Spark (Transformers)

Transformers: Generation 1

Although not officially the soul of a Transformer at this point, Marvel comics would occasionally refer to the "spark of life" given to a Transformer by the Matrix.

The Targetmaster partner of the Autobot Hot Rod, called Firebolt on the toy and in the television series, was referred to as Sparks throughout the U.S. comic book series.

Sparkride was the name of a Japanese exclusive repaint of Protectabot Groove.

It is slightly referenced in the cartoon, in episode "Divide and Conquer", where Megatron demanded to know if Optimus Prime's laser core was extinguished after Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp inflicted heavy damage on him during battle.

Transformers: Generation 2

Spark (also called Pyro in some markets) is the name of an Autobot leader who turns into a fire truck. Spark was a European exclusive.

Spark is described as a colossal hero with legendary feats of courage. Equipped with a multimissile firing system. Rear section converts into a defense launch pad.

Toys

*Transformers Movie Spark (2007):In 2007 an unofficial reissue of Spark was sold by a toy company in China to celebrate the 2007 Transformers film. This toy was recolored to resemble Optimus Prime in the film. It came without a rifle, but had a working missile system.

Beast Wars and Beast Machines

A spark is best described as the "soul" of a Transformer - while they have programmable computer minds that house their personality, the Spark is that indefinable, indescribable energy that makes them truly "alive", more than mere machines. Throughout the original Marvel Comics "Transformers" series, there were references to similar concepts such as the "spark of life" or "life spark," while the animated series spoke of "cybernetic personalities" as the source of a Transformers' life, bestowed by the mega-computer Vector Sigma, and a central life-source called a "laser core."

It was the 1990's "Beast Wars" animated series which truly introduced "the Spark" as it is now known today. All Cybertronians have a Spark, regardless of their heritage of allegiance - rendered as a glowing sphere of incandescent life, a spark dies or "extinguishes" when the body that houses it suffers fatal damage. Should a Spark be threatened thusly, Transformers are equipped with emergency protocols that shunt them into Stasis Lock, a state of still-living involuntary deactivation, in order to prevent further damage and to allow repairs, thereby safeguarding the Spark. This function can be overridden as was the case with the death of the Maximal known as Dinobot.

Rhinox first explains the concept of a Spark when operating on the protoform that would become Airazor. He describes the existence of such an item by explaining: "When a Spark goes online, there is great joy. When one is extinguished, the universe weeps." Although the term was never used in the original cartoon and comic, "Beast Wars" established that these older-era characters all too had Sparks (or their historical equivalent, nomenclature aside).

The sequel series, "Beast Machines" explored the concept on a much deeper level. Sparks, it explained, are fragments of the Matrix," the "well of all sparks" that currently exist, have existed, or ever will exist. Sparks leave the Matrix upon the birth of new Transformer life so that they may learn, grow, love and truly experience life, and then, with the passing of the Transformer, the Spark returns to the Matrix, assimilated back into it to share all the knowledge it has gained with the whole.In knowing this, it can be taken that the object known as the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, long stated to hold the wisdom of the ages, is a gateway to this realm, where the amassed knowledge it contains can be consulted (where the sparks of those who have formerly held the Matrix retain their individuality and can be communed with). Similarly, this link explains the object's ability to create new Transformer life in the Marvel Comics, via the transferral of a Spark from the Matrix. Vector Sigma, was also revealed to possess a connection to the Allspark, thereby explaining its ability to bestow life.

Nearly all Transformers series after Beast Wars have made use of the term "Spark" (though usually just in passing mention, often the result of dubbing). Of all the new continuity elements introduced by "Beast Wars" and "Beast Machines", the Spark is inarguably the one concept which has been embraced the strongest by the fandom, with the vast majority of fans happily retroactively using it in reference to the older stories.

Appearance

Sparks as shown in Beast Wars normally appear as a sphere of an ever-changing pattern of "electricity"-like blue lines with a pulsating center composed of smaller red spheres. In Beast Machines several of the Maximals are shown with different colored sparks such as yellow, white, red, purple (possibly expressing their individuality and/or a special connection to the Matrix/Allspark) and Megatron who had a spark colored a violent shade of red.

In the series Transformers Cybertron, the cyber planet keys are said to be fragments of the spark of Primus, divided and sent to the four corners of the universe to share the wisdom of Primus.The four master keys (colored gold in the toy line) need to be gathered and inserted into the Omega Lock to awaken the spark of Primus and transform the planet Cybertron.In the toy line the Omega Lock is needed to completely transform Primus, however it does not require the insertion of any of the cyber planet keys.At the end of the Cybertron series, it was decided that the unified planets should join together and bring the once again divided keys to other destinations in the universe to spread the knowledge of Primus even further. Hence, again putting Primus into stasis lock within a reformatted, renewed Cybertron.

Unicron Trilogy

The mention of sparks continued in other Transformers shows such as in the Armada, Energon and Cybertron cartoons. Armada and Energon both showed a few Transformers sparks (as orbs of light) transferred to new bodies after their old bodies were too badly damaged to be repaired or destroyed completely. Primus and Unicron's sparks were also shown in Energon, Primus as a very large glowing orb and Unicron as a small black/green orb.

In Cybertron, Metroplex's axe weapon is called Sparkdrinker. Galvatron mentioned sparks during his last battle with Optimus Prime.

Transformers (2007 Movie)

In the 2007 "Transformers" live-action movie, the Autobots and Decepticons are searching for the Allspark, the mysterious cube that created them. The movie shows the Allspark changing a cell phone, a car, a Mountain Dew soda vending machine, and an Xbox 360 video game console into some Transformers. Optimus even mentions putting the Allspark with the Spark in his chest as a last resort to keep it away from Megatron. According to Autobot Ratchet, fusing the AllSpark with a normal spark could destroy the Cybertronian, as shown in the climax of the film when Sam placed it in Megatron's chest.

External links

* [http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Spark Spark (Transformer soul) at Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki]