IDW - Chaos Theory

Characters

Autobot


Optimus Prime (formerly Orion Pax) - Truck Cab (former Cybertronian Truck)
Bumblebee - Sports Car
Rodimus (formerly Hot Rod) - Sports Car
Xaaron
Ultra Magnus - Car Carrier
Prowl - Police Car
Omega Supreme - Rocket, Base and Tank
Ratchet - Ambulance
Wheeljack - Race Car
Perceptor - Cybertronian Tank
Jetfire - Jet
Cosmos - Orbiter
Windcharger - Sports Car
Silverstreak - Sports Car
Cliffjumper - Sports Car
Beachcomber - Buggy
Jazz - Sports Car
Hoist - Tow Truck
Trailbreaker - Camper Van
Blurr - Sports Car
Drift - Race Car
Mirage - F1 Race Car
Brawn - SUV
Hot Spot - Fire Truck
Broadside - Jet/Warship
Wheelie - Cybertronian Car
Ironhide - Cybertronian Van
Huffer - Truck Cab
Hound - Military Jeep
Sunstreaker - Lamborghini Gallardo (former Cybertronian Speeder)
Sideswipe - Lamborghini Gallardo (former Cybertronian Speeder)
Red Alert - Lamborghini Gallardo Emergency Vehicle
Metroplex - City/Ship (Flashback)
Ironfist - Cybertronian Van (Flashback)
Kup - Pick Up Truck (Flashback)
Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Flashback)
Swoop - Pteranodon (Flashback)
Arcee - Cybertronian Car (Flashback)
Seaspray - Cybertronian Hovercraft (Flashback)
Tracks - Cybertronian Car (Flashback)
Whirl - Cybertronian Helicopter (Flashback)
Springarm - Cybertronian Motorcycle (Flashback) Killed by Whirl's friends
Wheelarch - Cybertronian Motorcycle (Flashback) Killed by Whirl's friends
Alpha Trion - Cybertronian Speeder (Flashback)

Decepticon


Megatron - Stealth Bomber (Former Gun, Cybertronian Gun, Cybertronian Tank and Armoured Vehicle)
Thundercracker - F15 Jet (Former Tetrajet)
Bob
Starscream - Tetrajet (Flashback)
Skywarp - Tetrajet (Flashback)
Thunderwing - Space Shuttle (Flashback)
Overlord - Cybertronian Tank and Jet (Flashback)
Shockwave - Ray Gun (Flashback)
Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Flashback)
Scorponok - Scorpion Tank (Flashback)
The Swarm (Mentioned) Destroyed


Cybertronian


Galvatron - Laser Cannon
Sweeps - Space Shuttles
Senator Proteus (Flashback)
Senator Ratbat (Flashback)
Senator Decimus (Flashback)
Sentinel - Cybertronian Truck (Flashback)
Nominus Prime (Flashback - Monitor) Near Death
Chief Justice Tyrest (Mentioned - former Autobot)
Nemesis/Nova Prime - Cybertronian Truck (Flashback)
Impactor - Mining Vehicle (Flashback)
Blaster - Acoustic Tank (Flashback)
Rung (Flashback)
Whirl's Friends (Flashback) Injured/Killed by Orion Pax
Jerk Cadets (Flashback) Injured by Impactor
Orion's Council Ally (Flashback)
Council (Flashback)
Rodion Staff (Flashback)
Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)
Civilians (Flashback)
Grand Imperium Staff (Flashback)
Prima (Statue - Flashback)

Human


Major Spike Witwicky
Kyle Pennington
Skywatch Personnel
Verity Carlo (Flashback)

Other


Primus (Mentioned)
Garnak
Codder
Admiral
Chaosteros

Storyline

Still adrift from being blasted into space from Megatron's cannon, the Matrix starts to activate again, the unconscious Hot Rod enters a planet's atmosphere and, burns up and crashes to the surface. Codder and Garnak see him crash and go to look and find him fully healed up and with the Matrix implanted into his chest. They go to remove it, but it reacts and reveals that he's alive. They decide to take him back to base so they can remove the Matrix as they think it can help them leave the planet. Later Hot Rod wakes up in a lab and meets the Admiral, who tells him basically that they're going to cut him open and use the Matrix as a power source to make the ship they're living in fly again. Hot Rod uses his arm blasters to destroy the restraints that he's in and escapes, but the Admiral sends out his two troops to stop him.
Hot Rod rides along the planet to try and find a way off of it so he can warn the Autobots about Megatron being back (though they already know by now) and he wonders how he's still alive when he's attacked by a Chaosteros and he's rescued by a caped figure using music, who turns around and reveals himself to be the long lost Wheelie. Wheelie takes Hot Rod to his home, a broken down Quintesson shuttle where Hot Rod tries to get Wheelie to explain where he's been and what's happened, but Wheelie doesn't understand still, and uses the musical device he's rigged up to calm his thoughts.
Garnak enters the ship and attacks Hot Rod, who's blasters are rendered useless by an energy shield given to him by the Admiral, but Wheelie manages to knock him out by hitting him across the head with a panel. The Autobots tie him up and he gets interrogated by Hot Rod, who explains that they crashed there about three solar cycles ago and that they've been pillaging the planet and crashed ships and have slowly rebuilt the ship, but need a power source when Hot Rod gets an idea.
Garnak returns to the ship with Hot Rod as his prisoner, once the Admiral and Codder leave the ship Wheelie activates his musical device, which summons the Chaosteros and it attacks the two aliens. Hot Rod, Garnak and Wheelie enter the space worthy ship, Hot Rod hooks himself, and the Matrix up to the engine control and it powers up the ship and they take off. Hot Rod is knocked out by the sudden power usage and Wheelie pilots the ship home...to Cybertron.

Hot Rod wakes up in the ship to find that Wheelie has removed the Matrix from his chest and replaced it with a patch to cover the hole, now that Hot Rod has been healed up enough by it. Hot Rod goes to see Wheelie and discovers that he's taken them to Cybertron and not Earth and that the Matrix has run out of energy for the moment, so they're stuck on the planet. The computer detects some life signs approaching the ship and they prepare for battle when one of the approaching figures break down the door, revealing it to be Ironhide, startling Hot Rod as he's meant to be dead, but Ironhide's glad to see another familiar face and hugs him. Then Sunstreaker hovers in in his chair, again shocking Hot Rod, who now thinks that he's dead and in some sort of afterlife. Sunstreaker introduces his pet Insecticon (Bob) from the Swarm and they are all still confused by all the thought to be dead Autobots being alive.
Hot Rod tries to tell Ironhide that he's sorry for being responsible for his death, but Sunstreaker stops him and takes him outside, whilst Wheelie shows Ironhide round the ship. Outside Sunstreaker explains about Alpha Trion reviving Ironhide and him losing 4,000,000 years of memories and he says how sorry he was for what he did himself, but Hot Rod says that they all have things to atone for. Sunstreaker explains that they use Bob to help them hunt down the stray members of the Swarm, but that there's something else on Cybertron now. Ironhide wants to get off the planet, but Hot Rod's confused since things seem to be basically okay now. Suddenly a Sweep attacks the group, Sunstreaker tells Hot Rod and Wheelie to get him before he can report back, and quickly, they don't question it and chase it.
Wheelie manages to hit it with his slingshot weapon and he crashes behind a raised piece of land, the two Autobots go to investigate and they see him being healed up by Galvatron. Hot Rod drives off at full speed with Wheelie to escape Galvatron since he remembers him from the Expansion's plot. Hot Rod and Wheelie return to the ship and tell the others about Galvatron seeing them and must be following them as well. Hot Rod gets the idea to use the fuel cell created by Alpha Trion for Ironhide before to power the engines, since the Matrix is still depleted. Luckily the plan works, and just as the Sweeps arrive the ship takes off and they head to Earth.

Inside Omega Supreme on Earth Bumblebee has been fixed up after six weeks, but still needs to use a cane to walk properly, he compares injuries with Pennington, who's still in a wheelchair when Silverstreak runs in saying that Hot Rod's back and takes him outside, where he sees the dead Ironhide, Sunstreaker and Wheelie back as well as the Matrix. Hot Rod asks to see Optimus, but Bumblebee is reluctant. Ironhide is fascinated by the new world, whilst Sunstreaker doesn't like being back here. Beachcomber takes Hot Rod into the base to see Optimus, whilst Bumblebee is basically ignored.
Hot Rod meets with Optimus, and gives him back the Matrix, and Optimus thanks him by officially bestowing the name "Rodimus" on him, and Rodimus tells Optimus about Galvatron and Cybertron. Optimus exits Omega Supreme and tells the other Autobots about it and about his plan, he'll separate Omega into two parts, with the base remaining on Earth for Skywatch and any remaining Autobots to stay on, whilst the Rocket takes Optimus and any volunteering Autobots to Cybertron to take on Galvatron and retake their planet.
Optimus meets up with a disappointed Bumblebee later where he feels that he's been usurped, but Optimus tells him not to worry. Prowl joins them after having just met with Megatron and Optimus tells Bumblebee about his suspicions about Spike, and has him stay behind with a small group of Autobots to investigate him. Later the Autobots board the rocket and take off, leaving Bumblebee and his team behind for their mission.
Earlier Prowl went to visit Megatron to explain that he's going with them into space and won't be returning and that this is his last chance to tell him anything he has to, but he doesn't tell him anything new, he then goes to meet with Bumblebee and Optimus. Later on Prowl meets with Thundercracker outside and asks where he's going, he says that he's leaving now, Prowl asks him to stay, but he refuses and leaves the Autobot base as the rocket flies off to Cybertron. Bumblebee and the others start their investigation into Spike's activities, without him knowing about it.

Before the war Megatron and Impactor meet up in Maccadam's New Oil House where he tries to get Impactor to listen to his ideas about a revolution being needed, but he's not impressed. Nearby some Autobot Cadets are being dicks and bullying Rung, whom they end up throwing across the bar and onto Megatron and Impactor's table, smashing up their drinks. Impactor gets annoyed, deploys his drill hand and approaches the Cadets.
In the present day, on their way to Cybertron Perceptor and Ratchet examine their prisoner Megatron, whilst Xaaron supervises it to make sure it's being done legally, so no other parties can complain about a breach of conduct or make him a martyr. Ironhide tells Optimus that he needs to talk to Megatron before he can decide on anything really.
In the past Megatron is checked on by Springarm in his holding cell and is about to be released when Whirl comes in and takes over the release.
In the present again Optimus finally goes to meet with Megatron and makes it a private meeting by having Omega turn off the cameras. Optimus releases Megatron from his restraints so they can talk properly and equally, and they discuss the reasons for the war and Optimus asks what would he do if he actually won, with Megatron saying that he'd be able to force peace on Cybertron with his tyranny, the two reflect on some of their older battles. Optimus admits that the Autobots want him dead, as would the Decepticons after he surrendered like that.
Later Optimus holds a high command meeting with the high ranking Autobots on the ship and with Magnus, Bumblebee and Prowl on Earth via holograms, where they discuss what will happen with Megatron. They all agree that Megatron must die, but after a fair trial held by neutrals and non-Cybertronians, with Tyrest now being classed as legally a Neutral for these sorts of matters. Optimus says that the sentence should be his choice after their history, but Rodimus says that Optimus can't make the choice BECAUSE of their history, and that they sounded too cozy together earlier. Optimus gets angry that Rodimus and the others spied on his conversation earlier through the audio and tells everyone to leave now.
In the past Megatron is beaten down by Whirl and is told that the Cadets were some of his friends, until Springarm enters the cell and tells him that Captain Orion Pax has ordered that he be released now. Shortly later Megatron is taken to see Orion Pax, who had a hunch and called the bartender at the bar and confirmed that he did nothing to the Cadets. Orion says that he's read his datafile on the reformation of Cybertron, but says that it needs some tweaks, but otherwise it's all good ideas, and allows him to leave.
In the present Optimus goes to see Megatron again and asks if he feels even a little remorse for all that he's done, and all the lives that have been ended for this war, and he says no, and then claims that Optimus craves the war just like he does. Optimus is angered and activates the Variable Voltage Harness, seriously hurting Megatron. As he leaves Megatron tells Optimus that all this started for him at Rodion (where he was held in the flashbacks) and that he thanks him for setting it all off for him.
In the past Megatron  is taken outside the Rodion Police HQ by Springarm who wishes him a fond life, Megatron however has changed his worldview somewhat whilst in prison, he throws his datafile away and damages a billboard with it, creating a crack in the shape of what would soon become the Decepticon insignia.

In Rodion's Police HQ in Cybertron'a past Orion Pax is watching a news report on an attack that has left Nominus Prime in a serious condition when some of Whirl's friends come into the HQ and ask about him being released, but Orion won't let him go after he attacked Megatron whilst in custody. The three Cybertronians leave.
In the present day Optimus is having a crisis and asks Ratchet to hold onto the Matrix for him so he can try and make the decision as himself, and not have the Matrix influence him in any way.
Back in the past Wheelarch and Springarm return from a patrol to find that Orion Pax has been out and arrested all the criminals in the area already. Later Springarm asks what's up with him, and he says that it's due to Megatron and how he's starting to agree with his point that the council and planet need a reform and he goes out to let off some steam.
In the present Optimus meets with Rodimus and aks him how he felt when he had the matrix, and discovers that Rodimus felt wonderful with it, yet Opitmus only feels burdens from it.
Back in the past Orion returns from a patrol and finds Springarm and Wheelarch dead, and that Whirl's friends have come and sprung him (without his knowledge however). Orion is angered and prepares to attack them, but is attacked first from behind. Orion runs to his office to try and arm up there, but the weapons there are just decorative.
Orion locks himself in a closet with Springarm's dead body, where he finds his transformation cog's still warm, he activates it and uses his motorcycle mode as a vehicle and attacks his attackers and defeats them. Outside Whirl is trying to escape and warns Orion that if he touche shim then the council will get him for it.
Later, Orion fights his way into the Grand Imperium with Whirl on his shoulder and demands to speak with the council whilst they are discussing what to do about Nominus. Orion announces that Cybertron is rotten and needs to change soon, he's dragged away by the council guards.
Optimus meets with Megatron in the present and asks him what he'd prefer, death or imprisonment, with Megatron answering "death". Optimus leaves and Ratchet catches up to him and returns the Matrix to him, and tells him that it somehow managed to heal Sunstreaker's legs.
In the past Orion has been fixed up on the orders of a Councillor who tells him that he's right about Cybertron needing changes and that some of the council are indeed corrupt and says that a war is coming and that the sides are being drawn up even now. He tells Orion to go back to work however and that he'll be in touch in the future and calls him Optimus. When Orion gets back to his office, he notices that he now has a chamber in his chest, as if something was designed to go in there....

Notes

• An Ilxian was seen last in Spotlight: Blaster, but it wasn't this one
• This comic shows us that Ironhide knew Hot Rod from the early war days
• The Matrix can integrate itself into Hot Rod's vehicle mode front 
• Wheelie went missing when Hot Rod was still a new recruit and has even started to forget all about Cybertron and being an Autobot
• The ship that Wheelie lives in is a Quintesson ship which he must have stolen off them (like in the G1 Movie)
• Wheelie's Autobot insignia has worn away somewhat since he crashed
• Varta is no where to be seen here, so he most likely died a while back
• Hot Rod is officially renamed as Rodimus by Optimus here
• Hot Rod has never claimed ownership of the Matrix and always intended to give it to Optimus
• Impactor and Megatron used to work together in the mines
• Megatron used to write poetry!
• It's unclear if Perceptor and Xaaron left Omega Supreme to return to Kimia...lets hope not!!
• Xaaron mentions an empty lab on Kimia Station, a reference to Ironfist and Skyfall's deaths
• Perceptor dismisses the "legends" of some of Megatron's powers, like tapping into a black hole and lasers from his eyes.
• Megatron has to be tried by a neutral trial and not by the Autobots, which is also why he can't just be executed on the spot, especially since he surrendered
• Optimus and Megatron are getting fed up with the monotony of their war now
• Whirl was the one who taught Megatron about violence being an effective means to get your point across
• Megatron had a gun mode some point in the past on Cybertron as well, it does look somewhat different to that seen on Earth as well!
• Megatron's inspiration for the Decepticon insignia came from when he threw his datapad into a monitor and saw a face of sorts in the smashed glass
• Blaster was a reporter before the war
• Optimus' arm cannons in his Cybertronian form are purely decorative
• Sentinel is seen as a high ranking guard here, so it's before he was appointed Prime, but likely only just, which implies that his reign as the Prime was VERY short lived
• It seems like no one knows that Nova Prime has the Matrix with him
• The Matrix can heal Transformers and used to be called the Creation Matrix

My Thoughts

Art


The artwork in this comic is pretty amazing, despite the different artists being used it looks pretty consistent , realistic and detailed in terms of lines and colours.

Story


This story brings together a few storylines and reunites several long thought dead characters with the main cast and flings the main cast into the Chaos storyline that ends the 3rd storyline.

Continuity


Hot Rod was blasted into space at the start of Revenge of the Decepticons. Wheelie was lost in space in his Spotlight issue. Ironhide and Sunstreaker were revived on Cybertron by Alpha Trion during the Ironhide series. Galvatron began preparing for his big war in Heart of Darkness. The flashbacks in the last two issues are set before Megatron: Origin and shows Megatron getting ideas of rebellion even before the closing of the mines.

IDW - Heart of Darkness

Characters

Cybertronian

Galvatron - Cybertronian Tank
Cyclonus - Space Jet
Scourge - Space Shuttle
Sweeps - Space Shuttles
Jhiaxus - F22 Jet
Thinkbox - Wheelhouse/Head
Nemesis Prime - Truck (Body possessed by D-Void) Killed by Galvatron
"Tap-Out" Devoured by D-Void
"Twin Cast" - Cassette Player
Spindrift Recruits
Million Strong Army
Junkions
Insectoids/Lizards
Aquatic Robots
Micromasters Dead
Dykayra Transformers Devoured by D-Void
Alternate Megatrons and Galvatrons

Autobot

Arcee - Cybertronian Car
Hardhead - Gun Mounted Personnel Carrier
Hot Rod - Sports Car
Wheelie - Cybertronian Car
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab
Prowl - Police Car
Jazz - Porsche
Kup - Pick Up Truck (Monitor) Zombie
Whirl - Helicopter (Flashback)
Roadbuster - Armoured Vehicle (Flashback)
Garrus-9 Guards (Flashback)

Decepticon

Thunderwing - Space Shuttle

Other

D-Void
Captain Karrg (Spindrift Hunter)
Master Eeems (Spindrift Hunter)
Karrg's Crew
Gorlam Prime denizens Devoured by D-Void
Zombies (Monitor)

Storyline

Galvatron, Scourge and Cyclonus have found Gorlam Prime as a deserted world but can't find any real reason why, all they know is that everyone just disappeared one day with no trace. The team go for a ride to try and find out more, and Galvatron reveries about all that had happened to him lately, from him being thrown into the Solar Pool at Garrus-9, resurfacing and scaring the guards into letting him leave, afterwhich he flew to Gorlam Prime and found Cyclonus and Scourge dying and learns that it's been years since he disappeared. Galvatron restores his Seekers to their former glory and manipulated them into being willing to help him again in finding out what happened to Gorlam Prime, leading to this moment.
Galvatron leads his team underground to the old excavation tunnels to try and find the silver water portal. They find several of the Micromaster's bodies from when Arcee killed them trying to get at Jhiaxus, and once inside they find that the portal has disappeared, and on top of that they find Jhiaxus' half-dead body lying on the ground where he explained that Arcee was killing him repeatedly for a long time, until Hardhead led her away and they both disappeared a few years ago.
Galvatron uses the power of the Heart of Darkness to revive and repair Jhiaxus, like he did to Scourge and Cyclonus earlier. The group try to find out what happened to the portal when Jhiaxus detects similar energies to the portal down a corridor. The group follow the corridor and find it filled with alien artifacts and markings and then they find a sphere of silver water hovering in the middle of a room. Galvatron goes to touch it, but is blasted by a returning Arcee and Hardhead, who are intent on killing the Cybertronians.

The two Autobots are easily tearing through the four Cybertronians, until an injured Galvatron touches the portal and taps into the power of the Dead Universe and repairs himself, he then attacks the Autobots. Hardhead tells Arcee to leave and warn the other Autobots offworld about Galvatron, and so she transforms and rides away, leaving Hardhead to take the brunt of Galvatron's attacks. Cyclonus chases Arcee and manages to cause the bridge she is riding along to blow up, sending her plummeting.
Galvatron taps into his new prisoner, Hardhead's mind and sees how his memories. In the past Hardhead returns from exploring the cities to find Arcee and the denizens of Gorlam Prime, even the crippled body of Jhiaxus all trying to reach the silver water, entering it, and disappearing. Arcee was spared by Hardhead grabbing her, and Jhiaxus couldn't reach it. Suddenly there was a flash of light and all the left behinds were knocked out, when they woke up, there was the silver water sphere in place of the pool. Arcee and Hardhead went looking for answers until Galvatron and the others came.
Galvatron warps Hardhead's mind and makes him his to command, and then he walks into the sphere to investigate it. Inside the sphere he sees a massively chaotic scene which makes no sence and starts hearing words about the D-Void whilst being torn apart, down to his skeletal features. The D-Void tries to devour Galvatron, but he manages to escape and leaves the water (fully restored) scared and blasting the sphere, trying to kill the D-Void. He says that D-Void feasts on sparks, and that it's going after Cybertron, and they have to stop it.
Elsewhere Arcee climbs out of the chasm she was blasted into and decides that she has to warn the other Autobots about Galvatron.

In the vapours of Spindrift a Bloomship and it's crew are busy hunting when they're attacked by a Cloud Leviathan, when suddenly they are saved by Galvatron killing the Leviathan. He boards the ship with his crew and they start scanning, confusing the hunters, but Galvatron detects a Cybertronian lifesign in the Wheelhouse, he uses his powers to revive it, and he is revived as Thinkbox and he's conscripted into Galvatron's team, they abandon the hunters and return to their own ship.
They travel to an old Cybertronian battle site on the planet where Galvatron proceeds to revive all the dead combatants and adds them to his ranks to challenge the D-Void.
They all return to the main ship in orbit and Jhiaxus activates the Space Bridge system on the ship which takes them to several other old battlefields on various worlds, allowing Galvatron to build up his army to the millions, returning to Gorlam Prime where they have made their base of operations.
The team is taken to Dykayra where they have located ruins similar to those seen in the tunnels under Gorlam Prime, so they decide to investigate where Galvatron finds some dead Cybertronians that even he can't revive with his new powers. Galvatron and some of the others enter a temple where they find another silver water sphere like on Gorlam Prime, and they find an old friend exiting it...Nemesis Prime, whom is possessed by the D-Void.

Galvatron is shocked to be in the presence of his old commander again, whilst Nemesis Prime has been waiting for this moment for some time now, since Galvatron killed him. Nemesis goes after Galvatron, and the two fight, they fight through a wall in the temple and end up outside, where some of Galvatron's troops assist their commander, but to no avail as Nemesis Prime uses D-Void's power to drain the life from some of his troops and kills them.
D-Void takes full control of Nemesis Prime and mutates his body into a larger, more monstrous one. Galvatron and his loyal troops attack D-Void but they can#'t cause him any damage, until Scourge returns with the whole army and they blast him into the silver water sphere again and Galvatron destroys the sphere. However he understands that this was just a part of D-Void and the real thing will be much stronger and that he needs more help.
Galvatron heads to Earth and helps Optimus Prime deal with some zombies and asks him to join him against D-Void, but he refuses. Jhiaxus Space Bridges Galvatron back to Gorlam Prime before leading his army to Cybertron.
Once they arrive on Cybertron the army starts to spread out and search the planet, when a Sweep finds Hot Rod and Wheelie and chases them. Galvatron sends out more of his troops to chase him and try and get him and his group to join them, but he reaches his ship and takes off into orbit. Galvatron waits on Cybertron for when D-Void arrives.

Notes

• It turns out that it's been years between the end of Revelation and Galvatron being reborn, now considering that, that implies that he was reborn AFTER Last Stand of the Wreckers (since All Hail Megatron, which is when LSOTW's beginning is set is about a year after Revelation) so that means that since there are Autobot guards on Garrus-9, that implies that the Autobots have retaken the facility and are rebuilding it.
• When Galvatron enters the silver water sphere he is shown a vast number of alternate versions of himself and Megatron, including some voice actors who played them, and some toys of him. However Megatron is separate to Galvatron in IDW, so why he's there is just confusing
• Thinkbox was an ancient Headmaster, due to his size it would imply that he formed the head of a larger robot (maybe Metroplex sized?)
• Galvatron's re-population of the species increases the Transformer race's numbers from the 10,000 mentioned by Prowl in his Spotlight issue to more than 1,000,000
• There are a lot of generic characters in this comic..but it's fun to give them names!!!
• One of the revived Transformers has taken on the form of a blue tape player...Twincast anyone?
• Hardhead is shown fighting alongside Galvatron's crew here, but in later stories he's shown to still be with Arcee...DAMN YOU CONTINUITY!!!!
• It's likely that this was originally meant to be a Galvatron mini-series (like Drift, Ironhide and Bumblebee were) but it was changed for some reason.
• The red Garrus-9 guard seems to be based on the Marvel Crossovers figure Venom's robot mode, but with a new head
• It's not clear why Hardhead was immune to the silver water's call, but no one else on Gorlam Prime was...

My Thoughts

Art

The artwork isn't bad, it's just quite simple looking or have needless extra details, compared to most other things in this continuity so far. The colours are very nice.

Story

This story explains what Galvatron and his troops have been up to lately and does so pretty well in my opinion

Continuity

This story is set after Revelation, during the All Hail Megatron Coda issue Rebirth, Infestation and during the Space Opera section of Chaos Theory's TPB, and leads directly into Chaos as well.

Other

The characters mostly keep their character models from the previous IDW titles, albeit simplified. Galvatron has randomly been given a new tank mode, possibly based on his Universe toy, but not actually resembling it, this is the only place it's been seen so far. Jhiaxus' vehicle mode seems to be an F22 jet, much like the Movie-continuity Starscream which was the basis for Jhiaxus' redesign here originally as well.
Despite being called Nemesis Prime in all his appearances, he actually uses his Nova Prime colours!

IDW - Revenge of the Decepticons

Characters

Autobot


Optimus Prime - Truck Cab
Bumblebee - Sports Car Badly Injured by Joe Gladki
Omega Supreme - Rocket, Base and Tank
Ultra Magnus - Car Carrier Injured by Megatron
Jazz - Sports Car
Prowl - Police Car
Ratchet - Ambulance
Wheeljack - Race Car
Cliffjumper - Sports Car
Red Alert - Lamborghini Gallardo Emergency Vehicle
Broadside - Jet/Warship
Jetfire - Jet
Brawn - SUV
Smokescreen - Sports Car
Huffer - Truck Cab
Hoist - Tow Truck
Windcharger - Sports Car
Gears - Pick Up Truck
Blurr - Sports Car
Tracks - Sports Car
Silverstreak - Sports Car
Hot Rod - Sports Car Badly Injured by Megatron - Floating in Space
Drift - Race Car (Pictures Only)

Decepticon


Megatron - Stealth Jet (former Gun) Arrested by Autobots
Starscream - F22 Jet (former F15 Jet)
Skywarp - F22 Jet
Thundercracker - F22 Jet
Shockwave - Ray Gun
Soundwave - Cassette Player Badly Injured by Optimus
Rumble - Cassette
Frenzy - Cassette
Ravage - Cassette
Astrotrain - Train/Space Shuttle
Blitzwing - Tank/Jet
Octane - Cargo Plane/Oil Tanker
Scrapper - Front End Loader Dead
Hook - Crane
Mixmaster - Mixing Truck
Motormaster - Truck
Dead End - Sports Car
Wildrider - Sports Car
Breakdown - Lamborghini Gallardo
Drag Strip - F1 Race Car
Razorclaw - Lion Badly Injured by Starscream
Shrapnel - Stag Beetle Injured by Hot Rod
Bombshell - Boll Weevil Injured by Hot Rod
Acid Storm - F15 Jet Injured by Hot Rod
Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Pictures Only)
Onslaught - Anti Air Missile Truck (on TV)

Human


Major Spike Witwicky (Skywatch)
Joe Henderson (Skywatch)
Campolongo (Skywatch)
Kyle Pennington (Skywatch) Crippled by Dead End
Schwalbe (Skywatch)
Maria (Skywatch)
Ben Simpson (Earth's Children)
Nina
Joe Gladki
Joe's Daughter
Carlos Tuyuc (Quetzaltenango local)
Lani Gushman (BNN reporter) Killed by Soundwave
Sergeant John Powell Killed by Jazz
Protesters
Police Officers
Skywatch Personnel
Earth's Children Members Killed by Megatron
Spike's Sister (Mentioned)

Storyline

Hot Rod approaches the Decepticon asteroid on the ship he stole from Ultra Magnus and plans to raid the place and recover the Matrix. The Decepticons pick up his signal and shoot it out of the sky causing the ship's debris to fall to the asteroid and hits some of the new buildings on the rock. Bombshell tells Starscream what happened but he's more interested in the Matrix to care.
Hot Rod survived the crash by jumping into the weapons locker Magnus left on the ship before it was stolen and he has now left it, armed with his weapons and using the door as a shield for his chest. He easily manages to deal with Bombshell, Shrapnel and Acid Storm, and manages to force Razorclaw to swallow one of Bombshell's Cerebro-Shells putting him under his command, but only just. He sends Razorclaw into Starscream's throne room and has him attack his commander, however Starscream manages to overpower him.
Hot Rod walks in and shoots the Matrix causing it to overload and electrocute Starscream, he then takes it off of the Decepticon and looks for a way off the asteroid. He evades the Decepticons until he runs into a newly rebuilt Megatron in a corridor. He starts to use the Matrix to attack him, but Megatron blasts a hole through him and sends him flying out the wall, still holding the Matrix into space.
Megatron orders Soundwave to assemble the Decepticons in the main room as they have work to do now that Starscream's "bauble" is gone.

A short while ago Joe Gladki, whom is still paranoid about Cybertronians invading again goes on the internet and joins a group and buys a special gun designed to kill them, so he can protect his family when he starts hearing voices from his radio. Back in the present Bumblebee has just been shot by Joe and is slowly dying. Joe is arrested by Skywatch and taken into custody. They find his gun, and it's the same design as Megatron's old Earth mode, even down to his insignia.
The Autobots are getting impatient on the way back from Korea on one of Skywatch's cargo jets as they're worried about Bumblebee and the others after the attack when suddenly some missiles head towards their jet. Jazz tells the humans to get their Crash Suits on when the missiles hit and the jet explodes.
Skywatch has the gun in their custody and start analysing it, with Brawn wanting it destroyed as he believes that it is Megatron himself. Schwalbe examines Bumblebee, but isn't skilled enough yet to really help him effectively . Magnus tells Brawn to calm down and he asks how Bumblebee is, when Silverstreak runs in and reports about the jet being lost. They're sending out rescue teams, but they won't reach the site for about 5 hours. Maria walks in and reports about some more protesters gathering outside and that a radical group "Earth's Children" has come out and that they supplied Joe with the gun, and their spokesperson, Ben Simpson, explains that they want to destroy the Cybertronians for what they did.
Outside the Protesters are being told to stay back when the perimeter is blown up by the Decepticons killing several of them. Soundwave, Rumble and Frenzy attack the Skywatch base from the outside, distracting the remaining Autobots. Pennington goes downstairs to the holding cells to check on their Decepticon prisoners when he's run over by Dead End whilst the other prisoners, including the dead Scrapper are rescued by their allies, leaving the base in chaos.
Elsewhere in Quetzaltenango the locals are working on distributing the Megatron guns whilst having Megatron's old head on display like an idol.

Nina has another interview with Ben Simpson, where they argue over the right for "Earth's Children" to act as vigilantes and for them to sell deadly weapons to just anyone. On the Decepticon asteroid Megatron recalls how he wound up being mortally wounded and how Soundwave eventually decided to abandon fixing him, and just building a whole new body, and then recycling his dead body into several smaller guns with Shockwave's help. Starscream finds out and is angered, until he sees Megatron alive and says that he's been revived to be a prisoner like the rest of them, when Megatron shows him a Space Bridge that Shockwave's been building to Earth's orbit, much to Starscream's confusion.
A little later Hot Rod invades the Decepticon Asteroid and steals the Matrix, and Megatron blasts him into space with the Matrix. Now that Starscream hasn't got the Matrix again Megatron is free to take full command without anyone following the Seeker. He has Shockwave send a locker full of the Megatron guns made from his old body, as well as his old head through the Space Bridge, which sends them to Earth where they crash into Quetzaltenango and it's found by the locals. The guns are spread out, and in tandem with increased paranoia and hate sites they start to get sold and spread across the world, and when several were all within close proximity in South West America they started transmitting messages to those wielding them which started manipulating them to attacking Transformers, with the most easy to find being Autobots.
Ultra Magnus has had to take command of the Autobots with Bumblebee and Optimus gone and he orders a retreat to Omega Supreme for the humans and Autobots since Skywatch has been compromised. He sends Brawn out on a mission to find Thundercracker.
Thundercracker returns to his lair where he finds that the humans have raided it and smashed up most of his TV's and also finds Starscream greeting him as a brother again.

Nina reports on the Decepticon attack on Skywatch and even shows the death of an anti-Transformer reporter, Lani Gushman on it as well, and reports that several random vehicles were seen leaving the base as well. The Autobot/Skywatch convoy rides across the desert to reach Omega Supreme when they're attacked by some extremists from Earth's Children who tell them to surrender the Autobots to them. The Autobots try to escape without fighting back, as they can't harm humans, but are being chased by the extremists in Jeeps and other vehicles.
Thundercracker and Starscream talk with Starscream trying to re-recruit Thundercracker to the Decepticon fold, but he's not interested and he prefers just having a purpose by helping the Autobots protect the helpless humans. Starscream attacks Thundercracker from behind and goes in for the finishing blow when Brawn rolls in and attacks Starscream, pummelling him to submission, and during the fight Starscream reveals that HE wasn't the one who blasted the Skywatch jet out of the sky like Brawn thought.
Back in the desert the Earth's Children extremists' Jeeps is blown up by a blast from the sky, the Autobots stop running, look up and see a revived Megatron transform from his new stealth jet mode. The Autobots attack him on sight, but it does nothing to the power Decepticon. He attacks the ground under the Autobots and causes them injuries. He begins to mock Ultra Magnus when some Skywatch operatives attack him, he responds by just obliterating them with his cannon and playing with the remains. Magnus asks why he's harming the humans when the Autobots are his targets, but Megatron corrects him by saying that he wants to kill the humans and not the Autobots right now.
Elsewhere the Autobots from the ship and some Crash Suits climb out of the water, having survived the explosion and they call for anyone to respond.

Spike wakes up from a nightmare about how they were trapped inside Optimus' trailer with just artificial oxygen to breath and the seems start to leak. Now awake, they check on the Skywatch broadcasts, but only get the offline signals, but this time they also get a message from Megatron, telling Optimus to come see him outside of Albuquerque or he'll kill Magnus and his other prisoners. The Autobots with him head off to rescue them.
Brawn has finished beating up Starscream and wants to give him the finishing blow but Thundercracker needs medical attention. Starscream escapes and Brawn loads the other Seeker onto his back and drives off towards Omega Supreme. Optimus tells the rest of his team to stay behind whilst he goes to see Megatron as he doesn't want a big battle.
Optimus meets with Megatron, who has Soundwave holding onto the hostage Magnus and he tells Optimus that the other prisoners are in the city nearby (Albuquerque) and that there are several of the gun-totting humans in there ready to kill the Autobots in robot mode, trapped in a playground. Optimus orders Spike, Campolongo and Jazz speed off into the city to try and rescue them, with Jazz just pretending to be a car.
The Autobots and Skywatch officers try to calm down the situation, but the mind controlled humans won't listen thanks to the influences from the guns, and they are being held at gunpoint by the local police as well.
Megatron is mocking Optimus about the situation and says that even if he shoots him it won't harm him due to the way he was re-built, so Optimus shoots Soundwave instead, blasting a hole in his head. Megatron says that he could kill him for that, but when pressured by Optimus to just do it, he relents, since he doesn't want Optimus to die just yet. He picks up Soundwave and flies back to base, leaving Magnus behind.
With Soundwave now offline the gun's have lost their influence on the humans, and they willingly drop them and are arrested. Spike and Campolongo are distracted by the local police asking for clearances etc that they don't see it when Sergeant John Powell picks up one of the guns and decides that he wants to kill them himself (of his own free will). Jazz sees this, transforms and goes to a hiding spot. A weak Bumblebee tries to stop Powell from firing, but before his decision can be made Jazz jumps in front of him and incinerates the human (with the cameras still rolling of course). Everyone is shocked.

Later, inside Omega Supreme's base mode Thundercracker is being fixed up by Wheeljack (much to his disappointment as he wanted Ratchet to do it) and Optimus is watching a news report on Jazz killing John Powell, whilst the other Autobots are rescuing those who were captured earlier. Optimus asks Thundercracker where the Decepticons would be based on Earth, but he honestly doesn't know. Optimus goes to the infirmary and sees Ultra Magnus, who tells him that he placed a tracking device on Soundwave He sets off in the one of the jets to attack them. Jazz tries to come along as well, but Optimus doesn't want to talk to him after what he did, and Optimus has Jetfire rendezvous with Cosmos in orbit for another mission.
Shockwave is working on Soundwave's repairs when Optimus drops in through the roof, ready to fight. They take the fight outside so Shockwave can fix up Soundwave however.
Optimus and the Decepticons leave the hanger and assemble on the air field, with Megatron and Optimus preparing to fight. Optimus shoots Megatron a few times and then transforms and tries to roll away when a beam comes from the sky and hits Megatron straight on, thanks to Jetfire and Cosmos working on a Skywatch satellite with a kinetic harpoon on board, which needed the tracking device she just shot at Megatron to target him.
Optimus tumbles out of his truck mode from the explosion and to his horror he sees Megatron standing upright, having only felt a mild discomfort. Optimus goes mad and starts pummelling him asking him why he can't just die. A short time later Optimus is brought back to Omega Supreme by Megatron, who surrenders himself to the Autobot's custody.
Megatron allows himself to be restrained inside Omega Supreme, who has orders to transform and crush him if he tries to escape, but Megatron is happy to just be there, the two talk, and Megatron spreads seeds of mistrust about the humans, by revealing that they analysed Scrapper's last memories and tell him that Spike was the one who killed him, in cold blood. Optimus won't believe it and leaves, but he does ask Prowl to look into Spike and see what he's been up to. He then goes into a room by himself and begins to contemplate things.

Notes

• Razorclaw is shown in his lion mode to match is Predacon brothers, but it's unclear why since last time we saw him he was a drill tank still
• Some characters like Blurr, Windcharger and Tracks, who were in Magnus' convoy are not tied up with the others, implying that they managed to escape before things got too bad with Megatron 
• Razorclaw is able to almost resist the Cerebro-Shells
• The Decepticons used all the Ore-13 they had spare on the asteroid to rebuild Megatron
• Hot Rod talks about the Matrix as if it's another person, much like how Gollum spoke about the Ring in Lord of the Rings.
• One of the Crash Suits says "350" on it....MAN they must get through loads of them!!
• Starscream is shown in his F15 body in the first segment, but later is shown (even in flashbacks to that issue's events) that it should have been his F22 body
• Optimus can generate oxygen in his trailer
• Spike mentions having a sister here
• The Decepticons captured by Skywatch in the past are all released here (though we don't see guys like Axer or Gutcruncher from the Bumblebee series here...hmm...)
• Nina, the news anchor seems to be pro-Autobot.
• Despite being based inside Omega Supreme now, some of the base is also in a rocky area, meaning they've either got tunnels into a mountain or underground for extra rooms not normally in Omega's base mode
• Red Alert is randomly with Optimus' crew here, despite him clearly being in Skywatch whilst thye were in Korea.

My Thoughts

Art


The first story is a Nick Roche piece, so it has a cartoon feel to it, the remaining parts are all much more detailed and more realistically coloured than the first piece. 

Story


This was a story I was waiting for for a while, Megatron finally gets some revenge on the humans, also Hot Rod finally resurfaces, but ends up being blasted into space grasping the Matrix, very compelling to read on from.

Continuity


Hot Rod's fate is revealed in the first part of the Chaos Theory TPB. Megatron has been rebuilt since he was last seen in the first part of the International Incident TPB, Scrapper's death was also seen here. Thundercracker has been with the Autobots since the end of For All Mankind and refuses readmission to the Decepticons here. Ben Simpson is later revealed to be a Facsimile in Chaos: Police Action.

Other


Megatron's new character model seems to be a combination of both his proposed G2 toy (repaint of the stealth jet Dreadwind) and the Shadow Blade Megatron toy from the Animated franchise.
Acid Storm's character model seems to be based on the Masterpiece Seeker molds, despite him not actually having a toy in that form. Thundercracker, despite just returning from Korea, where he had his F15 body is now BACK in his F22 body!! ARRGGGHHH!!!!

IDW - International Incident

Characters

Autobot


Optimus Prime - Truck Cab
Bumblebee - Sports Car Badly injured by Joe Gladki
Cliffjumper - Sports Car
Ratchet - Ambulance
Smokescreen - Sports Car
Prowl - Police Car
Wheeljack - Race Car
Jazz - Sports Car
Jetfire - Jet Injured by Vortex
Broadside - Warship/Jet Injured by Vortex
Cosmos - Orbiter
Brawn - SUV
Red Alert - Lamborghini Gallardo Emergency Vehicle
Silverstreak - Sports Car
Ironhide - Van (Mentioned) Dead
Blurr - Cybertronian Race Car
Hot Rod - Sports Car (Mentioned)
Springer - Helicopter/Rocket Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon


Thundercracker - F15 Jet
Onslaught - Anti Air Missile Truck Crippled by Autobots
Brawl - Tank Crippled by Autobots
Vortex - Military Helicopter Crippled by Autobots
Swindle - Military Jeep (Mentioned)
Rampage - Tiger
Divebomb - Falcon
Headstrong - Rhino
Tantrum - Bull
Scrapper - Front End Loader Killed by Spike
Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Flashback)
Starscream - F15 Jet
Megatron - Gun Badly injured
Shockwave - Ray Gun
Soundwave - Cassette Player
Razorclaw - Drill Tank
Dreadwind - Jet Killed and Cannibalized 
Darkwing - Jet (Mentioned)
Needlenose - Jet
Quake - Tank Killed by Starscream
Pounce - Puma
Acid Storm - F15 Jet
Sunstorm - F15 Jet
Rumble - Cassette
Bombshell - Boll Weevil
Kickback - Locust
Shrapnel - Stag Beetle

Human


Major Spike Witwicky (Skywatch)
Joe Henderson (Skywatch)
Campolongo (Skywatch)
Kyle Pennington (Skywatch)
Sandra (Skywatch)
Emily (Skywatch)
Schwalbe (Skywatch Engineer)
Kim Jong Du
Joe Gladki
US President (On Screen)
Russian Prime Minister (On Screen)
General Daniel Witwicky
General Allenby
News Anchor
Kim Jong Il (Mentioned) Dead/Dethroned
Korean DMZ soldiers
North Korean Soldiers
US Military Soldiers
Skywatch Personnel
Mrs Witwicky (Flashback)
Tim Simmons (Flashback) Killed by Devastator

Storyline

Megatron laments over the recent events from his CR Chamber whilst being repaired, the Decepticons are fighting and stealing amongst themselves. Dreadwind is hunted down for stealing from the others and killed, all whilst Razorclaw is watching. Shockwave is busy doing a mystery project whilst Soundwave is slaving over fixing Megatron. Starscream is strutting around the base, made from their crashed shuttle with the Matrix around his neck and goes to see Bombshell, who rather than working on a way to replenish their supplies has been working on a cerebro-shell design to control anyone fully. Starscream is angry at him for wasting his time when Quake blasts into the lab intending to kill them for leading them to their doom, when Starscream throws the shell at him and tells him to die, which he does. Starscream asks if he has any more of them.
On Earth Daniel Witwicky is officially introduced to Optimus Prime as an ally and when alone he tells Spike to be careful, considering what they've been up to in secret. Later, after the general leaves Spike introduces Sandra, a new member to the Autobots, all whilst Megatron waits to heal up.

Spike works out at the gym and reveries over how he doesn't like relying on machines and how he likes to work out to make himself stronger. Later he meets with the chiefs and explains his decision to ally with the Autobots to them which they don't seem too happy with still.
Spike goes out on the hunt and finds Scrapper in a building site, where he attacks him with weapons designed specifically to harm Cybertronians like an acidic compound. When he manages to pin down Scrapper using some fallen girders he says that he wants to kill him because of how he's a part of Devastator, and that the Gestalt killed a good friend of his in New York. He grabs a specially designed gun and blasts him in the head, utterly killing him. He leaves as he knows that a Skywatch patrol will be called in to pick him up later.

North Korea has started to produce Energon for an unknown reason to the rest of the world, but it's causing concerns across the globe as the country has been quiet since the Decepticon Occupation of Earth. In Korea's demilitarized area the Combaticons Onslaught, Brawl and Vortex attack on orders from Kim Jong Du (Kim Jong Il's son) to try and take Seoul.
Back in America Skywatch have learned of the Combaticons involvement in the crisis and admit that they expected something like this would happen sooner or later with Decepticons allying them with the more aggressive nations and they decide to get involved.
Ratchet is showing the Skywatch engineers how to help with repairing Transformers whilst fixing up Cliffjumper, whilst Jetfire and some others are worried that they might try to harm them again, since they were just doing so a few months ago. Spike goes a speaks with Optimus, who is still in a cell voluntarily and he asks Optimus to help them out as a "consultant". Bumblebee and Optimus agree that the Combaticons have to be stopped, and say that they're stronger than that average Decepticons who have been left on Earth, so they need a team to attack them.
Before they can assemble a team however the US President appears on TV and announces that the US are not allied with Autobots and that any country that is will be treated as harbouring nuclear weapons, and will be dealt with as such. Spike says that they need to change their plans now.

The Skywatch team arrives in South Korea via boat, but encounters some problems with a dock manager, until he's knocked out. The Autobots on the team leave their crates, they head into a warehouse, transform and plan their moves, including outfitting their vehicle modes with weapons.
Elsewhere the Combaticons have finished an attack and are taking an Energon break, when Du appears and moans at them for being lazy and idle. The Combaticons obey Du until they can come up with a plan for themselves. The nearby Military are getting ready to attack the Combaticons, when some heavily armed cars appear and start blasting at them (so the Autobot's involvement can be kept secret). They target Vortex so he can't fly off but he manages to fly into the air, where he's intercepted by Jetfire.
The Autobots and Skywatch lure the Combaticons to the nearby water where they mock them by reminding them that they're waterproof, however Broadside starts blasting them from the water in boat mode. Until Vortex uses his rotors to slice off one of Jetfire's wings, making him plummet down into Broadside, taking them both out of the battle. The Combaticons leave in the confusion.
Later Jetfire and Broadside are taken into the wraehouse for repairs whilst Optimus and the others worry about how they can't even win with the element of surprise, however Optimus has been in contact with Bumblebee, who has a plan to help them out.
Back in America Bumblebee meets with Skywatch at his hideout and asks him to help them out.

Thundercracker says he doesn't want to get involved, but Bumblebee appeals to his warrior side by asking himhow long will it be before he gets bored of just watching TV. Thundercracker comments that he must have been a good saboteur before his promotion. At a Skywatch base the left behind Autobots are bored with waiting for something to do. Sandra is irked by having to go against Presidential orders for the Cybertronians, but is told to just follow the orders given.
The Combaticons are relaxing after their victory in Korea when they suddenly see  alot of smoke around them and Optimus rams through the wall of the building and knocks Vortex out, where Ratchet clips his rotors and the others are stalling the other two. Meanwhile Cosmos is in orbit and manipulates the satellite monitoring the area, and alters it to show some false images, allowing the Autobots to transform and fight properly. Voretx manages to escape and gets into the air, but is stopped by a newly arrived Thundercracker and forced to the ground. The Autobots fight with the Combaticons with Skywatch's help, but are stopped by the Predacons from entering Chinese territory, which they are very nearly approaching, and the Predacons have been hired to protect.

Optimus manages to avoid fighting with the Predacons by promising not to bring the fight into China, and they start to walk off when Onslaught shoots Rampage in the back making them believe that they've broken their word, and they begin to fight with them. The situation is getting worse in the Korean/Chinese border and Cosmos is having to alter the satellite feeds again and Sandra gets worried that someone might notice how suspicious these video feeds are if analysed, she flips and turns off the encryption, allowing the real footage to go live instead of Cosmos' false images.
Skywatch learn of what Sandra just did and that she left the base right afterwards. The images are now on the news stations and the White House makes a statement. The Russian Prime Minister announces that they will start and investigation of this incident, and that they are going to air strike the battle field so that the Transformers will be destroyed, rather than having a repeat of the Occupation occurring again.
Pennington contacts Spike and warns him about the nuclear strike coming, and he informs everyone else in the battle field. The Predacons leave the area for China again to get to safety, whilst Cosmos grabs the missile and hacks into it, redirecting it into the Arctic Circle, whilst Thundercracker flies off and destroys the Energon production facility in Pyongyang. The Autobots worry about what's going to happen next, since it's been revealed that Skywatch is fighting along with the Autobots on the news thanks to Sandra. They leave the Combaticons in Korea, with no energon supplies and no way to fix themselves.
A week later Spike and his team are still on route home, whilst Skywatch's base is being hounded by protesters all saying to send the robots away. Bumblebee decides to leave the base and speak to the protesters himself and insists that they aren't here to harm them, only help and tries to explain how they are different to Decepticons, he sways some of the protesters, but one of them, Joe Gladki gets out a special gun and blasts Bumblebee square in the chest, sending him offline, causing mixed reactions from the protesters.

Notes

• The Decepticons are cannibalising amongst themselves to keep alive
• Thundercracker's lair is full of TVs so he can watch several channels at once
• Skywatch provided a ship for Springer's people to leave Earth
• It's not clear why Razorclaw stayed on the Decepticon asteroid whilst the others went to Earth...
• Spike's workout scenes are oddly homoerotic!
• Kim Jong Il must have been killed during the occupation of Earth
• I can understand why Swindle isn't with the Combaticons, since he's on the run from Magnus, but why isn't Blast-Off with them?
• The Combaticons working for North Korea is very similar to what happened in the G1 cartoon when Octane and Trypticon worked for Carbomia
• Bumblebee gets shot :3
• It's not clear why the Predacons have taken on beast modes on Earth, maybe it's of mythical significance for China?
• Ratchet uses his G1 toy's sled to help him in repairing the injured Autobots.

My Thoughts

Art


The art in the first issue of this story is much more simplistic than the rest of the book and was a drastic change after the movie-inspired issues before. The remaining issues are quite well drawn with bold colours and lines.

Story


This is actually quite a fun story-arc and looks into what would happen if other countries made alliances with Transformers, rather than just the Autobots being allied with America

Continuity


The events of Infestation happen before the events of the International Incident storyline. The rest is continued on from the earlier issues of this storyline. Springer is mentioned from Last Stand of the Wreckers. Megatron was badly injured in All Hail Megatron, but will be fully restored in Revenge of the Decepticons. Sandra's storyline will conclude in Chaos: Police Action. Ironhide was killed in For All Mankind.

Other


Cosmos' and Smokescreen's new character model is based on their Universe toys. Cliffjumper has switched to his G1 based character model rather than his previous IDW model. For some reason Thundercracker is shown in his F15 body again here, despite being back in his F22 body in the next storyarc!

IDW - Infestation

CVO (1)

Characters

CVO

Director Overmars
Britt (Vampire) Zombified by Benny, Split across the Multiverse
Cross (Vampire)
Bools (Vampire)
Benny (Zombie)
Nikodemus (Demonkind)

Human

Wade Killed by Zombies
President of US (Mentioned)
Noble (Zombie - Dream Only)
Kathryn Cross (Zombie - Dream Only)
Sean Cross (Zombie - Dream Only)
Military Guys Eaten/Turned by Zombies
CVO Personnel Eaten/Turned by Zombies
Dr Elizabeth Zych (In Portal Only)
Emigh (In Portal Only) Bitten by Barnes
Barnes (In Portal Only) Zombie
"Long Hair Zombie" (In Portal Only) Zombie
Egon (In Portal Only)

Other


The Undermind
Zombies
Robots Zombified
Sci-Bots
Sweeps Zombie (In Portal Only)

Storyline

Wade presents to a group of higher ups an inter-dimensional portal to Dimension Z (full of zombies) in the Kirtland underground munitions storage complex in New Mexico, and explains that the Sci-bots on site have it activated, but also prevents anyone from exiting it. He explains that the plan is to send probes into the dimension and examine the zombies and to use the natural resources that are otherwise just being left to waste there for themselves. All of a sudden Wade is pulled through the gateway and eaten, and the zombies somehow break through the shutters and start attacking the assembled personnel causing the base to be evacuated and emergency calls being sent out.
At the Coffin (CVO base) Cross dreams that his friend Noble has attacked his family and turned them into zombies like him when he wakes up. Britt enters his room and tells him they have a mission. The team is assembled in a command room and are told about the zombie outbreak in New Mexico and are teleported to the base using Artillica, when in the base Benny collapses and starts to hear the voice of the Undermind, a collective zombie intelligence.
The team manage to get into an air duct to avoid the zombies, but Benny succumbs to the voices and bites Britt in the leg, she kicks him out of the air duct but doesn't worry about the bite, since she's already dead, being a vampire. The team get out of the air duct on the way to the gateway and they find a storage area full of robots.
Benny leads a zombie hoard into the CVO Artillica storage compound by teleporting them there, and they proceed to attacking the staff there, Benny grabs a piece of Artillica. The staff in the Command Center of the base discover the zombie breach and prepare to fight them off.
Back in Kirtland the team start working on activating the robots to help them fight off the zombies, whilst Benny enters the gate room again and performs a task for the Undermind. Just as the vampires activate the robots with the help of a Sci-bot Britt starts hearing the Undermind when Benny appears through a teleporter again and kidnaps Britt. Britt is hooked up to the gateway and used, due to her being Undead Squared (half vampire, half zombie) and is turned into a living Artillica for the Undermind to use to traverse more universes.
Britt opens up a gateway to four more dimensions and the zombie hoards appear behind her ready to feast in other dimensions. Cross and Bools arrive with their robots and start attacking the zombies and try to stop Britt. Cross teleports himself using his vampire powers in front of Britt and tries to reach her, but she just blasts him away. Bools uses the robots to blast off her head, but it reforms thanks to the Undermind's powers.
Britt attacks the robot that Bools was on and infects it with the virus and turns it against Bools. The fight continues until the Sci-bot throws the Artillica that Benny's been using into the portal and causes it to destabilise. Britt screams and is torn into five parts, one physical and four spiritual, with the latter four speeding into the open dimensional portals, along with several zombies and infected robots. Benny's back to normal, at least for now and the team begin to work on a way to get Britt back together and to stop the Undermind's plan.

Notes

• In case it's not clear, Benny was a zombie BEFORE this storyline, but could just control himself
• The Gate Room for the Inter-Dimensional portal really does resemble the one used in the Stargate SG1 series, even including a ringed gate, ramp up to it and a blast shield behind the people
• Cross hasn't been a vampire for very long, and is though to be dead by people from his past life.
• Artillica is weaponized scientific magic essentially
• Bools' species is never mentioned, but since he's on a team with two vampires in a the same uniforms as them and even has red eyes like them, I'd say he's a vampire too.

My Thoughts

Art

The artwork here is very nicely done, it's made to look like a traditional horror story without having it too gory

Story

This story sets up the Infestation crossover series very well and introduces all the CVO characters needed

Continuity

This story leads directly into the four other universes stories, and the 2nd part of the CVO storyline, discussed later here.

TRANSFORMERS

Characters

Autobot


Optimus Prime - Truck Cab
Bumblebee - Sports Car
Prowl - Police Car
Kup - Pick Up Truck Zombified by Britt - Sent to Dead Universe
Drift - Race Car
Ratchet - Ambulance
Wheeljack - Race Car

Cybertronian


Galvatron - Laser Cannon
Cyclonus - Space Jet
Scourge - Space Shuttle
Jhiaxus - Jet
Sweeps - Space Shuttles Zombies, Destroyed by Galvatron

Human


Spike Witwicky
Larson Zombified - Destroyed or Sent to Dead Universe
Benny (Zombie - Flashback)
Stephen Cross (Vampire - Flashback)
Bools (Vampire - Flashback)

Other


Britt/Bayonet - Attack Helicopter/Space Bridge Sent to Dead Universe
The Undermind (Flashback)
Zombies Sent to Dead Universe
Robot Zombies Sent to Dead Universe

Storyline

A Cybertronian space shuttle burns up in Earth's atmosphere and crashes into Las Vegas in a fiery mess. The local authorities try to clear the area when the ship opens up and a slew of zombified robots, humans and Sweeps exit it and start attacking the people in the city. The zombies are slowed down when Galvatron as his troops, Cyclonus, Scourge and Bayonet also exit the ship and start attacking them. Galvatron starts calling out for Optimus to appear and as if by magic he does, along with the rest of his team and a Skywatch patrol. Optimus goes to attack Galvatron when Galvatron tells him that the Zombies are a more pressing matter to deal with, but he wont listen and the team continue to attack the evil Transformers when Kup starts getting flashbacks to when he was trapped on that planet and had delusions about zombies, and starts to freak out. Kup goes on full attack mode against them.
One of the Crash Suits is attacked by a robot zombie and it's infected by the virus, the operator inside it, Larson manages to get the front off, but by the time one of the paramedics reaches him he has already turned as well, and starts biting the people trying to help him. The Autobots and Skywatch gang up on Galvatron and manage to pin him with several suppressors, causing him to slow down and cause him pain, the other Cybertronians surrender as well. Wheeljack sets up a forcefield generator to stop the zombies from spreading any further than Las Vegas, for about 20 more hours anyway.
Optimus sends the other Autobots to try and round up the other zombies whilst Optimus and Prowl get Galvatron to explain what's happening. He says that whilst out on a recruitment drive they found a portal that had some traces of the Dead Universe in it so they went to investigate and they found a block of ice with some life forms in it, so they took it on board their ship and started to thaw it out, however once it thawed the zombies were reawakened and started attacking, the ship got redirected to Earth where it crashed in Las Vegas.
Kup starts freaking out saying how he remembers everything and how he had to fight off zombies on that other planet and then starts to claim that Bayonet isn't supposed to be there and starts to say that she's somehow responsible for this, Bayonet skewers Kup through his chest and lifts him up, whilst revealing herself to really be Britt and sends her greetings from the Undermind to them.

Britt tries to use her connection through Kup to infect the other Transformers around her, and whilst trying to she explains what's happening with the Undermind and how it manipulated facts a little bit to make it seem like she was always there, and how she just joined with Galvatron after she was freed from the Ice. Kup manages to draw a weapon and blasts Britt head on, causing her to lose her connection and the Transformers go free. The zombies attack the Transformers, but Galvatron uses the Heart of Darkness to attack them and blasts a big batch of them away. The Transformers speed away in the chaos, however Britt and several zombies, including Kup walk out of the smoke and Britt orders the human zombies to go after them..
The Transformers manage to regroup and Galvatron says that they have to leave Earth and concentrate on a bigger threat in space, Optimus ignores the suggestion, and Prowl realises that their technology will be compromised now that Kup is a zombie too, and sure enough Britt has hooked into the old Autobot and learns how to use a Space Bridge from him. Britt reconfigures herself into a Space Bridge and alters the system to allow her to send her zombies to Cybertron, but in the past BEFORE it was abandoned so they can have millions of giant robot zombies.
The Autobots approach Britt and try to blast her, but she's protected by a forcefield that she also stole from Kup's mind too. Prowl manages to use his connection to Kup and explains what he did to him in the past when he was revived before and uses it to tell him to redirect the Space Bridge elsewhere, Galvatron suggests the Dead Universe and Kup does it, sending everything inside the forcefield into the Dead Universe in an explosion.
After the end of the infestation Galvatron tries to conscript the Autobots again, but they flat out refuse him, and Galvatron says that they are enemies again now, calls Jhiaxus and has him teleport them back to their base. The Autobots look on worried about what Galvatron's big issue is.

Notes

• Kup being with Optimus' team without Springer being present implies that Springer has gotten better since having his face torn off
• Despite them being called Decepticons here I'm not going to call them that, they are still Cybertronians to me, just bad ones.
• It's possible that Galvatron mistook "Bayonet" for one of his loyal troops due to his massive recruitment drive during Heart of Darkness
• The Character Larson, whom gets zombified here isn't the same character as Larsen from the Bumblebee series (since that one was a woman)
• It's not known why this version of Britt was sent into space rather than to a planet like the others were, it's possible that its a time loop situation, and that when they send her there at the end of the story they are starting the story off again in an endless loop, but then again, why doesn't Britt remember the events and why isn't Kup there as well in that case?
• Britt somehow learns about Space Bridges from Kup...how does HE know about them? And didn't she use a space bridge-like device to travel the dimensions?

My Thoughts

Art

Ironically despite it being a horror genre story Nick Roche mostly uses his standard cartoon style of artwork, it really juxtaposes very well in my opinion

Story

This story shows what happens when the zombies invade the IDW Transformers universe

Continuity

This leads on from CVO's first segment. Galvatron's story begins and ends after this story in Heart of Darkness. This story seems to be set during the time missing in International Incident. Kup was revived and manipulated by Prowl in the All Hail Megatron Coda series.

G.I. JOE

Characters

G.I Joe


Psyche-out (Kenneth D. Rich) Killed by B.A.T.'s
Hound Drowned by Cobra
Dolphin Killed by Eel 1


Cobra


Baroness
Interrogator
Dr Jacob Mitchell Injured by B.A.T.'s
Dr Elizabeth Zych Turned into Control Bot, killed by Psyche-Out and B.A.T.'s
Eels Presumably Killed by the Infected
Eel 3 Drowned by Baroness
Vipers Killed by the Infected
Rick (Viper) Killed by B.A.T.
Last Viper Killed by Baroness
B.A.T.'s Deactivated
Cobra Commander (Mentioned)


Other


Zombie Robot Arm Destroyed by Psyche-Out
Raptor (Mitchell's bird)

Storyline

A Cobra submarine is heading to intercept a ship in the Pacific Ocean when one of the Eels on bard starts moaning about the mission being pointless etc, Baroness walks in and slashes his oxygen tank's pipe and starts to flood the room whilst she and the other more willing Eels leave the sub,and leave Eel 3 to die.
On the surface of the water a G.I. Joe team are on a low-tech boat carrying a sensitive piece of technology on board, with Dolphin and Hound bored on the deck and Psyche-Out is inside the ship with the cargo. Hound tries out his night vision goggles and Psyche-Out gets angry at him for bringing technology on board, despite their orders. Hound sees the Cobra Eels board the ship using his goggles however and starts shooting at them,  one of the Eels captures Dolphin and slashes her throat and the Joes are knocked out when a flashbang bomb is set off.
Later Psyche-Out is taken to an underwater Cobra base where he is being interrogated by Baroness and Interrogator, Baroness gets impatient and makes him watch as she has Hound drowned just outside his room, then takes out the briefcase they were transporting and tells him to explain what the mechanical arm inside is.
Dr Zych and Dr Mitchell are in Lab 9 working on a new more powerful breed of B.A.T. for Cobra to use, but the systems are still malfunctioning making it attack everyone it sees and not just Joes, Mitchell pushes the kill switch and turns it off before it can kill the science team and Zych is angry at their failures. She leaves the lab and runs into (well wheels into) Baroness who gives her the arm to analyse, Zych is fascinated by the thing. Zych goes back to her lab and starts to working on her own project, fixing her legs electronically with implants, but to no avail still.
Psyche-out tells the Cobras that the arm isn't safe, all whilst Zych plugs it into her computer (which is still plugged into her as well for her own tests and it hacks into her systems as well, with the computer virus on board using her as a control bot. Psyche-Out explains to Baroness and Interrogator that the arm has sentience and tries to control other machines, which is why they used a basic boat to transport it before, and that it destroyed one of their bases before they managed to stop it.
The arm uses Zych's computer and Zych to search for Attack Bots and activates the B.A.T.'s on the base and sends them out to kill any guards they find. Baroness goes to leave the interrogation room when a Viper tells her that there are reports of gunfire in the base, she tells him to look into it. Zych searches for more attack bots and finds the animal testing lab, where some scientists and Vipers are hiding from the B.A.T.'s and she taps into the electronics in the animals and takes them over as well and orders them to kill all the hiding Cobras in there. Baroness and Interrogator leave the room and see the B.A.T.'s approaching....

The zombie virus is having difficulties spreading the virus through any additional systems outside the base, so Zych says she'll help it, if it will help her as well, the virus agrees to the alliance. Baroness and Interrogator run from the B.A.T.'s as Zych begins to work with the virus. The trapped Vipers and scientists are attacked by the animals and are all killed, except for Mitchell who escapes in the air ducts.
Baroness arrives back at the interrogation room and wants to know what's going on and why they can't raise anyone. Psyche-Out says it's the arm's fault and that it must be hooked up into a computer somewhere on the base. Baroness frees Psyche-Out so he can help her and the others to beat the virus. The group fight through a group of the B.A.T.'s but a hull breach is caused by one of the robots and the humans all run into a storage room for safety. Mitchell exits the air duct in the room but some of the infected animals have followed him. The Cobras kill the animals and decide to use the air ducts to escape the room and get closer to Zych's lab (since Baroness gave it to her they assume it's still with her rightfully).
The group realise that the B.A.T.'s are targeting armed targets before unarmed ones, so they send Psyche-Out and Mitchell into Zych's lab first past two B.A.T.'s, and fire on them so they'll be targeted instead of them, however when the robots realise that they're heading to the control bot's location, they go after them anyway. With the B.A.T.'s gone Baroness, Interrogator and the last surviving Viper head for the sub decks for a submarine to escape on.
Mitchell and Psyche-Out enter Zych's lab and Mitchell finds here standing up with a heavily modified and mechanical looking body, and having severed her own right arm and attached the mysterious one from before onto it,so she can leave the base with the virus and spread it further, however Psyche-Out takes an axe and slices off the new arm when the B.A.T.'s appear to kill them, they injure Mitchell and Psyche-Out runs in front of Zych and grabs hold of her, pulls out her connection to the base, the B.A.T.'s shoot him and accidentally kill Zych as well. Zych is dead but still standing upwards, but Psyche-Out falls over, totally lifeless and all the B.A.T.'s are rendered lifeless as well. Mitchell hears his pet bird squawking and goes to find it, and hoping to find an exit as well as the base floods.
Baroness and the other two survivors have made it to the bay and finds all the submarines damaged when the Viper mentions about how he didn't like the water and that's why he didn't become an Eel, which Baroness uses as an inspiration.
The Viper finds 15 oxygen tanks for them to share, and Baroness kills him, so she can take his share, then tells Interrogator to take shallow breaths as he needs to make his 5 last all the way to the surface.

Notes

• Despite this being a G.I. Joe story, most of the characters are Cobra, with the only three Joes appearing all dying by the end!
• Baroness seems to care for Psych-Out in this story.
• Zych doesn't actually care about Cobra, she was just using them so she could regain the use of her legs
• The Cobra weapons don't do much as they aren't armour piercing bullets, due to thembeing on an underwater base.
• Though not stated outright, it's likely that the arm is a part of Britt's form in this universe and/or Britt was just the computer virus that eventually took over Zych's body
• Unlike the other Infestation stories, only machines and animals connected to the computer for experiments are infected by the zombie virus
• It's not shown in this story whether the characters bitten by the infected animals are infected as well

My Thoughts

Art

Very detailed and murky artwork, as one might expect from a zombie story

Story

Shows what happens when a virus that is interested in machines does when it enters the IDW GI Joe universe

Continuity

This leads on from CVO's first segment.

STAR TREK

Characters

Human


Admiral James T. Kirk
Mr Spock
Dr "Bones" McCoy
Padilla Zombified - "Cured by Bones"
Lt. Emigh Zombified by Barnes - "Cured by Bones" 
Barnes Zombified by Padilla - "Cured by Bones"
Robert Durant Williams Zombified by Britt - "Cured by Bones"
Calibus VII Colonists Zombified - "Cured by Bones"

Other


Britt (Vampire/Zombie) Defeated by Kirk
Thirty-Seven (Robot)
Other Robots

Storyline

Kirk leads an away team to Calibus VII where Bones is to be honoured with an award whilst the Enterprise goes elsewhere to restock supplies, and to rendezvous with them in five days. The shuttle approaches Calibus but they don't receive any signals from the planet and they get concerned. The team land on the planet and go out armed to see what's going on. The team find a dead body in the middle of the street and Bones examines him, suddenly the body wakes up and attacks Padilla by biting him hand, the group try stunning him but it does nothing, suddenly they're surrounded by more of the walking corpses and they run for it, whilst they notice by the uniforms that the corpses are the colonists from the planet.
Spock locates the Administrative Center as near by, so they start to head for it for answers about what happened when Padilla starts to acts weird and turns into one of the zombies as well, he attacks Barnes and bites his neck before being pulled off of him, the group run from him as more zombies start approaching them. The group hides in a room and Bones examines Barnes and says that he can do nothing for him as he dies. The group leaves the room before Barnes wakes up again and head into an alley way, however once outside Emigh is attacked by one of the colonists and is forced to be left behind.
The group sneak past the public gathering area where they landed and notice Barnes and Padilla walking towards the shuttles, and get concerned that they might be planning to use it to leave the planet, so they race them to it, and blasts it with their phasers to destroy it. The team reach the Administrative Center but can't find out anything about what happened, but do detect a power spike in a structure 5 Kilometres away, but they have to go cross country to reach it.
The team head through a forest and get ambushed by some zombies who get distracted by a deer allowing the Humans to reach the facility, but find the door locked, leaving Bones and Kirk to attempt to kill the approaching colonists if needed.

The zombies are approaching the group whilst Spock continues to work on opening the door when he finally succeeds and they manage to slip into it and lock the zombies out again. The trio explore the facility and find some information-computers that also happen to be robots, one of them, "Thirty-Seven" greets them and tells them about what happened to the planet.
His creator was working on creating more humanoid robots when he has a new assistant assigned to him, Britt, who somehow mesmerized him and made him create powerful robots, and infected them with a virus that infects humans and robots alike, the virus spread across the colony, except for Britt.
Thirty-Seven takes Kirk and the others to see his creator, Williams, whom he has had locked away in a cell to keep him safe. He then takes them to the lab so they can try and fix everything. Bones says that he's worked out a cure of sorts, and he sets it into a tranquillizer gun and fires it at Williams, lessening his symptoms. Thirty-Seven informs the group that whilst Britt is gone, she does sometimes return for some reason, and it's approaching that time again. Bones gets ready to mass produce the cure as the zombies start to breach the facility.
The team work together to create a large batch of the cure and to fill it into some missiles ready to be used to distribute it when the zombies enter the room and they are forced to fight them off. Suddenly Britt enters the room from the roof in her true form and Kirk tries to reason with her, but she just swats him away. The two fight, but during the fight she learns that they've developed a cure, she tries to stop them from releasing it, but keeps getting stalled and is finally stopped by Kirk flipping her right into the vat of cure and making her dissolve, the cure is launched into the sky and detonates, causing the cure to rain from the sky and freeing the colonists from their infection.
Later Kirk and the others meet with the now cured colonists and says that sadly they aren't truly cured, the virus was just suppressed, so they, and the three infected team members have to stay on the planet indefinitely. Kirk, Bones and Spock leave the planet when the Enterprise returns for them and the planet is quarantined 

Notes

• Only an away team is featured from the Enterprise crew here
• It's shown here that the virus can turn people whilst they are still walking rather than them having to die first
• Animals cab be turned as well
• The zombie virus is suppressed in this universe, implying that it could return at a later date in fiction

My Thoughts

Art

Very bold lines and colours here, and it looks like it was painted which gives it a nice rustic feel to it (appropriate since it's set during the Original series time frame).

Story

Shows how Kirk and the others deal with a planet infected with a foreign zombie virus very well

Continuity

This leads on from CVO's first segment.

GHOSTBUSTERS

Characters

Human


Peter Venkman
Ray
Egon
Winston
Janine
Long Hair Guy Zombified - Destroyed by Ghostbusters
Jack and his Dog "Chuck" (Mentioned)
Mr Payne (Mentioned)

Supernatural Beings


Britt (Vampire/Zombie)
Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man Zombified by the Hoard - Negated by his clone
Stay Puft-Marshmallow Man Clone Disappeared with other
Poltergeists

About 37 Zombies Absorbed into Stay-Puft Zombie
Gozer (Sumerian God - Mentioned)



Other


Cat Zombified by Long Hair Zombie - Destroyed by Ghostbusters

Storyline

A young man drink drives and has an accident where he crashes into a tree and another man, he starts to panic about what the cops will think when the dead man moves and bites his leg. The man stamps on the guys head and crushes it, suddenly Britt comes out of nowhere and says that he's messed up his schedule now, and how could he make it up to her.
Two days later in New York City the Ghostbusters are having problems with a Poltergeists, but manage to capture it when the man appears before them, as a decaying zombie. Egon and Ray are fascinated by him and realise that it's a just a body with barely any soul left, a zombie. Suddenly the zombie starts to attack the Ghostbusters and Winston blasts him with his Proton Pack and causes him to explode spreading necrotic flesh everywhere, the flesh infects a nearby cat and turns it into a zombie as well which the Ghostbusters blow up as well. The Ghostbusters worry about the necrotic flesh being on their uniforms, so they strip them off and get into the Ecto-1 and back to base.
The next day they start receiving calls about people eating dogs, but Janine thinks it's just a case of a psychopath and ignores it, and Peter tries to handle the customer on the phone himself when a zombie walks into the Ghostbusters office and goes to attack the two of them, when Janine grabs one of the traps with a poltergeist in it and throws it at the monster then activates it, hoping it will capture him as well.
The trap opens and the poltergeist is absorbed into the zombie, which causes it to decay and freeze, also trapping the Poltergeist as well. A short time later Egon examines the frozen zombie and determines that the poltergeist must have neutralised it somehow. Egon opens up the trap again, draws back in the poltergeist and caused the zombie to shatter into a pile of goop. Ray calls Peter whilst out on an errand and tells him that the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man has reappeared in New York City.

The news reports about Stay-Puft returning is watched by the Ghostbusters, whilst Egon activates their Zombie Detector and gets concerned when he learns that they aren't attacking people any more and that they're heading right for Stay-Puft now. They try to work out what's going on when Britt manifests herself in the room in front of them and she introduces herself to them and says that the zombies aren't the real threat and that Gozer is looking for a power to stop them, since they can neutralize them. Britt says that if the Ghostbusters deal with the zombies and Stay-Puft then she'll deal with the mastermind, they agree and leave. Britt reverts to her true half zombie form and comments on how annoying it was to keep them hypnotized enough, she steals one of the traps and goes for Gozer herself.
The Ghostbusters head towards to the Stay-Puft and the zombie hoard with a trunk full of traps and Ray shows the others a gun he's worked on that allows them to shoot the trapped ghosts from the traps at their targets. The team arrive at the battle site and find the zombies have started eating Stay-Puft so they start attacking the zombies when suddenly Stay-Puft turns into a zombie himself and starts roaring and absorbs the other zombies.
The Ghostbusters set up a load of the traps with poltergeists in them under Stay-Puft and let them go, forcing them into the great zombie, but rather than just rotting him it splits him in two, one a zombie, the other a clean version and the two start fighting over who is true (the loser would be absorbed into the other). The Ghostbusters start helping the clean version by attacking the zombie marshmallow man and they overload him with poltergeists causing it to explode. Before the Ghostbusters can capture the clean version he dissipates and goes elsewhere.
In the aftermath the Ghostbusters wonder what ever happened to Britt and her own mission, whilst she watche son from secret having captured a portion of Gozer's energy and prepares to go home, but before she does she creates some more zombies to keep the Ghostbusters busy, and the zombie detector picks it up.

Notes

• The zombies and Britt in this universe are just looking for a part of Gozer's essence for the Undermind, they have no real desire to add to their ranks after the initial troops are created
• The zombies in this universe are much more distorted than in the other universes
• Poltergeists trump Zombies and can negate their existance
• Britt is mistaken for a Vampire Bokor (voodoo sorcerer) by the Ghostbusters
• Poltergeists look like dogs
• Britt creates some new troubles for the Ghostbusters before leaving this universe
• This is the only universe where Britt isn't actually defeated in some way

My Thoughts

Art

Very detailed, and yet somewhat comical artwork here, the colours tend to be more subdued to what I'm used to with Transformers.

Story

Zombies vs Ghostbusters? What's not to like?

Continuity

This leads on from CVO's first segment. This continues in the start of the IDW Ghostbusters comic.

CVO (2)

Characters

CVO


Britt (Vampire/Zombie) Comatose due to Cross
Stephen Cross (Vampire) Zombified by Benny, protected by Nikodemus - Gone Missing
Bools (Vampire)
Director Overmars
Nikodemus (Demonkind)
Benny (Zombie)


Human


President of US
Long Hair Zombie (Portal Only)
Barnes (Portal Only) Zombie
Emigh (Portal Only) Bitten by Barnes
Dr Zych (Portal/Flashback)
Baroness (Flashback)
Dr McCoy (Flashback)
Admiral Kirk (Flashback)

Other


The Undermind Destroyed by Cross
Sweeps - Space Shuttles (Portal Only) Zombie
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Flashback)
Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man Zombie (Flashback)
Robots Zombies
Zombies

Storyline

The CVO team continue to fight the zombified humans and robots in the Kirtland base whilst worrying about Britt needing medical attention after her being knocked out before when the team hear some jets above them and they drop some bombs on the base to end the infestation.
Back at Coffin the CVO teams are being overrun by zombies in the command center when the CVO team from Kirtland reappears from a trans-gate saying they just escaped with some war bots, who manage to suppress the attacking zombies.
A short time later the team reach the Artillica storage compound to try and cure Britt and Benny uses a helmet to block out the Undermind's voice if he returns again. CVO send a team to Washington to protect the President whilst Britt wake sup again, meaning that her four split parts have returned and she starts attacking everyone. She uses a trans-gate to summon the Undermind again. In Washington, Benny and the others who were with Britt gate into the White House and they start to plan things, all whilst Britt is allowing the Undermind to enter this universe.
Cross gets an idea and takes off Benny's helmet, meaning  he starts to regress to a zombie slave again and Nikodemus bleeds himself so that Cross can be infected, but keep his mind as well (making him Undead Squared like Britt) Benny bites Cross and he turns, and teleports himself to the Coffin again to confront Britt and tris to use magic to stop them. He fights Britt and manages to skewer her with a knife in the back, defeating her, but it's too late The Undermind breaks through the gateway and enters this universe planning to spread his zombie plague. Cross uses all his power and causes the Undermind to completely fall apart and is destroyed, leaving just a pile of corpses as the Storage Area is destroyed.
In the aftermath the zombies, who all just stopped living again (except Benny) are cleaned up and it turned out that all Magic has been whited out and rebooted, and all Artillica is neutralised as well. Britt is stuck in hospital with no signs of getting better and Cross has gone missing, assumed to be just destroyed.
At Arlington Cemetery a cloaked figure visits the grave of war hero Stephen Cross and walks away from it (the figure is Cross)

Notes

• So...I guess being turned into a vampire makes you massively muscled then?
• The blood of demons can be used as a protective substance if drunk...it's bright green...ew

My Thoughts

Art

The artwork here is very nicely done, it's made to look like a traditional horror story without having it too gory

Story

The conclusion of this zombie outbreak storyline and links up to the other stories very nicely. The ending is also quite intriguing and makes me want to start following this storyline some more.

Continuity

This leads on from CVO's first segment, and is also set after the other four stories as well.