IDW/TFCC - Balancing Act

Balancing Act Plot

Vector Prime is doing his rounds around the Multiverse and detects that Unicron has been killed (in Energon) and that the balance between good and evil has been disturbed and a giant black hole has been formed that threatens to destroy all of reality. Vector Prime returns to that universe to help them resolve the situation by finding the Omega Lock and Cyber Keys to return the balance.

Some time later Ramjet, his Mini-Cons and Nemesis Prime escape from an interdimensional prison and head to Cybertron to destroy it for their master, Unicron.. Upon arriving on the deserted planet they find some leftover Decepticons and kill them for being annoying. Vector Prime returns to Cybertron following some adventures on Earth and meets with Alpha Trion, whom is also trying to help out with the mission by summoning Sentinel Maximus (from the Universe: Wreckers comics/prose) to aid them, and informs them that Ramjet has escaped his jail.

Before anything can happen however Ramjet and Nemesis Prime attack them, and badly injures Alpha Trion and damages Vector Sigma before leaving.

Alpha Trion is placed in a CR chamber for repairs, and Vector Prime explains that Ramjet was imprisoned eons ago and that Nemesis Prime was once an Optimus Prime who was corrupted by Unicron in the past. Elsewhere Scorponok's corpse is revived and he is turned into an Energon-hungry zombie. Also, Skyfall arrives on the planet from Velocitron in his shuttle and immediately comes across a hoard of Scrapmetals and Dark Scorponok. Ramjet and Nemesis Prime continue their plot to use the Dead Matrix, held inside Nemesis to destroy Primus' spark on this Cybertron, and then use the Singularity to spread that death across all realities and destroy Primus everywhere.

Skyfall manages to use his forcefield powers to defend against Dark Scorponok's attacks, but is defeated when a building is detonated nearby and collapses on top of them. Ramjet's Mini-Cons approach Scorponok and offer him more fuel if he comes with them, taking him to the Energon reserves in Kalis, where Sentinel Maximus and Vector Prime have just arrived too, thus a battle ensues.

Elsewhere, Skyfall, having freed himself is found by Ramjet who says that he knows who Skyfall really is (which Skyfall doesn't) and will tell him if he helps him out

Scorponok gets the upper hand in his battle with Sentinel Maximus, but is killed when an unknown ally shoots Scorponok with the Auto-Guns, afterwards Downshift contacts them over the communicators calling for help, the two use Vector Prime's sword to warp over there, and join the battle before Downshift can be killed.

Vector Prime and Ramjet fly off, smashing out of the planet and into the atmosphere for their battle, whilst Sentinel Maximus chases Nemesis Prime through the tunnels, but is trapped under rubble, allowing Nemesis Prime to enter Primus' spark chamber and opens the Dead Matrix....

Revelations Plot

Vector Prime manages to take down Ramjet using his Cyber Key Power and destabilizes him, Skyfall sees this and screams out in protest as he needs him for information. Inside Primus' spark chamber Nemesis Prime is attacked by a newly arrived Omega Prime (from Robots in Disguise) who splits apart to deal with this situation.

Above, Vector Prime is about to seal Ramjet in a prison again when Skyfall appears and tries to defend him, but when Ramjet tries to use Skyfall's shield too it overloads and sends him hurtling into the prison anyway. In the chamber again Optimus Prime uses his Matrix to fix the damage caused by Nemesis Prime's Dead Matrix whilst Magnus is beating down the evil Prime, afterwards Sentinel Maximus breaks free of the rubble and the three start to talk.

Later, everyone regroups and Optimus and Magnus explain how they were on their way back to their own dimension following the destruction of the Unicron they were on during the Universe Conflict, but were transported here for some reason. Vector Prime is about to reveal to the others who Skyfall is, and why he is so important to keep safe, when suddenly he is transported away. The transporter reveals himself as Over-Run, the former leader of the Mini-Cons who died by Starscream's hand a few years ago, but was able to upload his mind into Cybertron itself, and that he was the one who killed Scorponok before.

Vector Prime has returned to Earth, where he rejoins the mission, and Over-Run asks the others to help him to fix Cybertron, and Vector Sigma, and to also place the Dead Matrix from Nemesis Prime into the rare items locker.

Later, Soundwave sends Laserbeak into the locker and retrieves the Dead Matrix and flings it into the black hole, freeing Unicron's spark. The spark flies into the planet Yst, where his presence corrupts the planet and it's inhabitants, turning them cannibal until the planet dies and explodes over time, creating a new body for Unicron, freeing him.

Later, Sentinel and Skyfall are fixing Vector Sigma and Over-Run shows Skyfall an image he found that seems to resemble him, with another figure from over 25 million cycles ago, during their investigations and repairs they receive a message from the Mini-Con Anti-Blaze who says there's some Decepticon and Decepticon-allied Mini-Cons causing problems at an Energon Mining Facility.

The Autobots agree to help and head to the mining asteroids above Cybertron and meets the Mini-Cons who called for help. A battle ensues between the Autobots and Decepticons (and the affiliated Mini-Cons), and the battle is watched by Unicron and Soundwave, who plan to join in too.

During the battle Skyfall encounters the Decepticon Landquake, and both seem to recognize eachother from somewhere. After some more battling between the others Unicron appears and starts slaughtering the Mini-Cons, and revealing that he was responsible for the uprising of the bad Mini-Cons here. The battle goes insane with the inclusion of Unicron, but gets stranger when Cybertron starts to fall apart nearby.

Skyfall and Landquake use their Energon based powers to protect themselves from the battle, as they both want to discuss their shared past, however the battle destabilizes the Energon and causes it to explode, seemingly killing the duo, much to the shock of Sentinel Maximus.

The battle continues until Cybertron fully transforms into Primus, and Unicron is scared off.

Later the Autobots meet up with the local Optimus Prime and his team, and learn of Vector Prime's death. The displaced Optimus promises to track down Unicron and defeat him, whilst the Mini-Con Council of Sages plan to take down all the remaining insurgents from the attack earlier, and everyone mourns the death of their pal Skyfall.

Somewhere very, very far away Skyfall and Landquake are spat out of a portal where they are encountered by the Megatron of the Classicsverse.

Characters

Autobot

Skyfall - A-10 Thunderbolt Sent to Classicsverse

Sentinel Maximus - Truck

Vector Prime - Space Shuttle Dead

Downshift - Muscle Car (Formerly Race Car)

RID Optimus Prime - Fire Truck

RID Ultra Magnus - Car Carrier

Omega Prime - RID Optimus and Magnus Gestalt

Alpha Trion

Optimus Prime - Fire Truck

Override - Race Car

Scattershot - Missile Launcher Personnel Carrier

Red Alert - Rocket Mounted Personnel Carrier

Hot Shot - Gun Mounted Personnel Carrier

Jetfire - Cargo Plane

Skyblast - Jet Killed by Unicron

Quickslinger - Motorcycle

Optimus Primal - Gorilla (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Cheetor - Cheetah (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Tap-Out - Porsche (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Longhorn - Ibex (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Fireflight - Stealth Jet (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Rhinox - Rhino (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Sunstreaker - Sports Car (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Sideswipe - Sports Car (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Whirl - Helicopter (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Repugnus - Lizard-Mantis (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Trailbreaker - Van (Unicron Battle Flashback)

King Atlas - Jet (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Roulette - Muscle Car (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Silverbolt - Winged Wolf (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Prowl - Police Car (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Side Burn - Muscle Car (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Optimus Prime (Flashback) Corrupted into Nemesis Prime by Unicron

G1 Cartoon Optimus Prime - Truck (Flashback)

G1 Cartoon Galvatron - Laser Cannon (Flashback)

G1 Cartoon Cyclonus - Space Jet (Flashback)

G1 Cartoon Scourge - Space Shuttle (Flashback)

G1 Marvel Optimus Prime - Truck (Flashback)

G1 Marvel Shockwave - Ray Gun (Flashback)

G1 Marvel Bumblebee - VW Beetle (Flashback)

G1 Marvel Jazz - Porsche (Flashback)

G1 Marvel Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Flashback)

G1 Marvel Octopunch - Crab (Flashback)

Decepticon

Landquake - Battle Tank Sent to Classicsverse

Nemesis Prime - Mammoth Knocked Unconscious by Ultra Magnus

Ramjet - Fighter Jet Trapped in Prison by Vector Prime

Dark Scorponok - Scorpion Tank Killed by Over-Run

Soundwave - Stealth Jet

Laserbeak - Engine Block

Crush Groove Killed by Nemesis Prime

Jackhammer Killed by Ramjet

Scrapmetals - Spider Tanks

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Flashback)

Classics Megatron - Gun

Reptilion - Frilled Lizard (Unicron Battle Flashback) Killed with Unicron's Destruction

Razorclaw - Winged Tiger (Unicron Battle Flashback) Killed with Unicron's Destruction

Skywarp - Jet (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Tankor - Tank (Unicron Battle Flashback) Killed by Rhinox

Blackarachnia - Spide (Unicron Battle Flashback)

Obsidian - Helicopter (Unicron Battle Flashback) Killed with Unicron's Destruction

Nemesis Strika - Battle Tank (Unicron Battle Flashback) Killed with Unicron's Destruction

Terrorcons (Mentioned)

Mini-Con

Perceptor - Street Action Team Gestalt

Anti-Blaze - Fire Truck

Checkpoint - Police Car

Scythe - Osprey Helicopter

Ramjet - Space Jet Killed by Unicron

Thrust - Concorde Killed by Unicron

Sunstorm - Sonic Jet Probably Killed by Unicron

Thunderclash - Gun Ship Trapped in Prison by Vector Prime

Thunderwing - Stealth Bomber Trapped in Prison by Vector Prime

Terradive - Stealth Jet Trapped in Prison by Vector Prime

Gunbarrel - Cargo Plane Killed by Over-Run's Nukes

Over-Run Mind Downloaded into Cybertron

Safeguard - Space Jet

Back Blast - Rocket Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Scrap-Iron - Satellite Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Blast Charge - Rocket Transport Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Sky Lynx - Cargo Plane Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Razorclaw - Stealth Bomber Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Shockwave - Stealth Jet Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Monocle - Drill Tank Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Landslide - Buzzsaw Tank Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Kobushi - Assault Buggy Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Payload - Pick Up Truck Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Thunderblast - Missile Lancher Truck Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Steamhammer - Rocket Personnel Carrier Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Leader-1 - Gun Mounted Assault Buggy Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Wind Sheer - Stealth Bomber Killed by Unicron/Hunted down by Mini-Con Council

Landquake's Buddy - Jet Killed by Autobots

Council of Sages (Mentioned)

Other Mini-Cons

Human

Coby

Lori

Bud

Buster Witwicky (In Flashback)

Other

Unicron - Battle Tank (Former Ringed Planet)

Primus - Planet Cybertron

Vector Sigma

Repair Drone

Ystians Killed by Unicron's Presence 

The Thirteen (Mentioned)

Beast Wars Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex (In Flashback)

Proto-Human (In Flashback)

Other Transformers (In Flashback)

Notes

• This is the IDW collection of the first 2 years of TFCC comics, to make it easier for me I'm just combining them here, especially since it's one big storyline
• It turns out Vector Prime has witnessed and intervened whenever a cataclysmic event occurs, such as when the Predacon Megatron tried to kill Optimus Prime whilst sleeping
• This story implies that the Cybertron TV series is actually a sequel to the Armada and Energon Dreamwave comic, with Over-Run's involvement, and also shows his fate from that aborted series
• This story also shows that with Unicron's death the Unicron nodule from the Universe series (also aborted) just died as well, and so all the captured Transformers escape through a Space Bridge.
• The "bad" Mini-Cons appear to be using the Energon weapons generated by the Terrorcons 
• Scrapmetals might be Terrorcons as well, considering what Ramjet says
• The Mini-con who was with Landquake when he's introduced is unnamed, but was probably his Mini-Con partner.
• Downshift's drastically different bodies from the Energon and Cybertron lines are explained here as being because he was so badly injured in his earlier body, that he needed to reformat for repairs.
• Here's a confusing thing, the Mini-Con insurgents are made up of Mini-Cons that were from both Autobots and Decepticons in the Cybertron toyline, and also include a Skyblast as well!