IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #29

Title: World, Shut Your Mouth - Part 2: Words Hand in the Air

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editorial Assistance: Rebecca Huard

Editor: John Barber

Plot

On Luna 2, the Victim Impact Statements are in full swing, and Rodimus is fed up of hearing them all. Atomizer approaches him, and tells him he has the list of everyone who voted for him to be stripped of his command. Rodimus tells him to go away with it, as he would be in big trouble if he ever saw those names. Atomizer mentions that there's some members of the crew, who wanted to resume the quest on the list, and he should read it to see who are true believers of their mission...which makes Rodimus hesitate...

Starscream is brought to the stand, as speaks up in Megatron's defence, he basically calls Megatron a thug, who got way in over his head, and he should be pitied for being the monster he became due to the war. Afterwards Megatron asks to speak to Ultra Magnus alone, and is granted a 30 minute break.

During the break, Starscream and Optimus learn from Rattrap and Slamdance respectively that the opinion polls are showing that the public are warming to both sides due to their actions during the trial.

Following the break, Magnus announces that Megatron has changed his plea to "Innocent" and wishes to address the court, Optimus is stunned, and Magnus claims that Megatron simply had a change of heart.

At the same moment, Rodimus has tucked into a dark corner, reading a tablet that looks an awful lot like a certain list Atomizer teased him with earlier...

On the Lost Light, six months later, Tailgate is finally back to full health, and is exercising his Transformation Cog, and springing onto Cyclonus, showing off his "Finger in the Head" move which defeated Tyrest, and he is caught up on the recent events.

Tailgate sees Megatron as their captain, and is a bit confused, until he runs into Mainframe and Jackpot, and he is glad to hear that people missed him during his illness. He's having the best day of his life...then he walks into a Legislator....who is merely acting as a doorman for Swerve's bar, ass Swerve has reprogrammed him to serve his bar's rules.

In the bar, Skids, Nautica, Riptide and Trailcutter are hanging out reading the Lost Light Insider, which Nautica passes off as a scandal sheet. Trailcutter is drunk, but wants something even stronger, when Riptide mentions hearing about Megatron's "Superfuel" in the Medibay, which gets Trailcutter worked up.

Nightbeat is in his room working on some cases when Chromedome visits to tell him about his message from Rewind changing, and asks him to check it out to see if it was tampered with, but Nightbeat suggests that Chromedome just imagined it out of grief. Chromedome tells him to leave, but as soon as he turns he see's Rewind standing in the doorway!!

Elsewhere, Trailcutter is sneaking to the Medibay, with a head cam attached so the others can watch as well, however he finds the Medibay heavily locked. Nautica decides that this is a bad idea, so she leaves the group and decides to hide in her quarters. During this, Skids is jumped by Tailgate, showing off his new signature move, which knocks over the computer and damages it. This means he misses Trailcutter seeing the door disappear in front of him, and allows him to enter. He finds the superfuel and takes a swig of it.

Unfortunately for Trailcutter he set off a silent alarm, which has summoned a security team, Megatron, Ultra Magnus and Ratchet, who tell him to drop the fuel, as it won't agree with him. Suddenly Trailcutter collapses, and feels poisoned, Megatron approaches him to help him out, but Trailcutter activates his "panic button" which sets off a forcefield for 30 minutes. Megatron tells the others to leave while he deal with the situation.

Chromedome and Nightbeat race back to Nightbeat's room to grab Nightbeat's equipment, as Nightbeat believes that the rewind he saw, which disappeared when Chromedome turned around, was a Data Ghost, left behind due to the weight of the data he stored inside him, which fascinates Nightbeat. Chromedome thinks that Rewind must be haunting him as he hasn't kept his promises to him. Nightbeat manages to open his door (after several locks) only to find his back wall missing....

Trailcutter's forcefield pops, and he tells Megatron to take him away, he just doesn't want to fight with him. Instead Megatron smacks him across the back of the neck, and permanently activates his Fuel Intake Modulator meaning he can never enjoy getting drunk again. Trailcutter is angry at first, but Megatron gives him the role of Director of Security since he was unhappy with how easily he got into the Medibay, and warns him that if he does anything to sabotage his job in anyway, then he will destroy him.

His first official job however is to help Megatron open up the coffin that was brought aboard (since it was knocked ajar when Trailcutter set off his forcefield and appears to be free of viruses etc). Inside they find the dead, and partially decapitated body of Rodimus!

Characters

Autobot

Megatron - Tank

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Ratchet - Ambulance

Trailcutter - Van

Riptide - Boat

Nautica - Submarine

Skids - Van

Tailgate - Car

Swerve - Van

Chromedome - Car

Nightbeat - Car

Broadside

Mirage

Hot Spot

Groove

Streetwise

Mainframe

Jackpot

Hoist - Crane

Bluestreak - Car

Joyride

Aquafend

Grotusque

Repugnus

Doublecross

Rung - A Thingie (Hologram Only)

Rewind - Memory Stick (Data Ghost) Dead

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Flashback)

Rodimus - Car (Flashback + Corpse in Coffin)

Prowl - Emergency Car (Flashback)

Gripper (Flashback)

Atomizer (Flashback)

Arcee - Car (Flashback)

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter (Flashback)

Blaster (Flashback)

Slamdance (Flashback)

Star Saber - Jet (Mentioned in an insult)

Ambulon - Leg (Mentioned) Dead

Brainstorm - Jet (Mentioned)

Dominus Ambus (Mentioned)

Brawn (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Mentioned)

Scorponok - Scorpion Tank (Mentioned)

Decepticon Justice Division (Mentioned)

Vos (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Jet (Flashback)

Rattrap - Mole Rat (Flashback)

Other Cybertronians (Flashback)

Other

Cyclonus - Jet

Ten the Doorman

Titans (Mentioned)

Notes

• The "previously" section has been turned into a humorous monologue detailing the recent events
• The Roll Call page has also returned, but lacks mini bios, and only seems to feature major characters for that story
• Tailgate has finally recovered from his bout with Cybercrosis, meaning he can now fully transform, move around and everything (which he does here)
• Tailgate has seemingly decided to milk his moment of glory during the battle with Tyrest by making his "finger in the head" move his signature.
• He has also been finally given his Autobrand, which Cyclonus doesn't seem to approve of.
• As of this issue every Protectobot is on board the Lost Light (with several being on Cybertron in Season One) - Wonder if this means we'll have some gestalt fun, since Megatron is here too?
• Cyclonus is shown with his Great Sword again, despite him not having it at all during Dark Cybertron.
• The crew of the Lost Light are revealed to actually like Tailgate, and sincerely wanted him to get better
• The "Vos" described during the trial is clearly not the same guy we saw with the DJD, confirming that they rename themselves after the "First Five Cities" when they join the group.
• The majority of the crew in the bar scene are new cast members, which is meant to show us as many new faces as possible most likely.
• Trailcutter knowing the newcomer Nautica's name, but not long term crewmate Riptide's at first is a bit insulting!
• The author of the Lost Light Insider is clearly screwing up facts to make Megatron seem much more irrational and bad than he is during these events. Due to his past as a broadcaster, and place on the Bridge during the coffin incident, would probably indicate that Blaster is the author.
• Nightbeat is studying a hologram of Rung's "alternate mode" when he is met by Chromedome, a reference to it being confusing, or something more?
• 2 of the "Big Three" mysteries mentioned in Spotlight: Nightbeat are revealed here to be Ark-1 and Luna-1's locations. Could the 3rd be Rung's alternate mode? Or just the location of the Knights?
• If you look in the background during the scene with Nightbeat examining the hologram, you can see his walls vanishing, and the stars showing through.
• Nightbeat's room number (221) is clearly a reference to 221b Baker Street, the address of Sherlock Holmes
• Nautica is shown to be able to lower her visor with her fingers rather than it being automatic.
• Ambulon's belongings are still sitting at his desk...IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS GUYS!!
• Hey look! Slamdance is still around! I wonder where he's been since Chaos! I mean, if he was on Cybertron you'd assume he was the news caster rather than Circuit, and if he was on the Lost Light, then why wasn't he doing announcements rather than Siren?
• Despite being quite close to each other (room 208 and 221) Chromedome and Nightbeat decided to drive back to Nightbeat's room...
• Despite the wall being missing, none of Nightbeat's stuff is being blown out into space implying there may be a forcefield in place, or the wall is just invisible.
• Chromedome confirms that Dominus Ambus was indeed rewind's first Conjunx Endura
• Trailcutter is given the role of Director of Security, which has been part-time filled by Ultra Magnus since Red Alert's "accident"
• Um....why is Rodimus dead, with half a head inside a coffin?!
• The Autobots are clearly shown to be using microphones during the trial now...this is adorable in a practical way!
• Megatron has implied that he turned off his own F.I.M. chip, has this been for a while? Or since he started taking his "superfuel"?
• It's entirely possible that the tablet Rodimus is reading at the end is NOT the voting results, but something else altogether...this is James Roberts' work after all!