Dark Matrix

The Dark Matrix is an entity from theMarvel portionof theGeneration 1continuity family.

"Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!"

TheDark Matrix(also called theAnti-MatrixorCorrupted Matrix) is an entity that emerged and became distinct from theCreation Matrix.Corrupted by a series of impure users, the Matrix developed a malevolent sentience dedicated to the proliferation of evil and suffering in the universe. In some instances, the Dark Matrix could even exist independently to the Matrix itself, allowing it to spread its influence even further. The ultimate blasphemy against the Cybertronian GodPrimus,the Dark Matrix is a threat to all that lives, but especially the Transformers.

Fiction

MarvelThe Transformerscomics

WhenOptimus Primewas killed during the conflict over theHydrothermocline,Ratchetwas unable to repair the Autobots' fallen leader. Unaware that the life-giving Creation Matrix was a physical object (despite Ratchet having his hands in Prime's chest for several days), the Autobots believed its power was lost. A funeral was held for Prime, where his body was launched into space.Funeral for a Friend!

Time passed, and Prime's coffin-craft crashed down on a distant moon calledVsQs.The impact brought forth an awareness in the Creation Matrix. When another dying being crashed nearby, the Matrix restored it. This being had been aDeathbringer,however, an entity that provided the sweet release of death to the terminally ill. Empowered by the Matrix, however, the Deathbringer's function broadened in scope, bringing death to all life. This corrupted function brought it to Earth, and conflict with the Autobots. The Deathbringer was tricked into destroying itself by Optimus, but the damage had been done—its corrupted purpose intrigued the Matrix, which now had a taste for violence and evil.Dark CreationDeathbringer

Time passed, andanother creaturemade contact with the Matrix. Insignificant in size and scale at first, the creature was nevertheless evil, a predator that killed for sport instead of for food or defense. As the Matrix examined the creature, it became fascinated with it, and this time augmented a vessel deliberately to experience more of evil. The Matrix-spawn grew in size and hunger, murdering a science team from the nearby planetCameronthat came to investigate the Matrix power source.

Soon the Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon alike, converged on VsQs in search of the Matrix. The Matrix-spawn attackedWindsweeper,but whenThunderwingrecognized the connection between the creature and the Matrix, the Matrix bade its spawn to retreat.Jazzof the Autobots accidentally stumbled upon the creature's lair, where the physical Matrix now rested. The three-way struggle continued, as Thunderwing fought the Matrix-spawn and the Autobots attempted to secure the Matrix. Thunderwing proved victorious, killing the creature and claiming the Matrix from the weakened Autobots. He returned to theArkin the Autobots' own shuttle, in preparation of using the Matrix's power to obliterate Prime and the Autobots personally.Dark Creation

Thunderwing believed himself to be in full control of the Matrix, and indeed used its power to cut through the Autobots on the Ark with relative ease, confident they could not strike back against their sacred lifeforce. He was shocked, then, when Optimus slipped under his guard and struck back without the Matrix protecting Thunderwing. Still, Prime hesitated to actually damage the Matrix, giving Thunderwing the advantage again as he beat the Autobot leader senseless. Prime begged for a villainous monologue, though, and Thunderwing gave in, despite the dark voice of the Matrix whispering in his mind to kill and destroy. Thunderwing was then caught off-guard by the Autobot reinforcements who arrived, and suffered damage. Furious, the Dark Matrix consciousness manifested overtly for the first time. It created a demonic shadow-field surrounding and protecting its vessel, while exerting full control over Thunderwing's actions, wearing him like a shell.

In the chaos that followed, Optimus Prime tried to reach Thunderwing's mind, but the Matrix laughed off his attempts at parley. Only when a fellow Decepticon, Thunderwing's loyal warriorSpinister,expressed the same concerns and was shot down by the Matrix did Thunderwing realize he was no longer in control of his own actions. As Thunderwing began to fight against the Dark Matrix's control,Nightbeatused the shuttle's grapplingharpoonto skewer Thunderwing. By turning off the artificial gravity and setting the shuttle to self-destruct, he sent Thunderwing and the Matrix adrift in space.All Fall Down

The Dark Matrix was not destroyed, however. Instead, it hungered for revenge.Out of Time!It repaired Thunderwing's body over time until he was ready for travel. No longer demonstrating even a shred of independence, Thunderwing acted as the Matrix's vessel as it pursued its enemies to Cybertron.The Void!

Unicronhad arrived on the planet, and intended to consume his hated foe's physical form. Primus's spiritual form had assumed a vessel as well,EmirateXaaron,but ultimately he alone did not have the power to oppose Unicron. His bluff failed, and Primus was destroyed along with Xaaron. The Dark Matrix arrived during the war to confront Unicron, attacking the Chaos-Bringer merely because he stood in the way of it experiencing vengeance against the Transformers. However, Unicron soon realized the Matrix's purity was his bane, and without it the creature had no hope of opposing him. The shadowy Matrix creature was shredded in a hurricane of force that destroyed Thunderwing as well.

The Matrix itself remained, however, and Optimus Prime once again attempted to reclaim it. The Dark Matrix consciousness fought against him, rejecting its past, but Prime persevered and cleansed the Matrix with his own faith and inner goodness. Prime plunged down Unicron's maw with the purified Matrix aglow, and destroyed the Planet-Eater from the inside out. Although Unicron died, the Matrix was also destroyed in the eruption it caused.On the Edge of Extinction!

Regeneration One

However, in one universe, this was not the end. When Primus summoned all his creations home,The Void!a fragment of the creature which had been inside the DeathbringerLess Than Zerowas summoned too. It refused to be absorbed into Primus, and instead infested one of Unicron's worshippers. As Unicron attacked Cybertron, the creature explored, soon stumbling upon a tomb of ancient warriors. Some residual energy from their sparks remained, and the creature absorbed them. The guardians of the tomb tried attacking, but the Dark Matrix overwhelmed their minds, sending them up to the surface to grab living victims,Still Life!who were saturated in energy released by Optimus's sacrifice. As the planet grew geologically unstable, the creature merged with it.

However, the new peace did not suit it. For many years after, it manipulated the discontentedSoundwave,until he felt pushed to murder theLast Autobot,Counterpointkicking off a new bout of conflict, freeing the entity to follow its own plans. It sent a signal to Earth, awakening the long-dormantGalvatronfrom his icy tomb.Loose Ends, Part 5It also foundScorponokand his designs for Cybertron suitable, feeding on the madness it caused. But soon, the creature reached its limit, and set its sights higher, seeking to spread across the multiverse. Of course, to do that required a Matrix.The War to End All Wars, Part 5

It manipulatedHot Rodwith false visions, sending him to center of the planet to recover theSword of Primusand theCovenant of Primus,hoping for Hot Rod to chose the sword and murder the demons. Instead, he chose the Covenant.

When Hot Rod and theDinobotscame into the Primal Chamber, looking for any sign ofGrimlockafter he'd tumbled into theSonic Canyons,the entity made its move, possessing Grimlock and pretending to be Primus,Destiny, Part Threeclaiming that his grand plan was threatened, casting Hot Rod into the timestream before unceremoniously leaving Grimlock.Destiny, Part FourIn Hot Rod's travels, he encounteredanother reality,and took that world's Matrix, becoming Rodimus PrimeLess Than Zerojust as the entity had hoped.The War to End All Wars, Part 5

"Do not worry, Samurai, you will see me again. But next time, you will not be so fortunate."

Utilizing the remainingAcolytes of Unicron,the entity had them grab Galvatron as he tried to escape from the Autobots afterBludgeon's attempted assault. Meanwhile, onNebulos,the creature infected the dormant head ofFortress Maximusas preparations began to reintegrate it to his body.The War to End All Wars, Part 1Once he came online, the entity overwhelmed him completely.The War to End All Wars, Part 2The entity then sent Max to Earth, where he violently attacked Optimus, and grabbedSpike Witwicky,who was too shocked to retaliate. Despite Optimus's efforts, he was overpowered by Fortress Maximus, who retreated with his captive. Back on Cybertron, the entity rewarded Unicron's acolytes by draining the life from them.The War to End All Wars, Part 3

Spike was taken toZero Space,the anomaly at the end of all space time, where the entity planned to use his nature as a human-Cybertronian-Nebulan hybrid to open the way into the multiverse, by subjecting him to emotional torment, starting with pretending to be hisdead brother.With the Autobots distracted with Jhiaxus, the entity made its move.The War to End All Wars, Part 4In an instant, the creature spread across Cybertron, corrupting and debasing it, transforming nearly every living being alive into strangeshadow-leeches.OnlyRavageand the Dinobots remained, the former due to hiding in whatever shadows he could find, and the later thanks to Grimlock's prior possession giving him an immunity. It then sent Galvatron to seize theStar Chamber,killing the Autobots on guard before locking the doors and turning off all thespace bridges,save the ones between Earth and Nebulos.

Meanwhile, the entity continued to torment Spike, now appearing ashis father,widening the crack in Zero Space that would allow it to ascend. To facilitate the opening, it sent Galvatron to ravage Nebulos. Now fully aware of the creature, Rodimus Prime confronted it. In response, the entity summoned three versions of Optimus, all corrupted by its influence, and set them on him. Unable to battle his mentor, Rodimus chose a different option: Summoning various alternate versions of himself from throughout the multiverse.

Fighting against the creature's influence, Optimus told Rodimus to prevent the creature spreading by any means. On Nebulos,Ultra Magnusput an end to Galvatron, while the rest of the Autobots regretfully put down Fortress Maximus. Back in Zero Space, Rodimus tried to get through to Spike, who finally shook off his grief and pain. Not to be deterred, the creature made a leap for the gap in Zero Space, only for Rodimus to use the Sword of Primus to sever their reality from the greater whole. With this, the creature faded into nothingness.The War to End All Wars, Part 5

Notes

• InSimon Furman'searly plans for the2005 IDW continuity,the Matrix would've been corrupted by theDead Universeinto a malevolent force.^[1]While this would end up becoming the separate concept of theDarkness,the original idea probably owes something to this earlier creation of Furman's.

References