IDW - Till All Are One #8

Title: Rubicon

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Metroplex, still with his brain disconnected from his own body detects that Windblade has made contact with Vigilem, and laments how he shouldn't have lied to her about the true identity of "Carcer" and wonders if he should have had him killed in the past, rather than just self-imprisoned for his war crimes.

Windblade is struggling with Vigilem's mind, but she does manage to transform the Titan into robot mode, and sends herself into battle against the Titan Swarm, taking full control of Vigilem's body, much to everyone's glee. Soon though, Vigilem manages to fight back, and starts taking control of his own body again, agreeing to take down the zombie Titans, but just so he can destroy the planet himself later, for revenge.

Metroplex, aware what Windblade is doing, manages to get in contact with Chromia, who is now in prison, and frees her from her captivity so she can rescue Windblade herself.

Vigilem manages to destroy the Swarm, but then starts to head towards Metroplex, intent on killing him too, but Windblade stops him. Unfortunately though, Vigilem starts to open a hidden chamber in his body, a chamber that is being aimed at by Strika's attack force, ready to destroy whatever is coming out of it.

Elita makes her way to the brain chamber, intent on destroying Vigilem's brain, to prevent his master from returning, but the other council members plead with her to wait until Windblade is disconnected, however when she sees that Vigilem is now in control of Windblade's body too, she opens fire on the brain of her Titan, utterly destroying it and knocking out Windblade, who was still connected to it, just as Chromia rushes into the room.

Unfortunately, Elita was too late, and the chamber finishes opening up, and Strika's team is immediately knocked down in the presence of Liege Maximo himself! The Liege thanks his now dead Titan, and promises to avenge both of them, as he teleports away.

Starscream and the other Cybertronians cheer over the defeat of Vigilem and the Titan Swarm, unaware that Windblade has been badly injured, and Chromia is left cradling her seemingly lifeless body....

Characters

Autobot

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet Mind Damaged by Vigilem

Chromia - Speed Bike

Ironhide - Van

Metroplex - Iacon City Brain Module detached from Body

Bumblebee - Car (Ghost Only)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt

Carcerian

Elita One - Car

Strika - Battle Tank

Obsidian - Stealth Osprey Helicopter

Carcerian Soldiers

Lancer (Mentioned)

Other Colonists

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Moonracer - Sports Car

Tigatron - Tiger

Knock Out - Sports Car

Airazor - Falcon

Other

Liege Maximo

Vigilem - Titan Ship Carcer Killed by Elita One

Titan Swarm Destroyed by Vigilem

Cybertronian Populous

Prison Guards and Prisoners

Chela (Flashback)

Caminus (Flashback)

Primus (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Notes

• Vigilem's master being Liege Maximo was previously revealed in Till All Are One: Revolution, here we see that he was turned into a "prison" for his master too.
• Also, this issue confirms why the Carcerians have been so guarded about their ship, they were afraid that people would discover Liege Maximo inside the ship.
• Despite the ship Carcer clearly having some sort of artificial gravity on it (people weren't just floating around on the ship) Vigilem does not have artificial gravity whilst in robot mode, at least not in the non-brain module chamber parts of his body any way, or at least not intuitive gravity, since Elita and her troops are sent off the flooring in the corridor, with the latter being sent flying off.
• Vigilem is shown to have a battle mask that he deploys in battle...this is probably the largest battle mask ever seen...
• Liege Maximo's design is based on his Aligned continuity design, which further makes t seem likely that the IDW version of the Thirteen are going to all be the same as their Aligned counterparts.
• Windblade being injured during the battle was spoiled for us early on in the new Optimus Prime series, and we now that the Mistress of Flame is due to take her place on the Council for a period of time.
• The Carcerian pride in honesty is revealed somewhat to be due to their "founder" being known as a manipulator and a liar.