IDW - Robots in Disguise #34

Title: The Crucible

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Optimus Prime and Alpha Trion leave the damaged Ark-7 on Prime's personal ship the Skyroller, and park it on the opposite side of the Earth's Moon to the Ark so they can talk in private, at Trion's request.

Once alone, Alpha Trion tells Optimus about the final battle between the 13 Tribes of  Cybertron, and how Nova Major and Galvatron became allies during it. After defeating Onyx Prime's troops the duo are joined by Alpha Trion, who announces himself as the last Prime on Cybertron, to his knowledge. (which shocks Optimus in the present). After a small off-screen incident between Nova and Trion, the three start off on long trek to Old Kalis, and Onyx Prime's throneroom, where they find it deserted, except for Rhinox who stayed behind to guard it.

After discovering the place deserted Nova decides to take the moment to put into motion his plans for Functionism, putting everyone who was left from the 13 tribes into one society, but all in their own set places (this angers Optimus in the present, as he realizes that Trion was the one who allowed Nova to be a Prime, and to do all his future evil acts).

After a while, Nova Prime has befriended Jhiaxus, who begins work on creating a Gestalt for Nova Prime, and asks Galvatron if he knows about Nexus Prime's Enigma of Combination, which Galvatronn claims that Nexus took it with him when he fled Cybertron, as he couldn't find it when he ransacked his fortress before.

This slip of the tongue allows Alpha Trion to realize what really happened, and deduces that Galvatron in fact killed Nexus Prime himself, and stole the Enigma, as it's name should have made people believe that it was a concept not an object, as designed.

Optimus wonders in the present why Galvatron would have stolen the Enigma, since he hates the idea of combiners or altering the Cybertronian form. Alpha rion continues, by saying that Galvatron realized his mistake, and launched the Enigma into space, and it landed, most unusually on Earth. He also reveals that Shockwave discovered where the remaining surviving Primes had fled to following the war, and where the Enigma was sent, and seeded those planets with his Regenesis Ores.

Alpha isn't sure if Galvatron knows the Enigma is on Earth or not, but knows they must recover it before he does, but also asks Optimus if he intends to tell Prowl (the head of Devastator) about the Enigma and this lost history, which he retorts with a "why wouldn't I?". However, unknown to both of them, Cosmos is floating nearby in stealth paint, having recorded and passed on the entire conversation to Prowl already.....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Alpha Trion

Prowl - Police Vehicle 

Jetfire - Jet

Arcee - Sports Car

Sideswipe - Sports Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Cosmos - Orbiter

Aerialbots (Mentioned)

Megatron (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Shockwave (Mentioned)

Swindle (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

D.O.C.

Hook - Crane

Scavenger - Excavator

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Devastator - Constructicon and Prowl Gestalt (Hologram)

Nova Prime/Major - Truck (Flashback)

Galvatron (Flashback)

Jhiaxus (Flashback)

Rhinox (Flashback)

Nexus Prime (Flashback) Seemingly killed by Galvatron

Eucryphia (Flashback) Killed by Onyx Prime's Beasts

Onyx Prime's Beasts (Flashback) Mostly killed by Galvatron and Nova Major

Headmasters (Flashback) Killed by Galvatron

Pesprapf Maximus? (Mentioned)

Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Prima (Mentioned)

Onyx Prime (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Liege Maximo (Mentioned)

Megatronus/The Fallen (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Mortilus (Mentioned)

Adaptus (Mentioned)

Monstructor (Alluded to)

Notes

• Alpha Trion is revealed to be one of the Original 13 Primes in this continuity, and name checks Liege Maximo, Megatronus, Prima, Onyx Prime, Nexus Prime and Solus Prime as members too, lining up with their Aligned counterparts. The only one who could be different is Optimus, but we never know! Remember, this is the continuity that gave us a friendly, fun loving Shockwave for a while!
• Nexus Prime uses a character model based on his Aligned counterpart, as seen from the Covenant of Primus book.
• Sky Lynx apparently eats his Energon out of a bowl...how dignified!
• The Citadel of Light looks an awful lot like the Star Saber doesn't it?
• Nova Prime (then Major) is shown in his alternate mode for the first time here, as well as in his smaller robot mode (missing the cape, face mask etc)
• The Mournsong, which is mentioned by Rhinox was Onyx Prime's artefact from Primus in the Aligned continuity.
• Considering the Monstructor Six's alternate modes, and Nova's feelings towards the beast Transformers, its likely that they weren't volunteers for the Monstruuctor gestalt as previously believed.
• It appears that Nexus Prime's Headmasters are made similarly to the ones on Earth by Scorponok in the early IDW stories, where they are a mixture of Cybertronian and organic beings. This does sort of make you wonder whether Scorponok or the Machination actually unearthed the Enigma at some point....
• Cosmos appears to be quite willing to spy on Optimus on Prowl's orders here...wonder if there's something more sinister afoot?
• It's revealed that Alpha Trion's mission was to look for the Enigma of Combination.
• Megatron is mentioned to have NOT named himself after Megatronus (The Fallen) here, despite that being the case in the Aligned continuity
• Why does Optimus just happen to have a hologram of Devastator on his person?
• The concept of Information Creep, previously shown in MTMTE, Retribution, and even Five Faces of Darkness, is used again here to explain why the events of the past are considered myth by many modern day bots.
• The concept of "only a Prime can kill a Prime" was introduced in Revenge of the Fallen. Of course we know that's not exactly true from across the multiverse, but it's a fun myth :)