Maximal

Woof woof!

Arising from the ashes of the Great War, the Maximals are the descendants (at least in part) of the Autobots, controlling Cybertron under the Pax Cybertronia. The Maximals and their counterpart race the Predacons both owe their origins to the Great Upgrade, which provided the downsized, fuel-efficient bodies that became the hallmark of the successor factions.

In many ways, the Maximals share traits with their Autobot ancestors; primarily a "civilian" race, the Maximals are committed to upholding the peaceful, democratic values of their forebears. All this said, they aren't perfect: they still have their jerks, and Maximal science has occasionally resulted in the odd unethical scientific horrors.

The most distinctive factor of both Maximal and Predacon physiology is their development of pseudo-organic beast modes, allowing both sides to adopt alternate modes that blend in seamlessly with the organic lifeforms found elsewhere in the universe. This technology, an offshoot of earlier Pretender tech,^[1] sheathes a beast mode in an artificial organic skin, integrating its natural instincts directly into the Maximal form.

When Maximals take on beast modes, they tend to select mammals, birds or fish, although this is not a hard-and-fast rule. Occasionally, Maximals might choose to become insects, reptiles, or dinosaurs.

The Maximal activation code is "Maximize".

Fiction

Generation 1 continuity family

Beast Wars toy bios

The product of an innovative "bio-genetic morphing process" that sought to create the ultimate fusion of organic musculature and Transformer technology, the rise of the Maximals and their leader Optimus Primal signified that the old conflict between Autobot and Decepticon had entered a new phase. Optimus Primal vs Megatron!

Beast Wars cartoon continuity

The exact origins of the Maximals (and Predacons) were never entirely explained, though several aspects can be inferred from dialogue. The events of Beast Wars and Beast Machines are stated to have taken place 300 years after the end of the Great War, though whether this is in Earth years or Cybertronian years has never been made clear. Dark Designs Dialogue from the cartoon suggests that the signing of the Pax Cybertronia, which ended the conflict between the Autobots and Decepticons, was the precipitating event that led to the development of Maximal and Predacon technology. The Agenda (Part 1)

Stasis pods formed the backbone of Maximal exploration programs.

A transitional period can be inferred from Optimus Primal's dialogue, mentioning the Great Upgrade as the specific era when the Autobot population transitioned "from Autobot to Maximal". Around this time, the Autobot capital of Iacon would have been abandoned The Search and replaced by Cybertropolis as the new central city of Cybertron. Master of the House Characters would occasionally reference Autobot heroes from the past as their "ancient ancestors," Possession with Rattrap mentioning his "great-aunt Arcee" on one occasion. Transmutate Optimus Primal similarly described Optimus Prime as his revered "ancestor", though whether or not these references are literal or metaphorical are anyone's guess. The Search

By the modern day, the Maximal government had organized itself into a democracy Chain of Command led by the High Council of Maximal Elders Possession Deep Metal Master of the House ruling from the Council Citadel in Cybertropolis. Master of the House The general Maximal populace of Cybertron had largely forgotten about the struggles their ancestors had faced in the Great War; a state of affairs that the Elders found convenient for their purposes. Under their tenure, most records relating to the Great War were sealed away, Possession and Maximals were forbidden from travelling to Earth. Deep Metal

Despite this, the Maximals maintained a significant space presence, using the development of protoform and beast mode technology to explore neighboring worlds such as Regalis V without disturbing the native life forms. Home Soil Stasis pods, which allowed large numbers of protoforms to be safely carried through space, Beast Wars (Part 1) suggests that these expeditions were the precursors to an expansion-minded colonization program. The most significant development in regards to space travel was the invention of transwarp travel, an evolution of space bridge technology which allowed ships to travel through time as well as space. Beast Wars (Part 1)

Beast Wars cartoon

According to Optimus Primal, peace between the Maximals and Predacons had lasted for centuries. Beast Wars (Part 1) Four stellar cycles prior to the disappearances of the Axalon and the Darksyde, Deep Metal Maximal scientists conducted research into Starscream's mutant spark, Possession hoping to learn more about its anomalous immortality. The result of their experiments was Protoform X: a hyper-aggressive mutant Bad Spark who promptly attacked both the Maximal colony Omicron Deep Metal and Starbase Rugby. Nemesis Part 1 Most likely as a result from this failed experiment, the Maximal Elders restricted access to Starscream's history file by the general Maximal public, deeming the file classified information. Possession

Both Maximals and Predacons possessed an onboard computer that was symbiotically hardwired into their superstructure; this secondary AI was responsible for autonomously coordinating the movement of parts during transformation, Master of the House as well as coordinating energy shielding, The Spark power distribution, and the emergency failsafe mode known as stasis lock. Code of Hero

Maximals traditionally adopted beast modes via external DNA scanners integrated into external machinery, Beast Wars (Part 1) which directly integrated organic material into an outer layer of synthetic flesh. Apocalypse Unlike Predacons, Maximal programming directly integrated beast mode instincts into the consciousness of the Cybertronian and dividing them from higher reasoning through a programming block. Call of the Wild In some cases, damage sustained in a protoform state could prevent this programming block from forming. Fallen Comrades Severely damaged protoforms might fail to scan a beast mode entirely, emerging as a deformed and unstable robot. Transmutate

In other instances, Maximals who remained in beast mode for too long would suffer from feral impulses, which would go on to completely override their consciousness and reduce them into wild animals. Call of the Wild Despite this fundamental difference in programing, it was easy for a Predacon to become a Maximal - or vice versa - by simply changing one's activation code. Beast Wars (Part 2) Double Jeopardy

Over the course of the "Beast Wars" on prehistoric Earth, exposure to exotic energy and alien technology would change several Maximals into Transmetal Aftermath and Transmetal 2 forms; Feral Scream Part 2 though these mutations outwardly changed afflicted Maximals back into more mechanical beings, organic material remained integrated into both forms.

Beast Machines cartoon

Maximal society revolved around new research and innovations, which were apparently distributed to the populace during regularly scheduled upgrade cycles. At some point after the departure of the Axalon from Cybertron, the Quantum Cycle Upgrade involved the installation of built-in DNA scanners into the Maximal populace, which rendered stasis pod technology obsolete. Survivor

Other Maximal expeditions involved a voyage to the distant world of Regalis V to study the native lifeforms there. Home Soil

Following the end of the Beast Wars, the Maximals returned to Cybertron with Megatron as their prisoner; taking advantage of a transwarp disruption, Megatron returned early and sought to conquer Cybertron for his own; engineering a transformation-paralysing virus, he was able to swiftly conquer the undefended planet by using spark extractors to remove the sparks from the incapacitated Maximal populace, reengineering their lifeless bodies into a horde of Vehicons to hunt down the survivors. Discovery

The surviving Maximals from the Beast Wars crash-landed on Cybertron shortly after Megatron had fully consolidated his rule across the planet; those Transmetal Transformers were able to resist the debilitating effects of the virus and took refuge underground. There, they discovered the Oracle, who, acting on part of a greater plan to evolve Cybertron to its next stage of existence, used the organic matter they brought back to Cybertron to reformat them into new technorganic bodies. The Reformatting The rise of the technorganics represented the most marked divergence from the standard Maximal physiology yet: representing the "perfect" fusion of technology and biology at the cellular level, this new breed of Maximal lacked the onboard computers that characterized other protoform Cybertronians, and had to learn to transform by applying conscious willpower to shift from beast to robot form—a "transformation" that was akin to fluid shapeshifting. Master of the House

After some brief misunderstandings regarding the nature of his mission, Fallout Optimus eventually came to understand that he would have to restore Cybertron's balance between the organic and technological, and in the final battle against Megatron the seven Maximals drew upon the collective spark power of Cybertron's Maximal population to power themselves up. When Legends Fall In the end, Optimus was able to defeat Megatron, triggering a planetary reformatting that saw Cybertron itself transformed into a technorganic form and the captured Maximal population restored to their bodies. Seeds of the Future

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Beast Wars II cartoon

Tens of thousands of years after Optimus Primal's adventures on Cybertron, the Maximal leader would go on to be remembered as a "legendary commander" and one of the most important Maximals of all time. Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger! The dynasty of the Maximals would last for millennia, stretching into the distant future and outlasting humanity's time on Earth. The New Forces Arrive!

In this distant future, a group of Maximals led by Lio Convoy would pilot the starship Yukikaze to the post-apocalyptic ruins of Earth, which had become known as Gaia, and battled a group of Predacons led by Galvatron. Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers On one occasion, an alien teleport gate would warp Optimus Primal himself from his position in time and space to this future world, where he briefly teamed up with Lio Convoy before returning home. Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!

Beast Wars Neo cartoon

In the many years following the Great Transformation, the High Council had been succeeded by the Great Convoys. Big Convoy, Move Out At this point, Maximal colonization efforts started generations before had evidently yielded fruit, and many Transformers, Maximal and Predacon alike, had chosen to take up permanent residence on distant worlds far from Cybertron. Bump the Physicist

At least some Maximals professed to be religious; Big Convoy and his rookie crew of the Gung Ho shared a belief in a nebulous entity known as the "God of the Maximals". Chase the Mysterious Capsule

3H comics

The new team of Wreckers, consisting of Maximals, Predacons, Autobots, and Decepticons

The Maximals took their name from the Maximal Upgrade, which was instituted after the end of the Great War and the signing of the Pax Cybertronia. Several prominent Autobots partook of the upgrade, including Hot Rod (renaming himself just "Rodimus") and Arcee. Departure As the Maximals and Predacons came to supplant the Autobots and Decepticons as the new ruling castes of Cybertron, the two factions coexisted in an unstable alliance of peace that lasted for centuries. Covenant Betrayal During this time, Maximal society had become driven by exploration and advancements in technology. Departure Law and order was enforced by a peacekeeping organization known as the Imperial Peace Marshals, headed by Peace Marshal Command. Apelinq's War Journals Departure But as a precaution, the High Council had also recommissioned a new Maximal version of the elite strike team known as the Wreckers—previously disbanded after the Great War—to serve as a last resort the Council had hoped would never be needed, Departure with a base established for Wrecker Command in Delta Three (and later relocated to Delta Five). Apelinq's War Journals

In the time between Megatron's return and subsequent takeover of Cybertron, the Predacon worked in secret to conquer the planet with his Vehicon drone armies, overtaking the Peace Marshals via terrorist attacks and rendering the Maximal High Council helpless to stop him. The Wreckers took action but were overwhelmed by Megatron's numbers and his deadly virus that crippled the planet's entire population. Only the Maximal Apelinq and his advisor Rodimus remained as the sole surviving Wreckers. Apelinq's War Journals Following the return of Optimus Primal's Maximals to Cybertron, the two Wreckers would eventually be joined by the arrival of yet another unit of time-displaced warriors led by the Maximal Primal Prime, whose team (which included a mix of Maximals and Predacons) would be added to the Wreckers' ranks, along with a scant few surviving Autobots and Decepticons. VEHICON ALERT! Apelinq's War Journals

The Maximal High Council

Following the defeat of Megatron and the onset of the Great Transformation, evidence surfaced that suggested that the technorganic reformatting of the planet may have actually been a plot by the malicious Quintessons to lead the development of Cybertron astray. Disclosure However, when the Quintessons attempted to invade the now-verdant Cybertron, they discovered that the technorganic Maximals had evolved far beyond their specifications; not only were they invisible to Quintesson technology, their new constitutions gave them rapid healing abilities that allowed them to rejuvenate themselves from even the most grievous injuries. It was soon revealed that the Quintessons themselves had actually been manipulated by Primus, who used them to help his children discover this great leap forward. Wreckers: Finale Part II

In a year's time, Abduction the High Council had returned to power, governing the planet just as the Universe War was about to begin. Homecoming

In an alternate timeline where Megatron had conquered Cybertron not with Vehicons but with Predacons, the Maximals became subservient to the planet's new dominate faction and, for years, their numbers were constantly run to ground and executed by the Predacons. However, over time, the Predacons had become too complacent in their rule, allowing the Maximals to retaliate with greater organization and shift the balance of power back in their favor. Paradox By the 32nd Century, an even greater power had entered the conflict: A mad Predacon despot known as Shokaract—empowered by the lifeforce of Unicron—conquered Cybertron and half the known galaxy. Both the Maximals and Predacons were defeated and driven underground by Shokaract's onslaught, forcing the once and former enemy factions to unite into pan-factional resistance groups, originally formed out of convenience but later out of necessity. Herald Schism

Dreamwave Generation One comics

Half of a Maximal symbol could be seen on the doors to the Ark. Night of the Combaticons

Descent into Evil

A the end of the Great War, the Autobots and the next generation of Maximals coexisted for a period of time, and threatened to overrun the concurrent Predacon/Decepticon alliance. Descent into Evil

2006 IDW Beast Wars continuity

The Maximal faction appears to have arisen as an Autobot subgroup at some point before the end of the Great War. In the year 2035, the Maximals and Autobots participated in the battle that followed immediately after the deaths of both Optimus Prime and Galvatron; with command of the factions ceded to the Primal Council, the conflict seemingly concluded when the Tripredacus Council voluntarily surrendered, allowing for the signing of a temporary ceasefire. The conflict gave rise to the development of protoform technology, which would form the basis for future Maximal colonization endeavors. Dawn of the Predacus

In the years that followed, the Maximals and Predacons grew in prominence and eventually eclipsed their respective progenitor races. At some point, the Great Upgrade occurred, which saw every Maximal and a handful of surviving Autobots downsize into fuel efficient bodies. Among them were the former Autobots Ironhide, Silverbolt, and Prowl, who became the first Maximal Elders in what would later be known as the Maximal Imperium.

Despite the apparent ceasefire, war, in some fashion, would continue on between the new factions for some years; the Maximals were known to have set up "re-education centers" in their prison camps and the Predacon BB was a "guest" of one such place. In the last days before the signing of the Pax Cybertronia, a group of Maximals led by Lio Convoy pursued Galvatron and a force of Predacons to the planet Gaea, where they battled for control of the planet's Angolmois Energy until Lio Convoy's group prevailed.

Following the signing of the Pax Cybertronia and the official end of hostilities between the Maximals and Predacons, the Great War and its numerous minor conflicts were officially considered over. The Maximal Elders remained on guard for any attempts to violate this new peace and dispatched Big Convoy to take out the rogue dissident Magmatron when the Predcaon attempted to restart the war. In time, both governments established the Committee for State Affairs to deal with inter-factional diplomacy; Beast Wars Sourcebook the Maximals maintained a standing law enforcement presence in the shape of the Maximal Command Security Force, Dawn of Future's Past and trained new recruits for their military arm in the Maximal Military Academy.

In these peaceful postwar years, the civilian branches of the Maximal government turned its attention to the stars, and focused on several long-range exploration and colonization missions. Many Maximals—some of them civilians looking for new adventures, others veterans of the Great War looking to start anew—volunteered for these missions, reduced to a protoform state for ease of interstellar transport. Beast Wars Sourcebook

Neither side was prepared for Megatron's attempt to change history by travelling back in time, and the Maximal Elders responded by dispatching Optimus Primal and his crew to chase the stolen ship through transwarp space. Dawn of Future's Past Not long afterwards, Magmatron would embark on his own scheme to pursue Megatron to prehistoric Earth; the Maximals responded by secretly inducting the Maximal double agent Razorbeast into his ranks. Hoping to raise an army from the stasis pods left on prehistoric Earth with which to conquer Cybertron, Razorbeast managed to tamper with the shell program required to turn the protoforms and managed to raise an ad hoc team of Maximals to counter Magmatron's plans. The Gathering Both sides warred with one another until the rise of Shokaract and Unicron's heralds threatened both sides. Both sides joined forces to defeat the menace on Cybertron, but the planet was left ravaged and defenseless by the battle, allowing Megatron—freshly returned from his defeat on Earth—to easily conquer the planet with hordes of Vehicons. The Ascending

Beast Wars manga continuity

Descendants of the Autobots, Beast Wars Metals #5 the Maximals were led by the Convoy Council, headed by Great Convoy with the authority of Vector Sigma and of which Optimus Primal was a member. The council granted Convoy-rank Maximals such as Lio Convoy their Energon Matrix. Free the Captured Matrix! The Maximals maintained a planetary headquarters from where they were able to coordinate Maximal troops in the war against the Predacons. The Maximal military was split into different units, including the Maximal First Fleet and the Maximal Seventh Space Fleet. As part of the greater war, Great Convoy sent a band of troops under Lio Convoy's command to Gaia to keep Angolmois Energy from Galvatron and his band of Predacons. Demolish the Superdreadnought Tank! New members of the military started as cadets; five in particular were trained by Big Convoy on Gaia after Lio Convoy's disappearance. There, they would encounter the Black Ball and be sent on a journey to collect Angolmois Capsules. The 5 Rookies When the Black Ball was revealed to be Unicron and he posed an immediate threat to all of Transformerkind, the Maximals united with the Predacons against the ancient being, but the combined fleet was of little match. Unicron was ultimately defeated through the sacrifice of Big Convoy. Return to Zero

The Maximals presumably had native Cybertronians in their ranks, but at least several Maximals were from various animal species that had evolved into Transformers via the power of Angolmois Capsules and the guidance of time-lost warriors from Lio Convoy's troop. The Beast Wars "Neo" Begin!!! A Battle Fought Alone

Beast Wars: Uprising

The Maximals were one of the two "Proto-races" created by Fortress Maximus, using the Energon Matrix he acquired from humanity, in the aftermath of the Great War, in the mid-21st century. Head Games They took their name from Maxima, "She Who Sang", basing their insignia on her luponoid steed. The Predacon Manifesto Smaller and more energy efficient than their precursors, the Maximals were initially used by the Builders of Cybertron to carry on the war in their stead, until it became clear this wasn't a possibility. The Maximals and Predacons inherited a ruined Cybertron ruled by a corrupt and selfish oligarchy, as the Builders oppressed their successors out of jealousy for their greater freedom of movement, making the proto-races second class citizens at best. Broken Windshields Some Autobots surreptitiously had their Sparks installed into proto-race bodies, and were treated no better by the Builders. Micro-Aggressions On what few extra-planetary ships there were that patrolled the Allowed Zone, Maximals served as command officers, subservient to their Micromaster political officers, a tactic of the Builders to ensure the proto-races didn't start getting along, and that they remembered who was still in-charge. Intersectionality Not that Maximals and Predacons needed help disliking one another, as there was always low-level tension between both races at the best of times. Burning Bridges Trigger Warnings The Maximals were supposedly governed by the Maximal High Council, but in practice the Council had little actual authority. Not All Megatrons

As a substitute for actual war, and as a way to further serve their pettiness, the Builders—inspired by human fiction—instituted a series of Games, their most favored of which was gladiatorial combat, which any Maximal could be dragged into at any time save those in the Maximal Command Security Force, who were exempt. Unknown to the proto-races, these games were rigged, to make sure once again that neither Maximals or Predacons got along. Broken Windshields

In the 24th century CE, thanks to the Resistance, the Grand Uprising against the Builders began; three-quarters of Cybertron's Maximal population opted to join the burgeoning Resistance against the Builders. Broken Windshields Four years into the war, the reputable Darksyder Inc. introduced the Beast Upgrade to Cybertron, granting proto-formers much more energy efficient beast modes. During this time, the Maximal High Council began seizing more and more control of their people from the Builders. Not All Megatrons Within a year of the Beast Upgrade's appearance, the Maximal High Council seized the Tagon Heights, declaring it was now the Maximal Nation, and was neutral so long as they were left alone. Cultural Appropriation When the Vehicon Apocalypse kicked off, the High Council eventually voted to join with the Resistance to bring an end to the Builders. In the aftermath of the war, the Maximals became part of the newly formed Cybertronian Parliament. Derailment

Sometime in the thousand years after Unity Day, the Maximals were replaced by the Commandrons. The Inexorable March

Ask Vector Prime

In some realities, the Maximals were founded by Fortress Maximus. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/08 In other realities, the Maximals and Predacons were all Mutants. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/01

In one particular universe, the Beast Wars were fought in Alpha Q's universe; the Maximals involved in that conflict adopted strange alien beast modes to cope with the peculiar conditions of each world. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/03

The legendary Hyperdrive inspired many Maximals who studied his bygone adventures. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/16

In another timeline, the Maximals and Predacons clashed on prehistoric Earth for control of Earth's Mini-Cons. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/13 The Maximals pursued the Predacons to southern Mexico some 3000 years ago; their exploits were recorded by the native Natiltec, who came to worship the aliens as animalistic gods. Fire in the Dark

2005 IDW continuity

"This is what you get for ignoring our 20th anniversary!"

A group known only as the "originators" once referred to the perfect alternate mode as "attaining the maximal". Sins of the Wreckers #2

Twelve million years ago, the Maximal Army emerged as a tribe of prehistoric warriors who had named themselves after their master, Liege Maximo. Endless Forever When Megatronus swept across the world, the Maximals and their leader were ousted from their territory in the Forgotten Plains, and came into the employ of "Onyx Prime", an alias for the temporally-displaced Shockwave, who incorporated the Maximals into his "menagerie" of bestial warriors. The First Who Was Named Origin Myths Endless Forever

Many Maximals joined Onyx Prime as he set out for the Crystal City, and helped instruct the peaceful denizens of the village in the ways of war, so as to better meet the oncoming approach of Megatronus's Darklanders. Though the Maximals fought bravely, the fighting ultimately ceased when the original three Titans arrived on the scene and peace was made between the two factions. Origin Myths

In the era that followed, the Maximals were among Onyx's many followers as he established a castle in Old Kalis; The Crucible however, their choice of beast mode meant that the Maximals were treated poorly by the other tribes, being seen as little more than animals. Another Mine When the First Cybertronian Civil War broke out, Onyx Prime aligned himself with Nexus Prime who used the Enigma of Combination on some of the smaller Maximals to create Headmasters. After Galvatron had killed Nexus Prime, Onyx Prime fled Cybertron aboard Nemesis, taking his army with him, The Crucible The First Who Was Named to Antilla where they made camp. Our Finest

Fleshy on the outside like their daddy but pointy on the inside like their other daddy.

In the modern era, the unaligned scientist Tarantulas described his work on Chimeracon technology—based around perfectly disguising Transformers as organic creatures—using the phrase coined by the originators. Sins of the Wreckers #2

Unknown years later, Antilla was visited by a trio of Camiens. The Maximals attacked but their would-be victims managed to escape. Surfeit of Primes The escapees were later tracked back to Caminus where the Maximals clashed with the Torchbearers as they retrieved a sample of Ore-4. Ghost Stories Unforgivable

Bands of Maximals began hunting down and killing Cybertronians across the galaxy. Unstopped and Unstoppable Among those targeted were the stranded Throttlebots on Regalis V, only for the Maximals to be chased off by Prowl's forces. The Dead Come Home, Part 1 The Dead Come Home, Part 2

Shortly afterwards, Onyx Prime returned to Cybertron and revealed himself to be Shockwave. As part of his plans, he had Liege Maximo lead a squad of Maximals to attack the crew of the fallen Metrotitan. The Hallowing Met by Arcee, Maximo explained his army's true origins to her before they took her prisoner. Endless Forever

After Maximo's death and Shockwave's capture, the Maximals retreated to Nemesis and fled, intent on joining up with the approaching Unicron at Shockwave's behest. Unforgivable Though Shockwave believed that his forces were doing so as part of his scheme, his carefully curtailed plan had shattered the Maximals' own faith and they aimed to bring down the galaxy as an act of revenge by sincerely joining forces with the Chaos Bringer. Ceremony

Unbeknownst to the Maximals, they were trailed by the Peaceful Revolution who followed them to Devisiun as Unicron bore down on the planet. Prowl's crew fought to defend the colony, but the sheer amount of Maximals forced them to retreat, leaving the world to be consumed. However, by tracking Nemesis' flight path, Prowl was able to predict the planet-eater's eleventh target would be Caminus. Unstopped and Unstoppable Following Prowl's advice to bait a trap, Optimus assembled a massive fleet to defend the colony, only for the Maximals' sheer numbers to allow them to break through the lines and make planetfall in a single-mindedly suicidal attempt to kill the population. The Mistress of Flame sacrificed herself to hold the horde back long enough for the populace to evacuate. Last Stand The Maximals would live on however, exposed to the Ore-11 within Unicron's systems, they mutated into highly durable skeletal forms. When the Decepticon Vengeance Division attacked Unicron, the Maximals were regurgitated onto the flagship Worldsweeper with Bludgeon, himself a Unicron loyalist, declaring that their mutated forms would form the basis of Shockwave's new Decepticon Empire. Stranger Eons

As part of their deception, Optimus Primal, Beast Megatron, and Rhinox greeted Shockwave in Toronto and began destroying the city at his command. Road's End This made them targets for G.I. Joe and the Red Shadows when the forces of Earth attacked the city. After learning that the Talisman's removal from Cybertron had allowed Unicron to survive Cybertron's destruction, Shockwave tracked the artifact and ordered Bludgeon to have the Maximals retrieve it so they could kill Unicron with it. It was then that the Maximals and Bludgeon revealed to Shockwave they were now loyal to Unicron. Led by Inferno, the Maximals travelled to Victoria Falls to retrieve the device, only for Metroplex to space bridge away with it. Assembly

The Maximals soon came under attack from every power on Earth, while their absence left the Decepticon Vengeance Division open to attack, with the minority remaining in orbit being unable to withstand the might of Earth's army, all of them falling prior to Unicron's collapse. Ceremony

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

The Maximals existed alongside Autobots, Decepticons, and Predacons in the 21st century CE. In the aftermath of the Earth/Cybertronian war, Maximal shepherds co-habited the plains of Uranus with Predacons. The War Never Ends

War for Cybertron Trilogy continuity

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

The Maximals traveled across time to find the Allspark and change the fate of Cybertron. While battling the Predacons on pre-Ice Age Earth, both sides were joined by the Autobots and Decepticons, their epic battle changing their combined destinies forever. Kingdom webpage^[2]

Multiple possible futures for the Maximals were recorded on the Voyager Golden Disk. In one, Dinobot led a cross-factional alliance, while in another, Maximals bore witness to Autobot leader Optimus Prime leading Cybertron to a new golden age. In other futures, both Dinobot and Blackarachnia left the Predacons and became Maximals! Kingdom Golden Disk cards

War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon

The Maximals hailed from a dark alternative future for Cybertron, one where the AllSpark was lost and both Optimus Prime and Megatron had been reformatted into Nemesis Prime and Galvatron respectively. Though developing technology far more advanced than their Autobot ancestors, including time travel, the Maximals retained a bitterness towards their ancestors for failing to restore their world which they shared with the Predacons, the descendants of the Decepticons. Kingdom episode 1

After a group of Predacons had stolen the Golden Disk, the Maximal ship Axalon under the command of Optimus Primal was assigned to pursue. Following their foes through time, the Maximals crashed on Earth. Initially each counting two hundred, the conflict reduced the Maximals and Predacons to five members each. Kingdom episode 2

When the Ark and Nemesis crashed, Primal sent Airazor to scout the Nemesis and keep tabs on the Decepticons while he led the other Maximals to scavenge resources from the Ark. After meeting the Autobots, the Maximals elected to take the opportunity to help their ancestors return the Allspark to Cybertron. Kingdom episode 1 When Airazor was captured, the Autobots and Maximals, despite the foreknowledge granted to the Decepticons and Predacons by the Golden Disk, managed to rescue her. Using the tracers she'd managed to place on the villains, they set out after them to find the Allspark. Kingdom episode 2

As the alliance converged on a forest, all of their senses were scrambled by Allspark illusions. They were eventually reunited when Optimus Prime reclaimed the Matrix of Leadership, returned to him by a fatally wounded Dinobot. Kingdom episode 3 With the Matrix guiding his way, Prime led the group to a temple that the Allspark had erected for itself. While he and Primal retrieved it, the Maximals and Autobots kept the Predacons occupied. Kingdom episode 4

With history changing, the Maximals, now orphans in time, decided to join the Autobots in returning to Cybertron, though noting that they could be erased at any moment. When the Nemesis attacked, the Maximals boldly boarded the Decepticon warship, holding off the Decepticons and Predacons until Blackarachnia managed to disable the craft's weapon systems. When Teletraan-I managed to reconfigure the Ark into a transformable body for itself and brought down the Nemesis, the Maximals loaded their prisoners aboard the Ark. Kingdom episode 5

After the Maximals erected a stasis field to hold their prisoners, the Ark took off for Cybertron, discovering it to be a frozen wasteland. While Optimus Prime went to return the Allspark to where it belonged, the Maximals found that the original Megatron had escaped the stasis field. Discovering that Galvatron and Nemesis Prime were manipulating events, the Maximals freed the Predacons and Decepticons, convincing them to ally with them to save Cybertron. After the restoration of the Allspark defeated Galvatron and Nemesis, the Maximals joined the Autobots in one hemisphere of Cybertron while the Decepticons and Predacons took the other, agreeing to live in peace. Kingdom episode 6

2021 IDW Beast Wars comic

In an era that followed the time of the Autobots and Decepticons, the Maximals ruled Cybertron. Though a technologically advanced people, the Maximals frowned on the independent mavericks, both in their military forces and in the usage of their time-travel capable transwarp drives. Seeking to topple the Maximal rulers, a cabal of Predacons stole the coveted Golden Disk and a transwarp-capable warship from the Great Shipyard, destroying the remainder of the Maximal war fleet in the process. With no alternative, Maximal High Command dispatched the exploration vessel Axalon to intercept the thieves. Savage Landing Part 1

Crash landing on a primitive world and rebuilt with technorganic beast mode casings, the Maximals began repairing the Axalon while sending Nyx to scout the area. Savage Landing Part 2 After going missing for a night, Nyx returned with the seeking to defect Dinobot. Savage Landing Part 4 When the other Predacons attacked, Savage Landing Part 5 Dinobot fought with the Maximals, joining them once the Predacons had been chased off. Savage Landing Part 6

During the battle, the Predacon Tarantulas had managed to breach Thetha Lab and upload malicious coding to an orbiting stasis pod, brining it down to the surface. The protoform within emerged as Blackarachnia, her Predacon coding activating soon after her Maximal spark allowed her to breach the Axalon. Pod Part 1 Though the Maximals managed to chase her off, she managed to upload Tarantulas' code to 51% of the orbiting pods, corrupting the unborn Maximals within, while ordering all pods to land. Enraged by the attack, Optimus Primal decided to go on the offensive, drawing up plans for an attack on the Predacons. Pod Part 2

When out for a walk, the Predacon Skold discovered an unaltered pod which birthed the Maximal Razorbeast. After befriending him, the two fought off a pack of ironwolves. Aware that the Predacons would only view him as a prisoner, Skold took him to the Axalon for repairs but denied Dinobot's offer to join the Maximals. Thicker Skin

After Razorbeast was repaired, the Maximals attacked the Darksyde with the intent to ground it and reclaim the Golden Disk. Maximals Strike Back, Part 1 With the others holding off the Predacons, Nyx and Rattrap snuck inside the ship to complete their objectives. During the battle, Razorbeast attempted to have Skold peacefully stand down only to be killed by Terrorsaur. Maximals Strike Back, Part 2 Within the Darksyde, Nyx managed to destroy the transwarp drive only for Rattrap to be detained by the security system when he claimed the Golden Disk. Primal and Nyx managed to free him only to be trapped by a force field. Bluffing, Primal managed to convince Megatron to let the Maximals leave, Rattrap already having made a copy of the Golden Disk's contents. Maximals Strike Back, Part 3

Following a battle at a field of energon crystals, Cheetor was left in deep stasis as the Vok Pakak infiltrated his mind, downloading the information needed to reprogram a Cybertronian protoform. The Speedway of Central Consciousness

When the Predacons discovered a rage-inducing energon crystal, they weaponized it as a viral attack against Optimus Primal. After a loaded suggestion from Dinobot, the Maximal leader channeled his anger towards Megatron, running off to the Darksyde, only to be abducted by Polar Claw. Primal Rage While waiting for their leader to return, the Maximals camped outside their ship, Cheetor telling an edgy story to pass the time. The Morphlings

Alongside Megatron, Optimus encountered the Children of the Vok and their alien benefactors. Appealing to the Vok's scientific curiosity, Primal managed to convince the aliens to allow the Maximals and Predacons to join forces, noting the sociological data that could be obtained when two warring factions joined forces. Children of the Vok

Upon returning to his troops, Optimus sent Rhinox and Dinobot to the Darksyde while Blackarachnia, Waspinator and Skold came to the Axalon. As the latter two helped the Maximals repair their engines and theorize as to the Vok's true nature, a distress signal came in from the Darksyde. The Beginning of the End

While Rattrap and Waspinator were left behind to affect further repairs on the Axalon, the rest of the group went to defend the Darksyde from the totality of the Children of the Vok. The fighting drew the attention of the Vok who planned to destroy the Cybertronians with their reversion device before being destroyed by Rattrap and Waspinator using the Axalon's transwarp drive. After using the same weapon to shunt Megatron forward in time, the Maximals attempted to extend the truce only to be rejected. Aware that they could not return to Cybertron without Megatron as their prisoner, the Maximals left aboard the repaired Axalon, keeping a lookout for Megatron. The End

Live-action film series

Rise of the Beasts film

The Maximals hailed from a Cybertronian colony populated by beast mode Transformers. In their possession was the Transwarp Key, a device that allowed them to travel anywhere and anywhen, which the Maximals used to visit other worlds and nurture developing civilizations.

In time, the Key drew the attention of Unicron, the Chaos Bringer hoping to use the Key to quickly traverse intergalactic distances. The leader of the Maximals, Apelinq entrusted the Key to Optimus Primal who fled with it and a group of Maximals to prehistoric Earth as Unicron consumed their homeworld. On Earth, the Maximals split the Key in two. Primal's group sought refuge in the jungles of Peru, eventually entrusting their half of the Key to a small village of people aware of the Maximals' existence for safe keeping. Airazor led another group of Maximals to hide elsewhere, her half of the Key being concealed in a statue cast in the form of her beast mode. As the centuries followed, the Maximals who followed Airazor passed due to unknown circumstances, leading her to believe she was the last of her kind.

In 1994, museum intern Elena Wallace accidentally broke the falcon statue and activated the Key's signal beacon, attracting the Autobots as well as the Terrorcons, the former faction hoping to return to Cybertron, while the latter saw it as a means to summon Unicron to Earth. After the Terrorcons claimed the Key, Airazor introduced herself to the Autobots, telling them that the Key was incomplete.

After Elena deduced that the second half of the Key was in Peru, the Autobots allied with the remainder of the Maximals. Amaru presented the other half of the Transwarp Key to Optimus Prime, only for it to be stolen by Airazor, who had been corrupted by Scourge, and delivered to the Terrorcon leader.

With both halves reunited, Scourge connected the Transwarp Key to a newly formed Transwarp Drive, where it then opened a vortex that allowed for Unicron to come to Earth. Fighting through Unicron's Terrorcon and Predacon forces, the Autobots and Maximals initially hoped that Elena could upload the Transwarp Key's override abort before the control panel was unfortunately destroyed by Scourge to ensure that the dark god will prevail. The Key was ultimately destroyed during the final battle by Optimus Prime in order to stop Unicron's arrival. In the aftermath, the Maximals allied with the Autobots to defend Earth, preparing for the day when they would inevitably come to blows with Unicron again. Rise of the Beasts

Titan movie comics

Starscream identified Simon Furman as a Maximal whose alternate mode was a "strategically shaved ape". #7's Star Screams According to Vector Prime, Furman joined the Maximals because they had the better dental plan. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/16

Variations

• Transmetals: When exposed to the exotic radiation produced by a quantum surge or a Super Energon explosion, some Maximals and Predacons develop a "mutated superstructure," granting them purely mechanical beast modes while their robot modes take on additional organic traits. In most instances, Transmetals develop a tertiary "transport mode". Such robots are undetectable to Vok technology.
• Fuzors: An alternate evolution also stemming from said radiation, Fuzors possess a single beast mode based off two or more creatures, mashed together into a single chimeric form. Fuzors possess a degree of Transmetallization that also renders them invisible to Vok sensors.
• Mutants: When exposed to a transformation virus, Fuzors may react to the infection by losing their robot form, instead developing the power to switch between two beast modes at will. Paranormal abilities such as telepathy frequently manifest.
• Transmetals 2: The power of the Transmetal driver has the ability to upgrade Cybertronian lifeform one step beyond the initial Transmetal mutation. Transmetal 2 Maximals are recognizable by their asymmetrical and frequently monstrous appearances, incorporating a patchwork of organic and mechanical components in both modes. In some instances, Transmetal 2 Transformers develop supernatural powers such as telekinesis or rapid healing.
• Technorganics: When reformatted by the Oracle, Maximals become an entirely new type of being, one that merges true organic life with Cybertronian construction at the cellular level. Considered to be the "perfect" fusion of the mechanical and the technological, technorganics transform via fluid shapeshifting and manifest a variety of energy-based powers.

Games

Transformers: Earth Wars

The Game Full of Death and Suffering...! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their video game appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Transformers: Earth Wars

Notes

• An early version of the faction name was "Cyberbeast" alongside "Predacon".^[3]
• The "Maximal" faction name came from a last-minute attempt by Vincent D'Alleva to figure out a new protagonist name that would represent the animal Transformers, clear trademark checks and please the executive group. He combined the name of a scrapped G.I. Joe line, Manimals, with the name of the car driven by the team marketing coordinator, a Nissan Maxima. Manimals + Maxima = Maximals. Ta-da!^[4]
• An early draft for season 3 of Transformers: Prime would have depicted the Maximals and Predacons as threats on a rejuvenated Cybertron, but these early plans were scrapped in favor of the Beast Hunters subline imprint.^[5]

Foreign names

• Japanese: Cybertron (サイバトロン Saibatoron), Maximal (マキシマル Makishimaru)
• Hungarian: Maximál (Kingdom sub)
• Latvian: Maksimāļi
• Mandarin: Jíxiàn Dòngwù (Taiwan, 極限動物, "Extreme Animal"), Qiángdà Shòu (Taiwan, 強大獸, "Powerful Beast"), Jùwúbà (China, 巨无霸, "Extremely Gigantic"), Qiángdà Jīngāng (強大金剛, "Powerful Vajra")
• Polish: Maksimale (Voice over "Maximals"), Bomboty(Canal + Dubb "Bombots")

References

1. ↑ "Departure"
2. ↑ Kingdom webpage
3. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CJC-i7cgfHR/ Hasbro document scan regarding McDonald's Flip-Out Transformers
4. ↑ Botcon 2004 Interview with Vinnie D'Alleva, p1-2
5. ↑ Rik Alvarez panel in 2015