IDW - Regeneration One #99

Title: The war to end all wars Part 4

Writer: Simon Furman

Breakdowns: Guido Guidi

Finishes: Stephen Baskeville

Colourist: John-Paul Bove

Letterer: Chris Mowry

Editor: John Barber

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Plot

In Zero Space Spike is being held captive by Primus, who wishes to use his unique body (part Human, Nebulon and Cybertronian) for his grand scheme. As a part of this he takes on the form of Buster, and mentally traumatizes Spike over letting him die at the Decepticon's hands.

Rodimus Prime is taken to see Jhiaxus on the Hub's Throneworld, where he asks the Autobot leader to join him freely in building up his empire, or he'll start killing his captured allies.

Elsewhere in the Hub, the Wreckers are attacking the connections between the worlds and causing massive problems. Rook reports this to Jhiaxus, who starts killing Autobots (those who have been altered by external forces - Headmasters, Pretenders etc) to force Rodimus to tell them to stop, however Rodimus points out that if it's the Wreckers then they won't stoop until their dead anyway. Jhiaxus has a battalion chase after them.

Meanwhile, Shockwave and the possessed Starscream decide to take action as well, with Starscream going after Jhiaxus himself.

On Earth, Blackrock is working on repairing Optimus following his quick battle with Fort Max. Linda just wants Optimus to be operational enough to find out where Max took Spike, so they can recover him, then destroy the space bridge and cut off all connection to the outside universe for good.

On Cybertron, the Dinobots witness the surviving Demons wrap themselves in a cocoon of some sort, as it waiting for something to happen, when Grimlock starts to get his memories that Primus erased back and starts babbling about how he was used, and about VsQs.

Elsewhere at the Star Chamber Galvatron attacks the Autobot scientists trying to contact Optimus or Quickmix, who have both gone quiet, and kills them all.

The Wreckers are tearing apart the Hub's connectors and causing massive damage all across, along with the aid of Shockwave and the Ark (which he still controls) Jhiaxus has Rodimus sent away to the prisons by 2 guards, who Rodimus easily takes down.

Jhiaxus is panicking over his crumbling empire and prepares to leave when Starscream arrives and re-introduces Jhiaxus to the Senators he killed during the Underbase's creation. Jhiaxus' mind is then painfully absorbed into Starscream (and the Underbase itself). Jhiaxus screams for Rook's help, but his loyal servant just runs away.

Rodimus frees the captured Autobots who join in with the battle. Shockwave arrives at the Throneworld and recovers Starscream's exhausted body from the collapsing construct, despite it being totally illogical - he starts to wonder if this is what emotion is. The attackers all leave as the Hub crumples into itself.

On the way back to Cybertron, Rodimus wonders about some things, all Jhiaxus was doing was trying to create order out of the chaos of the Universe, which is exactly Primus' function...so what if Primus isn't as benevolent as they all think?

On Cybertron a Dark Matrix creature leaps out of an Energon Pool....

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus Prime - Caravan

Optimus Prime - Truck Near Death

Ultra Magnus - Car Transport

Prowl - Police Car

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Bumblebee - VW Beetle

Roadbuster - Jeep

Whirl - Helicopter

Rack N' Ruin

Topspin - Jet

Sandstorm - Helicopter/Buggy

Broadside - Battleship/Jet

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Slag - Triceratops

Snarl - Stegosaurus

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Swoop - Pteranodon

Blurr - Race Car

Blaster - Boom Box

Hardhead - Tank

Chromedome - Car

Jetfire - Jet

Joyride - Baja Buggy Killed by Jhiaxus

Sky High - Helicopter Killed by Jhiaxus

Crosshairs - Off-Road Van Killed by Jhiaxus

Brainstorm - Jet Killed by Jhiaxus

Kick-Off

Star Chamber Staff Killed by Galvatron

Nightbeat - Car (Mentioned)

Quickmix - Mixing Truck (Mentioned)

Fortress Maximus (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Starscream - Jet Possessed by "The Four"

Shockwave - Ray Gun

Galvatron - Laser Cannon Possessed by Primus

Axer

Gutcruncher

Cybertronian Empire

Jhiaxus - Jet Absorbed by "The Four"

Rook - Jet

Other Members - Jets Mostly Dead

Human

Spike Witwicky/Circuit Smasher Captured by Primus

Linda Chang

G.B. Blackrock

Other Human Survivors

Buster Witwicky (Illusion Only)

Other

Primus

Dark Matrix Creature

Demons Entering Cocoon Stage

Boltax Part of Underbase

Decanus Part of Underbase

Tallus Part of Underbase

Rokan Part of Underbase

Other Cybertronians

Notes

• This is the penultimate issue of this series!
• Doesn't it feel like the whole Jhiaxus/Hub storyline was a bit shoehorned in or rushed?
• I mean seriously, last issue they were crushing the Autobots, now the Wreckers basically destroy them in a couple of minutes!
• With Galvatron's new attitude and his previous location near Primus, I think it's safe to say that he did what he's doing to Spike to Galvatron off screen, and this process will drive Spike mad(der) in time for next issue.
• Jhiaxus plans to use the Matrix energies inside Rodimus to power a new generation of Cybertronians, this is similar to Bludgeon's plans to use the Matrix to power his new generation of Transformers in the G2 series.
• Grimlock remembers the Dark Matrix creature from VsQs in the Marvel run, which is implied to be one with Primus as well here, which would mean that whatever Primus is up to has been planned for some time now.
• "The Four" are fully named here as Boltax, Decanus, Tallus and Rokan, the last 2 were unnamed in issue #0.
• Shockwave's scene with Starscream (see above) seems like it's just bait for the fangirls to fawn over honestly.
• Cybertron is shown to have some Decepticcons and Autobots wandering around on the surface...why wasn't every able-bodied Autobot/Decepticon brought in to counter this massive threat against their homeworld?!
• The Dark Matrix creature is shown to be in an energon pool at the end of this issue, but last time we saw it, it was entering Fort Max's mind...maybe there's more than one of them?
• Think about it this way...the individuals shown to Rodimus on his time trip by Primus are now all in his grasp. Fort Max, the Matrix Creature and Galvatron are under his power and Spike has been taken captive. The only wild-card (as pointed out earlier in the series) was Jhiaxus, who has now been taken out just in time for Primus' big push...seems like the trip was used to force Rodimus to help Primus out secretly for whatever he's doing.
• This could also mean that the Demon's attempts to keep people away from Primus' chamber were to try and stop him from being revived again.