Titan - Prime Volume 4 #9

Basic Information

Cover Characters: Bumblebee

Cover Date: June 2012

Price: £3.99

Poster: Soundwave, Ratchet

Comic Title: The Novo Incident

Script: Chris Cooper

Art: Dario Brizuela

Lettering: Comicraft

Plot

MECH investigates the junk yard where Knock Out captured Optimus last issue where Agent Novo finds the device and works out what it's for. Before he can capture it Bulkhead and Bumblebee arrive via Ground Bridge and take it back to base, along with Novo, who stowed away. Novo downloads a copy of the program onto a portable device and then takes Miko hostage so he can force the Autobots to open the bridge so he can escape back to China. The Autobots let him leave with Miko, and he drops some grenades to slow them down.

At MECH's Chinese base Novo returns with the program and Miko as a hostage, Miko is taken away and Novo is rewarded with the opportunity to have his mind transplanted into a robotic body using the program, which they learn they can duplicate.

Later the Autobots arrive in China to hunt for Miko, whilst Novo's mind is transplanted into the robot. During the procedure the scientist claims that Novo's mind may be damaged during the transfer, but Silas claims he doesn't care. Novo hears this and goes on a rampage, turning against his old team mates and boss and starts destroying the base and the transfer systems. Novo rescues Miko and leaves the base with her, meeting with the Autobots, where he apologizes to them for all he'd done to them.

MECH prepare to attack the Autobots and Novo, and Novo tells the Autobots to leave with Miko whilst he deals with MECH and destroys the technology that created him. The Autobots leave and return to base, where they see the location of the base is just a large crater now, and Miko wonders whether if Novo could have survived...whilst in China Novo walks away from the crater.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Bumblebee - Sports Car

Bulkhead - Off Road Vehicle

Arcee - Motorcycle

Ratchet - Ambulance

Human

Miko

Silas

MECH Soldiers

Agent Novo Put into a robot body

Other

Novo/Project Mechanoid

Notes

• This story is set after the previous month's issue
• Wonder if Novo's storyline will be picked up again?
• The story shows this continuity is separate to the TV series now, as Silas is still alive (or moving anyway) and they have successfully made a Cybertronian looking robot
• Why did Novo remove his mask? I thought these guys needed to hide their faces for legal reasons?
• I wonder...what happened to Novo's human body? Did Novo destroy it, or did MECH keep it for some reason?

Other Features

Adverts

Competition

The Trans Files Classified - Silas

Episode Guide - Convoy

Starscream's Stumpers! - Puzzles from Screamer!

Ratchet's Joke Page - The Doc has MORE jokes?!?!

Dark Energon...HUNT! - Clue based puzzle to solve

Mega Mouth - Arcee and Megatron read the fan mail

MECH Spy Maze! - Yet another puzzle

Weaponry Wordsearch! - Guess what it is...

Prime Targets! - Cut out targets for you to shoot with one of your many projectile guns

TFCC - A Flash Forward #2

Release Date: April/May 12

Issue Number: 44

Continuity: Post Generation Two Redux

Writers: Jesse Wittenrich & Pete Sinclair

Pencils & Inks: Matt Frank

Colours: Thomas Deer

Letters: Jesse Wittenrich

Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair

Story

Ultra Magnus arrives at Autobot City in 2012 for a meeting with several ambassadors, when he notices that Cliffjumoer isn't around, despite him being on security duty. He calls for him on a communicator.

Outside the city Cliffjumper is overseeing a group of six of the Autobots who were affected by Forestonite at the Large Hadron Collider, and has them demonstrate their powers for him, and so he can judge if they have been affected badly by the Decepticon chemical. He's impressed by the group's new abilities.

Meanwhile back in the city Magnus meets with Pyro and some of his team of super powered Autobots, and tells them that someone has stolen a cache of sensitive materials from Quantum Labs, by walking through the walls, and they need to find out who did it, and recover the cache, fast. Sizzle uses his powers to project himself into his future self and sees what happened and what will occur, and tells Magnus that they need a ship.

On Cybertron Jhiaxus has borrowed some of Clench's super powered Decepticons and reveals that Ramjet was the one who stole the cache from Quantum Labs and TORQ V. When Clench is reluctant to reveal where their new powers came from to Jhiaxus, Jhiaxus reveals that he already knows everything thanks to Skybyte, and then cuts off communication with the Decepticon and begins his next plan.

Lower down in Cybertron Runabout and Runamuck are looking for some personality components when they find the stasis pod holding Side Burn in it, who starts to wake up.

Characters

Autobot
Ultra Magnus - Mighty Hauler
Cliffjumper - Sports Car
Pyro - Fire Truck
Sizzle - Green Machine
Rapido - Sports Car
Firecracker - Sports Car
Electro - Pick Up Truck
Manta Ray - Hovercraft
Aquafend - F1 Race Car
Windbreaker - Sports Car
Road Rocket - Speedbike
Side Burn - Blue Flame Speedster
Beachcomber - Dune Buggy
Inferno - Fire Truck
Turbofire - Pick Up Truck
Gobots - Sports Car
Windcharger (Statue Only) Dead
Huffer (Statue Only) Dead
Red Alert (Statue Only) Dead
Wheeljack (Statue Only) Dead
Decepticon
Jhiaxus - Fiery Flier
Clench - Armored Truck (On Communications Monitor)
Runabout - Tasty Tuner-style Sports Car
Runamuck - Tasty Tuner Sports Car
Flamefeather - Bird Monster
Sparkstalker - Insect Monster
Cindersaur - Tyrannosaurus Rex
Ramjet - Jet (On Communications Monitor)
Soundwave - Cassette Player (Image On Monitor)
Frenzy - Cassette (Image On Monitor)
Other
Skybyte - Shark themed Submarine
Bosch
Alana
Dirk Manus
Astoria Carlton-Ritz
Nightbird (Image On Monitor)

Notes

• Oddly, and similarly to Metalhawk's profile, Sizzle and Jhiaxus are drawn in an expressive Animated style, rather than their actual appearances in the comic, and like with last issue their alternate modes are just images of their toys
• Cliffjumper training the newly powered up Autobots acts somewhat like Sentinel from Animated
• Jhiaxus' chair is a stylized Decepticon insignia
• The Battlechargers comment on how there's so many pink cubes on Cybertron, referring to some animation errors and the re-using of the energon cube effect on pretty much everything
• Several more memorial statues of dead Autobots have appeared in Autobot City, most likely since their old memorials on the mausoleum were destroyed a while back
• One of the vehicles in Autobot City looks quite like Movie 2007 Arcee's vehicle mode, but over-sized.
• Ramjet's brief cameo behind Clench on a monitor screen seems to use a grey colourscheme rather than his purple one from his G2 toy.
• This issue marks the first time that the 2011 and 2012 membership incentive figures have met
• MU Sari's diary page features several pictures of MU versions of several characters that her regular universe counterpart's voice actress (Tara Strong) has voiced or been involved in or has some loose connection to her.

The Allspark Addendum 

The Sumdacs (Mirror Universe) by Optimus Prime and Bumblebee (Mirror Universe)

Bumblebee (Mirror Universe) by Sari Sumdac (Mirror Universe)

Optimus Prime (Mirror Universe) by Isaac Sumdac (Mirror Universe)

Extract from Sari Sumdac's (Mirror Universe) diary of the Mirror Universe version of Human Error

Other Features

Q&A with Hasbro

Transformers the Ride - 3D Article

Sizzle Profile

Jhiaxus Profile

Transformers I.Q. Questions

Recordicons Mini-Comic

IDW - Regeneration One #80.5

Information & Staff

Title: Counterpoint

Writer: Simon Furman

Penciler: Andrew Wildman

Inker: Stephen Baskerville

Colorist: John-Paul Bove

Letterer: Chris Mowry

Editor: John Barber

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Characters

Autobot
Optimus Prime
Hot Rod
Kup
Ultra Magnus
Last Autobot - Space Craft Destroyed by Baird Beaming Satellite
Baird Beaming Transmitter Staff Killed by Decepticons
The Wreckers (Mentioned Only)
Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Flashback Only)
Ratchet - Ambulance (Flashback Only)
Hound - Military Jeep (Flashback Only)
Bumblebee - VW Beetle (Flashback Only)
Cliffjumper - Mini Porsche (Flashback Only)
Huffer - Truck Cab (Flashback Only)
Bluestreak - Sports Car (Flashback Only)
Defensor (Flashback Only)
Fortress Maximus - Battle Platform (Flashback Only)
Blaster - Boombox (Flashback Only)
Wheeljack - Race Car (Flashback Only)
Prowl - Police Car (Flashback Only)

Decepticon
Soundwave
Flywheels - Jet
Sparkstalker - Insect Monster
Battletrap
Ruckus - Buggy
Spinister - Helicopter
Crankcase
Cindersaur
Needlenose
Pounce or Wingspan
Vanquish
Half-Track
Direct-Hit
Meltdown
Fireshot
Other Decepticons
Dreadwind - Jet (Flashback Only)
Darkwing - Jet (Flashback Only)
Jhiaxus - Jet (Flashback Only)
Galvatron II - Laser Cannon (Flashback Only)
Ratbat - Cassette (Flashback Only)
Megatron - Gun (Flashback Only)
Shockwave - Ray Gun (Flashback Only)
Bruticus (Flashback Only)
Frenzy - Cassette (Flashback Only)
Starscream - Jet (Flashback Only)
Skywarp - Jet (Flashback Only)
Buzzsaw - Cassette (Flashback Only)
Scorponok - Scorpion Tank (Flashback Only)
Thunderwing - Space Shuttle (Flashback Only)
Bludgeon - Tank (Flashback Only)

Cybertronian
"Overcharge" - Cybertronian Taxi
Civilians
Early Transformers (Flashback Only)
Unicron - Ringed Planet (Flashback Only)
Primus (Flashback Only)
Demon (Flashback Only)

Human
Buster Witwicky (Flashback Only)
Circuit Smasher (Flashback Only)
Thunderpunch (Flashback Only)
Rapture (Flashback Only)
G.B. Blackrock (Flashback Only)

Storyline

It's been 21 years since the war ended with the Autobot's victory and Cybertron is now at peace. Autobots and ex-Decepticons live on the world, watched over by the Last Autobot in Iacon. However in Polyhex Soundwave is starting a revolution with like-minded ex-Decepticons who want to restart the war again.

Kup and Ultra Magnus visit Optimus in his retreat at Nova Point in Iacon where he's mentoring Hot Rod where they discuss the restlessness of the ex-Decepticons and want to send the Wreckers to deal with them, Optimus however disagrees and feels that might martyr them and cause more of a problem later. Optimus tells them to leave.

Soundwave's team attacks the Baird Beaming Transmitter station in Kalis and kills the Autobot staff there and take control of the satellite in order and repositions it, and launches a blast at the Last Autobot, seemingly destroying him and part of Iacon too, much to the horror of all who could see it

Elsewhere the Zero Point seems to be swirling out of control somewhere....

Notes

• The cyborg-man on the first page is Circuit Smasher, whom is presumably a replacement for Circuit Breaker whom is owned (but never used) by Marvel, just as Death's Head is as well
• Jhiaxus appears on the first page as well, despite being from G2, which didn't occur in this continuity
• Most of this comic is made of re-made images from Marvel's storyline, even emulating the art style of the 80's/90's too
• The Last Autobot's face has been redesigned, but it actually looks more like he has a sliding face mask that covers this normal face with the one from the earlier comics.
• On page four there's a robot in vehicle mode who looks suspiciously like the Minicon Overcharge (a yellow and black taxi)...just saying!
• Optimus seems to have become a grumpy old man in the past 21 years....
• Wow...I forgot how human-like those faces were in Marvel....
• What is the Zero Point? Guess we'll just have to wait and find out!
• We see Flywheels' jet mode here, but not his tank mode when he transforms...though that could be hidden by the smoke...
• Due to the time difference it's likely that any characters here won't have their alternate modes from the 80's, so I left them unidentified until they are actually shown in this series, however the flashback only characters have been given their old alternate modes.