Lord High Protector citadel

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The Lord High Protector citadel is a building on Cybertron from the live-action film series.

The "Lord High Protector citadel" solitarily towers high above the Cybertronian landscape. It is surrounded by a thick, barbed jungle, which provides a large portion of the citadel's defense. Supposedly, there's a smelting pool inside or near the citadel, as the large V-sign above the citadel's gates is the end of a smelting pool pipeline. It provides the final outer defense. Inside the citadel, there's a number of facilities, among which a hatchery.

Fiction

Transformers film

The citadel was part of the Cybertronian landscape Optimus Prime holographically showed Sam Witwicky and Mikaela Banes while explaining the Autobots' plight. Transformers

IDW movie comics

You rang?

Megatron summoned Optimus to the citadel to talk about the current situation regarding Malcontent activity. He insisted Optimus grant him supreme control so that he could deal effecitvely with the threat. Optimus reluctantly obliged. Foundation #2

The consequences would hit Cybertron soon enough. Megatron founded the Decepticon faction and declared war on the rest of the population. When in an attempt to put a stop to the Decepticons Sentinel Prime seemingly perished, Optimus lost it. With a few trustworthy soldiers, he set out for the citadel, where he knew Megatron to be waiting for him. He wanted his now archnemesis dead, and was uninterested in who would pay the price for his zealotry. Foundation #1 Though that did not necessarily mean he had no backup plan... Foundation #4

Meanwhile, Megatron enjoyed the wait from the citadel's balcony, taking sadistic delight in seeing Optimus descend into madness as he got closer and closer. Starscream questioned the need to stay outside in the acid rain, but Megatron found it fitting.

"Come on, Optimus. You wouldn't shoot a guy covered in babies, would you? W-would you?"

After a brutal battle with some of Megatron's forces, Foundation #1 Elita-One questioned the wisdom in continuing the mission, pointing out that two of their unit had already died. Optimus Prime ignored her and pressed on through the jungle surrounding the citadel, closely followed by Ironhide, who didn't want to leave his side. Foundation #2 When eventually they stood before the citadel, Megatron dropped material from the smelting pool on them—too little to harm the two seasoned soldiers, but enough to provoke Optimus Prime's aggression anew. Optimus subsequently smashed his way into the citadel, leaving Ironhide behind. But as Optimus could have expected, Megatron wasn't about to just be killed: When Optimus finally came face to face with him, he was surrounded by newborn hatchlings—future Decepticons. Megatron challenged Optimus to kill them if he wanted the Decepticon threat gone so badly. Foundation #3

Meanwhile, Ironhide was attacked at the gates by Starscream and Shockwave. Megatron mocked Optimus for his inability to choose between killing newborns or saving his friend, at the same time informing him the hatchlings hadn't been fed yet and could be quite dangerous if they wouldn't get energon soon. However, realizing how Megatron had been manipulating him, Optimus gave his troops near Simfur the go to steal the AllSpark. As Cybertron lost its sun and was enveloped in darkness, he left Megatron alone with the hungry hatchlings and went to save Ironhide. The two made a run for it back to their troops, while Megatron pulled the hatchlings off him and swore to kill every last Autobot in the universe. Foundation #4

Notes

• It's unclear what purpose the solitary citadel serves. When Cybertron is still at peace, Megatron is once seen operating from it in Foundation, but according to Defiance, his office is in Trypticon. Or at least, his quarters are, but they seem to double as his office.
• In Transformers The Game, there is a bonus level in both the Autobot and Decepticon campaigns, bearing a slight resemblance to Megatron's citadel from the film.