Optimus Prime

Origin

The first incarnation of Prime

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

Creation

Although Bob Budiansky came up with most of the English names for the Transformers characters, it was comic writer, Denny O'Neil, who came up with Prime's name.

Major Story Arcs

Marvel comics continuity

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

The new Autobot leader.

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

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

Dreamwave comics continuity

War Within

Optronix becomes Optimus Prime

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

IDW Publishing Continuity

Stormbringer

Optimus during Stormbringer

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

Escalation

Optimus nearly killed by Megatron

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

Powers and Abilities

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

Flight at vast supersonic speeds

Invulnerability to the point of spending days in hyperspace. Also able to enter the Earth's atmosphere with ease.

Takes the form of a semi truck

Has a power pack in the form of a trailer to his truck

Can incorporate nearby machines into his body

Can fire bullets from his hand like machine guns

Can fire small rockets

Can summon either an energy axe or an energy enhanced sword from his right arm. In some version, he has a sword from each arm.

Superhuman strength to the point of punching Megatron to submission despite Megatron being made up of advanced parts including a Cybertronian tank.

Characteristics

• Height: 32'
• Weight: 4 tons
• Family: the line of Prime- Optimus Primal (descendant), Sentinel Prime (predecessor), Nova Prime (predecessor), Primus (predecessor)

In Other Media

Television

Transformers (1984)

1984 Cartoon

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

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

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

Twenty years goes by and it is Earth year 2005, the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons continue. The Decepticons now control all of Cybertron, while forcing the Autobots the live in scattered places. The Autobots operate in their city on Earth called Autobot City, they also have two bases on Cybertron’s moons. While the Autobots were transmitting a message to gather more energy from Earth to prepare for an attack against the Decepticons, the Decepticons were able to intercept the transmission. They attacked the shuttle and used it to infiltrate Autobot City undetected. The Decepticons began their attack on Autobot City, while the Autobots were forced to radio Optimus for backup. Optimus eventually arrives at Autobot City with the Dinobots and were able to fend off the Decepticons. Optimus would confront Megatron in a final battle, both were seriously wounded after the battle and Megatron would retreat. Meanwhile, Optimus calls for Ultra Magnus and gives him the Autobot Matrix of Leadership (A talisman passed down from Autobot leader to Autobot leader). Optimus Prime died shortly afterwards.

Optimus Prime was entombed in a mausoleum of fallen Autobots in deep space. However, in 2006 the Quintessons retrieved his corpse and reanimated Optimus Prime into working with them. They attempted to destroy the Autobots by luring them to the Quintessons by using Optimus. However, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership freed Optimus from the Quintesson’s control. Optimus decided to fly his flagship into the Quintessons to destroy them in an explosion. However, Optimus’ body was retrieved before the explosion by two human scientists named Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford. As their ship left, the explosion from the sun coated their ship with solar spores. When the Decepticons attempted to steal their heat-resistant alloy, Jessica was paralyzed in the process. Swofford and Jessica’s father Mark Morgan (who hated the Transformers) decided to rebuild Optimus Prime into a transport system in order to transport them. The spree would be known as the “Hate Plague” and it causes any sentient being to be induced with madness. However, when the two of them could not reanimate Optimus, they decided to use him as bait to lure the Autobots to their lab to be infected with the Hate Plague, to which it was successful. Meanwhile, the Sky Lynx was able to retrieve the Quintesson and forced it to revive Optimus Prime. Optimus was now coated in the heat-resistant alloy, thus making the “Hate Plague” have no effect on Optimus. Optimus retrieved the Matrix from Rodimus Prime and used it to destroy the Hate Plague. In the year 2007, Optimus began seeing visions from the Matrix’s energy, telling him about Cybertron’s transformation. When the Decepticons stole the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber, Optimus went seeking the words from Alpha Trion, which he learns that the mega computer is restoring Cybertron to its Golden Age. Meanwhile, with the Plasma Energy Chamber opened, it caused Earth’s Sun to go supernova. Spike and the Nebulans were able to drain the extra solar energy and it helped revive Cybertron.

Transformers Animated

Optimus (Transformers: Animated)

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

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

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

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

Transformers: Prime

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

Origin

Orion Pax and Megatronus

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

Film

Transformers Official Movie Prequel

Optimus Prime and Megatron

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

Transformers (2007)

Optimus as he appeared in the 2007 film

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

Transformers: Alliance (Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel)

The Autobot and human alliance

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

Transformers: Defiance (Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel)

The Autobots fighting the Decepticons

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

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Optimus & Jetfire Combined

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

In the movie, Optimus starts out hunting Decepticons in Shanghai, China with N.E.S.T. and takes down Demolisher but not before receiving a message saying " The Fallen will rise again". Later, he is questioned at N.E.S.T. base in Diego Garcia about why the Decepticons haven't left despite the destruction of the Allspark. He is told it may be because they are after the Autobots and Optimus says if that is true, he will have the Autobots leave, but also tells him he may be wrong. Later on, he talks to Sam about the symbols he sees in his head and later rescues Sam from Megatron only to be killed by Megatron himself. Later on, he is brought back to life by the Matrix of Leadership in Egypt and then combines with Jetfire's parts, making him powerful enough to fight the Fallen and does battle with him. He takes out Megatron and then rips off the Fallen's face, and then punches out his spark, killing him. Then the Autobots return to the U. S. and Optimus says that they will discover more about the connected past of the humans and Cybertron together.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Optimus appears again in the 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Optimus receives his own armory consisting of weapons and flight tech that transforms into a trailer for him to carry in vehicular form. After assisting NEST operatives in fighting Shockwave at Chernobyl, Optimus learns that the humans have concealed the discovery of a Cybertronian ship on the moon. He and Ratchet go to investigate the Ark, where they recover Sentinel Prime, Optimus's predecessor and mentor. Optimus returns him to life using the Matrix of Leadership back on Earth, explaining how they lost the war and Cybertron has become a barren wasteland. Later Optimus shows Sentinel the natural beauty of Earth, and takes the opportunity to offer him the Matrix, but was allowed to keep it. Sentinel later betrayed the Autobots, having formed an alliance with the Decepticons because he wants to restore life to Cybertron. Optimus attempted to reason with Sentinel, but failed as several Decepticons came through a space bridge. After Sentinel Prime insisted that the humans expel the Autobots from Earth, the Wreckers prepare the Autobot ship Xantium for flight. Sam attempts to find out what their counter-attack plan is, but Optimus states they have none, and that Earth's fight is their own. During the departure, the Autobots escape in the first booster stage and return to Earth before Starscream destroys the ship. Arriving in Chicago, Optimus shoots down a Decepticon fighter as he tells Sam and Epps that he never expected the Decepticons to keep their word and that they are going to fight back. Optimus loses his trailer when Shockwave and his Driller arrive. He manages to retrieve it later and uses it as a flight pack, decaptitating the Driller's main head. During the battle, Optimus got caught in exposed wires and the Wreckers helped free him. Flying down onto the main battlefield, he abandoned his flight pack and used the momentum to attack and kill many Decepticons before he finally killed Shockwave. After using Shockwave's cannon to disable the control pillar for the space bridge, Optimus fights Sentinel Prime. Optimus Prime's right arm is cut off and Sentinel is about to end Optimus's life when Megatron intervenes and attacks Sentinel. After defeating Sentinal Prime, Megatron proposed a truce, but, instead, Optimus slices his head off, killing the Decepticon leader. Optimus then grabs Megatron's shotgun and prepares to execute Sentinel, who pleads for his life, saying that he betrayed Optimus just because he wanted to save their race. Optimus executes him anyway, replying that Sentinel betrayed himself. With the Decepticons defeated and the war finally over, Optimus and the Autobots accept Earth as their true home. The 2000 film series incarnation of Optimus Prime was met with warm reception. It was named the 30th greatest movie hero of all time by Total Filme Magazine.