TFCC - The Coming Storm

Release Date: FEB 2010-JAN 2011
Issues: 31-36
Continuity: Wings of Honour (Pre-G1)


Story: Pete Sinclair & Rik Alvarez
Writers: Jesse Wittenrich & Pete Sinclair
Pencils: Dan Khanna
Inks: Frank Milkovich (31-33), Josh Warner (34-36)
Colours: Josh Perez (31), Thomas Deer (32-36)
Letters: Jesse Wittenrich
Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair

Story

Nexus Prime and Aquarius arrive on a Cybertron in the Multiverse and are immediately attacked by a bunch of Decepticons, whom Nexus Prime promptly beats down, all whilst Aquarius is reminiscing about how Nexus Prime originated as five separate robots across four realities all feeling alone, until they all united in the Shattered Glass universe and saved the day against Optimus Prime's evil Autobots and rebuilt Megatron into Galvatron, and then they entered the dimensional portal to hunt for something.

Nexus finally confides in Aquarius that he's looking for Prima's Star Saber and that if the wrong people find it first then all of reality would just cease to exist. The two of them go looking for clues as to why thye were drawn to this universe when Nexus sees an Elite Guard insignia which ignites a memory for him, he enters a new location into his transporter and they leave for a new universe.

In the distant past Kup and Landshark prepare for a mission with the Elite Guard.

Thunderclash's and Metalhawk's teams defeat some Virulent Clones and then are recalled to base, where Thunderclash's team are to be redirected to another planet for another mission. The two teams part ways and Metalhawk's team are greeted by Magnum and Sentinel Major, their superior officers. Magnum says he's concerned about how the Council will deal with the rising Decepticon threat on Cybertron, and introduces the team to their new recruits to try and convince the Council that only the Elite Guard is needed.. The Combaticons.

A few weeks later Metalhawk's team, and the Combaticons (led by Onslaught) have grown close and have been steadily taking down several Decepticon warlords. The two teams, whilst on a mission encounter a Decepticon soldier and the Combaticons interrogate him (resulting in his death) after receiving the coordinates to a nearby commander, whom Onslaught suggests they target next, Metalhawk agrees. The two teams stake out the base and locate the commander, Shadowcaster, whom Onslaught assassinates from a long distance.

The groups regroup at Checkpoint Alpha (an old theater) where Onslaught admits that he found this too easy, and that he doesn't think they've actually succeeded. Onslaught suggests that they split up, metalhawk can report the mission to Magnum, whilst the Combaticons can investigate the area to see if they have missed anything. Later however the Combaticons are captured by a mysterious Decepticon....

The Combaticons find themselves in a prison, and despite Onslaughts orders not to bother trying to escape (as it's escape-proof) when they are greeted by two of their guards, Vanquish and Falcon, who take them to see Deathsaurus, who immediately offers the Combaticons their deepest desires if they join his Decepticon faction...they eventually agree.

A week later Metalhawk's team are on a mission in the middle of nowhere when they are encountered by an old Empty who talks about a coming storm and the Combaticons. The team try to get some information out of him, but then Metalhawk receives a signal from Elite Guard HQ, with Sentinel Prime recalling all troops due to an attack. The team transforms and rushes back to Iacon.

Once there they meet up with Ricochet who is fighting off some smaller Decepticons and shows them a data-pad with a live feed of the battle, which shows them that the Combaticons have defected to the Decepticons and are leading the battle. The Combaticons then demonstrate their new Gestalt form of Bruticus and kill Sentinel Major, and starts to slaughter the Elite Guard.

Metalhawk and his team approach the battle site and find it to be a massacre, with Elite Guardsmen being slaughtered from all directions by Bruticus. Ironfist goes in for a direct attack despite Metalhawk saying they should think up a plan first and he actually manages to knock over the gestalt. Bruticus goes after the lone Autobot, but he's protected by Over-Run and his helicopter drone, but Bruticus just grabs the drone and throws it at the two Autobots, enveloping them in flames. Dion uses his rockets to launch himself at the powerful Decepticon and manages to blind him, Bruticus flings Dion away from him, and disassembles into his component parts. Metalhawk approaches Onslaught to try and reason with him, but his old friend just blasts him at point blank range to the spark and kills him. The Combaticons spread out to kill the rest of the Guard, not seeing Dion still alive under some rubble.

A few hours later Thunderclash's team return to Cybertron after their mission to hear that the Elite Guard have been destroyed, and the HQ is gone.

TO BE CONTINUED IN BATTLE LINES

Characters

Autobot


Metalhawk - Lead Jet Killed by Onslaught
Dion - Sports Car

Ironfist - Boom Buggy Injured by Bruticus

Over-Run - Assault Copter Killed by Bruticus

Onslaught - Assault Bludgeon Defected to Decepticons
Swindle - Land Vehicle Defected to Decepticons
Blast-Off - Orbiter Defected to Decepticons
Vortex - Helicopter Defected to Decepticons
Brawl - Tank Defected to Decepticons
Kup - SUV
Thunderclash - Heavy Hauler
Flak - Multiple Missile Launcher Tank
Landshark - Baddas Hauler
Magnum - Haughty Hauler
Sentinel Major - Rolling Arsenal Killed by Bruticus
Halonix Maximus Killed by Combaticons
Ranger - Car Killed by Combaticons
Crosscut - Van Killed by Combaticons
R-Third Killed by Combaticons
Big Bang
Rumbler - Speeder
Sprocket - Overdrive Observer
Delta Seeker - Jet Killed by Combaticons
Powerflash Killed by Combaticons
Clear Out - Jet Killed by Combaticons
Windsail - Jet Killed by Combaticons
Tap-Out - Car Killed by Combaticons
Roadfire - Tank Killed by Combaticons
Rest-Q - Car Killed by Combaticons
Padlock Killed by Combaticons
Blacker - Car Killed by Combaticons
Laster - Car Killed by Combaticons
Braver - Car Killed by Combaticons
Rest of Elite Guard Supposedly Killed by Combaticons
Alpha Trion
Moonracer - Bad Motor Scooter
Ricochet - Quick Strike Fighter
Optimus Prime - Truck (Referred to)
Nexus Prime (Left Universe)
Skyfall - A10 Jet (Flashback)Merged into Nexus Prime
Breakaway - Fighter Jet (Flashback) Merged into Nexus Prime
Cliffjumper - Sports Car (Classics - Flashback)
Vector Prime - Space Shuttle (Flashback)
Alpha Trion - Space Shuttle (Shattered Glass - Flashback)
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Shattered Glass - Flashback)
Omega Doom - Mining Vehicle (Shattered Glass - Flashback)
Nightscream - Bat (Transtech - Flashback) Killed by SG Optimus Prime

Decepticon


Deathsaurus - Winged Menace
Lyzack - Female Fury-Flier
Starscream - Cybertronian Tetra Jet (Cameo)
Onslaught - Assault Bludgeon
Swindle - Land Vehicle
Blast-Off - Orbiter
Vortex - Helicopter
Brawl - Tank
Bruticus - Combaticon Gestalt Disabled by Dion
Falcon - Jet Killed offscreen
Vanquish - Jet
Supersonic - Jet Killed by Ricochet
Shadowcaster - Jet Killed by Onslaught
Cube Decepticon Killed by Brawl
Decepticon Troops
Thunderwing (Mentioned) Defeated by Elite Guard
Blue Bacchus (Mentioned) Defeated by Elite Guard
Virulent Clones - Bugs Destroyed by Elite Guard
Buzzsaws - Bugs with Chainsaws (Mentioned)
Runabout - Shadowy Sedan (Future Scene Only)
Runamuck - White Sedan (Future Scene Only)
Jetstorm - Radical Racer (Future Scene Only)
Deluge - Race Car (Future Scene Only)
Landquake - Tank (Flashback) Merged into Nexus Prime
Topspin - Helicopter (Flashback) Merged into Nexus Prime
Heatwave - Multiple Missile Launcher Tank (Flashback) Merged into Nexus Prime
Megatron - Space Jet (Shattered Glass - Flashback) Killed by Cyclonus, rebuilt into Galvatron
Galvatron - Rescue Helicopter (Shattered Glass - Flashback)
Starscream - Tetrajet (Shattered Glass - Flashback)
Cyclonus - Space Jet (Shattered Glass - Flashback)
Krunix - Gun (Shattered Glass - Flashback)
Ramjet - Jet (Cybertron - Flashback)
Scrapmetals - Spider Tanks (Cybertron - Flashback)
Bulletbike - Motorcycle (Transtech - Flashback) Spark transplanted by Topspin

Other


Fat Empty
Aquarius (Left Universe)
Decepticon Allied Mini-cons (Flashback)
Unicron (Flashback)
The Fallen (Flashback)

Notes

• This is set after the Wings of Honour comic
• The first part of this story is basically a clip show for the past 5 years of comics and sets up a future storyline for Nexus Prime to partake in...however Hasbro took over Nexus Prime's storyline, so it won't be resolved in the future (at least not in these comics)
• The market place in the future scenes features items that look like the Allspark and Transmetal Drivers from other continuities
• This storyline and the next feature pretty much every figure from the Descent into Evil boxset, which has otherwise been pretty much forgotten about in recent years
• Lyzack is a repurposed usage of her own brother, Leozack's Botcon toy from 2009
• The schematics shown to Blast Off for a potential new body are using the Classics Astrotrain mold
• Despite having multiple alternate modes, Deathsaurus is only ever shown to turn into his "Winged Menace" jet mode
• Sentinel Major is of course based on the Transformers Animated character, Sentinel Prime
• Dion doesn't seem to know who Crosscut is judging by the readout on his visor
• Ironfist is shown to die in the last part, but is shown alive again in a later issue
• Metalhawk's character model is based on his inner robot, but with his pretender shell armour integrated as well
• Shadocaster's fortress looks a bit like Trypticon in his base mode...
• If you look very carefully in issue 5, you can see Starscream on a building behind the Combaticons during the battle.

Other Features

31

Michael Bell Interview

War for Cybertron Article

Runabout Profile

Jetstorm Profile

Transformers: 2010 - part 1 article by Jim Sorenson

Botcon Custom Class Retrospective

Around Cybertron mini-comic

Fan Art

Cop-Tur Profile

32

Derrick Wyatt interview

Power Core Combiner Hasbro Interview

Magnum Profile

Over-Run Profile

Transformers: 2010 - part 2 article by Jim Sorenson

The Making of the Botcon Exclusives

Around Cybertron mini-comic

Fan Art

Snowblind Profile

33

Gregg Berger interview

Generations Hasbro Interview

Onslaught Profile

Moonracer Profile

Tranformers: 2010 - part 3 article by Jim Sorenson

The Guests of Botcon

Around Cybertron mini-comic

Fan Art

Liftor Profile

34

Botcon 2010 Report

Deathsaurus Profile

Metalhawk Profile

Hall of Fame Article

Around Cybertron mini-comic

Fan Art

Recordicons Mini-Comic

35

Flint Dille Interview

Generations Hasbro Interview

Sentinel Major Profile

Ricochet Profile

Spotlight on Sector 7 comic

Around Cybertron Mini-Comic

Fan Art

Recordicons Mini-Comic

36

Paul Eiding Interview

Transformers Prime Article

Ironfist Profile

Bruticus Profile

TFCC 2011 Exclusives Article

Spotlight on Generation 2 Redux Diamond Release

Around Cybertron Mini-Comic

Fan Art

Recordicons Mini-Comic