IDW - First Strike #1

First Strike

Written by: Mairghread Scott & David A Rodriguez

Art by: Max Dunbar

Colours by: Ander Zarate

Letters by: Tom B Long

Assistant Editor: David Mariotte

Editor: David Hedgecock

Publisher: Ted Adams

The Origins of Evil

Written by: John Barber

Pencils by: Netho Diaz

Inks by: Walden Wong

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Plot

First Strike

Following the annexation of Earth by Optimus Prime, the Earth has been busy in debates, but the day has finally come for the Earth to be officially brought into the Council of Worlds. Marissa Faireborn has been named the Earth's representative, and she, amongst many other humans, including a GI Joe team are on Cybertron for the signing. The event is being broadcast to Earth through the open spacebridge and all over Cybertron. The guests, Cybertronian and human alike are being interviewed on camera by Circuit of Iacon, and Hashtag of GI Joe.

In the Lemuria base on Earth, Scarlett's GI Joe team are watching the event on the news, and debate about who looks the best. Scarlett however is a little worried since this is a massive event, and they are stuck on Earth, however she is made to cheer up from the rest of the team. They all fall silent as Starscream is about to address everyone from Cybertron, when a large explosion goes off just in front of him.

Back on Cybertron, the crowd is in chaos, the VIP's, including Starscream and Marissa are led towards the Spire for safety, whilst the Joes Cybertronians arm up for the oncoming fight.

Windblade approaches a still individual to get him to move to safety, but is shocked when he expels a swarm of Red Shadow Ninjas. Windblade escapes from them and reports the Trojan-robots to Ironhide. Elsewhere, the other Trojans open up and the troops of Baron Ironblood and his alliance spill out, and start attacking the non-combatant Transformers, ensuring to allow the news reporters to get this all on video.

Starscream and the others decide to trap the intruders on Cybertron, and also stop anyone else from arriving on the planet, by having the Spacebridge shut down. In the process the news broadcast is cut off, leaving the Earth-team in the dark on what is happening.

The Earth team jump to action to find out what is happening, with Scarlett being worried due to the recent revelation of Baron Ironblood being Joe Colton, their team's name-sake and founder, and after analysing the footage from Cybertron, they also notice Storm Shadow and Destro amongst him, two known Cobra members and noted criminals. Scarlett decides to lead a mission to one of Ironblood's facilities to investigate it and see what is really going on with Colton.

The team head to the Swiss Alps where they break into a facility, and are forced to fight a bunch of Iron Grenadiers, leading the Joes to really question Colton's true allegiances, due to them being part of Cobra's forces.

The group make their way through the facility, until they locate Colton's office, in fact it is a replica f Colton's original office, and knowing the layout, Scarlett locates a hidden area, and opens a case with a letter inside, both activated by her fingerprints, and address to her.

Scarlett reads the letter, which explains that Humans have no real chance against Cybertronians, and he believes that their current era of peace will not last, and that he is attacking Cybertron and making his new alliance to stop them from dragging Earth into the future war by destroying the species all together, and asks Scarlett to think about that before she comes to stop him...

The Origins of Evil

Part One: Redcliffe Club

Months ago, Joe Colton meets with Doctor X in the Redcliffe Club in London, where she has just had the Geddis Brothers and their goons all killed by herself and Storm Shadow. Colton wants them to join his new team, since Doctor X helped to stop England from being damaged during the Decepticon Occupation.

Doctor X has the Red Shadows attack Colton, but Colton manages to ward them off by disabling Storm Shadow with his new electronic arm. Doctor X is interested in the alliance, but has no interest in going to Cybertron herself, but IS willing to help him with his plans on Earth....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Arcee - Sports Car

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Ironhide - Van

Metroplex - Part of Iacon City

Decepticon

Onslaught - Anti-Missile Tank

Vortex - Helicopter

Brawl - Tank

Waspinator - Wasp

Soundwave - Cassette Player (Flashback)

Megatron - Gun (Flashback)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Circuit

Longtooth

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Antagony - Ant

Lightbright

Cybertronian Crowd

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Council of Worlds (Mentioned)

Earth Defense Command (Mentioned) Defunct

GI Joe

Scarlett

Lady Jaye

Roadblock

Quick Kick

Doc

Dial-Tone

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Flint

Spike

Talon

Hashtag/Aruna Singh

Chameleon (Mentioned)

Mainframe (Mentioned)

High-Tech (Mentioned)

Ironblood's Alliance

Baron Ironblood/Joe Colton

Destro

Storm Shadow

Buzzer

Ripper

Red Shadows

Iron Grenadiers

Doctor X/Mercy Gale (Origins of Evil Only)

Garrison Kreiger/Blitz (Mentioned)

Other Human

Marissa Faireborn

Human Crowd

Phil Geddis Killed by Doctor X and Storm Shadow (Origins of Evil Only)

Jim Geddis Killed by Doctor X and Storm Shadow (Origins of Evil Only)

Geddis Bros Goons Killed by Doctor X and Storm Shadow (Origins of Evil Only)

Barber, the Designer (Mentioned)

Action Man Programme (Mentioned)

British Secret Intelligence Service (Mentioned)

Notes

• This is the second Hasbro-verse crossover following last year's Revolution. The backdrop for this plot has been building up with the Revolutionaries and Optimus Prime comic series, with the Talisman plot being followed in the former, and the Earth's position in the Council of Worlds being in the latter.
• Amongst the crowds on Cybertron is an insect-looking figure, whom most people are assuming is the Beast Era character Antagony. Judging from some preview images shown, with Shazraella having a large insectoid body, it is likely that she'll be Enerchanged with her some time soon.
• The team of Joes on the Lemuria on Earth are the main characters for the current GI Joe comic series, which isn't covered on this blog. Their base was Galvatron's Decepticon Shuttle originally.
• The team of Joes on Cybertron are the ones commonly shown in the Optimus Prime comic series.
• The air on Cybertron is apparently not suitable for Humans, with Metroplex pumping air into a forcefielded area around Iacon.
• Windblade was released from her coma in Till All Are One #12, released the same day as this comic.
• The Origins of Evil comic shows Doctor X and Ironblood joining forces, and is likely to show his union with the other villains.
• The Geddis brothers in this comic are based on the same characters from the G1 cartoon, where they were just villains who were defeated rather than killed like they are here.
• Colton's missing hand following his Dire Wraith attack has been replaced by a technological one that can emit electricity and short-circuit robotics.