Cosmos (Transformers)

Cosmos is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes referred to as "Autobot Cosmos" for trademark purposes.^[1] Wired Magazine once nominated him as one of the 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time.^[2]

Transformers: Generation 1

Cosmos's bio portrayed him as the Autobots' top recon specialist, using his space-based alternate mode to reach places no other Autobot is capable of. Despite this freedom, Cosmos frequently gets lonely - and bored with it. As such, he often abandons his duty to fool around in the atmosphere - which has led him to be mistaken for an alien flying saucer, which technically, he is (indeed, he is similar in design to the alleged UFOs photographed by George Adamski). His Japanese name Adams is a direct reference to Adamski.

Reception

Cosmos was nominated as having the 8th worst Transformers disguise by Cracked magazine.^[3]

Marvel Comics

Cosmos was originally part of an Autobot group in the "Dead End" region of Cybertron. He was part of the group that went to save the captive scientist Spanner. Accompanying the others to blow up the Decepticon base, they were horrified to discover that the Decepticons had built Spanner into the Space Bridge itself. Destroying the Bridge as a mercy-killing, Cosmos and his comrades (Beachcomber, Blaster, Warpath, Perceptor, Seaspray and Powerglide), with no chance of escaping to Cybertron, crossed the bridge to Earth.^[4][5]

After an attack by Megatron, they were then captured by Circuit Breaker and her Rapid Anti-Robot Attack Team, taken to her lab and then dissected. After capturing the Aerialbots she encountered a new problem - the Decepticon Battlechargers Runabout and Runamuck were causing mayhem across America. Using the parts from all the captured Autobots she created a giant Autobot with herself in control, striking a deal with them that if they would co-operate she would let them go. Circuit Breaker then used them to battle the two Decepticons, who were attacking the Statue of Liberty. After defeating the Decepticons with Circuit Breaker the Autobots were released.^[6]

After a side-adventure in the U.K. comics in which they encountered (and were almost killed by) the future Decepticon Galvatron, Cosmos' group linked up with the main Autobots - only to learn of the death of Optimus Prime.

From then on Cosmos would appear less as more characters were introduced. Cosmos last appeared in issue #50 of the series among the Autobot under the command of Optimus Prime. Although Cosmos was not seen to be deactivated during the Underbase powered Starscream's rampage, he did not appear again in the comic.

Animated series

Cosmos

Cosmos first appeared in pt 2 of "Megatron's Master Plan", where he appeared rescuing the Autobots from being sent into the sun by Megatron's machinations after they voluntarily exiled themselves. He managed to tow them back to Earth, although he crashed on arrival. He was later kidnapped by Megatron on the moon with the Autobot Blaster, before eventually being rescued by Omega Supreme In this episode it is revealed that he enjoys rock and roll. When Blaster transmitted the rock and roll concert he was attending to his fellow Autobots, Cosmos did a backflip and exclaimed," All Right." After this, in many appearances Cosmos was used as a transport for the various Autobot missions, including valiantly trying to stop a flying monster while Omega Supreme pursued his vendetta against the Constructicons, and alerting Optimus Prime to the plot of big-game hunter Lord Cholmondeley when he captured some of the other Autobots to use as bait to lure in Prime.^[7]

Cosmos' most important appearance came in the second season episode "The God Gambit". Cosmos collected data in space on a potential new power source, but was attacked by Astrotrain, Thrust and Starscream. Crashing on the moon Titan, the local priests worshipped the Decepticons as "Sky Gods", but rebels were able to reactivate Cosmos and call for aid from the Autobots. Optimus Prime sent Omega Supreme with Perceptor and Jazz. Astrotrain set himself up as the chief god of the moon and forced the natives to gather energy crystals. The trip to Titan drained Omega of most of his energy, but Perceptor and Jazz were able to gather enough crystals to reactivate Omega and defeat the three Decepticons. Vowing to not let the Autobots gain the crystals, Astrotrain set up a chain reaction destroying them. The Autobots aided the natives to escape the explosion and helped them settle in another area of the moon.

He was one of the few second-season Autobots to survive into the third season. His last appearance was in episode 89, "Grimlock's New Brain". Returning from a deep space mission fighting Decepticons with Sky Lynx the pair of Autobots suddenly found themselves unable to fly and crashed into Cybertron at Power Platform Alpha. It was discovered that sabotage in the generator was creating a disruptive effect on Transformers. Cosmos and Sky Lynx were sent to repair by Perceptor.

According to Michael McConnohie, the inflection of Cosmos' voice was a tribute to actor Peter Lorre.

Dreamwave Productions

Following the liberation of Cybertron from Shockwave’s rule, Bumblebee was placed in command of the Autobot supply shuttle Orion, with Powerglide, Warpath, Seaspray, Cosmos, Cliffjumper, Bumper and the Powerdashers assigned to him. Their mission was to aid the Autobots on Earth. Upon arriving in the Earth system from transwarp space, they witnessed the arrival of Sunstorm (Transformers: Generation One III #1). Cosmos was one of those who battled against him, but was deactivated by his energy powers. He did not reappear before the end of the Ongoing comic, when Dreamwave fell into bankruptcy.

Devil's Due Publishing

Cosmos appeared in the fourth G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers crossover from Devil's Due Publishing as part of a group led by Prowl working with former G.I. Joe leader Hawk to stop the spread of Cybertronian technology on Earth. Cosmos was used as a transport, picking up Hawk to help apprehend Destro, and personally capturing Destro's corrupt government contact. After their ship was attacked by the Decepticon Monster Pretenders, Cosmos was sent with Firewall to alert G.I. Joe. Heading to the Tibet, they attempted to find Hawk and Prime, but Firewall was abducted by Cobra-La. Searching for her, he found Flint and Joe Colton instead. He and Flint then embarked on a suicide mission - to take Cobra-La's metal devouring spores and infect Unicron with them. Entering through Unicron's mouth, Cosmos was shut down by Unicron's defenses. Flint, however, managed to deliver the spores, crippling Unicron. The two then returned to Earth safely.

Voice actor plays

The character of Generation One Cosmos made one Universe appearance in the BotCon 2004 vocal play.

Here, he was part of the crew of a timelost shuttle (alongside Bumblebee and Tracks) that had been pulled through time by a mysterious vortex. They quickly encountered a group of later era Transformers - Silverbolt, Rattrap and Waspinator - and helped them rescue two groups of Transformers dimensionally displaced from the RiD universe by one of Rhinox' devices. Despite interference from the Decepticons (servants of Unicron), they succeeded, rescued the other Transformers, and were sent back to their own time.

Cosmos appeared in the 2006 TransformersCon voice actor play. Voices in the play were performed by a variety of volunteers and the actual voice actors attending the convention. The voice of Cosmos was provided by his actual Generation 1 animated series voice actor. In this play various Transformers from different timelines and realities were swept up in a repeat wave and transported along with Unicron to Earth. The Transformers included Generation 1 Tracks, Ariel, Cosmos and Megatron, Beast Wars Tarantulas, Robots in Disguise Sky-Byte and Beast Machines Tankor. The voice of Cosmos was provided by his actual Generation 1 animated series voice actor.

Eventually the Transformers were able to learn that the death of Unicron in 2005 was what created the repeat wave. They defeated Unicron by tricking him into Transforming and using up his power, then using the Key to Vector Sigma program (which Tankor had brought with him) to tap into the power of Vector Sigma itself, and through it the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. With Unicron severely drained the various Transformers faded back to their original timelines.

Fun Publications

In "Transcendent" Breakaway, Landquake and Skyfall arrive on a parallel Transtech Cybertron, in the city of Axiom Nexus. They are greeted by that world's Cheetor and Silverbolt, and are worried that Cliffjumper has gone missing. The arrivals are told that they are among many to arrive on this world and are brought to "processing." Cosmos is among those waiting to be processed.

In Tranformers Invasion Cosmos is seen orbiting Earth during an Earthquake caused by Shattered Glass Ultra Magnus using the Terminus Blade.^[8]

IDW Publishing

Cosmos was on the Autobot Orbital Command Hub in Spotlight: Blaster. He was present when Blaster was recovered and returned to the Autobots.

Mosaic

Cosmos appeared in the Transformers: Mosaic story "Wrath of the Gods" by Juan Pablo Osorio.^[9]

Toys

• Generation 1 Cosmos (1985)

A Mini-Bot, he was later redecoed into ehobby Pathfinder.^[10]

• Classic Deluxe Cosmos (unreleased)

Concept sketches of Transformers: Classic Cosmos appeared at BotCon 2006 . This Cosmos was a Deluxe sized figure who turned into a flying saucer.

• Universe Legends Cosmos (2009)

The new Legends class mold was displayed at SDCC 2008.^[11][12]

Transformers

Cosmos appeared in the fiction connected to the 2007 Transformers film.

According to the biography printed in the collected Reign of Starscream books he rarely engages in combat, instead providing aerial recon for his fellow Autobots in battle.

IDW Publishing

Cosmos is among the Autobot forces who witness the launching of the Decepticon ship Nemesis.^[13]

In Reign of Starscream, the Decepticon Starscream barely made it to the Nemesis on Mars before he ran out of power. His return was noted by the Autobot Cosmos, who alerted Arcee, Cliffjumper, Smokescreen, Camshaft and Air Raid. Aided by Thundercracker on the Nemesis Starscream recovered and sent the information Frenzy had gathered back to Cybertron just as Hardtop spotted the Autobots closing on the Nemesis.

Transformers Animated

A character resembling Cosmos appeared in a crowd scene at the end of "Decepticon Air". According to Derrick J. Wyatt, Cosmos's alt. mode is a mobile observatory buggy.^[14]

References