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.