IDW - Robots in Disguise #33

Title: The World of Tomorrow

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Sarah Stone

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Wheeljack is woken up from his CR Chamber to find a room full of a bunch of unfamiliar characters (and Ironhide). After a bit of shock about the current affairs on the planet (long lost Cybertronian colonies, Starscream as leader, female Transformers, Megatron's an Autobot etc) he starts to adapt.

Starscream takes Wheeljack out with him to show him what he needs him for now. Outside of Metroplex, they arrive at a warehouse where Wheeljack sees Superion for the first time, and is told that they need to repair him, and Omega Supreme so they can be Cybertron's defences against Prowl and Devastator, which Starscream is convinced are the biggest threats out there now. Starscream introduces Wheeljack to Powerglide and Alpha Bravo, who have volunteered to act as replacement componants for Slingshot, who is very close to death.

After a bit of soul searching at the bar, Wheeljack decides to speak to Starscream again, and goes to visit him, however when he arrives at his office he finds the former Decepticon shouting with someone who isn't there...

Windblade appears and greets Wheeljack properly, telling him that Starscream's been acting like this for a few weeks and gives him a reason to leave with her. The two of them go deeper into Metroplex to his Spacebridge chamber. Windblade explains that the Spacebridge is damaged, but they're working to fix it, to help bridge Cybertron to it's lost colonies. Then segues to how she thinks that Starscream is acting in the best interested of Cybertron, but they might need someone they can all trust to help them out in case it goes wrong.

Wheeljack heads out to where the Crystal City once stood, and finds Ironhide looing at the collapsed Singularity created by Shockwave during Dark Cybertron,and he manages to talk Ironhide out of hs slump over his faith in the future being destroyed, thanks to Shockwave destroying Gorlam Prime.

Wheeljack heads back to Starscream's office again, but this time he sees that Starscream has been arguing with Scoop over a small communicator on his desk all this time! He reveals that Scoop is spying for him on Earth, and has sent some footage of Prowl, as part of Devastator causing trouble on Earth, and destroying things, which even Optimus doesn't seem to be able to control.

Starscream manages to convince Wheeljack to help him by reparing Superion, thanks to Devastator and Monstructor being on the loose, and the Stunticons having the ability to combine thanks to Swindle too. Wheeljack agrees to help, and begins work on repairing Superion...for Cybertron....

Characters

Autobot

Wheeljack - Car

Ironhide - Van

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Chromia - Speedbike

Alpha Bravo - Jet

Powerglide - Jet

Metroplex - City/Space Ship

Omega Supreme - Rocket and Base Badly Injured

Superion - Gestalt Badly Injured

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Hologram)

Kup - Pick Up Truck (Hologram)

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Hologram)

Megatron - Tank (Flashback)

Bumblebee - Muscle Car (Flashback) Dead

Rodimus - Car (Flashback)

Aerialbots (Mentioned) Badly Injured

Slingshot - Jet (Mentioned) Near Death

Decepticon

Dirge - Jet

Monstructor - Gestalt (Hologram)

Menasor - Gestalt (Hologram)

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Flashback) Dead

Ferak (Mentioned)

Stunticons (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

Starscream - Jet

Rattrap - Mole-Rat

Flatline - Van

Waspinator - Wasp

Sky-Byte - Flying Shark

Swindle - Van

Blurr - Race Car

Scoop - Front End Loader

Out of Metroplex Settlers

Superion's Repair Team

Devastator - Gestalt (Hologram)

Constructicons (Mentioned)

Notes

• This story FINALLY brings Wheeljack back following his near death experience during the Decepticon riots (and of course it features the comedy of introducing him to what's happened over the last 6 in-continuity months). A similar thing happened with Rewind in MTMTE #33 as well.
• This story also acts as a follow-up to the "Windblade" series (even having the same artist), and a prequel to the upcoming "Combiner Wars" series
• Despite being shown on the cover, Blurr i not present during Wheeljack's return (he does appear in a bar scene quickly though!)
• Windblade is shown without Chromia a fair few times here, maybe she's angry with her over the events of "Windblade" still?
• Superion and Omega Supreme have been revealed to of been moved to a hidden warehouse outside of Metroplex for their repairs.
• Alpha Bravo is introduced here (he is the replacement for Slingshot in the new Superion toy) and Powerglide is here because his upcoming toy can interact with Superion too!
• The "party" in Blurr's bar really makes me reminisce over the parties at Auto Assembly! (pointy party hats, funny coloured drinks, karaoke and all!)
• So....everyone is more willing to believe that Starscream has gone mad than he's just talking to someone over a small communicator?
• Everyone glosses over what happened during the Windblade series. From an external sense that could be to try and make new readers go read that series themselves. From an in-continuity sense though, Starscream and Windblade agreed to keep it between them to keep everyone happy.
• It's shown here that the singularity caused during Dark Cybertron IS still there, just tiny now (I'm betting that will be a ajor thing in the future)
• Scoop is revealed to be with the Decepticons on Earth, but seemingly as a spy for Starscream.
• The report Scoop is giving to Starscream at the end about Devastator seems to imply this issue is happening concurrently with what is happening on Earth the previous issue.
• Starscream ACTUALLY seems to consider Wheeljack a friend! (Then again that was true of Metalhawk too, and look what he did to him!)