IDW - Robots in Disguise #4

Comic Staff

Title: Devisive

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colour by: Josh Perez

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Storyline

Whilst at work, Dirge discovers the dead body of a Decepticon, Skydive and is attacked himself by Bombshell with one of his Cerebral Shells. Elsewhere Prowl is watching Starscream on stage trying to manipulate the situation when Arcee appears near him and calls him out on his involvement in Rodimus' supposed death, and points out that everyone believes he was the reason the ship blew up when Wheeljack arrives and reports about Skydive's death.

At the murder scene Prowl tries to interrogate Dirge, but he's being forced to just say he saw nothing thanks to Bombshell's shell. Wheeljack works out a system to trace the source of the signals in the shells and Prowl locates Bombshell, who has just taken Sunstorm for a slave too. Arcee and Prowl prepare to take him in when Bombshell has Dirge and Sunstorm attack the Autobots whilst he escapes. Prowl orders Blurr to chase Bombshell from outside, but doesn't give him back up.

Back at the battle Prowl gets angry and starts thinking about Spike Witwicky, and how he did bad things because he thought it was right, just like how Prowl was now acting. Arcee kills Sunstorm, despite him being incapacitated already, but allows Dirge to live.

Blurr locates Bombshell, but winds up ambushed by the Five remaining Constructicons. Arcee and Prowl go to hunt Bombshell and Prowl orders Arcee to deal with the Constructicons whilst he chases the bug. Bombshell is trapped in a corridor by Prowl, he tries interrogating him to find out who his boss is, but then just gets annoyed and executes the Decepticon.

With Bombshell's death his Cerebral Shells fall off and Dirge is free again. Prowl goes to kill Dirge as he's a witness, but Dirge is saved when he runs away and Prowl's aim is knocked by some falling waste. Prowl orders Arcee to go after Dirge, whilst he deals with the Constructicons. Prowl reactivates the Constructicon's I/D Chips that were disabled before and detonates all five, killing them all.

Arcee catches Dirge, but allows him to go free when he says he just wants to go about his normal life.

Later Blurr is screaming at Prowl about how he got him hurt, Prowl declares that the Decepticons are up to something and cannot be trusted, Blurr and the others think he's being paranoid. Bumblebee tries to calm Prowl down, but he doesn't listen to his leader and talks about this being a new era, and they need to take control before it's too late.

Characters

Autobot
Bumblebee - Car
Prowl - Car
Arcee - Car
Blurr - Race Car
Wheeljack - Car
Bluestreak - Car
Sideswipe - Car
Streetwise
Warpath - Tank
Broadside
Sizzle
Rodimus - Speedy Car (Mentioned)
Skydive - Jet (Mentioned)
Drift - Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon
Starscream - Jet
Dirge - Jet
Sunstorm - Jet Killed by Arcee
Acid Storm - Jet
Bombshell - Robotic Beetle Killed by Prowl
Skydive - Jet Killed by Bombshell
Swindle - Van
Scavenger - Excavator Killed by Prowl
Long Haul - Dump Truck Killed by Prowl
Mixmaster - Mixing Truck Killed by Prowl
Hook - Crane Killed by Prowl
Bonecrusher - Bulldozer/Front End Loader Killed by Prowl
Ratbat - Cassette (Mentioned) Dead
Megatron (Mentioned)

NAIL
Metalhawk - Jet
Tappet - Car
Nuggit
Brimstone
Boulder
Granite
Spearhead
Other
Spike Witwicky

Comic Notes

• Dirge doesn't seem to care much for the Decepticons still (explained why last issue) and just wants to live out his life
• Starscream's plan with the coalition seems to be that new members will be voted in after their terms are over, much to Bumblebee's shock.
• Arcee likes to play "poke the copper with a big stick" with Prowl by taunting him randomly
• It seems like the Rock Lords came to Cybertron after Chaos too! (Maybe we'll get more Gobots!!)
• Arcee seems to let Dirge go at the end because she knows what it's like to not like the hand your dealt (thanks to Jhiaxus)
• Okay...you thought Arcee was a murderer for killing Ratbat and Sunstorm?...Prowl just killed SIX MAIN DECEPTICONS!!! And even tried killing Dirge too.
• Prowl seems to hate Decepticons even more now, even declaring that Cybertron is the Autobot's world (also sort of alienating the NAIL's too)
• One of Starscream's first moves as a Coalition member was to get Decepticons jobs, and to allow them to transform again.
• It's not clear why Bombshell killed Skydive...maybe he was resistant to his cerebral shells?

IDW - More than Meets the Eye #4

Comic Staff

Title: Life after the Big Bang

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Alex Milne

Colour by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: John Barber

Storyline

In the Delphi medical outpost on planet Messatine First Aid is writing a journal about the situation in the base and how it started just after they allowed two Decepticons into the base out of mercy.

Two days later on the Lost Light Swerve has opened up his new bar and the team are enjoying themselves. Ratchet walks in to speak to Swerve about them both receiving a new datalog from Ironfist, despite him being dead. Ratchet reveals that the message is in fact survival rates from Delphi. Swerve mentions that they've just found themselves on the map, and that they're near Delphi now. Ratchet decides to make a "house call".

Magnus meets with Rodimus in his office to discuss the situation with Tailgate and his wanting to be a Decepticon. Rodimus says he'll deal with it. Later Ratchet, Drift and Pipes approach Delphi on a set of MARD's and Pipes is excited, since this is the first time he's ever been on an alien world. At the entrance Ratchet sees a red cross on the door and decides against entering, but Pipes decides to be impulsive and rams down the door, ending up in a pile of dead plague infested bodies. Drift stops a "zombie" from attacking Pipes by slicing him up into little pieces much to Ratchet's horror.

First Aid walks into the room after hearing a noise and is glad to see Ratchet got his message from the datalog. He starts explaining about the Red Rust being an illness and quickly examines Pipes to see if he has any signs of illness as he touched the infected bodies. First Aid takes the group further into the base.

On the Lost Light Tailgate is taken to see Rewind, who downloads an abridged Cybertronian History for Tailgate to witness, showing him what the Decepticons have done, and he is horrified and changes his mind about being a Decepticon.

Back in Delphi the group head into an emergency ward where they learn that the medics there aren't infected for some reason, and neither are the long term patients at the base. Ratchet is taken to see Fortress Maximus who is in a state of eternal coma, but First Aid tries to talk to Ratchet about a possible treatment for him, however Ratchet just wants to see Pharma.

Tailgate returns to his quarters to speak to Cyclonus and hits him because he lied about the Decepticons just being freedom fighters. Cyclonus tells him he was an idiot for rushing into a decision like that after just hearing an outsider's view of the war. Cyclonus gets annoyed and beats up Tailgate, then leaves.

On Delphi Pharma is revealed to have been trapped in a treatment chamber since the base was hit with the virus and the Big Bang (which knocked out communications). Pharma burns a message into his hand to warn the group that Pipes is infected. ratchet and Drift try to keep a scared Pipes calm. Drift knocks him out with the handle of his sword whilst Ratchet frees Pharma from the room, and he runs off to check on some patients as he's worked out what's happening here.

Pipes is rushed to a treatment room where he is put on a Nucleon Feed to try and keep him alive. Ratchet tells Drift to stay away in case he gets infected too, but Drift reveals that he is infected already, as Pipes must have sprayed him a bit. Pharma is thrown into the room by the Genericons as Drift begins to succumb to his illness. Ratchet tries to surrender, but then First Aid walks in with a newly revived Fortress Maximus, who is itching for payback against any Decepticons after Overlord beat him five years earlier.

Characters

Autobot
Rodimus - Speedy Car
Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport
Ratchet
Drift - Car Infected with Red Rust
Pipes - Truck Infected with Red Rust and Incapacitated by Drift
First Aid
Pharma - Jet
Ambulon
Fortress Maximus - Tank
Rewind - Giant Memory Stick
Powerglide - Jet
Highbrow
Chromedome
Swerve - Small Van
Skids - Van
Trailbreaker - Van
Sunstreaker
Dent/Prowl Died from Red Rust, Sliced up by Drift
Backstreet- Car Stasis Lock
Prowl (Mentioned)
Rung - Communications Buggy (Mentioned)
Ironfist/Fisitron - Van (Mentioned)
Red Alert (Mentioned)
Brainstorm - Jet (Mentioned)
Jackpot (Mentioned)
Whirl - Osprey Helicopter (Mentioned)
Zeta Prime (Mentioned) Dead
The Wreckers (Mentioned)
Delphi Patients Dead/Dying from Red Rust
Delphi Security Staff Dead/Dying from Red Rust
Delphi Miners Dead/Dying from Red Rust
Long Term Delphi Patients In Stasis Lock

Decepticon
Genericon Blue
Genericon Purple
Decepticon Justice Division (Mentioned)
Megatron (Mentioned)
Starscream (Mentioned)
Soundwave (Mentioned)
Bludgeon (Mentioned)
Bludgeon's Deviants and Half-Forms (Mentioned)
Overlord (Mentioned)
The Constellate (Mentioned)
The Conclave (Mentioned)

Other
Tailgate - Car
Cyclonus - Space Jet
Bob
Serving Droid
Progenitors (Mentioned)
Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)
Adaptus (Mentioned)
Primus (Mentioned)

Comic Notes

• Oh look! Pipes appears! ....And it looks like he's dying....Sounds normal to me!
• Delphi and it's crew etc first appeared in Bullets, also written by James Roberts
• The old red cross design for medical bots appears to be back (though in a non-infringing stylized style)
• The Genericons are in extreme stages of a Branched Spark's Proximity Pains, which Twin Twist and Topspin were feeling in LSOTW. It's mentioned that they may need to be operated on and conjoined to save their lives (which could explain Rack'n'Ruin too)
• As I predicted, Swerve opened a bar, and even has a serving droid.
• It's not clear why Skids decided to lasso the serving droid, but it is funny!
• It's revealed here that Ratchet was a subscriber to "Wreckers: Declassified" until Ironfist's death
• Rodimus appears to be analyzing the Matrix half he was given by Optimus in his office! HE ACTUALLY DOES WORK?!? (albeit whilst playing with a knife of course)
• Pipes' eyes can be either individual or have a visor lowered so he looks like either his toy or cartoon version
• It's revealed here that the Decepticon insignia's are made by using a piece of the wielder's spark casing, which COULD explain why they were able to be controlled by D-Void in Chaos (and presumably Megatron wouldn't have done this himself either)
• The above comment also shows that you can't be a Decepticon unless Megatron or a Member of the Conclave allows it, which means that the error with Galvatron and his crew being called Decepticons was just that.
• Dent/The Other Prowl is based on the Beast Wars Prowl (the Lion one, not the owl)
• Fortress Maximus was moved to Delphi after Last Stand of the Wreckers
• This story shows that Overlord took Garrus-9 (the the Surge in general happened) five years ago.
• Ratchet plans to make Pharma the new Autobot CMO
• Ratchet and Pharma certainly do look very similar don't they?
• The infected are referred to as the Weeping Dead in solicitations due to the crying they have to do when their eyes start to melt away 
• The Militant Monoform Movement are a religious group who remove their Transformation Cogs (maybe Action Masters are members?)

Titan - Prime Volume 4 #8

Basic Information

Cover Characters: Optimus Prime

Cover Date: May 2012

Price: £2.65

Poster: Bulkhead and Ratchet with dead Vehicons, Megatron on loose poster

Comic Title: The Mind Trap!

Script: Chris Cooper

Art: Horacio Domingues

Colours: Nestor Perevra

Lettering: Comicraft

Plot

Optimus is investigating an Energon signal in China but falls into a trap set by Knock Out, who shot Optimus with a beam that transferred his mind into that of a Chinese scrapyard worker, leaving his body inert. The Vehicons drag Optimus' body to a crusher whilst Optimus tries to commune with his human host's mind to get him to help him (as he can't control the body himself). The Autobots detect Optimus' signal flat-lining, so they go to investigate. 

The human helps Optimus by getting to a crane and fighting off the Decepticons with it. The Autobots arrive and help with the fighting, but are soon overwhelmed by the sheer number of Vehicons. Optimus' host knows what to do, he activates the mind transfer device again, and jumps into the beam, sending Optimus' mind back to his body, just in time to break free of the crusher and defeats Knock Out.

After the Autobots have defeated and chased off the Decepticons and saved the day the Autobots return Optimus' now freed host back to his home to be with his family.

Characters

Autobot
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab
Ratchet - Ambulance
Bulkhead - Off Road Vehicle
Bumblebee - Sports Car
Arcee - Motorcycle

Decepticon
Knock Out - Sports Car
Vehicons - Cars, Jets

Human
Optimus' Host
The Host's Kids
The Host's Wife (Mentioned)
Miko

Notes

• Hey look! A Decepticon other than the guys introduced in Darkness Rising!!
• Optimus' mind is placed into a human body, not a new concept, but this time he's forced to share the body with a human as well!
• Hey! A new writer as well!!
• The Vehicon jets in this comic look a bit different in vehicle mode that in the series
• The only regular human cast member to appear here is Miko
• Optimus' human host is never named in this story

Other Features

Adverts

Competition

Wheeljack Lowdown - Information on Wheeljack

Con Job - Episode Guide

Epic Transformers Quiz - Guess what this bit is!

The Mind Trap...Maze!- Help Optimus out of his trap

Starscream's Stumpers! - Puzzles from the Prime cast

Mega-Mouth - Megatron and Arcee read the fan-mail

Ratchet's Joke Page- Ratchet actually has a funny side!

IDW- Chaos

CHAOS


Characters

Autobot
Optimus Prime - Truck
Rodimus - Sports Car
Ironhide - Cybertronian Van
Drift - Race Car
Sunstreaker - Sports Car
Cliffjumper - Sports Car
Wheelie - Cybertronian Car
Trailbreaker - Camper Van
Arcee - Cybertronian Car
Hardhead - Personnel Carrier
Silverbolt - Jet
Ratchet - Ambulance
Sideswipe - Sports Car
Jetfire - Jet
Silverstreak - Sports Car
Powerglide - A-10 Jet
Slingshot - Fighter Jet
Fireflight - Fighter Jet
Sandstorm - Helicopter
Cosmos - Orbiter
Tracks - Flying Sports Car
Windcharger - Sports Car
Brawn - SUV
Gears - Pick Up Truck
Huffer - Truck Cab
Wheeljack - Race Car
Hoist - Tow Truck
Beachcomber - Buggy
Blurr - Race Car
Hound - Military Jeep
Mirage - F1 Race Car
Broadside
Red Alert - Emergency Sports Car
Omega Supreme - Rocket (Rocket half only)
Cloudburst - Cybertronian Jet Likely killed by Sweeps
Grotusque - Saber-Toothed Beast Likely killed by Sweeps
Downshift - Cybertronian Car Killed by Cyclonus
Nosecone - Cybertronian Drill Tank Killed by Sweeps
Afterburner - Cybertronian Speedbike Killed in Kimia Explosion
Lightspeed - Cybertronian Car Killed in Kimia Explosion
Chromedome
Brainstorm
Swerve
Pointblank
Crosshairs
Sureshot
Rung
Mainframe
Rad
Slamdance
Rewind
Jackpot
Kimia Staff Mostly killed by Cyclonus and Sweeps
Other Autobot Troops
Chief Justice Tyrest (Mentioned)
Alpha Trion (Mentioned)
Ironfist (Statue only) Dead

Decepticon
Megatron - Stealth Bomber Seemingly Killed in battle with D-Void
Starscream - Jet
Skywarp - Jet
Shockwave - Ray Gun
Soundwave - Cassette Player
Ravage - Cassette
Hook - Crane
Mixmaster - Mixing Truck
Bonecrusher - Bulldozer
Long Haul - Dump Truck
Scavenger - Excavator
Scrapper - Front End Loader Dead
Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt
Blitzwing - Tank/Jet
Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Train
Kickback - Locust
Bombshell - Boll Weevil
Shrapnel - Scarab Beetle
Megatron Gun Drones - Guns
The Swarm (Mentioned)
Thunderwing (Mentioned)
Bludgeon (Mentioned)
Galvatron's Faction
Galvatron - Laser Cannon Destroyed by Dead Universe
Jhiaxus - Jet Killed by Optimus and Rodimus
Cyclonus - Space Jet
Scourge - Space Shuttle Seemingly Killed in Kimia Explosion
Sweeps - Space Shuttles Killed in Various ways

Other
Bob
Garnak
The D-Void Destroyed
Vector Sigma Revived by Matrix
Primus (Mentioned)
Burasian Species
Chomskian Species

Storyline

The staff on Kimia are going about their usual business when suddenly Cyclonus leads an attack on the station and slaughters the staff with minimal resistance (as they are mostly engineers and scientists there) and they start to redirect it towards Cybertron, which is under Galvatron's control.

Inside Omega Supreme's rocket section Megatron and Optimus talk, with the former seemingly worried about what's happening to Cybertron, but Optimus wont tell him anything. The Autobots are having problems contacting Chief Justice Tyrest regarding Megatron's trial. Whilst they're waiting Ironhide is telling the rest of the team assembled about how he met Alpha Trion, Sunstreaker joins in, but Cliffjumper very noticeably ignores him (still angry about his betrayal) and he just stays in a dark corner with his pet, Bob.

Rodimus notices some lights on Cybertron and works out that it's a message form Galvatron using his troops to send out a message in binary, telling them to send a landing party to talk with him (and also to show off how many troops he has too).

Optimus leads the first team down and meets with Galvatron and his Sweeps, where he invites Optimus to help him against the true enemy, D-Void, Optimus and his troops decline once again, and Galvatron starts a fight with them. The Autobots get the upper hand in the fight, but Cyclonus appears and rescues his commander and takes him away from the fight.

Cyclonus tells Galvatron that Kimia is in orbit, and he has it transform to it's cannon form and they begin targeting for something on the surface. More Autobots start arriving on the planet to help out with the upcoming fight when suddenly they're swathed in a red light from the Kimia station's cannon.

The Autobots prepare to be fired upon by the station, but it passes them by, leaving the Autobots to wonder what it's true target it. Silverbolt leads all the aerial based Autobots into orbit to take on the station before it can find it's real target. Optimus gives the other Autobots their orders to set up a field base in the city and for Wheelie and Cliffjumper to spy on Galvatron's troops to see what they're doing. Rodimus offers to go into orbit with Omega and Trailbreaker so they can help coordinate Silverbolt's attacks, Optimus agrees.

In orbit the Autobots are going full out against the station, whilst Wheelie and Cliffjumper find the enemy and open fire (despite their spying orders). Optimus and the others head out to join them in the fight.

Inside Kimia Lightspeed and Afterburner have survived and are hiding out in the station's power coupling's room, and can see the fight going on outside. They watch as the cannon blasts at Cybertron and makes a massive hole in it. They station prepares to fire again, so the two Technobots detonate some weapons they have with them near the couplings, causing the station to explode, causing Omega to get injured and forces him to land on the planet for repairs.

On the planet Galvatron and Jhaixus rush towards the impact crater, in case the first blast was enough. Rodimus lands and learns from the others that Optimus and Ironhide rushed after Galvatron and Jhiaxus, prompting Rodimus and Drift to follow them as well.

Inside Omega Supreme Megatron asks what's happening again, but Omega wont tell him, prompting Megatron to activate the Megatron Guns that the Autobots were transporting off the planet, and they free him.

Nearby Cliffjumper and Wheelie are pinned down by the Sweeps on the planet, but are rescued when Megatron suddenly appears in a powerful armour in front of them and joins the battle.

An escape pod from Kimia is drifting through space after just running out of fuel with a few staff members crammed inside, but they're rescued when Arcee contacts them from her ship. On Cybertron Wheelie and Cliffjumper run towards Sideswipe from the fight and Megatron's intervention. Megatron take son the Sweeps all by himself, whilst the Autobots watch on, when suddenly the Decepticons who were stationed on Earth appear through a Space Bridge of some sort and start attacking the Autobots and an all out fight begins.

The Constructicons join the fight, and even combine with Scrapper's corpse to become Devastator, albeit with a dead leg thanks to Scarpper. Sunstreaker learns of this and decides to take matters into his own hands, and asks Garnak to help him.

Optimus, Rodimus, Drift and Ironhide arrive at the impact crater and start to go down into it to see what Galvatron is up to. The other Autobots battle the newly arrived Decepticons, and Sunstreaker approaches Devastator in his old wheelchair, filled with explosives, he confronts him and then dives out the way just as he tries to step on him, and sets off the bombs, crippling Devastator again, but just as Devastator goes to punch him he begins to act strange and starts speaking in binary.

Optimus and the others reach Galvatron in one of the lower levels of Cybertron and prepare to attack him. On the surface the Decepticons and Sweeps have stopped fighting and all merge into a giant physical form of D-Void, which starts attacking everyone and everything on the planet.

Inside the planet again, Galvatron uses the Heart of Darkness to take control of Drift and makes him attack the other Autobots, distracting them from Galvatron, who runs off to his target. Drift manages to get back some control and tries to kill himself with his sword, and collapses to the ground.

Optimus receives a call from Cliffjumper about Megatron escaping, but Megatron takes the communicator and tells Prime that he'll deal with the problems on the surface if Optimus can deal with Galvatron below, they both agree and go off on their own plans, with Megatron preparing to take on D-Void alone.

On her ship, Arcee explains (for the 6th time) about what D-Void wants to do, about him manipulating Galvatron since the start,a nd how he wants him to plunge the Heart of Darkness into Vector Sigma to turn Cybertron into a giant gateway to the Dead Universe, thus killing everything. The Autobots then prepare to take him on.

On Cybertron's surface the Autobots are basically sitting around doing nothing whilst Megatron is fighting D-Void alone (Wheelie seems to be trying to help by going his music thing again though). Megatron manages to do some damage, but D-Void keeps healing himself. Down below Ironhide is worried about Drift's condition, so Optimus tells him to take him onto the surface to get to Ratchet, whilst Optimus and Rodimus go on to stop Galvatron and his plans. On the surface Megatron has been badly beaten but uses all his remaining power to blast D-Void and seemingly does a great amount of damage to him 

In the Vector Sigma chamber Galvatron feels the D-Void's pain, and asks Jhiaxus why he felt it, when suddenly Optimus and Rodimus rush in and blasts the two of them, and kills Jhiaxus. Galvatron then reveals that he's already plunged the Heart of Darkness into Vector Sigma.

Above Arcee's ship is directing itself on a collision course for the crater, and the Kimia survivors dive out of the shuttle to (relative) safety. Galvatron is gloating down below, until Arcee's shuttle crashes right on top of him. Hardhead and Arcee hope they've killed him, but he climbs out of the wreckage, the two newly arrived Autobots attack Galvatron, even whilst the Dead Universe starts coming through Vector Sigma.

The planet starts getting drawn into the new portal and the Sweeps all start disintegrating. Rodimus tells Optimus that their only chance to stop this is to release the Matrix inside Vector Sigma, Optimus is reluctant to let go of the last part of Cybertron's past (since Vector Sigma and Cybertron are now dying). Galvatron attacks them from behind, having defeated Hardhead and Arcee, but is stopped by Cyclonus, who is outraged that Galvatron has been using him to do such terrible things to his beloved homeworld. Galvatron manages to knock Cyclonus away easily and begins to finish everyone else, but he starts to disintegrate himself. Optimus finally accepts what he has to do, and plunges the Matrix into Vector Sigma, enveloping everything in a bright white light.

As the light fades away Optimus finds himself on a barren Cybertron's surface with the Matrix broken in two in front of him....

Notes

• Worryingly, a few characters who are shown to be in bad situations here have yet to be seen since this story was completed, including Wheelie, Cliffjumper and Hardhead. Though since they aren't shown being killed outright, I won't put them as dead in the character lists.
• Bob and Garnak have also been absent since this story as well
• It can be assumed that any Autobots seen on Kimia who weren't on Chromedome and Brainstorm's escape pod were killed
• Kimia is shown to explode here, it's revealed in The Death of Optimus Prime that it crashed, at least in part, on Cybertron to act as the Autobot's main HQ
• Kimia erected a statue of Ironfist after his death
• Kimia can turn itself into a large cannon - suitable for a weapons development facility
• At least one image of Silverbolt in this story seems to be painfully toy accurate, including the button on his back to activate his sounds and lights
• It seems like Galvatron has reformatted his million-fold army into Sweeps, like he did with the dead Expansion members in AHM's Coda.
• Hardhead somehow left Galvatron's faction and rejoined Arcee
• Megatron's extra armour looks somewhat like Thunderwing's - Maybe he ripped it off? Also, where did it come from? The Megatron guns?
• Talking about Thunderwing, Megatron asks whether he's attacking Cybertron, implying that he's still active somewhere and wasn't just destroyed after Revelation
• The Megatron Guns are revealed to be able to transform and act as tools to free Megatron here
• Brainstorm is shown holding his briefcase that he retains in MTMTE here
• Quite a few of the Kimia survivors are actually characters in MTMTE, I'm sure it's no coincidence that James Roberts co-wrote this storyline as well
• Devastator can still be formed despite Scrapper being dead, however his leg is unable to move due to this
• The Decepticons were transported to Cybertron by Megatron's armour, most likely connected to Shockwave's Space Bridge experiments from before as well and using the armour as a relay of some sort.
• All the Sweeps and Decepticons (bar Megatron, and including former Decepticon Drift) are compelled by the Heart of Darkness into merging into the D-Void's physical form or attacking others
• It's shown here that Galvatron has been manipulated since his rebirth by D-Void and the Heart of Darkness, as they are one and the same and is in fact the great evil that he's been trying to stop all along.
• Megatron is actually able to injure the D-Void's physical form!!!
• It's unclear what happens to Megatron after this story, he's not present in RID, and he's last seen blasting at D-Void from what appears to be his chest (ie his spark) so maybe he was destroyed in the process?
• Jhiaxus is killed very unceremoniously by Optimus and Rodimus
• It can be assumed that Scourge was killed when Kimia exploded, otherwise his absence in the story is kind of odd
• Before his death Cyclonus is freed from Galvatron's control and attacks his former leader for making him attack his beloved Cybertron. This mind control happened in the AHM Code
• Galvatron and most of the Sweeps were eaten by the Dead Universe in the end of this story, explaining their absence later 
• This story shows that Tracks has his flying car mode from the original toy and earlier fiction.

PAX CYBERTRONIA

Characters

Autobot
Alpha Trion - Speeder
Ironhide - Cybertronian Van
New Autobots
Optimus Prime - Cybertronian Truck, Truck (Mentioned, Flashbacks, Statue)
Rodimus - Sports Car (Statue)
Bumblebee - Muscle Car (Statue)
Cosmos - Orbiter (Statue)
Wreckers (Mentioned)
Wheelie (Mentioned)
Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Flashback)
Swoop - Pteranodon (Flashback)
Sludge - Apatosaurus (Flashback)
Snarl - Stegosaurus (Flashback)
Slag - Triceratops (Flashback)
Sentinel Prime - Cybertronian Truck (Flashback) Killed by Megatron

Decepticon
Megatron - Cybertronian Tank, Gun, Stealth Bomber (Flashback, Mentioned)
Soundwave - Acoustic Tank, Cassette Player (Flashback)
Rumble - Cassette (Flashback)
Frenzy - Cassette (Flashback)
Ravage - Cassette (Flashback)
Laserbeak - Cassette (Flashback)
Starscream - Tetrajet, F-15 Jet (Flashback)
Skywarp - Tetrajet, F-15 Jet (Flashback)
Thundercracker - F-15 Jet (Flashback)
Shockwave - Ray Gun (Flashback)
Thunderwing - Cybertronian Space Jet (Flashback)
Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Flashback)
Kickback - Locust (Flashback)
Bombshell - Boll Weevil (Flashback)
Shrapnel - Scarab Beetle (Flashback)
Insecticon Swarm (Flashback)

Other
The Great Destroyer (Mentioned)
D-Void (Flashback)
Chorus or Anduria (Mentioned)

Storyline

Some time in the future, Alpha Trion is on Gorlam Prime telling some stories to three young Autobots and starts off a bunch of full page flashbacks. An aged Ironhide turns up and warns the kids to not believe everything Alpha tells them as he wasn't even present during the events. The two older robots greet each other as friends. 

That night at a Remembrance ceremony Ironhide is invited to speak, as he's the last of the warriors who took part in the wars to still remain in the area where he reminisces to the crowd about the greatest battles of the past, and he comes to the conclusion that he's not needed anymore and leaves.

Outside, Alpha catches up with his old friend and they talk, they both still believe that Megatron and Optimus are out there somewhere and will return one day, and this peaceful world will be drawn into the war too. Ironhide gets annoyed, until one of the younger Autobots comes out and asks Ironhide to tell him a story again, and asks whether he'll protect them if Megatron does indeed return one day.

Notes

• A large chunk of this story is made of re-drawn clips of previous scenes from IDW's series so far, including Megatron killing Sentinel Prime, Optimus and Megatron fighting in Brasnya, Shockwave fighting the Dinobots on Prehistoric Earth, Optimus and Megatron fighting Thunderwing in the Thunderhead Pass, the Decepticons rampaging through New York during the Purge, Ironhide fighting the Swarm and Megatron facing down the D-Void.
• Of those events, this Ironhide would have only experienced Megatron killing Sentinel Prime and the last two as he was killed and reset to a previous point in his life during the start of the Ongoing.
• This story sets up a few plot points waiting to happen, such as the Transformers being on Gorlam Prime instead of Cybertron (though it's possible that Cybertron still exists and Gorlam Prime is just a colony world)
• Wheelie is said to be the first to see the Great Destroyer. It's previously been established that he's encountered Quintessons off-page, but the Great Destroyer sounds more like Unicron that the squids
• The young Autobots find it odd that Ironhide only has one alternate mode, implying that they are all at least Triple Changers
• The Young Autobots all use the G2 Autobot insignia's, but are not in neon or unusual colours (phew)
• Statues of Cosmos, Rodimus, Bumblebee and Optimus appear in the city - this implies they are all being memorialized...Rodimus, Bumblebee and Optimus are obvious as they are leaders, but why Cosmos?
• Also, these statues use their current robot modes from the Ongoing, rather than those seen for them in RID and MTMTE so far (this is likely due to when they were drawn, but could also mean they revert to these bodies again later)
• Same with Ironhide as well, he's in an aged version of his body that Alpha Trion built him, rather than his new body in RID
• Alpha Trion is younger looking than Ironhide here because he keeps updating himself periodically
• The Gorlam Prime Autobots are larger than the old residents of the planet, but still shorter than Alpha Trion and Ironhide. Also due to the Autobots being perfectly capable of walking happily on the planet it's clear that they replaced all the old buildings on the planet with larger ones.
• Megatron is shown in three bodies in this story in flashbacks

IDW - Robots in Disguise #3

Comic Staff

Title: Stick Together

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colour by: Josh Perez

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Storyline

The Aerialbots are called in as extra security after Ratbat's death in time to hear Prowl and Starscream suggest that he committed suicide. The Decepticons aren't happy with that verdict and the Autobots have to try and calm the situation down. Dirge storms off and dismisses all of it as lies. Barrel Roll, an Aerialbot follows him and tries to convince him that it must be true as the Autobots wouldn't just lie about it. The two start to bond a bit, but suddenly the ground beneath Barrel Roll explodes, and he is killed, leaving Dirge badly damaged and alone again.

In the former Kimia Station Wheeljack is witness to an argument over exchange rates on the NAIL's old currency in his lab when Bumblebee tells him to come and help with something. 10 minutes later he's at the site of the explosion and begins analyzing it, but can't find any radiation signatures, despite the blast being strong enough to melt metal. Prowl thinks the Decepticons are behind it since none of them died in the explosion. Starscream is trying to help matters by joining the investigation, and by trying to calm his fellow Decepticons.

Wheeljack goes to see Dirge, who was an eye-witness to the explosion in a treatment facility where they get into an argument as Wheeljack was one of the Autobots who hurt him in AHM, and left Deluge to die. Silverbolt loses it and begins to shoot Dirge, but Wheeljack knocks his gun out of the way and makes him damage a drone instead. Dirge leaves the treatment center to fend for himself, after pointing out how it looks like the Autobots are killing off anyone who goes against them (Rodimus and his crew, Horri-Bull, Ratbat, and now even Barrel Roll).

Later in the city a second explosion occurs and kills 35 Transformers. The Auotbots investigate again, and Wheeljack gets into an argument with Starscream, who says that he'd like to reform the Seekers if he could, but Wheeljack points out that Ramjet and Thrust are dead, Dirge is injured, Skywarp is in jail, and Thudnercracker is elsewhere. Wheeljack suddenly realizes after mentioning Skywarp (due to his powers) that the Moon is being re-energized as well, meaning that Vector Sigma is repowering it as well as the planet. However Cybertron used to have 2 Moons, meaning that the extra energy that would be for the second moon is just being expended elsewhere.

Starscream and Wheeljack go their separate ways, with Starscream rounding up the NAIL's to protect them in the Decepticon's base, whilst Wheeljack sets up a launcher to prevent the next explosion, by launching a temporary artificial moon into low orbit (with Wheeljack planning to build a new one before the next explosion).

Afterwards Wheeljack credits Starscream for helping him to Bumblebee, who decides to finally let Starscream into the new Government, but Silverbolt loses it, and demands to know how he can let him into it after he caused the deaths of all those Autobots during the Purge. He physically attacks Bumblebee and Prowl and then takes his Aerialbots to fend for themselves outside of Bumblebee's city. Starscream, and Bumblebee watch them leave and begin to work together in their Government.

Characters

Autobot
Bumblebee - Car
Prowl
Wheeljack - Car
Silverbolt - Jet
Barrel Roll - Jet Killed in First Explosion
Air Raid - Jet
Slingshot - Jet
Fire Flight - Jet
Skydive - Jet
Fixit
Ironhide - Van
Streetwise
Blurr - Race Car
Sideswipe - Car
Hot Spot
Hosehead
Scattershot
Broadside
Sizzle
Arcee
Hovercraft Guy - Hovercraft (Mentioned) Killed in First Explosion
Rodimus (Mentioned) Thought to be dead
Autobots Killed during the Purge Killed by Decepticons
Decepticon
Starscream - Jet
Ratbat - Cassette Dead
Dirge - Jet
Triggerhappy - Jet
Needlenose - Jet
Bombshell
Bonecrusher
Mixmaster
Hook
Motormaster
Blot
Mindwipe
Ransack
Skywarp - Jet (Mentioned - In Prison)
Thundercracker (Mentioned)
Thrust (Mentioned) Dead
Ramjet (Mentioned) Dead
Deluge (Mentioned) Most Likely Killed by Swarm
Horri-Bull (Mentioned) Dead
Other Decepticons

NAIL
Metalhawk - Jet
Tappet - Car
Tank NAIL - Tank
7 NAIL's Killed in First Explosion
NAIL Populace

Other
Vector Sigma (Mentioned)
35 Transformers Killed in Second Explosion

Notes

• Ratbat apparently committed suicide...he had a sword sticking out of him.....Arcee's sword....
• Air Raid has a new design rather than a WFC one
• Dirge survived AHM after all! Deluge got eaten by the Swarm though apparently
• Where was Dirge when Alpha Trion said the planet was otherwise empty? Or when Galvatron invaded?
• Barrel Roll is based on a Mini-Con from the 2010 Transformers line
• Fixit seems to have taken First Aid's place with the Protectobots, since First Aid is on Delphi (last we heard anyway)
• One of the generic character looks like the Conehead Seeker character model in a random colour scheme
• A few of the random NAILs from issue one are amongst the guys killed in the second explosion
• Wheeljack's missile tank thingie is coloured like Omega Spreem...don't read too much into that though
• Arcee seems to like Fireworks
• Silverbolt and his Aerialbots succeed from Bumblebee's Autobots and go off into the feral wastelands of Cybertron...wonder how long they'll last out there?
• Wheeljack seems to have taken on Ironfist's old lab, as mentioned in Chaos Theory
• Wheeljack's started calling Bumblebee "King Bee"
• Starscream betraying Sunstreaker in AHM is mentioned a lot in this issue
• Prowl sounds like he's going to try and get Silverbolt for attacking him here...watch out for that in later issues!
• There's a guy in the infirmary who shares Tappet and Dipstick's character model, but with some back kibble.
• Starscream still hasn't revealed about the Decepticons being able to transform etc

Titan - Prime Volume 4 #7

Basic Information

Cover Characters: Stock Images of Optimus and Megatron

Cover Date: Easter 2012

Price: £2.65

Comic Title: Megatron's Law

Script: Robin Etherington

Art: Dario Brizuela

Letters: Comicraft

Plot

Megatron is fed up of his Decepticons always losing to the Autobots, so he sets up a death-cage-match site in a volcano, and brings Starscream there, and forces him to take part with the threat that his shackle will explode if he doesn't defeat his opponent, a giant Vehicon called Fearstorm, and take his spark.

The Two Decepticons fight, with Starscream on the ropes, but he manages to break off a piece of the cage and pins Fearstorm to the ground with it, he then proceeds to remove his spark and frees himself. Megatron congratulates Starscream for his victory, and orders Starscream to begin reinforcing the cells in this location so they wont break as easily next time. Starscream agrees loyally, but secretly plots against the leader.

Characters

Autobot
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Decepticon
Megatron - Cybertronian Jet
Starscream - Fighter Jet
Fearstorm - Giant Sports Car Killed by Starscream
Vehicons - Sports Cars

Notes

• WHY IS FEARSTORM SO HUGE?!?
• Seriously!
• He even has car mode kibble! How is that a good disguise?!?!?
• Why isn't Fearstorm one of the Jet Vehicons?!
• Oh and this is the first time a Vehicon has been named (officially anyway) so far
• This story is clearly set in Season One still
• The keys to the explosive shackles are the opponent's sparks? DUDE!!
• This is the first Autobot-free story in Prime
• Starscream actually has fighting skills
• Despite both being inside a cage at the start, Screamer and Fearstorm somehow manage to get outsides of it without it being explained
• Vehicon sparks seem to be chip shaped.

Other Features

Adverts

Competition

Ultimate Smackdown - Bulkhead vs Arcee 

Episode Guide - Scrapheap

Megatron's Law - Gladiator Game! - Game Rules

The Big Tough...Wordsearch - Yeah....

Megatron's Law - Gladiator Game! - Cut Out Game Pieces

The Terror of Scraplets! - Feature on Scraplets

Scraplets Attack! - Maze

Starscream's Stumpers! - Puzzles

Mega-Mouth - Arcee and Megatron read the mail

Panini - Thundercats 001

Basic Information

Cover Characters: Lion-O, Tygra and Panthro

Cover Date: 22/MAR - 18/APR 2012

Price: £2.99

Poster: Thundercat's Main Cast (minus the Kittens) / Mumm-Ra doing evil magics

Comic Title: Safe Haven

Script: Ferg Handley

Art: Cosmo White

Colours: Kat Nicholson

Letters: Will Lucas

Plot

The Thundercats are resting in the Badlands when they notice some Lizardmen encroaching on them in a Pincer movement to force them into a strange forest. That evening the Thundercats wandering through the strange forest when they encounter some fellow Thudnerians and they invite our heroes to their campsite, where they explain how they escaped the destruction of Thundera and how they found this area, with a constant light source from a crystal.

Lion-O and the others agree to train up the Thunderian civilians and build up an army of sorts to deal with Mumm-Ra and his forces. After the team are taken to a quiet area to rest. Later Snarf detects something wrong and wakes up the others and they find the new Thunderians attacking them, intending to kill them.

Wilykit tries to use her flute to see if it can affect the Thunderians, and it does, it dazes them and makes them change form briefly, their leader Tiberus stops her from playing by knocking out her flute. Lion-O and the others noticed the sudden change, and Lion-O has a theory that the crystal that provides light to the cavern is responsible, so he uses the Sword of Omens to destroy it. Once the crystal is gone, all the Thunderians take on their true insectoid forms, and Alba, whom is now their leader explains that they are the Darva Clan, and are shapeshifters. They were trapped in the forest by a Necromancer who once controlled them with the crystal. Days ago Mumm-Ra contacted Tiberus and made a deal to free the Darvans if they kill the Thundercats, which is why the Lizardmen drew them to the forest before.

Alba apologizes and give Lion-O an ancient amulet for helping them, Lion-O accepts it and they leave, unaware that Mumm-Ra is watching them through his magic cauldron, and comments about how sometimes there are traps within traps....

The End?

Characters

Thundercats
Lion-O
Cheetara
Panthro
Tygra
Wilykit
Wilykat
Snarf
Thunderian Civilians (Flashback)

Mumm-Ra's Forces
Mumm-Ra
Grune (Mentioned)
Slithe (Mentioned)
Lizard Army

Other
Tiberus (Darvan) Killed when Crystal Explodes
Alba (Darvan)
Darvan Shapeshifters
The Necromaster (Flashback)
The Necromaster's Forces (Flashback)
The Necromaster's Enemies (Flashback) Destroyed by Necromaster

Notes

• I don't know much about Thundercats as a franchise, so if I miss anything obvious, don't attack me
• The free gift is a sword that shoots disks....yeah...odd
• It's not clear in the end whether the Darvans were truly all just under a spell or just doing this out of loyalty to Tiberus, but they still give a trap amulet of some sort to Lion-O in the end, so maybe they are actually bad still anyway? I dunno.
• Wilykit's flute seems able to break illusions here
• Considering that the Crystal was made by a Necromancer years ago, it's safe to assume it's a magical device and not technology
• It's not actually said or shown here at all, but it seems quite clear that Tiberus dies when the Crystal is shattered
• The lantern with Jaga's soul in it is seen behind Mumm-Ra in this issue, implying that this is set before he is freed
• It seems odd that the Darvans didn't poison or spike the Thundercat's food...
• One of the Necromancer's troops seems to be a dragon...a zombie dragon...awesome....

Other Features

Adverts

Competitions

Thundercats Back story Page - Previously on Thundercats...

Meet the Thundercats - Brief character profiles

Thundertank Info Page

King of the Cave - Mini-Photo Comic

Ancient Evil - An evil crossword puzzle!!

Legends of Thundera- Lion-O - Information on Lion-O

Thunder Trials - More Puzzles

Scratching Post - Snarf seems to read the fan mail and fan art