IDW - Robots in Disguise #26

Title: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9: Finis Temporis

Written by: John Barber and James Roberts

Art by: Andrew Griffith and Livio Ramondelli

Colours by: Josh Perez and Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

The Transformers are fending off the Necrotitan and Scoop continues to moan at Starscream, who is currently dying from the death mark. Starscream complains about how the only people around who may have helped him have just ignored his call when suddenly they answer.

The Lost Light and Metroplex apppear in Iacon, wiith Metroplex immediately attacking the Necrotitan, the Lost Light is unable to land properly so it crashes near the battle site as Bumblebee and the others watch and are amazed that their friends are indeed still alive.

Inside Metroplex Windblade asks Magnus if he knew Metroplex was going to have another Titan to fight when he landed, which he denies, but speculates that Metroplex himself knew though. Elsewhere inside the Titan Whirl reports that the Ammonites are still inside as well, so they still have to deal with them.

Outside, Bumblebee and the others approach the Lost Light and find Hound leading it as he starts to explain where Rodimus and the others are.

The groups discuss things and it's revealed that Metroplex's thumb is inside the Lost Light. Megatron notices that Metroplex keeps reaching for the ship, hich makes him realize what needs to be done to win the battle. He has Bumblebee take him inside the ship and finds the thumb, he uses the Space Bridge inside his body to transport it and himself to an unknown location, which Bumblebee is concerned will be just to hide on Luna-2.

In the Dead Universe Nova Prime attacks Orion Pax whilst his Robo-Zombies are fighting the rest of the Autobots and Cyclonus. During their fight Nova takes on the form of Sentinel Prime and then Zeta Prime to try and mess with Orion's mind.

Nova Prime is attacked by Kup who he easily whacks away then takes on the form of Optimus Prime himself. Orion is easily knocked down by his doppelganger, but the rest of the Autobots fight him off, except for Rodimus, who goes to give Orion a pep-talk about how despite his predecessors actions, HE is the one who has made the Prime name great again, and is the reason why he doesn't want to be a Prime, as the only true Prime is Optimus. 

After the talk Nova blasts Rodimus out of the way, angering Orion again, who attacks Nova, but not in anger, but confidence. He quickly tears off his arm and lands a punch right through Nova's chest, seemingly killing him.

Back on Cybertron Galvatron feels Nova Prime's death, he lets Shockwave know about it, which makes him glad as he can get on with the real plan now. He orders Metalhawk to kill Waspinator and informs Jhiaxus to get the machine ready.

Elsewhere, the Transformers are losing their respective battles until Megatron reappears in Metroplex's hand, allowing him to be restored to health using the healing ore inside it, and gives him the strength to kill the Necrotitan, which somehow heals those affected by his power before. With Metroplex healed up by his thumb his internal systems are repaired including the anti-bodies which kill the Ammonites. Megatron lays now nearby and seems happy, despite looking almost dead, that the "good guys" won today.

Elsewhere Galvatron is ready to admit defeat, with the death of Nova and the Necrotitan his plans to return Cybertron to it's former glory are gone. Shockwave however reveals that he was never planning to restore Nova and Galvatron to some throne, but his true goals are much gretaer. Metalhawk listens on from some cover with a still alive Waspinator as Jhiaxus makes finishing touches to a device that is designed to harness the powers of the Dead Universe from it's creation to it's end, and plans to use Galvatron as a link to power it.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab

Rodimus - Sports Car

Bumblebee - Muscle Car

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Prowl - Emergency Car

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Nightbeat - Sports Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

Brainstorm - Jet

Perceptor 

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Skids - Van

Getaway

Windblade - Jet

Chromia

Nautica

Hound - Jeep

Swerve - Van

Mainframe

Blaster

Hoist - Crane

Trailcutter - Van

Rung

Chromedome - Car

Slug - Triceratops

Metroplex - City/Space Ship

Sentinel Prime (Illusion)

Zeta Prime (Illusion)

Duobots (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Megatron Badly Damaged

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundwave - Van

Laserbeak - Data Disk

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Frenzy - Tank

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Train

Hook - Crane

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Scavenger - Excavator

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Bludgeon - Tank

Waspinator - Wasp

Dreadwing - Stealth Bomber

United Cybertron

Starscream - Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Scoop - Front End Loader

Blurr - Race Car

Landfill - Dump Truck

Flatline

Zetca

Iaconians

Cybertronian

Necrotitan - City/Space Ship Killed by Metroplex

Nova Prime - Truck Killed by Optimus Prime

Galvatron - Laser Tank

Jhiaxus - Jet

Metalhawk - Jet

Cyclonus - Jet

Robo-Zombies

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Nominus Prime (Mentioned)

Other

Ammonites Killed by Metroplex

Notes

• Andrew Griffith is back to his art duties, covering the Cybertron, Metroplex and Lost Light scenes with Livio Ramondelli continuing on as the Dead Universe artist.
• Bumblebee and the others are understandably confused about the Lost Light still existing considering the last time they saw it it was in an explosion!
• It also appears that Metroplex's brain module and his inhabitants have been moved into his head again (I can accept this considering Metroplex has just space bridged himself and the Lost Light to Cybertron, and it was shown in the 2012 Annual that the Titans can space bridge away smaller items accurately (ie Ore''s remains). Though as shown here he DIDN'T remove the Ammonites as well...
• Nova Prime transforms himself into all official Autobot Primes here (It's unclear if Nominus was an Autobot, and Rodimus was self appointed
• Metroplex's severed thumb is revealed here to be soaked in one of Shockwave's ores. The ore in Metroplex's thumb seems to have a healing effect that is able to spread across a great distance as it seems to be what heals those injured by the Necrotitan, unless the death of the Necrotitan is what healed them....
• Orion Pax takes back his name of Optimus Prime after Rodimus convinces him that it's HIS actions that have made the name great again following the dark actions of his predecessors 
• It's revealed here that the plan all along has been to wait for Nova Prime to die, along with his control over the Dead Universe so they can harness it's power for Shockwave's final victory, but using Galvatron as a link as well.
• It seems funny to me that Megatron was being used as a portal to the Dead Universe at the start of this storyline, and now it seems that Galvatron (who is a rebuilt version of Megatron in some continuities) is going to be used in a similar way here.
• According to Shockwave samples of all of the ores that he seeded across the galaxy that actually managed to survive have all returned to Cybertron now. So I guess we're getting to see the purpose in them soon!
• The Robo-Zombies in the Dead Universe are shown to be in more styles than just Sweeps, this could account for all the different body types in Galvatron's army in Heart of Darkness, or they could just be other members of the Ark-1 crew.