Life cycle

The life cycle of a Transformer seems in many ways very different from those of organic species.

Birth/Creation
Various means of Reproduction have been showcased in a variety of continuities, in general these are either non-sexual (mechanical) or asexual in nature.

Early Days
The species seems to have no real concept of childhhood (perhaps explaining why the Autobots are so prone to taking human children into harms way). Almost invariably, through whatever means, a new Transformer comes into being a fully formed "adult" being. (Adult in the sense of "non-baby/non-child," actual maturity varies according to the individual from early teenage to full maturity) with a complete personality and most of the basic knowledge necessary to survive and socialize in the world preprogramed in.

Parenthood or family units (outside of perhaps combiner teams) seem equally alien to them socially. Where budding was the means of reproduction it is possible to trace back genetic lineage (as the Megatron does to the Liege Maximo) and some sort of psychic or spark-based link apparently exists between the parent and budded offspring that can let the one feel the other's death.

The closest generally recognized genetic/familial link is that of brother or sisterhood caused (according to the Dreamwave More than Meets the Eye Guide) when a single spark splits before entering a protoform.

Most continuities have shown new Transformers being pretty much immediately thrust into their new lives and combat duties (though this haste may be a result of the War and not indicative of pre-war society). Transformers: Cybertron introduced the concept of Primary Programming as sort of a early training school wich newly created Transformers go through to fascillitate their introduction into society.

Life Span
The average life span of a Transformers is unknown. In some continuities they have been shown to spend millions of years without any noticable alteration or aging. Sky Dive stated in the Generation 2 comic that outside of warfare the race was practically immortal.

Practically immortal is not the same as actually immortal however, Transformers DO age. Kup and Ironhide are prominent examples of aged Transformers. Alpha Trion is as well. Both he and Kup are shown to look different and "younger" at earlier ages and so these changes might be signs of advancing age (though they could also be a simple factor of their gaining new or upgraded bodies).

The Overlord, ruller of pre-war Cybertron in the UK comics, was apparently dieing of old age just as Megatron began his rise to power.

Death
Though more difficult to kill than most organic lifeforms a transformer can die. Sometimes Death is shown to be accompioned by a visible grey and blackaning of the Transformer's body (as featured when Optimus Prime died in Transformers: The Movie) other times not.

When a Transformer dies (at least in fiction from the Beast Era and after) his spark returns to the Alspark/Matrix. In the Generation 1 Cartoon when the Matrix bearer died he joined the spirits of previous leaders inside the Matrix of Leadership.

Catergory: Transformers