Prometheus Black

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Prometheus Black, also known as Meltdown, is a human villain from the Transformers franchise introduced in Transformers: Animated.

History

Animated

Cartoon series

Prometheus Black was initially a scientist and businessman who favored genetic manipulation over robotics, putting him at odds with Isaac Sumdac's technology empire. In a bid to prove his superiority, he held an exhibition match where his henchmen/test subject, Colossus Rhodes, battled the Autobot Bumblebee, but ultimately his steroid enhancements were deemed unsafe and his company was shut down. Black was informed of this while examining a sample of fluid Bumblebee had leaked due to being damaged during the fight; the fluid combined with his steroids and mutated Black into a monstrous being who produced an acidic substance capable of melting even Transformer armor. Now known as Meltdown, he attempted to take revenge on Sumdac for his role in his company's failure-ignoring the apparent complicity of Porter C. Powell-but was thwarted by the Autobots.

Meltdown subsequently escaped police custody and attempted to use genetic manipulation to create a "human Transformer" capable of shifting into various animal forms. His lawyer and stockbroker were guinea pigs in this research but ended up being mutated into monstrous amalgams of various animal lifeforms who joined Rhodes as his minions; Meltdown thus came to the conclusion that he needed to attempt his process on an immature human. After enslaving the Dinobots via his acidic touch, which pained them to the point that they were forced to obey him, he had them abduct Sari Sumdac with the intent of conducting his experiments upon her. However, the interference of the Autobots Prowl and Bulkhead and police Captain Fanzone, not to mention Sari's own resourcefulness, saw Meltdown defeated and restrained with one of his own labcoats, which had been treated to resist his acid. His henchmen were subsequently defeated by the Dinobots after they realized that they no longer had to fear Meltdown's powers.

Ironically, it was the Dinobots who later freed Meltdown on the orders of Blackarachnia, who believed that Meltdown held the key to "curing" her of her techno-organic condition. After stealing some equipment, Meltdown prepared her for the procedure, only to reveal his true plan: to eradicate her technological half so that her organic half could be used by him to perfect his organic Transformer. Optimus Prime's interference put an end to this plot, and an energy surge from the equipment turned Meltdown into a puddle of acidic sludge. The reappearance of his glowing eyes and mouth in the puddle seemed to hint at a possible return, but at the time of Animated's cancellation this had not occurred.

Fun Publications

Meltdown appeared on Renegade Rhetoric as an alternate universe member of the Society of Ultimate Villainy (ironically a group he wasn't affiliated with in Animated) that was defeated and captured by a group of Autobots.