IDW - Regeneration One #83

Staff

Title: "Loose Ends" Part 3

Writer: Simon Furman

Penciler: Andrew Wildman

Inker: Stephen Baskerville

Colorist: John-Paul Bove

Letterer: Chris Mowry

Editor: John Barber

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Plot

On Earth, Circuit Smasher confronts the Autobots, and blames them for what has happened to Earth as they left and never cleaned up after themselves. Topspin recognizes Circuit Smasher as Spike Witwicky, a former ally of the Autobots, b ut he just says that Spike is dead. One of the humans, Gordon, convinces Spike to allow the Autobots to help them when Springer and his team return after sending off their message to Cybertron. Spike agrees, but wants the Autobots to understand what they've done to Earth in their absence.

At Nova Point on Cybertron Hot Rod is giving Hot Rod another lesson when Magnus interrupts with some important news.

On Earth again, Springer can't get ahold of Kup, and Spike says he's probably dead. Spike explains that in 1994 when he and Fort Max were away from the area some stupid humans invaded the Ark and managed to wake up Megatron, who immediately started attacking everyone and everything. Megatron somehow manages to get control of nuclear missiles and resurrects several dead Decepticons from the Ark's vaults. The Humans and Fort Max, plus at least Circuit Breaker began to fight back against Megatron, but he easily defeated them.

The Humans lead the Autobots to their hidden base where they are introduced to an aged G.B. Blackrock, another former ally to the Autobots, who asks them where Optimus is.

Back on Cybertron Optimus is shown that the Cosmic Carnival picked up the Wreckers and headed to Earth, and then they receive Springer's message from Earth asking for help, plus also another message sent repeatedly for years on a low frequency from Megatron, calling out Optimus. Optimus gives the word for a team to be sent to Earth to fight Megatron off.

On Earth, Spike explains to the Autobots that Fort Max was killed and that he was killed too, but Blackrock managed to save his life using a similar process used on Josie Beller in the 80's, augmented by his own Cybertronian implants, which also retards his aging as well. The group starts to plan against Megatron and start working on how to get into the Ark and cut off his power-advantage, when Megatron sends out a message telling the Wreckers to come and rescue Kup, who has been infected by Scraplets, and that he'll be dead very shortly.

Spike instantly recognizes it as a trap, but Springer knows they have to save him still, he looks at a pair of metal suits and gets an idea....

At the Scramble City Complex on Cybetron Optimus and Magnus set off with a team of Autobots on a shuttle on the way to Earth and leave Hot Rod behind, Hot Rod doesn't think Optimus will return (ie Megatron will kill him or something). After the Autobots leave, Dirtbag contacts Soundwave to inform him of this.

On Torkulon, Bludgeon and his forces are slaughtering the inhabitants in preparation of "assimilation" when Soundwave contacts him and informs him that Optimus and most of his greatest warriors are gone, and that Thunderwing's Remains should be easier to retrieve now....

Characters

Autobot

Springer - Helicopter/Rocket Car

Sandstorm - Helicopter/Buggy

Whirl - Helicopter

Roadbuster - Gun Mounted Jeep

Topspin - Jet

Rack 'N' Ruin

Broadside - Jet

Leadfoot - F1 Race Car

Kup - Pick Up Truck Infected with Scraplets

Optimus Prime

Hot Rod

Ultra Magnus

Trailbreaker

Fortress Maximus - Battle Station (Flashback)

Maybe Prowl

Maybe Sunstreaker

Maybe Red Alert

Maybe Perceptor

Other Autobots

Decepticon

Megatron

Dirtbag

Soundwave

Bludgeon

Squeezeplay

Octopunch

Weirdwolf

Stranglehold

Skullcruncher

Hun-Gurrr (Flashback)

Skywarp (Flashback)

Blitzwing (Flashback)

Thunderwing Body in Storage

Human

Circuit Smasher/Spike

G.B. Blackrock

Gordon

Circuit Breaker (Flashback)

Flashback People

Other

Aunty (Ark Computer- Mentioned)

Notes

• Circuit Smasher's appearance is similar to Circuit Breaker's because Blackrock was involved in Spike's transformation as well
• Megatron was freed from the Ark in 1994, meaning all this destruction happened within about 18 years
• Circuit Breaker can be seen, very briefly (in silhouette in the flashbacks) , and is mentioned (indirectly) this is most likely due to her being owned by Marvel rather than Hasbro (she probably died in the battle as well)
• Why do the humans have Transformer-sized chairs in their base?
• Megatron's base of operations is the Ark, but it's unknown to anyone how Megatron managed to use it to create his army of the dead or to control Nukes etc.
• Kup being used as bait to lure in some Autobots, whilst being infected by a horrible disease is very similar to the Cosmic Rust episode in the G1 TV series, where Perceptor was in a similar position.
• The Autobots in entering the Autobot ship on Cybertron are all in monotone, so it's hard to tell who they are (thus I have given them just names based on characters with their molds)
• Planet Torkulon was previously seen in the G1 TV series, as a world driven insane by Galvatron, but the inhabitants in this version looks completely different (being brains in spider-suits instead of humanoids)
• Thunderwing's remains must have been recovered by the Autobots at some time after his death during the Unicron War.
• Bludgeon seems to have a Warworld....:)
• It's kind of odd that Soundwave (or even Bludgeon on his ship) wouldn't have retrieved Megatron's message in all these years...
• It's likely that Jhiaxus is behind Megatron's sudden omnipotent control over Earth (he was seen in the first issue remember)
• It's also likely that the rest of the Neo Knights were amongst the forces going against Megatron in the flashback