Beast Wars

**Beast Wars** are the melodramatically named battles between Optimus Primal's Maximals and Megatron's Predacons on prehistoric Earth. Originally an isolated conflict between the stranded Maximals and Predacons over territory and energon, the conflict gradually became an event that would affect not only the future of the Transformers, but also the very fabric of space and time.

The Beast Wars may not have formally begun until Optimus Primal's declaration on prehistoric Earth, but they were precipitated on Cybertron 300 years after the end of the Great War. The Predacon Megatron had stolen the Golden Disk, escaping with his band of rogues in a transwarp ship. A Maximal exploration vessel, the only one near enough to catch them, gave chase through a transwarpportal. Their ensuing battle ended with both ships crashing on a planet that all parties believed to be an unknown world. The truth that they *had* reached Megatron's intended destination of prehistoric Earth would not come to light for some time.
BONK.
One source of confusion was the overabundant energon, so plentiful that its ubiquitous radiation would overload the Transformers' systems within minutes if they left their ships. They adopted semi-organic beast modes to shield themselves, though their robot modes were still vulnerable. Primal feared that Megatron would use the energon to restart the Great War on Cybertron, so he immediately prepped his small crew to fight against thecomparably-sized Predacon team.

One might say that the first shot of the Beast Wars was fired by Cheetor, who spotted Waspinator (in insect mode, no less) and immediately attacked him. Beast Wars (Part 1) This led to a series of territorial skirmishes culminating in the detonation of an energon-infused mountain. Primal, realizing that a long fight lay ahead, made his epic pronouncement that their battles would be known as the "Beast Wars". Beast Wars (Part 2)
"Disk, disk, on the rock. Who burninates around the clock?"
As they explored their world, they found powerful artifacts of a mysterious alien race, including another Golden Disk. These finds tended to lead to battles as Megatron tried to claim the artifacts as weapons; however, the only lasting effect was to alert the aliens to the Transformers' presence. Deciding that their experiment on the planet had been contaminated, the aliens activated one of its two moons. Other Voices, Part 1 The satellite turned into a weapon that ignited most of the energon deposits around the world. The planet-buster was only stopped when Primal sacrificed his life to blow it up. Other Voices, Part 2 (Primal would soon be resurrected, though, in the start of a continuing trend for him.) Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)
"Check it out—we can OPPOSE these thumbs."
Realizing just how powerful the aliens were, Megatron schemed all the more intently on hijacking their technology. Meanwhile, more combatants had been joining the fray as protoform-bearing stasis podsfell to Earth, an after-effect of the original space battle. And, in the absence of overwhelming energon (and a moon), the Beast Warriors slowly began to realize that they were on prehistoric Earth after all. This turned the battle away from territorial squabbles and toward matters of timeline-alteration. With information from the Golden Disk he had stolen, Megatron was able to threaten both the developing human race and the comatose, *Ark*-bound Autobots. Code of Hero
"Dad, can I borrow your soul? Just for tonight."
Back on the Cybertron of their home-time, the Tripredacus Council became aware of Megatron's location, and they sent their Decepticon-turned-Predacon agent Ravage to retrieve the rogue. The Agenda (Part 1) He nearly succeeded, but he ended up switching sides when Megatron revealed the truth about the Golden Disk: the original Megatron had left a message on the disk, included access codes to the Ark, and had instructed the descendants of the Decepticons to travel through time to locate the Ark and kill Optimus Prime while he was still in stasis lock. The Agenda (Part 2) Ravage would end up giving his life while aiding Megatron. The Agenda (Part III) And Megatron himself almost destroyed Optimus Prime, which caused a timestorm, but the Maximals were able to repair the Autobot and preserve the status quo. Optimal Situation
Primal, there's a reason they don't put prisoners on the *outside* of the