Optimus Prime (IDW Comics)

Born as Orion Pax, the robot eventually known as Optimus Prime would rise slowly but surely to fame–first as a law officer unafraid to stand up for justice, then as a great and powerful military leader who held the line against Megatron's Decepticons on Cybertron and across the galaxy. As the first legitimate Prime in many ages, heir to the Matrix of Leadership, Optimus Prime is revered by many and reviled by some, but always a powerful presence, in or out of battle.

Optimus The Conqueror
This chance came after a crisis at Iacon's space bridge, where Windblade's team struggled against a mob of disenfranchised Decepticons seeking a new life on Earth. Optimus, Aileron, and Sterling rallied Superion and Victorion (and a reluctant Starscream), who quickly reclaimed control of the damaged bridge. While Wheeljack worked to bring it back online, Optimus realized the only way to permanently end the struggle for Earth. As soon as the bridge came back online, Optimus stepped through to confront Galvatron's forces... and laid claim to Earth and its people, declaring it the newest member of the Council of Worlds!

This naturally didn't sit well with Galvatron or the humans, and a chaotic fight soon ensued, with Optimus leading the charge- much to Aileron's admiration, noting that Optimus had begun acting like the Primes of legend. With the Decepticons incapacitated thanks to an EDC mindbomb, Optimus pushed their advantage, forcing Galvatron and his inner circle into a retreat. There was no time to rest, however, as China's People's Liberation Army Mecha Force deployed a counterattack on the Cybertronians, blasting Sterling with an orbital killsat. Optimus deployed Aileron to take down the space-based weaponry while he coordinated the withdrawal effort on the ground. Aileron bridged back to Cybertron and returned with the Skyroller, whereupon Optimus and Aileron flew the Autobots to safety.

Optimus began to have second thoughts about his drastic actions while en route to the EDC's headquarters, although he knew that he couldn't go back. Once he had arrived at the Bikini Atoll, he rendezvoused with the original Earth team and Thundercracker, whom he formally inducted into the Autobots. While recharging, Prime was later plagued by a vision of the Dark Cybertron prophecy, although he was quick to shrug it off and supervise the renovation of Thundercracker's old home to support a temporary Space Bridge to Cybertron to extricate the wounded, although he had to put up with Alpha Trion's criticisms. Using the Skyroller's systems, Optimus broadcast a message to everyone on Earth and Cybertron, informing them that Earth was under his protection and that, above all, the Autobots were here to help humanity.

At this time, the Cybertronian race received the final message from Team Rodimus saying that they would die in six hours and detailing how they would like to be buried. As the Lost Light was not answering any hails, Optimus ordered everyone into the Space bridge to save them only for Jetfire to inform him that the message had been sent three weeks ago.

Under Optimus's supervision, the Autobots set about improving living conditions for humanity- planting crops, distributing technology to poor towns, and patrolling violence-stricken regions. Unfortunately, Prime was still plagued with nightmares regarding his perceived failures and poor judgment calls. Optimus apologized to Aileron for failing to live up to his godly reputation, although the Camien assured him that he had set the Autobots on the right course of action. On the Skyroller, Prime requested that Tracks try to open a channel to his Decepticon brother Needlenose, which set off an emotional chain recation that ended with Aileron storming off to confront the "ungrateful" humans. Optimus, Sunstreaker, and Victorion followed her to the lawn of the White House, where they rescued her from a pair of Seeker clones... although not without Optimus getting his arm blown off by another killsat. Back on the Skyroller, Aileron continued to give Prime the cold shoulder, prompting the Autobot leader to finally open up communications with other major political players and discuss the next step.

He first journeyed back to Cybertron to try and explain himself to the Council of Worlds only for them to condemn him. He then travelled to Caminus where he requested the Mistress of Flame divulge the knowledge she had regarding "The Arisen", the thirteenth of the Thirteen. The Mistress revealed she'd been studying the massive role Earth played in Cybertronian history, causing her to deduce that it was the lost thirteenth colony and that Optimus himself was The Arisen. Returning to Monument Valley, he prepared to depart for Sanctuary Station only for Arcee to pull him aside, telling him that Horri-Bull's I/D chip had been detonated by Soundwave and not Bumblebee. Prime used this information to blackmail Soundwave into working together to defeat Galvatron and the humans. The combined Cybertronian force regrouped in Monument Valley where they formulated an attack plan on the Nemesis. When the Earth Defense Command attacked them, Soundwave was eager to kill them but Optimus overruled him believing that the situation could be resolved peacefully. Soundwave, however, cared little for this and promptly opened fire on the humans backed up by Aileron. Since Alpha Trion, had only cryptic riddles, Optimus encouraged Soundwave to try and attack the humans mentally to quickly end the fight. As Soundwave began to melt the human brains, he realized the wrongness of his prejudice against them and fully joined Optimus. This caused the EDC to surround the Cybertronians only for Optimus to fully realize the words of Alpha Trion. Kneeling down, he summoned the stasis-locked Metrotitan to awaken causing the EDC to fly off with their tails between their legs. When he received word of Galvatron's escape, he ordered Arcee to pursue.

He and Soundwave caught up with Arcee as she was fighting the Decepticon in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. The ancient warrior held off all three easily before Soundwave shot him in the back, allowing Arcee to destroy his fusion cannon, taking him out of the fight. Galvatron proceeded to mock them all before saying he would join them only because Onyx Prime was on his way to Earth. Optimus however, had never been after Galvatron's surrender and promptly shot him through the Spark, taking his head as proof that the threat had passed and presenting it to the President of the United States. He later commanded Metrotitan to transform to city mode, a form he dubbed Autobot City to function as an embassy on the planet. Metrotitan then sent a pulse wave into space to inform everyone about Optimus' deeds, something which troubled both Soundwave and the Prime.

His actions on Earth during the Great War and his subsequent annexation of Earth, were the focus point of Scarlett and Joe Colton's discussion of the Cybertronian threat to Earth.

His fears about the datapulse proved true when his predecessor Sentinel Prime not only showed up on Earth but revealed himself to be a Titan Master who hijacked Trion's body while leaving the Autobots to fight off his regular body. The fight led them to a large cache of Ore-13. Sentinel returned with Garrison Blackrock who revealed himself to be another Titan Master named Sovereign. The duo then tapped into Metrotitan's Space Bridge transporting them Soundwave and Optimus away from the city. White Light Optimus rebooted in the shadow of the deceased Titan Prion where Sentinel revealed himself to truly be Infinitus and the herald of Onyx Prime. He and Sovereign extended an invitation for Optimus to join them as the latter impaled Soundwave. Optimus managed to keep Sentinel talking long enough to bodyslam into Sovereign who Soundwave freed from Sentinel's control. The Titan Master duo then departed through a Space Bridge before Optimus ordered Soundwave to use the portal to return them to Cybertron so as to get medical help for Alpha Trion. Before they returned to Earth, Soundwave spoke to Optimus of the compromises they'd made and how the Cybertronian race had to move past its feud and focus on rebuilding the future for the Decepticon feared something else from the ancient past might return.