IDW - Lost Light #18

Title: The Everlasting Voices Part 3: You Are Here

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

The majority of the crew have gathered under the giant Matrix in the Afterspark, along with the already dead friends, and prepare to ascend to the next level.

Meanwhile, at Ward Zero inside the temple, Rodimus, Drift and Ratchet are attacked by a group of Omega Guardian throwbacks, when they are joined by Magnus, who helps them take down the stone golems.

Downstairs, Nautica enters the Scavenger's cell, where the group insist that they are in Garrus-9, even pointing out a sign saying so...however Nautica sees the sign as an extract of the Primal Sacrament, also causing everyone else to see both, causing the illusion in the room to shatter, revealing a sign pointing to "M10". The group follow the sign and enter the room, explaining to Nautica where they are...

Now that the Guardians are dead, Ratchet examines the power source in the middle of the room, and believes that the organic aliens are powering it, and that tampering with it may reveal what is happening. Magnus receives a call from, Whirl, who is worried that the rest of the crew are about to die, having seen Nightbeat's previous painful ascension, which Magnus agrees with. Ratchet goes to destroy the power source, but is stopped by Drift, who asks him to consider that this IS the Afterspark, and doing this will damage it, possible sending them out of it forever....Ratchet considers this for a second, then throws a chair through the power source, destabilizing it.

With that, the room, and the temple all-together reshapes into it's true form, a medical suite, and the landscape of the Afterspark, including the giant Matrix starts to disappear too.

Ratchet recognizes the symbols and room as being Mederi, or at least an old facility, namely the original one created by the Omega Guardians millions of years ago, which is powered by telepathic aliens to use their powers to keep a patient happy and content...whilst they are being euthanized!

The group realize that they must have been in range of the artificial moon of Mederi when they abandoned Skip, and were drawn in, repaired for their comfort and placed into a state of artificial reality when they woke up. 

They were made to believe they were in the Afterspark due to Cyclonus' will to be sent there to reunite with Tailgate, leading to them having other past friends appear as well, just at the right time, to help them eventually pass on. Magnus has Whirl relay this discovery to the others, and to give them the chance to say their goodbyes.

The group are about to leave, when Nautica rushes into the room with the Scavengers, carrying the dead body of Axe, a member of the Circle of Light, whom they found inside "Morgue Ten", and she explains that there were hundreds more like him there. Rodimus now understands what has happened, he asks Drift to mark out a map from Cybertron to Mederi for him, revealing that it matches perfectly with their map to Cyberutopia....hey have arrived!

Rodimus goes on to have Drift look up the earliest Cybertronian patients to the facility, from just over 10 million years ago, with atrophosia, a disease like cybercrosis, caused by exposure to organics, causing them to go to the new and advanced Mederi, where upon arriving they are placed into the artificial reality, giving them their deepest wish, a paradise-like Cybertron. They engrave a map to this "Cyberutopia" into the Matrix, held by them, and send it back to Cybertron, hoping others will join them, not realizing that they are just inviting others to be euthanized in the process!

The crew, whilst happy to have closure on their quest, are now also feeling dejected for not having a mission now, and for it to end so mundanely, but they decide to head back to Cybertron...

At the "Ascension Point" the dead friends are slowly fading away, and Cyclonus finally admits his love to Tailgate, who feels like he is about to vanish too, the two embrace as everyone else is feeling terrible about this discovery.

Rodimus and the others arrive, about to tell the rest of the team about the truth of Cyberutopia, but are stopped by Whirl, who wants to give Cyclonus a moment. He approaches him, only top be shocked to see Tailgate still there! Somehow Tailgate is real and was sent to Mederi in the past. The team are happy with this one good ending, and decide to figure out what happened later, so they could at least have this moment....

Unfortunately at that moment, Fulcrum points out something horrible in the skies above Mederi, an army of Sparkeaters raining down on them...but not just Sparkeaters, they are Sparkeaters made from the Lost Light crew!!

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Drift - Car

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Ratchet - Ambulance

Nautica - Submarine

Velocity - Race Car

Swerve - Van

Brainstorm - Jet

Tailgate - Car

Chromedome - Car

Rewind - Data Slug

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Rung - Photon Crystal Generator

Nightbeat - Car Dead

Perceptor - Tank Turned into a Sparkeater

Mainframe Turned into a Sparkeater

Hound - Jeep Turned into a Sparkeater

Hoist - Crane Turned into a Sparkeater

Trailcutter - Van Dead (Mederi Hallucination Only)

Pipes - Truck Dead (Mederi Hallucination Only)

Dominus Ambus - Turbofox Dead (Mederi Hallucination Only)

Original Rewind - Data Slug Dead (Mederi Hallucination Only)

Dealer - Rocket-Launcher Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Misfire - Jet

Krok

Fulcrum - K-Class Bomb

Crankcase - Van

Spinister - Helicopter

Nickel - Rocket Buggy

Skip - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Anode - Bi-Plane

Lug - Backpack Equipment

Roller - Truck

Axe - Jet Dead

Sparkeater Army

Quark - Electron Microscope Dead (Mederi Hallucination Only)

Springarm - Motorcycle Dead (Mederi Hallucination Only)

The Knights of Cybertron (Footage Only) Died of Atrophosia

Titan of the Knights - City/Space Ship (Footage Only)

Mortilus (Mentioned)

The Guiding Hand (Mentioned)

Ten (Mentioned) Dead

The Circle of Light (Mentioned)

Chief Justice Tyrest (Mentioned)

Other

Omega Guardian Throwbacks Defeated by Rodimus, Drift, Ratchet and Magnus

Telepathic Aliens Comatose

Original Omega Guardians (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue marks the end of the "Everlasting Voices" storyline, and resolves a fair few long-lasting plots from the entire series
• This issue seems to hint at a possible budding relationship between Swerve and Velocity, with them subtly holding hands (look at the picture in the Characters section) and their flirty conversation at the start of the issue about how Swerve is better when he is being heartfelt.
• I find it a bit disturbing that Chromedome is holding hands with Dominus Ambus, along with both Rewinds...why is he so touchy with his Conjunx's ex Conjunx?
• Ultra Magnus throwing Rodimus at the Omega Guardian throwbacks seems to be a reference to the "Fastball Special" from the X-Men comics.
• The Mederi centers have been mentioned sporadically throughout Lost Light, but referring to the offshoot branches and not the original one, seen here.
• It's confirmed here that the Scavengers were never sent to Garrus-9, but rather to Mederi, furthering my opinion that the Magnificence is indeed one of the Guiding Hand/Knights of Cybertron, and it sent them to the planet to help out in the upcoming fight.
• So...is the Mederi Moon staffed by actual doctors, or anyone beside the Omega Guardian throwbacks? Otherwise those psychic aliens must have extremely long life-spans.
• Axe was last seen during Drift's original mini-series, as part of the Circle of Light, as mentioned here. This issue implies that he was also part of the team who went to search for the Knights on their own, and evidently "found them"
• The panel where Rodimus declares that they are in Cyberutopia is a direct remake of the scene in MTMTE #1 where he announces the start of the mission itself, bookmarking the journey.
• In the background of the footage of the Knights, we see them leaving a Titan, which we were previously told acted as "chariots" for them in the past. We can tell it's a Titan, and that it seems to match Metroplex's body-type due to the partially visible head, the chest and arm parts being visible and the general silhouette.
• On the banners held by the Knights we see the gear symbol used by the Grand Architect, confirming that the Knights did use the symbols for their "clans"
• Awww Cyclonus finally told Tailagte, the REAL Tailgate that he loves him...cute :)
• So, I'm going to go on a limb here and say that getaway probably used that Sparkeater gun of Brainstorm's on the Lost Light bridge crew or something at some point.
• I would be more upset that Nightbeat has been all but confirmed as dead, or that so many of the Lost Lighters we've grown to love over the years are now Sparkeaters, but since this continuity is ending a couple of months, it just doesn't seem worth it.
• The ending with the Sparkeaters raining down on the team really brings to mind Drift's prophetic dream from issue 1 of Lost Light huh? I mean if we assume that the Grand Architect is assumed, then that would add Worldsweepers to the mix, and add my below thoughts on Pharma being involved, then all we're missing is Grimlock!
• Okay, here's my big theory to answer the questions left over by the crew in this issue. I think that Tyrest and his crew of Pharma and Star Saber caused three of the four unanswered mysteries to happen. Tyrest used a code to make Ten start talking and also sent him the coordinates to send the crew to Mederi, Pharma did some science and made Ratchet start to randomly die, causing the need for Mederi in the first place. Finally, Star Saber may have used a transporter to abduct Tailgate from, Necroworld so he could leave him at Mederi, and cause him to be Euthenized, driving Cyclonus to madness.
• As I mentioned earlier, I believe the Decepticons were sent to Mederi by the Magnificence so they could help Team Rodimus to save the day, because the Magnificence is Epistemus, and wants to either help or stop the leader of the Grand Architect's crew, Adaptus.

IDW - Requiem of the Wreckers

Written by: Nick Roche

Art by: Nick Roche, Geoff Senior and Brendan Cahill

Colours by: Josh Burcham & Josh Perez

Letters by: Shawn Lee & Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Following the events of the Noisemaze, Verity and Springer have remained on Earth, with an array left by Prowl, which allows them to send and receive messages to and from Cybertron, from which they have learned that Kup has died. Springer has arranged a meeting with Impactor to discuss the death of their fallen ally, but Verity is worried about some phantom signals that have been sent from the array in the past. She syncs up the array to a portable device so she can monitor it during their trip, and Springer reminisces on when he first met Impactor...

Springer and Kup were taking down a squad of Decepticons during the war, when Springer impressed Impactor by single-handedly destroying a supply drone, and he invites him to join the Wreckers, which Kup seems to have been expecting...

Back in the present, Springer and Verity head out to meet Impactor, but Springer decides to stay in car mode, rather than his alien helicopter form, so as to not cause any further tensions on the already shaky-relationship between Earth and Cybertron.

Along the way, Springer tries to talk to Verity about them finally locating her long-lost mother, but she interrupts him, asking for a pit-stop at a gas station.

Inside the station, Verity gets some coffee, and lingers at some greetings cards that she'd tempted by, when she suddenly seems Springer being smashed away by a random bulldozer. She tries to give chase, but they are already gone, instead she calls Impactor to let him know what happened...

Verity searches for Springer for the rest of the day, and makes her way to a nearby town, where she comes across a rally for a controversial anti-Cybertronian politician, Megan Guiglione. She isn't interested in her or her cause, so she just gets back in contact with Impactor. Unfortunately at that moment Springer arrives, declaring Megan as an enemy to Cybertron, and shoots her, under the mind-control of Carnivac. Megan however, survives, and is pissed that Springer ruined her "outfit", shedding it, revealing "herself" to be Overlord! The sight of Overlord snaps Springer out of his trance, and the Decepticon smacks him aside. A nearby group of vehicles suddenly transform, revealing themselves to be the Mayhem group, who decide that Carnivac's plan has failed and they need to take down Overlord for everyone's sake.

The group attacks him, but he easily kills them all. he heads toward Springer to finish him off, when Verity attacks him, using her exo-suit's arm cannons. He instantly recognizes her from the rescue mission on Garrus-9, so he grabs her and flies away.

Just afterwards, Impactor arrives and scolds the hidden Carnivac for messing up so hard and for using Springer in this plan. He takes them both back to the Mayhem HQ for repairs...

Overlord takes Verity to his new base, a dormant volcano, where he reveals his new business partner, Tarantulas, as the two have joint interests in chaos and destruction, as well as a history with the Wreckers.

Whilst in his Stasis-Chamber, Springer remembers how Kup escorted him to meet with the Wreckers for the first time in their hidden base, and how happy he was to be part of the team and be with Impactor.

When his treatment ends, Springer immediately smashes out of the chamber and attacks Impactor for what he did to him. Impactor is like-wise angry with Carnivac for using Springer in the plan, but Carnivac points out that it was Impactor's plan to use an Autobot to kill a prominent human to cause problems for them, and Carnivac simply used Springer due to his war-hero status. Springer leaves, using Verity's portable device to track her, saying that both the Mayhems are as bad as eachother.

Back in the villain's volcano lair, Tarantulas shows off his newest invention, the Timemaze, a version of the Noisemaze that allows the user to travel through time, and reveals that he survived their last encounter by reducing himself to his smallest form and hiding on Springer, and was hiding in their base for a while without their knowledge, explaining the phantom messages from the array too. Verity soon realizes that Tarantulas intends to send Overlord into the Timemaze to do something in the past.

Tarantulas confirms this, explaining that by sending Overlord into key points of the past, he can alter events, allowing him to examine the effects on the war and Cybertron itself. Overlord however decides to change the plans, and reveals that he plans to travel into the past to kill Megatron in his pre-war form, before he ever became an Autobot like he is now. Tarantulas is fearful of messing with Megatron's past as he is a staple to the universe and this could unravel everything, and the duo start to fight.

Whilst the villains fight, Verity jumps onto the Timemaze console to disable it, with Overlord threatening to kill her if she doesn't stop, however Tarantulas warns him to not touch her. Overlord soon realizes that Tarantulas is trying to protect her, hoping that it will win Springer's favour and bring them closer. Overlord announces that Springer will probably not even turn up to save her...just as a harpoon is shot into his eye...

Springer and Impactor crash into the base, and Springer immediately tries to get Verity to safety, until she explains what the Timemaze is for. Tarantulas appears behind them, and eagerly tells Springer that he never intended to abandon him, he thought he was destroyed by Prowl, which Springer acknowledges, but he still has to stop him from using the Timemaze to destroy the universe. Tarantulas quickly decides that he'll change his ways and will disable the device, just to prove he wants to change to Springer.

Unfortunately Overlord hears this and shoots Tarantulas in the back of the head, Impactor and Springer attack Overlord, and they all end up falling deeper into the volcano. Springer winds up trapped under a pile of rocks with Impactor wedged in the rocks. The two know they can't move the rocks, or the rest will collapse, so they take the moment to finally speak about Kup, and Springer reveals that he doesn't remember how he even met Kup, so Impactor tells him the story...

Prowl calls Kup to have him take care of Springer, having given him the need-to-know version of his creation story, and explains that he wants him treated like any other Autobot, despite him being created artificially rather than naturally. The two Autobots quickly bond, and leave, with Impactor having been present in the shadows the entire time.

Imapactor finishes his story and apologizes to Springer for ever bringing him into the Wreckers and making his life harder. Impactor notices Overlord's shadow coming up along the cave walls, and orders Springer to shoot through him to attack Overlord and escape, just as Impactor did to Springer on planet Pova.Springer reluctantly does as he is ordered, but is mad at Impactor for making him do it.

At the Timemaze console, Verity has found Tarantulas' files on the Guiglione project using her portable device and discovers the funds he was able to create for it...then transfers it all to her own bank account as compensation for all he's done to her. Springer rushes in to the room with Overlord chasing him. Springer wants her to use the device to take control of the Timemaze, but there's no time to use it...that is until a loud howl fills the room and forces Overlord into his component parts. Carnivac followed Impactor and Springer to the volcano and decided to help just this once, and leaves.

Overlord is still active, despite being trapped in his vehicle modes, but Springer puts his plan into action, he grabs the frame of the Timemaze and has Verity set a destination for as far in the past as possible, and he scoops Overlord's jet mode into the portal, then does the same with the tank mode, but into the distant future, taking Overlord effectively out of the picture.

Following the battle, the dying Tarantulas calls out to Springer and apologizes for all the bad he has done, but says that he was happy to be with him for a while when he was hiding in their base, but also says that he thinks it was best he was taken away from him in the first place, since he ended up being such a good person, but is happy that he created him, and dies in his "son's" arms...

Following this whole event, Springer decides to use the Timemaze himself to try and stop the war before it ever happened, and really give himself a past. He offers to send Verity back to see Hunter if she wants, but she is fine in the present. He asks her to send out a message after her leaves, and she gives him a "Thank you" card, and the two have a hug.

Verity sends out Springer's final message, transmitted to every surviving Wrecker, their allies and even some rookies that Springer was training remotely, he orders them to learn from the Wrecker's mistakes, dismantle the group and use their skills to help others as best as they can.

Later, Verity arrives at a house and presents a greetings card wordlessly to her long-lost mother, and is invited into the house...

The end.

Characters

Autobot

Springer/Ostaros - Car/Helicopter Travels into Distant Past

Prowl - Police Car

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Sandstorm - Buggy/Helicopter

Broadside - Jet/Boat

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Arcee - Sports Car

Perceptor - Tank

Bulkhead - Armoured Van

Sixknight - Sixchanger

Breacher - Personnel Carrier

Strongarm - Police Van

Kup - Pick Up Truck (Flashback) Dead

Rack'n'Ruin (Flashback)

Roadbuster - Jeep (Flashback)

Topspin - Jet (Flashback)

Twin Twist - Drill Tank (Flashback)

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (On Screens)

Fire Convoy  Fire Truck (On Screens)

Jazz - Sports Car (On Screens)

Goldbug - Sports Car (On Screens)

Hot Rod - Sports Car (On Screens)

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck (On Screens)

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet (On Screens)

Ironfist - Van (On Screens)

Stakeout - Police Car (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Overlord/Megan Guiglione - Tank and Jet Split in two, sent into distant past and future

Past Decepticons (Flashback) Killed by Kup and Springer

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (On Screens)

Starscream - Fighter Jet (On Screens)

Mayhem

Impactor - Armoured Urban Assault Vehicle (Tank in Flashbacks) Killed by Springer (on orders)

Carnivac - Wolf

Overbite - Police Car Killed by Overlord

Stampy - Police Motorcycle Killed by Overlord

Tuskmaster - Mini-Coach Killed by Overlord

Smolder - Fire Truck Killed by Overlord

Steamhammer - Bulldozer Killed by Overlord

Other Cybertronian

Tarantulas/Mesothulas - Spider Killed by Overlord

Megatron - Mining Vehicle (On Screens)

Galvatron - Cannon (On Screens)

Cyclonus - Space Jet (On Screens)

Scourge - Space Shuttle (On Screens)

Beast Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex (On Screens)

Human

Verity Simone Carlo

Guiglione Rally-goers

TV Personalities (On Screens)

Verity's Mother (Mentioned)

Madame President (Mentioned)

Officer John Powell (Mentioned) Dead

Hunter O'Nion (Mentioned) Dead

Other

Death's Head (On Screens)

Notes

• This one-shot "annual" issue is designed to act as an epilogue to the Wreckers storyline by Nick Roche, as such it heavily references and concludes many plot points from the previous stories
• Megan Guiglione's name is a reference to Overlord's Japanese Godmaster partners from Masterforce, Mega and Giga.
• It's mentioned that Verity's DNA was used to create the Guiglione alternate mode, so it's likely that this could be what her Mother looks like.
• Overlord was last seen working with the Galactic Council to take out Megatron, however he left the mission, and presumably their alliance, when he thought Megatron had turned weak as an Autobot.
• This issue is set following Kup's death in Transformers vs Visionaries #1. But also, since Ultra Magnus and Whirl are shown, presumably alive, we can also guess that it is set after the current Lost Light storyline.
• The flashback scenes are done by Geoff Senior in traditional Marvel Transformers style.
• Kup's character model in the flashbacks is based on his "old" body from Spotlight: Kup
• Springer was informed of his mysterious past as Tarantulas and Prowl's creation/child by Verity since the end of Sins of the Wreckers.
• The "Humans First" banners used by Overlord in his human disguise are likely somewhat related to "Children of Earth", a group of humans who hate Cybertronians from the Costa era.
• The Mayhem Chimeracons have been re-outfitted with vehicle modes, but still retain their undetectable signatures from their animal modes.
• Considering Impactor's plan involved him using an Autobot under Carnivac's control to kill a public figure to cause havoc, and he was undercover as a part of the US President's vehicle convoy, it's likely that he planned to have her killed at some point!
• Amongst the images shown on the Timemaze's monitors is Optimus Prime from the Car Robots/Robots in Disguise series, so I'll just name him by his Japanese name here, Fire Convoy,
• Also amongst the Timemaze screens is what appears to be Galvatron and his lieutenants during the Heart of Darkness era.
• This story is a little inconsistent on what the Timemaze can do. Initially it's implied that it can allow alternate timelines to be created by altering things in the past, for Tarantulas to experiment on. However from the point where Overlord declares that he plans to use it to kill Megatron in the past, it's treated as though it alters this universe's past, and changing things is going to affect the future
• Amongst the rookie Wreckers, made otherwise of imports from alternate universes, is someone who appears to be Quickswitch. The problem with that is that Quickswitch was killed off in Transformers vs Visionaries #4. So I will assume that is Sixknight, his Japanese counterpart instead
• Stampy's police motorcycle alternate mode is possibly a round-about reference to the Galaxy Force version of Ransack, who had a police deco variant. I believe this to be the case due to the precedent for Ransack, Rattrap and Stampy sharing alternate modes in Animated.
• The greetings card in Verity's hand when at her mother's door seems to be coloured to match the Aequitas data slug that she had in her possession in Sins of the Wreckers.
• It is mentioned that Megan Guiglione was created as a diversion for Tarantulas whilst developing the Timemaze, to perfect the "human alternate mode", obviously an evolution of his work with the Chimeracons in Sins of the Wreckers...no one tell him that Onyx Prime/Shockwave perfected a human alternate mode with Blackrock already...
• It's not mentioned here, but due to Guiglione being a political figure, it seems likely that "she" would have ended up running for office in the future, meaning they could have used "her" to try and control Earth as well.
• It was theorized at the end of Sins of the Wreckers that Tarantulas was the spider seen in Springer's wheel well, and this confirms that this was the case.
• Despite the jet part being sent into the distant past, the tank mode appears to still be alive in the present (before also being sent far away in time) Does this mean there are two Overlords now? Just half the size and power each though?
• From the backgrounds, we can assume that Perceptor and Broadside are on the Lost Light, Prowl is on his ship with his crew, Arcee is likely on Cybertron, Sandstorm is probably in Trypticon with the Dinobots still. Whirl and Magnus appear to be on a planet with clouds....so no clues there!
• Aww this was a nice bitter-sweet but happy ending...I'm sorry to do this, but remember how Unicron is coming to destroy Earth and unravel all this happiness soon right? (Let's just how Verity and her mother can get off-world before he turns up!)

IDW - Optimus Prime #19

Title: The Falling Part 4: The Hallowing

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Starscream mused to himself, via his memoirs about his rise to power, but that Optimus Prime kept getting in his way, so now that he is witnessing Onyx Prime throwing Optimus from his ship, and into the Crystal City singularity, seemingly killing him, he is glad.

Starscream has Devastator carry him towards the downed Metrotitan, so he can try and talk to him again, and along the way, Devastator puts forth his theory that Starscream is the reincarnation of Megatronus, the Fallen Prime. Starscream doesn't believe it, but thinks he can spin it in his favour.

At Shockwave's ship, the Nemesis, he orders Liege Maximo and his Maximals to head to Metrotitan to finish off the survivors, since he knows the crew have survived, as well as the Titan. Shockwave proceeds to remove his Onyx Prime disguise and prepares the next stages of his grand scheme...

At Metrotitan, Arcee, Aileron, Jetfire and the Torchbearers emerge from the crashed Titan, uncertain of what to do now, having also witnessed Optimus' apparent death. Devastator reaches Metrotitan as Maximo and his beast troops also arrive. Bumblebee's "ghost" starts talking to someone unseen to Starscream, confusing him, as Bumblebee simply vanishes before him. Starscream heads off to Metrotitan's head alone, and sends Devastator off to deal with the Autobots, and possibly the beasts.

Maximo and his troops start hunting the Auotbots, who are hiding. Arcee plans to take down the beasts and Maximo alone, knowing she's strong enough to handle them. Aileron is ordered to get the injured Jetfire to safety, whilst the Torchbearers are forced to combine into Victorion to fight the newly arrived Devastator. Victorion uses her gravitational powers to try and stall Devastator, but he is stronger than she expects and still continues towards her...

In Iacon, Windblade and the Mistress of Flame watch in shock at the battle going on at Metrotitan. Marissa Faireborn tries to get Trypticon and the Dinobots to join in on the fight, but Trypticon refuses to risk the lives of the new generation of Protoforms he holds within him, so he opens up a Spacebridge and sends himself and the Dinobots to Earth to both keep them safe, and replace Metrotitan as the Cybertronian city-link on Earth.

Starscream reaches Metrotitan's head, where Metrotitan confirms Starscream's claim to be the reincarnation of Megatronus. Starscream is elated to be so important, but is quickly put in his place by Shockwave, who appears behind him. Shockwave reveals that he used his Ores to alter the mind of Metrotitan to make him name Starscream as the Chosen One, having also created the Dark Cybertron prophecy as well, then used more Ores to send the Titan through space and time to place him in Crystal City and under Earth at the perfect times to manipulate Cybertron into electing Starscream it's leader. He reveals that he did this to weaken the planet by having a weak leader instead of someone like Optimus, Megatron or even Arcee.

Shockwave shoots Metrotitan in the face, finally killing him, his purpose being fulfilled, leaving Starscream distraught...and he asks for Bumblebee to come back to help him again...

Optimus wakes up in a dark, destroyed city, he first thinks it's the Afterspark, but soon realizes that he is in Infraspace, and notices some markings from others who have been there in the past, including himself and Blackrock. Soon he is greeted by an old friend...Bumblebee, who has been wondering where he was for some time now!

Characters

Autobot

Arcee - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Stormclash - Helicopter

Skyburst - Helicopter

Dust Up - Sports Car

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Metrotitan - Autobot City Killed by Shockwave

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Slug - Triceratops

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab Sent to Infraspace

Bumblebee - Car Stuck in Infraspace

Ironhide - Van (Flashback Only)

Prowl - Police Car (Flashback Only)

Garrison Blackrock/Sovereign - Head (Mentioned)

Metroplex - Iacon City (Mentioned)

The Dinobots (Mentioned)

Zeta Prime - Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank (Flashback Only)

Soundwave - Acoustic Tank (Flashback Only) 

Maximal

Striker - Stegosaurus

Triceradon - Triceratops

Longhorn - Bull

Snarl - Lion

Quickstrike - Wolf

Night Viper - Viper

Iguanus - Iguana

Geckobot - Gecko

Rav - Raven

Dillo - Armadillo

Mol - Mole

Rest of Beast Hoard 

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Devastator - Construction Gestalt

Onyx Prime/Shockwave

Liege Maximo

Trypticon - Earth Embassy City

Mistress of Flame

Strafe - Two Headed Dragon/Car

Turbofoxes

Tux - Car (Flashback Only)

Grid - F1 Race Car (Flashback Only)

Past Cybertronians (Flashback Only)

Scoop - Front End Loader (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Megatronus/The Fallen (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

New Generation Cybertronians (Mentioned)

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Rashid Nasir

Notes

• The Cybertronian whom Starscream tries to sell a badge to in the past is based on the Go-Bot character Tux...since there's nothing that would contradict that, I'll say it is him! (Yay!)
• Starscream's senator-era partner is based on Armada Swindle, his Mini-Con partner. Due to there already being a Swindle in this continuity, I'll just name him Grid here, after his Japanese name.
• I'm guessing that Shockwave exposed his true identity to his beasts and Liege Maximo at some point in the past, since none of them appear to question taking orders from this one-eyed guy wearing their master's skin as a suit...
• So turns out, except for a few scratches, the only Autobot to be injured during Metrotitan's fall was Jetfire, who looks kind of mangled
• I love how Aileron and Starscream both point out how Optimus is likely to come back to life, despite his apparent death. They must read a lot of comics :)
• Liege Maximo mentions how Arcee, being an ancient Cybertronian knows more than the rest of her team about Onyx and the other Primes. This is true, since she (in her original form) was present when the Primes were united.
• Maximo also mentions how he can sense the spawn of Solus Prime amongst the Autobots, referring to the Torchbearers and Aileron, who all come from Caminus, Solus' colony. How he knows they are amongst them is another question though...does he have some sort of mind-reading power like Soundwave?
• Devastator mentions how he has been a combiner much longer than Victorion has, and how he once helped to conquer Earth... except that was two Devastator's ago, the one with Scrapper as a member.
• I ADORE how Shockwave is so condescending towards Starscream when he points out how he used the Ores to manipulate things to make him the leader of Cybertron, rather than a competent leader.
• We learn this issue that the Crystal City we saw Bumblebee in, in the past was actually Infraspace, the Cybertronian limbo.
• OH MY GOSH I NEVER THOUGHT BUMBLEBEE WOULD BE BACK IN THIS CONTINUITY! ESPECIALLY NOT AFTER READING THE EARLIER RELEASED UNICRON #0 WHICH HEAVILY FEATURED HIM!
• Just a real-world anecdote here, the same day I received this comic the same day I bought Power of the Primes Starscream, and the bio card was of "Megatronus Starscream". Seems kind of perfect considering Starscream's sub-plot this issue being that he might be the reincarnation of the Fallen :)