Apex Armor (Prime)

The Apex Armor is one of the relics of the Thirteen (or an armor of Decepticon design; it depends on who you ask). While normally compacted in a disk, when placed over a Transformer's chest it will expand into a huge set of armor impervious to any attack, as well as enhance the wearer's strength. Though built for Cybertronians, the artifact can also be used by humans, forming a proportionally smaller but no less invincible set of armor.

Exiles
The Apex Armor was created by Solus Prime. Long after, while waiting for the Autobots on Cybertron, Alpha Trion had a few daydreams about Optimus Prime returning with the relic, as well as the AllSpark and other lost and legendary treasures.

Prime cartoon
The Apex Armor was stored in the Iacon Vaults until late in the war when Megatron's forces stormed Iacon. Along with the other relics, it was ejected into space and eventually found its way to Earth, where it ended up in the Antarctic. Its location was decrypted by the Nemesis when it temporarily gained sentience. Megatron dispatched Dreadwing to obtain it while Optimus went there personally. At the same time, a curious Starscream also went to Antarctica to investigate the Decepticon activity. Upon reaching the relic's coordinates, it was discovered that a human research team had found it first and took it back to their base. Eventually, the three factions discovered the relic. While Optimus Prime and Dreadwing were fighting each other over it, Starscream decided to claim it for himself. He pulled it from the ice it was encased in and identified it as armor of Decepticon design. When he placed the roughly disc shaped object to his chest, it expanded over him into a full body armor suit that towered over both Optimus and Dreadwing. It proved to be a very powerful weapon, allowing him to survive any attack Optimus Prime and Dreadwing threw at him. It was impervious to Dreadwing's sword and energy blasts only served to stagger him. He had heightened strength, but the armor did not have any weapons, nor did it restore his ability to transform. When Optimus and Dreadwing used explosives to send Starscream through the icy ground into the sea below, the armor allowed Starscream to survive and walk along the ocean floor. Megatron was displeased with Dreadwing's failure to obtain the armor.

Starscream took the Apex Armor with him when he went to retrieve some Red Energon. During a showdown in a dock, it enabled him to throw Prime around and nearly upend a crane. Unfortunately then Smokescreen showed up with a phase shifter and kicked Starscream right out of the armor. The Apex Armor was subsequently taken back to the Autobot Base. Smokescreen offered it to Bulkhead who was still recovering from his injuries, but the Wrecker was offended by the very idea he'd need a crutch, and swatted the armor out of his hand.

Arcee used the armor when the Autobots returned to Cybertron to try to recapture the Omega Keys, and was able to knock the Vehicons around with it. After the Decepticons took the kids hostage, Arcee was forced to take off the Apex Armor and throw it to the ground. Knock Out and a team of Decepticons later found it intact in the devastated area around the Omega Lock.

After his initial attempts to train Predaking proved a hazard to continued existence, Starscream equipped the Apex Armor to shield himself from its outbursts. Unfortunately for him, the armor did nothing to stop Predaking from tossing him around like a chew toy. Starscream brought the armor along when he was ordered to use Predaking to retrieve a Predacon bone fragment. He took it off once he was certain Predaking was occupied, allowing Miko Nakadai to take possession of it when she tried to get past him into Ultra Magnus' ship. Predaking overpowered the Armor-clad Miko, but failed to do any actual damage to the armor itself. When Predaking was ordered away by Megatron, Miko swiftly put the armor to good use by pummeling Starscream and his attendant Vehicons. Unable to divest her of the armor and faced with incoming Autobot backup, Starscream was forced to leave it with the Autobots.

Miko once again donned the armor to aid Jack in securing the bridge of the Nemesis. She made short work of the Vehicon guards, then goaded Soundwave into using a GroundBridge so Raf could open a second one behind him, thus trapping him in the shadowzone. She stood guard while Jack figured out how to pilot the ship, then later decked Knock Out when he tried to switch sides.

Toy bios
Courtesy of the Predacons, the Apex Hunter Armor was armed and upgraded with ancient weaponry. Breakdown was then given the opportunity to use the armor and wreak havoc on his enemies.

Cyberverse

 * Apex Hunter Armor with Breakdown (Cyberverse Vehicle, 2013)
 * Series/Number: 3 / 002
 * Accessories: Large missile-firing blaster, four missiles, small blaster
 * Part of the first wave of Prime: Beast Hunters Series 3 Cyberverse Vehicle playsets, the "Apex Hunter Armor" is a redeco and extensive retool of the Bumblebee Battle Suit, and is a large, vaguely humanoid combat suit with articulation at the hips, elbows, and shoulders (although the shoulders only rotate laterally, not forward and backward, making their use rather limited). The cockpit in the torso can hold a single Cyberverse figure, and the armor features "crusher claws" for hands. The claws are spring-loaded to remain open, and can snap shut when a protruding 5mm peg-hole on top of either forearm is pulled back.


 * The armor has 5mm peg-holes near the claw joints for holding the included main weapon, a massive four-barreled blaster that fires its four missiles in quick succession via pressure-launch. The armor is also festooned with numerous C joint bars, as well as both 3mm and 5mm holes, for mounting all sorts of additional weaponry.


 * The Apex Hunter Armor transforms into a rolling battle station, not dissimilar to the one Optimus Maximus becomes (though the Apex Armor's transformation is more involved). In this mode, two additional (non-firing) cannon barrels rotate up and over the armor's shoulders, and a platform is flipped up from behind the armor to provide a place for two additional Cyberverse figures to stand and hold onto handlebars mounted on the armor's back. The transformation also allows the C joint clips and bars on the outer sides of the armor's split treads/legs to be used for connecting to other Cyberverse playsets, while revealing another 5mm hole that was previously located inside the armor's cockpit; the missile-firing blaster can be mounted in this hole and "manned" by a Cyberverse figure holding the handlebars on the back of the gun.


 * For this retool, the "Energon Booster", its wire, as well as all of its associated electronics, have been removed, and while the battery compartment at the back can still be opened, there are neither batteries, metal plates, nor springs present. Interestingly, the plastic ridges on the back of the armor, meant to provide a place to coil the now-nonexistent booster's wire, are still present, and the opaque-plastic back panel at the top of the armor is still compatible with the booster accessory, with the newly-molded panel even featuring a sculpted crosshair at the other end of its booster plug.


 * In order for the armor to fit in its packaging, it is minimally mis-transformed, with the front treads that make up part of its feet not being flipped out and tabbed into slots on the rear treads. Unusually, the front treads have even been sculpted with dents to accommodate the rear treads while in this mis-transformed position.


 * Included with the Apex Hunter Armor is a redeco of the Legion Class Breakdown toy, and a normal purple version of his blaster. The Breakdown mold was also redecoed into Series 2 Cyberverse Fallback.


 * More information on the Apex Hunter Armor (with Breakdown) at TFU.info