#hotlink

kill. original below cut

I told you guys this was going to be worth it ahah, sorry for the wait i forgot to post on tumblr

Because it’s a totally fan-made concept, even if the canon provides proofs about it.

In TF universes, the fandom has the concept of “Seekers Trine” as some kind of brotherhood among the Seeker type TF. Basically a group of three seekers with a leader that tends to hang up together in battles and other activities.

In the original G1 TF series we have several samples about it.

The most notorious is the Elite Trine,  of course…

Also, we have the Coneheads Trine, which seems to get along with each other in nicer terms.

The RainMakers….

And other trine groups without a clear name…

So yeah, it seems to be canon. But even if in certain TF media they address each other as “brother”, there is not a clear explanation about what is a Trine.

So perhaps we need a little of  fandom history on how this concept was born, which I witnessed.

The concept was born just after G1 Cartoon (IDW comics weren’t a real thing yet, unlike nowadays) - At first, the most popular concept was “Wing Mate”, that means, Seekers that fly together in a similar fashion to Trines. However, at a certain point, some fans started to wonder about the nature of Seekers, and they also wondered if Seekers would be able to merge together like Aerialbots do and form a gestalt.

The Seekers Gestalt could be a cool idea, but it didn’t seem plausible. The Dcons jet seemed to be too individualistic to be able to merge like that. They almost behave like Prey birds and fly all alone, and not a flock of birds like starlings, for example… until the fact was pointed out that Seekers often fly and do other activities in groups of three, and those teams seemed to have a leader.

So, the final conclusion was Seekers weren’t able to become gestalts, but they were able to create some kind of similar bounding to other two seekers and become a Trine. The G1 Cartoon had plenty of those cases! And TF happen to be an alien species, so the nature of their relationships and bondings not always follow the same patterns than in humans.

And that’s how the concept was born. The idea was widely spreaded through the fandom thanks to fanart, and mainly, fanfics, even if in the canon those groups not always hang up nicely.

Hece, since it’s a fanmade concept, the whole issue is still open to interpretation.

In most cases, Trines seem to be somewhat a brotherhood, nothing like a romantic relationship, but something closer to a family relationship. (Of course, there are fans that want their relationship to be something else, but the common belief is not that).

In G1 cartoon, Dcons were Military Warframed Cybertronians; certain types that were built and activated with military purposes by default  (another question is how those military types become the bad guys, but that’s another story) in some short of massive production. It would explain why certain body types are so common. And, spark brothers like Sunstraker and Sidesway weren’t an usual thing.

The concept of Protoform and individual bodies weren’t introduced till the BW series, though. They belong to the same continuity at very least, so we can asume G1 bodies had a protoform, too; and it means the spark is truly linked into those manofactures bodies in some degree.

Later, in IDW comics, the concept of Cold Constructed bodies was introduced. Basically a spark placed in a manufactured body, and not a spark with its own protoform and natural body. Something similar happened in Alignated continuity.

This, literally, makes CC unable to have brothers or sisters, because their activation is created in a mass production system. So, Seekers aren’t… real seekers, because their body frames are unnatural, but artificial. 

As a result, how can a “drone” body own a real nature?

That’s why the concept of “Trine” doesn’t work in IDW continuity. Literally, a spark can change its body frame for another totally different, and the result is something different from a Seeker, which in the end, is a type of military flyer type, but a military rank. Under this light, Seekers Trines happen to be… fake.

In later years, the most common belief in fandom is that Seekers are CC bots that develop this kind of bonding. But these CC aren’t exactly like in IDW, but something closer to G1 cartoon, where the spark is placed in a manufactured body that means to be hosted by that spark, so the conflict between spark VS body is meaningless.

That helps to create the concept of Trine as something real.

But the problem remains…

Certain theories say Seekers Trine are created at the time of their activation. Seekers are activated in triplets, so that’s how a Trine is created.

Other theories say Seekers are alone, till they find other seekers to hang with and eventually the Trine is born. Since they have this kind of bonding, they hardly need to be mated with other people, outside of the trine, of course.

And finally it’s the “Lovers” theory. But that's a certain part of the fandom trying to sexualize everything.

And these ones too I guess…

Carzap w/ G.B.Blackrock

Function : Forward Patrol

“ Think of tomorrow’s victories before today’s failures ! “

A young warrior born from the G2 Project started on Earth. Because he was created in the Blackrock Corporations’s “ Block Town “ unit of the Japanese Tsukuba Laboratory, he holds a deep affinity for the culture of Japan. Carzap’s outlook on life was greatly affected by his fascination with races at the nearby Dia Speedway but he is by no means brash : to him, life is much like the loop of a racetrack. Even if he misses one opportunity, he remains optimistic that given time, the chance will present itself once again

His ability gained from Forestonite allows him to multiply the speed of his mental circuits by 6 for a period of just one minute. With this power he refers to as “ Phase 6 “, he can calmly judge the flow of battle and take the appropriate counter-action. He holds a great deal of respect for his new group leader Autobot Rapido, who combines a kind exterior with a coolly-plotting mind but Carzap’s Japanese-influenced English often results in miscommunication between them. On the racetrack, his agility has earned him the nickname “ Ame-no-habakiri “ and he likes to invoke his Japanese heritage by claiming he has “ the speed of a shinobi “

Strength - 4, Intelligence - 7, Speed - 10+, Endurance - 6, Rank - 5, Courage - 8, Fireblast - 5, Skill - 10. Total : 55+

Nacelle

Function : Aero-Engineer

“ Blasting you is as cathartic as streamlining one’s fuselage “

Nacelle is almost as much at home on the battlefield as he was back in his old laboratory at Tesarus. He has a keen mind for the sciences having worked alongside Bitstream and Hotlink under Starscream’s Helex-Yuss Decepticon Research & Development team. Upon the Nemesis’s departure to Earth, he was assigned as a lab assistant to Shockwave. During that time Nacelle engineered the modified wing designs used for the second wave of Earthbound Seekers, eventually adapting one of the prototypes into his own chassis. Due to his longing to return to his laboratory work, Nacelle can become absent-minded in the midst of battle. Nacelle’s overall effectiveness however outweighs any liability he may cause. He can fly at speeds up to Mach 2.7 and his high-powered turbines can double his speed for up to 1 minute

Strength - 5, Intelligence - 9, Speed - 8, Endurance - 4, Rank - 5, Courage - 7, Fireblast - 4, Skill - 8. Total : 50

Serpent O.R

Function : Tactician

“ I remember crossing the Alps on Elephant-back, outflanking the Maginot Line and marching ‘cross the Rubicon. What hopes then have mine enemies ? “

After his encounter with four Autobots rekindled his lust for domination, a washed-out terrorist tracked down the discarded body of a Sweep and used it as a recipient for data from an old Cobra project to combine the military acumen from the greatest strategic minds of Earth’s past. The E.D.C disrupted the operation but in the process General Clayton “ Hawk “ Abernathy was knocked into a Brainwave Scanner and his personality uploaded to the amalgamated consciousness. The result is a being who, normally, identifies with Cobra and their occasional allies, the Decepticons, and yet finds himself sympathetic to the cause of the Earth Defense Command, which he remembers founding and leading. This dissonance hampers his otherwise brilliant tactical mind but even his divided processor is capable of generating ruthless, inventive plans of incredible subtlety. Carries a twin-barreled “ Strike “ attack gun and a laser-powered heat ray, capable of instantly heating any metal to 3200 centigrade

Strength - 7, Intelligence - 10, Speed - 8, Endurance - 7, Rank - 9, Courage - 10, Fireblast - 7, Skill - 9. Total : 67

Tarantulas w/ Arachnoids

Function : Scientific Analysis

“ The secrets of the universe are coded in every Cybertronian’s Spark...and I won’t stop cutting until I find them ! “

Predacon Tarantulas is a being without a history. In his rush to remove Jhiaxus’ clones from his laboratory before the Autobots discovered its location, Sky-Byte mistakenly extracted four stasis pods of unknown origin. The emergent robots immediately declared for the Predacon cause, some might say suspiciously quickly. Of the four robots, Tarantulas has since discovered an endless fascination with experimental science, especially seeking any opportunity for vivisection. Rumors persist that he engages in cannibalistic practices with the mech-fluids he extracts from his hapless victims. His knowledge of cyber-anatomy is unparalleled and has enabled him to create a variety of tools and inventions, including his Arachnoid minions. Converts to a motorcycle for short bursts of great acceleration, though his range is limited. In combat, he likes to hack his opponents to pieces with his nuclo-titanium axe, the more messy, the better

Strength - 6, Intelligence - 10, Speed - 7, Endurance - 4, Rank - 5, Courage - 6, Firepower - 6, Skill - 9. Total : 53

Starscream

Function : Air Commander

“ I’ve conquered death ; nothing is beyond my grasp ! “

After floating aimlessly for what seemed like eons, the indestructible Spark of Starscream awakened in a new corporeal form. His solitude did nothing to temper his treachery or vanity as he’s only become more unbearable and cruel. These are traits he feels will be put to good use in this new time and place

Starscream is just as proficient in aerial and hand-to-hand combat as ever and uses his null-rays to disrupt the flow of electricity in his victims. His alternate mode – despite looking archaic – is capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 4.5. Even with his new strengths and speed, Starscream is well-aware that his new body is not as invulnerable as his eternal Spark. This can sometimes lead to him hesitating to take risks that he wouldn’t have before

Strength - 7, Intelligence - 9, Speed - 10, Endurance - 7, Rank - 9, Courage - 6, Fireblast - 8, Skill - 8. Total : 64

Krok w/ Gatoraider

Function : Agitprop

“ Know the game and you can win a battle, know the players and you can win the war “

Millions of years ago, Krok was a celebrity mecha-soccer player, leading Polyhex City to championship after championship. After he was recruited by Megatron, his sophisticated demeanor and easy charisma made for a smooth transition from endorsing products to advocating for the Decepticon cause. Believes that a few powerful personalities can do more to win a war than a battalion of Blitz Engines. Though he was a formidable presence on the pitch, is gun-shy during actual combat and prefers to maintain his distance in his stealth bomber configuration. If forced into hand-to-hand combat, his legs are powerful enough to kick an opponent into orbit or topple a building with a single stomp. His partner, Gatoraider, is a techno-suchus synthesis whose 37,000-PSI bite can snap through solid tritanium

Strength - 8, Intelligence - 8, Speed - 6, Endurance - 10, Rank - 7, Courage - 4, Fireblast - 7, Skill - 8. Total : 58

Nightracer w/ Shakar

Function : Gunner

“ A good shot is worth more than a big mouth “

Cool, composed and deadly-accurate, Nightracer is quite possibly the best sharpshooter in the Decepticon ranks but she sees no reason to brag about her skill – her results speak for themselves. She can shoot out an Autobot’s optics in pitch darkness from 10 miles away, hit a speeding target the size of a gnat and can drop a selected quarry in a milling crowd while leaving all bystanders unscathed. In vehicle mode she emits rapid-fire twin laser blasts that can shatter nearly any obstacle in her path and her Micron partner, Shakar, can release a flammable chemical to leave an inferno in her wake. On a personal level she shuns the camaraderie of her fellow Decepticons – the lone exception being Shakar who was assigned to her by Megatron. This aloofness is often mistaken for arrogance. In fact she is justifiably her own ability and has no need of outside validation – she feels that interpersonal connections hamper her clarity of thought and action. Despite this outward appearance, her dedication to the Decepticon cause as well as her regard for Megatron’s leadership are beyond question