For over 40 years, the Transformers franchise has chronicled the intergalactic war between the righteous Autobots and the cruel Decepticons. Hailing from the planet Cybertron, these alien Robots in Disguise fight for the fate of all sentient life in the universe. Most of the franchise’s hundreds of characters debuted in the brand’s toy line, cartoons, or movies. However, Transformers also has a substantial presence in comic books, as companies like IDW, Dreamwave, Image, and even Marvel have expanded the universe. Numerous all-new Autobots, Decepticons, and other Cybertronians debuted in these comics, and some became so popular that they jumped to different media and became fan favorites.
A vast majority of the Transformers franchise has had its characters debut in animated media. Still, there are a select few who instead originated from their numerous comic series.
1) Nightbeat
Debuting in Marvel Comics, the Autobot Nightbeat isn’t a soldier like most of the other Autobots, but a detective. Instead of fighting on the front lines of the Cybertronian War, Nightbeat spends his time uncovering conspiracies and solving murder mysteries across the galaxy. A gruff lone wolf, Nightbeat is willing to skirt regulations and rules if by doing so he can get to the truth. And whenever he gets stuck in a deadly situation, he transforms into a car and gets the heck out of dodge. He has also been featured in the IDW comics continuity but has rarely been featured in other media. A version of Nightbeat appeared briefly in the anime series Transformers: Armada as a member of the tiny race of Cybertronians known as Mini-Cons.
2) Jhiaxus
First appearing in Marvel’s Generation 2 comic line, Jhiaxus served as the series’ over-arching villain. Jhiaxus is a merciless warlord. He was born as part of a unique “next generation” of Cybertronians. He felt that this made him and his kin superior to both the Autobots and the Decepticons. With a vehicle form of a jet, Jhiaxus had the ability to fly at high speeds and bombard his enemies with missiles. Jhiaxus led his brethren on a ruthless crusade to create a new galactic Cybertronian empire. It took the combined might of the Autobots and the Decepticons to defeat the tyrant. The Generation 2 series didn’t have good sales, and the villain’s name is literally a pun on “gee, axe us.” Still, Jhiaxus has remained a popular character among many fans and has been included in some of IDW’s comics.
3) Leadfoot
Leadfoot is an Autobot that can transform into an F1 racecar. He is a fast-paced and quick-thinking soldier that strikes before the Decepticons know what hit them. In his debut in Marvel Comics, Leadfoot began as a Decepticon. When the Decepticons and Autobots joined forces to defeat Jhiaxus’s next-generation empire, Leadfoot became friends with the Autobot Tracks. Leadfoot then defected to the Autobots’ side and became a loyal member. Using his speed and deflector armor, Leadfoot infiltrates enemy bases and fights with his spinning razor-sharp rotor. A more rotund version of Leadfoot appeared as a member of the Autobot strike team known as the Wreckers in the movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
4) Thunderwing
Thunderwing first appeared in Marvel Comics as a ruthless Decepticon who desired nothing other than power. He had slaughtered several Autobots to work his way up the Decepticon high command. When the planet-devouring entity Unicron targeted Cybertron, Thunderwing took the all-powerful artifact known as the Matrix of Leadership for himself to become Cybertron’s savior. However, his selfish nature corrupted and weakened the Matrix, and Unicron effortlessly destroyed him. In the IDW comics continuity, Thunderwing was reimagined as a scientist who tried to warn the Autobots and Decepticons that their war was causing deadly weather patterns that was killing Cybertron. Because his warnings were ignored by both sides, Thunderwing resorted to experimenting on himself in order to create a protective shell that could survive the upcoming climate change. However, the experiments had unintended consequences that made him a giant insane monster. Thunderwing then went on a rampage that accelerated the destruction of Cybertron which was left a barren wasteland. Thunderwing has also appeared in the Transformers: Armada anime and the video game spin-off of the show Transformers: Prime.
5) Rack’n’Ruin
The Autobots Rack’n’Ruin are unique among their kind because they are two Cybertronians that were permanently fused together. Debuting in Marvel Comics, the duo was surgically joined at the shoulder to save their lives after they were severely damaged. The operation was successful, but it removed from both their ability to transform into a jet. Despite this setback, Rack’n’Ruin have remained loyal Autobots that use hammers to crush their enemies. The pair have since made appearances in later continuities, including IDW’s comic run and the Transformers: Cyberverse animated series. In the show, Rack’n’Ruin are portrayed as conjoined twins that could transform into an armored car.
6) Tarn
There are few Cybertronians as fanatic about the Decepticon cause as Tarn. Introduced under IDW Comics, Tarn is the psychopathic leader of the Decepticon Justice Division, a task force created to annihilate Decepticon traitors and deserters. He takes great pleasure in physically and psychologically torturing his victims. To show his undying loyalty, Tarn wears a mask crafted to look like the Decepticon insignia. When Megatron had a change of heart and defected to the Autobots, Tarn saw this as the ultimate betrayal and swore to destroy his former idol. Tarn’s vehicle mode is a tank, and he has the unique power to speak at a frequency that can paralyze or kill other Cybertronians. A version of Tarn served as the primary villain of the Transformers: Cyberverse series finale.
7) Drift
Drift debuted in IDW Comics as the merciless Decepticon assassin “Deadlock.” He later transitioned into the noble Autobot “Drift.” This remarkable transition made him an instant fan favorite. After an encounter with factionless Cybertronians showed him the cruelty of the Decepticons, the assassin renounced his allegiance to them and changed his name to “Drift.” To redeem himself, Drift rescued several imprisoned Autobots. With this heroic act he was welcomed into the ranks of the Autobots. Now with a philosophy based on honor, Drift primarily uses swords instead of blasters, making him a samurai-like warrior. His popularity caused him to quickly transition to other media, including the shows Transformers: Robots in Disguise and Transformers: Cyberverse. Drift also served as a significant character in the movie Transformers: Age of Extinction and appeared in the follow-up film The Last Knight.
8) Windblade
Designed as part of a “fan-built bot” contest, the female Autobot Windblade first appeared in IDW’s Transformers comic line as a kind and idealistic warrior. She can transform into a VTOL jet, and her robot form has a unique Japanese kabuki aesthetic that helped distinguish her. Windblade is an expert swordswoman and can generate powerful gusts of wind with her wing turbines. Her most distinctive ability, however, is that she is a “Cityspeaker,” which allows her to telepathically communicate and bond with gigantic city-sized Cybertronians like the Autobot Metroplex. Windblade became a breakout character and has had significant roles in TV shows such as Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Transformers: Cyberverse, and Transformers: Prime Wars.
9) The Fallen
At the dawn of time, the first thirteen Cybertronians were created by the God of Light known as Primus to defeat the evil Unicron. Introduced under Dreamwave Productions, one of these thirteen original Cybertronians, Megatronus Prime, was designed to be Primus’s strongest warrior. Megatronus was so strong because he had a deep connection with entropy and destruction. However, Megatronus’s nature meant that he was easily corruptible. He sided with Unicron in his quest to destroy all life in the Multiverse. Imprisoned and dubbed “The Fallen” by his brethren, he became a legend in Cybertronian history as the great betrayer. In some later continuities, the leader of the Decepticons gave himself the name Megatron to honor the legendary warrior. The Fallen also served as the titular villain of the 2009 film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
10) Primus
The planet Cybertron has been the homeworld of the Autobots, the Decepticons, and the rest of the Cybertronians ever since the 1980s Transformers cartoon. However, not only did Marvel Comics introduce the idea that Cybertron is alive, but also that it is, in fact, the source of all life and hope in the universe. The primordial god, known as Primus, is the twin of the cruel God of Destruction Unicron. Primus forged the thirteen original Cybertronians, dubbed the Thirteen Primes, to battle Unicron. Every Cybertronian since then has been a direct descendant of Primus. Over time, Primus became mostly dormant and remains in his planet form called Cybertron to give his children a home. A portion of his soul, called a spark, resides within the Matrix of Leadership. This sacred artifact is given to only the worthiest of Cybertronians. The Matrix of Leadership is now in the hands of the wise leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime. Ever since his debut, Primus has been a quintessential part of Transformers lore across all continuities and media, with his latest significant role being in the 2024 movie Transformers One.
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