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    Zeta Prime

    Character » Zeta Prime appears in 13 issues.

    Thrust into authority by the death of the previous Matrix bearer, Zeta Prime took on the thankless job of heading the Autobot forces in the wake of the Decepticon Uprising. He is the successor to Guardian Prime in the original animated series and Sentinel in Autocracy.

    Short summary describing this character.

    Zeta Prime last edited by fesak on 05/24/22 06:57AM View full history

    Major Story Arcs

    IDW Publishing Continuity

    Origin

    Zeta Prime was the successor to Sentinel Prime and rose to power after Sentinel was killed by Megatron. Although he proved to be corrupt, he solidified the Autobot security forces on Cybertron into an army to fight against the Decepticon uprising.

    Spotlight Blurr

    Due to the terrorist threat presented by the Decepticon uprising, Zeta Prime issued an order to lock down recreational activities, including the races on Cybertron that brought Blurr his stardom. Later, the Decepticons stage a plot to assassinate Zeta Prime but Orion Pax manages to enlist Blurr to join their ranks and he manages to get the message of the plot to Zeta in time.

    Autocracy

    Zeta Prime armed with a Vamparc Ribbon.
    Zeta Prime armed with a Vamparc Ribbon.

    One day, at the Iacon Citadel, Zeta Prime announces to the Senate that he will stop the Decepticon uprising and restore order to Cybertron at any cost. The Senate inform him of how there are people on Cybertron who support the Decepticons and hide them, but Zeta says they will be rooted out as anyone not with them is against them. They then respond to him by telling him he is causing oppression, but he responds by telling them that the people of Cybertron aren’t too fond of their inability to implement effective actions, especially at the city of Nyon.

    Zeta then reveals the Vamparc Ribbon, a weapon that was designed by Jhiaxus that he believes can out out the Decepticons for good. He then says that the only drawback is that it requires a large amount of power but that they can such power within themselves. Starscream then appears, claiming to observe, as Zeta prepares to demonstrate the power of the Vamparc Ribbon on Swindle. While using it on Swindle, he says that the Vamparc’s units draw power from the nearest available source and that they energy is volatile and that the ribbon has to be released otherwise the unit could overload. After the demonstration, he announces that they’ve fitted larger Vamparc cannons to the Omega Destructors but that they will require even more power. When the senate asks him how he will obtain the energy for their unites, Zeta says that they’ll simply take it by force from dissidents after burning down their enclaves. While the senate denounce his plan and tell him the people will turn against them if they attempted to implement such a plan, Zeta tells them he already began and that they started siphoning energy under the dissidents’ attention at Nyon. The senate are then outraged from his actions, but Zeta says that the security council lost the will to do what was necessary and that he was chosen as Prime because he’s the monster the people need. Although the senate continue to rage at his response, Starscream tells them that losing a few dissident sectors is worth stopping the Decepticons. Zeta tells Starscream he’s surprised he accepted his plan, and Starscream nearly tells him that he had done worse in Megatron’s name, but compromises Soundwave’s position in the room to distract Zeta. As Soundwave escapes, Zeta sends Orion Pax and his team of Autobots after him. Orion fails to stop Soundwave and is captured and taken to Megatron, who then shows Orion Zeta’s plans.

    After Orion escapes with the help of other Autobots, he is scolded by Zeta Prime for failing to stop Soundwave after he had obtained such important info. Orion tells Zeta that the Decepticons are their enemies and not the civilians, and Zeta tells him not to judge him and criticizes him for having been ambushed a second time, saying he lacks the subtlety and strength for true leadership. Orion tells him he believes they were set up, but Zeta dismisses it as an excuse and then prepares another mission for him while telling him that if he fails it he will be left to the Decepticons. Later, at the Operations Center, Zeta assigns Orion Pax and his team to capture the “Mystery Bomber” who ambushed them in Nyon and tells them that the only lead they have on him is that his name is Hot Rod.

    The Autobots eventually find Hot Rod, and he shows them that Zeta has been bleeding the people of Cybertron dry of any energy. As the Autobots begin questioning who the real problem is, Zeta Prime launches an attack on Nyon with the Omega Destructors while telling the people of Nyon that they have been branded as traitors and that he will drain all the energon from the city while saying it will be used to serve the greater order. The Autobots ultimately choose to fight against Zeta and his Omega Destructors but after finding they are too powerful, Hot Rod detonates the phase-charges that were wired throughout the city, destroying it and taking the Omega Destructors with it. Zeta Prime then confronts Orion Pax and tells him that it’s not about choosing the right side but the side that’s going to win. Orion tries to fight against him, but Zeta overpowers him with a Vamparc ribbon. As Zeta prepares to finish off Orion Pax, Megatron and the Decepticons attack him. Zeta then prepares to use the Vamparc cannon on Megatron, Megatron - knowing all about the weapon and its properties - sacrifices a bunch of dissidents to the ribbon which causes it to start overloading. He tells Zeta that he can either risk it backfiring, or he can get rid of it and fight him fairly but Zeta chooses to retreat.

    After the Decepticons take the Autobots in for repairs, Oroin pax and the Autobots form an alliance with the Decepticons to stop Zeta Prime. Back at the Iacon Citadel, a senator tells Zeta that his attack has emboldened the Decepticons and their sympathizers and that Orion Pax and his unit are unaccounted for, but Zeta disregards him and tells him that Orion Pax has been crushed and that the Destructors are more than a match for the Decepticons. The Autobots and Decepticons then begin attacking the citadel, and Zeta Prime mobilizes the Vamparc cannons and Omega Destructors. During the assault, Orion Pax and Megatron break into the citadel and confront Zeta Prime. Zeta, armed with a Vamparc cannon, begins battle with them and although he overpowers Orion, Megatron manages to disarm him of his weapon and he then taunts him by telling him that he’s nothing without it. Zeta then grabs Megatron and prepares to kill him, but Megatron fires his fusion cannon through Zeta’s head, killing him.

    Other Media

    Video Games

    Zeta Prime as he appears in Transformers: War for Cybertron
    Zeta Prime as he appears in Transformers: War for Cybertron

    Transformers: War for Cybertron - Zeta Prime appears as the leader of the Autobots before Optimus Prime.

    Transformers: Fall of Cybertron - Zeta Prime appears as one of 5 downloadable characters in the Havok pack for the multi-player aspect of the game. Zeta Prime's alternate form is a Cybertronian muscle car with six wheels.

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