IDW - Rising Storm

Plot

In China, Longarm and Salvage rescue some guys from a fire at an Oil Processing Plant when suddenly Shockwave and Astrotrain appear and kill everyone at the plant, including the two Autobots, all so they can use the raw material there for a project of their's.

Later at Diego Garcia, Optimus and Ratchet are watching over the confused refugees from the Initiative whilst Galloway and a bunch of Autobots are holding a sting operation against some Decepticons under Starscream's command who are selling weapons to human terrorists. During the sting Skystalker and Divebomb are killed and Fearswoop is captured. The battle is watched by Shockwave from a distance and isn't impressed by the local Decepticons. He contacts Astrotrain at his location and asks for a progress report on his project (which seems to be to repair the Driller). The Brain Unit that was being used to help Astrotrain overhears that he's going to be destroyed after his job is done, and runs away

The Autobots and their prisoner return to Diego Garcia and Elita is a bit annoyed with Optimus after he finally asks her what it was like being resurrected and linked to her sisters.

Shockwave infiltrates Starscream's base and tells him that Megatron sent him to reintegrate Starscream's group in with his. Astrotrain contacts Shockwave about the Brain Unit (Brains) escaping, and is told to hunt him down as he holds sensitive information.

Brains arrives in Philadelphia where he runs into Sam and Bumblebee.

In the past, Shockwave picks up the signal of the Allspark, sent out when the humans found it and leaves a battle with the Auotbots to hunt it down, unfortunately, like Megatron he loses control and crashes on the planet, in Siberia in this case and is eventually found by the Soviet Union. Soundwave arrives in orbit of Earth at some point and starts manipulating humans to doing his dirty work.

Later, Megatron eventually finds and frees Shockwave from the abandoned Soviet facility he was being held in, and recruits him back into the Decepticons.

Later, Sam and Bumblebee have taken Brains down an alley, where they are properly introduced, along with Wheelie. Brains explains that he has some knowledge about the Decepticons weapons locations, but before he can divulge it, Barricade arrives and says he wants the unit. Bumblebee engages the Decepticon whilst Sam and the others run away along with some locals, but when they get away from Barricade they find a whole army of Decepticons, all after Brains as well. Brains doesn't know what the information he has is as well as the weapons locations, but everyone seems to want it.

Sam calls NEST and asks for help as Starscream and his forces are all there in Philadelphia. Most of the Autobots and several of the humans head out. Sam and the others are in major danger, but are saved when Mirage and Wheeljack suddenly appear on Earth and help to fight off the Decepticons..

At Diego Garcia the refugees are left behind with some Autobots, humans and Galloway guarding them and the base whilst the others are out for their mission to Philadelphia. On the way to Philadelphia the sisters are airdropped into a forest to act as an infiltration team, which will reunite with the Autobots in Philadelphia after setting explosives in certain locations. The battle in Philadelphia is intense, Brains is separated from Sam and runs to a woman, but is also chased by Space Case, the woman, who re-introduces herself to the newly arrived Sam as well as Carly, as she shoots at Space Case with a fallen weapon on the floor, injuring the Decepticon. The two discuss things whilst the battle continues on.

In the forest the sisters come across Astrotrain, and see him talking to Shockwave over a communicator and learn that Starscream's pursuit of Brains is just an elaborate distraction for Shockwave's real plan, and also see the Driller monster in the area too, being repaired. The sisters try to warn Optimus, but they're signals are being jammed by Soundwave, who appears with his minions and starts attacking the Autobot sisters.

Elita manages to escape and races off to warn Optimus in person, but Astrotrain chases her. The Autobots arrive in Philadelphia to Starscream's shock, as Shockwave told him they'd be occupied, which Shockwave confirms, revealing that Starscream IS the diversion. He cuts off the communication and begins his attack on Diego Garcia and proceeds to slaughter the humans and Autobots stationed there still, including Knock Out, Dune Runner and Galloway with great ease.

In Philadelphia the Autobots are winning the battle, but are unaware of the chaos back at base, Jolt manages to start a communication to Prime, but is cut off by Shockwave before he can say anything worthwhile. Shockwave kills Jolt and frees Fearswoop and leaves the base utterly destroyed. Elita arrives in Philadelphia and races to find Optimus but ends up having to engage Astrotrain in a fight as well.

The battle in Philadelphia is won, as the Autobots realize the Decepticons are trying to retreat now rather than fight some more. Elita kills Astrotrain and manages to reach Optimus to tell him that this was all just a distraction by Shockwave, who rockets into the area and crushes her to death. In the forest their sisters feel Elita's death and Chromia decides that if they're going to die too, they'll take the Decepticons with them, and sets off the explosives.

In Philadelphia Shockwave attacks Mirage and Wheeljack, causing major damage and Optimus engages him in a battle for revenge. Fearswoop arrives to help Shockwave, but is killed when he flies into a forcefield Wheeljack's erected around Shockwave and Optimus. Optimus engages his foe one-on-one. In the forest, Arcee races out of the explosion carrying Chromia and she tells her that they need to fight for life.

Opitmus is winning the fight, and even uses the forcefield to damage Shockwave by pushing him against it, but before he can take his revenge for Elita's murder the Driller monster arrives and rescues his master and the rest of the Decepticons too.

In the aftermath Ratchet says Mirage and Wheeljack can be fixed, but Elita is gone, he also reports an emergency call from the base. Chromia and Arcee send out a call for a pick-up, but it's unclear if it's answered, Epps retires after seeing what Shockwave did at the base, Sam and Carly start dating, Bumblebee is ordered to rejoin NEST and not be Sam's bodyguard anymore by the new head of NEST and Optimus mourns the death of his old friend. Meanwhile Megatron continues with his plans elsewhere, having won this round....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Bumblebee - Concept Camaro

Wheelie - RC Pick Up Truck

Arcee - Motorcycle

Chromia - Motorcycle

Elita One - Motorcycle Killed by Shockwave

Mirage

Wheeljack

Knock Out - Motorcycle Killed by Shockwave

Jolt - Electric Car Killed by Shockwave

Dune Runner - Military Buggy Killed by Shockwave

Ratchet - Emergency Humvee

Ironhide - Pick Up Truck

Sideswipe - Concept Corvette

Skids - Smart Car

Mudflap - Smart Car

Salvage - Pick Up Truck Killed by Shockwave

Longarm - Tow Truck Killed by Shockwave

Blazemaster - Helicopter Killed by Shockwave

Smokescreen - Pontiac Killed by Shockwave

Armorhide - Truck Killed by Shockwave

Brawn - Military Humvee Killed by Shockwave

Signal Flare (Flashback)

Strongarm (Flashback)

Cliffjumper (Flashback)

Sentinel Prime (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron

Shockwave

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Astrotrain - Cybertronian Space Shuttle/Train Killed by Elita One

Brains (Defects to Autobots)

Soundwave - Satellite

Ratbat Killed by Arcee and Chromia

Ravage Killed by Arcee and Chromia

Beastbox Killed by Arcee and Chromia

Rumble Killed by Arcee and Chromia

Buzzsaw Killed by Arcee and Chromia

Fearswoop - Fighter Jet Killed by Wheeljack

Divebomb - Fighter Jet Killed by Ironhide

Skystalker - Stealth Bomber Killed by the Sisters

Ruination - Osprey Helicopter

Deadlift - Forklift Killed by Shockwave

Barricade - Police Car

Bludgeon - Tank Killed in Battle

Sonar - Battleship Killed by Mirage

Tankor - Tank

Brimstone - Motorcycle Killed by Bumblebee

Storm Surge - Hovercraft Killed by Bludgeon

Mindwipe - Stealth Jet

Blademaster - Helicopter Killed by Optimus Prime

Space Case - Fighter Jet

Driller

Hatchlings

Thundercracker - Cybertronian Jet (Flashback)

Dreadwing - Cybertronian Jet (Flashback)

Skywarp - Cybertronian Jet (Flashback)

Flatline (Flashback)

Human

Sam Witwicky

Carly Spencer 

Epps

Lennox

Galloway Killed by Shockwave

Chinese Guys Killed by Shockwave and Astrotrain

Philadelphia Guys

NEST

Soviets (Flashback)

Joe Danco (Flashback)

Walter Simmons (Flashback)

Mikaela Banes (Mentioned)

Dylan Gould (Mentioned)

Charlotte Mearing (Mentioned)

Initiative (Mentioned) Defunct

Notes

• This is essentially the sequel to Nefarious and mentions the events a fair few times
• Longarm and Salvage are shown as active Autobots here (for a while anyway) and were earlier shown as Allspark Mutations under S7's care, this means that these guys are likely different to those cars shown, and those cameos were just that.
• The flashback scenes here show Chromia's death, leading to her body being recovered by Flatline for the experiment shown in Tales of the Fallen. This shows that Chromia was the first sister to die, then Elita, and finally Arcee.
• Shockwave was found by the Soviets and kept inert like how S7 found Megatron.
• The Decepticons recovered from the Initiative are shown to be more comprehensive than the Autobots that were recovered.
• This story quite effectively deals with why Galloway and Jolt aren't in DOTM...Shockwave murdered them!!
• It's unclear if Chromia and Arcee are still alive after these events. Elita is definitely dead, but the others were still alive, but in a forest, however Elita's death MIGHT have lead to them dying as well eventually...maybe a future comic will tell us?
• Space Case references the events of the IDW pack-in toy comics by, placing them in continuity with the main comics too.
• The damage to Mirage, Wheeljack and Shockwave shown in this story sort of explains why they look a little different in DOTM, as they've had repairs done to them which altered them a bit.
• Soundwave keeps jumping from his satellite and Mercedes bodies in this story
• Megatron seems to already have his Truck mode, but doesn't transform here, nor does he have his half-face (which is in line with the comics as he never had his face blasted in half by Optimus, unlike in the actual movies, but by the time of the DOTM comic he does have half his face missing as well.
• Divebomb is seen alive and well on Earth here, last time we saw him he was being killed by Screamer on Cybertron.
• Mikaela's removal from the franchise is explained away here as her dumping Sam