#trannis

Seeing Megatron taking on Two Decepticon Leaders, Straxus and Trannis is pretty Cool, even if its only Brief

Ok, we got some good G1 cartoon vives with these guys: Trannis and Straxus, who seems he brough up his work tool. And also we have the Big Bad Guy, Megatronus, AKA The Fallen in many continuities. I didn't expect this guy around here since he's somewhat Alignated Continuity stuff.

In the classic "Five Faces of Darkness" episodies from G1, the Quints tell Galvatron DCons had their own Matrix... which eventualy happened to be false, and a way to manipulate the Dcons into their own schemes.

Since the G1 cartoon said Quints were the creators of Civilian TF and Warframe TF alike, who eventually would become Autobots and Decepticons alike, it seemed natural both types joined their forces against the Quintessons.

However, the old cartoon never said clearly it happened!

We just assumed the Warframed did so, and eventually the Cybertronians as a whole created their own culture and civilitation. Till shit happened.

Those "old past Dcons leaders" were the ones that created the wars.

Of course, G1 cartoon is strongly biased, but I cannot help but thinking there was something else. Now, Skybound continuity just brings back this topic.

And it seems the Quints were behind the WarFrame/Decepticons' actions, being those their tools.

But why?

I mean. Beyond the DarkMatrix-Matrix of Domination, the Dcons have ZERO reasons to obey the Quints.

Trannis and Straxus (among other, unnamed characters) make a surprise appearance as previous Decepticon leaders whose spirits now reside within the Matrix of Oppression. Trannis is unexpected, given he's such an obscure character, while Straxus is less so, given he's one of the breakouts from the old Marvel comics.

Of course, the big reveal is that the entity controlling Megatron, who turned him into what he is now, is none other than Megatronus Prime himself, better known as The Fallen. Skybound is using his Age of the Primes body, which itself is based on his original Dreamwave design.

If the big reveal of the Matrix of Oppression (the source of Megatron's ability to make whomever wields him follow his commands) also serves as a nice contrast with the Autobots' Matrix of Leadership. Where the spirits of past Primes offer wisdom to the current bearer, the relationship between Megatron and his predecessors comes off as both parasitic, abusive, and exploitative; very fitting for a faction of absolute bastards like the Cons.

Also, it seems that it's not just Decepticon leaders in there...

Holy shit, it's Trailbreaker. I was never expecting to see him again, not after Megatron went full vampire and drained his spark.

I think to do it you might have to lose the "divine first creations of Primus" origin

Like that works for when the 13 are just backstory to present day characters, but when the 13 are the focal characters, I would go with the idea of the 13 being normal (but powerful, maybe even later being rebuilt/empowered by Primus) bots who are leaders of various states/tribes/clans/nations/kingdoms/bands/gangs/factions of Cybertron, and the focus being on unifying Cybertron against a common enemy

Specifically it is the bot who will become Prima who is charged by Primus to unify Cybertron (I picture it in a very Moses speaks to God in Prince of Egypt type way)

And as for villain, rather than going with Unicron or the quintessons, I'd like to make a lore deep cut

See I feel those to are too obvious as big bad especially if the story is about bringing Cybertron together, they're both big obvious otherworldly threats, a story about unifying Cybertron needs a more subtle threat, something that doesn't immediately and urgently force the Cybertronians to drop all their feuds and unite

I think our villain, in a sort of sauron esque role, should be Trannis, the ancient Decepticon leader from 5 faces of darkness

And maybe have Megatronus initially be a warrior servant of Trannis, but Prima's kindness and mercy leads him to switch sides

Liege Maximo on the other hand will be initially a servant/ally of Trannis only to betray him when he sees the winds blowing in Prima's favor (which also serves to hint at his own future manipulations of and betrayal of the Primes)

Transformers: Mosaic #409 - "Serpent In Heaven"

Originally posted on August 17th, 2009

Story - Franco Villa Art - Peter Istyle Colours - Linda Song

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005 | BotTalk

Later revised and annotated for Transformers: Seeds of Deception

wada sez: Skids is wearing his War Within design. That OC is actually Trannis, the Marvel UK text-story-only character. Italian translation below.