IDW - Transformers #42

Title: Radical Time

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Andrew Lee Griffith

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Optimus laments the destruction of more of Cybertron's natural beauty by their war, and worries about what is happening in the Sonic Canyons, due to communications being bad there.

Meanwhile, at Darkmount, Termagax wants to create a data packet and capture a live Insecticlone, so they can use them to defeat the Insecticons in general.

Blaster and Glyph work together to create the program, whilst Hound, Glyph and Road Rage go on an Insecticlone hunt...

Meanwhile, Novastar's team are hunting for the Insecticon base, to try and take them out now, with Smokescreen following some drones to the fallen Titan mountain they are based at. He returns to the group, to have their fliers act as a decoy for the Insecticons to focus on, whilst the rest of the team can deal with them in person...

Optimus' group are on their route to Darkmount, when they are blocked by heavy fire from the Decepticons under Jhiaxus' crew, under the pretense of fighting off some Insecticons. Unfortunately the Rust Worms are closing in on the Autobots from the other side, blocking them in place.

Before Optimus can make his orders, he is pulled into the Matrix by the Mediator, who warns him of the Allspark being under attack by Exarchon, and tells him that if it is a taken by him, then all of Cybertron will fall....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Ironhide - Van

Chromia - Car

Elita-1 - Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Highbrow - Helicopter

Perceptor

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft

Novastar - Car

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Wheeljack - Car

Blaster

Tap-Out - Winged Hovercraft

Glyph - Car

Hound - Jeep

Road Rage - Flying Car

Javelin - car

Blades - Helicopter

Springer - Helicopter/Car

Smokescreen - Car

Pipes - Truck

Subsea - Submarine

Backstreet - Car

Groove - Motorcycle

Vibes

Cromar - Jet

Sideswipe - Car

Strongarm - Police Vehicle

Other Autobot Soldiers

Pyra Magna - Truck (Mentioned)

Sureshot - Buggy (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Jhiaxus - Jet

Heavywait - Tank

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Airwave - Battle Platform

Power Punch - Tank

Windsweeper - Jet

Red Wing - Jet

Thundercracker - Jet

Other Seekers - Jets

Other Decepticon Soldiers

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Strika - Battle Tank (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Termagax - Van

Insecticlones

Primus Within Matrix

Past Cybertronians Within Matrix

Mountain Titan Long Dead

Codexa (Flashback Only, Image used by Mediator)

Lodestar - Titan Ship (Mentioned)

Bombshell - Boll Weevil (Mentioned)

Exarchon (Mentioned)

Other

Rust Worms

The Mediator Within Matrix

Notes

• This marks the penultimate issue of the main series :( 
• Tap-Out and Glyph learned the language of SDS-359 during the Valentine's Special.
• Javelin has joined Novastars strike team, since their usual sniper, Sureshot, is based at the Sonic Canyons, as seen in War's End.
• Smokescreen is seemingly revealed to have a past with Bombshell, possibly being responsible for the Insecticons during their "clean-up missions" during the first war.
• Even though the Autobots and Decepticons are allied right now, Jhiaxus is forcing the Autobots to remain in one location, likely to either backstab them easier later, or to stop them from being seen as the heroes of this situation.
• The Mediator confirms that the Matrix chose Optimus to be it's next bearer. Previously it appeared that it just accepted him, following Sentinel's murder.

IDW - Transformers: Beast Wars 2022 Annual

Title: Skold's No Good, Very Bad Day

Written by: Sam Maggs

Art by: Lanna Souvanny

Title: Rhinox's Amaze-ing Adventure

Written by: David Mariotte

Art by: Phillip Johnson

Title: The Morphlings

Written by: Nick Marino

Art by: Andrea Bell

Editor: Jazmine Joyner

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Skold's No Good, Very Bad Day

Skold decides that she is going to make this day go well, but I'd immediately assaulted by Terrorsaur, and pushed into a cell with Powerhug.

The other Predacons watch her, upset in the cell, on the security system.

Powerhug talks to Skold, and makes her feel better about herself, and is quickly decapitated by the Predacon, to use his circuitry to free herself from the cell, to the shock of the other Predacons, and the decapitated Powerhug.

Rhinox's Amaze-ing Adventure

Whilst out looking for fallen Protoform Pods, Rhinox ends up falling into a maze trap, set up by the Spider Predacons, where he also finds Waspinator, who was also trapped by the Spiders.

The two work together, and make it to the exit. Waspinator flies out, but leaves Rhinox behind to get out himself, much to Rhinox's annoyance.

The Morphlings

Whilst waiting for Optimus to return from a mission, the Maximals sit around a campfire, leading Cheetor to start telling a "spooky" story.

Cheetor starts telling a fan-fic about the Beast Wars cast, but kills them all off screen, except a few characters, before having them all killed or corrupted by small creatures called Morphlings.

Cheetor muses on whether his story could ever happen, with the others unimpressed.

Characters

Maximal

Rhinox - Rhino

Cheetor - Cheetah

Rattrap - Rat

Nyx - Bat

Powerhug - Pill Bug Decapitated by Skold

Optimus Primal - Ape (Mentioned)

Fallen Protoform Pods (Mentioned)

Predacon

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Skold - Alligator Snapping Turtle

Tarantulas - Tarantula

Blackarachnia - Black Widow Spider

Waspinator - Wasp

Terrorsaur - Pteranodon 

Scorponok - Scorpion

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Fictional Characters

Megasavage

Servicons

Nightshriek - Bat Corrupted by Megasavage

Botanicus - Plant Killed by Servicons

Silverklaw - Bird Killed by Morphlings

Unnamed Ape Dead

Unnamed Spider Dead

Unnamed Rat Dead

Unnamed Cat Dead

Notes

• This special issue of Beast Wars presents us with some side stories set at uncertain points in the series. At the most, we can assume they are all set following Blackarachnia's introduction, but with the first one set before Terrorsaur's death.
• The Maximal Powerhug being on the Darksyde is never explained. Is he a prisoner? A corrupted Protoform that has just arrived there? One of the Children of the Vok? Does he die at the end of the issue, after Skold decapitates him? Why are the Predacons shocked at her killing one of their enemies?
• In the second story, we see Waspinator speaking like he does in the original cartoon, which hasn't really been a thing in this series this far. Also his dismissive nature in the first story COULD be out of character, but that was also just in Skold's imagination.
• The third story's fictional tale is, obviously, based on the Beast Machines cartoon, with all the characters representing characters from the show, but with the Defiance (the Maximal counterparts) being completely destroyed in this story.
• The only character to transform during the fictional story is Nightshriek, so it's not really confirmed if any of the others even can transform (I'd assume so though)
• The preview included in this comic is for the upcoming Beast Wars 16, which is actually two issues after this comic was released, spoiling that Megatron and Optimus escape their captures from issue 14.
• Among the character designs shown in the extra features is Amordillo, a character who has yet to appear in the series yet. Due to his electric green eyes however, I'm going to guess that he's a Child of the Vok who will be revealed before the finale.
• Interestingly, Optimus Primal never appears in this special, even as a cameo (assuming you don't count the Morphlings Optimus stand-in). Also, Dinobot doesn't even get a mention in any of these stories!

IDW - Transformers: War's End #2

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

Skywarp arrives at Decepticon HQ, and warns them about Exarchon's return, and that he has plans at the Sonic Canyons, which must be stopped or Cybertron will fall.

Megatron, who was in the middle of peace talks with Optimus, agrees to Optimus to a ceasefire, so they can handle Exarchon. Megatron orders Sixshot and Slipstream to lead their teams to the Sonic Canyons to handle the situation.

At the Sonic Canyons, the Autobot team are hiding from Exarchon, when Zetar digs through the ground, having found something underground for them to see. Exarchon has a Clone Drone army, a massive drill and an Imploder...

Pyra Magna, having received a distress call from the Canyon team heads there with his Compatriots, but Pyra orders Jumpstream to not join them, as she wants to avoid her death, as predicted by her future travels. 

Soundblaster and his team arrive to assist Exarchon, on Shockwave's orders, with some of them heading into the tunnels to deal with the Autobots.

The Decepticon teams arrive, but Slipstream has been ordered by Shockwave to stand back, and not join the fight. Some of the team disobey and join the fight immediately, and the others start to question Shockwave's commands...

The Decepticons engage the Exarchon-allied bots in the Canyons, but the giant dragon form of Exarchon joins the fight to deal with the Decepticons, however Pyra's team arrkves just in time to join the battle too.

Back in Iacon, the Science team confront Megatron, about whether it is a good idea to create a new Titan, with Exarchon wandering around.

Meanwhile, Jumpstream sees a shooting star, and decides to follow it, since she can't join the battle, however she soon discovers that it is actually Devastator, who has returned to Cybertron to join the battle. She cannot contact Pyra, due to the interference from the Canyons, do she teleports there, to give the warning in person, despite the risks....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Pyra Magna - Truck

Jumpstream - Car

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Groundbreaker - Jet

Sunstreaker - Car

Windcharger - Car

Sureshot - Buggy

Geomotus - Radar Buggy

Landmine - Plough Buggy

Pointblank - Car

Zetar - Drill Tank

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Soundwave - Hovercraft

Starscream - Jet

Slipstream - Jet

Sixshot - Tank/Jet/Gun/Car/Winged Beast

Shadow Striker - Car

Blackjack - Car

Hyperdrive - Car

Flamewar - Motorcycle

Tracer - Helicopter

Swift - Helicopter

Roughstuff - Truck

Cindersaur - Lizard Monster

Flamefeather - Bird Monster

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Mindwipe - Bat

Bitstream - Jet

Astrotrain - Train/Shuttle 

Three-fold Spark

Exarchon/Deathsaurus - Dragon

Soundblaster - Hovercraft

Rumble - Cassette

Frenzy - Cassette

Onslaught - Tank

Brawl - Tank

Vortex - Helicopter

Clone-Drone Army - Jets

Exarchon/Flatline - Van (Mentioned)

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Skywarp - Jet

Devastator - Construction Gestalt

Last Titan Spark Inert

Lodestar - Titan Ship (Mentioned)

Insecticon Clones - Insects (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Other

Flyts

Rust Worms

Exarchon's Re-makers (Flashback)

Notes

• We see the other side of the conversation between Optimus and Megatron from Transformers 41 here.
• Starscream and Soundwave are finally working together now, ever since Soundwave has hated him for taking his job as head of intelligence.
• Jumpstream notes that Cybertron was intact when she went to the future, so she thinks history ahs already been altered with the Rust Worms eating the surface as they currently are.
• Both Cyclonus and Jumpstream are present by the end of the issue at the Sonic Canyons, where the future version if Swift told Jumpstream she saw them die...
• Exarchon is revealed to possess an imploder, which is the same weapon used to kill the Titans Croaton and Vigilem.
• Deathsaurus/Exarchon seems to take some interest in who Onslaught is. We see in the dark future that Onslaught was one of the bodies he used in that period.
• Jumpstream absentmindedly comments that she sees a Titan when she sees a shooting star in the sky, much like Rubble did back in the early days of the series.
• Exarchon further comments this issue about how he was altered by the "Quintessence" and we even see tendrals operating on him in the flashback. I think we're seeing the Quintessons here...
• Exarchon's plan is revealed to be to infest the Allspark itself, in order to control all of Cybertron itself.
• Team Stream, who are affiliated with Shockwave, seem to be opposed to Exarchon's return, unlike the rest of his crew.
• The Decepticon scientists are now apprehensive about creating a new Titan, most likely due to how he infested Croaton during the original war.
• Devastator returns to Cybertron this issue, having gone on a rampage on Malyax in Galaxies, and having a brief cameo showing his travelling to Cybertron on a meteor a few issue ago.

IDW - Transformers #41

Title: The Landscape of Fear

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova & Blacky Shepherd

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Most of the Decepticons flee from the battlefield when Lodestar arrives, but Strika and her Heavies remain to try and counter the Titan.

Lodestar however, is not really in a condition to battle, with her extensive damage, and sensory problems, she is relying on Lightbright for almost everything right now.

Computron leaves Lodestar and takes on the Heavies by himself, easily swatting them all away, with only minor hits from his enemies.

Soon, the Decepticon Heavies are captured, but Optimus offers a truce instead, and asks Strika to open a communication to Megatron, despite his cohort's concerns.

Whilst it is being set up, Lightbright requests somewhere for Lodestar to receive repairs, to which Optimus suggests Darkmount...

Outside the walled city of Darkmount, the Autobots and their allies are fighting off the Insecticon swarm, which is being relentless in it's raids, but they receive a boost in firepower when the refugees from Crystal City, in listing Termagax in her "House" arrive.

Back at Crystal City, Strika opens the communication to Megatron, whom Optimus offers a peace truce in order to counter their joint threats, the Rust Worms, Insecticons and Exarchon, and the. Allow them to rebuild their world, before the Autobots cede the planet to Megatron. Megatron agrees after some discussion, but has to arrange the details later, due to some new news he has received.

During the talks, Pyra Magna receives a message from the team in the Sonic Canyons, and has to leave to investigate it. Ultra Magnus questions Optimus' plan to give the planet to Megatron, but the Autobot leader explains that they can retake it later, after it is saved.

At Darkmount, the Autobots are trying to repair the final, damaged Ark, for them to try and evacuate the dying planet, while Termagax gets a plan, she wants to lead a team to locate and destroy the Insecticon Swarm's homebase, but for this plan, she will need a fully intact Insecticon Clone...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Pyra Magna - Truck 

Ironhide - Van

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Sunstreaker - Car

Wheeljack - Car

Hound - Jeep

Road Rage - Flying Car

Gears - Truck

Tap-Out - Winged Hovercraft

Scattershot - Jet

Strafe - Jet

Nosecone - Drill Tank

Lightspeed - Car

Afterburner - Speedbike

Computron - Technobot Combiner 

Autobot Soldiers

Perceptor (Mentioned)

Highbrow - Helicopter (Mentioned)

Glyph - Car (Mentioned)

Jumpstream - Car (Mentioned)

Sonic Canyon Team (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Strika - Battle Tank

Heavywait - Tank

Lugnut - Jet

Obsidian - Dual Propeller Plane

Apeface - Ape/Jet

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Runamuck - Car

Runabout - Car

Airwave - Battle Platform 

Decepticon Soldiers

Other Cybertronian

Termagax - Van

Lodestar - Titan Ship Injured 

Lightbright

Kickback - Locust

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Skrapnel - Scarab Beetle

"House"

Spectrosynth Drones

Darkmount Refugees

Insecticon Swarm - Insects 

Cybertronian Mountains Titan Long Dead

Exarchon (Mentioned)

Constructicons (Mentioned)

Devastator - Constructicon Combiner (Mentioned)

Ark Repair Crew (Mentioned)

Other

Four-armed Alien

Rust Worms

Turbofoxes (Mentioned)

Organic Alien Refugees (Mentioned) Getting Sick and Hungry

Notes

• Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the Wreckers were aboard Lodestar. So I guess we won't be seeing them again before the finale of the continuity :( 
• Lightbright refers to Optimus Prime as "Orion" here, presumably because she just doesn't know about his name change, or just forgot about it.
• Tap-Out appears to have had a slight design update, making his body and alternate mode matching closer to Bumblebee's, which also makes him similar to the Origin Bumblebee toy...new repaint hint perhaps?
• I have a feeling that the end of this series will see the injured Lodestar be either rebuilt with the Ark's parts or die, and be used to fix the Ark, either way, she will become the Ark in essence.

IDW - Transformers: Beast Wars #14

Title: Primal Rage

Written by: Erik Burnham

Art by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Editor: Jazmine Joyner

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Plot

Waspinator and Scorponok locate some strange Energon, and fight off some aggressive beasts in the process.

When the Energon is brought back to the Darksyde, Tarantulas discovers that the Energon itself is what caused the aggression in the beasts, but for some reason it doesn't seem to affect the Predacons, giving Megatron an idea...

Later, Optimus and Dinobot are out positioning some new sensors, when Tarantulas and Blackarachnia attack, placing a strange device on Dinobot's beast mode back, and leave. Optimus tries to remove the device, but it detonates, knocking him out.

Later still, Optimus wakes up on the Axalon, but is shown to have become exceptionally aggressive to everyone, which Rhinox and Dinobot quickly realize must be an effect of the device, with Dinobot even suggesting that his Predacon heritage, and constant suppression of hatred for his past crew has just made him resistant to the effects.

Optimus stomps through the halls of the ship, and assaults the rest of the crew for their past failures and personality faults. Soon, Dinobot breaks up the fight, and suggests to Optimus to use his current rage to go after Megatron and take him out, rather than going after his own crew, which he agrees to, and leaves to kill the Predacon leader, with the Maximals just hoping he recovers from his affliction before he goes too far.

At the Darksyde, Megatron is trying to repair the engine damage caused during the Maximal's recent attack, when Waspinator appears and tells him that he has captured a Maximal, and wants Megatron to come to it, in order to kill him himself. Megatron follows, but finds no Maximals, then realizes that Waspinator's voice sounds different. "Waspinator" attacks Megatron, and knocks him out, revealing himself to be Saberback, and reports to his bosses that Megatron has been captured.

Elsewhere, Optimus is on his way to kill Megatron, when he is attacked by Polar Claw, who manages to knock him out too, capturing him for his leaders too...

Characters

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla Captured by Polar Claw

Dinobot - Velociraptor

Rhinox - Rhino 

Cheetor - Cheetah

Rattrap - Rat

Nyx - Bat 

Predacon

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex Captured by Saberback

Tarantulas - Tarantula

Blackarachnia - Black Widow Spider

Scorponok - Scorpion

Waspinator - Wasp

Skold - Alligator Snapping Turtle

Children of the Vok

Polar Claw - Polar Bear

Saberback - Stegosaurus

Other

Hammerhead Cats Defeated by Scorponok and Waspinator

"Gods" (Mentioned, very likely the Vok)

Notes

• Though not outright named here, the "god's" Polar Claw references are most likely the Vok, who have managed to figure out how to rewrite the Protoform Pods to serve them.
• The strange Energon found found this issue somewhat resembles red Kryptonite, in both effect and appearance.
• Saberback was one of the Predacons introduced in the Beast Wars Neo cartoon and toyline. Whilst probably just a coincidence, one of the sub gimmicks of that line's Predacons, was a "trap" or disguise mode, which Saberback does both this issue, he disguises as Waspinator, and traps Megatron.
• Polar Claw's appearance here could be a major holdover of the early plan for the Kingdom toyline, which originally featured Polar Claw as one of the seemingly planned figures.
• Polar Claw's speech patterns somewhat resembles Death's Head's speech, a character partly created by Simon Furman, who is known for loving Polar Bears, and being the writer for the previous IDW Beast Wars comic series.

IDW - Transformers: War's End #1

Written by: Brian Ruckley 

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Inks by: Matt Froese

Colours by: John-Paul Bove & Priscilla Tramontano

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

Geomotus and Landmine are sent to the Sonic Canyons with some Autobot guards to investigate the area, as Optimus and the other higher-ups think that something will happen there regarding Exarchon.

Eventually the team encounter a set of old automated weapons that weren't disabled following the war. Unable to stop them, the team elect to jump further down the canyons to (relative) safety.

At his base, Exarchon explains to Shockwave how he jumped into Provoke's body and managed to survive. He offers positions in his new bid to conquer Cybertron to Skywarp and Shockwave, the latter of which is willing to listen when he mentions there were secrets he kept, even from him back in the original war.

Soon, Soundblaster and the Combaticons, minus Blast Off, who is AWOL, agree to join Exarchon, but Skywarp is uninterested and warps away. Onslaught tries to stop him, but Exarchon doesn't care. He says that he has something important in the Sonic Canyons, and that the Autobots are already there...but adds that HE is also there too...

Back at the Canyons, the Autobots survived their fall, and Geomotus soon finds an artificial shaft in the ground, which Zetar tries to drill down to inetrcept it, but the entrance opens, and Exarchon, in his new Deathsaurus body exits and prepares to kill the intruders...

At Iacon, Cyclonus approaches the Decepticon's HQ, still holding the decapitated head of Provoke/Exarchon and demands to see Megatron, after a short fight with the guards, Sixshot comes out and agrees when Cyclonus mentions Exarchon...

Sixshot brings Cyclonus to Megatron, but the Decepticon leader isn't interested, but Sixshot brings up all the strange occurrences recently, like strange revivals and disappearances such as Flatline and Deathsaurus.

Characters

Autobot

Geomotus - Radar Buggy

Landmine - Plough Buggy

Pointblank - Car

Zetar - Drill Tank

Sureshot - Buggy

Optimus Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Pyra Magna - Truck (Mentioned)

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Crystal City Defenders (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Sixshot - Tank/Jet/Car/Gun/Winged Beast

Soundwave - Hovercraft

Starscream - Jet

Gutcruncher

Roughstuff - Truck

Blast Off - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Threefold Spark

Exarchon/Flatline - Van

Exarchon/Deathsaurus - Dragon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundblaster - Hovercraft

Onslaught - Tank

Brawl - Tank

Vortex - Helicopter

Exarchon/Provoke (Flashback) Dead

Exarchon's Last War Body (Flashback) Dead

Exarchon/Ruckus - Buggy Dead

Clone Swarms (Mentioned) Destroyed

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Skywarp - Jet

Paragon (Ghost)

Provoke (Ghost)

Grudge (Ghost)

Gridlock (Ghost)

Highfire (Ghost)

Cosmos - Orbiter (Mentioned)

Swindle - Van (Mentioned)

Insecticons (Mentioned)

Other

Flyts

Rust Worms (Mentioned)

Exarchon's Re-makers (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue is mentioned as happening concurrently with Transformers 40, with the attack on the Crystal City being referenced multiple times.
• It's very likely that the events of "War's End" was originally meant to be the B story of the main series, but due to the approaching end of the IDW license, they simply released it as its own series to allow the story to be completed properly.
• Just like with Bumblebee and Elita-1 in the main series, Geomotus and Landmine don't have Autobot insignias this issue, but are very clearly sided with them, so I'm just marking them as Autobots here.
• Optimus thinks that something will happen at the Sonic Canyons, most likely, because of Jumpstream's time jump, where she learned that she and Cyclonus are killed there.
• The Sonic Canyons seen here are explained as being named for the air moving through pores in the fissures of the mountain ranges.
• Cyclonus killed the Provoke/Exarchon vessel in Transformers #39, he is shown to still be holding her head here.
• Roughstuff and Gutcruncher are shown positioned together as guards, both were previously employees of Swindle's, who were apparently undercut by him.
• Soundblaster confirms that he was created by both Shockwave and Exarchon, though it's not mentioned here, it is still very likely that he is a clone of Soundwave, for some reason.
• Blast Off is mentioned as having left to meet someone, most likely Cosmos on the Winged Moon, as the two were shown to have started a relationship in the Valentine's Day special.
• When Zetar transforms, he is shown separating and reassembling, much like his current Selects toy...does this mean his parts can turn into weapons too then?

IDW - Transformers: Beast Wars #13

Title: The Speedway of Central Consciousness

Written by: Erik Burnham

Art by: Winston Chan

Colours by: Sidvenblu

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Editor: Jazmine Joyner

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Plot

The Maximals and Predacons battle it out on an Energon crystal field, but at one point an errant blast hits one of the crystals, knocking out Cheetor...

Cheetor wakes up on Cybertron, before the launch of the Axalon, but still remembers the events of the Beast Wars. Upon waking up, he is asked by multiple people about how Protoforms are modified, confusing the former racer, but eventually he remembers the explosion, and thinks that he's just dreaming following the trauma.

Soon, one of the Vok, Pakak, appears before him in a dark version of his own form and tries to force him to give up the information for him to use on the Protoforms in the real world, since he cannot unlock the information, for now. During his torture, Cheetor realizes that Palak needs him to live to get the information, which further infuriates Pakak.

The Vok offers Cheetor a deal, if he can win in a race against him, he will be awoken, but if Cheetor loses, he has to give up the information. Cheetor agrees, but soon regrets it when Pakak changes his form to Blurr's, the greatest racer in history.

After a close race, Cheetor manages to win, but Pakak reveals that he didn't care, as their race was along circuitry inside of Cheetor's own mind, allowing him to access the information he wanted. Pakak still frees Cheetor from his mind as a reward to winning, but causes a hard reboot of his systems upon reawakening, just after Cheetor mentions the word "Vok" to Optimus Primal and Rhinox, before returning to Subspace for their master plan with the Protoforms...

Characters

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla

Cheetor - Cheetah (Race Car in Dream)

Rhinox - Rhino

Rattrap - Rat

Nyx - Bat

Dinobot - Velociraptor

CatSCAN - Car (Dream Only)

Science Ministry (Mentioned)

Predacon

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Skorponok - Scorpion

Tarantulas - Tarantula

Skold - Alligator Snapping Turtle

Waspinator - Wasp 

Vok

Pakak - Cheetah (as Cheetor), Race Car (as Blurr)

Other Vok (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Cheetor's Fans (Dream Only)

Random Cybertronians (Dream Only)

Blurr - Race Car (Disguise Used in Dream) Implied Dead

Other Racers (Flashback Only)

Afterburner - Speedbike (Mentioned) Implied Dead

Rev (Mentioned)

Crashed Protorform Pods (Mentioned)

Notes

• CatSCAN's design is based on a version of the Transtech version of Cheetor, rather than using Cheetor's Cybertronian node from this series, to better differentiate the characters this issue.
• The shorter of Cheetor's fans seems to use a modified version of Swerve's Titans Return design.
• I really hope we get a Pakak repaint of Cheetor from his appearance this issue... They could just call him Nemesis Cheetor for marketing if they need to!
• Pakak indirectly mentions that Blurr is dead by the present day in this issue. Similarly, an "Afterburner Memorial Speedway" implies that the Technobot is dead too.
• The "Tiwaz Maneuver" mentioned a few times this issue is just a red herring, from Cheetor's days as an athlete, but due to its repeated use, I'm going to guess it'll reappear later in the series.