IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #20

Title: Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely

Written by: James Roberts

Pencils by: Alex Milne

Inks by: Brian Shearer with Alex Milne

Colours by: Josh Burcham with John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editorial Assistant: Kevin Smead

Editor: John Barber

Plot

In the Medibay of Luna-1 Ratchet is working hard on fixing Ambulon from his injury, whilst First Aid is panicking, elsewhere Dai Atlas, Whirl, Cyclonus and the Circle of Light are fighting the army of Legislators, and Atlas is impressed with Cyclonus' skills with a Great Sword, despite being a novice.

In the Cell, Getaway reunites with Skids and tries to get him to remember his past and their friendship, Getaway reveals that Tyrest plans to kill all the Cold Constructed Transformers with his Killswitch, and the Autobots decide they need to stop him, but Getaway also claims that Ultra Magnus led the crew to Luna-1 on Tyrest's behalf for some reason.

In the Control Room, Pharma is looking over the Killswitch whilst Tyrest is drilling again,a nd he comments on how the only reason he's alive is because Tyrest needed to test the Killswitch wouldn't kill Forged Transformers, like Pharma, and also reveals that he captured the Circle of Light to test the effects on them as well. Star Saber interrupts the memories by telling Tyrest about the battle outsie the cells, Tyrest allows him to join the fight, with all resources he needs.

In the Cell again, Getaway reveals to the group, and Skids that they work for the Black Ops Diplomatic Corps and were on a mission to attack Tyrest with the Nudge Gun to make him decide to resign his position, due to him becoming more irrational lately (hunting Titans, having Decepticon helpers etc). However, when Skids takes the shot, because Tyrest had already messed up his brain with the drilling, it didn't work, but Tyrest felt the attack, and set his Legislators against the two Autobots, Getaway was captured, but Skids escaped in a ship made of three of the Legislators,a nd goes through a portal thanks to his Homing Device sending him to his nearest handlers (the Duobots), he writes the message on the wall to himself, and uses the gun on himself, wiping out his memories of the mission, as per his orders, and all things related to the mission are wiped out as well, excpet for Getaway, who was left as a remnant, which is why he doesn't forget him at all now. Rodimus figures out that Getaway and Skids' boss was Prowl, and Tailgate asks Getaway if he knows how to escape, which he does now, that he has a "fresh set of keys"

In the Medibay First Aid is angry with Ratchet for not letting him help fix Ambulon, and starts shouting at him, however Ratchet reveals that his refusal is nothing to do with First Aid's skills, it's because Ambulon died when the chainsaw severed his Spark before, and he's been turning his corpse into a cannon since then, he then blasts the Legislator guarding them and steals his gun for First Aid to use. The two medics escape and find the others from the cell having escaped as well thanks to Getaway creating a dart gun, and disabling the bars briefly, allowing some to leave.

Tailgate worries that his illness is getting worst and tells Ratchet that Magnus was healed up because of the medics here, so maybe he can be too, Ratchet isn't sure though, but says that Pharma may have the cure.

The Legislators are being torn apart when Cyclonus says he needs to leave to be somewhere, but Dai Atlas sees Star Saber appearing through a teleporter in the distance and goes to attack him for revenge, as Star Saber was the one who let down the Crystal City's defenses, allowing the Legislators into the city in the first place, after a short fight, Star Saber skewers Dai Atlas with his sword, apparently killing him, whilst also telling him that Primus hates him.

Rodimus and his team break into the control room and find Ambus' body on the floor, Pharma shoots Brainstorm and blasts the briefcase out of his hands. Rodimus approaches Tyrest to stop him, but the Chief Justice pushes a button on his staff, causing all the other Transformers to think they cannot move (thanks to the Weapon of Mass Suggestion). Tyrest then approaches the Killswitch unopposed and turns it on, suddenly all the Cold Constructed Transformer sin the group (including Getaway and Chromedome) start dying. The effect is sent out across subspace and starts affecting Transformers on the Lost Light, Peaceful Tyranny, Skyroller, Cybertron and beyond, beginning to kill several of them, whilst they're just going about their regular business

On Constancy Fulcrum has just freed Misfire from jail when the W.A.P. is nowhere to be seen as all the crew, except Grimlock are currently dying.

Back on Luna-1, Rodimus promises revenge on Tyrest, even if he has to destroy Cyberutopia to do so, on schedule, the portal, which Tyrest believes to go to Cyberutopia opens up and he steps through, believing himself to have finally been redeemed for his mistake in creating the Cold Construction process...

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Skids - Van

Getaway Affected by Killswitch

Pharma - Jet

Ratchet - Ambulance

First Aid - Ambulance

Ambulon - Leg Killed by Pharma, recycled as a Cannon

Chromedome - Car Affected by Killswitch

Rung - Maintenace Buggy

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Perceptor

Swerve - Van

Brainstorm - Jet Shot by Pharma

Minimus Ambus Decapitated 

Fortress Maximus - Tank

Blaster Affected by Killswitch

Mainframe Affected by Killswitch

Red Alert Affected by Killswitch (Whilst in his coma)

Hardhead - Personnel Carrier Affected by Killswitch

Orion Pax - Truck

Prowl - Car Affected by Killswitch

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Ultra Magnus Armour Inactive

Duobots (Mentioned)

Wreckers (Mentioned)

Diplomatic Corps (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Van
Ravage - Cassette Affected by Killswitch
Blitzwing - Tank/Jet
Tarn - Tank
Kaon - Electric Chair Affected by Killswitch
Fulcrum - Bomb
Misfire - Jet
Crankcase Affected by Killswitch
Krok Affected by Killswitch
Spinister Affected by Killswitch

Other

Chief Justice Tyrest

Star Saber

Tailgate Dying from Cybercrosis

Cyclonus - Jet

Dai Atlas - Jet Stabbed through spark by Star Saber

Starscream - Jet Affected by Killswitch

Rattrap - Rat

Circle of Light

Legislators

Galactic Council Personnel

Metrotitans (Flashback) Dead

Captain K'Gard (Flashback)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

The Guiding Hand (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue fills in a lot of holes in the story over the past 20 issues, it tells us who Skids is, where his gun came from, how Pharma survived at Delphi, how and why the Circle of Light were captured amongst other things.
• Getaway's escape method includes using Brainstorm's briefcase clasps and Chromedome's finger needles, which is also what Tailgate suggested before!
• The Titans have been collected all this time to use their internal Space Bridges to create one big one, to lead directly to Cyberutopia 
• It's not clear why Pharma leaves Ratchet and doesn't kill First Aid before he goes, Tyrest doesn't really seem to have called for him.
• The Circle of Light were captured because Tyrest planned to use them to test the Killswitch (as he was sure that a city would have some of each type of construction)
• It's revealed here that the Diplomatic Corps are actually a Black Ops group, like the Wreckers, but more subtle, and that they seem to work in some way with the Galactic Council (and Prowl).
• Knowing that the Galactic Council have been after Magnus and Tyrest for a while, it seems likely that K'Gard's talk with Magnus in the Annual was more than likely an interrogation of sorts.
• Skids' Binary Gun is revealed to be a Nudge Gun in reality, and is designed to implant a false memory in it's target, the first bullet was meant to make Tyrest think about retiring, whilst the second one was blank, so it would wipe out Skids' own memories of the mission and everything around it, also explaining why he didn't remember the gun at any time, or Prowl during the Shadowplay story.
• Speaking about this, the use of the Nudge Gun was the 19(80)4 crime, but Tyrest even admits later that his staff's effect was based on that same principle, so shouldn't he be in violation too?
• Skids' Homing Device sent him ot his nearest handlers (the Duobots on the Lost Light) which explains why he just coincidentally appeared right near the ship back in issue 2
• Apparently it takes Ratchet about half and hour to convert a corpse into a massive cannon!
• Dai Atlas finally reveals his alternate mode as a jet!
• Cyclonus is still concerned with finding something on Luna-1
• Star Saber seems to be fully delusional, and claims that everyone is a heretic, even someone as devout as Dai Atlas!
• Yeah, I'm pretty sure Brainstorm's briefcase will be opened next issue, it's clasps are removed, and it's finally be shot off it's chain from his hand.
• Tyrest is sending the Killswitch's effect across the universe using the Subspace Network, explaining how it's affect those on Cybertron and other places too.
• The events shown on Gorlam Prime and Cybertron are set during the recent Robots in Disguise prequels to the Dark Cybertron storyline, whilst the Peaceful Tyranny and Constancy scenes are just used to show us what's happening with some of our other favourite characters from MTMTE last year.
• Ratchet mentioning that the cure to Cybercrosis possibly being inside Pharma's head could be a hint that Chromedome will inject him some time to find it for Tailgate
• Tarn seems to be worried about Kaon...wonder if he'll "sing" him out of his pain?