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Optimus Prime
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Autobot Commander
First Comic Appearance: Transformers #1
"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
Profile:
If he had been on Earth, he would be a doctor, a mechanic, a scientist
and a warrior. But on Cybertron there is no difference between these
professions. So Optimus uses his skills to heal and repair- which are
the same things to Autobots- to improve the world around him and, if
necessary, to fight. Both in power and intelligence, he has no equal.
He has the personality of an Abraham Lincoln. He can be immensely kind
and his compassion extends to all that lives, including the creatures
of Earth. Yet he will battle unceasingly to protect the weak and defend
what he believes in. To accomplish this, Optimus knows that the
Decepticons must be defeated for all time.
Abilities: In
robot mode. Optimus Prime actually splits into three components. The
Optimus module is the robotic sentient being that is the storehouse of
his vast knowledge and strength. He can lift 4,000,000 lbs. and a blow
from his fist exerts a force of 12,000 lbs. per sq. inch. He carries a
laser rifle and can burn a hole in the nosecone of a Decepticon jet
fighter at a distance of 30 miles, aided by his outstanding visual
acuity. His Prime module, also known as Roller, is a small cart-shaped
device that he uses to unobtrusively slip behind enemy lines. He can
maintain radio control over it at distances up to 1200 miles. Having
Roller present somewhere is like being there himself. He can operate by
remote-control his Combat Deck module up to a distance of 1500 feet.
The Auto-Launcher mounted on the Deck can use a variety of artillery
and radiation beam weapons, including most of those used by his fellow
Autobots. The Launcher also includes a highly dexterous grapple-arm
which allows it to load itself and change its weaponry. The
communications disk antenna mounted on the launcher provides a link
between Optimus and all his fellow Autobots within a radius of 50
miles. It can be adapted to a satellite hook-up that increases its
effective range 10-fold.
Weaknesses: Although Optimus Prime can function
as three independent modules, injury to any one ot the modules is felt
by the other two. Roller is particularly vulnerable, especially in the
behind-the-lines situations in which he specializes. However, the
Optimus module is by far the most important component of the trio.
Although he could survive without the other two, they could not survive
without him. Otherwise, the only weakness he could be accused of having
is being too compassionate and concerned about the safety of others. He
would be a more effective military commander if he were more ruthless,
but then he wouldn't be Optimus Prime.
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POWERMASTER OPTIMUS PRIME
Allegiance: AUTOBOT
Sub-Group: POWERMASTER
Master Component: HI Q
Function: AUTOBOT
COMMANDER
First Comic Appearance:
TRANSFORMERS #1 (Hi Q -- TRANSFORMERS #42)
"Freedom is the right of all sentient
beings."
Profile: Sage, scholar,
soldier- Optimus Prime is all this and more. To peace-loving beings
across the galaxy the revered leader of the Autobots is the living
symbol of freedom -- a beacon that shines against the forces of
darkness. To his followers he is a bottomless well of inspiration and
courage from which they draw their strength. And to the evil
Decepticons he is the one force in the universe who can shatter their
dreams of galactic conquest. He has dedicated his existence to the
protection of all life forms -- mechanical, organic and otherwise. His
wisdom and compassion are legendary. Although fate has set his course
on a path of destruction and strife, his greatest desire is to bring
peace and harmony to all inhabited worlds everywhere. Optimus Prime is
binary bonded-to Hi Q, a humanoid whose genius in computer programming
and design was renowned on his home planet of Nebulos. There he ran the
Hi Q Industrial Research Complex, a facility that had, over the past
few decades, dramatically improved the quality of life for his people.
While trying to help several Autobots rebuild Optimus Prime, he made
the decision to join the Autobots and defend Nebulos against a
Decepticon attack. To do so, he and several of his employees underwent
The Powermaster Process, which, through bio-engineering, gave them the
ability to transform into the engines that their Autobot partners
required to power their fight against the Decepticons. Hi Q was paired
with Optimus Prime. So far their collaborative efforts have met with
great success.
Abilities: Optimus Prime
is the strongest and most intelligent of all the Autobots. His
strategic, logic, and programming skills have no equal among
Transformers. He splits into-three modules: robot, auxiliary and battle
station. The van portion of his trailer truck mode transforms into the
robot or "Optimus" module, which is the part of him that is sentient
and is most commonly referred to as Optimus Prime. In this mode he can
lift 4,000,000 pounds and exert a force of 12,000 pounds per square
inch with a single punch. He carries a laser rifle with which he can
bum a hole in the nose cone of a Decepticon jet at a distance of 30
miles. And with his outstanding visual acuity, he rarely misses. His
auxiliary or "Prime" module is a small cart-shaped device that he
stores in his trailer portion and occasionally uses to sneak behind
enemy lines for reconnaissance purposes. He can maintain radio control
over it within a 1200-mile radius. Having his auxiliary unit in the
field is like being there himself. The trailer portion of his truck
turns into his battle station module, which also serves as an armed
fortress. It is equipped with two concussion blasters, two twin
particle beam cannons, an auto-launcher that shoots a variety of
artillery and radiation beam weapons, and a landing platform. An
antenna within the battle station allows Optimus Prime to control it
and also to maintain a radio link to all Autobots within a 50-mile
radius. The antenna can be adapted to a satellite hookup, which
provides a tenfold increase in its effective range. In robot mode, he
can combine with his trailer module and more than double his size and
quadruple his strength. Traditionally, the elders of the Transformer
race have bestowed upon an individual of great courage and wisdom the
Creation Matrix, an intricate program encoded in light patterns within
a crystal. The Matrix grants its bearer the amazing ability to help
create new Transformer life within the lifeless shell of a newly
constructed Transformer body. Since the beginning of the
Autobot-Decepticon war, an Autobot Commander has typically possessed
the Matrix. The most recent Autobot leader to be so honored was Optimus
Prime.
Weaknesses: Although
Optimus Prime can function as three separate modules, injury to any one
of them is felt by the other two. The auxiliary unit is particularly
vulnerable. However, the Optimus module is by far the most important
unit of the trio. Although he could survive without the other two, they
could not survive without him. Otherwise, the only weakness he could be
accused of having is compassion and concern for the safety of others.
He would be a more effective military commander if he were more
ruthless, but then he wouldn't be Optimus Prime.
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The leader of the Autobots in most continuities. Generally considered the opposite to Megatron, leader of the Decepticons.
Originally created by the Quintessons as part of their consumer goods
line of robots. First named Orion Pax, he admired the Decepticons,
unaware of the full extent of their plans. Just prior to the first
Cybertronian Civil War, Orion was critically injured in a Decepticon
attack. Transfered into a new body by Alpha Trion, he was renamed
Optimus Prime. Sometime afterwards, he became the uncontested Autobot
Leader. During his 4-million year deactivation period, other Autobots
took his place on Cybertron, but upon his return, the leadership was
given back to him.
Presumably, when he became Autobot Leader, the Autobot Matrix of
Leadership was passed on to him from the previous commander.
Optimus Prime died in 2005 after a fierce battle with Megatron
during a Decepticon invasion of Autobot City. The Matrix was passed to
Ultra Magnus only seconds before Prime's death. He was reanimated
temporarily by the Quintessons in 2006 for the express purpose of
leading the Autobots into a trap. During this time, Rodimus Prime, the
present Autobot Leader, returned the Matrix to him. Soon after, the
Quintesson plot was revealed and Optimus, in an attempt to save the
Autobots from the trap, piloted a ship to certain destruction after
giving the Matrix once again to Rodimus.
Some time after, Optimus's body was discovered by a team of human
scientists testing out a new form of shielding. His body was brought
back to Earth, where strange spores were found on his body. The spores
were soon found to cause madness and violence in those infected. One of
the scientists, a man who blamed the Transformers for his daughter's
need for bionic implants, infected the robots with the spores, but also
inadvertantly caused every being in the galaxy to fall prey to the same
illness, called the "Hate Plague" by those uninfected. After Rodimus
was infected as well, Sky Lynx sought the aid of the Quintessons so
they could reanimate Optimus Prime, whom they hoped could regain the
Matrix in order to combat the plague. Prime, protected by the same
shielding that was being tested when he was found, was revived and sent
after Rodimus. After a brief battle, Optimus took back the Matrix and
released its energy, causing the madness to dissipate. Optimus has
remained Autobot Leader, and holder of the now powerless Matrix, ever
since.
Article submitted by Francisco Cividanes.
Beast Wars Addendum:
Sometime after the Ark had crashed, but before human civillization,
Megatron II and Blackarachnia located and entered the Ark. While the
Maximals tried to get inside, Megatron II flew into the room containing
Optimus Prime, who was enormous in comparison to the diminuitive
Predacon. Hoping that killing Prime would change history to favor the
Decepticons, he fired at full power into Optimus Prime's head.
Nothing is currently known about Optimus Prime before the
Cybertronian Civil Wars started. During the war, Optimus rose in rank and was already considered a
great leader by the time he became a lieutenant.
Sometime after, he became Autobot Leader, and inherited the
Creation Matrix, a program with the power
to instill life into and control non-sentient machines.
When it was discovered that Cybertron would soon
pass through an asteroid field (presumably that of the Sol system), Optimus was called upon to take
an elite team of Autobots in the starship Ark to clear a path through it.
Immediately after completing their task, the Decepticons, led by Megatron, attacked them. Low on
energon, Optimus sent the Ark plummeting into the Earth. 4 million years later, all aboard awoke and
renewed their conflict. The Autobots were soundly defeated when Shockwave, who was not
aboard the Ark when it crashed, joined the battle.
With his cranial unit (head) separated from his body, Optimus
could do little as Shockwave utilized the Matrix
within him to create the Constructicons. However, Prime managed to transfer the Matrix temporarily
to Buster Witwicky to thwart Shockwave. Following his rescue, Prime managed to create several more
Transformers, including the Aerialbots and, unintentionally, the Stunticons.
In a simulated battle with Megatron, Optimus was forced to compromise his principles to defeat Megatron,
who was cheating via a software "back door". As a result, Prime forfeited the victory, allowing himself
to be destroyed as per the pre-arranged agreement. Unknown to anyone, the
human who oversaw the simulation, Ethan Zachary, saved Prime's personality to a floppy disk.
Later, Zachary discovered that Optimus's personality survived
the transfer to disk, but did not realize he was
alive and sentient. The disk was taken to Nebulos, where
Hi-Q, a scientist was able to create a new
body for Optimus. Because Nebulan fuel had been made poisonous to
Transformer life, Hi-Q underwent
the Powermaster process and binary-bonded himself to Prime, thus creating Powermaster Optimus
Prime.
Despite having lost the Matrix (now encased in a physical shell) in his old body, Optimus was still able to
sense the approach of Unicron, the planet-sized demigod. He ordered a search for the Matrix, which,
he was convinced, was the only force capable of stopping Unicron. The Decepticon Thunderwing was
able to obtain the Matrix, which had been tainted
by evil, for himself. Although driven nearly insane
by the overwhelming power, Thunderwing was able to grasp his sanity just long enough
to allow himself to be impaled by an Autobot harpoon and flung into space.
Prime, believing the Matrix to be destroyed in the battle,
surrendered the Autobot Army to the Decepticon
Leader Scorponok for the sole purpose of uniting the Transformer race against Unicron. Scorponok
reluctantly agreed, and all the Earth-bound Transformers were teleported to Cybertron by Primus.
There, they were almost immediately attacked by Unicron. Optimus, fearing
the worst, released Hi-Q to escape the carnage. At this time, Thunderwing, who had been repaired
by the Matrix, returned to Cybertron. Prime managed to take the Matrix from him, and then flew into
Unicron to release its energy. The resulting explosion destroyed Unicron, but Prime's body was
caught in the energies and ripped apart as well.
After the battle, Hi-Q was attacked by ancient
Cybertronian creatures who were apparently brought to the
surface by the death of Primus during the fighting. While the Dinobots protected him, Grimlock found
himself paralyzed by the experimental Nucleon fuel in his body. Realizing that Grimlock's body was
undergoing a metamorphasis, Hi-Q tapped into that power and unintentionally caused himself
to merge minds with Optimus Prime. Eventually, he discovered the Last Autobot, a Transformer of
immense age and power who was able to rejuvenate Cybertron and even bring dead Autobots back to
life. He recreated Hi-Q/Optimus into a new body
(Actionmaster Prime), who in turn convinced the
Decepticons to leave and promise not to return.
Years later, Bludgeon (predictably) did return and
ordered his Decepticons to attack Earth to lure Optimus
into a trap. Facing another threat which required help from his enemies, Prime went to Earth to talk to
Bludgeon. However, Bludgeon was destroyed by Megatron on Earth, who had been rebuilt with far more
power than before. Optimus was torn apart by the far superior Megatron, who then took
the Matrix from him.
Ironically, Optimus was eventually given back the Matrix by Starscream, who realized that whoever
possessed the Matrix would eventually be turned to the side of good. Prime then allowed himself
to be consumed by the Swarm, an offshoot of the Transformer race. In touching the Matrix,
the Swarm became benevolent and recreated Optimus's body into his Combat Hero form.
Article submitted by Francisco Cividanes.
Optimus Prime (probably going by a different name before he received the
Creation Matrix) trained as a medic before the war on Cybertron. He was also
Iacon's chief athlete.