IDW - Transformers #53

Title: All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning to and Back again

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Priscilla Tramontano

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Soundwave's Decepticons arrive at Optimus' camp at Monument Valley on Earth, where they team up (begrudgingly) and share information. Soundwave tell the Autobots where Galvatron's base is. Optimus begins to plan out an attack lead by him, Arcee interrupts and convinces him to stay behind with Alpha Trion and Aileron, as well as Soundwave who will coordinate the attack. Optimus leaves with Jetfire, and claims that there is SOMETHING hidden in the desert near them, despite Jetfire's scans showing nothing there. Optimus confides in Jetfire that he thinks that Arcee doesn't trust him anymore.

Inside the medical bay, Arcee visits Sideswipe in his repair bay, when Sunstreaker comes in, and tells her that Sideswipe would tell him that he liked Arcee, and offers her Sideswipe's jetpack, as he would have wanted her to have it. Arcee agrees that she deserves the jetpack, but also reminds him that Sideswipe isn't dead yet, then leaves.

Galvatron monitors the Autobots from his base, and bemoans how Arcee hasn't left Optimus for him yet. Galvatron sets off a plan to defeat the Autobots and Decepticons, despite being heavily outnumbered. First off, he sends a transmission to the EDC, showing them the Autobot's hidden base. Spike scatters the ships to attack them despite him and Faireborn not trusting this information too much.

The Autobots and Decepticons reach Galvatron's base, and they immediately start attacking the crashed ship, whist Galvatron's few loyalists fight back. Before the battle can really begin though, Blackrock takes control of some hidden Seeker clone combiners and has them attack the Autobots as well.

Back at Monument Valley, Optimus and the others are watching this battle, and Optimus decides to join them in the battle, however before they can leave, the space bridge activates and Circuit and Longtooth arrive to document Optimus' actions on Earth on Starscream's orders. Optimus tries to get them to leave, but they refuse.

A few moments later, the EDC ships appear and begin attacking the group, whilst Starscream cheers from his office on Cybertron, watching the live footage

Back underwater, the Autobot combiners are easily dealing with the Seeker clones, but Galvatron reveals to Blackrock that his work on Earth, creating the Onyx Interface was actually a plan by Onyx Prime to create a giant Enigma of Combination, which has succeeded. Galvatron activates his Earth-sized Enigma to combine five of his troops into a new Combiner whom he dubs "Galvatronus", who immediately attacks Victorion. Galvatron also reveals a new ability of the Earth Enigma, and DE-Combines Victorion into her componant parts. Skywarp is shocked at Galvatron's use of the Enigma to manipulate Cybertronians this way, considering his hatred of combiners etc. Galvatron simply comments that they are powerful.

At Monument Valley, Optimus refuses to attack the humans, since THEY are the alien force on this planet.

Starscream watches this on his news feed, and gloats about his upcoming victory to the ghost of Bumblebee, as if he doesn't fight the humans, then he'll die and Starscream can spin his death in his favour, but if Optimus attacks the humans, then he's going against his past morals and he will be made into the villain.

Back on Earth, Arcee tries to get the Torchbearers to combine again, but Pyra Magna tells Arcee to concentrate on her mission, and not worry about them. Arcee leaves, looking for Needlenose for his role in her mission.

Sunstreaker notices a strange feeling around him, and recognizes it as the Enigma and begins to worry. Galvatron reveals one last ability of the Earth Enigma, the ability to combine others without their consent! He combines Sunstreaker with Sky Lynx, Thundercracker, Cosmos and Slugslinger. The new Combiner approaches the surrounded Superion, and tells him to face him, introducing himself as Sky Reign.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Alpha Trion - Tumbler

Arcee - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Jazz - Sports Car

Tracks - Sports Car

Superion - Aerialbot Gestalt

Pyra Magna - Emergency Vehicle Injured from De-combination

Jumpstream - Sports Car Injured from De-combination

Dustup - Sports Car Injured from De-combination

Stormclash - Helicopter Injured from De-combination

Skyburst - Helicopter Injured from De-combination

Rust Dust - Motorcycle Injured from De-combination

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt Forced to De-combine by Galvatron

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle Forced to combine into Sky Reign

Cosmos - Orbiter Forced to combine into Sky Reign

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet Forced to combine into Sky Reign

Sunstreaker - Sports Car Forced to combine into Sky Reign

Sky Reign - Forced Autobot Gesalt

Sideswipe - Sports Car Undergoing repairs

Bumblebee - Cybertronian Car (Ghost)

Decepticon

Galvatron - Tank

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Sky-Byte - Shark

Squeezeplay - Crab Monster

Rumble - Motorcycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Skywarp - Cybertronian Jet Still out of phase

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Jet Forced to combine into Sky Reign

Dreadwing - Stealth Bomber Forced to combine into Galvatronus

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Train Forced to combine into Galvatronus

Blitzwing - Tank/Fighter Jet Forced to combine into Galvatronus

Acid Storm - Fighter Jet Forced to combine into Galvatronus

Mindwipe - Bat Forced to combine into Galvatronus

Galvatronus - Forced Decepticon Gestalt

Thrust - Fighter Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Ramjet - Fighter Jet (Mentioned) Dead

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Circuit

Longtooth

Other Cybertronian

Blackrock

Bob the Insecticon

D.O.C.

Crystal City Metrotitan - City/Space Ship (Mentioned) Dead

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Onyx Prime (Mentioned)

Camien

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Swift - Helicopter

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Spike Witwicky

Sanjay Bharwaney

Zilong Qian

EDC Troops

Other

Buster the Dog

Seeker Clone Combiners

Notes

• Despite their constant in-fighting, Bob, D.O.C. and Buster appear to be friends now.
• Soundwave appears to have been unaware of Alpha Trion's life as a Prime, despite having been affiliated with Galvatron, who DEFINATELY knew about it.
• Optimus believes that Arcee doesn't trust him any more, likely due to the part of Prowl in his head....She's not exactly wrong there Prime!
• Arcee is revealed to have been "borrowing" Sideswipe's jet pack for a while...that explains how she can sometimes fly!
• From Sunstreaker's dialogue, it sounds like Sideswipe may have liked Arcee as more than an ally...n'awww
• Why is Blackrock still stripped down to his undies and with his face removed?
• Acid Storm is shown amongst Galvatron's troops here...I don't think he's been seen there before...
• Blackrock has control over the EDC  Seeker clones, this makes me think that he'll turn them against Galvatron at some point, explaining the vision Optimus had of Arcee and Galvatron teamed up against someone (rather than Arcee betraying the Autobots)
• Blackrock can apparently breath under water like all Cybertronians...how has he never come across that little trait before?!
• It's revealed that the Onyx Interface created by Blackrock has turned all the devices connected to it into tiny Enigmas of Combination, thus turning the entire Earth into a giant Enigma itself.
• Galvatronus here looks nothing like his toy. The limbs given here are not based on any existing/upcoming Combiner Wars toys, and the torso, normally Cyclonus, has been replaced by Dreadwing, due to Cyclonus being a regular in MTMTE, and opposed to Galvatron.
• Galvatronus here was of course named by Galvatron after himself, and possibly in homage to the former leader of his old tribe on Cybertron, Megatronus. His head is based on G2 Smokescreen, who was the partner figure of G2 Dreadwing.
• HOLY CRAP! Rust Dust finally appears in a comic again!!!
• Funny note: originally Bob the Insecticon would have been named Spike, as a random joke about him sharing the name with the human character, here Bob attacks Spike's ship...haha!
• Sky Reign looks enough like his toy, in terms of the torso anyway, but his assigned limbs are completely wrong. This is of course due to the availability of the characters here. Smokescreen and maybe Hound are on the Lost Light, Trailcutter/Trailbreaker was killed by Kaon, and Wheeljack is running the space bridge on Cybertron.
• Amongst the limb-characters used for Sky Reign, only Sunstreaker is actually an existing Combiner Wars limb toy. Thundercracker is a Leader class toy, Cosmos had a Scout-sized toy in Thrilling Thirty, and Slugslinger is loved by no one.
• I'm putting Sky Reign in the Autobot section of the character list here, as his toy is of that faction, and it's unclear who he's going to fight at the end of this issue.