“Now, a T-cog isn’t technology; it is
biology…”
I am so excited for this one. Our first of
many Transformers Prime Q&A videos, with the
topic today being random biology questions.
But some of you got excited at the word “question”
and completely missed the bold text somehow.
There will be another video covering all the
questions about sexuality, because I thought
the best way to tackle them was to link them
together. All that is necessary to answer
the big one “Is Knockout actually gay?”
For now, we are looking at really specific
questions about how Cybertronians worked in
the Aligned Continuity, pulling the info from
all four current cartoons, the novels, comics,
and games for the best possible answers. When
things are not explicitly explained, we shall
do what we can to speculate.
Energon questions:
If energon is so explosive, why don’t bots
explode when they get shot?
There are two ways I see to answer this question.
As far as I know, it was only unrefined and
synthetic energon that were explosive. However,
it could be possible that processed energon
is still explosive, but bot blood isn’t.
We have seen in the show that the blood in
their bodies contain traces of their DNA,
called CNA. Their cells might act as “guards”
in their blood to eliminate its combustibility.
Do bots have DNA? RNA? Cells?
The first part is an easily answered question
within the show. They are made of living metal,
and each individual has their own genetic
code. This is what Predaking is able to scan
in Wheeljack’s blood, and this is why Starscream’s
blood provides the CNA for cloning. CNA is
their DNA, and RNA would exist with a different
term. Since bots are also able to heal their
injuries, it is assumed that they do have
replicating cells. And these cells would be
containing that CNA.
Do Cybertronians drink/eat energon, or only
inject it?
We don’t usually see energon taken in Transformers
Prime, just the processing and injection.
However, Knockout does say this line:
"Hahaha, what are you gonna do, drink it?"
And if we want to dive into the forbidden show, we do see this weird ass creature eating it.
The novel Exodus talks about the drinking
of Visco, an alcohol. Cybertronians seem to
have some sort of stomach-like organ, where
things go when swallowed.
“Brpf, I think I am going to heave up my
energon processor..."
"Bulkhead, be a pal and hand me an oil pan, will ya?”
“Whoa, not for all the energon on Cybertron,
kid!”
Let’s tack on the next question:
Can Cybertronians consume raw energon?
I strongly believe that they can, because
at some point, Cybertronians were created
without advanced technology. Also, there are
mentions of many animalistic species on Cybertron,
so they have to survive off something. Insecticons
had lived alone underground for a long time
without that technology as well, and consider
that Insecticon on Earth. I am sure he would
have just eaten that chunk. Can you imagine
Primus creating a people that relies on needles
for each meal? Cybertronians likely can consume
raw energon, and would if need be, but prefer
to process it first. There are advantages
to processing instead of eating raw:
One, it removes any filth that a Cybertronian is
not meant to consume. Those crystals on Earth
are coated in dirt! It could be like- we can
drink spring water, but you might want to
filter it to be safe. Secondly, it takes energy
to process energon from crystal to liquid
inside oneself. When Starscream is scavenging
for energon, he needs to conserve all the
energy he can. Consuming the red energon raw
also could have two disadvantages:
Energy is wasted digesting it, and it takes longer
for its effect to activate.
Cybertronians inject processed energon directly into their veins for immediate use, but the size of those
needles would leave constant holes to heal.
Now hold on a moment, because I will make
a note about Predacons.
I think we can add here:
Why do Cybertronians have teeth?
Some kind of hard plating would help break
energon into smaller parts. They would not
need individual teeth, nor necessarily sharp
teeth. The answer to the reason for the difference
falls under the beast questions.
Can Cybertronians drink or eat other things?
Yes, but only energon sustains them. It also
depends on the species. Energon is vital for
the survival of all lifeforms, but we do get
that mention of alcohol. What is uncertain
is if they can actually use that as fuel,
or if at some point it gets thrown up. Several
Cybertronians are carnivorous, however some
are able to digest metal while some cannot.
Scraplets eat metal for fuel, since it just
seems to disappear entirely. That Chompazoid
species in RID could consume metal as well
and has carnivorous potential. But we have
the most information about the Predacons thanks
to the Covenant of Primus. In the chapter
dealing with the original race, we learn that
Predacons hunted and killed animals. They
ate the bodies, but only could process the
energon. The other parts were filtered out,
and I am just assuming that means spat out.
You might wonder why Predacons would even
do that when energon occurred naturally everywhere.
They could be an example of Cybertronians
that actually cannot process raw energon.
To survive, they need to drink the processed
blood of others. This explains why the Predacons
died on Earth although they were guarding
energon. They ate the Autobots, and once there
were none left, they starved. Since Insecticons
seem capable of eating raw energon, they might
not be carnivorous at all, despite appearances.
Going off the Covenant of Primus, they ate
up rock and filtered the tiny traces of energon
from it. But Cybertronians certainly do not
need gasoline, as Arcee said.
“At least you don’t need to buy gasoline.”
Can a Cybertronian live off other forms of
energon if supply wasn’t a problem?
This question requires some thinking. Dark
energon was a drug-like fuel consumed by Decepticons
in the war. It invoked aggressive behaviour,
and a strong addiction. Bots went crazy without
it, but if you kept taking it and built a
tolerance like Megatron, could you live?
Or did Megatron ever really have a safe tolerance?
In Transformers Prime, was Megatron taking
regular energon as well? Unicron is like Primus,
except he is a being of pure death. His goal
is to destroy all life- his blood has supernatural
powers, so that blood is going to hurt you
inside. Living solely off it is bound to kill
you eventually, just as Alpha Trion believed.
Now Megatron is seen to bleed both blue and
purple throughout the show. He is taking energon
because he needs it to stay functional, but
he also regularly takes dark energon. This
combination could be functional. The blood
colour might be dependent on how long ago
it was since he had taken dark energon.
Now, Why are Megatron’s eyes sometimes red
and sometimes purple? This also includes Why
do their eyes change colour based on the energon?
Cybertronians seem equipped to show possible
issues inside them through their eyes. Like
if something unusual enters their bloodstream,
it shows and other Cybertronians can see it.
This Rescue Bots quote might apply here:
“He has been acting weird lately...”
“I haven’t noticed anything. His optics
were clear, his spark pulse normal.”
Red energon may actually turn eyes red, but
we could not tell with Starscream. Starscream’s
eyes are immediately purple upon taking dark energon,
but they flash later on. Why is that?
And Megatron, same thing. But there is an explanation.
There is something dark (!) and supernatural about
Unicron’s energon. It is almost like it
is alive, and Unicron has such a strong attachment
that he can literally control you. Little
bits of him are in that energon. The book
Exodus had the substance recorded by ancient
scientists as “the Sparks of Unicron”,
unveiling the idea that perhaps tiny amounts
of spark energy is within energon. Notice
that their eyes only ever turn purple when
they call upon its power. Starscream’s eyes
turn purple only when he gets hyped about
it.
“You cannot harm me while dark energon flows
through my veins!”
Megatron goes into purple overdrive without
consuming more of it, because he is encouraging
it to take his body, basically letting a demon
use his body like a vessel. If Megatron is
thinking, “Let’s do some necromancy”,
that dark energon lingering inside is going
to react and activate its demonic powers.
Back to the first question. What about red
energon? We saw no harmful effects, and it
may be 100% fine to consume. But the problem
lies elsewhere. Their bodies would be constantly
in overdrive. But what about recovery? Overworking
one’s body? This speed probably would wear
down their joints. And if you always feel
energetic, how could you rest? Yes, that question
of sleep will be coming up later. Unfortunately,
living purely on red energon might shut oneself down.
Toxic energon is obvious. Nope. How about
Ratchet’s Synthetic energon? It appeared
stable, providing him with energy, with only
the aggressive side effect. Unless there was
damage occurring that we didn’t yet see,
it seems that you actually could live off
that green drug!
Are there other forms of energon they could
consume?
I bring this up because I am fascinated by
the idea of more energon forms that simply
did not get mentioned in the show. I was also
surprised when Rescue Bots Academy showed
some pink energon crystals. It may just be
a design choice, but it had me wondering that
perhaps pink energon exists in TFP. Energon
with no effects, but just a rarer colour of
regular energon. Maybe yellow, orange, or
white energon even exist and have their own
quirks! Have fun with the possibilities~
How often do Cybertronians consume energon?
How much do they require?
This is a question with no conclusive answer,
but it doesn't seem to be every day. No one
ever shows concern when they are potentially
stuck on their own for days, but they show
concern for humans instead, such as in Rescue
Bots. Yet we see the amount the Autobots might
have used in season 3. Considering how active
they are, I might estimate that they need
some once a week. Or possibly, one large dose
to last a while, versus tiny doses possibly
daily. Starscream on his own for months was
constantly searching, and he used an excuse
of energon deficiency to Megatron. So Megatron
would know that in the months Starscream was
alone, he would need fuel or he would perish.
That is why I am placing it down to days or
a week. As for your amount, these vials are
likely your average dose.
Do they use their blood to power their blasters?
If so, are they losing a lot of blood in fights?
Ratchet mentions that energon powers their
ammunition, and we see that their technology
runs on energon too.
“Ap, ap, ap! This iteration of the formula
requires further trial, before we can even
think of using it for fuel, ammunition, or
first aid.”
Their energon is powering their guns, but
it doesn’t mean they are firing blood at
each other! They are basically burning calories
is all. That heats up their blasters to fire-whatever
it is they are firing. Plasma? They aren’t
losing blood, just using energy. Constantly
firing would be quite tiring though.
BEAST QUESTIONS
Why do animalistic Cybertronian exist, and
why do many resemble Earth creatures?
This answer lies in the Covenant of Primus.
Onyx Prime had a relic called the Triptych Mask,
which let him see into the minds of
alien species across time and space. Onyx
Prime sacrificed himself, giving himself to
the Well of Allsparks because he wanted to
inspire diversity in the lifeforms it would
produce. His relic shot out a beam that scanned
through time and space, so it was able to
get those Earth creatures that did not yet
exist. All beast Cybertronians are the result
of him- the Cybertronian animals themselves,
and the intelligent lifeforms with animalistic
traits. This explains Minicons like Ravage,
all the crackpots of RID, teeth variety, claws,
and tails even on the car Cybertronians. Behavioural
patterns also are adopted from the animal
species, so I like to assume many of these
animal types are loony. That they happened
to have been locked together on the ship in
RID, a madhouse, not because they represent
your average Decepticon. Predacons are funny.
See, if they are based on alien creatures,
that means that somewhere, organic dragons
do exist! Maybe not on Earth, and maybe not
breathing fire-
But hey, alien dragons and griffins confirmed!
Can Cybertronians scan living creatures?
Not all Cybertronians can scan actually. Look
at Insecticons and Predacons, real beast formers
from the start who stay as they are. They
of course might have other abilities, such
as the Predacon ability to scan and track
blood. But your average Cybertronian can scan
living creatures! They can even scan each
other, as Hot Shot did with Heatwave in RBA.
More on that later. And also some weird shit
went down in Rescue Bots. They all became
dinosaurs, but scanning an animal affects
your behaviour. Optimus has a dino-form in
Aligned, but he probably refused to use it
in Prime in case he lost control and hurt
his teammates. Ultimately, most Cybertronians
can change into forms that help them survive
in other places. There are limitations, to
be discussed.
How can Airachnid control Insecticons? What
is her species?
Airachnid belongs to a race called Arachnicon,
and another named Dr. Cogwheel was mentioned
as an old colleague of Ratchet in the Covenant
of Primus. I suppose that Arachnicons are
intended to exist with and guide Insecticons.
Airachnid calls herself a queen, and that
could be their purpose considering that beast
bots are inspired by alien creatures. Arachnicons
could be intended to protect the hive, getting
into their minds by using a certain frequency,
to move them to safety.
“Optimus, no word yet from Bulkhead. But
I am detecting some rather curious subterranean frequencies...”
Airachnid is taking advantage of their biological
connection and making them attack whoever
she wants.
How was she able to keep control of the Insecticons
after being bitten?
Airachnid is the only one who was bitten but
not killed by CYLAS. She is now like CYLAS,
craving energon because she is burning it
up too fast. Alive, she retains her intelligence
and abilities.
What are Airachnid’s webs made of? How many
can she make?
The webs of an Arachnicon are sticky metal
mesh. Airachnid uses them as traps, but
Dr. Cogwheel used hers to close bleeding wounds.
She also carefully used her legs to help perform
surgeries, whereas Airachnid just stabs bots.
Is there a limit? Airachnid’s body is producing
the webs, much like other liquids and things
bots produce. She also produces burning venom
in her teeth and claws, blades that come out.
Heatwave in Rescue Bots says that he can synthesize
water, so he was also doing it on Cybertron
to put out fires. Airachnid may be consuming
something additional to get her webs, but
she would have a limit before needing the
time to synthesize more of them.
Do Cybertronian animals possibly have bipedal
forms?
There is a difference between the animals
on Cybertron and the intelligent lifeforms.
The animals are those such as turbofoxes,
razor snakes, and space slugs from the games,
who cannot transform. Predacons were assumed
to be a large animal species, not an intelligent
lifeform, because their protoform is actually
the beast form, and their alternate form is the bot form.
In the past, no one knew about
the T-cogs, but they still had them inside.
However, Predacons were talking to each other
in their own language. The same problem probably
occurred with Insecticons. They were never
Cybertronian animals, just animalistic Cybertronians.
So this is why Predaking had a T-cog, and
why everyone had assumed that he had not.
What Cybertronian species exist?
RID gives you a whole bunch of specific names
for the animalistic types. It is overwhelming
and sometimes lame, but some include Chompazoid
for these things, Corvicon for the crow bots,
Snaketicon for the long duders. Minicons are
a classification, but even within that we
have certain races like Cyclones, which turn
into balls. Your average Cybertronian is a
biped, with different types. There isn’t
a specific name given, but the fandom calls
the flightless ones “grounders”. I think
there could be a distinction made for the
tank-like ones too. Two-wheelers are mentioned,
some tiny bipeds with two wheels of course.
Now, Are Seekers a race? Seekers being the
term for the race is debatable. Being a Seeker
was an occupation, the elite fliers who act
as the aerial military soldiers on Cybertron.
Of course in a caste system, being forged
as a flier would usually mean you were going
to serve in the military. So the blending
of the idea could have happened, that they
saw bipedal fliers and automatically connected
them to the military. Yet Starscream did not
consider all flying vehicons as Seekers, just
the ones designated as more elite. So Seekers
are technically not a race, but since bipedal
fliers are their own thing, the term “Seeker”
can be slang for that. Now we have various
designs for Insect-like robots, so there could
be several species of them. Insecticons in
Prime are a species and all that they are
known as. Predacons come in many shapes and
are not all flight-capable, and some have
four limbs instead of six. There are also
some Cybertronians that do not have bipedal
forms, but they still turn into cars. I feel
like it is appropriate to call them quadrupeds,
a rarer variety. What do you think?
I really want to designate another video to
the breakdown of races and what instincts
they may have.
So here I was thinking I could fit all these
questions into two videos, but it just isn’t
going to happen. Now, I predict that you are
going to get four videos to answer your questions,
so please have patience because I will get
to them. The script and audio is already done,
so you won’t be able to submit more biology
questions. However, you can start planning
what to ask for plot and culture questions
in the future!
The next video will be on transformation-related questions.
“It is biology…”
