History: Athena was one of two Autobots before Arcee built specifically along the lines of female humanoid carbon-based lifeforms. She and her black-and-white twin Thriller (mentioned in Thunder Raider (Transtext #4 and Transtext CG2 Volume One)) were built in 1986, modelled on the recently discovered inhabitants of Femax, a female-dominated warrior race. Thriller was destroyed in 1988 and is only restored by Primus in Alternate Universe One, after the war ends in 2510. Athena, however, served on the Autobot Starship Thunder Raider with the Powerbots and Deluxe Dinobots during its first mission in 1988-9, and was then stationed on Nebulos with the Powerbots until 1992.
In 1989 Athena became bonded via the Powermaster process to the human reporter Melissa Joy Meadows, who was badly hurt by the Decepticon Droidhunter. During the second mission on the starship beginning in 1992, the two merged completely after a rejuvenating effect on Miss Meadows similar to that experienced by HiQ.
In Alternate Universe One, this mission was cut short so that the ship could help re-take Cybertron (see Transtext #3’s The Final Battle?). Athena was deactivated by the Dinocon Pretender Monsters in 2019 (see Transtrip #14’s Part 2 of Universe One) and she, like Thriller, remains inoperative until the end of the war. Her body is used to create the Exo-Suit Autobot Bladeracer, who travels to the regular Transformers universe in 2510 (to arrive in the aftermath of the Autobot Civil War), but strictly speaking she is a separate character. The Alternate Universe One Athena goes on to serve on the intergalactic Thunder Raider Mk II.
In the regular Transformers universe, the 1992 mission ended in 2012. There have been regular 20-year missions of exploration after that, and Athena served on most of them, along with the Powerbots, Deluxe Dinobots and the Micromaster Jet Plane Patrol, who joined them in 1992.
In 2034 Athena was given the Mk II Pretender ability (similar to that Metalhawk has in the future) and was sent on a mission to stop the Decepticon Droidhunter, who was removed by the Time Commandos in 1992 but who escaped on their return to 2011 and joined up with the Decepticons from the distant future. Thanks to her merging with a human, Athena gained the ability to dream, and in her first dream she found herself unable to kill Droidhunter, with lives lost as a result. In reality too she found herself catching the Decepticon as he fell from a high precipice, but before she could pull him up he drew a particle cannon and shot her. She let go and he fell to his death. Athena was repaired, and when she told Autobot Command the full story they were impressed by her compassion and mercy, qualities that were becoming scarce even in the ranks of the Autobots, and she was given a promotion for reminding all Autobots that all life is sacred and that killing must always be the last option.
The Thunder Raider and its crew left the war when they felt they were being sent on useless missions, and spent much time drifting deactivated through space. In 8200 they were woken by a disturbance in the Matrix and returned to Cybertron.

Profile: Athena is kind, loyal and brave, and she is often sent on dangerous solo missions. She can be reckless and loves a challenge, especially hand-to-hand combat. However, while she is eager to fight any Decepticon, she can barely bring herself to kill (her first real kill being the Decepticon Turbo-Master in 2034). Termination is far too final for Athena to consider bringing it upon others, though she does not fear it herself. She is quiet and competent, and enjoys the company of other Autobots, especially her friends on the Thunder Raider with whom she shares a fascination for the mysteries of space.

Abilities: Athena is one of the most agile Autobots. She carries twin photon blasters and a razor-sharp steel blade. She can travel up to 200 mph as a motorcycle and can also use her photon blasters in this mode. She has a matter/antimatter annihilation system in her chest that enables her to shrink in size and reform her molecules into the likeness of the human Joy Meadows at the age of 17. The energy produced is stored safely for conversion back to matter at any time. Her mass remains constant, but her weight can be modified by anti-gravity generators in her legs. As a human, Athena is armed with a photon pistol.