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Cover to The Transformers #2 (November 1984). Art by Michael Golden.
|Publisher||Marvel Comics, Dreamwave Productions, Fun Publications, Titan Magazines, IDW Publishing, and Devil's Due Publishing.|
|First appearance||The Transformers #1
|Base(s)||Cybertron, Earth, Iacon, Autobot City (G1), the Ark, Cybertron Base (RID), Diego Garcia (ROTF), Washington D.C. (DOTM), and Autobot Omega Outpost One (Prime).|
Primus, Dynasty of Primes, Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime, Sentinel Prime, Ultra Magnus
See: List of Autobots.
Autobot are a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron and are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, cartoons, movies, graphic novels and paperback books first introduced them in 1984. The "Heroic Autobots" are opposed by the Evil Decepticons — the main antagonists in Transformers. Both Autobots and Decepticons are humanoid robots that can transform into machines, vehicles and other familiar mechanical objects. Autobot typically transform into regular cars, trucks, or other road vehicles (automobiles) but some few are aircraft, military vehicles, communication devices, weapons, and even robotic animals. These Autobots are often grouped into special "teams" which have the suffix "-bot" at the end, such as in Dinobot (Decepticon groups' names end in "-icon").
In Japan, the Autobots are called "Cybertrons" (サイバトロン Saibatoron ) except in the live-action film series and Transformers Animated, where they are properly referred to as Autobots (オートボット Ōtobotto ). In Italy, they are called "Autorobots." The Autobot symbol is also sometimes referred to as an "Autobrand" in issue #14 of the Marvel Comics series. The Maximals from Transformers: Beast Wars are also known as Cybertrons in Japan, but everywhere else they are called Maximals and are the descendants of the Autobots.
In the Michael Bay live action films as well as in the CGI-animated series Transformers: Prime, the title Autobots is explained to be the short version of the title Autonomous Robotic Organisms. In the cartoon, a majority of the Autobots had a blue eye color, while most of the Decepticons had a red eye color.
Transformers: Generation 1 
In all Transformers stories, the Autobots and their adversaries, the Decepticons, originated on the planet Cybertron. The planet is almost always depicted as a purely metallic body. The capital of Cybertron is Iacon. In later issues of the Marvel comic line, Cybertron is shown to have weather, such as rain.
In most North American continuities, the Autobot commander is usually Optimus Prime. The Japanese Continuity, however, is more diverse; after Optimus Prime (in G1), the succession of commanders include Rodimus Prime, Fortress Maximus, God Ginrai (known in the US as Powermaster Optimus Prime), Victory Saber, and Dai Atlas. Many of these leaders use the title of Prime, a direct linguistic descendant of Primus. It identifies the one Autobot Commander that is entrusted with the Creation Matrix, also known as the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix is said to choose its own holder and when it is taken by a new leader (at the old leader's death), it transforms him into a larger, more powerful, wiser Autobot commander. Holders of the Matrix become one with the Matrix, such that when the holder dies, his Spark — the Transformer life-force — is absorbed into the Matrix. Holders of the Matrix, from the beginning of time (as per the Marvel continuity), are Primus, Prima, Prime Nova, Sentinel Prime, Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Rodimus Prime, Fortress Maximus, Ginrai, Star Saber, Dai Atlas, Optimal Optimus, Big Convoy, Vector Prime, and Megatronus Prime/The Fallen. For a brief time, the Decepticon Thunderwing held the matrix, but when Optimus Prime reclaimed it, Thunderwing's presence was purged from the Matrix.
Hasbro toyline 
Hasbro launched the Transformers toy line with ten different Autobot characters, all of whom transformed into automobiles, while the ten distinct Decepticons, (seven packages as three came two to a box/pack) were weapons, aircraft and communications equipment. Many of the Transformers were based on Takara designs. Optimus Prime was among the first Transformers released from Hasbro in 1984. The character listing/mini-poster that came inside Transformer packaging identified him as "Autobot Commander," as contrasted with Megatron's title of "Decepticon Leader." The Generation 2 toyline featured a character named "Autobot" who transforms from a human wristwatch/"time machine" to a humanoid robot. Autobot originated in the 1983 Microman Micro Change line as MC-06 Watch Robo, where he was available in four different colors. In 1993, he was released directly by Takara in North America as part of Transformers: Generation 2, alongside Scorpia and the wristwatches of Superion, Galvatron, and Ultra Magnus.
Marvel Comics 
Both Autobots and Decepticons were created by Primus. In most continuities this is still the case. Though Marvel's original series gave no purpose other than benevolent self-image creation for Transformers, some continuities add/modify that the Transformers were created to defend the universe. Each of the various later Transformers comic incarnations had differing origin stories, generally based on fictions provided in the 1980s comic and cartoon series.
The Autobot leader, Optimus Prime first appeared in issue #1 of Marvel's 4-issue limited series in September 1984, which was extended into the main series. This comic series started with the history of the Autobots and Deceptions on Cybertron, two once peaceful factions that eventually came to war due to Megatron's desire for conquest. In the first few pages of this issue readers were introduced to Optimus Prime, stated as being from "Iacon", greatest of the city-states of Cybertron. He was described as "a leader to inspire the Autobots in their hour of deadliest peril, of all the Autobots, only he, wise and powerful beyond understanding, was able to fully unite the scattered warriors into a fully effective fighting force". His strength was also described in greater detail where it stated "using his ability to transform into a combat vehicle, Optimus possessed a firepower potential that none but Megatron could match."
The war between the Autobots and Deceptions soon caused Cyberton to break away from its orbit and drift off into space, and the war was listed as raging on for over one thousand years. Eventually Optimus would lead a large team of Autobots on a space mission to clear asteroids that threatened to destroy Cybertron on its new course through space. But once they succeeded in this effort, a surprise attack by the Deceptions led their spacecraft (the Ark) to crash land on Earth, where it would reside for four million years in a dormant volcano. Eventually when the volcano erupted, it set off a chain of events that would revive the Autobots and Deceptions who had all been deactivated in the crash. Through the comic's 80-issue run, Optimus Prime would be killed off and resurrected several times. During his absences, other Autobot officers took on the mantle of leadership within the Earth-bound Autobots. They included Prowl, Grimlock, Fortress Maximus, and others. In a future timeline (one that, per events in the "present," can no longer come to pass), the Autobots are commanded by Rodimus Prime.
The UK office of Marvel published comics much more often, usually weekly compared to monthly for the US comic. To accomplish this, the UK comics had additional storylines that were never included in US continuity (and are debated as to their canon-authenticity). In the UK series, much more is learned about Autobot commander Rodimus Prime, whereas in the US continuity, he is only briefly seen, most probably dead, as a prisoner of Galvatron.
Animated series 
Fleeing the wars that devastated their home planet of Cybertron, most of the Autobots made Earth their temporary home. Under the leadership of the powerful robot, Optimus Prime, the heroic Autobots battled fearlessly against the assaults of the evil Decepticons, protecting their new human friends. Now it is the year 2006, and the Autobots have reclaimed the planet of their origin, Cybertron, to establish a new golden age. In migrating from Earth, they have been reunited with companions from other regions of the galaxy, including Sky Lynx, the gigantic space shuttle, Blurr, the fastest car on wheels, Kup, the flinty old warrior, Wheelie, who always offers advice in rhymes, Springer, the mighty helicopter, Arcee, a forceful female Autobot, and Wreck-Gar, the leader of a tribe of Autobots that dwells on the planet Junkion. The Autobots have a new leader, Rodimus Prime, who inherited from Optimus Prime the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. As a receptacle of the wisdom of Autobot leaders for the past millions of years, the Matrix helps Rodimus guide the Autobots in their darkest hours, as they fight to end the tyranny of the evil Decepticons.
In the original U.S. cartoon line, Autobots were the descendants of a line of robots created as consumer goods by the Quintessons on the planet Cybertron. Their bodies were forged by the Plasma Energy Chamber and given intelligence by the mega-computer Vector Sigma in order for the work to be carried out. Eventually, they developed sentience and rebelled against their creators. However, A-3, the resistance leader was displaced from time by Quintessons from the future in order to stop the insurgency. The resistance had help from future Autobots (whose transformation technology frightened them) and A-3 returned to turn the tide by activating his coda-remote which deactivated the Quintessons' Dark Guardian Robots. With the Quintessons cast off and forgotten, Cybertron was at peace. The consumer goods and military hardware bots renamed themselves as Autobots and Decepticons. However, the Decepticons wanted war. No match for the superior firepower and battle prowess of the Decepticons, the Autobots developed transformation technology (possibly with the help of the Dark Guardians) to win the war, bringing about the Golden Age of Cybertron. Eventually, the Decepticons also developed transformation and began the third Cybertronian War. They would have succeeded in completing their conquest had not more time-displaced Autobots blown up an energy warehouse and brought its workers to A-3, now renamed Alpha Trion, as the new defenders of Cybertron. For five million years, the Cybertronians warred over the remaining energy that was left. With this crisis, the Autobots, headed by Optimus Prime, made an expedition to find new energy sources. But the Decepticons intercepted them, causing the Autobot ship Ark to crash-land on Earth. During the next four million years the Beast Wars occur on Earth.
Four million years later in 1984, the volcano that the Ark was wedged in erupted, jarring the Ark's main computer Teletraan I back online. Through use of Spy Satellites, Teletraan created new alternate forms for the Transformers out of earth vehicles (Like F-15 Eagles for Starscream and a Semi-trailer truck for Optimus Prime). The Decepticons were revived first and then the Autobots due to Starscream's carelessness. The Autobots made an alliance with the local humans, thus beginning the Great War. After waging the war for 21 years, the Autobots created Autobot City as their main base of operations while the Decepticons got complete control of Cybertron. In 2005, the Decepticons launched an attack on the city, resulting in the death of Optimus Prime. Optimus managed to pass the Matrix of Leadership to Ultra Magnus before his passing. The city then received messages from the bases on Cybertron's moons being devoured by the transformer demi-god Unicron. After another Decepticon attack, the Autobots were scattered to two planets, Junk and Quintessa. Forming new allies on those planets, the Autobots headed for Cybertron. A young Autobot named Hot Rod used the recovered Matrix of Leadership from Galvatron (formerly Megatron) to destroy Unicron and became Rodimus Prime. With the Decepticons in disarray, the Autobots reclaimed Cybertron, bringing about a new age of peace and prosperity. In 2006, the Great War still raged. But both sides rediscovered the existence of the Quintessons. After numerous battles, the Hate Plague was unleashed. Rodimus ordered the uninfected Autobots to search for a Quintesson to revive Optimus Prime. An uninfected Quintesson was found and forced to restore Optimus Prime to life. Optimus would then recover the Matrix by defeating an infected Rodimus Prime, and cure the galaxy of the plague.
After one year of peace, Galvatron gained access to the Plasma Energy Chamber. He planned to move Cybertron to Earth and use the Chamber's energies to overload the sun. However, all this was planned by Vector Sigma who wanted to restore Cybertron's Golden Age. Thanks to Spike Witwicky and the allied-Nebulons, Cybertron regained its golden hue. Optimus knew that there will always be Decepticons and the Autobots will always stop them. Each of the various later Transformers cartoon incarnations had differing origin stories, generally based on fictions provided in the 1984 cartoon (and occasionally comic) series. The one exception was Beast Wars, by which time most Autobots had been retrofitted into Maximals. This CG series and its sequel Beast Machines used the G1 cartoon as a historical base.
IDW Publishing 
During the Golden Age of Cybertron, Nova Prime wishes to expand the influence of Cybertronians throughout the galaxy. His Chief Theoretical Strategist Jhiaxus experiments with six volunteers to combine them into a superior being, but the experiment fails, resulting in Monstructor. At some point he also experiments with gender in Transformers, creating Arcee, who grows deranged with hatred for her creator due to this. Sometime later, the Ark-1 is launched into space under the auspice of exploration, but in reality an attempt to expand Cybertron's influence. The crew includes Nova Prime and Galvatron. When passing through a black hole, the ship enters a "Dead Universe", altering the crew, and is presumed lost. With Nova Prime and Jhiaxus gone, Omega Supreme imprisons Monstructor.
Later, hard times follow, with the Autobots becoming a corrupt galactic police force. While shutting down an Energon-mining operation, they incite a riot by beating an outspoken miner to death. The riot is extinguished, resulting in the miners either dead or imprisoned. A surviving miner, Megatron, manages to take over a prison shuttle and hide it in Kaon, the seediest city on Cybertron. Megatron makes a name for himself in the underground gladiatorial matches, learning to enjoy the kill. He recruits the Seekers, Soundwave, and the future Cassetticons to perform acts of terrorism throughout Cybertron. Megatron rallies a large group of gladiators and proposes for them to unite under the same badge, but they are caught and arrested by Sentinel Prime's police force. However, this is part of Megatron's plan, as Starscream kills the Autobot Senate. Megatron kills Sentinel Prime, and the newly forged Decepticons take over the city-state of Kaon, heralding the beginning of the war. The populace at large is distracted by mass sports race games, with racers like the arrogant but talented Blurr becoming celebrities. Early on during the war, both Autobot and Decepticon try to recruit Blurr to their cause, with a young Optimus talking Blurr into saving the life of Zeta Prime from Starscream's assassination squad. A rookie Tracks is saved from the elite Predacons by special ops soldier Jazz. In later years, Tracks passes on the story of the lone Autobot to boost morale in times of crisis.
Around this time, a third group of Cybertronians form who are opposed to the war and both sides of it. They leave Cybertron and are never seen again. The war eventually devastates the planet, and a Decepticon scientist named Thunderwing suggests to graft Transformers with protective organic shells, which Megatron rejects. Thunderwing experiments on himself, becoming a beast who devastates Cybertron. The Decepticons recover more quickly and stage a new offensive against the Autobots, who suffer the loss of the charismatic Blaster, the voice of the Autobot resistance: he is shot and set adrift in space by a traitor.
With their home world dead, the Transformers continue their war on other planets. The Decepticons escalate tensions on planets by replacing important people with loyal clones called facsimiles, allowing the worlds to destroy themselves before they move in for the energy resources, and send Sixshot to finish off the planets. Nonetheless, the two sides agree to the Tyrest Accord, in which they will not supply weapons to less advanced cultures. Scorponok violates this treaty on Nebulos, creating "transformable men" with the help of Mo Zarak's corporation, but an attack by Ultra Magnus forces him to flee. Badly damaged with only his decapitated head remaining, he arrives on Earth at some point and establishes the Machination, an organization dedicated to acquiring Transformer technology for their own ends.
Beast Era 
The Autobot race eventually evolve in to the Maximals, who, like their predecessors, are generally depicted as respecting all life and following a path of peace before war. They follow the tenets of the Pax Cybertronia. The Maximals are opposed by the Predacons. The Maximals are descendants of the Autobots. The Maximals and Predacons are much smaller than their Autobot and Decepticon ancestors, standing at roughly human size, rather than twenty or more feet tall. The storyline reason for the change in size was that their smaller forms were more energy-efficient. In the series, the maximals use the activation code "maximize" to transform, and have forms of seemingly peaceful creatures.
- Generation 2 Watch Autobot (1993)
- Autobot transforms from a boxy silver chrome robot to a boxy functional digital watch that attaches to a plastic wristband.
Transformers: Robots in Disguise 
In Transformers: Robots in Disguise, the Autobots are the main race on Cybertron, and their enemies are the Predacons. The Autobots fought in the Cybertronian Civil Wars, presumably against the Predacons. Vector Sigma, the Allspark, chooses which Autobot is to be granted the Matrix and thus the position of commander-in-chief.
The Autobots were already on Earth when the Predacons arrived, having taken the form of Earth vehicles to work as camouflage and established a Global space bridge network and a central base monitoring the entire planet.
In their disguises, the Autobots integrated themselves into human society; Team Bullet Train worked as actual trains, X-Brawn was owned as a car by Kelly, and Optimus Prime was working for a fire department. This continued after they went public; both Prowl and Tow-Line, for example, were shown enforcing human laws in an apparently official capacity, suggesting the Autobots had official ties to human authorities.
It is known that Optimus fought the Predacons on other worlds, presumably using the same tactics as on Earth.
Unicron Trilogy 
Originally, the Autobots were not a faction, but the name of a peacekeeping organization; under the command of Optimus Prime, they defended Cyber City. Their headquarters was adorned with the motto "Truth - Justice - Freedom". They were unable to stop the Mini-Con-powered Decepticons from taking Cyber City, and for a million years they were reduced to a rebel organization desperately trying & failing to protect Cybertron. The reactivation of the Mini-Cons on Earth gave the Autobots an opportunity to gain Mini-Con power of their own, but eventually the Decepticons were beaten not by them, but due to the attack of Unicron.
Throughout the Unicron Trilogy, the Autobots switched motives after each major conflict. At first, they were attempting to liberate smaller robots, called Mini-Cons, from the tyrannical control of Megatron, who saw them as tools to be used and disposed of when no longer needed. The Autobots followed the Mini-Cons' ship to Earth, where they crashed and eventually continued their battle against the Decepticons.
These two sides would unite to fight the Chaos Bringer, Unicron, when he threatened to devour Cybertron. With Megatron sacrificing himself to save the rest of the Universe, Unicron shut down and was destroyed. The remaining Transformers united as the Autobots, following Megatron's order to assist them in rebuilding Cybertron.
Megatron's final orders to his troops still stood: work with the Autobots. The Decepticons maintained a degree of autonomy, still wearing the faction sigil and often taking military/defensive positions in the growing number of energon-mining colonies, but they were ultimately answerable to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. There were, of course, dissenters, most of whom were captured and imprisoned. For a decade, Autobot and Decepticon worked side-by-side in a somewhat stable truce.
Both sides found themselves the target of attacks from Unicron again; hordes of Terrorcon drones, sent by Alpha Quintesson to steal energon ore with which to revive the now-shattered husk of Unicron. What the alien did not count on was that Megatron's spark had survived within the remains, and was siphoning energon from Unicron's body. Soon the Decepticon leader had revived himself in a new form, driven off Alpha Quintesson, and, along with an elite cadre of soldiers and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of mindless Terrorcon drones, begun his new plans for conquest.
When news of Megatron's return reached Cybertron, hundreds of Decepticons rose up and rebelled, eager to get back to conquering. But having been joined to Unicron for so long apparently had given Megatron a taste of godhood; he had no more interest in amassing a galaxy-spanning army of troops. Countless Decepticons died in the resulting battles, with Megatron more than willing to sacrifice them without a thought to attain ultimate power for himself. As the "Powerlinx Battles" - as they came to be called - came to their climax, Megatron found that his actions and thoughts were being influenced and controlled by the dark spark of Unicron. Unwilling to let Unicron stand in his way, Megatron ultimately sacrificed himself (again) and seemingly destroyed Unicron's spark by plunging himself into a newly-formed energon sun created by Primus.
Another ten years after Energon, the energon sun created by Primus was gone, collapsed into the "Unicron Singularity", a giant black hole threatening to devour all of existence. In death, Unicron's power to destroy his only opposition - Primus - was greater than ever. The Autobots searched for a method of destroying the Black Hole and found a single answer; the Omega Lock, a powerful artifact linked to the Spark of Primus. With it, the Universe could be saved... or destroyed. Seeing an opportunity to rebuild existence in his own image, Megatron sought out the Omega Lock and the Cyber Planet Keys.
As the two sides battled for the Keys, the Autobots would eventually find all four and use them to revive Primus, but in doing so caused a massive earthquake that began shattering the planet around them.
Primus was emerging from Cybertron, awakened from the body he sculpted into a world for his creation. When informed of Unicron's destruction, he was infuriated to find that the universe was out of balance because of a severe lack of evil. Starscream attacked Primus's weakened form, due to the smaller robot stealing a piece of his spark and becoming an even equally huge monster, but was quickly dispatched by his creator. Defeated, Starscream flew off, leaving the Autobots to seal the Black Hole. Once this was accomplished, Galvatron attempted an escape from his fire dimension, but by combining Vector Prime's sword with the Omega Lock, the portal was sealed, and the Autobots returned home in peace.
The remaining Decepticons joined the Autobots, save for four who left Earth to start the New Decepticon Army. Their ship made it to Mars before crashing.
In the 2007 Transformers live-action movie, Optimus Prime is the Autobot commander. His appearance is somewhat different from his original form, although he is still recognizable to many fans. In the movie his team of Autobots on Earth consists of only four others: Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide and Jazz. What is also duly noted is that the Autobots faces actually resemble the Autobot insignia, the same for the Decepticons. Later, Arcee, Skids, Mudflap, Sideswipe, Jolt, Wheeljack, Mirage and the Wreckers come to Earth.
In the live-action film "Transformers", the Autobots arrived on Earth to find the All Spark in an effort to restore a destroyed Cybertron. The beginning of the movie, narrated by Optimus Prime, indicates that all life on Cybertron came from "The Cube." In the beginning, Optimus Prime and Megatron ruled Cybertron together. However, Megatron soon began to desire the power of the AllSpark. To counter Megatron, Optimus formed the Autobots, a militia of civilian Transformers sworn to protect the AllSpark. Throughout the evolution of the Transformers, wars brought on the demise of their planet. Although the Autobots initially make a poor first impression with the authorities, the US government is eventually convinced by Sam Witwicky that they are allies against the true threat of the Decepticons and cooperate to help them in the battle to keep the AllSpark away from the enemy. During the battle, all the Decepticons are destroyed, except for Starscream, Barricade and Scorponok, but the Autobots lose one of their members, Jazz. Optimus Prime decides to make Earth their new home.
In Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the surviving Autobots from the previous film, as well as newer arrivals, serve as part of a top secret joint USA-UK military strike force codenamed NEST, which is dedicated to hunting and destroying Decepticons around the world. In this organization, Major William Lennox and Optimus Prime share field command of the human military personnel and the Autobot members respectively. The only exception to this assignment is Bumblebee who stays with the Witwickys as their bodyguard.
Although NEST has a productive history dealing with the Decepticons, a successful mission in Shanghai, which caused excessive collateral damage, drew criticism from the team's government superior American National Security Advisor Galloway. He further suggests that since the primary Decepticon goal, gaining the remaining portions of the All Spark, is likely out of reach, the Autobots should leave the planet to draw their war with their enemy away. This conclusion is completely discredited when the Decepticons reappear in force to both steal that item and successfully revive Megatron. Furthermore, their execution of their superior's (the Fallen) plan to destroy the Sun reveals that numerous Decepticons are present on Earth, which more than justifies the Autobots' participation in National Defense affairs. According to related materials, Bumblebee remains responsible for the Witwickys' security. Arcee, a Ducati motorcycle, amongst other Autobots make their live-action debut. A massive battle takes place in which Optimus Prime, killed by Megatron in an earlier battle, is revived and many Decepticons are killed, including Devastator, Scorponok and the Fallen but Megatron and Starscream escape, albeit with Megatron severely injured and the Decepticon spymaster Soundwave also survives, having never participated in the battle.
The word "Autobot", according to Ratchet, is an abbreviation of the phrase Autonomous robotic organisms, making it seem like Autobot is likely the Transformers species name in this continuity (the irony being that the term robot is derived from the Czech word "robota" for 'work' and thus expresses the opposite of autonomy).
In Transformers: Dark of the Moon the Autobots, now consisting of Bumblebee (no longer Sam's guardian for an unspecified reason), Que/Wheeljack, Sideswipe, Dino/Mirage, Ironhide, Optimus, Ratchet and the Wreckers investigate alien activity around the world and have set up Energon Detectors in all the major cities in order to detect Decepticon activity. Apparently the Autobots haven't had any contact with the Decepticons since Egypt, or at least any major contact, but this changes when they travel to Chernobyl to investigate alien activity there and find an engine part from the Ark and are attacked by Shockwave and his Driller. The Autobots travel to the Moon after learning of the Ark and Sentinel Prime being there. After Sam Witwicky uncovers the Decepticons plot to use Sentinel, the Autobots are attacked by the Dreads before they are killed by Dino, Bumblebee, Ironhide and Sideswipe. Sentinel reveals his true colors and murders Ironhide and issues an ultimatum to force the Autobots off Earth in the Xantium where they apparently killed by Starscream. The Autobots survive and secretly make their way to Chicago, which the Decepticons have taken over and link up with a team led by Sam and Robert Epps. The Autobots battle an army of Decepticons and Decepticon ships to reach Sentinel and stop his plan to bring Cybertron to Earth and manage to eliminate most of the army including Laserbeak, the Driller, Starscream, Soundwave, Shockwave and Barricade with the humans help, although Que is killed in the process, before confronting Sentinel after shooting down the Control Pillar and stopping the Space Bridge temporarily. The Autobots and humans outmatch Sentinel who flees before engaging Optimus one on one while Sam kills the evil human Dylan Gould who reactivates the pillars, allowing Ratchet and Bumblebee to destroy it. Deactivating the Space Bridge has the side-effect of destroying Cybertron however, but the Decepticons plot is foiled. Optimus is nearly killed by Sentinel, but Megatron saves him after being convinced to help by Carly Spencer and Optimus kills both Megatron and Sentinel despite Megatron offering a truce with the Autobots. The Autobots score a major victory as much of the Decepticon army on Earth is decimated (there are still scattered Decepticons around the globe) and their entire command structure has been killed, but they also lose Cybertron and must accept Earth as their new home.
Transformers: Animated 
Not much has been revealed about the Autobots in Transformers Animated continuity so far. What is known is that they were in a war with the Decepticons prior to the series and won, but according to Ratchet, they only won because of three things: the Autobot-exclusive Space Bridge technology, Project Omega, and by sending the AllSpark into space to keep the Decepticons from getting it. This isn't the first continuity where the war with Decepticons was already over, but it is the first where Optimus Prime isn't the Autobot leader. Instead, he just commands a space bridge repair crew. Ultra Magnus is the Autobot Supreme Commander. Also, a single Autobot is typically considerably weaker than a single Decepticon. In fact, a team of Autobots is often weaker than a single Decepticon, to the point that a single Decepticon can trash the Autobots several times over, and even win, in some episodes. Unlike other continuities, the Autobots here aren't 100% good, and are slightly oppressive. Two examples: Wasp shew to be very arrogant, and Sentinel Prime was portrayed as hating organic life in a way almost as bad as the Decepticons.
Transformers: Timelines 
A series of stories printed by Fun Publications, set in a variety of continuities, the Autobots of alternate worlds can vary greatly from the classics Autobot image. In the Transtech storyline, the Autobots and Decepticons are merely political factions on a Cybertron which never broke out into war. Lines between good and evil are more blurred.
In the Shattered Glass storyline, a group of Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are the mirror images of the personalities of most Autobots. In this world the Autobot logo is purple, and worn by evil Transformers who seek to destroy the universe, and are opposed to the heroic Decepticons.
Transformers: Prime 
|Publisher||Titan Magazines, IDW Publishing, Del Ray Books|
|First appearance||"Darkness Rising, Part 1"|
|Base(s)||Omega Outpost One|
Video games 
The video game Transformers: War for Cybertron give a backstory to the Autobots days on Cybertron. The Autobots were led by Zeta Prime at the beginning of the game. Megatron betrays the Autobots and creates a splinter faction known as the Decepticons. Zeta is killed by Megatron, and the role of leadership is passed down to Optimus Prime. When Megatron corrupts the Core of Cybertron with Dark Energon, Optimus gets the Matrix of Leadership from Cybertron's core while trying to save it. Optimus finds out he's too late and the Autobots are forced to leave Cybertron. In the sequel game, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, the Autobots and Decepticons leave Cybertron and go into a space bridge, which explodes, leaving everyone's fate's unknown.
Team Prime appears in Transformers: Prime – The Game. Optimus Prime, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Jack, Miko and Raf embark on a journey to defeat the villainous Megatron and the Decepticons in his plan to use his secret new weapon. The Decepticons intercept a mysterious meteor approaching the Earth, and the Autobots arrive to try and thwart the Decepticons' plans. A massive eruption of power during the battle on the meteor breaks out, and the Autobots become separated from Jack, Miko and Raf, who are monitoring them at base. Unknown to the Autobots and their human friends, the Decepticons have uncoved Thunderwing, an ancient power that they will use to try to take over the Earth. Over the course of the game they will be different locations as well as different battles along the way. Some may include having to rescue the kids from the dreaded Decepticons. Others may involve having to find pieces of the great and powerful Thunderwing. Eventually though the main rivals of the characters are defeated including Airachnid, Knock Out, Dreadwing, Starscream, and Soundwave by Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Optimus but Thunderwing is revived by the very end of the chapters. In the end the kids are rescued and a final stand off with Megatron occurs leading to the battle with Thunderwing to determine the fate of earth itself.
The story of War for Cybertron is retold in Transformers: Exodus, Sentinel Prime was the Autobot leader prior to Optimus. However, Orion Pax, and was friends with a gladiator named Megatronus. Megatronus leaving gladiatorship behind to go on to the political, shortened his name to Megatron. At first they agree with each other on liberating the Caste System, but Orion eventually finds out who Megatron really is. Megatron kills Sentinel Prime, who hates the lower castes like gladiators. Megatron becomes enemies with Orion. A war started, and with Sentinel dead, Orion, now Optimus Prime, becomes the new leader of the Autobots. The war devastated Cybertron, and so the Autobots leave their planet, in search of a new home.
IDW Publishing 
Team Prime is already on Earth in the IDW prequel comic, but Arcee and Cliffjumper arrive later and join the team. The story was later adapted in to the episode "Out of the Past".
Animated series 
In Transformers: Prime, with Cybertron dead, the Autobots scattered across the universe. A group landed on Earth consisting Optimus, Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead and which Arcee and Cliffjumper join later. This small team of Autobots lead by Optimus is rechristened Team Prime. By the time of the first episode has been three years since the Decepticons last attacked Earth and the Autobots still await their return. Starscream kills Cliffjumper. After the death of Cliffjumper, the Autobots fight to protect the Earth from the Decepticons and befriend three young humans and the returned Megatron who has been missing for three Earth years. Megatron plans to use Dark Energon to raise an undead army of Cybertronians and defeat the Autobots. The Autobots destroy his space bridge and Megatron is believed killed in the process. Starscream becomes the new Decepticon leader.
After Megatron's apparent death, new Decepticon leader Starscream does not stray from Megatron's path and recruits several new Decepticons. Starscream attempts many missions to destroy the Autobots and find their headquarters, while keeping a shard of the "last" remaining Dark Energon that he took out of Megatron's chest.
In the episode "Out of His Head", Megatron returns after an incident where he Takes control of Bumblebee's mind. Megatron then reclaims leadership of the Decepticons, keeping a strict eye on Starscream. After Starscream uses Megatron's share of Dark Energon, he tries to find more to once again bring back his "un-dead army". At the end of the episode "Partners", Starscream became an independent and hasn't been seen or heard from ever since.
During the final four episodes of the season, the Autobots unwillingly team up with Megatron to battle a legendary threat to Earth's existence, Unicron. To defeat Unicron, Optimus uses the Matrix of Leadership. With this sacrifice, he not only loses the Wisdom of the Primes but also his memories of the war and his comrades, and joins Megatron as a Decepticon under his old name, Orion Pax. Orion is tricked by Megatron into decoding relics. The Autobots regain Optimus's memories and save their leader. But the Decepticons continue to look for relics.
After a four-part relic hunt, Bulkhead is injured. But regains his strength later. Smokescreen later lands on Earth and joins Team Prime in "New Recruit".
Optimus briefly wields the Star Saber, before Megatron breaks it with his Dark Star Saber, and Optimus then decodes the final four relics, the Omega Keys, to regenerate Cybertron. The Autobots got the first key, Knockout got the second, and Starscream got the third. The fourth and final one was inside Smokescreen the whole time. After the Decepticons kidnap him, Knock Out uses the phase shifter to get it out of him. After finding out the purpose of the keys, by using the cordical pyschic cordial patch on Smokescreen. When Megatron leaves Knockout alone with him, Smokescreen and Knockout fight over the phase shifter. He sticks Knockout in a wall and leaves him there. He takes the one the Decepticons had and his and escaped the ship, starting a free fall battle. After, he went back to the base. Starscream them went to steal the three the Autobots had. Starscream, now with all 4, uses them as a peace offering to rejoin the Decepticons and Optimus was pretty angry about it.
Dreadwing, angry that Megatron allowed Starscrean to rejoin the Decepticons, give Optimus the Forge of Solus Prime, and attempts to kill Starscream but is killed in the process, by Megatron. Knockout and Starscream use the keys and find out the location of the Omega Lock, Optimus already knew its location and turns the Goundbridge into a spacebridge, and reforges the Star saber. They go to Cybertron, fighting off the Decepticons with relics, take back to keys and kill all the Vehicons. They go to the Omega Lock. Sadly, it's a victory short lived, as the Decepticon force them to give them back the keys, or they will expose Jack, Miko, and Raf to Cybertron's toxic atmosphere. The Autobots give them the keys, with Megatron uses to rebuild the Hall of Records, then he opens a space bridge, and tries to terraform Earth into a new planet called New Kaon. Optimus takes his Star Saber and cuts off Megatron's arm and destroys the Omega Lock, leaving Cybertron in its liveless state forever. They retreat back to Earth, only to find that Jasper, Nevada has now been changed into a giant fortress. The Nemesis lands there, and Optimus discovers they gave found there base. Vehicons start attacking the base. Wheeljack and Agent Fowler try and hold off the new Vehicons. Optimus has Team Prime split up to different parts of the country. Ratchet was last asking Optimus where he would go, Optimus said he would stay behind and destroy the groundbridge, so the Decepticons would not find them. Outside, Wheeljack's Jack Hammer is shot down by Starscream. The Decepticons blow up the base with Optimus inside. Agent Fowler and June Darby watch in horror. Megatron and Starscream go the remains of the base. Laughing about their victory, as the screen pans over to see Optimus's arm sticking out of the rubble.
Titan Magazines 
Ratchet constructed the Safe, a training room on one of the lower levels of the base. In the process of testing it, the Autobots uncovered a live nuclear bomb. The warhead, which should have been taken away when the base was originally stripped, almost led to the discovery of the base by Vehicons. Luckily Raf was able to keep the bomb busy until Fowler arrived with some scientists to defuse it.
The Autobots decorated their base for Christmas, however when Fowler told them the Decepticons had taken over a nuclear-powered ship, Optimus left Bulkhead and Arcee behind to work on their differences. On Raf's suggestion, the pair tried to find a common like, and eventually settled on ice skating. Then they turned the base into an indoor ice rink, which Ratchet didn't seem too enthusiastic about.
When Raf became hypnotised by a video game and activated the GroundBridge, hordes of Vehicons started pouring into the base. Ratchet activated the base's defenses, providing pop-up metal shields as cover while the Autobots fought back. Raf was eventually snapped out of his trance and turned the GroundBridge into a vacuum that sucking the Vehicons back out, though there were a few loose parts left behind.
Rescue Bots 
|First appearance||"Family of Heroes"|
|Base(s)||Fire Station Prime|
The heroic faction in Transformers: Rescue Bots is referred to as the Rescue Bots. One last team of Rescue Bots called Rescue Force Sigma-17 survived the Great War on Cybertron and eventually landed on Earth.
Heatwave, Chase, Boulder, and Blades were traveling as protoforms in stasis aboard their spacecraft when their ship's computer intercepted a general communication from Optimus Prime intended for all Autobots. Cybertron had fallen, but the Autobots still stood, and any scattered Autobots were given a priority prime order to rendezvous on Earth. Their ship's computer automatically responded by traveling to Earth and awakening Rescue Force Sigma-17. Optimus Prime was there to greet them and give them the news that they were the only known Rescue Force still active, that Cybertron Headquarters was no longer in operation, and Autobots lived on Earth now instead of Cybertron. After deliberating on the matter, Optimus Prime gave the team their new orders. Rather than fighting Decepticons, they were to covertly live with a human family to learn from them and keep the planet safe. Heatwave resisted the idea, so Optimus Prime appointed him team leader of the Rescue Bots.
See also 
- List of Autobots
- List of Maximals
- List of Decepticons
- Prime (Transformers)
- Female Autobots
- List of female Transformers
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