IDW - Robots in Disguise #24

Title: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5: Finest Hour

Written by: John Barber and James Roberts

Art by: Robert Gill and Livio Ramondelli

Colours by: Romulo Fajardo, Jr. and Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Nova Prime and Galvatron are coming through the portal in Megatron's chest, but appear to be a little stuck. Nova insists that Shockwave helps them, but he says he's a bit busy, just as the Autobots and Decepticons, now teamed up, arrive and attack them. During the fight, Bumblebee is shocked to see Metalhawk alive, and learns from him that Shockwave has promised him revenge for his death if he helps him out with this mission.

Ironhide and Skywarp work together to stoop Nova Prime from coming through the portal, by Ironhide physically stopping him, and Skywarp going to the controls to disable them. Unfortunately for Skywarp however, his teleporting powers have gone haywire and he keeps going non-corporeal and cannot use the controls. Dreadwing reveals that he's joined Shockwave because he's pormised him victory, unlike Megatron..

Nearby Arcee and Blitzwing are hiding the injured combatants in a small cavern whilst they mine for some of the resurrection ore so they can heal their allies outside.

During the battle Shockwave takes Waspinator's gun, whilch he's deduced can control the Titan, and uses it to command the Titan to attack. Upon his command, the Titan smashes into the city and causes massive damage.

In the Dead Universe Nightbeat greets his old friends and talks about how he's still alive following Hardhead executing him, and he meets Cyclonus, who he performs a cold reading of to learn everything about him, and about his recent experiences with Tailgate. Cyclonus gets mad and threatens to kill Nightbeat and everyone else, but Orion calms him down. They decide to carry on with their mission to the center of the universe, with Nightbeat taking the lead.

Back on Cybertron, the survivors leave the destroyed Crystal City where they find Megatron up and about, carrying Ironhide, willing to work with Bumblebee to stop Shockwave. However before anything can happen he is attacked and torn apart by Galvatron from behind. The others attack Galvatron, before noticing Shockwave, the Titan and the rest of his team are also assembled, ready to destroy them.

Back in the Dead Universe, Nightbeat reveals that he discovered when he examined the black Energon earlier, he noticed a fragment of Cyclonus' forcefield generator, meaning that he's not protected from the Dead Universe any more as it was damaged when he crashed into the Universe, meaning that he's part of this Universe again.

Nightbeat shortly starts to walk off on his own, and asks the others to stand where they are, when suddenly a containment cube appears around the others, Orion figures it out that Nightbeat is STILL under Nova Prime's command.

Speaking of which, Nova Prime comes crashing back into the Dead Universe now that the portal in Megatron has been stopped....

Characters

Autobot

Orion Pax/Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Rodimus/Hot Rod - Car

Bumblebee - Car

Hardhead - Personnel Carrier

Nightbeat - Car

Prowl - Emergency Car

Ironhide - Van

Arcee - Car

Decepticon

Megatron Split in Two by Galvatron

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Waspinator - Wasp

Dreadwing - Stealth Bomber

Soundwave - Van

Laserbeak - Data Disk Slashed by Metalhawk

Ravage - Cassette Slashed by Metalhawk

Rumble - Tank Slashed by Metalhawk

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Blitzwing - Jet/Tank

Needlenose - Jet

Skywarp - Jet Teleporting going Haywire

Starscream - Jet (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Nova Prime - Truck

Galvatron - Laser Tank

Metalhawk - Jet

Necrotitan - Space Ship

Tailgate - Car (Mentioned)

Notes

• When first shown, Galvatron seems to be pushing Nova out of the way when leaving the portal, explaining his appearance later on
• Metalhawk's missing arm seems to have grown back, most likely due to the resurrection ore in the city
• Bumblebee's face is revealed here to be covered in a mask, most likely to slowly heal his damages from the end of the war for Iacon.
• For the first time, neither the Lost Light, nor Iacon are shown in a Dark Cybertron issue.
• It's confirmed here that Waspinator's gun is the source of his ability to control Titans
• Bumblebee says "crap" instead of a common Cybertronian curse word like "scrap"...wonder if that'll be kept for the toy-re-release?
• Nightbeat's cold reading of Cyclonus reveals the reasons for his actions during the series so far, such as not replacing his missing horn until Tailgate gave him one, his self mutilation and even his feelings for Tailgate.
• Galvatron tearing apart Megatron (ie the portal to the Dead Universe) could mean that he's planning to strand Nova in the Dead Universe still.
• Nightbeat's sleeper agent reconditioning is revealed to still be in effect.
• It's mentioned here that Nightbeat's body must have been drawn into the Dead Universe following his death on Gorlam Prime, and that's how he's been revived...why didn't the Autobots notice his body was missing after the Expansion war though? He was kind of a big character after all...he was even on Optimus' crew for a while!!