Garrus-9

Beautiful scenery.

A comprehensive detention and rehabilitation facility located onElba,Garrus-9(also known asGarrus 9orG-9) is decidedly more humane than comparable Decepticon prisons. The penitentiary houses prisoners (Autobot andDecepticon) incarcerated under theTyrest Accordby Duly Appointed Enforcers such asUltra Magnus.Those who admit their guilt, or who are considered to be Threat Level Nine, have their sparks extracted, either to ensure they can be controlled or to make the passage of time easier on them. Such sparks are held in a special section known as "The Rig". Prisoners who are kept whole are kept in cells, with maximum security being located in the lower levels.

In the event of an emergency, personnel can hole themselves into a maximum security area known as "The Last Resort." This section also holds some of the most dangerous offenders. It follows a naming scheme started byGarrus-1.

Known staff

Friendly staff.

• Fortress Maximus—Warden
• Fastlane
• Cloudraker
• Kick-Off
• Rollout
• Sprocket
• Skyfall
• Rad
• Jackpot
• Turbofire
• Windbreaker
• Over-Run
• Vroom

Known inmates

Spacious accommodations.

• Arcee—Classified as Threat Level 9— "Escaped"
• Bludgeon—Escaped (or possibly freed during thegalaxy-wide Decepticon assault)
• Longtooth—Seemingly reformed
• Repugnus—Possibly released
• Skyjack
• Ransack—Escaped (or possibly freed during the galaxy-wide Decepticon assault)
• Impactor—Freed bySnare
• Shockwave—Freed byOverlord
• Scorponok—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Grimlock—Abducted via theWarren
• Flywheels—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Skullgrin—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Finback—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Bomb-Burst—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Skip—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Kakuryu—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Rairyu—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Doryu—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Goryu—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Flame—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Howlback—Freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• 18 others freed by Overlord and assigned to Shockwave
• Several other unidentified individuals.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

Garrus-9 housedAequitas,a massive Autobot supercomputer designed as a culpability drive—a machine capable of calculating guilt from the prisoners placed before it. Something known only to the highest echelons of the Autobot command was that not only was Aequitas used to determine the guilt of Decepticon criminals, but Autobot ones as well. Those Autobots who bore witness to the trials at G-9 were horrified by accounts of civilian executions, torture, morphcore harvests, rust injections, desecration of corpses, and spark transplants, all conducted byfellow Autobots.Chief Justice Tyrestagreed with luminaries such asProwl,XaaronandNightbeatthat for the sake of Autobot morale and the overall war effort, the trials would be kept secret until the final verdict.

Years ago, theWreckers' commanderImpactorwas sent to Garrus-9 for the crime of executing the notoriousSquadron Xafter he was ordered to let the Decepticons go due to political concerns.Last Stand of the Wreckers #5Impactor's fate was sealed when his own first officerSpringertestified to Aequitas that he saw him commit these crimes, though he thought his commander would be sent to a rehabilitation institution or an "open" prison instead of the notorious G-9. Because of his refusal to admit that what he did was wrong, Impactor was denied the mercy of spark extraction.Last Stand of the Wreckers #4As Impactor was dragged away, Springer told him something that had would gnaw inside of him for his time in prison: Squadron X deserved to die, but Impactor didn't have the right to kill them.Last Stand of the Wreckers #5

Can it wait for a bit? I'm in the middle of some calibrations.

Seventeen years later,Jetfirewas assigned to the facility byOptimus Primeafter the apprehension of theMonstructorgestalt. The task was given high priority, as combiner technology falling into Decepticon hands would be a disastrous upset of the Cybertronian galactic cold war.Spotlight: Optimus PrimeThough Fortress Maximus expressed unease that the combiner team was not being kept in spark stasis like the other inmates, Jetfire explained that the alterationsJhiaxushad performed on them had rendered such options moot for now.

Tipped off byDealer,Banzai-Tronsent theCombaticonsto blitz the facility and retrieve the coveted technology. This forced the warden's hand, and so Fortress Maximus freed one of his most dangerous inmates, the Autobot femaleArcee.She made impressive inroads on the otherwise fearsome strike team, but ultimately was unable to prevent their retreat with the assets.

After Jetfire convinced the warden to look the other way, Arcee was allowed to escape and pursue her quarry.Spotlight: Arcee

However, word of the events on Garrus-9 reached theAutobot Orbital Command Huband were relayed toOptimus Prime.Devastation #5The sensitivity of what the Decepticon raid might have gained forced theAutobot leaderto withdraw fromEarth,even with the danger ofMegatronandSixshotlooming large.Devastation #6

Arcee captured a survivor from a crashed Decepticon attack ship, tortured him for information on Banzaitron's whereabouts and beheaded the prisoner after she was done. This was later discovered by Optimus Prime andProwl's team when they arrived at Garrus-9, but both Jetfire and Fortress Maximus decided to keep quiet about what they knew.Spotlight: CyclonusThe troop deployment at Garrus-9 was re-strengthened while Optimus's team was stationed there.

From the Last Resort's command center, Optimus could only watch helplessly asThunderwingeffortlessly swept aside both the Wreckers andHound's unit onCorata-Vaz.At the same time, Jetfire got in touch withOmega Supremewho identified the mysterious bots who had attacked Hound's detachment, while theTechnobotsworked on perfecting Thunderwing'ssymbiotic carapace technology.While Optimus Prime pondered the risk of using the dangerous technology, Dealer contacted Garrus-9 to suggest using theMagnificenceto answer their many questions.Spotlight: Hardhead

In search of Optimus Prime,Nemesis Primeattacked and breached the Last Resort, killing thefirsttwoAutobots that challenged him and shrugging off the hail of gunfire from the others. Optimus Prime had Fortress Maximus call off the guards and confronted Nemesis personally in the generator sub-level. Meanwhile, Jetfire attempted to take control of Thunderwing using Bludgeon's Axis Cradle. Unfortunately, Jhiaxus had prepared for this eventuality and activated the imprisoned Bludgeon from within his cell.Spotlight: Doubledealer

Nemesis attacked Prime using theDarknessbut was blasted in the back and killed byGalvatron,who wanted the Darkness for himself. He offered to spare Optimus's life in exchange for the Darkness, but the Prime tricked Galvatron, tossing him into asolar poolafter the Darkness completed its transfer. Elsewhere, when Arcee defeated Jhiaxus, his control over Bludgeon was gone and the Pretender went inert again.Spotlight: Sideswipe

Some time after the Expansion,Hot Rodbrought theMagnificenceto Garrus-9 where it was entombed beneathAequitas.The Ties That Bind

Grimlock,Shockwave,andScorponokwere taken to Garrus-9 byUltra Magnusafter the destruction of Scorponok'sMachinationempire on Earth.Maximum Dinobots #5When Grimlock arrived, the Magnificence was removed from beneath Aequitas and placed in the only place harder to get into than a fortified prison planet: the Dinobot's chest.The Ties That Bind

Galvatron survived the pool, and later left the facility withCyclonus,Scourge,and theSweeps.Rebirth

First-rate entertainment.

During theSurge,Megatronwanted the prison to be taken over by the Decepticons.Skyquakeand hisPredatorswere given this task, but the rogue Decepticon generalOverlordhad different plans though: he usurped the operation and led a vicious massacre before freeing all the inmates. He announced everyone would be staying here with him, and he'd see them entertained... Said entertainment being "hideous violence", begun when he threw Fortress Maximus to his former charges and turning into pointless bloodsports anddeathmatchesinvolving the captured Autobots.Last Stand of the Wreckers #1Overlord kept Grimlock alive, forcing him to watch the slaughter of his fellow Autobots, and knowing he could do nothing, it possibly drove the Dynobot insane.Last Stand of the Wreckers #4He also freed Shockwave after almost a year of controlling G-9, in exchange for the mono-toned scientist removing the blindspot virus that Megatron had infected Overlord with. Shockwave knew that all of the bloodshed and slaughter on display here was nothing but a provocation, an invitation for Megatron to intervene so Overlord could face him in combat.Last Stand of the Wreckers #3

When Shockwave left the prison, he took with him a hand-pickedbribecrew that just so happened to be onthe Listso he could buy off theDecepticon Justice Division.Having discovered the ruse, Scorponok,Flame,andFlywheelsjumped ship. While the latter was found by theForagers,the former two were recruited by theGrand Architectwho pressed them into service. Needing the Magnificence for his plans, Scorponok manipulated theWarrento open a portal in Grimlock's cell, abducting the Autobot from the prison.The Ties That BindKill All 'Cons

After three years of this, and having Autobot ships gunned down when they tried to reach Garrus-9, the Wreckers were dispatched to bring Garrus-9 back under control.Last Stand of the Wreckers #1Snare,a Predator who now realized that he was trapped on G-9 and was sick of the horrors he had seen, freedImpactor,the former Wreckers commander who had been imprisoned for unspecified crimes, in the hopes that he could escape the prison and bring back help. Impactor made it off the planet and reported to Ultra Magnus and the Wreckers what had been happening on G-9. The Wreckers broke through G-9's lattice forcefield in two drop pods from Ultra Magnus' ship, but were shot down and separated.Last Stand of the Wreckers #2

When Overlord learned the Wreckers had arrived on G-9, he gave the order to execute all remaining Autobots left in the prison.Last Stand of the Wreckers #5While Springer's team were on the run from dozens of Decepticon ex-convicts, Perceptor's team had the misfortune of landing in The Pit, right in front of Overlord.Last Stand of the Wreckers #2

Springer's team split up into two smaller teams: While he, Impactor andTwin Twistwould go find the other Autobot prisoners,KupandGuzzlewould go find Grimlock. Unfortunately, Springer's team were captured shortly after discovering the corpse ofKick-Off,one of the former G-9 guards who had been forced into becoming a pit fighter for the Decepticons' amusement. Meanwhile, Perceptor's team escaped the Pit with the loss ofRotorstormand made their way to Aequitas' chamber, where they found the dismembered, but still living Fortress Maximus, the warden of G-9 who had been hooked up to the door to Aequitas as a living lock-pick.Last Stand of the Wreckers #3

Kup and Guzzle made their way to Grimlock's cell, only to discover it was empty. Snare appeared, explaining what Overlord had done to Grimlock and what his state of mind should be, before leading them to the Spark Extraction Chamber whereStalkerwas torturing Springer's team. For his trouble, Snare was shot in the head by Stalker (who in turn was killed by Springer), then Overlord blasted his way in. Meanwhile, Perceptor's team made it inside Aequitas, but when he tried to download its hard drive, he discovered that with all of G-9's personnel gone, the only way to access the supercomputer was for one of the team to willingly give up their spark.Topspinstepped up while the others argued, stating that it could give both he and his branched-sparkbrother Twin Twist a dignified death, rather than suffer at the hands of Stalker. With the computer unlocked, Perceptor selectedIronfistto be the receptacle for Aequitas' knowledge, but with the knowledge of all of Aequitas' judgments and the truth shook him to the core. With the Decepticon prisoners about to breach to the door to Aequitas, Perceptor prepared to detonate the deterrence devices installed in the head of every G-9 inmate. Realizing this would kill Impactor as well,Pyroobjected and it was put to a vote. Ironfist, now knowing the full extent of Impactor's crimes, voted to kill the prisoners.Last Stand of the Wreckers #4

The battle between Overlord and Springer's team took to them outside the G-9 facility, where Guzzle and Kup were the first to be disabled. In the Aequitas chamber, Verity managed to convince the Autobots against detonating the deterrence chips and instead fight their way out. However, Pyro volunteered to stay behind as a distraction while the others snuck out with Fortress Maximus' body and the Aequitas data. On their way to the roof, Ironfist stopped by G-9's armory and retrieved a very large rotary cannon with a load of deterrence chips, which was then used by Springer to inject into Overlord. Though Springer himself was quickly defeated by the Decepticon madman, Ironfist used the knowledge of Aequitas to detonate the chips specifically inside Overlord, crippling him. Once Verity revealed that Megatron had died on Earth three years earlier, whatever remained of Overlord's sanity was dashed away, and he told Impactor to put him out of his misery. The former Wreckers commander refused, for Overlord was as guilty as he was when he executed Squadron X, and the Decepticon would be brought to trial for the atrocities he had committed. The remaining Decepticons fled before Ultra Magnus arrived to collect the survivors and the fallen. For his part in liberating Garrus-9, Impactor was given a full pardon and left with Guzzle for parts unknown.

The real prison is in your mind...

While Ironfist died en route to Earth, he managed to copy the contents of Aequitas into adata slug,which Ultra Magnus handed to ProwlLast Stand of the Wreckers #5along with a hidden backup slug, left toVerity Carlo.In Word and Deed

After capturing the creature known as theFirstborn,theScavengersattempted to transmat to Garrus-9 so that they use thespark extractorsto removeRat-a-Tat-Tat'ssparkfrom the organic.Kill All 'ConsInstead of providing them with the prison's coordinates, the Magnificence, a mouthpiece for theOmega Guardians,The Unrememberinglisted the coordinates ofMederi,the artificial moon presenting itself as Garrus-9 as per their expectations. The arrival ofNautica,who believed Mederi to be theAfterspark,caused both illusions to shatter.Kill All 'ConsYou Are Here

Animatedcartoon continuity

The G-9 penitentiary was a maintained by theAutobot Commonwealthon Elba.The AllSpark Almanac II

Recordicons

CommissionerGarboilandHowlbackalertedBatbotto the escape ofBlackcatfrom G-9.Recordicons #5

Of Masters and Mayhem

The Garrus 9 Incursion was one of the legendary missions of the Wreckers, known to Autobots and Decepticons alike.Impactor's profile in Club magazine #68

Games

Transformers Legends

Garrus-9 was taken over byDreadwindand theAir Strike Patrol.After a few months of lost contact, the Autobots sent in Impactor's Wreckers team, which defeated the Decepticons and largely destroyed the facility.The Wreckers

Notes

• As originally written bySimon Furman,"Garrus-9" probably meant the ninth planet of a system named "Garrus", butMore than Meets the EyebyJames Robertsestablished "Garrus" as a system of prisons.Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanacidentified Garrus-9's planet asElbain homage to theChallenge of the GoBotscartoon episode "Escape from Elba",which was later affirmed byLost Light#14.