Swarm (G2)

The Swarm is a cloud-like entity from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Alas! Great Xal did not protect Mindset.

The Swarm is a cloudlike black mass, accidentally created by a misuse of the form of Transformer reproduction called budding, under the direction of the Liege Maximo and the Cybertronian Empire. Though very different from Transformers on the surface, its genetic material and cellular structure are identical to the Transformers, betraying its origin. It seeks out and destroys life, literally "eating" mechanical (but not, apparently, organic) living beings, in a fairly horrific fashion. The Swarm is hollow and blindly hungry for the soul/power/mission of Primus that it lacks, and so is drawn specifically to Transformers, though it will eat other forms of life in its blind attempts to complete itself.

Fiction

Marvel Generation 2 comic

Optimus Prime continued to experience feelings of vague dread and visions of decay that he could not define. War Without End!

To clarify his thoughts, Prime had himself hooked up to a psychic amplifier in order to communicate directly with the Creation Matrix. The Matrix showed him that early on the Transformers reproduced by budding. The second generation Decepticons unlocked the latent process that was still present inside each Transformer to create their army. However, Prime severed the psychic link before the Matrix could reveal the side effect of this abuse of the budding process—the Swarm. The Power and the Glory

The Swarm attacked the Esk clones on the planet Fara. The Gathering Darkness The Autobots discovered the aftermath of a Swarm attack on the moon J'asik. They studied the scene looking for clues to what caused the destruction. The Swarm had moved on to the planet J'asik orbits, Karn, to destroy a group of Cybertronians led by Mindset. Through feeding on the Cybertronians, it gained knowledge of the Transformers. Swarm

This is why you shouldn't eat Jehovah's Witnesses.

Autobot scientists were able to analyze some of the remains of the Swarm leftover on J'asik and made a startling discovery. The Swarm's genetic sequence was identical to Transformers. Prime reasoned the Swarm were somehow related to the vision of budding the Matrix revealed to him. Tales of Earth Part Six

Near the Fringe Worlds, the Swarm devoured Battalion Xerxes and learned that the Cybertronians were headed toward the planet Earth. Total War!

This led the Swarm to Earth Tales of Earth Part Eight where it caused much destruction. Combined Autobot/Decepticon forces put up what defense they could, and some were able to protect themselves with Rheanimum, but Optimus Prime knew their efforts would fail. He refused the Rheanimum and instead fed both himself and the Matrix to the Swarm, filling it with Primus's vision, and hence turning it into a force for creation rather than mindless destruction. In an attempt to make amends, it recreated Prime in a new body, before departing. A Rage in Heaven!

3H comics

The Vok told Primal Prime that they were "tempered by the darkness of the Swarm" and "forged in the purity of the Matrix". Primeval Dawn This isn't very clear, as things go.

Wings Universe

At one point in his long and illustrious military career, Ginrai saved the Bomber Project from the Swarm. Apelinq's personal logs, 2014/06/19

TransTech

One version of Ghoulon who arrived in Axiom Nexus hailed from a universe destroyed by the Swarm. Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/19

Ask Vector Prime

Vector Prime speculated that the mysterious Vok could have been the Swarm made ascendant. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/16 He also speculated that it might have been the Swarm who tried but did not very well stabilize the network of universal streams centering around Primax 785.06 Alpha. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/22

In one reality, the inhabitants of Karn created statues of paintings to commemorate Vector Prime and Alchemist Prime for defending their world against the Swarm. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/14

2006 IDW Beast Wars continuity

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Dawn of the Predacus

Beast Wars: Uprising

At some point during or after the 21st century, the Swarm threatened to destroy the Earth only to be stopped by Optimus Prime unleashing the Matrix of Leadership within the Swarm, costing him his second life and destroying the artifact but purifying the Swarm and sparing Earth. The natives weren't very grateful. Book of Logos

Following the Grand Uprising, Rampage tracked down Deluge to query him for his reasons on creating additional Point One Percenters. The ex-Decepticon revealed the long history of Point One Percenters being essential in saving the Cybertronian race throughout their history, using the Swarm as one of his examples. The Inexorable March

Notes

• Extra-canonical comments from Beast Wars creators suggested that the Swarm eventually evolved into the alien race known as the Vok. The details of this were discussed but never formally decided upon and did not make it into the show. The 3H fan club material was intended to solidify this connection, but does not go into very specific detail.