Prima was the first Cybertronian to be brought into existence. The site of his demergence - the Sacred Spires of Iacon - is one of Cybertron's most hallowed places. Prima was the ruler of the Firstforged and the Second Generation during the Platinum Age and Black Age, the first Prime and Matrix-bearer, the first Great Prime and the first Chosen One. He is considered to be the apex of Cybertronian existence by most Primordalists. His spawnlings were known as the Primodeans and his line of descent as the Primogeny.

During the Black Age was prevented from fighting the demons by his brothers Automa and Convoy, who insisted he was too important to be risked in combat. He died at the end of the Black Age, letting his life-force be consumed by the Matrix in order to open it and drive the demons back underground. His dead body was then torn apart by the good creatures, who were banished to Cybertron's most distant moon for this.

Prima is considered the spiritual if not physical primogenitor of the Autobots as a race. According to Primordialist legend, he budded rarely. His few descendants were so heavily traitspliced with other lines during the Builder Occupation that now there are no true Primogeny, just a few who bear strong traces of his programming.

The name "Prima", meaning "first one", is a translation of the meaning of his name in Modern Autobot. The pictographs representing Prima in the Primal Tome indicate that his name in Ancient Cybertronian meant "the first" or "first made". In Primaltongue he was called Azuamayr meaning "I exist, I think, I begin". In Modern Autobot he is called Ausakularus meaning "the great first one whose labour is over" [the latter part of which indicates that he is dead]. Ausakularus is transliterated into Murion as Awsa Kylarus. In High Legion he was called Laloa'tetamyo, meaning "foam flecks a small point of rock", a poetic way of describing Prima as the first Cybertronian to rise above the waves of non-existence. In Modern Decepticon he is called Anauralas, meaning "the first one, who was a commander"; this would be translated into English as "Monon".