IDW - Beast Wars The Gathering

Plot

Magmatron is sent to prehistoric Earth (in a state of being out of sync to normal time for stealth) to capture Megatron on behalf of the Tripredacus Council along with a small crew, however it's revealed that when there, he does indeed intend to capture Megatron, but also intends to convert the Maximal stasis pods into an army of Predacons (also out of sync with normal time) to use against the Maximals on Cybertron and take over the planet.

Unknown to Magmatron, one of his men, Razorbeast, who is the one sending out the signal to the Stasis Pods to activate a Predacon shell program, is actually a Maximal double agent working for The Pack, a black ops group led by Lio Convoy, who sends out a virus in the transmission that makes the shell program fail in some of the pods.

The Predacons confirm that some of the newly awakened Transformers are Predacons, but then some turn out as Maximals, much to Magmatron's surprise. Razorbeast runs off in his beast mode and sends out a signal to any Maximals to converge on his signal. Magmatron declares the Beast Wars open again.

The Predacons converge at Magmatron's location and are sent out to hunt down the Maximals that woke up instead of Preadacons, as well as Razorbeast.

Elsewhere, Razorbeast has met up with some Maximals and they learn about Razorbeast's back story and what's just happened. The group head towards where Ravage last made contact with the future, and decide to use his technology to contact The Pack, however the group are attacked by the Predacons, who were also in the area looking for the equipment.

Optimus Minor gets into the ship during the battle above, but is ambushed by Drillbit, who in turn is ambushed by Snarl, and the two Autobots leave with the communicator, whilst above, Razorbeast manages to defeat Magmatron in the battle by causing a landslide on top of one of his components, disabling the other two, the Maximals run away to safety.

The Maximals regroup in a cave where they find the communicator needs repairs, and decide to take any technology from the Ark, which is on the planet still in secret. Elsewhere, Magmatron rips the spark of Ravage out of his body, planning to re-use it.

The Maximal's take advantage of their being out of sync, and sneak past the local Maximals into their base to access the Ark. Elsewhere, some Predacons are hunting down Maximals when they find the Mutants, who attack them, chasing them out of their swamp.

Magmatron locates a blank Protoform and implants Ravage's spark into it, reviving him from his previous death to lead his Predacons, as Magmatron needs to return to the future with Megatron soon. The Maximals have the parts for their repairs from the Ark, and Snarl reveals he launched a small probe into low orbit to keep an eye on the Predacons, which tells them that they're approaching Megatron.

Magmatron attacks Megatron (disabling the sync device briefly to do so) and along with some of his other troops manages to capture the Predacon leader, and putting him out of sync as well. Razorbeast realizes that this means Magmatron plans to return to Cybertron soon, so he needs to confront him before that, so he and Optimus Minor head out, whilst the others remain behind to work on the communicator and guard their base.

Ravage sends out the flying Predacons to hunt down the Maximals.

Razorbeast and Minor arrive at the site of the temporal teleport and Razorbeast gets an idea about how to stop Magmatron, but he needs a distraction for it to work, as if on cue, Grimlock who was awoken from a stasis pod, turns up ready to fight.

Sky Shadow locates the maximal's base, and Ravage has all the Predacons converge on his signal for a full out battle, all whilst Grimlock is taking on Magmatron, Drillbit and Iguanus whilst Optimus Minor is removing the temporal devices from Megatron.

The Communicator is fixed, and the Maximals prepare to contact The Pack in the future, not knowing that the Predacons have found their location. Magmatron manages to defeat Grimlock and prepares to leave with Megatron, when razorbeast appears and challenges him to a fight, which Magmatron wants to do as revenge.

Ravager begins his attack on the Maximal's base, and Snarl remains inside to send the message, whilst the others go out to fight the Predacons. Magmatron and Razorbeast begin their fight, with Razorbeast winning due to him utilizing the temporal device to make himself impervious to attacks, and then reforming to attack.

The Maximals are being pummeled by the Predacons when suddenly the other, previously missing Maximals awoken arrive and join the fight turning the tide of the battle.

Elsewhere Optimus Minor removes the last of the temporal devices on Megatron, Magmatron runs at him to try and reclaim him, but Razorbeast shoots him into the teleporter, causing it to malfunction, sending Magmatron elsewhere.

The Predacons retreat and the Maximals all get acquainted, and rescue Snarl from the now collapsed cave, who tells them he sent the message, but isn't sure if it sent out, and now it's broken beyond repair.

Within two weeks, during the final battles of the other Beast Wars, the Maximals have made a small colony for themselves to ride out the wait, and Razorbeast is sure The Pack didn't get their message, but seems content on just staying on Earth now

Characters

Maximal

Razorbeast - Wild Boar (Former Motorcycle)

Ramulus - Ibex

Snarl - Tasmanian Devil

Bonecrusher - Bison

B'Boom - Mandrill

Wolfang - Wolf

Optimus Minor - Spider Monkey

Grimlock - Giant Raptor

Polar Claw - Polar Bear

Cybershark - Hammerhead Shark

Torca - Elephant-Orca

Bantor - Tiger-Mandrill

Armordillo - Armadillo

Noctorro - Bull-Bat

Stinkbomb - Skunk

K-9 - Dog

Claw Jaw - Squid

Night Glider - Flying Squirrel

Prowl - Owl

Sonar - Bat

Air Hammer - Hammerhead Shark-Owl

Lio Convoy - Mechanical Lion (Flashback)

Heinrad (Flashback)

Big Convoy - Spider Tank (Flashback)

Optimus Primal - Jet/Treaded Vehicle/Ape (Former Ape)

Cheetor - Cheetah

Rhinox - Rhino

Depth Charge - Manta Ray

Rattrap - Rat (Opening)

Dinobot - Raptor (Opening)

Airazor - Falcon (Opening)

Tigatron - Tiger (Opening)

Silverbolt - Winged Wolf (Opening)

Maximal Imperium (Mentioned)

Predacon

Magmatron - Skysaur, Seasaur, Landsaur (Former Jet, Truck, Sea Vehicle) Lost in Time

Ravage - Jaguar (Former Cassette)

Drillbit - Boll Weevil (Former Drill Tank)

Iguanus - Frilled Lizard

Spittor - Poisonous Toad (Former Walker Tank)

Transquito - Mosquito (Former Helicopter)

Manterror - Mantis (Former Hot Rod Car)

Retrax - Pill Bug

Snapper - Snapping Turtle

Jetstorm - Dragonfly

Insecticon - Beetle

Buzzsaw - Yellow Jacket

Lazorbeak - Pteranodon

Razorclaw - Fiddler Crab

Scavenger - Ant

Terragator - Alligator-Turtle

Powerpinch - Earwig

Sky Shadow - Lizard-Dragonfly

Buzz Claw - Mantis-Lizard

Injector - Hornet-Lionfish

Scourge - Locust

Scarem - Beetle

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Later Dragon)

Inferno - Fire Ant

Quickstrike - Cobra-Scorpion

Rampage - King Crab

Terrorsaur - Pteranodon (Opening)

Tarantulas - Tarantula (Opening)

Waspinator - Wasp (Opening)

Black Arachnia - Spider (Opening)

Killer Punch - Tank (Flashback)

Dead End - Wheel (Flashback)

Sea Clamp (Flashback)

Ramhorn (Flashback)

Cicadacon (Flashback)

Mutant

Poison Bite - Barracuda/Scorpion

Soundwave - Alligator/Bat

Icebird - Polar Bear/Owl

Other

Optimus Prime (Opening)

Starscream (Opening)

Notes

• This story is set during the 3rd series of Beast Wars
• This story features almost every character from the Beast Wars toy line that didn't appear in the TV series, the only regular figure that was missed off seems to be Jawbreaker!
• The stasis pods ejected by the Axalon in the first episode of the cartoon are shown to have scattered all over the planet, which is likely why they weren't found in the series.
• This story clears up a major plot hole in the Beast Era cartoons...the Maximals left all of the unclaimed stasis pods on prehistoric Earth...WHAT THE HELL?!?!
• The Grimlock from the Beast Wars toy line is explained to be THE Grimlock of Dinobot fame in G1
• It's....odd that we never saw any more of the giant stasis pods, ie larger than the one that held Rampage in it, for Torca and Grimlock
• Magmatron knows about the stasis pods and other deatils about prehistoric Earth from Ravage and Tarantulas' reports to the Council