Energon Matrix
From Transformers Wiki
An Energon Matrix (エネルゴンマトリクス Enerugon Matorikusu) is a powerful device awarded only to Supreme Commanders of the Autobot or Maximal army, most often of the Convoy class. During Optimus Prime's time, there was only one Matrix of Leadership, but by Lio Convoy's time, multiple Matrices had been constructed.
Although the technology was jointly developed by humans and Autobots, the Energon Matrices are ultimately issued to Supreme Commanders at the discretion of Vector Sigma. As a result, some Transformers don't even know they have one until they activate it. Ostensibly a power booster, the exact nature and abilities of an Energon Matrix are largely mysterious, even to the Supreme Commander infused with one. Its abilities tend to be activated through extreme emotion, which often functions as a safeguard preventing Energon Matrix bearers from accessing its abilities except in the most dire of circumstances.
In addition to increasing a Supreme Commander's strength, Energon Matrices have been shown to deliver powerful energy blasts, energize the bodies of the user to enhance their inherent abilities, power-up weaponry, enable combination, enable fusion (totally different), enable cloning/reproduction, and even act as a direct conduit with Vector Sigma to give the user access to wisdom and guidance.
Essentially, the Energon Matrix will conveniently resolve a conflict, regardless of the nature of said conflict.
Contents |
Energon Matrix bearers
Power Core Combiner era
- Airmaster
- Buildmaster
- Choppermaster
- Clouder/Assaultmaster
- Combatmaster
- Dozermaster
- Grimmaster
- Jetmaster
- Marinemaster
- Racemaster
- Roadmaster
- Rollermaster
- Tankmaster
Post-G2 Era
- Rodimus Prime
- Fortress Maximus
- God Ginrai
- Grand Maximus
- Star Saber
- Dai Atlas
- Grimlock (borrowed Grimmaster's)
- Cutthroat (stolen from an unknown 'bot)
Beast Era
- Optimus Primal (only in Japanese continuity)
- Lio Convoy
- Lio Junior (copy of Lio Convoy's)
- Big Convoy
- Fire Convoy (see Car Robots cartoon)
- God Magnus (see Car Robots cartoon)
- Reverse Convoy
- Black Convoy (see Transformers Legends comic)
- Galva Convoy
Fiction
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
United EX
Under the supervision of Professor Chase, Energon Matrix technology was created as a joint effort between the Autobots and humankind in the 21st century. The Energon Matrix was developed to power their newly created Power Core Combination technology, though Professor Chase had reservations regarding what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands. The Mighty Bolt Alas, Chase's fears came to pass when the bodiless Decepticon leader Scrash tried to seize control of the Assaultmaster unit. Hope for the Next Generation
Ask Vector Prime
Scrash unleashed the "Prime Mode Plague of 2036", and was only defeated at great cost. Records of the conflict were sealed away, as was Energon Matrix technology, until it was eventually unearthed during the era of the Maximals and Predacons. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/17
Metrowars
After a brutal attack from Metrotitan, Marinemaster was knocked out and woke up on Minerva and Glit's operating table with a new body. He rejected the Marinemaster name, as he no longer had an Energon Matrix. Metrowars
Legends comic
Scourge was able to steal an Energon Matrix from Vector Sigma and incorporated it into his chest during a body refit. The device granted him a new attack known as the "Matrix Dead Maser", an energy beam fired from his chest windows, which he used to defeat Sky-Byte during a duel. Bonus Edition Vol. EX
Star Saber, Ginrai, Fortress Maximus, Grand Maximus, and Hot Rod all would come to possess Energon Matrices. Hot Rod's Energon Matrix ended up saving his life and allowed him to reassume his Rodimus Prime identity. Their combined energies would help recharge Optimus Prime's Matrix of Leadership in the fight against Dark Nova. LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two
Generations Selects Special Comic
Beast Wars II cartoon
While Lio Convoy was recovering from a Predacon attack, Gaia's Angolmois Energy took his Energon Matrix and split it in two, resulting in Lio Junior. The new Maximal held the belief that he was Lio Convoy's offspring but the Supreme Commander refused to share the sentiment. Enter Lio Junior
Later, when Lio Convoy and Optimus Primal teamed-up to take down Majin Zarak, they displayed the various functions of their Energon Matrices in battle. Lio Convoy used the power of his Matrix to upgrade his speed by transforming himself into Flash Lio Convoy. Optimus Primal did a similar move by upgrading his strength as Burning Optimus Primal.
After that, they unleashed the power of their Matrices and combined the force into a "Double Matrix Blaster". This move sent a torrent of powerful energy directly into Majin Zarak, killing him. Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!
Lio Convoy's Matrix would go on to protect him in the final battle against Galvatron in Nemesis, creating a barrier so that he would not be killed by the artificial planet's stream of Angolmois Energy. Lio Junior would eventually find his "father" and they merged into the legendary "Green Lion", whose resulting combined Energon Matrix gave him immense power to handle the Predacons. Legend! The Green Warrior
Beast Wars Neo cartoon
One of the most skillful, yet most anti-social members of the Maximals, Big Convoy, was shown to carry a Matrix. However, Vector Sigma took a more proactive approach with Big Convoy than with most others. After each battle, Vector Sigma would speak through Big Convoy and dispense wisdom to his new recruits who so desperately needed it. Big Convoy, Move Out Eventually, this sentimentality rubbed off on Big Convoy and he began dispensing wisdom all on his own. Dinosaur Combiner Magmatron
When Unicron attacked Cybertron and possessed Vector Sigma, ultimately turning Cybertron into his new body, Big Convoy's Matrix proved to be the only thing capable of stopping him. When Unicron briefly exited Vector Sigma to do battle with the Maximals, Big Convoy removed his Matrix and used it to power his Big Cannon, turning it into the Matrix Buster. Firing a powerful blast of Matrix energy into Unicron, the Chaos-bringer was seemingly destroyed and evicted from Vector Sigma. The Final Battle
Car Robots cartoon
Fire Convoy came equipped with an Energon Matrix that he could call on the power of in moments of great emotion, at which point his body would glow with its green light. Awaken to Righteousness! Black Convoy
Unfortunately for Fire Convoy, his brother God Magnus was furious at being passed over for the leadership role, and about halfway through Fire Convoy's campaign against Gigatron on Earth in the year 2000, God Magnus arrived on the planet with the intent to take the Energon Matrix for himself. Enter! God Magnus When he attempted to absorb the energy of the Matrix and Fire Convoy's own consciousness, he forced a fusion with Fire Convoy that merged the two brothers into God Fire Convoy. God Magnus intended to dominate the control of this new form, but found Fire Convoy's will too strong to overcome, forcing the two brothers to cooperate with each other in order for God Fire Convoy to properly function. Forced Fusion! God Fire Convoy
God Magnus later discovered a power akin to an Energon Matrix within himself and inadvertently channeled this energy into the 3 Car Robo Brothers, powering them up. God Magnus pondered the possibility of his already having an Energon Matrix of his own, but deemed that impossible. Desperate Situation! 3 Car Robo Brothers The discovery of this new energy within God Magnus puzzled Fire Convoy as well, who wondered if God Magnus really did possess his own Energon Matrix all along. Later still, during a fierce battle that proved too much for the 3 Car Robo Brothers and Fire Convoy to handle by themselves, God Magnus's mysterious energy resurfaced, stimulating him to fuse with his brother into God Fire Convoy once more. Activate! Double Matrix! God Magnus would later confirm that this new power within him really was his own Energon Matrix. Gelshark's Blues
In the final battle against Devil Gigatron at Earth's core, Brave Maximus channeled all his energy into God Fire Convoy to give his leader the power boost that he hoped would ensure triumph. The extra energy combined with that of the Energon Matrix and it burst forth, coalescing into the colossal Super God Sword, which God Fire Convoy used in an attempt to claim victory. Final Battle! Fire Convoy
Ask Vector Prime
Reverse Convoy carried an Energon Matrix. Unfortunately, this made him a target for the dimension-hopping Matrix Hunter Grand Scourge. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/27
Bom Bom manga continuity
Beast Wars II manga
After being approved to be a Convoy by a council, the Maximal who would become Lio Convoy received an Energon Matrix. Free the Captured Matrix!
During a battle with Galvatron on the ruined land of Japan, Lio Convoy refused to team up with Galvatron in the name of the Energon Matrix. Galvatron then used Angolmois Energy to "pollute" Lio Convoy's Matrix, causing him lose his senses and grow into a giant. Lio Convoy violently defeated Galvatron with ease before attacking his fellow Maximals. Optimus Primal showed up and purged his Matrix via a single touch. Free the Captured Matrix!
Much later, Lio Convoy used his Energon Matrix to cure the mammoth Big, who was mortally wounded by a Giganotosaurus. The power of Energon Matrix not only cured him, but made him become a Convoy-class Transformer. The Beast Wars "Neo" Begin!!!
Beast Wars Neo manga
After Big Convoy successfully destroyed Unicron's physical form by stabbing his right eye with Magma Blade, Unicron's essence emerged from his eye and plastered itself on Big Convoy's body, trying to possess him. Big Convoy took the Matrix out from his chest and unleashed its power, sacrificing himself and successfully destroying Unicron once and for all. Return to Zero
Beast Wars: Uprising
The energon matrix [sic] was created by humanity in the 21st century. When the Great War was forcibly ended by the Human Confederacy, Cerebros contacted them, and though his request for them to restore the Witwickys was denied, they did grant him the energon matrix to replace the destroyed Vector Sigma. Head Games The energon matrix became the source of life which the Builders of Cybertron used to create the Maximals and Predacons as proxy armies to continue a never-ending Autobot-Decepticon conflict. After the Builders deemed that enough new lives existed to supply gladiatorial cannon fodder for the Games, they hid the energon matrix in the frame of Lio Convoy, who became the protégé of Eject, the Administrator of the Games. Upon explaining the purpose of their rebellion, Blackarachnia broke Lio Convoy's windshield to reveal it to her fellow rebels, explaining to them and Lio Convoy that it was the key to freeing Cybertron from Builder rule. Thereafter, Lio Convoy interrupted the 1924th Games in Dodecahex to publicly expose the Builders' lies, demonstrating his energon matrix as proof that the Builders had squandered their opportunity to create a better world.
After Lio Convoy initiated the Grand Uprising, Eject avoided the death penalty by proposing a solution to the Builder Assembly: clone Lio Convoy's CNA to create an army of energon matrix-infused soldiers. The Assembly approved of this idea. Broken Windshields
The idea was initially a success, with the newly created Galva Convoy being willing to try and create a new race. However, in short order he started learning of the nature of the Cybertron he'd awoken into, nudged on by an unknown voice. Spurned on by his despair, he decided to take a new tack: Corrupt the matrix inside himself, and the sparks along with it, bluffing the unaware Eject by claiming he needed time to study it. Not All Megatrons Eventually, Galva Convoy succeeded, using the corrupted matrix to produce the first three Vehicons Derailment
Toys
Beast Wars
- Optimus Primal (Ultra, 1996/1997/1998)
- Burning Convoy (Ultra)
- Known designers: Yuichiro Hira (TakaraTomy), Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
- The decoration at the center of Beast Wars Optimus Primal's chest is an ex post facto Energon Matrix.
- The clear-red redeco of Optimus Primal, with gold "flame" markings represents "Convoy" after unleashing the energy of his Energon Matrix and becoming Burning Convoy.
- Lio Convoy (Ultra, 1998)
- Black Lio Convoy (Ultra, 1998)
- Flash Lio Convoy (Ultra, 1998)
- Known designers: Hisashi Yuki (TakaraTomy)
- Lio Convoy's Energon Matrix is built into his left breast and is revealed by opening a panel.
- The Flash Lio Convoy decoration represents Lio Convoy after unleashing his Energon Matrix energy.
- Big Convoy (Ultra, 1999)
- Duel of the Universe: Big Convoy VS Magmatron (Vs pack, 1999)
- Gold Big Convoy (Ultra, 1999)
- Blue Big Convoy (Ultra, 1999)
- Known designers: Hisashi Yuki (TakaraTomy)
- Beast Wars Neo Big Convoy's Matrix is a separately molded piece that can be stored in his chest. It is a red orb with a gold, vacuum-metalized shell, and it can be held with its 5mm handles. Notably, this is the first removable "Matrix" accessory.
Beast Wars accessory mold: Big Convoy's Energon Matrix | ||
---|---|---|
Version 1:
Version 2:
* = repurposed matrices
|
Car Robots
- Fire Convoy (Super, 2000)
- Black Super Fire Convoy (Super, 2000/2001)
- Clear Super Fire Convoy (Super, 2000)
- Black God Fire Convoy (Giftset, 2000)
- Clear God Fire Convoy (Giftset, 2000)
- Known designers: Hisashi Yuki (TakaraTomy), Junichi Akutsu (concept artist)
- Car Robots Fire Convoy has a little door on his chest that hides a sculpted Matrix. It cannot be removed.
Robotmasters
- Lio Convoy (Deluxe, 2005)
- Lio Convoy + DVD (Deluxe, 2005)
- Robotmasters Lio Convoy is a scaled-down, simplified, all-new, Deluxe-sized Lio Convoy. He retains his Energon Matrix, which is still built into his left breast and is revealed by opening a panel.
Legends
- Available only as a Tokyo Toy Show 2015 exclusive, Legends Black Convoy is a redeco of Transformers Optimus Prime. He features a non-detachable Energon Matrix molded onto the inside of the cab's side windows which is visible through the windshield/chest in robot mode.
- Blue Big Convoy (2019-02)
Encore
- Big Convoy (January 26, 2019)
- In this Encore reissue, Big Convoy has numerous deco changes to be more anime-accurate.
- Big Convoy (Matrix Buster Ver.) (February 28, 2020)
Power of the Primes
- Dinobot Grimlock (Voyager Class, 2018)
- Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro), Robby Musso (concept artist)
- The Dinobot Enigma of Combination is able to plug into either Power of the Primes or Generations Selects Grimlock's T. rex mode mouth or any of the Prime Armor accessories from the Power of the Primes toyline.
- Terrorcon Hun-Gurrr (Voyager Class, 2018)
- Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)
Legacy
- Maximal Leo Prime (Voyager Class, 2023)
- Nemesis Leo Prime (Voyager Class, 2023)
- Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Shuhei Umezu (TakaraTomy)[1]
- Part of the first wave of Voyagers in Legacy: Evolution, "Maximal Leo Prime" transforms from an anime-accurate version of his robot mode (with the bottom set of abs unpainted) to a realistic white & gold lion. His left pectoral can open, revealing a chamber with a non-removable Energon Matrix that is Fire Blast effect-compatible.
- Omega Prime (2025)
- Series: Robots in Disguise 2001 / Legacy
- TakaraTomy name: God Fire Convoy (ゴッドファイヤーコンボイ)
- Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro), Hisashi Yuki (TakaraTomy)[2], Hiroyuki Taiga (concept artist),[3] Dave White (product photography), Nick and Tony Colella (sculptors)[4]
- Part of the fourth HasLab campaign, two accessories explicitly labeled as Energon Matrices in TakaraTomy markets[5] ("Matrix of Leadership accessories" for everyone else) are included in this enormous Legacy box set of the two Robots in Disguise / Car Robots commanders: one reproducing Fire Convoy's original molded chest detail as a removable accessory and one for God Magnus's previously only mentioned Energon Matrix.
- Omega Prime was revealed on January 30, 2024, with the crowdfunding campaign beginning soon after. The project reached 50% funding in only 24 hours, beating all three previous Transformers HasLabs. It reached full funding on February 9th, 2024, in only ten days - three times quicker than the previous record holder, Deathsaurus.[6] At the closing bell on March 14, the set clocked in at 28,230 backers, beating the previous Transformers record by quite a fair margin (Deathsaurus again, with 27,442) and coming in second only to Marvel Legends Galactus as the most successful project in HasLab history.[7]
Notes
- The Transformers: Car Robots Warriors Battle Guidebook describes Fire Convoy's Energon Matrix as a computer that stores battle data.
References
- ↑ Transformers Panel at Hasbro Pulse Con 2022 Day 1 on the Hasbro Pulse YouTube channel.
- ↑ January 30, 2024's Hasbro Pulse | Transformers: Legacy RID 2001 Omega Prime HasLab Fanstream | January 2024 on YouTube, with Ben MacCrae and Evan Brooks.
- ↑ Interview with Hasbro designer Evan Brooks on the Triple Takeover podcast, from their YouTube channel
- ↑ March 7, 2024's Hasbro Pulse | Transformers 40th Anniversary Fanstream | March 7, 2024 on YouTube, with Ben MacCrae, Evan Brooks and Mark Maher.
- ↑ TakaraTomy Mall page for the Omega Prime / God Fire Convoy HasLab campaign.
- ↑ "Exciting news! The #HasLab campaign for #Transformers: Legacy #RobotsInDisguise 2001 #OmegaPrime has achieved its goal with 10,000 backers! A massive thank you to all the incredible fans who made this possible – your support has truly brought Omega Prime to life!"—Hasbro Pulse, Twitter, 2024/02/09
- ↑ The Omega Prime HasLab campaign at Hasbro Pulse