#transformers superlink

Another pride month drawing.

Unicron trilogy(superlink/energon) Jetop. Surprisingly the haealtiest relationship Optimus ever had.

Some rambles about them.

I can explain. Metamorphic rocks are formed when a protolith (base rock which is either sedimentary or igneous) is subjected to immense pressure and/or heat. The g1 cartoon had a depiction of liquid energon being formed by compressing different forms of energy. (Weird cartoon logic where you can do that to oil and electricity if it's in a special box). Other cartoons show a more solid crystal like energon instead. I believe shifting tectonic plates (in a universe with transformers) can cause lingering energy in a planetary body to crystallize. I headcanon it's more potent than an artificially created liquid energon once it's refined because of the energy actually used. Probably the reason they do that in Beast Wars, the Unicron Trilogy, Aligned etc.

I think there's an argument for igneous energon but I think that would go into Primus's blood territory and would be hard to explain off of Cybertron.

Animated's trees are just... very different. But the crystals were meant to show up so whatever.

@feralcascadevulture had asked about Defensor Maximus earlier and this is what I ultimately came up with.

Studying the Maximus combiners more closely and what vehicles they used, I had Defensor be a heavy retool of Bruticus Maximus, with the cranes being modified into a fire engine and tow truck. While not drawn in, Defensor is unique in he has an extra st of hands in Blades and Alpha Bravo, who are the Bruticus helicopters. When connected instead of Red Hot and Tow-Line, this allows Defensor to fly like Ruination can when Ro-Tor and Movor are his arms.

Red Alert being the core robot was to make up for his strange absence in the Energon line, since I’m not sure why he was omitted in particular (like wise with Sideswipe, Overload, Scavenger, Hoist and Blurr).

As noted, Defensor largely stays on Earth to help protect it (probably alongside the left over Armada cast, I saw Sideswipe in particular as a bodyguard for Miranda and Sally) while Optimus’ group goes off into space. Occasionally he’s called to help with matters on Cybertron or abroad if the Autobots really need to flex during a Decepticon attack.

Defensor is about protecting life to the point that while he’s more than a capable fighter, his attacks are more about disabling the opponent rather than outright destroy them, even with Terrorcon drones, he kinda has to be coaxed into blowing them up.

Junkion Maximus came up as a last second idea because I had briefly forgotten I had Wreck-Gar as an ally in my notes. The Junkions in Energon are loosely based on a scrapped idea for the 80’s movie, where they were orbiting Unicron and were revealed to be his creators, intending him to be a peace keeping robot before it went awry. The idea of Junkion Maximus is loosely based on the scrapped ideas for Galaxy Force, the semi abandoned Combatron planet and an early idea for Gigantion where they were more Junkion like. Toy wise, they’re a heavily modified Constructicon Maximus, with Wreck-Gar being a hybrid of Steamhammer and his Age of the Primes TFA toy. While he technically uses two construction bulldozers like Constructicon, but one is modified into more of a monster truck to keep it from being too repetitive.

Junkion Maximus, and Wreck-Gar by extension, is a jovial early Peter Griffin/Larry the Cable Guy/Tow Mater/Wall-E type, still speaks in pop culture references, and always greets you with the Universal Greeting and a firm handshake, even if it leaves your hand all grimy and oily. Naturally Defensor/Red Alert doesn’t especially like working with the Junkions much because he’s become a bit of a neat freak in recent years.

Junkion Maximus is the second primary Combiner used by Optimus’ team alongside Volcanicus Maximus in space missions. If Volcanicus Maximus is more associated with JD and his moody style, Junkion Maximus is more associated with Braverman who jives with their nerdy aspects.