The Cybertronian Oligarchy

The Cybertronian Oligarchy

Cybertron, a fictional planet set in the universe of the Transformers franchise. The home and eventually warzone of the Autobots and Decepticons. The planet was not always it's spherical shape, it was once a sentient being, Primus was the original life and the keeper of the Allspark, through him all life started and continues to exist after he transformed into Cybertron.

Primus birthed thirteen life forms to govern the planet in his name, by his will. These beings were the Thirteen Primes: Prima, Quintus Prime, Megatronus Prime, Vector Prime, Nexus Prime, Alchemist Prime, Solus Prime, Micronus Prime, Onyx Prime, Autonomous Maximus, Amalgamous Prime, Solomus, Zeta Prime. These thirteen were created to serve Cybertron and Primus as protectors, defenders, and most of all leaders.

The idea of their rule serves to note that the governmental system that Cybertron was ruled under is an oligarchical system. The idea of an oligarchy is to have a nation, or body of state that is ruled by a private group of individuals who manage all facets of that body. Ergo the Primes are these said individuals meant to represent an oligarchy.

I would like to note that as though history would have it, an oligarchy is not a system run by malevolent individuals or criminals. It is just a system run by a group of people. Who more often than not in the media are portrayed by criminals or individuals who would cause harm indiscriminately.

The example of the Thirteen Primes is one of many other examples in the media of an Oligarchy being used by merciful individuals who would bring about peace and wax poetic about loyalty, and honor as a people.

Recently, there has been a new adaptation to the Transformers franchise, a three-dimensional feature length animation funded by Hasbro, and animated by Paramount Animation via. CGI, in this movie Optimus Prime and Megatron are shown to be in their younger years in fact, set in the Cybertronian city named Iacon.

Giving the two different names. Optimus Prime was once called Orion Pax, his name being derived from the Orion constellation and the word "pax" being pulled from the Latin lexicon as the term for peace. And Megatron being named by not a regular name but by a part letterical and part numerical designation, "D-16". Many of the characters in this movie are given these same designations but also given genuine names like Orion Pax.

Though it seems like all these people would be divided because of their namesake the real classification is via. Transformation cogs, these cogs are what make the Cybertronian people transform. In the movie, there are droves of Cybertronians without these cogs who all work hard laboring jobs like mining, waste management, etc. As a matter of fact, Cybertronians with cogs had already come up with slurs, or derogatory terms to describe a cogless Cybertronian: "cogless", "no-cog", etc.

But more so the classism portrayed up to this point in the movie describes how power is used as political and economical leverage in Iacon. And the almost racial division because of some not having transformation cogs. This prejudiced behavior is unfitting for the supposed paradise created by Primus and his thirteen Primes.

So why is it that they have allowed such behaviors into their society? Because it is no longer their society, Sentinel Prime is an individual who can only be described as malevolent, power-hungry, and near hellbent on destroying his home for whatever power he can gain.

You see, in the franchise the Transformers and Cybertron are all run by a substance called energon. A blue element that is either liquid, flowing through rivers and channels. Or solid which is found in energon reserves. In the movie, energon no longer flows, it is only found in deep dark cave systems in Cybertron.

This is where the story of Orion Pax and D-16 begin along with the many other transformers who do not have transformation cogs. As I earlier stated they have been reduced to mining jobs as well as waste management. I would like to explain, why is it that energon, an abundant resource in this society is now held within dangerous caverns that must be extracted from stone?

During the Primes' rule, there was a war on Cybertron. A war against another race of beings, these beings were known as the Quintessons. A four-legged, insect-like race ruled over by what seems to be a giant version of a Quintesson. They are scavengers and are the sole enemies of the Transformers. To oversee the war, the Primes were the commanders of the Cybertronian army and Sentinel Prime was their informant.

During the war, there was a pivotal moment, a secret meeting of Quintesson commanders, if the Primes were able to eliminate them, they would surely gain an advantage in the war. But is was not the commanders who met them at the site given by Sentinel, instead they were ambushed by a swarm of Quintesson grunts, firing at them from every angle. The Primes fought valiantly until the end and started to turn the tide of the battle, until Sentinel betrayed his comrades.

With Sentinel's firepower and strength on the side of the Quintessons, the Primes fell one by one, Megatronus was beheaded by Sentinel, Vector was shot as well as Solus, and Zeta was executed at point blank range by Sentinel. The Primes had all fallen and were no longer in control of Cybertron. But the Primes' own strength was not their only power, the Matrix of Leadership was a special transformation cog that was held and used by Zeta Prime.

The Matrix was responsible for the flow of energon throughout Cybertron. If the body of whoever held the Matrix was destroyed, the Matrix would disappear until another one who was deemed "worthy" by Primus would be found. The idea of worthiness has been speculated, fame, power, but the primary cause has been boiled down to heroism, and bravery.

The idea of self sacrifice has also been noted. Now after Zeta was killed and the Matrix was able to be taken, Sentinel took the Matrix but lost it as he was not deemed worthy by Primus. At that point, the flow of energon ceased throughout Cybertron. Through this, now all energon has to be obtained through reserves in Cybertron's cave systems, via miners.

This is not where Sentinel's betrayal ends, throughout the entirety of Transformers One, he is in dealings with the Quintessons, supplying them with whatever energon he can spare and about halfway through the movie we see Sentinel and his personal bodyguards meet with the leader or ambassador of the Quintessons. He is abused by this higher being, showing he is simply lower in this relationship and kneels to the Quintessons.

The Quintessons were angered over his apparently pitiful supply of energon and in retaliation, Sentinel orders his guards to triple every mining shift until enough of his energon is supplied. This pivotal moment in the movie is what really describes Cybertron's transition from a peaceful oligarchy to a harmful autocracy.In which Sentinel does not have limits to his power in government. Sentinel makes this decision with zero input from any of his peers because in this society he has no peers, he is seen as the last Prime, the last of his kind, a god.

To everyone in Iacon, he is their savior and the one thing stopping Quintessons from destroying all of Cybertron. It is a bit after this point where the group meets the band of rebels who once served the Primes and now resent Sentinel. The Cybertronian High Guard is governed by Soundwave, and Shockwave, who are both second rank to Starscream, the leader of the High Guard.

They claimed to be witnesses of Sentinel's betrayal but records have not shown them to have participated in the Quintesson ambush where they all fell. They were however self exiles who now reside in the wilderness of Cybertron, they periodically travel to Iacon and sabotage Sentinel in some of his facilities but have not made any big leaps in terms of operations.

Their ideals as a society is "-the strength of one bot over another." Now I have tried to allocate this quote and this behavior to an anarchist government, which would dictate this to be a society that doesn't have a set ruler but does promote violence. It seemed sound until I realized they are speaking about a ruler who is stronger than all others.

The best I can link it to is a dictatorship, this is formed when a group of rebels excommunicate their current ruler, and one new ruler takes their spot, and this can happen multiple times, just as bots can overpower other bots multiple times. It stuck with me, it is not perfect because the definition sounds as if there would need to be a revolution, but with how the High Guard now function I don't see why they would not participate in one to gain a new stronger leader.

Eventually at the end of the movie, Orion Pax and D-16 evolve into forms we are familiar with. Optimus Prime and Megatron standed before each other. Optimus now held the Matrix after being found worthy by Primus but was now at odds with his old friend. They fought long and Megatron was not fighting alone, due to the help of his new allies, Starscream, Shockwave, and Soundwave. Optimus however defeated them all, and ensured Cybertron's safety.

Exiling Megatron and the High Guard from Iacon. This is where it gets interesting, because after Optimus uses the Matrix to revitalize Cybertron and restore the Energon flow, he designates Elita-1 as a military leader, and B-127 as a government worker, no other appointment just government worker.

So it's at this point I have nothing to work with, what is this new government? How do I find out? Well Optimus is one man governing the entirety of Iacon, since obviously Cybertron is no longer one nation with the existence of the Quintessons and now Decepticons. Iacon is the home of the Autobot faction, but what government system do they have now?

Before the final battle, Orion pax who is yet to be Optimus Prime is shown talking to his once fellow miners who are still cogless while he now has a cog. They are all overwhelmed by his transformation and are reluctant to fight with him but eventually they realize how much Orion wants to do them good. They all cheer his name and leave to fight with him.

This made me think they elected him leader, they could have all stayed, half could have cheered and the other could have stayed. As well as the idea of Elita-1 leading the military specifically and then B-127 handling things such as logistics and such. But I believe this new system is almost a presidency. As everyone enjoys Optimus being their leader and no strict laws or restrictions being set upon the people.

And in turn, the newly formed Decepticon faction retains their dictatorship system, under the rule of Megatron. This is how Cybtertron transformed from a peaceful oligarchy, to a harmful autocracy to finally, a presidency built by the ideals of freedom, and equality for Cybertronians.