IDW - The Transformers #47

Title: Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange 

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Josh Perez

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Cosmos arrives at the Jupiter commune, where he asks Soundwave to help him find the other Autobots, but Soundwave cannot hear them, even with his enhanced hearing. Cosmos begins to panic, and Soundwave offers him to come inside the commune, where he can calm down and decide what to do next.

On Earth, Thundercracker is complaining to Buster about how Blackrock is allowed to speak to Spike, and he isn't, and he muses on how he thinks Blackrock's lost it.

Inside Spike's cell, Blackrock starts waxing lyrical about the destructive powers of the Ark-7, and claims that a Black Angel told him how to do everything he's done. Spike also thinks Blackrock's gone mad, which he also agrees is probably true, but it doesn't matter.

In the Sea of Rust on Cybertron, Optimus and Aileron visit the singularity that houses the Crystal City, and the bodies of Shockwave and Bumblebee whilst also looking for the Torchbearers on Aileron's suggestion (last issue) when suddenly the six Camiens appear before them.

In Iacon, the Decepticons led by Needlenose march through the Spaceport towards the Spacebridge terminal. Tracks begins by dismissing it, until Zetca points out that his brother Needlnose is amongst them Tracks informs Starscream about it, but he dismisses it as just them going for a walk. Tracks decides to confront Needlenose once and for all about his choices, and leaves his station.

Back at the Jupiter Commune, Soundwave informs Galvatron that he's in contact with the Autobot's space bridge on the Ark, and Galvatron tells him to take it from them. Cosmos assumes this means the Decepticons were responsible for the attack on the Ark, but Soundwave simply points out that  ignoring the potential to take the space bridge now would be a waste, but they didn't cause the attack.

Back on Cybertron, Optimus tries to introduce himself to the Torchbearers, but they aren't interested, as they don't see him as a true Prime, since he simply inherited the role, and wasn't one of the originals. Pyra Magna points out that they left Caminus to look into Cybertron's history and to reshape their futures, and leads to the Torchbearers attacking Optimus as a group, in order to help "light his way".

At Iacon, Tracks catches up to Needlenose and tries to stop him from making anotehr mistake, which Needlenose interprets as him loving Horri-Bull being a mistake. Needlenose offers Tracks a place with them in their trip to Earth, but Tracks is horrified, and threatens to inform Optimus. However before he can do anything, Brawl shoots him in the chest and leaves him off-line and smouldering from his wound. Needlenose looks shocked at first, but then kicks his downed brother, and leads the Decepticons forward.

Elsewhere, Starscream is having a conversation with the Bumblebee "hallucination" and is convinced by him to inform the others about what Needlenose and the others are doing. Starscream contacts Windblade and tells her to call in everyone for the situation.

Optimus fights with the Torchbearers as Aileron watches on in awe, but Optimus realizes that the Torchbearers aren't trying to kill him, which they respond that they can't as he's a precious relic that they must portect, before combining into Victorion, and using her gravitational powers to pin down Prime.

Victorion has Optimus recite the history of the Matrix for her, and during which she learns that Optimus believes the Matrix is just a piece of old technology and isn't mystical, like she thinks. After a discussion, she states that she believes the Matrix belongs to her, as she is a direct follower of Solus Prime, but agrees to build up Optimus into the Prime he is supposed to be.

On Ark-7, Arcee and the others have fought their way to the space bridge room, where Arcee plans to go to Cybertron, destroy the ship and bridge, and come back with reinforcements to take care of their Human attackers, however upon entering the room, the Decepticon forces, led by Needlenose march through, having already made the trip and begin attacking the Autobots.

On the Jupiter Commune, Cosmos learns that the Decepticons are coming to the Commune on mass, and will steal the space bridge for their uses. Cosmos is ashamed for having trusted Soudnwave, despite his consistent claims for peace, and wonders what happened to his friend D.O.C.

On Earth, D.O.C. has entered the EDC base, and encounters Buster the Dog.....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Arcee - Sports Car

Sideswipe - Sports Car

Alpha Trion - Tumbler

Tracks - Car Blasted by Brawl

Cosmos - Orbiter

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Sizzle - Car

Omega Supreme - Base and Rocket Being Repaired

Bumblebee - Cybertronian Car (Hallucination/Ghost)

Sentinel Prime (Mentioned)

Wheeljack - Race Car (Mentioned)

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Mentioned)

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Galvatron - Tank

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Sky-Byte - Flying Shark

Laserbeak - Cassette Player

Buzzsaw - Cassette Player

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Dreadwing - Stealth Bomber

Brawl - Tank

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Cindersaur - Lizard Monster

Flamefeather - Bird Monster

Acidstorm - Fighter Jet

Onslaught - Anti-Aircraft Tank

Dauros - Tank

Submarauder - Submarine

Squeezeplay - Crab Monster

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Jet

Other Decepticon Rebels

Horri-Bull - Bull (Mentioned) Dead

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Mentioned) Dead

Bombshell - Boll Weevil (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Zetca

Camien

Pyra Magna - Emergency Vehicle

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Dustup - Sports Car

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Aileron - Aerial Vehicle

Mistress of Flame (Mentioned)

Other Cybetrtronian

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Crystal City Titan - SpaceShip/City (Mentioned) Dead

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Mortilus (Mentioned)

Solomus (Mentioned)

Prima (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Vector Prime (Mentioned)

Nexus Prime (Mentioned)

Onyx Prime (Mentioned)

Micronus Prime (Mentioned)

Alchemist Prime (Mentioned)

Amalgamous Prime (Mentioned)

Quintus Prime (Mentioned)

Liege Maximo (Mentioned)

"The Fallen" (Mentioned)

"The Arisen" (Mentioned)

Human

Garrison Blackrock

Spike Witwicky

EDC Troops

Other

Buster the Dog

D.O.C.

The Black Angel (Mentioned)

Notes

• I have a feeling that the "Black Angel" mentioned by Blackrock has something to do with Cybertron and/or the Mystery Gear Faction from More Than Meets the Eye
• The alternate translation for "Ark" in Cybertronian being "Vanguard" is a reference to the class of ship that the original version of the ship from the G1 comic and cartoon.
• The alternative "Vanguard" name, interpreted by Blackrock as being for a leading division of an invading army is also quite apt for Nova Prime's intentions for the ships.
• The remains of the black hole created in Dark Cybertron are revealed to be still present in the Sea of Rust, but isn't a threat due to an electromagnetic field coming from it.
• Optimus reveals that the area now known as the Sea of Rust used to be called the Rust Spot.
• Since Swift has joined the Decepticon exodus, it's not too much of a stretch to assume that Lightbright may have joined them too, due to her closeness with Sparkstalker, who is also amongst the group.
• Zetca is revealed to have survived Dark Cybertron, and has started working at the spaceport, under Tracks.
• Oh look! Omega Supreme's still being repaired! Honestly, I assumed he was dead by now...wonder why they didn't try using the Enigma of Combination on him to repair him, like they did Superion?
• Bumblebee uses a word that Starscream doesn't understand, and since he uses it in context and properly, it seems likely that he knows what it means. This points to the possibility that this "hallucination" of Bumblebee is actually him in some way, either as a ghost, or some sort of remnant of his existence.
• For the first time so far, we actually see the Motorcycle component of Victorion/Defensor's torso mold in a comic!
• Victorion names the members of the Thirteen, which match up with the list given for the Aligned continuity, and not the more recently given Multiverse list. The two unnamed members are "The Fallen" (Megatronus) and "The Arisen", in the Aligned list this would be Optimus Prime, but the phrase "Arisen" is also used when Hot Rod became Rodimus Prime in the 80's movie. (I know we've been shown his birth-site etc, but I feel I need to mention this due to his Matrix-affinity)
• Swift being amongst the Decepticons is likely due to her recent romance with Barricade, where she was told the Decepticons were freedom fighters.

Sig-Pub - Transformers Robots in Disguise #2 (ish)

Features

• So yeah...this magazine is missing something....aka a UNIQUE COMIC STRIP! So this will be a very short entry here.
• The reprinted comic here is issue 1 of the IDW Robots in Disguise comic
• The exclusive scan shield inside this magazine gives you 240 Energon Cubes...I guess that COULD make up for the lack of actual content!
• The magazine tempts you to mutilate the covers to give you some cheap Bumblebee and Optimus masks.
• The Fact File this month is for Grimlock
• There are other features in this issue, but it's just slight variations from the previous issue, so there's no point in mentioning them again here, especially due to the lack of other content.
• The next issue is out December 18th...let's hope it's better than this one!
• To be fair though, I guess this is a substitute for people who don't haver comic stores to buy the IDW RID comics...but that's bound to be a small audience!

IDW - Robots in Disguise Animated #4

Written by: Georgia Ball

Art by: Priscilla Tramontano

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Edits by: John Barber

Plot

Bumblebee and Magnus' teams of Autobots return to the Scrapyard, where Bee has Magnus explain everything that's been going on. Magnus says that they've been looking for the leader of the Cybercomrade Sect, Overhead, and he couldn't be sure if he could trust Bee's new team, since about half of them are criminals, however Bee responds by pointing out that his hiding the information has endangered the entire population of the Earth. Magnuis agrees, and joins forces with Bee.

The teams start to plan out how to stop Overhead, and her crew, from building a Spacebridge to escape Earth. However unknown to the Autobots, Overhead actually plans to stay on Earth, strip it of it's resources and conquer it, but she needs the bridge to bring the rest of the Sect to Earth!

At the Scrapyard, Clipshade tries to train Sideswipe to act like a Decepticon to get him inside the Sect for their last attack on them since they haven't seen him before, but Sideswipe is a terrible actor, so it's not going well. Fixit manages to locate Skullcruncher and Razorgrille's signals, so they know where Overhead would likely be, as they are known members of the Sect.

The team locate the two lackies, and Skullcruncher instantly accepts Sideswipe as a Decepticon (he's kinda dumb) but Razorgrille is suspicious that he could be working for another crime boss (even though he has an Autobot insignia). Razorgrille lets it slip that there's only the three Decepticons in the squad, which Magnus reports to Bee, saying that Overhead is alone in the base this means, whilst Magnus and the others take on the lackies.

The Bee Team enter Overheads's base, but are soon ambushed by here, thanks to a silent alarm she set up for intruders. The Autobots battle with the single Decepticon, but it appears to be an even fight. Razorgrille and Skullcruncher manage to run to the base, but are caught in the door with Magnus and the others. Despite this, the Autobots now have the upper hand and Overhead is stuck in a corner.

Overhead decides to take drastic actions, and overloads the spacebridge, causing it to cause a black hole, however Bee manages to close it by smashing the Decepticon into the console and making the bridge explode.

In the aftermath the Decepticons are captured and placed into Stasis Cells back at the space bridge.

Magnus and his team load the captured members of the Sect into his ship as they prepare to leave the planet for Cybertron. Bee says he'll return to Cybertron once his mission on Earth is over, and the two teams part on good terms.

Characters

Autobot

Bumblebee - Sports Car

Sideswipe - Sports Car

Strongarm - Police SUV

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Fixit

Ultra Magnus - Truck Cab

Bulkhead - Off Road Vehicle

Arcee - Motorcycle

Clipshade - Sports Car

Elite Guard (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Overhead - Security Transport Captured by Team Bee and Team Prime

Skullcruncher - Tank Captured by Team Bee and Team Prime

Razorgrille - Sports Car Captured by Team Bee and Team Prime

Megatron - Jet (Image only)

Thunderhoof (Mentioned)

Slipstream (Mentioned)

Human

Denny Clay

Russell Clay

Other

Unicron (Mentioned)

Notes

• I wonder if  Skullcruncher's inclusion in this comic is due to his upcoming Titans Return toy?
• In their first panel Razorgrille has Skulcruncher's forearm wheels, but never any other time
• This is the second time that Sideswipe has pretended to be a Decepticon so he can trick one (though this time he doesn't even hide his Autobot insignia!)
• Slipstream is name-dropped as a crime boss. This is most likely in reference to the female Seeker, and not the Autobot Mini-Con.
• Razorgrille looks like he uses the same basic body-type as Knock Out.
• The High Council being unhappy with Bumblebee is mentioned by Jazz and Drift as being why they came to Earth on their separate missions

Sig-Pub - Transformers Robots in Disguise #1

Comic Title: Look Before You Leap!

Writer: Richard Mead

Artists: Dan Khanna and Evan Guantt 

Letterer: Terry Sambridge

Price: £3.49

Plot

Bumblebee and Strongarm wonder how they're going to get Springload into a Stasis Cell from the make-shift cage they made for him, so they decide to call the Scrapyard to send Sideswipe with a Stasis Cell before he can escape.

Before long, Sideswipe, along with the Humans arrive at the temple where the Autobots attempt to put him in the cell, but Springload manages to escape by clinging onto the lid of the casket, attacks Sideswipe with his acid-tongue and runs off. The Autobots give chase, but Springload manages to evade him.

Not long afterwards, the Autobots locate Springload inside a film studio, where they find Springload mistaking some prop-treasure for real treasure from the city of Doradus. The Autobots go in for an attack, but Bumblebee and Strongarm get trapped by some of the studio's gadgets (trapdoors etc) but Sideswipe manages to trick Springload into running from him, right into a backdrop-wall painted to look like an open field, knocking out the Decepticon.

Bumblebee congratulates Sideswipe on his success, and has him get the Stasis Cell from the temple again, before Springload can escape once more.

Characters

Autobot

Bumblebee - Sports Car

Sideswipe - Sports Car

Strongarm - Police SUV

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Fixit 

Decepticon

Springload - Hooded Jeep

Human

Denny Clay

Russell Clay

Notes

• This series from Signature Publishing replaces Titan as the UK Transformers comic exclusive provider.
• This story is set just after "Rumble in the Jungle" and explains just how Strongarm and Bumblebee got Springload into a Stasis Cell.
• The comic is actually reasonably good, compared to the magazine itself anyway.
• The way he was defeated in this issue, I guess Springload has no spacial awareness....

Other Features

Transformers RID App Advert - Comes with a scan shield!

Transformers RID ID Form - Just fill in your info for your own use....yeah....

Meet the Autobots - Meet the Autobots! (well 6 of them anyway)

Grimlock Route Puzzle - Guide Grimlock to Underbite

Fire When Ready! - Reprint of IDW Robots in Disguise #0

Odd One Out Puzzle - Find the odd one out from the Decepticon pictures

"Posters" - I can't really call them posters, but saying "pictures" sounds stupid

Spot the Difference Puzzle - Guess what you do here...

Draw Optimus Prime - Do a grid copy image of Optimus in vehicle mode

Colouring - Colour in some pictures of Steeljaw and Bumblebee

Fact File - Information on Bumblebee!

Transformers Post - Fixit asks for mail and pictures for future issue

Competition Time! Win a Mega Optimus Prime toy!

Make a Door Hanger - Destroy the back cover to make a crappy door hanger!

Back Page - Pretty picture of Bumblebee running at you, next issue is November 20th

IDW - More Than Meets the Eye #46

Title: Animals

Written by: James Roberts

Pencils by: Alex Milne

Inks by: Brian Shearer, John Livesay, John Wycough, and Alex Milne

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long & Chris Mowry

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Fort Max flies his shuttle, the Concordat, towards Tebris VII, where he plans to confront the criminal Demus. On the way he detects the Scavengers' ship on the planet's surface, and Red Alert gives him some information on the team, unfortunately for Red though, the Scavengers had previously modified their own articles on Autopedia, meaning that Red gives Fort Max a lot of wrong information, making the Scavengers sound like great terrors, prompting him to arm himself to the teeth for the confrontation.

A short time later, Fort Max has executed Demus for his crimes, and turns his attention to the Scavengers, who deny having done anything wrong (to be fair, they haven't, they were just looking for a job with Demus). Seeing that he wont change his position on the matter, the Scavengers distract Max and go off hiding within the Scrapyard.

Amongst the aisles Misfire starts arguing with Krok about him playing with his "clicker" again, when he pulls it from his grasp and points out that it's just a finger from one of his old team-mates' hands. Krok reveals that he knows it's a finger, but it's also a communictor and scanner due to it once belonging to a friend who turned into a telecom system. Suddenly he notices that there's actually hundreds of signals around him, when normally it doesn't detect anyone.

Fort Max reveals to them (from another aisle) that Demus had been capturing beastformers for years, and had been gutting, lobotomising, and packaging them to be sold to organic parties to use as "torture dolls". The Scavengers point out that they didn't know anything about this, but Max doesn't listen.

Crankcase takes the moment to communicate to the team about how he hopes Max doesn't learn about Grimlock being on their ship, which Red intercepts and reports to Max, he quickly races off towards the ship, to recapture a lost prisoner.

Afterwards, Krok explains to Misfire that he wanted the money offered by Demus to open up a clinic for Cyebrtronians with mental issues, like himself, to help them recover from the toils of the war. Fulcrum however dismisses this, as Fulcrum was willing to sell Grimlock, a mentally disabled Transformer, just to fund his benevolent dream, which Krok cannot deny.

Crankcase reappears and reveals that he planned for Max to intercept the message, so he'd go and recover Grimlock and give them a chance to leave, but Misfire points out that Grimlock is an escaped prisoner, so Max will more than likely kill Grimlock rather than help him.

Due to Demus having the team take a transformation-suppressor before, they can't transform to save Grimlock in time, but Crankcase notices something they can use to travel with...

Fort Max arrives on the Weak Anthropic Principle and calls out to Grimlock, who is busy writing something in his quarters. Max calls out that Grimlock ran away when Overlord attacked Garus-9, which causes the Dinobot to smash through the door and attack his old warden.

Fort Max gets into the fight, and decides that Grimlock has rejoined the Decepticons, and isn't an Autobot any more.

The Scavengers return to the ship, using some of the Roboids (some Equinoids in this case) and stop Max from continuing the fight with Grimlock.

In the calm after the fight, Misfire and the others reveal that they found Grimlock in a brain-damaged state some time ago, and have been trying to help him recover ever since. Max decides that it's best if Grimlock comes back to Luna-1 with him to be worked on by some of their staff there, but Grimlock says he wants to stay with Misfire.

Max doesn't care though, since he's still determined to arrest the Scavengers anyway, so they will be with him anyway. The Scavengers however trick Max into thinking there's a bomb inside Demus' office, which they'll set off if they are arrested, and that will kill all the Roboids.

Max heads off with the Equinoids and goes to diffuse the bomb. The Scavengers take off in their ship to avoid encountering Max again, and decide to make something of their lives now, and plan to travel to several worlds where Decepticons have been stranded, and help them out, however not before another game of "Shoot Shoot, Bang Bang".

Later, Misfire escorts Grimlock back to his quarters and promises to have his door fixed soon, but without an exterior lock this time, prompting Grimlock to thank him, as he appreciates it, confusing Misfire and making him wonder what Grimlock's going to do next to surprise him...ignoring the white board in the quarters with the Mystery Gear symbol and the phrase "Prepare, Confront, Repel" underneath.

Later still, Fort Max leaves the planet in his shuttle and contacts Rung about his world-view, and Rung suggests that the Scavengers, just trying to live their lives now, may be how all Decepticons are since the end of the war, and maybe Max simply has to change his views of the faction. Max then reveals that Spinister left him instructions on how to simply reverse the lobotomies of the Roboids, allowing Max to turn them back to normal, and escort them back to Luna-1 with him for safety.

Later on still, a Decepticon Worldsweeper arrives at the scrapyard, and two robots with the Mystery Gear symbol on their chests decide to abort their mission on this planet and decide to start again elsewhere, since this location has been compromised....

Characters

Autobot
Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex
Fortress Maximus - Tank
Red Alert - Car
Rung (On Communicator)
Topspin - Jet (Flashback)
Springer - Rocket Car/Helicopter (Flashback)
Roadbuster - Jeep (Flashback)
Ironfist - Van (Mentioned)
Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Mentioned)
Brainstorm - Jet (Mentioned)

Decepticon
Misfire - Jet
Spinister - Helicopter
Crankcase - Van
Fulcrum - Bomb
Krok
Demus Killed by Fortress Maximus
Radar - Portable Telecoms System (Flashback) Killed by Roadbuster
Krok's Old Squad (Flashback) Dead
Overlord - Tank and Jet (Mentioned)
Killmaster (Mentioned)
Thunderwing (Mentioned)

Other
Mystery Gear Guys
Roboids
5 Equinoids
"Nook"
Galactic Council (Mentioned)
Cerebros (Mentioned)
The Grand Architect (Mentioned)

Notes

• It's referenced that Ironfist left hidden messages in the Wreckers: Declassified articles he created...wonder if this will be important later in the series?
• The Weak Anthropic Principle's design looking like the G1 cartoon's incarnation of the Ark is referenced here, as it is revealed to be an actual Autobot ship, simply taken by the Scavengers.
• The "Roadbuster Affair" mentioned as being why Roadbuster wasn't involved in the Garrus-9 mission in Last Srand of the Wreckers is revealed here to be when he was using Syk, and made a Decepticon eat his own spine during battle....seems reasonable!
• Grimlock is mentioned as having "ran" from Garrus-9 during Overlord's occupation of the prison, but that is impossible due to the defences on the planet. It is more than likely he was abducted  (more than likely by the Mystery Gear Guys)
• Fort Max references that Grimlock used to be a Decepticon, which has been hinted at for a while now in the series.
• It's implied at the end of the issue that Grimlock COULD be acting up his brain-damage, as he manages a perfectly normal sentence, much to Misfire's surprise.
• I love Spinister's handwriting :3
• Whoever the Mystery Gear Guys are, they have some Worldsweepers at their disposal, which most likely means that the one that Grimlock was found on belonged to them too
• It is revealed in this issue that Demus wanted Grimlock in order to return him to his allies within the Mystery Gear faction, as he appeared to escape from them at some point in the last few years.
• Red Alert refers to someone on Luna-1 named Cerebros, this is a reference to Fort Max's traditional Headmaster partner, here though he sounds like a neuroscientist based on the context he is mentioned in
• It's revealed here that Luna-1 has kept in contact with the Lost Light since they parted ways, possibly meaning they know about Tyrest going missing.

IDW - Transformers: Redemption

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Slug argues with Aileron and Sterling from Caminus on the streets of Metroplex about the role of the Prime, and it almost comes to violence until Swoop distracts Slug and they wander off towards the bar.

At the bar, Slug quickly gets drunk and begins a brawl with himself and some of the former Decepticons in the establishment. Before long Barricade arrives with some Badgeless officers and arrests Slug for disturbing the peace.

Later, Slug wakes up in a cell after having a dream/memory about his days as a gladiator before the war. He is met by Barricade, who asks for Slug's help in escorting him and two Camiens, the politician Strafe, and his new girlfriend Swift to Alyon with a mystery cargo, without Optimus and the others finding out. Initially he refuses, but then Barricade brings out a case of Shanix, which quickly changes his mind.

Slug is soon released, where he meets with the other Dinobots and tells them his plan to rat out the Camiens and Barricade to the Badgeless so they can keep the money, not have to go to Alyon, and get rid of a corrupt cop and some aliens at the same time.

The next day, the Dinobots meet with Barricade and the others in the Decepticon District where Slug sneaks a look into the cargo they're transporting, and learns that it has some new Camien sparks inside it, and realises that the group are planning to re-seed Alyon with new sparks to help with the re-population, and it's obviously against Camien law.

On the road out of the city, Slug gets a pang of conscience and turns on the Badgeless, killing them along with the Dinobots, turning them into outlaws, but keeping Barricade and the Camiens out of sight, keeping them safe. One of the Badgeless reports the Dinobot's betrayal to command, before they are all gone, and the Dinobots leave, knowing they can never return again.

In the Sea of Rust, group are attacked by some half-dead Sweeps left over from the Chaos war, as Slug and Strafe begin to get to know each other. After a while, the Sweeps run off scared, due to the sudden arrival of the Victorion Torchbearers, who allow Slug and the others to go on their way in peace, however unknown to everyone, Bludgeon watches the scene from a nearby cliff with some more Sweeps in tow.

Later, the group arrive in the Preatorus Wharf, and are now attacked by some Turbofoxes with new weapons attached to their backs, during the short-lived battle however, Slug notices that the Tuirbooxes appear to be showing emotions, despite them being physically and mentally unable to do so naturally. After the battle, the small group continue on, unaware that the Badgeless are still following them.

Continuing on the way to Alyon, Slug reveals to Strafe that during the war he and his team took out a group of Decepticons, and discovered a trailer full of sparks inside that were planned to become new Decepticons, so Slug destroyed them all, not even giving them a chance to make the choice between good and evil themselves, something he has always regretted since.

The group reach Tyger Pax, which is now raining in the tainted Energon that once turned the Dinobots into monsters in the early days of the war. They're attacked by more Sweeps, and see some of them are quite intelligent and have feelings still, despite essentially being zombies. The Badgeless soon arrive and fight the Dinobots too. Slug has Barricade escape with the Spark trailer, but Barricade is cut down and killed by Bludgeon, who also destroys the Camien sparks.

Bludgeon injures Strafe, causing a wound that is soon infected with the tainted Energon, causing her to mutate into a two-headed dragon monster, as she declares herself a Dinobot and rejoins the battle, taking out more Sweeps and Badgeless.

Swift attacks Bludgeon, and knocks him off a cliff into a river of the tainted Energon, as payback for him killing Barricade. The Dinobots finish off the rest of their opponents

In the afetrmath, the group mourn the loss of the Camien sparks, but suddenly Swoop notices a glow from Alyon...the former hot spot has ignited itself again on it's own, showing that there is potential for new Cybertronians to be born after all. The group theorize that the intelligent Turbofoxes and Sweeps must have been given new sparks by Bludgeon from the Alyon hot spot. Swift wonders whether Bludgeon has tainted the new Sparks with his evil, but Slug tells her to give them a chance.

Afterwards, Slug lets Swift keep the Shanix that Barricade promised them for the job, and tells her to return alone, tell the people about the new sparks, and say that Barricade died protecting them. The Dinobots now vow to remain in the wilds of Cybertron, along with Strafe, who still thinks Bludgeon is alive somewhere, so she wants to finish him off for what he's done.

The five Dinobots all head off, and leave Swift alone with the money and her journey back to the city...

Characters

Autobot

Slug - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Snarl - Stegoaurus

Tracks - Muscle Car

Sunstreaker - Sports Car

Blurr - Race Car

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Bludgeon - Tank Knocked into Tainted Energon by Swift

Barricade - Car Killed by Bludgeon

Fat Tankor - Tank

Tall Tankor - Cargo Plane/Truck

Waspinator - Wasp

Trypticon - Battle Platform Possibly dead

Blackwall (Flashback)

United Cybertron

Badgeless Officers Killed by Dinobots

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Camien

Strafe - Two Headed Land Dragon (previously Flying Car)

Swift - Helicopter

Aileron - Jet

Sterling - Car

Pyra Magna - Emergency Truck

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Dustup - Sports Car

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Other

Bob

Maccadam's Patrons

Turbofoxes Killed by Dinobots

Sweeps Killed by Dinobots

Gladiator Pit Crowd (Flashback)

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• This story is set as a sequel to Punishment, and shws the impact that that story had on the Dinobots
• The first pages are also recreated from Transformers issue 45, setting the location in the time line very clearly! (A rare instance in a side-story comic!)
• The yellow leader from Caminus is named here as Strafe...I wonder if the red leader is Scorn in that case?
• The "loser" that Swift ran off with is revealed to be Barricade here.
• The Sea of Rust is explained here to be the remains of the area that the Crystal City was destroyed, and was most likely ruined to such an extreme by the black hole created by Shockwave.
• More of the Sweeps are found to have survived the reformatting of Cybertron....how did so many survive the Chaos war?!?
• Bludgeon's cloak appears to be similar to Megatron's one he used on Planet Junkion in Monstrosity, and Alpha Trion's during the Ironhide mini-series, so it is likely designed to protect him against the Sea of Rust's harsh conditions.
• Trypticon is revealed to have fallen in the Preatorus Wharf, and either went into stasis or died there. He was last seen fighting in the last stand on Cybertron, as shown in Spotlight: Blaster.
• Despite having the tainted Energon removed from their bodies, at least Slug retained the ability to turn into his monstrous form in the past.
• Strafe's Dinobot form is a reference to the new Dinobot introduced in Age of Extinction, but only in name and her having two heads. The AOE version was mostly blue, male, used a crossbow (on the toy) and was a flying dragon, rather than a land-based one here.
• Despite now having her "Dino-mode" Strafe appears to have her vehicle mode kibble as well...does this make her a triple changer maybe?
• Also, where did Strafe get her flamethrowers from? I doubt an energon-conserving Camien would have flamethrowers built into her body....
• And...how is Swift going to get back to Metroplex safely? She had issues flying in the Sea of Rust, and was injured during the fights with the Badgeless, Sweeps and Bludgeon....yeah...she may die along the way....

TFCC #65 - Another Light Part 5

Title: Out of the One, Many

Writers: Jesse Wittenrich and Pete Sinclair

Pencils and Inks: Eryck Webb

Colours: Evan Gauntt

Letters: Jesse Wittenrich

Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair 

Plot

Nexus Prime travels to a weak point in the Multiverse, and uses the Terminus Blade and Star Saber to close the barriers between the Universes, stopping another tragedy like what happened with Ultra Magnus destroying the Classics-verse. The rest of the Thirteen arrive to try and stop him, but are too late.

Due to this action, Unicron and Primus, along with the Thirteen are split off from their Multiversal counterparts, which includes versions of themselves of the opposite polarity of ethics (ie Good Unicron, bad Primus).

In the Shattered Glass universe, Unicron has summoned the badly injured Optimus Prime and his almost dead Autobots, and convinces the Autobot leader to allow him to reformat him, and remove the chaos in his mind, and to help him to bring peace to this universe. Optimus is forced to accept, so he is turned into Nova Prime, and he is charged, along with his troops, X-Brawn, Checkpoint and the Autotroopers to bring order to the other Autobots.

On Cybertron, Rodimus is gloating over his betrayal of Optimus, when suddenly Nova Prime and his men are teleported into the throne room. Rodimus has the Autobots attack their new enemies, and Nova Prime attacks Rodimus on his own, easily defeating his usurper, and tossing him out a window, into a chasm.

Down the bottom of the chasm, Rodimus is face to face with Primus, who asks for his help in ridding his body of the impurities that walk around on the surface. His plan: mass extinction!

Characters

SG Autobot

Nova Prime - Truck

X-Brawn - Personnel Carrier

Checkpoint - Emergency Vehicle

Autotroopers - Emergency Vehicles

Rodimus - Sports Car Thrown into Primus' Chamber

Fortress Maximus - Battle Station

Rewind - Cassette

Drift - Race Car

Blaster - Boom Box

Tailgate - Sports Car

Other Autobots (It's hard to identify!!)

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab Reformatted into Nova Prime

Brawn - SUV Reformatted into X-Brawn

Prowl - Police Car Reformatted into Checkpoint

Ratchet - Ambulance Reformatted into Autotrooper

Inferno - Fire Truck Reformatted into Autotrooper

Ultra Magnus - Truck Cab (Flashback)

The Thirteen

Nexus Prime

Prima

Megatronus/The Fallen

Solus Prime

Onyx Prime

Vector Prime

Liege Maximo

Logos Prime/Soundblaster

Alchemist Prime/Maccadam(/)

Epistemus

Solomus

Autonomous Maximus/The Last Autobot

Micronus Prime

Others

SG Unicron

SG Primus

Skyfall - A-10 Thunderbolt Jet (Flashback) Part of Nexus Prime

Landquake - Battle Tank (Flashback) Part of Nexus Prime

Breakaway - Fighter Jet (Flashback) Part of Nexus Prime

Topspin - Helicopter (Flashback) Part of Nexus Prime

Heatwave - Multi-Missile Tank (Flashback) Part of Nexus Prime

Unicron Split Up Across the Multiverse

Primus (Mentioned) Split Up Across the Multiverse

Notes

• Because they are identified as the Thirteen, and there are thirteen characters shown in that scene (including Nexus Prime) and this is set in the main Multiverse and not the Aligned Multiverse, we can assume the members are the ones identified already, even if we can't tell who is who from appearances here.
• One of the Thirteen looks like the usual depiction of the bartended of Maccadam's Old Oil House. It has been suggested that Alchemist Prime has secretly opened a bar on Cybertron since the downfall of the Primes, implying that he might be the same guy.
• The concept of Multiversal Singularities is explained more in this issue, as them having some autonomy in each Universe, but several of them have a united mind, with the closing of the Multiversal barriers this could be a retcon as to why some depictions of Singularities are vastly different across the Multiverse (like The Fallen in Dreamwave and the Bay-verse, Unicron in the G1 Cartoon and him in the DDP GI Joe crossover comics etc)
• The scene of Optimus and his troops being reformatted is in homage to the same scene with Megatron and his troops in the 80's Movie (though this Unicron also turns the evil Autobots good here, unlike Unicron in the Movie)
• So yeah, you can apparently use your Nova Prime toy as a Shattered Glass toy too now!
• The last time we saw Fort Max he was looking a bit dead in Aquarius' flashback during Reunification. Though, it could be Grand Maximus or Brave Maximus or something instead, considering we only see a part of him.
• I wonder if the remaining evil Autobots will follow Nova Prime, or if they will be forcibly reformatted too?
• The scene of Rodimus falling through Cybertron into Primus' chamber resembles the scene in the 80's Movie where he falls through Unicron's body and lands in a chamber with Galvatron,
• Primus' views of the Cybertronians on his body being an infestation is similar to Unicron's view of Humanity in the Prime cartoon.

Other Features

Mitchell Whitfield (RID Fixit) Q&A

John Warden Interview - He talks about the production of new Combiner Wars toys

From Another Time and Place - Article showcasing the pre-Punch double agent toy concepts

Teletraanic History Records - Article talking about Marissa Faireborn and Old Snake (to help sell the new toys)

Teletraanic History Records - Article talking about Shattered Glass Soundwave

Shattered Glass Soundwave Profile

SD SG Mini Comic - Shattered Glass Optimus is annoyed that he was made good in the main comic

Marissa and Old Snake adverts - They try to sell off more of these unliked figures!