Dreamwave - Armada FCBD

Written by: Brandon Easton

Penciled by: Don Figueroa

Inks by: Elaine To

Colours by: Alan Wang, Rob Ruffolo, David Cheung, Stuart Ng, Susan Luo, Felipe Smith

Flats by: Sigmund Torre

Letters by: Paul Villafuerte

Graphic Design: Matt Moylan

Pre-Press: Kell-O-Graphics

Plot

Millions of years ago, the Autobots and Decepticons began fighting over the Mini-Cons, leading to the smaller robots self-exiling themselves off Cybertron, and they crashed into Earth's Moon, and Earth itself.

In the present day Rad and Carlos are riding their bikes on a nature hike (yeah) when they come across the Mini-Con Swindle, who claims to have escaped the Decepticons, they quickly become friends, and the kids offer to take Swindle to see the Autobots, and he offers to ride them to school. Suddenly the kids and Swindle are spotted by Starscream, who is after the escaped Mini-Con, so the small group start to hide, however Cyclonus and Demolishor also appear from no-where, and they capture the kids, however they're soon rescued when Hot Shot, Red Alert and Smokescreen appear (they were tracking Swindle as well) and fight off the Decepticons, all is going well until Megatron appears and blasts the three Autobots.

Megatron then orders Swindle out of hiding, and he's forced to bring the kids with him, revealing that he "escaped" on a mission for Megatron. The kids try to reach Swindle with the power of friendship, and he does let them go, however Megatron catches them himself soon afterwards. Swindle asks, that since he's completed his mission, and the Autobots are defeated and the kids captured, if he can be free now, which invites laughter from the meanie Decepticons. Megatron reveals that he plans to try and fuse humans with Cybertronian tech to create a new power source, but before he can really elaborate, Optimus Prime arrives and interrupts him, and rescues the kids from his grasp.

Optimus and Megatron have a quick battle, but it ends when Starscream shoots Optimus in the back, Starscream suggests that he should be leader due to him defeating Optimus, leading Megatron to aim his cannon at him, asking him to repeat that.

The Autobots are all tied up with Energon bonds, that Red Alert deduces will short out if exposed to a strong energy blast. The kids hide in some bushes, and are approached by Swindle, who's sick of the Decepticons now, and wants to help out, he turns into his alternate mode and speeds past the Decepticons, reaches the Autobot's discarded weapons, and blasts's Optimus' bonds, freeing him. Optimus in turn frees his teammates and the Autobots chase off the Decepticons with surprising ease.

As the Decepticons retreat, Swindle cheers along with the humans and Autobots, until Starscream hits him with a tractor beam of sorts and drags him away. The kids are sad to see him taken away, but still can't forgive him for lying to them before, and wonder if they can trust another Mini-Con again. Optimus assures them that everyone deserves a second chance, even the Decepticons. With that they all drive off, ready for the next adventure.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Hot Shot - Sports Car

Red Alert - Emergency SUV

Smokescreen - Crane-Mounted Tow Truck

Other Combatants (Flashback)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Cyclonus - Helicopter

Demolishor - Tank

Other Combatants (Flashback)

Mini-Con

Swindle - F1 Race Car

Leader-1 - Gun-Mounted Buggy (Flashback)

Runway (Flashback)

Wreckage (Flashback)

Spiral (Flashback)

Jolt (Flashback)

Blackout (Flashback)

Sparkplug (Flashback)

Human

Rad

Carlos

Carlos' Parents (Mentioned)

Notes

• WHY DOES A FREE COMIC BOOK NEED SO MANY COLOURISTS?!?!?
• The present day parts of this comic are set between issues 5 and 6 of the main comic
• Gee, have you noticed how every single character in this comic gets a name-drop? Almost like this comic is used as an advert for the series or something!
• The only Mini-Con to appear in the present day scenes is Swindle, seems a bit odd since you'd expect at least the Decepticons to come armed with Mini-cons to kill the Autobots with, wouldn't you?
• Where is Scavenger and Alexis during this issue?
• Why did Megatron have the Decepticons ambush the kids and Swindle? Why not let them take him to the Autobot's base, and let them know where they're hiding?!
• Megatron's plan to fuse humans with Cybertronian tech is never mentioned again...would have been cool though! Imagine Mini-Con Powermasters!!
• Rad considering not trusting another Mini-Con seems a bit odd, since he's pretty close to the Street Action Team and Sparkplug.
• Speaking of them, why weren't Rad and Carlos riding with High Wire and Grindor?