IDW - Optimus Prime #15

Title: The Falling Part 1: Surfeit of Primes

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Kei Zama

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Assistant Editor: David Mariotte

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The Mistress of Flame, having come to speak with Alpha Trion, recounts her mission to Antilla, and reveals that when there, she saw Onyx Prime, and a giant mountain-sized eyeball. One of her crew, Magrada was killed there. and recounts how Praesida was killed by Onyx years later when on Caminus, telling her that Onyx was after her and her friends.

Scoop, now dismissive of believing in "gods" after his experience with Starscream being the "Chosen One" scoffs at the Mistress' story, having been invited there by Alpha Trion as he was the one who unearthed the Dark Cybertron prophecy. Trion suggests that the two of them could learn something from each other, but Mistress has to leave, however she does suggest to Scoop that perhaps his anger is better aimed towards the one who actually betrayed him, rather than the Primes.

The Mistress leaves and heads towards the space bridge where she meets with Windblade, in preparation for a visit from Optimus.

On Earth, Optimus officially opens up an Ore-13 mine along with Marissa and the President with human and Cybertronian workers to help with the rebuilding of Cybertron, whilst also providing jobs for the people of Earth. Some humans are protesting the event as they still hate Cybertronians, and even feel that Joe Colton and his crew (which includes several known terrorists mind you) should be freed.

On Autobot City, above the mine, Arcee hangs out with Aileron, and discusses the new Protoforms on Cybertron, with Arcee looking forward to seeing them develop and hopefully living in peace. The two are interrupted when they notice Slide screaming about Optimus again, and almost spills the cover-up of Frenzy and Rumble smuggling weapons in front of Arcee.

Optimus returns to the city with the first shipment of Ore-13, where Optimus is a bit annoyed with the protestors and is flippant with Pyra when she asks how it went, with him even joking about Pyra being happy they "got the humans to do their bidding", just as Marissa berates him for the poor joke.

Optimus is about to head back to Cybertron, when Aileron arrives dragging Slide with her to explain her attitude to Optimus. She begins to explain things, but Optimus has to leave, but reminds her that they have lost a lot of innocent life in the war, and they should celebrate their lives instead of having them stagnate their own lives. Pyra suggests that Slide and the other Colonists go to the Ore-13 mines to learn what they are trying to do on Earth.

Optimus soon on Cybertron and presents the Ore-13 to the Council of Worlds to use as they please amongst Cybertron and the colonies. The Mistress approaches Optimus to ask him about his past vision on Earth, just after the annexation, but before they can talk the sky suddenly goes dark...

Scoop visits Starscream in his cell, but before they can really do anything Bumblebee's "ghost" tells Starscream that there's a giant eye in the sky!!

Onyx Prime addresses the Council, presenting Liege Maximo as his prisoner to be judged for his crimes, along with anyone else who works against Cybertron. Optimus addressed himself as the defender of Cybertron and it's allies and demands Onyx to speak with him. Onyx agrees, especially since he holds Optimus, as the "Arisen", responsible for Cybertron's fall!

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/"The Arisen" - Truck Cab

Alpha Trion - Shuttle

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Arcee - Sports Car

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Dust Up - Sports Car

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

"Getout" - Dragster Car

Bumblebee - Car ("Ghost" Only)

Autobot Colonist Recruits

Slide - Rear of Oil Tanker

Roulette - Muscle Car

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Bump - Armadillo

Gimlet - Lobster

Oiler - Front of Oil Tanker (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet In Jail

Scoop - Front End Loader

Iaconian Civilians

Beast Horde

Onyx Prime

"Optimus Primal" (Flashback Only)

"Beast Megatron" (Flashback Only)

Other Beasts (Flashback Only)

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Mistress of Flame/Former Matriarch of Incaendium

Liege Maximo Captured by Onyx Prime

Rum-Maj

Wreck-Gar Still Just a Head

Airazor - Eagle

Moonracer - Sports Car

Knock Out - Sports Car

Elita One

Strika - Battle Tank

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Vanquish - Part of Jet

Cybertronian Miners

Sharkticons - Sharks

Praesidia (Flashback Only) Seemingly Killed by Onyx Prime

Magrada (Flashback Only) Seemingly Decapitated by Onyx Prime

Former Mistress of Flame (Mentioned) Dead

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned) 

New Protoforms (Mentioned)

Protoform Sideswipe (Mentioned)

Sterling - Car (Mentioned) Dead

Nova Prime - Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Metalhawk - Jet (Mentioned) Dead

The Old Senate (Mentioned) Defunct

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Madame President

Flint

Chameleon 

Human Miners

Human Protestors 

Joe Colton (Mentioned) Jailed on Cybertron

The Iron Ring (Mentioned) Jailed on Cybertron 

Other

The Solstar Order (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue is set after the Till All Are One Annual, as it features Starscream in jail and Windblade as the leader of the planet. This also means that this issue is set about a month after issue 14 as that was the period of time spent in the Annual
• Okay I know it looks bad, but we don't actually see Onyx kill Magrada here, maybe he was trying to save her from a ninja or something? I just think he may be a secret "good guy".
• So....Caminus' star started to die as Mistress of Flame returned to the colony following the mission to Antilla, and the previous Mistress died as well...does anyone else think she was involved with these "events" too?
• Also...are we going to learn Mistress' real name soon?
• Amongst the Beast Horde are Optimus Primal and Beast Megatron, considering the formers role in the new Power of the Primes toy line, I think they'll get properly introduced in this storyline.
• So...a giant mountain sized eye? I wonder if that is related in some way to Unicron? Well it's either that, or the Triptych Mask is much bigger than expected...
• So the Mistress and Windblade are on better terms now, following their last meeting where the former slapped the latter for heresy.
• In the Ore-13 mine on Earth, one of the workers appears to be Skram, but he died by Sandstorm's hands in Punishment. So I am renaming him Getout here, which was a member of the Maximal Command Security Force that was seemingly based on him.
• Awwww...Arcee looks actually happy when talking to Aileron about the new Protoforms and the new Sideswipe.
• Why is Elita on Cybertron with the Council of Worlds representatives? She's not one of them, and at least Strika is there to represent Carcer.
• Hey...Starscream's cell sure looks quite nice...almost like a hotel room (in fact most hotel rooms I stay in are comparatively smaller than his cell!)
• The hologram of Starscream's "true self" appears to be able to move, as it's in a totally different pose to what it was in the Annual.
• Oh cool! Onyx Prime has captured Liege Maximo...guess someone should call Chromia and her crew and let them know they can come home now huh?
• Onyx appears to confirm that Optimus is the thirteenth Prime "The Arisen", unless he just refers to him as that because he knows that others believe him to be it.
• It's mentioned in this issue about "the last time Liege Maximo attacked Cybertron"....when did this happen? The only thing Maximo has done really is escape from jail, and evade further capture since the end of the Titan Swarm attack.
• Windblade off-handedly jokes that Optimus has annexed the Solstar Order...considering the apparent events of the upcoming Darkest Hour storyline including Unicron attacking Elonia, the HQ of the Solstar Order...maybe he should?