IDW - Transformers #41

Title: Combiner Wars Part 4: You, Me, and the Universe

Written by: John Barber

Story by: Mairghread Scott & John Barber

Art by: Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Optimus visits Prowl in his cell, and the two discuss how Starscream plans to use the Combiners to control the Universe, but they both know that Defensor and Superion are loyal to Optimus and Cyebrtron, NOT Starscream.

On Caminus, Starscream oversees the Combiners and Decepticons leading the rebuilding project of the damaged city.

Starscream soon returns to Cybertron with his small entourage and asks Wheeljack why they haven't made contact with more colony worlds yet, with Wheeljack commenting that he needs Windblade to speak to Metroplex to finalize it.

Starscream heads to his secret prison with Scoop and Rattrap, where he speaks with the Constructicons, and tells Scoop that "orange isn't his colour".

Blurr's bar is almost empty, but Mirage and Ironhide discuss their shared visions of a burning Cybertron, Earth and Caminus, and Sunstreaker suggests that they may be sharing memories or thoughts through a Mindspace, like Sunstreaker used to have with Hunter before his death. The trio decide to discuss this with Optimus.

Wheeljack meets with Windblade and the two decide whether they should help Starscream by opening the spacebridge's for him, as they're unsure whether he'll really save the colonies, or destroy them with his actions.

Optimus continues his discussion with Prowl, and admits that he's always attributed Prowl's past actions as being due to his long string of betrayals in his life, but he's beginning to change that opinion, and Prowl implies that Optimus has betrayed him too by acting as the god-Prime to the Camiens.

Starscream has had Scoop and the Constructicons combine into a new version of Devastator, who with Scoop's addition now serves "the Chosen One". Starscream begins to gloat, when he notices that Rattrap has disappeared.

Rattrap attacks one of the prison guards, and releases Swindle from his cell, telling him to make a distraction for him. Before long, Menasor has been released from jail, and the Decepticons from the slums are starting to raid the Spacebridge control room. Prowl tells Prime that Menasor is heading for the Spacebridge, as he'd do the same thing, in order to leave the planet.

As predicted, Menasor smashes his way into the Spacebridge control room, but is attacked by Devastator, and the two tumble through the portal, and onto a still rebuilding Caminus. The Autobot Combiners attack the two Decepticons, expecting them to be there for no good, but they are easily beaten by the Decepticons. The Decepticons raid the control room, and damage the control panels, causing the bridge to malfunction.

Ironhide and the others run into Prime and Prowl heading to the control room, but are also met up by Rattrap, who has stolen the unguarded Enigma of Combination for Prowl, who has Rattrap activate it, and forces himself, Optimus, Ironhide, Mirage and Sunstreaker to combine into one.

Windblade and Wheeljack try fighting off the Decepticons, whilst the Combiners are tumbling through the bridge to other worlds, continuing their battle, until the new Combiner appears, declaring it is time to take control....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Mirage - Race Car

Sunstreaker - Car

Ironhide - Van

Optimus Maximus - Autobot Gestalt

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Wheeljack - Race Car

Chromia - Speedbike

Defensor - Protectobot Gestalt

Superion - Aerialbot Gestalt

Metroplex - City/Space Ship (Mentioned)

Trailbreaker - Van (Mentioned)
Zeta Prime - Truck (Mentioned)
Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)
Arcee - Car (Mentioned)
Chromedome - Car (Mentioned)
Wreckerss (Mentioned)

Aerialbots (Mentioned)

Protectobots (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Menasor - Stunticon Gestalt

Waspinator - Wasp

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Mindwipe - Bat

Blast-Off - Space Shuttle

Weirdwolf - Wolf

Sinnertwin - Two Headed Dragon

Stunticons (Mentioned)

Camien

Red Leader

Yellow Leader

Blue-Green Civilian

Unaligned Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Rat

Scoop - Front End Loader

Hook - Crane

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Scavenger - Excavator

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Devastator - Constructicon and Scoop Gestalt

Swindle - Van

Blurr - Race Car

Badgeless Officer Killed by Rattrap

Sandstorm - Helicopter/Dune Buggy In Jail

Blackjack - Car (Mentioned) Part of Menasor

Other Cybertronian

Bob

Primus (Mentioned)

The Guiding Hand (Mentioned)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Glitch (Mentioned)

Outliers (Mentioned)

Functionists (Mentioned)

Senate (Mentioned)

Other

Hunter O'Nion (Mentioned) Dead

Spike Witwicky (Mentioned)

Notes

• Prowl is being kept in a prison complex separate from the other prisoners of Starscream, most likely to keep him separate from the Constructicons.
• It's implied here that Starscream plans to use Sandstorm in the future, most likely as a distraction during an escape of some sort.
• Sandstorm not knowing what Sandstorm did makes a bit of sense, since he was only arrested a couple of days earlier in continuity (despite the comic being out for some time now)
• Sunsteaker's theories about the Mindspace that Ironhide and Mirage seem to share could imply that Ironhide's vision of a future Pax Cybertronia was simply him seeing someone else's dream, such as Jhiaxus as he was known to have the same vision. This could mean that he is an Outlier, along with Mirage.
• Scoop's inclusion in Devastator's gestalt form is used to get around the whole "Scrapper is dead" storyline, and yet still have the character match the new toyline figure.
• Optimus mentions that the Aerialbots and Protectobots haven't ungrouped since combining...despite the Aerialbots having done so after losing their fight with Devastator earlier.
• From the looks of it, Rook has taken the form of Defensor's right arm this issue, confirming his place in the combiner...no signs of Groove yet though.
• The malfunctioning Spacebridge appears to be sending the combiners through other receiver bridges, but the planets appear to have organic life, not Cybertronian so far...
• It's unclear from the story whether the gestalt form at the end is Ultra Prime or Optimus Maximus, but since he is using the limbs known to belong to Optimus Maximus, and a comment from the artist, I think we can assume it to be him.