IDW - Ironhide

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Cybertronian Van

Sunstreaker - Lamborghini Gallardo

Alpha Trion - Cybertronian Speeder

Metroplex - City/Space Shuttle

Scamper - Cybertronian Car

Optimus Prime - Truck (former Cybertronian Truck) (Flashbacks only)

Kup - Cybertronian Pick Up Truck (Flashbacks only)

Outback - Cybertronian Van (Flashbacks only) Dead

Ratchet - Ambulance (Flashbacks only)

Wheeljack - Race Car (Flashbacks only)

Groove - Cybertronian Speedbike (Flashbacks only)

Prowl - Police Car (former Cybertronian Speeder) (Flashbacks only)

Windcharger - Cybertronian Car (Flashbacks only)

Hound - Cybertronian Jeep (Flashbacks only)

Blurr - Cybertronian Race Car (Flashbacks only)

Gizmo - Cybertronian Buggy (Flashbacks only)

Download - Cybertronian Multiple Missile Launcher Tank (Flashbacks only)

Silverbolt - Cybertronian Jet (Flashbacks only)

Beachcomber - Cybertronian Hover Buggy (Flashbacks only)

Warpath - Cybertronian Tank (Flashbacks only)

Jazz - Cybertronian Car (Flashbacks only)

Blaster - Cybertronian Acoustic Tank (Flashbacks only)

Silverstreak - Cybertronian Speeder (Flashbacks only)

Brawn - Cybertronian Van (Flashbacks only)

Tracks - Cybertronian Car (Flashbacks only)

First Aid - Cybertronian Emergency Vehicle (Flashbacks only)

Cosmos - Cybertronian Orbiter (Flashbacks only)

Jetfire - Cybertronian Jet (Flashbacks only)

Decepticon

The Swarm Mostly destroyed by Ironhide and Metroplex

Megatron (Mentioned)

Axer - Cybertronian Car (Flashbacks only)

Soundwave - Cybertronian Acoustic Tank (Flashbacks only)

Buzzsaw - Cassette (Flashbacks only)

Laserbeak - Cassette (Flashbacks only)

Ravage - Cassette (Flashbacks only)

Rumble - Cassette (Flashbacks only)

Hook - Cybertronian Crane (Flashbacks only)

Mixmaster - Cybertronian Mixing Truck (Flashbacks only)

Long Haul - Cybertronian Dump Truck (Flashbacks only)

Scrapper - Cybertronian Plough (Flashbacks only)

Tankor - Cybertronian Jet/Truck (Flashbacks only)

Ramjet - Cybertronian Jet (Flashbacks only)

Drag Strip - Cybertronian Race Car (Flashbacks only)

Fasttrack - Cybertronian Race Car (Monitor, Flashbacks only)

Stunticons (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

Race Promoter - Cybertronian Truck (Flashbacks only)

Race Track Guards (Flashbacks only)

Civilians (Flashbacks only)

Storyline

Four Million years ago on Cybertron, Optimus leads a team against some Decepticons but runs into some problems with Soundwave and his menagerie but is rescued by Ironhide. A little later Optimus manages to confront a Decepticon Energon convoy and manages to get them to surrender without ever taking a shot. Later the Autobots hold a celebration and Optimus is slowly easing into his role as Autobot commander. Ironhide notices that one of the party's attendees looks a bit shifty when he reveals himself to be Axer and takes a shot at Optimus, but Ironhide jumps in front of it.

Ironhide wakes up in a dark medical room and goes looking for someone when he notices that the city around him is in ruins, he's in the present day.

Ironhide is wandering around the deserted Cybertronian city when he walks past the old race track and remembers his old career as a Security guard there and how he kept Drag Strip safe from an assassination attempt by Outback who tries to tell him that a war's coming and that everyone has to wake up and realise it.

Ironhide continues to wander round the city when he's attacked by a member of the Swarm, he manages to beat it but gets upset about how this isn't how things are meant to be so he transforms and drives around, desperate for any other sane Transformer when he rams into a wall.

Ironhide daydreams ans sees several of his friends in new bodies and even sees a half decayed Outback as well where everyone tells him that he's dead and everyone is disappointed at him and then Wheeljack starts telling him to come with him.

Ironhide wakes up to find Scamper standing over him telling him to come with him, Scamper transforms and Ironhide follows him to a massive, fully powered city.

Scamper and Ironhide arrive at the sole working city on Cybertron and Ironhide is taken to see Alpha Trion, whom Ironhide doesn't remember, much to Alpha Trion's annoyance. Ironhide asks for answers and Alpha Trion explains that the planet was evacuated many years ago and that the war has spread over several new worlds since then. Alpha tells Ironhide that they're the last ones on Cybertron, but Ironhide notices a blip on the screen of another lifeform, but Alpha tells him to ignore it. Ironhide ignores him however and goes to retrieve the Autobot, Sunstreaker for a chasm.

When he reaches Sunstreaker, Sunstreaker starts babbling incoherently about being sorry and not meaning to do what he did, Ironhide tells him not to worry (mostly because he can't remember it anyway). Ironhide transforms and carries Sunstreaker away whilst the Swarm attacks them both, though he manages to get back to the city and places him on a table.

Sunstreaker starts to freak out when he sees Alpha Trion and is sure that he's being judged, so Alpha sedates him and Alpha reveals that Ironhide has lost four million years of memories due to the attack he survived back then and that he actually died about a year earlier, but was reborn thanks to Alpha Trion's brilliance. He then reveals that he revived him so he could save Cybertron by defeating the Swarm, as he's too stubborn to die or let the electrical storms harm him. Ironhide heads out to hunt down the Swarm.

Ironhide is out in Cybertron's now barren cities and hunts down the Swarm, managing to get to the Trion (the ship Kup's team used before All Hail Megatron) and finds out that there's some power still on board. Ironhide sets off all the guns and starts blasting at the Swarm, the Swarm starts to break into the ship, so Ironhide sets off the self destruct and ejects himself, causing the ship to explode and killing more of the Swarm. Ironhide tries to fight through the remaining Swarm members in the area and calls for help, Alpha tells him to retreat to the city as there's only about 200 left in the area.

Ironhide returns to the city's site to find that it's transformed into Metroplex, who smashes the Swarm members with his fists. Alpha introduces them to each other and has Metroplex transform again. Sunstreaker leaves the ship mode Metroplex in a new hover-chair as his legs are still messed up and he asks if it's true that he has no memories of all that's happened lately.

Alpha Trion says hat they're getting ready to leave, but Ironhide is to stay alone to deal with the Swarm, as he wants to study Sunstreaker due to his experience as a Headmaster still lingering. Ironhide punches Alpha Trion and knocks him to the floor. Alpha prepares to leave but Sunstreaker decides to stay with Ironhide as he wants to atone for what he's done, Alpha says it's a bad idea, but allows it, he and Scamper enter Metroplex and they take off, after leaving Ironhide with a special self regenerating fuel cell to help him keep at full strength.

Sunstreaker wants to talk to Ironhide but Ironhide says it can wait as he wants to deal with the Swarm first, Sunstreaker agrees and they wait.

Notes

• Alpha Trion has been fixing Cybertron's atmosphere since before All Hail Megatron
• Ironhide has lost all his memories since his near death experience during the early war days, although he does have a memory of sorts of Optimus and the others in their Earth modes, so maybe some memories have been retained
• Ramjet shows his ambitious side in the flashback scenes, this will later lead to his demise in his own Spotlight
• Transformers can recharge at recharge points at several points on Cybertron by just inserting their finger
• Alpha Trion's outfit is used to help protect him from the residual electrical storms on Cybertron
• Alpha Trion can control his entire body fully, as well as anyone who is touching him
• Vector Sigma was essentially erased when Cybertron died, explaining why no new Transformers can be born
• Alpha Trion always knew that Ironhide would die, which is why he specifically built him a new body and created memories for him from his real past, just in case.

My Thoughts

Art

Very strong lines, bright, bold colours, very nicely drawn and coloured in general

Story

It's a retcon story that is just used to revive Ironhide and Sunstreaker as well as explain why Cybertron is starting to be habitable again as of All Hail Megatron.

Continuity

Ironhide was killed in For All Mankind, this is set about a year later. Sunstreaker "killed" himself in All Hail Megatron after his betrayal. Metroplex left his hiding place to protect his cargo in Spotlight: Metroplex. This story is continued in the Space Opera section of Chaos Theory's TPB.