IDW - All Hail Megatron

Volume 1 Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (formerly Cybertronian Truck) Badly injured by Megatron

Kup - Cybertronian Pick Up Truck

Springer - Cybertronian Helicopter/Rocket Car

Jazz - Porsche

Prowl - Police Car

Perceptor - Cybertronian Tank

Blaster - Cybertronian Acoustic Tank

Blurr - Cybertronian Race Car

Wheeljack - Race Car

Roadbuster - Cybertronian Armoured Vehicle

Drift - Cybertronian Speeder

Hot Rod - Cybertronian Sports Car

Mirage - F1 Race Car

Tracks - Sports Car

Bumblebee - VW Beetle

Cliffjumper - Sports Car

Sideswipe - Lamborghini Gallardo

Sunstreaker - Lamborghini Gallardo

Ironhide - Van

Ratchet - Ambulance

Trailbreaker - Camper Van

Hound - Military Jeep

Brainstorm - Cybertronian Jet (Flashback)

Slingshot - Cybertronian Jet (Flashback)

Decepticon

Megatron - Gun (formerly Cybertronian Tank)

Starscream - F-15 Jet (formerly F-22)

Skywarp - F-15 Jet (formerly F-22)

Thundercracker - F-15 Jet (formerly F-22)

Astrotrain - Train/Space Shuttle

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Soundwave - Cassette Player (formerly Cybertronian Acoustic Tank)

Laserbeak - Cassette

Ravage - Cassette

Frenzy - Cassette

Rumble - Cassette

Ratbat - Cassette

Kickback - Locust

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Shrapnel - Scarab Beetle

Reflector Trio (Spectro, Spyglass, Viewfinder) - Camera

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Hook - Crane

Scrapper - Front End Loader

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Scavenger - Excavator

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt

The Swarm (About 3000 of them on Cybertron)

Headstrong - Cybertronian Armoured Vehicle (Flashback)

Scourge (mentioned)

Human

Colonel Daniel Witwicky

Commander Spike Witwicky

Sarah

Bridge

Andy Reid Killed by Astrotrain

Lt. Col. Hawke

Mrs Witwicky

European Leaders

US President Killed by Starscream

Agent Grant (CIA)

Sergeant Manning (Military)

Stevens (Military)

DJ (Military) Killed by Megatron

Anders (Military) Most likely killed by Decepticons

Meg (Picture only, DJ's Girlfriend)

Chad Wells (High Society Toff)

Mrs Wells (High Society Toff

Wilder (Military) Killed by Ratbat

Finley (Military) Killed by Ratbat

Morin (Military) Killed by Ratbat

Diaz (Military) Killed by Ratbat

Bowers (Military) Killed by Ratbat

Military

Civilians

Other

Storyline

A year has passed since the last major incident between the Transformers on Earth, and things have gone quiet. One sunny day however some construction vehicles drive into New York city and suddenly transform into six robots, the Constructicons, they say that they come in peace, laugh, then start slaughtering everyone around them. The Seekers arrive and join the fight as well, with Starscream trying to prove that he's better than Megatron to everyone else, when the big bot arrives and topples a building with a single shot.

The military start a counter attack and send F-22's to New York, including ones piloted by DJ and Andy. Soundwave informs Megatron and the assembled mass of Decepticons of the approaching humans which Megatron is glad about as he just has Soundwave jamb their missiles and make them all miss. After this bit of playing Megatron has all the flight worth Decepticons to attack the human jets in the sky and they easily tear them all apart. DJ, in his damaged jet aims at Megatron and tries to kamikaze himself into him, but Megatron just swats at the hurtling F-22 and makes it explode, not harming him at all. Megatron is joyous in the carnage.

Meanwhile, on a slowly healing Cybertron Prowl enters the Autobot's current base of operations and hands a report to Jazz, who just flings it away and steps outside for some time alone. Prowl glances back and sees a near-death Optimus Prime being worked on by Ratchet.

Colonel Daniel Witwicky is at one of his wife's parties when he is informed of the Decepticon invasion of New York and is called in for duty. In New York Andy is trying to escape from Ravage when he rescues a woman, Sarah, from an attack from Starscream. On the way to New York Witwicky is informed of what the threat is, but refuses to keep his men in the dark about the Transformers. Back in New York Andy and Sarah are attacked by Ravage, but are saved by Bridge, who lets them inside a store room, where they hide out. Witwicky arrives in New York and calls for a meeting about the aliens.

Soundwave reports that there are considerable ground troops being gathered, Megatron has Soundwave send in Frenzy to deal with them. Soundwave releases Frenzy, who immediately drives the cocky humans insane and kills them whole team (with drills). Andy, Sarah and Bridge run through the city and Andy tells them that the radios are all dead due to some jamming signals (Soundwave). In the base set up in New York Witwicky shares the information about the Transformers and that the Machination, who were blamed for all the attacks in the past, were just a cover-up (mostly). One of the soldiers walks in on the meeting and tells Witwicky that the team sent to Central Park were just all killed (by Frenzy). Suddenly they hear jets screaming above them, they go outside and see the Seekers destroying bridges. Elsewhere Megatron has the Constructicons combine into a Gestalt form of Devastator, and has Laserbeak record the great beast and stream it to everyone available. Witwicky's group watch as Devastator starts pounding his fists into the water, and into the tunnels below it.

Several humans are hiding out in one of the subway tunnels when they see a train coming up, they get excited thinking that it's a rescue attempt, but instead Astrotrain arrives, transforms and causes the tunnel to collapse on top of himself and the humans. Witwicky continues to run the counter measures against the Decepticons and has his base made to look deserted (even having the vehicles hidden in other areas) so the Decepticons might leave it alone. Witwicky starts to hear news from other locations and sees that they're basically losing this war. He receives a message from Washington, saying that Air Force One and the President were shot down and he was killed.

Megatron stands victorious in New York, and is told by Hook that construction has begun, but asks if they could do it elsewhere as he finds this place to be like a hovel. Megatron says he wants it done here as this was one of the human's greatest cities, Hook agrees and leaves. Starscream soon arrives and comments on how "scruffy" the victory seems and he says he's dealt with some "business" in the capital (downing Air Force One). The two of them talk about how easy it has become, and how they have systematically now defeated the Autobots all across the galaxy thanks to one of their own betraying them.

Elsewhere in the city a small band of humans evade Rumble and the Reflector trio and make it into one of the subway tunnels with supplies. In the tunnel Andy has been made the leader of the small group thanks to his military background. The tunnels goes quiet when they hear a train approaching, but Andy recognises the Decepticon insignia on it and calls for everyone to leave. Andy manages to get everyone out of the tunnel, but gets trapped as Astrotrain transforms and causes the tunnel to collapse, killing him.

Megatron tells his Decepticon troops that they have one, and that the Earth is theirs now, and that all resistance has been defeated. On Cybertron tensions are getting frayed, and Ironhide is arguing with Prowl, with the former wanting to confront the one he thinks is the traitor, when Prowl tries to make an example by saying that they have no idea who the traitor was, and that it could even be Ironhide himself, then the red Autobots punches Prowl and sends him flying across the room, before a fight can properly start however Jazz steps in and tells him to walk it off. Jazz and Prowl talk about how they're runnin glow on Energon and other supplies and how their search parties aren't finding anything, when Jazz says that they need to do something instead of just staying inside all day. Jazz reports that Optimus is being given the best treatment available, but it might not be enough.

Whilst out on patrol/energon hunt Bumblebee and Wheeljack notice that their being followed, so Wheeljack sends out a signal to a terminal back in base to inform Cliffjumper that they need help. Ironhide keeps getting angrier about the situation when Cliffjumper asks if he wants to come with him to help Wheeljack, he agrees. Sunstreaker says he wants to come as well, but Ironhide tells him to stay and keep an eye on Mirage for him.

Back on Earth the human resistance group that Andy used to lead are bickering when Bridge suggests that Sarah take over as leader, as she seems the bravest out of them, she reluctantly agrees.

Back on Cybertron again Cliffjumper and Ironhide arrive at Wheeljack's location and ambush the stalker, who is revealed to be Hot Rod! They ask him what he's doing on Cybertron when ot Rod gets excited thinking that they're here to rescue him and his team after receiving his message, leaving the other Autobots looking on stumped.

A short while ago the Autobot shuttle, Trion is chasing the Decepticon Battlecruiser Torment when the Deceptcon ship suddenly changes course, the Autobots follow it but are led into an ambush, with the Decepticons also stopping them from raising shields and then everything else fails as well and they crash into Cybertron with Springer turning it into a controlled crash. In the present Hot Rod has just finished explaining all this and that the Trion was taken out of commission thanks to this, but that they have a large Energon supply still. Hot Rod says that he's glad they got his message when Kup walks in with the rest of his crew and says that they didn't get the message and they're trapped on Cybertron just like they are too. Kup asks who's in charge.

On Earth Colonel Witwicky is met by his son, Commander Spike Witwicky and makes him the team leader on a mission to assassinate Megatron personally, as he leaves Daniel asks Spike to call his mother at some point.

Back on Cybertron Jazz says he's in charge and Kup tests him but proves that he has things covered by taking down Springer and Blurr and managing to pull a gun on Kup and also revealing that he's got Mirage outside in his invisible mode acting as a sniper in case anyone he didn't want to come in came. Jazz tells Kup that he needs to see something. On Earth SPike's team is sent across the river, but is attacked by Ratbat, the base receive readouts from their life sensors that shows the team to be dead, Colonel Witwicky walks out in a rage.

On Cybertron again Kup is taken to see Optimus' offline body and Jazz tells him about Devastator and that Megatron told them they had a traitor on the team who sold them out, which Kup works out is how the Decepticons disabled the systems on the Trion as well and Kup asks if any of the other Autobots know that the Matrix was stolen from Prime's chest, Jazz says no, all whilst Megatron looks at his trophy on Earth.

Elsewhere on Earth Colonel Witwicky is dreading having to tell his wife that their son has died, especially since he only joined the military because he did as well. Across the river Spike washes up on shore and makes a run for it.

Kup and Jazz discuss the situation, and Jazz tells him that only them, Prowl and Ratchet know about the Matrix being missing. Kup reveals that before the Trion crashed they received a mass of distress calls from Autobot outposts reporting that the Decepticons were invading and that they were being massacred. Kup decides to merge the two teams together and makes Jazz his second in command.

On Earth Starscream keeps asking Megatron why they don't leave New York or even Earth, since they've defeated it now, questioning him. In Beijing, China Skywarp and Bombshell are having arguments and they trade insults (about Bombshell being a bug and of the Seekers just taking on the same form as Starscream all the time) Thundercracker arrives to help his team mate, and then the other Insecticons appear as well, but are scared off by the two Seekers. Thundercracker starts to feel empty about all they're doing on Earth and doesn't agree with it any more.

On Cybertron the two teams are beginning to mingle together and are worrying about how the team would react if they found out about the Matrix, especially if Prime does die, like it looks like he will. Kup says they can use the stored up energon from the Trion to help fix Prime and the others, and that all old arguments have to be put aside, at least for now anyway. Outside Roadbuster and Ironhide start talking where Roadbuster says that he wants to get back at the Decepticons for shooting their ship down. Ironhide gets ready to tell him his suspicions about Mirage when he notices one of the Swarm looking at them from the Cybertronian wilderness. Roadbuster calls for Kup and the others, and Drift is sent out, killing the Swarm member in an instant, with Perceptor killing a secod one using his new Sniper abilities. Kup says that it's too dangerous there now and they have to leave for a new location ASAP

Back on Earth Megatron is annoyed with Starscream for implying that he needed the Autobots to fight with, otherwise he feels useless, so he takes it out on the human military and tears a patrol apart. After finishing Blitzwing arrives on the scene and says they were worried about him, but he asks him to just leave him alone and that he can handle himself.

In Versailles, France several country leaders from Europe have a meeting over tea and decide that they have to destroy New York City to stop the Decepticon threat.

Notes

• The Transformers have been covered up as being Machination constructs in the past...until now of course
• It's not clear what the "One year later" is saying that in regards to, so I gave an ambiguous interpretation in my storyline section.
• The Constructicons think that Earth's building materials are weak and soft
• Cybertron has begun to heal after the Thunderhead incident
• Seekers take on the same form as their commander as an homage to them
• Despite Hound and Sideswipe being with the Autobots on Cybertron none of their other team mates (Skram, Warpath and Road Rocket) are anywhere to be seen
• Since Megatron: Origin Frenzy has developed the ability to drive anyone around him mad
• Megatron uses flags to clean his arm cannon
• Earth modes aren't suitable for driving on Cybertron due to it having slick surfaces
• Cliffjumper is so eager for a fight that he's willing to watch for a light that says there's trouble around...YIKES!
• Kup's team is made up mostly of Wreckers, highly skilled guys (Blurr and Blaster) and other more individual characters that they picked up (like Hot Rod and Drift)
• Scourge is mentioned by Starscream, this was a mistake carried over from an aborted plot line, as Scourge was later shown to be part of the Dead Universe and not a Decepticon
• In the flashback on the first page the Transformers are depicted as they were in "Series 1" of IDW's continuity
• The energon that the Trion had stored on it was most likely an artificial substitute like that found on Earth.
• Vehicles the same type as Dropshot's are seen at the human base as early as issue 5, despite him not being revealed until right near the end, though since it's not shown if it is him or not, I'll just assume that the ones seen in Volume One aren't him.
• Megatron has killed two Primes to get the Matrix, with Optimus being the third he tried to kill for it.
• Perceptor's new sniper status is explained in the All Hail Megatron Coda series
• The Reflector Trio's alternate mode is just an assumption based on a cover from this series

Volume 2 Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Kup - Cybertronian Pick Up Truck

Omega Supreme - Cybertronian Space Shuttle and Base

Roadbuster - Cybertronian Armoured Vehicle

Springer - Cybertronian Helicopter/Rocket Car

Jazz - Porsche

Prowl - Police Car

Ironhide - Van

Ratchet - Ambulance

Bumblebee - VW Beetle

Sunstreaker - Lamborghini Gallardo Destroyed self on Bridge

Sideswipe - Lamborghini Gallardo

Tracks - Sports Car

Trailbreaker - Camper Van

Hound - Military Jeep

Cliffjumper - Sports Car

Mirage - F1 Race Car

Wheeljack - Race Car

Blaster - Cybertronian Acoustic Tank

Perceptor - Cybertronian Tank

Blurr - Cybertronian Race Car

Drift - Cybertronian Speeder

Hot Rod - Cybertronian Sports Car

Ultra Magnus - Cybertronian Car Carrier (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Gun Badly injured by Spike and Optimus

Starscream - F-15 Jet (formerly F-22 Jet)

Thundercracker - F-15 Jet (formerly F-22 Jet) Injured by Skywarp

Skywarp - F-15 Jet (formerly F-22 Jet)

Dirge - F-15 Jet (Flashback) Likely killed by Autobots

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Rumble -Cassette

Frenzy - Cassette

Ravage - Cassette

Laserbeak - Cassette

Astrotrain - Train/Space Shuttle

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Kickback - Locust

Shrapnel - Scarab Beetle

Reflector Trio (Spectro, Spyglass, Viewfinder) - Camera

Tankor - Bomber Plane/Oil Tanker

Dropshot - Multiple Missile Launcher Tank Killed by Kup

Hook - Crane

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Scavenger - Excavator

Scrapper - Front End Loader

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Devastator - Construction Gestalt

Deluge - Race Car (Flashback) Likely killed by Autobots

The Swarm (about 3000)

Scorponok - Scorpion Tank (Flashback)

Shockwave - Ray Gun (Referred to)

Sixshot - Gun/Jet/Car/Tank/Winged Wolf (Mentioned)

Human

Colonel Daniel Witwicky

Commander Spike Witwicky

Sarah

Bridge

Charles

Lt. Colonel Hawke

Hunter O'Nion - Sunstreaker's Head Euthenised by Sideswipe

Abraham Dante - Scorponok's Head (Flashback)

Civilians

Military

Other

Storyline

In the recent past Megatron and the Seekers arrive on Cybertron where Deluge informs them of his success in creating three Insecticons (with about 3000 rejects as well - The Swarm). Thundercracker is disgusted by this and walks away. Inside the lab Megatron is introduced to Bombshell, the first to gain conciousness, and he takes him to meet someone.

In the present day the Autobots are relocating to their new base and Jazz explains everything that happened on Earth, how Mirage informed the team about how Starscream is trying to take leadership from Megatron and now is the perfect time to take them out, however it's revealed to have been a trap and the Autobots are ambushed and outnumbered by the Decepticons, including the gestalt Devastator and other newly arrived troops and Megatron steals the Matrix from Optimus' chest. Back in the present the team takes a break and Kup notices how bad the morale is right now.

Sideswipe tries to talk to Sunstreaker about what happened to him on Earth, but Sunstreaker snaps at him, especially when he tells Sunstreaker to stop going after Mirage, Sunstreaker tells him to leave him alone and to never mention Earth to him again. Jazz continues his story to Kup and reveals that Megatron told them that someone on their own side gave them up and had led them to this battle, which hit Optimus hard. He then explained that the Decepticons led them to s Space Bridge, having been built by the Insecticons and sent them to Cybertron to be hunted by the Swarm (being led by Dirge and Deluge) however Optimus attacks the Decepticons when all the others are through, but ends up being badly injured when he destroyed the Space Bridge whilst entering it, he was thrown to Cybertron, severely injured, and the Autobots turn on the two stranded Decepticons.

Jazz explains that they hid on Cybertron with no spare Energon, but found that it was slowly healing itself, but was still painful to walk around on. Elsewhere Sunstreaker walks off from Sideswipe in a rage and he tells Ironhide what he said about leaving Mirage alone, which gets Ironhide so angry that he stomps over to Mirage and swiftly pounds him into a pulp, making note to damage his insignia and telling him that he doesn't deserve it, then leaves him as the other Autobots arrive on the scene.

In the past Sunstreaker has been let out of his CR tube in his new body and Ratchet comes in and says that Hunter's asking to see him, but Sunstreaker ignores him. Back in the present Kup is chewing out Ironhide for what he did to Mirage, and Kup tells him that Mirage couldn't have been the traitor, Kup tries to make Ironhide see that it's not his fault that Optimus is in the state he's in when they hear gunshots, run outside and see Perceptor firing at the Swarm and Kup orders everyone to get moving again.

Back on Earth the Reflector trio are playing with some humans they've found and kill them when Starscream walks past them and meets with the Insecticons and makes them an offer after apologising for Skywarp's argument with Bombshell earlier. The Autobots outrun the Swarm on Cybertron and use Perceptor's skills to detonate some explosives on the bridges that they pass and detonate them, however Perceptor is injured on the way and cant take out the last bridge between them and the Swarm, they try to work out who can make the trip and get back in time when Ironhide realises that Sunstreaker is missing. On Earth Starscream meets up with someone in the Decepticon base and he tells him to inform the others and wait for his signal.

On Cybertron Sunstreaker is on the bridge with his gun out, Ironhide drives up and asks him what he's doing, and Sunstreaker reveals that he was the one who made the deal with Starscream, not Mirage and that he did it to make the humans pay for what some did to him. The plan was originally for the Autobots to ambush Megatron, allow Starscream to take command, then the Autobots would leave, allowing the Decepticons to have Earth, though Starscream betrayed him as well. The Swarm appears on the bridge and attack Ironhide and Sunstreaker, Drift appears from behind them and carries Ironhide away as Sunstreaker takes out the last bomb, destroying the bridge and seemingly killing himself as well.

Ironhide decides he needs to be alone whilst getting repaired from the Swarm's attack, Drift enters the medical room of their new base and says that Sunstreaker couldn't have given the Decepticons all those codes himself, and that there must be more to this than just Sunstreaker. On Earth Bombshell just looks at Sunstreaker, who has been amputated and hooked up to a computer where they are downloading all the Autobot files and codes that he has access to.

In New York Sarah and Bridge are ransacking a department store for clothes and supplies for their group when they see Spike getting into some new clothes in the store as well, and they introduce themselves to each other. Later Spike asks them to help him to get at a gun so he can use it to kill Megatron as it was specifically made to injure Transformers, they agree to go with him, along with another member of their group, Charles.

On Cybertron the Autobots, now in a fairly permanent base have been fixed up (except Optimus) and have started using the Trion for spare parts and new weapons etc. Ironhide comes up to Mirage and tries to apologise, but he won't listen, and doesn't even allow his insignia to heal thanks to what Ironhide said before. Ratchet informs Kup that everyone bar Optimus are back to working order, but there's no morale to keep them motivated, he also laments that Perceptor isn't quite up to scientific work now due to his upgrades

On Earth Spike has found the gun created by Skywatch using Shockwave's designs when Rumble starts attacking the front business, after a bit of a chase Charles manages to use a bazooka and blasts him in the head, suddenly there's a loud shriek in the area. Back on Cybertron the Autobots are starting to get at each other's thoats about how useless they are just sitting on Cybertron and Bumblebee starts on Drift in particular for his past when Sideswipe walks in and says he thinks they should all be ashamed, and that all of them should be dead as well as Sunstreaker for how they've been treating the worlds they battled on in the past.

On Earth Soundwave finds Rumble's badly injured body and carries him away, but is so depressed that he lowers his jammers and the radios start working again. Back on Cybertron Sideswipe continues with his rant about the war when a newly fixed up Optimus walks in with his command team and says he agrees with Sideswipe, and that they can't just give up. The Autobots start to perk up. Back in New York Spike tells the others that he got through to his dad, and he told him (in code) that the other nations are sending a bomb to destroy New York.

Megatron meets with Bombshell who shows him the completed Space Bridge ready for usage, Megatron compliments him, but then comments on how his own intelligence would come back to hurt him, Starscream appears with the other Insecticons and they start their coup. On Cybertron the Autobots are preparing for battle, however Prowl tells Jazz that their current chances of victory are only 7 in 6,000...Jazz tells him to keep that to himself. As the Autobots finish up the Swarm starts to invade their little island of peace and they start the battle.

Back on Earth Megatron is easily dealing with the Insecticons and reveals that he's been on to them for a long time and had Soundwave and his cassettes spying on them. Megatron says that none of his loyal soldiers will ever join him, when the Constructicons appear behind him and mockingly chant "All Hail Megatron". On Cybertron the Autobots are being overrun by the Swarm and during the fight Mirage and Ironhide make up and fight alongside each other. Soon the fight seems to be futile when a massive beam of energy hits the field and takes out multiple members of the Swarm, then Omega Supreme lands on the planet and protects the others. Omega says he received Hot Rod's message and fought his way to Cybertron to help them. Optimus has Omega transform and take them off the planet, Kup asks if they're going to find more survivors, but Optimus says no, they're going to Earth to take out Megatron.

On Earth Megatron is having problems against Devastator but manages to knock him down, suddenly the two Decepticon parties look up and see a lot of human jets arriving above the city from the EU.

Spike and the others run across the battlefield and try to find somewhere to fire the weapon from, all whilst Devastator is tearing through the EU jets. Megatron and Starscream's forces both start attacking the humans as well and put their feud on hold for the moment and Megatron says that he expected this to happen and that nothing ever comes as a surprise to him...then he is surprised by the Autobots arriving in Omega Supreme and start attacking the Decepticons. Megatron manages to convince Starscream to give up his coup and tells him that he'll be leader one day, but not yet and not like this. Starscream agrees and unites his forces with Megatron's again, they join forces to fight the Autobots.

The Autobots clear the battlefield to allow Omega to transform again and to fight Devastator. Seeing the damage caused by his size Optimus tells Omega to take Devastator somewhere else to fight, he grabs Devastator and launches them both into the sky. The US Military see this and wonder what's going on, Hawke informs Colonel Witwicky that some of the robots are fighting the Decepticons as the EU fighters have just reported (with the radios back up again). Witwicky has Hawke continue the evacuation of the base before the bomb gets there, in case the Autobots fail, and because they don't know if the Autobots are actually on their side either.

On the battlefield Optimus and Megatron meet up and Megatron says that he's no better than himself as he left Earth to the Decepticons before (after Devastation) and says that he knows about the EU bomb, and plans to use it to kill the humans instead. During the evacuation one of the Missile Launchers starts to play up and then transforms into a Decepticon, Dropshot and starts attacking the fleeing humans and Witwicky starts to freak out about where else they could be hiding.

Elsewhere a plane flies over the ocean carrying the EU bomb with no crew on board and a Decepticon insignia inside his cockpit....

Sideswipe is taking on the Insecticons when Bombshell jumps on his back and comments on Sunstreaker and comments on how he experimented on Hunter, this angers Sideswipe, but Bombshell says that he'll never have revenge, then Kup appears and punches the Insecticon and disagrees with him. Skywarp appears and grabs Kup, commenting on how he thought he'd gone nuts. Kup points his gun back at SKywarp and blasts him, causing him to let go and Kup falls into the water. Omega lands by the Statue of Liberty, holds Devastator against it and blasts a hole through both Devastator and the statue, Devastator crashes into the water.

The Military fights against Dropshot and tells Hawke to continue the evacuation. Spike and the other 3 humans arrive on a rooftop and see Megatron and Optimus fighting it out. Back at the human base Witwicky attacks Dropshot with a missile and he turns on him, going to attack the Colonel when Kup rises out of the water and walks up to him.

Megatron takes the upper hand against Optimus and says that he's going to leave New York now and let Tankor drop the bomb, killing the Autobots and humans together when Spike fires the weapon and hits him in the face, Optimus takes the opportunity to grab Megatron's previously dropped gun and whacks him across the head with it, severely injuring him. Optimus goes to finish him off when Starscream tells him to stop. Optimus says that he could just let him kill Megatron now and then Starscream can be Decepticon commander, but Starscream says that he's changed his mind and that he must earn the leadership. Starscream takes Megatron's body and leads the Decepticons off the planet before the bomb hits.

The Autobots start to panic about the bomb as none of them can fly in robot mode (except Omega, but he's too big to handle it safely). Thundercracker offers to deal with it as he disagrees with the use of the bomb to kill the Autobots so indirectly or to kill the helpless humans, but doesn't plan on defecting like Drift did.

Thundercracker takes off and intercepts the bomb, redirects it into the air and fires on it, making it detonate above the city, far from anyone, the Autobots cheer on. Hound locates Spike and the others and brings them to Optimus, who thanks them for their help. Kup and Colonel Witwicky sit down on top of a now dead Dropshot and discuss his Cy-Gar. Skywarp teleports behind Thundercracker and demands to know what he just did, then calls him a betrayer and shoots at point blank range.

Optimus offers the help of him and the Autobots in repairing Earth but Spike says that there's no way that they could accept that now, not after the invasion or after learning that they'd been on the planet for years now. Sideswipe breaks into the Decepticon base and finds a badly tortured Hunter hooked up to a machine, he turns off the power and lets Hunter die, despite him being the last part of Sunstreaker that he knows of to be alive.

Notes

• Deluge was redesigned from his G2 toy and actually looks more like a Movie character (still looks good though)
• Bumblebee really couldn't care less that Drift might be dead...good policy for a future commander huh??
• Frenzy is seen in the flashbacks amongst the other Decepticons, but doesn't seem to be driving anyone insane...
• The reason for Starscream's coup is basically because Megatron has become too obsessed with Earth and Optimus.
• The "someone" who Megatron takes Bombshell to meet is Hunter or Sixshot (Hunter to start torturing him, or Sixshot to extract the Space Bridge info from)
• Dropshot is based on the Micromaster character (like the Universe toy did as well) but because he appeared in Revelation let's just assume that it's another character with the same name
• Tankor uses his new trademark name instead of his old name of Octane.
• There are about 3000 members of the Swarm
• The Seekers adopt their new F-15 alternate modes some time between the Swarm being created and Starscream making the deal with Sunstreaker
• Sunstreaker doesn't let anyone talk about the whole Headmaster thing
• Sixshot gave Megatron the Space Bridge technology from the Dead Universe so he could rejoin the Decepticons
• Sunstreaker gave up the Earth and his team to the Decepticons, but it is due to Hunter that the Decepticons gained the command codes (due to his lingering connection to Sunstreaker, which means he has access to all the command codes etc)
• The weapon Skywatch developed was retrofitted from Shockwave, who was in their care from Escalation-Maximum Dinobots
• Most of the Autobots don't trust Drift, the reason is revealed in Spotlight: Drift and his miniseries
• The Autobots don't trust Mirage because he's the one who relayed the information about the attack and led them into the ambush (unknowingly)
• Omega Supreme looks a lot bigger than he used to....
• Starscream decides at the end of this story that he needs to earn Leadership instead of just trying to usurp it from Megatron, which Megatron seems to believe that he will do eventually.
• This is the second time that someone else has dealt the major "killing blow" to someone Optimus was fighting, the first being Nova Prime being shot by Galvatron.
• Springer's injuries from the Trion's crash caused him to disable his ability to take on Helicopter mode.

My Thoughts

Art

The art in this comic is quite interesting, over all it's a pretty darkly lit comic series, however the art styles used on Earth are even different, and tend to be much brighter than those set on Cybertron.

Story

This story serves as both a new chapter of the IDW continuity and as a "what if?" question again, in this case "what if Megatron won?"

Continuity

Megatron defeats Optimus between the end of Maximum Dinobots and now.

The events of this comic are the set up of the 3rd series of comics and everything afterwards

Spike is introduced here and remains a main character until the end of Chaos.

Kup has been fixed up and cured (mostly) this is explained in the Codas

Drift is introduced here and is given his full back story in later issues

The Decepticons have retrofitted the Gestalt technology from Monstructor.

Megatron remains in his badly damaged state until the Revenge of the Decepticons story arc

Thundercracker survives Skywarp's attack but is rendered an outcast for his actions

Spike later DOES make an alliance with the Autobots in the next story arc.

Sideswipe ends Hunter's life due to him pain, despite him being the last part of Sunstreaker alive (that he knows of)

The characters who received redesigns aren't entirely explained away here, they just randomly decided to take on retro disguises

Other

Most of the main cast are from Season One and Two of the G1 series and mostly use the character models from the series (with some exceptions like Bumblebee and Ratchet etc

The Seekers use their Masterpiece toys as their new character model basis'

Hound, Prowl, Tankor, Dropshot, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe use their Universe toy models

Astrotrain uses his Universe toy model, but turns into his G1 vehicle modes