IDW - Transformers #50

Main Story Title: All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colours by: Josh Burcham (1-15), John-Paul Bove (16-20), & Josh Perez (21-30)

Side Story Title: New Worlds Order

Pencils: Casey W. Coller

Inks: Jamie Snell

Colours: Joana LaFuente

Letters: Tom B. Long & Chris Mowry

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Main Story Plot

The Autobots, led by Optimus are face to face with Galvatron's Decepticons in Shanghai and an all-out battle begins. Galvatron soon reasons that the humans will soon activate their mindbomb again to stop the fight, and has Blackrock, who designed it, give Mindwipe the system's code so he can create a defence against it.

At the EDC base, Marissa refuses to allow Thundercracker to join in the battle, as she doesn't want him to die, meanwhile the rest of the team prepare to activate the mindbomb, as Galvatron predicted.

At the Jupiter commune, Soundwave contacts Galvatron to ask why he's invading Earth, which Galvatron simply shrugs off as being his plan all along. Soundwave in turn renounces Galvatron and his plans, and decides to lead a team to rescue the stranded Decepticons, who were just following Galvatron's orders.

Back on Earth, the EDC activate the mindbomb, and Mindwipe manages to block the signal to a small group of Decepticons, but is unable to protect all of them, causing most to be knocked out. The Autobots protect themselves thanks to a device Wheeljack developed to defend them against the weapon, since the Autobots had experienced it in the past. The Autobots prepare to take down the still standing Decepticons, but they teleport away thanks to Skywarp, just as the Chinese military arrive in their own transforming jets made from stolen Cybertronian technology.

The Chinese military, along with some human-owned satellites in orbit attack the remaining Decepticons, and kill several, including Aileron's friend Sterling, angering her. Instead however, Optimus has Aileron go into orbit, using her space shuttle mode, as take down the weapons satellites.

As Aileron begins her attack, the Decepticons led by Soundwave arrive at Earth and begins picking up the surviving Decepticons, but Soundwave refuses to allow any Autobots who follow Optimus to join them. Hearing this, Cosmos decides to remain on Earth, as the Decepticons fly off to safety.

Aileron finishes her mission, and returns to the planet to find another problem, the space bridge is running out of power, and the portal to Cybertron is shrinking, but some of the Autobots are still trapped on the crashed Ark. Aileron dives through the portal with a plan, but finds herself in the middle of a battle between the Autobots and some escaping Decepticons. She ignores the fight, and flies off to her target...

The Autobots on Earth are holding off the Chinese military, with Victorion using her abilities to scramble their jet's circuits. The group manage to rescue Arcee, Alpha Trion and Sideswipe from the crashed ship, and they begin to plan to leave the city on foot, since the portal is too small to travel safely now. At the last moment however, Aileron returns through the portal, having acquired Optimus' personal shuttle, the Skyroller, and picks up the Autobots, and the space bridge, ready to depart. Optimus sets the Ark to self-destruct, to help stop the continued corruption of their technology, and the Skyroller flies off to their next target, the EDC base.

The Skyroller soon arrives at the EDC base, but rather than fight, Marissa simply returns their "prisoners" to the Autobots, and briefly explains how Blackrock was responsible for all of this. Thundercracker decides to leave with the Autobots, taking his dog Buster with him, as he no longer feels safe with the EDC.

Optimus, now at their temporary base, Thundercracker's old "house", has a series of visions, and hears a recitation of the Dark Cybertron prophecy that shows Earth heavily damages, Aileron as the Mistress of Flame, the Jupiter Commune crashing out of orbit, and seemingly the Camiens betraying the Autobots, along with himself having killed Galvatron and conquered Earth.

Optimus wakes up to Aileron and the team are repairing their injured crew members and preparing their next steps.

Optimus has Jetfire help him send out a message to the Universe, first apologizing for the damage caused in Shanghai, but also stating that he plans to protect Earth, whether it wants it or not, he wants to help the humans for their own sakes, and wants Earth to join in the global community.

Everyone reacts to this news somewhat badly, but Galvatron finds it amusing....

Side Story Plot

Faireborn and Jones are summoned to the White House to discuss some changes in policy, and they're worried about what she plans to change.

The Decepticons rescued by Soundwave return to Jupiter, where Swift is angry with them for not telling her that she was fighting against a Prime. The Decepticons claim that he's not a real Prime, and just a pretender, and still as corrupt as a predecessors. Soundwave also adds that he no longer wishes to follow anyone, after being betrayed by both Megatron and Galvatron, and now he'll be running their missions.

On Cybertron, the Council of Worlds has been called together to discuss Optimus' annex of Earth. They decide to allow him to make his case when he can make contact, but Starscream is concerned as Prime's idea sounds a lot like Megatron planning to conquer a planet as well, which even the ghost of Bumblebee can't really deny.

On Earth, Galvatron's small team are hiding on the sunken shuttle, where Mindwipe performs a biopsy on Blackrock, confirming that he is Cybertronian, but not in any way they he's ever seen before, as he perfectly replicates a human, except for his mechanical innards. Galvatron thanks him for his assistance, and reveals that he now has access to the full Onyx systems, which includes the security cameras in the White House...

At the White House, the President reveals that she has released Spike and Jimmy, and that Spike will now act as her representative at the EDC, along with some other member countries also being more involved than previously. She eplains that she now sees this as a situation of Earth vs all aliens, and they plan to win. Galvatron gloats to Blackrock's detached, but functioning head, that all his enemies are doing their work for them.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Superion - Aerialbot Gestalt

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Pyra Magna - Emergency Truck

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

Dustup - Sports Car

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Rust Dust - Motorcycle (Only as part of Victorion)

Alpha Trion - Tumbler

Arcee - Sports Car

Sideswipe - Sports Car Badly Injured

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Jazz - Sports Car

Cosmos - Orbiter

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Sunstreaker - Sports Car

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Race Car

Chromia - Speedbike

Cliffjumper - Car

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Bumblebee - Car (Ghost)

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Sentinel Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Galvatron - Tank

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Train

Skywarp - Cybertronian Jet

Blitzwing - Tank/Fighter Jet

Mindwipe - Bat

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Brawl - Tank

Rumble - Motorcycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Laserbeak - Cassette

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Sky-Byte - Flying Shark

Slugslinger - Dual Cockpit Jet

Razorclaw - Treaded Vehicle

Rampage - Treaded Vehicle

Tantrum - Treaded Vehicle

Headstrong - Treaded Vehicle

Squawktalk - Cassette

Beastbox - Cassette

Redwing - Fighter Jet

Acid Storm - Fighter Jet

Cindersaur - Lizard Monster

Cutthroat - Winged Monster

Other Decepticon Troops

Barricade - Car (Mentioned) Dead

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Rat

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt

Cybertronian Colonists

Aileron - Spaceship

Sterling - Car Killed by Human Satellite

Swift - Helicopter

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Vanquish - Part of Jet

Moonracer - Sports Car

Knock Out - Sports Car

Obsidian - Osprey Helicopter

Strika - Battle Tank

Tigatron - Tiger

Airazor - Eagle

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Ayana Jones

Sanjay Bharwaney

Spike Witwicky

Zilong Qian

President of the United States

POTUS Security Guards

EDC Personnel

General Witwicky (Mentioned) Dead

Jimmy Pink (Mentioned)

Other

Garrison Blackrock

Buster the Dog

Bob the Insecticon

D.O.C.

Chinese Mechs - Ret Jets

Ramjet Drone - Fighter Jet

Thrust Drone - Fighter Jet

Titan in Vision (Vision Only)

Ramjet-Thrust Combiners - Giant Jets (Mentioned)

The Primes (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• Rust Dust is never seen outside of her chest-plate mode as part of Victorion...poor boob lady!
• Huh, Mindwipe sure has appeared out of nowhere right? Wonder if he has a new toy coming out later this year?
• Aww Marissa really does love Thundercracker after all...then he runs away!
• Several Decepticons appear in this issue in generic designs. One does look a lot like a black version of Whirl though.
• Soundwave claims to wish to rescue their "brothers and sisters" from Galvatron, but has no intention of saving any of the Autobots....does he think Swift is multiple bots?
• Again, despite Camiens being known for not liking projectile weapons due to them being wasteful, Aileron is shown here using a gun and having inbuilt guns in her space ship mode.
• It appears that due to the crudely drawn Autobot insignias on them, the Torchbearers have now officially joined the Autobots. This symbol is similar to what Rodimus attempted to do with Tailgate in the MTMTE Annual. This of course now aligns them with their upcoming toys.
• So, despite him being utterly blown up and shot seemingly to death last issue, Sideswipe seems to be relatively in one piece here. I mean he is said to be only just hanging on, but STILL!
• Thundercracker finally joins the Autobots after originally declining Drift's offer at the climax of All Hail Megatron, the series that this story line was named for.
• Also, Thundercracker tries to explain to Optimus what a handshake is, as if it were a human custom, but it's clearly known of to Cybertronians...Drift even offered his hand when he invited Thundercracker to the Autobots!
• Bob is revealed to have a retractable face plate that shows mandibles to scare puppies!
• Victorion is also shown at different points to have a retractable faceplate as well!
• The EDC were apparently unaware of Blackrock's combiner drones.
• Brawl is shown returning to Cybertron so he can be a part of the upcoming "Til all are one" series, along with the other Combaticons.
• A running joke in this comic is that no-one, bar Optimus, knows who Aileron is. Despite this, Optimus' vision implies that she'll become the new Mistress of Flame at some point.
• This comic was released before the final two issues of Sins of the Wreckers, meaning that it spoils that Prowl will survive that story :(
• Also, Jimmy Pink is mentioned as being released now too. I wonder what he'll do now? Reunite with Verity (assuming she survives Sins of the Wreckers too)
• In all seriousness though, if Verity dies from her mystery illness, and Prowl is allowed to live despite all he's done, then I may just rage!
• The White House has a pair of Blackrock's drone Cybertronians guarding it...how has this not caused a panic yet?
• Cybertron appears to be going under some more repairs now, either there's an attack that hasn't been shown yet in continuity, or they're actually building new buildings on the planet!
• It's mentioned somewhat off-hand that Sentinel Prime once claimed another populated planet, but was topped when the "peasants" revolted against him. I wonder if this plot line will be brought up in the upcoming Titans Return plot line, considering Sentinel is one of the centrepiece figures.
• The president is revealed to be a black woman. That's very nicely progressive IDW! *pats heads*
• It was mentioned offhand once that the Jupiter Commune is powered using the Onyx system...I wonder if Galvatron having control over that, and Optimus' vision of the Commune crashing have any connection?
• The last panel of the side story shows footage of the Autobots taken directly from the main story, placing this story at that same moment...although Prime hasn't made his message to the Universe yet...so how do the Council of Worlds already know about it?