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.