Um stupid headcanon
What if Optimus Prime wasn’t really a prime but was a subject to a form of shadowplay but not only just messing with his personality, his mind too. Orion Pax was depicted to be a more peaceful happy go lucky type of mech while Optimus is a stoic leader type. I got this idea when I was creating an oc and just thought, “hey what if the Matrix of Leadership was actually a faux story to control ‘out of control’ mechs.” What I mean is, they (the counsel probably) could have used the Matrix in replace for Megatronus’s life (when in reality they were tricking him into becoming a weapon to use against Megatronus’s forces) If Orion agreed to become “a prime” then they would spare Megatronus’s life. (I’m sure you can tell I read too many MegOp fanfics) the Matrix in TFP seemed pretty good at wiping Optimus memory when he got the so called Matrix’s power back.
(My headcanon was: my oc- Sino Prime was Orion’s sire because through my little research I never found who Orion’s real sire or carrier were- or he didn’t have one idfk.)
In my mind Orion Pax was already a prime or becoming one in age (aka a young prime that didn’t know his full ability) when he met Megatronus (and we all know they became friends and whatnot) so when the decepticons began to form the counsel noticed and needed to find a way to stop this from happening so they developed a different shadowplay that could completely wipe someone’s processor to a clean slate, making them forgot who they were and what they stood for. They knew how close the two were (because they make it pretty obvious). Sino who found out about their plans a little later (on the day Megatronus and Orion came to convince the counsel they’re wrong) which made him grow weary of what was to come next. This part I actually got from a fanfic (forgot the name but I’ll try to find it) where the counsel purposely pissed off Megatron so Orion then took over. The counsel only listened to Orion and gave him a offer to help save Megatronus’s life (I don’t think that part was in it but I’m trying). Orion being the loyal bean agreed thinking he was helping out the cause only to be tricked. When Sino found them he tried to stop them but the counselors had already done the deed (ps I didn’t want to make Sino disrupt the story too bad so I kept him lowkey- he’s still a prime and strong but yeah... I know how some peeps are when some make their oc too important when the story isn’t about them- anywho). The counselors had completely wiped his mind, the once happy archivist was now a stoic machine ready to battle. (Since the Matrix I believe changes frames so ye) The counsel renamed him and made new Optimus Prime try and offline Sino. Instead of offlining him they put him in stasis (because I’m also one of those people who hate to kill off their faves) for the rest of his life. Then the rest is history and we all knew how that went. All in all Optimus Prime is a weaponnn. The Matrix of Leadership is a cap to block the real spark from their own frame and replaced with a hollow shell.
Edit: ok remember when I said hollow, yeah so I thought something up. After a long while of war I can imagine he begins gaining his own personality as Optimus since he begins to care a little for those around him (ex: not being able to offline Megatron when he was at his mercy). Or once something causes the program to start running a little more hardcore along with the older he gets; the weaker and more outdated the program becomes making it easier for Orion to try and come through.
Was this ass? Yes. Did I think of this in like 10 minutes? No, it was 5 minutes. Are you cringing? Yes. Anywho thanks to those who wasted their time and read this :) I appreciate it. Ok time o go back in my hole of creating more tf ocs...