Ark (Transformers)
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The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the fictional Transformers Universe. Transformers: The Ultimate Guide by Simon Furman classifies it as a Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor, with a crew complement of 300.
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[edit] Crew of the Ark
Which Autobots were on board the Ark varies with different tellings of the story. In all storylines the following Autobots are among the crew:
- Bluestreak
- Brawn
- Bumblebee
- Cliffjumper
- Gears
- Hound
- Huffer
- Ironhide
- Jazz
- Mirage
- Optimus Prime - Leader
- Prowl
- Ratchet
- Sideswipe
- Sunstreaker
- Trailbreaker
- Wheeljack
- Windcharger
In the televison series the Ark was crewed by:
- Hauler (Only appeared in one early episode)
In the Marvel Comics series the Ark was crewed by:
[edit] Generation 1 cartoon
Although it is universally referred to as "the Ark" in all other media, the Autobot spacecraft is never actually named in the The Transformers animated series - it is simply referred to as "Autobot Headquarters."
The Ark left Cybertron when constant battles between the Autobots and Decepticons had left the planet in an energy crisis, with Optimus Prime and a contingent of Autobots 4 million years ago in search of the fuel Energon. Shortly after launch, it was attacked by the Decepticons on the Nemesis (another spaceship that was not named as such in the original series). The Nemesis attached itself to the Ark using tractor beams. The Decepticons, including their leader Megatron, boarded the Ark and attacked. During the battle, the Ark was damaged and crash landed on Earth, into the side of a volcano in what one day would be called Oregon (according to the Marvel comic book).
In the earth year 1984, the volcano erupted, jarring Teletraan I back to life. Sending out Sky Spy satellites, the computer scanned assorted Earthly vehicles and machinery to form alternate modes for the Transformers. Skywarp happened to be in the path of Teletraan's reconfiguration beam, and once reactivated, dragged the other Decepticons into the beam, allowing them to be reconstructed. As they departed the Ark, Starscream opened fire on it, disobeying Megatron's orders, who cautiously opted to have the Decepticons save their energy until further sources were found. The blast dislodged some of the rock face above the Ark, and the resulting collapse knocked Optimus Prime's body into the path of the beam. The Autobots lived again.
Although the Ark was severely damaged in the crash, preparations were made to launch it again following the apparent destruction of the Decepticons. When the ship was nearly ready, the Decepticons re-emerged, prompting the Autobots to stay on Earth, using the buried hulk of the Ark as their base of operations. Following the construction of Autobot City in the early 21st century, the Ark shared duties as the home base for the Earthbound Autobots, but it's clear that Autobot City was regarded as the bigger threat to the Decepticons. In 2006, the Ark was destroyed by Trypticon.
[edit] G1 Marvel comic
Cybertron, having become a rogue planet, was headed into the path of the asteroid belt. Optimus Prime lead a specially selected group of Autobots onboard the Ark to clear a path through the asteroids so that the planet could pass safely. The Ark was specially constructed for this mission. The Autobots successfully cleared a path for Cybertron, but were attacked by the Decepticons, and were too low in energy after clearing the asteroids to fight back effectively. Prime instead chose to order the Ark to crash into what was then the lifeless third planet in our solar system. The spaceship crashed into what is today called Mount St. Hilary, where the Autobots and Decepticons on the Ark lay dormant for four million years, until in 1984 the volcano erupted and activated the shipboard computer which then revived the Transformers on board. (Mount St. Hilary is fictional, although it was presumably modelled on the real-life Mount St. Helens, which erupted in 1980).
The Autobots then used the Ark as their base on Earth until, under the command of Grimlock, the Ark was repaired and launched back into space. It served as the Autobot's base until the battle against Unicron, when Grimlock drove it into the Chaos-Bringer's head. The craft was repaired and stolen by Shockwave and Starscream. However, they had a few stowaways: Megatron, Ratchet and Galvatron from an alternate future. In the ensuing fight, a stray shot hit the highly volatile nucleon stored on the ship causing a massive explosion, forcing it to once again, crash into the Earth; this time somewhere in northern Canada.
[edit] G2 Marvel comic
The Ark was repaired and relaunched with Megatron at the helm. This time Spike Witwicky and Sky Dive stowed away. Spike merged with Fortress Maximus who had been stored in the Ark during Spike’s absence. In that ensuing fight, Maximus threw himself into the anti-mater conversion chamber, causing the ship to explode. Both Megatron and Sky Dive escaped.
[edit] Dreamwave Comics
In the Dreamwave comics it is assumed that the Ark's history is roughly similar to that of the animated version, crashing on Earth with Optimus Prime, Megatron and their forces on board. After the defeat of the Decepticons a second Ark vessel was built, with the Autobots, the captive Decepticons and several human representatives onboard. It was destroyed by rogue elements of the military being indirectly manipulated by Shockwave. The original Ark was destroyed when the Autobots Ratchet and Brawn set it to self destruct when it was attacked by Bruticus.
[edit] IDW Comics
Although the Transformers Comics by IDW Publishing would discard the traditional story of the Ark crashlanding on Earth with the deactivated Autobots and Decepticons inside in favour of having both sides already having infiltration units on Earth, the Ark would still appear. Here it was not the name of one ship, but a series of them, with Ark-19 being the name of Prowl's ship and Ark-27 being the ship Primetakes to Earth. Also the The Transformers: Spotlights issue on Nightbeat reveals the ancestry of the name. The original Ark was a vessel launched to try and chart space around Cybertron. It disappeared with all hands.
[edit] Beast Wars
The Beast Wars series, taking place in prehistoric Earth, references the Ark towards the end of the series. The Predacon Megatron discovers it, and hijacks Teletraan I using access codes he found on a Golden Disk, left behind by the original Decepticon Megatron.
Blackarachnia: "Oh, it's no legend, Bowser. This ship contained some of Cybertron's finest heroes. When it explodes in 1984 our ancestors will awaken and start the great war. "
While his ancestors, the Decepticons, and those of the Maximals, the Autobots, slept in stasis lock, he fired his weapon upon the face of Optimus Prime, disrupting the time flow in the universe. The Maximals foiled his plan, by placing the spark of Prime within Primal, once again changing his body. Repairs were made on Prime, and the Maximals used the Ark as their own base, both to safeguard the Transformers within from Megatron, and because their own ship had recently been lost. However, Megatron later penetrated the Ark once more, absorbing the Spark of his ancestor just before mutating into his dragon form.
The Ark was nearly destroyed again by Megatron when he discovered and reactivated the Nemesis. The Maximals were able to activate a shuttle found onboard, and used it to both stop the Nemesis and return home, after re-sealing the cave. They also returned the Spark of the original Megatron to its proper place.
The Ark remained until its emergence in 1984.
[edit] The Ark II
Name of the Autobot ship in the Dreamwave comics storyline that would have carried the Transformers back to Cybertron. Following a mass defeat of the Decepticons, all the Transformers were to return to Cybertron on the newly-constructed Ark II, but when it was launched, it promptly exploded, as a result of Shockwave's machinations. A group of seven human ambassadors known as the Magnificent Seven (including Sparkplug Witwicky) were casualties of the explosion.
[edit] Transformers: Cybertron (2005-2006)
Primus' power merged the four Cybertronian ships: Atlantis, Ogygia, Lumeria and Hyperborea into an ancient ship of legend. It is used by a reawakened Primus to destroy the black hole. This ship was known as Noah in the Japanese Galaxy Force version of the show and the Ark in the English version.
