IDW - Combiner Hunters

Title: An Uneventful Night

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Yamaishi (Coordination: Phase6)

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Chromia arrives for her shift guarding the Enigma of Combination along with a Badgeless officer, relieving Ironhide of his duty. Soon, Arcee breaks into the store room, knocks out the Badgeless and fights with Chromia, she manages to evade Chromia's strikes, and grabs the artefact, racing off into the city afterwards. Chromia gives chase, and reports this to Windblade, who wants to deal with Arcee personally.

The three Autobot Females leave the city for the Sea of Rust where they are spotted by a ggroup of Camien Torchbearers, who are searching the area for artefacts of the Primes, as the Crystal City and a Titan were there in the past. Arcee manages to knock down Windblade, and continues fighting Chromia.

The Torchbearers recognize Windblade and quickly join her side in the fight, protecting the important Camien from Arcee, however when Arcee threatens to destroy the Enigma, one of the Thirteen's gifts, they react with horror. Rust Dust rushes to stop her from skewering it with her cleaver, which activates the Enigma, and merges the Torchbearers into Victorion, who has a single desire to destroy Arcee and protect the Enigma.

Windblade and Chromia protect Arcee from the combiner, as they don't want anyone to die over this. They devise a plan to use Arcee as a decoy whilst Windblade tries to calm them down. Victorion tries to kill Arcee, and even Chromia after seeing her defend her, but Windblade does manage to calm her down, and despite Arcee's disbelief, the combiner willingly de-combines at Windblade's request.

Arcee explains that she wants the Enigma destroyed as it's sole purpose is to pervert the Cybertronian form, which Windblade points out makes her sound like Galvatron, with those opinions. Windblade says they'll all keep the robbery secret, as they need to maintain the lie that Starscream and her, and therefore Cybertron and Caminus are a good alliance.

Arcee agrees to let Windblade keep the Enigma safe, but tells her to kill Starscream the moment he steps out of line, then leaves.

Later, Chromia returns to the store room with the Enigma, and lies to the now awake Badgeless that the burglar was scared off. She convinces him to not report it to Starscream, as otherwise he'd just look bad in front of the "Chosen One", which he agrees to, and they continue their shift.

Characters

Autobot

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Chromia - Speedbike

Arcee - Sports Car

Ironhide - Van

Decepticon

Waspinator - Wasp

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Flashback)

Galvatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Camien

Pyra Maxima - Emergency Vehicle

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Dust Up - Sports Car

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Mistress of Flame (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Badgeless Officer, Giggles

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Other

Cybertronian Civilians

Primus (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Crystal City Titan (Mentioned) Dead

Notes

• Chromia and Windblade's new colour schemes are attributed to being formal-wear, due to it being a Camien holiday (due to the reunification with Cybertron). Arcee's is due to her stealth paint design, as seen in the Earth-based Transformers comic.
• Likewise, Chromia's new weapon is mentioned as ceremonial. It's unclear where Arcee's came from though...maybe it was a gift from Galvatron?
• The Sea of Rust shown here appears to be the name given to the wasteland surrounding Metroplex and other small settlements now.
• Victorion is shown using her helicopter propellers as a weapon from her lower arm. Despite this, the toy has the propellers on her UPPER arms.
• Victorion appears to be the fastest, most stable minded Combiner thus far in IDW.
• Arcee's hatred for Combiners using the Enigma seems to stem from her experience with Jhiaxus changing her into a female by force.
• Despite the title of the comic, this issue takes place during the day (we know Cybertronian nights are dark)