IDW - Optimus Prime #12

Title: Primeless Part 2

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Thundercracker and Buster arrive at Sanctuary Station where he finds Cosmos and the resident Decepticons all present, however Cosmos takes a headcount and finds that two shuttles are gone, one is accounted for, but the other is just gone...making everyone wonder who could have taken it...

In Mexico, Jazz is cornered by a bunch of humans with EDC weapons. The Colonists rush the scene to both protect Jazz and disarm the humans. They manage to scare off a bunch of the humans, and even capture some of their weapons, whilst also capturing one of their attackers too.

Jazz soon leads the Colonists across the border back into America where they are being led to the weapons dealers by their captive, where they wind up in a seemingly abandoned town.

Jazz gets the human to fetch the dealers, which he does, before escaping. The dealers begin to panic as the Transformers reveal themselves, with Jazz even crushing one of them...to reveal that he is actually a holomatter avatar, as Jazz had already figured out. The two avatars fade away and the Transformers tear apart the town, managing to find the weapons cache.

Soon a pair of motorcycles speed away, only to be stopped by Aileron, forcing the duo to reveal themselves to be Rumble and Frenzy, who surrender.

The team soon learn that Rumble and Frenzy have been supplying humans with ex-EDC weapons for money and out of boredom. Jazz asks if Optimus sent the Colonists after him, which Aileron denies, but suggests that Optimus would be glad to see him again. Jazz however isn't happy and feels that Optimus left him out to dry when he returned to Cybertron instead of helping him when he was ambushed before.

Soon another problem occurs to the group, if they arrest the Decepticons for their illegal weapons dealings, then the other Decepticons might get angry, and due to their current uneasy peace, it might be wise to just let them go unpunished. Slide is furious, and she knows that Optimus would suggest the same thing and sweep all these troubles under the carpet.

Jazz decides to stay on his own on Earth for a while and heads off, all whilst Slide continues to egg on Aileron and her duties...the Decepticons are happy to be let go though!

The Colonists return to Autobot City with most of the weapons, and tell Jetfire where the rest are for pick up, and are told that Soundwave ha left for Castle Destro. Aileron heads off to her room for some rest...but cannot settle down or sleep after today's events....

Characters

Autobot

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Jazz - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Metrotitan - Autobot City

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Arcee - Sports Car (Mentioned)

Kup - Pick Up Truck (Mentioned)

Tracks - Muscle Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Rumble - Motorcycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Sky-Byte - Shark

Laserbeak - Cassette

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Fighter Jet

Squawkbox

Unidentified Decepticon

Soundwave - Cassette Player (Mentioned)

Galvatron - Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Acid Storm - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Squeezeplay - Crab Monster (Mentioned)

The Seekers (Mentioned) Defunct

Colonist

Slide - Rear of Oil Tanker

Gimlet - Lobster

Bump - Armadillo

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Roulette - Muscle Car

Mistress of Flame (Mentioned)

Sterling - Car (Mentioned) Dead

Oiler - Front of Oil Tanker (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Cosmos - Orbiter

Primus (Mentioned)

Council of Worlds (Mentioned)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Junkions (Mentioned)

Human

Russell Hathaway

Patricia Heaton

Leon Weaver

Mateo Chavez

Lori Ho

Earl Howard

Mexican Vigilantes

Madame President (Mentioned)

Earth Defence Command (Mentioned) Defunct

Skywatch (Mentioned) Defunct

GI Joe (Mentioned)

United Nations (Mentioned)

Destro (Mentioned)

John Powell (Mentioned) Dead

Other

Buster the Dog

Notes

• Shockingly this issue isn't drawn by Kei Zama but rather Andrew Griffith, the original artist for the Robots in Disguise series, which this series is the successor to. He is really good at emulating her style!
• Cosmos' subtitle in this issue is "Autobot Ally" implying that he has left the faction following his previous appearance in the series.
• The two weapons dealers that Rumble and Frenzy are posing as use the likeness of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction.
• And lo and behold it is revealed that the guys involved in spreading EDC weapons to the humans were Rumble and Frenzy all along...they are jerks!
• Jazz seems under the impression that Optimus just left him to fend for himself when he was ambushed by GI Joe....did he forget that Optimus sent him a warning?! I know most others wont know about that, but surely Jazz would!
• Midnight Express claims that the colonies can do well by themselves....uh...bullshit? You are from Caminus, a colony that was on the verge of death due to a lack of resources. It got so bad you sent random teams into space to hope to find Cybertron....
• Metrotitan/Autobot City is shown to be at the Arctic Circle by the end of this issue. This was where we found it when GI Joe came to ask Soundwave for help in the main First Strike story.
• From the Colonist's interview panels it seems like Slide has developed a two-faced personality and is talking up Optimus in public, but sowing seeds of doubt behind the scenes...sounds sort of like her apparent idol Pyra Magna...