The release of the first three movies in the live-action film series were accompanied by the publication of multiple pieces of tie-in media that supplemented and expanded on the world of the films. As was perhaps inevitable when multiple licensees were producing unrelated pieces of fiction, these stories did not always line up with one another one hundred percent, but most tend to fit together, and over time—mostly through the efforts of IDW Publishing writer John Barber—notable discrepancies would be explained away, enabling the creation of this expanded universe timeline.

However, following the end of the original trilogy of movies, most tie-in media has ceased publication, and new information revealed in the subsequent movies Age of Extinction and The Last Knight has appeared significantly and fundamentally irreconcilable with the larger timeline the tie-in media established. Hence, this timeline covers only the first three movies, and their associated media, including reference books, novels, comics, animation, and more. It's not to say that there are no contradictions to be found here, but time has papered over many of them, and this article relates details as generally as possible to minimize any confusion, with footnotes to explain any particularly egregious instances.

Contents 1 Prehistory 1.1 The Very Beginning 1.2 17,000 BC to 10,000 BC 1.3 10,000 BC onwards 2 19th Century 3 20th Century 3.1 1900s 3.2 1910s 3.3 1920s 3.4 1930s 3.5 1940s 3.6 1950s 3.7 1960s 3.8 1970s 3.9 1980s 3.10 1990s 4 21st Century 4.1 2003 to 2007 4.2 2007 4.3 2007 to 2009 4.4 2009 4.5 2009 to 2010 4.6 2010 to 2013 4.7 2013 5 Other timelines 6 Footnotes

Prehistory

The Very Beginning

According to legend, the Transformer race begins when the AllSpark falls from the sky onto the barren world that will become Cybertron, giving life to the planet, and to the first Cybertronian, Primus, Foundation #2 and from Primus and the cube come the Dynasty of Primes, a race of trans-dimensional beings able to walk across space and time through the use of sarcophagi. The Primes live in contentment until the distressing revelation that the AllSpark's power is not infinite, requiring the energy of suns in order to sustain its constant flow of Energon. Despite their powers, the Dynasty find themselves unable to find any stars to sacrifice to the AllSpark, and so the AllSpark responds to their need, giving life to the next of many generations of Cybertronians that will follow. These new creations are able to exploit the properties of living metal to reconfigure their bodies into alternate modes that will enable them to aid the Dynasty in their task: Seekers to search for suns, and construction drones to build the Star Harvesters that will absorb and convert the stars' energy into Energon. Defiance #4 The AllSpark also creates the Matrix of Leadership, the key that will activate these harvesters. Revenge of the Fallen (novel)

One of the Primes comes to believe that the AllSpark is "speaking" to him, and, in his pursuit of power, he breaks the Dynasty's one law: he destroys the sun of a life-bearing world. This prompts the Dynasty to establish a new restriction, requiring them all to be present for the activation of a harvester. Undeterred, the renegade Prime secretly handpicks a selection of Cybertronians to be part of a new faction under his leadership- the Decepticons. He builds a facsimile Matrix to carry on his work, but the counterfeit Matrix proves inferior when his next star-harvesting attempt backfires and floods his body with primal energies, driving him to total insanity. For his repeated infraction, the Prime is cast out of the Dynasty by his brethren and dubbed "The Fallen". Tales of the Fallen #4

17,000 BC to 10,000 BC

Circa 17,000 BC, The Fallen brings his Decepticons to Earth and begins the construction of a star harvester, knowing that this attack on a life-bearing world will draw his brothers into the trap he has prepared. One of the Fallen's Seekers, Jetfire, unable to countenance his master's dark acts any longer, rebels, prompting the Fallen to warp him and several of his other Decepticons away to battle elsewhere. Tales of the Fallen #3 Subsequently, the Primes arrive to stop The Fallen's plan, but find themselves unprepared for his strength, and are slaughtered in quick succession until only one remains. The last survivor uses the combined lifeforce of his departed fellows to banish The Fallen to another plane of reality, sealing his sarcophagus to prevent him from returning. For his final act, the last Prime gives up his own life to fuse his body, and the bodies of his brothers, into a tomb that will serve as the resting place of the Matrix. Tales of the Fallen #4^[1] The Fallen's Seekers begin searching the planet for the Matrix, but bereft of their master, their mission eventually degenerates into a series of interpersonal conflicts and challenges. Nefarious #5

Over the following 7,000 years, with none to tend the AllSpark, Cybertron's energy supply steadily diminishes, leading the Cybertronians to split into various warring factions, fighting over what little they had left. Foundation #1 The ferocity of this war wipes out any remaining traces of the Prime Dynasty and its descendants, save two: Optimus, hidden away to keep him safe, his knowledge of his true heritage lost, Revenge of the Fallen #3 and the elderly Sentinel Prime, the only robot who knows the stories of the Dynasty and the AllSpark to be anything more than legends. Recovering Optimus from hiding, Sentinel Prime rallies a small group to his side and with their aid, he uncovers and raises the lost AllSpark from beneath the planet's surface. The scientific skill of Wheeljack is employed to teleport a sun into Cybertronic space, which proves able to feed the AllSpark without being absorbed, thereby restoring energy and peace to Cybertron. The AllSpark is enshrined in a temple at Simfur, built by the Thetacons, Foundation #1 and protected by the Knights of Cybertron, an elite group assembled by the antiquarian Alpha Trion. Prepare for Battle

Sentinel reveals Optimus's heritage to him and offers him the position of leader of the new unified Cybertron, but Optimus does not believe that he is a Prime, and turns the offer down. Foundation #1 Instead, a dual leadership system is employed, with Optimus in charge of the archaeological Science Division, and his brother-in-arms Megatron in command of the militaristic Defense Force. Foundation #2 However, Megatron had overheard Sentinel and Optimus's conversation, and begins to resent Optimus thanks to the knowledge that he was always "second best" in Sentinel's eyes. Foundation #1

Around the same time, Megatron and Shockwave rescue Starscream from a Driller, the largest indigenous subterranean predator on Cybertron. Foundation #2 Shockwave becomes fascinated with the creature, and his studies of it eventually lead to Drillers being tamed and used as beasts of burden. Shockwave keeps one as a "pet", which he trains and equips for military purposes. Dark of the Moon novelization

Optimus and Megatron successfully lead Cybertron together for two generations, until the rise in activity of Malcontents who oppose the current government gives Megatron's rage and resentment an outlet, allowing him to claim the primary position of power in the name of protecting Cybertron. Foundation #2 Not long after, a dig by Optimus's Science Division uncovers The Fallen's intact sarcophagus. Defiance #1 Through its eyes, the renegade Prime sees in Megatron the making of an apprentice, and he makes contact with him after he has been badly wounded following a battle with invading aliens from the nearby Eshems Nebula. Defiance #2 Under The Fallen's influence, Megatron reshapes his Defense Force into a military dictatorship that becomes the new incarnation of the Decepticons. Simultaneously, further archaeological discoveries lead Optimus to realize that Sentinel was correct, and that he is indeed descended from the Primes. Galvanized by this realization, he raises a small army of followers, the Autobots, to stand against Megatron. Defiance #3 Following The Fallen's direction, Megatron has the starship Nemesis constructed; learning of this, the Autobots refurbished an older craft, the Ark, in preparation for Megatron's next move. Soon, the Nemesis leaves the planet, captained by Soundwave and with The Fallen's sarcophagus on board, to seek out Earth and the Matrix. Following the departure of the Nemesis, true war finally breaks out once more on Cybertron, and Optimus's Autobots and Megatron's Decepticons battle for control of the planet over untold years. Defiance #4

In the very early stages of the war, the ancient technology known as Power Core Combination is lost, and in an attempt to recreate it, the Decepticons develop the monstrous Devastator. TFCC #32

10,000 BC onwards

As Cybertron is devastated by the worsening war, with Optimus Prime unwilling to take the decisive actions that will bring the conflict to an end, Sentinel Prime is forced to make a deal with Megatron to seek out another planet whose resources they can exploit to restore their homeworld. Dark of the Moon The chosen planet is the resting place of the Primes' Star Harvester. Sentinel recreates the Primes' lost space bridge technology, fashioning hundreds of pillars that will form a bridge large enough to teleport Cybertron itself across the cosmos, telling the Autobots it will be used to instantaneously teleport soldiers, supplies and refugees into and out of the battlefield, allowing them to defeat the Decepticons. The pillars are loaded onto a second Ark, while a strike team led by Optimus attacks Simfur in order to activate the control pillar for the space bridge by bringing it into contact with the AllSpark. Foundation #3 While most of the Autobots keep the Decepticons busy, sisters Elita-One, Arcee, and Chromia successfully reach the AllSpark and activate the pillar, which Elita then delivers to Sentinel Prime. Sentinel takes his Ark to ostensibly collect Optimus and the others from Simfur, but upon arrival, the ship is attacked by Starscream, who is unaware of the secret deal his leader has made with the Prime. Starscream's attack triggers a huge explosion which consumes the Ark, leaving the Autobots to believe Sentinel, the space bridge and all others aboard have been destroyed. Foundation #4Dark of the Moon Unbeknownst to any present, however, the Ark has not been destroyed: the space bridge tech aboard has in fact teleported it away through space and time, with all on board knocked into stasis by the blast. Convergence chapter 1

Consumed with grief and rage at the apparent death of his mentor, Optimus Prime resolves to kill Megatron outright, and storms his fortress with aid from Ironhide. Foundation #1-3 Concurrently, Wheeljack leads the rest of the Autobots in a second strike on Simfur, where they are able to overcome the weakened Decepticons and capture the AllSpark, removing it from the machine that brought Cybertron its sun. The sun disappears, plunging the planet into darkness, and Prime breaks off his confrontation with Megatron to save Ironhide from Shockwave and Starscream. Although he did not cross the line of no return, Optimus's actions forever taint his relationship with Elita-One, driving a wedge between the two friends. Foundation #4

Resolving to keep the power of the captive AllSpark out of Megatron's hands, Optimus Prime has it moved to various locations around the planet before deciding to launch it into space. In an effort to disguise his plan, most of the Autobots are stationed at Simfur as misdirection, with only a small unit led by Bumblebee guarding its true hiding place at Tyger Pax. Unfortunately, Megatron is able to sense the AllSpark's true location and attacks Tyger Pax, crushing Bumblebee's vocal processor during the ensuing battle and robbing him of the ability to speak. Movie Prequel #1 Simultaneously, at Simfur, Optimus Prime is attacked by a drone sent by Megatron before he can launch the AllSpark, so he entrusts the task to his assistant, Arctus. Prequel: Optimus Prime Observing the AllSpark as it takes off, Megatron immediately pursues it into space, Movie Prequel #1 but is delayed by an Autobot tractor beam before he can stop it from plunging into the Alkaris Anomaly. Prequel: Megatron Cosmically drawn to the location of the star harvester left behind by The Fallen, Defiance #4 the cube is disgorged in the Solar System and crash-lands on Earth, in what will become Colorado. Megatron summons Brawl to occupy the Autobots delaying him, Prequel: Megatron and follows the cube into the anomaly, but is spat out in the far reaches of the galaxy. Movie Prequel #2

Megatron and the AllSpark are not the only ones scattered across space: the overzealous Brawl detonates a foldspace warhead that warps himself, Ironhide, Ratchet and Jazz to the four corners of the universe. Ratchet helps quell an alien civil war, Lost in Space 1 Brawl defeats psychic apparitions of his worst fears, Lost in Space 2 Ironhide encounters digital "ghosts" on a derelict ship with some kind of ancient connection to the AllSpark Lost in Space 3 and Jazz is nearly overwhelmed by the lure of a planet of pure information Lost in Space 4 before they are able to return to Cybertron. But their return proves a short-lived one: without the AllSpark and the energy it provided, Cybertron begins to atrophy, and many of the Transformers depart the planet to find the AllSpark and restore life to their world. Transformers Optimus Prime's best and brightest depart aboard the Ark, while Starscream takes a large force aboard a second ship christened the Nemesis, including most of Megatron's elite troops, The Reign of Starscream #1 leaving Shockwave in charge of what few Decepticons remain on the planet. Rising Storm #2 The Nemesis is stymied by a volley of Autobot mines that badly damage the craft before it gets too far, forcing the Decepticons to return to Cybertron for repairs. After being fixed up, the Nemesis resumes the chase several cycles later, but have lost valuable ground to the Ark. The Reign of Starscream #1 The Ark and Nemesis crews pass the majority of the next twelve thousand years in stasis aboard their ships. Ghosts of Yesterday

Out in space, the original Nemesis and Sentinel's Ark (still jinking through space and time) zero in on the energy signature of the AllSpark, and are both crippled when the Ark blindly teleports directly into the same physical space as the Nemesis. The Ark makes one final jump, leaving a lingering space bridge portal in its wake; after setting the ruined Nemesis down on the dead moon of a nearby gas giant, the Decepticons board the smaller ship Longshot and follow the Ark through the portal at The Fallen's urging, leaving his sarcophagus behind. Both ships are hurled into the future. Convergence chapter 1

Eventually, after "countless solar spans" of searching, Megatron zeroes in on the AllSpark's resting place on Earth. While on the approach, he detects a distress signal being broadcast by the wrecked Nemesis and detours to investigate, but when The Fallen learns of the fate of the AllSpark, he furiously commands Megatron to carry on his course. Defiance #4 Upon entering Earth's atmosphere, however, Megatron's navigation system malfunctions, causing him to crash in the Arctic, where he is frozen solid, trapped in stasis.^[2] Movie Prequel #2

The earliest human civilizations form on Earth, and build their monuments over remains of Transformer activity on the planet. Around 2560 BC, construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza around the solar harvester is completed, then later, in 1200 BC, the Tomb of the Primes is hidden beneath El Deir in Petra. A riddle is crafted to mark the tomb's location: "When dawn alights the dagger's tip, three kings will reveal the doorway." Although some of the Seekers learn of this riddle during their search of the planet, none are able to actually solve it before the march of time sends most (if not all) of them into stasis. Revenge of the Fallen

19th Century

In the year 1897, Captain Archibald Witwicky of the National Arctic Circle Expedition discovers Megatron when the Arctic ice gives way under his feet and he tumbles into the cavern that holds Decepticon's frozen form.^[3] Witwicky's inadvertent entry into the cave triggers Megatron's navigation system, causing the release of a beam of light that imprints the AllSpark's co-ordinates onto Witwicky's spectacles. Witwicky is rescued by his crew, but once on their way home, the full extent of the damage Megatron's beam has done to the captain's mind and body is revealed: his sanity slowly begins to slip away, and he is eventually rendered blind. Movie Prequel #2 Transformers

Upon their return to shore, Witwicky's first mate Reginald Danco brings his captain to the Boston Secure Hospital, where his ramblings catch the attention of the United States government. On New Year's Day, 1898, gentleman adventurers Walter Simmons and Theodore Joseph Wells are drafted by presidential order to investigate his claims. After "interviewing" the raving Witwicky, they, Danco, and a team of four other men—Billy North, Theodore Grant, Philippe Bowen and Jack Arden—head for the Arctic to see Megatron first-hand. Movie Prequel #2 Original The group arrives in the Arctic in February, where their entry into Megatron's cave trips another of the Decepticon's systems, causing him to send out an energy pulse that is detected by Jetfire, who had been in hiding on Earth for millennia. Believing the signal to be The Fallen himself and desiring revenge, Jetfire sheds his disguise as a portion of the cruiser USS Maine (inadvertently starting the Spanish–American War in the process) and flies to the Arctic, resulting in a confrontation with Simmons's group that culminates in the humans blasting the ice out from underneath the Seeker, sending him to the ocean's depths. North does not survive the battle, and his death convinces the group to dedicate itself to protecting Earth against future Cybertronian threats. Original Simmons takes charge of the operation to excavate and study the frozen "Mega-Man", as he calls it, and an environment dome is constructed around the site by 1899, which is eventually expanded to become a fully-manned base which serves as the group's Alpha Command Post. Movie Prequel #2

20th Century

1900s

Sent on a mission to Tianjin, China by the President just after the turn of the century to recover a mysterious scepter, Theodore Wells finds himself embroiled in the middle of the Boxer Rebellion. He is saved from death at the hands of rebels by American expatriates and intelligence agents Herbert Hoover and his wife Lou. Irreplaceable

In 1902, the AllSpark is discovered at the bottom of the Colorado River by Simmons's group. Movie Prequel #2 News of this discovery reaches Wells and the Hoovers in China, and Wells brings his new allies into the organization, hoping that their mining and metallurgical skills will help in excavating and analyzing the find. Herbert puts into motion an extensive plan to redirect the river around the cube. Irreplaceable

When divers are sent to examine the cube, it unleashes a cosmic "scream" of sorts, which echoes across space and is felt by Shockwave, just after he has killed Chromia in the middle of a battle on Cybertron. Appointing Dreadwing leader in his absence, Shockwave immediately departs for Earth aboard a faster-than-light vessel with his Driller on board, reaching Earth on June 30, 1908. Unfortunately, he arrives at such speed that he loses control of his ship and crashes in Tunguska, Russia, causing the Tunguska event and knocking himself into stasis lock. Rising Storm #2

1910s

The diversion of the Colorado River is successfully completed in 1913, but the attempted excavation of the AllSpark by Simmons, Wells, the Hoovers and new junior member Roy Thompson is interrupted by Jetfire, who has tracked the cube down through a series of subterranean tunnels he has spent over a decade trapped in. At Jetfire's touch, the cube releases a surge of Energon which overloads his systems and brings to life a crane, a car, a radio and a gun. Jetfire escapes via space bridge, while the humans are forced to break open the dam holding back the river to "drown" the AllSpark Mutations and the cube. The car survives, and escapes into the desert. Having seen how Simmons's obsession with Cybertronian threats had consumed him, Wells convinces Simmons's wife Clara to elope with him. Irreplaceable

In 1919, the inert Shockwave is unearthed by the military forces of the burgeoning Soviet Union. Unable to master the technological secrets of his body, the Soviets keep the Decepticon in cold storage at a gulag in the Siberian wastes. Rising Storm #2

1920s

By 1924, Archibald Witwicky has been relocated to the Psychopathic Institute for the Long-Term Insane in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his delusions and visions having progressed to the point that he is somehow experiencing visions of the future. Movie Prequel #3

In 1927, Herbert Hoover formally dubs Simmons's group "Sector Seven", Transformers named after the stable sector of ground along the Colorado riverbed to which they plan to move the AllSpark. The following year, Herbert begins his run for presidency, with a view to using the power the position would convey to arrange for the construction of a permanent housing for the AllSpark. Irreplaceable

In 1929, a battle between a Seeker known as Fortress and another of his kind over the latest potential lead to the location of the Matrix results in the accidental death of two civilians, and the crippling of their son, Carter Newell. Carter goes on to dedicate the next eighty years of his life to hunting down Transformers, founding the Initiative and capturing many of them, including Fortress himself. Nefarious #5

1930s

By 1934, Walter Simmons's estranged daughter Margaret has married and given birth to a child, Billy. Following her separation from her husband, Margaret is given a low-level position in Sector Seven by her father, and together with Roy Thompson, she hunts down and destroys the AllSpark Mutation that went missing in 1913, which had fallen in with outlaws Bonnie and Clyde. Together

Construction of Herbert Hoover's proposed enclosure for the AllSpark, the Hoover Dam, is completed in 1935, including a subterranean facility that becomes Sector Seven's Beta Command Post. Walter Simmons visits the dam in the closing stages of construction, preparing to retire once Megatron is transported from there from the Arctic for study in conjunction with the cube. Movie Prequel #3 A malfunction in the cryo-blocks that will keep Megatron frozen delays the move, and the subsequent outbreak of World War II tables both Megatron's relocation and Simmons's retirement indefinitely. Weapon

Archibald Witwicky dies on August 13, 1938. He is survived by his son Clarence. Movie Prequel #3

1940s

At the height of World War II, Jetfire is captured by Nazi scientists, who reverse-engineer his body to create assorted transforming mecha bonded with human pilots. In 1944, after learning of this, Walter Simmons forcibly drafts his grandson Bill into Sector Seven for a mission behind enemy lines to destroy all traces of the technology. Bill proves the only survivor of the mission, but winds up freeing rather than destroying Jetfire upon discovering his true nature. Having previously actively eschewed following in his mother and grandfather's footsteps, the experience convinces Bill to permanently transfer to Sector Seven. Weapon

1950s

Bill Simmons proceeds to make quite a name for himself in Sector Seven, not least of all by leading a campaign to have scientist Robert Oppenheimer discredited and ejected from the organization on allegations of Communism. In 1953, Bill marries fellow agent Anne Fischer in a secret ceremony, and close to the end of the year, Anne becomes pregnant with their son, Seymour Simmons. Frozen

Reginald Danco's grandson Joe, jealous of how his family has become sidelined in history in favour of the Simmons line, defects to the Communist Party. In February 1954, acting as an undercover agent, he sabotages the cooling system at Sector Seven's Arctic base, planning to use the escape of Megatron to cover his theft of Sector Seven data and flight to Russia. Walter Simmons calls for liquid nitrogen bombs to be dropped on the facility to stop Megatron from thawing out, at the expense of the lives of the base personnel, which includes his grandson Bill. This prompts Jetfire to intervene, but the Seeker proves able only to save the lives of Anne Fischer and Philip Nolan. Frozen

Unbeknownst to Sector Seven, both Bill and Danco survive: Danco flees deeper into the tunnels and Bill pursues, but Bill is captured by a Soviet extraction team who have come to recover Danco. He is taken back to Russia for interrogation, and spends eight years being moved from facility to facility, often escaping, always being recaptured, but never breaking under torture. Convergence chapter 2 The data stolen by Danco, meanwhile, allows the Soviets to finally utilize the technology taken from the captive Shockwave, and with it, they create the world's first nuclear power plant, the Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, which is activated in June, 1954. Rising Storm #2 Frozen

Seymour Simmons is born later in 1954. At Walter's wishes, Anne leaves Sector Seven in an effort to keep the child from ever learning of the legacy of obsession and death that has defined his family, changes her name to "Tova Simmons", and opens a delicatessen. Frozen But Seymour proves to be every inch his father's son, and as he grows older, he takes to sneaking out of the house, setting up a secret room in the basement of his mother's deli where he studies the paranormal and develops an ardent belief in the presence of aliens on Earth. Convergence chapter 3

The Vietnam War begins in 1955. Philip Nolan and Thomas Kinnear both serve in the conflict. Ghosts of Yesterday

1960s

Sentinel Prime's Ark and the Longshot emerge from the space bridge in the vicinity of Earth in early 1961. The Ark violently crash-lands on Earth's Moon, killing all on board save for Sentinel, who is safely sealed in the ship's crash vault. After examining the wreckage, Soundwave determines to keep the vessel out of the hands of the humans on the planet below, Convergence chapter 1 beginning with the removal of the space bridge pillars. Dark of the Moon

The crash of the Ark is detected by both the United States and the Soviet Union, and a "space race" begins to be the first to reach the Moon and plunder this alien treasure. Dark of the Moon Incorrectly believing Bill Simmons can tell them something about the moon event and America's plans, the Soviets relocate their prisoner to holding facilities at Soviet Research Station Oktober at the beginning of 1962. Convergence chapter 2 In 1963, the Soviet Union launches the space probe Luna 4, which captures images of the Moon's surface, including the space bridge pillars as the Decepticons are in the process of transporting them, prompting Soundwave to take action to conceal their movements. Dark of the Moon To this end, in 1964, the Decepticons' human-form Pretender operative infiltrates the Soviet space program by killing Spetsnaz agent Alisa Morozov and adopting her appearance. Convergence chapter 2

That same year, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird jet makes its first flight. At an unknown point in time during the next three decades, one of the jets malfunctions and crashes on top of Jetfire while he is wandering through a desert, and he adopts its form. Tales of the Fallen #3

In the summer of 1965, as the Soviets launch the Luna 6 probe, the Pretender uses her Morozov disguise to penetrate Research Station Oktober and massacre the scientists there, in order to prevent the relay of any data from the probe. Joe Danco also dies in the attack, but Bill Simmons is able to escape. In the process, the Pretender learns of the presence of two other Cybertronians on Earth, but without the knowledge that they are his leaders Megatron and Shockwave, Soundwave disregards them as rumors and elects to focus on more important matters for the time being, making a deal with the sole surviving scientist, Voskhod, to curtail any subsequent Soviet investigations into the Ark. Convergence chapter 2

Two months later, Bill Simmons successfully returns to the United States, but when he attempts to contact Sector Seven, Soundwave zeroes in on his position and sends the Pretender to take him out. Bill locates his wife's deli and meets Seymour for the first time, giving him contact information for Sector Seven; he subsequently disappears in an explosion when the Pretender attacks. Seymour goes on to make contact with Sector Seven, meets his great-grandfather Walter, and grows up to join the organization as one of its most prestigious agents. The fate of Bill Simmons remains unknown. Convergence chapter 3 As a consequence of this escapade, Soundwave becomes aware of the existence of Sector Seven. Convergence chapter 4

On July 16, 1969, NASA carries out the Apollo 11 mission, successfully sending astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the Moon. Dark of the Moon A strategic twenty-one-minute blackout is staged by Sector Seven at NASA command to keep the true purpose of the moon landing a secret, and Walter Simmons directs the men in their investigation of the Ark. Dark of the Moon #1

Simultaneously, Sector Seven also exploits the fact that the eyes of the entire world are focused on Apollo 11 to stage two additional concurrent operations. First, they initiate the test flight of their own spacecraft, the Ghost 1, created from Megatron's reverse-engineered Cybertronian technology and captained by Samuel Walker. Ghosts of Yesterday Incorrectly believing that this craft is more important than the Apollo 11, Soundwave focuses all his attentions on it, leaving him unable to stop Armstrong and Aldrin from exploring the Ark. Convergence chapter 4 The Ghost 1 is inadvertently sucked through a wormhole and deposited in a distant solar system, its arrival drawing the attentions of Optimus Prime's Autobots and Starscream's Decepticons. When the ship sets down on a barren planet, Starscream makes first contact with Walker and his crew and learns that Megatron and the AllSpark are on Earth, then turns on the humans in order to keep this information secret from the other Decepticons. Allying with Optimus Prime to survive the dangers of the alien world and also sharing this information with him, the crew of the Ghost 1 give their lives to save the Autobot leader from Starscream. Ghosts of Yesterday

For their second operation, Sector Seven finally carry out the much-delayed move of Megatron form the Arctic to Hoover Dam. Sabotage by Soviet agent Sergei Tasarov causes the convoy transporting Megatron to crash, resulting in damage to the cooling systems that allows the Decepticon leader to thaw out. Thomas Kinnear and Philip Nolan sacrifice their lives to ensure he is re-frozen Ghosts of Yesterday and successfully delivered to Hoover Dam. Rising Storm #2

A second American manned moon landing is carried out in November 1969, to continue excavation and research of the remains of the Ark. Dark of the Moon

1970s

From 1970 to 1972, the United States stages three further manned missions to the moon to continue plundering the Ark. Incensed over his failure to stop the Apollo 11 mission, Soundwave has Ravage scout for viable agents within the American space program, and makes contact with a NASA accountant named Gould. By tapping the stock market to provide Gould with all the money he desires, Soundwave procures his services to manipulate the NASA budget and make further moon missions financially unfeasible. Dark of the Moon Convergence chapter 4 Consequently, the sixth and final mission, launched in December 1972, is deemed the last, and the astronauts trigger explosives to hide the wreck of the Ark beneath lunar dust. Dark of the Moon #1

Also in 1972, Soundwave employs his Soviet agents to ensure that the first Russian manned mission is cancelled. Soundwave spends the remainder of the decade manipulating his pawns, and "recruiting" more and more human agents in various areas of the American and Soviet government to ensure the Ark is never re-discovered. Dark of the Moon

Continuing their use of Shockwave's technology to further their nuclear agenda, the Soviet Union spend most of this decade creating the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The United States also continue with the construction of more nuclear facilities, including the Three Mile Island power plant. A botched experiment with the energy of the AllSpark at this facility on March 28, 1979 leads to a partial core meltdown. Movie Prequel #4

That same year, the Witwicky home in Springfield, Missouri, is sold by Clarence Witwicky's son Herbert, and the proceeds are shared between his daughter and five sons, including Ben and Ronald. Interlude

Also in 1979, content that his plans to keep the Ark concealed are solid, Soundwave elects to return to the Nemesis and consult with The Fallen. He convenes with Gould to inform him of his departure, and meets Gould's son Dylan, who will eventually take over his father's position as Decepticon liaison. Soundwave's crew depart Earth aboard the Longshot, Convergence chapter 4 save for the stumbling, bumbling Space Case, who is left behind on Earth. Transformers: Jazz With no space bridge to teleport them, their journey takes over a decade. Convergence chapter 4

1980s

Unmanned probes are sent by the Soviet Union to the moon, where they uncover the remains of the Ark and return to Earth with a fuel cell salvaged from the ship's engine. The cell is experimented upon at Chernobyl, leading to a catastrophic nuclear accident on April 26, 1986. Dark of the Moon

1990s

Sam Witwicky is born to Ronald and Judy Witwicky.^[4]

The Soviet Union collapses in 1991. Knowledge of the captive Shockwave slips between the cracks; no digital records of his existence are kept, and the paper trail is lost in the chaos of the regime's fall, so he remains frozen and forgotten in Siberia. Convergence chapter 4

Sometime around 1993, the Longshot completes its return journey to the resting place of the Nemesis.^[5] Soundwave presents The Fallen with one of the space bridge pillars, and is then informed of Megatron's visit during his pursuit of the AllSpark. Realizing that Megatron must be one of the imprisoned Cybertronians learned of on Earth, Soundwave immediately departs on a return journey to the planet; he has most of the crew put in stasis for the trip. After Soundwave leaves, The Fallen activates the space bridge pillar, sundering space and time and finally liberating himself from his sarcophagus prison. Convergence chapter 4

In 1998, Jetfire takes advantage of the SR-71 Blackbird's retirement from service to hole up in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and goes into stasis in vehicle mode. Jetfire's profile

Around the end of the decade,^[6] either back on Cybertron or elsewhere in space, the Autobot Tailgate is murdered by the Decepticon Reverb. Switching Gears

21st Century

2003 to 2007

Having followed a new lead on the AllSpark's whereabouts, Bumblebee arrives in Earth's Solar System and briefly touches down on Mars, where the Hubble Space Telescope captures an image of his arrival. Movie Prequel #2 Designating him "N.B.E.-2", Sector Seven tracks him to his landing site in Virginia, but the Autobot scout avoids capture by adopting a local alternate mode. Discovering the history of Archibald Witwicky via the internet, Bumblebee sets out to track down the man's descendants. Movie Prequel #3

Hot on Bumblebee's trail, Starscream's Nemesis arrives on Mars, where an encounter with the Beagle 2 Rover prompts Starscream to lead a small group on to the rover's planet of origin. Movie Prequel #3 Transformers teaser trailer The Reign of Starscream #1 Making planetfall in Afghanistan, the group attacks a local military base, where they learn of Sector Seven's "Project Iceman". In the course of the brief battle, Wreckage is disabled by an electromagnetic pulse, and after burying his body, the remaining Decepticons disseminate in disguise to carry out their quest.^[7] Planetfall The Reign of Starscream #1

While tracking Archibald Witwicky's descendants across the country, Bumblebee clashes with both Sector Seven agents led by Seymour Simmons and the Decepticons, before finally tracking the Witwicky lineage to Sam, who has inherited his great-grandfather's glasses, along with the secret of the AllSpark printed upon them.^[8] Interlude Movie Prequel #4

Left to his own devices on Mars along with Hardtop and the rest of Starscream's Nemesis crew, Thundercracker spends this time exploring the solar system. He discovers the Ark on Earth's moon and recovers a space bridge pillar, which he modifies using know-how gained from studying under the Decepticon mad scientist Flatline. The resultant device is not quite a true space bridge, but allows the user to follow the passage travelled by the Ark, enabling instantaneous transit from Mars back to Cybertron. The Reign of Starscream #2Convergence chapter 4

2007

Wreckage's body is recovered from its desert resting place by Sector Seven and brought to their Nevada base for experimentation. Alliance #1 Reactivated by the organization, Wreckage trades information for his survival and provides Sector Seven with the means to create their L.M.-1 drones, but is taken offline when he declines to co-operate any further and attempts escape. Alliance #2

One month later, Blackout returns to Afghanistan, where he shoots down a military helicopter and takes its form. Three months after this, he stages attack on the SOCCENT Forward Operations Base in Qatar in an attempt to gain more information on Sector Seven and Project Iceman. Where he fails, Frenzy succeeds, hacking of Air Force One and learning of the Witwicky family and Archibald's glasses. To protect Sam from the Decepticons closing in around him, Bumblebee positions himself in a used car lot to ensure that he will be purchased as the boy's first car. After summoning Optimus Prime's team to Earth, he is forced to reveal himself to Sam and his girlfriend Mikaela Banes to protect them from Barricade, following which Sam agrees to help the Autobots in their quest. A clash with Sector Seven ensues, which results in Bumblebee, Sam and Mikaela being taken to their Hoover Dam base as captives. Transformers

Jazz is temporarily distracted from the current dilemma when a stray energy trace leads him to Space Case, still stuck on Earth, trying to rob a gas station. Jazz bests the Decepticon in battle and leaves him trapped in a cave. Transformers: Jazz The Autobots then use Archibald Witwicky's glasses to track the AllSpark and their captive friends to Hoover Dam. Unfortunately, in the process, they inadvertently lead the way for Starscream's Decepticons, who attack the base and bring Megatron back online. A truce is orchestrated between the Autobots and Sector Seven with help from soldiers William Lennox and Robert Epps, and they ally to battle their common foes.

Events culminate in a colossal battle over the AllSpark in Mission City, which ends when Sam plunges the cube into Megatron's chest, killing him and leaving only a small fragment of the cube behind. With the majority of the Decepticons destroyed or otherwise routed in the battle, Starscream and Barricade are forced into retreat. Bumblebee regains his voice, and the Autobots elect to remain on Earth for the time being. Transformers Among the human casualties of the battle are young Kevin Bowman's parents. Switching Gears

As the Autobots and government operatives begin clean-up, destroying or rounding up any AllSpark Mutations created during the battle, Alliance #1 Starscream flees the scenes and reclaims Frenzy's body from Hoover Dam. The Reign of Starscream #1 Returning to Mars, where his ship and the rest of his crew have been waiting, Starscream has the information Frenzy had obtained on the AllSpark beamed back to Cybertron, The Reign of Starscream #2 where it is used to create a huge replica AllSpark. After fending off an attack by a guerilla Autobot team led by Arcee, Starscream's forces use Thundercracker's jury-rigged space bridge to return to Cybertron, The Reign of Starscream #3 planning to activate the facsimile cube through the sacrifice of five captive Autobots. The Reign of Starscream #4 Arcee follows, and although she is unable to prevent the deaths of the Autobot captives—including her own sister, Elita-One—she is able to destroy the replica AllSpark, prompting Dreadwing to turn on Starscream for his failure. A brief battle for leadership ensues; Dreadwing sets the Nemesis to self-destruct and escapes back to Mars via the space bridge, but Starscream and a chunk of the ruined ship are sucked through the portal as well. Starscream survives and slays his opponent, The Reign of Starscream #5 then sets about carving cyberglyphs into his armor. Alliance #1

Back on Earth, the Mission City incident is covered up by government with a cover story that claims the Transformers were rampaging robotic constructs created by the company McClaren Robotics. Alliance #4 One month after the battle of Mission City, Optimus Prime entrusts the remaining AllSpark fragment to Sector Seven scientists, but when it is brought to the same Nevada facility that houses Wreckage, its power inadvertently brings the Decepticon back online. Wreckage goes on a rampage, but is soon killed for treason by Starscream, who has been summoned back to Earth by Barricade. In the resultant firefight, Starscream badly wounds Bumblebee, robbing him of his voice once more, but also drops the remains of Frenzy, which are spirited away by Seymour Simmons. Alliance #2 Simultaneous with this battle, the Longshot returns to Earth's solar system. Detecting trace energy from Thundercracker's space bridge on Mars, Soundwave investigates the wreckage of Starscream's Nemesis, and learns of recent events. Convergence chapter 4 Soundwave makes contact with Starscream and orders him to break off his fight, then dispatches a team under the command of Fracture to begin searching for the Star Harvester. Starscream is ordered back to the Longshot to awaken the crew members that remain in stasis so they may join the search. Soundwave adopts the form of a satellite and takes up orbit around Earth, observing from afar. Alliance #2

Sector Seven is officially disbanded by the government. Alliance #3 The bodies of the deceased Decepticons are submerged in the Laurentian Abyss, following which Optimus Prime broadcasts a message into space, encouraging other Autobots to join his team on Earth. Transformers A joint human-Transformer taskforce is assembled, dubbed the Non-Biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty, or "NEST", and is headquartered on the island of Diego Garcia, where the AllSpark fragment is now stored. Alliance #3 For its first mission, NEST engages and defeats Deadend and Swindle in San Francisco. Bumblebee is reassigned from frontline combat to live with Sam Witwicky and serve as his guardian. Alliance #4 Tales of the Fallen #1

2007 to 2009

Decepticon sightings and attacks continue around the world, with forces under the command of Starscream continuing the air commander's pursuit of power, while those directed by The Fallen via Soundwave take on a secondary objective: the acquisition of large amounts of energy to facilitate the resurrection of Megatron. During this period, Autobots Knock Out and Beachbreak arrive on Earth in response to Optimus Prime's summons and join NEST The Veiled Threat, with Jolt arriving a while later. Rising Storm #3 Two AllSpark Mutations from the Mission City incident previously contained by Sector Seven take the names Longarm and Salvage and also join the organization.

While a team led by Optimus Prime pursues Starscream, foiling his plans to manipulate human crime lords across Africa and Europe, other NEST squads become aware of the Decepticons' new mission when they respond to attacks on an oil refinery in Peru and a uranium mine in Australia, though they remain unaware of their specific goal. In Italy, Starscream enters into a deal with an Italian criminal named Bruno Carrera to help destroy Optimus Prime in exchange for dominion over Europe when the Decepticons triumph. He and Barricade battle the Autobots and NEST, yet are once again defeated. Starscream takes the time to visit Carrera at this villa, where he pays him back for his "failure". The Veiled Threat

Concurrently with all of this, Decepticon activity continues across Earth. Together with NEST, the Autobots repeatedly engage them month after month, obliterating all opposition. Alliance #4 At Soundwave's direction, Starscream travels to the ruined Nemesis to help tend the compliment of hatchlings in stasis within the ship. Revenge of the Fallen Soundwave himself, meanwhile, re-establishes contact with his human agents and/or their offspring and inheritors, including Dylan Gould and Alexi Voskhod, nephew of Soundwave's original Russian pawn. Convergence chapter 4

Elsewhere, on an unknown planet, Flatline begins conducting experiments to create a new breed of soldier under the supervision of Thundercracker. Among the victims of his ministrations are the Autobot Twins Skids and Mudflap, whose processors are scrambled by the experience; Arcee, who is captured when Thundercracker shoots her ship down; and the deceased Elita-One and Chromia, whose remains have been claimed by Flatline. The Decepticon doctor uses Arcee's spark to reignite her siblings' lifeforces, bringing them back to life as a tripartate being bonded at the spark. The sisters use their new strength to free Skids and Mudflap and escape their captors, departing the planet in the Twins' ship. Tales of the Fallen #6Rising Storm #1 They soon pick up Optimus Prime's signal and begin following it; en route, they meet up with Sideswipe and the Wreckers and join them on their ship, the Xantium, for the rest of the journey to Earth. Dark of the Moon The team arrives on Earth in late 2008. Sideswipe, Arcee, and the Twins are quickly inducted into NEST and begin training. Alliance #4 The Wreckers, on the other hand, are retained by NASA to keep the Xantium in working order, but also because their abrasive personalities make them liabilities in the field and unpleasant to work with. Dark of the Moon Around this time, Seymour Simmons begins experimenting with Frenzy's head, bringing the Decepticon back online in order to gain information from him. Not particularly lucid, Frenzy causes a surge in Simmons's apartment building's electrical wiring, forcing Simmons to deactivate him and move the head to the basement of his mother's deli, where he has been working since Sector Seven's disbanding. The Veiled Threat

Sideswipe gets off to an ignominious start on Earth when he learns that his old foe, Demolishor, is in hiding somewhere on the planet, and on November 17, 2008, tears up Montevideo, Uruguay, searching for him. The chase leads to Buenos Aires, where Ironhide attempts to talk Sideswipe down in order to prevent human military incursion. Initially recalcitrant, Sideswipe acquiesces when an airstrike injures Ironhide, and he opts to save him rather than pursue Demolishor. Tales of the Fallen #2

Seeking the surviving fragment of the AllSpark as a means to revive Megatron, the Decepticons begin targeting Sam Witwicky as he is making preparations to go to college; Barricade abducts him and ransoms him for the fragment, but he is rescued by Bumblebee. Tales of the Fallen #1 Consequently, subtler methods are soon employed, with the spy Wheelie being assigned to watch the Witwicky home, while the Pretender, now sporting a human guise copied from a theme park animatronic and going by "Alice", is installed at Sam's school in advance of his arrival. Revenge of the Fallen Revenge of the Fallen #2 Revenge of the Fallen novelization

2009

Word reaches NEST of a fresh sighting of the fugitive Demolishor, hiding out in Shanghai, The Veiled Threat Alliance #4 and a strike team is able to successfully destroy both him and his companion Sideways. However, the massive amounts of collateral damage and the fact that both targets escaped quarantine offends NEST's government liaison, the officious bureaucrat Theodore Galloway. Simultaneously, Sam Witwicky discovers a second surviving sliver of the AllSpark embedded in his old clothes, and upon touching it, the knowledge of the cube floods into his mind, giving him visions of Cybertronian symbols. The sliver also brings to life the Appliancebots, which are quickly destroyed by Bumblebee. Sam entrusts the sliver to Mikaela before departing for college, making her a target for Wheelie, but she is able to overpower and capture the little scrap drone, eventually convincing him to switch sides to the Autobots.

Soundwave dispatches Ravage to recover the AllSpark fragment from Diego Garcia, after which Scalpel and the Constructicons put it to use restoring Megatron to life. Knowing that the knowledge of the AllSpark—including the location of the Matrix and the harvester—has entered Sam's mind, The Fallen directs Megatron to abduct the boy, leading to a ferocious forest battle that climaxes with the death of Optimus Prime at Megatron's hands. With the last Prime's death, The Fallen believes his victory assured, and addresses Earth with the demand that Sam be handed over, forcing the youth to go on the run with Mikaela, his roommate Leo Spitz, Bumblebee and the Twins.

Leo is able to lead the group to Seymour Simmons, who shares them with them various purloined Sector Seven documents that Wheelie explains pinpoint the locations of the long-abandoned Seekers on Earth. The four humans break into the Smithsonian and locate Jetfire, reviving him with the second AllSpark fragment. Jetfire teleports them to Egypt, Revenge of the Fallen where they run into fellow Seeker Ransack, who Jetfire easily kills. Revenge of the Fallen (novel) Jetfire then explains the story of the Primes, The Fallen, the Matrix and the harvester, giving them the knowledge necessary to locate the Tomb of the Primes. While NEST and the Decepticons gather at the great pyramid in Giza, which Devastator tears open to reveal the harvester, Sam recovers the Matrix, only for it to disintegrate into dust at his touch. Undeterred, he heads into the battle erupting in Giza, but a blast from Megatron kills him, leading his soul to commune with the Dynasty of Primes in the afterlife. They return him to life, in the process transferring the AllSpark knowledge from his mind into the Matrix, reconstructing it. Sam successfully uses it to bring Optimus back to life, but The Fallen claims the Matrix immediately thereafter and activates the harvester. An injured Jetfire sacrifices his own life so that Optimus can bond with his parts, which gives the Autobot leader the necessary power to destroy both The Fallen and the harvester. Revenge of the Fallen

Around this time, stolen Soviet documents pertaining to Shockwave find their way into the hands of a human journalist. A mocking newspaper article is published, treating the whole thing as a Soviet joke, but a picture of Shockwave is included. In his constant monitoring of the planet, Soundwave discovers the article, realizes that Shockwave is the second captive Cybertronian hidden on the planet, and begins a search for him. Convergence chapter 4

2009 to 2010

Megatron returns to the Nemesis to tend the protoforms there. Revenge of the Fallen #4 As a consequence of The Fallen's attack on Earth, the existence of Transformers becomes public knowledge. While being awarded a medal for his heroism by President Barack Obama at the White House, Sam Witwicky has a brief encounter with Carly Spencer, an administrative assistant from the British Embassy. Dark of the Moon Either before or after this, Mikaela Banes breaks up with him for reasons unknown; Wheelie stays with Sam. Rising Storm #2 Seymour Simmons writes a book about his experiences, which soon makes him fabulously wealthy. Dark of the Moon

The Autobots and NEST initiate several joint technological programs. Project: Unite is developed to re-engineer the deceased Jetfire's parts into a form that will allow Optimus Prime to sustain his powered-up combined form. The Secret of Project: Unite With the knowledge of the AllSpark now residing within the Matrix of Leadership and accessible once again, the secrets of Power Core Combination are re-discovered and realized by the Autobots and their human allies, but then stolen by the Decepticons for their own use. TFCC #32

Soundwave maintains surveillance of Earth as more Autobots and Decepticons continue to arrive from space. While some manage to join up with their respective factions Nefarious #1 The Secret of Project: Unite, others become captives of Carter Newell's Initiative without their comrades ever knowing. Nefarious #5 The new arrivals include Wheeljack and Mirage, who are assigned to a new NEST base in Washington, D.C., Rising Storm #2 and Reverb, who comes seeking to pillage an old Decepticon weapons cache hidden on the planet. The Autobot Gears—an old enemy of Reverb's and friend of his victim Tailgate—makes it there ahead of him and joins forces with human boy Kevin Bowman to protect the cache. They are successful, but in the attempt, a teleportation device from the cache activates and causes Kevin's brother to disappear. Switching Gears Kevin joins NEST, but his and Gears' efforts to locate a second Cybertronian cache in Nevada are stymied when Kevin's rival Douglas Porter—seeking to acquire the cache's technology for himself—frees the captive Reverb to oppose them. Fortunately, Gears and Kevin are able to recover a second teleporter from the cache, Battle Mountain and after thwarting Douglas's father's attempt to use a satellite defense system to destroy all Transformers on Earth, they are able to recover Kevin's brother from the alien world to which he had been transported. Satellite of Doom

The Initiative recovers and reanimates the remains of Ravage, who is sent to recover the deactivated Appliancebots from Guantanamo Bay, Tales of the Fallen #5 from which the Initiative drains the animating energies of the AllSpark, in order to feed an artificial AllSpark construct they have created. Nefarious #1 Discovering his minion is still alive, Soundwave investigates, as do the Autobots, leading to several clashes between the two and Soundwave's capture by NEST. Nefarious #2 Soundwave is able to quickly engineer his escape through his numerous other minions, but while the Autobots are preoccupied with him, the Initiative raids Sector Seven's decommissioned Hoover Dam base for the residual AllSpark energy that remains there. Nefarious #3 Soundwave attacks the Initiative's base, but is repelled by the brainwashed Transformers they have captured, forcing him to propose an uneasy alliance to the Autobots. Nefarious #4 Soundwave, the Autobots and NEST converge on the Initiative's base just as Newell activates his artificial AllSpark and uses it to power all the Transformers under the Initiative's control and send them into battle. Nefarious #5 The artificial AllSpark goes into meltdown, threatening to take out the Earth's Solar System, but it is teleported away into the depths of space by Fortress when he is freed from the Initiative's clutches by Carter's young relative Ingrid. Soundwave has Carter killed, but recovers from the Initiative's computers all the data on the AllSpark project. Nefarious #6 NEST takes in all the brain-damaged Autobots controlled by the Initiative for rehabilitation; the Decepticons are likewise able to recover their warriors and put them back on the front lines before long. Rising Storm #1

Learning of Project: Unite, Megatron charges Bludgeon with obtaining its secrets for him, in return for command of the Earth-based Decepticon forces. Starscream objects and attempts to beat Bludgeon to the punch, fouling up his mission, and in the process obtaining a portion of the project's data. The Secret of Project: Unite Starscream sends Skystalker and Ravage to recover the deceased bodies of Decepticons currently in NEST custody, Ambition Instigated which he then uses to replicate the Unite process, giving himself a power-up. The Autobots and Bludgeon track him to his base among the Cyclades islands, but both parties arrive too late to stop him, Bludgeon's Revenge and Starscream begins cutting a swathe of destruction across Earth, his mental state rapidly deteriorating due to his failure to obtain the neural upgrades necessary to process the strain of the combination on the mind. Neither the Autobots nor the Decepticon contingent scrambled by Soundwave can match his power, but they provide enough of a delay for Megatron to get the Nemesis airborne and return to Earth for a showdown. On the Road of Destruction The Autobots intervene in the resulting battle between the two Decepticons, creating a distraction that allows Ratchet to hit Starscream with a blast that burns out the Unite technology, putting it beyond Megatron's reach. The Strongest Weapon

The Decepticons continue their struggles against the Autobots and NEST all around the world. Cyber Missions When Soundwave is captured after a failed attack on NEST command, Cyber Missions 1 Cyber Missions 2 the Autobots pretend to transport him to lure Megatron and the Decepticons into a trap. The Decepticons fall for the ruse, which proves to the final straw for Megatron's disenfranchised troops: they all abandon their leader to his fate. Megatron is ordered to depart Earth by Optimus Prime, Decepticons Attack but naturally, this is not an instruction he takes to heart; instead, he forgoes his pride and finally adopts an Earth alternate mode to remain hidden on the planet, holing up in the deserts of Namibia, Africa with the hatchlings from the Nemesis.^[9] Starscream soon joins him there, but before long, the two have yet another altercation, prompting the second-in-command to finally break away from Megatron and begins reorganizing the scattered Decepticons under his own leadership. Transformers: Starscream

Space Case is reawakened and freed from his cave prison by an earthquake. Bumblebee, Arcee and Sam arrive to investigate his energy signature, but are trapped in a rockslide by the Decepticon as he rockets out of the tunnel. Transformers: Space Case Ratchet picks up the trapped Autobots' distress signal, and briefly battles Space Case, who eventually turns tail when one of his engines is damaged. Ratchet digs the trio out, Transformers: Ratchet Transformers: Bumblebee and Arcee heads off in pursuit of Space Case, catching up to him in a city taking out his other engine. Transformers: Arcee Starscream arrives on the scene just as Space Case crashes into a seaside pier, and chooses the bumbler to be the first of his personal army. Sore over recent events, Space Case immediately lashes out at Starscream, but is soon brought around to the air commander's side with flattery. Transformers: Starscream Starscream continues to recruit more of the scattered Decepticons to his side and revists his previous plans to gain personal power by manipulating human criminals, establishing a "gun running" scheme in which he and his Decepticons provide humans with Cybertronian weaponry. Rising Storm #1

2010 to 2013

The following year,^[10] Soundwave's efforts bear fruit and Shockwave's resting place is at last located. This knowledge, coupled with all Soundwave has told him of the Ark on the Moon and his manipulation of humans over the last half-century, galvanizes Megatron into putting back into motion his millennia-old plan with Sentinel Prime. Before the plan can resume, the Decepticon house must be put back in order; to this end, Megatron liberates Shockwave and charges him with forcing the vast majority of his disenfranchised Decepticon followers back into line. Rising Storm #2

Shockwave's plan entails allowing a brain unit scrap drone to "escape" from Decepticon clutches and make contact with Sam Witwicky and Bumblebee in Philadelphia,Rising Storm #1 then forcing Starscream and his followers back into Megatron's service and sending them to attack Sam's school to "recover" the drone, who has gained enough sentience to name himself "Brains". Rising Storm #2 While Optimus Prime leads a NEST squad into action, Arcee, Elita-One and Chromia investigate Brains's point of origin, and discover that everything has been set up by Shockwave. Rising Storm #3 Shockwave assaults the undermanned Diego Garcia base, killing nearly all the Autobots and humans there, including Theodore Galloway. Shockwave then heads to Philadelphia for a showdown, only to be defeated in battle by an enraged Optimus Prime. Rising Storm #4 During the chaos at his school, Sam Witwicky again meets up with Carly, who is now working for Dylan Gould. Rising Storm #3

Brains joins Wheelie in living with Sam, who begins a relationship with Carly. Dark of the Moon Robert Epps retires from active duty and takes a consulting job, working with NASA and the Wreckers. Rising Storm #4 Having been critically damaged during the battle in Philadelphia, Shockwave, Mirage and Wheeljack are rebuilt into new forms. Rising Storm #4 In their new bodies, Mirage and Wheeljack take on the names "Dino" and "Que", respectively. Dark of the Moon

National Security Director Charlotte Mearing is appointed the new director of NEST in place of the deceased Galloway, and quickly brings firm order to the organization, revoking Bumblebee's permission to live with Sam and arranging for the establishment of a network of Energon detectors around the globe to warn of any Decepticon threats. Dark of the Moon The devastated Diego Garcia NEST base is decommissioned, and the group moves its headquarters to its Washington, D.C. base. Dark of the Moon #1 While Decepticon high command remains hidden in Namibia, the vast majority of the villains' forces gather in seclusion on Earth's moon in preparation for Megatron's final plan. With this drastic reduction in Decepticon activity on Earth, NEST begins helping to resolve human disputes, though not always with government sanction. Dark of the Moon

2013

After Sam graduates college, he and Carly move to Washington D.C., with Wheelie and Brains in tow.^[11] Sam applies to work with NEST, but is turned down by Mearing, and spends three months struggling to both find a job, and to deal with his sudden lack of importance. Exploiting this, and seeking to use Sam as a mole through his connection to the Autobots, Dylan Gould begins an attempt at currying his favour by arranging a job for him at Accuretta Systems.

Requiring the Autobots to learn of the Ark's resting place, Megatron has Soundwave call upon Alexi Voskhod to request NEST's investigation into some "alien activity" in the ruins of Chernobyl. There, as planned, the Autobots discover the fuel cell from the Ark, which leads them to the craft on the moon. Recovering Sentinel Prime's body, Optimus Prime uses the Matrix of Leadership to restore his mentor to life, just as Megatron intended.

Another of Soundwave's pawns, Sam's Accuretta co-worker Jerry Wang, manages to alert Sam to the Decepticon's plans, but is himself executed by Laserbeak. With the help of Wheelie, Brains and Seymour Simmons, Sam tracks down the cosmonauts from the cancelled Russian mission and learns of the hundreds of space bridge pillars the Decepticons removed from the ship. Believing that the Decepticons will come for Sentinel because they require him to activate the space bridge, Sam alerts the Autobots, only for Sentinel to reveal his ancient betrayal, killing Ironhide in the process. Dark of the Moon Sentinel prepares to kill Bumblebee only for Skids to take the shot. Mudflap is subsequently killed by Sentinel in a failed attempt to avenge his twin. Dark of the Moon (novel) Joining with Megatron, Sentinel triggers the space bridge, teleporting the Decepticon forces on the moon into the heart of Washington, D.C. to devastate the city. Sentinel addresses the United Nations, demanding the exile of Optimus Prime's Autobots from Earth. Sam learns that Dylan Gould is working for the Decepticons, but with Carly as his prisoner, he is unable to warn the Autobots of the conspiracy. Optimus's team departs aboard the Xantium, but the ship is attacked by Starscream moments after launch and explodes.

With the Autobot threat apparently gone, the Decepticons invade Chicago, enslaving the human populace and setting up space bridge pillars across the world to teleport Cybertron into the Solar System. Sam teams up with Robert Epps and his ex-NEST comrades to enter the city and save Carly from Dylan, but they soon learn they will not fighting alone when the Autobots return, their seeming deaths a ruse to catch the Decepticons off guard. An apocalyptic battle ensues in the streets and skies of Chicago that culminates in the destruction of the space bridge control pillar, causing the space bridge to collapse in upon itself, ravaging Cybertron and destroying the Decepticon fleet. Optimus and Sentinel battle one-on-one until Megatron, convinced by Carly that Sentinel will take Decepticon leadership from him, intervenes. Megatron wounds Sentinel, but this does not stop Optimus from finally killing Megatron by tearing off his head. Optimus summarily executes the weakened Sentinel and the Autobots know that with Cybertron truly gone for good, Earth is now their only home. Dark of the Moon

Other timelines

• Movie timeline—The chronology of the "mainstream" live-action movie universe.
• Sector Seven ARG timeline—Detailing the history of the "alternate reality" that presents Transformers as real beings, and the fiction associated with them a cover story propagated by Sector Seven.
• Titan Magazines movie timeline—Covering the UK take on the live-action movie universe, which diverges following the events of the first film. Also includes a timeline of the parallel universe where the events of the movie turned out differently.

Footnotes