TFCC - A Flash Forward #6

Plot

Jhiaxus' Firecons attack the freed Autobots, but are able to fight them and the Sharkticons off. Pyro reveals that he knows that Hi-Q is in Jhiaxus' chest compartment and has Blaze free him, the Autobots escape from the lab as it starts to explode.

Outside Ironhide, Bumblebee and Mirage stop the Autobots from leaving, whilst on the roof Nightracer is watching and thinks this is all wrong, she's soon joined by the Battlechargers and Side Burn, who has just recovered all his memories thanks to the battle sounds below, Nightracer says that he has to stay with them as they're a team, but Side Burn instead says that she should come with him and the Autobots instead.

The Autobot Clones are convinced that if they come with the Autobots they can live in peace, and that Jhiaxus lied about them being just warmongers. Sky-Byte says to Jhiaxus that he can't let them leave, but Jhiaxus just says that he doesn't care as he has more clones, and that this just proves that he needs to kill the older generations before releasing his new Transformers.

Later, the Autobots have returned to Earth and the Battlechargers are given leniency for helping Side Burn before. Everyone is happy, except for Sizzle who comes up to the group and reveals his most recent vision: The Machine Wars are coming!

In Axiom Nexus, the Trans Techs are monitoring the multiverse for more damages after the Shattered Glass version of Ultra Magnus destroyed the Classics Universe, and have detected that some more universes are folding in on themselves and being destroyed as a result, but more worryingly that 2 small ships from the Classics Universe were also pulled into another universe, a previously time-locked one where the Origin Matrix is located!

Soon two of the Primes recruited by the local Optimus head to a seedy location, where they find some Transformers from various universes playing a poker game, and they recruit Depth Charge for a mission.

Elsewhere in Axiom Nexus, Aquarius is playing the Transformers I.Q. game when a smaller Transformer returned with a shard of a "cosmic blade" which "the big guy" needs, and agrees to send her back to her home universe (whilst quoting Wizard of Oz a lot)

Characters

Autobot

Pyro - Fire Truck

Side Burn - Blue Flame Speedster

Ultra Magnus - Mighty Hauler

Sizzle - Green Machine

Windbreaker - Serene Shifter

Hubcap - Smooth Talking Drifter

Blaze - Winning Formula

Aquafend - Radical Racer

Sideswipe - Gold Circle Winner

Electro - Pick Up Truck

Streetwise - Police Car

Optimus Prime (In Vision)

Prowl (Mentioned)

Trans Tech Prowl (In Axiom Nexus)

Trans Tech Rhinox (In Axiom Nexus)

G2 Hero Optimus Prime - Truck (In Axiom Nexus)

Cybertron Beast Optimus Prime - Ape (In Axiom Nexus)

Animated Jackpot - Sports Car (In Axiom Nexus)

Circuit - Muscle Car (In Axiom Nexus)

Trans Tech Optimus Prime (Mentioned)

Shattered Glass Ultra Magnus (Mentioned)

Folding Universe Tracks (On Screen In Axiom Nexus)

Decepticon

Jhiaxus - Fiery Flier

Runamuck - White Tasty Tuner

Runabout - Black Tasty Tuner

Cindersaur - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Flamefeather - Brutal Bird

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Machine Wars Megatron (In Vision)

Machine Wars Soundwave (In Vision)

Machine Wars Starscream (In Vision)

Galvatron (In Vision)

Breakdown - Sports Car (In Axiom Nexus)

Slipstream - Fighter Jet (In Axiom Nexus)

Folding Universe Galvatron (On Screen In Axiom Nexus)

Generation 2 Clone

Nightracer - Lean machine Joined Autobots

Bumblebee - Sports Car Joined Autobots

Mirage - F1 Race Car Joined Autobots

Ironhide - Pick Up Truck Joined Autobots

Clone Army In Stasis

Other

Sky-Byte - Submarine

Sharkticons - Submarines

Hi-Q

Depth Charge - Fighter Jet (In Axiom Nexus)

Aquarius (In Axiom Nexus)

Other Quintessons in I.Q. game (In Axiom Nexus)

"Dorothy" (In Axiom Nexus)

Notes

• The images shown on the screen in the epilogue are different from those seen in the pre-released version used to advertise the Sub Service figures
• It's unclear how Pyro knew that Hi-Q was in Jhiaxus' chest, since his ability only lets him see a few seconds into the future
• Sizzle's premonition about needing to get a parking ticket is revealed here to be because he needed the time to have his distant future vision of the Botcon 2013 storyline (based on Machine Wars it seems)
• It's not shown if the Clones of Rumble and Soundwave joined the others in leaving with the Autobots
• On the screens in the epilogue the Tracks seen is being turned into his yellow alternators repaint it seems (and Galvatron seems to be turning into a repaint as well)
• The Origin Matrix shown here looks like the one that comes with Big Convoy (is it a coincidence that one of the sub service figures is a repaint of him (Ultra Mammoth)
• Is it weird that the freebie figure for 2013 seems to be getting a bigger role than the many figures that you have to spend a load of money for?

Other Features

New toy adverts

Interview with Clint Chapman

Sideswipe Profile

Frenzy Profile

Recordicons Mini-Comic

Transformers I.Q.

Bonus Mini-Comic - Continues story of the Star Saber quest

DW - 20th Anniversary Summer Special

G1 - Welcome to the Jungle

Plot

Megatron fights a feral Razorclaw on Planet Beest, having already defeated and captured the other Predacons, but manages to defeat the Predacon leader in the forest and take shim back to his lair inside a temple where he fixes his mind and refits Razorclaw to be able to combine with his fellow Predacons, into Predaking.

Characters

Decepticon

Megatron - Gun

Razorclaw - Lion

Predacons (Seen in Predaking Mode)

Predaking - Predacon Gestalt

Air Warriors - Jets

Other

Battle Beasts

Notes

• This story is set between Megatron killing Wreck-Gar and returning to Cybertron
• The denizens of Planet Beest are the Battle Beasts.
• Despite what is shown on the cover, the other Predacons don't actually appear in this comic

Energon - Perspective

Plot

Slugslinger, Snow Cat and Sharkticon return from a mission (to steal the Omega Supreme plans) in failure and lie to Megatron about what went wrong, and telling him how it wasn't each of their faults. After listening to all of them, Megatron talks to Slugslinger and says that his lie was the most convincing, which is what he needs in his army, so he promotes him to senior lieutenant.

Characters

Autobot

Omega Supreme - Crane and Train (Flashback) Under Construction

Decepticon

Megatron - Space Jet

Snow Cat - Snow Tracker

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Jet

Sharkticon - Submarine

Shockblast - Sattelite/Tank (Mentioned)

Mini-Con

Skyboom - Shuttle (Flashback)

Wreckage - Warship (Flashback)

Scattor - Jet (Flashback)

Human

Kicker (Flashback)

Notes

• This is set after the last to be released issue of Energon
• ...Why was Snow Cat...who turns into a snowmobile sent on a mission to Ocean City, which is in the ocean...?
• Slugslinger and Sharkticon's faces look different to their normal states, both looking more normal than they should
• The Energon Saber Team are in their Armada series counterpart's colours

RID - Ultra Magnus...to the Rescue?

Plot

Megatron tells Scourge and Sky-Byte that their supplies from Cybertron have been cut off due to issues there, so he orders them to drain energy from Earth, whilst he and some of the Decepticons cause distractions for the Autobots.

The attacks begin and the Autobots are stretched thin so Optimus goes to deal with Scourge and Sky-Byte himself, who are attacking a power plant in Arizona, when Ultra Magnus joins in as well. The two learn to work together and eventually manage to defeat the bad guys, saving the day, however Magnus still doesn't want to be part of Prime's team, so he goes off on his own once more.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Fire Truck

Ultra Magnus - Car Carrier

Prowl - Police Car

Side Burn - Muscle Car

X-Brawn - SUV

T-Ai

Rapid Run - Bullet Train (On Screen)

Predacon

Megatron - Dragon/Bat/Hand/Car/Jet

Sky-Byte - Shark

Slapper - Toad

Gas Skunk - Skunk

Darkscream - Flying Squirrel

Decepticon

Scourge - Oil Tanker

Armorhide - Tank

Rollbar - Jeep

Human

Workers

Firemen

Notes

• This comic seems to be set during the RID TV series. It's likely however that had this of been picked up as a series that we'd have seen it diverge somewhat
• From the looks of things, Megatron is performing a diversion in this story....why?!
• Magnus pretty much calls Scourge a repaint.
• ...What is wrong with Side Burn's head in this story!?!?

BW - Ain't No Rat

Plot

The Maximals are on their way home with Megatron as their prisoner, so the Maximals all take a stasis nap to pass the time, whilst asleep, Rattrap has a dream about him being out alone, when Dinobot 2 attacks him, but he's rescued by three Maximals he doesn't recognize. Rattrap invites the Maximals to return to base with him for safety, but they refuse, saying they have more important things to do.

Rattrap wakes up to Optimus Primal wondering what he was talking about whilst sleeping, but Rattrap doesn't think it's important, and that it's just a dream, and they continue back home.

Characters

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Ape/Armoured Truck/Jet

Rattrap - Rat

Cheetor - Cheetah

Rhinox - Thino

Black Arachnia - Spider

Silverbolt - Winged Wolf

Optimus Minor - Spider Monkey (Flashback)

Bonecrusher - Bison (Flashback)

Wolfang - Wolf (Flashback)

Predacon

Megatron - Dragon

Dinobot 2 - Raptor (Flashback)

Notes

• This story was selected to be the next Dreamwave series, however Dreamwave collapsed before it could be made, however the series was recycled by IDW for The Gathering, which has the same basic plot and characters (as seen from released scripts)
• This is of course set between the end of Beast wars and the start of Beast Machines.
• Despite what is shown on the front cover, Megatron ISN'T in his Tyrannosaurus Rex body in this story

IDW - Robots in Disguise #5

Comic Staff

Title: A Better Tomorrow

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith with Casey Coller

Colour by: Josh Perez

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Storyline

Ironhide watches as another NAIL ship returns to Cybertron, and the Autobots are getting noticeably more agitated due to them being very out-numbered now, but Ironhide assures him that everything will be alright in the end. At the landing site, Starscream and Metalhawk greet the newly returned Sky-Byte, a former Decepticon and now a poet, who doesn't seem to like Starscream due to his reputation. Prowl and Arcee watch this from high up, and Arcee taunts Prowl about knowing one of his secrets. Arcee tells Prowl that she's not his assassin, and that she got out most of her pent up anger suring her 6 year "therapy" session with Jhiaxus on Gorlam Prime and leaves, with Prowl wondering what Arcee thinks she is now then.

Later, Metalhawk is showing Sky-Byte around the city and introduces him to some more NAIL's and he learns about the Autobot's having the Decepticons tagged to explode if they go out of line, which shocks him. Later still, Ironhide is on a patrol outside the city when he encounters Sky-Byte composing a poem whilst looking at some of the dead Sweeps, who still litter the wastelands. Ironhide tells Sky-Byte that he'd love to hear his poem some time, but he should return to the city before sundown, due to the planet going crazy at night. Ironhide suggests that Sky-Byte goes to talk to some of his old Decepticon friends to get the whole picture of the planet, as he's already spoken to the NAIL's and himself about it.

Back in the city, Ironhide and Blurr are out for a drive and Blurr is slowly recovering from his injuries from the last issue and comments on how he'd love to open a bar one day (like Swerve said in MTMTE). Ironhide says it's a good idea. Elsewhere, Metalhawk and Starscream meet with Bumblebee and try to convince him to remove the Decepticon's I/D Chips, but he refuses.

Sky-Byte meets with Swindle and Needlenose, who are helping Dirge hide from Prowl when they hear some Autobots entering their hideout, as they followed Sky-Byte. The Autobots open fire, and Swindle takes Dirge down an escape route. Sky-Byte and Needlenose get arrested by Prowl whilst Arcee goes off after Swindle and Dirge. Outside the Decepticons are taken out, and some of the NAIL's think Needlenose is Skywarp and want to hurt him for hurting Zetca before, and also mistake Sky-Byte for a Decepticon too, which erupts into a riot between the NAIL's, the Autobot guards and the two prisoners.

Ironhide, Bumblebee, Metalhawk and Starscream rush to the scene and Ironhide beats down the crowd to bring some calm to it. Ironhide defends Sky-Byte from Prowl and Prowl turns against his old friend. Ironhide begs Bumblebee to turn off the chips and allow the Decepticons to try and prove themselves, as well as ending all this madness.

The next day, Blurr has reopened Maccadam's Old Oil House as a neutral area to celebrate the turning off of the chips. Ironhide, Prowl and Sky-Byte share a booth, but Prowl's still angry. Ironhide reveals that when Cybertron went White after Vector Sigma was revived he saw the future, and that it was bright and beautiful because all the fighting and all the old Transformers, bar himself and Alpha Trion were dead and gone.

Characters

Autobot
Bumblebee - Car
Ironhide - Van
Prowl - Car
Arcee - Car
Blurr - Race Car
Sideswipe - Car
Streetwise - Car
Jazz - Car
Wheeljack - Car
Broadside
Sky Lynx
Cliffjumper
Bluestreak
Wheelie (Mentioned)
Alpha Trion (Mentioned)
Future Gorlam Prime Autobots (Mentioned)

Decepticon
Starscream - Tetrajet
Dirge - Tetrajet
Ratbat - Cassette (Mentioned) Dead
Swindle - Van
Needlenose - Jet
The Constructicons (Mentioned) Dead
Horri-Bull (Mentioned) Dead
Skywarp - Tetrajet (Mentioned)

NAIL
Metalhawk - Jet
Tappet - Car
Zetca
Hipotank - Tank
Sky-Byte - Flying Shark
2 Junkions - Motorcycles
"Cruellock"
"Skyblast"
NAIL Crowds
Other
Sweeps - Space Shuttles Dead
Galvatron (Mentioned)
Jhiaxus (Mentioned)
Primus (Mentioned)

Comic Notes

• Sky-Byte is clearly based on the character from Robots in Disguise (the TV series), however this one is a Neutral Transformer, who used to be a Decepticon, rather than a Predacon.
• Hipotank (the green tank NAIL) is finally named in this issue, after being unnamed all series
• Sky-Byte thinking the Sweep reminding him of someone he used to know is a possible reference to there being a Scourge (whom the Sweeps are modeled after) in Robots in Disguise as well. Or it could mean that Sky-Byte used to know Scourge before he went missing some time ago?
• Galvatron's army going from being a collection of many body types and characters to being a group of identical Sweeps is explained sort of here, as they just all slowly became the Sweeps via Galvatron's influence (which was actually shown in All Hail Megatron when Galvatron created the first Sweeps using the Heart of Darkness)
• Both Blurr and Swerve have now opened up a bar like they originally planned to, albeit separately to one-another
• Dirge is still on the run from Prowl after he saw him killing Bombshell in cold blood
• Sideswipe actually seems to push Streetwise into Needlenose's flamethrower
• Arcee stalking Swindle and Dirge is likely to be a plot-line in an upcoming issue
• One of the NAIL's near the end looks like the Raptor Terrorcon, Cruellock (even his colours) from Energon, and another even resembles Skyblast from the same series!
• To keep up the pretense that the I/D chips are still fully active Starscream flies by hanging onto Metalhawk in his jet mode
• Sky Lynx once again randomly appears in a background...this time inside Maccadam's....how did he fit inside there?
• I guess Blurr just loved Maccadam's when it used to be open as he named his bar after it (and since this couldn't be the old building either, since all the old structures were erased during the reformatting)...I guess one of the NAIL ships just happened to be the perfect shape to recreate the bar?
• The events of the flash forward at the end of the previous ongoing are revealed to have been a vision of Ironhide's

TFCC - Generation 2: Redux

Comic Staff

Writer: Greg Sepelak & Trent Troop

Pencils: Robby Musso

Inks: Robby Musso, Frank Milkovich & John Warner

Colours: Evan Gauntt, Jesse Wittenrich & S. Trent Troop

Letters: Jesse Wittenrich

Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair

Editor/In Chief: Brian Savage

Creative Director:Lanny Lathem

Storyline

Since 2006 when the Rebirth happened things have changed, Earth has begun creating new Transofmrers who have taken on the Autobot and Decepticon mantles as well and joined the war as a Second Generation. Optimus and most of the older Transformers are in space fighting Galvatron and his troops, whilst the newer ones fight it out on Earth.
The Decepticons under Clench's command chase off the Autobots under Pyro's command from the Large Hadron Collider with the help of Sky-Byte and his Sharkticons. Pyro is captured by Clench. 10 miles and 5 minutes later the Autobots regroup and plans a counter attack, whilst also calling for backup from Autobot City.
Back at the LHC Pyro is taken inside the building where he gets Clench to reveal his plan for the Collider, which rather than causing a Big Bang effect (which is a ridiculous plan) is being used to refine the Forestonite found on Earth to be used to power up the Decepticons. Clench has Cindersaur test it out, who eats it and mutates into a much larger and more powerful form, which impresses the Decepticons. He then has the others start testing it as well.
Later Double Punch, Slicer, Calcar and some Sharkticons are standing guard when the Autobots launch their attack on them. Clench and some of his troops join the fight, including the now powered up Firecons (with only Cindersaur being hideously mutated), and the Decepticons start beating down the Autobots using their Forestonite gained powers to overwhelm them.
Elsewhere Streetwise, Rapido and Meanstreak break in through the back door and make their way to the room where Pyro is being restrained and the Forestonite is being stored when a newly powered up Breakdown, Sky-Byte and Roadblock and they start to get beaten down by them. Outside again the Autobots are helped out by the Autobot reinforcements arriving, but they're still being overwhelmed nonetheless. Back in the LHC Pyro has freed himself from his bonds and goes to grab the Forestonite so the Decepticons can't use it, when Breakdown shoots it, intending for it to explode, but instead it just expels gas that affects all the assembled Transformers and gives them powers.
Outside the Autobots are starting to get the upper hand, and some of them start to enter the LHC to look for the human hostages and the missing Autobots. The gas starts to seep throughout the base and affects all the Transformers inside and gives them new powers. The Autobots start to master their abilities and use them to fight off the Decepticons, and rejoin the fight outside and clearly turn the tide of the battle for them.
The LHC building starts to collapse around the fighters, so the Decepticons and Sharkticons decide to retreat with the Forestonite that they can carry.
In the aftermath the Autobots help the humans to rebuild the LHC building and Pyro welcomes Streetwise onto his team as they need to recover a few missing canisters of Forestonite that the Decepticons stole.
Two days later, in France Slicer rendezvous with his future self from the year 5,000 and give shim a canister of Forestonite in exchange for some data from the future. Once Slicer leaves, future Slicer removes his fake Decepticon insignia and reveals himself to be Shattered Glass Wheeljack, who contacts his universe's Rodimus and says that he couldn't find Nexus Prime, but he found a compound they can use back home. Rodimus says he's done well and tells him to come home.

Characters

Autobot


Pyro - Fire Engine
Scorch - Military Jeep
Streetwise - Police Car
Rapido - Sports Car
Motor Mouth - Pick Up Truck
Gobots - Sports Car
Meanstreak - Race Car
Sideswipe - Sports Car
Road Rocket - Motorcycle
Aquafend - Baja Buggy
Drench - Race Car
Leadfoot - F1 Race Car
Manta Ray - Hovercraft
Double Clutch - F1 Race Car
Turbofire - Pick Up Truck
Windbreaker - Sports Car
Blowout - Sports Car
Gearhead - Sports Car
Firecracker - Sports Car
High Beam - Sports Car
Jazz - Porsche
Seaspray - Hovercraft
Hubcap - Sports Car
Electro -Hot Rod Pick Up Truck
Volt - Hot Rod Sports Car
Fizzle - Baja Buggy
Beachcomber - Buggy
Bumblebee - VW Beetle
Wheeljack - Race Car (Shattered Glass version)
Rodimus Prime - Sports Car (Monitor Only - Shattered Glass version)
Nexus Prime (Mentioned)
Optimus Prime - Truck (Flashback)
Hot Spot - Fire Engine (Flashback) Dead
Blades - Rescue Helicopter (Flashback) Dead
Groove - Police Motorcycle (Flashback) Dead
First Aid - Ambulance (Flashback) Dead
Defensor - Protectobot Gestalt (Flashback) Dead

Decepticon


Clench - Armoured Truck
Double Punch - Scorpion/Jet
Slicer - Race Car
Breakdown - Sports Car
Cindersaur - Tyrannosaurus Rex (former Lizard Monster)
Flamefeather - Bird Monster
Sparkstalker - Insect Monster
Skyjack - Jet
Dirtbag - Dump Truck
Roadblock - Front End Loader
Afterburner - Jet
Eagle Eye - Jet
Terradive - Jet
Windrazor - Jet
Hooligan - Jet
Space Case - Jet
Jetstorm - Baja Buggy
Deluge - Race Car
Jolt - Hot Rod Car
Sizzle - Hot Rod Car
Powerdive - Helicopter
Ransack - Propeller Plane
Starscream - Jet (Flashback)
Galvatron - Tank (Flashback)
Scourge - Space Shuttle (Flashback)
Cyclonus - Space Jet (Flashback)
Scorponok - Scorpion/Base (Flashback)
Zarak - Scorponok's Head (Flashback)
Runabout - Sports Car (Flashback)
Runamuck - Sports Car (Flashback)
Motor Master - Truck (Flashback) Dead
Drag Strip - F1 Race Car (Flashback) Dead
Dead End - Sports Car (Flashback) Dead
Wildrider - Sports Car (Flashback) Dead
Menasor - Stunticon Gestalt (Flashback) Dead

Other


Sky-Byte - Submarine
Sharkticons - Submarines
Quintessons (Mentioned)
LHC Workers

Notes

• Rather than using their original character models from the series, Galvatron and Cyclonus use their Universe toy models, and Scourge uses his Botcon toy model, as well as some other characters in the story like Skyfall using his new character model from a newer toyline.
• The only toy from the 2010 Botcon collection not to appear here is Ravage, since he's an SG character
• The Stunticons and Protectobots (bar Breakdown and Streetwise) were killed in battle in the missing four years.
• Cindersaur has a major character model change because he actually ate the Forestonite, unlike the others.
• The Sharkticons have learned to not trust it when someone others a bribe and the Universal Greeting
• Jetstorm and Deluge confirm in this comic that this is in the same continuity as the Wings of Honour storyline
• When he gets affected by the Forestonite Sideswipe morphs from his old G1 toyline based body to his new Botcon Custom Class design, rather than him originating in his Universe toy mold like Streetwise and Breakdown did
• It's never stated that Bumblebee actually is Bumblebee (due to him being Goldbug at the end of the US series) and his face seems to imply that he is still Goldbug (having a visor and mouthplate etc) but I'm naming him Bumblebee here still due to him being called that in the toyline
• The Diamond Edition includes an additional page that has Wheeljack from the Shattered Glass Universe appearing and tricking his coincidental doppelganger Slicer into giving him some Forestonite for a currently unknown plan. This is a reference to how they share the same character model and basis, plus also to how the "Slice" toy has a molded Autobot insignia on his chest due to the mold itself.
• Due to Wheeljack coming to this universe, it seems like the SG Autobots have worked out a new Stellar Spanner that can travel between dimensions
• Slicer really is an idiot....Wheeljack's ship has a GIANT AUTOBOT INSIGNIA ON IT!!!!