Prima

Prima? What? It's a manly name.

Prima (aka Prima Prime) is the first Transformer. Created by Primus, he was appointed the Warrior of Light and given the legendary Star Saber sword with the Matrix of Leadership in its hilt.^[1][2] Chosen to lead the Thirteen against their eternal enemy Unicron, he and the rest of the Thirteen were made stewards of Primus' planetary form, Cybertron.

It is uncertain what relationship Prima has, if any, to Primon, another early Matrix bearer.

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

I am Sparktacus!

Voice actor: Neil Ross (English), Francis Lax (European French)

Prima was created from the corpse of another robot which the Quintessons deactivated for its underperformance in its tasks. The robot was instantly smelted down and reformed into Prima, who, through unknown circumstances, became the second documented bearer of the Matrix of Leadership. Prima was unusual amongst his consumer goods brethren in that he was equipped for combat, and was made to battle in the Quintessons' gladiatorial pits. He found the endless fighting repellent, and, after a battle with Sentinel Major, decided to strike back at his masters, leaping at the group of Quintessons that had been watching the match. He was blasted out of the air, and fell to the ground in a smoking wreck, apparently deceased. He was succeeded as Matrix-bearer by Prime Nova.

When Rodimus Prime journeyed inside the Matrix, Prima was the second guide he encountered, and told him the story of the Quintessons' gladiatorial matches. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4

Marvel Comics continuity

Prima. For reals.^[3]

Marvel The Transformers comics

After Primus had imprisoned his and Unicron's astral forms in asteroids, he reshaped his new body into the planet Cybertron. From the material of this world was born the first Transformer, Prima. Prima and his fellow Transformers were given the gift of transformation, an ability that mirrored Unicron's own powers, so that one day they would be able to unite against him and defeat him. Prima was given the Genetic Matrix, a powerful artifact endowed with Primus's own life essence, which would allow Prima to create further generations of Transformers. The Primal Scream

It is not known what Prima's fate was, but Prime Nova is recorded as the next Matrix bearer. Dark Creation

Marvel Generation 2 comic

Upon Prima's first emergence from primordial Cybertron, he didn't need to use the Matrix's power to bring forth new Transformers. The first few generations of Cybertronians could replicate themselves through a process known as "budding." However, the method of reproduction diluted Primus's essence with each generation. This process reached a pre-programmed end, and Primus's progeny lost both their ability to bud, and all memory of the process. The Power and the Glory

Classics

When Aquarius informed Ultra Mammoth's team of the nature of the multiverse and the Origin Matrix, he informed them that the multiverse had only one version of Prima and his siblings. Falling into Place

3H comics

The Matrix was passed from Primon unto Prima, who subsequently bequeathed it to Prime Nova. Covenant

Live-action film series continuity

Optimus got his father's everything.

Revenge of the Fallen film

After the Fallen was caught trying to harvest a star from a system with life, he turned on the other Primes and made war on them. In order to prevent the Fallen from harvesting the star, the remaining Primes (including Prima) hid the key to the harvester inside a tomb made of their own bodies and sealed it with their own life essence. Revenge of the Fallen

IDW movie comics

Prima proposed to the Dynasty of Primes that they should make it a rule to not destroy the stars from systems with life. He also renamed the Fallen after the latter intentionally destroyed such a system. When the Fallen attempted this again on Earth, the original seven Primes battled him and fell one by one, until only Prima was left.^[4] Prima let the Fallen chase him around the planet until he was weakened by overusing space bridges, allowing Prima to gather his brothers' bodies and use their remaining power to banish the Fallen to his sarcophagus. Tales of the Fallen #4

Prima presumably created a tomb from his and his brothers' bodies to hide the Matrix of Leadership, giving his own spark to seal it from within. Though the Fallen's evil would return to Cybertron to kill the rest of the Dynasty, it would be his orphaned descendant who would be hidden away. Revenge of the Fallen #3

Aligned continuity family

The Covenant of Primus

Whoever lives by the sword shall die by the sword.

As the first of the Thirteen created, Prima was cast in the mold of Primus himself, a warrior of great virtue and nobility who placed the greater good above all else. Though self-aware enough to not be a pompous leader to his siblings, he tended to take too much weight upon his shoulders, and his persistent conviction that he was always right made him difficult to deal with. He tended to clash with Megatronus, who served as his opposite among the Thirteen, a warrior of darkness who represented a natural counterbalance to Prima's role as the warrior of light. Such arguments characterized their interactions while the Thirteen trained and prepared to take on the menace of Unicron.

In the course of the battle with Unicron, Prima lost his grip upon his Star Saber when the Chaos Bringer assaulted the group with torturous visions. Although the Thirteen were able to shut Unicron down soon thereafter, they did not manage to do so before he had seized the convulsing Prima, put him in his mouth, bitten down, and spat his crushed body out.

Prima survived the experience, and the Thirteen turned to the business of building the beginnings of a civilization and society on Cybertron. Prima worked primarily with Vector Prime and Alpha Trion, but their clique was treated with some degree of resentment by some of their siblings, as it was thought they were trying to control the actions of the others. Prima continued to grow even more detached as they continued their work, spending his time theorizing about the nature of the Thirteen, and categorizing them; he considered himself and other early members of the group to be forces of lawful good, but looked upon the last that had been created—chiefly, Megatronus and Liege Maximo—as chaotic and potentially evil. When Maximo discovered the writings Prima had made about this and then told Megatronus, a physical altercation between Prima and his dark opposite resulted, a permanent wedge driven between brothers. Prior to this, like Vector and Trion, Prima was confused by the blossoming love between Megatronus and Solus, but at the very least recognised it was something beautiful and that it made the pair happy, and for a time that was enough for him.

"You think three on one will do any good? Do you have any power to defeat me?"

Some time later, when Prima discovered that Megatronus and Liege Maximo were working on a secret project of their own, creating a race of robotic creatures, he demanded it be shut down, suspecting them of having a sinister ulterior motive even if he could not see it. He forced the rest of the Thirteen into a vote on the matter and emerged victorious. This was to be the catalyst for the final falling out between the Primes: furious that she had voted against him, Megatronus subsequently argued with and inadvertently killed Solus. He retreated to the wilderness of Cybertron, but Prima and the others tracked him down and brought him back to face justice, only for it to become apparent that Maximo had set Megatronus up. Things quickly devolved into a chaotic free-for-all fight between the siblings, which ended with Maximo dead by uncertain hands. Megatronus was exiled for his crimes, and (with Solus' death still weighing heavily on him) requested Vector Prime to open a portal to send him to some far-off world where he would never do harm again. Prima instead offered him a ship that they'd been working on, expressing hope that perhaps if he traveled he might find some measure of peace or a way to suitably honour her. Megatronus was surprised by the conciliatory gesture and hoped Prima was right before taking his leave. Prima took custody of the Requiem Blaster and cast it into the depths of space.

As the rest of the Thirteen spread out into the universe, Prima was among those who decided to remain on Cybertron to guide the new race of beings that emerged from the Well of All Sparks after they interred the deceased Solus within it. Prima dubbed the more primitive and bestial of the creatures that emerged "Predacons". He defended the more advanced, bipedal robots that came from the Well against the powerful Predaking once. Prima fought Predaking to a standstill, and declared the bipeds off limits for Predaking's feasting. His show of strength cowed the Predaking into submitting to Prima's will, the only example of such submission in Predaking's long history. Predaking would occasionally catch sight of Prima observing from afar, but as he kept his word and no longer preyed on the bipedal Cybertronians, Prima was apparently content to simply keep an optic on things.

After the Great Cataclysm, Prima vanished from the annals of history, and was no longer seen walking among the people of Cybertron. The surviving Cybertronians soon forgot about the Thirteen as real people, remembering them only as the heroes of ancient folklore. The Covenant of Primus

Aligned novels

After Solus Prime created the Requiem Blaster for Megatronus, debate erupted among the Thirteen over whether so powerful a weapon should be allowed to exist. When the argument threatened to turn violent, Prima called for a vote on the matter; Megatronus won by one vote. Exiles

When Optimus Prime received the Matrix from the core of Cybertron, he recognized it as the jewel from the hilt of Prima's Star Saber. Upon accepting the talisman into himself, Optimus had a vision of all its previous holders, all the way back to Prima himself. Exodus

Prime cartoon

He's the leader of the bunch. You know him well.

According to legend, at the beginning of time, Unicron and Primus battled each other for eons, with neither side remaining victorious for long. Till, that is, Primus created the Thirteen. These Thirteen defeated Unicron and cast him into space. One Shall Rise, Part 1

At some point statues of Prima and his siblings were made. They were placed in the chamber of the High Council. One Shall Rise, Part 3

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: The Transformers #23 (statue)

He also spent his free time writing strategy guides for video games.

Prima was one of the Primes who led the Thirteen Tribes that rose to prominence on Cybertron following the departure of the Knights of Cybertron from the planet, and fancied himself as the last of the Knights. Like four others, he was attracted to the Crystal City alliance, Origin Myths where he emerged as the leader of the Thirteen. Solus Prime eventually forged the Star Saber which Prima came to wield.

Urged on by Onyx Prime, Prima oversaw a mission of colonization to expand the Pax Cybertronia, sending the Titan Nemesis to colonize the neighboring world of Antilla. Despite his claims that the Cybertronians had only sought to bring the "light" of their perfect civilization to the galaxy, the colonialist ambitions of Cybertron were laid bare, and as a result Cybertron came to be shunned and hated by the inhabitants of the galaxy. Prima laid the blame for this at Megatronus's feet and was eventually attacked by his fellow Prime in revenge, only being saved through Solus's sacrifice. This act sparked the First Cybertronian Civil War, and while Megatronus managed to flee, Prima captured his co-conspirator, Liege Maximo, who was eventually exiled aboard Vigilem.

Prima's brief foray into 1000-degree knife videos ended in disaster.

Aboard the Titan Emissary, Prima led Onyx and Alpha Trion to hunt down Megatronus and bring him to justice, eventually locating him on Tsiehshi. When Prima found his adversary, Megatronus promptly seized the Star Saber and turned it back on its wielder, bisecting him. Prima would never learn that the 'bot he had known as "Onyx Prime" was actually a convenient disguise assumed by a time displaced Shockwave from ten million years in the future, who proceeded to behead Megatronus before recounting to Alpha Trion a romanticized version of the battle that claimed Prima and Megatronus, now known as the Fallen, had slain one another.

The loss of his master caused Emissary to become distraught. After returning Onyx and Trion to Cybertron, Emissary interred Prima's remains within himself and set off for deep space, eventually crash-landing on prehistoric Elonia as a result of his systems being sabotaged by Shockwave. The First Who Was Named

In Prima's absence his former seat of power, the Citadel of Light, came under siege by Onyx's bestial hordes. After Nova Major and Galvatron managed to beat back the invaders, Alpha Trion arranged for Nova Major became Nova Prime. The Crucible In the era that followed, Prima was regarded as having been the greatest of the Primes. Lagrange

Transformers Vault is popular reading in the Grand Imperium.

Before the Great War, statues of Prima wielding the Star Saber oversaw the Senate chamber within the Grand Imperium Chaos Theory Part 2 and the Primal Basilica. An Intimate Beheading Camiens were also known to swear by Prima's name. The Sum and Its Parts

In early 2018, once the timeline had caught up with Shockwave's machinations, the scientist returned to Cybertron. After binding Optimus Prime, he explained his journey to his old friend, including Prima's true fate. The First Who Was Named

Fun Publications

Vector Prime described Prima as distant from his siblings in the Thirteen, weighed down by the responsibilities of the multiverse. Vector wished he had known his brother better. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14 When the Thirteen visited ancient Greece, the holomatter avatar Prima used to interact with the natives inspired the myth of Zeus. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/20 During this time, he observed the animosity brewing between Liege Maximo and Solus Prime (who had manifested as Aphrodite and Hephaestus, respectively) and "bonded" them together in hopes they could work out their differences. His plan didn't succeed. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/08

Prima wielded the Star Saber in the Thirteen's clashes with Unicron. When Megatronus began acting for evil causes, his siblings resolved to keep Prima's Star Saber out of Megatronus's hands, so Solus shattered it with her Forge. Nexus Prime volunteered to hide fragments throughout the multiverse. Nexus Prime's profile Ask Vector Prime, 2015/05/18/5

When Nexus Prime united the Terminus Blade and the Star Saber, Prima and the other members of the Thirteen were drawn to witness the event. Time and space were rewritten that day, as the walls between universal streams grew stronger and less permeable. A consequence of strengthening the multiverse's properties was that Prima and the original Thirteen could no longer continue to exist as multiversal singularities, and so they were splintered and scattered throughout the multiverse. And so the one became many, sentient reoccurring themes each appearing in their own way, if at all, in all the worlds of the multiverse. Out of the One, Many

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

Prima was among the spirits of former Autobot leaders who resided in the Matrix and haunted Megatron after he stole the artifact. Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12

Power of the Primes toy bios

Prima'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 Prima's Spark and grant them unique abilities that varied with each new partner. Power of the Primes

War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon

When the Ark arrived in the Nebulon system to try and make use of its space bridge, the sight of it caused Ironhide to swear by Prima. Earthrise episode 3

Cyberverse cartoon

Only in Cyberverse does Prima get a neat little hat.

Prima was one of the Thirteen. Dweller In The Depths Silent Strike The Other One

A statue of Prima was present in the Grand Imperium. Once the Great War had ravaged Cybertron, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee met in front of Prima's toppled statue to reflect on their planet's sorry state and the mistake Optimus had made in launching the AllSpark. Matrix of Leadership

When the Ark entered unspace, Wheeljack swore by Prima. The Crossroads

After the Great War had ended, the Autobots began rebuilding the Grand Imperium, with Grapple constructing a new statue of Prima for the meeting hall. Enemy Line

2019 IDW continuity

Prima was one of the Thirteen Primes. End of Time

One film

Prima Prime was one of the original thirteen Primes created by Primus. This Prima did not carry the Matrix of Leadership, as that honor was given to his brother Zeta Prime. He ruled with his siblings until the Quintessons invaded. After years of war, he and the other Primes responded to the intel of a Quintesson council of generals reported by Sentinel, unaware that the aide was luring them into a trap. Prima was killed in battle with the other Primes, and laid there for fifty cycles until Alpha Trion borrowed his transformation cog and those of his siblings to bestow upon the miners that found their tomb.^[5] One

Games

Transformers: Earth Wars

Magnaboss called the Star Saber "the sword of Prima" while in battle with Optimal Optimus for it. Double Jeopardy

Toys

Transformers (2007)

Guess who ya gotta buy now to finish your Thirteen collection?

• Protoform Optimus Prime (Deluxe Class, 2007)

• TakaraTomy ID number: MA-05
• Accessories: Gun with flame attachment
• Known designers: Aaron Archer (Hasbro), Kōjin Ōno (TakaraTomy), Don Figueroa (concept artist)^[6]

Based upon the "Protoform" (Cybertronian) appearances of the Transformers in the 2007 movie, Transformers "Protoform Optimus Prime" transforms into his "entry" mode. This mode somewhat resembles a cybertronic truck, with false wheels sculpted onto the sides and Optimus Prime's trademark windows in front. A flame decoration piece fits to the back of the "vehicle", creating the illusion of a flaming comet's tail. The bottom of the vehicle has small wheels to roll the toy across smooth surfaces. Oddly, it has NO Automorph Technology gimmick at all, a feature most main-line figures have.

In robot mode, he resembles previous Optimus characters: His angular chest windows are reminiscent of Cybertron Optimus Prime, while his near-animalistic limbs and color scheme are evocative of Beast Wars Optimus Primal. He has excellent articulation due to his many ball joints, and is armed with a rifle. The flame attachment can fit onto the end of the (non-firing) gun barrel.

Some packaging variants of this figure (perhaps a Wal-Mart exclusive) included a free movie poster depicting a Cybertronian eye overlooking Earth. While an added sticker to the outer plastic bubble says "Exclusive movie poster!", it is more of a preview of upcoming figures.

This mold was also used to make Movie Advanced Series Protoform Optimus Prime.

• More information on Protoform Optimus Prime at TFU.info

Power of the Primes

"There's no such thing as a Prima Prime!"

• Throne of the Primes (Leader Class, 2018)

• TakaraTomy ID number: PP-43
• TakaraTomy release date: January 26, 2019
• Known designers: Marcelo Matere (throne designer, packaging artist)

Power of the Primes "Prima Prime" (ha ha, yes, Hasbro went with this naming) is a retool of the Solus Prime/Octopunch inner robot with a new Prime Master sigil/backpack (seemingly inspired by the previous Protoform Optimus Prime repurposing and Covenant of Primus design's chest), packaged in the Throne of the Primes set.

This toy has identical features to the other Prime Masters in the line. The Titan Master-like robot can store inside 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 included Scepter of Sparks or Halo of Primus accessories. With the power of your imagination, this bestows the Prime Master's unique power on the larger figure.

While Prima is a retool of Solus Prime (gang-molded with her included Octopunch decoy armor), it is unknown what gang-molded decoy armor Nexus would have had as a hypothetical mass-retail Prime Master.

This set debuted at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, and was later sold via Hasbro Toy Shop online. It was also available at general retail in Taiwan.

"It's a real term! Look it up!"

• Punch-Counterpunch (Special Edition, 2018)

• TakaraTomy ID number: PP-44
• TakaraTomy release date: February 23, 2019

Power of the Primes "Special Edition" Prima Prime is a translucent redeco of the above figure, packaged with Punch-Counterpunch in commemoration of the third iteration of the Prime Wars Trilogy.

This set was an Amazon exclusive in the United States, initially revealed via preorder listing without any prior announcement from Hasbro. It was also available at general retail in Singapore.

Age of the Primes

Sentinel was right, there is such a thing as a primer prime!

• Prima Prime (Voyager Class, 2025)

• TakaraTomy name: Prima Prime (プライマプライム)
• TakaraTomy ID number: AOTP-07
• Accessories: Star Saber, Matrix of Leadership
• Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Yūya Ōnishi (TakaraTomy)^[7]

Age of the Primes "Prima Prime" is a Voyager-scale robot primarily based on his Covenant of Primus design, made slightly blockier to fit the current toy aesthetic. His head is modeled after the "Powerful Robot" later retconned to be Prima. He transforms into a Cybertronian armored lunar truck (with a hover mode!), and includes both the Star Saber and the Matrix of Leadership.

Prima's Matrix, while the same style as most Matrices dating back to War for Cybertron: Earthrise, is painted solid silver with a blue core and can attach at the hilt of the Star Saber or store in Prima's chest. The sword can be stored top side in vehicle mode, or be mounted on the front. Like the other Primes, his packaging and signature artifact are emblazoned with his personal emblem, with his being located on the Star Saber's crossguard.

Prima Prime was revealed at Cybertron Con 2024, and went up for preorder on December 10.

• Designer commentary on Prima Prime from Mark Maher on Instagram

This item is currently scheduled for release, but is not yet available at mass retail.

Notes

• Prima, like all members of the Thirteen, was once a multiversal singularity who existed as one being throughout all of time and space, but that is no longer the case.
• Prima's Generation 1 cartoon character model appears to use Cyclonus as a base, with heavily re-worked details.
• In a 1989 Marvel UK issue, Dreadwind told a reader "I don't think anyone knows who was actually the first ever Transformer. Correct me if I'm wrong though."^[8] It took many years but someone finally did!
• According to ABN in Recordicons #9, Vector Prime "always lies about Five Faces of Darkness". If true, this would mean that the guy from Five Faces is not necessarily Prima; we're keeping this page as-is because there's no objective evidence either way, and Prima is more convenient as a page title than "Powerful Robot".
• An idea from the Binder of Revelation—which has not made it into any fiction, and has been evinced only in the binder's profile page for Optimus Prime published in Transformers Vault—posits that individual Transformers possess a "polarity" that indicates which of the Thirteen they can trace their lineage to. Based on Optimus's profile, Transformers descended from Prima possess a "Primian" polarity—but then, Optimus would later be revealed to actually be one of the Thirteen in Aligned continuity, so good luck figuring that one out.
• Hasbro representatives at BotCon 2010, BotCon 2011, and HasCon 2017 pronounced Prima's name "Pree-muh" despite Prima's name being one along the lines of "Primus" and "Prime".^[9] When his name is spoken by the Mistress of Flame in the Titans Return cartoon episode "Overlord and Emissary"—which is the first time his name is uttered in a Transformers work—it is pronounced more appropriately as "Prime-uh", a pronunciation that carries over to Transformers: Cyberverse and Transformers One.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Prima Prime (プライマプライム Puraima Puraimu)
• Mandarin: Xiānjué Tiān (先觉天)

References