Table of Contents:
Series Overview
Characters
Basic Series Story Arc
Pictures

Five thousand years after the events of Generation 1, Cybertron has been destroyed by a supernova. The surviving descendants of the G1 Autobots and Decepticons are scattered throughout the galaxy, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership shattered into a million shards. In the years after the apocalypse, the survivors—those who had been offplanet at the time, and those lucky few who had had enough time to evacuate—built temporary bases in the relative safety of a distant scrap belt around the planet of Dava. Slowly they gathered what salvage they could find, building new Transformers from the recovered scraps of old machinery. Now no longer bound by the constraints of Earthly disguises, they built themselves alternative modes designed for space travel. The memories of the golden age of Cybertron remained in their databanks, downloaded into each new creation as it was brought online, and slowly a movement developed within the descendants of those who had fled the dying planet: those who had been built by the last Autobots still longed for the return of the Matrix, while those who were Decepticon creations hungered for the power it would give. New leaders emerged from the population, brought to power by their friends and their compatriots, and a new conflict began.

The Victrons, the last hope of the ancient Autobot race, are led by one who took the title of Optimus Prime. Faith in the long-lost power of their kind, and their desire to rebuild the planet of Cybertron to its legendary glory, led the Victrons to begin their search for shards of the Matrix. Slowly, painfully, they began to find them. The artefact was shattered during the last Optimus Prime’s fateful attempt to save Cybertron from the power of the dying sun; now, the Victrons have collected three Matrix shards, and are looking for the rest. Meanwhile, the descendants of the Decepticons, now just the Destrons, struggle not only to find the Matrix shards before the Victrons do, but also to claim those shards already found as their prize. As the search for the fragments of the Matrix began, a young Destron warrior seized power from the older Transformers, and took the name of Megatron. He leads them now in a battle to regain the power of the Matrix, to use it to rebuild the Decepticon empire, and to conquer the galaxy as his kind had always fought to do. Optimus Prime’s fight is now twofold: recreate the Autobot Matrix, and stop the Destrons’ plan for galactic conquest.

Victrons
Optimus Prime
“Without freedom, there is no justice.”
Sounds like: Gary Chalk. Combination of Optimus Primal and Armada Optimus. Matter-of-fact, but much more capable of amusement and irony than the Very Noble G1 Peter Cullen OP.

Allegiance: Victron
Function: Commander
Strength: 9
Intelligence: 8
Speed: 4
Endurance: 9
Rank: 10
Courage: 9
Firepower: 7
Skill: 9
Profile: Optimus Prime took control of the Victrons at a time when leadership was at a premium. He was originally built as a defender of the Victron colony in the Davan belt, and his strategical skills and planning abilities, along with his strength, drew the other Victrons to support him. As a leader, Prime attempts to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of any decision before he makes it, but at times the rapid pace of battle requires him to make snap decisions—which he dislikes immensely, but does because he has to. He is acutely aware that not only the lives of his troops but also the future of his race and of the galaxy depend on his leadership. He has spent a long time studying the history of the Transformers and the power of the Matrix, and while he does not possess its power – yet – the conviction of his beliefs and the success of his past battles leads his people to believe in him as a commander.

Abilities: Optimus Prime transforms into an artillery starfighter. His main weapon in robot form is his plasma rifle, with which he is devastatingly accurate. In vehicle form Prime is slow and not particularly manoeuvrable, but his armour plating and his twin laser cannon make him a dangerous opponent in pitched battle.

Weaknesses: As mentioned before, Optimus Prime is out-manoeuvrable. His respect for sentient life and for freedom allow his opponents to put him in positions where he will have to sacrifice himself to defend others. His distaste for the necessity of battle can also be a weakness, as he will often attempt negotiations before firing: this can put him at a tactical disadvantage. When he must fight, he fights well, but his desire to avoid violence can be turned to his enemies’ benefit.

Sunflare
“Fly fast, fly clever, and keep them guessing.”
Sounds like: Scott McNeil. Specifically, Scott McNeil doing Jetfire, but a bit more lighthearted.

Allegiance: Victron
Function: Victron second in command
Strength: 7
Intelligence: 8
Speed: 9
Endurance: 6
Rank: 9
Courage: 7
Firepower: 8
Skill: 8
Profile: Sunflare is Optimus Prime’s second-in-command. He was created by a Victron scientist in the hope that his abilities to draw energy directly from visible light would prove useful in the fight against the Destrons. While this does allow Sunflare to go without recharging much longer than other Transformers, it cuts down on the protective capability of his armour plating, and forces him to fall back on his lightning-fast flying skills to protect himself in battle. He considers himself a work of art, and his confidence could be called cockiness from time to time. Although he admires Optimus Prime very deeply, Sunflare doesn’t have his leader’s depth of righteous conviction: he fights because it’s fun, and because he could never be satisfied leading a boring civilian life. When necessary, Sunflare is a merciless warrior, and as subcommander his charisma ensures the obedience of his subordinates.

Abilities: Sunflare transforms into a sleek and super-fast attack fighter. While he retains the ability to metabolize energon as other Transformers do, he draws most of his powers from the light of suns and stars. His exterior plating incorporates millions of photoreceptor cells in the metal matrix, which allows him to re-energize quickly even in low light. He is a skilled tactical fighter and his manoeuvrability makes him dangerous despite his relatively weak armour plating.

Weaknesses: Sunflare’s photoreceptor plating is about half as strong as other Transformers’ outer shells, which means that he can’t take direct hits without major damage. In addition to his physical vulnerability, his overconfidence can lead him into untenable situations. His sense of humour tends to grate on his teammates, especially Windshear.

Windshear
“Think and then strike, but think fast.”
Sounds like: Original Italian Job-era Michael Caine. Clipped delivery, faintly nasal Cockney-flavoured accent, very “You’re a big lad but you got no brains. Now shut your f**ing face.”

Allegiance: Victron Function: Medic/science officer Strength: 4 Intelligence: 9 Speed: 7 Endurance: 4 Rank: 8 Courage: 7 Firepower: 8 Skill: 10 Profile: Windshear is a cynic by nature and a scientist by profession. When the war broke out between Victrons and Destrons, Windshear found himself conscripted due to his skills as a scientist and cybermedic, and to his surprise found that he rather enjoyed it. He acts as Optimus Prime’s confidant and occasional deus ex medic, and his deadpan approach to strategy has often been helpful to the Victron leader. While he believes that the Victrons’ cause is the right one, and that the Destrons must be stopped not only because of the Matrix but also for the good of the galaxy in general, he finds himself reluctantly impressed by the Destron lieutenant Starfall, who is dangerously clever and has the same sort of twisty mind as Windshear himself. He is easily baited by the young and overenthusiastic Sunflare; while they have a continual verbal sniping battle going on, each has respect for the other’s skill. What he really wants is for everybody to just stop and think for a minute about what they’re going to do before they do it; however, he’s enough of a realist to know that this isn’t likely to happen when things like the Matrix and galactic conquest are at stake.

Abilities: Windshear transforms into a single-man stealth incursion fighter. He has impressive cloaking skills and is able to elude radar detection due to a special coating on his outer skin which scatters most radar bandwidths. Much sleeker than Optimus Prime, Windshear is better at rapid flight in atmosphere but is not designed for low-level low-speed reconnaissance; the mean aerial chord of his wings will not support his weight at low speeds. As a medic, Windshear is skilled at field repair as well as complicated microsurgery, although he would much rather people got out of the way of blaster bolts rather than having him repair the holes they made. His scientific skill is invaluable to the Victrons during mission planning sessions. Windshear’s main weapons are his laser rifles and his surgical energon blades, which find themselves used both to cause and to repair damage.

Weaknesses: Windshear is limited to rapid or vacuum flight. His small size means that he cannot carry enough fuel for long missions, and his lack of heavy armament renders him vulnerable to Destron firepower. In robot mode he has to go sideways through narrow doors due to his wings.

Destrons
Megatron
“I make my own destiny.”
Sounds like: David Kaye doing Armada Megatron, only a bit less Obviously Evil and a bit more matter-of-fact military commander. No hissing mannerisms; rather, a deep smooth baritone with a British edge that comes out when he’s shouting at people.

Allegiance: Destron
Function: Commander
Strength: 9
Intelligence: 10
Speed: 7
Endurance: 6
Rank: 10
Courage: 7
Firepower: 10
Skill: 8
Profile: Megatron fully intends to collect the wayward shards of the Autobot Matrix and use the power of the reconstructed artefact to build a massive force with which to conquer the galaxy. This drive is what allowed him to seize power among the Destrons and to hone his fighting force to a powerful edge. He is both ambitious and intelligent, a combination which has served him well in the fight against the Victrons. Originally built as a twin-engine reconnaissance jet, Megatron has modified himself extensively: his stealth capabilities have been improved, and he now carries a fusion cannon capable of destroying planetoids when fired at full power. His leadership skills are based on his intelligence and his charisma, both of which are devastating, but at times his ambition can cause him to make mistakes. He has subdued several brief attempts at mutiny, and with each attempt his power over the Destrons grows stronger. Megatron strives to uphold the legacy of his namesake, and to turn the energy of the galaxy to his advantage.

Abilities: Megatron is both very clever and very well armed. His cannon is among the most powerful weapons known to the Transformers, although he must use it with care due to the massive energy drain it puts on his systems. His stealth capabilities allow him to evade detection by most scanning systems until he is within dangerous fusion-cannon range of his target. He rules with a combination of an iron fist and an ability to think two steps ahead of his adversary, although his ambition can lead him into unwinnable fights.

Weaknesses: Megatron’s desire for conquest has on occasion caused unnecessary losses to his side. He has little patience for anyone who cannot immediately live up to his expectations, which has precluded several talented Transformers from achieving high Destron rank.

Starfall
“Honourable is an obsolete term for ‘loser.’”
Sounds like: Kate Beckinsale in Underworld. Cut-glass British accent, without any posh drawl.

Allegiance: Destron
Function: Second-in-command: attack fighter
Strength: 6
Intelligence: 9
Speed: 10
Endurance: 6
Rank: 9
Courage: 5
Firepower: 8
Skill: 9
Profile: Starfall is Megatron’s vice-commander, and got the job due to her complete and devastating ruthlessness. She does not hesitate to remove those in her way, with or without lethal force depending on the situation. When things are going badly for the Destrons, Starfall is quite happy to lead a retreat out of firing range; her concern for her own survival trumps her desire to see the Victrons defeated. She is a thoroughly amoral realist, which is one of the reasons Megatron chose her as his second: while many of the Destrons toady to their leader for fear of the fusion cannon’s wrath, Starfall will blandly point out any flaws in his plan which might cause problems for them in battle. While this does nothing for Megatron’s ego, it allows the Destron force to avoid unnecessary losses. Since Starfall’s goals are the same as Megatron’s, she has no reason to doublecross him; she is perhaps the most trustworthy of his people, simply because what’s in her best interest is for Megatron to win. Once the Destrons have claimed the Matrix and the galaxy, Starfall will have what she has always wanted: the opportunity to train and command an elite military fleet, complete control over the entire hierarchy of fliers. Until then, she is quite content to follow Megatron’s orders.

Abilities: Starfall is the fastest of the Transformers. Her jet mode is a single-man attack starfighter, designed to fly into the middle of a larger battle and cause mayhem before anyone has time to register her presence. She is armed with dual plasma rifles and has the capacity to carry extra ordnance if required, but her main power is her speed and her manoeuvrability. Her intelligence allows her to select the most effective targets, and her grasp of strategy helps her direct her subordinates in battle.

Weaknesses: Like any small attack fighter, Starfall is vulnerable to heavy fire from larger craft. Her design is sleek and light, which means her armour isn’t thick enough to withstand repeated hits, and her armament pales in comparison with some of the Victrons’. She has a much more concrete grasp of survival than she does of bravery, and she will run from battle if the odds are stacked too high against her.

Redshift
“Who wants to live forever?”
Sounds like: A despondent Bruce Willis

Allegiance: Destron
Function: Heavy artillery/troop transport
Strength: 10
Intelligence: 7
Speed: 7
Endurance: 9
Rank: 8
Courage: 6
Firepower: 9
Skill: 7
Profile: Redshift is Megatron’s third in command, and the most dour and fatalistic of his immediate subordinates. He’s obedient, follows orders, and can shoot what he aims at, but he lacks Megatron’s ambition and Starfall’s singleminded purpose. However, unlike Starfall, Redshift has no problem fighting against insurmountable odds, and several times his superior firepower has saved the day for the Destrons. He and Starfall engage in verbal sniping whenever Megatron isn’t around to tell them to belt up, and he rather likes the deadpan attack fighter’s approach to life. He is a deep and glistening shade of violet, which he will complain about at any opportunity: he considers it unfair of his creators to give him the name “Redshift” and then paint him dark violet, although when his comrades offer to douse him in scarlet paint he unaccountably declines. While Redshift’s base state of being is a sort of disgruntled resentment against the world, he is capable of surprisingly eloquent oratory – generally when everyone else isn’t in the mood to hear it.

Abilities: In vehicle mode, Redshift is capable of carrying massive payloads further than any other Destron. He is heavily armoured; his main weapons are the four huge pulse cannons in his wings, but in robot mode he carries a disruptor ray powerful enough to fry Optimus Prime’s stability circuits for several ( often crucial ) minutes. He is mostly tasked with ferrying component parts from here to there before battles, and then with laying down heavy covering fire once the battles have begun. Redshift is also the Destrons’ extraction team, as his strength and size allow him to fight his way into distant and unforgiving environments to recover fallen comrades and bring them out.

Weaknesses: Redshift is slow and clumsy compared to many of the Transformers. While his heavy armour protects him against most weaponry, he is incapable of outrunning the Victrons’ fast attack fighters, and he is not designed for atmospheric flight: almost wingless and cylindrical in vehicle form, he must remain in orbit while his teammates land on planets.

As the series progresses, the Victrons and Destrons engage in battles for each newly discovered Matrix shard. As in Armada – the Search for the Minicons – the main body of the series is taken up with the Search for the Shards – with amusing subplots and adventures as they chase the bits of the Matrix across the galaxy. As the series comes to a close, however, the Victrons have collected enough of the Matrix to access at least some of its power, which forces Megatron’s hand. He launches an all-out attack on the Victron base, and as his forces and Optimus’s are in the middle of pitched battle, he and Op have a Final Confrontation which ends with Prime calling on the bits of the Matrix to light their darkest hour. There is a sudden and thoroughly unexpected flare from within the damaged Matrix, which puts out a burst of unstable energy which passes right through the Victrons but blows the Destrons far out into space. As Prime picks himself up in surprise, staring down at his handful of shards, the half-complete Matrix continues to glow – and across the galaxy the other pieces of it have been awakened, and start to send out signals to the Victrons. The season ends with the Victrons patching themselves up and preparing to go out and collect the remaining pieces of the Matrix, without concerning themselves with the Destrons who have been scattered throughout space, powerless and separated ... but not dead.

Sunflare, Optimus, and Windshear
Starfall, Megatron, and Redshift