TFCC - Games of Deception

Staff

Story: Forest Lee, Pete Sinclair and Benson Yee

Writer: Forest Lee

Pencils and Inks: Alex Milne

Colours: Drew Eiden and Josh Perez

Letters: Junemoon Studio

Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair

Editor in Chief: Brian Savage

Plot

Ultra Magnus and the rest of Grimlock's team of Decepticon hunters have arrived in orbit of Earth (in the Graviton) where they have detected several of Bludgeon's Decepticons on the planet, including Bug Bite and prepare to take them down.

On the planet, Bug Bite and his crew are waiting around for them to be discovered by some of Megatron's Decepticons, and track them as being a few hours away.

Elsewhere again, Optimus Prime and his team return to base after being trounced by Devastator and having Cliffjumper disappear (he jumped to the Shattered Glass Universe). Rodimus is badly injured and needs immediate repairs. Springer contacts Grimlock, who is part of Optimus' crew on Earth, and tells him about their mission, which Grimlock decides to join in on. Mirage gets a bit suspicious, so he goes into his invisible form and follows the Dinobot.

Starscream, Skywarp and Ramjet arrive at Bug Bite's camp and they discuss what Bug Bite is doing on Earth, since he's loyal to Bludgeon, not Megatron, Bug Bite lies and says he has beneficial information for Megatron, when the Decepticons notice somethin gin the bushes.

Grimlock lost Mirage at some point and met up with Magnus and the others. They are watching the meeting from a distance and they watch the Decepticons find Mirage, and watch as Bug Bite plants cerebro shells on the new-comer Decepticons, putting them under his command. The Decepticons fly off with Mirage as a "gift" for Megatron. Grimlock has Swoop follow the Decepticons so they don't lose them.

Megatron is sitting in the ruins of the Ark talking to the head of Shockwave, which is connected to the computers, and learns that Bug Bite appeared mysteriously just after they crashed the Ark the second time. Megatron considers bringing Bug Bite into his fold as he's a good technician.

The Decepticons arrive at the Ark with Swoop and Elita in pursuit, who have found the base and entrance. Inside the ship, Bug Bite greets Megatron, then orders his mind-slaves to attack Megatron and those loyal to him.

Outside, Elita and Ravage get into a fight, with Elita quickly winning. Inside again Megatron's troops have been taken over by Bug Bite's cerebro shells, and even Megatron has been implanted with one too, which Bug Bite uses to make him stay still and listen to him. Bug Bite reveals that he's actually a Go-Bot from another universe and that the Classics Universe has destroyed his one, and he's there for revenge.

The Autobots sneak into the ship and start disabling the systems. Megatron attacks Bug Bite, revealing that he's not susceptible to Mind Control. Bug Bite orders his slaves to attack him, but Elita activates a jammer, which deactivates the Cerebro Shells, freeing all the slaves. Megatron orders those loyal to him to attack Bug Bite's crew and a battle begins.

The Autobots break into the ship distracting Megatron, who simply throws away Bug Bite, during the battle several Decepticons either die or get badly injured, with Megatron even blasting the head off of Bug Bite. Springer destroys the ship's computers, and the team rescueMirage, and then leave for safety, with Megatron vowing to kill all Autobots one day.

Later, Grimlock and his team return to the Graviton and inform Optimus of their work, and promise to return to Earth once Bludgeon and his troops are defeated, with that the Graviton leaves the system for further adventures.

Characters

Autobot

Opitmus Prime - Truck Cab

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Ultra Magnus - Truck Cab

Huffer - Truck Cab

Springer - Armored Assault Vehicle

Elita One - Attack Boat

Snarl

Tyrannitron

Swoop - Pteranodon

Srongarm - Police Car

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Rodimus - Sports Car Injured

Jetfire - Jet

Mirage - F1 Race Car

Ratchet - Ambulance Disabled on Ark

Cliffjumper - Hatchback (Mentioned) Missing

Decepticon

Megatron - Gun

Bug Bite - Sports Car Head Blasted Off by Megatron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Dirge - Fighter Jet Killed in Battle

Thrust - Fighter Jet

Ramjet - Fighter Jet

Dreadwind - Jet

Weirdwolf - Wolf Blasted by Megatron

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Ravage - Cassette

Frenzy - Cassette

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Train

Bonecrusher - Front End Loader

Long Haul - Crane

Shockwave (Head Only)

Galvatron (Cannon Only)

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Mentioned)

Bludgeon - Tank (Mentioned)

Trypticon - Battle Platform (Mentioned)

Bombshell - Boll Weevil (Mentioned)

Darkwing - Jet (Mentioned)

Other

Barnett (Mentioned)

Monzo (Mentioned)

Hi-Test (Mentioned)

Notes

• This is part of the "Classics" universe, that was introduced storywise in Crossing Over, and in terms of toyline in the titular Classics toy line. As such most of the characters here use Classics toys as their character models. This storyline is later continued in Invasion, where this universe is destroyed.
• This continuity is a possible future for the Marvel US comic series
• Elita One's character model was later used as the basis for a toy for her in Botcon 2009 as an add-on set with Razorclaw
• Weirdly, despite this being a comic to advertise the Botcon set for this year, some of the set's toys aren't used very well (a very notable case is with Huffer who is in the story for about 2 pages, and then goes away)
• Starscream's small group of Seekers were the only ones released in the mass-market, with the Botcon additions being with Bug Bite (of course all the Botcon Seekers were later released on the mass-market as well later)
• It's not clear which Seeker was killed in the battle on the Ark, but since Dirge tends to die normally, I'll just say it's him.
• Bug Bite and Weirdwolf get badly hurt in this story, it's later shown that they survived by Dreadwind taking both to their ship to be repaired, Weirdwolf gets put in a CR chamber, and Bug Bite is revealed to have a back-up brain in his body, not his head, so he merely puts on a new head.
• Gee I hope Grimlock and his crew returned to Earth before the rest of their universe was destroyed by (evil) Ultra Magnus.
• Weirdly, despite them making a big deal about taking on Earth Modes at the start of the story, none of the Autobots seem to transform in this story....
• Darkwing is mentioned here, he later received a toy in the Universe toyline, which is a sequel toyline to Classics