Energon key

"CYBER KEY POWER!!!!!"

Created to store energon in a time when it was in short supply, energon keys contain a potent amount of the live-sustaining substance. A key doesn't simply contain enough to refuel a bot, but an amount sufficient to regenerate their living metal and restore even an ancient Cybertronian to youthful vigor and fighting shape. When in proximity with a Cybertronian who hasn't been reconfigured to more crude forms of fuel, the bot's body will actually transform in its presence, opening up a "lock" for the key to fit into.

Fiction

Last Bot Standing

Rodimus, Strongarm and Gripper had three keys, one for each of them, when they went hiding on the planet Donnokt to protect its developing energon. They communicated with the local inhabitants, giving the ancestors of Shib Wallkis and her family the keys, to awaken them in the event any other Cybertronians came to the world. Both Strongarm and Gripper died before they could use their keys, leaving all three hidden in the family's Fembrance home by the time of Shib, who was privy to this ancient secret, Last Bot Standing #3 and had taken to wearing one of the keys around her neck. Last Bot Standing #1 After the arrival of a Cybertronian visitor, Rodimus' awakening and subsequent bounding, Shib tried to administer the key to Rodimus only for Override and Riotgear to arrive and carry him off. Caught up in Rodimus' cape, Shib was subsequently discovered and captured by Steeljaw's crew. Last Bot Standing #2 Before Shib could be processed into biofuel, the Veteran allowed her and Rodimus to say goodbye, Shib taking the chance to activate the key, its power restoring his body and rejuvenating him. When Steeljaw's pack made their way to Fembrance, Sharpclaw sniffed out the remaining two keys and the data pad explaining what they were for. Last Bot Standing #3 While Steeljaw and Sharpclaw hoped to use the keys to invigorate themselves enough to begin mining the energon crystals, their followers charged them for the keys, causing one to shatter on the ground. When a scuffle between the siblings caused the last key to fall, Rodimus kicked off to Shib who took off with it aboard Sparks. When Steeljaw and Sharpclaw caught up with her, in the mouth of the energon mine, Sharpclaw seized the key only for Steeljaw to beat it out of her and use it on himself. With the effects of Rodimus' own key already wearing off, this made the ex-Decepticon a match for Rodimus, who only defeated him after being supercharged by exposure to raw energon crystals. Last Bot Standing #4

Notes

• The energon keys, and the way they seem to "unlock" ports on their users, is a reference to the AllSpark Key from Transformers Animated.^[1]
• While the energon inside the key and the larger story is consistently blue (consistent with energon's non-Generation 1 depiction since the 2010s in most media), it gives off a pink glow when used, and is depicted with a more traditional Generation 1 pink color on the final issue's cover.

References