IDW - Lost Light #4

Title: Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The AVL are shocked about the return of Luna-2, and are concerned for what this could mean, especially since it appears to be approaching the city. Megatron, Terminus and Ratchet approach Rodimus and reveal that they think Rung is being forced into this much larger alternate mode, and is nearly being torn apart. They consider going to rescue him, and to also try and stop the Council's mission to Vector Sigma as a side mission. Before anything can be decided though, Luna-2 starts to change shape...revealing a strange circular device on the surface..

On Necroworld, Whirl and Cyclonus continue their battle with Killmaster, but it is short lived, when Cyclonus tells Whirl to use the wand on Killmaster, making him disappear like it did to Swerve and Ten. Cyclonus plans to take the wand to Brainstorm to try and figure out where they were sent, but Whirl needs to talk to Cyclonus before he allows him to leave...

Back on Functionist Cybertron, Nine-of-Twelve explains that the rest of the Council must have actually continued with a previously cancelled plan to turn the moon into a harvester, which they must be planning to use on Adaptica, to take down the AVL and their allies. Rodimus realizes that the harvester must have some sort of mass transporter on it to send the harvested materials on, but Megatron gets annoyed, since he thinks Rodimus is obsessing with his vendetta against Getaway and wants to get back to their universe for that rather than helping these people. Rodimus takes that to mean that Megatron doesn't want to leave this universe so he can avoid his upcoming trial. The two argue, but are forced to work together to solve the immediate danger. Rodimus heads off to rescue Rung and take down the Council with his team, whilst Megatron stays behind with his crew to help protect Adaptica from the attacking moon.

On Necroworld again, Anode locates Lug at the memorial for the disappeared, and explains to her that she lied about why she left Caminus because she was ashamed. She was goaded into attempting to shape a weakened protoform before she had the proper training, and the protoform ended up dying as a result. She felt so bad, that she did everything possible to leave her profession and planet, even falsifying a robbery. Lug is still angry, since Anode let her believe that she left for HER, and leaves her along again

Under the planet's surface Whirl asks Cyclonus about his violent injuries, and manages to deduce that Tailgate has been hurting him. Cyclonus confirms that Tailgate has been thrashing in his sleep, and seems to be trying to tear out his spark, forcing him to restrain him, causing his injuries. Cyclonus requests that Whirl not discuss this with Tailgate however, and he wants this to be hidden from him.

Back on Cybertron, Rodimus' team manages to fight their way to a short distance matter transporter outside Iacon, and head to the centre of the planet, where they find the seal around Vector Sigma's chamber has already been broken into, and also locate Rung left abandoned in vehicle mode OUTSIDE the chamber.

The harvester has begun sucking up refugees in Adaptica, whilst Megatron and the others set out to use any weapons that have in the city as well as any aerial-based alternate modes to be turned against the harvester. After this decision, Minimus Ambus tells Megatron that he doesn't think he's trying to avoid his trial, leading to the former Decepticon smiling.

Back outside the Primal Chamber, the team discover that most of Rung's alternate mode is false, and Ratchet sets about looking for Rung's transformation cog, so he can force him to transform and free him from his pain.

Six-of-Twelve appears from the chamber to taunt the team, but Rodimus simply talks at him to distract him, and sends him flying back into the chamber. The rest of the team, sans Ratchet enter the chamber too, but are shocked by what they find...

Outside the chamber again, Ratchet manages to free Rung, transforming him back to his smaller robot mode, and he orders Ratchet to do exactly what he says...

On Necroworld, Tailgate completes his recharge cycle, and finds Whirl waiting for him, who wants to tell him about a love story without a happy ending......

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Sports Car

Megatron - Tank

Minimus Ambus - Minesweeper

Drift - Race Car

Chromedome - Sports Car

Rewind - Data Slug

Ratchet - Ambulance

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Tailgate - Sports Car

Brainstorm - Jet (Mentioned)

Swerve - Van (Mentioned) Missing via "Zapping"

Decepticon

Killmaster/Murderking"Zapped" by Whirl

Anti-Vocationist League

Nine-of-Twelve - Part of Key to Vector Sigma

Anode - Bi-Plane

Clicker - Laser Pointer

Obsolete Refugees Some "Harvested" into Luna-2

Functionist Council

Six-of-Twelve - Part of Key to Vector Sigma

Other Councillors - Parts of Key to Vector Sigma

Functionaries Some Defeated by Drift

Other Cybertronian

Roller - Truck

Terminus - Mining Vehicle

Cyclonus - Jet

Anode - Bi=Plane

Lug - Backpack Equipment

Functionist Rung - Super Fake Mining Drill

Lighthouse Employee - Van (Flashback)

Polyhedral New Born (Flashback) Dead

Adaptus (Statue Only)

Ten (Mentioned) Missing via "Zapping"

Vector Sigma (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Lighthouse Staff (Mentioned)

The Necrobot (Mentioned) Dead

Other

Black Box Consortia (Mentioned)

Notes

• The concept of Nominative Determinism is likely a reference to Transformers having names that happen to match their personality/job. Such as Ratchet being a doctor. The example given in this issue, Killmaster originally being called Murderking, is seen as going against that principle as both names mean the same thing.
• Just going to call it here again, Killmaster's wand being able to transport things, and the past knowledge that he had a hand in making the Geobomb design is likely going to end up resolving this universal-displacement problem.
• It's revealed that Luna-2 was never really given to the Black Box Consortia, and was instead converted into a harvester unit, since the council couldn't explain an otherwise useless moon being created by Primus without it messing up their whole ideology
• Rodimus outright points out that Megatron plans to remain in the Functionist Universe after they've resolved the current situation. He believes it is to avoid the conclusion of his trial, but it's more likely because he simply can't stand seeing an oppressed people like he has seen in this universe so far.
• The Lighthouse facility worker seen in Anode's flashback appears to be based on Robots in Disguise Strongarm, but with a more generic alternate mode, and a new head.
• It's confirmed here that Cyclonus' injuries were caused by Tailgate, but rather than it being something unexplainable, it is just that he's been hurting him whilst he is recharging, without any knowledge of it. This is includes the injuries that Tailgate assumed were caused by Fangry and pummelled him for.
• It's revealed that the Functionist Council are combiners, and form the Key to Vector Sigma....that was what I thought Rung would be revealed to be :(
• As shouldn't be a shock to anyone, it's confirmed that the tank was not Rung's real alternate mode, with most of it being faked, and Rung artificially mass shifted.
• Considering their back-story and his mention of a "love story" I'm going to wager that Whirl and Killmaster were once either a couple, or had a one-sided relationship.