SOUNDWAVE
Characters
Decepticon
Soundwave - Cassette Player Mode Locked by Iguanus
Ravage - Cassette Injured by Bludgeon
Laserbeak - Cassette Injured by Bludgeon
Bludgeon - Cybertronian Tank
Iguanus - Cybertronian Speedbike
Bomb-Burst - Cybertronian VTOL Jet
Finback - Cybertronian Hovercraft (Flashback)
Skullgrin - Cybertronian Tank (Flashback)
Megatron - Cybertronian Tank (Flashback)
Shockwave - Ray Gun (Mentioned)
Thunderwing - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)
Human
Fleming (Facsimile) Destroyed
Markham (Facsimile) Destroyed
Joshua Red (Skywatch)
Jimmy (Soundwave's new owner)
Hiro (Miner)
Bud (Miner)
Storyline
Soundwave has positioned himself in a drilling site where two Facsimiles are positioned by Bludgeon to get his hands on Ultra Energon from the drill site. Soundwave remembers how he's been spying on Bludgeon since he was given charge of Shockwave's lab and research and saw him trying to follow in his footsteps, and now followed him to Earth. Soundwave sends and Laserbeak to follow the two Facsimiles, whilst he is taken in by his human "owner" Hiro, and they locate Bludgeon's base of operations inside Mount St. Helens. They report back to Soundwave and rescue him from his human "owner", whilst Bludgeon and his team destroy the drilling site and all evidence of them having been there, as well as having the two Facsimiles detonate Plasma-Density Charges at their work sites to kill themselves and destroy all other evidence.
The Decepticons return to their Volcano base where Soundwave confronts them. The Decepticons reveal that they plan to revive Thunderwing, which shocks Soundwave, he sends out Ravage and Laserbeak to attack them alongside him but they're quickly overmatched, with the cassettes being injured in battle, and Soundwave being mode locked by one of Shockwave's old weapon designs by Iguanus. Bludgeon sets off one of the charges in the lava and Orbital Jumps his team away as the Volcano erupts.
One year later Skywatch finds Laserbeak and Ravage and takes them in, whilst Soundwave is sent to a pawn shop, where in 2007 he's bought by Jimmy.
Notes
- Soundwave's classical alternate mode is explained away here as being due to him being on Earth in 1984, though his Mass-Displacement isn't explained away....
- Bludgeon replaced the two humans with Facsimiles 6 days before this story begins
- It's not made clear here, or any other issues before he is repaired whether Soundwave has any other cassettes with him at this point.
My Thoughts
Art
The artwork is very nice, the colours are strong and the lines are very well defined, amking it very easy to tell who is who.
Story
This story helps to explain a few points left unanswered from Stormbringer and explains what Soundwave and his menagerie is doing here on Earth, all very good things.
Continuity
Soundwave's storyline is continued in Devastation, and he is freed from his mode lock in Maximum Dinobots. Bludgeon and his team's storyline was concluded in Stormbringer, and this also explains that the Ultra-Energon/Ore-13 came from Earth and shows Bludgeon and his team stealing it. The scene where Bludgeon is given his orders by Megatron is a continuation from a similar scene in Spotlight: Shockwave.
Other
Soundwave and his team's character models are based on their G1 toys rather than any modern figures or a new alternate mode.
KUP
Characters
Autobot
Kup - Pick Up Truck Placed on Spark Support
Springer - Helicopter/Rocket Car
Perceptor - Treaded Vehicle
Siren - Car
Prowl - Police Car
Trailbreaker - Van
Sizzle - Car
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)
Sideswipe - Speeder (Mentioned)
Sunstreaker - Sports Car (Mentioned)
Hot Rod - Sports Car (Mentioned)
Outback - Small Truck Killed in Explosion
Autobot Rescue Parties Killed by Kup
Other
Innocent Alien Killed by Kup
Storyline
An alien crashes onto a planet full of energon crystals and he encounters the Autobot Kup, he asks for help, but the old Autobot simply kills the alien and drives off again. Kup returns home to his crashed ship where he talks to his companion Outback (whom he thinks is still alive, yet he is dead). That night he sees an apparition of a green ghost who says that they're going to get him, and sure enough later on several monsters arrive and try to get Kup, he fights back until the sun comes up, when the monsters disappear, however the ghost and monsters return the next night, where he fights them off until his spark starts to overload. One of the monsters escapes and uses the Orbital Jump device to teleport himself aboard a ship, where the Autobot Siren removes his helmet and he reports that he's the only one left of his team alive thanks to Kup. Siren tells Springer how stupid this whole mission to rescue Kup is, and that he's not worth the lives of so many Autobots.
Springer contacts Prowl, who tells him that this is a foolish mission, and that Kup wouldn't have wanted this, and that as leader of the Wreckers he could be doing more important things right now. Springer begins to contemplate all this when Sizzle arrives and says that "he's here", which cheers up Springer to no end. That night, Springer contacts Kup again through Outback's holo-communicators (but scares him as the ghost) and sends a team down again which Kup fights off and tries to run away as his spark starts to go overload again when he runs into a familiar face...Trailbreaker, who's using his forcefield instead of the anti-rad suits, so Kup will recognise him.
Kup's spark goes into meltdown and Trailbreaker erects a forcefield around it to keep him from dying, and then transports himself and Kup onto Ark-17. Kup and Trailbreaker visit Kup, who is stuck on a Spark-Support machine until he can be repaired properly, and wondering if he did the right thing by rescuing him.
Notes
- This is the first Spotlight comic to be written by some one other than Simon Furman
- This is the now popular Nick Roche's first IDW comic story written, and drawn by him
- The planet Kup is on is a planet that was seeded by Shockwave in the past, but wasn't stabilized like Earth was.
- Kup uses Outback's severed arm as a weapon
- Kup was driven insane by the crystals and is later shown to have become addicted to them.
- The Autobots can't fire weapons on the planet as the raw energon will detonate and destroy the whole thing, and the only protective armour they can use is the antiquated anti-rad suits that make them look like monsters to Kup.
- The ship Springer's team is on is Ark-17
- The Wreckers are on the other side of the Galaxy during this story (minus Springer)
- Some of Kup's old cadets were Optimus, Springer, Prowl, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Hot Rod.
My Thoughts
Art
This story is drawn and coloured in two very different styles, the jagged murky style that is used for the scenes on the planet with Kup, and the traditional bright cartoon style that Nick Roche is well known for.
Story
Up until All Hail Megatron begins this comic isn't referred to in the main storyline (bar one line in Spotlight: Optimus Prime) but is later referred to a few times in All Hail Megatron, Last Stand of the Wreckers and the Infestation series.
Continuity
This story is continued in All Hail Megatron's Coda series where Kup is repaired and mostly returned to sanity.
GALVATRON
Characters
Autobot
Hound - Cybertronian Jeep
Sideswipe - Cybertronian Speeder
Leadfoot - Cybertronian Race Car Killed by Galvatron
Warpath - Cybertronian Tank
Road Rocket - Cybertronian Speedbike
Skram - Cybertronian Speeder
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)
Sunstreaker - Sports Car (Mentioned)
Ratchet - Ambulance
Decepticon
Thunderwing - Cybertronian Space Shuttle Kidnapped by Galvatron
Expansion
Galvatron - Laser Cannon
Nova Prime - Cybertronian Truck (Mentioned)
Ark Crew (Flashback)
Human
Verity Carlo
Jimmy Pink
Hunter O'Nion (Mentioned)
Other
Aliens Killed by Galvatron
Storyline
An alien ship is stationed in the Benzuli Expanse and are examining an anomaly in the system that threatens to devour everything in the system, when they notice something emerging from the anomaly, despite it being able to support any sort of life. Galvatron immediately attacks the alien ship but ends up being hit by a barrage of energy blasts, killing him. The aliens go to examine the body when Galvatron suddenly awakens and slaughters them all and destroys the ship itself, he then flies off to his next destination.
Sideswipe, unhappy with his current assignment guarding Thunderwing's body, Bludgeon's lab and the Thunderhead Pass on Cybertron struts past Leadfoot, who's on guard duty and contacts Ark-19 on Earth. He gets hold of Ratchet who tells him that Optimus is away on personal business right now. Sideswipe asks him why he's not on Earth helping to find Sunstreaker when Hound walks in and tells him to get off the communicator. On Earth Verity and Jimmy say that this Sideswipe person has the right idea and they should be out looking for Sunstreaker and Hunter.
Back on Cybertron Hound reprimands Sideswipe for breaking their communications embargo, but Sideswipe doesn't really care. Outside the safe area Galvatron watches the team and remembers what Cybertron was like before they left and the war began, he was a member of the first Ark's crew and they left on a mission to expand the Cybertronian Empire, under the guise of a peaceful mission when they encountered the anomaly in the Benzuli Expanse, and Galvatron piloted the ship right into it. Back in the present Galvatron has entered the safe zone and immediately kills Leadfoot with his necrotic touch. Sideswipe sees this and attacks the power Cybertronian, but his attacks seem to do nothing. The rest of the team arrive and join in on the fight. Sideswipe shoots Galvatron through the side of his head, blowing his head up, seemingly killing him, despite Hound ordering that he be kept alive for questioning.
As Hound begins shouting at Sideswipe about it, Skram notices that Galvatron is getting up again, fully repaired, he transforms to cannon mode and blasts the Autobots, knocking them out, but not killing them, and he returns to the Dead Universe through the silver water in Gorlam Prime. Back on Cybertron Hound's team have recovered and he's sending out a message for help when Skram enters the room and tells him that Thunderwing's gone. Galvatron has taken him.
Notes
- Galvatron attacks any ship that enters the Benzuli Expanse, and therefore approaches the Dead Universe by extension.
- Hound's team are able to survive on the deadly Cybertron by staying within a forcefield in the Thunderhead Pass
- The Ark is made to look like the traditional look from G1 rather than the new designs seen in IDW
- Some of the Ark crew resemble the G1 version of Jhiaxus' pretender shell and Lio Convoy
- The personal business that Optimus is taking care of is revealed in Spotlight: Optimus Prime
- What Galvatron needed Thunderwing for is revealed at a later date in Revelation.
- Nova Prime is mentioned here, but only as "Prime" it's also mentioned that he has the Matrix still in this story (later shown to be true)
My Thoughts
Art
The artwork in this comic is mostly darker than usual, most likely to show how barren Cybertron truly is
Story
This story is probably one of the more important Spotlights for the first storyline in that it explains what the Dead Universe is somewhat and has a lot of tie ins with the main continuity as well.
Continuity
This is the first real appearance of the Dead Universe's members, despite the partial appearance in Spotlight: Nightbeat. This continues the story of the first Ark going missing that was started in Spotlight: Nightbeat as well. Hound's team was placed on Cybertron to guard Thunderwing's body after it shut down in Stormbringer. Sunstreaker and Hunter were kidnapped in Escalation, Leadfoot's death is investigated by Nightbeat in Devastation. The purpose for Galvatron stealing Thunderwing is explained in Revelation.
OPTIMUS PRIME
Characters
Autobot
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab
Omega Supreme - Cybertronian Space Shuttle
Prowl - Police Car
Jetfire - Cybertronian Jet
Ultra Magnus - Cybertronian Car Carrier (Monitor Only)
Wheelie - Cybertronian Car (Monitor Only)
Hound - Cybertronian Jeep (Monitor Only)
Springer - Cybertronian Helicopter/Rocket Car (Monitor Only)
Sureshot - Cybertronian Car
Pointblank - Cybertronian Car
Override - Cybertronian Speedbike
Gunrunner - Cybertronian Jet
Dogfight - Cybertronian Jet
Backstreet - Cybertronian Car
Lightspeed - Cybertronian Car
Strafe - Cybertronian Jet
Scattershot - Cybertronian Jet
Kup - Cybertronian Pick Up Truck (Mentioned)
Sunstreaker - Sports Car (Mentioned)
Hot Rod - Sports Car (Mentioned)
Ironhide - Van (Mentioned)
Ratchet - Ambulance (Mentioned)
Nightbeat - Pontiac Solstice (Mentioned)
Sentinel Prime - Cybertronian Truck (Flashback)
Decepticon
Megatron - Gun (Flashback)
Scorponok - Scorpion Tank (Mentioned)
Thunderwing - Cybertronian Space Shuttle (Mentioned)
Expansion
Nova Prime - Cybertronian Truck (Flashback)
Jhiaxus - Cybertronian Jet (Mentioned)
Ark Crew (Mentioned)
Un-Allied Cybertronian
Bristleback
Slog
Wildfly
Icepick
Scowl
Birdbrain
Monstructor - Gestalt
Storyline
Optimus is having one of his cross-galaxy conference calls but he can't concentrate, he's still thinking about the image of Nova Prime he saw when he almost died in Brasnya so he decides to go and visit the only Autobot he knows of who knew Nova personally, Omega Supreme. However Optimus was followed there by the Monstructor Six to find Omega Supreme. Inside the asteroid Omega Supreme says that he and Nova disagreed about things and that Nova wanted to expand a Cybertronian Empire across the galaxy, but went missing. Before he can elaborate more, Monstructor breaks into the asteroid and goes to attack Omega. Optimus tries to help him out, but his weapons are of no effect to the powerful robot.
Optimus manages to blast a hole into the asteroid and all three of them float out of it. Omega grabs Optimus and they head to a comet, Optimus tells Omega to explain what Monstructor is and why he's after him. Omega explains that the Monstructor Six were an experiment by Jhiaxus, Nova Prime's chief scientist and caused them to be able to combine into a gestalt mode. Omega Supreme explains that he trapped the six of them into a dimensionally displaced prison, but they've somehow broken free. Optimus says that he's no better than Nova Prime or Jhiaxus.
Monstructor finds the two of them again and begins to attack. Omega tells Optimus about Monstructor's weakness beneath his mid-torso armament and Optimus takes him out, forcing him to break apart.
Later Optimus has called in a rescue team to take in the Monstructor Six to try and cure them, and to help repair Omega Supreme. Omega begs Optimus to just destroy the six of them, so the Decepticons have no chance of getting the technology themselves, but Optimus ignores him, telling Jetfire to help them. Optimus returns to Earth with the knowledge of the corruption in his lineage
Notes
- Jhiaxus is mentioned here, he'll later appear in Devastation and Spotlight:Arcee
- The line up of Primes is missing at least Nominus Prime and Zeta Prime, unless they are the shadowed ones, though that is unlikely (they should be between Sentinel and Nova)
- The Monstructor Six aren't Decepticons, they preceded factions, like the Dead Universe team did
- Prime learns here that the Prime lineage has corruption in it due to Nova Prime.
- Optimus takes Ark-32 to go see Omega Supreme
- Omega Supreme's artificial asteroid is in the Muta-Gaath Nebula
My Thoughts
Art
The colours and art in this comic are strong and bold, as with most of the Spotlights so far
Story
This story adds a lot more information to the main storyline, and fills in more gaps regarding the Dead Universe's crew.
Continuity
This story explains who the mysterious figure Optimus saw in Infraspace was. Wheelie's cameo in this comic directly links up to his Spotlight. The Monstructor Six's storyline continues in Spotlight: Arcee. This issue gives more insight into Nova Prime and the truth behind the first Ark. The Gestalt technology shown here will later be used by the Decepticons quite a few times.
RAMJET
Characters
Autobot
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab Injured by Megatron
Decepticon
Megatron - Gun
Ramjet - F-15 Jet Killed by Megatron
Skywarp - F-22 Jet
Starscream - F-22 Jet (Mentioned)
Blitzwing - Tank/Jet
Soundwave - Cassette Player (Delusion Only)
Runabout - Pontiac Solstice (Delusion Only)
Runamuck - Pontiac Solstice (Delusion Only)
Mini-Constructicons 2 Killed by Ramjet
Human
Harrison (Facsimile) Destroyed
Georgi Koska (Facsimile)
Verity Carlo (Delusion Only)
Hunter O'Nion (Delusion Only)
Jimmy Pink (Delusion Only)
Storyline
Ramjet is flying around when he meets with Skywarp and he says that he's going to bring down Megatron and take over command of the Decepticons, and he wants Skywarp to help him. Skywarp warns him against it, and says that he's intrigued, and that he won't tell Megatron about it. Ramjet heads back to his own base where he meets with his Mini-Constructicons and asks them when his plan will be completed, they say in about 19 hours. Ramjet contacts his own human Facsimile in the Pentagon and asks him if he has the rocket codes and can meet with him later.
Ramjet starts letter-dropping a competition at the EU Alternative Energy Research Center for a competition, which unbeknownst to them contains surveillance devices to steal their information and hack their computers, so he can steal their information about new Energon substitutes that are bound to be created. ramjet returns to his base and retrieves the device from his MC's, but he kills 2 of them for annoying him.
Ramjet meets up with Harrison, who quickly decays into nothingness. Ramjet then gloats over his upcoming victory when Megatron appears behind him and attacks the traitorous Decepticon. Ramjet attacks Megatron, but ends up getting killed for his trouble, his parts are left littered across all the locations that he'd been travelling lately, including his base, with Megatron keeping his head as a trophy and Skywarp looking on in a knowing manner.
Notes
- Why Ramjet chose a different jet mode to Starscream and the others isn't very clear...
- Verity, Hunter and Jimmy are all seen in Ramjet's delusional montage, despite him never meeting them before
- Soundwave is amongst the Decepticons in his delusion as well, despite him having been missing since 1984
- Megatron keeps Ramjet's head for himself...it has yet to be seen in any fiction though.
- Harrison was made from faulty technology
My Thoughts
Art
The artwork in this story is nice, it fits in with the main storyline, and is strong and bold as well.
Story
This story acts as a way to develop of Ramjet's character after his debut in New Avengers/Transformers, and also serves as his death issue as well, so he doesn't appear again (except in flashback stories)
Continuity
This story is set after the events of New Avengers/Transformers and is set during the events of Escalation. Ramjet's ambitious nature is shown in the earlier set Ironhide miniseries as well
Other
Ramjet's character model is based on his Classics toy
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