Blackarachnia

Blackarachnia (formerly Elita-One) is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.

Transformers: Generation 1

Template:Transformers character Elita One is the leader of the female Autobots and romantic interest of Optimus Prime.

Animated series

Nine million years ago, she was a civilian robot called Ariel romantically linked with dockworker Orion Pax. When the Aerialbots were transported back in time, they met Orion Pax, Ariel, and their friend Dion. As Elita One, she is romantically linked to Optimus Prime, the upgraded form of Orion Pax.

When Megatron attacked the energy storage hangar where Orion worked, he fatally wounded both Ariel and Pax.

The Aerialbots took Orion Pax to Alpha Trion, who reconstructed both Pax and Ariel. Both became important commanders of the Autobots, Optimus Prime and Elita One. They remained romantically linked after their reconfiguration.

Four million years ago Elita One parted ways with Optimus Prime as he lead his ship the Ark on a mission to gather energon. She wanted to come with him but Optimus insisted it was too dangerous. Optimus vowed to return for Elita, but caught in an explosion, Optimus believed Elita to be destroyed.

Elita One is the female Autobot commander on Cybertron trying to liberate the planet from the corrupt grip of the Decepticon guardian of Cybertron, Shockwave. Advised by Alpha Trion, she led a group of female Autobot resistance fighters including Chromia, Firestar, and Moonracer.

Elita One is captured and used as bait by Shockwave to lure Optimus Prime into a deadly trap. As Shockwave predicted, Optimus Prime traveled back to Cybertron to uphold his promise and save his love.

Elita One possesses a rare and powerful weapon built within herself that can temporarily halt the flow of time within its radius of effect. However, the weapon drains her life force, so she only uses it when there is no other hope of victory. When used, one of the few things that can save her life is a power transfer from Optimus Prime, who has a compatible power system to hers.

Elita One only appears in one episode (The Search for Alpha Trion). Her story as Ariel is told, along with Optimus Prime's [as Orion Pax] in War Dawn. As the newly-built Optimus Prime leaves to fight Megatron with the Aerialbots, Alpha Trion hints that he will rebuild Ariel as Elita One.

Dreamwave Productions

In the War Within series, Optimus Prime was depicted to have a bobblehead and a mudflap-silhouette of Elita One.

Elita One, Chromia, Firestar and Moonracer appeared briefly in the final issue of Dreamwave Comics Generation One series among the female Transformers sent by the Quintessons to Cybertron. Although they were supposed to character in the next plot arc involving the return of Optimus Prime, the company's closing left this story unfinished.

Fun Publications

Based on the Transformers Classics toy line, the Timelines 2007 story is set 15 years after the end of the Marvel Comics story (ignoring all events of the Marvel U.K. and Generation 2 comics).

In Transformers: Timelines volume 2 #2, "Games of Deception" Ultra Magnus leads a force including Elita One, Springer, Huffer, Snarl, Strongarm and Tyrannitron after the Decepticon Bugbite and his forces to Earth. Dispatched to spy on Bugbite's group of Decepticons, she could only watch as Mirage was captured and Bugbite took over Megatron's troops. Infiltrating the Decepticon base (the crashed Ark) and battling Ravage, Elita activated the jammer that stopped Bugbite from controlling Megatron's forces. In the ensuing battle, the Autobots rescued Mirage and Elita One left with Magnus to take care of Bludgeon's forces.

Elita One appears in At Fight's End.

Voice actor plays

Ariel appeared in the 2006 TransformersCon voice actor play. Voices in the play were performed by a variety of volunteers and the actual voice actors attending the convention. In this play various Transformers from different timelines and realities were swept up in a repeat wave and transported along with Unicron to Earth. The Transformers included Generation 1 Tracks, Ariel, Cosmos and Megatron, Beast Wars Tarantulas, Robots in Disguise Sky-Byte and Beast Machines Tankor.

Ariel found herself initially enamoured with Megatron for his ability to fly, although Tracks tried to convince her such an ability wasn't unique. She also found the concept of organic life fanciful.

Eventually the Transformers were able to learn that the death of Unicron in 2005 was what created the repeat wave. They defeated Unicron by tricking him into Transforming and using up his power, then using the Key to Vector Sigma program (which Tankor had brought with him) to tap into the power of Vector Sigma itself, and through it the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. With Unicron severely drained the various Transformers faded back to their original timelines.

IDW Publishing

Elita One made her first IDW Publishing appearance in issue #3 of The Transformers: Megatron Origin. She was shown at the funerals of Bumper and Fastback being comforted by a Transformer greatly resembling Orion Pax.

Toys

• Timelines Deluxe Elita One (2009)

A Botcon convention exclusive. A redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Thunderblast.

Beast Wars

Template:Transformers character Blackarachnia is a former Maximal turned Predacon. She can become a spider.

She is known for saying "Even when I'm good, I'm still bad."

Originally, this character was intended to be a quick retool of the Tarantulas toy, but the animators ended up giving Blackarachnia a very feminine design and shapely figure based on an exotic dancer.

Beast Wars

Season 1

During the Beast Wars series, she was originally a Maximal protoform, but her stasis pod was captured by the Predacons and was fitted with a Predacon shell program and reprogrammed by Tarantulas as a Predacon spy and saboteur. Her beast form is a black widow spider.

Blackarachnia has some skills in mechanics and science but still second to Tarantulas. In season one she largely assisted Tarantulas in his machinations. However, if Tarantulas was expecting a loyal servant and consort, he was sorely disappointed. Blackarachnia proved as ambitious as any Predacon, with no loyalty to anyone save herself. Although she initially served with a pretense of loyalty, this changed when a floating island (created by the Vok) was discovered, Blackarachnia would betray Scorponok, taking over the island for herself and planning first to use its firepower to destroy the Maximal Base, then take over the Predacons. The efforts of Tigatron and Airazor stopped her. But Blackarachnia’s ambition had just begun.

Later, the spark of the ancient Decepticon Starscream possessed Waspinator. Predictably plotting to betray Megatron, Starscream taught her the ways of treachery - a move that backfired when Blackarachnia betrayed him, leaving him to be defeated by Optimus Primal. When the Vok returned to Earth, Blackarachnia forged an alliance with Tarantulas to capture a stasis pod from the Maximals and escape the planet; however they were both unaware this was exactly what Megatron wanted. The Predacon leader sent Inferno to kill them, so that the Maximal would capture the reconverted pod. Blackarachnia managed to defeat Inferno, but Tarantulas was killed in the fight. She attempted to access Tarantulas' mind to find the data needed to operate the Pod, only for his consciousness to enter her body.

Convention comics

Blackarachnia was one of the stars of the 1997 BotCon Convention Comics, a story set near the end of season one of the Beast Wars television series.

In the Convention Comics plot, Inferno and Blackarachnia watched as the Predacon scientist Fractyl attempted to invent Energon Armor capable of protecting them from energon build up. Although seemingly successful, the armor was stolen by the Maximal thief Packrat. Blackarachnia and Fractyl realized the energon armor was flawed and could destroy the planet if it came in contact with large amounts of energon. Inferno pursued Packrat, but since Packrat didn't need to assume beast mode with the armor on, he got the upper hand in the fight with Inferno. Hearing the battle, Airazor, Cheetor and Rhinox joined Packrat. Fractyl convinced Rhinox that the armor was a threat to them all. Rhinox was able to talk Packrat into giving up the armor, which Fractyl aided them in doing. When Blackarachnia arrived with Megatron, Packrat suggested that Fractyl pretend to be attacking the Maximals, who fled. Megatron was impressed with Fractyl's new found battle prowess.

Blackarachnia also appeared in the TransformersCon 2006 program comic, where she was working together with Tarantulas during season two of the Beast Wars.

Season 2

After talking her way out of being killed by Megatron for her treachery, she was briefly possessed by Tarantulas, who forced her to return his spark to his newly transmetallized body. Maintaining the link, Tarantulas forced her to access Megatron's files on the two Golden Discs. However, she betrayed him, waiting until Tarantulas had been immobilized by the Maximals dropping a boulder on him to download the files for herself. Neither Megatron nor Tarantulas ever trusted her fully after this: in the episode "Bad Spark" Megatron discreetly planted a surveillance device on her, while Tarantulas was willing to use her as a living shield against Maximal fire.

Eventually, Blackarachnia began a relationship with the Maximal Silverbolt, who continually tried to bring her over to the side of good. She first encountered him when she was setting up an energon mining post with Tarantulas and Quickstrike, and was stunned at how he refused to destroy her simply on the grounds that she was a female unit. It was also at that time that she managed to force Tarantulas to sever the link by threatening to kill herself with an energon cube, taking him down with her if he didn't comply to her demands.

Blackarachina and Silverbolt spent their first significant amount of time together when the Predacons and Maximals fought over Rampage's pod; although she had goaded him into trying to fight her as she attacked him, Blackarachnia was attacked by Tarantulas, and Tarantulas in turn was attacked and struck down by Silverbolt, who then helped Blackarachnia to her feet. Unfortunately, Silverbolt slammed Tarantulas into the pod, which was lying in a bank of energon crystals, and the force of the throw caused an explosion that scattered the combatants and left the two equally damaged and in need of contacting their respective bases. So together they traveled to a mountain that was above the energon interference. Along the way, Silverbolt saved Blackarachnia again from a saber-toothed cat, even though she was about to shoot him in the back. Intrigued by his actions again, she decided to keep him alive after that, unaware that Megatron and the other Predacons were listening in. Their journey ended when Optimus Primal and Cheetor arrived in time to help them fight Rampage (then still called Protoform X), and Silverbolt, forcing his damaged wing mechanism to work, save her from seemingly falling to her demise. This proved to be only the beginning of their rocky relationship. The two spent a night together, which resulted in a kiss (snout to lips).

For a long time Blackarachnia resisted Silverbolt's attempts to reform her (based on his assessment that as a Maximal protoform, she possessed inherent goodness). She even told him that it was her bad girl persona that he liked most about her, and simply used him. He did seem to bring out a more altruistic side of her however, and she was often genuinely surprised at just how much he cared about her. Having come from the violent, treacherous and often abusive world of the Predacons, the kindness and unconditional love Blackarachnia received from Silverbolt seemed very alien to her, and she found returning it difficult, often resorting to displaying her affection buried underneath her sardonic sense of humor. She used him to acquire parts for her converted stasis pod. When she realized that Megatron was sending Waspinator to the location of The Ark, she followed him, only to be waylaid by Silverbolt again. The two worked together to gain access to The Ark, only to have Megatron arrive and threaten Silverbolt's life to force Blackarachnia to allow him entrance. Upon gaining entrance, Megatron then shot the Autobot Leader Optimus Prime in the head, causing a timestorm that threatened to destabilize all of history.

Season 3

Blackarachnia officially switched sides in the first episode of the third season when Megatron attempted to change history by killing Optimus Prime, a change which would have resulted in Blackarachnia and the other Maximal protoforms never being created, or even existing. Although still calling herself a Predacon (and not yet changing her activation code), she worked on the same side as the Maximals from this point on, even though none of them besides Silverbolt fully trusted her. She had a few misadventures during this time, including when she and Dinobot's Transmetal II clone hunted each other.

Envying the power Cheetor and the Dinobot clone gained from the Transmetal Driver, Blackarachnia acquired it for herself and tried to remake herself into a Transmetal II, but it failed and caused her Predacon shell program to start to fail, something that would eventually wipe her core clean; now she had no choice but to have her Predacon programming purged, which would finally have made her a Maximal. While Rhinox tried to save her, Tarantulas' meddling apparently brought about her death, but the driver brought her back to life as a Transmetal Maximal while still retaining some of her bad girl personality and sardonic sense of humor, and finally changing her activation code. For some unexplained reason, Blackarachnia gained telekinetic or magnetic powers in her Transmetal II form (although it is a probability from being exposed to the Transmetal Driver). After stopping Tarantulas' attempts to destroy The Ark, Blackarachnia would return to Cybertron with the other Maximals after Megatron's final defeat.

Beast Machines

Blackarachnia was one of eight characters to survive Beast Wars and go on to the Beast Machines series. At this point, she underwent a sort of "role-reversal," and she spent a great deal of time looking for her love Silverbolt and freeing him from his Vehicon alter ego: Jetstorm.

The toy of Blackarachnia again did not resemble the character in the television series (whose design takes it to the full extent of her "Exotic Dancer" look) - although the toy was recolored to more closely resemble the television model in its Japanese release. Also, a kids meal toy was released which looked more like the television model.

Season 1

On the way back to Cybertron Megatron escaped into Transwarp Space, and arrived on Cybertron years before the Maximals. Megatron conquered Cybertron, and when the Maximals arrived he captured Silverbolt and Rhinox and removed their sparks. Optimus Primal, Rattrap, Cheetor and Blackarachnia escaped, but were infected with a transformation blocking virus which stripped them of their Transmetal enhancements and left them slowly dying in beast mode, suffering from memory loss. Fleeing deep within Cybertron Optimus Primal was contacted by The Oracle and was reformatted into a technorganic form which then reformatted his companions.

In an attempt to learn what had happened on Cybertron the Maximals raided the Cybertron Archives, but found it empty. Megatron's diagnostic drone continued to remove the organic elements from Megatron's body, however it continued to fail. Blackarachnia started to have visions of Silverbolt when she was in robot mode. Frustrated with how the Maximals were eluding his drones, Megatron used the sparks of Rhinox, Silverbolt and Waspinator to create the Vehicon Generals Tankor, Jetstorm and Thrust, respectively. Rattrap and Blackarachnia first encountered the three Vehicon Generals when looking for their ship, the Autobot shuttle Omega Delta, at a spaceport. Rattrap discovered that the Vehicons could only track the Maximals in robot mode. When Blackarachnia accessed the shuttle records in an attempt to learn what happened when they arrived on Cybertron, Megatron attempted to read her memories and learn the location of the Maximal Base, but Rattrap saved her from revealing the information. Cornered by the Vehicon Generals, Optimus Primal and Cheetor rescued their comrades but the shuttle was destroyed.

As the first season progressed, Blackarachnia and Thrust formed an interesting relationship. Blackarachnia believed Thrust was her beloved Silverbolt, but when she was able to look into his spark, she discovered Thrust was actually Waspinator and Jetstorm was Silverbolt. Thrust and Jetstorm battled briefly over who Blackarachnia loved but they quickly reverted back to their evil selves.

Season 2

Rattrap invented a device which combined a spark extractor with a DNA scanner he planned to use it to restore Transformers into their bodies. Blackarachnia stole this device and together with the organic core of Cybertron and a nearby fossil reformatted Jetstorm into Silverbolt, now a techno-organic Maximal.

Unfortunately, Silverbolt's mind had become fully aware and conscious whilst Jetstorm was active, and the fact that he'd been able not only to commit such atrocities but also enjoy them had left him with a darker personality, no longer as close to his beloved as he had originally been out of mixed-guilt. He refused to resume his relationship with Blackarachnia, claiming he wanted to end the conflict with Megatron first and that the relationship would only get in the way. This greatly annoyed Blackarachnia, who had to go through many dangers to bring him back.

After the defeat of Megatron the planet Cybertron was left reformatted into a techno-organic world. Silverbolt's old, chivalrous personality seemed to reassert itself and he finally rekindled his romance with Blackarachnia. Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were about to kiss, but were interrupted by an angry Waspinator - who was promptly swatted by Rattrap.

3H Enterprises

In Transformers: Universe, Blackarachnia is converted to the Decepticon side and joins forces with Unicron, as Silverbolt once again attempts to return her to the side of good.

Celebrating with the other Maximals on Cybertron Blackarachnia was in hand to welcome a group of ancient Autobot heroes back to Cybertron. However, the celebrations were cut short when the entire group was abducted by Unicron and forced to compete in his barbaric games. Reformatted into new bodies by the Chaos-Bringer, the taint went more than skin-deep in Blackarachnia's case, as she now defected to the Decepticons (the servants of Unicron), much to Silverbolt's horror. As he had before, Silverbolt vowed to free her from the influence of evil, even as she attacked Rattrap.

Although Universe finished after issue #3, a resolution of sorts would be found in the flashbacks of Optimus Prime in issue 8 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine Cybertron/Robots in Disguise. He told of the final battle between Optimus Primal's Autobots and Unicron's Decepticons - a battle cut short when Unicron disappeared (as a result of the events in Transformers: Energon). In the flashback Silverbolt is seen carrying Blackarachnia as they all retreat, but it is unknown if this means she switched back to the Autobot/Maximal side.

IDW Publishing

Blackarachnia had a biography printed in the Beast Wars Sourcebook by IDW Publishing.

Toys

• Beast Wars Deluxe Blackarachnia

Although sold by herself by Hasbro, Takara sold Blackarachnia by herself or packaged together with Tigatron. This figure was one of the first female Transformers figures available at retail.

• Beast Wars McDonalds Transmetal Blackarachnia

Although a Transmetal version of Blackarachnia was sold with Happy Meals, Blackarachnia did not become a Transmetal in the beginning of the second season of the Beast Wars television series like some other characters did, probably because of the limited resources of the show animators.

• Beast Wars Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia

This toy was later redecoed into BotCon Arcee.

• Beast Machines Deluxe Blackarachnia

A Deluxe class mold. Later redecoed in Japan to have more show accurate colors.

This figure was based on drawings by Hasbro designer Tim Bradley.

• Beast Machines Happy Meal Blacharachnia

A toy given away with Happy Meals, actually more show-accurate in appearance than the Deluxe toy.

• Universe Deluxe Blackarachnia

A redeco of Beast Machines Deluxe Blackrachnia as a Decepticon. The toy of Blackarachnia was recolored as the Autobot Crystal Widow, a separate and different character.

• Universe Halloween Horricon Blackarachnia (unreleased)

A redeco of the original Blackarachnia toy in new colors, this toy was part of a Halloween Horricon set that was never released.

• Binaltech XBT-16 Black Widow (unreleased)

A silver redeco of the Binaltech/Alternators Honda S2000 mold used for Windcharger, Overdrive and Arcee. The figure was originally intended to be the Decepticon Wildrider, but was renamed Black Widow due to trademark issues. Ultimately, plans to release this figure were canceled, as Takara Tomy feared another redeco of the same mold was repetitive.

• Beast Wars 10th Anniversary Blackarachnia (2007)

Released in Japan in 2007, this toy is a redeco of the original Blackarachnia toy repainted in more show-accurate colors.

Transformers: Energon

The name Ariel was later used as the Japanese name for the Transformers: Energon character Arcee.

Transformers

Template:Transformers character Elita-1 is Arcee and Chromia's sister. This character is not related to Elita-1 who appeared in the toy line and Comic Books for the first film. Although not portrayed in the live-action movie, Elita-One now has a toy in the movie line, although it is a redeco of an Arcee from Transformers: Energon.

According to writer Roberto Orci, he planned for the three motorcycles to be a single individual named Arcee, but director Michael Bay went with the idea of the Hasbro biographies of the three motorcycles being individuals.

IDW Publishing

Elita-1 is among the Autobot forces who witness the launching of the Decepticon ship Nemesis.

In Reign of Starscream issue #4 Elita-1, Grindcore, Signal Flare, and Warpath were captured by the Decepticons and forced to build a new Allspark at Simfur. In issue #5 Starscream sacrificed the sparks of Crankcase, Elita-One, Grindcore, Signal Flare, and Warpath to bring his new Allspark Cube online.

Note - The appearance of Elita-1 is modified in the IDW Publishing stories so that her head more resembles movie style's more 'alien' looking characters than the style of the movie toy. According to the biography printed in the collected Reign of Starscream books she is the longest known and most trusted of Optimus Prime's officers.

Arcee, Chromia and Elita-One are among the Autobots to come to Earth in response to Optimus Prime's signal inviting all of his kind to come there. She joins with the Earth based Autobots in Transformers: Alliance #4.

In California the Autobots set a trap for Starscream's minions Divebomb, Fearswoop and Skystalker by having Theodore Galloway pose as an arms dealer attempting to purchase Cybertronian technology. The trap is uncovered and the Autobots send in Arcee, Chromia, Elita-One, Ironhide, Mudflap and Skids. Divebomb and Skystalker are killed while Fearswoop is captured by the Autobots and taken back to the NEST base on Diego Garcia.

Titan Magazines

Note: Events that take place in the alternate timeline where Megatron won the battle of Mission City are in italics.

In "Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part 1" Skyblast led the Autobots Arcee, Armorhide, Elita-1, Longarm and Strongarm in resisting the Decepticons who had conquered Earth. In part 3 Starscream and Scorponok attack the Autobots Arcee, Armorhide, Elita-1, Longarm, Skyblast and Strongarm on the moon. The Autobots flee to Earth, which is exactly what Starscream hoped they'd do. In part 4 Mikaela frees Optimus Prime and freezes Frenzy just as Bumblebee gets some unexpected help fighting Megatron by the arrival of Elita-1, Skyblast and Strongarm. In this story Elita-1 resembles her toy's body with a Generation 1 Elita-1 head in robot mode, but she assumes a Cybertronian "protoform entry mode" for her vehicle mode.

Movie plot

Elita-1 and her sisters chase the Decepticon Sideways in an alley in Shanghai. She is later present when the Autobots face off with the Decepticons in Egypt, sent with Ironhide as an advance team to recover Sam. Upon finding Sam and Mikaela, Elita-1 is attacked and gets shot by Decepticon Bonecrusher. Elita-1 is not seen or mentioned for the remainder of the film.

Toys

• Transformers Scout Elita-One (2007)

This toy is a redeco of Energon Arcee, in the colors of Generation 1 Arcee. This toy is a Target store exclusive in the United States.

• Transformers Deluxe Class Elita-1 (2010)

This toy has been confirmed to be released by Hasbro in 2010 as a Deluxe Class toy, the final of the three motorcycle sisters, and a silver/brown redeco of Chromia, rather than a unique mold. Also, all three motorcycle toys will be able to combine, with instructions to be released online only, confirmed by Hasbro during the 2010 Toyfair.

• Autobot Alliance Deluxe Class Elita-1 (2010)

The Japanese version of the Deluxe figure by Takara Tomy is repainted in a movie-accurate purple finish.

• Transformers Sideways Sneak Attack Legends Elita-1 (not yet released)

A store exclusive gift set featuring Legends Arcee, Chromia and Elita-1 (the latter two being redecos of Arcee) vs. Deluxe Sideways (silver/black redeco with battle damage).

Transformers Animated

Template:Transformers character Blackarachnia was one of the five core Decepticons in the Transformers Animated show. She has a different origin than she did previously, one linked to the Autobots. Her design is very similar to her original Beast Wars CGI model, but with four eyes instead of two, and two skinny, pincer-like “spider limbs” that jut from her back and arc over her shoulders. The pincer limbs can strike like scorpion tails, stunning prey with her venom, or spraying spider-like webs. She also has the ability to download and temporarily absorb other Cybertronians’ powers.

Blackarachnia was originally an Autobot named Elita-1 who had attended the Autobot academy with Optimus Prime and Sentinel Prime. When they were searching on planet Archa Seven for energon cubes on a suspected-crashed Decepticon warship, they were ambushed by alien spiders. With Sentinel already disabled from the first attack, Optimus and Elita got lost but found the ship. However, they found that a spider nest had grown up inside the ship, and were attacked. While Optimus was able to escape, Elita got caught in the exploding Energon. Believing that she died in the blast, Optimus and Sentinel were forced to leave the planet.

In reality, Elita survived the explosion and was damaged as the remaining spiders infected her with their venom. She tried to use her mimicking ability on them to neutralize the damage, but it instead mutated her superstructure into a new body. Horrified with her now half-organic body and using a Decepticon helmet from the warship to cover her face, Elita grew vindictive and distrustful against Optimus for leaving her behind, a hatred that grew to all Autobots. She eventually gave up her Autobot title and became a Decepticon under the new name "Blackarachnia". Because of how deeply the organic parts are embedded into her system, Blackarachina is more easily wounded, requires oxygen, and seems to have become more openly emotional.

Animated series

Among the Nemesis Crew, Blackarachnia abandoned ship to evade an explosion that took out most of the Nemesis. By present time, revealed in the comic, Blackarachina found Starscream by accident and offer they would team up to get the Allspark together with Starscream jettisoning her to space. But she secretly planted a homing device on him, leading her to Earth during Bumblebee & Bulkhead's first Halloween, poisoning them before abducting Sari Sumdac with Optimus in pursuit. She then finally reveals herself to him, with Optimus shocked as she then tries to use the Allspark key to rid herself of her organic beast mode. The result sent out energy that sucks out the life out of organics, also nearly killing Blackarachnia in the process until Prime removes the key, restoring everything to normal. Though Prime offers to help her out, she poisons Prime and runs off. She later returns prior to Megatron's arrival, capturing Sari to take the key, only for them to have a slight conversation about being abandoned, before Sari deceives Blackarachnia into taking her to the AllSpark, having the Decepticon wander into circles before Ratchet then raised the Autobot's ship, and knocking Blackarachnia out of the sky.

However, Blackarachnia survived the fall and washed up on Dinobot island where she was cared for by the Dinobots, who quickly became enamoured with her. She uses this to her advantage, convincing the Dinobots to break out Meltdown, in hopes of using his biotech expertise to remove her organic side. In order to have Meltdown get the genetic modifier needed for it, Blackarachnia poisoned Bumblebee and Prowl with an extra-large dose of her venom, offering the antidote to Optimus if he helped Grimlock get the modifier from Meltdown's old lab at Sumdac Tower. However, Meltdown later double-crosses her when they are about to start, intending to wipe out her technological half and use her pure-organic body to achieve his own set of plans. But Optimus stopped the experiment in time and Blackarachnia uses Grimlock's love for her to make her escape, leaving the antidote behind as she promised. Apparently, though she resents Optimus for abandoning her in the past, she seems to still harbor feelings toward him, making Optimus speculate that there is still something left of Elita-1 within her.

Using Meltdown's lab, she continued her attempts of discarding her organic attributes by having Swoop abduct Wasp while on the run from the Elite Guard, using her charm to make Wasp think she was a friend to trick him into letting letting her experiment on him using Transwarp energy. As Wasp reformats into Waspinator, Sentinel Prime arrives and learns the truth behind Elita's fate as he attempts to kill Blackarachina, knocking off her helmet in the process. But once Optimus joins the fray, Blackarachina reveals her intent with Waspinator as he overheard while the Transwarp energy inside him starts to overflow. Blackarachina sacrifices herself so the transwarp explosion only covers her and Waspinator. Unbeknownst to the Autobots and the Elite Guard, Waspinator and Blackarachnia ended up in an African jungle, where Blackarachnia encountered a rhinoceros, gorilla, rat, and "cheetah" (a reference to the original Beast Wars Maximals). Blackarachnia and Waspinator's fates were left up in the air by the end of the series some time later.

IDW Publishing

Blackarachnia appeared in the IDW Publishing Transformers Animated comics series.

Toys

• Animated Deluxe Blackarachnia (2008)

Transforms from spider to robot. Includes grappling hook. This figure was sold later as a Walmart-exclusive 2-pack with battle damaged Deluxe Optimus Prime.

• Animated TA-09 Deluxe Blackarachnia (Takara Tomy) (2010)

The 2010 Japan version by Takara Tomy is virtually identical to the Hasbro version, with the exception of the purple Decepticon emblem on the throat.

Transformers: Timelines (Transtech)

Template:Transformers character After the Beast Machines line ended, Hasbro planned a follow-up series called Transtech. The Transtech concept was a line intended to take Transformers to their most futuristic. Hasbro commissioned sets of designs from Draxhall Jump. The series was supposedly to bring back some of the characters who died in Beast Wars along with some characters from the original animated series, all in new, technorganic bodies, though with vehicle alternate modes instead of the animals used in Beast Machines. Many concept sketches and even a few toy prototypes were made, but Hasbro scrapped the idea in favor of bringing Car Robots to their markets as Transformers: Robots in Disguise.

Concept sketches or prototype toys have been seen for Blackarachnia, Cheetor, Depth Charge, Megatron, Nightscream, Optimus Prime, Scavenger, Shockwave, Silverbolt, Soundwave, Starscream, Ultra Magnus, and a new character called Immorticon. There were also rumors of a Transtech Dinobot.

Fun Publications

Transtech Blackarachnia eventually became a reality in the pages of Fun Publications stories as a new character.

Blackarachnia had a biography printed in issue #25 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine. According to her biography this Blackarachnia was originally a Maximal who served in an army on an alternate Cybertron where the Maximals and Predacons rebelled from their controlling Autobot and Decepticon masters. She fled Cybertron with fellow Maximal Nightscream and the Predacons Scavenger and Immorticon in an experimental transwarp ship and ended up on Transtech Cybertron. Feeling like a prisoner on this Cybertron she joined up with Alpha Trion's group, who had Topspin transfer their sparks into the bodies of their Transtech counterparts.

In issue #24 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine she aided Alpha Trion in escaping from Transtech Cybertron and returned with him to the Shattered Glass Cybertron.

Transformers: Timelines (Shattered Glass)

Template:Transformers character In the mirror-universe story Shattered Glass, Elita One is one of the evil Autobots under the command of the tyrant Optimus Prime, and later Rodimus Prime. She is a skilled sniper. She speaks with a slight Russian accent.

Fun Publications

Although not depicted directly, Elita One is one of the many Autobots aboard the Ark in Do Over. The Ark launches from Cybertron for Earth under the command of Rodimus and is followed by the Decepticon ship Nemesis, under the command of Starscream. While battling over Earth it is shot down by human defense systems.

Elita makes her first appearance in Blitzwing Bop. She informs Rodimus Prime that the A.R. chamber is not working. Later she is assigned by Rodimus to work with Brawn. Together they take over human cars on Earth using an automated car wash, making an army of drones for the Autobots. They are stopped by the Decepticons Blitzwing, Bombshell and Sideswipe.

"Oh dahling, don’t worry, it happens to everyone sometime." - Elita One, on the subject of weapon malfunction.

Toys

Although no toy was made for this version of Elita One, her appearance is based on the toy for Override GTS.

Transformers: Prime

The character Airachnid is appearently a homage to Blackarachnia.

External links

• Original Blackarachnia at TFU.info
• Transmetal Blackarachnia at TFU.info
• Beast Machines Blackarachnia at TFU.info
• Animated Blackarachnia Package Bio at Tformers.com
• Elita One at the Transformers Wiki