Cybertron
Encyclopedia
Cybertron is a fictional planet, the homeworld of the Transformers
in the various fictional incarnations of the metaseries and toyline by Hasbro
. In the Japanese series, the planet is referred to as "Cybertron" (first shown on Japanese Galaxy Force packaging, despite the fact that "Cybertron" is the Japanese name for "Autobot") pronounced as セイバートロン Seibātoron. Cybertron is populated by mechanical life forms of variable size who can transform into all kinds of machinery. These are called Cybertronians, or Transformers.
, which would logically mean it possessed incredibly dense gravity, and yet it did not, possibly as a result of its hollow structure, honeycombed as it is by tunnels. However, in later depictions the art suggests Cybertron is much smaller, particularly during the attack by Unicron
(detailed in On the Edge of Extinction in UK #319 to #322, US #75), where the scale differences between humans, individual Transformers and the ‘planet-sized’ Unicron suggest Cybertron to be closer in size to the earths moon, as depicted in the cartoon continuity.
Cybertron has a metallic surface, although whether this extends to the core is debatable: in The Legacy of Unicron (UK #146 to #151) and later in Primal Scream (UK #259 to 261, US #61) it is revealed to have originally been ‘space junk’, the composition of which is unknown. The atmosphere is breathable by carbon-based life, but liquid water is rare enough on the planet that its existence is in doubt. Cybertron previously orbited Alpha Centauri
, but was later thrown out of orbit and sent wandering through the galaxy.
, an older universe existed, which was destroyed - consumed - by the fallen deity, Unicron
. In the void of nothingness left in the universe's wake, Unicron slumbered, his work done... but Unicron had not been thorough enough, and tiny particles of the old universe that remained reacted with one another, birthing the current universe we know to day. When Unicron awoke, his task began again, as he consumed world after world, until the sentient core of the universe responded by creating a guardian to battle Unicron - the Lord of the Light, Primus
. Unfortunately, Primus proved no physical match for Unicron, and in a bid to save the worlds that they were destroying with the ferocity of their battle, shifted the conflict to the astral plane
, where he fared no better. In a final gamble, Primus returned to the physical universe, and Unicron hastily following, eager for the kill - unaware that Primus was luring him into a trap. Rather than materialising back in their energy forms, Unicron and Primus's consciousnesses became imprisoned in two metallic asteroids; Primus had sacrificed himself in order to capture Unicron.
However, Unicron was not beaten. After millennia, Unicron was able to psionically reshape his asteroid prison into a massive metal planet, and from there into a robot form, allowing him to continue his destruction. Primus followed suit, crafting his asteroid into a similar metal world - Cybertron. And on Cybertron, he gave birth to a race of beings called Transformers, possessed of transforming powers like Unicron's, and he bestowed upon them the Creation Matrix, a genetic Matrix that contained his essence, as capable of creating life as Unicron was of destroying it. And then, to hide his work from Unicron, Primus fell to sleep, his massive visage nestled at the planet's heart.
Knowing nothing of their creation or the destiny they were to fulfil, the Transformers eventually splintered into two factions - the politically dissident Decepticon
s, who waged war on the peaceful Autobot
s. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, schemed to turn Cybertron into the ultimate weapon, a warworld that would wreak havoc across the galaxy, and the resulting war knocked Cybertron out of its orbit and set it adrift in the universe. Around four million years BC, Cybertron's path brought it into the Sol system, heading directly for the asteroid belt
, which threatened to heavily damage the planet. Autobot leader Optimus Prime led a contingent of his warriors aboard the Ark to destroy the rocks in Cybertron's path, but once they had succeeded, they were attacked by the Decepticons, causing all involved to be trapped in stasis on prehistoric Earth.
But life on Cybertron continued. Consequently, the young war lord Trannis took control of the Decepticon army on the planet, and led a fierce campaign against the Autobots, reclaiming the cities they had taken, levelling the capital city-state of Iacon, and executing the Autobot council of elders, save for Emirate Xaaron, who fled with his troops and continued to fight. Xaaron formed an elite Autobot strike team, the Wreckers, who succeeded in assassinating Trannis, only to find thing go from bad to worse when the even more dangerous Lord Straxus
took his place, forcing Xaaron and his men into hiding, fighting a guerilla war from a number of "Autobases" across the planet, headed up by Fortress Maximus
and Perceptor
, among others. Maximus's team, however, soon abandoned Cybertron, tiring of war and seeking peace on the planet Nebulos.
When the Transformers stranded on Earth were reactivated in 1984, the Decepticons succeeded in getting a message to Cybertron, and Straxus responded by arranging for the construction of a space bridge between the worlds. In a confrontation with Blaster
aboard the bridge, Straxus's body was destroyed, leaving him a decapitated head, which in turn forced him to attempt the mental possession of Megatron's body. Megatron did not take kindly to this, and retaliated by destroying Straxus, leaving the Decepticon fuel auditor, Ratbat
, as Cybertron's local Decepticon commander.
Little of import occurred on Cybertron in the immediate future as, more and more, the war spilled over to Earth, with the Autobot and Decepticon commanders summoning more and more warriors to the planet. Ratbat's death in the Underbase affair allowed a triumvirate of three Decepticons - Siezer, Legonis and Octus - to established themselves as rulers on Cybertron while Scorponok led on Earth, but following their destruction by Megatron, and his own subsequent disappearance, their appointed replacement, Thunderwing
, took control and dispatched the Mayhem Attack Squad to track down the Autobot Pretenders. When the ensuing battle resulted in the malfunction of a teleportation portal, Grimlock
, Bumblebee
and Jazz
found themselves at the core of Cybertron, bearing witness to the visage of Primus, and learned of his legend from the ancient "Keeper". The Keeper was then stuck down by the Mayhems, and the battle that followed briefly awakened Primus, who unleashed a single scream that was heard on the fringes of known space... by Unicron.
As Unicron bore down on the planet, he sent an agent, Galvatron, ahead to sow terror in his name. But Galvatron chafed in Unicron's service and instead awoke Primus, who possessed Emirate Xaaron and teleported every Transformer back to Cybertron in order to unite them, as Unicron attacked the planet. Although Optimus Prime was able to use the Creation Matrix to destroy Unicron, it seemed that Cybertron was to meet its end by other means - tremors and storms began to pervade the planet, which seemed to be tearing itself apart, forcing the remaining Autobots and Decepticons to flee. In actuality, however, the final wave of Matrix energy released in Unicron's destruction had begun a planet-wide rebirth, which was then guided to conclusion by the Last Autobot, restoring and regenerating Cybertron, which the Autobots then occupied.
but the story was originally told in British comics. The Primus story is recounted three times under Simon Furman
- in order: Transformers UK #150, Transformers US #61, and US #74, and while the Primus/Unicron battle and ultimate solution are always the same, the background to their fight differs in each telling.
The first (told by Unicron) has Primus and Unicron leading armies of similar beings at the dawn of the universe. The second (told by the Primus Chamber's Keeper) had the two as the last of their respective pantheons and Primus needing to stop Unicron before he could pass on from this realm. The third, told by Primus, has Unicron destroying the previous universe and trying to end the current one, with Primus being formed by the "sentient core" of this universe to stop him.
By the third re-telling, the idea that Unicron and Primus were related to similar entities had been dropped and was not picked up again.
, a dark, destructive byproduct of the reproduction which ventured into space and destroyed other worlds and races, just as these "second generation" Cybertronians left Cybertron under the command of Jhiaxus, and began colonising other planets. When the Swarm returned with the intention of consuming Cybertron, the world of its origin, Optimus Prime used the Matrix to purify it.
's Transformers: The Ultimate Guide included illustrations and descriptions of Cybetron’s surface, including an image of Iacon itself. The Guide, first published in 2004, drew on both the Marvel comic continuity and the then recent depictions of Cybertron and Iacon from the Dreamwave Transformers: The War Within
comic book series. This included elements such as the Stellar Galleries from the latter series, not documented in the original Marvel run.
as a factory with assembly lines creating soldier ("military hardware") and worker ("consumer goods") robots. Following a rebellion which drove the Quintessons off the planet, the workers became the Autobot
s and the soldiers became the Decepticon
s. These two factions eventually engaged in civil war, which forms the basis of the various Transformers stories. Some time between the Quintesson occupation and the Autobot/Decepticon war, Cybertron entered a "golden age", with the planet becoming an actual gold color. The energy demands of the war eventually returned Cybertron to its original coloration.
Cybertron, as presented in the original The Transformers
animated series, was considerably smaller than the planet Earth. Entirely metallic on the surface, some of the lowest levels of Cybertron consist of rock and dirt, suggesting a natural beginning to the planet. Its gravity is light enough that humans are able to traverse the surface without any trouble, and it possesses a breathable atmosphere. Water is not uncommon on the planet - lake and rivers have been shown to exist, albeit sparingly. Cybertron is orbited by at least two unnamed moons, but its own place in the cosmos appears unfixed - in 1984, it was clearly shown to exist outside of the Milky Way
galaxy; however, nine million years prior, Starscream
and Skyfire
had been able to fly from the planet to Earth under their own power, suggesting that it may drift freely through space, and had been passing through the Solar system at that point, going on to drift out of the galaxy over the ensuing millennia.
In the first episode, "More Than Meets the Eye Part 1", the dome structure of Iacon retracts to reveal a launching pad for the Autobot spacecraft the Ark. After Autobot leader Optimus Prime and Decepticon leader Megatron journeyed to Earth, crash landing four million years ago and entering emergency stasis lock, Shockwave
keeps the planet in stalemate until Megatron awakens in 1984. Cybertron's point of origin within the galaxy was never revealed in the original cartoon, but originally required a dimensional space bridge in order to return to the planet from Earth. Later stories depicted the ability to travel to Cybertron via the use of three interstellar Transformers; Skyfire
, Astrotrain
, and Omega Supreme
. During the first two seasons of the original cartoon, Cybertron was brought into the solar system, and twice was close enough to Earth to be seen by the naked human eye.
Travel between Earth and Cybertron became roughly a half a day's journey, as depicted in the 1986 feature film The Transformers: The Movie
. The Decepticons have conquered the planet by 2005, and Cybertron is seen to have at least three moons, two of which are consumed by Unicron. In the aftermath of Unicron
's attack on Cybertron, and subsequent defeat, the Autobots are able to reclaim the planet, forcing the Decepticons to retreat to Chaar, a blackened husk of a world. In the final part of "The Rebirth", Vector Sigma
absorbed the energies of a near-supernova sun, energizing Cybertron and bringing about a new Golden Age. Unicron's head became an artificial satellite, after his body was destroyed.
" (set in 2007), in Japan it was opted to continue the series, and so "The Rebirth" was disregarded in favour of producing Transformers: Headmasters, a full-length 35-episode series set in the year 2011.
In 2011, it was discovered that the release of the energy of the Matrix by Optimus Prime to cure the Hate Plague had much more far-reaching consequences that anyone suspected. With the Matrix's energy depleted, Vector Sigma's balance - previously tilted in favour of the Autobots by the existence of the Matrix - was reset to neutrality, allowing the Decepticons, bolstered by their new Headmaster
troops, to freely invade Cybertron (known as Seibertron in Japan). Eventually, this forced Optimus Prime to sacrifice his life by merging with Vector Sigma in order to stabilise the computer before it destroyed Cybertron from within.
Not long thereafter, Vector Sigma developed a new metal alloy dubbed Cybertonuron, which enticed Galvatron into another raid on the planet. However, the Decepticon Headmaster leader, Zarak
, feared the power that Galvatron would gain from the alloy, and so, to prevent either him or the Autobots from obtaining it, arranged for his Headmasters to plant bombs at the core of the planet, within Vector Sigma's chamber. The Autobots were unable to stop the countdown and the bombs detonating, tearing Cybertron apart and leaving it a charred uninhabitable ruin drifting in space.
era is set some 300 years in the future of the original Transformers G1 continuity, drawing on elements of both the animated series and Marvel comics. With the aid of humankind, the Autobot
s were finally able to succeed in defeating the Decepticon
s, some of whom were granted amnesty. Subsequently, new energy-conservation methods resulted in what was termed "The Great Upgrade", a planet-wide upgrade of Autobot and Decepticon into new, smaller, more energy-efficient forms, leading the races to rename themselves "Maximal
s" and "Predacon
s", respectively. Transformers are now created through the use of "protoform
" technology - produced in Maximal and Predacons facilities nicknamed "The Matrix" and "The Pit" respectively (after the respective Transformer afterlives), protoforms consist of an endoskeleton surrounded by a nanotech gel that reconfigures with the scanning of an alternate mode. By this time, it is apparent that Cybertron has settled into orbit around a star again, and has acquired a new moon.
Cybertron's robot mode, Primus was never seen or mentioned in the original U.S. Transformers television series, the writers of Beast Wars
included Primus to the television mythos with mention of Primus by the Transformers in that series, and the creation of the Covenant of Primus
in the series finale.
and OTFCC comic books suggest that Primus experimented with a small planet before actually transforming himself into Cybertron. This world, named Protos, was where he created the first 12 Transformers, each of them themed after an animal of the zodiac
. Later, Primus created the Original Thirteen Transformers
.
Primus appeared with Alpha Trion
in the Transformers: Universe comic, bringing back Optimus Primal
and guiding him in his battles against Unicron allied Decepticons.
, who stole a ship and escaped to prehistoric Earth with the intent of altering time.
There are many distinct areas of Cybertron. Ranging from locations on the surface, to any of the number of buried ruins. In The Reformatting, the first episode of the Beast Machines
TV show, the Maximals discover the remains of Iacon on Cybertron, deep beneath the planets current surface. The episode suggests that in the intervening years between the end of the G1 / G2 series and the start of Beast Wars, the inhabitants of Cybertron have built over older city-states with new cities, in a similar manner to an onion skin.
As alluded to in Beast Wars, there is a giant amusement park near the northern pole of the planet. Orbiting Cybertron are a number of structures, such as starports and bases. The Tripredicus Council is established on one of these orbiting bases. There are also a number of communication satellites.
Beneath the cityscape surface of the planet lies layer upon layer of earlier civilizations. One entire Autobot era city lies just beneath the surface. Beneath this city lies ruins of older Cybertronian civilizations, all ending in the rocky core of the planet. It is here that the Oracle of Vector Sigma lies. It is also here that the techno-organic core can be accessed.
In the two groups' absence, Cybertronians had undergone another modification called the "Quantum Cycle Upgrade", in which they were individually fitted with alternate mode scanners so they would not have to rely on external mechanisms to do the job for them. Striking fast and hard, Megatron unleashed a transformation-freezing virus on the populous and deployed a small army of "Vehicon
" drones, who extracted the sparks of the virus's hapless victims. Their shells were then used to create more Vehicons, and so it continued until the entire population of Cybertron had their sparks removed, and all that remained were the Vehicons, united under the singular, guiding intelligence of Megatron, who, for all intents and purpose, was now Cybertron itself.
Megatron's perfect technosphere was shattered with the return of Optimus Primal's Maximals, arriving in their intended time period to discover Megatron's mastery of the planet. Reformatted into new technorganic bodies by the Oracle - the shell program that now surrounded Vector Sigma that enabled users to commune with the afterlife dimension called the Matrix - the Maximals subsequently discovered that Cybertron had indeed been an organic world before it acquired its current metallic shell. Uncovering the planet's gelatinous, organic-matter core, Primal believed that the Oracle had charged him with restoring the organic to Cybertron, only for a failed gambit involving the Key to Vector Sigma and the Plasma Energy Chamber to show him the error of his ways - the Oracle did not desire one element to dominate the other, but for a techno-organic balance to be achieved. Even as the body-shifting Megatron attempted to absorb the entire planet's sparks into his own, creating a singular consciousness, his and Primal's final battle saw them tumble into the planet's core, where Primal initiated a planet-wide reformatting, transforming the entire world into a techno-organic paradise.
, Transformers: Energon
and Transformers: Cybertron
. In the miniseries, Cybertron, Primus' material body, is inhabited by Mini-Cons as well as Autobots and Decepticons, who are unaware the Mini-Cons were weapons forged by Unicron
. The war between the Autobots and Decepticons is escalated by Megatron's attempt to gather them. During the escalation, the Mini-Cons liberate themselves and leave the planet in a mass exodus, leading to a four million years (one million years in the Dreamwave comic) stalemate between the two principal forces. Ten years of peace follow Armada (2002–2004) and then Energon (2014). After Cybertrons climax, the planet has an atmosphere more suitable for humans and organic wildlife.
comics, Cybertron orbits Lambda Scorpii
and has been rendered mostly uninhabitable by the war. While Transformers can survive on the surface, they cannot live there indefinitely.
Simon Furman
, creator of the Primus backstory for Transformers, has stated there will be "no Primus. No Unicron" in the IDW Generation 1 comics, and that if Cybertronian prehistory is featured it will be different from previous takes; IDW's publisher confirmed there will be a story featuring Transformer prehistory. While a character exclaims "Primus!" in Megatron Origin #4 (by a different writer), Furman stated in his blog comments "doesn't necessarily mean it's G1 Primus. There are still no plans to do feature [sic] Primus (as was)". He does say it is possible a different being called Primus could have existed.
. Omega and four other guardians subsequently entered stasis below the planet's surface, guarding a reservoir of "Super Energon" for its use in the future. Few other facts from this Cybertron's history are available - it is not clear when the Autobots and Decepticon began warring relative to this event. The presence of a sentient energy core named "Primus
" at the heart of Cybertron in the Armada/Energon universe suggests its history is some variation of the Primus/Unicron
legend. An American-written trading card suggests a story similar to that of the Dreamwave universe - Primus and Unicron are twin heralds, but Unicron turns on Primus and fells him, casting his body into the orbit of a nearby star (alpha Centauri). The card does not state that Primus became Cybertron, but it can be assumed with some degree of certainty.
Eventually, a mysterious, unclarified "cataclysm" struck the planet, following which the small race of robots known as the Mini-Con
s emerged. It would later be discovered that the Mini-Cons were creations of Unicron - currently orbiting Cybertron in a weakened state, disguised as a moon - who had implanted his cells within Cybertron, where they grew and hatched into the Mini-Cons; presumably, then, the cataclysm was caused by Unicron's implantation of his cells. The larger Transformers on Cybertron soon discovered that the Mini-Cons possessed power-enhancing abilities, and began to war over the small robots (it is unclear if the Autobot
s and Decepticon
s were already at war, or if it was the emergence of the Mini-Cons which began the conflict).
Through a complication bout of time-travel, however, the Mini-Cons had the seeds of souls and sentience planted within them at the moment of their creation by a group of time-displaced human children, and as they came to think and feel for themselves, they sought to fulfill their own destiny, by going to Earth to find the humans. The Autobots agreed to aid the Mini-Cons, preferring that they be free and not subject to anyone's will, but the Decepticons still sought to control them, and attacked the launch of the Mini-Con ship, which was crippled as it escaped through a portal, causing it to crash-land on Earth, where the Mini-Cons remained dormant for a million years until they were awakened by the very humans they had come to find. The signal released by their awakening brought the Transformers on Cybertron to Earth in pursuit of them.
Some time into the conflict on Earth, several Autobots and Decepticons followed Optimus Prime and Megatron's teams to Earth, where the battles eventually culminated in Megatron attaining possession of the three Mini-Cons weapons. Returning to Cybertron, he used the weapons to cut a swathe of destruction across the planet, quickly establishing control over the vast majority of it. However, the sudden escalation in the Autobot/Decepticon war caused by the Mini-Cons' reawakening had resulted in a vast increase of the hatred and "negative energy" that powered Unicron, who soon shed his moon disguise and attacked the planet in his re-energized gargantuan robot form. Cybertron took heavy damage from the planet-eater, but by rescuing the Mini-Con weapons from within his body, the Transformers were able to briefly halt his rampage - until Megatron (now Galvatron) challenged Optimus Prime to a final duel, the ferocity of which began to awaken Unicron once again. In the end, Galvatron sacrificed himself to break the circle of hate, leaving the Decepticons allied with the Autobots, working together to restore their shattered world.
Following Megatron's resurrection through the power of Energon, he began a quest to restore Unicron to life, under his control, which eventually led him to move the planet-eater's body through a spacebridge into the vicinity of Cybertron itself. After a series of attacks on the planet, during which Primus's chamber was penetrated by Terrorcons, a reaction between the negatively-charged Energon within Unicron's body, and the positive Energon used by the Autobots caused a rupture in space, leading to a new sector of the universe where the planets consumed by Unicron had been recreated. A series of battles followed which eventually resulted in Unicron's restoration and destruction, save for his consciousness, which continued to exist within Megatron.
Guided by Unicron, Megatron gathered the remnants of his army and attacked Cybertron once more, using the destruction as a cover for his true motive - to acquire the power of the Super Energon, which transformed into Galvatron
. With the aid of Sixshot
, the Decepticons were then able to seize control of Cybertron's computer systems, enshrouding the surface of the planet in a poisonous Energon gas that kept the Autobots at a distance while the Energon Towers were used to propel Cybertron through the spatial rift, into the new region of space. It's motion slowed by a giant-sized, Primus-empowered Optimus Supreme, Cybertron was liberated from the Decepticons when Galvatron turned his attention away from it, using the Super-Energon to grow to colossal size himself and departing the world, heading out to find Unicron's spark, drifting in space.
When Galvatron was subsequently possessed by Unicron's spark, Primus used the Super Energon to create a foundling sun, into which Galvatron plunged himself, preferring to perish than to allow himself to be controlled. But, while appearing to be the end of Unicron's threat, in truth, it was the beginning of a much greater danger...
In 2006, a toy of Cybertron was released as part of the Transformers: Cybertron
toy line. The toy transformed from planet mode into Primus
, the Transformers creator. Of the many cities sculpted into the toys surface, one, painted in gold, clearly resembles the illustration of Iacon from The Ultimate Guide.
for 5.
, Optimus Prime
and Megatron co-ruled Cybertron. The Allspark is responsible for giving life to the Transformers. When Megatron begins a war to control it for himself, Optimus sends it into the depths of outer space in the hope that he can defeat him quickly. The war drags on, and Optimus sends Bumblebee
to retrieve it, because its absence will cause the planet to shut down. It would later be revealed in the third film that Sentinel Prime
was the Autobot leader when the war began and was seemingly killed as he attempted to flee Cyberton with a super weapon. Optimus then took over full command, with the rest of the events likely playing out the same way.
, Cybertron is depicted much in the same way as in the source material: the homeplanet of the Transformers' race. As described in the first film, the AllSpark is the origin of life in Cybertron, and over millenia, its population grew the planet into a powerful empire, peaceful and just, remaining so for eons until the war for possession of the AllSpark broke out. The war was so devastating that it ravaged the planet until it was consumed by death, and the only way to restore Cybertron to its former glory was through the retrieval of the AllSpark, which is the premise from which the film series start and progress to its climax.
In the climax of the first film, Transformers, the AllSpark is destroyed to kill Megatron, so Cybertron cannot be restored. Optimus Prime declares Earth the new home of the Autobots. Cybertron is not shown as a metallic sphere, but a mountainous husk of a planet with large tree-like spires. Dead Cybertronians are shown either hung from them, or left on the "branches" that have been ravaged by war.
In the second film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
, Cybertron was mentioned by Optimus Prime when he told Sam that Earth must not share the same fate as Cybertron: "Whole generations lost". Given these statements and the continuous arrival of both Autobot and Decepticon forces on Earth, it is unclear if Cybertron is even populated by its people at this point.
In the third film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Sentinel Prime attempts to use his space bridge pillars to transport Cybertron right next to Earth, to use humans as slaves to rebuild it. When the transport is interrupted, Cybertron is ultimately destroyed.
's arrival on Cybertron after being transwarped from Earth. Another is the Cybertronian high court meeting to discuss Wasp
, the accused Decepticon spy. The real spy, being Shockwave, also leaves Ultra Magnus wounded on Cybertron, being found by Ironhide
.
, Cybertron is an Energon lacking planet with many buildings and bridges destroyed. There are several locations from the Generation 1 universe include the Decagon and the Iacon Vaults. According to the teaser trailer for War For Cybertron, Cybertron is a satellite of Alpha Centauri. Several times in the game Transformers will exclaim "Thank Primus!" In addition, the Core of Cybertron, (Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.) is a homage to Primus. He is credited simply as "Cybertron".
In the Decepticon Campaign, Megatron forces Omega Supreme to open the door to Cybertron's core and travels there with his minions. Upon arrival, Megatron infects the core of Cybertron with dark energon. Cybertron is then shown being fully corrupted by dark energon. In the Autobot Campaign, Optimus is given the task of removing the dark energon from Cybertron's core by the Autobot Council. Optimus and his team first attempt to rescue Omega Supreme from the Decepticons, who is being tortured by dark energon. The Autobots manage to free Omega Supreme and rely on Ratchet to repair Omega Supreme to the point of opening the gateway to Cybertron's core. During their journey to the core they encounter a corrupted space worm, which later attacks the Autobots when they reach the core. Once the worm is destroyed, Optimus speaks with Cybertron's core. The core informs Optimus that it can repair itself, but it will take several million years, time in which Cybertron will become cold, barren, and lifeless. The core then tells Optimus that if he carries a small piece of the core with him, the core will still survive while it repairs. Optimus accepts the burden and the core relinquishes the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
in the various fictional incarnations of the metaseries and toyline by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
. In the Japanese series, the planet is referred to as "Cybertron" (first shown on Japanese Galaxy Force packaging, despite the fact that "Cybertron" is the Japanese name for "Autobot") pronounced as セイバートロン Seibātoron. Cybertron is populated by mechanical life forms of variable size who can transform into all kinds of machinery. These are called Cybertronians, or Transformers.
Marvel Comics
The comic-book incarnation of Cybertron is described in the first issue as being the size of SaturnSaturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
, which would logically mean it possessed incredibly dense gravity, and yet it did not, possibly as a result of its hollow structure, honeycombed as it is by tunnels. However, in later depictions the art suggests Cybertron is much smaller, particularly during the attack by Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...
(detailed in On the Edge of Extinction in UK #319 to #322, US #75), where the scale differences between humans, individual Transformers and the ‘planet-sized’ Unicron suggest Cybertron to be closer in size to the earths moon, as depicted in the cartoon continuity.
Cybertron has a metallic surface, although whether this extends to the core is debatable: in The Legacy of Unicron (UK #146 to #151) and later in Primal Scream (UK #259 to 261, US #61) it is revealed to have originally been ‘space junk’, the composition of which is unknown. The atmosphere is breathable by carbon-based life, but liquid water is rare enough on the planet that its existence is in doubt. Cybertron previously orbited Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus...
, but was later thrown out of orbit and sent wandering through the galaxy.
Primus and Unicron
Before the Big BangBig Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
, an older universe existed, which was destroyed - consumed - by the fallen deity, Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...
. In the void of nothingness left in the universe's wake, Unicron slumbered, his work done... but Unicron had not been thorough enough, and tiny particles of the old universe that remained reacted with one another, birthing the current universe we know to day. When Unicron awoke, his task began again, as he consumed world after world, until the sentient core of the universe responded by creating a guardian to battle Unicron - the Lord of the Light, Primus
Primus (Transformers)
Primus is the "benevolent" godlike entity in the fictional Transformers comic universe who fought against the Chaos-Bringer Unicron. The Lord of the Light, Primus is the being who created the Transformers to help him defeat Unicron.-Primus and Unicron:...
. Unfortunately, Primus proved no physical match for Unicron, and in a bid to save the worlds that they were destroying with the ferocity of their battle, shifted the conflict to the astral plane
Astral plane
The astral plane, also called the astral world, is a plane of existence postulated by classical , medieval, oriental and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions...
, where he fared no better. In a final gamble, Primus returned to the physical universe, and Unicron hastily following, eager for the kill - unaware that Primus was luring him into a trap. Rather than materialising back in their energy forms, Unicron and Primus's consciousnesses became imprisoned in two metallic asteroids; Primus had sacrificed himself in order to capture Unicron.
However, Unicron was not beaten. After millennia, Unicron was able to psionically reshape his asteroid prison into a massive metal planet, and from there into a robot form, allowing him to continue his destruction. Primus followed suit, crafting his asteroid into a similar metal world - Cybertron. And on Cybertron, he gave birth to a race of beings called Transformers, possessed of transforming powers like Unicron's, and he bestowed upon them the Creation Matrix, a genetic Matrix that contained his essence, as capable of creating life as Unicron was of destroying it. And then, to hide his work from Unicron, Primus fell to sleep, his massive visage nestled at the planet's heart.
Knowing nothing of their creation or the destiny they were to fulfil, the Transformers eventually splintered into two factions - the politically dissident Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
s, who waged war on the peaceful Autobot
Autobot
Autobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
s. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, schemed to turn Cybertron into the ultimate weapon, a warworld that would wreak havoc across the galaxy, and the resulting war knocked Cybertron out of its orbit and set it adrift in the universe. Around four million years BC, Cybertron's path brought it into the Sol system, heading directly for the asteroid belt
Asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets...
, which threatened to heavily damage the planet. Autobot leader Optimus Prime led a contingent of his warriors aboard the Ark to destroy the rocks in Cybertron's path, but once they had succeeded, they were attacked by the Decepticons, causing all involved to be trapped in stasis on prehistoric Earth.
But life on Cybertron continued. Consequently, the young war lord Trannis took control of the Decepticon army on the planet, and led a fierce campaign against the Autobots, reclaiming the cities they had taken, levelling the capital city-state of Iacon, and executing the Autobot council of elders, save for Emirate Xaaron, who fled with his troops and continued to fight. Xaaron formed an elite Autobot strike team, the Wreckers, who succeeded in assassinating Trannis, only to find thing go from bad to worse when the even more dangerous Lord Straxus
Straxus
Lord Straxus is a fictional character from the Transformers series. A toy based on his Marvel comic appearance was released in 2010 under the name Darkmount.-Marvel Comics:Straxus was the Decepticon governor of a province of Cybertron known as Polyhex...
took his place, forcing Xaaron and his men into hiding, fighting a guerilla war from a number of "Autobases" across the planet, headed up by Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus is the name of several fictional characters from several of the various Transformers universes. Fortress Maximus appeared in the season 4 finale of the US Transformers animated series voiced by Stephen Keener. He was one of the stars of the Japanese Transformers: Headmasters...
and Perceptor
Perceptor
Perceptor is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Perceptor transforms into a microscope ....
, among others. Maximus's team, however, soon abandoned Cybertron, tiring of war and seeking peace on the planet Nebulos.
When the Transformers stranded on Earth were reactivated in 1984, the Decepticons succeeded in getting a message to Cybertron, and Straxus responded by arranging for the construction of a space bridge between the worlds. In a confrontation with Blaster
Blaster (Transformers)
Blaster is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara Tomy and Hasbro. Due to trademark reasons, he is sometimes called Autobot Blaster...
aboard the bridge, Straxus's body was destroyed, leaving him a decapitated head, which in turn forced him to attempt the mental possession of Megatron's body. Megatron did not take kindly to this, and retaliated by destroying Straxus, leaving the Decepticon fuel auditor, Ratbat
Ratbat
Ratbat is the name of several fictional characters who appeared in various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:As is the case with many Transformers characters, the various continuities in which Ratbat has appeared have portrayed him widely differently in terms of size, personality,...
, as Cybertron's local Decepticon commander.
Little of import occurred on Cybertron in the immediate future as, more and more, the war spilled over to Earth, with the Autobot and Decepticon commanders summoning more and more warriors to the planet. Ratbat's death in the Underbase affair allowed a triumvirate of three Decepticons - Siezer, Legonis and Octus - to established themselves as rulers on Cybertron while Scorponok led on Earth, but following their destruction by Megatron, and his own subsequent disappearance, their appointed replacement, Thunderwing
Thunderwing
Thunderwing is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. Introduced in 1989, he was a major villain in the Marvel Comics Transformers series. Although Thunderwing was created after the US Transformers television series ended, the character of Black Shadow did appear in...
, took control and dispatched the Mayhem Attack Squad to track down the Autobot Pretenders. When the ensuing battle resulted in the malfunction of a teleportation portal, Grimlock
Grimlock
Grimlock is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a tough leader who turns into a mechanical dinosaur...
, Bumblebee
Bumblebee (Transformers)
Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
and Jazz
Jazz (Transformers)
Jazz is the name of a fictional character from the various Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a music loving robot and talks with a slang accent. He is also a good friend of Optimus Prime's...
found themselves at the core of Cybertron, bearing witness to the visage of Primus, and learned of his legend from the ancient "Keeper". The Keeper was then stuck down by the Mayhems, and the battle that followed briefly awakened Primus, who unleashed a single scream that was heard on the fringes of known space... by Unicron.
As Unicron bore down on the planet, he sent an agent, Galvatron, ahead to sow terror in his name. But Galvatron chafed in Unicron's service and instead awoke Primus, who possessed Emirate Xaaron and teleported every Transformer back to Cybertron in order to unite them, as Unicron attacked the planet. Although Optimus Prime was able to use the Creation Matrix to destroy Unicron, it seemed that Cybertron was to meet its end by other means - tremors and storms began to pervade the planet, which seemed to be tearing itself apart, forcing the remaining Autobots and Decepticons to flee. In actuality, however, the final wave of Matrix energy released in Unicron's destruction had begun a planet-wide rebirth, which was then guided to conclusion by the Last Autobot, restoring and regenerating Cybertron, which the Autobots then occupied.
Revisions and additions
The above is the story of Primus as related in the United States in Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
but the story was originally told in British comics. The Primus story is recounted three times under Simon Furman
Simon Furman
Simon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...
- in order: Transformers UK #150, Transformers US #61, and US #74, and while the Primus/Unicron battle and ultimate solution are always the same, the background to their fight differs in each telling.
The first (told by Unicron) has Primus and Unicron leading armies of similar beings at the dawn of the universe. The second (told by the Primus Chamber's Keeper) had the two as the last of their respective pantheons and Primus needing to stop Unicron before he could pass on from this realm. The third, told by Primus, has Unicron destroying the previous universe and trying to end the current one, with Primus being formed by the "sentient core" of this universe to stop him.
By the third re-telling, the idea that Unicron and Primus were related to similar entities had been dropped and was not picked up again.
Generation 2
In the sequel series to the original Transformers comics, more of the history of Cybertron and the Transformer race was revealed, as Optimus Prime discovered that they had once possessed the ability to asexually reproduce by "budding". This was an ability that ceased to function and was forgotten as part of Primus's design, but a group of Cybertronians discovered it and unlocked it within themselves. They continued to multiply beyond the intended limits of their race, diluting their essences until all that remained were single minded killers arrogant in their own supposed superiority - and The SwarmSwarm (Transformers)
The Swarm is a creature in the fictional world of the Transformers: Generation 2 comic by Marvel Comics.The Swarm is a large, amorphous, black mass of particulate sized, corrosive organisms that travel from planet to planet, seeking out cybernetic life forms. Upon contact with other life forms, the...
, a dark, destructive byproduct of the reproduction which ventured into space and destroyed other worlds and races, just as these "second generation" Cybertronians left Cybertron under the command of Jhiaxus, and began colonising other planets. When the Swarm returned with the intention of consuming Cybertron, the world of its origin, Optimus Prime used the Matrix to purify it.
Dreamwave Productions
Dorling KindersleyDorling Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley is an international publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 51 languages. It is currently part of the Penguin Group....
's Transformers: The Ultimate Guide included illustrations and descriptions of Cybetron’s surface, including an image of Iacon itself. The Guide, first published in 2004, drew on both the Marvel comic continuity and the then recent depictions of Cybertron and Iacon from the Dreamwave Transformers: The War Within
Transformers: The War Within
This article is about the comic book series. For other uses, see The War Within .Transformers: The War Within is a series of comic book mini-series written by Simon Furman and published by Dreamwave Productions featuring Generation One characters with brand new pre-Earth designs.The series focuses...
comic book series. This included elements such as the Stellar Galleries from the latter series, not documented in the original Marvel run.
Animated series
In the TV series, Cybertron is a planet once used by the QuintessonsQuintessons
Quintessons are fictional aliens from the Transformers universe. Within the TV series, they are the creators of the Transformers, although in most other fictional universes featuring the Transformers, they have no such status...
as a factory with assembly lines creating soldier ("military hardware") and worker ("consumer goods") robots. Following a rebellion which drove the Quintessons off the planet, the workers became the Autobot
Autobot
Autobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
s and the soldiers became the Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
s. These two factions eventually engaged in civil war, which forms the basis of the various Transformers stories. Some time between the Quintesson occupation and the Autobot/Decepticon war, Cybertron entered a "golden age", with the planet becoming an actual gold color. The energy demands of the war eventually returned Cybertron to its original coloration.
Cybertron, as presented in the original The Transformers
The Transformers (TV series)
The Transformers is an animated television series depicting a war among giant robots who could transform into vehicles, other objects and animal-like forms. Written and recorded in America, the series was animated in Japan and South Korea...
animated series, was considerably smaller than the planet Earth. Entirely metallic on the surface, some of the lowest levels of Cybertron consist of rock and dirt, suggesting a natural beginning to the planet. Its gravity is light enough that humans are able to traverse the surface without any trouble, and it possesses a breathable atmosphere. Water is not uncommon on the planet - lake and rivers have been shown to exist, albeit sparingly. Cybertron is orbited by at least two unnamed moons, but its own place in the cosmos appears unfixed - in 1984, it was clearly shown to exist outside of the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
galaxy; however, nine million years prior, Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
and Skyfire
Jetfire
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. He is nearly always depicted as an Autobot with jet or space shuttle alternate mode.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
had been able to fly from the planet to Earth under their own power, suggesting that it may drift freely through space, and had been passing through the Solar system at that point, going on to drift out of the galaxy over the ensuing millennia.
In the first episode, "More Than Meets the Eye Part 1", the dome structure of Iacon retracts to reveal a launching pad for the Autobot spacecraft the Ark. After Autobot leader Optimus Prime and Decepticon leader Megatron journeyed to Earth, crash landing four million years ago and entering emergency stasis lock, Shockwave
Shockwave (Transformers)
Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...
keeps the planet in stalemate until Megatron awakens in 1984. Cybertron's point of origin within the galaxy was never revealed in the original cartoon, but originally required a dimensional space bridge in order to return to the planet from Earth. Later stories depicted the ability to travel to Cybertron via the use of three interstellar Transformers; Skyfire
Jetfire
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. He is nearly always depicted as an Autobot with jet or space shuttle alternate mode.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Astrotrain
Astrotrain
Astrotrain is the name of three fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons who can assume the form of a space shuttle.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, and Omega Supreme
Omega Supreme
Omega Supreme is the name of a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. He is always an Autobot and is often depicted as a gigantic transformer with vast strength and/or overwhelming firepower.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. During the first two seasons of the original cartoon, Cybertron was brought into the solar system, and twice was close enough to Earth to be seen by the naked human eye.
Travel between Earth and Cybertron became roughly a half a day's journey, as depicted in the 1986 feature film The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated feature film based on the animated series of the same name. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986 and in the UK on December 5, 1986....
. The Decepticons have conquered the planet by 2005, and Cybertron is seen to have at least three moons, two of which are consumed by Unicron. In the aftermath of Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...
's attack on Cybertron, and subsequent defeat, the Autobots are able to reclaim the planet, forcing the Decepticons to retreat to Chaar, a blackened husk of a world. In the final part of "The Rebirth", Vector Sigma
Vector Sigma
In the fictional universe of the first Transformers animated series, Vector Sigma is the "mega-computer" that gives sentience to non-sentient robots, and is used by the Quintessons to endow their robotic creations with the true life that eventually leads to their rebellion...
absorbed the energies of a near-supernova sun, energizing Cybertron and bringing about a new Golden Age. Unicron's head became an artificial satellite, after his body was destroyed.
Transformers: The Headmasters
While the American Transformers series was concluded with the three-part miniseries, "The RebirthThe Rebirth
-Chart performance:...
" (set in 2007), in Japan it was opted to continue the series, and so "The Rebirth" was disregarded in favour of producing Transformers: Headmasters, a full-length 35-episode series set in the year 2011.
In 2011, it was discovered that the release of the energy of the Matrix by Optimus Prime to cure the Hate Plague had much more far-reaching consequences that anyone suspected. With the Matrix's energy depleted, Vector Sigma's balance - previously tilted in favour of the Autobots by the existence of the Matrix - was reset to neutrality, allowing the Decepticons, bolstered by their new Headmaster
Headmaster (Transformers)
Headmasters are a sub-group of characters from the Transformers meta-series, distinguished by their ability to detach their heads when transforming into their alternate modes, with the heads then transforming themselves into a humanoid form...
troops, to freely invade Cybertron (known as Seibertron in Japan). Eventually, this forced Optimus Prime to sacrifice his life by merging with Vector Sigma in order to stabilise the computer before it destroyed Cybertron from within.
Not long thereafter, Vector Sigma developed a new metal alloy dubbed Cybertonuron, which enticed Galvatron into another raid on the planet. However, the Decepticon Headmaster leader, Zarak
Scorponok
Scorponok is the name shared by several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons that turn into Scorpoins.- Transformers: Generation 1:...
, feared the power that Galvatron would gain from the alloy, and so, to prevent either him or the Autobots from obtaining it, arranged for his Headmasters to plant bombs at the core of the planet, within Vector Sigma's chamber. The Autobots were unable to stop the countdown and the bombs detonating, tearing Cybertron apart and leaving it a charred uninhabitable ruin drifting in space.
Toys
- Transformers 2010 Creator Primus
- To be released in late 2010 as part of TakaraTomy's "Transformers 2010" promotion, which celebrates the year in which the third season of The TransformersThe Transformers (TV series)The Transformers is an animated television series depicting a war among giant robots who could transform into vehicles, other objects and animal-like forms. Written and recorded in America, the series was animated in Japan and South Korea...
was set in Japan, this figure is a redeco of the Cybertron Primus figure. Unlike the Unicron figure being released under the same promotion, no remolding is visible in the pre-release photos. The figure is redecoed such that the planet mode is now predominantly Cybertron's classic metallic silver, in place of the previous blue and white, with gold spires replacing the black ones of the original version of the figure.
Beast Era
The Cybertron of the Beast WarsBeast Wars
Transformers: Beast Wars is a Transformers toyline released by Hasbro between 1995 and 2000, and a Daytime Emmy Award winning full-CG animated television series spawned by it that debuted in 1996...
era is set some 300 years in the future of the original Transformers G1 continuity, drawing on elements of both the animated series and Marvel comics. With the aid of humankind, the Autobot
Autobot
Autobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
s were finally able to succeed in defeating the Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
s, some of whom were granted amnesty. Subsequently, new energy-conservation methods resulted in what was termed "The Great Upgrade", a planet-wide upgrade of Autobot and Decepticon into new, smaller, more energy-efficient forms, leading the races to rename themselves "Maximal
Maximal (Transformers)
Maximals are a faction in the Transformers series by Hasbro. They are generally depicted as respecting all life and following a path of peace before war. They follow the tenets of the Pax Cybertronia. The Maximals are opposed by the Predacons...
s" and "Predacon
Predacon
The Predacons usually refer to the name of several fictional Decepticon-like teams led by Megatron, however Transformers: Armada, Predacon is the name of a single character.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
s", respectively. Transformers are now created through the use of "protoform
Protoform
In the fictional world of the Transformers, protoforms are "basic frames" of a Cybertronian placed in stasis until a suitable form can be found.-"Beast Wars: Transformers" :...
" technology - produced in Maximal and Predacons facilities nicknamed "The Matrix" and "The Pit" respectively (after the respective Transformer afterlives), protoforms consist of an endoskeleton surrounded by a nanotech gel that reconfigures with the scanning of an alternate mode. By this time, it is apparent that Cybertron has settled into orbit around a star again, and has acquired a new moon.
Cybertron's robot mode, Primus was never seen or mentioned in the original U.S. Transformers television series, the writers of Beast Wars
Beast Wars
Transformers: Beast Wars is a Transformers toyline released by Hasbro between 1995 and 2000, and a Daytime Emmy Award winning full-CG animated television series spawned by it that debuted in 1996...
included Primus to the television mythos with mention of Primus by the Transformers in that series, and the creation of the Covenant of Primus
Covenant of Primus
The Covenant of Primus is both an artifact and a group of individuals from the Transformers universe.-Overview:The Covenant of Primus is best known as the name of the "holy text" of Transformers, their equivalent of the Bible, written in a manner similar to the Book of Revelation...
in the series finale.
Fun Publications
The expanded fiction of the BotconBotCon
BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" , is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994...
and OTFCC comic books suggest that Primus experimented with a small planet before actually transforming himself into Cybertron. This world, named Protos, was where he created the first 12 Transformers, each of them themed after an animal of the zodiac
Zodiac
In astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude which are centred upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year...
. Later, Primus created the Original Thirteen Transformers
Original thirteen Transformers
In the fictional Transformers universe, there were Thirteen Primes created by the Transformer deity Primus before he went on to create the rest of the Transformers race...
.
Primus appeared with Alpha Trion
Alpha Trion
Alpha Trion is a fictional character in the various Transformers universes. Alpha Trion is one of the Thirteen Primes, thus all his portrayals are considered to be the same individual. He is generally depicted as an ancient mechanoid with a link to Optimus Prime...
in the Transformers: Universe comic, bringing back Optimus Primal
Optimus Primal
Optimus Primal is a fictional character from the Transformers toyline, and the leader of the Maximal forces and the main protagonist in the Beast Wars television series. He is sometimes called Optimal Optimus...
and guiding him in his battles against Unicron allied Decepticons.
Animated series
Cybertron's governing structure during the Beast Wars era is based upon the Pax Cybertronia (Peace of Cybertron). The peace on Cybertron is maintained through a treaty known as the Pax Cybertronia, which - perhaps unfairly - ranks the Predacons as second-class citizens, with the Maximals in control of the planet. Each side is governed by a council;the Maximals governing body is known as the Maximal Imperium while the Predacons' version, the Tripredacus Council, operate out of a satellite orbiting the planet or star, quietly working to their own agenda... an agenda that was sorely disrupted by the rise to power of the renegade, MegatronMegatron (Beast Wars and Beast Machines)
The Beast Wars and Beast Machines version of Megatron is the main antagonist from the aforementioned parts of the Transformers animated series, toy lines, and multiverse...
, who stole a ship and escaped to prehistoric Earth with the intent of altering time.
There are many distinct areas of Cybertron. Ranging from locations on the surface, to any of the number of buried ruins. In The Reformatting, the first episode of the Beast Machines
Beast Machines
Beast Machines is an animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. Hasbro has the full distribution rights to the show as of 2011. It was a direct sequel to Beast Wars taking place within the continuity of the original Transformers series...
TV show, the Maximals discover the remains of Iacon on Cybertron, deep beneath the planets current surface. The episode suggests that in the intervening years between the end of the G1 / G2 series and the start of Beast Wars, the inhabitants of Cybertron have built over older city-states with new cities, in a similar manner to an onion skin.
As alluded to in Beast Wars, there is a giant amusement park near the northern pole of the planet. Orbiting Cybertron are a number of structures, such as starports and bases. The Tripredicus Council is established on one of these orbiting bases. There are also a number of communication satellites.
Beneath the cityscape surface of the planet lies layer upon layer of earlier civilizations. One entire Autobot era city lies just beneath the surface. Beneath this city lies ruins of older Cybertronian civilizations, all ending in the rocky core of the planet. It is here that the Oracle of Vector Sigma lies. It is also here that the techno-organic core can be accessed.
In the two groups' absence, Cybertronians had undergone another modification called the "Quantum Cycle Upgrade", in which they were individually fitted with alternate mode scanners so they would not have to rely on external mechanisms to do the job for them. Striking fast and hard, Megatron unleashed a transformation-freezing virus on the populous and deployed a small army of "Vehicon
Vehicon
Vehicons are a faction in the fictional Transformers, appearing in the animated cartoon series Beast Machines. However, most Vehicons are non-sentient drones, controlled entirely by the will of Megatron or their respective general.-History:...
" drones, who extracted the sparks of the virus's hapless victims. Their shells were then used to create more Vehicons, and so it continued until the entire population of Cybertron had their sparks removed, and all that remained were the Vehicons, united under the singular, guiding intelligence of Megatron, who, for all intents and purpose, was now Cybertron itself.
Megatron's perfect technosphere was shattered with the return of Optimus Primal's Maximals, arriving in their intended time period to discover Megatron's mastery of the planet. Reformatted into new technorganic bodies by the Oracle - the shell program that now surrounded Vector Sigma that enabled users to commune with the afterlife dimension called the Matrix - the Maximals subsequently discovered that Cybertron had indeed been an organic world before it acquired its current metallic shell. Uncovering the planet's gelatinous, organic-matter core, Primal believed that the Oracle had charged him with restoring the organic to Cybertron, only for a failed gambit involving the Key to Vector Sigma and the Plasma Energy Chamber to show him the error of his ways - the Oracle did not desire one element to dominate the other, but for a techno-organic balance to be achieved. Even as the body-shifting Megatron attempted to absorb the entire planet's sparks into his own, creating a singular consciousness, his and Primal's final battle saw them tumble into the planet's core, where Primal initiated a planet-wide reformatting, transforming the entire world into a techno-organic paradise.
Unicron Trilogy
Cybertron is the home planet of the Transformers in the three television series, Transformers: ArmadaTransformers: Armada
Transformers: Armada, known in Japan as , is a Transformers animated series, comic series and toy line which ran from 2002–2003. It was originally scheduled for 2001, however was delayed until early-2002...
, Transformers: Energon
Transformers: Energon
Transformers: Energon, known in Japan as , is the 2004–2005 Transformers toyline, animated series and comic book series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara and a direct sequel to Transformers: Armada...
and Transformers: Cybertron
Transformers: Cybertron
Transformers: Cybertron, known in Japan originally as , is the 2005-2007 Transformers toy line and animated series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara...
. In the miniseries, Cybertron, Primus' material body, is inhabited by Mini-Cons as well as Autobots and Decepticons, who are unaware the Mini-Cons were weapons forged by Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...
. The war between the Autobots and Decepticons is escalated by Megatron's attempt to gather them. During the escalation, the Mini-Cons liberate themselves and leave the planet in a mass exodus, leading to a four million years (one million years in the Dreamwave comic) stalemate between the two principal forces. Ten years of peace follow Armada (2002–2004) and then Energon (2014). After Cybertrons climax, the planet has an atmosphere more suitable for humans and organic wildlife.
IDW Publishing
In the IDWIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
comics, Cybertron orbits Lambda Scorpii
Lambda Scorpii
Lambda Scorpii is the second brightest star system in the constellation Scorpius, and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. It has the Bayer designation λ despite being the second brightest in its constellation...
and has been rendered mostly uninhabitable by the war. While Transformers can survive on the surface, they cannot live there indefinitely.
Simon Furman
Simon Furman
Simon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...
, creator of the Primus backstory for Transformers, has stated there will be "no Primus. No Unicron" in the IDW Generation 1 comics, and that if Cybertronian prehistory is featured it will be different from previous takes; IDW's publisher confirmed there will be a story featuring Transformer prehistory. While a character exclaims "Primus!" in Megatron Origin #4 (by a different writer), Furman stated in his blog comments "doesn't necessarily mean it's G1 Primus. There are still no plans to do feature [sic] Primus (as was)". He does say it is possible a different being called Primus could have existed.
Animated series
According to Hasbro, Cybertron orbits the star Alpha Centauri and is about the size of Saturn. At some undefined point in Cybertron's ancient past, it was attacked by Unicron, who was fended off by the planet's guardian, Omega SupremeOmega Supreme
Omega Supreme is the name of a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. He is always an Autobot and is often depicted as a gigantic transformer with vast strength and/or overwhelming firepower.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. Omega and four other guardians subsequently entered stasis below the planet's surface, guarding a reservoir of "Super Energon" for its use in the future. Few other facts from this Cybertron's history are available - it is not clear when the Autobots and Decepticon began warring relative to this event. The presence of a sentient energy core named "Primus
Primus (Transformers)
Primus is the "benevolent" godlike entity in the fictional Transformers comic universe who fought against the Chaos-Bringer Unicron. The Lord of the Light, Primus is the being who created the Transformers to help him defeat Unicron.-Primus and Unicron:...
" at the heart of Cybertron in the Armada/Energon universe suggests its history is some variation of the Primus/Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...
legend. An American-written trading card suggests a story similar to that of the Dreamwave universe - Primus and Unicron are twin heralds, but Unicron turns on Primus and fells him, casting his body into the orbit of a nearby star (alpha Centauri). The card does not state that Primus became Cybertron, but it can be assumed with some degree of certainty.
Transformers: Armada
Long ago, Cybertron was peaceful, until the evil Decepticons waged war against the Autobots. Both sides fought for control of the planet, each ruling one half.Eventually, a mysterious, unclarified "cataclysm" struck the planet, following which the small race of robots known as the Mini-Con
Mini-Con
Mini-Cons are a human-sized race and faction of power-enhancing transforming robots in the Transformers: Armada universe and its sequels, one of the assorted universes in Transformers fiction...
s emerged. It would later be discovered that the Mini-Cons were creations of Unicron - currently orbiting Cybertron in a weakened state, disguised as a moon - who had implanted his cells within Cybertron, where they grew and hatched into the Mini-Cons; presumably, then, the cataclysm was caused by Unicron's implantation of his cells. The larger Transformers on Cybertron soon discovered that the Mini-Cons possessed power-enhancing abilities, and began to war over the small robots (it is unclear if the Autobot
Autobot
Autobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
s and Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
s were already at war, or if it was the emergence of the Mini-Cons which began the conflict).
Through a complication bout of time-travel, however, the Mini-Cons had the seeds of souls and sentience planted within them at the moment of their creation by a group of time-displaced human children, and as they came to think and feel for themselves, they sought to fulfill their own destiny, by going to Earth to find the humans. The Autobots agreed to aid the Mini-Cons, preferring that they be free and not subject to anyone's will, but the Decepticons still sought to control them, and attacked the launch of the Mini-Con ship, which was crippled as it escaped through a portal, causing it to crash-land on Earth, where the Mini-Cons remained dormant for a million years until they were awakened by the very humans they had come to find. The signal released by their awakening brought the Transformers on Cybertron to Earth in pursuit of them.
Some time into the conflict on Earth, several Autobots and Decepticons followed Optimus Prime and Megatron's teams to Earth, where the battles eventually culminated in Megatron attaining possession of the three Mini-Cons weapons. Returning to Cybertron, he used the weapons to cut a swathe of destruction across the planet, quickly establishing control over the vast majority of it. However, the sudden escalation in the Autobot/Decepticon war caused by the Mini-Cons' reawakening had resulted in a vast increase of the hatred and "negative energy" that powered Unicron, who soon shed his moon disguise and attacked the planet in his re-energized gargantuan robot form. Cybertron took heavy damage from the planet-eater, but by rescuing the Mini-Con weapons from within his body, the Transformers were able to briefly halt his rampage - until Megatron (now Galvatron) challenged Optimus Prime to a final duel, the ferocity of which began to awaken Unicron once again. In the end, Galvatron sacrificed himself to break the circle of hate, leaving the Decepticons allied with the Autobots, working together to restore their shattered world.
Transformers: Energon
As part of the rebuilding program, the Autobot-Decepticon alliance entered into a partnership with Earth's governments to mine Earth and the Sol system for the energy-rich mineral known as Energon. Over the next ten years, Cybertron was steadily restored as "Cybertron Cities" were built in strategic positions on Earth, its moon and Mars to gather Energon and keep the planet rich and healthy.Following Megatron's resurrection through the power of Energon, he began a quest to restore Unicron to life, under his control, which eventually led him to move the planet-eater's body through a spacebridge into the vicinity of Cybertron itself. After a series of attacks on the planet, during which Primus's chamber was penetrated by Terrorcons, a reaction between the negatively-charged Energon within Unicron's body, and the positive Energon used by the Autobots caused a rupture in space, leading to a new sector of the universe where the planets consumed by Unicron had been recreated. A series of battles followed which eventually resulted in Unicron's restoration and destruction, save for his consciousness, which continued to exist within Megatron.
Guided by Unicron, Megatron gathered the remnants of his army and attacked Cybertron once more, using the destruction as a cover for his true motive - to acquire the power of the Super Energon, which transformed into Galvatron
Galvatron
Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...
. With the aid of Sixshot
Sixshot
Sixshot is the name of two fictional characters from the various Transformers series. Introduced in 1987, Sixshot appeared in the last few episodes of the original US Transformers animated series, voiced by Neil Ross. His defining gimmick was that he had six different forms, not two like a normal...
, the Decepticons were then able to seize control of Cybertron's computer systems, enshrouding the surface of the planet in a poisonous Energon gas that kept the Autobots at a distance while the Energon Towers were used to propel Cybertron through the spatial rift, into the new region of space. It's motion slowed by a giant-sized, Primus-empowered Optimus Supreme, Cybertron was liberated from the Decepticons when Galvatron turned his attention away from it, using the Super-Energon to grow to colossal size himself and departing the world, heading out to find Unicron's spark, drifting in space.
When Galvatron was subsequently possessed by Unicron's spark, Primus used the Super Energon to create a foundling sun, into which Galvatron plunged himself, preferring to perish than to allow himself to be controlled. But, while appearing to be the end of Unicron's threat, in truth, it was the beginning of a much greater danger...
Transformers: Cybertron
Primus's plan to contain Unicron's spark within the Energon sun was doomed to failure - close to a decade later, the sun collapsed in on itself, turning into a gigantic black hole which threatened not merely Cybertron, the fabric of reality and the multiverse itself, causing ripples throughout space and time that disrupted history, causing inconsistencies between the Cybertron animated series and its predecessors. Many Transformers were forced to depart for Earth while the Autobots search for the Cyber Planet Keys to save their world. Over time, it would turn out Cybertron was a dormant Primus. After the destruction of the black hole, Primus turned back into Cybertron with cities, atmosphere for humans, roads and wildlife.In 2006, a toy of Cybertron was released as part of the Transformers: Cybertron
Transformers: Cybertron
Transformers: Cybertron, known in Japan originally as , is the 2005-2007 Transformers toy line and animated series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara...
toy line. The toy transformed from planet mode into Primus
Primus (Transformers)
Primus is the "benevolent" godlike entity in the fictional Transformers comic universe who fought against the Chaos-Bringer Unicron. The Lord of the Light, Primus is the being who created the Transformers to help him defeat Unicron.-Primus and Unicron:...
, the Transformers creator. Of the many cities sculpted into the toys surface, one, painted in gold, clearly resembles the illustration of Iacon from The Ultimate Guide.
for 5.
Toys
- Cybertron Supreme Primus
- Released in the Cybertron toyline as described above, it is actually a triple changerTriple ChangerTriple Changers are Transformers that can transform from robot into two different alternative modes.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, transforming not only into Cybertron's planet form and Primus' robot form, but also into a large world-ship, a spaceship the size of a planet. Many of its parts can only be moved using the included Omega Lock, which must be used to move the upper half of the planet mode out of the way so the lower half can transform. The Omega Lock has 4 slots of the Cyber Planet Keys included with other toys and has a small light that turns on when the Lock is inserted into any of the ports on the figure. A key hole is also located on each of Primus's arms and activates two non-firing double-barreled blasters on the toy's wrists. - While the figure is identical in both its Japanese and American releases, the American package comes in original style packaging, and the Japanese also included a battle-damaged Unicron head in its initial release. The Unicron head has half of the face removed, exposing a skull-like vestige underneath. Later releases of Primus were sold without the Unicron head, and the last versions of Primus instead included four Mini-Cons who were planned to be parts of the Cybertron line, but were late and so were included as bonus figures. These four Mini-Cons would later appear as Mini-Cons in the Transformers Classics line. Although the four Mini-Cons had no personal biographies, they would get some characterization on the Transformers Collectors Club web site. This toy was designed by TakaraTakaraTakara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....
's Takashi Kunihiro and released in Japan several months later with no alterations or deco changes.
IDW Publishing
According to Transformers: The Movie Prequel comic book by IDW PublishingIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
, Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
and Megatron co-ruled Cybertron. The Allspark is responsible for giving life to the Transformers. When Megatron begins a war to control it for himself, Optimus sends it into the depths of outer space in the hope that he can defeat him quickly. The war drags on, and Optimus sends Bumblebee
Bumblebee (Transformers)
Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
to retrieve it, because its absence will cause the planet to shut down. It would later be revealed in the third film that Sentinel Prime
Sentinel Prime
Sentinel Prime is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. First mention of Sentinel Prime was in issue #65 of the US Marvel Comics Transformers series, where he was mentioned to hold the Autobot Matrix of Leadership before Optimus Prime. Sentinel Prime has since...
was the Autobot leader when the war began and was seemingly killed as he attempted to flee Cyberton with a super weapon. Optimus then took over full command, with the rest of the events likely playing out the same way.
Portrayal in the films
In the live-action film trilogy directed by Michael BayMichael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
, Cybertron is depicted much in the same way as in the source material: the homeplanet of the Transformers' race. As described in the first film, the AllSpark is the origin of life in Cybertron, and over millenia, its population grew the planet into a powerful empire, peaceful and just, remaining so for eons until the war for possession of the AllSpark broke out. The war was so devastating that it ravaged the planet until it was consumed by death, and the only way to restore Cybertron to its former glory was through the retrieval of the AllSpark, which is the premise from which the film series start and progress to its climax.
In the climax of the first film, Transformers, the AllSpark is destroyed to kill Megatron, so Cybertron cannot be restored. Optimus Prime declares Earth the new home of the Autobots. Cybertron is not shown as a metallic sphere, but a mountainous husk of a planet with large tree-like spires. Dead Cybertronians are shown either hung from them, or left on the "branches" that have been ravaged by war.
In the second film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
, Cybertron was mentioned by Optimus Prime when he told Sam that Earth must not share the same fate as Cybertron: "Whole generations lost". Given these statements and the continuous arrival of both Autobot and Decepticon forces on Earth, it is unclear if Cybertron is even populated by its people at this point.
In the third film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Sentinel Prime attempts to use his space bridge pillars to transport Cybertron right next to Earth, to use humans as slaves to rebuild it. When the transport is interrupted, Cybertron is ultimately destroyed.
Transformers Animated
In this series, Cybertron (サイバトロン, Saibatoron) is shown as a large planet that's surface is completely covered with metal. Large towers on the surface of the planet are clearly visible from space. Nothing organic has yet been seen on this planet leading to speculation that it is a machine itself. Back in the Great War, the Autobots managed to drive the Decepticons from Cybertron after throwing the Allspark through a space bridge. It is usually seen in flashbacks. Recently, in Season 3, scenes on Cybertron have been in present times. They include BlurrBlurr
Blurr is the name given to five different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He frequently appears as a blue Autobot who transforms into a swift car...
's arrival on Cybertron after being transwarped from Earth. Another is the Cybertronian high court meeting to discuss Wasp
Waspinator
Waspinator is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes called Wasp. The original Waspinator was voiced by Scott McNeil in the Beast Wars animated series.-Beast Wars:...
, the accused Decepticon spy. The real spy, being Shockwave, also leaves Ultra Magnus wounded on Cybertron, being found by Ironhide
Ironhide
Ironhide is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ironhide was named after the television series Ironside.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
.
Transformers: War for Cybertron
In Transformers: War for CybertronTransformers: War for Cybertron
Transformers: War for Cybertron is a third-person shooter video game developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision. It was released in North America on June 22, 2010 and in PAL regions on June 25, 2010 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Two portable versions were released for the...
, Cybertron is an Energon lacking planet with many buildings and bridges destroyed. There are several locations from the Generation 1 universe include the Decagon and the Iacon Vaults. According to the teaser trailer for War For Cybertron, Cybertron is a satellite of Alpha Centauri. Several times in the game Transformers will exclaim "Thank Primus!" In addition, the Core of Cybertron, (Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.) is a homage to Primus. He is credited simply as "Cybertron".
In the Decepticon Campaign, Megatron forces Omega Supreme to open the door to Cybertron's core and travels there with his minions. Upon arrival, Megatron infects the core of Cybertron with dark energon. Cybertron is then shown being fully corrupted by dark energon. In the Autobot Campaign, Optimus is given the task of removing the dark energon from Cybertron's core by the Autobot Council. Optimus and his team first attempt to rescue Omega Supreme from the Decepticons, who is being tortured by dark energon. The Autobots manage to free Omega Supreme and rely on Ratchet to repair Omega Supreme to the point of opening the gateway to Cybertron's core. During their journey to the core they encounter a corrupted space worm, which later attacks the Autobots when they reach the core. Once the worm is destroyed, Optimus speaks with Cybertron's core. The core informs Optimus that it can repair itself, but it will take several million years, time in which Cybertron will become cold, barren, and lifeless. The core then tells Optimus that if he carries a small piece of the core with him, the core will still survive while it repairs. Optimus accepts the burden and the core relinquishes the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.