The Ark (Transformers)
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The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the fictional Transformers Universe.
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G1 cartoon
Although it is universally referred to as "the Ark" is all other media, the Autobot spacecraft is never actually named in the G1 cartoon - it is simply referred to as "Autobot Headquarters."
The Ark left Cybertron with Optimus Prime and a contingent of Autobots 4 million years ago in search of the fuel Energon. Shortly after launch, it was attacked by the Decepticons on the Nemesis. The Nemesis attached itself to the Ark using tractor beams. The Decepticons, including their leader Megatron, boarded the Ark and attacked. During the battle, the Ark was damaged and crash landed on Earth, into the side of a volcano in what one day would be called Oregon. All transformers on board were placed into stasis lock.
In the earth year 1984, the volcano erupted, jarring Teletraan I back to life. Sending out Sky Spy satellites, the computer scanned assorted Earthly vehicles and machinery to form alternate modes for the Transformers. Skywarp happened to be in the path of Teletraan's reconfiguration beam, and once reactivated, dragged the other Decepticons into the beam, allowing them to be reconstructed. As they departed the Ark, Starscream opened fire on it, dislodging some of the rock face above it. The resultant shockwave knocked Optimus Prime's body into the path of the beam, and the Autobots lived again.
Although Ark was severely damaged in the crash, preparation were made to launch it again following the apparent destruction of the Decepticons. As preparation was coming to an end, the Decepticon re-emerged, prompting the Autobots to stay on Earth, using the buried hulk of the Ark as their base of operations. Following the construction of Autobot City in the early 21st century, the Ark shared duties as the home base for the Earthbound Autobots, but it's clear that Autobot City was regarded as the bigger threat. In 2006, the Ark was destroyed by Trypticon.
G1 Marvel comic
Cybertron, having become a rogue planet, was headed into the path of the asteroid belt. Optimus Prime lead a specially selected group of Autobots onboard the Ark to clear a path through the asteroids so that the planet could pass safely. The Ark was specially constructed for this mission. The Autobots successfully cleared a path for Cybertron, but were attacked by the Decepticons, and were too low in energy after clearing the asteroids to fight back effectively. Prime instead chose to order the Ark to crash into what was then the lifeless third planet in our solar system. The spaceship crashed into what is today called Mount St. Hilary, where the Autobots and Decepticons on the Ark lay dormant for four million years, until in 1984 the volcano erupted and activated the shipboard computer which then revived the Transformers on board.
The Autobots then used the Ark as their base on Earth until, under the command of Grimlock, the Ark was repaired and launched back into space. After the destruction of Unicron, the Ark was stolen by Shockwave and Starscream. However, they had a few stowaways: Megatron, Ratchet and Galvatron from an alternate future. In the ensuing fight, a stray shot hit the highly volatile nucleon stored on the ship causing a massive explosion, forcing it to once again, crash into the Earth; this time somewhere in northern Canada.
G2 Marvel comic
The Ark was repaired and relaunched with Megatron at the helm. This time Spike Witwicky and Sky Dive stowed away. Spike merged with Fortress Maximus who had been stored in the Ark during Spike’s absence. In that ensuing fight, Maximus threw himself into the anti-mater conversion chamber, causing the ship to explode. Both Megatron and Sky Dive escaped.
Beast Wars
The Beast Wars series, taking place in prehistoric Earth, references the Ark towards the end of the series. Megatron discovers it, and hijacks Teletraan I using encryption codes he found on a Golden Disk, left behind by the original Megatron.
While his ancestors, the Decepticons, and those of the Maximals, the Autobots, slept in stasis lock, he fired his weapon upon the face of Optimus Prime, disrupting the time flow in the universe. The Maximals foiled his plan, by placing the spark of Prime within Primal, once again changing his body. Repairs were made on Prime, and the Maximals used the Ark as their own base, both to safeguard the Transformers within from Megatron, and because their own ship had recently been lost.
The Ark was nearly destroyed again by Megatron when he discovered and reactivated the Nemesis. The Maximals were able to activate a shuttle found onboard, and used it to both stop the Nemesis and return home, after re-sealing the cave.
The Ark remained until its emergence in 1984.
The Ark II
Name of the Autobot ship in the Dreamwave comics storyline that would have carried the Transformers back to Cybertron. Following a mass defeat of the Decepticons, all the Transformers were to return to Cybertron on the newly-constructed Ark II, but when it was launched, it promptly exploded, as a result of Shockwave's machinations. A group of seven human ambassadors known as the Magnificent Seven (including Sparkplug Witwicky) were casualties of the explosion.