Tfp Wheeljack In Tfa - Tumblr Posts
TFP Wheeljack in TFA Masterlist
The Original Post:
Blame this one. ^^^
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Season 1 Ficlets:
Wheeljack’s Arrival:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680066296865603584/a-continuation-of-my-previous-post
Complicated:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680466636973768704/complicated
Scary Stories:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680123037828464640/tfp-wheeljack-in-tfa
Movie Rules:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680342560047284224/movie-rules
Easy:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680555118096187392/easy
Wheeljack Loved Dinosaurs:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680258497846394880/wheeljack-loved-dinosaurs
Caught:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680643129833029633/caught
Nightmare:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681629669480611841/nightmare
Listen: (check the reblogs for a bonus!)
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682915400620687360/listen
How We Protect Our Friends:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680740667889172480/how-we-protect-our-friends
Make or Break:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682983209316794369/make-or-break
Cold, Dark, & Quiet:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682382467852795904/cold-dark-quiet
Freeze:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681204565125775360/freeze
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Season 2 Ficlets:
Here to Cause Problems:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680840461287604224/here-to-cause-problems
Communication:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681461064412610560/communication
Thunder:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680892758492430336/thunder
Guardian:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682165796428988416/guardian
Choosing to Learn From Past Mistakes:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683378488598740992/choosing-to-learn-from-past-mistakes
Sleepless Nights:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683634257239900160/sleepless-nights
Different:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681289595642642432/different
With Friends Like These…:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683793652678590464/with-friends-like-these
Reckless:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683895862743695361/reckless
The Wrecker:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682448095584387072/the-wrecker
Wrecker Behavior:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683096713505964032/wrecker-behavior
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Season 3 Ficlets:
Priorities:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683162386404868096/priorities
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Season 4 Ficlets:
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After Season 4 Ficlets:
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Prime Meeting Animated Ficlets:
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The Asks/Interactions:
wolfkid22 Ask Response 1:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680174203006337024/listen-normally-id-be-more-socially-reclusive-i
kittydemon9000 Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680885861825511424/okay-so-two-things-1-i-would-like-to-offer-you
scatterbrainedgremlin Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680907330393636864/i-recently-found-your-tfpwheeljack-in-tfw
Wheeljack & the Human Villains + Meltdown & the Dinobots
wolfkid22 Ask Response 2:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681344689702666240/this-i-feel-that-this-also-represents-what-i-was
letslipthehounds Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681355668920385536/i-love-your-wheeljack-in-tfa-stories-i-think
azula-nyx Ask Response 1:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681657542338904064/i-wanted-to-say-that-i-absolutely-loved-the-tfp
Bumblebee & Wasp
hornets-posts Ask Response 1:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682077861519163392/i-may-be-getting-ahead-of-myself-but-i-would-like
Team Prime Notices the Difference
rewindedart Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682258915552116736/i-love-the-way-this-is-written-how-the-scenarios
The Changes
miniconsinatrenchcoat’s Meme:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682377941768863744
undertaley Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682389495133388800/so-uh-how-many-years-was-wheeljack-in-the-tfa
The Timeline
noviablast Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682424385158643712/bro-bro-i-am-screaming-from-wheeljack-getting
onestupidman-4 Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682449071112437760/perd%C3%B3n-por-la-mala-ortograf%C3%ADa-pero-me-encanta
Sari Going to School
purrplespacecats Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682557580959236097/my-dude-i-just-got-back-into-tfp-after-having-it
hornets-posts Ask Response 2:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682559461598117888/okey-soy-yo-de-nuevo-my-stomach-hurts-from-your
The Dinobots on TFP Cybertron
phoenix-inanis Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682600601680494592/catch-me-realizing-through-your-stories-that-i
Wheeljack as an Emotional-Support Character
orangeismylemon Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682632339123224576/hey-just-wanted-to-say-that-your-tfp-x-tfa
The Police Chief & the Wrecker
she-toadmask Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682657146099384320/i-read-your-first-crossover-post-a-while-back-and
arrias-the-enigmatical Ask Response 1:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682992739812622336/your-tfp-wheeljack-in-tfa-au-light-of-my-life
Blurr
arrias-the-enigmatical Ask Response 2:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682995348490354688/im-having-many-thoughts-about-tfp-wheeljack-in
The Jettwins
azula-nyx Ask Response 2:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682997689430982656/just-let-jackie-adopt-everyone-he-is-the-living
Omega Supreme & the Bruce Wayne Effect
catcake24 Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683107326762319872/i-gotta-know-for-the-tfp-wheeljack-in-tfa-is
nikeofmars Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683109661052977154/gotta-say-i-absolutely-love-your-writing-for-the
The Rescue Bots
arrias-the-enigmatical Ask Response 3:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683261738505863168/oh-oh-oh-jackies-going-to-be-absolutely-pissed
Let This Poor ‘Bot Rest (No)
the-named-anon Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683264107350261760/your-story-makes-me-so-angry-but-in-a-good-way
osmiumtrash Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683522934207315968/i-hope-you-know-that-your-whole-series-has-made-me
Conflict
midnightchronicles87 Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683808131716907008/wheeljack-lockdown-cowboy-battle-commences
Battle of the Cowboys!
roseofmyeye Ask Response:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683910947933405184/have-you-ever-thought-of-posting-your-wheeljack
Why I’m on Tumblr
azula-nyx Ask Response 3:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683966862383513600/have-i-told-you-that-i-love-you-and-your-content
Sentinel & Ultra Magnus
scatterbrainedgremlin Ask Response 2:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683968026908999680/hi-hi-hi-hi-again-i-just-want-to-say-i-still
Scraplets
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The Memes:
Some Nonsense:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680646120218771456/some-nonsense-from-my-cursed-transformers-series
More Nonsense:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682539740245934080/more-nonsense-from-my-cursed-transformers-series
What kind of memes would detroit citizens about each tfp bot? How would the tfp's crew react to the Wheeljack memes?
Hey! :)
I am not gonna be good at this. That’s my one warning, here and now.
My sense of humor is niche. My confidence in that sense of humor is slim.
But we’re gonna give this a go. 😂
…
Optimus
They’re making video compilations of this poor boy struggling with “Bad Day” playing in the background.
He’s dealing with his teammates: the younger ones like Bumblebee and Bulkhead and then the older ones like Prowl, Wheeljack, and Ratchet. Then, Sari joins in—and then, he’s protecting Earth.
‘Bot is tired and stressed, but also sweet and awkward, but also a badass with a lot of pent-up frustration and unhinged energy.
Plus, they kinda work out that he’s a little traumatized, so…
He becomes a comfort figure for gifted kids with burnout and older siblings.
He’s used in a lot of reaction images.
There’s also the “Autobot Challenge” where audio of him saying transform and roll out plays, followed by a clip or picture of some ridiculous mode of transportation moving across a space—like a shopping-cart with cardboard wings going down a hill.
Captain Fanzone is tired of getting calls about the aftermath of this challenge.
…
Ratchet
The team’s biggest meme. Every quote or facial expression that gets recorded gets blown up on the internet.
Vines/Tik Toks. He’s a sound. Many sounds.
People think he’s the biggest mood.
There are t-shirts.
He just wants to be left alone to nap or do his job, but people are taking pictures.
The only time he’s ever engaged willingly in this nonsense was when a little girl walked up with a stuffed toy her parents made for her and he was a sucker, alright?
He’s just this grouchy old man with so much snark and sarcasm, and an endless supply of dry remarks. He doesn’t hold back.
He’s also regarded as the one who is Secretly The One in Charge because he’s constantly chasing after these kids and trying to keep them all alive. It’s not easy.
“Grampa Ratch”/“Old Man Ratchet”.
There are also memes made about him being a medical professional. They’re really popular among hospital staff working long shifts—especially drivers and nurses.
There’s an ongoing trend online in which some people talk about rushing to emergencies or being rushed to a hospital when their ambulance starts complaining about the traffic. Some are jokes.
Once Arcee’s in the picture, people think that it’s hilarious that their dynamic is “grouchy but sweet old doctor and mechanic man” and “sweet but intense old teacher and secrets lady with swords”. They’re definitely going to be put in that “somebody will die”/“of fun” template for a good long while.
…
Bulkhead
Bulkhead worries that all of Detroit sees him as big and destructive, and he wants to show them his sensitive side.
That’s one of the reasons why he becomes an artist, to express himself.
But he quickly earns the reputation as the Nice One as well as the shy but well-meaning and more responsible friend, especially in situations where Bumblebee and Sari are involved. He’s clumsy and a bit larger than life, but the people of Detroit can tell that he’s really just a big sweetheart.
There are knit plushies of him being made online. He’s a teddy bear.
Most of his memes deal with him having to be the one chasing after the others, with others being about certain missteps that ended with no serious harm done.
“Sorry, My Bad” goes EVERYWHERE. It’s on T-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs-
Additionally, some of his art pieces become memes—and a picture of him painting a billboard while Captain Fanzone yells at him gets made into a template.
…
Bumblebee
They bully this poor boy, mostly because he kinda makes it easy.
Mention his size? Bumblebee is immediately on the defensive. Lots of edits of him yelling next to tiny, angry dogs.
Also, it’s a common thing in Detroit to blame him for any traffic mishaps.
Road closed? Bumblebee.
Traffic jam? Bumblebee.
Potholes? Those are his fault, too.
“Road Work Ahead? Uh, yeah—I sure hope it does.” That’s Bumblebee’s Vine, now.
Any swift-moving object caught only as a blurry shape on camera is automatically labeled Bumblebee (after Blurr shows up, he gets this treatment as well).
Reckless decisions made in haste are referred to as “Bumblebee moments”.
People are taking pictures of actual bumblebees and saying “saw an Autobot in the park today”, and there are T-Shirts with his face and “save the Bee”. 🐝
Seeing all of these shirts makes the confused mayor promise to do everything in his power to save the bees as part of a campaign. The public finds it absolutely hilarious, and decide not to correct him because -yeah- save them.
Non-Detroit citizens think that The Bumblebee Bee Preserve has a weird name. The citizens know better-
…
Prowl
I’ve talked about this before, but it’s an ongoing internet trend: making a game to try and get pictures of Prowl—since he’s the sneakiest, and the most camera-shy.
It’s like “Where’s Waldo?”
Once there are some good pictures taken, people make edits of him lurking in the background of global events or movie scenes.
“Hey, Guess What You Didn’t Notice?”.
Environmental protestors make a convincing argument with “you’re not being the people Prowl believes you could be”.
And yeah, because I’ve seen it happen—the people of Detroit wait about a day after Endgame out of respect before they make memes about Prowl fucking dying.
If they ever learn he’s a Force Ghost, they will know no mercy. It’ll get worse. 😂
But they rename a park after him.
They don’t put a statue up, though. That would make the game too easy, and… he’d want the space to go to something living.
…
Wheeljack
It’s mostly one of these two energies, not gonna lie—at least, at first.
He’s either the Silly Cowboy Man with the swords and explosions or the cryptid among cryptids with no in-between.
There are compilations of his reckless behavior. Bonus points if you catch another Autobot or Sari looking exasperated.
“Wheeljack, no” becomes the automatic response to the ground shaking or visible explosions. It’s Pavlovian.
Then, as I’ve mentioned before, there are forums dedicated to Wheeljack just being The Weird One among the Autobots.
As Wheeljack starts accidentally earning “dad status”, things change.
It’s suddenly fun to compare him to a very stressed-out single (super-hero) parent trying to wrangle reckless (super-hero) children.
There are compilations of him having to make split-second saves in everyday situations (like holding an arm out to keep someone from walking across train tracks), getting protective over his kids, and just looking tired and stressed as he has to deal.
“Oh, scrap.”
“Blasters and fuel pumps don’t mix”, and other gems of wisdom.
However, he’s still unhinged—so there are also compilations about his embarrassed kids, and his own father-figure Ratchet having to deal with his nonsense.
After Optimus becomes “Space King” or whatever, the Detroit citizens don’t know, they realize that Wheeljack gets to be even more unhinged while protecting his kids and they often make compilations with this audio-
They love their Unhinged Silly Cowboy Man Dad, who is also a giant robot-ninja-scientist from the space of an alternate universe.
Honestly, what can’t they meme?
…
The Team
I’m not sure about how many people still remember the “Truck Freak, Crazy Ass, друг, The Fighter” meme—but it fits them too well. Optimus is the “Truck Freak” and Wheeljack is the “друг” because of his cryptid status. The other two are up to your discretion. 😂
Some local artists have definitely drawn Wheeljack holding a bundle of baby leashes while the younger members of the team run wild. The S-tier artists then have Ratchet holding one for Wheeljack.
“He’s a 10, but…” with increasingly bizarre and niche fill-in-the-blanks. Like, it started with “he’s a giant alien robot” but now it’s gotten really personal.
Also, they take pictures of really beaten-up vehicles that look like their vehicle modes and write something like “well, shit—looks like the ‘bots had a rough day”.
…
The ‘Cons
Honestly, it’s mostly “caught on camera” nonsense.
Lugnut and Blitzwing trying to Achieve Things with comedic music in the background.
Megatron stealing or making back-alley deals for the supplies he requires for his own “private blend” of oil.
Starscream’s Greatest Fuck-Ups. There are dozens of volumes.
Soundwave Challenge. When a certain (non-brainwashing) song comes out, drop everything and act like a zombie. The whole city got traumatized, this is how they cope.
Taking pictures of random spiders with some sort of overblown weapons or scheme to trap them, labeled with “gotta take care of this one for Prime”.
…
The Elite Guard
Sentinel has many compilations dedicated to him. They’re mostly regarding him being an asshole, a germaphobe, and scared of organic life-forms.
Also, people keep photoshopping large objects over his chin “for reference”.
TFA’s Ultra Magnus is getting a lot of memes related to him being a bad parent or harsh commander. He gets compared to the dad who went out for milk or cigarettes and never came back, or the relative your parents tell you that you have to respect even when they make rude comments.
When TFP Ultra Magnus shows up, it spawns a lot of “Ultra Magnus”/“The Cooler Ultra Magnus” and “You”/“The Guy They Tell You Not to Worry About” memes.
Everyone’s really just cool with Jazz??? Like, he’s such a nice and laidback guy, they don’t have anything to make fun of.
They mostly use him as an “embarrassed friend” or “embarrassed employee” reaction image, as well as that one guy who’s calm when there’s drama or a crisis.
The Jettwins are basically treated the way the internet treats Shaggy from Scooby Doo. They are gods. They could rule the universe if they so decided. All is as they have planned.
…
Cybertronians in General
The “Only in Detroit” meme is a city-wide inside joke.
Whenever something wacky but relatively harmless goes wrong in Detroit, they like to say stuff like “damn alien robots, at it again”.
They like to make fun of how the Autobots, while doing their best, sometimes make problems—so, one of the more common sayings in these time are “thanks, Autobots”. Or, they make it personal by singling one out and calling them by name.
“Days Since the City Was Last Destroyed in an Intergalactic War: 17 0”
The “Captain Fanzone Hates Machines” Drinking Game.
The Self-Sacrifice Drinking Game.
Honestly, there are a lot of drinking games.
Wreck-Gar goes to a music parlor on Fridays and sings his own little made-up parodies. Millions of hits on YouTube.
The Blurr Challenge requires you to recite the entire beginning of the Bee Movie script in under five seconds.
Drones capture aerial footage of Scrapper taking care of the Dinobots. Whenever he sees them, he starts giving lectures on proper Dinobot care until Swoop eats the drone.
They photoshop Omega Supreme into the cityscape or into the sky, sometimes in the dark or during a storm, with short but ominous messages. There’s just a little bit of trauma there, not gonna lie-
…
…
…
Sari looks up from her phone, slowly raising an eyebrow, then she shakes her head.
“Okay, I am never looking you guys up on the internet again.”
“Hm?” Optimus glances at her, surprised. “Why? Are humans upset with us again?”
“Nope, they love you,” Sari assures him. “But they’re weird.” She holds up her phone. “Just look at the Wheeljack stuff alone.”
Optimus blinks, his optics scanning the images, then he snorts. “Oh, yeah—he would absolutely hate that if he saw it.” He slowly grins. “Hey, he patched you into the comms—right?”
“Yeah..?”
…
Wheeljack doesn’t know why everyone’s laughing.
He’s taken a break from work and left his room, and they’re all laughing about something.
Optimus, Jazz, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Sari—they all seem way too amused, and even Ratchet is glancing at the monitor with a grin.
They notice him, and it’s suddenly straight faces—and Ratchet shuts the monitor down.
“… Subtle,” Wheeljack tells them dryly, crossing his arms and raising an optic-brow.
Bumblebee snickers. “Disappointed dad face.”
Wheeljack blinks. “What?”
Bumblebee makes his face blank. “What.”
“… Uh-huh.” Wheeljack deadpans, then he walks over to Ratchet’s monitor and turns it on. He blinks again, his eyebrows raising, then he rolls his optics. “Haha, very funny.” He then moves the cursor. “But okay, we’re pickin’ targets? Fine by me. Now, what happens if I click on Prime?”
Wheeljack and Ratchet’s jaws drop, then Wheeljack wheezes and rests his servo on the keyboard as Ratchet bursts out laughing.
“What?” Optimus’s optics widen. “What is it?”
“Oh, that’s too good!” Wheeljack insists as Ratchet howls, then he smiles deviously at the screen. “Okay, Bee next! Bee next!”
Bumblebee shrieks. “No, no!”
By the end of the night, everyone is both amused and thoroughly embarrassed by what the people of Detroit have to say about them.
Still, it’s nice to know it’s not all bad.
Absolutly loving your series and ficlets. Characterizations are spot on and have so many ups and downs, good times and bad, its amazing.
This might be outta left field, what if the groundbridge in 'The Turning of The Tide' actually opened up to tfp and one or more bots came over? Or Opened up to the realm TFP Optimus is being held and he manages to get a few punches( physical, verbal...or both) in before being dragged back?
I just want instant carma at tfa megs to get hit and hopefully take mental damage from how big autobots can be in that universe after what he did to wheeljack. ;_;
Hey! :)
I hear you. I see what you’re saying.
But I find the idea of TFP Optimus spawning out of the afterlife and getting sucked into another universe just long enough to realize that-
He’s in another universe.
His Wheeljack’s in that other universe.
The Megatron from that other universe has hurt his Wheeljack in many ways.
He needs to hurt this other Megatron.
before just getting sucked back into the portal and, because Primus has realized “oh, shit—that wasn’t supposed to happen” or maybe Vector just grabbed him, being spat back out in TFP to go through his post-resurrection reunion with the rest of Team Prime while trapped in a state of utter bewilderment mixed with panic because he knows where his lost wayward son is…
to be completely and utterly hilarious.
As a concept, at least. You know who I am.
Like, I’m sorry TFP Optimus—but I’m giving you your retirement, so we’re doing this one.
Now-
Imagine that you are TFP’s Optimus Prime.
At some point, you were some… feral wilderness child. Then, you were an archivist. You joined a social movement to better life on your planet for everyone. The government told you that you were a demigod after you gave an improv speech. Your gladiator best friend became the main antagonist because he was A) horribly traumatized and B) didn’t get to be the demigod, and he murdered a few people and started a civil war. Your creator confirmed that you were a demigod, so you end up leading the other army in the civil war.
This goes on for eons. Your planet dies. You find a new planet to keep fighting on. There’s some found family stuff along the way. You become a parent, and you’re constantly self-sacrificing but nothing seems to stick. Your kids make you wish that your Prime powers let you get drunk, but you love them and no one can hurt them ever.
One day, one of your kids kills your gladiator best friend after being killed but luckily falling into magic goo your doctor friend made—and the magic goo brings your creator and your planet back to life. But now, you gotta go get the glowy thing that makes babies—so you grab your rebel son, but SATAN HIMSELF attacks while you’re away (and not for the first time). So, you rush back and you see your kids getting their asses handed to them—so you put the glowy-thing in your chest so that you can trap Satan in the lava lamp and save the day. Oh, and you’re dying now.
You say your goodbyes, then you fly into the spark of your creator—bringing life back to your world, and finally finding your eternal peace…
Congratulations.
You’re TFP Optimus Prime.
And ding-dong, he was wrong!
Peace? Ha!
No, you’re the main character!
There’s no peace!
Your dad, Robot George Takei (not the Cyber-Ninja, the cryptic Master Archivist—get your facts straight), convinces your creator that you deserve a chance to find peace in life—or something like that. The point is, fucker: you’re going back.
But apparently, not right away?
Something goes wrong.
And suddenly, TFP Optimus—alive and well, back in his original shape—tumbles out of a sphere of glowing light. Years of experience let him land on his feet, then he looks up in bewilderment.
The room he is in- No, a mine. It shakes, and there’s the sound of blaster-fire outside.
There’s a Decepticon in front of him, gray with red decals and a purple insignia at the center of his chest. There’s a large cannon on his arm, and there are a pair of swords on his back.
He’s holding a young, small, and wide-opticed Autobot in his servo like it is nothing.
The Decepticon looks startled, then his optics narrow as he braces himself. “Hm. Rather large model… If you think that you will be able to foil my plans alone, Autobot, you are mistaken.”
:Lord Megatron, that Autobot did not come from here on Cybertron!: A mech on a scene shouts. Megatron? :I don’t know where he came from! The whole system, it’s gone haywire!:
“What?!” The Decepticon asks, then his optics go wide as the bridge shuts down. He turns a glare on TFP Optimus. “What have you done?!”
The Prime blinks, then his optics narrow as he gathers his bearings. His battle-mask activates, followed by one of his cannons.
“I am as uncertain as to how I arrived here as you are,” he says coldly. “But I must ask that you release that Autobot, Megatron.”
He can see the resemblance.
His spark is pounding, but the details can be dealt with later. The young mech is in danger.
“And who are you to give me orders, Autobot?” This small Megatron asks him curtly.
TFP Optimus aims his cannon. “My name is Optimus Prime.”
Silence seems to fall across that trembling cave.
Even the peculiar portal behind him quiets.
In that pocket of confusion, TFP Optimus sees the young mech in Megatron’s hold look up at him in disbelief. His color-scheme is primarily red and blue… TFP Optimus’s optics widen.
Impossible…
“Unexpected,” Megatron says, perplexed. “Yet another alternate, falling into our world.”
“Another?” TFP Optimus asks him.
Megatron keeps his optics on the Prime, giving nothing away. But the little Optimus?
He stares at TFP Optimus, then his optics move—and the elder Prime follows his gaze.
There’s shattered pieces of scorched white armor on the ground. One of the larger pieces has been pierced by a sword, and he knows it.
TFP Optimus’s optics widen again.
“You know him,” Megatron murmurs, watching the Prime closely. “The same reality, then—once again colliding with ours. Fascinating.”
TFP Optimus doesn’t care.
He’s found Wheeljack.
The Wrecker has just landed on his feet, having taken down two Decepticons. He’s rushing to free several young Autobots, his servos shaking as he works—and he smiles at one who managed to free himself, clapping his shoulder.
Then, he turns his head—and his optics widen when they meet TFP Optimus’s.
The Wrecker still has the broken remains of some form of restraint on his wrists, and his second sword is imbedded in the wall over his head. It’s so high that, if… he had been hanging from it… his feet would not have touched the ground. There are scratches on his chest, and his entire right shoulder has been blasted away.
He stares at TFP Optimus, and the young ‘bots look at him in confusion before looking back at the Prime. They’re confused, and they’re looking to the Wrecker for an explanation.
They know him.
How long has Wheeljack been here?
… Details can be dealt with later. The Wrecker is shaken and hurt, and there is a culprit.
When TFP Optimus looks back at that small Megatron, negotiations have expired along with his patience. There’s no reason here.
“Wheeljack, I require context.”
“… Cybertron’s alive,” Wheeljack says. “Megatron is plannin’ to bridge there and take it over from the inside. He’s got this bridge, and he’s gonna use Optimus Prime to test it before he leads the charge in a full-scale ‘Con invasion.”
It’s a lot to take in, but TFP Optimus nods. “I understand. And your injuries?” The Wrecker tenses. “… Your injuries, Wheeljack?”
“… Megatron,” Optimus’s younger counterpart says, his optics narrowed. “And it’s a lot worse than it looks. Whatever you do, he’s earned it.”
Despite the harsh venom in the young mech’s voice, TFP Optimus finds himself agreeing.
Megatron looks down at the young Prime with a glare, only to howl in pain as a blast hits his elbow and he’s forced to drop the small Autobot.
The young Prime scrambles to his feet, and TFP Optimus moves to stand by him protectively as Megatron steps back—his cannon-arm hanging by wires due to the amount of damage done.
“Okay, unexpected,” the young Optimus admits, then he looks up at TFP Optimus. “Whoa.”
The young mech reminds TFP Optimus of himself before the war and the Matrix of Leadership: he’s inexperienced and learning, and unsure.
The elder Prime considers this and deactivates his battle-mask, showing the smaller mech the worried frown on his face. “Are you alright?”
“Huh?” The young mech blinks, then he nods shakily. “Yes, I-” He grows serious. “We need to shut this bridge down, rescue Professor Sumdac, and get outside to help Omega Supreme. Ratchet and Sari are with him.” He cringes. “Uh, Professor Sumdac and Sari are humans. Megatron’s had the professor as his hostage for over a year.” He frowns. “Sorry, sir. There’s a lot to explain.”
“It is alright,” the elder Prime assures him. “And there is no need for formality.” He gives a small smile. “It is good to meet you, Optimus Prime.” He then raises his cannon again as the young Megatron steps towards him, his expression once again cold as he turns a glare on the enemy. “I will ask you just once to surrender, Megatron, and call off your forces. Comply, or I will destroy you.”
“Is this what your reality does?” The warlord wonders, clearly attempting to stall. “Turn its inhabitants into weapons?”
“I am merely what you made me, in another life,” the elder Prime states simply. “You started the war. It was my duty to end it.”
Megatron’s face drops.
Good.
Then, something outside makes the base shake—and TFP Optimus moves to shield the younger Prime beside him as rocks fall from the ceiling.
When they both look up, Megatron has… what looks like a still-living severed head… and he crams it into some kind of power core.
The strange space-bridge reactivates, glowing brightly as a sphere of blue energy pulses between two spires—and there’s this great force that begins trying to pull everything in.
There’s shouting.
The space-bridge is overloading.
And Megatron turns his glare on the two Primes.
TFP Optimus aims his cannon again, making the warlord halt in his tracks. That’s when the young Optimus moves, slapping a pair of strange cuffs onto the warlord’s one good wrist—and Megatron screams when the current picks up and he’s sent toppling into the haywire space-bridge.
“Where did that send him?!” TFP Optimus asks.
His younger alternate glances at him and shrugs. “As long as it’s not Cybertron, I really don’t care!”
He then gasps and quickly grabs onto the larger Prime’s arm as the current grows—and TFP Optimus swaps his cannon for a blade that he stabs into the ground, holding them steady.
The rest of the young Autobots are clinging to whatever they can, but Wheeljack suddenly slides across the mine and stabs one sword into the stone so that he can reach over and guide the younger Optimus into grabbing onto it.
“Gotcha,” he tells the young mech as he stabs another sword into the rock for himself, keeping his servo on the smaller Autobot’s back, then he looks at TFP Optimus. “Prime.”
“Wheeljack.” The larger mech nods in greeting. “How did we arrive here?”
“Me? Long story,” the Wrecker admits. “You? No idea.” He glances up at the space-bridge. “But based on what Bulkhead- err, this Bulkhead had to say… we won’t be here much longer.” He looks at Optimus with a grim expression. “That thing could suck the whole state in. Frag, it will… I’m sorry, but we’re not goin’ home.” He cringes. “Well, to our homes. Uh, see- Prime, the thing is, I-… I just know you can’t be-”
“Alive?” TFP Optimus fills in the blank.
Wheeljack blinks. “… It’s you, isn’t it?” And he smiles. “Heh. I’ll be damned.”
“Not yet,” TFP Optimus insists, then he lets his face soften. “It is good to see you as well, my friend. Now, we need to shut down that space-bridge and get all of you out of here.”
“Hm.” Wheeljack glances towards the bridge. “I gotta say, I’ve got one stupid idea.”
“What is it?” The younger Optimus asks.
Wheeljack looks at him. “… The same thing I did just before I ended-up here.” He grips the sword in his servo and and takes a deep vent. “My right arm’s no good at the moment, but… if I let go and let the current carry me past the power-core, I can get close enough destroy it.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” The young Optimus shakes his head. “No. What if it blows up? Or what if you fall into the portal? You could be killed!”
Wheeljack looks at him, frustrated. “If I don’t, everyone here dies! It’s your best shot!”
TFP Optimus can see the fear in the Wrecker’s optics, but also his conviction. It’s not even a question for him of whether he should do this.
The current grows stronger, and Wheeljack grimaces before shakily resting his servo on his chest. His wounded arm must be in agony.
“I just gotta hand-off the prof first,” he admits, then he looks at the young Optimus. “You get him home to Sari, you understand? You do that.”
TFP’s Optimus can see the terror in his younger alternate’s face as he stares at the Wrecker. It’s genuine and pained, and it’s not just the look of someone who is about to lose a new teammate.
The elder Optimus doesn’t know how long Wheeljack has been in this place, but he’s more than just a helping hand—he’s a friend, family.
And he is that to TFP Optimus as well.
But… he has changed, somehow.
This is not the mech who recklessly brought Bulkhead and Miko into danger… is it?
“Prime, get them out of here,” Wheeljack insists, looking at the elder Optimus with a frown. “They will get you home. Just-… Just take care of ‘em, alright? And when you see the team, you tell them I was comin’ back. I always come back.”
Wheeljack goes to open his chest compartment, but TFP Optimus grabs his wrist to stop him.
He can’t let this happen.
At that moment, the younger Optimus grabs his axe and lets go of Wheeljack’s second sword.
The reaction is instant, as Wheeljack reaches over to grab the young mech before he can be pulled towards the portal. His optics are wide, his face filled with a frantic expression that TFP Optimus has not seen on anyone in a very, very long time.
With his injured arm, he’s clinging to that young mech—keeping him out of the swirling void.
The elder Optimus understands, now.
“Wheeljack, I’m the leader!” The young Optimus shouts, his optics narrowed. “This is my job!”
“Not a chance!” Wheeljack snaps, trying to cover his fear with frustration as he pulls the young mech back towards him. “You’re just a kid!”
TFP Optimus blinks, then his optics narrow.
As soon as Wheeljack has pulled the younger mech close to the blade he’s stabbed into the stone, TFP Optimus retracts his own blade.
He starts falling, but then someone grabs his servo and he looks up with wide optics.
Wheeljack has his bad arm tucked around his sword, thankfully the non-sharpened side. That servo is still holding onto the young Prime.
His good servo holds onto TFP Optimus’s, and the Wrecker grits his dentas—his expression pained. Somehow, he’s holding them both.
Wheeljack was always fast.
Slower than Bumblebee as a vehicle, but second in speed only only to Arcee in biped-mode.
And he was loyal to a fault.
“Agh!” The Wrecker cries out as the pull increases and the dull edge of his blade sinks into his arm.
He’ll lose it, and then they’ll all fall in.
“Wheeljack!” The young Optimus shouts, growing worried. There’s nothing he can do—Wheeljack is holding him by the wrist of the arm he’s using to hold his axe, and the pull is too much. “Your arm!”
“Mmph.” Wheeljack opens his optics and looks at the young mech with a weak grin. “So stubborn, y’know that? You should’ve just let me handle it.” He frowns. “It’s not like it’ll hurt long. I mean, I can’t even reach my Allspark from here anyway.”
The young Prime’s optics widen, then he frowns. “That’s why it should’ve been me.”
“It was never gonna be you,” Wheeljack insists, then he takes a deep vent. “Oh, frag.” He closes his optics and grimaces again as his own blade sinks even further into his battered armor. “Okay, we-… We just gotta think, now…”
All around the room, there are young Autobots struggling to hold on: a little yellow and black mech that must be Bumblebee, a large green mech who must be Bulkhead, and a small black and gold mech TFP Optimus can’t name.
In his storage compartment, Wheeljack carries a human—Professor Sumdac, who seems to be family to this ‘Sari’. With a wounded arm, the Wrecker holds onto a young mech—the leader of a team, one that still needs his guidance.
But strangely enough, even if all of those other factors were not in place, TFP Optimus knows he would make the exact same decision.
He would make it for any member of his family.
He’ll make it now for this battered and frightened Wrecker he used to scold for his recklessness, the one who risks losing his arm to hold onto one who looks to him in fear like Wheeljack is a caregiver.
It’s not even a question.
“… Wheeljack,” the elder Prime speaks up. “You cannot hold us both, and time is short. This space-bridge needs to be shut down, or—as you said yourself—we will all die.”
“He’s right,” the younger agrees. “You’re holding me with your injured arm. Let-”
“Not happenin’!” Wheeljack tells him, then he takes a deep vent. “Just let me think.” He shakes his head. “I can figure this out.”
“… No need.” TFP Optimus puts on a grim smile. “It is not your decision.”
His wrist creaks.
He’s giving Wheeljack a warning before it shifts.
The Wrecker blinks, then his optics narrow. “No. No, no way.” He looks down, then he looks at the elder Optimus again with a glare. “I’m not gonna be responsible for you dyin’ again.”
His grip on TFP Optimus tightens.
Energon starts to drip down his blade.
“Wheeljack.” TFP Optimus’s face falls. He sees his younger self’s face drop. “… You were never to blame for what happened to me.” He shakes his head. “I asked you for help, and you helped me—to retrieve the Allspark, and to protect it. For that, Unicron attacked you. You could have been killed, that day.” He frowns. “And I made my choice, for Cybertron’s future—for my family’s future. That is the choice I will always make.” He glances at the power-core, then he looks back at his friend. “… Protect your family, Wheeljack—all of it.”
“What do you think I’m tryna do?” The Wrecker demands. TFP Optimus just looks at him sadly, then he slides his battle-mask into place before he shifts his servo into a cannon—forcing his friend to lose his grip. “Optimus!”
Wheeljack’s optics are wide when TFP Optimus looks away, taking aim with his cannon as he falls.
Blast!
The power-core ruptures, turning the world white, and that’s the last thing the elder Prime knows.
…
“Optimus?” Someone’s shouting. “Optimus!”
TFP Optimus’s optics snap open, and he sits up—his whole frame shaking against his will as he surveys his surroundings.
They’re familiar.
He’s lying on the ground outside of the Well of Allsparks, and… he’s surrounded by familiar faces, all of them staring at him.
It’s his family.
They’re all there, except for the humans and-
“Wheeljack,” Optimus manages. “He-”
Ratchet’s face drops. “Is he in the Well?”
Optimus blinks. “What?”
“… We lost him, Optimus,” Ratchet says softly, looking away as everyone’s astonished faces turn grim. “.There was an accident, in the lab… We don’t know if he’s dead or just lost, but he’s been over a year—and… we’ve had no luck.” He closes his optics as his fists clench at his sides, his shoulders raising before sagging again as he sighs quietly. “He might just be gone.”
“He is not gone,” Optimus says, in utter surety.
Ultra Magnus steps forward, his optics wide. “He isn’t? How do you know?”
“I saw him.”
Smokescreen cringes. “Then, isn’t it-?”
“Wheeljack is alive,” Optimus insisted. “But he is stranded, in another reality.”
“… Ratchet? Knockout?” Bulkhead cringes as he looks at the two medics. “I think Prime that might need his processor examined.“ He blinks as he watches Optimus raise his arm to examine it. “Uh, Prime? You doin’ alright?”
Optimus’s face falls as he stares at the dents in his arm—fingerprints, reminiscent of a desperate hold from a friend he left behind.
If Wheeljack had let go, perhaps he would be home—but then, it would be Optimus who was left stranded. And… if Wheeljack knew that he would be sent home… Optimus finds himself doubting that he would have let go.
He has something to protect.
Dying is one thing.
Abandonment is another.
“… He was hurt,” Optimus whispers as he gazes at the marks, and the others seem to notice.
“Hurt?” Bulkhead blinks. “What do you mean?”
“… He was fighting Megatron, and he lost. And the space-bridge, it-…” Optimus shakes his head. “I do not know if they made it out.”
That’s the truth of it.
He did what he could, but… Wheeljack and those young mechs, they may all be dead.
“They?” Knockout frowns. “Who’s they?”
“Us,” Optimus says.
Bumblebee frowns. “What?”
“Us. Some of us, at least.” Optimus looks up at his family. “… Wheeljack has been taken-in by us, in another life… or perhaps he took them in. I cannot be certain.” He looks back at the marks on his arm. “But he was hurt, and they were all in danger… They were young.”
“Young?” Bumblebee asks.
“… Very young.” Optimus’s face falls. “Relatively sparklings, even my alternate self… and he was watching over them.”
“Doesn’t sound like Wheeljack,” Arcee argues. “Assuming this is real and not some weird dream, how can you be sure it was our Wheeljack? I mean, if the multiverse exists-”
“It was him,” Optimus presses. “And… he had a message.” He looks at his family. “… He told me that he is coming back. He always comes back.”
“… Bulkhead said that about him all the time,” Arcee tries, playing the devil’s advocate. “It could still have just been a dream.”
“He also mentioned how he got there,” Optimus argues, and they look at him. “… He let go, and let himself fall… to shut down a space-bridge.”
That gets a reaction.
“By the Allspark,” Knockout whispers.
Ratchet’s optics are wide. “An alternate reality. How are we going to get him back?!”
“… We don’t have to,” Ultra Magnus says quietly, and everyone looks at the commander as he smiles. “He said it himself… He’s coming home.” He offers Optimus a servo, and he pulls the other mech to his feet. “Primus himself would have to claim that mech’s spark. He’ll be back.”
Optimus smiles, then he frowns… and he recalls what the Wrecker had said, about the Allspark.
He hopes that his friend is wrong, or that he will never have to find out whether or not he’s right.
TFP Wheeljack in TFA Masterlist
The Original Post:
Blame this one. ^^^
—————
Early Ficlets:
Wheeljack’s Arrival:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680066296865603584/a-continuation-of-my-previous-post
Scary Stories:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680123037828464640/tfp-wheeljack-in-tfa
Movie Rules:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680342560047284224/movie-rules
Wheeljack Loved Dinosaurs:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680258497846394880/wheeljack-loved-dinosaurs
—————
Season 1 Ficlets:
The Butterfly Effect:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/691888589706067968/the-butterfly-effect
Complicated:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680466636973768704/complicated
Trust:
https://at.tumblr.com/justawannabearchaeologist/trust/lshvroujdo3v
What Do You See?:
Easy:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680555118096187392/easy
Something Waiting:
Caught:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680643129833029633/caught
Nightmare:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681629669480611841/nightmare
Listen:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682915400620687360/listen
Check the Reblogs for the Shadowzone Horror Concept Drabble! :D
How We Protect Our Friends:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680740667889172480/how-we-protect-our-friends
Make or Break:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682983209316794369/make-or-break
Cold, Dark, & Quiet:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682382467852795904/cold-dark-quiet
Freeze:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681204565125775360/freeze
—————
Season 2 Ficlets:
Here to Cause Problems:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680840461287604224/here-to-cause-problems
Communication:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681461064412610560/communication
Thunder:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680892758492430336/thunder
Guardian:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682165796428988416/guardian
Choosing to Learn From Past Mistakes:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683378488598740992/choosing-to-learn-from-past-mistakes
Sleepless Nights:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683634257239900160/sleepless-nights
Different:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/681289595642642432/different
With Friends Like These…:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683793652678590464/with-friends-like-these
Reckless:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683895862743695361/reckless
Missing:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/684463151848308736/missing
The Wrecker:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682448095584387072/the-wrecker
Filling In the Gaps:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/687148919346659328/filling-in-the-gaps
Wrecker Behavior:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683096713505964032/wrecker-behavior
The Turning of the Tide (Pt. 1):
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/684895913691512832/the-turning-of-the-tide-pt-1
The Turning of the Tide (Pt. 2):
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/685074261954756608/the-turning-of-the-tide-pt-2
—————
Season 3 Ficlets:
Priorities:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/683162386404868096/priorities
Not Yet:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/685450312291696640/not-yet
“Okay”, “Alright”, “Fine”…:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/685643230278303744/okay-alright-fine
Accountable:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/684626452399931392/accountable
The Med-Bay:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/684368003413032960/the-med-bay
Ready or Not:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/686420829779738624/ready-or-not
Bridges:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/688971012192272384/bridges
Sting:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/689702269386702848/sting
Lessons Learned:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/690314963797032960/lessons-learned
Venom:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/691068362777837568/venom
Lonely Christmas (Human Error 1):
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/692696110286979072/lonely-christmas
Little Things (Human Error 2):
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/692958010520272896/little-things
The Greatest Gifts (Human Error 3):
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/693419216901193728/the-greatest-gifts
Fear:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/694864509287923712/fear
Face to Face:
https://at.tumblr.com/justawannabearchaeologist/face-to-face/x4zdqr5tdlsj
Before the Storm (Endgame 1):
https://at.tumblr.com/justawannabearchaeologist/before-the-storm/2schcutld4vk
Breaking Point (Endgame 2):
—————
Season 4 Ficlets:
-
—————
After Season 4 Ficlets:
-
—————
Prime Meeting Animated Ficlets:
-
—————
The Asks/Interactions:
I used to link these, but it unfortunately became too much for me as I ended-up answering several hundred Asks and linking every Art Piece or even meme made for my series. I eventually had to give up. Please, go to my page and select either #ask response, #movie night, or #art if you wish to find these posts. I have filedmore-specific posts under tags such as #ultrajack and #strongarm the ultrajack kid, as well as tagged posts with trigger warnings to the very best of my ability.
Thank you so much for your patience. :)
—————
The Memes:
Some Nonsense:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/680646120218771456/some-nonsense-from-my-cursed-transformers-series
More Nonsense:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/682539740245934080/more-nonsense-from-my-cursed-transformers-series
Additional Nonsense:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/684729053630038016/additional-nonsense-from-my-cursed-transformers
Even More Nonsense:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/689871627500011520/even-more-nonsense-from-my-cursed-transformers
The CURSED Playlist:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/690591916628262912/i-was-on-my-bullshit-again-i-threw-together-my
Further Nonsense:
https://justawannabearchaeologist.tumblr.com/post/693599429596479488/further-nonsense-from-my-cursed-transformers
I Can’t Believe It’s More Nonsense:
An Apology, in the Form of Nonsense:
Okay, I saw this ask recently and man talk about brutal. Anyway here goes.
What if the TFA Crew were all stuck in Bayverse and had to somehow survive that reality without getting killed, hunted by that reality's Lockdown?
Sorry if this ask sounds evil but I've been reading a lot of crossovers.
Hey! :)
How dare you make me go back and analyze the Bayverse for this Ask, let alone Age of Extinction?
Like, I think we can all agree that The Last Knight was a bigger mess—but come on, people: the gross subplot with the daughter in AoE is ew.
Seriously, just take a flamethrower to Shane’s character. He doesn’t have to be there, and the script gets a little more palatable if he’s not.
This is not to insult the actor.
It was just a shit role.
Also, note the “a little bit”. There’s a lot wrong, here—a LOT. Stereotypes, misogyny, adult jokes—everything your typical Bay action film starter-kit needs to make you (hopefully) regret the fact that you brought your child to the theatre.
Ugh.
The Bayverse got me into Transformers and the movies can be fun if you turn your brain off (like, all the way off), but there are lots of issues.
Lots.
But hey, this isn’t what we’re here for.
We’re dropping the TFA Crew into this bullshit and basically saying, “hey, better run for it!”.
‘Cause Lockdown’ll hunt them, ‘Cons will hunt them, and even HUMANS will hunt them!
Fun times had by all! 😂
Alright, I’ve had my fun.
Let’s get into it.
…
Age of Extinction.
How dare you get my hopes up by showing me the Dinobots, you sick fuck? Of course, I only have myself to blame.
Right off the bat, the film just starts showing you weird stuff. I mean, Transformers has a history of playing fast and loose with history—but the whole Bayverse series just keeps hitting you.
Megatron crashed thousands of years ago and got frozen. The Allspark crashed before that.
Earth was where the original Primes had their final battle and ended each other’s whole ass careers. This happened 19,000 years ago and Optimus is a descendent, so how old is he???
And where do new Cybertronians in this reality fucking come from? Eggs???!!!
Now, the moon landing was used to investigate a crashed Autobot ship on the moon’s dark side.
Also, the ones who created the Transformers were also the ones who killed the dinosaurs.
I’ve officially given up on trying to figure out how these guys are born, now.
Or “built”, according to Lockdown… even though we see “hatchlings” in-
Y’know what? I quit.
Arthurian legend is real and there were lots of Transformers there, Bumblebee and Hotrod fought in WW2 and possibly dropped a sentient watch to kill Hitler. Also, every famous historical figure you can think of off the top of your head in the next three minutes knew about Transformers.
This is the kind of bullshit I’m talking about.
But right now, we’re in the dinosaur movie.
And despite the weird-ass start, we get another sliver of hope when we first get a pair of human characters: Cade and Lucas. Their dynamic is one we’ve seen a lot of times before, but they have the potential to be really amusing as a duo.
Cade being a struggling inventor and a single dad and widower who wants to provide for, protect, and educate his only daughter to give her a good future makes him pretty endearing. However, he tends to shut down criticism from Lucas and his daughter—Tessa—because he can due to being one’s employer and the other’s father.
Lucas being an employee but also a close family friend who’s known Cade for a long time offers some potential. He’s clearly struggling too, but he loans Cade money and expresses concern over the family’s financial troubles—even going so far as to secretly report Optimus to the government with the hope that the family will be financially compensated—and he also tries to fill a much-needed role in Tessa’s life by trying to take her side and mediate in arguments when it comes to Cade’s overbearing and protective nature.
Cade, Lucas, and Tessa should have been the main human trio of the film. It should have been that dynamic the whole time: Cade getting to be protective when he should be but learning that it can be too much in certain contexts, and Tessa and Lucas being allowed to assert themselves and their opinions to ground Cade’s desperate optimism with the reality of the situation. The whole real/found family shebang with a father, daughter, and beloved adopted uncle.
Unfortunately, the film kills Lucas and brings in Shane—who, instead of being Tessa’s age, has to spend much of his screen-time badly justifying the fact that he’s twenty and dating a seventeen year-old. In short, this guy fucking sucks.
It also completely justifies all of Cade’s protective behavior—which was already explained due to him struggling for years, not just financially but because he had a kid as a teen and then lost his wife so he’s been having a hard go at making sure that his daughter has the best possible start. As protective as he’s been, it clearly wasn’t enough—so, a lot of the film gets dedicated to that, which is seriously unfortunate.
Tessa and Cade have an interesting bit of dialogue where Tessa discusses what will become of her father if she actually manages to get any financial aid for college, and she expresses her frustration that she’s the one who always has to be the adult in their family and that her father will struggle even more once she’s gone and grown up. Cade taught her the things he thought were important, trying to act as both mother and father to give her skills and experiences for the future, but she tries to prioritize both of them by keeping track of health and finances.
They’re a good team, but Tessa pulls the weight with rationality while Cade is more of the the heart of the family. That would have been an interesting dynamic to see, the jaded daughter who grew up too fast and the optimistic father who still has some growing up to do, but Shane’s introduction messes that all up by reducing Tessa’s character to someone who is pretty much always acting immature just to spite her father or “justify” Shane’s existence. It’s not great.
Shane just makes everything a mess and stifles parts of characters that should be growing.
I don’t like this character.
But let’s leave the humans for a moment and talk about the Cybertronians, shall we?
After the events of Dark of the Moon, it’s all gone to Hell. A corporation seeking Cybertronian alloy and technology is paying off a black-ops group meant to hunt down Decepticons to hunt down all Cybertronians, with their main goal being to help the bounty-hunter Lockdown to capture Optimus Prime alive—for which they will be compensated with the Seed, a device which will transform organic elements into Cybertronian metal for this corporation’s use.
All Cybertronians are on the run—because if they are caught and killed, their bodies are sent to the corporation to be melted down.
Most of the Autobots and Decepticons left on Earth have been killed, including Ratchet—and Optimus, while on the run, was injured so severely that he fell comatose in his vehicle mode. When he wakes, he is terrified of humans and holds his weapons at the ready to ward them off.
The sad part is that he doesn’t shoot.
He’s scared and has every reason to be quick on the trigger out of terror or even rage, because his people are being hunted by the species he vowed to protect… but he still doesn’t shoot.
Luckily for him, he’s in Cade’s barn—and while this guy would dissect a dead Transformer to apply their biology to his inventions, he’s quick in his rush to help heal a live one.
Good for him, I guess?
Cade and Optimus actually have an interesting relationship which I wish was explored more.
Cade, being a huge optimist, starts off telling his daughter not to say that “some things should never be invented”—and he doesn’t think much about the consequences of getting involved with Optimus, dead or alive. He hesitates to phone a body in, and he immediately chooses to calm and help a wounded Optimus even after the startled Prime aims his gun at him.
There’s also the scene with Agent Savoy where he’s threatening Tessa, and Cade consistently says that Optimus was in the barn and acts confused even as he and Tessa are about to die. With how it was set-up, Optimus couldn’t have hidden himself—Cade would’ve had to help him. Cade knows where Optimus is, but he never gives the Prime up—he’s frantically insisting that Optimus is gone, trying to have it both ways and protect his daughter and the ‘bot. It doesn’t work, but Optimus sees that effort and I think it really seals Cade as being trustworthy.
Even after his whole life is uprooted and his house is destroyed, Cade never blames Optimus and instead does what he can to try and restore the Prime’s faith in the best of humanity so that Optimus will give them another chance and help them instead of leaving Earth behind.
He even uses the trust that Optimus places in him and him alone and takes the blame for something he didn’t even do to try and sway the Prime—even though he never wanted to turn Optimus in, dead or alive, he tells him that he only helped him to earn a reward to urge the Prime to see the evil but also the good in all people.
Cade also learns to see the darkness in his passion, and he tells the head of the corporation to his face that “some things should never be invented” once he sees the cost of certain creations to people he cares about.
And Optimus? Optimus, traumatized as he is by this point, ends up putting his total faith in this one random human who helped him—and once he does that, he is completely ride-or-die.
Like, Cade’s house is surrounded by people who want him dead AND Lockdown—and Optimus leaves hiding to save Tessa when he hears her crying in fear and Cade screaming. He then does all that he can to protect Cade’s family, and expresses frustration and grief when Lucas dies.
The other Autobots naturally distrust all humans, but Optimus vouches for them and trusts Cade as the inventor strategizes to try and find a way for all of them to be safe—and when the plan goes wrong, he rushes in to save his friend again.
He listens to Cade when he won’t listen to anyone else, and relates to Cade’s struggles as a father—actually name-dropping Bumblebee and giving verbal address to their relationship, which is nice. He also learns more about humanity from Cade while Cade learns more about Cybertronians, as they have a little talk in which Cade equates a spark to a soul—and Optimus remembers.
Optimus notes at one point that he vowed to never kill a human, but he will kill the one who is responsible for the Cybertronian massacres. In spite of this, he doesn’t end up discovering and killing this person or even taking his revenge out on the corporate head—even though he’s in the same building as the both of them once, which would’ve been a good time. No, he spares them even as he’s being verbally degraded.
Optimus Prime kills when he sees a man point a gun at Cade. Doesn’t even hesitate.
Some find this controversial.
I see this as a really fucking bold move to make with this classic character.
Good or bad, it’s different.
Different can be interesting when it’s done with respect, and it’s not like they didn’t give us all very good reasons why the guy should be dead and why Optimus should do it.
This Prime didn’t just show up and decide “murder is an option”. The films actually do show the progression.
He started out being completely adamant against hurting humanity, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
Then, he even died to protect a human—and it’s when he comes back that we see he’s a bit more violent, clearly not about to lose another fight and risk dying again when Earth is at stake. He still values humanity.
Then, humanity starts to take control—and it turns on him and tries to expel him right at the same time as his mentor revealing himself to have been a traitor.
Optimus looks to the devastation wrought by the Decepticons as a lesson to be learned about trusting them, and he nearly dies again and loses an arm before he ends up killing Sentinel and Megatron.
Then, between films, Optimus is being hunted by humans—and he sees humans helping a bounty-hunter to kill his friends, and he’s nearly killed himself.
One human tries to help, and his whole family is nearly murdered for it.
Optimus then sees footage of other Autobots being killed and Ratchet’s body being melted down, and he’s livid.
He’s willing to abandon humanity as a lost cause after one final save.
But when Cade’s in trouble, Optimus raises his gun and shoots—even though it means leaving himself vulnerable to Lockdown.
It’s a moment when he shows that he still cares about humans, but he’s finally made up his mind that some are truly his enemies and that he has to face that reality.
So, when I see Optimus kill in this scene, I don’t feel like it comes out of nowhere.
It’s just different.
And Cade’s quick to jump in and risk his life in order to protect the Prime in return.
It’s actually an awesome relationship, one in which both characters develop because of each other’s influence—and I love that.
Barn Husbands shippers, I see you-
And honestly? I can see why you like this one, strange as it is—because I think even the writers realized what they had done.
And they fucking panicked, which is honestly the funniest thing about the series.
They forced Cade to have a girlfriend in The Last Knight to try and make audiences forget the accidental chemistry in AoE.
They did not forget. I’ve seen the posts. 😂
But seriously, there are cool things here!
A jaded, traumatized, and angry Optimus Prime who is allowed to express all of his frustrations after years of trying his best to play nice and only getting punished for it.
A world where humans are the biggest threat to Autobots and Decepticons alike because many people can be quick to just point-out scapegoats and turn on friends for profit.
A main character in a franchise targeting younger audiences who is older—a single parent of a near college-age child, a widower, very intelligent, and someone struggling financially—but still a bit of a naive optimist who has to learn during this story.
The rougher side of the “noble” Autobots showing when they’re pushed to breaking.
The problem is that the good parts, the character development and the new things, are constantly being overshadowed by bleh.
Tessa and Shane? Bleh.
Stereotypes and racism? Bleh.
An excess of new lore-dumps four fucking movies into the franchise? Bleh.
Characters acting out-of-character for the sake of “comedy”? Bleh.
New characters being brought in and then poorly utilized by the script? Bleh.
Mindless action? Fun, but bleh.
It sucks that there are really fascinating things and great new concepts in an overall shitty film.
Like Lockdown, he’s stereotypical as a villain but he’s interesting as a Cybertronian with no side. Him working for the “creators” makes him a little more intriguing as well, as this means he has to have met them—he has the answers, and a very “holier than though” mentality regarding those who participated in the war. He thinks that the war was “childish” and needlessly messy, and that Cybertronians shouldn’t get involved with other species—but he’s got a job to do, so he works with the humans while he has to.
He’s interesting!
It’s a shame that he’s mostly used for shock-value, dropping lore, giving humans the metal-bomb, and being the final big baddie who gets killed thanks to two idiots with a tow-truck.
The whole film’s just bad narrative choices and wasted potential with one very well-done relationship sprinkled on top to make you go back and watch it again, suffering for that one bit of good writing that somehow made it through.
It’s fucking diabolical.
…
So… dropping the TFA Crew into AoE.
We’re really doing this?
We’re taking one of my comfort incarnations and dropping them into this Bay-infested nightmare?
Okay, then. Let’s talk about this.
…
I did some research here to get an idea of scaling:
Bayverse!Optimus is 28 feet tall, compared to TFP!Optimus’s 31.17 and TFA!Optimus’s 21 feet. He’s tall, but in the middle.
It’s pretty much the same way for most of the other Transformers. They’re taller than their TFA counterparts, but shorter than TFP.
Lockdown in TFA is the same size as that reality’s Optimus, 21 feet. I couldn’t find a size for Bayverse!Lockdown, but he’s almost as big is Bayverse!Optimus—so, he’s likely bigger than any of the TFA Crew.
Let’s also talk biology:
Let’s face it, Bayverse is in it for the plot convenience and all of this stopped making sense in the second movie.
We don’t know how they’re made. Seriously, are they built or do they hatch?
We don’t know how long they live. We know it’s a while, but Optimus has to be a fair deal less than nineteen-thousand years-old but a bit older than ten-thousand years old as an adult (because he is a descendant of the Primes who died ~17,000 BCE and the Cube crashed on Earth in 10,000 BCE) and Sentinel refers to him as “young”.
Their optics can project their memories and data, carve into objects, and print images.
We know that they have sparks, that they can also make micro-transformations in order to serve situation-specific needs (Optimus actually transformed extra muscles in AoE), and that they need Energon to survive… but apparently, the fuel lasts decades in the tank or maybe even millennia. No rush, then.
They can survive: decapitation, loss of limbs, being shot a few times, damage to the point of falling apart, being frozen for millennia-
They cannot survive: direct head-shots, spark-shots, being torn in half, cosmic rust-
Much like in TFA, the Allspark can just create new Cybertronians—but they’re always going to be Decepticons, for some reason.
The Matrix of Leadership is not a vessel for knowledge but a mighty power source, and it can bring a dead Cybertronian back.
More jagged and detailed designs due to how they split apart and come together during transformation cycles, showing details of the vehicle they turn into.
Humans can build Cybertronians out of their alloy, and these bodies can be taken-over by true Cybertronian minds, but transformations are highly fragmented and humans can’t give their synthetic creations sparks.
Small Cybertronians can disguise themselves as humans.
They can use holoforms.
They can heal themselves from near-death simply by taking on a new alt-mode.
More than in any other incarnations, a new alt-mode alters their ‘bot-mode’s appearance.
They can survive underwater.
Very complicated transformations.
They can survive space, but may get frozen.
Megatron’s chromosomes are bugs???
Bumblebee can just come apart and go back together again in TLK??????
Green or red blood??????????
Slime???!!!
They’re basically eldritch horrors with metal plating. It gets weird very fast.
…
…
…
I imagine that, much as with the case of the Soundwave in the Shadowzone concept drabble, this happens due to an experiment-gone-wrong as Wheeljack’s trying to rig the space-bridge to get himself home. He’s working out the kinks with him multiverse tracking program, and he feels he’s managed to isolate places in the multiverse with Cybertronians but nothing specific.
He’s working too much and he’s tired, but he thinks he’s on the verge of a breakthrough—so, it’s “all hands on deck” to get this running.
Something goes wrong, and it’s a reverse of what happened to get Wheeljack sent to TFA in the first place—he manages to hold on, but the rest of his family is gone: Optimus, Jazz, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Professor Sumdac, and Sari.
So now, it’s a race against time as Wheeljack has to get his tracking program working well-enough to find his family—lost in the multiverse.
…
Wheeljack was locking onto universes with Cybertronian inhabitants and trying to narrow down the specifics.
So, when the TFA Crew is dropped out of the portal, it’s lucky that the seven of them dropped into the presence of a group: the Autobots who are hiding out in the desert and waiting for any sign of Optimus’s return.
It’s the Bayverse’s Bumblebee, Hound, Drift, and Crosshairs who see the sky open up and drop five tiny Autobots, a techno-organic, and a human—and understandably, they are startled. It’s likely only thanks to Bay!Bumblebee, who is doing what he can to try and lead at this time, that the TFA Crew doesn’t get attacked.
Meanwhile, TFA Bumblebee is just staring at this version of him who has to speak through a series of hums, radio clips, and body language—and he’s starting to wonder if he’s the only version of himself who never loses his voice.
The Bay ‘Bots are definitely more rough around the edges than the TFA Crew. They don’t trust Professor Sumdac due to him being fully human as well as a scientist, and they’re seriously creeped-out by Sari being a techno-organic.
However, they do let the TFA Crew explain their situation. Crosshairs and Hound laugh while Bay!Bumblebee and Drift are confused.
However, Bay!Bumblebee eventually takes a long look at TFA’s Optimus, Ratchet, and Bumblebee and decides to give them the benefit of the doubt—and hey, he was friends with Bay!Wheeljack, so maybe that makes this mess-up believable.
Bay!Bumblebee tells his friends that they’ll be watching over this group until they can go home. Crosshairs is frustrated, but Drift sees the logic and Hound’s all in to defend the young ‘bots.
Hound and Bay!Bumblebee are the first to warm up to TFA Crew, giving Sari a chance because she’s a child and eventually letting their guard down around Professor Sumdac as well.
Bay!Bumblebee has to fill the TFA Crew in on current events, which he struggles with due to the communication barrier—but his warmth towards them grows when he sees how horrified they are by the situation and become determined to help how they can while they’re there.
Hound strikes me as a sucker for kids. Despite his earlier reservation, the weapons expert is loyal to a fault when it comes to Optimus—even to the point of threatening Crosshairs when the other mech wants to leave Optimus and Tessa behind—and is willing to die to protect the humans he’s befriended during the final battle. The Last Knight kind of gives us little bits of that softness, so this rough-seeming Autobot is the one who comforts Cade about his lack of contact with Tessa, laments that his own parents weren’t as devoted, does what he can to hold off enemy attack and buy the others some time, and even expresses sadness when he can’t say “hi” to a returned Optimus before the final fight. He’s not gonna be happy about it (lie), but he’s definitely gonna be the one who’s gentlest.
Drift is more neutral, being someone who can be critical of others and even enter into physical altercations when provoked but also someone who tries to mediate others in times of conflict. The film does really make him a bit of a walking stereotype, but since I can’t exactly break the fourth wall here… he appears to be the one who seems to find pieces of human culture that he likes and throws himself all in when it comes to learning about it and applying it to his life, and his key interest seems to be ancient Japan. So, when he hears “cyber-ninja”, he’s immediately intrigued by Jazz and finds himself wanting to learn from him—and that’s how he starts warming up.
Crosshairs just doesn’t warm up. He’s highly jaded and slow to trust, and he even seems to be abrasive with his own teammates. He’s willing to leave Bay!Optimus and Tessa to their fates by Lockdown’s hands until Hound threatens him, and he’s all too happy to follow Optimus’s lead to leave Earth behind and gets distance when the Prime decides he’ll be taking Dinobots. This guy is a badass, but he’s a total asshole.
There’s going to be a fascination related to age. TFA Optimus, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are likely a bit younger than the Bay ‘Bots, but then Ratchet and Jazz are millions of years old—much older. It gives them a taste of what it’s like to be Wheeljack, relatively ancient.
Eventually, after some time out in the desert, a familiar blue and red big-rig shows up with three humans in the cab—and this is TFA Optimus’s first time meeting an alternate of himself. He’s heard the stories of TFP Optimus, but this is an actual alternate version of himself.
Given what Bay!Bumblebee’s told him about the situation in this reality, and just the differences he’s seen between Bay!Bumblebee and his own teammate, he’s a little worried.
Then, the big-rig transforms.
And TFA Optimus is suddenly recalling how Wheeljack would tease about height, because he has to crane his neck and look up.
And what’s the first thing he hears?
“Humans have asked us to play by their rules. Well, the rules have just changed.”
It’s quite the introduction, delivered in that Peter Cullen voice—and yeah, it sets up what you’re going to see: this is an Optimus Prime who is done playing nice with lives at stake.
The TFA Crew does move to protect the humans when Crosshairs and Hound react, but Bayverse!Optimus shuts the hostilities down quickly.
Once reunions are done and everyone’s settled a bit, Bay!Optimus turns his gaze on the TFA Crew. And recalling how things went with the others, TFA Optimus suddenly scoops up the Sumdacs and holds them to his chest protectively.
Bay!Optimus apparently owes the humans he’s protected, but what about these humans?
Bay!Optimus watches this, and Hound and Bay!Bumblebee start giving scattered explanations of the situation as the larger Prime approaches his smaller counterpart and looks down at him.
TFA Optimus is wide-opticed but does not move. He’s faced Megatron, he can handle this.
“… You do not have to be afraid, young one,” Bay!Optimus says at last. “I have sworn to never harm a human being.” He holds a servo out. “I promise you, they are safe here. I mean no harm.”
TFA Optimus obviously hesitates to trust this, but Sari doesn’t. She wriggles free and steps onto the servo, and she looks up at this other Optimus.
“Hm.” She frowns. “You look tired, and… sad.”
“Perhaps I am,” Bay!Optimus says softly. “But it has been a long war, and we have been forsaken by our allies. Our friends were… taken from us.”
Sari rests a hand on his thumb.
TFA Optimus sees something in his larger and harsher alternate soften, and he sees that this really is another him… and he wonders what it would take to push him to this point.
The rest of the TFA Crew watches him with sad expressions, clearly wondering the same.
Professor Sumdac is set down in the sand, where he meets Cade, Tessa, and Shane.
I think he would like Cade.
I think Cade would like him.
Professor Sumdac: *perplexed* Wait, how old are those two?
Cade: *frustrated* My daughter’s seventeen. He’s twenty.
Professor Sumdac: … *holds up the alien gun TFP Wheeljack made for him*
Cade: Did we just become best friends?
Yeah…
Also, they’re both inventors—one successful, one struggling—as well as fathers of daughters and optimists who can be a little naïve. Cade also tried to do what Isaac managed and use Cybertronian tech to advance his robotics, though Isaac was again majorly successful until TFA’s Megatron began his manipulations.
They’d have a lot to talk about, and I think that this would be good for Cade—getting advice from someone like him but who has help and practiced better financial habits, as well as a single father who has struggled to protect his daughter from the dangers of the world and may not have always made the right choice.
Shane takes one look at that alien gun and he might just walk out of AoE entirely. In fact, I don’t wanna talk about him anymore, so he does.
He’s gone. “Good luck”.
Bye..~!
Tessa’s toxic relationship with Shane: ended.
Tessa now gets to stop thinking about boys and start getting to enjoy the end of her teens with a good friend like Sari (who teaches her to wield the blade), Cade, and a bunch of space dads, brothers, and uncles. That’s where we are, now.
Now-
Cade hacks the drone and finds the footage of the attacks on Autobots, and it’s horrifying.
It’s even worse when Bay!Ratchet’s death is shown. He’s shot to pieces and has his spark ripped-out by Lockdown, after all.
While the TFA Crew is shocked, the Bay ‘Bots react in rage and Bay!Optimus resigned himself to kill the human responsible for this.
Honestly, no one can blame him—but it’s still a lot to hear from an alternate of Optimus.
‘Bots are being killed, humans are being killed, and something has got to give—even if it’s a solemn promise Bay!Optimus made.
Professor Sumdac and Sari handle the shopping (or shoplifting) to avoid putting the Yeagers at risk. Sari has to wear a hoodie and sunglasses to hide her techno-organic nature, but she manages.
As Optimus and Cade have a little bonding about fatherhood, Isaac and Ratchet can commiserate—but Ratchet notes that they’re a father short.
With the multiverse now in play, the Bay ‘Bots and the Yeagers are curious about what started it—and about this alternate Wheeljack who just dropped in from another universe, and who will hopefully be coming for the TFA Crew soon.
The TFA Crew’s faces light up when they get to talk about their “space-cowboy ninja-scientist”.
They miss him.
It’s decided that the only way for the Yeager family to get their lives back and even help the Autobots is to infiltrate the headquarters of the corporation behind this—KSI, based in Chicago and headed by rich inventor Joshua Joyce—and try to find some intel to be used for blackmail. They need the manhunt to end.
Professor Sumdac elects to help Cade with the planning, and Sari can help. She hacks into KSI, and Isaac uses the intel she gathers to make some more-convincing employee passes. He’s elected to go into the labs with Cade while Tessa stays with Bay!Bumblebee to enable their escape, also accompanied by Jazz—who uses a hologram like Prowl taught him to and overall does a lot better job at passing the inspection.
Sari wants to come along, but everyone else just unanimously agrees that she can’t be discovered. What would KSI do with a techno-organic? So, she monitors the situation remotely with the rest of the Autobots—which is rough.
I mean, imagine being Sari—sitting there with Hound, Crosshairs, Drift, Bay!Optimus, TFA Optimus, TFA Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Ratchet while this is all going down. She can’t even talk to try and and distract herself from the tension, as they need to pay attention. Not fun.
Meanwhile, with Cade and Isaac-
They’re fine! 😅
Isaac is a bit better in this environment. He’s a scientist but also a businessman, and he’s worked with Cybertronian biology in his reality. He just slides into place, and uses some tricks he picked up during his time as a Decepticon prisoner.
Cade is honestly impressed, but that goes out the window when Isaac just freezes at the sight of Bay!Megatron’s severed head. He’s been down this path before—and when he sees Galvatron, Professor Sumdac just knows what’s happening.
He tells Cade this isn’t just about his family or the Autobots, not anymore—this is about the world, the universe even. He’s very, very scared.
So, Cade reasonably gets very, very scared.
He’s been looking around at this, gradually starting to understand the scope of this and that this isn’t what he wants to be. He gets that little conversation with Darcy where he tells her that Transformers are alive and have souls, and that KSI is cannibalizing the bodies of Autobots—the Cybertronians who fought for humanity.
Isaac quietly interjects to tell her that the one they’re looking at had a name: Ratchet.
Eventually, Cade and Isaac are caught. Cade is identified, but no one can figure out Professor Sumdac—he’s just a nameless accomplice to what Joshua view as “corporate espionage”.
Joshua and the mastermind of the black-ops CIA team hunting Cybertronians, Atinger, confront Cade and Isaac. Cade demands a lawyer, while Isaac stays perfectly silent to observe.
Attinger tells Cade that, if he gives Bay!Optimus up, he and Tessa can go home. Isaac snorts.
Attinger then makes it clear that Tessa will die without Cade’s cooperation.
Isaac scoffs. “Do not take us for idiots.” And Attinger looks at him. “… We’ve seen too much. You have no intention of allowing anyone who knows what you have done here to live.” His eyes narrow. “So, why make it easier for you? If you want Optimus Prime, find him yourself.”
Joshua looks back at him. “For someone who had no stakes in this, you’re certainly determined.” He turns around. “My software couldn’t identify you. You don’t even exist. Why get involved?”
“… To protect this world from someone who is repeating my mistakes,” Isaac replies, looking at Joshua knowingly. “Mark my words: he’s not dead. That’s why your prototype is always going to be wrong… It’s not yours. It’s his.” He shakes his head. “You think you can just build a hero in your basement, but all you are creating down there is the end. You’re bringing him back.”
“Him?” Joshua blinks.
Isaac looks him dead in the eyes. “Megatron. And when he returns, hope that he comes for you—because you won’t be able to live with yourself.”
It’s just about then when the Autobots attack.
Tessa and Sari are told to stay behind to stay safe and to ensure that Sari remains a secret, but they won’t leave their fathers—so, in they go.
Cade and Isaac are rescued by Bay!Bumblebee and Drift, and Bay!Optimus leads the charge to destroy KSI’s lab until Joshua confront him.
“They are not your property! They were my friends.”
Joshua gives his little tirade about all of this being in the name of science, that the remains of all Cybertronians are just lifeless bits of metal to be exploited—and since Cybertronians can be built, the Autobots are no longer needed and the rest of humanity won’t care about their loss.
That there is enough to make Sari do what she did to Powell and to Masterson.
No one talks to any Optimus like that.
In a flash, she’s in her armor and her blasters are ready—and Joshua gets thrown across his ruined lab. He’s not seriously hurt, but Sari’s revealed herself in her rage and that’s really bad.
Bay!Optimus doesn’t hesitate to snatch her off the ground while Bay!Bumblebee grabs Cade and Isaac, and the elder Prime orders a retreat.
All they’ve managed is rescuing Brains. In all other ways, this is a colossal failure.
Stinger and Galvatron are sent out to chase the fleeing Autobots, and their cameras pick up a lot—Sari, the strangeness of the TFA ‘Bots.
Attinger reports what he sees to Lockdown, trusting the bounty hunter to know what this is.
Lockdown doesn’t like “species mixing with species”, so that puts a target on Sari.
And if he doesn’t like species mixing in his own reality, what will he think of the multiverse?
The hunt’s on.
Meanwhile, the destructive chase continues and Bay!Optimus ends-up with all of the humans and Sari. Bay!Bumblebee tries to buy time and maybe TFA Bumblebee tries to help him, but they fail while Hound, Crosshairs, Brains, and Drift bail.
That leaves Bay!Optimus, TFA Optimus, Jazz, Ratchet, and Bulkhead with Sari and the humans.
Galvatron arrives.
He’s big, he can dissolve into floating pixels, and his sparkless chest can eat swords. He’s scary!
He’s VERY SCARY to the TFA Cast.
He’s TERRIFYING to Isaac Sumdac, who knows what this is all about and just hates it.
The good news is that Galvatron is fucked.
Ratchet’s got his magnets.
Jazz is a cyber-ninja.
Bulkhead’s got a wrecking-ball for a hand.
Sari’s got her blasters.
Isaac has his alien gun.
And cue Bay!Optimus being shocked by how lethal TFA Optimus is with his axe. Wheeljack taught him how to handle larger and stronger opponents, and he did a good job.
So, Galvatron gets his ass kicked.
Bulkhead focuses on protecting the Yeagers and Professor Sumdac, and everyone else just takes turns beating the snot out of King ‘Con.
Then, a missile hits Bay!Optimus.
Lockdown has arrived, and Galvatron flees while the bounty-hunter approaches.
Ratchet wants to just choose violence because he hates any version of this guy, but he freezes. All he can see is his alternate self getting murdered, and butchered by greedy humans.
Jazz moves back to help Bulkhead defend the humans. After hearing about what happened to Lucas, they can take no risks here.
It’s Sari and TFA Optimus left protecting Bay!Optimus, standing between him and Lockdown.
TFA Optimus deflects a round from Lockdown’s face-rifle with his axe, standing firm while Sari tries to coax Bay!Optimus to get up.
And Lockdown eyes the two Primes and the techno-organic carefully.
“I feel sorry for you, Prime,” he tells Bay!Optimus with no sympathy in his voice. “Your allegiance to these humans, to so many lost souls… The trouble with loyalty to a cause is that the cause will always betray you.”
“Who sent you here?” Bay!Optimus asks.
“Where do you think you came from?” Lockdown asks. “You think you were born? No, you were built—and your creators want you back.” The bounty-hunter’s ship descends over the fallen Prime. “We all work for someone.”
“You’re not taking him anywhere,” TFA Optimus insists, taking his axe in two servos.
Lockdown regards him, and he sighs. “Yet another mess I have to clean up.”
A smaller ship descends from the larger vessel.
It opens fire and the power of the guns knocks TFA Optimus to the ground even as he deflects the rounds. Sari rushes forward and activates her blades, but Lockdown just blasts the ground to knock her down and picks her up.
Tessa’s eyes widen, and she tries to go out and help her friend—but Cade grabs her arm. He has to let go to stop Isaac, and Tessa runs.
“What an abomination,” Lockdown mutters, and he gestures.
Tessa gets into the car under Bay!Optimus’s head right before the net fires to capture both Primes.
Jazz and Bulkhead want to step in, but TFA Optimus quickly orders them to protect each other and the humans. He doesn’t see that Tessa’s stowing away, he just knows that he doesn’t believe most Bay ‘Bots are reliable.
Bay!Optimus asks Cade to warn his friends anyway, and then the captives are gone.
Except Sari. Lockdown’s still there with her.
He looks at Jazz, Ratchet and Bulkhead, clearly thinking—putting them on a mental list—but he’s accomplished his mission. His personal beliefs can wait until he’s working on his own time.
Besides, he has TFA Optimus and Sari.
At this point, Cade and Isaac are clearly panicking—but what can they do, now?
Only trust in the Autobots.
On the ship, Lockdown has Tessa taken to the trash—and Sari and TFA Optimus experience the multiverse’s most-confusing lore-drop.
Seriously, they thought TFP was weird.
Then, the Primes are locked-up and Lockdown tries to decide what to do with Sari. She quickly stabs his fingers and skates off before he can decide, and she eventually finds Tessa.
Tessa: *mom friend* What do we do?!
Sari: *Wrecker energy* Crash the ship and save our Primes, obviously!
Tessa: *realizing that she finally gets to be the not-adult* Oh, fuck yeah. I’m in!
Hijinks ensued.
Don’t worry, they’re fine.
And they see the handoff with the Seed, so they know they have to move it—and quickly, since Tessa needs oxygen.
Meanwhile Cade, Isaac, the Bay ‘Bots, Jazz, Ratchet, Bulkhead, and TFA Bumblebee storm the ship. No one complains when Hound threatens Crosshair and makes him stay to help with the rescue mission.
Cade and Isaac take TFA Bumblebee and Jazz to go and find the missing girls.
The other six ‘bots go to sabotage the ship and find the missing Primes.
Meanwhile, those two Primes are just hanging upside-down in cells. TFA Optimus is likely the tiniest thing in their block.
So, Bay!Optimus is again surprised when the smaller mech folds himself in half to start tinkering with his restraints.
“What are you doing?” He asks.
TFA Optimus smirks. “My mentor’s a master escape artist. Taught me a few tricks. I’m getting us out of here.”
He gets the restraint on his legs to release, and he starts trying to open his cage.
Bay!Optimus is concerned.
Jazz, TFA Bee, Cade, and Isaac find the weapons’ vault and Cade’s elated to get his own alien gun. Team Human Dads starts blasting their way through the ship with their Autobot escorts, looking for the kids.
Meanwhile, Sari’s skating around with a screaming Tessa to avoid the robo-hyenas. They’re still fine, though—Sari’s having the time of her life, wreaking havoc.
Tessa, Sari, Cade, Isaac, Jazz, and TFA Bumblebee eventually meet up—and the TFA folks convince the Yeagers to meet up with the Autobot rather than trying to climb down.
The Bay ‘Bots and TFA ‘Bots reunite with their Primes-
TFA Optimus: *standing in front of Bay!Optimus’s open cell and trying to get the other Prime down* Calm down!
Bay ‘Bots: ???
Ratchet: Yeah, he’s just… like that.
And they steal a gunship and separate a smaller ship from the rest of the vessel to make their escape.
Crosshairs flies the little gunship with Bumblebee as copilot, and Team Human Dads goes with them. When Crosshairs leaves Bumblebee in-charge, it’s Team Human Dads blasting.
Once everyone has escaped, Bay!Optimus—jaded by everything he’s been through and learned—reveals his intent to leave as soon as the Seed is retrieved. Cade’s not the only one who tries to talk him out of it. Before the flight to Hong Kong, TFA Optimus gives it a shot.
“I know you want to give up on them,” he says quietly. “They can be cruel and unkind, but we can be the same way.”
“They’re not on our planet, dying in droves to protect our people, only for us to turn and hunt them for their science,” Bay!Optimus replies coldly. “How is this fair?”
“… It isn’t,” TFA Optimus says softly. “It isn’t fair. It’s just painful, always is. When I lost one of my teammates, Prowl, it was-…” He shakes his head. “I know I can’t pass any judgement here. I didn’t fight the war, I came after—I’ve lost, but not like-… But I think that, if my mentor was here, he’d tell you that turning your back and running is the worst thing you could do—for yourself, for the memory of your friends. Don’t let all of this mean nothing.”
“And risk what remains of my kind for these humans?” Bay!Optimus demands. “Humans who want to destroy us, experiment on us.”
TFA Optimus sighs. “I’m not the right person to be talking to you about this.”
“Then, who is?”
“Wheeljack,” TFA Optimus says. “… No one knows about Cybertronians, in Wheeljack’s reality—except for government operatives and a few civilians. They don’t get thanked, when they die to protect that world—in fact, there were even these human butchers who learned about them and started to hunt them down to use them for science. ‘Bots were dissected and had organs stolen, and one was even killed with their frame turned into a suit.” Bay!Optimus looks ready to be physically sick. “… Those Autobots, led by another Optimus Prime, still never stopped fighting for humanity—even if it meant their lives, meant giving up ever restoring their world. They kept fighting.”
“How?” Bay!Optimus whispers.
TFA Optimus gives a frail smile. “Honestly, I’m not sure… but one of us did it, Optimus. One of us didn’t quit.” He shakes his head. “I don’t wanna quit.” He looks up at his counterpart. “And somehow, I think that you don’t want to either. Call it a hunch.”
Bay!Optimus gives a weak smile and raises an optic-brow. “A hunch?”
“I guess I have some insider information,” TFA Optimus jokes, and they chuckle.
Cade and Isaac work together to convince Joshua that the Seed is dangerous and that Galvatron will be coming for it.
The Autobots, Sari, and their human allies travel to Hong Kong, where a new battle begins—chaotic and multifaceted.
Hound and Ratchet try to protect their human allies while Bay!Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Sari, Jazz, and TFA Bumblebee try to fight off the armies of synthetic Cybertronians led by Galvatron.
Cade defeats Savoy with Jazz just trying to make sure he doesn’t fall, and the cyber-ninja doesn’t feel too bad when it’s the Cybertronian hunter who takes the fall.
Lockdown returns and hunts for the Optimi—but luckily, Bay!Optimus tames the Autobots while Drift and Crosshair watch, and TFA Optimus just wonders what Wheeljack would think.
The synthetic army is defeated, but Lockdown continues his pursuit.
The Optimi order the humans, Sari, and the Dinobots to go with their teammates and get the Seed out of the city safely while they deal with Lockdown together.
Sari stays anyway, and Cade returns to fight off Attinger. Tessa and Isaac return to help their family, with Bay!Bumblebee and TFA Bumblebee.
Bay!Optimus gets to kill Attinger to save Cade, and just when it starts to look bad again-
SLICE!
Lockdown drops, revealing a visibly-shaking mech holding a sword in two servos.
“… Dad?” TFA Bumblebee asks, stunned.
“Sorry I’m late,” Wheeljack says, his optic twitching. He’s had a long week, and he’s running on enough caffeinated Energon to fuel three Cybertrons. “Had to stop an’ ask for directions.”
TFP Wheeljack: *visibly vibrating and tasting colors* HaVE yoU sEEn mY kiDS???!
Bay ‘Bots: *scream*
Bulkhead & Jazz: !!!
Ratchet: He’s just… like that?
The battle’s over.
Yet another human city is in ruins.
And the TFA Crew has to get home while Wheeljack’s still coherent enough to call Arcee so that she can activate the bridge.
Bay!Optimus says his goodbyes, thanking the TFA Crew for their help and vowing to take the Seed someplace safe before he tracks down his creators to end their schemes. He also frees the Dinobots (Wheeljack’s deliriously waving to his giant children and asking how they got so big), and tells the rest of the of the Bay ‘Bots to defend the Yeagers. Then, he’s gone.
Isaac and Sari bid their farewells to Cade and Tessa, assured that they’ll be alright—and the TFA ‘bots say farewell to the Bay ‘Bots. They’ll mostly miss Bay!Bumblebee and Hound.
Then, the bridge opens and they head home.
…
Once Wheeljack’s had some rest and gets his thoughts together, he worriedly asks if they’re alright.
He didn’t miss all of the obvious carnage upon his arrival in the Bayverse, even though there was a moment when he was sure there were six Optimi.
The TFA Crew doesn’t know what to say.
They witnessed, what they feel, has to be the darkest timeline—even when compared to the Prime!verse.
Cybertron was destroyed. So many Autobots were dying, and those who lived were being hunted by humans and a bounty-hunter. Those humans who tried to help them were killed.
TFA Bumblebee had asked his counterpart about Wheeljack, and he had been horrified to learn that he was dead.
So, in secret, they want to give the Bayverse the ‘the Pit 2.0’ designation.
But they don’t tell Wheeljack that.
They tell him that they’re okay, and they’re going to keep trying to get him home.
This experience does have positives.
Optimus never expected that he would be able to inspire hope in a more ancient and powerful version of himself. That feels nice, and seeing it happen again with TFP Optimus will further validate him.
And Sari? Sari knows that Wheeljack was wrong and her father is—in fact—not “too nice” to point a gun at a fellow human in a fit of paternal rage. She also makes friends with someone in another universe, another girl—which gives her hope for when she’ll meet Miko.
Plus, Isaac got to let loose and show off his badass side through his fast friendship with Cade.
They won’t miss the excessive violence and danger, but… they’ll miss the friends they made.
Ur Wheeljack character analysis is SOOOO Good. If I can weigh in on the Wrecker Scenario....Does that mean TFP Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack are Closer than Bulkehead and Wheeljack....maybe one of the Other reasons Jackie and Magnus get closer OTHER than shared trauma and almost dying together during the predcon arc, is that Magnus GETS to say he doesnt want to talk about the Wreckers. Maybe even being ALLOWED to be Mad when Bulkhead or other try to get him to talk about it. Before TFA Jackie might've only been able to get a horrible sort of Catharsis at not being the only one who doesnt even want to Rember what happened to the Wreckers.
(Also it the reason I'm into Ultrajack nownow >:o)
Hey! :)
I don’t necessarily think that Ultra Magnus is closer to Wheeljack than Bulkhead is. Issues aside, those two are best friends: ride or die.
However, I do think that their initial distance is why—at the end of the series—Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus have pretty much resolved their personal issues (seriously, it’s like the best relationship development in the show) while Wheeljack and Bulkhead have a ways to go.
Ultra Magnus has no qualms about stating his opinion about anything. Like, he doesn’t enjoy being isolated—but that’s never put first. If he has an opinion, you’re gonna know what it is.
And as strange as it sounds, even though it seems like Bulkhead is the more-obedient soldier, Ultra Magnus knows Wheeljack better than he knows Bulkhead. Bulkhead was gone by the time Ultra Magnus joined the Wreckers—so Ultra Magnus only ever served with our boy in white, gray, orange, and green on Cybertron.
So, let me put it like this:
Bulkhead and Wheeljack are tight, but they have lots of issues.
Bulkhead is more-likely to fall into line under Ultra Magnus’s command, but—due to shared experience and trauma—Ultra Magnus is much closer to Wheeljack than he is to Bulkhead.
Due to the fact that they actually seem to reconcile and reach an understanding by the show’s end, Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus actually have fewer issues than Wheeljack and Bulkhead.
That make sense?
Okay? Okay.
…
…
…
Wheeljack doesn’t hate the Wreckers, or even talking about them. The issue I press is how the Wreckers are spoken about.
Bulkhead wants to turn them into a glorious and exciting story to share. They’re in the past, and he’s clearly moved on. However, he’s still attached enough to the Wreckers as they were when he left (at least, in his gilded memories) to expect that Wheeljack never change.
Wheeljack hasn’t moved on, and what Bulkead does doesn’t help. We see Wheeljack struggle a lot—finding one Wrecker who’s moved on yet still clings to a shiny past, losing another and having that death disregarded, hearing that his best friend was poisoned and shot and not being able to really do anything to help, and then having the last old Wrecker who shows up in the series be a commander he never got along with—all while dealing with capture, torture, having his introvert-battery completely drained, and having to perform a balancing act between completing the mission and putting on a good act for Bulkhead so that he doesn’t end up isolated all over again.
We don’t see Wheeljack turning the Wreckers into stories. He brings them into conversation when Bulkhead’s around or when their old tactics can help out, and that’s it.
Wheeljack’s lowest point in the show is “Chain of Command”, when the pressure is on for him to either be a good soldier or the Wrecker war-hero when there really is no choice. How can there be, when he’s not allowed to change?
In that episode, Bulkhead even pushes the idea that it’s “just like old times” when the whole point is that it can’t be like old times. It’s what makes the whole situation so frustrating, and you can see it on Wheeljack’s face.
When he confronts Bulkhead about it, the only things he notes that he wishes were the same are A) that he could decide who his partner was and B) that everyone was together.
He makes a note of how Bulkhead’s departure time was opportune, as the Wreckers were at a high point which disappeared after.
Miko confronts Bulkhead after this, stating that she though Wheeljack was the one who left—meaning that, before Wheeljack got a word in, that’s how Bulkhead made it out.
We as the audience had some indication that it was Bulkhead who left.
Despite the whole ‘Jackie never stays thing we were fed in “Con Job”, we had their private conversation in “Loose Cannons” give us a clearer view.
That talk tells us that Bulkhead cherished his time in the Wreckers but “left that all behind” to join Optimus.
This was something Wheeljack felt bitter about, especially due to his turmoil after Seaspray was killed.
What follows is the only time Bulkhead takes any blame in the relationship, and he’s backwards with it: he says that Wheeljack “basically deserted” after Ultra Magnus took charge and that he had already been gone long before then.
This is what Bulkhead says, but the official Aligned timeline seems to dispute it a bit.
Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus actually served together for a while.
Bulkhead also notes, for the first time, that he has had some indication that Wheeljack feels as though he had been abandoned—and then, he only says “sometimes”.
It’s a pretty familiar deflective tactic.
I’m glad that Miko calls him on it—but by the episode’s end, the blame is back on Wheeljack and he’s the one who leaves.
However, what the discerning viewer learns is that Bulkhead stretches his stories and that Wheeljack deserves a breather.
On a separate note, I was looking back and I noticed something strange.
It’s not that Wheeljack isn’t physically affectionate or against touch.
He offers Bulkhead a fist-bump, they clasp servos a few times, and he even makes himself a physical barrier to keep him from jumping into the water. In “Predacons Rising”, they chest-bump.
He lets Ratchet touch him when he’s being patched-up or helped.
He’ll hold Miko, let her ride in his chest compartment willingly, and even taps her on the shoulder in “Chain of Command” to punctuate words of praise.
He catches Fowler and June (and carries them in his trunk), and he even smiles when Arcee rests a servo on his arm.
The one time he jumps back from touch is when Optimus smiles and offers to shake his servo and Wheeljack goes “whoa, let’s not jump the gun here”. That’s still funny-
Ahem.
I had a point, here.
However, whenever Bulkhead is affectionate with Wheeljack, it usually leaves Wheeljack in a pretty tight position.
When Bulkhead hugs him, it pins Wheeljack’s arms to his sides and lifts him off the ground for an extended period.
Given Bulkhead’s size and how their bodies are shaped, Wheeljack’s pretty much a rag-doll when this happens.
He’s not the sort to talk about being uncomfortable, and he can’t make any physical indication. Bulkhead can’t see his face, so that’s out too.
It’s just something I noticed and went back across the episodes to check on, since it set off alarms when I realized it.
Bulkhead also has the habit of slapping Wheeljack on the back, which clearly surprises Wheeljack and causes him to show it on his face as he’s nearly knocked over, but he quickly hides it.
Seriously, it’s enough to make him double-over as the wing-thingies bounce. He is not being hit gently.
Smokescreen, who is shown to admire the Wreckers, mimics this behavior with Bumblebee in “Predacons Rising”.
I also noticed that there’s an instance in which Bulkhead pulls him into a side-hug that again pins Wheeljack’s arms, and also seems to briefly lift Wheeljack off of the ground when it happens.
Bulkhead and Wheeljack are the most physically-affectionate Cybertronian duo in the show, but… I dunno. Something just seems kinda off about it.
I don’t know if it’s me projecting or not. I’m an introvert who is pretty touch-averse unless I’ve given consent, and I don’t like to be hit on the back due to an old injury and some chronic pain.
But Wheeljack only initiates real physical affection with Bulkhead three times: fist-bumps in “Con Job” and “Rebellion” and servo-clasps in “Loose Cannons” and “Plus One”.
When it’s Wheeljack’s choice, it’s always at arms-length—and when Bulkhead responds, it always seems to be a lot rougher then how Wheeljack seems to be.
It might not mean anything. It was just an observation I had.
In my travels, I also noticed that Ultra Magnus places a servo on Bulkhead’s shoulder in “Rebellion”.
I’m soft-
…
Ultra Magnus doesn’t hate the Wreckers, or even talking about them. He’s their leader, after all—and as the student and right hand of Optimus Prime, I believe that would have always been his choice. He chose to go to the unit with the highest rate of casualties, which says a lot about his character.
Ultra Magnus was Elite Guard and—as Arcee put it—“very by-the-book”. He’s stern, but we all know that he cares and wants to belong just as much as everyone else. However, he would never place his needs over those of the ‘bots under his command—and when he became the leader of the Wreckers, he probably thought that some order would be the best way to try and limit the number of casualties.
The Wreckers had their bad experiences with authority and were wary of this guy before he tried to reel them in. Wheeljack probably felt a lot of pressure, which caused the snap and led to the rivalry between commander and soldier—with Ultra Magnus trying to rein this guy in so he didn’t get himself killed and Wheeljack rejecting all authority out of spite.
But while Ultra Magnus got frustrated, he never hated the Wreckers. He never hated Wheeljack—in fact, before they even reconcile, we see him offering several “olive branches” in the form of weapons or letting Wheeljack use a Wrecker-style tactic in a time which is deemed appropriate. He’s not trying to stifle anything, he just wants to keep everyone safe.
And in the early episodes, when we see him trying to keep everything organized and shutting down “Wrecker behavior”, I think we need to be sympathetic. Ultra Magnus has been alone in space just about as long as Wheeljack, except he actually found people—“often only to see them fall at the hands of the Decepticons”. That’s tragic. And he’s getting used to being around other ‘bots again and feeling very overwhelmed in the casual base.
Plus, for a commander to be all alone in a big ship… I think something bad must have happened before Ultra Magnus left Cybertron, something that—try as he did—only he walked out of. So, why wouldn’t he be wary of any goofing-off or “Wrecker behavior”? When he lets these things slide, when he lets things get casual and lets soldiers lower their guard in the middle of a war, people get hurt.
And Ultra Magnus doesn’t want to lose anyone else when he’s finally found them.
So, he falls back into the routine of arguing with Wheeljack—always patient, even when his nerves are frayed, because he really does care about this guy and he will keep trying.
Then, “Evolution” happens—and whoa now, a switch has suddenly been flipped in this soldier and Wheeljack is now “ride or die”.
Ultra Magnus likely hopes it’s not guilt that has Wheeljack defending him at home and on the battlefield, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t appreciate the newfound camaraderie.
Eons of arguments, and the smaller Autobot finally calls him a “Wrecker”—family.
And they’re never shown to argue again.
…
I don’t think Ultra Magnus would like it if he picked-up on the situation between Bulkhead and Wheeljack.
If—one day—he heard Bulkhead telling a story from his time in the Wreckers, it would agitate him. He wouldn’t have been there, but he would have read the reports and served with the survivors—he would know it wasn’t glorious.
However, he’d see the kids and younger ‘bots listening and sigh because he would never want to upset them even if it did mean allowing one of his soldiers to… stretch the truth, at least until he could speak to him in private.
But then, he’d see Wheeljack there—his arms crossed, an uncomfortable expression on his face whenever Bulkhead and Miko aren’t looking. He’d quickly replace that face with a grin when they were, nodding along and forcing a chuckle, then his face would drop again when he was no longer being watched.
That would cause Ultra Magnus to raise an optic-brow, and he’d keep watching.
Over the next few days, he would see it:
How Wheeljack prefers one-on-one talks but keeps getting dragged into lobbing matches and “story time”—group activities, which seem to drain the usually-collected demolitions expert.
How Wheeljack likes to talk to Ratchet and Raf about science and engineering or discuss martial arts with Arcee in their down-time, but always winds up getting involved in the usual Wrecker antics when Bulkhead and Miko extend an invitation that he will never refuse.
How Wheeljack almost fell into stasis on his feet after a stressful meeting in which everyone was expected to take the floor and answer questions, leaned against a wall, but then he was snapped awake by Miko’s guitar and somehow managed to force himself to stay awake.
He’d see how just being can take a lot out of the troublemaking Wrecker, and probably realize that he relates to this ‘bot in ways he hadn’t before realized.
Introvert solidarity.
And maybe, the next time Bulkhead went to tell stories and he saw Wheeljack getting pulled into it, he wouldn’t just watch. Ultra Magnus can be very straightforward.
“Soldiers,” the commander would speak up, and his Wreckers would look at him—Bulkhead immediately straightening his posture while Wheeljack put on a mask of indifference that his superior officer could see the exhaustion wearing through. He would turn his gaze on Bulkhead. “You weren’t there for that particular battle—were you, Bulkhead?”
“No,” Bulkhead would answer. “But ‘Jackie was, so I was just tryna get him to-“
“I was also there,” Ultra Magnus would cut in, and he would see the surprise on Wheeljack’s face. “So, please… allow me.”
And so, just that once, Ultra Magnus would tell a story from the war to the children and the young ‘bots. The adults, Cybertronian and human, would also pause their activities—with Optimus looking very alarmed, because his commander is not holding back.
Ultra Magnus would recite the battle Bulkhead had chosen from memory—no hyperbole, no cartoonish enhancement, and no glory. He’d tell it how it was, how he reported it.
When he finished, Ultra Magnus would fold his servos behind his back and look down at the children. “… You’ve been involved long enough to know that this is war. It is not humorous or fun, it is terrifying and painful.” And he would look back at Bulkhead. “As is its memory, for all of us who were and are involved. Cope how you will, but not to the detriment of others.”
“I was just tryna tell a story,” Bulkhead would argue, taken aback and confused.
And Ultra Magnus’s optics would instantly narrow. “It is not just a story. I lost good soldiers, that day—so if you speak of it, speak also of them.”
And he would look back at Wheeljack.
The smaller Wrecker would be staring at him, at a genuine loss for words for once.
And Ultra Magnus would make some comment about his ship to give them both an excuse to leave, and they wouldn’t talk as Wheeljack took a look and his commander watched over him… letting his soldier take all the time he needed.
…
It’s not about not wanting to remember.
They will always remember what happened—and good or bad, they have to remember.
But those memories should only be shared with respect and consent, because they still hurt.
And yeah, I think that Ultra Magnus will get that a whole lot easier than Bulkhead will.
…
…
…
🔥Welcome to UltraJack Hell!🔥
… Where we still have no content. 😂