IDW - Transformers #43

Title: South of Heaven

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colours by: Josh Perez

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Cosmos spies on the Decepticon's Jupiter station, just as Astrotrain arrives with Soundwave, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Brawl, Blackrock, Faireborn and Jones in tow for a tour of the station. Inside they find several pieces of comfort such as recharge slabs, bars, theatres, and even a park.

Soundwave goes off to explore by himself, but ends up outside after hearing Cosmos, using his superior ears, and tries to talk to the spying Autobot, who gets scared and flies off towards Jupiter's ring of asteroids. Despite being evasive, Cosmos is quickly caught by Soundwave, who just wishes to talk to him.

Soundwave tells Cosmos that the war is over, and all the Decepticons want is to live in peace now, away from the Autobots, and blames the Decepticon's past evil-ness was due to Megatron, who is now an Autobot. On the station, unknown by anyone else, Blackrock watches the conversation in secret. Soundwave implies that he wants to use the Autobot's spacebridge for peaceful reasons (most likely to get Cybertronians to this system from Cybertron) and pushes Cosmos' buttons about his inferiority complex, by bringing up his "master" the Prime, and asking if he is an equal with the rest of his crew.

Soundwave goes to leave and tells Cosmos that if he ever wants to join them on the station, or just wishes to talk, he can contact him any time. Cosmos tells Soundwave that Blackrock's Onyx system uses Old Cybertronian codings, which Soundwave reacts uninterestedly, and leaves.

Soundwave returns to the station, where he sneakily asks Blackrock about the Onyx system, which Blackrock immediately admits uses some Cybertronian code he found from some leftover systems, which seems to trouble Soundwave in some way.

Cosmos returns to Ark-7, where he tells Arcee that the Jupiter base seems to be peaceful, and he'll give her a full report after a recharge. He returns to his quarters with D.O.C. who curls up next to his feet and rests as well.

Characters

Autobot

Cosmos - Orbiter

Arcee - Sports Car

Megatron - Tank (Memory Image)

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Mentioned)

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Brawl - Tank

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Laserbeak - Cassette

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Train

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Ayana Jones

Garrison Blackrock

Stockbridge and his co-worker

E.D.C. (Mentioned)

John Backus (Mentioned)

Rasmus Lerdorf (Mentioned)

Gilgamesh (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

D.O.C.

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• Buzzsaw and Laserbeak are given personalities like Statler and Waldorf from The Muppet Show, by mocking the others from the "rafters" and just being insulting
• Soundwave refuses to share Anti-gravity technology with the Humans, possibly due to the Tyrest Accord that prevents Cybertronians from sharing potentially harmful technology with other races
• There has been no records of Blackrock until 3 years before the present day...about the same time that the Ongoing began..I think he might be a facsimile of some sort....
• Despite their alliance, Soundwave considers Humans to be only equal to other Earth animals, and other insignificant creatures, like drones.
• I get the feeling that D.O.C. might be a little more than meets the eye....with the tendrils and energy beams keeping him afloat, he sort of reminds me of a Quintesson construct...
• Agent Jones has finally been given a first name!