Alpha Trion (G1)

Alpha Trion is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

I'm sure I'm just a wise old sage and nothing any more complicated or cosmic than that!

Alpha Trion (aka A-3) is one of the oldest living Transformers, and with that age comes a nuanced understanding of his race and their place within the universe. In his youth, he was instrumental in establishing Cybertron as an independent galactic power, and in his older years, he has found a comfortable role in serving as advisor to other Transformers.

Though Alpha Trion rarely takes part in the battles of the Great War, he is firmly on the side of the Autobots and serves as a mentor and guide, especially to Optimus Prime and Elita One. He is an enigmatic old robot, and in many realities he is the guardian of Vector Sigma and the custodian of its circuit key. His sage-like manner paints him in almost a mystic tone, and possible connections between Alpha Trion, Primus, and the history of Cybertron itself have boosted him into legendary status.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: John Stephenson (English), Corey Burton (English, "War Dawn"), Tony Pope (English, "Forever Is a Long Time Coming"), Osamu Saka (Japanese), Toshiro Ishii (Japanese, "War Dawn"), Hiroshi Naka (Japanese, "The Rebirth"), Chen Chun (Chinese), Wolfgang Mascher (German, "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2" and "The Rebirth, Part 2"), Ramón Rocabayera (Spain-Spanish), Alejandro Abdalah (Latin American Spanish), François Leccia (European French, "The Search for Alpha Trion"), Unknown (European French, "The Key to Vector Sigma" episodes & "War Dawn"), Albert Augier (European French, "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"), Georges Atlas (European French, "The Rebirth" episodes), Magalhães Graça (Portuguese), Jomeri Pozzoli (Portuguese, "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2")

Silverbolt never misses a chance to check out A-3's rugged mustache.

11 million years ago, a mechanoid named A-3 was part of the rebellion against the Quintessons on a factory world, creating a device called the Coder Remote that would stop their Dark Guardians. Due to a timerift created by Quintessons from the future, he was briefly pulled from his position in the Empty Lands into the year 2006. Fortunately, his partner Beta managed to start the rebellion as scheduled, and A-3 was soon returned by future Autobots to fulfill his role in Cybertronian history. Forever Is a Long Time Coming

He grew a beard, picked up the Matrix, shaved his beard, and then built Optimus, apparently.

Years later, he would be given the Matrix of Leadership by the dying Sentinel Prime, but Alpha Trion himself did not become Autobot leader. It would sit in his possession, unused, until the coming of the next Autobot leader. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4 In the meantime, Alpha Trion developed plans to rebuild Autobots to better combat the escalating Decepticon menace.

The next Autobot leader would actually come to him when a group of time-travelers lugged a dying youth named Orion Pax to his repair center. Reluctant at first, Alpha Trion sensed a strong spirit in Orion Pax, and decided to rebuild him entirely... into Optimus Prime. When Prime asked if Alpha Trion could rebuild his fallen girlfriend Ariel as well, Alpha Trion agreed, and mused that Elita One would be a good name for a female warrior. War Dawn

Alpha Trion has secret liquor stashes in the strangest of places.

Over the intervening millennia, Alpha Trion's two greatest creations, whether by design or coincidence, forgot their relationship to the ancient Autobot. Five million years after his creation, Optimus Prime was lost when his spacecraft crash-landed on prehistoric Earth, but Alpha Trion kept in contact with Elita One, acting as a sagely advisor to her team of Female Autobots as they spent the following four million years stealing energon from Shockwave. Eventually, in the Earth year 1985, Shockwave caught the Female Autobots in the act and tracked them back to their headquarters, prompting Elita One to consult with Alpha Trion on a course of action. Trion suggested they move their headquarters, telling Elita to scout for a new location alone, but in the event that she encountered the Decepticons, warned her not to use her life-draining time-freezing power. Alas, Elita was captured, and used by the Decepticons to lure Optimus Prime into a trap. To save her beloved's life, Elita used her fatal power, and the Autobot leader was forced to track Alpha Trion to his secret base in hopes that he could save her. Alpha Trion repaired her to the best of his ability, but revealed to Optimus Prime that only Prime could save Elita by interfacing to her with his power filter. An astonished Optimus Prime stated that only his creator could know that! The Search for Alpha Trion

"Hey"

A short time later, while he was looking for a misplaced tool, Alpha Trion was attacked in his workshop by Megatron and his Decepticons, who demanded that he hand over the Key to Vector Sigma. Trion pled ignorance, but Megatron knew better, and the elderly Autobot was soon overpowered while the Decepticons made off with the key. Alpha Trion was rescued from the chunk of metal the Decepticons left him stuck in by Optimus Prime and the Autobots, and after his injuries were repaired by Wheeljack and Ratchet, he journeyed with them into Cybertron's depths, leading the way to Vector Sigma's chamber. Their way, however, was barred by Centurion droids that Megatron used the Key to command, and Alpha Trion helped reactivate some discarded worker robots to fight the droids off. The droids had done their job, however, and prevented the Autobots from reaching Megatron before he used Vector Sigma to bring his newest Decepticons, the Stunticons to life. To combat these new land-based Decepticons, Optimus Prime hit on the idea of creating some new aerial Autobots, and Alpha Trion set to work reconstructing some Cybertronian aircraft. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1 When the work was done, Alpha Trion professed that he had another key to Vector Sigma "on him," and he would use it to reactivate the computer so that it could bring the jets to life. His "key," however, was his own life force: as a first generation product of Vector Sigma, his computation matrix could interface with the computer and bring it back online, at the cost of his own continued existence. Optimus Prime tried to stop him, but Alpha Trion refused to listen, reminding Prime that he was his creator and insisting that the jets were more important than he was. Prime relented, and Alpha Trion merged with Vector Sigma, which activated and brought the new Aerialbots to life. Before Prime and the Autobots departed for Earth, Alpha Trion spoke to them through Vector Sigma, warning them of a fact merging with the computer had revealed to him: on Earth, the Key to Vector Sigma had even greater power. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2

Many years later, when the Hate Plague was raging throughout the universe in the year 2006, Optimus Prime entered the Matrix to consult the ancient Autobots within on a possible cure. Alpha Trion was the first Prime spoke to, but he had no information to give, save a warning that Prime should take care on his journey into the Matrix, lest he be unable to return. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

The following year, after the Decepticons stole the Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber, Optimus Prime used the Matrix to reactivate Vector Sigma so that he could converse with Alpha Trion, hoping that the old sage knew something more about what was going on. Alpha Trion revealed to Prime that Vector Sigma had allowed Galvatron to become aware of the key's existence, as the chamber was key to the dawning of a new Golden Age for Cybertron... as was the merging of an Autobot's life with that of a human's. The Rebirth, Part 2 Alpha Trion appeared to Optimus one final time, urging him to preserve the key at all costs, as it would be vital in fulfilling Vector Sigma's prophecy. The Rebirth, Part 3

Japanese cartoon continuity

Generations Selects Special Comic

The consciousness of Primus observed Beta and A3 drive the Quintessons off of their planet. Finale

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Masaharu Satō (Japanese)

Alpha Trion's Spooooooky Ghost

In the year 2011, one year after Optimus Prime released the energy of the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague, Vector Sigma began to destabilize as a result. Optimus Prime voyaged into the planet's depths to try and bring the computer back under control, but the mission seemed doomed to failure, as he did not have the Matrix to help him. While the other Autobots searched Earth for the Matrix, which had been hidden away to recharge, the spectral form of Alpha Trion appeared to Optimus Prime to help lead him through the many dangers blocking the path to Vector Sigma's chamber. The Mystery of Planet Master When they finally reached their goal, however, it turned out the Decepticons had beaten them there. Hot Rod was not far behind, with the recovered Matrix in his grasp, and when the young Autobot arrived, Alpha Trion instructed him to hold the talisman aloft. Trion's ethereal form flowed into the Matrix, completing its recharging process and transforming Hot Rod back into Rodimus Prime, who joined Optimus in thrashing the Decepticons. Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime

Train Wars

The incorporeal Alpha Trion sensed a threat to Vector Sigma from inside the Matrix, and rematerialized on the physical plane to address the problem. He discovered The Fallen attempting to steal and assume the power of Vector Sigma for himself. Downplaying his own importance, Alpha Trion attempted to advise Shouki and the other Autobot defenders present. Train Wars

Upon recovering Vector Sigma from the Fallen, Alpha Trion once again sacrificed his physical form to merge with Vector Sigma, giving it the drive necessary to reformat Shouki into a "train bazooka" mode, powerful enough to defeat the Fallen. Train Wars 2

G-2 story pages

When Optimus Prime was fatally injured in battle with Megatron, the spirits of Alpha Trion and former leaders residing within the Matrix activated its Reconfiguration Matrix mechanism, reviving Prime as Battle Convoy. G-2 Part 5

Legends comic

Alpha Trion and the Matrix—possibly the Reconfiguration Matrix again—had a hand in Rodimus Prime's transformation into a Micromaster. Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter

To counter the rise of Galvatron II, Battle Convoy contacted the spirit of Alpha Trion within the Matrix and requested his help in reviving Ultra Magnus. Locating Magnus among the spirits of former leaders residing in the Matrix, Trion convinced him he was needed in the world of the living and entered his chest, using his unique connection with the Matrix to act as a substitute Matrix and bring both himself and Magnus back to life. Trion was restored in a tiny body that popped out of Magnus's chest. Resurrection Chapter Granted the ability to predict the future by his merging with Vector Sigma, Alpha Trion then foresaw that Megatron would return to his evil ways in the Legends World he had settled in. Seeking to stop this, the sage himself traveled to this other universe, using his diminutive body to disguise himself as a janitor at the Axalon Trading Company while waiting for Megatron to make his move. Bonus Edition Vol. 14

When the employees of Axalon Co. got curious about Metroplex—who'd ended up as their new office building after getting summoned into the Legends Universe—Alpha Trion taught them about the city-bot's past. He accidentally blew his cover by explaining he knew this much because he was from "the other world", though fortunately(?) the employees wrongly assumed he meant the world of the dead. The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter Alpha Trion was present when Megatron made his move, teaming up with Armada Megatron to conquer the Legends World. The Autumn Megatron Festival Chapter In response, he cast his disguise aside and used an ultra-drill to summon Ultra Magnus from their home universe. At first Magnus told Trion to get back in his chest, but the sage assured him he no longer needed Trion's Matrix power but had to rely on his own strength. After the Megatrons were defeated by Magnus, Alpha Trion confirmed to a curious Rattrap that he could indeed predict the future, and had had a vision of the imminent arrival of Nightbird Shadow, Blackarachnia, and Slipstream as well. Bonus Edition Vol. 14

Alpha Trion later confirmed to a curious Rattrap that his new body was a Mini-Con-type one, though he got defensive when asked to display the third weapon mode Mini-Cons are supposed to have. Transforming into his hovercar mode, he claimed it was clearly a shield and displayed its usefulness by shielding Ultra Magnus from a barrage of lasers. Unfortunately his size meant he only took a fraction of the blasts, and Magnus was gunned down. Alpha Trion Chapter Armada Megatron later bought an Ultra Magnus toy in order to examine it for the Autobot's weaknesses, defending his purchase of a non-Mini-Con toy to Armada Starscream by pointing out the Alpha Trion accessory. Armada Megatron Chapter

Thanks to Alpha Trion's premonitions, the Autobots were prepared for Slipstream's arrival in the Legends World and easily defeated her. Bonus Edition Vol. 16 While doing janitor work at Tera-Kura Co., he overheard Megatron talk about his plan to steal energy from people, and summoned Chromia into the Legends World as reinforcement. Bonus Edition Vol. 17 When Armada Starscream attempted to sacrifice himself to prevent Windblade from destroying the Legends World, Alpha Trion opened a portal to Starscream's home universe and brought forth Alexis to stop him. Bonus Edition Vol. 18

Alpha Trion was later contacted by the Springer of his home universe, who requested to be brought to the Legends World. LG19 Sprung Prologue Following Springer's arrival, Trion had his ultra-drill stolen by a jealous Tigatron. Bonus Edition Vol. 19 He was later caught up in Megatron's attack on the city when the Decepticon briefly returned to being Galvatron. Bonus Edition Vol. 23 Aware that Alpha Trion contained the power of the Matrix, Terrorsaur had Scourge capture the sage as part of a bid to take over Tera-Kura, but he was freed when the Matrix energies overloaded and exploded Scourge's transtector. He went on to teach Scourge and his Sweeps how to be proper janitors. Bonus Edition Vol. 26 When Tera-Kura purchased Metroplex from Axalon, Alpha Trion joined the Decepticon company so that he could stay with Metroplex. Bonus Edition Vol. 31

Alpha Trion was pretty careless with his ultra-drill; after Tigatron, it was also stolen by Chromedome Bonus Edition Vol. 33 and Weirdwolf to serve their own needs. LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter He was present when God Ginrai tried to force his way into Tera-Kura Co., Bonus Edition Vol. 42 and later had his drill nabbed again by Waspinator. Bonus Edition Vol. EX When Weirdwolf's Decepticon faction attacked Tera-Kura to nab Metroplex's transformation cog, Alpha Trion did his best to fight off Apeface. Decepticon Civil War Weirdwolf used the cog to rebuild Trypticon, so Trion responded by summoning Swerve, who had previously bested the monster. Following Trypticon's defeat, he also called for the Disaster Relief Team to rebuild Akihabara. Bonus Edition Vol. 43 Alpha Trion was later kidnapped by Slugslinger, Triggerhappy and Misfire, who forced him to summon the six Targetmaster partners lost in the G1 World. He did as instructed only to find that the Targetmasters were emitting lethal amounts of plasma energy, so he instead put the drill in reverse and scattered the six across the Legends World for everyone's safety. Mutant Targetmaster Birth Chapter

During a battle between Ultra Magnus and Sixshot, Alpha Trion entered Magnus's chest to lend him his power. Bonus Edition Vol. 50 He contacted the Wreckers for help when the city came under attack from a Zamojin-controlled Windblade. LG65 Twin Twist Prologue During the battle with Majin Zarak, whom fate decreed could not be destroyed, Alpha Trion hooked his ultra-drill up to Twin Twist's Drill Base in order to generate a giant portal that Zarak could be pushed through. Megatron then had him open portals all over the Legends World so the doomed world's citizens could be evacuated to the G1 World. Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two

Wings Universe

After the Van De Graaff was shot down on Beta-Nine, the proemial Alpha Unit of the Elite Guard managed to retrieve its cargo. The mysterious item was then delivered by Magnum to its custodian, Alpha Trion. Wings of Honor

Over the next ten years, the Decepticon insurrection became more fierce. Councilor Magnum continued to champion his Elite Guard, a series of strike teams dedicated to hunting down the Decepticon Warlords to cut the many heads off the serpent. Councilor Alpha Trion, however, favored his own Prime Initiative, a general of sorts who would oversee the entire Autobot army as a unified force against the Decepticons. The Coming Storm: Part 2

Despite their political differences, Alpha Trion and Magnum worked together as the situation called for it. When a group of civilian scientists and historians needed demolitions assistance at a dig site in Median, Alpha Trion requested the help of Magnum's Elite Guard for the job. Of course, he neglected to mention some of the finer points of the mission, but such is politics. Flames of Yesterday

After Dion and Magnum were injured in a Decepticon attack, they were taken to Alpha Trion. He was only able to save one of them, rebuilding the survivor into Ultra Magnus. As the war drained Cybertron's energy to dangerously low levels, Optimus left the planet on a mission to find more energy. Alpha Trion prepared stasis pods within which most of the remaining Autobot population would hibernate. As they placed the other Autobots in the pods, he warned Kup that remaining online during periods of low energy as he intended to do would greatly accelerate the aging process. Battle Lines, Part 6

When Optimus Prime and the other Autobots aboard the Ark were considered lost, Alpha Trion set about uniting the divided Cybertronian through other means. Using the remains of a Decepticon deep-space shuttle, he built Jhiaxus and brought him to life with the power of Vector Sigma, instructing the super-computer to imbue him with a need to unite Cybertron under one banner. Wings Universe Jhiaxus profile

Centuries later, after the Great Transformation, Cheetor dedicated himself to interfacing with the Oracle in search of guidance from Optimus Primal. After many failed attempts, Cheetor finally succeeded, instead meeting with Alpha Trion. Trion told Cheetor of his true destiny: to lead Cybertron into a new age of peace. Cheetor accepted his destiny and thus merged with Alpha Trion, becoming Alpha Trizer. Alpha Trizer's profile In 2984 C.E. as Alpha Trizer engaged in combat against the Star Seekers, the faces of Optimus Primal and Alpha Trion flashed through his mind. Hoist the Flag

Deviations

In an alternate timeline where Optimus Prime killed Megatron in the Battle of Autobot City, Rodimus Prime ended up sacrificing himself to defeat Megascream and Unicron. In the following Autobot celebration, Optimus Prime saw a vision of Alpha Trion and Rodimus Prime as equals within the Matrix and swore to never question its ways. Deviations

Marvel Comics continuity

Letters page continuity

Dreadwind said that the events of "War Dawn" sounded like it happened, though he'd "never heard of this Alpha Trion character but then who am I?" 268's Dread Tidings

3H comics

Alpha Trion was various lions for all of two seconds, in one person's mind.

In the distant past, during the Cybertronians' rebellion against their Quintesson oppressors, A-3's mettle was tested in an encounter with a Dark Guardian. Disclosure

During Megatron's rule of Cybertron, Alpha Trion was seemingly resurrected and/or reformatted as a lion by the Oracle to guide Primal Prime and his Wrecker in much the same way as he aided many previous Autobot leaders. Departure It is unclear whether this new form ever existed physically; its only appearance was as a vision in Primal Prime's head. Betrayal The ancient Autobot reached out and made contact with Primal Prime's spark, but his messages came through garbled and incomplete. Of the small amount of information he was able to transmit to Primal Prime was the fact that the Wreckers should believe in Primus's vision, and that their creator sometimes worked in mysterious ways... Wreckers: Finale Part II

He said he was reformatted into a beast mode, but he was lyin'.

Alpha Trion did not make a physical appearance after this enigmatic reintroduction until Unicron posed a new threat to the balance of the multiverse. Alpha Trion, though technically still merged with Primus/Vector Sigma/Whatever, was again in his original body (but now with a cape!). He/they pulled Cybertron's greatest hero, Optimus Primal, back from the dead in order to rescue recently abducted Cybertronians from the center of the Chaos Bringer. Abduction

Though Primal was at first taken aback by the enormity of the task he had been assigned, Alpha Trion's pontification goaded him on in accepting the mission. When Primal succeeded at this monumental task, Escape he confronted the Maximal High Council with one of his overblown speeches and was thrown in jail. Alpha Trion sent Snarl to stage a small rescue of his own, and Primal was returned to the center of Cybertron. Here, Alpha Trion presented Primal with a window into the past, present, and future of the Allspark, from which he could pluck any warrior, whether they be living or dead. Primal chose Depthcharge and Rhinox, the former of whom rejected Primal's calling. Alpha Trion quieted Primal's disappointment, letting Depthcharge go, expecting him to return of his own accord. To take his place, Alpha Trion pulled Omega Prime from a Viron universe. Homecoming

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Most people kill their prizes before hanging them on their wall. Shockwave is not most people.

Eons ago, Alpha Trion kept watch over the Transformers when Primus entered his eternal sleep to hide Cybertron from Unicron. However, a nomadic alien race eventually conquered Cybertron, and Alpha Trion was forced into hiding. Thousands of Transformers were slaughtered, and Alpha Trion was unable to act. Transformers: The Ultimate Guide Alpha Trion performed actions that would make him known as the savior of his race. Cold War

Alpha Trion was attached to the supercomputer Vector Sigma, and was its caretaker from the Golden Age to the Great War. He was considered the only Transformer capable of accessing all of the computer's functions. In his position, he disagreed with the Council of Ancients' esoteric mysticism, wishing to make the Transformers' place in the cosmos more known. More than Meets the Eye #8 Despite this, he was a secret guiding force behind the Council and its selection of Primes. He was fond of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, both with whom he had a special bond. More than Meets the Eye #1

After the Great Shutdown, Shockwave was awakened. Soon after, he met Scourge, who somehow led the Decepticon to Alpha Trion. Alpha Trion was incapacitated and hung on a wall in Shockwave's laboratory for analysis, to assist Shockwave in his attempt to control Vector Sigma. The ancient Cybertronian constantly foiled his attempts to analyze him; nevertheless, Shockwave swore that the savior of their race would become its "greatest destroyer". Cold War As Shockwave's plans reached fruition, the last remaining "ancient program" for him to decode was Alpha Trion. However, Shockwave's machinations were foiled by his apparent and untimely demise. Revelation

Alpha Trion's last days were recorded to be deep within Cybertron, preparing the Transformers and Cybertron for their darkest hour. More than Meets the Eye #1

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Trukk... and munky?

When Serpent O.R. downloaded some of Soundwave's memories, he saw Alpha Trion and his role in the rebellion against the Quintessons. The Art of War #1

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Megatron Origin #3

In the years that followed the departure of the Knights of Cybertron, Alpha Trion emerged as one of the Primes, leading one of the Thirteen Tribes some twelve million years ago. He was well known as a chronicler and record-keeper of Cybertronian history; The Crucible though he did not have the same heroic reputation as the other Primes, he was a well-versed historian, librarian, and orator. White Light In his youth, he studied some of the mythical artifacts that would come to be wielded by the Primes, such as the ancient Enigma of Combination, The Nothing Man and learned as much as he could about the primitive tribes that inhabited prehistoric Cybertron. Omega's Conundrum

Alpha Trion would join forces with four other Primes: Alchemist, Vector, Solus, and Nexus Prime, and together they established a village they called the Crystal City. As a storyteller and keeper of legends, Trion encouraged the tribes to work together by regaling them with tales of Primus and the Guiding Hand, believing that the kernels of truth passed down through his tales could inspire others to perform great deeds.

"Go home Alchemist, you're drunk."

Their early efforts were threatened by the advancing armies of the Darklands; shortly after the Darklanders slaughtered Septimus Prime and sacked Protohex, another Prime, going by the name of "Onyx", arrived to propose an alliance, bringing with him his comrade Liege Maximo and an army of bestial warriors. "Onyx" professed scorn for Trion's belief in the Guiding Hand, but Trion spoke to him privately and made him see the inspirational power that his stories possessed. Onyx pressed him to convince the other Primes into allying with him; once united, their forces took to the field against the Darklanders. As the battle raged, events took an unexpected turn when three Titans emerged from the depths of the planet. In the impromptu ceasefire, Onyx was able to reach the enemy leader Megatronus and convince him to lay down arms and agree to a proper truce. Origin Myths

The other Primes never learned the truth about Onyx Prime: the bestial Prime was an identity of convenience assumed by a time-travelling Shockwave; using Megatronus as a catspaw, he had deliberately engineered the war between the Darklanders and the Crystal City in order to bring the Primes together under a single banner, one of many historical paradoxes he would engineer using his foreknowledge of Cybertron's long history. The First Who Was Named

In the ensuing celebration, Trion soon became wary of his new ally: "Onyx" had begun telling "stories" of his own, thus seeding history with more paradoxes, including the "Dark Cybertron" prophecy that his younger self would one day study and attempt to bring about. Trion's concerns were echoed by the Darklander warrior Arcee, who believed that the Primes would eventually grow drunk on their own superiority and become tyrants. Trion solemnly told Arcee that it would be the job of their followers to keep the Primes in check. Origin Myths

Because he's the wise sage Cybertron deserves, but not the one it needs right now.

Determined to see as much of his planet as he could before it all changed, Trion befriended the Titan Metroplex, and the pair set off to explore and chart Cybertron. Omega's Conundrum Over the next two million years, the initial coalition of Primes were joined by five more, and thus united the Primes became the alliance known as the Thirteen, led by Prima. Heavy In the ensuing era of peace, Trion became known as "The Trion" and developed his famed reputation for storytelling. Surfeit of Primes Other Primes had grown arrogant, however and began spreading rumors that only a Prime could kill another Prime, to ensure their reign would last forever. The Crucible None of the twelve Primes ever suspected that "Onyx Prime" had continued to manipulate them, and, as he had once brought them together, planned to tear them apart once more. Indeed, "Onyx" soon realized that he could permanently keep Trion's suspicions at bay simply by spinning one convincing story after another. The First Who Was Named

"Onyx" set his plans in motion by encouraging Prima to commission an interstellar mission of goodwill, designed to share the "enlightened" civilization of Cybertron with their neighbors. Alpha Trion joined the voyage as its official record-keeper, and joined by Omega Supreme and his Omega Sentinels, the Cybertronian expedition set off for the organic world of Antilla, its resources making it ripe for colonization. When the detachment arrived however, the Antillans fought back against the invaders. Over the course of this brief war, "Onyx"—despite Trion's misgivings—announced that this world now belonged to Alpha Trion, the first of Cybertron's thirteen "colonies". When recording these events however, Trion would write that the Antillan mission had been one of peace and that the natives had been the ones who fired first. The First Who Was Named Our Finest

On returning to Cybertron, "Onyx" continued to secretly sow discord, and manipulated events so that a furious Megatronus would slay Solus Prime in an attempted coup against Prima. Alpha Trion agreed that Liege Maximo, who had seemingly masterminded the coup that had led to her death, had forfeited his right to live on Cybertron and watched as his fellow Primes imprisoned Liege Maximo aboard Vigilem.

Determined to bring Solus Prime's killer to justice, Alpha Trion joined "Onyx" and Prima aboard Prima's Titan, Emissary. The three Primes tracked Megatronus to the barren world of Tsiehshi, but Trion stayed behind while the other two Primes went to confront Megatronus in a final duel. Only "Onyx Prime" returned, informing the record-keeper that Prima had sacrificed himself to end Megatronus's life. The reality was more complicated, however: "Onyx" had simply let Megatronus kill Prima, then, his usefulness at an end, killed Megatronus. Trion was once more swayed by "Onyx Prime's" well-told tale, and so this account became the "official" version of events that would find its way into the chronicles of Cybertron... and thus, the inspiration for the lie that the time-traveling Shockwave used to cover up the truth. Returning to Cybertron, Trion and the five remaining Primes watched as Emissary interred Prima's remains within his body and left Cybertron, unaware that his systems had been sabotaged by "Onyx". The First Who Was Named

With the Primes reduced in number and divided from within, they and their followers soon fell to war with one another in the First Cybertronian Civil War, Heavy the outcome Shockwave had been aiming for all along. The First Who Was Named Trion was not an active participant in the war, instead hoping to find a way to end the conflict as bloodlessly as possible. When the warrior Galvatron slaughtered Nexus Prime and dispelled the rumors that the Primes were immortal, fear for their own safety prompted the last of the Primes to flee Cybertron, one by one, until only Alpha Trion remained. The Crucible

Determined to bring the war to an end, Alpha Trion approached Galvatron during the Battle of Aegiax to request his help in bringing peace to Cybertron—promising the bloodthirsty barbarian whatever he wanted in exchange. The Mind Bomb Trion led Galvatron to the Citadel of Light, former home of Prima and his tribe, and watched Galvatron and Prima's last follower Nova Major defeat the remnants of Onyx Prime's forces. When the battle was won, Alpha Trion introduced himself to Nova, who was not quick to believe Trion's claim to Primehood until Trion pummeled him into submission. Together, the trio made for "Onyx Prime's" castle in Kalis to verify Trion's belief that the other Primes had disappeared. Their way into the castle was barred by the sole remaining warrior, Rhinox of the Mournsong, but he was quickly intimidated into letting them pass. Discovering that "Onyx" had indeed vanished, Nova announced his plan to take control of Cybertron and unify its tribes, and Alpha Trion, feeling this was the best course of action for Cybertron's people, gladly stood aside and let Nova assume the title of Prime.

After taking control of Cybertron, Nova directed his attention to decoding the secrets of the Thirteen, beginning with Nexus Prime's Enigma of Combination. Galvatron was the only one of them who didn't want to uncover the Enigma, and continually insisted that the Enigma was gone, just like its creator. Trion became curious by Galvatron's claims and pointed out that everyone except Galvatron talked of the Enigma as if it were merely a concept, but Galvatron spoke of it as a physical object. One look in Galvatron's eyes provided Alpha with all the explanation he needed to arrive at the answer. The Crucible

Over the next few million years, Alpha Trion was content to let himself fade into the background of Cybertronian life, allowing himself to be "forgotten" after the disastrous fall of the Primes. The Crucible When Nova Prime and his crew—which included Galvatron—departed Cybertron six million years ago, Alpha Trion blessed their starship, the Ark. Dark Dawn Following the disappearance of the Ark, memorial lectures were held in honor of Nova, during which Alpha Trion gave a speech about Primus. Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations Alpha Trion's various compendiums regarding the early histories of Cybertron were of interest to the younger Senator Shockwave, and thus would go on to form the basis for many of "Onyx Prime's" manipulations to the timeline. The First Who Was Named

Nova Prime, thought dead, would eventually be supplanted by Nominus Prime, and, later, Sentinel Prime. Unaware that Sentinel Prime was a false identity constructed by the ancient Titan Master Infinitus, Alpha Trion was known to have stood up against "Sentinel Prime's" increasingly fascistic ideals. White Light At the request of a blacksmith, Trion bore witness to the birth of Orion Pax, agreeing that there was something special about the newborn. Post Four million years ago, as Megatron's Decepticon uprising took shape, Alpha Trion attended the funerals of Bumper and Fastback. Megatron Origin #3

Because of Alpha Trion's intimate knowledge of Cybertron's surface, he accompanied Orion Pax and Nightbeat on a mission into the treacherous Rust Spot to swap Decepticon prisoners for the captured Ratchet. This was merely a ruse to draw out Alpha Trion, who the Decepticons wanted in order to help locate Metroplex. Due to Orion Pax's valiant actions, Alpha Trion and the other Autobots escaped with their lives. Omega's Conundrum The Autobots did get something out of Alpha Trion though; confirmation that the Titans were indeed real. The Hunting Party

Once Orion Pax had become Optimus Prime, he broadcast a message to all Cybertronians, asking them to join him in the fight against the Decepticons and beginning the Great War. Alpha Trion watched this broadcast with interest from the archives of Kutanzuule. Broadcast He soon came in contact with the young Prime to offer him advice and guidance in his early days as Autobot leader. Derelicts When Optimus blamed himself for being unable to stop the Exodus, Alpha Trion assured him that sometimes a leader's role was to let their followers go and make their own decisions. The Illusion of Control Alpha Trion was surprised when Optimus rediscovered the long lost Omega Supreme, and advised him to accept that the ancient guardian would not easily reintegrate into society. Primacy #2

500,000 years ago, Alpha Trion chose to leave Cybertron together with Metroplex, partly to keep the Titan and his technology out of Decepticon hands, but also to investigate Shockwave's Regenesis plan. Hello Cruel World After exploring space for millennia, Alpha Trion came to realize that Shockwave had not seeded his miraculous ores randomly—each had been sent to a planet that Shockwave believed one of the Thirteen had gone after they had fled Cybertron, and the thirteenth planet was the resting place of the Enigma of Combination. The Crucible

Metal beards are ridiculous! But cloth beards are super okay.

The pair briefly returned to Cybertron in 1997; by this point, the planet had been rendered virtually uninhabitable by war, and so Trion began trying to restore it. Operating out of Metroplex, Trion spent the next decade processing the corrosive elements out of Cybertron's atmosphere, slowly making it habitable again. After 2008, the problem was compounded by a monstrous Insecticon swarm that had overrun the planet. Requiring the toughest of the tough to obliterate the swarm, Alpha Trion selected Ironhide to do the job. That Ironhide was across the galaxy on Earth mattered little: Ironhide would eventually die some day, Trion rationalized, and so he built a duplicate body on Cybertron into which he could implant Ironhide's spark and memories once he passed on and returned to the "core". With Vector Sigma having been essentially erased in the event that devastated Cybertron, this took Alpha Trion years and pushed his skills to their limit, but once Ironhide died on Earth in 2010, the ancient Autobot's grand work was complete, and Ironhide returned to life on Cybertron in the new body constructed for him. Any Old Iron

Ironhide awoke in confusion, his memories incomplete due to damage he had suffered millions of years beforehand that had disrupted his link to the core, and wandered Cybertron's wastes until Alpha Trion dispatched his page to bring the befuddled warrior to Metroplex's city mode. Alpha Trion took umbrage at the fact Ironhide had never heard of his ancient greatness, and revealed his incredible powers over his own electromagnetic aura by using it to control Ironhide's actions when the ornery Autobot started to get a little rough. Ironhide further tested Trion's patience when he ignored his cautions and ventured out to track down the near-dead Sunstreaker (even if Sunstreaker had heard of him). Finally, Trion relented to Ironhide's constant questioning and explained the reason he had brought him back online: to exterminate the swarm. Ironing Out the Details

"Oh sorry, I thought you were Prowl for a second."

While Ironhide took out of most of the swarm in a brutal battle, Trion busied himself repairing Sunstreaker. After Ironhide returned, Trion announced that he and Metroplex were leaving Cybertron for parts unknown while Ironhide mopped up the remaining Insecticons. Infuriated by the old 'bots condescending attitude, Ironhide slugged him one, but Alpha Trion let it slide, putting Ironhide in his place by telling him he was just a small playing piece in a very large game. Before departing, however, Alpha Trion softened, congratulating Ironhide on saving the entire planet. After all, the only other Autobot would could make that claim... was he. Any Old Iron

In 2012, Alpha Trion finally deduced that the Enigma of Combination had landed on Earth. Hoping to recover it before Shockwave could harness its power for his own ends, The Crucible Trion left Metroplex to fend off the next stage of Shockwave's ultimate plan by himself. Trion set course for Earth to retrieve what he called the "holy grail", and was thus unable to turn back and help when his Titan companion was infected with an alchemical virus. After crossing paths with the Vis Vitalis, he convinced Thunderclash's Camien associates, Cityspeaker Windblade and her compatriots Chromia and Nautica, to use their cityspeaking skills to aid the Titan in his place. Burning Bright A 'Bot and Her City Alpha Trion also tasked the three with delivering a simple message for Optimus Prime: "Earth." Hello Cruel World Shockwave saw Alpha Trion in a vision of things that would come to pass during the Dark Cybertron prophecy. Dark Dawn

Alpha Trion made it to Earth shortly before Shockwave enacted the final stage of his plan; unfortunately for him, however, his ship was shot down by the Earth Defense Command, The Crucible and both he and his vessel were interred at the EDC's primary headquarters in the Bikini Atoll for study. Full Fathom Five After finally meeting Optimus in person, Windblade passed Trion's message along and Optimus and a group of Autobots travelled to Earth to find him. Hello Cruel World

A month later, Jazz infiltrated the EDC base and stumbled on him while investigating the EDC's use of Cybertronian tech. Full Fathom Five Knowing he was hooked up to an alarm and that the EDC's "mindbomb" couldn't have been created from just his brain, Prowl stopped Jazz from rescuing Alpha Trion immediately in order to investigate further. After deactivating the alarms they took Alpha Trion and fled on Sky Lynx, where a merry Trion's reunion with Optimus Prime was cut short by a coughing fit, prompting Jetfire to take him away and have a look at his injuries. I Dream of Wires

Alpha Trion had Optimus Prime take him to the moon, away from prying ears, to share with him why Earth was so important. He told the story about how he brought Galvatron and Nova Prime together, shocking and angering Optimus with the fact that he was one of the Thirteen Primes and let Nova Prime's reign happen, before revealing the presence of the Enigma of Combination on Earth. The Crucible They subsequently returned to the Ark-7, where Jetfire found their trip had worsened Alpha Trion's condition and admonished Prime. When Prime then returned to Cybertron for what he claimed were political reasons, Trion poked fun at him until he admitted he also had a personal reason, namely the anniversary of him becoming Prime. Signals, Calls, and Marches

When the Ark-7 came under attack and the Autobots lost control of the ship, Alpha Trion recognized why—its computers had been infected with the source code of the Enigma of Combination. The Nothing Man Joining Sideswipe and Arcee as they fought their way through the ship's defenses towards its spacebridge, Trion described the Enigma as one of the "metaphors made real" devised by the ancient Primes and that normal Transformers couldn't fight against it. Aphelion They reached their goal only to be greeted by a group of Decepticons who'd arrived through the spacebridge to capture the ship, Lagrange prompting Sideswipe to hide the still injured Alpha Trion away from harm in a storage compartment. Perihelion

After the Decepticons had crashed the ship onto Earth, Trion and the others were recovered by Optimus Prime's forces. Once they'd relocated, he was shocked to hear that Optimus had started a war with Earth in an attempt to annex it, and wondered what his plan was now. Once Upon a Time on Earth He was present when Optimus returned after an ill-fated confrontation between Aileron and the President of the United States. Edge of the Earth When the Autobots joined forces with Soundwave's Decepticons against Galvatron, Alpha Trion's status as another Prime distressed Soundwave. He remained at their Monument Valley base caring for Buster during the actual attack, but an attack on them by the humans caused the dog to run off with D.0.C. It's Beginning To And Back Again As the battle raged on, Alpha Trion encouraged Optimus Prime to search within himself for the reason he had chosen this particular valley as their base, which led to Optimus realizing Metrotitan was hidden beneath the surface and awakening him. As Above...So Below

Alpha Trion watched Metrotitan transform into Autobot City, the Cybertronian embassy on Earth. No Fair Fights After this he sought another Prime-to-Prime talk with Optimus, but Optimus postponed it in favor of having him coordinate the aftermath of the battle with Galvatron's soldiers. The Last Autobot

While resting at Autobot City, Alpha Trion was confronted by a diminutive Cybertronian who introduced himself as "Infinitus", decrying Trion as the weakest of the original Thirteen. Alpha Trion was confused by Infinitus, but as the interloper pontificated about his plan to wipe Cybertron clean of "vermin" and return it to its Golden Age, Alpha Trion realized that his visitor was none other than the 'bot he had once known as Sentinel Prime! Sentinel Prime deployed a set of blades from his forearms and pounced on Trion, decapitating him. While Optimus and Soundwave were waylaid, Infinitus used his Titan Master powers to puppeteer Trion's body, escaping in its spaceship configuration. White Light After using it to fetch Sovereign, herald of Onyx Prime and fellow Titan Master, Infinitus passed control of the body on to him. When Infinitus and Sovereign confronted Optimus Prime and Soundwave, Soundwave used Alpha Trion's sword to remove Sovereign, and Trion's head and body were recovered. They were returned to Cybertron and reunited by Fixit, who explained that the old Autobot would survive. White Heat

Alpha Trion then got an apartment and spruced it up with all manner of literary texts. Prior to Earth officially joining the Cybertronian Council of Worlds, he was visited by Optimus, Pyra and Starscream and recounted the tale of the unification of the Thirteen and the "first face". Once he was finished, he defended himself to a skeptical Starscream, saying he simply told the story. Origin Myths

When Thundercracker ran into story difficulties in making his film about Starscream, he sought out Alpha Trion for his views regarding Starscream being labelled as the "Chosen One". Alpha Trion felt that Metrotitan had been spouting random nonsense in his damaged state with Starscream just having been in the right place to take advantage of it. Nonetheless, he gave Thundercracker advice that instead of using his film to spread lies about Starscream, he should instead use the power of stories to present truths that would inspire his audience. Starscream: The Movie

"But enough about me, let's kill you!"

After Windblade became ruler of Cybertron, Trion met with the Mistress of Flame who recounted to him an encounter she had with Onyx Prime on Antilla. Alpha Trion had also invited Scoop to the discussion in the hopes that the highly religious Mistress and the recently atheist Constructicon could each teach the other something. Onyx Prime himself returned to Cybertron that very day with the captive Liege Maximo, much to everyone's apprehension. Surfeit of Primes Trion joined the subsequent meeting at the Spire, but as tensions mounted between the trio of Primes, the religious colonists, and Soundwave—who refused to let the Primes reassert themselves as leaders—Trion was struck by a devastating epiphany: the 'bot he believed to be "Onyx Prime" was, in fact, Shockwave, who had manipulated him all these years. Before he could warn his allies of "Onyx Prime"'s true intentions, a powerful blast ripped through the Spire and mortally wounded him. Soundwave rushed to his side, but was unable to do anything more than pronounce him dead. Another Mine

When Soundwave sacrificed his life to help defeat Unicron, he saw a vision of the many deceased- Alpha Trion included, welcoming him into the Afterspark. Ceremony As Optimus Prime himself died, he remembered all the major moments of his life and pondered if Trion being present at his forging was proof that he'd been The Arisen. Post

Vision of the future

In a vision of the future seen by Ironhide and Jhiaxus during the reformatting of Cybertron, Alpha Trion lived on a prosperous Gorlam Prime fifteen million years from now, telling young Transformers the history of their race and their struggles. His closest friend at this time was an aged Ironhide, who Alpha frequently comforted as Ironhide struggled to find his place in the new civilization. Pax Cybertronia

Beast Wars: Uprising

Preditron remembered Alpha Trion as an inspirational figure, one who exemplified the best qualities of the Autobots. The Predacon Manifesto

Rattrap knew the books of Alpha Trion to hold that countless Cybertrons existed in the multiverse. Alone Together: Prologue

While interacting with the Oracle, Overshoot witnessed flashes of Cybertron's long history, including Alpha Trion wielding his Quill. Cultural Appropriation

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

As he lay dying, Alpha Trion passed the Matrix of Leadership down to Optimus Prime, an event that would later be plucked from Prime's memories and scrutinized during his Quintesson trial. Everybody Hates Metroplex His spirit passed into the Matrix, where it would later haunt Megatron after he'd stolen the artifact. Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 The spirits of Alpha Trion and other past Matrix holders manifested again when Optimus Prime took back the Matrix. The War Never Ends

Ask Vector Prime

When questioned if Alpha Trion was Solomus, Vector Prime just said that his brethren went by many faces and names. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/01

Prime Wars Trilogy marketing material

Alpha Trion was partnered with the Titan Master Sovereign, who granted him the power of Primus himself. Titans Return Sovereign/Alpha Trion toy bio On the planet Eukaris, Alpha Trion and Clobber discovered an ancient artifact linked to the Titans and Titan Masters. They were attacked by a contingent of Decepticons intent on ambushing the two Autobots and stealing the artifact for themselves, but Apeface managed to blow their cover and give the Autobots time to fight back. Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters

Alpha Trion's Spark passed into the possession of one of the twelve Prime Masters; hidden within a suit of decoy armor, they safeguarded the abilities of the Primes until the present day. By uniting with a larger Transformer, the Prime Master could channel the powers of Trion's Spark and grant them unique abilities that varied with each new partner. Power of the Primes Landmine / Alpha Trion online bio

2019 IDW continuity

A stained-glass mural of Alpha Trion existed next to other members in Cybertronian history. The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five Alpha Trion was active in the days before the War of the Threefold Spark, and attempted to teach his mentee Ultra Magnus about sympathy and compassion. Storm Horizon Part 2 Trion bore witness to the war that followed, his spark weeping for those that were extinguished.

When the Tether had fallen, Alpha Trion had left Cybertron, hunting down ancient Cybertronian artefacts across the galaxy. Storm Horizon Part 1 Trion's search led him to the Decimus Sector. Knowing that Spinister's crew had mapped the Black Sphere region, he bargained for usage of a Kworian starship, eventually finding himself in Soundblaster's company. Though Trion had left a series of signal markers, their proximity to the black hole gave an exaggerated account of how long he'd been gone, sending Ultra Magnus on a search for him. Via hologram, Trion projected himself to his mentee on the planet Obsidar just as Soundblaster's vessel came under attack from a fleet of starships. Storm Horizon Part 2

Obsessed with his profits, Soundblaster refused to let Alpha Trion go free, forcing Ultra Magnus to board the ship and rescue his mentor. With Trion noting that the Kworians were unlikely to stand down, the two left the ship to be destroyed by the black hole and retreated to the Fist of Iacon. Setting course for home, the crew discovered that Megatron had overthrown the Senate but Alpha Trion reassured everyone that with faith in their cause and courage, they would see through this crisis and emerge stronger. Storm Horizon Part 3

War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon

Voice actor: Ben Jurand (English), Banjō Ginga (Japanese), Dario de Castro (Portuguese), Mathieu Buscatto (French), Samuel Zekarias (German), Jesús Carrasco (Castilian Spanish), José Luis Orozco (Latin-American Spanish)

In Cybertron's past, Alpha Trion led the planet into a rebellion against its oppressors, and mentored Megatron, Optimus and Ultra Magnus Siege episode 1 as his students to bring change and good to Cybertron. Alpha Trion also protected the Matrix of Leadership, waiting for one worthy enough to be chosen. The arrogant Sky Lynx time and time again tried to claim the talisman until Alpha Trion used the Staff of Solus to banish the draconian to the Dead Universe. Earthrise episode 5 At some point, Alpha Trion studied the mystical AllSpark, proving its existence, Siege episode 2 and knew where it was located. Siege episode 4

As the Autobots and Decepticons diverged and Megatron started his own revolution, the former student murdered Alpha Trion. Siege episode 6 The Matrix of Leadership chose Optimus Prime as its next bearer and Magnus inherited the sum total of Alpha Trion's knowledge in the form of the Alpha Trion Protocols. Trion, greatly missed by many, was awarded a memorial in the mass-grave at Tarn-Hauser Gate. When Megatron murdered Ultra Magnus, the Alpha Trion Protocols chose the scavenger Bumblebee. He spoke to a simulacrum of Alpha Trion that persisted within the Protocols, Siege episode 4 but it was destroyed when Shockwave engineered a virus against it. Siege episode 6

While in the Dead Universe, both Optimus and Megatron looked back to when Alpha Trion had mentored them and Ultra Magnus, but the Decepticon leader only let it fuel his hatred. Earthrise episode 5 When the Autobots and Maximals searched for the AllSpark on Earth, the artifact produced an illusion of Alpha Trion to Optimus Prime, part of its defense mechanism to lead would-be threats astray. Optimus followed the projection until it led him to a mortally wounded Dinobot and the Matrix of Leadership. Kingdom episode 3

Transformers Go! Go!

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Go! Go! issue 42

Games

Transformers Legends

Alpha Trion was one of the oldest Transformers alive. Orion's Gambit

Sentinel Prime sent Alpha Trion out to investigate an uprising of working-class robots. Alpha Trion uncovered that Senator Ratbat has shut down a mine, which catapulted into motion the Decepticon movement. He reported his findings to Sentinel Prime, and Ratbat was forced to flee for his life. Megatron Origins

Alpha Trion, alongside Nightbeat and Orion Pax, was to escort the Decepticons Rack'n'Ruin in a prisoner exchange with the Decepticons. Though they encountered Slicers en route, the group eventually met up with Bludgeon. But instead of the agreed upon exchange, Bludgeon and the Decepticons ambushed the Autobots, leading to Alpha Trion's capture. He was rescued and returned to Zeta Prime's protective custody thanks to Nightbeat and Orion Pax's efforts. Orion's Gambit

When Orion Pax and Ariel were seriously injured by the Decepticons, the Aerialbots took the pair to Trion, who rebuilt them into Optimus Prime and Elita One. He also aided the Aerialbots in returning to their own time through the Chronogon portal. Golden Age

Angry Birds Transformers

Main article: Mighty Eagle#As Alpha Trion

Alpha Trion appears as a character unlockable in Challenge Events. He is portrayed by Mighty Eagle. Angry Birds Transformers

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Alpha Trion was one of the oldest living Cybertronians. While not technically an Autobot, he happily provided them with advice and lore from Cybertron's prehistoric past. Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook

Transformers: Earth Wars

Alpha Trion has said he had not borne arms for many centuries. The Nemesis

Alpha Trion was one of the original Thirteen Primes.

Perceptor had found evidence of recent time travel and told the other Autobots. Prowl suspected it was Alpha Trion and the other Autobot Elders who had traveled to the past. Perceptor agreed, knowing that since Alpha Trion was a High Councillor, he would have direct access to Vector Sigma. Windblade feared this could lead to more Time Wars. Lost In Time

The Game Full of Death and Suffering...! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their video game appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Transformers: Earth Wars

Toys

Expanded Universe

"im not ownable! im not ownable!!", i continue to insist as i slowly shrink and transform into a lion

A redeco of Beast Machines Deluxe Class Snarl was planned as Alpha Trion for the OTFCC Wreckers storyline, but this concept never made it past the paint mock-up stage.

A redecoed Lio Convoy was also considered by 3H for Alpha Trion around the same time, and it was sort of this version that briefly appeared in the comic book (see above). Though the toy mock-up used Snarl, 3H hoped they could finagle the use of the Lio Convoy mold. The wireframe appearance of "Alpha Lion" in The Wreckers #1 used Lio Convoy's body, but Snarl's head, hopefully allowing 3H to fudge either way, should they come to a decision. They didn't!

• Image gallery of the Alpha Trion Snarl redeco purchased from the Hartmans

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Timelines

I'm not evil! Honest!

• Alpha Trion / Weirdwolf (Souvenir two-pack, 2007)

• Accessories: Sword, missile, Cyber Key

The first actual toy of Alpha Trion (well, sorta, we'll get to that in a moment) is a retool of Cybertron Voyager Class Vector Prime, redecoed in purple, white, and red, plus a new head designed by Dan Khanna.^[1] He transforms into a large Cybertronian space cruiser with "solar panel" wings. His nosecone has a spring-loaded missile launcher at the tip. Inserting his Cyber Key (painted gold to resemble the Key to Vector Sigma) does not activate any sounds, unlike Vector Prime's toy. Alpha Trion has the more flexible translucent plastic parts (for safety reasons) of the Hasbro version of the mold. His starship mode also has a socket to snugly fit his pack-in partner Beta Maxx.

Released under the Timelines banner, he was only available in a bagged "souvenir set" with Beta Maxx and Weirdwolf at BotCon 2007, limited to 1400 pieces.

While this figure's design obviously derives from depictions of Generation 1 Alpha Trion, the accompanying profile card very vaguely describes the Shattered Glass incarnation of Alpha Trion. And roughly a year after its release, the Timelines fiction made the big reveal that yes, this was the villainous incarnation. For many years there was dispute as to whose page this toy should go on according to the wiki's classification system, but in 2013, this toy appeared in the Legends mobile game event "Golden Age", and thus this toy resumed having an entry on this page.

• More information on Alpha Trion at TFU.info

Generations (Japan)

Denied.

• Alpha Trin (Deluxe, 2015)

• Accessories: Presumably 2 handguns

A mock-up of a Japanese "Alpha Trin" toy in the form of a Generations Deluxe Class Scourge redeco was shown in Transformers Generations 2014 Volume 1 as one of ten potential exclusives for Vol. 2. In the fan poll held to determine which of the ten would be produced, Alpha Trion claimed 28.9% of the votes but ultimately came second place under Goshooter.^[2] The accompanying text notes that he would have come with a Vector Sigma accessory, presumably to be a golden redeco of Beast Wars Eggbot as seen in the volume's manga story, "Train Wars".

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Kre-O

• Alpha Trion (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2014)

• Collection: 4
• Bag number: ***** 33
• Accessories: Stand brick, buildable sword/spear-thing
• Known designers: Ed Masiello (Hasbro)

Part of the fourth Collection of blind-bagged Kreon Micro-Changers, Kre-O Alpha Trion can be rebuilt from a humanoid to a starship seemingly based on the BotCon 2007 Alpha Trion toy (above). His vehicle-mode bits are rebuilt into a massive spear/sword/thing weapon for robot mode. His jet mode is the only Micro-Changer to fully remove the Kreon's arms in alternate mode.

He uses the Jazz helmet... which covers his eyes when pushed all the way down on the noggin.

This Collection was passed by most larger brick-and-mortar stores, appearing at Walgreens drug stores first and largely being relegated to similar outlets. Later releases of this wave lost the individual bag codes, meaning you either felt parts through the bag or buy blind.

• More information on Kre-O Alpha Trion at TFU.info

There's always that one old guy who hangs out at school long after he graduated...

• Kreon Class of 1985 (Kreon figure set, 2015)

• Set number: B5152
• Voted: 800th Year Senior
• Accessories: Longsword

This version of Kreon Alpha Trion has more intricate, cartoon-accurate detailing, and uses the Age of Extinction Galvatron helmet. He also comes with the longsword accessory from the Kre-O Dungeons & Dragons series for... some reason.

He also uses the updated 2015-style Kreon body, making almost all of his parts incompatible with previous years' Kreons.

He was only available in the "Kreon Class of '85" 30-Kreon box set, a San Diego Comic-Con 2015 exclusive, also sold online through Hasbro Toy Shop following the convention.

• More information on Class of '85 Alpha Trion at TFU.info

Legends

So I'm basically Optimus Prime's brother and father figure?

• Ultra Magnus (Leader, 2015)

• ID number: LG-14
• Release date: September 9, 2015

The Legends release of Combiner Wars Leader Class Ultra Magnus includes a small Alpha Trion figure, which is a redeco of the Minimus Ambus figure (as Minimus does not appear in any Japanese-original fiction). He transforms into a Cybertronian hovercar, which can tab onto three grooves on the lower level of Magnus's trailer. In robot mode, Alpha Trion can sit inside Ultra Magnus's robot mode torso, "wearing" the Magnus head like a helmet.

Titans Return

Destined to be repurposed as Alpha Trizer.

• Autobot Sovereign & Alpha Trion (Voyager Class, 2016)

• Accessories: Sword, Sovereign Titan Master, Gun
• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro), Emiliano Santalucia (concept artist), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Titans Return Alpha Trion transforms from a robot to lion (in homage to his cancelled BotCon 2001 toy) to spaceship. His head transforms into the Titan Master Sovereign, although his neck socket is compatible with any other Titan Master figure. Both his alternate modes are references to Alpha Trion's previous BotCon toys. He comes with a gun that Sovereign can ride in spaceship mode. As with other Titans Return Voyager figures, pressing in his chest crystal makes his head adornments spring up to "bulk up" his head. In Canada and Australia, Alpha Trion along with his wavemate Astrotrain were prominent shelfwarmers, while finding Alpha Trion anywhere in the US was a great deal more difficult.

The Hasbro Asia exclusive giveaway sticker sheet can be used to enhance the figure's details.^[3]

This toy was repurposed as a body for Shattered Glass Alpha Trion. This mold was retooled into Legends Leo Prime and extensively retooled into Titans Return Broadside and Tidal Wave. The sword was redecoed into Legends Magna Convoy's Matrix Sword and Siege Nemesis Prime's Ancient Sword.

Power of the Primes

Legends, Titans Return, Power of the Primes. The trilogy is complete!

• Alpha Trion (Prime Master, 2018)

• TakaraTomy ID number: PP-32
• TakaraTomy release date: October 27, 2018
• Accessories: Landmine decoy armor, cannon
• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

Power of the Primes Alpha Trion is a Prime Master with Landmine decoy armor, visually based on the original Pretender's shell. Alpha Trion/Landmine is a retool of Vector Prime/Metalhawk, with a new Prime Master sigil and decoy armor front.

This toy has identical features to the other Prime Masters in the line. The decoy armor has a weapon piece which can fold out to create a weapon mode, or detach and be held in the armor's 3 mm-compatible hand. The Titan Master-like robot can store inside the decoy armor or ride Legends Class figures in vehicle mode, and is fully compatible with toys from the previous Titans Return line. The "Power Swap" gimmick means its spark form can plug onto any decoy armor's weapon form (which has a 5 mm post to be held by larger figures), Deluxe Class figures' chest armor, Voyager Class figures' bucklers, Leader Class figures' Matrix (in place of their Matrix core), combiners' torsos (in place of their Enigma of Combination), or the Scepter of Sparks. With the power of your imagination, this bestows the Prime Master's unique power on the larger figure.

Quality control on the Landmine armor varies: many units' arm holes are slightly too small, warping the connector joints in-package and making the arms pop off when posing. Copies with normal-sized holes can be identified by viewing the package sideways to see whether the joints are warped. There have also been some reports of copies with just one flawed arm.

Legacy

"Please, my son, he is very sick..."

• A Hero is Born (2-pack, 2022)

• Accessories: Rifle, Vector Sigma, Key to Vector Sigma, stand
• Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro), Takio Ejima and Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), Lenny Panzica (initial concept)^[4]

Revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Legacy Alpha Trion is a hefty retool of Studio Series Scourge, transforming into a Cybertronian hovercraft in 21 steps. This release uses new "wing" pieces in robot mode to resemble his cape from the original animation model; unfortunately, due to clearance issues with his new chest, those pieces do not fold up neatly into the vehicle mode undercarriage, so they just kind of sit there awkwardly and make him tilt forward when placed on a flat surface. Alpha Trion also utilizes the 5 mm post-compatible open-palm hands from both Scourge and his Sweep redeco/retool, rather than having either of those molds' asymmetrical open/closed hand arrangements.

Alpha Trion was only available in the "A Hero Is Born" two-pack with Orion Pax, as well as a Vector Sigma accessory and the Key to Vector Sigma. The set went up for pre-order during Pulse Con 2022, and began appearing at stores in Hong Kong shortly afterward.

Taiwanese fans who supported the HasLab Victory Saber project ended up getting the "A Hero Is Born" set instead (along with a full refund) after their Victory Sabers were severely water damaged during shipment and could not be delivered. No, this set is nowhere near as cool. Sorry?^[5]

Merchandise

Super Collection Figure

You better believe people were excited for this in 2002.

• Alpha Trin (2002)
  • Act: 8
  • Accessories: Stand

The first "toy" of Alpha Trion ever made, this three-inch-tall PVC figurine was available in "Act 8" of Takara's Super Collection Figure line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full-color figure and a metallic-silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve blindpacked figures.

The pewter version of the figure has a potential problem with connector peg breakage, due to said pegs often getting a layer of pewter paint before being forced into a socket, leading to sticking and tearing. Care should be used when moving or removing the arms; shaving down the socket interior with a thin hobby knife is usually sufficient to fix the issue.

Additionally, the pewter version of Alpha Trion came packaged with the left leg of the Scorponok collectible "build-a-figure".

• More information on Super Collection Figure Alpha Trin at TFU.info
• More information on pewter Alpha Trin at TFU.info

EX Gōkin

You'd be scolding young 'bots too if you had a pole in your aft...

• Alpha Trin (2014)
  • Accessories: Two fists, two open hands, two gripping hands, right pointing hand, A-3 head, two A-3 shoulders, display stand

Produced by Art Storm as part of their EX Gōkin line, this Alpha Trion is a 6-inch tall posable figure based on his cartoon character model. He comes with a plethora of extra hands and has an articulated cape that splits in two pieces for easier posing. Alpha Trion can (sort of) be turned into his younger self, A-3, by use of an alternate head based on his appearance in "War Dawn" and two smaller, spike-less shoulderpads.

• More information on EX Gōkin Alpha Trin at Art Storm's official site

Transformers Trading Card Game

• Alpha Trion, Cybertronian Sage (2019)
  • Wave 3: War for Cybertron: Siege I
  • Rarity: RT
  • Card Number: T01/T48
  • Stars: 11

Alpha Trion, Cybertronian Sage is one of forty-eight double-sided character cards available in Wave 3 of the Transformers Trading Card Game, War for Cybertron: Siege I.

ReAction

• Alpha Trion (2020)

Released in the second wave of Super7's line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ReAction Alpha Trion is a non-converting 3 3/4-inch action figure based on his appearance in the original cartoon, with 5 points of articulation (swivel neck, shoulders, hips) and holes in his feet for use with some variety of stand. Unlike most releases in this line, he lacks an accessory (but both of his hands are open to enable him to hold one), but he does have a thin vinyl cape which is not removable (at least, not without breaking it).

As with all releases in the ReAction toyline, Alpha Trion comes packaged on a small cardback that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of Kenner's Star Wars action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.

Transformers Character Card

• Alpha Trin & Convoy Set (April 22, 2023)
  • ID number: 49 & 50

Released as part of the seventh wave of the e-HOBBY exclusive Transformers Character Card series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of "Alpha Trin" and Optimus Prime touting the Matrix of Leadership along with character profiles and tech specs.

• Translation of Alpha Trion's Transformers Character Card

Jada Toys

• Transformers Series 3 18-pack (4 cm Die Cast Figure Multipack, 2023)

Released by Jada Toys, Nano Metalfigs Alpha Trion is an incredibly small die-cast figurine molded doing an action pose. He has a little base attached to his feet for balancing reasons.

He comes in an impressive multipack with seventeen other figurines.

Notes

Once you go white, you'll never, er... be right?

• Alpha Trion is one of the very few Cybertronians to show signs of aging and hair growth.
• According to a timeline in the January 1987 issue of Comic Bom Bom, A-3 was the first successful robot by Vector Sigma, A-1 and A-2 being failures. However, the presence of Cybertronians within the Matrix of Leadership older than Alpha Trion (as seen in "The Return of Optimus Prime") makes the actual canonicity of this questionable.
• Alpha Trion may be named after the Triple-Alpha Process, the method through which carbon is created, which in turn is the reason (human) life came to be. Given that Alpha Trion essentially "created" Optimus Prime, who in turn formed the Autobots, this is actually quite fitting.

"I'm Alpha Trion's hover-craft mode!"

• Alpha Trion had a hover-craft alternate mode designed for his appearance in The Transformers: Ironhide, but ultimately didn't end up transforming in that mini-series. The vehicle mode was first revealed in the trade paperback's extras, and would eventually be used in-continuity as part of a flashback sequence in "The Mind Bomb" and in the Transformers Legends episode "Megatron Origins".

Foreign names

• Japanese: Alpha Trin (アルファートリン Arufā Torin), Alpha Trion (アルファトライオン Arufa Toraion)
• Hebrew: Alpha Trion (אלפא טריון, "Alpha Trion")
• Hungarian: Alfa Trion
• Indonesian: Alfa Trion
• Mandarin: Alpha Tellion (Taiwan, 阿法特利昂 Āfǎ Tèlìáng), Tài Shīfù (China, 钛师傅, "Master Titanium")

References