TFCC - Wings of Honor

Staff

Story: Rik Alvarez

Writer: Forest Lee & Rik Alvarez

Pencils: Guido Guidi (Flashback) and Dan Khanna (Shuttle Attack)

Inks: Guido Guidi (Flashback) and Josh Warner (Shuttle Attack)

Colours: Thomas Deer (Flashback) and Josh Perez (Shuttle Attack)

Letters: Jesse Wittenrich

Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair

Editor in Chief: Brian Savage

Plot

In the present, Kup, Hot Rod and the Dinobots's ship is attacked by Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps, but they manage to escape them by entering an asteroid field in a nebula. In lieu of fixing the ship (at Grimlock's behest) Kup tells the group the story about Beta-Four.

Before the Great War Kup was part of a team under the command of Thunderclash, who were out monitoring a region of space for Decepticon activity when Magnum contacts them with a new mission, to recover a top secret case from a crashed Autobot ship, before anyone else can get it. Before the ship can arrive safely, they are attacked by a Decepticon ship and crash on Beta-Four, and head out in vehicle mode to the other crash site to retrieve the case.

Whilst on the way to the other crash the Autobots are attacked by some Decepticon jets, and Kup falls down a cliff. The other three Autobots engage the Decepticons Leozack, Skyquake and Hooligan in a fight and force them to follow them through a forest on foot.

Kup, on his own is attacked by Banzai-Tron, Guyhawk and Hellbat, and Hellbat uses his hypnotic abilities to make Kup drowsy, however before anything else could happen and sea serpent attacks Hellbat and eats him. In the chaos, Kup transforms and drives away, teh remaining 2 Decepticons chase the young Autobot.

In the forest, Thunderclash leaves the other two to deal with the Decepticons, whilst he heads to the other ship to get the case, and to find Kup as well. Skyquake follows Thunderclash leaving the other two to deal with the remaining Autobots.

Kup arrives at the other ship and recovers the case, finding dead bodies everywhere. At the forest, Flak takes on the two Decepticons to give Landshark a chance to work on their plan. Kup is attacked by Banzai-Tron and Guyhawk at the ship, when Thunderclash arrives, with Skyquake on his tail. Kup gets an idea on how to take out the Decepticons, who outnumber them.

Flak has been beaten down by the Decepticons, but then suddenly Landshark appears behind him and pummels the Decepticons. At the ship again, Kup pretend to give over the case to Banzai-Tron and runs off just as he opens it, revealing an overloaded blaster, which explodes and takes down the three Decepticons. Thunderclash congratulates the young Autobot for his good work.

Back in the present the Decepticons have found Kup's ship and board it, however the Dinobots are angry with them for interrupting the story and pummel them along with Kup and Hot Rod. Once finished, Grimlock asks Kup to finish the story.

After a short while, Thunderclash's team are rescued from the planet and brought to see Magnum, who rewards them for recovering the case, and taking in several Decepticon prisoners by making them the first members of the Autobot Elite Guard.

Elsewhere, Alpha Trion opens the case which shines a bright light, whilst he has the schematics of Optimus Prime behind him.

Characters

Autobot
Magnum - Haughty Hauler
Thunderclash - Heavy Hauler
Flak - Massive Battle Tank
Landshark - Baddas Hauler
Kup - First Responder (Pick Up Truck in Present)
Hot Rod - Sports Car (Present Only)
Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Present Only)
Snarl - Stegosaurus (Present Only)
Slag - Triceratops (Present Only)
Sludge - Apatosaurus (Present Only)
Swoop - Pteranodon (Present Only)
Optimus Prime (Schematics)
Alpha Trion
Van De Graaff Crew Dead

Decepticon
Banzai-Tron - Attack Gun Boat Arrested
Leozack - Hi-Tech Jet Fighter Arrested
Skyquake - Hi-Tech Jet Fighter Arrested
Hooligan - Hi-Tech Jet Fighter Arrested
Guyhawk - Hi-Tech Jet Fighter Arrested
Hellbat - Hi-Tech Jet Fighter Eaten by Sea Serpent
Cyclonus - Space Jet (Present Only)
Scourge - Space Shuttle (Present Only)
Sweeps - Space Shuttles (Present Only)
Megatron (On Screen)

Other
Quintesson Dead
Beta-Four Sea Serpent

Notes

• The Framing Scenes are set during Transformers: The Movie...not sure when during the movie though...
• N'awww Grimlock has a stuffed Petro Rabbit!
• Kup's narration of this story isn't very accurate, which implies that some of his other stories might be full of untruths as well
• This story is set before The Coming Storm
• Gee it's a good thing there's lots of water around for Banzai-Tron to ride through!
• Leozack uses a lot of Japanese stereotypes in this comic...not sure why the other previously Japanese exclusive characters didn't as well (ie Guyhawk and Hellbat)...so glad his sister didn't do the same when she appears in The Coming Storm
• Banzai-Tron seems to have joined the Decepticons to earn more money
• The screen next to Magnum at the end has a purple Decepticon insignia on it....hmmmm....
• Oh the Mysterious case held the Matrix in it ready for Alpha Trion to finish fixing Orion Pax into Optimus Prime.