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Thirteen (Transformers)
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Concept art of Prima, a member of the original thirteen Primes, designed by artist Ken Christiansen.[1]
Publication information
Publisher(s) Marvel Comics, Hasbro Comics, Devil's Due Publishing, Dreamwave Productions, IDW Publishing, 3H Enterprises, Fun Publications, Del Ray Books
Debut Transformers: The Ultimate Guide (May 2004; debut, mentioned, brief appearance)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 2009; first full-appearance, alternate reality)
Transformers: The Covenant of Primus (January 2014; full appearance, mainstream reality)
Creators Simon Furman (writer)
Hasbro (concept)
Alex Irvine (writer)
Justina Robson (writer; Covenant of Primus.)
In-story information
Base (s) Cybertron (home-planet)
Member(s) See: Covenant: Leonicus (leader), Aries, Piscor, Libras, Scorpius, Aquator, Taurotron, Cancix, Geminator, Sagittarii, Virgol and Capricurn.
Thirteen: Prima (leader), Megatronus/The Fallen, Alpha Trion, Vector Prime, Nexus Prime, Solus Prime, Liege Maximo, Alchemist Prime, Amalgamous Prime, Onyx Prime, Micronus Prime, Quintus Prime and Optimus Prime.
Dynasty of Primes: Seven unamed Primes, Megatronus Prime/The Fallen, Optimus Prime, Sentinel Prime, Prima (leader), Bendybus Prime.
Guiding Hand: Primus (leader), Mortilus, Solomus, Epistemus and Adaptus.
Other: Logos Prime.
Roster

The Thirteen Original Transformers (sometimes referred to as the Thirteen Primes, the Dynasty of Primes or simply the Thirteen) are thirteen fictional characters in the Transformers toy and entertainment franchise created by Hasbro. They are usually portrayed as the first thirteen living beings created by Primus, the creator of the Transformers and their home planet of Cybertron. In the live-action Transformers film trilogy, their back-story is slightly modified, with there only being seven members who were created by the Allspark. The story concept of the Thirteen, as well as three of their members (Prima, Liege Maximo and The Fallen), were created by comic book writer Simon Furman. So far, only nine members of the Thirteen have been officially named and revealed by Hasbro: Prima, Vector Prime, Liege Maximo, Solus Prime, Amalgamous Prime, Alpha Trion, The Fallen/Megatronus, Alchemist Prime and Nexus Prime. As well as this, Hasbro has also revealed two other members that have not been given official names, one that transforms into some kind of animal, and the other being the original Mini-Con.

History[]

Before going on to create the Transformer race, Primus experimented with a group of twelve robots known as the Covenant. Based on the zodiac, these twelve robots were: Leonicus (leader), Aries, Piscor, Libras, Scorpius, Aquator, Taurotron, Cancix, Geminator, Sagittarii, Virgol and Capricurn. They existed in secret training for the Omega Point. The Omega Point was a potential event that Unicron would attack at a point that there was no Prime. After the Omega Point, time was reverted and the instance never happened.

Primus later created a group of thirteen Transformers, each with special powers, to fight against Unicron. This is the basic, communal origin for Cybertron and the Transformers across many continuities. Although the 2009 movie has The Fallen as the main villain, it does not seem to follow the Primus creation story. Like Primus and Unicron, each of the thirteen are multiversal singularities - one entity throughout reality. During their first big battle against Unicron, many of the 13 were killed and the Fallen was drawn into a black hole, where he remained trapped in a lower dimensional level.

The Dynasty of Primes appears in the film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

In Transformers: Exodus, the following of the Thirteen were mentioned - Prima, the Liege Maximo and Megatronus. Alpha Trion was the only one still remaining on Cybertron. The Matrix of Leadership was once the jewel in the hilt of Prima's Star Saber, and Sentinel Prime once bore the sigil of Vector Prime.

In Transformers: Exiles, the following members of the Thirteen were mentioned - Solus Prime, Nexus Prime, Megatronus, the Liege Maximo, and Amalgamous Prime. Optimus meets with a holographic representation of Solus Prime, before meeting with Vector Prime in a pocket dimension created by said Prime, and later encounters Nexus Prime, who briefly gives him the Star Saber so that he can battle Megatron's forces, who had come to briefly possess the Requiem Blaster. Alpha Trion's chronicles in the Covenant are interspersed throughout the novel, detailing events occurring on Cybertron since the departure of Optimus and Megatron into deep space as they search for the All-Spark. He is also responsible for Nexus Prime's brief reappearance, sending one of his component bodies, an Autobot named Chaindrive, to meet with a number of others who then recombine into Nexus.

The Thirteen appear in a flashback in the Transformers: Prime episode "One Shall Rise, Part 1".

Members[]

As of 2012, only nine of the Thirteen have been given official names and identities.

  • Prima - Referred to as a warrior of light, Prima was the very first living being created by Primus, and the original bearer of The Matrix of Leadership. Rather than storing it in his chest cavity like later primes though, Prima stored the Matrix in the hilt of a legendary sword called The Star Saber. Prima first appeared in the Marvel Transformers comic books in 1989.
Prima-star-saber-transformers

Concept art of Prima, a member of the original thirteen Primes, designed by artist Ken Christiansen.[2]

  • Nexus Prime - The archetypal Combiner, Nexus Prime is able to split his body into separate segments that are able to transform and function individually. In his original appearance in the Fun Publications Transformers comic books in 2009, the five robots that comprised Nexus Prime are named Skyfall, Landquake, Topspin, Heatwave and Breakaway. In Transformers: Exiles, Nexus Prime's components are named Cannonspring, Chaindrive, Clocker, Pinion and Mainspring.
  • Vector Prime - Appointed by Primus to be the guardian of time and space, Vector Prime wields a sword named Rhisling and has the ability to travel across time and between dimensions. Vector Prime first appeared in the Japanese cartoon series Transformers: Galaxy Force (named Transformers: Cybertron in English) in 2005.
  • Solus Prime - The only female member of The Thirteen, Solus Prime is a weapon-smith who crafted many of the Thirteen's weaponry, such as the Star Saber and The Fallen's Requiem Blaster. She wields a large hammer called "The Forge of Solus Prime", which has the ability to craft weaponry and Transformer body components from basic machinery with a single strike. In the novel Transformers: Exiles (the sequel to Transformers: Exodus) by Alex Irvine, it was heavily implied that Solus had romantic ties with Nexus Prime, and The Fallen killed her in a fit of jealous rage.
  • Amalgamous Prime - Described as a mischievous trickster, Amalgamous Prime has the ability to change his appearance into anything he wants. Transformers: Exiles states that he is the original "Shifter", a rare type of Transformer that can transform into anything. As of 2012, the character has never appeared in any Transformers toy line or fiction, and the only Shifter to appear in fiction is Makeshift, a Decepticon spy in the 2011 cartoon series Transformers: Prime.
  • The Liege Maximo[3] - Considered by many as the ultimate evil and a natural counterforce to the heroic Prima, The Liege Maximo plotted against his fellow Primes after Megatronus killed Solus, but was exposed and chased across the galaxy by Alchemist Prime. The Liege Maximo first appeared in Marvel's Transformers: Generation 2 comic books in 1994, but he has never made a full appearance in any other medium. In the Generation 2 comics, The Liege Maximo is the original Decepticon, with Megatron and every other Decepticon being descended from him.
  • Alchemist Prime - Very little has been revealed about Alchemist Prime, and as of 2012 he has never appeared in any Transformers toy line or fiction. All that is known about the character comes from Transformers: Exiles. In the novel, Alpha Trion explains that he and Alchemist oversaw the development of early civilization on Cybertron, the home planet of the Transformers, but Alchemist soon left Cybertron to hunt down The Liege Maximo for his crimes.
  • Onyx Prime - The first Beast Transformer. A member of the Thirteen transforms into some type of animal, and is the archetype of Transformers with animal forms, such as Laserbeak, Ravage, the Insecticons and the Dinobots. As of 2012, this character has not been given an official name.[4]
  • Micronus Prime - The first Mini-Con. [5]
  • Quintus Prime - The scientist, creator of the Quintessons.
  • the "Thirteenth Prime" - Kept the other twelve together amidst internal disputes.

Artifacts of the Primes[]

Known/referenced artifacts of the Thirteen include:

Artifact name Description
The Star Saber Prima's sword, it can slice through mountains and throw waves of energy; it was forged by Solus Prime. It is a homage to the Victory's main character, who shares the same name, as well as the identically named weapon from Transformers: Armada. In Transformers: Prime The blade was destroyed by Megatron's Dark Star Saber, though the hilt remained with the Autobots, until they used the Forge of Solus Prime to restore the blade to its former glory. Optimus used it briefly before it was taken by the Decepticons from the rubble of the Autobots' destroyed base and placed aboard the Nemesis as a trophy. The Autobots later recovered it, and it was used by Bumblebee to kill Megatron; Optimus later used it in the ceremony elevating Bumblebee to warrior class, and it presumably remained in the Autobots' keeping on Cybertron. In Transformers: Timelines, the Star Saber was entrusted to Nexus Prime, who set out to find it after reuniting all his components and regaining his lost identity.
The Matrix of Leadership A talisman that was originally stored in the hilt of the Star Saber. As its name suggests, it is a symbol of leadership, and is passed down to new leaders of the Autobots, the Transformers' franchise's main protagonists. Holds the collective wisdom of the Primes but did not receive its name from them.
Key to Vector Sigma Grants access to Vector Sigma, a supercomputer created by the Primes that serves as a repository for their combined knowledge and wisdom. In Transformers: Prime, the Key can be used to copy this information and reload it into the Matrix if it is ever emptied, as when Optimus used its power to defeat Unicron. In the Generation 1 continuity-which included Beast Machines-the Key to Vector Sigma was a necessary component to giving life to Transformers through the medium of Vector Sigma. It also possessed the power to drain energy from matter and convert it into metal, a property used by the original Megatron and Tankor.
Requiem Blaster An immensely powerful weapon wielded by Megatronus/The Fallen, crafted for him-reluctantly-by Solus Prime. It has enough power-which it draws from black holes, stars, and other forces-to destroy entire mountains and reduce them to ashes. After creating it, Solus called for a vote on whether or not it should be destroyed, as she feared its corrupting influence and destructive power. A vote of seven to six resulted in its preservation, and Solus subsequently expressed confidence in Megatronus' ability to use it without falling victim to it. After it was used in the battle against Unicron and in the War of the Primes, the Fallen lost it to his former brothers, who sent it into space where its gravity attracted space junk. This resulted in the creation of the planetoid known as Junkion, which was later broken up when the Decepticons learned of the Blaster and extracted it. They were forced to jettison it, and it became a target of the Star Seeker pirates. It's abilities to draw power from stellar phenomena may have been inspired by Megatron's G1 biography. The Requiem Blaster appeared in Transformers Armada as one of three weapons composed of three Mini-Cons joining together, and was essential to the restoration of Unicron.
The Blades of Time A device broken into pieces and spread across the universe by Nexus Prime. Each of the pieces were carried by the individual parts of Nexus, who also served as their protectors. Together, the Blades of Time have the power to open portals in time and space, allowing Vector Prime or others to cross vast distances or travel between dimensions. He left it behind upon deciding to leave the main universe, and in Transformers: Exiles, Optimus Prime uses the Blades to visit Vector Prime's pocket dimension.
The Covenant of Primus A digital book in which Alpha Trion writes down past, present and future events. The Covenant first appeared in the Beast Wars two-part episode "Nemesis". The real-life book Transformers: Covenant of Primus is supposed to be a translated version of the fictional book, translated for "human audiences" by Alpha Trion.
Quill Used by Alpha Trion to write down things in the Covenant of Primus. Can be used to affect future events, however because the flow of timeline is always changing these events do not always last.
Apex Armor A full-body suit of indestructible armor that expands from a small disc. It was created by Solus Prime at the request of Liege Maximo, and her refusal to give it to Megatronus Prime invoked the rage that led him to murder her. It eventually ended up in the Vaults of Iacon and was sent to Earth by Alpha Trion, eventually coming into the possession of Starscream. He later lost it to the Autobots, only for Arcee to surrender it after the Decepticons took a number of human hostages during the battle for the Omega Lock. Starscream reclaimed it, only for it to fall into the hands of the human girl Miko Nakadai, who employed it twice in battle against Decepticons. In the Generation 1 comics, the Apex Armor was a suit of battle armor utilized by Sentinel Prime.
Chimera Stone Micronus Prime's artifact that allowed him to link up with his siblings and enhance their powers.
Proton Spear TBA
Cyber Caliber A sword shattered by the battle that broke up the Thirteen and scattered with the components of Nexus Prime. In Transformers: Exiles, a reformed Nexus gives the Cyber Caliber to Optimus Prime to aid in his fight against the Decepticons on Junkion. Optimus has a sense of wielding the sword previously; it is later returned to Nexus who separates it-and himself-back into five separate parts that scatter across the universe. The Cyber Caliber was created for Nexus by Solus Prime, and could be segmented into several smaller blades with various uses.
Chaos Edge Another one of Nexus Prime's swords, imbued with such great power that Nexus hesitated to use it in battle with the Decepticons. Among its powers are opening portals that allow one to travel instantaneously from one point to another.
Omni Saber Another one of Nexus Prime's swords, a completely black blade that reflects no light.
Infinite Combinatoric TBA
Emberstone Quintus Prime's artifact that gave him ability to create life, specifically the Quintessons.
Liegian Darts Toxin-loaded weapons of Liege Maximo.
Phase Shifter A watch-like device that allows the wearer to pass through anything or the other way around. Wielded by Amalgamous Prime in the battle against Unicron, it was preserved in the vaults of Iacon before being sent to Earth by Alpha Trion. Here it came into the possession of the Autobots, Smokescreen in particular, though it occasionally fell into the hands of the Decepticon Knockout briefly before being reclaimed.
Forge of Solus Prime Solus Prime's hammer which is capable of forging powerful weapons such as Prima's Star Saber and Megatron's Dark Star Saber. It is also capable of recreating a transformers biological organs such as a T-Cog or voice box. It will only work in the hands of a Prime, however in Prime, Megatron has the right hand of a Prime surgically attached to his body and is able to use the Forge to create the Dark Star Saber from a chuck of Dark Energon. After Dreadwing secretly returns the Forge to Autobots, Optimus uses it to turn their base's Ground Bridge into a Space Bridge, as well as reforge the Star Saber. After the Autobot base was destroyed, the Decepticons took it to their warship. Smokescreen got the Forge back to Optimus with the help of the phase shifter and puts it on Optimus's hand, which than remade him into a more powerful body. Ultra Magnus would subsequently employ the depeleted Forge as a melee weapon until it was shattered by Predaking following his transformation into robot mode.
Omega Keys Four powerful keys that are said to have the power to restore life to the Transformers' homeworld Cybertron by unlocking the Omega Lock, which is a link to the AllSpark. They are heavily based on the four Cyber Planet Keys featured in Transformers Cybertron, but unlike those artifacts are only useful in locating and activating the Omega Lock, possessing no other known powers.
Triptych Mask Onyx Prime's artifact, consisting of three faces that grant him various powers of astral projection and communication with other beings. As implied by its name, it included three components: Farsight, which allowed him to view other places-real and fictional-in time and space; the Predator, which enabled him to connect with any creature; and Mournsong, which had the ability to peer into the Transformer afterlife. It was also this artifact which he used to create the various Transformers varieties that came to inhabit Cybertron.

Media appearances[]

In the Revenge of the Fallen film, there were only Seven Primes who were the first wielders of the Matrix and used it to power a Sun Harvester. After learning that Earth contained intelligent life, they refused to use it and The Fallen fought them over it. He was too powerful for them in battle so they stole it from him and sacrificed themselves to hide it. In present day, Sam Witwicky found the Matrix but it crumbled to dust in his hands. However, in a vision, the Dynasty gave it to him to wield as he proved worthy of it, telling him that the Matrix is something that must be earned not found. After being revived, Sam used it to resurrect Optimus, but The Fallen took it before it completely healed Optimus and used to power the Sun Harvester. After being powered up by Jetfire, Optimus kills the Fallen and destroys the harvester.

In Dark of the Moon, the Matrix made a reappearance when it was used to revive Sentinel Prime. Optimus later offers Sentinel the Matrix as he was, during the war, the rightful leader of the Autobots, and asks him to lead them again. Sentinel, however, declines and returns Optimus the Matrix, stating that in a new world he knows nothing of (Earth), Optimus is now his teacher.

In Transformers: Prime, the following of the Thirteen were mentioned by name - Alpha Trion, Solus Prime, Megatronus Prime/The Fallen, while the whole team appears in a flashback in the episode "One Shall Rise, Part 1". Alpha Trion is the only member to eventually appear in the episode "Alpha/Omega" and even speak in a message to Optimus, and in "Rebellion", through the Well of All Sparks", in which he was voiced by George Takei. In the former episode, Liege Maximo would appear, though dead and his face was not seen, nor was he named, but his right arm was amputated by Megatron to use for himself to activate the Forge of Solus Prime to create the Dark Star Saber, out of a chunk of Dark Energon, to evenly match him with Optimus Prime would had recently obtain Prima's Star Saber.

References[]

External links[]

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