Energon cube

This is the safest form of energon, used for transportation and storage.

Generation 1 cartoon


As originally introduced, energon cubes seemed as though they could only be created by Soundwave, who generated the empty cube framework from his similarly-shaped chest, but later, several other Decepticons proved able to produce them as well. It seemed as if energon cubes were a recent Decepticon invention -- precisely when they were concieved is unclear -- as the Autobots were apparently unaware of them until their reawakening on Earth in 1984, when Hound described them to Prime as simply "some kind of cube". (This is a little perplexing in light of the fact that energon cubes were also shown to have existed by the time of Optimus Prime's creation at the end of Cybertron's Golden Age. ) By 2005, however, the Autobots had begun to use energon cubes for power as well. Exactly how an energon cube operates is unclear, especially as their framework appears to be some sort of self-sustaining force field with no internal mechanisms. Most frequently, the empty cube is simply attached to or placed near the energy source from which it is to drain power, and the energy in question is automatically converted into liquid energon that fills the cube. Energon cubes have proven able to transform a vast array of resources into energon, including electricity, magma, oil and steam. Energon seems to have a much higher energy potential than carbon-based fuel sources: 1000 barrels of oil are needed to fill a single energon cube, and the electrical energy within the synapses of the human brain are insufficient to generate even a few drops.

The liquid energon within energon cubes is a glowing pink color, although the cubes could also be compressed for easy storage and transport, causing them to take on an irridescent rainbow effect.

Beast Wars
In Beast Wars, the naturally-occuring energon on prehistoric Earth appeared only in an unstable, highly-explosive raw crystalline form. However, after the Planet Buster baked Earth's surface, the crystals were all either incinerated or somehow "converted" into more stable cubes. These cubes no longer emitted the dangerous radiation which prompted the Beast Warriors to adopt their beast modes in the first place. They were significantly smaller than G1 cubes and colored blue rather than pink. Rather than some sort of force field containing liquid energon, these smaller cubes may have simply been a different configuration of energon crystal, much as substances like salt can exist as cubical grains but can also grow into more traditional crystalline forms. Blackarachnia threatened to detonate an energon cube near her head if Tarantulas would not remove the mind-link he had with her. The explosion would have killed them both via the link, so Tarantulas did remove it.

Transformers Animated
Energon cubes are evident in their classic glowing purple form in this continuity, along with statements that during the Great War the Decepticons hoarded them in mass quantities on their battleships.

They are also apparently delicious and nutritious to newborn giant spiders.

Things that look like energon cubes but aren't

 * Personality components for some reason look like small energon cubes.
 * Refined Cybertonium looks like a green coloured energon cube.
 * The refined heat resistant alloy developed by Jessica Morgan's father resembles yellow coloured energon cubes.

The reason why all share the shape of energon cubes is a mystery that plagues us to this day....

Toy


Energon Cubes were available with Takara's "TF Collection" reissue of the Insecticons, and the set's redeco, the Collector's Edition Insectron Clone Army (Shothole, Salvo and Zaptrap) box set released in Japan in 2004.

There were also "energon cube" accessories available with the fast-food kids meal premiums in European McDonald's restaraunts. These cubes were little more than a cheap, battery powered gimmick (the battery couldn't be replaced; the triangle-headed screws used by McD's are notoriously impossible to remove) that would make sound or light the toy up. The cubes were interchangable, but not all of them were "compatible," so to speak - Unicron's light-up feature didn't work on the more opaque plastic of the other toys.

Merchandise
Released along side the Movie Preview protoform figures, Energon now takes on the delicious form of candy! Held inside clear, plastic containers, the "energon" inside is more or less flavorless balls of condensed sugar with articial colors. The cubes are held together by stickers, depicting scenes from G1. the larger cube, made of 8 smaller ones, can be open and folded, in one direction, until it returns to its original position.

Out of the eight cubes, only two have candy in them. Most of the art on the cube is taken from Dreamwave art by Superstar Funana, with the exception of two parts that feature art by Don Figueroa.

Trivia

 * Thanks to the exalted leader of Carbomya, we know 1000 barrels of oil makes a single energon cube. This means each cube contains the equivalent power of 42,000 US Gallons of crude oil. An equivalent amount of gasoline would keep Bumblebee's Volkswagen alt-mode (with a rough value of 40MPG) going for approximately one million, six hundred and eighty thousand miles without needing to refuel. And remember that the energy content of crude oil is greater than any of its derivatives. No wonder a few cubes of the stuff got ol' Megsy drunk off his rocker!