Soon before he earns the Matrix of Leadership and becomes Optimus Prime, he was Orion Pax. As Orion Pax, he was born without a t-cog which prevented him from transforming as he worked down in the mines of Iacon City. He believes miners are more than meets the eye and set out on a quest to find the Matrix of Leadership on Cybertron's surface. There he was bestowed the t-cog of a Prime by Alpha Trion, putting him on the path he's destined for. His best friend is D-16, who's like a brother to him.