First of all, how did the AllSpark get lost? They said in movie 1 "The Cube was lost to the stars"... In the "Reign of Starscream" comics (which I do realize aren't even Canon since Bay retcons those things like they never happened), you see Megatron go after it, then the Autobots, then the Decepticons follow the bots. So why's the cube in space? I've read some places Prime sent it away, but why would he do that? So Megatron can't have it? But he follows it, so obviously Prime's mission fails. There, that's my first confusion...

I won't get into the matrix as that's a whole clusterflub of non sense, and the Allspark being able to revive some bots but, then, why not use it on Prime and instead go wake up Jetfire,... Yeah... That was just poor writing.

But then how do movie Transformers work? They do a lot of talking about the Spark in AOE. That's like the heart/brain and stuff, the soul even (in most continuities it's like that too), but then there's Energon in ROTF and DOTM.
So how does it work? The AllSpark gives life to inanimate shells, okay. It gives life. But then what's the energon for? Is it like life-blood/fuel for them like in other continuities? And if the AllSpark's what gives them life, what's the Spark for? I'm just so confused....

And finally: How do they get Energonlings! Or the little Decepticons! How?! Because in AOE they say Prime's built. But in ROTF we see baby embryo Transformers. So how do these babies come to be? Are they just born out of thin air?

I'm probably looking way too much into this but I'm just trying to understand the basis of the Bay-verse TFs...  

 

1 - Optimus Prime launched the Allspark into space to keep it away from Megatron's grasp. Megatron was toying with Bumblebee as it was launched, that's how Bumblebee lost his voice btw. Megatron was too far behind to get a hold of it so landed on Earth with it's location but was frozen into stasis.

2 - Spark, Energon and stuff. My guess about the whole 'spark contains our memories' is that it is not exactly their 'brain' it's more or less there 'back up drive'. Their brain in their head is THE brain and the Spark is data storage (asswell) so they will always remember things. (robotics..!)
I think this because the Spark, as seen in TFA can be transferred over to a new body with their appearance and memories. Megatron as seen in AOE is just a head with no Spark, but as I've said, their brain in their head is THE brain, Optimus sliced his axe through the left side of Megatron's head, not the middle. and it wasn't completely all the way through so I'm pretty sure THE brain can still flow it's thoughts with the electricity cables KSI hooked up to Megs' head.

The Allspark is what gives them THE SPARK, sentience.

Energon is their blood, without it flowing around limbs/parts will, and I quote, "oxidise and rust". It acts like our blood.

NOTE; I believe the Spark, itself, can survive without energon, if removed from the body correctly, Lockdown had a tool in his arm that brutally, but correctly removed Ratchet's spark.
In the '07 movie it was all, "SABOT ROUNDS TO CHEST", the Spark can be destroyed.....

Hatchlings;

We learned in AOE that Transformers are comprised of Transformium. Transformium is metal that can 'transform' as explained by Joshua in AOE. It has it's own genome which Josh exploited and was able to make it look like anything he wanted and to have it turn into little cubes the way Glavatron, Stinger and the Vehicons did.

So.... The Hatchlings in ROTF must be made from Transformium. As you saw they were in 'bubbles' of Energon. They were dying because of an abundance of Energon. But I said the spark can survive? They're premature.

 

Yeah, I knew the part about Bee and Prime launching it, but I wasn't sure it was really confirmed (the launch). But what's the point of sending it off if he just follows it... Also, Prime follows it too... IDK it made little sense to me.

Thought they were dying because of a lack of Energon, not an abundance. But yeah, okay, I think I understand. Still don't quite get how they're created but okay.

 

I don't think the writers even know how they're created to be honest, most of the stuff like that's pretty much left vague and skimmed over... it now turns out that Transformers were built after all (I mean, it doesn't make a lot of sense that some like Optimus were built but others weren't so I'm going to assume that Lockdown meant that all of them were built) so how the hatchlings came about is a bit of a mystery that would've been interesting to have seen fully explored.

 

I thought that the hachling is the first stage of cybertronian life but now it seems it isn't for every individual

 

About the Hatchlings, in other continuities the cybertronians had different way to come to life. In the Marvel comics, e.g., they was brought to life with the Matrix or via budding (a new Transformers born asexually from another one).

So I believe in the movieverse there's also more than one way to give life to the Transformers. Some are built (like Prime and the Knights), some are directly born from the AllSpark (the original Primes) and, in my theory, some are born via budding (the Hatchling?). So after the Hatchling are born, they need Energon to evolve and grow up and become a real Transformer. Or maybe they are born in another way, IDK.

 

Yeah, I kinda didn't want to bash the movies, but I agree. I don't even think the writers know how their stuff works.

^ That theory, though, is very very plausible, though. And it's probably the best explanation there could be  

 

Optimus launched the Allspark because Megatron was close to getting it.

Yes, they all followed, obviously, I would, you would. Look where that got them! Megatron was destroyed.................................!

 

Oh, okay it was basically his endgame plan. Gotcha! Thanks  

 

The implication of Megatron and Sentinel was supposed to meet on Earth means the Autobots launched the Allspark through a Space Bridge.

Only Sentinel Prime knows of its location. So the original Autobot plan was they move to another planet, probably with transformium, regroup and retrieve the Allspark eventually. Save Cybertron later.

But abandoning Cybertron was something Sentinel didn't want that so when Megatron offered a truce for the Allspark he accepted with the condition the Decepticons help rebuild Cybertron. Sentinel was to move Cybertron on Earth's orbit while Megatron gets the Allspark. That plan failed horribly for both.

The energy that the Allspark emits and brings to life machine is Energon. Simmons calls it cube radiation, Scalpel calls it Energon it is the same thing.

A Spark is an organ made of Energon in Cybertronians. As Cade said it is their power source. Optimus elaborates more it contains their memories and lifeforce.

Now Cybertronians deplete their Energon as they get older. When that happens they go into stasis or die. This why Lennox said transformers run on Energon and Sentinel is low on it, that the only thing that can re-power a Spark is the Matrix. As the Matrix is the only artifact left that can produce Energon. Also all the knowledge within the Allspark merged with the Matrix.

Allspark Mutantions also run on Energon, they do not have Sparks according to the writer Robert Orci.

Pure Transformium robots don't need Energon but they are not alive. The Galvatrons are robots programmed with the memories and personality of Megatron.

Jetfire said he had a mum and dad. Optimus had brothers and is a descendant of the Primes. The twins are siblings.

So yeah Transformers can have families in this universe.

As for the Hatchlings it is the first stage of Cybertonian life. Starscream said they were spawned which to me is that it is cloning mass production.

Optimus was born or hatched but he isn't an organic being. A machine hence from the Creators perspective all Transformers were all built.

 

Then how do the Knights of Cybertron work? That's another point that confuses me. In IDW, the Knights are a team that use the Titans to move around and that live in Crystal City. The movies are entirely different. So do we know how the dinobots got dino forms? Because in ROTF, we see the Primes (who can't transform) show up on earth while there are prehistoric men around. Yet the Dinobots are based on dinosaurs, so they're from before that, aren't they? So are the Knights preceding the Primes? Aren't the Primes, like, the first Cybertronians ever?

 

No,the Allspark was launched into space after Sentinel left Cybertron.The deal was about finding a planet with life and enslave it's population to rebuild Cybertron.
The Twins are also split-spark brothers.Sometimes a Spark splits in two so it gives life to 2 life bounded TFs
As for the families,I don't know
The creeators built them all by using Transformium,right?So,not all Cybertronians were hatchling but grown ups

 

There were not too much line-up between movies, even comics books does not help so well, but there is still something.
To create Transformers, you need Allspark, to refill empty Allspark you need to harvest sun, but to activate Harvester, you need Matrix and that can resurrect Optimus and reactivate Sentinel.
I think that best way to find connection between movies is ignore comics books, because in RotF prequel were said, that Allspark create life, first Primes, but if Optimus was made, others will be suprised where he came from.
First, I thought that Creators put Allspark somewhere and then Cybertron began grown. But if they build Transformers, what about Primes?
There are maybe more then one way how to create Transformer, but it looks like the first important thing is Transformium.

 

Okay lets see what do we know from the film and speculate from there.

1. The Creators consider the Knights as rebels. Given the Dinobots alt modes they are very old.
2. Lockdown mentions them as explorers and crusaders. With the Knight Temenos built for them.
3. Optimus Prime is considered one of their number and used to be aboard the Knight Temenos.
4. Hound is a fan of their ships. Meaning they are somewhat known among the Autobots.
5. Most importantly the Dinobots are Autobots.


Speculation: The Knights are an order as old as the earliest Transformers such as the Primes and Seekers. They were part or instrumental in the rebellion against the Creators hence the bounty. Like the Seekers they are explorers. Now this is important. Implications in ROTF the Fallen telling Optimus to die like his brothers means there was a purge of the Prime descendants. Optimus was among the last survivors. How?

The Knights took Optimus and raised him. Also Sentinel is an explorer himself who led a science expedition according to an allsparked Sam. He may have been a Knight himself.

I'm thinking the Knights are the oldest members of the Autobot faction. They are both legendary and old like the Seekers. (Knights of Cybertron vs Star Seekers?) They likely fought the original Decepticon forces under the Fallen driving them off Cybertron. Their symbol maybe became the basis for the Autobot symbol.

The Dinobots and Optimus are probably the last remaining members of the Knights. As Optimus mentioned to Sam whole generations were lost due to the war.

At some point centuries beforehand the Creators hired Lockdown to hunt them down and bring the Knights to them.

IDW comics are never meant to be canon to the films hence inconsistencies when a new movie comes up. Its like saying Titan comics is canon to films.

Film writers and comic writers work independently from each other. Comic writers only get unfinished drafts. And they don't exactly have a crystal ball that can see the future.

IDW already used Lockdown in one of their interquels. He was used by a shady human group that can create Transformers too. Why would Lockdown work with humans anyway?

In the IDW movie comic continuity Megatron lived. Optimus accepted the truce unlike in the movie proper itself.

IDW is just cashing in the Movie franchise but their comics are never meant to be holy writ as Michael Bay and the film writers do not care about what they are writing.

Oh in the IDW comic movie continuity it was the Primes who had created Transformers as workers. No mention of alien creators... Why? The comic writers did not think the origin of the Transformers would be tackled in a future film.

http://tfarchive.com/community/showpost.php?p=713407&postcount=4

Finally Megatron went to Earth to both get the Allspark and meet up with Sentinel Prime. It is in the DOTM film. On screen evidence carries more weight.

 

God, I wish your speculation was true... It seems so logical in plotting the whole thing together. Except unlike you I doubt the movie writers have the imagination to tie it all together as neatly.

 

I kind if wish that The Matrix was like a backup container for the Allspark. "The cube is merely a vessel. Its power, its knowledge can never be destroyed. It can only transform." So if it transferred over to The Matrix, then it would make finding The Matrix a lot more important.