IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #24

Title: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4: Into the Abyss

Written by: James Roberts and John Barber

Art by: Atilio Rojo, James Raiz, Nick Roche, Livio Ramondelli and Robert Gill

Colours by: Romulo Fajardo, JR. and Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Gilberto Lazcano

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

The Lost Light is surrounded on the floor of the Red Ocean by an army of smaller robots, who the bridge crew determine to have alternate modes, and also seem to be combiners. Perceptor believes that the small robots aren't native to the planet as they don't seem to be outfitted for aquatic performance, but seemed to piggy-back to the ocean with the Lost Light's Quantum Jump. Magnus tries communicating with the robots, but doesn't get a response...at first! Then they attack the ship and blow a hole in the bridge!

Back on Cybertron, the city of Iacon is in ruins following the Necrotitan's energy wave, Scoop and his team are working to save people, whilst Starscream and Rattrap are wandering around trying to work out what exactly happened. Before long however Scoop approaches Starscream, and points out to the population that the black mark on Starscream's chest marks him as the one chosen to destroy the planet, not to save it as initially thought, which starts to turn the crowd against him further!.

Back at the Red Ocean, Magnus has managed to get the bridge crew into the hallway and sealed it shut due to flooding when he comes across Skids and Getaway. Skids identifies the attackers as Ammonites. Magnus orders the crew to engage the Ammonites and protect the ship. Doing so, Magnus and a few others go into Rodimus' personal craft, the Rodpod (being careful not to damage it, or Rodimus will kill them). The battle goes well for the Lost Lighters, as they seem to be capable of dealing with even the Ammonite's larger combinations.

Meanwhile, in the Dead Universe, the team are traveling towards the point of the gravitational pull when the topics of Rodimus potentially taking over full control of the Autobots, Rodimus saving all the cold constructed from death and the progress of his quest are brought up, as well as how Cyebrtron's new status as Starscream's domain is similar to how things were before the Decepticon uprising.

During the conversations, Rodimus notices that Cyclonus' face is leaking black Energon still, but at an alarming rate now. Orion tries to administer some medical aide, but Nightbeat, revealing himself and shocking the others, tells him that would be a bad idea to even touch him right now.

Back on Cybertron, the Transformers at the foot of the Necrotitan are dealing with their injured and wonder what to do next. Bumblebee asks Soundwave if he can pick up any transmissions from the city, but he cannot, however he does hear something unusual...Megatron screaming!

At the Crystal City, Shockwave is operating on the operational Megatron as he's trying to activate the Space Bridge technology he implanted within him. Shockwave reveals that he doesn't care about the goals of Nova Prime, and that he's using them, as well as others. Megatron is offered a chance to work with them for his ultimate goal of equality, but he refuses. Shockwave then actiavtes the Bridge and Nova Prime starts to climb out of a screaming Megatron's chest.

Back on the Red Ocean, the Rodpod is running from a group of Ammonites (in the shape of an actual ammonite) and hides in a cavern they find. However upon inspection, they find some strange compounds in the cavern, and realise what it is....they're inside the eye socket of Metroplex himself!

Characters

Autobot

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Ratchet - Ambulance

Mainframe

Blaster

Brainstorm - Jet

Perceptor

Skids - Van

Getaway

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Waverider - Aquatic Vehicle

Chromedome - Car

Trailcutter - Van

Cosmos - Orbiter

Sunstreaker - Car

Swerve - Van

Rung

Atomizer

Metroplex - Space Ship Injured in Red Ocean

Rodimus - Car

Orion Pax - Truck Cab

Hardhead - Personnel Carrrier

Nightbeat - Car

Bumblebee - Muscle Car

Ironhide - Van

Prowl - Emergency Car

Arcee - Car Injured

Swoop - Pteranodon

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Slag - Triceratops

Lost Light Crew

Dominus Ambus (Mentioned)

Sentinel Prime (Mentioned)

Zeta Prime (Mentioned)

Thunderclash (Mentioned)

Aquastar - Aquatic Vehicle (Mentioned)

Hydrobots - Aquatic Vehicles (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron Used as Space Bridge by Shockwave

Shockwave - Flying Artillery 

Soundwave - Van

Rumble - Tank

Frenzy - Tank Maybe Dead

Ravage - Cassette

Skywarp - Jet

Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet Leaking Black Energon

Nova Prime - Truck

Galvatron - Laser Tank

Metalhawk - Jet

Necrotitan - Space Shuttle

Starscream - Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Scoop - Front End Loader

Holepunch - Gun

Tracer - Gun

Sky Byte - Flying Shark

Iaconians Injured in Necrootitan's energy wave

Construction Patrol (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

The Senate (Mentioned)

Functionists (Mentioned)

Nominus Prime (Mentioned)

Other

Ammonites (2026 of them)

Paddox (Mentioned)

Galactic Council (Mentioned)

Black Block Consortia (Mentioned)

Notes

• The Ammonites are referred to here as Mini-Cons at times (as in Miniature Decepticons) before their species name was actuallly identified by Skids (though Magnus does still call them Mini-Cons once afterwards). This could be because the toy set of the Mini-Con Assault Team is supposed to be released with this issue in the future, so it just makes sense from a marketing point of view too.
• The Lost Light is 15 miles long and 10 miles wide, and was not designed to be a submarine.
• It does have spotlights on the outside though!
• Magnus makes reference to his no longer being the Duly Appointed Officer of the Tyrest Accord.
• Rung is shown using a staff weapon for the first time (though he did have one on the cover to the fifth TPB of MTMTE)
• Nightbeat reveals himself to Orion's group! (Look, I'm a Nightbeat fanboy, so every time he so much as has a cameo I'll mention it, 'kay?)
• Frenzy looks a bit dead here....
• Speaking about Frenzy, he and Rumble appear to have been drawn in their cassette bodies originally, but with tank treads added to the arms to try and correct the mistake.
• It' revealed here that Shockwave is also just using Nova Prime and Galvatron as well...wonder what his true aims are?
• The Necrotitan's attack hit the population totally at random, and not to do with being cold constructed etc (like Tyrest's attack was)