the Autobots to Earth, where they begin their battle with the Decepticons. As they fight, Optimus confronts Megatron and tells him that he has no right to the planet and that it’s under Autobot protection now. Megatron believes that it’s just about the Matrix and says their not very different at atll, and that the humans are currently planning on dropping a nuclear weapon onto the city and how he plans to use that bomb against them. Optimus and Megatron then battle, and Megatron questions Optimus as to why he’d help the humans despite all they’ve done and Optimus responds by telling him that it’s not just about saving them but also about showing what the difference is between the Autobots and Decepticons. Eventually, Megatron overpowers Optimus and the Decepticons prepare to leave, but then Spike Witwicky, using an experimental weapon based off of Shockwave’s gun, shoots Megatron in the face, severely injuring him and then Optimus delivers a final blow to Megatron nearly killing him. As Starscream then arrives to take Megatron, Optimus tells him that he can become Decepticon leader if he just leaves him, but Starscream tells him that leadership of the Decepticons is something that has to be taken and can’t be offered up by chance, and that it’s something Autobots could never understand. Starscream and the Decepticons then retreat as nuclear weapon gets closer. The Autobots try to figure out how to stop the bomb, but Thundercracker ultimately appears and volunteers to do so because he believes the Decepticons had lost their way and that they were made through combat – not slaughter. Afterwards, Optimus greets Spike and tries to forge a treaty with Spike, offering help to rebuild what the Decepticons had destroyed during their invasion of the planet, but Spike refuses and tells him that there’s no chance of any alliance between them after having brought their war to Earth.

Powers & Abilities

Optimus’ vehicle mode is usually a semi-truck, but he has also taken the form of a firetruck. He has been known to combine with his trailer or other Autobots to become a super-powerful Transformer. In the movie, he briefly took the parts of Jetfire to become more powerful. His powers vary, but generally are:

• Flight at vast supersonic speeds
• Invulnerability to the point of spending days in hyperspace. Also able to enter the Earth’s atmosphere with ease. He has also taken blows from Megatron, and Megatron has enough strength to lift 2000 tons, and Optimus has also taken shots from Megatron’s Fusion Cannon, which can bring down buildings and destroy small towns.
• Takes the form of a semi-truck
• Has a power pack in the form of a trailer to his truck
• Can incorporate nearby machines into his body
• Can fire bullets from his hand like machine guns
• Can fire small rockets
• Can summon either an energy axe or an energy-enhanced sword from his right arm. In some versions, he has a sword from each arm.
• Superhuman strength to the point of punching Megatron to submission despite Megatron being made up of advanced parts including a Cybertronian tank, and he also possesses enough strength to lift 2000 tons.

Characteristics/Status

• Allegiance: Autobot
• Sub Group: None
• Function: Leader
• Alt-Modes: Semi-Truck w/Trailer, Peterbilt 379, Tank, Cybertronian 6-wheel Truck, Pick-up Truck, Sports Car
• Family: the line of Prime – Optimus Primal (descendant), Sentinel Prime (predecessor), Nova Prime (predecessor), Primus (predecessor)

Alternate Versions

Marvel Comics

Generation 2

Devils Due

G.I. Joe vs. Transformers

3H Productions

Universe

Dreamwave Publications

War Within

On the planet of Cybertron, 8.2 million years ago, Optronix worked in the Vaults of Iacon as a data archivist. Optronix did nothing more than collect data about the war and didn’t care much for what was happening. One day, he was summoned to the Council of Ancients where he was informed that the Matrix had chosen him as the next leader of the Autobots. Upon receiving the Matrix of Leadership his body changed shaped, becoming more powerful and he was given the name Optimus Prime. He is also given a disk containing the wisdom of those who came before him by Gravitas. No sooner is this done when a Decepticon assassination squad of Umbra, Backbite and Darklight move in to strike at the new leader. Optimus Prime easily dispatched the assassins and announces they must accept that Cybertron is lost and he that the Autobots must prepare for a planet-wide evacuation. While working to evacuate the planet, the Constructicons activate one of the primary planetary turbines and everyone and everything in the way of the plasma outflow is destroyed. Remembering what one of the assassins had said to him before, he realizes that Megatron is behind it and he knows it was to get his attention. Optimus then travels deep within Cybertron where he is ambushed by the Insecticons and Soundwave. The attack leaves him stranded deeper inside of the planet and here he meets an inner voice of himself which tells him that he came down in the center of Cybertron not because he didn’t want to put other Autobots’ lives in danger but because he wanted answers about Cybertron before leaving it. Afterwards, he is ambushed by Ravage but he manages to drive him off. As he continues on, he encounters Soundwave and the Insecticons yet again and takes them down, while leaving a message for Megatron to face him himself. Eventually, he encounters Megatron down below the surface but then they are both attacked by Starscream, who destroys the bridge they were on, causing them to fall down below. After landing, Optimus looks around and runs into Megatron again. They begin fighting and Megatron has the upper hand. Megatron also tells Prime how Cybertron is a massive starship and that the matrix is the power source that drives it. However, Prime says he will do whatever it takes to stop him and although he starts giving Megatron more of a fight, Prime is ultimately overpowered. Megatron then tries to take the matrix from him but as he does, Prime and Megatron suddenly find themselves seemingly teleported somewhere else. As they look around, Prime and Megatron see themselves battling and realize that this is a vision of the future. Megatron also realizes that they are still inside Cybertron and continues attacking Prime. However, as he continues attacking, the area around them continues to change and show more visions of the future until it eventually returns to the area they were in initially. As Megatron tries to attack Prime again, Prime is teleported away and ends up with Grimlock. Grimlock tells him that he needs to stop thinking and start acting and that if Megatron is such a big problem, then he should kill him and he gives Prime his sword. He then finds Megatron and continues battling with him, only this time he doesn’t hold back. He was about to kill Megatron, but ultimately lets him go and leaves Grimlock’s sword. He then heads back to the surface and joins the other Autobots. Under his commands, the Autobots are able to stop the planetary turbine from activating but Iacon is completely destroyed as a result. Prime then says that the Autobots will not evacuate Cybertron as he believes leaving the planet is only going to make their problems worse and decides the Autobots will head underground and fight the war from the inside out. Later, he tells Grimlock that he felt the dark legacy of what Cybertron once was when fighting Megatron, and that he spared him because he believed if he killed him he would have given into it. He then tosses away the disk containing the wisdom of the past Primes, claiming he chooses his own path.

Generation 1

Fun Publications

Timelines

Shattered Glass

Other Media

Television

Transformers (1984)

Nine million years before the start of the series (Earth year 1984), Optimus Prime was originally a robot dock worker on the planet Cybertron named Orion Pax. Orion had a girlfriend named Ariel. One day, Megatron approached Orion and persuaded him into letting Megatron use one of the warehouses on the docks. When Megatron and his Decepticons attacked the warehouse, Orion and Ariel were both injured during the attack. Fortunately, the Megatron of 1985 had made a failed attempt to trap the Aerialbots at the beginning of time with a time travel device called the Chronosphere. The Autobots of 1985 managed to destroy the Chronosphere while it was in operation, and the Aerialbots were merely sent back 9 million years. The Aerialbots then took Orion and Ariel to a repair bay that was being run by Alpha Trion, a first generation product of Vector Sigma. Alpha Trion decided to use the two as his first subjects for an upgrade process. Orion underwent the upgrade and thus became Optimus Prime, while Ariel was upgraded to become Elita One. Optimus Prime was the first Autobot warrior and thus took the mantle as the Autobot leader. Optimus Prime would remain the Autobot leader as the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons waged on for the next five million years.

For five million years, the Autobots and the Decepticons fought over the last remaining energy source on Cybertron. Eventually, Optimus decided to take his Autobots on a mission to search for new energy sources on other worlds in order to restore Cybertron’s energy source. Just before the Autobots’ Ark was about to launch, Optimus was led to believe that Elita was killed (which she was not). Now in space, the Ark was attacked and boarded by the Decepticons. A battle broke out between the Autobots and the Decepticons until the gravity force of a nearby planet dragged both ships onto it. The planet would be known as Earth, and the Ark crashed landed inside a volcano. This forced everyone in the Ark to go into emergency stasis mode. The Autobots and the Decepticons remained in stasis status for four million years, until a volcanic eruption turned on the Ark’s computer, Teletraan I, and it reactivated the Decepticons. Teletraan I also programmed them with Earth vehicle disguises. Seemingly repaired, the Decepticons fled from the Ark. Starscream decided to fire at the Ark before he left, causing a landslide to ensue. The landslide would knock Optimus Prime close enough to the computer to reactivate him. Now reactivated and fully-repaired, Optimus Prime does the same for the rest of his Autobots with the help of Teletraan I and continues the war against the Decepticons.

Optimus Prime took the form of a cab over flat-nose truck. Optimus Prime and the Autobots have sworn to never harm the humans, and would eventually meet a boy named Sam “Spike” Witwicky. They first met when the Decepticons attacked an oil rig which Sam and his father, Sparkplug, were working on. Optimus Prime rescued the two and they offered their help to the Autobots. Spike would teach the Autobots the ways of the humans. Optimus Prime would often confront and battle Megatron, as they are of equal strength. Optimus Prime would eventually discover that Elita was still alive, but she was captured by the Decepticons on Cybertron. They planned to use her to lure Optimus Prime into a trap, and although Optimus Prime knew this, he went anyway to Cybertron alone. Optimus Prime was defeated and nearly destroyed by the Decepticons, but Elita activated a stasis field which allowed Optimus Prime and Elita to escape. Optimus Prime brought Elita to Alpha Trion and asks him to heal Elita’s wounds.

Twenty years go by and it is Earth year 2005, the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons continue. The Decepticons now control all of Cybertron, while forcing the Autobots to live in scattered places. The Autobots operate in their city on Earth called Autobot City, they also have two bases on Cybertron’s moons. While the Autobots were transmitting a message to gather more energy from Earth to prepare for an attack against the Decepticons, the Decepticons were able to intercept the transmission. They attacked the shuttle and used it to infiltrate Autobot City undetected. The Decepticons began their attack on Autobot City, while the Autobots were forced to radio Optimus Prime for backup. Optimus Prime eventually arrives at Autobot City with the Dinobots and were able to fend off the Decepticons. Optimus Prime would confront Megatron in a final battle. Both were seriously damaged after the battle, causing the Decepticons to retreat. Prime had succeeded in turning the tide of battle, but at the cost of his own life. He would then call for Ultra Magnus and give him the Autobot Matrix of Leadership (A talisman passed down between Autobot leaders). Magnus reluctantly accepted not knowing that Hot Rod, who was nearby, was the one destined to be the next Autobot leader. And with that, Optimus Prime died shortly afterwards.

Optimus Prime was entombed in a mausoleum of fallen Autobots in deep space. However in 2006, the Quintessons retrieved his remains and reanimated Optimus Prime into working for them. They attempted to destroy the Autobots by luring them to the Quintessons by using the reanimated remains of Optimus Prime. However, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership freed Optimus Prime from the Quintessons’ control. Optimus Prime decided to fly his flagship into the Quintessons to destroy them in an explosion. However, Optimus’ body was retrieved before the explosion by two human scientists named Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford. As their ship left, the explosion from the sun coated their ship with solar spores. When the Decepticons attempted to steal their heat-resistant alloy, Jessica was paralyzed in the process. Swofford and Jessica’s father Mark Morgan (who hated the Transformers) decided to rebuild Optimus Prime into a transport system in order to transport them. The spree would be known as the “Hate Plague” and it causes any sentient being to be induced with madness. However, when the two of them could not reanimate Optimus Prime, they decided to use him as bait to lure the Autobots to their lab to be infected with the Hate Plague, to which they were successful. Meanwhile, Sky Lynx was able to retrieve one of the Quintessons and forced it to revive Optimus Prime. Optimus Prime was then coated in the heat-resistant alloy, thus making the “Hate Plague” have no effect on him. Optimus Prime retrieved the Autobot Matrix of Leadership from Rodimus Prime and used it to destroy the Hate Plague. With things returning to normal, Optimus Prime was reinstated as Autobot leader and was able to call a temporary truce with Galvatron.

In the year 2007, Optimus Prime began seeing visions from the Matrix’s energy, telling him about Cybertron’s transformation. When the Decepticons stole the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber, Optimus Prime went seeking for the words of Alpha Trion and learns that the mega-computer is restoring Cybertron to its Golden Age. Meanwhile, with the Plasma Energy Chamber opened, it causes Earth’s Sun to go supernova. Spike and the Nebulans were able to drain the extra solar energy and it helped in the revivification of Cybertron.

Transformers: Beast Wars (1996)

Optimus’s stasis mode body appeared during the second series finale and the beginning of season 3. Beast Wars Megatron attempts to destroy him in the past to prevent the future victories of the Autobots. He is stopped by the Autobot’s descendents, the Maximals, led by Optiums Primal.

Unicron Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2006)

Optimus appeared as the leader of the Autobots in all three series: Armada, Energon and Cybertron.

Transformers Animated (2007)

In the Transformers Animated Series, Optimus Prime is somewhat inexperience compared to his previous incarnations. In this universe, Prime is High Rank in the Autobot society, like a Captain, serving under the Magnus, the leader of all Autobots and Cybertron. Optimus was trained in the Autobot Academy, where the high ranking officer are taught. In the comic-book series of “Transformers Animated: The Arrival”, he managed to get the high score in the Megatron Simulation in the academy’s history, despite of getting killed by having the Decepticon leader striking his sword through his spark chamber.

One day, Optimus and his friends, Elita-One and Sentinel, have landed on a restricted Organic world, rumor to the last place where a Decepticon ship was seen. Hearing rumors of the Cons’ hoarding mass quantities of Energon, Sentinel and Elita talk Optimus into go for a little exploring for the ‘treasure’. The trio were then swallow up as the ground beneath them gave way and had them in a underground cavern. After getting separated from Sentinel while fighting against the planet’s inhabitants of giant spiders, the two Academy Bots found the Decepticon ship, with Energon cubes and more alien spiders. The two try to make a quick escape by having a stalactite fall on the energon and trigger an explosion. Elita-1 uses her special download ability, enabling her to copy the powers of another Bot for a short time, to get Optimus grappling hook in order to get out of explosion, but her download time was up while she was still escaping, causing Elita-1 to fall back into the Decepticon ship, with the spiders. Optimus meet up with his team and rather going back to save her, Optimus carries him away in risk of getting blown up in the energon. After wards, the two try to contact Elita-1, as well as scanning for her energy signature; but got nothing, leaving them to the fact that she went off-line. From that point on, Sentinel blame Optimus for Elita-1’s death and hold it against him.

After reporting to Ultra Magnus about Elita-1’s demise, the Autobot commander expels Optimus from being in the Elite-Guard, while Optimus didn’t ratted out Sentinel, the one who brought them all on the planet to begin with. But since Optimus showed great potential during his academy days, Ultra Magnus managed to have him command his own ship and team… of Space Bridge Repair-Bots, consisting of Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead. With Omega Supreme as their ship. While doing work on a bridge in an asteroid field, the crew come across the Ninja-Bot Prowl, who was meditating after the loss of his master in the war. The crew accidentally destroys Prowl’s ship, leaving him stranded with him. Optimus would allow Prowl to come travel with in their ship, and they might leave sooner if he could lend a hand. Prowl agrees to this, although remarking that Space Bridge Repair was humiliating job that was beneath him.

Shortly after that, while still clearing the Space Bridge of a build up of space rocks, the Autobots came across one of their planet’s lost and most powerful treasure coming out of the Space Bridge. The All-Spark, the life giving artifact to all Transformers. Ratchet says that they should head out, because the reason why the All-Spark was lost in the Space Bridge in the first place was to keep it out of the Decepticon hands. And how else was in the sector but Megatron himself, and his minions. After getting orders from Ultra Magnus to stay put and don’t be hero, Optimus takes things in his own hands and takes his ship and crew to the nearest working Space Bridge and get out there.

Transformers: Prime (2010)

Optimus appears in Transformers: Prime, voiced by Peter Cullen.

Long ago, Optimus was just Orion Pax and he worked as a clerk in the Cybertronian records library. Because of this, he learned much about Cybertron’s history and of the Primes and so he always had strong feelings about the corruption in higher places. He was motivated by a gladiator who named himself after one of the original 13 Primes – Megatronus – who vowed to challenge Cybertron’s leadership. Orion would become Megatronus’ apprentice and Megatronus would leave the arena to join in Cybertronian politics and as he did, he shortened his name to Megatron. However, as the approached the council, Megatronus showed that he actually wanted to overthrow them by force and become the next Prime. Orion then spoke to the council and they were moved by his words and wisdom and was the first they had seen in a while who was worthy to become a Prime. Megatron would then severe his ties with Orion and the council, formed the Decepticons and waged war on all who opposed him. Cybertron would be ravaged by the war and Orion would then travel to the center of Cybertron where Primus himself gave him the matrix of leadership – thus turning Orion Pax into Optimus Prime.

Years of war against his old friend/rival, Megatron, have brought Optimus and his team to Earth. After Optimus and his team first met humans on Earth, they allied with them. During their fight against the Decepticons on the planet, Optimus and the other Autobots were subject to many disadvantages, managing to pull through every time in their various mission to stop Megatron’s exploitations of Earth’s vast Energon resources. Following a near death experience and an upgrade by the Forge of Solus Prime, he gains a jetpack, a larger size, and an all-terrain expeditionary fighting vehicle for an alternate mode. During this time he is shown to be capable of flight and seems to have increased his strength as he is seen taking down a whole group of Insecticons easily. After restoring Cybertron to life at the end of the third season, the series’ finale movie, Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising, saw his recovery of the AllSpark and subsequent sacrifice to save it from Unicron and return it to Cybertron’s core.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)

The sequel series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise sees Optimus contacting Bumblebee to warn him of danger on Earth-a prison ship’s compliment of Decepticon prisoners escaping upon the ship crashing and appearing briefly in physical form to help Bumblebee’s unlikely new team defeat the Decepticon Underbite. Optimus appears throughout the first season as a vision to Bumblebee, though he is only allowed to do so when the latter’s need is dire. Residing in the “Realm of the Primes”, Optimus Prime begins training to combat an “ultimate evil” where his first part of the training is overseen by Micronus Prime. At the conclusion of the first season, Optimus is upgraded by the Thirteen Primes when the Fallen arrives on Earth, during which he gains a body that closely resembles his Beast Hunters form. After the Fallen is seemingly destroyed, Optimus Prime remains with Bumblebee’s group, though he states he would only do so as Bumblebee’s “equal”, rather than leader. However, the Thirteen subsequently reclaim the additional power they granted him, leaving him weakened but still determined to aid the team.

Film

Transformers Official Movie Prequel

Long ago, Optimus Prime and High Lord Protector Megatron ruled Cybertron as equals. Then one day, something would change in Megatron and he would create an army of separatists called Decepticons who would wage war and desired to obtain the Allspark. Optimus believed that none of their lives mattered compared to the Allspark because it has the power to bring life anywhere. So Optimus would ultimately make plans to launch the Allspark into deep space to keep it from getting corrupted by Megatron.

Transformers (2007)

Optimus Prime in the Transformers film directed by Michael Bay, and produced by Steven Spielberg. He is voiced by Peter Cullen who reprized his role from the TV series. In it he sends Bumblebee to Earth to find the Sam Witwicky before the Decepticons do. After receiving Bumblebee signal he and Ironhide, Ratchet, and Jazz make their way to earth where they crash land and find a forms to hide on Earth. They then meet with Sam and Mikaela and tell them of whats happening, and tell him about the Allspark and his great-grandfather glasses that have it’s location etched in the lenses. Optimus leads the autobots in the defence of the Allspark and the humans, although Megatron ultimately defgeats him, he is saved by Sam Witwicky who thrusts the allspark into Megatron’s core.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Alliance

After the battle with the Decepticons in Mission City, the Autobots finish off all the Allspark mutations and then Optimus orders the Autobots to leave the area and he and Ironhide would retrieve Jazz’s remains. Optimus then requests Lennox’s help because of the arrival of humans who they don’t trust. Ironhide loads Jazz’s remains into a trailer which Optimus then attaches to himself. A month later, Optimus and the other Autobots are called to a junkyard where they meet with Lennox to assist with disposing of the Decepticon remains. Later at a base in the Nevada desert, Optimus arrives and insists that he handles the remains of Jazz. He then gives the humans the last piece of the allspark to guard for the time being. However, he regrets this decision as they are escorting the remains of the dead bots and sends Bumblebee and Ironhide back to retrieve it. Optimus soon arrives back at the Nevada base and takes back the allspark piece, which had earlier revived Wreckage on accident, and says that can’t let such an incident happen again. Later, Optimus and the others are there when Jazz’s body is laid to rest in the ocean and then the disposal of the Decepticons. Later, Lennox and Optimus form a team of humans and Autobots called NEST, and together they hunt down any Decepticons left on Earth. However, through all the battles they learn that the Decepticons mostly seem to be scouts and not warriors and they seem to be looking for something. As time passed, more Autobots would arrive on Earth and they would continue destroying Decepticons from around the world.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Defiance

Long ago, Optimus was in charge of the science division on Cybertron while Megatron commanded the military. One day, an archaeological discover causes the Allspark to emit energy at a higher rate and Optimus and Megatron talk about whether it could be another source of energon. As they speak, Arcee arrives and informs Megatron and Optimus of a discovery and it has some kind of pattern on it. As they see it, Megatron ordered Optimus to free it at once and Optimus said that it would take time but they are attacked by a group of aliens, and so Optimus works quickly to free it and takes it to Megatron’s quarters. After the battle, Optimus tends to the victims and they try to learn if the what the aliens desired but they all seem to be dead and so Optimus goes to Megatron to see what he knows. As he arrives at Megatron’s quarters, Megatron says that they are going to war and Optimus is to gather his troops but Optimus protests against this as his team are not meant for war and it goes against what their society is based on. Later, Optimus makes a speech to the science division about the alien attack and how Megatron wants them to go to war with the aliens and he begs them not to follow him because it goes against what their civilization is based on. While Megatron is away at war with the aliens who attacked them earlier, Optimus breaks into Megatron’s quarters to investigate it and they find the artifact from before albeit in a much better condition. Optimus wonders why this only this artifact survived and why it’s in such good condition but Megatron finishes battle with the aliens so they are forced to leave before his return. They then start investigating other artifacts and learn that one of the symbols on an artifact matches with one on Optimus’ head, which means Optimus is one of the Primes. As Optimus, Ratchet, and Arcee revisit the site looking for other info, Prowl then comes with orders from Megatron to arrest Optimus for treason. Optimus questions how he has committed treason and they say they’re just following orders. As they are being escorted through Metrotitan, they are attacked by Starscream. Optimus orders the others to go and leave behind their explosive charge, takes down Starscream, and then escapes with the help of the explosive charges left behind by other Autobots. Prime later learns from Ironhide that Megatron now calls his troops Decepticons and soon discover he is also building a massive ship for some reason. After it leaves, Optimus increases his troops and soon the Autobots and Decepticons wage war which ravages Cybertron. Eventually, Prime devises a plan to take the Allspark and launch it into deep space to keep it from Megatron.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Optimus will return for the sequel in it he is working with Lennox and his team in hunting and destroying Decepticons. He soon discovers the Decepticons are up to something and asks Sam Witwicky for help but he refuses claiming he doesn’t want to get involved only to find out he is involved more than he thinks. Soon Starscream returns with a army of Decepticons in getting revenge. It is said Optimus will be able to combine with Jetfire (a concept seen in Transformers Armada). Instead Jetfire will become an armor for Optimus giving him more weapons and the ability to fly.

In the movie, Optimus starts out hunting Decepticons in Shanghai, China with N.E.S.T. and takes down Demolisher but not before receiving a message saying ” The Fallen will rise again”. Later, he is questioned at N.E.S.T. base in Diego Garcia about why the Decepticons haven’t left despite the destruction of the Allspark. He is told it may be because they are after the Autobots and Optimus says if that is true, he will have the Autobots leave, but also tells him he may be wrong. Later on, he talks to Sam about the symbols Sam sees in his head and later rescues Sam from Megatron. In the ensuing fight Optimus is heavily outnumbered by Decepticons and is killed by Megatron.

Later on, he is brought back to life by the Matrix of Leadership in Egypt and then combines with Jetfire’s parts, making him powerful enough to fight the Fallen and Megatron simaltaneously and does battle with them. He takes out Megatron and then rips off the Fallen’s face, and then punches out his spark, killing him. Then the Autobots return to the U. S. and Optimus says that they will discover more about the connected past of the humans and Cybertron together.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Optimus appears again in the 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Optimus receives his own armory consisting of weapons and flight tech that transforms into a trailer for him to carry in vehicular form. After assisting NEST operatives in fighting Shockwave at Chernobyl, Optimus learns that the humans have concealed the discovery of a Cybertronian ship on the moon. He and Ratchet go to investigate the Ark, where they recover Sentinel Prime, Optimus’s predecessor and mentor.

Optimus returns him to life using the Matrix of Leadership back on Earth, explaining how they lost the war and Cybertron has become a barren wasteland. Later Optimus shows Sentinel the natural beauty of Earth, and takes the opportunity to offer him the Matrix, but was allowed to keep it. Sentinel later betrayed the Autobots, having formed an alliance with the Decepticons because he wants to restore life to Cybertron.

Optimus attempted to reason with Sentinel, but failed as several Decepticons came through a space bridge. After Sentinel Prime insisted that the humans expel the Autobots from Earth, the Wreckers prepare the Autobot ship Xantium for flight. Sam attempts to find out what their counter-attack plan is, but Optimus states they have none, and that Earth’s fight is their own. During the departure, the Autobots escape in the first booster stage and return to Earth before Starscream destroys the ship. Arriving in Chicago, Optimus shoots down a Decepticon fighter as he tells Sam and Epps that he never expected the Decepticons to keep their word and that they are going to fight back. Optimus loses his trailer when Shockwave and his Driller arrive. He manages to retrieve it later and uses it as a flight pack, decaptitating the Driller’s main head. During the battle, Optimus got caught in exposed wires and the Wreckers helped free him. Flying down onto the main battlefield, he abandoned his flight pack and used the momentum to attack and kill many Decepticons before he finally killed Shockwave.

After using Shockwave’s cannon to disable the control pillar for the space bridge, Optimus fights Sentinel Prime. Optimus Prime’s right arm is cut off and Sentinel is about to end Optimus’s life when Megatron intervenes and attacks Sentinel. After defeating Sentinal Prime, Megatron proposed a truce, but, instead, Optimus slices his head off, killing the Decepticon leader. Optimus then grabs Megatron’s shotgun and prepares to execute Sentinel, who pleads for his life, saying that he betrayed Optimus just because he wanted to save their race. Optimus executes him anyway, replying that Sentinel betrayed himself. With the Decepticons defeated and the war finally over, Optimus and the Autobots accept Earth as their true home.

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

For Transformers: Age of Extinction, Optimus Prime initially transforms into a rusty 1973 Marmon semi cab-over truck and later on a new alternate mode in a blue and red Western Star 5700 Custom semi-truck. He has a new sword and shield, and rides a newly tamed Grimlock into battle through Hong Kong. He kills Lockdown and Harold Attinger at the film’s climax as revenge for killing many of his friends, including Ratchet and Leadfoot.

Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Optimus Prime will return in Transformers: The Last Knight.

Video Games

The Transformers (PS2)

Revenge of the Fallen – The Game (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC)

Transformers: War for Cybertron (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)

Transformers: Cybertron Adventures

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Transformers: Prime – The Game

Transformers: Forged to Fight (2017) (Mobile)

Optimus Prime (G1) is a Tactician Class playable character and enemy, he is a 1-4 star rank character.

Game Bio: From his humble beginnings as Orion Pax to his indisputable role as the greatest Autobot leader ever, Optimus Prime is the embodiment of heroic valor and righteousness. “Lead by example” is the virtue he lives by every cycle of every day.

Optimus Prime was released on April 5^th, 2017.

Optimus Prime (2007 Movie) is a Brawler Class playable character and enemy, he is a 1-4 star rank character.

Game Bio: He is the Cybertronian definition of altruism, sacrifice, and leadership. Always the bot with a plan, Optimus’ tactical skills are only matched by his prowess in combat. If you are a sentient being, rest assured the legendary Autobot leader is valiantly fighting for your freedom!

Optimus Prime was released on April 5^th, 2017.