What The Transformers Can Teach To Occupy Wall Street Supporters

MasterPo grew up loving the Transformers animated TV show. This was the original Transformers before they started adding new robots every week and lost any kind of story plot consistency. Back when cartoons were real shows and not 24 minute (after commercials) commercials for products. The characters were creative (especially the Dinobots!) and stories not too cartoonish. Ahhh…….

With the events of Occupy Wall Street (and other locals) a particular episode of the Transformers has come to mind again.

In one of the original series episodes the story delved into the origins of the leader of the Autobots Optimus Prime. MasterPo doesn’t know if this is canon for the current generation of Transformers (though it should be!).

The story goes that back on Cybertron (the home of the Autobots and Decepticons) Optimus was originally a young and idealistic robot named Orion Pax (which is irony since “Pax” means peace). He had a female robot girlfriend (don’t recall her name) and worked with an older, wiser Mr. Miyagi style of robot in some kind of mechanical shop.

It was at the end of the Golden Age of Cybertron. The Decepticons were just starting to attack cities. No one knew where they came from, who built them, or what they wanted just that they were powerful and attacked all that had been SOP on Cybertron for eons.

Orion Pax idealized the Decepticons because they could fly, had so much power, and were afraid of no one. A real teenager’s idol. He dreamed of meeting Megatron and the Decepticons. Maybe even becoming one too! He didn’t care if they attacked some places. “That’s what Guardian Robots” – their police force? – “are for!” he said.

Then the Decepticons came to his city.

At first he was thrilled to be meeting them finally. But Megatron wouldn’t have anything to do with him and threw him aside.

Then they attacked the city.

No Guardian Robots were there to even try to defend them.

Orion was badly hurt and his girlfriend too.

The Mr. Miyagi robot took Orion into his shop and worked on him. When he emerged Orion Pax was now Optimus Prime with all the power, arms and armor to fight back against the Decepticons. He single handedly drove them off from this city. Optimus then swore to stop the Decepticons however long it would take.

And he went off in pursuit of the Decepticons.

(After Optimus left Mr. Miyagi robot took his girlfriend into the shop and said he was going to create a new class of robot and call he Elita-1 but we never saw her final incarnation in that or any other episode MasterPo knows about.)

So what does all this have to do with Occupy Wall Street?

Plenty.

Be careful who you idealize!!

Just as Orion Pax idealized the Decpticons, it was too late when he found out the truth wasn’t nearly as pretty as the popular image so too will likely the supporters of Occupy Wall Street find out all too late the people behind the protests aren’t the warm and fuzzy boy/girl-next-door type until it’s too late.

And this time there won’t be an honorable defender knight in shining armor coming to save you.