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| “ | I guess the Dinobots never mentioned my disdain for machines. Once we eliminate all your robotic circuitry, your remaining arachnid tissue will be perfect for my genetic experiments, and I will finally achieve my dream of creating a transforming organic! | „ |
| ~ Meltdown to Blackarachnia. |
Prometheus Black, now known as Meltdown, is a supporting antagonist in the Transformers: Animated series.
He is the business rival of Isaac Sumdac that experimented on biological technology before mutating himself into an acidic creature. Blaming Sumdac for his mutation, Meltdown becomes obsessed with getting back at him in addition to create organic transformers, leading him to kidnap different subjects for his genetic experiments.
He was voiced by Peter Stormare, who also played Gaear Grimsrud in Fargo, Shayes in Mercury Rising, Dino Velvet in 8mm, Lucifer Morningstar in Constantine, Dracula in The Batman vs. Dracula, Sir Slicer in Adventure Time, Torsten in False Trail, the Ghost in 22 Jump Street, Werner Zytle in Arrow, Abram Tarasov in John Wick: Chapter 2 and Lord Dregg in the 2012 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Personality[]
| “ | Professor Sumdac: Prometheus, why are you doing this? Prometheus Black: Because you're a fraud. I am smarter, better-looking, and more educated than you, and yet, everything you touch turns to gold! While everything I touch... [grabs a statue that immediately melts] Just... [throws the statue out through a window] look at me. I'm a freak! But I refuse to be beaten by some simpering nerd who merely got lucky! |
„ |
| ~ Prometheus, now as Meltdown, to Isaac Sumdac. |
Prometheus Black is portrayed as a brilliant but deeply embittered scientist and entrepreneur, whose expertise lies in biotechnology rather than robotics[1]. He is a direct business rival to Isaac Sumdac, and his repeated professional failures-especially losing contracts and recognition to Sumdac Systems-fuel his resentment and jealousy. Black’s bitterness extends beyond Sumdac himself to a general disdain for machines, particularly sentient robots, which he views as the root of his misfortunes.
His personality is marked by arrogance and a sense of intellectual superiority. Black openly claims to be "smarter, better-looking and more educated" than Sumdac, yet he is tormented by the fact that Sumdac’s success seems effortless, while his own efforts end in failure or disaster. This combination of pride and insecurity drives much of his antagonism and ultimately his transformation into the villain Meltdown.
Prometheus Black is also highly ambitious and unafraid to take risks, often pushing ethical and legal boundaries in pursuit of recognition and success. His willingness to use dangerous biochemical enhancements on humans, and later on himself, demonstrates a reckless disregard for safety and morality. When denied legitimate avenues for his research, he quickly resorts to sabotage and revenge, showing a vindictive streak and a willingness to harm others to achieve his goals.
After his mutation into Meltdown, Black’s personality becomes even more unstable and vengeful. He is consumed by a need to prove himself and to take revenge on those he blames for his failures, especially Sumdac and the Autobots. His bitterness transforms into open hostility, and he becomes obsessed with demonstrating his superiority, even as he laments his own monstrous state.
Overall, Prometheus Black is characterized by a volatile mix of intelligence, arrogance, bitterness, ambition, and a deep-seated sense of injustice, which ultimately drive him down the path of villainy in the series.
Biography[]
Prometheus Black was a scientist who experimented on biotechnology while his rival Sumdac experimented in robotics. His experiments became a success in Detroit because the citizens feared that robots would take their jobs. He organized a wrestling match between Bumblebee and a mutated human and hoped that Captain Fanzone would sign his contracts. The wrestling match, however, went out of control which made Fanzone reject all of Prometheus' contracts, ruining him financially.
He later discovers a fragment of Bumblebee's armor covered in hydraulic fluid after the fight. Black takes it to his laboratory and plans on creating an acid that could melt Autobot's armor. Black presents his findings and plans to the bank representative Porter C. Powell. However, Powell refused to fund his experiments or provide any test subjects, which infuriated Black.
In his anger, he throws the steroids all over his lab and mutated by inhaling the fumes. Prometheus now calls himself Meltdown and wears a protective suit that controls his powers. Meltdown seeks revenge on his rival Sundac first by sabotaging his rival's experiments. Later, he tries to kill Sumdac by melting him with his powers. The Autobots managed to foil his plot and trapped him in a force field.
After his first confrontation with Autobots, he discovers Dinobot Island and coerced the Dinobots through his acidic powers. Meltdown kidnaps Sumdac's daughter Sari and tries to experiment with her like he did with two other people, one of them was his lawyer. The Dinobots turned on him and Black chose to go to jail rather than face their wrath. But he eventually escaped from his sentence.
In his last appearance, he was brought to Blackarachnia to cure her of the organic side. Meltdown seemingly agrees, but eventually betrays her and tries to destroy Blackarachnia's mechanical side. Optimus interferes and Meltdown was hit by an energy beam that melted him. Optimus thinks that Meltdown was gone for good but his body begins to reconstruct itself. It is unknown what became of Meltdown afterwards as he never returned in Transformers: Animated Season 3. Although it can be assumed that he might've remained on the island and was killed in the explosion caused by when Waspnator overloaded himself.
Quotes[]
| “ | Meltdown: I'm afraid your friend will have to wait. Prowl: Meltdown, where is Sari? Why have you taken her? Meltdown: My goal is quite simple, really. After our last encounter, I've reasoned that if a machine can change form, why not a human? Captain Fanzone: Let me get this straight: you want to create a transforming human? Meltdown: Exactly! A person capable of taking on any shape or form at will. Sadly, my experiments to date have been somewhat less than successful. On the one to the left used to be my lawyer. Luckily, I soon realized my error: adult test subjects. What I needed was a human who was still growing. Prowl: Sari... Meltdown: Who better than the daughter of my arch-rival, the bane of my existence, the simpering fool who is unworthy to lick the mud off the heels of my platform shoes—booga-looga-looga-looz—Professor Isaac Sumdac? Poetic, no? Captain Fanzone: Poetic is not exactly the word that comes to mind. You are one seriously twisted fruitcake. Meltdown: Flattery will get you nowhere, captain. In a few moments, I will administer a formula that will turn young Sari into a shape-changing wonder, or, if things go wrong, into one of them. Captain Fanzone: Get back here, you sicko! This is cruel and unusual punishment, you hear me?! |
„ |
| ~ Meltdown's conversation with Prowl and Captain Fanzone. |
Gallery[]
.jpg "Meltdown (Black Friday).jpg (44 KB)")
Trivia[]
- Prometheus Black, along with Nanosec and other human villains in the series, so far are human antagonists of the Transformers franchise that possesses powers and abilities that enable them to directly fight Cybertronians both directly and personally. Silas is also included, though this only after he bonded with Breakdown's body.
External Links[]
- Prometheus Black on the Pure Evil Wiki
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