Why Transformers: Shattered Glass Proves That Being the Hero Is a Choice - Transformers Deep Dive

What if your heroes were the villains all along?

In the Shattered Glass universe, the Transformers’ moral compass flips. Optimus Prime leads a brutal empire. Megatron fights to save the weak. And the line between hero and villain doesn’t just blur—it breaks.

In this episode of Disassembled: Heroes and Villains, we explore how Shattered Glass redefines morality and power across Cybertron’s mirror universe.

We discuss:

– How Megatron became a symbol of rebellion and mercy

– Why Optimus Prime’s pursuit of “order” turned into tyranny

– The moral inversion that exposes the fragility of heroism

– And the lesson it teaches: being the hero is never about who you are—it’s about the choices you make.

Because even in a shattered universe, light and darkness still come down to choice.

🔥 New episodes of Disassembled: Heroes and Villains every Thursday

📩 For sponsorships and business inquiries: handsomecomics@gmail.com

🎙 Written and hosted by Tom Bedford | Handsome Comics

Chapters

• 0:00 The Mirror Lies
• 0:37 The World Turned Upside Down
• 3:00 The Price of Conscience
• 6:07 Call To Action
• 6:49 The Mask of the Hero
• 10:23 The Mirror That Reflects Us
• 13:19 Being the Hero Is a Choice

Transcript

0:00

WHAT IF THE HERO'S SMILE WAS THE SCARIEST THING IN THE ROOM? IN MOST UNIVERSES, OPTIMUS PRIME IS HOPE INCARNATE, THE PROTECTOR, THE LEADER, THE LIGHT. BUT IN TRANSFORMERS SHATTERED GLASS, HE'S THE TYRANT WHO SMILES WHILE CRUSHING RESISTANCE. BECAUSE IN THIS MIRROR UNIVERSE HEROISM ISN'T DESTINY IT'S AN ACT OF DEFIANCE THE AUTOBOTS ARE OPPRESSORS THE DECEPTICONS FIGHT FOR FREEDOM AND THE WAR DIDN'T END IT JUST CHANGED SYMBOLS WHEN EVERYONE BELIEVES THEY'RE THE HERO WHO'S LEFT TO SEE THE TRUTH THIS IS DISASSEMBLED HEROES AND VILLAINS AND TODAY WE EXPLORE WHY BEING THE HERO IS ALWAYS A CHOICE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WORLD FELL, WE NEED TO SEE WHAT IT BECAME. BECAUSE IN TRANSFORMERS SHATTERED GLASS, THE SYMBOLS STAYED THE SAME. THE AUTOBOT BADGE, THE DECEPTICON INSIGNIA, BUT THE SPARKS BENEATH THEM, TWISTED BEYOND RECOGNITION. NOT EVERY EVIL WEARS A SNARL. SOME OF IT SMILES, RECITES OATHS, AND TELL YOU IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. IN TRANSFORMERS SHATTERED GLASS, THE HEROES BECAME THE MONSTERS, AND THE MONSTERS, THEY BECAME THE LAST HOPE FOR MERCY. THE AUTOBOTS STILL FLY THE FLAG OF PEACE, AND PEACE IS JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR CONTROL. IN THE CITY OF IACON, BANNERS OF FREEDOM HANG OVER THE SMELTING POOLS. OPTIMUS PRIME ADDRESSES A CROWD OF CHEERING CITIZENS AS DECEPTICON PRISONERS ARE DRAGGED BEFORE HIM. THEIR CRIMES? DISSENT. MERCY. REFUSAL TO OBEY. CLIFFJUMPER PLEADS FOR RESTRAINT. THAT KILLING FOR SPORT BETRAYS EVERYTHING THE AUTOBOTS ONCE STOOD FOR. PRIME LAUGHS. HE HANDS HIM THE WEAPON INSTEAD. THEN PROVE YOUR LOYALTY. DO IT YOURSELF. WHEN CLIFFJUMPER REFUSES, OPTIMUS BLASTS HIM THROUGH THE CHEST AND ORDERS HIS BROKEN BODY CAST INTO THE RAD ZONE. THE CROWD STILL CHEERS BECAUSE ON THIS CYBERTRON, APPLAUSE IS JUST ANOTHER FORM OF FEAR. HE CALLS IT LIBERATION, BUT LIBERATION BUILT ON CORPSES IS JUST GENOCIDE WITH BETTER BRANDING. BEHIND HIM STANDS A LEGION OF TRUE BELIEVERS, NOT MONSTERS. JUST SOLDIERS WHO STOP ASKING WHY. THEY ENFORCE CURFEWS. THEY SILENCE DOUBT. THEY HUNT MERCY LIKE IT'S A DISEASE. THAT'S WHAT MAKES HIS UNIVERSE SO UNSETTLING. THE WAR DOESN'T BEGIN WITH CONQUEST. IT BEGINS WITH CERTAINTY. FAR BENEATH THE RUINS OF IACON, CONSTRUCTICONS FIND. CLIFFJUMPER'S WRECKED FRAME. THEY BRING HIM TO MEGATRON, THE SO-CALLED TYRANT OF CYBERTRON. BUT THIS MEGATRON DOESN'T MOCK HIM. HE DOESN'T GLOAT. HE SAVES HIM. HE ORDERS HIS MEDICS TO REBUILD THE. AUTOBOT WHO ONCE TRIED TO KILL HIM. AND WHEN CLIFFJUMPER AWAKENS, CONFUSED AND AFRAID, MEGATRON SAYS ONLY ONE WORD. MERCY. IN THAT MOMENT, THE ROLES REVERSE. THE MONSTER BECOMES A HEALER. THE REBEL BECOMES THE HOPE OF CYBERTRON. AND FOR THAT, FOR CHOOSING COMPASSION OVER CONQUEST, HE'S HUNTED LIKE A CRIMINAL. BECAUSE IN A WORLD BUILT ON DOGMA, KINDNESS IS TREASON. STRIP AWAY THE LOGOS, AND YOU'RE LEFT WITH SOMETHING TERRIFYINGLY FAMILIAR. A TYRANT WHO BELIEVES HE'S SAVING THE WORLD, AND A REBEL CONDEMNED FOR CHOOSING MERCY. BECAUSE WHEN BELIEF LOSES EMPATHY, IT DOESN'T CREATE HEROES. IT BREEDS MONSTERS WHO SMILE WHILE THEY KILL. TYRANTS DON'T RISE ALONE. THEY RISE ON SILENCE. ON SOLDIERS WHO FOLLOW ORDERS. ON CITIZENS WHO LOOK AWAY. AND YET, NOT EVERYONE DID. BECAUSE EVEN IN A WORLD THAT'S BROKEN, SOME SPARKS STILL BURN TOO BRIGHT TO BE SWALLOWED BY DARKNESS. THEY WEREN'T SAINTS. THEY WEREN'T SAVIORS. THEY WERE TRAITORS. LIARS. COWARDS. AT LEAST, THE HISTORY BOOKS CALLED THEM. BUT SOMETIMES, BETRAYAL IS THE LAST HONEST ACT. SOMETIMES, THE ONLY WAY TO STAY LOYAL, IS TO WALK AWAY. THIS IS THE STORY OF THOSE WHO CHOSE DIFFERENTLY, AND PAID THE PRICE. IN A WORLD WHERE TYRANNY WEARS A SMILE, AND HEROISM HIDES BEHIND A RED BADGE, DOING THE RIGHT THING MEANT LOSING EVERYTHING. FOR SOME, IT MEANT EXILE. FOR OTHERS, DEATH. AND FOR A RARE FEW, IT MEANT LIVING LONG ENOUGH TO WATCH THEIR VIRTUES TWISTED INTO WEAPONS. JETFIRE WASN'T BORN A TRAITOR. HE WAS FORGED AS AN AUTOBOT, RAISED ON PROPAGANDA AND PURPOSE. HE BELIEVED IN MEGATRON. NOT JUST THE LEADER, BUT THE IDEA. ORDER. UNITY. PEACE THROUGH TYRANNY. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SEE THE TRUTH BEHIND THE CAUSE? JETFIRE SAW IN THE SPARKLESS EYES OF PRISONERS, AND THE UNMARKED GRAVES OF THE INNOCENTS, AND THE SILENCE OF THOSE TOO AFRAID TO SPEAK. AND SO, HE CHOSE TO DEFECT. NOT TO SAVE HIMSELF, BUT TO PRESERVE THE LAST PIECE OF HIMSELF THAT STILL BELIEVED IN HONOR. HE DIDN'T BETRAY HIS CAUSE, HE BETRAYED HIS COMFORT. IN SHATTERED GLASS, THAT CHOICE MADE HIM A PARIAH. YET, IT MADE HIM SOMETHING MORE. THE FIRST CRACK IN A WAR MACHINE BUILT ON OBEDIENCE. SOUNDWAVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE WEAPON, THE MASTER OF SURVEILLANCE, A MANIPULATOR OF MINDS. INSTEAD, HE CHOSE REBELLION, NOT WITH BLASTERS, BUT WITH TRUTH. HE BROADCAST THE ATROCITIES OF THE AUTOBOTS. HE DOCUMENTED THEIR LIES. HE BECAME A LIVING ARCHIVE OF EVERYTHING OPTIMUS PRIME WANTED BURIED, AND THAT MADE HIM DANGEROUS. BECAUSE SOUNDWAVE UNDERSTOOD SOMETHING THE AUTOBOTS NEVER DID. YOU CAN SILENCE A SOLDIER, BUT A SIGNAL THAT CAN ECHO ACROSS TIME. IN MOST TIMELINES, SOUNDWAVE WAS A LOYALIST, BUT HERE, HE BECAME THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS. AND THEN, THERE'S STARSCREAM. ALWAYS AMBITIOUS, ALWAYS SCHEMING, A NAME SYNONYMOUS WITH BETRAYAL, BUT IN SHATTERED GLASS, HE WAS DIFFERENT. HE FOLLOWED MEGATRON, NOT FOR POWER, BUT FOR PRINCIPLE. HE BELIEVED IN THE DECEPTICON CAUSE, HE FOUGHT FOR JUSTICE, FOR PEACE, AND HE DIED FOR IT. NOT IN GLORY, NOT IN CEREMONY, BUT IN OBSCURITY. BECAUSE IN A WORLD THAT REWARDS MONSTERS, A LOYAL HEART IS INVISIBLE. STARSCREAM'S DEATH MATTERED BECAUSE NO ONE REMEMBERED IT, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT TRAGIC. WHAT TIES THESE STORIES TOGETHER, EACH CHARACTER COULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE SCRIPT, PLAYED THE ROLE CARVED OUT FOR THEM BY FATE AND FACTION, BUT THEY DIDN'T. THEY CHOSE CONSCIENCE, THEY CHOSE RESISTANCE, THEY CHOSE PAIN, AND IN DOING SO, THEY GAVE UP EVERYTHING. JETFIRE LOST HIS NAME, RATCHET LOST HIS HOPE, SOUNDWAVE LOST HIS FREEDOM, STARSCREAM LOST HIS LEGACY, BUT THEY DIDN'T LOSE THEMSELVES. IN SHATTERED GLASS, MORALITY ISN'T A DEFAULT, IT'S A DECISION. ONE YOU REMAKE EVERY TIME IT HURTS TO DO SO. THESE AREN'T REDEMPTION ARCS, THEY'RE SACRIFICES. BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE VILLAIN THEY MADE YOU, BUT IT WILL COST YOU EVERYTHING, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT MATTER. BEFORE WE CLOSE THE FILE ON THIS FRACTURED REFLECTION OF CYBERTRON, MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW OR SUBSCRIBE TO DISASSEMBLED HEROES AND VILLAINS ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP. EVERY WEEK WE EXPLORE THE MONSTERS, MARTYRS, AND MYTH-MAKERS WHO SHAPE POP CULTURE, AND WHAT THEIR STORIES REVEAL ABOUT US. NEXT WEEK, DISASSEMBLED HEROES AND VILLAINS RETURNS TO CONFRONT A FORCE BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL, A DEVOURER OF WORLDS, A GOD BORN FROM ENTROPY, THE END OF CYBERTRON'S BEGINNING. WE FACE THE COSMIC TERROR KNOWN AS UNICRON, AND IF YOU WANT TO HELP CHOOSE THE NEXT CHARACTER WE DISSECT, BE SURE TO VOTE IN THE HANDSOME COMICS YOUTUBE COMMUNITY POLL EVERY WEDNESDAY. NOW BACK TO THE RESISTANCE, AND THE TRAITORS WHO CHOSE TO SAVE A WORLD, NOT WORTH SAVING. FOR EVERY SPARK THAT RESISTED, THERE WERE THOSE WHO REFUSED TO SEE THE TRUTH. NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE BLIND, BUT BECAUSE THEY NEEDED THE LIE. BECAUSE IF MERCY IS TREASON, THEN CRUELTY MUST BE JUSTICE. THAT'S THE PARADOX AT THE HEART OF SHATTERED GLASS. THE AUTOBOTS DIDN'T CONQUER FOR CONQUEST. THEY DID IT FOR PEACE, FOR ORDER, FOR THE FUTURE. AT LEAST, THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD THEMSELVES. AND SO THEY SMILED FOR THE CAMERAS, THEY RAISED THEIR FLAGS, AND THEY SILENCED THE VOICES THAT DARED TO ASK, AT WHAT COST? BUT NOW, WE TURN TO THE LEADERS WHO WORE THE MASK OF VIRTUE, WHILE POISONING THE WORLD BENEATH IT. EVERY VILLAIN IS THE HERO OF THEIR OWN STORY. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE STORY BECOMES LAW? WHEN THE FLAGS, THE SPEECHES, THE SMILING FACES ARE ALL A PART OF THE SAME MACHINE? IN SHATTERED GLASS, THE AUTOBOTS AREN'T MONSTERS IN THE SHADOWS. THEY'RE LEADERS, ICONS, CELEBRITIES. AND AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL IS OPTIMUS PRIME. HE WASN'T ALWAYS A TYRANT. HE STARTED AS A SOLDIER, A LIBRARIAN-TURNED-WARRIOR WHO ROSE TO THE RANKS ON FIRE AND RHETORIC. HE SAID ALL THE RIGHT THINGS. PEACE, UNITY, ORDER. BUT HIS VISION OF PEACE MEANT OBEDIENCE. HIS UNITY REQUIRED SUBMISSION, AND ORDER WAS JUST CONTROL WITH BETTER BRANDING. OPTIMUS DIDN'T CONQUER CYBERTRON WITH BRUTE FORCE ALONE, HE CONQUERED IT WITH NARRATIVE. HE CALLED IT LIBERATION, HE CALLED HIMSELF A SAVIOR. WHAT DO YOU CALL IT WHEN CITIES BURN IN YOUR NAME, WHEN DISSENT IS OUTLAWED? WHEN CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT THAT SILENCE IS SAFETY, YOU CALL IT A REGIME. OPTIMUS BELIEVED IN WHAT HE BUILT, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES HIM TERRIFYING. BECAUSE WHEN YOU BELIEVE YOU'RE SAVING THE WORLD, THERE'S NO LIMIT TO WHAT YOU'LL DESTROY TO PROTECT THAT BELIEF. EVERY REBELLION, TERRORISM. EVERY DEFECTOR, TRAITOR. EVERY INNOCENT IN THE CROSSFIRE, A NECESSARY SACRIFICE. AND WHEN THE CRACKS BEGAN TO SHOW, HE DIDN'T CHANGE COURSE, HE DOUBLED DOWN. HE LEANED ON GOLDBUG, HIS GOLDEN PROTEGE, HIS WEAPONIZED PR MACHINE. IF OPTIMUS WAS THE FACE OF THE REGIME, GOLDBUG WAS THE TERRIFYING SMILE. SHARP, BRUTAL BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, GOLDBUG DIDN'T LEAD ARMIES, HE SHAPED PERCEPTION. WHEN OPTIMUS EXECUTED CLIFFJUMPER, GOLDBUG CALLED IT NECESSARY JUSTICE. WHEN REFUGEES FLED TO DECEPTICON TERRITORY, HE CALLED THEM ENEMY COLLABORATORS. HE TURNED WAR CRIMES INTO POLICY, HE TURNED EXECUTIONS INTO WARNINGS, AND HE TURNED THE YOTTOBOTS INTO GODS. NOT BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IN JUSTICE, BUT BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IN POWER. GOLDBUG UNDERSTOOD THE SECRET OPTIMUS COULDN'T ADMIT. THE AUTOBOT REGIME DIDN'T RUN ON ENERGON. IT RAN ON FEAR. FEAR OF THE DECEPTICONS. FEAR OF DIFFERENCE. FEAR OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF ANYONE THOUGHT FOR THEMSELVES. SO THEY BUILT MONUMENTS, HELD PARADES, BROADCAST EVERY VICTORY ON EVERY CHANNEL. AND BENEATH THE APPLAUSE, THEY CRUSHED ANYONE WHO DIDN'T CLAP LOUD ENOUGH. IN SHATTERED GLASS, PROPAGANDA ISN'T JUST A TOOL, IT'S A DRUG. IT NUMBS THE CONSCIENCE, REWRITES THE PAST, CONVINCES GOOD BOTS THEY'RE STILL THE HEROES. EVEN AS THEIR HANDS DRIP WITH ENERGON. AND THAT IS THE TRAGEDY. OPTIMUS PRIME DIDN'T THINK HE WAS THE VILLAIN. HE THOUGHT HE WAS SAVING CYBERTRON. GOLDBUG DIDN'T SEE A DICTATORSHIP, HE SAW DESTINY. BUT POWER, TRUE POWER, DOESN'T REVEAL WHO YOU ARE. IT AMPLIFIES WHAT YOU ALREADY BELIEVE. AND WHEN BELIEF ROTS, IT POISONS EVERYTHING. SO WHILE JETFIRE FOUGHT FOR HONOR, WHILE SOUNDWAVE BROADCAST THE TRUTH, WHILE STARSCREAM DIED FOR LOYALTY, OPTIMUS MARCHED FORWARD DRAPED IN BANNERS, AND GOLDBUG SMILED. AND THE WAR MACHINE KEPT TURNING. BECAUSE IN THIS TWISTED REFLECTION OF THE TRANSFORMERS MYTHOS, THE SCARIEST MONSTERS AREN'T THE ONES WHO KNEW THEIR EVIL. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO THINK THEY'RE RIGHTEOUS. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO LOOK IN THE MIRROR, AND STILL SEE A HERO. SHATTERED GLASS WAS NEVER JUST ABOUT FLIPPING HEROES INTO VILLAINS. IT WAS ABOUT STRIPPING AWAY THE EXCUSES. BECAUSE WHEN YOU INVERT A WORLD, YOU REVEAL WHAT WAS ALWAYS HIDDEN BENEATH IT. SO THE QUESTION ISN'T HOW THEY CHANGED. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT WOULD YOU BECOME IN THEIR PLACE? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SYSTEM REWARDS CRUELTY? WHEN SPEAKING THE TRUTH COSTS YOU EVERYTHING? WHEN FOLLOWING ORDERS MEANS BURYING YOUR CONSCIENCE? WHAT PART OF YOU SURVIVES IN THAT MIRROR? AND THAT'S THE REAL POWER OF SHATTERED GLASS. NOT THE COLOR SWAPS. NOT THE FACTION LOGOS. BUT THE REFLECTION. A REMINDER THAT EVIL ISN'T ALWAYS LOUD. IT'S NOT ALWAYS MONSTROUS. SOMETIMES IT LOOKS LIKE US. THINKS LIKE US. BELIEVES JUST AS FIERCELY. BECAUSE EVIL DOESN'T COME FROM INVERSION. IT COMES FROM CONVICTION, WITHOUT COMPASSION. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL FACE NEXT. WE'VE SEEN WHAT SHATTERED GLASS DID TO CYBERTRON. HOW SYMBOLS WERE TWISTED. HOW HEROES BECOME TYRANTS. HOW VILLAINS BECOME MARTYRS. BUT THIS UNIVERSE WAS NEVER ABOUT THEM. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT US. BECAUSE THIS ISN'T JUST A STORY ABOUT A MIRROR, IT'S A TEST. WHAT VERSION OF YOU WOULD STARE BACK? WOULD YOU FOLLOW ORDERS TO PROTECT YOUR STATUS? WOULD YOU JUSTIFY CRUELTY IN THE NAME OF PEACE? WOULD YOU BETRAY A FRIEND, IF THE SYSTEM CALLED IT LOYALTY? IN THE WORLD OF SHATTERED GLASS, NO ONE THINKS THEY'RE THE VILLAIN. OPTIMUS THINKS FEAR IS A FAIR PRICE FOR ORDER. EVEN RATCHET, TWISTED BY BITTERNESS, TELLS HIMSELF HE'S PREVENTING GREATER SUFFERING. AND MAYBE, IN THEIR MINDS, THEY ARE. BUT THAT'S WHAT MAKES THEM TERRIFYING. BECAUSE TRUE EVIL DOESN'T WEAR A MONSTROUS FACE. IT WEARS A SMILE. IT WEARS A UNIFORM. IT WEARS YOUR BELIEFS, JUST TAKEN TOO FAR. WHAT SEPARATES THE ORIGINAL CONTINUITY FROM ITS MIRROR ISN'T JUST ALIGNMENT, IT'S COMPASSION. IN THE MAIN TIMELINE, OPTIMUS LEADS WITH PRINCIPLE, BUT IT'S TEMPERED BY MERCY. MEGATRON, FOR ALL HIS RAGE, BELIEVES HE'S FREEING HIS PEOPLE. BUT IN SHATTERED GLASS, THOSE VIRTUES BECOME POISON. CONVICTION WITHOUT EMPATHY, JUSTICE WITHOUT FORGIVENESS, ORDER WITHOUT FREEDOM. THESE AREN'T INVERSIONS, THEY'RE REFLECTIONS SHARPENED TO A BLADE'S EDGE. AND IF YOU EVER FELT RIGHTEOUS FURY, IF YOU EVER LOOKED AT INJUSTICE AND THOUGHT SOMEONE SHOULD DO SOMETHING, IF YOU EVER WANTED TO CRUSH WHAT'S BROKEN SO SOMETHING BETTER CAN RISE, THEN YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD THE WHISPER OF THE WORLD. THAT'S WHAT MAKES SHATTERED GLASS SO POWERFUL, AND SO UNCOMFORTABLE. BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ASK WHAT IF THE GOOD GUYS WERE BAD, IT ASKS WHAT IF YOU WERE. AND THAT'S THE TRUTH BEHIND THE FICTION. EVERY IDEOLOGY, EVERY BELIEF, EVERY NOBLE MISSION, IS ONE STEP AWAY FROM TYRANNY IF YOU FORGET WHO GETS TRAMPLED. THE AUTOBOTS OF SHATTERED GLASS DIDN'T FALL BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO DESTROY, THEY FELL BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO FIX THE WORLD AND FORGOT THAT THE WORLD IS MADE OF PEOPLE AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THE MIRROR WHEN YOU SEE YOUR OWN IDEAL STARING BACK ASK YOURSELF WILL YOU RECOGNIZE THE PERSON STARING BACK OR WILL THEY CALL YOU A HERO WHILE YOU BECOME SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY BECAUSE IN THE END THE MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS ARE THE ONES WHO BELIEVE THEY'RE SAVING YOU THE ONES WHO SMILE WHILE THEY SILENCE YOU THE ONES WHO CALL IT PEACE THEY WERE BUILT TO FIGHT PROGRAMMED TO OBEY DESTINED TO DESTROY BUT SOME OF THEM JETFIRE STAR SCREAM SOUND WAVE CHOSE TO BE SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE BEING A HERO ISN'T ABOUT WHO YOU SERVE IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU REFUSE TO BECOME THAT'S THE LESSON BURIED BENEATH THE RUBBLE OF SHATTERED GLASS OPTIMUS PRIME THOUGHT HE WAS SAVING CYBERTRON GOLDBUG THOUGHT HE WAS KEEPING ORDER RATCHET THOUGHT HE WAS PROTECTING LIVES BUT BELIEF WITHOUT COMPASSION TURNS CONVICTION INTO CRUELTY AND WHEN THE WAR ENDED IF IT EVER TRULY DID NO ONE COULD TELL THE HEROES FROM THE VILLAINS BECAUSE THE COLORS CHANGED THE INSIGNIAS REVERSED BUT THE LIES STAYED THE SAME EVERY SOLDIER WHO FOUGHT IN THE MIRROR UNIVERSE FACED THE SAME QUESTION WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE SIDE YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR STOPS STANDING FOR YOU JETFIRE WALKED AWAY RATCHET BROKE UNDER THE WEIGHT OF WHAT HE'D LOST SOUNDWAVE TURNED REBELLION INTO A VOICE THE WORLD COULD NO LONGER SILENCE STAR SCREAM DIED FOR A CAUSE NO ONE REMEMBERED NONE OF THEM WERE SAINTS BUT THEY WERE SOMETHING RARER THEY WERE HONEST AND MAYBE THAT'S THE QUIET TRUTH OF SHATTERED GLASS IT'S NOT A STORY ABOUT EVIL AUTOBOTS OR NOBLE DECEPTICONS IT'S A STORY ABOUT CHOICE ABOUT CONSCIENCE BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN POWER DEMANDS YOUR SILENCE AND YOU SPEAK ANYWAY BECAUSE BEING A HERO ISN'T DESTINY IT'S NOT SOMETHING WRITTEN IN CODE OR CARVED INTO METAL IT'S A DECISION ONE MADE IN THE DARK WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING WHAT NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW THE AUTOBOTS OF THIS WORLD BUILT MONUMENTS TO PEACE BUT THE REAL HEROES WERE BURIED IN THE ASHES BENEATH THEM MEGATRON WHO CHOSE MERCY OVER VENGEANCE JETFIRE WHO CHOSE CONSCIENCE OVER COMMAND SOUND WAVE WHO CHOSE TRUTH OVER SURVIVAL AND STAR SCREAM WHO CHOSE TO DIE BELIEVING THAT FREEDOM WAS WORTH THE PRICE THEY REMIND US THAT MORALITY ISN'T INHERITED IT'S EARNED EVERY SINGLE DAY BECAUSE NO ONE WAKES UP A TYRANT NO ONE SETS OUT TO BECOME A MONSTER THEY JUST STOP QUESTIONING WHAT THEY BELIEVE AND START DEMANDING EVERYONE ELSE BELIEVES IT TOO SO BEFORE YOU WALK AWAY FROM THIS WORLD OF SHATTERED REFLECTIONS ASK YOURSELF IF THE WORLD TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE THE HERO WOULD YOU EVER STOP TO ASK WHY AND IF YOUR REFLECTION EVER SMILED BACK AT YOU WOULD YOU RECOGNIZE THE PERSON STARING BACK BECAUSE MAYBE THE SCARIEST THING ABOUT A MIRROR UNIVERSE IS HOW MUCH OF YOURSELF YOU SEE IN IT SO STAY BRAVE STAY GROUNDED AND AS ALWAYS STAY HANDSOME AND REMEMBER EVEN IN A WORLD BUILT ON LIES THE TRUTH STILL CHOOSES WHO IT SAVES