Canon

[griffin]

There is evidence from G1 that supports this, such as:
+ We know that Primus didn't create Cybertron from scratch. It was an asteroid that he rebuilt as Cybertron. Perhaps this asteroid (planetoid) harboured organic life before his arrival.
+ In the G1 comics, when the Autobot Classic Pretenders and Rescue Patrol found Primus; it's a technorganic core - even with water leading toward the centre (which Seawatch happily exploits when he takes out Bludgeon )
+ In the G1 cartoon episode "Dweller In The Depths", the core of Cybertron appears organic.
+ In the same G1 ep, we come across the "Transorganics" -- essentially ancient technorganic creatures in Cybertron's core.
+ In the G1 comics, Cybertron is populated by technorganic mutants, who claim to have lived on Cybertron longer than the Transformers. Sadly none of these underground mutants are hawt like Futurama's Leela. ;p
+ The ancient Cybertronian's "budding" method of reproduction is arguably technorganic in nature
+ In "The Rebirth," Plasma energy effects all mechanical beings, but organic life is immune. And it's thanks to the Headmasters and Targetmasters who have binary bonded themselves to organic Nebulans (and two humans) that Cybertron is saved and a prophecy fulfilled.

Maybe some necessary Gen1 plot devices just couldn't be translated into a 'metallic' form, so to make it easier for the (young) reader, things were done in an organic manner.
I think it wasn't until Beast Machines that it was (finally) intentionally mentioned and an attempted explanation was made as to an Organic element to Cybertron. (which could be why it wasn't well received by fans)
Before that time, anything organic appeared to be either accidental (by the animators/artists) or unavoidable for the plot to make sense (to a young human viewer).

[GoktimusPrime]

Beast Machines shows a waterfall on Cybertron! You know what else is weird... it's a machine planet devoid of oceans, lakes and forests... but yet it has Earth-like atmosphere! Humans who travel to Cybertron can happily walk around breathing Cybertronian air!

Also... while the size of Cybertron varies greatly according to canonical sources, I don't think it's ever portrayed as being the same size as Earth has it? Cos... Cybertronian gravity also seems to be similar to Earth. We certainly see it when humans are on Cybertron -- they don't 'float' around like on the Moon, nor do they get crushed if they were on a high gravity planet. Even Cybertron's moons seem to have the same gravity as Cybertron itself!

Although one interesting moment in G1 was during the Matrix Quest (part IV) when the Classic Pretender Autobots' fuel was rapidly being depleted because they were moving around (and fighting Decepticons) on a high gravity world. They moved around like normal, but it obviously meant a greater expenditure of Energon in order to do so. Seeing the Autobots moving around really sluggishly as their reserves were running low was cool... and of course, made it easier for Thunderwing to pwn them and seize the Matrix for himself.

[griffin]

Why wouldn't a planetoid with enough gravity to keep objects (and its inhabitants) from drifting off the surface, not have the gravity to attract and keep gasses or liquids? The lightest element (Hydrogen) is throughout the Universe, and this planet was mostly metal (or rock, depending on your source), so where's the impossibility that elements (Oxygen, Nitrogen) in between them could not exist?

A fair bit of the matter on Earth came from extra-terrestrial debris over the millions of years, including during its formation with the rest of the Solar System... why couldn't Cybertron have formed with, or attracted, these elements?

Unless a writer tried to explain its existence, or tried to explain how it couldn't have existed in the first place, I don't see how or why some fans make such a big deal about it, or even claim that Cybertron shouldn't have an atmosphere or liquids at any time.

[Hursticon]

Why wouldn't a planetoid with enough gravity to keep objects (and its inhabitants) from drifting off the surface, not have the gravity to attract and keep gasses or liquids? The lightest element (Hydrogen) is throughout the Universe, and this planet was mostly metal (or rock, depending on your source), so where's the impossibility that elements (Oxygen, Nitrogen) in between them could not exist?

A fair bit of the matter on Earth came from extra-terrestrial debris over the millions of years, including during its formation with the rest of the Solar System... why couldn't Cybertron have formed with, or attracted, these elements?

That's a pretty concise and highly factual statement there.
Cybertron's gravity would be ridiculous IMO and is the only reason why I can't see how Humans (Without Assistance) could exist on the planet myself.

[LordCyrusOmega]

I never understood why humans could breath on Cybertron. Never thought about the gravity situation though. Makes sense though.
Think we could say humans abiltiy to survive on Cybertron boils down to plot device meant for children.

[Verno]

Goodness we've covered some interesting topics in this thread.

Maybe Cybetron is smaller, but because of the denser materials it's made from, it has the same or similar gravity to Earth..?

[GoktimusPrime]

Why wouldn't a planetoid with enough gravity to keep objects (and its inhabitants) from drifting off the surface, not have the gravity to attract and keep gasses or liquids? The lightest element (Hydrogen) is throughout the Universe, and this planet was mostly metal (or rock, depending on your source), so where's the impossibility that elements (Oxygen, Nitrogen) in between them could not exist?

A fair bit of the matter on Earth came from extra-terrestrial debris over the millions of years, including during its formation with the rest of the Solar System... why couldn't Cybertron have formed with, or attracted, these elements?

Not impossible, but what an incredible FLUKE that an alien world with NO biomatter or biosphere (or even soil) can sustain an Earthlike atmosphere! What are the odds?!?

Unless a writer tried to explain its existence, or tried to explain how it couldn't have existed in the first place, I don't see how or why some fans make such a big deal about it,

Cos it's fun for us nerds! <snorting.laff> That's why I enjoy reading books like this which basically takes the Star Wars universe and tears it to shreds with science! It doesn't mean I've liking Star Wars, but I still find it an interesting read.

When we watch or read fantasy and scifi we often suspend disbelief of high improbable or impossible things; but every once in a while I find it interesting to stop and think about what would be possible and what wouldn't. As Kevin Smith once said, if you ever had a rocket pack you'd "burn your ass off."

or even claim that Cybertron shouldn't have an atmosphere or liquids at any time.

Not just any liquids... but water. And as Sky Shadow rightly pointed out, canonical evidence from G1 indicates that water doesn't exist on Cybertron. And yeah, that waterfall in BM could be some other kind of liquid. HCl perhaps.

Think we could say humans abiltiy to survive on Cybertron boils down to plot device meant for children.

"A wizard did it."

Maybe Cybetron is smaller, but because of the denser materials it's made from, it has the same or similar gravity to Earth..?

This is true, although it would have to be extremely dense because Cybertron has a LOT of subterranean cavities!

[LordCyrusOmega]

If we consider the number of inhabitants of Cybertron then factor in their size I'd say Cybertron has to be bigger than earth. Gravity is questionable though. It could be the ame as Earth because if it wasn't then Transformers would float away here. Real Life application of theory: Cars don't fly away.
Also given that Cybertron was knocked out of orbit gravity would have been interesting until it fell into orbit again.

[Sky Shadow]

In the G1 comics, when the Autobot Classic Pretenders and Rescue Patrol found Primus; it's a technorganic core - even with water leading toward the centre (which Seawatch happily exploits when he takes out Bludgeon )

Didn't Blaster say that wasn't actually water on the letters page?

Unless a writer tried to explain its existence, or tried to explain how it couldn't have existed in the first place, I don't see how or why some fans make such a big deal about it, or even claim that Cybertron shouldn't have an atmosphere or liquids at any time.

We know that water is rare on Cybertron in the Marvel TFU, because Octane knew that "thousands of vorns ago during an outbreak on Cybertron, a rare chemical was found" and Ratbat claimed that water was "a chemical so rare that its very existence is suspect!" (Not really that suspect, since Ratbat had used lots of it in his lamest plot ever - the Car Wash Of Doom.) But also not so rare that Bumblebee and Ironhide explicitly knew what water is in their expositions in #1.

[griffin]

Didn't Blaster say that wasn't actually water on the letters page?



We know that water is rare on Cybertron in the Marvel TFU, because Octane knew that "thousands of vorns ago during an outbreak on Cybertron, a rare chemical was found" and Ratbat claimed that water was "a chemical so rare that its very existence is suspect!" (Not really that suspect, since Ratbat had used lots of it in his lamest plot ever - the Car Wash Of Doom.) But also not so rare that Bumblebee and Ironhide explicitly knew what water is in their expositions in #1.

That's why I specifically didn't mention 'water', only liquids.
Who knows what sort of chemical compounds are common on Cybertron that take on the appearance of water (in a cartoon or comic)...