IDW - Spotlight Orion Pax

Title: Omega's Conundrum

Story by: James Roberts

Pencils by: Steve Kurth

Inks by: Juan Castro

Colors by: J.Aburtov and Graphikslava

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: John Barber

Editorial Assistant: Thomas Boeing

Plot

Four Million Years ago, Orion Pax has been refitted into a new body thanks to his connections and friendship with the newly elected Zeta Prime. Pax is debriefed on a mission by Zeta and Nightbeat to perform a hostage exchange for Ratchet in the Rust Spot, who was captured by the Decepticons.

Orion Pax (the copper), Nightbeat (the hostage negotiator) and Alpha Trion (the Rust Spot expert) head out with a trailer holding the Decepticon hostage for the exchange. On the way to the rendezvous point in the Rust Spot the team is attacked by Slicers and a quick battle takes place, with the Autobots easily winning.

During the battle, the trailer is opened, and the hostage is revealed to be no more than a pair of grunts, Rack and Ruin. Pax goes to talk to them, and asks why they follow Megatron, and other things, they beg them not to give them back to the Decepticons as they'll be killed.

Thundercracker, Acid Storm and Skywarp arrive on the scene to escort Pax and the others to Bludgeon's base, where they hand over the hostages, and Bludgeon releases Ratchet, fully intending to honor the deal, except that they also intend to take Alpha Trion too (which explains why they had the exchange take place in the Rust Spot, as Trion would have to be the choice of escort in that area) Bludgeon reveals that Megatron wants Alpha Trion, so they can get access to Metroplex, and use him to create a Space Bridge to spread their cause across the universe.

Orion Pax reveals his own trick, by having his trailer eject weapons for him and his team to fight back with, Trion breaks free of his binds and joins the fight. Rack and Ruin break free too, and lead the Autobots to safety, whilst Orion Pax causes a distraction, but ends up being captured.

Bludgeon has Pax strapped to a shuttle, which is set to auto pilot and crash into a random city, as an act of terrorism (which Thundercracker is horrified at. The shuttle is launched and Pax is doomed, but he's glad that the ship's trajectory is actually bad and will miss any city, until it rams into another shuttle, that was just happening to pass by and redirects the shuttle to Iacon itself!

Pax does something stupid, and performs and instant transformation (as mentioned by Rack and Ruin earlier to him) despite it being dangerous in his new body to push his transformation cog too much. He manages to snap his chains and smashes into the cockpit and redirects it again into the wilderness nearby.

Orion Pax's new body is damaged, but he's alive, and saved Iacon. Yay!

Characters

Autobot

Zeta Prime

Orion Pax - Truck

Alpha Trion - Tumbler

Nightbeat - Car

Ratchet

Wheeljack

Kaput

Rung

Decepticon

Bludgeon - Tank

Rack

Ruin

Thundercracker - Jet

Skywarp - Jet

Acid Storm - Jet

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Killmaster (Mentioned)

Decepticon Crowd

Other

Slicers

Metroplex - City/Ship (Flashback)

Rack and Ruin's Triplet (Mentioned) Long Dead

New Senate (Mentioned)

Functionist Council (Mentioned)

Turbofoxes (Mentioned)

Diaclona Tribe (Mentioned)

Dominus Ambus (Mentioned)

High Priest of K'th Kinsere (Mentioned)

Ignition Cults (Mentioned)

Circuit Sect (Mentioned)

Notes

• This story explains why Orion Pax was shown in a totally different body during Spotlight: Blurr, despite having the same body both before and after these events. His body change was because this new one is better suited for the environment in The Rust Spot.
• NIGHTBEAT!!!!
• Ahem...Nightbeat is a hostage negotiator in these times rather than a detective, it's unclear whether this was his original vocation, or if he was a detective before this and just took on a new role during the war.
• Alpha Trion is shown using his protective cloak thing again here, this is possible because he's afraid of the weather in The Rust Spot, but then again he was seen wearing it in Autocracy as well (then again, Trion is a bit of a nut)
• Alpha Trion mentions how he once explored Cybertron with Metroplex...me thinks this be a clue to Alpha Trion being a Knight of Cybertron!
• Rack and Ruin used to have a triplet, but no one remembers his name
• It's likely Starscream was going to be one of the seekers seen in this issue, but was changed to Acid Storm because Screamer is meant to be undercover still as shown in Autocracy
• Megatron is obsessed with Gestalts in this time period...wonder if anything will come of that?
• Rack and Ruin hate the idea of being a combiner (it's funny when you know what happens to them in the future)
• Megatron seems to have a soft spot of sorts for Orion Pax, as he tells Bludgeon to not harm Pax, and he talks about him. Plus in Autocracy he joins forces with Pax, rather than just killing him.