IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #16

Title: The Gloaming

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Agustin Padilla

Inks by: Jose Aviles

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editorial Assistants: Toni Korde and Mariel Romero

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Ultra Magnus lies dying with Ratchet working on him to slow the process, whilst Magnus is reliving his past failures in his mind. Swerve and Tailgate annoy him by playing music to him and cleaning him up (respectively) According to the Death Clock used by Ratchet, Magnus has just over 10 days left to live, which Tailgate is horrified by the notion of.

Rodimus sends out a message across the ship saying he's going to launch and inquiry into how Overlord got onto the ship, and that he will find out why he was there. Chromedone is outside looking towards the stars, when Skids comes out to see if he was okay, and he seems to be...in fact he seems to be too fine...despite Rewind's death.

Inside the ship Rung goes to see Rodimus and finds him having just trashed his office in anger of what just happened. Rung suggests that the reason he's so angry is because he wasn't the one to defeat Overlord, it was Chromedome, Rewind and Fort Max, Rodimus tells him to leave, quickly. As he does so, Drift comes in for a chat.

Later, the Autobots hold a funeral for all the victims of Overlord's rampage in the Act of transition, where the crew say their last goodbyes to the dead and launch them into space, during Rewind's memorial though Chromedome seems very distant, which makes Brainstorm worried.

Brainstorm goes to see Chromedome later and finds him getting ready to dispose of all Rewind's things, when Brainstorm reminds him of his past loves that he's made himself forget using his needles, so he wouldn't be hurt by the pain. Brainstorm gives Chromedome a data slug that Rewind slipped through the doors of the slow cell before they closed, saying Fort Max found it, but didn't feel up to giving it to Chromedome in his current state.

Later on, Rodimus calls a meeting and reveals that Drift has admitted to him that he brought Overlord on board the ship to try and build their own Phase-Sixers (though omitting Brainstorm and Chromedome's involvement) he's stripped of his Autobot insignia and banished from the ship. Meanwhile Chromedome plays the dataslug from Rewind and finds a message quickly edited together from his database with a last goodbye message to him, telling him not to inject anymore and that he loves him. The message seems to get through to him, as he retracts his needles before he injects himself.

In the medibay, Ratchet and Tailgate find Ultra Magnus missing and try to find him, Tailgate goes under the Death Clock to see if he's fallen off or something and sees that he only has just over 3 days left to live, and starts freaking out!!

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Drift - Car Exiled from Lost Light

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport 10 Days to Live, Missing

Xaaron

Swerve - Van

Ratchet - Ambulance

Chromedome - Car

Brainstorm - Jet

Skids - Van

Rung - Communications Maintenance Buggy

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Atomizer

Rewind - Memory Stick (Footage Only) Dead

Tripodeca  Dead

Grimlock (Flashback Only)

Swoop - Jet (Flashback Only)

Impactor (Flashback Only)

Cliffjumper (Flashback Only)

Rotorstorm - Helicopter (Flashback Only)

Ore (Flashback Only)

Shock (Flashback Only)

Cromar - Jet (Flashback Only)

Zetar - Drill Tank (Flashback Only)

Other Powerdashers (Mentioned)

Prowl (Footage Only)

Slamdance (Footage Only)

Perceptor (Footage Only)

Mainframe (Footage Only)

Nightbeat (Footage Only)

Red Alert (Footage Only)

Bumblebee (Footage Only)

Kick-Off (Footage Only)

Skyfall (Footage Only)

Ambulon (Footage Only)

Trailcutter - Van (Footage Only)

Optimus Prime (Footage Only)

Springer (Footage Only)

Bluestreak (Footage Only)

Fortress Maximus (Mentioned)

Spoke (Mentioned) Injured

Lockstock (Mentioned) Injured

Other 4 Coffin Dwellers Dead (Including Pipes)

Other Lost Light Crew Members

Decepticon

Overlord - Jet and Tank Floating as Debris in Deep Space

Megatron - Gun (Flashback/Footage)

Sixshot (Flashback Only)

Heretech (Flashback Only)

Black Shadow (Flashback Only)

Killmaster (Flashback Only)

Torque - Bomb (Flashback Only) Dead

K-Classes - Bombs (Flashback Only) Dead

Cybernaught (Flashback Only)

Snaptrap (Footage Only) In Prison on Lost Light

Other Decepticons

Other

Tailgate - Car 3 Days left to Live

Cyclonus - Jet

Red Empurata Victim (Footage Only)

Nova Prime (Footage Only)

Pivot (Mentioned) Dead

Mach (Mentioned) Dead

Scattergun (Mentioned) Dead

Notes

• With the new artist on this issue, there are some art mistakes, like Magnus being in the wrong body, smaller characters like Swerve and Tailgate being the wrong height etc, but all in all it looks fine still :)
• The Meet the Crew page has been overhauled to remove Rewind and Pipes and added Fort Max and Perceptor as main characters. Interestingly it still shows Magnus and Drift in their current roles, despite being dying and exiled (respectively)
• Magnus' OCD tendencies seem to be explained in the flashbacks as he gets so badly messed up, has his badge crooked, makes jokes, smiles. All things he doesn't condone in the present. (and then he gets hurt after doing all of those)
• DON'T CRY! But you can see Rewind's shattered camera in the debris around the Lost Light
• Ultra Magnus' favourite song is the Empyrean Suite, the same song going around in Skids' head...hmmm...
• Looks like six guys were killed during Overlord's attack, as 5 coffins were shown at the funeral (and Rewind was killed off the ship, so he doesn't get one)
• Swerve doesn't seem to be affected by the Meta-Bomb now...though he does say the ominous "even if it kills me" when referring to Brainstorm's evil, evil briefcase of death and destruction.
• Drift leaving the ship, Magnus being gone, and him being shown clenching his fist during Drift's dismissal could imply that Magnus is going after poor ol' Drift.
• Rewind's final message is made up of clips from his database, some of which are scenes from MTMTE itself (of course, this message when actually heard must have been pretty messed up, as some of the scenes are pretty placid, others are fight scenes!)
• Rewind storing his data on data slugs is mentioned during the prose story set on Hedonia
• Ratchet's feelings for Drift appear to have come completely around now, from him being irritated by him at the start of the journey, to being the only one who helps him up when he falls here.
• This story finally shows Rewind and Chromedome's relationship as actually being loving,until now it was just implied technically.
• Chromedome sports a black Autobot badge during the funeral scene, and afterwards
• Rodimus wears a ceremonial cape during the funeral, which is a bit similar to Starscream's cape in the G1 movie...
• Chromedome doesn't have any innermost Energon because he's given it all away on his past lover's deathbeds.
• Tailgate seems to be holding a cup of innermost Energon when he goes to see Magnus at the end. (maybe that's why he's going to die soon? Because he's using the wrong stuff as his innermost Energon, and he's actually leaking his life or something...it is green after all!)