Source: The Transformers: The Movie Comic #3 in a 3 issue limited series

Comments: Here's something you don't see every day... the Matrix of leadership, not depicted as the grand 'mini-Unicron' thing it normally is. No, instead it's drawn as a... a... a coconut!!

Rodimus cracks open the Matrix with his hands... proving that the reason Magnus and Galvatron couldn't open it was because they just weren't young enough to be good at rubix-cube style puzzles.

Another strange thing about this is that big speech that Rodimus is making. It's the tail end of a speech that lasts almost two pages. So much for a faithful adaptation of the movie...

Oh and don't think that Rodimus was the only Transformer to hold the Matrix Coconut, for as we know, by the story of the movie, there were others who possessed the Matrix...

Source: The Transformers: The Movie comic, #1 in a 3 issue limited series

Comments: Ultra Magnus (I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!) receives the incredible and all-powerful Autobot Coconut of Leadership.

He doesn't look too impressed by it, I admit, but you have to understand that he hasn't slept. He's been defending Autobot city all day. He's got Hot Rod and Kup to worry about, and he can't even deal with THAT now. So it's a understandable if he's a little underwhelmed about receiving a coconut.

I also find it amazing that he can utter the line 'This is a great time of sorrow, fellow Autobots', with his finger on his crotch, and still keep a straight face.

Source: The Transformers: The Movie comic, #3 in a 3 issue limited series

Comments: Galvatron seems a lot more impressed by this thing than Magnus was.

More than likely, Galvatron was starting to go insane at that point...

I note that Galvatron spent most of the time with the Matrix chained around his neck, as seen in both the movie and the adaptation. He didn't seem to work out that the Matrix goes into your CHEST. Scourge worked this out, Ultra Magnus worked this out, even Starscream worked this out. The only one who couldn't work this out was a freakin' Quintesson.

We've seen almost anyone, including a Quintesson, be able to tap the power of the Matrix, so clearly Galvatron was doing something wrong. I wonder if the fact that he was Unicron's creation had anything to do with it. Wait... then what's with Scourge? Maybe there was just something seriously wrong with Galvy. Yeah, that's a safe assumption. 

Source: UK Transformers issue #186

Comments: Oh, and speaking of Quintessons tapping the power of the Matrix, here's Ghyrik.

Ghyrik was a Quintesson general (NOTE: he was designed after the executioner Quint in the movie) who tricked Rodimus Prime into taking out the Matrix to make Arcee feel better. Once Arcee was all 'back to life', Ghyrik snatched the Matrix, leaving Rodimus to turn back into Hot Rod.

Later, when the Quintessons seemed sure of losing, Ghyrik put the Matrix around his neck (he's a Quint, he can't open up his chest as easily, or some crap), and TAPPED ITS POWER! That's right, Ghyrik, the Quintesson used the POWER of the Matrix to light HIS darkest hour.

Of course, Hot Rod tricked Ghyrik, took the Matrix back, then smacked the poor little Quint down.

Source: UK Transformers issue #185

Comments: Of course, someone had to bring Ghyrik the Matrix, right? You bet they did! And in this case it was a random Quintesson on a bike! That's right, the sacred Creation Matrix has even been manhandled by a random Quintesson on a bike. Weird stuff.

Take note that when the Quintesson is riding of the Matrix is smoking with power. Is that random guard also tapping the power of the Matrix?

Source: Transformers US issue #65

Comments: Okay, it's weird to think of a Quintesson tapping the power of the Matrix, but check this creature out. This thing is called 'The Matrix Spawn'. It was a tiny little creature which was effectively a killing-machine. The little creature curled up inside the Matrix (sorta) to die.

Only the Matrix played with it, making it stronger, faster, and more alive. Oh, and huge. Damn huge. 

The Matrix Spawn then slaughtered the crew of a local exploration station, and ended up in a one-on-one battle against Lord Thunderwing of the Decepticons. Thunderwing killed him, and took the Matrix away. 

Source: Transformers UK issue #151

Comments: Yeah, I know, an Alien rip-off and a Quintesson getting the Matrix, even for a little while is weird.

Death's Head isn't an Alien rip-off. He's not a Quintesson. He's a Freelance Peacekeeping Agent (don't call him Bounty Hunter...) and probably Simon Furman's coolest creation.

The fact that he had the Matrix, even for just a few seconds, makes THIS the coolest image in Transformers history. There is no other cooler. This is it. 

Well, except maybe for the next image...

Source: Transformers: Generation 2 issue #10

Comments: Ahhh, Starscream.

Simon Furman liked the Matrix. He used it a lot. Simon Furman also seemed to like Starscream, and used him a lot. It was therefore inevitable that someday, some how, Starscream would get the Matrix.

Starscream used the power of the Matrix to become, well, all-powerful. He merged his body with the moon-sized battleship known as the Warworld, then proceeded to kick the crap out of Jhiaxus' troops. However, screamer gave up the Matrix when he realised it was turning him good.

Yeah, that's right; the Matrix was corrupting Starscream, the same way it corrupted Thunderwing. Only not the same way, because he made Starscream good and Thunderwing genocidal. So it's not QUITE the same thing.

Source: Transformers Gen2, issue #6

Comments: In Transformers Generation 2, the Matrix got handed about quite a bit. Megatron took it out of Optimus, then handed it to Soundwave. Then it got taken  into the Warworld. Primus knows how many people were carrying it around before it got shoved into the weird Matrix-chamber in the Warworld.

But all that time, no one was holding the Matrix directly. All that time, the holder of the Matrix was... the Siphon! God knows why Megatron didn't take the Matrix out and put it in his own chest. (Probably because Megatron was Pre-Galvatron, Galvatron never really got the hang of the whole 'Matrix' thing.) But he didn't. He never even touched it. Only the Siphon did.

Ahhh, Phonimus Prime, we salute you!