Title: The Frail Gaze
Written by: James Roberts
Art by: Alex Milne
Colours by: Joana LaFuente
Letters by: Tom B. Long
Editor: John Barber
Plot
On board the Vis Vitalis, Nautica dances with Skids in private, so she can show that she CAN dance, but doesn't want to do it in public as she's shy. Skids is happy with the arrangement too, since he's learning the dances too through his special skill. The two talk about how Nautica and Firestar were basically forced to be friends, and they don't really seem to like each other. Before they can really continue though, Skids collapses, and the invisible aliens start appearing on the dance floor, Skids is too weak to fight them, and Nautica isn't a good fighter, so they are soon swarmed by the aliens.
In the Morgue, Nightbeat is analysing the aliens whilst fighting them off, along with Getaway, they are over-run by them, until Ravage appears and saves them. Nightbeat quickly examines Photon's corpse again, and sees the same eggs on his face as they found on Countdown and Getaway, and they escape.
In the Medibay, the aliens have appeared there too, and are fought off by the Autobots. Velocity throws some machinery at the aliens, causing a load noise, causing Firestar and Skystalker to investigate. Upon entering the room, Skystalker is ripped in half by one of the aliens, instantly killing him. Thunderclash wakes up from his death bed, and fights off the aliens, telling the others to escape whilst he sacrifices himself for the greater good. His self-less deed causes the ticks some pain, which Velocity notes whilst the group escapes.
On the dancefloor, Nautica manages to wriggle free from the pile of aliens crushing the two of them, and plugs herself into a recharge socket, causing the attached, and organic aliens to die from electrocution.
Nautica and Skids escape, but manage to run into the other Autobots, allowing them to lock themselves into a room whilst they figure out what's happening.
Nightbeat examines the rest of the crew and finds the eggs on Skids. Firestar notes that everyone who seems to be affected all have charisma, causing Nightbeat to identify them as Personality Ticks, whom he'd only thought of as myth before now. The Camiens picked them up when they visited Planet Marasma, before joining the Vis Vitalis, their pilot Vertex died from their effects, and then infected Thunderclash and the others since then. Velocity realizes that one of the aliens must have made themselves visible for long enough to heal up Thunderclash, so they could feed off him for longer, thus explaining why she couldn't remember her properly afterwards.
Nightbeat starts to formulate a plan to defeat the Ticks when suddenly they rush the door and smash it down, forcing the Autobots to fend for their lives. All of a sudden though, they all fall down dead, as Rodimus and Megatron suddenly appear from behind them.
Later, on the Lost Light, First Aid repairs Skids, Getaway and Thudnerclash from their wounds, and it is revealed that the Ticks died from overloading on the combined charisma of Megatron and Rodimus, which was Nightbeat's idea, but he wonders why they turned up BEFORE he even sent the message. Magnus reveals that Skater, Borer and Flex were the ones to call Rodimus, when they deduced the situation BEFORE Nightbeat did, they were just less showy about it. Magnus mentions that Thunderclash is now joining the crew since his old war wound is healed now, the Matrix map was destroyed, but Thunderclash still has some memories of parts of it, giving them SOME progress at least.
At Shuttle Bay Four, Firestar and Nautica say goodbye. Firestar, now a bit more modest and shaken after the death of Skystalker and the Personality Tick's abilities decides to return to Caminus, taking the now unneeded Vis Vitalis with them. She offers to sever her friendship with Nautica, since they both know they aren't a good match, however Nautica refuses, saying that their differences are what makes them a good match.
Later at Swerve's, the crew are having an "Earth Dance" with Blaster as the DJ and the crew dancing their problems away. During the party, Tailgate has Blaster play "The Power of Love", Cyclonus' new favourite song, and offers to dance with him. However before he can join him, Getaway starts dancing with Tailgate instead.
During the dance, Velocity turns up, and reveals that Firestar convinced her to join the Lost Light as well, much to Nautica's delight.
Skids compliments Swerve on the party and it's success, and Swerve declares his work is done...causing him to fade away and disappear, leaving the glass he was glass to smash onto the floor!
Characters
Autobot
Rodimus - Car
Megatron - Tank
Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus - Vehicle Transport/Minesweeper
Thunderclash - Truck
Nightbeat - Car
Getaway - Car
First Aid - Ambulance
Skids - Van
Nautica - Submarine
Velocity - Race Car
Firestar - Jet
Skystalker - Jet Killed by Personality Tick
Proxima
Roadmaster
Photon - Race Car Killed by Personality Ticks
Skater - Hydrofoil
Borer
Flex
Bluestreak - Car
Swerve - Van Mysteriously Vanishes
Hound - Jeep
Chromdome - Car
Rewind - Data Slug
Blaster - Acoustic Tank
Tailgate - Car
Rung
Riptide - Boat
Huffer - Truck
Atomizer
Brainstorm - Jet
Windblade - VTOL Jet (Mentioned)
Chromia - Speedbike (Mentioned)
Countdown (Mentioned) Killed by Personality Ticks
Decepticon
Soundwave - Personnel Carrier (Mentioned)
Ravage - Cassette
Other Cybertronian/Camien
Cyclonus - Jet
Ten
Chopper - Helibot (Mentioned)
Vertex (Mentioned) Killed by Personality Ticks
Other
Personality Ticks Killed by Rodimus and Megatron's Charisma
Notes
- Swerve's special recap page returns again this issue
- It's revealed here that on Caminus it is deemed important to be skilled in an artform, rather than manual skills etc.
- It is also revealed that Camiens are required to have an Amica Endura (best friend), or they are deemed as social outcasts. They are also seen the same way if they break up one of those friendships. This could be why Windblade and Chromia are still hanging out despite Chromia's actions in the first Windblade mini-series.
- It's revealed that Ravage was overheating last issue, due to him knowing that someone could see him, but he couldn't see them.
- Skystalker appears here, but is quickly torn in half by the net panel....YAY!
- Despite his apparent Rigor-Morphis and death colours, Thunderclash was able to hep defend the others during the attack on the medibay.
- Despite them clearly having alternate modes, with Velocity's being very obviously a race car, neither she or Firestar transform when escaping the Ticks, even though the other Autobots DID.
- Speaking about that, we see enough of her body here to assume that Firetsar turns into a jet.
- Like I thought last issue, the Ticks are attracted to successful bots, who emit charisma for their fuel.
- Nautica mentioned that Firestar's flame changed colour since the last time she saw her, it is revealed here that it is because of the different fuel she is using now.
- Nautica reveals that Innermost Energon is highly explosive when heated up.
- This issue continues the theme of the main characters not saving the day all the time, with three random, unseen characters saving the day this issue, rather than the main cast.
- Roadmaster and Proxima make a VERY brief appearance setting up a shuttle for take-off towards the end of the comic
- Getaway's expression when he is dancing with Tailgate is VERY creepy.
- I think Nautica's replaced Brainstorm with Skids as her new best friend on the ship.
- Swerve completing a mission and then disappearing at the end of the comic is a reference to Quantum Leap. Whether this is meant to be a joke for his character, or a future plot point has yet to be revealed.
- Thunderclash's Matrix map was destroyed during the battle in the medibay, but he's joined the Lost Light crew along with Velocity, so that's progress still!
- Firestar is revealed to have lied about her being the 2nd in command of the ship, and having saved Thunderclash's life.
- Since we've seen no Circle of Light members on the Vis Vitalis, I'm guessing this means they didn't join with Thunderclash as they planned to after "Remain in Light"
- Assuming Thunderclash was the one to Autobrand them, like he was with Nautica and the others, I'm guessing that Vertex died before she was Autobranded
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