Ore-12

Ore-12, "Protection," is a variety of energon. When properly "bonded" to the body of a living being, it becomes a symbiotic suit of crystalline armor, capable of changing shape to accommodate the needs of its wearer while providing protection from even the harshest of environments.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

Fearing a time when Cybertron would no longer be able to support life, Jhiaxus's student Shockwave began his Regenesis project by seeding thirteen planets with a variety of artificial energon derivatives, each with its own power. Shockwaves The missile that carried its payload of Ore-12 crash-landed on the planet Elonia; unbeknownst to the younger Shockwave, this planet also contained the final resting place of the Titan Emissary, who had crashed there following sabotage enacted by Shockwave's time-travelling future self in pursuit of a larger goal. The First Who Was Named

Over the years, the initial payload of ore catalyzed underground and was subsequently buried by a series of tectonic movements. Cold Fire The native Elonians were largely unaware of the Cybertronian influences that had shaped their planet, even after developing space travel; some of their number, however, came to believe that the Thrail Mountains—where Emissary had crashed and concentration of Ore-12 was at its highest—was a holy place. Our Darkest

Some two hundred years ago, the villainous aliens known as the Dire Wraiths invaded Elonia, hoping to use the ore as a weapon to fuel their conquests. They were opposed by the heroic Space Knights; in the middle of a battle beneath the Thrail Mountains, the Space Knight recruit Rom accidentally came into contact with Ore-12 and was inadvertently bonded to it. Using their new powers, Rom and his two friends were able to defeat the Wraiths. Cold Fire Over the years, the Space Knights would learn more about the capabilities that the armor bestowed on its wearer—including flight, healing, the ability to survive in space, invisibility, and the ability to morph the liquid metal of the suit into a variety of weapons—but that, once bonded, the armor was permanent and could not be removed. Space Knights profile The Solstar Order set up a mine on Elonia to harvest the substance and bonded all new recruits to their own suit of armor. Shining Armor #1 The only known Space Knight to have ever safely removed their armor was the Camien Knight Stardrive, perhaps due to her Cybertronian heritage. Shining Armor #5

In 2016, Rom visited Earth and discovered that his armor "resonated" at a similar frequency to the Spacebridge of Metrotitan and Earth's native supply of Ore-13. O Ship of State When a swarm of Dire Wraiths—super-charged due to their consumption of Ore-13—attacked, Rom's armor was damaged in the ensuing fight. The New Colossus

The presence of Ore-12 on Elonia meant that it was one of the thirteen planets targeted by Unicron, who sought to absorb the power of each of the thirteen ores. Arriving on Elonia shortly after Unicron began his assault in 2018, Optimus Prime and Arcee discovered Emissary and immediately realized that the ore was part of Shockwave's Regenesis project. Though the Autobots and their allies were able to evacuate the majority of Elonia, they were unable to prevent Unicron from devouring the planet and thus absorbing the ore into his being. Our Darkest

Notes

• When discovering Emissary's body, Rom states his belief that the Titan was the one responsible for seeding Elonia with Ore-12. This theory is obviously incompatible with the sequence of events outlined above—it's likely that this was a simplification of events for new readers.

External links

• Space Knight armor at the IDW Hasbro Wiki