Plot
In the Ice Age the Autobots and Decepticons are fighting over control of the cold planet for it's resources, when the conditions get too bad, and they have to go into hibernation. Epochs later, Bumblebee wakes up when he hears a lot of hammering outside the Autobot cave, he heads outside and sees John Henry and his crew working on the railway and seems interested.
In San Francisco Bay, Tobias Muldoon is showing off his new invention, the Submarine when it explodes and sinks, humiliating Tobias in front of potential investors and other people. The sinking submarine crashes into a stasis pod at the bottom of the bay, and reactivates a Decepticon.
Later, Bumblebee wakes up Prowl and Ratchet and asks them whether they should wake up Optimus, but they see no need as the humans on this world aren't too advanced yet. Bumblebee runs off when they say no, as he's bored of just sleeping in the cave. One of John's workmen thinks they see something outside, so Bumblebee quickly takes on a new alternate mode based on the steam engine, much to the confusion of the workers.
Elsewhere, Tobias has taken his girlfriend and her father to a hotel for dinner, when he realizes he can't afford the meal since his invention failed. Mr Merriweather then has him wash dishes to pay it off (due to him owning the hotel). Tobias walks along the harbour humiliated later, when a warship transforms near him, and introduces himself as Shockwave, and says that his kind are there to reshape Earth.
Bumblebee, working as a driver-less vehicle helps the workers build the railway, which John isn't too happy about, as he doesn't like the idea of machines taking over the role of people.
Underwater, Tobias has been taken to meet the other Decepticons by Shockwave, who explains that they're aliens and they want his help as a scientist to collect energy and take on appropriate alternate modes etc, who agrees, so long as they can fund him to do so.
Elsewhere, John is angry with the new locomotive for stealing jobs etc when Bumblebee transforms and assures him that he doesn't want to steal his job, he just wants to help. John accepts this and the two become friends.
On another patch of rail line a train full of money is attacked by the Insecticons, who steal the money. On the surface, Tobias and the Decepticons are going over his plans for factories etc, when the Insecticons come up with the money to help fund his work for them. A short while later, the materials are being brought to him, and he begins work.
Word about the Insecticons attack has appeared in the papers, which John and his crew are reading, Bumblebee rolls off upon hearing of this and tells the other Autobots and they decide to help the humans against the Decepticons.
The Decepticons have had their first factory built up, and have started taking on more advanced alternate modes, including "futuristic" plane forms. Starscream monologues about how their plan is to have Astrotrain essentially smash into New York city, and it's all thanks to Tobias' help. Tobias hears this and runs away. He arrives at Kitty's house again and starts to tell everyone what's happening.
Jacob Lee Bonaventure approaches the Decepticons about helping them out (after somehow hearing about them), and is told by Starscream that he can be their intermediary to keep them secret for now, and is then told about how their ultimate goal is to turn Earth into a technological paradise like Cybertron.
In San Francisco, no one is believing Tobias' story about giant killer robots, until Ravage smashes into the house and goes to kill Tobias (no doubt sent by Starscream to silence him). Ravage tears apart the house, but all the humans inside it escape, and even defeat him by throwing a cigar into the house, causing an explosion (somehow) sending the Decepticon flying...NOW everyone else believe's Tobias!
Vanflint (a railway operator of sorts) has been brought into the Decepticon operation by Bonaventure and he reports the strange yellow locomotive from before, which Starscream immediately identifies as Bumblebee, and calls out to all Decepticons to be on the lookout for other Autobots too.
Bumblebee comes to see John later that night and says goodbye, as he needs to fight the Decepticons now. John volunteers to help him out, which Bumblebee seems fine with, and also introduces his co-workers to the Autobots too to help.
Th army has been called in, but the factory has been vacated already, Tobias works out that they must be already on their way to New York, building the rail as they go, the Auotbots and their human friends chase after them on the rails.
Astrotrain continues on his trek, smashing through the blockades set up to try and stop them with ease, and is heading towards New York at full speed. The Decepticons know the Autobots are following, as so they deploy Scourge in his blimp mode to stop them from following.
Scourge is defeated by Sideswipe, who partially transforms whilst rolling through a tunnel, causing Scourge to crash into the mountain and explode. The mountain is attacked whilst the Autobots are travelling though, leaving some caught behind some rubble. Bumblebee however continues along with John chasing the Decepticons, whilst the others are trapped/helping free the others. Bumblebee manages to just overtake Astrotrain on a parallel line and allows John to smack the line switch, causing the Decepticons to change tracks to an incomplete one, sending them, Vanflint and Bonaventure off the cliff. The trapped are all rescued, and the Autobots return home to rest once more.
Characters
Autobot
Bumblebee - Steamhammer Locomotive (former Armored Beetle)
Ironhide - Box Car Locomotive (former Ankylosaurus)
Prowl - Box Car Locomotive
Ratchet - Box Car Locomotive
Sideswipe - Box Car Locomotive
Gears - Box Car Locomotive
Tracks
Blaster
Huffer - Alligator
Cliffjumper - Armored Beetle
Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex
Slag - Triceratops
Snarl - Stegosaurus
Swoop - Pteranodon
Sludge - Apatosaurus
Optimus Prime - Apatosaurus (In Stasis)
Other Autobots
Decepticon
Starscream - Propeller Plane (former Dragon)
Skywarp - Propeller Plane (former Dragon)
Shockwave - Iron Clad War Ship
Astrotrain - Flying Train
Kickback - Piledriver Locomotive (former Locust)
Shrapnel - Scissors Locomotive (former Scarab Beetle)
Bombshell - Turret Locomotive (former Boll Weevil)
Ravage Injured/Killed by Mark Twain
Squawkbox
Scourge - Blimp Killed by Sideswipe
Octane
Soundwave
Frenzy
Thrust
Blitzwing
Other Decepticons
Human
John Henry
Brawley
Cletus
Tobias Muldoon
Kitty Merriweather
Stanford Merriweather
Mark Twain
Jacob Lee Bonaventure Killed in Astrotrain Crash
Vanflint Killed in Astrotrain Crash
Smythe
Jules Verne
Abner
Dodd
Cleveland
Quincannon
Enterprise Captain
President (Mentioned)
Other Humans
Notes
- This mini-series was a standalone for a long time, until it had a sequel in the form of Transformers: Infestation 2 (Which I'll be getting soon, so I figured I'd put this one up before that)
- The alternate modes seen in the Ice Age and cave scenes are most likely a reference to Beast Wars (and also, most of the characters identified are just guesses before anyone asks for proof etc)
- The Decepticons don't seem to understand the concept of money in this story
- Aerial modes are created in this story by using designs for (near) future vehicles, like propeller planes and blimps etc
- There's several mistakes in this story (not talking about historical mistakes, like John Henry being real or anything like that) such as the Autobots being seen as the trailer parts to Astrotrain in some scenes
- Despite in most continuities the Transformers seeming to have renewable power sources in them, Bumblebee seems to require water and coal to run on the tracks
- Why exactly is Bumblebee the lead vehicle on the train? Wouldn't Prowl or someone else higher up be a more reasonable choice?
- Why are you falling down the chasm Astrotrain? YOU CAN FLY!!!!
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