Matrix of Leadership

The Autobot Matrix of Leadership (also known as the Creation Matrix or rarely, the Autobot Matrix of Power) is an artifact of great power, traditionally carried by the leader of the Autobots. Although its appearance differs slightly from universal stream to universal stream, it generally appears as a glowing crystal sphere encased within a hollow metal shell, with a handle on either side.

By most accounts, the Matrix is a conduit for the power of Primus, the creator-god of the Transformers, serving as a means of access to the Transformer afterlife, through which it can either bestow new Transformer life, or provide its wielder with a means of communicating with the deceased leaders who have come before them. These divine powers put it at the centre of much Autobot religion, spirituality, and prophecy; while many Decepticons are less inclined to believe in its divinity, they certainly covet the increased physical power it is known to convey upon its holders, and several have made obtaining the Matrix one of their primary goals. As one of the embodiments of the power of Primus, the Matrix is antithesis to Unicron, and one of the very few things the chaos-bringer fears.

"But one day... an Autobot shall rise from our ranks... and use the power of the Matrix... to light... our darkest hour."

- A dying Optimus Prime

Conceptual history
The Matrix and the concepts associated with it have continuously evolved over the history of the brand, with different pieces of Transformers fiction creating new ideas centred on it, which have in turn influenced its representation in other fiction, and so on. The current nature of the Matrix as it is understood is beholden to quite a few different sources, and its development is described here to minimize confusion. For the specifics on the different interpretations of the Matrix in various continuities, see the "Fiction" section below.

The concept of the Matrix originates from the brain of Marvel Comics writer Bob Budiansky and is a result of the "no girls"/"no gender" policy enforced by Hasbro regarding their then-new robot brand. Because there were no female robots/the robots had no gender, Budiansky came up with an asexual method of reproduction in the form of the Creation Matrix, a "Primal Program" housed within the Autobot leader that could bring new Transformers to life, which would also prove a helpful plot device when he was required to introduce new characters to the series.

The appearance of the Matrix in the Generation 1 animated series originated with early script drafts of The Transformers: The Movie, which introduced the idea of "Life Sparks", very similar to the sparks that would later be introduced with Beast Wars. The Matrix was not present in the earliest known incarnation of the movie; instead, upon his death, Optimus Prime transferred his own Life Spark to Ultra Magnus, with the implication that this was standard practise among Autobot leaders. This idea was eventually discarded, replaced with a physical object known as the "Matrix of Leadership", which evidently derived its name from the Creation Matrix of the comic book. The episode "Cosmic Rust" attempted to introduce the concept of the Matrix to the animated universe before the movie, but the dialogue containing the reference was deleted during production. The line, which dated the creation of the Matrix to 4.5 million years ago, would ultimately have conflicted greatly with what would be learned of the Matrix in the future.

Virtually nothing of the Matrix's nature was actually divulged in the finished film, where it was treated as simply a magic talisman of prophecy that was the antithesis of Unicron. The idea that had originated with the Life Spark concept—that of dying Autobot leaders merging their lifeforces with others—remained, albeit in a vague way, as Optimus Prime intoned upon his deathbed that he would soon be "one with the Matrix". The mini-series "Five Faces of Darkness" fully expanded on the meaning of his line, revealing that the Matrix contained the lifeforces of all the deceased Autobot leaders who had previously held it, collectively known as the "Wisdom of the Ages," which could be consulted for aid in moments of need.

Having already cannibalized many of the movie's best elements for use in his comic book stories, writer Simon Furman contradicted Bob Budiansky's US comic book stories by presenting the Matrix as it had appeared in the film, as a physical object, in his own UK storylines, and carried this over to the US comic when he later began writing it. This alteration was also reflected in a Universe profile written for Powermaster Optimus Prime around the time, where Budiansky's "program" concept and the cartoon's "physical object" idea were merged with the explanation that the program was encoded in light patterns in the Matrix's crystal core. As Furman's run progressed, the "lifeforces of previous holders" concept was also adapted into the comics, with the Matrix possessing a genetic memory of those that had held it. Most notably, in both UK and US books, Furman crafted a story to explain the origins of the Matrix, why Unicron was vulnerable to it, and how it could create new life, ultimately revealing it to be the essence of the Transformers' creator-god, Primus.

It was the Beast Machines animated series which made the next big addition to the growing mythology of the Matrix when it introduced the Allspark, the extradimensional source of all Transformers sparks living or dead, which was also known as "the Matrix." Although it did not explicitly make any callbacks to the Matrix as seen in the Generation 1 cartoons or comics, the implication was obvious—rather than contain anything, the physical Matrix object from those continuities was a gateway to the Allspark. Where the animated "Matrix of Leadership" and the comic book "Creation Matrix" had previously seemed incompatible, this revelation united them conceptually—the lifeforces of the dead from the cartoon and the ability to bring new life from the comics could now both be tied to the features of the Allspark dimension. Dreamwave Productions' comics proceeded to cement this concept, depicting a Matrix of Leadership that possessed both these traits, and explicitly identifying it not as a holder of Primus's power, but a conduit for it.

The Matrix took something of a back seat in major fiction in the latter years of the 2000s, effectively replaced in the worlds of the live-action movies and Transformers Animated by the AllSpark—a mystical object that, while physically distinct from the Matrix, possessed its life-giving powers and record of Transformer history. Before long, however, both these continuities reintroduced the idea of the Matrix: In both universes, the AllSpark was destroyed and its knowledge and power was reincarnated in an object either specifically named, or designed to look like, the Matrix, thereby bringing the whole concept full-circle.

Finally, the recent revelation (implied in the movies, confirmed by Fun Publications' "Crossing Over" and reiterated in Transformers: Exodus) that the energy that is the basis of Transformer life is actually the rarefied form of the Transformers' fuel, energon itself, suggests that the energy of the Matrix is also (a form of) energon. This had actually been portrayed as the case in some formerly-questionable pieces of fiction such as The Transformers Trilogy novels, which retroactively make sense now.

The Transformers cartoon
The origins of the Matrix of Leadership are almost entirely unknown. The only hint of its beginnings was given in an account from near the dawn of time, soon after the ancient genius Primacron and his assistant created the colossal robot, Unicron. Unicron turned on his creators and destroyed the assistant's body, but seen to rise from his remains and disappear into space was an object that appeared identical to the Matrix. If this was truly the Matrix, it is wholly unknown how it came to be held by the Autobots and how it was elevated to the position of power it became known for.

However it came to be in Autobot hands, the Matrix came to be at the centre of the robots' belief system and was safeguarded by each successive generation of Autobot leaders. Upon the passing of its holder, the Matrix became a receptacle for the deceased Autobot's lifeforce, which cumulatively became known as the "Wisdom of the Ages", a storehouse of knowledge and experience stretching back to the dawn of Cybertronian history (and potentially beyond) that could be consulted by the Matrix's living wielders in times of need. The spirits of many Autobots have been seen within the Matrix, but the names of only a select few are known: The oldest entity within the Matrix is known only as "It"; following this entity, the next oldest known was Primon, who possessed the Matrix in the early days of the Cybertronian race around twelve million years ago; Prima bore it at the height of their oppression by the Quintessons about a million years later; Prime Nova was its wielder during the eventual rebellion against the five-faced aliens; Guardian Prime and his successor Zeta Prime carried it during the first war between the Autobots and Decepticons, before it was passed to Sentinel Prime, under whose leadership the war came to an end.

Around nine million years ago, the Autobot/Decepticon war was reignited by the creation of Megatron, who killed Sentinel Prime as one of his first actions. In his death throes, Sentinel entrusted the Matrix to the ancient Autobot Alpha Trion, who kept it hidden until a damaged young robot was brought to his workshop, another victim of Megatron's wrath. Trion recreated him as Optimus Prime, new leader of the Autobots, and gave him the Matrix.

Fatally wounded by Megatron in the year 2005, Optimus Prime passed the Matrix and leadership of the Autobots to his chosen successor, Ultra Magnus. Before passing away, Prime spoke of a prophecy—that one day, a "Chosen One" would rise from the ranks of the Autobots, and use the power of the Matrix to light the Transformers' darkest hour. When Prime's strength faltered at the last moment and he dropped the Matrix, the young Autobot Hot Rod stooped to catch it before it hit the floor. The Matrix glowed brightly in response to his touch, signifying what none of the Autobots present would realize until later: that Hot Rod was the Chosen One.

When word of Unicron's approach on Cybertron reached the Autobots on Earth, Ultra Magnus believed (and Hot Rod agreed, based on nothing more than a feeling) that the Matrix might be able to stop the world-eater. Knowing that this was indeed the case, Unicron recreated Megatron as Galvatron and dispatched him to steal the Matrix, leading to a confrontation on the Planet of Junk in which Ultra Magnus tried in vain to open the Matrix and use it to fend off the attacking Decepticons. Galvatron bested him and took the Matrix, believing he could use it to subjugate Unicron himself, but he had no more luck opening it than Magnus did. Unicron swallowed Galvatron whole as punishment, and it was within Unicron's body that the Decepticon leader engaged Hot Rod in the battle that saw the young Autobot claim his destiny. Seizing the Matrix from around Galvatron's neck, Hot Rod was transformed by its power into Rodimus Prime, then proceeded to fulfil the prophecy by opening the talisman and releasing its power, which tore Unicron apart from within. The Transformers: The Movie

Later, when injured in battle, Rodimus's consciousness briefly entered the Matrix itself and witnessed a vision that led him to believe that the answer to the mystery of the alien Quintessons currently plaguing the Autobots was held within it. To find his answer, Rodimus deliberately short-circuited himself and entered the Matrix a second time. Guided by the ancient Autobots within, Rodimus was shown the history of Cybertron and discovered the Quintessons' role in the creation of the Transformers.

The burden of leadership weighed heavily upon Rodimus, and he was all too eager to return the Matrix to Optimus Prime when it seemed that the Autobot leader had returned from the dead in 2006. It transpired, however, that Optimus had only been reanimated as a robotic zombie by the Quintessons, with the intent of luring the assembled Autobot forces into a trap. Fortunately, with the Matrix now back within him, its energies overrode the evil intentions the aliens had programmed him with, and he returned it to Rodimus before apparently sacrificing himself again to trigger the Quintessons' trap alone.

Still struggling with leadership, Rodimus tried to forget his woes with a bout of drag-racing in the hills of Japan, only to be ambushed by Dead End and Wildrider. The two Stunticons stole the Matrix and brought it back to Galvatron, but when the Decepticon leader attempted to use its energy to power his cannon, he was instead tormented by the spirits of the Autobots within it. The terrified Galvatron instructed Scourge to dispose of the Matrix, but Scourge grasped the true nature of its power where his leader could not, and instead placed it within his own chest. The Matrix's energies warped his body into a powerful, misshapen hulk, increasing his power to the point that he was able to oust Galvatron and take control of the Decepticons himself. Scourge proceeded to lead the Decepticons in an attack on Earth, only to be bested by Hot Rod, who had since learned the importance of "the burden hardest to bear", and reclaimed the Matrix once more.

When Optimus Prime was at last truly resurrected, he was forced to battle the Hate Plague-infected Rodimus in order to reclaim the Matrix from him, in hopes of consulting the Wisdom of the Ages to find a cure for the disease. Communicating with the mysterious It, he learned that the only way combat the madness of the plague was with wisdom, and opened the Matrix, expelling all of the wisdom within it to extinguish the disease (in the process claiming that this was also the Autobots' "darkest hour"). Although the Matrix was emptied, leaving only a shell, Optimus claimed they would have to start filling it with wisdom again, from that moment on.

In 2007, Optimus Prime used the shell of the Matrix as a substitute key to access Vector Sigma, where he consulted Alpha Trion on the mystery of the Plasma Energy Chamber.

Japanese cartoon continuity
What would become known as the Matrix was a device created by Primacron to convert its wielders' accumulated experiences and wisdom into a powerful all-purpose energy. It was originally built into his assistant (also known as the "Oracle") who was then targeted and destroyed by Unicron when he realized the power of the Matrix was a threat to him. However, the Oracle's lifeforce persisted within the Matrix and fled to a dead world at the centre of the galaxy, which he used his powers to transform into a lush, green world. In time, however, the alien Quintessons came to the Oracle's world and were able to bring him under their power, transforming him into the mega-computer, Vector Sigma. Using the Key to Vector Sigma, the Quintessons cyber-formed the Oracle's world into Cybertron, and the Oracle's life-giving powers were harnessed to produce a race of robotic slaves. They also found and held onto the now empty shell of the Matrix, which absorbed their malevolent brand of wisdom and filled up with corrupted, evil energy. When the Quintessons were kicked off the planet by the robots that would become the Autobots, they claimed the Matrix and, repulsed by its contents, emptied it out again. The discarded energy would one day grow sentient and become Devil Z.

The Headmasters cartoon
After emptying the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague, Optimus Prime sought to restore the lifeforce that had been lost by filling it with energy drawn from the lifeforce of Earth itself. To this end, the Matrix was secreted away in the lower levels of one of many Autobot energy-gathering facilities on Earth, where Prime hoped it would steadily recharge. Whether or not this odd-sounding plan would have worked is an area of some debate, but ultimately, a different set of circumstances soon came into play...

In the year 2011, a catastrophic side-effect of the Matrix's energy being released became apparent—without the Matrix to act as a controlling force, Vector Sigma began to destabilize, putting all of Cybertron in great danger. The Decepticons took this opportunity to invade the planet, hoping to take control of the unstable computer and by extension, the planet itself. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky During the battle that followed, Optimus Prime headed for Vector Sigma's chamber to try and bring the computer back under control, but without the Matrix—which remained hidden on Earth, its location known only to Prime himself—the only recourse would be to give up his own life. To stop Prime from making this sacrifice, Hot Rod led the Autobot Headmasters in a methodical search across Earth, checking every Autobot energy facility. The Mystery of Planet Master After successfully locating the Matrix in the last possible hiding place and evading his pursuers, Hot Rod returned to Cybertron, arriving in Vector Sigma's chamber just as Optimus Prime was facing off against the Decepticons. The ghost of Alpha Trion, who had survived the emptying of the Matrix and who had led Prime safely to the computer chamber, merged with the Matrix, restoring its lost lifeforce and giving it the power to once again transform Hot Rod into Rodimus Prime. The two Primes dispatched the Decepticons, but before Rodimus could use the Matrix to stabilize Vector Sigma, Optimus Prime sacrificed himself by merging with the computer to bring it back under control. Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime

Some time later, when Cybertron was subsequently devastated thanks to the machinations of Decepticon Headmaster leader Scorponok, Rodimus Prime voyaged into space to search for a new homeworld for the Transformers, taking the Matrix with him.

Beast Wars cartoon
Several enigmatic references were made to the Matrix by the Beast Warriors at various points, though it is never precisely clear if they are referring to the Matrix of Leadership, the Allspark dimension, the protoform production facility on Cybertron that also goes by that name, or some theoretical conglomeration of any of the above that they only speak of out of misconception.

When the body of Optimus Prime was fatally wounded by Megatron, Optimus Primal opened Prime's chest compartment in order to take the Autobot leader's spark into his own body for safety. Prime's spark was shown to be contained within a holder shaped just like the Matrix of Leadership, and Rhinox remarked that Prime's spark had "the Matrix with it".

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
The Matrix was passed down to Optimus Prime by Alpha Trion before his death. Everybody Hates Metroplex Megatron later defeated Prime and stole the Matrix, which he bonded with his black hole spark and used to subjugate Primus himself, allowing him to shape Cybertron according to his wishes.

Atop the Dyson Sphere above the Sun, Ultra Magnus managed to rip the Matrix from Megatron before a reborn Optimus Prime hurled Megatron into the sun. The Decepticon managed to hold onto the Matrix however, taking it with him only for Starscream to seize the Matrix for himself. It was then snatched by Laserbeak beginning a game of "hot potato" before Bumblebee managed to return it to Optimus.

Beast Wars: Uprising
To save Earth from the Swarm, Optimus Prime sacrificed himself and the Matrix. Book of Logos With the talisman lost to the Transformers, Unicron was instead felled by the Point One Percenters, prompting Deluge to genetically engineer more of them.

Prime Wars Trilogy cartoons
In the aftermath of the Combiner Wars, Rodimus Prime no longer felt worthy to carry the Matrix of Leadership and instead decided to return it to the Chorus of the Primes, reverting back to Hot Rod. The Mistress of Flame criticized his decision, claiming they would need the Matrix to stop Trypticon's rampage. Our Heroes Respond The Matrix projected a message to Optimus Prime, granting him a vision of future events, including the role the Matrix itself would play, prompting Optimus to head back towards the battlefield. Learning from Perceptor that Rodimus had given up the Matrix, Optimus entered the Chorus chamber in the Primal Basilica and asked to take back the Matrix, which the Chorus obliged. Desperate Actions Guiding Perceptor to a secret exit below the Basilica, Optimus asked him to take the Matrix and get as far away as possible, lest Trypticon obtain it and use it's power to become unstoppable.

After running only a short while, the Matrix spoke to Perceptor and detailed its own plan; despite his apprehension, Perceptor did as it asked and tricked Trypticon into swallowing both himself and the Matrix. Consumed However, because the Matrix could only be used by its chosen wielder, Trypticon could not contain its power and ejected it and Perceptor from his body, along with the previously-swallowed Victorion and the Enigma of Combination and the ghost of Starscream possessing the Titan. Before Victorion could reclaim the Matrix and Enigma, they were surrounded by a barrier of flame as Megatronus revealed himself. After killing Optimus and issuing a series of vague threats, Megatronus grabbed the Matrix and the Enigma for himself and blasted off into the sky.

Megatronus later removed the Matrix from its storage and installed it and the Enigma into an unknown device in the Well of Sparks. Megatron eventually realized that Megatronus planned to use the Enigma to merge the Matrix's energy with the Requiem Blaster, creating a weapon capable of killing every Transformer in the universe. Learning of Megatronus's use of the Matrix, the Unicron-controlled Rodimus Cron turned on him, declaring the Matrix must be destroyed. Megatronus returned to the Well of Sparks and installed the Blaster into his doomsday weapon, beginning siphoning the life force from every Transformer's spark. Perceptor attempted to remove the Matrix and the other relics, but his efforts proved unsuccessful as Solus Prime began to return. Collision Course Unicron appeared, now fully in possession of Rodimus, and attempted to take the Matrix while Megatronus attempted to stop him. Optimus Primal, Windblade and Grimlock resumed attacking the machine until it finally released the relics, and the Matrix interfaced with Primal, creating a shield protecting them from Megatronus. Having been chosen by the Matrix as its new bearer, Primal placed it in his chest, transforming him into Optimal Optimus.

In the aftermath of Megatronus's and Unicron's defeats, Optimus Prime was resurrected thanks to his connection to the Matrix. He praised the Matrix's choice of Optimal as the new Prime, and agreed to guide him in his newfound role as the leader of Cybertron.

2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon
Simply known as just 'the Matrix', Optimus Prime was chosen by Vector Sigma to be its bearer and lead the Autobots as Commander-in-Chief of Cybertron. Less a physical object and more an energy that suffused his form, Prime could call on the power of the Matrix in moments of great emotion, at which point his body would glow with its green light.

Unfortunately for Prime, his brother Ultra Magnus was furious at being passed over for the leadership role, and about halfway through Prime's campaign against Megatron on Earth, Magnus arrived on the planet with the intent to take the Matrix for himself. When he attempted to absorb the energy of the Matrix from Prime's body, however, a bizarre fusion occurred instead, merging the two brothers into Omega Prime and revealing that the intention had always been for them to share the energy of the Matrix between them. Magnus later inadvertently used this link to channel the energy of the Matrix into the Autobot Brothers, supercharging them.

In the final battle against Megatron—now Galvatron—at the Earth's core, Fortress Maximus channeled all his energy into Omega Prime to give his leader the power boost that he hoped would ensure triumph. The extra energy combined with that of the Matrix and it burst forth, coalescing into the colossal Matrix Blade, which Omega Prime used to claim victory.

Armada cartoon
When Megatron threatened to destroy the Earth with the Hydra Cannon, Optimus Prime, not expecting to survive the battle ahead, tried to pass the Matrix on to Hot Shot before entering the conflict. Hot Shot refused, not feeling himself worthy, and Prime subsequently died throwing himself into the path of the Hydra Cannon blast meant for Earth. Prime's body was reduced to ashes, and the Matrix was all that remained, clung onto by his Mini-Con partner Sparkplug, floating helplessly until rescued.

Not long thereafter, as the Autobots and Decepticons battled in space on their way back to Cybertron, Sparkplug and Perceptor presented the Matrix to the large armada of Mini-Cons who had joined the Autobots on their journey. Many Mini-Cons plunged themselves into the Matrix, using their powers to recreate Prime's body and restore him to life.

Some time later, in the midst of the Transformers' battle with Unicron, Optimus Prime was confronted by the evil demi-god with the suggestion that, on some level, he enjoyed the thrill of combat as much as Megatron did, and that the only difference between the two leaders was the Matrix in Prime's chest. Following Unicron's defeat, when Megatron (now Galvatron) challenged Optimus to one final battle, these words led Prime to discard the Matrix, that he might battle Galvatron not as the leader of the Autobots, but as an individual, and the equal of his foe.

Prime flung the Matrix through Unicron's hide, out into space, where it later drifted by the two combatants as their fight moved to Unicron's surface. Soon, however, it became apparent that Prime and Galvatron's fight was sustaining and re-energizing Unicron, and Galvatron allowed himself to die into order to destroy the chaos-bringer. As the battered Prime hung in space afterwards, the Matrix floated past him. Prime turned to look at it, but, having revelled in his battle with Galvatron and in a way proven Unicron correct, shifted his glance away, pronouncing himself unworthy to carry it.

Prime did not return to his fellow Autobots immediately, as Cybertron was now at peace. Instead, he apparently embarked on some sort of soul-searching space voyage, seeking to find worthiness once again.

Energon cartoon
Prime returned to reclaim the Matrix and leadership of the Autobots at some point over the next ten years. Despite the talisman being back in his hands once more, its power was employed but once during the war for energon of 2020, when Prime was badly injured by Starscream during a battle on Earth's Moon and fell unconscious. When Prime was infused with a massive jolt of Energon in an attempt by the Omnicon Skyblast to revive him, the interaction of the element with the Matrix brought forth the Energon Blaster, which coalesced out of a sphere of light that burst out of Prime's chest. Prime considered the weapon a gift from the previous commanders within the Matrix and fended off the Decepticons with it, then proceeded to never use or even mention it again.

Cybertron cartoon
A further ten years later, during the quest to stop the Unicron Singularity in 2030, Optimus Prime used the Matrix of Leadership in concert with Vector Prime's sword to open dimension gates to the various colony worlds that held the Cyber Planet Keys. It was only through the stabilizing powers of both objects that safe transit through the gates was made possible. The Matrix influenced Optimus Prime's Cyber Key, giving it a unique shape that mimicked the Matrix's own as opposed to the standard design shared by the other Autobots.

After the Autobots had obtained the Cyber Planet Keys from Velocitron, Jungle Planet and Earth and placed them in the Omega Lock on Cybertron, Optimus Prime substituted the energy of the Matrix for the still-missing fourth key. This proved enough to initiate Cybertron's transformation into the body of Primus, but without the key from Gigantion, the god's power remained at an ebb, unable to close the black hole. Before departing for Gigantion to obtain the final key, the Autobots were able to develop a method that allowed Primus to use the energy of the three keys and the Matrix to at least halt the singularity's growth, giving them the time the needed to complete their mission. Titans In order for the Autobots to safely traverse the tunnel in space-time that led to Gigantion, Red Alert created a "vaccine" program based on the stabilizing properties of the Matrix and Vector Prime's sword.

The Matrix would often glow with energy when Prime poised himself to unleash powerful combat moves; during his final battle with Galvatron, the golden glow of the Matrix surrounded Prime's entire body.

The Covenant of Primus
The Matrix was created by the Primes sometime after Unicron's defeat and before the War of the Primes though according to Alpha Trion it was a very different device at its creation then in the present day. It formed the hilt of the Star Saber but Prima surrendered it to Primus in the Core after the Primes fought.

During the Age of Rust, Alpha Trion went to Vector Sigma to try and retrieve the Matrix in hopes that it could reignite the fire of Cybertronian society. The supercomputer denied his request saying the time was not right but it gave him the Badge of Vector Prime.

When Megatron had poisoned the core of Cybertron with Dark Energon, Primus inserted a portion of his Spark into the Matrix and gave it to Optimus Prime to carry and guard. This had the effect of restoring Optimus' memories of his earlier life among the Thirteen.

Aligned novels
Originally the jewel in the hilt of Prima's Star Saber sword in the distant past of Cybertron, the Matrix had been missing for billions of cycles by the time data clerk Orion Pax met the charismatic gladiator named Megatron. Unbeknownst to Orion, Megatron plotted revolution, and, desiring the Matrix's power to fuel his ambition, had Soundwave send Rumble and Frenzy to search for the Matrix in Crystal City to no avail.

Later, when the High Council appointed Orion as Cybertron's leader, Optimus Prime, they ordered him to find the Matrix, and Megatron's true motives stood revealed as he also declared it would be his. War erupted across Cybertron and raged for millions of years, until, during the conflict's dying days, Optimus purged Cybertron's core of a Dark Energon infection that Megatron had wrought upon it. Speaking directly into Prime's mind, the core explained that Prime's predecessor, Sentinel Prime had been unworthy of the Matrix, but as long as he had survived in Kaon's prisons, Optimus was technically not Prime and could not receive it. With Sentinel's death and the core's purification, however, the time had at last come: the Matrix emerged from the core, and Optimus accepted it into his body. Subsequently, the Autobots left Cybertron on the Ark, but Optimus knew that the Matrix would guide them home one day, where it would act in concert with the core to fully restore their ravaged homeworld.

Prime cartoon
During the Great War, the core of Cybertron, which contained the Spark of the Transformers' creator Primus, became poisoned with Dark Energon. Orion Pax journeyed there hoping to cure the god, but instead was given the Matrix of Leadership by Primus himself, becoming Optimus, the last of the Primes.

When the Autobots discovered that Unicron's spark dwelt at the center of the Earth, Optimus Prime gambled that the Matrix held the power to destroy the dark god. Led to the core of the planet by Megatron, Prime emptied the full power of the Matrix into Unicron's spark. The chaos-bringer responded by possessing Megatron in an attempt to stop him, but the Matrix generated a shield to protect Prime so that the mission could be completed, and Unicron was successfully returned to stasis. Unfortunately, in draining the Matrix of its energy, Optimus lost not merely the wisdom of the Primes, but all of his own memories since becoming a Prime. Fortunately, Optimus had left a solution to this problem in the hands of the Autobot's human ally Jack Darby: the Key to Vector Sigma, which would allow the Matrix to be refilled, and Optimus's memory restored, via the mega-computer Vector Sigma on Cybertron. Jack and Arcee travelled to Cybertron to load the key, then returned to Earth in the midst of a battle between Orion and Megatron. Though the archivist was hesitant at first, Jack convinced him that he was in fact worthy and used the key to restore the Matrix's power and Optimus's memories.

When Optimus Prime lay dying after the destruction of the Autobot base, he told Smokescreen that the Matrix would choose someone else to be leader, whom he believed to be Smokescreen. When Optimus did die, his chest ejected the Matrix as it began to search for a successor, but Smokescreen simply put the Forge of Solus Prime in Optimus's hand which, combined with the Matrix, revived and reformatted Optimus at the cost of draining the Forge of all its power.

Optimus used the Matrix of Leadership to guide him to the location of the AllSpark. While engaging the army of Terrorcon Predacons on the Nemesis, Smokescreen finally confessed to Bumblebee that he was the original choice for new leader. To safeguard the AllSpark from Unicron, Optimus merged it with the Matrix. Unfortunately that meant when he restored the AllSpark to its rightful place, both he and the Matrix had to be sacrificed to do so, ending the age of Primes.

Rescue Bots cartoon
Optimus located an Iacon relic that was threatening Griffin Rock, and used the Matrix to shut it down.