Cybertron (Marvel Comics)

Infobox comics location
name=Cybertron


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publisher=Marvel Comics
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Physical characteristics

The comic-book incarnation of Cybertron is described in the first issue as being the size of Saturn, which would logically mean it possessed incredibly dense gravity, and yet it did not, possibly as a result of its hollow structure, honeycombed as it is by tunnels. However, in later depictions the art suggests Cybertron is much smaller, particularly during the attack by Unicron (detailed in "On the Edge of Extinction" in UK #319 to #322, US #75), where the scale differences between humans, individual Transformers and the ‘planet-sized’ Unicron suggest Cybertron to be closer in size to the earths moon, as depicted in the cartoon continuity.

Cybertron has a metallic surface, although whether this extends to the core is debatable: in "The Legacy of Unicron" (UK #146 to #151) and later in "Primal Scream" (UK #259 to 261, US #61) it is revealed to have originally been ‘space junk’, the composition of which is unknown. The atmosphere is breathable by carbon-based life, but liquid water is rare enough on the planet that its existence is in doubt. Cybertron previously orbited Alpha Centauri, but was later thrown out of orbit and sent wandering through the galaxy.

History

Before the Big Bang, an older universe existed, which was destroyed - consumed - by the fallen deity, Unicron. In the void of nothingness left in the universe's wake, Unicron slumbered, his work done... but Unicron had not been thorough enough, and tiny particles of the old universe that remained reacted with one another, birthing the current universe we know to day. When Unicron awoke, his task began again, as he consumed world after world, until the sentient core of the universe responded by creating a guardian to battle Unicron - the Lord of the Light, Primus. Unfortunately, Primus proved no physical match for Unicron, and in a bid to save the worlds that they were destroying with the ferocity of their battle, shifted the conflict to the astral plane, where he fared no better. In a final gamble, Primus returned to the physical universe, and Unicron hastily following, eager for the kill - unaware that Primus was luring him into a trap. Rather than materialising back in their energy forms, Unicron and Primus's consciousnesses became imprisoned in two metallic asteroids; Primus had sacrificed himself in order to capture Unicron.

However, Unicron was not beaten. After millennia, Unicron was able to psionically reshape his asteroid prison into a massive metal planet, and from there into a robot form, allowing him to continue his destruction. Primus followed suit, crafting his asteroid into a similar metal world - Cybertron. And on Cybertron, he gave birth to a race of beings called Transformers, possessed of transforming powers like Unicron's, and he bestowed upon them the Creation Matrix, a genetic Matrix that contained his essence, as capable of creating life as Unicron was of destroying it. And then, to hide his work from Unicron, Primus fell to sleep, his massive visage nestled at the planet's heart.

Knowing nothing of their creation or the destiny they were to fulfil, the Transformers eventually splintered into two factions - the politically dissident Decepticons, who waged war on the peaceful Autobots. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, schemed to turn Cybertron into the ultimate weapon, a warworld that would wreak havoc across the galaxy, and the resulting war knocked Cybertron out of its orbit and set it adrift in the universe. Around four million years BC, Cybertron's path brought it into the Sol system, heading directly for the asteroid belt, which threatened to heavily damage the planet. Autobot leader Optimus Prime led a contingent of his warriors aboard the Ark to destroy the rocks in Cybertron's path, but once they had succeeded, they were attacked by the Decepticons, causing all involved to be trapped in stasis on prehistoric Earth.

But life on Cybertron continued. Consequently, the young war lord Trannis took control of the Decepticon army on the planet, and led a fierce campaign against the Autobots, reclaiming the cities they had taken, levelling the capital city-state of Iacon, and executing the Autobot council of elders, save for Emirate Xaaron, who fled with his troops and continued to fight. Xaaron formed an elite Autobot strike team, the Wreckers, who succeeded in assassinating Trannis, only to find thing go from bad to worse when the even more dangerous Lord Straxus took his place, forcing Xaaron and his men into hiding, fighting a guerilla war from a number of "Autobases" across the planet, headed up by Fortress Maximus and Perceptor, among others. Maximus's team, however, soon abandoned Cybertron, tiring of war and seeking peace on the planet Nebulos.

When the Transformers stranded on Earth were reactivated in 1984, the Decepticons succeeded in getting a message to Cybertron, and Straxus responded by arranging for the construction of a space bridge between the worlds. In a confrontation with Blaster aboard the bridge, Straxus's body was destroyed, leaving him a decapitated head, which in turn forced him to attempt the mental possession of Megatron's body. Megatron did not take kindly to this, and retaliated by destroying Straxus, leaving the Decepticon fuel auditor, Ratbat, as Cybertron's local Decepticon commander.

Little of import occurred on Cybertron in the immediate future as, more and more, the war spilled over to Earth, with the Autobot and Decepticon commanders summoning more and more warriors to the planet. Ratbat's death in the Underbase affair allowed a triumvirate of three Decepticons - Siezer, Legonis and Octus - to established themselves as rulers on Cybertron while Scorponok led on Earth, but following their destruction by Megatron, and his own subsequent disappearance, their appointed replacement, Thunderwing, took control and dispatched the Mayhem Attack Squad to track down the Autobot Pretenders. When the ensuing battle resulted in the malfunction of a teleportation portal, Grimlock, Bumblebee and Jazz found themselves at the core of Cybertron, bearing witness to the visage of Primus, and learned of his legend from the ancient "Keeper". The Keeper was then stuck down by the Mayhems, and the battle that followed briefly awakened Primus, who unleashed a single scream that was heard on the fringes of known space... by Unicron.

As Unicron bore down on the planet, he sent an agent, Galvatron, ahead to sow terror in his name. But Galvatron chaffed in Unicron's service and instead awoke Primus, who possessed Emirate Xaaron and teleported every Transformer back to Cybertron in order to unite them, as Unicron attacked the planet. Although Optimus Prime was able to use the Creation Matrix to destroy Unicron, it seemed that Cybertron was to meet its end by other means - tremors and storms began to pervade the planet, which seemed to be tearing itself apart, forcing the remaining Autobots and Decepticons to flee. In actuality, however, the final wave of Matrix energy released in Unicron's destruction had begun a planet-wide rebirth, which was then guided to conclusion by the Last Autobot, restoring and regenerating Cybertron, which the Autobots then occupied.

Generation 2 comics

In the sequel series to the original "Transformers" comics, more of the history of Cybertron and the Transformer race was revealed, as Optimus Prime discovered that they had once possessed the ability to asexually reproduce by "budding". This was an ability that ceased to function and was forgotten as part of Primus's design, but a group of Cybertronians discovered it and unlocked it within themselves. They continued to multiply beyond the intended limits of their race, diluting their essences until all that remained were single minded killers arrogant in their own supposed superiority - and The Swarm, a dark, destructive byproduct of the reproduction which ventured into space and destroyed other worlds and races, just as these "second generation" Cybertronians left Cybertron under the command of Jhiaxus, and began colonising other planets. When the Swarm returned with the intention of consuming Cybertron, the world of its origin, Optimus Prime used the Matrix to purify it.

Locations

City-states
* Iacon – largest city and hometown of Optimus Prime and the Council of Autobot Elders. The city was protected by a great dome, and was the last city-state to fall to the Decepticons, after which the Autobot resistance moved into the tunnels and bases beneath its surface.
* Tarn – second largest city-state and hometown to Megatron. Shockwave was the city's ruler until war broke out between Tarn and Vos, and both city-states were destroyed by photon-missiles (detailed in the text story "State Games" in the 1986 UK Annual).
* Vos – hometown to Starscream, who was figurehead of the ruling dictatorship.
* Polyhex – ruled by Lord Straxus, Polyhex contains the Decepticon citadel Darkmount, the Smelting Pools (used to melt down Autobot prisoners), the Dead End (a shanty town for Cybertronian down and outs), and was the site of the first Space Bridge. The Autobot resistance in Polyhex was led by Perceptor before he traveled to earth (detailed in "The Smelting Pool" storyline in UK #66 to #67, US #17). Following Straxus' defeat, Polyhex was later ruled by Ratbat and then Thunderwing.
* Kalis – briefly home of the Autobot resistance and situated above Megatron's stellar engines. Before he was stranded on earth, Megatrons plans to turn Cybertron into a 'cosmic dreadnought' had progressed as far as building the engine reactor. This was discovered by the Autobot scientist Flame, and a series of failed attempts to fire the engines destroyed parts of Kalis' surface before the reactors were destroyed and Flame killed. During Flame's attempts to activate the engines he used an army of 'zombie' Transformer corpses, animated by a computer signal, to protect his experiments and turn Kalis into a ghost town (detailed in the "City of Fear" storyline, UK #164 to #169).
* Tyrest – neighboring city-state to Kalis, and home to the Jekka Amphitheatre – one of the old gladiator arenas used briefly by the Decepticons and an alien called Zabra for illegal interplanetary death-matches (detailed in the "Deadly Games" storyline, UK #170 to #171).
* Helex – capital city of the Decepticons, Helex was home of the Triumvirate until they were killed and replaced by Megatron (detailed in "The Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire", UK #213 to #214).
* Stanix – one of the first city-states to come under control of the Decepticons, Stanix was ruled by the Decepticon scientist Megadeath. He planned to use neutron bombs to destroy the Autobots forces while leaving the buildings and cities of Cybetron intact. His plan was sabotaged and the bombs detonated in Stanix, after which the region was referred to as the Acid Wastes. Stanix is located near a small town named Yuss, and not far from Boltax's Laboratory (detailed in "The Magnificent Six" text story in the 1990 UK Annual)

Other Geography
* The Boltax Laboratory – home and origin of the Underbase. The laboratory is protected by a series of traps, but was breached by Megatron, forcing Optimus Prime to launch the Underbase into space (detailed in "The Underbase Saga", UK #196 to #197 and US #48). During the story showcasing the laboratory, housed inside a mechanical mountain, it's revealed that Boltax himself is the entire facility. He uses several avatars to guard the laboratory and interact with welcome guests.
* The Manganese Mountains – a range of mountains used as a hideout for Fortress Maximus's band of Autobots before they left for Nebulos (mentioned in Transformers: Headmasters #1, "Ring of Hate").
* The Sonic Canyons – according to the Transformers: Universe entry for Siren, these canyons are located in southern Cybertron and echo with the sound of underground machinery.