Written by: James Roberts
Pencils by: Alex Milne
Inks by: Juan Castro, Alex Milne and John Wycough
Colour by: Josh Burcham
Letters by: Shawn Lee
Editor: John Barber
Plot
Before the war Chromedome and Roller have left for the Academy to get some recruits of their mission to steal the Matrix Bomb, Prowl isn't happy, and doesn't believe Pax's theory about the bomb, but tells him that if he keeps Chromedome out of the actual heist, then he won't tell anyone what's happening, and leaves.
Roller and Chromedome return with Skids, Windcharger and Glitch, all of whom have special weird powers (Superlearning, Magnetism and Mechanical Negation respectively) and they begin their plans.
In the present, on the Lost Light Swerve returns to the bar, having tried to get something from his room, but found it sealed, so he stole some Nightmare Fuel from "Trailcutter's" stash instead for them to drink. Swerve accidentally reveals to the group that they weren't Rewind's first choice in a storytelling group, and they had previous sessions to try and help Rung wake up.
In the past again, Pax notices a Matrix tattoo on Skids' face and gets an idea, so he sends Chromedome off to visit a friend of his, Ironfist, who has a replica of the Matrix, which he gets off of him in return for returning a statue of his that Prowl had confiscated before. Meanwhile Roller and Ratchet talk to Pax about his senator friend and tell him that he's found out that Orion wasn't the first guy he befriended or refitted to bear the Matrix if needed, and that he's made a lot of strange choices in the senate in the past. Pax doesn't care and still believes in his senator friend's intentions.
In the Medibay of the Lost Light Rodimus is told that Red Alert tried to commit suicide by removing his own head and wandering into the oil reservoir, Rodimus doesn't believe it, but is convinced to put Red into cold storage until after their quest, so he can be dealt with then, he does however promise to let him out as soon as he can.
Back int he past, the heist begins, Pax, Ratchet, Skids, Glitch and Windcharger sneak above the Primal Basilica (using Windcharger's magnetism to levitate a board over so it wont set off any sensors. Glitch nullifies the secuurity systems allowing Pax to be slowly lowered into the chamber by Skids' grappling hook. Pax opens the chest plate of Nominus Prime's corpse and discovers a problem.
Back at base, Chromedome has been left to guard the Senator (that's the official story anyway) whilst Roller is messing with the Sky Spies to give them false feedbacks. The team see a news report of the Academy on fire and realize that someone's after the Senator, just as the wall explodes and the Heavies arrive. for him.
At the Basilica Pax explains that the Matrix is strapped in with an extensive security system, forcing Ratchet to swap places with him and hook it out. Skids starts hauling Ratchet back up again, when Glitch taps his arm in congratulations, seizing it up, and making Ratchet jutter a bit, and he drops the Matrix Bomb. Everyone gets ready for the worst when Windcharger arrives and uses his powers to levitate it.
On the way back home Pax is worried because he hasn't heard from Roller in a while, so Windcharger jokingly suggests that he jumps off the platform and drives to base for more speed (which Pax actually does do though)
At the base, the Senator is being gripped by the Heavies, ready to be taken away, Pax however arrives just in time, kills the Heavy holding him, and rescues his friend, however Kroma threatens to kill Roller, which the Senator cannot allow, and allows himself to be taken away freely. Kroma has the other Heavy, Anvil cause the rest of the building to collapse to stop anyone from following, and Pax throws the Matrix Bomb (which he'd hidden in his chest cavity), killing Anvil.
Chromedome is freed from the rubble by Pax and they race towards the Institutes, but when they get there, they realize too late that the Institute isn't just one place, it's several, all across Cybertron, and they have no way to reach the Senator before he is changed forever.
The story ends and Tailgate is told that Orion Pax and Optimus Prime are the same guy, which blows his mind. Just then the ship's alert system goes off and everyone starts to run to their stations. Skids tries to wake up Rung one last time by calling him several wrong names (which he learned before is something he hates), but it succeeds, and Rung wakes up, telling him that "it's Rung. Forever"
Back in the past, in the aftermath of the explosion Pax is looking through some rubble when he is approached by Zeta, another of the people the Senator upgraded in the past.
Elsewhere in an Institute facility, Senator SHOCKWAVE is put under Shadowplay (his mind is completely inverted, leaving him emotionless and purely logical) and Empurata, which replaces one of his hands with a cannon and his head with an emotionless new cyclopic one....
Characters
Autobot/Future Autobot
Rodimus - Car
Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport
Drift - Car
Rewind - Giant Memory Stick
Ratchet - Ambulance
Chromedome - Car
Skids - Van
Swerve - Van
Whirl - Osprey helicopter
First Aid - Ambulance
Red Alert Coma, Placed in Cold Storage
Rung - Communications Buggy (Out of Coma now)
Orion Pax - Truck (Flashback Only)
Roller (Flashback Only)Badly Injured by Heavies
Windcharger (Flashback Only)
Ironfist (Flashback Only)
Slamedance (Flashback Only)
Prowl (Flashback Only)
Zeta (Prime) (Flashback Only)
Nominus Prime (Flashback Only) Dead
Perceptor (Recent Flashback Only)
Blaster (Recent Flashback Only)
Siren (Recent Flashback Only)
Gears (Recent Flashback Only)
Sunstreaker (Recent Flashback Only)
Atomizer (Recent Flashback Only)
Slapdash (Recent Flashback Only)
Sprocket (Recent Flashback Only)
Xaaron (Recent Flashback Only)
Dipstick (Recent Flashback Only)
Optimus Prime (Image Only)
Trailbreaker/Trailcutter - Truck (Mentioned)
Sentinel - Truck (Mentioned)
Springarm (Mentioned) Dead
Decepticon/Future Decepticon
Senator Shockwave (Flashback Only)
Megatron (Mentioned)
Blitzwing (Flashback Only)
Macabre (Flashback Only)
Other
Tailgate - Car
Glitch (Flashback Only)
Kroma (Flashback Only)
Heavy 1 (Hammer?) Killed by Orion Pax (Flashback Only)
Anvil Killed by Matrix Bomb (Flashback Only)
Bob (Recent Flashback Only)
Amputee Support Group Spokesbot (Flashback Only)
Institute's Red Guy (Flashback Only)
Institute's Blue Face (Flashback Only)
Lobe (Flashback Only)
Lobe's Assistant (Flashback Only)
Crosscut (Image Only)
Cyclonus - Space Jet (Mentioned)
Delta Magnus (Mentioned)
Ambit (Mentioned)
Borebit (Mentioned)
Flatfoot (Mentioned)
Nova Prime (Mentioned)
Omega Guardians (Mentioned)
Functionists (Mentioned)
Primal Vanguard (Mentioned)
Nebulans (Mentioned)
Neuroparasite (Mentioned)
Senate (Mentioned)
Triorian Guard (Partially Seen)
Pyrobots (Mentioned)
Jhiaxus (Mentioned)
Senator Proteus (Mentioned)
Amputee Support Groups (Mentioned)
Notes
- The introduction of the Outliners is very similar in format to stereotypical super-powered teams being introduced (ie X-Men, Avengers, Justice League etc)
- Swerve refers to Trailbreaker as Trailcutter, it was shown in the annual that that is one of his aliases in this continuity...maybe different people know him by different names?
- Skids ability is to basically be able to learn anything, which explains his expert fighting style
- This story about Shadowplay is actually AT LEAST Rewind's third attempt to use a story to wake up Rung
- Ironfist was obsessed with the Primal Vanguard before the Wreckers were formed! (What a busy little fanboy)
- Look how friendly Zeta is! I bet he'd make a great Prime! ....wait.....
- Empurate is revealed to not be the name of the guy with the Heavies (Kroma) but the name of a process where a criminal's hands and head are replaced with claws or something similar and a cyclopic head.
- The Triorian Guard are made up of almost 100 triple changers!!
- The facility that Senator Shockwave ran was the Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology (J.A.A.T.) which explains why Shockwave is in the future referred to as Jhiaxus' student.
- HOLY CRAP! The Senator was SHOCKWAVE!!!!!
Conspiracy Theories
- Delta Magnus' catchphrase was "Glorious"? Sort of reminds me of Lugnut (whom we know to exist in this universe as well)
- It's not clear who "tipped off" Kroma, but...well Prowl seems to be the only one who'd know he was there! (unless it was Glitch, the only unaccounted for Outliner)
- Crosscut is shown to be green in this comic's image of him...now with the theory that Skids and Crosscut (ie the mentioned member of the DJD) being the same guy, this made me remember both his movie counterpart, and a Japanese exclusive repaint of G1 Skids, both being green...could this be more proof of Skids' "other life"?
- On that same note, Glitch in this comic is orange, as was Mudflap from the movies, and Screech from the same set as that Green G1 Skids as well, and since Glitch seems to have been put under Empurata at some time it's unclear what he originally looked like, PLUS it's said that Glitch isn't his real name either!
- During First Aid's explanation of Red Alert's "suicide" on page 8, look at Magnus' face...he's smiling very evilly....he also gets a bit rough with Rodimus as well...maybe he's hiding something? Also he briefly slips and says he was "disturbed" rather than upset
- On that note, Rodimus doesn't seem to trust Magnus quite as much now, as he insisted on hearing Drift's thoughts on what to do with Red as well...
- Also, last issue we saw him tinkering with the diagnostic drone who spied on Red, but he never mentions it here...maybe there's a big Overlord conspiracy on the Lost Light?
- Roller was last seen injured just before Pax threw the Matrix bomb, in the epilogue we see Pax rummaging through some rubble, most likely the same place. My theory is that Roller was taken to one of the Institutes as well, and underwent Shadowplay, turning him into who would eventually become Tarn (they have very similar body shapes, and Roller's head does look like it could fit that mask Tarn wears as well...) Plus Roller's love of TV could have become a love of fine music thanks to the procedure. And with Tarn being the head of the DJD, which are basically the Decepticon's police, it's not such a different job in theory from what he was doing with Pax!!!
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