I've got the Matrix!

If I asked you which Transformers have held the Matrix, you might snap out a quick list of "Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus".

If you were a more thoughtful cartoon watcher, you might also remember that Scourge had it in one episode, and that Alpha Trion had it for ages. A comic fan might note that Thunderwing possessed the Matrix at one point, and so did the earlier Primes; Prima, Prime Nova and Sentinel Prime.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. When in comes to who 'held' the Matrix, you're looking at every robot and his dog! This page is dedicated to that Strangest of images; a Transformer (or perhaps 'other') who you didn't expect to see holding the Matrix. Just so you know, this section isn't yet complete. I know of at least two others who held the Matrix (Buster Witwicky is one of them) who I don't have on my page yet. Be patient, though, and they should arrive.

Source: Transformers #65

Comments: This one has haunted my site for a long time: Bumblebee with the Matrix. I love this image, it's just so strange. Sure he's not wielding it. He's not becoming Beeimus Prime. But what you have here is a PINK Bumblebee, holding the Matrix.

That kicks your Fanboyimus Prime's butt any day.

The whole thing is pink because it's a flash back from Thunderwing. Apparently Decepticons think in pink.

Source: Gen1, Season 3 episode The Burden Hardest to Bear

Comments: Dead End. I bet you never guessed that HE once held the Matrix. Or maybe you did. I don't know you personally or anything.

Ahhh, Dead End, how glorious it would have been had you kept the Matrix.

Man the only thing that would have been cooler than Endimus Prime would have been if WILDRIDER had gotten the Matrix... oh... wait...

Source: Gen1, Season 3 episode The Burden Hardest to Bear

Comments: Wildrider. Wildrider. WIDLRIDER.

Okay, fanboys, THIS is the character who should become the next Prime. Write the fanfic. Now. (I won't read it, probably, but write it.)

Wildrider was a crazed, maniac on the road. Mothers Against Drink Driving (MADD; who incidentally also gave Inspector Gadget a lot of problems...) would HATE him.

But me, I love him. Wildrider as the new leader of the Autobots, wielding the awesome power of the Matrix? YES PLEASE!!

Source: Gen1, Season 3 episode The Burden Hardest to Bear

Comments: We all know what happened when THIS freak got the Matrix. He got all bulgy and went insane. Hopefully Monzo will get around to scanning me a few pictures of it. (Maybe I should ask him to do it first, instead of implying he's lazy...)

It's interesting that Scourge could tap the power of the Matrix when Galvatron never could. I wonder why that is... Could it be that the Decepticon who Scourge was made from had a Matrix affinity?

But, then, he wouldn't be the ONLY Decepticon with one of those...

Source: Transformers UK #293, but you might know it better as the final page of Transformers US #65.

Comments: Thunderwing got the Matrix and managed to use its power because he had a Matrix Affinity. Mostly it's Autobots who have a Matrix-affinity, but Thunderwing always was a unique kinda guy.

(At least, his mother always told him so. Don't worry Thundie, sure you're a butt-ugly robot-monster on the outside, but inside, you're special! ... Wait. No, that can't be right. On the inside Thunderwing's just a SMALLER butt-ugly robot monster.)

In the end, though, the Matrix actually used Thundie more than he used it.

Poor Thunderwing.

While Thunderwing had the Matrix we also learned a little about a few other 'Primes'. IE: Their names.

Source: Transformers US issue #61

Comments: Prima, the first of the Primes. At least according to the comic books. In the cartoon there appeared to be a crap load of Primes predating Optimus. In the comic books there were only three.

There's not too much odd about this guy though, just your average cool Geoff Senior Transformer.

Source: US Transformers issue #74

Comments: Prime Nova. This guy was the second of the Primes according to the Transformers comic books.

Again, this guy is one of the RIGHTFUL holders of the Matrix, not one of the weirdos who just stand around waving it and handing the Matrix on to the next person in the chain.

When this guy passed his Matrix on, he probably did it the old fashioned way; from his death bed.

Source: UK Transformers issue #150

Comments: This is Sentinel Prime, passing on the Matrix to Optimus Prime. Note that he, and Prima both look a fair bit like Rodimus Prime.

Note that this is also a case of me getting two of the Matrix Holders done in one go. Optimus and Sentinel.

NOTE: It wasn't until Optimus Prime that the 'imus' name convention started. The only two KNOWN Primes with 'imus' are Optimus and Rodimus. None of the others (Prima, Prime Nova, Sentinel Prime, Thunderwing) had the curse of the 'imus'.

Ahhh well.

Source: Gen1, Season 3 episode Five Faces of Darkness

Comments: This might be a little hard to make out, but what we have here is another 'passing of the Matrix' moment. Here we have what appears to be one of the cartoon Primes (he's never named) handing the Matrix over to Alpha Trion so he can hold it for a little while, until someone decent comes along to actually take care of the damn thing.

Still, Alpha Trion did hang onto the Matrix for what could have been a long time. So Alpha Trion, we salute you!

To make things more clear, here's the images of that generic guy dying, then passing the Matrix on: