IDW - Robots in Disguise #28

Title: Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colours by: Josh Perez

Flashback Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Toom B. Long

Editorial Assistance: Rebecca Huard

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Half a Million years ago, Alpha Trion and Metroplex take off from Cybertron, to take themselves out of the equation for Megatron's grand schemes, and to hunt down Shockwave to find out what his big plan is (Dark Cybertron)

Last month, Megatron's trial concluded, and he's been inducted into the Autobots, which Prowl isn't happy about. Cosmos doesn't seem to care too much, but just wants someone to talk to, considering he's normally ignored and alone. Optimus sets his team off to Earth, on Alpha Trion's request, via Windblade. Optimus allows Starscream to remain leader of the people, as they elected him. But he warns him that with Metroplex as the city once more, he had better behave.

Thundercracker flies around Earth, preparing a new screenplay he's planning to get made into a TV series (it's terrible) when he returns home and finds his dog, Buster, outside and wonders how she got out alone. Inside he finds Marissa Faireborn, Director of the EDC and she tells him they need his help with something, in repayment for them keeping him hidden from the population.

Soon afterwards Optimus and a few other Autobots have return to Earth. Upon arrival in orbit their ship is attacked by very advanced weapons, so Optimus has the ship parked behind the Moon, whilst they fly down to the surface in the mush smaller Sky Lynx, with Cosmos acting as backup.

Sky Lynx lands on the planet's surface, and Optimus, Jazz and Kup roll off towards a Cybertronian signature, leaving Prowl, Arcee and Sky Lynx to their own mission.

Optimus and his team arrive at the signature, where they find Thundercracker living in peace, apparently waiting for them. Once there Thundercracker comments that he's glad Bumblebee didn't come here, as he liked him, which confuses Optimus. Optimus reveals that Bumblebee died saving the universe (a bit of an overstatement....) and Thundercracker claims that it wasn't worth the cost. Optimus asks where Alpha Triion is, to which Thundercracker laughs as he hasn't seen him since the early war (Spotlight: Orion Pax).

Optimus then reveals that Megatron has joined the Autobots, and declares the war truly over, to which Thundercracker seems incensed, and cant's believe hat it was actually true...leading Galvatron from the outside to tear open the wall and ask why he would have lied to him about that.

Galvatron leads a group of Decepticons and attacks the 3 Autobots, Thundercracker freaks out that they're destroying his house, leading Optimus to lead the fight outside instead, where he finds Marissa (holding Buster to keep her safe) and her EDC troops aiming at him, and charges him with war crimes by allying with the mass murderer Megatron. And asks him why he's returned to her planet, but suggests that he doesn't give up willingly as she wants to kill him.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Jazz - Sports Car

Prowl - Police Car

Arcee - Car

Sideswipe - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Cosmos - Orbiter

Metroplex - City/Space Ship (Flashback)

Ironhide - Cybertronian Van

Windblade - Cybertronian Jet

Bumblebee - Cybertronian Car (Flashback) Dead in Present

Alpha Trion - Tumbler (Flashback)

Bluestreak - Cybertronian Car (Flashback)

Wheeljack - Cybertronian Car (Flashback)

Decepticon

Galvatron - Tank

Brawl - Tank

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Laserbeak - Cassette

Thundercracker - F22 Jet (May be neutral now?)

Megatron (Flashback - Now an Autobot)

Ravage - Cassette (Flashback)

Shockwave (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Cybertronian Jet (Flashback)

Circuit (Flashback)

Longtooth (Flashback)

Human

Marissa Faireborn

EDC Soldiers

John Powell (Mentioned) Killed by Jazz in the Past

Other

Buster the Doggie

Sharkticons (Mentioned)

Notes

• This marks the beginning of Robots in Disguise's second season, which shifts the focus from Cybertron to Earth.
• Thundercracker is revealed to be still on Earth, and has settled into his own home, but has to checck in with the EDC on a regular basis.
• He also doesn't appear to have an insignia any more either...
• The EDC appears to have taken Skywatch's place on Earth now.
• Thundercracker's dog's name "Buster" is a reference to Spike's brother in the Marvel comics. It was also used as the name for Sam's dog in the Dark of the Moon novel.
• Marissa Faireborn is of course based on the G1 cartoon character of the same name
• Aww Bumblebee appears in the flashback....too soon John....too soon.....
• Alpha Trion and Metroplex are revealed to have left Cybertron to stop the Decepticons from targeting them (ie going after Metroplex's Titan magic) and they also begin tracking Shockwave, who by this point has left Cybertron to tend to his Regensis Ores.
• Optimus' team in this issue are shown to have taken on all new Earth alternate modes, even Optimus appears to have a new truck form.
• Optimus appears to be a bit distrustful of Prowl now, most likely after learning about all that happened in the last couple of years.
• Prowl's mentioned team are obviously the Constructicons (this is made even clearer with a preview cover image showing Devastator fighting with Galvatron)
• It's hinted here that the reason Starscream want's everyone to leave Metroplex and move back to the damaged Iacon is because Optimus threatens that Metroplex will just crush him if he does anything too wrong.
• It's revealed that Windblade and her crew spent a short while with Alpha Trion before he left for his "Holy Grail" but left a message for Optimus to come to Earth for him.
• Galvatron has ACTUALLLY joined the Decepticons now, and appears to lead them following Megatron's defection.
• Both Kup and Jazz have returned to Earth, most likely for closure following their bad experiences on the planet (Jazz killing a human and being reprimanded, and Kup being zombified and sent back to the beginning of the Dead Universe)
• Marissa's comments about voiceovers in Thundercracker's script is a jab at Robots in Disguise itself, which uses a lot of voiceovers
• Thundercracker seems concerned about Sharkticons being on Earth...another hint towards a Quintesson plot coming up maybe?
• Soundwave and his minions appear to be in their Masterpiece forms on Earth now.