Covenant of Primus

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The Covenant of Primus is both an artifact and a group of individuals the Transformers universe.

Contents 1 Overview 2 The artifact 2.1 Quotations 3 The group 4 Sources

[edit] Overview

The Covenant of Primus is best known as the name of the "holy text" of Transformers, their equivalent of the Bible, written in a manner similar to the Book of Revelation. Like that Earth text, it serves as something of a prophecy of what is to come in Cybertronian future—after perusing what he would later call "the good parts," a renegade Predacon gave himself the name "Megatron," taking it from a great destroyer that the book foretold the coming of. Although it resembles an ordinary book, the brief view of its "pages" that we are offered suggests that it is a recording device that holds the information electronically, rather than being made of paper. In an ironic twist, the events foretold in the Covenant were the same ones that were played out in the Beast Wars, with Megatron being that same great destroyer he took his name from.

A second Covenant of Primus exists, but rather than being a record it is an organization. According to the Botcon comics, the Covenant were the first 13 Transformers created by Primus. They were created in preparation for Point Omega, the foretold final battle against the evil Unicron. The Covenant were also created as a test by Primus, to assure that he would be able to manipulate the planetoid he was to become imprisoned in, and also as prototypes of the first Transformer race.

[edit] The artifact

There are only two copies of the Covenant in existence. One was kept aboard the legendary Autobot spacecraft The Ark, while the second was stolen from its holding place on Cybertron by the Predacon secret police agent, Tarantulas and brought with him when he and the other members of Megatron and Optimus Primal's crews were blasted back in time and fought the Beast Wars on prehistoric Earth.

As the Beast Wars began to move towards their conclusion, a series of parallels between the final battles and the events depicted in the covenant. Optimus Primal recited datatrack 7.613, comparing its description of a warrior from the sky and the casting out of the dragon to the recent arrival of Tigerhawk and Megatron's loss of his base. Not long after, Megatron discovered and reactivated the crashed Decepticon spaceship, the Nemesis, comparing its rise from the ocean to the covenant's account of a great mountain emerging. In his glee, he recited the track that spoke of the destroyer, Megatron, and prophecy and history came together as it was finally understood that he was the Megatron the Covenant spoke of.

Uncovering the Ark, which the Maximals were using as their base, in accordance with another line from the Covenant, Megatron was confronted by Optimus Primal, the "great hero" the book foretold—but alas, as the book also said, he did not prevail. Instead, as the Covenant predicted, "the spark of an enemy" held the key to victory, as the clone of Dinobot turned on Megatron and ensured his defeat and capture at the hands of the Maximals.

[edit] Quotations

• "...and a mighty warrior came down from the sky... and a rainbow was on his head... and his feet were as pillars of fire... and the great dragon was cast out upon the Earth... and his followers were cast out with him." - "Optimal" Optimus Primal, in reference to Tigerhawk destroying Megatron's base, the Darkside.

• "...and as it were a great mountain, raging with fire, arose from the sea." - Megatron, upon the completion of the Nemesis' power up sequence.

• "I am alpha and omega. The beginning and the end. I am that which is. Which was, and is yet to come... and you will know my name is Megatron, when I lay my vengeance upon you!" - Megatron, as he attacks the Maximals in the Nemesis.

• "...and the stone of their protection shall rise up forever and ever, as those who live and war as beasts face their final cycle." - Megatron, as the Nemesis' tractor beam exposes the Ark.

• "...and there came a hero who said: 'Hurt not the Earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, nor the very fabric of time,' but the hero would not prevail..." - Megatron, - Note: Though written as prophecy, Optimus never uttered these words. He opted for the more direct "Speech this" before punching Megatron in the face.

• "...nor would he surrender." - Optimus, finishing the above quote by Megatron.

• "In the spark of an enemy, there will be salvation, and in the darkest hour there will be a light." - Optimus, in reference to Dinobot after his funeral. Some fans believe this passage gave rise to the term "Light our Darkest Hour." used in the Transformers movie.

[edit] The group

Hidden on the moon known as Protos, the Covenant-consisting of Leonicus, Aquator, Libras, Scorpius, Capricun, and several others, all based on the Greek Zodiac-waited. They had been created in preparation for a time when Unicron's evil would threaten all things, and when there would be no Autobot Matrix of Leadership to oppose him. They had one close call in the Earth year 2005, when Unicron attacked Cybertron. However, they were forced to wait again, as Unicron was brought down by Rodimus Prime.

For countless millennia they waited, watching as Cybertronian culture developed. At some unspecified point in time, they were met by the Chronarchitect, an ancient time traveler and kin to Primus and Unicron. He warned them of the coming Point Omega, and they began preparations. During this period, Scorpius disappeared, secretly travelling to Cybertron and taking up the identity Sandstorm, leader of the Maximal-Predacon resistance to the evil Shokaract. Sandstorm took several steps to prepare for Point Omega, which he knew was related to his efforts: in ancient Cybertronian, Point Omega translates into Shokaract, and the evil monarch carried the Dark Essence of Unicron within him.

Finally, after their long solace, the Covenant engaged in Point Omega. Taking place on prehistoric Earth, the battle was indeed against Shokaract, seeking to preserve his timeline by preventing Unicron's essence from seeping back into the timestream as it was in danger of doing. Assisted by Optimus Primal's crew of Maximals, the Wrecker Apelinq, the hybrid Windrazor, and the legends of Cybertron, the Covenant fought against their nemesis. Unfortunately, the battle was grossly one-sided, as Shokaract's power made it impossible for the assembled forces to defeat him.

Scorpius, realizing what had to be done, moved in on Shokaract. The evil Transformer did not attack him, as Scorpius had evidently masqueraded as one of Shokaract's Heralds. However, the illusion was shattered as Scorpius struck Shokaract with his essence, the pure energy from Primus' own life force. Shokaract's protective cloak of dark energy was broken, and in his fury he destroyed Scorpius. The brave warrior's sacrifice was not in vain, as the rest of the Covenant pooled their energies to access the Decepticon Matrix of Conquest, which carried Unicron's energy. Forming an entity duplicate of Primus, they engaged a similar duplicate of Unicron.

The remaining combatants, seeing their opportunity, fired upon Shokaract. The massive Predacon fell under the firepower of countless Cybertronians, including such legendary figures as Megatron and Optimus Prime. Meanwhile, the Covenant shattered the link between Shokaract's Dark Essence and the one he sought to keep from slipping into the timestream, causing the latter to disappear. Shokaract's corrupted timeline was erased, and the Covenant vanished, their purpose fulfilled.

[edit] Sources

• Beast Wars Series Finale: Nemesis, Parts 1 and 2.
• BotCon 1998-2000 Reaching the Omega Point storyline.