IDW - Beast Hunters #8

Story by: Mike Johnson & Mairghread Scott

Written by: Mike Johnson

Art by: Agustin Padilla

Colours by: Priscilla Tramontano

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

The Autobots and Dinobots team up to take down the Forged members who are attacking them, and afterwards share some stories about what's happened since they last saw each other, which includes Arcee telling them about Optimus' sacrifice to restore the Allspark to Cybertron and allow a new generation to be born.

Before they head back to Kaon however, the rogue Predacon attacks again, and flies off with some of the random Autobots in the group (no one with a name, don't worry!). Grimlock however has a plan to deal with the Predacon before he can pick them all off one by one.

As part of Grimlock's plan, the group splits up into smaller groups and starts heading to Kaon separately. The Predacon soon appears and attacks one of the groups. Swoop baits the Predacon into following him and lead shim back underground into an old Decepticon bunker. Grimlock and Bumblebee then attack him, and trap him in the bunker (which is built to last). Bumblebee asks why Grimlock didn't just kill the Predacon, but he says there's been enough destruction for him.

The groups make it to Kaon City, and the Dinobots feel out of place (due to their animalistic modes) and start to leave, but are stopped by Arcee and the others, who explain that Optimus wanted Cybertron to be a haven for ALL Cybertronians.

Before long Arcee and the others are preparing plans to rebuild Kaon and the rest of Cybertron, but Grimlock says they can't help as they have a city of their own to build, a replacement to Last Spark called "New Spark".

The end...for now!

Characters

Autobot

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Slug - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Snarl - Stegosaurus

Arcee - Motorcycle

Bumblebee - Sports Car

Bulkhead - Off Road Vehicle

Firestar - Hover Pick Up Truck

Chromia - Sports Car (Maybe?!)

Autobot Survivors

Optimus Prime - Truck (Fantasy) Dead

Decepticon

The Forged Defeated by the Autobots and Dinobots

Megatron - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Shockwave - Tank (Mentioned)

Predacon

"Rusty" - Winged Dragon Trapped in Old Decepticon Bunker

Predaking - Dragon (Mentioned)

Other

Unicron (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• This is the last issue in the Beast Hunters comic series, though from the "The End...for now!" line at the end, we can assume that there may be a future series in the Aligned continuity
• With the remarks of Optimus' sacrifice here, the episode can be clearly placed AFTER Predacons Rising.
• Arcee mentions that she thought Predaking would be the last Predacon they'd see...what about Darksteel and Skylynx?!
• Ratchet's no where to be seen here, so presumably he returned to Earth following the events of the movie (though then again, Smokescreen, Magnus, Wheeljack and Knock Out aren't shown either...)
• The end states that New Spark is being used to replace Last Spark for it's civilians...but the only person from Last Spark who should be alive still is Firestar! Wow that'll be a lonely city!!
• The Arcee shaped person on the last page COULD be Chromia, as otherwise Arcee just went with Grimlock to the New Spark construction zone without any of the others and hung out with Grimlock and Firestar (and Chromia is unaccounted for otherwise)