IDW - The Death of Optimus Prime

Comic Staff

Story: James Roberts and John Barber

Art: Nick Roche

Colours: Josh Burcham

Letters: Shawn Lee

Production Assistance: Alice Sokolova

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Storyline

Optimus wakes up after having been missing for three weeks since opening the Matrix into the Heart of Darkness infected Vector Sigma, and finds himself on a feral and primordial planet, that according to his GPS systems is in fact Cybertron, and finds that the Matrix's crystal has darkened and split in two. Optimus thinks that he's been sent back in time to before life existed on the planet and decides to investigate when he finds several of Galvatron's Sweeps dead on the ground. He eventually makes his way to where Iacon was and finds the downed Kimia Station and several space ships set up like a shanty town, with countless Transformers lining the streets formed between the ships.

Optimus enters the shanty town and is confronted by one of the new arrivals who asks him to explain himself and to explain how he could have done this to Cybertron. Due to being missing for 3 weeks Optimus has no idea what's going on, and is approached by Sideswipe and Whirl who start to explain everything and sends him to Kimia to see Bumblebee and Rodimus.

Inside Kimia (now Autobot High Command) Rodimus explains to Optimus that after the Matrix was released the planet basically reset itself and became like it is now, so they set up base on Kimia. Later they contacted Bumblebee on Earth and had them transported to Cybertron, but not alone, several Cybertronian ships arrived in Cybertorn's orbit as well, having been called by Vector Sigma when Cybertron was restored. It's revealed however that none of the NAIL's are happy as they expected to find Cybertron as a paradise instead of this. Metalhawk, one of the NAIL's and a former Autobot enters the High Command and tells Optimus that the NAIL's want the Autobots to leave Cybertron so as to keep it safe from potential war. Rodimus suggests that Optimus uses the Matrix to stabilize the planet, but Optimus shows him the two halves that have been left after the last usage.

Optimus is taken to see the Decepticons captured after the battle in Chaos and learns that they're being kept inside one of Kimia's old cannons and are being inhibited for everyone's saftey. Optimus isn't sure about this. Ratbat tries to talk to Optimus as a Senator (as he used to be) but Optimus wont talk to him. Bumblebee says that he believes the Decepticons could easily escape their prison, but wont because there's nowhere better to go right now.

Optimus is called to one of the labs on Kimia where he is told by Perceptor and Rewind that the Matrix was designed to split in half, and that it has an inscription and a map inscribed onto the inside. Outside in the Spaceport the NAIL's are starting to get angsty, but Metalhawk is trying to keep everyone calm. Later there's a massive NAIL protest outside the High Command whilst the Autobots inside are discussing the map, with Drift saying that he thinks it's a map to the Knights of Cybertron, which he learned of when he was staying with the Circle of Light. Rodimus believes him, but Bumblebee and Prowl say they shouldn't care about some old legend and should try and fix Cybertron themselves, and not rely on the Knights to do it for them.

Suddenly a bomb goes off on the outside of the base and a riot starts off outside. Sideswipe reports that they need help, but Omega Supreme is still recharging, so Prowl releases the Decepticons from their prison, on the condition that they help calm the riot (they have inhibitor chips in them to stop them from transforming or attacking innocent guys). Ratbat tries to get the Decepticons to decline the Autobot's offer, but no one cares what he says, and they agree to help the Autobots.
During the fight outside Kimia, Metalhawk is injured in the crossfire, and Optimus has him brought into the base to be repaired. Inside the base Rodimus and Bumblebee continue their argument, and Prowl says that no one will want to join him and Drift on their trek, but Ultra Magnus shocks them by saying he'll go as well, and that he doesn't want to be on a planet where most of the people hate them (like Earth was). Prowl starts to protest this too much, and Metalhawk realizes that Prowl once tried to be a neutral, which Prowl confirms, which explains why he doesn't like the NAIL's at all, since he wasn't able to go through with his own neutrality and was forced into the war. After Prowl's speech Bumblebee realizes that Optimus Prime has gone missing again.
Optimus addresses the crowd outside Kimia and says that he'll leave Cybertron as he's a symbol of the war, as long as the other Autobots are free to stay on the planet without further trouble.
Later the crowd disperses and Rodimus and Bumblebee are still arguing about Rodimus wanting to leave again, before the argument can escalate however Optimus arrives at their location and gives them each a half of the dead Matrix, and leaves again silently.
Optimus takes a small ship and takes off into space to try and start again somewhere so he can be relieved of his responsibilities and to hopefully steer Megatron away from returning to Cybertron (as he's always said that he is mostly after Optimus now). Optimus reverts his name back to Orion Pax, as he was before the war, and goes away, planning to never be seen again. 

Characters

Autobot


Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab Leaves Cybertron and Abdicates as Prime
Rodimus - Sports Car
Bumblebee - Sports Car
Prowl - Police Car
Ultra Magnus - Car Carrier
Perceptor - Tank
Rewind - Giant Memory Stick
Drift - Race Car
Jazz - Sports Car
Ratchet - Ambulance
Red Alert - Emergency Lamborghini Gallardo
Ironhide - Cybertronian Van
Sideswipe - Lamborghini Gallardo
Whirl - Helicopter
Wheeljack - Race Car
Broadside - Warship/Jet

Decepticon


Starscream - F15 Jet
Ratbat
Shockwave - Ray Gun
Swindle - Jeep
Soundwave
Horri-Bull
Bomnbshell - Boll Weevil
Needlenose - Jet
Pounce or Wingspan
Hook - Crane
Ravage - Cassette
Blitzwing - Tank/Jet
Decepticon Soldiers
Megatron - Stealth Jet (Mentioned) Missing

Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Space Jet
Galvatron - Laser Cannon (Mentioned) Presumed Dead
Sweeps - Space Shuttles Dead
Dai Atlas (Mentioned)
Circle of Light (Mentioned)
The Guiding Hand (Mentioned)
Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

NAIL


Metalhawk - Cybertronian Jet (Former Autobot)
Zetca (Former Autobot)
Tappet - Car
"Barricade NAIL" - Car
NAIL Populace


Other


Vector Sigma

Comic Notes

• The characters here are still in their character models from the previous series rather than the new ones from the upcoming two series'
• Saying that however Ratbat has a new robot mode, and Soundwave seems to have his WFC inspired robot mode
• NAIL stands for Non-Affiliated Indigenous Life-Form, AKA Transformers who haven't taken a side
• Sideswipe is now in his G2 colours
• One of the NAIL's deeply resembles the Movie incarnation of Barricade
• One of the NAIL's resembles the children's character Noddy, this could be keeping in with the recent appearance of children's characters being made into Transformers-like toys in the UK (like Fireman Sam, Postman Pat or Thomas the Tank Engine). This character was later named Tappet (You tap at a nail, get it?)
• Cybertron resetting itself means all the old buildings, statues etc are destroyed, however anyone on the planet or any ships etc are still okay
• Metalhawk's time of leaving is confusing, it seems like he left before Optimus was named Prime, and also just after Dai Atlas left with his team, yet Drift defected and left after a battle involving Metalhawk, when he?!??
• ZETCA?!??!
• Kimia station is now acting as Autobot HQ and is incidentally in Iacon
• Metalhawk looks nothing like he did in the Drift mini-series, although he does look like the profile image for him from the Collectors Club for his Wings of Honour incarnation