History ComicBook / TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise

* DyingDream: [[spoiler:Issue 9 of ''Optimus Prime'' turns out to be one for Sideswipe, constructed by Jetfire, Sunstreaker and Arcee in order to let him GoOutWithASmile.]]

* TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch: Prowl tries to pass off Ratbat's death as a suicide. [[RealityEnsues It doesn't work]], on account of his death involving Arcee slicing him to bits first.

* RealityEnsues: Issue 3 has mention of a mundane and not often explored problem in science fiction. People from different planets and star systems using different currencies, in a rather nice aversion of WeWillSpendCreditsInTheFuture.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Arcee, having curbed her violent impulses and most of her insanity, has become more focused as an assassin (with violent and insane tendencies) rather than a berserker, contrasting Whirl, whose insanity and violence is [[CrazyAwesome intrinsic]] to his efficiency.

** The last Mini-Constructicon, last seen in Spotlight: Ramjet, shows up again being tracked down and killed by Spike Witwicky and Jimmy Pink.

** In the post-''Dark Cybertron'' comics, Scoop has apparently defected to the Decepticons. Later on, on Earth, we discover former Autobot human ally Jimmy Pink has developed a grudge against all Cybertronians for the death of Hunter O'Nion and then just up and abandoning him and has joined forces with Spike Witwicky to fight them.

** During ''Dark Cybertron'', Arcee changed her colour-scheme to red, since that was the initial plan for her toy. When it actually became the more standard pink, Arcee changes back again. And when she got another toy in the ''Combiner Hunters'' set, Arcee spends two issues going around looking like that toy.

* SpottingTheThread: Averted. Prowl is actually hurt that Bumblebee never failed to notice he was under Bombshell's control. However, Arcee ''did'' notice the change and set about working to free him.

-->'''Hardhead:''' Rodimus and a couple hundred Autobots went to chase down the Knights of Cybertron...but their ship exploded. They're...they're dead

-->'''Optimus:'''I'm sure he's fine.

* {{Foil}}: Issue 23 of ''Optimus Prime'' reveals the Eukarian colonists were one to the Devisiuns. While the Devisiuns utterly destroyed the organic biosphere of their planet and drove the native organics to tbe brink the Eukarians instead coexisted with the native life and left much of it's nature intact.

After the ''Titans Return'' and ''Revolution'' crossovers the series was rebranded as '''Optimus Prime''' (without the ''Transformers'' branding), launching with a new issue #1 in December 2016. The series lasted until 2018, when it and ''Lost Light'' were ended in the wake of ''ComicBook/TheTransformersUnicron'', which follows on from and wraps up many of this comic's plotlines.

* {{Adorkable}}: Thundercracker has become this during his stay on Earth.

** Starscream suggest that Rattrap is this as well, because he spent centuries, if not millions of years, stuck on an unimportant, dead-end backwater world fighting Decepticons, and as a result wasn't able to move up the command structure to become someone important, like one of Optimus Prime's inner circle. So Starscream offers him a job in his government.

* WeHaveBeenResearchingPhlebotinumForYears: [[spoiler:The Earth Defense Force, to the point they have mass-produced clones of Ramjet and Thrust and have kept it secret from all cybertronians.]]

* [[VillainEpisode Villain Issue]]: Issue 17, 20, and 21 focus on Shockwave, Starscream and Soundwave respectively.

* WarpThatAesop:
** An InUniverse example, impressively enough. Nova Prime basically warps the Cybertronian belief of "Til all are one" into being a message against TheEvilsOfFreeWill.
** Bombshell and Jhiaxus share this warped view to justify combiner experimentation.

* [[WhamEpisode Wham Issue]]:

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Starscream, and how!

** The series, and technically the continuity as a whole (since ''Optimus Prime'' issue 25 was the last issue of the continuity released). [[spoiler:Cybertron and all the colonies are destroyed, and the survivors are left on Earth, unless they move to that duplicate Cybertron Rodimus and the Crusadercons found. Optimus and Starscream are dead, but Earth is rebuilding, and there's a sense of hope. Because, after all, it never ends.]]

** He has an even bigger one at the end of issue #13 when he finds out what's ''really'' in the Black Room. Notably, the first bullet in the "Notes" section of that issue on the [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/The_Verge#Notes TFWiki]] is simply [[CrowningMomentOfFunny "WHAT THE FFUUUUUUUUUUUU--"]]

* AmbiguousSituation: In issue 11 it's deliberately left ambiguous if Shockwave was responsible for blowing the crap out of Omega Supreme like everyone thinks. Eventually, Prowl states that he did it while under Bombshell's control.

** Issue 18 implicitly confirms the long-running fan suspicion that the Solstar Order's homeworld had one of Shockwave's Regenesis ores on it.

* BittersweetEnding: The ending of ''Dark Cybertron'', which serves as the conclusion to season one. Cybertron and the universe are saved, Nova Prime and Shockwave are dead, and Megatron finally decides to stop fighting and pulls a HeelFaceTurn, but New Iacon is in ruins, Bumblebee is dead, and Starscream is still ruler.

* TheDragon: Arcee to Prowl, Bludgeon to Jhiaxus, [[spoiler:then later on for Onyx Prime]].

* ISeeDeadPeople: [[spoiler:After ''Combiner Wars'', Starscream starts seeing and talking with an imaginary version of Bumblebee. One who appears to know things he and Starscream probably shouldn't...]]

* MacGuffin: In season 2, it looks like [[spoiler:the Enigma of Nexus Prime, an ancient Cybertronian artifact that can apparently bestow stabilized combination on Cybertronians that was hidden on Earth at the dawn of man by Galvatron]] will be this for both sides.

** Shockwave thinks of this of Proteus, concerning the Shadowplay performed on him. In this case, a villain fixes someone else to become a bigger villain.

* NotQuiteDead: After Metrotitan proclaimed Starscream TheChosenOne, he was thought to have been lost to an explosion, but he shows up again in Season 2 on earth.

As-of issue 35, it drops the 'Robots in Disguise' subtitle and becomes just 'The Transformers',[[note]]Volume 2, where Transformers Ongoing was volume 1[[/note]] which is likely to make things... confusing in the short term (but as [[WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise the new show entitled ''Robots In Disguise'']] [[http://www.tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers:_Robots_in_Disguise_(2015_comic) had its own comic tie-in]], will probably be helpful in the long-term). After the ''Titans Return'' and ''Revolution'' crossovers the series was rebranded as '''Optimus Prime''' (without the ''Transformers'' branding), launching with a new issue #1 in December 2016. The series lasted until 2018, when it and ''Lost Light'' were ended in the wake of ''ComicBook/TheTransformersUnicron''.

From March 2015 to May 2015 The Transformers was part of a 6 issue crossover with ''ComicBook/TheTransformersWindblade'' (which also launched the latter title as an ''Ongoing'') titled ''ComicBook/TheTransformersCombinerWars''. Tropes occurring in the crossover belong on that page.

* AboveGoodAndEvil: Shockwave doesn't believe in good or evil, just logic.

* BasedOnAGreatBigLie: Starscream's claim of being the Chosen One comes from a prophecy that Metrotitan delivered, but during Season 2 Galvatron mutters that it was just something Alchemist Prime had said while tripping on bad engex. [[spoiler:And then in ''Optimus Prime'', Alpha Trion recounts that Alchemist told him he got the prophecy from Onyx Prime, who'd just made it up.]]

* TheCameo: In ''Redemption'', the Dinobots unknowingly walk over the deactivated body of Trypticon, who was apparently left behind back when Thunderwing trashed Cybertron, and has long since been frozen over.

** In the annual, the crashed Metrotitan reveals that Starscream may become one in the future. Possibly subverted when Galvatron contemptuously says that Alchemist Prime, who apparently first uttered the prophecy of the "Chosen One" was tripping on rancid Engex when he said it, which might mean it's a load of hogwash.

** In issue 8, Wheeljack suggests something ''can't possibly'' be controlling Prowl, then wonders about why no-one in Iacon is afflicted by the problems outside the city. He initially figures it's something to do with all the people there. He changes his mind seconds later.

** Suberted with [[spoiler: Bumblebee]], who was revealed to be alive in the 2017 annual.

* MacGuffin: In season 2, it looks like [[spoiler: the Enigma of Nexus Prime, an ancient Cybertronian artifact that can apparently bestow stabilized combination on Cybertronians that was hidden on Earth at the dawn of man by Galvatron]] will be this for both sides.

* MadScientist: Shockwave, [[spoiler: Jhiaxus]], possibly Soundwave and Bombshell. Wheeljack counts to but in a far more benovelent way.

* ProphecyTwist: In issue 50, Optimus has a vision of things to come, with the prophecy of the "false prophet" Scoop had recited during ''Dark Cybertron'' (with some alterations and additions), [[spoiler:which points to him being the "uncreator" it spoke of, not Shockwave.]]

->"''Prime never '''had''' to deal with this. And he never '''wanted''' to. But this is '''my''' world and I have to '''defend''' it—even if it doesn't want us here. No... '''Especially''' if Cybertron doesn't want us here''."

As-of issue 35, it drops the 'Robots in Disguise' subtitle and becomes just 'The Transformers',[[note]]Volume 2, where Transformers Ongoing was volume 1[[/note]] which is likely to make things... confusing in the short term (but as [[WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise the new show entitled ''Robots In Disguise'']] [[http://www.tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers:_Robots_in_Disguise_(2015_comic) had its own comic tie-in]], will probably be helpful in the long-term). After the ''Titans Return'' and ''Revolution'' crossovers the series was rebranded as '''Optimus Prime''' (without the ''Transformers'' branding), launching with a new issue #1 in December 2016. The series lasted until 2018, when it and ''Lost Light'' were ended in the wake of ''The Transformers: Unicron''.

** ''Optimus Prime'' 17: [["The title of Prime is '''trivial'''... simply a means to an '''end... old friend.'''"]]