Honestly, I would like to see Ultra Magnus just some how accidentally adopt a kid but the problem is I don’t who will fall under this as most of the kids are already adopted-
Hey! :)
If I had to pick a kid that Ultra Magnus would most-likely accidentally pick-up on his own, then… it would probably be Smokescreen.
Or, strangely enough… I can imagine him being the one closest to Sentinel, or perhaps even being the one who brings Blurr into the madness.
I’ve also noted that, while Wheeljack is away, he gets close enough to Miko for her to slip-up and call him “Dad” on at least one occasion.
But the thing is, Ultra Magnus tends to be the sort who needs to be invited into these things. He has to be invited into the Team Prime family, he takes baby-steps to not cross boundaries with Wheeljack and the TFA Crew until they pretty much grab him and drag him in. He’s not the sort who would do something like this on his own.
He’s doing his best, okay?
But just because he overthinks and stresses so much or just takes to certain things so naturally without thinking of the bigger implications that—without Wheeljack—this is the One Thing he overlooks the paperwork for doesn’t mean that it’s not real. It’s there in all but words and writing.
I can actually use the Forge of Solus Prime as an analogy for how this kinda works for him.
In the cases where TFP Optimus invites him into Team Prime or Wheeljack brings the kids into the relationship and offers him the chance at joining a pre-existing family, Ultra Magnus overthinks. This poor guy is stressing, he’s not doing well—and it takes a pretty big push from several angles for him to get comfortable with this. He’s doing his best, just give him a minute or two to adjust.
But you know what he didn’t overthink?
The Forge of Solus Prime. He saw a Relic of the Primes sitting in the corner, and he went “yeah, no—that’s coming with me” and just asked TFP Optimus for it like a kid in a toy store. He did note “feelings”, but that didn’t fucking stop him! No one said “hey, let’s make it a weapon” or “hey, Ultra Magnus—trademark!”. He did it himself, and you know he didn’t think on it for more than a minute or two before he asked Optimus for it.
That’s how he is when he takes a kid in himself, making a family with no outside encouragement.
He sees someone that needs a little help or guidance, and he helps them—and he doesn’t think about the fact that this could have some bigger implications in the future. He just goes all in as the Wrecker Thoughts win and he does a Good Thing for a younger person because he feels like it’s something that anyone should do.
I mean, anyone would weaponize the Forge—right? It shouldn’t just be left sitting there even after others have decided that it’s no longer of use to them, someone should take care of it.
When Miko slipped and called him “Dad”, it likely fried his processor for a good minute. He didn’t get the “Dad” implications of his actions because he was just taking care of her because she’s Miko and anyone should want to be there for her.
TFP Bulkhead awkwardly has to explain the whole “Wrecker Parent Instinct” to him after that. 😂
I like to imagine Miko inheriting that instinct. She’s not close with her human parents or her host parents, but she has the Wreckers.
And as she grows up and becomes this agent of Unit E—wielder of the Apex Armor, sole human to ever achieve an official Autobot rank—it shows in how she teaches.
Like Fowler mentored her, Raf, and Jack, she ends up with her own trainees—and the Wrecker Parent Instinct kicks in.
As the years wear on, it becomes known that anyone in the Wrecker Lineage—trained by Miko or one of her students—has the Wrecker Pareny Instinct. They’re family.
And if you try to argue this, several Autobots will show up just to argue with you.
But hey, let’s get back on track.
Miko’s a given. We’ve talked about that.
But… what’s this about the other three, huh?
Let me explain.
…
I’ve kinda alluded to Ultra Magnus having a soft spot for Smokescreen before, mostly because I feel like TFP would’ve shown it if there had been more time. It’s one of those unresolved things.
Smokescreen trained with the Elite Guard, where Ultra Magnus was before he was trained by TFP Optimus and then went to lead the Wreckers.
Smokescreen admits that it was always a dream of his to roll with the Wreckers, though he doesn’t mention this when it’s just Bulkhead. It’s after Ultra Magnus takes the helm again that he goes full-fanboy, so I think that—since the commander served both as a member of the Elite Guard and the Wrecker leader, one who personally worked with Optimus Prime—Smokescreen has always looked up to Ultra Magnus as well. It’s just less of a “holy shit, that’s a demigod—and for a minute, I was almost the next demigod” attitude and more of a “hey, hey—it’s the Some Guy I’ve always looked up to! he’s cooler in-person!”.
Smokescreen says that he’s taking inspiration from TFP’s Optimus and Bumblebee when he scans his new paint, but what do we see? He chooses yellow and blue—and what’s more, it’s a lighter shade of blue: closer to Ultra Magnus’s. And even though changing from white to blue does distinguish him from Wheeljack, it does make him similar to those who have mentored Smokescreen before—TFP’s Arcee and Optimus—while also linking him to Ultra Magnus.
Lots of blue ‘bots, I’m just saying—and like Ultra Magnus, Smokescreen also has biolights.
What’s interesting is that Ultra Magnus himself does not wear the emblem of the Elite Guard—and after scanning new paint, Smokescreen no longer has his emblem.
It’s a little design choice that has lots of different implications.
Ultra Magnus may be strict, but he doesn’t wear the mark of the Guard. His emblem is a biolight, which implies that this would have to be a serious cosmetic choice.
Did he get his emblem altered when he realized how much other leaders had failed the Wreckers as a silent and near-invisible show of solidarity, or was it earlier than that?
Was it when he stepped away from the corrupt council to learn from Optimus?
And Smokescreen?
Smokescreen likely has a lot of mixed-feelings around his service on Cybertron.
The Elite Guard training academy was a “boot camp” by the time he arrived.
He wanted to serve on the front lines, but he was made the sole guard of Iacon.
No pressure.
Someone he saw as a teacher and friend knocked him out and used him as a shipping container for an Omega Key.
That’s… more than enough to traumatize and jade anyone, I’m just saying.
Ultra Magnus doesn’t wear the Elite Guard emblem. Maybe Smokescreen took that as a sign that it was okay if he didn’t either.
Smokescreen is also the first one to try to make the best out of Ultra Magnus’s prosthetic, though he is a little insensitive in how he shows it. At least he doesn’t look down upon the commander or pity him, instead showing hope that it’ll be okay.
Additionally, Ultra Magnus… kinda goes easy on this little rookie, when you really consider it.
Smokescreen doesn’t see that way, but Ultra Magnus’s words towards him are a lot more—I dunno, casual? teasing?—than they are towards the other members of the team, at the start.
After Smokescreen comes back with new paint, having left without permission, Ultra Magnus gets a little quip in by telling him that he can “look his best” while stacking some empty crates.
Ultra Magnus… doesn’t really do that! He’s still adjusting, he’s not casual or comfortable enough to be making those wry little remarks.
But he does, with Smokescreen.
And he lets Smokescreen tag along to scout out the mine in “Evolution” after the young mech says that he wants to roll with the Wreckers.
In “Predacons Rising”, it’s Smokescreen and Ultra Magnus who go out scouting together—and we get Ultra Magnus reassuring him about the state of Cybertron, and calling him “kid”. Then, these two are constantly worrying about each other during their battle with Skylynx and Darksteel—and Smokescreen does everything in his power to bring Ultra Magnus home alive after he’s injured.
It’s one of the subtler relationships in the show, but one that I really enjoy getting to see.
Smokescreen’s character development tends to be the focal point of the end of S2 and the start of S3, then things slow down and the Wreckers are allowed to take the spotlight for a minute.
But Smokescreen still gets some background character development as Ultra Magnus grows in his limited screen time, and it’s nice.
It’s nice to imagine the two Autobots who may be the last surviving members of the Elite Guard silently electing to look out for each other, with Smokescreen having someone else to look up to aside from TFP’s Optimus and Bumblebee while Ultra Magnus takes a rookie under his wing even as he’s adjusting to the found family.
Smokescreen is impulsive but intuitive and dependable, and Ultra Magnus is stern and disciplined with a bit of a wild streak.
Put them together, and you have a kid who is like “I know what you’re thinking, this is a really bad decision—but-” and a stoic parent standing there with crossed arms and a look of disapproval while actually listening to the argument, ready to voice that disapproval or instead drop it and say “very well then, let’s do it” and run with it.
Smokescreen drained the Forge of Solus Prime to save TFP Optimus, saving the team and Earth even though it likely doomed Cybertron.
Not only was this move supported without question, but Ultra Magnus asked TFP Optimus for the Forge -like- two days later and actually jumped off of a cliff and used it to pancake a Decepticon’s head in the Scottish highlands.
Their dynamic is actually hilarious if you really stop and think about it. Everyone focuses so much on the rookie that they don’t realize just how fucking feral the commander is.
Smokescreen? Smokescreen gets it.
And he’ll try to point this out to someone else every once in a while, but he just gets snorts and head-shakes because “that’s Ultra Magnus, he’s as by-the-books as it gets” and Smokescreen will grumble before looking up to see the commander smirking at him from across the room.
This goes on for a decade.
Wheeljack comes back, and he’s like “oh, frag yeah—Magnus has a fraggin’ telephone pole up his aft, but he’s a Wrecker. he’s nuts”.
Cue Smokescreen going “see? SEE?!”.
And Ultra Magnus just sips his high-grade, the picture of composure. He has done nothing that is unpredictable ever in his entire life.
TFP Optimus knows this is bullshit.
And Smokescreen… sticks around.
In another post, I mentioned him being one of Ultra Magnus’s groomsmen at the wedding the humans throw for fun after Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack finally get bonded. He’s a member of the family, always will be—and he’s someone that Ultra Magnus is genuinely close to.
Smokescreen is not a Wrecker that Ultra Magnus was tasked with looking after, or one of the many he led against Darkmount.
Ultra Magnus isn’t a Prime to aspire to be or a close brother figure whose lead Smokescreen can follow to try and find his way on Team Prime (I will note that I do tend to headcanon that—while the scout has more experience—TFP Bumblebee is younger than Smokescreen).
They’re just Guards, just friends—and they look after each other, keep tabs and send updates, make sure that they’re included in each other’s nonsense because It Matters.
After TFP Optimus died, Ultra Magnus stayed—and while TFP Bumblebee took the lead to repair a world, Ultra Magnus did what he did best and acted in a supporting role. He handled the affairs on paper, organized the day-to-day matters, and watched over everyone… for years.
After Wheeljack returns from TFA, he’ll notice that Ultra Magnus has finally well-and-truly settled into the team—figured out the dynamics, gotten himself comfortable. I think that it will surprise him that he’s most comfortable with Smokescreen of all ‘bots, then he’ll just shrug and go with it. Scrap happens, and the white Wrecker knows that better than anyone.
Over time, he’ll kinda pick up on the vibes and that Smokescreen’s always hanging around—and he’ll just go with it and adjust to that, too. He never minded the kid—and as he spends more time with the young mech and really gets to know him, he finds himself growing fond.
One night, when Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus finally do tally up all of the kids they’ve ended-up adopting, Wheeljack blinks before doing a head-count again because someone’s missing.
“Wait, what about Smokescreen?”
“Beg pardon?” Ultra Magnus asks, confused.
Wheeljack frowns. “Well, he’s your kid. I mean, I know I haven’t signed any paperwork yet—but -well- I included my Dinobots in the count. So, ain’t he supposed to be here somewhere?”
Cue Ultra Magnus’s processor frying. “Uh…”
“… Mags?” Wheeljack asks worriedly. “You good?” He blinks. “… Oh, you just had The Moment.”
“The Moment?”
Wheeljack nods. “When you realize that you got a kid entirely on accident. That’s The Moment.” He chuckles. “Wicked little bugger, ain’t it?” He gives a little grin. “Give it a minute. It gets better.”
Ultra Magnus frowns, an optic-brow raising, then he scoffs and shakes his head… before he smiles, and he huffs out a laugh. “You really thought-..?”
“I think everyone does,” Wheeljack admits. “In fact, you might need to talk to Smokescreen.”
“… No,” Ultra Magnus decides, sitting back at his desk. He’s still smiling. “No, I don’t think so.”
Pens may never be put to paper.
Words may never be said.
But that’s alright.
Smokescreen will always have a mentor watching over him, stern but gentle and willing to quip.
And even before Wheeljack toppled back into his life and brought him into an even larger family, even before Wheeljack vanished, even before he and Wheeljack had finally ended their animosity…
Ultra Magnus found himself with a young mech looking up to him. He didn’t want to disappoint.
As far as Smokescreen is concerned, he didn’t.
…
For Sentinel and Blurr, my reasons are a bit easier to explain. I mean, I think they are?
For Sentinel, after he joins the family, he and Wheeljack still have that snarky relationship—and hey, Wheeljack was there for a lot of the things that are still being unpacked. Ultra Magnus was not—and while he knew Sentinel Zeta Prime, he knows this kid is not the same person. That lets him go into their relationship with a cleaner slate, though they do have to get past the fact that Sentinel has to un-learn the association with TFA’s Ultra Magnus because This Is Clearly Not The Same Person. That’s an adjustment, but manageable—especially since Ultra Magnus is so good at maintaining healthy boundaries, allowing others to take steps when ready, and meeting people halfway in order to compromise.
For Blurr, he sticks around the rest of the TFA Crew and he’s clearly family—but he’s dealing with a lot after the Obvious Trauma and no one wants to push him. The poor guy doesn’t like to be contained in any way, physically or otherwise, so they all try to keep the pressure off as much as possible—give him his space, let him do whatever he has to do to feel okay while also staying close to offer their support when needed. I think that Blurr would like Ultra Magnus because, while the commander overthinks, he’s also disciplined and organized. Blurr needs his space but still likes to Have a Plan, and he finds Ultra Magnus quick to the point, unshakably honest, and easy to read—this makes him trustworthy, and he quickly gets over the association with TFA Ultra Magnus l because he needs everyone he can get in terms of trust after all he’s been through.
I have also mentioned that, in a timeline where Prowl comes back and feels out-of-place after all he’s missed, Ultra Magnus would probably be the one who would be able to comfort him.
All of these things, and he’d just be doing it to be kind—because he cares about these young ‘bots, even the ones who have made mistakes, and sees no reason why they shouldn’t be helped.
And… he still wonders why the TFA Crew finds it so easy to welcome him into the family. 😅
He’ll get it, eventually. :)
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