Prime Spark (story)

Armada Optimus Prime encounters the shades of other Optimuses in a place near death.

Synopsis

Following his destruction at the hands of the Hydra Cannon, Armada Optimus Prime finds himself in Maccadam's Old Oil House, encountering a similarly ghostly Optimus Primal. Both of their sparks "split", resulting in the arrivals of Generation 1 Optimus Prime, and a future Optimus Primal.

All four attempt to discern why they're here, eventually concluding that Armada Optimus Prime is the key, as he was here first. Optimus Primal theorizes that each of their sparks, though separate, have affinity across time, space and dimensions, drawn into similar events and conflicts with similarly affinitive sparks—their deaths at the hands of three respective Megatrons.

Armada Optimus Prime's sacrifice differs from that of the others. While a leader is always prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice if there is no other choice, he must be cautious against the urge to sacrifice himself, especially when his leadership is still needed, especially as redemption for perceived mistakes. While a leader is responsible for his mistakes, he is also responsible for his troops, and cannot recklessly throw his life away, as Armada Optimus Prime attempted to do.

Armada Optimus's crisis of confidence resolved, all four briefly join, feeling the Prime Spark, the part of all of their sparks that resonates as one (the affinity Primal theorized about), then separate to share a drink together before fading back to their respective dimensions and eras.

On the way out, all four encounter their respective Megatrons, fresh from a similar meeting. They run at one another for a hilarious comedy moment before fading out.

With renewed vigor, Optimus Prime returns to life, ready to kick Decepticon skidplate!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notes

Errors

• Beast Machines Optimus Primal is described as huge and hulking, larger than Armada's Tidal Wave; the author was going by the toy, not realizing the character was supposed to be much smaller than Optimus Prime.
• Two of the four Megatrons lack equivalent deaths for their meeting, and one of the other two is never actually revived in any canonical source, making it a little strange that he's depicted as leaving the establishment. This is glossed over.

Continuity notes

• "Prime Spark" takes place late in Armada's cartoon continuity, spanning the 3 episode gap between "Crisis" and "Miracle" from Armada Optimus Prime's point of view. It also touches on the events of The Transformers: The Movie and the Beast Wars and Beast Machines television series.
• Armada Optimus Prime comes from the moment of his destruction in "Crisis", the 39th episode of the Armada Cartoon series.
• Generation 1 Optimus Prime comes from the moment of his death defending Autobot City in The Transformers: The Movie.
• Optimus Primal comes from his destruction in a Transwarp explosion in "Other Voices, Part 2", the 26th episode of Beast Wars. His later incarnation arrives from his disintegration in the Plasma Energy Chamber in "End of the Line", the 13th episode of Beast Machines.
• Apparently to help avoid some confusion, Beast Machines-era Optimus Primal asked the others to call him "Optimal," a name he hasn't otherwise used since his second Transmetal body—"Optimal Optimus."
• If we want to pin down the exact continuity Generation 1 Optimus Prime came from, we would have to say he is from the Beast Wars/Beast Machines cartoon version of the "Generation 1 era" events. Both Optimus Primals know about his history and Optimus Prime subconsciously recognized Primal from the time they shared a Spark. The story gives further details about his past.
  • His original name was "Optronix."
  • He received the Matrix from Sentinel Prime.
  • The aforementioned circumstances of his death, including passing the Matrix on to Ultra Magnus.
• The Beast Machines Primal really shouldn't be here (instead, he should be tripping around in the Matrix), but hey, he died, so what the hell.

Transformers references

• Maccadam's Old Oil House originates from the Marvel UK comics.

Trivia

• The physics text by Robert Nagisa that Armada Optimus Prime mentions reading appears to be fictional.
• Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime is conspicuously absent. Okay, he had no death/rebirth to speak of, but still.
• All the Optimus Primes since are also absent, which is understandable since in the real world they were not created yet.