#tf retribution

[emperor-kumquat]

Transformers Aligned Novels : Various : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Transformers - The Covenant of Primus Transformers - The Art of PrimeTransformers - ExodusTransformers - ExilesTransformers - Retribution

You ever want to read the Covenant of Primus or the other Transformers Prime novels or the Art of Prime? Magic link, boom

[novafire-is-thinking]

Idealistic and Stubborn

In TFP, one of the defining aspects of Optimus’ characterization is his stubborn belief that Megatron is not lost—that he can overcome his lust for power.

By the end of Predacons Rising, he was proven correct, but there was very little beforehand that gave any indication that Megatron would change.

In spite of this, Optimus refused to believe Megatron had fallen beyond redemption.

Potential, Potential, Potential

“Everything always fools you,” Makeshift said. “Megatron was right about a lot of things, but he especially knew you. Naive, he said. Vulnerable because you keep on insisting that the best in bots might show through even when all the evidence is to the contrary. (Exiles)

Optimus views the world and other people in terms of their greatest potential for good. He can’t help but look beyond the present reality and see a perfect ideal. He then finds it nearly impossible to let go of this perfect ideal, no matter what reality looks like.

But I Can Change Him!

Peace with the ones with whom war had been waged for eons. . .The Autobots might have believed it to be impossible, but Optimus was willing to give it a try because whatever anyone else might say, he knew that Megatron wasn’t entirely evil. (Retribution)

There was absolutely nothing anyone could have said that would have convinced Optimus that Megatron was evil to his core. This strength of conviction made Optimus a force to be reckoned with. I can only assume that after a while, those under his leadership gave up trying to change his mind. They recognized his incredible strength of will as an asset to the Autobot cause, even if they didn’t agree with him when it came to Megatron.

“Idiotic” Instincts

What happened next was pure instinct. Optimus reached out and grabbed Megatron with one arm, then used his legs and other arm to climb, pulling them both out of the rising white water. A dazed Megatron looked around.

“What are you doing?” he yelled.

“Saving your life,” Optimus told him.

“You’re an idiot, librarian.”

“Thanks for your opinion,” Optimus said. (Retribution)

This was only one of several times Optimus could have ended Megatron’s life.

However, the belief that Megatron could and would change was so deeply embedded in Optimus’ psyche that even though he may have reasoned Megatron’s death was best, his instincts overrode everything.

At that point, Optimus was operating on the old assumption that there was still a part of Megatron left untainted by the lust for power. I believe some part of Optimus hoped that the act of saving Megatron’s life would make the warlord reevaluate things. Optimus was blind to the reality that Megatron’s purely opportunistic mindset would just see it as an opportunity to continue working toward his twisted personal vision.

More than once in TFP, we saw Optimus hesitate to kill Megatron when he could have done so and ended Megatron’s reign of chaos and destruction.

Optimus did eventually snap and confront Megatron as Unicron was awakening, but by then, it was too late. Megatron had grown too powerful from giving himself fully to the influence of Dark Energon and Unicron himself.

Responsibility vs. Hope

Megatron’s obsession with Unicron disturbs me. I see that he is convinced that awakening the monster would grant him the power he’s always desired. Only I know the absolute naivete of that assumption. Still, nothing I can say alters his course. You can tow a bot to knowledge, but you cannot make it think. He has had a taste for Dark Energon for a while now, and constant exposure to it only accelerates his departure into delusions. Must I wait for one of his aides to start an insurrection, as his madness increases? What is the likelihood? Starscream is too fearful, Shockwave is served well by Megatron no matter how insane, Airachnid has failed and must be considered out of play. Soundwave—well, who knows what goes through his mind since the war? The rest are too small-minded to organize a rebellion in a tack factory. No, it will not be any of them who topple him from his throne. Rightfully the deed is mine, though I did not make him into what he is; he was my friend, and once my brother. I would not see him fall farther, but at the same time, I find no way to hold him back other than by recruiting the humans to the Autobot cause, if not for our survival, then certainly for theirs. (CoP)

Megatron refused to allow anyone but himself be the one to kill Optimus. Similarly, Optimus believed the responsibility to stop Megatron fell on him alone.

For Optimus, there was a constant inner war between his sense of responsibility telling him he was the “right” one to stop Megatron, and his instincts rooted in idealism telling him that Megatron still had the potential for change.

When Strength Becomes Weakness

Optimus’ refusal to believe Megatron had fallen beyond redemption was closely tied to his difficulty unseeing potential and seeing things as they were. This stubborn idealism was one of Optimus’ greatest strengths and one of his worst weaknesses. It enabled him to survive the most brutal of circumstances, but it also enabled him to allow Megatron’s reign of terror to last much longer than it would have otherwise.

“Megatron has fallen, Optimus.”

“I cannot bring myself to believe that.”

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series master post

[novafire-is-thinking]

A Leader is a Dealer in Hope

I wish to provide a glimpse into Optimus’ leadership style with this post. The following excerpts speak for themselves, for the most part, so I’ll just add a few comments at the end.

Willingness to Listen

Optimus Prime listened to Prowl’s report and, when Prowl was finished, added only a single word. “Recommendation?” (Exiles)

Setting An Example

“I’m not going to lead by force and by fiat. I’m going to lead by example.” (Exiles)

Freedom of Will

“And if any of you do not wish to be selected, I will not think less of you. Take some time and think about it. You don’t know where we’ll end up, what might be waiting for us there, or whether you’ll be able to get back. Junkion’s no paradise, but there are plenty of worse places.”

“We’re with you, Prime,” Jazz said.

Optimus Prime was touched. (Exiles)

Rising Above

Privately Optimus was furious, but right now his people needed a leader, and as Prime he knew that this was one of those occasions when he had to stand tall for the rest of them. “You’re chastising yourself far worse than I could,” he added. (Retribution)

Feeling Lost

Optimus seemed to hesitate, then said, “I’ve been having some issues, Ironhide.”

“Tell me about it,” Ironhide said. “This is a bad situation we’re in.”

“Not those kinds of issues,” Optimus replied. He pointed to the Matrix. “In here. I’m having trouble trusting my own intuition. I need you to help keep me ... Be my eyes and ears. Let me know if I seem to be acting oddly and not realizing it. Will you do that for me, old friend?” (Retribution)

Masking Again

Optimus was trying to keep up a good front. His men needed him to be strong. He didn’t need a Matrix of Leadership to tell him that. (Retribution)

Conclusion

As a leader, Optimus’ gifts were/are:

remaining humble enough to listen to those under him

guiding his men as opposed to forcing obedience

respecting individual choices and not belittling anyone for not standing by him

controlling his anger so as not to alienate comrades and therefore run the risk of jeopardizing future missions

knowing whom to ask when he’s unsure

regaining his footing in personal/internal matters

And his weaknesses:

inability or unwillingness to reconnect with his emotions outside of combat and military situations

not trusting his own intuition and relying too heavily on The Matrix for guidance

not knowing when to ask for help and thinking he must carry his heaviest burdens alone

an overly self-sacrificial mindset

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series master post