Why does everyone make Prowl the SiC?

[khgiggle.livejournal.com]

You know something that bugs me? In fanon, Prowl is Optimus’s second in command, and Jazz is his Third in Command. That’s not how it goes in G1. In G1, Jazz is Optimus’s second in command. I’m not sure what Prowl’s rank is, but he does seem high ranking. Why do people want to give Prowl Jazz’s job? I’d like to see someone give a valid reason and a story behind the change in station.

Comments

[gatekat.livejournal.com]

By the time I started writing, it was already so well established that I just gave up trying to fight the tide and just adapted.

I expect that it's the same reason that Ratchet is a grumpy. An early fan writer decided that and it became the norm.

My guess: they wanted the serious one in charge, and/or were too unsettled by SpecOps being in charge. But I don't actually know.

I'm stubborn

[khgiggle.livejournal.com]

I won't have it! If I ever write a G1 fic (I seem to be focusing on Animated with some Prime thrown in.) Jazz will be SiC. Or at least have him be the ex-SiC who had to hand the position to Prowl relatively recently.
On the other hand, everyone enjoys grumpy Ratchet enough that he's now perfectly canon. I have no problem continuing the trend.
Swoop being a medic on the other hand...

[chryscare.livejournal.com]

Look for it to be posted tomorrow

http://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrysCare

[silberstreif.livejournal.com]

Interesting question.

In G1 cartoon Prowl was indeed more or less "just" the tactical advisor, while Jazz probably was more high-ranking. But I think if I go strictly by cartoon I might give Elita One or Ultra Magnus the SIC and TIC jobs.

For me the SIC comes from the comics. In Dreamwave G1 Prowl answered *only* to Optimus Prime.

The same is more or less apparent in the IDW comics. If Prowl does not want to answer to another Autobot, he rarely seems to have (at least as long as this other Autobot isn't replacing Optimus Prime as commander).

To be fair, this does extent to several other leaders in the comics. In Dreamwave Grimlock definitely is the second most powerful leader after Optimus Prime.
But power, does not mean "rank".

Actually, my headcanon tries to solve this like that:

There are several divisions beneath Prime, lead by the most powerful leaders. These divisions only answer to Prime. The leaders of these divisions are:
Ultra Magnus, Elite One, Grimlock, etc.

But in Prime's own devision serve his advisors - Prowl and Jazz. And while these officially can't order the others around (which is made clear several times in IDW), they have a lot of power, because they are the ones advising Prime and the SIC and TIC of the largest and most important division, the main core army.

Both Prowl and Jazz were shown to be able and capable to lead their own groups / divisions, but they always join up again with Prime after a while.
Also Prowl is in IDW often very clearly depicted as being the one deploying and ordering divisions/groups like the Wreckers around *without* consulting Prime. And that even if it concerns highly dangerous missions. That is clearly a very highranking position within the army.

In the end, I put Prowl as a SIC, because on an actual battle field it would make the most sense to be the SIC to me - he is good at ordering groups around and securing victories. But he'll never have the charisma to be a permanent leader in his own right.

Also to call him SIC makes it easier for the reader, than to start explaining all the ranks, command chains, power plays and whatever.

Hope this helps. ^^

EDIT: Forgit this link, it gives a good overlook who is all SIC and Lieutnant and when:
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Second-in-command

Wish I knew more about IDW

[khgiggle.livejournal.com]

Literally all I know about the IDW is a volume of Robots in Disguise, since I was curious about the Cyclonus and Tailgate dynamic.:P It just sounded so cute...
Well, maybe now that I finally have a job, I can buy some more online comics. I hear All Hail Megatron is an interesting read.

Re: Wish I knew more about IDW

[silberstreif.livejournal.com]

My favourite is the Prowl/Constructicon dynamic. I was literally giggling when they joined up.

AHM is very good. I actually like the Con side a lot more there, than the Autobot side. *shrug* Charismatic evil, I guess.

[wyntir-knight.livejournal.com]

Just as a note, Prowl being the 2IC is not the result of fanon or of Dreamwave. It's pretty much implied that he's the second-in-command in the original G1 run of the Marvel comics. When the Autobots were restored to functionality after Shockwave pretty much destroyed all of them, but before Prime's head was returned, it was Prowl who took over leadership of the 'Bots (issue 9 or the US and 33-34 of the UK run). So while it's only implied, and not states, the idea of him being 2IC is canon and it pre-dates the Dreamwave run.

[gunmaxual.livejournal.com]

Convenience when mashing the various dimensions together for writing, often, but mostly to create a military hierarchical structure that can be easily compared to the Decepticon equivalent. It also makes it easier to write if I'm not constantly referring to lieutenants but have a way to differentiate them in words, a way that doesn't change by continuity. Since Prowl is the SIC according to the Transformers: the Ultimate Guide, it's just simpler to stick with that since I tend to mash up IDW and G1 characterization to give G1 the structure its plot often lacks.

I mean, I'm already making up a hierarchy full of divisions that are never spelled out, including people who vary on their jobs based on toy bios.

Long answer short: I do it because borrowing from other continuities isn't fanon, it's just not G1 canon.

[chryscare.livejournal.com]

Here's my take
http://archiveofourown.org/works/2158167

Why Prowl is SIC