Really should have been called the Jhiaxian Academy for Advanced Mechanics.

Named after the famous scientist Jhiaxus and administered in turn by his former student, the Senator Shockwave, the Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology or J.A.A.T. is an educational institution on Cybertron. What is less well known is that it also serves as a haven for outliers—those Transformers possessing unique powers that do not match their alternate modes.

Known attendees include:

• Glitch for his power to disrupt electricity
• Scoop
• Skids for his ability to learn any skill
• Windcharger for his electromagnetic arms
• Trailbreaker for his ability to generate forcefields^[1]
• Skywarp for his teleportation abilities
• Thundercracker for this ability to create sonic booms
• Soundwave for his mind-reading powers
• An angry guy

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

Shockwave himself founded the Academy on his first day as Senator, dedicating it to his lost teacher. Shockwaves

At some point, the NAIL protester gave a lecture protesting against the Senate's prevailingly functionist policies at the Academy, which was broadcast live. Patternism

Skywarp and Thundercracker met each other at the Academy but found themselves, at least in Skywarp's opinion, treated as second-class citizens due to their flight capable alternate modes. The two eventually left the academy after they fell in Starscream's employ. Starscream: The Movie

When he uncovered a plot to assassinate Shockwave, the Rodion police captain Orion Pax sent Roller and Ratchet to the J.A.A.T. to take the Senator into protective custody. Skids attempted to intervene but was intimidated by the much larger Roller. Patternism

When Orion Pax devised a plan to steal a bomb disguised as the Matrix from the body of Nominus Prime lying in state at the Primal Basilica, Shockwave recruited three outliers from the Academy to assist him—Glitch, Skids, and Windcharger. Although their mission was successful, while they were away the Academy of Advanced Technology was burnt down (which was blamed on a faulty propex conduit) and the Senate sent their Heavies along with Macabre and Kroma to Rodion police HQ to kidnap Shockwave.

Recounting these events four million years later aboard the Lost Light, Skids noted how everyone omitted the "Jhiaxian" part of the Academy's name. An Intimate Beheading

Notes

• The Academy is a clear homage to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters from X-Men.

References