Alya



The Alya are aliens in the Generation 1 continuity family

At first glance the Alya appear to be little more than unusually large insects, not really out of the ordinary among the many alien species encountered by Transformers throughout the universe. Their forelimbs are tipped by large, sharp probing claws, which have the ability to spin 360 degrees like a drill. Alya are apparently sentient, capable of understanding spoken language; this may also have something to do with their ability to tap into the minds of other sentient species. However, the most remarkable thing about them is their unique nesting and feeding method.

From within their own bodies, Alya can extrude and weave silky strands of organic circuitry. They can build upon these webs to an astounding degree: the weavings of the Alya are responsible for maintaining the entire living sentient planet Torkulon, and may even in fact have created it. Prey items are trapped in these webs, at which time the Alya immobilize them, interface with their minds, and psychically consume their intelligence.

The Alya share Torkulon with another species, the ape-like Torkuli, who order them around. Together, they maintain the planet as an intergalactic mental hospital. Nothing more is known of the relationship between these species.

Cartoon continuity
When more standard therapies had failed to cure Galvatron's madness, the Torkuli judged him ready for "Maximal Intervention": having the Alya devour his diseased central processing circuits and absorb them into the vast planet-scaled datastream of Torkulon. This treatment never fails to release patients from the pain and stress of mental illness, by wholly deleting their minds and personalities. However, neither the Alya nor Torkulon were able to cope with just HOW nuts Galvatron was: the psychic feedback was enough to literally drive Torkulon itself mad, making the planet basically fall apart. After both those environmental calamities and then the vengeful attacks of Galvatron and his followers, the Alya were last seen lying legs-up, looking for all the world like dead bugs. None were ever seen again; if any survived, it sure wasn't for lack of trying.

Note

 * If Torkulon is in fact composed of circuitry woven by the Alya, then neither they nor the Torkuli can actually be native to that planet.