Ark

The Ark (アーク, Āku) is the name given to the Autobot spaceship that, in many universes, originally carried the Autobot armies to Earth.

The Ark is a Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor. It has five decks and houses a full crew complement of 300 Transformers (although it can be flown by only a handful if necessary). Its environment is fully automated and self-sufficient. For engines, it features 4 Hyperfuel Intake Accelerators.

It is armed with 16 particle-combustion cannons (port), 16 laser emitters (starboard), a primary starfield missile launcher, and an Overshock sonic battery. According to the Maximal Optimal Primal, the Ark was also built using "die-cast" construction, a lost art by the ZX series.

The original crew of the Ark consisted of:


 * Optimus Prime
 * Roller
 * Bulkhead
 * Bluestreak
 * Hound
 * Ironhide
 * Jazz
 * Mirage
 * Prowl
 * Ratchet
 * Sideswipe
 * Sunstreaker
 * Trailcutter
 * Wheeljack
 * Hauler
 * Brawn
 * Bumblebee
 * Cliffjumper
 * Gears
 * Huffer
 * Windcharger
 * Dinobots
 * Grimlock
 * Slug
 * Sludge
 * Snarl
 * Swoop

History
According to the Predacon Blackarachnia, the Ark was launched under the command of Optimus Prime, carrying a group of the Autobots' "finest heroes" to search for fuel. One of the two known copies of the Covenant of Primus was carried aboard. During the voyage, the Ark came under attack by the Nemesis, the flagship of the Decepticon fleet. Decepticon Leader Megatron ordered his Decepticon armies to destroy the Ark and all the Autobots in it. However, both ships were damaged and fell into the gravity well of the nearby planet Earth. The Ark crashed into a semi-active volcano, and the Autobots aboard were sent into emergency stasis lock.