Spark vs Brain Module

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

- (debatable) The Vehicon Generals in BM were claimed to be the reprogrammed sparks of the missing Maximals. Er, *spoiler*

thanks for including that <:-/

Aaah, the old theological debate.

One could think of it that the brain module controls the body movements, whereas the spark holds the personality.

No spark = no motivation/ the character you know ceases to exist. (like a clinically brain-dead person)
No brain = no ability for movement. Like a ??? Um. can't think of an example as there is no proof of souls existing.

How's that?

[Jinto]

thanks for including that <:-/

Sorry, I figured since it was a 15yr old show no one would be in danger of actually having it spoiled... I'll highlight it black.

[Jinto]

I like your way of looking at it, Paulbot. That makes a lot of sense.

[Cat]

Brain module = brain

Cog = heart

Spark = Soul. Hence why it's such a nebulous concept. It's something they can explore more than we humans can, but I think it's still basically part of that hope to live after death, so there's an element of blind faith involved.

[GoktimusPrime]

While BW was the first to coin the term "Spark" which has since become a virtually standardised reference to Transformers' 'souls', the concept itself originated in G1. In the G1 cartoon it was referred to as the "laser core," and the comics used "life essence." The G1 comics showed that Transformers couldn't simply be constructed. Shockwave had to steal the Creation Matrix from Optimus Prime in order to give life to more Decepticons. The G1 cartoon was inconsistent (as usual ). At times it seemed easy enough to just build Transformers and they'd be alive, like the Dinobots and the brain-hurting contradicting origins of Megatron and the Constructicons... other times it was shown that Vector Sigma was the source of life for Transformers, and they used it to give life to the Aerialbots and Stunticons. But then at other times it seemed that their "brains" (personality components) were the most vital things for TF life, such as the Combaticons. But then Gears seemed to operate just fine with at least part of his personality component missing. Aaahh... where would the G1 cartoon be without its continuity inconsistencies!

"What did you do to Gears, you monster? You turned him... nice!"
- Ironhide, Changing Gears

But essentially the Spark is a Transformer's anima. It's what imbues him/her with life. A brain allows them to think, but not necessarily be alive. Teletraan-1, Zoom-Zoom, BM Vehicons etc. are capable of thoughts (of varying levels) but they aren't actually living entities. They're artificially intelligent, much like droids in Star Wars. A Jedi may risk his/her life to save another living being, but not to save a droid. There's an episode in the Clone Wars when Anakin insists on rescuing Artoo Detoo and Obiwan immediately cautions him about forming material attachments and advises against it. It's only agreed that Artoo needed to be rescued when Anakin confesses that he's never had Artoo's memory wiped, and therefore he carries secret Republic information that they couldn't allow to fall into enemy hands (so thus the missing was really to retrieve the data, rather than to rescue a droid)).

An example of a Cybertronian with a living Spark but with a very primitive mind would be Transmutate. Transmutate suffered significant mental and cognitive impairment because her logic circuits were scrambled beyond repair, giving her childlike immaturity and innocence. The IDW comics also show Sparks being "grown" out of the ground in certain places. These "embryonic" Sparks seem to lack sentience (let alone intelligence), but are portrayed as still being living Sparks.

[Cat]

And of course, the infamous 'Life Spark'.

[Paul Agnew]

And of course, the infamous 'Life Spark'.

Which was attempted to be continued in the 'Spark Driver' concept at the end of Beast Wars. Funnily enough, the Japanese Cryotek had the driver, and for anyone with Zoids model kits, their little blue drivers fit in the seats snugly.

[kup]

The IDW comics also show Sparks being "grown" out of the ground in certain places. These "embryonic" Sparks seem to lack sentience (let alone intelligence), but are portrayed as still being living Sparks.

Yeah that adds to the list of questions that need answering. How does that work exactly? So you plant a Transformer seed and a few weeks later a sprout spark comes out of the ground?

[GoktimusPrime]

Seeds of da few-chaaa!

[Paulbot]

Yeah that adds to the list of questions that need answering. How does that work exactly? So you plant a Transformer seed and a few weeks later a sprout spark comes out of the ground?

I think the current MTMTE story will address this. So far the "hotspots" seem to be randomly/naturally occurring and only referenced on both moons (because presumably Cybertron's dried up earlier). Transformers (sparks) are children of Cybertron/Primus itself? Maybe?