Prisoners of War: Cerebros
Featured Cartoon Appearances: The Rebirth
Featured Comic Appearances: None (that's right, none :)
Featured Fanfic Appearances: None?
Note: the focus of this essay will be on the cartoon version of the character; in the comic Cerebros came off as, at best, semi-autonomous.
Peace-loving Autobots. It is a phrase of great contention among fans. Some believe it's the dead-on truth; others think it is an oxymoron. How do I fall in this category? Neither side. I see a spectrum of feelings about the war on the Autobots' side. On one side are Autobots like Sunstreaker and Sideswipe; both are warriors and they like their job. On the other are the likes of Beachcomber and Groove you would rather do anything else, but they fight when they are needed. On the pacifist end of the scale, one Autobot stands out: Cerebros.
Cerebros, one can be sure, is pretty smart; if it's one thing Hasbro tried to do, it was to make the names somewhat match the character. He seems to be a scientist-type, able to decipher unusual languages he has had no previous contact with and the technical know-how to aid a seemingly superhuman Spike and become the co-creator of one of the most powerful Autobots. Still, this isn't how Cerebros is defined. He is defined by his hatred for war.
In the three episodes of the American cartoon that he is in, it is obvious that Cerebros really doesn't like war and he's not to fond of how the Autobots have skewed their policy on it. In his first shot on screen, he says something to the effect that he thinks humans should not be engulfed into the Autobot/Decepticon civil war. While this may be a more common feeling than the cartoon lets on (Pointblank, fellow *-master, feels the same way according to his TFU entry), Cerebros' concern is a large part of his characterization. It all stems from his obvious dislike for fighting. No doubt he sees a futility in it; like it's simply an action that will reach no possible ending or climax. In fact, this attitude is such a large part of it that he almost seems less courageous in "The Rebirth" as a result. In actuality, I think his actions in spite of this is a sign of his courage, much like Bluestreak's fighting is a sign of his despite the latter's tech spec courage level of two.
It isn't just a hatred for war; he hates being an active part of it. His actions in "The Rebirth" show this very well. After six of the Autobots are captured by the Decepticons on Nebulos, the braintrust decides to binary bond the Nebulans to the remaining Autobots. Cerebros declines, stating he never wants to fight again, and leaves without another word. In doing this, he is standing up for his belief that other species should not be dragged into the Transformers' war. Obviously, he changes his mind later. But what did Cerebros do while the others were off saving Autobots and the key to the plasma energy chamber? Pick daisies? No, he went scouting. Despite his pacifist attitude, he still remained loyal to his cause. He came back with information that would prove pivotal later in the episode. And this isn't the last time he does this. Despite wishing not to fight any longer, he agrees to become a part of what potentially could be the most powerful, and therefore most destructive, Autobot around, all while dragging other species into his war. This leads to one of the strongest personality traits that encompassed Cerebros and his peace-loving attitude. He tells Spike to deactivate him.
So he is violently peaceful. So what? Well, this is what puts him at the extreme end of the pacifist scale. During the time while Spike was binary bonded to Cerebros, how many times did Cerebros himself speak? Zero. He didn't utter a word the whole time. Before the binary bonding process, Cerebros seemed to be second-guessing himself, asking Spike if he really has to fight. Cerebros was most likely angry with himself, Spike, and the situation the entire time. This could have led to his silence during the battle. I think the biggest factor, though, was horror. Cerebros was probably aghast at the amount of destruction he could cause in his new capacity. For such a peace-loving creature, this probably pushed him past his tolerance threshold and had him contemplating the Transformer version of suicide. Part of it was probably how he despised acting in such a manner. He was simply acting as a catalyst for the destruction rather than a force to stop it. He felt the war would never end, despite it all, and he probably felt that it would change little if he wasn't there any longer.
Still, he was convinced otherwise. He saw the return of Cybertron's Golden Age. He was told by Optimus Prime that the Decepticons were gone and Cerebros would no longer have to fight; he was told he'd only act as a guardian to another world. Cerebros isn't stupid though. There is no doubt that Prime can't predict Cerebros will not be used again. In fact, all Autobots undoubtedly know that if Galvatron and Scorponok would come calling again, Cerebros would probably be the first Autobot called to action. This is Cerebros' loyalty in all its glory. He despises fighting, yet he'll agree to be a part of the Autobot that has the most potential to cause the most destruction. So maybe Cerebros isn't so different in attitude, but the conviction remains there. Perhaps Cerebros battles himself daily as a result of this, weighing his personal beliefs and his role in the war. I have little doubt that it the series continued, Cerebros would most like take a stand again for what he believes. It was shown at the end of "The Rebirth" that there is only so far that Cerebros can be pushed. Still, the Autobots know they can rely on him. After all, deep down he knows he'll never have peace until his side wins.