IDW - Transformers vs Visionaries #2

Title: Cybertron No More

Written by: Magdalene Visaggio

Art by: Fico Ossio

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Lettered by: Shawn Lee

Edited by: Sarah Gaydos & David Mariotte

Published by: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Ironhide races out of New Prysmos to alert the rest of his team of Virulina's murder of Kup, whilst Virulina races towards Merklynn's prison to free him, followed by Leoric, protesting what she has just done. Inside the cage, Leoric is horrified to see that Merklynn has also killed his guards using some magic he has managed to tap into, and leaves as Virulina heads to the balcony and declares that they can kill the Cybertronians and will take their planet to the people below, showing Kup's dead and severed head as proof.

Leoric soon calls a meeting of the Spectral Knights at their fortress, where they agree that they cannot take a world that is already inhabited, so they must fight the Darkling Lords, despite this leading to a war that will hurt their already lowered population.

Soon, the Darkling Lords have headed to the three pillars that generate the shield that keeps the Prysmosians inside their city, and prepare to destroy them, with the civilians of the city watching. The Spectral Knights arrive and fight off the Lords, seemingly winning in their fights, until the civilians turn against the Spectral Knights, telling them that they want to follow the Darkling Lords now.

Before long, the pillars are destroyed, and Virulina and Merklynn gloat over their impending victory. Leoric arrives behind them to battle Virulina, but she manages to overpower him, and he is forced to retreat with the others

Ironhide returns to Wheeljack's lab where he informs them of Kup's death, when Wheeljack gives him more bad news. When the Talisman reaches the planet's core it will taint all the Energon left in it, and turn all Cybertronians on the planet to dust, just like Kup, and it will hit in less than two days. Things look dark, until Leoric and the Spectral Knights arrive behind him.

Kup instinctively calls for them to be detained, but Leoric explains what just happened in the city, and explains that they do not agree with Virulina and want to help to stop the Talisman. Ironhide agrees to team up with them, but warns Leoric against betraying him...

Back in New Prysmos, Virulina is crowned the Chancellor of New Prysmos and vows to a cheering crowd that they will kill all the Cybertronians on the planet and take it for their new world!

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Race Car

Kup - Pick Up Truck (Head Only) Dead

Decepticon

Fat Tankor - Tank

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Breakdown - Armoured Van

Merklynn's Guards Killed by Merklynn

Security Force Members

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Spectral Knight

Leoric

Galadria

Arzon

Witterquick

Ectar

Darkling Lord

Virulina

Cindarr

Cravex

Lexor

Darkstorm (Mentioned)

Other Prysmosian

Merklynn

New Prysmosians

Notes

• Umm...Ironhide...maybe you should mention to Tankor about the killer organics inside the city he is guarding, rather than just ignoring him as you ram out of the city?
• So...the entire premise of this issue is that the Darkling Lords and the people of New Prysmos want the shield erected by the Cybertronians torn down so they can leave, but the Cybertronians didn't create the shield...Merklynn did. This only works if they created a second shield some time, or Merklynn has been lying about it's origins for some reason.
• Despite his name-drop last issue, Cryotek isn't amongst the Spectral Knights during their meeting or exile from New Prysmos.
• We get our first glimpses of the Visionary animal totems here. The animal forms are summoned from staffs, which are now possessed by all the Visionaries, rather than coming from their chest emblems, with the staffs being used for alternate magical spirits.
• On another note, the Spectral Knights retain their classic blue colouring, whilst the Darling Lords have been changed to purple. This is most likely to help differentiate the colours blue and green are quite similar, especially when they are lightly coloured.
• Despite the images on the totems being based on their traditional appearances the animal forms are now altered (most likely to resemble Prysmosian animals instead of Earth animals). These changes include a four eyes shark, a tusked lion and a horned dolphin.
• It takes all issue for Ironhide to reach Iacon to inform Wheeljack of what happened to Kup, but the Spectral Knights arrive just after him, having held their meeting and battle with the Darkling Lords in the process...maybe they can time travel?
• So....I know Metroplex pumped a breathable atmosphere into Iacon for the humans during First Strike...but how can the Prysmosians be sure that he's kept pumping it into their area since then? Also, what are they going to do when they kill all the Cybertronians? Just live in spacesuits? (And don't say that they happen to be able to breath the same air as what is natural on Cybertron, a planet without organic plant-life and was designed for mechanical life)
• So this story suffers from quite a bad problem so far...the Darkling Lords have the upperhand, and this is issue 2 of 5. Unless something happens to even slightly tip the scales next issue, then this is a very unbalanced series. If something happens to change the scale issue 4 or 5 then it's too late for it story-wise and will be seen just as a deus-ex-machine for our heroes. Maybe they will point out the atmosphere thing next issue or something?