IDW - Transformers #49

Title: Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Josh Perez & Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Galvatron now has Blackrock in his grasp, under the belief that he is an undercover agent of Onyx Prime's. Skywarp wants to leave before anyone else can arrive to challenge them, but Galvatron wants to have fun and kill everyone. Faireborn manages to get control of the Ark, and gives control back to the Autobots, and lowers the shield around the ship.

On the Ark, the Autobots are taking on the invading Decepticon army, when they discover they have control of the ship back. Arcee decides they need to return to the bridge and land the ship on the Moon, then deal with the Decepticons,

On Cybertron, the Autobots are fighting off the Decepticons as they go through the space bridge, but Wheeljack is able to use a back-door in the system and shuts it down, whilst one of the Decepticons are half way through, leaving him in two halves.

The Autobots on the Ark continue on their way to the bridge, but along the way Arcee is crushed up against a wall by Brawl. In the bridge, Sideswipe hides Alpha Trion inside a closet to keep him safe whilst he heads to the controls, however when he reaches them, he is hit by an exploding bomb. Needlenose and Brawl enter the bridge and take control. Sideswipe tries to stop them in his heavily injured state, but Brawl simply executes him on the spot. Brawl changes their plan now, by instead of taking the ship to the Jupiter commune, he redirects it to Earth.

Soundwave is annoyed when he learns about this change of plans, but soon learns that this was all Galvatron's plan from the start. Back on Earth, Skywarp teleports himself, Blackrock and Galvatron, against the latter's wishes to Shaghai where the Ark is heading to now.

Back on Cybertron, the stranded Decepticons go to attack the Autobots when they are easily thrown away by a newly arrived Victorion, backed up by Optimus, Superion, Aileron and Starscream.

Optimus and the others plan to put a stop to Galvatron's plans, by putting an end to war in it's entirety on Earth...

On the Jupiter commune, Soundwave is distraught that his plan for peace has failed, and apologizes to Cosmos and Sky-Byte for his failures, but warns them both to prepare for war, as the other Decepticons will go up against all of them now.

The Ark manages to land in Shaghai, and the Decepticons exit the ship to be greeted by Galvatron and his troops. Galvatron announces to the humans in the area that they are there to conquer them, however he is interrupted by Optimus Prime, who exits the space bridge with a small army, and officially annexes Earth into the Cybertronian Council of Worlds, and will protect it against Galvatron and anyone else who comes against it.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Superion - Aerialbot Gestalt

Cosmos - Orbiter

Jetfire - Jet

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Jazz - Sports Car

Arcee - Sports Car Crushed by Brawl

Sideswipe - Sports Car  Blasted by Brawl

Alpha Trion

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Chromia - Speedbike

Wheeljack - Race Car

Tracks - Sports Car

Ironhide - Van

Sunstreaker - Sports Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Slug - Triceratops (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Galvatron - Tank

Skywarp - Cybertronian Jet

Astrotrain - Train/Space Shuttle

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Rumble - Motorycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Brawl - Tank

Dreadwing - Stealth Bomber Captured by Badgeless

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Laserbeak - Cassette

Sky-Byte - Shark

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Jet

Acid Storm - Fighter Jet

Flamefeather - Bird Monster

Onslaught - Tank

Cindersaur - Lizard Monster

Squeezeplay - Crab Monster

Decepticon Rioters

Camien

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Aileron - Flying Vehicle

Sterling - Car

Swift - Helicopter

Neutral Cybertronian

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Bob

Badgeless Officers

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Ayana Jones

Spike Witwicky

Shanghai Civilians

President Xi Jinping (Mentioned)

Other

Garrison Blackrock

D.O.C.

Buster the Dog

Council of Worlds (Mentioned)

Notes

• It's confirmed now that Skywarp IS still suffering from his phasing problems, he's just been removed from the ship's engines.
• Tracks survived from his fatal-looking gun shot wound caused by Brawl
• Considering that his brain module, T-Cog and spark would have been in his upper half, it's likely that the Decepticon sliced in half by the space bridge did actually survive.
• Um....did they REALLY just horribly kill off Sideswipe?!
• Swift appears to have fully embraced the violent Decepticon culture now, not even showing emotion when Brawl seemingly executes Sideswipe.
• In a funny bit of book-ending, Dreadwing is left behind by his team on Cybertron again, just like he was after Dark Cybertron.
• Victorion, Windblade and Chromia reference their previous meeting during "Combiner Hunters". Chromia's comment on how their knowledge of each other not being a long story COULD be a reference to how it was a one-shot story.
• Why was Sterling randomly in the space bridge control room? Was he with the Decepticon rioters maybe?
• Some of the construction workers in Shanghai wear Spike and Sparkplug's uniforms from the G1 cartoon's first 2 seasons.
• I can understand Blitzwing, Astrotrain and Skywarp using thrusters to stay flying, since they all have aerial modes, but why can Galvatron, Rumble and Frenzy?