Analysing Transformers Exodus: A Salvation History
Parallels between Primus’ prophecy and the Biblical Scriptures.
Painting: Noah's Ark Rainbow Redempti
When I was a high school student, I started watching Transformers Prime (TFP) on TV in late 2010.
More than a decade later, TFP remains my absolute favourite iteration of the Transformers franchise to this day, because of its high stakes storytelling, character development, the epic battle scenes between Optimus Prime and Megatron, and its hour-long finale concluding the story on a soul-stirring note.
In the same year, I came across the novel Transformers Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron, authored by Alexander C. Irvine. Exodus, in conjuction with the sequel novel Transformers Exiles (also authored by Alex Irvine) and Transformers Retribution serve as a prequel trilogy to Transformers Prime. Exiles depicts the adventures of the Transformers in space while Retribution connects the events of Exiles with the canon of TFP.
Personally, I haven’t had the opportunity to read Exiles and Retribution except Exodus more than a decade after Transformers Prime concluded.
As the book’s subtitle indicates, Transformers Exodus provides the context that precipitated the Civil War between Autobots and Decepticons, as well as the backstories of Optimus and Megatron (originally named Orion Pax and D-16 respectively) and their turn from allies to bitter adversaries.
The Gist of Transformers Exodus
In summary, society on Cybertron was organized as a rigid caste system. Orion Pax was assigned to work as a lowly data clerk in Iacon city whereas for D-16, as a gladiator in the pits of Kaon entertaining the bloodlust of the crowds in the higher castes.
D-16, renaming himself Megatron, becomes a charismatic figure rallying crowds to overturn the caste system. Orion Pax, who similarly shares concerns with the corruption of the caste system and inequality among Cybertronians, forges a friendship with Megatron.
However, over time it became clear that Pax’s and Megatron’s ideals and methods had significant divergence, which externalized in full before the Cybertronian High Council. There Megatron reveals his true colours, making explicit his desire to overthrow the council and become the next Prime leading Cybertron to a new golden era.
It is no surprise his movement’s name (comprised primarily of gladiators from Kaon), the Decepticons, sounds similar to “Deception”, being rooted in Machiavellian principles — the ends justify the means of subterfuge.
“Sometimes deception is necessary, when those who should listen to the truth will not, and will only understand once they have been lied to and forced to see their own lies.”
— Megatron, Exodus Chapter 13 (pg 50)
Conversely, Orion Pax’s ideal is that reformation of Cybertronian society is accomplished by reverencing the inherent dignity and personhood of Cybertronians, not by unrestrained self-assertion and tyranny. His supporters rally themselves under the designation, Autobots, meaning “Autonomous Robotic Organisms”, reflecting their shared conviction.
“No Cybertronian is simply the mechanical sum of his parts. From the smallest Minicon to the mightiest combiner, from the simplest data processor to the scientists who teach us the laws of the universe, each of us contains a living Spark that makes us who we are, not simply what we are. The Spark within us awakens us to the possibility of freedom.”
— Orion Pax, Exodus Chapter 13 (pg 52)
Moved by Pax’s words and peace proposals, the High Council nominates Orion as Prime and commissions him to acquire the Matrix of Leadership. Feeling betrayed, Megatron spitefully burns his bridges with Optimus and declares war against him and his Autobots.
During the course of the Civil War, Megatron weaponizes Dark Energon as an alternate energy supply for the Decepticons to tip the war to his favour, poisoning Cybertron’s core in the process. Thus, Orion Pax journeys to Cybertron’s core in hopes to reverse the corruption, and is bestowed the Matrix by Primus, ordered to evacuate the Autobots from the planet for the Cybertronian race to survive.
On hindsight, Primus’ dialogue with the Autobot leader in Exodus Chapter 34 contains apparent biblical allusions and comes across as a prophecy, due to certain events coming to pass in TFP’s season finale and movie Predacons Rising. Even the novel’s title appears to reference the Book of Exodus.
That said, this treatise explores the parallels between Primus’ prophecy and major biblical themes, and connects the dots with TFP’s narrative.
(Major Spoilers for Transformers Exodus and Transformers Prime)
LORD Primus and Optimus Prime, still from Season 1, episode 26 “One Shall Rise (Part 3)”.
Analyzing excerpts from Primus’ speech to Optimus Prime (Exodus Chapter 34).
1. Corruption by Dark Energon, an allegory of Original Sin.
“Optimus Prime. You have fought valiantly, but you come too late. The Dark Energon is gone, the Corruption Spikes are broken, the Plasma Energy Chamber — which was an infection that spread through the body of Cybertron — is purged. In this you have done well. But the Core, this Core, is terribly damaged. Eons will pass before it can generate enough Energon to sustain Transformer civilization again. And eons will pass before the material, the crust and structure of Cybertron, is again able to sustain the cities and industry of Cybertronians. The Dark Energon sickness was deep, and the healing must, too, be deep.”
The Covenant of Primus, the Cybertronian equivalent of the Bible, details the creation narrative and the chronicles of Cybertron.
At the dawn of space and time, there existed twin celestial immortal entities — Primus (meaning “first and one”) and Unicron (meaning “unique and one”).
“Unique and One” seems to express the self-serving and planet-devouring nature of Unicron, establishing him as the Chaos-Bringer, whereas “First and One” may be interpreted to reflect the innate goodness in Primus as the Prime (i.e., first) mover, the progenitor of Life (In that sense, the name Primus comes across as the revelation of God to the Transformers).
Thus, both are locked in a cosmic battle, for Light and Darkness are incompatibly exclusive and can never coexist.
To turn the tables, Primus creates the 13 Primes, each with unique sparks, powers and gifts bestowed, and reformats His chassis to become the metallic planet Cybertron, with His true Essence (i.e., Spark) residing in the planet’s core.
Together, the Primes face Unicron and after a gruelling battle, locked the Chaos-Bringer into stasis and banished him to the far reaches of the galaxy (paralleling the expulsion of the Devil from Heaven). Thus, the universe is saved from Unicron’s tyranny and deathly corruption.
Over time, subsequent life on Cybertron is propagated — new sparks are generated from the Well of AllSparks and ensouled into mechanical bodies capable of alternating forms, nourished by Energon, the lifeblood of Primus (Exodus chapter 17, pg. 76), comparable to the Holy Eucharist (cf. John 6:35, 1 Peter 2:24).
The Well of AllSparks is the chamber that contains the AllSpark — an immaterial artefact serving as an extension of Primus’ own Spark, and the medium through which new Cybertronian life is birthed and where deceased sparks (i.e., Cybertronian souls) return at the conclusion of their lifespans.
Image: Genesis of the 13 Primes (Source: Transformers Art Of Prime)— reminiscent of the 12 Apostles headed by Christ.
And as every principle has its opposite, the inverse counterpart of regular Energon is Dark Energon, the blood of Unicron emanating from his Anti-Spark, the undead antithesis to Primus’ own living Spark.
Regular Energon (top) and Dark Energon (bottom) crystals, depicted in Transformers Prime.
Instead of nourishing life, Dark Energon desecrates Cybertronian corpses, reanimating them as undead zombies (i.e., Terrorcons) enslaved to the will of Unicron (or the living Cybertronian imbued with the blood of Unicron in their veins).
Cybertronian necromancy, still from TFP Season 1 Darkness Rising arc.
Exposure to Dark Energon weakens living Transformers. However, as seen in Exodus Chapter 19 and in TFP season 1’s Darkness Rising arc, direct plunging of concentrated Dark Energon crystals into one’s Spark chamber desensitises the Cybertronian to its deleterious effects, leading to heightened aggression and power augmentation like a narcotic.
Megatron plunges his Spark chamber with Dark Energon, magnifying his combat prowess and enabling him to command hordes of Terrorcons. It’s also revealed the infusion of Dark Energon allows Megatron to hear Unicron’s thoughts, hinting at the heavy price behind manipulating the blood of Unicron. As Sentinel Prime (Optimus Prime’s predecessor) himself warned Megatron, in his final fight with him before being mortally wounded,
“I sense that you have the essence of Unicron within you, and it gives you a strength that is hard to resist. But beware the cost. The universe offers nothing for free. Neither does Unicron.”
— Sentinel Zeta Prime, Exodus Chapter 25 (pg 101).
“Blood of Unicron, how I might fathom the depths of your mystery, become worthy of wielding your astonishing power!” — Megatron, TFP Season 1, Darkness Rising arc.
Remaining arrogant in his Machiavellian paradigm of peace through tyranny, and individual dignity via the will to power, Megatron darkens Cybertron’s core with Dark Energon to monopolise the planet’s energy supply and win the Civil War, believing it would bring his vision of a Golden Era to fruition.
When the opposite occurred, Megatron projects blame onto Optimus Prime and the Autobots as the weaklings responsible for rendering the planet uninhabitable, still seething with resentment at his former brother for being favoured to be a Prime.
Just like the first generation of humans who, in their pride and greed, sought to live their own way, believing they know better than God in defining right and wrong. When things went south (i.e., the entry of entropy and discord instead of empowerment and prosperity), the blame games ensued and the blight of Original Sin takes deep root in the human psyche and world (cf. Genesis 3–4).
The greater the depth of corruption, the greater the sacrifice and lengthy process of redemption, reformation and restoration.
2. The Exodus from Cybertron, an allegory of Exile from Paradise.
“The Core is too sickened, the structure of the planet too infected by the remnants of Dark Energon and the polluting effects of the essence of Unicron. So you must leave, Optimus Prime. You must lead your Autobots out into the vastnesses of space. Use the Space Bridge if you can, but even if not… still you must go. Build a ship that can carry every Autobot and go. For if you do not go, you will die, and the Autobot movement will die with you, and all that will be left of Cybertronian civilization is the few Decepticons who might survive the endless ages in the ruins until the Core has healed itself and Cybertron can live fully once again.”
Although humanity decided insubordination against God, it was the Devil who first instigated the mutiny and chaos with deceptive words; thus was cursed for his malice instead of the humans (cf. Wisdom 2:23–24).
Nevertheless, it can’t be overstated that actions have repurcussions. The rooting of Original Sin in the human psyche warranted banishment from Paradise. Hence, humanity and its progeny are consigned to live the remainder of their earthly lifespans in labour and penance (cf. Genesis 3).
Not as punishment out of spite or a malediction, but as a remedial measure to thrive, to mitigate entropy, and to uproot vices tangling the heart (cf. Romans 5:3–5).
To master the art of dying for the cultivation of love, which humans were made for (cf. Matt 16:24–26, Eph 2:1–22). Only dead things stay the same.
Returning to the Cybertronian context, when Primus commanded the exodus of His children, it was for their long-term good, as much as they initially desired to persist staying on Cybertron to oppose the Decepticon regime.
By leaving their home for other planets in the far reaches of the galaxy can the Autobots regroup to live another day, resupply their Energon by scouting/developing alternate energy sources, and strengthen themselves protecting the native inhabitants from Decepticon conquest.
A tragic but necessary endeavour. Both the livelihoods of the Transformers and humans in exile from Cybertron and Paradise respectively share a common yearning — to eventually return to their true home, redeemed and revitalized.
The last chapter of Exodus concludes on a prophetic, hopeful note.
“Let Megatron chase us across the stars. We will wage our battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons wherever it may take us. And one day, we will go home.”
— Optimus Prime, Exodus Chapter 39 (pg 151).
3. The bestowing of the Matrix of Leadership, an allegory of Salvation and Divine Authority.
“First you were given the title Prime by the High Council, Optimus — but that title is not theirs to grant. Though Sentinel Prime had long since failed the role appointed him, the title was still his, and it was not until he passed it along to you that it was entirely yours. Now you shall have one other thing of which Sentinel Prime, for far too long, proved unworthy. Behold the Matrix of Leadership. Take the Matrix of Leadership into you, Optimus Prime. Let it guide you as it has guided the Primes who came before you.May it defend you as it defended Prima until his time had come to yield it. May it keep you on the righteous path and guide you when you are uncertain. May it strengthen you both in body and in spirit. May it be the light within you, that you may be the light of the Transformers who would follow you.”
In the Covenant, Prima Prime was the primus inter pares of his brother Primes, the first of the 13 Primes given life and appointed as the first wielder of the Matrix of Leadership. Additionally equipped with the powerful Star Saber sword capable of slicing virtually any material, Prima leads his fellow brother Primes in battle against Unicron.
Image: Prima Prime - Warrior of Light. The Matrix is attached to the hilt of the Star Saber.
The Matrix of Leadership contains a portion of Primus’ own Essence, bestowing the wielder with his life-giver’s wisdom as a guiding light. As a relic officially designating leading Primes chosen by Primus, this alludes to the Keys of the Kingdom (cf. Isaiah 22:15–25, Matthew 16:17–19).
For biblical context, the Keys are relics of authority bestowed by the incumbent Israelite (Judean) king of the Davidic dynasty to a worthy candidate as the Prime Minister. In the king’s absence, said right-hand man takes command, fortifying and safeguarding the kingdom’s defences, treasury, weaponry and its citizens from invading enemies.
Image: The Matrix of Leadership, still from TFP Season 1, episode 26 “One Shall Rise (Part 3)”.
Many cycles after the Age of the Primes, the Cybertronian High Council was organized, whose purpose is to nominate the Primes — prospective candidates to be chrismated the Matrix by Primus.
Sentinel Zeta was the candidate chosen by the High Council to lead Cybertron. It was during his authority that he oversaw the establishment of the caste system assigning Transformers into fixed occupations and roles in society from the moment they emerge from the Well of AllSparks.
While the purpose of the caste system was intended to preserve order in Cybertronian society, its repressive nature led to social decay and discrimination. This, coupled with Sentinel’s self-indulgence and negligence, contributed to the burgeoning unrest precipitating the formation of the Decepticon cause.
Image: Sentinel Zeta Prime, as depicted in the Covenant of Primus.
For this reason, Primus judged Sentinel unworthy of the Matrix and favoured Optimus for empowering his followers’ innate dignity with courage and wisdom. The contrast between the two bots parallel that of the royal stewards Shebna and Eliakim, respectively. Shebna, who was focused on indulging himself and shirking his responsibilities, was deposed and the humble Eliakim was appointed to receive the Keys and become the king’s new Prime minister (Isaiah 22:15–25).
Upon Sentinel’s death at the hands of Megatron, the title of Prime officially transferred to Optimus through the Matrix with Primus’ blessing.
The same Keys to the Kingdom were referenced by Christ in the Gospel of Matthew when he elevates St Peter as Prince of the Apostles, leading the Church’s mission to dispense absolution from sins in the Holy Name of his God-King — the final heir and fulfilment of the Davidic dynasty/bloodline (cf. Rev 22:16, 2 Samuel 7).
On a deeper level, the Matrix could also be interpreted as a manifestation of Divine Anointing, equivalent to how God the Father bestows all authority to the Son Jesus Christ in only whom there is salvation for humanity (cf. John 8:12, 1 Cor 15:22).
Hence, bestowing the Matrix designates Optimus Prime, like Prima Prime before him, as the Light of the (Cybertronian) World — the Last Prime, the Disciple of Primus the Autobots (or any Cybertronian disenchanted with Megatron and the Decepticon cause) can look to for guidance in freedom and survival in their time of exile.
“He felt his body absorbing the Matrix of Leadership as he brought it to his chest. It infused him with its sense of… not invincibility, but certainty. Power without the desire to use that power over others.” — Exodus Chapter 34 (pg 131).
4. The revitalization of Cybertron, an allegory of the World to Come.
“Wherever you go, wherever the Autobots follow, you must return, Optimus Prime. You must return when the planet has had time to heal. Bring back the Matrix of Leadership. You will know when. When you bring it back, you will be able to restore Cybertron to its former greatness… but that cannot happen yet. There will come a day when the Core and the Matrix, working in concert through the person of you, Optimus Prime, will be able to restore Cybertron. And not just restore — you will lead Cybertron into a new age of unimagined wonders. This is your destiny. The Matrix of Leadership has awaited you. Guard its power within you, for one day it will be the light that leads us out of our darkest hour.”
Here, Primus prophesizes Optimus Prime will one day bring Cybertron’s salvation to its fulfilment, ushering in a Golden Age free of warfare and Dark Energon corruption, which came to pass in TFP’s movie finale Predacons Rising following season 3.
In season 3 final episode “Deadlock”, the Autobots manage to gain the upper-hand after a long stalemate from Seasons 1–2, thwarting the Decepticons’ final attempt to conquer and cyberform Earth with the reconstructed Omega Lock.
In the ensuing battle, Megatron is killed, allowing the Autobots to seize control of the warship and return to Cybertron to expedite the purging of Dark Energon from Cybertron’s core; at last paving the way for other Autobots scattered across the galaxy to return home.
Image: The death of Megatron, still from TFP Season 3 episode 13 “Deadlock”.
The revitalisation of Cybertron awakens Unicron, and due to his original chassis being permanently locked in stasis through the powers of the Matrix of Leadership, his Anti-Spark forcibly takes possession of Megatron’s body in his final bid to destroy Primus, mirroring the Devil’s final spiteful endeavour to oppose Christ’s New Heavens and Earth in the future (cf. Rev 20:7–9).
Megatron learns Sentinel’s warning the hard way, when he finds himself bound to Unicron’s Anti-Spark after being slain, unable to join the AllSpark because of the Dark Energon that flowed in his veins.
As a consequence, he’s forced to watch helplessly as Unicron manipulates his body to reanimate a vast army of Terrorcons in his quest to devour the AllSpark and finally obliterate all Cybertronian life. No longer desiring conquest, the Decepticon leader now yearns for freedom from the diabolical Chaos-Bringer.
“The past shall consume the future, the dead shall consume the living, and chaos shall reign supreme!” — Unicron (possessing Megatron’s body), Predacons Rising.
Just as the wages of sin is spiritual death, the wages of ingesting and manipulating Dark Energon for evil purposes is eternal enslavement to Unicron, forever barred from entering Primus’ presence (cf. Romans 6:23, Isaiah 59:2, 1 Cor 6:9–11).
Image: The Anti-Spark of Unicron tortures Megatron’s Spark, still from Predacons Rising.
Optimus Prime faces Unicron one last time, defeating him and disintegrating his Terrorcon army by trapping his Anti-Spark in the indestructible vessel that once contained the AllSpark as he attempted to devour it.
Eternally imprisoned in the vessel, all the Chaos-Bringer can do is scream in impotent rage and anguish, paralleling the everlasting damnation of the Devil and his followers at the Last Judgement (cf. Rev 20:10–15).
Freed from Unicron’s possession and mortified by his ordeal, Megatron finally sees the wisdom in Optimus Prime’s paradigm which he failed to understand in his arrogance all the way back when they presented themselves before the High Council. Remorseful, he officially disbands the Decepticons and departs Cybertron, opting to spend his new lease of life in exile as penance, ending the Civil War. The surviving Decepticons go their separate ways while some join the Autobots.
Image: The Anti-Spark of Unicron imprisoned, still from Predacons Rising.
Primus claims the final victory through His disciple, sparing Cybertron and other planets in the galaxy from Unicron’s corruption forever.
However, the victory was bittersweet — in order to seal away Unicron forever, Optimus Prime had to merge the AllSpark with the Matrix, effectively fusing his own Spark to the mix. Hence, to return the AllSpark to the Well meant that the Autobot leader had to sacrifice his life and body for new life to populate Cybertron again.
Bidding his Autobots farewell, and in a Christocentric fashion, Optimus Prime flies into the Well and merges with Cybertron’s core, restoring the AllSpark to its rightful place and closing his optics for the last time as he unites with Primus.
A fountain of new sparks emerge from the Well, signifying the joyful advent of Cybertron’s Golden Age and prosperity of unimagined wonders, evocative of the New Heavens and New Earth (i.e., the Life of the World to come) in the biblical text.
The story of Transformers Prime concludes heartwarmingly here (and manly tears were shed at this moment).
“Do not lament my absence, for in my spark, I know that this is not the end, but merely a new beginning. Simply put, another transformation.”
— Optimus Prime’s closing narration.
Conclusion
“In your world, I have another name. You must learn to know me by it. That was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”
– Aslan, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
As a boy, I played with Transformer toys and imagined cars on the road transforming. As an adult, immersing in the Cybertronian mythos and reading the context behind the Civil War made the story of the Transformers a delightful religious experience.
What makes Transformers Prime special is that it defined the essence of being a Prime, delivering perhaps the best iteration of Optimus Prime expanding upon his original G1 cartoon counterpart for boys coming-of-age to look up to and emulate, substantially embodying what it means being strong enough to be gentle.
Peter Cullen, who voiced G1 Optimus, sure outdid himself re-voicing the character in TFP (as did Frank Welker, who voiced both the G1 and TFP’s Megatron).
On a final note, the moral of this treatise would be this —
Whether you’re an extraterrestrial mechanical lifeform or a terrestrial carbon-based lifeform, in the end, truth, goodness and beauty will save the world.
Peace.
This article was originally posted on Medium.
