IDW - Transformers #56

Title: Titans Return: White Light

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

At the Indian Ocean, the Autobots are gathering up the remaining Decepticons from Galvatron's abandoned base. Jetfire gets in contact with the new Autobot City, where he gets in touch with Alpha Trion, but is quickly cut off by interference.

At Autobot City, Alpha Trion is trying to figure out why the radio cut out when a small robot named Infinitus appears and starts insulting the ancient Transformer, and asking where the stronger Prime is. Trion soon realizes that Infinitus is actually Sentinel Prime, who soon attacks the old Autobot.

Outside, Optimus and Soundwave hear Alpha Trion scream, but are distracted by Sentinel Prime's body fighting D.O.C. and the animals, whith Aileron badly injured at his feet. Soundwave and Optimus join the battle, which ends shortly afterwards when Arcee appears and grabs hold of it, as it transforms to jet mode and heads inside the city.

Soundwave and Optimus head after him, into the Titan city, as they notice Alpha Trion in jet mode being piloted by someone they think might be a human.

Elsewhere, the President has appointed Joe Colton as the new Director of the EDC, and he plans to make major changes to deal with the alien invasion. Faireborn is getting ready to head off to her new job as the President's liason, and Skywarp is worried about what will happen to him with the new anti-Transformer group.

Blackrock is being taken away for studies and detainment by GI Joe, but the convoy they are in is attacked by Infinitus, with Alpha Trion's body, having decapitated the Ancient Autobot's head. Despite the Joe's attacks, Infinitus grabs Blackrock, andleaves.

Inside the City Titan, Optimus and Soundwave follow a trail of energon, which leads them to Arcee and Sentinel's headless body, still fighting. Soon, Infinitus, still using Trion's body appears and forces Blackrock to transform into his true form: Sovereign, and reveals him to be a Titan Master, just like him.

Upon his transformation, Sovereign finds that he can feel the Titan all around him, he locates the Titan's internal Space Bridge and activates it. Infinitus travels through the bridge, and takes Alpha Trion's body and head, Optimus, Soundwave and Sovereign with him, leaving just Arcee behind, much to her annoyance.

Later, Arcee returns to a medical bay where Sideswipe is still being repaired in his tube, and Aileron is being fixed up by D.O.C. Arcee decides, against her better judgement, to tell Prowl about what happened, and also reveals that Optimus executed Galvatron. Prowl isn't shocked, and claims to know exactly where Sentinel plans to go....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab Abducted by Sentinel Prime

Alpha Trion - Jet Decapitated by Sentinel Prime

Sentinel Prime - Truck/Space Shuttle

Infinitus - Head

Arcee - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Tracks - Muscle Car

Jazz - Sports Car

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Sunstreaker - Sports Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Pyra Magna - Emergency Truck

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Dust Up - Sports Car

Silverbolt - Passenger Jet

Alpha Bravo - Rescue Helicopter

Skydive - Fighter Jet

Fireflight - Fighter Jet

Sideswipe - Sports Car STILL in repair tube

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier Abducted by Sentinel Prime

Skywarp - Cybertronian Jet Still going out of phase

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Swift - Helicopter

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Rumble - Motorcycle

Sky-Byte - Shark

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Jet

Blitzwing - Tank/Fighter Jet Captured by Autobots

Dreadwing - Stealth Bomber Captured by Autobots

Mindwipe - Bat Captured by Autobots

Acid Storm - Fighter Jet Captured by Autobots

Galvatron - Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian

Sovereign - Head/Garrison Blackrock Abducted by Sentinel Prime

Metrotitan - Autobot City

Aileron - Space Shuttle Under Repairs

Bob the Insecticon

D.O.C.

Onyx Prime (Mentioned)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Human

Joe Colton

Marissa Faireborn

Ayana Jones

Spike Witwicky

Scarlett

Roadblock

EDC Troops

Madame President (Mentioned)

Daniel Witwicky (Mentioned) Dead

Adventure Team (Mentioned)

GI Joe (Mentioned) Defunded by Government

Cobra (Mentioned)

Other

Buster the Dog

Notes

• As mentioned in MTMTE 56 this issue was supposed to be released first, so the big surprise about Sovereign will be officially discussed here!
• So the Autobots capture Blitzwing here, but the EDC end up with him for Revolution? Weird.
• I never noticed how much a swimming  Sky Lynx looks like a manta ray before!
• Sentinel Prime is revealed to have just been a disguise for Infinitus all this time, and was a follower of the teachings of at least one of the Primes...based on him being a Titan Master, which is basically a new version of Headmasters, I would guess his teacher would be Onyx and/or Nexus Prime, since they worked together to make Headmasters in the past.
• The Infinitus body has laser swords here....go ahead, try and make the toy do that!
• Despite never being seen before, both Soundwave and Optimus make sure to audibly identify Alpha Trion's aerial mode...guess they want to show off the new toy some more!
• Joe Colton is revealed to be the new Director of the EDC. Since the GI Joe comic isn't named "EDC" I'm guessing either he'll absorb the EDC into GI Joe, or have the Joes as an elite sub-division of the group.
• Hey look it's Roadblock and Scarlett! Maybe we'll get a decent Transformers vs GI Joe series from IDW after all!
• Infinitus attaching himself to Alpha Trion's body is both a reference to both Setinel and Alpha Trion's Titan Return toys, and their line's inter-connectivity
• Oh wow! Garrison Blackrock is actually Sovereign, a Titan Master! I never saw that coming (at least not until the spoiler in MTMTE 56)
• In case you missed the reference, Sovereign is Alpha Trion's head in the toyline, and here Alpha Trion is decapitated just before Blackrock is revealed to be Sovereign.