Sig Pub - Robots in Disguise #20

Notes

• This issue's screencap comic is for "Decepticon Island Part 1" which is the (mid)season finale for season two. Last month was the conclusion of the first season's finale...kind of a jump there lads!
• This issue was released along with the new Rescue Bots magazine, also published by Signature Publishing, but this is never advertised in this issue...nor this issue being mentioned in the other one....odd....
• The main free gift this month is actually quite cool, it's an eraser version of Optimus Prime, which can be torn apart!
• Drift's profile page states that will ONLY fight fairly....how many times has he sent his Mini-Cons out to outnumber his opponent? Also the same profile mentions how he'd never sink to the level of a Decepticon...do these people not remember that Drift WAS a Decepticon in the past?
• One of the image-clues for an acrostic puzzle this issue is of Clout...a Mini-Con who appeared in one episode, and I'm pretty sure was never mentioned by name...what a mean magazine!
• There's no tear-out puzzle this month! Instead we get a tear-out flimsy card game!

Features

Optimus Prime Mask - Destroy the cover to make a creepy mask of Optimus's face

Fact File: Optimus Prime - Learn about Optimus! Also colour in his alternate mode!

Battle of the Bots: Drift vs Groundpounder - A pair of profiles!

Observation Test - Spot the Difference between a pair of screencaps!

Autobot Colouring - Colour in a picture of the Autobots and Crown City

Puzzle Pursuit - Facts and puzzles about Bumblebee (AND COLOUR HIM IN!!)

Grimlock's Game! - Cut out the page to make a deck of cards for Snap and Pairs

Comic Investigator - Answer questions about the comic you just skipped!

Decepticon Drawing - Draw a picture of Fracture!

Sideswipe Puzzles - More "fun" and games!

Puzzling Prizes - Complete some puzzles then enter a contest to win prizes! Also the Optimus truck is touring the UK again!

Infiltrate Decepticon Island - Guide the Autobots to the captured Mini-Cons!

Transformers Post - Let's judge some more artwork from kids! (At least there's no nightmare Heatwave this issue!)

Auto Match - Match the Transformers to their alternate modes

Sig Pub - Rescue Bots #1

Notes

• This is a new magazine series aimed towards a MUCH younger audience than the Robots in Disguise line. case in point, the dotted line "mazes" in this book are SINGLE LINES, rather than any crossing paths or dead-ends
• This issue features a screengrab comic of "Family of Heroes", showing how the Rescue Bots came to Earth.
• Oh my god...it actually tells you to "turn the page" to tell the audience how to read it...why did I buy this thing?
• Since this is the first issue, the pictures shown on the post page are likely ones submitted to the Robots in Disguise comic originally
• Also, no offense to whoever drew it, but the picture of Heatwave will be haunting me in my nightmares tonight!

Features

....'s Mission Card - Tear off the cover, and mark on the pages when you do one of the tasks!

Find out about police vehicles with Chase - Guess what we learn about here?

Spot the Differences - Play spot the difference between some pictures

Race to Griffin Rock! - Follow a procession of tiles to get to the island!

Prime Paths - Help Optimus get to Bumblebee (ignore the RESCUE BOTS though...)

Picture Puzzle - Select which tiles are needed to complete the picture

4 Page Colouring! - Colour in some pictures of the Rescue Bots!

Roar to the Rescue! - Learn which dinosaur each Rescue Bot can turn into (then colour it!)

Rescue Bots Post - The Rescue Bots look at the pictures sent by tiny humans.

Auto Match! -Figure out which Autobot doesn't have their alternate mode shown.

Maze Mission - Help Boulder get to the middle of the maze.

Blades to the Rescue - Read a story, matching the words to specific pictures along the way

Competition Time - Win some Rescue Bots toys!!

IDW - Revolutionaries #4

Title: The Iron Klaw

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Fico Ossio

Colours by: Sebastian Cheng

Letters by: Tom B Long

Assistant Edits by: David Mariotte

Edited by: David Hedgecock

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The villains are based out in Mklavia in Kalistan, under the protection of Iron Klaw, who has somehow gained the Predacons as guards. Ironblood receives a message from Kreiger, saying that Tomax needs an emergency evac from his mission, which Ironblood is annoyed by, but he activates the MASS Device anyway...unaware that Snake Eyes is hiding in the rafters of the castle.

Outside, Kup, Action Man and Mayday are waiting for a signal, and Kup is shown an image of the Predacons, who he identifies, and explains that he trained them before the war, but after the war ended they wound up on Earth working for China, trying to develop combining technologies before the discovery of the Enigma of Combination.

Tomax arrives through the MASS Device, and is chewed out for losing his helmet and Centurion, but he is soon forgiven when he reveals that he has Garrison Blackrock as a prisoner, who they plan to dissect to figure out how he works...

On their way to the castle, Mayday explains her history with Mklavia, saying how she was on an observational team when she first worked for GI Joe, and so knows the area quite well. She then goes on to explain about how Tomax acted as though Cobra were the heroes, and the Joes, and the Western world in general were bad, until they ended up being destroyed when Snake Eyes infiltrated the group and caused an incident involving the death of another mole in the group.

Inside the castle, Blackrock is hooked up to a Talisman look-a-like, and Kreiger uses his mind to try and uncover more of the secrets of the device. Snake Eyes makes a noise, and is discovered, causing the Iron Grenadiers to attack him in response, meanwhile, the rest of the villains realise that Snake Eyes wouldn't be alone, so they deploy the Predacons too...

Outside, the team have lost contact with their team inside, so they decide to attack the castle. Kup breaks down a wall, but finds the Predacons combined into Predaking!

Inside the castle, Snake Eyes is dead, and Kreiger asks Tomax to report on Project: Ice Man, which he appears to be confused about. Ironblood examines the body of Snake Eyes, and discovers that he is a robot! "Tomax" rips off his face, and reveals that he is actually Snake Eyes, who has been using a voice modulator to allow Kup to impersonate Tomax for him (until he turns it off) and he attacks the Iron villains.

Back outside, Kup and Action Man fight Predaking, with Kup noticing that the combiner isn't right, since the Predacons would never work together like this, and determines that they are being controlled some how. Mayday leaves to go inside, and see if there's some way to break the control.

Inside again, Snake Eyes frees Blackrock from his harness, and he joins the battle, along with Mayday when she reaches them. She reveals about the presumed control on the Predacons, so Blackrock approaches the control harness and prepares to slowly release their control...until Snake Eyes just bludgeons the controls, freeing them instantly.

Outside, the Predacons, released from their control, de-combine and are left knocked out due to the shock. Razorcalw however quickly wakes up, and thrashes at Action Man and Kup. Razorclaw is soon concerned about how Kup got there, until Kup exploits his one weakness...he shoots off his head.

The Revolutionaries inside the castle make it to the MASS Device, and are teleported outside the castle, where Kup and Action Man recover them, and they speed away, having learned where the Talisman came from, and where Tomax and his mystery allies are going to be...

In the aftermath, the villains meet up, and decide to "burn" Centurion and Tomax, despite the cost that would cause, but Ironblood isn't worried, as they still have more "surprises".

Elsewhere, Doctor X and Stormshadow are at a facility, where a frozen alternate version of Optimus Prime is sitting.....

Characters

Autobot

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Garrison Blackrock/Sovereign - Titan Master Head

"Project Ice Man"/HOS Optimus Prime - Train Frozen

"Centurion"/HOS Bumblebee - Cabless Train Car (Mentioned)

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Predaking - Predacon Gestalt

Razorclaw - Lion Head Blown off by Kup

Tantrum - Bison

Rampage - Tiger

Divebomb - Hawk

Headstrong - Rhino

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

GI Joe/Action Man Program

Mayday

Action Man

Snake Eyes

Joe Colton (Flashback Only)

Duke (Flashback Only)

Big Ben (Flashback Only)

Roadblock (Flashback Only)

Doc (Flashback Only)

Hashtag (Flashback Only)

Zilong Qian (Mentioned)

Unnamed Villain Group/Cobra

Iron Klaw

Baron Ironblood

Garrison Kreiger

Doctor X

Storm Shadow

Iron Grenadiers Many killed by Snake Eyes

Tomax Paoli (Flashback and Disguise Only)

Destro (Flashback Only)

Cobra's P.R. Flack (Mentioned)

Other Human

Mklavian Residents

Isaac Craft (Flashback Only) Seemingly Killed by Snake Eyes

Earth Defense Command (Mentioned)

Skywatch (Mentioned)

Other

Snake Eyes Drone Killed by Iron Grenadiers

Onyx Prime (Flashback Only)

Octopus Aliens (Flashback Only) Killed by Predacons

Notes

• The narration boxes in this issue are actually a transmission being sent to Optimus Prime by Kup
• Iron Klaw, Baron Ironblood and the Iron Grenadiers? I think there's a theme going on here.
• Also of note, the Hearts of Steel characters are being used by them, Iron and Steel are very similar metals...another connection?
• Last time we saw some of the Predacons, they were amongst the attempted attack on Earth led by Galvatron at the end of the Transformers Ongoing. I guess they were abducted by the villains in this story after that fight?
• A large deal of this story is set in flashback form, showing some otherwise missing history from both Transformers and GI Joe, which includes the abandoned story lines from GI Joe's past volumes.
• "Tomax's" outfit is based on his outfit shown in the original GI Joe animated series.
• More of Mayday's back story is given here, she worked at Skywatch (likely the one before Spike took over) and then joined a Joe team with Big Ben and Duke, she left when the team was exposed by Cobra, and joined the EDC, and we know what's happened since then.
• Snake Eyes is revealed to have been under deep cover working at Cobra at the end of the previous GI Joe volume for the Joes, which led to it's disbanding before the current storyline.
• Kreiger is revealed to have made a replica of the Talisman which he has been experimenting on since he lost it to the Adventure Team
• Kreiger and Ironblood see Snake Eyes' disfigured face for a few moments this issue, but we don't get to...not sure if that's good or not yet....
• Blackrock reports that the Talisman comes from Onyx Prime, who was his master before taking on his human persona, and it seems to be able to unlock hidden memories from his past life too.
• Oh...Hearts of Steel Optimus is here too? And he is frozen, and referred to as "Ice Man" just like Megatron from the Live Action Movies.
• It seems like more Transformers from the Hearts of Steel universe have made it to the Hasbroverse, either through a multiversal portal of some sort, or the two universes getting merged due to one of the big universe destroying events from the past few years.
• A brief mention is made to a helmet being used by Tomax in relation to "Centurion" (HOS Bumblebee). This is likely what the Cobra Commander helmet from last issue is for.

IDW - Rom #10

Title: Interlude: A day in the life

Plot and Script by: Christos Gage and Chris Ryall

Art by: David Messina

Inks by: Michele Pasta

Colours by: Alessandra Alexakis

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editorial Assist by: David Mariotte

Edited by: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Following up on the conditions of their cease-fire, Rom takes the other two Space Knights into a Californian city, where they reveal themselves to see hoe regular humans act around them. Orphion expects the humans to attack them, but is shocked when they accept them, assuming them to be Autobots, and appreciating their work to protect their planet from evil aliens. The plan works, and both Orphion seems pleased with humanity (though hates being thought of as an Autobot) whilst Livia seems to be easing up on her cold exterior and is more playful, as she was when they were younger.

One of the humans asks if they are there to tackle evil aliens in the area, and points them towards a nearby church, where he says an alien is hiding.

Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, Darby and Ruan are out walking, and Darby s worried about what they are going to do about the Wraiths. Ruan speculates that Darby was able to resist being turned into a Wraith before because of her PTSD messing with her mind. She doesn't care though, as she is worried that she can't identify Wraihs like Ruan and Rom can, but Ruan reveals that the Wraiths have something that could help her, that was taken from a fallen Solstar Knight, but it'll be hard to get to it..

The Knights head to the church, where some kids also ask if they're there to get the alien too, adding to their suspicions. Inside the church, the Knights encounter a Dire Wraith disguised as a priest, who then reveals that he has been hiding on Earth for a long time, hiding as various religious leaders and a congregation members, claiming to bring the humans salvation when he kills them, and evokes his belief that his god will allow him to continue and condones this course of action.

In Seattle, Leonard Song has been called to Deepwave HQ to finalize the work on the Axiom armour, finally perfecting the technology to allow people to control machinery, much to Caleb Awan's delight.

Meanwhile in a Californian hospital, Camilla wakes up from her life-saving operation, seemingly in pain...

The three Knights fight the priest, who manages to get the upper hand on them by morphing into a never-before-seen giant monstrous Wraith form, who is able to resist a Neutralizer's blasts with ease, however when Rom and Livia combine their weapons, they are able to destroy him, but not before he claims that his god will "embrace" them and the planet soon....

Orphion s glad that they have defeated the powerful Wraith, and is now intrigued by why the Earth is making the Wraiths so powerful, but is also concerned that this is further proof that they should just destroy the planet after all...

Characters

Solstar Order

Orphion

Rom

Livia

Fy-Laa (Mentioned)

Fallen Solstar Knight (Mentioned) Dead

Dire Wraith

Ruan Sablik

"Freaker" Priest Killed by Solstar Knights

Caleb Awan

Axiom

Dave Dubosky (Mentioned)

Human

Darby Mason

Camilla Byers

Leonard Song

Jogger

Old Lady and her Dog

Californian Civilians

GI Joe (Mentioned)

Other

Benna K'atsema (Flashback only)

Reyn K'atsema (Flashback only)

The Transformers (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue follows up on Rom's promise last issue to show Orphion and Livia why it is worth saving Earth
• Shockingly, all of the civilians seem to be very accepting of the aliens, even assuming they are Autobots, whom they have been shown to partially blame for the devastation on Earth and recent annexation of the world.
• This issue confirms that the short black haired  mother is Benna, and she is the one who would later be turned into a Wraith during the Annual story.
• Despite her imaginations, the three "Wraiths" seen by Darby are clearly not actually Dire Wraiths...Ruan would have told her if they were.
• This issue reveals to us that starting from issue 11 there will be a back-up story focusing on the other Solstar Knights!
• It's unclear whether Leonard Song knows that Caleb and Axiom are Dire Wraiths, as you would assume he'd not want to work with a known invading alien group
• Also, Deepwave have now continued their work on developing their cybernetic interfaces, as seen previously in the Rom: Revolution tie-in, but they apparently needed some outside human help with it.
• ALSO, didn't Caleb get absorbed into the Karza-Wraith hybrid? After which they all died, resulting in most of the other Wraiths going rogue on Earth since a large portion of their leaders were now gone?
• Rom still has Orphion's Neutralizer, most likely he'll keep it until his commander promises not to blow up the planet.

IDW - Lost Light #5

Title: Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Nightbeat has Rung meet him in an office in the Necroworld Fortress, where he asks him if he wants to talk about things, assuming that he is hurting due to the death of Skids, however Rung reveals that he is actually more concerned about something else that he discovered about himself...

Meanwhile on Functionist Cybertron, Rodimus is being held in a beam of light shot by Six-of-Twelve and his Matrix head. Rodimus claims that the Matrix he is using a fake, since he is used to the energies of the Matrix from his universe. Ratchet appears, holding Rung hostage, and threatens to kill him if he doesn't drop Rodimus, the Functionist drops him, knowing that they still need him for their big plans. The Autobots and Rung head to the matter transporter, where Rung mocks the Council for their own alternate modes turning out to be useless, since they combine into an elaborate ornament, as they transport away, leaving the Councillors at the centre of the planet, with no way to leave except by foot, due to them damaging the teleporter upon using it. The group arrive in the Cog, and Rung gets an idea on how to get back to Adaptica quickly.

In Adaptica, Luna 2 is still tearing apart the city, and starts to speed up it's attack by beginning to tear up buildings as well as Cybertronians. Megatron and the others decide to evacuate the city. Terminus uses a quiet moment to try and convince Megatron to stay in the Functionist Universe to help the AVL to fight the Council, but he refuses, before they can properly discuss it though, the AVL HQ in the statue of Adaptus is torn from it's foundations, and Megatron is left hanging onto a pylon for his life, as Luna 2 tries to suck him up...

Back on Necroworld, Brainstorm manages to rescue Ten and Swerve from the "pocket prison" that Killmaster sent them to, by reversing the effects of the wand (whilst leaving Killmaster behind). Whirl and Tailgate join the others, just as Brainstorm makes a discovery about the pocket prison that makes him happy.

Both versions of Rung explain to Nightbeat, and Team Rodimus respectively (the latter group having stolen the Cog and are using it as a spaceship, heading to Adaptica by the way) about their discoveries of their true functions, to create photonic crystals, which shocks everyone, showing them that the Silver Harvest by Nova Prime, and the process of Cold Construction was possibly pre-ordained by Primus after all. The Functionist Rung goes on to explain that the Council was using him to create thousands of crystals for their future plans...

Functionist Rung explains that the Functionist Council had decided that their own functions was for Functionism itself, and planned to go on a crusade across the universe, destroying everything that had no purpose according to Primus, leaving everyone on a sour note.

Rodimus receives a call from Brainstorm, to tell him that Killmaster's wand can be used to send Necroworld back to their home universe. Rodimus is happy, but thinks there's a horrible condition (there normally is) but Brainstorm says that there is no conditions this time, they just need to get back to the planet before the energy burns out. Rodimus tells Rung that they need to head to Luna 2, so they can use it's long range teleporter to get back to the planet, but Rung refuses, since he wants to destroy Luna 2, using the Cog as a battering ram, thus setting back the Council's plans by decades. He refuses to move, and tells Rodimus that he'll have to fight him to get control of the Cog....

In the Medibay of Necroworld, Anode interrupts the surgery on Fangry, following his injuries from Tailgate, looking for Lug, who has gone missing again, however she is shocked when no-one remembers her. She is shown footage of her leaving the Stasis Pod, and shows her alone, and talking to no one. Velocity attributes her see Lug as being a side effect of the Time Sickness, but Anode is determined. She heads to the Monument to the Disappeared, where she finds her name, and not Lug's, leaving her to conclude that she was left to die on Luna 2 by the Necrobot.

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Drift - Car

Megatron - Tank

Minimus Ambus - Minesweeper

Rung - Photonic Crystal Generator

Chromedome - Car

Rewind - Data Slug

Ratchet - Ambulance

Nightbeat - Car

Swerve - Van

Brainstorm - Jet

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Tailgate - Car

Velocity - Race Car

Nautica - Submarine

Kaput

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Skids - Van (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Fangry Under Repairs

Rapidfire - SUV

Killmaster (Mentioned) Left in Pocket Prison by Brainstorm

Anti-Vocationist League

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

Functionist Anode - Bi Plane

AVL Members

Functionist Council Allied

One-of-Twelve- Part of Ornamental Key to Vector Sigma

Two-of-Twelve- Part of Ornamental Key to Vector Sigma

Three-of-Twelve- Part of Ornamental Key to Vector Sigma

Four-of-Twelve- Part of Ornamental Key to Vector Sigma

Five-of-Twelve- Part of Ornamental Key to Vector Sigma

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

Seven-of-Twelve- Part of Ornamental Key to Vector Sigma

Eight-of-Twelve- Part of Ornamental Key to Vector Sigma

Ten-of-Twelve- Part of Ornamental Key to Vector Sigma

Eleven-of-Twelve- Part of Ornamental Key to Vector Sigma

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

50 Functionary Guards Defeated by Team Rodimus

Sweep (Flashback)

Other Cybertronian

Functionist Rung - Photonic Crystal Generator

Cyclonus - Jet

Ten

Terminus - Mining Vehicle

Roller - Truck

Anode - Bi Plane

Vector Sigma

Adaptus (Statue Only)

Lug - Backpack Equipment (Mentioned) Seemingly Died before Anode's Time Jump

Necrobot (Mentioned) Dead

Functionist Orion Pax - Truck (Mentioned) Location Unknown

Primus (Mentioned)

Mortilus (Mentioned)

Nova Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

The Primal Vanguard (Mentioned) Defunct

Notes

• Rung retired as a psychiatrist after the Sunder incident at the end of More Than Meets The Eye, following the revelation that he broke patient-doctor protocols in the past.
• Rodimus held the Matrix during the Space Opera storyline from the Costa Ongoing series, until he returned it to Optimus upon returning to Earth in time for the Chaos event.
• Rung's "Word" to the Functionist Council, by referring to them as ornaments and useless are direct references to how he was referred to by them and others due to his seemingly useless alternate mode. With the revelation that their combined mode as the Key to Vector Sigma being actually just ornamental and not actually needed to access the super computer.
• Roller brings up a good point that I've been wondering about, where is Orion Pax in the Functionist Universe? He and Megatron determine that he has probably died due to his heroic personality, but wouldn't it be really messed up if he was on the Functionist Council's side in this reality? Either that, or he'll turn up in an epilogue to this storyline finding the Matrix and becoming Optimus Prime here too.
• As previously assumed, Killmaster IS the key to getting Rodimus' team and Necroworld back to the normal Hasbroverse, but it's confirmed that it's due to his pocket prison being in the Hasbroverse, giving them a back door home.
• Just as an added insult, this means that Killmaster, a lowly Decepticon sort-of scientist is able to create technology that gets past the Shroud created by Nexus Prime to keep the Multiverse separate...good job there!
• Rung's original function is finally revealed, he was born to create photonic crystals, which are critical to holding spark energy for the Cold Construction process, meaning that by the logic of the Functionist Council, that means that Cold Construction is ordained by Primus himself. He re-learned his role when he "vomited" up a crystal when mourning for Skids, as seen at the start of the series.
• So...Lug was just a figment of Anode's imagination all this series so far! It's attributed to time sickness, but since she already got written off as not having time sickness by Velocity, maybe she should sue for malpractice? However, since the Necrobot kept detailed records on all deaths, I'll guess that there's no record of Lug's death either, giving us another series long bot-hunt.
• Terminus out-right brings up the idea that he and Megatron should remain in the Functionist Universe and help them fight the Functionists, but Megatron still wants to return home, so he can face his judgement.
• The Functionist Council's new scheme was to use the sparks procured from Vector Sigma, and stored within Rung's crystals to create a massive army to conquer the universe, and eradicate anyone who isn't seen with a role created by Primus, aka, everyone who isn't Cybertronian.
• Rewind accidentally created this universe when he almost killed Megatron at the time of his creation, creating a splinter universe where Decepticons were never formed and the Universe was kept safe from Cybertronian wars. It's revealed here that this actually only postponed the horror against the rest of the Universe, and the Functionists would have ended up attacking the Universe themselves
• Tailgate and Whirl's conversation about Whirl's "love story" isn't shown here, but it does seem to leave Tailgate a little kinder than he has been lately.

IDW - Till All Are One #9

Title: Heavy

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Joana LaFuente and Sara Pitre-Durocher

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Starscream acts as judge in the case against the Badgeless officer who was accused of killing a Decepticon just before the Bruticus incident. The officer insists that he is innocent and that his now missing partner was the one who killed him. Starscream internally admits to himself that he believes him, as Onslaught probably framed him as part of his grand plan. Starscream is unable to concentrate on the case however, as so many more important things are happening right now, most of all the repair of the city following the battle with the Titans. Rattrap interrupts the trial, with a message for Starscream, so he calls for a recess.

Rattrap shows Starscream news footage of Elita claiming that she volunteered her Titan to take down the others, and is martyring herself and him as the heroes of the battle, prompting Starscream to call for her to join him in a meeting.

Starscream soon arrives at the Council chamber, where the Mistress of Flame is waiting for him, he agrees to speak with her after the meeting, so long as she acts as Caminus' representative during this meeting, since Windblade is still in a bad shape.

Shortly afterwards, Elita arrives, and the Council ask her to explain her actions, and how she could have hidden Maximo's presence from them. She exposits about how Maximo excelled in manipulating others, and eventually caused the war between the tribes by having Megatronus kill Solus, due to this, both Maximo and Vigilem were tried and imprisoned as Carcer and within that ship, and his followers, hoping to repent for his actions, acted as his jailers ever since.

Elita winds up blaming Windblade for releasing Maximo, due to her melding with Vigilem's mind, which the others claim to have been to save Cybertron. Unfortunately, Elita points out that Maximo is going to return to Cybertron for revenge, and this reprieve is just brief. She suggests that Cybertron and the colonies need to be united, and fortified, regardless of who leads them. She also suggests that no one reveal that Maximo has been released, otherwise it would cause panic across all of Cybertron, and just hurt them in the long run. She leaves, as she continues her work to repair "Carcer" back to his space craft mode.

The councillors are split on the decision of whether to accept Elita's plan to keep Maximo's existence a secret, and Starscream is forced to make the deciding vote, he asks for a moment to consider it. The other councillors leave, except for the Mistress of Flame, who requests that Chromia be handed over to her as a prisoner of war, when Starscream refuses, she demands that Menasor and Swindle be handed to her instead, since they directly attacked Caminus. Starscream is left alone, and is having a break-down due to all the hard decisions he has to make, since he knows all of them will have bad repercussions in the end. Bumblebee's "ghost" tells him that he knows what is right, and will do everything that he knows should be done for the sake of Cybertron.

Starscream returns to the court, where he immediately declares the Badgeless officer guilty, despite him knowing it to be wrong. he soon makes his way to the prison, where he releases Chromia to the custody of the Mistress of Flame, banishing her from the planet. He tasks her with killing Liege Maximo as a condition for her release, and also admits that he doesn't want her to turn out bad like he did, so he's giving her another chance to do right....

Characters

Autobot

Chromia - Speedbike

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet Status Unknown

Metroplex - Iacon City/Space Shuttle Being Repaired

Bumblebee - Car (Ghost)

Ironhide - Van (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Swindle - Van (Mentioned)

Onslaught - Missile Truck (Mentioned)

Menasor - Stunticon Gestalt (Mentioned)

Drunk Decepticon (Mentioned) Dead

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Circuit

Longtooth

Badgeless Officer Found Guilty of Murder

Badgeless' Partner (Mentioned) Missing

Officer's Solicitor

Court Prosecutor

Court Audience

Iacon Residents

Colonist

Mistress of Flame

Elita One

Moonracer - Sports Car

Tigatron - Tiger

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Lightbright

Various Cityspeakers

Obsidian - Stealth Osprey Helicopter (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Titan Swarm Dead

Vigilem - Carcer Spaceship Dead

Prima (Flashback)

Vector Prime (Flashback)

Alpha Trion (Flashback)

Amalgamous Prime (Flashback)

Solus Prime (Flashback) Killed by Megatronus

Micronus Prime (Flashback)

Alchemist Prime (Flashback)

Quintus Prime (Flashback)

Onyx Prime (Flashback)

Nexus Prime (Flashback)

Liege Maximo (Flashback)

The Arisen (Flashback)

Megatronus (Flashback)

Liege Maximo's Followers (Flashback)

Notes

• The trial for the murder of the Decepticon from the start of this series is actually begun and resolved in this issue! That was a swift resolution!
• Windblade's condition in this issue makes it sound like she died, but we know from the Optimus Prime series that she is just injured
• Just a thought. Since the Titan Swarm is dead, and they could all turn into cities or at least large space craft, couldn't the Cybertronians force them into their alternate modes and use them as the basis for several new settlements on Cybertron? Make it actually look like a rebuilt planet and everything.
• Only the team who went to Carcer, along with Starscream and the Mistress of Flame are present at the meeting with Elita One. Implying that not even everyone on the Council have been made aware of Carcer's true identity, or Liege Maximo's return.
• Oh and let me fanboy a little bit here....THE THIRTEEN FINALLY GET A FULL REVEAL IN IDW!! BWAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!
• As has been shown so far in this continuity, the designs of the members are heavily influenced by their Aligned continuity counterparts as seen in the Covenant of Primus book. The only member who is obscured is "The Arisen" who's identity is currently unknown in IDW, but in Aligned it was Optimus Prime.
• The events that showed that Maximo manipulated Megatronus into killing Solus, and her death are direct parallels with Aligned, with the only main difference being that there are other Cybertronians during this period of time, instead of just being the Thirteen as it was in Aligned.
• The crew of Carcer's vow to never lie is born from their heritage as Maximo's people, as they don't want to be responsible for something horrible like Maximo was.
• Though not outright said, Elita's fears that someone on Cybertron may have tried to use Maximo to gain power was likely directed at Starscream, considering his manipulative nature.
• Despite how neither have really worked for him before, Starscream has plans to have Menasor and Bruticus fight for him to "defend" Cybertron in case of a future battle.
• It may seem odd that the Mistress of Flame doesn't mention anything when Starscream tasks Chromia with hunting down and killing Liege Maximo, since Caminus is all about adoring all the Primes, however just remember that he WAS the one who caused the events that killed the founder of Caminus' culture, Solus Prime. So it can be excused
• Elita mentions that Kaon needs to be brought back on line, we last saw that Kaon was somehow partially restored in the Titans Return one shot, and Windblade even asked if the city was a Titan. I'd wager good internet money that "Kaon" is actually Trypticon, who is also an upcoming Titans Return toy.

IDW - Optimus Prime #6

Title: New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Kei Zama

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Four Million Years ago, Orion Pax and Prowl bust into the arms deal, leading to the Decepticons assuming that Jetfire betrayed them (correctly though). Orion kills one of the goons, and chases after Needlenose and Horri-Bull, but one of the other goons are about to kill them, until Jetfire shoots him, killing him, essentially switching sides to the Autobots. The Autobots plan to take the weapons into custody for evidence, but they explode, destroying the evidence.

Nearby, Starscream witnesses the explosion, and Soundwave bemoans him for going against the Decepticon way, however Starscream counters that Megatron agrees with him that the ends justify the means, and this incident will help them out in the long run, giving Soundwave something to think about.

Later, the Autobots are clearing up after the battle, and Jetfire officially asks to join Orion's team, and leaves Orion certain that the Decepticons are just villains, and not freedom fighters, who are even willing to destroy their own troops. Nearby, Horri-Bull and Needlenose emerge from a tunnel, where they immediately confront Soundwave over the detonation, which Soundwave attributes to the Autobots, to try and cause problems within the Decepticons, taking Starscream's words to heart.

Today, Rumble and Frenzy are about to give up and die against the Sharkticons, but are shocked when they suddenly leave without eating them. The duo start to leave the ship when they come across Arcee still facing down Wreck-Gar, not trusting the Junkion's patriarch still.

Outside, Aileron and the others are evacuating the human delegates, and they rendezvous with GI Joe down below, all whilst the Junkions and Autobots continue their battle. With the Sharkticons leaving their battles across the planet, the fighting forces of Earth start heading towards the Matterhorn to join the battle against the Junkions. Thundercracker asks Marissa why she isn't joining the battle too, and she responds that she doesn't see the point, since fighting the Transformers is needless since they just destroy everything they touch.

Arcee tries killing Wreck-Gar to get ahold of the Positron Core without any strings attached, but soon realises her folly when the Sharkticons bust in, soon followed by the Autobots, risking the safety of the core. The Autobots want Optimus to kill the Junkion leaders like he did with Galvatron, which seems to make Optimus realise how he is being seen by his troops. Unfortunately someone fires a shot, and hits the Positron Core detonates, causing Wreck-Gar to be reduced to a (still living) head, and the core is gone, leaving everyone devastated.

Seeing the damage, and how the Autobots now see him, Optimus calls for a cease-fire, and opens his chest to reveal a shining Matrix, he speaks as the Prime, and offers a truce between the Cybertronians, Junkions and Sharkticons, so they can all help eachother, rather than needlessly fight. Rum-Maj agrees, and the fighting ends, with the Sharkticons no longer slaves to the Junkions. Jetfire is glad to see his old friend finally making a good decision again

Marissa arrives with Thuderwing, and says that she has an idea for how to solve all the Transformer's problems...

In Mexico City, Jazz is told by his new human "friend" that she works for a TV station, and her bosses want him to come onto a show for them to explain what being a Cybertronian truly means, which he is happy to do.

One week later, the Cybertronains, Junkions and Sharkticons are working together to convert Bikini Atoll, the former EDC HQ, into a colony island for them to use, and everything seems to be going good for once...except for Arcee, she sits weeping in the medi-bay, having lost the only thing that could have saved Sideswipe's life.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab

Arcee - Sports Car

Jazz - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Pyra Magna - Emergency Vehicle

Victorion - Torchebearer Gestalt

Metrotitan - Autobot City

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Bump - Armadillo

Gimlet - Lobster

Roulette - Muscle Car

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Slide - Rear of Oil Tanker

Oiler - Front of Oil Tanker Dead

Sideswipe - Sports Car Dying in Stasis Pod

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Flashback)

Outback - Van (Flashback)

Cosmos - Orbiter (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Rumble - Motorcycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Flashback)

Horri-Bull (Flashback)

Needlenose - Fighter Jet (Flashback)

Needlenose'sGoons (Flashback) Killed by Orion Pax and Jetfire

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Galvatron - Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Hefter - Forklift Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Junkion

Wreck-Gar

Rum-Maj

Sharkticons - Sharks

Junkion Troops

Other Cybertronian

D.O.C.

Primus (Mentioned)

GI Joe

Talon

Flint

Chameleon

Scarlett (Mentioned)

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Madam President

Mr President

Other World Leaders

Jazz's "Friend"

Jazz's "Friend's" Boss (Mentioned)

Other

Buster the Dog

Notes

• Turns out Rumble and Frenzy have been fighting off the Sharkticons since the last time we saw them, and all they lost was one of Rumble's arm...BADASS!
• You know Arcee, funny thing is, if you'd have trusted Wreck-Gar and let him give you the Positron Core, then it wouldn't likely have been destroyed and Sideswipe would be fine right now.
• Uh oh. Marissa is doing the whole "They're all bad, including my friends" thing. This'll cause a rift between her and Thudnercracker down the line!
• We now learn why we've been seeing the story of Hefter's murder case alongside this event, it's conclusion parallels the end of the battle with the Junkions, with Optimus taking the more peaceful and trusting route this time, rather than him simply killing the Decepticons in the past, showing his progress as a person, and even showing that he feels remorse for his recent violent ways, such as annexing Earth and executing Galvatron.
• LOOK! Metrotitan has an Autobot insignia on his chest when he is putting down the Junkion's ship. So I guess he is an Autobot after all?
• The mystery of the job of Jazz's new human "friend" is revealed...she works for a TV company...THRILLING!
• Bikini Atoll was left abandoned following it's liberation from the Dire Wraiths during the GI Joe Revolution one shot, and now it's being renovated as a refugee camp/colony city for the Transformers to use. This seems like a very obvious solution that I'm shocked that no-one other than Marissa had even considered...ie, let the Autobots stay on an island somewhere and become a sovereign nation of sorts.

IDW - Micronauts: Wrath of Karza #1

Written by: Cullen Bunn and Jimmy Johnston

Art by: Andrew Griffith and Ron Joseph

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Assistant Editor: David Mariotte

Editor: David Hedgecock

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Meanwhile, in Microspace, Karza meets with his wife Shazraella, and recounts to her how he travelled to Earth and lost to the combined might of the forces of the planet's protectors, but they seem confident that Karza will succeed THIS time, due to him not being alone this time.

Karza explains that during his time in the Entropy Cloud, he witnessed several of his own lifespans all at once, and found that the species living in there are living out of sync with the rest of reality, being from various points in time. He also confirms that the Time Travelers accidentally created the Entropy Cloud when they tried, and failed to Enerchange with time itself, but also led to him finding Micronus Prime, the creator of their universe, at the centre of it.

The MASK team head to Ferren Woods, a small settlement in the middle of nowhere to meet with a contact of Brad Turner's, but soon discover that he isn't there. As they begin to leave however, they discover that their masks and vehicles aren't working together properly any more, only barely noticing a large "bug" leaving their vehicles...

Scarlett's GI Joe team arrive at a cottage near Aberdeen, where they break in and find a small group of Dire Wraiths hiding out, they are soon taken down, but before the Joes can head off further, Skywarp is attacked by a small drone, and is forced to shut down to auto-repair, causing the team to take shelter and wait for his repairs to complete.

A small team of Autobots head to the former site of Autobot City in Monument Valley, where they argue about why Optimus is bothering to seek atonement from the humans for what was partially their own fault with the Ore-13 causing problems during the Revolution. Optimus reveals that he has detected a disturbance in space-time here, which he has been monitoring since the incident and received a signal recently. He determines that this must just be a mistake, and plans to leave, only for them to be defeated easily but a giant Karza, who has Enerchanged with Micronus Prime's inert body.

Karza returns to Microspace again, and admits to his wife that every time he combines with Micronus, he feels a part of himself getting lost too, despite all the knowledge he is gaining about the Cybertronians and others through it, and so, despite the difficulties he still plans to lead the army on Earth, to conquer it for Microspace to use as a new home, due to their own universe being slowly destroyed, however he still has one concern to deal with...Oz's team of Micronauts....

Characters

Micronauts

Oziron Rael

Larissa

Phenolo-Phi

Acroyear

Biotron

Microtron

Other Microspace Denizens

Baron Kazra

Shazraella

Ministry of Defense Army

Baron Daegon (Flashback) Defeated

Doomed Microspace Denizens (Flashback)

The Reptos (Flashback) Trapped in Entropy Cloud

Alternate Versions of Baron Karza (Flashback)

Time Travelers (Flashback)

Ministry of Science (Mentioned) Defeated

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab Defeated by Baron Karza

Arcee - Sports Car Defeated by Baron Karza

Jazz - Sports Car Defeated by Baron Karza

M.A.S.K.

Matt Trakker/Spectrum

Julio Lopez/Gulliver

Brad Turner/Eclipse

Gloria Baker/Aura

G.I. Joe

Skywarp - Fighter Jet Defeated by Baron Karza's Troops

Scarlett

Snake Eyes

Rock 'n' Roll

Grand Slam (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

Micronus Prime Near Death

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Other

Old Mitch

Two Dire Wraiths Killed by GI Joe

Rom the Space Knight (Flashback)

Mitch the Butcher (Mentioned)

Rodrigo Gutierrez (Mentioned)

Notes

• This comic continues on from the recently seemingly concluded Micronauts comic line...hopefully it'll continue on after this storyline though
• Despite being shown in the flashback, Karza doesn't seem to consider Rom or the Space Knights a threat to his plans so he doesn't send his troops after any of them.
• The crater that Optimus visits in this issue was the former location of Autobot City, before Metrotitan took to the air to keep them mobile and to get away from the Ore-13 and Spacebridge explosion.
• So...turns out Micronus Prime may be larger than the regular Transformers, judging by the Enerchanged version of him with Karza, despite him being the original Mini-Con, aka, a tiny robot.
• Karza mentions that he now has some of Micronus' memories after Enerchanging with him, and likens him to a god for the Transformers, but without any mention of the OTHER twelve Primes
• Karza's army is comprised of some Acroyears, Giant Acroyears, Biotrons and several animal themed vehicles...following the revelation of the new breed of Acroyear being fully mechanical, I think his army is made up fully of machines
• Still no confirmation yet on if Baron Daegon was killed by Karza or not.

Sig Pub - Robots in Disguise #19

Notes

• The free gifts for this issue are actually pretty good. As well as the normal crappy figure and some stickers, we got a nice Optimus Prime keychain and a sample DVD of two episodes from RID!
• The screen-cap comic reprint this month is Battlegrounds part two, aka the Season One finale
• The Shadow Search section includes an image of Overload's alternate mode, that appears to be now a monster truck instead of a tank. Maybe this is foreshadowing to a new toy/character model coming up?

Features

Decepticon Deceits - Use your knowledge of the series to figure out a lie from a group of statements!

Battle of the Bots - Optimus vs Steeljaw profile

Bumblebee Sudoku - Play Sudoku with Bumblebee pictures! (If you don't understand Sudoku, just skip it!)

Finish Fixit - Colour and puzzle with Fixit!

Draw Sideswipe - Take a wild guess!

Devious Decepticon - Various Decepticon themed puzzles

Battle On! Poster - Poster featuring Optimus and Megatronus

Comic Investigator - Answer questions regarding  the comic

Odd Decepticons Out - Spot the difference!

Name Game - Show Optimus the way out of a maze, using only tiles that spell his name

Puzzling Prizes - Solve some puzzles, then enter a contest for some figures!

Observation Test Spot the difference again!

Drift Dilemma - Find all the different pictures of Drift!

Transformers Post - Fixit looks at your pitiful human art work!

Shadow Search - Identify which Decepticons are in shadow, based on their alt modes